In This Issue
• Siberia
• World Sailing statement concerning the situation in Ukraine
• International Olympic Committee Executive Board Statement
• Leaving the world behind - Doyle Sails
• BOA Statement On Russia & Belarus
• Rob Brown OAM
• Cruising Club of America Annual Awards
• Bermuda Race Entry List Swells to 217 Boats
• This week: Stu Bithell, 49er Olympic Champ
• Featured Charter: Araok - 58ft Ipanama Catamaran
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Nautor Swan 47 Mki1
• • Blackcat 50
• • Marstrom Seacart 30' - 2006
• The Last Word: Bob Marley

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

Siberia
A week off. A vital time of digital detoxification and re-connection with family and sport, free of normality whilst doing the extreme in the high mountains of the French Alps. Returning to Geneva yesterday afternoon and the much-delayed flight home, the world had changed. Geneva was stuffed with diplomats. Missions were flying in for hastily convened meetings. Convoys of blacked-out Mercedes with police out-riders blocked the roads. The border guards were muscular and menacing with weaponry on display and not a hint of generosity. The mood was darker than I have ever seen. Europe, with the abhorrent spectre of war, is on tenterhooks. The kleptocratic class of the former Soviet Union has resorted to its mean and the world scrambles for an effective response.

Sport is grappling with its morals, desperate to find and strike the right tone. Some, like Judo and Formula 1 acted relatively timely. The murky, dire world of soccer still doesn't know whether to turn left or right and would rather not make a decision. FIFA is a tainted shambles. UEFA is only slightly better but more on the front foot. National bodies deign to do the right thing and make statements aimed at appeasing their followers whilst supporting the desperate Ukrainian situation.

Sailing, at the grand prix end (and I'm acutely aware that there's far more to our sport than just this flavour) has its part to play too but this is not a moment for grandstanding. The great clubs of the world - the likes of the New York Yacht Club, The Royal Yacht Squadron, The Royal Ocean Racing Club, Yacht Club de Monaco, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda plus a host of others need to collectively decide, decisively and meaningfully, that they will no longer lend the respectability of their great races, or even their local races, to Russian participation. A polite: 'thank you but no thank you' at the point of entry is the very least we can expect.

Sailing is a great sport, largely insignificant but we can do our bit under the radar with an iron fist. It will hurt more than an acre of print or a hurried press release will ever do - and it could and should last for decades.

Casting a nation adrift to the equivalent of sporting Siberia is harsh for those it will affect but necessary in the geo-political times we live in. Grand prix yachting is a privilege, not a right, and as a response to atrocity it's imperative that we exclude as a signal to that nation that invasion of sovereign territory comes with far-reaching consequences. The thumbscrews are on financially and socially, and pariah state status is real. Very real.

Sailing must respond in its most clinical fashion.

Excerpts above... Magnus Wheatley's full editorial at rule69.blog/2022/02/28/siberia/

World Sailing statement concerning the situation in Ukraine
World Sailing is very concerned about the situation in Ukraine and we are troubled about the safety of our friends in the Ukrainian sailing community.

Sport can be a force for good, bringing competitors from around the world together, united by the values of equality, inclusion, respect and fairness.

World Sailing joins many international sports organisations calling for an immediate end to all hostilities and a resumption of dialogue for a peaceful resolution in place of military action.

There are no World Sailing organised regattas planned to be held in Russia or Belarus in 2022, and the Executive Board are supporting the relocation of training and education events in Russia.

We remain in contact with all our Member National Authorities to offer our support at this incredibly difficult time.

www.sailing.org

International Olympic Committee Executive Board Statement
In order to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants, the IOC EB recommends that International Sports Federations and sports event organisers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.

Wherever this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons, the IOC EB strongly urges International Sports Federations and organisers of sports events worldwide to do everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports official from Russia or Belarus be allowed to take part under the name of Russia or Belarus. Russian or Belarusian nationals, be it as individuals or teams, should be ccepted only as neutral athletes or neutral teams. No national symbols, colours, flags or anthems should be displayed.

Wherever, in very extreme circumstances, even this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons, the IOC EB leaves it to the relevant organisation to find its own way to effectively address the dilemma described above.

In this context, the IOC EB considered in particular the upcoming Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and reiterated its full support for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Games.

www.sail-world.com/news/246651/

Read the full statement

Leaving the world behind - Doyle Sails
Imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery for the generous folk behind Doyle's brilliant Structured Luff technology. Greater forward thrust, kinder on your rig, forgiving to trim... what's not to admire?

After eight years of developing and validating the performance benefits of its Structured Luff technology, Doyle Sails passed a significant milestone this year when the concept reached the market-acceptance tipping point to become mainstream. 'Customers have seen and understood the benefits of Structured Luff technology and increasingly the pro sailors advising owners are pushing them in this direction,' says Doyle Sails CEO Mike Sanderson.

Any number of business school studies have shown how innovations, be they screw-top wine bottles, online shopping, electric cars or sails, follow a rite of passage from resistance to acceptance, charting how markets let early adopters risk the leap to test their merits. Ultimate validation comes when rival brands shift from demonising the disruptive newcomer to launching their own versions.

Full article in the March issue of Seahorse

BOA Statement On Russia & Belarus
The British Olympic Association demands the exclusion of Russia and Belarus from international sport

The British Olympic Association, together with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Germany, demands the immediate exclusion of Russia and Belarus from the international sports family until further notice. We call on the international sports federations to ban athletes representing Russia and Belarus from competitions for the time being and to suspend Russian and Belarusian officials from their positions.

We stand united with the people, athletes and the Olympic family of Ukraine, following this unacceptable and unwarranted declaration of war against them.

www.teamgb.com

Rob Brown OAM
Click on image for photo gallery.

Three-times JJ Giltinan world 18ft Skiff champion Rob Brown OAM has a wonderful record of success in a sailing career which has spanned three continents and resulted in three victories in three of the world's most prestigious sailing events.

Among other awards, Rob has been awarded an Order of Australian Medal (OAM), Australian Bi-Centennial Hall of Fame, and Australian Sailing Hall of Fame.

Like many of the top 18ft skiff champions over the years, Rob began sailing at age 6, in Sabot dinghies, at Snails Bay Sailing Club, and sailed as fourth hand in 16s at Drummoyne before moving into the 12ft skiffs at Balmain as a 15-year-old. In his third season in the 12s, he won the Junior State and National Championships.

His talent must have been obvious to 18 footer administrators at the time as he was contacted by the NSW 18 Footers League to sail an 18ft skiff, with a supplied sponsor, Polyunsaturated Flora. He recalls, "I purchased a boat which was formerly David Porter's KB in 1972. Dave was my idol growing up, so to be able to sail one of his boats was an honour! I had photos and posters on the wall of Dave's Aussie, Porter Marine and KB. I also had some photos of my dad Norm, sailing his 18s and 12ft Skiffs."

In 1979, Rob also sailed the Admirals Cup on Impetuous, with Hugh Treharne and Sir James Hardy, and survived the tragic Fastnet Gale.

When Richard Court introduced the wing concept early in 1980, Brown built hinged alloy flip- flop wings which he used on Steelstocks at the 1980 Worlds in Auckland.

Brown was a member of the 1980 America's Cup campaign and was involved again in the Australia II campaign, so much of his time was spent in preparation for the Cup and he had limited time to devote fully to the 18s. Naturally, this was offset by being involved with such a fantastic winning achievement.

A number of situations arose during the 1980s, including the rising cost of competition, which led to a decline of available sponsorship and similarly a decline in fleet numbers. This led to administrators making a number of rule changes in an attempt to stop the problem.

Unfortunately, the changes were complicated as they related to the number and replacement of sails based on their usage in previous races, and included a percentage area to determine whether each sail was declared 'new' or a 'replacement'.

It wasn't surprising that the resulting confusion led to a very unique situation at the 1988 JJ Giltinan Championship when Rob Brown's Southern Cross and Trevor Barnabas' Chesty Bond were declared joint champions after a number of protests and appeals.

The 2022 JJ Giltinan Championship will be sailed on Sydney Harbour, from March 5-13. -- Frank Quealey Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.

www.18footers.com

Cruising Club of America Makes Annual Awards for Perseverance, Service & Courage
The Cruising Club of America (CCA) has announced the winners of its prestigious annual awards, highlighting an extraordinary group of sailors who have demonstrated perseverance, service, heroism, and how time spent on the water can change your life.

In keeping with the CCA's long-standing motto "Nowhere is Too Far," nearly all the awardees have made exceptional long-distance voyages or sailed around the world. That includes the winners of the CCA's Blue Water Medal, Ginger and Peter Niemann, who completed their second circumnavigation in 2021 as a means of sailing home from Turkey after the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic. -- John Burnham

Awarded:
Curtis Green (Rod Stephens Seamanship Trophy)
Matt Rutherford (Young Voyager Award)
Don and Sharry Stabbert, of Seattle and Honolulu, Hawaii (2021 Far Horizons Medal)
Skip Novak (Royal Cruising Club Trophy)
Jim Chambers (Richard S. Nye Trophy)
Zdenka and Jack Griswold (Commodore's Award)
Gretchen Dieck Biemesderfer (Charles H. Vilas Literary Prize)

Details at cruisingclub.org

Bermuda Race Entry List Swells to 217 Boats
Gibbs Hill entries are up from 22 to 28 boats this year. Overall, the fleet is well over 200 boats.

New entries for the 2022 Race have continued to flow in through the Entry Portal during February, and the entry list now includes 217 boats in eight divisions: St. David's Lighthouse Division (125), Finisterre (Cruising) Division (38), Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division (28), Double-Handed Division (19), Multihull Division (3), Open Division (1), Spirit of Tradition Division (2), Superyacht (1).

The 2022 race has a cap of 220 boats, and additional entries will be put on a waiting list. Historically, some attrition takes place between entries closing on April 3rd and the start on June 17th, so race organizers expect to be able to accommodate a large number of boats initially placed on the waiting list.

bermudarace.com

This week: Stu Bithell, 49er Olympic Champ
Always smiling, Stu Bithell is one of the most upbeat, most successful Olympic sailors of recent times. With a silver medal in the 470 and Olympic gold in the 49er, the British racer is also one of the most versatile. No wonder he's in demand for some of the high-end regattas such as SailGP and the new 69F foiling circuit.

Following on from two big-name Q&As last week with Robert Scheidt and Sir Ben Ainslie, this week's Road To Gold Q&A is on the topic of Tactics. Stu Bithell is perfectly placed to answer your questions on tactics, whatever speed your boat floats or flies through the water.

As the Merlin Rocket National Champion (one of the UK's most high-tech and hard-fought dinghy classes), Stu knows how to think as a skipper or a crew. Exploring that communications loop (which proves even more critical at 50 knots on an F50 foiling catamaran) will be another subject to ask him about. -- Andy Rice

WHEN: Tues 1 March 7pm UK / Weds 2 March 8am NZ

The Q&A kicks off at:
UK: Tuesday evening 1 March 7pm
NZ: Wednesday morning 2 March 8am

Join the Live Q&A call with Stu this Tuesday/Wednesday

Zoom Meeting with Road To Gold + Stu Bithell

Meeting ID: 867 4486 2493 Passcode: 875635

To subscribe to Live Coaching Calls: roadtogold.net/p/calls

Featured Charter
Araok - 58ft Ipanama Catamaran. From 24,000 per week EUR. Located in France / Caribbean

Designed to comfortably share simple day trips or long-haul cruises with family or friends, the flagship catamaran Ipanema 58 features a myriad of decadent and spacious areas in which to relax. Host long lazy lunches in the stunning 25m2 cockpit.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Lisa Spiller
Charter Manager
Bernard-Gallay
Phone 1 : +33(0)6 33 42 45 09
Phone 2 : +33 (0)467 66 39 93
Mail :

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
1977 Nautor Swan 47 Mki1. 210000 EUR. Located in Adriatic Sea, Italy.

Beautifully maintained and much-upgraded example of the Sparkman & Stephens designed Nautor Swan 47 Mk1. WALIDADA II is one of the nicest examples we have seen of this iconic classic ocean cruising yacht and comes with a very interesting ownership history.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Michele Antonini - Grabau International (Italia)
Tel: +39 333 74 89 281
Email:

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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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2002 | 2016 SW78 KIWI. 1,800,000 VAT Paid EUR. Located in Ancona, Italy.

SW78 Kiwi is the result of the combined skills and knowledge of Reichel-Pugh Design, Nauta Yacht Design and the Southern Wind Shipyard, each adding their expertise to deliver the ultimate 24m performance cruiser. The second of five SW78 that were constructed between 2002 and 2005, she was originally launched as Mrs. Marietta and was commissioned by an experienced owner as his second SWS yacht. Sold to her current owner in 2012 and renamed Kiwi, she has been based in the Mediterranean since and used for private family cruising with the occasional regatta appearance.

Subject to a rigorous maintenance program with a substantial investment made each year, she underwent a major refit in 2016 to restore to her original condition with many upgrades and improvements to keep her modern and competitive.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Jeremy Peek
Southern Wind Shipyard (Pty) Ltd
Salita Dinegro 7/1
16123 Genoa - Italy

Tel. +39 010 570 4035

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

The Last Word
Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life. -- Bob Marley

Editorial and letter submissions to

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