In This Issue
• La Boulangere Mini Transat Start
• Monaco Classic Week
• Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Award
• Front of House - Sea Ventures
• Clarisse Cremer names her IMOCA "L'Occitane en Provence"
• J80 World Championship
• Sailing In Ireland Is Experiencing The End Of An Era
• Beyou and Cammas win Defi Azimut 48-hours
• NYYC American Magic Win In Vilanova I La Geltru
• Featured Charter: Grand Soleil 46 - Belladonna
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Elliott 44 - "Matador"
• • Kobe 43 PEGASE
• • ClubSwan 50
• The Last Word: Carl Oglesby

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

La Boulangere Mini Transat Start: Heading to the Canary Islands
After being postponed for 24 hours due to adverse weather conditions forecasted off Cape Finisterre on Wednesday, the first leg of La Boulangere Mini Transat set sail on Monday, September 25th, at 13:38.

Powered by a gentle southeast breeze blowing between 4 and 7 knots, the 90 competing sailors departed from Les Sables d'Olonne, bound for Santa Cruz de La Palma, covering a total distance of 1,350 nautical miles, with nearly as many challenges to overcome. The real action was expected to begin overnight with a period of light winds followed by an initial transition phase. This may begin to shape the fleet's hierarchy, which is likely to remain relatively close-knit until they reach Cape Ortegal, where the first major strategic maneuvers could truly commence. -- sail-world.com/news/267071/

* After leaving Les Sables d'Olonne yesterday at the start of the afternoon for a first leg of 1,350 miles bound for Santa Cruz de La Palma, the 90 sailors of La Boulangere Mini Transat, as expected, experienced a first rather quiet night, propelled by light airs on a nevertheless rough sea. This Tuesday, everyone continues their journey at low speed, as close as possible to the great circle, towards the waypoint positioned north of Gijon which they should reach in the middle of next night. It's time to concentrate to move the boats forward as quickly as possible and make the most of the small variations in the wind which oscillates between 5 and 12 knots, and which should even desert the water for a while at the end of the day, during a transition that was expected to be a little tricky.

The solo sailors have no other choice than to continue their routes on a single tack, with only a few shifts to play for. As proof, both in the Proto and in the Series, the lateral gaps are around fifteen miles.

Classifications at 0400 27 September FR time:

First five, Protos
1. Celeris Informatique, Victor Mathieu, FRA
2. Repremar-Shipping Agency Uruguay, Federico Waksman, URU
3. Xucla, Carlos Maera Pascual, ESP
4. Maximum, Gaby Bucau, FRA
5. Lea Nature, Marie Gendron, fRA

First five, Series
1. Kalisto et Aerofab, Bruno Lemunier, FRA
2. Les Extraordinaires, Titouan Quiviger, FRA
3. Binannic0Allentis, Yael Poupon, FRA
4. Les Optimistes - Secours Populaire, Leo Bothorel, FRA
5. Utopik, Damien Fleury, FRA

minitransat.fr/2023/

The Lady Anne a big winner of Monaco Classic Week
Photo by Andrea Pisapia Team Borlenghi. Click on image for photo gallery.

For the 16th Monaco Classic Week-La Belle Classe 40 sailing yachts, a dozen motor-yachts, 60+ vintage motorboats and 20 of the 12' Dinghy class were invited, all in with a chance to win the coveted Monaco Classic Week Trophy and seduce a jury chaired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

Among highlights was the presence of Elena of London (41.60m), Creole, the 1927 three-mast schooner, a Charles Nicholson masterpiece, and Black Swan (33.41m), a 1899 gaff rigged ketch launched 1899. Atlantic (56.43m) arrived just in time for her 120th anniversary.

Four days showcasing a certain 'Art de Vivre la Mer' alternated nautical challenges, technical inspections by the restoration prize jury, and culinary and elegance competitions at sea and ashore.

The big winner was The Lady Anne (1912), one of only three 15M IR boats still sailing along with YCM's flagship Tuiga (1909) and Mariska (1908) who hosted a delegation from the Manhattan Yacht Club led by its Commodore Michael Fortenbaugh. The Monaco Classic Week Trophy not only takes race results into account but the quality of the restoration as assessed by a jury of experts looking at how faithful it is to the original plans, materials used and the knowledge of those who restored them.

A highlight was watching a sizeable 60-strong fleet motorboats, their varnish gleaming, set off on their "treasure hunt", weaving their way through the classic yacht fleet, led by 30 Rivas with Lia Riva leading the way in the Aquarama Lipicar.

Ashore to celebrate Prince Rainier III's 100th anniversary, who founded YCM in 1953, was an exhibition entitled 'The Prince and the Sea' on the 15 boats in Prince Rainier's collection.

Next up at YCM: 3rd Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous organised by Monaco Marina Management to encourage design & build of virtuous marinas.

Monaco Classic Week Trophy - Rolex: The Lady Anne (1912)

La Belle Classe Restoration Trophy - Monaco Marine:
Motorboat: Scolopendra (1903) and Ida (1913)
Motor-yacht: Thelas (1936)
Coup de Coeur: Black Swan (1899)

Big Boat Group:
The Lady Anne (Fife 1912)
Mariska (Fife 1908)
Tuiga (Fife 1909)

Classic Marconi:
Chaplin (1974)
Argynnes III (1955)

Vintage Marconi:
1- Carron II (1935)
2- Fjord III (1947)
3- Comet (1946)

Vintage Gaff:
1- Corinthian (1911)
2- Chips (1913)
3- Olympian - (1913)

12' Dinghy Class:
1-Claudia 3 (2020)
2-Blu Amnesia(2006)

yacht-club-monaco.mc/en/home/

Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Award: It's that time of the year!
The Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Award 2023 looks more promising than ever, thanks to splendid and visually exciting events such as the Rolex Fastnet Race, The Ocean Race, the Maxi Yachts series, pre-Olympic events or the preliminary America's Cup regattas.

Our sport is rich and varied, and the images from the best marine photographers reflect this.

There are two weeks left to submit your best photograph on: yachtracingimage.com

The twenty best images will be exhibited at METSTRADE, where the prize-giving ceremony will also take place. An exceptional platform for the world's best yacht racing photographers.

Front of House - Sea Ventures
The vibrant (and growing) shorthanded racing community in the UK has a plan for further growth, inspired by even greater success in France…

Shorthanded racing is nothing new, particularly in France and the UK. But in recent years the sustained growth in this area of the sport has taken even the pundits by surprise. Among the many enthusiastic amateur single- and doublehanded crews, Sea Ventures' Nigel Colley has been leading from the front for many years, encouraging other amateur sailors to take the plunge. His efforts and those of his fellow shorthanded devotees have been a big influence. Now, according to Colley, it's time for the next step.

As the UK agent for Jeanneau, Sea Ventures Ltd is well connected with the shorthanded scene through the success of the Sun Fast range. In fact the two have gone hand in hand. But while Colley and Co have been working hard for years to encourage growth in this segment of sailing they have also kept a close eye on how the broader racing scene has been developing. And while shorthanded sailing has been their key focus, they have also been cultivating ideas around a new style of fully crewed racing by taking a careful look at what people like to do and what might appeal in the future. They believe that this year's bumper Rolex Fastnet Race provided the perfect example to consider the current mood in the offshore world.

Full article in the October issue of Seahorse

Clarisse Cremer names her IMOCA "L'Occitane en Provence"
After an especially intense start to this adventure, L'Occitane sailing team and their partners were invited to name the IMOCA last Tuesday, in Brittany, France. This served as an opportunity to introduce the boat, reflect on the genesis of this adventure, and look forward to the future with enthusiasm. It was a moment shared with the project's godmothers and godfathers who all share the same values as Clarisse: world surfer champion Justine Dupont, the Managing Director of L'Occitane en Provence, Adrien Geiger, and the mentor of the project, Alex Thomson.

Nearly six months after the collaboration between the brand and the sailor began, a team was assembled, the IMOCA (formerly known as APIVIA) was prepared, a first race was completed under extreme conditions (6th in the Rolex Fastnet Race), and numerous sailing sessions followed.

This mission is also championed by Justine Dupont, the boat's godmother, and one of the world's most renowned big wave surfers.

loccitanesailing.com

Eurofrits & Aviko / Newindfoods" wins the J80 World Championship 2023 Baiona
Photo by Luiz Fernandez. Click on image for photo gallery.

After five days of racing plus one day of training in which the sea and wind conditions have been for all tastes, the "Eurofrits & Aviko / Newindfoods" armed by Daniel de la Pedraja and helmed by Javier Padron has proved to be the best and takes to the showcases of the Real Club Marítimo de Santander, the club it represents, the trophy that certifies it as the 2023 World Champion in the J80 class.

A very complicated championship in terms of conditions, with two days of wind, waves and showers alternating with other days of gentle breezes and splendid sunshine. Winds from the north alternated with winds from the south, which meant changes of marks, hours of postponement and complicated moments for the Race Committee captained by Ariane Mainemare until the essential minimums were established to be able to carry out the races with the quality that this World Championship deserved. In the end, a total of 8 races were sailed out of the 15 scheduled, which proved to be enough for each crew to show their best and occupy the position that corresponds to them.

Accompanying the "Eurofrits & Aviko / Newindfoods" on the podium, the runner-up was the "Marnatura" of the host club (MRCYB) skippered by the Olympian Luis Bugallo and in third place the "Solintal" (RCMS) of the former World Champion of the class in Kiel, Ignacio Camino.

Each day, at the end of the days on the water, moments of camaraderie of the crews in the gardens of the MRCYB during the tasting of the best Galician products offered by Galicia Calidade, marked the perfect culmination of each day.

The J80 World Championship 2023 was organised in the waters of the Rías Baixas by the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona, one of the most important sailing clubs in Spain, with the sponsorship of Turismo de Galicia and Galicia Calidade, and was attended by 75 boats and some 400 sailors of 43 nationalities. -- Luis Fernandez / lamarsalada.info

Full results

Sailing In Ireland Is Experiencing The End Of An Era
The sailing scene in Ireland has lost three significant figures this past week with the deaths of Liam Shanahan of Dun Laoghaire, Mick Hunt of Howth, and Sean Flood of The Baily overlooking Dublin Bay. They were very much distinctive individuals, as they expressed themselves afloat mainly through different areas of sailing - sometimes very different. Yet all had a "can do, let's get on with it" approach to life and to boats, with a level of commitment that is increasingly rare in these tasting menu times, in which those of us still on the planet find ourselves in a painfully new era.

For sure, the three men had plenty of other interests. But all three were increasingly out of sync with today's casual approach of hopping from one thing to another in as short a space of time as possible. They were men for the long haul and total dedication, with Liam Shanahan a pillar of Irish cruiser-racing, Mick Hunt a pace setter and exemplar in the traditional boat revival movement, and Sean Flood actively dedicated in multiple areas afloat, with much of his maritime attention in later years given to sail training.

Thus while family and friends were everything to them, somehow they also found the mental space and energy to run successful businesses while still being able to re-focus on boats and their best use. They did so in a way that may have been time-consuming, but not a moment of that time was wasted, and the result was three sailing careers of international standard.

WM Nixon's editorial in Afloat magazine

Beyou and Cammas take the honours on Charal in a testing Defi Azimut 48-hours
Charal is one of the most focused and well-resourced teams in the ever-growing IMOCA ranks led by two of the best offshore ocean racing sailors, in Jeremie Beyou and Franck Cammas, and in the Defi Azimut-Lorient Agglomeration 48-Hours that proved an overwhelming combination.

Relishing a 600-mile course in fresh westerly and northwesterly winds in the northeastern Bay of Biscay, Charal was always in the mix, duking it out with Charlie Dalin and Pascal Bidegorry's MACIF Sante Prevoyance and Sam Goodchild and Thomas Ruyant's For the Planet.

Beyou's much-tweaked Sam Manuard design from 2022 was competitive on all points of sail, and never more so than upwind when her rivals struggled to live with her.

In the end, after one day, 17 hours and 46 minutes at sea, the red and black IMOCA, sponsored by a French meat products company, crossed the finish line off Lorient at the head of the 33-strong fleet. She was just under two hours ahead of MACIF Sante Prevoyance and nearly two-and-a-half hours ahead of For The Planet.

imoca.org

NYYC American Magic Win In Vilanova I La Geltru
Having come into the final day of the first Preliminary Regatta of the 37th America's Cup here in Vilanova i La Geltru sitting in fifth place, it was an outside bet at best that NYYC American Magic could climb the leaderboard and challenge for a spot in the Match-Race Grand Final.

But the America's Cup is where the best sailors perform and the outstanding team of the day in Tom Slingsby, Paul Goodison, Riley Gibbs and Michael Menninger put on a masterclass of big-time regatta sailing, taking their chances, sailing unbelievably smoothly and scoring a three-race string of 2-1-1 to stun the rest of the fleet. All along the waterfront crowds flocked to see the drama unfold and with an armada of craft of all shapes and sizes making up the spectator fleet, the atmosphere was electric as the afternoon progressed here in beautiful Vilanova i La Geltru.

The concluding day was effectively an arm wrestle over the first three races between Emirates Team New Zealand and NYYC American Magic but there were some superb performances, most notably from the Orient Express Racing Team who, after just 15 days of sailing the AC40, finished in third much to the delight of their supporters and sponsors.

Full report: americascup.com

Featured Charter
Grand Soleil 46 - Belladonna. Located in the United Kingdom.

This incredible Grand Soleil 46 is a very special Racer Cruiser, with her sporty lines and stylish Italian design. Belladonna has a comprehensive sail inventory, a great electronics package and has been professionally maintained her whole life. She is in fantastic condition and ready to race!

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
2009/2019 Elliott 44 - 'Matador'. 330,000 EUR. Located in France.

"Matador" is a competitive and exciting racer designed by Greg Elliott. With proven performance under both ORCi and IRC, she is a yacht that offers crews both inshore and offshore potential, on a well laid out platform that has more comfort than other GP racers with similar performance.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
+447759 4242900

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2009 Kobe 43 PEGASE. 295,000 EUR.

Launched in 2009, PEGASE sailed locally in Brittany in 2009 & 2010 in order to fine tune her development. She sailed around the world between 2011 and 2018, passing through Cape Verde, the West Indies, the Caribbean arc, Panama, Galapagos, Tuamotou, Tahiti, New Caledonia, the Torres Strait, Singapore, Thailand, the Seychelles, Madagascar, Cape of Good Hope, St Helene, Brazil, Azores and La Trinite landing. An impressive 30,000 miles of trouble-free navigation. PEGASE's days of offshore sailing at 200 nautical miles are proven.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Bernard Gallay Yacht Brokerage

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2016 ClubSwan 50. 895,000 VAT included EUR. Located in Netherlands.

Swan 50 in excellent condition. Professionally maintained, always kept in perfect conditions. Full offshore inventory. IRC optimized. Proven winner in OD and offshore races. Ready for OD and IRC/Offshore

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

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

The Last Word
It isn't the rebels who cause the troubles of the world, it's the troubles that cause the rebels. -- Carl Oglesby

Editorial and letter submissions to

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