In This Issue
• 18ft Skiffs JJ Giltinan Championship, Race 2
• Oceania and Australian Laser Masters Championships
• What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
• Day Three of the 2020 Superyacht Challenge Antigua
• Sponsor stands by the Laser Class
• North Sails Is Title Sponsor for Snipe North American Championship
• Clipper 2019-2020: Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam tops Race 9 podium
• Built Like a Rock
• Cancellations
• Featured Brokerage:
• • G L Watson 36 Ft Cutter 1894
• • Gieffe 53
• • Beneteau First 40.7- Philosophie IV
• The Last Word: Bart D. Ehrman
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
18ft Skiffs JJ Giltinan Championship, Race 2
Click on image for photo gallery.
The Honda Marine team of David McDiarmid, Matt Steven and Brad Collins tightened their grip slightly on the 2020 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship when they scored their second win of the regatta in Race 2 on Sydney Harbour today.
Once again, the defending champion team came from behind in the SSW wind before racing away to win by 1m46s.
The race for second place behind Honda Marine was close over the last two legs of the course and became a thriller in the closing stages as Winning Group (Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton, Scott Babbage) desperately hung on to cross the finish line a mere 5s ahead of Yandoo (John Winning, Mike Kennedy and Fang Warren).
Smeg (Micah Lane) once again came back from a slow start to finish fourth, ahead of The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines (Aron Everett) and the early leader Noakesailing (Sean Langman).
The top 10 placings on the points table after two races shows Honda Marine with a score of two points, followed by Winning Group on 6, Shaw & Partners Financial Services (James Dorron) and Smeg on 9, Australian champion Tech2 (Jack Macartney) on 12, Yandoo 14, The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines 17, Finport Finance (Keagan York) 18, URM (Marcus Ashley-Jones) 19 and Appliancesonline.com.au (Brett Van Munster) on 24.
Today's race was sailed in a SSW wind between 15-22-knots over the long South course which always produces a spectacular spinnaker run and a lot of hard work for the crews.
A pdf copy of the 32-page 2020 JJ Giltinan Championship programme
Oceania and Australian Laser Masters Championships
Two races were sailed on the first day of the Oceania and Australian Laser Masters Championships on Corio Bay, with stand-out performances in some divisions and mixed results in others.
Standard
Thirteen times World Masters Champion, Brett Beyer (NSW) had a dream start in the Standard Masters group, with two bullets.
This was a division where the top three were very consistent, with Peter Hurley (USA) scoring two 2nd places and Andrew Dellabarca (NZL) getting a 3rd and a 4th.
In the Standard Apprentice, Ian Elliott (CAN), Matt Blakey (VIC) and Ryan Mclaughlin (NSW) dominated the scoring. In the Grand Masters, Jan Scholten leads Alan Davis by a single point. None of the Great Grand Masters was able to dominate but Michael Keaton (1,4) and Garry Lock (3,2) are both on five points.
Radial
Vanessa Dudley is a two-time World Champion and she also had a strong start, with placings of 4th and 6th to be 4th overall in the Radial Grand Masters.
The division, the biggest in the regatta with 33 boats, is led by David Early (2,1) from Mark Kennedy (1,3) and Nick Ede (7,2) Noted coach and video interviewer, Jom Emmett (GBR) is the sole competitor in the Radial Apprentice division, but understandably was one of the fastest overall on the day.
In the Masters, Great Grand Masters and Legends, the leading sailor was unbeaten in the two races sailed. Owen McMahon leads the Masters by five points, Paul Clifford leads Great Grand Masters by four points while 80-year-old Kerry Waraker, a two-time world champion, leads the Legends by three points.
4.7
There are two sailors in the 4.7 division, where Susannah Gillam beat Wendy Wilson in both races.
The mood in the boat park before the race was understandably subdued, given the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Old friends bumped elbows rather than shaking hands and the level of conversation was muted. Sailors mingled in twos and threes rather than large groups. There are not the loud outbursts of laughter at a good joke or a re-telling of an old sailing story that characterise Masters sporting events around the world. But they were determined to put on a brave face. -- Roger McMillan/Laser 2020 Media
Seahorse April 2020
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
Proven concept next stage
Leonardo Ferragamo explains to Matt Sheahan the thinking behind Nautor's Swan's bold leap into the future
Time to take stock
When someone else has a go at adding a different keel to your own well-proven yacht design... then it falls off, well, that is not helpful. Jason Ker
Phenomenal phenomenal
Tom Whidden is the sailor who was closest to Dennis Conner through that extraordinary America's Cup career. He talks to his Magic Carpet3 shipmate Blue Robinson about the pain of Newport and getting it right in Fremantle
You've got it (so use it)
Richie Wilson has done extraordinary things during his two Vendée Globe campaigns. Brian Hancock suggest others should follow his lead
Surprise
'Honey, I bought a wreck' - Detlef Jens
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Day Three of the 2020 Superyacht Challenge Antigua
Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua: Day Three of the 2020 Superyacht Challenge Antigua was both bizarre and eventful. Shortly after the starting sequence the race are was enveloped in low cloud and torrential rain, scattering the wind in every direction. For over four hours, the superyacht fleet battled for supremacy, as well as control of their yachts in wind speed varying from zephyrs to 18 knots.
Oyster 885 Firebird skippered by James McDonald took their third straight bullet in the Buccaneers Class. In the Corsairs Class The 112ft (34m) Baltic Nilaya, with Filip Balcaen at the helm, took their first win. In the Privateers Class the 140ft (43m) ketch Rebecca, skippered by Rob Foxell, scored their first bullet of the regatta.
The Oyster 885 Firebird is now unbeaten in the Buccaneers Class and whilst the team, with Jasper Bank on tactics, have dominated Firebird must still finish the job in the last race. The 182ft (55.5m) Dykstra schooner Adela skippered by Greg Norwood-Perkins is the threat three points behind in second. The 121ft (37m) Dykstra sloop Action skippered by Josh Gilchrist is in a solid position for the podium after another third place today. One of the best starts today was by the 169ft (52m) Dykstra schooner Meteor, sailed by sailed by member of Monaco Yacht Club Eugene Rene. Inspired by the owner's love for the Gloucester Schooners, Meteor is a traditional schooner weighing in excess of 300 tonnes. Crossing the start line just 8 seconds before the gun is worthy of praise!
The Privateers Class will go to the wire on Sunday after a momentous race with an extraordinary outcome. Peter Harrison's 115ft (35m) Farr ketch Sojana, had a man over the side in Race Three. He was rescued without injury and the team got back in the race. It was a bitter pill that all but decided a fantastic battle with close rivals Rebecca.
In the Corsairs Class, the 112ft (34m) sloop Nilaya, with Filip Balcaen at the helm, won Race Three, keeping their hopes alive of retaining the class win from last year. The 108ft (33m) Javier Jaudenes sloop WinWin was second. Third was the 112ft (34m) sloop Liara sailed by Tony Todd. The Class will be decided in the very last race.
www.superyachtchallengeantigua.com
Sponsor stands by the Laser Class
When the 2020 Laser Masters World Championships were postponed indefinitely owing to the Coronavirus, it wasn't just the sailors who were affected. The Victorian Laser Association, which has won praise for its staging of a massive summer of Laser sailing at Sandringham prior to the Masters events in Geelong, is facing financial losses from the cancellation.
The VLA executive was therefore very pleased to be informed that the International Sailing Academy was transferring its sponsorship from the Worlds to the Oceanic and Australian Laser Masters Championship, which at time of writing is going ahead.
"The International Sailing Academy knows how much work goes into planning and running world class events," an Academy spokesperson wrote in an email.
"With the postponement of the 2020 Masters Worlds we are happy to support the Victorian Laser Association and the Oceania and Australian Masters being held at Royal Geelong Yacht Club where 170 sailors are competing.
"We hope the sailors have a fantastic regatta and hope to see you at the ISA in the near future."
The International Sailing Academy runs residential Laser coaching clinics in La Cruz (Mexico) The Gorge (USA) and Vilamoura (Portugal) and numbers among its coaches Australian Brett Beyer, who has won 13 World Laser Masters titles and Nick Thompson from Great Britain, a two-time Laser Standard World Champion and double Olympian.
For more information about the ISA, go to internationalsailingacademy.com
North Sails Is Title Sponsor for Snipe North American Championship
The Organizing Committee, Officers, and Executive Board of the Jubilee Yacht Club are thrilled to announce that North Sails will be the title sponsor for our upcoming Snipe North American Championship which will be held in Beverly, MA on September 11-13, 2020. The regatta will be another opportunity for North Sails and the Snipe class to demonstrate the Snipe class motto "Serious Sailing, Serious Fun".
With the addition of North Sails, the foundation is in place for a world class event. Jeff Earl, Commodore of the Jubilee Yacht Club stated, "Our club is excited to welcome back the Snipe Fleet for their 2020 North American Championship. The class represents a fantastic group of sailors from top to bottom, and our membership enjoys meeting the diverse group of teams both on and off the water. The Jubilee Yacht Club has a rich history of sailing since being founded in 1896, and it is a privilege to share our beautiful venue for this regatta."
Clipper 2019-2020: Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam tops Race 9 podium
Crossing the finish line at the Race 9 Mandatory Finish Gate at 20.07.22 UTC on Saturday 14 March. The team, led by Skipper Josh Stickland, claimed victory after what had been a very close and competitive race.
Light winds at the northern part of the course saw the fleet compress and saw Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam and second-placed Punta del Este, which finished at 20:29:11 UTC, take advantage of the increased wind speed after rounding the mark and entering the third sprint section.
he ninth race in the Clipper 2019-20 Race edition, a 750 nautical mile race, named The WTC Logistics Tri-Race was the shortest race of the circumnavigation after the route was amended. The fleet sailed the triangular course out of Subic Bay in the Philippines into the South China sea. Each team could opt to take part in two out of the three Dell Latitude Rugged Ocean Sprints and Skippers had to declare their intentions within six hours of Race Start. For the top three fastest teams in each sprint there is the added bonus of being awarded extra points - of which could make all the difference in both this races' results as well as the overall leaderboard.
Race 9 Results and Finish Times
Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam - 20.07.22 UTC
Punta del Este - 20:29:11 UTC
Visit Sanya, China - 20:47.32 UTC
Seattle - 21:36:28 UTC
Unicef - 21:48:06 UTC
Zhuhai - 22:38:06 UTC
WTC Logistics - 22:42:16 UTC
Go To Bermuda - 22:53:50 UTC
Dare To Lead - 22:55:50 UTC
Qingdao - 23:04:50 UTC
Imagine Your Korea - 02:54:00 UTC
Built Like a Rock
When we think of building boats and the materials possible to build boats, we think of wood, we think of plastic, we think of fiberglass and aluminum, but we don't consider boats made from rock. They would sink, right?
But in 2015, a unique race called the Sailing The Arctic Race (STAR) was proposed to bring attention to a modern day environmental problem: the melting of the ice caps. The organizers of the STAR said in a press release, "we shouldn't be able to do it, but because of climate change, we can." Slated to begin in New York and end in Victoria, British Columbia, crews would race 7,700 miles through the Northwest Passage on a new class of high-performance boats called STAR 46s. What made the STAR class unique wasn't their lines, or their design, it was the material the yachts were built from. Eschewing traditional carbon fiber, STAR 46 boats were created from "volcanic fiber". As in, fiber, made from volcanic rock.
Proponents of volcanic fiber construction, nicknamed by some to be the "next generation of carbon fiber" claimed to offer several advantages over traditional carbon fiber, including additional strength without added weight, and a less-energy-intensive production.
Although the race folded before it ever began, the idea of using basalt (volcanic rock) as a material to build boats has not. From a boatbuilding perspective, made sense on paper. Compared to traditional fiberglass, basalt glass was touted as stronger, had a much higher UV resistance, was fireproof, acid-proof, as well as being abrasion and shock resistant. And from a sustainability perspective, volcanic fiber was touted as being more recyclable than traditional fiberglass.
But how true are these claims?
Full article by Tyson Bottenus
Cancellations
Long Beach Yacht Club has hoisted the postponement flag, announcing the 56th Congressional Cup regatta and events running up to it - including next month's California Dreamin' Series Long Beach stop and the 2020 Ficker Cup - will be rescheduled later this year. The Congressional Cup was originally slated for April 28 to May 3, kicking off the 2020 World Match Racing Tour: organizers are exploring dates later in the year.
Congressional Cup Chair Cheri Busch said, "Considering that travel restrictions affect many of our competitors and officials, and for the general safety and well-being of our attendees, organizers, members and volunteers, we have decided to postpone the Congressional Cup until the situation has improved. We are not cancelling the Congressional Cup, however, and hope to have our sailors back on the water and competing for the Crimson Blazer soon!"
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Tortola, British Virgin Islands: In light of the statement made by the Government of the Virgin Islands on 13 March 2020 regarding measures being taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the BVI Spring Regatta Board has been instructed to postpone the 2020 BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival as a matter of public health and safety.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused and the event will be rescheduled when it is prudent to do so, and Government protocols permit. Everyone is encouraged to take every necessary precaution given and adhere to measures in place until the situation has improved. Updates will be published on our website at http://www.bvispringregatta.org as information becomes available.
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Due to "force majeure" - following the declaration of the Pandemic CoViD19 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the restrictions imposed by the different governments - COR 36 has declared the impossibility of organizing the ACWS Sardinia - Cagliari (23-26 April) event at the scheduled date. COR 36 also submitted a proposal to the Defender to postpone the event to a new date.
The Defender published a press release in which it announced the cancellation of the ACWS Sardinia - Cagliari without mentioning COR's proposal of a new date for the event, and refused COR's proposal without even discussing it.
COR 36 will submit to the Arbitration Panel the postponement of the ACWS Sardinia - Cagliari to a new date.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the San Francisco SailGP event scheduled for May 2-3 has been canceled.
All options are being explored in order to maintain a full schedule for SailGP's second season. Further announcements will be made in due course.
Ticket purchasers for the canceled event will be automatically refunded in full no later than May 2.
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World Sailing's Board of Directors will not call a 2020 Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) due to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The EGM was due to be held in London, UK on 2 May 2020.
The 2020 Annual Conference will be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE from 24 October to 1 November. A series of Sub-committee, Committee and Council meetings will build up to the General Assembly on 1 November.
Further information on the election of officers will be available on World Sailing's Meetings website in due course.
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The opening event of the 2020 GC32 Racing Tour in Muscat has been cancelled.
On 7 March 2020, Oman's Ministry of Health released a directive, calling for all international events and conferences within the Sultanate to be suspended or postponed until further notice.
As a result, GC32 Oman Cup organiser Oman Sail and GC32 Racing Tour officials decided it was in the best interest to cancel the six-team event which was due to begin on Wednesday 25 March.
The GC32 Racing Tour management is presently in discussion with the teams and local event organisers with the aim of working around the international health crisis to establish how the five event circuit for the ultra-fast flying catamarans can work most successfully for the rest of the 2020 season.
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The Organizing Committee announces the cancellation of the 2020 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Iberostar due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and following recommendations from the Spanish and Balearic Governments. This affects all classes (Olympic classes, One-Design, Open Foil and ORC).
The organizers of the event, that was expected to be held in the Bay of Palma from 25th March to 4th April, deeply regret this situation but must follow the restrictions requested by the Health Authorities in order to face this world health issue.
Participants who are already in some of the three venues of the regatta -Club Nàutic S'Arenal, Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa and Real Club Nautico de Palma- can stay and keep using the facilities, unless further restrictions from the Government and Health Authorities are applied.
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Adapting the sail area to the global health context and respecting the previously organised race schedule: such was the challenge for the team hosting the 55th Snim following the decision made by the Societe Nautique de Marseille's management committee earlier this week to postpone the event. As a result, instead of coming together for Easter as usual - originally scheduled for 10 to 13 April - a new meeting has been proposed to the event's 150 loyal solo sailors, duos and crews, who are now invited to grace the landing stages in the Vieux Port for a series of unique festivities and races from Friday 10 through until Monday 13 July. The programme is set to include a main race for the IRC boats on Friday 10 July. The 4 days of racing for the Snim will immediately be followed by another highlight: the first start of the Transquadra race from Marseille on Tuesday 14 July.
Featured Brokerage
1894 G L Watson 36 FT Cutter. 300,000 EUR, Located in United Kingdom.
PEGGY BAWN is a rare thing indeed. The number of surviving vessels from pioneering Clydeside yacht designer George Lennox Watson’s lifetime (1851-1904) can be counted on a careless carpenter’s fingers.
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It is left to PEGGY BAWN to carry the flame for Watson’s groundbreaking mid-1890s work in setting the standard for moderation in sailing yacht design, work that has never been challenged – only endorsed by those who followed his lead through the 20th century, especially Olin J. Stephens, who was a self-confessed Watson fan.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
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2008 Gieffe GY 53. 290,000 EUR. Located in Rosignano, Italy.
Stunning E-glass rocket ship from 2008 with an almost total refit in 2016 to bring her totally up to date. Ultra-stylish, yet ultra-practical and set up for effortless short-handed fast cruising.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
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GRABAU INTERNATIONAL
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2001 Beneteau First 40.7- Philosophie IV. 89,950 GBP. Located in Hamble, UK.
Superbly maintained and analytically optimised, race winning Beneteau 40.7 now available.
Philosophie IV only had three outings last season, posting two bullets and a third in three of the RORC Channel Races: Myth of Malham, Cowes to Dinard & Morgan Cup. With a comprehensive inventory of equipment and sails, this boat will deliver some great results and a huge amount of enjoyment for the next team.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
FYS Europe: +447774 138777
info [AT] farryachtsales [DOT] com
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
There are few things more dangerous than inbred religious certainty. -- Bart D. Ehrman
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