In This Issue
• The Vendee... Restart off Rio
• Pip Hare at the Horn, 'Finally It Is Done'
• Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar
• Rolex Fastnet Race entry numbers smash all records
• Prada Cup Preview
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Rolex China Sea Race 2021 cancelled amid Covid-19 concerns
• National YC Congratulates DBSC on 'Sailing Club of the Year' Gong
• Launchings
• Featured Charter: Shamlor - 67ft Sailing Yacht
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Baltic 45 - "Flomali"
• • Swan 90-708 Alix
• • Jeanneau 64
• The Last Word: Frederick Douglass

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

The Vendee... Restart off Rio
After 65 days racing and over 23,000 nautical miles sailed on the course, the Vendee Globe in effect restarted off Rio de Janeiro, Brazil today with the five top boats regrouping within 26 miles of each other in terms of the distance to the finish line in Les Sables d'Olonne.

Charlie Dalin (Apivia) has taken the lead again from Yannick Betaven, the French skipper of Maitre Coq IV who lost the biggest leading margin of the race, over 435 nautical miles. But the 48 year old skipper from La Rochelle has found breeze this afternoon, closer to the Brazilian shore, and is marginally further north than the Apivia sailor.

Dalin, Bestaven, double Parlympic gold medallist Damien Seguin (Groupe APICIL), Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) and Louis Burton (Bureau Vallee) are compacted tightly off the Brasilian coast, trying to climb into the Easterly tradewinds which are not at all well established at least until the NE'ly corner at Recife.

"The rout to the north is anything but clear. Until Recife, the northeast trade winds are unstable, there are bubbles with less wind, and variations in strength and direction. On the water, there must be pressure differences and therefore speed differences between the boats. It is not at all easy." Sebastien Josse, the weather consultant for the Vendee Globe explained this morning.

And from now to the finish in Les Sables d'Olonne it seems certain the final 4600 miles will be contested with the intensity of an inshore coastal race where every mile counts. And the tiny gaps - there are just 127 nautical miles back to ninth placed Jean Le Cam (Yes We Cam!) - suggest this epic ninth edition of the Vendee Globe may see places decided on a photo finish.

Top ten at Jan. 13, 2021 - 04h (UTC)
1. Yannick Bestaven - Maitre CoQ IV, 4505.09 nm to finish
2. Charlie Dalin - APIVIA, 6.13 nm to leader
3. Louis Burton - Valley 2 Office, 23.31 nm
4. Thomas Ruyant - LinkedOut, 26.14 nm
5. Damien Seguin - GROUPE APICIL, 40.26 nm
6. Boris Herrmann - SEAEXPLORER - Yacht Club De Monaco, 63.79 nm
7. Benjamin Dutreux - OMIA - WATER FAMILY, 91.9 nm
8. Giancarlo Pedote - Prysmian Group, 115.24 nm
9. Jean Le Cam - Yes We Cam!, 121.65 nm
10. Maxime Sorel - V and B-MAYENNE, 297.86 nm

Tracker

Pip Hare at the Horn, 'Finally It Is Done'
Finally it's done. I have rounded Cape Horn, had the full experience, close enough inshore for photos and spoke to the lighthouse keeper and his wife. But then I was crawling past the island at about 4 knots so I had time to be a tourist.

Yesterday was one of those Vendee tests. It was a day that ground me down from the very start, a day that started full of promise as the day I would pass Cape Horn, but then quickly descended into something just short of despair at it's worst.

The breeze was difficult all day, the sky full of squalls and lulls. I just didn't have the boat speed to stay in the more consistent breeze and so slowly fell back into the weaker breeze, which in itself was enough to frustrate. But I was battling with bigger issues as well, in the form of a leak from the rudder bearing on the side that I changed, which yesterday rapidly worsened and at it's peak saw me in the back of the boat every hour bailing out over 40l of water that was washing from side to side so impossible to pick up with a bilge pump.

We think that one of the seals in the bearing may have dropped out when I changed the rudder and so the water is able to come into the back of the boat. All day I have been in and out with a bucket, trying to work out whether the leak was stable or getting worse. Each time bailing out the compartment and then crawling in with a torch to inspect every surface to ensure I knew where the water was coming from.

www.vendeeglobe.org

Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar
A Royal tie in the voting as of Tuesday night... the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club are both slightly in the lead, and tied, in the voting for 2020's best bar.

Our top ten:
Foxy's Tamarind Bar - Jost Van Dyke, BVI
Glenwood Pines - Cayuga Lake, Ithaca NY
One Bar Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Pier View - Cowes, IOW, UK
Royal Bermuda Yacht Club - Hamilton, Bermuda
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club - Hong Kong
Royal Ocean Racing Club - London Clubhouse, England
Soggy Dollar - Jost Van Dyke, BVI
Columbia Yacht Club, MV Abegweit, Chicago
Swizzle Inn - Hamilton Parish, Bermuda

From a reader who submitted Royal Hong Kong:
The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Bar is not a bar in the normal sense; it is a flowing and ebbing tide that never stands still. There are the landmarks that keep it familiar but around them, flows the laughter and merriment of those who enjoy sailing at the best yacht club in Asia....if not, well beyond Asian shores.

The far corner full of the senior statesmen of the club who look on, having seen everything before them happen before. Maori and Wing plying drinks to those who may clamber over the bell, wax lyrical about another great racing day; the bonhomie between members and visitors that really don't care how good or how bad you are, just that you are there.

Have a bad day at the office, go to the bar...someone will cheer you. Have a good day on the water, even the rockstars will listen to your stories. Ring the bell...everyone is more your friend than they had been a few minutes earlier.

And if the atmosphere here does not do it for you, just look out the window and realise that the view we get is one of the most dynamic skylines on earth, that of the city of Hong Kong.

Vote for the best bar of 2020 here: eurosailnews.com/sailors-bars

Rolex Fastnet Race entry numbers smash all records
Like tickets to Glastonbury, registration opened on the dot of 1000 UTC today for this summer's Rolex Fastnet Race and speedily sold out. Within an hour an unprecedented 400 boats had entered the Royal Ocean Racing Club's flagship event, which this year will follow a route finishing for the first time in France. Bow to bow this line-up represents almost 5km of yacht, confirming the Rolex Fastnet Race's position as by far the world's largest and most popular offshore yacht race.

"It seems that everyone is looking forward positively to a future of sailing without COVID-19 hanging over their heads as once again we have a 'sell-out' Rolex Fastnet Race," said RORC CEO Eddie Warden Owen. "Also the message must have got through that we have more places available with our move of the finish to Cherbourg, because we had the usual early rush for places, but it seemed more orderly than in the past, with more than 400 boats registering in less than an hour. Add to this the non-IRC fleets like the IMOCA and Class40, plus the usual mixture of multihulls makes the tally around 500 boats whose crews want to experience the challenge of the Rolex Fastnet Race. It is very exciting for our sport."

The first entry, which managed to sign up in a finger-flying sub-two second time after registration opened was Eva Herman's J/122 Juliett Romeo from the Netherlands. The first British entry followed after 26 seconds in Katherine Cope's Sun Fast 3200 Purple Mist. The first French entry was 30 seconds into the process in Christian Maby's Sun Fast 3300 3 Spoutnik with, just a split second later, Conor Dillon's Dehler 34 Big Deal, the first entry from Ireland and Tomasz Nagas' Fast Forward first from the USA.

Within three minutes more than 200 entries had signed on before the system became overloaded. Once it had sorted itself out, the tally was up to 370 within thirty minutes.

Today's registration was for the Rolex Fastnet Race's IRC fleet, in which boats compete for the prestigious Fastnet Challenge Cup for the race's overall winner under corrected time. It does not include professional French classes such as the IMOCAs and Class40s, plus the multihull fleet which is once again expected to include several Ultime maxi trimarans. With at least 100 more boats expected from classes such as these, the total number of boats due to set sail from the Solent on Sunday, 8 August looks set to exceed 500.

rorc.org

www.rolexfastnetrace.com

Prada Cup Preview
Whether it be for the Challengers or the Defender, the speed at which the whole fleet is developing has already taken even the experts by surprise.

During the break between the PRADA America's Cup World Series Auckland and the start of the Challenger selection series, the Prada Cup, it was clear that teams would continue to develop their boats and their handling techniques, as well as incorporating what they had learned from the three days of racing.

As always in a Cup campaign, time is the biggest constraint but never more so than for this cycle where the new generation of boats are so extreme and their true potential yet to be defined. Here, the learning curve is steep for all.

So a two-day practice race programme this week provided an opportunity to see what all the teams had been up to and how they had adapted their sailing. And from the moment they arrived on the racecourse, it was clear that plenty had changed and that the competition is already heating up. Rarely have we seen this level of intensity in an America's Cup build-up.

The big surprise came when the Defenders nosedived and capsized in an unforced error shortly after gybing. A sharp reminder of the thin line that all of the teams tread. Thankfully no one was hurt and righting the AC75 took just a matter of minutes. And while the team decided to withdraw from the rest of racing for the day, they were back up and running in time for the racing on the following day.

Seahorse January 2021
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

When the best team up
When Sam and Oliver Moore first set up their own composite shop in 2014, they'd already learned from the best and quickly attracted high-end clients. Three years later they acquired Composite Solutions Inc (CSI) from their mentor Jeff Kent.

IRC - Not foiling (just) yet
But with enough research and good work we'll be able to rate you soon. Jason Smithwick

RORC news - Well represented
Four entries in the 2020 Vendee Globe is a good effort for any club. Eddie Warden-Owen

Seahorse build table - Meeting demand
A much awaited new addition to the ranks of Class40 scow designers. Andre Cymone

1yr Print Sub: €77 - £48 - $71 / Rest of the World: £65 www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs/

1yr Digital Sub for £37.50: www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs/

Discounts shown are valid on a one year subscription to Seahorse magazine.

Rolex China Sea Race 2021 cancelled amid Covid-19 concerns
In light of the ongoing Covid-19 situation and continued uncertainty regarding international border openings, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club has had to make the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 Rolex China Sea Race, due to start on 31 March.

RHKYC Commodore, Denis Martinet, said "we are of course very disappointed having already postponed this blue ribbon event last year. We felt that the situation would have improved sufficiently by March 2021. Yet this is not to be and we feel that it is prudent to cancel. The Club will nevertheless endeavor to organise an independent race around the same dates in full compliance with any restrictions in place. Meanwhile we shall work tirelessly to bring about a fantastic Rolex China Sea Race in 2022 to celebrate its 60th anniversary."

With current quarantine regulations, it is impractical for the Club to conduct an offshore race finishing in Philippines waters. We would like to thank the teams registered for their continuous support. The RHKYC Race Committee, in conjunction with our longstanding partner Rolex, will plan for a better and safer Rolex China Sea Race in 2022.

In the meantime, the Club will continue its preparations for a standalone A to A Offshore Race over Easter 2021 while closely monitoring pandemic developments.

rhkyc.org.hk

National YC Congratulates DBSC on 'Sailing Club of the Year' Gong
The National Yacht Club has offered its congratulations to Dublin Bay Sailing Club on its recognition as Mitsubishi Motors Sailing Club of the Year for 2021.

As our own WM Nixon wrote last week, it marks only the second time that the unique Dublin organisation - primarily comprising members of the Dun Laoghaire waterfront clubs, the NYC included - has received the accolade.

"DBSC did a fantastic job in difficult circumstances in 2020 to get our members out sailing for most of the summer," said National Yacht Club Commodore Martin McCarthy.

"The NYC is delighted that our member Ann Kirwan has taken on the role of Commodore of DBSC this year, with club stalwart Chris Moore being Hon Sec, and other NYC members also heavily involved on other fronts.

"Congratulations also to 2020 Commodore Jonathan Nicholson on his fine stewardship of the club."

afloat.ie/sail/

Launchings
After 9 months of intensive development the first boat of the a new yacht brand AEOLOS is ready for production. The AEOLPS P30 (P stands for performance) is optimized for single and double hand sailing and works in a wide range of offshore conditions up to category A.

The CFD analysis shows very fast data in typical 14 knots of wind, especially for a 30 foot boat:
Upwind speed: 7.15 kts and TWA 40°
Downwind speed 111.43 kts at TWA 140°

Hans Genthe, lifetime sailor with an impressive track of race wins, developed the design in Dubai during the lockdown, based on his wins with his Farr280 in the Silverrudder 2018/2019 and the experiences made in the Baltic 500 race. He has this carbon rocket is radically optimized for easy handling and fast rejuvenation at sea. Additional to that, hundreds of hours CFD and rating optimization went in this boat, internationally recognized experts like Hannes Rentsch and Max Gurgel are in the developing team.

Due to the mast laying device and the tilt slip trailer the boat can be launched by a single person without a crane. The interior is very different from the usual concepts, but it is offering sleeping, eating and further important "personal business" during rough conditions.

The numbers of the boat are extreme: With 9,14m length the boat weights only 1.55t (empty but rigged) and is carrying more than 800kg ballast on a 2,3m long retractable keel. That means a ballast ratio more than 50% (800kg). Compared to that power/potential the ORC measurement numbers are very good.

First boats are ordered, but further boats can be delivered in the middle of the year.

www.aeolosyachts.com

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Elan Launches New Porsche-Designed 46 Footer

Join Toby in Scotland as he spends 24hrs aboard Elan's new 49ft flagship GT6 and gives you a full walkthrough. What does Studio F.A. Porsche bring to this Humphreys design and who is this boat for? See the full report in Yachting World December 2020

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Fabrice Cahierc's Multi50, designed by VPLP and built by Persico, went into the water in early October in Marseilles. VPLP's latest design features a straight forward beam and a heavily swept-back after beam which supports the mast. The aim was to save as much weight as possible.

The cockpit is currently in "Grand Prix" mode, i.e. fully open, with just a protection at the piano, which is very much in front of the boat. The Harken winches are coupled to two coffee grinder columns, and the companionway is located aft of the central hull just in front of the main helm.

We will take advantage of the delivery to Brittany to define the future design of our cockpit protection, which will be installed for offshore races. The Multi 50 class imposes a one-design for the foils, so we all have the same.

This helps to maintain a class spirit and keep operating budgets down.

www.boatsnews.com

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From vision to concept & From concept to realization: an intriguing look behind the busy scenes at Royal Huisman's shipyard reveals this: the impressive full-scale mockup for the 46m high-performance cruiser sloop "Reichel / Pugh - Nauta 151", which started construction this month. This versatile sailing yacht is designed and built for very experienced Owners who presented a stimulating brief: comfort and safety to explore the world, in an extremely lightweight structure to ensure victories in superyacht regattas.

Featured Charter
Shamlor - 67ft Sailing Yacht. From 15,000 per week EUR. Located in West Mediterranean.

With over twenty years of experience in the sailing market, the Italian shipyard Maxi Dolphin, known for producing one-off yachts, has followed its natural evolution and now launches the 20m sailing yacht Dream 67 SHAMLOR.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Lisa Spiller
Charter Manager
Bernard-Gallay
Phone 1 : +33(0)6 33 42 45 09
Phone 2 : +33 (0)467 66 39 93
Mail :

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
2009 Baltic 45 - "Flomali". 395000 EUR.

Baltic Yachts exceptional quality, in an easily sailed yacht for fast cruising with your family and friends or convert her to race mode and head offshore. The lifting keel reduces the draft to two meters allowing access to unlimited cruising grounds and powered winches allows easy sail control.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats

+447759 424900
+442380 016582

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2009 Swan 90-708 Alix. 3,800,000 EUR. Located in Genoa, Italy

Another successful collaboration between German Frers and Nautor, the Swan 90S 'Alix' is the quintessential performance cruiser combining elegant and powerful lines with Finnish quality to achieve an aggressive beautyThe anthracite grey colour scheme and customized four-cabin interior with Wengé and tinted oak give Alix a modern edge while maintaining the classic and timeless appeal of a Swan yacht.

Alix is under original ownership since new and has been based in the Med with light usage during the summer months except for two winters in the Caribbean (2011/2012 and 2016/2017). She has done a few charters each year but not more than three weeks annually. The owner has carefully selected the charter clients.

Alix has been maintained to the highest level and benefits from three substantial maintenance periods in 2014, 2015 and 2018The new engine, carbon standing rigging and complete paint job have kept her looking and working like new.

The yacht is MCA LY2 coded for commercial use and was inspected by MCA in June 2018.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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Jeanneau 64. 895,000 TAX PAID EUR Located in Hampshire, UK

PRICE REDUCED FROM 995,000 EUROS

The Jeanneau 64 is a proven and highly regarded design, she truly leads the way in the market with her innovative design features, comfort and sailing performance.

This is a rare opportunity to purchase a Jeanneau 64 with an outstanding specification, including upgraded generator, air conditioning and water maker.

She is an absolutely stunning yacht and is seriously for sale. Option to continue current berthing contract.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sea Ventures (UK) Ltd
Swanwick Marina
Swanwick Shore Road
Swanwick
Hampshire SO31 1ZL
+44 (0)1489 565444

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

The Last Word
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. -- Frederick Douglass

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