In This Issue
• Flesh wounds and record pace in RORC Transatlantic Race
• Improvement curve for the IMOCA thoroughbreds
• Marlow Rigged IMOCA Teams Prepare For Ocean Race 2023
• On course for record entry in 50th Rolex Fastnet Race
• Memorandum Of Appreciation
• Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar
• ORC 2023 VPP and Rules now available
• Global Solo Challenge reaches out to worldwide audience
• Industry News
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Carkeek 46 - "LOKI"
• • Dazcat 1295
• • Elan GT6
• The Last Word: Jean-Claude Juncker

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

Flesh wounds and record pace in RORC Transatlantic Race
At 0800 UTC on the fifth day of the RORC Transatlantic Race, three 70ft trimarans are under 1,000 miles from the finish at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina Grenada. Giovanni Soldini's Maserati Multi70 (ITA) is 782nm from the finish, leading the multihull class. MOD70 Zoulou (FRA) with Erik Maris at the helm is second, with 906nm to go and Frank Slootman's MOD70 Snowflake (USA), skippered by Gavin Brady is third, 913nm from the finish.

The multihull Maserati has been setting the pace, including breaking the trimarans outright speed record of 37 knots. All three multihulls have been blasting along at over 30 knots of boat speed.

MOD70 Zoulou (FRA) with Erik Maris at the helm is 126nm behind Maserati, but race fans will remember that last year's winner Maserati was about the same distance behind PowerPlay (now Zoulou) in 2022. Zoulou is positioned much closer to the rhumb line than her rivals, so it is likely that the deficit will reduce as the teams approach Grenada.

As the front runners in the Monohull fleet approach the halfway mark, contenders for the overall win under IRC are emerging. Eric de Turckheim's NMYD Teasing Machine (FRA) is 1,784nm from the finish and leading after corrected time by just over one hour from Botin 56 Black Pearl (GER), sailed by Stefan Jentzsch. Volvo 70 I Love Poland (POL), skippered by Grzegorz Baranowski is ranked third overall under IRC and leads the fleet for Monohull Line Honours for the IMA Transatlantic Trophy. Henri de Bokay's Elliott 52 Rafale (GER) is ranked third in IRC Zero and fourth overall.

In IRC One, Andrew & Sam Hall's Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR) is leading the class after IRC time correction with 2,115nm to go

The father and son duo; Peter & Duncan Bacon's Sun Fast 3300 Sea Bear racing Two-Handed are ranked second in IRC One, just 9nm behind Pata Negra. Laurent Courbin's First 53 Yagiza (FRA), skippered by Philippe Falle has made a strategic move north of the rhumb line. The additional miles sailed drops the team to third in IRC One, but if the gybe north pays off, that could well change. Global Yacht Racing's First 47.7 EH01, skippered by Neil Maher has raced 183nm in the last 24-hours and is ranked fourth in class. -- Louay Habib / RORC

Race Tracker

rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

Why the improvement curve for the IMOCA thoroughbreds could decide The Ocean Race
Ahead of the start of the first offshore leg of The Ocean Race this weekend, the dockside at Alicante is busy with IMOCA technical teams making last minute adjustments and improvements to what are highly complex machines.

This race could well be decided as much by the sailing teams as by their shoreside counterparts, in a class where it normally takes up to a year of sailing, testing and refining to bring a new IMOCA up to speed and to be race-hardened or race-ready.

This aspect of this gruelling 30,000-nautical mile round-the-world marathon is particularly important given the stage in that life cycle of each of the five boats taking part.

There are two boats - the 2015-vintage Guyot Environnement-Team Europe (formerly Hugo Boss), and 11th Hour Racing Team-Malama, launched in August, 2021 - that are well down the optimisation and improvement curve, with plenty of miles at sea under their keels.

But there are three others that are coming to the race still only six or seven months after first launch, for whom there are still a lot of improvements and tweaks and changes to be made. The shore and technical teams behind Paul Meilhat's Biotherm, Kevin Escoffier's Holcim-PRB and Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia can expect to be busy throughout this six-month contest, trying to keep pace with breakages or responding to requests for improvements from their sailors to keep their race on track.

Talk to the tech guys in the Class, and it soon becomes clear why these super-complex boats take so long to mature as racing machines and how important this element could be in deciding the outcome of the race. Jesse Naimark-Rowse, is the US-born but Britain-based technical manager for Team Malizia. He has been helping to get that team's new VPLP-designed IMOCA up to pace ever since she was launched in July last year.

theoceanrace.com

Marlow Rigged IMOCA Teams Prepare For Ocean Race 2023
As official rope suppliers to Team Malizia and 11th Hour Racing, a perk for us at Marlow is being taken on their journeys as the teams prepare for one of the toughest tests for a team in sport - The Ocean Race

As many of you will know, Leg 1 starts on 15th January from Alicante, Spain and we wish both teams huge luck and success. Already the teams have gained first (Team Malizia) and second (11th Hour Racing team) at the in-port race ahead of the race start on the 15th.

Both teams use Marlow's Grand Prix series where our innovative customisations enable the crew to sail harder and faster. Equally as important is the need for sustainability in sailing, which lies at the heart of both of the team's mission and their reason for choosing our recycled polyester and sustainably manufactured bio-Dyneema in their customisations.

marlowropes.com

On course for record entry in 50th Rolex Fastnet Race
The Royal Ocean Racing Club's new race entry system has been burning red hot since 1200 UTC today when registration opened for the 50th edition of the club's flagship event, the Rolex Fastnet Race.

By 1300 entries were up to 433, with 300 signing up via the RORC's new SailRaceHQ entry system in the first ten minutes and 400 within 30 minutes (a similar number took more than an hour to register prior to the last edition in 2021).

Given that the record number of boats on the start line of what is certainly the 'world's largest offshore yacht race' peaked at 388 in pre-pandemic 2019, this is promising sign that the fleet size will reach a new record when it departs the Solent on Saturday, 22 July this summer, bound for the Fastnet Rock and then on to the finish in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. This is especially likely given that today's figures will be by no means the final entry size: RORC members not only receive priority entry but still have until 25 January to sign up; competitors in the RORC's new Roschier Baltic Sea Race last year, and as well those en route to Grenada in the current RORC Transatlantic Race, get guaranteed entry. But the largest group still to register are the 'pro' classes racing outside of the IRC fleet, ie the Ultim, IMOCA; Ocean 50; Class40 and Figaro 3, as well as the multihull classes. They have until 14 April to register. For many of this latter group, the Rolex Fastnet Race will be one of the few races they will get to compete in during this season prior to the start of the autumn's Transat Jacques Vabre.

First to burst through the door in the RORC's equivalent of the Harrod's Sale, entering as the clock struck 1200, was Rolex Fastnet Race regular, Chris Choules and his faithful With Alacrity (GBR), top Sigma 38 in the race's last three editions and fourth of 70 boats in IRC 4 in 2021. Neck and neck with them, though from the opposite side of the Channel, was another regular in Guy Sallenave's X-442 Ster Wenn 5 (FRA). Second in IRC 1 in the 2005 Rolex Fastnet Race, Ster Wenn 5 was campaigned by Sallenave's son Pierre in 2021, who has entered her again for this special half century edition. -- James Boyd/RORC

rolexfastnetrace.com

Memorandum Of Appreciation
On behalf of the Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound (YRALIS) membership, Board of Directors, and Officers, we would like to acknowledge the achievement and contribution made to our sailing community with the initiation of the Bermuda Short-Handed Return race (BSHR).

New York Yacht Club, a YRALIS member club, was nominated for the Arthur B. Davis Award by multiple YRALIS members, all of whom participated in the BSHR race. The sentiment was that the race made a major contribution to ocean yacht racing in our region. While the award will be presented to a local yacht club for achievement on Long Island Sound, it is acknowledged that even though the BSHR race does not start in or sail on the waters of LIS, there are a significant number of YRALIS yachts and sailors that sailed the BSHR race. The inaugural 2022 running boasted 20 starters, 10 of which were YRALIS members' yachts. The race generated significant interest from many other YRALIS members, who are looking forward to the next race in 2024.

We would like to also acknowledge that the BSHR race may be the most significant addition to short-handed offshore sailing in the USA in a generation. The race significantly increases the inventory of true ocean short-handed races on the east coast. Previously, the leading short-handed ocean races on the east coast were the Bermuda 1-2 and the double-handed division of the Newport Bermuda Race. The Bermuda Short-Handed Return race completes the circle, now allowing serious short-handed competition every year to and from Bermuda.

Although the New York Yacht Club will not be awarded the Arthur B. Davis Award itself, the NYYC and its partner clubs, the RBYC and the CCA, should be complimented for insightfulness and distinguished achievement in creating the new event and for its superb support and execution of one of the fastest-growing areas in our sport. Sincerely,

Wight Vodka Best Sailors Bar
Today's featured bar is the very first winner and one of the most famous in the world... Peter Cafe Sport in Horta.

Paris has Harry's Bar, Singapore has Raffles and New York has McSorley's Saloon, Faial in the middle of the Atlantic and Peter's Bar, where lonely sailors meet. -- Patrick Reyena, Associated Press in 1986

Over the past 100 years, Peter Cafe Sport has become a place of support for yachtsmen who cross the Atlantic, such as a bar, restaurant, information point, post-rest, currency exchange, meteorological delegation and sometimes the house of mercy, thus becoming a symbol of genuine friendship for all those who pass by.

In this room, among the dozens of wooden boards, painted by the spectrum of flags worn by the sun, by the sea, and by so much life, you can hear a cacophony of babel, the singing of peoples, nations, and the despaired vagabonds that now, even if only briefly, they found a home, day after day ... year after year ... a decade after decade.

Your vote could make Peter Cafe Sport a two time winner. Cast your vote, choose from our top ten:

eurosailnews.com/sailors-bars

ORC 2023 VPP and Rules now available
The The Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) is pleased to announce its 2023 Rules and the Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) are now available. Distribution of the ORC Manager software that runs the VPP to generate certificates, ORC Speed Guides and other ORC products has been made to ORC Rating Offices around the world.

The 2023 VPP is equipped to rate monohulls from Sportboats to Superyachts with or without foils as well as Multihulls, and includes upgrades to both the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic models for all boat types, along with numerous other improvements to the system.

These are summarized in the Summary of Rule Changes document available here.

The 2023 VPP has also been loaded for online access to the system through the ORC Sailor Services portal so that test certificates, Speed Guides, and Target Speeds may also be run by registered users of Sailor Services. Registration to this system is free at www.orc.org/sailorservices.

It is important to note that those who want to get valid new or renewed ORC certificates for 2023 must first contact their national Rating Office on what procedures are necessary and when that office will be ready to issue certificates. A list of Rating Office contacts are at orc.org/index.asp?id=64.

The link to observe and/or download the 2023 Rule books is at orc.org/rules

The new 2023 ORC Designer's VPP and ORC Editor software used to create DXT files is also now available in dropdown options from the Software tab on the ORC home page - orc.org.

2023 certificates for Multihulls will be available by contacting .

Global Solo Challenge reaches out to worldwide audience
The media and distribution agreement between the Global Solo Challenge and Icarus sports ensures world-wide TV coverage for the event and kicked off this January with a promo video distributed through the TV Series "Inside Sailing".

Each episode of the series has an household reach of over 900 million TV sets in over 100 countries.

The Global Solo Challenge will start from A Coruña between late August 2023 and December 2023, with boats leaving the host port in staggered starts.

Find out more about the unique format of the GSC.

Industry News
Oris Swiss Watches ups the ante for the upcoming Caribbean Multihull Challenge

ORIS Swiss Watches in Holstein since 1904, and a Gold Sponsor of the Caribbean Multihull Challenge Race and Rally since 2019 announces today that the winning boat of this year's CMC Trifecta will receive an Aquis Depth Gauge watch with a retail value of $3900.00!

The CMC Trifecta consists of three CSA 1 Races over three consecutive days; the CMC 60 Mile Multihull Sprint from St Maarten up to and around St Barth and back, the 52 Mile Around Saba Dash, and the 27 Mile Circle of St Maarten / St Martin. If the February trade winds are up as they should be for this time of the year, the big boats in these races will see high speeds and more than thrilling sailing.

While the bigger boats sail the longer mileage Trifecta, all other classes of boats racing will enjoy a variety of shorter - but equally challenging - courses closer in to the island. And if that is not enough action for one weekend, at the same time as the racing, Cruising Class yachts entered in the CMC Rally program will see great sailing and great fun heading to the French side and to Anguilla for joyful overnight stops.

Registration for the 5th CMC is at YachtScoring.com More information at CaribbeanMultihullChallenge.com

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2024. Founded in 1956, Tall Ships Youth Trust is a youth development outdoor learning charity, that helps to improve the skills and life chances of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, aged 12 to 25, through transformational experiences at sea.

TSYT has a fleet of four 72ft Challenger yachts and a 55ft ketch and sails all year round providing around 1,000 young people from across the country with a life-changing experience. The opportunity enables them to develop life skills, confidence and self-esteem, helping to raise their aspirations and supporting them to make positive life choices.

Laurence Mead, Regatta Director at Cowes Week commented: "As sailors we are aware of how life affirming this great sport is and the opportunity to support Tall Ships Youth Trust, a charity that brings all of the positive attributes of sailing to more young people, is something we at Cowes Week are very pleased to be able to do. There aren't many better ways to build self-confidence and a sense of self-reliance than sailing, seeing young people get that start in life on board the charity's yachts is wonderful and we can't wait to have them join us at Cowes Week 2023. Over the next few months, we will be highlighting ways you can interact with Tall Ships Youth Trust leading up to race day one at Cowes Week on Saturday 29 July. Entries to Cowes Week open soon, and there will be an opportunity to donate to the charity when you enter as well."

cowesweek.co.uk

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Ancasta International Boat Sales is welcoming Hannah Le Prevost to its sales team as Multihull Brand Manager to look after both the Lagoon and McConaghy brands within the Ancasta Group.

In her new role, Hannah will use her extensive boat sales experience to work with customers to curate the best multihull buying experience, and with the recent boom in multihull sales, Hannah will also assist Ancasta in reinforcing its extensive multihull brokerage services to provide a turnkey service for multihull owners.

Growing up on the south coast of the UK, Hannah was messing about in boats from a young age. Gaining valuable marine industry experience working in a chandlery prior to university, she then earned a degree in Marine Sports Science from Plymouth University. Returning to Hamble, she landed an aftersales role with a family-run yacht brokerage which progressed into a successful career in boat sales with a particular focus on catamarans.

For more information, Hannah can be contacted via and +44(0)2380 450005, or visit her at the boot Dusseldorf boat show 21-29 January 2023.

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The first edition of the Salão Nautico de Salvador will be the showcase for a dynamic and this new development policy based on the water sports sector in the state of Bahia and the city of Salvador. Salvador and the state of Bahia deserve to become a reference destination for water sports in Brazil!

The associates of Aloha Náutica, Paulo and Cecilia Avena and Francisco Fragoso and Luciana Vianna, exclusive distributors in Brazil for Beneteau yachts and Excess catamarans (also part of the Beneteau Group) are delighted with the 1st edition of the Salvador Náutico Boat Show with the Grand Pavois.

The presence of the Beneteau Group's boats is confirmed, with the brand's most recent models arriving in Brazil again this year and also in 2023.

The international in-water boat show created in 1973, the Grand Pavois La Rochelle (France) will celebrate its 51st edition in September 2023. With 80,000 visitors and 750 boats, 300 of which are in-water, this show has become a key date in the programme of international in-water boat shows. It should be noted that Brazil has twice been the Guest of Honour at the Grand Pavois La Rochelle and Grand Pavois Organisation has organised the finish of the Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6.50 (Mimi Transat) six times with the State of Bahia and the city of Salvador, as well as the Défi Atlantique Salvador de Bahia / La Rochelle once, a qualifying race for the Vendée Globe (solo round-the-world race).

grand-pavois.com

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Leading global shipping & bespoke logistics company Peters & May has renewed its commitment to Antigua Sailing Week (ASW) by presenting the Round Antigua Race for the next 3 years. The stand-alone race will continue to be referred to as the Peters & May Round Antigua Race until 2025.

Based in the UK, Peters & May are specialists in marine transportation of sailing and racing yachts, motorboats, super-yachts as well as commercial vessels for companies and private individuals. With agents in Antigua, they also operate across the Caribbean region with a specific understanding of each locations cruising and regatta industries along with the economy and political facets of each individual port. Their operations also include an international and domestic freight forwarding and business courier service by sea, road, rail, and air.

Part of the agreement offers discounts on their services to ASW participants.

CSA, CSA double-handed, multihull, and classic classes are invited to participate in this exciting race, a 52 mile circumnavigation of the island, popular with many ASW participants and open to yachts, whether or not entered in Antigua Sailing Week. In 2022, in response to an increase in CSA cruising class entries, race organisers offered the the option of a 26 mile course dubbed the Almost Round Antigua Race. The shortened course will again be included this year to allow even more participants the opportunity to shake out their spinnakers, and get ready for the week ahead.

The Peters & May Round Antigua Notice of Race is now published and entries are open for the next edition which will be held on April 29. The Peters & May Round Antigua Race prize-giving at the Antigua Yacht Clubs regatta village will be followed by the the official opening of the 54th Antigua Sailing Week which runs April 30 - May 5, 2023.

petersandmay.com

sailingweek.com

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Contest Yachts of the Netherlands has expanded its dealer network into the Far East with the appointment of Hong Kong-based Asia Yacht Services as their new distributor for the region.

"We have worked previously with Asia Yacht Services' CEO Bart Kimman and are delighted to reconnect in this new relationship," says Contest CEO Arjen Conijn. "Asia Yacht Services is a high profile, multi-brand dealership with long-standing reputation for top-level service, and our Contest yachts fit well with the company's strategic offering."

Bart Kimman says of the new arrangement: "We have long experience with good cruising sailboats and do so like the very personal nature of the way Contest work and the very high standards of production and customisation. We see great opportunities in our region. For our clients Contest is a phenomenal solution."

Based in Medemblik, Holland, Contest Yachts is a family-owned producer of series-built, performance bluewater sailing yachts and motoryachts. Later this month the company will be holding the world premiere of two new 50ft models, the Contest 49CS and 50CS, at boot Dusseldorf.

ibinews.com

Featured Brokerage
2022 Carkeek 46 - "LOKI". 1,400,000 USD. Located in East Coast, USA.

"LOKI" is a mid-sized light displacement race boat built in NZ. She has been designed to thrive in the stand-out 600 mile Yacht Races that dominate the racing calendar, whilst also ensuring round the cans performance is not compromised. Already ticked all the boxes for the owner, so onto a new hom

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats

+447759 424900
+442380 106582

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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

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Elan GT6. POA EUR

Our flagship GT6 is a next-generation Grand Tourer that delivers the perfect balance of speed and power, comfort and luxury, good handling and precise control.

Stiff, stable and weatherly, the high-performance hull and sailplan by Humphreys Yacht Design are optimised for short-handed, medium-range cruising. Three generations of Humphreys/Elan design evolution and extensive CFD modelling produce a refined yacht that handles like a thoroughbred and delivers exhilarating performance on all points of sail, across the full range of wind and sea conditions.

For full details

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Elan, d.o.o.
Begunje 1,
4275 Begunje na Gorenjskem,
Slovenia
+386 4 53 51 109

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

The Last Word
We all know what to do, but we don’t know how to get re-elected once we have done it. -- Jean-Claude Juncker

Editorial and letter submissions to

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