EuroSail News #5536

In This Issue
• Herrmann in The Transat CIC
• ORC DH European Championships
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Spirit and Competition Shine at Antigua Sailing Week
• Spain Wins Bermuda SailGP
• National Yacht Club - John B Kearney
• La Grande Motte International Regatta
• Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta
• Launchings
• Don Street RIP
• Letters to the Editor
• Featured Charter: Swan 76 - La Loevie
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Swan 65-103 'Kimmora'
• • 2 2 Tango - Schionning ‘G Force 1500’
• • Aston Harald M32 - GAC PINDAR
• • Elan GT6 Explorer
• • Melges 15
• The Last Word: Leonardo da Vinci

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

Herrmann using all his experience from The Ocean Race to good effect in The Transat CIC
All that experience in last year’s The Ocean Race is paying off for the German Malizia-Seaexplorer skipper, Boris Herrmann, who has climbed to second place in The Transat CIC with just over 100 nautical miles to sail.

According to Will Harris, Herrmann’s longtime co-skipper, who has been watching this compelling contest unfold over the last eight days from onshore, the German’s sailor's performance underlines his ability to get the most out of the 2022-vintage VPLP-designed foiler, especially in the closing stages of a race.

“The thing that The Ocean Race was really good for was boat-on-boat conditions – in every leg we seemed to come in with the entire fleet, fighting for those last 200 miles to get to the line first,” said Harris. “I think doing that seven times in a row has probably given Boris a bit of experience on how to get to the finish line in these IMOCAs.”

Harris says the team has got used to coming into the reckoning in the final stages of races, just as Herrmann has done over the last few days. During that time he has pulled away from the likes of Sam Davies, Maxime Sorel, Charlie Dalin and Yannick Bestaven, to be now just 13 miles behind race leader Yoann Richomme and on course for his best ever finish to a solo IMOCA race.

Race tracker on imoca.org

thetransat.com

ORC DH European Championships
Caorle, Italy: The 2nd edition of the annual ORC DH European Championship crowned three new champions among 29 entries from four nations today after a 195-mile offshore race completed in the northern Adriatic Sea. Organized by Circolo Nautico Santa Margherita (CNSM) in collaboration with the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC), the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV) and UVAI, this race was sailed alongside a larger fleet of 62 teams entered in the 30th edition of La Duecento, an annual offshore race that starts in Caorle to round Grado and Susak island in Croatia before returning to the finish in Caorle.

Three new champions emerged as 2024 European champions in each of three ORC DH classes: Massimo Juris and Pietro Luciano (ITA) competing on their JPK 10.80 COLOMBRE in Class A, Antonio Di Chiara and Walter Svetina (ITA) on their First 40.7 TASMANIA in Class B, and Vladimir Borstnar and Bojan Gale (SLO) sailing their J-99 JOY in Class C.

Starting with light winds, the total fleet of 91 boats encountered varying conditions along the course. Thermal winds along the Istrian coast, accompanied by occasional thunderstorms and lulls in the wind, particularly affected the smaller boats in this fleet while on their upwind leg towards the finish line in Caorle.

The Overall Top 3 winners with Corinthian Top 3 winners by classes:
Class A (11 entries)
1. Colombre (JPK 10.80) - Massimo Juris and Pietro Luciani ITA
2. Hauraki (Millennium 40 R) - Mauro and Giovanni Trevisan ITA (COR)
3. Furietta (Solaris 36 OD) - Andrea Micalli and Riccardo De Roia ITA (COR)
4. Skip Intro (Elan 55) - Marco Romano and Paolo Favaro ITA (COR)

Class B (8 entries)
1. Tasmania (First 40.7) Antonio Di Chiara and Walter Svetina ITA (COR)
2. Key-Go (One Off) Pacifico D’Ettore and Michele Zambelli ITA (COR)
3. Oxygen (X-35) Andrea Gozo and Angelo Marchesini ITA (COR)

Class C (10 entries)
1. Joy (J-99) Vladimir Porstnar and Bojan Gale SLO
2. Black Angel (IMX 38) Paolo Striuli and Roberto Scardellato ITA (COR)
3. Margot (First 36.7 mod) Andrea Emili and Thomas Scolà ITA (COR)
4. Lady Day (Italia 9.98 F) Annis Corrado and Alberto Lonza (COR)

Full results

orc.org/dheuropeans2024

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

Carbon cathedrals
Yann Penfornis has built more large multihulls than anyone else on the planet. He speaks to Jocelyn Bleriot

The Royal Escape
King Charles II escapes and Dan Houston (eventually) also makes it to Fecamp

The beating heart of sailing
The Annapolis Sailboat Show is a celebration of boating at its best

ORC Column - Stability simplicity
Andy Claughton

Seahorse build table - It's been too long
A new US custom raceboat at last. Dobbs Davis

Sailor of the Month
You now have to do a lot more to get this far!

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Spirit and Competition Shine at Antigua Sailing Week
The 55th edition of Antigua Sailing Week attracted 88 boats from 20 different countries and 750 crew from all over the world. Antigua Sailing Week is one of the most celebrated regattas in the sailing world; the 2024 edition added another great chapter. The racing through the classes was fierce and the camaraderie was strong. Light winds gave a gentle start to the regatta but that built to a full-on foam up by the final day.

The Final Prize Giving was held in the historic surroundings of Nelson’s Dockyard. Guests of Honour were the Governor-General of Antigua & Barbuda His Excellency Dr. Sir Rodney Williams & E.P Chet Greene, Minister of Parliament for St. Pauls. J'ana Million sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem of Antigua & Barbuda. Antigua Sailing Week President Alison Sly-Adams thanked all of the sponsors and the volunteer SWAT team, over a hundred strong, for their hard work. ASW Race Manager Jaime Torres was the Master of Ceremonies and welcomed the trophy winners to the stage. All of the Class Winners received Locman Italy watches presented by Camilla Holme.

The Lord Nelson Trophy is the biggest prize at Antigua Sailing Week and is adorned with the names of famous raceboats over seven decades. Two boats have won the famous trophy three times in previous editions: Larry Ellison’s Farr Maxi Sayonara and Sir Peter Harrison’s Farr 115 Sojana. For the 55th edition of Antigua Sailing Week, the J/122 El Ocaso has joined that elite club. Chartered to British couple Tony & Sally Mack, McFly on El Ocaso lifted the Lord Nelson Trophy in Nelson’s Dockyard Antigua for the best performance at Antigua Sailing Week.

Full results on YachtScoring.com

sailingweek.com

Spain Wins Bermuda SailGP
Diego Botin’s young Spanish team executed flawless tactical decision-making to trounce season leaders New Zealand and Australia on the iconic waters of Bermuda’s Great Sound.

An aggressive start saw Spain swerve behind the Aussies and Kiwis to pinch perfect start line positioning and secure the all-important inside line to Mark 1.

Despite the Kiwis breathing down their necks throughout, the Spanish stayed focused on the racecourse, splitting with Burling’s team at Gate 4 to pick up a 100m lead in the blink of an eye.

The race defining moment however came at Gate 5, when the Spanish executed an expert maneuver to force New Zealand to turn away. This resulted in huge gains for Diego Botin’s team.

Overall Spain executed the fewest maneuvers, sailed the shortest distance and recorded the highest speed of all three teams, as well as a perfect 100% flight time.

Bermuda marks the second ever event win for the team, which also took the win in Los Angeles earlier this season. Since then, results have been mixed, but the team has remained focused on its ambition of securing a place in San Francisco’s winner-takes-all Grand Final in July.

Next up, the 10-strong F50 fleet heads to Canada for the first time for the ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax on June 2/3

sailgp.com

Dun Laoghaire’s National Yacht Club Is Benignly Haunted By Spirit of John B Kearney
Classic Dun Laoghaire Saturday scene of the late 1940s/early 1950s. John B Kearney’s own-designed own-built classic 10-ton yawl Mavis of 1925-vintage is poised to race as soon as the breeze fills in, with Skipper Kearney in the companionway, and his housekeeper/PA Miss Douglas - aka Samson or John Dory – determinedly in place to do the steering. Photo by Richard Scott. Click on image to enlarge.

The National Yacht Club, handsomely sited in the southeast corner of Dun Laoghaire Harbour, was certainly looking its part as the current MG Motor “Sailing Cub of the Year” last Saturday morning. The sun shone, and in the crisp onshore breeze the regatta bunting fluttered in colourful array from the flagstaff while friendly and efficient club staff steadily increased the in-house pace with rapid serving of the renowned NYC brunch, thereby sending forth the members in fine form for the first Saturday race of the new season.

A couple of samplings of that brunch per week would probably meet most shore-dwellers’ calorie requirements for the entire seven days. But the regular and frequent inhalation of sea air puts Dublin Bay sailors into a rate of ultra-metabolism. As you might say, Dublin Bay folk are metabolics in a league of their own.

Be that as it may, your columnist eventually came away from the National’s hospitable embrace in a state of sensory overload which verged towards its pathological variant of Stendhal’s Syndrome. For although the vibrant scene of a great club accelerating the pace in a day of sunlit promise is more than enough to be going along with, the club’s Frank Burgess had brought together what amounted to an informal Transatlantic seminar about the great John B Kearney (1870-1968), whose inventive career in Dublin Port was such that - notwithstanding his lack of a professional qualification - he was the de facto Harbour Engineer for many years.

Read WM Nixon's latest gem in full in Afloat magazine

La Grande Motte International Regatta
The Nacra 17 World Championship along with the 49er and 49erFX European Championships is about to start in La Grande Motte in the South of France, with sailors looking to make the most of the final major test before this summer’s Olympic Games.

The World Championship has attracted all but one of the teams who will be contesting the mixed multihull event at the Olympic Regatta in Marseille this summer. After a horribly damp and drizzly day on the Mediterranean, the teams are looking forward to a week of warmer and sunnier conditions for the six days of competition scheduled from 7 to 12 May.

It’s one of the cruel aspects of Olympic sailing that only one team gets to go for each nation. This means that some of the world’s fastest sailors are left behind. Italy’s Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei are a case in point. The young Italians put down a strong marker last summer when they won the gold medal at the Olympic Test Event in Marseille. But they won’t be on the start line for this summer’s Olympic Regatta.

After seeing their teammates and selection rivals win that Marseille medal, reigning Olympic Champions from Italy, Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti, were under some pressure to deliver a good result at the 2023 Worlds in The Netherlands last August. Tita and Banti duly stepped up and won the title for the second year running. Can they now make it a third win in a row in La Grande Motte this week? -- Andy Rice

Program
May 7-11: Qualifying regattas
3 races per day and per series (weather permitting)
Daily race numbers for the top three provisional finishers in the three series
May 12: Medal Races: 10-boat finals
Medal ceremony

49er.org

Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta
The 16th edition of the Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta is already attracting a mixture of repeat and new competitors for a weekend of racing and socialising in and around Yarmouth, Isle of Wight on Friday 12 - Sunday 14 July with over 100 entries confirmed in the first two weeks of the event’s online registration opening.

On the water, Black and White Groups include Folkboat, XOD, YOD, IRC classes, NHC classes, Contessa 32, J109 and J111 divisions, with the fleet of Classic Cruisers particularly popular this year with the British Classic Yacht Club Regatta running in Cowes the week following the Taittinger RSYC Regatta.

The Taittinger RSYC Regatta 2024 NOR, online registration and details of onshore and offshore events can be accessed here

royalsolent.org

Launchings
On Friday April 26, the second Class40 Credit Mutuel was officially revealed in Lorient in the presence of its skipper Ian Lipinski and his entire team, Daniel Baal, Eric Petitgand, and numerous employees and elected mutual members of Credit Mutuel Alliance Federale .

The construction of this new boat is part of the logical extension of an adventure started in 2019

The architectural approach of the scow - the rounded bow which modifies the behavior of the boat in the waves, and which gives it more power - has been adopted by the majority of recent nautical projects.

"The idea was to develop the previous boat taking into account its qualities, but also its faults. Everything depends on details and compromises made before construction. The 158 had enormous strengths, starting with its versatility. We had chosen not to seek omnipotence. For the 202, we decided to favor the medium downwind conditions that we will often find in the trade winds – this was the case during the last Transatlantics ," indicates Ian Lipinski.

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Spirit Yachts has been commissioned to build a contemporary version of a Q Class yacht. Alongside Dykstra Naval Architects, Spirit was selected as the build yard by the project’s passionate owner.

Sometimes known as a ‘mini J Class’ and steeped in sailing heritage, Q Class yachts were first built to the Universal Rule of Measurement in the early 1900s. Development of the rule was led by famous naval architect Nathanael Herreshoff and adopted by the New York Yacht Club in 1903 to determine entry criteria for the America’s Cup and facilitate competitive racing. At least 16 Q Class boats were built in the 1920s and 30s, some of which can be seen racing today.

Spirit’s current project (named ‘The Falcon Study’) is being commissioned by the owner and founder of Q7 Yacht Designs, Peter Silvester, who owns an original Q Class yacht named Falcon. Built in 1926 by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company and raced under sail number Q7, Falcon recently re-launched on the west coast of the USA following an extensive restoration ahead of her centenary anniversary in 2026.

Dykstra Naval Architects were appointed to adapt Falcon’s original Burgess, Swasey and Paine line drawings for modern day sailing and contemporary manufacture. Dykstra was tasked to retain the original hull lines, full keel, and fractional rig, whilst introducing state of the art rigging, systems, and deck hardware.

The project is in the final design stages with the build due to start this spring leading up to launch in 2026 to coincide with Falcon’s centenary anniversary.

spirityachts.com

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X-Yachts back in racing with XR41

We are proud to announce the official name, XR 41 - it's a serious return to the X-Yachts DNA, and after 45 years of X-Yachts history, we are now back in racing!

Designed and developed with input from a very strong team of partners. The XR 41 is optimized for ORC.

Hull #1 will be launched in the early days of 2025.

After launch, training with the Pro-team we are currently setting up will start.

https://www.x-yachts.com/en/yachts/xracing/xr/

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Saffier Se 24 Lite: self-sufficient day sailor. The Saffier Se 24 Lite is a smooth daysailer with a spacious cockpit and a sporty sail plan. Easy to sail, even solo. Below deck is accommodation with two fixed berths. The boat is self-sufficient thanks to solar panels and removable equipment that can also be charged at home. Sizes: 8.00 x2.40 x 1.00/1.30/1.44 m.

saffieryachts.com

Don Street RIP
The late Don Street on his beloved 1905-built yawl Iolaire in the Caribbean

Don Street RIP Afloat.ie regrets to record the death of Don Street of Glandore in his 94th year. For many years a Caribbean enthusiast, writing a series of successful pioneering pilot books for the area, he was also a renowned authority on ocean sailing who in his younger days had raced extensively offshore.

In his later years, he became increasingly associated with Glandore in West Cork, where a family summer home became his all-year base for a worldwide maritime network, while in local sailing, he was an inspiring supporter of the Classics Division in the International Dragon Class, achieving success at home and abroad with his vintage Dragon Gypsy.

We will be publishing a full appreciation of this unique figure of world sailing stature in due course. Meanwhile, our heartfelt condolences are with his very special family, and his many friends at home and abroad.

afloat.ie/sail/

Editor's note: I too will miss Don's correspondence. I was never lucky enough to meet him in person, but we emailed each other for many years. He contributed countless stories and news to your humble narrator. The world is a much lesser place without him. My condolences to his family and countless friends.

Letters To The Editor -
Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.

* From Tim Johnson

Your readers might be interested to hear that they can pick up a free ebook edition of Joshua Slocum's account of his amazing solo voyage around the world 1895-1898.

Joshua Slocum: the first person to sail around the world solo

The ebook is available for free download, in PDF and ePub formats, from our website. Absolutely no strings attached.

Featured Charter
Swan 76 - LA Loevie. From 30 000 per week EUR. Located in West Med and Caribbean.

The 2006, refitted 2024, Swan 76 sailing yacht La Loevie is available for charter for up to 6 guests. She is cruising the West Med this summer and the Caribbean this winter!

WINTER : Caribbean
British Virgin Islands | Grenadines Islands | Antigua & Barbuda | Martinique & Guadeloupe | Saint Martin & Saint Barth

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
BGYB Charter Department
Phone : +33 (0)467 66 39 93
Mail :

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
Swan 65-103 'Kimmora'. 4,750,000 EUR VAT Paid. Located in Badalona Spain.

The Swan 65 is a particularly seductive modern performance cruiser featuring many ‘big boat’ features and accommodation which rivals larger yachts. Kimmora is an ‘Owner-Aft’ example which has been particularly highly specified, with keen attention to short-handed family sailing.

See listing details in Nautor Swan Brokerage

Contact
Lorenzo Bortolotti

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2 2 Tango - Schionning 'G Force 1500'. 1,450,000 USD.

Champion cruiser-racer with extensive state-of-the-art upgrades under the guidance of a highly experienced yachtsman. North Sails wardrobe, Lorimar 2020 spar package on top of a stiff and optimized platform provides impeccable pedigree and podium finishes. When the regatta party and celebrations are over, seamlessly switch gears and head off cruising with full accommodations.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Rapide Yacht Group
+1 203 274 0927

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Aston Harald M32 - GAC PINDAR. 90000 EUR. Located in Riva del Garda, Italy.

Epic fan and furious racing, yet simple yachts to sail, GAC PINDAR is well known at the front of the fleet and ready to go for the worlds in Lake Garda.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
Berthon UK
Tel: 0044 (0)1590 679 222
E-Mail: b

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Elan GT6 Explorer. POA EUR.

For those with an untamed heart and a soul that yearns for the vast, endless expanse of the open sea, the Elan GT6 X, aptly named the Explorer, isn’t just another yacht. It’s the embodiment of two worlds: the wild beauty of nature and the opulent luxury of man’s finest creation. The Explorer offers long journeys across waters, along with a voyage through life's myriad of emotions and experiences. It represents a journey where every sunrise is a promise and every sunset, a collection of unforgettable memories. Embarking on adventures with the Explorer bestows a sense of achievement that few other experiences can match, offering a purpose and infusing every moment with profound meaning.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Elan, d.o.o.
Begunje 1,
4275 Begunje na Gorenjskem,
Slovenia
+386 4 53 51 109

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Melges 15. POA EUR.

Designed by Reichel/Pugh and built by Melges, the Melges 15 prioritizes stability, comfort, ease of use, and performance.

“The Melges 15 creates a clear pathway for junior sailors to get started and stay excited about sailing while also being comfortable and accessible enough for adults to learn, race, or cross-train,” said Harry Melges III.

The Melges 15’s stable hull shape and ergonomic cockpit make it a suitable layout for adult racing and educational sailing. Easy conversion from a club configuration (non-spinnaker) to a one-design setup, provides more versatility to club programs and options for individual owners.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Melges Performance Sailboats
W3730 Forest Glenn Street
Zenda, Wisconsin 53195 USA
Phone +1 262 275 1110
Email