In This Issue
• Not Normally Like This...
• Who Will Be The 2021-22 Australian 18-Footer Champion?
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Winner of 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award: Sail Africa
• Jacques Caraes: "I Would See Myself As An Assistant"
• M32 Winter Series: One Point Decides Winner in Miami
• New MarineVerse Cup Video
• 2022 Racing Season at Yacht Club Isole di Toscana
• Knock Down Video
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Gunboat 60 ALAIA
• • Arcona 415
• • SY SOJANA
• The Last Word: Ivan Illich

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

Not Normally Like This...
Sadly no water passed beneath the keels of the ten-strong 44Cup fleet on the opening day of their first regatta of the 2022 season off Porto Calero, Lanzarote.

There was a small hope of the wind filling in early afternoon, but this was too little and of too short duration, explained 44Cup Principal Race Officer Maria Torrijo, who cancelled racing for the day at 1400 UTC. "Today, it was a very easy decision because there was no wind at all. We had a gust of up to five knots, but it was just for five minutes and then it dropped completely. It was like a mirror. So we decided to stop. We will try to race tomorrow."

For tomorrow, some forecasts are indicating that we could be in for more of the same, although others are saying 5-10 knots, which, if it transpires is more than adequate breeze in which the nimble RC44s can meaningfully race.

The good news will come at the weekend, predicts the PRO: "We are expecting the trade winds coming from Saturday when we will have very good conditions," says Torrijo.

In theory racing will start Friday at midday UTC. Follow the racing live at www.44cup.org

Who Will Be The 2021-22 Australian 18-Footer Champion?
Aberdare, skippered by Vic Vaughan, won four consecutive times in the 1930s. Click on image for photo gallery.

After a weekend of five action-packed races, former Australian Championship-winning skipper Seve Jarvin will be attempting to win his seventh title when he competes for the coveted trophy against a fleet of 23 boats from NSW and Queensland on Sydney Harbour this Sunday.

Jarvin, with Matt Stenta and Sam Newton have taken the lead, in Andoo, in the 2021-22 championship regatta but will have to be at their very best on Sunday to hold off strong challenges from a top-class fleet, including the defending champion Tech2 team, led by Jack Macartney, and the current JJ Giltinan world champion Smeg team, led by Michael Coxon.

Macartney will be attempting to make it three-in-a-row and become only the fifth skipper to win three, or more, consecutive Australian Championships over the 99 contests held so far.

Going into the first of Sunday's two races, Andoo has a net score of five points, followed by Smeg on 11, Tech2 on 12, Rag & Famish Hotel (Harry Price) on 16, and Noakesailing (Sean Langman) and Lazarus Capital Partners (Marcus Ashley-Jones), both on 22 points.

Regardless of the outcome in Sunday's first race (Race 6), the championship won't be decided until the conclusion of the double-point, no-drop final race.

The newly-introduced system for this race (Race 7), where each boat will be allocated double-the-points of each of the other six races (example 1st will get 2 points, second = 4 points, and so on, and no boat will be allowed to discard the race as its worst score), will make both races on Sunday critical to the overall outcome of the championship.

It will not only be important for each team to finish high in the placings in Race 6, but will be vital to ensure that they have a 'fit' boat to contest the double-point, no drop final. --Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.

www.18footers.com

Seahorse February 2022
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Update
Good news (almost) all round... after 10 years of (tedious) Cup rumour-mongering, Alinghi is back. Flying foilers are here to stay but (America's Cup) history offers useful pointers, a most marvellous trip to Brittany and the 30-footers go supersonic. Plus remembering the 'third Marx Brother'. Jack Griffin, Barry Carroll, Paul Bieker, Christian Fevrier, Dave Hollom

An elite club
After 10 years of success with the well-established RORC Caribbean 600 along comes another fascinating and challenging course for offshore enthusiasts... every bit as spectacular but this time a little further north

Seahorse build table - Not one for beige
Something different but from a familiar name

Sailor of the Month
Great sailors, great supporters, long overdue

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Winner of 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award: Sail Africa
Sport has a major role to play in ensuring a sustainable future for our planet. In 2018, World Sailing and 11th Hour Racing joined forces to create the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award. The award celebrates the effective execution or ongoing delivery of high-impact, highly replicable sustainability initiatives aligned with the World Sailing Sustainability Agenda 2030. Entrants are invited from National Federations, sailing clubs, event organizing committees, individual sailors, or any other sailing-related organizations.

Sail Africa Youth Development Programme proved to be the leading light in 2021, voted the winners by the public among an inspiring calibre of nominees. Their empowering programme focuses on increasing the participation of ethnically diverse and female sailors in Durban, South Africa, with the positive effects lasting a lifetime.

Assisted by the $10,000 USD funding provided by 11th Hour Racing, the programme continues its clear and decisive path towards promoting diversity and sustainability in sport. World Sailing took the chance to catch up with Sail Africa Operations Director, Jackie de Fin on what it meant for Sail Africa to win the award and what the future holds for the programme.

Interview here

Jacques Caraes: "I Would See Myself As An Assistant"
It was one year ago, January 28 2021, when Yannick Bestaven won the ninth edition of the Vendee Globe in the midst of a crazy night marked by five successive finishes all within the space of a few mad hours. On this anniversary Tip & Shaft took the opportunity to talk to the Race Director of the 2016 and 2020 editions, Jacques Caraës.

So Jaco one year on what memories do you have of this 2020 Vendee Globe?
It will always be an incredible Vendee Globe both from the sports angles and the human emotions, in particular because of Kevin Escoffier's story, which was something of a highlight. But what I remember the most is this grouped finish which we had never experienced with such intensity on past editions. It was a real finish like you see with Figaro sailors, especially since the stories of time compensation were being added and subtracted all the time. Now no one could have ever imagined such a scenario. I also remember the very positive reaction of the sailors on this whole subject. That in itself was not easy with the fatigue that was accumulating. But really there was no controversy at all on the subject.

Was this Vendee Globe different for you compared to the previous one?
Yes, because on the first one we did as a race direction team we had a lot more damage, which unfortunately forced out a lot of competitors. That is the thing that affects me the most as Race Director, it is the safety of the sailors which is always the main concern. On this 2020 edition, there were a lot fewer ABDs. I really had the impression that the technical preparation was much better. The boats arrived in Les Sables d'Olonne at the start much more ready than we maybe expected and certainly than they were in the past.

Full interview in Tip & Shaft

M32 Winter Series: One Point Decides Winner in Miami
In uncharacteristic light winds on Biscayne Bay, Miami, the M32 Winter Series started its 2022 season. With a successful World Championship in November last year, the Winter Series is a more relaxed regatta series. Many teams took the opportunity to test new crew members and different setups. The fleet saw the return of Team REV with Ryan DeVos and Extreme2 with Dan Cheresh having had a break from the class last season.

A team that didn't change their crew for this event was reigning World Champions Convexity with Don Wilson and tactician Taylor Canfield. However, at the end of the regatta cut short by the light winds, only one point gave the win to Convexity.

A point behind in second was Inga from Sweden with Skipper Richard Goransson and tactician Chris Draper. On third was REV with Ryan DeVos and tactician Ian Williams.

The close score bodes well for a competitive season where many American teams will head to Europe later in preparation for the World Championship in Portugal in October.

Only five races were completed, which is unusual for the M32 Class, which typically runs 11-12 in a weekend. Sunday had a totally calm bay with the crews waiting in the shade ashore for a breeze that never came. "It's very unusual that we lose a full day of racing in Miami, but sometimes there just isn't enough, five other classes were racing in Miami over the weekend, and I believe we got the most races in, so a bit of a silver lining'' says class manager and PRO Mattias Dahlstrom.

For the next event, March 4-6, we look to have 10-11 M32 on the line.

Full Results at m32world.com/results

New MarineVerse Cup Video Shows How VR Can Help Transform You Into A Sailing Pro
Melbourne, Australia : In a newly released video showing Marineverse Cup in action, players can get a taste of how the game combines theory and practice to teach players with no prior sailing experience how to take control of their very own virtual sailboat ahead of its release on Meta Quest 2 in early Spring. This new video, which explains how players should go about the tricky task of sailing upwind, showcases the game's blend of accurate sailing simulation, beginner-friendly features and relaxing gameplay.

MarineVerse Cup is a VR sailing game that features solo, co-op or multiplayer racing allowing you to compete against friends and other players or just take a relaxing lap around a course on your own. Whether you are an advanced sailor or just curious to give sailing a try, MarineVerse Cup can teach and challenge you or just let you take a more leisurely pace and focus on a course, surrounded by sea, sunshine and the sound of the waves lapping the boat.

Created by a team of sailors and engineers, MarineVerse Cup is designed to bring the world of sailing to anyone who may not have the time, physical stamina or access to a boat to enjoy the sport - or you can brush up on and practice your sailing skills in the middle of winter! With differing weather conditions to contend with, such as varying winds with gusts and lulls, the many courses available will challenge you differently each time for hours of replayability and a real test on your sailing prowess.

2022 Racing Season at Yacht Club Isole di Toscana
The Yacht Club Isole di Toscana is getting ready to face a new intense sailing season: from March to October there will be numerous events that will see different classes of one-design boats and some of the most prestigious dinghies in the world challenge each other in the Maremma waters.

Attention to the environment and commitment to organizing eco-sustainable events have for years now been the unmissable prerequisite for the activity of the Scarlino association, in strict collaboration with Marina di Scarlino and the Resort.

The sail-racing year of the Yacht Club will start with a weekend dedicated to Swan One Design (25-27 March), during which about twenty crews between ClubSwan 50 and ClubSwan 36 will test their technical skills in the gulf, in front of the Marina di Scarlino, to prepare for The Nations League 2022 circuit, which will see its start in the same waters, as already happened in 2021.

The calendar will go on with the first stage of the Melges World League, which from this year will see the two classes Melges 14 and Melges 20 brought together in a single event from April 7 to 10, a period in which fleets of sailors from all over Europe will arrive in Scarlino. About forty boats are expected, split into two classes.

To close the month of April one of the two key events of the season, the Swan Tuscany Challenge from 26 to 30, one event of The Nations League circuit, which for the fourth consecutive time has chosen the waters of this wonderful gulf of Maremma. The three classes ClubSwan 50, Swan 45 and ClubSwan 36 will attract over 30 crews to the Marina di Scarlino, fielding the most famous sailors in the world on the starting line.

yachtclubisoleditoscana.com

Knock Down Video
Mikael Ljunggren and Kristine Peterson taking a knock down on their J/111 VALENTINA in the 2020 Noridic Yachts Open. After getting the X-Drive carbon main down and letting the squall pass, they went on to finish the doublehanded 40-mile race. Both the crew and the UK Sailmakers sails came through unscathed. When racing doublehanded, the crew, boat, equipment and the sails have to be extra robust.

Featured Brokerage
Gunboat 60 ALAIA. POA USD.

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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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Arcona 415. POA EUR

The Arcona 415 is one of the first series produced sailing yachts with electric propulsion as standard.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Arcona Yachts AB
Odelbergs Vag 2
134 40 Gustavsberg
Sweden

+46 8 519 410 40

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SY SOJANA. Located in Cannes 7-12 September

PRICE REDUCED TO SELL

115' (35m) Sojana is now for sale and offered in exceptional condition for the 2021 sailing season. Maintained fastidiously this Farr designed performance carbon ketch has excellent accommodation for 6-8 guests. If you have a passion for sailing this yacht offers you a perfect blend of exhilarating cruising, fast ocean passage making and regatta winning pedigree.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Contact Alastair for further details +44747 6888639
carrswoodyachts.com

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

The Last Word
So persuasive is the power of the institutions we have created that they shape not only our preferences but actually our sense of possibilities. -- Ivan Illich

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