Alamitos Bay Yacht Club

In This Issue
SSL FInals: Defending champions edge ahead | Battles in the RORC Transatlantic Race | Pay to Play at Antigua Sailing Week | Justin Ferris and Alex Pella join team AkzoNobel for double points Southern Ocean leg | Enter the Dragon: China eyes America's Cup entry | Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint | Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar Competition | Freides Wins 2017/18 Melges 20 Miami Winter Series Season Opener | Prepare for Take Off at the Datchet Flyer | Irish Sailing Finds Its Soul In Clontarf & The IDRA 14 Dinghy | Featured Brokerage

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

SSL FInals: Defending champions edge ahead
Despite a second light day that perhaps should have favoured the lighter crews, US heavyweights Mark Mendelblatt and Brian Fatih posted a solid 1-2 on day three of the Star Sailor's League Final off Nassau to take the lead overall.

In truth, the US occupation of the top spot was equally down to the impressively consistent Brazilian Olympic legend Robert Scheidt and Henry Boening vacating it after an uncharacteristic error when they hooked the weather mark and had to carry out a penalty turn in today's second race. This resulted in a 19th place finish and, despite discarding this, the Brazilians are now second, trailing Mendelblatt/Fatih by eight points.

The first race got away successfully under a black flag on its second attempt. This still caused Poles Kusznierewicz/Zycki and the two veteran crews of Szabo/Natucci and Diaz/Sperry to be disqualified - especially costly for the Poles, who were OCS in yesterday's second race.

Aside from Mendelblatt/Fatih, the day belonged to the two Italian teams. Francesco Bruni has been out of the Star class for more than a decade, his previous campaign including a seventh place at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Coming into the Star Sailors League Finals he had had just one day of training and yet today he managed to post a 4-1.

On Friday up to three races can be held in this Qualifier round and all of the 25 crews will be gunning to make the top 10 that will enable them to progress through to the final rounds of racing on Saturday.

finals.starsailors.com

Battles in the RORC Transatlantic Race
21 yachts are still racing in the RORC Transatlantic Race. At 0800 UTC on the 13th day, Jochen Bovenkamps's Marten 72 Aragon was 273 miles from the finish and estimated to arrive at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina around midnight local time on Thursday 7th December. The ETA for Teasing Machine, Sorceress and Outsider is Friday 8th December.

Line Honours winner, Ludde Ingvall's Australian Maxi CQS will be awarded the International Maxi Association (IMA) Transatlantic Trophy later today. CQS has also set the IRC corrected time to beat for the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy. In IRC Zero, Eric de Turckheim's French Nivelt-Muratet 54 Teasing Machine is expected to finish well inside the required time to lead the race overall.

In IRC One, three German yachts, just over 1,000 miles from the finish in Grenada, are vying for the class win: Björn Woge's Andrews 56 Broader View Hamburg, Friedrich Boehnert's Xp50 Lunatix, and von Eicken and Brockhausen's Swan 56 Latona. All three yachts have fathers and sons on board; Latona has three generations of the von Eicken Family.

rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

Pay to Play at Antigua Sailing Week
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 the optional Peters & May Round Antigua Race featuring 52 nm of perfect pre-ASW tune-up, ASW offers five days of racing off Antigua's south coast, interrupted by a beach day. It's a regatta not to miss.

Classes include Racing, 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.

Pay to Play options are available for all skill levels. Bareboat options are available through official sponsor Dream Yacht Charter and race charter options are offered by a number of individual companies. There is still time to activate your team for ASW 2018 taking place at the end of April.

www.sailingweek.com

Justin Ferris and Alex Pella join team AkzoNobel for double points Southern Ocean leg
Team AkzoNobel has announced Spanish offshore sailing star, Alex Pella and three-time Volvo Ocean Race veteran, Justin Ferris in its line-up for the third leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18.

Ferris (NZL) and Pella (ESP) - will join the team AkzoNobel crew for the 12,000-kilometer double points leg from Cape Town, South Africa through the wilds of the Southern Ocean to Melbourne, Australia, starting this Sunday December 10.

Australian Luke Molloy - who sailed the first and second legs - and Dutchman Peter van Niekerk - who joined the crew for Leg 2 - will both be rested for Leg 3 as part of the team's crew rotation strategy.

Leg 3 will see the seven-boat Volvo Ocean Race fleet take on for the first time in this edition of the race the remote and icy waters at the bottom of the world known as the Southern Ocean.

Prior to the start of Leg 3 on Sunday December 10, on Friday December 8 the team AkzoNobel sailors - including newcomers Ferris and Pella - will line up against the six other Volvo Ocean Race crews for the Cape Town heat of the in port race series.

In port races do not count towards the overall points tally but the in port race series result could be used to split a final points tie at the end of the race. On Wednesday this week team AkzoNobel finished third in a practice in port race sailed in breezy conditions on Table Bay.

The start of Leg 3 is scheduled for 1400 local time in Cape Town (1200 UTC/1300 CET) on Sunday when strong winds are forecast for the opening night as the crews pass the Cape of Good Hope - the final landfall for around 18 days until they arrive in Melbourne shortly after Christmas Day.

Team AkzoNobel crew list for the Cape Town in port race and Leg 3 from Cape Town to Melbourne:

Simeon Tienpont (NED) - skipper
Brad Farrand (NZL)
Justin Ferris (NZL)
Martine Grael (BRA)
Emily Nagel (GBR/BER)
Chris Nicholson (AUS)
Alex Pella (ESP)
Jules Salter (GBR)
Nicolai Sehested (DEN)

volvooceanrace.com

Enter the Dragon: China eyes America's Cup entry
In an animated flyover of the proposed 2021 America's Cup village in Auckland, the flag of China is unfurled on the roof a sailing team base.

While it's only a drawing of what might be, China could well be on the verge of entering the America's Cup. And if they do, New Zealand will have played a major role in getting the nation there.

Sailing in China is booming right now, and Kiwis are having a hand in its growth.

China has professional sailors, but mostly in Olympic classes. "Golden Lily" Lijia Xu - who won gold at the London Olympics in the Laser Radial dinghy - is an ambassador for ChinaOne Ningbo.

The country has had an entry in the America's Cup before - racing in the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup in Valencia, where their solitary win was over Oracle Racing. Then Robertson, just 25 at the time, skippered Team China in the 2012 America's Cup World Series. But the team didn't survive through to the 2013 Cup in San Francisco.

CraigMonk believes China could challenge for the Auld Mug again: "They could do it in a heartbeat. They certainly have the finances and resources to do it. But it's just not as important to them as it is to us yet. It will still take a little while to get people to understand what the America's Cup stands for."

An entry in the following America's Cup - especially if it was retained by Team NZ - would be far more realistic, Monk says. "They have the talent, but it's just time. The America's Cup is definitely on their horizon." -- Suzanne McFadden

www.sail-world.com/news/200066/

Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint
The Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint is in full swing on day 5 of Race 4: The ClipperTelemed+ Tasman Test, and the racing remains as close as ever.

Qingdao has continued its incredible rise in the rankings, with the team now in in the lead, despite sitting in last place just three days ago. But with just 32 nautical miles separating first from seventh, Qingdao Skipper Chris Kobusch says: "Since the start of the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint, we really have been sprinting.

"It is absolute champagne sailing and with Garmin and Visit Seattle in AIS range, everyone is on their toes trying to make the boat go as fast as possible. The last three position reports were great for us, indicating we had top average speeds within the fleet over the past 18 hours.

"But Sanya Serenity Coast, Visit Seattle, and Garmin are all within 10 nautical miles of us, so it is as close as ever."

Visit Seattle remains in second place for the third consecutive day and just like her Qingdao counterpart, Skipper Nikki Henderson is keeping a watchful eye on the competition as the eastern gate of the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint draws closer, reporting: "This is definitely the closest sprinting we have ever done.

Clipper Race Meteorologist Simon Rowell has positive tidings on day 5, reporting: "It's all looking pretty good for the next few days, and the fleet will be in solid breeze, though not anything monstrous, as the teams go over the relatively shallow squeeze point for current round the bottom of Tasmania."

clipperroundtheworld.com

Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar Competition
In Support of SailAid UK

Today's featured bar:
Admiral's Inn, English Harbour Antigua

Here's what makes it so great...
Cool, Calm, Beautiful and Historic.

Good enough for Lord Nelson and good enough for me. It's the home of Gig racing in Antigua Classics and it feels like a private club at other times. Since my first visit in 1968 it's been my favourite place in the Caribbean.

Tonight's vintage Vodka cocktail:

The Tucc' Of Class
Created and named for the delightful actor Stanley Tucci.

Fill a tumbler with ice - the larger the cubes, the better. Add 20ml Wight vodka, 20ml Cynar*, 20ml triple sec and stir together until very cold. Add 2-4 drops of orange bitters. Stir again. Garnish with an orange slice and serve. Stylishly.

* Your humble narrator had to look this one up: An Italian bitter liqueur made from 13 herbs and plants. Predominant amongst these is the artichoke (Cynara scolymus), from which the drink derives its name.

Just one week left to nominate your favourite yachtie bar: this year there will be two awards, one for best in the Caribbean, one for best elsewhere.

scuttlebutteurope.com/sailors-bars

Freides Wins 2017/18 Melges 20 Miami Winter Series Season Opener
For the first event of the 2017/18 Melges 20 Winter Series, Miami was about as near perfect as a sailor could want with breeze in the 10-13 kt range, smooth water and sunny, warm temps. Throw in a ultra deep fleet with eight awesome races and it was easy to see why Melges 20 sailors wore satisfied, sunbaked smiles at the awards ceremony.

After two days and six races, Drew Freides' PACIFIC YANKEE led a deep fleet with several teams ready to pounce on the final day. The wind direction was similar the first two days, however the velocity was in the 6-8kt range and flat water; perfect 'blue groomer' conditions for the last two races. With a stronger northerly gradient fighting a building Northeast seabreeze, it was a toss up as to which side would pay in the first race.

With a fourth place finish, Freides locked up the regatta win

Top Five Results (Final - After Eight Races, One Discard)
1. Drew Freides, Pacific Yankee, USA, 28
2. Igor Rytov, Russian Bogatyrs, RUS, 33
3. Vladimir Prosikhin, Nika, RUS, 41
4. Yurri Morozov, Russotrans, RUS, 44
5. Achille Onorato, Mascalzone Latino Jr., ITA, 45

Full results

Melges World League results:
melges20.com/pdf/2017-m20-mwl-results.pdf

Prepare for Take Off at the Datchet Flyer
The Datchet Flyer looks set for a windy weekend, when round two of the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series takes place on 9 & 10 December. Online entry closed end of Thursday 7 December, although there's still a possibility of entering on the day provided the entry limit hasn't been reached.

The forecast suggests moderate breezes from the west for the handicap races on Saturday, but big westerly winds are on the cards for Sunday's Pursuit Race. This could favour local Contender maestro, Stuart Jones, who knows the water and knows how to get the best out of this challenging singlehanded trapeze boat.

Turner James from Shoreham SC is the first winner of the use of an RS Aero, and the 49er sailor will be giving the popular singlehanded hiking boat a go at Datchet this weekend. Competition will be hot among the Merlin Rockets with one of the latest entries being Ben McGrane crewed by Christian Humphries.

Ian Dobson, crewed by Gemma Dobson, has won events in the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series before, as well as becoming outright champion a couple of years back. Even though the hiking boats tend to struggle against the trapeze boats in strong winds, Dobson is a GP14 World Champion and has beaten the faster boats in strong breeze before.

www.sailjuiceseries.com

Irish Sailing Finds Its Soul In Clontarf & The IDRA 14 Dinghy
Click on image to enlarge.

Far-sighted people like Douglas Heard and Billy & Jimmy Mooney in Dun Laoghaire in November 1945 set in train the movement which became the Irish Dinghy Racing Association, and in so doing they reached out to other clubs nationwide in mutual support with fellow-enthusiasts.

The flagship of the new Association became the IDRA 14, developed from a design by an Irish naval architect working in England, George O'Brien Kennedy. His period of working across the water was later fondly recalled by fellow yacht designer David Thomas, who used to say that Brian - as everyone knew him - would come up with more innovative boat ideas in a morning than the rest of the office produced all week.

Admittedly some of his ideas were frankly crazy. But in developing the design of the clinker-built IDRA 14 from a boat he'd designed for his own use in 1938 but whose possible expansion as a class was stymied by World War II in 1939, he produced an eminently sensible design which not only suited Irish needs at the time, but was also later successfully used in slightly modified form at three English sailing centres.

One of the clubs which immediately embraced the new Irish boats with huge enthusiasm was Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club, and it has remained such a stronghold of the class that the very newest IDRA 14, Wicked Sadie number 166, was timber built in classic style in a shed out the back of the club by a team co-ordinated by Rowan Melling, a two year project which reached it successful conclusion to considerable acclaim with Sadie's Gala Launching at Clontarf on June 25th 2016.

The very first boats were built nearby in 1946, just across the Tolka Estuary from Clontarf in Jem Kearney's boatyard at Dublin's East Wall. A brother of the noted yacht designer and builder John Kearney, Jem was something of a rough diamond, but those who worked with him or learned something of the skills from his boat-building classes thought very highly of him and his work.

W.M. Nixon in Afloat:
afloat.ie/blogs/sailing-saturday-with-wm-nixon

Featured Brokerage
2001 CNB 93 - SAVARONA. 2,450,000 USD. Located in Palma de Mallorca.

Great looking sailing yacht which is available fresh from a nautical makeover of epic proportions including decks, paint, interior and all systems.Gleaming.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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2011 Comar 100 RS - SHADOW. 4250000 EUR. Located in Cyprus.

Epic sailing yacht with metallic livery and totally sparkling sailing. Below decks she is light, airy and comfortable for her guests and crew.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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2014 Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200. 99000 EUR. Located in Lelystad.

Very well maintained and fast Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200 ready to go. She is treated with hard antifouling (black). Every year she is taken outside on the hard. Every two year she is put on the hard for 4 months. The other year they sail winterseries.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Bach Yachting

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

The Last Word
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. -- George Carlin

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
Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar: In Support of Sail Aid | RORC Transatlantic Race: Monster Project proud to be in Grenada | Gabart increases his lead at the equator | Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series wraps up in testing conditions before 2018 | Photo finish decides 2017 Star Sailors League champions | Flying Out Of Cape Town | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | 2018 Golden Globe Race: 23 skippers confirmed at the Paris Boat Show | 18ft Skiffs NSW Championship, Race 3 | Grant Dalton fires back over America's Cup 'event fee' criticism | Featured Brokerage

Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar: In Support of Sail Aid
Nominations open now for two awards: Best Caribbean Bar and Best Bar Elsewhere. Send us your bleary memories: scuttlebutteurope.com/sailors-bars

RORC Transatlantic Race: Monster Project proud to be in Grenada
Roman Guerra's Volvo 70 Monster Project finished the 2017 RORC Transatlantic Race on Sunday 10 December 2017 in an elapsed time of 14 days 21 hrs 39 mins 46 secs. Sixteen yachts are still racing across the Atlantic Ocean and a number of teams will finish the 3,000 nautical mile race over the next 48 hours.

Monster Project safely moored at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina and cracked open the cold beers: "None of this team has raced across the Atlantic before and it all got pretty emotional when we finished. All of us got a bit teary," commented Monster Project skipper, Roman Guerra. "There are so many memorable moments, but racing at over 30 knots of boat speed two nights before the finish, was really special. The crew described it as awesome, scary, wonderful and just unreal. Any serious sailor wants to race across the Atlantic in a Volvo 70 and we are proud to have done it. A big thank you to the RORC for running such a great race."

Five teams are within 200 miles of the finish in Grenada and two German teams are likely to have a photo-finish. Mathias Mueller von Blumencron's Class40 Red leads the charge with 121 miles to go, just three miles ahead of Alexander Beilken's JV53 Bank von Bremen.

"Everybody on board Red is in fighting mode and pushing hard with very little sleep. The infamous squalls of the Caribbean are powerful eruptions of nature and in between is our tiny little boat, screaming down the waves. However, the concert is not over yet; we still have over a hundred miles to go - just a small sprint from Kiel to Anholt. No big clouds are visible at the moment and it's an almost clear sky. What a difference 24 hours makes. Spirits are up and Red is flying," says Mueller in his race blog.

Gerald Bibot's Belgian catamaran Zed 6 is 176 miles from the finish, just ahead of two German teams, Berthold and Tobias Brinkmann's Class40 MarieJo and Max Gaertner's JV52 Haspa Hamburg. Provisional IRC One leader, Bjoern Woge's Andrews 56 Broader View Hamburg is 346 miles from Grenada, and expected to finish the race on Monday evening.

In IRC Two, the provisional leader is Richard Palmer's British JPK 10.10 Jangada which is racing Two Handed with Rupert Holmes.

rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

Gabart increases his lead at the equator
One week after passing the longitude of Cape horn, once again Francois Gabart has clocked up an extraordinary time at the equator, which he crossed this Sunday, 10 December, at 11:35 (UTC+1), 36 days, 1 hour and 30 minutes after the start in Ouessant. The skipper of the MACIF trimaran now has a lead of 5 days, 13 hours and 23 minutes over the passage time of the current single-handed round the world record holder, Thomas Coville, who entered the northern hemisphere after 41 days, 14 hours and 53 minutes. This performance represents the second best time outright, with crew and single-handed combined, on the Ouessant-Equator course in the return direction. Only Francis Joyon and his five crewmen on IDEC Sport have achieved better to date (35 days, 4 hours and 09 minutes).

Although Francois Gabart was tossed about after rounding Cape Horn in very severe weather conditions due to a low off the Argentinian coast, his sail up the South Atlantic has been exceptional, since he has achieved the best time outright, crewed and single-handed combined, on the Cape Horn-Equator section, with a performance of 06 days, 22 hours and 15 minutes, improving the reference time held up until then by the crew of Banque Populaire V, in the Jules Verne Trophy 2011-2012, in 7 days, 4 hours and 27 minutes.

In so doing, he adds a new intermediary single-handed Equator-Equator record* to his list of performances, of 30 days, 4 hours and 45 minutes, held up until now by Thomas Coville, with 35 days, 21 hours and 39 minutes.

This means that as he approaches the last section of this round the world, the skipper of the MACIF trimaran seems to be in a good position to reach Ouessant before 23 December, at 13:09 (UTC+1), the final date and time to beat the single-handed round the world record held by Thomas Coville. However, the round the world is not over yet, as he still must sail through the doldrums, which is followed by a strong-looking trade wind and a high-pressure area in the Azores to go round.

(* subject to confirmation by the WSSRC)

Tracker: bit.ly/MACIF-CARTO-TDM

Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series wraps up in testing conditions before 2018
50 entrants and 150 sailors from nine nationalities were out for Act III of the 5th Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, organised once a month by the Yacht Club de Monaco from October to March, in collaboration with technical clothing supplier SLAM.

In the J/70s, Valeria Kovalenko (Art Tube) won with a consistency worthy of a metronome, with the YCM's Stefano Roberti (Piccinina) snatching a superb 2nd place, ahead of the Swiss W.A.T.C.H. team. Some had come a long way, like the Brazilians on Manda Chuva. Elliot Willis, British Sailing Team member and a brilliant 470 sailor, summed it up, "It's great to meet new teams and be able to race in the middle of winter," like the two Omani teams, who have set up their winter training quarters in the Principality. Equally important is the role this Series plays in the YCM's training strategy, which this weekend saw two teams from the Club's Sports Section competing.

In the Melges 20, just a few months since making his debut in this class, Ludovico Fassitelli (Junda - Banca del Sempione) continues to gain momentum. Having won the first Act, the YCM member was 2nd in this one, behind the Russians on Rocknrolla and Alex Team in 3rd.

It was a particularly testing weekend for competitors with winds alternating between east, west and south, with everything from 3 to 30 knots.

Next event, 19-21 January 2018, before the "Big One": the Primo Cup - Trophee Credit Suisse 9-11 February 2018.

Final ranking Act III - J/70
1st: Valeria Kovalenko - RUS (Art Tube) - 4 points
2nd: Stefano Roberti - MON (Piccinina) - 7 points
3rd: Jacques Leveque - SUI (W.A.T.C.H) - 7 points

Final ranking Act III - Melges 20
1st: Dmitry Samokhin - RUS (Rocknrolla) - 5 points
2nd: Ludovico Fassitelli - MON (Junda Banca del Sempione) - 7 points
3rd: Alexander Mikhaylik - RUS (Alex Team) - 10 points

Provisional ranking after three Acts - J/70
1st: Valeria Kovalenko - RUS (Art Tube) - 18 points
2nd: Stefano Roberti - MON (Piccinina) - 65 points
3rd: Germano Scarpa - ITA (Sport Cube) - 67 points

Provisional ranking after three Acts - Melges 20
1st: Alexander Mikhaylik - RUS (Alex Team) - 36 points
2nd: Ludovico Fassitelli - MON (Junda Banca del Sempione) - 38 points
3rd: Maxim Titarenko - RUS (Leviathan) - 47 points

www.yacht-club-monaco.mc/en/home-en/

Photo finish decides 2017 Star Sailors League champions
With racing taking place in a balmy, near perfect 15 knots on Nassau's Montagu Bay, the 'take no prisoners' shoot out on the last day of the Star Sailors League Final saw the fleet narrow to seven teams after the Quarter Finals and to four after the Semis. Finally this left the finals being contested by France's Xavier Rohart/Pierre-Alexis Ponsot, Britain's Paul Goodison sailing with German Frithjof Kleen, Brazil's Robert Scheidt/Henry Boening and the USA's Mark Mendelblatt/Brian Fatih, the latter crew having 'fast tracked' straight through after decisively winning the qualifiers yesterday.

On the final approach to the finish line, Scheidt/Boening closed, rolling in with more pressure and on some good waves as Goodison/Kleen looked slow. However at the very last moment Goodison/Kleen picked up speed to win by a metre. It was a suitable ending to this ultimate 'champion of champions' regatta, where the winners gets to walk away with US$ 40,000 of a US$ 200,000 total prize purse.

Final top ten:
1. Paul Goodison / Frithjof Kleen, GBR/GER
2. Robert Scheidt / Henry Raul Boening, BRA
3. Mark Mendelblatt / Brian Fatih, USA
4. Xavier Rohart / Pierre-Alexis Ponsot, FRA
5. Philipp Buhl / Markus Koy, GER
6. Mateusz Kusznierewicz / Dominik Zycki, POL
7. Paul Cayard / Phil Trinter, USA
8. Ben Saxton / Steve Mitchell, GBR
9. Diego Negri / Sergio Lambertenghi, ITA
10. Francesco Bruni / Nando Colaninno, ITA

www.starsailors.com

Flying Out Of Cape Town
Charles Caudrelier's Dongfeng Race Team and the Spanish MAPFRE squad were neck and neck leading the Volvo Ocean Race fleet out of Cape Town and towards the southernmost point of the African continent on Sunday.

It was the eleventh time in the history of the event that the fleet had raced out of Cape Town, this time on a 6,500 nautical mile leg to Melbourne, Australia. The ETA is currently between the 24th and 26th of December.

Conditions were ideal, with the famed Cape Doctor wind blowing at 20-25 knots. The fleet raced around a short triangle course in front of the city, before being freed to sprint off towards Australia.

There was some drama for the Dongfeng team who had to make a late crew change just before leaving the dock. Daryl Wislang suffered a back strain this morning and the team decided not to risk having it flare up more while at sea. He stepped off the boat to be replaced by Fabien Delahaye.

The forecast is for very strong winds on Sunday evening and overnight, which should then ease for a brief respite, before strengthening again as the first of the Southern Ocean weather systems that will pick them up and carry them to Melbourne comes calling.

www.volvooceanrace.com

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

Seahorse build table - A new generation
One-design studio has seven of those nine new TP52s. There's always a reason. Marcelino Botin and Adolfo Carrau

World news
The remarkable people of the Caribbean. The TJV Grand Cru, go the 'new' Multi 50, inside (2021) track, US back in the game. Grant Dalton, Ivor Wilkins, Ken Read, Dobbs Davis

Rod Davis - you're the judge that matters
The master-coach is already preparing for his own next big regatta... read on

Optimising for The Hague
Which promises to be one hell of a good day at school for everyone concerned... Jason Ker

Design - Look back in pleasure
Considering what has been created from scratch in a relatively few years... a revelation awaits. Sean Mcmillan

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.

2018 Golden Globe Race: 23 skippers confirmed at the Paris Boat Show
The 2018 Golden Globe Race will start from Les Sables d'Olonne on Sunday July 1, 2018. The event marks the 50th anniversary of the Sunday Times Golden Globe solo non-stop round the world Race in 1968/9 when rules then allowed competitors to start from ports in northern France or UK between June 1st and October 31st.

With 6 months to go before the start, five French skippers continue to dominate the entry list. Two new skippers have announced their entry and the return of another who had previously retired, replace five entrants that have withdrawn from the Race.

The new faces are Ertan Beskardes, a Turkish born British national who has bought a Rustler 36, Commander Abhilash Tomy, KC (38) fromIndia who has built a Suhaili replica,and Tapio Lehtinen (59) from Finland who is campaigning a Sparkman & Stephens designedBenello Gaia 36. The entry list also shows a welcome return of Italian entrant Francesco Cappelletti with his Endurance 35.

Those to have withdrawn for personal or financial reasons are Izabel Pimentel from Brazil, British farmer Ian Reid, and two Frenchman, Lionel Regnier who is now assisting fellow Frenchman Jean-Luc van den Heede, andArsène Ledertheil, together with Swiss entrant Neree Cornuz.

Australian boatbuilder Mike Smith simply ran out of time building his replica of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's 1968/9 winning yacht Suhaili and has now set his sights on entering the next GGR in 2022.

goldengloberace.com

18ft Skiffs NSW Championship, Race 3
Click on image for photo gallery.

Sydney Harbour: The Asko Appliances team of James Dorron, Paul Montague and John Walton produced an outstanding performance to win Race 3 of the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour today.

A perfect summer day, a 15knots North-East breeze provided the setting for a sensational race which 'had it all'.

Extremely close racing and a few incidents gave the spectator fleet plenty to cheer about before Asko Appliances finally crossed the finish line a 20s winner from Finport Trade Finance (Keagan York, Lochy Gilmore, Greg Dixon) after the pair had fought for the lead throughout the entire race.

Triple M (James Ward, Adam Gillson, Huon Oliver) was a further 1m30s back in third place after another solid performance.

Rag & Famish Hotel (Bryce Edwards) finsihed fourth, followed by Appliancesonline.com.au (Brett Van Munster) and Noakes Youth (Kirk Mitchell).

Series leader and defending champion, Smeg (Lee Knapton) had a disappointing day with an incident requiring a penalty turn, then a later capsize, sending the skiff back into seventh place.

Despite the disappointing day, Smeg still leads the championship on 9 points, followed by today's winner Asko Appliances on 16 points, Noakes Youth on 16 points, Triple M on 17, Rag & Famish Hotel on 17 and The Kitchen Maker (Scott Babbage) on 19.

The Australian 18 Footers League's 2017-2018 Season will now go into recess for the Christmas/New Year period.

Race 4 of the NSW Championship will be sailed on Sunday 14 January. -- Frank Quealey, Australian 18 Footers League

www.18footers.com

Grant Dalton fires back over America's Cup 'event fee' criticism
Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton says his syndicate won't benefit directly from any event fee with everything used to run the regatta's day to day operations.

"It could be the best ever America's Cup if we create the right environment with the event," Dalton says.

The America's Cup looms as the only major international event on the New Zealand sporting horizon. Having so recently hosted the Rugby World Cup, the Cricket World Cup and the Masters Games, there's no chance of them returning soon.

The cycle of big events coming to New Zealand has run its course. And with France setting a new benchmark with a $407m hosting fee to World Rugby to hold the 2023 World Cup - dwarfing New Zealand's 2011 levy of $108m - Kiwis might never enjoy the privilege again.

But the Auld Mug, sport's oldest trophy, has indeed returned and needs to be maximised.

On Thursday, Auckland Council will make its final decision on where the Cup will be based, with the Wynyard Basin "cluster" expected to win favour at a cost of around $132m.

There will be central government contribution towards covering those infrastructure costs and an event fee which will go towards the operational running of a regatta that will sail for three and half months from December 2020.

www.stuff.co.nz/sport/

Featured Brokerage
2001 Judel/Vrolijk Marten 80 - NIMROD. 975000 GBP. Located in Hamble, UK.

Epic Judel/Vrolijk from Marten in 2001, with a nautical makeover in Blighty of gargantuan proportions, she has been zero houred. Looks amazing.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

2002 Swan 80-009 Duan. 2,500,000 EUR. Located in Genoa, Italy.

Recognized around the world as one of the greatest performance cruising yachts ever conceived, the Swan 80 flush deck version is still an iconic yacht that offers exhilarating sailing while not compromising on comfort and luxury.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
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brokerage@nautorswan.com
Tel. +377 97 97 95 07
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-----------------------------------------

2005 Swan 75-002 Anteo. 1,600,000 EUR. Located in Tuscany, Italy

The Swan 75 Flush-Deck is a practical and seaworthy long range cruiser with a hi-volume four-cabin interior and spacious deck layout.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage - Giorgio Passarella
brokerage@nautorswan.com
Tel. +377 97 97 95 07
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See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
Satire is a kind of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own. -- Jonathan Swift

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

Issue #3985 - 12 December

Rush Hour
On the 17th day of the RORC Transatlantic Race five teams completed the 3,000 nautical mile race within a 10 hour period and 11 yachts are still at sea. Monday's finishers included four young German teams and Gerald Bibot's Belgian catamaran Zed 6. Mathias Mueller von Blumencron's Red was the winner of the Class40 Division for the RORC Transatlantic Race.

Red completed the race in an elapsed time of 15 days 17 hours 25 mins 25 secs to take a hard-earned victory from Berthold and Tobias Brinkmann's MarieJo, which was just under nine hours behind. The Class40 lead had changed hands at least three times during the race, but it was Red with a young but very experienced crew that has been together for many years and raced thousands of miles, that took the Class win.

German J/V53 Bank von Bremen finished the race in an elapsed time of 15 days 21 hours 29 mins 57 secs. The offshore training boat is owned by Segelkameradschaft Das Wappen von Bremen and skippered by 29-year old Alexander Beilken with a crew with an average age of 31. The Bremen-based yacht will be taking part in the whole of the Atlantic Anniversary Regatta as friends of the Hamburg-based NRV, celebrating their 150th anniversary, but there is fierce but friendly competition between Bremen-based yachts and those from Hamburg.

German JV52 Haspa Hamburg, owned by another youth sailing initiative, Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt, finished the race in an elapsed time of 16 days 03 hours 20 mins 50 secs. The crew are nearly all in their 20s and skipper Max Gaertner and nearly the entire crew went for a swim in the marina on arrival. For the last part of the race Haspa Hamburg was locked into a personal duel with Gerald Bibot's Belgian catamaran Zed 6.

Follow the remainder of the fleet still racing:
rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

YB Race Tracker

WIM Series Finale in France
Nine teams from five countries are set to begin racing at the 2017 Women's International Match Racing Series (WIM Series) final event - the International Bedanne's Cup.

After Hurricanes Irma and Marie ripped through the Caribbean in September and left St. Thomas severely damaged, the WIM Series scrambled to find a replacement final event to take the place of the Carlos Aguilar Match Race. The Ligue de Voile de Normandy (LVN) stepped up to help out by organizing the International Bedanne's Cup with very short notice.

The International Bedanne's Cup with a prize pool of 10,000 Euros is organized by the Ligue de Voile de Normandie with the technical support of the Club Nautique de Saint Aubin - Elbeuf (CVSAE) and sailed at the Base de Loisirs de Bedanne in Tourville-la-Riviere, France.

The event will be sailed in CVSAE's fleet of equally matched and colourful Beneteau First Class 7.5 boats.

Skippers in the International Bedanne's Cup, the final event of the 2017 WIM Series, in Tourville-la-Riviere, France, France (name, nationality, team name, world ranking November 15 2017):

Pauline Courtois, FRA, Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team, 5
Marinella Laaksonen, FIN, L2 Match Racing Team, 6
Linnea Floser, SWE, Peregrine Racing, 13
Sanna Mattsson, SWE, Swedish Women's Match Racing Team, 20
Ekaterina Kochkina, RUS, ProKateam Sailing Team, 28
Margot Vennin, FRA, Team CVSAE, 43
Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, French Women's Match Racing Sailing Team, 51
Margot Riou, FRA, APCC Women's Sailing Team, 56
Allie Blecher, USA, Team BAAM, unranked

2017 WIM Series Standings after three events (Skipper, team, nationality, WIM Series points):

1. Renee Groeneveld, Dutch Match Racing Team, NED, 61
2. Trine Palludan, Team Kattnakken, DEN, 60
3. Anna Ostling, Team Anna, SWE, 58
4. Pauline Courtois, Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team, FRA, 52
5. Lucy Macgregor, Team Mac, GBR, 48
6. Caroline Sylvan, New Sweden Match Racing Team, SWE, 42
7. Marinella Laaksonen, L2 Match Racing Team, FIN, 38
8. Alexa Bezel, Swiss Women Match Racing Team, SUI, 21
9. Johanna Bergqvist, Team Bergqvist Match Racing, SWE, 20
10. Mikaela Fors, Pen & Hammer Sailing Team, FIN, 14
11. Linnea Floser, Peregrine Racing, SWE, 14
12. Antonia Degerlund, Team SkOna Vibbisar, FIN, 11
13. Sarah Parker, Team Parker, AUS, 10
14. Clare Costanzo, Team Costanzo, AUS, 8
15. Octavia Owen, Athena Racing, GBR, 7
16. Margot Riou, APCC Women's Sailing Team , FRA, 7
17. Martina Karlemo, Team Karlemo, FIN, 6
18. Eunjin Kim, Team Ladies, KOR, 5
19. Sanna Hager, Stockholm Match Racing Team, SWE, 4
20. Ekaterina Kochkina, Team SailWay, RUS, 3

The International Bedanne's Cup in Tourville-la-Riviere, France, will kick off the round-robin racing on Tuesday the 12th of December, and continue through Saturday the 16th with final races, prize giving and closing ceremony.

www.wimseries.com

Still time to sign up for the Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week 2018
A strong fleet of national and international yachts are bracing themselves for the start of the 6th annual Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week. Running from 29 January - 3 February 2018 this year's sailing week promises to be an exciting event with over 35 participants ready to tackle the challenges of Grenada's stunning south and west coasts.

Competition looks fierce between all the classes, but no more so than in the J24 class, with boats hailing from St Lucia, Barbados and Trinidad, as well as Grenada's very own Robbie Yearwood on the well-campaigned Die Hard. Robbie says "We compete in all the Southern Caribbean J24 regattas every year, and we always look forward to the sailing challenges offered up by the Grenada Sailing Week. The strong shifty winds in the flat waters of Grand Anse make for exciting tactical racing and then for pure exhilaration, the windier south coast with big sea surfing conditions and strong currents. It's our favorite regatta!"

Set on one of the most scenic islands in the Caribbean the regatta not only guarantees plenty of fun, but some serious racing in a variety of conditions. There is still time to sign up: www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=4444

Visit our website: www.grenadasailingweek.com. Sign up for our newsletter online; Email us: info@grenadasailingweek.com; Find us on Facebook: GrenadaSailingWeek, or Twitter @grenadasailweek

SOLAS Big Boat Challenge
When it comes time for the biggest racing yachts in Australia to flex their collective muscle on the world's most beautiful harbour, it's hard to escape the fact that the serious countdown to the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has begun.

The CYCA's SOLAS Big Boat Challenge, one of Sydney's most spectacular sporting and harbour fixtures, has for 24 consecutive years marked the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart lead-up events.

In 2017, the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge has a new course format on Sydney Harbour, which should result in closer and more intense racing between the competing yachts, whilst providing additional quality spectator areas from shore and water alike.

Wild Oats XI has all but made this event their own in their final hit out before the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, dominating the Line Honour's having been undefeated since 2010.

The last yacht to defeat Wild Oats XI in this event, 2009 Winner Alfa Romeo, returns in 2017 as Peter Harburg's new Black Jack and will be aiming to keep the pressure on Wild Oats XI this close to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Joining the supermaxi's in 2017, Wild Oats X and Beau Geste will be hot on their bigger cousins tail and looking for the win on IRC handicap.

Since 2006 the CYCA has dedicated the event to raise awareness and funds for its SOLAS Trusts, which were established following the 1998 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race when six lives were lost.

The 2017 SOLAS Big Boat Challenge will start off Point Piper at 12.30pm on Tuesday 12 December and will take the impressive invitational fleet around Sydney Harbour, with the finish off the Sydney Opera House.

* Today is the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge, and there is definitely that Rolex Sydney Hobart feeling in the air. Only four boats today, which is a little down on numbers, but we will continue to see the match up between Wild Oats XI and Black Jack Yachting, who took one line honours race win each on the weekend at the CYCA Trophy Series.

Follow the race live on Facebook with Sailor Girl: www.facebook.com/sailorgirlHQ/

Event site: www.cyca.com.au/racing/solas-big-boat-challenge/

Decision that may shake Annapolis' image as 'sailing capital' coming soon
Newport now has thrown down a gauntlet that threatens Annapolis' sailing capital title. Newport's mayor, Harry Winthrop, has invited the National Sailing Hall of Fame, now in temporary quarters on Annapolis' harbor, to move to Newport and settle into the city-owned Armory building, a handsome, turreted stone structure on the city's beautiful harbor.

The mayor is offering to sell or lease the building to the NSHOF, which has been struggling for 13 years to raise money to build a new Hall of Fame and museum at its postage-stamp-sized site on Annapolis' City Dock. The NSHOF has raised some $4.5 million in cash and pledges, but needs $9.5 million to meet its commitment to the Maryland state government and obtain a long-term lease on the land, which it currently occupies on a $1-a-year interim lease.

Gary Jobson - the renowned sailor, Annapolis resident and president of the NSHOF's 27-member board - admits the organization's leaders are tempted by the Newport offer, although they need more details.

"We in Annapolis claim we are the U.S. sailing capital," he said last week, "but in reality the big yachts and the big donors don't come here. They go to Newport."

Jobson said his board is confronted with three options: continue their fundraising efforts in Annapolis, move to Newport or convert the Hall of Fame into a virtual, online operation. The board members are deeply divided, with some support for each of the options, but Jobson is determined to bring the matter to a head and make a decision at the board's next meeting on Jan. 8. -- Terence Smith

www.capitalgazette.com

New Era for Canada's Cup
The Canada's Cup, the Great Lakes premier match racing trophy, has been contested 24 times between USA and Canada since the first event in 1896. USA holds the edge, 13 to 11, with teams competing in a wide range of classes over that span.

To celebrate the history, tradition and competitiveness of the Canada's Cup, the Canada's Cup Committee - chaired by Allan Megarry and Past Commodore Jamie Keating, and the Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) - has developed a new vision for the event beginning in 2020: a bi-annual event with three cycles to 2024 with all events being hosted at the RCYC.

Yacht clubs from the Great Lakes will be invited to an American and Canadian Defender/Challenger elimination series with one Defender and one Challenger competing for the Canada's Cup in September 2020, 2022 and 2024. The intent is to provide all Great Lakes' yacht Clubs the opportunity to participate in what is considered the premier event in Canadian big boat sailing.

The Canada's Cup Committee has selected the NYYC Melges IC37 as the platform for this vision. Building on the success of the NYYC Invitational Cups from 2009 to 2017, New York Yacht Club (NYYC) initiated the selection of a replacement for the Swan 42 in 2016. Their selection committee settled on the Mills designed IC37, whose Class Association was developed with partner Melges.

www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2017/11/30/new-era-canadas-cup/

Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar
In support of Sail Aid UK

As winter descends on the northern hemisphere (snow in New Orleans!!!) this lovely drink has enough spice and spark from the pepper and vodka to warm the soul. Vitamin C from the grapefruit juice is sufficient "but it's really healthy" cover...

It's called The Dalmatian:

For the Black Pepper Syrup (makes about 1 1/2 cups)
1⁄4 cup crushed black peppercorns
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

For the Cocktail
1 1⁄2 oz. black pepper simple syrup
1 1⁄2 oz. Wight Vodka
3 oz. fresh grapefruit juice

Make the black pepper syrup: Place sugar, water and peppercorns in a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring once or twice. Once sugar is dissolved take off the heat and let cool. Leave the peppercorns in the syrup to lend it a stronger flavor; strain them out when it is spiced to taste. Chill.

Make the cocktail: Combine the simple syrup, vodka, and grapefruit juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for about a minute; strain into an ice-filled glass.

Just a few days left to tell us a tale of YOUR favourite yachtie bar. Nominations close midnight Friday...

scuttlebutteurope.com/sailors-bars

Industry News
Paris boat show: SEAir win 2017 Innovation Awards for foiling RIB

Richard Forest, founder of Lorient-based SEAir was awarded the coveted 2017 Innovation Award at the Nautic Paris Boat Show before a large crowd of journalists and public on Friday evening.

The award was presented to SEAir in recognition of two years of hard work spent finding solutions for both power and sail boats to be able to fly on foils. By enabling the first rigid inflatable boat to foil, SEAir is paving the way for a revolution in the world of motor boating. Both the public and professional recognition has been astounding. Comfort combined with speed and almost perfect gliding sensations are great assets for motor boating.

The Innovation Prize was awarded for the Zodiac Pro @ 550, the first RIB in the world to be equipped with foils.

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NORAUTO is back with Franck Cammas on the GC32 Racing Tour in 2018

Franck Cammas and his team raised the bar for NORAUTO by winning the 2016 season and now Europe's leading car maintenance company shows its commitment to the team once more. The European circuit gave employees across the various dealerships the opportunity to come and enjoy the incredible spectacle of these flying catamaran racing at the highest level.

Franck Cammas is one of the most successful competitors in the world and he knows that to keep sailing against the best is essential. It is with this goal in mind that NORAUTO is right behind him on the GC32 Racing Tour 2018.

The GC32 Racing Tour 2018 once again offers a particularly attractive programme for these boats and the teams involved. After an opening race at the end of May on the majestic Lake Garda, a paradise for foiling boats, the fleet will meet on the crystal-clear waters of Sardinia in June, before pitting against each other for the famous Copa del Rey MAPFRE in Palma de Mallorca at the beginning of August. Two other events, including one in France, will be announced in the coming weeks, with an equally great competition programme and access for fans wishing to watch the racing.

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Beneteau has announced the appointment of Jean-Francois Lair as director of sales Americas. In his role, Lair will be responsible for the Beneteau business in Canada and the Americas. He will be based in Annapolis, Maryland.

Lair has many years' experience within the company and brings knowledge of different cultures and markets. After spending 10 years with Sunsail, he has run export sales for more than a decade at Beneteau.

plus.ibinews.com

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Boatbuilding is due to start at Fairline's new Hythe base in 2018

Fairline Yachts' has signed to take on its new facility at Hythe, with boatbuilding due to start in the late summer of 2018.

The five-acre site - formerly Green Marine - will enable Fairline to build larger yachts, which has not been possible at the boatbuilder's existing Oundle, Northamptonshire, base.

"As the global yachting market evolves, clients from across the world are increasingly demanding larger yachts than we've been able to create," explained Fairline Yachts MD Russell Currie. "Our new site, to be named Fairline Marine Park, will boast state-of-the-art facilities, giving us room to expand and create bigger boats, whilst making the most of the existing boat building skills in the location."

It is expected the new facility will initially create up to 200 jobs in the Southampton area.

This base will continue to operate and build boats up to 60ft with testing, commissioning and customer handover taking place at Hythe.

The new facility has large vessel deep water berths and more than 200,000sq ft (18,000sq m) of undercover manufacturing space.

www.boatingbusiness.com

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Global TV sports producer and distributor, Sunset+Vine has been appointed by World Sailing as its host broadcast and distribution partner for the Aarhus 2018 Hempel Sailing World Championships.

Under the terms of the contract, Sunset+Vine will produce and distribute eight days of live Internet coverage of the qualification series [2-8 August] plus four days of live television coverage of each of the 10 Medal Races [9-12 August]. In addition, Sunset+Vine will produce, and internationally distribute, four medal race day highlights programmes to television and digital broadcasters worldwide. Further, Sunset+Vine's Media Partnerships division will create and distribute all news, digital and broadcast coverage from the championships.

The Aarhus 2018 Hempel Sailing World Championships will be the largest world championships in history. It will feature all ten Olympic sailing classes plus Kiteboarding. Some 1500 participants from over 100 nations will compete in 1100 sailboats over two weeks in a bid to win World Championship medals and, for many, to seek qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

www.sailing.org/news/85538.php#.WiYGkiPR_ok

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 Jock Wishart:

Well back to one hull and foils as I predicted back in September but for me just looks like "more of the same", only in one hull, rather than two:-though at least we might have the luxury of Genoa trimmers plying their trade!

I have every sympathy for some of the remarks made recently on the new class which with its present format and thinking does not go far enough in exhibiting the skills inherent in sailing which would give the extra spice and interest for good television and also thoroughly test a crew.

I thought this was why we moved back into monohulls!

As I suggested back in September ban the use of foils flying in the "prestart" and "downwind" and slow the boats down for these periods.That should bring back some proper matchracing, use of spinnakers and display and test crew skills without taking away from boats on foils up wind

Hey Formula 1 can grasp this so why not us, Do we really want to be beating all the time! Might make for a different hull shape though! A bit of lateral thinking needed here.!!!!

Featured Brokerage
1993 Swan 68-004 Explotadot. 1,300,000 Located in Barcelona, Spain.

Swan 68-004 Explotadot was originally launched in 1993 as ‘Solleone’ for the chairman of Nautor’s Swan. She was the first Swan 68 to feature four guest cabins with a galley forward arrangement, allowing greater separation from guests and crew.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

2993 Swan 70-003 Blue Pearl. 1,500,000 EUR. Located in La Spezia, Italy.

Blue Pearl is the third Swan 70 and was delivered in 2003. Until 2006, the boat was stored ashore and unused while her original owners built a larger Swan yacht. Sold to her current owner in mid 2006, she was set up for a mutli-purpose program of competitive racing and comfortable cruising.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

1998 Elliot 1850 Schooner - ZINDABAR. 545,000 GBP. Located in Bay of Islands, NZ.

Greg Elliot is a legend in the Southern Hemisphere where his fast, lean and utilitarian yachts are perfect for making fast passages through the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean. They are superb seaboats and there design and execution is simple and robust. ZINDABAR is a good example of his craft and has been substantially updated in this ownership. A big refit in 2009 has been followed by a number of smaller upgrades to ensure that she remains ocean ready.

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
There is no problem so complicated that you can't find a very simple answer to it if you look at it right. -- 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
Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar: In Support of Sail Aid | RORC Transatlantic Race to Teasing Machine | A game of risk and reward | America's Cup: Second Italian syndicate set to compete | Young Belgians hold firm on second day in Sanya | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | Tony Rae says America's Cup 'just has to be in Auckland' | 18 Shades of Gray at a sunny and snowy Datchet Flyer | Mobile is EVERYTHING | 2018 Melges 24 European Sailing Series | Featured Brokerage

RORC Transatlantic Race to Teasing Machine
Eric de Turckheim's French Nivelt-Muratet 54 Teasing Machine was today declared the overall winner of the 2017 RORC Transatlantic Race. Whilst a number of the record 23 yacht fleet are still racing, none of them can better Teasing Machine's corrected time under IRC. Teasing Machine is the smallest yacht to win the RORC Transatlantic Trophy, which has been previously won by yachts in the Maxi Class.

Teasing Machine tactician Laurent Pages and navigator Jean-Luc Nelias form a formidable partnership. The Frenchmen took the same roles for skipper Franck Cammas winning the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race, and Nelias won this year's Transat Jacques Vabre on Sodebo Ultim with Thomas Colville, smashing the race record.

The scheduled Prize Giving was held at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina. Teams were awarded prizes in the presence of the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture, Hon Dr Clarice Modeste-Curwen, Grenada Tourism Authority CEO Patricia Maher, and Nikoyan Roberts, Manager of Nautical Development for the GTA and the Secretary General of the International Maxi Class Association, RORC Admiral Andrew McIrvine.

Tilmar Hansen, skipper of Outsider was delighted to win the ORC Division overall. "This has been a very competitive race, and for our next race, the RORC Caribbean 600, we will need to put more fire in the oven. Teasing Machine will be there and our good friends and rivals Varuna will also be back."

Results:
Overall Winner of the RORC Transatlantic Race winning the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy and IRC Class 0 - Teasing Machine, Eric de Turckheim

Monohull Line Honours winning the IMA Transatlantic Trophy - CQS, Ludde Ingvall

Multihull Line Honours and MOCRA Multihull Winner - Zed 6, Gerald Bibot

Class40 Winner - Red, Mathias Mueller von Bluemencron

ORC Division Overall Winner - Outsider, Tilmar Hansen

ORCSy Division Winner - Sorceress, Will Apold

rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

A game of risk and reward
A trade-off between speed and safety was playing out among the Volvo Ocean Race fleet on Tuesday as the teams gear up for their first real taste of Southern Ocean brutality.

While the Leg 3 finish line in Melbourne lies some 5,000 nautical miles in front of the teams, it's what is behind them that is currently consuming them.

A huge depression is forming west of the fleet with winds of up to 60 knots at its centre - and it is moving so fast that the seven Volvo Ocean 65s will not be able to outrun it.

Rather the teams will have to make tough decisions about where to position themselves in relation to the storm, which is set to strike on Thursday.

The toss-up is between risk and reward. A more southerly route will see faster sailing over the next day or so but with it comes the danger of being closer to the centre of the depression. What's more, a virtual exclusion zone to keep the fleet north of Antarctica's ice fields will prevent teams diving below the low to escape its strongest conditions.

On the other hand the northerly option appears safer as it will put the teams further from the storm's centre, easing the huge pressure on the boat, but it will undoubtedly prove slower.

A split appeared in the pack today, with current leg leader Dongfeng Race Team, MAPFRE, team Akzonobel and Team Brunel choosing to go south, while Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, Vestas 11th Hour Racing and Turn the Tide on Plastic are opting to stay more to the north.

Leg 3 Cape Town to Melbourne
Positions at: 13:00 UTC 12 December 2017

1. Dongfeng Race Team 5098.28 nm to finish
2. MAPFE, 5100.41
3. Team Akzo Nobel, 5102.10
4. Team Brunel, 5105.68
5. Vestas 11th Hour Racing, 5112.39
6. Sun Hung Kai Scallywag, 5112.43
7. Turn the Tide on Plastic, 5122.81

volvooceanrace.com

America's Cup: Second Italian syndicate set to compete
A second Italian syndicate is likely to challenge for the America's Cup.

Italian media are reporting that Adelasia of Torres, based in Sardinia, intend to be in Auckland in 2021. They will join fellow Italian syndicate Luna Rossa.

Adelasia of Torres is headed by freight company and super yacht service boss Renato Azara. Duccio Colombi, who has won multiple sailing championships in Europe, will be part of the challenge.

Azara confirmed the intention to challenge while backers were being sought. He said the boat would be built in Olbia and constructed of carbon.

"The consortium is ready and we are already putting together the sponsors. This is an open consortium, because around the project of Adelasia we hope to bring the whole of Sardinia.

www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/

Young Belgians hold firm on second day in Sanya
Belgium's 14-year-old Nacra 15 helm Lucas Claeyssens and crew Anne Vandenberghe continue to impress at the 2017 Youth Sailing World Championships in Sanya, China by holding on to the overall lead in the 18-boat fleet.

Claeyssens is one of the youngest competitors at the Youth Worlds, an event open to sailors under 19 or born after 31 December 1998, and is showing experience beyond his years, both on the water and when faced with a deluge of cameras and media requests.

The wind was up and down again in Sanya with cloud cover once again present across the racing area. An 8-12 knot breeze was present throughout the day with an increase when the sun broke through the clouds later on in the day.

Out of the 374 sailors from 60 nations racing across nine fleets in Sanya, only three are younger than Belgium's Claeyssens.

The Belgian team got off to a flyer on day one, winning two races and finishing second in the other. They solidified their position on Tuesday with a seventh, which they discard, as well as a fifth and third. Sitting on 12 points, they are four clear of Australia's Shannon Dalton and Jayden Dalton.

Seven races remain in the Nacra 15 and it's fair to say the Belgium team won't get too carried away with their early success. The day's race wins in the Nacra 15 went to Switzerland's Max Wallenberg and Amanda Bjork-Anastassov, who are third, the fourth placed Silas Mühle and Romy Mackenbrock (GER) and Canada's Helen Horangic and Theodora Horangic.

Racing is scheduled to resume at 11:00 local time on Wednesday 13 December. -- Daniel Smith - World Sailing

Top three by class:

420 Boys
1. Otto Henry / Rome Featherstone, AUS, 5 points
2. Thomas Rice / Trevor Bornarth, USA, 9
3. Ido Bilik / Noam Homri, ISR, 12

420 Girls
1. Carmen Cowles / Emma Cowles, USA, 4
2. Hatty Morsley / Pippa Cropley, GBR, 13
3. Maria Clara Vignati / Garona Emiliana Lopez, ARG, 13

29er Boys
1. Theo Revil / Gautier Guevel, FRA, 22
2. Ville Korhonen / Robin Berner, FIN, 24
3. Rok Verderber / Klemen Semelbauer, SLO, 26

29er Girls
1. Margherita Porro / Sofia Leoni, ITA, 12
2. Zoya Novikova / Diana Sabirova, RUS, 19
3. Emilie Andersen / Maren Edland, NOR, 19

Nacra 15
1. Lucas Claeyssens / Anne Vandenberghe, BEL, 12
2. Shannon Dalton / Jayden Dalton, AUS, 16
3. Max Wallenberg / Amanda Bjork-Anastassov, SUI, 17

Laser Radial Boys
1. Guido Gallinaro, ITA, 10
2. Daniil Krutskikh, RUS, 13
3. Josh Armit, NZL, 16

Laser Radial Girls
1. Charlotte Rose, USA, 3
2. Dolores Moreira Fraschini, URU, 7
3. Wiktoria Golebiowska, POL, 17

RS:X Boys
1. Hao Chen, CHN, 7
2. Yoav Cohen, ISR, 8
3. Fernando Gonzalez de la Madrid Trueba, ESP, 16

RS:X Girls
1. Giorgia Speciale, ITA, 8
2. Emma Wilson, GBR, 11
3. Ting Yu, CHN, 12

Nations Trophy
ITA, 22
USA, 24
ISR, 28

Full results: www.worldsailingywc.org/results/2017_sanya_china.php

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

Update
Devils, details, a second French 'Vendee' and our columnist gets an America's Cup team (which is handy!) JAck Griffin, Rob Kothe and Terry Hutchinson. Plus some special words on the entente from the always magnificent Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (a walking advert for the virtues of ocean racing, BTW)

Flavour of the year
Multihull racers of a few years ago would be amazed what these boats do

Warmer, drier, fresher
Boats getting faster also means getting wetter; so clothing demands only go up

Life on deck just got easier
More Italian flair but this time it's the tradition of engineering excellence

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Tony Rae says America's Cup 'just has to be in Auckland'
Former Team New Zealand grinder Tony Rae has said despite overseas speculations and money-talk, the 2021 America's Cup 'just has to happen in Auckland.'

Although Team New Zealand claimed victory over Oracle Team USA earlier this year in Bermuda, reports about whether the event would remain planned for Auckland has caused concern.

Speculation spread after Team New Zealand and the Government had discussed the multi-million dollar hosting fee and the US$80 million offer from the Middle East, which sought to take the regatta away from Auckland.

However, Rae told Radio Sport that 'selling the Cup would be the last thing Grant Dalton wants' and the country had no need for concern.

"As far as sell the event to another country that is definitely not happening, I mean if you were in these other countries surely you'd love to try and have the Cup there and I think it's probably the other way around, they're trying to get it over there, it's not us trying to sell it."

Rae, who sailed the Volvo Ocean Race six times, said it's unbelievable that we as a small country can win these trophies and that we need to embrace the opportunity to defend it on home turf.

"I think that people have to just forget about how it's going to happen and just get on with it ... someone has to pay for it ... I think if Sir Peter Blake were still around the thought of having this Cup after winning it and not defending it in New Zealand, would be absurd to him."

www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/

18 Shades of Gray at a sunny and snowy Datchet Flyer
Peter Gray, Rich Pepperdine and Simon Forbes raced their National 18 to victory in wintry weather at the Datchet Flyer, round two of the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series which took place on 9 & 10 December.

It was a complex and challenging weather forecast for the weekend as the remnants of Storm Caroline cleared out of the UK, but 72 boats still came to do battle at Datchet Water Sailing Club, near London Heathrow Airport. With the wind blowing a 10 knot westerly from Windsor Castle, the leeward mark was situated close to the clubhouse, making for excellent spectating as the handicap fleet fought for buoy room.

The Toppers were the biggest entry with seven boats and a strong youth entry encouraged by the GJW Direct grants offering reduced entries for those entering multiple events in the Series.

The forecasts for Sunday predicted very strong winds building very quickly from 13 knots in the morning to almost 45 knots so principal race officer Barry Peters made the wise decision to announce an earlier start for the non-discardable final race. However, Sunday morning dawned much snowier than forecast for West London, with many competitors (and helpers) struggling even to make it through the treacherously icy roads to Datchet. With snow settling on the ground, the Datchet Team battled to clear the slipways in order to allow the ribs and fleet to launch. But it was a struggle to maintain safe launching conditions and with the wind building the race committee were forced to cancel racing.

This meant the overnight positions stood and the National 18 (Gray, Pepperdine and Forbes) declared winners of the 2017 Datchet Flyer. Gray is a former winner of the GJW Direct SailJuice Winter Series which he won in 2011/12 sailing a Scorpion with Rachael Rhodes. The Dobsons' GP14 was second, one point in front of the Wilsons' Wayfarer. There were 10 different classes filling the top 10, with six singlehanders, three doublehanders and the winning triplehander, the National 18.

Other category winners included:
First Lady - Emma Stevenson (Osprey)
First Youth - Curtis McKay (Radial)
First Junior - Leo Wilkinson (Topper)
SpeedSix Fastest - Matty and James Lyons (49er)

For full results go to: www.SailJuiceSeries.com

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

2018 Melges 24 European Sailing Series
The management of the International Melges 24 Class Association announces the details of the 2018 Melges 24 European Sailing Series. From the first look at the calendar, it appears clear that the next one will be south and Italian oriented: in fact, five events out of six are planned to be held in Italy and the main reason for that is the Melges 24 European Championship to be held in Riva on Lake Garda in August.

The season will open in Tuscany, in iconic Punta Ala, at the end of March (23-25) and will continue in Slovenia in April (27-29), with the fleet heading to Portoroz that is ready to welcome the Melges 24 class again after the successful experiences of the past few years. The 2018 Melges 24 European Sailing Series will then move on to the internal waters, with a double appointment on the Garda Lake: Torbole (June 29 up to July 1), where the Melges 24 international fleet will return after the 2012 Worlds won by Italian Gullisara helmed by reigning world champion Carlo Fracassoli with the record number of entries, and Riva del Garda (August 3-10) for the Melges 24 European Championship. The season will end with the Melges 24 Italian Championship planned to be sailed on the Como Lake (September 14-16), and with the Lino Favini Cup, also valid as Swiss Open Championship held in Luino (October 12-14).

Besides the events of the 2018 European Sailing Series listed below, one more regatta will be held on Lake Garda - in Malcesine on May 18-20, the regatta of the Melges 24 Italian Series, which means altogether two pre-events for the European Championship to be held in August in Riva del Garda.

1. March 23-25 - Punta Ala ITA
2. April 27-29 - Portoroz SLO
3. June 29 - July 1 - Torbole, Lake Garda ITA
4. August 4 - 10 - Riva, Lake Garda ITA - Melges 24 Europeans
5. September 14 - 16 - Domaso, Lake Como ITA
6. October 12 - 14 - Luino, Lake Maggiore ITA

The Notice of Race of the series, online registration for the events and more detailed information about the logistics will be published in January.

melges24.com/europeansailingseries

Featured Brokerage
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2005 Nautor Swan 62 - GLISSE. 995,000 USD. Located in West Palm Beach, FL - USA

Extremely practical modern-generation cruising Swan from German Frers. Twin wheels, easily-handled rig and a fantastic interior layout combine to offer effortless and powerful ocean cruising. GLISSE is now in Palm Harbor Marina in West Palm Beach for the winter. Great location, easy access in and out to see the yacht.

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2008 Dixon 73 - LA LUNA. 1,500,000 EUR. Located in Monafalcone, Italy.

Dixon 73 LA LUNA - semi-custom build, the brief was to provide a capable and easily handled world cruising yacht. Her trademark is her spacious deck saloon and flush deal forward, giving her sleek good looks. The carbon spar and in-boom is easily handled and keeps the weight in the right place. Bill Dixon delivered on the brief with King Marine. The yacht has a slippery underwater profile for rewarding sailing and a great interior with owners, VIP and spacious twin cabin aft, all with en-suite heads and a light and airy crew cabin forward.

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
If you can master nonsense as well as you have already learned to master sense, then each will expose the other for what it is: absurdity. From that moment of illumination, a man begins to be free... -- Malaclypse the Younger

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
Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar: In Support of Sail Aid | Pressure coming on as Southern Ocean storm approaches | IMOCA Global Series Created | Barcelona World Race | Good Old Time Sailing - St. Thomas International Regatta | Team NZ 'holding taxpayers to ransom' | Sail Sydney | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | Jimmy Spithill wants Australia back in the America's Cup | Sail Aid UK receives Charity status and opens Grant Application process | Barbara Sargent 1945-2017 | Featured Brokerage

Pressure coming on as Southern Ocean storm approaches
A north-south divide of more than 200 miles has opened up in the Volvo Ocean Race fleet as the teams prepare for a deep Southern Ocean depression to strike.

Faced with the tough decision of whether to take on the impending storm by diving south on a quicker but more risky route or escaping the worst of the weather to the north, each of the seven teams have now thrown their cards on the table.

In a bold break from the rest of the fleet, British skipper Dee Caffari opted to take her young Turn the Tide on Plastic crew furthest to the north in the hope of dodging the worst of the system's howling winds and forecast for enormous seas.

This is in contrast to the strategies of leg leader Dongfeng Race Team, MAPFRE, team Akzonobel, Team Brunel and Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, who have chosen to roll the dice and take the southern option.

Caffari, one of the world's most experienced and respected offshore sailors, is known for her seamanship - and as most of her team have never faced the Southern Ocean before, she and navigator Nico Lunven have picked a route that gives them more options, including not needing to throttle back as much as her counterparts in the south.

But as the storm is more than 400 nautical miles wide and moving quickly east, being swallowed up by it is inevitable - and it has been playing heavily on Caffari's mind. "I have had bad guts for 24 hours and I was thinking it may have been something I have eaten or drunk, but that is highly unlikely," she wrote to race headquarters in a blog post. "If I was honest it may be the responsibility sitting heavy on me to make the right decision and get boat and team through the next 48 hours unscathed. It is turning my stomach in knots, something I have never experienced before."

Wind speeds are now up to 25 knots and forecast to build.

Leg 3 - Position Report - Wednesday 13 December (Day 4) - 13:00 UTC
1. Donfeng Race Team -- distance to finish - 4,737.2 nautical miles
2. MAPFRE +8.0 nautical miles
3. team AkzoNobel +18.8
4. Vestas 11th Hour Racing +19.4
5. Team Brunel +26.0
6. Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag +40.3
7. Turn the Tide on Plastic +93.4

volvooceanrace.com

IMOCA Global Series Created
The IMOCA General Meeting was held last week in Paris in the framework of the Paris Boat Show (the Nautic). The 2018-2020 calendar was confirmed and a Global Series created. Antoine Mermod, the President of the class looks back at the major decisions taken at this General Meeting.

Creation of the Global Series

Q: There was a lot of talk about the calendar during the last General Meeting. What are the main features going to be?

A: "We fully understand that the Vendee Globe is our most popular event for the public and media. To mark a certain continuity, we need to create more links between races to build things up as we move towards the pinnacle event. That is why we have decided to reorganise out championship, which will be renamed the Globe Series, with a system of points and weightings over a four-year period. Details will follow. The idea is to organise two big events each year bringing together large fleets, along with other events, called exhibition races. In 2018, the two big events will include a new race organised in Monaco in early June (the name of which will be revealed early next year), then there will be the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe in November. In 2019, there will be the Barcelona World Race and the Transat Jacques Vabre. Then in 2020, a Vendee Globe year, the skippers in the class will take part in The Transat and the New York-Vendee. It is not impossible that other races will be added to this calendar. But we have already put in place a solid backbone, as it is vital to come up with a top class calendar to attract sailors and sponsors."

You mentioned the brand new event to be organised in Monaco. More generally, the Mediterranean will have a place of honour in the spring of 2018...

"Seeing we are talking about taking an IMOCA fleet down to the Mediterranean, we wanted to come up with a complete programme. After the Guyader Grand Prix in Douarnenez, we will be organising a solo race to Cascais (Portugal), which will be a qualifier for the Route du Rhum. After the event in Monaco where we are expecting between ten and fifteen boats, we will be proposing that the organisers of the Giraglia (between Saint Tropez and Genoa) allow the IMOCA class to register. In our opinion, it is vital to throw the spotlight on the Mediterranean coast, as it offers exceptional sailing conditions in the spring. On top of that, the Mediterranean is an interesting market for the IMOCA class and race projects are being set up there."

imoca.org

Barcelona World Race
The Barcelona World Race unveiled its new format to the sailing community today, a format which opens up horizons for the expansion of the IMOCA fleet, the most active ocean racing class.

Considered one of the most important yacht races in the world, this edition has some exciting new ingredients: two legs, Barcelona-Sydney-Barcelona and an option to substitute the co-skipper.

The fourth edition of the Barcelona World Race has already received an enthusiastic response from skippers from all over the world, as well as the international sailing community.

On the 12th of January 2019, the start will be given to this brand-new edition of the two-crew, round the world regatta, where, for the first time the IMOCA 60 boats will be making an obligatory stopover in Sydney, Australia. This international move is a significant step for the regatta and the class globally. For the fourth edition of the regatta the FNOB will also have a brand-new headquarters and regatta control centre in the city of Barcelona. It will be situated in the Sea Experience space, next to the Maremagnum shopping centre, which will bring the competition closer to the public, who will also be able to visit the facilities.

The upcoming edition of the round the world challenge has already been given an enthusiastic response from international top flight offshore sailors with 16 teams adding the event to their racing schedule, 11 of which already have an IMOCA 60. The regatta has received interest from 26 international sailors who have contacted the Race Management team for information.

The Barcelona World Race is a double-handed (two crew - skipper and co-skipper) round the world regatta, starting and finishing in Barcelona, with two legs: Barcelona - Sydney - Barcelona.

barcelonaworldrace.org

Good Old Time Sailing - St. Thomas International Regatta
IC24s racing in the 2017 STIR. Photo by Ingrid Abery

If you enjoyed Caribbean racing in the 1970s and 1980s, or heard the stories and wished you were there, then register now for the St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR), March 23-25, 2018.

After some tough soul searching, STIR organizers at the host St. Thomas Yacht Club realized it will be unfair to promise a full-scale regatta without the dock and deck covering. So, the next best thing was to roll back the clock to a simpler era.

"It's all about simpler times, more fun, no worries and a chance to come and enjoy the sailing," says regatta director, Bill Canfield, who has been involved in STIR for all but one of its 45 years and can attest to the great laidback low-key island vibe in the early years. "We will of course offer wonderful sailing 'around the rocks', with our veteran PROs, great beach parties, cold rum and hot music."

Atlantic Rally for Cruisers sailors welcome! STIR 2018 offers classes for CSA (Caribbean Sailing Association-handicap rule) Racing, Cruising and Bareboats; Large Multihulls; Beach Cats and One-Design over 20-foot LOA. The hot, hot, hot class will be the one-design IC 24's. A number are available for charter from the St. Thomas Sailing Center (stsc.styc.club)., which is based at the St. Thomas Yacht Club.

In keeping with the simpler old-time theme, even the entry fees for STIR 2018 have been rolled back to $150 before January 31, 2018.

Updated NOR at YachtScoring.com

For more information, contact regatta director, Bill Canfield, at stycisv@gmail.com

stthomasinternationalregatta.com

Team NZ 'holding taxpayers to ransom'
A former Team New Zealand director has accused the syndicate of holding taxpayers to ransom, with its demand for a hosting fee.

Team New Zealand is reportedly using overseas hosting offers as leverage, to seek Government funding to cover the hosting fees for the 2021 America's Cup.

James Farmer QC was a lawyer and director on the team from 2007 to 2013.

He told Mike Hosking the demands are an insult to every New Zealander who's supported the team over the years.

"The New Zealand Government has put a huge amount of money into the team over many, many years and a lot of people - including myself - have worked very hard for no money at all."

Farmer believes Team NZ shouldn't hold an America's Cup it can't afford and the syndicate should scale back on its America's Cup plans, before demanding more money from the public purse.

"Very strange that they should really promote a new type of boat, which is going to be extremely expensive, to not only develop but also support the crew."

www.newstalkzb.co.nz

Sail Sydney
Tasman rivalries will come to an exciting crescendo on Sydney Harbour tomorrow when medallists are decided in the seven Olympic classes contesting Sail Sydney.

After a cracking three days, staged in perfect sunny and breezy conditions near host Woollahra Sailing Club, the Laser and 49er classes remain on a knife's edge.

Australian Sailing Team World Championship bronze medallist Matt Wearn leads the strong 24-boat Laser fleet by a solitary point from New Zealand's Sam Meech, the Rio Olympic bronze medallist, and Meech's countryman Tom Saunders, who is three points off the lead in third place. Australian Sailing Squad member Luke Elliott is equal on 14 points with Saunders and ready to pounce.

With Olympic gold medallist Tom Burton out of contention, Wearn will hope to be rewarded for consistency across the opening six races and go one better than his silver medal at Sail Melbourne a fortnight ago.

The 49er class has been a classic battle with Australian Sailing Team crew David Gilmour and Joel Turner locked on 19 points with New Zealand crew Josh Porebski and Trent Rippey in what has become a two-horse race at the head of the field.

In the other classes, multiple World Champions Mat Belcher and Will Ryan have not dropped a point all week and have the 470 class all-but sewn up. Rio Olympian Jake Lilley has a three-point break over World Champion Max Salminen in the Finns, with Australian Sailing Team member Oliver Tweddell in the bronze medal position.

Jacinta Ainsworth leads Australian Sailing Squad Laser Radial sailor Marlena Berzins by three points, while Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin are unbeaten in the Nacra 17 and New Zealand's Alex Maloney and Molly Meech hold an unassailable lead in the 49erFX.

Full results: sailingresults.net/site/event/80169/default.html

Event site: websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-9990-0-0-0

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

Behind the scenery
Seen off the boat the mechanics always look to operate pretty seamlessly onboard the modern J Boat. But all that glistens... Ted Street

When lower is higher
The foiler Moth has hit new highs of technical performance and the focus swings back on sailing technique. Between them the Cup guys and Olympic champions have it nailed. Current design no1 Kevin Ellway talks to Andy Rice

Strong foundations
After running America's Cup 35 Iain Murray is home overseeing Australian racing. But his own Cup hopes never went away... Blue Robinson

Fast boats just got faster
Fast enough for Franck Cammas and tough enough for all you lot!

RORC - Almost straight swap
Eddie Warden-Owen

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Jimmy Spithill wants Australia back in the America's Cup
Oracle yachtsman Jimmy Spithill said he wants to see Australia compete in the next America's Cup with the driving motive to win back the Auld Mug.

The 38-year-old, who captained the Australian team in 2001, said although he would not commit himself just yet he 'would love to see an Australian team' compete.

"If you look around the teams over the past few campaigns, you see Aussies littered throughout all of them," Spithill said at a yachting charity event in Canberra, reported by The Age.

"We're so associated with the water in Australia and I think the fact that the next one in is in New Zealand it wouldn't be surprising at all [to see an Australian team].

The Australian won the Cup twice with Oracle Team USA but lost this year in Bermuda to Emirates Team New Zealand.

With teams awaiting the official entries which open on January 1 followed by the new 75-foot monohull class rule on March 31, Spithill said there's still plenty to contemplate.

"Everyone in the sailing world is waiting on the final class rule, which is what the boat design is and that will come out in March next year, so before you commit to any sort of project or program you really need to know where the goal posts are," he said.

Spithill said he believes millionaire and reigning Sydney to Hobart winner, Anthony Bell, could be the key figure in backing the Australian Challenge. -- Cheree Kinnear

www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/

Sail Aid UK receives Charity status and opens Grant Application process
Sail Aid UK has been granted Charity status. Set up in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irma to pro-actively unite the UK sailing community in a long-term fundraising drive to help the victims of the Caribbean Islands most severely impacted by the September hurricanes, the Charity has now opened the Grant Application process.

Those organisations with whom the Charity's Trustees are already in touch have been approached to file an Application in line with the Grant Making Policy - both documents are available in the footer on the SAUK website for anyone to download.

In the meantime, Sail Aid UK is promoting its online merchandise, currently a range of T-shirts that have been specially commissioned, designed and printed to raise funds for Sail Aid UK by many members of the amazing superyacht fraternity in Palma, Mallorca. These can be purchased direct online here: www.sailaiduk.com/shop and would make a fun extra Christmas present, available in adult men's and women's as well as in junior sizes.

Anyone can also donate directly to the Sail Aid UK Action Stations Fund here: www.sailaiduk.com/page/how-to-help

Barbara Sargent 1945-2017
The death of Barbara Sargent of Howth after a short illness has taken from among us a much-loved and vivacious personality, whose warm family life was a heartening example of how the sea and sailing can be comfortably intertwined with shore interests of all kinds, and a very positive sense of community commitment.

Her enthusiasm was total. Although she and Gerry had celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in April of this year, the passing of the years had in no way diminished her active involvement afloat, which continued to the end - she was racing the annual Howth Autumn League until its conclusion only a few weeks ago, and the huge turnout at her recent funeral was eloquent testimony to the many lives she had touched during a life lived to the full.

The hundreds of us who attended her funeral - some from very far away - were privileged to share the private family farewell to someone who had been such a force for the good.

Our heartfelt condolences are with husband Gerry and their sons David, Robert and Andy and their wives and extended family, and their grand-daighters Joanna, Freya and Gemma, and particularly to grandson Jonny, who gave us such an eloquent and moving insight into how this great sailor also managed to be the perfect grandmother.

WM Nixon's full tribute to Barbara Sargent in Afloat

Featured Brokerage
2002 Swan 70-005 Flying Dragon. 1,400,000 EUR. Located in Genoa, Italy.

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brokerage@nautorswan.com
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nautorswanbrokerage.com

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1993 Nautor Swan 68 - SEA EAGLE OF SHIAN III. 575,000 GBP Located in Scotland, UK.

Handsome German Frers Swan 68 which is perfect for both a cruising and regatta role. She is a capable and fast bluewater cruising yacht with a great layout for owners, 6 guests and crew. She has had some great updates through life including paint, decks, and rod in 2008, new electronics, communications and entertainment in 2011 and she is constantly updated. Now laid up under cover, she is awaiting her next yachting family to awake her from her slumbers.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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+44 (0) 1590 679 222
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2007 Oyster 655 - ROULETTE. 1175000 GBP. Located in Lymington, UK.

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See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

The Last Word
You are precisely as big as what you love and precisely as small as what you allow to annoy you. -- Robert Anton Wilson

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

Feeling the sting of the Southern Ocean
The Volvo Ocean Race teams were feeling the full strength of the Southern Ocean on Thursday as they were pummelled by winds gusting as high as 50 knots and surfing down mountainous waves.

The deep low-pressure system that has been forming for the past few days has now engulfed the seven crews, forcing them to switch from all-out racing to a more conservative mode.

Nevertheless, boat speeds rocketed to an incredible 38 knots as the Volvo Ocean 65s were launched down the faces of enormous Southern Ocean rollers.

The low pressure system responsible for the hammering is vast, stretching almost 1,500 nautical miles from the tip of South Africa to just a few hundred miles north of Antarctica.

It represents the biggest challenge so far in the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, and, although Leg 3 from Cape Town to Melbourne is still in its early stages, the decisions the teams make now could have serious consequences on the results.

At 1300 UTC Dongfeng Race Team continued to lead the fleet from their position furthest south, just seven miles above the Antarctic Ice Exclusion Zone (AIEZ) set by race control.

www.volvooceanrace.com

* Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 challenger team AkzoNobel, currently racing through the Southern Ocean from Cape Town to Melbourne on Leg 3 of the round the world race has suffered damage to the yacht's mast and mainsail when a gybe in very strong winds and gigantic seas went wrong earlier today.

The gybe ripped the mainsail track from the back edge of the mast, broke several of the mainsail's carbon battens, and punctured the sail itself in several places. It was captured on film by Volvo Ocean Race on board reporter James Blake (NZL).

In the video watch captain Chris Nicholson (AUS) who was helming at the time describes what went wrong during the gybe.

When the Forties Roar
Photo by Martin Keruzore

They don't call them the Roaring Forties for nothing and right now those Forties are starting to roar while the seven teams competing in the Volvo Ocean Race are suiting up for the challenge. Since leaving Cape Town the sailors have been keeping an eye on an intense low pressure system rolling in from the west. On a weather map it looks like a swirling beast that will be impossible to avoid. The best the sailors can do will be to ride it out making sure that they stay above the center of the low to keep in the strong westerly winds.

These low pressure systems circumnavigate Antarctica with almost nothing other than Cape Horn in their way. The gather steam as they churn uninterrupted and push along mountains of water that lifts the boats sending them plummeting down the face of sometimes cresting waves. It's a thrill ride for those who love living life at the extreme and it's most certainly not for the faint of heart. Between waves the yachts submarine in the troughs with icy cold water cascading aft toward the crew huddled in the cockpit. The legendary Sir Peter Blake called it 'Going into the Green Room.'

This low pressure is packing a steady 40 knots with gusts closer to 50. Fortunately for the sailors the wind is from astern but it's Southern Ocean wind which is different from tropical wind. It's moist, heavy and packs a wallop. It's unrelenting and unforgiving. The best the crews can do is make sure that they are dressed for the weather; the world's greatest ocean racers, including those onboard Brunel & Scallywag are kitted out with the finest sailing boots available - The Dubarry Crosshaven engineered and crafted to take on a Southern Ocean gale.

www.dubarry.com

Golden Globe Race officials meet FFV to discuss Race Rules and Safety issues
The organisers of the 2018 Golden Globe Race (GGR) today met with the full board of the French Federation de Voile (FFV) to discuss all aspects of the organisation, operation and safety/security considerations for the Race, starting from Les Sables d'Olonne on July 1st 2018.

Race Chairman Don McIntyre reports: "Discussions were cordial and very productive. It was agreed at an early stage of the meeting that all participants in the room have sailing at heart and hold great respect for the spirit and essence of the original Golden Globe Race as the foundation for all current around the world solo sailing.

The GGR organisers respect the FFV's position and were happy for the opportunity to present our case that serious and professional consideration has been given to producing responsible safety, security and risk minimisation for this challenging adventure to recreate the original 1968 Golden Globe."

The FFV also explained that they must work within current legislative requirements of both the French Government and World Sailing. They suggest that the 2018 Golden Globe may be more of an adventure and maritime event than a true yacht race. In principle, the FFV is not against the event, understand that the 2018 Golden Globe Race is recreating history, and want to promote the heritage of solo sailing.

The FFV will asses the new amendments to the Notice of Race that the GGR organisers presented at the meeting and will make a statement on their position early in the new year.

goldengloberace.com

First GC32 World Championship will be held on Lake Garda
With the GC32 officially receiving World Sailing recognition last month, the GC32 International Class Association is pleased to announce that its first World Championship will take place in Riva del Garda, Italy on 23-27 May, 2018. This will see the fleets of the GC32 Racing Tour and Extreme Sailing Series competing on the same race track.

Returning is defending champion Oman Air, winner of the first GC32 Championship held in Muscat, Oman in March. The Omani team recently finished a close third overall in the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series following its final event in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Returning to Garda for the first time since winning the GC32 Riva Cup and the overall GC32 Racing Tour in 2016 is French America's Cup skipper Franck Cammas with NORAUTO powered by Team France.

Having finished second to Oman Air at the GC32 Championship in Oman, Alinghi, of two time America's Cup winner Ernesto Bertarelli, is returning with the aim of going one better in 2018. The Swiss team recently concluded the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series in second overall.

www.gc32worlds.com

The Hague Offshore World Championship
Organizers from the 2018 The Hague Offshore Sailing World Championship, in consultation with the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) and the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), have announced the scheme for scoring this first World Championship to use both the international IRC and ORC rating systems. The event is being held at Scheveningen Marina in The Hague over 12-20 July 2018.

All competing entries must have valid IRC Endorsed and ORC International certificates, and a change to the Notice of Race (NOR) has been issued that specifies:

- IRC results will be determined by corrected times calculated by Time on Time using single number TCC.

- ORC results will be determined by corrected times calculated by Time-on-Time Offshore Single Number for the offshore races and Time-on-Time Triple Number for the inshore races.

- Each race will be scored with a finishing place determined using ORC ratings and IRC ratings, with the two summed up.

- The final race score will be scored according to RRS A4 (First = 1 point, Second = 2 points, etc - see Race 1 example below), and if there is a tie the points assigned will be the shared equally among the tied boats

The 2018 The Hague Offshore Sailing World Championship has thusfar attracted strong interest from 111 boats registered from 18 countries: 11 in Class A, 27 in Class B and 73 in Class C.

offshoresailingworlds2018.com

Southern Spars In The Sydney Hobart
This year's edition of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will see 110 teams, including 31 international entries, head to the starting line on Boxing Day. Amongst these entries are 4 super maxis, all of which have Southern Spars rigs: Infotrack, Wild Oats XI, the US 2015 winner Comanche and Black Jack, who will be looking to dominate in what is widely regarded as one of the world's toughest blue water races.

Blackjack won the first round against her rival Wild Oats XI in the 2017 SOLAS Big Boat Challenge this month, and will be looking to triumph again in this latest rematch. However, the winners of the last two editions, Infotrack and Comanche, will both be there to spoil the party, aiming to repeat their previous success.

The last time someone got on the podium of the Sydney to Hobart race without Southern Spars was 2008. For the ninth-consecutive year, this race will see our record extended.

What is for sure is that this 628-mile race is definitely not to be missed, and we can't wait to see who will be the first to cross the finish line in Hobart.

southernspars.com

Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar
This Friday is the FINAL day to submit entries for this year's Best Yachting Bar... and this year we have TWO awards, one for Best in the Caribbean, another for Best Elsewhere.

The Caribbean entries can include existing bars... and those that the hurricanes closed.

For our featured bar tonight... your humble narrator's favourite. The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. But not the one you usually see pictured. There are two bars there... the one that most know, out by the decks and docks, open to the harbour. But there's another one just inside that is timeless in a "British Empire at Raffles Singapore" way... It's small, quiet, and full of history, burgees and tall tales. One of your humble narrator's favourite places.

A particularly warm and welcoming space when cold winds and horizontal rain hit the harbour, and the main bar is closed, or sparsely attended by hardy and or foolhardy souls. The smell of the cedar and the sense of history is strong there...

Speaking of horizontal rain... have a thought to our brethren in the Caribbean, and donate to SailAid UK or one of the many other worthy charities helping the marine industry and the islands back on their feet. As noted in last night's Eurobutt, SailAidUK has been officially approved as a UK Charity. Go to www.sailaiduk.com

Submit YOUR favourite yachting bar by end of day Friday. Voting begins Monday.

scuttlebutteurope.com/sailors-bars

Blustery Conditions in Normandy
The conditions turned blustery on small Lake Bedanne in Normandy for the second day of racing at the International Bedanne's Cup - the final event of the 2017 Women's International Match Racing Series (WIM Series). But change of conditions did not deter local skipper Pauline Courtois as she maintained control to remain in the lead.

After a day of beautiful sunshine for the first day of racing, the second day brought rain, large windshifts and big puffs that kept the teams on their toes throughout the day.

Four flights remain in the double round robin for Thursday. The conditions are predicted to deteriorate overnight, but the organizers are hopeful that we will keep on schedule.

Standings in the 2017 International Bedanne's Cup after day two of the double round-robin (skipper, nationality, team, wins - losses):

1. Pauline Courtois, FRA, Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team, 12-1
2. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, French Women's Match Racing Sailing Team, 11-3
3. Margot Vennin, FRA, Team CVSAE, 10-3
4. Allie Blecher, USA, Team BAAM, 9-5
5. Marinella Laaksonen, FIN, L2 Match Racing Team, 7-6
6. Margot Riou, FRA, APCC Women's Sailing Team, 5-8
7. Sanna Mattsson, SWE, Swedish Women's Match Racing Team, 3-10
8. Linnea Floser, SWE, Peregrine Racing, 2-11
9. Ekaterina Kochkina, RUS, ProKateam Sailing Team, 1-13

www.wimseries.com

Marlow's Guide to Splicing
With over 200 years of technical knowledge and rope care expertise, Marlow's highly anticipated Guide to Splicing, endorsed by Dame Ellen MacArthur is an indispensable instruction manual for all sailors and boat owners and makes a great Christmas present for any type of sailor or boat owner. Detailed illustrations and stage by stage instructions will guide even the most novice of sailors through a variety of recommended splices that will ensure their ropes are used to their full potential. Did you know that tying a knot in your rope can reduce the breaking strength by up to 50% whereas a spliced termination will only reduce strength by up to 10%?

The handy manual includes detailed instructions on the following splices:

- 3 Strand Eye Splice
- D2 Taper
- D12 Locking Eye Splice
- D2 Eye Splice
- Marlowbraid Eye Splice
- Doublebraid

In 2018 learn more about splicing and take part in Marlow's demonstrations at Boat Shows and Regatta stands around the world, including BOOT Dusseldorf, RYA Yachtmaster Conference, RYA Dinghy Show, Sail Pacific, Cowes Week, Southampton Boat Show and many others!

Visit www.marlowropes.com for more splicing and event information.

Bermuda's Mustafa Ingham leads the charge as the first Volvo Ocean Race Academy Apprentice
The Bermuda Tourism Authority and XL Catlin have teamed up with the Volvo Ocean Race and Turn the Tide on Plastic to grant an apprenticeship opportunity to Mustafa Ingham, an aspiring professional sailor from Bermuda.

In joining Turn the Tide on Plastic, one of the seven teams in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18, as a Volvo Ocean Race Academy Apprentice, Ingham has the opportunity to pursue professional sailing with the most elite offshore sailors in the world.

The goal is for Ingham to gain the necessary qualifications and experience to have an opportunity to compete as a sailor in a future round the world Volvo Ocean Race.

"I've joined Turn the Tide on Plastic team as part of the Volvo Ocean Race Academy. In doing this apprenticeship I get to work with the shore team and go out sailing with the sailing team during stopover activities," Ingham said.

"I've just finished doing the Red Bull Youth Americas Cup in Bermuda with Team BDA and I decided I might as well keep the ball rolling and get into this.

"The apprenticeship programme is aimed to help people like myself to hopefully one day become a Volvo Ocean Race sailor and to get into offshore sailing."

"This is an awesome opportunity for one of our own," said Bermuda Tourism Authority CEO Kevin Dallas. "Building on the legacy of the 35th America's Cup, hosted out here this past summer, is a priority of the Bermuda Tourism Authority and that priority aligns perfectly with the career aspirations of Mustafa Ingham.

"All of Bermuda is immensely proud of Mustafa's accomplishments with Team BDA in the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, and as his sailing career takes shape, the Bermuda Tourism Authority looks forward to working with him as an ambassador for the sport."

volvooceanrace.com

2018 52 Super Series
The 2018 52 Super Series looks set to feature an unprecedented nine new-build boats; at least three America's Cup teams, who will each be new to the world's leading grand prix monohull circuit; and two international crews, who have raced in the circuit before, will be returning to the fray.

The new season promises the highest level of racing yet, bringing together the world's top adversaries such as Sir Ben Ainslie, Robert Scheidt, Terry Hutchinson, Ed Baird, Jordi Calafat, John Kostecki, Francesco Bruni and Vasco Vascotto.

This winter will see a frenetic level of boatbuilding activity at premium facilities around the world. While some of the teams that made early new-build decisions plan a short training spell prior to the warm up Palma Vela regatta (3-6 May 2018), others who have left it later may have a race against time to be ready for the first of the five 2018 52 Super Series regattas in Sibenik, Croatia, May 22-27.

Last week's confirmation that the design for the 36th America's Cup will be a 75-foot foiling monohull sees at least three teams expected to compete in the 2018 52 Super Series. Brand new to the 52 Super Series will be Challengers of Record, Luna Rossa, who have just announced they will compete in the 52 Super Series with a new build TP52 to be steered by Francesco Bruni.

Sir Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR previously published their planned collaboration with Tony Langley's Gladiator team. And Doug DeVos's three times 52 Super Series winners Quantum Racing are building a new boat as part of the Bella Mente Quantum Racing Association programme, which will challenge for the America's Cup under the flag of the New York Yacht Club.

Seven of the new-build TP52s are from the Botín Partners design office, and two from Vrolijk.

www.52superseries.com

Featured Brokerage
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Great looking sailing yacht which is available fresh from a nautical makeover of epic proportions including decks, paint, interior and all systems.Gleaming.

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

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2011 Comar 100 RS - SHADOW. 4250000 EUR. Located in Cyprus.

Epic sailing yacht with metallic livery and totally sparkling sailing. Below decks she is light, airy and comfortable for her guests and crew.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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+44 (0) 1590 679 222
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The Last Word
Sometimes the best way to learn something is by doing it wrong and looking at what you did. -- Neil Gaiman

800 miles of separation
Different strategies in tackling the complex weather scenario for the RORC Transatlantic Race have caused a huge spread in the fleet, with boats 800 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, north to south. Ludde Ingvall's Australian Maxi leads the fleet, gybing further south last night and covering 247 miles in the last 24 hours. CQS is under 2,000 miles from the finish at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada. CQS is 150 miles ahead of Canadian 96ft Southern Wind Sorceress in the battle to win the International Maxi Association (IMA) Transatlantic Trophy for monohull line honours.

Eric de Turckheim's French Nivelt-Muratet 54 Teasing Machine is estimated to be leading after IRC time correction, and has made a move south to punch through the high pressure ridge, along with Sorceress. For now, Jochen Bovenkamp's Marten 72 Aragon is continuing west, beating along the bottom of the low pressure system north of their position. The majority of the fleet are approximately 250 miles behind the leading pack. Two yachts have continued to beat into the low pressure system to the north of the rhumb line; Roman Guerra's Volvo 70 Monster Project and Johann von Eicken and Pit Brockhausen's German Swan 56 Latona.

Near the rhumb line, a close battle is raging between three German yachts of near-equal size; all of which are youth training vessels. Haspa Hamburg, owned by Hamburgischen Verein Seefahrt (HVS) and skippered by 21-year old Max Gartner, leads on the water by just two miles from SKWV's Bank von Bremen skippered by 29-year old Alexander Beilken. Meanwhile, HVS's second boat in the race, Broader View Hamburg is estimated to lead the trio after IRC time correction. Fifty percent of the crew on the club's Andrews 56 are between 18 and 22 years and include skipper, Bjorn Woge's 19-year old son.

rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

YB Race Tracker

Ludde Ingvall's Southern Gamble Pays Off
Ludde Ingvall's super maxi CQS now leads the fleet in the RORC Trans-Atlantic Race, having taken an early gamble on a southerly route which seemed to defy the weather predictions.

Heading south as soon as possible after the start, CQS was not amongst the front runners for the first five days of the 3,000 nautical mile race, while those that had chosen the northern option seemed favoured.

However since hitting the trade winds Ludde and his team have stormed into the lead, with an advantage of 150 nautical miles over second placed Southern Wind Sorceress

Since the start of the race on 25th November the tactics have been polarized, with the majority of the fleet opting for a northerly route, and looking good initially.

www.bigboatracing.com

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

Seahorse build table - A new generation
One-design studio has seven of those nine new TP52s. There's always a reason. Marcelino Botin and Adolfo Carrau

World news
The remarkable people of the Caribbean. The TJV Grand Cru, go the 'new' Multi 50, inside (2021) track, US back in the game. Grant Dalton, Ivor Wilkins, Ken Read, Dobbs Davis

Rod Davis - you're the judge that matters
The master-coach is already preparing for his own next big regatta... read on

Optimising for The Hague
Which promises to be one hell of a good day at school for everyone concerned... Jason Ker

Design - Look back in pleasure
Considering what has been created from scratch in a relatively few years... a revelation awaits. Sean Mcmillan

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.

Schedule announced for 2018 GC32 Racing Tour
For its fifth season in 2018, the GC32 Racing Tour aims to continue providing the 'best foiling experience' for its competitors in several of yacht racing's top venues. Attracting both professional teams and those with owner-drivers, the circuit for ultra-high speed foiling one design catamarans will visit five southern European venues chosen to offer the best chance of providing optimum foiling conditions.

The circuit received a significant boost earlier this month at the World Sailing Annual Conference in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, when the GC32 was awarded World Sailing Class.

For 2018 the circuit will continue its relationship with at least three of these venues, with a mix of stand-alone GC32 events and multi-class events.

2018 GC32 Racing Tour schedule:

23 - 27 May: GC32 Class Championship / Riva del Garda, Italy
26 - 30 June: GC32 Villasimius Cup / Villasimius, Sardinia, Italy
31 July - 4 August: 37 Copa del Rey MAPFRE/ Palma de Mallorca, Spain
12 - 16 September: TBA
10 - 14 October: TBA

The season kicks off with the second GC32 Class Championship, following on from the first, held in Muscat, Oman in March. Unique on the GC32 calendar, this is the only event when the stars align allowing the GC32s of both the GC32 Racing Tour and Extreme Sailing Series to line up on the same race track.

Run by Fraglia Vela Riva, the 2018 Championship will be held out of Riva del Garda, in the northern corner of Lake Garda. Not only is Lake Garda stunningly beautiful, surrounded by giant Alpine mountains, but it is renowned for its exceptional wind conditions and flat water. Traditionally it is where GC32 speed records are set.

www.gc32racingtour.com

Wild Oats double for Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Photo by Andrea Francolini, www.afrancolini.com. Click on image to enlarge.

Followers of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race might think they are seeing double when the 628 nautical mile classic starts on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day.

The reason for this is simple: on the starting line will be two yachts from the Oatley family's "stable" that are near-identical in profile and name.

First and foremost will be the famous 30-metre supermaxi, Wild Oats XI, which stands as the most successful yacht in the 72-year history of the great race. And, on the same starting line will be the 20-metre long Wild Oats X, the yacht that was the prototype for the big boat.

Despite the difference in size, both boats have the potential to be among the major prize winners in the Hobart race - Wild Oats XI for line and handicap honours and Wild Oats X for first on handicap. Wild Oats X's racing record over the years includes first-to-finish in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race in 2005, 2007 and 2009, second in the 2004 Maxi Worlds in Porto Cervo and overall victory at Hamilton Island Race Week 2005. Most recently, at this year's Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, Wild Oats X, skippered by HRH Prince Frederik of Denmark, took top honours in the Grand Prix racing division.

There will also be family ties between the two crews in the Hobart race: Dan Oatley, a grandson of the late Bob Oatley AM, will be aboard Wild Oats XI for his second Hobart race, while the skipper of Wild Oats X, Troy Tindill, is married to Bob Oatley's granddaughter, Nicky.

Troy has drawn on the talent of highly skilled local sailors and international ocean racing yachtsmen to make up the 14-man crew he has chosen for the Hobart race. Among the better-known names are around-the-world sailors Wouter Verbraak, Phil Jameson and George Peat and eight-time 18ft skiff world champion, Seve Jarvin. Tom Spithill, brother of Australian America's Cup sailing legend, Jimmy Spithill, will also be aboard Wild Oats X.

Ironically, Seve Jarvin's father, Steve, is the mainsail trimmer aboard Wild Oats XI.

RS Games 2018: The world's biggest dinghy event in 2018?
One of the world's biggest ever dinghy racing events will burst into life in Weymouth and Portland when the RS Games 2018 kicks off next August.

1000 boats and 1500 competitors from around 30 nations are expected to make the RS Games a huge festival of everything that's great about small boat sailing.

First off in August 2018 will be the RS Aero and RS Tera World Championships, followed by the RS Feva Europeans, plus Nationals and Europeans for the RS100, RS300, RS400, RS600, RS700, RS800, RS Vareo classes and concluding with the massive RS200 Nationals and RS500 Worlds. Full details of the event schedule can be found at the RS Games website at www.rssailing.org/rsgames/ and on-line entries will open over the coming weeks.

Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, the 2012 Olympic Regatta hosts, have all the experience and space needed for such an enormous event which looks set to dwarf the last massive RS Games that saw 9 classes and 900 competitors back in 2011. Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour between them provide some of best and most versatile race areas in the UK. WPNSA have been awarded event sustainability recognition, proudly achieving ISO20121 standard, which compliments RS Sailing's own sustainability focus for its boats and operations.

www.RSsailing.org
www.RSsailing.com

Day of Extremes at Sail Melbourne International
It was another day of extremes at Sail Melbourne International for the second day of Olympic class racing (Thursday, 30 November 2017). More high temperatures and a hot breeze blowing off the land did not allow the sailors any cool off out on Port Phillip. A full day of racing was completed in most classes though with gains and losses across the fleets.

"It was especially hot today with the wind coming from land and when it started raining today I first thought I was hallucinating," 2017 Finn World Champion Max Salminen from Sweden said about the conditions. "It was a tricky day with big pressure systems coming and going and lots of gains and losses. But I rather take the heat than the Swedish winter."

Salminen currently ranks third in the high-calibre international Finn fleet racing in Melbourne, which is led by Australian Sailing Team's Rio 2016 Olympian Jake Lilley. Lilley continued to build his lead after winning both races of the day, while 2012 Olympic champion in the Laser and new addition to the Finn class Tom Slingsby defended his second place after a third and sixth place and sitting just two points ahead of Salminen, who posted a fourth and third place.

"Jake has a really good scorecard and he will be hard to get, but Tom I will try to get. It's a really good fleet here at this regatta, better than I could hope for so I'm super happy to be here and it's glamour sailing conditions. I heard it is supposed to become a bit stormier but I'll be happy to have that," Salminen added.

350 competitors from nine countries are competing in Melbourne with sailors coming from Australia, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, USA, Bermuda, Sweden and Canada.

Racing in the Olympic classes will resume on Friday, 1 December from 12:00 with the men's and women's 470, the Finn and RS:X. 49er/49erFX and Nacra 17 are scheduled to follow from 13:30 and Laser at 15:00. On Friday also the Invited Classes will join the racing action with the International 420, 29ers, Laser Radial and Laser 4.7 as well as the Nacra 15, Open Bic and 2.4m joining the mix.

www.sailmelbourne.com.au

Bambino veloce
Forty-three years after the launch of the super-successful Grand Soleil 34 Cantiere del Pardo decided the time was right to have a go at Mark 2...

The first new-generation Grand Soleil 34 was launched at this year's Yachting Festival de Cannes in September and, at the time of writing, boat number two has been launched and a further four boats are under construction. The new '34' actually has an LOA of 10.70m (or just over 35ft), but remains the smallest boat the yard has launched since the original version of the Grand Soleil 34 in 1974.

A lot has happened in the sailing world since 1974 and Grand Soleil has moved with the times, creating a modern incarnation of the original. Both boats are beautifully built cruiser-racers, and the differences between them are explained by 43 years of advances in yacht design and construction technique, as well as the evolving priorities of Grand Soleil owners.

The Grand Soleil 58 has been one of 2017's success stories, and the first 80-footer ever to be built by the yard is also under construction.

Full story in the December issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

Shipwreck discovered off the coast of California may be former mafia casino
A mysterious shipwreck that washed up on the Californian coast last February thought to be the missing Russian 'ghost ship', Lyubov Orlova, is more likely to be the infamous mafia gambling and vice ship S.S. Monte Carlo a new documentary for The Science Channel's What on Earth series has discovered.

The 4,250-ton Yugoslavian built cruise ship Lyubov Orlova - capable of carrying 110 passengers on cruises around the Antarctic in its heyday - has been missing since its towlines broke whilst it was being taken to the Dominican Republic in 2013 to be scrapped.

The Science Channel's What on Earth documentary makers had begun an investigation into the California wreck after investigators noticed that it was 295ft long - the exact same length as the Lyubov Orlova - but further research discovered that this wreck was made of concrete - not steel as experts had previously thought - and therefore could not be the lost cruise ship.

That led other experts to suggest that the shipwreck may be the S.S. Monte Carlo, an infamous former oil tanker obtained by the mafia and used as a floating casino, brothel and speakeasy which operated in international waters outside of the US in the 1930s.

www.ybw.com

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

Record: World KiteSail Record.
Venue: Port St Louis. Salin de Giraud FRA
Name: Alexandre Caizergues. FRA
Equipment: Kite Board. F.one kite. Furtive 6.4
Dates: 13th November 2017.
Course length: 501 metres
Current: Nil
Start time: 13; 50; 49.91
Finish time: 13; 51; 06.71
Elapsed time: 16.8 seconds
Speed: 57.97 kts

Comments: Previous record: Alexandre Caizergues FRA. Port St Louis. Nov 2013. 56.62 kts

John Reed Secretary to the WSSR Council

sailspeedrecords.com

* From Don Street:

When will we hear how with all the electronic navigation equipment on the Clipper yachts, and an experienced skipper in charge, did the clipper yacht go aground and become a total loss. In Caribbean Compass I wrote and article titled "Over reliance on electronic navigation supports the local salvors."

Sixty years in the Caribbean, fifty years in the insurance business, I can testify modern electronic navigation has not reduced insurance claims!!!!

Featured Brokerage
2001 CNB 93 - SAVARONA. 2,450,000 USD. Located in Palma de Mallorca.

Great looking sailing yacht which is available fresh from a nautical makeover of epic proportions including decks, paint, interior and all systems.Gleaming.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

2011 Comar 100 RS - SHADOW. 4250000 EUR. Located in Cyprus.

Epic sailing yacht with metallic livery and totally sparkling sailing. Below decks she is light, airy and comfortable for her guests and crew.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

2014 Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200. 99000 EUR. Located in Lelystad.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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Bach Yachting

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

The Last Word
The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

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

Francois Gabart rounds Cape Horn
Francois Gabart is racking up performances in his attempt to beat the single-handed round the world record. Today, Sunday 3 December 2017, at 13:20 (French time, UTC+1), the skipper of the MACIF trimaran crossed the longitude of Cape Horn, 29 days, 03 hours and 15 minutes after crossing the Ouessant starting line, making this the second best time outright, in the history of sailing, single-handed and with crew combined, since only Francis Joyon and his crew on IDEC Sport achieved a better time last year, of 26 days, 15 hours and 45 minutes.

The MACIF trimaran has improved the reference time between Ouessant (Ushant) and Cape Horn single-handed, held since 2016 by Thomas Coville (31 days, 11 hours and 30 minutes).

This performance is all the more remarkable, since it establishes a new outright record (single-handed and with crew combined) of the south Pacific crossing (Tasmania-Cape Horn) in 7 days 15 hours and 15 minutes*, better than the 7 days, 21 hours, 13 minutes and 31 seconds by IDEC Sport last year (Thomas Coville took 8 days, 18 hours, 28 minutes and 45 seconds). However, the chief goal of this round the world is still to beat the single-handed round the world record by Thomas Coville (49 days, 3 hours, 4 minutes and 28 seconds). To succeed in this, Francois Gabart will need to sail up the Atlantic Ocean in less than 20 days, to get to Ouessant before 23 December.

(* subject to confirmation by the WSSRC)

Track: bit.ly/MACIF-CARTO-TDM

www.macifcourseaularge.com

Fast Running in the Trades
On the ninth day of the RORC Transatlantic Race, twenty teams are now south of the rhumb line with the vast majority enjoying fast running conditions in the northeast trade winds.

Ludde Ingvall's Australian Maxi CQS is under 1000 nautical miles from Camper & Nicholson's Port Louis Marina, 380 miles ahead of the fleet to take Monohull Line Honours and the IMA Transatlantic Trophy.

Eric de Turckheim's French Nivelt-Muratet 54 Teasing Machine is still the provisional leader overall under IRC. However four other teams are also in the hunt for the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy; CQS, Jochen Bovenkamp's Marten 72 Aragon, Teichmann & Thomas Jungblut's German Elliott 52 Outsider, and Canadian Southernwind 96 Sorceress, skippered by Daniel Stump.

CQS has been hitting over 20 knots of boat speed, surfing down Atlantic rollers, but it has not all been plane sailing as their blog shows. "The A2 spinnaker had been up for four days during the RORC Transatlantic Race when a two foot tear appeared during a gybe. A4 hoisted, A2 doused, repaired, repacked and hoisted. Total time 90 minutes. All 15 crew working flat out. Now that's what I call teamwork!"

Teasing Machine is 1475 nautical miles from the finish and is the provisional overall leader. Since Varuna's retirement, the French team has been leading on corrected time but Aragon in particular has been closing the gap. In the last 24 hours Aragon, the holder of the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy, has shown better speed than Teasing Machine. Sorceress has also picked up the pace, taking a similar line to fellow Maxi Aragon, whilst further south, Outsider is following Teasing Machine's line.

YB Race Tracker: rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/tracking/2017-fleet-tracking.html

rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

The Perfect Nautical Gift for all Seasons by Latitude Kinsale
Looking for that special gift that is nautical and unique?

The 3D chart is the perfect Christmas gift that is appreciated for a lifetime! It ticks all of the boxes: it's personal, bespoke, it's art with a difference and it's relevant.

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Check out the website today, talk to Bobby Nash about your commission. www.latitudekinsale.com

Any chart any where in the world !

UAE 'Ready' to host America's Cup
The United Arab Emirates is ready to host the 2021 America's Cup but insisted it has no intention of taking the regatta away from New Zealand.

The Herald on Sunday earlier reported Team New Zealand were being wooed by backers in the Middle East prepared to offer up to $116 million should negotiations between the team and the New Zealand Government over a multi-million dollar hosting fee for agreeing to hold the Cup in Auckland remain deadlocked.

A senior official at Emirates airline told Gulf News the UAE would be ready to stage the event if called upon.

TNZ, who reclaimed the Auld Mug by defeating Oracle Team USA in the Cup match in Bermuda in June, is sponsored by Dubai-based Emirates. As defenders, the Kiwis can choose the location of the 36th America's Cup.

The UAE has been linked with hosting the event before - with Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah touted as possible replacements for the 2010 edition.

"From our side, there has been no official talk yet," Boutros Boutros, Emirates Group's Divisional Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand told Gulf News.

"But, of course, the UAE is equipped to host it. With the facilities in the UAE, we can host it any time. Probably if they have some stages they want to host in Dubai, we would welcome that.

https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/sailing/uae-ready-host-americas-cup

Flavour of the year
Bigger faster cats is where it's at right now for many designers and builders. But the challenge of persuading three or four luxury cabins to proceed steadily upwind at 15-16kt is not one to be underestimated

The growing popularity of fast luxury catamarans can be easily seen not only at boatshows, but increasingly in harbours and marinas around the world as more people recognise the high value these craft represent in speed, comfort and ease of handling. For designers and builders the challenge is to find the balance between these key features as well as what the market requires in terms of style, utility and cost.

In catamaran design the process is not simple, since there are so many variables to account for: weight and trim, for example, are critical to control, given the narrow hull shapes, and the sail plan must be generous enough for adequate power in light air yet with systems to allow quick and easy depowering when needed. Appendages must also be carefully designed to be effective in all sailing conditions, easily adjustable for performance and safety, and ideally allowing these large yachts to access the shallowest anchorages

At the Hudson Yacht Group builder Paul Hakes, his son James, Elliott Thorne and the design team at Morrelli & Melvin have been successfully exploring these balances for a number of years now with their HH line of catamarans, starting first with the HH66 introduced in 2015, the HH55 introduced in 2016, and now the latest in the line, the new C-foil equipped HH48.

While this newest design incorporates in-house concepts articulated by James and Elliott, size matters and this 48-footer is not simply a scaled-down version of previous larger models. Instead the HH48 represents a new summation of lessons learnt through the design, construction and performance of the two bigger cats appropriate to a boat of this size.

Full story in the December issue of Seahorse: https://www.seahorsemagazine.com/115-content/december-2017/556-flavour-of-the-year

Windy Sail Melbourne International wraps up
Another day of strong winds for the final day of Sail Melbourne International (29 November to 3 December 2017) meant an early finish to the event with the last day of Invited class racing called off (Sunday, 3 Dec). Olympic classes also finished one day early and wrapped up on Saturday, 2 December with medal winners decided after a three-day race series (29 Nov to 1 December 2017).

It was a challenging week for the race committee with a heavy weather front crossing Melbourne and Victoria, but with the Organising Committee's world class expertise the event wrapped up smoothly.

The stellar Melbourne line-up included the Australian Sailing Team and Australian Olympic medallists with Rio 2016 Olympic champion Tom Burton winning the Laser, Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallists Mat Belcher and Will Ryan the 470 and Rio 2016 silver medallists Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin winning the mixed-multihull Nacra17 on home waters.

With only one day of racing under the belt, it came down to a discretionary decision from race management to award medals to the Invited classes with results standing from Friday, 1 December 2017.

Tentative dates for Sail Melbourne International 2018 out of Royal Brighton Yacht Club are 12 - 16 December 2018.

Olympic Classes Results

Men's One Person Dinghy (Heavyweight) - Finn
1. Jake Lilley, AUS (QLD)
2. Thomas Slingsby, AUS (NSW)
3. Oliver Tweddell, AUS (VIC)

Men's One Person Dinghy - Laser Std
1. Thomas Burton, AUS (NSW)
2. Matthew Wear, AUS (WA)
3. Jeremy O'Connell, AUS (VIC)

470M
1. Mat Belcher | Will Ryan, AUS (QLD)
2. Daichi Takayama | Imamura Kimihiko, JPN
3. Doi Kazuto | Naoya Kumra, JPN

470W
1. Carrie Smith | Jaime Ryan, AUS (WA/QLD)
2. Nia Jerwood | Monique Devries, AUS (WA)
3. Sophie McIntosh | Orla Mulholland Patterson (NSW/WA)

Men's Skiff - 49er
1. David Gimour | Joel Turner, AUS (QLD / WA)
2. Will Phillips | Sam Phillips, AUS (VIC)
3. Judge Ryan | Hans Henken, USA

Women's Skiff - 49erFX
1. Amelia Stabback | Ella Clark, AUS (NSW)
1. Tess Lloyd | Harry Mighell, AUS (VIC)
2. Natasha Bryant | Annie Wilmot, AUS (NSW)

Mixed Multihull - Nacra 17
1. Jason Waterhouse | Lisa Darmanin, AUS (NSW)
2. Paul Darmanin | Lucy Copeland, AUS (NSW)
3. Tayla Rietman | Lachlan White, AUS (VIC)

Windsurfer - RSX
1. Joanna Sterling, AUS (QLD)
2. Alex Halank, AUS (NSW)
3. Harry Walker, AUS (QLD)

Bic Techno
1. William Grimshaw, AUS (VIC)
2. Sam Magarey, AUS (SA)
3. Jude Smale, AUS (VIC)

See all results sailingresults.net/site/event/80163/default.html

www.sailmelbourne.com.au

Paris 2024 Olympic venue selected for Sailing's 2018 World Cup Series Final
World Sailing's World Cup Series Final in 2018 will head to Marseille, France, the host city for the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition.

The 2017/2018 World Cup Series commenced in Japan in October. Miami will host the American round in January 2018 followed by Hyeres, France in April.

Marseille will host the final from 3 - 10 June 2018.

World Sailing's Board of Directors conducted a formal review and evaluation of bids received from Tallinn, Estonia as well as Marseille with the French venue awarded the event, subject to the signing of the event contract.

"Once an Olympic venue is announced, sailors are eager to train, race and compete on the waters of the Olympic Sailing Competition," commented World Sailing President Kim Andersen.

"The competition is dependent on the natural environment and sailors have to learn how to read the tidal patterns and wind conditions to best prepare for the Games itself.

"When Marseille hosts the 2018 World Cup Final, we will be more than six years away from the Paris 2024 but this provides the Olympic hopefuls with a world class competition to commence their journey to the Olympic Games.

sailing.org

Know when to hold, when to fold
Stanley Paris has wanted to retrace the route taken by Dodge Morgan, who in 1986 became the first American to sail solo around the globe with no stops. He also wants to beat Morgan's time of 150 days, 6 hours and one minute, which began and finished in Bermuda, and be the oldest to do so.

Paris tried twice in 2014, but equipment issues derailed his attempts in January and December. Paris would always begin from his hometown of St. Augustine, Florida, with the intent to pass Bermuda so as to complete two loops: Bermuda and St Augustine. Now at 80 years old, he was amid his third attempt when onboard problems halted progress at Bermuda.

His plan was to make repairs and start again on December 2 or 3, and while he would not be able to set a non-stop record from St. Augustine to St. Augustine, the remaining two objectives would still be pursued. That was, until he took a long, deep breath of reality to realize this third attempt must stop too. Here is his update:

Sometimes circumstances accumulate to a point to where an unwelcome but wise decision must be made - and right now I am faced with exactly that. The final straw occurred over the last two days when I learned from the Word Sailing Speed Record Council that even a successful restart from Bermuda and back again would not give me the record I seek as the oldest to have solo circumnavigated the globe. By their rules I would be short 346 miles.

Full story: www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

18ft Skiffs NSW Championship, Race 2
Sydney Harbour: The defending champion Smeg team of Lee Knapton, Mike McKensey and Ricky Bridge strengthened their grip on the 2017-2018 NSW 18ft Skiff Championship with their second win of the championship in Race 2 on Sydney Harbour today.

A winning margin of 48s makes the win look decisive but the victory was a long hard battle mixed with some good fortune when two early race leaders faltered at the bottom mark on the first two laps of the course.

Smeg took full advantage to cross the line ahead of Finport Trade Finance (Keagan York, Angus Williams, Adam Minter) with The Kitchen Maker (Scott Babbage, Sam Ellis, Phil Marshall) a further 1m38s back in thirs place.

The young Noakes Youth team, led by Kirk Mitchell, were again impressive in their first 18ft Skiff season and finished fourth, ahead of Asko Appliances (James Dorron) and Yandoo (John Winning)

Smeg leads the championship on 2 points, followed by The Kitchen Maker on six points, Yandoo and Noakes Youth, both on 10, Rag & Famish Hotel (Bryce Edwards) on 13 and Triple M (James Ward) on 14.

De'Longhi (Simon Nearn) and Triple M won the start but an early tack by the Asko Appliances team saw the skiff grab the lead when their move proved decisive as the breeze shifted a little to the east of north east. -- Frank Quealey

Race 3 of the NSW Championship will be sailed next Sunday (10 December).

www.18footers.com

Over one hundred entries for Phuket King's Cup
Bangkok/Phuket: The Opening Ceremony of the 2017 Phuket King's Cup Regatta hosted at Beyond Resort Kata hoists the flag on this year's race and honors a strong fleet of entries. Over 100 keelboats, multihulls and dinghies from around the world have joined the 31st Anniversary race. The '17 Regatta reaffirms the reputation of Phuket as a sports and marine tourism paradise, and also contributes to the future of sailing in Thailand. This year's race has a particularly strong focus on growing the sport of Youth Sailing in Thailand and building a great sailing future for the country.

The Phuket King's Cup Regatta welcomes the return of some familiar teams and boats which have already proven their pace, pedigree and performance in regattas past. Ray Roberts' Team Hollywood and Sarab Singh's Windsiker are to head up IRC0.

Team Mandrake, which has dominated in previous years, will go up against a highly charged pack consisting of Karasu (JPN) and Madame Butterfly (GBR), whilst Premier class sees the return of the pace-setting Pine-Pacific (THA) team.

Both the Bareboat Charter and Cruising classes comprise large fleets, and the Cruising Multihull fleet continues to grow. A smaller but ever-more-tightly competitive Firefly 850 grouping features familiar names Twin Sharks and Voodoo, whilst the One-Design class this year runs with the Pulse 600 design.

The International Dinghy racing is sponsored by the Government Lottery Office and is divided into the following classes: Optimist Boy & Girl, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial, Laser Standard and Topper.

www.kingscup.com

Featured Brokerage
2005 Frers 57 Day Sailer - SASKIA TOO. Located in South Coast, France.

Drop dead gorgeous day sailor, a mini Wally in every sense.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

1998 Nautor Swan 56 - KING DADDY. 625,000 USD. Located in Newport, RI - USA.

Quite obviously adored Swan 56 from 1998. Continuously maintained and polished to the enth. She has an excellent sail package/electronics and of course, the carbon rig, all a huge plus for this Swan.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

1998 Nautor Swan 56 - WHY NOT. 490,000 EUR. Located in En-route Palma de Mallorca.

German Frers Swan from 98. Following a refit in 2007 by Villefranche the current owner has had a continuous maintenance and upgrade programme in place. Well worth a look.

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
The illegal we can do right now; the unconstitutional will take a little longer. -- Henry Kissinger

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
40 knot knock-down for CQS | Admiral's Cup 50th anniversary regatta | Harken Exhibits at Paris Boat Show - December 2 - 12 | SAP Extreme Sailing Team triumphs in 2017 Extreme Sailing Series | Dennis Conner worried about cost of radical Cup yachts | Team New Zealand hit back at Dennis Conner's $217m America's Cup price tag | Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar Competition | Man pleads not guily to boat manslaughter at Bermuda America's Cup | DRHEAM Cup- Destination Cotentin | Royal Cork preparations for 300th Anniversary | Featured Brokerage

40 knot knock-down for CQS
Ludde Ingvall's CQS suffered a setback in the RORC Transatlantic Race; the westbound leg of the Atlantic Anniversary Regatta. "We got caught in a bad squall of probably 40 knots which resulted in a number of issues," Ingvall reported from on board on day 10 of the race. "There has been damage to sails and onboard electronic systems, but we are still progressing towards the finish."

Kenneth Thelen, co-skipper for Australian Maxi CQS confirmed that all of the crew of the 96ft canting keel Maxi were safe and well. Describing the damage he said: "Part of our electronics failed making it hard to sail in the dark. We blew our biggest spinnaker, but it is repairable. As we went into a gybe, the engine stalled and we lay flat on our side for a while which resulted in a diesel spill inside the boat, so the smell is terrible in the heat! We broke the top three battens in the mainsail, but we are still sailing towards the finish at reasonable speed, in pouring rain. We will assess the situation at first light."

At 1100 UTC on December 4th, the race tracker showed that CQS had slowed down to barely a few knots of boat speed to effect repairs. "We are back on track," continued Ingvall. We lost about six hours while sailing slowly and then stopped to repair probably at 90-95%, but we are now doing 14-15 knots average with G1 and a full main."

At the time of the incident CQS was more than 400 nautical miles ahead of Jochen Bovenkamp's Dutch Marten 72 Aragon and Southernwind 96 Sorceress, skippered by Daniel Stump. CQS are fighting all the way to hold onto their grip on the IMA Transatlantic Race Trophy.

Eric de Turckheim's French Nivelt-Muratet 54 Teasing Machine leads overall after IRC time correction and the majority of the record fleet are reaching at double-digit boat speed towards the finish at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada.

rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

Admiral's Cup 50th anniversary regatta
Caprice of Huon at 1967 Admiral's Cup. Photo by Robert Baker. Click on image for photo gallery.

If you love old boats, history and a bit of nostalgia, then the three-day Admiral's Cup 50th anniversary regatta in Sydney starting Friday on Sydney Harbour will no doubt appeal.

It's been 50 years since Australia won the Admiral's Cup in Cowes for the first time. It was 1967, following our inaugural participation in the event two years earlier, when Australia finished second in the Cup which was first held in 1957 off Cowes in England.

In 1965 the Australian team comprised Caprice of Huon (Gordon Ingate), Freya (Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen) and Camille of Seaforth (Ron Swanson). The team placed second from eight nations, spurred us on to greater things in this prestigious competition held every odd year.

Two years later, in 1967, our team comprising Mercedes III (Ted Kaufman), Balandra (Robert Crighton-Brown) and Caprice of Huon (Gordon Reynolds) won the AC, prevailing over eight other nations and beating the second placed British team by 13 points. Hence the 50 year reunion.

All three owners are gone now, but the trio led long and rewarding lives. Kaufman, who in collaboration with Bob Miller (later famously known as Ben Lexcen) designed Mercedes III, died early in 2014 at the ripe old age of 94. Crighton-Brown, knighted in 1972, passed away in London in 2013 aged 93. Reynolds the 1967 team manager, a CYCA Life Member and founding member of Middle Harbour Yacht Club, passed away in 2005 aged 84. There is a lot to be said for sea air.

All three will be represented by their sons at the 50th reunion. Scott Kaufman has flown from New York to represent his late father Ted, co-designer and skipper of Mercedes III, Anthony Crighton Brown has arrived from London to sail on Pacha, in lieu of 1967 entry, Balandra, which is currently undergoing restoration, while Sydney brothers Tony and Rob Reynolds will take their late father Gordon's place on Caprice of Huon, with the boat's 1965 Gordon, Ingate, skippering.

Race 1, on Sydney Harbour, scheduled to start at 1pm, then on Saturday the boats will sail a short offshore racing, starting from 10.30am. On Sunday, one final Harbour race, due to start at 12pm. A full social program has also been organised. -- Di Pearson

Harken Exhibits at Paris Boat Show - December 2 - 12
This year Harken will introduce its line of Element blocks. Element offers all types of sailors (even those who don't race!) Harken quality, durability, and engineering expertise at an affordable price. Element sideplates are forged aluminum for toughness and perfectly shaped to protect their fiber-reinforced sheaves and proven bearing system. Element will be available in early 2018 in singles, doubles, triples, fiddles, and foot blocks in 45, 60, and 80 millimeter sizes.

Also on display in Paris: A new Small Boat Continuous Line Drive furler designed to furl oversized sails on sportboats and multihulls. Harken's Ceramic Mainsheet System will be there. It. features-smooth-running ceramic bearings for efficient power transfer to crew on GP catamarans, ensuring easy, precise trimming.

Plus, Harken Hydraulics has designed new: PLC control boxes, stackable directional valves, and 2 or 3 motor hydraulic power units that are simple to install. A larger Reflex top-down furler and a larger Flatwinder powered pulley for mainsheet traveler adjustment round out the new product introductions.

Stop by Hall 2.1 Stand A60. Harken's friendly, knowledgeable staff will be happy to answer your technical questions and show you around. Harken AT THE FRONT.

harken.com

SAP Extreme Sailing Team triumphs in 2017 Extreme Sailing Series
Danish-flagged SAP Extreme Sailing Team was crowned champion of the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series, while Alinghi took home the Act 8, Los Cabos, presented by SAP trophy, in an electrifying season finale.

The wind tantalised the apprehensive teams, only filling in enough to run three scoring races in the final hour of the day. The Danes had victory in the bag by the time it came to the closing double-points race but the heat was still on between Alinghi and Oman Air in the war to win the first-ever Mexican Extreme Sailing Series Act.

For an ecstatic SAP Extreme Sailing Team co-skipper Rasmus Kostner this is a momentous occasion, as it is his first ever victory in the ultimate Stadium Racing championship since he began competing in 2012.

Although the season trophy was out of reach for Alinghi and Oman Air, their fate in Act standings was only decided in the last race of the day. Not deterred by Oman Air's two race wins in the run-up, the Swiss finished ahead of the Omani syndicate to seal the Act 8 triumph.

Standings after Day 4, 20 races (03.12.17)

1. Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothe Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey, 224 points
2. Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari, 212
3. SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Kostner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason, 209
4. Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller, 191
5. Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Giles Scott, Oli Greber, Sam Batten, Matt Brushwood, 157
6. NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Andy Maloney, Josh Salthouse, 157
7. Team Extreme Mexico (MEX) Erik Brockmann, Chris Taylor, Alex Higby, Tom Buggy, Danel Belausteguigoitia Fierro, Armando Noriega Negrete, 153
8. Lupe Tortilla Demetrio (USA) John Tomko, Jonathan Atwood, Matthew Whitehead, Tripp Burd, Trevor Burd, 125

Extreme Sailing Series 2017 overall standings

1. SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) 98 points
2. Alinghi (SUI) 96
3. Oman Air (OMA) 95
4. Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 84
5. Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) 70
6. NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) 70

www.extremesailingseries.com

Dennis Conner worried about cost of radical Cup yachts
Dennis Conner is worried the cost of the radical new America's Cup yachts could prevent some syndicates from entering.

The Cup legend believes a syndicate could require more than $200 million for a competitive challenge with the radical new foiling monohulls planned for the 2021 event in Auckland.

The new AC75 will be complicated, expensive and likely to capsize. But he said on his sailing podcast the new boat ''would be really something''.

"It's a radical new boat. We knew it had to be something special and, boy, they didn't let us down.

"Talk about an engineering nightmare ... or an opportunity. It will be incredibly complex, the operating of this (foils) system. Breakdowns are part of racing ... not only does it have to be complex it has to be totally reliable, which is saying a lot. And these boats will capsize.

"But it's fantastic sailing on the Hauraki Gulf in Auckland and this is going to be really something."

Small teams would struggle to be part of the regatta.

"The costs involved are going to be horrific for a low-budget syndicate. Maybe between US$100-150 million, that's a tremendous amount of money to the folks in sailing. But the best sailor in the world can't win without a good boat and a good team.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Team New Zealand hit back at Dennis Conner's $217m America's Cup price tag
Team New Zealand believe a competitive budget for the next America's Cup is well below the NZ$217 million suggested by Dennis Conner.

Conner, who has won the Cup four times, said in reviewing the new 75-foot foiling monohull concept released by Team NZ he believed syndicates would need to spend between US$100-150m (NZ$145-217m) to be in the hunt for the Auld Mug in 2021.

But Dan Bernasconi, the Emirates Team New Zealand design boss, has disputed that huge figure.

He argued if that was the case then Team New Zealand "haven't got a hope" for their defence set down for Auckland.

"We're not going to be spending that much and I don't think anybody will be," Bernasconi told Sailing Illustrated as he fronted a live chat on Wednesday (NZT) with the specialist American website about the AC75 he helped mastermind.

"If he's saying it is $140-200m then we haven't got a hope as Team New Zealand."

www.stuff.co.nz/sport/

Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar Competition
In support of SailAid UK

Our featured pub tonight is one that's well known to denizens of the Caribbean racing circuit... and a past winner of our annual award, that was in 2012.

St Maarten Yacht Club

Here's what makes it so great...

It's great because ITS STILL THERE! Despite some damage, I understand it's been somewhat damaged, but they are open for business and I can't wait to get back for their legendary Bloody Marys and the wonderful atmosphere.

Is there a special drink they make? Care to share the recipe with us?

Bloody Marys are a feast in themselves. Made of Unicorn's blood and nitroglycerin? Whatever it is, it cures the direst of hangovers.

St. Maarten is home to the VERY popular Heineken Regatta. This spring's dates for the 38th edition are March 1-4 and the event hosts have introduced a FREE concierge service to help visiting yachts with any and all needed logistics:

"We have been attracting local and international talent to this regatta since 1980 with an epic experience both on and off the water for maxi, monohull and performance multihull classes," said Regatta Director Michelle van der Werff. "We plan to continue in that spirit to make everyone's experience next year as seamless as possible when it comes to logistics. The progress of rebuilding following Hurricane Irma has been impressive, and we are confident that the island of Saint Martin will be fully prepared to welcome sailors in March. In the meantime, competitors can visit the regatta website for the most up-to-date news on what hotels, restaurants and marinas are open and taking reservations. We also urge everyone to reach out for any assistance or questions that they may have."

The Princess Juliana International Airport reopened in October and welcomes more flights each day. The French side of Saint Martin already welcomed its first cruise ship and the Port of St. Maarten is preparing to welcome cruise ships next month.

The regatta is well known for its large and competitive charter classes, and charter companies will once again bring their "A" game for the 38th edition, offering an array of different options to accommodate a range of clients. Whether competitors are looking to book a single crew space on a boat or for the full-service "soup-to-nuts" package, regatta organizers can direct sailors to the best fit.

heinekenregatta.com

To Register for the 2018 event, visit regattaguru.com/heineken/100237

To help the yachting industry recover from the hurricanes, please visit SailAId UK... if you wish to donate to the St. Maarten Yacht Club and Sailing School: www.smyc.com/sponsor-or-donate

Just 10 days left to send us YOUR favourite bar....

scuttlebutteurope.com/sailors-bars

Man pleads not guily to boat manslaughter at Bermuda America's Cup
A 26-year-old man has denied killing a woman by driving his boat dangerously.

Andrew Lake, of Southampton, pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of New Zealander Mary McKee in Supreme Court yesterday morning.

Ms McKee, 62, died after a marine incident in Hamilton Harbour on June 1 this year.

Mr Lake also denied causing injuries to Mrs McKee's husband, Arthur, and a second man, Charlie Watson, by driving his powerboat in a dangerous manner.

Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons released Mr Lake on bail before his trial on April 3, next year.

www.royalgazette.com

DRHEAM Cup- Destination Cotentin
The press conference presenting the second edition of La DRHEAM-CUP-Destination Cotentin will be held on Saturday 2 december at the Salon NAUTIC in Paris, an opportunity to officially open entries. The race will be held from Thursday 19 to Sunday 29 July 2018, it will leave from La Trinite-sur-Mer and arrive in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. One of the courses will be a qualifier for the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe.

The start of the race will be given on Monday 23 July, with two courses to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin: the longest, 736 nautical miles via the Fastnet, is a qualifier for the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe 2018, and will be open to larger yachts that wish to take part double handed or crewed; the second, 428 nautical miles via Wolf Rock is open to all other yachts, IRC/Osiris, mini 6.50 and "Classics", the aim being to group arrivals over two days to welcome the whole fleet with the same warmth in Cotentin.

The creator and organiser of La DRHEAM CUP-Destination Cotentin, Jacques Civilise, wants this race to be a major sporting event, held every even-numbered year, and hopes it will become a long term favourite in the international offshore racing circuit, bringing together professionals and amateurs. That is why it is "OPEN" to all: all offshore yachts over 6.50 metres can enter and the format is completely free, meaning the race can be run solo, double handed or crewed.

The aim of the organiser is also to attract crews from abroad, who will be welcomed in Brittany and Normandy, as during the first edition, which hosted teams from Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium. Entries are now officially open, crews and skippers who wish to take part in La DRHEAM CUP-Destination Cotentin are invited to register online at www.drheam-cup.com as soon as possible, to ensure they are at the start of the race in July 2018, as places are limited.

2016 Event Rankings:

The podium (all classes):
1. Arkema (Lalou Roucayrol)
2. Le Souffle du Nord (Thomas Ruyant)
3. A Capella Soreal (Charlie Capelle)

Winners by class:
Multi50: Arkema (Lalou Roucayrol)
M2K: A Capella Soreal (Charlie Capelle)
Imoca: Le Souffle du Nord (Thomas Ruyant)
Class40: Colombre XL (Massimo Juris)
Mini 6.50: Raoul Pasteque (Romain Bolzinger)
IRC: Group 5 (Patrice Carpentier)
IRC 1: Team Vendee 192-Les Parrains (Benjamin Dutreux)
IRC 2: Fleur du Sud (Patrick Molitor)
IRC Double handed: Group 5 (Patrice Carpentier)

drheam-cup.com

Royal Cork preparations for 300th Anniversary
A 'Great Ocean Race,' the possibility of the oldest single-handed Transatlantic race, the Transat, having one of its legs into and form Cork; a 'Great Gathering' of cruisers with 'feeder' events form several countries, a 'Water Club Invitational Cup' event that would recall the start of sailing in Cork Harbour by the 'Water Club' - are amongst the plans being developed at the RCYC in Crosshaven to mark its 300th anniversary in 2020.

The Naval Service will be involved, fittingly as the original founders of what has become the RCYC, were based at Haulbowline. A Presidential visit and Salute by Naval vessels visiting during the sailing season of 2020, a Classic Gathering and events to involve the harbour communities are amongst the plans.

"In 1720, interest in the sport of sailing had progressed so much that 26-year-old William O'Brien, the 9th Lord Inchiquin and five of his friends got together to formalise their activities and in so doing established 'The Water Club of the Harbour of Cork.'

This club is known today as the Royal Cork Yacht Club and it is the oldest yacht club in the world," says the RCYC history. As people in Cobh will tell you, they enabled Crosshaven to establish its credentials when the then RCYC in Cobh merged with the Royal Munster YC at Crosshaven. Monkstown has also laid claim to helping the RCYC maintain that long history.

afloat.ie/sail/sailing-clubs/

Featured Brokerage
2001 Judel/Vrolijk Marten 80 - NIMROD. 975000 GBP. Located in Hamble, UK.

Epic Judel/Vrolijk from Marten in 2001, with a nautical makeover in Blighty of gargantuan proportions, she has been zero houred. Looks amazing.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

1998 Elliot 1850 Schooner - ZINDABAR. 545,000 GBP. Located in Bay of Islands, NZ.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

2015 Ker 40+ Invictus. PRICE Located in

Built in 2015 by McConaghy Invictus has competed over 3 seasons in The Solent and has an impressive track record.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Alex Mills - alex@originsportsgroup.com

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

The Last Word
Telling a teenager the facts of life is like giving a fish a bath. -- Arnold H. Glasow

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
Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar: In Support of Sail Aid | FFV verses Golden Globe Race?? | CQS less than 300 miles from Grenada | Old Time Caribbean Fun @ 45th St. Thomas International Regatta | In search of the Sailing Heroes of 2017 | Seahorse Sailor Of The Month | How Sailing Helped Einstein Explain the Universe | Lendy Cowes Week 2018 Opens For Entries | 1851 Trust is appointed Official Event Charity for Lendy Cowes Week | Historic Suffolk yacht 'Leila' completes 500-mile race on her 125th birthday | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

FFV verses Golden Globe Race??
We are all here in Les Sables d'Olonne for the GGR Skippers Conference on Wednesday/Thursday, and just had this hand grenade lobbed into our midst by the FFV, effectively saying that the rules within our Notice of Race do not meet their regulations and we cannot start and finish the Race from France.

The timing seems incredulous considering the fact that the FFV and Race Chairman Don McIntyre are mid-way through negotiations to resolve the issues - their next meeting is set for 10:00am on December 14. It has left us all questioning their motives, not to mention professionalism. -- Barry Pickthall

Statement from the Golden Globe Race:

Don McIntyre, the Chairman of the 2018 Golden Globe Race, proclaimed surprise at the announcement from the FFV today that the rules for the Golden Globe Race, set to start from Les Sables d'Olonne on July 1st next year, do not meet their regulations.

"We have opened discussions with the FFV and have already changed some critical elements of the Rules, and are working hard to accommodate all their suggestions. We have a meeting with the FFV set for December 14 to discuss these issues so I am at a loss to understand why the FFV would go public before that meeting.

Jean-Luc van den Heede, who has completed five solo circumnavigations, and is a competitor in the Golden Globe Race, said tonight: "I have some experience with races that everyone predicted would be impossible, dangerous, suicidal etc. During the build-up to the first Mini Transat Race which started from England in 1977, the French skippers were very much targeted by the French Maritime Affairs who wanted to prevent us from competing. It was hardly better in the second edition ...until the race became French, and a few years later, Mr Le Pensec, the Minister of the Sea, started the race.

During the first Vendee Globe Race the 'specialists' also predicted the worst, but look what this event has become today. At the time, the FFV was not responsible for this type of competition, but now in 2017, the rules that the Federation want to apply are made for modern boats equipped with the latest technology. We will have the latest technology in terms of safety, but our boats are old and have proven themselves over decades. I very much hope that the FFV will relax some rules, because our slow boats do not create a danger to shipping."

Jean-Luc VDH on Matmut, competitor in the GGR.

The letter from FFV to GGR (in French) available here.

goldengloberace.com

CQS less than 300 miles from Grenada
As dawn broke on the eleventh day of the 2017 RORC Transatlantic Race, Ludde Ingvall's Australian Maxi CQS was under 300 miles from taking monohull line honours and lifting the IMA Transatlantic Trophy. CQS has suffered damage to their mainsail during a knockdown in heavy weather and has one big gybe remaining before pointing their bow at Grenada and the finish. CQS is reaching at top speed and expected to finish at approximately midday local time on Wednesday 6th December.

In the race for the RORC Transatlantic Trophy for the best corrected time under IRC, Eric de Turckheim's French Nivelt-Muratet 54 Teasing Machine is still leading the race, but the margin has been reduced significantly. Teasing Machine is the most southerly of yachts in the fleet that have all been attracted to an area of increased wind strength accompanied by a significant sea state. Teasing Machine gybed west at around dawn, blasting along at over 16 knots of boat speed and still lead the race after IRC time correction, but two Maxis are now ahead of them on the water.

Jochen Bovenkamp's Dutch Marten 72 Aragon and Canadian Southern Wind 96 Sorceress, skippered by Daniel Stump are enjoying a high-speed Maxi match race with under 1,000 miles to go. Last year's overall race winner, Aragon gybed west this morning and looks to have the upper hand for the moment. As the most southerly of the dueling Maxis, she is benefiting from the increased pressure and sea state.

In IRC One, the two provisional leaders from Germany are 700 miles apart. Bjorn Woge's Andrews 56 Broader View Hamburg has regained the class lead from the Kiel-based family members racing on Joh. Wilh. von Eicken's Swan 56 Latona. Eicken's ancestors were part of the founding members of NRV, the Hamburg club celebrating its 150th anniversary.

In IRC Two, Richard Palmer's British JPK 10.10 Jangada, racing Two Handed with Rupert Holmes continues to dominate the class. However, an area of high pressure is forecast to affect the tactical decisions of the vast majority of the fleet.

rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

YB Race Tracker

Old Time Caribbean Fun @ 45th St. Thomas International Regatta
Get ready to soak up that good old day Caribbean racing vibe! The 45th St. Thomas International Regatta, set for March 23-25, 2018, will feature hot racing by day and beachside toes-in-the-sand barbecues at night. All are welcome! Racing, cruising, beach cats, cruising catamarans and one-design IC24 classes will be offered.

Fleets of IC24 from the U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are expected to be strong, with charters of these homegrown vessels available from the St. Thomas Sailing Center (STSC) (stsc.styc.club), based at the St. Thomas Yacht Club. Need to tune up? The STSC is offering two North U Racing Clinics: January 31-February 4 and February 28-March 4. For condos or villas to rent, check out VRBO or Airbnb.

What's more, STIR organizers plan to host Brad Dellenbaugh, who will give one of his highly-respected Speed & Smarts Seminars on Wednesday March 21. This on-land seminar features a 3-hour morning session covering starts, tactics and strategy, followed by a 3-hour afternoon session covering upwind strategy and tactics. Dellenbaugh was most recently the Sailing Director for the New York Yacht Club, a former Olympic Soling campaigner and was the chief umpire at the 2007 America's Cup in Valencia, Spain.

Check out the updated NOR which will be posted shortly on yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=4422. For more information, Email: stycisv@gmail.com or cpessler@hotmail.com, Call (340) 642-3204.

stthomasinternationalregatta.com

In search of the Sailing Heroes of 2017
It is truly a case of little and large in the run up to the annual presentation of the Yachting Journalists' Association's prestigious Yachtsman of the Year and Young Sailor of the Year Awards with Laser Radial Girls Champion 16-year-old schoolgirl Matilda Nicholls from Durley, near Southampton among the shortlisted candidates for the Young Sailor Award, while Solo Round the World Sailor Alex Thompson is one of three competing nominees for the prestigious Yachtsman of the Year Trophy.

The other shortlisted nominees for the Young Sailor of the Year Award are Montel Fagan-Jordan, who took Cowes Week and the Fastnet Race by storm with a whole host of achievements, a tally that gave the 17-year-old secondary school pupil from Tottenham his shortlisted spot. Meanwhile the 29er championship winning crew of Crispin Beaumont and Tom Darling will return to the podium hot on the heels of their place in the final three in 2017.

Lined up against Thompson in the battle to get their hands on the stunning Yachtsman of the Year Trophy, previous winners of which are a virtual "Who's Who" of British Yachting and include Sir Francis Chichester, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Sir Chay Blyth, Sir Max Aitken (who first presented the Trophy in 1955), Dame Ellen MacArthur and Sir Ben Ainslie, are Moth World Champion Paul Goodison and 49er pair Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell.

The Winners of the Awards, which are voted for by the 250 strong members of the Yachting Journalists' Association in a secret ballot, will be once again be announced at a presentation in the spectacular surroundings of Trinity House, London at Midday on Tuesday, January 9, 2018.

www.yja.co.uk

Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
Last month's winner:

Igor Rytov (RUS)
'A beginner in 2012, MSR winner in 2017 - Vadim Vosman; 'I am RORC member since 2013 and proud to have raced with Igor' - Boris Omelnitskiy; 'Larry was big competition!' - Ivan Bidzilya; 'A big jump for a newcomer!' - Sergey Pinyagin; 'Russian guys win the MSR!!!' - Mikchail Mishchenko; 'A great result for Russia' - Anastasia Kalinina; 'Igor wins with his friends against the big pro sailors!' - Sergeev Anton; 'My husband is the coolest man!' - Irina Rytov; 'And my dad is the best dad' - Polina Rytov.

This month's nominees:

Thomas Coville (FRA)
One of three or four (French) men who have dominated ocean racing this year, Coville and his trusty lieutenant Jean-Luc Nelias saw off the challenge of the clearly faster but still fragile Gitana 17 to win the Transat Jacques Vabre in a new record time. But Coville knows the clock is ticking on his current boat and is increasingly impatient to find a buyer so that his sponsor Sodebo can start on a new Ultim in time for the big race in 2019

Francois Gabart (FRA)
What is there left to say about someone who has won every single major ocean race that he has entered to date, including the previous TJV, the Route du Rhum and the 2012 Vendee Globe. On his current solo round-the-world record attempt Gabart passed the Cape of Good Hope on his 100ft Ultim Macifmore than one hour more quickly than the 140ft Banque Pop V managed with 14 crew onboard during her successful Jules Verne run

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

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

View past winners of Sailor of the Month

How Sailing Helped Einstein Explain the Universe
Click on image to enlarge.

If the world's most famous physicist Albert Einstein is any guide, modern-day scientists need to get out of the lab more and onto the water. Around 1900, a cheeky Swiss patent clerk wrote to a friend about four scientific papers he had been working on in his spare time. He described them as revolutionary, claiming they would one day modify the "theory of space and time".

The then 18-year-old had just learnt to sail but maybe physics wasn't the only thing on the mind of the budding genius when he regularly ventured out onto the Alpine lakes of Switzerland. His crew was the daughter of his landlady Suzanne Markwalder. According to Markwalder, when the breeze dropped and the sails sagged, Einstein would whip out his notebook and begin scribbling away. "But as soon as there was a breath of wind," she said, "he was ready to start sailing again."

www.abc.net.au/news/

Lendy Cowes Week 2018 Opens For Entries
Entries for the world famous Lendy Cowes Week regatta opened today, with organisers Cowes Week Limited (CWL) announcing a range of competitor-led initiatives for the flagship event.

Feedback from the various classes taking part has led to a comprehensive re-working of the entry fee structure. Standard and Late entry Fees for all classes have been reduced for the 2018 event, while smaller one-design and IRC boats received an added boost, as CWL introduced two new entry categories to further reduce the entry fees paid by those boats with fewer crew and more limited budgets.

Boats opting to take advantage of the Super Early Bird entry fee, which ends on 29 December, will also be entered into a prize draw with the successful entrant receiving not only a rebate on their entry fee but a whole host of enticing prizes, including a Musto jacket and a £200 TNG Swiss Watches voucher.

Other initiatives for 2018 include the introduction of four-day mini-series for the Quarter Ton and FAST40+ classes and the new HP30 class, which will include fixed line and committee boat starts each day, together with the exciting addition of an Around the Island Race on Thursday 9th August for IMOCA 60s, IRC Super Zero and Class 40 yachts.

lendycowesweek.co.uk

1851 Trust is appointed Official Event Charity for Lendy Cowes Week
Cowes Week Limited (CWL) is delighted to announce that they have selected the 1851 Trust as the official event charity for Lendy Cowes Week 2018.

Encouraging youth participation in sailing will play a vital part in the continued success and popularity of the sport and more specifically of events like Lendy Cowes Week. CWL therefore felt it was right to appoint a charity such as the 1851 Trust whose aim is to inspire and engage young people to better futures by providing them with the education and opportunities to become innovators of the future and stewards of the environment. Their education based programmes are unique in exciting young people by harnessing the power of sport and sustainability, and through the inspiration of Land Rover BAR, the America's Cup sailing team, led by Sir Ben Ainslie.

During the regatta, the 1851 Trust, whose Royal Patron is HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, is planning to provide sailing opportunities, sustainability, and interactive shoreside activities. Primarily aimed at young people aged 10-16, the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) activities will be based on the regular school visits the Trust hosts on the Tech Deck at Land Rover BAR and the Trust's successful digital teaching resources, BT STEM Crew. In addition, the 1851 Trust will give a group of young sailors from its Solent-based Go Sail! programme the opportunity to take part in the Regatta. Further plans will be announced in the New Year.

www.1851trust.org.uk

Historic Suffolk yacht 'Leila' completes 500-mile race on her 125th birthday
Click on image to enlarge.

A historic yacht based in Lowestoft has sailed her first ever 'tall ships' race trophy from the Baltic for her 125th birthday.

Youngsters George Ray from Ipswich and Simon Wiseman from Great Yarmouth were among the crew that sailed 'Leila', the fifth oldest sailing yacht in the country, from Lowestoft to the race start in Sweden in June.

Leila stormed off at the front of the fleet, taking three days to cover the 500-mile course to reach the finishing line in the Gulf of Finland, near Russia.

Despite being the oldest and smallest ship to take part in the event, Leila's crew managed to come third in class out of 15 and fourth overall out of the fleet of 50 tall ships.

The Victorian racing yacht had been discovered rotting in a backwater near Yarmouth and rescued by skipper David Beavan from Southwold.

She underwent a five-year, £150,000 renovation programme at the town's Harbour Marine Services boatyard with most of the work being carried out by volunteers, led by David, before being re-launched as sail-training boat in 2012.

Next year will be the last of lottery funded voyages Leila will take along the East Anglian coastline, and booking are now being taken. The Leila Trust is looking to recruit more volunteers to crew the boat as well as helping to keep the vessel ship-shape.

www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/

www.leila2c.org

* From Talbot Wilson:

Maybe Team New Zealand will share Technology with a limited number of 'low' budget teams like Oracle USA did in Bermuda?

Or allow a group of challengers to share in some way.

Maybe the hull will be strict one-design since it is only there as a 'crew and foil-carrying' structure.

We certainly don't have the full picture yet from either the Defender or the Challenger of Record.

The Kiwis are certainly well know for crafting creative, imaginative solutions.

* From Don Street (87 racing Gypsy age 84 the oldest dragon in the world still racing)

At 89 Gordon ingate is not only still capable of racing Caprice of Huno, but he is also the oldest person in the world still racing dragons. He not only is still racing, but he is racing at the TOP of the class.

* From Adrian Morgan re: Clipper grounding and salvage:

Don Street makes a valid point, but ironically it was probably because the skipper and navigator were not relying on electronic aids, that they went aground. If someone had been glued to the electronic chart, watching the depth, plotting their position rather than, presumably, concentrating on racing, they would not have hit the beach.

Featured Brokerage
2011 Shipman 63 - HAGAZUSSA III. 785,000 EUR. Located in North Adriatic, Slovenia.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

2005 Nautor Swan 62 - GLISSE. 995,000 USD. Located in West Palm Beach, FL - USA

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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2010 Swan 60-903 'Vertical Smile'. 2,200,000 EUR. Located in Italy.

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

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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

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

The Last Word
We do know, of certain knowledge, that Osama Bin laden is either in Afghanistan or in some other country or dead. -- Donald Rumsfeld

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
Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar: In Support of Sail Aid | CQS takes Line Honours in the RORC Transatlantic Race | Star Sailing League Finals Day 2 | Where Sailing Comes First but the Rum is a Close Second? | Edition 2018, the last waltz of Figaro Beneteau 2 | Marine Weather and Sea State symposium | New cruising regatta in the wake of Vikings | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | Launchings | Featured Brokerage

CQS takes Line Honours in the RORC Transatlantic Race
Ludde Ingvall's Australian Maxi CQS finished the 2017 RORC Transatlantic Race on Wednesday 6th December taking Monohull Line Honours in an elapsed time of 11 days 00 hrs 03 mins 08 secs. CQS committed to a southerly route for the 3,000 nautical mile race and despite sustaining sail damage in a vicious 40 knot squall, the canting keel 98ft Maxi led from start to finish. Ingvall is no stranger to taking line honours in prestigious offshore races, twice taking the honour in both the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. This was Ludde Ingvall's 16th transatlantic.

CQS Crew: Skipper Ludde Ingvall; Co-Skipper Kenneth Thelen; Logan Andresen; Martyn Baker; Philip Barnard; Hans-Christoph Brumberg; Charles Egerton-Warburton; Robin Elsey; James Espey; Liam Gardner; Paul Heyrman; David Kenefick; Rokas Milevicius; James Oxenham; Malcolm Paine and James Tomlinson.

CQS has now set the bar for the best corrected time under IRC for the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy. The defending champion, Marten 72 Aragon, skippered by Jochen Bovenkamp and Canadian Southern Wind 96 Sorceress, skippered by Daniel Stump are likely to be the next yachts to finish. The Maxis have close company from two high-performance offshore racing yachts, Tilmar Hansen's German Elliott 52 Outsider and the provisional overall leader, Eric de Turckheim's French Nivelt-Muratet 54 Teasing Machine. All four yachts are expected to finish the 2017 RORC Transatlantic Race on Friday 8th December.

rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

YB Race Tracker

Star Sailing League Finals Day 2
Nassau, Bahamas: Day 2 was very good to Phil and I. With scores of 1, 2, 20, 1 we jumped up to third place in the standings. We were very fast upwind in the 8-10 knots of wind and able to hold our own downwind. It has taken a lot of work for us to narrow our deficit downwind but very rewarding.

Our 20th place shows just how easy it is to get a bad score in this fleet. Once you are back in the pack, the bad air and chopped up water makes life difficult. There are no soft competitors out here!

We tied Robert Scheidt with 24 points on the day while Diego Negri of Italy had the best day with 22 points. Phil and I made some adjustments to our rig which suited today's conditions perfectly.

Tomorrow we will most likely have 3 races and the forecast is for less wind again. Downwind is scorching hot with all the kinetics we are allowed to do in the 80 degrees temps.

I hope you are enjoying the live coverage in the internet. if you haven't seen it, tune in at 11:00 EST tomorrow at http://www.starsailors.com

There is also a feed on Facebook under the same name. Complete scores can be found there too,

We check our weight everyday, morning and after racing as we are required to stay under a weight limit. Interestingly, I lost 3 pounds today. I am working hard to rehydrate now and stretching to keep my lower back loose. Needless to day, I will sleep well tonight! -- Paul Cayard

cayardsailing.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

Edition 2018, the last waltz of Figaro Beneteau 2
Click on image to enlarge.

In 2018, La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro will celebrate its 49th season. One year away from the 50th and 3rd major evolution with the arrival of the Figaro Beneteau 3 monotype equipped with foils

The great summer classic will make a leap in the calendar to take place from August 20 to September 16. Changes too with the cities themselves with a big departure from Le Havre, two stops at Saint-Brieuc and Ria de Muros - Noia in Spain, and for the first time a final finish leg at Saint-Gilles-Croix de Vie to salute the "stage exit" of the Figaro Beneteau 2.

Stage one: 570 nm
Stage two: 520 nm
Stage three: 440 nm
Stage four: 165 nm

www.lasolitaire-urgo.com

Marine Weather and Sea State symposium
Understanding weather and sea state are important for both racing and safety. On Saturday, February 10th at MITAGS located at 692 Maritime Boulevard, Linthicum Heights, Maryland an impressive array of speakers will present an all-day symposium on marine weather and sea state forecasting and analysis.

Preliminary speaker list includes world-famous navigator Stan Honey, Gulf Stream expert Frank Bohlen, Ken McKinley of Locus Weather, Ken Campbell of Commander's Weather, Lee Chesneau of Chesneau Weather, Joseph Sienkiewicz of the National Weather Service Ocean Prediction Center, Jim Corenman and Ralph Naranjo.

Topics to be covered:
- Marine Weather Fundamentals, mid-latitude, tropical, extratropical conditions
- 500 mb conditions - significance and analysis
- Ocean currents, waves, and sea state
- Forecasts and forecasting
- Communications VHF to Inmarsat
- The Role of the Navigator - Information processing and routing
- Questions from floor - Roundtable Discussion

New cruising regatta in the wake of Vikings
Norwegians has sailed west for centuries. Now they want sailors from all countries along the North Sea to join them in a true Viking cruising event from Bergen to Iceland - with stopovers.

The cruising regatta will follow in the wake of the Vikings and be in excess of 1000 nautical long, and be open to both shorthanded and full crew, as well as the opportunity to participate in one or more stages.

Many of the thousands of sailors who have competed in the Pantaenius Shetland Race from Bergen to Lerwick have wondered how it would be to keep going west after Lerwick. In 2018 they will have the opportunity to sail even further west. The Norwegian Ocean Racing and Cruising Club has decided to act on an idea that surfaced many years ago:

Northern Europe's longest and toughest race - Bergen-Shetland-Faroe Islands-Iceland.

The first edition of the race will kick of June 27th 2018 with the 200 miles long Pantaenius Shetland Race as the first leg. This classic North Sea Race starts every year around midsummer allowing the sailors to enjoy the long white nights at sea.

After a stopover of a few days in Lerwick the fleet continues to Torshavn in the Faroe Islands. It is 220 nautical miles to the colourful little capital with the stunning scenery.

The next, and certainly most challenging stage is Torshavn to Reykjavik. It is 660 nautical miles between the two capitals, and the possibility of bad weather is definitely present. But statistically July is a rather quiet month in the North Atlantic. The shortest distance between the Faroe Islands and Iceland is 230 nautical mils. This means that some thirty-six hours to get from coast to coast - and then there will be a long and fascinating cruise along the south side of the Island before rounding in to Reykjavik. -- Jon Amtrup

www.havseilerklubben.no
www.facebook.com/vikingoffshorerace/

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

Behind the scenery
Seen off the boat the mechanics always look to operate pretty seamlessly onboard the modern J Boat. But all that glistens... Ted Street

Strong foundations
After running America's Cup 35 Iain Murray is home overseeing Australian racing. But his own Cup hopes never went away... Blue Robinson

Fast boats just got faster
Fast enough for Franck Cammas and tough enough for all you lot!

RORC - Almost straight swap
Eddie Warden-Owen

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

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

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

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

Launchings
SEAir has announced construction of its first flying 40ft (12m) monohull will begin in 2018 with a late 2018/early 2019 launch.

The monohull is designed to be well-suited to both record attempts and offshore races and already has six potential major clients globally.

Having recently announced the design of the 'fully flying' AC75 monohull, which will be the new boat for the next America's Cup, the New Zealand America's Cup team has helped pave the way for SEAir to develop in the field of foil design and build.

Mr Castelnerac added: "The future AC75 'Full flying' monohulls as announced by the New Zealand America's Cup team reinforces SEAir's efforts in foil research, particularly when it comes to canting. Because we are swinging the foil and not retracting it, we can achieve better stability with a lower centre of gravity.

"Given the complexity of the foils on the AC75, you then have to ask, who can build them? This is where SEAir's experience in automated manufacturing of carbon foils comes into play. We have already discussed these issues with three different America's Cup teams."

seair.fr/en/

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Zurn Yacht Design presents the high performance Marblehead 22, epoxy built. This model bears the classic lines and charm of a traditional wooden boat, without the upkeep.

Above the waterline, the Marblehead 22 appears as a true classic: a narrow beamed hull accented by a nearly plumb stem, sweeping sheer, counter transom, and varnished coaming boards. Below the water she's all performance. A fine entry gracefully transitions to a powerful mid-section that finishes with just enough rocker to bring the sea peacefully back together.

The low center of gravity and efficient lift of the bulb keel combined with the balanced spade rudder contribute to the Marblehead 22's ability to effortlessly climb to weather. The weather deck is open and uncluttered, featuring wide flat surfaces around the cockpit to comfortably accommodate several crew-members.

Control lines from the North mainsail are all led to the middle of the cockpit where either the helmsman or crew can adjust the mainsheet, cunningham or outhaul (a.k.a. "snotter" to wishboom traditionalists).

The 11' 9" of usable cockpit space is nestled between lockers aft and a small cuddy forward used for stowing gear. Speed, stability, "easibility", and charming looks combine to ensure hours of pleasure on the water whether single-handing or sailing with a crowd.

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Finnish yard Baltic Yachts has released the first details of its 43.3 metre sailing yacht project the Baltic 142 Custom, which is currently under construction and due for delivery in 2019.

Built from a carbon composite hull, this sloop-rigged performance cruising yacht features naval architecture and exterior styling by Farr Yacht Design. Lucio Micheletti will collaborate with the in-house team at Baltic Yachts on the interior styling and has also worked on the exterior lines and deck styling, while Mattia Belleri will provide project management services.

As well as the high standard of luxury on board, the Baltic 142 Custom will be notable for its innovative use of sailing technology. A key part of this is the dynamic stability system, developed in collaboration with Gordon Kay from Infiniti Performance Yachts, which employs a sliding foil that can extend up to nine metres athwartships.

Roland Kasslin, head of research and development at Baltic Yachts, said: "The foil will run on four sets of 25 composite roller bearings contained in titanium cassettes. The outboard cassettes will bear the upward load and the inner cassettes the downward load when the foil is deployed."

www.boatinternational.com

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Following the successful launch of the Farr280 Grand Prix One Design, the new Club Race version has been developed to increase the accessibility of this fantastic race boat, to a broader sailing community, by making the entry cost of the boat significantly lower.

The Farr280 Club Racer is pitched at yacht clubs and Corinthian owners, looking for a light displacement high performance racing boat. The boat is designed to be attractive to teams wanting to compete in high performance mixed sportsboat fleets, including HP30 or ORC Sportsboat classes.

The Farr280 Club Racer continues to offer dynamic performance on all points of sail and the boat is built using the same vacuum infusion technology from identical moulds, to the original Grand Prix version.

New features on the Farr280 Club Racer, include a new solid foredeck hatch, closed jib track slots and offshore compliant stanchions and guard wires. The main price differences though come from the choice and selection of spars, auxiliary power packages and the removal of hydraulic controls as standard, from the base boat price.

The ideal crew size remains five or six, although the boat can be sailed with less crew, depending on the sail plan, making family racing a viable proposition too.

The boat represents an "inexpensive" route ti high performance sailing and is easy to campaign. Importantly, it can be towed behind most large cars or SUVs as the combined boat and trailer weight is only 2,150Kgs, which means getting to and from weekend regattas or even relocating the boat for international events is highly achievable.

farr280.com

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The sea trials of DNA's new TF10 foiling trimaran didn't quite go according to plan off the coast of Spain although there was plenty of performance

Sea trials are designed to push a new boat to the limits and this certainly was the case for the new TF10 foiling trimaran.

The multihull, which has been built by the Dutch boatyard, DNA Performance Sailing, suffered a dismasting during testing off Barcelona in northerly breezes.

The TF10 was pushing past 25 knots in quiet, flat water when the high-modulus carbon fibre mast suddenly crumpled to the deck, breaking in parts on the way down.

Multiple catamaran racing world champion and DNA adviser Mischa Heemskerk, who was helming at the time, said he was surprised to see the mast let go in such light air.

"It seems we may be quite a bit faster than the simulations predicted, which means we could be developing too much power for the mast design," said the Dutch racer, who stressed that breakages have been an important part of the development of all foiling boats - especially the big ones.

"Foiling in big yachts has only been possible for a few short years, so sea and sail trials are an extremely important tool to find the weak links in these cutting-edge designs," he added.

Heemskerk said the yacht's designers and builders are already investigating the breakage to determine what modifications are needed before the production run gets fully underway, and they're confident the fix isn't complicated.

"The silver lining here is that we had a great month of sailing with a respectable showing for the (European) Yacht of the Year competition, we learned a ton about the boat, and aside from the mast and a couple of insignificant bits and pieces, the boat performed flawlessly," he stressed.

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The Last Word
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