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
Volvo Ocean Race
It's been two long years of waiting but the Volvo Ocean Race returns to action in the opening Alicante in-port race on Saturday with anticipation rising thanks to a new one-design boat which promises the closest competition in the event's 41-year history.
The in-shore showdown marks the first competitive action since Franck Cammas' French crew on Groupama lifted offshore's most prestigious trophy back in June 2012.
This time, the seven-strong fleet will be competing for a second competition - the Volvo Ocean Race In-Port Series - in Saturday's race rather than points which count towards the overall prize.
Only if teams finish exactly equal on points in the offshore legs at the conclusion of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 in June next year will the in-port positions count as a tie-breaker.
The one-hour race around the southern Spanish port city's harbour will give crews, media and fans alike the chance to see the new one-design Volvo Ocean 65 boats in serious action.
Whether the event will be a reliable form guide for the race proper is unlikely - in 2011, Ian Walker's Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing boat won the in-port race in Alicante and then suffered a broken mast within hours of starting Leg 1 a week later.
But all crews are taking it very seriously with Leg 1 to Cape Town starting exactly a week after the Alicante in-port race on October 11.
The action begins at 14:00 local time (13:00 UK). The action will be shown live on www.volvooceanrace.com from 1350 (12:50). -- Gerald New in Sailweb
* The Race Village opened on October 2 at 1800 local time, and will remain free to enter until October 11.
Then it is packed away to follow the Volvo Ocean Race boats on the first leg of their voyage across four oceans and five continents around the globe.
Key dates
Race village opens: October 2, 2014
In-port race: October 4, 2014
Leg start: October 11, 2014
Concerts
Leiva: October 3, 2014
Vetusta Morla: October 4, 2014
Miss Caffeina: October 8, 2014
Space Elephants: October 10, 2014
Fangoria: October 11, 2014
Realteam, Gazprom Team Russia And Groupama Excel In Nice
Light winds dominated the opening day of Act 7 of the Extreme Sailing Series in Nice, France calling for pin-point precision from the teams as the battle at the penultimate Act of the 2014 global tour began on the sparkling Mediterranean waters.
There was change in the air with the newer teams on the circuit calling the shots and Realteam had all the right tactics and boat speed as the fastest average team according to the SAP sailing analytics. The Swiss team scored two first and two seconds places finishing the end of day one in pole position.
Despite not scoring in race two after sailing the wrong course whilst leading, Gazprom Team Russia sailed an impressive day, scoring two race wins to claim second place overall, on equal points with the all-French fixture on Groupama sailing team skippered by Franck Cammas at the close of play.
Watch Friday's racing live from 1530 local time, (GMT+2) at extremesailingseries.com
Standings after Day 1, 8 races
1. Realteam by Realstone (SUI) Jerome Clerc, Arnaud Psarofaghis, Bruno Barbarin, Bryan Mettraux, Thierry Wassem, 51 points
2. Gazprom Team Russia (RUS) Igor Lisovenko, Phil Robertson, Matt Adams, Pete Cumming, Aleksey Kulakov, 48
3. Groupama sailing team (FRA) Franck Cammas, Tanguy Cariou, Valentin Bellet, Arnaud Jarlegan, Devan Le Bihan, 48
4. GAC Pindar (AUS) Nathan Wilmot, Seve Jarvin, Hugh Styles, Tyson Lamond, James Wierzbowski, 45
5. J.P. Morgan BAR (GBR) Ben Ainslie, Nick Hutton, Paul Campbell-James, Bleddyn Mon, Matt Cornwell, 44
6. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) Peter Burling, Glenn Ashby, Blair Tuke, Jeremy Lomas, Edwin Delaat, 44
7. Alinghi (SUI) Morgan Larson, Anna Tunnicliffe, Pierre-Yves Jorand, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey, 39
8. The Wave, Muscat (OMA) Leigh McMillan, Sarah Ayton, Pete Greenhalgh, Kinley Fowler, Nasser Al Mashari, 39
9. Oman Air (OMA) Rob Greenhalgh, Ted Hackney, Kyle Langford, Hashim Al Rashdi, Musab Al Hadi, 33
10. Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans-Peter Steinacher, Mark Bulkeley, Shaun Mason, Stewart Dodson, 30
11. SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Jes Gram-Hansen, Rasmus Køstner, Thierry Douillard, Christian Kamp, Brad Farrand, 26
Dubarry Crosshaven - Comfortably The Best Performer
Volvo Ocean Race teams have chosen Dubarry's Crosshaven in every edition of the race since the boot was developed with Green Dragon in the 2008 edition. There are several reasons for that.
First, the innovation that impressed the Green Dragon guys most: the integral gaiter. Made of lightweight, hard-wearing, water-resistant fabric and cinched up with a drawstring, this gaiter means you can kneel down and work on the foredeck without suffering the dreaded 'bootful of green' that kills comfort for the rest of the passage.
And when you're dodging icebergs in the Southern Ocean as winter's teeth snap at your vitals, you'll appreciate the 350g GORE-TEX® Duratherm membrane and thermally insulated footbed that will keep your feet, at least, toasty.
Then there's the award-winning grip of Crosshaven's non-slip and non-marking sole. If you're trying to stay vertical on deck, and several tonnes of water traveling at 30 knots is trying to persuade you that you might be more comfortable lying down, you need your feet to stay planted.
We can all benefit from experience, but it comes at a price. Lucky for you that Green Dragon footed the bill, and the benefit is all yours.
Dubarry Crosshaven -- Born at sea
New Open 60 For Andrea Mura
The Italian skipper, Andrea Mura, aged 50, announced his intention on September 24th to take part in the next Vendee Globe aboard a new generation 60-foot IMOCA. She will be built at the Persico yard in Bergamo. Famous for winning the 2010 Route du Rhum in his category, the Italian skipper will be attempting to repeat that success this year before focusing on the non-stop solo round the world voyage.
Looking back at the history of the Vendee Globe, only four Italian sailors have ever set sail from les Sables-d'Olonne. In 2016, there will be a fifth competitor, Andrea Mura, who will also be the first Italian to set sail in the non-stop solo round the world race aboard a brand new boat. 'We are currently designing the IMOCA 60 and looking for a boat that will be competitive and a good performer,' explained the skipper.
The Vendee Globe will be the pinnacle of the career of this 50-year old sailor, who began sailing smaller boats, competing in particular in the 470 circuit, before joining an Italian challenger in the America's Cup.
Andrea Mura, who is also well known as a sailmaker, became involved in ocean racing aboard Vento di Sardegna, a 50-foot monohull aboard which he won the 2010 Route du Rhum in the Rhum category, thus becoming the first Italian to achieve such success in the solo transatlantic race. He has also had success in the Twostar and the Quebec – St-Malo in 2012 and in the 2013 Ostar. On 2nd November, Andrea Mura will be setting sail from St. Malo to attempt to achieve a second victory in the Route du Rhum, before dedicating himself entirely to the solo round the world race project.
J/24 World Championship
With just a few points between Will Welles' Cougar and Mauricio Santa Cruz's Bruschetta there was no room for error in the final two races of the 2014 J/24 World Championship hosted by Sail Newport.
Welles (USA) had used his throw-out on Thursday, so the only way to assure a win was to stay ahead. And that's what he did. Sailing with Nick Turney, Richard Bowen, Daniel Rabin and Luke Lawrence, Welles sealed the deal with a 2, 5 to win the day and the World Championship with 38 points.
Mauricio Santa Cruz's (BRA) Bruschetta settled for second place with a total of 55 and points, while John Mollicone's Team Helly Hanson (USA) finished in the show position with 70 points.
Friday's weather was sunny with wind speed from 10 to 12 kts out of the northeast. In the first race of the day, Welles finished second to Mollicone, while Greg Griffin's Team Tarheel (USA) placed third. Matias Seguel's Semi Pro (CHI) closed the regatta with a victory in race ten. Luis Olcese's Scaramoush (PER) and Shigetoshi Shirahama's White Squall (JPN) rounded out the top three.
Top five
1. Cougar, Will Welles, USA, 39 points
2. Bruschetta, Mauricio Santa Cruz, BRA, 56
3. Helly Hansen, John Mollicone, USA, 71
4. Team Tarheel, Greg Griffin, USA, 86
5. Honey Badger, Travis Odenbach, USA, 96
Complete results at www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=982
Britannia Rules The Waves On New &Pound;20 Coin Design
The Royal Mint has released a new nautical-themed £20 coin to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One.
Nautical numismatics will surely delight at the new design from the Royal Mint, which depicts Britannia seeing off British ships at the start of World War One.
The design was launched this week (24 September) to commemorate 100 years since the advent of The Great War, and aims to capture the art deco style that was prevalent at the time.
Minted in fine silver, this collector's coin is available to order for the face value of £20, although with the run limited to 250,000, that value is likely to rise over time.
John Burgdahl, sculptor and designer, said: "I decided to use the figure of Britannia in order to represent all of the allies who took part, most of whom were British or drawn from the British Empire.
"I combined inspiration from two sources: the South African medal for war services and the First World War memorial plaque awarded to those who died."
Read more at www.mby.com/news/
Seahorse November 2014
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
World news
It's all change at the Tour Voile as the event goes multihull (much to the approval of Francois Gabart), a look at the extraordinary 'Ultime' line-up in the 2014 Route du Rhum, a stirring tale of courage and calm from the Tasman, an epic 31st Hamilton Island Race Week and something a little better than PHRF. Blue Robinson, Ivor Wilkins, Patrice Carpentier, Dobbs Davis
Seahorse build table - Cool as ice
Giuliano Luzzatto catches up with an ultra-slippery new offering from Umberto Felci of Felci Yacht Design
Sailor of the Month
Just keep plugging away (and you'll get there)
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Launchings
*|YOUTUBE:[$vid=1fOKhGMddk8, $max_width=500, $title=N, $border=N, $trim_border=N, $ratings=N, $views=N]|*
Ragamuffin 100, which started out as a modified Elliott design, Maximus, is another supermaxi undergoing a major rebuild or retrofit.
In Auckland the Bakewell White design, originally Zana, has been fitted with a new stern and deck section, and will contest the coming Transpac.
Across the Tasman, the new Ragamuffin 100 will be virtually a new boat with a a new hull design by Andy Dovell / Syd Fischer / David Witt. The hull mould and shell was built by Innovation Composites at the Nowra facility.
The hull shell has been transported to Sydney City Marine where it will be fitted to the modified deck of the original Maximus.
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Click on images to enlarge.
With her graceful sheer, long overhangs, and distinctive knuckle bow, the A-30 could have sailed right off the pages of a 1920's yachting magazine, but she also embraces the very best of modern times.
The team at Artisan Boatworks has earned their reputation as building, restoring, and maintaining some of the world's finest small yachts. The A-30 is their latest offering for passionate sailors who seek the aesthetics and traditional detailing of an early 20th century heirloom, combined with cutting edge sailing performance, improved comfort, and ease of handling.
The A-30, designed by Stephens Waring Yacht Design, features epoxy/wood composite construction, shallow draft with a modern high-performance underbody, self-tacking carbon fiber rig, optional inboard diesel or electric propulsion, and a cozy interior with sitting headroom and a double bunk.
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Carbon Ocean Yachts, Bristol, Rhode Island, USA have started to build a new Owen Clarke Design Class40 for an American owner. The design team includes Clay Oliver, engineering by PURE and weather modelling data from Chris Bedford.
UK designers, OCD and US based America's Cup designer, Clay Oliver have been working together on a hull development program spanning many months and have eventually arrived at a max. beam design with lines that are unique in the class. Sail wardrobe, ballast tank positions and appendages have all been reviewed on the back of the weather and course data developed during the hull design but the finished design is still work in progress for the client, project and design team.
COY is building the Class 40 in Bristol, Rhode Island and is close to completing the male plug, which will produce the carbon female mould. The hull shell construction drawings have been delivered by PURE, the engineers responsible for Team New Zealand's last and future AC 72 America's Cup challenger.
Lead designer, Merfyn Owen puts his expectations for the latest Class 40 in North America in perspective. "We expect some real innovation and quality in the build from Carbon Ocean Yachts and I'm sure it will be the quickest boat on 'paper'. However, history tells us that those with current boats need not despair! Wise sailors know and my experience of racing in the class in the US, for the last five years, tells me that especially in short-handed sailing, once the hull gets wet; experience, local knowledge, preparation and good old time on the water are all great levellers.
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Following a successful first day of racing at the Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo for the fleet of close to 100 Swans, Leonardo Ferragamo, Chairman of Nautor's Swan, unveiled the newest addition to its highly successful SwanLine of yachts (53 to 115 feet): the Swan 95.
Available in two versions, the Flush Deck (FD) and Semi Raised Saloon (S), the Swan 95 is setting the new benchmark for performance super yachts.
Nautor's Swan continues to extending its reach in the super yacht range, with four Swan 115s sold since January 2014 and one Swan 105 RS recently launched – the SwanLine also includes the Swan 105, also in FD and S versions.
Similar to the Swan 115, the Swan 95 boasts twin rudders, to ensure maximum responsiveness and maneuverability. It also has the option for a lifting keel, for limitless cruising.
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Limerick's long tradition of boat building has entered a new phase with the innovative 'City One' design from the Ilen school and network for wooden boat building taking to the water this weekend writes Andrew Carey.
The school, which has built the traditional Gandelows, took inspiration from the traditional Shannon river boat to design the new 'City One' and have it ready for the annual festival of racing on the river.
This year's Gandelow Races include the special 'City One' Limerick sailing challenge, which involves the launch and racing of four of the new and spectacular performance sailing boats, designed for racing between the bridges of Limerick and custom-built at the Ilen School in Roxboro, a Limerick City of Culture #madeinlimerick legacy project.
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The Last Word
You can always pick up your needle and move to another groove. -- Timothy Leary
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