In This Issue
• 18ft Skiffs 2019 JJ Giltinan Championship, Race 2
• Drone magic clinches YJA Young Blogger award
• A long way from Tokio - Elvstrom Sails
• New "Hybrid Pursuit" Course in the Works at SCRW
• St. Maarten Heineken Regatta
• Team Athena Racing - inaugural recipients of the Ian Atkins Keelboat Award
• An Evening with Dick Carter at Annapolis YC
• Sydney Harbour Regatta
• A Class Catamaran wins Concours d'Elegance
• Featured Brokerage
• The Last Word: Tim Minchin
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
18ft Skiffs 2019 JJ Giltinan Championship, Race 2
Click on image for photo gallery.
Defending champion Honda Marine won its second race of the Winning Group 2019 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship today, after another eventful day of racing on Sydney Harbour.
After trailing Winning Group (John Winning Jr.) for half the NE course, Honda Marine (David McDiarmid, Matt Steven, Brad Collins) grabbed the lead when the Winning Group spinnaker was torn, in an incident with a yacht, and the skiff had to retire from the race.
Once in the lead, Honda Marine held a handy lead over the fleet and looked set for a good win, but Appliancesonline.com.au (Brett Van Munster, Phil Marshall, Kurt Fatouris) put in a wonderful last lap of the course to finish just 10s behind Honda Marine in a great finish for the large spectator fleet.
After a dramatic pre-race incident, Smeg (Michael Coxon, Mike McKensey, Ricky Bridge) finished third, 1m20s behind Appliancesonline.
Australian champion Asko Appliances (James Dorron) came in fourth after being well back in the fleet on the first lap of the NE course.
With protests pending from Race 1 of the championship, and another one today by Winning Group requesting redress, the pointscore won't become realistic until after tomorrow's hearing.
With so much depending on the protest hearings tomorrow, then Tuesday's two races over windward-and return courses, there could be a dramatic change in the championship points.
Race dates for the remainder of the championship are:
Tuesday - March 5
Wednesday - March 6
Thursday - March 7
Saturday - March 9
Sunday - March 10
Live streaming is available on 18FootersTV
www.18footers.com.au/18-footers-sailing/18-footers-tv/
Drone magic clinches YJA Young Blogger award
James Tomlinson, 19, is the latest Yachting Journalists' Association (YJA) Young Blogger of the Year for his swish drone footage from last season.
James, a first year at Solent University where he's studying Yacht Design and Production, edited drone shots to music from three projects, including a blast on a racing maxi and a holiday in the fjords.
This is the second year of the YJA's Young Blogger award, and Digby Fox, Vice-Chairman of the YJA, said: "We really liked James's use of DJI drones. He's on the money because drones are making such a difference to the coverage of sailing. That three-quarter angle down is made for our sport."
As the top marine media professionals' network, recognised worldwide, the YJA is opening its doors, plus valuable media contacts, to the next generation. "If you're under 21," said Digby, "have a think about sending us an entry this season. It can be in any media or format - print, online, written, visual, podcast, GoPro onboard, you name it - just share your passion. We'll give shortlisted entries a 2020 photo ID Press Card for free access to boat shows, plus a vote on the YJA Yachtsman and Young Sailor of the Year awards."
Send entries by the end of December to bloggercomp [AT] yja [DOT] world Find out more on the YJA site: www.yja.world
A long way from Tokio - Elvstrom Sails
Chris Dickson was actually there first, with a huge sacrificial leech on the 'upwind spinnaker' used by his 1993 Whitbread entry Tokio*. But Paul Cayard's EF Language team developed it into the modern Code Zero...
For 20 years Elvstrøm Sails has been steadily refining its ideas for Code Zero development alongside the advances in design and fabrication. Most recently, Elvstrøm Sails' EPEX Technology of precisely matching film and fibre has been particularly useful for engineering these sails due to their complex shapes and load characteristics. In fact, it is this technology that has enabled the development of the cable-free code sail, where the cable is replaced by load-bearing fibre passes in the luff section. This has been vitally important in Elvstrøm Sails' clever way of working around the restrictions on minimum mid-girth dimensions imposed by the rating rule authorities, who seek to define these sails as spinnakers. For IRC this is 75 per cent and DH in Denmark at 65 per cent, which makes it difficult to have an effective flying shape for a sail this big without having too much roach on the leech. [ORC rates these sails in a separate category, calling them headsails set flying, where there is a more flexible 55 per cent mid-girth minimum.]
Full article in the March issue of Seahorse
New "Hybrid Pursuit" Course in the Works at Sperry Charleston Race Week
Click on image to enlarge.
There has been much discussion over the years regarding the offshore race courses at SCRW. Many former offshore boats have been choosing to race in the Pursuit class versus the offshore circles. This could be due to a variety of reasons - a later start time; a more flexible course; and an earlier finish time in the harbor, convenient to the regatta headquarters at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina.
To accommodate the suggestions and desires of offshore boats, the regatta organizers have created another pursuit course called "Hybrid Pursuit." This course will replace offshore Circle Five and be open to racer/cruisers using ORC and One Design. The new course will provide up to three individual races per day as conditions allow. The first race will be a pursuit race starting at the pursuit course starting line (inshore) and finishing out in the ocean where a windward/leeward course will be set up for race number two. Race number three will be a race back into the harbor, finishing at the pursuit finish line, in close proximity to the regatta headquarters. (Sample course diagram below.)
The organizers are looking to have the new format be one continuous race with a scoring gate at the end of each leg, for fairness, while still getting in three races. The race committee will manage the course lengths to allow for a 1600 pm finish. The Pursuit Course for 2019 will be less complicated than in the past (PHRF only with fewer marks), getting back to its original intention of being fun and more racer-friendly for cruisers, novices and boats with non-spinnakers.
This new class/format also brings questions about the number of crew and crew weights. As in the past, the Pursuit Course will not limit crew, as this course is designed to be a fun race for boats that might not normally compete at Race Week (see NOR 4.2). However, the "hybrid course," due to its competitive nature, will have crew restrictions per your ORC certificate's calculated default, and you will need RC/OA for approval and recording. Entries not using their default crew weight shown on their ORC certificate may declare a different crew weight that is +/- 25% of the default weight figure. This must be shown on your valid 2019 ORC certificate. Contact the US Sailing Offshore office to renew or amend your ORC certificate with this or any other new information: offshore [AT] ussailing [DOT] org.
The new "Pursuit Hybrid ORC/One Design" class has been created on the Sperry Charleston Race Week Event Page in Yacht Scoring, and many boats have already been moved over to it. For input or questions about the new class, please don't hesitate to send a note to info [AT] charlestonraceweek [DOT] com, because organizers listen to what competitors have to say! The regatta is tweaked each year to make sure it continues to live up to its great reputation for epic fun and competitive racing!
charlestonraceweek.com
offshoreracingrule.org
St. Maarten Heineken Regatta
It's been four days of awesome sailing, leaving competitors with unforgettable memories of sparkling azure blue seas, sandy white beaches and windswept ragged rocks. The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta delivered on its promise of four days of serious sailing, with upwind legs dousing the crews hiking on the rails with warm water from the waves breaking over them. Spectacular champagne sailing with roller coaster downwind legs, with a myriad of colourful spinnaker kites flying in the trade winds.
For the final day's racing of the 39th St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, Race Director Paul Miller and his team devised a format that would create a wall of sails as the boats streamed downwind to the Heineken finish mark. Using two different start areas, the slower boats set off first, with all the boats sailing to the same first windward mark, before heading different course lengths along the south coast and for the faster, classes, up the east coast of St. Maarten, then turning back past Pelikan Rocks on a long spinnaker leg to the finish. "We've set courses of differing lengths, which will get as many boats as possible spinnaker sailing together back towards the finish, creating an amazing and memorable visual image of boats heading back towards the airport and bridge," said Paul Miller.
For many classes, this final race would prove crucial to the overall results. For some, their results had already ensured a place on the podium. With the 15-18 knot trade winds, nearly all the boats chose to close tack up the shore, with the shifting wind and choppy seas approaching the famous Pointe Blanche, providing plenty of opportunities to win or lose places.
For the Inshore Class, sailing in the lagoon in Jeanneau 20's it was Miss Guided who won overall, with Budget Marine in second place and Kidz at Sea third. Miss Guided was helmed by Rien Korteknie, a competitor who has sailed in 38 of the 39 St. Maarten Heineken Regattas, along with crew members Ferdi who has only been sailing for four days and team mate Prince. Prince said, "We like sailing with Rien but we are bad losers so we push it hard to win."
In the Offshore Multihull class, famous catamaran Tryst, helmed by Bernard Stoutenbeek, won with a clean sweep of first places. This is spectacular form for a boat which has been wrecked and rebuilt seven times after hurricanes.
In the Island Time Class, there was a surprise win in today's race by Dobro Dani, the cruising boat which is half way on her route from Croatia to Vancouver. Overall the class results were Avocation in first, Altair second and Cloe Dos third.
In the Offshore Mulithull fleet, it was Team Brasil who got a first today, with Ineffable second and R-Six third - reflecting exactly the same order for the overall results. In Offshore Multihull 2 class, Spellbound won today's race, with Arbuzov second and Sweet Spot third. This was also the final order overall for this fleet.
In Bareboat Class 1 fleet, Dutch team Semper Pro Grediens took second place, but this was enough to put them in the lead overall, with Marinero Sailing School Ukraine in second and Russian Federation crewed Lascaris third.
All results are posted on www.heinekenregatta.com
Team Athena Racing - inaugural recipients of the Ian Atkins Keelboat Award
Click on image to enlarge.
The John Merricks Sailing Trust (JMST), the charity set up in memory of 1996 Olympic Silver medallist John Merricks is delighted to announce the first recipients of the Ian Atkins Keelboat Award - Team Athena Racing.
Comprising 4 team members: Octavia Owen (Skipper), Hebe Hemming (Main Trimmer), Emma Wrixon (Jib Trimmer), Vicky Cowan (Bow), Team Athena is a British all girls Match Racing team, aged 19-22. Currently 14th in the Women's world rankings the team have an intensive schedule planned for 2019 including:
Nations Cup - 9-14th April 2019 (San Francisco)
EUROSAF Women's Match Racing - 20-23rd June 2019 (Italy)
EUROSAF Youth Match Racing 2019 - 3-6th July (Italy)
Governor's Cup - 15th- 20th July 2019 (San Francisco)
Women's Match Racing Worlds - 5-10th August 2019 (Lysekil, Sweden)
Harken Youth International Match Racing Championships - 20-24th November
Their major goals are to move into the top 8 in the rankings and finish in the top 3 in both the WIM series and the Women's Match Racing World Championships
The award has been sponsored by the owners of the businesses that Ian ran for many years (including the boat sales websites boats.com and YachtWorld) and who wished to recognise his extraordinary career, on his retirement after over 40 years in the marine industry. Ian is well known as an enthusiastic, active, keelboat sailor with an outstanding record of success in yachting both at home and abroad.
The award is open to any sailor or sailors, under 25 years old, who require funding to help them transition from dinghies to keelboats. The award will be a bursary of up to £5000 to be awarded to the sailor(s) who most impress the awards panel consisting of Ian Atkins and the JMST Trustees.
An Evening with Dick Carter at Annapolis YC
Annapolis Yacht Club has just arranged for famed offshore yacht designer Dick Carter to visit on Sunday, March 17 and give a presentation on some of the great boats he designed and sailed in the 1960's and 1970's. His breakthrough design was his 34-footer RABBIT, which won the 1964 Fastnet Race, and five years later his design RED ROOSTER won the Fastnet as well.
Carter designs also won the One Ton Cup five times in seven years beginning in 1966 with the Annapolis Yacht Club entry TINA. FRIGATE, YDRA, WAIANIWA and many others were all successful Carter racing designs. His success on the race course translated into several popular production designs as well, and in Italy his early designs are revered and lovingly restored as classics from the IOR era.
Dick is promoting his new book "Dick Carter, Yacht Designer: In the Golden Age of Offshore Racing," a chronicle of his life in sailing, design and the era of racing in the 1960's thru 1980's.
There will be a one hour reception beginning at 5:00 pm with appetizers and a cash bar followed by his presentation at 6:00 pm which will be approximately one hour in length. Question and answer session to follow.
The event will be held in the Skipjack and there will be no charge for this special opportunity. However, reservations will be required as attendance will be limited to the Skipjack. Please make reservations now by calling the AYC Front Desk at 410-263-9279.
Sydney Harbour Regatta
Winners were crowned on the final day of the Sydney Harbour Regatta, conducted by Middle Harbour Yacht (MHYC), over three days for the Sydney 38s and the weekend for all other classes.
This is the 14th running of the regatta for MHYC, which is in the throes of celebrating 80 years. All competitors were flying Clean Up Australia flags from the backstays in support of the 30th Clean Up Sydney Harbour today. The late Ian Kiernan AO, who would be thrilled to see his legacy continuing to grow.
The Jackal new J70 NSW champion
Jervis Tilly has won his first sailing title as a skipper, sailing The Jackal to a four-point win over the ever-competitive Juno, owned by Reg Lord.
Chris Way all the way in last race to claim Super 12s spoils
Chris Way, renowned for his various boats named 'Easy Tiger', won the Super 12s on countback with his MC38, Easy Tiger VI. It was Way all the way in the final race, which nailed the top spot for him after three boats came into the final day within a point of each other.
Adrian Walters' Rob Shaw 11 Meter, Little Nico, finished second overall on equal points with Easy Tiger VI, finishing ahead of three other MC38s.
Adams 10 NSW Championship goes to Powderhulk
Despite not being able to maintain a top performance in the past, according to Powderhulk's owner, Patrick Delany, he has defied his own statement and sailed Powderhulk to a NSW Championship win in the Adam's 10. Delany beat nearest rival, Backchat (sailed by gun offshore racer Tom Braidwood) by two points. Delany and Braidwood won two races apiece, but Delany, from MHYC, was the more consistent of the two.
NSW Cavalier 28 Championship goes to Scuttlebutt
Greg Purcell has won the Cavalier Championship over John MacLeod's Quambi by three points. Purcell said the racing was, as always, competitive.
Olympian wins Yngling NSW title
Triple Olympian Karyn Gojnich and her Evie crew have won the NSW Yngling title from Hamish Jarrett and his Miss Pibb. Jarrett has been the benchmark in the class in recent years, and Gojnich, who has represented Australia at the Games in the 470 and Yngling classes, did well to finish a clear six points ahead, counting a trio of wins and second places in her tally.
The 2019 Sydney Harbour Regatta included five Championship events - the Yoti Sydney 38 Australian Championship and NSW championships for the Adams 10, J70, Cavalier 28 and Yngling classes - not to mention all the other usual classes.
Ophir tops the Super 30 class by one and a half points
Sailing his Flying Tiger Ophir with wife, Sonia, and two daughters (21 year-old Dana a 470 sailor) and Jessica (an 18 year-old match racing sailor) Bruce Tavener has skated home to claim the Super 30 class by just 1.5 points from Matt Wilkinson's fast finishing Farr 30, Foreign Affair. -- Di Pearson
A Class Catamaran wins Concours d'Elegance
The 2019 Concours d'Elegance at the RYA Dinghy Show 2019 has been awarded to Pete Jary's foiling A Class Catamaran.
The boat combined stunning looks, super high-tech features, great graphics and no small measure of humour.
Runner-up was Ben Archer's Merlin Rocket 'One Love' which is on display in the Palm Court of Alexandra Palace, complete with carbon decks and a black matt finish on the hull, a stunning example of a class which is renowned for some beautiful designs.
The combination of new paint and vinyl wraps has brought an extra dimension to many boats, with sailors really utilising the technology to good effect.
With new finishes and colour schemes for deck grips which felt velvety and really caught the eye.
Other classes worthy of special commendation were the International Canoe, Osprey, Challenger, Flying Mantis, Solo, OK and Firefly.
Of particular note was the Scorpion 'Tallulah' with superb mainsail graphic, but sadly the boat hadn't hit the water yet, so was ineligible for the Concours trophy.
Featured Brokerage
2010 Arcona 430. 270000 GBP. Located in Ardfern, Scotland.
Single owner, well appointed, open plan saloon, twin aft cabin version of the award winning Stefan Qviberg designed Arcona. Equipped for quick coastal cruising in comfort by a discerning owner.
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2012 Swan 53-521 'Puffy'. 1,161,000 EUR. Located in New England, USA.
Puffy is a fantastic example of the Swan 53. It has been specified with only the very best of everything available and has some very tasteful custom touches.
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Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage - Giorgio Passarella
brokerage [AT] nautorswan [DOT] com
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nautorswanbrokerage.com
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Ocean Pearl Maxi Catamaran. 3500000 EUR. Located in Spain
OCEAN PEARL is the ex Club Mediterrannee winner of the Race in 2001 (around the world regatta) with New Zealand skipper Grant Dalton. She had a fantastic track of records and prize list before she undergone similarly to her sistership ex Swift, a complete refit and conversion project into a fanta
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
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See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
I hear the tolling of the bell. And it has a Pellian knell. -- Tim Minchin
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