In This Issue
• Windsurfer Presents Its Candidacy For The 2024 Olympic Games In Paris
• Chicago Yacht Club Releases Report on Fatal Accident During 2018 Race to Mackinac
• Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
• Dungarvan Double in Irish Cruising's Top Award
• HRSC Hamble Centenary Warming Pan 2019
• Fully Rigged Ilen - A Sight Not Seen in Limerick City for Over a Hundred Years
• RYA Releases New Foiling Title at RYA Dinghy Show
• Offshore Racing Association Continues 2019 Expansion
• 50th edition of the Solitaire URGO Le Figaro
• Levente Nagy (HUN)
• Featured Brokerage
• The Last Word: Albert Camus
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
Windsurfer Presents Its Candidacy For The 2024 Olympic Games In Paris
The Windsurfer Class has nominated for the Paris 2024 Olympics, taking it back to its roots of Los Angeles 1984 where it was a demonstration discipline.
Simple, spectacular and inexpensive, these are the key words for the Windsurfer LT. The IWCA (International Windsurfer Class Association) announced its candidacy for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris a few days ago to World Sailing, the world governing body for the sport of sailing.
Through the versatility of the Windsurfer equipment, Class competition includes course racing, slalom, freestyle and marathon. This adds a spectacular element to the event with options to hold competition in close proximity to shore - perfect for spectators.
In November 2018, at the annual meeting in Sarasota, World Sailing confirmed the continuing participation of Windsurfing (male and female) at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but at the same time announced a reevaluation of the equipment by a technical commission.
The testing and recommendation will be undertaken by a special technical commission of World Sailing. The criteria include a mandate to reduce the risk of supplier monopolies in the interest of all Olympic sailors.
The sport of windsurfing is composed of a large community that undertakes both recreational and competitive activities, which vary depending on the type of the equipment used. These include wave riding, freestyle, slalom racing, funboard, freeride and regatta sailing. Regatta sailing is represented by the Olympic Class, multi brand racing classes like raceboard and foiling, One Design Classes like Windsurfer, Techno and several others. The characteristics of the longer one design boards have always been identified among those closest to the needs of the Olympic sailing classes.
Windsurfing is an Olympic Sailing Class since 1981 when the IYRU (International Yacht Racing Union), the predecessor of World Sailing, had to appoint the Olympic class, selecting between two sailboards; the original Windsurfer One Design or the Windglider. The Windsurfer was manufactured in several continents under license of Hoyle Schweitzer, where the Windglider was developed and manufactured by Fred Ostermann in Germany only.
Today the characteristics of the Windsurfer are the same as in 1984. The rig has maintained its original form. The board was slightly redesigned and stiffened as it is not manufactured in polyethylene anymore and it is much lighter than its predecessor. For this reason, its new name is Windsurfer LT (Light) and it has been developed as a "White Board". This means that all interested Windsurfing brands can sell this board under their own logo.
Here's a video that brings waves of nostalgia for your humble narrator... who got his first Windsurfer in 1979, his first Dufour Wing in 1981, met his wife at a Mistral instructor academy, honeymooned at The Gorge and still has 2 Mistral Superlights on the rack in the garage and a custom shortboard on his office wall. Did you know that Harken made a foiling rig for boards in the 80s? Tough to tack on the foil but long curving foiled gybes? Done that. 35 years ago.
Chicago Yacht Club Releases Report on Fatal Accident During 2018 Race to Mackinac
Today the Chicago Yacht Club (CYC) publicly released the report on the fatal crew overboard accident that took place during the July 2018 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac (CYCRTM).
The report analyzes what took place during the incident and includes important lessons learned, specifically highlighting auto-inflate personal flotation devices (PFD). The report's goal is to further enhance safety within the boating community and is available here.
On July 21, 2018 shortly after the start of the 110th CYCRTM, experienced sailor Jon Santarelli fell overboard from Imedi, a TP52 sailboat. Santarelli's auto-inflate life jacket did not activate. Despite recovery efforts by the Imedi crew in the challenging conditions (6-8 foot waves and 20-25 knots of wind), they observed him slip under the water. Chicago Police Department recovered his body one week later in Lake Michigan.
The eight-member Safety Enhancement Committee, established by CYC after the accident, developed the report. The members included the chairs of U.S. Sailing's Safety at Sea and U.S. Sailing's Offshore Committees, as well as individuals with extensive high-profile offshore racing and regatta management experience from the America's Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, Transpac, and Races to Mackinac. In addition, CYC worked closely with the U.S Coast Guard.
The report includes an analysis of what took place when Santarelli fell overboard based upon extensive interviews from the Imedi crew, the examination of Imedi's electronic tracking system that details the attempted recovery mission, and input from nearby CYCRTM competitors that assisted in the search, as well as extensive information provided by the U.S. Coast Guard.
As a result of the Committee's investigation, important lessons are shared with respect to malfunctioning personal safety gear, use of additional safety equipment on board, and boat control in challenging conditions. In addition, the report includes:
Detailed recommendations regarding team communication and importance of having clearly identified crew overboard procedures;
Safety gear inspection;
Practice drills for boat handling in crisis situations, and for the person in the water;
Overall enhanced training and maintenance recommendations for inflatable life jackets.
What to watch for in drowning situations.
https://www.chicagoyachtclub.org
Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
Last month's winner:
Simon Fry (GBR)
'It's pretty obvious why, Simon (left, above) and I have achieved a lot together over the past 20 years, originally put together by our great friend and crewmate Glyn Charles' - Andy Beadsworth; 'When someone writes the book of British sailing legends he'll have his own chapter!' - Matt Cornwell; 'Great sailor, weapons grade in the bar' - Magnus Wheatley; 'About time a decent crew man got the award instead of the fly-by-night back end chancers' - Alastair Munro; 'Once a menace always a menace, there is no better man to have on your crew… or standing beside you in the bar' - Ian Walker; 'The best!' - Serhat Altay.
This month's nominees:
Jason Carroll (USA)
Not for that steady flow of results in the Melges 32, GC32 and other classes, this one is for managing to flip your MOD 70 trimaran two days before the start of the Caribbean 600 and then pressing the 'go for it' button so hard that the Argo team got the boat back up, dried out and fixed up enough of the electrics to get them safely round all the rocks. Props also to MOD 70 rival Giovanni Soldini for delaying his own start by two hours to make a race of it
Rod Davis (NZL)
'I'm over the moon…' not surprising after the Olympic gold medallist super-coach won the Masters division at the OK Worlds -much more impressively finishing ninth overall in the 110-boat open fleet. Putting it out there like that is not something every former Cup sailor chooses to do - one or two have come unstuck in the not so distant past. Rod was also happy to be able to follow his own methods as recorded in these pages and see for himself that it works!
Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Musto, Harken McLube & Dubarry. Who needs silverware, our prizes are usable!
Cast your vote, submit comments, even suggest a candidate for next month at seahorsemagazine.com/sailor-of-the-month/vote-for-sailor-of-the-month
View past winners of Sailor of the Month
Dungarvan Double in Irish Cruising's Top Award
Dungarvan in the west of County Waterford is in some ways one of Ireland's best-kept secrets writes W M Nixon. It's big enough to be considered a real town by Irish standards – it's the County Town too - yet it isn't so big as to seem impersonal. There's a real sense of community, while it's set in the midst of quietly beautiful scenery beside an array of spectacular hills and mountains. And though the more sheltered parts of its estuary harbour have a tidal element, it's home to a significant fleet of boats based around the thriving Dungarvan Harbour Sailing Club.
Yet in times past Dungarvan did not figure high in any listing of cruising destinations, as boats on passage along the south coast saw it as being a long diversion from the direct route to and from Cork Harbour, when a very handy overnight berth would be available if you anchored at the entrance to Dungarvan Bay, in the sheltered spot immediately west of the busy little fishing port of Helvick.
And as for carefully finding your route all the way into Dungarvan if the tide suited, it seems that any chance of a convivial evening with local cruising enthusiasts would be remote, for once summer arrives, they're all gone - gone far away to distant parts on fascinating cruises of their own. Or at least that was the impression gained at yesterday evening's AGM of the Irish Cruising Club, chaired by Commodore Stanton Adair from Belfast Lough, and hosted by Howth Yacht Club.
WM Nixon's full article here in Afloat: afloat.ie/blogs/
HRSC Hamble Centenary Warming Pan 2019
The 2019 Hamble Warming Pan will be held on the River Hamble on 9th & 10th March 2019. It will be the first event to celebrate the Centenary of the Hamble River Sailing Club, and it is apt, that this event goes first at a club with so much dinghy history.
Hugh Welbourn writing for the club's Centenary Brochure remembers the event well:
"Just the thought of the Warming Pan brings back great memories of an age in dinghy racing when Hamble River was at the very centre of it all, back in the mid and late 60s. One year we had 5 or it 6 National Champions in different classes all sailing out of the club - and you couldn't help but learn from some of the best in the country."
The event used to be the first on the dinghy calendar for the year and everyone wanted to be there. Hugh continues:
"But the Warming Pan was special – the start of the new season. There were new designs to see every year in the Merlin and 12's, and last minute panics to try and get a winter build ready for the water were always a part of that, and then a couple of days great racing too. Starts were off the Club line and short tacking out of the river still trying to figure out a new boat, in close quarters, could be a bit of a wakeup call."
This year the event will cater for Merlin Rocket, Firefly, Foxer and PY fleets. The Merlin Rockets have of course been there since the start. This will be the 57th running of the event and I'm sure some of the competitors have done all of the 56 preceding editions! The Firefly and Foxer fleets are also regulars, though the Foxers will race in the Warsash Pool opposite the club. No tacking out of the river for them. The innovation this year is the inclusion of PY fleets for the first time, though those with a trapeze will be disappointed as there are far too many things to get caught up on in the river. -- Trevor Pountain
Further information: admin [AT] hrsc [DOT] org [DOT] uk
Fully Rigged Ilen - A Sight Not Seen in Limerick City for Over a Hundred Years
Click on image to enlarge.
After an eleven year rebuild, last Saturday offered a first opportunity for sending up 'Ilen's' entire suit of sails, save her square sail - a headwind at Limerick Docks precluded its participation.
When designing the 'Ilen's' rig some five years back the Ilen Project, for better or worse, elected to pay homage to her original Conor O'Brien design rig from 1926. A decision which more than doubled the overall rigging task. Upgrading a traditional coastal ketch rig of three sails to an ocean rig of seven, not to mind all the additional supporting gear, blocks, spars, running and standing rigging is not a small task.
Happily, it has all come together nicely and 'Ilen' looks splendid, and nearly ready to embrace the coming sailing season.
RYA Releases New Foiling Title at RYA Dinghy Show
With foiling becoming ever more popular the RYA is pleased to announce that its brand new title, RYA Foiling, will be available to purchase at the RYA Dinghy Show, in association with Yachts & Yachting and Suzuki (02-03 March, Alexandra Palace, London).
The new title is the official supporting text to the RYA's Foiling courses and focuses on the fundamentals of foiling. It outlines the key skills required for both SAILfoiling and WINDfoiling with first half of the book dealing with foiling equipment, control systems and set up as well as launching, leaving, returning and landing. It then goes on to explain how to help readers get started with their first flights and once that's mastered that there are more tips to aid sustained flight. There is also some incredibly useful information to help finesse tacking and gybing.
As well as the official launch of the new Foiling title, visitors to the RYA Publications Stand (F42) will be able to pick up a copy of the recently updated Advanced Sailing. The new addition now includes foiling advice covering topics such as ride height, control systems, take off and sustaining foiling.
In addition to all the great titles on display, when you visit the stand you can try your hand at WINDfoiling, SAILfoiling or even try out an Extreme Sailing Series AC45, without even getting wet, with the 360o Virtual Reality Oculus experience.
Drop by the stand to have a go, chat to members of the RYA's Publications Team or pick up your copy of the latest titles.
www.facebook.com/ryadinghyshow
Offshore Racing Association Continues 2019 Expansion
The Offshore Racing Association has revamped and expanded its systems and volunteer and staffing resources, and is set for further growth and development during the 2019 season. It also has increased its capacity for ORR-Ez certificate processing, launching custom software for processors in multiple locations to assist with the spring surge in certificate applications and renewals. More than twice as many ORR-Ez certificates (420) were produced in 2018 compared to 2017, and significant further growth is expected.
A key theme encouraged by the successful introduction of ORR-Ez racing in several parts of the country has been retooling the ORA as a full-service information center for organizing authorities and race committees. The formalized and expanded ORR-Ez Operations Committee now has representation across five geographic regions with more anticipated by spring. According to John Horton, ORA Executive Director, "Committee members are drawn from different regions and are involved hands-on, operationally." Several members gathered in the fall for a working session at the first ORR annual conference.
Among other new committees and sub-committees, the Finance Committee, led by 2019 board member Jim Binch, past commodore of the Cruising Club of America, backstops the growing organization, explained visually in the ORA's new organization chart.
50th edition of the Solitaire URGO Le Figaro
Following the unveiling of the course on 24 January and the publication of the notice of race, eight skippers have already submitted their pre-registration to the 50th edition of the Solitaire URGO Le Figaro. They are Benoît Hochart, Michel Desjoyeaux, Armel Le Cléac'h, Joan Mulloy, Loïck Peyron, Cassandre Blandin, Mathieu Damerval and Tanguy Le Turquais. Among them therefore: two former winners, two women, two bizuths and a first timer.
Levente Nagy (HUN)
It is with great sadness that World Sailing reports the passing of Levente Nagy (HUN) on 23 January 2019.
Born on 21 January 1923, sailing and Lake Balaton was Levente's true passion. He learnt how to sail on a family owned 22er Schärenkreutzer called Yinx, and as a racing sailor he managed to win a national title and other medals in the class.
He played an active and leading role within the Hungarian Yachting Association (HYA) for close to 50-years. He became a national judge in 1959, was elected as a member of the Board of the HYA in 1967 and in 1972 he was appointed as Chairman of the Appeals Committee.
His work domestically transferred internationally and in 1968 he became an International Judge for the then International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU). From there, he served on the Judges Committee and Racing Rules Committee, using his expertise to develop and grow the sport and he became one of the founders of the IYRU Windsurfing Committee.
Levente was an internationally renowned judge and sat on six consecutive Olympic Juries from 1972 to 1992. He was also a member of the jury at the 27th America's Cup in Fremantle, Australia and acted as Chairman at numerous World and European Championships.
Levente was awarded ISAF Long Service Silver medal in 2000.
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The Last Word
Do not wait for the Last Judgment. It takes place every day. -- Albert Camus
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