In This Issue
• Rolex Sydney Hobart
• Nico Poons & Noah Garcia big winners at YCM Awards-Trophee UBS 2023
• JOG 2023: That's A Wrap!
• Now you can always get what you want - Yacht-Match
• Shirley Robertson Podcast
• 2023 YJA Yachting Awards - Finalists Revealed
• Tradewinds in Paradise - ASW 2024
• World Sailing independent panel to oversee 2024 elections
• Sailing "World on Water"
• Featured Charter: Beneteau First 36 #42
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Club Swan 50 - Hull #20
• • Gunboat 70
• • X-Yachts - Xc 47
• The Last Word: Mark Kurlansky

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

Rolex Sydney Hobart
Running 628-nautical miles from Sydney Harbour to Hobart, Tasmania, the Rolex Sydney Hobart is one of the world's most revered sailing events. Organised by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, in collaboration with Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania , the competition has captivated sailors ever since its inauguration in 1945.

Rolex, a longstanding supporter of yachting, has partnered the legendary race and CYCA since 2002. The 78th edition, commencing on Tuesday 26 December, has attracted a competitive fleet of over 100 yachts. The objective for all entrants is to lift the coveted Tattersall Cup, awarded to the overall race winner. For the triumphant crew, a place in sailing folklore is guaranteed.

Weather Briefing

Compulsory Weather Briefing ahead of the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

* Harken has published a Form Guide to the race: harken.com/en/stories/sydney-hobart-2023/

Watch the start

rolexsydneyhobart.com

Nico Poons & Noah Garcia big winners at YCM Awards-Trophee UBS 2023
Yacht Club de Monaco's 70th anniversary year ended with its annual YCM Awards-Trophee UBS 2023, 21 December, on a high as the Club celebrated some great results with no fewer than five world champion titles won by its members.

Nominees for the coveted UBS Trophy 2023 (Sailor of the Year) included the world champion helmsman, namely Nico Poons (RC44), Edward Wright (Finn and 5.5), Leonardo Ferragamo (Swan50) and Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (Swan36), as well as Benoît de Froidmont, IMA Inshore Challenge winner, Vladimir Prosikhin, 3rd in the RC44 World Championship, Graeme Peterson, World Vice-Champion in Swan50 and Joost Schuijff, Rolex Middle Sea Race (Monohull Line Honours). In the final vote the trophy went to Nico Poons, the 7th time he's been nominated, winning in 2009, and again it was his prowess on the RC44 circuit to clinch the world champion title for the second year in a row that tipped the balance.

As always, the Club's youngest sailors were also recognised in the YCM Youth Awards 2023, with young Noah Garcia winning the top prize after another superb season that included a gold medal at the Small States of Europe Games in ILCA 4 and 4th in the ILCA 6 French Championship.

YCM's ongoing quest for excellence continues in 2024. Ahead lie the Paris24 Olympics and potential selection of one of the Club's top athletes; the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona in which certain members are involved at the head of syndicates; and the solo round the world without assistance Vendee Globe. Malizia-Seaexplorer, the latest addition to Team Malizia founded by YCM Vice-President Pierre Casiraghi, will be competing, skippered by member Boris Herrmann having his second crack at this legendary race.

yacht-club-monaco.mc

JOG 2023: That's A Wrap!
We wanted to thank you all for making 2023 another memorable year of sailing with JOG. We had over 170 yachts and countless crew take part throughout the year.

The season started with a bang on the Raymarine Lonely Tower Race with close to 100 boats taking part in what turned out to be a fairly spicy race, particularly when the fleet was heading downwind to the forts in 20+ knots gusting well into the 30s at times. A huge congratulations to Simon Toms and the crew on his Sunfast 3300 Zephyr who took the overall win.

The funds raised for Generation JOG went towards two training weekends. The second one was particularly memorable thanks to some fairly challenging conditions with the crew seeing everything from too much to not nearly enough. It did however mean that everyone managed to tick off quite a few "experience" boxes including:

- the first two races completed
- the first asymmetric and symmetric kite work
- the first broach
- the first person up the mast while racing to fire a snagged kite halyard

For some on board, it was the first time experiencing such heavy conditions, particularly in close proximity to other boats, but the kettle was kept on the boil and the pies made it out for lunch.

The JOG yachts came out in force for the feisty RORC Fastnet Race. 36 of the 71 yachts owned by JOG members finished the grueling race with some also placing very highly in their class. If it wasn't a big enough achievement just finishing the race, the following JOG boats finished in the top 10 of their class: Phosphorus II, Sunrise III, Darkwood, Xanaboo, Mzungu!, Chilli Pepper, Marta & With Alacrity.

JOG is a yacht club with a difference and steeped in history. Established in 1950 to enable smaller yachts to compete offshore, it organises highly competitive races for IRC rated yachts. Our vibrant yacht club prides itself on its inclusivity and providing organised, competitive yacht racing ensuring long-lasting broad appeal.

Read more...

Now you can always get what you want - Yacht-Match
Yacht-Match is a yachtbroker, dealer and service provider that is founded on a fundamentally different way of doing business

Yacht-Match, Italia Yachts' dealer for the UK, Scandinavia and Croatia, has a different philosophy from most. It was created seven years ago as a consultancy with the goal of better informing clients, in a transparent and informative manner. This process is intended to empower clients with the knowledge possessed by seasoned yacht owners. It's a fundamentally different way of doing business from the manner in which most boats are sold.

The firm was borne of a growing frustration that a service better suited to the needs of prospective boat buyers was not available. This led two long standing industry professionals with different backgrounds to start Yacht-Match seven years ago.

Full article in the January issue of Seahorse

Shirley Robertson Podcast
This month, Shirley Robertson heads to Barcelona to interview some of the key personnel from American Magic, the New York Yacht Club's challenger to the 37th America's Cup.

Series 4 - Ep14 - American Magic Parts 1 and 2

shirleyrobertson.com/podcast/

2023 YJA Yachting Awards - Finalists Revealed
The finalists for the most prestigious awards in British yachting - the 2023 YJA Yachtsman of the Year, the YJA Young Sailor of the Year and the YJA Young Journalist of the Year have been decided.

"2023 has been a bumper year for nominations and we had both young and older people put forward from all forms of watersports including sailing, wing foiling, kiting and windsurfing," comments Clifford Webb, Chairman of the Yachting Journalists' Association. "Selecting the finalists was a very difficult task given the caliber of all the nominees put forward, but after much deliberation the YJA Committee now has a shortlist. Thank you to everyone who made a nomination to be considered." He continued, ''I am also delighted to announce that we have a new venue for the awards and also a new awards supporter''.

The YJA Membership will be invited to cast their votes to select the winners between 22nd January and 9th February 2024.

List of Finalists

yja.world

Tradewinds in Paradise - ASW 2024
The opening salvo of the 55th edition of Antigua Sailing Week (ASW) will be the Peters & May Round Antigua Race (RAR) on April 27, followed by one week of smoking hot racing and fun parties. It has always been an international affair. Last year, sailors from 20 different nations took part and as of today we've already registered entries from North America, Europe, the rest of the Caribbean, and, of course, a plethora of local boats. Compared to this time last year, our entries are up, and we can't wait to deliver some great competition to a wide variety of racing classes.

Antigua Sailing Week's CSA Racing Classes provide a competition where local legends take on the best sailors from around the world. Alternating between the flatter seas of the Rendezvous Bay Course and the less sheltered Windward Course, Antigua Sailing Week provides a wide range of conditions and different courses. But the solid trades and warm, clear water are always consistent.

Club Class
This fun class is building nicely and early entries include boats that are ASW regulars, such as Ian Galbraith's Oyster 53 Jigsaw and second-timer Mathias Maus on his Swan 65 - Alpha Centauri of London.

"Club Class is open to sailors who want to enjoy the on-the-water thrills but who may not take their racing as seriously as others and don't want to incur as many expenses," commented Jaime Torres. "We score Club Class with the innovative Variable Simplified CSA handicap. The ratings are easy and inexpensive to get and are adjusted after each race, depending on your finish position. By the end of the week, we hope everyone in Club Class will have taken a bow on the stage at the daily prize giving."

Rock up & Race, Bareboat, Race Charter & Motherships
For sailors without a boat in the Caribbean, organizers invite you to Rock Up & Race at Antigua Sailing Week on a chartered vessel with options for everyone from novice sailors to world champions.

US-based Sunsail Yacht Charters, the official bareboat partner for Antigua Sailing Week, has vessels providing exciting, spirited one-design racing in the Bareboat Class. With ten races over five days of action, the racing can be hard-core, but there are always a few boats racing just for fun, so a great time will be had at any skill level. Start lines are off Rendezvous Beach and Windward Beach, all within a short sail of the marinas.

For teams with extended families, Sunsail also offers huge charter catamarans with berths for up to ten people, providing a perfect mothership on the dock and a platform for cheerleaders out on the racecourse!

sailingweek.com

World Sailing confirms appointment of independent panel to oversee 2024 elections
World Sailing, the global governing body for the sport of sailing, has confirmed the appointment of an independent World Sailing Election Panel to oversee the 2024 Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections.

The panel, comprising four independent legal and regulatory professionals, is tasked with ensuring the election process is transparent, fair and adheres to the guidelines stipulated in the World Sailing Constitution.

The four appointees were confirmed in November at the 2023 World Sailing Annual Conference in Malaga, Spain.

- Margot Foster OLY (Chair) - Former lawyer with extensive governance experience in sport, Chair of World Athletics Election Oversight Panel, Vice President of Motorsport Australia, and 1984 Olympic medallist in rowing for Australia.

- Phil Cotton - Auditor with board level experience in public practice, sport, education and the voluntary sector, Chair of the World Sailing Audit Committee

- Niels Lindholm - Compliance & Risk Officer for World Athletics, and member of expert panels with the United Nations, the International Paralympic Committee, the World Badminton Federation, and the Federation Française d'Athletisme.

- Jon Napier - Lawyer and member of the World Athletics Election Oversight Panel, also serving on the legal consultative group for the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, the World Sailing Governance Reform Working Party, and World Sailing Racing Rules Committee.

The World Sailing Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections will be held in-person at the 2024 World Sailing Annual Conference, scheduled for 4-9 November 2024.

sailing.org

Sailing "World on Water" December 08.23
Highlights of what happened globally in the sport of sailing in the last 7 days.

There will be six "Giants of the Seas" to set off from Brest, with a solitary skipper on board, who will attempt to complete a circumnavigation of the world from West to East, via the 3 capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn). . A human and technological challenge carried by the sailors of the Ultim 32/23 Class accompanied by their shipowners and partners. Some of them have already completed the journey in a multihull and single-handed: Francis Joyon, Dame Ellen MacArthur, Thomas Coville, François Gabart; notably as part of solo round the world record sailing campaigns, but no one has ever done it in a race!

This is your weekly Global Sailing Highlights show, the World on Water, for the week ending December 22, 2023.

Featured Charter
BENETEAU First 36 #42. From 3150 Euros/week. Located in Marina Pirovac, Adriatic Sea, Croatia.

One of the most awarded boats in history is now available for bareboat charter in Croatia. Experience the thrill of high-performance racing boats on your family holidays without sacrificing onboard comfort. She is brand new and fully equipped for cruising and racing.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Portuss d.o.o., Tit Plevnik
Email:
Phone: +386 31 212 432
Booking Code: Seahorse First 36

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
2017 Club Swan 50 - Hull #20. 600,000 EUR. Located in Tallin, Estonia.

Club Swan 50 "Kreyser" is now for sale. Hull #20 of the brilliant CS50 all-carbon design, she is one of the most lightly used boats in the entire fleet and even retains that "as new" smell below decks. Strong inventory with inshore and offshore sails. All cruising items still in plastic from new.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats

+447759 424900

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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

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2017 J/V Pac52 "Warrior Won". POA USD.

2017 J/V Pac52 "Warrior Won", one of the worlds most potent offshore racing yachts is for sale.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Collin Leon
+1.516.361.9156

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

The Last Word
Children need fairy tales, but it is just as essential that they have parents who tell them about their own lives, so that they can establish a relationship to the past. -- Mark Kurlansky

Editorial and letter submissions to

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