In This Issue
• Richomme wins 50th La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro
• Day 1 of Transatlantic Race 2019
• New Harken® SnubbAir defies classification as a winch
• Opening day of O'Leary Life Sovereign's Cup
• Newport Trophy Regatta for 12 Metres Begins This Weekend
• Club Secretary / Chief Executive - The Royal Southern Yacht Club
• 12 Metre Defender
• For the Record
• GC32 World Championship
• Featured Brokerage:
• • 1937 Sparkman & Stephens 62 Ft Yawl - Manitou
• • 2002 Maxi 86 'Windquest'
• • 1992 Swan 68
• The Last Word: J. R. Bob Dobbs
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
Richomme wins 50th La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro
Crossing the finish line of the final Stage of the 50th anniversary La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro this afternoon in fourth place, after 500 miles from Roscoff to Dieppe via Wolf Rock and Owers, Yoann Richomme completed an impressive overall victory, winning ahead of second-placed Gilda Mahe by one hour and 13 minutes after a total of 14 days, 2 hours and 20 minutes of racing.
Eric Peron (French Touch) won the final stage, but all eyes were on Richomme as he crossed the line off Dieppe, and left the helm of his HelloWork-Groupe Telegramme Figaro Beneteau 3, to punch the air with delight.
Richomme, a masterful, meticulous boat technician who won last year's highly competitive Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe in Class40, has today written his name into the La Solitaire history books as the first ever skipper to win the multi-stage event racing in the new foil assisted Figaro Beneteau 3.
Up against the most competitive fleet ever on one of the longest and most open, varied and challenging courses ever, this was Richomme's eighth participation, and today he became the eighth member of an exclusive club of solo racers who have won La Solitaire twice. Only five skippers have now won the unofficial world championship of offshore racing more than him: Yann Elies, Jeremie Beyou, Jean Le Cam, Michel Desjoyeaux and Philippe Poupon.
As a late replacement for Charles Caudrelier, the Volvo Ocean Race winning skipper and 2004 La Solitaire winner who was due to race the boat, Richomme has raced without the pressure to deliver a result. He only took over the boat just over one month before the start of the race.
After winning in 2016, he moved out of the Figaro Beneteau 2 to pursue other projects including his aim to compete in the Vendee Globe and advising on the development of the new Beneteau 3 boat.
It is a conclusive win for the 35-year-old naval architect from Lorient emerging from one of the longest and most difficult four stage courses in the history of the race. His victory is completed at the top of a star studded line up, comprising some of France's most successful solo racers including three times winners Yann Elies, Jeremie Beyou and Michel Desjoyeaux as well as the two-time winner Armel Le Cleach, the most recent winner of the Vendee Globe.
Final Top Ten Overall:
1. Yoann Richomme / Hellowork - Groupe Telegramme
2. Gildas Mahe / Breizh Cola / Equithe
3. Anthony Marchand / Groupe Royer - Secours Populaire
4. Corentin Douguet / NF Habitat
5. Alexis Loison / Region Normandie
6. Benjamin Schwartz / Action Contre La Faim
7. Adrien Hardy / Sans Nature, Pas De Futur !
8. Eric Peron / French Touch
9. Pierre Leboucher / Guyot Environnement
10. Armel Le Cleac'h / Banque Populaire
Day 1 of Transatlantic Race 2019
Few things are straightforward when racing across the Atlantic Ocean. There are safety concerns at every turn, from storms and lightning threatening everything above water to unseen floating objects ("UFOs") threatening the parts underwater.
Contrary to that theory, the 13 yachts participating in the Transatlantic Race 2019 have had surprisingly straightforward conditions in their first 24 hours at sea.
"The first night was fairly easy," said David Askew, co-owner of the VO70 Wizard (top photo). "We've been close reaching in 18 to 20 knots of wind from the south and making 13 knots boatspeed.
"The weather has been very nice," Askew continued. "We had light rain on and off all night. This morning it cleared and has stopped raining. The breeze has been very steady, we're even seeing patches of blue sky. It's also been warmer than most everybody expected."
At today's 1530 UTC position report, after 24 hours of racing, the fleet is straddling the rhumbline sailing a mostly easterly course. David Witt and the supermaxi SHK Scallywag lead, having covered approximately 317 nautical miles since the start and with 2,641 nautical miles to the finish. Constantin Claviez's Charisma is the tail-ender, some 184 nautical miles astern of SHK Scallywag, but hardly off the back end of the fleet.
Charisma is some 35 nautical miles behind a pack that includes Hiro Nakajima's Hiro Maru, Rives Potts' Carina, Mark Stevens' Kiva and Peter Bacon's Lucy Georgina. Charisma completed the fleet's passing of the western waypoint of the Nantucket Shoals limit, by 0330 UTC.
While the first day may have been straightforward, the next few days look anything but. The fleet is predicted to sail into the first of what could be a few encounters with zones of no wind.
New Harken® SnubbAir defies classification as a winch
Designed to solve a deck layout challenge on the J/70, the new Harken SnubbAir might look like a smaller, less bruising version of the Classic Harken plain top size 8 winch it replaces, but the SnubbAir has so many other potential uses it really isn't a winch.
"It could act more like a really large ratcheting foot or cheek block or even a ratcheting line diverter in the pit. The SnubbAir provides lots of line-holding power even without a winch handle," said Greg Hartlmeier, the project's lead engineer.
SnubbAir comes with four integral threaded studs that match the bolt pattern of the B8A winch. It weighs less than half of the B8A and is 30% lower to the deck. It features two races of Delrin® ball bearings like a block, which assure it operates with very little friction. The SnubbAir can be used with an adaptor that lets crews use any conventional winch handle. "We named it the SnubbAir, because it's a modern spin on an old-school snubbing winch," Hartlmeier said. "Its low-profile, wide-drum diameter and large center hole make it look a little like our Grand Prix Air Winches."
Ask your Harken dealer to show you SnubbAir.
*|YOUTUBE:[$vid=mpDhcEQ2Xu0, $max_width=500, $title=N, $border=N, $trim_border=N, $ratings=N, $views=N]|*
Opening day of O'Leary Life Sovereign's Cup
Photo by David Branigan, www.oceansport.ie. Click on image for photo gallery.
Challenging conditions with competitors being pushed to the pin of their collar in a rolling swell made for a perfect start to the biennial O'Leary Life Sovereign's Cup at Kinsale Yacht Club where 95 boats are in action for four days.
A mix of courses ranging from a three-hour coastal race to 'Round the Cans and Windward-Leeward saw the fleet complete a full programme for the day.
All are competing for class wins as well as the overall Sovereign's Cup for the best boat under IRC rating and the Portcullis Trophy for best boat under ECHO performance handicapping.
Notable performances for the day included Frank Whelan's Eleuthera from Greystones Sailing Club with back to back wins in Division 0 IRC and George Sisk's WOW from the Royal Irish Yacht Club who won the Coastal race.
The 17-strong Dragon class competing for their Irish championship title ended their two-race day with Martin Byrne's Jaguar Racing from the Royal St. George Yacht Club at the top of the leaderboard but only after a three-way tie-break. The next three are also tied on points. (Kinsale Yacht Club will host the Dragon Gold Cup in September 2020).
Racing is scheduled to continue on Thursday with conditions to be reviewed in the morning in view of the forecast strong winds.
Full results across all classes
Newport Trophy Regatta for 12 Metres Begins This Weekend
Newport RI, USA: As an important lead up to the 12 Metre World Championship in July, the Newport Trophy Regatta will take place off Newport, R.I. over the weekend of June 29-30. Hosted by Ida Lewis Yacht Club, the 12 Metre-only event provides one of the last formal opportunities for teams to fine-tune skills and also counts toward standings in the global ROAD TO THE WORLDS WAYPOINTS Series, which has helped build competition in the Northern Europe, Southern Europe and Americas Fleets.
"The game is afoot," said Americas Fleet President and Event Chair for the Worlds Peter Gerard, explaining that points for the WAYPOINTS standings have been accumulating since 2017 and currently show American Eagle (US-21), Challenge XII (KA-10), Courageous (US-26), and Victory '83 (K-22) - all from the Americas Fleet - in the final hunt for the series trophy, which will be awarded at the conclusion of the 12 Metre World Championship to a single team with the highest overall point score (among all divisions) for the past three seasons. "The Worlds are part of the WAYPOINTS Series as are the 12 Metre Pre-Worlds Regatta (part of Sail Newport's Newport Regatta, July 6-7) and the New York Yacht Club's 165th Annual Regatta, which was held last week. At that latter event, we really got our first glimpse into just how competitive the 12 Metres are going to be on the World Championship stage."
At the Annual Regatta, where six of the Modern 12 Metres competed together, Challenge XII, skippered by Jack LeFort (Jamestown, R.I.), won with a three-point lead over Courageous, skippered by Ralph Isham/Alexander Auersperg and helmed by Arthur Santry, Newport, R.I. Courageous finished second on a tiebreaker with Victory '83, skippered by owner Dennis Williams, and just one point behind them in fourth place was Enterprise (US-27), which has been chartered by Clay and Nancy Deutsch (Newport, R.I.) for the Worlds and was racing in its current configuration for the first time.
Challenge XII, designed by Ben Lexcen, was commissioned by Alan Bond as a possible Australian challenger for the 1983 America's Cup. LeFort bought her in 2017, completed most of its renovation two winters ago, and with is current crew has been practicing for the Worlds for three years.
"We love the boat and we want to continue racing it beyond the Worlds," said LeFort. "The other 12 Metre owners are jazzed to do the same, and the boats are so well restored now, it would be a shame not to keep the enthusiasm and momentum going."
Club Secretary / Chief Executive - The Royal Southern Yacht Club
We have an exciting opportunity for a Club Secretary / Chief Executive with a hospitality-related background.
Internationally recognised as a world-leading yacht club, the Royal Southern is based on the waterfront in Hamble village, Hampshire. We have modern facilities capable of hosting formal dinners for up to 200 guests, restaurants and bars, as well as 12 luxury en-suite bedrooms. There is also berthing for 66 yachts and 20 RIBS.
Job Summary
The Club Secretary / Chief Executive, will be responsible for overseeing all key areas of the business and delivering an exceptional service for our 1700 members.
This individual will develop the team of 40+ while ensuring process standardisation and improvement. They will be responsible for the execution of the Club's strategic initiatives and will play a critical role in the overall delivery of exemplary service. This individual will manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment as well as the Club's P&L, reporting to the Chairman of the board of directors.
An attractive remuneration package including a performance-related bonus will be available for the right candidate instead of the salary band.
More information about the role is available
If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply to HR [AT] royal-southern [DOT] co [DOT] uk
12 Metre Defender
Not more than a month ago, I got a call from an old (almost as old as I) mate, Tom Webster, from Hilton Head. He told me that a 12 Metre had "fallen out of charter," and would be available for the World Championship in Newport this July, as well as a couple of other regattas in the same water. The boat is DEFENDER, US 33, built in 1983 to a David Pedrick design and campaigned by Tom Blackaller in the Defender Trials of 1983. After a long period of disuse, she was acquired, refurbished, improved, and buffed up in Newport. The owner also owned, and campaigned, VICTORY '83 for about ten years. Long story short, US 33 is now owned by the USMMA Sailing Foundation at King's Point, NY.
We discussed the idea, and the short lead time, and decided to pick up the charter. The element that pushed us over the edge was this: A subset of the King's Point foundation is Warrior Sailing and we were given the opportunity to represent that very worthwhile group, raising interest in, and money for, their terrific programs.
In the past month we have:
- Formed a syndicate to cover the actual costs of the three week campaign
- Entered all three regattas (see attached calendar)
- Engaged a full, all Corinthian, crew of veteran 12M sailors, with spares
- Hired, under the auspices of USMMA, a crackerjack Boat Captain to put, and keep, US 33 together
- Secured the donated use of a tender, a chase boat, and several VIP boats, with moorage/dockage for all
- Found housing for out of town crew and guests, and scheduled a couple of our own social events
- Designed & ordered uniforms & swag for crew & supporters
- Persuaded a wizard Social Media Maven to do what she does best (see below), and, I hope, sail with us
- Created a dedicated Donation page on the Warrior Sailing website warriorsailing.org/donate-12m/
We would like you on our team, in whatever way you wish. You can: Join our mailing list, join our syndicate, visit us in Newport, follow us on Facebook, and, of course, contribute to Warrior sailing (a tax ruled 501(c)(3)) via the link above, or wire transfer. -- Dick Enersen
www.facebook.com/defendersailing/
For the Record
The WSSR Council announces the establishment of a new World Record:
Record: North Atlantic Intermediate Record
Yacht: "Spindrift" 40 metre Trimaran
Name: Yann Guichard. FRA
Dates: 16th to the 21st January 2019.
Start time: 11;41;55 on 16/01/19
Finish time: 07;49;08 on 21/01/19
Elapsed time: 4 days 20 hours 7 minutes and 13 seconds .
Comments: Previous record: "Spindrift 2" Yann Guichard. 27/11/15. 4d 21h 45m
John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council
sailspeedrecords.com
GC32 World Championship
Olympic heroes, America's Cup winners, Volvo Ocean Race champions and some of sailing's most capped World Champions are in Lagos on Portugal's Algarve for tomorrow's start of the GC32 World Championship. The line-up for this second event on the 2019 GC32 Racing Tour, taking place with the support of the City of Lagos, Marina de Lagos and Sopromar, comprises ten teams from seven nations, from afar afield as China, the USA and Oman.
An 11th hour recruit for Sebastien Schneiter's Team Tilt is Glenn Ashby, skipper of America's Cup defender Emirates Team New Zealand. Ashby helped coax Team Tilt to win last year's GC32 World Championship and has found time to sneak away from his Cup duties to help them defend it. However he admits: "My last yachting was the A-Cat Worlds in Queensland last November. The office hands are going well since I've had to start pulling ropes again."
Ashby understands the importance of a world championship. Personally he is a ten time winner and defending champion of the singlehanded A-Class Catamaran Worlds. As to Team Tilt's chances this time, he is realistic. This is the first time since they have sailed their GC32 since last year's Worlds, so they have had to go back to basics.
As to Lagos, Ashby is impressed: "From what we have seen it is absolutely ideal - beautiful flat water 70% of the time and good breeze, sunny and warm. It is pretty much perfect for sailing foiling boats."
He is not the only current America's Cup sailor in Lagos. Sir Ben Ainslie, who is challenging with INEOS Team UK, is here with his INEOS Rebels UK team. Aside from being the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, with his unmatched tally of four golds and one silver, Ainslie also won the America's Cup in San Francisco with Oracle Team USA, as did his GC32 jib trimmer Joe Newton. However most impressive is the number of Olympic medals on board the British GC32 - in addition to Ainslie's haul is Giles Scott's Finn gold from Rio 2016, where Iain Jensen won 49er silver, adding to his gold medal from London 2012. Their fifth crew is Luke Parkinson who won the Volvo Ocean Race with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.
Racing starts at 1300 and concludes on Sunday. In addition to the regular racing will be the Cascade Sopromar Speed Challenge. In this the team recording the highest average speed will win five double rooms for three nights at Lagos' 5 Star Cascade Wellness & Lifestyle Resort.
Teams competing at 2019 GC32 World Championship
Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis
Argo (USA) Jason Carroll
Black Star Sailing Team (SUI) Christian Zurrer
CHINAone NINGBO (CHN) Phil Robertson
INEOS Rebels UK (GBR) Ben Ainslie
NORAUTO (FRA) Franck Cammas
Team Oman Air (OMA) Adam Minoprio
Team Tilt (SUI) Sebastien Schneiter
Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara
Zoulou (FRA) Erik Maris
Letters To The Editor - editor [AT] scuttlebutteurope [DOT] com
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* From Ginny Jones:
Louie Howland, antiquarian and maritime book seller, writer, editor, maritime historian and raconteur, passed away on Friday. As the back of his wonderful catalogues always noted about recently deceased customers, friends, and notable figures -- he is now IN HARBOR! I thought of him as Brahmin Boston veneered over a New Bedford hull and will miss his acerbic wit and generous good humor as well as our mutual grumbling over the state of the world and the stories that he told! And of course we will also miss the books that he wrote and the ones that he sold. A very well read friend recently commented that as really good as the various Herreshoff books are (those about NGH by Maynard Bray and Ben Mendlowitz and also the new twin volume set about LFH) by Roger Taylor, it is Louie's book about Starling Burgess that set a new and very high standard for maritime biographies!
Featured Brokerage
1937 Sparkman & Stephens 62 Ft Yawl - Manitou. POA EUR. Located in France.
If JFK chose MANITOU for her good looks and speed – who are we to argue ? The current owners have stopped at nothing in maintaining MANITOU to ensure she is probably as strong as she ever was and cosmetically immaculate.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Barney Sandeman
info [AT] sandemanyachtcompany [DOT] co [DOT] uk
+44 (0)1202 330077
33 High Street
Poole, Dorset
BH15 1AB
United Kingdom
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2002 Maxi 86. 700,000 USD. Located in the USA.
WINDQUEST is an immaculate Maxi 86 owned by one of the premier families in our sport. used only a few weekends a year, she lacks for nothing and is always a 1st to finish contender as well as a always in the corrected time hunt Call for her full details
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
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William Jenkins
410 267 9419
410 353 7862
bill [AT] tysonline [DOT] com
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1992 Swan 68. 650,000 EUR. Located in San Giorgio di Nogaro, Italy.
Her classic lines and cruising capabilities are the emblem of this ever lasting Swan model. Winner of the Swan Cup in 2000 and Antigua Race Week in 2001, 'Defiance' is a sea-kindly and fast performance cruiser that has a regatta winning pedigree. A safe and well equipped cockpit, together with a spacious interior give “Defiance” the faculty to sail her guests anywhere in the world. Lewmar electric winches, Condaria air conditioning, Searecovery water-maker, New Westerbeke 12 KW generator, Hydra electronics, 2006 Bank cruising sails.
See listing details in Nautors Swan Brokerage
Contact
Giorgio Passarella
Nautor's Swan Brokerage
T. +377 97 97 95 07
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
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