In This Issue
• Kirsten Neuschafer wins the Golden Globe Race
• Abhilash Tomy's Remarkable Comeback
• Charging north towards the doldrums
• Holcim-PRB arrive in Rio
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Peters & May Round Antigua Race
• Casa Vela Cup Victory For Edge Womens Match
• Aspire wins 5.5 Metre Alpen Cup at Torbole
• (Near) perfect inshore race conditions again at ORC Europeans
• Featured Brokerage:
• • MC75 Multihull
• • Arcona 385
• • Nautor Swan 46
• The Last Word: Johan Hari

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

Kirsten Neuschafer wins the Golden Globe Race in 233 d 18h 43m 47s
A hero’s welcome in the legendary channel of Les Sables d’Olonne despite a late arrival trapped by no wind. Photo by Rob Havill/GGR2022. Click on image to enlarge.

It's been a long time in the making for Kirsten Neuschafer who got becalmed just hours before going through the finish line, off the coast on the world's solo sailing capital Les Sables d'Olonne. Several boats joined her 8 miles offshore and this is when she learnt that she was going to be the winner of the GGR.

Earlier in the same day, Simon Curwen GBR sailed up the Channel as the first boat home despite his stop in Puerto Montt to repair a broken windvane, and came up the channel with his wife Clare, cheered by many supporters under a slight drizzle under the Howdens spinnaker.

He was welcomed by Yannick Moreau, the Mayor of Les Sables d'Ollonne, GGR 2018 winner and International Association of Cape Horners' President Jean-Luc Van Den Heede and GGR President Don McIntyre and presented with the Cape Horners ensign have done a fantastic round the world trip, leading the fleet from Cape Finisterre until the 31st of January.

At 19:43:47 on Thursday the 27th Minnehaha crossed the GGR finish line before going up a channel lit in red, where the people of Les Sables gave her the warm welcome, she deserved for coming first in the gruelling GGR 2022-2022. She had spent 235 days at sea, with an official time of 233 days, 18 hours, 43 minutes and 47 seconds after her 35 hours of compensation awarded for Tapio's rescue were discounted, and no fuel penalty since she only consumed 30.7 litres of fuel in her round-the-world voyage.

Kirsten Neushafer received a hero's welcome in the Channel of Les Sables d'Olonne where thousands of Sablais, Sablaises and fans from all around the world greeted her. She hugged her mother Annett on the dock after many months away, saw her friends and Eddie Arsenault (CAN) from Prince Edwards Island who guided the refit of the Victorious Cape George 36, which did not suffer any significant failure in the voyage.

goldengloberace.com

Abhilash Tomy's Remarkable Comeback: From Broken Back to 2nd Place in the Golden Globe Race
Click on image to enlarge.

Retired Navy commander, 43 year old Abhilash Tomy, the renowned sailor and first Indian to complete a solo non stop voyage around the world in 2013, made history on Saturday by securing an outstanding second-place finish in the gruelling 2022 Golden Globe Race. Tomy's yacht, BAYANAT crossed the finish line at 06:46hr in Les Sables d'Olonne, France, after an intense 236-day 30,000mile journey around the globe. This incredible achievement is especially noteworthy given the numerous setbacks Tomy faced leading up to and during the race, making his triumph a true testament to his exceptional skill, determination, and perseverance.

In 2018, Abhilash Tomy experienced a catastrophic accident during his first attempt at the Golden Globe Race when a violent storm in the Indian Southern Ocean caused his yacht to roll, losing both masts and resulting in a broken back unable to move and trapped below. An international rescue effort followed and then major operations and rehabilitation before walking then sailing again. Undeterred by this harrowing experience, Tomy set his sights on returning to the GGR, displaying immense resilience and unwavering commitment to the dream.

Tomy's entry into the 2022 Golden Globe Race was fraught with challenges from the beginning. As the last participant to join the race he was pushed for time to prepare.He faced a collision with a ship just two weeks before the start, which severely damaged the bow of his yacht. Despite this significant obstacle and rushed Euro 50,000 repair, Tomy remained steadfast in his determination to complete the race. Once underway he was often struggling to cope with the memories of his 2018 accident, until he passed the spot in the ocean where it all happened. A huge weight lifted from his shoulders and in his mind and the world looked a better place!

Throughout the race, BAYANAT was beset by a series of breakdowns in his rigging and windpilot windvane. However, Abhilash Tomy earned the nickname "Mr Fixit" for his tireless efforts to keep his vessel afloat and on course. He demonstrated extraordinary resourcefulness and ingenuity, solidifying his reputation as one of the world's leading sailors.

goldengloberace.com

Charging north towards the doldrums
Moderate easterly tradewinds have provided a speedy 24 hours of racing for the four IMOCAs charging north towards the doldrums.

24 hour distance runs have nearly doubled (although are still far off a record-setting pace) as the wind has settled in around 12-14 knots.

The result is a drag race directly north, where the teams will leave the northeastern corner of Brazil to port - their current headings have them closing within about 30 miles of Recife, which is still about 120 miles to the north.

Some bad luck for GUYOT environnement - Team Europe who had been doing a remarkable job of keeping pace with its rivals over the past day or so. At one point on Sunday morning, the team was showing in second place, just 4 miles back.

But shortly afterwards, skipper Ben Dutreux's boat steered towards the coast and slowed. The team reported a small technical issue - later confirming a broken 'foil down' line - that would cost them nearly 50 miles before they were back on track at pace.

theoceanrace.com/en/

Holcim-PRB arrive in Rio, announce plans to rejoin race for Leg 5
Skipper Kevin Escoffier stepped off his jury-rigged boat in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday afternoon local time and announced Team Holcim-PRB would abandon Leg 4 to focus on being able to rejoin the race in time for the transatlantic leg from Newport to Aarhus.

The team had dismasted on Thursday, the fourth day of Leg 4 and has been sailing slowly towards Rio ever since.

The transatlantic Leg 5 of The Ocean Race is a double-points scoring leg and Escoffier says the team must focus on being ready for this to maintain a chance at winning the overall race. Team Holcim-PRB sits atop the overall leaderboard.

With the assistance of GAC Pindar, the official logistics provider of The Ocean Race, Team Holcim-PRB has worked through numerous options to get a mast from Europe to the boat in either Rio or Newport. Today, the team decided Newport was the most realistic option.

In a statement, Team Holcim-PRB said its shore team members, with the help of the sailors, will prepare the IMOCA boat to be loaded onto a cargo ship that could set off as early as Tuesday to head for Newport. It will take about 16 days at sea to reach the American port. At the same time, on the other side of the Atlantic the mast will be loaded onto another cargo ship. The crossing will last seven days and the mast could be unloaded between May 9 and 10 in Newport.

According to the team, in the best case scenario Holcim-PRB will be in Newport on May 18. The team will then have just over 48 hours to rig the boat and finish preparing it for the return trip to Europe.

theoceanrace.com

Seahorse May 2023
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Blend to taste
Less of a product... more of a system. There has been a lot of promotion of filmless and composite sail fabrics in recent years. With efficient mixtures and orientations of fibres, these materials can be used to create sails of great strength and durability. Dimension-Polyant's new Tyra PLY now enables all sailmakers to offer their customers this significant uptick in performance.

Serious business
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.

TP52 SuperSeries - Back to the millimetres
2023… and perhaps a time for youth

RORC - The likes of whom
Syd Fischer and Peter Bowker. Two true giants of ocean racing, now they are both gone

Making life easy
Superyacht regattas are immense fun but for many owners the perception of increased stress in exchange for a few days' racing keeps them on the sidelines. The SuperYacht Racing Association is working to change that...

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Peters & May Round Antigua Race
Racing action at Antigua Sailing Week got underway Satuday with the stand-alone Peters & May Round Antigua Race. Sunshine was in abundance, but with light conditions expected all day, Antigua Sailing Week Race Manager Jaime Torres chose a shortened course. Testing the teams at every point of sail, two race tracks were set of around 25 and 15 miles, providing smooth racing and gorgeous vistas of Antigua.

Starting off the Pillars of Hercules outside Nelson's Dockyard, the fleet played the stunning shoreline on the south side of Antigua, beating past Willoughby Bay and Half Moon Bay. At Green Island, the raceboats cracked sheets to reach up the windward side of Antigua. CSA 1, CSA 2, and the Multihull classes raced past Devil's Bridge to a virtual mark. CSA 3 had a different virtual mark providing a shorter course. The fleet gybed south on a reciprocal course to pass Green Island for the second time. A broad reach to Cat and a tactical beat to the finish gave a spicy flavour to the finish outside Antigua's Nelson's Dockyard.

The overall winner after CSA time correction for the Peters & May Trophy was Geoff Manchester's J/133 Vamoose (USA). The home port for Vamoose is Newport, Rhode Island, and the boat has been in Antigua since February.

Five days of racing at Antigua Sailing Week started Sunday. -- Louay Habib

www.sailingweek.com

Casa Vela Cup Victory For Edge Womens Match
San Francisco, USA: Celia Willison and the Edge Women's Match Team from New Zealand secured a hard-fought victory today at the inaugural all-women Casa Vela Cup hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, the opening stage of the 2023 Women's World Match Racing Tour. Willison and team defeated Sweden's Anna Ostling and the Wings Team 3-1 in the final.

The Edge Women's Match Team of Celia Willison, Alison Kent, Charlotte Porter and Serena Woodall had a tough route to the final after first having to defeat close friends and fellow Kiwis Megan Thomson/2.0 Racing Team in the semi-finals.

Starting the day at 1-1 in their semis match, Thomson came out strong to take a 2-1 advantage over Willison, but Thomson's point deduction from yesterday opened the door for Willison to claw back two straight wins and find their way to the final.

Final results
1. NZL Celia Willison, Alison Kent, Charlotte Porter, Serena Woodall
2. SWE Anna Ostling, Anna Holmdahl White, Linnea Wennergren, Annika Carlunger
3. USA Nicole Breault, Molly O'Bryan Vandemoer, Dana Riley Hayes, Maggie Bacon
4. NZL Megan Thomson, Anna Merchant, Lisa Dartnall, Maeve White
5. GBR Sophie Otter, Hebe Hemming, Amy Sparks, Hatty Ward
6. USA Janel Zarkowsky, Catherine Shanahan, Lexi Pline
7. AUS Brooke Wilson, Gemma Burns, Tiana Wittey, Emily Keg
8. GBR Rebecca Coles, Arianne Van de Loosdrecht, Bella Fellows, Rosie Rowell
9. GBR Ali Morrish, Sarah Jarman, Rosie Povall, Anna Carpenter
10. DEN Kristine Mauritzen, Emilie Lauritzen, Christina Albers Andersen, Katrine Ejlev

2023 Women's World Match Racing Tour
April 24-28 - Casa Vela Cup (J/22) - San Francisco, USA
April 30-May 4 - Santa Maria Cup (J/22) - Annapolis, USA
May 26-29 - Normandy Match Cup (First 7.5) - Le Havre, FRA
September 21-24 - KDY Women's Match Race (DS37) - Copenhagen, DEN

womenswmrt.com

Aspire wins 5.5 Metre Alpen Cup at Torbole
Aspire (POL 17, Mateusz Kusznierewicz, Przemysław Gacek, Ed Wright) has won the 5.5 Metre Alpen Cup at Circolo Vela Torbole after two more races were held on Saturday in light winds. Artemis (NOR 57, Kristian Nergaard, Johan Barne, Trond Solli-Sæther) did just enough to hang onto second overall while Shaolin (SUI 226, Flavio Marazzi, Hans von Werdt, Andreas Kindlimann) moved up to third. The race wins went to Marie-Francoise XXII (SUI 232, Jürg Menzi, Andreas Honegger, Kim Chabani) and Aspire.

In fact, the day belonged to Jürg Menzi and Marie-Francoise XXII with a first and a second. In both races he led round the top mark and would have probably won both races but for a major wind change on the final upwind in the last race.

It was a fitting end to the regatta for the man that started the event back in 2006 and donated the Alpen Cup, actually a platter rather than a cup. That year he won in SUI 217; the boat that is being sailed here by the Austrian team.

In winning the event Aspire only finishing outside the top three twice, and only won two races. In fact, six different boats won races this week underlying how competitive the fleet is becoming. -- Robert Deaves

Top five final results after 8 races
1. Aspire (POL 17, Mateusz Kusznierewicz, Przemysław Gacek, Ed Wright) 17
2. Artemis (NOR 57, Kristian Nergaard, Johan Barne, Trond Solli-Sæther) 27
3. Shaolin (SUI 226, Flavio Marazzi, Hans von Werdt, Andreas Kindlimann) 29
4. John B (BAH 26 Gavin McKinney, Lars Horn Johannessen, Mathias Dahlman) 33
5. Girls On Film (GBR 41, Louise Morton, Frithjof Kleen, Sam Haines) 34

Full results (PDF)

5.5class.org

(Near) perfect inshore race conditions again at ORC Europeans
Ta'Xbiex, Malta: Today was another near-perfect day for racing in Day Four of the 2023 ORC European Championship, co-hosted by Royal Malta Yacht Club and Yachting Malta.

Blue skies, flat seas and 8-12 knots of wind kept the racing close in all three classes of this championship event featuring 37 teams from 11 nations.

Racing on the southern course for Class B was spectacular, with that fleet starting on time in a building and shifting southerly with a hint of current that made for an interesting race course. This and five Club Swan 42's that are at the top of the class makes for a competitive intensity of inshore racing simply not found on the other course areas. So much so that after the first race today the three top teams were all tied in overall points.

Reigning Class A ORC World Champion BEAU GESTE, Karl Kwok's (HKG) TP 52, has a "picket fence" on their score line of all 1st places to amass a 6-point lead over BLUE SKY.

In Class C a similar stretching of the lead is occurring where another reigning ORC World Champion team - Ott Kikkas' (EST) SUGAR 3 - is ahead overall by 7 points. But the racing is also tight in this class: in the first race the top three positions were separated by only 30 seconds in corrected time, the top five places in the second race by only 1.5 minutes.

Racing continues tomorrow with the 12-hour Coastal Race, that like the Long Offshore race cannot be excluded from a boat's score for the series...so this one is very important. If a fifth Inshore race can be held and concluded on Monday, then a discard will be allowed for each boat's worse score in an inshore race. -- Maria Vella-Galea

orceuro2023.com

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The Last Word
You don’t get what you don’t fight for. -- Johann Hari

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