In This Issue
• RORC Caribbean 600 Race Record for Maserati
• Monohull line honours for Wizard
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Steinlager back onboard as Official Sponsor
• Diam 24 One Design Spring Boat Trial Invitation
• League sailing hits Australian shores
• Golden Globe: Uku Randmaa handed 72 hour penalty for weather routing violation
• Dinghy dynamo at 75? We'll try what GPs give Curley
• Featured Brokerage
• The Last Word: Firesign Theatre
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
RORC Caribbean 600 Race Record for Maserati
Maserati Multi 70 skippered by Giovanni Soldini (ITA) crossed the finish line of the RORC Caribbean 600 at 20:49:00 AST on Tuesday 19 February 2019 in an elapsed time of 1 day, 06 hours 49 minutes and 00 seconds, taking Multihull Line honours and setting a new Multihull Race Record in the 11th edition of the race; beating the previous record by just over one hour.
Maserati Multi 70 crew: Giovanni Solidni (ITA), Vittorio Bissaro (IT), Guido Broggi (IT), Carlos Hernandez Robayna (ESP), Oliver Herrera Perez (ESP), Nico Malingri (IT), Matteo Soldini (IT) Claude Thelier (FRA).
The extraordinary events surrounding the battle for Multihull Line Honours will be remembered for years to come. Just 48 hours before the start of the 2019 RORC Caribbean 600, Jason Carroll's MOD 70 Argo (USA) capsized at high speed in training. It seemed impossible that Argo would be racing, but after a monumental effort by the sailing community in Antigua, Argo's crew and shore team, Argo miraculously made the impossible a reality.
On the day of the race start, Giovanni Soldini agreed to a two hour delay at Argo's request. An epic match race was to follow over 600 miles around 11 Caribbean islands, racing day and night, both multihulls recording over 30 knots of boat speed. At Redonda, the final island of the course, Argo made a great tactical move to close the gap on Maserati and an intense match race provided the final twist to this fantastic story. Soldini's Maserati held off Argo to win by just over seven minutes, after 30 hours of explosive action. Both Maserati and Argo broke the race record and the former champion skipper, Lloyd Thornburg congratulated both skippers on their achievements as they arrived back on the dock in Antigua.
"Offshore sailors have to deal with situations that are beyond their control and when we had the capsize, nobody's head went down, we simply worked hard at finding the solutions to get Argo back on the race track. The crew has really bonded through the experience," commented Argo's Brian Thompson -- Louay Habib
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Monohull line honours for Wizard
David & Peter Askew (USA) racing their Volvo 70 Wizard have taken Monohull Line Honours in the RORC Caribbean 600 crossing the finish line on Wednesday 20 February at 07:08:44 AST in an elapsed time of 1d 19h 38m 44s. Wizard has set the bar for the overall win under IRC for the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy.
Greg Slyngstad (USA) racing his Bieker 53 Fujin finished the race just over 20 minutes after Volvo 70 Wizard, and after MOCRA time correction has beaten both Maserati Multi70 and Argo to lead the class. Six multihulls are still racing, including John Gallagher's Gunboat 62 Chim Chim, which is still very much in contention for the class win. Fujin made headlines in last year's uber-windy race, dramatically capsizing at night off the island of Saba. This year, Fujin finished the race and showed the amazing capabilities of both type boat and the crew.
Peter Isler, America's Cup winner and navigator on Fujin was full of praise for both the team and the Beiker-designed Fujin. Giving details on the upwind start that put Fujin in a superb position from the get-go, he said: "We had a great first leg. Jonathan (McKee) and Greg (Slyngstad) did a great job plugging us in for the race and the whole team was masterful handling the boat in tight corners. The most important thing was knowing when to put the bow down with a little boat and go for it, and we took a perfect lane and hit that inner layline cutting off an immense amount of distance, putting us way ahead at Green Island."
Runner-up for Monohull Line Honours was the magnificent 115ft Baltic sloop Nikata, who completed the race in almost exactly 48 hours. Nikata's owner, guests and crew were greeted dockside by Eddie Warden Owen, Chief Executive of the Royal Ocean Racing Club and dozens of well-wishers gave three cheers to the team.
At 1100 AST on the third day of the RORC Caribbean 600 - Wednesday 20th February - 63 boats were still racing, with the majority of the fleet in the southern part of the course. The Antigua Yacht Club is bracing itself for hundreds of sailors to return to Antigua. Every boat is met by enthusiastic volunteers with a warm welcome and cold beer, and the Yacht Club is open 24-7 throughout the race.
An epic finish is on the bill for the Class40 fleet, with just 16 minutes separating the leading three yachts. Aymeric Chappellier's Aïna Enfance Et Avenir is just in the lead; in his rear view mirror Chappellier can see Catherine Pourre's Eärendil and Luke Berry's Lamotte - Module Création blast-reaching at 20 knots in hot pursuit. The leading Class40s are 140 miles from the finish. The intense battle is due to come to a conclusion in the early hours of tomorrow (Thursday 21 February).
Seahorse March 2019
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
Lifesaver
Remember the simple head torch... well this really is nothing like it. It all started with a simple yet remarkable torch, cleverly designed and purpose-built to solve one of the most intractable problems in offshore sailing. When someone falls overboard at night, the chances of getting that person safely back aboard can be frighteningly low.
Start as you mean to go on
McConaghy Boats has only ever built one type of watercraft... very quick ones. The current list of monohull elapsed time records for offshore races reads like an alumni book for McConaghy Boats - more first-to-finish line honour awards have gone to yachts from this builder than any other.
Mr Rules
And not just rules, Luis Saenz could surely write an 'interesting' book of America's Cup tales
Anatomy of a project
Take a detailed brief from an experienced client who knows exactly what they want, but nobody really knows how to get there... Eric Goetz
Sailor of the Month
Couldn't be less similar but both are making an indelible mark (also less similar...) on sailing
Sneak preview
Jeremie Beyou
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Steinlager back onboard as Official Sponsor
Emirates Team New Zealand is proud to have Steinlager return as an Official Sponsor and Official Beer Partner of Emirates Team New Zealand's for the defence of the 36th America's Cup - here on home waters in Auckland in 2021.
Steinlager has been a long time supporter of Emirates Team New Zealand dating back to New Zealand's first attempt at America's Cup glory in 1987 in Fremantle.
Grant Dalton, Team New Zealand's CEO, says: "Steinlager is a truly iconic Kiwi brand that has always stayed strong and believed in Emirates Team New Zealand and our quest for the America's Cup. They've been on the boat for every win we've had, and we had Steinlager in our hand when we grasped the Cup in Bermuda in 2017 - a ritual we plan to keep alive in March 2021. Although it is always about the end result when we're on the water, Steinlager helps to remind us to enjoy the journey."
In 2021, it will be over two decades since Emirates Team New Zealand successfully defended the America's Cup on home waters. History now has the chance to repeat itself at one of New Zealand's most iconic sporting events and Steinlager will be there on the boat again, and as the cold one that crew and fans can celebrate with when the hard work is done.
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Diam 24 One Design Spring Boat Trial Invitation
Click on image to enlarge.
Hamble - Solent: For the first anniversary of the UK Class, we are very happy to organise a sailing week-end with demos and trials on Diam 24. We would like you to feel speed on water, safely.
This one design"has known a successful growth all over the world.
The Diam 24 boatyard, in association with UK Class, is proud to invite you at a sailing trial through a week-end of march 2019. Do you like fun sailing, race at good speed, come and try this exiting international series.
From Hamble point marina, we will take you on board.
Come with your team of 3 or 4 people. If alone, we will compose a crew for you! Tell us what type you are : owner, crew member, helm or tactician….
Dates: 23rd & 24th March 2019
Navigation Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00am to 4:30pm
Number of space are limited, booking is free but obligatory!
1h30
Sailing time for each team. Up to 4 rotations/day
We welcome you at the marina and take care of you all day! Complete schedule after confirmation of your booking
Cocktail offered
Presentation of the boat, first anniversary of the UK class at 6:30pm Ketch Rigger restaurant, located at the marina
How To Sign Up
1- Fill in the contact form online
2- Get an answer from us with availabilities
3- Confirmation of booking
4- Reminder 8 days before with instructions
www.diam24onedesign.com/en/infohamble2019
League sailing hits Australian shores
In the northern hemisphere the Sailing Champions League is a winning concept, taking off from the start-up league in Germany in 2013 to involve 21 nations and more than 300 clubs in 2019. Now it's the southern hemisphere's turn.
Mark Turnbull OAM, gold medal winner in the 470 class at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and Howard Elliott have teamed up to bring the national league concept of clubs fighting for the title of best sailing club of the year to Australian shores.
Invites to the inaugural National Sailing League - Oceania Final are with yacht clubs across Australia and New Zealand, and the response and number of follow-up enquiries bodes well for the opening final.
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, host club of the recent SailGP world premiere, is the launchpad for the first-ever NSL event April 25 - 28. The format is three days of one design keelboat racing using six Elliott 7s and a maximum 24 teams competing in 45 races of 12-15 minutes each to find the top two clubs in the women's, youth and open divisions.
The top Australian and New Zealand open teams automatically qualify for a spot at the Sailing Champions League (SCL) final at St Moritz, Switzerland in August.
The top two youth teams will be eligible to compete at the SCL Youth Event at Kiel in June and the top two female team at the SCL Women's Final in 2020.
The Elliott 7 chosen for the first event in April will carry a maximum four crew, one of those female for the open division, and a maximum of five in the youth and women's division.
The regatta is a short-course umpired fleet racing event. At the end of the flight racing series the top four teams qualify for the final series, then it's the first boat to score two wins. The ultimate series winner is the victor in the deciding race.
www.australiansailingleague.com.au/content/
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Golden Globe: Uku Randmaa handed 72 hour penalty for weather routing violation
Third placed Estonian skipper Uku Randmaa has escaped disqualification from the Golden Globe race after breaching the strict rules forbidding outside assistance, but has been handed a 72-hour penalty for asking and receiving weather routing information during radio contact with a Ham radio operator.
Race Chairman Don McIntyre explained: "This is a retro race with skippers restricted to using a sextant, paper charts and wind-up chronometers just as Sir Robin Knox-Johnston used in the first Sunday Times Golden Globe Race 50 years ago. All digital equipment is banned, including sat phones and GPS. Skippers can only communicate via Single Side Band (SSB) radios and amateur Ham radio net, which the whole world can listen in to if they wish. The GGR has attracted hundreds of Ham Radio operators around the world who are listening in and connecting with the skippers, and they play a valuable part in providing a communication network for the Race. But the skippers know that while they can ask for public weather information, weather routing - given directions on where to go - is strictly banned.
The Race Committee has accepted Uku Randmaa's explanation that he did not fully appreciate that the information he received was routing and reduced the penalty from disqualification to a 72-hour penalty.
He served part of this penalty at sea overnight, but following a plea for mitigation on the grounds that he has very little food left for the final 2,000 miles to the finish in Les Sables d'Olonne, the Race Committee has agreed that Randmaa can continue racing and the remainder of his penalty time - 65hrs 40 minutes - will be added to his finish time."
Uku caught another Marlin last weekend, which will have given him 3 days nourishment, but his basic stocks onboard now consist of:
60 spoons of rice,
20 packets of dried soup,
23 freeze dried meals,
15 tea bags
Four spoons of sugar
The latest ETA for Uku's return to Les Sables d'Olonne is now March 13, so this has to last him 21 days!
Dinghy dynamo at 75? We'll try what GPs give Curley
It's often said that sailing is a 'sport for youth of all ages', but there can't be too many septuagenarians around who'll readily test their joint replacements to the limit by springing into a dinghy on a cold winter's morning.
It's a measure of Curly Morris's legendary status on the GP14 scene that when he turned 75 at the start of January, no-one considered not staging a birthday regatta. Winkie Nixon and Andy Johnston recount how more than 20 sailors from across the country turned out to celebrate with the East Antrim dynamo.
Full story in Afloat: afloat.ie/sail/
Featured Brokerage
2015 King Marine Botin 65. 2900000 EUR. Located in Spain.
There were no costs spared in building this magnificent racer, from her design and construction to the addition of high tech equipment. During the winter of 2016, she was intensively prepared for racing. She now has a stable heading in any wind and easily hydroplanes in 10 knots.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
BERNARD GALLAY Yacht Brokerage
info [AT] bernard-gallay [DOT] com
www.bernard-gallay.com
Tel +33 (0) 467 66 39 93
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2018 Grand Soleil 34. 185,000 tax not paid EUR. Located in Cowes, Isle of Wight.
A re-styling of the original Grand Soleil 34, the Skyron designed 2018 model is a sleek performance cruiser.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Key Yachting Ltd
44 (0)2380 455669
info [AT] keyyachting [DOT] com
www.keyyachting.com
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2008 Swan 90-703 'B5'. 4,500,000 EUR. Located in Genoa, Italy
The yacht has been bought one year ago after a successful previous life as a racing yacht, which proved to be the best way to contain her usage and preserve her systems along the years, as the real time spent at sea has been reduced to a minimum.
See listing details in Nautor's Swan Brokerage
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
When you clock the human race with the stopwatch of history, it's a new record every time! -- Firesign Theatre
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