In This Issue
• 18ft Skiffs 2019 JJ Giltinan Championship
• Horses for Courses
• Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy Deputy Chief Executive
• Unexpected Day Off at 92nd Bacardi Cup
• Dept. of Homeland Security: Your Old GPS Might Not Work After April 6
• How to improve the racing sailor's regatta experience
• Pleasure vessels visiting Belgium 2019 to pay 100% duty on Red Diesel
• Clipper Race Skipper wins YJA Yachtsman of the Year
• MS Amlin Yacht announced as title sponsor of the YJA Yachting Awards 2019
• Letters to the Editor
• Featured Brokerage
• The Last Word: Garth Greenwell
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
Sydney Harbour: With a lack of wind at the scheduled race start time, and the prediction of more wind due later in the afternoon, race officials decided to hold the teams on shore until a firm decision could be made about the day's racing on Sydney Harbour.
When the first wind from the south came in around 2pm the decision was made by the race officials and the race got underway one-and-a-half-hours after the scheduled time.
Following a race which could best be described as 'being in the right place at the right time' the Honda Marine team of David McDiarmid, Matt Steven and Brad Collins crossed the finish line 1m17s ahead of Smeg, to score their third win of the regatta.
Due to the conditions, race officials decided not to sail the second race, and a decision on when it will be sailed will be made tomorrow.
The Winning Group 2019 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship
Race dates for the remainder of the championship are:
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/
The live streaming coverage features pre-race interviews, which go to air at 2.15pm.
The full race coverage of each race commences at 2.30pm, and features a variety of 18ft Skiff greats as guest commentators. Tomorrow's guest commentator is Chris Nicholson.
A full replay of each race is also shown at the same address. -- Frank Quealey
Top five after five races:
1. Honda Marine - David Mcdiarmid, Matthew Steven, Brad Collins
2. Smeg - Michael Coxon, Mike Mckensey, Ricky Bridge
3. Winning Group - John Winning Jr, Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton
4. Asko Appliances - James Dorron, Harry Bethwaite, Trent Barnabas
5. Bing Lee - Micah Lane, Peter Harris, Scott Babbage
Horses for Courses
Click on image to enlarge.
Antigua Sailing Week (ASW) Race Manager Lorna Saunders runs through the key changes to racing at the 2019 edition of ASW, including two new classes, four new racing marks, plus information about ASW Minimum Safety Rules. The new classes will be Double Handed and the High Performance Class. The new marks will facilitate longer leg coastal courses and improve options for windward leeward legs for all classes.
Windward Course
The start line for Windward will be further offshore than in previous years by about 200 metres. As yachts tend to start on starboard and head inshore for lifting pressure, it will give the increasingly larger boats more sea room on their first beat. A new leeward mark, 0.60nm from Blacks Point (Lee), will allow the Race Committee to set a square run. A new windward mark, 0.15nm from Nanton Point (Nanton), will provide a third choice for a square beat. For coastal courses, a new mark 1.02nm from Friars Head (Friars), will allow courses of up to 16.50 nautical miles.
Rendezvous Course
A new mark, 2nm from Ffryes Point (Jolly), will allow coastal courses of up to 26 nautical miles. There will be 24 course options so that the length of races can be chosen to suit different classes. Typically, races will be shorter legs than the Windward Courses, where boat handling will be key to performance. For faster yachts, legs of over five miles are possible, with shorter distances for smaller yachts. Some of the new courses have been designed with laps and gates so that they can be shortened if necessary.
All classes switch between the two course areas. The first warning signal for both courses will not be before 10:00 am, and it is intended that the majority of the classes will be out racing for 3-4 hours, and around 2 hours for Club Class. The new marks and courses will provide improved options to get everyone back to Antigua to enjoy the fun ashore.
Two-to-Tango and the Ocean Greyhounds
New classes for Antigua Sailing Week have been launched this year. 2019 is all about raising the awareness of the new elements to the regatta and establishing them for 2020. The new classes for this year are Double Handed and the High Performance Class, which will have courses combining coastal races with round the cans. There will be a maximum of two races a day.
Double Handed racing has become a very popular form of racing throughout the world, from couples who like to race together without the additional expense of a full crew, right through the high-performance classes such as Figaro and Class40. They will be doing a mix of coastal courses and round-the-cans courses. The High Performance Class courses are designed for ocean-going yachts that want longer courses. With a longer first beat, more tactics will come into play and with longer legs off the breeze the chance to set downwind sails and enjoy the thrill of racing at top speed will be exhilarating. This year a number of entries will suit these types of courses and with the new marks, Antigua Sailing Week will provide fantastic racing.
The third annual Antigua to Bermuda Race starts May 8, 2019. For more information visit www.antiguabermuda.com
Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy Deputy Chief Executive
The Academy is creating a new role of Deputy Chief Executive in recognition of the continued growth in activity and the desire to deliver high quality and cost effective services. We are seeking a highly motivated individual with excellent leadership skills in a complex multi activity environment involving several teams of staff.
This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a high performing team in a dynamic and constantly changing environment where excellence and high standards are the norm.
Purpose
- To provide support to and act as the CEO's deputy
- To ensure the Academy has a qualified, experienced and motivated workforce
- To lead on operational procedures and quality standards
- To ensure the successful delivery of WPNSA events
- To manage the business administration and operating budgets optimising efficiencies and income generation
- To manage the facilities portfolio
Application
The WPNSA actively promotes diversity in its workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. If you would like to join the Academy and feel you have the relevant skills and experience, please email Peter Allam, CEO, at peter [DOT] allam [AT] wpnsa [DOT] org [DOT] uk for further details, including Job Description and Person Specification. If you would like to have an informal discussion regarding the role, please provide a contact number when responding by email.
The closing date for applications is 29th March 2019 and short listed candidates should be available for interview on 23rd April 2019.
Unexpected Day Off at 92nd Bacardi Cup
Despite the weather forecast predicting the day's outcome, this morning everyone was still hoping a light wind race would be achievable. But, with no breeze and nothing forecast, the Race Committee called it a day at around 11:30 and hoisted AP over A at Coral Reef Yacht Club.
Dept. of Homeland Security: Your Old GPS Might Not Work After April 6
If you're cruising anywhere on or after April 6, you might want to check your GPS, particularly if it's an older one. It might not be working.
The problem is what is called a Global Positioning System Week Rollover Event on April 6. If your GPS is not designed to handle the rollover, it might revert to an earlier year, in which case it would not be able to calculate your position accurately. This situation should not appear with relatively new GPS devices, but it could appear in older models.
The issue is severe enough that the Department of Homeland Security recently issued a warning about it. Here's what DHS had to say: "GPS devices with a poorly implemented GPS Time-to-UTC conversion algorithm may provide incorrect UTC following a week number rollover. Additionally, some GPS devices that calculate the week number value from a device-specific date rather than the start of the current GPS Time Epoch may provide incorrect UTC at some other device-specific date."
Older devices may need an upgrade or a patch to work. DHS recommends that you contact the manufacturer of your GPS to make sure the proper updates have been installed.
How to improve the racing sailor's regatta experience
US Sailing's Race Administration Committee has a new chairman, Randy Draftz, the Executive Director of Sperry Charleston Race Week. The members of this panel are the chairmen of committees that oversee various aspects of race administration, including race management, judges, umpires, racing rules, appeals and two new committees for measurers and classifiers. Draftz's enthusiasm and tireless effort have been the driving forces behind the growth of Sperry Charleston Race Week over the past few years. He considers his competitors to be customers, and his goal is to send them home raving about their experience.
Draftz is approaching his new position as chairman of US Sailing's Race Administration Committee with the same enthusiasm and effort. Soon after taking it on, he invited several members of his committee to join him for a daylong public brainstorming session in Charleston, South Carolina, in January. He called it "Best Practices of Race Management: What to do when the rules aren't enough and a decision has to be made."
He convened a 12-person panel, then invited racing sailors and anyone else interested in race management to attend.
Dick Rose's full article in Sailing World
Pleasure vessels visiting Belgium 2019 to pay 100% duty on Red Diesel
The Cruising Association (CA) Regulations and Technical Services Group (RATS) understands that Belgian authorities will continue with the agreement for UK pleasure vessels visiting Belgium that they still have to use our red diesel in the engine fuel tanks for propulsion, certainly for this year.
The conditions are the same as before, in that all diesel purchased prior to departure from the UK to Belgium, or other EU maritime States' marinas and ports, must pay the full 100% duty (and not any lower duty rate) on all the fuel and that it is recorded on the signed invoice for the purchase. This invoice must be on board the vessel (such as with the boats log) in the unlikely event any inspecting Customs official should wish to see it as proof of the duty payment.
The agreement was successfully used last year and, should there be any change to it by the Belgian authorities, they have promised the Regulations and Technical Services Group a guarantee that they will be informed of this in good time so that the Cruising Association can share the details with CA members and the wider sailing community.
This agreement will carry forward throughout the 2019 sailing season. For peace of mind, and if owners have any concerns about making a trip, they can ring the staff of the first marina they are calling at to confirm they will have no problem with their visit.
For more information and help, cruising sailors can join the Cruising Association today and benefit from its unique knowledge base and information resources together with the unrivalled expertise of its RATS Committee members here: www.theca.org.uk/join
Clipper Race Skipper wins YJA Yachtsman of the Year
Clipper 2017-18 Race Skipper Nikki Henderson has been awarded the prestigious Yachting Journalists' Association (YJA) Yachtsman of the Year Award after making history when, at 24, she became the youngest ever skipper to compete in the biggest round the world yacht race.
The award, which was presented jointly to the 25 year old, and Tracy Edwards MBE for her work with Maiden, during a ceremony in London.
The accolade also marked Nikki's performance achievements during the 2017-18 edition where she led her Visit Seattle team to second place, just four points behind Australian Wendy Tuck's Sanya Serenity Coast team, securing an all-female one-two on the podium.
The YJA award ceremony also celebrated the achievements of Clipper Race Co-Founder and Chairman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who will reach two significant milestones over the next month; his 80th birthday and the 50th anniversary of his Sunday Times Golden Globe Race achievement. Speaking about Nikki during the last edition of the race, he said: "One of her strengths is her leadership. She built a happy and cohesive team and made these 50 people, men and women of all ages and from different nations from around the world, buy into her team ethos "sailing with style'. It takes a special kind of person to be a Clipper Race Skipper – part teacher, counsellor and sports coach and so to lead her team to second place (and it was a nail-biting finish) is an amazing achievement."
Over the 11 months of the race, Nikki led her team to three outright race victories and two second place finishes in 13 races. She was able to guide her novice crew safety around the world with little damage to the yacht despite surviving the roughest weather of the fleet through mountainous seas in the North Pacific crossing.
Previous YJA Yachtsman of the Year award winners include Clipper Race crew member Gavin Reid, a profoundly deaf sailor who was instrumental in the rescue of a non-Clipper Race crew off the coast of Australia during the 2015-16 edition and Co-Founder and Chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who has won it four times.
MS Amlin Yacht announced as title sponsor of the YJA Yachting Awards 2019
MS Amlin Yacht, the boat insurance specialists have agreed to become the title sponsor of the YJA Yachtsman of the Year, Young Sailor of the Year and Young Blogger of the Year awards 2019.
In a change to previous years, the 2019 Awards will be presented at a black tie gala dinner on Friday 13th September during the Southampton Boat Show, where members of the Yachting Journalists' Association will meet with a vast array of sailing talent and key figures from the marine industry to reward the most outstanding accomplishments during 2019.
As the original Yachtsman of the Year Award, first presented in 1955 to Eric Hiscock, for his achievement sailing around the world in Wanderer III, the award has been bestowed upon many UK sailing legends for all manner of feats undertaken on the water. With names such as Ben Ainslie, Ellen MacArthur, Robin Knox-Johnston, Dee Caffari and Alex Thompson engraved on its base, to win it is the highest recognition of sailing talent.
The Young Sailor of the Year is a more recent addition to the awards, starting in 1993. Handed out annually, several winners have gone on to win the Yachtsman award. This coupled with the Young Blogger of the Year, encourage future generations to get involved in sailing and to strive to reach ever greater heights in the world of sailing.
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 James Dadd:
Interesting the idea that double luff mainsails are a new thing. The concept has been around for a long time and even IRC and before it CHS refers to the option in the rules on Rig Factor. Windsurfers and Moths have also been playing the game to an extent for years. Other rules limiting sail thickening and inflatable sails to control the development have been around for a long time. Having said that, it will be interesting to see what develops this time around with the wider range of options available to the engineers now provided with more funds to use on the topic. Rapid change of shape when going from displacement to foiling mode, and the rapid change in apparent wind angle is I think going to be the telling point for the much larger AC75 mainsails.
* From Laurence Mead :
There are plenty of innovative things in AC36 but double skin / double luff mainsails are certainly not one of them. The idea has been around for donkeys year and multiple sailmakers have made versions thereof. Freedom Yachts even bought to market a complete range of boats with freestanding rigs and wraparound, double skinned sails. Back in the day when I was a sailmaker, we made a windsurfing speed sail at Mead Sails which was single ply at the leech and split halfway across the cord length into two skins, which then came together, one either side of the mast in the luff pocket. Battens alternated one side to the other for stability. It was called Total Flow and designed to be a more user friendly, wing concept. That foiling keel is new, the mainsails not.
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The Last Word
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