In This Issue
• Breeze on as fleet encounters first southern weather system
• Charles Caudrelier: optimal routing
• Elbows out - Arcona Yachts
• "Stormvogel," a cinematic registration for PalmaVela
• Dublin Bay Water Wags - Morbihan Classics
• Entries open for the J Cup Regatta 2023
• Pip Hare explains the outside gybe
• ZIG ZAG overall SORC winner
• Industry News
• Featured Charter: Pura Follia
• Featured Brokerage:
• • ClubSwan 50-006 'Regina'
• • Seaquest SQ46
• • Elan GT6
• The Last Word: Leonard Susskind
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
Breeze on as fleet encounters first southern weather system
The wind has arrived for leg 3 of The Ocean Race as the five IMOCA teams settle into higher latitudes and begin to criss-cross to the east, hooking into the first big weather system of the leg.
After a day of light winds and adverse current on Monday, the winds will be welcome. But they come with a punishing sea state with seas forecast as high as six metres the further south one dares to venture.
The fleet appear to agree somewhere around latitude 39-degrees south is far enough - you'll see the boats gybing back to the north and then again to the south on the tracker, straddling this parallel of latitude.
Looking to the weather charts, the fleet is squeezed between the ridge of high pressure they've just crossed and a deep low pressure system, featuring strong winds and big waves, which is pushing up ahead of them from the south and moving with them to the east.
"We have a big low pressure to cross. This system doesn't move very fast, it's almost the same as our speed so we might be with this almost to Australia," said Tom Laperche from on board Team Holcim-PRB. "The wind conditions and the sea state will be hard. We have an option to stay north. If we go south, we will have many hours with wind over 40 knots - a bit too much."
Striking the right balance between speed and safety will be the key on leg 3. It is very unlikely any of the teams will make a winning move during these first days, but an aggressive decision that results in damage could be impossible to recover from, so prudence is likely to be the name of the game.
The latest positions are available on The Race Tracker here .
Charles Caudrelier: This epic race through the Southern Ocean will not be about optimal routing
Charles Caudrelier, skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and winner of the last ex-Volvo Ocean Race, says the IMOCA crews on Leg 3 of The Ocean Race are not going for the same routing choices as he did in a Volvo Ocean 65.
And that's because in this fleet of what he calls "prototype" IMOCAs, boat preservation is more important than going as fast as possible in the strongest conditions available on the way from Cape Town to Itajaí in Brazil.
As the five IMOCAs, led by Kevin Escoffier's crew on Holcim-PRB, tackle their first day in downwind conditions off the top of a big low pressure system centred SSE of Cape Town, Caudrelier has been watching their collective decision to stay well north of the main area of the system.
"My feeling is that probably none of the boats will finish this leg in perfect condition," said Caudrelier, who remains on standby for this winter's Jules Verne Trophy attempt on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. "It is a really tough stage and the boats are new - the foiling boats are still new - and I think the challenge is to find a good balance between speed and reliability."
"We can see that they are not doing the optimal routing because they want to avoid strong winds and big waves and, for sure, everybody has that in mind in quite new boats and everybody wants to take care of their boats," Caudrelier added.
Elbows out - Arcona Yachts
The Swedish Arcona yard invested heavily in design and development and have been fastidious in the execution to ensure that they enter the busy 50-footer market right at the very top
When she launches this spring, the new Arcona 50 will be the perfect flagship for the Swedish builder. The company's quiet confidence stems from their approach to the design and build of a range of high quality, good looking cruisers that deliver far more performance than the modern yet modest looks suggest. Their style of production also sits well with the location of their yard which itself has a long-held reputation for producing some of the world's strongest and most respected brands. But make no mistake, confident they may be, but the 50 is still a big deal for Arcona Yachts.
The 50ft market has become extremely competitive thanks in part to the ease with which large boats can be handled shorthanded with sophisticated modern hardware and systems.
Full article in the March issue of Seahorse
"Stormvogel," a cinematic registration for The Offshore Race and PalmaVela
With still two months to go before The Offshore Race and 19th edition of PalmaVela, held on the Bay of Palma, the list of registrations for the regatta, including both the offshore and coastal races, has already reached 90. Among them, a boat, not only legendary for its long sporting history, but also a protagonist alongside actress Nicole Kidman, and actors Sam Neill and Billy Zane, in the film "Dead Calm."
"Stormvogel," a Maxi built in the South African wine region of Stellenbosch in 1961, has a sporting history that dates back to the year of its construction, 1961, with numerous successes in legendary events in the United Kingdom such as the Fastnet, as well as the Sydney-Hobart and the Dinard. The boat was contracted by the Dutch Wood entrepreneur, Kees Bruynzeel Jr., well known for having invented marine plywood.
Three naval architects were involved in the design and construction of "Stormvogel": Van de Stadt designed the hull and appendages, John Illingworth the sail plan and deck, and Laurent Giles the interior.
From 27th April to 7th May, the Real Club Náutico de Palma will be its home, and as well as The Offshore Race and PalmaVela, will once again repeat its participation this season in the Rolex Fastnet and Les Voiles de St. Tropez.
The deadline for registration is the 28th of March, although the Race Committee may admit further requests as per the requirements of the Notice of Race, published on 27th December 2022.
Dublin Bay Water Wags Have Become Icons Of France's Morbihan Classics
Although "only" 25ft in overall hull length, the Myles Stapleton-designed Shannon cutter Sally O'Keeffe - community-built at Querrin near Kilrush - is versatile and roomy. Click on image to enlarge.
The St Ayles skiff Ealu, new-built by Seol Sionna in Kilrush, has been entered for this year's edition of the vast and deservedly legendary Semaine du Golfe for traditional and classic boats at the Morbihan in Southern Brittany from May 15th to 21st 2023. And in so doing, the Sailors of the Shannon have revealed that when the Dublin Bay Water Wags attended in strength in France at the previous event in 2019, they didn't go unnoticed despite the huge size of the fleet. On the contrary, the unmistakable clinker-built hulls of five Water Wags in all their varnished glory feature prominently in the event banner at the head of the Morbihan event's promotional material
Steve Morris of Kilrush Boatyard fills us in on the background and gives additional welcome news of the Shannon cutter Sally O'Keeffe:
Steve's mention of Skol ar Mor is a reminder that this Breton boat-building school, having created the new Howth 17 Footer Orla in 2018, has many other links with Ireland. And that in turn, reminds us that when the Howth 17s attended the Semaine du Golfe in 2015, they frequently found themselves in close proximity with the Eric Tabarly 43ft gaff cutter Pen Duick, a Fife design built at Carrigaloe on Cork Harbour in 1898.
afloat.ie/sail/sailing-classes/water-wag
Entries open for the J Cup Regatta 2023
Entries for the 2023 edition of the Key Yachting J Cup Regatta opened this month. This year the regatta is taking place at the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble from Thursday 15th to Saturday 17th June. We are expecting over 60 boats to be racing including the addition of the first J/99 Class Nationals. More information regarding the event will be announced in the run up to the regatta.
Pip Hare explains the outside gybe
Yachting World gave us another instalment of Pip Hare's double handed sailing series, this month explaining the outside gybe.
"Outside gybing an asymmetric spinnaker is an under-utilised technique by the average sailor - either as a double handed sailing skill or in a fully crewed environment. It can be trickier to learn than other techniques, and may require a little adaptation of your boat, but the outside gybe has some significant advantages over the inside gybe"
The series gives double handed sailors or those interested in sailing double handed, the best techniques, tips and key manoeuvres for smooth sailing, and what better boat to demonstrate on than Key Yachting's J/99!
Watch the video below or read the full article here: bit.ly/3xVsVM2
ZIG ZAG overall SORC winner
At the conclusion of the Port Canaveral Race last weekend, Andrew Clark's J122 ZIG ZAG was announced as the overall winner of the four-race 2022-23 SORC Islands in the Stream Series. After correcting out for the race win over Pat Harr's first-to-finish Cookson 50 EN GARDE, ZIG ZAG won both the race to the Cape and the entire SORC series over a packed fleet of 40-something-footers.
A third place finish for the race was enough for another J122 - Tom Sutton's LEADING EDGE - to lock up second for the series. Eamonn DeLisser and Jim Bill's Farr 395 SENARA broke up the J122 design dominance in the top five by claiming third place for the series, ahead of Matt Schaedler's BLITZKRIEG and Constantine Baris' DIRE WOLF in fourth and fifth, respectively.
"It was a terrific series," said organizer Chris Woolsey, "with a handful of boats within striking distance of the win going into the last race." ORC scoring for most races were chosen among the range of point-to-point course model options found on Page 2 of the participants 2022 ORC USA certificates.
At the awards ceremony in Port Canaveral, the final award of the evening was the Luiz Legacy Trophy, awarded to the person or team who raised the most money for Warrior Sailing's Luiz Legacy program, in honor of our friend Luiz Kahl's legacy of support for our sport. According to Warrior Sailing National Director Ben Poucher, the fleet raised enough money to train one warrior for a year. Read more about the campaign on the Warrior Sailing's Luiz Legacy page.
"No race has been requested more than the old classic SORC race, and there will be no easing into the new season," said Woolsey, alluding to this race's reputation as being a challenging sail down the Gulf coast to make then make the turn east at Key West into the full teeth of the Gulf Stream up the South Florida Atlantic coast to the finish in Ft Lauderdale.
Industry News
Spirit Yachts has announced a new management and ownership structure. In the company's 30th year, its original founder Sean McMillan has taken a step back from his CEO role to become a consultant designer and brand ambassador. As part of this transition, Spirit Yachts is now majority-owned by a passionate group of Spirit yacht owners, who have committed significant capital to strengthen future business growth.\
The company continues to be run by its dedicated existing Managing Director Karen Underwood, who is supported by strong design, production, and sales teams. Karen will be assisted by a newly appointed Production & Design Director and Spirit Yachts' Marketing Director, Helen Porter, who has raised the profile of the company for the past eight years.
Sean McMillan will continue to be closely involved in the design of Spirit's custom yachts working alongside Spirit's award-winning designer Tom Smith, and the company's in-house team of designers and naval architects,
In 1993, Suffolk-based Spirit Yachts was founded by Sean McMillan and Mick Newman, who set out to offer yacht owners a beautiful, unique, and sustainably sourced alternative to fibreglass production boats.
----------------------------------------------
Returning for 2023 at the South Coast & Green Tech Boat Show (21-23 April), MDL's Green Innovator Award is open for nominations.
Now in its second year, the award's purpose is to distinguish products and services that are pioneering in sustainability, innovation and design. It is aimed at projects from both start-ups and established companies, and highlights suppliers who are making a special effort towards environmentally sustainable practices and product development.
Nominations are now open to every company exhibiting at South Coast & Green Tech Boat Show, or any other business or organisation which has shown initiative in reducing its impact on the environment.
The winner of the 2023 Green Innovator Award will be announced on Saturday 22 April during the show which is hosted at MDL's flagship Ocean Village Marina in the heart of Southampton.
The Green Innovator Award is voted for by the public. To nominate a business or cast a vote.
Voting closes on Friday 21 April 2023 and the winner will be announced on Saturday 22 April in the Innovation Hub at the South Coast & Green Tech Boat Show.
Tickets to the South Coast & Green Tech Boat Show are free and can be booked via mdlmarinas.co.uk/events/boat-show-tickets/
----------------------------------------------
ICRA Boat of the Year winning skipper Mike Evans of Howth Yacht Club headlines this Saturday's National Conference at the Royal St. George Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
Evans - co-owner of the successful J99 Snapshot, ICRA Boat of the Year for 2022 - will outline boat and sails selection, crew preparation, and effective planning for a successful season and share some of his winning formulae.
As previously reported, as well as the keynote speakers, there will be updates on the major events planned for the year and the AGM, including the sailors' forum - where ICRA members can discuss and debate the big issues in the sport - and updates on ICRA activities.
The national cruiser-racer association has published its agenda for Saturday's meeting (see below)
The conference will start at 10:00 am, followed by the AGM, and close at 13:00 pm.
----------------------------------------------
Marlow Ropes are delighted to announce the appointment of new Leisure Marine team member Rob Henderson who has joined as UK Leisure Marine Sales Manager. Rob brings plenty of experience in the marine industry having started his career at Lymington Yacht Haven and Lewmar before working at Harken for six years, and more recently, Stones Boatyard in Devon.
The arrival of Rob comes after the announcement at the end of last year that the current UK Sales Manager David Mossman has moved over to pick up the Leisure Marine European Distribution business.
Established over 200 years ago, Marlow Ropes has become one of the leading rope manufacturers within the global Leisure Marine industry and is known for innovation and technical expertise.
----------------------------------------------
SailGP, the global racing league and Swiss watchmaker Rolex have announced a groundbreaking new ten season partnership which will see the iconic brand extend the relationship as the global presenting partner and as the exclusive official timepiece of the championship through to the end of Season 13.
Rolex joined as a presenting partner from the launch of SailGP in 2018, which this May will reach the conclusion of a record-breaking third season before beginning an expanded fourth season this June. This partnership highlights the strong alignment forged between the two brands as the championship continues its rapid growth.
As part of the agreement Rolex will become title partner for the Season 4 opening event – Rolex United States Sail Grand Prix | Chicago at Navy Pier – this June 16-17, 2023.
Rolex will also continue as presenting partner of SailGP's ground-breaking docuseries Racing on the Edge, which takes fans behind the scenes of the global championship, to look at the high's and low's of the sport's top professional athletes in their pursuit to be the best. In its second season, Racing on the Edge has been watched by over 2.1 million viewers since its creation.
Featured Charter
Pura Follia. From 17,000/week EUR. Located in Gaeta.
PURA FOLLIA, an Ice 60 designed by Umberto Felci in collaboration with the shipyard's team,is a truly fast cruising boat. While catering for the comfort of a charter, she also ensures top performances and speed in regatta due to her high construction technology and Italian craftsmanship. With 3 comfortable cabins for 6 people, guests time on board is only improved by a professional crew of 2. Her range of marine toys, including paddle boards, a tender and snorkeling equipment, and on-board relaxation facilities ensure that a charter with this boat will be a fantastic time!
Charter Destinations:
SUMMER : West Mediterranean
Naples & Amalfi Coast | Sicily | Sardinia | Tuscany & Elba
WINTER : West Mediterranean
Naples & Amalfi Coast | Sicily | Sardinia | Tuscany & Elba
See listing details in Seahorse Charters
Contact
Audrey Lucas
+33 668892280
See the the Seahorse charter collection
Featured Brokerage
2017 ClubSwan 50-006 'Regina'. 980000 EUR VAT Paid. Located in Marina di Scarlino, Italy.
Regina is an excellent example of a Club Swan 50. First launched May 2017 this yacht has been continually upgraded and professionally maintained. Widely recognized as a very fast boat in the one-design racing fleet, this yacht is now for sale. Included in the sale is a 40-foot container with work bench, shelves, and full-length sail racks. Regina with a nearly new sail inventory and updated running rigging offers an opportunity for a new owner to immediately begin racing at the highest competitive level.
See listing details in Nautor's Swan Brokerage
Contact
Christian Tiggeler
-----------------------------------------
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 1/2023.
The images and renderings used in this listing are for representation purposes only.
For full details please go to... seaquestcatamarans.com/sq46/
Contact
UAE: +971 5 8511 3400
USA: +1 312 772 0948
seaquestcatamarans.com
-----------------------------------------
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.
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 listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
Science blogs bore me. When everyone is an expert, no one is an expert. -- Leonard Susskind
Editorial and letter submissions to
Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see eurosailnews.com/advertise/