In This Issue
• At the Sharp End: What better way to social distance
• America's Cup: The science behind the Sky-Jumps
• A perfect Fit - 52 Super Series
• Hamble Classics 2020 at the Royal Southern Yacht Club
• Moving Parts | CFD Engineer Max Starr
• A Night at the Museum: Backstage at the Herreshoff Marine Museum
• Laser Class Seeks Feedback on Updating ILCA Constitution
• Young Dinghy Sailor On Course For European And World Championships
• Launchings
• Featured Charter: VOR65
• Featured Brokerage:
• • HH66 - NEW BOAT
• • Marc Lombard 46
• • Gunboat 62 - 'Tribe'
• The Last Word: Preet Bharara
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
At the Sharp End: What better way to social distance
What would have been in the calendar for the coming weeks? The 52 Super Series in Tuscany and the America's Cup World Series in Portsmouth to name a few. Instead we enjoyed watching the fiercely contested Foxer racing on the Hamble river at the weekend.
This one design 11-foot single sail rig is the epitome of simplicity. Its nippy characteristics make the dinghy ideal for negotiating yachts anchored along on the Hamble. The silverware is contested by national and international champions enjoying the purer aspect of dinghy racing. Names such as Chris 'Sparky' Hamel, Darren Baker, Jono Pank and Ian Southworth have been listed on the roll-call. Eleven boats matched up off the Royal Southern Yacht Club to a moderately busy waterway on the first weekend of lockdown easing.
The RYA's latest advisory voiced "unlimited outdoor activity is permitted in England including all forms of boating". What better way to social distance than on the single-person iconic symbol of sailing? -- Ingrid Abery
America's Cup: The science behind the Sky-Jumps
The new class for the 36th America's Cup, the AC75, a 69ft monohull with a 6ft bowsprit, presents a new set of challenges for teams, and some great spectacles are on offer for Cup fans..
In over 200 years of yacht racing, no-one has raced a foiling yacht of this size and type, to say nothing of the technology.
While the AC75 is unique, so is one of its vices - the Sky Jump - where the 7,500kg yacht jumps almost completely clear of the water, before crashing back back into the water with all the elegance and grandeur of a humpback whale broaching.
The AC75 is as much aircraft as it is a boat, with teams now quite openly referring to the canoe body of the yacht as a hull when it is in conventional sailing mode, and as a fuselage when it is airborne and governed by a completely different set of physical criteria.
It is likely that the next America's Cup will be determined by the lower metre and a half of the boat/aircraft - or the foil arms and their attached wings and flaps.
The wings on an AC75 are quite different in concept to the daggerboards used on the earlier AC50 and AC72, where the amount of lift was controlled by raking the angle of the board using hydraulic power.
On the AC75, foiling system is very similar to an aircraft wing, comprising the wing itself, with controllable flaps on the trailing edge.
Richard Gladwell's full article in Sail-World.com: www.sail-world.com/news/
A perfect Fit - 52 Super Series
Once a software engineer always a software engineer. It was appropriate that Hasso Plattner and the home Phoenix team did so well at the first, and so far only, 52 Super Series event of the season, the Odzala Discovery Camps Super Series V & A Waterfront Cape Town Regatta... Local knowledge, smart, confident sailing and the benefit of a good couple of weeks of two-boat training and testing all played a role in Plattner's well-deserved second overall.
The build-up to Cape Town also saw the next step forward for Njord Analytic's newest suite of advanced performance analysis tools. The German-based company, led by Jonas Witt, grew from SAP co-founder Plattner's own dissatisfaction for what he saw available when he and his daughter Tina started working up the two Phoenix TP52s in 2018.
Full article in the June issue of Seahorse
Hamble Classics 2020 at the Royal Southern Yacht Club
Photo by Rick Tomlinson. Click on image to enlarge.
The 5th Hamble Classics Regatta is programmed for 21st-23rd August at the Royal Southern Yacht Club and after much consideration will open for entries in June. The event's organiser Jonty Sherwill commented: "It's been great getting enquiries from classic yacht owners keen to get sailing and we look forward to working again with the Royal Southern team, race officers and helpers to deliver what we hope can be another enjoyable regatta despite the continuing uncertainties caused by the coronavirus.
Hamble provides easy access for visiting yachts with its convenient berthing and is perfect for families and crews that may prefer to base themselves from home during the regatta. While we will remain optimistic that by late August a complete programme of sailing and socials will be possible full compliance with RYA and Harbour Authority guidelines in place at that time will be observed."
Further updates will be posted at facebook.com/hambleclassics/ and with online entry at: royal-southern.co.uk
Moving Parts | CFD Engineer Max Starr
Growing up Max Starr had two dreams. To become an astronaut or to work in Formula 1. Max never did travel to space, but he achieved one of those dreams and in doing so started a journey that would eventually lead to him becoming a CFD Engineer for Britain's challenge to win the America's Cup.
A Night at the Museum: Backstage at the Herreshoff Marine Museum
Brought to you by the American Sailing Association
Wednesday, May 20th, 2020
8pm Eastern / 5pm Pacific
Web Wednesdays is coming to Bristol for Episode 6 with a live look at some of the cool boats, engines and models in the HMM collection! Come join us as your tour guides, Evelyn Ansel, Bill Lynn and Tim Kelleher give you an up-close look at AMARYLLIS, TORCH, THANIA and our E-boats, as well as a walk through our new Steam Exhibit.
The webinar costs $15, however, ASA is offering an exclusive discount to HMM supporters. Use code herreshoff when you register online to receive 33% off.
No worries if you can't participate at the time of the broadcast. All ASA webinars are recorded and available On Demand after the original date of airing.
Register: asa.com/webinars/registration/?museum=21
Laser Class Seeks Feedback on Updating ILCA Constitution
At the ILCA World Council (WC) meeting in November 2019 it was agreed that a formal process would be commenced for review and possible amendment of the ILCA Constitution.
Since then a small working group of WC members has been preparing a suggested process for the review. The resulting process document ( click here to access the Constitution Review Process document) has now been approved by the World Council. As well as setting out the process that will be used for the review the document contains some initial ideas which have been suggested on areas where change might be considered.
ILCA is now commencing the second step of the process, where we would like to obtain suggestions on possible changes from all interested groups involved in the class including WC members, Districts, individual sailors and commercial parties. The process is aimed at allowing consultation and input from all interested parties, and ultimately allow adoption of changes to the constitution supported by all the necessary parties, including the required two thirds vote of our membership.
In order for this process to proceed in an orderly and rational manner we request that all member feedback is channeled through your appropriate WC regional representative. Replies on the website form will be channeled through to your appropriate regional representative.
Comments can be submitted either via the website form (link included at the end of this post), directly to your regional representative, or through your local district chairman who can forward to the regional representative, whichever you prefer. The regional representatives will then coordinate and collate all their regional feedback before forwarding it to the working group, who will combine it into a set of possible changes for formal WC consideration.
Important questions to ask as example who requires your opinion:
- Do we need to review the regions in the Laser World who compose the ILCA ? For example Carribean islands are not attached to a region, should they be attached to North America ?
- Should we follow the same structure as World sailing for the Regions ?
- Is it normal that the European region with more than 67 % of sailors have less representatives at the World council than Oceania (4 representatives on 12 members of the World Council= 33,3 %) which represent in total a little bit more of 6 % of the Laser World worldwide membership ?
- Does the past President of Ilca should be kept as a world council member?
- Do we need Laser class association only from real sailors making laser Class association or run by natioanal authority?
- Should it be elections as we have every year for the excutives of EurILCA in Europe for each region of the world?
- Shall the executive secretary of Ilca have a written vote at the World Council ?
- Shall all the information and finances shall be transparent ?
- Shall we have 2 account auditors elected by the members to verify the accounts and reporte dit as we do for the European region as required by the Swiss law ?
- Shall the sailors who are members of the class should be consulted in case of changing the rig like it was made with the C rigs series or the ARC rigs ? Shall the sailors should vote on those specific and important changes ?
- Shall we get more transparency ?
Any other ideas, please fill the form and give your opinion.
ILCA are aiming to complete stage 2, receipt by the working group of submissions on ideas for change, by 1 July 2020 so we ask everyone to have their submissions to their regional representatives by 1 June 2020 to allow each region time to consolidate their feedback and submit it to the working group by 1 July.
Feel free to answer alsp in your own language if you are not fluent in english, we will find the way to translate it.
CLICK HERE to access the on-line feedback submission page.
Young Dinghy Sailor On Course For European And World Championships
Thirteen-year-old Laser dinghy sailor Will Dengate, who hopes one day to represent Great Britain in the European and World championships, has been awarded the 14th annual Jersey Clipper Bursary, worth £1,000.
The 2020 award, made in association with the Jersey branch of Swiss bank UBS, will help to fund the Jersey sailor's off-Island training costs as he aims to reach the highest levels of his chosen sport.
Sailing is Will's favourite activity and following spells in Hobie Cats and Optimists he recently moved to the Olympic class Laser 4.7.
'I am trying to get to the level at which I can qualify for the European and World championships,' said Will, who has already achieved notable successes in his sailing career. At 11 he became the youngest Jersey Hobie Cat helm ever, coming second in the Channel Island Championships, while last year in an Optimist he achieved class wins in both the Spring and Jersey regattas.
'Earlier this year I went to Portugal for Laser training which was incredibly beneficial to my sailing but very expensive,' he said. 'The bursary will give me the opportunity to have more training at a high standard, which is impossible to access on Island, and enable me to reach the next level of sailing ability so that I have a chance of reaching the European and World championships.
I also hope to become good enough in years to come to represent Jersey in the Island Games.'
The annual Jersey Clipper Bursary, a legacy from the Island's three campaigns in the Clipper Round-the-World Race, was established in 2007 through the generosity of UBS, Dandara and Les Pas Holdings.
Launchings
Melges Performance Sailboats is proud to announce the latest addition to its lineup, the Melges 15. Designed by Reichel/Pugh and built by Melges, the new double-handed boat prioritizes stability, comfort, ease of use, and performance.
"The Melges 15 appeals to a wide range of skill levels and sailors while serving a variety of purposes," introduced Harry Melges, CEO of Melges. "The Melges 15 creates a clear pathway for junior sailors to get started and stay excited about sailing while also being comfortable and accessible enough for adults to learn, race, or cross-train."
With the main design goals focused on stability and performance in a variety of conditions, the boat features a narrow overall beam and a flat cross-section shape for stability, righting moment, and ease of planing. For a more forgiving feel upwind and to navigate larger sea states, the Melges 15 has just the right amount of fore and aft rocker.
For adults, the Melges 15 features a more ergonomic platform and a broader weight range for competitive racing. Melges conducted extensive research and product testing to produce this layout factoring in cockpit depth, backbone height, and floor plan. The result is a comfortable environment for both the skipper and crew. The deeper cockpit takes the load off the sailor's knees helping them feel locked into the boat while the high boom and gnav vang system work together to make the boat easier to maneuver.
The asymmetric spinnaker offers an additional performance element while the single-pull launch and retrieval system makes handling the sail easy and fast. "This system is nothing new to small boats," explained Melges. "We envision this boat being sailed by kids, couples, and families. By adding this setup to the Melges 15, it keeps the boat fun and easy for anyone to crew."
The Melges 15 has an adaptable sail plan for both club use and one-design racing. The club setup features a main and jib and durable platform for daily use in sailing programs. The one-design rig adds the asymmetrical spinnaker for advanced learning and club racing. The transition from club to one-design setup is a simple process to remove the spinnaker bag and bowsprit.
The new boat is already creating such a buzz that Melges is planning a winter series in Florida for 2021. More details on the winter series will be released in the Fall.
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Most of us have never sailed or cruised a modern trimaran. They aren't all that common, in the first place, and they are a bit odd in the view of most monohull sailors. They used to be called sailboats with training wheels.
But step aboard a modern tri and take it for a whirl in a fair breeze and you will have you socks knocked off. Even the heaviest of modern tris will sail at speeds in the mid-teens and the more performance-oriented designs will get the speedo to the low 20s.
That's exactly what happened when the owner and CEO of Dragonfly Yachts in Denmark, Jens Quorning, took the brand-new Dragonfly 40 out for its first real sail test in Denmark, where Dragonflys are built. The breeze was a steady 18 knots. With the full mainsail and the Code 0 set the new 40-foot tri accelerated quickly and soon was pegging the speedo at 18.5 and then 19 knots. They were sailing as fast as or even faster than the wind. Plus, they were sailing on a level boat and they were warm and dry in the large aft cockpit. The thrill must have been palpable. The boat's theoretical top speed is somewhere in the mid to high 20-knot range.
The 40 comes in two versions, Touring and Ultimate. The touring has an aluminum mast, a high roach mainsail and a self-tacking jib. The Ultimate has a taller carbon fiber mast, a large square top mainsail and the sail tracks that allow you to fly a larger overlapping genoa.
Like all of her Dragonfly sisterships, the new 40 has a simple way to fold the floats back against the sides of the main hull, which reduces the beam to 13 feet and thus allows you to moor the boat in a normal marina slip. It takes two minutes to fold or unfold the floats.
The deck layout and rigging plans are designed for fun and fast sailing, but everything has been tailored for a couple or family who want to have the best of both the performance and the comfort worlds.
multihullstoday.com/dragonfly-40
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Sponsors CORUM L'Epargne have confirmed that the new IMOCA CORUM L'Epargne has been launched today in Port-la-Foret. This marks the next stage in the preparation of this new generation IMOCA which is set to start the Vendee Globe on November 8, with the double winner of the Solitaire du Figaro Nicolas Troussel at the helm.
Begun more than one year ago, the completion of the IMOCA CORUM L'Epargne now enters its final, crucial phase. After months of work by the naval architect, Juan Kouyoumdjian, and Mer AgitEe the yard of Michel Desjoyeaux, as builder and main contractors, the boat was put in the water today.
The launch of the boat and activities on the site today were carried out in strict compliance with health safety measures (barriers and physical distancing, reduced number of team personnel present on site simultaneously and the disinfection of equipment) as imposed by the pandemic Covid - 19. Several structural, system and measurment rules tests will follow during the coming days.
The CORUM L'Epargne project has been up against time constraints from the very beginning and so required agility and adaptability, qualities which have proven all the more essential recently.
While staying strictly in accordance with official guidelines, Nicolas Troussel will now be able to work to prepare the boat and make it more reliable with the help of several top level aces, Nicolas Lunven, Sebastien Josse and Thomas Rouxel.
Featured Charter
FOR CHARTER - VOR65
The Volvo Ocean 65’s are built for speed and extremely well known for superb performance, in a very strong and durable hull, they offer exhilarating acceleration for thrill seeking sailors.
The Volvo Ocean 65 one-design boat was the brainchild of Farr Yacht Design. The Volvo Ocean 65 offers superb performance in a very strong and durable hull. Having sailing twice around the world, with no structural issues – they are a testament to the excellent build quality and ongoing maintenance management to keep them in top condition ahead of the third lap of the planet in 2021. With speeds recorded in excess of 30knots the boats are capable of blistering quick exhilarating sailing.
See listing details in Seahorse Charters
Contact
Lucy Jackson - LV Yachting
Call: +44 2392 161272
Email: info [AT] lvyachting [DOT] com
bit.ly/30jvA0o
lvyachting.com/
See the the Seahorse charter collection
Featured Brokerage
HH66 - NEW BOAT
An alluring range of dual purpose yachts for an expanding sector. "A race boat in disguise" by design, the 66 has been turning heads and collecting accolades and silver around the world. Boat no 6 is set to launch later this year, the lightest and fastest to-date.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Hudson Yacht & Marine
sales [AT] hhcatamarans [DOT] com
www.hhcatamarans.com
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2016 Marc Lombard 46 - "Pata Negra". 400000 GBP. Located in Tortola.
A go-anywhere, IRC optimized all-rounder that never fails to deliver on the race track, or when blue water cruising. Exceptional form stability and forward volume allows this boat to be pushed and with a cockpit designed for shorter-handed sailing, you don't need an army to extract max performance.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
sampearson [AT] ancasta [DOT] com
+447759 424900
+442380 016582
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Gunboat 62 TRIBE. POA USD.
TRIBE is the original Gunboat- the trailblazing, iconic Gunboat, a timeless beauty with rock-solid construction and enviable performance, ready for her next owners’ adventures!
For full details go to... Gunboat Brokerage
Contact
sales [AT] gunboat [DOT] com
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
History has shown that one cannot legislate a culture of integrity. And yet, one of the paramount responsibilities and challenges of corporate leadership is to ensure such a culture. -- Preet Bharara
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