In This Issue
• Fleet battles tough first night in 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart
• McIntyre Adventure Globe 5.80 Transat
• Charleston Race Week's 2022 Comeback Event
• Wight Vodka Best Sailor Bar
• Nobody does it better (really) - J Boats
• Inishearaght Offshore Race
• Job/Role Title: World Sailing Classes Executive
• IRC 2022 applications open
• Round Ireland Yacht Race 2022 Notice of Race is Published
• Remembering Ralph Stanley
• Letters to the Editor
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Nautor Swan 44
• • Bavaria C57
• • Excess 12 - Catamaran
• The Last Word: James Joyce

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 13th annual Wight Vodka Best Sailor's Bar search is on... Send us your stories and drink recipes...

Fleet battles tough first night in 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart
The toll of strong southerly winds and rough seas on the first night of the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race continued to mount, with 24 boats forced to retire by this morning.

A thrilling see-saw battle was still developing for Line Honours in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's 628 nautical mile race between the first four boats, including the three 100-foot maxis.

Heading down the NSW coast, Peter Harburg's Reichel/Pugh 100 Black Jack was leading. After spending most of the night sailing inside the rhumb line, Black Jack later moved outside it for the wind and current.

In second place was Christian Beck's LawConnect, which was the first to pass the Green Cape Lighthouse, followed by the David Witt-skippered SHK Scallywag 100 further out to sea.

Retirements: Moneypenny (broken forestay), Blink (torn main), Mako (damaged main), URM (damaged main), Hip-Nautic (damaged main), TSA Management (damaged main), No Limit (crew with dislocated shoulder), Minerva (damaged main), Mille Sabords (damaged main), Nautical Circle (rigging issues), White Noise (window damage), Zen (minor injury), Gweilo (damaged forestay), Eora (broken backstay), Ariel (damaged main), Oskana (broken forestay), Enchantress (broken forestay), Denali (hull damage), OzDesign Patrice Six (engine issues), Philosopher (engine issues), Huntress (TBC), Extasea (engine issues), Alive (hull damage) and Kayimai (electrical issues).

Race Tracker

rolexsydneyhobart.com

Swiss sailor Etienne Messikommer wins inaugural McIntyre Adventure Globe 5.80 Transat
Picture Credit: Eli Team / G580T. Click on image to enlarge.

On 13th of December, Etienne Messikommer (Switzerland) with his colorful Numbatou (Hull 88) crossed the finish line at 20:48 UTC, sailing into Antigua after 26 days, 7 hours, and 48 minutes at sea, to win the inaugural 2021 McIntyre Adventure Globe 5.80 Transat Race, Numbatou had covered 3184 nm since leaving Lanzarote. "I did not sleep much in the last three days, it's been intense but I'm very happy to be here in Antigua." Said Etienne on his arrival.

Followed by Michal Krysta (Czech Republic) who crossed the line with his Menawan (Hull 07) at 01:19 UTC at the same night, after weeks of a captivating mano-a-mano at the forefront of the fleet, sticking together since the very start from Lagos on the Western option, while the rest of the fleet headed East.

Numbatou and Menawan are now moored in Antigua's National Sailing Academy.

Both sailors had sailed their Globe 5.80 together from Les Sables d'Olonne to Lagos, spending valuable time on the water, speed-testing, learning the boat in variable weather and sea conditions. The pair also led the fleet during the 600 nm qualifier from Lagos (Portugal) to Lanzarote (Spain) and were widely seen as the main contenders for the inaugural Globe 5.80 Transat.

www.ClassGlobe580.com
www.Globe580Transat.com
www.McIntyreAdventure.com

Charleston Race Week's 2022 Comeback Event
Following a few tough years, Charleston Race Week has been working tirelessly to get back to normal and host a comeback event in 2022 that will live up to its stellar reputation! So mark your calendar for April 28-May 1!

Registration is now open and managed by Phlotilla.com, a next generation regatta management system. The event is expected to be even bigger and better with the top-notch racing, educational opportunities, and beach parties that Race Week is known for. It's no secret why the event attracts sailors from around the world.

Register at www.charlestonraceweek.com by Jan. 31 to save $100!

Wight Vodka Best Sailor Bar - Send us your recommendations and drink recipes
Wight Vodka is distilled seven times in small batches, blended and bottled in London under the watchful eyes and direction of a seventh generation master distiller with over 300 years of family experience. Wight Vodka is the only 42% abv, potato-based luxury vodka, hand-crafted in the United Kingdom today.

Wight Cap - For the Socialites
CapDepending on your mood, the Wight Cap can be enjoyed first thing in the morning, during the afternoon, in the early evening or late into the night. What we're getting at here is that it's a versatile cocktail any time day or night, in any season, in any weather, regardless of the marine forecast.

Take your best champagne flute, run it under cold water and place it into a freezer for the moment.
Place fresh ice into a cocktail shaker.
Pour one shot of Wight Vodka into the shaker.
Shake or stir for a minute or two.
Pull the champagne flute from the freezer.
Pour the Wight Vodka into the flute.
Top up with your favourite chilled champagne.
Add a splash of Blue Curacao.
You can enjoy the Wight Cap in any condition… but it's recommended that you do so with a current or future-potential partner.

Recommend YOUR favourite bar: eurosailnews.com/sailors-bars

Nobody does it better (really) - J Boats
With great performance and a comfortable as well as practical interior, the new J/45 offers sparkling cruising performance as well - should you so wish - as giving you a genuine shot at the racing silverware

Mention the phrase "performance cruiser" to a racing sailor and you're likely to elicit a grimace or at best a wry smile. The truth is that many boats marketed as performance cruisers actually offer the worst, not the best, of both worlds. There are of course notable exceptions like the J/112e which, in addition to being an excellent all-round cruising boat, has also notched up remarkable racing results in recent years including wins at both the IRC European Championships and the IRC/ORC Worlds. Now there's a brand new next-generation performance cruiser from J-Boats that's nine feet longer, even faster and optimised for blue water cruising. Enter the J/45.

Full article in the January issue of Seahorse

Kinsale Yacht Club Launch Inishearaght Offshore Race Along Cork & Kerry Coast
To meet a growing demand for offshore racing, Kinsale Yacht Club Commodore Matthias Hellstern along with Dave Cullinane (SCORA Vice-Commodore) and Harvey Matthews representing sponsors Matthews of Cork, launched the inaugural Inishearaght Race in Kinsale on Wednesday, December 23rd.

As Afloat reported previously, the race is a new south coast offshore race to be held biennially commencing in 2022.

The course will be approximately 240nm long and will run along the spectacular coast of West Cork and Kerry, round Inistearaght and back to Kinsale.

afloat.ie/sail/

Job/Role Title: World Sailing Classes Executive
Reporting To: Technical And Offshore Director

World Sailing is the world governing body for the sport of sailing, officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

World Sailing is responsible for:
- the promotion of the sport internationally;
- managing sailing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games;
- developing the Racing Rules of Sailing and regulations for all sailing competitions;
- the training of judges, umpires and other administrators;
- the development of the sport around the world; and
- representing the sailors in all matters concerning the sport.

The principle members of World Sailing are the 145 'Member National Authorities' (MNAs) and the 100+ 'Class Associations'.

We have a clear and ambitious vision:
A world in which millions more people fall in love with sailing; inspired by the unique relationship between sport, technology and the forces of nature, we all work to protect the waters of the world.

Our mission:
To make sailing more exciting and accessible for everyone to participate or watch and use our reach and influence to create a sustainable future for our sport and the waters of the world.

The Commercial, Marketing and Communications team has a broad set of responsibilities, delivering crucial support to the key activities of the wider organisation and managing the promotion of the sport of sailing, including:

- Sponsorship: bringing on board commercial partners and servicing these partners, ensuring their rights are delivered across World Sailing’s activities and events, and working with them to grow and develop the sport.

- Brand and Marketing: ensuring the effective presentation of the brand across World Sailing owned and wider stakeholder touchpoints, working to make sailing more visible, easier to understand, more relevant to more people, more accessible and more sustainable.

Role summary

Main responsibilities:
The WS Classes Executive is responsible for managing the administrative and technical services to the 120 World Sailing Class Associations and their manufacturers, specially focused on servicing classes and maintaining World Sailing’s databases and reporting systems.

Key Responsibilities
- Provide administrative support to the World Sailing Classes and their manufacturers,
- Manage the review of World Sailing Classes against regulatory requirements,
- Review and maintain the Class Agreements, Class Constitutions, Class Rules and plaque fee schemes,
- Manage Annual Class reports and World Championship reports,
- Control world-wide production of equipment tracking plaques and certification, manage equipment registration schemes and equipment databases,
- Maintain World Sailing Technical and Offshore webpages using World Sailing’s CMS
- Maintain Class Association CRM database by liaising with 120 Class Associations and ensuring the database is up to date and compliant with GDPR guidelines,
- Manage Class applications for World Sailing Class status,
- Monitor and promote World Sailing’s 2030 Sustainability Agenda commitments among World Sailing Classes and their manufacturers,
- Provide full support to the following World Sailing Committees:
-- World Sailing Classes Committee
-- Equipment Committee
-- International Measurer’s Sub-Committee

Knowledge and Technical Skills

Knowledge:
- A working knowledge and understanding of CRM and database administration
- Experience of using Wordpress CMS
- Knowledge of sailing’s equipment key performance factors
- Knowledge of equipment manufacturing processes and materials
- Knowledge of the Equipment Rules of Sailing, Racing Rules of Sailing and World Sailing Regulations
- Experience around sailing events

Skills:
- Previous involvement in sailing through any technical capacity. (i.e. coaching, naval architecture, performance optimization, manufacture, measurement)
- Excellent written and verbal English language skills.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- High computer literacy. Database experience a plus.
- Good communication ability, both verbal and in writing (technical and non-technical)
- Interest and involvement in the sport of sailing.
- Completely comfortable working irregular hours and traveling internationally.
- Ambitious with a ‘can do’ attitude.
- Organized, methodical and thorough individual.
- Constant improvement driven.
- A willingness to learn new skills and develop existing competencies.
- Second international language encouraged.

Relationships & Interfaces

Strategic reporting to:
- Director of Technical and Offshore

Support & Guidance to:
- World Sailing Classes
- World Sailing Committees (listed above)
- Equipment Manufacturers
- International Measurers and Event equipment inspectors
- World Sailing staff

Travel and Other requirements

Flexibility to work irregular hours and traveling internationally.

All positions are based at World Sailing headquarters in London, UK. Applications should be sent to . Applicants should provide a current CV and covering letter.

The closing date for all vacancies is 8 January 2022.

www.sailing.org/worldsailing/secretariat/job_vacancies.php

IRC 2022 applications open
Applications are open for 2022 IRC rating and the IRC Rule Authority (RORC and UNCL) will start issuing certificates for the new season in January.

For boats based in the UK, owners can apply online now at myirc.rorcrating.com. For boats racing elsewhere, owners should contact their local IRC Rule Authority

Updates to IRC in 2022 include rule updates on boat weight and auto pilots; and rating formula changes include headsails, flying headsails, whisker poles and light and powerful boats. For more information the IRC website includes the 2022 rule text, information on rule changes, and advice about IRC software formulation changes for 2022:

ircrating.org/irc-rule/

The 2022 IRC rule applies from 1st January 2022, except in countries with June-May validity where the rule will apply from 1st June 2022.

Round Ireland Yacht Race 2022 Notice of Race is Published
With entries scheduled to open on January 24 2022, the first formal document for the 2022 SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race has been taken with the publication of the Notice Of Race document (downloadable below) by Wicklow Sailing Club organisers.

The Notice of Race for the June 18 event sets out the classes to race, the handicap and rating system that will be used and the classes to which it will apply, along with any recent changes to offshore regulations of which there have been some material changes as noted here.

The Irish offshore classic is the second-longest race in the Royal Ocean Racing Club calendar first race took place in 1980 with only thirteen boats. Since then, held biennially, the fleet has grown steadily, attracting a record 64 entrants from all over the world.

Download here

afloat.ie/sail/events/

Remembering Ralph Stanley
It is with a very, very heavy heart that we learned of the passing of noted boatbuilder and maritime historian Ralph Stanley of Southwest Harbor at the age of 92 on 7 December 2021.

Ralph got into the boatbuilding business when he wanted a boat for himself. He explained, "I got out of school and I had always wanted to build a boat. I wanted one for myself and the only way I could see to get one was to build it. I worked one summer and got enough to buy some materials and got the boat planked up and the next summer worked again and made enough to put a down payment on an engine and get enough materials to finish the boat. I got it done and that is when I figured I would never tackle another one. I was some glad to get it done."

A couple of months later Ralph was asked to build another boat, this time for a customer, and he could not wait to get started. It was actually a pleasure boat but built in the lobster boat style.

The early 60s saw Ralph begin building sailboats with the 33-foot Friendship Sloop Hieronymus. He said, "One of the people my father worked for back during the war chartered an old Friendship Sloop. He remembered the Friendship Sloop and wanted one built. So, when he got ready, I built it for him."

Since he built the first Friendship Sloop Ralph quickly became an authority on them. He has built a number of new ones and has rebuilt several.

Ralph continued to build until he was joined by his son Richard, after Richard graduated from The Boat School in 1982. Together they would build wooden sail and power boats until the mid-1990s when Ralph retired.

As his career was winding down Ralph was given numerous awards, one very impressive one came from the National Heritage Fellowship. He was also honoured by the Friendship Sloop Society; The Boat School and the State of Maine announced a Ralph Stanley Day in 2004. That same year Craig S. Milner published the book, "Ralph Stanley, Tales of a Maine Boatbuilder." -- Jon Johansen

mainebuiltboats.com/remembering-ralph-stanley/

Letters To The Editor -
Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.

* From John C. Quigley, CEO of YachtDataBank.com

The article in issue #4982 16 December 2021 announcing that UK flagged yachts that have previously paid VAT in the UK will now be able to claim RGR relief even if they return after end June 2022 will be welcomed with great relief by thousands of boat owners. This means they will not be put in the quite unreasonable position of having to rush back to these shores by June 2022 or be subject to a second round of VAT charges on their yachts. This was always an unreasonable and unjust position for the government to maintain, and whilst extremely welcome it is disturbing that it has taken 3 years and an awful lot of work and argument by a good number of parties in order to convince the government to direct HM Customs & Excise to adjust the rules. Time and money expended that could have been spent better on other matters.

The RYA, British Marine and the Cruising Association, amongst others, will have the gratitude of thousands of boat owners for their persistence and dogged pursuit of this matter. However we should also all offer our thanks to Sir Peter Bottomley MP (the current Father of the House of Commons) who raised the matter directly with the Prime Minister in the House of Commons during the Queen's Speech in May this year, and has without doubt subsequently pursued the matter down the corridors of Whitehall.

Maybe UK farmers will be next in line for some common sense decisions?!

Featured Brokerage
1972 Nautor Swan 44. 234950 EUR. Located in W.Country UK.

Absolutely stunning Nautor Swan 44 from 1972. Subject to a comprehensive refit and restoration resulting in a boat ’as new’. Must be seen to be appreciated.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Lead broker: James McNeil - Grabau international (South Coast)
Tel: +7979907210
Email:

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The BAVARIA C57. New Boat. POA EUR.

Pioneering design meets exceptional performance. A new dimension of sailing pleasure.

The BAVARIA C57 is a pure expression of class, elegance and the finest craftsmanship. With the design and style of a mega yacht, it sets new trends and boasts a long waterline which guarantees high basic speeds.

The BAVARIA C57 isn’t just impressively large, it sails perfectly too. Standing at either helm stand you can enjoy an exceptional view of the sails and the whole yacht. All of the important navigating instruments are available at both steering pedestals, as is the electrical motor control system. All of the sheets and halyards are fed directly to the 2 x 2 winches right in front of the steering pedestals. A self-tacking jib, larger overlapping genoa, gennaker and Code 0 are all there to help make the sailing great, whatever the conditions.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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Excess 12 - Catamaran. 323,484 TAX NOT PAID GBP. Located in Southampton UK.

The highly anticipated EXCESS 12 Catamaran from Group Beneteau has now arrived with Sea Ventures in Southampton. This boat is AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY.

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
Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age. -- James Joyce

Editorial and letter submissions to

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