In This Issue
• Darwin Escapes 2019 J/70 World Championships
• Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
• Subaru Flying Fifteen World Championship
• Team NZ's unwanted attention for launch of new America's Cup boat
• 505 Euro Cup
• Yachtsman and Young Sailor Finalists
• Transatlantic Record Challenge by IMOCA 60 Malizia II
• Industry News
• Featured Charter
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Herreshoff 136 Ft Gaff Schooner - Eleonora
• • Dazcat 1295
• • J Boats J/80 - HUSH
• The Last Word: John Bercow
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
Darwin Escapes 2019 J/70 World Championships
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
Royal Torbay Yacht Club: 20 nations are competing for the Darwin Escapes 2019 J/70 World Championships, and teams from seven different countries occupy the top ten places after six races. The breeze for Day Two started with a stable 10 knots from the southwest, but backed south after the first race building to a 18 knots, with brilliant sunshine providing spectacular condition for the international fleet. With the wind direction and speed fluctuating, today's results were far from stable.
After six races there are new leaders for both the Open and Corinthian classes. Alberto Rossi (ITA) racing Enfant Terrible, acknowledged as one of the best in Europe if not the world, moves up to pole position for the Open Class, after posting 1-16-2 today. Joel Ronning (USA) racing Catapult, drops to second, three points behind the leader.
Boat of the day was Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat raced by Paul Ward (GBR) propelling the team to third just a point off second. Pichu Torcida (ESP) racing Noticia is only one point off the podium. In the Corinthian Class, Doug Struth (GBR) racing DSP, is the new leader. Wilson & King's Soak Racing (IRL) discarded a Black Flag infringement in Race 5, to place second for the amateur status class, as did Denis Cherevatenko (RUS) racing Joyfull. All results are provisional pending protest decisions.
There were race wins today for Alberto Rossi (ITA) Enfant Terrible, Andrey Malygin (RUS) Maria, and Peter Duncan (USA) Relative Obscurity. -- Louay Habib
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.
After a brisk Monday, day two of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup provided lighter 9-13 knot winds veering from west to north. A coastal course for most ultimately headed south around Isla Mortorio before returning to Porto Cervo.
This year is the 30th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and the International Maxi Association, the World Sailing-recognised body representing maxi boats globally.
While the rest sailed the coastal, Mini Maxi Racer-Cruiser and Cruiser-Racer classes contested two windward-leewards. Among the Cruiser-Racers, Marietta Strasoldo’s Swan 651 Lunz Am Meer posted a 2-1 and now leads Tony Ball’s Swan 65 sloop Six Jaguar by six points - the largest margin in any class. Importantly they are ahead of perennial class winner Riccardo de Michele's H20 - currently third overall after winning today’s opening race.\
Among the Mini Maxi Racer-Cruisers Stephen Cucchiaro's Swan 601 Flow won both races and now leads from Gerard Logel's sistership @Robas, with IMA President Benoit de Froidmont's Wallyno third.
Cucchiaro acquired his boat (formerly Leonardo Ferragamo’s own Cuordileone) last year and sails with a mainly US crew including navigator Larry Rosenfeld. “It was the quintessential perfect Porto Cervo conditions - a great day,” said Cucchiaro. “We got good starts, sailed clean and it worked out. We didn’t give the competition a chance to pass. Also it was good conditions for the boat - 10-12 knots, which Swan 601s like very much.”
The coastal initially took the boats upwind to Monaci and then into the entrance of Bomb Alley (Golf), before heading south and returning to the finish off Porto Cervo, the Mini Maxi Racers 1, Wally and Maxi Racer classes sailing a marginally longer course.
First away were the Mini Maxi Racers where the eagle-eyed afterguard on Dario Ferrari’s Cannonball were first to spot the sudden strength of the right. “Conditions changed very quickly after our strategy had been to win the left and go left,” explained tactician Ed Baird. Cannonball took transoms to get right where they found favourable shift and extra pressure. “Then it was a question of joining the dots on each leg because there was a significant shifts,” explained Baird. Cannonball now leads Jim Swartz’s Vesper by a point.
The Maxi Racer class was today won by Irvine Laidlaw's Reichel/Pugh 82 Highland Fling XI, which now leads overall, tied with George David's Rambler 88.
Aside from Topaz, the only other boat still holding a perfect scoreline is Roberto Lacorte’s Vismara 62 RC SuperNikka in the Mini Maxi Racer 2 class which also sailed the coastal.
Racing continues until Saturday 7th September. Tomorrow it is the turn of the Wallys to sail windward-leewards. -- James Boyd / International Maxi Association
www.internationalmaxiassociation.com
Subaru Flying Fifteen World Championship
Steve Goacher & Tim Harper. Photo by Jonny Fullerton. Click on image for photo gallery.
Dun Laoghaire, Ireland: The Flying Fifteen class returns to Dun Laoghaire in Ireland, where 78 competitors from 9 nations will go to battle for the 2019 title. Host club the National Yacht Club will host the event which has 12 races scheduled to be sailed in Dublin Bay from Friday 6 - Friday 13 September.
The majority of the competitors are already gaining valuable practice at the Pre-Worlds Championship of Ireland taking place from 2 - 4 September.
A highly competitive fleet of 78 boats have gathered in Dun Laoghaire Harbour, the same venue that hosted the 1992 and 2003 world championships.
The UK has sent the largest contingent of boats with some of the big names in Flying Fifteen sailing. Amongst them are Steve Goacher and Tim Harper from Royal Windermere YC, sailing ‘The whippet & the whopper’.
Steve Goacher is the current world champion securing his fourth world title at Napier, New Zealand in February 2019. He first won the worlds in 1995 at Hong Kong and held the title for three consecutive championships at Cowes, UK in 1997 and Esperance Bay in West Australia in 1999. All three regattas were sailing with Phil Evans as crew. It was then some 18 years before he won the worlds again at Napier with new crew Tim Harper. He has also won a string of European and UK Championships. The ‘Goach’ a real stalwart of the class and big Tim, finished fourth at the recent UKFFA Championships at Poole Harbour and go to Dublin as one of the favourites.
Leading the Pre-Worlds Irish Championship at the time of this release, Richard Lovering and Matt Alvarado are previous winners of the UK Flying Fifteen Championship at the Royal Northern & Clyde YC in Scotland in 2015 and again at the Royal Cornwall YC at Falmouth in 2017. At this year’s regatta at Poole they finished fourth in a highly competitive UK fleet. Richard is also the Musto Sails representative for the Flying Fifteen class.
The big Irish entry also includes teams representing Royal St George YC, Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, Waterford Harbour SC, Royal Irish YC, and Killyleagh YC.
There are four boats coming from Hong Kong, two each representing France and Spain and two boats from South Africa.
Also competing is the current New Zealand champions Hayden Percy and Scott Pedersen representing Napier SC and a single entry from Canada, Tim O’Connell sailing with Raymond Flanagan on behalf of West Vancouver YC. -- Jonny Fullerton of Regatta Services
www.facebook.com/Flying15Worlds19
Team NZ's unwanted attention for launch of new America's Cup boat
Team New Zealand has sent out 869 invitations for the launch of their new America's Cup boat on Friday but they are expecting a few gatecrashers as well.
The defenders are the first of the heavyweight teams to wet the radical new 75-foot foiling monohull and heavy scrutiny from opposition syndicates is assured.
There has already been plenty of attention given to the test boats of American Magic, INEOS Team UK, and Luna Rossa but the first of the full-scaled race yachts will take the spy game to a new level.
Emirates Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton told Stuff that Italian outfit Luna Rossa had already indicated they were "really looking forward" to seeing the Kiwi boat to get a gauge on their own AC75 which will be launched in Sardinia early next week.
www.stuff.co.nz/sport/americas-cup
505 Euro Cup
A possible Brexit was postponed until October to ensure this 505 event will occur without issues. Will it be the last Euro Cup in Britain?
In the nick of time 505s from all over Europe will descend on Hayling Island for the UK leg of the 505 Eurocup Series.
So far this year the 505 Eurocup Series has visited Cannes, Riva del Garda and Kiel and has seen some exceptional competition; overall standings are close at the top and Hayling will be the series finale. Calling all 505 sailors anywhere this is your chance to take on and learn from some of the very best 505 sailors from all over Europe, as well as meet up with old friends or make some new ones.
In the typical 5O5 knowledge sharing manner, racing coach and competitor Russ Clark will host daily debriefs over refreshments in the club with the top sailors participating in a Q&A forum about set-up and tactical thinking from the day's racing. If racing is postponed or abandoned there will be shore based training organised too. Additionally, there will be a class dinner at the club on Saturday night open to all sailors and families and friends.
The racing will be outside the harbour in Hayling Bay and at this time of year the water will be at its warmest, with a combination of sea breeze and gradient winds hopefully to give good sailing conditions, as happened last year.
Yachtsman and Young Sailor Finalists
The Yachting Journalists’ Association Committee met on Monday evening on the 45th floor of the Leadenhall building in London, hosted by MS Amlin, to choose the shortlists for the YJA MS Amlin Yachtsman of the Year and the YJA MS Amlin Young Sailor of the Year 2019.
Encouragingly there were a record number of nominations for the YJA MS Amlin Yachtsman of the Year and the entries were representative of the diversity of sailing.
YJA MS Amlin Yachtsman of the Year Finalists
Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell - Winners of the 49er European Championship, held at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy and also key members of the Great Britain SailGP Team who were the first to break the 50-knot barrier in the class ahead of the Cowes SailGP event in August.
Lucy MacGregor - four-time winner of the Women's Match Racing World Championship after her victory at the Lysekil Women's Match in August. ‘Team Mac’ took the final 3-0 against French skipper Claire Leroy.
Will Hodshon - successfully sailed a Wayfarer dinghy unaided around the 1,390-nautical mile coast of mainland Britain in just over 15 days, beating the previous open dinghy record of 28 days set in 2006.
YJA MS Amlin Young Sailor of the Year 2019 Finalists
Vita Heathcote - Winner of the 420 Women’s World Championship in Vilamoura, Portugal together with crew Milly Boyle in July and also finishing 2nd mixed team at the 470 Junior European Championship in Vilagarcia de Arousa, Spain with crew Ryan Orr.
Matilda Nicholls - Winner of the Women’s Laser Radial Youth World Championship at Kingston, Canada by a margin of 13 points while also dominating the UK Qualifying Series, winning the national youth title in the class and also representing the British Youth Sailing Team at the Youth World Championships for the second time, finishing fifth.
Azat Ulutas - A sailor from the Greig City Academy and key part of the inspiring Project Scaramouche team, Azat has most recently been sailing on ‘Eros’ to become one of the youngest teams ever to take part in the Round the Island Race and also competing in the Etchells European Championship amongst other events.
Having selected the shortlisted candidates, YJA members have until 9am on Sunday, September 8 to vote for their choice of YJA MS Amlin Yachtsman of the Year and YJA MS Amlin Young Sailor of the Year 2019 via the YJA website at www.yja.world, or below, with the winners to be revealed on September 13.
Transatlantic Record Challenge by IMOCA 60 Malizia II
The IMOCA 60 Malizia II is one busy boat these days writes W M Nixon. She hit the global headlines by conveying climate activist Greta Thunberg across the Atlantic to New York in a carbon-neutral way courtesy of skipper Pierre Casiraghi of Monaco and shipmate Boris Herrmann of Germany. Now the big speed machine is busy again, gearing up for a west-east stab on the classic New York to Lizard Point Transatlantic course.
Skipper for this venture is Stuart Mclachlan and his no 1 crewman is noted international campaigner Shane Diviney of Howth, with Sharon Ferris-Choat and Arno Bonnert making up the sailing strength, while every aspect of the venture is being recorded by the very experienced cameras and other equipment of Brian Carlin of Tralee. The boat is being sorted to be ready to take advantage of hyper-active developments in the Atlantic weather systems.
Industry News
New sentiment figures out today from British Marine, the trade association for the UK leisure, superyacht and small commercial marine industry, highlight the number of British marine businesses reporting an increase in revenue sinking to 22%, 10% less than November 2018. The new figures also show static profit margins for marine businesses, with just 6% of companies enjoying an increase in profits, 6% less than November 2018. Unsurprisingly business confidence within the sector is at its lowest level since autumn 2016.
Domestically focused UK businesses, especially marine services, continue to experience flat markets with 7% of companies experiencing an increase in revenue over the last six months. The domestic market has previously benefited from Brexit, with a weaker pound seeing more Brits holidaying at home. However, the continued political uncertainty has started to take its toll on consumer confidence, causing a reduction in leisure spending.
Prices in hire and charter boats have dropped significantly since last summer with only 28% of businesses increasing prices compared to 52% in 2018. With less customers out on the water, businesses are competitively slashing their prices resulting in hire, charter and passenger boat prices dropping to their lowest level in over five years. Whilst hire, charter and passenger boat services saw a rise in the number of businesses reporting increased revenue[2] and profit[3] (following the recent drop in business outlook, revenue and profit sentiment in the summer of 2018) these figures are still in negative net balance.
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SkyCity and Emirates Team New Zealand are excited to announce their partnership, that SkyCity will be the ‘Official Hotels and Entertainment Partner’ for the teams Defence of the 36th America’s Cup in March 2021.
Through the partnership, Emirates Team New Zealand and their guests will have access to SkyCity’s range of premium accommodation and world-class food and beverage services. SkyCity will provide on-water and onshore hospitality for Emirates Team New Zealand at their waterfront base within the America’s Cup Village.
Come summer 2021, the festivities will continue from the Viaduct with a fan trail to Federal Street, where SkyCity will host an Emirates Team New Zealand Fan Zone and exclusive events at their popular food and beverage outlets. SkyCity’s precincts in Hamilton and Queenstown will also join in the celebration with their own fan zones and race screenings.
he new SkyCity logo will be featured alongside the other major sponsors on the team’s AC75 race yacht when Emirates Team New Zealand launch their new boat for the first time.
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Falmouth, UK-based superyacht builder and refit specialist Pendennis Shipyard is expanding its Mediterranean presence further with the purchase of a majority stake in Vilanova Grand Marina in Barcelona, Spain. The company was already associated with Vilanova, as it is developing a refit and repair centre at the Spanish facility.
British custom superyacht build and refit yard Pendennis recently announced a major investment with plans to build a refit facility alongside the marina. “Besides already being a first-class marina close to Barcelona, we plan to build a refit facility alongside from where we will be able to enhance our offering to the superyacht fleet in the Mediterranean region,” says Mike Carr, Joint Managing Director at Pendennis. “This will complement our already successful international business operation in Palma, as well as our main base in Falmouth.”
vilanovagrandmarina.com/en/shipyard/
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Survitec and Marine Rescue Technologies’ (MRT) have created a lifejacket that accommodates and complements a range of MRT personal locator beacons (PLB).
The Seacrewsader 290N sMRT has been specifically designed to be worn with a Sea Marshall AU9 and sMRT AU10 PLB. It is the first in a series of products that will be brought to market by the partnership.
Ross Wilkinson, Survitec’s vice president Northern Europe, said that the strength and mutual respect of each brand sparked the collaboration. “By working together, we can ensure that when a customer requires a lifejacket and an MRT beacon they have something that has been designed to complement each other for optimum comfort and in-water performance. Ultimately, to offer the best chance of survival should it be needed,” he said.
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The sixteenth year of partnership between the Clipper Race and Marlow Ropes will be marked with a shift towards a greener future. The world's first mooring line to be made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles, Marlow Ropes Blue Ocean Dockline, has been rolled out across the fleet of 70ft racing yachts for the start of the biennial round the world yacht race.
The latest initiative from British manufacturer, Marlow Ropes, has resulted in all mooring lines, for the 11 strong fleet of Clipper 70s, being swapped to the Blue Ocean Dockline and the polyester Main sheet covers have been replaced with the Blue Ocean yarn for the 2019-20 edition.
Marlow Ropes Blue Ocean Dockline on Clipper 70
With the ocean at the heart of its existence, the Clipper Race has vowed to operate with as little impact as possible on the environment. From reducing the consumption of single-use plastics in each of the sixteen Race Villages on the global Clipper 2019-20 Race route, to responding to environmental learnings and technological advances, such as the Blue Ocean yarn. As well as having accountability and ownership at all levels to create change for the good of the company and the environment, the Clipper Race has pledged to continue to evolve and grow to be more earth friendly, working closely with Race Partners in order to achieve this.
Marlow Ropes D2 Racing remains the line of choice for the sheets and halyards; lightweight, high strength and an all round performer, these lines have been proven to stand up to the extreme tests of the upcoming 40,000nm circumnavigation. With all ropes produced and tested at its factory in Hailsham, East Sussex, it takes 1,439m of rope, excluding spares, to rig a Clipper 70. Recently, Clipper 2019-20 Race crew were invited behind the scenes to learn more about rope production, strength testing and splicing techniques.
Featured Charter
Ker 40 - Keronimo
Available for:
UK 2019
Mediterranean 2020
This boat has an impeccable race record and is instantly recognisable everywhere. She is an offshore capable, truly competitive, performance racing yacht. Keronimo is in immaculate condition, having been meticulously maintained her whole life. This winter she is undergoing a refit with further upgrades.
See listing details in Seahorse Charters
Contact
Lucy Jackson - LV Yachting
Call: +44 2392 161272
Email: info [AT] lvyachting [DOT] com
See the the Seahorse charter collection
Featured Brokerage
2000 Herreshoff 136 Ft Gaff Schooner - Eleonora. 7,900,000 EUR. Located in Spain.
More than a century after the launch of WESTWARD, this re-creation brings all of the splendid majesty and grandeur of the golden era of yachting. ELEONORA is in all respects an awesome all-rounder and a true classic with the advantages of being a modern yacht.
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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Dazcat 1295. POA GBP.
The D1295 is a real performance choice for inshore and offshore events. As with all our Dazcats, having the self-tacking jib option and all the lines running back to the cockpit makes her easy and safe to manage even when shorthanded. The D1295, our fastest tacking Dazcat, has us awed by her super slick moves and stunning lines. She’s an ideal boat for racing and has already proven herself in RORC events coming 1st in multihulls in this year’s RORC Myth of Malham. She’ll also be one to watch in this year’s RORC Fastnet as she races against 4 of her Dazcat sisters, including two 1495s.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
info [AT] dazcat [DOT] com
www.dazcat.com/d1295.html
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2005 J Boats J/80 - HUSH. 22950 GBP. Located in Lymington, UK.
From 2005, she has been spoiled by her owners. Recent North Sails and a very shiny bottom. Dry sailed in her most recent ownership and only used for local Thursday night racing. She is shiny and ready to go.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Ben Cooper
Telephone: +44(0) 1590 679222
ben [DOT] cooper [AT] berthon [DOT] com
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
If someone is being very cheeky, it can be quite fun to deal with that situation. -- John Bercow
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