EuroSail News #5339 - 29 May
In This Issue
• Team Holcim-PRB blows past distance records
• Pressure on as leaders duel into Aarhus
• 145 Finn Masters set for a Finn-tastic week in Greece
• Take your pick
• Dragon Worlds
• Koesio wins 2023 Pro Sailing Tour
• Countdown to Superyacht Cup Palma
• GSYS Stockholm Team Race Regatta
• World's largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship rescues sailboat
• A New Atlantic Challenge for Bantry in West Cork
• Letters to the Editor
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Balance 482
• • Arcona 435
• • JV43
• The Last Word: Malcolm X
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
Team Holcim-PRB blows past distance records
Skipper Kevin Escoffier and his Team Holcim-PRB have shattered the existing 24-hour distance records in the monohull class.
First to fall was The Ocean Race 24-hour Speed Record Challenge sponsored by Ulysse Nardin, previously set at 602 nautical miles by Simeon Tienpont's Team AkzoNobel in the last race.
A few hours later and the outright monohull record, 618 nautical miles, set by the 100 footer Comanche in 2015, had been eclipsed.
As of 0630 UTC on Friday morning, Team Holcim-PRB had peaked at 640.9 nautical miles.
Conditions have been near perfect for making a record run - downwind reaching, in 25-27 knots of wind, with a relatively flat sea state.
Escoffier commented on their success: "It's a great boat and I'm really pleased! It's not every day you break a record like this.
The run has brought the team within just a few miles of 11th Hour Racing Team who continue to lead the leg.
Pressure on as leaders duel into Aarhus
Since the opening leg from Alicante, Spain to Cabo Verde, skipper Kevin Escoffier and his rotating cast of characters on Team Holcim-PRB have been firmly positioned at the top of the overall race leaderboard.
Now, with just over 250 miles left to the finish line in Aarhus, Denmark, it is Charlie Enright's 11th Hour Racing Team that is keeping the pressure on, racing at eye-watering speeds towards the end of the leg.
A win here - on this double-points scoring leg - would be the second consecutive leg victory for the American-flagged team and would vault the pre-race favourite to the top of the overall race leaderboard.
But it is not over yet.
At 1100 UTC on Sunday, the leader had 260 miles to sail and a 25 mile lead to protect. The fast downwind conditions will require some manoeuvering and there are a handful of traffic separation zones - exclusion zones - to navigate.
And if that wasn't enough, Team Malizia, fresh off their record-breaking run, is lurking less than 50 miles back, in third place.
The ETA for the winning boat is after 0430 local time in Aarhus, 0230 GMT, in the early hours of Monday morning.
145 Finn Masters set for a Finn-tastic week in Greece
Some 145 sailors from 30 nations have completed registration and are ready for the 2023 Finn World Masters to begin, at Nea Itaklitsa, near Kavala, in Greece.
Unfortunately, the opening ceremony was postponed on Sunday evening after a huge storm swept through the area bringing heavy rain, strong winds and lightning.
Also, unfortunately, the practice race on Sunday was cancelled after the wind failed to show up. It was a very hot and sunny day after an early shower, but the area has been suffering from a lot of storm activity in recent days and the sea breeze cycle has not yet reset.
Racing is scheduled to begin at 12.00 on Monday with the opening ceremony postponed until Monday evening.
Everything is in place for a fantastic week in Greece. The only ingredient now needed is wind.-- Robert Deaves
Take your pick
It's not just in northern Europe that the two-handed offshore racing movement continues to gather pace
In my last column I talked about why doublehanded sailing is so appealing. If that has inspired you, then this column will inform you of some of the best doublehanded opportunities this season. The numerous two-handed communities now sprouting up around the world are ready to embrace you and help with questions about boats, set-up, manoeuvres, races, sails and technology if you reach out to them.
In the UK the 2023 Fastnet Race already has a remarkable 100 twohanders registered. This underlines the growth of doublehanded sailing in northern Europe and is a huge leap compared to the 59 DH boats that took part in 2021.
Full article in the June issue of Seahorse
Dragon Worlds
Bodrum, Turkey: The much-anticipated Dragon World Championship, sponsored by the Arar Petroleum Co., is set to begin tomorrow in the beautiful coastal city of Bodrum, Turkey. After a temporary hiatus due to the National Elections held today, sailing enthusiasts and participants from around the world are eagerly awaiting the commencement of the highly competitive event.
Renowned as a prestigious sailing competition, the Dragon World Championship attracts skilled sailors and sailing enthusiasts who gather to witness the awe-inspiring display of skill, precision, and teamwork on the water. Bodrum, with its breathtaking scenery and ideal sailing conditions, serves as the perfect backdrop for this exhilarating championship.
Over the coming days, sailing teams will navigate the turquoise waters of Bodrum, utilising their skills and strategies for victory.
Koesio wins 2023 Pro Sailing Tour
Erwan Le Roux and his Koesio team have emerged as winners of the 2023 Pro Sailing Tour after a sometimes complex and challenging 1,650-mile 'Final Rush' leg from Alghero in the northwest of Sardinia to Brest in Brittany, France.
Erwan Le Roux and his crew of Audrey Ogereau and Devan Le Bihan finished second in the Pro Sailing Tour final rush, some 44 minutes behind Thibaut Vauchel-Camus racing Solidaires En Peloton - ARSEP after over six days at sea.
Luke Berry skippered Le Rire Médecin-Lamotte into third place on the leg which had finished with a 25 to 30 knot northeasterly and heavy seas.
Earlier in the leg, which had taken the fleet through the western Mediterranean and the Gibraltar Straits, then north around Cape Saint Vincent, the racers experienced lighter and variable winds requiring all their tactical skills.
Koesio's victory on the first two legs of the Pro Sailing Tour saw Le Roux live up to his status as one of the pre-event favourites, and take the overall title. As winner of the third edition of the Pro Sailing Tour, Le Roux follows in the wake of British racer Sam Goodchild in 2021 and the young French sailor Quentin Vlamynck in 2022, the latter adding his expertise to the 'Final Rush' leg winner Solidaires En Peloton - ARSEP.
Countdown to Superyacht Cup Palma
Back for a second successive year is the 24m Rose, the Wally Yacht took a race win on her debut in 2022, and she will be joined by Superyacht Cup Palma first-timer Lady M, a 39m Dubois design from New Zealand's Fitzroy Yachts yard.
With the countdown now on, the duo are preparing to join the fleet gathered for Europe's longest-running superyacht regatta out on the Bay of Palma from 21-24 June.
"Superyacht Cup Palma began life back in 1996 as a straightforward dock party for yacht crews waiting to go transatlantic and celebrating the end of the Mediterranean sailing season," said SYC Event Director Kate Branagh.
Among the highly-prized returnees in 2023 - and a big part of SYC's success - are Preferred Hotel Partner St. Regis Hotels & Resorts and the St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort, Official Timepiece Jaquet Droz, Destination Partner New Zealand, and event host the Real Club Nautico de Palma, SYC's long-standing race management partner.
Out on the water, and in the spirit of old friends welcoming the new, 2023 will see the return to the Superyacht Cup fray of the modern Ribelle last seen at SYC in 2017 - and her Vitters-built stablemate Pattoo, who will be looking to repeat her class win of last year.
And a pair of Nautor Swan entries represent both sides of the coin with the Swan 80 Umiko returning after her debut in 2021, and the Swan 100 Onyx making her first ever appearance at SYC. Also a first-timer is the 36m Dubois designed world cruiser Miss Silver.
Time For The Finals In GSYS Stockholm Team Race Regatta
After two days of intense competitions on Stockholm's inner waters, it's time for the finals for the teams in the Gamla Stans Yacht Sallskap, GSYS, Stockholm Team Race Regatta 2023.
This year we have once again welcomed the New York Yacht Club with, among others, Bill Tripp III, one of America's most famous boat designers, Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Royal Thames Yacht Club and Annapolis Yacht Club as well as two teams from the home club, Gamla Stans Yacht Sällskap.
This is how it looks before the finals:
1. Royal Thames Yacht Club, GBR
2. Newport Harbor Yacht Club, USA
3. Annapolis Yacht Club, USA
4. GSYS GM, SWE
5. GSYS, SWE
6. New York Yacht Club, USA
World's largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship rescues sailboat
Two sailors who started drifting after losing their rudder have told of their surreal experience when a replica 18th-century merchant ship arrived to rescue them off the coast of France.
The largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship in the world, Gotheborg of Sweden, was heading for its upcoming port stop in Jersey when it received a distress call from the MRCC (Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres) about a small sailing boat that was drifting after losing its rudder.
As the closest ship to the boat in distress, the 58-metre Gotheborg answered the call and towed the sailing boat during the night of 26 April 2023.
"The arrival of the Gotheborg on the scene was rapid and surprising, as we did not expect to see a merchant ship from the East India Company of the 18th-century. This moment was very strange, and we wondered if we were dreaming. Where were we? What time period was it?
"The Gotheborg approached very close to us to throw the line and pass a large rope. The mooring went well, and our destinies were linked for very long hours, during which we shared the same radio frequency to communicate with each other."
The two sailors have praised the Gotheborg's crew, hailing their "professionalism and kindness."
A New Atlantic Challenge for Bantry in West Cork
The Atlantic Challenge group at Bantry is working on a new development project for a marine centre in the West Cork town which would encourage more young people to become involved in the maritime sphere.
The Atlantic Challenge International began in 1984 to bring young people from different nations together in competitions through friendly contests to preserve and sustain traditional seamanship skills.
The Atlantic Challenge longboat can be rowed and sailed, though when sailed, it depends on the weight of the crew to balance the boats, which don't have keels underneath to steady them. I once sailed in the Bantry longboat, and it was quite an experience, moving from side to side to keep it upright.
The longboats hearken back to the attempted French invasion of Ireland at Bantry Bay in West Cork when Wolfe Tone was aboard the invasion fleet and the boats would have been used to land the invasion force, but that didn't happen, gales decimated it and never invaded.
The longboats are replicas of the original, dating back to the late 1700s. There are now a hundred of them around the world. The original was restored and is displayed in the National Museum at Collins Barracks in Dublin.
Diarmuid Murphy of the Atlantic Challenge Bantry group has been telling me about their plans for a marine development programme in Bantry and the next Atlantic Challenge event in Belfast next year. There had been a plan to hold it in Russia, but Putin's invasion of Ukraine scuppered that.
Listen to Tom MacSweeney's podcast
Letters To The Editor -
Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.
* From Luissa Smith:
I am pleased to share the recording of the Cruising Association (CA) webinar by our Regulatory & Technical Services Group (RATS) on 'Orca and Yachts: Fact, Fiction and Fear', which is available on the CA YouTube channel via our webinar news page.
Please visit the CA's orca information and reporting portal at theca.org.uk/orcas, where you can find resources available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. The CA has recently updated the portal to reflect the research and analysis that we have undertaken since June 2022, along with additional safety and deterrent advice, updated reporting forms and links to other resources, including current orca locations. The portal also publishes comparative data of all reports received and some patterns have emerged which are shared.
Featured Brokerage
Balance 482. 1,360,000 tax not included USD.
She’s designed for cruisers unwilling to sacrifice speed. Like many insurgent brands, Balance was born from our frustration. The catamaran market had simply become dominated by charter cats or racing cats, leaving few options for those seeking something in-between. We took our collective experience born from thousands of miles at sea to design and create truly balanced, handcrafted performance catamarans that would offer our customers years of blissful living and sailing.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
-----------------------------------------
Arcona 435. POA EUR.
The Arcona 435 illustrates the evolution of design and innovation for Arcona Yachts. She is a boat that will win regattas one weekend and then take the family for a comfortable and safe sail the next.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Arcona Yachts AB
Odelbergs Vag 2
134 40 Gustavsberg
Sweden
+46 8 519 410 40
-----------------------------------------
JV43 - NEW BOAT. POA EUR.
The JV43 is designed to push the limit in offshore sailing for a wide range of client profiles
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
judel/vrolijk & co design + engineering GmbH
Am Alten Vorhafen 8 | 27568 Bremerhaven | Germany
Telefon +49 (0)471 308811-0 | Fax +49 (0)471 308811-30
e-mail:
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
I believe in the brotherhood of all men, but I don't believe in wasting brotherhood on anyone who doesn't want to practice it with me. Brotherhood is a two-way street. -- Malcolm X
Editorial and letter submissions to
Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see eurosailnews.com/advertise/
Search the Archives
SEARCH
Search
[{{{type}}}] {{{reason}}}
{{/data.error.root_cause}}{{texts.summary}} {{#options.result.rssIcon}} RSS {{/options.result.rssIcon}}
{{/texts.summary}} {{#data.hits.hits}}
{{{_source.title}}} {{#_source.showPrice}} {{{_source.displayPrice}}} {{/_source.showPrice}}
{{#_source.showLink}} {{/_source.showLink}} {{#_source.showDate}}{{{_source.displayDate}}}
{{/_source.showDate}}{{{_source.description}}}
{{#_source.additionalInfo}}{{#_source.additionalFields}} {{#title}} {{{label}}}: {{{title}}} {{/title}} {{/_source.additionalFields}}
{{/_source.additionalInfo}}
