In This Issue
• Magical Maserati Multihull Finish
• RORC Comanche sets a new race record and win the IMA Trophy
• The 2022 Southernmost Regatta It's How To Do January At The Front!
• Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar
• Keeping it working - Rondal
• 18ft Skiffs NSW Championship, Race 6
• Charleston Race Week Discounts End January 31st
• Maiden and her new all-female crew set sail on their new three-year world tour
• This week: John Cutler, Olympic medallist & America's Cup Helmsman
• Featured Brokerage:
• • J/112E - "Xanaboo"
• • Solaris Zero
• • SB20 - ready to sail
• The Last Word: Mark Twain
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...
Magical Maserati Multihull Finish
Giovanni Soldini's Multi70 Maserati (ITA) has taken Multihull Line Honours in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race, crossing the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada at 05:51:41 UTC on Saturday 15 January (Corrected: 6d 18h 51m 41s). After eight days of extraordinary racing, Maserati finished ahead of Peter Cunningham's MOD70 PowerPlay, skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield, followed by Jason Carroll's MOD70 Argo.
Maserati's margin of victory was less than 20 miles over PowerPlay and Argo, expressed as a fraction, that is one third of a percentage point. Giovanni Soldini has enjoyed many great successes in his glittering career, and this was one of the finest.
The camaraderie and sportsmanship between the three boats was exemplified by Soldini's Maserati crew waiting for PowerPlay to finish, cheering them through the line. As well as Argo's shore team fixing up a dockside barbeque at 4am, all washed down with ice cold beers provided by Port Louis Marina!
RORC Comanche sets a new race record and win the IMA Trophy
The 30.48m (100ft) VPLP Design/Verdier Maxi Comanche, skippered by Mitch Booth, has taken Monohull Line Honours in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race, winning the magnificent IMA Trophy. Comanche has set a new race record for the 3,000nm race from Lanzarote to Grenada of 7 days 22 hours 1 minute 4 seconds. Comanche's new Monohull Race Record has beaten the previous race record by over two days. With the double achieved Comanche must wait to see if any of the remaining 21 teams racing under IRC can eclipse their corrected time to win the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy.
Andrew McIrvine, Secretary General of the International Maxi Association (IMA), witnessed Comanche crossing the line and later presented the IMA Trophy at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina Grenada. Comanche's record result in the RORC Transatlantic Race is the latest accolade to a phenomenal list of achievements, including the Monohull West-East Transatlantic record, race records and line honours for the Rolex Fastnet Race, the RORC Caribbean 600, the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the Transpac and the Rolex Middle Sea Race.
RORC Transatlantic Race fans that have been following the track of Comanche will notice that apart from earlier in the race Comanche's trajectory has been close to the rhumb line. Comanche completed the course by racing just 3,063nm, which seems to suggest that the strategy was a simple one. In fact, the weather conditions made for a complex winning solution, as Comanche's Australian navigator Will Oxley explains. Will has racked up 300,000 ocean miles, including three editions of The Ocean Race. His last win was in December as navigator for Matt Allen's Ichi Ban, overall winner under IRC for the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart.
The 2022 Southernmost Regatta: It's How To Do January At The Front!
This morning in Pewaukee, it is -15(C). In Key West, the low last night was +23(C). While scraping ice off the windshield it crosses your mind: What could be better than blasting downwind over the bluest water anyone has ever seen on a January day at the end of the road at the edge of the United States? As sailors, come January, we NEED a big event. That's why Harken is in full support of The Southernmost Regatta 2022. It's a great tradition. One we thank Sailing Inc. for bringing back. It's time to get the rust off and the Harken Derm on!
If you're competing, Harken will be on island at the Caroline Street West Marine offering advice on upgrades, tech support and spare parts sailors need. If you're not on the starting line this year, put down that ice scraper and start planning on how you're going to make it happen next year.
Thursday is Harken Day, but check out coverage of the regatta every day, from the run-up through the end of the event, on social media channels, especially the @harken_inc Instagram Story.
Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar
Closing in on the final voting of our top ten... as this issue goes to press (yeah, we're old school) The Crab Shell has taken and kept their lead but it's still close at the top. Voting will end Wednesday midnight UTC.
About our supporting sponor...
Ritu and Dan founded Wight Vodka in 2006 after years of appreciation and admiration to the water (and good vodka).
Ritu and Dan have extensive backgrounds in hospitality and luxury service including working with Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental. They both have a shared love for the sea, often found in Yarmouth, Chichester and Dartmouth.
Together, with the help of their children, Connor, Margot and Bridget, Wight Vodka operates at a family run capacity.
All have in depth knowledge in hospitality, gaining experience at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Connor, who helps with sales, manages at several venues including the Royal Box at Wimbledon.
The nature of our team allows us to pursue what we love, pouring our passion directly to our super premium vodka. We are always looking out for likeminded individuals to work with and supply.
Vote for the Best Bar: eurosailnews.com/sailors-bars
Keeping it working - Rondal
Rondal were honing their rig servicing skills for superyachts long before such things became a mandatory requirement
Rondal rigs have earned a reputation for reliability. That's partly down to the quality of the Dutch company's spars, the expertise its design office and the inherent benefit of being part of a fully integrated, semi-custom sailing system. But a lot of credit is also due to the highly skilled team of service engineers, riggers and technicians who travel the world keeping the integrated sailing systems with captive winches of the superyacht fleet functioning faultlessly and their ever more enormous masts standing tall.
Until a decade ago it was largely ignored by class requirements but since then the five-year servicing of superyacht rigs has become a necessary requirement. At the same time, the carbon rigs of the largest yachts in particular have become much more sophisticated. To keep them maintained and properly tuned, a lot of specialised knowledge is required and that's where Rondal's service team excels.
Full article in the February issue of Seahorse
18ft Skiffs NSW Championship, Race 6
Click on image for photo gallery.
Sydney Harbour; The third race win of the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship to the Tech2 team of Jack Macartney, Charlie Wyatt and Lewis Brake, in Race 6 on Sydney Harbour today, puts it into the equal lead of the series with just two more races to be sailed.
Yandoo (John Winning, Mike Kennedy and Fang Warren) went into the race with a slender one point advantage over Tech2 but couldn't quite match her rival's overall speed in the 16-19 knot southerly winds and had to settle for second place.
Tech2's official winning margin over Yandoo was 58s.
Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Steve Thomas, Lindsay Stead and Locky Prior) came back from a slow start to finish strongly in third place,1m36s behind Yandoo
Race 5 winner Rag & Famish Hotel (Harry Price) finished in fourth place, ahead of Lazarus Capital Partners (Marcus Ashley-Jones) and Fisher & Paykel (Jordan Girdis).
After each team has discarded its worst performance in the championship so far, Tech2 and Yandoo share the lead on 10 points, followed by Noakesailing (Sean Langman) on 20, Rag & Famish Hotel on 23, Shaw and Partners Financial Services on 24 and Fisher & Paykel on 26 points.
Today's race had a sensational start when two of the world's best teams, Andoo (Seve Jaarvin) and Smeg (Michael Coxon) were ruled to be 'on the course' starters and failed to return.
With both teams presently out of contention in the overall pointscores, both elected to continue to sail the entire course as part of their on-going preparation for the 100th Australian Championship next month, followed by the JJ Giltinan Championship on Sydney Harbour in March.
The Andoo team actually led the race for the entire course and clearly showed that it will be a major force in the major championship over the next two months.
Race 7 of the NSW Championship will be sailed next Sunday.
Live streaming is available at www.18footers.com by clicking on the '18 Footers TV' link. -- Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.
Charleston Race Week Discounts End January 31st
The 26th edition of Race Week is just around the corner - April 28-May 1 - but there's still time to take advantage of early registration and event ticket discounts (refunds are available).
Organizers are working tirelessly to make this comeback event the one not to miss! All of the elements that Race Week is known for will be in place - convenient launch/haul, boats for charter, top-notch race management, superb competition, educational opportunities, and shoreside festivities - all in America's #1 destination city!
It's a "regatta unlike any other" and you will come away a better sailor!
Register by Jan. 31st to save $100 at https://charlestonraceweek.com or Phlotilla.com
Maiden and her new all-female crew set sail on their new three-year world tour
Maiden's eagerly awaited departure on the 2021-2024 World Tour took place today when the iconic yacht left the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club on her 90,000nm journey, skippered by the legendary Marie-Claude Kieffer Heys and sponsored by the global logistics leader, DP World.
Together with DP World, Maiden and her new crew will build on the successes of the previous World Tour, raising awareness and funds for girls' education. Engaging with schools, charities, outreach programmes and organisations that are committed to the education of girls through empowering and inspiring girls around the world and changing the narrative around what a girl can achieve.
After spending six weeks in Dubai, for the next few months Maiden will make her way through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, making a few short stops before final preparations in Palma for the Trans-Atlantic to arrive in Florida in April 2022. Maiden will work her way up the East Coast of the USA with stopover hubs in Miami, Palm Beach, Annapolis, New York, Long Island, Boston and Newport. In October 2022 Maiden will return to Antigua before sailing to Dakar, Cape Town and Maputo in 2022.
www.sail-world.com/news/245513/
This week: John Cutler, Olympic medallist & America's Cup Helmsman
John Cutler won an Olympic bronze medal in the Finn class for New Zealand and has gone to carve out a great professional career in big boats, both as a world-class sailor and coach. Winner of three World Match Racing Championships, he went on to campaign with a number of America's Cup teams either as helmsman or tactician.
Back by popular demand, Road To Gold is taking the Q&A format back where it began, guiding sailors through all 12 Chapters of this step-by-step blueprint to campaign success. John will be on the live Zoom call this Monday/Tuesday to answer questions about the fundamentals of Chapter 1 - Getting on the Right Road. This is how to make sure the foundations of your campaign are in place and to make sure you're setting yourself up for long-term success.
Along with co-creators Hamish Willcox and Andy Rice, John is on hand to answer your questions. The call is free to all-comers, and you don't even have to be a paid-up member of Road To Gold. But it helps.
WHEN: Mon 17 Jan 7pm UK / Tues 18 Jan 8am NZ
The Q&A kicks off at:
UK Monday evening 17th January 7pm
NZ Tuesday morning 18th January 8am
Join Zoom Meeting with Road To Gold + John Cutler
Meeting ID: 854 2879 7522 Passcode: 723933
Featured Brokerage
2019 J/112E - "Xanaboo". 275000 GBP. Located in UK.
"Xanaboo" is a incredible example of the J/112e design, which has achieved an awful lot in a short space of time. This example, launched in 2019 has been race prepared by her fastidious owner who ensures the boat has all that she requires to compete at the highest level.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
+442380 016582
+447759 424900
-----------------------------------------
1990 Solaris Zero. 325000 EUR. Located in Tuscany, Italy.
Doug Peterson designed ocean cruiser from 1990 with hugely versatile six cabin plus saloon interior and twin cockpit deck layout. Beautifully constructed and with great attention to detail throughout.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Michele Antonini -Grabau International (Italia)
Tel ITA: +39 333 74 89 281
Tel UK: +44 7989575669
Email:
-----------------------------------------
SB20 - ready to sail. 29,989.12 EX VAT GBP.
SB20 - Fast, Fun and Affordable.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Tel: +44 (0) 23 8045 4722
Mob: +44 (0) 75 1007 4949
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. -- Mark Twain
Editorial and letter submissions to
Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see www.eurosailnews.com/advertise.html