In This Issue
• Finn European Masters
• Loison Takes Control Approaching Bristol Channel
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Lumpy conditions challenge Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup fleet
• Svea win first coastal race
• Day two of the Six Metre World Championships
• International Etchells European Championship
• Orient Express Racing Team's all-new AC40
• Building to the Extreme - Cats, Cup Boats, Moths and More
• Letters to the Editor
• Featured Charter: Cookson 50 - TestaCuore
• Featured Brokerage:
• • X-Yachts X-512
• • Farr 40 OD Warpath
• • Balance 482
• 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

Udo Murek and Martin Hughes points lead at Finn European Masters
Campione del Garda, Italy: The 2023 Finn European Masters in Campione del Garda opened Tuesday with two races on Lake Garda in a patchy and shifty southerly that provided tough challenges through the 92-boat fleet from 25 nations. Udo Murek, from Germany leads the event with Britain's Martin Hughes in second after a 3,5 and Bas de Waal from The Netherlands in third with a 4,4.

Allen Burrell, from Britain, won the opening race after making a big comeback from a poor start. Then Murek made the best of the second race for a comfortable win. The conditions started grey and 12-13 knots, but by race time had dropped to 6-9 knots, sunny skies, and high temperatures. Many of the favourites struggled in both races to get near the front.

The day dawned with a colder southerly already in place and cloudy skies. The fleet set out in 12-13 knots of breeze but after one general recall, the skies had cleared and the wind had dropped to 6-9 knots. It was all about the cliffs on the east side today, with significantly less wind on the left side of the course.

Racing continues Wednesday at 13.00 and concludes on Friday. Up to six more races are scheduled

Top ten after 2 races
1. Udo Murek, GER, 8
2. Martin Hughes, GBR, 8
3. Bas De waal, NED, 8
4. Tibor Pallay, HUN, 16
5. Simon Bovay, SUI, 17
6. Richard Sharp, GBR, 19
7. John Greenwood, GBR, 19
8. Peter Peet, NED, 21
9. Allen Burrell, GBR, 22
10. Filipe Silva, POR, 25

Full results

finnworldmaster.com/events/campione-2023

Loison Takes Control Approaching Bristol Channel
Wily race veteran Alexis Loison (Groupe REEL) took the lead of Stage 2 the 54th La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec this afternoon as the fleet race back down the Saint George's Channel - between Wales and Ireland - after rounding the Isle of Man's Chicken Rock lighthouse in the very early hours of the morning.

After a two year absence Loison has returned to La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec for his 17th challenge, looking to finally put his name on the list of overall winners. His nearest rival on this stage, with just under 250 nautical miles to race to Roscoff, remains his Norman protégé Guillaume Pirouelle (Région Normandie), the 26 year old who finished runner up last year.

Pirouelle is nearly five miles behind but the leaders have light winds ahead as they pass the tidal currents of entrance to the Bristol Channel before taking on Land's End tomorrow. Ireland's Tom Dolan has remained steady in eighth place at just under seven miles behind the leader.

Many of the pre-race favourites find themselves way behind where they would expect to be in this 32 strong fleet. The first night shaped the leg so far, with many heading offshore in search of a windshift which did not come. But they can still hold on to hopes of a compression and a chance to catch up before Land's End or even right at the finish off Roscoff.

lasolitaire.com

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

Stronger And Smarter
Composites Engineer Paolo Manganelli Talks Hard And Soft High-Speed Landings With Jocelyn Bleriot... And How To Survive Them

Gentleman Jim
Blue Robinson In Turn Revisits The Remarkable Life Of A Great Australian Yachtsman (And Vintner)

Once Is Too Often - Part II
This Month Rich Du Moulin Looks At One Of The Toughest Issues Of All In A Man Overboard Situation... How To Get The Casualty Back Aboard

Consolidating Progress
World Sailing's open days for women are a big success around the world

Out of chaos came direction - and World Sailing encouraged women to take the helm in a post-pandemic movement that continues to make an impact at grassroots levels, worldwide. The biannual Steering the Course festival was hosted at the end of May, and will be hosted again at the beginning of October. Both festivals help launch the respective sailing seasons by encouraging and supporting women to join and thrive in the sailing community.

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Lumpy conditions challenge Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup fleet
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Porto Cervo, Italy: After a near perfect opening to the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, day two was more challenging. Conditions had dropped to a 20 knot northerly come start time, but there had been big onshore breeze overnight and a left-over sea state remained, made more lumpy by waves bouncing back off the rocky shoreline.

There was delight for Pier Luigi Loro Piana on his Club Swan 80 My Song which won Maxi A. Fastest around the course for a second day was Roberto Lacorte's Flying Nikka in 2 hours 55 minutes 56 seconds while first non-flying maxi home was Peter Harburg's 100ft Black Jack in 3 hours 21 minutes and 40 seconds. Yesterday's Maxi A IRC corrected time winner Leopard 3 was second after David M Leuschen and Chris Flowers' Galateia and Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones' Magic Carpet Cubed both blew up kites. EWOL Way of Life retired after she broke her mainsail headboard.

In the Super Maxi class there is now a three way tie at the top between Juan Ball's Swan 115 Moat, Claus-Peter Offen's 101ft y3k and Marco Vogele's 108ft Inoui after Moat won today by 1 minutes 48 seconds and Vittorio Moretti's 118ft Viriella retired.

Tomorrow, with the wind forecast to lighten, racing may start one hour earlier at 1100. -- James Boyd / International Maxi Association

yccs.it

Svea win first coastal race
For the second day of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Porto Cervo and the Costa Smeralda delivered the kind of picture postcard exciting, racing conditions which the hallowed waters of this north-east corner of Sardinia have built a global reputation for.

In brisk NE'ly winds with big, choppy seas, and beautiful warm late summer sunshine, the three J Class teams were sent on a long course up through the La Maddalena archipelago. Starting at 1240hrs, it was just before 1645hrs when the race winner Svea crossed the finish line to collect their third win of the regatta.

Svea, who are defending the class title they won at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in 2022, have won three from three while Velsheda are second, scoring two second places and a third.

J Class results, Race 3 Coastal Race
1. Svea corrected time 3h56m06s
2. Velsheda 3h59m00s
RTD Topaz

J Class overall results after three races
1. Svea 3pts
2.Velsheda 7pts
3. Topaz 9pts

jclassyachts.com

Day two of the Six Metre World Championships
Cowes, UK - The Solent was at is sparkling and most tidally challenging best for the second day of the International Six Metre World Championship in Cowes. With five races required to complete a series and light airs forecast for the third day, the Royal Yacht Squadron Race Committee did an excellent job of running races three and four of the series in a south-easterly that ranged from 6 to 15 knots. They also did an excellent job of almost completing race five, but harbour operations had other ideas and the need for a gas tanker to transit through the race area during the second run left the committee with no option but to abandon the race and ask the support and race committee RIBs to escort the boats safely out of the North Channel.

In the Open Division Violeta Alvarez' Stella was on flying form, winning race three, taking fourth in race four and looking good for at least a second in the abandoned race five. Her consistency jumps her to the top of the Open rankings at the halfway point in the eight-race regatta.

It was all change in the Classic Division where Louis Heckly's Dix Aout, helmed this week by Gery Trentesaux, His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain's Bribon and Simon Williams' Silvervingen are now tied on points and lying first to third respectively on countback. Dix Août and Bribon won a race apiece and each also claimed a fourth today, leapfrogging them up the ranking, while Silvervingen scored exactly the same as day one with a seventh followed by a third. Fourth place overall is also currently a tie in the Classics between Mauricio Sanchez-Bella's Titia and Patrick Sandman's May Be VI. They lie four points behind the leaders with Titia claiming fourth on countback. -- Fiona Brown

Provisional Top Five Open Division
1. Stella, GBR112, Violeta Alvarez - 5, 2, 1, 4 = 12
2. Scoundrel, USA123, Jamie Hilton - 1, 3, 7, 3 = 14
3. Junior, SUI77, Philippe Durr and Rainer Muller - 6, 9, 4, 1 = 20
4. Battlecry, GBR89, Jeremy Thorp - 8, 4, 3, 5 = 20
5. Momo, SUI143, Dieter Schoen - 9, 5, 8, 2 = 20

Provisional Top Five Classic Division
1. Dix Aout, FRA111, Louis Heckly and Gery Trentesaux - 1, 14, 1, 4 = 20
2. Bribon, ESP16, His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain - 3, 12, 4, 1 = 20
3. Silvervingen, GBR31, Simon Williams - 7, 3, 7 , 3 = 20
4. Titia, ESP72, Mauricio Sanchez-Bella - 11, 1, 5, 7 = 24
5. May Be VI, FIN51, Patrick Sandman - 9, 7, 2, 6 = 24

Full results on Yachtscoring.com

International Etchells European Championship
The weekend started off with a briefing from the PRO Peter Taylor (Royal London Yacht Club) before racing where it was decided that there would be 4 races as there was a good breeze across the course coming in at 15knts and the Monday wasn't looking too promising for wind.

The racing was held in front of Hill Head and we started on time with a general recall to start the racing off which led to a Black flag start where a couple of the fleet were caught out. This led to good racing where 1st place went to Exabyte, 2nd to Swedish Blue and 3rd to Jolly Roger.

Day 2 of racing saw our start time pushed back due to another event that was taking place with Powerboats, so some teams/sailors went to watch the start of that race. Once on the water it was another good day of racing with the wind coming in around 12-15knts and shifty.

Day 3 of racing came in with wind below 10knts and shifty. We completed the 8th race where marks had to be moved for the second upwind due to the wind shifting. 1st place Swedish Blue, 2nd place Ada, 3rd place Arena. In between 8th race and the (9th) last race we had roughly around a 2 hour wait due to the wind vanishing and shifting, this proved to be difficult course laying and there wasn't enough wind to race.

Prize giving took place with overall results being - European Champion Swedish Blue (Ante Razmilovic), 2nd place No Dramas (Andrew Lawson)and 3rd place Jolly Roger Bruno van Dyke).

Over all Corinthian results were 1st place Audrey (Ted Blowers)who were also 1st Youth boat, 2nd place Rocketman, 3rd place Mans Best Friend who were 2nd youth and 3rd youth was Ziggy. Overall a great Europeans.

Full results on Yachtscoring.com

etchells.org

Orient Express Racing Team's all-new AC40 in Barcelona
The Orient Express Racing Team's newly arrived AC40 one-design foiling monohull has taken to the water - and the air - in her first test sail off the America's Cup venue in Barcelona.

After a 'tow test' at the weekend behind the team's chase boat to check and test the AC40's onboard systems, the full-on racing machine went into sailing mode today - with almost exactly a year to go to the America's Cup Challenger Selection Series.

Skipper and pilot Quentin Delapierre, fellow pilot Kevin Peponnet, and trimmers Matthieu Vandamme and Jason Saunders, were able to get their first hands-on experience aboard the yacht which will prove crucial in their preparation ahead of the arrival of the AC75 America's Cup race boat next year.

Despite light wind conditions the team were able to get the AC40 foiling clear above the calm waters off Barcelona during her first test sail.

orientexpressracingteam.americascup.com

Building to the Extreme - Cats, Cup Boats, Moths and More
For 56 years McConaghy Boats have built some of the most extreme racing machines. With such a long history in composite construction and a self-proclaimed addiction to building high performance machines, the company invited Matt Sheahan to take a look at some of its most advanced carbon projects.

From the production of AC40 foiling monohulls, to hydrogen fuel cell powered foiling chase boats and a constant stream of foiling Moths, McConaghy's facility in China is now rammed with carbon large custom cruising cats. During the exclusive three day tour of the Zhuhai factory nothing was off limits.

Plus, Matt gets to sail the MC53 to see what the fuss is about.

planetsail.org

Featured Charter
Cookson 50 - TestaCuore. Located in the Mediterranean 2022/2023.

The Cookson 50 is one of the most iconic ocean racing yachts ever built. Her legendary design means that the Cookson 50 continues to top leader boards around the world.

With a canting keel, twin carbon wheels, hydraulic winches (to do the heavy work for you) and a large sail plan, the Cookson 50 is sublimely fast, strong and easy to sail.

TestaCuore has seen a very thorough programme of maintenance and upgrades over the past 2 years, with a very strong sail wardrobe, upgraded canting angle and bulletproof hydraulics. A real turnkey option for the serious competitor for the world’s offshore circuit. She is currently being optimised with a new deeper keel (3,5 meters instead 3) and a lighter bulb (about 400 kg).

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

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

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
1991 X-Yachts X-512. 190,000 EUR. Located in Sardinia.

Classic Scandinavian-built performance cruiser from X-Yachts in Denmark. Launched in 1991 and with just two private owners since new. Ideal for bluewater cruising, performance cruising or club racing.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Michele Antonini
Tel: +39 3337489281
Email:

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2004 Farr 40 OD Warpath. 74000 ex VAT EuR.

Well proven racer, with very good results in ORCi and SRS.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Gunlog Marnell -

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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

Contact

+1 484-413-2132

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

The Last Word
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