In This Issue
• PowerPlay set for World Record Match Race with Maserati
• Shirley Robertson on why offshore racing should be in the Paris Olympics
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Block Island Race Week
• Japan SailGP Team announces new signings for Season 2
• SailGP announces comprehensive broadcast coverage
• The Ocean Race Europe marks a new fully-crewed standard
• Luna Rossa star hopes deed of gift challenge talk is 'a bluff'
• RYA Youth Nationals is back
• Featured CharterL Outremer 5x Catamaran
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Botin 65 King Marine HIGH SPIRIT
• • Gunboat 60 ALAIA
• • JAVELIN - Gaff Ketch
• The Last Word: Marcus Tullius Cicero

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

PowerPlay set for World Record Match Race with Maserati
Peter Cunningham's MOD70 PowerPlay is set for a world record attempt Cowes - Dinard tomorrow, Thursday 22 April 2021. The current record for the 138 nautical mile course is held by MOD70 Phaedo 3 which scorched across the English Channel at an average speed of 28.66 knots in a record time of just 4 hrs 48 mins 57 secs.

PowerPlay's record attempt will have the added thrill of direct competition. Giovanni Soldini's Multi70 Maserati has also announced a record attempt. Two of the world's fastest ocean-going multihulls will go head-to-head on a racecourse that dates back to 1906.

"This is a great occasion for the sport, PowerPlay has the greatest respect for Maserati and we know the feeling is mutual," commented Peter Cunningham. "Maserati beat PowerPlay across the line in the RORC Transatlantic Race but PowerPlay beat Maserati in the RORC Caribbean 600, so this is going to be a fascinating race."

The Cowes - Dinard World Record attempt follows PowerPlay's succesful world record run for the original Fastnet Course in April 2021. For updates from the match race from Cowes to Dinard follow PowerPlay Racing on Facebook -- Louay Habib

www.PowerPlay.ky

Shirley Robertson on why offshore racing should be in the Paris Olympics
Olympic sailing is in turmoil, with the classes to be sailed in the 2024 Games still undecided. Shirley Robertson tells Helen Fretter why the proposed mixed gender double-handed offshore class would be so positive for sailing.

The current programme is for 10 Olympic sailing medals. They will be raced in three male and three female classes (the Laser and Laser Radial, 49er and 49er FX, and men's and women's foiling windsurfing) and four mixed, including Nacra 17, 470 and kiteboarding.

A proposal was made in 2018 that the mixed fleets should include a double-handed offshore class.

Robertson believes that a double-handed offshore fleet in the Olympics could bring wide-ranging benefits to the sport of sailing.

The most obvious gain is that introducing the new class to the 2024 Games, hosted in France, would generate huge spectator engagement.

"The Vendée Globe, the Route du Rhum - I've been to many French offshore race starts, and they are without a doubt the most supported sports events I have ever been to," Robertson explains.

"It's no coincidence that the offshore discipline was proposed for the Paris Games, the sport is massive in France, and the interest it would create within the public and the media would be huge. So as far as Paris 2024 goes, it's a complete no brainer - it would be amazing.

Full interview in YachtingWorld.com

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

World news
The remarkable and remarkably multi-talented Franck Cammas, pianist, soloist and the first French winner of the Volvo Ocean Race. AC75 whisperer Vasco Vascotto, Francesco Bruni the AC75 pin-up (sorry Vasco), Nocka keeps pushing forward on crew safety. Plus for real this time - as serious discussions are ongoing over a return to Key West in January? Carlos Pich, Dobbs Davis, Patrice Carpentier, Anthony Nossiter, Franck Cammas, Blue Robinson

Crunch time
Mediterranean regatta organisers are determined not to be thwarted in their planning for a 100mph restart to a full-on racing season. Rob Weiland

Old hat
Hoover or vacuum, Highfield or lever? Iain Mcallister explains where some of 'that stuff' which today we all take for granted actually came from

Brimmed to overflowing
An absorbing interest indeed. Tim Jeffery recalls some less known sides to the life of Bob Fisher

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Block Island Race Week
With two months until the start of Block Island Race Week presented by Margaritaville, we know covers are coming off and new bottom paint is going on as the crews of the 165 registered boats are preparing to get back on the water together.

We know that the highlight for many Block Island Race Week sailors is the day the Race Committee sends the entire fleet on the 18-mile course circumnavigating the island, and this year, we are thrilled to announce that Regatta Craft Mixers is now the Title Sponsor of the Round-the-Island Race.

Back in 2019, former Storm Trysail Club Fleet Captain and now American Magic Testing Manager, Anderson Reggio wrote an article entitled "Around The Island Tips" that deep dives into similar details describing the best ways to tactically approach the race track.

"Transitions come quickly...Always be mindful of the next left turn and what your TWA will be on that leg," says Reggio referring to preparing for the many sail changes during the long course.

Competitors will not know which day the Regatta Craft Mixers Round-The-Island Race will be ahead of Race Week and sometimes not until the morning of, the Race Committee choose the day based on the forecast tending to favor the windiest days to get the whole fleet around in a reasonable time.

"The last few Round-the-Island race days have been windy, foggy, and a bit rainy yet we still see smiles on the finish line beaming with the satisfaction and accomplishment that any distance race affords a crew," said Race Chair Ray Redniss. "We have placed an order for a sunny day with a building south-westerly, so we will see if the wind gods deliver. No matter what the weather holds, we can at least raise a Regatta Craft Mixer beverage at the end of the race day to thank them for their generous support."

Registration & Scratch Sheet on YachtScoring.com

Japan SailGP Team announces new signings for Season 2
The Japan SailGP Team has supercharged its team for SailGP Season 2, announcing the headline signings of Italian sailor and eight-time world champion Francesco Bruni and Great Britain's Chris Draper, who take on the roles of flight controller and wing trimmer respectively.

Having narrowly missed out on the championship title in the inaugural season, team CEO and helm Nathan Outteridge has bolstered his team ahead of the SailGP Season 2 opener this weekend in Bermuda, April 24-25, which also includes the all-star Japanese line-up of Leo Takahashi, Tim Morishima and Yuki Kasatani, who were part of the successful team that were runner-up in Season 1.

Bruni joins the Japan team fresh from the 36th America's Cup where he was co-helm of Luna Rossa, alongside now rival and helm of the U.S. SailGP Team Jimmy Spithill. Previously he competed alongside Outteridge at the 35th America's Cup in Bermuda and made a formidable pairing which they hope will put them in a strong position when they line-up against the other world-class teams at the Bermuda Sail Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess.

Olympic bronze medalist Draper is no stranger to SailGP having served as wing trimmer for the Great Britain SailGP Team in Season 1. Draper adds to the team a wealth of experience in foiling boats having competed in two previous America's Cups plus brings insight from one of his new team's main competitors.

World-class female sailors Wakako Kajimoto and Sena Takano complete the team for SailGP Season 2 and will join the Japan team during different stages of the season, with former Japanese national champion and London 2012 Olympian Kajimoto racing in Bermuda, Italy and the UK. And, former Junior World Champion and Rio 2016 Olympian, Takano participating in Denmark, France and Spain. One of the two will then be selected for the final events of the season.

The Japan team will reunite in Bermuda this week for a week of training ahead of the opening event of the Season on April 24-25.

SailGP.com

SailGP announces comprehensive broadcast coverage, spanning 175 territories for Season 2
SailGP has announced broadcast partners in key territories, including:

CBS and CBS Sports (US and Canada): Has extended its deal following the inaugural first season and will showcase live coverage in the US and Canada on CBS Sports Network with highlights on CBS so fans can follow Jimmy Spithill at the helm of the new-look US team for the first time

SKY Sports (UK and Ireland): SKY Sports will remain the home of SailGP in the United Kingdom and Ireland and will broadcast live event coverage, in addition to regular highlights programming, over the next two seasons

FOX Sports and Kayo App (Australia): Home to the reigning champions the broadcaster will continue to showcase live coverage in Australia. New for Season 2, the Kayo OTT streaming service and App, which boasts over 1 million subscribers, will show all races live throughout the season on the new free-to-air service 'Kayo freebies'

Sky Sport (NZ): For fans in New Zealand, the racing has just got more exciting with the addition of two time America's Cup champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke to the league as co-CEO's and stars of the newly formed New Zealand team. Alarms will be set early to watch the racing live on Sky Sport but with multiple replays throughout the day, Kiwi fans won't miss a second of the action

TV2 (Denmark): With the Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL featuring renowned ocean racer Nicolai Sehested and former World Sailor of the Year Anne-Marie Rindom for Season 2 plus a home event in Aarhus on August 20-21, TV2 Sport will feature live coverage and highlights for the next two seasons

Canal+ Sport (France and other French-speaking territories) will continue to provide live and delayed coverage for fans to follow les bleus led by multiple World Champion Billy Besson

Sky Italia (Italy): With the first-ever Italy Sail Grand Prix Taranto on June 5-6 and the addition of legendary Italian sailor Francesco Bruni to the Japan SailGP team, Sky Italia will air the Italy Sail Grand Prix live and offer coverage throughout the season

RTVE + TV3 (Spain): With the youthful and highly talented Spanish team in the starting line-up, Spanish fans can follow the racing live on TV3 in Catalunya with Spanish language highlights on Teledeporte (RTVE)

Bermuda Broadcasting Channel (Bermuda): With the first ever Bermuda event kicking off the season, the island's main channel will feature live coverage of the two-day showdown and the full season

ServusTV (Germany, Switzerland and Austria): Coverage will be offered through the commercial free-to-air broadcaster in these major European markets.

Racing fans in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia regions are able to follow live racing on SuperSport, FLOW Sports and Fox Sports Asia respectively. Jiangsu Broadcast Corporation Sports Channel, Fuijan Media Group Sports Channel, Zhibo TV, Tencent, iQIYI will all have coverage available to fans across China. Coverage of SailGP will also be available through partners in Russia (MatchTV), Portugal (Sport TV), Malta (Go), Belgium (VOO Sport World), Sweden & Finland (Cmore Sport), Brazil (Band Sports), Central and South America (ESPN Latin America), Turkey (TRT) and Israel (Charlton).

Find full details on viewing options in your country here.

The Ocean Race Europe marks a new fully-crewed standard
Some of the best sailors and teams in the world will take up the challenge of The Ocean Race Europe next month, racing in stages from Lorient, France to Genova, Italy.

The teams will compete in two classes: the one-design, record-breaking VO65 fleet and the innovative, no-limits, IMOCA class. Female sailors will feature on every crew in the race.

Seven teams are expected in the VO65 class, including entries from Austria, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal. All the teams are seeing this event as the first stop on the road to the 2022-23 edition of The Ocean Race, which will mark the 50th anniversary of the race.

In the European event, new sailors will be making their competitive debut, alongside race veterans like eight-time competitor in The Ocean Race, Bouwe Bekking, who was recently announced as skipper of Sailing Team Poland.

There will be at least five entries in the IMOCA fleet, representing France, Germany and the USA, with a possibility of up to two more teams still to confirm participation.

The Ocean Race Europe will start from Lorient, France on May 29, with stops in Cascais, Portugal and Alicante, Spain before the finish in Genova, Italy, three weeks later. Each of the offshore legs will be scored equally. There will be two coastal races during stopovers where bonus points will be available to the top three finishers.

The Ocean Race Europe - important dates

May 29 - Leg Start - Lorient, France
June 5 - Coastal Race - Cascais, Portugal
June 6 - Leg Start - Cascais, Portugal
June 13 - Leg Start - Alicante, Spain
June 19 - Coastal Race - Genova, Italy

Each offshore leg will last approximately three to four days depending on distance and weather conditions. The coastal races will have a target time of three to five hours.

The VO65 and IMOCA fleets will be competing in separate divisions for their own The Ocean Race Europe trophy.

www.theoceanrace.com

Luna Rossa star hopes deed of gift challenge talk is 'a bluff'
Luna Rossa star Francesco Bruni is frustrated at the lack of information about the next America's Cup and hopes talk of a one-off challenge between Team New Zealand and Team UK is "a bluff".

Bruni co-helmed Luna Rossa with Jimmy Spithill in the recent America's Cup match, losing 7-3 to Team New Zealand in Auckland.

But the America's Cup remains on Bruni's mind. He confirmed he has yet to sign on again with Luna Rossa though remains hopeful of that eventuating once details of moving the regatta forward are released by Team New Zealand and new challenger of record Team UK.

Asked if he believed the talk of a deed of gift challenge between the Kiwis and British in Cowes could eventuate, Bruni told La Stampa: "It's not that I don't believe it, I hope it's a joke, a bluff. After a crazy edition like the one in 2021, sending everything to that country to have a two-person fight, well, it seems a shame.

"I really expect something equally beautiful for the next edition, again in New Zealand, always with the AC75 and with more teams."

www.stuff.co.nz/sport/

RYA Youth Nationals is back
The RYA Youth National Championships is coming back with a bang for 2021 - and entries are opening on Monday.

After being forced to miss a year in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the much-loved regatta will return this year as a celebration of youth racing.

Hosted by Plymouth Youth Sailing at the Mountbatten Watersports and Activity Centre in Plymouth Sound from August 9 to 15, the Youth Nationals will welcome as many as 350 young racers from all over the country.

Racing will take place in ILCA 6 and 7, 420, 29er, Nacra 15 and windfoil classes. A separate event for male and female kitefoilers will take place at Edge Watersports in Exmouth, Devon, from August 17 to 19.

The Youth Nationals will be the selection event for the next Youth World Championships, currently scheduled to be held in Oman in December this year.

There will also be an app through which sailors can access important regatta information as well as submit documents, requests and protests, available from the App Store and Google Play.

youthnationals.rya.org.uk is the place to go to enter the regatta - and we will be accepting applications from 10am on April 26.

Featured Charter
Outremer 5x Catamaran GIVE ME FIVE. 18 000 - 20 000 / week + VAT + APA EUR. Located in Montpellier, France.

The Outremer 5x Racing is the latest creation from the Outremer Yachting shipyard in La Grande Motte. A catamaran that can reach the speed of a 60-foot Vendée Globe racing yacht while retaining comfort with a very generous living space.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Lisa Spiller

Phone : +33 (0) 467 66 39 93

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
2015 Botin 65 King Marine HIGH SPIRIT. 1,500,000 EUR. Located in Caribbean.

The 65-foot sailing yacht BOTIN 65 is a truly unique racing yacht with a functional, stylish interior. HIGH SPIRIT was built by Spanish shipyard King Marine and launched at the end of 2015.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
BERNARD GALLAY Yacht Brokerage

+33 (0)467 66 39 93

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Gunboat 60 ALAIA. POA USD.

The world-class luxury, performance Gunboat catamaran ALAIA represents generations of build experience and meticulous upkeep in a platform optimized for self-sufficient cruising and adventure.

Underneath the subtle curves and graceful sheer lines, the Gunboat 60 is a true performance machine built with high-end race boat construction methods and top-of-the-line exotic materials. The all-carbon hulls are built in female molds set in epoxy and post cured over a Corecell foam core to achieve lightness with maximum strength and durability. Performance and safety go hand in hand with ocean-going structures designed to deliver the most pleasurable sailing motion in the widest range of conditions.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

gunboat.com/brokerage

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1897 JAVELIN - Gaff Ketch. 1500000 EUR. Located in Italy.

At 73 ft on deck and with her divided ketch rig JAVELIN can indeed be easily sailed for a vintage yacht of this size. Assiduously restored in 2006, she is hard to tell apart from the Beken pictures taken a hundred years ago.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sandeman Yacht Company
22 Market Street
Poole
BH15 1NF

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

The Last Word
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. -- Marcus Tullius Cicero

Editorial and letter submissions to

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