In This Issue
• Stage 2 of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec
• Dolan promoted to Stage 1 winner after Jury decisions
• Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup prepares for stiff competition tomorrow
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Salcombe Gin Castle Rock Race
• Ireland's Sailing Was At Its Best In "Awkward August"
• Cup Spy: First Training Session
• RWYC 2024 offshore/ Oceanic season is launched
• Warm-up racing for Six Metre World Championship
• Featured Brokerage:
• • ClubSwan 50-008 'Sparti'
• • Weddell Racing Yacht
• • "Sultana" - Pilot Classic 66 (2018)
• The Last Word: Jimmy Buffett

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

Off into the sunshine and light winds of Stage 2 of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec
After a short delay whilst a very light thermal breeze drifted in, the 32 solo racers of the 54th La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec enjoyed a gentle introduction to Stage 2, a leg of more than 500 miles from Kinsale in Ireland to Roscoff on the Bay of Morlaix where they should finish Thursday.

The course wil ltake the solo sailors up to a mark in the Irish Sea, most likely to be offshore of Dun Laoghaire, and promises to be a light winds affair with many opportunities for the fleet to expand and contract in the strong tidal currents.

Winner of the Paprec Trophy for the first around the short, departure circuit was Gaston Morvan (Région Bretagne CMB) just as he also led away from Caen a week ago.

Before leaving the dock in Kinsale, Dolan said, "The leg looks tricky. I feel good now.I was quite stressed earlier but I will be fine once we get out the port now.The start looks quite clear we will be sailing downwind along the coast in the sea-breeze. Tonight there could be a big split. Some of the weather models are sending us offshore others are telling us to hug the coast, there are two extremes. It is a play the fleet kind of leg, don't make any breaks. It feels no different going afloat leading the race, I need to concentrate on what I can control."

Standing safter Stage 1
1. Tom Dolan, IRL, (Smurfit Kappa-KIngspan) 3d 19h 16m 46 s
2. Nils Palmieri, SUI, (Teamwork) 3d 19h 23m 13s + 6 min 27 sec
3. Robin Marais, FRA, (Moi Chance Moi Aussi) 3d 19h 23m 13s + 8 min 17 sec
4. Benoit Tuduri, FRA, (Capso en Cavale) 3d 19h00m 25s (+30 mins penalty) +13 mins 39 sec
5. Basile Bourgnon, FRA, (Edenred) 3d 19h 31m 05 s +14 min 18 secs
6. Romain Le Gall, FRA, (Centre Excellence Voile Secours Populaire) 3d 19h 32m 52s + 16m 06s
7. Alexis Loison, FRA, (Groupe REEL) 3d 19h 32m 55 s + 16 m 09s
8. Elodie Bonafous, FRA (Queguiner La Vie en Rose) 3d 19h 33m 07s +16m 21s
9. Lois Berrehar, FRA, (Skipper MACIF 2022) 3d19h 33m 16m +16m 30s
10. Guillaume Pirouelle, FRA, (Region Normandie) 3d 19h 33m 32s +16m 46 sec

Tracker and Rankings

lasolitaire.com

Dolan promoted to Stage 1 winner after Jury decisions
The rankings for the first stage of the 54 La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec were altered this morning after decisions made by the International Jury. The French rookie skipper who crossed the finish line first yesterday morning into Kinsale, Ireland Benoît Tuduri (CAPSO - En Cavale) received a 30-minute penalty after a protest against him from the Race Committee for breaking a class rule. He retains his position as first rookie on the Beneteau Bizuths ranking but drops to fourth.

Following this decision, without appeal, the Irish skipper Tom Dolan (Smurfit Kappa - Kingspan) becomes winner of the 610 miles first stage of the 54th edition of the race. He becomes the first Irish skipper to win a stage of the annual multi-stage solo offshore race since Damian Foxall won in 1998 on the third leg from Gijon into Concarneau. It is a remarkable success for Dolan whose first ever race was round the Fastnet only ten years ago.

Other Jury decisions affect Julie Simon (DOUZE) who was third across the line but received a 17-minute penalty. She is now 17th in the stage. Switzerland's Nils Palmieri (TeamWork) and Robin Marais (Ma Chance Moi aussi) are now second and third.

tomdolanracing.com

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup prepares for stiff competition tomorrow
A powerful fleet of 48 maxis (including three not racing) is in Porto Cervo chomping at the bit for tomorrow's start of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. This annual highlight of the maxi yachting season is once again organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association and Rolex as title sponsor.

Racing is due to take place from Monday 4th until Saturday 9th September with the most races being on the coastal courses around La Maddalena archipelago and 'Bomb Alley' for which the magnificent Costa Smeralda in northeast Sardinia is famous. Porto Cervo also often benefits from being unusually windy for this part of the Mediterranean, thanks mostly to the prevailing northwesterlies that funnel through the Strait of Bonifacio and down Bomb Alley. The present forecast shows a 15 knot north-northeasterly on Monday, freshening on Tuesday and moderating again on Wednesday.

Among the fleet, remaining unchanged are the Super Maxi class, for yachts with an LH of 30.51+ m (100+ft) racing under ORCsy and the magnificent Js competing in their own class under their own rule. A new addition is the Maxi Multihull class aimed at high performance cruising catamarans such as those made by Gunboat, racing under ORCmh.

The term 'Mini Maxi' has been dispensed with, now integrated into a larger 'Maxi' fleet encompassing yachts with LH of 18.29-30.51m or 60-100ft. For the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup this has been divided into the following classes:

Maxi A: IRC TCC 1.700< (roughly what used to be the 'Maxi Racing' class).
Maxi B: IRC TCC 1.600-1.700 (ie ex-Maxi 72s and smaller Maxis, VO65s)
Maxi C: IRC TCC <1.600 (former Mini Maxi classes)

The first warning signal for tomorrow's racing is scheduled for 1200 local time. The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is the penultimate event in the IMA's Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge. -- James Boyd / International Maxi Association

yccs.it

Seahorse September 2023
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Good Time For A Rethink
Ronstan's new Orbit Winch makes easing sheets and halyards a lot easier

Winches for operating sails have been around for roughly 50 to 60 years, and they still look more or less the same. Even technically, winches operate basically the same way they did when Grandpa was in his prime. So what's the big deal, when Ronstan now launches their new Orbit Winch?

A Worthy Goal
For Watchmaker Richard Mille There Are Only Opportunities. And The Latest Opportunity Turned Out To Be Breathtaking. Dan Houston

Getting There
Kate Cope of the UK Double Handed Offshore Series says the format can provide more, rather than fewer, opportunities for young sailors

Now and again I hear the criticism that the double handed format is providing fewer opportunities for youngsters to enter or progress in offshore sailing. As my UK-based experience is the exact opposite of this, I thought I would share what was working, with the hope that it can inspire other countries to copy one of the UK initiatives.

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Salcombe Gin Castle Rock Race
Tim Goodhew and Kelvin Matthews, racing Sun Fast 3200 Cora Two-Handed, has won the Salcombe Gin Castle Rock Race having scored the best corrected time under IRC. Mike Yates racing J/109 JAGO, also Two-Handed with Will Holland, was runner-up by just 71 seconds after IRC time correction. Ross Applebey's Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster was third, 87 seconds ahead of Ed Bell's JPK 1180 Dawn Treader. The top four boats came from four IRC Classes, congratulations to all of the IRC Class winners including Ross Hobson's Open 50 Pegasus of Northumberland and Gareth Penn's Contessa 32 Jemima of Farley.

The Salcombe Gin Castle Rock Race was the first race of the Double-Handed IRC National Championships. The top three going into the final race on Saturday 09 September are Cora, JAGO, and Rob Craigie's Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, racing with RORC Rear Commodore Deb Fish. JAGO is the defending champion and will be highly motivated to win the final race, as will all of the RORC IRC Two-Handed teams. -- Louay Habib/RORC

rorc.org

Ireland's Sailing Was At Its Best In "Awkward August"
Despite some of the most disagreeable August weather seen in many decades, it's not unreasonable to assert that August 2023 has been one of the best-ever months for Irish sailing achievement, both at home and abroad.

At home, it could be argued that the real heroes of the Irish sailing scene have been the Race Officer teams who have endured often abominable conditions to put through viable championship programmes which have gone well beyond the meagre most basic claim of "We got a result".

Yet at all times, however exotic the location and however glorious or otherwise the weather may be, it all ends up being locally referenced to the folks back in Ireland, ideally through the local paper. Thus, when Michael Boyd - originally of Dun Laoghaire but long since of Meath - won his first Round Ireland Race with the J/35 Big Ears in 1996, the full power of the Navan-based Meath Chronicle was turned on, and he acquired some useful standing with his neighbours as a result of the headline: Lobinstown Man Wins Round Ireland Boat Race.

And more recently, the Anglo-Celt of Cavan got in on the rising Tom Dolan bandwagon with the headline: Moynalty Man Wins French Sailing Race. Now, this was arguably a bit of readership imperialism by the Cavan paper, as Tom's ancestral place of Moynalty - noted for its steam threshing festival - is actually in the far north of Meath.

That said, he and his late father started sailing on Lough Ramor in Cavan with a Miracle Class dinghy bought second-hand online. Thus, we expect that the latest Dolan achievement of first place in the Caen in Normandy to Kinsale first leg of the Figaro Solo Paprec 2023 will result in claims and counter-claims between printworks in Navan and Cavan. It's all grist to the circulation mill.

WM Nixon's full editorial in Afloat magazine

Cup Spy: First Training Session .. Arb Panel decline Swiss claim.. USA focuses on design
Five teams have begun sailing in a four day practice series ahead of the first Preliminary Event in Vilanora.

Thursday was also the first of four designated Barcelona Training Sessions, designated by the Regatta Director. The others are Friday - Sept 1; Monday Sept 4; and Tuesday Sept 5. An official Practice Day has been scheduled for Wednesday Sept 13, in Vilanova.

What happened in the Cup - August 31 2023:

The only images/content we have of the Training Racing, are those AC37 are releasing through their own channel.

American Magic chose not to take part, saying their priority was on testing and meeting their deadlines in that regard.

Five teams took part in the first training session, in three races. See video below - sorry, we have no other information, as yet.

Read Richard Gladwell's commentary in Sail-World.com

RWYC 2024 offshore/ Oceanic season is launched
Sunday 5th May 2024 sees the 17th edition of the famous OSTAR race along with the 7th edition of the TWOSTAR race.

The making of legend's, the pathway to professional sailing careers, or simply the challenge of a lifetime, the OSTAR has the history to support such a status. From Francis Chichester to Loick Peyron, Eric Tabarly to Andre Mura, and more recently Jankees Lamp (who went on to win the TWOSTAR last year with his son Floris) and Marcus Moser, each have their story to tell on how they won this epic challenge of almost 3000 miles across some of the hardest waters to navigate in the world. It is truly the mother of all oceanic races, the first, the Everest of our sport.

As with the OSTAR, the TWOSTAR faces the same colossus. Unlike the OSTAR where it is one against the elements, some would say an equal challenge is having to work on a solid watch system to ensure both crews are able to dovetail with their opposite number for the entire journey and not effect their co-skipper's ability to function at 100% during their watch. The TWOSTAR then is no less of a challenge and deserves to be alongside the original solo oceanic race.

Then, we have the 2 handed Round Britain and Ireland Race. This year sees the 16th Edition of the original RB&I. Again, the winners board reflects the 'who's who' of our short-handed offshore history. Robin Knox Johnston, Chay Blyth, Rob and Naomi James, Tony Bullimore, Steve Fossett, Ross Hobson and Michael Kleinjans are some of the greats that have their names on the famous winner's board. In 2022 we saw Darren Baker and Dan Fellows join them in what was a record-breaking win on their Dazcat 'Hissy Fit'.

As with the TWOSTAR joining the OSTAR, in 2022 the club introduced a supporting act to the RB&I which will feature heavily in 2024 and beyond, this being the 4 Handed RB&I.

Finally, the Plymouth Fastnet '500 makes a welcome return on 11th August 2024.

rwyc.org

Warm-up racing for Six Metre World Championship
A second day of warm-up racing for the thirty-four strong fleet preparing for the International Six Metre Worlds in Cowes saw two final practice races run by the Royal Yacht Squadron. With the wind in the south-east and ranging from 7 to 14 knots the course was set up over the Bramble Bank to avoid the worst of the very strong spring tides and the fleet got underway on time at noon for two great races.

In the Open Division Hugo Stenbeck's Sophie II was the top performer adding a third and then a first to yesterday's fifth, giving them overall victory in the warm-up series. Jamie Hilton's Scoundrel was the other race winner, but an eleventh in the third race added to yesterday's third put them into third overall. Meanwhile yesterday's race victor, Jeremy Thorp's Battlecry, had a mixed day, but a tenth followed by a third was more than enough to give them second. Others who showed serious potential but only completed two races apiece included Basil Vasilou's Jane Ann with a sixth and second, and Jan Eckert's Ginkgotoo with a pair of fourths. Defending World Champion Dieter Schoen's Momo was OCS in the third race but counted a second and an eighth and were very happy with their performance to date.

Racing will commence on Monday 4 September with a first warning signal scheduled for 11:25 and a total of eight races are planned between then and Friday 9 September.

6metreworlds.com

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The Last Word
We live here on a big round time share, and if we as humans want to assume the role of landlord, then we have to take care of all the tenants. -- Jimmy Buffett, testifying at a Senate hearing on the reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act, April 1987

Editorial and letter submissions to

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