EuroSail News #5327

In This Issue
• Brutal hours ahead for the Ocean Race fleet
• IMOCA publishes its first annual Purpose Report
• BSI Rigging & Preventative Maintenance
• Golden Age of 12 Metres in the America's Cup
• Sailing World on Water
• Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Race Day
• Howth 17s 125th Anniversary Race Is Neatly Choreographed
• B14 Europeans & Worlds 2023 at Lake Garda
• In conversation with Vanni Galgani
• Featured Charter: J122 El Ocaso
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Farr X2
• • Carkeek 46 - "LOKI"
• • Elan GT6
• The Last Word: Mark Twain

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

Brutal hours ahead for the Ocean Race fleet
The forecast is for winds gusting near 50 knots as the leaders approach their penultimate night at sea on Leg 4

As the leading boats get within 600 miles of the finishing line off Newport, Rhode Island, the crews are preparing for a brutal afternoon and evening at sea.

There is a weather front approaching with southwest winds forecast at 40 knots, gusting as high at 50 knots. If this weather comes through as predicted, it will be some of the strongest winds the teams have faced in the entire race.

11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malizia are beginning to feel the impact of this system already (1400 UTC). Adding to the stress is the current the boats are starting to see as well, due to the Gulf Stream. Fortunately, the wind direction - southwest - is largely in line with the current, which should keep the sea state manageable.

"We are going into a small low pressure, with very strong wind, probably around 50 knots at one stage. Not for very long, but quite extreme," is the view of Nico Lunven on Team Malizia. "The sea state should not be too bad, I think, because it's a new system so it shouldn't have had time to develop."

For the pair behind - Biotherm and GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, this system will also be an obstacle.

theoceanrace.com

IMOCA publishes its first annual Purpose Report
The IMOCA Class - the organisation behind one of the fastest and most exciting fleet of monohull racing yachts anywhere in the world - today publishes its first Purpose Report.

This document underpins the Class's ongoing commitment to embed sustainability and social diversity into its sporting activities. It has been created to report in a clear way on progress, and to inspire people and businesses alike to take action, especially towards ocean protection.

The Purpose Report addresses the IMOCA sustainability strategy that forms the foundation for the next era of Class Rules; these will propel the Class and the sector in which it is active towards sustainable innovation.

One of IMOCA's most high profile recent sustainability initiatives is its "Green Sail Rule" introduced last December. This encourages leading sail-making companies to produce sails for IMOCA yachts using more sustainable energy, avoiding air travel and generating less waste.

This innovation, pioneered by Dinham-Price and her colleague at IMOCA Claire Vayer, has made it to the final of the inaugural Sports for Nature Challenge organised by ThinkSport. The Green Sail Rule is one of 10 finalists which will be reviewed by judges in Lausanne in Switzerland tomorrow (May 9th).

imoca.org

BSI Rigging & Preventative Maintenance
Look after your equipment and your equipment will look after you. BSI understand that preparing for the unexpected is easier said than done. However, when it comes to your standing rigging there are preventative measures you can take through regular inspection.

The BSI global network of service agents and service technicians are here to help. Based throughout Europe, North America, into the Caribbean as far afield as New Zealand and Australia, experienced teams of qualified riggers can inspect and service your standing rigging to help prevent a catastrophic disaster.

BSI standing rigging in rod, wire or Kevlar is often supplied to boats by the yard, who choose it for its reliability and quality. There is a high probability your boat is already equipped with BSI rigging, so it's recommended the service is carried out by those who know the product and who have access to genuine BSI replacement parts. BSI Certified Centres and Service Technicians receive training alongside BSI riggers at the factory and learn all there is to know about the products and receive full support from BSI. If you are going to replace a part, make sure it's replaced with the correct one!

The BSI goal is, and has always been, to manufacture the best-in-class products with the strength to handle anything a raging sea and the elements exposes them to, without compromising control or speed. Make now the time you have your rig inspected so you can make the most of your time on the water!

The BSI Group consists of BSI, OYS, Jefa Steering, Hundested Propeller, GORI Propeller and Ocean Marine Systems (OMS), who manufacture rigging, hatches, portlights, blocks, steering systems, propulsions systems, controllable pitch propellers, folding propellers, thrusters, hydraulic cylinders and through-hull instrument deployment hoist.

Find your local BSI Group expertbsidk.com/contact-support/

Come Celebrate the Golden Age of 12 Metres in the America's Cup
September 18, 1977: COURAGEOUS skipper, Ted Turner, shaking hands with Bill Ficker, winning skipper of the 1970 America's Cup. Photo by J. Walter Green for the Associated Press.

The America's Cup Hall of Fame cordially invites you to join us for an evening of celebration at The Sailing Museum in honor of the Golden Age of 12 Metres in the America's Cup.

On June 8th, we will gather to relive the excitement and glamour of one of the most exhilarating periods in America's Cup history. Gary Jobson, renowned commentator and Hall of Famer, will present a retrospective of highlights from the 12 Metre era, including footage from some of the raucous press conferences that took place in the Armory (now The Sailing Museum) on Thames Street.

This is an event not to be missed as we delve into the fascinating history and remarkable achievements of these legendary boats and their crews. It will also be an opportunity to connect with fellow America's Cup enthusiasts, Hall of Fame members, and 12 Metre sailors such as John Marshall, Dave Pedrick, Mike Toppa, and Tom Whidden amongst the many 12 Metre-related artifacts and exhibits in The Sailing Museum to reflect on the magical years of the Cup in Newport.

The event will take place at The Sailing Museum in Newport, and doors will open at 6:00p. The reception will include open bar and passed hors d'oeuvres.

herreshoff.org

Sailing World on Water
After being dismasted, the Holcim-PRB team came up with a plan to sail the boat to Rio, under jury rig, where they hoped to fit a spare mast and rejoin the race. The logistics and timings behind this operation were complicated. It seems the latest plan is not to do Leg 4 to Newport and get a new mast delivered to there, so that they can do the double point, Leg 5, from Newport across the Atlantic. This way they could possibly still lead the race on points.

This is your weekly Sailing global highlights show, the World on Water, May 05, 2023.

boatson.tv

Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Race Day
The final day of racing at Antigua Sailing Week was held in the strongest wind of the regatta, with solid south easterly trade winds gusting up to 18 knots. Provisional Overall Results can be viewed HERE.

The CSA Racing Classes had two races starting off Windward Beach on tight technical windward leeward courses, testing boat handling and crew mettle with class wins in the balance. The Bareboat Classes raced off Rendezvous Bay with courses including the deep water mark 'Old Road' providing exhilarating downwind legs. The Club Classes had a glorious final day of racing with a long course taking in superb vistas of Antigua, including the world famous, award winning Cades Reef.

Standout race winners on the last day: Michel Larroche's Gunboat 62 Tribe, Sir Richard Matthews' Holding Pattern, Andy Middleton's EH01 - Global Yacht Racing, David Ross's Adagio of Lorne, Reginald Williams' Legacy, Katy Campbell's Pancea X, and Colin Baldwin's Live Love Antigua (Sete Maris).

Full results for all classes on YachtScoring.com

sailingweek.com

Howth 17s 125th Anniversary Race Is Neatly Choreographed
Rita and Aura at the South Rowan Buoy off Howth, Saturday May 6th 2023. Photo: David O’Shea. Click on image to enlarge.

In April 1898 the little gaff sloop Rita came sailing into Howth Harbour, the first of the five new inaugural Howth 17s built by John Hilditch of Carrickfergus on Belfast Lough to reach their home port. The 90-mile open-water voyage from her birthplace was undertaken by owner Noel Guinness, who had decided with four other serious enthusiasts in what was then Howth Sailing Club that they needed a new One-Design boat which was more robust than the lightly-built Half Raters they'd been using until then.

They asked their Commodore Herbert Boyd - already an amateur yacht designer of proven talent - to create an able little boat "that would last well, and be safe", and the Boyd-designed Howth 17 (she's 17ft waterline and 22ft 6 ins LOA) has since done that and more.

Some of Rita's sister-ships took longer to make the passage, with overnight stops in a few cases, but by late April, the little fleet was gathered, and the first race was scheduled for April 30th. But bad weather prevented this, so they finally had their maiden race on May 4th 1898, with Rita winning.

The full article by WM Nixon in Afloat:

afloat.ie/sail/

B14 Europeans & Worlds 2023 at Lake Garda
The entry for the 2023 B14 European and World Championships, July 13-21 at Circolo Vela Torbole Lake Garda is open on the club website.

Entry includes full onshore and on water support, after racing pasta and the awards ceremony with prizes for the leading 5 boats.

Early bird price until mid June is €290 for the Europeans, €480 for the worlds and €740 for both events. Late entry is €770 for both.

The B14 world championships alternate between Europe and Australia. This was disrupted by Covid and teams from both hemispheres are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to compete in a location that for many is the holy grail of lake sailing.

Australia won the 'ashes' at Garda in 2016 which were taken back by GBR in 2018 at Beauty Point Tasmania and again at Carnac France in 2019. With 7 very experienced and talented Australian boats travelling to the event this year, will they regain the ashes or will circa 25 teams of the best that Europe can muster hold onto them... only time will tell!

For those thinking of travelling with a B14, the next world event after Garda will be Sydney Australia in January 2025.

Racing will commence with a 9 race European championship over 3 days followed by a lay day and a 10 race World Championship over 5 days. -- Crispin Taylor

sail-world.com

circolovelatorbole.com/en/

In conversation with Vanni Galgani - Head of Product Marketing Swan & Swan Maxi Yachts
Nautor Swan launched the Swan 108 project in 2021, during the Regate di Primavera in Portofino. How was the genesis of the project?

After the considerable success of previous models - Swan 95 and 98, Swan 115 and 120 (10 units sold in total) - Nautor Management and our Project Team debated on what the future for Swan Maxis should be. As always, the starting point of the project drew on a number of key references: the significant know-how gained on previous models, the experience of our Owners, as well as feedback from captains, crew and guests, then finally, our in-house teams testing our boats as intensively as possible. This process has remained the same from the very beginning of Nautor, proud of producing fine maxi yachts since 1970, across hundreds of units. This is probably our greatest strength.

This model benefits from the cooperation of three great names in the design panorama. Germán Frers, Lucio Micheletti and Misa Poggi. How was their collective expertise put to effective service for this new model?

Germán Frers, the Grand Maestro, has been Nautor's resident designer since 1980. He has designed for us circa 30 different maxi models. This together with the many, many renowned maxi designs realised for other customers, including one-offs that dominated the racing field since the early 80s. He is one of the 'Master of the Maxis'. His experience, style, knowledge are all brought to every project from decades of design work. Nevertheless, what is unbelievable is the freshness of every new design coming from his pencil. Look at the new maxis we have in our line: they are the representation of an evolution, but what a jump!

EuroSail News #5327 - 9 May