In This Issue
• Sweden's Berntsson Wins Bermuda Gold Cup For Third Time
• Nick Craig and Toby Lewis win 2023 Endeavour Trophy
• All the best bits - Nautor Swan
• Happy days at Les Voiles!
• RenaissanceRe Junior Gold Cup
• Cup Spy - Making the Dog Hunt
• 18ft Skiffs Spring Championship, Race 1
• Laurent Hay completes full year as Finn No. 1
• The Lipton Cup
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Shogun 43
• • Baltic Yachts 64
• • HH42 by Judel Vrolijk
• The Last Word: Lord Dunsany

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

Sweden's Berntsson Wins Bermuda Gold Cup For Third Time
Photo by Ian Roman / WMRT. Click on image to enlarge.

Swedish skipper Johnie Berntsson today won the King Edward VII Gold Cup, the championship trophy of the Bermuda Gold Cup match racing tournament, for the third time since 2008. Hosted by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, the Bermuda Gold Cup is a World Championship event of the World Match Racing Tour.

The Berntsson Racing Team-including Herman Andersson on tactics, Bjorn Lundgren on mainsail trim and Patrik Sturesson on headsail trim-finished the regatta with a perfect score of 11-0 and won $25,000 of the $75,000 prize purse.

The Berntsson Racing Team won the title as much for their work in the Qualifying Round as for the Knockout Rounds. After two days of racing on Tuesday (Oct. 3) and Wednesday (Oct. 4), which saw the completion of the Qualifying and Quarterfinal rounds, the regatta was postponed Thursday (Oct. 5) and Friday (Oct. 6) due to the passage of Tropical Storm Philippe. on Saturday strong winds of 25 to 35 knots in Hamilton Harbour (below) forced the cancellation of the Semifinal and Final rounds.

At the awards ceremony two special trophies were presented. The Jordy Walker Trophy, presented in honor of past commodore B. W. "Jordy" Walker, is awarded to the most improved young match race sailor at the Bermuda Gold Cup. This year's recipient was 21-year-old Jeffrey Petersen of Santa Ana, Calif.

The Wedgwood Heritage Trophy, awarded in honor of Lord Piers Wedgwood, is presented to the sailor or support staff who best represents the traditional values and history of sailing. This year's recipient was Nicole Butterworth, the Bermuda Gold Cup's Regatta Manager and the Sailing Secretary for the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club who was a driving force behind getting the Bermuda Gold Cup back on the water after a two-year absence. -- Sean McNeill

Final results
1. Johnie Berntsson (51, Stenungsund, Sweden) Berntsson Sailing Team - 11-0
2. Taylor Canfield (34, Miami, USA) Stars+Stripes USA - 9-2
3. Ian Williams (46, Lymington, England) Chinaone.Ningbo - 8-2
4. Harry Price (28, Sydney, Australia) Down Under Racing - 8-4
5. Eric Monnin (47, Immensee, Switzerland) Capvis Swiss Match Racing Teamn - 8-4
6. Gavin Brady (49, Annapolis, Md., USA) True Blue Racing - 6-5
7. Jeppe Borch (25, Copenhagen, Denmark) Borch Racing - 5-5
8. Nick Egnot-Johnson (25, Auckland, New Zealand) KNOTS Racing - 4-7
9. Anna Ostling (39, Lerum, Sweden) WINGS - 3-4
10. Chris Poole (34, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA) Riptide Racing - 2-5
11. Pauline Courtois (34, Brest, France) Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team - 2-5
12. David Hood (Long Beach, Calif., USA) DH3 Racing - 2-5
13. Jeffrey Petersen (21, Santa Ana, Calif., USA) Golden State Match Racing - 2-5
14. Celia Willison (25, Auckland, New Zealand) Edge Racing New Zealand - 1-6
15. Peter Holz (30, Chicago, Ill., USA) Windy City Match Racing - 1-6
16. Joshua Greenslade (32, Pembroke, Bermuda) 0-7

bermudagoldcup.com

Nick Craig and Toby Lewis win 2023 Endeavour Trophy
Nick Craig and Toby Lewis - winners of the coveted solid silver Endeavour Trophy. Photo by Roger Mant. Click on image to enlarge.

Royal Corinthian YC, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex: Nick Craig and Toby Lewis representing the D-One class have won the Endeavour Trophy for the 7th and 10th time respectively counting a 1st, two 2nds and an 8th, writes Sue Pelling. This super-tuned team kept their overnight lead when, in total contrast to yesterday's windy conditions, lack of sufficient wind today meant the final four races were unable to take place.

While some may have been disappointed not to have had the chance to embrace their light wind skills, for Craig and Lewis who are well known for their dominance in windy conditions, the race committee's decision not to even start a race in the patchy, unpredictable 3kts of breeze was a welcome one.

Mee and Martin sailed impressively yesterday and played the consistent game well. They ended the regatta with a 2,3,4,9 score and said they were delighted with yet another second place at the Endeavour

In third place overall after their respectable results from yesterday, which included two third places, were Parkstone SC members Ben Whaley and Lorna Glen (RS Aero 6). Their worst result (10th) was in the first race, but they bounced back and improved in each race from then on in.

Back in the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club this afternoon, competitors and guests attended the Endeavour prizegiving, where the winners Craig and Lewis were presented with the spectacular solid silver model, and the half model of the America's Cup J-Class yacht Endeavour.

Next year's Endeavour Trophy is scheduled for 4-6 October 2024. -- Sue Pelling

Overall Results (4 races, 0 discard)
1st D One - Nick Craig and Toby Lewis (13pts)
2nd GP14 - Matt Mee and Chris Martin (18pts)
3rd RS Aero 6 - Ben Whaley and Lorna Glen (21pts)
4th RS400 - Edd Whitehead and Karen Oldale (24pts)
5th WASZP - Sam Whaley and Larissa Connabeer (30pts)
6th RS Aero 5 - Tom and Tristan Ahlheid (34pts)

royalcorinthian.co.uk/endeavour/

All the best bits - Nautor Swan
Elegance is a major preoccupation for the top brass at Nautor and when they began to design their new flagship Swan 108, one of the project's primary objectives was to produce the most beautiful maxi Swan to date

Like every new model we produce, throughout the design and build process we spend a great deal of time looking at data, drawings and renderings and the Swan 108 was no exception. But when she came out of the mould for the first time we knew we had something special,' says Nautor Group CEO Giovanni Pomati.

It is difficult to think of a time when the Finnish builders haven't been busy, but in recent years and despite the recent global challenges, the rate of production has ramped up with new models streaming into a comprehensive range that is constantly evolving. Naturally, evolution is no accident for a company that has been producing luxury offshore yachts for 57 years, neither is their reputation for leading by example. But the need to produce elegant yachts has been an underlying constant as well throughout this time.

Full article in the October issue of Seahorse

Happy days at Les Voiles!
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

There was a great deal at stake in this last day of racing at Les Voiles among the 8 groups of Classic yachts. As has been the case throughout the week, this morning's subtle breeze picked up just as action commenced, providing dynamic, full-on racing for the 86 Classic yachts. Pushed along by over 12 knots of breeze, the crews were able to really get the best out of their machines and work them hard, providing the large crowds with some jaw-dropping images of beautiful gaff or Bermudan rigs powering down to the far reaches of the gulf. The wind range favoured the large schooners, Elena and Naema, which performed superbly in elapsed time. However, in corrected time it was the light and pacey 15mRs, which stole both a march and the show.

Varuna 1939 wins the Rolex Trophy
12 fabulous Bermudan yawls were competing for this week's prestigious trophy, but it was Varuna which utterly dominated the quest for the Rolex Trophy, winning all 4 of the validated races. Comet (Stephens 1946) and Stormy Weather (Stephens 1934) respectively complete the podium.

Spartan outsails the gaffers!
Each group crowns some fine champions, some of which rule supreme, like Encounter (Frers 1976) in Classic Marconi, which groups together 13 Bermudan cutters and sloops. In Epoque Aurique, Spartan didn't even need to participate in the last race. Indeed, her three race victories saw off some fearsome competition, including Viola (Fife 1908) and the P Class Chips (Burgess 1913). Consistently ranking well, albeit without scoring any bullets, the Sparkman & Stephens Blitzen managed to secure ultimate victory in the Epoque Marconi. Carron II (8 M Fife 1935) and Falcon (Paine 1930), both race winners, were not consistent enough to really threaten her reign.

12M: Kiwi Magic and Nyala top of the leader board
Among the 12mRs, French Kiss rounded off the event in style with a victory in elapsed time, but it was Johan Beach's Kiwi Magic, which snatched the SNST Trophy. Meantime, in the older 12mRs, Patrizio Bertelli's Nyala triumphed. However, in line with the Class's focus on sporting equity, the ten 12mRs sailing together at Les Voiles are split into two separate rankings according to the generation of the build. As such, the 12B group comprises four boats built between 1970 (France) and 1987 (South Australia). The second group, referred to as 12D, gathers together 6 craft built between 1918 (Thea) and 1938 (Eileen).

lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr

Puerto Rican Sailor Wins 18th RenaissanceRe Junior Gold Cup
Gian Marco Piovanetti, a 15-year-old Optimist sailor from Puerto Rico, won the 2023 RenaissanceRe Junior Gold Cup with a dominant performance, particularly in the heavier winds of Day 2.

oct7 2023 jgc sPiovanetti (at right) counted seven top-three finishes, including four race wins, in the eight-race series and finished with the low net score of 12 points. He finished 20 points ahead of Mariana Pinto of Portugal in second place, who finished 1 point ahead of Frederick Hastrup of Denmark in third place.

This is Piovanetti's last year racing the Optimist dinghy and he said that this championship represents the highlight win of his young sailing career. Piovanetti excelled particularly on Day 2 (Thursday, Oct. 5), when he finished 1-2-1-1 in strong winds of 20 knots.

Mariana Pinto, who won the award for the Top Female Sailor, also had a consistent regatta with three top three finishes and all finishes in the top nine, but Piovanetti was just more consistent. The award to the top sailor representing Bermuda went to Nina Gotfredsen. She finished ninth overall with a net score of 74 points. Although unofficial, Edward Hirsch of Switzerland gets the "tough sailor" award for racing with a cast on his left leg after an accident suffered at home.

Top five results
1. Gian Marco Piovanetti (PUR) - 12 points
2. Mariana Pinto (POR) - 32
3. Frederick Hastrup (DEN) - 33
4. Leandro Scialpi (ITA) - 40
5. Minx Anthony (USA) - 42

Full results

juniorgoldcup.com/results

Cup Spy - Making the Dog Hunt
Three teams sailed off Barcelona in moderate winds on Thursday.

Barcelona turned on another weather variant on Thursday, with a moderate breeze initially of 8-12kts at 1300hrs, increasing to 13-15kts at 1700hrs - as measured ashore by the nowcasting at Port Olimpic.

Rather than being steady from the South as it has been on most days, the breeze started at NE (045 degrees) at 1200hrs, swinging slowly to ESE (100 degrees) at 1600hrs - followed by a rapid and significant shift to the South (180 degrees) 30 minutes later at 1630hrs.

According to the reports from the AC37 Joint Recon Team, and especially those following American Magic sailing paired AC40s in yet more foil testing, the wind was unstable, making accurate testing unreliable.

It is important to recall American Magic's Tom Burnham's comments earlier in the week, when reading any observation report, that often what is perceived as one boat being faster or slower can be part of an alignment process between the two boats - checking that a line up is an accurate and fair test and that one boat is not affected by the other, or by inconsistency in conditions.

Read Richard Gladwell's full report in Sail-World.com

18ft Skiffs Spring Championship, Race 1
Australian champion Finport Finance wins Race 1 of the Spring Championship. Click on image for photo gallery.

The Australian 18 Footers League's 89th consecutive 18ft skiff racing season began on Sydney Harbour today, when the club staged Race 1 of the 2023-24 Spring Championship, which resulted in a victory for the Australian champion Finport Finance team of …Keagan York, Matt Stenta and Phil Marshall.

Finport Finance produced a brilliant performance, in the light ENE breeze, to overcome her handicap under the 3-buoys system, and win an exciting opening race to the season.

In a race where the lead changed on numerous occasions over the three-lap North East course, Finport Finance crossed the finish line 37s ahead of Yandoo (John Winning, Fang Warren, Josh Porebski), with Balmain (Henry Larkings, Fynn Sprott and Flynn Twomey) a further 8s back in third place.

Emma Rankin, who was having her first race in an 18ft skiff, produced an outstanding effort to bring Shaw and Partners Financial Services home in fourth place, ahead of Giltinan World champion Andoo (John Winning Jr) and Sixt, skippered by Nathan Edwards, who was also having his first race as skipper in the 18s.

In a close finish to an exciting race, in which the lead and most of the top ten placings changed continually throughout the race, Marine Outlet recovered from an early setback to come home in seventh place just ahead of Smeg (Nathan McNamara) and Fisher & Paykel (Jordan Girdis).

18 Footers Restaurant (Hugo Stoner) was also in that group but capsized only metres from the finish line as the team executed their final gybe of the race.

The race highlighted the advantages of the 3-buoys handicap system which gives every boat the opportunity of success if it performs to the crews potential. -- Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.

18footers.com

Laurent Hay completes full year as the Finn World No. 1
Laurent Hay, from France, has completed a full year as No. 1 in the Finn World Rankings. In Issue No 4 of the world rankings, released this week, he has even extended his lead at the top to 156 points after an incredibly successful season which included silver medals at the Finn Gold Cup, Europeans and Finn World Masters. After the first year of the Finn World Ranking List, he remains the only sailor to fill the World No. 1 spot.

The Finn World Ranking List now includes 1,324 sailors from 38 countries, an increase of 115 sailors since the last release in June.

Current Masters champion, Filipe Silva, from Portugal, moves up to second overall, while Marc Allain des Beauvais, from France drops one place to third.

Zsigmond Kantor, from Hungary is the biggest mover into the top 10, up to seventh from 91st, while Antal Szekely is up to sixth from 43rd. Finally, Bas de Waal, from The Netherlands, moves up to ninth from 13th.

Since the last release the World Tour for Finns has taken in another 24 events across 16 countries including the Silver Cup and the Finn European Masters.

Top 10 from 1,324 sailors

Rank, Name, Country, Sail No, Points, No of Events
1 Laurent Hay, FRA, 75, 1087.14, 13
2 Filipe Silva, POR, 21, 931.34, 12
3 Marc Allain Des Beauvais, FRA, 99, 895.42, 10
4 Bartosz Szydłowski, POL, 6, 824.94, 9
5 Antal Szekely, HUN, 7, 818.31, 7
6 Lawrence Crispin, GBR, 74, 814.34, 9
7 Zsigmond Kantor, HUN, 30, 801.78, 8
8 Kristian Sjoberg, FIN, 201, 797.54, 12
9 Bas De Waal, NED, 29 795.71, 17

,

finnclass.org

The Lipton Cup
San Diego, Calilfornia: The 108th Challenge for the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup, San Diego Yacht Club's signature fall regatta, returns October 27-29, 2023. Named for the historic yachtsman and tea baron, Sir Thomas Lipton, the Lipton Cup allows yacht club teams to face off to determine who is the best of the best. It is the most prestigious trophy contested in Southern California and one of the most coveted on the West Coast since 1903.

Over the three days of racing, twelve teams from across the U.S. will compete using chartered J/105s in a round-robin format in South San Diego Bay. After each race, competitors rotate to a different boat via floating docks adjacent to the racecourse, adding a layer of excitement.

This year's Lipton Cup roster includes:
Alamitos Bay Yacht Club
American Yacht Club
Balboa Yacht Club
California Yacht Club
Coronado Yacht Club
Eastern Yacht Club
Long Beach Yacht Club
New York Yacht Club
Newport Harbor Yacht Club
San Diego Yacht Club
San Francisco Yacht Club
Southwestern Yacht Club

San Diego Yacht Club will be defending the Cup. Coming on the heels of winning the 2023 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup in Newport, RI, the San Diego Yacht Club team will consist of skipper Tyler Sinks and some of his Invitational team members. Sailing with Sinks are: Max Hutcheson, Nick Kaschak, Lucy Wallace, Jake La Dow, Adam Roberts, and Brad Rodi.

sdyc.org/liptoncup/

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The Last Word
I think that travel comes from some deep urge to see the world, like the urge that brings up a worm in an Irish bog to see the moon when it is full. -- Lord Dunsany

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