In This Issue
• Joyon Heads West
• Richomme to lead Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team
• The revolutionary
• The America's Cup Challengers - Where is Stars + Stripes Team USA?
• Forecast: a five medal haul for Team GB sailing at Tokyo 2020
• World Sailing President's Newsletter
• Dame Ellen launches new ambitions
• Yacht Racing Forum 2020 destined for Portsmouth Harbour, United Kingdom
• 80th Anniversary Return to Dunkirk May 2020
• Semana de Mar del Plata Regatta
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Dufour 40 SP GTE
• • YYACHTS Y8
• • INTUITION for sale
• The Last Word: William Manchester
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
Head West!
Francis Joyon has come to a decision. Between an option on the short route close to the coast of Africa, which would be slow, or a very long detour extending his route, he has decided to go west around the Doldrums that have stretched right out. IDEC SPORT is therefore taking advantage of a gentle trade wind via the northern face of the St. Helena high to enjoy some smooth sailing downwind, even if that means lots of gybes at ninety degrees to the direct route. His lead over Giovanni Soldini's record has been going up and down between a day and a day and a half. Francis, Bertrand (Delesne), Christophe (Houdet), Antoine (Blouet) and Corentin (Joyon) are not at all worried. They still hope to finish in London after 31 days of sailing. Just as a reminder, Maserati's set the record with a time of 36 days, 3 hours and 37 minutes.
This race strategy involving rounding via the west the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone, which early this week stretched right out, has led the maxi-trimaran towards a curious feature in the South Atlantic, the island of St. Helena, a place that Britain and France have known all about since the famous Emperor originally from Corsica stayed there after 1815 and until the end of his life six years later. For Joyon and his men who are all very interested in history, it also means the possibility of catching sight of some land and greenery this evening before dusk, as they will be approaching quite close to the volcanic island with its 800m high peak. Napoleon is said to have hated the absence of sunshine on the island. This feeling is shared by the crew of IDEC SPORT, who fully understand what he meant. "It is hot and sailing at more than 25 knots is pleasant," declared Francis, "But we haven't seen any sunshine since the Indian Ocean. There is a lot of low cloud and it is very dull." This detail about the weather is not unimportant. IDEC SPORT deliberately set off with very little diesel for the engine, which is used to power the instruments aboard the boat, and now there is very little left. "We are just using our wind turbines and our solar panels to generate energy. The absence of sunshine may in the long run be a handicap. So today, we are setting up our second wind turbine," concluded Francis.
Richomme to lead Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team
The Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team has announced leading French sailor Yoann Richomme as skipper of the campaign that will contest the 2021-22 edition of The Ocean Race.
Richomme joins the campaign to lead the charge into The Ocean Race having enjoyed an illustrious career which has seen him crowned champion of La Solitaire du Figaro twice, most recently in 2019, a victory that built on his 2018 win in the Route du Rhum.
Based out of Lorient, France, the spiritual home of French ocean racing, Richomme follows in the footsteps of French legends such as Eric Tabarly, Jérémie Beyou and winning Ocean Race skippers Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier.
Both Caudrelier and Bruno Dubois, who joined forces to spearhead Dongfeng Race Team's 2017-18 Race win, are advisors to Paulo Mirpuri and the Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team, and picked out Richomme as the perfect sailor to lead the campaign into the next race.
With its skipper secured, the team begins its 2020 sailing programme in earnest. The team is inviting professional sailors from around the world who believe they have what it takes to compete in the toughest race in the world. The team will begin testing potential team members in the coming months before embarking on their practice race outings before the end of the year.
The revolutionary
Fred Augendre sits down with David Raison - probably the most influential new design face to appear on the scene since the turn of the century
The French designer was without doubt the 'naval architect of the month' in November, his designs dominating both the categories in which they were entered in the two premier offshore events of the year. In the Transat Jacques Vabre the first Raison Class40 won easily on its race debut while on the same day Raison's Mini 6.50 Proto design crossed the line to win the solo Mini Transat. Nine years after the birth of the Magnum Mini 6.50 David Raison's ocean-racing design philosophy rests unchallenged.
We invite you to read on and find out for yourself why Seahorse is the most highly-rated source in the world for anyone who is serious about their racing.
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The America's Cup Challengers - Where is Stars + Stripes Team USA?
In addition to Challenges from Italy, USA, and Great Britain that were accepted during the initial entry period (January 1 to June 30, 2018), eight additional Notices of Challenge were received by the late entry deadline on November 30, 2018. Of those eight submittals, entries from Malta, USA, and the Netherlands were also accepted. Here's the list:
Defender:
- Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL)
Challengers:
- Luna Rossa (ITA) - Challenger of Record
- American Magic (USA)
- INEOS Team UK (GBR)
- Malta Altus Challenge (MLT) - WITHDRAWN
- Stars + Stripes Team USA (USA)
- DutchSail (NED) - WITHDRAWN
Of the three late entries, only Stars+Stripes USA remains committed, but they still must complete the entry fee payment process before they will be eligible to race. They have allegedly made their initial payment but as a late entry challenger under the Protocol, they also have a liability to pay a US$1million late entry fee due in installments by October 1, 2019. However, it is not yet confirmed if they have paid the fee, nor is there any knowledge of a boat being actively built or sailing team training.
Key America's Cup dates:
- September 28, 2017: 36th America's Cup Protocol released
- November 30, 2017: AC75 Class concepts released to key stakeholders
- January 1, 2018: Entries for Challengers open
- March 31, 2018: AC75 Class Rule published
- June 30, 2018: Entries for Challengers close
- August 31, 2018: Location of the America's Cup Match and The PRADA Cup confirmed
- August 31, 2018: Specific race course area confirmed
- November 30, 2018: Late entries deadline
- March 31, 2019: Boat 1 can be launched (DELAYED)
- 2nd half of 2019: 2 x America's Cup World Series events (CANCELLED)
October 1, 2019: US$1million late entry fee deadline (NOT KNOWN)
February 1, 2020: Boat 2 can be launched
April 23-26, 2020: First (1/3) America's Cup World Series event in Cagliari, Sardinia
June 4-7, 2020 - Second (2/3) America's Cup World Series event in Portsmouth, England
December 17-20 - Third (3/3) America's Cup World Series event in Auckland, New Zealand
January and February 2021: The PRADA Cup Challenger Selection Series
March 2021: The America's Cup Match
AC75 launch dates:
September 6 - Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Boat 1
September 10 - American Magic (USA), Boat 1; actual launch date earlier but not released
October 2 - Luna Rossa (ITA), Boat 1
October 4 - INEOS Team UK (GBR), Boat 1
Ian Walker, Performance Director of British Sailing, forecasts a five medal haul for Team GB sailing at Tokyo 2020
Speaking on the Great British Bosses by AnythingbutFooty website podcast, which profiles the women and men responsible for sport in Great Britain, Walker forecast that at least five of the ten sailing teams could medal, although he would not be drawn on the type of medal or the particular events.
Walker admitted that he would be disapointed if five teams do not medal . . .
Five medals would be a really good performance, and he thought the team were capable of more, but on the day much would depend on the weather conditions.
He acknowledged the general opinion that the British Sailing Team was stronger in windier conditions than light.
If the Games was ten days of very light conditions, he would be happy with whatever we can get !
The 14 selected Team GB sailors are:
Giles Scott: Finn (Men's One Person Dinghy Heavy)
Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre: 470 Women (Women's Two Person Dinghy)
Luke Patience and Chris Grube: 470 Men (Men's Two Person Dinghy)
Charlotte Dobson and Saskia Tidey: 49erFX (Women's Skiff)
Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell: 49er (Men's Skiff)
Alison Young: Laser Radial (Women's One Person Dinghy)
Emma Wilson: RS:X Women (Women's Windsurfer)
Tom Squires: RS:X Men (Men's Windsurfer)
John Gimson and Anna Burnet (Mixed Nacra 17)
The final selection - for the men's Laser - is expected to be announced after the Laser World Championships in Australia next week.
Listen to the podcast on Sail-Web.co.uk
World Sailing President's Newsletter
My fellow sailors and friends,
Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a good 2020! This year has already had a wonderful start with the Hempel World Cup Series Miami having numerous North American nations confirm their place at Tokyo 2020, while in the southern hemisphere, six Olympic class World Championships are set to take place in Australia.
On the organisational side, throughout January, World Sailing's Senior Management Team (SMT) have been working on planning the main priorities for 2020, including finalising the budget. The Board have been working with the SMT and discussing the best way forward for the Governance reform.
And looking towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the preparation continues for this year's pinnacle event, with all plans coming together for the Hempel World Cup Series Final in Enoshima this June which will provide sailors with the perfect warm-up to the Games.
Yours in Sailing,
Kim Andersen
President, World Sailing
Topic in the January 2020 Newsletter:
- International Olympic Committee
- Governance Reform
- Offshore Sailing
- eSailing
Dame Ellen launches new ambitions
Hundreds more young people will be able to rebuild their lives after cancer as Dame Ellen MacArthur laid out the new three-year Ambitions for her Cowes-based charity - the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust - at the Royal Society of Medicine, London on World Cancer Day (Tuesday 4th February).
The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is a national charity that supports young people aged 8-24 in rebuilding their confidence after cancer. When treatment ends the Trust's work begins because, for many young people, simply picking up where they left off before their diagnosis just isn't possible.
"Better Connections, Bigger Impact"
Building stronger relationships with, and making a greater long-term difference to, more young people in recovery from cancer sit at the heart of the charity's 'Better Connections, Bigger Impact - Our Ambitions for 2020-2022' that were unveiled at the gala event.
Through sailing and other UK-wide adventure activities, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust supports, inspires and empowers young people aged 8-24 to embrace their future with optimism after treatment for cancer.
The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust's 'Better Connections, Bigger Impact: Our Ambitions for 2020-2022' can be downloaded here.
www.ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org
Yacht Racing Forum 2020 destined for Portsmouth Harbour, United Kingdom
The Yacht Racing Forum will take place for the first time in the United Kingdom, on 23 - 24 November 2020. The event will be based around Portsmouth Harbour, with the main conference taking place in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard's Action Stations and Boathouse 7.
As the leading annual conference for the business of sailing and yacht racing, this is the first time the Yacht Racing Forum will be hosted in the UK. In its 13th edition, the YRF attracts sports' personalities from all over the world: event organisers, sponsors, designers, professional sailors, boat builders, media, technical providers as well as insurance and finance companies.
Alongside an informative series of lectures, the YRF provides a unique opportunity to network, to debate the future of the sport, and to develop business opportunities.
Portsmouth Harbour's stunning locale is the home to HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, Mary Rose and two new aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. The harbour is also known as the UK centre of engineering excellence, a UK yacht racing hub and is the base of INEOS Team UK, Alex Thomson Racing, North Sails, Selden Masts, Raymarine and more
Early registration is now open via www.yachtracingforum.com.
The first 80 to register will save €100 on the registration fee.
www.yachtracingforum.com/forum/
80th Anniversary Return to Dunkirk May 2020
The Association plans to return to Dunkirk in May 2020 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Operation Dynamo. It is expected that around 50 Little Ships escorted by the RNLI and the Royal Navy will take part in the Return.
The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships has organised a Commemorative Return every five years, the first official ADLS Return taking place in 1975. Despite the average age of the Little Ships now being close to 85 years it is anticipated that this Return will be as well supported as ever. The task of taking this many elderly, traditional vessels across one of the world busiest shipping lanes is by no means insignificant. In fact, the event is quite unique. With the exception of a small number of vessels that are operated by 'Trusts', all Little Ships are privately owned and receive no financial or other assistance from any public body or NGO.
In May 1965 to mark the 25th anniversary of 'Operation Dynamo' Raymond Baxter the famous radio and TV presenter organised and assembled a fleet of 43 of the original Little Ships of Dunkirk to return to Dunkirk to commemorate the epic of the evacuation of the BEF in 1940, in which they played such a significant role. It was decided that such a unique assembly should not be allowed to disperse into obscurity and the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships was subsequently formed in 1966. The object of the Association is to keep alive the spirit of Dunkirk by perpetuating for posterity the identity of those Little Ships that went to the aid of the British Expeditionary Force during Operation Dynamo (the evacuation of Dunkirk) in 1940 by forming a registered association of their present-day owners and of those closely associated.
Qualification for full membership is simple; the current ownership of a proven Dunkirk Little Ship. Membership wins the right for that vessel to wear the Association's warranted House Flag, the Cross of St George (the flag of the Admiralty) defaced with the Arms of Dunkirk.
Little Ships are also entitled to display a plaque marked 'DUNKIRK 1940'.
Semana de Mar del Plata Regatta
Bermuda's sailors will be keeping their fingers crossed for racing to resume at the Semana de Mar del Plata Regatta in Argentina tomorrow.
The fleet was kept onshore today after severe thunderstorms resulted with racing being abandoned.
It was the second straight day that bad weather has brought racing to a halt as blustery winds resulted with only one race being held on Tuesday.
Bermuda are being represented by Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Academy Optimist sailors Christian Ebbin, Magnus Ringsted, Nicole Stovell and Rachael Betschart.
Ringsted sits in 38th, Betschart in 43rd, Stovell in 47th and Ebbin in 65th after four of the scheduled 12-race qualifying series.
The local sailors thrived in heavier breeze on Tuesday before the conditions worsened and the racing fleet was sent back to shore earlier than planned.
The Semana de Mar del Plata Regatta is being organised by the Club Nautico Mar del Plata in conjunction with the Yacht Club Argentino and runs until Saturday.
RBYC sailor Chase Cooper won the regatta in 2013. -- Colin Thompson
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The Last Word
The 220,000 Tommies at Dunkirk, Britain’s only hope, seemed doomed. On the Flanders beaches they stood around in angular, existential attitudes, like dim purgatorial souls awaiting disposition. -- William Manchester
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