EuroSail News #5395

In This Issue
• Lawrie Smith Dominates Edinburgh Cup
• Allianz Sailing World Championships
• Santiago Lange's last Olympic class race
• 2X the line speed. Huge weight reduction. Hole-y Winch!
• Hamble Classics Regatta - 6-Metres welcome
• Sailing World on Water - Brisbane-Hamilton Island Race
• European Radio Control IOM
• The return of cargo-carrying sail ships
• ICRA Nationals at Howth
• Featured Charter: Swan 68 - Defiance
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Zeydon Z60 - REGULUS
• • J 45 Elegance Yacht
• • HH44 - NEW BOAT
• The Last Word: Tom Waits

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

Lawrie Smith Dominates Opening Day of 75th Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix 2023 in Cowes
Cowes, UK - Lawrie Smith, sailing Alfie for the Glandore Yacht Club, gave a sailing masterclass in perfect Solent conditions to claim twin victories on the opening day of the 75th Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix, sponsored by Clear Solutions, in Cowes. Andy Beadsworth's Provezza Dragon from Turkey claimed a fourth and a second, while Grant Gordon's Louise Racing took a pair of thirds, leaving the two boats tied on six points, with Beadsworth standing second overall and Gordon third on countback.

For the 42 strong fleet conditions really could not have been better, with hot sun and a lovely sea breeze that built from around 10-12 knots at the start of racing to the mid-teens by the end, gently clocking from south-west to west as the day wore on. The Royal Yacht Squadron's Race Committee, led by Race Officer Rob Brown, used their well-rehearsed course "walking" technique, which involves moving the marks for each leg to counteract the tide's influence, on an approximately two-mile course over the Bramble Bank.

In the overall standings Lawrie Smith counts two points and has a four-point lead over Andy Beadsworth and Grant Gordon, who both have six points. In fourth place overall on eight points is Peter Gilmour with Gavia Wilkinson-Cox rounding out the top five.

Provisional Top Ten After Two Races
1 - Lawrie Smith - GBR815 Alfie - 1, 1 = 2
2 - Andy Beadsworth - TUR12 Provezza Dragon - 4, 2 = 6
3 - Grant Gordon - GBR820 Louise Racing - 3, 3 = 6
4 - Peter Gilmour - JPN56 YRED - 2, 6 = 8
5 - Gavia Wilkinson-Cox - GBR831 Jerboa - 6, 7 = 13
6 - Hannes Holleander - GER1075 Grace - 11, 4 = 15
7 - Jan Secher - SWE800 Miss Behaviour - 5, 11 = 16
8 - Chris Grosscurth - GBR753 Fit Chick - 9, 9 = 18 (1st Corinthian)
9 - Torvar Mirsky - AUS551 Yeahnah - 8, 12 = 20
10 - Martin Payne - GBR818 True Story - 18, 5 = 23

britishdragons.org/edinburgh-cup/

Allianz Sailing World Championships
Piotr Cichocki clinched Men's Hansa 303 gold at the Allianz Sailing World Championships while the Women's Hansa 303 is set for a thrilling finale in The Hague.

Three bullets for Cichocki ensured the Pole cannot be caught with just one race to come, while his compatriot and training partner Olga Gornas-Grudzien has the chance to match him on Wednesday.

Elsewhere Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler have put themselves in a strong position to claim the 49erFX title before the medal race while Max Maeder laid down a marker in the Formula Kite Men.

iQFOiL Women

Emma Wilson made a strong start to proceedings in the iQFOiL Women, with a bullet in the fourth race and finishing inside the top four in each of the five heats to sit first overall.

The Brit has a two-point lead over 2021 world champion Helene Noesmoen (FRA), who finished the day by taking the last two races in the yellow fleet.

Wilson, the Olympic bronze medallist, leads the way however, impressing in the yellow fleet, with China's Zheng Yan starting and finishing strongly as she won the first and fifth races to sit third.

iQFOiL Men

Nicolo Renna (ITA) finished with two bullets in the iQFOiL Men to move up to second overall but hometown hero Luuc van Opzeeland is the man to beat as it stands.

The Dutchman sits on 14 points, four clear of Renna, while defending champion Sebastian Kordel (GER) is now third.

While it is still very early in the competition, Van Opzeeland is currently on course to complete the full set of World Championship medals, having won bronze in 2021 before silver last year in Brest.

Full results of all classes

thehague2023.sailing.org

Santiago Lange's last Olympic class race
Click on image to enlarge.

Coming into this event, the 61-year-old knew his chances of winning the spot for the Games were slim. The Hague is the final of three trial events across the 2023 season, and already their friends and rivals Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco had stretched a good points lead. At the Semaine Olympique Francaise in Hyeres back in April, Lange was only five days out of the operating theatre after having his appendix removed. It was hardly ideal preparation for the rigours of racing on a frisky, foiling catamaran.

"Fortunately only the first day was windy and the rest was light winds," says Lange. "Where the doctors stitched me up was all good, but the body was using all its energy to repair itself. My brain couldn't work properly because I was really down on energy. But we managed to complete the regatta which was a big effort, and one we should be proud of."

Lange was aware that he and Travascio would need to sail a stellar regatta in The Hague while Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco would need an absolute stinker. Their rivals proceeded to finish in the top five of each of the first seven races, culminating in a bullet in the last to effectively clinch the spot. Heading into the final day of Nacra 17 competition Majdalani and Bosco were in sixth overall while Lange and Travascio were 17th.

"It's important for me to sail the best we can, and to enjoy every moment on the water. I've been in the Olympic circuit long enough to know how to perform the best in any given situation and I really want to enjoy the fleet and enjoy the opportunity to race these boats.

"It's a privilege at 61 years old to still be in this class competing at this level. So it would be stupid of me if I let us down and didn't try so hard because we are not making it to Paris. I am proud for Mateo and Eugenia. Mateo was my coach in Rio [when Lange won Olympic gold with Cecilia Carranza] and that means a lot to me that he's now in a good position to fight for a medal for Argentina."

thehague2023.sailing.org

2X the line speed. Huge weight reduction. Hole-y Winch!
After a generation of some of the tightest one-design racing on the planet, it was time for the RC44 class to award the gold watch to a whole fleet's worth of original Harken race winches.

Maintained well, the original Harken winches had delivered since the class splashed 15 years ago. But today, the boats are sailed more...aggressively. The Class's objective? DOUBLE the line speeds for kite hoists, gybes, and faster kite retractions.

When the RC44 technical committee reaches out, it means a complete fleet upgrade. That volume made a bespoke solution possible. One that will thrive on other boats in the size range.

Enter the new Air® winch 180 - the smallest yet.

You may already know Air winch - with the giant hole in the middle reducing kilos where every kilo matters? Coupled with overdrive gearing and Harken's modern, chain-driven MX components, the primaries successfully deliver 2X line speeds and are 43% lighter! The mainsheet winch is 47% lighter than its predecessor. Two regattas in, the 180s are a ripping success: Check out what 44Cup trimmers think.

And what of that massive hole, where we scooped out all those kilos? We think you'll agree, it's one Hole-y winch indeed.

harken.com/en/news/air-winch-180/

Hamble Classics Regatta - 6-Metres welcome
Photo by Rick Tomlinson, rick-tomlinson.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

The 8th Hamble Classics Regatta on August 26th-27th already has some great entries, Whooper, Uandi, and the gaff-rigged 6-Metre Sheila amongst them, and with near forty International 6-Metres soon to arrive in Cowes for their World Championship the event is offering these teams a well-organised practice and tune-up regatta with windward-leeward courses in the Central Solent. All 6's are welcome, modern and classic, with five races scheduled over two days. Silvervingen, Abu, and Aera have already entered.

Hamble Classics was created in 2016 by Jonty and Vicki Sherwill and designed as a late season celebration of classic yachting to welcome all styles of classic yachts with racing formats to suit each type including Classic Racers, Cruisers and Dayboats, the International Metre classes, Old Gaffers, Spirit of Tradition and One-Designs. Hamble Classics 2023 has race management provided by Hamble River Sailing Club, famous for its popular Hamble Winter Series, with Peter Bateson as PRO, and the Royal Air Force Yacht Club as shore base and social venue.

Jonty Sherwill is a three-times 6-Metre British Open Championship winning crew in 1988, 1989 and 1994 and a keen supporter of the class: "We look forward to seeing the latest innovative 6-Metres and superb classics, and of course our regular supporters with their classic racers including GRP yachts, Old Gaffers and XODs - photographer Rick Tomlinson should be spoilt for choice!"

Entry is available now - programme details, NOR and online entry at the event website: hambleclassics.co.uk

Sailing World on Water - Brisbane-Hamilton Island Race
Highlights of what happened globally in the sport of sailing in the last 7 days.

The Brisbane to Hamilton Island Yacht Race is one of Australia's longest, tropical Category 2, offshore yacht races, with competitors from across Australia and around the world, racing to the beautiful Hamilton Island in time for the start of the Whit-sunday Race Week season. Now, over to the start in Moreton Bay.

This is the weekly Global Sailing Highlights show, The World on Water, August 11, 2023.

The next phrase of the 37th Americas Cup has started and all teams are in Spain where the New Zealan Yacht Squadron is holding their defence. But first there is the secondary regatta with A C 40 foot foiling boats sailed by female and youth teams. To confuse it further these regattas are not in the host venue, they are in Italy and the middle East in the republic of Saudi Arabia. But back in Spain Ineos Britannia are having a tough time testing.

boatson.tv

European Radio Control IOM
Click on image to enlarge.

With just two months left for the official start of the Europa OP 2023 International One Metre Class European Championship, from 7th to 13th October, the Real Club Náutico de Torrevieja and the One Metre Class Association (IOMICA) officially closed the registration period this Monday. It did so with a high participation, 80 sailors representing 14 countries: Germany, Argentina, Austria, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

In the official list will be in the city of Torrevieja the best sailors in the class. Much level, which translates into a show in capital letters, guaranteed as evidenced a few months ago in the VI Torrevieja International Meeting IOM, a test in which Torrevieja and his Club passed all the tests with high marks.

There are many podium options at the conclusion of the races on Friday October 13th, although all eyes are going to focus, and focus on six sailors who are the big favorites.

2023iomeuropeans.rcnt.com

The return of cargo-carrying sail ships
Jorne Langelaan is beaming as he shows me around De Tukker, a traditional two-mast Dutch sail barge that was built in 1912.

A shipping enthusiast since he was a child, thanks to his grandfather working in the industry, Mr Langelaan has spent the past two years restoring the vessel with the aim of returning it to its original role - transporting cargo.

Last month, the ship set sail on its first commercial voyage under the ownership of Mr Langelaan's company, Ecoclipper.

Carrying mixed loads that included everything from cheese, to wine and olive oil, the 40-metre (131ft) long craft travelled from Amsterdam in the Netherlands, to Porto in Portugal, and back again. With stops in Spain, France and England.

De Tukker can carry 70 tonnes of cargo and up to 12 passengers. In her previous life she transported building supplies and produce along the Dutch and German coasts.

bbc.com/news/business

September's ICRA Nationals at Howth Will Be a Season 2023 Highlight
Host club yachts will be among the expected top performers for the ICRA National Championships at Howth Yacht Club this September.

Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) Commodore David Cullen is reporting solid entries for the Monday.com ICRA National Championships incorporating J24 National Championships with six weeks to go.

ICRA and Howth Yacht Club are encouraged to see entry numbers at 40 boats with six weeks left before the event.

Even more encouraging is to see several notable visitor boats attending, including the highly fancied J122 Jelly Baby and QuarterTonner Anchor Challenge from Cork, together with Hijacker and the A35 Final Call II from Northern Ireland.

Defending 2022 ICRA Overall National Champion, John Maybury's successful "Joker II" is also entered, having recently had massive success in Kinsale during the Sovereign's Cup, whilst several local hot shots, including Snapshot, Dux, Checkmate XX and Storm are ready to fend off all visitors whilst providing a warm welcome at Howth Yacht Club.

EuroSail News #5395 - 16 August

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