In This Issue
• IMOCA Class prepares for The Ocean Race
• Post-Route du Rhum: what about qualifying for the Vendee Globe?
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar
• Leading the way in marine insurance - The Lex Group
• RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show
• IOC vice-president Ng Ser Miang rejects findings
• Sailing World on Water January 06.23
• Mary Savage
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Giannella II
• • Swan 77-006 ‘Callisto’
• • Aeolos P45
• The Last Word: Elon Musk

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

An historic moment in offshore racing as the IMOCA Class prepares for the start of The Ocean Race
It has been a long wait, but the 14th edition of The Ocean Race is finally upon us and this time – for the first time – the IMOCA Class is the pre-eminent feature of what has always been known as the world championship of fully-crewed offshore ocean racing.

In the history of the sport, this is a special moment as the French-dominated Vendee Globe culture embraces the more Anglo-Saxon traditions of The Ocean Race, an iconic event celebrating its 50th anniversary and formerly known as the Volvo Ocean Race and Whitbread Round the World Race.

What we are about to witness are the fastest boats ever to take on The Ocean Race, with five of the best-performing foiling IMOCAs being pushed fully-crewed for the first time by elite sailors, starting with the first leg from Alicante in Spain to Cape Verde on January 15th.

The highlights of a marathon 32,000-nautical mile contest, which features seven offshore legs and visits to nine iconic cities, are sure to include the massive leg three through the Southern Ocean – the longest in The Ocean Race history at 12,750 miles – and the transatlantic leg from Newport to Aarhus in Denmark.

But along the way we will find out what fully-crewed IMOCA racing is all about as the teams push as hard as they dare without breaking their boats in the Southern Ocean and on coastal legs in northern Europe, as they bid to become the first Ocean Race champions of the new era. -- Ed Gorman

Key Dates:
02.01: Assembly day in Alicante
07.01: Live Ocean Park opening
08.01: In-Port Race Day
10.01: Practice Race
12-13.01: Pro-Am Races
13.01: Skippers Press Conference
15.01: IMOCA Leg 1 start (4pm)

theoceanrace.com

imoca.org

Post-Route du Rhum: what about qualifying for the Vendee Globe?
With the two qualifying races for 2022 now over, it's time for the first assessment. If 14 sailors had already validated their qualifying race by completing the Arctic Vendee - Les Sables d'Olonne last June, 17 other projects ticked this box at the end of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe.

The projects that have validated their 2022 qualifying race in the Arctic Vendee - Les Sables d'Olonne:

Romain Attanasio (Fortinet - Best Western)
Louis Burton (Bureau Vallee)
Antoine Cornic (HUMAN Immobilier)
Conrad Colman (Imagine)
Louis Duc (Fives - Lantana Environment)
Benjamin Dutreux (Guyot environment - Water Family)
Benjamin Ferre (Monnoyeur - Duo for a Job)
Pip Hare (Medallia)
Sebastien Marsset (My energy broker - Cap Agir Ensemble)
Giancarlo Pedote (PRYSMIAN GROUP)
Damien Seguin (APICIL GROUP)
Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG MORI Global One)
Guirec Soudee (FREELANCE.COM)
Alan Roura (Hublot)

To this first list are added those who have validated their 2022 qualifying race on the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe:

Yannick Bestaven (Master CoQ V)
Jeremie Beyou (Charal)
Arnaud Boissieres (La Mie Caline)
Manuel Cousin (SeTIN Group)
Sam Davies (INITIATIVES-HEART)
Kevin Escoffier (Holcim-PRB)
James Harayda (Gentoo Sailing Team)
Oliver Heer (Oliver Heer Ocean Racing)
Boris Herrmann (Malizia - Seaexplorer)
Isabelle Joschke (MACSF)
Tanguy Le Turquais (LAZARE)
Paul Meilhat (BIOTHERM)
Justine Mettraux (TEAMWORK.NET)
Maxime Sorel (V and B - Monbana - Mayenne)
Nicolas Troussel (CORUM L 'SAVINGS)
Szabolcs Weores (SZABI RACING)
Jingkun Xu (China Dream - Haiku)

Insofar as the qualification rule concerns the sailor/boat pairing, eric Bellion (COMMEUNSEULHOMME powered by Altavia), Charlie Dalin (APIVIA) and Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut) did not validate their 2022 qualifying race. Indeed, the IMOCAs on which they should compete in the next Vendee Globe are still under construction.

Rodolphe Sepho (R ve de Large – Guadeloupe Region) and Nicolas Rouger (Demain c'est loin) unfortunately did not validate La Route du Rhum as a qualifying race, their race time being higher than that of Thomas Ruyant multiplied by a coefficient of 1.5. However, all participating skippers have earned miles for eventual selection.

And after that ?

All the projects that have validated a qualifying race in 2022 must at least take the start of a qualifying race in 2024, The Transat CIC or the New York Vendee - Les Sables d'Olonne to be qualified for the next Vendee Globe.

vendeeglobe.org

Seahorse January 2023
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Straight into the major league
Convention says it takes five or six editions before a new 600-miler can join the ‘Classics Club’. The Aegean 600 did it in two years...

Offshore racers are always looking for new challenges to test their boat and themselves, this is a fundamental driving force for our sport. While this challenge is inherent to the game due to the inevitable changes in wind and sea even on the same race course sailed at the same time of year, sometimes new venues will be attractive for teams seeking to enhance this challenge and their enjoyment of the sport to further hone their offshore skills. The Aegean 600 offers this challenge.

Spot on!
How to build yourself an AC40...As amazing as the debut of the AC40 was – even more impressive is that it was delivered straight out of the box. A long-distance collaboration between Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) and McConaghy boatbuilders in China to produce the new AC40 class of foiling monohulls resulted in both parties lifting their game to achieve an exceptional result.

ORC - For a better cocktail
A VPP that is increasingly embracing multihulls while also speeding up its monohulls... at last. Dobbs Davis

Seahorse build table - On its feet at last
Antoine Mainfray

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Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar
Today we celebrate a TWO TIME winner, the Soggy Dollar in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands. "A sunny place for shady people",

This famed establishment won in 2010 and again a decade later in 2020.

It got its name from the currency used to buy drinks after anchoring and swimming to shore from one's yacht. It's famed for the creation of the Painkiller... it's named after a Noni fruit plant on property, a Polynesian cure-all. Created in 1970 when George and Marie Myrick constructed the Sandcastle Hotel and Soggy Dollar bar.

The correct concoction of premium dark rum, cream of coconut, pineapple and orange juice (proportions are secret), topped with fresh grated Grenadian nutmeg makes the swim to the Soggy Dollar worth the effort.

Check out their website, complete with a beach webcam, an online radio station and shop.

Do you know of a bar that's in that league? You have until midnight tonight to send us a nomination. Voting will begin on Monday...

eurosailnews.com/sailors-bar

Leading the way in marine insurance - The Lex Group
Q&A with a Marine Racing Insurance Broker with 40 years of experience.

Richard Henry is a passionate sailor born in Ireland, based in London, traveling globally. Richard and his team have intricate knowledge of marine insurance, especially racing yachts. He has been involved in the last 4 America's Cups and has insured yachts racing around the world. He founded the RC44 Class with Sir Russell Coutts, which he is still involved with.

Richard, how do you differ from other marine insurance brokers?
The Lex Group is a boutique insurance broker that offer clients a sophisticated personal service as Trusted Advisor and Partner. All our clients have my mobile number to contact me whenever needed. I believe my principal skill is to make insurance easily understood by the boat owner.

How does Lex Risk deal with claims?
We handle all claims from start to finish. Having dealt with countless loss adjusters, I don't suffer fools gladly. Our clients find it incredibly reassuring that my team and I represent them. These claims can be very complex and time-consuming, which is a critical part of my role.

Full article in the January issue of Seahorse

Father-Daughter Olympians Among Speakers Set for Next Month's RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show
The 2023 RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show on the weekend of 25-26 February is set to showcase a world of on-water possibilities as the first of its guest speakers were unveiled recently.

Expert advice and motivation are to be found in every corner of the Farnborough International Conference and Exhibition Centre, with a packed schedule of talks complementing the 140-plus exhibitors at the season-opening show.

The first ever father-daughter Olympic gold-medal winners, Mike and Eilidh McIntyre, will take to the stage to reflect on their Olympic successes and how Mike's medal hanging outside a young Eilidh's bedroom inspired her to reach for her own place in sailing history (Saturday 25 February only). She is now striving for further glory at Paris 2024, forging a new partnership in the mixed 470 class alongside Martin Wrigley.

afloat.ie

IOC vice-president Ng Ser Miang rejects findings that he interfered in World Sailing election
International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president Ng Ser Miang has dismissed a legal finding that he interfered in the World Sailing election in 2020.

The Singaporean was handed a fine of €1,000 (£885/$1,100) and served with an official warning after being found guilty by an Independent Panel, along with former World Sailing Ethics Commission chairman Dieter Neupert, a Swiss lawyer.

The Panel, chaired by London-based lawyer and former Premier League footballer Gareth Farrelly, found both guilty of failing to act with integrity and interfering in the election which saw then-President Kim Andersen of Denmark narrowly defeated.

"I resigned from the World Sailing Ethics Commission in December 2020," the 73-year-old Ser Miang, a former sailor, told the Straits Times.

"I served the World Sailing Ethics Commission as a volunteer and have done so without fear and favour, and in full compliance with its rules and regulations.

"World Sailing has no jurisdiction over me after December 2020.

"I have not taken part in any of their proceedings and reject any allegations and sanctions made against me by World Sailing."

Andersen lodged complaints against Ser Miang and Neupert, a Swiss lawyer, relating to their conduct whilst they were members of the World Sailing Ethics Commission, alleging that their conduct was in breach of the world governing body's regulations. -- Duncan McKay

Full story in InsideTheGames.biz

Sailing World on Water January 06.23
Highlights of what happened globally in the sport of sailing in the last 7 days. Sir Ben Ainslie Boss of INEOS Britannia, the Challenger of Record for the 37th America's Cup gives a run-down of their trials and tribulations in 2022. He had a big year.

This is the Sailing World on Water for January 06, 2022. Highlights in the last seven days in the Global Sport of Sailing.

Having finished second overall in 2021, following a rule infringement penalty that knocked Celestial off top spot, Haynes' victory is a fairy-tale ending, and a deserved one.

Jeremie Beyou gives a retrospective on his team's achievements in the year 2022 and we join him.

Lauriane Nolot (France) and Max Maeder (Singapore) survived a dramatic day of strong winds to become the female and male winners of the 2022 Lepanto Formula Kite European Championships in Nafpaktos Greece. Because Maeder is from Singapore, second-placed Toni Vodisek (Slovakia) is the highest placed European finisher in the competition and becomes European Champion. -- Geoff Waller

www.boatson.tv

Mary Savage
The sailing community is mourning the loss of Mary Savage, who passed away recently aged 86.

A long-time US Sailing judge and umpire, Mary was a trailblazer among women race officials. She learned to sail in 1960 at the Larchmont Yacht Club in New York, and five years later she was teaching the class.

In 1979 she won the Women's Championship of Long Island Sound. The same year, less than a year after the program was created, Mary was one of the first women to become a US Sailing Judge. She was certified as an International Judge in 1990 and officiated at events of all kinds, from youth regattas to world championships and was a regular at Key West and Block Island Race Weeks. She was also a World Sailing International Judge.

When the Umpire Program began in 1990, Mary was one of the first two women to become US Sailing Certified Umpires. In 1991, she was also the first woman to serve on the US Sailing Racing Rules Committee. Mary also chaired the US Sailing Race Administration Committee for several years, served as a Vice President of US Sailing and on the US Sailing Competitor Classification Committee.

In 2007 Mary was awarded the Harman Hawkins Trophy for her contributions to race administration, and in 2015 she received the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy, US Sailing's most prestigious award, for her outstanding contributions to the sport.

Mary was known for working quietly and effectively in the background with little publicity, and she was one to never suffer fools gladly - particularly in the protest room. Everyone had to be a little sharper with Mary in the room.

She will be deeply missed by everyone at World Sailing.

sailing.org/2022/12/21/in-memoriam-mary-savage/

Featured Brokerage
1966 Sangermani 64 'Gianella II'. 495 000 EUR. Located in Palma, Spain.

Giannella II is a wonderful classic sailing yacht ideal for family cruising in absolute comfort. She has won many regattas including The Voiles de St Tropez and Conde de Barcelona. She features lovely warm interiors and is easy to sail! Major refit in 2010, rebuilt from scratch.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Phone : +33 (0) 467 66 39 93

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1995 Swan 77-006 ‘CALLISTO’. 950,000 EUR. Located in Cala Galera, Italy

The Swan 77 was a response from Nautor’s for the discerning owner who required a larger sailing yacht. The performance enjoyed by the racing yacht owner became accessible to those who required a very high degree of interior comfort and accommodation.

See listing details in Nautor's Swan Brokerage

Contact
Stefano Leonardi nautorswanbrokerage.com/swan-77-callisto/

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Aeolos P45. POA EUR.

LOS P45 breaks with many common views. With her crisp, streamlined lines, designed to cut through the waves and eat the miles, you’ll get a thrill just by looking at it. The silhouette and proportions are unmistakably AEOLOS. Athletic with clear contours and powerful curves.

The AP45 has been created to anticipate the future, as demonstrated by the use of innovative technology, including a carbon mast and the extensive use of carbon fiber. Optimised to the limits and built-in carbon prepregs. Powered by a huge ballast ratio of 50% this boat gives you a new speed experience. The design, performance and sailing dynamics flow effortlessly into this visionary approach to racing DNA. The huge twin steering wheels offer plenty of perfect positions to control this beast in any situation.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Aeolos Yachts
Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates

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

The Last Word
I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact. -- Elon Musk

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