In This Issue
• Congressional Cup first day
• Les Voiles de St Barth Richard Mille
• Stand by - 52 Super Series
• 2022 Worrell 1000
• English Riviera Dinghy Regatta / Torbay Dinghy Regatta
• AC40 first images of hull exiting the mould
• The Race Around Names La Rochelle As Host City
• Tom Dolan is Ready to Race the Solo Maitre Coq
• Lymington's Hattie Rogers
• Industry News
• Featured Charter: Cookson 50 - TestaCuore
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Bill Tripp 54 - ANTHEM
• • Arcona 435
• • Dazcat 1295
• The Last Word: Tom Magliozzi

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

Plenty of breeze at LBYC for Congressional Cup first day
Racing commenced at 11:30AM but only three flights had been completed before Principal Race Officer John Busch called for the fleet to downsize to the smaller jibs, as the wind touched 18 knots.

In true championship style, defending title-holder and five-time Cup winner Taylor Canfield (USA) came on strong. After six flights, Canfield was 5-1, but not without a solid challenge from opponents Chris Poole (USA) and 2009 Congressional Cup winner Johnnie Berntsson (SWE), also 5-1.

Also competing: four time victor Ian Williams (GBR), Harry Price (AUS), Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL), Pearson Potts (USA) and Dave Hood (USA). In addition Emil Kjaer (DEN) and Jeppe Borch (DEN) qualified in last week's Ficker Cup regatta to round out the roster.

The Congressional Cup is one of the leading yacht racing events in the world, is a flagship event of the World Match Racing Tour, and the only Grade 1 match racing competition in the USA. The double round robin series, semifinals and petite finals will continue throughout the week, culminating in the final matches April 23. Then, only one skipper will hoist the coveted Congressional Cup trophy and don the Crimson blazer: yacht racing's equivalent to The Masters' green jacket.

Founded in 1965 by LBYC the Congressional Cup remains a magnet for the finest skippers and crews from around the globe, who compete in five days of heated on-the-water competition. And this nail-biting experience is can be viewed (for free) from the Belmont Pier, with shaded stadium seating and live commentary, through Saturday April 23 starting at 11:30AM.

Find up-to-the-minute results at matchracingresults.com

thecongressionalcup.com

St Barts maxi winning streak continues for Vesper and Stark Raving Mad VII
On winding coastal courses resembling those around the Costa Smeralda, but with a sizeable Atlantic swell added to the mix, day two of Les Voiles de St Barth Richard Mille took place in similarly challenging conditions to yesterday with a 20+ knot gusty easterly.

Fortune seems to be smiling on the prepared off the glamorous French Caribbean island for this third event in the International Maxi Association's new Caribbean Maxi Challenge. In a repeat of yesterday's outcome, in the Maxi Class Jim Swartz's JV72 Vesper finished close enough to her longer Botin Partners-designed rival, Hap Fauth's Bella Mente, to win under IRC corrected time. Meanwhile in the CSA 3 class, Jim Madden's Swan 601 Stark Raving Mad VII prevailed again, but with Luigi Sala's Vismara 62 Yoru second.

Despite the tough conditions, in both classes a match race for the lead took place, none more cut-throat than among the former Maxi 72s where according to Vesper's Kiwi tactician Gavin Brady, Bella Mente was looking for maximum engagement, circling them three minutes before the start: "It makes it interesting and we are definitely entertaining the owners, but it's got to the point where it is better for us if they are just in front of us, otherwise they are always going for a penalty."

Today's courses were of a similar length to yesterday, 28 miles for the Maxis and 24 for CSA 3. This was predominantly in the lee of St Barts, but with a shorter loop up into the nature reserve northwest of the island and a longer beat at the top of which the boats experienced the full brunt of the Atlantic swell. -- James Boyd / International Maxi Association

lesvoilesdestbarthrichardmille.com

Stand by - 52 Super Series
On the threshold of the 52 Super Series's 10th year of competition it is pleasing to see this season shaping up with so much promise. Things seem to change in a heartbeat in this world but it seems shore teams are now busy finessing the off-season optimisations in preparation for another demanding and close-fought season. New appendages are perhaps not as numerous as some originally mooted but the word in the yards is that two boats at least have gone for this option, although the future of one - Bronenosec - is not clear at the moment.

When you consider that the circuit's first event in May 2012 saw just five boats on the dock in Barcelona, and only four raced the full series, it is especially gratifying for owners, key stakeholders and supporters to consider that we are going into 2022 with 10 boats expected at each of the five regattas. Of these six or seven will start the first race of the year with genuine hopes of winning a regatta and finishing on the championship podium in Barcelona at the end of the season. Even more remarkable perhaps, there really is no predicting who the 2022 champions will be.

Full article in the May issue of Seahorse

2022 Worrell 1000
Formula 18 legend sailor Gerard Loos(69) is going to sail the Best Ever Long Distance race; The Worrell 1000. He had to wait 20 years fior the race to be back on his agenda,

Only 16 selected teams can be on the startline. The start is straight from the beach like Lemans car racing. Each team has a shore crew that drive the spareparts to the next stopover .

The Race starts May 9

Team The Netherlands have. Famous sailors in his team
Skipper - Gerard Loos, NED
Crew - Fred Serafin, USA
Shore Captain - Scott Hubel, USA
Pusher / crew - Pieter v Ruitenburg , NED
Media - Pieter Hoogvorst, NED

The race runs in the waters between Florida and Virginia Beach, VA. The race will cover approximately 1000 miles with overnight stops at multiple locations along the East Coast of the United States. The Organizing Authority for the 2022 Worrell 1000 Race will be "Worrell 1000 Race Reunion Race, Inc.", a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, (dba "Worrell 1000 Race").

Peggy Anthony, sister to our fallen, Worrell Champion and Competitor, Ron Anthony, has generously become a major sponsor for the event in 2022. Ron competed in the race in the 1970's and 80's, winning in 1979. Ron died tragically in a plane crash in 1983. Bob Taylor, one of Ron's dearest friends, and the person who got him into sailing, will be on-hand at the Awards Banquet on May 22nd to deliver a memorial speech for Ron, authored by his sister Peggy - And the Organizing Authority will be unveiling the new "Ron Anthony Memorial Perpetual Award for Course Record."

worrell1000race.com

English Riviera Dinghy Regatta / Torbay Dinghy Regatta
Click on image to enlarge.

We pleased announce two weekend dinghy regattas in 2022, both being held at Torquay. Fun and competitive racing for PY Dinghies - Asymmetric, Non-Asymmetric and Junior Classes. The English Riviera Dinghy Regatta, introduced in 2021, is a Torbay combined clubs event over the weekend of June 11th - 12th The Torbay Dinghy Regatta will take place over the weekend October 8th - 9th

We look forward to welcoming sailors from around the country to come and join us at these events and enjoy racing on some of the finest sailing water in the world.

- Easy and quick access to the race areas from the sheltered harbour
- Club, car park and town centre are all close to the harbour
- Free berthing and dinghy parking
- Great hospitality, bar and food

Over many years, the Royal Torbay Yacht Club has established an enviable reputation in hosting top class regattas and championships. We welcome enquiries from class associations seeking venues for Regional or National Championships at either of these events.

At the same venue the Torbay Royal Regatta - August 19th - 22nd

rtyc.org

AC40 first images of hull exiting the mould
First AC40 is taken from the mould at McConaghy Boats, China - April 2022. Photo by Emirates Team New Zealand. Click on image to enlarge.

Emirates Team New Zealand have released the first images of the AC40 one design foiling monohull, as it exits the building mould at McConaghy Boats in China.

The new hull is the first of eight AC40's on order. The first hull will go to Emirates Team NZ, as Defender and the second to the Challenger of Record, INEOS Britannia.

Other hulls will be sent to the teams in order of entry. Several teams are taking two AC40's which will be multi-use boats for the Women's America's Cup teams, the Youth America's Cup teams, and the America's Cup teams themselves, as race boats in the Preliminary events, for testing purposes - where they may be modified, and for the development of match racing skills.

Emirates Team NZ appear to have already embarked on developing their team to enter the Womens America's Cup - and this group looks to be the first Womens team to sail their AC40.

The AC40, which was first revealed in images of the male plug as it was being formed by a CNC milling machine, some resemblance to the current America's Cup champion, Te Rehutai, but maybe with a softer and less extreme hull shape. The stern sections look more reminiscent of Luna Rossa than Te Rehutai. -- Richard Gladwell in Sail-World.com

www.sail-world.com

The Race Around Names La Rochelle As Host City For 2023 And Beyond
The Race Around, Class40's official round-the-world offshore yacht race, has named La Rochelle as host city for its inaugral event in 2023.

A location steeped in offshore sailing history, La Rochelle will become the home of The Race Around for the event's start in September next year, and the return location for the 35 solo and double Class40 competitors in the early months of 2024.

In the build-up to the race, the city will also open a world class race village for skippers, teams, sponsors, management and fans alike - creating a unique 10-day celebration in the heart of one of offshore sailing's most historic locations.

The city's collaboration with The Race Around reinforces the La Rochelle Agglomeration and Charente Maritime Department's commitment to further strengthening the city's sailing presence, growing the maritime industry and hosting international sporting events with a strong focus on genuine sustainability.

www.theracearound.com

Tom Dolan is Ready to Race the Solo Maitre Coq
A long, comprehensive spring season of training and preparation comes to an end Tuesday as Irish solo offshore sailor Tom Dolan takes on the first major solo race of the 2022 season. The Solo Maitre Coq is the traditional curtain raiser, the opening event of the season long French Elite Offshore Championship and it has attracted a strong field of 33 entries.

The format has changed this year, reversing the order of events, so that the 340-nautical miles long offshore race is now first, starting Tuesday, followed by two shorter days of racing. Dolan completed his last training block three weeks ago now - intensive sessions, fine tuning boat-on-boat racing skills, starting and manoeuvring at mark rounding - and then raced the Plastimo Lorient Mini 650 two handed Mini650 class race with the up and coming Japanese skipper Federico Sampei, Dolan now says he is itching to be back racing solo on his Figaro Beneteau 3 Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan, not least to put all his learning and training improvements into action on the race course.

Tuesday's 340-mile race between Belle-Ile, Ile de Ré and Ile de Yeu is followed by coastal courses of around thirty miles out of Les Sables d'Olonne. At three days before the start the weather situation looks complicated as the different weather forecasting models do not agree with one another.

Follow the race here

afloat.ie/sail/

Lymington's Hattie Rogers and Fastest Female F50 Helm!
From 25th to 27th March, Lymington sailor Hattie Rogers (aged 21) competed in the inaugural SailGP Inspire WASZP Grand Final Championship in San Francisco Bay, representing Great Britain with fellow sailor Zac Blomeley (aged 20).

The youth WASZP Inspire event runs alongside SailGP, the international sailing circuit equivalent of F1. Youth sailors were selected to complete in their national SailGP Inspire event and the male and female winner from each nation met at the Grand Final.

The young athletes raced over three days in their WASZP single-hander foiling dinghies against top youth sailors from around the world at the Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix event weekend, on the same waters as the F50s.

Hattie won 9 out of the 11 races, with two 2nd, fighting off Mathilde Robertstad of Norway and Pearl Lattanzi of the USA to claim victory. Sean Herbert from New Zealand claimed the male championship.

Hattie grew up in Lymington and learnt to sail with her family from the age of two in Contessa's. Her first sailing commitment was to Wednesday Junior Sailing at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club, she was also a member of Salterns Sailing Club. As an Optimist sailor she was crowned British Junior Ladies National Champion in 2012 and British Senior Ladies National Champion a year later. Hattie was then successful in the 29er skiff qualifying for the Youth Worlds in 2017, before moving into the foiling WASZP. Now undertaking a Masters in Ship Science Engineering at Southampton University, Hattie is looking forward to a bright future.

www.rlymyc.org.uk/wjs

Industry News
Oman Sail has reflected upon a strong 2021 and shared its key priorities for next phase of development for the sailing sport in Oman. Despite a challenging period for all sports globally, Oman Sail managed to rebound and stage eight world and continental events, attracting more than 2500 athletes to compete in spectacular Omani shores.

From a sailing performance standpoint, the team excelled in multiple participations such as finishing in second place at the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa regatta in Italy with a 100% Omani crew, Musab Al Hadi and Waleed Al Kindi qualifying to a Gold Fleet at the 49er World Championships for the first time ever and Al Motasim Al Farsi and Abdulmalik Al Hinai getting a 1st podium position in an Olympic Class at the ILCA 6 World Championships. These achievements served as a reminder that the national sailing programme continues to make progress towards its objectives.

The roadmap for the next ten years culminates with the goal winning a medal in sailing at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Along the way, Oman Sail has identified key milestones to measure progress and success, including the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, taking place in September this year, qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and beyond.

Further Asian and Olympic events, such as the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and 21st Asian Games Doha 2030, as well as the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, will provides valuable opportunities to gain experience ahead of the 2032 Games in ten years' time.

www.omansail.com

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Specialist in the worldwide supply, distribution, service and hire of marine safety equipment, Ocean Safety has expanded its commercial marine portfolio to offer a wider selection of commercial lifejackets and accessories, including Spinlock's DURO range.

Supporting the expansion of its premium range of commercial lifejackets, Ocean Safety's four branches in Southampton, Plymouth, Aberdeen and Greenock have all been awarded Approved Spinlock Service Station status.

Spinlock's DURO range of personal floatation devices (PFDs) include both SOLAS and ISO approved products, designed for different levels of function and buoyancy.

Ocean Safety's commercial range will further be augmented with the addition of Spinlock's Pro-Tech heavy duty protective cover and essentials packs. Designed to be integrated with the DURO lifejackets, the Pro-Tech is ideal for use in dirty work operations and provides a resistant barrier against contaminants such as paints, oils and chemicals which can quickly damage a lifejacket.

Daily personal items can be carried in a collection of essentials packs, varying in size depending on user requirements, which fit securely to a DURO lifejacket through a toggle attachment (Chest pack) or to any belt with secure double fold hook and loop attachments (Chest, Side and Belt packs).

www.oceansafety.com

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Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners are delighted to announce the launch of its brand-new website at yarmouth-harbour.co.uk, which was developed with Isle of Wight based design and digital studio, Brightbulb.

Yarmouth Harbour's aim for the new website is to create a place where visiting seafarers and the local community can regularly go to see what updates the harbour has to offer and to make use of new features such as the engaging 'Things To Do' section, the integrated 'Tides & Weather' facility, local event highlights in 'What's On', and shopping for Yarmouth Harbour's new branded clothing range.

Tim Adams, Yarmouth Harbour Master said: "We're incredibly excited and proud to share the harbour's new style website with everyone. Brightbulb Design's expertise in website development has given us an online platform that now enables us to fully promote Yarmouth as a safe and friendly harbour as well as a key UK south coast destination in its own right."

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Dutch maritime research institute MARIN this week tested three innovative barriers aimed at averting collisions between ships and wind turbines. The research was prompted by the incident involving the Julietta D on 31 January this year. This drifting bulk carrier initially collided with a tanker before hitting a transformer platform and a turbine foundation for the Hollandse Kust Zuid windfarm currently under construction. A collision with an installed wind turbine carries a real risk of the turbine toppling onto the vessel, seriously endangering crew, passengers, the ship itself and the environment.

Some 2500 wind turbines are set to be installed on the North Sea in the period to 2030, taking the risk of a turbine being hit by a ship to around 1.5 to 2.5 times a year, research1 by the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) for the Dutch government shows. To give an idea: vessels going adrift on the North Sea number around eighty each year. Accidents can be avoided in various ways: drifting vessels can put down their anchors, for example. But this requires active intervention by the ship's crew in often difficult circumstances. Alternatively, emergency towing vessels (ETVs) can be deployed to tow the drifting ship to safety, while shipping supervision can be upgraded to include some form of vessel traffic management2. 'The accident involving the Julietta D shows the real dangers posed by vessels adrift,' says MARIN's Traffic & Safety team leader Yvonne Koldenhof. 'Even with current resources such as ETVs, it's difficult to avoid these kinds of incidents.'

A group of 20 experts from MARIN and the wider maritime sector developed a trio of innovative concepts for maritime crash barriers between shipping routes and windfarms during a February 23 workshop.

www.noordzeeloket.nl

Featured Charter
Cookson 50 - TestaCuore. Located in Mediterranean 2022.

The Cookson 50 is one of the most iconic ocean racing yachts ever built. The Cookson 50 is a fantastic choice for serious racing teams, she is easy to power up and eats up the miles on the race course. Available in the Mediterranean 2022.

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
1996 Bill Tripp 54 - ANTHEM. 235000 EUR. Located in Malaga. Spain.

A beautifully crafted performance cruising yacht. This Bill Tripp 54 has a spacious interior and is very easy to maintain. Refits in the current ownership and she is sparkling for the next owner.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
Berthon Yacht Sales
Tel: 0044 (0)1590 679 222
E-Mail:

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Arcona 435. POA EUR.

The Arcona 435 illustrates the evolution of design and innovation for Arcona Yachts. She is a boat that will win regattas one weekend and then take the family for a comfortable and safe sail the next.

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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Dazcat 1295. From 530,000 ex VAT GBP

The Dazcat 1295 has it all. Hand-engineered to an exceptional quality for stunning good looks, outstanding sailing performance, comfort and ease of ride for coastal and blue water cruising and racing.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

www.dazcat.com/d1295.html

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

The Last Word
If money can fix it, it’s not a problem. -- Tom Magliozzi

Editorial and letter submissions to

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