In This Issue
Dutch treat - team AkzoNobel and Team Brunel
Welcome to Bermuda!
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
Vice Admiral's Cup
Plenty Wins Farr 40 North American Championship
The Cruising Association joins in the celebrations in honour of its Patron Sir Robin Knox-Johnston
Industry News
Featured Brokerage
The Last Word: Dan Savage
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
Dutch treat - Team AkzoNobel and Team Brunel
Team AkzoNobel and Team Brunel, the two Dutch-flagged rivals in the Volvo Ocean Race, are to face off against each other in final friendly duel at the race's ultimate destination, The Hague. On Wednesday June 27 the two crews will compete in an exhibition 'match race' series on their home waters in front of what is expected to be thousands of Dutch sailing fans.
After 45,000 nautical miles of racing around the world in the 2017-18 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, the final act of this legendary race will take place off the coast of The Hague where the overall winner will be confirmed.
Today, with eight of the race's 11 legs completed, the Spanish team MAPFRE are the current leaders, ahead of the Chinese syndicate Dongfeng Race Team in second. Team Brunel, led by Dutch skipper Bouwe Bekking, sits in third – six points ahead of fellow-Dutchman Simeon Tienpont's team AkzoNobel crew.
"I'm sure it will be very exciting for us sailors and with this match race we also want to honour all the Dutch fans who have supported us for more than nine months in our race around the world."
Welcome to Bermuda!
On the fifth day of the 2018 Antigua Bermuda Race, the vast majority of the international fleet had safely arrived in Bermuda. After passing St.David's Lighthouse, the yachts make there way though The Cut to St.George's Harbor, clear customs at Ordnance Island, and on the the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in Hamilton, where a warm welcome was well received by the competing yachts that have finished the race.
Arnt Bruhns German Class40 Iskareen finished the race, on Monday 13th May, after over five days at sea. The crew of four will be racing in the Atlantic Anniversary Regatta (AAR) from Bermuda to Hamburg this July. "We covered over 260 miles in the first 24 hours and averaged over ten knots for the first 48 hours, so really good, fast running conditions." commented Arnt Bruhns. "With a team of four we could push the boat quite hard and it was also a lot of fun on board. When the wind went light and to the south, we did have a few hours with just the main sail up, going very slowly, but when the wind picked up, we managed to time our gybe just right and managed to slip in. Iskareen is pretty much custom built for ocean racing off the wind, so she is fast and comfortable. It is a family tradition to has participate in the Atlantic races to Hamburg, this has been a great race, and perfect preparation for the AAR."
Louis Goor's Irish Oyster 575 Irene III finished the race on Monday morning after just under five days at sea. The team are mostly from Wicklow, Ireland. “This is a great race for the boat. Irene III is made for reaching in the ocean and we have had a marvellous time on board,” smiled Goor. “Whilst some of the teams racing have been eating astronaut food, we have had enjoyed superb food as two of the crew are excellent chefs, and the Bordeaux on board was superb! This is a wonderful way to sail to Bermuda. My father will be taking her back across the Atlantic to our home port of Majorca and for us this is a two-year cycle. We would love to compete again in 2020.
Juan Grunwaldt's Uruguayan Bavaria 56 Caliope arrived in the early hours of Tuesday 15th May, much to the delight of the owner who was returning to Bermuda for the first time in nearly 40 years.
Giles Redpath's Lombard 46 Pata Negra, skippered by Ollie Heer finished the race at dawn on Tuesday 15th May. He was celebrating his 30th birthday during the race.
The young crew racing the German JV52 Haspa Hamburg were enjoying a cold beer after five and a half days at sea. The yacht is owned by the Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt (HVS) based in Hamburg and for nearly 100 years, the association has given young sailors the chance to experience offshore racing.
All of the remaining yachts racing in the 2018 Antigua Bermuda Race are expected to arrive in Bermuda by Wednesday 16th May.
Seahorse May 2018
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
Design - Clever stuff going on
Everyone's foiling... well, not at all actually. But virtually everyone who is foiling today is relying on the same basic mechanics - which Phil Smith and John Ilett argue are now well past their use-by date
Update
The lady doth protest too much, a different kind of Cup 'challenge', painful lessons to learn and how to keep your chin up in Miami. Plus 'those' scows. Blue Robinson, Jack Griffin, Charlie Enright, Malcolm Page, Carol Cronin, Terry Hutchinson
RORC news
For some it was simply too much of a good thing Eddie Warden-Owen
Seahorse build table - At it again
Jo Richards and Guy Whitehouse can be relied upon to think up 'interesting' solutions
Sailor of the Month
Love sailing, love racing, it's all the same really
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Vice Admiral's Cup
This year's Vice Admiral's Cup will see seven competitive classes battling for supremacy in quality fleets. Two new classes enter the fray for the first time this year - the revived High Performance 30 and the new Performance 40 fleet.
The HP30 class format offers tight racing in lightweight, fast and exciting boats, with the class rule now managed by the RORC Rating Office. Entries include three Farr 280s and Malcolm Wootton's much modified Farr 30 Pegasus Dekmarx.
Many of the entries in the Performance 40 fleet will be familiar to those who race in RORC's offshore programme, and include the club's Admiral Andrew McIrvine's First 40 La Reponse. He will be pitched against formidable competition including two King 40s, (Michael Blair's Cobra and Emily Bowden-Eyre's Nifty), Thomas Keen's new JPK11.80 Sunrise, plus a Ker 39 and a Mills 39.
Expense and complexity are no guarantees of maximising adrenaline on the racecourse. The fastest boats at the event will again be the Diam 24 trimarans. Crewed by just three people, these can hit speeds of over 20 knots in the right condition. Last year's winner, Italian Riccardo Pavoncelli, is returning to defend his title in a strong fleet.
At last years' event both J-Boat one design fleets again proved they can deliver superbly close racing. The J/111 class was decided in the final race, with a win for Tony Mack's McFly securing the overall title by one point ahead of reigning world champion, Martin Dent's Jelvis. Both are back this year, as is Cornel Riklin's Jitterbug, which took third overall in the 2017 Vice Admiral's Cup. Similarly, the 2017 J/109 result was decided on the final tack going into the windward mark of the last race and more superbly close racing can be expected this year.
The Quarter Ton fleet, which has raced at the Vice Admiral's Cup since its inception in 2005, will be the most numerous class this year. Sam Laidlaw's Aguila is one of the most heavily used boats in the fleet, which shows in his results: he won the class at last year's VAC and also took victory in the 2017 Quarter Ton Cup.
The SB20 one design sportsboat class is returning again, with seven entries that can again be assured of top-level competition and race management. Their Southern Area Championships will also be held during the VAC.
The Vice Admiral's Cup is run from RORC's Cowes clubhouse and takes place from May 18-20 in the central Solent. Eight races of a maximum of two hours each are scheduled over the three days. -- Rupert Holmes
Plenty Wins Farr 40 North American Championship
Long Beach, California: Skipper Alex Roepers and his team on Plenty put forth one of the most impressive performances in the 2018 Farr 40 North American Championship, posting a tremendous score line en route to a commanding victory.
Roeper steered Plenty to first place finishes in 10 of 11 races to post a remarkably low score of 11 points - 22 better than runner-up Struntje Light - to capture his second North American crown. Veteran professional Terry Hutchinson called tactics for Roepers, who has now won both his North American titles while racing off Long Beach.
Plenty previously captured the 2014 North American Championship, which was also held out of Long Beach Yacht Club. Needless to say, this particular part of the Pacific Ocean has become a favorite venue for Roepers, a New York City resident.
Owner-drive Wolfgang Schaefer and his team on Struntje Light won a dramatic match race with Australian Temptress in the last race to place second in the overall standings. The German entry placed fourth in Race 11 while the Australian boat finished sixth, a two-point swing that produced a flip-flop in the standings.
Struntje Light trailed Australian Temptress entering the final race and came out of it ahead by one. Sten Mohr made his debut as tactician aboard Struntje Light, which won Race 2 and took second in five other starts in posting a total score of 34 points.
Australian Temptress, skippered by Ray Roberts, won the Corinthian class, with 35 points, bettering the second place boat by 18 points. Mick Schlens on Blade 2 finished second, followed by the CalMaritime team.
Full results: yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=4753
The Cruising Association joins in the celebrations in honour of its Patron Sir Robin Knox-Johnston There is a Golden Globe Rally taking place in Plymouth from 8-10th June. Organisers have scheduled in a welcoming Pontoon Party for around 30 participants at Plymouth Yacht Haven on Friday 8th June and a dinner in Plymouth Yacht Haven which the guest of honour, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, is scheduled to attend on the Saturday night, 9th June.
In addition, and in preparation for the start of the Golden Globe Race, Sir Robin will be sailing his boat Suhaili in company with the entrants to the Golden Globe Race from Falmouth to Les Sable d'Olonne for the start on July 1st. He is predicting his arrival in Les Sables to fall between June 17th - 20th and has suggested that a small number of Cruising Association boats should join him, providing a friendly Armada as Suhaili sails into Les Sables.
A suitable rallying point is being arranged for the CA boats for the final passage into Les Sables. Pierre Lambot, the CA's Honorary Local Representative in Les Sables d'Olonne has been the CA's liaison with the marina and, through his efforts, the CA has now received confirmation from the Mayor of Les Sables d'Olonne that the ten or so CA boats escorting Suhaili to Les Sables are welcome. It is anticipated that the majority of the CA boats will be members of the CA's Biscay Section and therefore their boats will already be in French waters.
Industry News
The 2019 London Boat Show will not take place. Show organiser and owner, British Marine, says the decision was made after independent research by exhibition company, Zing Insights, showed there was insufficient support from a large proportion of the marine industry to the show with its current format, duration and location.
"The decision to put the London Boat Show on hold is naturally very disappointing for the British marine industry," said David Pougher, BM president, "British Marine and its board of directors has a responsibility to its members and we cannot commit to running a show which is clearly forecasted in its current format to be commercially unviable and will not meet customer satisfaction levels."
A statement from BM said interviews carried out with 67% of exhibitors found although a five-day show was preferable to a ten-day show, a large number of key exhibitors were not prepared to commit to exhibiting in January 2019.
Consumer satisfaction was also found to be below acceptable industry standards, particularly the number and diversity of sailing and power boats exhibited.
In addition, there is a lack of signed contracts of commitment to the 2019 show which affected confidence from other potential exhibitors.
In contract, BM says it is in talks with relevant landlords to increase the footprint of TheYachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show, which last year had close to 500 exhibitors and more than 106,000 visitors and has the support of a title sponsor.
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Canadian Tire is buying Norway-based sportswear company Helly Hansen for nearly $1 billion.
The iconic retailer said Thursday it will pay $985 million and assume $50 million of the debt of the Norwegian firm, which makes various types of clothes for active living and other outdoor gear.
While based in Oslo, Helly Hansen is owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.
Teachers' bought the chain in 2012 and worked with the company to expand its international presence. Helly Hansen recently reported its third consecutive year of rising profits.
Helly Hansen CEO Paul Stoneham and the management team, based in Norway, are expected to continue to lead the business.
"With our capabilities and Helly Hansen's trusted global brand and management team, we see tremendous opportunity," Canadian Tire CEO Stephen Wetmore said.
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A unique opportunity for marine industry on the River Medina has arisen at the Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC) owned Kingston Wharf site in East Cowes, for the rental of 1.5 acres of prime waterfront storage land with all-tide deep-water access and wharfage.
The availability of this strategic marine employment site has come about as a result of the decision by current tenant Isle of Wight Aggregates to consolidate their operations at Medina Wharf.
Harbour Master Capt. Stuart McIntosh, said: "The Commission is very keen to see the Kingston Wharf site continued to be used as a traditional cargo wharf or for marine based employment, to the benefit of Cowes Harbour and the Island as a whole.
"We are therefore seeking a new tenant that can benefit from utilising the wharfage and the potential opportunity of the land and all-tide wharf access."
Kingston Wharf lies on the eastern bank of the River Medina, in East Cowes, Isle of Wight. The wharf adjoins the CHC owned Cowes Harbour Services Boatyard. Road access with good HGV accessibility is via Kingston Road. This gives easy access to the Red Funnel car ferry terminal, which is circa 1 mile to the north and provides a regular car ferry service to Southampton.
Interested parties are encouraged to view the letting particulars on CHC's website at htp://cowesharbourcommision.co.uk and to discuss their intentions with property consultants Vail Williams who can provide further guidance.
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Exposure Lights are supporting the SORC solo offshore sailors with their safety and night vision for the 2018 season and the SORC Round the Rock Race, commonly known as the SoloFASTNET.
Included in the package for the SORC skippers, is an array of Exposure's top performance LED lights for the podium prize winners, including the RAW Pro Headtorch (as seen on board every Volvo Ocean Race yacht), the super lightweight MOB Carbon spotlight and strobe, and the OLAS tracking tags which can be paired with your mobile. Plus, it's not just the podium class winners up for prizes, as there are additional prizes for the Best Race Blogs too.
* The SORC Round the Rock Race, colloquially known as the soloFASTNET, is back. The second edition will start on 2nd June 2018. Run by the Solo Offshore Racing Club, the only Yacht Club in the UK solely focussed on solo yacht racing. A race that only requires a week's leave to complete but still offers the excitement and challenge of nights at sea combined with the unpredictable nature of North Atlantic weather.
Featured Brokerage
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2011 CNB 60 - "Magnum". 569000 GBP. Located in Hamble, UK
This CNB Bordeaux 60 hull #26 has an exceptional specification providing both performance and cruising comfort. VERY lighty used, she is ashore in Hamble since 2015. Wash the boatyard dust off of her, have her surveyed and she is ready to sail away.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
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+44 2380 016582
sampearson@ancasta.com
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2000 Swan 56. 525000 GBP. Located in Cowes, UK.
AKARANA has the preferred arrangement with a master cabin forward, two cabins aft with upper and lower berths, and a proper fore-peak forward. A new T-keel was installed in 2012 reducing the draft, improving the balance while maintaining the exceptional sailing performance. New Teak deck in 2014.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Ancasta Yachts
Sam Pearson
+64 277733717
+44 2380 016582
sampearson@ancasta.com
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
Ultimately life is disease, death and oblivion. It's still better than high school. -- Dan Savage
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