Brought to you by Seahorse magazine, Scuttlebutt Europe 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@scuttlebutteurope.com
Figaro: Yann Elies First In Roscoff
The skipper of Groupe Queguiner was first across the line in Roscoff at the end of Leg 2 of La Solitaire du Figaro-Eric Bompard.
Elies finished at 01:26:01 after 3 days 3 hours 0 minutes and 01 second with an average speed of 7.3kn over the 535nm Leg.
Corentin Horeau (Bretagne - Credit Mutuel Performance) finished second in the second Leg of La Solitaire du Figaro-Eric Bompard cachemire at 01:24:43 BST.
Jeremie Beyou (Maitre Coq) finished in 3rd, 40 seconds later at 01:25:47BST and Fabien Delahaye (Skipper Macif) crossed the line in 4th at 01:26:19BST
First ten finishers, stage 2:
1. Groupe Queguiner - Leucemie Espoir, Yann Elies
2. Bretagne Credit Mutuel Performance, Corentin Horeau
3. Maitre Coq, Jeremie Beyou
4. Skipper Macif 2012, Fabien Delahaye
5. Interface Concept, Gildas Mahe
6. Agir Recouvrement, Adrien Hardy
7. Groupe Fiva, Alexis Loison
8. Normandy Elite Team, Charlie Dalin
9. Cercle Vert, Gildas Morvan
10. Un Maillot Pour La Vie, Corentin Douguet
After 2 stages, overall top ten:
1. Skipper Macif 2012, Fabien Delahaye
2. Maitre Coq, Jeremie Beyou
3. Groupe Fiva, Alexis Loison
4. Bretagne Credit Mutuel Performance, Corentin Horeau
5. Normandy Elite Team, Charlie Dalin
6. Cercle Vert, Gildas Morvan
7. Agir Recouvrement, Adrien Hardy
8. Interface Concept, Gildas Mahe
9. Gedimat, Thierry Chabagny
10. SMA, Paul Meilhat
An Exceptional Fleet For An Exceptional Race
The 2014 Giraglia Rolex Cup enters its final phase tomorrow, Wednesday, with the start of the 241-nm offshore race. Some 213 yachts are expected to take part - a new record fleet. The course which, in a normal year, takes crews from France to Italy, via the Giraglia rock off the northern tip of Corsica, offers something exceptional this year: a finish in Monte-Carlo.
The 62nd Giraglia Rolex Cup fleet ranges in size from 100-feet down to 30-feet. If conditions permit, Esimit Europa 2 - the largest and fastest yacht - will seek to dent its record time of 14 hours, 56 minutes and 16 seconds set in 2012 over a similar distance albeit with a finish in Sanremo just up the coast from Monte-Carlo. The yacht's owner, Igor Simcic, is a member of the Yacht Club de Monaco so there is particular significance in his yacht's quest to add a fourth line honours to her victory roll.
Behind the Slovenian Maxi, an intriguing battle is shaping up among four highly competitive 72-ft Racing Mini Maxis.
Patience may be virtue further down the fleet. The current forecasts suggest a hole in the wind over Monaco on Thursday that may favour the smaller yachts if they bring the wind from the Giraglia. Last year's winner Laurent Camprubi, the owner of French yacht Alizee, was thinking of only a class win in 2013. He ended up taking the overall trophy and the Rolex timepiece.
The 62nd Giraglia Rolex Cup race gets underway at noon CEST. Rolex has been a partner of the event since 1997.
Hudson Wight's Performance Jacket Lives Up To Its Name
Hudson Wight's new Performance Jacket for 2014 is manufactured using their exclusive OceanVent Technical Fabrics. This great looking, high spec Jacket is designed to be the ultimate day sailing jacket for use afloat and ashore and is highly waterproof, very breathable and already looks like being a best seller at only £115.00 inc VAT.
Key features:
- OceanVent Technical Fabrics outer layer
- Waterproof (over 20,000mm) and breathable (12,000g/sqm/24hrs)
- Treated with Dupont® Teflon® Shield Pro+ giving fabric protection and extremely durable water repellency
- Anti-pill fleece body lining for extra warmth and comfort
- Insulated easy on/off sleeve lining
- YKK AquaGuard® zips with "zip garage"
- Extra high collar for when it gets nasty
- Easily accessible adjustable stowaway hood for when it gets really nasty
- External fleeced lined stowage pockets for warmth
- Two internal storage pockets
- Adjustable Velcro cuffs for warmth & wind-resistance
- Twin adjustable waist drawing toggles for shape, comfort and wind-resistance
- Excellent flexible arm articulation
The Performance Jacket is available in two colours, Blue or Grey and in sizes XS-XXL. Order from www.hudsonwight.com
Farr 40s at the California Cup
California Yacht Club established the California Cup in 1963 and the regatta has a rich, storied history. Founded as a match racing event and later switched to fleet racing, the Cal Cup has featured many great classes, renowned yachts and famous sailors.
Jim Kilroy won the third edition aboard his 73-foot yawl Kialoa II while Paul Cayard captured the 1983 edition aboard the 6-meter St. Francis. George Coumantaros claimed victory with his highly-successful 80-foot sloop Boomerang while Ed McDowell won with his equally accomplished Santa Cruz 70 Grand Illusion.
At various times, the California Cup has been contested using the 12-Meter yachts that were a staple of the America's Cup for many years or the 70-foot maxi sleds that have done so well in Trans-Pacific Yacht Race and other West Coast distance events.
This week, the Farr 40 class returns to the California Cup. A deep and talent-laden fleet of 15 boats will battle for the coveted perpetual trophy while also looking to compile points toward 2014 International Circuit Championship.
This is the third stop on the 2014 International Circuit and skipper Alex Roepers leads after steering Plenty to victory in Rolex Farr 40 North American Championship, held May 14-17 off Long Beach. Veteran professional Terry Hutchinson is calling tactics aboard Plenty, which placed second at the Farr 40 Midwinter Championship in April.
Wolfgang Schaefer and his team on Struntje Light are displaying tremendous dedication by traveling monthly from Germany to compete in all five events on the 2014 International Circuit, which concludes with the Rolex Big Boat Series out of St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco.
The California Cup begins on Wednesday and concludes on Saturday.
Seven Teams Confirmed For 2014 Gazprom Swan 60 World Championship
Seven teams from five nations and three continents have been confirmed for the 2014 Gazprom Swan 60 World Championship. This will be the second World Championship for the Gazprom Swan 60 Class after the inaugural event held last year. Having just completed 750 miles through the Baltic racing in the annual Nord Stream Race, the teams are now preparing for this summer's event in Palma, Spain.
Running in conjunction with the 33 Copa del Rey MAPFRE from the 2-9 August, the Gazprom Swan 60 World Championship marks the Gazprom Swan 60 circuit's second event of the year. Copa del Rey MAPFRE is the largest regatta in Spain organised by the Real Club Nautico de Palma offering 60 years' experience in regatta organisation. The World Championship will follow a shorter course style including six days of racing with one day featuring a longer coastal course around the Bay.
Team Russia currently sits on top of the Gazprom Swan 60 Class Circuit leader board and must adopt the same thorough approach during their World Championship to maintain a significant points difference overall.
Key West Race Week Dates Are On The Racing Calendar
Photo by Andy Newman / Florida Keys News Bureau
Quantum Key West Race Week 2015 is set for January 18 - 23, 2015. Summer has just begun, but top tier programs from Europe and the US are already making their plans to compete in the one design and handicap rated classes. It's never too early to start planning for North America's premier winter event.
Warm and sunny Key West is the perfect venue for world-class competition, exceptional racing conditions and unique shoreside fun; it's a regatta not to miss. The Florida Keys and Key West are the ideal southernmost vacation destination, so start making plans now!
Details and more: www.premiere-racing.com
Bermuda Race Tracking
All boats in the 2014 Newport Bermuda fleet will be provided with Yellowbrick tracking modules before the start. Bringing the competition to you as live as it can be, Pantaenius Race Tracking - www.pantaenius.com/NBRtracking - is your link to all the virtual action in the race. Pantaenius Yacht Insurance is the Tracker Sponsor for this year's Newport Bermuda Race
Test the site ahead of time and also download the Yellowbrick app for mobile coverage wherever you are. Some browser updates may be needed. The Yellowbrick race viewer will run well on any web browsers released since 2012
In the Newport Bermuda Race this year, there will be a time delay in the early stages of the race to prevent competitors from using the positions of other yachts for tactical advantage.
Tracking will be delayed by 4 hours for the first 48 hours of the race and then go to near-real-time reports every 30 minutes from each yacht. Expect to see a jump forward after 48 hours to the yacht's actual position. As yachts get within 15 miles of Bermuda the timing of reports will be more frequent.
Newport Bermuda action starts Friday, June 20th, with the first warning signal scheduled for 12:50PM EDT in the East Passage of Narragansett Bay off Castle Hill Lighthouse in Newport Rhode Island. This year, 165 boats have entered in five divisions. These will be divided in classes of about 15 boats each plus a class for the 'Spirit of Bermuda' starting by herself in the Spirit of Tradition Division.
Twenty-nine of the two Newport Bermuda Lighthouse Divisions' entries are also sailing the 25th Onion Patch Series, a tough triathlon of offshore racing. These Onion Patch racers have just sailed the New York Yacht Club 160th Annual Regatta presented by Rolex in Newport and form the core of the June 27nd Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Anniversary Regatta which now has 32 entries. The RBYC Anniversary Regatta is open to all IRC or ORR rated yachts over 25 feet in Bermuda. Anniversary Regatta entries close at noon on June 25th.
www.onionpatchseries.com
www.bermudarace.com
Fistful Of J's Primed In Palma
Last year saw the first competitive regatta since 1937 to muster five spectacular J Class yachts. Over coming days at Palma, Mallorca's showcase Superyacht Cup once again that modern day record is matched by probably the most competitive, closely matched fleet yet.
Hanuman, Lionheart, Ranger, Rainbow and Velsheda will race on Wednesday around a windward-leeward course for the historic King's Hundred Guinea Cup which is a perpetual trophy for this race, before joining the 26 strong Superyacht Cup fleet for a schedule which includes one further windward-leeward and two coastal courses, Thursday to Saturday.
Winter refits which targeted extra speed have been completed - some more recently than others - and after last month's Menorca Maxi regatta which attracted three boats, the stakes on the Bay of Palma and correspondingly the performance levels should be higher.
Menorca Maxi saw Lionheart dominate with a clean sweep of five wins. With a crew nucleus drawn from the current Dutch Volvo Ocean Race project Team Brunel including navigator Andrew Cape, under tactician Bouwe Bekking, they were unstoppable.
In Mahon last year's Palma Superyacht Cup J Class winners Hanuman proved disappointed to end up in third. According to skipper-helm Ken Read their result was nothing short of a wake up call. But with three intervening weeks filled with hard work by sailmakers, boatbuilders and crew, Read believes they will be quicker, will sail better and so are in a stronger position to defend the J Class title they won here last year.
Racing is expected to encounter light winds on the first day with the sea breezes picking up over the subsequent days. Start sequences are scheduled at 1300hrs local time each day.
Racing is from Wednesday June 18 through Saturday June 21
www.thesuperyachtcup.com/palma/index.php
Industry News
Photo by Amory Ross / Team Alvimedica. Click on image to enlarge.
Musto is proud to announce a new partnership with Team Alvimedica, a crew of young, agile and courageous sailors embarking on their first-ever Volvo Ocean Race around the world.
Musto has stepped in to ensure the team is kept in peak performance as they take on one of their toughest ever challenges.
Ocean racing is integral to Musto as a brand, who last year announced their position as official supplier of sailing apparel and footwear for the next two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race. Musto's association with the historic race stretches back to 1981/82 when they partnered winning boat Flyer II and they have continued to be involved as a supplier in all subsequent editions.
The design and development of Musto's ocean racing gear incorporates rigorous testing by Volvo Ocean Race teams in order to trial the garments to provide innovative and practical solutions to sailors battling the very worst of the elements. The 2014 sailing range is testimony to this, with photoluminescent reflectors added to all offshore garments as a direct result of feedback from sailors competing in the 2011/12 race.
Follow the Team on: www.facebook.com/TeamAlvimedica and on www.volvooceanrace.com
Musto was recently appointed as official sailing apparel and footwear supplier to the Volvo Ocean Race and holds two Royal Warrants for the supply of outdoor clothing.
www.musto.com and www.facebook.com/mustoclothing
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Lewmar is delighted to announce the appointment of Jeremy Usher to the position General Manager of its "Glazing Solutions Business" based in Havant Hampshire, UK.
Jeremy is a respected and seasoned individual with extensive Marine Glazing experience and knowledge which will have a significant positive impact on growth and development in this area.
Having secured significant new capital investment to further develop the product offering in the marine glazing sector, Lewmar are progressing quickly with its product offering which is a natural evolution to its largest division of Hatch and Portlight which has been serving the market for many years.
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Southern Spars has welcomed Rob Salthouse to their team in his preliminary role as Project Manager and assisting Project Manager Kevin Batten with his multiple projects. As part of his new role Salthouse will primarily help Kevin look after the Volvo 65 fleet for the upcoming 2014/2015 edition.
A prolific sailor, Salthouse is eminently qualified for the position and is a huge asset to the Southern Spars team. Over his 28 year racing career he has taken part in many big name regattas and offshore races, including three Volvo Ocean Race campaigns, five Americas Cups for New Zealand and five Admiral's Cups.
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Woolverstone Marina in association with British Marine Federation East Anglia 'On the Water Event' are pleased to present the East Anglian Boat Show on the 21st and 22nd June 2014.
Come and vist this fantastic venue for this years East Anglian Boat Show, there will be something for everyone, with exhibits from major boat manufacturers and small independent businesses.
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Sailors for the Sea is proud to recognize The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing as the first Platinum Level Clean Regatta in 2014. The Platinum Level certification is the highest possible certification awarded in the Clean Regattas program, with a 62 point best management practices checklist. The Atlantic Cup race organizers, Manuka Sports Event Management, worked closely with Sailors for the Sea to ensure 95% of these practices were met in Charleston, SC, New York, NY, and Newport, RI.
"The Atlantic Cup is a model regatta in terms of sustainability, with race organizers looking to reduce their environmental impact and achieve carbon neutrality. Our online case study of the event allows other regattas to learn from The Atlantic Cup and implement some of these best practices at their own events," said Tyson Bottenus, Sailors for the Sea program coordinator.
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Ocean Yacht Systems (OYS) has announced that Malcolm Lee, an experienced round the world sailor, has joined its project management team. Lee will be responsible for all new and service rigging projects carried out by OYS.
Prior to joine OYS, Lee has worked at Tim Haynes Limited, service agents for OYS, as a project manager and consultant to the company. IN this role he has been well positioned to understand the complete range products and services on offer from OYS as well as meet the expectations of the customer and end users.
Malcolm Lee has competed in the 1989-1990 Whitbread Round the World Race on Rothmans, and has managed several refit projects as the owner's representative and has skippered vessels up to 43m in length.
IBI News: plus.ibinews.com
Featured Brokerage
2005 Hamilton II - 36.5m Performance Cruiser. 4,500,000 EUR. Located in Palma de Mallorca.
This beautiful 36.5m performance cruiser was launched in 2005 by CNB Bordeaux, and provides guests with a perfect blend of luxurious comfort and high-class sailing performance. Her lifting keel gives the reduction in draft required for movement in shallow waters, and constant upgrades and modifications each year by her meticulous owner ensures that she is offered in perfect running order. With an al-fresco dining area that seats up to 18 people, and a unique 5 cabin layout to accommodate up to 10 guests, this yacht is made perfect for families and entertainment. This, added to the fact she is fully MCA Compliant, give her all the attributes to make a big impact in the charter market.
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The Last Word
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