EuroSail News #5106 - 17 June
In This Issue
• 52nd Newport Bermuda Race Starts Friday
• Xacobeo Six Metre World Championship
• Iceland No More
• Inaugural Women's Championship
• Four new teams join GC32 Racing Tour for Lagos
• Argentario Sailing Week Day1 - The Stuff of Dreams
• Round Britain and Ireland races
• Seeking Swiss Precision
• "World on Water" June 17.22 Global Sailing Highlights
• Featured Brokerage:
• • McConaghy MC62
• • L30 One Design
• • Bavaria 41 - Pegasus
• The Last Word: Lester Bangs
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
52nd Newport Bermuda Race Starts Friday
The steel-hulled Columbia is 141 feet overall length, the largest boat in the 2022 race fleet. Superyachtworld.com photo. Click on image to enlarge.
With a forecast that looks fresh to frightening for at least the first 36 to 48 hours of the race, a fleet of 187 sailing yachts is set to take on the challenge of the Newport Bermuda Race tomorrow beginning at 1310 hours.
The pre-race forecast is predicting southwesterly winds between 17 and 22 knots at the start and lasting into the evening, with waves possibly 8 to 10 feet offshore. A cold front is predicted to pass over the fleet Friday night, bringing with it squalls and strong winds. After the front, the winds are predicted to shift to a northwesterly quadrant and remain in the 20s, with higher gusts. In sum, it's all lining up for a "proper" Newport Bermuda Race in the ocean.
The record within the major divisions—Gibbs Hill Lighthouse and St. David's Lighthouse—is 39 hours and 39 minutes, set by George David's maxi yacht Rambler 90 in 2012, an average speed of 16 knots.
The course record in the Open Division is 34 hours and 42 minutes (18.3-knot average speed), set by the 100-foot maxi yacht Comanche, skippered by North Sails President Ken Read, in 2016. (Open Division yachts are not eligible for the overall race prizes.)
This year's fleet includes two multihulls that are capable of some fast speeds, including Jason Carroll's (New York City) MOD70 Argo and the 80-foot VPLP trimaran Ultim'emotion2, owned by Antoine Rabaste (Nimes, France) and skippered by Jacek Siwek (Overijse, Belgium).
Xacobeo Six Metre World Championship
Sanxenxo, Spain: For a second day running light airs dogged the 40 strong fleet challenging for the Xacobeo Six Metre World Championship 2022 in Sanxenxo and no races were completed. Overnight thunderstorms and very strong winds had gone through by the planned 13:00 start time, but although a first attempt to get the fleets underway was made it was not to be with the wind dying off to almost nothing, so the fleet was sent back to the dock for a lunch break and to await further instructions.
A little after 16:00 the race officer called the teams out to the inner racecourse again and the Open Division got race three underway, but in the closing minutes of the sequence for the Classic Division the wind once again began to fade and so the race was abandoned for both fleets. The race officer held the boats on the water until early evening but with no sign of stable breeze and thunderstorms on the horizon his only option was to call it a day.
Iceland No More
Click on image to enlarge.
Race direction of the Vendee Arctique Les Sables d'Olonne took the decision on Thursday morning to cut out the westwards passage around the top of Iceland because of the threat of northerly gales gusting to 50 knots between Friday and Saturday. In the strong, gusty winds along with big, confused cross seas the risks associated with racing along the exposed north coast of Iceland with a lee shore and limited sea room were deemed too much.
The organisation made the decision to require the fleet to turn SW at the Iceland East gate and head directly to the Atlantic mark which has been moved 180 nautical miles west to preserve the course distance at a meaningful 3300 miles and the proposed duration at around 12 days.
The decision maybe eliminates the circumnavigation of Iceland but the 24 strong fleet will still have the low pressure system to negotiate, which was, in itself, already causing some considerable apprehension in the IMOCA fleet.
Race leader Charlie Dalin (APIVIA) has some 75 miles in hand over second placed Jeremie Beyou (Charal) this afternoon at just under 200 nautical miles from the Iceland gate. While France basks in a sticky heatwave, the temperatures for Dalin and Beyou are already dropping to single figures and they have a strong sense of what lies ahead.
In advance of the decision Briton Pip Hare was already wondering about the possibility of a change of course: "The fleet is going to be split." Mused Hare, "So it will be interesting to see what race direction do. Because Charlie is so far ahead, how do you now create a course which doesn't favour some and penalise others? The answer is I don't think you can. However they need to be pragmatic because none of us want to break our boats. And 50 knots is not a place you ever want to be."
The rest of the fleet stretches for 370 miles. Further east three competitors are at the latitude of the Scottish coast: Antoine Cornic (EBAC Litterie, 6th) was just 20 nautical miles west of the island of Lewis.
Experience and Talent to Clash at Inaugural Women's Championship
The inaugural edition of the New York Yacht Club Women's Championship starts Friday and runs through Sunday.
The inaugural edition of the Women's Championship attracted more than 40 expressions of interest for 20 available slots. The result is a field packed with accomplished, talented sailors ranging from current college All Americans to former teammates on Bill Koch's America3 program that competed in the 1995 America's Cup to sailors who helped break trail for women-only Olympics classes in the 1980s and 1990s.
Racing in the inaugural Women's Championship will start at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 17, in the area between Rose Island and Goat Island on the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. The regatta will run through Sunday, with the winning team receiving the Joan H. Towse Trophy, named in honor of the late wife of past New York Yacht Club Commodore Robert C. Towse Jr. -- Stuart Streuli
Four new teams join GC32 Racing Tour for Lagos
Following the opening event of the GC32 Racing Tour's ninth season in Riva del Garda, the World Sailing-approved foiling catamaran circuit moves on to Portugal for the first of two events in Lagos. The Algarve venue, 10km away from Cape Finisterre, the southwesternmost tip of Europe, hosted two GC32 Racing Tour events for convenience as the world emerged from the pandemic in 2021. But this was so well received by the foiling catamaran teams that two events are being held here again in 2022.
The GC32 Lagos Cup takes next week over 22-26 June and will act as a warm-up for the main event of the season, the GC32 World Championship over 13-17 July.
Significantly the GC32 Racing Tour also returns to its pre-pandemic fleet size with 10 flying catamaran teams taking part, including two from countries new to the circuit.
From Poland is HRM Racing Team of Piotr Harasimowicz, CEO and Founder of IT outsourcing company Vector Synergy.
At present, he says, on board are "the old guys" who range in age from 25-47 while the youngsters, comprising five boys and five girls, are 17-18 and will graduate up to the GC32 as they develop.
Another nation new to the GC32 Racing Tour is Team Canada. Helmsman Phil Robertson who previously made waves in the GC32 when he won the GC32 Championship in Oman in 2017, is handing over the stick to Graeme Sutherland for the next two events.
Making its return to the GC32 Racing Tour is Team Tilt. The Swiss team entered the history books when it won the GC32's first ever World Championship in 2018. On the helm as ever is Swiss two time Olympic 49er sailor Sebastien Schneiter:
In addition to Erik Maris' Zoulou, a second team is joining from France: K-Challenge Team France , skippered by French Nacra 17 Tokyo Olympic representative Quentin Delapierre and his K-Challenge French SailGP team. -- James Boyd
Entries: GC32 Lagos Cup
Alinghi Red Bull Racing- SUI 8 (SUI) Skipper: Arnaud Psarofaghis
Alinghi Red Bull Racing- SUI 15 (SUI) Skipper: Maxime Bachelin
Black Star Sailing Team (SUI) Owner: Christian Zuerrer
.film AUS Racing Owner-driver: Simon Delzoppo
HRM Racing Team (POL) Owner-driver: Piotr Harasimowicz
K-Challenge Team France (FRA) Skipper: Quentin Delapierre
Team Rockwool Racing (DEN) Skipper: Nicolai Sehested
Team Canada (CAN) Skipper: Graeme Sutherland
Team Tilt (SUI) Skipper: Sebastien Schneiter
Zoulou (FRA) Owner-driver: Erik Maris
Argentario Sailing Week Day1 - The Stuff of Dreams
Click on image for photo gallery.
Dreamlike conditions for the first day of racing in Tuscany at the 21st edition of Argentario Sailing Week, the not-to-be-missed international classic yacht regatta organized by the Yacht Club Santo Stefano and by the Municipality of Monte Argentario. Under sunny skies, a 10-15 knot westerly breeze and white-capped crystal blue seas, the Vintage Gaff class cut the start line first just after 12, followed by the Vintage Marconi fleet and third of the mark the Classic and Spirit of Tradition Yachts.
The 30 Grandes Dames from 8 nations set their bows towards Porto Santo Stefano, sailing their course along the award-winning Giannella Beach to the Ancient Roman harbor of Talamone, then returning - spinnakers - flying towards the Yacht Club Santo Stefano, finally cutting the finish line in front of the Spanish Fortress built in the 18th Century overlooking the Argentario Bay.
Day 1 winners- In the Classics: Crivizza (Cattai- Rolandi), followed by Il Moro di Venezia I (Massimiliano Ferruzzi) and Ojala II (Susan Carol Holland). In the Vintage Gaff class, Marga is first (Marga Yac -hting Partners), followed by Scud (Patrizio Bertelli) and Chinook (Paolo Zannoni). Stormy Weather of Cowes (Christopher Spray) is first in Vintage Marconi, followed by Varuna of 1937 (Jens Kellinghusen) and Comet (Woodward- Fisher). In Spirit of Tradition, Midva (Davide Besana) is first, then Toi et Moi (Alessandro Maria Rinaldi) and Hanni II (Bjor Heldund) in third position.
Line honors for Chinook, the 1916 Gaff designed by Nathaniel Herreshoff, owner Paolo Zannoni, closely followed by debutante at Argentario Sailing Week Sumurun (William Fife William III - 1914) owner Alain Moatti. -- Tessa Wiechmann
Final stages of the 2 handed RB&I and the fully crewed Round Britain and Ireland races
Fully crewed Trimaran, 'Morpheus' (with local sailmaker Andy Sinclair as part of Andrew Fennel's crew) and the Double handed Dazcat 'Hissy Fit' (Member Simon Biffa Baker and local sailor Dan Fellows) are locked together within sight of each other with 90 miles to go. At an average of 5 knots, this will have them finishing in the early hours of tomorrow morning, but with another shut down expected tonight, it may even be around lunchtime.
The finish line is a line between the club flagstaff and a mark in the Cattewater. Please keep an eye on the tracker and facebook page for updates. It would be great if as many people as possible join us for the finish and welcome these two fantastic crews into the club for a well deserved beer to celebrate this huge achievement.
The first 2H monohull, Pegasus, is approaching Dover and will be expected to finish over the weekend. -- Adrian Gray
Seeking Swiss Precision
The Alinghi Red Bull Racing Team opened the doors of its Switzerland headquarters to the world to present both its sailing and design teams after a rigorous selection process.
Set well into the Swiss countryside, a kilometre or so from the vast expanse of Lake Geneva, and a ten-minute drive from downtown Lausanne, the aptly named 'Chemin des Large Pièces' an industrial estate on the outskirts of the town of Ecublens is the new headquarters of the Alinghi Red Bull Racing Team.
Amidst birdsong and a million flying summer bugs, the Decision S.A. facility famed for its quality and the company's long heritage with the boats of Ernesto Bertarelli was the setting for a unique press gathering to introduce the sailing and design teams for this 37th edition of the America's Cup.
Never before has a media event been held actually inside a carbon oven- in fact, 'the' carbon oven where the Swiss AC 75 hull, deck and structure will be created as mandated in the strict rules of build in the Deed of Gift. As a spectacle it was magnificent and for those of us that have been around the Cup scene for a while, very different. And very Alinghi Red Bull Racing 2022. -- Magnus Wheatley
"World on Water" June 17.22 Global Sailing Highlights
The second Vendee Arctique round Iceland Race, the Vendee Globe build up race, started last Sunday and here is their departure from mainland France.
This is your weekly Sailing highlights hit, the World on Water, June 17, 2022.
The 83rd annual Bol d'or Mirabaud, the huge race across Lake Geneva, was held last weekend and we have the hapless story of the Spindrift Catamaran team.
The Emirates Team New Zealand Land Yacht Team are packing up and relocating to a Salt Lake in Australia for more action.
The Superyacht Cup has a new date for their regatta in Palma. Here is their preview. -- Geoff Waller
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Tel: +852 5501 6001
mcconaghyboats.com
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L30 One Design - NEW BOAT
The L30 boat concept was developed by Rodion Luka – Olympic medalist (2004), Worlds Champion (2005) in 49er Class and Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 participant. Rodion has a 35 years’ experience in One Design racing, being a European and Worlds medalist in Laser Radial, JOD35, SB20 and 49er as well as well experience in Platu25, Melges24, J70 and RC44. He joined up together with Andrej Justin, designer of RC44 to make outstanding boat which combines good all round offshore performance, easy logistic, strict one design and is affordable for wide range of sailors all around the World with the price ready to race around 100k euro.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
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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
The first mistake of art is to assume that it's serious. -- Lester Bangs
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