In This Issue
• Winners And Crews Celebrate
• Doublehanded Domination
• Made for it - Musto
• Cowes Week - Day 2 Round Up
• Cowes Week announces new Youth Trophy
• Top Tales from a tough Fastnet Race
• Golden Jubilee Of Ireland's Fastnet Race
• 18-Footer Quality Continues
• Topper World Championships
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Shogun Yachts SHOGUN 43
• • The Makara Series
• • Elan GT6
• The Last Word: Charlie Watts

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

Winners And Crews Celebrate Their Rolex Fastnet Race Challenge
Winners and competitors taking part in the 50th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race were celebrated on the stage at the prizegiving on the final evening in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. With the majority of boats having completed the 695-mile race from Cowes, RORC CEO Jeremy Wilton, Race Director Steve Cole and Rear Commodore Deb Fish congratulated all who took part and welcomed spectators, visitors, family and friends who had gathered in the Race Village on the Plage Verte at the Marina Chantereyne to watch the awards unfold. Opening the finale with a spectacular highlights video, it was then time to present all class winners with their trophies, along with a host of special prizes, before the overall winner of the Fastnet Challenge Cup was congratulated.

Welcomed on the stage to present individual awards were Jean-Louis Valentin, President of the Association Arrivee Fastnet Cherbourg; Mr Benoît Arrive, Maire de Cherbourg-en-Cotentin; Manuela Mahier, representing the Communaute d'Agglomeration du Cotentin; Isabelle Fontaine, representing the Departement de la Manche, and Augustin Bœuf, representing the Region Normandie.

MUSTO Media Awards

During the race, competitors were invited to send in blogs, photos and videos to the Media Team to keep race fans up-to-date. MUSTO Media Awards were given to:

1st (winning a £500 MUSTO voucher) - Philip Schroderheim of the IRC One yacht, Dehler 45, Solong, whose video had 1/2 million views on RORC social media.

2nd (winning a £350 Musto voucher) - Helena Darvelid on Allegra, the Irens catamaran racing in MOCRA multihull class, for her epic footage onboard in rough seas and capturing the MOD70 Zoulou launching off huge waves.

3rd (winning a £200 Musto voucher) - Zeb Fellows on the Sun Fast 3300 Orbit racing in IRC Two for his fun onboard footage. At just 16 years old, maybe one day in the future he'll be an onboard reporter.

Full list of all prizes and awards

rolexfastnetrace.com

Doublehanded Domination
Cherbourg-En-Cotentin: One of the strongest competitions within the Royal Ocean Racing Club's 50th Rolex Fastnet Race was in the ever-swelling ranks of IRC Two-Handed, mostly populated from IRC Two and IRC Three. This has steadily grown since it was first introduced in 2005 - this year it was up to a record 96, a quantum leap from the 64 that raced in pre-COVID 2019. And this figure doesn't include the IMOCAs and several Class40s, many competing doublehanded in preparation for this autumn's Transat Jacques Vabre.

In the early hours of a wet, stormy Thursday, first to finish into Cherbourg in IRC Two-Handed was Lann Ael 3, raced by the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race's outright winner Didier Gaudoux and former Figaro sailor Erwan Tabarly (nephew of the late Eric). Launched this April to replace Gaudoux's previous 39ft Nivelt-designed winner, this special new purpose-built racer was designed to race doublehanded in a special co-operation between Mini/Class40/IMOCA designer Sam Manuard and French yacht design legend Bernard Nivelt. When she finished, Lann Ael 3 topped the leaderboard, but subsequent arrivals dropped her down it.

Ultimately in IRC Two-Handed Romain Gibon and Alban Mesnil on Les P'Tits Doudous en Duo prevailed, also winning IRC Three in the process. This double win continued the tradition begun by Cherbourg-based father and son Pascal and Alexis Loison on their JPK 1010 Night And Day, who not only won both classes but also became the first and, to date, only, doublehanded overall winners of the Rolex Fastnet Race in 2013. They won IRC Two-Handed and Three again in 2017, Figaro sailor son Alexis going on to repeat this with 'Mr JPK' Jean-Pierre Kelbert in the latter's JPK 1030 Leon in both 2019 and then again with Guillaume Pirouelle in 2021.-- James Boyd/RORC

Made for it - Musto
Designed for fast-paced inshore regattas where the sailors' agility is just as crucial a factor as their strength is and endurance, Musto's lightweight LPX collection is exceptional and expanding

Continuing development in the foiling world, the explosive growth of ultra-fast boats such as the Cape 31, plus improvements in materials technology have created the perfect opportunity for Musto to further develop and expand its LPX range of high-performance lightweight foul weather gear. The result is best-inclass technical clothing for inshore regatta racing that offers perfect solutions for all weathers.

In many ways the LPX collection is a much more streamlined version of the new HPX ocean-spec kit, focussed on allowing crewmembers to move around the boat as freely as possible. At the same time, a key part of the concept was to create a full team package for use both while racing and on shore afterwards.

Full article in the August issue of Seahorse

Cowes Week - Day 2 Round Up
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Competitors were greeted with sun and a good working westerly breeze early this morning but with the predicted weather front sweeping along the Channel sooner and with more intensity than initially expected, racing for all classes was abandoned.

Although the Race Committee gave it a good shot this morning and plans were in place to at least run racing for the big boats, it was not to be, as Laurence Mead - Regatta Director explained: "We knew the weather window for racing today was pretty narrow. There was an opportunity to perhaps race the big boats in that window but we were watching the weather front come down and it arrived significantly earlier in Poole than we were expecting. When the front reached Poole early, we realised we were going to lose our weather window, even for the big boats, because by the time they got out there the breeze would be full on.

"So, although it actually dropped just before we abandoned, that was just the effect of rain. We had a big squall in front of it, then it dropped but we knew that in the following 40 minutes to an hour it would be up to 29kts and gusting a little more - up to 30-32kts."

Looking ahead at conditions for tomorrow and beyond, Mead said it's looking more hopeful: "We often lose a day in Cowes Week with too much or too little wind so hopefully today is the day. The forecast for the next few days is more moderate and looks good, although Wednesday now looks a bit punchy. However, we'll take one day at a time, in fact we almost do it hour by hour, which is what we've done today."

Results

cowesweek.co.uk

Cowes Week announces new Youth Trophy
Cowes Week is pleased to announce the presentation of a new trophy which will be awarded for the first time at this year's regatta. Wednesday is Youth Day at Cowes Week and although there are a number of trophies for on-water performance, there is no trophy that recognises outstanding commitment and achievement in a more general sailing sense for young sailors.

On Wednesday 2nd August, Cowes Week will therefore be presenting the new Cowes Week Youth Trophy as part of Youth Day at a drinks reception being hosted by Montgomery Estate Planning, this year's sponsor of the Under 25 Trophy at Cowes Week. The presentation event will take place at 18:00 at The Globe on Cowes Parade and all young sailors in the regatta are invited to attend.

Regatta Director Laurence Mead said: "Whilst much of Cowes Week is about racing and winning trophies, a big part is also about taking part and enjoying the sport of sailing and it is intended that this new trophy will recognise young sailors who have done something notable in the sport in the past year, irrespective of whether they won first place or not."

The trophy will be awarded annually to a recipient chosen by senior members of the Cowes Week organising team.

cowesweek.co.uk

Top Tales from a tough Fastnet Race
Our third feature on the Rolex Fastnet Race takes a look at some of the top (and my favourite) stories from the spectacular and gruelling 50th edition. This was a race that started with the fleet in survival mode for the first 12-24 hours. After that, things settled down...for a while....before the next front came sweeping through.

By then, the big guns had finished their sandwiches after one night at sea and were heading to the finish line in Cherbourg to set a new course record.

For many of the rest of the fleet that had battled through the horrendous conditions at the start there was more to come. This was an edition of the race that will be talked about for some time to come and one that delivered plenty of stories. Here are a few of our favourites.

planetsail.co.uk

Golden Jubilee Of Ireland's Fastnet Race Gull Salver Sees Lucky Dog Play Key Role In Nieulargo Win
The Holy Hound of West Cork - Druid Dog Sandy O’Leary casting the favourable runes atop the Fastnet Rock. Photo by Rob O’Leary. Click on image to enlarge.

It was the dog what done it. A hound of mysterious powers has changed family fortunes for a Crosshaven sailing clan. The Murphy-Fegan family's Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo, the Royal Cork Yacht Club Vice Admiral's Cleopatra-style gilded barge, so to speak, may have made a Fastnet Race start in Class 2 off Cowes a week ago so perfect that it was a case of "as seen on television" over and over again, as there was precious little else to see in a very murky Solent, and nothing half as good as Nieulargo's beautifully-called start

And then on Thursday morning, just after 9.0am at Cherbourg, Nieulargo emerged from some very fast overnight sailing to topple Mike O'Donnell's J/121 Darkwood from her long-time Number One position in the Irish flotilla, thereby ensuring that the Vice Admiral Annamarie Fegan and her family are the latest holders of the quietly prestigious Gull Salver in this its Golden Jubilee Year.

Yet anyone tracking the race as it so ruggedly unfolded will have realised that, despite the magic start, things at times weren't going so well for Nieulargo. In fact, sometimes not at all well, in a very wearing race. But although they had to live with slipping down the listings after spending the first day or two at second in IRC 2, as Cherbourg approached it all came together for a rousing finish.

So what had got their act together again? Well, as a rapidly circulating cyber-image has revealed, it was a favourable spell cast by the Holy Hound of West Cork, the amiable Bernese mountain dog known as Sandy O'Leary of Baltimore.

W.M. Nixon'a full story in Afloat magazine

18-Footer Quality Continues
Balmain Slake racing to the finish line. Click on image for photo gallery.

For the past 88 years, the Australian 18 Footers League on Sydney Harbour has been the home of some of the world's greatest sailing talent and the 2023-24 season, which will begin in October, will be no exception.

How many clubs can claim an America's Cup winner (Sam Newton), a Sydney-Hobart Line Honours-winning skipper (John Winning Jr) and a Youth Match Racing World champion (Harry Price) in its fleet, along with 10 times Giltinan champion Seve Jarvin and four times winning Giltinan champion skipper Michael Coxon, and of course, the legendary Giltinan champion John 'Woody' Winning.

The club's ongoing youth policy which has been successful in producing so many champions in the past, continues to reap rewards for the class as young, talented up-and-coming sailors benefit from the League.

Henry Larkings (Balmain Slake), who won two 29er Australian Championships and placed 3rd at the 2018 Youth World Championship in the USA, and who finished the 2023 Giltinan Championship with two top-5 placings in the final two races of the regatta, is one of those champions recruited to the League's fleet over the past two seasons.

Henry has nothing but praise for the League and its policy. "The club has made it incredibly easy and welcoming and provided us with a functioning boat and all the gear, even with new sails for the season too! It made it enjoyable coming into the class."

"The club also provided support by having experienced 18 footer sailors help us to rig up for the first time and take us out on our first sails to show us the new ropes."

The 2023-24 season will begin on Sunday October 8 when the Australian 18 Footers League conducts Race 1 of the Spring Championship and Race 1 of the Season Point Score. -- Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.

18footers.com

Ireland's Rory Whyte is Crowned 4.2 Topper World Champion at Royal Cork as Britain's Jones Claims 5.3 Title
There was a home success in a breezy conclusion to the 2023 Topper World Championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club on Friday afternoon, when Ireland took gold and silver in the smaller 4.2 rig division, while the main rig title went to Great Britain.

Friday's three back-to-back races confirmed Britain's Alex Jones of Parkstone Yacht Club as the 2023 Topper 5.3 World Champion at Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Jones had established a winning point cushion of 12 points over six races (with two race wins) and extended this on the final day to ten points with a last-race victory in Cork Harbour.

Jones's teammate Rory Clow of Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club, who had moved up to second overall going into Friday's races, was overtaken by Ruoque Su of China for the silver medal. Clow took bronze after nine races sailed in the 98-boat fleet.

The best of the Irish in the 5.3 rig was consistent Luke Simpson of County Antrim Yacht Club, who finished sixth.

Featured Brokerage
Shogun Yachts SHOGUN 43. POA EUR.

Want a yacht that effortlessly combines innovative design and ground-breaking technology, to make doublehanded sailing easy and fun – even at top speed?

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Matias Renlund - Grabau international (Scandinavia)
Tel: +358406861501
Email:

-----------------------------------------

The Makara Series. POA USD

THE MAKARA SERIES - A sailing superyacht series with perfectly proportioned style.

Designed to glide with the lightest of breeze, the Makara yachts deliver the highest levels of sailing performance with minimal effort and maximum comfort.

"With the Makara series, McConaghy establishes its position in the semi-custom luxury yacht sector, introducing a highly advanced and complex design which, in its resulting simplicity of use, sets it apart" - Mark Evans, Managing Director, McConaghy.

For full details please go to... mcconaghyboats.com/makara-series

-----------------------------------------

Elan GT6. POA EUR

Our flagship GT6 is a next-generation Grand Tourer that delivers the perfect balance of speed and power, comfort and luxury, good handling and precise control.

Stiff, stable and weatherly, the high-performance hull and sailplan by Humphreys Yacht Design are optimised for short-handed, medium-range cruising. Three generations of Humphreys/Elan design evolution and extensive CFD modelling produce a refined yacht that handles like a thoroughbred and delivers exhilarating performance on all points of sail, across the full range of wind and sea conditions.

For full details

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Elan, d.o.o.
Begunje 1,
4275 Begunje na Gorenjskem,
Slovenia
+386 4 53 51 109

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
I hate leaving home. I love what I do, but I'd love to go home every night. -- Charlie Watts

Editorial and letter submissions to

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: or see eurosailnews.com/advertise/