In This Issue
• It's Time To Race
• Fastest Boat Wins
• You Buy Harken Marine Grip For What It Does
• Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada (Pol) Hold Lead On Day 2 at 94th Bacardi Cup
• The Boat that shaped the Kiwi Cup future
• Doing the ground work - UK Sailmakers
• SailGP invites cities to join its Race for the Future
• 18ft Skiffs JJ Giltinan Championship, Races 3 and 4
• Bermuda Race Tent Party: Sea Stories From Young & Old
• Rees Martin
• Featured Charter: GP42 - Phan
• Featured Brokerage:
• • NEEL 47 - Trimaran
• • MILLS 41 - "Ambush"
• • Jeanneau 54
• The Last Word: Winston Churchill

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

NEWSFLASH:
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team and Emirates Team New Zealand each win a race on first day. Next racing on March 11.

It's Time To Race
Auckland, New Zealand: After almost four years, it is finally time for the 36th America's Cup presented by Prada - and what a lead-up it has been. As Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand have overcome massive obstacles to prepare for this event, and having dealt with the many hurdles in so many different forms, the entire team has always maintained focus on one goal- Winning the event and retaining the America's Cup for New Zealand.

Right from the start, when the AC75 Class Rule was created after securing the 35th America's Cup in Bermuda in 2017, Emirates Team New Zealand wanted to bring fast, maneuverable and spectacular racing to the Hauraki Gulf, and having done this, we are only too aware of the unique circumstance surrounding the finals of the oldest international trophy in sport - the great unknown.

Every Defender of the America's Cup must work, test, develop and train on their own - waiting for one team to overcome all the Challengers. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli achieved this on February 21st, and having won the Prada Cup and the right to become the official Challenger for the 36th America's Cup presented by Prada, they are hungry to go one step further, when racing is scheduled to start just after 4pm NZT on Wednesday 10th March.

But as a team, Emirates Team New Zealand is prepared.

From the moment the America's Cup landed in New Zealand nearly four years ago, our designers, engineers, boatbuilders, shore crew, and sailors have been focused on one thing - creating a boat to beat all comers. To achieve this our team has been working quietly away, doing everything possible to squeeze every ounce of performance out of the boat, the sail plan, and the eleven athletes onboard.

The outcome is Te Rehutai, the boat we will use to defend the America's Cup, and in the lead up to the Cup we have been out on the water, training relentlessly, pushing hard, and focusing on being battle-ready. The effort has been enormous, the focus intense, and the commitment absolute from every single member of our team, who know that until the start of race one of the 36th America's Cup Match, nobody has any clear idea of the relative speeds of the two teams. Past results mean nothing here - this is the pinnacle that all crews aim for, the ultimate test in yacht racing, to win the greatest prize in sailing - the America's Cup. The final push begins now.

www.emiratesteamnz.com

Fastest Boat Wins
After 'There is no second place', the oldest cliché of the America's Cup is 'Fastest Boat Wins'.

Barring some freakish accident such as befell American Magic earlier this year, the same old formula of superior boatspeed will apply to the 36th Cup.

According to the bookies, the odds are heavily in favour of Emirates Team New Zealand...

With all the work I've done on Road To Gold over the past six months or more, my project partner Hamish Willcox has mostly kept his thoughts to himself about the expectations inside the Kiwi camp. Quietly confident, is how I would put it, even if the Kiwi press have been accused of being a good deal noisier and less gracious about their expected superiority over the Italians.

This is part of my chat with Hamish last weekend when he talks about his thoughts on the Olympics and the America's Cup (both projects that he will be sharing with Pete Burling and Blair Tuke), and what that Code Zero gennaker is really all about and if it will actually play a part in the defence of the Cup.

For an overview of the story up until now, you can't get much better than Richard Gladwell's analysis on Sail-World.com. Richard has been the man-on-the-ground and on-the-water throughout every stage of this Cup...

Just a few hours to go now. Whatever the outcome, watching these AC75s tear round the track has been a lot of fun. A bit of close competition would be even better, but that's the bit I wouldn't want to bet on. Fastest Boat will win, and probably at a canter. -- Andy Rice, Sailjuice editor

You Buy Harken Marine Grip For What It Does.
You'll Stick With It For What It Doesn't.

New Harken Marine Grip does what every non-skid product claims to do--keep you from slipping. And in fact, test results do prove Marine Grip does this at least 40% more effectively than competitive products whether you're in leather shoes, boat shoes or barefoot.

Originally designed by a surfer to mimic the feel of surf wax while outlasting it, Marine Grip is easy to clean and install. It's cost-effective and works well anywhere you don't want to slip: decks, docks and ladder steps. It's available in gray, black and white that's translucent for hatches or deck prisms. And it comes in rolls, strips and hexagons you can assemble to cover irregular cockpit or foredecks.

But make no mistake: there are some things Harken Marine Grip does not do. It doesn't rip up your hands and knees, chafe your board shorts or foul weather gear. It doesn't hold onto dirt, change color or get slick in cold weather or after months in the UVs or salt. And it really doesn't take all day to remove it.

That's Harken Marine Grip. If you try it, we believe you'll stick with it.

www.harken.com/en/shop/marine-grip/

Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada (Pol) Hold Lead On Day 2 at 94th Bacardi Cup
Race day two at the 94th Bacardi Cup welcomed Star Class teams with another strong breeze day of 20-25 knots and knock-back waves, demanding huge physical effort and concentration from the fleet. No change in the leader board top three as the opening day's finishing order repeated itself for race 2 on Biscayne Bay, Miami.

Ten minutes before racing got underway, the Star fleet held a memorial start in honor of James 'Ding' Schoonmaker who passed away on 19 January 2021. As the fleet positioned themselves head to wind Ding's wife Treecie, aboard Mario Bustamonte's 'Merengue' with friends and family, shared some words with the fleet from their position above the start line. A world class sailor and stalwart in the Star fleet and the sailing world, Ding's contributions and philanthropy have reached out and benefited multitudes of sailors.

A World Champion and multiple Bacardi Cup winner, Ding's mission and continuing legacy was to build the sailing community, support success and extend opportunities for all. Ding was also the driving force behind the training facility which provides sailors access to train and compete on Biscayne Bay, and the building bears his name.

The Bacardi Cup's own legacy is due to the special friendship between Ding, Tito Argamasilla Bacardi and Frank Zagarino who in 1962 together brought the Bacardi Cup to Miami from Cuba, thus saving this unique and special regatta.

Racing started a short while later on a two-triangle course, with some teams opting to stay ashore in the challenging conditions. Race 2 was a repeat of yesterday's opening race as the same line-up claimed the top three places. Defending Champions Mateusz Kusznierewicz/Bruno Prada (POL) were out front, followed by Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise (USA) with George Szabo/Guy Avellon (USA) rounding out the top three.

Bouncing back from a DNC yesterday, 2013 Star Class World Champions John MacCausland/Phil Trinter (USA) claimed a 4th place to secure the biggest leader board gain and step up to 12th overall. Close behind were Augie Diaz/Marcus Koy in 5th place, keeping them firm in fourth overall.

Provisional Top 10 Results - After Race 2
1. Mateusz Kusznierewicz / Bruno Prada (POL 8548) - 2 pts
2. Eric Doyle / Payson Infelise (USA 8423) - 4 pts
3. George Szabo / Guy Avellon (USA 8528) - 6 pts
4. Augie Diaz / Marcus Koy (USA 8509) - 9 pts
5. Jim Buckingham / Phil Toth (USA 8440) - 13 pts
6. Hubert Merkelbach / Kilian Weise (GER 8446) - 16 pts
7. Shane Zwingelberg / Keith Gardner (USA 8546) - 17 pts
8. John Ferguson Dane III / Greg Smith (USA 8555) - 17 pts
9. Joshua Powell / Mark Strube (USA 8522) - 18 pts
10. Scott Barnard / Craig Moss (USA 8504) - 22 pts

bacardiinvitational.com

The Boat that shaped the Kiwi Cup future
With the first race of the 36th America's Cup just hours away here's a short story that I believe helps to put the Kiwi Cup campaigns into perspective.

It's a story I've been itching to tell this story since I got here...how NZL20 formed the foundations for 29 years of Kiwi participation in the America's Cup and how the bright red boat played a major part in bringing the Cup to New Zealand. On the eve of the 36th America's Cup, where so little is known about the relative performances of the Challenger and the Defender, this is an apt reminder about how New Zealand has led the technology charge for so many years and how a winning formula can go wrong in a heartbeat. Out of lockdown and back on the road, I head out of Auckland to find out more about this fascinating boat and how it shaped the future.

More on Planet Sail's YouTube Channel

Doing the ground work - UK Sailmakers
There are many good reasons for the welcome explosion of two-handed racing but doing your homework before leaving the dock for the first time double-handed will bring precious dividends

The immense popularity and exploding interest in big boat doublehanded sailing is branching out from its competitive roots in northern Europe and now engulfs nearly every corner of the sailing world. Driven by more than just its recent adoption in the 2024 Olympics, sailing two-up is proving to be a sensible and organic solution for owners who want an alternative to the hassle and expense of full-crew racing. Those who have tried it are often surprised to discover how much fun it is. UK Sailmakers has embraced this trend with gusto, developing a range of not only sail products to support the unique needs of short-handed sailors, but also is in an advisory role, helping their customers to adapt to what for many is a new paradigm in sailing.

Before going any further, one must recognise that there is almost as much to learn about doublehanded sailing as there is about sailing itself. OK, maybe not as much...but there is a lot to learn before you’re ready to go safely offshore doublehanded. Here’s a glimpse into some of the basic considerations of doublehanded sailing, for the would-be doublehander.

Full article in the March Issue of Seahorse

SailGP invites cities to join its Race for the Future
Following the announcement of an expanded event calendar for its second season that opens in less than 50 days and features eight events across three continents, SailGP today opened the bid process for its Season 3 host venues, starting in 2022. SailGP is inviting cities that are committed to creating a better future to be part of its sustainable global racing calendar as the league sets out to champion a world powered by nature.

As the first climate positive sports and entertainment property - removing more carbon than its footprint - SailGP is already leading the way and setting a new standard for major event hosting. From its inception in 2019, SailGP has been measuring, reducing and offsetting its own carbon footprint and has set an ambitious target of 55 percent reduction of its carbon footprint - based on science - by 2025, as well as committing to being fully powered by nature by 2025. The remaining carbon that can not be eliminated is offset via a partnership with One Carbon World, directly supporting renewable energy wind projects around the world.

Future SailGP host cities must sign the league's Climate Action Charter and commit to two key impact projects: one on energy powered by nature for the city and a blue carbon project to maintain or restore critical carbon-sequestering shoreline ecosystems to protect the waters in which SailGP racing takes place.

Building on the foundations set in Seasons 1 and 2, SailGP's third season will commence in May 2022 and run through March 2023.

Additional details on the bid process can be accessed via . Cities must express interest no later than April 2021.

SailGP.com

18ft Skiffs JJ Giltinan Championship, Races 3 and 4
Click on image for photo gallery.

Sydney Harbour: Following the disqualification of Race 2 winner tech2, today's two races of the JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship, on Sydney Harbour, took on far more importance for the pre-championship favourite team which now had to complete the nine-race regatta without any further possible 'discard' score.

Unfortunately for the Australian champion team, things didn't get better. they got a lot worse with a sixth placing in Race 3, followed by a retirement from Race 4 after colliding with another competitor shortly after the start.

While things were not looking good for tech2, it was all smiles for the experienced Smeg team of Michael Coxon, Ricky Bridge and Trent Barnabas which took out both races with a classy exhibition in the 13-20 knot SSE wind.

In Race 4, Yandoo, tech2 and Finport Finance won the start at the boat end of the line, but it was Smeg once again which held the lead at the first windward mark of the three--lap course.

Yandoo continued to impress on the day and held second place, 20secs behind the leader, followed by Shaw and Partners, Andoo and Noakesailing.

Smeg continued to lead at the bottom mark, but this time the #1 rig was beginning to gain a better advantage and Andoo took the lead on the work back across the harbour into Rose Bay., and was still in front as the fleet headed off for the final lap.

While the Andoo team made no mistake, Smeg was just sailing too well on the day and had once again grabbed the lead from Andoo as the two leaders headed for home.

Races 5 and 6 of the championship will be sailed Wednesday, March 10 on Sydney Harbour . -- Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.

www.18footers.com

Bermuda Race Tent Party: Sea Stories From Young & Old
Race-Prep Webinar Series continues Tuesday, Mar. 16th, 7pm EDT

If the Newport Bermuda Race is on your bucket list, register here to join us for one or all of the next five events in our free webinar series, presented by Bermuda Tourism Authority and Goslings Rum.

The event next week will focus on the human side of doing the race. You know it's an adventure out there crossing 635 bluewater miles, but what's it really like? We'll have a variety of stories told by veterans and newer sailors.

Featured story-tellers:
Liz Shaw, Rives Potts, Scott Murray, Lindsay Gimple, Ron Weiss, Somers Kempe (race chair and moderator)

We're calling all race veterans, too! Think you've got the best story? Let us know in the Chat and we may have time to put you on the hot seat to spin your own yarn.

Register on the Race-Prep Webinar page for Tuesday's webinar and you'll receive a confirmation email with a link. Afterwards, we'll send you a link to the recording in case you missed the event.

Missed the First Webinar?
If you missed Feb. 9, you can still watch it below. And webinars through the spring will look at different aspects of the race.

Rees Martin
Early this week I received the tragic news that Rees Martin had died over the weekend of a stroke. He was just into his 81st year.

Rees Martin was instrumental with David Elliott in helping to start what was the Metre Regatta in 2008. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Metre Rule a memorable square course was set on the Olympic course off Ryde Sands, with racing started by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club.

Since those early days the regatta has matured into Cowes Classics Week, recognised as the largest and best of its kind in Great Britain.

Rees was active in all the roles he took up within our community as Secretary to BISMA, founder and Trustee of the British National Yachting Archive, Trustee of the Lyme Regis Boatbuilding Academy and the Association of Yachting Historians.

His enthusiasm, knowledge and support will be sadly missed.

David N Gower
Chairman Cowes Classics Week

Featured Charter
GP42 - Phan.

The GP42 was designed to be a fast, truly competitive performance racing yacht and has had much success globally

Phan was designed by Botin & Carkeek and built by King Marine. The GP42 was designed to be a fast, truly competitive performance racing yacht and has had much success globally. Phan is in immaculate condition having been meticulously maintained her whole life. In 2018 she had some exciting modifications, including a new rudder and deeper keel. The new keel gives greater righting moment and more upwind power, and the new rudder will be larger and with different balance, to give more low speed manoeuvrability and lower load when high speed reaching.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Lucy Jackson - LV Yachting
Call: +44 2392 161272
Email:

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
NEEL 47 - Trimaran. POA EUR

NEEL 47 - Comfort living and performance

The NEEL 47 successfully combines the benefits of cruising or blue water yacht: safety, performance and comfort living. The NEEL 47 offers a new design and sporting look. The optimization of its exterior and interior ergonomics makes it a unique multihull. Its layout is thought to promote a better cohabitation and to keep the privacy of each person.

The NEEL 47 seduces by its exceptional sailing qualities, it allows to taste the sensations of speed while keeping a feeling of comfort and balance.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
4 rue Virginie Heriot
Plateau nautique BP 23085
17032 La Rochelle Cedex - France
Tel. : +33 546 290 871

-----------------------------------------

2016 MILLS 41 - "Ambush". 350000 USD. Located in Hong Kong.

AMBUSH is an IRC41 from Mark Mills. With a detailed understanding of the IRC rule, this FAST 40 style racer was penned with a more offshore focus, whilst keeping similar DNA to the inshore flyers that we have seen taking IRC by storm. A great option for both an inshore and offshore calendar.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
+447759 424900
+442380 016582

-----------------------------------------

Jeanneau 54 - Grace. POA EUR.

The Jeanneau 54 Yacht is a beautiful and practical sailing yacht, very much along the lines of her larger sister, the very successful Jeanneau 64.

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
Truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it. Ignorance may deride it. Malice may distort it. But there it is. -- Winston Churchill

Editorial and letter submissions to

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see www.eurosailnews.com/advertise.html