In This Issue
• A long reach east towards Tasmania
• Eivind Melleby/Mark Strube Move Into The Lead At 96th Bacardi Cup
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Winning Group 73rd JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship
• Howth's Successful Team Snapshot
• From Eider Duck to Andoo Comanche
• Cup Spy : Alinghi Red Bull Racing hits 50kts
• Get into the chocolates - RORC Easter Challenge
• Tom Dolan relishing the Figaro Beneteau season
• Featured Charter: Sailplane Mills 41
• Featured Brokerage:
• • ClubSwan 42-040 'Supersonico'
• • Pogo 12.50 Hermes
• • Dazcat 1495
• The Last Word: Galileo Galilei
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
A long reach east towards Tasmania
With all four teams sailing deep into the Roaring 40s, the full fleet is finally in what the sailors would consider to be more typical Southern Ocean conditions, with strong winds from a series of low pressure systems propelling them relentlessly east.
The leader, Team Holcim-PRB, has made a dive to become the boat furthest to the south. This is because the team keeps nosing into lighter conditions ahead, something that has been a concern for skipper Kevin Escoffier for some days now. He has seen Biotherm slice nearly 100 miles off his lead over the past three days, and this is his best defence.
it's been a stressful time on 11th Hour Racing Team. After making repairs to two headsails, the team discovered damage to its rudders during a routine inspection.
Amory Ross takes up the story: "Jack (Bouttell) looked at the windward rudder - the one that's out of the water - and found a crack. It was decent, from front to back, midway down on the outboard side. Then another nearer the top, much smaller, but also closer to the 'root', where the rudder meets the boat; a point of importance because losing the tip of a rudder is one thing but the whole rudder is another. Juju (Justine Mettraux) was quick to suggest checking the port rudder so down went the starboard rudder and up came the port. No long crack midway down, but a bigger one at the top in the same place as the starboard rudder.
Eivind Melleby/Mark Strube Move Into The Lead At 96th Bacardi Cup
Expectations for racing at 1100 hours today were swept aside as the breeze filled in later and lighter than forecast on race day 3 at the 96h Bacardi Cup.
Eivind Melleby/Mark Strube played another consistent hand with finesse, scoring a 4th to edge into the series lead.
An on-water postponement saw the Race Committee searching Biscayne Bay for the breeze, before selecting the southern bay area. In extremely shifty conditions racing got underway and two races took place. The Race Committee subsequently abandoned the opening race of the day, series race 2, which will be resailed on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
After a long eight-hour day on the water, tonight's mid-week Bacardi party and cocktails was a welcome unwind.
Provisional Results - Top 10 after two races
1. Eivind Melleby / Mark Strube (NOR 2017) - 6 pts
2. Mateusz Kusznierewicz / Bruno Prada (POL 8548) - 9 pts
3. Jorgen Schonherr / Markus Koy (DEN 8532) - 11 pts
4. Hans Spitzauer / Christian Nehammer (AUT 8529) - 11 pts
5. Marin Misura / Tonko Barac (CRO 8531) - 16 pts
6. Leandro Altolaguirre / Lucas Altolaguirre (ARG 1945) - 17 pts
7. Piet Eckert / Frederico Melo (SUI 8575) - 18 pts
8. Paul Cayard / Frithjof Kleen (USA 1988) - 18 pts
9. Peter O'Leary / Stephen Milne (IRL 8118) - 22 pts
10. George Szabo / Guy Avellon (USA 8537) - 22 pts
Full results on YachtScoring.com
Seahorse March 2023
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
World News
A popular win amid more Hobart controversy, Yoann Richomme has the Vendée bookies guessing, speedy bonus for Beyou, Jules Verne... around they go, Crichton takes his foot off the gas for a change (well, sort of), Fletcher's Cup claim becomes unanswerable. Plus some serious recycling USA-style. Dobbs Davis, Patrice Carpentier, Ivorwilkins, Adrienne Cahalan, Blue Robinson, Magnus Wheatley, Charles Caudrelier
Update
Good news from la belle France, a deeper dive into AC75 mainsail management, Southernmost stakes a strong claim, Magic and Alinghi still racking up mileage, the end for winch handles? Plus a new level of armchair grumbling... Jack Griffin, Sean Langman, Terry Hutchinson
Paul Cayard - A life well lived
The passing of a Bay Area icon. Plus The Ocean Race... it's certainly different but is it working?
ORC - Peak VPP!
Where to go from here? Andy Claughton
Faster, lighter AND more reliable
Most of us take traveller cars and tracks for granted but the extreme sail trimming and roll stability requirements of AC75s and AC40s required Harken to redevelop its hardware for a whole new performance level
Keep feeding him
Suellen Hurling
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Winning Group 73rd JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship, Races 5 & 6
Click on image for photo gallery.
Day 4 of the Winning Group JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship produced a double victory for the Winning family when John (Woody) Winning took out Race 5 as skipper of Yandoo and his son John (Herman) Winning won Race 6 as skipper of Andoo, on Sydney Harbour today.
In the first of the day's races, Yandoo (John Winning, Fang Warren and Josh Porebski) turned a 5s lead at the first weather mark into an outstanding 55s victory in a 10-12 knot Easterly breeze.
Big Peter (Sean Langman, Ed Powys and Rhys Mara) continued her good form from yesterday to finish in second place, just 6s ahead of Smeg (Michael Coxon, James Dorron and Tom Anderson).
Rag & famish Hotel (Harry Price) came home in fourth place ahead of Andoo, Lazarus (Marcus Ashley Jones), Shaw and Partners Financial Services (Dave O'Connor), Burrawang-Young Henrys (Simon Nearn), Birkenhead Point Marina (Kirk Mitchell) and Finport Finance (Keagan York).
The second race of the day was sailed in a fading ENE breeze and resulted in a brilliant all-the-way 2m2s victory for the pre-series favourite Andoo (John Winning Jr, Sseve Jarvin and Sam Newton).
After the completion of the day's racing, allowing for each team's worst performance to date being discarded, the net standings have a three-way tie for the lead as the fleet goes into the final three day's racing over the longer, more traditional style races.
Andoo, Big Pete and Smeg all have a current net score of 16 points, followed by Finport Finance on 20, Yandoo 22, Rag & Famish Hotel 25, Lazarus 32 and Shaw and Partners Financial Services on 35. -- Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.
Howth's Successful Team Snapshot Bring It All Back Home After ICRA Conference In Dun Laoghaire
Home Are The Heroes. Howth YC Commodore Neil Murphy with Team Snapshot for their welcome home complete with ICRA "Boat of the Year"Trophy, back row from left: Eric Phillips, co-skipper Richard Evans, Commodore Neil Murphy, co-skipper Michael Evans, Laura Dillon & Desmond Flood, front row from left: Dianna Kissane, Daragh White, John Phelan & Graham Curran. Click on image to enlarge.
Co-skippers Mike & Richie Evans of ICRA Boat of the Year, the J/99 Snapshot, had a relaxed and celebratory winding-down with crew, friends, family, and fellow Howth YC members when they returned to base from the ICRA AGM & Annual Conference in the Royal St George YC in Dun Laoghaire at the weekend. They'd been under the additional pressure of making the key presentation at the Dun Laoghaire gathering, but by the time they and the Trophy had made it safely back to the peninsula, it was a matter of just going with the flow of comradely festivity.
Nevertheless, there was talk of Snapshot's coming season, with the Scottish Series in late May very much in the reckoning, while the Welsh IRC Championship in Pwllheli in mid-May needs to be considered, and they are of course, defending champions at the biennial Sovereign's Cup in Kinsale at the end of June.
From Eider Duck to Andoo Comanche
In the first two months of this year over 1300 new IRC 2023 certificates have been issued to boats from 24 different countries, with a further 600 boats in 11 countries continuing to race in the southern hemisphere season under IRC 2022, who will revalidate at the beginning of June. The start to the year has therefore been busy for the IRC Rating Offices in Lymington, UK and Paris, France. IRC certificates are not issued automatically to allow the owner to confirm their data annually, each one is processed on application and declaration of any changes is individually checked by the experienced technical team.
IRC is an inclusive rating rule used for both inshore and offshore racing on six continents. The currently rated fleet encompasses a huge variety of boats of all ages, shapes, and sizes. While cruiser/racers make up the majority of the fleet there are also dayboats, classic yachts, custom race boats and sportsboats enjoying regular racing. Among the currently rated boats, the lowest rated is the Devon Yawl "Eider Duck" (TCC 0.769) with the other end of the scale being the VPLP Supermaxi "Andoo Comanche" (TCC 2.047).
IRC data shows 66% of the boats racing in IRC are over ten years old, and a fundamental principle of the Rule is to protect the majority of the fleet while also embracing technical development and supporting new designs. IRC aims to promote the competitive longevity of race boats, which also helps to protect the environment.
Cup Spy : Alinghi Red Bull Racing hits 50kts reports Recon Team
AC75 - Alinghi Red Bull Racing - March 7, 2023 - Barcelona - Day 48. Photo by Alex Carabi / America's Cup. Click on image to enlarge.
Alinghi Red Bull Racing were the only team reported to have sailed this day. The spy team from the AC37 Joint Recon program reports that the Swiss team hit 50kts, sailing in flat water and winds up to 16kts off Barcelona.
What happened in the Cup - March 7, 2023:
- Alinghi Red Bull Racing was the only team to sail on this day.
- American Magic did not sail their AC-40. Their AC75 was decommissioned on February 4, after 44 days.
- Luna Rossa did not sail.
- Emirates Team New Zealand did not sail, and are not expected to do so until after the conclusion of SailGP in Christchurch in 10 days.
- INEOS Britannia did not sail their AC40. No update yet on their repairs to their test boat T6 after it capsized and had a lithium battery fire.
- No further news from the Orient Express Team (formerly K-Challenge).
The Swiss team have opted to try and sail with no crew movement across the boat, and with the eight person crew split into two groups of four.
In the last Cup, on every boat except Luna Rossa, the crew changed sides each tack. On Luna Rossa they all changed sides except for the two co-helmsmen Jimmy Spithill (starboard) and Francesco Bruni (port helmsman). This setup enabled Spithill to be the primary starting helmsman, and for Bruni to have a good feel for the pressure and wind angle going into the vital first tack after the start.
The Swiss team haven't disclosed how the duties are split. There are several options, remembering that the team on the leeward side can still make a contribution to the sailing of the boat.
Richard Gladwell's full report in Sail-World.com
Get into the chocolates - RORC Easter Challenge
Entry is open for the RORC Easter Challenge supported by North Sails. From 7th-9th April, the first UK regatta of the Royal Ocean Racing Club 2023 season has up to three inshore races per day scheduled over the Easter Bank Holiday. Complimentary on-the-water coaching is led by RYA Keelboat Coach Mason King and his team. Racing is followed by comprehensive video debriefs at the RORC Cowes Clubhouse. With vital pre-season training and fine-tuning the RORC Easter Challenge is the ideal event for any team to kick-start their campaign.
"Race starts are always important, so before the first warning signal on Friday we will run numerous practice starts," confirmed RORC Racing Manager Steve Cole. "The RORC Easter Challenge will have a mixture of windward-leeward and round the cans races. A selection of courses and wind angles presents a perfect opportunity to improve your racing. The regatta is suitable for teams with an offshore programme, as well as inshore. The racing will be competitive but the real goal here is to tune up for the coming season. The courses will be designed to hone boat handling, tactics and navigation. All competitors will get a warm welcome at the RORC Cowes Clubhouse."
With the relaxation of RRS41, the highlight of the event is the availability of experienced coaches on the water to assist teams with getting back up to speed. Mason King's team will be supplemented by North Sails experts and a drone pilot in a support RIB. Many of the teams will be racing with North Sails experts, including Ian Atkins' GP42 Dark 'N' Stormy which will have North Sails UK General Manager Ian Walker calling tactics.
The RORC Easter Challenge is an open regatta and the RORC Clubhouse debriefs are a great way to rub shoulders with the competition. The RORC Restaurant and Bar will be open to all competitors. Prizes for the RORC Easter Challenge are Easter Eggs, but the real success for every team will be improving performance for the season ahead. -- Louay Habib
For more information about the RORC Easter Challenge including on-line entry:
sailracehq.com
Ireland's Tom Dolan relishing the start of the 2023 Figaro Beneteau season
A comprehensive sail testing programme completed in January and longer periods of intensive pre-season training races should mean Irish solo sailor Tom Dolan is well equipped to stake his claim to regular podium places over the course of the Figaro Bénéteau season in France.
The seven month racing season starts next weekend with the curtain raising Solo Maitre CoQ in Les Sables d'Olonne.
The Solo Maitre CoQ has proven something of a bogey event for Dolan. In the past. Three editions ago he lost focus when his strategy did not work initially and he made some rash, wrong choices, two editions ago he twisted his ankle and had to retire and last year he blew up a sail, so he is very much hoping this is his year to finish on the podium and his bad luck has run in threes.
"Actually I am quietly confident, ready to go and deal with what comes my way. I am definitely one of the older and more experienced guys now and feel I have proven myself. There is quite a bit of turnover now in the Figaro fleet, I am among the best and I feel I am in good shape." Dolan asserts.
His season will pivot around five major events on his programme: the Solo Maitre CoQ (from March 9 to 19), the Laura Vergne Trophy as a prelude to the Spi Ouest -France Banque Populaire Grand-Ouest (from April 1 to 2), the Tour de Bretagne (from June 29 to July 9), the Solo Guy Cotten (from July 23 to 30) all leading up to the season's pinnacle the Solitaire du Figaro (from August 19 to September 17).
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Contact
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email:
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The Last Word
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