In This Issue
• Strategy in play for RORC Transatlantic Race
• Inside the latest generation IMOCA60 - Malizia
• Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar
• More Speed Less Plastic
• IRC Rating open for 2023
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Ramsgate Week
• Huntress, salvaged Sydney to Hobart yacht, to be repaired
• Sponsorship struggles for SailGP leader
• Featured Charter: Pata Negra - Marc Lombard IRC 46
• Featured Brokerage:
• • AC40
• • ClubSwan 50-008 ‘Sparti’
• • Seaquest SQ46
• The Last Word: Arnold H. Glasow

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

Strategy in play for RORC Transatlantic Race
At 1200 UTC on the third day of the RORC Transatlantic Race all of the teams have now left the Canary Islands and should not see land again until they arrive in the Caribbean. After two nights at sea the rhythm of life in the RORC Transatlantic Race will have been established. Due to a huge variety of boat designs, strategy and tactics are not the same on every boat. However, the common denominator for all of them is speed to Grenada. As the overall race winner is decided by IRC time correction, with a fixed correction at the start of the race, the teams know exactly how they are performing with every YB Tracker update.

Multihull Class
With boat speed in excess of 25 knots, it is a wild ride on board the trio of 70ft trimarans, which are expected to reach the halfway point in the race tomorrow on record pace. Giovanni Soldini's Maserati Multi70 (ITA) is 1,885nm from the finish, leading the multihull class. Just 4nm astern is Frank Slootman's MOD70 Snowflake (USA), skippered by Gavin Brady. MOD70 Zoulou (FRA) with Erik Maris at the helm, is 55nm behind Maserati but has taken a tactical dive south.

RORC member and Rolex Fastnet Race winning navigator for JPK 1180 Sunrise is Tom Cheney who is now part of the Snowflake race team. For the RORC Transatlantic Race Brian Thompson is the on-board navigator, but Tom has been assessing weather routing prior to the start:

"Snowflake is ahead of the weather routing calculated before the start," commented Tom Cheney. "Right now, it is breezy and that suits Maserati, and Zoulou has gone further south; I suspect looking for more wind. We hope that further down the track the wind will soften and the sea state should ease off a bit. If that happens then Snowflake has a shot at a result, and maybe the record.

Full report at rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

Race Tracker

Inside the latest generation IMOCA60 - Malizia
Fully crewed IMOCA 60s are new territory. While some of the five teams have had the luxury of testing, training and generally getting their heads around how things work with five aboard a boat originally designed for one, most haven't.

One of the latest generation of IMOCA60s is Boris Herrmann's Malizia.

Shortly after the boat had been launched, crew member Will Harris gave me the full tour. It was fascinating and highlighted just how different the new boats are to sail.

Plus, Will also explained some of the thinking behind Malizia's extraordinary shape. -- Matthew Sheahan

www.planetsail.co.uk

Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar
Today we celebrate one of our top ten nominees... Roger's Beach Bar, Hog Island, Grenada

Rogers is pure beach bar... no shoes required, sand at your feet, come as you are. And fantastic views.

Hog Island anchorage has been a favorite for cruisers for many decades. The bar has no mains electricity or water so runs on solar panels and an old battery or two. Cruisers have pitched in to help build the bar and it's power system over the last 20 odd years. Roger has brought out an old domestic stove/oven which Mary uses to make very good pizza for Friday nights. There is a BBQ every Sunday with chicken, fish and perhaps pork, served with local side dishes.

The Sunday bash attractions locals, medical students, cruisers and tourists, creating a great mix of people and cultures. Sometimes Roger arranges a band to play on the small stage hammered together in the mangroves at the water's edge. The bar is open weekday evenings and there's usually quite a group of cruisers from the anchorage gathering for sunset beers - Roger stays as long as there are customers. Grenadians come out in boats for BBQ's and party a few times a week.

Voting for this year's best bar is now open... cast your vote at eurosailnews.com/sailors-bars

More Speed Less Plastic, a new sustainability initiative with Denmark SailGP Team
One Ocean Foundation is ready to launch More Speed Less Plastic, a new initiative within the SailGP international sailing circuit in partnership with Denmark SailGP Team presented by Rockwool.

After the success achieved with the More Miles Less Plastic initiative at the transatlantic Route du Rhum regatta with Ambrogio Beccaria, ocean navigator and ambassador of One Ocean Foundation, thanks to which over 4 tons of plastic were collected from coasts and beaches, it is now the time to decline the project based on speed performance. As part of the consolidated partnership with Denmark SailGP Team presented by Rockwool, which competes in the international sailing circuit SailGP, the More Speed Less Plastic initiative will be presented on 13 January during the Champions for Change conference on the eve of the Singapore Grand Prix, scheduled on 14 and 15 January.\

For every single kilometer per hour of speed reached by Denmark SailGP Team's F50 foiling catamaran, One Ocean Foundation commits to collect 10 kg of plastic from the coasts of developing countries, certifying the collection process. Considering that these catamarans can reach speeds close to 100 km/h powered by only the force of wind, the goal of removing a ton of plastic from coastal areas at each SailGP event is within reach, preventing it from ending up in the ocean.

More Speed Less Plastic will debut in Singapore and will continue in the following stages of the circuit, in Sydney, Australia, Christchurch, New Zealand before the season finale on the west coast of the USA, in San Francisco. The initiative will also be shared to other teams of the SailGP circuit. In addition to rewarding Denmark SailGP Team's speed in each remaining Sail Grand Prix of the third season, Rockwool and One Ocean Foundation have pledged to do the same for the team that sets the fastest speed in each event, the same type of plastic collection according to the maximum speed reached. -- Giuliano Luzzatto

1ocean.org

IRC Rating open for 2023
Applications are open for 2023 IRC rating and the IRC Rating Authority (RORC Rating Office and UNCL, Pole Course du YCF) have started issuing certificates for the new season. IRC rating certificates are not renewed automatically as owners are given the opportunity to declare any changes to their boat, rig or sail wardrobe before their certificate is issued.

IRC certificate application is straightforward, and there are no additional questions for 2023 for those revalidating a recent certificate. For boats racing in the UK the MyIRC application system is online at https://myirc.rorcrating.com, while those racing elsewhere should contact their local IRC Rule Authority.

Updates to IRC in 2023 include the new secondary valid certificate, and rating formula changes include an extension to age allowance which was previously limited to 20 years. For more information the IRC website includes the current rule text and information on rule changes: ircrating.org/irc-rule/. The 2023 IRC rule applies from 1st January 2023, except in countries with June-May validity where the rule will apply from 1st June 2023.

With best wishes for the 2023 season from the RORC Rating Office team.

ircrating.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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Ramsgate Week
January is a great time to think about warmer times and organise sailing for the summer. This year's Ramsgate Week 6th to 11th August commences with the historical Round the Goodwins race and finishes with the Gold Cup race for all classes. The Regatta has a strong European audience with competitors from France, Holland, Belgium and UK all jostling to secure their share of the many prizes.

The Notice of Race includes an additional Asymmetric and Code 0 Cruiser class and a new class for Classic yachts. The regatta has been designed around providing a great on the water experience backed up with an evening social programme to include something for everyone throughout the week.

The town of Ramsgate offers a variety of bars and restaurants all within a couple of minutes of the harbour and yacht club. To help with rising costs we have opened our entry and are offering an early early bird for confirmed entries prior to 31st January. To take advantage of this offer click on the enter here link and get your entry in today.

RamsgateWeek.com

Huntress, salvaged Sydney to Hobart yacht, to be repaired
The owners of a vessel which had to be abandoned during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race and salvaged from a remote beach say it is a "huge relief" to have the boat safely in harbour, days after it looked doomed.

Last week, aerial images of Huntress washed ashore on a Tasmanian beach showed the boat stuck in sand, its mast broken.

Its location, on Christmas Beach on truwana/Cape Barren Island, off Tasmania''s north-east coast, added a degree of difficulty to the prospect of refloating the boat, as there was no road access.

If that wasn't enough, Huntress had lost its rudder before beaching. Despite the challenges, Huntress was refloated on Sunday and is now "safely tied up in the Tamar", its crew said.

With Huntress now in port in the Tamar River, the crew said it would be "working with our insurer to plan Huntress's repairs in restoring her to her former glory".

abc.net.au/news/

Sponsorship struggles for SailGP leader
When the SailGP global sports league got launched, it was a fully funded concept to create spectator-friendly racing in identical wing-powered, foiling F50 catamarans. But the support from billionaire Larry Ellison, and management from Russell Coutts, had conditions.

The prominent condition was that from the first season in 2019, the teams needed to be commercially sustainable by the end of the fifth year. While it is not clear if the pandemic has stretched this deadline beyond 2023, the reality remains that about half the teams have made that threshold.

As league promotion highlights its roster of the world's best sailors, the league is finding that sheer talent does not translate to economic security. This hit home when the Season 2 runner-up Japan was removed from Season 3 when an entry for a new fully-funded team was accepted, and a new boat could not be built in time.

Also feeling the heat is Tom Slingsby, Driver and CEO of the Australia SailGP Team, who has failed to secure any major sponsorship deals which could put the two-time defending champion on the chopping block.

sailingscuttlebutt.com

Featured Charter
Pata Negra - Marc Lombard IRC 46. Located in Caribbean and UK 2023.

Pata Negra has a proven track record of podium results when racing offshore or around the cans. With an Axon carbon rig, asymmetric sail plan and continual investment in the boat, she is a fantastic yacht that ticks a lot of boxes. Available to Charter in the Caribbean and UK 2023.

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
AC40. POA EUR.

Presenting the AC40, a scaled AC75 foiling day-racer designed by Emirates Team New Zealand and built by McConaghy.

A one-design class that brings America's Cup foiling performance to a competitive racing circuit.

With self-tacking headsails and battery power replacing grinders, the yacht is sailed by two helmsmen and two trimmers. An autopilot control system maintains stable flight.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

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ClubSwan 50-008 ‘SPARTI’ 1,250,000 EUR. Located in Calpe, Spain

The ClubSwan 50 was developed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Nautor’s Swan shipyard and celebrate everything that has made this cutting-edge boat builder one of the most widely recognized and trusted brands in yachting.

The result is an eye-catching machine, fully constructed in carbon fiber and utilizing the very latest technology and all the finest materials. The interior is a pleasant surprise and completely unexpected on a performance yacht of this caliber. Three cabins accommodate six guests and a comfortable saloon features bench seating and a dining table. Galley on the aft starboard side of saloon and head and shower forward.

Cs50 Sparti had been handled by professional captain and professional team, regularly maintained and always kept in perfect conditions. Super-fast boat been podium 3 times in the last 4 class world championships.

See listing details in Nautor's Swan brokerage

Contact
Jerome Mainemare

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Seaquest SQ46. POA USD.

Introducing the innovative SeaQuest 46 Catamaran. In a collaboration between Carkeek Design Partners and builder Eaton Marine, the SeaQuest Catamaran has arrived. Renowned racing yacht designer, Shaun Carkeek, delivers signature hull forms and sleek lines, currently proving themselves in races around the world including America‘s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, and Grand Prix Yachting.

Eaton Marine has manufactured award-winning sailing vessels for nearly three decades. This new venture is based in Dubai, UAE, the construction and manufacturing epicenter of the world where cutting-edge technology is utilized in all aspects of building and design.

The synergy between elite design, build excellence, and progressive technology achieves a completely new level of combined performance, style, and capability. Advanced hull design, semi carbon-fibre construction, and acute attention to weight throughout, deliver performance without compromising an ounce of comfort.

This listing is for a brand new catamaran, currently under construction. Launching in 12/2021. Commission, Sea Trial, Delivery 1/2022.

Contact

UAE: +971 5 8511 3400
USA: +1 312 772 0948
seaquestcatamarans.com

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

The Last Word
The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it. What the country needs are a few labor-making inventions. -- Arnold H. Glasow

Editorial and letter submissions to

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