In This Issue
• Swan Bonifacio Challenge: A Successful Debut
• The leaders are over half way to the finish
• Yacht Racing Forum
• Women's 2v2 Team Race
• Global Solo Challenge 2027-2028
• EUROSAF Beneteau First 18 SE & Seascape18
• 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar
• Orient Express Racing Team christen their AC75 race boat
• Road to the ORC World Championship
• Featured Charter: CRUSADE - 64' Classic Yacht
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Ice Yachts ICE 62 Targa
• • Black Pepper Code 2.1
• • Swan 65-103 'Kimmora'
• • Skeeta Foiling Craft
• • Custom Volvo Ocean 65
• The Last Word: Thomas Merton

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

Swan Bonifacio Challenge: A Successful Debut
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

The first edition of the Swan Bonifacio Challenge, part of The Nations League circuit reserved for the Swan One Design classes, concluded Saturday after five days of great sailing and social activities. The Corsican event represented the second stage of the season for the ClubSwan 36, while it was the first of the year for the larger ClubSwan 50, following the warm-up in April at Marina di Scarlino.

The Mistral wind, along with the warm welcome from the city of Bonifacio and the friendly atmosphere among owners and crews on land, was the main feature of the regatta. It is here, in the Strait of Bonifacio, that the wind truly shows its best. After a first day with three very technical and well-received races by both fleets, where the best of the week already stood out, a day followed with increasing Mistral winds and a single race with wind speeds from 16 to 20 knots. This was followed by a forced stop yesterday due to formed waves and wind over 25 knots, and a final race today with powerful conditions, with Mistral winds around 20 knots and waves.

The next stage of The Nations League circuit, the Swan Sardinia Challenge (June 25-29), will be another 'first,' taking place in the enchanting and fascinating Alghero. Just three weeks, then, before the next event of The Nations League circuit reserved for the Swan One Design classes, which for the ClubSwan 36 will already be the third stage of the year, with Gspot firmly at the top of the standings after two events.

Race Tracker

Race results on YachtScoring.com

The leaders are over half way to the finish
Whilst the two leaders of the New York Vendée Les Sables d’Olonne, Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé et Prevoyance) and Germany’s Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer) might be feeling quite isolated today as they passed their theoretical half way point of the solo Transatlantic course from North America to the French Atlantic coast, the very opposite is true for the two main groups which are valiantly pursuing them some at more than 400 miles behind the French leader.

At nearly six days in neither Dalin nor Herrmann has a boat within 200 miles of themselves. But in both of the two groups – the posse of fast foilers heading towards the Azores and the older daggerboard boats now climbing north of the foilers - many of the skippers are still within sight of each other, visually or on AIS (the automatic radar monitoring alert system for vessels). It is highly motivating to benchmark and speed test against each other as well as share the occasional VHF radio contact.

With a British based team working out of Poole, England Pip Hare on Medallia often suffers a more permanent feeling of being cut off, distanced from the epicentres of the IMOCA world in south Brittany and so she is thrilled to be in the thick of the action, today racing side by side with Switzerland’s Justine Mettraux, holding 11th and 12th.

Actually on the latitude of the finish line today but still 1200 miles west – and most of that upwind - Dalin is picking will be picking through the light conditions for the next day at least whilst second placed Herrmann is nearing the north side of the same anticyclone.

The outcome is very much in the balance. The German skipper explains his feelings about the risks involved and the homework he did before making his choice. Either way, he says he would still rather be near other boats…

newyorkvendee.org/en

The sports leading brands and personalities support the Yacht Racing Forum
They will all be there, represented by their senior executives: North Sails, Bénéteau, Musto, Bretagne Sailing Valley, World Sailing, Southern Spars, GAC Pindar, Sea.ai, MarkSetBot, Gunboat, Spinlock and many more.

Scheduled to take place from 20 to 22 November in Amsterdam alongside METSTRADE, the next edition of the Yacht Racing Forum will bring together the who’s who of yacht racing in a year marked by the Olympic Games, the America's Cup and the Vendée Globe, as well as numerous popular and Corinthian sailing events.

It will be a unique opportunity to discuss the sports' challenges and opportunities, to network with other delegates involved in the sport and to do business.

The event is open to everyone. It will be chaired by Shirley Robertson and Matthew Sheahan and will present and discuss the sports' current affairs, events, technical developments and trends.

The draft programme and speakers’ list are online. Registration is open: yachtracingforum.com

St. Francis Yacht Club Claims Women's 2v2 Team Race Title
Courtesy of a unblemished 9-0 performance on Saturday, the St. Francis Yacht Club team went into the second and final day of the Women's 2v2 Team Race with a two-point cushion over second place. But any notion that the West Coast team could coast through today's five-team Gold Round Robin was squashed in the first few races. The New York Yacht Club led by Emily Maxwell team won twice - beating St. Francis for the second win - and Newport Harbor Yacht Club won once. Just like that two teams were each sitting one win away from a tie for the overall lead.

A few deep breaths and Carapiet and her teammates rediscovered their rhythm, winning their next two races to guarantee St. Francis the title with one race still remaining on their dance card.

First run in 2021, the Women's 2v2 Team Race is the newest of four highly regarded team race regattas held each summer by the New York Yacht Club. The event, held in early June, attracts top female sailors from across the country. The inaugural event was won by the host club, with Lauderdale Yacht Club winning in 2022 and Bristol Yacht Club winning in 2023. As with the other three regattas, the Morgan, Hinman and Grandmasters, the Women's 2v2 utilizes the Club's fleet of 22 identical Sonar sailboats.

nyyc.org/2024-team-racing

Entries Open for the Global Solo Challenge 2027-2028
We are thrilled to announce the opening of entries for the Global Solo Challenge (GSC) 2027-2028!

The GSC offers a framework for non-elite sailors to achieve a common dream of completing a solo nonstop circumnavigation via the three great capes. Its unique format makes the challenge financially sustainable and inclusive. The second edition’s start and finish line will be hosted in the vibrant city of Vigo, Spain, promising greater community engagement in a historic location.

While the final competitor of the first edition, Louis Robein, is on his last leg from the equator to the finish, the GSC is already looking to the future.

Over 80 inquiries have already been received for the GSC 2027-2028. We are now officially opening entries and are pleased to announce the first five entrants, each bringing their unique stories and experience to the challenge, representing a very wide spectrum of boats, all eligible for participation, from a Taling 32 a former IMOCA Open 60, a self built 11m blue water cruiser to racing Open40. Chris Stanmore-Major and Peter Bourke are returning to the event having been unable to start in 2023 but have never given up on their project.

globalsolochallenge.com

EUROSAF Beneteau First 18 SE & Seascape18 Open European Championship
The top four places at this year's EUROSAF Beneteau First 18 SE & Seascape18 Open European Championship on Lake Chiemsee were taken by teams from Slovenia. The title went to Uroš Kraševac and Jernej Drofenik. They kept the defending champions Dejan Presen and Dénes Szilágyi at bay in the end. The all-Slovenian podium was completed by Jure Jerman/Jaka Ivanc.

The best non-Slovenian team were Angelika Stark and Martin Pöll from Austria, who finished in fifth place. A total of 12 races with two strikes were sailed, and with 38 teams from seven nations, the class continued its impressive run of success at European level.

eurosaf.org

Honours for Atalanta II and ARCA SGR in shortened 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar
After last year’s ultra-light 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar, this year’s race from Livorno to Punta Ala saw the organisers - Yacht Club Repubblica Marinara di Pisa, Yacht Club Punta Ala and Yacht Club Livorno – forced to make not one but two pre-race course changes. Both were designed to protect the smaller boats in the fleet from the worst of the gale force westerly winds blowing around Corsica.

At 1400 on Thursday 30 May, a depleted fleet of 191 yachts (down from the 242 entered) set sail from off Marina di Pisa bound for the islands of Pianosa and Montecristo before heading east to Formiche di Grosseto, the final turning mark, and on to the Punta Ala finish. Leading around the race track were 11 maxis, the event being the fourth in the International Maxi Association’s 2023-24 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge.

Sadly with the new course avoiding strong winds, prospects evaporated of either Furio Benussi’s ARCA SGR or race organiser and sponsor Roberto Lacorte and his 60ft foiler FlyingNikka breaking Rambler 88’s 2019 race record of 13 hours 50 minutes 43 seconds. It also made the Trieste-based 100 footer the more favoured, slightly, for line honours.

Ultimately ARCA SGR crossed the finish line at 07:19:38 in 17 hours 14 minutes 38 seconds. “After Capraia it was really tricky because the conditions were really different to what the weather models predicted, then at Montecristo it was really stop and go,” commented Furio Benussi of ARCA SGR’s third 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar line honours victory. -- James Boyd/International Maxi Association

Race Tracker

Maxi class results

internationalmaxiassociation.com

Orient Express Racing Team christen their AC75 race boat
Orient Express Racing Team opened a new chapter in their remarkable and inspiring America's Cup story today with the christening of their elegant new AC75 race boat, a notable milestone for the French team — representing the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez — which is united in its dream of bringing the world’s oldest sporting trophy, the America’s Cup, to France for the first time.

The official reveal of the dramatic looking midnight blue hull with a thin gold stripe flowing from bow to stern was greeted with delight and applause by the members of the entire French team, gathered at their Barcelona base alongside partners, sponsors and the many supporters of this America's Cup challenger.

The celebratory christening ceremony was carried out by Manon Audinet, the skipper of the French Women’s America’s Cup team, Enzo Balanger, the skipper of the Youth team, Quentin Delapierre, skipper and pilot of the AC75, and Gilda Perez Alavarado, Orient Express CEO and Accor Group Chief Strategy Officer, with the traditional breaking of a bottle of champagne over the foil.

The final Preliminary Regatta will be held in Barcelona from 22-25 August, before the main event kicks-off in earnest with the Louis Vuitton Cup from 29 August. A series of round robin races will determine who goes forward to the Cup's semi-finals and final, before the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup itself starts on 12 October.

orientexpressracingteam.americascup.com

The Road to the ORC World Championship Goes Through Three Major Newport Regattas
With two weeks left until the first gun, the New York Yacht Club's 170th Annual Regatta is nearing record numbers in terms of participation. The entry list currently stands at 139 boats, with 39 registered to compete under the ORC rating rule. There are a few reasons for the surge, with one of the biggest being the emphasis on ORC competition in advance of the 2024 ORC World Championship, scheduled for Newport in early fall.

The 2024 ORC World Championship will be held in Newport, R.I., and hosted by the New York Yacht Club. Registration and measurement starts on September 27, with racing kicking off on Monday, September 30, and finishing on Saturday, October 5. The ORC World Championship is sponsored by Helly Hansen, Safe Harbor Marinas, Peters & May and Hammetts Hotel. The ORC World Championship will serve as the culmination of the Road to the 2024 ORC World Championship series, which will encompass four regattas in Newport, R.I., from June through October.

With a 30-hour distance race, a 10-hour coastal race and three days of buoy racing, the ORC World Championship is indeed a long haul. But the regatta itself is just the final crescendo for many teams, which will spend the summer sailing in and around Newport learning the local idiosyncrasies, optimizing rig tune across a full breadth of conditions and perfecting crew maneuvers in preparation for the world championship.

nyyc.org/2024-orc-world-championship

Featured Charter
CRUSADE - 64' Classic Yacht

Cruise the West Country or race at Cowes Week on 64' Classic Sailing Yacht CRUSADE

CRUSADE is one of the largest, most beautiful and famous yachts available for charter on the south coast of England.

Built in cold moulded wood on the Isle of Wight in 1969, her victory in that year's Sydney Hobart race ensured her legendary status, and to this day she continues to be a head-turning talking point where-ever she goes. So whether you're looking for a gentle cruise to the West Country, an adrenaline filled day racing at Cowes Week or simply a day on the water entertaining friends and family on board this legendary yacht, CRUSADE offers a unique charter opportunity.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

Contact
Nick on + 44 (0) 7860 152703

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
Ice Yachts ICE 62 Targa. 1690000 EUR. Located ex-Factory, Italy.

New build option for an Ice Yachts 62 Targa for 2024 delivery. Currently in build and with scope for fitting out to buyer’s specification including internal layout and external features. Contact us for full details.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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Black Pepper Code 2.1. 1190000 EUR. Located in Cogolin, France.

Brand new September 2019-launched example of the awesome Marc Lombard IMOCA 60-inspired offshore speed machine in full carbon with centreboard, water ballast, easily-managed rig-plan. Available for immediate delivery.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Grabau International
Lead broker - Alex Grabau
Tel: +44 (0)1590 673715
Email:
View on Grabauinternational.com

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Swan 65-103 'Kimmora'. PRICE REDUCTION: 4,500,000 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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Skeeta Foiling Craft. POA EUR

Whether you’re looking to take your first steps in foiling, or an experienced thrill-seeker, there’s a Skeeta Foiling Craft for you!

The Skeeta is a singlehanded foiling designs built by Jim and David French in Melbourne, AUS. The scow’s stability and ease are only further enhanced by the performance and durability of the wings and aluminum foils.

Skeeta is the latest foiling dinghy that incorporates all-around performance. Sailors are no longer left waiting for a breeze to go sailing. The Skeeta is fun and capable of sailing in all safe wind ranges. It is more stable than narrow skiffs and can be sailed without hydrofoils, making it more versatile as an all-purpose dinghy. The hull is simple, robust, unsinkable, and quick to rig.

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

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Custom Volvo Ocean 65. 600,000 vat paid EUR.

Complete Turnkey VO65 for sale. Major refit and ready to race including lots of spares and a container workshop. Team Jajo had the most elaborate refit before the last Ocean Race and is ready to go around the planet again. Designed when it was still the Volvo Ocean race and meant as a strict one-design class. The boats are robust and fast, still holding speed and distance records.

For full details please go to seaportyachtbrokers.com

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Seaport Yacht Brokers
Oud-Loosdrechtsedijk 249
1231 LX Loosdrecht
The Netherlands
+31 255 70 02 09

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

The Last Word
We have what we seek, it is there all the time, and if we give it time, it will make itself known to us. -- Thomas Merton

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