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In This Issue
Route du Rhum: Early morning collision between Destremau and Huusela
Claire Leroy wins the Swiss International Women's Match 2018
Not a sailor? Not a problem. You can experience the 52nd Antigua Sailing Week
Golden Globe Day 135: Jean-Luc Van Den Heede facing fresh storm
RYA Performance Operations Manager
Industry News
Featured Brokerage
The Last Word: Spiro T. Agnew
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
Route du Rhum: Early morning collision between Destremau and Huusela
Early this morning Sébastien Destremau and Ari Huusela had a minor collision when racing some 555 miles off the North African coast.
Destremeau is racing on his IMOCA Alcatraz It FaceOcéan in second place in the Route du Rhum-Destination Gaudeloupe's Rhum Mono division while Finnish airline pilot Huusela is in 11th place in the IMOCA division on his Ariel II.
Neither skipper is hurt although both report minor damage to their boats. Huusela has some damage to his pushpit on the aft corner of his boat; Destremau has damage to his bowsprit. According to race management Huusela also has some minor hull damage.
Huusela was sailing on a westerly course; Déstremau was heading south in search of stronger tradewinds when the collision happened at around 0600hrs CET.
Both carried on on their respective courses and have both been averaging 10-15 knots boatspeed. Huusela's shore team are helping him with advice as he makes further checks to his boat.
Here is Vendée Globe veteran Destremau's account of what happened: "I was in my pilot bunk sailing at 200 degrees in 20 knots of wind. The boat gybed suddenly and broached over, and suddenly we were doing 14 knots. By the time I got on deck we were already back on course and I saw Ari's boat less than 100 metres downwind from me.
"It was an almost unreal occurrence. On first sight there is no structural damage but the base of my bowsprit is damaged and there is some damage to the bow. I made a running repair which took four hours and while I was waiting for it to set I went only very slowly. This is such a rare incident which reminds us all to be vigilant. It is all too easy when it is dark and someone is tired to misjudge distances."
* Less than 1,000 miles to go for Thomson and Tripon
After their epic duel to the finish line, pure simple head-to-head sport, Francis Joyon and François Gabart are front page news and in high demand in their native France.
Having had some unbroken sleep and nutritious food, both the winner and runner-up in the ULTIME division fulfilled their media obligations yesterday before being able to relax and enjoy the sunshine island.
Armel Tripon and Alex Thomson should be the next to finish. The leaders of the Multi50 and IMOCA fleets are only 115 nautical miles apart this morning. Tripon on Réauté Chocolat leading the 2014 division winner Erwan Le Roux's FenêtréA-Mix Buffet by a comfortable 420 miles and Thomson on Hugo Boss ahead of Paul Meilhat's SMA by 175 miles.
The British skipper, who has not yet won a major IMOCA race, has been quicker than his pursuers all night but was having a slow spell around 0600hrs CET when his IMOCA dropped to 11 knots. He should see his distance to finish drop below the magical 1,000 miles to go today.
* In the #RhumMulti class the skipper Erwan Thiboumery is forced to abandon due to various problems on board
Claire Leroy wins the Swiss International Women's Match 2018
Lago Maggiore, Switzerland: Between 31 October and 3 November, the world's best female match racers gathered in Ascona to compete in the Swiss International Women's Match. Despite heavy rain and tricky wind conditions an impressive 66 matches were completed on Lago Maggiore.
The start of the regatta belonged to top ranked skipper Pauline Courtois and her team Match in Pink by Normandie Elite Team from France. But the end of the competition belonged to another Frenchwoman, the former world champion, and Olympian, Claire Leroy. Leroy and her Mermaid Sailing Team beat Danish skipper Trine Palludan 2-0 in the semifinals to claim the top of the podium.
Despite challenging weather conditions with torrential rain, cool temperatures and light winds we got to witness spectacular racing on Lago Maggiore.
The extremely light breeze forced the sailors to remain very sensitive and responsive in their handling of the very agile J70 boats.
Final Results
1. Claire Leroy, Mathilde Geron, Cassandre Blandin, Sigrid Longeau, Morgane Gautier
Mermaid Sailing Team (FRA)
2. Laurane Mettraux, Coraline Jonet, Elodie-Jane Mettraux, Libby Greenhalgh, Nathalie Brugger
ChicaCER (SUI)
3. Pauline Courtois, Maelenn Lemaitre, Louise Acker, Sophie Faguet
Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team (FRA)
4. Trine Palludan, Lea Richter Vogelius, Ida Hartvig, Line Morkebjerg Fischer, Joan Wester Hansen
Team Kattnakken (DEN)
5. Alexa Bezel, Fiona Testuz, Manon Kivell, Louise Thilo
Swiss Women Match Racing Team (SUI)
6. Henriette Koch, Trine Bentzen, Laerke Ilsoe Norgaard, Tine Kjaergaard, Laerke Marie Sorensen
Women On Water (WOW) (DEN)
7. Margot Vennin, Marie Zugolaro, Juliette Dubreuil, Adèle Marevery, Sophonie Affagard
Matchmoiselles by Normandy Elite Team (FRA)
8. Marinella Laaksonen, Daniela Ronnberg, Camilla Cedercreutz, Henna Holopainen, Lisa Gerkman
L2 Match Racing Team (FIN)
9. Linnea Floser, Sandra Sandqvist, Hanna Ericksson, Charlotte Eklund, Ann Johnson
Peregrine Racing (SWE)
10. Margot Riou, Clementine Hilaire, Caroline Vandame, Marion Ledoux, Tiphaine Ragueneau
APCC Women Sailing Team (FRA)
11. Sanna Mattsson, Niki Blassar, Therese Berg, Nellie Lindner
Swedish Women's Match Racing Team (SWE)
12. Sanna Hager, Karin Backstrom, Cecilia Olsson, Klara Hager, Sara Edholm
Stockholm Match Racing Team (SWE)
Not a sailor? Not a problem. You can experience the 52nd Antigua Sailing Week
For anyone who is not a sailor or active crew, they can still have a unique spectator experience during Antigua Sailing Week (ASW). ASW offers the opportunity to Chase The Race on EVERY day of racing from April 28th through May 3rd, 2019.
Yachts from all over the world will arrive in English and Falmouth Harbours to participate in the one of the world's major sailing events, the 52nd Antigua Sailing Week. From small beginnings this regatta has developed over 50 years to become one of the preeminent yacht racing events in the Caribbean and one of the most prestigious worldwide.
Well over 100 yachts participate each year, ranging in size from 24 feet to over 100 feet. The Regatta attracts all types of yachts from serious racing boats including state-of-the-art, high-tech racing machines to a variety of performance cruising and cruising boats and even features a Club Class for less serious racers who want to be part of the on-the-water action.
The sight of all these yachts is unforgettable, both from vantage points on the shore and from spectator boats carrying onlookers alongside the races. The reputation of Antigua Sailing Week allows the event to attract some of the world's top racing and performance cruising boats and some of the most famous professional sailors in the world. You don't need a high-tech boat to participate. Olympians are often found racing bareboats from bareboat sponsor Dream Yacht Charter.
The ASW Chase the Race is the only official chase that allows you to be at the start line to feel the exhilaration of a bonafide race start. The remainder of the day is spent following the races but also includes a cruise down the coastline, a stop for swim in an idyllic bay along with lunch and drinks. Booking can be completed via the regatta website www.sailingweek.com/chase-the-race/
Golden Globe Day 135: Jean-Luc Van Den Heede facing fresh storm
Jean-Luc Van Den Heede may have to earn his passage around Cape Horn. The embattled French leader nursing a damaged mast on his Rustler 36 Matmut after the yacht was pitchpoled in a storm a week ago, has the prospect of having another Southern Ocean buster roll over him this weekend followed by two more when rounding the infamous Cape.
The 73-year old veteran is now within 1,300 miles of the Horn, speeding along at 5.3 knots, having 'fixed' the damage to his mast by climbing up and lashing the lower shroud fixing to the spreader bracket above.
As soon as the sea will allow it I will climb the mast to secure it as best as possible with what I can use onboard. If I get dismasted, I have, like all competitors, a jury rig that will allow me to reach a port. I am no longer in racing mode but in safe mode. This is not the first time I will attempt to bring home a damaged boat. And if by miracle I get to Les Sables d'Olonne, I do not care about the ranking, at least I will have tried. I cross my fingers and thank all those who help me in this adventure"
Meanwhile, second placed Mark Slats sailing the Rustler 36 Ohpen Maverick has taken more than 500 miles out of Van Den Heede's lead over the past week and is now within 1,500 miles of the leader. Slats has to average 1knot more than Matmut over the remaining distance to take the lead at the finish. At 08:00 UTC today, Ophen Maverick was averaging 5.7knots against Matmut's 5.3knots.
Further back in mid-fleet, both 3rd placed Estonian Uku Randmaa sailing another Rustler 36, One and All, and Finland's Tapio Lehtinen aboard the Gaia 36 Asteria back in 6th have both used the unusually calm conditions to dive over the side and clean the infestation of barnacles that have been slowing their yachts. For Randmaa, the pressure to dive into the near freezing conditions came because 4th placed Susie Goodall sailing the British entry DHL Starlight has been closing the gap. For Lehtinen, the incentive is to catch 6th placed American/Hungarian Istvan Kopar who, after sailing half way around the world, is still struggling to get his wind vane self steering working effectively.
Standings:
1. Jean- Luc VDH (FRA) Rustler 36 Matmut, 8409 nm to finish
2. Mark Slats (NED) Rustler 36 Ohpen Maverick, 1473 nm to leader
3. Uku Randmaa (EST) Rustler 36 One and All, 2910
4. Susie Goodall GBR) Rustler 36 DHL Starlight, 3380
5. Istvan Kopar (USA)Tradewind 35 Puffin, 3615
6. Tapio Lehtinen (FIN) Gaia 36 Asteria, 4145
7. Mark Sinclair (Aus) Lello 34 Coconut, 6541
8. Igor Zaretskiy (RUS) Endurance 35 Esmeralda, 7264
RYA Performance Operations Manager
Salary: £38,000 - £40,000 per annum (dependent upon experience)
Full-time, 35 hours per week
Location: Hamble, Southampton
The RYA offers a range of benefits which include; a personal pension scheme, free life insurance and an annual leave entitlement of 25 days (plus public holidays) and an additional 3 privilege days which are granted at Christmas time.
Our ambition is to be the best sailing nation in the world, inspiring future champions and engaging with all forms of the sport in order to attract and retain racing sailors. We are seeking a Performance Operations Manager to be a key part of this team!
As the Performance Operations Manager you will oversee and provide direction to the Performance Operations team, who provide day-to-day operational and logistical support to the RYA's World Class Olympic, Youth Racing and Talent programmes, ensuring each programme is successfully delivered and key targets are met. You would also be required to work with the RYA's Events Officer to oversee the organisation and delivery of some of our key events, including: The RYA Youth National Championships; The RYA British Youth Sailing Stakeholder Conference; and The RYA Regional Junior Championships. This position will also involve planning, budgeting, forecasting and monitoring of expenditure on these programmes and events.
Are you highly organised with excellent communication skills and the ability to work with a wide range of people? Do you have experience of monitoring & controlling budgets/resources and leading a team to achieve success? Then help us with our mission and join our fast-paced, dynamic, world class team.
Experience/knowledge of the sailing industry or another sport would be advantageous for this role but is not essential.
To Apply
Please visit our website, www.rya.org.uk/go/jobs, to view the full job description and to download an application form. Completed application forms should be returned, along with an equality monitoring form, to Lisa [DOT] Rogers [AT] rya [DOT] org [DOT] uk Please note that we do not accept CVs in lieu of a fully completed application form.
Closing date for applications: Mid-day on Monday 26th November 2018
Interviews to be held: w/c 10th December 2018
The Royal Yachting Association, based in Hamble, near Southampton, is the national governing body for all forms of recreational, competitive and professional boating. It represents dinghy and yacht racing, motor and sail cruising, RIBs and sportsboats, powerboat racing, windsurfing, inland cruising and personal watercraft.
Industry News
Birgit Schnaase, Chair of the Jury, presented the prestigious DAME Award 2018 to the Triskel Marine Integrel, during the Breakfast Briefing in RAI Amsterdam on the opening day METSTRADE 2018. A further five products were named as Category Winners and 22 received Special Mentions. METSTRADE 2018 will last until 15 November.
With such a strong field of entries this year, the choice of ultimate winner of the DAME Award was closely debated by the Jury. In the final vote, it was the obvious design effort and promising impact of Triskel Marine's fully integrated Integrel generator replacement system that made it the most popular choice.
15 years' research into power efficiency Triskel Marine used 15 years' research into power efficiency onboard boats and superyachts to create Integrel, which exploits the gap between the propeller curve and optimum efficiency of a propulsion engine, to generate power which is then stored for AC and DC use. This improves the efficiency of the fuel that is burned and avoids the need for a separate generator.
The Jury particularly noted the Integrel system's ability to improve the environmental footprint of leisure boating today, its simplicity of operation providing long periods of quiet ship operation and its potential to be further developed for a wide range of applications.
Winner DAME Award 2018
Triskel Marine Integrel
Stand 07.330E
This years' Category winners
MARINE ELECTRONICS AND MARINE RELATED SOFTWARE
Spinlock Sail Sense
Stand 03.200-03.201
INTERIOR EQUIPMENT, FURNISHINGS, MATERIALS AND ELECTRICAL FITTINGS USED IN CABINS
Vimar Electronic Switch 8in 7out 3M
Stand 10.115
MARINA EQUIPMENT, BOATYARD EQUIPMENT AND BOAT CONSTRUCTION TOOLS AND MATERIALS
In keeping with the rules of the competition, the Jury decided not to award a winner in this category after carefully considering the standard against other categories.
DECK EQUIPMENT, SAILS AND RIGGING
Harken CLR Mooring Winch
Stand 12.227 and 12.327
CLOTHING AND CREW ACCESSORIES
Rooster Exofleece
Stand 12.907
LIFESAVING AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Shakespeare Marine GALAXY-INFL8
Stand 02.407
MACHINERY, PROPULSION, MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND FITTINGS
Triskel Marine Integrel
Stand 07.330E
Complete list with Jury comments:
www.metstrade.com/innovation/dame-winners/
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After just 10 months on the job as CEO, Doug Robinson has left West Marine. The North American boating supply retailer issued a brief statement Tuesday.
"An executive search is underway for a new CEO, led by private equity ownership group Monomoy Capital Partners," the statement reads. "We anticipate significant interest from seasoned executives with extensive retail and e-commerce operational experience. The senior leadership team at West Marine remains in place and focused on returning the company to its core business and serving local boating communities."
Robinson joined the company 29 January of this year after 13 years with Lowe's, a chain of hardware and home improvement stores.
West Marine was acquired by US-based Monomoy Capital Partners in June 2017 for US$12.97 per share in cash, representing a total equity value of US$338m and a 32% premium over the 30-day average performance of its stock price at the time.
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Click on image to enlarge.
PROtect tapes introduces BOW#, the sticker to protect the sea
The pollution from plastic and microplastic is a very sensitive topic in the world of yacht racing. The product that was missing is now available on the market. The solution is a compostable and biodegradable sticker that allows race organizers and competitors to respect the sea, avoiding the involuntary release of plastic.
PROtect BOW# is a new range of stickers for bow number and advertising made of bioplastic films that use renewable resources to reduce environmental impact.
The solution has been designed for a sustainable end of life while guaranteeing similar performances of traditional products. At the end of the racing series the sticker removed from the boat can be disposed with the organic waste because made of biodegradable and compostable materials.
Unfortunately some stickers do peel off from the hull while racing because of poor application, water splashes and sprays, then dragged by the waves, currents and tides and generally end up on the beaches or deposit on the bottom of the sea. The potential damage caused by the stickers released at sea is mitigated by rapid biodegradation.
The marine biodegradation of material used for PROtect BOW# takes place even in natural conditions, such as the marine environment, relatively quickly.
PROtect tapes awaits you at METS at its booth 1. 557 to view in person its full range of products.
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Crewsaver, a world-leading designer and manufacturer of marine safety equipment, secures partnership with Exposure Lights and Exposure OLAS. The agreement sees Crewsaver become the sole marine distributor for the UK and Ireland for the marine and dive light ranges and Overboard Location Alert Systems (OLAS).
Designed for high performance, Exposure Lights combine the latest advantages of LED technology with powerful Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, creating very lightweight, highly compact torches with unrivalled power, functionality and versatility for their size. This includes the ability to combine high power search light options (visible up to 3 nautical miles), with red beam, and a variety of safety features in very small, lightweight and buoyant casing. Exposure Lights are much more than just torches, they combine high powered LED search capabilities with its patented MOB technology and precision engineering to create floating, water activated strobes. This allows you to not only use the light to search but also as a position indicating light when in the water.
In addition, a technological collaboration between Crewsaver innovations and that of Exposure, is evident in Crewsaver's new ErgoFit+ lifejacket, arriving March 2019. The Exposure OLAS Tag, a portable crew tracking and overboard location alert system, can be easily integrated into this lifejacket - taking man overboard protection to the next level.
METS stand 03.128
Featured Brokerage
2008 Sly 42. 185,000 EUR. Located in Ancona, Italy.
Lightweight and extremely well built 42 ft cruiser racer in only her second careful ownership. RENOVATIO is hull No.8 of 18 yachts built and represents a fully optioned version lightly used example of this extremely competitive fast cruiser.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
GRABAU INTERNATIONAL
Lead broker - Michele Antonini
Tel: +39 333 74 89 281
Email: michele [AT] grabauinternational [DOT] com
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2013 KER46 Patrice. POA. Located in Sydney, Australia.
A Yacht for Champions The McConaghy Boats built Ker 46 has been continuously IRC optimised since her launch. She has an outstanding results sheet and is a turn key package for regatta sailing through to Cat 1 offshore races.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Jason Rowed - Race Yachts
email: jason [AT] raceyachts [DOT] com [DOT] au
tel: +61 414 332 255
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2012 Carkeek 40 - GALAXY. 380000 USD Located in Japan.
PRICE DROP Built in 2012 by McConaghy Boats, to a high Carbon/Nomex/Epoxy spec, she has achieved top level success on both HPR and more recently IRC. Newly added FAST 40 transom scoop and with a new rig, she is bang of for IRC and ORC optimisation and a cost effective way into the FAST 40 world.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
+64 277733717
+442380 016582
sampearson [AT] ancasta [DOT] com
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
Confronted with the choice, the American people would choose the policeman's truncheon over the anarchist's bomb. -- Spiro T. Agnew
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