In This Issue
• Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez: a fast and famous start!
• 56th Congressional Cup dates set
• Harken Red Tent Fall Boat Shows
• Top Race Week Prizes for Team and Culver
• She'll be right! - Transpac
• RYA and RNLI Call For Safety Afloat In New Videos
• INEOS TEAM UK's new race boat
• The MailASail OSTAR and TWOSTAR race
• The Plymouth Lonely Rock Race
• 35th Pineapple Cup-Montego Bay Race Postponed To 2022
• Featured Charter: Aragon (ex Windfall) - 94ft Sailing Yacht
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Marten 49 - SUMMER STORM
• • jv36 Multiplast Daysailer - Roljack
• • Ker 40 - "Icebreaker"
• The Last Word: Mary Elizabeth Lease
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
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez: a fast and famous start!
The bay of Saint Tropez was decked out in all her finery today in a strong breeze, azure skies, glorious sunshine and navy-blue seas, providing the perfect backdrop for the 85 Modern yachts invited to kick off the action at Les Voiles in its new formula. From 11:00 hours, the largest boats in the IRC B and IRC C classes set sail together in a bracing NW'ly wind of over 25 knots along a 19-mile technical course skirting the edge of the bay.
They were immediately tailed by three other competing groups, which gathered together the cream of the racer-cruisers measuring 10 to 13 metres, famous for absolutely killing it on all the famous race zones. This packed day of close-contact sport, at every point of sail, saw the breeze pick up to 28 knots and already the star players are making their presence felt. However, if the whimsical wind gods decide not to play ball tomorrow and offer up some radically different wind conditions, the hierarchy could well be turned on its head.
With no clearance buoy in the bay for safety reasons the craft are able to thunder downwind to the sea walls surrounding Saint Tropez. After a prudent start with the wind gusting to over 25 knots, each crew left themselves plenty of room at the start to choose which side of the racecourse to favour before becoming embroiled in some close-contact and fiery tactics. Particularly incisive out on the water, the 11 to 13-metre IRC C boats, which are competing for the BMW Trophy, put on a cracking show, with several leader changes amidst the frenzy of gybes.
Belgian Bernard Marchand's Swan 42 Andante 4 is clearly on a roll and has bagged a much deserved first place on the provisional podium. The Swiss Club Swan 50 Mathilde M, winner in elapsed time, has had to contend with third place this evening, behind Giovanni Di Vicenzo's Ker 46 Lisa R. Meantime, it comes as no surprise that Frédéric Puzin's Daguet2 has taken the lead in IRC B. Going right to the wire, the fabulous Mylius 50 was only beaten in elapsed time after two and a half hours of fierce fighting by the JP54 The Kid helmed by Jean Pierre Dick, now trailing slightly in corrected time.
With four boats ranked in 16 minutes, the 52-footers were really on fire in these ideal TP 52 conditions. Stéphane Nevé has put together a dream team aboard Spirit of Malou and will be going all out to take ultimate victory at this event despite some seriously stiff opposition. Figaro sailors Alexis Loison, Anthony Marchand and the Château brothers are just some of the big names who excelled in today's breezy conditions, linking together some long beats and downwind sprints under large spinnaker at over 20 knots.
The much-loved classic yachts will hit the race zone of Saint Tropez tomorrow.
2020 programme:
Week 1: Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez
Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September: registration for boats up to 20 meters (except for certain classes)
Monday 28th September: racing for modern yachts
Tuesday 29th, Wednesday 30th September, Friday 2nd, Saturday 3rd October: racing for modern yachts and classic yachts
Thursday 1st October: Challenge Day
Saturday 3rd October: prize giving (week 1)
Week 2: Les Voiles Super Boats
Sunday 4th and Monday 5th October: big boat registration (Wally, IRCA, Maxi yachts, big Classic, big Schooner)
Tuesday 6th, Wednesday 7th, Thursday 8th, Friday 9th: big boat racing
Friday 9th October: prize giving (week 2)
www.lesvoilesdesaint-tropez.fr
56th Congressional Cup dates set: Long Beach Yacht Club to host May 11 to 16, 2021
Long Beach, California: Mark your calendars for the 56th Congressional Cup, scheduled to be held here May 11 to 16, 2021. Founded and hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club since 1965, the Grade One competition is known as the 'grandfather of match racing' and pioneer of on-the-water umpiring that is the standard in yacht racing today.
The agenda released today calls for a practice day and welcoming affair Tuesday May 11, followed by five days of spirited racing through Sunday May 16. In between, 2021 Congressional Cup Chairman Chris Macy promises the excitement of premier-level match racing fans have come to expect from this prestigious event for more than half a century.
The Congressional Cup also returns as an official world championship event of the World Match Racing Tour, and a key regatta for the world's top match racing skippers vying for the 2021 Match Racing World Championship.
Six WMRT Tour Card skippers will lead the line-up, with two wild-card choices and a final duo qualifying at the Ficker Cup, slated to be held May 6 to 8, 2021 at LBYC. The match racing format – where teams compete in a series of one-on-one races – is scheduled to include a double round robin followed by semi-finals, petite finals, and the finals on Sunday.
The Congressional Cup was previously held in April of 2019. Congressional Cup 2020 - planned for April 29 to May 3 - was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. -- Betsy Crowfoot
Harken Red Tent Fall Boat Shows: the only thing virtual about them is how you get there.
2020 has challenged the way sailors everywhere are planning their years. Boat shows are a big part of life at Harken. We miss seeing our friends and the work we do together, so we've created the Harken Red Tent Shows.
Genoa: Join us 1-6 October, at harkenredtent.com/genoa. Whether there's a live show or not, Harken will offer an experience like being there in person at the 60th anniversary of the Genoa International Boat Show.
- Schedule a live appointment with a Harken technical or sales representative to discuss your project
- View video of Harken products: Air Winch 900, CLR 12000 Mooring Winch, V Block
- Enjoy live meet-ups "At The Front"
Annapolis: Join us October 8 - 12, at www.harkenredtent.com/annapolis. For over 40 years, Harken has occupied land space 17 at the United States Sailboat Show. We're bummed we can't be there this year. So we're creating as close to an in-person experience as possible.
- Schedule live appointment with a Harken technical or sales representative to discuss your project
- View video of Harken products: MKIV Ocean furler, Vang-Master, Radial electric winch
- Enjoy live meet-ups "At The Front"
C'mon inside the Harken Red Tents!
Top Race Week Prizes for Team and Culver
The toughest calls on the final day of Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex were left to the race committee. Fog and a disappearing breeze made getting racing in a distinct challenge. The Melges IC37 fleet started and finished a race in visibility that made seeing the competition a challenge, let alone the marks of the course, while the ORC fleet waited for the fog to clear before starting a race, only to see the wind evaporate halfway through. Sailors and race officials waiting patiently for the breeze to return, but it refused to fill before the 3 p.m. deadline for a final start, and the three fleets headed for the dock with just one race completed between them and no changes to the podium standings.
Winning the three classes at Race Week were Vesper, skippered by David Team (Newport Beach, Calif.), in ORC 1; Impetuous, skippered by Paul Zabetakis (Jamestown, R.I.) in ORC 2, and Blazer II, skippered by Christopher Culver (Newport, R.I.), in the Melges IC37 class. Culver (above, left) and Team (above, right), who was the overall winner among the two ORC groupings, each earned a Rolex Steel and Yellow Gold Submariner Date for their outstanding performances on the water during the regatta.
In the ORC 2 class, Tom Sutton's Leading Edge (Houston, Texas) took the early lead with a pair of wins in the first two races. But once Zabetakis (left) and his team on Impetuous got a taste of victory it was all over. Impetuous won the final five races of the regatta to take a two-point win over Sutton, who was second in each of those five races.
Top three final results
ORC 1 (ORC - 6 Boats)
1. Vesper, TP52, David Team , Newport Beach, CA, USA - 11 points
2. FOX, Botin 52, Victor Wild , San Diego, CA, USA - 12
3. Bella Mente, Maxi 72, Hap Fauth , Naples, FL, USA - 23
ORC 2 (ORC - 8 Boats)
1. Impetuous, Swan 42, Paul Zabetakis , Jamestown, RI, USA - 10
2. Leading Edge, J 109, William Sutton , Houston, TX, USA - 12
3. Das Blau Max, Farr 30, Cory Sertl , Jamestown, RI, USA - 31
Melges IC37 (One Design - 12 Boats)
1. Blazer II, Christopher Culver , Newport, RI, USA - 34.67
2. Pacific Yankee, Drew Freides / Bill Ruh , Los Angeles, CA, USA - 45
3. Qubit, Chris Lewis , Seabrook, TX, USA - 54
Full results on Yachtscoring.com
She'll be right! - Transpac
The 2021 Transpac will be the best possible antidote to the travails of 2020
The pandemic pause of 2020 has left many offshore boats at their moorings this year, unable to race, yet with owners and crews still yearning to get back out to sea. Looking out to the horizon for opportunities in 2021, there is a classic race option that beckons: the 2021 edition of the Los Angeles to Honolulu Transpacific Yacht Race, known more simply as the Transpac.
First envisioned in 1897 by Hawaiian King Kalakaua as a friendly competition to promote good will and trade between his islands and the US mainland, this race of 2,225 miles has been run since biennially since 1906, and is one of the world's oldest ocean races. This deep heritage is part of this race's enduring attraction to ocean sailors everywhere, in addition to its famous course pattern of leaving the beautiful California coast to sail downwind for days headed towards the finish in tropical paradise.
Full article in the October issue of Seahorse
RYA and RNLI Call For Safety Afloat In New Videos
The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) have joined forces to produce a new series of 'How to' videos with advice and tips on how to safely enjoy being on the water.
The RNLI were called out more than 13,000 times to boaters between 2017 and 2019. The first video, released today (link here) - reveals the top five reasons lifeboat crews were called into action along with tips on how to avoid the need to call for help.
They include human error, sinking, running aground and equipment failure. But the top reason for an emergency call out in the last two years involving a boat was machinery failure, with more than 4,000 incidents.
The short series of videos will also cover topics such as electronic navigation, rules of the road, the shipping forecast and best practice when riding a Personal Watercraft (PWC).
INEOS TEAM UK's new race boat for the 36th America's Cup heads to New Zealand
Click on image to enlarge.
The second race boat built by INEOS TEAM UK in their bid to win the America's Cup, sport's oldest international trophy, is bound for New Zealand.
The 75-foot race boat (code named RB2), that will race in the America's Cup from January 2021, was helped onboard an Antonov cargo plane by the team's uncompromising new prototype INEOS Grenadier 4x4, before being secured for take-off.
The precious cargo will now start a four-day journey to Auckland, New Zealand, where INEOS TEAM UK are ready for her arrival.
The journey to Auckland began on Friday 25th September from the team's base in Portsmouth, where the Union Jack hanger doors opened to reveal a wrapped boat ready for its 11,000 mile, two stopover journey on the 1987 Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane.
Once the race boat arrives at the newly constructed INEOS TEAM UK base in the Viaduct, Auckland, the final fit out will be completed ready for her launch and maiden sail in October.
Four times Olympic Gold medallist, America's Cup winner, Team Principal and Skipper Sir Ben Ainslie is currently in two-week mandatory quarantine in New Zealand and counting down the days until sailing operations begin.
The MailASail OSTAR and TWOSTAR race
The Royal Western Yacht Club is pleased to announce the new start date of 9th May 2021 for the MailASail OSTAR and TWOSTAR race. The next edition is set to be the 16th OSTAR and 7th Edition of the TWOSTAR race.
With 8 months to go, the Royal Western Yacht Club would like to formally invite all past competitors and as many new adventurers to enter and join us as we formally celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first race.
This is the 'original', the race which has made many of its competitors household names, the springboard to oceanic status. Francis Chichester, Eric Tabarly, Philippe Poupon, Loick Peyron, Francis Joyon, Michel Desjoyeaux, Ellen MacArthur and Mike Golding all list among the winners. Others who have taken part include Bruno Peyron, Mark Gatehouse, Frank Cammas, Mike Sanderson, Nick Moloney, Conrad Humphreys, Hannah White, Samantha Davies and Pip Hildesley (now Pip Hare) to name a few.
Finishing in the stunning setting of Newport, Rhode Island; the course remains as it was on its second edition, the first of which finished off the Ambrose Light, New York.
Entry list is now open, alternatively please send your intent to enter to ostar [AT] rwyc [DOT] org
The Plymouth Lonely Rock Race
July 4th 2021 will see the introduction of a brand new offshore race from the Royal Western Yacht Club which will run in opposite years to the Original Lonely Rock Race. The 'Plymouth Lonely Rock Race' will start in Plymouth Sound, exit via the Western Entrance of Plymouth Sound, round the Fastnet Rock to port, pass the Isles of Scilly to port and then finish between the Breakwater Lighthouse and the navigation buoy, 'Queens Ground' in Plymouth Sound.
The challenges of this race are much the same as the Original Lonely Rock Race. Set at around 500 miles long, this is a race with 4 challenging segments. Starting from Plymouth, the race will not have to deal with the tidal gates at Hurst Castle, Portland and Start Point giving its competitors a chance to experience a shorter race around the Fastnet rock without potential for huge tidal gains and losses and without the logistical challenges of start and finish being in 2 different cities.
Entries will be open to MOCRA, IMOCA, Class40, Mini Transat, IRC, single handed, 2 handed and 1/2crew*.
Entry numbers are likely to be limited, so please send your intent to enter to lrr [AT] rwyc [DOT] org
35th Pineapple Cup-Montego Bay Race Postponed To 2022
Montego Bay, Jamaica: It is with great regret that the Montego Bay Yacht Club and Manuka Sports Event Management announce the unavoidable postponement of the 2021 Pineapple Cup-Montego Bay Race. The race was scheduled to take place January 23-30, 2021. The new race dates will be January 22-29, 2022.
The health and well-being of the teams, staff, volunteers and partners are the highest priority. With current continued spread of the pandemic, it will not be possible to hold the Pineapple Cup safely. There are also significant travel and logistical restrictions that are in place right now and are forecast to remain in the coming weeks and potentially months adding to the difficulty in moving forward with the race in 2021.
2019 Race Winners on YachtScoring.com
Featured Charter
Aragon (ex Windfall) - 94ft Sailing Yacht. From 40,000 per week EUR. Located in West Mediterranean/ Norway.
Aragon is built to be safe, reliable and seaworthy. Performance sport is at her core but she is equally proud of the cruising comfort she offers.
See listing details in Seahorse Charters
Contact
Lisa Spiller
Charter Manager
Bernard-Gallay
Phone 1 : +33(0)6 33 42 45 09
Phone 2 : +33 (0)467 66 39 93
Mail : lisa [DOT] spiller [AT] bernard-gallay [DOT] com
See the the Seahorse charter collection
Featured Brokerage
2009 Marten 49 - Summer Storm. 665000 USD. Located in Antigua, Caribbean.
Marten 49 SUMMER STORM is about the best sub 50ft cruiser/racer that money can buy. Full recent refit and a number of regatta successes in the past few years keep her current and a very comfortable yacht to cruise. The benefit of the lifting keel really does come into its own.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Ben Cooper
Telephone: +44(0) 1590 679222
ben [DOT] cooper [AT] berthon [DOT] com
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jv36 Multiplast Daysailer - Roljack. 295,000 VAT not paid EUR. Located in
The jv36 ROLJACK is a custom project by the well respected and experienced Jack Setton in collaboration with Americas Cup designer Rolf Vrolijk. Both icons worked together on this unique project to create the “perfect daysailer”. After having built many one-off yachts among others also the 60ft Daysailer CIAO GIANNI Mr. Setton had very specific requirements for ROLJACK. Foremost easy handling and easy maintenance followed by excellent sailing performance and comfort.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
+49 471 30 88 11 40
broker [AT] judel-vrolijk [DOT] com
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2011 Ker 40 - "Icebreaker" 170000 GBP. Located in Auckland.
One of NZ's most successful 40'fters in the last 8 years,Icebreaker has really been the benchmark boat. Foam glass hull with twin carbon wheels and carbon mast, ensure a lightweight and powerful arrangement, but with plenty of durability. New Keel and pedestal have kept the performance push goin
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats
sampearson [AT] ancasta [DOT] com
+442380 016582
+447759 424900
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
The Last Word
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