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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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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
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See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
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