EuroSail News #5501 - 14 February

In This Issue
• A Glimpse Of The Return
• IMA Caribbean Maxi Multihull Series
• Part 3 of Behind the scenes with BSI Rigging
• Cup Spy Feb 12: Brits appear in Barcelona
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Oxford Blue to conclude a Windy Winter
• 18ft Skiffs Sixt Race 5 Australian Championship
• Slocum's Luck - A life of near misses and good fortune
• Industry News
• Featured Charter: Sunreef ECO 80 Apollo 99
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Pegasus 50
• • Ice Yachts ICE 33
• • Bavaria C42
• • Carkeek 47 "Stark Raving Mad IX"
• • Italia Yachts 12.98 2023
• The Last Word: Richard Dawkins

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

A Glimpse Of The Return
By rounding Cape Horn in the lead, Charles Caudrelier marks the start of a new chapter for the Arkea Ultim Challenge - Brest followed since this weekend by Armel Le Cleac'h and Thomas Coville. Back in the Atlantic Ocean, they are beginning the final phase of the odyssey towards the finish line. But the road is still as long as it is intense. "The Cape of Good Deliverance", as Thomas Coville poetically calls it, is still in the sights of the rest of the fleet, Anthony Marchand and Eric Peron.

Every Tuesday we speak to a skipper in detail. Today it is the turn of Anthony Marchand currently lying fourth in this solo multihull round-the-world race. Our conversation took place early this Tuesday morning French time, for him in the middle of the night in the heart of the Pacific.

'Antho' talks for about twenty minutes. He is enthusiastic, alert, sometimes funny. The skipper of Actual Ultim 3 is having to work hard aboard his boat which effectively has no foils. The starboard foil is locked in the 'up' position and the remainder. Regardless, the 38 year old ex Figaro ace knows how to make the most of everything despite adversity and continues to progress with Cape Horn in his sights.

Can you describe the atmosphere at the moment aboard Actual Ultim 3?
"It's pitch black, I have little alarms flashing here and there. And otherwise there are big waves, spray, greyness, rain. I'm in a storm! You are always aware of the difference between the Southern Oceans and the Atlantic. The way of sailing here is completely different, as is the atmosphere, the feeling. In terms of energy, everything is multiplied by ten. You just can't ever switch off, you are not allowed to have moments of relaxation!

Full interview

arkeaultimchallengebrest.com/en

Introducing the IMA Caribbean Maxi Multihull Series
Maxi multihull owners and crews now have an extra target when they race in the Caribbean this spring. Following its successful series in the Mediterranean for maxi monohulls, the International Maxi Association has similarly gathered together the most popular local sailing events to create the IMA Caribbean Maxi Multihull Series (CMMS). As with other IMA series, this is open to maxis (ie yachts of 60+ft (18.29m) LH) but in this case multihulls. The winner will have their name engraved on a silver perpetual trophy, put up by the IMA.

For 2024, the new IMA Caribbean Maxi Multihull Series (CMMS) comprises a mix of inshore and offshore races:

1) Caribbean Multihull Challenge Race and Rally (St Maarten) - 1-4 February
2) RORC Caribbean 600 (Antigua-Antigua) - 19 February
3) St Maarten Heineken Regatta (St Maarten) - 29 February-3 March
4) BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival (Tortola, BVI) - 1-7 April

While maxi racing as a sport has existed for decades, if not centuries, private owner maxi multihull racing is a much newer discipline.

As to why the IMA has chosen to hold this series in the Caribbean, Secretary General Andrew McIrvine explains: "At present there are groups of high performance multihulls, some in the USA and others in Europe. The Caribbean represents a natural annual meeting place for these two groups. As we've seen in the past their numbers are greatest in the events there."

Since it was founded in 1979, the IMA has been dedicated purely to overseeing and developing the monohull side of the sport. Today private owner maxi multihull racing has converged with the monohull world: both use the same technology, created to the same high standards of design, engineering and build; both are sailed by similarly high calibre crew. In fact some owners, such as Highland Fling 18's Lord Irvine Laidlaw, have made the transition from one to two hulls - his Gunboat 80 offering exceptional performance but also a more stable platform that is less physically demanding on him.

To quality for the IMA CMMS teams must compete in a minimum of two events to qualify. Those that sail more can discard their worst result. Teams that compete in more events are rewarded in the end of series scoring. -- James Boyd / International Maxi Association

internationalmaxiassociation.com

Part 3 of Behind the scenes with BSI Rigging #FollowTheRig
Come behind the scenes of Beagle V's rigging 20+ year service with BSI and their service agent RSB Rigging. If you are just joining the journey, catch up with part 1 and 2 as we go through the BSI factory to learn how new fittings and hardware are made and the differences in the stages with Kevlar and Rod.

Part 3 is the final part of the journey, where everything comes together.

We return to the boat log and data sheets, these are the bible of any project, it tells anyone at any time exactly what has been done and what there is still to do.

All the fittings that have been identified throughout the last few weeks and that have been collated on the project trolley whether new or refurbished are now fitted and crossed checked to the data sheets.

The rods are assembled with their fittings as is the Kevlar. All fittings are labelled, packaged and taped. Once protected, they placed on the pallet stack. Where possible recycled and recyclable materials are used. BSI's priority is to protect the parts and ensure they arrive safely at their destination exactly as they left the factory.

The scheduled truck arrives and the team from BSI carefully load the stack pallet, any coils, and parts on to the truck and wave the rig on its way.

Once the rig has left, the project manager ensures the boat service log updated and the information is stored ready for her stepping and next service in five years' time.

Watch the team in action, and we hope you enjoy this insight into the work we do to help you maintain your rigging and protect the safety of those onboard.

bsi-rigging.com

Cup Spy Feb 12: Brits appear in Barcelona after a 10 day absence
Three America's Cup teams sailed - all in AC40s - from Barcelona and Jeddah. Alinghi Red Bull Racing continued with their two AC40 training program in Jeddah with Dean Barker again co-helming. The team sailed with custom design mainsails and jibs- with more on hand in the chase boat.

What happened in the Cup - February 12, 2024:

- INEOS Britannia - Sailed their two AC40s off Barcelona for the first time since February 2, when they had a very productive race training session. They sailed today in winds that peaked at 17kts. The two boats were in AC40 One design configuration except for the use of a custom design J2 jib on their AC40-10 (Athena) for 70 minutes. The Brits were shadowed by the AC37 Joint Recon Team. We are now outside the initial two-week embargo period on showing the team's new livery on AC-10 Athena - and for the first time, images of the two AC40s sailing together can now be shown. Several of the sailing team will head for Sydney mid-next week for the SailGP regatta.

- Alinghi Red Bull Racing - resumed what appears to be a continuation of a sail testing program off Jeddah, in a good breeze, but near 1-metre choppy seas, using their two AC40's. Former ETNZ and American Magic AC helmsman Dean Barker joined the session as a co-helmsman. The boats sailed with one design wing foils and tested two custom design mainsails, and four custom design jibs (J1 & J2's), along with two J3's which remained in the chase boat.

- Orient Express Racing Team - Was reported on AC.com to have been sailed from Barcelona in One Design mode and, as a result, had no AC37 Joint Recon Team presence or report. The sailing team will head for Sydney mid-next week for the SailGP regatta.

- Emirates Team New Zealand - No sailing on Monday. Both Chase and Recon boats on the hardstand on Tuesday, while light winds in Gulf as forecast. There is a better forecast on Wednesday, and it is not known if the team will sail for the rest of the week. Several of the sailing team will head for Sydney mid-next week for the SailGP regatta.

- American Magic - No sailing as advised last week.

- Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli - No sailing reported.

Read Richard Gladwell's commentary in Sail-World.com

Seahorse March 2024
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

More tales from the America's Cup
It's the end of the 12 Metre era but the America's Cup has yet to become the largely charisma-free sporting space we have today. Dave Hollom

More than an event
Admiral's Cup 2025 and there is more at stake than winning more trophies. Rob Weiland

A Mirror on the Cuckmere
Dan Houston takes us back to the beginning and a little dinghy that has lured more people into the sport than anything else we can think of

Once is too often - Part IV
Rich Du Moulin of the Storm Trysail Club moves on to the even greater challenges of executing a successful man overboard recovery from a typically fast-moving multihull

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Oxford Blue to conclude a Windy Winter
Click on image for photo gallery.

The Oxford Blue is set to bring this season's Selden Sailjuice Winter Series to a close this coming Saturday, 17 February. With almost 70 boats from 36 classes already entered, it's set to be a busy race course on Farmoor Reservoir.

Online entry closes soon, so sign up here... sailjuiceseries.com

This is also the RS Aero Winter Championships and class stalwart Peter Barton is among the entries in the popular singlehander. So many different classes are represented, from the Albacore to the Vortex and a few rarities such as the Norfolk Punt Hardchine being sailed by Edward Clifford and Alex Standley.

A total of 446 boats have now achieved ranking points. After seven events, and three discards, Sam Pascoe (Musto Skiff - Castle Cove SC) with five wins dominates. Last winter's runner up Ben Flower (ILCA 7 - Paignton SC), holds onto to second and will be competing at Oxford after returning from his trip to the World Championships in Australia. Sam Barker (Musto Skiff - Castle Cove SC), jumps 12 places to 3rd overall.

Top Class
The results were very close at the Tiger Trophy penultimate round of the 2023/24 Selden Sailjuice Winter Series with the Musto Skiffs a mere 4 points ahead of the 420s across all four races.

Top Club
At the Tiger Trophy, Draycote Water Sailing Club were just ahead of hosts Rutland Sailing Club and Burghfield Sailing Club third for Selden SailJuice Winter Series Round 7. Overall, Draycote Water Sailing Club is still top, with Bowmoor Sailing Club up one to second, and defending champions Great Moor Sailing Club third.

Great British Sailing Challenge (GBSC) extracted rankings, across various criteria...

sailjuiceseries.com

18ft Skiffs Sixt Race 5 Australian Championship - President's Trophy
Sixt chases The Kitchen Maker. Photo by SailMedia. Click on image for photo gallery.

The NSW champion Yandoo 18ft skiff team added another title to its 2023-24 season triumphs when, despite finishing in fourth place in today's Sixt Race 5 of the Australian Championship, it locked up the series with one more race still to be sailed on Sydney Harbour next Sunday.

With Yandoo's regular skipper John 'Woody' Winning sidelined through injury, the 2006-07 Australian champion Micah Lane took over the helm and, joined by Fang Warren (sheet) and Lewis Brake (bow) for the past two weeks, to seal the team's victory with a race to spare.

While the new champion team was unable to produce its best performance, the defending champion Finport Finance team of Keagan York, Matt Stents and Harry Hall were dominant throughout the entire course and controlled the race from the start in the light ENE breeze of around 8knots.

At the finish, after leading for the entire race, Finport Finance crossed the line 35s ahead of Rag & Famish Hotel (Harry Price, Josh McKnight, FinnRodowicz).

Balmain (Henry Larkings, Flynn Twomey, Fynn Sprott) finished third, a further 2m13s behind behind Rag & Famish Hotel, with Yandoo in fourth place, followed by The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Jacob Marks) and Andoo (John Winning Jr).

With next Sunday's race to be sailed to complete the Australian Championship, after each team discards its worst race result so far, the progress points are: Yandoo on five points, followed by Rag & Famish Hotel on 10, Finport Finance on 11, Vaikobi (Kirk Mitchell) 15, Andoo 16 and Balmain on 19 points. -- Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League Ltd.

18footers.com

Slocum's Luck - A life of near misses and good fortune
Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, probably sometime in 1866, a ship named AGRA faces a rising wind. Launched in 1862 at the redoubtable Medford, Massachusetts, yard of J.T. Foster & Co., the 174′ AGRA is still a relatively new vessel. She is of a type known as a "moderate clipper," designed to carry more cargo at some sacrifice in speed compared to the "full" clippers, whose heyday is all but finished. Still, AGRA can move. She has turned in runs of 350 miles per day, only about 50 miles less than the fastest clipper ships. Now, as the wind gusts become stronger, Capt. Shaw tells his mate it is time to reduce sail. The crew is ordered aloft and one of them, a young seaman named Joshua Slocum, begins climbing nimbly to AGRA's main upper topsail yard.

In April 1895, some 30 years after he scampered aloft that day, Slocum told a Boston Herald reporter the shocking thing that happened to him. He "was gathering in the sail, when a gust struck him, and pitched him off. His fall was broken and his life saved by collision with the main yard, which he struck on his head, cutting a gash over his left eye, which is the only mark of disfigurement on his face."

Thanks to his 1895-98 solo circumnavigation in his 36′9″ sloop SPRAY and his 1900 book about the experience, Sailing Alone Around the World, Slocum would become a famous man, and he was called upon at times to sit for a portrait. When he did so, Slocum usually, though not always, presented his scar-free right side to the camera. One can only guess what Slocum thought about as he awaited the shutter's click. That he'd made his remarkable voyage in what then seemed to most people to be a foolishly small boat was confirmation of his superior seamanship. But, deep down, Joshua Slocum knew that something else lay behind a portion of his success. Starting with that frightening fall aboard AGRA that should have ended his life, Slocum had always sailed with an angel upon his shoulder. As the years passed and the near-misses multiplied, he gave his good fortune, his angel, a name. He called it "Slocum's luck." -- Stan Grayson

Full article, a long and very good one, in WoodenBoat.com

Industry News
Finnish superyacht builder Baltic Yachts has named Tom von Bonsdorff as the company's new CEO.

With a successful background in management for Swedish automotive giant Volvo and more recently for Kesko, where he led the roll-out of Finland's leading electric vehicle charging network, von Bonsdorff will be responsible for taking Baltic Yachts into a new phase of development as it moves into its recently expanded manufacturing facility in Jakobstad.

von Bonsdorff will be returning to Jakobstad with his family, having enjoyed holidays there during his childhood. His arrival coincides with the opening of the new extension of Baltic Yachts' Jakobstad facility, which brings the entire yacht building operation under one roof.

ibinews.com

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Confindustria Nautica, the Italian marine industry association, has issued a statement to say that the 2023 Genoa International Boat Show generated over 50m EUR across the territory from visitors alone (a value certified by the Nielsen survey, a leading global company in audience measurement, data and analysis) and had an overall economic impact of 72m.

This latter figure was obtained by adding the economic impact brought by visitors to the economic value generated by the organisers and exhibitors for the realisation of and participation in the event.

Confindustria Nautica says its participation at boot Düsseldorf last week marks the conclusion of the first stage of the 2024 project for the international promotion of the 64th Genoa International Boat Show and strategic support of Italian businesses acting abroad as global ambassadors for the 'Made in Italy' industry.

The internationalisation programme will continue over the next few months, with events planned at the Miami International Boat Show, Dubai International Boat Show, SMM Hamburg, IBEX, Fort Lauderdale Boat Show and METSTRADE. The association has also unveiled a brand-new initiative - the launch of the docu-film 'SEA MORE' and a series of 'highlights' devoted to the show and the city of Genoa itself.

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The huge Miami boat show kicks off Wednesday and runs through Sunday. With six venues scattered along the Miami waterfront and at the Miami Beach Convention Center, you could easily spend several days looking at all things to do with boating. The show boasts that is has more than 1,000 boats on display, will have more than 100,000 visitors and will contribute $1.4 billion to the local economy. For sailors, however, the sailing venue at Museum Park Marina is relatively small. There will be something like 30 catamarans and 30 monohulls in the water and a single row of booths down the middle of the main dock. You'll find several new boats being introduced including the Beneteau Oceanis 37.1, the Outremer 52, the Dufour 41 and more.

You won't need a whole day to explore the sailing show unless you are actively looking to purchase a new boat. And, you can take the water taxi to the Convention Center to peruse gear and equipment you may need. All in all, for sailors the small show will be fun and intimate and, it is Miami in February which is a real feature all by itself. We'll hope to see you there. -- George Day in Cruising Compass

miamiboatshow.com

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Loro Piana Giraglia 2024

The 71st edition of the Giraglia, one of the most prestigious and ancient regattas in the Mediterranean organized by the Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with the Societe Nautique de Saint-Tropez, will take place from June 7 to June 15, 2024. For the first time, Loro Piana will be the title partner, solidifying the Maison's commitment to the world's most prestigious sports events, sharing values such as tradition, fair play, and love for nature.

The Loro Piana Giraglia 2024 will include four days of inshore races in Saint-Tropez, from Saturday, June 8, to Tuesday, June 11, and the start of the 241 nm offshore race (Saint-Tropez - Giraglia - Genoa) on Wednesday, June 12.

Online registrations and the publication of the notice of race will be available shortly at loropianagiraglia.com

Featured Charter
Sunreef ECO 80 APOLLO 99. From 85 000 per week EUR. Located in West Mediterranean.

The brand new Sunreef 80 Eco sailing catamaran APOLLO 99 is available for charter with her 4 crew members and beautiful cruising destinations.

Charter destinations
SUMMER: West MediterraneanGreece - The Cyclades Islands | Turkey | Sicily | Greece – The Ionian Islands

WINTER: CaribbeanBritish Virgin Islands | Grenadines Islands | Antigua & Barbuda | Saint Martin & Saint Barth

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Bernard-Gallay
Phone : +33 (0)467 66 39 93
Mail : or

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
Pegasus 50. POA EUR.

Blue water cruiser for freedom at sea

Comfort, safety, quality and speed, the cardinals of the Pegasus yachts team. The Pegasus 50 offers an exclusive modern layout boasting an open flow from deck to interior for maximum comfort. Attention to details throughout this gorgeous and innovative yacht delivers the ultimate in quality and safety... for a short getaway or an ocean crossing adventure, with multiple crew or single-handed! With remarkable performance and agility, she will take you the distance and deliver superb sensations. The Pegasus 50 delivers the perfect harmony for your sailing adventures.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Miha Breskvar
E-mail:
Skype: miha.breskvar
Mobile: +386 41 686 096

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Ice Yachts ICE 33. 149000 EUR. Located in Tuscany, Italy.

Red-hulled carbon rocket ship from Ice Yachts and Felci Yacht Design. Built to compete under ORC and IRC and presented in fully-equipped and 'ready to go' condition for the 2024 season.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Michele Antonini - Grabau International (Italia)
Tel: +39 333 74 89 281
Email:

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Bavaria C42. POA EUR.

Perfect sailing performance. Pure sailing pleasure.

The BAVARIA C42 is the logical progression from the BAVARIA C-line, but has its own distinct character. A modern, innovative hull shape with chines and a V-shaped bow developed by BAVARIA YACHTS guarantee both the best sailing performance and an unusually large amount of space below deck.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
bavariayachts.com/service/dealer-locator

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Carkeek 47 “Stark Raving Mad IX”. POA.