In This Issue
• Hempel World Cup Series Miami a test of mental fortitude
• 2019 EFG Sailing Arabia - The Tour
• Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week
• Superyacht Challenge Antigua
• Sundance: 'Maiden' documentary pushes feminism to the spotlight
• Seize the Opportunity - Youth in the RORC Caribbean 600
• RYA Scotland Annual Awards
• Dave Lenz Takes On The Merlin Rocket
• Letters to the Editor
• Featured Brokerage
• The Last Word: Eamon de Valera
Brought to you by Seahorse magazine and YachtScoring.com EuroSail News 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] eurosailnews [DOT] com
Hempel World Cup Series Miami a test of mental fortitude
Today's second race for the Finn class at the 2019 Hempel World Cup Series Miami was something of a microcosm of the regatta so far. It was all about surviving the storm and limiting the damage.
Only this wasn't the traditional sort of storm, with the thrashing wind and the waves crashing over the deck. Rather, it was a sudden deluge of rain that sent the breeze into a game of hide and seek during the crucial first leg.
So far it's been that sort of an event for the 29 sailors competing in the Finn. Light air limited the Finn sailors to just two races over the first two days. Today was better, but with the rain cells rolling through the second of three races, the regatta has been a test of mental fortitude more than physical strength.
Salminen, who won a gold medal as a Star class crew at London 2012 and finished sixth in the Finn at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, is tied on points for the overall lead with fellow Scandinavian sailor Tapio Nirkko (FIN). Jonathan Lobert (FRA), Nils Theunnick (SUI) and Luke Muller (USA) round out the top five.
Racing resumes once again at the earlier time of 10:00. The 49er, 49erFX, Nacra and RS:X fleets will sail their final day of qualification ahead of Saturday's Medal Races.
Top three by class:
470 Men
1.Stuart Mcnay / David Hughes, USA, 10 points
2.Anton Dahlberg / Fredrik Bergstrom, SWE, 10
3.Naoki Ichino / Takashi Hasegawa, JPN, 13
470 Women
1. Agnieszka Skrzypulec / Jolanta Ogar, POL, 7
2. Hannah Mills / Eilidh McIntyre, GBR, 10
3. Fabienne Oster / Anastasiya Winkel, GER, 14
49er Men
1. Erik Heil / Thomas Ploessel, GER, 45.3
2. Dylan Fletcher-Scott / Stuart Bithell, GBR, 52
3. Sime Fantela / Mihovil Fantela, CRO, 62
49erFX Women
1. Alexandra Maloney / Molly Meech, NZL, 19
2. Charlotte Dobson / Saskia Tidey, GBR, 24
3. Victoria Jurczok / Anika Lorenz, GER, 36
Finn
1. Max Salminenm, SWE, 18
2. Tapio Nirkko, FIN, 18
3. Jonathan Lobert, FRA, 21
Laser
1. Hermann Tomasgaard, NOR, 16
2. Sam Meechm, NZL, 37
3. William De Smet, BEL, 45
Laser Radial
1. Alison Young, GBR, 25
2. Paige Railey, USA, 30
3. Dongshuang Zhang, CHN, 32
NACRA 17
1. Jason Waterhouse / Lisa Darmanin, AUS, 31
2. Samuel Albrecht / Gabriela Nicolino de Sa, BRA, 36
3. John Gimson / Anna Burnet, GBR, 45
RS:X Men
1. Radoslaw Furmanski, POL, 23
2. Mattia Camboni, ITA, 27
3. Pawel Tarnowski, POL, 30
RS:X Women
1. Zofia Noceti-Klepacka, POL, 17
2. Charline Picon, FRA, 19
3. Katy Spychakov, ISR, 23
Full results: site-isaf.soticcloud.net/worldcup/results/index.php
2019 EFG Sailing Arabia - The Tour
The 2019 edition of EFG Sailing Arabia - The Tour (SATT), organised by Oman Sail, has brought together a highly competitive mix of experienced stars of the international racing world, challenging young talent and the best of a remarkable generation of Omani sailors. Running for the ninth year, the Gulf region's premier offshore yacht race features as the first event of the established World Diam Tour
In a repeat of last year's successful new-look event featuring the high-performance Diam 24 trimaran, the event will take a 10-strong fleet on a course from Oman's capital Muscat to seven different venues, culminating with a finale in Salalah, in the far south of the country.
Among the high-profile sailors likely to play a leading role as the drama unfolds is defending SATT champion Valentin Bellet, skipper of the Beijaflore entry. Managed by the renowned Pierre Mas, the squad used their impressive early season victory in Oman as a springboard that took them to the runner-up spot in last year's Tour Voile.
Out to stop a repeat performance will be EFG Bank Monaco, who had to settle for second place last year. The team and event sponsor will be hoping for a return to SATT success with the high-profile combination of skipper Franck Cammas, Oman Sail regular Thierry Douillard and Omani dinghy ace Hussein Al Jabri.
Strong competition though will come from the newly-formed Oman Shipping team. Skipper Stevie Morrison took fourth place in the Tour Voile alongside Douillard, but the British Olympian will give his former teammate a run for his money racing with Quentin Ponroy and the experienced Oman Sail instructor Raad Al Hadi.
In what looks like another formidable combination, match racer and four-time Tour Voile winner Damien Iehl skippers MOOD, a SATT first-time entry, and is reunited with Tour Voile teammates Benjamin Amiot and Aurélien Ducroz, a former world champion freeride skier. To add even more strength in depth, Team Oman Sail skipper Pierre Le Clainche is also in the squad.
Meanwhile Swiss racing legend Bernard Stamm will manage the reliably consistent and competitive Cheminée Poujoulat team, this time led by skipper Robin Follin, hot off the GC32 circuit and a leading light of the Team France Jeune project.
Another famous figure is 1985-86 Whitbread Race winner turned project manager Lionel Pean, who heads a Seaflotech entry skippered by French Olympic 470 sailor and Tour Voile veteran Sofian Bouvet.
EFG Sailing Arabia - The Tour gets underway with a practice race in Muscat on February 2nd, followed by 14 intensive days of inshore and coastal racing, interspersed by days relocating to the next venue along Oman's striking coastline.
www.omansail.com
www.sailingarabiathetour.com
Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week
The fleet enjoyed some idyllic conditions on Tuesdays Race Day sponsored by Secret Harbour Marina. Racing started on the protected west coast then moved with a nice long romp from Grand Anse to the more challenging south coast with the transition race.
Wednesday was a lay day to let racers catch their breath. Lay Day activities included Hobie Cat & Open Bic racing. The classic Yawl Galatea celebrated her 120th birthday with a fantastic dock party and live music. Later in the evening we showed the award winning film Vanishing Sails - the story of saving the tradition of boat building on the small Caribbean island of Carriacou.
Overall Race Day Results for Tuesday 29 January
Racing Class
1st Nickatime - Jason Fletcher - Grenada
2nd Credit Mutuel - Claude Granel - Martinique
3rd Liquid - Pamela Baldwin - Antigua
Racer Cruiser
1st - Julie Rule - Peter Evans - Grenada
2nd - Emily of Cowes - Richard Oswald - UK
3rd - Kali - Benedick Clauberg - Switzerland
Classics
1st - May Jong - Alex Goodhill - USA
2nd - Galatea - Judd Tinius - Grenada
3rd - Arrluuk - Steve Frary - USA
J24
1st - Attitude - Fredrick Sweeny - St Lucia
2nd - Hawkeye - Stephen Bushe - Trinidad
3rd - Die Hard - Robbie Yearwood - Grenada
Superyacht Challenge Antigua
Racing at the 9th edition of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua is underway with the fleet enjoying spectacular conditions off the south coast of Antigua. Race One was approximately 23 nautical miles with seven legs providing a full range of wind angles in solid trade winds. In the Corsairs Class, Nilaya won the first race by just 64 seconds after ORCsy time correction after a great battle with Rebecca. The 112ft (34m) German Frers designed sloop Spiip was third. In the Buccaneers Class, Kawil made the best start of the day and went on to win from Catalina. John McMonigall's Oyster 82 Zig Zag was third.
The 112ft (34m) sloop Nilaya, with Filip Balcaen at the helm, had a close battle with the 140ft (42m) German Frers ketch Rebecca. The Superyacht Challenge Antigua uses a staggered start, Nilaya was the last off but passed all of the fleet to take Line Honours, just in front of Rebecca.
Nilaya's afterguard includes the Volvo Ocean Race legend Bouwe Bekking. Nilaya and Rebecca both made strategically good moves during the race, especially in Rendezvous Bay. Rebecca made one good call to stay offshore early in the race, with Nilaya making the right call inshore on the second beat in the same area.
The 112ft (34m) Sparkman & Stephens sloop Kawil was just three seconds shy of the line for Race One, extremely impressive for a superyacht with a displacement in excess of 100 tons. Kawil was an impressive sight achieving double-digit boat speed for most of the race. After over three hours of racing, the 148ft (45m) Dubois ketch Catalina was just five minutes ahead of Zig Zag after time correction.
Racing is scheduled to continue on the second day, Friday 1st February. -- Louay Habib
www.superyachtchallengeantigua.com
Sundance: 'Maiden' documentary pushes feminism to the spotlight
Tracy Edwards did not form an all-women yacht sailing crew with the intent of becoming a symbol of feminism. In fact, as she claims in the film "Maiden," she disliked the term feminist. She simply wanted to do what she loved and accomplish her aspirations.
Edwards' struggle to realize her dream of participating in the 1989 Whitbread Round the World Race is depicted in the documentary "Maiden," which is set to premiere in the U.S. during the Sundance Film Festival. Edwards faced a sailing community that was vocally against her and her team's determination, as well as personal doubt about her own abilities. She became an image of feminism.
Alex Holmes, who directed and wrote the script for the film, first heard about Edwards' story when she spoke at his daughter's graduation from elementary school. Holmes was moved by Edwards' "remarkable story" and her "engaging character," but also the fact that the barriers Edwards had to break through were still the ones Holmes was reminding his daughters to conquer.
"It's astonishing that, even after all these years, the world somehow tries to limit our daughters and not present them with all the opportunities that they should have available to them," he said.
He knew the world needed to be reminded of Edwards' experience. So he walked up to her after her speech and told her he was interested in portraying her story in a film.
Holmes was continuously impressed by Edwards as he learned more about her story, as well as the story of the other 12 women on the Maiden crew. He interviewed each of them for the documentary.
Seize the Opportunity - Youth in the RORC Caribbean 600
Young up-and-coming sailors will be racing alongside and against some of the world's best professionals in next month's RORC Caribbean 600. The race is a huge opportunity for their growth, to learn and master the sport.
"Any young sailor who has been given the opportunity to do this race is clearly already a good sailor, so now it's up to them to see where this talent will take them," commented Mike Sanderson (NZ), crew boss of Maxi 72 Bella Mente (USA) and twice winning skipper of the Volvo Ocean Race. "My advice is be the hardest worker on the team, both on the water and on the shore. Do the jobs nobody else wants to do, be the first on the bow for a sail change, be the first to bail out the bilges and tidy the boat. Don't be the one who turns up at the boat having had a late night. Too often I see young people get the opportunity and then just immediately hang out with the guys who have been there forever. Take a local Antiguan, Louis Sinclair who is now a Volvo and America's Cup legend. Still to this day he is always one of the hardest workers on the boat and ashore - it's worked pretty well for him!"
Pete Redmond (GBR) is the project manager for the British TP52 Tala for the RORC Caribbean 600. The 24 year-old will be trimming main and also one of the drivers. Pete has already taken part in two editions of the race, four Rolex Fastnet Races and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. On board Tala for the race is a wealth of talent including Volvo Ocean Race sailors, Campbell Field (NZ), Paul Wilcox (RSA), and a number of highly experienced sailors.
Bernie Evan-Wong (ANT) will skipper RP37 Taz for the 11th edition of the race. Bernie is the only sailor to have competed in every RORC Caribbean 600 as skipper. This year, the Antiguan dentist has some "secret weapons" on board his Antiguan carbon flyer in the form of seven promising sailors, all around 18-22 years old with ambitions to get into the Volvo Ocean Race under 35 category. They are: Elad Jaegermann (ISR), Jelmer Van Beek (NED), Rosalin Kuiper (NED), Jorden Van Roiijen (NED), Niels Van Raam (NED), Joakim Romell (SWE) and Nicolas Hein (USA.),
Greg Williams (GBR) is just 18 years old and will be racing as part of his traineeship on Performance Yacht Racing's British Grand Soleil 43 Quokka 8. Supported by his parents, Greg took a job delivering milk to fund the investment for the course with the Cowes-based yacht racing school. -- Louay Habib
RYA Scotland Annual Awards
The RYA Scotland Annual Awards, the annual celebration of the successes and people involved across recreational and competitive boating, took place at The Chartroom in Kip Marina on Saturday the 19th of January.
Across the ten categories there were plenty of inspiring individuals and teams who make a massive difference to the sport. Many of the guests travelled far to attend the event and were rewarded with a Burns themed night of shared experiences across a broad representation of all kinds of boating in the nominations and awards.
The event was sponsored by Ocean Sailing Scotland and principal skipper Glenn Porter opened the award touching on the connection between all those present, volunteering.
The winners of each of the categories presented on the evening are as follows:
- Volunteer of the Year - Craig MacDonald
- The Elizabeth Mackay Award- Laura Carrick of Able 2 Sail
- Young Person of the Year Oban Duncan
- Instructor of the Year - Cameron MacIntyre of Prestwick SC
- Coach of the Year - Iain McGonigal of East Lothian YC
- Official of the Year - Peter Wright of Fairlie YC
- Class Academy Sailors of the Year - Rowan Hayes and Charlotte Henry
- Youth Sailor of the Year - Islay Watson
- Performance of the Year - Celtic Commodores Cup team led by Jock Wishart
- Club of the Year - Solway Yacht Club
- Lifetime Commitment Award - Terence Brownrigg
Dave Lenz Takes On The Merlin Rocket
As the Head of European Design for North Sails, Dave Lenz likes making sailboats go a little faster. He spends his workday with his "fingers in lots of pies," developing sails for big boats like the TP52 and Fast 40. Now, on the weekends, he'll be trying to make a Merlin Rocket go a little faster - with his wife as crew.
Dave was a member of a top Melges 32 team in the late 2000s. "We won a European championship, and the combined winter championship at Key West, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale. Second and a third in Key West; good, solid results."
The Merlin Rocket appeals to Dave because it is a development class and tweaky enough to keep his interest. "You can work on sails or rig or foils for slightly different crew weights. There's lots of controls to power up and depower the rig. And it isn't as weight sensitive as some other classes." Newer designs with less rig controls come and go, Dave says, because a lot of people like to be able to fiddle with their boat.
For a sail design expert, there's also a fresh challenge written into the class rules.
"It has a combined sail area between mainsail and jib, so how you distribute the area between the two sails can vary. There's definitely development to be done there. We're also working on developing a 3Di mainsail, and longer term I think we'll try a jib. The Merlin is a class that lends itself to that technology, and lessons we learn there will be very applicable to the rest of the things we do. It's a good area for us to grow."
Yet another appeal is fleet size and quality around the UK. "They have a seasonal circuit of open meetings, you'll get between 30-60 boats at those events. National championships will be about 70-80 boats. Every year, there's a regatta in Salcombe, a very nice town; they limit the entries to 120 boats. The boats are cool. And because it appeals to lots of good sailors, it appeals to lots more good sailors which means it is very competitive."
Letters To The Editor - editor [AT] scuttlebutteurope [DOT] 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 Damian Byrne MVO:
I read with interest Adrian's thoughts on two of the greatest sailors of our age.
What joy it was to see them both sharing the past days together and we too should celebrate the two sailors together.
JLV for his lifelong passion, hard won seafaring wisdom and defiance of the bounds of age: RJK for his youth and courage to be the first that inspired so many to follow.
On land age is seen as a barrier to much ... too young ... too old. The sea casts this away and is the master here. Both men in their time were challenged by an alien world and won out by virtue of their great seamanship and quiet wisdom.
We are fortunate to live at a time when both great sailors continue to inspire so many others.
Let's raise a glass to JLV and RKJ
* From Ginny Jones
I so agree with Adrian Morgan about the respective accomplishments of Sir Robin Knox-Johnson and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede in the RTW solo race still underway, but which Heede has completed. The numbers help to tell the story as you consider how many have been forced to retire from the race by one thing or another.
Van Den Heede is my age and I cannot imagine mustering the level of effort necessary to sail around the world in any vessel at any age, let alone at his!
Please do accord them the respect and commendations that they both so richly earned, and deserve!
You go guys!
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The Last Word
It is indeed hard for the strong to be just to the weak, but acting justly always has its rewards. -- Eamon de Valera
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