In This Issue
Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland: Battle in the Celtic Sea
A Shifty Day One in Ekaterinburg
420 World Championship
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
Melges 24 European Championship
Team Racing Takes Global Stage for October Regatta
Industry News
Featured Brokerage
The Last Word: Timothy Leary
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 [AT] scuttlebutteurope [DOT] com
Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland: Battle in the Celtic Sea
The cold front that brought tough conditions to the start of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race have now passed, with the fleet enjoying bright sunshine yesterday and a relatively calm second night at sea. However, the intensity on the race course has been ratcheted up with wind shifts providing opportunities to make gains and losses throughout the fleet. Looking further ahead, 25-30 knots of wind and a significant sea state are expected to affect the fleet in the Celtic Sea and on the West Coast of Ireland.
The tactical battle in the Celtic Sea is raging in the Class40s with 50 miles of separation of position from east to west. Phil Sharp's Imerys Clean Energy made the first move after passing the Scilly Isles, breaking away from the leading pack by tacking west in the early hours of the morning. Phor-ty skippered by Sam Goodchild is currently leading after taking the decision to be the first of the pack to tack north at dawn this morning. To weather of Phor-ty, Phil Sharp's Imerys is two miles ahead of Nicolas Troussel's Corum. Charles-louis Mourruau's Colombre XL (The Lost Boys) has taken a different option, tacking east of the fleet after the Scilly Isles.
After an impressive start, Guillaume Le Brec's Class40 Oman Sail reported a broken backstay on day two and has retired from the race. All crew are safe and well.
Ben Schwartz & Chen Jin Hao's Figaro 2 El Velosolex SL Energies Group is leading IRC Two-Handed on the water and after time correction. The Chinese and French sailors became friends as part of the Dongfeng Race Team, winning the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. Their Figaro 2 is the smallest yacht in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race.
The most southerly of the fleet is Conor Fogerty's Irish Sun Fast 3600 Bam! At 0900 BST the Two-Handed team altered course to the north. They are followed by Gavin Howe's British Sun Fast 3600 Tigris, which is also racing Two-handed. The two teams will be hoping for the wind to shift to the west as they negotiate the Celtic Sea.
In IRC Four, Charlene Howard's AJ Wanderlust has an engine problem and headed into Mylor Harbour near Falmouth and hopes to rejoin the race. Charles Emmett's Sigma 36 British Beagle leads the class. -- Louay Habib
Track the Fleet: yb.tl/rbni2018
Blogs from the boats: roundbritainandireland.rorc.org/news/blogs
roundbritainandireland.rorc.org
A Shifty Day One in Ekaterinburg
The racing for the 2018 Women's Match Racing World Championship got underway under cloudy skies with a light rain falling most of the day. But the dark skies did not dim the enthusiasm as the sailors and race officials hit the water and completed eight flights before joining in the Opening Ceremonies.
As the sailors returned to the dock, "shifty" was the word of the day. "The key to the day was playing the shifts, being patient, and keeping speed in the boat all of the time" said Trine Palludan, skipper of the Danish Team Kattnakken, who is undefeated and leading after day one with five wins and no losses.
The 2018 edition of the World Championship celebrates the 20thanniversary of the event. This year 45 sailors from 6 nations are taking part in this historic competition in the historic city of Ekaterinburg which is celebrating a significant 295th anniversary.
The racing continues Wednesday with racing every day until the conclusion with the finals and awards presentations on Saturday 18 August.
Results after day 1 of the round-robin (skipper, team name, nationality, wins - losses):
1. Trine Palludan, Team Kattnakken, DEN, 5-0
2. Lucy Macgregor, Team Mac, GBR, 4-0
3. Marinella Laaksonen, L2 Match Racing Team, FIN, 4-1
4. Pauline Courtois, Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team, FRA, 3-1
5. Milena Laverycheva, BERGAUF Sailing Team, RUS, 3-2
6. Alexandra Martynova, BornToSail, RUS, 2-3
7. Alexa Bezel, Swiss Women Match Racing Team, SUI, 1-3
7. Margot Riou, APCC Women Sailing Team , FRA, 1-3
7. Ekaterina Kochkina, ProKaTeam Sailing Team, RUS, 1-3
10. Margot Vennin, Matchmoiselles by Normandy Elite Team, FRA, 0-4
10. Octavia Owen, Athena Racing, GBR, 0-4
420 World Championship
Newport, Rhode Island, USA: Very tight racing at the top of all fleets on day 4 at the 420 World Championships. Heavy rain did not deter the competitors as they have proved they are here to race no matter what the weather.
The 420 World Championship race committee delivered two more races today in very challenging New England sailing conditions. After an hour delay onshore, the Open, Women's and Under 17 fleets left for the race course North of Newport bridge to the Halfway Rock area.
The trapezoid course with an inner and outer loop was set quickly for the first race. The race was started in seven knots of Easterly breeze, with the strong current adding to the challenge for the 336 sailors as it crossed the race course.
In the second race, the wind held Easterly and steady at seven knots. There were periods of moderate to light to no rain, but by the end of the day, sailors returned to the beach in a torrential downpour.
420 Open - Top 5 After 6 Races
1. Seb Menzies/Blake Mcglashan, NZL, 11
2. Martín Wizner Perez-Lafuente/Pedro Ramon Ameneiro Amezaga, ESP, 20
3. Otto Henry/Thomas Larkings, AUS, 25
4. Dylan Ascencios/William George, USA, 26
5. Luis Miguel Hernandez Tirado/Ignacio Balaguer Galbis, ESP, 28
420 Women - Top 5 After 6 Races
1. Clara Olive/Solenza Mariani, FRA, 13
2. Patricia Reino Cacho/Isabel Laiseca Bueno, ESP, 13
3. Laura Akrich Vazquez/Clara Llabres Rival, ESP, 33
4. María Bover Guerrero/Catalina Homar Estarellas, ESP, 39
5. María Caba Hernandez/Pilar Caba Hernandez, ESP, 44
420 Under 17 Open - Top 5 After 6 Races
1. Jacobo García García/Antoni Ripoll Gonzalez, ESP, 31
2. Melina Pappa/Maria Tsamopoulou, GRE, 32
3. Oscar Pouschè/Luca Coslovich, ITA, 37
4. Oliver Hurwitz/Ethan Froelich, USA, 42
5. Marina Garau Bosch/Blanca Cabot Sancho, ESP, 47
Full results: 2018worlds.420sailing.org/en/default/races/race-resultsall
Seahorse August 2018
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
An extraordinary vintage
The Yale Class of 76 was exactly that and Steve Benjamin was far from being the only sailor that summer to go on to much bigger things. Dobbs Davis
Oxymoron
Even a double Olympic medallist, Volvo Ocean Race winner and the current RYA Director of Racing is struggling a little with the ongoing Olympic classes selection process. Ian Walker
It was that close
But it was Phil Sharp who did it once again
Delivery - Part II
Preparing for the Bermuda Race... albeit in 1926. Clare Mccomb
Buckle up - Club Swan 36
The ClubSwan 50 is already a great success: fast, even in performance and super-modern at the dock. Now there is the ClubSwan 36 - less a baby sister than a (very) cheeky agent provocateur
Happy customers
Then again who wouldn’t want to be blasting round the warm waters of Oman on a fast and twitchy Diam 24 tri at an ultra-simple turn-up and race regatta attracting a highly competitive field?
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.
Melges 24 European Championship
Riva del Garda, Italy: Sometimes the results just speak for themselves: with an impressive scoreline of 1-1-7-4-7-1-1-3-9-DNC, never going out of the top ten in a fleet of 72 boats, and with one race to spare, the Italian crew of Maidollis (ITA854, 3-9-DNC today) by owner Gian Luca Perego, with Carlo Fracassoli at helm, Enrico Fonda calling tactics, Stefano Lagi and Matteo Ramian, is crowned 2018 Melges 24 European Champion. The Italians, already winners of the World Championship in Helsinki 2017, succeed in the golden book to Chris Rast's EFG Sailing Team, winner in Hyeres 2016.
Second place is for another Italian crew, under the spotlight since the very first day of the Championship, Caipirinha Jr. (ITA633, 5-7-9): with Matteo Ivaldi - at his great return in the Melges 24 Class after the Europeans of 2016 where he was helming and calling tactics at the same time on board Marrakech Express - and Gabriele Benussi as tactician, the crew fought tack after tack in the last day with American entry Lucky Dog / Gill Race Team (USA749, 11-2-2) with Travis Weisleder in helm and Mike Buckley at tactics, that eventually closed the event in third position.
Top five after ten races:
1. Maidollis, Carlo Fracassoli, ITA, 34 points
2. Caipirinha Jr, Matteo Ivaldi, ITA, 53
3. Lucky Dog / Gill Race Team, Travis Weisleder, USA, 57
4. Altea, Andrea Racchelli, ITA, 62
5. War Canoe , Mike Goldfarb, USA, 62
Team Racing Takes Global Stage for October Regatta
Newport, R.I.L Proponents of team racing have set their sights on the discipline's inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Regatta. The inaugural Global Team Race, which will be held Oct. 5 to 7 at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court, may prove a crucial milestone on the long road to earning a place on sailing's grandest stage.
The Global Team Race was created from scratch less than a year ago and will feature two-on-two team racing in the New York Yacht Club's fleet of Sonar keelboats.
Keelboat team racing, which has been increasing in popularity over the last quarter century, is a comprehensive test of tactics, strategy, boat speed and team work. Spinnakers are regularly used, adding another layer of difficulty to the mark roundings and downwind legs and increasing the opportunities for boats behind to catch up.
Traditionally, team racing was sailed in a three-on-three or four-on-four format. But two-on-two is logistically less demanding for both teams and regatta organizers. It's also easier for spectators to follow. The winner of the match is whichever team doesn't cross the finish line last.
Competing teams: Bayerischer Yacht Club (Germany), Dutch Match & Team Racing Association (Netherlands), Japan Sailing Federation (Japan), New York Yacht Club (New York), Reale Circolo Canottieri Tevere Remo (Italy), Royal Cork Yacht Club (Ireland), Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club (Scotland), Royal Thames Yacht Club (England), Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club (Australia), St. Francis Yacht Club (San Francisco), Yacht Club Argentino (Argentina) and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (Italy). -- Stuart Streuli
Industry News
Following the recent Sydney International Boat Show (SIBS), the Beneteau Group has stated that it is "confident in the strong vitality of the Australian market".
The leading yacht builder, through its Beneteau Asia-Pacific arm, had a strong presence at SIBS with a fleet of 13 models covering all the Beneteau boating sectors, one world premiere, and three Australian debuts.
The sailboat and inboard motorboat display was organised by Flagstaff Marine while the outboard motorboat display was prepared by Chapman Marine. Beneteau's dealers based in different parts of Australia all gathered at the show and gave generous support to deliver a satisfactory sales performance at the show. The number of models sold on-site was close to 10.
Beneteau said they witnessed "great enthusiasm from the country's boating community at SIBS 2018. This has encouraged Beneteau to carry on investing and launching new models there."
----------------------------------------------
Ocean Signal, the UK communication and safety at sea specialist, has strengthened its sales and product team with the appointment of Steve Moore as its new product manager.
Moore brings more than 25 years of technical and marketing experience in the marine industry in both the commercial and leisure sectors to the role, in addition to a strong background in integrated marine electronics. He joins Margate-based Ocean Signal following a seven-year spell with Raymarine.
Moore will also aim to increase the market presence of Ocean Signal's ATA100 Class A and ATB1 Class B AIS transponders and to grow sales of the renowned rescueME devices and SafeSea range of GMDSS products, as well as expanding Ocean Signal's international sales footprint in key regions.
----------------------------------------------
SailForce has signed to represent Ocean Safety, a move designed to strengthen the safety company's UK sales network.
The signing sees the return of Ocean Safety to the SailForce portfolio and will also apply to associated brands Typhoon International and Neil Pryde Sailing.
"We are delighted to welcome the SailForce team back to form part of our leisure strategy," said Pauline Nolan, leisure sales manager for Ocean Safety.
"This is an exciting time for Ocean Safety as a business as we look ahead to developing and strengthening our existing business relationships."
----------------------------------------------
Navico and C-MAP are to merge.
The merger of the marine electronics manufacturer and supplier of digital navigation products to the recreational and commercial marine market is effective immediately with C-MAP becoming another brand in the Navico portfolio alongside Lowrance, Simrad and B&G.
The merger will accelerate the companies' shared ambition to create the world's biggest digital marine ecosystem.
----------------------------------------------
The Phuket Yacht Show is set to become the definitive luxury yachting and lifestyle event when it welcomes thousands of visitors from around the world to the award-winning Royal Phuket Marina from 4 - 7 January, 2019. Lead by Show Director Andy Dowden and financially backed by experienced boat show operators from Turkey, Phuket Yacht Show organisers are promising to deliver the best yacht show ever seen in Phuket.
Upto 120 exhibitors will be resident in the 2,500 sqm marina-side exhibition hall while in-the-water there is space for more than 50 yachts upto 35 metres in length. Accommodating the growing interest in superyacht sales and charter, a unique private island superyacht display will be located just five minutes from Royal Phuket Marina and accessed by private shuttle for qualified guests.
The Phuket Yacht Show will be held 4 - 7 January, 2019 at Royal Phuket Marina during Phuket's peak season when the island welcomes the largest number of international visitors, HNWIs and Ultra High Net Worth Individuals.
For more information, visit www.phuketyachtshow.net and https://www.facebook.com/phuketyachtshow
----------------------------------------------
The Swedish company Sail Racing International has been appointed as the Exclusive Apparel Supplier to Emirates Team New Zealand, defender of the 36th America's Cup. Sail Racing will provide Emirates Team New Zealand with technical racing gear as well as shore gear in their campaign to defend the prestigious trophy.
The partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand, defender of the 36th America's Cup, allows Sail Racing to supply all technical racing gear as well as shore gear to the team. Both during the America's Cup World Series events in 2019/2020, as well as the America's Cup Match in New Zealand in 2021.
Sail Racing will also design and manufacture an Official Emirates Team New Zealand replica collection that will be available online through the Emirates Team New Zealand website, at sailracing.com, in stores in New Zealand, along with the on-site merchandise stores at America's Cup World Series events around the world in 2019 and 2020. As well as at the America's Cup race village in New Zealand, the home of the 2021 America's Cup finals.
----------------------------------------------
The EU tariffs are adding an average of £18,000 per boat to imports of US craftThe EU tariffs are adding an average of £18,000 per boat to imports of US craft
With the EU tariffs on imports of US boats now in force, the marine industry is left wondering what the future will hold.
Boats in transit prior to June 22 2018 when the tariffs came in are not liable for the additional 25% tax however any placed in transit after this date are affected.
The tariffs are part of the European Commission's retaliatory measures against US steel and aluminium tariffs with leisure craft just one area affected.
And the tariffs not only apply to new boats but also second-hand boats if the boat is of US origin says Simon Beck, Peters & May export and customs expert.
The only boats not included are inflatable boats.
And for dealers and those involved in the import of boats, the situation is already having a big impact.
"As we ship the majority of small boats ex-USA to Europe, the new regulations have already had a negative impact on our business. We have already had over 40 cancellations as EU dealers place orders for new boats on hold," said Simon.
"Everyone who is importing pleasure craft from the US is impacted."
And he warned against trying to find ways around the duties saying that an unassembled or disassembled boat doesn't qualify only if it doesn't have the essential character or a vessel of a particular kind.
----------------------------------------------
A new event, the Hong Kong International Cruise & Yachting Festival (ICYF), is scheduled to be held at various locations in the territory's Victoria Harbour from November 22-25, 2018.
The locations include, at present, the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, the China Merchants Wharf and the Kai Tak Cruise terminal.
The event is being organised by the Hong Kong Cruising & Yachting Industry Association (HKCYIA), a body linked to the China Cruising & Yachting Industry Association (CCYIA) with the support of the China Merchants Group.
The four-day festival aims to bring together leading brands from both sectors and include activity programmes like exhibitions, forums and conferences that feature Cruising and Yachting, Maritime Lifestyle, Marine and Leisure Tourism, and Education and Employment.
The event will promote public understanding of Hong Kong's waters and the sustainable development of the industry in southern China. It will also be in line with the development of the Greater Bay Area initiative that integrates Hong Kong, Macau, and nine Guangdong cities, including Zhuhai and Shenzhen, for an upgraded economy.
Featured Brokerage
2016 Swan 54-001 SorayAnnis. Located in London, UK.
SorayAnnis is a very highly specified Swan 54 designed for the easiest of short-handed sailing.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage - Jeremy Peek brokerage [AT] nautorswan [DOT] com Tel. +377 97 97 95 07 http://nautorswanbrokerage.com
-----------------------------------------
2009 Reichel/Pugh 82 Custom - HIGHLAND FLING XI. 2499000 EUR. Located in Palma de Mallorca.
Excellent option for all things Maxi, and IRC. Very capable Reichel/Pugh 82 Custom for both inshore and offshore, she has been well cherished in this ownership. Full powered winch setup makers her very simple to sail and run without huge crew numbers.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Ben Cooper
Telephone: +44(0) 1590 679222
ben [DOT] cooper [AT] berthon [DOT] co [DOT] uk
-----------------------------------------
2018 Swan 115-004 Odin; 15,000,000 EUR. Located in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Carbon SPRINT Pre-preg sandwich hull and deck
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage - Lorenzo Bortolotti
brokerage [AT] nautorswan [DOT] com
Tel. +377 97 97 95 07
nautorswanbrokerage.com
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
My favorite three words in the English language are: ’I don’t know’, because every time I say them, I learn something new. -- Timothy Leary
Editorial and letter submissions to editor [AT] scuttlebutteurope [DOT] com
Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb [AT] beesonstone [DOT] com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html