In This Issue
• Barcelona to host 37th America's Cup in 2024
• Reactions positive from challengers
• SY Midnight - Mate Required
• Barca Barca Barca
• Barcelona venue prompts new French challenge
• The mountain and Muhammed - Baltic Yachts
• 'Disappointed' - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
• Limerick Ketch Ilen's London Visit in May Continues to Take Shape
• Sailing the new foiling Birdyfish dinghy
• Women who marked the history of offshore sailing
• Eight Bells: Gordon Isco
• Featured Charter
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Baltic Yachts 38 DP
• • Alfred Mylne 54 Ft Cutter - Irina VII
• • Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600
• The Last Word: Gilbert Gottfried

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

Barcelona to host 37th America's Cup in 2024
Emirates Team New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron are pleased to announce Barcelona, in the region of Catalonia as the Host Venue for the 37th America's Cup to be held in September and October of 2024.

"Barcelona holds a very special place in New Zealand's sailing history and we remember with pride the success of our 1992 Olympic Games sailing team and four medal result", said Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Aaron Young. "Barcelona will be a stunning venue for the America's Cup racing and the Women's and Youth regattas, and we look forward to defending the America's Cup there in 2024 as we work to promote and grow the sport of sailing around the world. There are also significant opportunities for our New Zealand marine industry, trade and sailors. Our members will enjoy exclusive benefits and travel options to Barcelona, and we anticipate a large delegation of Club members travelling in support of our Team in 2024".

Integral to the organisation of the 37th America's Cup is the Challenger of Record INEOS Britannia and the Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd who have played an important part in setting the foundations of the next edition of the oldest trophy in international sport. INEOS Britannia Team Principal Sir Ben Ainslie said, "We are delighted the iconic city of Barcelona has been chosen to host the 37th America's Cup. The historic weather data for Barcelona shows what a fantastic sailing venue it will be. The marina development and race area in Barcelona will offer excellent shore side facilities for the competing teams, alongside a great event village for fans of sports oldest international trophy to enjoy this iconic sporting event.

In the process of working with the prospective host cities around the world, Emirates Team New Zealand together with Origin Sports Group, have been overwhelmed with the response and ambition of the venues towards the America's Cup. "I must acknowledge the absolute commitment of the other final host city candidates, Cork in Ireland, Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Malaga in Spain and all of the phenomenal people that were behind the bids putting in so much effort to illustrate the exciting vision for their cities and for the America's Cup. But in the end a difficult decision had to be made to select only one." said Grant Dalton.

www.americascup.com

Reactions positive from challengers
The venue announcement is a major milestone in the Kiwi's attempt to win the America's Cup for the third consecutive time. It is one that the other teams are likely to be happy about.

Over the weekend at the SailGP event in San Francisco Ineos Britannia skipper and CEO Ben Ainslie told me that Barcelona would be "an awesome venue". On the media call Dalton enthused about the ongoing support he had received from Ineos owner Jim Ratcliffe - including a live text congratulating him on signing the Barcelona deal.

Meanwhile, Terry Hutchinson and the American Magic syndicate will also be breathing a sigh of relief having been rumoured to have been unwilling to attend a full AC in Saudi Arabia. How an ACWS in Jeddah w would play with them remains to be seen.

Swiss team Alinghi also are unlikely to be disappointed with AC37 taking place in the Mediterranean.

Dalton gives little credence to talk of his team giving up home advantage by taking the America's Cup offshore.

"In fact I don't think there is such a thing as home team advantage," he said.

"For a start, the other teams are top flight professionals and they possibly know the Hauraki Gulf better than we do.

"Then, secondly, I think when you are at home, inevitably Grandma's eightieth birthday party starts to become more important than what's going on at work." -- Justin Chisholm from Cup Insider

www.cupinsider.com/

SY Midnight - Mate Required
An opportunity for a Mate to join the crew of the Oyster 82 Midnight, whose owner is the founder of Oyster.

Activities are shared between charter and owner use and this season the yacht will passage from Antigua to Scotland in May to act as mother ship at the Fife Regatta and then at Cork Week, after which she will passage to Naples for charter and complete the European season as mother ship at classic events in Cannes and St Tropez.

As might be expected, the yacht is immaculately maintained and the Mate's role is crucial in the smooth running of the vessel. The successful candidate must have relevant experience and will need STCW certification as a minimum, with a Yachtmaster qualification being advantageous.

Midnight is a happy ship that loves to sail to interesting places.

CV's in confidence to

Barca Barca Barca
Le Corbusier, the genius Swiss-French architect, told a truth when he said: "Allow me to state here how much I love Barcelona, an admirable city, a city full of life, intense, a port open to the past and the future." And so it is, a mighty glimpse of the future with the Catalonian capital getting the golden nod from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron to host AC37 in September and October 2024. This has taken some guts and tenacity to get over the line but it's the absolute right choice. It's the classy choice. And it opens up the America's Cup to a world of opportunity to grow its allure, build for the future and unite the sailing world like never before.

Congratulations to Grant Dalton who hung tough amidst a hellish backdrop, skirting with the fall from saint to sinner and supposed pariah status back home. Personally, I think that's way overdone, but for every winner in this race, there are abundant losers. For the likes of Cork, Malaga and Jeddah that tried but came up short, it's no harm done but for New Zealand I have nothing but sympathy.

Magnus' full editorial in Rule69 Blog

Barcelona venue prompts new French challenge
Barcelona's appointment to host the next America's Cup has triggered the likely return of a French team to the challenging fleet.

There have been rumours of French syndicate K Challenge, which was involved at Valencia 2007, returning.

"It's not much of a secret but I will let them choose when to make their move," Dalton said.

The reaction from K Challenge was almost instant with longtime CEO Stephan Kandler indicating a formal challenge for Barcelona 2024 was imminent.

The entry period runs until July 31, 2022, but late entries may be accepted until May 31, 2023.

"The America's Cup is my childhood dream," Kandler wrote on his Facebook page as Barcelona was confirmed.

"After being with several French teams very closely, I decided in 2001 to launch my own challenge in the 32nd edition in Valencia," he continued, adding the experience "proved that France is one of the few countries that has everything to win it".

"Sometimes you have to know how to wait for the right time to go again. -- Duncan Johnstone

www.stuff.co.nz/sport/

The mountain and Muhammed - Baltic Yachts
For many years they have been fastidiously creating some of the world's finest yachts. One small drawback is that for many clients Baltic Yachts has always been rather a long way away geographically. Not any more...

There are big advantages to building yachts on the west coast of Finland. For the last 50 years it has been a centre of excellence where a talented workforce of shipwrights, joiners, composite builders and many other specialists produce some of the finest sailing yachts in the world, accumulating a vast pool of knowledge, experience and skills. There's just one snag with the location - it's a very long way, especially by sea, from the places where most owners choose to sail and keep their yachts. The solution for Baltic Yachts was to set up a service and refit hub in the epicentre of the Mediterranean yachting scene.

'We started down here with warranty projects,' says Matthew Lester, Baltic Yachts' head of aftersales service who leads their steadily growing operation in Palma, Mallorca which is based in and around the STP shipyard in the heart of the city's old harbour. 'We were always coming here and we opened a workshop so we didn't have to work out of our suitcases all of the time. And we were increasingly being asked to work on other boats. In 2014 we decided to staff the company here and we've never looked back.'

Full article in the April issue of Seahorse

'Disappointed' - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she is disappointed by the decision by Team New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron to take the hosting of the next America's Cup to Barcelona, Spain.

Ardern said New Zealanders have a unique relationship with the event.

"I probably feel the same way as many New Zealanders. I am disappointed around the decision that's been made on where the America's Cup will be held. As a government we certainly stumped up sufficient funding for it to be hosted here. We wanted it to be hosted here. So for it to depart is a disappointment.

"For us we wanted it here because New Zealand treats it as a national event. I don't think any other country in the world treats the America's Cup in the way that we do. We all celebrate it but at the same time, we have to consider all the other costs. We put enough on the table for it to be hosted here but ultimately a different decision was made," Ardern said at the opening of Transmission Gully motorway in Wellington.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Limerick Ketch Ilen's London Visit in May Continues to Take Shape
The programme for the "cultural voyage" of the 56ft restored Limerick trading ketch Ilen to London in late April and through the first fortnight of May continues to take shape. The ship herself is now back in her birthplace at Liam Hegarty's boatyard at Oldcourt on the Ilen River in West Cork above Baltimore, after a brisk passage south at the end of the last week from winter quarters in the hospitable embrace of Galway Docks.

The annual Spring refit is underway, and Ilen Marine School director Gary Mac Mahon has confirmed that the successful Galway berthing is going to be replicated in London, where a prime berth for both visibility and accessibility has been allocated at the heart of the popular St Katharine's Dock, immediately downriver of Tower Bridge in the midst of the city. -- WM Nixon in Afloat

www.afloat.ie/sail/historic-boats/ilen

Sailing the new foiling Birdyfish dinghy
Click on image to enlarge.

Based on an engineering school graduation project, three young Frenchmen have created the BirdyFish, a dinghy that aims to make foiling accessible to everyone.

BirdyFish is the story of a sailing start-up, something western France does well. Near Nantes, Jean-Baptiste Morin, Pierre Rhimbault and Alban Satge were not yet 25 years old when they started out to create a new class of boat. Foiling designs fascinated them, from the Mini Transat small yachts to IMOCA 60s, but they wanted to make flying on the water easier.

Ambitious but realistic, the trio focused on the business and management of the project, and turned to specialists for key areas. Naval architect Etienne Bertrand, well known for his work on the Mini, was commissioned to design the BirdyFish, whose beamy bow is reminiscent of the 6.5m Mini ocean crossing scows.

With their personal savings and a €10,000 grant from a foundation for young entrepreneurs, they built a prototype. Three years later they're on the verge of finalising a €250,000 fundraising operation and moving to 600m2 premises to scale up to mass production.

Read more in YachtingWorld.com

Women who marked the history of offshore sailing
It may not be very common to see women accepting - or having the opportunity to accept - challenges such as that of sailing single-handed around the world non-stop, but more and more are following in the footsteps of some brave female sailors who broke all sorts of barriers.

Ocean sailing accounts for many great sailors who for one reason or another have earned a place in history. However, it is striking how few female seafarers embark on such great adventures and, in most cases, their little visibility.

It does not take much research to find many female sailors who have left their mark in ocean sailing. United Kingdom and France have been the birth place of the first female pioneers in offshore racing.

If we look for the reasons why only a small number of women, compared to men, have ventured to face the challenge of the oceans we can think of the obvious cultural reasons, seafarers were once exclusively men. The first woman to have circumnavigated of the world was Jeanne Baret from France in 1767 although, in her case, she embarked disguised as a man to be part of an all-men crew.

Read more...

Eight Bells: Gordon Isco
Gordon Isco, 86, passed away peacefully early on March 24 at his home in Gulfport, Florida.

Born in Chicago, Illinois on June 6, 1935, he began sailing catamarans in 1977, leading to a lifestyle of racing the Hobie 18, Hobie 20, and A-Class in numerous national and world championships during his 40+ years of sailing.

In addition to competing, he was also a strong supporter of multihull sailing and worked tirelessly to promote it in its early years. In the mid-1980s, he was instrumental in setting up US Sailing's multihull council and the US Multihull Championship (Alter Cup). He served for several years as the first chairman of the multihull council and continued to serve as chairman on and off over the next 20 years or so.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Corrine Krall Isco and is survived by his daughter Gina Gramont, son-in-law Marc Gramont, and his beloved greyhound, Tee Cee.

Memorial contributions can be made to Greyhound Pets of America Tampa Chapter, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, or your local animal shelter. At his request, there will be there be no memorial service.

www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

Featured Charter
Hydra - DK 46. Located in the Mediterranean.

The DK46 is a race tuned performance racer. The hull and foil shape were designed with performance in mind and the cockpit layout is spacious and well thought through. Hydra is a sensational boat in the Mediterranean.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

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

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
1984 Baltic Yachts 38 DP. 130000 EUR. Located in Taalintehdas, Finland.

Comprehensively refitted, upgraded, and updated example of the iconic Doug Peterson designed Baltic 38DP.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Matias Renlund - Grabau International (Scandinavia)
Tel: +358406861501
Email:

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1935 Alfred Mylne 54 Ft Cutter - Irina VII. 625000 EUR. Located in France.

This beautiful Alfred Mylne designed Fife yard built cutter is pedigree indeed. Both cruising and racing she is a yacht for the connoisseur most certainly.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Barney Sandeman

+44 (0)1202 330077
22 Market Street
Poole, Dorset
BH15 1NF
United Kingdom

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Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600. POA EUR.

The Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600 has now joined her smaller sister, the Sun Fast 3200.

The Sun Fast 3600 is another masterpiece created by world leading French yacht designer, Daniel Andrieu. As if the Sun Fast 3200 was not successful enough with her proven offshore performance in classics such as the Transquadra, Round Britain & Ireland and North Sea 1000, all the lessons learned have been crafted into and improved on the Sun Fast 3600. This eye catching boat lives admirably up to the reputation and expectations that go before it with Jeanneau's previous Sun Fast models.

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
I always wish the hotels were like they are in movies and TV shows, where if you're in Paris, right outside your window is the Eiffel Tower. In Egypt, the pyramids are right there. In the movies, every hotel has a monument right outside your window. My hotel rooms overlook the garbage dumpster in the back alley. -- Gilbert Gottfried

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