In This Issue
• Leg 4 opens with a drag race
• Semaine Olympique Francaise de Hyeres
• Hundested Propeller puchases Ocean Marine Systems
• Serious Business - RPAYC
• Round Ireland record: start of stand-by for Tom Dolan
• 56th Governor's Cup
• Regata Dell'accademia Navale
• Cup Spy : Three teams sail in fresh winds
• Golden Globe Race Day 232
• Featured Charter: Cape 31's
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Ice Yachts ICE 52
• • Gunboat 80
• • Open 42 one-off
• The Last Word: Neil deGrasse Tyson

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

Leg 4 opens with a drag race
It was GUYOT environnement - Team Europe sailor Annie Lush who said the opening days of leg 4 would be a "trim off" and this is how it has come to pass.

She was referring to the probablity the teams would be closely lined-up, drag racing one boat next to the other. Sail trim and boat speed would be the determining factors.

And over the first 18 hours of racing this has come to pass with the fleet racing east-southeast to get offshore as fast as possible.

Paul Meilhat's Biotherm held the early lead into this morning, but now it is Team Holcim PRB who bow forward. But the margins are very thin - on the leaderboard, the spread from first to fifth is just five miles.

The East-Northeast wind is fairly light - 8 to 12 knots - and variable with squalls and rain showers. It is forecast to build slightly over the next 24 hours.

Race Tracker

theoceanrace.com

Semaine Olympique Francaise de Hyeres
The 54th Semaine Olympique Francaise de Hyeres - TPM opened in classic Cote d'Azur conditions with unending sunshine and a 25-knot Mistral mixing it up across fleets. It was a day for flying, punctuated by nosedives, capsizes and white knuckle rides in short steep waves. The 49er and FX fleet were the only boats in the 10 Olympic classes unable to race.

Hyeres has hosted over half a century of elite racing but rarely has the pressure been so high for some, on and off the water, with less than 500 days to go until the start of the Paris 2024 Olympics. For many nations this event will finally decide who will represent them at the Olympic Test Event in Marseille in July and for some even for the Olympics next year.

After training in the 10-15 knot northerlies over the past few days, a Mistral arrived overnight; it was not quite as vigorous as forecast - but tell that to Tonči Stipanović. The 36-year-old Croatian, who has taken silver in the Ilca 7 at the last two Olympic Games in Rio and Tokyo, was still caught off balance by a huge gust on the finish line of his second race that cost him four places. For Croatia this is their final Olympic Test Event qualifier.\

Programme (subject to change):
Monday 24 to Friday April 28: qualifying phase
Saturday April 29: Medal Races
Saturday April 29: Prize giving and closing ceremony

sof.ffvoile.fr

Hundested Propeller Completes Purchase of Ocean Marine Systems (OMS)
Hundested Propeller is delighted to announce the acquisition of Ocean Marine Systems Ltd (OMS) and with immediate effect welcomes the UK organisation as a subsidiary.

For over 100 years, Hundested Propeller has been a manufacturer of marine equipment and today they supply complete controllable pitch propulsion systems, marine gearboxes, thrusters and sail drive solutions. The purchase of OMS will increase the thruster range available to customers and OMS will continue their successful range of hydraulic cylinders and through-hull instrument deployment systems used in underwater security and seabed mapping applications.

The former owners of OMS, Daniel Wilson, Mark Barwell and Ian Crowden will continue the management in the UK in close cooperation with the Hundested organisation in Denmark

"The ability to knowledge share between the two companies is an exciting opportunity for everyone. We have very complementary strengths and skills," comments Mark Barwell Sales Director for OMS.

Dan Wilson, OMS Managing Director commented about the new ownership that "There is an already a very strong synergy and good communication between Hundested Propeller and OMS. We are firmly convinced that through this new ownership, we can give our customers the certainty and security of supply by leveraging the infrastructure and best working practices now available to us."

"We are impressed with all we have seen, and we are very much looking forward to uniting our resources, knowledge, and competencies to provide a better propulsion offering to our customers" comments Morten Madsen, CEO of Hundested Propeller.

Hundested Propeller is part of the BSI Group of companies which includes BSI, Easy, GORI Propeller, Jefa Steering, Moonlight Portlights and Hatches, OYS and now OMS. The group manufactures specialist marine equipment for the sailing yacht and commercial marine market. The Group provide rigging, hatches, portlights, blocks, steering systems, propulsion systems, thrusters, folding propellers, hydraulic cylinders, and through-hull instrument deployment systems through a network of worldwide service agents and service centres.

Information on OMS can be found www.oms.ltd

Information on Hundested Propeller can be found hundestedpropeller.com

Information on the group can be found at bsidk.com

Serious Business - RPAYC
The Sydney to Auckland ocean race is not to be undertaken lightly. But what a great feeling when you step ashore after the finish...

The trans-Tasman rivalry is set to reignite when the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club's (RPAYC) inaugural Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race, which starts on Saturday, 7 October 2023 at 1pm, from Sydney Harbour and finishes in Auckland, New Zealand. Originally, the challenging 1,250-nautical mile race was to start in January 2021, taking in the America's Cup in New Zealand. In the meantime, Covid intervened and RPAYC, based at Pittwater on Sydney's Northern Beaches, was forced to leave it to one side until travel restrictions were removed.

Organisers at the Club sat down to look at a new date for the race: 'It had to be carefully planned, allowing crews of boats from both sides of the ditch to make the most of their time in both countries,' organising committee chairman, Robert McClelland, said.

Entries for the Category 1 Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race close on 1 September 2023. For all information, including entry and Notice of Race, please visit: www.sydneytoauckland.com

Sailing Instructions will be available on the event website from 1 October 2023.

Full article in the May issue of Seahorse

Round Ireland record: start of stand-by for Tom Dolan
While his boat Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan has now been berthed at Greystones, south of Dublin, since Wednesday, Irish solo skipper Tom Dolan will start his 'stand by' period when he is reunited with the Figaro Beneteau 3 this weekend. Dolan is prepared and ready to go at a moment's notice, just as soon as the best weather window opens to allow him to challenge for a new record time for the 698 nautical miles passage round Ireland.

Over the next five weeks, the skipper of Smurfit Kappa - Kingspan will carefully monitor the weather situation, looking for the best opportunity to set a new mark and break the reference time established in 2005 by the Belgian Michel Kleinjans aboard a Class40: 4 days, 1 hour and 53 minutes and 29 seconds.

Ironically, as luck would have it last week's conditions would have been perfect. The ideal scenario Dolan says would be " An anticyclone over Scandinavia which would then generate an easterly flow with shifts between the South-East, East and South-East, which would allow me to circumnavigate Ireland on single tacks taking advantage of a more favorable sea on the west side of the island, which is generally quite bumpy otherwise", comments Tom Dolan.

But that is the perfect scenario. The prevailing winds are from the west-southwest and the course can be sailed in either direction.

"Round Ireland is a fairly complex course, with strong currents and many windy areas", recalls Dolan who looks at each new weather file carefully in collaboration with his French coach Tanguy Leglatin, of the Lorient Pole Grande Large, Dolan asserts, "If the window is good, we estimate that it is possible to get round in three and a half days".

tomdolanracing.com

56th Governor's Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship
Newport Beach, California: The skippers invited to the 56th Governor's Cup International Youth Match Race this week are a diverse field representing over eight nations, and a strong mix of returning favorites, along with new entrants ready to compete for the cup.

The Selection Committee had a difficult time this year with almost three times the amount of RFIs to available spots and eight countries being represented. The committee had a hard time sticking to the stated guidelines with so many talented skippers wanting to attend.

Jeffrey Petersen (USA) who won the Governor's Cup in 2021 and placed 2nd in 2022, is coming back with a vengeance in an attempt to win the Cup a second time, joining fourteen others who have achieved that feat.

In addition to Jeffrey, we have Jack Egan (USA) and whoever will win the Rose Cup aka the US Matching Championship in June. Marcello Torre (AUS) and Cole Tapper (AUS) will be returning along with Max Paul (AUS).

Also, from down under Josh Hyde (NZL), will be competing in his first Governor's Cup. He likely will be trying hard to continue the mantle that Jordan Stevenson set last year.

From across the pond, we have Tom Higgins (IRL) and Alexander Colquitt (GBR).

From Europe we have Thimothee Rossi (FRA).

This year we are excited to be joined by two countries which are not regular entrants at the Governor's Cup. To the north of us we have Alec Coleman (CAN) and to the south Nicholas Bernal (BRA). -- Susan Kenney

govcupracing.com

Regata Dell'accademia Navale - Ran 630 Set Off From Livorno
Livorno, Italy: With a gun salvo from the Frigate Luigi Rizzo the RAN 630 - Regata dell'Accademia Navale (Italian Naval Academy Regatta) in its sixth edition, kicked off Sunday morning April 23, in the waters off Livorno, in Tuscany. This 630-mile offshore race is valid with a coefficient 3 for the Italian Offshore Championship.

At first, the fleet was engaged to reach the first mark off Porto Cervo, at the moment they are heading to Capri and then back to Livorno. At the start, given punctually at 11 a.m., the wind was about 10 knots with smooth seas.

While approaching the eastern exit of the Strait of Bonifacio, the fleet found challenging conditions with westerly winds and gusts up to 35/40 knots.

RAN 630 is organized by the Yacht Club of Livorno with the Naval Academy and the collaboration of the Marina Militare Livorno 'Riccardo Gorla' Sailing Section, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, and the Yacht Club Capri for the passages to Porto Cervo and Capri, respectively.

In attendance is the Navy with 3 units on which Naval Academy cadets race at the conclusion of their training phase/

The first yacht to round the mark off Porto Cervo at 14:08 CEST was Lunatika, Sunfast 3600 owned by Guido Baroni racing in Double Handed with Alessandro Miglietti, followed at 15:19 by Amapola II, Jeanneau 49 by Gherardo Maviglia.

Along with the renewed partnership with Officine Gullo, the 2023 edition sees the joining of Official timekeeper Locman, a watchmaker based on Elba Island, which will offer the winners some of its timepieces customized for the occasion, a Montecristo model will be presented to the winning yacht of the Line Honours, the first in real-time, while other models will be the prizes destined for the winners in compensated time in all categories. -- Giuliano Luzzatto

Race Tracker

ycl.it

Cup Spy : Three teams sail in fresh winds
Alinghi Red Bull Racing rolled out their AC75 following rudder box repairs and did in the water testing only at their base in Barcelona.

Emirates Team New Zealand sailed for the second successive day, in a fresh seabreeze, and a 1.5-2.0 metre sea-state that had been building for five days - giving another opportunity to test the AC75 which has been upgraded to Version 2 of the AC75 Class Rule. Around 1330hrs the tack of the J2 jib parted company with the forestay tack fitting and blew back against the mast in 55kts of apparent wind. There was only minor damage to the mainsail, and Josh Junior who was working forward on the leech line for the jib was uninjured despite being hit by the jib as it blew back.

Luna Rossa sailed from Cagliari, winds of up to 15kts and a modest sea state. There were some issues with the foil wings which caused the LEQ12 to be stopped while the crew climbed out onto the wing to work on it - after which they sailed at speed, which occasionally hit the low 40kts.

INEOS Britannia sailed out of Mallorca after a delay of an hour waiting for the breeze which quickly increased to 17kts. Later in the session the Brit's test boat hit the low 40kts

American Magic remained ashore in Pensacola, Fl.

No further news from the Orient Express Team (formerly K-Challenge).

Richard Gladwell's full report in Sail-World.com

Golden Globe Race Day 232 - Kirsten likely to break all records. ETA Les Sables d'Olonne Friday 28th
The trio of Simon, Kirsten and Abhilash are close now sailing within 170 miles of each other as they approach the Bay of Biscay and the final run toward Les Sables d'Olonne. But the Race is on for Kirsten Neuschäfer (ZAF) who is leading by 90 miles on her runner up. With a 23-hour compensation for Tapio's Indian ocean rescue, she looks unbeatable, but it's not over! First they need to negotiate the heavy traffic in the Bay of Biscay after months sailing empty oceans, and Abhilash Tomy (IND) on Bayanat is not slowing down.

Both have steady downwind conditions, but on Wednesday winds drop and become much lighter from the West and then South on Thursday. The two different boat designs act differently in different weather, so there could be last minute surprises! But with just a few days to run in light westerlies from Thursday onwards, it is a huge challenge for Abhilash. The finish will be under a spinnaker and a timid sun, so it all points to a Kirsten.

ETA's are still to be refined after Wednesday's light winds and will be updated on the GGR website. Kirsten continues to push hard with at times 8.1kt speeds. She could cross the line on Friday the 28th in the morning, followed by Abhilash less than a day later. Simon Curwen (GBR) in Chichester class could arrive in Les Sables d'Olonne as early as Thursday 27th.

goldengloberace.com

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See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
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Call: +44 (0) 20 3920 6261
Email:
lvyachting.com

See the the Seahorse charter collection

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The Last Word
We are stardust brought to life, then empowered by the universe to figure itself out - and we have only just begun. -- Neil deGrasse Tyson

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