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

Southern and Royal Sydney Blast Off With Strong Starts
Newport RI, USA: After three races in a fresh southwesterly breeze, Southern Yacht Club and Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron stand first and second in the regatta, with five and seven points, respectively.

The 2017 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup takes place September 9 to 16 at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court, in Newport, R.I. Amateur sailors representing 14 yacht clubs from eight countries from around the globe have converged on Newport to race in the ultimate one-design, big-boat competition. The boats and sails are provided and the rig tune is standardized across the fleet. The Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup is sponsored by Rolex, Porsche, Nautor's Swan, AIG and Helly Hansen and will be broadcast live via the web.

After qualifying by winning last September's Resolute Cup, Southern Yacht Club has spared no expense nor effort to prepare its team for the Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup. The Club syndicate purchased a Swan 42 and competed in a number of regattas this past summer. The results of this hard work were immediately obvious today as Southern Yacht Club, with Marcus Eagan at the helm and 2004 Olympic silver medalists John Lovell calling tactics, took second in the first race, second in the second and then added a first in a third.

On the other hand, Guido Belgiorno-Nettis, the helmsman for the Royal Sydney team, hadn't laid a hand on the wheel of the Swan 42 for two years when he showed up for the first day of practice on Saturday. And his team hasn't spent a lot of time sailing together. But that didn't stop them from winning the first race and then adding a pair of thirds for a comfortable second place in the overall standings.

Racing in the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup continues tomorrow through Saturday, with 12 races expected in the series. Live coverage, photos and a lot more can be found via the event's Facebook page.

www.facebook.com/NYYCInvitationalCup/

Overall results: nyyc.org/yachting/invitational-cup/2017-invitational-cup

Audi J/70 World Championship: Mistral Stops Play
Porto Cervo, Italy: Mistral winds prevented racing for the first day of the Audi J/70 World Championship, which is organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with the Title Sponsor Audi and the Official Sailmaker Quantum Sails.

The strong north westerly wind failed to ease during the day, and after a series of updates via VHF, racing was finally called off at 1300 CEST by the Race Committee. Conditions are forecast to improve tomorrow, but strong winds, and an impressive sea state are likely to form, which will give spectacular racing on the Costa Smeralda.

Three races are scheduled for Day Two, which will constitute enough races to make the Qualifying Series. However with all three races to count, consistency will be key. Making the Gold Fleet for the Championship Series will be the only goal.

The intended first warning signal is schedule for tomorrow, September 13, at 1100 CEST. -- Louay Habib

www.j70worlds2017.com
yccs.it

Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image : time to submit your images!
Yacht Racing photographers from all over the world are invited to attend the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image award 2017 and submit their picture before October 12.

Started in 2010, this event is the world's premier photography competition dedicated to professional sailing photographers, celebrating the very best yacht racing image taken during the year, and which best represents the essence and excitement of the sport.

More than one million people saw the pictures submitted for the last edition of the contest.

The top eighty pictures will be published on the event website and social networks on October 18, allowing the public and the international Jury to vote. The top twenty pictures will be exhibited during World Sailing's annual conference, as well as at the Yacht Racing Forum.

The winners will be announced and celebrated in public on November 28, during the Yacht Racing Forum. The winning photographer will receive the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image award and a precious clock offered by our partner Hublot. Prize money will be split between the leaders.

More information and detailed rules: www.yachtracingimage.com
www.facebook.com/YachtRacingImage/

Sail Aid UK announces Hurricane Irma Relief Fundraising Dinner
The Sail Aid UK (SAUK) Hurricane Irma Relief Fundraising Dinner will take place on the evening of Saturday 11th November on the 'Flight Deck' at Land Rover BAR, the home of the British America's Cup Team, in Old Portsmouth, Hampshire.

The Fundraiser, with Adventurer and Broadcaster Hannah White offering her services as Mistress of Ceremonies, will be a Black Tie/Loud Shirt gathering with many high profile sailing names already pledging their support for the cause including Sir Ben and Lady Georgie Ainslie, Ian Walker, Shirley Robertson, Sam Davies, Andy Beadsworth and Helena Lucas amongst others.

The evening promises loads of fabulous entertainment, a Silent as well as a Live auction, a Raffle and the entire evening stacks up to be a truly memorable occasion with plenty of fun and fundraising and an opportunity for the sailing community to unite.

The funds raised will be channelled towards helping support the relief effort for the regeneration and reconstruction of communities in those British territories in the Caribbean that have been most severely hit by the recent spate of hurricanes. These include, but are not limited to, the islands of the BVI, Antigua and Barbuda and Anguilla.

The formation of the Sail Aid UK charity is already underway. Meanwhile, the organisers are planning to link a Virgin Money Giving page from the SAUK Facebook platform to allow for more immediate donations to be made to the SAUK 'Action Stations' fund. The November fundraising event is then the main launch initiative that kick-starts a longer-term plan to help the islanders rebuild their lives, their businesses and their economies.

How to get involved

Facebook.com/sailaiduk

Twitter: @sailaiduk

Anyone wishing to get involved, whether in donating prizes, donating funds, making enquiries about table bookings for the Dinner etc, in the first instance please email: hello@sailaiduk.com

Some Legacy
Making sense of sailing is hard enough when you're in the race, let alone when you're on the outside looking in, whether as organiser, coach or spectator. But the advent of accessible GPS tracking is now starting to make things easier to understand and Germanybased software giant SAP is working hard to refine the technology while - and this is crucial - also making it relevant at a level of regattas below the rarified heights of the America's Cup.

SAP was founded in 1970 by well-known racer of maxis and 505s... Hasso Plattner along with four of his fellow former IBM software engineers. So a healthy racing connection from the start. Today Milan Cerny is the innovation and technology lead for sailing at SAP Sponsorships. 'When we started working with SAP Analytics in 2010-2011 it was not much more than a live leaderboard on the edge of the screen... though that was already quite a breakthrough for the sport!

'Making sense of who's in the lead and how that lead is changing from one side of the course to the other, it's not even that easy to know for the sailors, let alone those watching from outside.

'Bit by bit over the last five years we've added more and more functionality, working closely with sailors and race officials to help make sense of the racing by taking advantage of the data that we can now grab from the boats, the wind and the racecourse.'

Andy Rice's full article in the September issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

Industry News
Navico - the world's largest manufacturer of marine electronics and parent company to the Lowrance, Simrad and B&G brands - announced today that a Texas federal jury has found that Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) willfully infringed two of Navico's DownScan Imaging™ sonar patents and awarded Navico $38,755,000 in damages. The district court judge has discretion to increase the damages to account for the jury's finding that Garmin's infringement was willful.

The unanimous jury verdict validates Navico's long-standing claims against Garmin. The infringement finding concerned two of Navico's patents relating to marine sonar technology -- U.S. Patent Nos. 9,223,022 and 9,244,168 -- and the finding is consistent with separate rulings by an International Trade Commission (ITC) Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) concerning Garmin's infringement of additional Navico patents.

The jurors voted unanimously that Garmin's infringement was willful.

At present time, a decision to reverse a June 2017 ruling by the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of Garmin is under review.

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Exhibitors reported good business at this year's Stockholm Floating Boat Show

Swedish marine industry association Sweboat has reported increased sales and strong interest at the 2017 Stockholm Floating Boat Show, which closed on Sunday. The show is the largest on-water boat show in the Nordic region, and was held for the seventh time.

The show venue in Gustavsberg, around 22km east of Stockholm city centre, had a new layout this year. That's one of the reasons the show attracted at least 25,000 visitors, as there were no entry or parking fees.

Many exhibitors with boats and equipment were very satisfied with the attendance and levels of business made at the show. In total there were 281 new motor and sailing boats on display from 76 companies, together with 85 service and equipment firms.

The Stockholm Floating Boat Show (Allt pa Sjon) is organised by Sweboat in partnership with the city of Varmdo.

plus.ibinews.com

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A new company, Camper & Nicholsons Asia Holdings, has been launched in Hong Kong by its 50% shareholder Lai Sun Development Co Ltd. Lai Sun bought its 50% stake in Camper & Nicholsons International (CNI) in 2016 and Fincantieri increased its holding to become the other 50% shareholder in CNI.

The new Asian holding company is a 50/50 joint venture between CNI and Lai Sun Development and according to accompany statement "it will seamlessly integrate into Camper & Nicholsons' network of global operations."

Since becoming a CNI shareholder, Lai Sun is said to have "moved aggressively to strengthen every facet of the C&N business".

The Camper & Nicholsons Asia legal entity will operate under the established CNI brand, with exclusive rights to open offices in the Asia territory and offer yacht brokerage, charter and management services. The new venture will be led by Carmen Lau in her position as managing director. Ms Lau is native Chinese and educated in Toronto, Canada. She brings extensive experience in the superyacht industry, including roles with Benetti and work with numerous shipyards throughout Europe and Asia as owner's representative overseeing new-build projects.

As reported by Camper & Nicholsons' strategic partner Wealth-X in their Billionaire Census 2017, one-third of the top 30 billionaire cities are in Asia-Pacific. There are more billionaires and collective billionaire wealth in Asia-Pacific (632 billionaires and $1.6tr) than the Middle East, Latin America and Africa combined. As Chinese billionaires are generally younger than the global mean, with one-third aged under 50, and are predominantly self-made, the view is that these individuals are well placed to help accelerate an active interest in yachting in the region.

plus.ibinews.com

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Kingfisher Yacht Ropes, the marine specific arm of innovative rope products distributer, the DSM Group, has entered into a partnership agreement with the International 49er Class and International Nacra 17 Class Associations.

DSM, a family run business, was established in 1982 and manages a global distribution of products such as dinghy / yacht ropes, load straps, twines and slings from its four UK-based factories. Kingfisher Yacht Ropes was set up in 2002 and is now one of the most recognizable names for rope in the UK leisure marine market. With an ambitious plan for expansion in international distribution outlets for its products, Kingfisher Yacht Ropes has identified the activities of Olympic Classes such as the 49er, 4erFX, and Nacra 17 as providing the perfect platform for this growth.

Kingfisher Yacht Ropes will be appointed by the classes as a Technical Partner, supporting the 49er Class and Nacra 17 Class Associations, by not only providing equipment for the unique on-water 'Theatre Style' racing lane ropes at key Class events such as the World Championships, but also by providing sailors and their teams with discounted access to their entire range of sailing specific ropes and accessories through key retail partners. The offering of discounts available via the partnership includes access to ropes produced by Italian performance rope manufacturers Gottifredi Maffioli, for whom Kingfisher is a distributor.

www.yachtropes.co.uk/olympic-classes

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The Little Britain Challenge Cup (LBCC), the construction and property industry's number one sporting and social calendar event will bring hundreds of people to Shepards Wharf Marina in Cowes to sail, network and fund-raise on 15th and 16th September. Little Britain regularly attracts project teams celebrating success and companies looking to team-build and entertain key clients whilst helping to raise thousands of pounds for charities.

2017 marks Little Britain's 30th anniversary, and the LBCC regatta is all set to celebrate with a new venue, great food and entertainment, and top sailing.

This year, LBCC has moved to a new location in Cowes at Shepards Wharf Marina and The Sugar Store, a fabulous regatta venue with excellent facilities and great views of the River Medina and Solent. Two days of LBCC on-the-water action will be organised by the Island Sailing Club, providing a bespoke racing schedule designed to suit beginners and experts, racers and cruisers. In addition, the fantastic world chefs from Nomad Cowes will cook up a storm for competitors on Friday and Saturday evening with delicious food from around the globe.

Little Britain's mission is simple, to bring together people from the industry, go sailing and raise as much money as possible for worthy causes. Thanks to the industry's passion for sailing and the generosity of competing crews and supporting sponsors, LBCC has raised over £1.25 million for charities since the inaugural regatta 30 years ago. In 2017, LBCC will be fund-raising for the 1851 Trust, the Ellen Macarthur Cancer Trust, and the Cirdan Sailing Trust.

www.littlebritain.co.uk

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Ludde Ingvall, Sir Michael Hintze and all the CQS team, ashore and afloat, would like to express our congratulations to John Feder, the photographer from The Australian newspaper, who recently won an award for his photograph of CQS. We also thank him very much for the great work he did, going above and beyond the normal line of duty, to get the photo from the top of the mast.

Click on the image to enlarge.

John, who works for The Australian in Sydney has been honoured at the 2017 Newspaper of the Year Awards for this stunning image, Up the Mast, which took home the top prize in the Sport Photography National/Metropolitan category. The image features New Zealand Olympic Gold Medallist sailor and CQS crew member, Jo Aleh up the mast of CQS on Sydney Harbour, during preparations for last year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

Describing the background to getting the photo John said, "one of the crew members told me it was time to harness up so I could be winched to the top of the mast. From there I could shoot looking down at Jo Aleh, the CQS racing yacht and Sydney Harbour.

"What they didn't tell me was that I shouldn't lean forward in the harness. Of course, that is just what I did - and that resulted in the harness riding in my back and me being dragged to the top of the mast basically by my groin by two ropes.

"When Jo finally climbed the mast she could see the terror in my eyes and she shouted down to the crew to lower me on to the spreader bars, so I could get back in my bosun's chair and take the picture."

John said it was one of the most terrifying experiences of his career, which includes working in Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor.

www.theaustralian.com.au

www.bigboatracing.com

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Spectacular Converted Tugboat. 1,799,000 USD. Located in Sausalito, CA.

If you want a unique base in the San Francisco Bay, or you have secret gearhead dreams, consider Owatonna. She is a 107' U.S. Army tugboat, built like a fortress, with converted living quarters to the equivalent of a 4-bedroom home. She is in a premium downtown slip in Richardson Bay (a lobe of San Francisco Bay). If you were to sail into Richardson Bay from San Francisco Bay, Owatonna is the first end-tie you'd see. (For a full presentation, go to bit.ly/SFBayTug.)

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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RP 78 maxi "Capricorno". Located in La Spezia, Italy.

Reichel-Pugh design, McConaghy carbon construction, Sydney Hobart and Cape Town-Rio winner as Morning Glory.

Reinvented as the ultimate cruiser racer by the team at Nauta Yachts with new deck, interiors and rig.

After winning the ARC, she sailed and explored remote areas around the world such as Patagonia, Cape Horn, Polynesia and Eastern Australia.

Now back in the Med, she is in pristine condition with brand new carbon rigging, engine, genset, electronics, water maker and A/C system.

Ready to go for the next blue water cruise or maxi regatta.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Nauta Yachts
+39 335 53 487 27
francescovitale@nautayachts.com

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

The Last Word
You can't put a price on a statement like that, Andy. Well you can, and the price is £240,000 pounds. -- John Oliver to Andy Zaltzman on Tony Blair's speech in China.

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
Strong winds prevent play on opening day of Coutts Quarter Ton Cup 2017 | Audi J/70 World Championship: Teasing Mistral | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | Multiplast-Groupe Carboman produces the foils for Figaro 3 | Is It Already The America's Cup? Now The Search For Sponsors Has Started, A Bit Of Italian Bickering Can Do No Harm | The Farrs and the Quicks are back! | Abby Ehler and Andrew Cape to join Team Brunel | Adrienne Cahalan honoured as first woman to sail 25 Sydney to Hobart yacht races | Featured Brokerage

Strong winds prevent play on opening day of Coutts Quarter Ton Cup 2017
Cowes, UK - The opening day of the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup dawned with blue skies and a brisk 20-25 knot westerly breeze. However, with the wind forecast to increase during the morning, the fleet was held ashore while two mark laying RIBs ventured out at 1100 to check on conditions first hand, which led to a decision to abandon racing for the day.

"We've been out on the Hill Head Plateau, where there's 22-25 knots of wind, with a sharp Solent chop and broken water," explained Principal Race Officer, Robert Lamb of the Royal Southampton YC, "...and there's no prospect of the wind dropping before the tide turns to the west later this afternoon, when the wind against tide will kick up an even worse sea state."

With the two Quarter Tonners that broke rigs during this year's Lendy Cowes Week serving as a fresh reminder of the relatively fragile nature of these boats, there was overwhelming support for the decision from owners and sailors. "I think everyone will be pleased, especially at this stage of the regatta, where you don't want to risk damage," said Tom Hill, owner of the newly restored Belinda.

Hill is a long-standing Quarter Ton owner, having sailed Runaway Bus for several years, before buying and refitting Belinda. "The standard is very high in the fleet," Hill says, "so you have to keep improving and you learn a lot by sailing against the strongest teams. Belinda is a fairer shape than Runaway Bus and is a much better boat in stronger breezes. John [Corby] did a fantastic job - the boat is now very rigid and feels really solid in a way that's lacking in some older boats."

Tomorrow the forecast is for a west-north-westerly breeze averaging 15 knots, but with significantly strong gusts. The intention is to complete four 45-minute races, with the first warning signal for the 23-strong fleet at 1100. -- Rupert Holmes

* A fleet of 23 exquisitely prepared classic race boats - along with some of the world's best sailors - have gathered in Cowes for the 13th edition of the revived Coutts Quarter Ton Cup.

With four countries represented, plus visitors from Scotland and Jersey, it will again be an international affair. As ever, there's a diverse variety of sailors, ranging from members of Ben Ainslie's 2017 Land Rover BAR America's Cup team, through seasoned trans-Atlantic solo racers, to long-standing Solent gurus. However, parachuting in a team of hot-shot experts is no guarantee of winning this event - it's often the crews that have practiced and raced together over a longer period that have the consistency to come out on top.

Louise Morton has won the event for the past three years in succession by adopting this strategy and will again be a formidable competitor. Her all-woman crew includes Olympian Kate Macgregor, plus match racing supremos Charlotte Lawrence and Imogen Stanley. "I'm really looking forward to this Quarter Ton Cup," Morton says. "Looking down the list of entries, the standard of the fleet is particularly high and there are some very good boats here, so the winner will need to show a lot of consistency."

Morton will need to keep a very close eye on the best-performing boat in the season to date - Sam Laidlaw's Judel/Vrolijk designed Aguila. Laidlaw goes into the event with the advantage of having sailed with exactly the same team at every regatta this year, which has already bagged him an enviable haul of silverware.

www.quartertoncup.org

Audi J/70 World Championship: Teasing Mistral
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com.

Porto Cervo, September 13, 2017. The Mistral winds continued to batter the Costa Smeralda for the second day of the Audi J/70 World Championship, which is organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with the Title Sponsor Audi and the Official Sailmaker Quantum Sails. The strong north westerly wind came tantalizingly close to dropping to the 25 knot class limit. Principal Race Officer, Mark Foster continually updated the fleet but the wind refused to subside and racing was called off for the day at 15:00 CET.

Martin Kullman, Global Sales Director Quantum Sails, commented. "Tomorrow we are expecting 18 knots from the west with a medium sea state. So ideal conditions for the fleet, with the J/70s just about getting up on the plane downwind, let's hope the forecast is right."

Tomorrow, weather permitting, 162 teams will fight to gain the right to race in the Gold and Silver Championship fleet, the big change is that the scores from those races will now count towards the Championship Series.

www.j70worlds2017.com
yccs.it

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

Update
How the Cup was won and why the Golden Globe in 2018 is going to be such a huge story. Rob Kothe, Jack Griffin and Terry Hutchinson

Tough call
James Boyd tries to see past the many conflicting forces that will shape the next America's Cup in 2021

My... we do breed 'em
There are some quite remarkable people who are drawn to race sailing boats... Tim Jeffery sits down with Dr Frank Newton OBE

Seahorse build table - A fun design space
Erik Lerouge has a new Mini-Me trimaran

Sailor of the Month
Two masters of all they survey

Born in the Volvo - available to all
Hoping for the best is never much of a plan

Passione
... is everywhere on the latest WallyCento

Special rates for Scuttlebutt Europe subscribers:
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Multiplast-Groupe Carboman produces the foils for Figaro 3
Click on image to enlarge.

In the summer of 2016, Beneteau Group launched a global for tender call to find a sub-contractor able to produce the foils for its new cruising monotype designed by VPLP. The goal was ambitious, because the selected yard will have to produce two foils per week for one year, scrupulously respecting both the monotype design and in a strict economic framework.

Selected a few days before the 2016 Nautic, the knowledge of the company from Vannes, not least the technologies used in wind power by Plastinov (closed mould, resin infusion, etc.), enabled Multiplast to take up the challenge.

Samuel Napoleoni, engineer in charge of the project at Multiplast explains: "A first mould section of about 500mm was quickly machined in order to carry out the process validation tests. Each test took a week, we ran the process for a fortnight in order to work any "bugs" out of the construction procedure . At the beginning of the year, our objective was to make the manufacturing process strong enough to start mass production. In parallel, we produced the moulds and worked on the ergonomics of the workstation. It provided great satisfaction for our teams when at the end of June we took out the first four foils. At that time, we knew that we were on the right path".

Designed by Vincent Lauriot Prevost and his team (VPLP), these foils are very innovative pieces, both in their geometry and in their manufacturing method. Vincent Lauriot Prevost tells us more: "The foam manufacturing process developed by the Carboman Group seems to us perfectly suited to the Figaro 3. Structural resistance, compliance with weight specifications and geometry go beyond our expectations. It is a fine example of collaboration between the builder, the client and the architect."

A hundred foils will be made before the summer of 2018 to be mounted on the first 50 Figaro 3s.

www.multiplast.eu
www.carboman.eu

Is It Already The America's Cup? Now The Search For Sponsors Has Started, A Bit Of Italian Bickering Can Do No Harm
The J70 Worlds is undoubtedly the finest event in the world sailing season. After a long family discussion, I managed to convince my son Achille, who usually races on Melges 20s, to race on a J70 as well so we could have some fun together and maybe in the evening take the mickey out of each other over a good glass of wine (red, of course).

Achille has never raced in the J70 class, he bought a brand-new boat and sent it to one of the yards of reference to fix some problems with the keel, as the class rules (C.8.1.C) stipulate. Then the boat, which I repeat had never been in the water before, was taken for its first rating which, as agreed between the seller and the international class, would be assigned during the initial checks. During these measurements a nonconformity was found in the keel, but the rating officer said that for him all that was needed to obtain the rating was to re-present the yacht with a new, conforming keel. Once we had the go-ahead from the rating officer, we purchased from an Italian supplier the keel of a new boat that was regularly certified by its French builder.

At this point the yacht was again brought before the rating officer within the time laid down by the Notice of Race, passed all the controls and obtained all the rating documents which made no mention of problems. All this happened, and the yacht was awarded its rating, at midday on Sunday, September 10. The timing too is important, but I'll come back to that later.

On September 11, after the skippers' briefing, well after the rating formalities were over and the fleet split into groups, my sons boat was in the Red group. The organising committee, at 7 PM, posted a notice that rejected the entries of seven boats because the Technical Committee had reported that these yachts had modified their keels, breaking class rule C.8.1. This is what happened. Incidentally, it's right and proper that appendages cannot be modified, but apparently last year at the San Francisco Worlds some participants were allowed to do work on keels that had been found not to conform, thus making it possible for them to race. I could also add that rating controls were rightly scrupulous for some boats but rather less zealous for others, but as Andreotti said, "you apply the law to your enemies but interpret it for your friends..."

I spoke of timing earlier, and it is to say the least singular that the organising committee, in other words the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, took such a grave decision and announced it only hours before the first race.

Several weeks ago the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda had already refused an entry from my friend Pietro Manunta from Olbia, one of the founders of Mascalzone Latino, because it arrived after July 3, the final date, although the Yacht Club had the option of accepting it on payment of a penalty.

What was singular was that they persisted in their refusal even when we were told by friends taking part that they had withdrawn from the race leaving room for us.

At this point I presented to the organisation a formal request to allow my son to replace me at the helm of my boat, whose entry had been accepted. I did this because I wanted my son Achille to race in this magnificent class, where I will never withdraw my modest logistical support in transport. My request was rejected by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, the organisation, without giving any reason whatever.

It's a wonderful World Championship, but it started badly on dry land with seven competitive teams excluded, five of whom had put their boats in order (San Francisco docet), and arbitrarily excluding others who would have liked to take part: what's the point of writing in the Notice of Race that entries can be accepted after July 3 if you pay an extra €250? Perhaps because there would have been a third Mascalzone Latino racing?

It was organised dangerously badly on the water as well, with the ridiculous idea of having just one course for 180 yachts. It was certainly a decision taken with an eye to saving money, since it's well known that the Yacht Club is short of cash.

So we packed up our boats and left, even mine which could have taken part, but sailing is about fun, not just passion, and what happened was politics, only politics and nothing but politics. I have the honour to have been a member of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda for some decades, and the great honour of being awarded the Club's golden pennant. But those were different times with different men. The Club was governed by the sadly missed Commodore Gianfranco Alberini, a true seaman and a true Commander. I left the club after his unfortunate death when he was replaced by a Milanese accountant whose only contact with the sea was the blue of the sealing wax blazer that he always wore like the shell of a snail. He very rarely went out on the water, but his outings were memorable for those who had the delight of seeing him in action. Once he tried helming a Farr40, succeeding masterfully in broaching her every time he tacked - and notice I say when he tacked, I didn't say gybed.

It would be amusing if Bonadeo, to dispel all this climate of tension and conspiracy, delighted us by taking the helm of a J70. I'll lend you mine, laddie, she's properly entered, you only need to wear your blazer!

Well, we threw away a load of money not to take part. The story will be continued in actions for damages in the civil and sporting courts. Isn't that what lawyers and accountants are for? To stop you sailing, and not the contrary. -- Vincenzo Onorato

* Editor: Scuttlebutt Europe will print the reply from Edoardo Recchi, Sports Director of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and organizer of YCCS regattas in the Friday issue.

The Farrs and the Quicks are back!
Zen and the Farr 40 Fleet downwind at the 2017 John Calvert-Jones Trophy. Photo by Crosbie Lorimer, Bow Caddy Media. Click on image to enlarge.

The longstanding Australian Farr 40 class is assembling for another busy season with a great group of enthusiastic returning owners plus a new father and son team ready to reenrol at the school of hard knocks that is one design racing.

A social regatta later in September kicks-off the Farr 40's 2017-18 season a month earlier than previous years, then the four weekend regattas staged between Sydney Harbour, Pittwater and Newcastle lead into the NSW title coinciding with the Middle Harbour Yacht Club's (MHYC) established Sydney Harbour Regatta in March. Finally the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS) will host the National Championship: John Calvert-Jones Trophy, also in March.

Alan and son Tom Quick took ownership of what was the Farr 40 Transfusion at the end of the 2016-17 season and spent the winter months racing the renamed Outlaw on Sydney Harbour.

Speaking on the requirement for crew weigh-ins for the states and nationals only Tom adds, "It makes it friendlier and easier to get out on the racetrack with competent crew."

Gordon Ketelbey is standing for another Farr 40 association presidency term and says, "It's a solid fleet of nine. Roughly this number reoccurs each season and it's still the very best of one design racing. The class is alive and well and kicking with a strong association and professional administrator. The 2017-18 circuit is similar to last time and MHYC, where five of the 40s live, will run most of the regattas."

List of entries for the Farr 40 2017-18 season:
1. Estate Master - Martin Hill, MHYC
2. Double Black - Rob Pitts, Sandringham Yacht Club and MHYC
3. Edake - Jeff Carter, MHYC
4. Exile - Rob Reynolds, MHYC
5. Forty - Sam Hill, RSYS
6. Good Form - Joe de Kock, Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club
7. Kokomo - Lang Walker, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
8. Nutcracker - Rob Davis & Andy Baker, SYC
9. Zen - Gordon Ketelbey, MHYC

www.farr40.asn.au
farr40.org

Abby Ehler and Andrew Cape to join Team Brunel
Team Brunel adds Britain's Abby Ehler and Australian Andrew Cape to their squad for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18. For Ehler it will be a reunion with Annie Lush having sailed the previous Volvo Ocean Race together with Team SCA. Cape isn't new to the team either. He has sailed two Volvo Ocean Races with Bekking before and was the Team Brunel navigator in the previous edition.

Abby first competed in the Volvo Ocean Race with Amer Sports Too in 2001-2002 and more recently in 2014-2015 with Team SCA making this Abby's third Volvo Ocean Race. Since the completion of the last Volvo Ocean Race, Abby has been involved with the re-fit of the VO65's at The Boatyard facility in Lisbon as well as working for the America's Cup LiveLine team who brought to the viewing audience the technology of on-water graphics.

For the 55-year-old Australian navigator Andrew Cape, also known as 'Capey', it will be his seventh Volvo Ocean Race. Of which the third with Bekking.

teambrunel.com
volvooceanrace.com

Adrienne Cahalan honoured as first woman to sail 25 Sydney to Hobart yacht races
It's a highly polished wooden board sporting the names of some of Australia's most famous ocean racing sailors and now the first woman has etched her name on it.s

Adrienne Cahalan, a mother-of-two, round the world navigator, former Australian sailor of the year, skiff skipper and lawyer was on the weekend honoured as the first woman to sail in 25 Sydney to Hobart yacht races after racing south aboard Ragamuffin in the 2016 event.

Dubbed the Hobart Heroes, sailors who have achieved the feat of 25 races are honoured at the annual Quiet Little Drink fundraising event with their names added to an honours board.

At the same event on the weekend, Brad Kellett became the youngest sailor at 40 to achieve the feat of 25 Hobarts with Andrew Taylor, Peter Sheldrick, Michael Bellingham and Bruce Clark all honoured for reaching the milestone.

While Cahalan, who wants to sail a Sydney to Hobart with her daughters when they reach the minimum age of 18, is the first woman to make the club, she is one of the most successful sailors on it.

She has the extraordinary record of six line honours wins from sailing on Nicorette and Wild Oats along with two overall wins and two race records.

She was also the first Australian female sailor aboard a line honours winner back in 2000.

www.news.com.au/sport/

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2010 62ft cruiser-racer trimaran PARADOX. 990000 EUR. Located in Bermuda.

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The Last Word
Meeting someone new would be like getting a new phone. You have to start again, input all of your information into them while trying to get to know their functions. -- Karl Pilkington

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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Spectacular Conditions On Day 2
Mark Richmond's Cote approaching the windward mark on day 2 of the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup 2017 with Land Rover BAR sailor Nick Hutton on board as bowman. Photo by Paul Wyeth. Click on image to enlarge.

Cowes, UK: The second day of the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup delivered spectacular, though challenging, racing on a glorious day that saw three different race winners and six boats scoring at least one podium result. Sam Laidlaw's Aguila, which initially was scored with a perfect run of second places, appeared to be the most consistent boat on a day that saw many competitors yo-yoing up and down the leaderboard.

However, a protest saw Aguila disqualified from the first race and therefore thrust well down the overall results until the discard kicks in. Ian Southworth's Whiskers therefore leads the fleet after the first four races with a score of 10 points, including two race wins, while Tony Hayward's Blackfun is second overall on 13 points. Behind them, Mark Richmond's Cote holds third place with 23 and Paul Gibbons' Anchor Challenge fourth on 27 points.

The day started with a west north westerly wind of 17-20 knots, which decreased gradually through the afternoon, but there were significantly stronger gusts that produced plenty of the spectacular broaches for which the class is notorious. The class is also renowned for close racing and today proved to be no exception. In race three, for instance, a group of 12 boats crossed the finish in a period of only 65 seconds.

Four more frenetic 45-minute races are planned for the final day of racing tomorrow, with more gentle conditions of 8-10 knots promised.

www.quartertoncup.org

ILCA Laser Standard Men's World Championship
Racing got underway at Split, Croatia for the Laser Standard Worlds. Host club is Sailing Club Mornar.

Sam Meech made a strong start to the Laser world championships in Split overnight, winning one of his two races to sit in third overall.

Extremely shifty conditions greeted the 147 competitors in Croatia, meaning big gains and losses could be made, so Meech was happy to emerge from the first day in a healthy position with a win and a fourth in his two races.

The competitors have been split into three fleets for the first three days of qualifying before they're put into gold, silver and bronze fleets.

Top five after 2 races sailed:
1. Pavlos Kontides, CYP, 2 points
2. Jean-Baptiste Bernaz, FRA, 4
3. Sam Meech, NZL, 5
4. Giovanni Coccoluto, ITA, 5
5. Lorenzo Brando Chiavarini, GBR, 5

laserworlds2017.com

Audi J/70 World Championship
The world's largest sportboat fleet finally commenced racing at the Audi J/70 World Championship, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, in collaboration with the Title Sponsor Audi, and the Official Sailmaker Quantum Sails.

Relative Obscurity (USA), Peter Duncan - Judd Smith leads after three races. Petite Terrible #Audi (ITA), Claudia Rossi - Michele Paoletti is second in the rankings, and L'Elagain (ITA), Franco Solerio - Daniele Cassinari is third.

In the Corinthian Class after Race 3: White Hawk (ITA) Gianfranco Noè, Give Me Five (FRA) Follin Robin, and Marnatura (ESP) Luis Bugallo.

Under clear blue skies, with a westerly breeze, ranging from 12-20 Knots, three races were held on the beautiful Costa Smeralda. The J/70 Armada left the safe confines of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda apprehensive of what was to come. The sight of 162 teams gathered on the race course was nothing short of spectacular, a gigantic festival of yacht racing. The fleet would not return for over eight hours of intense competition, salt-encrusted and elated by the experience.

J Boats Stuart Johnstone, racing with Henry Brauer on American entry Rascal, spoke about the first day of racing at the Audi J/70 World Championship. "It was an extraordinary feeling leaving the harbour this morning, I was thinking back to the golden days of the J/24. I was filled with family pride, seeing so many sailors going out there to enjoy a spectacular day of sailing."

"Out on the race course, we could recognise the depth and talent of the fleet," continued Stuart, "If you fell out of the top tier, it was very difficult to claw your way back before the top mark. Downwind the classic post-mistral conditions meant there were big lulls as well as big puffs, which is very challenging. Packs of boats kept passing each other with sometimes 50% difference in boat speed."

The Audi J/70 World Championship will continue tomorrow, September 15, the intended first warning signal at 1100 CEST. The 162 boat fleet will be split into Gold and Silver Fleets.

www.j70worlds2017.com

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

World news
Ivor Wilkins loves a parade, Carlos Pich with a (complete) change of tone for the Barcelona World Race, Vincent Lauriot-Prevost and Patrice Carpentier race the Atlantic, the Joyon-Coville battle without end and Dobbs Davis watches the return of a wizard

Hard to win
Oracle Team USA design co-ordinator Scott Ferguson has never had any doubts about that

Incoming
But new rating office director and IRC supremo Dr Jason Smithwick has yet to decide...

Eight bells
A very tough month. Rob Weiland

Much ado about a lot
James Dadd looks at the (massive) task ahead

(Much) more than furlers
Beautiful sleepy port begat beautiful high tech

Moving on from Rio
America's Cup 35 wasn't June's only big event

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.

Bart's Bash 2017
This weekend, the sailing world will once again unite in memory of sailor Andrew 'Bart' Simpson under the global umbrella event title, 'Bart's Bash'. It is already designated as The World's Largest Sailing Event having achieved a Guinness World Record in 2014 when it was first staged.

This year, the fourth Bart's Bash, there are 589 venues from across 79 countries signed up to take part in this extraordinary participation and fundraising event for the Andrew Simpson Foundation.

The Andrew Simpson Foundation continues to promote the sport and all the benefits it brings to people of all abilities. A number of Islands in the Caribbean affected by Hurricane Irma have taken part in Bart's Bash in previous years and were due to take part in 2017. In light of recent events, the Andrew Simpson Foundation has pledged to use the funds raised from this year's Bart's Bash to help those affected rebuild their community sailing projects, allowing them to continue to deliver grassroots sailing to programmes young people.

After spending a year away in Bermuda for the America's Cup, high profiled sailor, Iain Percy will join his friends and family at the WPNSA where he spent many years training for his Olympic campaigns with Bart. Iain will be sailing his Bart's Bash in the Star boat in which he competed in the first Bart's Bash in 2014 with Andrew's eldest son, Freddie Simpson.

An easy way of helping support Andrew 'Bart' Simpson's legacy is TEXT TO DONATE (any time/any amount of money from a fiver upwards!) e.g.: BART17 £5 to 70070

https://www.justgiving.com

Open Letter to respond to Mascalzone Latino
Porto Cervo (OT), September 13, 2017. Edoardo Recchi, Sports Director of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and organizer of YCCS regattas.

Ever since Commodore Gianfranco Alberini hired me seventeen years ago to organize regattas at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, I have done my best to make sure that all participants in sporting events at our Club receive the same impartial treatment, so that they can compete fairly under the same rules and conditions.

The YCCS has always respected and held Team Mascalzone Latino in high regard over the years that they have competed in many events and across various Classes at our Club. There has never been any cause for contention between us.

In the occasion of an exclusion and subsequent withdrawal from the Audi J/70 World Championship, I choose not to comment on the words directed by Team Mascalzone Latino and its owner, Mr. V. Onorato, towards our Commodore R. Bonadeo, who has nothing to do with this affair and who is considering whether or not to take action on a personal level. My job is to answer the criticism directed publicly at the YCCS.

The Audi J/70 World Championship is without a doubt the largest World Championship event of 2017. With 172 teams registered, it is the largest World Championship for sportboats ever organized, and we are very happy with the enthusiasm that the teams have shown.

As always, all teams- in this case 172 boats and crews- underwent J/70 Class Rules controls. It took the International Rating Committee, eight people of whom three from the Italian J/70 Class team and five from the International team, four days to check and measure all the 172 teams registered. This Rating Committee is separate and independent from the YCCS that is the Organising Authority for this important event.

After checking, weighing and measuring hulls, appendages, weight, safety equipment and sails on all of the boats participating, the Rating Committee found that seven boats had obvious deformities in their keels. These deformities were signalled to the O.A. and to the National and International J /70 Class representatives.

On September 11th at 7:00 PM the Ratings Committee posted the results of their measurements on the J/70 Class event's bulletin board, as per the norm before a regatta gets underway. These results were posted before the event and not late as Mr. Onorato has affirmed. The ratings checks were completed just four hours earlier, at 3:00 PM. Mr. Onorato claims that the ratings checks were done in a different way than at other events, but this has nothing to do with the YCCS. The ratings checks were done by Class rules just as the ratings for any One Design regatta we organise are done. The O.A.'s notice that the seven non-conforming teams would be excluded from competition was met with protests on the part of most of those teams who asked the eight judges from the International Jury, none of whom are Italian but all of whom have been selected by the Federazione Vela, for a re-check. They confirmed the decision to not allow the seven teams to compete saying that the O.A.'s decision was correct and fair. I got a call from Pietro Manunta asking if he could register after the deadline after we had already turned down tens of other tardy teams. To stay fair to the other tardy teams I said no, that I could not apply the conditions for tardy registrations (after July 3) that were in the Regatta Rules and conditions for tardy registrations because we already had a record fleet that strained our logistical capacity to the max.

The request to substitute the entire team sailing aboard Mascalzone Latino with the team that sails aboard Mascalzone Junior was turned down by the Regatta Committee, headed by the International Regatta Judges and nominated by the Federazione Vela, because Class Rules state that as single members of a team can be substituted for valid reasons, there must be valid reasons for changing an entire team. These valid reasons were not presented. In formulating that decision it was asserted that the team in question had not been allowed to compete because there were irregularities in their boat, and these irregularities are always the boat owner's responsibility.

All the teams racing, 172 total from 25 different nations, had made significant investments to come to Porto Cervo. We reserve the same fair treatment for all, be they four friends camping out to top professional teams with AC sailors and budgets. Our sport is one that rewards go to the best performer on the water. Not to those who spend the most money. Fairness is fundamental and a fundamental, J/70 Class rule states, that appendages that cannot be modified. If, after a J/70 Class ratings check, it becomes clear that those appendages have been modified, whomsoever has authorised and paid for those modifications becomes responsible for them. Otherwise the other teams racing could not compete in fair conditions in their World Championship.

The seven teams that have been excluded from completion have been found to have boats and/or teams that do not conform to J/70 Class rules. We hope that the other teams can sail in fair and safe conditions along the trapezoid and 2 parallel windward-leeward courses that we have planned to handle such a large fleet. At the end of the event the teams participating in it can best answer Mr. Onorato and say if they found that the event was indeed, "dangerously and poorly organised both on land and on the water by a Club that is poor both in monetary and in human resources."

The documents that motivated the above decisions are available to all on line and the YCCS's decision as O.A. has the full support of both the Italian and the International J/70 Classes. The International Jury is also in accord with our decision. It would be extremely difficult that Classes and Jury on this level would "have it in" for Team Mascalzone Latino.

On our part, we are working hard and stretching our operative capacity to accommodate such a large event. We are very pleased to have terminated the measurements and ratings of the largest fleet of sportboats in the history of our sport to date. The reasons that led to the withdrawal of Team Mascalzone Latino are personal reasons of the owner, Mr. Onorato. His words on Commodore Bonadeo will be taken into consideration at a later date. I have sailed with our Commodore on his Farr 40 and other boats of his, and even if we didn't always win we never felt we had to publish press releases to vent our spleen. As the saying goes, it isn't if you win or lose, it's how you play the game. -- Edoardo Recchi, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda

yccs.it

Five bullet day for Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco
The silver flash, that is the GC32 foiling catamaran Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco, put in an extraordinary performance, posting a perfect scoreline on day two of the GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup on the Bay of Calvi, despite ultra-tricky conditions.

While the forecast indicated strong wind and big seas, more marginal than on day one, a smart call by the race management team in getting the boats racing three and a half hours earlier than scheduled, paid off. This enabled five windward-leeward races to be sailed, without yesterday's big swell, but in winds that ranged from 10-25 knots, at times with significant shifts. It was a day when making calls about the correct side was as vital as crew work, adapting sail choice to wind strength.

Former America's Cup skipper Sebastien Col, who helmed Pierre Casiraghi's Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco today and yesterday, said: "I think in the first two races we sailed well, better than the rest of the fleet, and probably getting a bit of luck with a few shifts - but you needed that to win races, because the wind was so shifty. Then by the third race, our confidence had built. Everything was working very well on board." Calling tactics on board has been young British former Olympic and Figaro sailor, Richard Mason.

Tomorrow conditions are forecast to be more regular in the afternoon when 15-18 knots are forecast. The aim is to return to the schedule with a first warning signal at 1230 for two rounds of the ANONIMO Speed Challenge followed by racing with reaching starts.

GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup overall results

1. Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco, 11 points
2. Argo. 22
3. Team ENGIE, 23
4. Realteam, 25
5. Mamma Aiuto!, 28
6. .film Racing, 38
7. Zoulou, 56

www.gc32racingtour.com

Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup
Newport RI, USA: To describe the tactical approach which led Eastern Yacht Club to the low-point score of Day 3 of the 2017 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, Ben Richardson used a word not often associated with successful big-boat sailing: reactionary. "You had to be pretty reactionary," said Richardson, a former Laser Masters World Champion and Pan Am Games competitor. "We never went into any particular race saying, 'Oh, you've got to go left,' or 'You've got go right.' You had to continually adapt up the beat and see where the pressure was. There were pretty big pressure differentials and you had to connect the dots up the beat, and on the run."

Eastern Yacht Club moved from fourth to third in the overall standings and now has a 15-point advantage over a pack of boats clumped in fourth to ninth. Southern Yacht Club finished third on the day, but only two points behind Eastern, and leads the regatta by 9 points over Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, which won two of the day's three races.

The race for first has really come down to three boats, and two of them will need some help from the current leader if they want to hoist the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup trophy on Saturday. Another strong day by Southern tomorrow may well sort out the overall podium. The most interesting racing may focus on the battle for fourth, with six teams all within 8 points of that spot. Those positions are unlikely to be decided until the final beat of the final race.

Racing for the 2017 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup will start Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m. There are three races remaining in the 12-race series.

Results after Race 9, Day 3
1. Southern Yacht Club (2,2,1,2,8,2,7,1,2 27 pts)
2. Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (1,3,3,1,7,12,1,7,1 36 pts)
3. Eastern Yacht Club (7,4,2,5,13,6,2,3,3 37 pts)
4. Yacht Club Argentino (10,14,7,3,9,1,6,2,10, 62 pts)
5. Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (11,1,8,4,5,4,11,14,5 63 pts)

Full results.

invitationalcup.org

Not Sailing But Very Very Cool
On Sept. 15, NASA's Cassini spacecraft will complete its remarkable story of exploration with an intentional plunge into Saturn's atmosphere, ending its mission after nearly 20 years in space. News briefings, photo opportunities and other media events will be held at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, and will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Launched in 1997, Cassini arrived in orbit around Saturn in 2004 on a mission to study the giant planet, its rings, moons and magnetosphere. In April of this year, Cassini began the final phase of its mission, called its Grand Finale -- a daring series of 22 weekly dives between the planet and its rings. On Sept. 15, Cassini will plunge into Saturn, sending new and unique science about the planet's upper atmosphere to the very end. After losing contact with Earth, the spacecraft will burn up like a meteor. This is the first time a spacecraft has explored this unique region of Saturn -- a dramatic conclusion to a mission that has revealed so much about the ringed planet.

Live coverage starts at 7 AM EDT: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

If you have never see the video of the Huygens Probe landing on Saturn's moon Titan... launched from the Cassini spacecraft in 2005:

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 Peter Barton, RS Aero Class Association Manager

RE: 'Since the J/70 was introduced in 2013, over 1400 boats have been sold worldwide, making it fastest growing One Design class in sailing history. '

The RS Aero was introduced three years ago in the summer of 2014 and has now sold over 1420 boats to date in approximately 45 countries.

With 96 RS Aeros from 16 nations at our first World Champs in Carnac, France this summer we will be looking to break the 150 entries mark when the 2nd World Championship comes to the UK next summer.

Just sayin' ;-)

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The Last Word
The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in time of moral crisis preserve their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy

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
Audi J/70 World Championship | Southern Yacht Club Claims 2017 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup | Ocean Safety to put Volvo teams through pre-race safety training sessions | Sam Laidlaw's Aguila claims Coutts Quarter Ton Cup | Surprise victory for Realteam at GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup | Nominations Launched For YJA Yachtsman of the Year 2017 and Young Sailor of the Year | The 2018 Grand (Caribbean) Tour | Dugout Canoe Surfaces after Irma | Spithill wants America's Cup return | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

Audi J/70 World Championship
Porto Cervo, Italy: The Audi J/70 World Championship, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, in collaboration with the J/70 International Class Association, and with the Title Sponsor Audi, and Official Sailmaker Quantum Sails.

With sparkling sunshine, a significant sea state, and a warm westerly breeze, piping up to a ballistic 30 knots, the world's largest championship sportsboat fleet enjoyed a fantastic finale.

Peter Duncan is the Audi J/70 World Champion, after a stunning performance, scoring podium finishes in every race, including three race wins. American Brian Keane's Savasana scored a second in the final race, moving up to runner up for the championship. Italian Luca Domenici moved up to third in the final race. Italian Claudia Rossi's attempt to become the first lady helm to win the title was ended with a Black Flag in the final race. -- Louay Habib

Gold Fleet

Audi J/70 World Champion:
Relative Obscurity (USA), Peter Duncan - Diaz de Leon
Second: Savasana (USA) Brian Keane - Stu McNay
Third: Notaro Team (ITA) Luca Domenici - Diego Negri

Gold Corinthian Class Winner:
White Hawk (ITA) Gianfranco Noe
Second: Marnatura (ESP) Luis Bugallo
Third: Give Me Five (FRA) Robin Follin

Silver Fleet Overall Winner & Corinthian Winner:
Noberasco Das (ITA) Alessandro Zampori

http://www.j70worlds2017.com
http://www.yccs.com

Southern Yacht Club Claims 2017 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup
Newport RI, USA: In Saturday's single race, the Southern Yacht Club was as sharp as they had been in the previous 11 races, starting strongly and never wavering. SYC eventually finished second to Royal Thames in the race, and four places ahead of their only remaining competition for the overall trophy, Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron from Australia. In 12 races, the Southern Yacht Club team accumulated just 34 points, the lowest winning total for a Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup by 10 points.

With a margin of 8 points over second-placed Royal Sydney to start the day, and only one race remaining, Southern Yacht Club was in a comfortable position. But light air and fog can dampen the confidence of even the most credentialed sailor. A long delay only added to the anxiety.

Southern Yacht Club was the first rookie competitor to win the Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup since the host New York Yacht Club won the inaugural competition in 2009. But the team, which was composed of veteran sailors with many significant campaigns under their collective belt, approached the regatta with the appropriate commitment. Buoyed by the membership, and especially crew member Stephen Murray Jr., the team was able to purchase a boat to train on all summer and sail in regatta.

The 2017 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup took place September 9 to 16 at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court, in Newport, R.I. Amateur sailors representing 14 yacht clubs from around the globe converged on Newport to race in the ultimate one-design, big-boat competition. The boats and sails are provided and the rig tune is standardized across the fleet. The Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup is sponsored by Rolex, Porsche, Nautor's Swan, AIG and Helly Hansen.

Final results

1. Southern YC, USA, 34
2. Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, AUS, 46
3. Eastern Yacht Club, USA, 67
4. New York Yacht Club, USA, 74
5. Royal Thames Yacht Club, UK, 77
6. Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, HKG, 85
7. Japan Sailing Federation , JPN, 88
8. Yacht Club Argentino, ARG, 92
9. Itchenor Sailing Club, UK, 96
10. New Bedford Yacht Club, USA, 114
11. Royal Cork YC, IRL, 114
12. Royal Swedish Yacht Club, SWE, 121
13. Shelter Island Yacht Club, USA, 121
14. Royal Yacht Squadron, UK, 134

http://invitationalcup.org

Ocean Safety to put Volvo teams through pre-race safety training sessions
Some of the biggest names in racing are to undergo intensive safety training with Ocean Safety in preparation for the Volvo Ocean Race which starts on October 14th.

Ocean Safety will work with the crews for a full week starting 16th September at South Tyneside College's state of the art survival training centre.

Ocean Safety has provided the majority of all the necessary lifesaving equipment to the seven yachts taking part in the gruelling 37,000 mile race, including the Jonbuoy Recovery Module and the new SOLAS Ocean Ultralite liferafts, amongst other vital onboard safety equipment.

"Although many are veteran Volvo racers and ocean sailors who have seen Ocean Safety's demonstrations before it is always important to check that their skills and safety knowledge is current and up to date," comments Alistair. This is the fifth consecutive event that the company has been involved in.

Ocean Safety's involvement doesn't stop there. The safety equipment on all the yachts will be checked and serviced before the yachts go to Alicante, and then further final checks will be made in the days before the start. Ocean Safety will also have a presence in Auckland to inspect the kit half way around.

oceansafety.com

Sam Laidlaw's Aguila claims Coutts Quarter Ton Cup
Aguila on her way to victory in the 2017 Coutts Quarter Ton Cup. Photo by Paul Wyeth. Click on image to enlarge.

Winds ranging from 5 knots to 27 knots provided a thorough test of competitors at this year's Coutts Quarter Ton Cup. Few teams were able to maintain consistent performance across such a wide range of conditions and for most it was a very high scoring series.

However, Sam Laidlaw's Aguila dominated the front of the fleet throughout the championship and put up an impressively flawless performance today, winning all three races. Laidlaw's team of Brett Aarons, Dan Gohl, Tom Forrester-Coles and Robbie Southwell, finished the series as overall winner, counting just nine points from seven races.

Apart from a shocker in the final race, Ian Southworth's Whiskers also sailed a consistent regatta, counting predominately first and second places to finish in second overall on 14 points. Third overall was taken by Mark Richmond's Cote on 29 points and fourth by Paul Gibbons' Anchor Challenge on 32 points.

As well as the main prize for the overall winner of the Quarter Ton Cup, the event also awards a raft of other prizes. The Roger Swinney trophy for boats other than the winners of the Open and Corinthian Divisions rating lower than 0.910 was won by Whiskers.

Terence Dinmore's Captain Moonlight won the prize for the oldest crew, with a combined age of 334 years, and Willie McNeill's Illegal the youngest (167 years). The oldest bowman, winning the walking stick, is 59-year old Led Pritchard of Whiskers. The concours d'elegance for the best-presented boat went to Lincoln Redding's Lacydon Protis. -- Rupert Holmes

www.quartertoncup.org

Surprise victory for Realteam at GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup
An unforced error caused victory to slip through the fingers of Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco on the final day of the GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup, leaving the Swiss Realteam to claim their second event win on the 2017 GC32 Racing Tour.

While summery conditions initially gave way to an overcast sky and rain, out on the Bay of Calvi it was the most stable day with 15-20 knot winds. This enabled one round of the ANONIMO Speed Challenge and five races with reaching starts to be held.

In the ANONIMO Speed Challenge it was Jason Carroll's Argo which made the fastest run today with an average speed of 21.21 knots for the two reaching legs and the gybe between.

Crews and spectators alike today were pleased the race committee was able to set up America's Cup-style courses with reaching starts/finishes. As the wind piped up to 20 knot for the fourth race, the start became even more of a high octane affair. Once again the Bay of Calvi's fish farm formed an obstacle on the left side of the race track forcing boats that went this side to reach into the leeward gate at warp factor. On Argo they hit 36 knots.

Going into the final event of the 2017 GC32 Racing Tour, Marseille One Design, Realteam holds a two point lead over Argo.

On this occasion it was Naofumi Kamei's Mamma Aiuto! that claimed the GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup owner-driver prize. Incredibly there are now three teams - Argo, Mamma Aiuto! and Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco all tied on points in the 2017 season Owner Driver Championship going into the last event of the season: Marseille One Design will take place over 12-15 October.

www.gc32racingtour.com

Nominations Launched For YJA Yachtsman of the Year 2017 and Young Sailor of the Year
Nominations for the 2017 YJA Yachtsman of the Year Awards open today to start the selection process of finding Britain's top Yachtsman and Young Sailor of the Year.

The NEW YJA Young Bloggers Competition intended to give young bloggers, journalists, video and photographers and aspiring radio presenters a chance to get their first break in yachting journalism was also launched.

Nominations for both awards and the Bloggers competition were launched at the Yachtmarket.com Southampton Boat Show today, and close on Sunday, October 15, 2017.

Nominations may be made online via the YJA website as well as the Boat Show and Premier Marinas websites. Nomination forms will also be available on other exhibition stands, at yacht clubs, and at all nine Premier Marinas in the south.

The prestigious yachting awards were launched at a reception hosted by Premier Marinas at the Southampton Boat Show, attended by past Award winners and members of the Yachting Journalists' Association.

Barry Pickthall encourages the yachting community to make their nominations, "Don't rely on someone else to name your yachting hero or rising star to be considered for the 2017 YJA Awards. Nominating couldn't be simpler."

Nominations can be made online at http://www.yja.co.uk or by posting back one of nomination cards being distributed throughout the Boat Show, to Yacht Clubs across the country, and from any Premier Marinas site across the south of England.

Nominations are welcomed until Sunday, October 15, 2017. The winners for each Award will be announced on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at Trinity House, London.

yja.co.uk/viewpages.lasso?&id=190

The 2018 Grand (Caribbean) Tour
We've managed to remain in close touch with our friends in the Caribbean Sailing Association throughout their recent and dreadful experiences - offering by comparison minuscule but still sincere support wherever it can be of any use whatsoever.

We were thrilled - and surprised - by the inspiring stated ambition to run their scheduled regattas for the coming 2018 Caribbean season. We at Seahorse will be digging deep and stretching ourselves a little thin but we are committing now to having people at all the events we possibly can and we very much encourage the entire sailing community to do the same.

The Caribbean regatta circuit plays a huge role in supporting the local economies of many of the islands that were just ravaged by Hurricane Irma - islands and communities that have been incredibly welcoming to us all in the past.

Now it's our turn. As racing sailors, if ever you had an interest in visiting or revisiting a Caribbean Regatta then early 2018 is the best - and most public spirited - opportunity (hopefully) any of us will have in our lifetimes.

The following article maps out the CSA's key events - we urge you to commit to one or more today, notify the organisers of your intention to take part and support wonderful communities that are at this moment working desperately hard to provide their families with something approaching normal living in the most adverse and dispiriting of conditions.

https://www.seahorsemagazine.com

Dugout Canoe Surfaces after Irma
Click on image to enlarge.

A dugout canoe reportedly washed ashore during Hurricane Irma on the north side of Cocoa, Florida. A local resident reports that he was riding his bicycle after the storm and spotted the canoe by the shore. Familiar with state laws, he suspected the canoe came from Sovereign Submerged Lands and reported it to the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, Division of Historical Resources, Department of State.

The canoe was evaluated by a professional archeologist based in Canaveral on Thursday, September 14. The canoe is approximately 15 feet long and weighs hundreds of pounds. It is waterlogged and has a very small number of barnacles on it. The construction is atypical, with not only a squared off form commonly seen in the historic period, but compartments and what appears to be a seat.

Initial assessments suggest the canoe is over fifty years old, which makes it historic in age, but the approximate age of the canoe is not yet confirmed. The department is having the canoe carbon-dated and we should receive results within a few weeks. Overall, its appearance and the presence of a cut nail suggests it is not a precontact canoe. In other words, it is maximum several hundred years old and minimum probably several decades old.

Florida has the highest concentration of archaeological dugouts in the world with more than 400 from the state. Wooden artifacts like canoes are only preserved in constantly wet environments or constantly dry environments. Because Florida is so wet, it has an environment conducive to preservation of wood. There are several uncommon but not unique things about this particular canoe: 1) its overall shape, construction and paint, 2) the nature of the find, and 3) the location of the find adjacent to the Indian River and the probable association with saltwater.

The canoe is currently being kept wet and is in a safe place. The Division of Historical Resources is working with local museums to provide a short-term and long term plan for its conservation, preservation, and ultimate public display in Cocoa.

Spithill wants America's Cup return
Jimmy Spithill said he wants another crack at the America's Cup after skippering Oracle Team USA's drubbing at the hands of Emirates Team New Zealand in Bermuda this summer.

The Australian, twice a winner of the Auld Mug, told a New Zealand radio station that he did not want his America's Cup career to end with the 7-1 defeat by Team New Zealand in AC35 on the Great Sound in June.

"I don't even know if I will ever get over Bermuda, but I can't leave it like that," Spithill said on an interview with Newstalk ZB. "I love the game. I'm pretty much obsessed with it and, for sure, my plan is to try and get back there, and I'm sure you guys would love to hear, get that Cup back off New Zealand."

Speculation is rife that Oracle will not enter AC36 in Auckland four years from now. Bob Fisher, the British sailing writer, wrote in Yachts and Yachting that Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corporation, was set to turn his back on the America's Cup. Fisher reported that he had received an e-mail from Sir Russell Coutts, the chief executive of the team and the America's Cup Event Authority in Bermuda, that wrote: "My understanding is that Oracle/Larry will not be entering."

Spithill did not say whether he knew what Ellison's plans were, and said: "I would love to see Larry back in the game ... either way, I want back in."

The 38-year-old, who led Oracle to victory in 2010 and 2013, did not mention whether he was in talks with any potential employers for AC36. -- Ben Saunders, Sports Editor

royalgazette.com

* From Susan Zaluski:

We are all overwhelmed and surrounded by love from all parts of the world. It is touching and has brought the Jost Van Dyke community together. Jost Van Dyke has been utterly devastated and the photos and personal narratives of this storm are both heartbreaking and inspiring.

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Susan and I am the Director of the Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society which Foxy founded years ago and I also work for him at Foxy's coordinating events, social media and other marketing tasks. I have resided on JVD for several years and consider it and the Foxy clan home and family.

Today I received word that I am - at least temporarily-- the official external voice of Foxy's. You can direct questions to me. Please keep them essential and know that those of us impacted are working overtime whilst also dealing with our own trauma. Know that Foxy and Tessa are committed to rebuilding the bar and JVD. Foxy, tessa, justine and jemilla will remain on JVD. They are staying put. I was able to see Adrian and Naya today who are on their way to New Jersey to live with Raquel and their cousins Isaac and Lilly. Tristan and Zander will stay on Jost for the time being.

If you haven't already heard, much of Foxy's is intact and they moved all the food from the Soggy Dollar and Hendo's trailers in White Bay and brought them to Foxy's which is functioning as a community kitchen. While there is looting and shooting in Tortola, on Jost Van Dyke they are working together, clearing roads, prioritizing their needs and redefining their future - as a community. It is, no lie, the most inspiring thing I have ever seen in my life.

And that brings me to an important next point - your ideas and energy are greatly appreciated; however, at this time everyone at the outside is telling JVD what it needs. Everyone is tripping over each other and it is getting confusing. The preservation society and others are working to raise funds and we have started a Go Fundme:

gofundme.com/jost-van-dyke-humanitarian-aid

Donations can also be directed to us through www.jvdps.org

Please share widely.

I will visit JVD for a few days this week and will have several meetings - which have stared here in puerto rico with survivors about what the most pressing needs are and where to direct funds. We are also not lacking in expert review of the situation. The UN and colleagues from the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been on site to JVD for assessments.

We are also getting a great aid response here in San Juan where the Puerto Ricans and the "Puerto Rican Navy" have been northing short of amazing. If you know of people wanted to donate, please direct them towards me.

Thank you so much for your interest and energy.

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The Last Word
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. -- Douglas Adams

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
Monaco Classic Week - La Belle Classe | ILCA Laser Standard Men's World Championship | GAC Pindar Win M32 Series Scandinavia, Become Back-to-Back Champions | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | Clipper Race3: Mixed Results From Stealth Mode Tactics | Destination World for Francois Gabart | FAST40+ Class HYS One Ton Cup | Bart's Bash | Are lobster pots a danger to yachts? | Hit the road Jack - sailing royalty farewells its King | Featured Brokerage

Monaco Classic Week - La Belle Classe
The 13th Monaco Classic Week - La Belle Classe, one of the largest classic yacht meetings, ended Sunday after a week packed with magical events in a Roaring Twenties atmosphere. Time has no hold on this one-of-a-kind biennial event which attracted nearly 150 boats, from classic yachts to period motor-yachts and vintage motorboats, here to pay tribute to our maritime heritage.

Launched in 1994, the meeting has not only retained its freshness, but also the spirit of the first powerboat meetings from 1904 when the Principality hosted the world's industrialists taking part in nautical events.

It was a week dedicated to the Yacht Club's Art de Vivre la Mer philosophy, alternating events at sea, technical inspections, a culinary competition, the arts and elegance. "It is this sort of event that repositions Monaco as the city it was conceived to be, one centred around the harbour," notes the Yacht Club de Monaco's General Secretary, Bernard d'Alessandri. "Monaco is a yachting destination for both modern and traditional yachts."

Among the highlights, 90th anniversary celebrations for Creole, Xarifa and Trinakria who made a stunning entrance on Saturday into Port Hercule after racing, and a moving tribute to Carlo Riva, the brilliant designer behind the famous mahogany-hulled motorboats so coveted by the jet set in the fifties.

The big winner of this edition was the gaff cutter Viola, a beautiful 1908 sailing yacht which in France is considered a historic monument.

Considered by many to be Charles Nicholson's masterpiece, Creole was the main attraction of the week. The Yacht Club de Monaco wanted to honour this three-mast schooner which is 90 this year. Escorted by Trinakria (50m) and the ketch Xarifa, both also launched in 1927, Creole (58.22m) made a majestic entrance into Port Hercule to a thunderous greeting of horns and cannon fire, trailing a string of Rivas, Chris Crafts and Hacker Crafts in her wake.

Overall winner: Monaco Classic Week Trophy 2017: Viola (Kostia Belkin)

Elegance Prize - sailing yacht Elena of London (Mark Dixon) / Motorboat: Albatros (John Filoes)

La Belle Classe Restoration Prize
Winner: The Blue Peter (Mathew Barker)

Regularity Trial:
Winner: Why Not, a 1967 Riva Junior (Renaud Balay)

www.yacht-club-monaco.mc

ILCA Laser Standard Men's World Championship
Split, Croatia: Fears of wind coming from all directions on the second day of 'Finals' at the Laser Standard Men's World Championships were unfounded when a westerly breeze developed just after noon. All three fleets were sent afloat to another new course area 3 miles from Split harbor in front of island Čiovo. In the gold fleet, three races were completed. The silver and bronze fleets that could not start races in yesterday's conditions, finished two races today.

Racing got underway an hour later in a 12-14 knot wind, with big waves and a strong current flowing West, after just one general recall.

In the second race, the wind freshened and shifted slightly to the right.

The wind continued to turn another 10 degrees right for the third race as the sun sank lower in the sky. The fleet split evenly up the first windward leg and the leaders came from both sides of the course with some new names in front and some familiar names further back.

With two races left to sail, Kontides goes into the last day with a 15-point lead over Tom Burton. This would normally be sufficient to take the title. However, the weather gods may still have a say as a fast-moving frontal system is expected to move across Split sometime on the final day. If it arrives early, anything can happen including no sailing!

Preliminary top-ten results:
1. Pavlos Kontides CYP 15 points
2. Tom Burton AUS 30
3. Matthew Wearn AUS 31
4. Philipp Buhl GER 37
5. Jesper Stalheim SWE 45
6. Nick Thompson GBR 48
7. Jean-Baptiste Bernaz FRA 50
8. Thomas Saunders NZL 51
9. Francesco Marrai ITA 60
10. Lorenzo Brando Chiavarini GBR 65

Full Results

laserworlds2017.com

GAC Pindar Win M32 Series Scandinavia, Become Back-to-Back Champions
Stockholm, Sweden: Ian Williams arrived as the man to beat in Stockholm, leading the 2017 series after four events, and being chased down by a hungry Scandinavian pack led by Wallen Racing just two points behind. The British crew kicked off the regatta showing they were here to do the business, taking four back-to-back wins on the opening day. From that point onwards the team led the regatta, untouchable on top.

With GAC Pindar the only team not to catch a last place finish over the event, consistent results were clearly the key to success over the 16 race event. Even with some poor starts on day two, Williams and crew managed to pull it back every time as fans cheered the team picking their way up through the fleet.

Conditions at this event followed the low-end wind trend which has been seen on the 2017 series, testing light wind tactics and pressuring crews on their race starts reactions. The light wind has taken nothing away from racing over the five event series, with the tight race courses in city centre locations making the drama spectacular to watch and to be part of for the sailors.

As the 2017 M32 Series Scandinavia wraps up for another year, some crews will be heading to Chicago next weekend for the M32 North America Championship whilst others will be racing in the Mediterranean series which still has two events on the calendar this season. Details of the 2018 M32 Series Scandinavia will be outlined in the coming months, where GAC Pindar skipper Ian Williams has already stated he will be back to defend his title and aim for a third M32 Series Scandinavia championship.

M32 Series Scandinavia - Results
1. GAC Pindar, Ian Williams (GBR) - 68 points
2. Wallen Racing, Jonas Warrer (DEN) - 60
3. Essiq Racing Team, Nicklas Dackhammar (SWE) - 59
4. Flux Team, Johnie Berntsson (SWE) - 55
5. Section 16, Richard Davies (SUI) - 24
6. Boys of Carbon, Chris Steele (NZL) - 18
7. Neptune Racing, Sam Gilmour (AUS) - 14
8. China One Ningbo, Phil Robertson (NZL) - 11
9. Trifork, Michael Hestbaek (DEN) - 8
10. Sailing Team NL, Pieter-Jan Postma (NED) - 8

Full Results

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

THE 36th AMERICA'S CUP
And now it's all about what happens next...

Long shadow
The largely self-taught Doug Peterson brought Ganbare to the 1973 One Ton Cup and offshore yacht design was never the same again. Tim Jeffery remembers a good friend

Early signs
And Ivor Wilkins already knows a lot more than he is quite ready to let on... So watch this space

Commitment
And more commitment - Bouwe Bekking is about to start his 8th race around the globe (sic)

Ken Read
And 2017 really is 'the year of the record'

Ten years and growing
And this year it's the turn of Aarhus, Denmark

The 2018 Grand (Caribbean) Tour
Can't make up your mind, why not have all of it?

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.

Clipper Race3: Mixed Results From Stealth Mode Tactics
As several teams have re-emerged from Stealth Mode, the leader board is looking a little clearer and Sanya Serenity Coast remains in the lead. More than half the teams in the fleet have now employed their 'invisibility cloaks' during Race 1 with HotelPlanner.com the latest to hide from public view.

Whilst GREAT Britain failed to make up any significant ground on the leaders and is in sixth place, Unicef is in third and within 28.5 nautical miles of the first placed Sanya Serenity Coast, and just 0.61nM off Visit Seattle in second.

A day after coming out of Stealth Mode, Qingdao is in fourth place, and 58.5nM off the lead. Qingdao recorded a fleet high distance travelled of 115nM (nautical miles) overnight and Skipper, Chris Kobusch, comments: "The past 24 hours were dominated by fast, intense spinnaker runs.

"With decreasing winds in the late afternoon, we dropped the Code 3 (heavyweight spinnaker) just after six o'clock, gybed, and hoisted the Code 2 (mediumweight spinnaker) for the night. With apparent wind of 15-20 knots, we reached its limits and got great speeds throughout the night."

Clipper Race Meteorologist, Simon Rowell, reports whilst the low developing ahead won't be particularly strong, it will result in a number of sail changes due to the fast and ever-changing conditions. The weather should favour the back of the fleet, with the steady wind to help guide Greenings and Nasdaq south.

clipperroundtheworld.com/race/standings

* Andy Woodruff, 41, from Poole, Dorset, has been appointed as the interim Skipper for the Greenings team in the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race.

Joining the team in Punta del Este, Uruguay, at the end of September, Andy will provide relief cover for Skipper David Hartshorn who was subject to a helicopter medevac during the opening leg of the race following a serious hand injury.

The race route is split into eight separate legs. Leg 2, the 3,560Nm South Atlantic Challenge, from Uruguay to Cape Town, will start on 4 October 2017 and will take approximately 17 days to complete.

From Cape Town, the Clipper Race will continue on to Fremantle, Western Australia; Sydney; Hobart; the Whitsundays; Sanya and Qingdao in China; Seattle, USA; Panama; New York; and Derry Londonderry, before returning to Liverpool on 28 July, 2018.

Destination World for Francois Gabart
During a press conference last Wednesday at the Paris headquarters of the Macif Group, Francois Gabart and his sponsor talked about his next competitive target: to try to beat the single-handed round the world record on a multihull (currently held by Thomas Coville since December 2016, of 49 days, 3 hours, 7 minutes and 38 seconds).

He will be on standby as of 22 October. The idea of attempting this single-handed round the world on a multihull emerged during the Vendee Globe, which Francois Gabart won (2012-2013), and has since gradually became concrete with the design and then the build of the MACIF trimaran, followed by its launch in August 2015. Then came a period of two years during which the skipper and his team familiarised themselves with the boat.

This was interspersed with important wins in the Transat Jacques-Vabre 2015, the Transat Bakerly 2016 and The Bridge last July.

Back from New York mid-July, the MACIF trimaran stayed at sea, in its home port of Port-la-Forêt, where it endured a comprehensive overhaul: dismantling, checking and reassembling of lots of parts, but also a few reinforcements here and there, in anticipation of any wear. Two years after it was first launched, Francois Gabart has a safe, reliable, high-performance boat with which to take on this round the world challenge.

And what next? "We are lucky to have ambitious goals, with the Route du Rhum in 2018 and the single-handed round the world in 2019, which will require substantial modifications to the boat next winter." The standby period will last roughly three months, during which Francois Gabart hopes to find the right weather window to cast off.

www.macifcourseaularge.com/trimaran-macif

FAST40+ Class HYS One Ton Cup
From Thursday 21st September, the FAST40+ Class will compete for the prestigious HYS One Ton Cup. Created by the Cercle de la Voile de Paris (CVP - Paris Yacht Club) in 1899, the One Ton Cup is steeped in history and reputation in the world of yacht racing.

Winners of the Cup include many legends in the sport of sailing; Syd Fischer, Harold Cudmore, Henrik Soderlund, King Harald V of Norway, Paul Cayard, Francesco de Angelis, and Russell Coutts.

The 2017 edition of the One Ton Cup is hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes, and presented by Hamble Yacht Services and supported by Grapefruit Graphics, Premier Composite Technologies, TT Rigging, Diverse Yachts and North Sails. FAST40+ Class supporter Henri Lloyd will be awarding a special prize to the winner.

12 FAST40+ teams are entered, nine races are scheduled, with a variety of courses including; windward-leeward, and a weighted round the cans race.

www.fast40class.com

Bart's Bash
The fourth year of the world's largest sailing event, Bart's Bash, got off to a terrific start in New Zealand at the Whangaruru Sailing Club in Oakura Bay, New Zealand as sailing and yacht clubs around the world were gearing up to run their own Bart's Bash races.

Setting the scene for the Bart's Bash that took place today on behalf of the Andrew Simpson Foundation who are headquartered at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, CEO, Pete Allam said, "We knew it was going to be a tough call getting 125 boats off the start line at the appointed time of 1300 when we knew that the wind was due to die and change direction by 180 degrees. However, after a couple of rainstorms we got everyone off the start line and enjoyed a great race."

The cadets from Brading Haven Yacht Club on the Isle of Wight have spent the day to'ing and fro'ing between the Island and Southampton aboard Red Funnel's car ferry and with a captive audience have managed to raise in excess of £500.

Of particular poignance was Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation Trustee and a Founder, Iain Percy, sailing his 2017 Bart's Bash in the original Star boat that he and Andrew 'Bart' Simpson sailed their last race together in at the London 2012 Olympics, winning Silver, to add to their Olympic Gold medal achieved in the same class previously, at the 2008 Beijing Games. Another special moment came with the announcement that two young sailors, Ben Thomas and Billy Hope, volunteers at the Andrew Simpson Sailing Centre, had been selected to race their Bart's Bash with Iain in the Star. These deserving boys have between them given around 2,000 hours of their time to help young people learn to sail. Both of them are keen racers and have competed at national level. -- Peta Stuart-Hunt

www.bartsbash.com/bashboard?year=2017

How To Donate

An easy way of helping support Andrew 'Bart' Simpson's legacy is TEXT TO DONATE (any time/any amount of money from a fiver upwards!) e.g.: BART17 £5 to 70070

www.justgiving.com

www.andrewsimpsonfoundation.org

Are lobster pots a danger to yachts?
The Cruising Association has launched a campaign to make lobster pots safer for small vessels and is asking sailors to sign the petition

A petition launched by the Cruising Association to make marking of lobster pots safer is again live after it was shut down by the Government until after the General Election.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/200001

The CA's petition obviously hit a nerve with the boating public as not only did the petition receive nearly 6,000 signatures in two weeks but the CA has received hundreds of e-mails from people in the UK and worldwide telling of their experiences. Not only were boats severely damaged - some unrecoverable - but hundreds of lives were put at risk when their boats became entangled in the lobster pot tethers.

The RYA has recently relaunched a reporting form which aims to bring all the necessary information together at one collection point, here:

www.rya.org.uk

If you support the CA's campaign, please: sign the petition - petition.parliament.uk/petitions/200001 - even if you had already done so, as previous votes can't be carried over carry on reporting incidents to us via lobsterpots@theca.org.uk, and go to the link to fill in the new RYA form

Read more at www.yachtingmonthly.com

Hit the road Jack - sailing royalty farewells its King
The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, farewelled one of Pittwater and Sydney's all-time great sailors and much loved club Life Member, Jack Gale, on Thursday 14th September 2017.

With close to 400 people in attendance, including America's Cup Skipper, James Spithill, Paralympian Colin Beashel and multiple Americas Cup and World Champions, stories of Jack's colourful life were in abundance, reflected by all who spoke. From his energy for the continuous modernisation of the club and its facilities, to Tom Spithill's recollection of their time together on the start boat and Jack's astonishing sense of humour who never held back on speaking his mind.

Tom said Jack was a great one for statistics, even in his last few weeks was always able to recall sail numbers, owners' names, as well as an extensive knowledge of the history of boats, and even skippers and crew, who had sailed them. Jack's sons Robbie and Geoff spoke of their dad's love of sailing and especially his love of the club, and of course, his favourite drink - the Alfred's Commodore's Punch, which was available after the service for all to enjoy.

Having held many differing jobs at the club, Jack became well known for his yacht race management, administrative skills, and pioneering the Barrenjoey Circle race course. He was well known for not only starting and finishing races but laying the days marks and getting back to the club to start pouring the taps for competitors thirst.

An avid sailor himself, he finished runner up in the 1964 Olympic trials aboard the 5.5 "Altair" and sailed onboard "Gretel II" in the 1977 Americas Cup challenger trials. Later radio commentating at the 1983 America's Cup. He sailed many Montague Island races on a variety of boats, however, inshore one design racing was his first choice.

In a fitting tribute to Jack's personality and character, the final song played at the closing of the service was Ray Charles's - 'Hit the Road Jack'.

www.mysailing.com.au

Obituary for Jack Gale written by Peter Kennett: www.rpayc.com.au

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Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

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2008 Corby 36 - Stratisfear. 95000 EUR. Located in Pwhelli, Wales.

The pocket rocket "Stratisfear" is now available for the 2017 season and as ever with these Corby designs, they come with IRC potential in abundance.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Port Hamble
sampearson@ancasta.com
+442380 016582

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

The Last Word
While philosophers were looking for a characteristic to distinguish man from other animals, inconsistency ought not to have been forgotten. -- Richard Duppe

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
Light and Shifty Conditions Greet 63 Boats at J/24 World Championship | Hague Offshore Sailing World Championship 2018 | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | Menorca 52 Super Series Sailing Week | Malizia II to compete in Transat Jacques Vabre | Martin Stromberg joins Turn the Tide on Plastic | Season's Grand Finale for the Americas Fleet Starts Sept. 22 | Hamble Classics Regatta - 2nd edition | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

Light and Shifty Conditions Greet 63 Boats at J/24 World Championship
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada: While major storms continue to batter coastal regions of North America, fickle breeze was the theme of the opening day at the driveHG.ca J/24 World Championship in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Sixty-three teams from Argentina, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru and the USA endured winds around 6 knots to complete two races.

Tony Parker's Bangor Packet and James Freedman's Miss Conduct are tied on points at 9, with Parker holding that tie-breaker by way of a 7,2 on Tuesday (Freedman earned a 4,5) for the early advantage. David Klatt's Jaded and Mark Laura's Baba Louie sit tied at 21 for third and fourth place, respectively.

Racing continues through Saturday from Port Credit Yacht Club.

Full results: yachtscoring.com

Hague Offshore Sailing World Championship 2018
The Offshore Worlds will be held from 12 to 20 July 2018 in the first ever combined ORC and IRC championship, an innovative solution to unite the world's two largest offshore racing fleets. Be part of this unique fleet and register now for this historic event.

In July 2018 the challenging waters of The Hague will be the host for the best 150 offshore racing crews in the world. For over a week a combination of offshore and inshore racing will challenge these boats and their teams to determine who are the best in The Hague Offshore Sailing World Championship 2018, which is now open for pre-registration.

Offshore racing will be competed in three classes on different types of yachts between 9 and 20 meters in length. Everything is measured for each boat's handicap ratings: the crew, the sails, the boat above and below the waterline. Using these measurements and clever hi-tech models will give each racing yacht ratings to help equalize the competition among unlike boats.

In 2018 it will be even more exciting: the 2 leading rating systems ORC & IRC have joined forces, efforts and knowledge into one combined Offshore Sailing World Championship.

"The RORC-ORC Working Party has been hard at work for many months now and we're pleased there is such broad agreement in the planning for this new combined event," said RORC Commodore Michael Boyd. "We expect this to get broad support from both ORC and IRC constituencies and look foward to further supporting this important championship event."

"We look forward to further cooperation with The Hague organizers and RORC to continue the World Championship traditions of fair competition and a challenging format to create great racing," said Bruno Finzi, Chairman of ORC.

offshoresailingworlds2018.com

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

THE 36th AMERICA'S CUP
And now it's all about what happens next...

Long shadow
The largely self-taught Doug Peterson brought Ganbare to the 1973 One Ton Cup and offshore yacht design was never the same again. Tim Jeffery remembers a good friend

Early signs
And Ivor Wilkins already knows a lot more than he is quite ready to let on... So watch this space

Commitment
And more commitment - Bouwe Bekking is about to start his 8th race around the globe (sic)

Ken Read
And 2017 really is 'the year of the record'

Ten years and growing
And this year it's the turn of Aarhus, Denmark

The 2018 Grand (Caribbean) Tour
Can't make up your mind, why not have all of it?

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.

Menorca 52 Super Series Sailing Week
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

A complicated, challenging weather situation resulted in just one race being sailed on the opening day of the 52 SUPER SERIES' season decider - the Menorca 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week - but a confident win for circuit leaders, Azzurra sees them open their overall margin to eight points on Platoon and ten points on Quantum Racing.

Big, bumpy, leftover seas were out of proportion to the 10-12kt N'ly winds that swung around in direction, and rose, and fell in strength. Race Officer Maria Torrijo and her team achieved one good, solid race before the winds became too unstable for a second contest, and the 11-boat fleet was returned to shore.

Standings after one race Menorca 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week
1. Azzurra, Family Roemmers, ITA/ARG
2. Gladiator, Tony Langley, GBR
3. Sled, Takashi Okura, USA
4. Quantum Racing, Doug DeVos, USA
5. Provezza, Ergin Imre, TUR
6. Platoon, Harm Muller-Spreer, GER
7. Rán Racing, Niklas Zennstrom, SWE
8. Paprec Recyclage, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, FRA
9. Bronenosec, Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS
10. Alegre, Andres Soriano GBR/USA
11. Sorcha, Peter Harrison GBR

52superseries.com

Malizia II to compete in Transat Jacques Vabre
Monaco: After his 3rd place in the Rolex Fastnet Race, Pierre Casiraghi decided to enter the IMOCA 60' Malizia II - Yacht Club de Monaco for the 13th Transat Jacques Vabre. Known for being very demanding, the biennial race for double-handers leaves Le Havre on 5th November 2017.

Supervised by Pierre Casiraghi and led by German sailor Boris Herrmann, it will be the first time a boat flying the Yacht Club de Monaco's colours will be on the Route du Cafe. "In line with our Club's sailing policy as well as preparation for the Vendee Globe, it seems important to me that the Yacht Club de Monaco's offshore flagship Malizia II is able to compete in internationally renowned events to inspire our young sailors to dream big and get them considering new vocations," comments YCM Vice-President Pierre Casiraghi who has chosen Frenchman Thomas Ruyant to complete the team.

With three Transat Jacques Vabre under his belt, including 4th in 2015, and the last Vendee Globe on Souffle du Nord pour le Projet Imagine, the Dunkirk sailor is an experienced ocean racer.

The race starts at Le Havre (Seine-Maritime) Sunday 5th November 2017, on a route inspired by the historic itinerary the clippers took when bringing Brazilian coffee to France. On the programme: 4,350 nautical miles ending in Salvador de Bahia in Brazil. Thirteen IMOCA 60s are expected on the start.

ycm.mc

Martin Stromberg joins Turn the Tide on Plastic
Sweden's Martin Stromberg, a three-time race veteran and winner from the 2011-12 edition, is joining skipper Dee Caffari's Turn the Tide on Plastic team for the Volvo Ocean Race.

Stromberg, who will be a watch captain, helmsman and trimmer, adds round the world race experience and winning motivation to one of the youngest crews in the race.

"I have sailed around the world three times, I have won the race and yet here I am back for a fourth time," he says. "And I am back because it's the toughest, most challenging and most fun event in the sport. And I'm an athlete - I want to win!"

Stromberg has already been training with Turn the Tide on Plastic in the lead-up to the Prologue Leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, which will see the fleet of seven boats race from Lisbon, Portugal to the start port of Alicante, Spain, beginning on 8 October.

The Volvo Ocean Race starts from its home port of Alicante on 22 October.

www.volvooceanrace.com

Season's Grand Finale for the Americas Fleet Starts Sept. 22
Newport RI, USA: Ten historic 12 Metres are sailing their North American Championship off Newport, R.I. over Sept. 22 -24 and promising a spectacular finish to their 2017 sailing season. The event, along with the Metrefest Newport, Newport Trophy and Edgartown Race held earlier this summer, counts toward points collected in the Road To The Worlds Waypoint Series that leads to the next 12 Metre Worlds, scheduled for Newport in 2019.

Ranging in length between 65 and 75 feet, the Twelves are best known as the America's Cup yachts sailed during the "Golden Era" of that event, which filled the years between 1958 and 1987. Since the America's Cup was held in Newport from 1930 to 1983 and many of the Twelves now call Newport their home, these yachts are dear to the hearts of locals as well as sailing aficionados worldwide, remembered for their intriguing designs, keenly competitive teams and famous skippers, which included Americans Ted Turner and Dennis Conner.

This year's North American Championship fleet will be hosted by Ida Lewis Yacht Club and docked, just like back in the day, at Bannister's Wharf for viewing while not racing. The teams of 14 to 16 will compete in three divisions - Grand Prix, Modern and Traditional - from Friday through Sunday, and courses are planned for Rhode Island Sound and upper Narragansett Bay.

Entry list:

Grand Prix Division
KZ-5 Laura, Kip Curren, Newport, R.I.
KZ-3 New Zealand, Gunther Buerman, Highland Beach, Fla./Newport, R.I.

Modern Division
US-26 Courageous, Ralph Isham/Steve Glaskock/Alexander Auersperg/Ward Marsh, Newport, R.I.
US-22 Intrepid, Jack Curtin, New York, N.Y.
KA-10 Challenge 12, Jack LeFort, Jamestown, R.I.
US-33 Defender, Dennis Williams, Hobe Sound, Fla./Newport, R.I.
US-30 Freedom, Charles Robertson, Guilford, Conn.

Traditional Division
US-16 Columbia, Kevin Hagerty, Boston, Mass.
US-17 Weatherly, Jay Schakny, E. Greenwich, R.I.
US-21 American Eagle, Bob Morton/Cindy DeLotto, Newport, R.I./Edgartown, Mass.

www.12mrclass.com

Hamble Classics Regatta - 2nd edition
Photo by Paul Wyeth, www.pwpictures.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

The 2nd Hamble Classics Regatta hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club (15-17 September) delivered another exceptional weekend of close competition for a diverse entry of 64 yachts split into eight classes, with celebrated classics plus gaffers, Metre yachts, dayboats and cruiser-racers racing in the Solent and based at the club's superb Prince Philip Yacht Haven.

The welcome arrival of the Spirit Yachts 'Oui Fling', Irvine Laidlaw's flush deck racer and Michael Hough's elegant 65ft Chloe Giselle spurred the addition of an IRC Zero division and this included Richard Loftus' iconic S&S Swan 65 Desperado, a yacht designed at around the event's pre-1971 eligibility benchmark and adding a thoroughbred classic profile to this exciting upshift in yacht size.

With a light northerly airstream forecast for the weekend the total contrast with the windy conditions in 2016 would provide new winners in some classes while in others established star performers showed typically consistent form. Racing on the 'green' course with Race Officer Stephen Parry and team, Fenton Burgin sailing Sioma won the all-Classic 6-Metre class from Tom Richardson's Thistle and Andy Short's Nancy, Simon Russell scored 4 wins in the 20ft XOD one-design class, while Adrian Green in Aurora pipped Rupert Street's Tschuss in the classic Dragon class, with newcomer Anthony Talbot in third place.

On the 'red' course for the larger yachts with PRO Peter Bateson in charge, Oui Fling won both races from Chloe Giselle and Desperado, while Steve Meakin and Andy Cassell of Ratsey Sails sailing Cormorant won the Gaffer 1 class, and in the 19-strong Regatta class Tim Yetman's West Solent One-Design Suvretta had the speed to win both races.

Giovanni Belgrano's all conquering Whooper again dominated IRC1, the class boosted this year by the much admired S&S designed 43ft Firebrand now owned by Ramona-Ann Gale (skipper Peter Cyriax), Lutine of Helford (James Youngman), the S&S yawl Laughing Gull (Barney Sandeman), David Murrin's Cetewayo, Brian Smullen's McGruer 55ft Cuilaun, Andrew Pearson's Bojar and Tim Gaukrogers' Swan 55 Kira, these new arrivals joining Breeze (Robbie Boulter), Misty (Stephen Card) and Charm of Rhu (Martin Thomas) but sadly missing was Jason Fry's Shantih of Cowes due to a faulty engine and Chris Frost's Swan 36 Finola, entered but not sailing.

As sailors enjoyed the Elephant Boatyard's Rum Party the Concours judging team of David Aisher (owner of Thalia, built in 1888) with Jane Coombs from the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta and Rob Peake, editor of Classic Boat magazine, got to work inspecting the yachts before deciding the three category winners.

For the top award of Concours d'Elegance it was the fabulous Laurent Giles designed Lutine of Helford, for Concours d'Authenticité, the S&S yawl Laughing Gull, and for best presented GRP yacht it was Gloriana, a 1914 designed 16ft Hereshoff 12½ gaffer built in 1977 and owned by Ian Armstrong. Expertly crewed by his 7-year old son Rory they were also convincing winners of the Gaffer 2 racing division.

With the six event sponsors, Spinlock, Ratsey and Lapthorn Sailmakers, Performance Rigging, Classic Marine, Sandeman Yacht Company and the Elephant Boatyard all taking part in the racing and a charitible element (£900 donated to the Wetwheels charity during the weekend) the focus for next year's Hamble Classics will be to encourage even more classic style yachts, dayboats and gaffers to visit the River Hamble for this attractive and inclusive end of season regatta. -- Jonty Sherwill

yachtscoring.com

* From Euan Ross:

Fields of Play

The America's Cup has been about many things over the decades since 1857. Sometimes it is about pushing boundaries and sometimes, frankly, it isn't. Sometimes the denizens of the match play to the gallery and sometimes they don't. There has been some discussion on what we will lose with the return to monohulls and what we will regain. Much of this 'fantasy football' has been muddled and unhelpfully partisan. Nevertheless, the sailors have now got their ball back. And there is no reason why the advocates of foiling competition cannot continue their pursuit of a commercially viable spectator sport under alternative banners.

What struck me most about Bermuda was that the paradoxical 'lifelessness' of high-speed foiling. Only when the boats crashed down could photographers capture memorable images. I understand that the event was considerably more impressive viewed live, but even so... If yachting does not involve contact with the water, half the game - and perhaps the most demanding half - is lost. Steering upwind through waves is the essence of helmsmanship while catching a wave early and holding it downwind is equally important. Driving a boat in flat water, in whatever mode, is merely steering, no matter how fast you go.

For my generation, the iconic pass in the history of America's Cup races was when Gretel surfed past Weatherly in the second race of the 1962 Challenge. Indeed, the performance of hull designs in waves (and indeed the hapless helmsmen) was a preoccupation, and occasionally an obsession, of the post-war period. Foiling on sheltered water lost all that. Sure, arcane dexterities were introduced, but these were transient skills, better mechanised, and thus consigned to oblivion in any case. The protocol for the 2021 America's Cup will become clearer through the autumn. Grant Dalton's pithy comments suggest that it will implicitly recognise the unique theatre of our three dimensional 'field of play' and its significance in the challenge of yacht racing. That said, it's entirely possible that the Kiwis will be flying above it again shortly. We await events with interest.

Featured Brokerage
Extreme 40. 65000 each GBP.

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 .

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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RP 78 maxi "Capricorno". Located in La Spezia, Italy.

Reichel-Pugh design, McConaghy carbon construction, Sydney Hobart and Cape Town-Rio winner as Morning Glory.

Reinvented as the ultimate cruiser racer by the team at Nauta Yachts with new deck, interiors and rig.

After winning the ARC, she sailed and explored remote areas around the world such as Patagonia, Cape Horn, Polynesia and Eastern Australia.

Now back in the Med, she is in pristine condition with brand new carbon rigging, engine, genset, electronics, water maker and A/C system.

Ready to go for the next blue water cruise or maxi regatta.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Nauta Yachts
+39 335 53 487 27
francescovitale@nautayachts.com

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

1997 Maxi 79' Racer - 'OURDREAM'. Price on request. Located in Ravenna, Italy.

Maxi 79 Racer OURDREAM is a beautifully refitted maxi racing yacht that is easily sailed and perfect corporate or fun platform for both inshore and offshore regattas. Recent refit to a high standard means low running costs.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

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

The Last Word
For your friends you interpret the law, for your enemies you apply it. -- Giovanni Giolitti

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

Prada to supplant Louis Vuitton?
There is set to be a new sponsor for the 2021 edition of the America's Cup.

Italian sailing website Vela is reporting that Italian fashion brand Prada - one of the key supporters of sailing team Luna Rossa - is set to take over from Louis Vuitton as a main naming rights sponsor.

According to Vela, the challenger series will be renamed as the Prada Cup, of which the winner will then race Team New Zealand in the America's Cup.

The full protocol for the New Zealand-hosted 2021 event is set to be released next weekend, but the full design rules will not be released until November 30.

However, there have been several already confirmed designs and changes for the next event.

Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton yesterday confirmed that cyclors will play no part in the next America's Cup.

The Kiwi team's radical pedal-powered innovation was one of the key factors in Team NZ's stunning win in Bermuda this year, but it appears bikes on boats are set to be consigned to a quirky footnote in the annals of America's Cup history.

In an interview with Italian publication La Stampa, Dalton indicated the rules wouldn't allow for cyclors.

When asked if it would be "goodbye to the sailing cyclists", Dalton told La Stampa "grinders are coming back".

Last week, prompted by another article in Italian media, Team NZ announced the next America's Cup would be sailed in a "high performance monohull". Some took that to mean a foiling monohull, but Dalton is yet to confirm if that will be the case.

He again dodged the question when it was posed by La Stampa, saying only: "More details will released on November 30".

www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/

RS:X Windsurfing Worlds
Enoshima, Japan: Day two of the RS:X Windsurfing World Championships in Enoshima, Japan was widely different to the first days racing - which all 168 competitors were extremely grateful for.

After the massive wind shifts and challenging rolling waves from Monday, day two of the RS:X Windsurfing World Championships in Enoshima, Japan was widely different to the first days racing - which all 168 competitors were extremely grateful for. This morning was a calm and peaceful scene of serenity as a flat calm Sagami Bay greeted the athletes to the venue of the next Olympic sailing competition.

In both the men's and women's fleet, the overnight scorecard showed that a limited number of competitors actually mastered the conditions and the variables from the opening day.

Once afloat, the conditions were perfect for racing and the race committee wasted no time in rattling off three excellent races in the stable but light wind.

Two days racing, a total of 18 separate races completed and there is nothing to separate out who could or will win the world titles. Racing resumes on Thursday with the fleets being separated into Gold and Silver flights before the top ten race it out for the medals and title.

Top five, men:
1. Louis Giard, FRA, 4 points
2. Mateo Sanz Lanz, SUI, 6
3. Pawel Tarnowski, POL, 8
4. Makoto Tomizawa, JPN, 9
5. Bing Ye, CHN, 8

Top five, women:
1. Peina Chen, CHN, 5.7
2. Zofia Noceti Klepacka, POL, 7
3. Yunxiu Lu, CHN, 10
4. Jiahui Wu, CHN, 12
5. Stefania Elfutina, RUS, 12

www.rsxclass.org/worlds2017/

St. Thomas International Regatta
Organizers of the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR) would like to thank the international sailing community for its well wishes in the wake of back-to-back Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

We are currently in an assessment stage and plan to issue a formal announcement about our 2018 regatta schedule in the next two weeks.

stthomasinternationalregatta.com

International 6 Metre Class World Championship

In the Open fleet, the Swiss boat, Phillippe Durr's Junior (2,2) takes a three point lead ahead of the CAN135 St Francis IX (4,1) of Andy Beadsworth.

In third place one point back is another Canadian entry, Ben Mumford's New Sweden (1,6).

In the Classic fleet, Spain's Bribon Gallant (3,3) of HM Don Juan Carlos de Borbon takes the lead with 11 points ahead of US81 Goose (5,6) who have 15 points.

In third place is N71 Flapper of Lars Guck (2,4) on 19 points.

www.sailweb.co.uk

Top five, Open Division:
1. Philippe Durr, SUI, 12 points
2. Andy Beadsworth, GBR, 14
3. Ben Mumford, CAN, 17
4. Russ Sylvestri, USA, 17
5. Hugo Stenbeck, SUI, 19

Top five, Classic Division:
1. HM Don Juan Carlos de Borbon, ESP, 12
2. Lars Guck, HKG, 20
3. Lars Grael, BRA, 20
4. Peter Hofmann, USA, 21
5. Erik Bentzen, USA, 22

Full results: www.rvan.ca/6mR/world.htm

6mvancouver2017.com

Young Vendee2020vision Sailors Take On British Record
Four of Britain's young offshore sailing talent are on standby for an assault on the Length of Britain Challenge, from Land's End to John O'Groats. The current record held by British sailor Phil Sharp stands at 3 days, 11 hours, 52 minutes, 15 seconds at an average speed of 7.39 knots.

The team who will be racing onboard the Open 60 Artemis Ocean Racing are currently waiting for an optimum weather window for this iconic 620 nm British course. The team sails along the English & Welsh coastline westabout up to Pentland Firth on the north coast of Scotland, the final marker before the finish line off John O'Groats.

Launched in 2016, Vendee2020Vision is an initiative to nurture Britain's Offshore sailing talent along the path to success in yacht racing's most challenging event - the Vendee Globe, the quadrennial singlehanded non-stop round the world race. This record attempt will see the current candidates test their skills in some of the coldest and most challenging conditions off Britain's coastline.

No stranger to setting records, in 2014 Artemis Ocean Racing took the World Record for Monohulls 60 feet and less for Round Britain and Ireland in a time of 5 days, 14 hours, 00 minutes and 54 seconds.

The crew features two of the Vendee2020Vision's current candidates, Lizzy Foreman and Andrew Baker. They will be joined by Artemis Skipper and Boat Captain Mikey Ferguson and a new addition to the team for this record sail is Jack Trigger. Jack is one of Britain's up and coming offshore sailing talents, and also the youngest crew member onboard. He has sailed across a variety of classes most notably he has been part of the record-breaking crew onboard the MOD70 Concise.

www.vendee2020Vision.com

British Keelboat League Final
The 2017 British Keelboat League, hosted by Royal Thames Yacht Club, will culminate in Cowes this weekend (22-24 September).

The second annual event will see 18 teams representing 16 clubs from all over the UK gather to fight it out to be crowned British Keelboat League Champions.

The league aims to bring keelboat racing to clubs and sailors around the country. Using boats supplied by the host clubs the costs remain low for competitors, while short course racing improves boat handling skills and gives every club a chance at a race win.

Since launching last year, the British Keelboat League has gone from strength to strength with clubs having qualified during events in Helensburgh, Burnham, Cowes and Hamble. The regional winners, host club and a number of wild card entries will battle for event honours.

Last year's winners from Hayling Island Sailing Club will not be defending their title leaving the field wide open. Favourites to win the coveted title include Nicole McPherson (Royal Northern and Clyde YC), Henry Arnold (Royal Thames YC), Ben Saxton (Itchenor SC) and Wouter Sonnema (Royal Ocean Racing Club).

But they will have their work cut out with other teams not wanting to settle for anything other than a podium result.

With quick umpired races lasting just 15 minutes, the short course will punish mistakes so anyone and everyone has the chance to come out on top.

Follow the racing as it happens on the British Keelboat League Facebook.

Star Sailors League
For the Star Sailors League, every Tuesday is Ranking day, when the points come in from the regattas of the previous week and the sailors' positions move up or down. The second Tuesday of every September tghe SSL Ranking 2017 freezes and the top 10 skippers are automatically invited to attend the SSL Finals 2017 - along with the first SSL Crew, the reigning Star World Champion, a young talented sailor and about ten VIPs.

Top 10 skippers invited to attend the 2017 SSL Finals are:

1. Xavier Rohart FRA
2. Diego Negri ITA
3. George Szabo USA
4. Augie Diaz USA
5. Lars Grael BRA
6. Mark Mendelblatt USA
7. Johannes Polgar GER
8. Eivind Melleby NOR
9. Hubert Merkelbach GER
10. Mateusz Kusznierewicz POL

Nine out of ten have already confirmed their attendance to the SSL Finals 2017, in Nassau, Bahamas, from December 4th to the 9th. They all are super talented sailors, among them three Olympic medalists, six Star World Champions, all of them are winner of at least an ISCYRA Silver event and two of them have already won the SSL Finals.

The fifth edition of the SSL Finals will be raced following the standard SSL Format: four days of Qualification Series after which the top 10 teams will go ahead to the final day with knock-out stages. The first qualified team gets a bye to the Final, the runner-up goes to the semi-finals and teams from 3rd to 10th have to fight on yet one more race in the quarter-finals. The first to cross the finish line will be the winner of the 2017 SSL Finals and will take home a lion's share of the $200,000 Prize Purse.

starsailors.com

Industry News
The traditional Peters & May Caribbean Party at the Southampton Boat Show has been revised this year to support and raise relief funds for the Caribbean Island communities hit by the recent devastating hurricanes

The event, where we hope to highlight the positive spirit of the Caribbean will take place

On: Thursday the 21st Sept
At: 1700
On: Peters & May stand (C092)

In true resilient Caribbean style, the event will see a steel pan band setting the scene, accompanied with Antigua's English Harbour 5 Year Old Rum cocktails served with Fever-Tree mixers.

Complimentary drinks and entertainment are provided by:
Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority
Antigua Sailing Week
and Peters & May Group

However, donations for this important cause will be collected during the event and throughout the week on the Peters & May stand (C092).

RSVP: trish@j2pr.co.uk

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Spinlock, designers and manufacturers of rope holding equipment and personal safety products for leisure and commercial water users, have been presented with the Queen's Award for Enterprise: Innovation at their production facility on the Isle of Wight.

The Cowes-based business, founded in 1968, were announced as winners of the coveted award in April 2017 and the Isle of Wight's Lord-Lieutenant Major General Martin White CB CBE JP presented the award at a special ceremony on Tuesday September 12th.

Spinlock were selected as winners for the development of their Deckvest lifejacket, a revolutionary product that has changed the landscape of the market for personal safety products used by those on the water.

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Perini Navi, a world leader in the design and build of superyachts, is pleased to announce its partnership with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda's One Ocean Forum.

One Ocean was founded to accelerate the development of innovative projects to protect the marine environment and promote realistic behavior change as it relates to the world's oceans.

Perini Navi is the only yachting brand to partner with the YCCS on this important initiative which will take place on 3-4 October in Milan at the Franco Parenti Theatre. Over the course of two days, there will be a series of round table discussions, workshops and 'best practice' sessions dedicated to finding innovative solutions to protect the world's oceans.

Research and innovation are the core of Perini Navi and the company is currently developing projects specifically design to increase onboard comfort and safety, in complete synergy with protecting the marine environment.

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Southern Spars has announced a key appointment to boost the integration of its service activity.

Southern Spars has appointed Stefano Scarpa in the new position of Director of Service with immediate effect.

He will be responsible for service at Southern Spars, Hall Spars and Future Fibres at a global level, and will be based at the Southern Spars service office in STP, Palma de Mallorca.

Stefano Scarpa served as Director of Braemar Yacht Services for Braemar plc and has an extensive 20 years of experience in superyacht technical services management and superyacht project management. Stefano holds an MEng in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, an MBA from Warwick Business School and is a UK Chartered Engineer.

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Kraken Yachts Ltd is delighted to announce that its flagship Kraken 66 has been elected the winner of the Blue Water Cruiser category in the prestigious 2017 Sailing Today Awards presented at TheYachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show on September 15th.

The Kraken 66 was selected from a star-studded shortlist comprising models from the Najad, Amel, Hallberg-Rassy and Beneteau ranges. Kraken Yachts Ltd would like to thank Sailing Today for awarding this singular honour to the Kraken 66.

Designed by award-winning New Zealander Kevin Dibley and his team, the new Kraken range - comprising the Kraken 66, 58 and 50 - does not set out to be all things to all people. Instead it is aimed specifically at the blue water cruising market. It therefore incorporates numerous features designed to give maximum safety, comfort and easy handling under sail to owners looking for a yacht that can take them - short handed if that's their preference - on extended voyages.

To prove the point, Kraken's Chairman Dick Beaumont has already covered 10,000nm in his Kraken 66 White Dragon. He set sail from Hong Kong in February 2017 and is currently in Madagascar.

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The tenth edition of the Yacht Racing Forum, in Aarhus, Denmark (November 27-28) will once again reassemble the sport's key personalities and actors, including a strong delegation of World Sailing representatives.

Kim Andersen, World Sailing's President since November 2016, will present a keynote address whilst other members will contribute to conferences on sustainability, gender equity, racing formats and more. " Those subjects are at the heart of our work", says World Sailing CEO Andy Hunt. "The Yacht Racing Forum gives us the opportunity to explain our actions and discuss them with some of the sports' leading influencers."

Now in its 10th year, the Yacht Racing Forum 2017 will take place eight months prior to the 2018 Sailing World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, where 1,600 sailors from 100 nations will race for medals.

www.yachtracingforum.com

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On Tuesday the 19th of September 2017, teams from across the UK marine industry took part in the annual Marine Advertising Agency 5-a-side football tournament in order to help raise £1000 for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and G4 Surgery at Southampton General Hospital.

The tournament took place during this year's TheYachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show with 12 teams taking part. The 7th annual event saw three new teams participate: Gosport Borough Football Club U10's Dads, Moody Decking and Neuro Theatres UHS, one of three teams in the tournament from Southampton General Hospital, who competed alongside marine industry teams. For the second year running, tournament stalwarts, PSP Logistics, took home the silverware, winning the main Cup competition with a 3:1 victory over a team from Southampton FC's corporate division.

The Plate competition was won by newcomers, Moody Decking, who beat MatchTech 4:3.

The tournament raised £1,000 for PICU and G4 Surgery ward at Southampton General Hospital.

Southampton is the lead centre for paediatric intensive care in south central England with a catchment area that stretches from Dorset to Surrey to the Channel Islands. PICU provides first class care and treatment to over 900 critically ill children every year. They care for children from birth right up to the age of 18, looking after those with both medical and surgical problems.

Featured Brokerage
2011 AkilariaRC2 GryphonSolo2. 240,000 USD Located in Portland, Maine, USA

GryphonSolo2 Designed by Marc Lombard, this 2014 Atlantic Cup winner is a great all-around performer with exceptionally fast reaching capabilities.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Contact Andrew Sheriff, CPYB
Dion's Yacht Yard, Salem MA
978-985-7077 mobile
andrew@ecys.com

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

Ker 40+ - PACE. 575,000 GBP. Located in Cowes, UK.

PACE is an incredibly well sorted and maintained modified Ker 40+. She has many modifications to the original design making her significantly faster, but without incurring a large handicap increase. National Champion in the Fast 40+ fleet, she wants for nothing, with a fresh wardrobe of sails and turnkey. Perfect yacht for the Fast 40+ fleet or any IRC / ORC regatta.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

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

2010 Davidson Custom 70. 850000 EUR. Located in East Coast, Italy

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 don't really like surprises... just having a pack of Revels holds enough of a surprise for me. -- Karl Pilkington

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

HYS One Ton Cup
Cowes, Isle of Wight: Three Windward Leeward races were fired off in quick succession by PRO Stuart Childerley and his team. Racing was held in the central and eastern Solent, with a southwesterly breeze averaging 15 knots, and gusting over 20 knots. Subtle wind shifts, and influential extra pressure in the gusts, kept tacticians on their toes. Six of the 12 strong fleet made the podium during the course of TT Rigging Race Day, with exceptionally tight racing- the DNA of the FAST40+ Class.

Peter Morton's British CF40+ Girls on Film, took two race wins to lead after the first day. Stewart Whitehead's British Carkeek MkIII Rebellion, finished the day in second place, just a point ahead of Steve Cowie's Scottish GP42 Zephyr, who scored podium finishes in every race.

Tony Dickin's British Farr 42 Jubilee, and Bas de Voogd's Dutch Carkeek MkIII Hitchhiker, both made the podium to finish the day fourth and fifth respectively. Heinz Peter Schmidt's German Felci 42 Silva Neo, won Race 1, but unfortunately broke a tack fitting forcing their retirement from Race 3.

Racing at the HYS One Ton Cup continues tomorrow, Friday 22nd September with two longer races in the Solent.

www.fast40class.com

HYS One Ton Cup day 1 from Ocean Images on Vimeo.

2017 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Nominees
The 2017 nominees feature sailors drawn from the America's Cup, Vendee Globe, Windsurfing, Offshore and Olympic Class racing, highlighting the breadth and depth of the sport.

The names vying for the coveted and prestigious 2017 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards are:

Female
Marit Bouwmeester (NED)
2017 Laser Radial World Champion

Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA)
49erFX World Cup Series Champions

Sarah-Quita Offringa (ARU)
Pro Windsurfers Association World Tour Freestyle and Slalom World Champion

Tara Pacheco (helmed by Fernando Echavarri) (ESP)
Nacra 17 World Cup Series Champions

Male
Glenn Ashby (AUS)
America's Cup winning Skipper

Peter Burling (NZL)
America's Cup winning Helmsman

Thomas Coville (FRA)
Singlehanded Round the World Record holder

Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA)
2016-2017 Vendee Globe winner

The male and female winners will be announced on Tuesday 7 November 2017 at the World Sailing Awards Ceremony in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Further details on the voting process will follow.

Each winner will be presented with the unique marble and silver trophy depicting the globe, crowned with five silver spinnakers representing the continents, together with a Rolex timepiece.

sailing.org

Wide Open, Going to the Wire!
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Menorca, Spain: With the wind moving round today into a more reliable, dependable southerly direction, defending 2016 52 Super Series champions Quantum Racing bounced back from a modest, frustrating start to the season's final regatta - the Menorca 52 Super Series Sailing Week - to return two second place finishes today and restore their pressure on title rivals Platoon and Azzurra.

While Quantum Racing's four points aggregate for the day was the best, most consistent scoreline of the day, nemesis Azzurra were always in fightback mode, albeit relatively successfully, while Harm Muller-Spreer's Platoon won the first race, but could only make a sixth from the second windward-leeward contest.

The net gain for the day was to the current champions Quantum Racing who have now closed back to be nine points behind Azzurra.

With two days of the 2017 season left, Azzurra still lead the overall table on 185pts, Platoon are very much in touch on 190pts and Quantum Racing are on 194pts. The title race is still wide open.

The win for Bronenosec is a morale boost for the Russian-flagged crew, taking them to fourth overall for the event.

Standings Menorca 52 Super Series Sailing Week

1. Azzurra, Family Roemmers, ITA/ARG, 14 points
2. Platoon, Harm Muller-Spreer, GER, 15
3. Quantum Racing, Doug DeVos, USA, 15
4. Bronenosec, Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS, 16
5. Gladiator, Tony Langley, GBR, 16
6. Provezza, Ergin Imre, TUR, 21
7. Sled, Takashi Okura, USA, 29
8. Paprec Recyclage, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, FRA, 30
9. Ran Racing, Niklas Zennstrom, SWE, 34
10. Sorcha, Peter Harrison GBR, 37
11. Alegre, Andres Soriano GBR/USA, 38

52superseries.com

Most satisfactory
Good enough in fact that several new boats are into final planning for 2018.

Looking back on two hot and steamy weeks in Mallorca where we held the Puerto Portals 52 Super Series and the Copa del Rey, there is every reason to be pleased. In Puerto Portals we saw the fifth different winner from the five 2017 Super Series events we have completed so far: Quantum in Key West, Azzurra in Miami, Platoon in Scarlino, Ran in Porto Cervo and Provezza in Puerto Portals. Three owner-driver and two pro-driver wins.

The Provezza win was special, not just because it was the first time Ergin Imre and his pro-am team took the highest stage at a Super Series event, but also because they had been close to a win twice before this year and seemed to have developed a depressing talent for sailing themselves off the podium on the final day.

Not this time, however, much to their own delight of course but noticeably also to the delight of all the other teams. This was very visible at an emotional prizegiving ceremony; Ergin is the archetypal passionate boat owner as well as a strong believer in creating time for the social aspects of our sport, like bringing family and friends to events, good crew and owners dinners, or just a decent conversation. And as such he is truly liked. Let's say if anybody had to win this one and it is not to be 'us' then it should be him

Rob Weiland's full editorial in the October issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

Evan Petley-Jones' Lifted Rewarded for Patience on Middle Day of J/24 World Championship
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada: If good things come to those who wait, then Evan Petley-Jones' Lifted is the perfect example on day three of the driveHG.ca J/24 World Championship in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Sixty-three teams waited out multiple hours of an on-water postponement, hoping for enough breeze to get a start off. Finally around 3:30 p.m., light winds allowed two more races to be completed, which brought into effect the discard. Petley-Jones' Lifted tallied a 7,1 on Thursday to leap into first place overall, able to drop a 39 from race 1. Tony Parker's Bangor Packet fell to second place with 32 points. John Mollicone's Helly Hansen launched up to the third spot with 33 net points after tossing a 52 from Tuesday. Six races are now finalized.

The competitors from Argentina, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru and the USA started race 5 in about 5 knots, when Nobuyuki Imai's Siesta collected the win. Mollicone and Ted Bartlewski's Drivers Wanted followed. Looking at Petley-Jones cross the finish line first in the next meeting were David Klatt's Jaded and Travis Odenbach's HoneyBadger when winds increased slightly.

Racing continues through Saturday from Port Credit Yacht Club. Complete results may be found at yachtscoring.com

Sanya Serenity Coast Claims Line Honours In Longest Ever Clipper Race Stage
Photo by onEdition. Click on image to enlarge.

Sanya Serenity Coast claimed line honours today into Punta del Este, Uruguay, in the longest ever individual race of the Clipper Race's eleven edition history.

The team crossed the finish line at 13:46:46 local Uruguayan time (16:46:46 UTC), 6,400 nM and 32 days after setting off from Liverpool, UK, on 20 August.

This is the second consecutive Clipper Race for Sanya skipper Wendy Tuck, a veteran of ten Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Races and the 2016 Jane Tate Memorial Trophy winner.

Wendy and her team also secured one bonus point during the race crossing the inaugural Scoring Gate in third position. However, the official winner of Race 1 is still to be confirmed as redress will be applied to two teams still competing.

The 6,400 nM route, which is the equivalent distance of ten Fastnet races, was eventful, including three medevacs, and a varied mix of fickle winds in the Doldrums, challenging seas states, and champagne sailing conditions in the Trade Winds, which contributed to frequent changes on the leader board, and a closely fought battle amongst the fleet.

Nine further teams are expected to join Sanya Serenity Coast into port in the next 24 hours.

They will be joined by Greenings and Nasdaq in the next few days to complete the twelve-strong fleet.

This is the first time the Clipper Race has visited Uruguay in its eleven-edition history. The teams will now enjoy a well-deserved break from the relentless conditions of ocean racing and will perform much needed maintenance on their yachts as well as enjoy local hospitality amidst the region's stunning coastline location.

Race 2 of the Clipper 2017-18 Race starts on 4 October, departing Punta del Este and heading back into the Southern Atlantic as teams take on the 3,560 nM mile journey to Cape Town, South Africa.

www.clipperroundtheworld.com/raceviewer

2017 SAP 5O5 World Championship
Severn Sailing Association was a flurry of activity on Wednesday evening as competitors prepared for the 2017 SAP 5O5 World Championship. Skippers and crews were busy performing last-minute adjustments to their boats, tuning the rig and working on other gear.

SSA members considerately cleared every other dinghy off the lot to accommodate the influx of 89 5O5s, which came from 12 different countries. Action got underway Thursday with the pre-worlds, which provide the sailors an opportunity to practice and study the venue.

Racing in the 2017 SAP 5O5 World Championship will be held Sunday through Friday on the Chesapeake Bay with organizers hoping to complete at least 10 races. Annapolis resident Sandy Grosvenor - a World Sailing and US Sailing International race officer, judge and umpire - is leading the on-water management along with a top-notch committee from co-host Eastport Yacht Club.

There are eight past 5O5 world champions in attendance and all rate among the pre-regatta favorites. Mike Martin and Adam Lowry are the defending champs after capturing their first title together last year in Weymouth, England. Martin, who previously won worlds in 2009 off San Francisco with Jeff Nelson, is considered a heavy air specialist.

In analyzing the 2017 SAP 5O5 World Championship, class president Pip Pearson estimated that as many as 20 boats had the ability to win a race. Pearson listed nine very viable candidates, including the aforementioned Martin/Lowry, Holt/Smit and Hamlin/Zinn.

Also likely to be in the mix are Mike Quirk and Curtiss Hartmann, the six-time Australian national champions. Californians Ian Pinnell and Dave Shelton also have quite a track record of success separately with the former winning the 2008 world championship and the latter posting a pair of podium placements.

Pearson also mentioned Australia's Malcolm Higgins and Marcus Cooper, Britain's Andy Smith and Roger Gilbert and San Francisco-based stalwarts Ted Conrads and Brian Haines as teams that certainly could make some noise.

505worlds2017.com

Transat Jacques Vabre
The calibre of the 39 crew and 78 sailors registered for the 13th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre promises a high-flying competition, with a race of rare quality and depth. From Le Havre to Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, the four classes of offshore sailing boats (Class40, Multi 50, IMOCA60 and Ultime) will compete over a 4,350-mile course full of hurdles, squalls and excitement. Thursday, at the Pavillon Champs-Elysees in Paris, they were all present, eager to head out to sea, boots and oilies ready to cross the start line on Sunday, November 5.

There will be a keen edge to this Transat Jacques Vabre. From the abundance of Class40 duos (17), to the IMOCA60 sailors in a hurry to get back out to sea, with some exciting marriages of crews, all with different outlooks (13 crews), to the Multi 50, where they are champing at the bit to show what the foils can do (6 crews), to the 3 Ultime competitors, for whom this racetrack is the beginning a round the world voyage. From the suits in Paris to the boots on the pontoons of Le Havre, the hunger and smiles will be evident on faces of the skippers, who have started the countdown to the Transat jacques Vabre. D - 46 before the start.

* Lalou Roucayrol and Alex Pella on board Arkema for the Transat Jacques Vabre

For his ninth participation in the Transat Jacques Vabre and third at the helm of the Multi50 Arkema, Lalou Roucayrol has high sporting hopes. To fulfil this desire for performance, he has recruited a top grade co-skipper, the Spanish all-rounder Alex Pella.

Between Le Havre and Salvador de Bahia, Lalou and Alex, assisted from land by Karine Fauconnier, will give it their all to excel on board their trimaran bursting with innovations and now fitted with foils.

www.transatjacquesvabre.org/en/

* From David Cones:

I rather think Mr Dalton is missing the point, grinders or cyclors, it's the same difference. What people want to see is a crew actually sailing the boat, not two thirds of the crew merely providing hydraulic pressure so the two at the back can drive it!

* From Karen Kelly Shea, president of Nicholson Yachts:

We have just completed the Newport International Boat Show and I must say that the mood was very upbeat and supportive. There were vendors from all over the USVI and BVI as well as St. Martin and they assured us that the clean-up has begun and they are eager to rebuild.

There was a lot of interest in charter and Caribbean travel in general. We participated in a fundraiser organized by Cay Electronics during the show, a move to convert to solar as the rebuilding commences (www.powerupbvi.com). Show attendees were happy to support the drive and Nicholson Yachts has also committed 10% of our yacht charter and yacht sales from the show to the fund.

You may have also heard that Sir Richard Branson's Necker Island Resort was destroyed in Irma. Nicholson Yachts is the central agent for charters on Mr. Branson's catamaran NECKER BELLE. Her captain sailed the catamaran south to Grenada prior to the hurricane, where it escaped any damage and Mr. Branson had the yacht stop in Barbados on the way back to the BVI to load up on humanitarian supplies.

He also immediately mobilized cleanup of the BVI and organized rebuilding plans for his properties. In addition, Richard Branson is leading a campaign with the British government to quickly begin rebuilding all of the British Virgin Islands.

You may know that Richard has annually hosted the Necker Cup world class Pro-Am Tennis Event on Necker Island, and the Necker Open exclusive Pro-Am Golf event. Since the news broke of Hurricane Irma's damage to the BVI, Richard shared that he and the Virgin Limited team have received an overwhelming number of phone calls and emails from past guests of Necker Island, as well as tennis and golf professionals and celebrity friends, with offers of help and support in rebuilding the BVI and to help assure that the Pro-Am "show" will go on!

This year, Richard Branson will dedicate the two simultaneous events to rebuilding the BVI with the theme - "Rebuilding Lives After Irma - Disaster Relief in the British Virgin Islands." All proceeds from this year's event will go to the relief fund. The event dates are 27th November to 2nd December 2017.

Together, our industry will help rebuild the BVI, as well as the other islands of the Caribbean damaged in this year's hurricanes. As the island communities have always been there for us and our clients, I know we will be there to help them in every way.

Featured Brokerage
2011 AkilariaRC2 GryphonSolo2. 240,000 USD Located in Portland, Maine, USA

GryphonSolo2 Designed by Marc Lombard, this 2014 Atlantic Cup winner is a great all-around performer with exceptionally fast reaching capabilities.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Contact Andrew Sheriff, CPYB
Dion's Yacht Yard, Salem MA
978-985-7077 mobile
andrew@ecys.com

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

Ker 40+ - PACE. 575,000 GBP. Located in Cowes, UK.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

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

2007 TP52 - RKO. 440,000 EUR. Located in Sydney, Australia

RKO is a hugely optimised example of these designs, benefiting from a very high spec North 3Di sail package, which caters for both inshore and offshore racing alike. Additional upgrades include a complete cosmetic overhaul and the addition of standing carbon rigging - this is a race winning machine

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ancasta Race Boats
Sam Pearson
+64277733717
sampearson@ancasta.com

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

The Last Word
Alcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the Bible says love your enemy! -- Frank Sinatra

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

Azzurra Are 2017 52 Super Series Champions
Menorca, Spain: Winning the final regatta of the year to become the only crew to win two events in 2017, the Roemmers family's Azzurra which represents the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda are the new 52 SUPER SERIES champions.

With three teams in the frame for the overall season title, Azzurra, Harm Muller-Spreer's Platoon and Doug DeVos's Quantum Racing, the final, last day showdown at the Menorca 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week regatta was thwarted by a lack of breeze. Although the fleet went afloat for several hours on the strength of a forecast for marginal light winds, there was only a short period when the wind showed any promise.

Azzurra, skippered by Guillermo Parada with tactician Vasco Vascotto finish an incredibly close fought season seven points ahead of the German flagged Platoon, winners of this year's Rolex TP52 World Championship, and eleven points ahead of outgoing 2016 titlists Quantum Racing. It is the first time since 2012 when the 52 SUPER SERIES started out with a complement of just four TP52s, that the circuit has seen three teams go into the last day each with a chance of lifting the title.

The 2018 season will start in Croatia in May next year. Latest confirmation is that there are eight new build boats expected for next year.

Menorca 52 Super Series Sailing Week: Final Regatta Standings

1. Azzurra, Roemmers Family, ITA/ARG, 22 points
2. Gladiator, Tony Langley, GBR, 22
3. Quantum Racing, Doug DeVos, USA, 25
4. Platoon, Harm Muller-Spreer, GER, 25
5. Bronenosec, Vladimir Liubomirov, RUS, 27
6. Provezza, Ergin Imre, TUR, 37
7. Paprec Recyclage, Jean-Luc Petithuguenin, FRA, 38
8. Sled, Takashi Okura, USA, 42
9. Ran Racing, Niklas Zennström, SWE, 50
10. Alegre, Andres Soriano GBR/USA, 52
11. Sorcha, Peter Harrison GBR, 57

2017 52 Super Series Season: Final Overall Standings

1. Azzurra, 192 points
2. Platoon, 199
3. Quantum Racing, 203
4. Provezza, 240.3
5. Bronenosec, 260
6. Ran, 266
7. Sled, 293
8. Gladiator, 309.6
9. Alegre, 345.3
10. Sorcha, 427

www.52superseries.com

HYS One Ton Cup
Three races on Premier Composite Technologies Race Day, produced a nerve jangling finish to the HYS One Ton Cup. Bright sunshine and a shifting southerly breeze produced a highly strategic finale, before Peter Morton's CF40+ Girls on Film, retained the HYS One Ton Cup, the first team to do so since 1993.

Girls on Film: Peter Morton, Nat Ives, Ben Cornish, David Lenz, Jason Carrington, Nick Butt, Duncan Yeabsley, Darren Marston, Phil Pafford, Anthony Spillbeen, Toby Mumford.

The final race of the HYS One Ton Cup was won by Tony Dickin's GP42 Jubilee, Rebellion was second, and Invictus was third. The weighted races, added serious thought to the mathematics, before Girls on Film was declared winner of the HYS One Ton Cup. Stewart Whitehead's Rebellion was runner up, just 1.5 points ahead of Bastiaan de Voogd's Hitchhiker.

The President of the Cercle de la Voile de Paris (CVP-Paris Yacht Club), Hervé Godest, presented Girls on Film with the One Ton Cup. "Modernity and Tradition - The One Ton Cup is in good hands, the FAST40+ yachts are highly technical, and very powerful, and it is wonderful that the One Ton Cup, has returned to Cowes, nearly one hundred years since it was last here."

The final round of the 2017 FAST40+ Race Circuit will take place 14-15th October, as part of the Hamble Bigboat Championship, organised by the Hamble River Sailing Club.

www.fast40class.com

Talk about sex
Sitting on the rail - and turning a lot of winches - during the 2017 Fastnet with the rest of his VO65 crew was Blue Robinson. As is usual on offshore races this was indeed a subject of serious debate

Seahorse Magazine: Martine [Grael], when did you first consider the Volvo Ocean Race... and when were you asked?

Martine Grael: I was already interested in the last VOR and what the SCA team put together, but it was clear my goal was the 2016 Olympic Games so I stayed focused solely on that. But when the rule changed to promote mixed crew for the 2017 race I immediately tuned in and started looking out for a good opportunity.

SH: Hesitation?

MG: None! I had no idea if I would like it or not so, as early as I could, I went offshore with one of the teams to check that it would actually work for me!

SH: Conversations with your family, brother Marco, uncle Lars, father Torben and coach Javier [Torres]...

MG: Since the announcement of the rule change for mixed teams and then my initial contact with a VOR team, I pretty much asked everyone I knew who sailed for their opinion on the rules, women onboard, ocean sailing, everything really, so I did as much research as I could including watching all the videos. I talked to Javier after the Olympics last year about the possibility of competing in the VOR, in particular if there was a chance to do it with my own team. But that didn't quite happen.

The full interview in the October issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

Soling World Championship
Click on image to enlarge.

Litkey Farkas, Karoly Vezer and Gabor Oroszlan did it again!! 2017 World Champions , after 8 races in mostly light conditions. The weather didn't help much at the beginning of the week with some rain and a day without sailing. But then the 35-strong Soling fleet from 13 different countries and three continents had the chance to see the sun and one day of good sailing conditions: a long day trying to catch up the races lost at the second day of the championship.

The final race at the final day of the event sponsored by ING and organized by the KNZ&RV was also abandoned after waiting almost the entire day. But three days were enough achieve 8 races in very difficult conditions varying intensity and direction, extremely well handled by team HUN 11 to take the title back home by two points ahead team Equilibrium BRA 78 with Nelson Ilha, Manfredo Floricke and Carlo de Leo.

In third was team UNIOR UKR 1 with Ygor Yushko, Sergey Pichuguin and Igor Severianov ahead the finish team FIN 46 with Ekki Heinonen, Pasi Palmu and Jenney van der Werf the winner of the Tony Clare Trophy for the best woman placed. In Fifth Odds & Ends CAN 1 with Billy Abbott, Joanne Abbott and Scott McNeil.

The Grand Master bowl was won by George Wossala sailing with his son Christoff and Pepe Nemeth at HUN 77. The Classic Trophy was won by team NED 39 with Ronald den Arend, Gavin Lidlow and Sven Borsje. The Young helm trophy was won by team El Demolidor BRA 45 with Kadu Bergenthal, Eduardo Cavalli and Renan Oliveira

The next World Championship will be held from Nov 15 to 22 at the Club Nautico San Isidro.

Complete Results

www.solingclubnederland.blogspot.nl

Rossi Milev's Clear Air Crowned J/24 World Champion
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada: For those who place in the bottom third in the first race of a World Championship, look to Rossi Milev's Clear Air for inspiration. The local team overcame double-digit finishes in the first three of eight races to become the 2017 victors at the driveHG.ca J/24 World Championship in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Going into Saturday's final day of competition, Milev trailed Tony Parker's Bangor Packet by 5 points. Nailing a second-place in today's only light-air contest earned Clear Air the title with 47 net points. Parker ended just one notch back, settling for the silver position after a very consistent week of sailing. Ariko Murohashi's Lull of Japan claimed the bronze spot with 62 points. Nicolas Cubria's Elvis won Saturday's meeting, and although the Race Committee attempted a ninth race, conditions forced an abandonment.

The top five overall:
1. Clear Air, Rossi Milev, Mississauga, ON, CAN, 47
2. Bangor Packet, Tony Parker, Washington, DC, USA, 48
3. Lull, Ariko Murohashi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, JPN, 62
4. Lifted, Evan Petley-Jones, Halifax, NS, CAN, 68
5. YouRegatta, Carter White, Portland, ME, USA, 68

Full results

Hamlin-Zinn Draw First Blood In 2017 SAP 505 World Championship
Photo by Christophe Favreau, christophefavreau.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Californians Howie Hamlin and Andy Zinn drew first blood at the 2017 SAP 5O5 World Championship - snatching the lead just after rounding the leeward mark and holding it the rest of the way to win Race 1, which was seven legs and approximately five miles with a downwind finish.

Mike Holt and Carl Smit, the 2015 world champs, were first around the initial windward mark and held the lead on the run. However, Holt-Smit and Hamlin-Zinn split gates and that would ultimately prove decisive.

When it was over, most of the usual suspects were in the Top 10 with Chesapeake Bay locals Tyler Moore and Rob Woelfel taking third, just ahead of the British tandem of Ian Pinnell and Dave Shelton. Defending world champions Mike Martin and Adam Lowry finished eighth.

PRO Sandy Grosvenor said the pressure steadily dropped during the race and was barely above the class cutoff of five knots when she went into sequence for Race 2. She got the fleet started, but very quickly abandoned, due in part to a strong ebb current that was sweeping boats down the bay.

Full results

SAP Race Analytics

505worlds2017.com

Volvo China Coast Race Week is on!
With less then a month to go, sailors are gearing up for the first major Big Boat event of the season; Volvo China Coast Race Week comprising the Volvo China Coast Regatta (13 to 15 October) and the Volvo Hong Kong to Vietnam Race starts 18 October).

The Volvo China Coast Regatta typically sees a quality fleet of 40 boats battle it out in the most superb sailing conditions that Hong Kong has to offer. This year, to encourage more entries from the HKPN racing division HKPN entries will race on only Saturday and Sunday with IRC Racer divisions racing from Friday to Sunday. Some of the fleet will also take part in the Volvo Hong Kong to Vietnam Race; a roughly 673nm "very exciting downhill run" to Nha Trang, Vietnam.

The offshore fleet has an international flavour with 13 entries from Great Britain, Italy, China, Russia, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. This year, in order to allow the slower boats to arrive in time for the party in Nha Trang, there will be a first start for three boats on Tuesday 17 October with the remaining fleet starting on Wednesday 18 October.

New faces include Mascalzone Latino, a Cookson 50 owned by Matteo Savelli, Lion Rock, Michael Lunn's Azuree 40 and Jackie Siu and Lin Guangmu's Sense 50, Salalah. Russian sailor Alexander Vodovatov, returns to racing in Hong Kong with a First 40CR, No Applause.

Many eyes will be on China entry, UBOX, a Cookson 50 owned by Wang Bin and Australian entry, Alive, Philip Turner's Reichel/Pugh 66, both of whom also have early entries in for the 2018 Rolex China Sea Race. Competition between the two Cookson 50s will also be of keen interest.

The Volvo Hong Kong to Vietnam Race is a biennial event in 2015 Black Baza lifted the trophies for IRC Racer 1 and IRC Overall. The current race record of 42h 17m 24s was set in 2015 by Syd Fischer's Ragamuffin 100 at an average VMG of 15.8 knots.

The Notice of Race for the 2017 Volvo Hong Kong to Vietnam Race starting on 18 October is available online at www.chinacoastraceweek.com/race-vietnam

America's Cup: Formula is firmly secured
Team New Zealand will on Friday unfurl their plans for the 36th America's Cup when they announce the Protocol for the event. While the key changes have already been sign-posted, the devil will be in the detail. Dana Johannsen highlights what to expect.

Team NZ have signalled their intention to strengthen the nationality rules for the next event, with the Protocol expected to contain more robust "constructed in country" rules as well as a nationality requirement for competing crews.

The constructed in country rule is not a new condition introduced by Team NZ - it is a fundamental principle in the Deed of Gift. This rule has gradually been watered down over the years to the point where at the last event in Bermuda, only a small section of the bow was required to be built in the country of the competing team.

Team NZ have already indicated a preference to hold the next America's Cup in Auckland in early 2021. The regatta is expected to return to a traditional challenger selection series after Oracle Team USA this year broke with tradition and inserted themselves in the challenger series, which saw them carry through a one-point advantage into the Cup match.

Italian media are reporting that Luna Rossa's backers Prada will be the new naming rights sponsor of the challenger series. If so, the arrangement would end Louis Vuitton's 37-year sponsorship with the challenger series, so evidently Team NZ and Luna Rossa are not fiercely guarding every tradition.

There has been suggestion Team NZ will also hold a series of pre-regattas in the lead-up to the 2021 event, so we can expect these plans to be outlined on Friday. Dalton last week gave La Stampa a heads-up, confirming a pre-regatta circuit will begin in 2019.

Earlier this month the Herald reported Auckland has less than two years to build facilities for the America's Cup, with the first of the challenger syndicates set to arrive in mid-2019.

Urgent work is under way by the Auckland Council to consider options for basing the syndicates on the Auckland waterfront, which include a 60m to 80m Halsey Wharf extension north of the Viaduct Harbour, an extension to Westhaven Marina and Captain Cook Wharf.

The urgency surrounding a site for the America's Cup syndicates, which requires 30,000sq m of space, was disclosed at council's planning committee at the beginning of September.

Dana Johannsen's full article in the New Zealand Herald: www.nzherald.co.nz

* From Derek Paterson: re: ISAF World Sailor of the Year:

In my mind AC does not even come close to the Vendee Globe and Armel LeCleach should be the greatest sailor for 2017.

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The Last Word
It doesn't matter who you vote for, the Government always gets in. -- graffito in London, 1970s

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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Young British Crew Smash Length Of Britain Record
Four young British sailors crossed the virtual finish line off John O'Groats in the early hours of Monday morning to establish a new Length of Britain record of 2 days, 14 hours and 6 minutes. It marks the second record held by the British Vendee2020Vision team who in 2014 took the World Record for Monohulls 60 feet and less for Round Britain and Ireland.

Daniel Steel, Chief Executive of Sail Scotland, who developed and organise the challenge said: "We are delighted to crown the Vendee2020Vision team as the new Length of Britain Record Holders. They have shown incredible skill and endurance, taking on the weather and tidal conditions to not only reach the north coast of Scotland in a world record time, but to smash it by over 21 hours. It will be fascinating to see this talented young crew continue to develop, and I hope that taking on our iconic challenge to Scotland will be a memory that lives with them as they make a name for themselves on the world stage."

It has been a trip that has seen every kind of condition you could expect, from over 40 knots and a confused sea state to battling against the clock with no wind at the finish.

Vendee2020Vision crew list
- Mikey Ferguson
- Lizzy Foreman
- Andrew Baker
- Jack Trigger

www.vendee2020vision.com

National Sailing Hall Of Fame Inducts Eight Sailing Heroes
Left to right, top to bottom: Presenters Bob Johnstone and Mason Chrisman Bill Martin, Robby Naish, Tom Whidden, Corny Shields, Fred Mills, Berny Mills, Sham Hunt Randy Smyth and Timmy Larr. Photo by NSHOF/Stephen Cloutier. Click on image to enlarge.

Newport RI, USA: The National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) celebrated its seventh class of Inductees on Sunday, September 24, during ceremonies hosted by New York Yacht Club at their magnificent Harbour Court clubhouse in Newport.

Inducted to the National Sailing Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2017:

Bill Bentsen (Lake Geneva, Wisc.), a two-time Olympic medalist - bronze in 1964 and gold in 1972 - who has created an indelible legacy for the sport through his contributions as a racing rules and race administration expert

* 5.5 World Champion Ray Hunt (Duxbury, Mass.), the innately talented yacht designer of both sail and power vessels

* Clark Mills (Clearwater, Fla.), best-known as the designer of the wildly popular Optimist dinghy used by children under age 16

Windsurfing superstar Robby Naish (Haiku, Hawaii), who won his first world championship title at age 13 and went on to build a multi-million dollar watersports business

Two-time Tornado Olympic Silver Medalist Randy Smyth (Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.), whose expertise as a catamaran sailor led to, among other things, work on major motion pictures

America's Cup sailor Tom Whidden (Essex, Conn.), the industry giant who recently celebrated 30 years with global brand North Sails.

Two additional Inductees were recognized with the NSHOF Lifetime Achievement Award:

Bill Martin (Ann Arbor, Mich.), whose leadership roles in business and sailing - including the Presidency of the U.S. Olympic Committee - led to a noteworthy 10 years as Athletic Director at the University of Michigan

* Corny Shields (New Rochelle/Larchmont, N.Y.), winner of the inaugural Mallory Cup which earned him national recognition on the cover of Time magazine in 1953, who conceived the Shields one-design in 1964 and founded the I.O.D. class.

*posthumous

nshof.org

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Alicante Volvo Ocean Race Village
With just over a fortnight to go until the Alicante Race Village opens its doors to the public on 11 October, excitement is building at the home of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Building teams have been working around the clock to erect the eyecatching structures that make up the largest Race Village in the Spanish city's history - and thousands of tourists from around the planet are expected to flood the region to experience the Volvo Ocean Race first hand.

The 2017-18 edition will be the fourth time that Alicante has seen the Race fleet depart for a round-the-world marathon - but at 55,000 square metres, this year's Race Village is bigger and better than ever before.

And the largest structure on the site is the Volvo Pavilion, which is the two-tier structure being built in the timelapse video. Sitting right at the heart of the Volvo Ocean Race Village, it's a one-stop shop that showcases the Volvo brand for customers and the general public alike.

The World Sailing Show: Programme 9 - October 2017
The next Volvo Ocean Race promises to be one of the closest in the history of the event. So after a four stage offshore practice session, how do the seven teams rate their prospects? Gitana 17, the world's biggest foiling tri took her maiden flight.

A team of teenagers from an inner London school took on their first Fastnet, while the 80 year old J Class mounted its first ever world championships.

And then there's a first glimpse of the future as we go behind closed doors to see the Volvo Ocean Race's new foiling offshore racer.

Add a round up of key world championships and this month is all about firsts. -- Matthew Sheahan

- Volvo Ocean Race Preview
- World Championship reports
- First flight for Gitana 17
- Teenagers take on the Fastnet
- J Class Worlds
- Into the future - Volvo Super 60

The World Sailing Show You Tube Channel
www.youtube.com/c/theworldsailingshow

Quiet Cannes
Grey skies and light airs were on the menu today for the opening day of the 39th Regates Royales de Cannes - Trophee Panerai. Two races were launched for the Dragons while the classics had some serious training before racing starts tomorrow for them too.

The palms on the world-famous Croisette were not moving much today. The wind was light and shifty as the sun rays were almost totally hidden by the thin clouds. As the sea breeze was late in showing up and it was patchy on the race area, the Race committee had to make several attempts before being able to launch the first race for the 44-boats strong Dragon fleet.

The Russian crew skippered by Anatoly Loginov on Annapurna prevailed on fellow countryman Igor Goikmberg on Zenith and Germany's Michael Schettun on Chi, in third place.

Yet, race 1 was just an appetizer, because the flimsy and shifty wind forced the RC to set a new course to launch race 2. The day's second round reshuffled the cards on the table: the Russians were not at their best and finished mid-pack, whilst the British and the Germans sailed on a high.

The light air did not discourage the classics' crews, who took advantage of it to do some training and to fine-tune their setups and improve their manoeuvres before racing starts on Tuesday.

12 Metres or ketches, centenary yawls or gaff cutters, dozens of yachts went out on the bay.

There will be many more tomorrow, when racing kicks off officially and just under a hundred boats will wrestle for victory, in different divisions and classes.

The wind should still be a light easterly, increasing a notch in the afternoon thanks to a warmer sun on the Bay of La Napoule. The air temperature should also be very pleasant and typical of the early autumn on the Cote d'Azur, with some 20-23° C.

The outlook for the rest of the week is even more positive: the wind should steadily increase.

www.regatesroyales.com

What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Most satisfactory
Good enough in fact that several new boats are into final planning for 2018. Rob Weiland

Development - one year on
Maurizio Cossutti had quite contrasting examples of his design work racing in European regattas this year. He's also fast coming around to the virtues of rating simplification…

Cup heritage?
Often quoted, frequently used in arguments over the Cup's future but where does this heritage 'stuff' all actually come from? Eric Hall

Talk about sex
Certainly the issue is going to be central to the whole 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. Blue Robinson

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Industry News
Media Accreditation for Yacht Racing Forum 2017 open

The Yacht Racing Forum 2017 will take place on 27-28 November in Aarhus (DEN). This is a must attend event for media representatives from all over the world, where the present and future of yacht racing will be debated by the sports key personalities.

The two-day conference will be held alongside the Yacht Racing Design & Technology Symposium, dedicated to professional designers, builders and suppliers of racing yachts.

The Risk Management & Safety conference will focus on the legal and risk issues around team operations, event organiser liability, construction, sponsor requirements, intellectual property, logistics, surveys and team member contracts.

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North Sails has been the exclusive sail supplier to the Volvo Ocean Race since the debut of the VO65 one design fleet in the 2014-15 edition. Now, after analyzing extensive race data, further modeling and listening to feedback from Volvo Ocean Race sailors, North has created a new 171m² gennaker to fill an apparent gap between the masthead code 0 (MH0) and the J1 jib, boosting the performance of the VO65s in the process.

"It's the first time we've even seen a J0, and I think it's my new favorite sail. It's a really interesting space that it fits into so we'll have a look at that in more detail. It's a big change for the sail wardrobe for this edition of the race." -- Dee Caffari, skipper of Turn the Tide on Plastic

northsails.com

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One month before the start of the Volvo Ocean Race, event organisers have announced that Swiss watchmaker Omega will be Official Timekeeper of the 2017-18 edition.

The Swiss watchmaker boasts a long history in top-level competition.

Prior to becoming a Race Partner of the Volvo Ocean Race, Omega has taken the role of Official Timekeeper at the Olympic Games on 27 occasions since 1932, and has partnered with Emirates Team New Zealand on many America's Cup campaigns, including the inspiring Cup win earlier this year.

Speaking about the new partnership, Raynald Aeschlimann, OMEGA President and CEO said: "It is very exciting for OMEGA and it's a great privilege. We know sailing very well, but the Volvo Ocean Race truly speaks to our pioneering brand spirit, our love of exploration and our pursuit of excellence. It really is a unique opportunity and we can't wait to support the sailors with our renowned timekeeping."

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The 40th edition of the Cannes Yachting Festival (CYS) ended on a buoyant note, with many exhibitors telling IBI that it was the best show since before the global financial downturn. Capacity at the 41st edition in 2018 is expected to increase significantly after the organisers announced that they will conduct a study into the use of Port Pierre Canto for next year's event.

With strong winds during the show, many seas trials had to be cancelled. Some builders and dealers indicated that they would be holding trials after the show.

The general feeling from the show is that the European industry is on an upward path, building on the results of earlier shows in Dusseldorf and elsewhere. A number of key players such as Azimut-Benetti, Ferretti, Sanlorenzo, Sunseeker, Princess and Fairline were among several exhibitors announcing new investment plans.

plus.ibinews.com

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He's been chasing America's Cup success over the past 15 years and now Ian Stewart will look to deliver Olympic success after joining Yachting New Zealand as the new high performance director.

Stewart will be tasked with running the high performance programme, with the main aim of delivering Olympic and world championship success.

He replaces Jez Fanstone, who resigned last November after eight highly successful years highlighted by last year's Rio Olympics when New Zealand sailors won a record-equalling four medals.

It's a timely appointment, with less than three years until the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and under 12 months until the combined world championships in Aarhus when New Zealand sailors can qualify boats for the Olympic Games.

Stewart was most recently Oracle Team USA's operations and logistics manager in Bermuda and prior to that was Emirates Team New Zealand's logistics manager from 2003-15.

Stewart also fashioned a successful CV as a sailor, and was a sailing member of Tag Heuer's 1995 America's Cup campaign, helmed during two round the world yacht races on board Merit Cup in 1997-98 and Tokio in 1993-95 and competed for New Zealand at the youth world championships.

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Nautilus International has issued an urgent warning to its members working on superyachts regarding a situation that has been affecting seafarers in the south of France. According to the maritime union, there has been an 'alarming increase' in the number of crew being summoned to court by the French authorities in recent months.

"The seafarers that have been summoned to court have often received extremely short notice, which may be attributable to the current 'state of emergency' across the country," explains Nautilus' strategic organiser Danny McGowan.

Some of the Nautilus members that have been called to court have been investigated for anchoring in prohibited areas, despite weather conditions dictating that the chosen anchoring position was the only option. Others - particularly captains - have been investigated and summoned for the actions of their subordinates for seemingly minor infringements of the regulations.

"As we all know, owners or guests can often exert pressure on masters to breach rules, with the promise that any punitive fines will be covered by them," adds McGowan. "The promise of fines being covered, however inadvisable, might work for monetary fines, until it is realised that fines can exceed €10,000 and the promises disappear."

In addition to this, McGowan notes that offences can be recorded against an officer's Certificate of Competency and, in the worst-case scenario, punishments can extend to custodial sentences.

www.superyachtnews.com

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The Last Word
It’s not about being shocking or upsetting the locals, though it’s an inevitable byproduct. -- Lucien Greaves

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
Volvo reconsiders schedule for future Volvo Ocean Race | Mini-Transat La Boulangere | Mirabaud Sailing Video Award: Time to submit your video! | Light winds frustrate 5.5 Metre Opener at Regates Royales Cannes | GAC Pindar Finn UK National Championships | 2017 Big Boat Series: Grand Prix Returns | St. Thomas International Regatta is GO for 2018 | Les Voiles de St. Barth: Regatta Will Carry On in 2018 | Featured Brokerage

Volvo reconsiders schedule for future Volvo Ocean Race
Turner stepping down, no race start in 2019 in new boats

Following discussions with key stakeholders it has been determined that additional planning time is required to implement the recently announced changes to the race schedule. As a result, the proposed 2019-20 race in new boats will not take place as planned. A revised schedule for future Volvo Ocean Races will be announced as soon as possible. Volvo remains committed to ensuring that any planned changes deliver long-term sustainable benefits to the race and participating teams.

The design work on the exciting new Super 60 concept, at the forefront of foiling offshore monohull technology, continues.

The current 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race is completely unaffected by this change and will proceed as publicly announced.

As a consequence of this review to the race schedule the current CEO for the race Mark Turner has decided to step down from his current position. He will remain in the CEO role until a successor is appointed, a search for which has started.

"Whilst we regret the fact that Mark has decided to step down from his current role, we are grateful for the hard work and contribution over the last 16 months. The leadership team Mark has put in place will ensure the race remains both a world class sailing and business platform and we wish him all the best for the future," says Henry Stenson, Chairman of the Volvo Ocean Race supervisory board.

"Although I have decided to step down from my position, I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to lead the Volvo Ocean Race at this important time. I am confident the 2017-18 race will be one of the best ever," says Mark Turner.

Q: Will there be an impact on the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race?

A: No impact on the current edition of the race is expected. Mark Turner's role was primarily focused on future strategy. The Leadership Team is very well prepared and ready to deliver an outstanding sporting and sponsorship experience. Mark Turner will remain as CEO until a successor is appointed.

Q: It was recently announced that the next Race would start in 2019, is that still the case?

A: Following discussions between Volvo companies, it has been determined that in order to fully implement the announced changes additional planning time is required, specifically in relation to the race cycle. A final decision on this will follow at a later stage. This rules out a race start in 2019 with new boats, however the Volvo Ocean Race leadership team is developing plans to ensure activation opportunities and stakeholder return using the existing boats.

volvooceanrace.com

Mini-Transat La Boulangere
In the prototype category Ian Lipinski (Griffon.fr) appears to be the very firm favourite. "He's dominated everything for the past two seasons and he has perfect control over his boat. It would almost be an injustice if he didn't win this Mini-Transat," says Jorg Riechers (Lilcenthal), one of the few racers likely to hold out on Ian.

Prototype, one trio and some outsiders

Though Ian Lipinski holds sway with the votes, the forecasts are a lot more open the minute discussions turn to designating the podium for this 2017 edition. There are three skippers who share the votes for the two remaining places on the podium, though certain outsiders are worth considering. Despite the fact that his boat was launched very recently, Jorg Riechers is often cited as a potential runner-up to Ian Lipinski. To his credit, the German skipper boasts a stellar hull and vast experience across the board.

Erwan Le Mene (Clotures Rousseau) is set to round off the podium. Indeed, his tough reputation, his technological ease and the prospect of sailing on the winning boat from the 2015 edition, really work in his favour in relation to his rivals.

Finally, Simon Koster (Eight Cube) logically has a number of votes in his favour too. This will be the third participation for the Swiss sailor, following on from the Mini-Transat in 2013 and 2015.

Production boats: A tough call

There are certain skippers who seem to be really on their game in terms of the trimming. Clarisse Cremer (TBS) and Erwan Le Draoulec (Emile henry) have been harvesting the fruit of the hours and hours spent training and sizing each other up under the aegis of the Lorient Grand Large training centre and its coach Tanguy Leglatin. Both skippers may be lacking a certain experience of offshore sailing however.

Old hands of offshore: Always at the front of the fleet in the major offshore events, they can sometimes appear to be less at ease in some of the pre-season sprint-type races. Tom Dolan (Offshoresailing.fr) is one of the most iconic representatives from this camp, together with Tanguy Bouroullec (CERFRANCE Kerhis).

By the numbers:

Sunday 1 October: Start of the Mini-Transat La Boulangere in La Rochelle, France
- 4,050 miles to cover between La Rochelle - Las Palmas in Gran Canaria and Le Marin (Martinique)
- 81 skippers at the start
- 10 women
- 11 nationalities
- 20 years: age of the youngest skipper in the race: Erwan Le Draoulec
- 62 years: age of the oldest skipper in the race: Fred Guerin
- 25 prototypes
- 56 production boats
- 66 rookies
- 15 'repeat offenders'

minitransat.fr

Mirabaud Sailing Video Award: Time to submit your video!
The Mirabaud Sailing Video Award is underway. Professional filmmakers as well as sailors filming on-board during races must upload their videos on www.sailingvideoaward.com before October 30.

This event was launched to honor the best sailing videos produced each year and their authors. It celebrates high achievement in sailing imagery, filming, editing and story telling.

The public will be asked to vote from November 3.

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 winner will receive a beautiful and prestigious wall clock offered by our partner Hublot, alongside prize-money...

Mirabaud Sailing Video Award - International Jury 2017
- Denis Harvey (NZL), TV producer of the America's Cup
- Gary Jobson (USA), TV commentator and vice-President of World Sailing
- Nicolas Mirabaud (SUI), Member of the Executive Committee, Mirabaud & Cie SA
- Melissa Payne (UK), Vice President, IMG
- Pierre-Yves Lautrou (FRA), journalist
- Dick Enersen (USA), founder of Offshore Productions

www.sailingvideoaward.com

Light winds frustrate 5.5 Metre Opener at Regates Royales Cannes
For the second year running, the elegant International 5.5 Metres are gracing the waters of Cannes as the class begins racing in the 28th edition of the Regates Royales Cannes. Only one race was possible on a very light and tricky day with the win going to Otto (Bent C. Wilhemsen, Andreas Dyhr and Luka Strahovnik).

In 2016 the class was reintroduced to the Regates Royales after many years absence, and this year the fleet has four days of racing alongside the Dragons, Tofinou one-designs and of course the increasingly popular Classics at this famous autumnal Mediterranean spectacle.

About to turn 70 years old next year, the class first came to prominence in 1948/9 when the famous naval architect Charles Nicholson developed an affordable and transportable design than some of the other previously popular Metre rule boats. The 5.5 Metre was soon selected for the 1952 Olympic Games, became an International class and it remained an Olympic Class until 1968.

Second over the water in Cannes was New Moon (Mark Holowesko, Christoph Burger and Peter Vlasov), who placed second at the World Championship.

"It was a frustrating day, but every day you don't fall apart in a drifter is a good day."

With more light winds forecast for the rest of the week, it is something the crews here might have to get used to.

Racing in Cannes continues until Friday. -- Robert Deaves

www.regatesroyales.com/en/

GAC Pindar Finn UK National Championships
Click on image to enlarge.

Thorpe Bay YC, UK: Forty five Finns gathered at sunny Southend for the 2017 National championships - an exciting mix of every age group from under 23 tigers to the veterans and legends, plus international entries from Sweden, Finland Netherlands and Ireland.

Sunday delivered the highlight of the championship, 15-18 knots, 3 long laps and Thorpe Bay's infamous short chop wave conditions. The GAC Pindar and British Sailing Team sailors showed their worth, with Pete McCoy taking the gun in race 6 with the next 5 places all going to the Under 23 lads. The same was true in the final race, with the rest of the fleet getting a grandstand view of how exactly to stand up and 'drop-pump' in 18 knots as they guys flew past downwind. Closest to the 'pro sailors' was again Simon Percival in Race 6 and Allen Burrell in Race 7 - proving there is life in the old Masters yet! Kristian Sjoberg, (FIN 201), another international Finn campaigner returning to the fleet also showed he could keep pace with the new generation, never finishing outside the first 12 to take 7th spot.

Overall Hector Simpson proved a clear winner, discarding a 5th to record a low score of just 14 points. Second to fourth was separated by only a single point - highlighting the quality and competition between the members of the Under 23 group.

Final top ten:
1. Hector Simpson, GBR, 14
2. James Skulczuk, GBR, 23
3. Peter McCoy, GBR, 24
4. Cameron Tweedle, GBR, 24
5. Callum Dixon Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre, GBR, 30
6. Allen Burrell , GBR, 37
7. Simon Percival, GBR, 48
8. Kristian Sjoberg, FIN, 55
9. Jack Arnell, GBR, 57
10. Martin Hughes, GBR, 64

Full report and results: finnclass.org

2017 Big Boat Series: Grand Prix Returns
Photo by Erik Simonson, http://www.pressure-drop.us. Click on image for photo gallery.

The 2017 edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series will be remembered for numerous things. 4 days of stellar weather, with sunshine and great winds reaching into the 20's in late afternoon. The passing of a Bay Area sailing stalwart, Sy Kleinman, just days before the regatta, his team winning their division in grand fashion, one more time in what will most likely be Swiftsure's final regatta under the Kleinman family ownership.

A decline in multihulls, which seemed to be the future of Bay Area sailing with the America's Cup in town just 4 years prior.

When Peter Stoneberg's new Extreme 40' Shadow X had a PBO failure causing the rig to go horizontal, It left Tom Siebel's Mod 70' Orion without any competition. The other entry, Jerome Ternynck' Extreme 40' Smart Recruiters, losing their rig after a capsize a couple weeks earlier, Orion sailed races 3 and 4 without competition on Friday before putting the boat away for the rest of the regatta. After all, what was the point?

In handicap monohulls, the race committee distributed the 29 entries into 4 divisions with a Sportboat PHRF division and 3 ORR divisions, which, by sampling the results, appears to have worked out as well as it could, given that handicap sailing has it's own handicap, and unless you are on the winning end, you are never really satisfied.

The one design regatta regulars, J-105's with 24 boats, Farr 40's with 6 boats, Express 37's with 7 boats, J-70's with 11 boats and J 120's with 5, rounded out the evenly matched divisions aside from one, the premier debut of the PAC 52 Class.

While this was not the 1st time that the 52's have had 5 boats on the line for the Big Boat Series, they had that number in 2010 and 2011, it is the 1st time that evenly matched 52's have lined up, and what a difference a generation makes. The earlier lineups featured mostly TP 52's from various generations, that while similar in measurement were nowhere close in composition, construction, sail design, weight and speed. And generally a two horse race would emerge with the older boats playing catch up the entire regatta.

2017 will be remembered as the year that 5 evenly matched 52's lined up for the Big Boat Series. And even it was. With conditions near perfection for these machines, boat handling skills and time together seemed to be the determining factor. It seems like a long time since the Core 4, Rio, FOX, Bad Pak and Invisible Hand debuted in San Diego for the Yachting Cup in early May, and many a mile has been sailed in the meantime.

Full editorial in Pressure Drop: www.pressure-drop.us

St. Thomas International Regatta is GO for 2018
Organizers of the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR) have officially announced the 2018 event, set for March 23 to 25 in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, will take place as scheduled despite damage to the island from Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Never in the 45-year history of STIR has a fall storm, even a major one, interrupted the running of the 'Crown Jewel of Caribbean Yacht Racing', and it will not in 2018. The host St. Thomas Yacht Club suffered some damage and the fleet took more than a few dents, but the venue for fantastic round the island races is still very much in place.

The resilience of regatta organizers, sponsors, volunteers, and club members as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands' business community, hotel and tourism sectors is strong.

To offer support and to be part of the island's recovery and future, competitors are encouraged to register now for the Round the Rocks Regatta, March 22 and St. Thomas International Regatta at: www.stthomasinternationalregatta.com

From Scuttlebutt: www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

Les Voiles de St. Barth: Regatta Will Carry On in 2018
Considered a high point of the tourist season on the island of Saint-Barthelemy, Les Voiles de St. Barth will take place as planned over April 8-14, 2018.

A little over two weeks ago, the Caribbean Islands were ravaged by one of the deadliest hurricanes of the century. While it took a hard hit, Saint-Barthelemy is already well on the road to recovery, revealing its courage and energy to rise up, much like the organizers of Les Voiles de St. Barth who have decided to maintain the regatta in 2018.

"We are working hard so that the island can welcome all of our guests, crews and spectators with the same level of hospitality and professionalism as usual," announced François Tolède, who organizes Les Voiles along with Luc Poupon and a large group of volunteers. "We must produce this ninth edition of Les Voiles as a symbol of reconstruction by proposing a regatta at the same level as expected, with the same quality of service and the same degree of competition. We are going to concentrate our energy in organizing a regatta every bit as exceptional as in past years, with five days of competition, a day off, concerts every evening…the fundamentals will be there!"

Looking Toward the Future

There is one very clear common goal: to get the island ready for a limited 2018 tourist season and as fast as possible.

The organizers of Les Voiles are sending this message to crews around the world: "Come next April, participate and discover our paradise re-found. Hurricane Irma tried to destroy us, but we have nerves of steel, and by rebuilding together, our island will be even more beautiful."

To register for Les Voiles de St. Barth : www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com/voilesregister/

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The Last Word
When a man does not admit that he is an animal, he is less than an animal. Not more but less. -- Michael McClure

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

RS:X Windsurfing World Championships
Enoshima, Japan: Finals day loomed dark, stormy and with the most wind seen all week at the RS:X World Championships which are being held in Enoshima, Japan - home of the 2020 Olympic sailing competition.

In both the Women's and Men's competition there was a little clarity at the start of the day as to whom would be taking medals away, the only thing that was to be decided was as to which color medal sailors would take home.

2017 has seen a year of experimentation with regards to final day format of racing - with the RS:X Class trying out a wide range of different formats over its events this year.

For this World Championships, the RS:X Class opted to go back to the more traditional "medal race" format where the top ten boards go into a final, double points showdown.

The results going into this medal race for both the men and the women had some clear leaders who were guaranteed a medal but the points were such that there could be some surprises in store for the competitors as well as some outside opportunities to make the podium.

So, with wind speeds gusting up to 20 knots from the north, the Race Committee took the option of setting a course with a reaching start rather than the more conventional upwind start.

This would mean that, if timed right, sailors could be hitting the start line at speeds in excess of 20 knots which would make for a thrilling dash to the first turning mark before turning downwind for the first of two laps.

Full report from World Sailing: www.sailing.org/news/84984.php#.WcxXISPR_om

Final top five Men
1. Bing Ye, CHN, 51 points
2. Mateo Sanz Lanz, SUI, 53
3. Mengfan Gao, CHN, 68
4. Shahar Zubari, ISR, 69
5. Kieran Holmes Martin, GBR, 72

Final top five Women
1. Peina Chen, CHN, 44.7
2. Jiahui Wu, CHN, 50
3. Yunxiu Lu, CHN, 56
4. Zofia Noceti Klepacka, POL, 57
5. Manjia Zheng, CHN, 62

Final top five U21 Men
1. Angel Granda Roque, ESP, 123
2. Mestre Adrien, FRA, 157.6
3. Ofek Elimeleh, ISR, 183
4. Carlo Ciabatti, ITA, 190
5. Oel Pouliquen, FRA, 198

Final top five U21 Women
1. Stefania Eifutina, RUS, 74
2. Zianting Huang, CHN, 96
3. Berenice Mege, FRA, 119
4. Emma Wilson, GBR, 125
5. Mariam Sekhposyan, RUS, 126

www.rsxclass.org/worlds2017/

Chicago Match Cup
Chicago, USA: The competitive lineup for the 2017 Chicago Match Cup did not waste any time carving up the Lake Michigan racecourse during fleet racing today, with few points separating nearly all the teams in each of the three groups - surely, all the skippers will sleep anxious for the final qualifying session races tomorrow.

The future venue of the 2018 M32 World Championship served up near-perfect conditions for the morning with sunny skies and 10-12 knots of breeze filling in off Navy Pier for the start of racing.

Group 1 began the day with a convincing race win by reigning Match Racing World Champion Phil Robertson only to then devolve into a bitterly contested fight with two sets of teams ending tied in points, one of which is staving off the dreaded sixth place sail-off.

Chris Steele made certain that Group 2 would continue the day with strong statements as the Kiwi skipper thrashed both the group, and second-ranked World Match Racing Tour skipper Ian Williams, with a dominant string of first and second place finishes.

As conditions lightened and the breeze made a massive shift to the northwest, a bit of local knowledge seemed like it might pay dividends as Group 3 took to the course bringing local hero, Taylor Canfield back to his home waters.

However, a sixth-place finish in the first race, followed by a third in the next, meant Canfield would need a little more help from the local wind gods.

Sure enough, help arrived. The wind began to build as Canfield went to work, hunting down Pieter-Jan Postma on the final upwind leg of race three to take his first win of the day. Two more bullets followed with the U.S. Virgin Island skipper digging himself out of the hole to finish four points ahead of Australian Sam Gilmour.

The Qualifying Session fleet racing continues tomorrow at 0900 CST (GMT -5).

Full results: wmrt.com

Knots V Splicing
Click on image to enlarge.

It is likely anyone who has ever used ropes has learned to tie knots - to create eyes, connect rope to objects or even just for decoration. There's a knot for every application and for many applications there is no better solution than a knot.

However, there are limitations and every time a rope is distorted, strength is lost. A bent rope means that some of the fibres on the outside of the curve will have to carry more load while fibres on the inside may take none of the load. In addition, parts of the rope in a knot may be compressed such that the fibres are unable to move to share the load.

The level of strength reduction can be substantial. In some cases, strength can be reduced by over 50 per cent. However, this will depend on many factors, including the type of knot, how the knot is tied, how neat it is, how the rope is loaded and the design of the rope amongst others. In contrast to these figures, a well spliced rope will typically retain 90 percent of its quoted strength. In fact, some ropes (typically HMPE products) are often quoted with spliced strength, as this is how the product is tested. If strength of termination is critical then a splice is always the preferred choice.

Marlow Ropes is the market leader in Leisure Marine rope and has over 200 years of experience in rope care and advice. This helpful infographic will explain more about the difference in strength between knots and splicing. Look out for Marlow's new Guide to Splicing which will launch this Autumn at the Southampton Boat Show (Stand J300), La Grand Pavois, La Rochelle and METS in Amsterdam.

www.marlowropes.com

Etchells Worlds
San Francisco, CA, USA: Day two racing of the 2017 Etchells World Championship began much as day one, with a two-hour postponement, although today the call was made to hold the racers on shore. When racing began at 2:20 pm, the wind had filled in at 16-17 knots from a typical San Francisco Bay westerly direction of 225 degrees.

We'll say it over and over - consistency is the name of the game in this fleet. No one understands this better that the top Corinthian team of Senet Bischoff (USA), Ben Kinney, and Clay Bischoff. After today's two races, they lead the entire fleet with 28 points.

The day one leader, Dirk Kneulman moved into third place after a deep finish in race four. Jim Cunningham and Steve Benjamin are hot on his heels with top ten finishes today.

The 2017 Etchells World Championship is scheduled from September 26 to 30 with 9 races planned. If seven or more races are sailed, there will be one throw out.

Full report: www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

Top ten:
1. Senet Bischoff, USA, 28 points
2. Mark Thornburrow, HKG, 33
3. Dirk Kneulman, BER, 38
4. Marvin Beckmann, USA, 30 5. Jim Cunningham, USA, 44
6. Steve Benjamin, USA, 46
7. Martin Hill, AUS, 51
8. Graeme Taylor, AUS, 51
9. Peter Duncan, USA, 54
10. Don Jesberg, USA, 56

Full results: https://www.regattatoolbox.com

2017.etchellsworlds.org

Gladwell on the shock Volvo Ocean Race news
Reading between the lines on the official statement, it would seem that the pace of change and capital requirements are too much for the backers of the race.

Had the race proceeded as planned it would have been necessary to build a new fleet of foiling 60ft monohulls with a parallel fleet of wing sailed foiling multihulls to be used in the In-Port racing. The plan with the move to the 60fter was to develop a boat which could enter other races for IMOCA60's. However, the DSS (dynamic stability system) foiling technology was used in the Vendee Globe race for the first time in the 2016/17 edition of the race. In the 2015 Transat Jacques Vabre, six IMOCA60 yachts started with the DSS foils, and only one finished. That number increased to five out of six starters in the late Vendee Globe, and it would seem that the technology still has a way to go before it can be considered to be mainstream for a race such as the Volvo Ocean Race.

The last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race was the first with one design Volvo 65's built under strict control by the race organisers. That move solved several issues - being the design contest which resulted in unique designs being produced, coupled with a high drop-out rate with one leg only being completed unassisted by two of the six entries.

The move to one designs proved successful with the drop out rate being resolved (save for one entanglement with an Indian Ocean reef) and with the boats finishing within a few hours rather than spread over several days.

It seems from the concluding response in the self-posed questions and answers that consideration is being given to using the Volvo 65 fleet for a third edition of the 45,000nm race, after which it may be that the switch to the Super60 would be made.

It is not known if the Volvo Ocean Race decision will have any bearing on the recent decision to opt for a (foiling) monohull to be used in the 2021 America's Cup. French designer Guillaume Verdier is heavily involved in both projects.

A more conservative approach is expected if the next event is to proceed.

www.sail-world.com

Boats line up for GSW 2018
The Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week 29 Jan - 3 Feb 2018 is on track and forging ahead. Thankfully Grenada and the southern Caribbean were south of both hurricanes Irma and Maria but the devastation to the north is vast. Huge efforts have been made by local communities down here to send aid and relief to our northern neighbouring islands to help get them back on their feet.

Regatta Manager Karen Stiell says "What is important now is to show support for the Caribbean, most of the regattas in the circuit still intend to proceed, register now and come and join the fun starting with the Island Water World Grenada Sailing week". Richard Szyjan board member, keen racer and owner of Turbulence Ltd says "boats are already signing up in all classes including several new boats to the regatta; it's great to see many loyal participants returning as well as new faces for some fierce competition out on the water."

Sign up now, come enjoy the sunshine and the cool trades and 'Spice it up' in Grenada. To Register Now: yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=4444

www.grenadasailingweek.com

Sign up for our newsletter online, Email: info@grenadasailingweek.com Facebook: GrenadaSailingWeek, or Twitter @grenadasailweek

Shipman 28s Surge Again as the 'Affordable Cruiser-Racer'
The Shipman 28 is a classically-styled veteran of the Irish marine industry of the 1970s and 1980s, when she was built in considerable number in Limerick by Fastnet Marine writes W M Nixon.

But there's still plenty of life in these Olle Enderlein-designed glassfibre sloops of Swedish origin, and in Ireland Class Captain Brendan Finucane and Honorary Secretary Neil McSherry (he's from the National Yacht Club) are encouraging and co-ordinating a revival in community spirit among the owners, promoting the class as "the Affordable Cruiser-Racer".

The boats certainly come with an impressive pedigree, as over the years they've logged several Transatlantic crossings. On top of that, way back in 1975, Richard and Johnny Burrows of Malahide campaigned a Shipman 28 in the Round Britain and Ireland Race. It was an event of several long stages that combined to make up a total course of 2,000 miles, and the Malahide brothers won their class, a magnificent achievement.

The class revival has led to a renewal of interest in its origins. Neil McSherry has traced some noted qualified boatbuilders who worked in the Limerick factory, and they'll be guests at the Class's Annual Dinner in Dun Laoghaire this winter, ready and willing to answer questions from owners who want to know more about their much-loved boats.

WM Nixon's full article in Afloat: https://afloat.ie/sail/

M32 North America Championship
Chicago, USA: The M32 Catamaran showed its potential at the inaugural North America Championship with eleven teams ripping around Lake Michigan completing 14 races over the weekend with eight different race winners. The regatta served as the "test event" for the 2018 World Championship and Chicago delivered.

Determining the M32 North America Champion came down to the last race with REV skippered by Rick DeVos going into the final race with a two-point advantage. James Prendergast and his Grave Digger racing team nailed the start and led from the first mark, but the battle for the regatta winner was fought in the middle of the fleet with Convexity and REV trading positions over the race. While REV kept it close enough to maintain the lead at the first reach & leeward gate, Convexity managed to stick a covering tack on the upwind that put REV back in the fleet and ultimately resulted in a regatta win by one point.

Final Results
1. Convexity, Don Wilson (USA) - 59 points 2. REV, Rick DeVos (USA) - 60
3. The Magenta Project, Sally Barkow (USA) - 64
4. Bliksem, Pieter Taselaar (NED) - 71
5. Extreme2 Racing, Dan Cheresh (USA) - 74
6. XS Energy, Ryan DeVos (USA) - 74
7. Down Under Racing, Harry price (AUS) - 93
8. Grave Digger, James Prendergast (USA) - 96
9. Torrent, Harald Edegran (USA) - 102
10. Convergence, Jen Wilson (USA) - 107
11. Red Gear Racing, Charles Tomeo (USA) - 127

m32world.com/m32-na-championships

* From Rees Martin:

I can't help but compare the difference in attitude between America and New Zealand. The triumphant Emirates team (with trophy) are touring yacht clubs throughout New Zealand. Hundreds of sailors and non-sailors are turning up at the events the last one visit attracted over eight hundred visitors!

They are raising funds for the clubs; not the AC team.

One club who lost their clubhouse in the earthquakes has been able to start the rebuild. Now that's the spirit yachting needs!!

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The Last Word
Life is too short to be living somebody else's dream. -- Hugh Hefner

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

Issue #3935 - 29 September

In This Issue
Protocol Of The 36th America's Cup Released | Farr 40 2018 Circuit | Registration Open! St. Thomas International Regatta Set for March 23-25, 2018 | Holt and Smit Win 2017 SAP 5O5 World Championship | Chicago Match Cup | Season Nine for the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series | It's the Season to Save on North One Design Sails | Marina Lanzarote Prepares For Transatlantic Race Fleet | Ran Racing Commissions a Fast40+ from Carkeek Design | Featured Brokerage

Protocol Of The 36th America's Cup Released
The Protocol of the 36th America's Cup was released today at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron after a focused and friendly period of negotiation between the Defender and the Challenger of Record Circolo della Vela Sicilia following Emirates Team New Zealand's victory in the America's Cup only three months ago in Bermuda.

With the return to monohulls confirmed earlier this month, it was today announced that the AC75 Class of boat will be a 75 foot high performance monohull governed by the AC75 Class Rule which will be published by the 31st March 2018, with initial concepts of the class being released to key stakeholders by the end of November 2017.

Dalton also confirmed that PRADA has secured the right to be the exclusive naming and presenting sponsor of all events comprising the 36th America's Cup including the Challenger Selection Series, which will officially be named The PRADA Cup.

The dates and venue of both the America's Cup Match and The PRADA Cup will be announced by 31st August 2018. The intended venue is Auckland, New Zealand with the Match to be raced in March 2021, preceded by The Prada Cup in January and February 2021.

A series of preliminary regattas will be raced internationally in 2019 & 2020 in the AC75 Class boats, culminating with a Christmas Regatta in December 2020 for all competitors.

Each competitor is permitted to build two boats, the hulls of which must be laminated in the country of the competitor. The first boat is not permitted to be launched prior to 31st March 2019, the second can be launched after the 1st February 2020.

The rules stipulate that no two boat testing will be allowed, except by the Defender only during the period of racing in The PRADA Cup, as they will play no part in this stage of the competition.

An increased emphasis has been placed in the rules around the nationality of the sailing crews when racing.

20% or three crew, whichever is higher, must be true nationals (i.e. citizens) of the competing yacht club. The remainder of the crew can be made up of residents of the challenging yacht club's country defined by being physically present in that country for a minimum of 380 days over a 2-year period between September 2018 & 31st August 2020.

Key dates:

30th November 2017:
AC75 Class concepts released to key stakeholders

1st January 2018:
Entries for Challengers Open

31st March 2018:
AC75 Class Rule published

30th June 2018:
Entries for Challengers Close

31st August 2018:
Location of the America's Cup Match & The PRADA Cup confirmed

31st August 2018:
Specific race course area confirmed

31st December 2018:
Late entries Deadline

31st March 2019:
Boat 1 can be launched

2nd half of 2019:
2 x America's Cup World Series Preliminary Events

1st February 2020:
Boat 2 can be launched

2020:
3 x America's Cup World Series Preliminary Events

10th-20th December 2020:
America's Cup Christmas Race

January & February 2018:
The PRADA Cup Challenger Selection Series

March 2018:
The America's Cup Match

Documents:
Download the Protocol of the 36th America's Cup
Download the key points
Download the Deed of Gift

Protocol Video

Farr 40 2018 Circuit
Organizers of the Farr 40 Class Association are proud to announce that Chicago has been selected as site of the 2018 World Championship. Chicago Yacht Club will welcome the class from October 3 through 9, marking the second time the Windy City has hosted the Farr 40 World Championship.

Longtime Chicago resident Helmut Jahn capitalized on his crew's local knowledge to capture the 2012 World Championship, which attracted 20 entries. It remains Jahn's greatest victory in the class and was extremely fitting since he is also a Chicago Yacht Club member.

The Great Lakes Farr 40 organization annually participates in such events as the Chicago NOOD (June), the Chicago-Mackinac Race (July) and the Verve Cup (August). Those events will provide a steady buildup to the worlds.

In fact, the Farr 40 Class Association has decided to include the Verve Cup as part of the International Circuit, which was also announced. There will be two events in California with Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club hosting an invitational regatta (March 21-24) and Long Beach Yacht Club welcoming the Farr 40 North American Championship (May 9-12).

Credit for the longevity and staying power of the Farr 40 goes largely to Geoff Stagg, who conceived of the design and expertly guided the class for two prosperous decades. Stagg, whose vison and attention to detail were crucial to the boat's success, has announced his retirement.

2018 International Schedule
March 21 -24, Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club
May 9 - 12, North American Championship, Long Beach Yacht Club
August 9 - 12, Chicago Yacht Club Verve Cup
October 3-9, World Championship, Chicago Yacht Club

2017 - 18 Australian Schedule
September 22 Season Launch RSYS
September 23-24 Farr 40 Social Regatta MHYC
October 21-22 Mhyc One Design Trophy MHYC
November 25 - 26 Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship (Ssorc) MHYC
December 9 - 10 Newcastle One Design Trophy NCYC
January 20 - 21 Mhyc/Pittwater One Design Trophy MHYC/RPAYC
February 3 - 4 Nsw State Title MHYC
March 3 - 4 Sydney Harbour Regatta MHYC
March 16 - 18 National Championships: John Calvert-Jones Trophy RSYS

2018 Great Lakes and California Schedule, TBD

farr40.org

Registration Open! St. Thomas International Regatta Set for March 23-25, 2018
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. "Organizers of the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR) are pleased to announce that 2018 event, set for March 23 to 25, will take place as scheduled despite damage to the island from Hurricane's Irma and Maria.

The resilience of regatta organizers, sponsors, volunteers, and club members as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands' business community, hotel and tourism sectors is strong.

Show your support and be part of our island's recovery and future by registering now for the Round the Rocks Regatta, March 22 and St. Thomas International Regatta at: http://www.stthomasinternationalregatta.com

Both events promise challenging courses, professional race management and island-style hospitality. Register in CSA (Racing or Cruising); IRC; ORC; Multihull; Beach Cat or One Design classes with a minimum length of 20 feet.

For more information, contact Regatta Director Chuck Pessler at (340) 642-3204 or Email: cpessler@hotmail.com. Check STIR out on Facebook Twitter @stirvi and Instagram #STIRVI

www.stthomasinternationalregatta.com

Holt and Smit Win 2017 SAP 5O5 World Championship
Annapolis, Maryland: Organizers of the 2017 SAP 5O5 World Championship said from the outset that versatility would prove crucial to winning. That is because Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay figured to deliver a wide range of wind conditions over the course of a week.

Mike Holt and Carl Smit proved to be the best all-around team, which was a surprise even to them. Holt and Smit clinched the championship with one race to spare thaks to a dominant performance on the fourth day of the competition.

Heavy breeze came to the Chesapeake on Thursday and the Holt-Smit tandem sailed superbly - posting an impressive score line of 3-1-3. They were able to throw out a 15th absorbed in Race 3 and mathematically secured the title as a result.

This is the third SAP 5O5 World Championship for Holt, who won in 2014 with Rob Woelfel as crew.

Bertallot and Reifferscheidt, residents of Kiel, Germany, had a tremendous day on the water - tying Holt and Smit with seven points on the day. As previously mentioned, they passed Martin and Lowery on the final downwind leg to win Race 5 then passed Holt and Smit to place second in Race 7.

To be able to pass two world champions on the same day was pretty cool for us. Just very, very exciting," said Bertallot, the driver.

This is the third SAP 5O5 World Championship for the Germans, who finished 25th in Kiel (2014) and 24th in Weymouth, England (2016). They currently sit in seventh place and are hoping a good result in the eighth and final race on Friday will maintain or improve that position.

Andy Smith and Roger Gilbert led the regatta going into Thursday's action and were still right there after posting a fifth and a third to start off. However, a 15th in Race 7 proved costly and forced the British team to keep the 10th it took in Race 1.

Principal race officer Sandy Grosvenor will hold just one race on Friday and there figures to be further shuffling of the standings since a second throwout will come into play with the completion of an eighth race.

505worlds2017.com

Chicago Match Cup
Chicago, USA: Plenty of action at the final day of qualifying at Chicago Match Cup that saw both dominant performances and upsets as the Super 16 Stage roster was decided off Navy Pier.

The day began with Group 2 picking up where they left off and Chris Steele looking to continue his dominance after notching a string of first and second placed finishes yesterday. Sure enough, the master class continued, with the Kiwi skipper racking up a 14-point advantage over next placed Nicklas Dackhammar from Sweden.

Group 3 had Taylor Canfield finishing the business he began the day before with two first-place finishes, however he risked loosing his top seed position in the last race after an uncharacteristic start that saw him needing to climb his way through the fleet to finish fourth.

However, the biggest dramas were reserved for the last flight of the day as Group 1 arrived at Navy Pier to finish the close-knit battle that they'd started the day before.

With the Super 16 Round all but decided, a Sail Off between sixth-place finishers Markus Edegran, Matt Jerwood, and Harry Price saw Edegran the first to be eliminated with the second elimination decided tomorrow morning.

The Super 16 will begin Friday at 9am CST with the full stage aiming to be completed in one day. With the forecast for building breeze, tune in to wmrt.com for the Live Stream of tomorrow's racing as we reduce our 17-strong fleet down to just eight.

Qualifying Results

Group 1
1. Phil Robertson (NZL), China One Ningbo - 20 points
2. Yann Guichard (FRA), Spindrift Racing - 21
3. Jonas Warrer (DEN), Warrer Racing - 35
4. Andrew Campbell (USA), Heart of America - 36
5. Sally Barkow (USA), Team Magenta 32 - 37
6. Harry Price (AUS), Down Under Racing - 40

Group 2
1. Chris Steele (NZL), 36 Below Racing - 15
2. Nicklas Dackhammar (SWE), Essiq Racing Team - 29
3. Ian Williams (GBR), GAC Pindar - 31
4. Quentin Delapierre (FRA), Team Lorina - Golfe du Morbihan - 36
5. Evan Walker (AUS), KA Match - 39
6. Matt Jerwood (AUS), Redline Racing - 39

Group 3
1. Taylor Canfield (ISV), US One Sailing Team - 21
2. Sam Gilmour (AUS), Neptune Racing - 27
3. David Gilmour (AUS), Team Gilmour - 30
4. Pieter-Jan Postma (NED), Sailing Team NL - 34
5. Nevin Snow (USA), 13 Fifty Racing - 36
6. Markus Edegran (USA), E11even Racing - 43

Sail Off 1
Harry Price (AUS), Down Under Racing 2 - 1 Markus Edegran (USA), E11even Racing

wmrt.com

Season Nine for the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series
Entry opens in a few weeks for the ninth edition of the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series, which kicks off with the Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash on the weekend of 18/19 November 2017. Many sailors like to sign up online early before events get filled to capacity, as many were last year with three events selling out.

Previous winners include multiple national and world champion Nick Craig who won two seasons with various crews in his Merlin Rocket, multiple Fireball World Champion Tom Gillard, and another Fireball World Champion Matt Mee who with Emma Norris won last season's championship in their RS200.

The official launch for the coming Series took placing during the Southampton Boat Show on the GJW Direct stand. Among the guests was Ian Walker, who has recently retired from his illustrious career as a professional sailor to become Race Director at the RYA.

Ian is a past winner of a number of some events in the Series including the Bloody Mary. Last winter he turned up at Rutland Water to celebrate the memory of his late, great friend and fellow Olympic medallist, John Merricks. Not only did Ian make the after-dinner speech but he won the Tiger Trophy too, sailing an RS400 with Keith Bedborough. Ian is a big fan of the close quarters battle of handicap racing, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him out competing again this winter, especially now he doesn't have a Volvo Ocean Race trophy to defend.

The following regattas constitute the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series 2017/18:

- Draycote Dash, Draycote Water Sailing Club, 18 & 19 November 2017
- Datchet Flyer, Datchet Water Sailing Club, 9 & 10 December 2017
- Brass Monkey, Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club, 27 December 2017
- Grafham Grand Prix, Grafham Water Sailing Club, 30 December 2017
- Bloody Mary, Queen Mary Sailing Club, 6 January 2018
- John Merricks Tiger Trophy, Rutland Sailing Club, 3 & 4 February 2018
- Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club, 17 February 2018

www.SailJuiceSeries.com

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Marina Lanzarote Prepares For Transatlantic Race Fleet
Start Leg 1 - RORC Transatlantic Race
Marina Lanzarote, Canary Islands to Port Louis, Grenada

Setting off on an epic Atlantic race on Saturday 25 November from Marina Lanzarote, the 4th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race is the lengthiest race in the Royal Ocean Racing Club's offshore calendar. This year the westbound race, hosted by Calero Marinas forms the first leg of the Atlantic Anniversary Regatta (AAR) held in celebration of Hamburg-based Norddeutscher Regatta Verein's (NRV) 150th anniversary in 2018 and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda's 50th year (YCCS).

The joint jubilee celebration, in partnership with YCCS, originally had a scheduled finish in their British Virgin Islands base, but this has now proved impossible due to the devastation caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria in the region.

"It is extremely sad news that the recent natural disasters have decimated the Virgin Islands making it unviable to take the race to YCCS on Virgin Gorda, BVIs," explains RORC CEO, Eddie Warden Owen. "The RORC Committee in consultation with the YCCS and NRV have therefore decided to finish the race in Grenada and we look forward to returning to Camper and Nicholsons Port Louis Marina who have warmly welcomed competitors and our race team for the past three events."

For those competing in the RORC Caribbean 600 - celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2018 - the first leg of the AAR acts as a challenging annual feeder race, as well as a great way to race across the Atlantic in company to take part in the Caribbean winter circuit. The Caribbean Sailing Association accentuates the importance of sailors continuing with plans to bring boats to race in the Caribbean regattas this season as it is the best way to help rebuild tourism and the lives of those affected.

The latest list of entries can be found at: rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

For entries and further information please contact the RORC Race Team: Tel: +44 (0) 1983 295 144
Email: racing@rorc.org

Follow the RORC Transatlantic Race and Atlantic Anniversary Regatta:
rorctransatlantic.rorc.org
anniversary-regatta.com

Ran Racing Commissions a Fast40+ from Carkeek Design
After Carkeek Design boats took all three podium places in the HYS One Ton Cup Fast40+ in Cowes at the weekend, both the designer and class were further buoyed by the announcement Tuesday that Ran Racing have commissioned a Carkeek boat that will be delivered in 2018.

The Fast40+ high-performance planing monohulls have stormed onto the scene since debuting as a class in Europe in the Solent in 2016. The arrival of owners like Ran Racing, the champion Swedish-flagged team run by Niklas and Catherine Zennstrom, will take it to the next level. Owner-driver Niklas Zennstrom is one of the founders of the 52 SUPER SERIES and is President of the TP52 Class.

The FAST40+ circuit is an owner-driver class with a Corinthian ethos. There is a maximum crew of 11, which can include no more than five professional Cat3 sailors. The number of sails used and modifications to the boats are also restricted. The FAST40+ Class produces very competitive racing in a boat capable of speeds in excess of 20 knots.

www.carkeekdesignpartners.com

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Built impeccably by McConaghy ( Sydney) she first started life out as an STC 65 and was very successful at the 2008 maxi worlds beating her sister ships handily. Then she became VANQUISH and her success continued from the east coast of the states to right across the pond with results both in the transatlantic race that Summer as well as the Fastnet ( 3rd overall) From there she moved to California with much success in both races to Mexico and to Hawaii. In 2015, her LOA was extended to 69 feet ( similar to her bigger sister WIZARD) and the results on the race course have continued with her last major race, a 1st to finish and 1st overall in the 2016 Miami to Havana Cuba race.

She is currently stored out of the water and her owner ( a non profit foundation) is currently open to all offers

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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.

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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)

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The Last Word
Never whistle while you're pissing -- Hagbard Celine

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

Steve Benjamin wins Etchells Worlds
Belvedere, CA (September 30, 2017) - The overall winner of the 9-race 2017 Etchells World Championship, hosted by the San Francisco Yacht Club, is Steve Benjamin (USA) with crew of Dave Hughes, Ian Liberty, and Michael Menninger.

Benjamin, a past Olympic medalist, 505 World Champion, and 2015 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, finally claimed the championship after numerous attempts. He also wins the Senior (helm over 60 years of age) and Masters (helm over 50 years of age) trophies.

With one race to be held on today, the overall standings were anything but certain. No single boat had dominated this regatta. The race committee, with PRO Jeff Zarwell at the helm, opted for two postponements to ensure a fair starting line given the wind shifts and current influence which had boats piling up on the favored right end of the line.

At the picture perfect start, the wind was building from 10 to 12 knots, and only one boat was hailed OCS.

The final race brought yet another first place finisher to the tape. Marty Kaye (HKG) with his crew of Charlie Cumberley and Marco Pocci were first to finish, putting them in tenth place overall. Dirk Kneulman (BER) finished second for an eighth overall, and Don Jesberg (USA) finished third for seventh overall.

Benjamin was clearly elated, "It feels great to win. It's been 37 years since I won my last world championship, and I have to give the credit to my crew. Mike Menninger is our main trimmer and calling tactics, Dave Hughes is on jib and spin trim, and Ian Liberty is our bow/pit guy."

Report from Scuttlebutt

1. Steve Benjamin / Dave Hughes / Ian Liberty / Michael Menninger, USA, 41 points
2. Graeme Taylor / James Mayo / Steve Jarvin, AUS, 55
3. Senet Bischoff / Ben Kinney / Clay Bischoff, USA, 59
4. Jim Cunningham / Chloe Holder / Jeff Madrigali / Mark Ivey, USA, 69
5/ Mark Thornburrow / Malcolm Page / Mike Huang / Wiley Rogers, HKG, 82
6. Martin Hill / Andrew Palfrey / David Chapman / Sasha Ryan, AUS, 87
7. Don Jesberg / Andrea Cabito / Bill Hardesty / Robbie Dean, USA, 88
8/ Dirk Kneulman / Grant Simmer / Mark Strube, BER, 96
9. Scott Kaufman / Austen Anderson / Jesse Kirkland / Lucas Calabrase, USA, 96
10. Marty Kaye / Charlie Cumberley / Marco Pocci, HKG, 105

Full results

2017.etchellsworlds.org

Williams Shuts Out Champion To Win Chicago Match Cup
Chicago (IL), USA: In front of a cheering crowd at Navy Pier, Lake Michigan turned on all the drama for the final day of the Chicago Match Cup as Ian Williams, skipper of GAC Pindar, defeated current Match Racing World Champion Phil Robertson in a tour de force shutout victory.

The win could be a preview of things to come in three weeks time in Shenzhen, China where the two skippers meet for the last time this season to decide who will win the overall 2017 Tour and the Match Racing World Championship.

Williams' roll started early in the Semi Final stage started early with the British skipper knocking off Australian Sam Gilmour 3-0 in a battle which saw penalties galore, but the scoreline told of a dominating victory.

Elsewhere in the Semi Finals, easily the most contestable matchup of the day occurred between current Match Racing World Champion Robertson and former Match Racing World Champion Taylor Canfield in an epic showdown, fought all the way to a fifth race in the first-to-three series.

After the conclusion of racing, Robertson reflected on the level of competition. "I think we are seeing the fleet take a big jump forward which is good - everyone is very competitive - even Evan Walker pushed us to the limit", said the China One Ningbo skipper. "Ian absolutely out sailed us today."

Semi Final
Pair 1
Ian Williams (Gbr), Gac Pindar 3-0 Sam Gilmour (Aus), Neptune Racing
Pair 2
Phil Robertson (Nzl), China One Ningbo 3-2 Taylor Canfield (Isv), Us One

Petit Final
Taylor Canfield (Isv), Us One 2-0 Sam Gilmour (Aus), Neptune Racing

Final
Ian Williams (Gbr), Gac Pindar 3 - 0 Phil Robertson (Nzl), China One Ningbo

Detailed results

wmrt.com

Rainy start for the Mini Transat
The weather played a sly hand Sunday morning in the Bassin des Chalutiers. The persistent drizzle and low cloud did little to cheer those Mini sailors feeling the pressure as they cast off. Ultimately though, there was a sense of relief all round that they were finally getting going with their race, a moment they've been working towards for the past two years. After a lively start for the first few hours, it promises to be a fine crossing.

For all that, the first few miles of this Mini-Transat La Boulangère will be far from restful. With upwind conditions and rough seas with a substantial south-westerly swell, the solo sailors' stomachs are likely to be finding things tough this evening.

Current predictions suggest that the upwind conditions should be succeeded by some boisterous downwind sailing as the fleet close on Cape Finisterre, according to Christian Dumard, the weather guru from Great Circle. Essentially, to the south of this headland, the Mini sailors can expect stronger winds in a corridor spanning around a hundred miles offshore of the coast of Galicia and Portugal. As such, the competitors will have to choose between distancing themselves from this corridor, by gaining headway to the west and potentially having to cover extra miles away from the direct route, or hunkering down in a bid to escape the worst of the wind up ahead. However, the solo sailors aren't there yet. Between now and the north-west tip of Spain, things could play out in a number of ways.

It was in a persistent drizzle that the fleet took today's start in a W to SW'ly wind of 10 to 15 knots. Almost perfect conditions then, save for the zero visibility in the squalls.

Three competitors are unfortunately having to make a stopover in La Rochelle to effect repairs. The first to announce his return was Fred Guerin (Les-amis.fun), whose hull was holed in a collision with Elodie Pedron (Manu Poki & les Biotecks), she too retracing her steps. Finally, Gwendal Pibot (Rossinante) announced that he would also be returning to the Port des Minimes after breaking his stay.

www.minitransat.fr

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

Something else!
Read the following few words carefully... The 2017 J Class World Championship! Ken Read found himself totally immersed

Engineered to win
Ivor Wilkins talks brave calls and no going back with Emirates Team New Zealand technical director Dan Bernasconi

Design - One issue at a time
Lots of smart people are now working to develop the 'usable' wing rig with numerous different approaches being explored. Randy Smyth, Tommy Gonzalez and Eric Hall

Boats to bridges
Old GRP yachts don't die, nor are they very good at just fading away. But things are changing...

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.

SAP 5O5 World Championship
Photo by Christophe Favreau, christophefavreau.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Runner-up status was on the line during the final day of the 2017 SAP 5O5 World Championship. Having clinched the championship with a tremendous performance on Thursday, Mike Holt and Carl Smit were able to watch the last race from the comfort of a powerboat - no doubt thrilled they did not have determine the title on a light and fluky day.

After a few false starts, Race 8 got underway in a six knot zephyr that was just barely above the class-mandated minimum. Manueverability was difficult and principal race officer Sandy Grosvenor had to declare two general recalls because so many boats got trapped on course side.

When racing finally got underway, it was the American team of Matthew Barry and Thomas Barrows that figured things out the best - going wire-to-wire to win Race 8. Former teammates with the Yale intercollegiate sailing team, Barry and Barrows sailed a brilliant race in difficult conditions.

Andy Smith and Roger Gilbert of Great Britain entered the final day in second place, three points ahead of Americans Edward Conrads and Brian Haines. Those two teams posted double digit results, opening the door for defending champions Mike Martin and Adam Lowry to make a major move.

After struggling in light to moderate winds earlier in the week, Martin and Lowry found their form on Friday and finished third in Race 8. That allowed the St. Francis Yacht Club members to discard results of 25th and 21st, absorbed on Tuesday. That left Martin and Lowry with all single digit results and catapulted them into second place in the finals standings - 11 points behind Holt and Smit.

One of the great stories of the regatta was the superb performance of Nikola Birkner and Angela Stenger from Germany. Birkner steered and trimmed the main while Stenger hiked and trimmed the headsails as the Starnberg residents sailed Bikini Atoll to 10th place overall.

Birkner and Stenger became the first all-female team to win a race at the SAP 5O5 World Championship when they got the gun in Race 3. They closed out the regatta with another tremendous result, taking second in Race 8.

Final top five:
1. Mike Holt / Carl Smit, USA, 15 points
2. Mike Martin / Adam Lowry, USA, 26
3. Andy Smith / Roger Gilbert, GBR, 29
4. Edward Conrads / Brian Haines, USA, 33
5. Ian Pinnell / Dave Shelton, GBR, 36

Full results

505worlds2017.com

Alinghi's America's Cup Protocal Response
Alinghi has a unique place in the history of the America's Cup and remains a very active and highly successful professional sailing team.

Due not least to the unique conditions for sailing at its home on Lake Geneva, the team has always been naturally drawn to light, fast - and, more recently - foiling boats. For us, this is also the future of our sport.

We recognise there are many within the sailing community hoping that Alinghi will return to the America's Cup. We also recognise that Alinghi has inspired a new generation of highly talented Swiss sailors, who have the ambition, experience and talent to be part of a team that competes against the best in the world.

Now that the Protocol has been announced we will study it carefully and weigh its pros and cons. In the coming months, once our current racing season is over, we will decide if the new Protocol corresponds or not with the DNA of our team and our ambitions for the future.

The only certainty we have today is that our passion for the sport is undimmed and that we will continue to enjoy and learn from any race in which we compete.

www.alinghi.com

Land Rover BAR's response to the 36th America's Cup Protocol announcement
Land Rover BAR are ready to get down to the serious business of planning and preparing their AC36 challenge for 2021 in 75 foot monohulls.

The major change was the return to monohulls, and although the final rule for the new boat will not be published till 31st March next year there were strong hints that the boat will foil like the multihulls used in the last Cup. "We are comfortable with the transition, the key people in our sailing, design, engineering and support teams all have a great deal of relevant experience." said Team Principal, Ben Ainslie. "With the rule not coming out until March, we hope that it will be a collaborative approach to its development with all stakeholders included."

A nationality rule was also introduced for the sailing teams. "Land Rover BAR has always had a British identity and this rule won't affect us." continued Ainslie. "It's good to see that the World Series will continue in 2019, and we look forward to returning to America's Cup racing in the new class. The Cup has gained a lot of new fans and it was encouraging to hear both the Defender and Challenger of Record's commitment to delivering the same high standard of global, televisual racing to cement the interest in our sport.

"The America's Cup is the hardest trophy to win in world sport, and it's likely that we will be traveling half-way around the world to compete on the home waters of the world's most successful modern America's Cup team. Team New Zealand have been in all six of the openly contested Cups since 1995, and they have won three of them. We don't underestimate the challenge - it is immense - but we will call on the very best of British technology and innovation through our partners, and use that British fighting spirit to finally bring the Cup home to Britain.

"We will learn from our mistakes, and come back stronger. I want to thank the team's board of Investors led by Chairman Sir Charles Dunstone and title and main partners Land Rover, 11th Hour Racing, Aberdeen Standard Investments, CMC, BT and Coutts for their continued support which allows us to go forward with such confidence."

land-rover-bar.americascup.com

A ticket to the Endeavour Trophy
Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex: Ben Hutton-Penman from the Royal Corinthian YC, Burnham-on-Crouch, sailing with Lucy Hewitson, has won the RS Feva national championship and with it a ticket to his home club's annual event - the Endeavour Trophy, writes Sue Pelling.

The Endeavour Trophy invitational championship, for national champions from the most popular dinghy racing classes, this year takes place on 13-15 October. With the 30 boat entry limit almost complete, the 2017 event to be contested once again in RS200s, is showing signs that it could be a record year.

Hutton-Penman (14) who made the transition from the Optimist class to the RS Feva less than a year ago, said that turning up at the Feva nationals in Torbay, with 111 boats on the startline, was a bit of a shock. "I qualified for the Feva National Squad during the winter and whilst Lucy and I felt we were up in the top half of the squad, we certainly were not winning everything. Going into the nationals we just hoped we would be top mixed pair."

With plenty of wind and wave practice through training on the River Crouch, Hutton-Penman said the big winds on the first day at Torbay helped. "We got two first and two second places and that was important because it gave us belief that we could do it. After that we just had to remain consistent and careful when it was light."

Although racing at the Endeavour will present the ultimate in competition terms, Hutton-Penman and Hewitson's experience from the last race of the Feva nationals puts them in good stead. "We had to beat Pierce [Harris] and Alfie [Cogger] by two places to win, it was actually down to the final beat of the final race."

Having both raced RS200s at the nationals last year, and given the fact that Lucy's parents are former RS200 national champions/Endeavour competitors, the pair are in a good position to perform well at the event.

Hutton-Penman is certainly under no illusion about how competitive the Endeavour will be. "I am most looking forward to being on the start line against the best sailors in the country. It will no doubt be very hard but I will look at it as a learning experience and will do my best as Lucy and I will be very light. Thankfully Lucy has done quite a lot of RS200 sailing with her dad, which will no doubt be a great help."

On local tips on sailing at Burnham-on-Crouch, Hutton-Penman concluded: "My advice is to worry more about the tide than a wind shift; tacking when you are headed and then ending up in the tide is never as fast as staying out of the tide."

The three-day event starts with a training day with top coach Steve Irish on the Friday, followed by an eight-race, six to count series over the following two days.

Current Endeavour Champions (2016 winners) Ben Saxton and Toby Lewis representing the Nacra 17.

royalcorinthian.co.uk/endeavour/

Vintage Gold Cup
The Vintage Gold Cup is a celebration of the history of the Star Class which is over 106 years of age. It will be an annual event with more restored boats participating. Twelve vintage boats competed, all of them wooden and more than 50 years old and expertly restored. The event and the boats are the creation of Don Parfet and Jon Vader Molen. 10 years ago, Vader Molen created the P-Star. The P-Star was a fast design, and built with the highest technology and processes allowed in the class. At the 2012 Olympics, 15 of the 16 competitors used Vander Molen's P-Star. About 25 were built. There is a long history of Stars on Gull Lake and in both the Parfet and Vader Molen families.

On Saturday, two races were scheduled for the final day of racing at Gull Lake, Michigan. A beautiful, clear blue sky greeted us that morning but not much wind. In fact, the little bit of wind that did arrive on Gull Lake swung around wildly in direction, and never amounted to more than 5 knots. The Race Committee postponed the start at the scheduled staring time of 13:00. Nothing material ever developed so at 15:00, racing was cancelled for the day.

The results of the 5 races held on Thursday and Friday determined the standings in this first Vintage Gold Cup. Brian and I won the regatta, in Gem IX, the '64 Olympic winning boat of Sir Durward Knowles, ahead of Arthur Anosov and David Cesare and their boat Magic. Two time Olympic Gold Medalist, Mark Reynolds with Michael Brundage crewing, rounded out the top three. -- Paul Cayard

Complete results can be found at yachtscoring.com

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The Last Word
We have the Bill of Rights. What we need is a Bill of Responsibilities. -- Bill Maher

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
Mini-Transat: Getting into the swing of things | Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag surprise with new crew announcement | Where Sailing Comes First but the Rum is a Close Second? | Team Brunel supported by Royal Huisman in Volvo Ocean Race | Melges 20 World Championship | project 60 - Materials still needed to finish the book | Boats to Bridges | Come from behind win for Katusha in Cascais | New Racing Manager appointed for The Royal Ocean Racing Club | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

Mini-Transat: Getting into the swing of things
The first 24 hours are now in the wake of the Mini-Transat La Boulangère fleet. For all that, the switch from one world to another hasn't gone without its share of difficulties as a result of minor preparation issues and the time required for the solo sailors to get into the swing of things.

Enemy number one for some at the moment is sea sickness. At this morning's audio session, certain sailors admitted feeling a little under the weather, including Julien Bozzolo (Mariolle.fr), Francois Denis (So-Boat.com) and Arnaud Etchandy (Ipar Hego). They're surely not alone in this, but at the front of the fleet the leaders are already being careful not to disclose any signs of weakness as tradition dictates.

The first hours of racing can also have their share of nasty surprises. Julien Hereu (Poema Insurance) has been trying to resolve an issue with his generator, whilst Marc Miro (Alfin) has reported difficulties getting his AIS to work. Meantime, Irish skipper Thomas Dolan (Offshoresailing.fr) has had to retrace his steps after realising that he'd failed to respect the course marks at the coastal course gate. Italian Matteo Rusticali (Spot), who set sail at the helm of the oldest boat in the race, built for the Mini-Transat 1991, has sadly dismasted and was originally making for La Rochelle under jury rig. Given his course, it would seem that he's now opted instead for the mouth of the Gironde estuary to make landfall.

For now, the remainder of the fleet is trying to contend with a system of prevailing westerlies.

Top Five Rankings at 15:00 UTC

Prototypes 1. Erwan le Mene - Rousseau Clotures - 1,203.2 miles from the finish
2. Ian Lipinski - Griffon.fr - 1.1 miles behind the leader
3. Romain Bolzinger - Spicce.com - 2.2
4. Aurelien Poisson - TeamWork - 2.7
5. Jorg Riechers - Lilienthal - 3.7

Production boats
1. Erwan Le Draoulec - Emile Henry - 1,208.9 miles from the finish
2. Remi Aubrun - Alternative Sailing - Constructions du Belon - 0.2 miles behind the leader
3. Valentin Gauthier - Shaman - Banque du Leman - 0.9
4. Pierre Chedeville - Blue Orange Games - Fair Retail - 1.5
5. Clarisse Cremer - TBS - 1.8

www.minitransat.fr

Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag surprise with new crew announcement
Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag have announced three new crew members for the 2017-18 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, including Dutch Olympic medallist, Annemieke Bes.

Skipper David Witt, who is leading Hong Kong's first ever entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, has announced three new additions to his crew - Tom Clout (AUS), Antonio Fontes (POR) and Dutch Olympic Silver medallist, Annemieke Bes (NED).

Witt, who previously stated he was intending to sail with a crew of seven men, has surprised by including Bes as part of his final crew line up. New race rules, designed to incentivise teams to take female crew, limit an all-male crew to seven sailors. Under race rules, a mixed crew can include up to an additional two female sailors, for a total of eight or nine.*

Until today, Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag was the only team, out of the seven competitors, to not have considered female sailors. The announcement of Bes now means every Volvo Ocean Race team has female sailors fully integrated into their crew line up.

Bes was, until recently, part of team AkzoNobel, the Dutch entry in the race skippered by Simeon Tienpont, but recently made the switch to Witt's team.

The boats are currently undergoing a final maintenance period in Lisbon ahead of sailing to Alicante for the start of the race on 22 October 2017.

*Other crew configurations include 10 sailors if the team consists of an even male/female split. An all-female team may race with 11 crew.

volvooceanrace.com

Where Sailing Comes First but the Rum is a Close Second?
Big warm seas, consistent trade winds, challenging round the buoys racing and the best shoreside parties in the Caribbean sum up the phenomenon that is Antigua Sailing Week. Preceded by an optional race, the Peters & May Round Antigua Race featuring 52 nm of perfect pre-ASW tune up for new teams, followed by five days of racing off Antigua's south coast and interrupted by a beach day, this is a regatta not to miss.

Classes include Big Boat, Racing, Sport Boat, Cruising, Multihull, Bareboat and Club Class. Daily prize givings at Antigua Yacht Club are legendary as is the final awards party hosted in historic UNESCO-accredited Nelson's Dockyard.

Bragging rights, the best silverware and a photo op with the Queen's representative, the Governor General mean you get the best of all worlds - professionally run race management, incredible history and Caribbean beaches, parties and English Harbour Rum.

Mix that with a Fever-Tree ginger beer and you have the Perfect Storm.

www.sailingweek.com

Team Brunel supported by Royal Huisman in Volvo Ocean Race
The Dutch yacht builder Royal Huisman supports Team Brunel in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 through their expertise and know-how. Last week there was a team from Royal Huisman in Lisbon to help the shorecrew in and around the Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard with last big pre-race maintenance.

Skipper Bekking is very excited about the support from the Dutch yacht builder. Bekking: "The expertise and know-how from Royal Huisman are undisputed. On top of that they have a glorious history in this race as the builder of two winning boats: Flyer and Flyer II. With their yachts Dutchman Conny van Rietschoten won the Whitbread Round the World Race, the predecessor of the Volvo Ocean Race, in the late 70's, early '80's.

Team Director Gideon Messink: " Royal Huisman is, as a partner from the Sailing Holland Sailors Club directly connected to Team Brunel. Where we can benefit from their knowledge and skills, they get unique opportunities from the Volvo Ocean Race. They can bring in guests and relations in the impressive world of the Race and have a very exclusive view behind the scenes. Besides the big namegiving sponsors we're also looking for partnerships that touch both parties at their core expertise and goals.

teambrunel.com
royalhuisman.com

Melges 20 World Championship
In its rich sailing history, Newport, R.I. has played host to just about every famous sailboat race on the planet: the America's Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and countless grand prix World Championship events, not to mention a long and distinguished bucket list of ocean races that every sailor dreams of.

In just a few days, the International Melges 20 Class Association (IM20CA) will add to that list. It will cap off a long and awesome season with the commencement of the 2017 World Championship hosted by the New York Yacht Club.

With an impressive fleet of 40 teams from four continents, representing nine nations, sailors, friends and families alike will be treated to Newport's best conditions for a full on experience of this iconic sailing venue.

Tuesday, October 3rd is set aside for final measurement checks at Sail Newport, Pre-World Championship races and opening ceremonies at NYYC. Racing commences on Wednesday, October 4 with an 11.00 warning. The Championship will conclude on Saturday, October 7 with an awards ceremony at Sail Newport.

2017 Five Ten Melges 20 World League Results (After 12 Events Complete)
1. Igor Rytov, Russian Bogatyrs, RUS, 136 points
2. Vladimir Prosikhin, RUS, 95
3. Achille Onorato, Mascalzone Latino, RUS, 82
4. Drew Freides, Pacific Yankee, RUS, 77
5. Alexander Ezhkov, Pirogovo, RUS, 73

Event site: yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=4136

melges20.com

project 60 - Materials still needed to finish the book
As part of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the OK Dinghy, a new book is being published. Under the working title, project 60, this will be the story of the OK through personal anecdotes and stories.

While many sailors and friends have sent in stories for the book, and there are a lot of really good ones, we still need lots more to complete the project. Many people have also promised materials and not yet delivered.

The goal remains to try and get this book published before Christmas so you can all have one in your stocking, but for that to happen a lot of stories need to arrive in the next month.

So please search your memory, think of a great story and send it in, whether it's 100 words or 2,000 words. Photos are always useful, though in this case not obligatory. Please send all contributions to OKDIA. at publicity@okdia.org

It's still OK to do this right now. Thanks. -- Robert Deaves

Boats to Bridges
Old GRP yachts don't die, nor are they very good at just fading away. But things are changing...

'See first that the design is wise and just; that ascertained, pursue it resolutely' William Shakespeare

Sustainable development is traditionally defined as something that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future. Using innovative thinking to advance sustainable practices is core to The Schmidt Family Foundation's 11th Hour Racing programme. One area in which the programme is now involved is the delicate but still largely overlooked issue of the disposal of obsolete leisure craft.

Space is a precious commodity at the Rhode Island State central landfill: in 2038 the 1,040-acre site will stop accepting new material. The looming deadline has made one waste problem more complex: what to do with old fibreglass hulls?

The steady accumulation of end-of-life vessels in coastal communities across the United States and Europe has sparked discussion around a variety of intertwined environmental and economic issues. Currently, the most common destination for these ageing craft is the landfill or worse: abandoned in backyards, boatyards or local waterways. Landfill managers typically use a simple mechanical process to cut and crush the glassfibre mat, polyester resins and ancillary material, subsequently compressing and burying remains within the greater mixture of municipal solid waste.

Based on the established estimates of national end-of-life vessel populations, these traditional processes are already burying millions of metric tons of fibreglass around the world each year. This practice is a mistreatment of usable composite material and is environmentally perilous waste management.

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

Come from behind win for Katusha in Cascais
Cascais laid on an action-packed day for the conclusion of the 2017 RC44 Championship's penultimate event, the RC44 Cascais Cup. At the beginning of it, Igor Lah's Team CEEREF held a slender lead, but lost it to Charisma. By the start of the third and final race Alexander Novoselov's Katusha was leading by two points. Despite Team CEEREF sailing an immaculate final race, a second placed finish for Katusha enabled the Russian team to win the RC44 Cascais Cup by just one point.

While the wind started off at 10-14 knots, again from the unusual northerly, offshore direction, by the first run it was already up to 20 knots and remained firmly in the 20-25 knot range for the remainder of today's three races. In this RC44s could hit speeds of 20+ knots during downwind surf-fests.

Katusha's 3-1-2 winning scoreline today was the best any of the boats posted this week. Ed Baird was standing in for Andy Horton on tactics and paid tribute to the Katusha team. "They know how to make this boat go really well and it makes the tactician much smarter. It is always important to be quick and the guys made the boat go well. Without that, none of this happens."

With a discard kicking in following this regatta, so Igor Lah's Team CEEREF is on level points in the 2017 RC44 Championship with Katusha, but the Slovenia team leads – and is the new recipient of the golden wheels (the RC44's yellow jersey equivalent) – through having a higher result at the 2017 RC44 World Championship.

Having led for the duration of the four day event here, Lah was disappointed not to have won the RC44 Cascais Cup. "We missed it for a second time by a point, so we will come back next year to try and make it third time lucky."

The 2017 RC44 Championship is set to conclude next month with the RC44 Calero Marinas Cup in Marina Arrecife, Lanzarote over 23-26 November.

RC44 Cascais Cup - Overall ranking

After 12 races
1. Katusha, Alexander Novoselov, 48 points
2. Ceeref, Igor Lah, 49
3. Charisma, Nico Poons, 53
4. Peninsula Petroleum, John Bassadone, 58
5. Nika, Vladimir Prosikhin, 60
6. Bronenosec, Vladimir Liubomirov & Kirill Frolov, 66
7. Artemis Racing, Torbjorn Tornqvist, 68
8. Aqua, Chris Bake, 68
9. Artemis Racing Youth, Gustaf Lidvall, 76

www.rc44.com

New Racing Manager appointed for The Royal Ocean Racing Club
The Royal Ocean Racing Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Stone as the new Racing Manager from mid-November 2017. He will succeed Nick Elliott who has carried out an exemplary job over the past nine years for the international members' club based in London and Cowes.

Chris from Australia will bring over 15 years of expertise to the position that includes his most recent role as Sailing Manager in the Senior Management Team at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, and previously at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club and Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

As a professional sailing administrator, he has vast experience and proven ability managing significant events such as the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Farr 40 Worlds, Etchells Worlds and Volvo Ocean Race and Clipper Round the World stopovers.

Chris has competed at Cowes Week and in events such as the Melges 32 National Championships and Etchells Worlds.

Chris will direct the Race Management Team based in Cowes, Isle of Wight who work year-round on the RORC Season's Points Championship; a much-coveted series of offshore races running at regular intervals from February to November. He will also be responsible for running a series of inshore events such as: The RORC Easter Challenge, Vice Admiral's Cup, IRC European Championship (includes the Commodores' Cup), as well as the RORC's signature event, the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race that regularly sees over 300 boats taking part.

www.rorc.org

Featured Brokerage
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2011 TP52 - Sorcha. Located in Mallorca, Spain.

Top drawer IRC / ORC TP52. Full inshore and offshore specification and excellent results in both. Available in Super Series trim as well. Branding will be removed before sale and yacht painted white.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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2012 Ker 51 - TONNERRE 4. 800,000 Euros. Located in Breskens, Netherlands.

The very well-known Ker 51 TONNERRE 4, a yacht with an enviable record and revered in IRC circles. Professionally maintained to the enth - she is very much a turnkey package.

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
Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead. -- Charles Bukowski

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
Mini Transat: More haste, less speed | Dolan Clawing Back Places After Testing Start To Mini Transat | Mini Transat celebrates innovative design | Mark Turner in his own words | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | A fresh start for the HP30 Class | Tom Slingsby to put "100%" into getting an Australian America's Cup challenge | A Force to be Reckoned With | Tokio back for unfinished business in Legends Race | Yachting Developments New Zealand Match Racing Championships | Featured Brokerage

Mini Transat: More haste, less speed
The wind is gradually veering round to the north, but it's still struggling to establish itself. In the light airs, some sailors are trying to hoist spinnakers, or even the code 5, which is flatter and easier to set. Failing the wind on the stern, the Mini skippers are going to have to zigzag their way along in a quartering wind to make the north-west tip of Galicia.

After two days of racing, the solo sailors in the Mini-Transat la Boulangère are still dawdling across the Bay of Biscay. The fleet is currently at the longitude of Gijon.

There are no major issues to report among the fleet in these mild conditions. Camille Taque (Foxsea Lady) has resolved her rig problems and managed to fix her keel, which had some play in it. Quentin Vlamynck has reported the failure of his masthead lights... With the exception of Matteo Rusticali, dockside in Royan after finally being towed by a trawler and then the lifeboat, everyone is still racing.

Ranking at 15:00 UTC

Production boats
1. Remi Aubrun - Alternative Sailing - Constructions du Belon - 1,106 miles from the finish
2. Erwan Le Draoulec - Emile Henry - 0.9 miles behind the leader
3. Clarisse Cremer - TBS - 2.7
4. Valentin Gauthier - Shaman - Banque du Leman - 4.1
5. Ambrogio Beccaria - Alla Grande Ambecco - 4.5

Prototypes
1. Erwan le Mene - Rousseau Clotures - 1,091.4 from the finish
2. Ian Lipinski - Griffon.fr - 0.6 miles behind the leader
3. Jorg Riechers - Lilienthal - 5.1
4. Aurelien Poisson - TeamWork - 7.4
5. Charlotte Mery - Optigestion - Femmes de Bretagne - 8.5

minitransat.fr

Dolan Clawing Back Places After Testing Start To Mini Transat
Ireland's Tom Dolan is beginning to climb up the leaderboard after a testing first 36 hours in the Mini Transat La Boulangère.

Dolan, the sole Irish sailor among a fleet of predominantly French sailors, found himself in a demoralising position at the back of the 56-boat production division a few hours after Sunday's start to the 4,000-mile solo race across the Atlantic.

But the 30-year-old from Kells, County Meath, showed trademark resilience and impressive boat speed to jump up to 18th place this morning, around 13 nautical miles behind leader and arch rival Erwan La Draoulec.

This comes despite the Mini Transat media team reporting last night that he had to turn back briefly after missing a virtual mark on the race course.

At the 0900 French time position report Dolan and his boat Offshoresailing.fr were reaching in light winds of around six knots through the Bay of Biscay towards the next major milestone - Cape Finisterre on Spain's north-western tip.

From there the fleet will bear south south-west, locking into the trade winds that will take them towards the finish of the 1,350 nautical mile first leg in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, in around a week's time.

Leg 1 is followed by a longer 2,700 nautical mile stage across the Atlantic to Le Marin in Martinique, lasting around two weeks.

Dolan, who relocated from Ireland to the Breton port of Concarneau to pursue his Mini Transat dream, is among the favourites in the production division following a string of impressive results over the 2017 Mini 6.50 season.

His goal is to become the first Irish solo sailor ever to reach the podium of the Mini Transat, one of sailing's most revered offshore races. -- Will Carson

Mini Transat celebrates innovative design
Mini-Transat La Boulangère is celebrating 40 years of race vessels with cutting-edge design.

Notable vessels include the prototypes sailed by Casimir Jarkowski in 1997 and Norton Smith in 1979, to Lilienthal skippered by Jorg Riechers or Arkema 3 helmed by Quentin Vlamynck.

Etienne Bertrand, the naval architect responsible for a number of prototypes, including Lilienthal, Jorg Riechers' new steed, stated: "In my view, the first prototype to really be designed specifically for the Mini-Transat was American Express, winner of the 1979 edition in the hands of one Norton Smith. She was a really versatile boat, which was both seaworthy and quick."

Past winners of the race include Thom Pousse helmed by Philippe Vicariot and Mistral Gagnant skippered by Herve Devic.

From 1989 to 2013, the Finot designs took the winner's cup six times.

From 1997, came the dynasty of Pogo 1s, then Pogo 2s, which would reign supreme through until 2013, but the 2011 race was dominated by racer and naval architect David Raison with his Magnum.

At the start, Ian Lipinski, who is sailing the Griffon.fr, the next iteration of Raison's design, will have two other scow bows to contend with among others: Arkema 3 skippered by Quentin Vlamynck and Lilienthal sailed by Jorg Riechers.

From 2018, another adversary is looming, designed by Finot-Conq.

www.boatingbusiness.com

Mark Turner in his own words
There were shock waves across the racing world on Wednesday (26 September) after the Volvo Ocean Race announcement that not only was their CEO Mark Turner to leave, but that the proposed 2019-20 Volvo Ocean Race in new boats would not take place.

Turner stressed that Volvo's commitment to the race was not in question.

"They're very excited about this race and have more plans, more activation, and more things going on than they've ever had before," he said.

"So I think there's a genuine excitement and commitment to the race going forward, but we just couldn't move some of the processes and the steps forward in the same timeline that we needed to be able to guarantee that we'd have a great race in 2019 with boats actually finished and on the start line," added Turner, who joined the Volvo Ocean Race team in summer 2016.

He admits that "it's been a bit of a struggle to get everything together" for the 2017-18 race, which starts next month in Alicante, but stressed he was proud of what had been achieved.

Watch the video of Mark Turner above to hear his full statement.

www.ybw.com/boat-events/

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

World news
France, France, France, the perfect reminder, muted celebrations in Barcelona, Parko moves to the back of the bus. Plus when should you leave it to the elders to drive progress? Ivor Wilkins, Carlos Pich, Patrice Carpentier, Dobbs Davis

Rod Davis - What now?
The multiple America's Cup skipper, helmsman, tactician and coach has a clear idea what lies ahead

Cut!
Farewell, Bermuda... And long live the 36th America's Cup. Andy Claughton

Seahorse build table - A growing force
Now here's one you (probably) never expected to see in these pages. Or even expected to see at all

Sailor of the Month
Young blood and great expectations

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.

A fresh start for the HP30 Class
The RORC Rating Office has offered to give the HP30 Class professional, independent technical support, with the class rule and other technical class management. The Rating Office team supporting the class includes the Rating Office Director Jason Smithwick, Carole Abbott and Andrew Yates.

Originally setup in 2016, by Joe Hall and Jochem Visser, the class was defined for boats with certain performance characteristics, including a displacement of less than 2,200Kgs and fixed centre-line bowsprits, with asymmetric spinnakers and a minimum TCC of 1.050. In the first season, the fleet comprising FarEast28s, Farr280s, Farr30s, Open 7.5 and Seascape27s, achieved up to nine boats on the water at a number of events. Despite there not being any HP30 racing this season, the same boats came together once more at Cowes Week, racing in the mixed sportsboat IRC fleet and enjoyed some close competition and it is with this in mind and with demand from existing owners to find a way to kickstart the programme and get HP30 Racing back on the water for next year.

In addition to the technical support provided by the RORC Rating Office, the class will be run by the owners association, which is in the process of being formed. Joe and Jochem will continue to providing marketing and administrative support and are in the process of pulling the committee together.

Currently, 2018 HP30 Class starts have been offered at RORC's Easter Challenge and Vice Admiral's Cup events, as well as at Poole International Paints Regatta and Lendy Cowes Week. In addition, the HP30 Class is seeking interest from yacht clubs interested in providing starts, for these types of boats. Over the course of the next month, the rule will be finalised and the committee setup and a programme of racing put in place. Further information for ones and competitors will be available on the HP30Class website and social media pages in the near future.

hp30class.com

Tom Slingsby to put "100%" into getting an Australian America's Cup challenge
Tom Slingsby, the 2012 Olympic Laser champion and winner of the America's Cup as strategist aboard Oracle Team USA in 2013, has declared he is devoting the next year of his life to getting an Australian America's Cup team together.

Rating the chances as "better than 50%", Slingsby has rented a property in Sydney and is working with two others to approach potential backers of a team. "There are a few people I'd love to start a team with. There's nothing concrete at this stage but we're opproaching potential backers."

"I'm pretty sure it (the AC75) will be foiling. Maybe not upwind but certainly downwind in certain wind strengths. We know roughly the size of the crews needed, but that's not our problem.

"Here in Australia we've got enough interest, we've got the sailors, the boat builders, the shore crew, the managers. It's just a question of rasing the money and getting the right team together.

www.mysailing.com.au

A Force to be Reckoned With
With Australians well represented across the crews at this year's event in Bermuda, including three of the skippers - Team NZ's Glenn Ashby, Jimmy Spithill of Oracle Team USA and Artemis' Nathan Outteridge - there is a strong belief Australia could be a force to be reckoned with if they were to re-enter the America's Cup.

There hasn't been an Australian syndicate in the America's Cup since the last event in Auckland in 2003, but with Team NZ moving to tighten the nationality rules for the crew for the 36th America's Cup, there is a sense the time is right for Australia to get back in the game.

The prospect of an Australian challenge could prove tempting for Ashby, who told the Herald last week he is yet to decide whether he will commit to Team NZ's 2021 defence.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Tokio back for unfinished business in Legends Race
Gothenburg, Sweden: Tokio II will represent her sistership Tokio in the Legends Race, which starts from Gothenburg, Sweden on 21 June next year and finishes in The Hague, The Netherlands. Tokio will join Dutch yacht Flyer on the start line and is the second boat to announce participation in the Legends Race.

Two boats were built for the Tokio team entered in the 1993-94 Whitbread Round the World Race, but only one would take part. It seems a luxury nowadays, but building two boats was quite common practice in the Whitbread 60/Volvo Ocean 60 fleet until new rules prevented two-boat testing unless both boats were entered in the race.

America's Cup legend, New Zealand's Chris Dickson, would skipper the boat and he had to choose between a Farr-designed boat, or a boat from the board of Australian naval architect John Swarbrick. He chose the Farr boat and the Swarbrick boat was left behind. But now she will return to the racetrack to make her mark.

Tokio II is a Whitbread 60. The box-rule class made its first appearance in the 1993-94 race and later became the Volvo Ocean 60, when the Whitbread was sold to Volvo in 1998.

Ten W60s were on the start line on 25 September 1993, racing for the first and last time against the giant maxis. It was Dickson's first appearance as skipper, and he set off in a determined style.

Tokio had already won Legs 1 and 3 and was in the lead on Leg 5, from Punta del Este in Uruguay to Ft Lauderdale, USA, when, on 7 April, she came upright as the mast went over the side, leaving her race in tatters. All hopes of winning overall were dashed as, for the last time, the scoring for the race was on still calculated on elapsed time.

Dickson called the crew to collect the pieces of the mast and jury-rig a sail. Then they headed for the nearby port of Santos in Brazil, where they constructed a new mast from the wreckage in 36 hours and returned to the racetrack. But their hopes of winning the race were gone.

Tokio II regularly competes in famous offshore events such as the Gotland Runt (AF Offshore race) and the Rolex Fastnet.

www.facebook.com/OceanRaceExperience/

Yachting Developments New Zealand Match Racing Championships
Emirates Team New Zealand's Andy Maloney, and his crew made up of Olympic Bronze Medallist Sam Meech & RNZYS YTP graduates Shaun Mason and Harry Thurston, have won the RNZYS Yachting Developments New Zealand Match Racing Championships on what was a hectic days sailing in Auckland.

It was a day for surviving out on the water with the wind well over 25 knots as well as some heavy 35 knot gusts coming through the course, meaning mistakes were very costly and easy to make, but it also made for an extremely entertaining watch for spectators.

It's been a great year for Maloney who won the 35th America's Cup in Bermuda with Emirates Team New Zealand, and he can now add the New Zealand Match Racing Champion feather to his cap, although this may have been the last time we see Maloney take on a match racing regatta. When asked about his stellar year and told he should probably get as many regattas under his belt this year as possible, Maloney laughed – "This is probably my last match racing regatta for a while."

2017 Yachting Developments NZMRC Final Placings
1. Andy Maloney
2. Graeme Sutherland
3. Leonard Takahashi
4. David Hazard
5. James Wilson
6. George Anyon
7. Matthew Hughes
8. Arnau Farras-Knowles
9. Sam Barnett
10.Frankie Dair
11.Samantha Osborne
12.Nick Egnot-Johnson
13.Patrick Harris
14.Alistair Gifford
15.Lachlan Grimwade
16.Colman O'roiden
17.Nick Rozenauers
18.James Jennings
19.Jono Barnett

www.mrsuperleague.org

Featured Brokerage
2015 TP52 Provezza.

For Sale TP52 PROVEZZA, 4th place overall 52 Super Series 2017. Design Vrolijk, builder Cookson 2015.

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

Swan 45-001 Kyknos

Swan 45-001 left Finland during the spring of 2002 and within two months was collecting silverware as the overall winner of the 50th Anniversary Giraglia Cup. She still has everything it takes to be competitive in the Swan 45 one-design class and is offered for sale at a very attractive price.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Giorgio Passarella
brokerage@nautorswan.com
Tel. +377 97 97 95 07

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

2006 Club Swan 42 - SOUTHERN. 245000 USD. Located in Newport, RI - USA.

SOUTHERN is an extremely competitive Club Swan 42 having just won the New York Yacht Clup Invitational Cup 2017 and is now for sale and in fantastic condition. She was originally a fresh water boat before moving to the E.Coast for one design racing at the NYYC.

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
The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. -- Alan Watts

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

Clipper Second Stage to Cape Town Gets Underway
Spectators and media flocked to the water for the start of the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race's second stage, to Cape Town, South Africa, following the event's first ever stopover in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

The race bought more than 300 international crew, representing 28 nationalities, drawing thousands of visitors to the region, and high-level dignitaries to Punta del Este.

Uruguay's Tourism Minister, Lilliam Kechichian, commented: "The Clipper Race has been the biggest sailing event to ever visit Uruguay.

"Not only have the international crew members been a huge economic boost to the city in this traditionally quieter pre-summer season, but the event has also given Uruguay an incredible opportunity to demonstrate our fantastic hospitality, and also positioned us firmly on the map alongside top global destinations on the route, such as Cape Town, Sydney, New York and Liverpool, UK.

Getting straight back into the challenge from the start line, the twelve Clipper Race teams officially got underway at 1730 UTC (1430 local) in northwesterly winds gusting over 35 knots under clear sky and warm weather, starting with a round the cans inshore circuit in the Bay of Maldonado.

The South Atlantic is set to provide a strong welcome back to the Clipper Race fleet tonight, with the overnight weather forecast predicting wind speeds in the mid-20s to mid-30s, but with strong gusts, estimated at 50 knots at times.

The Clipper 2017-18 Race fleet is due into Cape Town between 19-22 October and will be berthed at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront until 31 October.

www.clipperroundtheworld.com

Mini Transat: Knowing how far to push it
The expected north-easterly wind is now packing a punch. As a result, the Minis are once again making speeds that are more in line with their true potential as they plunge southwards. Though the majority of the fleet has opted to pass between the TSS of Cape Finisterre and the Spanish coast, a few of the skippers have chosen to take the long route, making westing as a possible investment for the future perhaps...

In offshore racing, there are times when you have to bite the bullet and suffer some losses in order to come back stronger and potentially take the win. This is clearly the objective of those sailors who have opted to make headway to the west around the top of the TSS of Cape Finisterre. Andrea Fornaro (Sideral) and doubtless Nolwen Caze (Fee Rêvee) too, are likely to tumble down the rankings the further they distance themselves from the direct route. However, in doing so, they're almost certain to benefit from strong downwind conditions for two days.

The NE'ly breeze currently dictating play is fuelled by a relatively small low located to the SE of Porto. With the wind rotating anticlockwise around the centre of the low pressure system, the solo sailors will have this to contend with whilst they remain to the NW of the low. However, the system is supposed to gradually move offshore. As such, the further out to sea it gets, any boats in the vicinity will logically see the winds progressively shift round to the SE or even due south. By gaining headway to the west, this fate is delayed somewhat. However, will the long detour chosen by Andrea and some of the others be rewarded by much greater speeds and if so, will it ultimately be enough to steal a march on those taking the inside track, who will inevitably be seeking to gain ground to the west themselves the moment they get clear of the TSS?

Ranking at 15:00 UTC

Prototypes
1. Ian Lipinski - Griffon.fr - 895.9 miles from the finish
2. Erwan le Mene - Rousseau Clotures - 10.4 miles behind the leader
3. Aurelien Poisson - TeamWork - 21.7
4. Simon Koster -Eight Cube Sersa - 24.3
5. Arthur Leopold-Leger - Antal XPO - 25.4

Production boats
1. Remi Aubrun - Alternative Sailing - Constructions du Belon - 920 miles from the finish
2. Yannick Le Clech - Draoulec - 3.7 miles behind the leader
3. Erwan Le Draoulec - Emile Henry - 4.8
4. Clarisse Cremer - TBS - 10.7
5. Ambrogio Beccaria - Alla Grande Ambecco - 17.1

minitransat.fr

Boats to Bridges
Old GRP yachts don't die, nor are they very good at just fading away. But things are changing...

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

2018 Golden Globe Race moves to Les Sables d'Olonne, France
The 2018 Golden Globe Race, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the original event back in 1968/9 which led to the first solo non-stop circumnavigation, will now start from Les Sables d'Olonne France on Sunday July 1st 2018.

Les Sables d'Olonne, which also hosts the start and finish of the 4-yearly Vendee Globe solo non-stop round the world race in Open 60 class yachts, is now a partner in the 2018 Golden Globe Race and will host a 2-week celebration to the origins of solo sailing in the port prior to the start.

The Sables d'Olonne agglomeration, the city and the Vendee partners will be happy to offer the Vendee Globe channel and public support to these adventurers who will take off from Les Sables on July 1, 2018, 50 years after Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Bernard Moitessier and their companions on the "long route". The Golden Globe Race is also an opportunity for Les Sables d'Olonne to reinforce its popularity with lovers of the sea all around the world.

Prior to this, the entire GGR fleet of traditional long-keeled yachts and their skippers will participate in a special Suhaili Parade of Sail in Falmouth, Cornwall on Thursday June 14 to mark the day that Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, set out to win the original Golden Globe Race 50 years before.

The Golden Globe Race had been planned to start from Plymouth, England, but a two-year search for sponsorship across the UK did not produce a successful outcome and prompted this change of host port.

Over the past year some of the original entrants have inevitably dropped out but those on the Wait List eagerly filled their places. This has left a very strong list of 26 entrants including 6 from France.

It also gives the opportunity for four more to fulfil lifelong dreams of sailing around the world. "The Race is limited to 30 entrants, and since we have received more than 150 enquiries, we don't think it will be long before our list is full again" says race organizer Don McIntyre.

www.goldengloberace.com

Star Oktoberpokalen
Leif Carlsson organized an amazing event for the Star class this past weekend at Sune Carlssons Batvarv and co hosted by KSSS in Stockholm, Sweden.

The weekend started off on Friday with a great clinic and top notch coaching from Frithjof Kleen. We had about 15 boats out for the clinic and had a few practice races to get everyone tuned up for the following two days of races.

Three races were held Saturday on the waters off of Saltsjobaden, just out side of Stockholm. There were 25 Stars from 5 countries racing in the shifty southeast winds ranging from 5-10 knots. Saturday was really a day for keeping your head out of the boat and capitalizing on the big shifts.

After Saturdays racing Denmark's Bo Selko and Rasmus Knude were leading the event with Jonas Wibom and Fredik Liljegren in second and the current World Champion Eivind Melleby with crew Sven Sorenson in third place.

Sunday we had the more races in the Star class in stronger winds from Saturday. The wind ranged from the southeast at 10-16 knots and relatively flat water. There were still a few shifts to be had out there to create a few passing lanes.

We had very good competition with tight battles all weekend. After Sunday's racing Sweden's Anton Dahlberg with Frithjof Kleen took top honors. In second was the Dutch and German pair of Thomas Alert and Killian Weise. Finishing in third place was the Danish team of Bo Selko and Rasmus Knude.

This was a fantastic regatta and event all around. Not enough can be said about the huge effort that was put in by Leif and the team at Sune Carlssons Batvarv, KSSS, and all of the volunteers that provided the food and drinks.

We are aiming to get the entry list up to 50 boats next year so put it on your calendar and bring your boat for a great time in a beautiful place surrounded by the best class in sailing! -- Danny Cayard

wp.sunecarlssonbatvarv.se

www.ksss.se/en/

Industry News
Beneteau CEO Herve Gastinel outlined the French builder's growth projection for the coming year at Cannes

2017 has been heralded as the beginning of a new "phase of conquest" by Beneteau Group CEO Herve Gastinel as he outlined the French builder's growth projection for the coming year in its annual press conference at the Cannes boat show earlier this week.

Gastinel announced 38 new 'novelties' for the 2017/18 season (compared to 29 launched last year) with a record €47m having been spent on product development alone.

As well as new launches across all of its brands, Gastinel also unveiled the builder's new 'Ship Control' - an intuitive 'smart boat' application for monitoring and controlling everything onboard from climate and engines to sound systems, navigation and lighting. The system took two years to develop and is being adapted for use on each of its boat models.

Beneteau's new Gran Turismo 50 that comes in Hardtop and Sportfly versions, is the first to be fitted with the system and is making its debut at Cannes. Other show highlights for the group include the unveiling of the new Lagoon Seventy 8 powercat as well as the Lagoon 40 and 50 sailing cats, a new range of Jeanneau Sun Odysseys, and the Beneteau Figaro, Oceanis 51.1 and 55.1 yachts. It also announced new additions to its smaller Antares and Barracuda model ranges and a new Swift Trawler 35.

Gastinel said sales of sailing monohulls and multihulls were predicted to rise by 1-2% and 5%-plus respectively next year, while powerboats under 30ft were also expected to see decent growth of between 3-5%. Gains in the larger power segment were expected to be potentially more modest; from flat to 3% growth in the highly competitive 30ft-60ft segment and up to 2% sales growth in the 60ft-plus market.

plus.ibinews.com

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Volvo Car UK's backing of British sailing is set to reach a major milestone with the announcement today that its long-standing partnership with the British Sailing Team and the RYA is to continue through until 2021.

Volvo has been a long-term supporter of the RYA's Racing programmes since 1998 when it first backed the RYA Keelboat Programme, thereafter extending its support to youth sailing in 1999 and having been the vehicle partner to the British Sailing Team since 2009.

Volvo will retain its role as Official Car Partner, providing investment and support across the RYA's Junior, Youth and Olympic Classes Programmes through until March 2021, and marking the 20th anniversary of support for RYA activity in the year that the iconic Volvo Ocean Race returns to British shores.

The continued support to the RYA includes 40 cars which will assist with the perennial logistical challenges of sail training and campaigning, and the need to transport personnel, boats and equipment in comfort, safety and with minimal environmental impact to numerous training and event locations, both in the UK and abroad.

"We look forward to working alongside Volvo over the next four-year cycle, and to supporting a special year for Volvo's sailing association in the UK when the Volvo Ocean Race returns to the UK at its Cardiff stopover in May." said RYA Director of Racing John Derbyshire.

www.britishsailingteam.com

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Garmin International was named Manufacturer of the Year for the third consecutive year, an honour given to the most recognised company in the marine electronics field for its support of products in the field, voted on by members of the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) in the US.

Garmin also dominated the NMEA's Product of Excellence Awards with eight wins in the following categories: radar, autopilot, multi-function display (MFD), mobile application-aid to navigation, mobile application-utility, fishfinder, AIS, and multimedia entertainment.

The honours were announced at the 2017 NMEA Convention held last week in Bellevue, Washington.

For the second year in a row, Garmin won the MFD category for its GPSMAP 8624, a 24in all-in-one touchscreen chartplotter that boasts the highest screen resolution on the market.

Fusion, a Garmin brand, also received consecutive honours in the multimedia entertainment category, this year for the AV755 Marine Stereo System, a NMEA 2000-certified marine-ready DVD/CD player with Bluetooth connectivity that can be controlled from a compatible MFD.

For five years running, Garmin received the top spot in the autopilot category. The GHP Reactor Hydraulic Autopilot with SmartPump was Garmin's first recreational autopilot system to utilize AHRS technology and boasts usability, installation flexibility and many other features.

plus.ibinews.com

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Despite a slight dip in visitor attendance, this year's TheYachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show saw a record number of visitors on the water and "incredible" sales results from exhibitors. Show organiser British Marine Boat Shows said many companies recorded year-on-year increased sales and enquiry leads from the start.

The UK's Discovery Yachts Group, for instance, finished the show with confirmed orders of £3m and estimated orders of £3.5m-£4m. "We've sold boats across all ranges - Discovery Yachts, Southerly Yachts and Bluewater Yachts - to a range of global buyers," says Sean Langdon, Discovery MD.

Held from September 15-24 at Southampon's Mayflower Park, the 10-day event attracted more than 106,000 visitors. This compares to around 109,000 in 2016.

But new attractions persuaded close to 15,000 people to get out on the water - an increase of 50% on previous years, with many experiencing boating for the first time. With hundreds of boats lined up along Europe's largest purpose-built marina, visitors were able to hop on and off a range of vessels of all sizes.

The show welcomed close to 500 exhibitors and almost 20% of those were new to the show. There were 35 world, 12 European, 70 UK and 39 show debuts.

Next year's show, which runs from September 14-23, will celebrate its 50th edition.

plus.ibinews.com

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The 1851 Trust aims to inspire and engage young people to better futures by providing the education and opportunities for them to become innovators of the future and stewards of the environment.

Since the Trust launched in 2014, we have refined and developed our programmes based on feedback from pupils, stakeholders and educators. We are now proud to provide an impressive range of activities to inspire young people including our three flagship initiatives: BT STEM Crew, the online resource for teachers; hosted school visits to the TECH DECK & Education Centre at Land Rover BAR, and our national multi-activity Roadshow.

We have made significant progress towards achieving our aims over the past academic year; our programmes have engaged with nearly 40,000 pupils and we've built relationships with 663 schools from across the UK. We are pleased with the feedback from teachers and young people on the positive impact that our programmes have on engagement with STEM subjects, enthusiasm for new career opportunities and aspirations for the future.

Download the Trust's 2016/7 Annual Review www.1851trust.org.uk

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Spinlock, designers and manufacturers of rope holding equipment and personal safety products for leisure and commercial water users, are celebrating continued growth in 2017 and the expansion of their Cowes-based factory.

The recent installation of new machinery and resultant increase in capacity at their factory is a positive development for the Queen's Award-winning company, who have seen sales exports increase to 25 countries in 2017 and an overall increase in staff of 20% since 2016.

The factory expansion comes during a year that has seen Spinlock work exclusively for Great Britain's America's Cup competitors Land Rover BAR as Official Technical Suppliers creating the bespoke T2 lifejacket worn during their campaign. Spinlock are also Official Supplier to the Volvo Ocean 65 Class for the 2017-18 edition Volvo Ocean Race, including developing a custom lifejacket harness exclusively for the Volvo Ocean Race sailors. 2017 has also seen Spinlock awarded with the Queen's Award for Enterprise: Innovation, with a presentation of the award at the production facility being held in September.

Featured Brokerage
1998 Swan 48 'E2'. 395,000. Located in Valdivia, Chile.

Swan 48-123 E2 is a beautifully presented yacht and currently moored in Chile. Sold to her current owner in 2014, she underwent a refit and maintenance period in Italy before starting her voyage to South America.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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2004 Marten 49 - "Vineta" 385,000 EUR. Located in Hong Kong

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Port Hamble
sampearson@ancasta.com
+442380 016582

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Ker 46+ 660000 USD.

THE Ker 46+ IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. Based on the original version but turbo charged..... watch this space for info...... Hull #1 sold and sailing

The latest and greatest offering from the Ker/McConaghy partnership is the second generation Ker 46+. Having seen the rapid success for the mk2 Ker 40, it only felt logical to apply this thinking to the 46 as well. With Hull #1 now sold and the boat under construction, it will be hitting the water in early 2017. Weighting almost 750kg less than the original Ker 46 and carrying a more powerful hull form and rig setup, its going to be an IRC and ORC rocketship.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ancasta Race Boats
Sam Pearson
+64277733717
sampearson@ancasta.com

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

The Last Word
Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends. -- 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

NYYC to challenge for 36th America's Cup
After a decade and a half away from sailing's flagship competition, the New York Yacht Club, represented by Bella Mente Quantum Racing Association, will challenge for the 36th America's Cup. The New York Yacht Club held the ornate silver trophy from 1851, when it was won by the yacht America (above), through 1983 - a run often known as the longest winning streak in sports. The Club regularly challenged for the trophy in the years that followed the historic loss to Australia II off the coast of Newport 34 years ago, but had remained on the sidelines since its last challenge with Team Dennis Conner for the 2002-'03 America's Cup.

The challenging syndicate will be led by two of the most successful American yachtsmen of the last decade: John J. "Hap" Fauth (Naples, Fla.) and Doug DeVos (Grand Rapids, Mich.). Since 2005, at the helm of three successive yachts named Bella Mente, Fauth and his team have reached the top of the podium in numerous distance and buoy races at venues in North America, Europe and the Caribbean. Fauth is a three-time world champion in the Maxi72 class.

DeVos and the Quantum Racing program have set the standard for excellence on the 52 Super Series circuit, and its predecessor, the MedCup, with overall series wins in 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2016. One common link between the two teams is Bella Mente Quantum Racing Association Skipper and CEO Terry Hutchinson, a two-time Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and veteran America's Cup competitor. Hutchinson, like Fauth, is a long-time New York Yacht Club member.

Even though entries won't officially open until January 1, 2018, and the class rule for the AC75 won't be finalized until early spring, there are many pivotal decisions ahead for this team. The return to monohulls will enable the team to pool the technological resources of two elite sailing programs and get a jump on the competition.

"The decisions we make over the next six months will play a significant role in determining the ultimate success of our campaign," says Hutchinson, who sailed as tactician for Emirates Team New Zealand in the 2007 America's Cup match, the last to be contested in monohulls. "The early support of Hap, Doug and the New York Yacht Club puts us in a very strong position. But we can't take anything for granted. The race for the 36th America's Cup has already begun."

nyyc.org

Thompson and Lunven join Turn the Tide on Plastic
Turn the Tide on Plastic have added British offshore legend Brian Thompson and the renowned French solo sailor Nicolas Lunven to their roster ahead of the Prologue Leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, which starts on Sunday.

Skipper Dee Caffari describes Thompson as "one of the fastest people on the water". A vastly experienced offshore sailor, he has broken the round the world record twice, and sailed non-stop around the world four times, the first British sailor to accomplish this. He was part of the winning ABN AMRO ONE crew in the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race.

Nicolas Lunven won the gruelling Solitaire du Figaro in 2009 at the age of just 26 and has since secured podium places in the event in 2012 and 2016. He also sailed as navigator with MAPFRE at the beginning of the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race.

Lunven and Thompson will split off the navigator duties on the Turn the Tide on Plastic team. Lunven is scheduled to be on board through Melbourne, at which point Thompson will join the crew through the Auckland stopover. The dynamic duo will share the navigator duties through the rest of the race.

The learning process for Caffari and her team continues this weekend, when Turn the Tide on Plastic competes in the Prologue leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Seven teams will race their Volvo Ocean 65s nearly 700 nautical miles to Alicante, Spain, the host city and start port of the Volvo Ocean Race. The Prologue is scheduled to start on Sunday 8 October at 1300 UTC, with the teams arriving in Alicante on Wednesday/Thursday.

volvooceanrace.com

Made in Saint Tropez
Over thirty Modern and Classic craft took up the gauntlet today, in duel configuration or with multiple challengers, in a series of friendlies to neighbouring Pampelonne in line with the Club 55 Cup tradition.

Meantime, the rest of the fleet remained in port, treating the huge crowds, lured by the summery atmosphere, to the opportunity to revel in the spectacle of the sublime boats and their crews up close at the dock. The nautical and maritime festivity quickly spread to the streets that meander about the little port in the wake of the crew parade, ringing out long into the night with the typical pizzazz of seafarers' gatherings.

Today the Club 55 Cup saw the Defender Eugenia V, the 1968 Rhodes design, competing against Savannah. It was the latter that secured the win at the end of the 15-mile sprint from Saint Tropez to the beach of Pampelonne. It is a gentlemen's race according to the very terms outlined by the protagonists gathered at the Club 55 to celebrate the new Defender.

In 1995, an American yachtie competing in the J-Class races, one Elizabeth Meyer, wanted to create a Spirit of Tradition. This yacht was inspired by William Fife's J-Class sloops and a plethora of other beauties, but she wanted a boat that measured less than 100-feet in length. For this particular J-Class, Pedrick and Munford teamed up to create Savannah. Strikingly beautiful, her features embody all that is wonderful in the design of 20th century yachts.

Throughout the day, ten or so challenges livened up the race zone between the little port of Saint Tropez and the beach of Pampelonne, following in the historic footsteps of the challenge on which Les Voiles was founded in 1981. Of particular note was the keenness of the crews of the three 12 m JIs, Ikra, Sovereign and France to continue with their week of jousting. From midday, they became embroiled in a friendly race bound for Lion de Mer, neck and neck, constantly sizing up their respective speeds at every point of sail as the breeze filled in. There were no points on the scoreboard at the end of this shakedown, but their appetites are further whetted for when they begin racing in anger again tomorrow in the group of Marconi Classics.

www.les-voiles-de-saint-tropez.fr

Mobile is EVERYTHING
It's not enough to have a website that "works" on phones and small tablets. It has to work FAST. Google believes that after five seconds you've lost a third of your readers. After 10... crickets. Almost no one there.

To solve that, Google engineers built two new technologies: Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and Progressive Web App (PWA). AMP gets cached and served BY google. Your page loads in 1-2 seconds. And gets some prime real estate in google search. A superb entrance into your site.

PWA turns your website into an app. One that you can add to screen and acts like a "native" app.... without having to go through App stores. It solves the second / third / subsequent page load time issues. And works "offline".

We connect AMP and PWA.

Read our case study: sailingsource.com/case-study

If your website is built in either WordPress or Joomla, contact us for a quote and get onto the next revolution on the web.

webmaster@sailingsource.com

Two way fight for 2017 GC32 Racing Tour title
Marseille One Design, the grand finale of the 2017 GC32 Racing Tour takes place next week and will be the deciding event of the European circuit for ultra-high speed foiling one design catamarans. This will be the fourth consecutive year the annual GC32 Racing Tour championship has concluded off France's second city.

Going into Marseille One Design, the fight for first place is now between two teams - present leader of the 2017 GC32 Racing Tour, Realteam, skippered by Jerome Clerc, and Argo of two time Melges 32 World Champion, Jason Carroll. So far this season Realteam has won two events, the GC32 Riva Cup and last month's GC32 Orezza Corsica Cup in Calvi, while Argo beat Realteam at the GC32 Villasimius Cup and at the 36th Copa del Rey MAPFRE. Argo finished second at Marseille One Design in 2016. Going into next week's deciding event, the Swiss hold a slender two point lead over the US team.

Mathematically there is an outside chance that third placed Mamma Aiuto! of Naofumi Kamei could relieve Argo of second place, but realistically the Japan team should be looking over its shoulder. Currently three points behind in fourth, Sebastien Rogues and his crew on Team ENGIE will be racing on home waters and are hungry to achieve their objective of a podium finish on the 2017 GC32 Racing Tour.

If positions on the overall leaderboard are firming up, this is entirely not the case in the 2017 GC32 Racing Tour owner driver championship. Here the top three boats - ARGO, Mamma Aiuto! and Pierre Casiraghi's Malizia - Yacht Club de Monaco - are within one point of each other.

Racing will take place on Marseille's Rade Sud, directly off Corniche du President-John-Fitzgerald-Kennedy and the Prado beach. The GC32 Racing Tour fleet will be moored in the Marina Roucas Blanc. Marseille One Design will be first event hosted in the future Olympic Marina following confirmation last month of Paris' successful bid to host the Olympic Games in 2024. This year Marseille is also European capital of sport and has been the venue for a huge program of sports events of which Marseille One Design is part.

www.gc32racingtour.com

Ignore the status quo
It does seem to be something to which the technical clothing suppliers du jour to round-the-world race and Olympic winners pay scant heed!

The Volvo Ocean Race is fast approaching and this one will see three times more sailing in the Southern Ocean than recent editions of the round-the-world classic. However, the new course still takes the fleet four times across the Equator, so extremes of weather and climate are still very much part of the contest. Demanding on the sailors and very demanding on their clothing...

This is shaping up to be perhaps the most competitive Volvo Ocean Race yet, because it's very hard to pick a likely winner from the strong line-up of seven, potentially eight teams. Introducing the one-design element to the last edition of the race made for some of the closest finishes seen in the race. With teams using identical equipment, the focus now is on marginal gains wherever you can find them; one of those key areas is what you wear.

Two crew with a real chance of winning the 2017-18 edition are Team AkzoNobel and Dongfeng Race Team, and they've both opted to wear Zhik on their race around the world.

www.seahorsemagazine.com

Newport Delivers More of a Good Thing at Melges 20 World Championship
Newwport, Rhode Island, USA: As sailors waited at Sail Newport for the Day Two morning announcement on the course location from PRO Peter 'Luigi" Reggio, debates were waged on both sides; some sailors wanted to give their bodies and equipment a break and head north of the Newport Bridge for flat water, others wanted to take advantage of yet another day of Newport's southwest breeze. At 9 a.m., Reggio announced the seas were manageable and the wind was slightly less than Day One, and that all teams should proceed to course Alpha...it was time to go outside.

After a small adjustment to the starting line to compensate for a pulsing left shift and one general recall, Race Five began. Despite the lefties, teams that were able to work the top right's combination of stronger breeze and favorable ebb tide were able to make big gains.

After two days of epic World Championship racing, Justin Quigg's CHARACTER 2.0 extended his lead ever so slightly in the Corinthian division over Cesar Gomes Neto's PORTOBELLO. Sweden's Johannes Lind-Widestam on INTERMEZZO remains in third.

Post race, sailors gathered at NYYC Harbor Court for the daily awards hosted by Team SLINGSHOT and RED SKY, with specialty team drinks and an impressive raw bar.

The forecast for Thursday, Day Three in Newport at the World Championship, calls for a whole new scenario - light breeze. Already, there is a great deal of discussion about which course (inside or outside) the fleet might race tomorrow.

Top Five World Championship Results (Preliminary - After Six Races, One Discard)
1. Drew Freides, Pacific Yankee, USA, 18
2. John Kilroy Jr., Samba Pa Ti, USA, 27
3. Jim Wilson, Oleander, USA, 29
4. Vladimir Proshikin, Nika, RUS, 31
5. Daniel Thielman, Kuai, USA, 33

View Full Results on YachtScoring.com

2018 BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival
We WILL Be Racing. Join Us!

With most of the Caribbean islands caught in the wrath of hurricane Irma and then Maria - two category five hurricanes that hit land and made history - the message from the organisers of the BVI Spring Regatta is strong and clear:

"We will be racing again! We want sailors to know to plan to come back and race in 2018," says Regatta Director, Judy Petz who has been helping coordinate immediate supplies and fund raisers since disaster struck the beautiful islands just weeks ago.

Visiting yachtsmen will make an important contribution towards the recovery of tourism and the economy in the region, so let it be known the British Virgin Islands will be open for business. Please don't put off your plans. It is intended that the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival, located at Nanny Cay Marina, will run from 26th March to 1st of April 2018. It might not be in exactly the same format, but the organizers are focused on continuing with their plans.

"We are determined that in six months time, the 47th BVI Spring Regatta will go ahead. It might look a little different, but we'll still be putting on a great regatta," continues Petz, who has been overwhelmed by the offers of help and support from the event's 'regatta family' and followers around the world.

It may seem a little premature to start reaching out to sailors and to talk of planning events when the daily lives of so many are still in turmoil, but one of the best ways to support and help rebuild the islands is for sailors, who have been welcomed here so warmly, continue with their plans to join the regatta as part of their Caribbean racing circuit. This will help rebuild the country, restore tourism and the future of these wonderful islands.

Enter here: yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=4419

www.bvispringregatta.org

* From Adrian Morgan:

The sight of tons of wrecked and jumbled glassfibre and carbon in the Caribbean must make us all wonder where it will end up. Much of what is salvageable will, no doubt, be "recycled" but there is then the question of what becomes of the rest. Seahorse runs a piece this month about the problem, and it is one that we as sailors and the industry need to face up to. Wherever you go these days you see abandoned or sad-looking glassfibre boats, often with forlorn For Sale signs, rotting, or rather not rotting in corners of boatyards. Over 13,000 what they call "end-of-life" boats are lying around Holland and there may well be 75,000 clogging the banks of the Ijsselmeer by 2030.

The answer (although it won't happen) is a return to wooden boats which, like their owners, have a finite life and disappear naturally.

The sad but ultimate fate of wooden boats to slip away gracefully gives us owners some moral superiority over those folk who buy glassfibre boats. It is because they are so good, so perfect, so easy [sic] to maintain, and almost impossible to destroy that makes them so, well, bad.

Featured Brokerage
2011 Reichel Pugh 42. 389000 EUR. Located in New Zealand.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Port Hamble
sampearson@ancasta.com

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2016 Ker 40+ - Magnum 4. 550000 GBP. Located in Hamble, UK

A completely unique opportunity that will NOT last long! MAGNUM 4 The 2016 Ker 40+ is now available. This BRAND NEW BOAT is on the market and offering a HUGE saving for its next owner.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
Central Listing
sampearson@ancasta.com
+442380 016582
+64 2277733717

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2011 TP / IRC 52 "Viento". 800000 USD. Located in Auckland.

Originally launched as "Container", this boat has always been a front runner in any regatta its entered and is arguably the most competitive TP/IRC 52 on the market today. Inshore and offshore capability, refined by the best that NZ has to offer. An absolutely turn-key, regatta winning boat!

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
+44 2380 016582
+64 277733717
sampearson@ancasta.com

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

The Last Word
The ship's transporters - which let the crew 'beam' from place to place - really came out of a production need. I realized with this huge spaceship, I would blow the whole budget of the show just in landing the thing on a planet. -- Gene Roddenberry

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

Mini Transat: the Atlantic Yo Yo
After a week of racing, the Mini-Transat La Boulangere fleet, which is 200 miles from the finish at best, will have to demonstrate real grit and patience to make landfall in Gran Canaria.

These last few days are erratic winds and blazing sunshine, which will be hard to stomach. Now is also the time when each of the skippers is beginning to draw up an inventory of their remaining provisions and wonder at the benefits of rationing out snacks and drinking water. The latter is the crucial element of course as it is reckoned that an offshore racer must drink three litres of water a day, more when the temperature rises. Not being sufficiently hydrated equates to a dip in vigilance of up to 20%, impaired judgement and an inability to get restorative sleep. Suffice to say that in the coming hours, the first leg of the Mini-Transat la Boulangere may all come down to the detail.

Arthur Leopold-Leger (Antal XPO) has now opened up a very slight lead over Ian Lipinski (Griffon.fr), though this may not prove significant given how random the conditions are. Within the group of favourites, Erwan Le Mene (Rousseau Clotures), now back in podium position, has gained over 40 miles in relation to the head of the fleet in 24 hours, whilst Simon Koster (Eight Cube Sersa) has lost 20 over a similar period. As the leaders stumble in the calms, there may well be a bunching up of the fleet with more upsets in the ranking.

In the production boat category, Erwan Le Draoulec (Emile Henry) has snatched back the lead by clawing back 25 miles in 24 hours from Clarisse Cremer (TBS). Tanguy Bouroullec (Kerhis-Cerfrance) is back on the podium in third place after sailing a blinder that has won him 50 miles over the same period. As such, clearly no-one is protected from a nasty surprise. Behind the big names, there is room to dream...

Ranking at 15:00 UTC

Prototypes
1. Arthur Leopold-Leger - Antal XPO - 193 miles from the finish
2. Ian Lipinski - Griffon.fr - 12 miles behind the leader
3. Erwan Le Mene - Rousseau Clotures - 56
4. Romain Bolzinger - Spicee.com - 62
5. Simon Koster - Eight Cube Sersa - 77

Production boats
1. Erwan Le Draoulec - Emile Henry 281 miles from the finish
2. Clarisse Cremer - TBS - 7 miles behind the leader
3. Remi Aubrun - Alternative Sailing - Constructions du Belon - 16
4. Tanguy Bouroullec - Kerhis Cerfrance - 17
5. Ambrogio Beccaria - Alla Grande Ambeco - 33

www.minitransat.fr

Nick Thompson claims Laser European Championship gold for Britain
Britain's Nick Thompson added the Laser European Championship gold to his collection with victory in Barcelona.

The 31-year-old from Hampshire, who won a second straight Laser world title in Mexico last year, scored 130 points.

It was 18 points clear of Italy's Francesco Marrai, with New Zealand's Andrew McKenzie a point further back.

Thompson's first European title was built on a consistent run of top-10 finishes

"To finally take the European title means there's just one thing left - the Olympics."

Thompson now heads to Japan for the Sailing World Cup leg in Gamagori, followed by Enoshima Olympic Week.

www.bbc.com/sport/sailing/41545817

Final top five
1. Nick Thompson, GBR, 53 points
2. Francesco Marrai, ITA, 61
3. Andrew McKernzie, NZL, 62
4. Pavlos Kontides, CYP, 66
5. Giovanni Coccoluto, ITA, 69

Full results: www.europeanslaser2017.com

Ocean Safety boosts survival techniques for Volvo crews
Many of top Volvo skippers and crews have completed the Volvo Ocean Race multiple times but as Xabi Fernandez, Skipper of Mapfre and veteran of four previous races, commented "There's always something new to learn as technology moves forward and crews change." So when Ocean Safety conducted their fifth Sea Survival training programme for all the Volvo crews, it was for some a refresher and for others a new experience.

The teams assembled at South Shields Maritime College, home to an environmental swimming pool, complete with wave machines and storm simulation, plus fire fighting facilities. Crews saw the new Ocean SOLAS Ultralite liferaft, developed specifically for this event and practiced in-water exercises. The fire fighting training demonstrated the need for speed when tackling a fire. Treading water for more than 10 minutes both in light clothing and then again in drysuits, along with launching and getting into a liferaft, while helping injured or unconscious team mates, were all part of the session.

Alistair Hackett of Ocean Safety was in and out of the water talking the crews through the drills. "The teams must plan for all possible eventualities. The aim is to get them thinking about the kit, teamwork and develop their own plans and actions for different scenarios. Liferafts have been deployed twice in the last five Volvo Races and so crews must be prepared."

oceansafety.com

Volvo Ocean Race Prologue underway
The Prologue Leg of the Volvo Ocean Race began on Sunday afternoon, after the start was delayed by just over 2 hours and moved nearly 20 miles south in order to find better racing conditions.

The Prologue is a non-scoring race to deliver the seven-boat fleet from The Boatyard in Lisbon, Portugal to the home start port of the Volvo Ocean Race in Alicante, Spain ahead of the race start on 22 October.

At the scheduled start time of 1400 local time in Lisbon on Sunday afternoon (1300 UTC), the sea was like glass with extremely light and variable winds.

Race Director Phil Lawrence and his team asked the crews to proceed due south, under power, towards Gibraltar, and two-hours later the fleet was rewarded with a light, but steady 7 to 10 knot northwesterly breeze, allowing racing to start at 1515 UTC.

The original leg from Lisbon to Alicante was 700 nautical miles. The new start position shortens the leg to approximately 680 nautical miles.

According to our @RaceExperts, the forecast is for light conditions to Gibraltar, where the teams will encounter moderate to strong easterlies in the Strait, followed by lighter conditions again once the fleet transitions into the Mediterranean Sea.

The Volvo Ocean Race will start from Alicante, Spain on 22 October. The Alicante Race Village is scheduled to open at 1800 local time on Wednesday afternoon, with the In-Port Race on Saturday 14 October.

volvooceanrace.com

* Brit Annie Lush will not join Team Brunel for the Prologue Leg to Alicante, leaving Lisbon today. Lush does not feel 100% fit at the moment and is saved for the start of the race later this month. Lush will not be replaced.

Bekking: "It's a pity but it's not a big problem. She has not felt well for a few days and has some flu symptoms. We do not want to risk losing others. The most important thing now is that she's getting better. I expect her to join the team again at the end of the week. "

Rothmans returns
Click on image to enlarge.

Gothenburg, Sweden: Rothmans, the British maxi, skippered by Lawrie Smith in the Whitbread Round the World Race 1989-90, becomes the third boat to enter next year's Legends Race.

Rothmans originally sailed with a crew of up to 16 and finished the 1989-90 race in fourth place overall, taking 131 days to complete the 33,000-nautical-mile course. It was Smith's second race, having completed part of the course onboard Simon Le Bon's maxi, Drum in 1985-86.

Rothmans' best performance was in Leg 2, from Punta del Este, Uruguay, to Fremantle, Western Australia. It was a leg across the notorious Southern Ocean that claimed the life of Tony Phillips from Creighton's Naturally. Although the now-famous Steinlager 2 won every leg of the 1989-90 race, the battle on this leg for second, just an hour and a half after Steinlager 2 had claimed line honours, was an intense one and the duel between Rothmans and Merit was fierce. Covering each other, with Smith using his full range of match racing skills, the two giant maxis gybed 18 times in 20 minutes. Smith's America's Cup experience showed, and Rothmans overtook Pierre Felhmann's Merit, to come in 28 seconds ahead.

On the second night of Leg 6, from Ft Lauderdale, USA to Southampton, a diagonal shroud on Rothmans' mast failed. The crew acted quickly to prevent a dismasting and put into Georgetown, South Carolina, for repairs. When they set out again, they had lost 280 nm on the leaders and it was the end of the possibility of the high budget Rothmans winning any leg.

Nowadays, life for Rothmans is a little less dramatic. Built by Paragon Composites, this 1989 Rob Humphrey's 81' Kevlar/Carbon/Epoxy fractional sloop had a full refit in 2011. Her hull and topsides have been fully faired and painted and she has a new suit of sails. The boat is in original and fantastic condition and has been continuously maintained. She is in her original racing trim and is sure to be competitive in the Legends Race 2018, which starts in Gothenburg on 21 June next year and finishes in The Hague. Her home port is Stockholm and she will sail under the flag of both Sweden and the Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS).

Legends Race NOR

No pressure
High-performing, reliable, lightweight and strong offshore rigs, every one built within the narrowest range of engineering tolerances. No problem…

When it comes to sailing races and sporting challenges, very little compares with the Volvo Ocean Race. And that challenge is wholly passed on in the requirements the race organisers place on the rig suppliers to the current VO65 fleet, Southern Spars.

The Kiwi sparmaker - whose reputation for getting things right first time was recently added to with their build of Team New Zealand's winning America's Cup catamaran - had a dream start in the round the world event that was then known as The Whitbread. Peter Blake's Steinlager 2 sported twin rigs that were the first ever produced by Southern Spars for a round the world race competitor. Blake's effort that year would go down as the most dominant ever in round the world racing when 'Big Red' went on to win every leg - a feat unmatched before or since.

Then things took off.

Full story in the October issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

Flash Gordon 6 captures third straight Farr 40 North American Championship
Chicago, Illinois, USA: It seems like the Farr 40 North Americans is becoming the personal playground of owner-driver Helmut Jahn and his Flash Gordon 6 team.

Evan Jahn shared steering duties with his father as Flash Gordon 6 finished first or second in all 10 races to capture the 2017 North American Championship on her home waters of Chicago. It was the third straight North American crown and fourth overall for Flash, which finished 20 points clear of the runner-up entry.

"We won seven out of 10 races so we certainly can't complain! What could be better?" said Helmut Jahn, a renowned architect based in Chicago. "This is a great result for the team and hopefully a springboard for a strong season."

Brady Stagg, newly-appointed manager of the Farr 40 Class Association, observed that Flash Gordon 6 did not have a significant speed advantage on the eight-boat fleet, but performed sail changes and mark roundings in flawless fashion.

Chicago last hosted the Farr 40 World Championship in 2012 and that sparked tremendous interest in the class within the Windy City. A mere three points separated the second through fourth place boats at North Americans, an indicator of the closeness of the Chicago fleet.

2018 Farr 40 International Calendar: www.farr40.org

Spirit of Portopiccolo wins 2017 Barcolana
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Trieste, Italy: The 49th Barcolana was won by "Spirit of Portopiccolo", the second year of victories by Furio and Gabriele Benussi. The winning time this year was one hour 12 minutes, 17 seconds.

11 minutes later, the maxi Jena, owned by Mitja Kosina, came in second, with Pendragon in second.

The Guinness Book of World Records certified the entries of 2,101 boats ... the most crowded race in the world.

www.quotidiano.net/sport/barcolana-2017-1.3450782

First ten to finish:
1. Spirit Of Portopiccolo, Maxi Turbo 86, Furio Benussi
2. Jena, K80 Open, Mitjakosmina
3. Pendragon Vi, Custom 70, Lorenzo Bodini
4. Freccia Rossa, Tp52, Vadim Yakimenko
5. Anywave Safilens Frers 63, Fulvio Vecchiet
6. E Vai, Mylius 76, Nicola Celon
7. Scorpio, RC44, Iztok Krumpak
8. Magia Docktrine, RC 44, Marino Quaiat
9. Idrusa Calvi Network, Farr 80 Maxi One, Paolo Montefusco
10. Ancilla Domini, Farr 80, Mauro Pelaschier

Full results: www.barcolana.it/classifica

RORC Caribbean 600 - Business As Usual
The 10th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 will start as scheduled in Antigua on 19th February 2018. Bolstered by a record entry for the RORC Transatlantic Race, a strong Racing Division for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, and determined competitors from all over the Caribbean, the 10th edition of the highly acclaimed 600-mile offshore race is set to be a real cracker, with a record entry anticipated.

Antigua was one of the few islands in the Leeward Islands chain to escape major damage after the passing of hurricanes Irma to the north and Maria to the south.

"We were very nervous waiting to see how the storms unfolded', said Kathy Lammers, President of the Caribbean Sailing Association. "Antigua was fortunate to receive only tropical storm force winds and very little damage, although many neighbouring islands were not so lucky. So it's business as usual in Antigua and in many islands in the region, and even those that were badly damaged are working hard so we can all ensure that the Caribbean sailing season will carry on as normal. We look forward to welcoming sailors from all over the world as usual this season."

For the 10th anniversary of the RORC Caribbean 600, many past participants have already indicated 2018 entries. George David - the current record holder with Rambler 100 in 2011 - is coming back with Rambler 88, determined to win again: "Rambler was designed for the great sailing conditions we see in the Caribbean and this has to be a favorite of all the 600 classics," commented David. "The hurricanes this season have been devastating to so many locations but fortunately Antigua was spared the worst. Let's all come back together." -- Louay Habib

Notice of Race: caribbean600.rorc.org

Newport Bermuda Race Safety Requirements for 2018
The 2018 Newport Bermuda Race Safety Requirements (NBRSR) include changes to both the Safety at Sea training requirements and Personal AIS Beacons.

Newport Bermuda Race Safety at Sea training requirements and how to meet them.

For the 2018 race, the requirements have changed to require at least 2 crewmembers hold a current "World Sailing approved offshore personal survival course certificate" and there is a new option for completing Safety at Sea training for this certificate. As an aid to racers, we have created a document (found here) that (1) provides a guide to determine the minimum Safety at Sea training requirement as a function of crew size, and (2) explains the course options for crew members to obtain the required Safety at Sea training.

Although the document helps a crew determine the minimum training requirements according the rules, crews are strongly encouraged to have more than the minimum number of crew members complete Safety at Sea training.

Click here to download the SaS training requirement guide, or to the Safety at Sea Seminars page

Personal AIS Beacons

An important change to the NBRSR requires that "each life jacket intended for regular use while racing (one per crewmember) shall be equipped with a AIS personal crew overboard beacon." To ease the cost of this requirement, we are in discussion with several suppliers of this equipment regarding meaningful discounts for our NBR participants. We hope to have the program arranged by November, watch for another communication from the committee for more details. Questions on this change or our objective, please contact Mark Lenci.

Featured Brokerage
2010 Davidson Custom 70. 850000 EUR. Located in East Coast, Italy

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

2017 Ker 33 - New Build. 189,000 USD. Located in China.

The first dual-purpose cruiser/racer from the McConaghy/Ker partnership. Huge promise whilst on the race track as usual, but some proper interior comfort.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Port Hamble
sampearson@ancasta.com

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

K36 - Samurai

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
+81 (0) 46 884 4141
+81 (0) 46 884 4142
info@actechnology.co.jp

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

The Last Word
When you've married someone who's been at war, there is nothing you can do that compares to that level of selflessness and bravery. -- John Oliver

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

Freides Wins Melges 20 World Championship
Newport, RI, USA: After eight races, eight varied race winners and a wide range of racing conditions, Drew Friedes' Pacific Yankee with tactician Morgan Reeser and crew member Charlie Smythe have captured their very first major international title in the Melges 20 Class, that of World Champions. It's a title and trophy that is anything but easy to come by, and Freides' long racing campaign which includes a runner-up finish at Worlds in 2016 with the same crew, has served him well and delivered exactly what he was after - the top trophy in the most rewarding Class of boat in the World. With this win, he also strengthens his placement on the World League Circuit and remains atop the North American Division standings.

Vladimir Prosikhin's Nika claims second place on a brand new boat in Newport, and with such a great result it enhances his position on the International World League stage as well. Rounding out the World Championship podium is John Kilroy Jr.'s Samba Pa Ti in third.

Much like Friday, Saturday's one and only race got underway after a lengthy postponement, featuring light and shifty conditions. Freides won the event with a race to spare, leaving the rest of the top contenders to duke it out for podium positions. The conditions were kinder to some rather than others with Russia's Yuri Morozov on Russotrans taking the win, chased by Dario Levi's Fremito D'arja finishing up in second, and Prosikhin grabbing a nice third.

Congratulations to Canada's Justin Quigg and Character 2.0 teammates Julian Plante and Nick Cleary as they are 2017 Melges 20 Corinthian World Champions! Practically from start to finish, Quigg commanded the Worlds all-amatuer division for a huge win. Brazil's Cesar Gomes Neto at the helm of Portobello came second followed by Johannes Lind-Widestram's Intermezzo finishing third.

Top Five World Championship Results (Final - After Eight Races, One Discard)
1. Drew Freides, Pacific Yankee, USA, 30
2. Vladimir Prosikhin, Nika, RUS, 37
3. John Kilroy Jr., Samba Pa Ti, USA, 46
4. Alessandro Rombelli, Stig, ITA, 53
5. Jim Wilson, Oleander, USA, 56

Full results

2017 Five Melges 20 World League Results (After 12 Events Complete)
1. Igor Rytov, Russian Bogatyrs, RUS, 136
2. Vladimir Prosikhin, Nika, RUS, 95
3. Achille Onorato, Mascalzone Latino Jr., ITA, 82
4. Drew Freides, Pacific Yankee, USA, 77
5. Alexander Ezhkov, Pirogovo, RUS, 73

Full rankings: melges20.com/pdf/2017-m20-mwl-results.pdf

Aretemis Racing AC36 Protocol Statement
Artemis Racing is reviewing the Protocol for the 36th America's Cup, and continues to weigh whether to participate in this cycle or await the next. The most important consideration for our team is the need for a cutting-edge boat design, one that results in speeds that are as fast or faster than in the last America's Cup held in Bermuda. The boat and race format must be seen as bringing the sport of sailing forward and inspiring young and future generations. Other aspects of importance include the cost, which should be justifiable to ensure the right number of participants, and the overall rules should guarantee fairness for all to compete effectively.

Our team will now take its time to carefully review the Protocol, and we look forward to receiving more information on the Class Rule in November.

www.ArtemisRacing.com

Cowes Week Ltd seeks new Regatta Director
The organisers of the world famous Lendy Cowes Week regatta are seeking a new Regatta Directorto replace Phil Hagen, who left CWL after this year's regatta to focus on other interests.

The Regatta Director role is a year-round, part-time post, and carries a responsibility to evolve the on-the-water side of the regatta in order to retain andon the yachting and racing circuit, has the vision to take the racing programme forward and can work with existing and potential entrants, class associations and organising clubs to ensure the event offers the best possible competitive experience.

The new Regatta Director will work as part of a small executive team and also with the member clubs of Cowes Combined Clubs through the regatta's Sailing Committee.

The closing date for applications is 6th November 2017. Anyone interested in the role should request further details by emailing recruitment@lendycowesweek.co.uk

New Moon wins 5.5 Metre season finale after wind abandons Thunersee
Photo by Robert Deaves. Click on image to enlarge.

While the beauty and splendor of Lake Thun have not been lost on the 5.5 Metre fleet at the Autumn Trophy (Herbstpreis), the wind did get lost on the final day with no more races possible.

So, New Moon, BAH 21 (Christoph Burger, Flavio Marazzi, Peter Vlasov) takes a second regatta win in a row, after taking the win in Cannes last week. Second place goes to Marie-Francoise XIX, SUI 228 (Jurg Menzi, Dino Fumasoli, Christof Wilke) with Nina, SUI 215 (Heinz Saurer, Hans Scheidegger, Maja Siegenthaler) in third.

The overnight rain had cleared and after a brief wait ashore on Sunday morning the fleet was sent out in a light breeze. However, on arrival at the start area there was barely enough breeze to fly the flags. The fleet waited... and waited... and waited. Some went ashore to the nearest pub, some edged back towards the club but apart from the occasional cat's-paw on the water, there was no sign of wind. The lake was like a mirror. Eventually at 13.00 the race officer gave up and sent the fleets home.

So the results remain from Saturday.

Former World Champion, Flavio Marrazi was brought in at the last minute to fill the middle position on regatta winner, New Moon. His history in the class is legendary, winning the Swiss Championship and the European Championship in his first season at 14 year of age, crewing for his father, and then winning six world titles, five as helmsman over the next 12 years. -- Robert Deaves

Final results here.

Carlos Aguilar Match Race Cancelled for 2017
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands: Organizers of the Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR) regretfully announce the cancellation of the November 30-December 3, 2017 event. The CAMR, presented by the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, is known for bringing some of the best international match racing talent, from America's Cup veterans to Olympians, to sail in the scenic yet challenging Charlotte Amalie Harbor. However, damage to the island from back-to-back major hurricanes less than a month ago has put a definitive damper on hosting a Grade 1 event in less than two months.

"We are very sad to have to cancel this year's CAMR," says regatta director, Verian Aguilar Tuttle. "However, many if not most, of the strong and talented team of volunteers who organize and run this event and host the teams in their homes are still in the recovery and rebuilding phase. Repairs are also underway to our fleet of IC24s, the St. Thomas Yacht Club clubhouse as well as the Virgin Islands' utilities and infrastructure. We will definitely miss seeing and welcoming the sailors and race officers, many of whom have become great friends over the years. However, we do want to maintain the high standards of the CAMR and for this we'll look forward to 2018."

Like last year, the 2017 CAMR was set to host the Women's International Match Racing Series (WIM Series) Finale.

Those who would like to help in the Virgin Islands' recovery efforts can donate to the non-profit VI Marine Build Fund. All funds will be used for the cleanup of the current cruising grounds, growth of marine industry offerings and development of marine vocational programs.

www.carlosmatchrace.com
www.wimseries.com

To donate

Oakcliff Triple Crown - Stage 3
Oyster Bay, New York, USA: Olympic hopefuls from three different countries battled it out at Stage 3 of the Oakcliff Triple Crown Series where nearly $50,000 of prize grants were awarded. With two days of breeze in the mid to low teens, racing was tight in the five Olympic classes: 470 Men's, 470 Women's, 49er, 49erFX, and the foiling Nacra 17.

Playing the puffs was key to staying on top this weekend. "We kept our heads outside of the boat," said Nora Brugman, who won 470W crewing for her sister Atlantic. "It was very shifty and I think we did a good job looking around the race course checking for puffs."

Judge Ryan and Hans Henken, brother of Paris Henken who represented the US in the 49erFX in the 2016 Olympics, won the 49er class.

Ali ten Hove and Mariah Millen narrowly missed out on winning all three stages of the Triple Crown in the 49erFX class. They won Stage 1 and 2 and tied for first in Stage 3 with Sam Merson and Jack Joslin but they lost the tie breaker.

Riley Gibbs and Louisa Chafee won the Nacra 17 class but Ravi Parent and Christina Persson put up a good fight.

Full results.

Industry News
Green Marine, a UK builder of custom racing yachts and superyacht hulls, has gone into liquidation. The company was based in Hythe, Hampshire and employed 46 workers. It was established in 1982 and has built more than 180 boats that had advanced composite designs.

The company told BBC.com that a slowdown in large orders prompted the closure. Green Marine had provided designs for the Volvo Ocean Race and Portsmouth-based Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) for its attempt to become the first British crew to win the America's Cup. It also built yachts for the Vendee Globe race.

The builder had hoped to gain a contract for a superyacht hull, but that did not materialise. Seven years ago, Green Marine had moved from facilities and Lymington and Southampton to a larger state-of-the-art facility at Hythe Marina, so it could work on several large projects at once.

plus.ibinews.com

* Editor: a note from a reader on the matter:

Thought that you would be interested (saddened) to hear that Green Marine in Southampton has gone into receivership.

Dutch owners asset stripped it and left it to die. The yard was waiting for some great carbon project they had in the pipeline but it seems like the Dutch had different ideas...

It was in the throws of death for a while. Vitters had bought it when they realised that they were missing the boat (!) on composite construction. They have basically removed the knowledge base and tools to Holland and rather than make any effort to make the yard still work they called in the receivers. Luckily, many of the good guys walked out 6 months ago and started on their own www.fibremechanics.com Geoff Stock is the real deal when it comes to carbon.

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Berthon has announcee their appointment as the UK, Eire and Channel Islands agent for Solaris Yachts. They will be working closely with Richard Baldwin, who has represented the brand for 8 years, who will be on the Berthon team.

Solaris produce high quality performance cruising yachts with Italian style and flair to designs by Javier Soto Acebal and produce around 40 yachts a year from 37 feet upwards.

www.berthon.co.uk

Contact sue.grant@berthon.co.uk for further information.

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World Sailing, the world governing body of the sport, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Rolex, the leading name in prestige watches that includes watches engineered specifically for sailing.

Rolex has been the title sponsor of the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards since 2001. As part of the new agreement, Rolex will continue this role, in addition to supporting World Sailing to a greater extent.

Rolex have a long running commitment to supporting sailing through their sponsorship of major events such as the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Giraglia Rolex Cup, as well as the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards.

Under the new agreement with World Sailing, Rolex will support World Sailing's vision and mission to grow and develop the sport at a grassroots level and work with World Sailing on sustainability initiatives.

"Rolex has a long and prestigious history of supporting sailing through their sponsorship of the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards and major offshore sailing events," commented World Sailing President Kim Andersen.

"Our new strategic partnership brings us closer to Rolex, creating synergies between World Sailing and Rolex titled sailing events.

"Rolex has been a valued and prestigious partner of World Sailing since 2001 and we are thrilled to expand on our relationship and advance our shared passion for the sport of sailing."

As part of the agreement, Rolex will continue its title sponsorship of the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards, which for 2017 will be held alongside the inaugural World Sailing Awards in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on 7 November.

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The Progressive Miami International Boat Show has an annual economic impact of $854.2 million, an increase of 40 percent, or $257.2 million, since the study was last conducted in 2013, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

The NMMA said the increase reflects the success the show has seen at its new location on Virginia Key and its importance to Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida. The study was done by Thomas J. Murray & Associates Inc. in conjunction with the University of Florida.

"Boating and the Miami boat show are big business for Florida, bringing visitors, sales and revenue from around the world to our state each February for the five biggest days in boating," said Miami boat show manager Larry Berryman in a statement. "We are proud to be a part of the greatest boat show in the world that delivers $854 million into Florida's economy each year and supports full-time employment for approximately 6,000 of our fellow Floridians."

Labor income for the 6,000 jobs totaled $289.6 million, the study showed.

As a result of the show, Florida was paid about $56.9 million in sales and excise taxes, and out-of-town visitors to the show and exhibitors spend about $53 million in the local area on hotels, restaurants, retail shops, entertainment and transportation.

www.tradeonlytoday.com

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The Yacht Racing Forum is pleased to welcome Sunset+Vine as its official TV Production Company.

"We have been following and covering the Yacht Racing Forum since its debuts in 2008", says Executive Director Andrew Preece. "This event is dear to us because it gives us the opportunity to meet a wide number of key personalities involved in yacht racing worldwide over two days, to network and make business in a very relaxed atmosphere. The Forum is unique in its kind and we are pleased to join it as a partner."

Global TV sports producer and distributor, Sunset+Vine, which is part of the Tinopolis Group, has been producing sailing programming for the last twelve years, including event coverage and magazine programming. Sunset+Vine was involved amongst others in the last America's Cup, in the Olympic Games, Vendee Globe or Volvo Ocean Race. Sunset+Vine also produces World Sailing, the monthly series designed to take the best of world sailing to a growing global audience for the sport.

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

www.yachtracingforum.com

George Cuthbertson
George Cuthbertson, founder of Cuthbertson & Cassian (C&C) Yachts and NMMA Canada Hall of Fame recipient in 2002, has passed away.

Cuthbertson became president of C&C Yachts at a time when it was the most recognised and successful production and custom boat builder in North America and the world, says NMMA Canada in a statement. Leaving the company in 1982, he reestablished himself as an independent yacht designer.

Cuthbertson dedicated his career to helping grow recreational boating. "His dedication to recreational boating and leadership over the years had a significant, positive impact on the marine industry," reads the statement. "He was a world-class designer who established a design legacy that is still recognised to this day."

The family has confirmed that the funeral will be a private affair, but they plan to have an event in the future to celebrate George's life.

plus.ibinews.com

Featured Brokerage
2010 Ker 40 - "Keronimo". 250000 GBP. Located in England - South Coast.

Ready to spearhead any IRC or ORC fleet and with a large amount of sail development over recent years, she got more to offer than most! Friendly inshore and offshore and with a 2017 sail wardrobe and immaculate cosmetics, she is a real head turner and ready for next enthusiastic owner.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
+64 277733717
+44 2380 016582
sampearson@ancasta.com

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

2009 Mills 43 - "Windpower". 180000 EUR. Located in

Top performing IRC boat in South Africa over recent years and with sister ships dominating the ORC circuit too, shes a complete package. Very tidy and high spec sail inventory included.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
+64 277733717
+44 2380 016582
sampearson@ancasta.com

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

2011 TP / IRC 52 "Viento". 800000 USD. Located in Auckland.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
+44 2380 016582
+64 277733717
sampearson@ancasta.com

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

The Last Word
Beware of the zealots; they have no sense of humor. -- Fred Packwood

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

Scuttlebutt Europe #3923 - 13 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3924 - 14 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3925 - 15 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3926 - 18 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3927 - 19 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3928 - 20 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3929 - 21 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3930 - 22 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3931 - 25 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3932 - 26 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3933 - 27 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3934 - 28 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3935 - 29 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3936 - 2 October

Scuttlebutt Europe #3937 - 3 October

Scuttlebutt Europe #3938 - 4 October

Scuttlebutt Europe #3939 - 5 October

Scuttlebutt Europe #3939 - 5 October

Scuttlebutt Europe #3941 - 9 October

Scuttlebutt Europe #3942 - 10 October