In This Issue
• Two Handed Jangada win the RORC Transatlantic Race
• SailGP announces Denmark SailGP Team
• Notice Of Race Published For The Peters & May Round Antigua Race
• Wanted: sailors and boat owners to take on exciting new offshore Olympic event
• The stuff AC75s are made of - Wessex Resins
• Sydney Hobart Classic Yachts Regatta
• Yann Elies: "The Vendee Globe Will Leave Without Me"
• Clipper Race 4: Marlow Southern Ocean Sleigh Ride
• American Magic returns to Pensacola
• Smoke threat to Sydney to Hobart
• Featured Brokerage:
• • JPK 1180 - "Yes!"
• • Chessie Racing
• • Elliot 1850 Schooner - Zindabar
• The Last Word: Galileo Galilei
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
The 11th annual Wight Vodka Best Sailor's Bar search is on... Send us your thoughts and drink recipes...
Two Handed Jangada win the RORC Transatlantic Race
Richard Palmer's British JPK 10.10 Jangada was presented with the RORC Transatlantic Trophy in Grenada at a ceremony and prize giving banquet held at Camper & Nicholsons Victory Bar and Restaurant. Racing Two Handed with Jeremy Waitt, Jangada scored the best corrected time under IRC to win the race overall and completed the 3,000nm race in 17 Days 10 hrs 11 mins 06 secs. Jangada is the first Two Handed team to win the antique sterling silver trophy, as well as the smallest boat to do so.
For Jangada the decisive strategy was using weather forecasts to decide on the optimum route to Grenada, as Jeremy Waitt explains: "It was a progressive strategy; going to a certain point and then making the decision based on the forecast, trying to pick a route through. The big decision came on day 5, whether to stay north up against the high pressure or dive south for more breeze. By day 7 there would have been no get out, we would be committed. It was always going to be a bit of a gamble, but we managed to pick our way through a few light patches and when we got into the breeze we kept pushing. Jangada kept moving and although the boats to the south were faster, they were going a long way to get to the breeze. We think we got the navigation right and it's great to be here and to have won the race."
About 1,000nm from Grenada, Jeremy Waitt fell overboard while re-setting a twisted spinnaker. Jeremy was clipped onto the boat using a tether which is a requirement for all RORC offshore races. The sea state was up and had Jeremy not been tethered to Jangada, he would have disappeared from sight very quickly: "A wave caught us and I went straight over the side," explained Waitt. "I was being dragged at seven knots and that is a moment when you think about a few things, when you are in the middle of the ocean. The survival gene kicks in fairly quickly and it was a good bit of team work to get back on board. I have a few bruises but I don't think Richard was too impressed as I was slowing the boat down! When I was safely back on board, Richard said, 'shall we have a cup of tea?' I replied, let's get the spinnaker back up first!"
Benedikt Clauberg's Swiss First 47.7 Kali was the final boat to finish the RORC Transatlantic Race. Crossing the line at 19:28:19 UTC on 11 December, the crew were in time to join the prizegiving party and also celebrate finishing the race for the second year in a row.
www.rorctransatlantic.rorc.org
SailGP announces Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL to join world-class lineup for Season 2
Copenhagen, Denmark: SailGP today announced the addition of the Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL ahead of the global championship’s second season. ROCKWOOL will serve as the team’s main partner, with multi-time around-the-world sailor Nicolai Sehested at the helm and Olympic silver medalist Jonas Høgh-Christensen as team manager. The Danes join six other national teams competing in the fastest sail racing in some of the world’s most iconic cities.
ROCKWOOL has agreed to a three-year partnership with SailGP, with option to extend for a further three seasons. With ROCKWOOL’s support, the Danish team will compete in the global league that kicks off in Sydney in February 2020, and continues to destinations in the United States, UK and other venues to be announced.
Sehested, 30, has had significant success across a variety of major sailing events, highlighted by two Ocean Race campaigns as a helmsman. He’s also been the skipper and founder of Ewii Racing (formerly TREFOR Racing) in the World Match Racing Tour since 2010, with more than 30 podium finishes.
Høgh-Christensen is a four-time Olympian in the singlehanded Finn class (2004-16) - including in 2012, when he took the silver medal - and a five-time world championship medalist. On the business side, he spent seven years in marketing, commercial and operations with entertainment company Live Nation, and co-founded peer-to-peer boat rental platform Boatflex.
The seventh supercharged F50 catamaran - World Sailing’s 2019 Boat of the Year - was launched last week in New Zealand with a test team from around the league. Once the new F50 is commissioned, Sehested will take the reins for a two-week training period in January - during which the remainder of the team will be determined - in the lead-up to the Season 2 opener of SailGP on February 28-29 in Sydney.
Notice Of Race Published For The Peters & May Round Antigua Race
Kicking off the 53rd Antigua Sailing Week on Saturday, April 25, this separately scored race is open to spinnaker only classes of CSA, Multihull and Double-handed. Trophies will be awarded for line honours and best corrected time for overall CSA and Multi-hull around the 53 nautical mile course. For the fifth consecutive year, the Peters & May trophy will be awarded to the CSA yacht with the best corrected time. The trophies will be presented at the award ceremony the evening of the race in UNESCO Heritage site, Nelson's Dockyard.
Details of the one day event can found in the Notice of Race -
To enter the Peters & May Round Antigua Race please visit our website . - www.sailingweek.com/enter-2020/
As the official shipping and logistics partner to Antigua Sailing Week, Peters & May once again look forward to working alongside new and regular clients shipping their yachts to and from the Caribbean on regular Transatlantic Sailings. Peters & May offer discounted shipping for any boat fully entered into Antigua Sailing Week with a further discount for a round-trip transatlantic shipment. With a selection of Westbound and Eastbound Sailings, the experienced team are able to provide a sailing to suit you - whether that be shipping your yacht to the Caribbean ahead of ASW or shipping her back to Europe or the US following the race. Peters & May are renowned for record breaking sailings, 2018 saw a popular 52 Yacht Sailing from Antigua to Southampton! View sailings below and contact the team for a quote: racing [AT] petersandmay [DOT] com
See the Peters & May TransAtlantic Sailing Schedule on our website
Wanted: sailors and boat owners to take on exciting new offshore Olympic event
The RYA is on the hunt for sailors and boat owners interested in the new double-handed mixed offshore event that will debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
This exciting discipline will see mixed pairs battle it out over a 4 day offshore race in a new showcase for the sport.
With planning for Paris 2024 already underway, the RYA has registered an entry for a British team in the 2020 World Sailing Offshore World Championship (OWC), held in conjunction with the Rolex Middle Sea Race.
The RYA would now like to hear from any motivated and experienced sailors interested in trying double-handed offshore sailing, and they are also keen to hear from any boat owners who may either be looking for a racing partner or prepared to loan or charter a suitable boat to others.
Jack Fenwick, RYA Keelboat Manager, is hoping to bring interested parties together in early 2020 with a view to running doublehanded offshore taster sessions and training next spring.
"Double-handed offshore sailing could appeal to a wide range of people from professional sailors to existing or former international sailors, or perhaps even those just graduating from our RYA British Keelboat Academy," he said.
"At this stage we would like to hear from as many people as possible to try and build a database of interested parties. We would particularly like to hear from yacht owners who might be looking for partners to get afloat and give it a try."
In a vote of confidence for the existing RORC racing series, the RYA has announced that selection for the OWC, taking place in Malta in October 2020 in L30 yachts, will be based solely on the popular RORC Channel Race which starts from Cowes on August 1.
Ian Walker: "We need to strike a balance between keeping the rating band as narrow as possible to minimise the impact of the boats' rating differences on the results and making the selection as accessible as possible for a range of suitable existing boats. We will confirm the rating band after any revisions to the IRC rule for 2020."
The official selection policy will be published by 1 March 2020 but anybody interested in getting involved in double handed, mixed offshore sailing is warmly encouraged to register their interest by sending an e-mail containing details of their sailing experience, aspirations and their boat (if they have one) to: keelboatracing [AT] rya [DOT] org [DOT] uk
If more than 20 nations enter the OWC then there will need to be a country qualification event in Europe in May / June 2020. Britain would then need to send a representative team to aim to qualify a place for Britain for the OWC in Malta and an announcement will be made on how these representatives will be selected once the details are announced by World Sailing in due course.
The stuff AC75s are made of - Wessex Resins
Wessex Resins’ epoxy pushes the performance boundaries even further… just in time for the next America’s Cup
In the high-speed, high-stress world of the America’s Cup, keeping the beast in one piece is clearly a big challenge. Structural attachments that require an adhesive bond need a strong yet also toughened epoxy adhesive to transmit loads between components. Achieving both strength and toughness can be tricky. The Pro-Set ADV- 176/276 super-toughened epoxy adhesive, from Wessex Resins and Adhesives, delivers just this.
‘It might be good to have a very strong bond but you don't want one which just lets go without any warning,’ says Ineos Team UK’s manufacturing manager Michel Marie.
Over the years, as resins have been developed to be tougher, they have also needed to be more flexible so they can withstand a certain amount of displacement without breaking the bond.
Full article in the January issue of Seahorse
Sydney Hobart Classic Yachts Regatta
The inaugural Sydney Hobart Classic Yachts Regatta was held over the weekend with great success.
Sydney Harbour went back in time over the weekend, as a fleet of 36 classic yachts set the stunning scene for the 75th Sydney Hobart celebrations during the Classic Sydney Hobart Yachts Regatta from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.
The two-day passage series was an invitation-only event for yachts that had raced in any previous Sydney Hobart Yacht Race that were launched prior to 1976. The breath-taking yachts were stacked with historic and champion sailors, including sailing legend Sir James Hardy on his family-yacht Nerida, as well as Sydney Hobart veteran, Peter Shipway, who was part of the organising authority and sailed onboard S&S 47, Love & War for the regatta.
“It was fantastic really. The start on Sunday when all the fleets started together was magnificent. To see all those boats from all those eras – the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s – all there was extraordinary,” commented Shipway. “It was like a time warp going back to see them on the water. And most in pretty good condition. Some in really super condition… And they were all sailing well, though obviously some faster than others.”
The Classic Sydney Hobart Yachts Regatta could be likened to a big reunion of ‘who’s who’ in Sydney Hobart history who were spread among the iconic classic yachts.
“To see all those boats going down the harbour from Manly in a nor’easter was great,” continued Shipway. “We were blessed with the weather, we only had one course each day that allowed for a bit of upwind work, downwind sailing and a bit of reaching, so there was a bit for everyone. The breeze didn’t get over 12 knots, so it certainly helped the older boats.”
Yann Elies: "The Vendee Globe Will Leave Without Me"
It was the surprise candidacy that appeared at the close of registration on November 1st. Yann Eliès announced his intention to commit and begin the construction of a new boat to be on the starting line in November 2020. Everyone knew that the schedule would be extremely tight.
A month later, Yann Elies decided to throw in the towel. To be ready on time, ie with a qualified boat on July 1st, it was necessary to be able to start the yard immediately, but it proved impossible. The initial goal of building a new unit in eight months was no longer held.
VG: Yann, you finally decided to give up. I guess it's not an easy decision to make?
YE: " Obviously, especially since we will have tried everything to achieve it.We found a partner, but the time to finalize the contracts, it appeared that the construction time had become too short. We were in extremely tight timing. "
VG: Why did you decide to build a new boat?
YE: " In a way, we had our backs to the wall, and when that opportunity came, there was no more IMOCA boats available which were competitive." Given my previous Vendée Globe, I could not see myself with a project with discounted ambitions. The solution of the new boat was high risk, but it was consistent . "
VG: So, what are your prospects for the coming years?
YE: " I'm just spoiled for choice: in April, it will be the start of the Transat AG2R, in Figaro, one of the few events that are missing from my list.La Solitaire is also a race to which I remain particularly attached and it would be an opportunity to go get a fourth title. I could also be tempted by the Transat CIC in Class40 or Multi50. I have fond memories of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2013 that I won with Erwan Le Roux on his trimaran. "
Clipper Race 4: Marlow Southern Ocean Sleigh Ride
Dare To Lead has crossed the finish line into Fremantle this morning at 10:07 UTC and the team to claim seventh place in Race 4: Marlow Southern Ocean Sleigh Ride. The team clinched victory in the mini-match race that was raging between nearest challengers Seattle with Skipper Guy Waites, First Mate (AQP) Hugues Stellio and all the Dare To Lead crew leading celebrations on arrival.
The competition has been fierce between Seattle and Dare To Lead during 4,750 mile-long race and reporting on the final day Guy, Skipper of Dare To Lead, said: “At the last sched we had extended over our match race rivals aboard CV22 Seattle by 70 nautical miles, a more comfortable position than we had imagined following the mixed fortunes of the windhole but we won't drink all the beer... honest!”
A warm welcome awaits Dare To Lead in Fremantle and Guy and the crew are looking forward to the hospitality: “We are preparing ourselves for ‘civilisation’ and of course the Fremantle Sailing Club's famous sausage sizzle!”
American Magic returns to Pensacola
New York Yacht Club American Magic, Challenger for the 36th America’s Cup, has returned to Pensacola, Florida, for a second consecutive winter training season. In 2018, American Magic became the first America’s Cup team to train on the Gulf Coast of Florida since 1970. From December 2018 to May 2019, the team sailed a groundbreaking 38-foot test boat, nicknamed the Mule, on Pensacola Bay before returning to Rhode Island for the warmer months.
American Magic and the Mule returned to the Port of Pensacola in November, but have now been joined by the team’s new AC75 racing boat, DEFIANT. The boat was launched in early September in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and was the first boat of its type to both sail and foil. The 75-foot monohull carries a crew of 11, and will race in multiple America’s Cup World Series events in 2020. While the team plans to build a second AC75 prior to the Prada Cup, the America’s Cup Challenger finals, in 2021, training and racing onboard DEFIANT will be a crucial stage of the team’s campaign to win the oldest trophy in international sports for the United States.
“Returning to Pensacola for a second winter was an easy decision for us because of the fantastic bay, our familiarity with the area, and the hospitality of the community here,” said Terry Hutchinson, Skipper and Executive Director of American Magic. “The testing we have planned for DEFIANT this winter will be helped by the natural foiling venue we have here. The bay is wide, flat and windy, and the Port of Pensacola has helped us establish an ideal base for over 100 team personnel and their families. Pensacola will be a big part of our future success.”
“The City of Pensacola is honored to again host American Magic and welcomes DEFIANT to her winter training base at the Port of Pensacola,” said Mayor Grover Robinson. “The community has rallied around the team and stands ready to help in any way we can as they begin testing on beautiful Pensacola Bay, a premiere sailing venue.”
American Magic will remain in Pensacola until March, when the team will head to Italy for the first America’s Cup World Series event in Cagliari.
Smoke threat to Sydney to Hobart
Sydney to Hobart officials are scrambling to formulate a plan for the 'worst-case scenario' as bushfires threaten to cause the postponement of the Boxing Day race start.
Following the cancellation of the Big Boat Challenge on Tuesday due to smoke haze that cut visibility on Sydney Harbour to 0.1 nautical miles, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore Paul Billingham admitted rescheduling the bluewater classic was now on the table in the event of a repeat of Tuesday's conditions.
"Have we planned for what would happen if we have a smokebound harbour? No, we haven't. So we're working on that," he said. "With 160-odd boats we are expecting on the start line, we have a full exclusions zone on Boxing Day.
"That said, safety will be the priority and it's certainly in the race instructions and the sailing instruction that we can postpone if we need to."
Billingham said that while they "hope not to" postpone the race, the possibility was being given thought following the unprecedented abandonment of the Big Boat Challenge.
"We don't yet have the long-term weather that's reliable enough to sort of make a decision or even expect what it might be on Boxing Day, but that's part of our planning of the next week or two, to see what we need to do," Billingham said.
Featured Brokerage
2018 JPK 1180 - "YES!" 300000 GBP. Located in Cowes, UK.
YES! the upgraded JPK 1180 is now for sale. This boat represents an outstanding opportunity for someone wanting the chance to win the worlds most iconic races, both inshore and offshore. Available immediately and offering large savings compared to building new. This is the 1180 to have!
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
sampearson [AT] ancasta [DOT] com
+447759 424900
+442380 016582
-----------------------------------------
Chessie Racing. 2,250,000 USD. Located in United States.
CHESSIE is equipped with a lifting keel and twin rudders – driven by the shoal-draft requirement Her owner chose a Hall Spar, deck-stepped, swept-spreader rig for simplicity and location (the rig sits above the lifting keel box, which offers a nice structural solution) She has a 75HP (the biggest Yanmar engine with a saildrive) which drives the boat at 10.5kt with a Gori three-blade folding prop (which is surprisingly low drag when folded) The boat has a Cariboni MagicTrim mainsheet, Harken electric winches, a Reckmann recessed furler headstay, a removable furling staysail, a self-tacking jib, a Hall furling boom and a square-top main plus runners for racing. Chessie is easy to steer and has good stability.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
William Jenkins
410 267 9419
410 353 7862
www.tysyacht.com
-----------------------------------------
1998 Elliot 1850 Schooner - ZINDABAR. 545,000 GBP. Located in Bay of Islands, NZ.
Greg Elliot is a legend in the Southern Hemisphere where his fast, lean and utilitarian yachts are perfect for making fast passages through the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean. They are superb seaboats and there design and execution is simple and robust. ZINDABAR is a good example of his craft and has been substantially updated in this ownership. A big refit in 2009 has been followed by a number of smaller upgrades to ensure that she remains ocean ready.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben [DOT] cooper [AT] berthon [DOT] co [DOT] uk
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. -- Galileo Galilei, Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina
Editorial and letter submissions to editor [AT] eurosailnews [DOT] com
Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb [AT] beesonstone [DOT] com or see www.eurosailnews.com/advertise.html