In This Issue
• Local boat Eeyore, an Alacrity 18 Bilge Keel from Cowes, wins Gold Roman Bowl
• Transatlantic Race 2019 Fleet in Too Much Wind or Not Enough
• Alinghi - GC32 World Champion with two races to spare
• The International Paint Poole Regatta Pushes for Sustainability in 2020
• Kinsale Yacht Club Creates Memorable Sovereign's Cup Regatta
• Kiwis (but not THOSE Kiwis) win nine-way 49er battle in Kielifornia
• Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
• Midsummer Match Cup
• IRC European champions
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Race For Water - MOD 70 Trimaran
• • Arksen 70
• • Baltic Yachts 48 DP
• The Last Word: Terry Pratchett
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
Local boat Eeyore, an Alacrity 18 Bilge Keel from Cowes, wins Gold Roman Bowl
With a crew of just three: skipper Jo Richards and his friends David Rickard and Duncan De Boltz, the 18 foot bilge keel was the smallest boat in the race.
After competing in the Round the Island Race more times than he can remember and with two seconds already under his belt, Richards comments on his win: "It's probably about time too isn't it? We've been second a couple of times over the years but reality is there are some very good sailors out there and very good boats; you've got to be lucky and get the breaks. Unless you've done the preparation and put yourself in a position to get the breaks it doesn't happen, but you do still have to be lucky."
The race offered challenging sailing conditions for the crew of Eeyore, which circumnavigated the Isle of Wight in 13 hours, 36 minutes and 31 seconds. The fleet of over 1,200 entries contended with fluctuating wind speeds from every direction, with only 257 boats completing the race before the 10.30pm deadline.
The first finisher (with a time of 7 hours, 33 minutes and 36 seconds) was Yves Le Blevec's Graghjghnd Prix racing multihull - 'Actual Leader' which led for much of the race. In light to moderate winds she managed to shake off her closest on-the-water rivals - Jethou, Ino XXX, Lady Mariposa and Mini Y.
A delighted Le Blevec (53) from La Trinite Sur Mer, commenting on a long, but exciting day on the racecourse just before he set sail back to La Trinite Sur Mer, said: "I really enjoyed the race, I always enjoy sailing here and it was great to have taken line honours. This is now my fourth time competing here but in this boat it was tricky. We stayed in the same place for two or three hours off Ventnor in no wind, which was frustrating. 'Actual' is designed as a round the world boat not for Round the Island Race. It is very difficult to manage tacking or gybing so often, so we are pleased to have done so well today."
The award for the first monohull across the line, at 16:30:28 (taking 9 hours and 28 seconds), went to Sir Peter Ogden's Judel Vrolijk Mini Maxi 'Jethou' which almost snatched the lead from 'Actual Leader' earlier in the day. Despite hitting the bottom and hooking a lobster pot the crew of 'Jethou' had a great race with owner, Sir Peter Ogden, commenting: "Our top speed was 20knts which was 2 minutes after the start, but it went downhill after that and we averaged 7.9knts over the course. The best sail of the day was the stretch from the forts to the finish where we enjoyed a really nice breeze."
Transatlantic Race 2019 Fleet in Too Much Wind or Not Enough
This year's race across The Pond has been so uncharacteristic that the 120 sailors will be forgiven for feeling like they're a school of minnows. Instead of southwesterlies pushing them along from behind, the fleet has spent an inordinate amount of time pounding upwind.
At today's 1630 UTC position report, Rives Potts' Carina was 284 nautical miles from waypoint A3, the southeastern corner of the ice zone limit. Grant said that Carina and the J/52 True, co-skippered by Howard Hodgson and Ryan Hughes, have been crossing paths all race. He also mentioned that Mark Stevens' Kiva has been in the mix, although it has fallen slightly farther astern in the past day.
At the head of the fleet, David Witt and the supermaxi SHK Scallywag could also be feeling like minnows today. After storming past David and Peter Askew's VO70 Wizard and into the lead yesterday while making 24 knots boatspeed, SHK Scallywag now finds itself in too much wind, up to 42 knots from the south.
Reports are that only two crew are on deck as they are in survival mode with the rest in the companionway hatch. SHK Scallywag recorded a one-hour average true windspeed of 32 knots earlier today, and Witt hasn't slept in 48 hours. The situation is compounded because the crew is having trouble reefing the huge mainsail.
Overnight David and Peter Askew's VO70 Wizard regained the lead and at 1630 UTC today led SHK Scallywag by 74 nautical miles. Wizard was positioned 68 nautical miles at a bearing of 105 degrees from waypoint A4, the eastern edge of the ice zone limit, and had 1,628 nautical miles remaining to the finish.
The days ahead are the ones that matter, however, and the conditions look to get tricky again as soon as tomorrow. Wizard and SHK Scallywag will try and hang onto the strong southerlies at the head of the fleet while the majority of the racers, those still approaching waypoint A3, will be working to avoid the growing Azores high pressure.
Alinghi - GC32 World Champion with two races to spare
Having looked secure, leading by 16 points going into the last day, Ernesto Bertarelli's Alinghi team, helmed by Arnaud Psarofaghis, scored a 2-1-1 in today's first races to win the 2019 GC32 World Championship with two races to spare - an incredible result given the calibre of competition racing here off Lagos, Portugal.
Having lost two races to light conditions yesterday, there was concern this morning when the forecast northwesterlies disappeared, to be replaced by fickle southeasterlies. Fortunately the prevailing offshore winds did re-establish shortly after 1300, allowing the day's full five race schedule to be completed in exceptional conditions culminating in a final race of the Championship in winds gusting to 20 knots.
The GC32 Racing Tour now moves on to its third event, Copa del Rey MAPFRE in Palma over 31 July to 3 August.
Results:
1. Alinghi, 57 points
2. Team Tilt, 74
3. INEOS Rebels UK, 78
4. NORAUTO, 79
5. Oman Air, 86
6. Argo , 102
7. Red Bull Sailing Team , 111
8. Zoulou, 128
9. CHINAone NINGBO, 137
10. Black Star Sailing Team, 141
Full results: www.gc32racingtour.com/results/
The International Paint Poole Regatta Pushes for Sustainability in 2020
Sustainability will be the main theme of the International Paint Poole Regatta 2020. Running across the bank holiday weekend from 23rd to 25th May 2020, the regatta is striving to have a neutral impact on the environment whilst ensuring that racing and evening socials maintain the fantastic reputation gained over the last 20 years.
A sustainability charter is being created, which will cover all areas of the event and every activity is being scrutinised to ensure that the most environmentally efficient options are used. For example, reflecting on the great 2018 regatta, the use of bow stickers is a regret and as such an immediate decision has been taken to ensure these are not used in 2020.
The charter will be created over the next few months and the regatta committee welcome suggestions from the yachting community to help shape it. If you have attended any events where good sustainable solutions were used then please get in touch to let them know. Visit the facebook page to send a message with your ideas http://www.facebook.com/PooleRegatta.
Racing organisation also continues to take shape with classes signing up to host their 2020 championships during Poole. To date the J24, J80 and VPRS National Championships are already confirmed alongside the IRC Southern Area Championship, with discussions ongoing for several other racing classes.
For more information about The International Paint Poole Regatta visit www.pooleregatta.co.uk and make sure 23rd-25th May 2020 is in your diary.
Kinsale Yacht Club Creates Memorable Sovereign's Cup Regatta
Staging a major sailing event which best reflects the spirit of your beloved home port is not a challenge for the faint-hearted writes W M Nixon. When we consider the multiple factors involved in the completion of the complex four-day programme for the O'Leary Life Sovereign's Cup 2019 which concluded in Kinsale this afternoon, we soon realise that people like Regatta Director Bobby Nash and KYC Commodore David O'Sullivan and their voluntary and varied team of supporters in their many roles are quietly setting an example which could be usefully transferred to many aspects of local and national life, both afloat and ashore.
Competitors were almost spoilt for choice, with four start lines operational. Irish Sailing President Jack Roy was in charge of the top end IRC racing for Classes 0, 1 and 2, Neil Prendeville looked after the two white-sail divisions (W1 and W2), Richard Leonard oversaw each day's single Coastal Race which was favoured by mostly larger boats, and the two hot One Designs - the International Dragons with their Irish Nationals, and the 1720s with their Europeans - were in the competent hands of Peter Crowley.
Thus the regatta started on a high and finished on a high with today's final race, which at one stage might almost have qualified for that "Champagne Sailing" tag. And as anyone who has been following the daily reports on Afloat.ie will know, the pace has been particularly fierce where there's an element of one design or level rating racing, which has been seen with the Dragons in their Nationals, the J/109s in Class 1, and the Half Tonners in Class 2. -- WM Nixon in Afloat magazine
Kiwis (but not THOSE Kiwis) win nine-way 49er battle in Kielifornia
Logan Dunning Beck and Oscar Gunn have won 49er gold at Kiel Week after finishing second in a very tight medal race. The conditions, couldn't have been better, with weather blowing in the teens and the air temperature up in the late 20s. The weather this week has been less like Kiel, more like California. The World ranked No.1 team from Great Britain won the 49er medal race, James Peters and Fynn Sterritt sailing well to win the bronze medal, just one point behind Łukas Przybytek and Pawel Kołodzinski of Poland who slipped from the overall lead but still holding on for a silver medal behind the Kiwis.
Those other Kiwis, Pete Burling and Blair Tuke, briefly moved into medal contention at the half way stage of the race when they charged into second place at the leeward gate. However, the shifting offshore breeze outfoxed the Olympic Champions who started the day in fifth, and finished the day in fifth.
In total, nine of the ten teams competing in the 49er Medal Race could have won the gold medal and it was one of the most exciting, uncertain races ever seen at Kiel Week.
Some of the other Medal Race action was also very exciting. The Austrians celebrated wildly after winning the gold medal in the Nacra 17 catamaran. Thomas Zajac and Barbara Matz went into the Medal Race wearing the yellow jersey, but with the points very tight with three other crews from Italy, Denmark and Germany.
In a photo finish the local German team Victoria Jurczok and Anika Lorenz won Kiel Week for the first time, taking 49erFX gold just two points ahead of Willemijn Offermann and Elise de Ruijter. The up-and-coming Dutch team sailed a brilliant regatta to take the silver medal, while Denmark's Anne-Julie Schütt and Iben Nielsby sailed a very composed Medal Race to take the winner's gun and claim the bronze medal.
In the Finn, Ondrej Teply won the Medal Race which was nearly good enough to win the gold medal, but the Czech had to settle for silver with Germany's Phillip Kasueske coming third and doing enough to win Kiel Week on home waters by just two points. Jake Lilley, so fast in the stronger breeze earlier in the week, got the bronze for Australia.
The top three in the Laser Radial Medal Race crossed the finish line in the same order that they won their medals. Josefin Olsson finished a superlative Kiel Week by crossing the line in first, the Swede comfortably securing the gold medal. Manami Doi finished second across the line, putting her level on points with Finland's Tuula Tenkanen. But on tie-break that meant silver to Japan and bronze to Finland.
Jack Cookson sailed to a comfortable overall victory in the Laser. Behind gold for Great Britain, Wilhelm Kark claimed silver for Sweden and then another medal for Britain, bronze to Daniel Whiteley.
Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
Last month's winner:
Asia Pajkowska (POL)
Five hundred-plus Polish sailors can't be wrong. 'I vote for Asia!!' - Jan Niedzi; 'She is the absolute best!' - Asia Dudkiewicz; 'Captain Pajkowska is absolutely a legend!' - Premo Jacniacki; 'She kept up the Polish tradition, pride and conceit are foreign to her' - Halina Mainska; 'I followed her cruise from beginning to end, I am a devoted fan' - Przemys Borowiecki; 'All Poland can be proud of her' - Tutomirova Besheniyenot; 'Asia started three months after the Golden Globe but beat the last finisher by four weeks!' - Krzesimir Kowaksli; 'Paul Cayard is a great sailor but I adore tough sailing women even more!' - Yvette von der Burchard
This month's nominees:
Vladimir Krutskikh (RUS)
Krutskikh won his third Finn World Masters title with a perfect score of seven wins in seven races… discarding one win in his final tally. ‘For me everything is good. I won seven races so I am happy…’ You would be, wouldn’t you? It’s worth mentioning that the class itself was also reasonably happy with a 248-boat turnout for its latest event: ‘Numbers are down on last year but this is still a good entry.’ An entry that most classes would kill for
James Lyne (USA)
About time we put up one for the guys behind the scenes… Lyne must surely now have the best record in big boat coaching in the world? (Letters, please) A string of TP52 success with Quantum Racing plus Maxi72, Melges 24 and Farr40s titles, he is now head coach at the New York YC’s Terry Hutchinson-led American Magic Cup challenge. This former Finn and Flying Dutchman sailor – bit big now, lad – is also a Pom by birth. Should never have let him go
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
Midsummer Match Cup
Skarhamn, Sweden: Ian Williams Team GAC Pindar won the final of the inaugural edition of Midsummer Match Cup after an impressive comeback against Eric Monnin and Capvis Swiss Match Race Team.
The wind increased to over 20 knots during the final between Ian Williams (GBR) and Eric Monnin (SUI), the two highest ranked match racing skippers in the world.
The duel got a dramatic start when Williams crashed into his opponent and got caught with the bowsprit in the stern of Monnin's boat. The situation ended with a black flag to Team GAC Pindar and put the score at -1 against 1. But the British team came back strong in the two following matches to make it 1-1. It all came down to a deciding match full of lead changes.
Results finals - Midsummer Match Cup 2019
Ian Williams, Team GAC Pindar (GBR) 2
Eric Monnin, Capvis Swiss Match Race Team (SUI) 1
Results petite finale
Lucy Macgregor, Team Macgregor (GBR) 1
Nicolai Sehested, Gringo Sailing Team (DEN) 2
Results semi-finals
Ian Williams, Team GAC Pindar (GBR) 2
Lucy Macgregor, Team Macgregor (GBR) 0
Eric Monnin, Capvis Swiss Match Race Team (SUI) 2
Nicolai Sehested, Gringo Sailing Team (DEN) 1
IRC European champions
French Farr 36 Absolutely II, skippered by former Finn sailor Yves Ginoux, Union Nationale Course Au Large's vice-president and flying the colours of CNTL Marseille, is the IRC Europeans overall winner. The championship, organised by Yacht Club Sanremo, that gathered over 40 crews from all over the continent for the week, ended in grand style on Saturday with three superb races, sailed in true "champagne conditions".
If Friday the very light wind temporarily halted the event, forcing the organisers to cancel the coastal race, on Saturday the Gulf of Sanremo guaranteed perfect conditions to sail three, very tight races that crowned the new European champions.
The overall title, calculated on the accumulated points in all the classic, went to Absolutely II skippered by Yves Ginoux, that also won the Corinthian trophy and class IRC 3, scoring an impressive triple for an owner-driver and mostly familiar crew. The silver in the overall was awarded to another French team, GP42 Confluence Sopra skippered by Jean-Pierre Joly, whilst Italy's Sarchiapone Fuoriserie, the Italia 998 owned by Gialuigi Dubbini jumped on the third step of the podium.
Class podiums:
IRC 0 - 6 entries
1. Team Vision Future - Jean-Jacques Chaubard - TP52 - France - YC de Toulon
2. Freccia Rossa - Vadim Yakimenko - TP52 - Russia - YC Mosca
3. Rowdy Too - Howard Dyer - TP52 - British Virgin Island YC
IRC 1 - 10 entries
1. Confluence Sopra - Jean-Piere Joly - GP 42 - France - S.N. Marseille
2. Bewild - Renzo Grottesi - Club Swan 42 - Italy - C.V. Portocivitanova
3. Ange Transparent - Valter Pizzoli - Swan 45 - Italy - Yacht Club de Monaco
IRC 2 - 5 entries
1. Sayann - Paolo Cavarocchi - First 40 - Italy - LNI Anzio
2. Obsession - Mario Rosselo - First 45 - Italy - LNI Savona
3. Vito 2 - Gian Marco Magrini - A40 - Italy - SNST
IRC 3 - 14 entries
1. Absolutely II - Yves Ginoux - Farr 36 - France - CNTL Marseille
2. Sarchiapone Fuoriserie - Gianluigi Dubbini - IY 998 - Italy -Yacht Club Sanremo
3. Chenapan 3 di Gilles Caminade - A35 - France - Union National Course au Large
IRC 4 - 7 entries
1. Alkaid - Christophe Heurtault - JPK 10.10 - France - CNTL Marseille
2. Faster 2 - Marcello Focosi - Italy - First 34.7 - CN San Vincenzo
3. Racing Dee - Jean-Luc Hamon - France - JPK 10.10 - Club Nautique de Toulon
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The Last Word
All tapes left in a car for more than about a fortnight metamorphose into Best of Queen albums. -- Terry Pratchett, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
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