Alamitos Bay Yacht Club

Brought to you by Seahorse magazine, Scuttlebutt Europe 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 editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Volvo Ocean Race makes radical route changes with new foiling 60-footers
Foil-assisted 60ft offshore monohulls, flying inshore catamarans, and tearing up the conventional round the world route map are among the major changes announced for the 2019 Volvo Ocean Race

Volvo Ocean Race organisers promised the most radical shake-up of the race since its inception in 1973, and the raft of changes announced today for the 2019 edition will bring about some fundamental shifts in what the Volvo Ocean Race represents.

A huge topic of discussion has been the choice of new yacht class, which organisers had previously confirmed would be a one-design by Guillaume Verdier, but not revealed whether it would be a monohull or multihull format. Volvo Ocean Race CEO Mark Turner has confirmed that the ocean legs will be sailed in a foil-assisted 60-footer, in many ways the least surprising announcement of the day following the adoption of foils by the IMOCA 60 class over the past two years.

More intriguingly, Turner now sees potential for the new Volvo one-design 60-footers to potentially compete alongside the IMOCA fleet. Speaking exclusively to Yachting World in Paris ahead of today's announcement, he explained: "We found ourselves looking at the fact that the best boat for the Volvo Ocean Race, which is a combination of performance, safety, technology development, actually can also be used as a platform - with a change of rig and keel - on other circuits. That's a bonus to what we're doing."

While the new one-design will not be specifically designed to fit the IMOCA box rule, Turner says that the wealth of data and experience Verdier and others have in designing and building foiling 60-footers will be invaluable, and was a key reason in not going for a larger design such as a 70-footer.

Assuming that the IMOCA class rule in, say, 2020-21, remains open to ex-Volvo Ocean Race boats, this plan achieves several things which fit with recurring themes in Turner's new vision for the race, including improved sustainability credentials - building large composite yachts with a short shelf-life no longer sits well with the event's green ethos - as well as giving sponsors and sailors wider platforms with more longevity to promote their message across, and joining some dots in the sport.

Meanwhile a second, inshore fully foiling multihull class has also been announced, between 32 and 50ft long. This will be raced at stopovers by - at least very largely - the same crew who are racing the offshore leg to prevent teams from forming two separate squads. Again this will be a one-design, taking the best elements from existing foiling multihull classes, such as the GC32 and rapidly developing AC50s.

Eight 60-footers will be built, and the multihull one-design drawings will be put out to tender, a process starting this week.

The changes most likely to upset purists will be major alterations to the traditional round the world route. Details are yet to be confirmed, but Turner has revealed that they are considering a radical overhaul of the course, starting with plans to run events more frequently, through to routes that include everything from around-the-world non-stop, to starting and finishing in a different hemisphere or continent, and even a non-stop race around the bottom of the earth.

volvooceanrace.com

Super Steady Platoon Win Rolex TP52 World Title
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Scarlino, Italy: Harm Muller-Spreer's Platoon crew got the better of the five-time title holders Quantum Racing during an exciting winner takes all final day showdown to win the Rolex TP52 World Championship title for the first time. Though they did not win a race, only once in eight contests did Platoon finish out of the top three, counting five second places. Third in 2008, losing out on the final day in Puerto Portals to finish third, this time the Platoon crew stayed super focused and closed out their first world title together.

With the last day programme on the waters off Scarlino, Tuscany cut to just one race as the WNW'ly breeze took time to build the regatta leaders Platoon started the grand finale with a lead of two points over Quantum Racing. The defending world champions made the better start, Platoon faltering momentarily. But tactician John Kostecki and strategist Jordi Calafat stuck to Platoon's game plan, investing progressively in the right side, staying out of the fray, sailing clean lanes to allow their speed edge - particularly downwind - to work.

While Azzurra enhanced their early lead by getting to the paying, favoured right side of the first beat, Quantum Racing found themselves sandwiched between two other boats, unable to get there in time. In the 14-16kts breeze, Platoon were quick upwind and rounded the first windward turn in third, already seemingly with their hands on the world title. As Azzurra went on to win, Platoon passed Bronenosec on the second round to win the world championship title by seven points from Quantum Racing, who won the title last year in Menorca.

At the theoretical midpoint of the season, with three of the six regattas sailed, Platoon lead the 52 SUPER SERIES by four points going into next month's Audi 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week in Porto Cervo. Azzurra lie second and Quantum Racing third, 14pts off the lead.

Final Standings TP52 World Championship (after eight races):

1. Platoon (GER, Harm Muller-Spreer), (2,3,2,2,2,6,3,2) 22 points
2. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), (1,2,8,1,1,7,2,7) 29
3. Azzurra (Roemmers Family ITA/ARG), (3,1,6,8,6,4,4,1) 33
4. Alegre (Andres Soriano GBR/USA), (5,6,4,4,3,2,6,5) 35
5. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) (6,10,1,3,8,10,1,6) 45
6. Ran Racing (Niklas Zennstrom, SWE), (10,5,5,7,9,3,7,3) 49
7. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), (4,9,7,9,7,1,8,8) 53
8. Provezza (Ergin Imre, TUR) (RDG6.3,8,10,6,4,5,5,9) 53.3
9. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), (8,7,9,5,5,9,9,4) 56
10. Sorcha (Peter Harrison, GBR), (7,4,3,10,10,8,10,10) 62

Overall Standings 52 SUPER SERIES after three regattas, Key West, Miami, Scarlino

1. Platoon (GER, Harm Muller-Spreer), 103 points
2. Azzurra (Familia Roemmers, ITA/ARG), 107
3. Quantum Racing (Doug DeVos, USA), 114
4. Provezza (Ergin Imre, TUR) 141.3
5. Ran Racing (Niklas Zennstrom, SWE), 152
6. Bronenosec (Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS), 165
7. Sled (Takashi Okura, USA), 174
8. Gladiator (Tony Langley, GBR) 180.6
9. Alegre (Andres Soriano GBR/USA), 182
10. Sorcha (Peter Harrison, GBR), 248

www.52superseries.com

Antigua to Bermuda: Tenacious finish
Hamilton, Bermuda, May 20: All teams racing in the Antigua Bermuda Race arrived in time for Saturday's prizegiving at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Tim Wilson's Australian classic ketch El Oro, led the group of corinthian teams that have refused to put on their engines, showing tremendous tenacity in sticking to sail power only for over a 1,000 miles of light airs sailing. El Oro crossed the finish line at St. David's Light shortly before 21:30 local time on Friday May 19th and in doing so claimed second place in CSA Classics and third in IRC.

El Oro was once owned by Baron Marcel Bich of America's Cup and BIC pen fame and owner

At around midnight Friday night, Jason and Judy Payne-James' Dufour 45, Heartbeat IV crossed the finish line in Bermuda. Their ship's log showed that the team of family and friends from the East Coast of England, had clocked up 1,007 nautical miles. Co-skippered by President of the Royal Burnham Yacht Club, Judy Payne-James, Heartbeat IV has now competed in every well-known offshore race in the Northern Hemisphere. She has a berth at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club for the duration of the America's Cup and Judy says: "They will be proudly waving the Union Jack and cheering on Ben Ainslie's Landrover BAR team."

The final yacht to finish the Antigua Bermuda Race, entirely by sail-power alone, is Andrew Eddy's British Oyster 485, Gaia whose crew includes wife Sabrina and 19 year old niece, Phoebe Cochran. This is the first time Gaia and the Eddy's have been to Bermuda and they have raced here to watch the 35th America's Cup. -- Louay Habib

Provisional Results
Antigua Bermuda Race 2017

Place, Yacht Name, Type, Owner/Skipper, Hometown, Results, Total Points

CSA - Monohull (CSA - 17 Boats
1. Warrior, Volvo 70 modified 70, Stephen Murray, Jr. , Metairie, LA, USA
2. Avanti, Hanse 43, Jeremi Jablonski , Wilton, Ct, USA
3. Freya , Swan 90 88 , Don Macpherson , Santa Monica, CA, USA
4. Heartbeat IV, Dufour 45E 44, Jason & Judy Payne-James , Southminster, Essex, UK
5. Stay Calm, Swan 82 82, Stuart Robinson , Hampshire, UK

CSA - Classic (CSA - 4 Boats)
1. El Oro (Classic), Auzeppy-Brennuer 68 68, Tim Wilson , Paddington, Aus
2. Spirit of Bermuda, Ballyhoo Schooner 87 , Michael Moreland , Hamilton, BDA
3. Mariella (Classic) , Yawl 79.5, Carlo Falcone , ANT
4. Eleonora, Gaff schooner 105.4 Peras Limited , St.Julians, MLT

CSA - Multihull (CSA - 1 Boats)
1. Allegra, Nigel Irens Catamaran 78 FastCat Ltd , Georgetown, CAY

IRC (IRC - 15 Boats)
1. Warrior (IRC), Volvo 70 modified 70, Stephen Murray, Jr. , Metairie, LA, USA
2. Avanti (IRC), Hanse 43, Jeremi Jablonski , Wilton, CT, USA
3. Freya (IRC), Swan 90s 88, Don Macpherson , Santa Monica, CA, USA
4. El Oro (IRC), Auzeppy-Brennuer 68 68, Tim Wilson , Paddington, NSW, AUS
5. Heartbeat IV (IRC), Dufour 45E 44, Jason & Judy Payne-James , Southminster, Essex, UK

antiguabermuda.com

Seahorse June 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Seahorse build table - Practical... and a thing of beauty
Orion Shuttleworth reminds us of a famous name in multihulls with a new design which we'd definitely be clearing out the shed for

Act 2 scene 1
Charles Caudrelier took a surprise podium in the last Volvo Ocean Race with Dongfeng (a surprise to some)

One of the (very) toughest jobs in yacht racing
Recognition for the men and women behind our best 'moving pictures'

A shrine to sailing speed
Newport News, Virginia seems a fitting new home for a rather special 'yacht'

Sailor of the Month
A little light controversy with today's marmalade

Special rates for Scuttlebutt Europe subscribers:
Seahorse Print or Digital Subscription Use Discount Promo Code SB2

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To the wire at the Vice Admiral's Cup
The Vice Admiral's Cup concluded Sunday on the central Solent in lighter 10-13 knot winds, but this time blowing from the east. The leaderboard was so tight across the seven classes of one designs and level rating boats that in many, discards decided the outcome.

In the J/109s, the final day brought about a change of leader with Robert Stiles on Diamond Jem edging out David Richards' Jumping Jellyfish by a point, in turn one point ahead of Simon Perry's Jiraffe

Racing in the J/111 class also came down to the last race with Tony Mack's McFly managing to pull off the win to beat Martin Dent's World Champions on Jelvis by a point.

In the Quarter Tonners, Sam Laidlaw and his crew on Aguila hung on to claim the win, adding the Vice Admiral's Cup to an unbeaten run this season. This was despite the best endeavours of Louise Morton's all-female team on Bullit, which won both of today's races leaving them second, again by just a point.

In the Diam 24od trimaran class there was an unexpected winner in Italian Riccardo Pavoncelli's Gaetana 3 after being awarded redress for a collision on Friday. They won today's first race and the Vice Admiral's Cup overall by 1.5 points from Paul Wakelin's Fluid Boat Services, Buzz.

After scoring bullets in both yesterday's long round the cans races, Invictus, with Sir Keith Mills' son Alex helming, won the last of today's three races to claim first place overall in the FAST 40+ class by eight points from New Zealander Mark Rijkse's 42° South, winner of today's first race.

Richard Powell's Marvel scored her fifth consecutive bullet in the SB20s ultimately winning by eight points from Jerry Hill's Sportsboatworld.com.

Marvel was not the only boat to score nothing but 2s and 1s at the Vice Admiral's Cup. So too did Ben Meakins and the crew of Polly in the Impala 28 class, rounding off the event with two more wins. -- James Boyd

www.rorc.org

Etchells 22 Super De Luxe Heads For Crosshaven
Click on image for photo gallery.

As Johnny Smullen, boatbuilder to America's Cup legend Dennis Conner has put it, the transformation job on a tired old Etchells 22 is simply amazing writes W M Nixon

The well-worn white hull of a standard Etchells 22 went into Bill Trafford's shed near Skenakilla Crossroads in March last year. And this week, the gorgeous dark blue cruising sloop Guapa (it's Spanish for beautiful) emerged.

On Wednesday she'll be arriving in Crosshaven for her mast to be stepped and new sails fitted from Des McWilliam. But the boat is so utterly transformed, with judiciously-raised topsides and an extremely elegant Scandinavian-style coachroof and comfortable accommodation within, that Bill naturally wondered if his calculations as to the new location of the waterline were accurate.

Indeed, like every boat-transformer, he wondered if she'd float. So rather than give her a totally-untested debut at Crosshaven, Guapa was quietly towed up the road to Doneraile... then up the road to Adare and down to Askeaton off the Shannon Estuary, where Cyril Ryan at his boatyard had the crane ready, and Guapa had her first splash in complete privacy. No leaks. And she floated perfectly on her marks. All being well, next Wednesday in Crosshaven, you're in for a treat.

afloat.ie/sail/

Letters To The Editor - editor@scuttlebutteurope.com
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 John Rutherford

In a recent Scuttlebutt Europe you say that there are 6 clubs who own Cowes Combined Clubs.

This is incorrect, Cowes Combined Clubs is made up of the Cowes Town Regatta Committee and the following clubs

Royal Yacht Squadron
Royal London Yacht Club
Royal Thames Yacht Club
Royal Southampton Yacht Club
Royal Southern Yacht Club
Island Sailing Club
Royal Ocean Racing Club
Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club

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The Last Word
The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense! -- Brian Cox

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

Phil Sharp and Pablo Santurde win Normandy Channel Race
Jersey resident Phil Sharp, and the Spanish sailor from Santander Pablo Santurde, has just secured victory in the most comprehensive edition of the Normandy Channel Race, sailing the entire original course and with it the richest ever edition in terms of both intensity and action.

The British Class40 Imerys skippered by Phil Sharp and Pablo Santurde triumphed Friday morning. They crossed the finish line off Hermanville at 01 hours, 45 minutes and 50 seconds GMT. Their race time is 4 days, 11 hours 15 minutes and 50 seconds, in what will be a reference for future editions. The duo covered the 961 miles of the theoretical course at an average speed of 9.04 knots. The actual distance covered equated to 1,091 miles over the ground at the average speed of 10.17 knots. Posting brilliant performances to secure the runner-up spots, Serenis Consulting skippered by the Jean Galfione-Nicolas Troussel duo and V and B helmed by Maxime Sorel and Antoine Carpentier were over 3 hours shy of glory.

With this latest result in the bag, Pablo Santurde from Santander, is the first sailor in the history of the Normandy Channel Race to secure a second victory, a consecutive one to boot, and on two different boats (Tales II with Fidel Turienzo in 2016). However, this is also a second victory for the boat, as the Mach 40 No.130 was launched in 2013 for Sebastien Rogues (GDF Suez), who won the event in 2014 paired with Bertrand Castelnerac.

A truly impressive performance by Pablo then, who seems to be invincible in the Class40, since he also won last year's Transat Quebec Saint Malo aboard Tales II with Gonzalo Bottin. Together with the same crew, he won the Atlantic Cup, before etching his name for the second time on the winners' list of the Normandy Channel Race today.

Final top ten:
1. Imerys, Phil Sharp / Pablo Santurde
2. Serenis Consulting, Jean Galfione / Nicolas Troussel
3. V And B, Maxime Sorel / Antoine Carpentier
4. Evernex - Delicecook, Brieuc Maisonneuve / Eric Varin
5. Campaign Of France, Halvard Mabire / Miranda Merron
6. Calvados, Claire Pruvot / Louis Duc
7. Sensation Class40, Marc Lepesqueux / Jean-Charles Monnet
8. Moonpalace, Roeland Franssens / Michel Kleinjans
9. Region Normandy - Lmax, Olivier Cardin / Cedric Chateau
10. Colombe Xl, Massimo Juris / Pietro Luciani

www.normandy-race.com

Practice racing continues
With the countdown clock ticking over to just five days before the start of the 35th America's Cup, all six teams took to Bermuda's Great Sound on Monday 22nd May with three (Artemis Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand and Land Rover BAR) taking part in another day of practice racing before the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers starts at 5.00pm on Friday 26th May.

Under guidelines set out by America's Cup Race Management (ACRM), all teams are permitted to train against each other on Monday 22nd, Tuesday 23rd and Thursday 25th May.

Artemis Racing had the best of the practice racing action on Monday 22nd May, beating Sir Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR in race one. Race two, between Emirates Team New Zealand and Artemis Racing, failed to generate a result as neither team finished the race, while it was the same outcome in the third and final race of the day, a re-run between the Swedish and New Zealand teams.

More practice racing is scheduled for Tuesday 23rd and Thursday 25th May.

www.americascup.com

Americas Cup Television
BBC Sport's Natalie Pirks visited Ben Ainslie in Bermuda to talk about his America's Cup preparations and meet the team behind the British challenge

Watch on Saturday 20 May on BBC News Channel at 00:30, 13:30 and 16:30 BST, Sunday 21 May at 05:30 and 14:30 BST and Wednesday at 03:30 BST.

The BBC Schedule of coverage:

www.bbc.com/sport/sailing/39885782

* Sport 24, the only 24/7 live inflight and cruise line sports channel, will show live coverage of this year's journey to the 35th America's Cup on its two channels for the first time.

The IMG owned and operated service will broadcast live action from one of sport's biggest event series across both Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra, culminating with the America's Cup Match presented by Louis Vuitton on 17-18 and 24-27 June.

Sport 24's coverage will also include qualifying stages leading up to the finale, including the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers (26 May - 3 June), the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoff Semi-Finals (4 - 8 June), and the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoff Finals (10 - 12 June).

* NBC Sports Group will present more than 40 hours of coverage of the 2017 America's Cup from Bermuda across NBC, NBCSN and the NBC Sports app, beginning this Friday, May 26, with coverage of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers on NBCSN.

NBCSN and the NBC Sports app will provide comprehensive coverage of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers and Challenger Playoffs through Monday, June 12. The first races of the final stage of competition in the 35th America's Cup, the America's Cup Match, presented by Louis Vuitton will take place on Saturday, June 17, at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs - will provide comprehensive streaming coverage of the 2017 America's Cup.

https://youtu.be/W7Vo0WYEwrw

Harken is a Proud Technical Supplier for Groupama Team France
Harken and Groupama Team France are working together to supply the team with winches, pedestals, gear boxes and blocks in its campaign for the 35th America's Cup. Led by skipper/helmsman Franck Cammas, this renowned sailing hero from France is one of the most talented, respected, and hardest-working multihull racers in the world.

He was the first to round Cape Horn in a foiling catamaran, and in 2015 successfully defended his Little America's Cup title, foiling to a win in Groupama C. Harken is honored to be working with this determined and talented team, on the hunt for success in France's most creative America's Cup challenge. Harken. At The Front.

www.harken.com

Admiral's Cup to be marked with 50th Anniversary Regatta
Love and War. Photo by Andrea Francolini, www.afrancolini.com Fifty years ago a team of three Australian yachts arrived in Cowes to take on the world. Two years earlier, in 1965, our first challengers for the Admiral's Cup, Caprice of Huon, Freya and Camille, had been snobbishly mocked by the British yachting establishment as being too small and old fashioned.

The Poms soon had to eat their words as the Australians went very close to winning the Cup at their first attempt

When Caprice of Huon returned in 1967, this time with Balandra and Mercedes III, the Aussie team was better prepared for the tricky racing in the Solent and the Channel, and the tough Fastnet Race that closes out the Admiral's Cup series. They beat the crack three-boat teams from Great Britain, France, Spain and the USA by a whopping 107 points.

And just to rub it in, Mercedes III, Balandra and Caprice of Huon finished first, second and third in the individual points score. It was a complete victory, and Australian offshore racing had arrived on the world stage.

A group of local yachtsmen, all with a connection to the Admiral's Cup, are now organizing a special, one-off regatta to mark the 50th anniversary of that first Admiral's Cup win.

Staged jointly on Sydney Harbour by the SASC, RSYS and CYCA, the racing will be held over three days on December 1, 2 and 3. There will also be a full "apres racing" social program over that weekend hosted by the participating clubs.

As important as re-uniting the yachts that represented Australia will be the opportunity of bringing the crews together again. Admiral's Cup veterans whose original "ride" is no longer racing will be welcome to join the crews of other boats in the regatta.

In keeping with the 'three-boat team' theme, the Admiral's Cup Anniversary Regatta has three co-patrons: Sir James Hardy OBE, Syd Fischer OBE and Gordon Ingate OAM. All three have distinguished Admiral's Cup records.

Entry is open to any yacht that either represented Australia in the Admiral's Cup or competed in the selection trials.

Records show that upwards of 60 yachts might qualify for the regatta, but many of those may no longer be in racing trim, while some, such as the legendary Freya, are now overseas. Nevertheless, a fleet of 10-15 is expected, including some from the 1965 and 1967 campaigns, led by the ageless Caprice of Huon and Mercedes III.

Some of the other famous names we might see racing each other again include Camille, Impetuous, Police Car, Salacia II, Challenge and Love & War.

There will be one race per day - two on the Harbour (Friday and Sunday) and a short offshore event on the Saturday.

Organisers of the 50th Anniversary Regatta are keen to hear from any yacht owners and Admiral's Cup crew interested in taking part. They should contact: Peter Shipway at peter@barlowdistributors.com.au

12 Metre Class Announces Waypoint Regattas
The International 12 Metre Class (ITMA) has released locations and dates for the Road To The Worlds Waypoints Series, a three-year international 12 Metre (12mR) yacht competition starting in May of 2017 and culminating with the July 2019 12 Metre World Championship in Newport, R.I. Teams racing at specific Waypoints-designated events in Northern Europe, Southern Europe and the Americas will be awarded points for both their participation and performance. At the culmination of this 29-regatta series, the 12mR team with the greatest number of points overall will be awarded the Waypoints Cup at the 2019 12 Metre World Championship Awards Ceremony.

The Road To The Worlds Waypoints Series kicks off this summer with inaugural events both in the United States and Europe. In North America, ten 12mR yachts (along with sibling International Rule 2.4mR, 6mR and 8mR yachts) will compete at Newport MetreFest 2017, held in conjunction with New York Yacht Club's 163rd Annual Regatta (June 9-11). The first Southern Europe fleet Waypoint event is the glamorous Les Voiles D' Antibes in France (May 31-June 4), and the first Northern Europe fleet Waypoint event is the Kiel Classic in Germany (June 17-19), where a large fleet of Vintage 12mR yachts is expected to race.

www.12mrclass.com/waypoints

Act 2 Scene 1
Charles Caudrelier took a surprise podium in the last Volvo Ocean Race with Dongfeng (a surprise to some)

Seahorse: Let's talk a little about your experiences in the last race in 2014/15. You went into the Dongfeng Chinese-French programme off the back of winning the previous edition with Franck Cammas on Groupama 70. How much of that VO70 project could you take into a new campaign in smaller, less powerful VO65 one-designs?

Charles Caudrelier: Groupama was a winning team so of course you learn a lot in a programme like that. No team is ever perfect, though, so I tried to bring all the positive aspects from that campaign and change what I saw as weaknesses. But I obviously cannot do exactly the same - I don't have the same sailors or the same project; now the boat is a one-design too so I try to find sailors who come from onedesign or dinghy backgrounds because it is all about how to make the boat go fast rather than how to design and mode it.

SH: In certain conditions you were definitely faster last time...

CC: We were strong at the beginning downwind and in light air. I think we had a different way of sailing and trimming sails initially, but afterwards everybody else started using our approach. At the end of the race we were actually not as fast, relatively, but people still thought of us as quick which was good for us! For sure, in light conditions we were always quite good, but equally in strong winds and above a certain boat speed we were a bit slower than some others.

Full interview in the June issue of Seahorse:
www.seahorsemagazine.com

Green Dragon Back in Galway Looking for a Mast
Green Dragon. Photo by Pierce Purcell Jnr. Click on image to enlarge.

The Sino-Irish Volvo Racer Green Dragon has been having a somewhat checkered career since leaving Ireland, and though she took Transatlantic line honours in the ARC in December as the beginning of a Portuguese involvement in future Volvo Races, more recently she had the indignity of being dismasted.

Fortunately there's a spare mast in her old home port of Galway, and she arrived in there yesterday to have it fitted.

afloat.ie/sail/

Marion Bermuda Race to the Rock
Entry closes for the 40th anniversary and 21st biennial Marion Bermuda Race this Saturday, May 27, 2017 and all information required on the entry forms must be completed by then. Entries now stand at 51 yachts. The start of this blue-water classic is June 9 from Marion, The race finishes in the midst of America's Cup activity in Bermuda some four or five days later.

Entries are up slightly since 2015 when 48 boats took the Marion challenge, racing the 645nm race from Marion, Massachusetts south out of Buzzard's Bay to the finish line of St. David's Lighthouse in Bermuda. In 2013 the race had 35 entries.

The 2017 edition of this classic will see boats ranging from 'Selkie', G.J Bradish's Morris Ocean 32.5 footer from Boston to the Hinckley SW 59 'Pescatore' sailed by George Tougas of Mattapoisett, MA with a Youth Trophy team. Nine of the boats, including 'Selkie' will sail in the Celestial Navigation Division. In its true Corinthian spirit, the Marion Bermuda Race is the only ocean race to Bermuda that offers a celestial navigation prize.

Marion Bermuda also offers a prize in honor of past Commodore Faith Paulsen for the fastest corrected time by a boat with an all female crew. The Commodore Faith Paulsen Trophy was initiated in 2011.

The Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club that hosts the race in Bermuda is also Bermuda's home away from home for the America's Cup defenders, the Golden Gate Yacht Club of San Francisco, and their defending team, Oracle Team USA. The club will be a hub of activity not to be missed. Actual racing in the America's Cup Match start June 17, the day of the Marion Bermuda prizegiving.

While Marion Bermuda Racers are in Bermuda, the America's Cup Superyacht Regatta runs June 13-15. The J Class Regatta is June 16, 19 & 20. And Red Bull Youth America's Cup races are spread from June 12 to June 20. -- Talbot Wilson

marionbermuda.com

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See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
info@bernard-gallay.com

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2009 Beneteau First 40. 120,000 EUR. Located in Athens, Greece.

Features a cored hull - a ligher, more rigid, resistant hull compared to other First 40s built in 2010 and beyond.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Joe Hall
Farr Yacht Sales Europe
+44 1983 200901
joe@farryachtsales.com

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2016 C&C 30 One Design. 175,000 USD. Located in North Carolina.

The newest hull # of the C&C 30 one design class is seriously for sale. all new Quantum sails and full kit are included to step right on and start winning

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
William Jenkins 410 267 9419 or cell 410 353 7862

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

The Last Word
People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook. I've earned everything I've got. -- Richard Nixon

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

First day of the Delta Lloyd Regatta
Medemblik, Netherlands: The 33rd edition of the Delta Lloyd Regatta started with great competition across seven classes. Many Olympic sailors raced their first event since Rio. There were also a number of sailors, training here in Medemblik, aiming for Tokyo 2020. The conditions on the water were great, with a nice breeze and plenty of sun.

Focus for the Laser Radial sailors is mostly on the World Championships in Medemblik later this year. It was strong start from Britain's Alisson Young, with two first places. It's also the first event back in the boat for gold Olympic medallist and Dutch favourite, Marit Bouwmeester.

German 49er sailors try to stay calm
After the first day of racing we find Tim Fischer and Fabian Graf, team Germany, in the lead. "This event is more training for us. We're in the lead after the first day, which we didn't really expect. It has been a really good day after all. The next few days will probably be trickier. We just have to stay calm, sail well and get a good result to get into the medal race."

The competition in the 49erFX is very close. Croatian, Enia Nincevic, transferred from the 470 women to the 49erFX and is training with Igor Marenic, three time Olympian and gold medallist at the summer Olympics.

www.deltalloydregatta.org/results

Melges 24 European Sailing Series
Riva del Garda, Italy: The second event of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series had a strong Ora wind around of 18 knots that put Gian Luca Perego's Maidollis ITA854 (1-5-DNS today) on top of the podium of the event valid also as Melges 24 Italian Open Nationals

Maidollis won the regatta with a race to spare and in Luca Perego's team there was Carlo Fracassoli in helm, Enrico Fonda calling the tactics, trimmer Giovanni Ferrari and pitman Stefano Lagi in the crew.

Many changes in the final ranking happened thanks to the last race, which eventually took on the second position on the podium the American crew of Monsoon USA851 (3-10-1) by Bruce Ayres with Mike Buckley calling tactics, and the young guys of FGF Sailing Team HUN728 (4-27-3) with Robert Bakoczy at the helm.

Andrea Racchelli, at the helm of Claudio Ceradini's Altea ITA722 (5-8-10), after having won the first event of the 2017 Melges 24 European Sailing Series in Portoroz and having concluded three brilliant races in the second day in Riva del Garda, slips down in to the fourth position.

Fifth position goes to the 2016 Corinthian World Champions of Taki 4 ITA778 (7-2-9/2-1-2) that, never scoring anything worse than a ninth place in the overall ranking and a second in the Corinthian one, are the most consistent crew of the Corinthian fleet and gain the first placement in the division.

The next event in the Melges 24 European Sailing Series is scheduled for June 16th-18th in Marstrand, Sweden - the last event before the Melges 24 World Championship that will be held in the Nordic waters of Helsinki from July 31st to August 4th.

Full Overall Results (PDF)

Corinthian division (PDF)

Yacht Racing Forum: Time to register!
The Yacht Racing Forum will take place in Aarhus, Denmark, on November 28-29.

Many of the sports key personalities and brands have already confirmed their participation. Don't miss the opportunity!

It will be a great event, informative and fun, and an excellent opportunity to network and do business!

The Yacht Racing Forum will focus on three key areas that impact everyone in the industry: Business & Marketing, Design & Technology and Risk Management & Safety.

Early Bird discount valid for the top 80 registrants: € 300 (instead of € 400)

It's Cup Time
Four years in the making and hundreds of millions of dollars in development, it's time for the battle to begin for yachting's most prestigious trophy.

We take you to Bermuda for the World Sailing Show's preview of the 35th America's Cup.

We take a close look at the teams and consider how they might fare over the next five weeks. We look at the road to the America's Cup and explain what the successful Challenger needs to do to be selected to take on the Defenders, Oracle Team USA.

Plus we find out directly from some of the skippers about how hard these boats are to fly and how they rely on innovative new technology.

Racing Starts Friday!
The round robin AC Qualifiers begin Friday with four races.

Race 1: USA vs FRA - Should be an easy win for USA.
Race 2: SWE vs JPN - A key early indicator - who's hot?
Race 3: FRA vs NZL - Another tough opponent for FRA.
Race 4: GBR vs SWE - Have the Brits found some speed?

Remember that Land Rover BAR and Oracle Team USA already have points on the sccoreboard - the bonus points they earned in the AC World Series.

At the end of the Qualifiers, the AC World Series final standings will be used to break ties. This could affect which challenger is eliminated, the pairings for the semi-finals and whether a team earns a bonus point for the America's Cup Match. -- Jack Griffin

cupexperience.com

North Sails 3Di Powers Onorato to Victory in Melges 20 Act 2
Congratulations to Mascalzone Latino Jr. for their impressive victory at Act 2 of the Melges 20 European Series!

A team led by Achille Onorato sailed a consistent six-race regatta including two bullets, securing the overall win by seven points.

Mascalzone Latino Jr. raced with a mainsail made of North Sails 3Di RACE, a new product to the Melges 20 that is already making waves.

Hear initial remarks on the sails from Mascalzone tactician, Cameron Appleton, and stay posted on the new Melges 20 offering from North Sails at northsails.com

The Vikings Are Coming!
Badoiri an Cladaigs (Claddagh Boatmen) Regatta 2017 will not only showcase the most beautiful Galway Hookers and Gleoiteogs in the West, but an invasion of two Viking Long Boats will give this year's event a decidedly Nordic feel.

The annual regatta will now encompass the inaugural Claddagh Traditional Boat Festival. From Wednesday evening 24th May to Sunday 28th May the Claddagh Basin in the heart of Galway city will showcase twenty uniquely Galway traditional Irish boats. They will include the 5 Galway Hookers and Gleoiteogs built and refurbished by Badoiri an Ċladaiġ to date.

The talented ship builders are on track in their plans to build a total of fourteen of these iconic vessels, representing the 14 Galway Tribes, in time for 2020, when Galway will be the European Capital of Culture.

The two Viking Long Boats and their crew, from Ardglass in Northern Ireland, are joining their boat making brethren in the West as guests and invaders. The Claddagh Basin will also host a Viking village for the period of the festival. Their presence will be inescapable, with a (weather dependent) full Viking invasion of Salthill on Saturday 27th May.

The Festival will also be an opportunity to demonstrate the City of the Tribes' traditional Irish music prowess. With the help of many of the local branches of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri eireann there will be plenty of song and dance on the city's street corners, and trad sessions galore.

From Wednesday evening to Friday evening the Feile will also showcase some of Galway's finest music and song talent at the Claddagh Basin.

afloat.ie/sail/

Industry News
Nautical clothing retailer Musto Ltd has been put up for sale by owners Phoenix Equity Partners, according to reports appearing this week in London-based newspapers The Sunday Times and City A.M.

The iconic British brand, which serves as a clothing supplier to the British Olympic sailing and equestrian teams, is expected to net an ambitious £50m in a sale which could go through within the year.

Musto is expected to achieve sales of around £35m for the 2017 financial year. The company's last reported turnover was £31.2m for the financial year ended 2015, with a net loss (after tax) of -£1.2m.

Musto was founded in 1971 by Keith Musto, providing high-end technical clothing for the offshore sailing market, later adding specialist clothing lines for the equestrian and shooting markets.

Phoenix Equity backed a management buyout of Musto in 2007 in a deal which valued the business at £40m, leaving the Musto family with about a 30% stake in the company and a £10m payout.

https://plus.ibinews.com

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Canadian finance company FLIR, the parent of Raymarine has named James Cannon as president and CEO. Cannon previously worked for more than 16 years in senior leadership positions at Stanley Black & Decker Inc. He was most recently president of Stanley Security North America & Emerging Markets. Before that, Cannon was president of the company's Industrial & Automotive Repair (IAR) business unit, first in North America and subsequently in Europe and Latin America, before then serving as President of Stanley Oil & Gas.

At Stanley Security North America & Emerging Markets, Cannon held direct P&L responsibilities across five business units, managed over 5,000 employees, and oversaw the operations of numerous manufacturing plants and distribution centers.

Cannon was in the US Army for 10 years as an infantryman and armor officer in a different assignments around the world, including Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Iraq. He later oversaw key security missions as part of the Army's peace enforcement operations in Bosnia.

https://plus.ibinews.com

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The Offshore Academy, Britain's only centre of excellence for solo and single handed yacht racing today announced the continuation of their long term partnership with Musto and new partner Red Funnel Ferries. Fielding two of the three British competitors in the 2017 Solitaire URGO le Figaro race The Offshore Academy continues to support the British solo sailors of tomorrow.

As official Clothing and Performance Footwear sponsor, Musto have been involved since the inception of the Academy and have had a long standing partnership in support of the short-handed sailors of tomorrow. Providing its world renowned offshore sailing kit to protect sailors, allowing them to focus on performance.

The sponsorship continuation will see The Offshore Academy competing in Musto clothing and performance footwear for the next three seasons, with major races such as the Solitaire URGO Le Figaro and Rolex Fastnet races still to come in the 2017 calendar.

The Offshore Academy also welcomes 'on-board' Red Funnel, a new sponsor for the 2017 season providing support and backing to the Academy team as Official Travel Partner. The Offshore Academy has a long standing business relationship with Red Funnel with offices in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, 2017 will see this relationship further strengthened through the new sponsorship.

www.theoffshoreacademy.org

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Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has signed contracts to support the development of 18 marine infrastructure projects in seven Croatian counties with an aggregate value of HRK 50m (US$7.2m).

The investments will allow the country to add a total of 1,600 berths at 16 locations, according to data obtained by local news site Tportal.hr.

In total, the Croatian authorities are aiming to spend around HRK 180m (US$25.9m) on a number of marine investments - including projects related to constructing or modernising local ports, marinas and harbours - over a four-year period.

The largest contribution this year, at HRK 12m (US$1.73m), will be allocated to the marine project in the Split-Dalmatia county.

https://plus.ibinews.com

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The Volvo Ocean Race, Volvo Group and Volvo Car Group will today become the Official Automotive Partner of World Sailing, the International Governing Body for the sport.

As part of an ambitious plan, World Sailing will partner with the Volvo Ocean Race, owned by Volvo Group and Volvo Car Group, to develop the next generation of offshore sailors.

The next stage of that process will be to set-out a clear pathway for offshore sailors from across the globe. This will include the creation of Volvo Ocean Race Academies, designed to provide a stepping stone for young offshore sailors.

World Sailing has also proposed an offshore showcase event to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Volvo Ocean Race have pledged their full support for the bid.

Volvo have a long running commitment to sailing and previously worked with the world governing body of the sport, acting as title sponsor of the Youth Sailing World Championships from 1999 to 2010. -- Daniel Smith - World Sailing

sailing.org

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The Yacht Racing Forum is pleased to announce a two years partnership with world renowned expert in ropeholding and technical safety equipment Spinlock.

"We have been involved in several past editions of the Yacht Racing Forum and today, we are pleased to rejoin the event as a partner / exhibitor for 2017 and 2018" says Marketing & Sales Manager at Spinlock, James Hall. "The Forum is an excellent opportunity to meet the world's leading classes, designers, boat builders, events and influencers in the sport through one event and this is precious for us. We are also very interested about the Risk Management & Safety conference: this topic is at the heart of our activities and we are keen to be involved and debate."

The Yacht Racing Forum 2017 will take place on November 27-28 in Aarhus, Denmark, six months prior to World Sailing's World Championships.

Based in Cowes, UK, Spinlock is an independent and innovative company, widely acknowledged as the world expert in ropeholding. Spinlock also produces personal protection equipment widely used at top races and regattas inlcuding the award range of Deckvest Lifejackets.

www.yachtracingforum.com

spinlock.co.uk

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Sailing navigation and instrument specialist B&G, a Navico brand, has been made an official Volvo Ocean Race supplier for the 2017/18 race.

B&G will supply the entire fleet of Volvo Ocean 65 yachts with state-of-the-art navigation systems, tactical software and Grand Prix level instrument systems. The company will also provide race support to the organisers and crews of the race, which begins on October 4 in Alicante, Spain.

B&G's instrument and navigation equipment will be based on WTP3 - the powerful Wave Technology Processor that monitors the yacht's systems and eliminates the effects of boat motion from critical wind data. Integrated with wind, boat speed, heading, GPS, load cells, keel angle and rudder angle sensors, WTP3 provides the teams with highly accurate real time information.

Additional equipment will include with B&G's new widescreen Zeus multifunction display, broadband 4G radar, Class-B AIS systems, 20/20 HV displays and a range of high precision sensors.

As well as a complete line-up of B&G products, racing teams will also be supported at every stopover by B&G specialist support staff and crews will have 24/7 emergency technical assistance worldwide.

The Volvo Ocean Race, technical race and media teams are also supplied with live data transmitted from the B&G systems on board, to the race HQ in Alicante via Inmarsat communications. This allows monitoring of each vessel, as well as providing an overview of current weather, boat location and overall leader positions.

plus.ibinews.com

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Pirelli gets onboard Emirates Team New Zealand completing the team's shortlist of highly committed brands for the 35th America's Cup.

Pirelli, one of the world's largest tyre manufactures, announcing its partnership with the team confirms once again to be at the forefront of international sports events.

"For Emirates Team New Zealand is definitely a plus to have Pirelli on our side just before the racing begins in what will be one of the most competitive America's Cup ever" said Grant Dalton "We value associations with premium international brands like Pirelli where continuous innovation and dedication are a core part of the culture."

Featured Brokerage
2007 TP 52 "Constellation". 199,000 USD. Located in Annapolis, MD United States

CONSTELLATION is a well known TP 52 that was formally called RIO Very little use the last year, she was 4th overall in the 2014 Newport to Bermuda Race. She is in good condition and is ready for more fun racing under IRC or ORC as many of her sister ships have proven time and time again

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
William Jenkins 410 267 9419 or 410 353 7862 ( cell)

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2015 Farr 280 OD. 125,000 USD.

The Farr 280 One Design is a new production racing sailboat by Farr Yacht Design that will deliver the excitement of grand prix racing to the under-30ft one design arena. As a modern one design, the Farr 280 delivers contemporary grand prix features and style to a more achievable smaller boat package. The boat will have dynamic performance on all points of sail, with a focus on inshore racing for a moderate crew size of five to six people. Go to Farr280.com for more information about the class.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Joe Hall
Farr Yacht Sales Europe
+44 1983 200901
joe@farryachtsales.com

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2007 IMOCA 60 "COMPAGNIE DU LIT". 450000 EUR, Located in France.

A fine racing yacht that has proven its capabilities in all kinds of conditions, COMPAGNIE DU LIT is arriving in Australia in the coming days and will be available for viewing over the Christmas period.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
info@bernard-gallay.com

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

The Last Word
Despite fearful rhetoric to the contrary, terrorism is not a transcendent threat. A terrorist attack cannot possibly destroy our country's way of life; it's only our reaction to that attack that can do that kind of damage. -- Bruce Schneier

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
Delta Lloyd Regatta: Tricky winds, postponed races and new leaders | Crystal ball-gazing for the Rolex Fastnet Race winner | £200 off Premier Kru Elite Racer Package from Ocean Safety for limited period | Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs Trophy and Trunk | Inaugural One-Design Regatta Kick Starts Summer of Big Dreams | New Offshore Multihull Association Takes Shape | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | 10th Anniversary Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta | Volvo Ocean Race unveils leadership programme | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

Delta Lloyd Regatta: Tricky winds, postponed races and new leaders
Medemblik, Netherlands: There were tricky winds for the sailors and the race committee. The day started with a delay, and only once the Laser Radial had set off at noon, could the racing start. Due to the shifting winds, a lot of overall results have changed since the first day. The race committees had a long day on the water, however, they still managed to finish all planned races. Although there was a lot of waiting in the morning due to the shifting wind, the races still managed to go really well.

Top three by class:

Laser
1. Elliot Hanson, GBR, 12 points
2. Matthew Wearn, AUS, 12
3. Luke Elliott, AUS, 13

Laser Radial
1. Emma Plasschaert, BEL, 13
2. Tatiana Drozdovskaya, BLR, 14
3. Michon Pernelle, FRA, 19

470 Men and Women
1. Afrodite Kyranakou / Anneloes Van Veen, NED, 13
2. Nikolaus Kampelmuhler / Thomas Czajka, AUT, 14
3. Pavel Sozykin / Denis Gribanov, RUS, 15

49er
1. Jorge Lima / Jose Luis Costa, POR, 21
2. Yannick Lefebvre / Tom Pelsmaekers, BEL, 32
3. Erik Heil / Thomas Ploessel, GER, 53

49er FX
1. Enia Nincevic / Peiar Cupac, CRO, 28
2. John Pink / Sophie Ainsworth, GBR, 44
3. Dewi Couvert / Annette Duetz, NED, 33

RS:X Men
1. Dorian Van Rysselberghe, NED, 8
2. Kiran Badloe, NED, 10
3. Oel Pouliquen, FRA, 20

2.4 Metre
1. Megan Pascoe, GBR, 4
2. Carol Dugdale, GBR, 13
3. Nev Millard, GBR, 14

Results for RS: X Women, NACRA 17 and Finn were not available from the event site at press time.

www.deltalloydregatta.org

Crystal ball-gazing for the Rolex Fastnet Race winner
Second-guessing the winner under IRC among the 340 boats competing in August's Rolex Fastnet Race is tough. The outcome of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's biennial flagship event will depend on the weather: A brisk start should favour the big boats; a light start and lively finish the smaller ones, but it is not simple given the race's complexity with headlands and tidal gates to negotiate, shipping and Traffic Separation Schemes to avoid, the mix of coastal and oceanic sailing, amid the largest fleet of any offshore race in the world.

There is one unifying factor: the winner will be one of the smartest and most talented crews, sailing the best prepared boat, courtesy of the IRC rating system that aims to create a level playing field for all types of boats competing.

Historically, boat size doesn't seem to matter. Over the last 20 years 70 footers have claimed three races in Niklas Zennstrom's Ran II and Charles Dunstone's Enigma, but 30 footers have also won three, including the last two races - Gery Trentesaux's JPK 10.80, Courrier Du Leon, in 2015 and Pascal and in 2013 Alexis Loison's JPK 10.10 Night & Day - the race's only doublehanded overall winners. 50 footers have also won in Ger O'Rourke Cookson 50 Chieftain in 2007 and perennial competitor Piet Vroon on his Lutra 52 Tonnerre in 2001. A 40 footer hasn't won the Rolex Fastnet Race in at least 30 years and a line honours winner also claiming the handicap trophy is an even greater rarity.

One team trying to repeat the doublehanded success of Night & Day, is Sun Fast 36, Redshift Reloaded of Ed Fishwick and Figaro sailor Nick Cherry. Their main goal is a good result in the ever-growing Two-Handed class.

But will they threaten the dominant JPKs, winners of the last two races and which occupied half of the top 10 in 2015? With Gery Trentesaux not campaigning his own boat, Arnaud Delamare and Eric Mordret's team is looking good on their JPK 10.80 sistership, Dream Pearls. In their first ever Rolex Fastnet Race in 2015, they finished second overall while this season they recently won the RORC's De Guingand Bowl.

Fortunately there is a JPK 10.80 entered in English hands - Tom Kneen's Sunrise, while facing other French race favourites in JPK 10.10s - Noel Racine's Foggy Dew, as well as the Loisins on Night & Day, will face Richard Palmer's Jangada and Stephen Hills' Just Plain Krazy.

Another British favourite is Nick and Suzi Jones with RORC Commodore Michael Boyd on the First 44.7, Lisa winner of the 2016 RORC IRC Points Championship, podiuming in five events.

The Rolex Fastnet Race will set off from the Solent on Sunday 6 August bound for Plymouth via the Fastnet Rock.

www.rolexfastnetrace.com

£200 off Premier Kru Elite Racer Package from Ocean Safety for limited period
Ocean Safety are offering massive savings on the ultimate racing lifejacket, the Premier Kru Elite, packaged together with the rescueME MOB1 AIS personal recovery unit and the tiny yet powerful AQ40 lifejacket light. The fully integrated set is normally priced at £499 but now available for just £299 inc. VAT. Offer only available until 30th June so pick up a bargain before you head off on the Fastnet.

The Premier Kru Elite is tailored for instant fit, with a quick burst zip for fast inflation, a sprayhood, twin harness loops for line attachment and integral crotch strap. It has 195N of buoyancy giving complete support. The rescueME MOB1 is automatically triggered the moment the lifejacket is inflated, transmitting an alert to all AIS receivers and AIS-enabled plotters in the vicinity. 66-channel GPS sends accurate position data back to all the vessels for at least 24 hours. The MOB1 will activate the DSC alarm on the vessel's VHF radio to alert fellow crew members. Finally the AQ40 light will make sure the man overboard is easily spotted in poor light.

This complete lifesaving solution gives you the best possible chance of survival and being recovered fast. Available at Yachtmail Lymington, You-boat Gosport, Crew-Safe Southampton, Mylor Chandlery Falmouth.

oceansafety.com

Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs Trophy and Trunk
Louis Vuitton is proud to present the brand new trophy, and its trunk, to be awarded to the winning team of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs, taking place from Sunday June 4th to Monday June 12th 2017 in Bermuda.

The path to the 35th America's Cup Match presented by Louis Vuitton in Bermuda has taken its five challengers - Land Rover BAR, Emirates Team New Zealand, Artemis Racing, SoftBank Team Japan, Groupama Team France - and Defender, ORACLE TEAM USA, winner of the 34th America's Cup, around the world. They have competed in a grueling cycle of intensely competitive regattas. However, only one team can win the right to go forward as the Challenger and compete for the America's Cup itself against the Defender ORACLE TEAM USA.

That is why Louis Vuitton has commissioned a new trophy and trunk to mark that achievement. The Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs trophy will be awarded to whichever team emerges victorious as Challenger on June 11th or 12th on the Great Sound.

The trophy is a modern ode to this richly storied sport. Crafted in 10kg of sterling silver, standing a majestic 70cm high, highly polished and satin-finished precious metal trophy depicts a vivid clash of passing sails. It also echoes Louis Vuitton's famous Gaston 'V' mark - a symbol drafted by Gaston Vuitton in the 1930's to encapsulate the House's values Volez, Voguez,Voyagez - or Fly, Sail, Travel.

The trophy was commissioned by Louis Vuitton from Thomas Lyte. This British goldsmith and silversmith, holder of a Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II, uses time-honoured techniques of exquisite craft and expertise. Yet it is also determinedly modern in outlook.

www.americascup.com

Inaugural One-Design Regatta Kick Starts Summer of Big Dreams
Newport, RI: A typical world championship regatta takes the better part of a week to complete. But for those aiming at the top step on the podium, the full journey can take months, if not years. After finishing second in the 2016 Melges 20 World Championship in Scarlino, Italy, last August, Drew Freides started planning for this year's championship, which will be held out of the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, R.I., October 3 to 7.

The first Newport event for Freides and his teammates, including 1992 Olympic silver medalist Morgan Reeser, is the New York Yacht Club One-Design Regatta, June 2 to 4, also sailed out of the historic Harbour Court clubhouse on Newport Harbor.

This new event will feature racing for three of sailing's most competitive keelboat classes. In addition to the Melges 20, the venerable Etchells class will be contesting its 2017 National Championship while the J/70 fleet will gather for an early season event that will see many teams shaking off the rust and aiming toward national and world championship events later this summer.

Among those expected to vie for the class's U.S. crown is 2015 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and 1984 Olympic silver medalist Steve Benjamin, who is fresh off an overall win in the class's very competitive winter circuit on Biscayne Bay, Florida.

In 2014, the J/70 class held its first world championship out of Harbour Court, with 86 boats.

nyyc.org/yachting/racing/nyyc-one-design

New Offshore Multihull Association Takes Shape
The Offshore Multihull Association (OMA) was formed last year by the owners of performance- oriented Multihulls with the goal of promoting the growth of this exciting category of performance cruising yachts. The OMA's mission is to encourage fun, safe, close multihull racing in regattas around the world. These multihulls initially included Gunboats, HH Catamarans, Outremer as well as custom designs built for their unique ability to cruise in comfort while still being able to race at speeds rivaling many of the fastest monohull racing yachts. The Association is open to owners of offshore capable multihulls 45' and greater.

The OMA was officially launched in February of this year with the support of our inaugural sponsors, Gunboat, Morelli and Melvin, VPLP Designs, Nigel Irens Design, North Sails, HH Catamarans and Southern Spars

"The performance cruising multihull segment is one of the fastest growing segments in yachting and we are excited to launch an organization founded to support and encourage this growth," said Phil Lotz, President of the OMA, Commodore of the NYYC and Gunboat owner.

More information on the Offshore Multihull Association can be found on the new website offshoremultihull.org and on the Offshore Multihull Association page on Facebook. Offshore Multihull Association Contact: Grant Mathews, Director.

Seahorse June 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Founding father - Part I
Traditional boatbuilder Adrian Morgan was glad to have lost his press badge before sitting down with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston

Wow!
With just a few weeks to go the AC technical teams are still getting surprises. Ken Read

Rod Davis - Looking ahead
Quite a long way ahead as it happens

Design - Old school fast
Crafty Paul Bieker has been blending very old technologies with spankers new applications of seemingly quite mundane modern composites

RORC - In the chocolates
Eddie Warden-Owen

Special rates for Scuttlebutt Europe subscribers:
Seahorse Print or Digital Subscription Use Discount Promo Code SB2

1yr Print Sub: €77 - £48 - $71 / Rest of the World: £65 www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs/

1yr Digital Sub for £30: www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/digital

Discounts shown are valid on a one year subscription to Seahorse magazine.

10th Anniversary Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta
This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the South Coast's most popular yacht club regatta and the number of early competitor entries to the Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta (Friday 14th July - Sunday 16th July) held in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, suggests last year's entry of 178 boats will be exceeded.

In 2017, the regatta is open to an eclectic mix of boats for a weekend of close racing in the Western Solent including IRC, IRC Swan and the Gaffer Association Handicap Class. The event remains a magnet for One Design classes including X One Design (XOD); Yarmouth One Design (YOD); International Folkboat; Contessa 32; J24; J109; J80 and Sigma 38.

This year's regatta is open to multihulls and the Diam 24 One Design trimaran fleet is guaranteed to provide some acrobatic sailing.

Taittinger RSYC Regatta online registration

Taittinger RSYC Regatta Notice of Race

Volvo Ocean Race unveils leadership programme
The Volvo Ocean Race will embed a comprehensive Leadership Development and Team Performance Programme in future editions, based on the hard-earned experience of the pro sailors and including a 'Global Team Challenge' race to provide the ultimate team development opportunity for stakeholders.

Sponsors have often asked skippers and crew to provide insights into the way they handle high-stress issues of leadership and teamwork during the Volvo Ocean Race. In response to the clear demand, the race will formalise these learnings and make them available to businesses with on-land and on-water elements.

Launching in the edition after 2017-18, the Global Team Challenge will form the centerpiece of the on-water part of this HR focused programme. This will also act as a new entry point for future sponsors of teams in the race.

This race will provide the ultimate challenge for amateur sailors, including those with no prior experience, giving employees a unique experience of offshore and ocean racing, under the highest standards of training and management, but nonetheless in conditions close to those faced by the professionals.

There will be a significant pre-race programme of individual days to complement the on-land training, as well as pre-race training for crews.

It will then shadow part of the Volvo Ocean Race route, and sponsors will be able to switch out their crew at every stopover to give more people an experience - and a challenge - of a lifetime.

volvooceanrace.com

* From Andrew Hurst, Editor, Seahorse International Sailing

re: AC Non-viewing

What a shame that here in the UK the only TV channel showing the 35th America's Cup is football channel BT. Sky is the broadcaster for every major technical sport and so was the only channel to consider if the aim really is to encourage more fans of sailing.

I guess BT was free...

Try getting your pub with BT to switch over from the footie. I'd rather go into the ring with Anthony Joshua.

I guess there's always the newspaper.

Featured Brokerage
2009 Farr 46 MAGIC TWELVE. 275000 EUR. Located in Marseille, France.

MAGIC TWELVE is a pure cruiser racer. She has won many races and yet she remains a very good cruising sailing yacht. Most of her cruising accommodation is dismounted in Racing mode.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
info@bernard-gallay.com

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2007 Maxi 100 LEOPARD 3. 4,000,000 GBP. Located in Antigua

LEOPARD 3 is fully prepared and ready to sail away. She is arguably the most high profile racer cruiser yacht in existence. This speed machine has a history around the world for trophy-hunting and record-breaking and represents a pinnacle in the evolutionary timeline of super maxi development.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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info@bernard-gallay.com

-----------------------------------------

2007 GREEN DRAGON Volvo 70. 390000 EUR. Located in Monfalcone, Italy.

GREEN DRAGON is a fantastic Volvo 70 Class yacht, which can be used for serious racing, race charter, cruising and even as a conversion project.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
info@bernard-gallay.com

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

The Last Word
We've dealt with your sort before. You don't try and pull this on us.

We've got our own way of doing things, and it doesn't involve tossing bombs around where innocent people are going about their lives.

And that's because we're better than you. Everyone is better than you. Our city works. We rather like it. And we're going to go about our lives. We're going to take care of the lives you ruined. And then we're going to work. And we're going down the pub.

So you can pack up your bombs, put them in your arseholes, and get the F*** out of our city. -- Excerpts from Michael J. Totten's "Open Letter to Terrorists" written after the London bombings of 2005.

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
America's Cup Opening Day Postponed Until Saturday 27th May | The Storm Trysail Club - Key West Race Week 2018 | Rambler 88 joins 140 Yacht Fleet at RORC Myth of Malham Race | MetreFest | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | Ludde Ingvall's European Tour With CQS | The Duke of Edinburgh loans Overall Trophy for the new Triple Crown Series at Cowes Week | Industry News | Featured Brokerage

America's Cup Opening Day Postponed Until Saturday 27th May
The America's Cup Event Authority (ACEA), and America's Cup Race Management (ACRM), have announced that the strong winds in Bermuda have meant that day one of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers and the Official Opening Ceremony of the 35th America's Cup have had to be postponed.

Forecasts indicate that winds may gust over 30 knots during the afternoon and evening, so with the safety of the sailors and spectators as the key priority, ACEA and ACRM have decided to postpone Friday's events. Saturday 27th May and the days following are all forecast to have significantly improved weather conditions, so the four races scheduled to take place on Friday 26th May will now be added to the race schedules for the subsequent days.

The Official Opening Ceremony of the 35th America's Cup will now take place on Saturday 27th May, starting at 8.30pm, following the three time Grammy Award winning entertainer Wyclef Jean's performance on the Main Stage in the America's Cup Village which starts at 5.15pm. The America's Cup Village will close at 9.30pm. Gates open at 11.30am on Saturday 27th May, with racing due to take place between 2pm and 5pm.

Schedule:
www.americascup.com/en/ac35-schedule.html

The Storm Trysail Club - Key West Race Week 2018
Larchmont, N.Y.: After extensive discussion and deliberation the Storm Trysail Club has decided not to organize and hold Key West Race Week in January 2018. Many factors led to this difficult decision. The bottom line is that with declining participation, the event has become heavily dependent upon sponsorship making the event unsustainable in its current format. Our primary sponsors remain very supportive and the Storm Trysail Club is committed to exploring alternative formats for the future that address changing conditions in our sport. The club anticipates that this could lead to another edition as soon as 2019.

The Storm Trysail Club wishes to thank especially Quantum Sails (the title sponsor for the last six years) as well as the city and community of Key West for their gracious hospitality and help in underwriting this event, which has spanned the last 30 years. Many thanks as well to all our other sponsors, supporters and past participants for their support of the event and of the sport of sailing. Most importantly we wish to thank the countless volunteers, Storm Trysail Club members and others who made Key West Race Week possible and produced a world-class event.

Leonard Sitar
Commodore Storm Trysail Club

John Fisher
Quantum Key West Race Week Event Chairman - 2016 & 2017

keywestraceweek.com
stormtrysail.org

Rambler 88 joins 140 Yacht Fleet at RORC Myth of Malham Race
Saturday 26th May, 2017
Cowes - Eddystone - Solent (256 Miles)

Over one hundred and forty yachts, representing nine different countries, have entered the RORC Myth of Malham Race, the largest RORC fleet to race since the 2015 Rolex Fastnet Race. The Myth of Malham Race starts from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line, Cowes with the first mark at the Eddystone Lighthouse, off Plymouth. In essence the first 130 miles of the race mirrors the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race, with tactical and strategic decisions to be made along the tidal headlands of the south coast of England.

The RORC fleet is as diverse as it is sizeable with world record breaking offshore yachts, racing against Corinthian Two-Handed teams, production racer cruisers and just about everything in between. The race also carries a points factor of 1.2, increasing its value for teams looking to stack up points for the RORC Season's Points Championship. Rambler 88 project manager Mick Harvey confirms that George David's American Maxi, Rambler 88, will be taking part in a full RORC programme, leading up to the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race.

The smallest yacht taking part in the Myth of Malham will be Stuart Greenfield's Ron Holland Half Tonner, Silver Shamrock, racing Two Handed with co-skipper Nathan Steffenoni. Last year Silver Shamrock won the Two Handed Class and IRC 4 in the Myth of Malham Race.

A clutch of well sailed Class40 will be taking part in the Myth of Malham, including Harvard Mabire Campagne de France racing with Miranda Merron and Ronan de Kersauzon.

Spectators will get a great view of the fleet from The Green at Cowes or vantage points at the Hurst Narrows. For full details of how to follow the race on-line, visit: www.rorc.org

MetreFest
Newport, RI: With just 3 weeks to go before the first start, sailors from Annapolis to Ottawa, Concord to Cambridge and Seattle to Sarasota are set to converge at Newport MetreFest 2017, an exciting new regatta for International Rule sailing yachts including 2.4mR, 6mR, 8mR and 12mRs.

From the single-handed 2.4mRs at just over 13 feet long to the majestic 12mRs ranging from 64-70 feet in length raced by crews of 17 sailors - these former and present-day Olympic and America's Cup development classes will hold center stage at New York Yacht Club's 163rd Annual Regatta from June 9-11. MetreFest also has the distinction of being the first North American regatta of the International Twelve Metre Association's Road to the Worlds Waypoints Series, a three-year International 12mR competition culminating with the 2019 12mR World Championship in Newport, RI.

The historic gathering at MetreFest will include past and present champions from each of their respective classes. Four of the ten anticipated 12mR entries are America's Cup winners-- Weatherly, US-17 (1962), Intrepid, US-22 (1967 & 1970), Courageous, US-26 (1974, 1977) and Freedom US-30 (1980). Also competing are American Eagle US-21, made famous by Ted Turner as a winning ocean-racer, Ted Hood's innovative Nefertiti, US-19 and two of the three infamous Kiwi 'plastic fantastics', New Zealand, KZ-3 and Laura, KZ-5 round out the 12mR fleet. Additionally, much anticipation surrounds the return-to-racing debut of 2016 12mR North American Champion; Dennis Williams' newly restored Defender, US-33.

A very competitive 6mR fleet will be comprised primarily of classic designs including SYCE, US-14 (1922), Madcap, US-21 (1924), Clytie II, US-33 (1927), Lucie, US-55 (1931), Flapper, N-17 (1939) and Newport's own Cherokee US-53 (1930/2009). Discovery, USA-109 (1978) represents modern era Sixes.

MetreFest is also very proud to host fourteen of the Paralympics 2.4mR class boats racing on their own circle, supported by Ida Lewis Yacht Club

metrefest.com

Seahorse June 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Update
Luca Devoti does not wholly agree with Hutchinson worries the America's Cup is being turned into just another regatta and Jack Griffin tries (hard) to explain what is about to happen with the scoresheets in Bermuda!

(Taking it) in the right order
With the launch of the ClubSwan50, Nautor has rewritten the book on how to ensure the best possible one-design racing with a new offshore class

A bad mix - wolves and sheep
Which is why we must work hard to keep them apart. Rob Weiland

Flying fever
Mini sailing (flying) at 28 knots, anyone? Frederic Augendre jumped at the invitation...

Special rates for Scuttlebutt Europe subscribers:
Seahorse Print or Digital Subscription Use Discount Promo Code SB2

1yr Print Sub: €77 - £48 - $71 / Rest of the World: £65 www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs/

1yr Digital Sub for £30: www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/digital

Discounts shown are valid on a one year subscription to Seahorse magazine.

Ludde Ingvall's European Tour With CQS
London, U.K: Ludde Ingvall's distinctive super maxi CQS has arrived in European waters for a summer tour of races in places as divergent as Finland and Malta. The 98 foot boat, with which Ludde contested last year's Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race, will leave Gosport, England, in the next few days for a delivery trip to Helsinki.

While in the Finnish capital, where the skipper grew up, CQS will contest the Alandia Surrsaari Race, a 168 nautical mile dash around Surrsaari Island, starting 9th June, a race for which he hold the course record, and has presented the trophy for first monohull, in honour of his late father.

From there the boat will travel to Stockholm to take part in the Gotland Runt, a 350 nautical mile race around Gotland, one of the classics of the northern European summer, which starts 2nd July.

CQS will then return to England where she will again be based in Gosport, and will compete in three of England's premier sailing events, the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Channel Race, Cowes Week, and the Rolex Fastnet Race.

The Channel Race, which starts 22nd July is a short, 160 nautical mile, sprint around the English Channel, starting from Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

During the world famous Cowes Week regatta, CQS will join other maxi yachts in a three race "Triple Crown" series of races around the Solent.

The final event in the English part of the European Tour will be the Rolex Fastnet Race, the 605 nautical mile classic race from Cowes around the Fastnet Rock off the south west coast of Ireland, and back to finish in Plymouth. This is a race he was won in the past.

Ludde and the CQS team will finish their European Tour in the Mediterranean, taking part in Trieste's Barcolana Race, and Malta's Middle Seas Race. -- John Roberson

www.bigboatracing.com
www.facebook.com/cqsracing/

The Duke of Edinburgh loans Overall Trophy for the new Triple Crown Series at Cowes Week
Cowes Week Ltd, organisers of the world's best-known sailing regatta and highlight of the British Sporting Summer, is delighted to announce a new trophy for the new Sevenstar Triple Crown series at Cowes Week. The new trophy will be awarded to the overall winner of the Sevenstar Triple Crown. Loaned by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, the trophy will be named the Duke of Edinburgh Triple Crown Trophy.

Cowes Week has few supporters as prestigious and as passionate about sailing as The Duke of Edinburgh, who famously owned a Dragon class boat named Bluebottle, given to him and the then Princess Elizabeth as a wedding present, which he once regularly raced at the regatta. He has also competed on his Flying Fifteen Coweslip and sailed on the yacht Yeoman. The Duke of Edinburgh was instrumental in setting up Cowes Combined Clubs, the body made up of 9 clubs responsible for coordinating the racing today.

The new Duke of Edinburgh Triple Crown Trophy has been kindly loaned from the Royal Collection, and will be awarded to the overall winner of the Sevenstar Triple Crown at a prizegiving ceremony at the Royal Yacht Squadron.

This trophy is the latest illustrious addition to the Sevenstar Triple Crown, which will also see the awarding of The Queen's Cup, The King George V International Cup and the Royal Yacht Squadron's King's Cup 1920, which will be awarded to the three winners of each of the Sevenstar Triple Crown classes.

The Sevenstar Triple Crown at Cowes Week is a new initiative for 2017. A regatta within a regatta, the series is open to large IRC rated racing boats up to 36m LOA. Three classes will compete: Maxi-Racer Class; Cruiser-Racer Class (both with a minimum TCC of 1.500) and an Ocean-Racer Class (minimum TCC of 1.400). The series will take place on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of Cowes Week, with the Wednesday race being designated an Around the Island Race

This year's regatta takes place 29th July-5th August. Entries for the Sevenstar Triple Crown are being taken online.

cowesweek.co.uk

Industry News
British manufacturer of world leading leisure marine rope and rigging, Marlow Ropes, is an official supplier to Land Rover BAR - the British Challenger for the prestigious America's Cup trophy.

Marlow's technical and R & D team has worked with the rigging department within Land Rover BAR to develop the bespoke and highly customised rigging needed to race the latest generation of foiling ACC (Americas Cup Class) boats in the world's oldest international sporting trophy - a race of the world's best sailors on the fastest boats.

Land Rover BAR is skippered by Sir Ben Ainslie, whose relationship with Marlow stretches back many years from its key partnerships with competitive British sailing and Sir Ben's Olympic successes - winning four Olympic Gold medals for Great Britain.

Marlow Ropes is focused on the technical development of leisure marine ropes from dinghies to super yachts and particularly service high-speed sailing with our MGP (Marlow Grand Prix) range. Now the brand will again be featured in the heart of the most spectacular sailing competition in the world.

Marlow's history in world class rope manufacture dates back over 200 years, and has earned its reputation as one of the world's premier manufacturers of performance yacht ropes.

www.marlowropes.com

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Volvo Penta will again be an official supplier to the Volvo Ocean Race in 2017-18 - the sixth edition that the round-the-world fleet has used Volvo Penta engines to provide vital communications and safety functions on board

Designed to withstand the toughest conditions on Earth, the Volvo Penta D2-75 with Saildrive engines completed their first lap of the planet in the 2014-15 edition as an essential part of the One Design Volvo Ocean 65 boat.

In the next edition, starting 22 October, Volvo Penta will provide hands-on technical expertise 24/7 to the race teams as the fleet prepares to race three times more Southern Ocean miles than in recent editions.

Although the use of engines as a primary propulsion source is prohibited during racing, the D2-75 engine is a key part of life onboard - powering the boat's total demand for electricity for computers, navigation equipment, lights and communications units.

Additionally, the engine onboard provides power to the batteries to run the water maker, supplies power to the hydraulic system for the canting keel and is a potentially lifesaving instrument in case of an emergency situation.

volvooceanrace.com

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Henri Lloyd has today announced their commitment to supporting this year's SB20 World Championships, being hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes this August as the Official Technical Clothing Partner.

The partnership will see competitors benefiting from an exclusive Henri Lloyd Privilege Club that will be available to all competing members. The organising team behind the World Championships will also benefit from the partnership through the provision of the latest in Henri Lloyd technical apparel.

As the official Technical Clothing Partner, Henri Lloyd will provide the opportunity for competing crews to purchase exclusive SB20 World Championship branded apparel at the Henri Lloyd store in Cowes over the course of the event.

www.henrilloyd.com

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The Hudson Yacht Group (HYG), builders of HH Catamarans, Jaguar Catamarans and Hudson Powercats, has announced that they are discontinuing the Jaguar Catamaran International brand.

"HYG is now using the international name Hudson Powercats for all future builds and this is to create consistent branding across global markets whilst maintaining their focus on excellence, delivering clients incredible performance, livability and safety at sea," the company said in a statement.

The brand renaming, HYG says, is part of Hudson Yacht Group's continuing evolution and expansion, having acquired Jaguar Catamarans in late October 2015, and bringing them into their growing yacht construction company.

"As to the HH55 catamaran, HH55-01 'Minnehaha' has been delivered to her US owner. HH55 #2 and #3 are currently in production and we are hoping to debut HH55-02 – building for a UK owner – at this year's Cannes boat show."

HH Catamarans announced back in January their newest design, the HH48. They are working closely with Morrelli & Melvin Design and Engineering Inc to finalise design with a view to beginning production very soon.

plus.ibinews.com

Featured Brokerage
Lupa of London. 1,450,000 vat paid GBP.

Lupa of London is a remarkable Reichel Pugh designed Carbon composite cruiser racer with an outstanding Baltic build pedigree and enviable trophy cupboard.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
brokerage@carrswoodyachts.com
+44 (0)7476 888639

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2006 Marine Composite Racer-Cruiser. 260000 EUR. Located in Imperia, Italy.

SEAWONDER is an immaculate, race-winning MC46, launched by Marine Composite in late 2003. She is built entirely from pre-preg carbon over Corecell. She has been professionally maintained and has a comprehensive inventory of sails and equipment. A new bow and IRC/ORC keel were fitted in 2009.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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-----------------------------------------

1993 Whitbread 60 - BLUEPRINT. 70000 GBP. Located South Coast, UK.

An excellent opportunity to buy into an established charter Whitbread 60. strong and well looked after, with regular maintenance and recent rigging and engine.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

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

The Last Word
I love Manchester. Everyone knows that - I have said it many times. Manchester is in my heart. -- Cristiano Ronaldo

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
Contentious Calls on the Final Day of Round Robin 1 | America's Cup - Umpires admit error in controversial win for Kiwis | Save the date - make sure your Fastnet flares are ready to go. | 'Eala Of Rhu' Is Silvers Marine Scottish Series Champion | Delapierre Takes It To The Wire At Croatia Match Cup | OSTAR and TWOSTAR Start | A Shrine to sailing speed - Mariner's Park and Museum | ACO 8th MUSTO Skiff World Championship | European Match Race Tour | Featured Brokerage

Contentious Calls on the Final Day of Round Robin 1
Photo: © BMW | STUDIO BORLENGHI-Gattini. Click on image for photo gallery.

Day three of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers was a day of drama with Artemis Racing seeing victory in the second race of the day, against Emirates Team New Zealande disappear with an Umpire call and in which the five challenging teams; Land Rover BAR, Artemis Racing, SoftBank Team Japan, Groupama Team France and Emirates Team New Zealand, had their chance to enhance their positions on the leaderboard. ORACLE TEAM USA, Defenders of the 'Auld Mug' and table-toppers, sat out of the action, having raced three times on day two.

After claiming a maiden victory by beating Artemis Racing yesterday, Groupama Team France took another win in the opening race of the day by beating Land Rover BAR comfortably in race 13.

Despite a poor pre-start, which saw them fall 10 seconds behind the British team at mark 1, Franck Cammas' team recovered brilliantly to stay in hot pursuit, closing the gap ahead of gate 3.

When Land Rover BAR suffered a poor turn at the gate, Groupama Team France were perfectly placed to pounce, seizing on the mistake and taking the lead.

It was a moment that would prove pivotal and costly for Sir Ben Ainslie's team as they had no response in the remainder of the race.

With ith their new-found confidence, Groupama Team France, who kept up on their foils for 95% of the race, kept their cool, despite a slight nosedive at gate 5, and raced home to win with a 53 second advantage over the Brits.

There was high drama in race 14 as the duel between Artemis Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand proved the most exciting, and most contentious contest of the 35th America's Cup so far.

Having put themselves ahead at the start, the Swedish team were forced to drop two-boat lengths behind their rivals after being handed a penalty for crossing the start fractionally early. They managed to catch up with the Kiwis and then swapped the lead with them multiple times throughout the race, but at the final mark there was a dramatic penalty called against the Swedes for not leaving the Kiwis enough room. Artemis Racing continued towards the finish line, but had to take their penalty, allowing Emirates Team New Zealand to take the win at the line.

Outteridge, Iain Percy and their crew looked devastated at the end of the race and finished day three on two points, equal with Groupama Team France and SoftBank Team Japan. "We are still shocked by what happened," said Nathan Outteridge.

"As soon as I saw the light I knew what had happened and we were already at the line by the time the decision was made. We all thought we gave them enough room and I still stand by that opinion.

Race 13: Groupama Team France beat Land Rover BAR by 53 seconds
Race 14: Emirates Team New Zealand beat Artemis Racing by 13 seconds
Race 15: SoftBank Team Japan beat Groupama Team France by 2 minutes and 34 seconds

americascup.com

America's Cup - Umpires admit error in controversial win for Kiwis
The Chief Umpire for the America's Cup says that on review a wrong call was made to penalise the Swedish Challenger

America's Cup Race Management (ACRM), the independent organization that oversees the sporting and competitive rules of the America's Cup, has announced its perspective on the contentious penalty given to Artemis Racing in race 14 of the first Round Robin stage of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers.

In an interview Richard Slater, ACRM's Chief Umpire said, "When they were coming down to the final gate mark, with the information we had at the time, we had Artemis Racing on port, as the keep clear boat, and Emirates Team New Zealand on starboard, and our job is to be certain that Artemis Racing were keeping clear, and we weren't at that time certain they were keeping clear.

"We have had a discussion, we have looked at other evidence, information and data, and I think if we were to go back in time and make that call, we would green that call and not penalize Artemis."

Asked if that decision could be changed, Slater answered, "No, it is a field of play decision and the decision of the umpire stands."

Save the date - make sure your Fastnet flares are ready to go.
The date's creeping nearer! There are just 68 days left until the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Rolex Fastnet Race gets underway on Sunday 6th August at Cowes, bound for the famous Fastnet Rock. Your preparation will be under way and every one of the forty items on the RORC's check list is stocked by Ocean Safety so join the dozens of owners who have already contacted us to get hold of our Fastnet safety check list so don't delay and get yours now. Click here to request your FREE copy.

Amongst our lifejackets, liferafts, man overboard equipment, EPIRBs and personal AIS beacons that are required to meet Cat 2 offshore special Regulations and RORC prescriptions, is the seemingly simple flare. But do you know how to use red hand flares and orange smoke flares required for the race in the heat of the moment and when it's dark, and what it will do once it's active. You also need to make sure your flare pack is in date - check the stamped expiry date.

Contact www.oceansafety.com to find your nearest branch. We're here to advise you on how to keep your flares dry and stored.

'Eala Of Rhu' Is Silvers Marine Scottish Series Champion
Photo by Marc Turner / CCC. Click on image to enlarge.

Congratulations to Jamie McGarry and Colin Moore and the crew of 'Eala of Rhu' who not only won class one, but also the coveted Scottish Series Trophy and the Scottish IRC Championship. Having been a very close contender in past years and missing out on count back, it is fitting that this year in a hotly contested class after finishing on equal points with the well sailed Irish boat 'Forty Licks', McGarry counted four firsts to three for 'Forty Licks' winning 'Eala of Rhu' the class.

Other prize winners were:

- Harris Cartwright of 'Golden Fox' who takes home the Crawford McInnes Trophy for Best Under 25 Helm, sponsored by Hempel Paints.

- Hempel Paints Youth Prizes were shared between the crews of 'Golden Fox' and 'Warrior'

- Rose Bowl awarded to the yacht which in the opinion of the Race Committee has given the best performance in the IRC handicap classes in the Series - 'Lambay Rules', Stephen Quinn

- The Tarbert Shield awarded to the yacht which, in the opinion of the Race Committee has given the best performance in the CYCA handicap classes in the Series - 'Enigma', Howard Morrison

- The Anchor Hotel Trophy awarded to the yacht which, in the opinion of the Race Committee has given the best performance of all competitors in the One Design classes in the Series: 'Mayrise', James Miller

- The Lemarac Tankard awarded to the yacht which, in the opinion of the Race Committee has given the best performance of all competitors in the Restricted Sail classes in the Series - 'Argento', Ken Andrew

- The Sinbad Trophy awarded to the best family yacht, regardless of class or results, as judged by representatives of the organising committee - 'Lyrebird', Clive Reeves

- The Causeway Cup awarded to the entry from Ireland which in the opinion of the Race Committee gives the best performance of the IRC classes in the Series (other than the winner of the Sail Scotland Trophy and the Silvers Marine Scottish Series Trophy, if appropriate) - Lambay Rules, Stephen Quinn

- The Silvers Marine Scottish Series Trophy awarded to the yacht which, in the opinion of the Race Committee has given the best performance of all competitors in the Series - 'Eala of Rhu', Jamie McGarry and Colin Moore

For full results go to: https://www.clyde.org/scottish-series/racing/results/

Delapierre Takes It To The Wire At Croatia Match Cup
Porec, Croatia: The French team surprised early in the qualifying round by topping the leaderboard on day one. With incredible boat handling throughout the regatta this team have taken the M32 in their stride with impressive form. Even with today's unpredictable and fluctuating wind conditions Team Lorina-Golfe du Morbihan kept calm to take victories through to the end.

With Quentin Delapierre's French team and PJ Postma's Dutch making top two finishes they secured themselves an invitation to WMRT Match Cup America. Now with nothing to lose and everything to gain the gloves came off for a first-to-two-point final. Delapierre definitely took the 'nothing to lose' element seriously as he flew into a huge luff just before the gun. Umpires deemed Postma's reaction to be too slow as he took a collision and received a penalty in the process. Delapierre lead the race from this point on.

The Dutch team fast shook off the loss and came back with an aggressive prestart themselves, forcing the French over the start line early. From this advantage Sailing Team NL just continued to lead the full length of the course.

In the final match the pressure had grown and an even start took the boats side-by-side to the reach mark. The boats split at the leeward gate. Left alone on the left side of the course, Delapierre and crew just extended out ahead and held their advantage through to the finish to take the race and win the Croatia Match Cup.

Both teams will be serious contenders when they arrive in America for the Championship level event. WMRT Match Cup America starts August 30.

www.wmrt.com

OSTAR and TWOSTAR Start
The 2017 OSTAR and TWOSTAR races started at 1300 Monday after a one hour delay caused when earlier large ship movements were delayed by fog.

The tracker chart appears to be stuck at the start, with no reports since then. We are working with YellowBrick to correct the problem.

Meanwhile the boats are still within ATS range and can be seen on AIS reports such as MarineTraffic.

As the competitors approach the Lizard the tracker reporting rate will drop back to once per hour.

However with the latest positions it appears that the fleet will be merging again at the Lizard.

The Jester class has done well by continuing on past the Eddystone while the others flirted with the Cornwall coast. Kass Schmitt's intermediate route has given her class lead.

The TWOSTAR competitors are all doing well with Rote 66 in the lead and the 28ft Hikari following along.

rwyc.org/ostar/
www.facebook.com/ostartwostar17/

A Shrine to sailing speed - Mariner's Park and Museum
(Even more) America's Cup speed on show at The Mariners' Museum and Park

Team Oracle have agreed to donate their 34th America's Cup-winning 72ft catamaran USA-17 to The Mariners' Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia. After months of careful planning, the massive carbon fibre craft is now on display in the main exhibition hall. Raised up to tower over visitors, this new central feature provides a visually powerful symbol of how far sailing took technology-driven innovation in pursuit of one of the oldest trophies in the sporting world. And that was nearly four years ago!

Not surprisingly, many readers of Seahorse will not have heard of, nor visited, The Mariners' Museum and Park, yet it is one of the largest maritime museums in the world, with nearly 10,000m2 of exhibition galleries and 32,000 objects in its collection. The Mariners' Museum Library and Archives are home to over 78,000 books, 800,000 photographs, films and negatives, and over one million pieces of archival material, making it the largest maritime library in the western hemisphere.

Oracle's 2013 America's Cup defender USA-17 is not the easiest of exhibits to fit in a museum but the Mariners' Museum in the legendary naval port of Newport News is not your average exhibition space. That said, USA-17 is not being displayed with her giant wing aloft and in situ... that really would have been too big an ask for any inside space - outside perhaps of the similarly legendary rocket assembly building at Cape Canaveral! But maybe when that building is finally retired it too can be moved to the Mariners' Museum to accommodate the flood of similarly 'tall' wing rig race boats that we can expect to see launched during the next few years. Just thinking ahead, folks...

Situated in the beautiful tidewater country of the lower Chesapeake Bay in Newport News, Virginia, its location is not in one of the usual centres of performance sailing in the US. Yet the latest addition to their collection may now inspire a new wave of visitors to put the museum and park on their itinerary.

www.seahorsemagazine.com

ACO 8th MUSTO Skiff World Championship
It is not normally like this here' ... a phrase frequently uttered at a World Championships and so it has proven on day one here at Club Nautic S'Arenal.

The fleet assembled for a skipper's briefing where the international jury chairman Andres Manuel Perez Alvarez (ESP) assisted the fleet through a helpful briefing and subsequent questions; then the postponement flag was hoisted as the race team waited for the wind to settle.

At the first attempt an over eager fleet jumped the gun causing a general recall

At the finish it was Jamie Hilton (GBR) who had pulled through to take the win from Frithjof Schwerdt (GER) and Dave Poston (GBR).

Race 2 was quickly away at 16:19 and again the fleet were evenly spread down the line with no one side of the course obviously favoured. At the windward mark former World Champion, Bruce Keen (GBR), lead from Jamie Hilton (GBR) and Richie Robertson (AUS).

Frithjof Schwerdt (GER) found top gear on the second lap and pulled through the fleet impressively to just win from Bruce Keen (GBR) and Richie Robertson (AUS).

The wind had softened for the 3rd race which started at 17:43. At the finish it was Hilton who took the win, his second of the day, from Ben Schooling (GBR) with Justo Martinez (ESP) third.

A long day for the fleet but 3 good races have been held on the first day of a 14 race programme in conditions that were challenging for all competitors.

There are 5 different nations in the top 10 representing the true international flavour of the fleet.

Full results www.2017mustoskiffworlds.com

European Match Race Tour
Impressive home victory lifts Patryk Zbroja in top 3 at European Tour

Polish skipper Patryk Zbroja sealed his second victory at an European Match Race Tour event with a clean sheet over World #7 Oli-Pekka Lumijarvi. Rafal Sawik finished on home waters on the podium while compatriot Szymon Szymik finished on fourth place at the Grade 2 event held at Polands Baltic town of Szczecin.

Outstanding racing conditions welcomed the nine teams for the fifth event of the European Match Race Tour 2017. Organized by the Polish Match Tour, World Sailing added even more expertise by joining the traditional event with an International Umpire's Seminar.

Zbroja, who already won the Vienna City Match Race in April, showed consistency and perfect team work on the way to his second victory this year. With a clear 3-0 over Finland's Lumijarvi, Zbroja lifts himself into top contender position for the yellow jersey at Copenhagen, where he will meet the leader of the 2017 Tour, the Frenchman Simon Bertheau.

Bertheau is still on top of the leader board with a maximum score of 150 points ahead of Slovenia's Dejan Presen (110 points) and Polish skipper Patryk Zbroja (100 points). The European Match Race tour will now reach its northern summit at Copenhagen in June before heading to Germany's Ploen in August. The top eight skippers will qualify for the Grand Final which will take place in Ravenna from 8 - 10 September 2017.

Final Results
1. Patryk Zbroja - POL
2. Olli-Pekka Lumijarvi - FIN
3. Rafal Sawik - POL
4. Szymon Szymik - POL
5. Kim Kling - SWE
6. Toby Austin-Fraser - NZL
7. Szymon Jablowski - POL
8. Afonso Falcao Leite - POR
9. Piotr Harasimowics - POL

European Match Race Tour 2017
Tour Stop 1 - 10-12 February - Sibenik, CRO
Tour Stop 2 - 17-19 March - Tivat, MNE
Tour Stop 3 - 31 March - 2 April - Vienna, AUT
Tour Stop 4 - 7-9 April - Monaco, MON
Tour Stop 5 - 25-27 May - Szczecin, POL
Tour Stop 6 - 15-17 June - Copenhagen, DEN
Tour Stop 7 - 25 - 27 August - Ploen, GER
Grand Final 2017 - 8 - 10 September - Ravenna, ITA

europeanmatchracetour.wordpress.com

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The Last Word
You measure a democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists. -- Abbie Hoffman

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

Better Day for Sir Ben and Land Rover BAR
Sir Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR arrested the run of losses the British team suffered in the first Round Robin stage of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers, kicking off round two with a second win of the competition, again beating Artemis Racing who had a tough day in Bermuda.

There was to be no redemption for the Swedish team from their Round Robin 1 loss to Emirates Team New Zealand at the start of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers Round Robin 2 stage, falling to a second defeat in as many days to the Kiwis.

Todaysaw Emirates Team New Zealand secure their fifth victory out of six races in the qualifying stages, equalling ORACLE TEAM USA's points tally in the standings ahead of the American team's race against Groupama Team France in race 2, albeit briefly.

Artemis Racing helmsman Nathan Outteridge was left to rue poor decisions in their defeat to New Zealand, on a day which also saw them suffer a second successive defeat to Land Rover BAR.

Ultimately, the Kiwis were not level at the top of the standings for long as Jimmy Spithill's ORACLE TEAM USA restored their point advantage with a comfortable and impressive victory over Franck Cammas' team.

Land Rover BAR secured a much-needed victory in the final race of the afternoon (race 3) as they overcame Artemis Racing with a 30 second advantage at the finish line.

Results
RR2, Race 1: Emirates Team New Zealand beat Artemis Racing by 1 minute and 31 seconds
RR2, Race 2: ORACLE TEAM USA beat Groupama Team France by 1 minute and 56 seconds
RR2, Race 3: Land Rover BAR beat Artemis Racing by 30 secondsamericascup.com

americascup.com

19 Countries Represented in ORC Worlds Trieste 2017
Trieste, Italy: The ORC Worlds Trieste 2017 Organizing Committee has finalized the entry list for the ORC World Championships taking place in Porto San Rocco-Muggia from 30 June to 8 July 2017

At one month before the start of the competition to determine this year's ORC World Champions, the names of the teams admitted to the regatta were officially selected and announced using assessment criteria drafted specifically by the Organizing Committee in agreement with the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC). The criteria used for entry was devised to ensure the highest quality of competition and greatest geographic diversity within the available space limitations of the event.

The limit of 55 boats was reached in both Class B and Class C, while Class A has a strong turnout of 17 participants. By application boats may still be admitted to Class A, but teams not admitted to Classes B and C were added to a waiting list that will be used to replace any teams who do not confirm their participation prior to the start of racing.

The ORC Worlds 2017 is being held in the Upper Adriatic and the Gulf of Trieste for the first time, and while restricting the number of participants, the event has still managed to attract a broad range of entries from 19 countries. These include: Great Britain, Greece, Russia, Germany, Ukraine, Finland, Turkey, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Spain, Estonia, Czech Republic, Malta, Croatia, Cyprus, Austria, Slovenia and Italy. There are 6 nations competing in Class A, 10 in Class B and 12 in Class C. Italy has a strong presence in all three categories.

More than 1500 athletes will stay at Porto San Rocco during the event with two simultaneous regatta course areas planned by the Regatta Committee to guarantee the best racing for the most anticipated sailing event of the year.

The Organizing Authority of ORC Worlds Trieste 2017 is led by Yacht Club Porto San Rocco and Offshore Racing Council along with Yacht Club Adriaco, Triestina della Vela, Circolo della Vela Muggia, Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, TPK Circolo Nautico Triestino Sirena and Yachting Club Portoroz, Slovenia.

The event is sponsored by Mureadritta, Ingemar, Porto San Rocco Marina Resort and Hotel Porto San Rocco.

www.orcworlds2017.com

Sail Wanted
USED 2nd hand (or 3rd hand even) 1.5 oz assymetric to suit Oyster 625.

Our I is 26.1 metres and our J is 7.4 metres so anything even a bit shorter would be considered.

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RORC Myth of Malham Race: Epic win for INO XXX
Cowes - Eddystone - Solent (256 Miles)

Powerful thunderstorms, driving rain and wind speeds ranging from thirty knots to complete shutdowns provided epic conditions for the 256-mile RORC Myth of Malham Race. James Neville's FAST40+ Ino XXX won the gruelling marathon, correcting out under IRC to take the overall win in the 140 boat fleet. Artur Skrzyszowski's Polish Reichel Pugh 48 Selma Racing was second and Windward Sailing's CM 60 Venomous, skippered by Derek Saunders was third.

The RORC fleet was a spectacular sight in the Solent, as they started a memorable race around the Eddystone Lighthouse and back around the Isle of Wight to the finish. George David's American Maxi Rambler 88 finished the course in just over 29 hours, however the smaller yachts endured over three days to complete the course.

Rambler 88 returned to RORC racing in IRC Zero, to take line honours in the Myth of Malham Race, nearly nine hours ahead of any competitor and take pole position in IRC Zero for the season. However, Venomous was the winner of IRC Zero for the Myth of Malham Race, much to the delight of skipper, Derek Saunders

The closest contest in the 140 boat fleet was played out in IRC Three, Rob Craigie's Sunfast 3600 Bellino, racing Two Handed with co-skipper Deb Fish, was the winner by less than nine minutes after IRC time correction from Delamare & Mordret's JPK 1080 Dream Pearls. Ed Fishwick's Sunfast 3600 Redshift Reloaded, also racing Two Handed, was third. The class win lifts Bellino to the top of the overall rankings for the RORC Season's Points Championship, by just 0.6 of a point from Foggy Dew.

After an epic Myth of Malham Race, the 2017 RORC Season's Points Championship, hardly pauses for breath, with the 181-mile North Sea Race starting today, Tuesday 30 May, from Harwich bound for Scheveningen, Holland.

Full results: www.rorc.org/racing/race-results/2017-results

International Moth UK Nationals
Dylan Fletcher did what he had to do on the final day to capture his first UK International Moth Nationals title. Three races were held, meaning the full 12 race series was completed by the host club in what has been a tricky few days wind-wise.

The International Moth World Championship on Lake Garda is a big one for the fleet, with over 200 boats now entered

Dylan unfortunately can't make the Moth Worlds due to his commitments in the 49er, "I'm pretty disappointed not to be going, but it clashes with the 49er Europeans and it's not something we can take the risk on. It's really unfortunate as the boat is going well and it would be wicked fun to go out to Garda and race all the other guys, the quickest guys in the world, and see how we get on. Sadly the 49er is more important so we'll be back into gear for that."

Dylan has teamed up with fellow Moth sailor Stu Bithell in the 49er this year and has enjoyed an impressive start to the season.

Final top five:
1. Dylan Fletcher, 18 points
2. David Hive4y, 23
3. Dan Ward, 43
4. Dan Ellis, 52
5. Ross Harvey, 58

https://vimeo.com/219519206

Full results: paigntonsailingclub.co.uk

200 off Premier Kru Elite Racer Package from Ocean Safety for limited period
Ocean Safety are offering massive savings on the ultimate racing lifejacket, the Premier Kru Elite, packaged together with the rescueME MOB1 AIS personal recovery unit and the tiny yet powerful AQ40 lifejacket light. The fully integrated set is normally priced at £499 but now available for just £299 inc. VAT. Offer only available until 30th June so pick up a bargain before you head off on the Fastnet.

oceansafety.com

Stockholm International Team Race Regatta
The Stockholm International Team Race Regatta was sailed Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 26-28 May, in the middle of Stockholm between Djurgården and Stadsgården. There were six teams from the world's leading sailing clubs,,eight sailors in each team divided into two boats. The competition's format of competition was; three round robins (all teams met all the other teams), on Friday and Saturday, a total of 53 sailings in two days. Thereafter the finals on Sunday.

It was very intense, and exciting sailing, it was hard to understand that the boats did not crash into each other. The only reported damage was a small boarding between two boats and a close contact with mooring buoy.

Royal Thames Yacht Club won all of it´s 15 races in the Round Robin, unbeatable. Last year's winner Italian Yacht Club Costa Smeralda was second with nine wins out of 15.

The finals was sailed as; Semi final, Petit Final, Final and a match for fifth place.

The participants were enthusiastic about sailing racing in the middle of central Stockholm. Good weather conditions made it possible to run 56 races during three days under fair conditions. Stockholm also appeared from its best side with a brilliant summer weather.

New York Yacht Club's team leader, as well as the club's Commodore: "It could not be better, GSYS had organized another world-class competition".

Final Result
1. Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, ITA
2. New York Yacht Club, USA
3. Royal Thames Yacht Club, GBR
4. Royal Swedish Yacht Club, SWE
5. Gamla Stans Yacht Club, SWE
6. Royal Yacht Squadron, GBR

www.gsys.nu

Craig extends again at OK Dinghy Worlds in Barbados
Barbados delivered yet another challenging day of racing on the third day of the OK Dinghy World Championship in Carlisle Bay. Nick Craig, of Great Britain has built an eight lead after another solid day, while Jim Hunt moves up to second and New Zealand's Paul Rhodes climbs to third. Race wins went to Hunt and Craig.

Out on the race course the strong winds were favouring the left hand corner again, with the fleet heading into the beach to get the pressure into the top mark. The reaches were spectacular, and over all too quickly, with some huge rolling waves adding to the challenge to stay upright and in one piece until the gybe mark.

Barbados is certainly living up to its reputation for great hospitality, but there are only two more days for the sailors to enjoy the Caribbean lifestyle. Two more races are scheduled on Tuesday from 12.30. The 2017 OK Dinghy World Championship consists of 10 races and concludes on Wednesday 31 May. -- Robert Deaves

Results after six races
1. Nick Craig, GBR, 6
2. Jim Hunt, GBR, 14
3. Paul Rhodes, NZL, 25
4. Luke O'connell, NZL, 28
5. Roger Blasse, AUS, 34

Full results:
2017.okworlds.org

J/70 European Championship
Sat 3rd - Fri 9th June 2017

The 2017 J/70 European Championship will be held in Great Britain for the very first time. Since the J/70 was introduced in 2012, over 1300 J/70s have now been launched, making the exciting one design sports boat the fastest growing sailing class in the world.

About 50 teams are expected for the J/70 Open European Championship, from eleven different countries; France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and the United States. Principle Race Officer, Stuart Childerley, is scheduling 11 races, and in early June, medium gradient breeze of about 12 knots is likely, and possibly enhanced by sea breeze later in the day, to provide high octane surfing conditions.

The full podium from the 2016 J/70 European Championship will be competing; reigning European Champion, Italy's Claudia Rossi, last year's runner up from Monaco, Stefano Roberti, and third place, Spain's Gonzalo Araujo. From the United States, Peter Duncan's victorious team from the 2017 Bacardi Cup, which was also third in this year's North American Championship, will also be competing.

The 2017 J/70 European Championship is organised by Key Yachting, exclusive agent for J Boats in the UK and Ireland, and hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club.

The championship is proudly sponsored by Alfa Romeo.

royal-southern.co.uk

For The Record
The WSSR Council announces the establishment of a new World Record:

Record: Los Angeles to Honolulu. Transpacific record.
Yacht: Phaedo 3. MOD 70
Name: Lloyd Thornburg USA and 6 crew
Dates:.12th to the 16th May 2017.
Start time: 21;40;15 UTC on 12/05/17
Finish time: 14;32;18 UTC on16/05/17
Elapsed time: 3 days 16 hours 52 minutes and 3 seconds
Distance: 2217 NM
Average speed: 24.95 kts

Comments:
Previous record: "Lending Club 2" Laplache/Breymaier. USA. Jul 15. 3d 18h 9s.

John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council
sailspeedrecords.com

* From Roland Whitehead

We are currently flying flags at half-mast in the UK in mourning for the appalling deaths from the Manchester bombing. I was asked what the history of half-mast flag flying is so checked http://www.metafilter.com/110232/History-of-HalfMast. In there I found this lovely quote:

"It was the habit, after the restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, for ships of the Royal Navy to fly their flags at half-mast on the anniversary of the execution of King Charles I on 30th January 1649, and it is from this custom that, so far as we can trace, the present practice of announcing a death by the flying of a flag at half-mast has evolved. The earlier practice at sea was to fly a black flag or to set a black sail.

We know that the hoisting of black sails was a sign of mourning from the very earliest times. The black sail was superseded by the black flag, probably because it was a nuisance to have to carry black sails for use only on rare occasions. It was probably the position, rather than the colour, that caught the attention, particularly at a distance."

Is the prevalence of so much black on the wings in Bermuda and the black sails in so many of the more expensive racing yachts trying to tell us something?

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The Last Word
What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. -- Emerson

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

Low Winds Delay America's Cup Qualifying Races
Mother Nature has proved she is the only force that can beat the collective might of the America's Cup teams.

An announcement today by the America's Cup Event Authority (ACEA) and America's Cup Race Management (ACRM) confirmed that the four scheduled Round Robin 2 Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers races planned for Wednesday, May 31st, have had to be postponed until Thursday, June 1st, due to winds below the minimum six knot limit America's Cup Class (ACC) boats can compete in.

Speaking about the decision, Iain Murray, America's Cup Race Management Regatta Director, said, "It is obviously not ideal that we have to postpone races, but that is precisely why we have spare race days in the schedule.

"Mother Nature is fickle, it is as simple as that, and since time immemorial sailors have had to contend with light and strong winds.

"After four fabulous days of perfect conditions, today was our turn to deal with the light winds, I am, though, confident we will be back racing tomorrow."

americascup.com

Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
Last month's winner:

Conrad Colman (NZL)
'Conrad is the craziest god!' - Reka Szilagyi; 'Outstanding!' - Paul O'Riain; 'Respect' - Ariane Griffoni; 'He spoke to our school and inspired them all' - Grant Crawford; 'Legend, exactly why we love the Vendee Globe' - Alex Mills; 'A Vendee without fossil fuel, I'll be having some of that' - Randy Vogel; 'Fighting the ultimate cause for green oceans' - Andrew Bellamy; 'Awesome job, tackling every setback with good grace' - Elsa Pomar; 'Amazing, zero budget but still sets out to prove a point with zero emissions' - Craig Smith.

This month's nominees:

Guillaume Verdier (FRA)
Meteoric is the only way to describe the career trajectory of this brilliant - and still annoyingly youthful - designer! Verdier became involved with the Imoca 60 fleet ahead of the 2012/13 Vendee Globe; working alongside multihull experts VPLP the two teams identified a new Imoca concept and their designs dominated the race. For 2016 every new Imoca 60 was built to their designs. Now there is a new Ultim: Verdier's biggest 'solo' project

Peter Craig (USA)
It looks increasingly likely that there will be no Key West Race Week in 2018 although there is a good chance that the event will reappear in the not too distant future but in a different guise. However, a great deal of the success and entry demand this great event enjoyed in its heyday is down to Craig and his team at Premier Racing who ran faultless regattas year in year out. Craig himself is in constant demand running premier regattas around the world. No surprise

Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Henri Lloyd, Harken McLube & Dubarry. Who needs silverware, our prizes are usable!

Cast your vote, submit comments, even suggest a candidate for next month at seahorsemagazine.com/sailor-of-the-month/vote-for-sailor-of-the-month

To subscribe to Seahorse Digital £30 for one year with discount promo code SB2 click www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/digital

Van Isle 360 Yacht Race
With 32 boats accepted, the Van isle 360 Yacht Race is shaping up to be another exciting race around the rock. Beginning and finishing in Nanaimo British Columbia, the race circumnavigates Vancouver Island counter clockwise in a series of 9 legs over a 14 day period.

The skippers and crews are immersed in some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet every day. Encounters with wildlife, Orca's, Bald Eagles, Humpback Whales or Seal Lions are part of the expectation on each leg. The race celebrates the 11th circumnavigation this year and the big change for the race is the move away from PHRF to ORC ratings and scoring, and the use of ORC Scorer software instead of Sailwave.

Since 2011, the last year that the entire Van Isle fleet raced PHRF NW, the Van Isle fleets have been searching for alternatives. About 4 months before the start of the 2013 race, the Van Isle Organizing Authority received a call from representatives of the "Big Boat Fleet" in the Pacific North West indicating that they would like to try something different than PHRF NW for the 2013 race.

The Van Isle Organizing Authority is open to scoring a division by any scoring method, provided there is consensus amongst the skippers for the scoring method. The scoring system chosen for 2013 & 2015 for the Big Boat fleet was IRC by consensus of the skippers.

After enduring years of criticism for not using PHRF BC (since we are a Canadian race) and using PHRF NW (because it is/was the most popular on Vancouver Island, and it is used by our neighbours to the south), it became apparent that a search for a solution that would work for all competitors, the sport, and not just the Big Boat Fleet was indeed a desired outcome. In 2015, a decision was made to try out ORC alongside PHRF NW to see if it made a noticeable positive influence with the skippers. It seemed to do just that.

The race has many challenges with course direction and wind speed. The inside legs are mostly (should be) upwind legs with the prevailing winds being from the North West, and the outside legs are downwind (2011 a notable exception). Leg 6, from Port Hardy to Winter Harbour is a long (69.1 nautical mile) U shaped course with upwind, reaching and running over a 10-24 hour period. Wind conditions and current can vary massively during this period, and with a fleet ranging from a TP52 to a Laser 28, one can be certain of sailing in different conditions at the front, middle and rear of the fleet.

Unlike PHRF with a single time correction factor, ORC rating certificates provide a matrix of time correction factors for a boat based on the predicted performance in various wind conditions and wind angles sailed. This matrix provides the basis for Performance Curve Scoring which is at the heart of the ORC scoring software. Implied wind speed can be calculated separately for each division which is a huge improvement over past scoring methods.

We look forward to providing updates from the race course beginning on June 10th in Nanaimo. For further information on ORC please visit www.orc-canada.org and for the Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race please visit www.vanisle360.com

ACO 8th MUSTO Skiff World Championship
Normal service has resumed!

The fleet arrived at Club Nautic S'Arenal to clear sunny skies and 25 degrees on the Bay of Palma and the beginning of a sea breeze pushing back the clouds over the land.

Race 4 was away first time a couple of minutes after the official start time of 13:00 in 10-12knots of westerly sea breeze, with the fleet splitting with some competitors choosing left towards the shore, others heading out right towards Palma and the remainder working the shifts up the middle of the course.

Race 5 got away on the 2nd attempt under a U flag following a general recall with Schwerdt showing consistency today rounding the windward mark in the lead, very closely followed by a group including Tim Hill, who was also having an impressive day, Schooling, Jono Shelley (GBR 526), Julian Ramm (GER 308) and local sailor Justo Martinez (ESP 560). The majority of the fleet chose to bear away set and head inshore towards S'Arenal and this was to become a feature of todays racing.

Schwerdt continued to lead on lap 2 from Hill, Schooling, Ramm and Ahlmann and these boats led the fleet home with Schwerdt taking the win from Hill, Schooling, Ahlmann and Ramm.

Class Chairman, Iver Ahlmann pulled off a pretty spectacular start to race 6 and led the fleet up the course in a breeze that had now dropped to 7-8knots with Hill and Keen in hot pursuit and young Swiss sailor Alex Greil (SUI 306) joining the group along with Kilsby, Schooling and Sergio Arroyo (ESP). Ahlmann had no intention of being caught controlling the race on lap 2 by sailing towards the left of the beat and taking advantage of any shifts to take the win from Hill, Keen, Greil, Schooling and Kilsby.

The first discard has now come in with Germany's Frithjof Schwerdt leading the table the class are off to their gala dinner tonight and looking forward to more spectacular weather tomorrow.

Top five
1. Frithjof Schwerdt, GER, 13 points
2. Bruce Keen, GBR, 25
3. Ben Schooling, GBR, 27
4. Tim Hill, AUS, 36
5. Dan KILSBY, GBR, 38

Full results
www.2017mustoskiffworlds.com

Med40 Series
The first event of a new sailing circuit - the Med40 Series - that promises to open up high-performance planing boats to a wider audience, will kick off at the Sail Racing PalmaVela in May 2018.

Founded by the yachting entrepreneur, Siggi Mansaker and the cutting-edge yacht designer, Shaun Carkeek, the Med40 Series, will follow the Fast40+ class rule. Boats of both new and old design will be allowed to enter, however, new boats should be built according to the rule. Initially, the series will accommodate a wide rating band at the lower end.

For the organisers, this Series is a natural evolution. Carkeek has been designing successfully for every high-performance circuit on the globe, right up to the America's Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race, for over two decades. He introduced this high-performance concept in the USA after discussion with clients at the New York Yacht Club eight years ago.

The high-performance Fast40+ has been highly successful in the UK in the Solent after its debut in 2016 and the Med40 Series will bring that drama to the Med in 2018.

The first Med40 Series has four rounds scheduled during the summer of 2018 with an autumn series planned for October to December.

Season 2018 - Palma de Mallorca
Round 1 Sail Racing Palma Vela, May
Round 2 MED40 Series, June
Round 3 MED 40 Series, July
Round 4 Copa Del Rey, August
Autumn Series: October to December

www.med40series.com

Dragon Trailer Needed
Don Street, who wrote his first article Going South Yachting sept 1964 at 86 is probably the oldest yachting writer in the world that is still writing and sailing. He races Gypsy, an Anker and Jensen dragon built 1933,the oldest dragon in the world still racing hard.She 80 starts in the 2016 season.

His ambition is to, at 89 race the 86 year old Gypsy in the dragon 90th birthday bash in Cannes in mid September 2019. This will only be possible if he can find a good dragon road trailer, plain and simple, nothing fancy, capable of making the trip, Glandore Ireland to Cannes and back.

Reply streetiolaire@hotmail.com

Spinlock's Lifejacket: A winning edge?
Top British lifejacket designers Spinlock have created the world's most technologically advanced lifejacket in a bid to give Sir Ben Ainslie's America's Cup team, Land Rover BAR, the winning edge at the 35th America's Cup, whilst also ensuring their safety as they fight to bring the Cup home.

As official technical suppliers to Land Rover BAR, Spinlock have been developing the T2 Jacket with the Land Rover BAR team since 2014. Following wind tunnel testing and innovative safety features, designed with high-agility athletic crew work in mind, the T2 has been engineered for minimum drag and optimum maneuverability with a primary aim of keeping the sailors safe should they end up in the water. It is made from state-of-the-art motorcycle-grade material that acts as shock absorbing body armour to protect the crew in the event of a capsize or crash. Plus, it comes with an emergency air cylinder and a knife cleverly built in so sailors could survive for longer if trapped under a capsized boat. Crucially, it has been designed to allow a sailor to remove it within five seconds should they become caught.

Full article: scuttlebutteurope.com/articles/a-winning-edge

Nick Craig secures record fifth OK Dinghy world crown
The Barbados wind beats to the same rhythm of the boom-box buses that rumble past the Barbados Yacht Club each day. It starts, it stops, it turns around, all the time going in no particular direction. You pick it up and take it one way only to find it is taking you in the wrong direction. It pulsates like the booming bass beat. It is hot and humid.

For the majority of sailors at the 2017 OK Dinghy World Championships in Barbados, it has been hard to make sense of the wind, but one person has shown an uncanny ability to be in the right place every time, and sail his boat faster than anyone else.

Discarding a third place in the 79-boat fleet Nick Craig, from Britain, dominated the series for perhaps his most convincing win ever. This is his fifth OK Dinghy world crown and perhaps the sweetest yet as he becomes the first person in the 60 year history of the class to win five world titles.

The defending champion, Jim Hunt, sailed an impressive series as well, never below fifth, and put together a scoreline that in most years would have easily won him the title. Third place Luke O'Connell, from New Zealand, led a strong Kiwi challenge with five boats inside the top ten.

Only one race was possible on the final day in perhaps the most capricious wind of the week.

Final top ten
1. Nick Craig, GBR, 10 points
2. Jim Hunt, GBR, 22
3. Luke O'connell, NZL, 42
4. Steve Mcdowell, NZL, 53
5. Paul Rhodes, NZL, 55
6. Roger Blasse, AUS, 56
7. Mark Perrow, NZL, 64
8. Chris Turner, GBR, 65
9. Greg Wilcox, NZL, 78
10. Jorgen Svendsen, DEN, 96

Full results
2017.okworlds.org

Match Race Germany
Langenargen / Lake Constance (Match Center Germany / Match Race Germany), 25 May 2017. One day before the start of the 20th anniversary edition of Match Race Germany on Lake Constance, the twelve teams from ten countries completed their free training on Wednesday. For six helmsmen and their crews it's been a Swabian premiere.

Despite a long matchracing break, multiple World Champion and pro sailor Markus Wieser of the German Touring Yacht Club in Bavaria hasn't forgotten what had him move up to the Top Ten a couple of years ago.. The 53-year-old was the only German winner of Match Race Germany back in 2001. Wieser had been tempted by the anniversary edition to celebrate his comeback at Match Race Germany.

Phil Robertson is the current Matchrace World Champion and won Match Race Germany back in 2012. However, the New Zealander is not on the helm himself at the German Grand Prix. Robertson will support the Finnish team of skipper Olli-Pekka Lumijarvi as tactician. Under Swiss flag, Eric Monnin's experienced Albert Riele Swiss Team is taking part representing the Stafa Sailing Club. The Swiss had reached their best result in Match Race Germany in 2015 when they came second.

The wind and weather forecast promised high temperatures and light winds for Thursday's (June 1) first race

The teams:

Markus Wieser / Team 220 + / Germany
Max Gurgel / Vmax Racing / Germany
Max Trippolt / Trippolt Sailing Team / Austria
Kim Kling / Caprice Match Racing Team / Sweden
Eric Monnin / Albert Riele Swiss Team / Switzerland
Andrei Nikolaev / Team Sportceh / Russia
Olli-Pekka Lumijarvi / Team Lumijarvi / Finland
Dejan Presen / Lumba Match Race Team / Slovenia
Maxime Mesnil / Elite Teammatchrace / France
Lukasz Wosinski / Delphia Sailing Team / Poland
Mati Sepp / Estonian Sailing Team / Estonia
Simon Berthau / Apcc Equipe Jeune / France

www.matchrace.de

Featured Brokerage
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2002 Farr 52 FURTIF2. 180000 EUR. Located in Toulon, South of France.

She was built in 2002, refitted in 2008 in New Zeeland by the current owner and brought to France in 2012. She has been optimized for the IRC racing. 2016 Rating : TCC = 1.288. Well maintained and ready to go.

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2012 SEATEC Multi 50. 110000 EUR. Located in La Rochelle, France.

TRIBULATIONS was designed by Nigel Irens and built with the same mould as Fujicolor (Mike Birch) and Fleury Michon IX (Philippe Poupon). Named Laiterie du Mont Saint Michel in 1987 and skippered by Olivier Moussy, she was then taken over by Olivier Kersauzon as the Esso Super Plus.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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The Last Word
Boy the idea of CHAOS is a scary proposition to some people. It IS a scary proposition. And they will believe some ridiculous things to avoid the idea of having to deal with chaos. I say BRING IT ON. -- George Hrab

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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Tension Mounts
The Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers burst back into action on the first day of June with all the America's Cup teams, bar Artemis Racing, in action on the Great Sound.

Catching up with the previous day's race schedule, postponed due to light winds, in the first race of the afternoon (Round Robin 2, Race 4), SoftBank Team Japan gained a much needed victory as they overcame fellow strugglers Groupama Team France.

With the light winds in mind, America's Cup Race Management (ACRM) took the decision to shorten the racecourse which meant that a victory for the Japanese team, rarely looking in doubt, was confirmed sooner than perhaps expected, as they crossed the revised finish line over five minutes ahead of Groupama Team France.

Having taken a welcome win over Artemis Racing on Tuesday, the British team were unable to build on the momentum of what had been only their second victory in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers. They were overtaken by their rivals in the lead to mark 1 and, from that point, were unable to close the gap to the Kiwis.

Things went from bad to worse for the Brits and, while jibing on leg two, they came off of their foils, touching down into the water and from that point there was to be no comeback.

In contrast, Emirates Team New Zealand were problem-free, sailing off into the distance with their lead reaching a massive six minutes and 25 seconds on the fourth leg, a full lap ahead of their British opponents.

With Land Rover BAR still out on the racecourse, Emirates Team New Zealand crossed the finish line, leaving Sir Ben Ainslie to concede defeat over the radio to the umpires, confirming that his team were retiring from the race. In the post-race press conference, Sir Ben said that, to the best of his knowledge, that was the very first time he had retired from a race of his own volition.

ORACLE TEAM USA once again showed their pedigree in race 6, as they denied SoftBank Team Japan a second win on the day, beating the Japanese team by 32 seconds.

The final race of the day, race 7, proved the closest encounter with Land Rover BAR claiming a very slender victory over Groupama Team France.

While Land Rover BAR have secured their progression through to the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Play-Off Semi-Finals, Groupama Team France in contrast, remain precariously on a knife edge, needing to win both of their remaining Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifier races to stand a chance of progression.

americascup.com

Eric Monnin's Albert Riele Swiss Team draws first blood
Langenargen / Bodensee Germany: The 20th Jubilee Edition of Match Race Germany is officially opened. Twelve teams from ten countries lined up for the opening duels. It was Eric Monnins Albert Riele Swiss Team which draw first blood by winning all three of their matches on Thursday.

The German 220+ crew of Markus Wieser (Deutscher Touring Yacht Club) and Max Gurgel's Vmax Racing (Hamburger Segel-Club) each won one race. Wieser`s Bavaria-Express defeated Dejan Presen's Slovenian Lumba Match Race Team, which suffered from an early start and had to dip the line again. But Wieser also lost two duels to Mati Sepp's Estonian Sailing Team und Lukasz Wosinski's Polish Delphia Sailing Team and ended the day with a 1:2 score.

Wieser's long-term crew member Matti Paschen stated, "we are improving in our maneuvres, our starts are good, our speed is upgradeable. But the most important thing is: We are hugely enjoying sailing together again and have loads of fun." Matti Paschen was part of Wieser's crew when he won the 2001 edition 16 years ago. Wieser is the only German to ever win Germany's oldest and most famous matchrace regatta.

Just like Wieser's crew, Max Gurgel's Vmax Racing lost to the Estonians but surprisingly defeated the Finnish team of Olli-Pekka Lumijärvi which is powered by current World Champion and tactician Phil Robertson from New Zealand.

The qualification round of Match Race Germany will be continued on Friday and ends after 22 flights with a total of 66 matches, before the best teams move on to the next round. The German Match Race Grand Prix ends on Whit Monday which is reserved for the final and the official awards ceremony.

www.matchrace.de

Seahorse June 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Seahorse build table - Practical... and a thing of beauty
Orion Shuttleworth reminds us of a famous name in multihulls with a new design which we'd definitely be clearing out the shed for

Act 2 scene 1
Charles Caudrelier took a surprise podium in the last Volvo Ocean Race with Dongfeng (a surprise to some)

One of the (very) toughest jobs in yacht racing
Recognition for the men and women behind our best 'moving pictures'

A shrine to sailing speed
Newport News, Virginia seems a fitting new home for a rather special 'yacht'

Sailor of the Month
A little light controversy with today's marmalade

Special rates for Scuttlebutt Europe subscribers:
Seahorse Print or Digital Subscription Use Discount Promo Code SB2

1yr Print Sub: €77 - £48 - $71 / Rest of the World: £65 www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs/

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Discounts shown are valid on a one year subscription to Seahorse magazine.

Van Uden Youth Wins North Sea Race
Dutch Ker 46, Van Uden, winner of the 2017 North Sea Race (Team ROST). Click on image to enlarge.

Dutch Ker 46, Van Uden, skippered by Gerd-Jan Poortman, is the winner of the 2017 North Sea Race. Having won both IRC and ORC overall. Piet Vroon's Ker 53 took Line Honours for the 181 nautical mile race, and place third after time correction. Ker 46, Lady Mariposa, skippered by Daniel Hardy, crossed the line just 30 seconds in front of Van Uden but was second after time correction.

Van Uden Skipper Gerd-Jan Poortman has competed in the last four editions of the Volvo Ocean Race. Gerd-Jan was delighted with the result, secured by a young Dutch team, taking part in their first offshore race.

"We have a great new project running, the Royal Maas Yacht Club, Rotterdam wanted a sailing programme for young sailors coming out of dinghies, looking for the connection into keel boat offshore sailing. So we put a plan together with all of the Rotterdam yacht clubs to get a team together to race offshore. The project always starts with the boat and we were happy to have our sponsor, Van Uden, that has been involved in Dutch sailing for more than 12 years. Our Ker 46 was within the budget of the programme and a boat that is relatively easy to sail but hard to sail well, which is exactly what we were looking for.

To win the North Sea Race overall is quite hard to understand, to be honest. We have had the boat for three months and sailed together for ten days. This team has an average age of 22, and most of the guys only have experience in Cadets. They are awesome sailors but have no real offshore experience. It has been a really good race, we couldn't see Tonnerre but it was a match race with Lady Mariposa from start to finish, so it was a good competition.

The RORC Season's Points Championship continues on Friday 16 June with the 120-mile East Coast Race from Burnham to Ostende.

www.rorc.org

ClubSwan 50 American Debut Highlights 163rd Annual Regatta
Click on image to enlarge.

On Friday, June 9, as it has for nearly 30 years, the 163rd New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta presented by Rolex will kick off the Newport sailing season and serve as a debutante ball of sorts for one or more of the sport's newest boats.

This year, the focus will be on the latest offering from the esteemed Finnish boatyard, Nautor's Swan. The ClubSwan 50 is the most performance-oriented production yacht ever built by Swan. From the reverse bow to the wide and flat transom to the twin rudders, there is no doubt that the ClubSwan 50 is made to race.

Chartered for the Annual Regatta by New York Yacht Club member Jim Madden, the boat is owned by Nautor's Swan CEO Leonardo Ferragamo, also a member of the Club. Madden is a veteran Swan owner, having spent many days over the past few years sailing a Swan 42 and a Swan 601, both named Stark Raving Mad.

While one-design racing is usually the ultimate goal for any production raceboat, the initial proving ground is often racing under handicap. The ClubSwan 50, which is the first Swan designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian, a member of the New York Yacht Club, has sold well in Europe with nearly two dozen orders confirmed. But as this is the first boat in the United States, it's first test will come under IRC.

There it will face proven competition as the Annual Regatta presented by Rolex always draws in many of the top IRC boats in the Northeast. This year the entry list includes, among many others, the Mills 68 Prospector, which is fresh off a successful southern tour, a trio of TP52s, and racer/cruisers in the 35-foot range.

Upwards of 150 boats are expected to compete in the 163rd Annual Regatta presented by Rolex. The event will feature a race around Conanicut Island on Friday, June 9, and then two days of buoy racing for the IRC and one-design classes, and point-to-point racing for the multihulls and navigator classes.

The regatta was first run in 1845 on the Hudson River and dubbed a Trial of Speed. William Edgar's schooner Cygnet was the winner. With a few exceptions for wars and other extraordinary circumstances, the regatta has been run every year since and is the oldest annual sailing competition in North America. It has been held out of ;the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, R.I., since 1988.

All regatta information and key documents, including the Notice of Race, can be found here. nyyc.org/yachting/racing/163rd-annual-regatta

Uruguay to debut in the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race route
For the first time in the 21-year history of the Clipper Race, the biggest round-the-world ocean race, it is revealed today that Punta del Este, Uruguay, will feature as the South American Host Port for its 2017-18 edition.

After setting sail from Liverpool, UK, on Sunday 20 August, the twelve Clipper 2017-18 Race teams, crewed by amateur sailors with each yacht led by a professional skipper, will race 6,400 nautical miles through the Atlantic Ocean and arrive in Punta del Este, located on Uruguay's southern coast between 20 to 25 September.

Punta del Este is one of South America's most fashionable resorts, enjoying a prime location at the mouth of the River Plate and the Atlantic Ocean.

The city boasts a number of top beaches, fine restaurants and tourist attractions which draw local and international visitors to its shores and will use its Clipper Race exposure to position Punta del Este, and Uruguay more prominently as a must-visit tourist destination and sports capital.

The Clipper Race's matched fleet of twelve 70-foot ocean racing yachts will be hosted by the Yacht Club Punta del Este (YCPE), which sits on the popular peninsular of Punta del Este, when they arrive after completing its marathon north to south Atlantic crossing.

The YCPE holds synonymous values to the Clipper Race; it prides itself on its diversity, promotes and encourages people of all ages to learn to sail, and teaches the values of teamwork and fair play whilst encouraging self-improvement to its members.

The club, which is a bustling centre of yachting and social life, is established as a host port for a number of world-class yachting events including the Velux 5 Oceans.

www.clipperroundtheworld.com

Mirabaud Sailing Video Award
The Mirabaud Sailing Video Award is now officially launched. Professional filmmakers as well as sailors filming on-board during races can upload their videos whilst the public can watch them on: www.sailingvideoaward.com

The videos will be published on the event website upon reception, whilst the public will be asked to vote from September 1.

The winners of the Mirabaud Sailing Video Award will be celebrated during the Yacht Racing Forum (Aarhus, Denmark, November 27-28), in front of the sports' leading personalities, events, classes, yacht clubs and sponsors.

The main prize - the Mirabaud Sailing Video Award - will be determined by an international jury. The Prize of the Public will be awarded following votes from the public on Internet. The Special Jury Award will celebrate the sailors who produce the best on-board videos during races. The winners will share € 2'000 prize money.

www.sailingvideoaward.com

OCC Pursuit Rally to celebrate Peter Cafe Sport Centenary
Dartmouth, Devon, UK: In 2018, Peter Cafe Sport will celebrate its centenary, and to mark this occasion the Ocean Cruising Club is proposing to hold a Pursuit Rally to Horta. Since 1977 the Club has held frequent rallies and Pursuit Races to the Azores and the 2018 event will be similar in nature to those of the 1980s and 1990s except that this one will be a rally and not a race.

From the founding of the Club in 1954 OCC members crossing the North Atlantic have been calling at Horta in the Azores. In the very early days, Humphrey Barton and other founder members formed a close relationship with "Peter" Azevedo, son of the original owner and the proprietor of Peter Cafe Sport on the waterfront. Peter Cafe Sport became the Club's unofficial clubhouse in the mid-Atlantic, as well as "the place to call" for all transatlantic sailors. Peter Azevedo became OCC Port Officer in Horta and on his death was succeeded by his son Jose Henrique Azevedo.

Participants may start from anywhere, a minimum of 500 miles away, at any time, but the aim is to cross the finishing line as close as possible to 12 noon on 18 June 2018.

This will be a light-hearted and fun event, but a major one in the 2018 OCC calendar with many land based activities scheduled for the following six days, culminating in a formal dinner and prize-giving. Provision has been made for limited participation by members of other cruising clubs. Due to limited availability of space in the Horta marina, registration will be closed as soon as the maximum number of participants is reached.

A rally description is available from the organisers by email at: AzoresRally2018@oceancruisingclub.org

Participants will be required to register, and a registration form will be available from the rally organisers, by mid-June 2017. A small rally fee will be charged. -- John Franklin & Tony Brighton, Rally Organisers

* Long time Eurobutt readers may recall the Peter Cafe Sport was the first winner of the Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar award in 2009.

"If you sail to Horta and you don't visit Peter's, you have not actually been to Horta."

www.petercafesport.com

New Boat Museum opens soon and call for volunteers
Click on image to enlarge.

The new Classic Boat Museum at Medina Yard in Cowes, next to the Hammerhead Crane, is due to open later this summer and a special exhibition is being prepared now that work on the building is reaching completion. More information will be available soon on a new website to be launched in June.

Meanwhile, the Classic Boat Museum Gallery is still located at the Columbine building (the Union Jack shed!) in East Cowes, and is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10.00 - 16.00 and on Thursdays from 10.00 - 13.00.

The Gallery's collection has grown significantly since the Museum's inception 20 years ago and is really worth a visit if you are in Cowes or on the Island. Visitors are often astonished by the scope and variety of collections on display and the extensive library.

The Museum is currently seeking volunteers for both the Gallery in East Cowes and the new Boat Museum in Cowes. If you are interested in the history of boatbuilding, of yachting and of the Medina River's shipbuilding history, then the Classic Boat Museum is a great place to become involved with and to learn about the Island's rich maritime heritage. Did you know, that the oldest recorded boatbuilding site in the world is on the Island and is over 8,000 years old?

To find out more about the Classic Boat Museum and Gallery, or to become a volunteer, please get in touch with The Classic Boat Centre Trust by telephone on 01983 244101, by email to info@maritimeisle.org, or visit the website: classicboatmuseum.org

What's your worst nightmare at sea...?
Exposure Lights have released a daunting new video showing how easily things can go wrong, even in quiet conditions, and how your Smart Phone and OLAS App can help guide and reduce the stress in an MOB situation.

* From Malcolm McKeag:

When I were a lad... and that were a long time ago... racing my first proper yacht, a Royal North of Ireland YC Fairy class one-design, on Belfast Lough a delightful tradition obtained, by no means unique to the Fairy class but more-or-less universal among keelboat sailors, at least in Ireland, in those far-off days. After each race as the boats went back on their mooring each in turn hailed the winner: "Pixie [for example] ahoy. Hip-hooray; hip-hooray; hip-hooray." And the winner in her turn hailed each yacht in reply: "Titania [for example] ahoy: hip-hooray; hip-hooray; hip-hooray." Not to do so was considered rather bad mannered. I fancy I'd get some strange looks if I tried that sort of caper at most yachting venues these days - but I wonder does the tradition still obtain anywhere?

Featured Brokerage
2010 Swan 60-903 'Vertical Smile'. 2,700,000 EUR. Located in Italy.

The new Swan 60 offers a high-volume interior, a large and well-protected cockpit and race levels of performance. To meet these conflicting demands, Nautor has made extensive use of state-of-the-art technology in the design and the construction methods. The boat features an entirely new hull built from advanced materials, while at the same time preserving Nautor Swan’s core values: to be comfortable for cruising and fast for offshore racing

Vertical Smile is the third Swan 60 to be delivered and was launched in 2010. Currently lying in the Nautor's Swan Service Center in Scarlino, Italy. She is available to visit by appointment.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage - Jeremy Peek
brokerage@nautorswan.com
Tel. +377 97 97 95 07
nautorswanbrokerage.com

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2012 Swan 60 Racer Cruiser. Price on application. Located in Spain.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage
brokerage@nautorswan.com
Tel. +377 97 97 95 07
nautorswanbrokerage.com

-----------------------------------------

2010 Corby Dale Nelson 36. POA. Located in Wales.

High performance sailing meets DALE build standards. From the drawing board of John Corby, the technology of a cedar strip/carbon fibre composite hull marries perfectly with DALE’s traditional craftsmanship. ROXY 6 was built in 2010 for the Irish Commodores cup team, where she helped them to victory with a 2nd in class. A change of owners circumstances means the boat has not been in the water since and so the boat is in 'brand new' condition and available at a fraction of the original cost. Contact for more information on this unique opportunity. Location: Wales Listing office: Ancasta Raceboats POA (Tax Paid)

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson
Ancasta Port Hamble
sampearson@ancasta.com

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

The Last Word
I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical - Thomas Jefferson

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

ORACLE TEAM USA win the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers
The Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers concluded today (Saturday, 3rd June) with the Defenders of the 'Auld Mug' ORACLE TEAM USA beating Emirates Team New Zealand and clinching the crucial top spot in the final leaderboard. That gives the US team a point in the America's Cup Match, presented by Louis Vuitton, the final round of the events taking place now in Bermuda.

Emirates Team New Zealand have decided to take on Land Rover BAR as their opposition in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs semi-finals

At the conclusion of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers on Saturday, Emirates Team New Zealand finished second in the final standings, one point behind eventual winners ORACLE TEAM USA.

ORACLE TEAM USA won the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers and, with that victory, go into the America's Cup Match, presented by Louis Vuitton with a valuable point already banked.

However, with ORACLE TEAM USA's place in the America's Cup Match, presented by Louis Vuitton, already assured as the Defenders of the 'Auld Mug', Emirates Team New Zealand were handed the opportunity to select their opposition in the next stage after finishing as the next highest seeded team from the final Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers standings.

Faced with the opportunity of taking on Artemis Racing, SoftBank Team Japan or Land Rover BAR, Emirates Team New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling finally ended the anticipation by revealing his answer at the final press conference of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers.

"We have sat down as a team and decided we would like to pick Land Rover BAR," said Peter Burling.

americascup.com

Challenge Playoff Day One Postponed To Monday
The beautiful Bermudian sunshine was out in full force for Sunday's scheduled first set of races in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs, but unfortunately the required winds for racing were not.

America's Cup Race Management (ACRM) confirmed just after 4.00pm AST that the four scheduled Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs races planned for Sunday, June 4th, had to be postponed until Monday, June 5th as the winds across the Great Sound were below the minimum six knot limit America's Cup Class (ACC) boats compete in.

"Tomorrow the conditions look better so we'll look to restart at around 2.00pm on Monday with Peter Burling and Emirates Team New Zealand vs Sir Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR first, then Dean Barker's SoftBank Team Japan against Nathan Outteridge and Artemis Racing."

americascup.com

Slow Start for the Figaro
The first of four stages of La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro, the 48th edition of the French multi leg solo offshore race started Sunday afternoon from the Gironde estuary by Bordeaux.

But the all too gentle winds which required a delay to the original start time, finding the 43 solo skippers drifting and struggling to beat the tidal flow, seemed in stark contrast to the forecast for stormy winds, so strong that the race organisers have prudently shortened the stage from the proposed 525 nautical miles to 430 miles by taking the race only two thirds of the way north up the Bay of Biscay.

This edition promises to be one of the toughest fought for many years. Highlight is the return of titans Jeremie Beyou (Charal) and Yann Elies (Queguiner Leucemie Espoir), the two most outstanding solo skippers of their generation who are each bidding to become the first ever skipper to win the race four times. Both legendary solo racers who grew up in the same area of Brittany as contemporaries of this year's Vendee Globe winner Armel Le Cleac'h, have won three times. Elies won in 2012, 2013 and 2015 and shares the record for the most stage wins - 10 - with Frenchman Jean Le Cam. Beyou first won in 2005 and then again in 2011 and 2015.

The race remains the uncompromising proving ground for the world's best solo ocean racers. Four winners of La Solitaire also went on to win the Vendee Globe, Christophe Augin, Alain Gautier, Michel Desjoyeaux. It is the race which shaped the predatory talents of Le Cleac'h who won La Solitaire in 2010 and finished second twice in the Vendee Globe before winning the most recent edition. It is where, as the race publicity this year says, 'here legends are born'

www.lasolitaire.com

Opinion: America's Cup runneth over with blokes
In the Louis Vuitton qualifier series for the 35th America's Cup we expect the usual wealth beyond all measure on show in Bermuda in terms of team and TV budgets and infrastructure, against the backdrop of the spectating superyacht flotilla. Based on the last two decades of Cup history, I guess we should have anticipated another all-out bloke-fest.

"When it comes to sport, the America's Cup is at the pinnacle for new technology, but it remains in the dark ages when it comes to gender equality," says Radio NZ's Sally Murphy in the opening paragraph of her piece titled 'America's Cup: Where are all the women?'.

Katie Pellew, sister of the America's Cup Defender skipper James Spithill, who is on the ground in Bermuda posted to her social media on May 31: "Where are all the women??? In the AC Village over the last few days I have seen many friends who are female sailors and fellow female competitors. They are all Olympians, match racing champions and world champions, yet every single one is in a hospitality/PR/officiating role here during the Cup."

The last time women played an active team role on an America's Cup boat was back in the mid-1990s. That was more than 20 years ago and the subsequent two decades read like the Bermuda Triangle in terms of women and the Cup.

Now the story continues as we watch the qualifiers for the 35th edition rollout in a class of boat that has precluded women from gaining on board roles, due to the power-to-weight ratio the ACC foiling catamarans demand. If women are sidelined because they lack the necessary strength then obviously the design suits only half the crew pool, irrespective of talent and experience.

Much more aware thanks to recent articles by Murphy and two-time Olympic champion Shirley Robertson on the subject of why women aren't competing at the highest levels of the sport, in particular the AC, I watch the live telecast at sparrows each morning hoping that at some point the commentary team will throw to a female designer, umpire, engineer or sailmaker; in fact any technical expert or decision-maker. But I'm disappointed. -- Lisa Ratcliff

Lisa's full editorial:
www.occ.net.au/blog/

New kid comin'
Having learnt his craft building everything from Imoca 60s to a wide range of America's Cup componentry, composities artisan Alex Newton is responding to an invitation to join a world-leading turbine programme

In fast-moving areas of technology it's often a case of first having an idea, then start making it and only then getting around to designing it as you go along. That was not exactly the case when Al Newton and AC Marine & Composites co-founder Katinka Burmester found themselves looking, at very short notice, for large premises plus a long shopping list of specialised equipment, to respond to a 'very' serious enquiry from Atlantis Resources, world leaders in tidal power generation.

An initial period spent pre-manufacture testing brought unexpected benefits: AC Marine & Composites (ACM&C) set new benchmarks, by infusing up to 120mm of carbon Triaxial laminate in one hit and on a repeatable basis. This initial period doubled up as a final round of 'interviews' before the company was awarded the manufacturing contract itself - ahead of 19 of Europe's largest composite groups.

Full article in the June issue of Seahorse:
www.seahorsemagazine.com

Hungry Like The Wolf In Riva
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Riva Del Garda, Italy: The final scheduled day of racing in Riva Del Garda ended with no further competition leaving Edoardo Lupi and Massimo Pessina's TORPYONE atop the podium for the third event of the 2017 Melges 32 World League, European Division hosted by Fraglia Della Vela Riva. Congratulations to all the crew members of the 2017 Riva Del Garda Melges 32 Championship team including tactician Lorenzo Bressani, Alberto Bolzan, Carlo Zermini, Javier De La Plaza, Jas Farneti and Alessio Spadoni.

Second overall goes to Fritz Homann from Germany, helming WILMA with Nico Celon as tactician, and Russia's Pavel Kuznetsov on TAVATUY with Evgeny Neugodnikov as tactician finishes the event in third.

In the Corinthian division, another new event winner - Francesco Graziani at the helm of VITAMINA takes home the Riva Del Garda trophy.

Two events remain for the Melges 32 in 2017 - the European Championship takes place in Sibenik, Croatia on July 20-22, and the World Championship happens approximately one month later in Cala Galera, Italy.

Top Five Results (Final - After Four Races)
1. Edoardo Lupi-Massimo Pessina/Lorenzo Bressani, 18 points
2. Fritz Homann/Nico Celon, 22
3. Pavel Kuznetsov/Evgeny Neugodnikov, 22
4. Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio/Branko Brcin, 23
5. Matteo Balestrero/Daniele Cassinari, 24

Official Yachtscoring Event Website

Top Five Melges 32 World League Results
1. Matteo Balestrero, 40 points
2. Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio, 36
3. Andrea Lacorte, 33
4. Pavel Kuznetsov, 30
5. Edoardo Pavesio, 28

Full Melges 32 World League Results (PDF)

Looking For A Dragon Trailer
Click on image to enlarge.

Don Street at 86, is probably one of the longest serving yachting writers in the world that is still sailing and racing. His first article, Going South was published in September 1964 Yachting, He is still writing and sailing, racing Gypsy, 1933 Anker and Jensen, dragon, the oldest dragon in the world still racing. He races Gypsy hard, 80 starts in 2016.

He wants to celebrate his 89 year by racing Gypsy, her 86 year, by racing Gypsy in the 2019 Cannes regatta celebrating the Dragons 90 th birthday.

In 1997, his son and namesake D3 dragged out of a farmers field, Fafner 1936 Johannsen winner of the original Dragon Gold cup. D3 did a crash two months restoration/ re build in time to take part in Dunlearly in the 60th Dragon Gold Cup anniversary Regatta. Don Street also took part in the regatta racing Gypsy.

The two dragons were trailed from Glandore to Dunlearly, while Don sailed Iolaire, his 46' engineless yawl built 1905 to Dunleary to act as mother ship, Gypsy on one side, Fafner on the other side,

217 years of wooden boats on one mooring.

In 2004 D 3 trailed Gypsy to St Tropez to take part in the 75th Dragon Anniversary Regatta. Fafner was the oldest dragon in the regatta, crewed by D3, his father Don and his younger brother Mark. There is a great photo of Fafner and crew pg 342 in the magnificent book 75 Years Of Dragons by Hecht and Halbe

In the light his racing in the anniversary regattas, Don is hoping to find someone to sell him at an affordable price a dragon trailer capable of carrying Gypsy from Glandore Ireland to Cannes to take part in the dragon 90th birthday regatta.

Contact streetiolaire@hotmail.com

ACO 8th MUSTO Skiff World Championship

Bahía de Palma, Spain" The final day of the championships dawned with battles to be done for all the key titles. The sun was shining but the sea breeze was taking its time to build so the 12 oclock start was postponed.

After a short delay the fleet set out and started just before 13:00 under P flag; which was general recalled so the U flag came out and then the race got away at the second time of asking but there were a number of boats recorded UFD.

The race was abandoned; some were happy; some not but those who were recorded UFD were the most happy as they got to rejoin the race restart,

Race 13 then was restarted just after 14:00 there was an individual recall but no-one returned.

By this time the waves had built to a steep chop; Keen was leading with Robertson (AUS) second and Schwerdt third. Keen then hit a bad set of waves and capsized opening the door to the chasers.

At the finish Schwerdt took the win from Hilton (GBR) and Keen in third.

This gave Schwerdt a good advantage going into the final race; if Keen won he just had to finish in the top 10.

As the race unfolded Keen held his lead but Schwerdt was pulling through the fleet and at the finish it was Keen who took the win from Robertson (AUS) with Schwerdt in 3rd taking the title by just 6 points which over a 14 race regatta is a slim margin.

Congratulations to Frithjof Schwerdt who is the new World Champion.

Final top ten
1. Frithjof Schwerdt, GER, 35 points
2. Bruce Keen, GBR, 41
3. Andy Tarboton, RSA, 87
4. Tim Hill, AUS, 91
5. Justo Martinez Balaguer, ESP, 95
6. Dan Kilsby, GBR, 110
7. Ben Schooling, GBR, 122
8. Julian Ramm, GER, 127
9. David Poston, GBR, 128
10. Iver Ahlmann, GER, 139

Full results

Finn Masters poised for Caribbean encounter in Barbados
One hundred and thirty seven Finns from 21 countries are waiting on a beautiful sandy beach under the brilliant blue skies of Barbados as the 2017 Finn World Masters was officially opened Sunday night at the Barbados Yacht Club overlooking the picture book azure waters of Carlisle Bay.

Following directly on from the OK Dinghy World Championship last week, a lot of the sailors arrived early and have been training in the bay to try to get to grips with its idiosyncrasies that became rapidly apparent during the OK regatta. The Practice Race was scheduled earlier on Sunday but a strong wind gusting to 28 knots exceeded the wind limit set by the class and racing was abandoned shortly after the fleet arrived in the start area. It wasn't all-bad news though as it enabled the sailors to spend more time on the beach enjoying the club's excellent hospitality.

The fleet here includes the past three Finn Masters World Champions, Rafa Trujillo from Spain, Vladimir Krutskikh from Russia and Michael Maier from Czech Republic as well as nearly a dozen sailors who have been propping them up for the past few years. The largest team is from Great Britain, with 31 entries

Forecasts for Monday and later suggest even stronger winds... we hope they are inaccurate.

Eight races are scheduled over the coming week with five titles up for grabs: Masters, Grand Masters, Grand Grand Masters, Legends and Finn Masters World Champion

www.finnworldmasters.com

J/70 Europeans
Hamble, England: The Royal Southern Yacht Club (RSrnYC) is proud to be hosting the 2017 J/70 Class European Championships in conjunction with the J/70 UK Class Association.

Racing commences on Monday 5th June, with an opportunity for competitors to sail a practice race, then the Championships run Tuesday 6th to Friday 9th June. The Championships provide a great opportunity for teams to prepare for the 2017 World Championships in Sardinia, Italy in September. RSrnYC's PRO Stuart Childerley commented, "The intention is to run eleven Championship races. We are preparing for a large fleet and I am sure the sailors will find racing on the Hillhead Plateau area of the Central Solent challenging and fun. The Solent in June can be a stunning championship venue."

The fleet that has assembled to via for the European Championship title is second to none. There are ten nations (Spain, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, & USA) participating in the forty-five-boat fleet, including Claudia Rossi's PETITE TERRIBLE from Ancona, Italy, the 2016 European champion.

www.royal-southern.co.uk

* From Fiona Hicks, SLYC/RUYC:

In reply to Malcolm McKeag's question, I can advise that the wonderful tradition of cheering the winner of a race is alive and well at Strangford Lough Yacht Club with the beautiful River Class yachts. This action is easier to carry out with a one-design class where all boats hopefully finish close enough together to see who the winner is, not so obvious with handicap racing where the eventual winner could be well behind the boat achieving line honours. I imagine other classic one-design fleets still carry on the tradition.

* From Adrian Morgan:

At the (Royal)** Loch Broom Sailing Club in Ullapool we will often raise a hand in salute to the winner of the Flying Fifteen race of the day, adding a cheerful (through gritted teeth) "Well done". Scots are not renowned for their outward show of emotion, so any hip hooraying would be frowned upon as being overly congratulatory. My reaction to a win, either by myself (increasingly rare) or one of the other skippers in our small and imperfectly formed fleet is, instead of clapping, to bang the side decks exuberantly, but not too hard as Ffly is a 30-year old boat, best treated gently.

** Royal is in recognition of the fact that all important club business is transacted at the bar of The Royal Hotel, opposite.

* From Ivan Nelson:

A very good point raised by Mr McKeag. We did the same just up Belfast Lough at Holywood YC at the same time long ago!

Now it seems to have died out, maybe not everywhere? I wonder.

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The Last Word
Descartes' last words: I think not.

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

America's Cup 35-Challenger Playoff
The Challenger Playoff started today on Great Sound in 15 knots from the southeast. The first pairing featured ETNZ against BAR while the second pairing was Artemis vs. Softbank Japan. Each pair was to race two matches today.

In the first race, ETNZ handily won the start over BAR and led around the first mark and down the first run. After ETNZ rounded the gate and headed off to the right, BAR approached the gate. All of a sudden they heard a loud noise inside their wing and the team immediately stopped racing to inspect. It was ascertained that the camber arm had broken and BAR retired from the race.

Unfortunately for all, the fix was to change the wing and that could not be done within the hour that they had available. So the Kiwi's went up 2-0.

In the Artemis vs. Japan pairing, Artemis started strong in the first race and led round the first mark and down around the leeward gate. Japan split to the right and immediately got in phase with the wind. At the first cross, Artemis on port, had to duck Japan now on Starboard. Japan was going well and stretched their lead and went on to win race 1.

Japan looked to be a solid competitor for Artemis. Should be a good series.

In Race 2, Japan got the better start and led for a lap and a half. Up the second windward leg, Artemis, sailing faster, closed and passed Japan. Artemis went on to win and tie the score in their series at 1-1.

It looked to me like Artemis made a change between the two races and was going better in race 2. Maybe a change to the rudders in some way... just a guess.

Two races for each pair are scheduled for tomorrow. The forecast has southwest winds at 18 knot building to 22 knots later in the afternoon. Should be a good day of racing at the upper end of the range. Wednesday looks too windy to race and Thursday looks like 10-12 knots. Let's hope BAR gets their back up wing on and comes out fighting tomorrow! -- Paul Cayard

cayardsailing.com

* Ben Ainslie, Skipper and Team Principal: "It's a really tough situation for the team. Rounding the first leeward gate, we had a breakage in our wing control system, which meant we had to retire from the race. It is an extremely bitter pill for the whole team to swallow given that this is the first two races of the playoffs against ETNZ, but it's something we can deal with and we have the team to turn it around and come back fighting tomorrow."

Paul Campbell-James, Wing Trimmer: "We were absolutely level pegging with the New Zealand team. Giles had chosen the best way to go round the mark and we were executing a normal mark rounding - as we've done over a 1000 times in this campaign - and the wing just went pop.

"It went from our normal setting to having max power on the wing camber with no way of controlling it. We are absolutely gutted."

"We will see the damage when we take the wing apart. It's just one of those things in sport and tomorrow is another day, fantastic forecast and we are going to absolutely sock it to them."

americascup.com

Conquer Cancer Foundation America's Cup Auction
Marking the start of the 35th America's Cup, one of the the most celebrated and prestigious sports events in the world, leadership from the America's Cup Event Authority and "Official Cancer Charity" partner, the Conquer Cancer Foundation (CCF), met in Bermuda to discuss their unique collaboration and how they will combine efforts to raise awareness for the Conquer Cancer Foundation's mission. Established by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the Conquer Cancer Foundation works to create a world free from the fear of cancer by funding breakthrough research, connecting physicians and patients to the latest information, and developing programs to improve the quality of and access to cancer care for patients around the world.

From autographed America's Cup team items to can't-buy experiences, bid on one-of-a-kind items and more in the CCF / America's Cup silent auction: conquer.org/auction

Purchase your tickets to the America's Cup "Conquer Cancer Foundation Days" on Saturday, June 10 and Saturday, June 24. Visit tickets.americascup.com for tickets and to donate to the Conquer Cancer Foundation.

Mirabaud Sailing Video Award
This event was launched to honor the best sailing videos produced each year and their authors.

It is an annual contest, open to professional cameraman, directors, editors and TV production companies from all over the world, as well as sailors who produce on-board videos during races.

It celebrates high achievement in sailing imagery, filming, editing and story telling.

- The winner of the Mirabaud Sailing Video Award will be determined by an international jury.

- The Prize of the Public will be awarded following votes from the public on Internet.

- The Special Jury Award is open to professional sailors, who produce on-board videos during races.

The winners will be celebrated during the Yacht Racing Forum, in front of the sports' leading personalities, events, classes, clubs and sponsors.

Registration and detailed rules: www.sailingvideoaward.com

La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro
Two of the most accomplished names in the fleet lead the first 430 nautical miles stage of the La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro as the top group close to within 20 miles of the most northerly turning point of the course from Bordeaux to Gijón. But two other pre-race favourites have been forced to fight their way up through the fleet after making errors since Sunday afternoon's start from the Gironde estuary.

Three times winner Yann Elies (Queguiner-Leucemie Espoir) may have sought to play the underdog card before the start in Bordeaux, claiming to have been a bit rusty and less prepared than he would have liked to have been, but the 43 year old is keeping pace with a lead of 0.2 nautical miles on the hard driving, cool headed Nicolas Lunven, the 2009 winner.

Erwan Tabarly (Armor Lux), third overall last year and the winner of the opening leg into Cowes, has had to abandon Stage 1, from Brodeaux to Gijon, because of a broken port spreader. He reported to race direction that he is safe and unhurt and was routing towards Les Sables d'Olonne. It is a bitter disappointment for Tabarly who was lying in fifth place.

Nathalie Criou (Richmond Yacht Club Foundation) has signified her abandonment to the race leadership on the first stage of the solo URGO Le Figaro this Monday afternoon: given the delay she had accumulated and the need to keep with the fleet for safety (given the rough conditions), she will proceed directly to the leg one finish at Gijon.

A low pressure moving in to the NW of Ireland is creating brisk 20kts SW'ly winds which are due to increase with a cold front tonight. The key for all will be to be around the Plateau Rochebonne mark - by the Ile de Re - before this front arrives as it is due to bring poor visibility, heavy rain, big confused seas as the wind shifts rapidly into the NW.

After the Rochebonne turn - just SW of Les Sables d'Olonne - early this Monday evening it should be a fast, bumpy and testing 220 miles reach towards Gijon, but the winds are expected to drop away for the hours before the finish as a high pressure ridge moves in to dominate the area.

Top ten at 0600 local time France:
1. Adrien Hardy / Agir Recouvrement, 141 nm to leg 1 finish
2. Nicolas Lunven / Generali, 1.86 nm to leader
3. Sebastien Simon / Bretagne - Credit Mutuel Performance, 2.03
4. Charlie Dalin / Skipper Macif 2015, 2.37
5. Eric Peron / Finistere Mer Vent, 2.76
6. Yann Elies / Queguiner - Leucemie Espoir, 3.59
7. Alexis Loison / Custopol, 3.63
8. Justine Mettraux / Teamwork, 4.40
9. Pierre Quiroga / Skipper Espoir Cem, 4.80
10. Pierre Leboucher / Ardian, 5.43

www.lasolitaire-urgo.com

Monnin wins 20th Match Race Germany
Langenargen, Germany: Eric Monnin and his Albert Riele Swiss Team have won the 20th Match Race Germany. In their eleventh attempt since 2004 the sextet of Eric and Marc Monnin, Simon Brugger, Lukas Gerig, Doren de Morsier and Loris von Siebenthal won Match Race Germany's jubilee edition on Lake Constance.

In the final, Monnin, age 41, sailing for the Sailing Club Stäfa, and his crew defeated Mati Sepp's well-oiled Estonian Sailing Team in an epic battle. Sepp took the first two wins and looked comfortable. "They were extremely fast", commented an impressed Eric Monnin who knew that he had to change his game if he would want to turn the tables. Monnin explained, "We decided to be more aggressive in the pre-starts as we spotted that phase as a little weekness of Mati's team." And the Swiss did just that. Their attacking put pressure on the Estonians. And the Swiss benefited with some desperately needed advantages. Finally they won the final 3:2.

Tweve teams from 10 countries had started into the five day series which has been visited by around 25.000 spectators. The best visited day has been Whit Sunday with more than 10.000 fans enjoying the quarter and semi finals, a total of 22 matches. It's been a day on which Lake Constance showed almost all of its multifaceted conditions: Winds between 5 and more than 20 knots, wild cloud formations in the sky, sunshine and finally a crystal clear blue sky in the evening.

The Grade 1 event on Lake Constance also was the opener for the new Match Race Super League. Co-Founders are Match Race Germany's Eberhard Magg and Harald Thierer. Eberhard Magg said, "We want to revitalize classic matchracing on monohulls and give it an international and really attractive stage. Therewith we follow the wishes and hopes of the next generation as well as many of the established top matchracing helmen farther enjoying this discipline."

Final results:
1. Eric Monnin, SUI, Albert Riele Swiss Team
2. Mati Sepp, EST, Estonian Sailing Team
3. Max Gurgel, GER, Vmax Racing
4. Max Trippolt, AUT, Trippolt Sailing Team
5. Markus Wieser, GER, Team 220+
6. Maxime Mesnil, FRA, Elite Team Match Race
7. Dejan Presen, SLO, Lumba Match Race Team
8. Simon Bertheau, FRA, Apcc equipe Jeune
9. Lukas Wosinksi, POL, Delphia Sailing Team
10. Olli Pekka Lumijarvi, FIN, Lumijarvi
11. Kim Kling, SWE, Caprice Match Racing Team
12. Andrei Nikolaev, RUS, Team Sprtceh

www.matchrace.de

New Boat, Same Old Result for Benjamin at Etchells US Nationals
Newport, RI: Everybody loves a new race boat. But until it proves itself on the racecourse, there's always a tiny kernel of worry it won't live up to expectations, or even equal the performance of the boat being replaced. We all know what they say about a bird in the hand. Steve Benjamin and his team can cross that concern off their work list after sailing the freshly-splashed Stella Blue (aka USA 1427) to the 2017 Etchells U.S. National Championship, which was held as part of the inaugural New York Yacht Club One-Design Regatta, in Newport, R.I. Melges 20 and J/70 fleets also competed in the event.

Benjamin, and his team of Mike Menninger, Ian Liberty and David Hughes, were dominant over the course of the three-day regatta, winning four of eight races and finishing with a 17-point advantage over George Francisco in second place.

Benjamin won a silver medal in the 470 class in the 1984 Olympics, and is no stranger to that nose-tickling new-boat smell. But he held off ordering an Etchells from Dirk Kneulman's Ontario Yachts until he knew exactly how he wanted it set up. Benjamin typically sails as part of a four-person team and the ideal cockpit layout for that arrangement differs a bit from the traditional configuration, which was designed around a crew of three.

"There's been an evolution with Etchells over the years, so that's why we worked with the used boats trying to get the tuning and the systems all straightened out," says Benjamin, adding that the new boat was a present from his wife, Heidi. "This boat we just did everything that we wanted straight from the beginning and designed it that way. Dirk did a really nice job on this boat. It's everything that we hoped it would be."

2017 New York Yacht Club One-Design Regatta
Top three by class

Etchells National Championship (8 races, 1 throwout)
1. Steve Benjamin, Stella Blue, 11
2. George Francisco, American Baby, 28
3. Chris Larson, USA, 29

Melges 20 (5 races, 1 throwout)
1. Wes Whitmyer Jr., Slingshot, 4
2. Drew Freides, Pacific Yankee, 10
3. Alexis Michas, Midnight Sun, 11

J/70 (5 races, 1 throwout)
1. Brian Keane, Savasana, 8
2. John Brim, Rimette, 10
3. Bruno Pasquinelli, Stampede, 14

nyyc.org

Sail Wanted
USED 2nd hand (or 3rd hand even) 1.5 oz assymetric to suit Oyster 625.

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Rafa Trujillo Opens Finn World Masters Defence With Two Bullets
The defending Finn World Masters champion, Rafa Trujillo, of Spain, opened his 2017 title challenge with two great wins on Carlisle Bay, Barbados. The 2017 Finn World Masters got underway with strong winds, moderate seas and two tough races. Six times champion Michael Maier, from Czech Republic is second while Laurent Hay, from France, is third.

After the practice races on Sunday was abandoned due to strong winds, a similar forecast for Monday didn't lend much hope for the racing to keep to schedule. An early AP ashore fuelled that dismay, but then the wind moderated to 18-20 knots and the fleet was sent afloat.

The 140-boat fleet is split into two starting groups, Yellow and Blue, with fleet assignments based on random selection. The Yellow group was widely considered the best group to be in with most of the favorites assigned to Blue. The Yellow group also has a potentially easier ride in strong winds as the outer loop is located closer to shore, so trades flatter water for more shifts against the inner loop which is further offshore.

Trujillo said, "It was a really difficult but fun racing. It was 27-30 degrees temperature and 20 knots and 30 degree shifts. It was quite a challenge. The level of the masters in my group is impressive. We had two general recalls and started with the black flag and everyone was fighting hard for the pin, so it was exciting racing and I am looking forward to tomorrow."

The 2017 Finn World Masters consists of a seven race series from Monday to Thursday, followed by a final race and a medal race on Friday.

Results after two races
1. Rafael Trujillo, ESP, 2
2. Michael Maier, CZE, 3
3. Laurent Hay, FRA, 3
4. Vladimir Krutskikh, RUS, 4
5. Piet Eckert, SUI, 6
6. Karl Purdie, NZL, 12
7. Michael de Courcy, GBR, 12
8. Antonio Poncell, CHI, 13
9. Ulrich Breuer, GER, 13
10. Allen Burrell, GBR, 15

Provisional results

www.finnworldmasters.com

* From Don Street

Regarding congratulating winner, I still do what I was taught to do when I was sailing in Western Long Island sound in the 40's thru the middle 50's.

My first skipper, Byron Musser, racing in the Manhasset Bay One design class, 18' heavy displacement keel boats, one of Olin Stephens first designs, always raised his hat, or gave a wave to thank the Race Committee for running the race.

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2002 IRC Maxi LA BETE. 600,000 EUR. Located in Toulon, France.

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The Last Word
There are only certain intervals of time when life of any sort is possible in an expanding universe and we can practise astronomy only during that habitable time interval in cosmic history. -- John D. Barrow

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
A Big Day In Bermuda | "All crew accounted for." | Nicolas Lunven (Generali) Wins Stage 1 of La Solitaire Urgo Le Figaro | Latitude Kinsale creates J Class Prizes | 100-Year-Old Fishing Yachts Prepare For Uk's Oldest Gathering Of Traditional Boats This Year | Skunked at the J/70 European Championship | North Sails 3Di Technology Debuts In Small Boat One Design | Industry News | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

A Big Day In Bermuda
An epic day of racing unfolded on the Great Sound in Bermuda for the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Playoff Semi-finals as Land Rover BAR faced off against Emirates Team New Zealand. The first race got underway after a slight delay waiting for the wind to drop below the 24 knots average limit. Emirates Team New Zealand only just made the start after damage sustained to their wing after docking out. It was panning out to be a full on day with both teams sailing at the limits hitting speeds in excess of 45 knots.

The British team won the start and led Emirates Team New Zealand for five of the nine leg race, before getting low on oil which enabled Emirates Team New Zealand to take the lead, as Sailing Team Manager Jono Macbeth explained:

"These boats are so physical up until now we have been racing a five or six leg course, today was a nine legger. It is unbelieveable how much energy is required to get around these courses, unfortunately for us we got low on oil at a critical time, so our manouvres weren't as crisp as they have could been".

In the second race Ben Ainslie and his British team again won the start, before Emirates Team New Zealand suffered a dramatic capsize on the first reach, with the race subsequently being awarded to Land Rover BAR.

Ben Ainslie, Skipper and Team Principal: "The most important thing is that everyone is okay on Emirates Team New Zealand after their capsize. I think all four teams out there showed great seamanship to deal with these boats in these conditions. It was absolutely full on. We look forward to seeing them back on the race course."

"It was unbelievable racing in gusts up to 27-28 knots. Certainly, in thirty years of racing boats, it was the most full-on, exhilarating moment I've ever had. It was incredible out there.

"I liken it to skiing on ice. No holds barred; if you start to slow up and play it safe that's when it is worse. When you sail these boats fast it is very rewarding, but in conditions like today sometimes it is not possible. Days like today it is the ultimate team sport."

"Hopefully we will be back out on the water tomorrow and it's all to play for."

The current forecast for tomorrow is predicting stronger winds than today. The team are getting ready for another epic day of racing.

Current scoreboard

Semi Final 1
Land Rover BAR - 1
Emirates Team New Zealand - 3

Semi Final 2
Softbank Team Japan - 3
Artemis Racing - 1

Wednesday's schedule:
Race 5: NZ vs GBR
Race 5: Sweden vs Japan
Race 6: GBR vs NZ
Race 6: Japan vs Sweden

The semi-finals are first - to - five.

americascup.com

"All crew accounted for."
And with those words, the America's Cup community and sailing fans worldwide breathed a sigh of relief.

Peter Burling's Emirates Team New Zealand pitch-poled at high-speed moments after the start, the bows digging in and boat tumbling forward, its sterns in the air, three crew pitched into the water, the rest hanging on in the cockpits.

Their opposition in the race, Land Rover BAR, immediately slowed and skipper Ben Ainslie ordered his chase boat to offer assistance.

A few moments later, Emirates Team New Zealand radioed the Regatta Director: "All crew accounted for - we're just working to right the boat now".

After staying bow down, with sterns in the air for several minutes, the Emirates Team New Zealand boat fell onto its side, allowing the team to pull it upright.

The implications for the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Playoffs aren't yet clear. The race was awarded to Land Rover BAR, meaning Peter Burling's Kiwis are still up 3-1 on Ainslie's Land Rover BAR.

Racing is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, but the forecast is again for very strong conditions. The Kiwis may get an extra day to repair their damaged boat if the wind is too strong for racing.

americascup.com

Nicolas Lunven (Generali) Wins Stage 1 of La Solitaire Urgo Le Figaro
Crossing the finish line off Gijon, Asturias, Northern Spain at 00h 01m 16s local time (22h 01m 16s UTC) Nicolas Lunven (Generali) won the first stage of the 2017 La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro. The 36 year old from Vannes, Brittany who last won the race overall in 2009 took 2 days 07 hrs 31 m 16 seconds to complete the course from Bordeaux (Pauillac) to Gijon, a theoretical distance of 420 miles.

Now on his ninth participation in the La Solitaire multi stage solo offshore race it is the first time ever that he has won a stage. He has been one of the pacemakers since leaving the Gironde estuary on Sunday afternoon, third at the Radio France buoy at the exit of the estuary, then fourth at the midway turning mark. He pressed a little further to the west after the most northerly turn, at the Plateau Rochebonne mark south west of Les Sables d'Olonne and reaped a dividend as he taked onto starboard towards Gijon. He moved past Adrien Hardy as one of the fastest in the fleet, taking over a lead he never relinquished.

Hardy (AGIR Recouvrement) took second place in a time of 2 days 7hrs 44 mins and 39 seconds, only 13 minutes and 33 seconds behind Lunven. It is the fourth time Hardy has been on the podium of a stage. He has never won a stage before but was second into Kinsale in 2010 behind Armel Le Cleac'h - who went on to win the race. In 2013 and again in 2015 he was third twice, both times into Dieppe.

In third place, finishing at 00h 29mn 02s, Sebastien Simon took third place. The 27 year old took 2 days 7 hours 59 minutes and 2 seconds aboard Bretagne-CMB Performance, so 14 minutes and 23 seconds behind second place and 27 minutes and 55 seconds after the stage winner Lunven. It is the second time the young skipper from Les Sables d'Olonne has finished in the podium on a stage of La Solitaire, winning into Concarneau in 2015.

www.lasolitaire-urgo.com

Latitude Kinsale creates J Class Prizes
I am delighted to announce that the Prestigious J Class association commissioned Latitude Kinsale to create the overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes for the Americas Cup J Class regatta in Bermuda.

Needless to say it is an honour to be associated with such an event. While I was drafting the press release I had to reflect on how I got to this position of having my work used for such high calibur events. The answer is simple, it is the result of 15 years of perfecting the skill, the craftsmanship, evolving the design and presentation. Exhibiting at international shows, creating pieces for my clients throughout the world has afforded me the opportunity to get feedback and continue to strive for perfection.....to be continued !!! -- Bobby Kinsale

latitudekinsale.com

100-Year-Old Fishing Yachts Prepare For UK's Oldest Gathering Of Traditional Boats This Year
Looe Lugger Race 2015. Photos by Tony Carney. Click on image for photo gallery.

Many of the 30 or so old fishing boats assembling in the South East Cornwall harbour at Looe, England, UK this weekend will be 70 and 80 years old; some were even built more than 100 years ago.

But one of the stars of the biennial Cornish Lugger Association regatta is a new kid on the block - and celebrating her 30th birthday this year.

The three-masted La Cancalaise from the Mont Saint-Michel bay port of Cancale in France has often been a welcome and impressive visitor to these classic reunions of old fishing boats; glorious vessels under sail, getting together again to renew race rivalries of a bygone age.

Owned and operated by the Assosiation Bisquine Cancallaise, which aims to help as many people as possible experience the thrill of sailing under classic rigging, she was built in April 1987 as an exact replica of La Perle, the last of the original bisquines from the turn of the 1900s.

Weather permitting, at least two three-masted sailing ships will be racing around Looe Bay in a programme of events sponsored by the Hillcrest House Nursing Home and the West Looe Town Trust.

In centuries gone by, three-masters would often compete in French regattas but as Paul Greenwood, of East Looe, explains, they almost certainly never sailed in competition on this side of the Channel.

'It would have been illegal,' said the chairman of the Cornish Lugger Association. 'The only three-masters off our coasts would have been smuggling ships or the Revenue, so while the smugglers might have "raced" to get away from the authorities, you wouldn't have seen them at regattas.'

Some 20 other former fishing luggers (the name comes from their distinctive sailing rig), all over 30-ft in length, have indicated that they, too, will be attending the Looe regatta, together with perhaps as many as 20 or so smaller luggers. It promises to be some spectacle.

www.cornishluggers.co.uk

Skunked at the J/70 European Championship
The weather has won the first battle at the 2017 J/70 European Championship. Principal Race Officer, Stuart Childerley, and his team, braved the conditions to monitor the situation on the race course and relayed their updates to competitors ashore, using a closed user group via cell phone. However at 13:30 BST, they called off racing for the day. The wind speed had barely dropped below 25 knots, gusting over 30, and after two days of strong winds, the sea state was significant. Tomorrow's forecast (Wednesday 7 June) looks more positive with a breezy 20 knots likely to provide some thrilling action at the J/70 European Championship.

https://www.facebook.com/j70euros2017/

https://royal-southern.co.uk

North Sails 3Di Technology Debuts In Small Boat One Design
North Sails is proud to introduce 3Di technology to the Melges 20 class. North Sails 3Di has received unrivaled success in Grand Prix inshore, offshore, and superyacht markets; adapting 3Di to one design classes like the Melges 20 is proof of North's commitment to providing all sailors with advanced sails.

"For the Melges 20 we have focused on a bespoke tape layout using North Sails 3Di RACE; Aramid/Dyneema sails developed to meet the demands of smaller boats," said Tim Healy, President of North Sails One Design.

Learn more about North's new Melges 20 sails at northsails.com/sailing/od/melges-20

Industry News

Cowes Week Ltd, organiser of the world's best-known sailing regatta and highlight of the British Sporting Summer, is delighted to announce that Volvo Car UK will be continuing its support as Official Vehicle Partner of the famous event in 2017.

Volvo has been an official sponsor of Cowes Week since 2013 and so the new agreement marks an extension of the existing relationship.

The company has been a key sponsor of sailing in Britain since 1999 and has long been associated with the sport across the globe. It has held agreements with the British Sailing Team and the World Match Racing Tour, among other organisations, however its best known sailing investment is probably its title sponsorship of the Volvo Ocean Race, the world's most famous round-the-world yacht race.

cowesweek.co.uk

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St. Francis Yacht Club, recognized internationally for its impeccable venue and demanding regatta schedule, has hired Jennifer Lancaster as the Race Director for its robust program.

Jennifer has been a leader in the sport of sailing her entire career, and is wrapping up a 15-year tenure at Newport Harbor Yacht Club in Newport Beach, CA. There, Jennifer oversaw an expansive race and junior program that hosted regattas across all racing disciplines and also offered meaningful sailing opportunities to the club's members. She has been passionate about developing the match-race and team-race elements of the sport, demonstrated by her organizational prowess at the Baldwin Cup, NHYC's keystone event.

Jennifer joins the St. Francis Yacht Club in the heart of its regatta season. The Club hosts 125 days of sailing a year, with most of its major events and championships occurring in late summer and autumn. Immediately upon joining, Jennifer and her team will run the J/70 PCCs (July 14-16), Hydrofoil Kiting PCCs (August 2-6), J/111 Worlds (August 22-27), Ronstan Bridge to Bridge (August 31) and Rolex Big Boat Series (September 14-17), among others.

www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

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Germany's second largest production builder, HanseYachts AG, reported continued progress for the Group's 2017 financial results with gains in turnover, orders and profits during the third quarter ended March 31. Hanse's brand portfolio includes Hanse, Moody, Dehler, Fjord and Sealine, with models ranging from 29ft to 67ft.

Turnover for the period was €39m, up 31% over the same period in 2016. New orders for the three months were up 8% in volume and 7% in value, compared to last year. Net income (after taxes) was positive at €0.7m, compared to €0.2m last year.

With cumulative net income (after taxes) of €3.7m for the first nine months of 2017 (compared to -€1.0m last year) Hanse said it expects the positive trend to continue, achieving a year-end profit for the Group for the first time in eight years. The company also noted a significant increase in cash flow due to better operating results, up to €6.4m from €2.1m a year ago.

Earlier this month, Hanse announced it would begin marketing catamarans produced by French builder Privilege Marine, in conjunction with the acquisition of a majority shareholding in Privilege by Aurelius Equity, Hanse's parent company. Hanse will also cooperate with Privilege on production and development. In total, Hanse said its committed funds for investments in tangible assets for new models and other assets across the Group total €3.9m for the current year.

plus.ibinews.com

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After receiving the prestigious Concept Award at the International Yacht & Aviation Awards 2017 less than a week ago, Shaun Carkeek has confirmed that plans to build the world's largest composite sailing superyacht are already advancing.

At 300ft, the Carkeek C 300 will be easily the largest boat of its kind ever constructed. It seems destined to herald a new age in sailing superyachts.

"No one has ever built a composite boat this size - I'm looking forward to building it," Carkeek said. "The genesis of the idea for the C 300 started with an owner who was considering a much larger, state-of-the-art sailing yacht. Now, I'm talking to one of the best builders in the world about how to build it and create a team around the project."

The largest composite boat ever built is the Hetairos, which is just over 200ft and was launched in 2011. "We're putting another 100ft onto that," Carkeek said. "It's a massive challenge, it's completely reshaping the industry. The boat has a new edge to it, not only through the size, but the design, the way the living spaces interact, the performance of the yacht, the new systems and technology and how these aspects work together. We're trying to make a 300ft yacht feel, perform and handle like a 100ft yacht".

"It's a megayacht for a true sailing enthusiast and very special kind of owner. It's the size of ship but it's a high-performance global cruising yacht capable of incredible average speeds of over 30 knots. In terms of the style concept, there is a timeless quality, but it has to have that futuristic twist because a boat like this will take no less than four years to build. We have that vision of the future."

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AkzoNobel will be the official coatings supplier to the Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard in 2017-18, after signing a deal to ensure that the fleet of Volvo Ocean 65 racing yachts will be coated with the company's International and Awlgrip range of products

The competing boats - including team AkzoNobel's brand new Volvo Ocean 65 - have already been coated with Awlgrip products, while the keel on each boat is protected with International coatings.

The boats that competed in the 2014-15 edition have been through a million-euros-per-boat refit process at The Boatyard shared service centre in Lisbon. Team AkzoNobel's newly built Volvo Ocean 65 has also received its final fitout at the Lisbon facility.

www.volvooceanrace.com

Featured Brokerage
2 EXTREME 40s For Sale.

Between the 2 boats have an amazing race track record
Both boats had a major refit at the start of 2015 . They have the latest Harken Winch packages and had full hydraulic upgrade & replacements start of 2013. Faired back to the the carbon and new paint jobs. These boats have been immaculately kept with no expense spared.
6 plus years of sails
Both boats come with fitted containers
Both boats are based in Oman Muscat
Spares available: Mast, Rudder etc.
Sails: 5 mains / 10 jibs
10 gennakers with each boat
Top speed: 27 knots.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Peter Greenhalgh
Tel: (+44) 07515 635669
Skype: peterngreenhalgh
Email: peterngreenhalgh@googlemail.com

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Swan 60 Racer Cruiser. Located in

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage
brokerage@nautorswan.com
Tel. +377 97 97 95 07
www.nautorswanbrokerage.com

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2008 Melges 32. 83,000 USD. Located in Torquay, England, UK.

“Red” is a ‘turn key’ boat, ready to enter the Melges 32 class at the highest level in a boat that is 100% ready to race.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Joe Hall
Farr Yacht Sales Europe
+44 1983 200901
joe@farryachtsales.com

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

The Last Word
A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age. -- Robert Frost

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Challenger Playoffs Semi-Final Races Postponed
America's Cup Race Management (ACRM), the independent organisation responsible for the rules and regulations of America's Cup racing, confirmed today that the four Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs Semi-Finals races scheduled for Wednesday 7th June have had to be postponed until Thursday 8th June. The decision to postpone was taken due to the sea-state and wind speeds on Bermuda's Great Sound racecourse exceeding the 24 knot speed limit agreed by all six America's Cup teams.

Iain Murray, ACRM Race Director said, "Whilst there was dramatic action yesterday, well within the wind speed limits, today was a different matter. We have been constantly monitoring conditions on the racecourse during the course of the day and have decided that there will be no racing today as the sea-state and average wind speed measured on the racecourse over the allotted time exceeded 24 knots.

"The forecast for tomorrow is for lighter winds and good conditions and if those forecasts are accurate I am confident we will see more fantastic racing here in Bermuda between the four teams in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs Semi-Finals."

americascup.com

Team New Zealand Would Have Raced Today
Team New Zealand skipper Glenn Ashby says the team would have been both physically and psychologically ready to go racing today had the conditions allowed.

Wild weather conditions in Bermuda forced the postponement of today's racing in the challenger semifinals, handing Team New Zealand an extra 24 hours to get their boat back in shape following yesterday's terrifying capsize.

Ashby said while they wouldn't have been able to get their high-tech catamaran back into its "A1" configuration for today's two scheduled races against Ben Ainslie Racing, they would have been able to get a boat out on the water, following a round-the-clock repair effort from the shore team.

"The guys have obviously had quite a big night getting everything organised for today's racing to be on the water. With the racing today now being cancelled, we'll continue on with little bits and pieces to try and improve the boat to get it back to A1 again for tomorrow's racing," Ashby told the Herald.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Sail Wanted
USED 2nd hand (or 3rd hand even) 1.5 oz assymetric to suit Oyster 625.

Our I is 26.1 metres and our J is 7.4 metres so anything even a bit shorter would be considered.

Needed for 4 races only.

Anything sitting in your average 50 footer container??

Contact
Jock Wishart
+44 7711 727 298
jockwish@aol.com

Ted Turner Receives New York Yacht Club's Highest Honor
Photo credit Jobson Collection/NYYC Archives. Click on image to enlarge.

Tuesday evening, the New York Yacht Club honored Ted Turner with the New York Yacht Club Medal, the highest individual honor the Club can bestow. The ceremony was part of a reception at the 44th Street Clubhouse celebrating the 40th anniversary of Turner's Courageous crew, which won the America's Cup in 1977 and is the subject of a soon-to-be-released documentary produced by NBC.

Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (at right, gripping wheel, surrounded by his crew from the 1979 Fastnet Race, and at right) is a former winner of the America's Cup and a four-time Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. While his extensive sailing resume played a significant role in his receiving this medal - which has been given out just 17 times previously - it's just one facet of one of the most interesting and successful Americans of modern times. Turner revolutionized television news when he founded the Cable News Network in 1980 and won a World Series as the owner of the Atlanta Braves. He is also the creator of the Goodwill Games, a member of the Television Hall of Fame and a former Time magazine Man of the Year (1991).

"Since 1985, the NYYC Medal has been awarded from time to time at the sole discretion of the Flag Officers in recognition of achievements of particular merit or outstanding contribution to the club or yachting in general," says Philip A. Lotz, Commodore of the New York Yacht Club. "Last night, it was my honor and extreme pleasure to present the NYYC Medal to Ted Turner."

While the high point of Turner's sailing career was his win over Alan Bond's Australia in the 1977 America's Cup, he had success before and after, including wins in the Flying Dutchman World Championships, Congressional Cup, 5.5 Metre Gold Cup, SORC and the storm-ravaged 1979 Fastnet Race.

The documentary on Courageous and the 1977 America's Cup will be aired to the public on NBC on Saturday, June 17 at 2:30 p.m. EDT. -- Stuart Streuli

nyyc.org

Seahorse June 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

(Taking it) in the right order
With the launch of the ClubSwan50, Nautor has rewritten the book on how to ensure the best possible one-design racing with a new offshore class

A bad mix - wolves and sheep
Which is why we must work hard to keep them apart. Rob Weiland

Flying fever
Mini sailing (flying) at 28 knots, anyone? Frederic Augendre jumped at the invitation...

Special rates for Scuttlebutt Europe subscribers:
Seahorse Print or Digital Subscription Use Discount Promo Code SB2

1yr Print Sub: €77 - £48 - $71 / Rest of the World: £65 www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs/

1yr Digital Sub for £30: www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/digital

Discounts shown are valid on a one year subscription to Seahorse magazine.

Countdown in Marion... Bermuda's Ready
Marion MA, USA: The clock is counting down to this Friday's Start of the 40th Anniversary Marion Bermuda Race. The 51-boat fleet in the 645nm race from Marion, Massachusetts heading south out of Buzzard's Bay to the finish line of St. David's Lighthouse in Bermuda will arrive in Bermuda just in time for the start of the America's Cup Match.

All entries this year are in the Founders Division. The warning signal is scheduled for June 9, 2017 at 1200 EDT. Classes will start at 15-minute intervals.

Temperature in Marion of Friday will be about 60ºF. In Bermuda next week when they finish it will be close to 80ºF. That's a good reason for sailing south.

The 2017 edition of this classic will see boats ranging from the smallest entry 'Selkie', G.J Bradish's Morris Ocean 32.5 footer from Boston to the largest, the Hinckley SW 59 'Pescatore' sailed by George Tougas of Mattapoisett, MA 'Pescatore' is a Youth Trophy team entry.

Nine of the boats, including 'Selkie' will sail in the Celestial Navigation Division. In its true Corinthian spirit, the Marion Bermuda Race is the only ocean race to Bermuda that offers a celestial navigation prize. The Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club hosts the race in Bermuda. It is also home away from home for the America's Cup defenders, the Golden Gate Yacht Club of San Francisco, and their defending team, Oracle Team USA. Actual racing in the America's Cup Match start June 17 on Bermuda's Great Sound, the afternoon of the Marion Bermuda Race prizegiving.

https://marionbermuda.org

Lendy Ltd Announced as new Title Sponsor of Cowes Week
Leading peer to peer lending platform, Lendy, has been announced as the new Title Sponsor of Cowes Week for the next three years, beginning with this year's regatta which starts on 29th July 2017.

Cowes Week, now bearing the official title Lendy Cowes Week, is one of the world's best-known sailing regattas with a rich heritage dating back to 1826.

Lendy is Europe's leading peer to peer secured property lending platform, with more than 16,000 investors and over £320 million in lending provided to property developers.

CWL and Lendy look forward to welcoming everyone to the inaugural Lendy Cowes Week from 29th July - 5th August 2017.

This year's regatta takes place 29th July-5th August.

cowesweek.co.uk

Dorade Takes on Asia
Dorade racing in the 2015 Rolex Fastnet Race. Photo by Rolex / Daniel Forster The 12th entry for 29th edition of the Rolex China Sea Race has been received from the famous classic yacht Dorade. The China Sea Race was established in 1962 with five yachts racing from Hong Kong to Corrigedor, Philippines. The winner was C.F. Von Sydow's on his yacht Reverie a 40' foot classic Yawl designed by Sparkman & Stephens and launched in 1957. The Rolex China Sea Race now finishes in Subic Bay, Philippines but like its first winner, Dorade is also a Sparkman & Stephens, commissioned by Roderick Stephens Sr. and designed in 1929 by his son Olin Stephens and built under the oversight of his younger son Rod.

In his role as Rear Commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, Dorade Captain Matt Brooks, who co-owns the yacht with Pam Rorke Levy has long had ambitions to enter the Rolex China Sea Race, one of the premier ocean races in the RORC line-up. 'We are delighted to usher in a new chapter in Dorade's illustrious history, bringing her to oceans where she has never sailed or raced before," added Brooks. "We are also looking forward to getting to know a new community of sailors, and sharing our experiences bringing a venerable classic yacht back to her intended use. Our hope is that we will inspire the owners of other classic ocean racers to take to the sea again.'"

Since Dorade's launch from the Minneford Yacht Yard in May of 1930 she has ratcheted up an impressive score card; winning more ocean races than any other yacht in history. She won the 1931 Transatlantic Race, which, under Olin's command, won in sixteen days and an hour, beating the next (and much larger) boat by two days, and winning on corrected time by over four days. The win set her name firmly in the annals of yachting history — and changed forever the face of ocean racing yacht design.

In 2015, Dorade completed a four-year campaign retracing the steps of all the major ocean races that the boat had won in the 1930s; in each case beating the boat's original elapsed time performance, and winning the 2013 TransPacific Race overall, 77 years after her first overall win in that race in 1936. Dorade took part in the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Rolex Middle Sea Race in 2015.

The Notice of Race for the 2018 Rolex China Sea Race starting on 28 March 2018 is available online at www.rolexchinasearace.com

Melges 20 World League Goes To Zadar, Croatia
Zadar, Croatia: For the first time ever, the International Melges 20 Class Association (IM20CA) will compete in the Adriatic region, an area fast becoming a premiere location for Melges World League (MWL) events.

Rich in history and millenary tradition, the third European Melges 20 World League regatta will be hosted at Marina Dalmacija, the largest marina in Croatia, located in a naturally protected bay just moments away from the ancient port of Zadar.

In addition to this weekend's forthcoming regatta, the country of Croatia will also host two of the most important events on the 2017 schedule, the European Championship in Sibenik on July 12-15, and the Euros for the Melges 32 on July 20-22, both hosted by D-Marin Mandalina.

Atop the field of nearly 70 teams competing on the 2017 Melges 20 World League Ranking, Russia's Igor Rytov aboard RUSSIAN BOGATYRS has a 29-point advantage over second place Valdimir Prosikhin's NIKA.

Event site in YachtScoring

melges20.com

Farr 40 Gaeta Open
Gaeta, Italy - Alex Roepers is a two-time world champion in the iconic Farr 40 class. For the New York City-based skipper, the road to capturing a third world crown begins in Gaeta, Italy.

Roepers and his top-notch team on Plenty will make their season debut in the Gaeta Open, being held June 8-10 off the coast of this ancient city. Tactician Terry Hutchinson drilled the crew for several days in advance of the regatta, which features a solid five-boat fleet that includes another past world champion in Enfant Terrible.

Roepers, one of the longest-tenured owners in the class, captured his first Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in 2014 off San Francisco. Plenty was back on top of the pack when it won the 2016 title that was held out of Sydney, Australia.

Now Roepers is seeking to join exclusive company as a three-time champ. Italian legend Vincenzo Onorato is the only owner-driver to capture three straight world championships, doing so from 2006 through 2008 (Newport, Copenhagen, Miami Beach). Boston-based skipper Jim Richardson joined Onorato as a three-time Rolex recipient in 2009 - adding Porto Cervo to the titles he secured in Miami Beach (1998) and San Francisco (2004).

Gaeta, located 75 miles from Rome and 50 miles from Naples, sits on a promontory overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. This city has played a prominent role in military history as its fortifications date back to Roman times.

"We are thrilled to bring the Farr 40 class to Gaeta, a beautiful place with very reliable winds," said Geoff Stagg, manager of the Farr 40 Class Association.

This regatta is being hosted by the Yacht Club Gaeta and will have John Busch as principal race officer. Busch will set courses on the Gulf of Gaeta, which delivers a consistent afternoon sea breeze that ranges 12 to 18 knots.

Visit yachtscoring.com for more details on the regatta.

farr40.org

Featured Brokerage
Lupa of London. 1,450,000 vat paid GBP.

Lupa of London is a remarkable Reichel Pugh designed Carbon composite cruiser racer with an outstanding Baltic build pedigree and enviable trophy cupboard.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
brokerage@carrswoodyachts.com
+44 (0)7476 888639

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2006 Marine Composite Racer-Cruiser. 260000 EUR. Located in Imperia, Italy.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
info@bernard-gallay.com

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1993 Whitbread 60 - BLUEPRINT. 70000 GBP. Located South Coast, UK.

An excellent opportunity to buy into an established charter Whitbread 60. strong and well looked after, with regular maintenance and recent rigging and engine.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

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

The Last Word
Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness. -- Allen Ginsberg

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The Bell Tolls For Ainslie
Sir Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR's quest to win the 35th America's Cup came to an early end on Thursday in Bermuda when Peter Burling and Emirates Team New Zealand sealed the British team's fate by reaching the five wins needed against Land Rover BAR to progress to the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs Finals.

In the other Semi-Finals, Nathan Outteridge and Artemis Racing mounted an almighty comeback against their Japanese rivals, Dean Barker's SoftBank Team Japan, winning three races on the trot to take the score in their Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs Semi-Finals to 4-3, meaning they will race again on Friday to decide the second Finalist.

For Ainslie and his team, they were ultimately beaten by Emirates Team New Zealand twice on Thursday, sealing their fate 5-2 and leaving them heading back to Britain without the America's Cup they were so determined to take home.

For Burling and his crew, the incredible efforts the team made from Tuesday to Thursday to repair the boat that was so badly damaged in Tuesday's pitchpole were repaid handsomely, putting themselves into the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs Finals as the first team to reach that stage.

Turning his attention to the potential opponent in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs Final, Burling admitted he does not have a preference between Artemis Racing or SoftBank Team Japan.

In stark contrast to Tuesday's poor performance, Nathan Outteridge and his team looked assured throughout the race, maintaining a slender lead over the pursuing SoftBank Team Japan.

While Dean Barker sailed an almost faultless race, Artemis Racing did not make the mistake the Japanese team would have been hoping for and Nathan Outteridge steered his team home with a 28 second victory, levelling the scores at 3-3 ahead of the teams' third and final battle of the day.

Race results

Semi-Final 1 Race 5: Emirates Team New Zealand beat Land Rover BAR by 31 seconds
Semi-Final 1 Race 5: Artemis Racing beat SoftBank Team Japan by 39 seconds
Semi-Final 1 Race 6: Land Rover BAR beat Emirates Team New Zealand 20 seconds
Semi-Final 1 Race 6: Artemis Racing beat SoftBank Team Japan by 28 seconds
Semi-Final 1 Race 7: Emirates Team New Zealand beat Land Rover BAR by 46 seconds
Semi-Final 1 Race 7:Artemis Racing beat SoftBank Team Japan by 1 minute and 46 seconds

americascup.com

Land Rover BAR Will Continue The Journey
Today, Land Rover and 11th Hour Racing have both confirmed their commitment to continue their partnerships with the team. These will go alongside the existing partners already signed up for the team's next challenge, and the strength of the continued commitment from Land Rover BAR's Shareholders.

Land Rover will continue their support as Title and Exclusive Innovation Partner, and they will increase the technology and engineering resources and expertise offered to the team for the design and development of the next America's Cup race boat.

Alongside their goal to win the America's Cup, Land Rover BAR have put sustainability at the core of all the team's operations, working closely with Exclusive Sustainability Partner, 11th Hour Racing, a programme of The Schmidt Family Foundation. 11th Hour Racing will extend their support of the team to AC36 and the team's goal to become the most sustainable sports team in the world.

Sir Ben Ainslie, Land Rover BAR Skipper and Team Principal: "Firstly well done to Emirates Team New Zealand. But I was really proud of the way the team sailed both today and with our approach to this whole series. We struggled coming into this with a lack of speed for a number of different reasons. The whole team; the designers, engineers, shore team and everyone in the office have dug so deep to make us more competitive. We did that throughout this competition to the point that there wasn't a huge amount between the two boats today. It's a huge credit to our team - and a huge thank you to them, I couldn't be more proud. And a huge thank you to everyone back home in Britain for supporting us; we will be back next time and with support already in place today from Land Rover and 11th Hour Racing, I know we will be stronger."

landroverbar.com

Volvo Ocean Race Youth Academy Returns
The Volvo Ocean Race Youth Academy, powered by International, is back for 2017-18 - and more committed than ever to helping young people around the world learn more about sailing.

The programme, which was a great success in 2014-15, has been backed by AkzoNobel coatings brand, International, which has become the Official Youth Partner for the forthcoming edition, and aims to give youngsters around the planet a chance to try the sport, whilst driving excitement and interest around the race by encouraging more people to experience sailing and teamwork.

For the more experienced young sailors, a series of races in Optimist dinghies will take place at ten of the 12 scheduled stopovers. Various workshops, training sessions and other activities will also be provided, such as educating and inspiring people to tackle the problem of plastic in our oceans.

The Youth Academy events will take place in 10 Host Cities along the Volvo Ocean Race route - Alicante, Lisbon, Cape Town, Hong Kong, Auckland, Itajaí, Newport, Cardiff, Gothenburg and The Hague. Each Optimist race will feature eight teams, with each Volvo Ocean Race team represented by a team in the Youth Academy.

volvoceanrace.com

Seahorse June 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

World news
Sebastien Josse prepares to meet his monster, as Thomas Coville speeds his up, scows rule (again), timeless in Auckland, gagged in the USA and who got there first? Patrice Carpentier, Ivorwilkins, Rob Kothe, Dobbs Davis

Better (motor) boats
Low drag has played a central part in the long and successful design career of Nigel Irens. And nothing's changed with his latest venture...

ORC column - Justice prevails
Yes at last we have a 2016 European Champion!

Behind the throne - Part II
America's Cup sails but with more handwork - Burns Fallow talks Superyacht rigs

New kid comin'
For shiny carbon parts from small to very large indeed... look no further

Special rates for Scuttlebutt Europe subscribers:
Seahorse Print or Digital Subscription Use Discount Promo Code SB2

1yr Print Sub: €77 - £48 - $71 / Rest of the World: £65
www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs/

1yr Digital Sub for £30: www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/digital

Discounts shown are valid on a one year subscription to Seahorse magazine.

Why die New Zealand Capsize?
Land Rover BAR's chief technology officer, Andy Claughton, has some fascinating insights into the capsize of Emirates Team New Zealand, and other aspects of the America's Cup race format.

Why did Emirates Team New Zealand pitchpole so disastrously during the America's Cup playoffs?

There have been numerous theories about this - the wingmast being allowed to develop too much power; and disruption of the flow pattern over ETNZ's foils caused by Land Rover BAR's turbulent wake being two.

But Land Rover BAR's chief technology officer, Andy Claughton, thinks it's much simpler. He believes it was an issue with the daggerboard controls, a split-second miscommunication that arose from decision to give these vital flight controls to one of the team's 'cyclors' rather than putting them in the hands of the helmsman, as is the case on the other teams' boats.

World Cup Series Final Reaches Mid-Point
Sailing's 2017 World Cup Series Final reached its mid-point on Thursday, as sailors continue to fight for position across the ten Olympic and Open Kiteboarding events in Santander, Spain.

The competition in Santander has been ferocious with Olympic medallists, World Champions and many of the world's leading sailors aiming to reach Saturday's live Medal Races and to be in with a chance at claiming a medal.

Thursday's racing saw exceptional sailing conditions across all the racing areas. An 11-16 knot breeze, gusting 25 knots, tested the sailors.

An interesting fight is developing at the front of the Women's One Person Dinghy fleet between Belgium's Evi van Acker and Denmark's Anne-Marie Rindom.

The pair, both Olympic medallists, are fighting tooth and nail with minimal separation.

Three points split the pair and they're enjoying the battle,

Top three results by class:

470 Men
1. Panagiotis Mantis / Pavlos Kagialis, GRE, 9
2. David Bargehr / Lukas Mahr, AUT, 16
3. Stuart Mcnay / David Hughes, USA, 16

470 Women
1. Hannah Mills / Eilidh McIntyre, GBR, 7
2. Afrodite Zegers / Anneloes van Veen, NED, 12
3. Amy Seabright / Anna Carpenter, GBR, 19

49er
1. James Peters / Fynn Sterritt, GBR, 25
2. Dylan Fletcher-Scott / Stuart Bithell, GBR, 29.60
3. Lukasz Przybytek / Pawel Kolodzinski, POL, 31

49erFX
1. Martine Soffiatti Grael / Kahena Kunze, BRA, 23
2. Charlotte Dobson / Saskia Tidey, GBR, 24
3. Lili Sebesi / Albane Dubois, FRA, 28

Finn
1. Edward Wright, GBR, 15
2. Ben Cornish, GBR, 17
3. Deniss Karpak, EST, 19

Formula Kite
1. Nicolas Parlier, FRA, 15
2. Riccardo Andrea Leccese, 35
3. Oliver Bridge, GBR, 35

Laser
1. Jean Baptiste Bernaz, FRA, 15
2. Charlie Buckingham, USA, 19
3. Philipp Buhl, GER, 23

Laser Radial
1. Evi Van Acker, BEL, 9
2. Anne-Marie Rindom, DEN, 12
3. Vasileia Karachaliou, GRE, 26

Nacra 17
1. Fernando Echavarri Erasun / Tara Pacheco van Rijnsoever, ESP, 15
2. Tom Phipps / Nicola Boniface, GBR, 24
3. John Gimson / Anna Burnet, GBR, 26

RS:X Men
1. Kiran Badloe, NED, 27
2. Louis Giard, FRA, 29
3. SHahar Zubari, IRS, 31

RS:X Women
1. Patricia Freitas, BRA, 20
2. Yunxiu Lu, CHN, 26
3. Manjia Zheng, CHN, 44

Full results: www.sailing.org/worldcup/results/

Marine Industry News
While Akzo Nobel, the leading Dutch paints and coatings group, may be pleased that it has managed to defeat the takeover advances of PPG, its management has major challenges ahead in meeting its promises to shareholders. As the owner of Awlgrip and International paints, Akzo Nobel is a leading player in the global yacht market.

The US paints and coatings group, PPG, made three separate takeover attempts for Akzo Nobel, the last of which was valued at €26.9bn. Despite serious attempts by PPG to hold discussions with Akzo Nobel about the bids, these were all fended off by the Dutch management. This caused some major feelings among Akzo Nobel shareholders, which will now need to see commitments made to them met in the coming years.

In particular, hedge fund shareholder Elliott Advisors lead the shareholder opposition and also took legal action to try and remove the Akzo Nobel chairman. The shareholder discontent over the response of the Dutch management to the bids generated an attitude that the latter were being high-handed.

plus.ibinews.com

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More than 90 organisations have already signed up for the London Boat Show 2018, with the event set to run in a new format for the first time.

The shorter five-day event, taking place from 10-14 January, will run alongside the Boating & Watersports Holiday Show and Bespoke London.

The Boating & Watersports Holiday Show will include an interactive inland waterways-themed area, where visitors will be able to climb aboard a 'typical' inland waterways craft and get specialist advice from global and boutique companies.

Meanwhile, Bespoke London has been designed for high-net worth individuals and promises an 'immersive' experience with 'behind-the-rope' experiences in an elegant setting.

www.boatingbusiness.com

---------------------------------------------------

Metstrade said international yacht interior designer and engineer Birgit Schnaase was appointed chairwoman of the DAME Design Awards jury.

Organizers also said Olivier Racopeau, of Berret-Racopeau Yacht Design, Davide Cipriani, of Centrostiledesign, and Yachting World editor Elaine Bunting - all renowned experts in their field - have been appointed as new jury members.

Schnaase succeeds Bill Dixon, who expressed a desire to step down after Metstrade last year after a decade chairing the jury.

Schnaase, the first woman to take on the role, was approached because of valuable insights and leadership skills on the DAME jury since 2012. Organizers said her 22 years of experience as an engineer and interior designer working on notable yacht, aircraft and house interior design projects will be valued as she chairs the jury from 2017.

www.tradeonlytoday.com

---------------------------------------------------

Today, the Royal Ocean Racing Club announced the continued support of leading Dutch yacht transport and logistics company, Sevenstar Yacht Transport who remain title sponsor of their most tactically challenging offshore race, run every four years: The Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race 2018.

The Pre-Notice of Race is now available for the RORC's non-stop 1,805 nautical mile marathon, starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron line, Cowes on Sunday 12th August 2018 and marking Sevenstar's fourth backing of the race since 2006.

In the last race in 2014, a series of coincidences involving the remains of hurricane Bertha made the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race a multi-record breaking event. The weather gods conspired, producing the most challenging conditions for the diverse fleet, resulting in race records being obliterated and new ones being established... All ready to be broken again by those competing in the 2018 race.

Several IMOCA 60s will be on the start line of the 2018 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, sailing it two handed as preparation for the famous singlehanded Route du Rhum Race three months later. The Sevenstar RB&IR will represent the last major outing for IMOCA 60s before the two handed Barcelona World Race, scheduled to start in January 2019.

The Class40 Association has also included the race in its 2018 programme.

roundbritainandireland.rorc.org

Download the Pre-Notice of race

---------------------------------------------------

At the shareholders meeting held earlier this week, Perini Navi appointed a new Board of Directors comprised of Lamberto Tacoli - Chairman and CEO, Fabio Boschi and Edoardo Tabacchi as Vice Presidents and Massimo d'Aiuto and Emanuele Maria Tabacchi as Directors.

The appointment of the new Board of Directors follows the recent partnership agreement between the Faper Group, a holding company founded by Fabio Perini, and Dino Tabacchi's family company, Fenix Srl.

With a capital injection of €27 million, Fenix Srl owns 49.99% of Perini Navi, while Faper Group has a 50.01% shareholding.

---------------------------------------------------

Kraken Yachts, a sailboat maker based in Hong Kong, has entered the UK market with a new sales head office in Southampton.

Located at Swanwick Marina on the River Hamble, the office was set up by Kraken sales director Mark Williams to serve as the central hub for worldwide sales of Kraken blue-water cruising yachts.

With a yacht model range of 50ft, 58ft and 66ft, Kraken Yachts claims to have positioned itself in a unique place in the market, with prices similar to the mass-produced manufacturers but with the quality associated with mainstream blue-water sailing brands.

The company says it plans to open offices in the US and Australia over the next 12 months.

plus.ibinews.com

* From T. Carder:

Your promo for the Marion-Bermuda race mentioned the Golden Gate Yacht Club! I remember hearing the name of that club before- weren't they once involved in the America's Cup? Of course- I remember now- the Golden Gate Yacht Club in San Francisco. Didn't yacht clubs once play a part in the America's Cup?

But of course, that was before the AC turned into Professional Gladiatorial Sailing in the Russelldome of Bermuda...

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The Last Word
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. -- Mark Twain

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

Burling brings Kiwis to match point with one-second win
Peter Burling's Emirates Team New Zealand started the day with a 2-1 lead in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoff Final over Nathan Outteridge and Artemis Racing.

Two hours later, Burling was sitting on match point, holding a 4-2 lead and taking a stranglehold on the series. But it was far from easy, with the winning delta on the final race of the day of just one-second.

The first team to earn five points will advance to the America's Cup Match presented by Louis Vuitton against two-time defending champion ORACLE TEAM USA.

In the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs Semi-finals, Artemis Racing won three consecutive races to defeat SoftBank Team Japan and Outteridge and his team will have to repeat that performance to advance to the match.

Sunday dawned with dark clouds and stormy skies in Bermuda and an ominous forecast - rain showers and thunderstorms crossed the Great Sound race area throughout the early afternoon and racing took place in winds that peaked near 15 knots and dropped as low 8 knots.

Racing is scheduled to continue in lighter conditions on Monday afternoon.

Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs - Final
Race 1 - Emirates Team New Zealand beat Artemis Racing - 47 seconds
Race 2 - Artemis Racing beat Emirates Team New Zealand - 15 seconds
Race 3 - Emirates Team New Zealand win - Artemis Racing do not finish
Race 4 - Artemis Racing beat Emirates Team New Zealand - 15 seconds
Race 5 - Emirates Team New Zealand win - Artemis Racing do not finish
Race 6 - Emirates Team New Zealand beat Artemis Racing - 1 second

americascup.com

* In race 6, once again Artemis had the lead at marks 1 and 2. On the first upwind leg, the Kiwis tacked to port and Artemis did a big dial down, aiming at the Kiwis and forcing them to make a big alteration of course, and fall off their foils. Still the Kiwis are going faster and come to the top gate even with Artemis. Down the run the Kiwis pass in more wind on the left side of the course and build a decent lead during legs 4, 5 and 6. At the final gate, the Kiwis mismanage the lay line and fall off their foils in a gybe. Artemis was bearing down on them at 40 knots while the Kiwis were doing 15 knots. The Kiwis got up and foiling just in time to win by 1 second.

Heart stopping stuff for Kiwi fans.

The Kiwis now lead the series 4-2. Artemis has to win 3 in a row tomorrow to win the series while the Kiwis need just one more win.

The Kiwis have been behind at Mark 1 and 2 in all 6 races of these finals. Today, Artemis' smaller boards helped them on leg 1 but they paid for that on the upwind legs in races 5 and 6.

Still, Peter Burling is going to have to do better in the starts and boat on boat situations to beat Jimmy Spithill and the Oracle team in the Cup. -- Paul Cayard

North Atlantic Storm Hits OSTAR & TWOSTAR Fleet
In the early hours of Friday 9th June, 60 knot winds and 15 metre seas were experienced by competitors, caused by a very low depression (967 mb). These extreme conditions caused damage to many boats with 3 emergency beacons (EPIRB) triggered. The Canadian coastguard in Halifax immediately reacted to the situation sending ships and air support to all the boats in distress.

The boats affected over the past 36 hours are:

TAMARIND - Suffered severe damage. Skipper well with no injuries. Rescued by Queen Mary en route to Halifax.

HAPPY - Dismasted. Both crew rescued by ocean going tug APL FORWARD. No injuries reported.

FURIA - Boat sunk. Crew resuced by survey vessel THOR MAGNA. No injuries reported.

HARMONII - Mainsail and track damage. Retired. Heading under engine for the Azores. Skipper ok, no injuries.

SUOMI KUDU - Mainsail problems. Retired. Heading back to UK. Skipper ok, no injuries.

All other competitors safe but still experiencing a 10 - 15 metre swell, no injuries reported.

The RWYC would like to thank all personnel at the Halifax Coastguard for their immediate and magnificent response to this emergency situation. All seafarers owe them a debt of gratitude.

rwyc.org/ostar/

"I've been involved with these races for 25 years now, and this is the most extreme low depression going across the Atlantic at this time of year," said race director John Lews, to the BBC.

"So it's very unusual, but these are professional sailors, they're used to arduous conditions but not really a once in a lifetime storm like this one."

The races covered 2,900 miles and began on 29 May

www.independent.co.uk

World Cup Series Final concludes
Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis. 470 Class, Greece. Photo by Pedro Martinez/Sailing Energy/World Sailing. Click on image for photo gallery.

There was drama at the death at the World Cup Series Final in Santander, Spain as the Men's Heavyweight Dinghy, Finn, Medal Race provided a tense finale.

Four new World Cup Series Champions were crowned earlier on in the day but the best of the action was in the last race of the week, the Finn, where the medals were decided on the final run.

After a beautiful, sun-baked, windy week of racing in Santander, the final day saw a light, 6-8 knot, north westerly breeze under grey skies. Although the air temperature was cool, the competitive sailing was hot and five close Medal Races, entwined with gripping and tense narratives, played out on Santander Bay.

Great Britain won the Nations Trophy, awarded to the best performing team at the World Cup Final, after they won nine medals, three of each colour. France and Brazil followed in the medal tally.

The 2017 World Cup Series has now drawn to a close. Sailors focus will now shift to their respective class world and continental championships.

The 2017-18 World Cup Series will commence this October at a new location in Gamagori, Japan. In early 2018, the series will head to Miami, USA then Hyeres, France before a concluding final at a venue to be confirmed in June/July.

Top three results by class:

470 Men
1. Panagiotis Mantis / Pavlos Kagialis, GRE, 36
2. David Bargehr / Lukas Mahr, AUT, 42
3. Giacomo Ferrari / Guilio Calabro, ITA, 43.60

470 Women
1. Hannah Mills / Eilidh McIntyre, GBR, 20
2. Afrodite Zegers / Anneloes van Veen, NED, 39
3. Silvia Mas Depares / Patricia Cantero Reina, ESP, 42

49er
1. James Peters / Fynn Sterritt, GBR, 45
2. Lukasz Przybytek / Pawel Kolodzinski, POL, 52
3. Dylan Fletcher-Scott / Stuart Bithell, GBR, 58.60

49erFX
1. Martine Soffiatti Grael / Kahena Kunze, BRA, 43
2. Charlotte Dobson / Saskia Tidey, GBR, 50
3. Lili Sebesi / Albane Dubois, FRA, 57

Finn
1. Ben Cornish, GBR, 48
2. Zsombor Berecz, HUN, 48
3. Edward Wright, GBR, 60

Formula Kite
1. Nicolas Parlier, FRA, 27
2. Oliver Bridge, GBR, 54
3. Riccardo Andrea Leccese, 70

Laser
1. Jean Baptiste Bernaz, FRA, 59
3. Philipp Buhl, GER, 61
2. Charlie Buckingham, USA, 62

Laser Radial
1. Evi Van Acker, BEL, 43
2. Vasileia Karachaliou, GRE, 65
3. Dolores Moreira Fraschini, DEN, 66

Nacra 17
1. Fernando Echavarri Erasun / Tara Pacheco van Rijnsoever, ESP, 25
2. John Gimson / Anna Burnet, GBR, 45
3. Ben Saxton / Katie Dabson, GBR, 57

RS:X Men
1. Kiran Badloe, NED, 36
2. Louis Giard, FRA, 54
3. Shahar Zubari, IRS, 56

RS:X Women
1. Patricia Freitas, BRA, 39
2. Yunxiu Lu, CHN, 47
3. Stefania Elfutina, RUS, 67

Full results: www.sailing.org/worldcup/results/

Taking it in the right order - Club Swan 50
With the launch of the ClubSwan50, Nautor has rewritten the book on how to ensure the best possible one-design racing with a new offshore class

A great deal has happened in Finland since the sea started to freeze over and the sun dipped lower in the sky last autumn. In fact, a lot has been happening since the first three ClubSwan50s appeared at the marina outside the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda back in September 2016 for the Rolex Swan Cup.

In most cases when a new one-design is developed there is little time or drive to improve on the boat after the first examples hit the water. The incentive is simply to fill the order books based on that first impression. While first impressions of the ClubSwan50 were all extremely positive, Nautor, along with the ClubSwan50 steering committee, saw potential to not just produce a good boat out of the box, but to spend a little time and make it really stand out from the crowd.

So rather than accepting that the first boat and the 20th boat would all be tied to the problems that are only found with the benefit of a proper shake-down, Nautor took the opportunity over the autumn and winter to work on and refine the ClubSwan 50 based on the input of the designers, Nautor experts and professional sailors.

Full article in the June issue of Seahorse:
www.seahorsemagazine.com

J/70 Open European Championship
Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble UK" After nine races, the 2017 J/70 Open European Championship is decided. Claudia Rossi's Italian team, racing Petite Terrible, retained their title in a thrilling final day of high speed action in the Central Solent.

Jose María Torcida's Spanish team, racing Noticia, were second and Peter Duncan's American team, racing Relative Obscurity, scored an impressive 2-1-1 to snatch third on the last day. Top British registered boat was the Maltese/British alliance of Calascione & Ripard, who finished the regatta in fourth place.

The young team from the Royal Thames YC Academy, skippered by Tim Gratton, and helmed by Fiona Hampshire, was the top Corinthian J/70, placing an impressive 5th overall. Another young team, Jack Davies' J/70 Yeti, from Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, was second in the amateur class, and Simon Ling's Team Spitfire was third.

The last day of racing was full of drama, Petite Terrible won the first race, putting pressure on overnight leader, Noticia. The Spanish team fought back in the penultimate race, to get ahead of Petite Terrible at the crucial first top mark, only to see their spinnaker explode in a gybe. Noticia quickly hoisted their second kite, but in a high calibre fleet they couldn't recover. Petite Terrible held their nerve in the last race to win the J/70 Open European Championship for the second year running.

In a field boasting Olympic medallists and numerous world champions from other classes, one third of the teams had mixed or full women teams and both the Open and Corinthian European Champions, in the J/70 Class, featured women at the helm.

1. Jose María Torcida's Spanish team, racing J/70 Noticia
2. Peter Duncan's American team racing J/70 Relative Obscurity
3. Tim Gratton's Royal Thames YC Academy, was the top Corinthian J/70
4. Jack Davies' Isle of Wight J/70 Team Yeti
5. Simon Ling's British J/70 Team Spitfire

royal-southern.co.uk

Vladimir Krutskikh snatches Finn World Masters title
After trailing the leaders all week, the 2015 Finn World Masters champion, Vladimir Krutskikh, from Russia, turned the tables on the fleet to win the medal race and the title as the 2017 Finn World Masters drew to a close in Barbados. Laurent Hay, from France, had his chances, but ended up second, but also took the Grand Masters title as well, while the leader for much of the week and definitely the best sailor here after winning five of his six races, Rafael Trujillo from Spain, ended up third.

It was another, and the last, day of Finn sailing in paradise. And it was another windy, tough day of challenging sailing in Barbados with big winds, big waves and big wind shifts. It was time for the final showdown. The medal race would define who took home the medals and it turned out to be a dramatic, and for some, calamitous, conclusion to an otherwise perfect week of racing in the Caribbean.

It has been an extraordinary week of first-class Finn sailing in Barbados, and the sentiment as everyone departed was that the class wants to come back sometime in the future. Next year the Finn World Masters meets in El Balis, in Spain, for what is expected to be a bumper edition.

Final results (medal race result in brackets)
1. Vladimir Krutskikh, RUS, 12 points
2. Laurent Hay, FRA, 17
3. Rafael Trujillo, ESP, 17
4. Piet Eckert, SUI, 19
5. Marc Alain des Beauvais, FRA, 23
6. Michael Maier, CZE, 25
7. Christoph Burger, SUI, 31
8. Karl Purdie, NZL, 38
9. Allen Burell, GBR, 44
10. Ulrich Breuer, GER, 45

Full results:
www.finnworldmasters.com

*|YOUTUBE:[$vid=Tm1UfNRFC1o, $max_width=500, $title=N, $border=N, $trim_border=N, $ratings=N, $views=N]|*

Smooth Sailing for Marion Bermuda Race
Forty-seven boats are enjoying a pleasant sail so far in the Atlantic Ocean near or in the Gulf Stream. They are racing from Marion to Bermuda in the 40th Anniversary of the Marion Bermuda Race.

The scratch boat 'Jambi', a new Hinckley Bermuda 50 skippered by John Levinson and race veteran 'Defiance,' a Swan 56 skippered Peter Noonan, are leading the fleet and were some 300nm from Bermuda doing 6.5kts on Sunday morning. They may reach Bermuda by late Monday but that depends winds in the 'happy valley' between the Gulf Stream and Bermuda, especially the last 100 miles to the rock.

Some of the boats behind them are finding calms, the 'parking lots', and shifty winds. Wind in the vicinity of the leaders was dropping from 12kts to 5kts and should be swinging from the SW to the NE as they head south. From there, it is variable and light.

Three boats, 'High Cotton', 'Momentum', and 'Black Mallard', who had engine problems, returned to ports on the east coast. There were no reasons given why 'Momentum' and 'High Cotton' retired.

'Wind Tango',a Beneteau Oceanis 430 skippered by Ed Redmond, had a problem before the start and returned to Marion for repairs. Skipper Ed Redmond phoned race headquarters from their mobile phone at 18:50 on Saturday. He said that Kingman Yacht Center had replaced a cracked thru hull and they were on their way. Redmond was very pleased by the service of Kingman. At that time 'Wind Tango' was headed for Cuttyhunk.

The race officer asked them to confirm that they are still on route for Bermuda and they said that they aren't going to win anything at this point and "are just cruising". They did not say that they are withdrawing from the race.

Later a caller from 'Wind Tango' reported that they are "officially pulling out of the race". He said he was "flying to Bermuda tomorrow and "would be attending the dinner". Their position on the YB screen is back in the harbor at Marion.

All of the yachts carry YB Trackers and can be followed on yb.tl/mb2017

Race Blogs will also be posted on Boat Blogs
www.marionbermuda.com/race-media/boat-blogs

www.marionbermuda.com

* From Tony Leech:

After over a 160 years of failing to win the Auld Mug, it is time we accepted that until we have the fastest boat we never will.

Following the 1976 Olympics in which Reg White won a gold medal in the Tornado class catamaran, I asked him whether his crew, John Osborne called the tactics.

He replied in his broad Essex accent 'Boy we don't do tactics, we make sure we have the fastest boat, get the best start and just pull away'.

This approach was even successful in one race when John fell off the boat and Reg had to go back and pick him up.

A fast boat allows minor errors without affecting the outcome. With a slower boat, one is always playing catch up after the smallest misjudgment as was shown in the A.C. series where boats were touching 44kts.

With British innovation and ingenuity surely we can produce a really fast boat over the next 4 years.

For a start, I suggest we should have the hydraulics powered by professional cyclists who can produce 500w for extended periods and obviously, have a much greater power/weight ratio than the usual grinder.

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The Last Word
I'm too old to do things by half. -- Lou Reed

And... It's A Rematch
Peter Burling's Emirates Team New Zealand squad has earned a rematch against ORACLE TEAM USA for the 35th America's Cup with a convincing victory over Artemis Racing in the final match of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs.

It was a nerve-wracking afternoon for the New Zealand team and its fans. With their team on match point, the first attempt at sailing race seven was abandoned after the wind died with Emirates Team New Zealand holding the lead.

But in the second attempt at racing, Burling won the start over his counterpart on Artemis Racing, Nathan Outteridge, and led into mark one for the first time in the series.

From there, the Kiwis showed blazing speed, extending around the race course for what appeared to be an easy race win, a 5-2 victory in the series, and a date in the America's Cup against ORACLE TEAM USA.

In 2013, in San Francisco, ORACLE TEAM USA skipper Jimmy Spithill led his team to one of the greatest comebacks in sport, racing back from a 1-8 deficit to win 9-8 over Emirates Team New Zealand.

But Peter Burling wasn't on that team. In fact, the only holdover on the Kiwi starting crew is wing trimmer and skipper Glenn Ashby. The 2017 Emirates Team New Zealand doesn't appear to be scarred from that experience.

After racing, the inaugural Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs Trophy was presented to Emirates Team New Zealand by Grant Gibbons, Bermuda's Minister of Economic Development, at a prize-giving ceremony in the America's Cup Village.

Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs Finals
Race 1 Emirates Team New Zealand beat Artemis Racing: 47 seconds
Race 2 Artemis Racing beat Emirates Team New Zealand: 15 seconds
Race 3 Emirates Team New Zealand win: Artemis Racing do not finish
Race 4 Artemis Racing beat Emirates Team New Zealand: 15 seconds
Race 5 Emirates Team New Zealand win: Artemis Racing do not finish
Race 6 Emirates Team New Zealand beat Artemis Racing: 1 second
Race 7 Race abandoned for exceeding the time limit (to be re-sailed)
Race 7 Emirates Team New Zealand beat Artemis Racing: 56 seconds

This week will see the America's Cup Superyacht Regatta and the Red Bull Youth America's Cup.

America's Cup matches are Saturday / Sunday June 17-18, Saturday / Sunday June 24-25 and Monday / Tuesday June 26 - 27 if extra days / races required.

americascup.com

Red Bull Youth America's Cup
The Red Bull Youth America's Cup began its 2017 campaign on 12th June on Bermuda's Great Sound, the same waters that had just seen the conclusion of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Challenger Playoffs, and at the end of day one it is the British team Land Rover BAR Academy who will be happiest with their day's work, finishing on top of the leaderboard. However, the big story is the local favourites, TeamBDA, who finish day one in third place overall after a highly impressive first day of Red Bull Youth America's Cup Qualifiers action.

The first day of racing in the 2017 Red Bull Youth America's Cup saw the six Pool B teams kicking off their qualifying campaigns with three races, each team looking to book their place in the Red Bull Youth America's Cup Finals.

The Pool B teams competing on day one included TeamBDA, the hometown favourites, taking on Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR), Next Generation USA, Spanish Impulse by Iberostar, Candidate Sailing Team (AUT) and NZL Sailing Team.

At the end of day one it is the British team Land Rover BAR Academy in first place in the first set of qualifiers, followed by Spanish Impulse by Iberostar, then TeamBDA, much to the delight of the vocal home crowd, with NZL Sailing Team fourth, Next Generation USA fifth and Candidate Sailing Team sixth.

Pool B Qualifiers Leaderboard (Day One)

1. Land Rover BAR Academy, 27 points
2. Spanish Impulse by Iberostar, 25
3. TeamBDA, 24
4. NZL Sailing Team, 24
5. Next Generation USA, 19
6. Candidate Sailing Team, 16

Racing on day two starts on 12th June at 5.00pm AST.

Watch the 2017 Red Bull Youth America's Cup Finals, live on Red Bull TV on June 20 and 21 at 2:00pm local Bermuda time/5:00pm UTC.

Red Bull TV is available on connected TVs, gaming consoles, mobile devices and more. For a full list of supported devices: www.redbull.tv/apps

Red Bull Youth America's Cup media hub here: www.redbullsailingnewsroom.com

Twenty yachts will compete for the America's Cup Superyacht Regatta Trophy
Principal Race Officer Peter Craig explained some of the challenges in delivering close, equable racing for a varied fleet of Superyachts and J Class Yachts which will race in four different classes.

"We have split the fleet into four classes including the J Class. It is very important with these hugely disparate sailing characteristics. Not only is there a size difference there is a speed differences which is as much as six minutes a mile between the fastest and slowest boats."

Class A is three strong and contains the fastest rated superyachts, the well travelled Farr designed 30.5m Leopard 3, Highland Fling 15, the Frers designed Nautor 35.5m and Visione, the 44.5m Reichel Pugh design. Visione finished second in her class in Saint Barths.

Class B features Action, the 37m Dykstra design which finished runners up at the Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta in March. Action has double Olympic silver medallist and Volvo Ocean Race winner Ian Walker and double Olympic gold winner Shirley Robertson sharing the roles as strategist and tactician. Action races in Class B along with Rebecca, the 42m Frers ketch, Sojana the Farr designed 35m ketch which has French sailing legend, round the world record breaking skipper Loick Peyron on the crew list. Rebecca and Sojana both finished second in their respective classes in Saint Barths in the Spring. Sojana won Antigua Week overall this year.

Class C with seven entries is the biggest and most diverse division, ranging from the three masted 88m Perini Navi Maltese Falcon to the smaller, elegant 23.3m Wild Horses. Four times America's Cup winner Brad Butterworth is scheduled to sail on Meteor, the 47.7m Dykstra design.

Six J Class yachts will race, representing the most competitive fleet of J Class yachts ever assembled. While the Superyacht fleets race from a staggered start, each crossing the line at a fixed time interval, the J Class contest fleet races. The line up of crews include dozens of past America's Cup winners. Ranger, skippered and steered by Erle Williams, has 15 America's Cup wins shared between seven key sailors, including Matty Mitchell with three wins and Tony Rae, Jared Henderson and Jeremy Scantlebury with two wins apiece. On Svea tactician Tom Whidden's won three America's Cups with Stars & Stripes in 1980, 1987 and 1988 along with Peter Isler, also on Svea in 1987 and 1988. Legendary grinder Andrew Taylor is crew boss on Svea and has won the America's Cup three times, in 1995 and 2000 with Team New Zealand and in 2010 with Oracle. And Hanuman's trimmer Warwick Fleury has four America's Cup wins also, twice with Team New Zealand and twice with Alinghi.

www.boatinternational.com
www.tractrac.com
www.jclassyachts.com

Divisions Set For 49th Transpac
Race managers at the Transpacific YC have divided this year's fleet of 55 entries into seven Monohull and one Multihull divisions for next month's start of the 49th biennial Los Angeles-Honolulu Transpac Race.

The starting order is in reverse order of rated speed, with three classes - Divisions 5, 6 and 7 - being first to start the race on Monday, July 3rd, with the first starting gun to fire at 1:00 PM local time for the start of Division 7. The starts for Division 6 and then Division 5 will follow shortly thereafter.

In all, 17 yachts will be leaving the west coast of the continent on this day, and amongst the three start days this is among the most diverse fleet in terms of size, style and international hailing ports: boat sizes range from Chris Lemke and Brad Lawson's light and fast Hobie 33 Dark Star from Alberta, Canada to Ross Pearlman's more stately and comfortable Jeanneau 52 Between the Sheets from Newport Beach. And besides Dark Star, there are three other international entries in this group: Hiroshige Ikeda's XP 44 t Draconis from Kansai, Japan, Karl Otto Book's Wasa 44 Cubaneren from Aasgaardstrand, Norway, and Michael St Aldwyn's J&J 50 Zephyr from London, England.

On Wednesday, July 5th the second wave of 16 starters from Divisions 3 and 4 will start the race at Point Fermin also at 1:00 PM local time. These boats are more performance-oriented than those in the first wave of starters, and range from Scott Grealish's carbon fiber Farr 400 BlueFlash in Division 3 to the 10-strong group of fast but more conventionally-built Santa Cruz 50's and 52's in Division 4. Being of similar size and speed, this is the largest and could possibly be the most competitive class in this year's fleet.

And on Thursday, July 6th the final wave of the fastest boats will start to leave Point Fermin once again at 1:00 PM local time, starting with Division 2's competitive mix of eight Bill Lee and Alan Andrews-designed ULDB Sleds, including Lee's newly-renovated 67-foot Merlin, celebrating her 40th anniversary of winning the 1977 Transpac and setting a course record that stood for 20 years. Chasing them down will be Division 1's collection of eight fast designs from both the past - such as Avanasy Isaev's 80-foot Grand Mistral maxi from the 1970's - and the present: Tom Holthus's Pac52 is brand new this Spring. And among this group are two 100-footers: Manouch Moshayedi's Bakewell-White-designed Rio100 and the VPLP-designed 100-footer Comanche, a first-to-finish course record contender, skippered by Ken Read.

The last wave to start are the fast multihulls, also starting on Thursday, whose ranks include two MOD 70's - Giovanni Soldini's Maserati and Lloyd Thornburg's Phaedo3

2017.transpacyc.com

Michael Boyd's First 44.7 Lisa, winner of the 2017 Morgan Cup Race
British First 44.7, Lisa, is the overall winner of the 2017 Morgan Cup Race. Owned by Nick & Suzy Jones and skippered by RORC Commodore, Michael Boyd. The Corinthian team scored a memorable victory after IRC time correction. 94 yachts completing the 125 mile course across the English Channel in blustery conditions. The crucial part of Lisa's victory came right at the end of the race.

Five time Figaro competitor, Jacques Pelletier, racing Milon 41, L'Ange De Milon, finished the Morgan Cup just over a minute behind Lisa, to claim second overall. About 15 minutes later, Gilles Fournier and Corinne Migraine, J/133 Pintia, crossed the line. After IRC time correction Pintia was third by just two seconds.

Windward Sailing's CM60, Venomous skippered by Derek Saunders, took Line Honours and victory in IRC Zero, in an elapsed time of just over 17 hours. L'Ange De Milon was the winner of IRC 1, ahead of Maxime de Mareuil's French xp-44 Orange Mecanix2. Mike Greville's British Ker 39, Erivale III was third in class. In IRC Two Lisa was the winner with Pintia second. Stephen Hopson's JPK 10.80 Blue Note was third in IRC 2, racing Two Handed.

A tremendous battle in IRC 3 was played out by two French JPK 1080s. Marc Alperovitch's Timeline took Line Honours for the class and after IRC time correction, won by just 26 seconds, ahead of Delamare & Mordret's Dream Pearls. Rob Craigie's Sunfast 3600 Bellino was third in class racing Two Handed. In IRC 4, Marc Noel racing French Norlin 37 China Girl, corrected out to win the class, ahead of two British teams; David Cooper racing Dehler 38 Longue Pierre and David Gough's Elan 333 Aventurera.

In the Class40 Division, Halvard Mabire's Campagne de France continued their fine for this season, winning their class by over one hour.

In IRC Two Handed, the top seven places all went to British boats, the top three separated by just 2 minutes 17 seconds after IRC time correction. -- Louay Habib

www.rorc.org

Marion Bermuda running out of wind
RHADC Bermuda: Monday morning the forty-seven boat Marion Bermuda Race fleet was in a bunch from 225nm away from Bermuda to about 310nm out. They are trying to make their way, but having a tough go of it.

Boats at the top of the YB Tracker's Leaderboard are 'Lucy Georgina', XP44 skippered by Peter Bacon, the scratch [fastest] boat 'Jambi', a new Hinckley Bermuda 50 skippered by John Levinson and 'Tenacious', a J47 owned by Barrett Levenson.

The top 11 boats on the line honors Leaderboard were showing a distance to go within 10 miles of each other doing 1.2 recent VMG [velocity made good] to the finish in Bermuda. The winds they are in are under 6kts. The back of the fleet seemed to be sailing out of a better breeze, catching up to the leaders and slowing down as they did. -- Talbot Wilson

All of the yachts carry YB Trackers and can be followed on yb.tl/mb2017

Blogs from the boats:
www.marionbermuda.com/race-media/boat-blogs

www.marionbermuda.com

Andy Beadsworth opens Dragon Worlds with a bullet
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Cascais Portugal: Andy Beadsworth sailing Provezza, the Turkish flagged entry with his team of Ali Tezdiker and Simon Fry won the first race of the 2017 Dragon World Championship in Cascais in superb sailing conditions and warm sunshine.

70 Dragons from 19 nations tackled the challenging waters off Cascais, only 20 km down the coast from the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. For the first day of racing one longer race was scheduled using a 2 lap windward/leeward course of 2.2nm in length with a final upwind leg to the finish.

The race was started in gutsy 16 - 20 knots of breeze from 330 degrees, accompanied by rolling waves and warm hazy sunshine.

Race Day 2 on Tuesday 13 June has 2 races scheduled with a first warning signal at 1300hrs local time. -- Jonny Fullerton of Grand Prix Sailing

Top ten after 1 race:
1. Provezza Dragon, Andy Beadsworth Ali Tezdiker, Simon Fry, TUR, 1
2. Alfie, Lawrie Smith Hugo Rocha, Joao Matos Rosa, Gonçalo Ribeiro, GBR, 2
3. Annapurna, Anatoly Loginov, Vadim Statsenko, Alexander Shalagin, RUS, 3
4. Troika, Pieter Heerema, Lars Hendriksen, Claus Olesen, NED, 4
5. PowWow, Michael Zankel, Pedro Andrade, Charles Nankin, GER, 5
6. Louise, Grant Gordon, Ruaridh Scott, Kasper Harsberg, GBR, 6
7. Drago, Jose SM Matoso, Gustavo Lima, Frederico P. Melo, POR, 7
8. Corrier des Saints, Gery Trentesaux, Eric Brezelec, Jeremie Mion, Jean Queveau, FRA, 8
9. Desert Holly M, Stephan Link, Frank Butzmann, Michi Lipp, GER, 9
10. Fever, Klaus Diedrichs, Diego Negri, Jamie Lea, GBR, 10

Full results: www.cncascais.com

* From Adrian Morgan:

I'll be upsetting a load of Ben's fans, but if he knew they were slow months ago, according to his own words, and behind the curve technically, and made some too hasty decisions about design, then why were we lead to believe that the Cup was ever coming home? I can understand the tactic of talking things up, putting on a brave face, backs against the wall etc. (we are British after all) but was this for the sponsors', or supporters' benefit? Despite all the talk about a plucky, first time challenge, learning curves (steep or otherwise) and "we'll be back", is that really going to happen, and should it? Soon there'll be criticism of money spent/wasted and the usual British delight in retrospection and recrimination. But the truth is a lot of money was spent on a yacht race that a lot of hospitals would have benefited from.

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1992 Swan 77 "LA FORZA DEL DESTINO". 1,100,000 USD. Located in Sint Maarten, Caribbean

This Frers-designed Swan 77 combines superb sailing performance with a luxurious five stateroom layout typically found on much larger yachts.

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Tritium. 575000 USD.

Official Price: $ 575,000 USD TRITIUM is a modified Orma 60 trimaran - stretched to 72 feet. Originally built by offshore veteran Jean Le Cam, the boat was updated by Artemis Racing for testing of AC wing and dagger foils.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

The Last Word
Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak. -- Marcus Tullius Cicero

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

TeamBDA Light Up Bermuda
Light winds again greeted the six international Red Bull Youth America's Cup Pool B teams who returned to day two of Qualifiers fleet racing action on 13th June on Bermuda's Great Sound. However, the wind speed did not stop the day producing huge tension, real drama and a fantastic story for Bermuda, home of the 35th America's Cup with TeamBDA, the local favourites, booking their place in the Finals of the 2017 Red Bull Youth America's Cup by securing the points they needed to progress in the second race of the day.

TeamBDA's progression also means that, at the end of day two, the 2017 Red Bull Youth America's Cup says goodbye to the Austrian Candidate Sailing Team and Carson Crain's Next Generation USA.

On the water, in action on day two of the Qualifiers with TeamBDA was Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR), Spanish Impulse by IBEROSTAR (ESP), Candidate Sailing Team (AUT), Next Generation USA and NZL Sailing Team. The teams, all aged between 18 - 24 years, were racing on the final day of the Pool B 2017 Red Bull Youth America's Cup Qualifiers, the precursor to the Finals which take place on the Great Sound on 20th / 21st June.

2017 Red Bull Youth America's Cup Pool B Qualifiers - Final Standings
1. NZL Sailing Team, 51points 2. Land Rover BAR Academy, 51
3. Spanish Impulse by IBEROSTAR, 51
4. TeamBDA, 45
5. Next Generation USA, 36
6. Candidate Sailing Team, 36

Watch the 2017 Red Bull Youth America's Cup Finals, live on Red Bull TV on June 20 and 21 at 2:00pm local Bermuda time/5:00pm UTC.

www.redbull.tv

America's Cup Superyacht Regatta
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

If the turquoise waters off Bermuda's north coast offered a gentle, benign start to the America's Cup Superyacht Regatta 2017 there were few complaints from the 19 crews who enjoyed a relatively straightforward Race Day One, in association with Rego Sotheby's International Realty, a coastal round the buoys passage contest of between 13 and 16 miles.

In breezes which rose and fell between 5 and 11kts there was little by way of tactical upwind or downwind sailing and so the keys to success were sail selection, trimming, smooth crew work and reading how the cloud patterns were influencing the patchy, shifty winds as they blew down off the island.

In the competitive five strong J Class fleet, racing in association with Bermuda Business Development Agency, Hanuman came back from a premature start to recover quickly and take the race victory ahead of Ranger. The biggest Superyacht in the fleet, the iconic 88m Maltese Falcon scored the biggest win in the regatta's biggest division Class C. 44.8m Visione, the Reichel Pugh design laid down a marker by winning Class A, Hyperion the 48m Frers design with Harold Cudmore calling tactics, triumphed in Class B.

The triangle shaped courses (to be expected in Bermuda?), passing Kitchen Shoals, placed the biggest premium on reaching speeds. The first reach which became progressively broader saw a variety of reaching sails set but there was a seemingly high proportion of two sail reaching, opening up few passing opportunities.

Sail selection and use was key in Class A where Visione triumphed, as boat captain Garth Brewer recalled: "We sailed pretty well, the crew work was good all the way through. We made an important peel from the A1 to a reacher and that kept us fast on the first downwind. It was nice and clean. But the boat is well set up. We made the right sail choices at the right time."

The same key factors were fundamental to Hyperion's win, holding on to their spinnaker when the reaches got tight. Hyperion, with veteran Cudmore aboard, sailed smoothly to hold off Action which has Shirley Robertson and Ian Walker as a formidable afterguard along with navigator Marcel van Trieste.

www.boatinternational.com

J Class at the America's Cup Superyacht Regatta
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Hanuman bounced back quickly from starting too early to win the first race of the America's Cup Superyacht Regatta in Bermuda.

Although they had to return and recross the line Hanuman were able to recover as the breeze filled from the right side of the first upwind leg. Already positioned on the favoured side, they chased Velsheda around the first windward mark, capitalised when the leaders set a kite which they almost immediately had to douse and then extended away to take first gun ahead of second placed Ranger.

The crew which won the six J Class yacht fleet at the Saint Barths Bucket in March win the first of the three scheduled races at the America's Cup Superyacht regatta. Optimised for the light conditions expected in Bermuda, Hanuman looked quick in the 5-9kts patchy breeze which was affected by the cloud patterns over the island to windward of the race course.

They were pushed in the final seconds pre start by Topaz, but all three boats which started closest to the committee boat, windward end of the line - Hanuman, Topaz and Velsheda - were able to climb away from the fleet as the wind swung right and strengthened slightly.

Conversely Lionheart, which started to the left, struggled initially and were forced to watch as their rivals sailed away. But, just as the first windward leg proved fickle and shifty, so was the final short beat. Lionheart was able to pass Topaz for fourth and Ranger stole second of the five J Class yachts which raced today. It is understood Svea will join the regatta from Wednesday.

www.jclassyachts.com

Accomplished Yachtsman's Private Collection To Be Sold By Online Auction
Click on image for photo gallery.

Due to his relocation abroad, Marriott & Co. are instructed by their client to offer for sale by online auction his collection of yachts, masts, sails, dinghies, RIBS, a DAF flat bed truck and various marine ancillaries.

Items for sale in this rare opportunity include a Modern 6m racing yacht 'Thisbe', a Vintage Modern 6m racing yacht 'St Francis V1', a YW Seahorse 28ft 'Rocinante', a Freedom 21ft designed by Gary Hoyt 'Codling', a 2.4 m R Norlin, a never used Mcnulty 9ft sailing tender, a Flying 15 sailing yacht, a Tornado catamaran, a Guy Thompson T31 hull, a Valiant 450 RIB, various mast sections, mainsails, headsails, spinnakers, rigging and other marine equipment and eclectic items of interest.

The online auction closes from 3pm Wednesday 21 June 2017.

Viewing of the items is available near Lymington, Hampshire on Tuesday 20 June strictly by appointment.

Please telephone 01252 712083 or email sales@marriottco.co.uk for an appointment to view.

To view the full catalogue and for further details please visit www.marriottco-auctions.co.uk

Gladiator Outduels Spookie for Around the Island Honors
Newport, R.I.: On the water, the father-and-son team of Tony and Bernard Langley, sailing Gladiator, suffered the narrowest of defeats to Steve and Heidi Benjamin's Spookie on Day 1 of the 163rd New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta presented by Rolex, and sponsored by Porsche and AIG. The two yachts raced neck and neck for 19 miles around Conanicut Island and were separated by just three seconds at the finish line, with Spookie crossing just ahead of Gladiator.

But when the handicaps were applied--while both boats are the same length and style of raceboat, there are slight differences and hence a tiny disparity in their respective ratings--the results were reversed with the Langleys winning by two seconds and claiming the Rolex timepiece awarded to the top overall finisher under IRC.

The race started--at 1100 hours with the slowest classes going first--in the remnants of an offshore breeze, with many of the teams setting spinnakers as they sailed south from the starting line off Newport toward the first turning mark at Beavertail Point on the south end of Conanicut Island. But the downwind run was short lived as each fleet had to negotiate a tricky convergence zone between the incoming southerly seabreeze and the fading gradient flow. The zone was particularly hazardous for the five speedsters in IRC1, which started last.

While the battle for IRC overall was the most watched, there was plenty of other storylines to follow for the Around the Island Race. In her first race in Newport in more than 30 years, the 12-Metre Defender took the early lead off the line and took first place in the Modern Division of the 12 Metre class. Dennis Williams, who normally sails Victory '83, recently finished a restoration of Defender and showed today that it was worth the effort. Kip Curran's Laura won the Grand Prix Division and American Eagle won the Traditional Division.

Other one-design class winners included John Hele's Swan 42 Daring, Harold Bruning's C&C30 Topas, Jim Bishop's J/44 Gold Digger, and the Pieter Taselaar's M32 catamaran Bliksem. -- Stuart Streuli

Full results: nyyc.org/yachting/racing/163rd-annual-regatta

Figaro: Homeward Bound
Tuesday afternoon the fleet of La Solitaire URGO le Figaro sailors have been negotiating the final landmark of Belle Ile island before heading back northwest for a slow motion dash to the finish line in Concarneau. Coming into their fourth night at sea many of the sailors will be feeling the effects of fatigue with the super light conditions not allowing for much rest as the boats requiring constant attention.

Following a major shuffle of the pack early this morning during a 'shut down' in the wind at the westerly turning mark of Chasusee de Sein, the leader board has started to settle down. Pierre Quirogas (Espoir CEM) 1st place ranking was short lived this after his bold manoeuvre taking the most offshore route did not pay off, seeing him slip back to 10th as the fleet rounded Belle Ile. Leading at the front Charlie Dalin (Macif 2015) will fight all the way to the finish with Erwan Tabarly (Armor Lux) alongside, the two currently level at the 17:00 standings with Tabarly .2kt faster.

In the pack of the eight skippers at the 1700h standings their are only five soloists who had finished in the Top Ten in Spain: Charlie Dalin (Macif 2015), Sebastien Simon (Brittany CMB Performance), the "Rookie" Julien Pulve (Team Vendee Formation), who made a nearly perfect race from Bordeaux, Nicolas Lunven (Generali) Winner in Gijon and Adrien Hardy (Agir Recouvrement), the gentleman of Gijon.

Update 0700 FR time:

First ten to finish leg 2:
1. AGIR Recouvrement, Adrien Hardy
2. Armor Lux, Erwan Tabarly
3. Generali, Nicolas Lunven
4. Skipper Macif 2015, Charlie Dalin
5. Ovimpex - Secours Populaire, Anthony Marchand
6. Team Vendee Formation , Julien Pulve
7. Bretagne - Credit Mutuel Performance, Sebastien Simon
8. Skipper Macif 2017, Martin Le Pape
9. Action Contre La Faim, Gildas Mahe
10. SATECO, Benjamin Dutreux

lasolitaire.com

Alex Roepers wins Farr 40 Gaeta Open, Worlds Precursor
Gaeta, Italy: On the surface, it would appear that skipper Alex Roepers and the Plenty team posted a commanding victory in the Farr 40 Gaeta Open. The American boat won seven of nine races and finished with a low score of 11 points, nine better than runner-up Enfant Terrible.

Terry Hutchinson, veteran tactician aboard Plenty, cautioned to not read too much into the scores. "I would say the results are a bit misleading and the gap between Plenty and Enfant Terrible is very small," the Annapolis-based professional said. "The difference in this regatta was slightly better upwind speed supported by superb teamwork."

This marks the fourth season that Roepers has sailed with virtually the same team that is led by Hutchinson, the two-time Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. Trimmers Morgan Trubovich (headsails) and Skip Baxter (main) along with bowman Greg Gendell are the other professionals in the program. Mark Langford (offside trimmer), Dimitri Simons (pit), Fletcher Sims (strategist), Emil Wester (mast) and Jennifer Wulff (floater) complete the crew.

The Gaeta Open was the last regatta before the 2017 Rolex Farr 40 World Championships, being held July 13-16 in Porto Cervo. Roepers said the victory off this ancient city was a confidence-boost for the Plenty team.

Visit yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=4154 for more details on the regatta.

farr40.org

Bosun
An immediate opportunity has arisen for an energetic race orientated sailor to become an integral part of the owner's sailing programme.

Activities will include:

- Hands on maintenance of several yachts supported by yard
- Commissioning and race preparation
- Sailing trials and delivery passages
- Joining race crew

This full-time position will appeal to an experienced capable person with good organisational ability. The more sea miles the better with a Yachtmaster Offshore qualification as a minimum.

Please apply to Oyster Properties, Fox's Marina, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 8NJ
Email md@oysterproperties.com

Giraglia Rolex Cup: From Inshore To Offshore
Saint-Tropez, France: An exciting inshore series at the 2017 Giraglia Rolex Cup concluded Tuesday with competition going down to the wire across all classes. However, there is no respite for the majority of the crews as attention now turns to the start of Wednesdays's 241-nm offshore race to Genoa, Italy. This historic Mediterranean challenge, whose emblematic symbol is the rugged Giraglia rock located on the northern tip of Corsica, has run each and every year since 1953. The 2017 race, the 65th edition, is set to welcome a fleet in the region of 220 international yachts on the start line. With light conditions forecast a record breaking line honours time appears unlikely.

Constant sunshine, calm conditions and close competition characterized the three-day inshore series of the Giraglia Rolex Cup in Saint-Tropez. The larger yachts competed on 32-nm courses and the smaller classes typically on courses ranging from 13-nm to 19-nm.

Fastest yacht on the water for the three days of racing was Alex Schaerer's Maxi 72 Caol Ila R also winner of the IRC 0 division on handicap. ClubSwan 50 and 42 one-design classes contested their own windward/leeward races with Earlybird and Natalia emerging respectively as the leading performers across the week.

Given her excellent form in the inshore series, Caol Ila R will be expected to feature among the offshore race frontrunners

One of the rival Maxi 72s is Sir Peter Ogden's Jethou, second to Caol Ila R on the water during the inshore series. "The current forecast is very light," admits Ogden, a regular Giraglia Rolex Cup campaigner. "There may be some good wind on the leg to the rock but it looks very light after that. In normal wind conditions it should be one of the 72s coming first. If it's lighter, you never know..."

www.giragliarolexcup.com

* From Fiona Hicks - Royal Ulster Yacht Club

RUYC then Vice Commodore Stanton Adair (left) presenting the trophy to RNZYS then Commodore Steven Burrett - Sept 2013. Click on image to enlarge.

Royal Ulster Yacht Club would like to congratulate the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on their victory in the Challenger Series earning their place in the America's Cup final against Oracle Team USA. Beside all the hype of the Louis Vuitton Series there is another trophy that has just been won - the Sir Thomas Lipton Memorial Trophy. This trophy, presented by Royal Ulster YC since 1970, is presented to the yacht club which wins the right to challenge. It is presented in memory of Sir Thomas Lipton who challenged five times for the America's Cup under the burgee of Royal Ulster YC. At a reception this week in Bermuda, the Vice Commodore of RUYC, Nigel Hamilton, will present the Lipton trophy to representatives of the RNZYS who are as it happens the current holders. The Challenger Series has made for some very exciting viewing and it is great credit to the Emirates Team NZ team that they managed the comeback after the pitchpole incident and went on to win the series. We wish them well in their bid for America's Cup victory.

* From Malcolm McKeag

My sometime and still I hope good friend Ado was doing alright with his observations on Land-Rover BAR overhype until he got to his final sentence (I nearly said 'last sentence' - but your esteemed organ would be much the poorer if that really were the last sentence we saw from the Adzeman of Lochalsh). I mean of course: "But the truth is a lot of money was spent on a yacht race that a lot of hospitals would have benefited from." The truth is that there be any number of worthy causes and activities that might benefit from having more money but that is no reason not to spend money in sporting endeavour - or indeed any number of other life-affirming pursuits, from having a birthday party to staying in the European Union (forget I said that, please). But Adrian is right in his dismay over the amount of uniformed media coverage there has been of Saint Ben's campaign, from the myth in the British press that it was Ben's arrival on board Oracle in 2013 that turned that campaign around to the expectation that the America's Cup would be 'coming home' in 2017. No one assumes that Andy Murray, Rory McIlroy or Lewis Hamilton will win every competition they enter and it was perhaps foolish of the Land-Rover BAR PR effort to allow expectations to run quite so far ahead of reality. And in fairness to Sir Ben Ainslie and others the plan that this was a double iteration campaign was always out there. Now, if only we could get that media to hoist on board the fact, the truth, that the first race for the America's Cup was held not in 1851 around the Isle of Wight but in 1870, in New York harbour...

* From Derek Paterson, Auckland NZ

I generally enjoy Adrian Morgans comments but his one that the BAR money would be better spent on "hospitals" is codswallop. Sure BAR raised a lot of money, but that would never otherwise have been spent on "hospitals". It was spent on keeping a large number of people employed, directly and indirectly, who paid tax, some of which may go to "hospitals". Also the "non-cash" benefits that BAR have produced last far longer than the loss in one regatta.

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The Last Word
It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on Earth has ever produced the expression "As pretty as an airport." -- Douglas Adams

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A Solid Debut For Svea
After light winds on the opening day, the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta fleet revelled in the brisker winds and glorious hot sunshine during the second day of racing. The conditions resulted in more open courses which were set to offer more passing lanes and keep the crews on their toes with a bigger range of wind angles requiring smart sail choices and slick crew work.

All eyes were on Svea. The newest J Class yacht in the historic six strong fleet competing sailed a sparkling debut in light-medium winds off St Georges to take third place in the most competitive J Class fleet ever mustered.

“I did not really know what I was expecting from my first J Class race,” said Svea’s tactician Charlie Ogletree. “I expected it to be big and scary with big loads on everything. It was big but it was not so scary. But the conditions were perfect.”

In Class A the 10-13kts wind conditions and flat water were much closer to what the crew of Lord Irvine Laidlaw’s 35m Nautor Swan 115 Highland Fling were looking for as they won their first race since the boat was launched last year.

Svea's Battle Flag. Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

In Class B the slightly stronger winds were also good for Sojana, Sir Peter Harrison’s 2017 Antigua Week winning 35m Farr ketch. With French ocean racing legend Loick Peyron steering, Sojana was more than one minute ahead of the second placed Rebecca.

Not one crew has managed to put two back to back wins together in any of the four classes. In Class C it was the 28m spirit of tradition style yawl Bequia, designed by Stephens Waring Yacht Design which triumphed, winning today by over four minutes over their 12.3 nautical miles course.

Racing at the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta, hosted by Boat International Media, concludes with the scheduled Race 3 tomorrow (June15).

www.americascupsuperyachtregatta.com

'Jambi' takes Marion Bermuda Line Honors
RHADC Bermuda: 'Jambi', a new Hinckley Bermuda 50 skippered by John Levinson crossed the finish line off St. David's Lighthouse at 12:47:00 ADT to take line honors in the 40th Anniversary Marion Bermuda Race. 'Jambi' had an unofficial elapsed time of 4 days 23 hours 36 minutes 11 seconds. Based on her starting time of 12:55 EDT on June 9, that is 118 hours 52 minutes and 11 Seconds.

Alan McLane, Executive Director of the race and Willy Forbes, Compliance Chairman, awarded the crew's effort with Beer and Champagne and a Line Honors banner. A Tray of those Gosling Dark 'n Stormy cocktails followed.

Levinson said he has done the trip six or seven times and the entire crew had done many Bermuda Races, too. This was the first for his new Bermuda 50 to leave the US. 'Jambi' was a "wind machine," he said, "outstanding, flawless."

"There was no wind for most of the race." He said. "The beginning and the end were fantastic" with good wind then. "Total calm and then nice wind, total calm, nice wind… not rough weather."

The fleet was still clustered together along the Rhumb line to Bermuda from Marion with a majority of the fleet expected to finish Wednesday evening and a few expected on Thursday morning.

'Yaquina' appears to still be in Marion so Rich Robbins at Race HQ called to check. The incident reports shows. "Since we have received no YB position for Yaquina, I called to check on them and spoke with skipper Charles Samuelson. They have lost the transponder overboard--it is missing from the place where it was lashed to the rail.

Robbins reports, "Yaquina has been calling in with their position - as of 6/13 9:02 EDT they are at 34 degrees, 25 .8 minutes North, 066 degrees, 11.5 minutes West and proceeding to BDA."

All of the yachts carry YB Trackers and can be followed on yb.tl/mb2017

www.marionbermuda.com

Race Around The Rock Underway
Saint-Tropez, France: The famous race is underway. At 12:45 today an international fleet of 209 yachts commenced the 65th running of the Giraglia Rolex Cup. Departing from Saint-Tropez, France, their destination is the historic port city of Genoa, Italy with 241-nautical miles of tactically challenging sailing in constantly shifting weather patterns lying ahead. On route to Genoa, the fleet will round the race's symbolic landmark, the Giraglia rock, located off the northern tip of Corsica.

Following a sunshine start under a consistent 6-8 knots of wind, the early stages of the race went to form with the three Maxi 72s leading the fleet and picking up good speed as the breeze built on the passage to La Fourmigue. Alex Scharer's Caol Ila R, top performer in the week's inshore series, Sir Peter Ogden's Jethou from the United Kingdom, and Dieter Schon's German entrant Momo, optimized specifically for offshore racing, are set to dominate the front of the race.

Scharer identified the Giraglia rock as a key juncture in the race. Ogden was in agreement: "It is important to round the rock before the wind dies. After that we will look at the forecast and choose the best route to Genoa."

Processing the latest weather data on the docks this morning, navigators were largely in agreement that the 2017 race will be dominated by lighter conditions notably on the final leg from the Giraglia rock to the finish line in front of the Yacht Club Italiano clubhouse in Genoa.

The frontrunners were forecasting arrival at the Giraglia rock at around sunrise on Thursday morning and arrival in Genoa later that same day or in the early hours of Friday morning.

Live tracking of the fleet can be found at www.giragliarolexcup.com

Harken Tech Powers America's Cup Sailors in Thrilling Racing
The Louis Vuitton Challenger Playoffs were an amazing spectacle, with highly- competitive, often heart-stopping racing across the full range of conditions. As we move into The Match itself, here's what we know: These foiling, flying machines are incredibly robust.

The shore teams are again playing pivotal roles keeping the boats in the game, with Harken hydraulics, wing winches and deck hardware proving reliably up to the challenge. And the most important learning of all: regardless of where the technology takes us, it is the practiced ability of the sailors that will ultimately decide the winner-precisely as it always has. At Harken, this is where we live to be.

The America's Cup-At the Front.

harken.com

Volvo Ocean Race switches to a 2-year cycle and a 2019 start for 14th edition
The Volvo Ocean Race will switch from a 3-year to a 2-year cycle after the upcoming 2017-18 edition, a change that will provide more continuity and more commercial value for professional sailing teams, sponsors and Host Cities.

Confirmation of the change will mean at least some race activity in every calendar year, from now on - meaning more action for fans of sailing's iconic race around the world, more continuous employment for the professional sailors involved, and even greater return on investment for the stakeholders backing the teams.

The 2017-18 edition starts 22 October from Alicante and will finish at the end of June next year in The Hague, Netherlands. The three races after that will run 2019-20, 2021-22 and 2023-24 and the tender process for Host Cities is now open for all 3 editions. This change, coupled with the new mix of stopover formats, and additional inventory, means the best ever value proposition, and flexible options, for the bidding cities around the world.

The race has again engaged long-term partner The Sports Consultancy to work on Host City partnerships and develop these new opportunities, with discussions now starting with existing and potential future Host Cities.

The race has already announced that the 14th edition in 2019-20 will be contested in brand new foil-assisted monohull boats. The addition of 'flying' multihulls for use inshore means the race will provide the toughest all-round test in sailing.

The switch in cycle could also help complete the alignment of sailing's big race calendar. For the first time in history, the Volvo Ocean Race, America's Cup, Olympics and Vendée Globe's 2 and 4-year cycles should be in sync with no direct overlap of the actual events.

volvooceanrace.com

Hat-trick win for Maybury's Joker 2 at ICRA Championships in Cork
Photo by David Branigan/Oceansport, http://www.oceansport.ie. Click on image for photo gallery.

An early end to a gale-lashed ICRA National Championships series at the Royal Cork Yacht club didn't stand in the way of John Maybury's Joker 2 from successfully defending his Division 1 title and lifting the trophy for the third consecutive season. The Royal Irish YC winner was one of five titles decided over the weekend that saw a prudent race management decision not to continue racing even inside the shelter of Cork Harbour this morning.

"I honestly hadn't given any thought to the hat-trick," admitted Maybury. "But now that we've won it, it's fantastic!" Joker 2 is already the ICRA Boat of the Year for its successful 2016 season and the national title for 2017 will make the J109 a benchmark for the remainder of the year.

Straight wins for Paul Gibbons Quarter-tonner Anchor Challenge delivered a convincing win in the ten-boat Division 3 where Howth Yacht Club's Anthony Gore Grimes was the first runner-up on Dux. However, clubmate Ross McDonald on Equinox won the Division 2 national title, taking over from fellow Howth sailor David Cullen on Checkmate XV after gear damage on Saturday ended his defence.

Breaking the past-form of Cork/Dublin national winners, Daragh McCormack from Foynes Sailing Club celebrated his newly-acquired J24 Stouche with the Division 4 national title. The 12-fleet was the largest at the ICRA championship this year with the J24 class accounting for nine of the boats and all seven top places.

After the sad loss of Scottish entry Inis Mor on delivery to Cork a week ago*, the depleted Division 0 saw a thrilling match-race series instead between local Robert O'Leary at the helm of Tony Ackland's "We had great fun, real match-racing. They gave us a good run and in only one race did both boats finish more than four boat-lengths apart," O'Leary said while predicting a re-match at the Sovereigns Cup in ten days time and Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta in July.

Meanwhile, the results from Saturday also stood for the White Sails fleets with Denis and Anne-Marie Murphys' Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo topping Division A under ECHO handicap while Clodagh O'Donavan's Beneteau 35s5 Roaring Forties won Division B.

www.royalcork.com/event/icra-nationals-2017/

* On the sinking of Inis Mor, see afloat.ie/sail/icra/

Bosun
An immediate opportunity has arisen for an energetic race orientated sailor to become an integral part of the owner's sailing programme.

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Rescued British OSTAR sailor returns to shore
Mervyn Wheatley arrived on dry ground Tuesday, looking forward to a Halifax lobster lunch, a flight home to his wife, and buying a new sailboat so he can race across the Atlantic again next year.

Wheatley told reporters he "stood there and laughed" when he was escorted to his opulent stateroom on the massive ocean liner after his ordeal in savage seas.

"The contrast between what I had just left, which was a boat in fairly poor condition with water over the floorboards, to this magnificent state room was just surreal," he said. "There I was in the lap of luxury."

He was met in Halifax Tuesday by Capt. Jonathan Bregman, a pilot with 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron at 14 Wing Greenwood, who had spotted him amid swelling waters and came to give him a keepsake.

"It's not the most difficult mission (I have undertaken) but it was the most dynamic," said Bregman. "I'll never forget this mission. I'd like him to remember that we came to provide assistance."

He said he was surprised that Wheatley - one of about two dozen sailors racing from Plymouth, England, to Newport, Rhode Island - was able to survive his ordeal.

Wheatley, a former 33-year veteran of the Royal Marines, said he was keen to join the race again next year.

www.guelphtoday.com

Kings Cup
Photo by Mikkel Thommessen. Click on image to enlarge.

King Harald V of Norway is celebrating his 80th birthday this year, and the best way of celebrating for our sailor King is to race his vintage 8 metre "Sira", designed by Johan Anker and built for his father King Olav in 1938.

This year the international fleet will celebrate the King in his home waters off Hanko on the Norwegian East Coast. The regatta will take place from 10th until 20th of August, and some of the teams will use the opportunity to go to a tune up event during the Risor Wooden Boat Festival from 3rd till 5th August.

It is expected that more than 30 yachts including the best in the various classes will participate in the regatta. The will compete for the First Rule Cup for boats designed prior to 1920 or racing with gaff rig, Neptune Trophy and the Sira Cup for yachts built prior to 1960 and the International 8-Metre World Cup for all yachts including the modern yachts.

Hanko also hosted the World Cup in 2008 when King Harald won the Sira Cup. Several of the best Norwegian helmsmen will be racing on yachts purchased or chartered by Norwegian sailors for this championship. Olympic class helmsmen such as Herman Horn Johannessen, Dag Usterud and Terje Wang will be racing on these boats ensuring that the competition will be at top level.

The 8 metre was Olympic class from 1908 until 1936. -- Mikkel Thommessen

www.8mr.org/event/world-2017

* From Euan Ross: The idea that it's ok to laud our sportsmen on the way up, and then disparage them on the way down, doesn't seem very British to me. Anyone paying attention, even those at the back, should have been aware some time ago that our 2017 Challenge was in trouble with regard to foil design and control issues. However, it is in the nature of commercially sponsored sports teams that their agents always look on the bright side. How else would you get the money?

And on that subject: yes, many of us were not happy about the use of public money for the America's Cup; neither were we happy about the early sponsorship of the programme by high net-worth individuals with controversial tax arrangements. But in the America's Cup, and the realms of elite sport generally, it would be a brave man who cast the first stone.

Ben Ainslie and his BARflies knew they had problems early on but still fought like tigers and I believe they made the nation proud; Ian Percy and his Artemis team likewise. Our boys threw themselves into the competition and Ainslie was unmatched in his skill and aggression at the starts. His back was to the wall - in the AC50s there are no passing lanes for a slower boat.

Ben might not have actually won the Cup for the USA, but he was part of a successful turn-around package that did the job in 2013 - is that not enough and how could it ever be anything else? I wish he was on the Kiwi's boat for the showdown.

Concerning the British press - come on guys, of course Murray is indeed expected to win every Wimbledon and Hamilton is expected to win every grand prix; hyperbole is the stock-in-trade of inky-fingered hacks. As for yachtsmen following the America's Cup - emotions always run high, so it might be difficult to retain a sense of perspective, but it's surely not too difficult to remain relatively well-informed.

* From Adrian Morgan:

My still (and always) good friend Malcolm and your Kiwi correspondent are right in taking issue with my suggestion that the money on the Land Rover BAR project (£100 million, I believe and counting) might have been better spent on hospitals. It could, of course, have gone into the NHS directly (a day's worth or less) but those employed will, indeed, be paying taxes, so perhaps it was a cheap shot, better left unsaid. However, I do assert that expectations were raised unnecessarily by all the hype and hullabaloo that accompanied Our Ben's Crusade to Bermuda, when most inside the team clearly knew from early on that the challenge was ultimately doomed. I, for one, feel let down, cheated and - not to put too fine a point on it - bamboozled (there are stronger words).

Bottom line: what chance of another massively expensive challenge from Britain if the Kiwis win? That will be starting afresh, again, probably with difference boats. Or indeed if Mr Ellison's bottomless money pit prevails, as I believe it will, helped by an absurd extra point for gate crashing the challenger trials (what was that all about?). Why bother? With Artemis hinting at a no show, and the likelihood of another SoftBank/Oracle deal unlikely, with the French even further than BAR off the pace, will AC 2019 even happen? Off to watch the Js...

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1996 Eric Goetz Maxi 80. 320,000 EUR. Located in Kiel, Germany

One of the original Iconic Maxi yachts is now available. She was originally built as the world famous 'Boomerang' under an IMS rating rule. Then converted to life in the Maxi fleet where she achieved first class honours for many years on the circuit.

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2001 Nautor Swan 80 - ALPINA. 1,490,000 EUR. Located in Antibes, France

Superb example of the Swan 80. New decks and paint in 2016 with excellent inventory for cruising and racing.

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Contact
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The Last Word
Every man dies. Not every man really lives. -- William Wallace

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

Red Bull Youth America's Cup
Artemis Youth Racing stole the early advantage in the Pool A Qualifiers of the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, with the Swedish team finishing the pool's first day of racing on top of the standings after scoring two first and a third in the day's three races.

With Pool B teams NZL Sailing Team, Land Rover BAR Academy, Spanish Impulse by IBEROSTAR and local favourites Team BDA having already booked their places in The Red Bull Youth America's Cup Finals, it was the turn of the six teams who make up Pool A to try and join them, with four spots up for grabs after the two days of Qualifying action in Bermuda.

Pool A is made up of Kaijin Team Japan, SVB Team Germany, Team France Jeune, Artemis Racing (SWE), Youth Vikings Denmark and Team Tilt (SUI), all focused on making it through to the Finals of the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, the pathway to a career at the top level of international sailing.

Pool A Qualifiers Leaderboard (Day One)
Artemis Youth Racing, 28 points
Team France Jeune, 26
SVB Team Germany, 24
Team Tilt, Switzerland, 21
Youth Vikings Denmark, 19
Kaijin Team Japan, 17

Watch the 2017 Red Bull Youth America's Cup Finals, live on Red Bull TV on June 20 and 21 at 2:00pm local Bermuda time/5:00pm UTC.

www.redbullsailingnewsroom.com

Lionheart wins the America's Cup Superyacht Regatta in Bermuda
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Overall victory in the highly competitive fleet of six J Class yachts earned the crew of Lionheart the top prize at the second America's Cup Superyacht Regatta, hosted by Boat International Media. The record sized J Class fleet, racing in association with the Bermuda Business Development Agency, was the centre of attention amidst the 20 superyacht crews mustered in Bermuda. You can catch up on all the action from the event with our highlights video.

Lionheart, which has seven times round the world racer Bouwe Bekking as its long time tactician, reaped the rewards of their solid, consistent sailing - finishing third today - to win the class which contains dozens of past America's Cup winners among the crews competing in Bermuda.

Also in the running for the overall trophy was Action, the 37.3m Dykstra design built by Royal Huisman, which won Class B. Tension prevailed into the final minutes of the last race as Action saved her time on her rivals by virtue of the last two or three windshifts picked out by double Olympic silver medallist and Volvo Ocean Race winning skipper Ian Walker who works in concert with Shirley Robertson, a double gold medal winner who concentrates on keeping the boat speed up. Walker was coach to Robertson's 2004 gold medal winning Yngling trio in Athens and their chemistry is important on board, along with the precise navigation and weather info from Marcel van Trieste.

Bequia, the beautiful Stephens Waring and White 27.6m design, won for the second day in a row to win Class C overall. Tom Whidden, who first won the America's Cup with Stars & Stripes in 1980, guided Bequia to the class win, highlighting the range of courses as an outstanding feature of the event.

Lord Irvine Laidlaw's Class A winner Highland Fling 15, a Nautor's Swan 115 which was launched last year, also made sure of the top prize for the division by wining two of their three races. Tactician Stuart Childerley, a past GBR Olympian who is in demand around the world as a top Principal Race Officer, loved his return to the cut and thrust of calling tactics rather than setting courses and laying start lines.

www.americascupsuperyachtregatta.com

Bosun
An immediate opportunity has arisen for an energetic race orientated sailor to become an integral part of the owner's sailing programme.

Activities will include:

- Hands on maintenance of several yachts supported by yard
- Commissioning and race preparation
- Sailing trials and delivery passages
- Joining race crew

This full-time position will appeal to an experienced capable person with good organisational ability. The more sea miles the better with a Yachtmaster Offshore qualification as a minimum.

Please apply to Oyster Properties, Fox's Marina, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 8NJ
Email md@oysterproperties.com

Little 'Selkie' wins Marion Bermuda Overall
RHADC Bermuda: 'Selkie', Chip Bradish's 1988 Morris Ocean 32.5 footer from Jamaica Plain near Boston, was the overall corrected time winner of Class D and the entire 40th Anniversary Marion Bermuda Race. She was the smallest boat in the race and was sailed using only celestial navigation.

'Jambi', the Bermuda 50 that was line honors winner, was last on corrected time. She corrected at 127 hours 32 minutes and 38 second and finished almost 23 hours before 'Selkie'. The top eight boats in Class D were the top eight boats in the fleet.

The race started June 9th in Marion MA. 'Selkie' finished June 15th at 51 minutes after midnight. Her provisional elapsed time was 131 hours 40 minutes and 30 seconds. Her corrected time under ORR handicap scoring was 90 hours 44 minutes and 08 seconds.

Sailing with Bradish were Max Mulhern (Navigator), George Dyroff (Watch Captain) and Peter Sidewater (Crew).

'Selkie' and crew will hoist the Gosling Rum Founders Division Trophy, The Beverly Yacht Club Polaris Trophy and Class A first Place Trophy and more. It's a big win for the little boat.

Selkie-folk are mythological creatures found in Irish, Scottish, Faroese, and Icelandic folklore. Selkies are said to live as seals in the sea, but shed their skin to become human on land.

Race Blogs are posted on Boat Blogs.
www.marionbermuda.com/race-media/boat-blogs

www.marionbermuda.com

Figaro Leg 3 - The Sprint Stage
Thursday afternoon saw the start of stage 3 of La Solitaire URGO le Figaro race, the fleet departed the French port of Concarneau a little under 30 hours after arriving in the small hours of Wednesday morning on completion of leg 2.

The 150 mile 'sprint stage' will take the 43 skippers on a Concarneau to Concarneau route via "Sud banc de Guerande" and will take 24 hours of navigation to complete. Departing in 16kts of wind and reaching along at 7 knots in overcast skies the Figaro fleet worked their way south initially under genoas before setting large spinnakers, this first section a follow my leader leg. It was Adrien Hardy (Agir Recouvrement) who was first out of the pack, taking advantage of Charlie Dalin who wrongly returned to the start line thinking he was recalled.

Once the fleet rounded the Radio France Buoy more tactical opportunities were created seeing them spread out and opting when to gybe to head east. Early this evening the leaders will approach the island of Belle Il where options of sailing to the north or to the south of it allow for bold tactical decisions, decisions that could make or break this leg for some brave enough to commit.

At the 16:00 check in Adrien Hardy (Agir Recouvrement) led the fleet with Alexis Loison (Custopol) in second. Race favorite Nicolas Lunven under half a mile from the leader in 6th position but gaining. Leading the international standings rookie Milan Kolacek (Czeching The Edge) sits in 7th position whilst Justine Mettraux (Teamwork) is half a mile further back in 16th. Mary Rook (Inspire +) leads the British contingent with Alan Roberts (Seacat Services) back in 24th and Hugh Brayshaw (The Offshore Academy) in 33rd.

www.lasolitaire-urgo.com

Bermuda 1-2 Race Leg 2 Start
And they are off. The classes started at 0900 however in about reverse order this time. Class 4, Class 6, Class 3, Class 2, Class 1. Wonderful time minus the short rain shower we had; not supposed to rain on the Race Committee. A J boat and several high speed ferries vied for the Cut space with the fleet. All went well however Halcyon is headed back. A repair to the back stay needs a little mod. Halcyon is anchored waiting for Vernon Hultzer to help out. Alan Oatley and his daughter Julian provided the boat and manpower as well as Eric Johnson and Fred Green.

Race Tracker: yb.tl/onetwo2017

www.bermuda1-2.org

2017 FAST40+ UK National Championship
Friday 23 - Sunday 25 June
Hosted by the Royal Ocean Racing Club

The 2017 FAST40+ National Championship will take place during the RORC IRC National Championship, with racing in the Solent over three days. A maximum of eight races are scheduled, including a variety of windward / leeward and round the buoys courses.

Peter Morton's brand new Carkeek MkIV Girls on Film will be racing for first time. In his previous boat, also called Girls on Film, 'Morty' won the 2016 FAST40+ Race Circuit and is the defending FAST40+ IRC National Champion. However, this year, the Isle of Wight based team has it all to do.

Mark Rijkse's Reichel Pugh 42 South was in outstanding form for Round 1 of the Fast40+ Race Circuit, scoring four podium finishes to place second for the regatta. 42 South proudly displays the Silver Fern on its hull, signifying Mark's New Zealand nationality. Mark has never raced a keelboat before, let alone a FAST40+, his previous racing experience was in dinghies.

Bendix Huegelmann is part of the young German team racing the Felci designed Silva Neo, the team come from all over Germany, and none of the crew is over 30. In the first round of the 2017 FAST40+ Circuit, Silva Neo was the most consistent team of the regatta, finishing in third place.

www.fast40class.com

2017 Melges 40 Grand Prix Gets Underway
Porto Cervo, Italy: The Melges 40 - the largest and most powerful keelboat ever produced by Melges Performance Sailboats will debut in Porto Cervo, Italy at the 2017 Melges 40 Grand Prix starting tomorrow. As event organizer, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) will baptize the field of competitors racing the new 40-foot carbon, canting keel sailboat designed by Botin Partners.

For the first 2017 event and the only one to be held in Italy, there are four teams in Porto Cervo. Additional Melges 40s will be launched in the coming months.

Alessandro Rombelli's STIG (Melges 32 and Melges 20 World Champion), Richard Goransson on INGA (2016 Melges 32 Series Champion), Valentin Zavadnikov's SYNERGY GT (2014 Audi Sailing Series), and Hannes Waimer at the helm of NIGHTSHIFT from Dubai are the protagonists of the Melges 40 Grand Prix.

The current onboard configuration is a crew of nine, including the helm/owner. Tactics will be entrusted to Olympic Gold Medallist Jordi Calafat on STIG, multi-champion Vasco Vascotto for INGA, America's Cup winner Ed Baird on SYNERGY GT, and former Volvo Ocean Race sailor Gordon Maguire for NIGHTSHIFT.

The first warning signal commences at 12.00 noon tomorrow with a forecast of medium to light winds. The event concludes on Saturday, with a prize-giving ceremony at Piazza Azzurra at 18.00.

Event site on YachtScoring.com
yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=4233

www.melges40.com

Accomplished Yachtsman's Private Collection To Be Sold By Online Auction
Click on image for photo gallery.

The online auction closes from 3pm Wednesday 21 June 2017.

Viewing of the items is available near Lymington, Hampshire on Tuesday 20 June strictly by appointment.

Please telephone 01252 712083 or email sales@marriottco.co.uk for an appointment to view.

To view the full catalogue and for further details please visit www.marriottco-auctions.co.uk

"Courageous" Documentary on NBC
Following the first race of the current America's Cup, on Saturday, June 17, NBC will air a one hour program on Ted Turner, looking back on his defense of AC, forty years ago. The scheduled air time is 2:30 PM EDT, but check your local NBC listing.

A preview may be seen at: http://www.nbcsports.com. Ted, his crew, and others involved look back on what Australian skipper Noel Robbins characterized as "The Best Defense."

Not surprisingly, quite a bit of footage in this fine documentary comes from a film of the same name, produced by Offshore Productions in 1977. -- Dick Enersen

The original may be seen at: www.offshoreprod.com

* From Alistair Skinner:

Oh dear!

If the knives aren't out then they are already being sharpened. Sir Ben Ainslie is hardly off the water and complaints are being made about better spending the money or that the team knew they were slow before they got there etc etc. I don't see McLaren Motors not going to the next Grand Prix because they have been beaten a few times.

For the record, and I am sure many know better than me, the only team that won 'out of the blocks' in the America's Cup was Alinghi. Bondy took - what was it? Four attempts? The Kiwi the same, Syd Fischer never won it, Dennis won it 3 times then lost it in 1983 with, in effect, a THREE boat fleet at his disposal.

If all sports had this "oh dear" attitude then Jackie Stewart's only world championship would be for clay pigeon shooting and James Hunt would have never got past Formula 3.

So we were beaten by the Kiwis who were in their umpteenth challenge - says it all doesn't it, and they didn't give up after the last time - they would have had every excuse to do so. We Brits tend to be very good at crying in, never mind over, our own spilt milk. Get your hankies out, dry your eyes and get ready to support our team again next time round for goodness sake.

* From Ben Nicholls:

If OTUSA retain the AC, the current format will be expanded upon and hopefully we will have to wait less than every 4 years for the finals. 5 out if 6 teams are in agreement on this. Spain and Germany might also get involved?

If ETNZ win, all bets are off. It will be interesting to see if the other 5 teams elect to stay in a World Series format, instead of the AC World Series, the Louis Vuitton World Series perhaps? No matter what the outcome, the TV coverage needs to dramatically improve in the UK if interest in these events is to be sustained. With the BT Channel 115 only accessible in certain parts of the country, reverting to watching the racing on an iPhone is hardly doing modern technology justice!

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The Last Word
"We must always remember, however,' said Psmith gravely, 'that poets are also God's creatures." -- P.G. Wodehouse

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

Burling and Emirates Team New Zealand push ahead
Battle resumed on Father's Day in the America's Cup Match, presented by Louis Vuitton with Jimmy Spithill's ORACLE TEAM USA looking to seize back the advantage gained by Peter Burling's Emirates Team New Zealand on day one. However, it was day two to the Kiwis again, with Emirates Team New Zealand recording two more back-to-back victories over the Defenders of the America's Cup, putting themselves 3-0 up in the first-to-seven series that will determine the winner of the 35th America's Cup.

After racing had finished on day two, Jimmy Spithill looked ahead to the five day break before racing restarts on 24th June and what ORACLE TEAM USA can do to put themselves back in the fight. "These are going to be the most important five days of this America's Cup campaign for us."

"I thought we took a good step forward from yesterday, but it is clear we have to find some speed from somewhere, that is no secret.

"If we were forced to race day after day we'd be in some serious trouble at the moment. This break coming up is a massive opportunity for us as a team to go away and regroup.

"Everything will be put out on the table, nothing will be off limits, and over the next five days our incredible shore team will be looking at every aspect of our boat.

"Nothing will escape our eyes, I can guarantee that. Whether it's system related, appendage related, sailing technique or strategy, we are going to look at absolutely everything.

americascup.com

Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

* Races three and four were run today on Great Sound and the result was the same. He KIWI dominance in this wind range is impressive.

The Kiwi foils and wing combine to generate 7-10% more speed around the race course over the American boat.

The questions are; do the Americans know what to do exactly to improve, and can they get it done in 5 days? No doubt they have the financial and human resources to put to the task. As Jimmy Spithill said tonight; the next 5 days will be the most critical of their campaign. Tune in next Saturday to see if the comeback specialists can do it once again. -- Paul Cayard, cayardsailing.com

Guest Editorial - May the Force be with... the Kiwis!
There's a lot of beef between these two Cup teams; beef being a middle English word currently employed enthusiastically by dear daughter Frances and her school chums...

When I saw the Kiwis at 5 to 1 to win, several weeks back, I thought this less of a bet than a chance to earn the money I would have got if I'd been working on the Cup again. Better not go into details, in case the IRS or HMRC finds out - or even worse, forensic accountability-wise, Mrs Fox.

There was no way a fierce leader like Grant Dalton and his ETNZ posse were going to make any of the mistakes they made last time around. In fact, while I think my theory that sport is a substitute for war is a decent one... in this case, I'm not so sure. For the Kiwis, this is war.

Jimmy Spithill is going to be hard to beat. He's an animal. I say this in a respectful way. I have to. His lovely wife Jennifer told me in San Francisco that he's so competitive, even a game of tiddly winks with the kids gets pretty serious.

The partnership with Tom Slingsby onboard is superb. We can hear it, courtesy of the incredible job the TV techs do, and in particular a guy called Haresh, who mixes all the audio in the live TV production like an aural wizard. The audio in this Cup is off the scale fantastic. Half of television is sound. Think about it.

As my favourite two Australians, Jimmy and Slingers are formidable in a strategic and tactical way, with a design and build team behind them that produces beautiful, slippery, frigging hi-tech boats. Oracle's loss will be Australia's gain when they set up their own team....

... because ETNZ are going to win. Yeah! It'll be tight, but my money, my actual money, is on the clever, cunning, talented, incredibly tight Kiwi design and tech team coming up with a faster boat. Come on... peddling. Leg power over arms. Says it all.

It's quite a load on Peter Burlings' shoulders. He's basically a kid. The comms onboard are... what? Nothing. It's the Pete show. And he's going to get stitched up, pre-start, by Jimmy. But Pete the Kid is bloody cool. He'll simply grind them down. Let his compadres pedal Oracle, the evil empire, ooooh, into touch.

My last film analogy was Game of Thrones, but this is more Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance, Star Wars, which my mate Kenneth, who operates the onboard remote cams so well, is a fan of.

Jimmy is not going to crash into ETNZ and trash their boat. He's a truer sportsman than that. And I doubt the obsessive pressure to win by Larry and his henchvader Russell is still there.

I think Larry is happy to sit back and enjoy the show, bucket list tick, billions spent and still spending, propping up the balance sheet. Russell meanwhile has been working on his legacy.

And the legacy is pretty damned good. It's the first Cup I've ever watched on TV. What a cracking show! Mrs Fox, Frances and me have been following avidly, commentating and theorising wildly. The speeds, the sounds, the complete mentalness of these boats is epic. Only the Apprentice winds us up more. Our neighbours round for a BBQ have been too, diving in to catch Sir Ben between flipping burgers and chugging cold ones – us that is, not Ben. Well, back then anyway. Ben's probably cooking up a storm right now.

Mrs Fox thinks Jimmy is a bit phwoar, beef in another sense – which is outrageous; what I may lack in terms of Jimmy's six pack I feel more than make up for in audio-visual 65 inch, 5:1 cinema surround sound equipment.

Pete the Kid is going to take him down anyway. Yeah! Booya! And the Kiwis crushing Oracle means the Fox household will be upgrading to 7:1 Dolby Atmos with a speaker in the ceiling soon. Oh yes. There's more than some old trophy at stake here, I can tell you...

Digby Fox - livethestory.com (sent to us on Friday before the finals started...)

Bosun
An immediate opportunity has arisen for an energetic race orientated sailor to become an integral part of the owner's sailing programme.

Activities will include:

- Hands on maintenance of several yachts supported by yard
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Giraglia Rolex Cup: Freccia Rossa's Momentous Display
Nearly 250 yachts featured in the week's sailing; 209 took part in the main event - the 241-nm offshore race from Saint-Tropez, France to Genoa, Italy where two yachts claimed the week's main honours. Overall victory of the 65th Giraglia Rolex Cup went to Freccia Rossa, a predominantly Russian-crewed TP52 owned by Vadim Yakimenko. Her success followed that of Momo. Dieter Schon's Maxi 72 from Germany winning the race's line honours crown as fastest finisher.

n the absence of a 100-ft Maxi on the start line in Saint-Tropez, the quest to win line honours at the 2017 Giraglia Rolex Cup was set up for the three competing Maxi 72s. Each had their own reasons to believe it could be their year. Alex Scharer's Caol Ila R, as the fastest performer during the popular three-day inshore series in Saint-Tropez, was the form yacht; Sir Peter Ogden's Jethou, a perennial race competitor, has amassed significant Giraglia mileage; Dieter Schon's Momo arrived in single-minded fashion having exclusively focused her preparations and set-up specifically for the offshore race.

Claiming the Rolex Challenge Trophy and a Rolex Submariner timepiece as overall race winner, Freccia Rossa, translating as red arrow, becomes the second TP52 in recent years to win the race - Franck Noel's Near Miss also won in 2012. Arriving in Genoa in the early hours of Friday morning, as the fifth yacht to complete the race, Freccia Rossa soared to the summit of the corrected time leaderboard. As the lack of breeze on the tricky passage from the Giraglia rock to the finish line continued to thwart the ambitions of those yachts still in contention, Freccia Rossa's status as race leader became race winner.

Results:

Giraglia Rolex Cup Offshore Race (Saint-Tropez - Giraglia - Genoa)

IRC overall:
1. Freccia Rossa (RUS), Vadim Yakimenko (winner Rolex Challenge Trophy & Rolex Submariner)
2. Momo (GER), Dieter Schon
3. Caol Ila R (GBR), Alex Scharer

ORC class:
1. DHL - Adelasia Di Torres (ITA), Renato Azara

Line honours:
Momo (GER) - 32 hours, 52 minutes and 4 seconds (winner Rolex Trophy, Rene Levainville Trophy & Rolex Yacht-Master)

Current course record:
Esimit Europa 2 (SLO): 14 hours, 56 minutes and 16 seconds in 2012

Giraglia Rolex Cup Inshore Series (Saint-Tropez):
IRC 0 Caol Ila R Alex Schaerer
IRC A Freccia Rossa Vadim Yakimenko
IRC B Absolutely II Philippe Frantz

ORC A Giuletta Marina di Cascais Alexandre Kossack
ORC B Foxy Lady Carlo Costigliolo

Full results and further information at: www.giragliarolexcup.com

Andy Beadsworth and Provezza win the Dragon Worlds
Photo by Neuza Aires Pereira / Clube Naval de Cascais. Click on image to enlarge.

Andy Beadsworth, Ali Tezdiker and Simon Fry win the 2017 Dragon World Championship in the final and only race of the day, sailed on the waters of Cascais in Portugal.

Overnight the Russian team Annapurna skippered by Anatoly Loginov were given redress by the race committee for a collision on the penultimate days racing which caused them to retire from that race. Their redress score re-duced the gap to 7 points from the Turkish flagged boat overnight with Lawrie Smith (Alfie) another 2 points adrift.

The final race of the regatta started on time at 1305 hrs local time on yet an-other steamy hot day on the Guia race course off the coast of Cascais. The breeze from the N/NW was lighter than most of the week at around 10 - 12 knots at the start, up to 15 kts at the top of the course.

NED412 took the race bullet by a comfortable margin to move up to 6th in the overall rankings and RUS76 (Rocknrolla) Dmitry Samokhin improving all week to finish clear in 2nd. GBR803 (Gorgeous Worgeous) Quentin Srauss, sailing in the Masters category, just snatched third on the finish line in his best result of the regatta.

In fourth, also a regatta best was JPN50 (Yevis ll) with Bocci Aoyama at the helm. Fifth was a very popular result for the Portuguese as Patrick Monteiro de Barros declared this race his regatta his last with his intended retirement.

Lawrie Smith (Alfie) with his Portuguese crew, Hugo Rocha, Joao Matos Ro-sa and Goncalo Ribeiro crossed 7th to confirm third place in the overall podium. Anatoly Loginov in Annapurna had to count a 17th but held on to second overall. -- Jonny Fullerton

Overall Results: (Top 10 of 70 boats after 8 races with 1 discard)

1. Provezza Dragon, Andy Beadsworth, TUR, 32 points
2. Annapurna, Anatoly Loginov, RUS, 36.2
3. Alfie, Lawrie Smith, GBR, 38
4. Desert Eagle, Hendrik Witzmann, UAE, 55
5. Rocknrolla, Dmitry Samokhin, RUS, 64
6. Troika, Pieter Heerema, NED, 65
7. Bunker Prince, Braslavets Yevgen, UAE, 65
8. Drago, Jose SM Matoso, POR, 68
9. Louise, Grand Gordon, GBR, 88
10. Jeanie, Jens Rathsack, MON, 88

Corinthian Trophy winner:
GER1180 Rosie, Benjamin Morgen

Masters Trophy winner:
GER1162 Desert Holly, Stephan Link

Full results: www.cncascais.com

One of the toughest jobs in yacht racing
They are by nature on the other side of the lens and fans rarely even know their names, yet they are some of the sport's unsung heroes. Indeed, most large sailing projects, events or teams wouldn't exist without them...

Now Mirabaud extends its prestigious yacht racing photography awards to moving pictures. The newly created Mirabaud Sailing Video Award will recognise professional TV, film and video producers, editors and filmmakers, who will be celebrated in their own right. The award will honour the best sailing videos each year, and recognise high achievement in sailing imagery, filming, editing and storytelling.

'We decided to launch this award because we have great respect for those who produce racing videos and work so hard at helping us to share our passion for sailing,' says Bernard Schopfer, the organiser of the contest.

'Our objective is to pay tribute to the quality of work we too often take for granted. I often observe cameramen at work at regattas. It seems a dream job, but the truth is they often work in tough conditions, using heavy and fragile equipment in an unforgiving environment. They deserve recognition for their work and this is what we want to offer.

The winners of the 2017 Mirabaud Sailing Video will be celebrated during the Yacht Racing Forum in Aarhus, Denmark, from 27 to 28 November 2017, in front of the sport's leading personalities, clubs and sponsors.

www.seahorsemagazine.com

A Classic Bol d'Or Mirabaud
The 79th edition of the Bol d'Or Mirabaud met the expectations of the most demanding yachtsmen, running under ideal conditions, with a sustained "bise" wind, sometimes strong at night.

The three first boats winning in real-time had co-ed crews: a rare happening that's worth noting! Overall winner of the event, Alinghi was helped by Coraline Jonet, a confirmed racer who's already won the Lake Leman D35 championship four times, as well as the Bol d'Or Mirabaud in 2011. The second boat in the real-time ranking, Ladycat Powered by Spindrift Racing is Dona Bertarelli's crew, and she was aboard. Finally, the hydrofoil catamaran GC 32 Realteam, helmed by Jerôme Clerc, took advantage of Olympian Nathalie Brugger, who was in both the 2008 and 2016 games.

Arnaud Psarofaghis, who helmed the Alinghi catamaran, winner of this 79th edition of the Bol d'Or Mirabaud, is the nephew of Jean Psarofaghis, who won the monohull category in real-time (the Bol de Vermeil) aboard Sys & Co.

With 567 boats on the starting line, and 437 rated sailboats, this Bol d'Or Mirabaud beat all contemporary participation records, although still far behind the 1990 record of 684 registrants. However, the record of 125 Surprise one-designs registered in 2010 was beat with 132 this year! The last boat to cross the finish line, Sergio CooperTeixeira's Deluge, finished at 8:20:17 after twenty-two hours and twenty minutes of racing.

The J 70 CDE.CH, helmed by Marcel Stern, won the ACVL ranking ahead of Surprise Mirabaud 1 helmed by Nicolas Anklin and another J 70, Frederick Hedlund's Agera 3. The ACVL ranking is based on handicapped time; each boat is assigned a coefficient based on its characteristics, which is multiplied by the actualrace time. This allows small sailboats to compete with big ones, although that certainly wasn't the case this year with this terrible trio of seven meter boats.

www.boldormirabaud.ch

* From Adrian Morgan:

Of course the knives are out, or rather a critical post mortem on the latest failed British challenge needs to be undertaken. With so much public money spent on an essentially trivial yacht race that is only right and proper.

This is not F1, where sponsors have every right to throw money at cars and drivers in a bid to sell more stuff; this is Britain trying to sell itself, with the help of an Indian-owned car maker who must be wondering where its money went.

We must be critical, even to the point of attack or the next British challenge may indeed start late, have early design issues and end in embarrassing failure. Many backed Sir Ben's quest, including some photogenic royals. But blind support and wishful thinking are not enough, nor is exposure by a largely sycophantic media.

To win the America's Cup needs 110% dedication to... winning the America's Cup. The rest of it, the attempts to suggest it is also a crusade to save the planet, sustainability, promote the environment (how much carbon was consumed in this year's Cup; how much recycled?) encourage youth etc. are just an unnecessary distractions.

If Oracle wins, the next edition will be on us in a flash, the rules will no doubt once again make a mockery of level-playing, one to one competition and anyone thinking of entering the game better have no illusions, or delusions.

* From Mike Hayles:

Tell Ben Nichols, that it was fine on BT Sport even in Aldeburgh and it worked in France with a little help from Tunnel Bear.

* From Derek Paterson, Auckland NZ:

Alistair Skinner is "right on the money" with his comments. BAR had to start from scratch and that meant picking up some "past use by dates" from longer established teams. Now Sir Ben needs new people with uncluttered minds to kick on to the next level. Ignore the "moaning minnies" and think on Churchill's "fight" speeches

* From Nick Fry:

I was saddened to read some of the negative comments about BAR's entry into the present America's Cup. As there often seems to be many parallels drawn between my sport and sailing, I thought I would offer my two pence worth!

Brawn GP did not win the F1 World Championship starting from a piece of paper and a plot of land. We had been competing in Formula 1 in different incarnations for years. Challengers in top level sport rarely if ever win the World Championship at their first attempt.

As a British subject, I am very proud of Ben Ainslie, Martin Whitmarsh, and the entire team. The fact they made it into the Challenger semi-finals in their first effort is impressive and something we should all be very proud of that our government supported. Through BAR's hard fought and determined efforts, people are employed in a part of the country that was struggling.

Dreams of designers have materialized and will have implications for us as regular citizens in improved environmentally-friendly shipping or aerospace or defense. And we are lucky in having a sportsman like Ainslie so focused and driven as a great example to those young people who are scared to even try to succeed because they are handicapped by their own fear of failure.

It is unfortunate that the PR and the media had buoyed the hopes of the public without properly informing everyone of the Herculean task BAR had before them.

It is because we are willing to take the risk, to learn, and to improve which makes Britain a global leader in innovation, design, and sport.

Team New Zealand have red socks and a support of an entire nation. Certainly, our team deserves that level of support and encouragement to do even better in the next America's Cup.

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The Last Word
The devil made me do it the first time. The second time I done it on my own -- Waylon Jennings

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

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