EuroSail News #5405

In This Issue
• Tom Dolan Leads the Figaro
• Raising the curtain on the Global Solo Challenge
• When reputation leads - X Yachts
• Tideway Wealth Management UK J/70 Nationals
• Cup Spy August 28: Kiwis versus the Swiss
• Hamilton Island Race Week
• 2023 America's Cup Hall of Fame Induction
• Six Metre World Championship
• Rolex Middle Sea Race
• Featured Charter: Class 40 | 192 - Pogo40 S4
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Alfred Mylne Glen-Coats Gaff Sloop - 'Duet'
• • 'Sultana' - Pilot Classic 66 (2018)
• • L30 One Design
• 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

Tom Dolan Leads the Figaro
Land's End, which the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec leaders were due to pass around 2000hrs this evening, may yet prove to be a decisive section of the 610 nautical miles first stage from Caen to Kinsale.

As they climbed NW across The Channel this afternoon – their third transit since Sunday lunchtime's start – there was still only one third of a mile between the top four solo skippers. Corentin Horeau (Banque Populaire) had benefited from being first to tack west late this afternoon and took the lead from Guillaume Pirouelle (Région Normandie) by a matter of 400 metres or so. But Land's End and the Traffic Separation lanes at the Scillies may shake up the leading peloton.

The first hurdle around 1700hrs this afternoon was a high pressure ridge of lighter winds that the fleet tacked through when the wind headed to the WNW ahead of them. Being closer to the English coast should allow a quicker passage through the light winds zone but encountering more adverse tidal flow at Land's End. Then, tomorrow, the medium term aim is positioning to get through a front and into the wind direction shift to the SW in the Celtic Sea for more favourable, fast spinnaker- reaching approach to the Fastnet which is still over 180 nautical miles away this afternoon.

Two women are currently in the top ten.

Top ten positions at 0630 France
1. Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan, Tom Dolan, 162.1 nm to finish of leg 1
2. Capso en Cavale, Benoit Tuduri, 0.8 nm to leader
3. Douze, Julie Simon, 5.9
4. Banque Populaire, Corintin Horeau, 8.5
5. TeamWork, Nils Palmieri, 8.7
6. Edenred, Basile Bourgnon, 8.7
7. Skipper MACIF 2022, Lois Berrehar, 8.9
8. Region Normandie, Guillaume Pirouelle, 9.1
9. Queguiner La Vie en Rose, Elodie Bonafous, 9.9
10. Region Bretagne CMB Performance, Gaston Morvan, 10.3

lasolitaire.com

Dafydd Hughes set sail raising the curtain on the Global Solo Challenge
Dafydd Hughes & Chuny Bermudez de Castro @GlobalSoloChallenge. Click on image to enlarge.

The flags of the Global Solo Challenge fly at Marina Coruña: the great adventure has begun. Today 26th August 2023, at 15:00 local time (13:00 UTC), the Welsh skipper Dafydd Hughes, aboard his S&S 34 Bendigedig, crossed the starting line, embarking on his solo, non-stop journey around the world. About fifteen knots of wind from the west-northwest and a blue sky, occasionally covered by rapidly passing gray clouds with some showers, accompanied the first among the GSC competitors to leave A Coruña.

For several days, other GSC skippers have shown the strong camaraderie that has built over time amongst entrants sending messages of support, encouragement and affection to Dafydd, who has the honor and challenging task of inaugurating the race and paving the way for everyone to follow. Juan Merediz, the Spanish skipper of the Class40 Waypoint who is not due to start until late October, joined Dafydd in A Coruña to greet him in person, experiencing the immense joy he will experience himself in two months when it will be his turn to depart. "It's finally starting! I'm excited and nervous! It's fantastic! I didn't want to miss Dafydd's departure. I wanted to meet him in person and encourage him!"

Tonight the wind will shift to the north and increase, allowing Dafydd to head directly towards Finisterre. Before departing, Dafydd stated that during the first two days he wants to sail cautiously and without pushing too hard in order to find his rhythm. "After the stress of the last day, due to a malfunction of the computer systems, I will calmly approach the first two days of sailing. I will hoist the mainsail and the J3, which are easier for me to handle."

globalsolochallenge.com

When reputation leads - X Yachts
X-Yachts announces the latest model in its Xc series of blue water cruising boats with bold claims and some new design features

Few brands in the boat industry are as respected as Denmark's X-Yachts. It was founded 43 years ago by three passionate sailors and all through the 1980s various models built on the revolutionary Niels Jeppesen design won one world championship after another. Later, focus shifted to high-end performance cruisers, based on the Scandinavian tradition of craftsmanship. Through the years X-Yachts has become famous for attention to detail and a drive for innovation and high build quality. Reducing production cost has never been the main priority. If you ask the often very dedicated X owners, they will tell you that X-Yachts simply know how to make a boat that works. Not only in harbours, but in real offshore conditions.

It doesn't happen every day that a new model appears from the yard in Haderslev. But right now, something is cooking. The next yacht is well under way and it's called the Xc 47. The launch will happen at Boot in Düsseldorf in January, and will mark the beginning of a new generation of the X cruising segment. When asked to comment, CEO at X-Yachts, Kræn Brinck Nielsen, simply puts it this way: 'It's probably the best yacht we ever built'.

Full article in the September issue of Seahorse

Tideway Wealth Management UK J/70 Nationals
A high quality UK J/70 National Championships took place over the bank holiday weekend at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

Twenty three boats experienced very tight racing in conditions from 5 to 18 knots across the three days with teams from USA, France, Netherlands and Australia supplementing the UK fleet.

Monday dawned with very light and shifty winds, with PRO Ian Bullock doing a great job to get the fleet started. After several false attempts, race 7 got underway in a light northerly, and Calypso sailed smartly to a 3rd place finish, with Brutus 4th. Jelvis came 9th, effectively putting themselves out of running for the open title.

With only one race left, owing to their better discard, Calypso could win if Brutus were 11th or lower. Brutus had a poor start and were back in the pack at the end of the first lap, but managed to find a great shift on the right of the second beat and sailed smartly down the run to win the last race and the series, to become 2023 UK National Champions.

Calypso had to be content with second overall, but Corinthian National Champion, with DSP third overall (second Corinthian). Max Clapp's youth team sailing Little J made a strong late run which included two race wins, to finish third Corinthian.

The fleet is now looking forward to the J/70 European Championships starting on September 2nd, also at WPNSA.

j-70.co.uk

wpnsa.org.uk

Cup Spy August 28: Kiwis versus the Swiss in AC40's to start a challenging week
Alinghi Red Bull Racing - AC40 - Day 50 - Barcelona - August 28, 2023. Photo by Alex Carabi / America's Cup. Click on image to enlarge.

Two Cup teams sailed off Barcelona - the Swiss had an excellent day and great start to the week. Gremlins hit the British early in the session of the test boat T6.

What happened in the Cup - August 28 2023:

- Alinghi Red Bull Racing sailed two AC40's in one design mode with a New Zealand helmed AC40 being pitched against the Swiss helmed boat.

- INEOS Britannia - set up to sail their AC40 One Design against their Test Boat T6, but had an unidentified issue on board which curtailed the two boat practice. Their other AC40 sailed out the day alone.

- Emirates Team New Zealand did not sail.

- American Magic did not sail.

- Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli did not sail out of Sardinia

- Orient Express Racing Team - no report - but the recon teams got shots of the French team sailing today.

Commentary: Swiss set a high bar

Alinghi Red Bull Racing stepped up their training by pitching a Kiwi-helmed AC40 against the top Swiss combination. This will likely be their program for the rest of the week, in what should be an intensive and challenging learning process in conjunction with their sailor-coaches.

Dean Barker and Phil Robertson bring extensive experience from the America's Cup and SailGP circuits, as well as being top match racers.

Alinghi Red Bull Racing planned an intense day with two AC40s in One Design mode, and Barker and Robertson pitched against the Swiss helming combination of Arnaud Psarofaghis and Maxime Bachelin. The four-man, largely Antipodean crew was rounded out by Australian Olympic Silver medalist and SailGP flight controller Jason Waterhouse along with Swiss national Nico Rolaz (23yrs), former Optimist World Champion and youngest member of the Alinghi Red Bull Sailing team.

sail-world.com

Hamilton Island Race Week
A final blast to the Molle Islands and back in trade winds up to 22 knots closed out the 38th Hamilton Island Race Week and decided the trophy winners in divisions where the top placings were still up for grabs.

The near 180-strong fleet featured a cross section of boats from every Australian state plus five international yachts, four from New Zealand and one from New Caledonia. Close to 2,000 sailors put on a sensational display across the week, both in terms of performance and mateship.

Duncan Hine's RP66 Alive was the Rating Division 1 guaranteed victor prior to the final 32 nautical mile traditional series-ending Molle Islands race. The Tasmanian mini maxi scored consecutive firsts across seven races, crewman Darren Jones saying, "it was an incredible week. We are very lucky to have such a solid team on board."

Some of the legends on Alive's crew list include Chris Nicholson, Stu Bannatyne and Adrienne Cahalan, who has signed on as navigator for this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart.

In Rating Division 2, David Doherty's TP52 from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Matador, almost made a clean sweep - their worst was a second place. Matador's outstanding performance put them a whopping 10.5 points clear of Bill Barry-Cotter's TP52 Maritimo in second.

Regatta Director Denis Thompson has been part of Race Week since 2006. Over many years he has fine-tuned the race management and choice of amazing courses that are designed to give sailors the best day's racing in the Whitsundays.

"Year-to-year it's not a revolution, it's an evolution," said Thompson. "The team was 21 people this year, so a bit smaller than usual, and we were stretched in a couple of areas, but we were able to use island staff as muscle on the start boats.

"The breeze blessed us and while the last couple of days were heavier, most were able to handle it. We have courses to keep the small boats in flatwater and out of the main seaway and with the fleet getting more dynamic, we don't have boats that struggle to windward anymore," he finished. -- Lisa Ratcliff

hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au

2023 America's Cup Hall of Fame Induction
Bill Lynn, President of the Herreshoff Marine Museum and the America's Cup Hall of Fame, and Steve Tsuchiya, America's Cup Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chair, invite you to join them for the 2023 America's Cup Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner in the iconic Model Room at the New York Yacht Club on Friday, October 17th at 1800.

Honoring John "JB" Barnitt, Iain Murray, & Hope Goddard Iselin

The America's Cup Hall of Fame has inducted nearly a hundred individuals since its founding in 1992. Candidates eligible for consideration include members of the crew, designers, builders, syndicate leaders, supporters, chroniclers, and other individuals of merit. Each nominee is judged on the basis of outstanding ability, international recognition, character, performance, and contributions to the sport. The members of the Selection Committee are intimate with the history and traditions of America's Cup and are committed to the integrity of the Hall of Fame.

According to America's Cup Hall of Fame President & Executive Director Bill Lynn, "The America's Cup is known for its constant innovation, and this group of inductees is truly emblematic of that dynamic. JB and Iain have played important roles in the evolution of the Cup to multihulls and now foiling monohulls, while Ms. Iselin was a key member of the afterguard on RELIANCE, the biggest and possibly most innovative boat to ever sail in the Cup. I want to thank the Selection Committee for their hard work and for giving us three excellent new members of the Hall of Fame."

Tickets to the event are $350 and can be purchased at herreshoff.org/achofic or email with questions.

herreshoff.org/achof/a>

Cowes Prepares to Welcome International Six Metre World Championship
Photo by John Green. Click on image to enlarge.

Preparations are in full swing to welcome 34 teams representing 11 Nations from across Europe and North America for the International Six Metre World Championship, to be hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron from 29 August to 8 September. The fleet is divided into two divisions, the Open Division and the Classic Division for those yachts built prior to 31 December 1965.

Amongst those competing will be the defending Open and Classic Division Champions, Momo and Dix Aout. In the Open Division Dieter Schoen's Momo, a Judel/Vrolijk design launched in 2022, will be aiming for a second consecutive win. But she will have tough competition from the likes of Jan Eckert's Gingko Too, a 2020 Javier Cela design; Violeta Alvarez' 2017 Juan Kouyoumdjian designed Stella; and new kid on the block Oiva, designed by Allan Savolainen, launched in 2022 and owned by Finland's Henrik Andersin. An interesting new addition to the Open Division is Aera, the 1988 Pelle Petterson design formerly known as Rebecca, which has been purchased by Nicholas and Fotis Lykiardopulo and undergone considerable work to prepare her for the event.

The Open Division may be nicknamed the "Moderns", but even here the boats will span some forty years. In the classic division Dix Aout, a 1950 Bjarne Aas design owned by Louis Heckly, will defend her title, but this time with the legendary French offshore and Dragon sailor Gery Trenteseaux at the helm. -- Fiona Brown

6metre.com

Rolex Middle Sea Race: Another Good-Looking Fleet Assembling
With the news that last year's monohull and multihull line honours winners have entered, entries at the 44th Rolex Middle Sea Race have shifted gears again. The Dutch 30 metre (100 foot) Leopard 3, skippered by Chris Sherlock and which delivered new owner Joost Schultz his first silverware, returns to renew old rivalries and perhaps create some fresh. Alexia Barrier was skipper on Riccardo Pavoncelli's MOD70 Mana in 2022 when it beat immediate rival Zoulou across the line by 56 seconds. In 2023 Barrier is back this time as skipper and owner of the multihull, now named Limosa. The Swiss Botin 52 Caro, owned by Maximillian Klink and overall winner under IRC of the Rolex Fastnet Race, will be looking to add a second win in an ambitious trifecta of offshore races that includes the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC), which founded the race in 1968, would like to remind prospective participants that entries officially close on Friday, 22 September, although the club reserves the right to accept late applications up to 29 September.

rolexmiddlesearace.com

Featured Charter
Class 40 | 192 - Pogo40 S4.

This racing rocket Pogo40 S4 V2 is the latest Class40 from multiple America’s Cup, Vendee Globe and Route du Rhum winning designer Guillaume Verdier. She was born with a desire to win the pinnacle Transat races plus next year’s Class40 race around the world. Designed to be versatile, powerful and structurally reliable, Verdier combines his usual emphasis on minimum drag for offwind and light air speed with a powerful scow bow for higher average speeds throughout the wind range.

With two major oceanic wins already in the drawer and other wins closer to shore, the Pogo S4 is now a proven top performer.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Lucy Jackson - LV Yachting
Call: +44 (0) 20 3920 6261
Email:

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
1926 Alfred Mylne Glen-Coats Gaff Sloop 1926 - Duet. 39,000 GBP. Located in Lymington UK.

From Glen-Coats and McGruer in 1926, totally restored in this ownership - she has proven herself to be an astonishing success on the Mediterranean classic regatta circuit. She is now in the UK and is laid up under cover and is sparkling.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
Berthon UK
Tel: 0044 (0)1590 679 222
E-Mail:

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"Sultana" - Pilot Classic 66 (2018). 1.85 mill.

Designed by Hoek Design and built in carbon composites with a carbon rig package and North 3di sails this is the ultimate modern classic yacht.Set up for short handed sailing she has a very full specification including generator, bowthuster, aircon, watermaker, electric winches etc.

Fully maintained and in superb condition

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Performance Classic Yachts (UK) Limited
email:
Tel: (44) 7818 119656

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L30 One Design. POA EuR.

The L30 boat concept was developed by Rodion Luka – Olympic medalist (2004), Worlds Champion (2005) in 49er Class and Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 participant. Rodion has a 35 years’ experience in One Design racing, being a European and Worlds medalist in Laser Radial, JOD35, SB20 and 49er as well as well experience in Platu25, Melges24, J70 and RC44. He joined up together with Andrej Justin, designer of RC44 to make outstanding boat which combines good all round offshore performance, easy logistic, strict one design and is affordable for wide range of sailors all around the World with the price ready to race around 100k euro.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

+380 67 467 4949
l30class.com