EuroSail News #4893

In This Issue
• Cowes Week Daily Round Up Day 3
• About Turn
• Lack of wind sets up for 4 medal races on Tuesday
• Make your own rules - Infiniti Yachts
• Pro Sailing Tour: Six 'Ocean Fifty' yachts in the Final Rush
• Breskens Sailing Weekend to organise 2022 IRC European Championship
• Stoneways Marine YJA Yachtsman of the Year
• MOCRA - the ultimate racer cruisers
• Rossborough Round The Island Race
• For the Record
• Featured Charter: Sailplane 3 - Mat 12
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Blackcat 50
• • YYACHTS Y7
• • JPK 10.30
• The Last Word: Jeeves

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

Cowes Week Daily Round Up Day 3
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

A change in the weather, with shifty east and south-easterly breezes replacing the westerlies of the first two days, saw new boats coming to the fore in many fleets today.

Winds were strongly influenced by a small slow-moving secondary low pressure system sat over Sandown Bay. In the eastern Solent there was more breeze than initially forecast, but it was shifting through an arc of 40 degrees.

In the Etchells class Nick Stag's China White won his first race of the series. In a fleet that's well known for extremely tight racing, he pulled out a two and a half minute lead on Anthony Parke's Sumo. Further down this fleet racing was still characteristically tight, with places three to six decided by a total of just 80 seconds.

Equally, newcomers to the Dragon class, Michael and Helen Wilson's Christiania, spent a good chunk of the second half of today's race in the lead. However, she slipped back to finish a close third, just 11 seconds behind Eric Williams' second-placed Ecstatic. The newly restored Bluebottle, sailed by Graham and Julia Bailey and David Heritage, won her third consecutive race, but by a much smaller margin of only 19 seconds.

Big wind shifts, especially in the eastern Solent provided plenty of challenges for competitors, while also offering opportunities to make gains. Today most inshore racing tests a subset of sailing skills on very specific course layouts, but Cowes Week's fixed start lines and longer races require a wide variety of skills, in much the same way as offshore racing.

Today there was also a focus on the regatta's official charity, the Scaramouche Sailing Trust. This exists - against the odds - to give students at inner London secondary school Greig City Academy life changing opportunities. They have five boats competing all week, ranging from a trio of 22-footers to the 45ft Scaramouche, which is racing this week with an all-girl crew. -- Rupert Holmes

Competitors can help the Trust continue its work in 2022 by donating to the fund-raising campaign here: www.justgiving.com/campaign/scaramouche2022

About Turn
As the breeze came in from the east, downwind starts were the order of the day for the White Group class boats.

Meanwhile, the IRC and cruiser classes headed to the east to start on ciommittee boat lines. And when it came to the finish, with the small boats coming in from the west onto the Squadron line and the big boats finishing on the breakwater line to the east, today felt like it had been turned inside out - But no one was complaining.

The rain hadn't showed up, the breeze had stayed steady and the bars ashore were all stocked and ready for the fleet's return. -- Matthew Sheahan

www.planetsail.org

Lack of wind sets up for 4 medal races on Tuesday
Lack of wind across Sagami Bay meant no racing on Monday, Day 9 of the Sailing Olympic competition. This means the skiff classes, the 49erFX Women and 49er Men, will have to wait another 24 hours to decide the medals in their events.

Director of Events at World Sailing, Alastair Fox, explained: "Races will not be started in less than an average of 5 knots of wind established over the entire course area. This lower limit may be higher if there is strong current in the racing area. The bottom line for today is that the wind was not stable across course areas."

The forecast showed there would be clear shifts, and with a front arriving in the middle of the afternoon there was no certainty of when the wind would finally stabilise, but it was unlikely to happen before the start deadline of 1630.

With the stronger forecast for tomorrow, the Race Committee's decision is that racing is postponed for the day and a new schedule for tomorrow will be published.

Tuesday 3 August will now be a big day for deciding the medals in four events:

- 49erFX Women
- 49er Men
- Finn Men
- Nacra 17 Mixed

Today was also meant to be the conclusion of the 470 Men and 470 Women's Opening Series, but their final races will also take place on Tuesday.

Results

tokyo2020.sailing.org

Make your own rules - Infiniti Yachts
The philosophy and delivery of the DSS Infiniti 52 was always going to ask a lot of the builders and engineers involved in this dramatic new build. And some of the solutions which they identified are genuinely fascinating

When setting out with the Infiniti 52 to redefine a marketplace that has been dominated for so long by one class, albeit with a very different design brief (windward-leeward in defined wind strengths versus offshore rocket to take on all conditions, all over the world at all angles and strengths of wind, day and night under three rating systems) it is important to not only have design DNA but also the highest level of technical strength, not just in composites, but in systems and fit out.

The consequences of failure in an inshore boat can be expensive, losing a race or even a regatta, but being in sight of land and surrounded by your competitors, umpires, support vessels etc, does allow some mitigation of risk. A thousand miles or more from land, things tend to take on a more urgent complexion should something break, and it is this which is the balancing act all top offshore yachts perform.

Full article in the August issue of Seahorse magazine

Pro Sailing Tour: Six 'Ocean Fifty' yachts in the Final Rush
The six Ocean Fifty yachts had a stunning start this Monday, at half past ten in the morning and in perfect weather conditions for the 1600-mile offshore race to Toulon. On a smooth sea, with wind speeds of 15 to 20 knots, the trimarans set off on one hull against a picture-perfect scenery, just outside of the town of Toulon and the buttresses of Mont Faron. They head for Brest on the Final Rush, the offshore race which has its fair share of challenges.

Early routings, authorised only for the start, predict anything between 6 and 8 days from Toulon to Brest. All will depend on when we get through the Straits of Gibraltar.

The beginning of the afternoon, on a long, southerly tack in over 30 knots, the level pegged fleet already reached the latitude of the Bouches de Bonifacio, as the wind started to settle and the strategists find themselves in their element.

You can track the Final Rush live here: https://prosailingtour.com/replay-course/

Breskens Sailing Weekend to organise 2022 IRC European Championship
The 2022 IRC European Championship will be held at in Breskens, Netherlands alongside the Breskens Sailing Weekend. The 7th edition of the IRC European Championship will take place over four days of racing in late August 2022. The championship is expected to attract a record fleet of highly competitive IRC rated boats vying for the overall win and class honours.

Breskens is in many ways the sailing gateway of the Low Countries. The port is strategically located between the Netherlands and Belgium, but is also on the edge of the Scheldt Delta and the North Sea. The 2022 IRC European Championship will have 70 years of regatta organisation behind it on one of the most challenging sailing waters in Europe.

Breskens is ready and waiting to welcome competitors to the 2022 IRC European Championship. Information will be available in the coming months for the 2022 IRC European Championship and will include Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and details of the exciting and varied social events programme.

Further information: http://www.rorcrating.com and http://www.rorc.org
www.breskenssailing.nl

Nominations open for Stoneways Marine YJA Yachtsman of the Year and the Young Sailor of the Year 2021
The Yachtsman of the Year Trophy. Photo by Sam Kurtel. Click on image to enlarge.

Nominations open today (Monday 2nd August) for the Stoneways Marine YJA Yachtsman of the Year and the Young Sailor of the Year 2021. These awards are, without doubt, the most prestigious in UK yachting, having been established in 1955 and awarded to many of the great names in 'yachting', including Sir Ben Ainslie, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Dame Ellen MacArthur, Steve Curtis MBE, Dee Caffari MBE, Rodney Pattisson MBE, Sir Chay Blyth and Tracy Edwards MBE.

Anyone can make a nomination for these awards and are actively encouraged to do so. We've been lucky to have an extraordinary number of great sailing events happen so far this year, with the quite incredible finish of the Vendée Globe, the spectacular action of the America's Cup in Auckland, SailGP's eight teams keeping us on the edge of our seats, and of course the Tokyo 2020 Olympics happening right now, but it is not just championship and major event wins which are recognised, but great acts of seamanship, such as Clipper Race crew member Gavin Read's heroics during the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race earning him the trophy in 2016.

To qualify for the awards, the nominee must be the holder of a British passport. For the Young Sailor award, the nominee must be under the age of 19 on December 31st 2021.

The nomination period closes at midnight on Sunday 29th August, so ensure you make your submission as soon as possible.

Make your nomination here:

www.yja.world

MOCRA - the ultimate racer cruisers
The Ultimes, the world's fastest offshore racing yachts, may be the pace-setters in next month's Rolex Fastnet Race with the potential to get around even the new elongated course in less than a day - but not far behind them will be the MOCRA class, mostly racing in considerably more comfort.

Since the MOCRA (Multihull Offshore Cruising and Racing Association) was set up in 1969, multihulls, both catamarans and trimarans, have evolved hugely. Back in the day many of these vessels were often either floating caravans with performance to match, or feather-weight racing machines of questionable construction and engineering. In the intervening decades massive steps forward in design, composite construction and structural engineering and lighter weight everything, from mast tip to foil bottom, have transformed these craft. Today once over the aesthetic differences between monohulls and multihulls, and aware that they can in ultimate circumstances capsize, modern multihulls can simply offer more of everything - dramatically more performance or more space and often both - compared to an equivalent monohull.

One of the MOCRA's greatest feats is its rule that for decades has allowed profoundly dissimilar multihulls to compete fairly. In this year's Rolex Fastnet Race this will be put to the test with boats ranging from Tim Whittle's 30ft T3 Trifoiler L'Albatros to Adrian Keller's 84ft Nigel Irens designed performance cruising catamaran Allegra.

Leading the MOCRA class on the water will certainly be the two MOD70s, from America Jason Carroll's Argo and from Italy Giovanni Soldini's Maserati. Neither of these grand prix trimarans is an 'in class' MOD70, both having upgraded foil packages to encourage them, if not to fly fully, then, at least to reduce displacement. Of the two, Maserati has the more extreme foil package including a 'manta' foil on the daggerboard on her centre hull, which allows her to 'fly' on three points (this, plus her leeward foil and rudder). -- James Boyd

rolexfastnetrace.com

Rossborough Round The Island Race
Sponsored for the sixth year in succession by Rossborough Insurance, the 2021 edition of the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club's round Jersey race is now open for entries.

Scheduled for Sunday 15th August, this 45-mile race is open to both local and visiting sports boats, cruiser/racers and sport catamarans. It will start at 9.30 a.m. in St Aubin's Bay before heading eastwards to the distant Violet Channel buoy to follow an anti-clockwise course around the Island before returning to finish in St Aubin's Bay.

Competition for the ancient Jesse Boot and Cabot Memorial trophies will, undoubtedly, be keen in the cruiser/racer classes whilst the Club's Hobie fleet will be battling it out for the F18 and open sport catamaran trophies.

Aspiring competitors will find the Notice of Race and subsequent postings in the clubhouse and on www.rciyc.je/sailing. Entry is on-line with a closing date of Wednesday 11th August. Further information is available from the Club Administrator, call 01534 745783 or e-mail .

For the Record
The WSSR Council announces the establishment of a new World Record:

Record: 40 ft Outright 24 Hour Record
Yacht: "Credit Mutuel" Class 40. Sailed doublehanded
Name: Ian Lipinski. FRA.
Crew: Ambrogio Beccana
Dates:. 5th to the 6th July 2021.
Start time: 00;00;00. UTC on 05/07/21
Start position: 41.4666N ; 26.1189W
Finish time: 00;00;00 UTC on 06/07/21
Finish position: 45.0292N ; 17.6118W
Elapsed time: 24 hours.
Distance: 428.53 NM
Average speed: 17.86 kts

Comments: Record arises whilst competing in the Les Sables-Horta-Les Sables yacht race. No previous 40ft record

John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council

sailspeedrecords.com

Featured Charter
Sailplane 3 - Mat 12

Sailplane is a combination of a pure-bred IRC racing boat with the comforts of a cruiser. Although being a boat designed for racers, her deck was built with comfort and safety at the foremost importance, with a modern rig with twin spreaders, a non-overlapping jib, and her interior a comfortable layout makes MAT 12 a real dual-purpose yacht.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Lucy Jackson - LV Yachting
Call: +44 (0) 20 3920 6261
Email:
http://lvyachting.com

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
Blackcat 50. POA.

Blackcat 50 is an entirely new superyacht platform, setting the standard in large cruising catamarans.

The world of superyacht sailing is rapidly changing. Over recent years superyachts have grown dramatically in size and improved performance.

This is mainly due to stronger and lighter construction materials coupled together with evolution in design and innovation. All these developments lead to the most logical conclusion in your next choice of superyacht.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

Ph: +34 696 483 962

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YYACHTS Y7. POA EUR.

The Y7 was created in collaboration with US designer Bill Tripp, considered one of the world's best naval architects. Our goal was to combine comfortable sailing performance with competitive sailing performance, even on the regatta course.

In conditions where other yachts still use their engines, the sails are already set on the Y7. A displacement of only 29 tons and almost 300 square meters of sail area at wind make move the yacht even in light winds; Y7 owners don't have to worry about the perfect weather all the time.

All halyards, sheets and stretchers run hidden to the steering columns - so the helmsman can operate the Y7 alone at any time. This is not a matter of course for a 70-foot yacht and allows the owner to sail with a very small crew or even on his own.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
T. +49 3834 5858 77-0
E.
www.yyachts.de/en/y7

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2020 JPK 10.30. 250,000 EUR. Located in Brittany

JPK 10.30 - fully equipped for offshore racing

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Gilles Lamarque

+33 6 80 01 79 41

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

The Last Word
There are moments, Jeeves, when one asks oneself, 'Do trousers matter?' 'The mood will pass, sir.' -- P. G. Wodehouse, Code of the Woosters

Below from Cowes Week, left to right: Matthew Gray, John 'Robo' Roberson, Stewart Reed, Stuart Cole. It takes a brave man to wear trousers in a color not found in nature. Click for a larger version if you dare.