In This Issue
• 5.5 Metre World Championship in Porto Cervo
• Two rooms, two atmospheres?
• Sailmaker and Canvas Fabricator vacancy
• Give yourself a break - Caribbean Sailing
• Global Team Racing Regatta
• Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
• Halifax to host ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix
• Who Will Win La Boulangere Mini Transat?
• International Masters Regatta
• Featured Charter: Araok - 58ft Ipanama Catamaran
• Featured Brokerage:
• • ClubSwan 50-014 'Zanoza'
• • RM 890+
• • Gunboat 70
• The Last Word: Calvin & Hobbes

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

5.5 Metre World Championship in Porto Cervo
Artemis (NOR 57, Kristian Nergaard, Johan Barne, Trond Solli-Saether) put in the best performance on day 3 of the 2023 5.5 Metre World Championship at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Porto Cervo, Sardinia, to pull back to within three points of event leaders Aspire (POL 17, Mateusz Kusznierewicz, Przemysław Gacek, Edward Wright). John B (BAH 26, Gavin McKinney, Mathias Dahlman, Lars Horn Johannessen) moved up the third after winning the last race of the day.

Despite the earlier start at 11.00 to make the best of the forecast, Wednesday produced light and shifty conditions of no more than 5-8 knots that challenged everyone and brought a lot of different boats to the front of the fleet. It was a tough day and many decisions had big consequences as the fleet navigated the tricky wind.

Both Artemis and John B put in impressive performances in very tough conditions. With the discard now in after six races, Aspire holds a three point lead over Artemis, which scored two amazing second places today, while John B is a further nine points back.

Four races remain over the next two days and with conditions not forecast to improve, this one looks like it will go right down to the wire.

Results after 6 races
1. Aspire (POL 17, Mateusz Kusznierewicz, Przemysław Gacek, Edward Wright) 15
2. Artemis (NOR 57, Kristian Nergaard, Johan Barne, Trond Solli-Saether) 18
3. John B (BAH 26, Gavin McKinney, Mathias Dahlman, Lars Horn Johannessen) 27
4. Girls on Film (GBR 41, Louise Morton, Andrew Mills, Sam Haines) 31
5. Ku-Ring-Gai III (AUS 66, John Bacon, James Mayjor, Terry Wetton) 31
6. New Moon III (BAH 25, Mark Holowesko, Christoph Burger, Peter Vlasov) 32
7. Ali Baba (SUI 224, Flavio Marazzi, Julie Marazzi, Eline Marazzi) 35
8. Caracole (SUI 214, Bernard Haissly, Daniel Stampfli, Nicolas Berthoud) 36
9. The Jean Genie (GBR 43, Peter Morton, Andrew Palfrey, Ruairadh Scott) 38
10. Shaolin (SUI 226, Philippe Dürr, Andreas Kindlimann, Hans Von Werdt) 42

Results after 6 races

5.5class.org

Two rooms, two atmospheres?
After crossing the way-point located north of Gijón early this Wednesday morning – at around 4 a.m. for the first Protos and just two hours later for the first Series - the 90 sailors of La Boulangère Mini Transat have well accelerated the pace. They are all currently tumbling at nearly ten knots along the Asturian coast but the wind remains particularly unstable, both in strength and direction. The cause is a significant mountainous terrain in the north of Spain, which naturally generates some disturbances on the water with a predominantly southerly wind.

The next few hours promise to be bracing to say the least between Cape Ortegal and La Coruña, especially for the second half of the peloton.

While they spent the first half of last night in slow motion with speeds struggling to exceed two knots before the arrival of the new south-east wind, the 90 solo sailors of La Boulangère Mini Transat picked up the pace

A mark that the first Protos crossed at around 4 a.m. this morning, before being followed, exactly two hours later, by the first Series.

"The sailors will alternate between downwind and upwind all day, with periods of medium wind and calmer periods ," indicates Christian Dumard, the weather consultant for the event whose files suggest an overflow of Cape Ortegal at the end. during the day or in the evening of this Wednesday, then a rounding of Cape Finisterre tomorrow morning. Downside: between the two, and more precisely before La Coruna, the conditions will get a little tougher, with gusts expected at more than 30 knots.

minitransat-fr

Sailmaker and Canvas Fabricator vacancy
Ullman Sails St. Maarten is a full-service loft on the island of St. Maarten (Dutch side) in the Caribbean, offering services that include sail repairs & alterations, new sails & all types of canvas products.

We are currently looking for a qualified sail maker and canvas fabricator for our upcoming season from November 2023 to June 2024.

The applicant would be responsible for all types of sail repairs & alterations, removing & re-installing sails. The fitting of new sails & U-Stack covers. Experience in canvas work would be a plus.

The successful applicant must-

1) Be a qualified Sailmaker/Canvas Fabricator capable of high-quality repairs & alterations to all types of sails, ranging from board sails to superyachts.
2) To be able to work independently or as part of a team
3) Possess a positive attitude.
4) Ideally be active in racing /cruising.

Employment would be full time for the above dates with the possibility of a longer contract.

Please send resume to -
Rob Gilders
Ullman Sails St. Maarten

Tel. +1 721 544 5231

Give yourself a break - Caribbean Sailing
The Caribbean regatta season offers plenty of scope for all sorts of sailors

Every season, the best of the best from Europe, North America and beyond converge in the Caribbean for a healthy mix of sun, sailing, racing and fun across the region. The annual pilgrimage begins as soon as November for some, while the rest trickle in throughout the holidays and by February the season is in full force.

Whether you are crew aboard a maxi yacht or a full-on liveaboard considering the Caribbean circuit, there is something for everyone in the Caribbean.

Itinerary 1: The Cruiser's Rally and Races
Cruisers can find their way to the Caribbean fairly easily from Europe, despite the massive Atlantic Ocean that separates these iconic sailing regions. The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers helps bring over 200 boats annually to the Caribbean, many crossing the Atlantic for the first time, with others on their annual migration to warmer waters. Some cruisers never leave. Many of the liveaboard cruisers who are lucky enough to live in the lower latitudes head further south for the annual hurricane season and select Grenada, which is well-equipped and out of the storm path, for their summer season. Thus it's easy for them to get right back into racing with the first international regatta of the year confirmed to be Grenada Sailing Week in January 2024.

Full article in the October issue of Seahorse

Newport Harbor Yacht Club defend title in Global Team Racing Regatta
Click on image for photo gallery.

Saturday 23rd September saw the final 12 races of the second round robin completed to establish the final places in the Semi-finals, Queen Mary Reservoir delivered just perfect team racing conditions as the sun glistened on the tiny waves driven by the six to ten knot westerly wind.

The 2023 event includes entries from New York Yacht Club, Newport Harbour Yacht Club, Eastern Yacht Club, Dutch Match & Team Racing Association, Bayerischer Yacht Club, Team Japan, Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club, and the hosts Royal Thames Yacht Club.

Everyone was out to fight for every win but with slightly increased breeze over the first two days, boat handling became more of a key to success. Team Japan and Bayerischer YC both took early wins but were then both beaten by Newport Harbor YC and hosts Royal Thames YC. The final races continued with no one team able to assert absolute dominance. As lunchtime rolled around and the final round robin races concluded, the semi-finalists were decided. Topping the group were the Royal Thames YC, with just two losses from their sixteen races. Three American teams rounded out the knockout stage with Eastern YC finishing in fourth, and friendly rivals New York YC and Newport Harbor YC tied for second place.

An announcement on the 2024 Global Team Racing Regatta is expected in a few weeks so dust off those call books, start your preparations now and keep your eyes peeled for what we are sure will be a great event.

Full results can be found at sites.google.com/view/globalteamraceregatta

Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
This month's nominees:

Tracy Edwards (GBR)
There've been highs and lows but over 35+ years of putting together 'impossible' projects we would argue there have been far more of the former. No one else ever begged, stole, borrowed then begged again to get an all-girl crew into a grand prix round the world race. And in more recent years, tracking down Maiden, getting her home and fixed up, assembling another all-girl crew to sail around the world… this time impressively multi-cultural. It's quite a CV

Hap Fauth (USA)
September 2023 was good enough, but there was a common thread running through Bella Mente's Maxi World's victory and the first class performance of NYYC American Magic in Spain - Hap Fauth has the top role in both programmes. It was seven years since Fauth's previous Maxi title but he kept his team plugging away even as the newer designs started to make some of the regattas less than fun. And Magic is looking good too… really, really good, we reckon

Last Month's winner:
Betsy Alison (USA)
'Betsy is the ultimate sailor and coach, always positive in the face of adversity, focusing on solutions not problems!' - Brian Todd; 'I sailed both with and against Betsy and she is one of the fiercest competitors I know, I wasn't at all surprised she won a(nother) world championship even after such a horrible year. Go, Bets!' - Carol Cronin; 'What she went through, it is a miracle to walk with crutches let alone win a dinghy world title' - Amy Close; 'Go, go, Bets!!!!' - Moose McClintock.

View past winners of Sailor of the Month

Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Harken Derm, Musto and Dubarry. Who needs silverware, our prizes are usable!

Cast your vote, submit comments, even suggest a candidate for next month at seahorsemagazine.com/sailor-of-the-month/vote-for-sailor-of-the-month

Halifax to host ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix
Halifax has been selected as the first-ever city in Canada to host a Sail Grand Prix. The inaugural ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix will take place June 1-2, 2024.

For the first time in the league's history, Canadian fans will get to witness ten world-class teams competing on Halifax Harbor, between George's Island and the MacDonald Bridge. Fans will get to cheer on the home team Canada, driven by Phil Robertson, as they go head to head with 9 other national teams including Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.

Thousands of spectators are expected to line the Halifax waterfront to watch the high-speed action which will see the teams engaged in a fierce two-day competition, racing close to the shore, all vying for the ultimate victory. A range of grandstand and premium ticket options – including a bring your own boat program for boat owners – will be available when sales open in early 2024.

The first ever ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix is hosted by Sail Nova Scotia who led Halifax's successful bid, as part of a process which secured interest from four other Canadian cities to host SailGP.

sailgp.com/halifax

Who Will Win La Boulangere Mini Transat?
On Sunday at 1400hrs (CET) 90 solo sailors set off from Les Sables d'Olonne heading towards Santa Cruz de La Palma in the Canaries, and the end of the first stage of La Boulangere Mini Transat. The second stage will take them to Saint-François in Guadeloupe.

Tip & Shaft analyses the field with a panel of experts, made up of coaches Tanguy Leglatin (Lorient) and François Jambou (Concarneau), Pierre Le Roy, the proto class title holder, Julie Simon, former president of the La Turballe group, and Denis Hugues who is the race director.

The popularity craze for La Boulangere Mini Transat continues completely unabated. For the second consecutive edition, the organizers have decided to limit this transatlantic race in the Mini 6.50 to 90 participants - instead of the 84 initially planned. As eclectic as ever, the field for this 24th edition reflects a real diversity of sailors with varied backgrounds and profiles, including no less than 27 international skippers and also including 14 women - this is the first time that so many female racers have lined up at the start of the test.

With 31 competitors in the proto (ie one off Prototypes, c/w 25 two years ago), "the event will be particularly interesting to follow", notes François Jambou, winner in 2019 in this class. Jambou, who trains around fifteen minists in Concarneau adds: "Quite often there are two outstanding boats and behind them it is a bit more open. But this year many of them are going fast on well-prepared boats. On paper I see ten who can make a podium."

Jambou's successor on the Mini Transat prize list, Pierre Le Roy who right now is co-skipper for Benjamin Ferré on the Imoca Monnoyeur-Duo for a Job, agrees: "The field is bigger and closer this year. There are quite a few Raison designs which are fairly even which will result in a much tighter match than in 2021."

Full editorial in Tip & Shaft

International Masters Regatta
San Diego, California: The 41st running of the International Masters Regatta returns to San Diego Yacht Club October 20-22, 2023. This year's slate of twelve competitors brings together a truly international cast of Master skippers from Canada, Germany, Mexico, and the United States. Over the three days of racing, teams will compete using chartered J/105s in a round-robin format in South San Diego Bay.

Historically, this invitation-only regatta has attracted some of the world's best master sailors including iconic names like Elvstrom, Buchan, Burnham, Tillman, Trask, Irish, Harken, North and Holland (just to name a few). This year is no exception.

2023 International Masters Regatta Roster:
William Abbott
Yon Belausteguigoitia
Nigel Cochrane
Alan Field
Rick Goebel
Scott Harris
Don Jesberg
Gary Jobson
Tad Lacey
Wolfgang Schaefer
Cory Sertl
Tracy Usher

One of the most decorated skippers, Gary Jobson, has participated in the regatta three times over the past decade, earning two 4th place and a 5th place finish. His last run was the 2019 edition of the regatta. Jobson returns for a fourth opportunity to secure a podium finish.

Brand new to the Masters, Wolfgang Schaefer is traveling to San Diego from across the pond in Germany. Schaefer has sailed at SDYC's venue twice before for the Farr 40 Worlds and another SDYC signature regatta, the Yachting Cup. Unfortunately for Schaefer, the J/105 is not established in Northern and Middle Europe – a potential handicap. Nonetheless, the team is confident in their experience.

The only female skipper on the list is Cory Sertl. Sertl first sailed in the Masters as crew in 2019, and this year as a skipper. Sertl is sailing with her husband, Mark Sertl, along with Jody Starck, Meg Myles, Suzy Leech, Chris Snow, and John Rudderham. Recently, she has been sailing in the Farr 30 in Jamestown, RI, as well as team racing in Sonars, Lightnings, and racing in the Pan Am Trials this past May.

sdyc.org

Featured Charter
Araok - 58ft Ipanama Catamaran. From 25,000 per week EUR. Located in France / Caribbean

Designed to comfortably share simple day trips or long-haul cruises with family or friends, the flagship catamaran Ipanema 58 features a myriad of decadent and spacious areas in which to relax. Host long lazy lunches in the stunning 25m2 cockpit that comfortably accommodates the largest group of guests, and then unwind on the inspired modular sunbathing deck on the catamaran’s expansive foredeck.

Charter destinations

SUMMER : West Mediterranean French Riviera | Corsica | Marseille to Saint Tropez
WINTER : Caribbean Grenadines Islands | Martinique & Guadeloupe | Saint Martin & Saint Barth

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Lisa Spiller
Charter Manager
Bernard-Gallay
Phone 1 : +33(0)6 33 42 45 09
Phone 2 : +33 (0)467 66 39 93

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
ClubSwan 50-014 'Zanoza'. 600000 EUR. Located in Tallinn, Estonia.

The ClubSwan 50 was developed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Nautor Swan shipyard and celebrate everything that has made this cutting-edge boat builder one of the most widely recognized and trusted brands in yachting.

The result is an eye-catching machine, fully constructed in carbon fiber and utilizing the very latest technology and all the finest materials. The interior is a pleasant surprise and completely unexpected on a performance yacht of this caliber. This yacht is fully configurable for offshore and inshore races and would be a fantastic contender for not only the ClubSwan events but also for offshore events such as the Fastnet race.

See listing details in Nautor Swan Brokerage

Contact
Lorenzo Bortolotti

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RM 890+. From 134,088 ex VAT EUR.

RM890+ is the smallest model of the RM family but she has everything: wood-based building process, space, comfort and natural light, seducing design and performance under sail! rm-yachts.com/rm-890

The RM team remains at your disposal to help you design your own lifestyle. According to your budget, they’ll be happy to guide you through a selection of sails, electronics, appendages, hull color, rigging and interior design.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
RM Yachts
Zone Industrielle des 4 chevaliers
Rond-Point de la Republique
17180 Perigny, France

+33 5 46 44 73 00

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Gunboat 70

Building on the best, now we invite you to explore the Gunboat 70, the latest integration of sailing and lifestyle, elegance and comfort, in an ultra high-quality, ocean-going catamaran.

When a Gunboat sails into an anchorage people stop what they’re doing. Heads turn and mouths open - It’s part of the joy of owning one! First impressions are as important as the view from two feet away, from any angle. The design is seamless, the finish millimeter perfect and the luster unusually deep. This is no ordinary yacht, but one with intoxicating looks and sailing prowess that most will only dream about.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact

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

The Last Word
Calvin: I'm a genius, but I'm a misunderstood genius.
Hobbes: What's misunderstood about you?
Calvin: Nobody thinks I'm a genius.

Editorial and letter submissions to

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