In This Issue
• Phoenix Go Four Points Clear in Galicia
• GC32 Racing Tour sets sail tomorrow
• We got the invite - Marsaudon Composites
• ILCA 7 Men's World Championship
• Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
• Stephane Girolata is the 49th entry in the Global Solo Challenge
• David Witt - Champion 18 footer sailor who 'ticks all the boxes'
• Golden Globe 2018- one last finisher three years late!
• Vale David Forbes OAM
• Featured Charter: HYPR - Volvo 70
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Persico Fly 40
• • Jeanneau 60
• • Bavaria 41 - Pegasus
• The Last Word: Ricky Gervais

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

Phoenix Go Four Points Clear in Galicia
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

While Quantum Racing made the best of the great conditions on Galicia's Ría de Vigo on the second day of the ABANCA 52 SUPER SERIES Baiona Sailin Week scoring a first and a second it is Phoenix which has stretched their overall regatta lead to four clear points.

Quantum Racing won the first race of the day which was contested in 15-18kts of breeze whilst Phoenix followed up their hard won third place from that first race - coming back from very deep in the fleet on the first upwind of the day - and comfortably won the second race ahead of the Quantum crew.

Even if there was significantly more wind that the subtle, streaky breeze of Tuesday's opening races it was no easier to read for the afterguards. There was a big shift to the right on the first upwind of the day which the Fragomens' team on Interlodge, which has Ed Baird as tactician, read best. Whilst they led at the top mark first time up, both of Day 1's top performers Phoenix and Vayu were on the wrong side of the shift and were seventh and eighth to round.

Unfortunately Ergin Imre's Provezza team had to sit out both of today's races after a forestay fitting failed on Tuesday but they are hopeful to be back racing Thursday.

Abanca 52 Super Series Baiona Sailing Week standings after four races
1. Phoenix (RSA) Hasso & Tina Plattner 1,3,3,1 8pts
2. Quantum Racing (USA) Doug DeVos 4,5,1,2 12 pts
3. Platoon (GER) Harm Muller Spreer 5,1,2,4 12 pts
4. Vayu (THA) Whitworth family 2,2,8,5 17 pts
5. Interlodge (USA) Austin & Gwen Fragomen 6,4,4,6 20 pts
6. Sled (USA) Takashi Okura 3,6,5,7 21 pts
7. Alegre (GBR) Andy Soriano 9,7,6,3 25 pts
8. Gladiator (GBR) Tony Langley 7,8,7,8 30 pts
9. Provezza (TUR) Ergin Imre 8,10,10.10 38 pts

52superseries.com

GC32 Racing Tour sets sail tomorrow
With great anticipation the ninth season of the GC32 Racing Tour sets sail tomorrow (Thursday 26th May) with the GC32 Riva Cup. This will be the first of five events in 2022 spanning southern Europe for the foiling one design catamaran fleet created by Dr Martin Fischer, now Chief Designer with the INEOS Britannia America's Cup challenger.

Surrounded by towering Italian alps at the northern end of Lake Garda, Riva del Garda is a favourite venue with the GC32 teams and world renowned for its flat water and strong winds, ideal for high speed foiling catamaran racing.

there are four privately-owned teams - Simon Delzoppo's .film AUS Racing, Jason Carroll's Argo from the USA, Christian Zuerrer's Black Star Sailing Team from Switzerland and, from France, Erik Maris' Zoulou. But in addition two represent an America's Cup team and one a team from SailGP (more from this circuit will be announced soon).

Racing is scheduled to start at 1300 CEST tomorrow but given that Lake Garda produces its best wind early in the morning and late afternoon, PRO Stuart Childerley may adapt the schedule in order to make the best of conditions.

We got the invite - Marsaudon Composites
Renowned raceboat builders Marsaudon Composites recently launched the largest in their spectacular series of Ocean Rider Catamarans - the Lombard designed ORC 57. Eighteen knots without disturbing the pot plants... this is some kind of a new yacht!

The boat is moored alongside its ORC42 and ORC50 smaller siblings, and it is hard to believe it is "only" seven feet longer than the 50; the greater freeboard and more voluminous hulls making the difference in size look far greater. The giant single spreader mast reaches 26m into the air, not far off that of the Imocas further along the pontoon. Make no mistake - this is a big and powerful machine. There is an inverted bow and reverse sheer above a sweeping chine, whilst the muscular coachroof shape marks a departure from previous models. The team wanted to design an attractive boat that owners could be proud of and they have undoubtedly succeeded.

Full article in the June issue of Seahorse

ILCA 7 Men's World Championship
Vallarta, Mexico - The last day of Qualifying series at the 2022 ILCA 7 Men's World Championship in Riviera Nayarit, Nueveo Vallarta, Mexico.

Today's consistent sailing from Bernaz has maintained his overall lead in the regatta, however former World Champion Kontides moved up several places to fifth with his strong performance today.

In Blue fleet Eduardo Marques (POR) took his first race win in front of Sam Whaley and Elliot Hanson (both GBR).

The championship will continue with the Final series where maximum 6 races will be sailed over the next 3 days. Now on the top half of the fleet will sail in the Gold fleet when another half sails in Silver fleet.

In Qualifying series frenchman Jean-Baptiste Bernaz showed a very consistent sailing (19, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2 places) and keeps holding his lead. However, Elliot Hanson (GBR) and Jonatan Vadnai (HUN) are just a few points behind of Jean-Baptiste.

The top 5 starting their Final series:
1. Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) - 12 points
2. Elliot Hanson (GBR) - 15
3. Jonatan Vadnai (HUN) - 18
4. Daniel Whiteley (GBR) - 19
5. Pavlos Kontides (CYP) - 20

Full results:

www.laserinternational.org

Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
This month's nominees:

Sviatoslav Madonich (UKR)
Almost 1,000 sailors from 35 countries came to Italy for the 40th edition of the humbly titled 'Lake Garda Optimist Meeting' - aka the world's largest single class regatta. Gold and silver fleets we know about, but gold, silver, bronze... and pearl!! In a finish that even Hollywood would have considered too over the top, the winner was this quiet young Ukrainian. If just a sliver of the joy that greeted his win reaches Kiev then Putin is in deep doo-doo

Ian Williams (GBR)
So how much space do we have! The fifth Congressional Cup victory was a stunner, but seen in the context of Williams' seven (sic) Match Racing World Championships? Dickson has a couple of those, Coutts and Gilly have three apiece... Jimmy Spithill had a single success back in 2005. All of these names found continuous and extremely gainful employment in the world of the America's Cup. Meanwhile, Ian Williams remembers to keep renewing his licence to practise law

June's winner:
Ryan Finn (USA)
This was your moonshot, Ryan, congratulations' - Tony Drake; 'Round the Horn in a 3,200lb proa... seriously!' - Murray Jones; 'Terrifying adventure!' Michelle Clark; 'Sam is a great sailor, but there is only one Ryan Finn, taking a rebuilt and very light (of course) plywood proa the wrong way around Cape Horn from NY to SF in such an obviously seamanlike manner... it's barely credible' - Jim Hardy; 'Just so proud, proud, proud!!!' - Michael Finn.

View past winners of Sailor of the Month

Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Harken Derm, Musto and Dubarry. Who needs silverware, our prizes are usable!

Cast your vote, submit comments, even suggest a candidate for next month at seahorsemagazine.com/sailor-of-the-month/vote-for-sailor-of-the-month

Stephane Girolata is the 49th entry in the Global Solo Challenge
Stephane has discovered the sea and sailing almost by chance, whilst runinng a mushroom farming business he wanted to get a boating licence to reach out to new potential clients anchored in the bay of Saint-Tropez. It was a turning point which led him to become a professional boat captain, taking clients out to experience sailing. Stephane wants to do something for himself, something that he didn't even dare dream, sailing solo around the world. All the planets have aligned for him and he now wants this dream to come true. As organisers we welcome Stephane as the 49th entry in the Global Solo Challenge, just one short of 50, a milestone that we still expect to achieve and that we could never have hoped for just a year ago.

Where does your passion for sailing come from?
As crazy as it sounds, mushrooms made me meet sailing. Land locked and underground, I was producing and processing mushrooms in the upper Var region, when I wanted to distribute my products to boats anchored in the bay of Saint-Tropez. I signed up to get a boating license, and there everything changed for me, the sea took over me, and that was it. The following month I bought a sailboat, an aloa 21, a second life, I discover myself… Sailing welcomes me, and I go along with it…

globalsolochallenge.com/stephane-girolata-news/

David Witt - Champion 18 footer sailor who 'ticks all the boxes'
Pace Express, skippered by David Witt during the 1991-92 season. Click on image for photo gallery.

For 130 years 18 footer sailors have been regarded as talented larrikins who like to challenge the elements, go fast, win at all costs, have a drink and place a bet on the races.

One of the modern-day champions who 'ticks all these boxes', and more, when it comes to 18ft skiff racing is the incredible David Witt.

There is a lot more to the David Witt story than many people know, and nobody should be fooled by the humorous, larrikin exterior he portrays. He is always there to win every time he goes racing.

Those who know him will have a variety of opinions on this larger-thanlife character, but they will all agree, David Witt is a great sailor, with no fear of the elements, and a never-say-die attitude.

David's association with the 18s goes back to October 1988 when he arrived as an unknown 17-year-old at the Australian 18 Footers League with an old Tia Maria hull which his father, Greg, bought for him and immediately established himself as a talented sailor. With his crew of Stephen Hay, 18, and David Ewings, 16, the trio were the youngest crew to ever sail an 18 footer at the time.

To everyone's amazement, the team was one of only a few able to complete the course in a strong southerly wind on Sydney Harbour, and David quickly earned the reputation as being one of the best 18 footer skippers in Australia.

His greatest success during the 90s was the 1999 JJ Giltinan World Championship victory by Tim Robinson's Rockport (UK) team. The win gave Dave the unusual record of being an Australian as part of the first Northern Hemisphere world 18 footer champion team.

Dave had ten years with the Grand Prix Sailing 18 Footer circuit and is 'famous' for a video of his Nokia team's sensational ride in more than 30 knots of wind on Auckland Harbour (video below).

"During the last Volvo Ocean Race, I was asked at a press conference how I describe myself as a sailor. There was only one answer, and the answer will never change. I am an 18ft skiff sailor, always have been, always will be. It's not just a class of boat, it's a way of life, with the greatest history of any class in the world. I have never made a prouder statement." -- Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.

Golden Globe 2018- one last finisher three years late!
Captain Coconut should cross the finish line 27th May at 1430 hrs French time (1230hrs UTC) completing his GGR 28,000 mile solo circumnavigation. He will enter the Les Sables d'Olonne River at 1500hrs and arrive at the Vendee Pontoon at 1530hrs. Follow his arrival on GGR LIVE Facebook! French and English coverage.

GGR Veteran, Australian Oceanographer Mark Sinclair, (Captain Coconut) crossed the Les Sables d'Olonne start line of the 50th anniversary Golden Globe Race nearly four years ago on July 1st 2018. This FRIDAY, 27th May, he will finally cross the finish line as last finisher in the 2018 GGR! In 2018, running out of water he had to break his voyage in Adelaide, South Australia after completing only half the Race.

The 2018 GGR has no finishing time, and Mark only made the one-stop, so was able to re-join under the "Chichester Class". He set sail from Adelaide on December 5th 2021, solo non-stop bound for Les Sables d'Olonne, officially re-joining the GGR 2018 edition. He will have been at sea for 167 days. Four severe storms when rounding Cape Horn in February severely tested him and his boat. He damaged his forestay and equipment below but he survived. Just a week ago he was Knocked down twice in big seas damaging his inner forestay and his last satellite phone. He is making slow but steady progress toward Les Sables having secured the mast and is down to just one quarter roll of toilet paper.

goldengloberace.com

Vale David Forbes OAM
The Australian sailing community is mourning the passing of one of its greatest contributors, David Forbes OAM (1934-2022).

Born in Sydney, Forbes went on to become one of Australia's most successful yachtsmen through a lengthy domestic and international career.

Forbes will be remembered by many for his Olympic gold medal win the Star Class at Munich 1972 alongside crew John Anderson OAM.

It was just Australia's second Olympic sailing gold medal, after the Barranjoey's victory at Tokyo eight years earlier.

But there was so much more to his career, one which spanned over 20 years and included a 5.5m world championship in 1970, a Sydney to Hobart race in 1974, and ten Australian championships, in the Star (seven times), 5.5m, Soling, and Etchells classes. He represented Australia at three Olympic Games, 1968 Mexico City, 1972 Munich, and 1976 Montreal, and was a member of two America's Cup challenges. He was a part of the 'Gretel II' crew in the 1970 America's Cup and was relief helmsman in the 1977 America's Cup.

Forbes was recognised as Australian Sailing's Yachtsman of the Year in 1972-73, he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1988, in 2000 he received the Australian Sports Medal, he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on Australia Day 2015 for his service to Yachting and in 2018 he was inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame. -- Michael Martin, Sailing Australia

Featured Charter
HYPR - Volvo 70. Located in Caribbean & Mediterranean 2022

HYPR” (ex-Camper, ex-Warrior) a Volvo 70, was designed and built for high performance, long distance offshore racing at the highest level. A great example of a pure-bred racing machine, ready to endure the toughest of conditions, and upgraded and maintained to a top performance racing condition. She is raring to hit the race course and with the right team, pick up more trophies!

HYPR was meticulously refit and upgraded in 2016. She underwent a complete refit and series of performance upgrades at the Longitud Cero facility in Burriana, ESP. Design and engineering was overseen by Carkeek Design Partners.

Available to Charter in the Caribbean and Mediterranean 2022.

For full details please visit https://bit.ly/3m5BPjG

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
Persico Fly 40. POA EUR.

The future of owner-racer racing is here: Persico Marine has transferred its America's Cup experience to a 12-metre foiler designed for a 5-person crew.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Persico Marine
Via Lombardia, 4
24027 Nembro (BG) - Italy
Ph. +39 035 520627
Fax +39 035 520829

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Jeanneau 60. POA EUR.

Jeanneau has announced that a NEW Jeanneau 60 will join the exclusive Yachts range in 2021. Following the tradition of her sisters, and designed by Phillipe Briand, this yacht will offer enormous flexibility of style and comfort combined with a broad range of options and layouts from Andrew Winch's interior design which will ensure that every Jeanneau 60 is as individual as her owner.

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

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2003 Bavaria 41 - Pegasus. 95,000 Tax Paid GBP. Located in Cowes Isle of Wight.

Pegasus is an exceptional yacht, in excellent condition, and is extremely well equipped and ready to go.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
The Harbour Office, The Quay
Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
PO41 0NT
Please call Nick on +44 7900 191 326 to arrange a viewing.
or email

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

The Last Word
Proper stupidity is fascinating. -- Ricky Gervais

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