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
ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres
Hyeres, France: Racing at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres got underway on 22 April following the announcement of prize money for the event and live broadcasting of the Medal Races.
€72,000 is to be distributed across the ten Olympic and two Paralympic disciplines on show in Hyeres when the medals are decided on Sunday 26 April. The Medal Races will also be broadcast live from Hyeres on the ISAF website on Sunday 26 April.
Conditions in Hyeres were light throughout the morning but picked up ensuring tight, tactical racing across five course areas. Stronger breeze, common in Hyeres, is expected to return for the Medal Races on Sunday 26 April.
Top three by class:
49er
1. Nathan Outteridge / Iain Jensen, AUS, 5 points
2. Peter Burling / Blair Tuke, NZL, 5
3. Nico Delle - Karth / Nikolaus Resch, AUT, 7
49erFX
1. Ida Marie Baad Nielsen / Marie Thusgaard Olsen, DEN, 4
2. Sebesi Lili / Julie Bossard, FRA, 4
3. Martine Soffiatti Grael / Kahena Kunze, BRA, 11
Men's 470
1. Ferdinand Gerz / Oliver Szymanski, GER, 5
2. Sime Fantela / Igor Marenic, CRO, 6
3. Gabrio Zandona / Andrea Trani, ITA, 10
Women's 470
1. Anne Haeger / Briana Provancha, USA, 7
2. Fernanda Oliveira / Ana Luiza Barbachan, BRA, 12
3. Hannah Mills / Saskia Clark, GBR, 13
Laser
1. Filip Jurisic, CRO, 7
2. Tonci Stipanovic, CRO, 11
3. Sam Meech, NZL, 13
Laser Radial
1. Alicia Cebrian, ESP, 6
2. Gintare Volungeviciute Scheidt, LTU, 9
3. Emma Plasschaert, BEL, 13
RS:X Men
1. Aichen Wang, CHN, 8
2. Juan Manuel Moreno Vega, ESP, 9
3. Federico Esposito, ITA, 12
RS:X Women
1. Peina Chen, CHN, 6
2. Hei Man Hayley Victoria Chan, HKG, 10
3. Laura Linares, ITA, 10
Nacra 17
1. Jason Waterhouse / Lisa Darmanin, AUS, 7
2. Renee Groeneveld / Steven Krol, NED, 8
3. Billy Besson / Marie Riou, FRA, 11
Finn
1. Andrew Murdoch, NZL, 10
2. Michele Paoletti, ITA, 14
3. Ondrej Teply, CZE, 14
2.4mR
1. Bjornar Erikstad, NOR, 2
2. Helena Lucas, GBR, 7
3. Heiko Kroeger, GER, 8
Sonar
1. Colin Harrison / Jonathan Harris / Russell Boaden, AUS, 3
2. Bruno Jourdren / Eric Flageul / Nicolas Vimont-Vicary, FRA, 6
3. Aleksander Wang-Hansen / Marie Solberg / Per Eugen Kristiansen, NOR, 7
Racing resumes for the all classes on Thursday 23 April at 11:00 local time when sailors will continue to compete for a place on the podium and a chance to claim their share of the €72,000 prize money on Sunday 26 April.
www.sailing.org/worldcup/regattas/hyeres_2015.php
Relief For Dongfeng As Water Maker Repair Holds... For Now
After 20 long hours of waiting the team have confirmed that the repairs to their water-maker are holding... for now. A huge relief as they only had one attempt and had it not worked - the alternative would have been bleak.
Manual pumping was one option, the alternative was to make a pit stop, however the rules state a pit stop must be a minimum of 12 hours, which could cost Dongfeng many precious miles and potentially have a great effect of their overall position.
It was 20 hours of worrying and 20 hours of preparing for the worst but as Kevin Escoffier went to check his repair only hours ago, he discovered it was holding and the water-maker was functional once more
Position report at 23 April, 00:40 UTC
1. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
2. Team Alvimedica 2.5 nm to leader
3. Team SCA, 2.8nm
4. MAPFRE, 3.3nm
5. Dongfeng Race Team, 3.8nm
6. Team Brunel, 6.2nm
Dubarry Ultima - Quality Always Lasts
It's amazing to think how sailing has changed since Dubarry started making boots in 1937. The first marina arrived in the 1930s but there were no plastic boats to park in it before the 1940s. There was no yacht radar before the 1950s, nor marine diesel engines before the 1960s, also when polyester sailcloth ousted linen and cotton. The 1970s brought instrumentation and the 1980s saw Decca come and go as GPS stole the show. Oiled canvas gave way to PVC, which yielded to GORE-TEX®. Much indeed has changed, yet one thing has stayed the same: nothing signifies a confident, experienced, discerning yachtie like a pair of Dubarry boots.
Developed as a more luxurious, classical and traditional interpretation of the legendary Shamrock, on which the company's reputation was built, the Ultima is Dubarry's flagship boot. Its sole delivers award-winning, sure-footed grip. Its GORE-TEX® liner is waterproof and breathable to keep you warm, dry and comfortable. Its Dry-Fast-Dry-Soft water-resistant leather weathers with grace and distinction, recording every nautical mile of your experience in the gentle, tanned folds of its sumptuous hide. It's clearer than ever that, though times may change, quality always lasts.
Dubarry Ultima - Where will you go in yours?
Royal Yacht Squadron Bicentenary
Entries for the Royal Yacht Squadron's Solent summer celebration of 200 years, the RYS International Bicentenary Regatta, have reached sixty and still counting, as entries continue to arrive by the day.
A much hoped-for fourth J-Class yacht Rainbow has just confirmed that she will be joining the other three, Velsheda, Lionheart, and Ranger for the hugely anticipated Solent spectacular.
More latest additions confirming their line up on the start line of the seven day regatta, starting 25th July, include the William Fife design Mariquita.
There couldn't be a wider contrast between this 104 year old yacht and Spectre, the Frers designed 60ft day racer being guest helmed at the event by Sir Charles Dunstone. Two time Olympic Silver Medallist Nick Rogers will be taking charge of tactics onboard.
Completed only last autumn this will be the first time that the Persico Marine-built flyer will be seen showing her full potential in the UK.
The pair will be contesting a competitive IRC fleet, sailing alongside such other classic beauties as Saskia and Tomahawk, and grand prix racers ranging from Mike Slade's mighty Leopard to Piet Vroon's winning Tonnere of Breskens.
Current entry list www.bic2015.org.uk/taking-part/entry-list
Audi Tron Sailing Series - Audi Melges 20
Loano, Italy: Unfortunately on the last day of the Audi tron Sailing Series Audi Melges 20 hosted by the Marina di Loano no race could be sailed. Three races were sailed on Saturday but high pressure stopped the breeze on Sunday.
The Audi tron Sailing Series Audi Melges 20 will be back in May in Porto Venere.
Audi tron Sailing Series, Act 1 Loano ranking:
1. Fremito d'Arja, 17 points
2. Lucifer, 21
3. Out of Reach, 21
4. Customly, 22
5. Camay, 24
America's Cup: Coutts - Another Kiwi Team Could Replace Team NZ
Sir Russell Coutts is confident Team New Zealand will contest the 2017 America's Cup but has said if they don't front in Bermuda, another New Zealand syndicate would fill their place.
Coutts, a five time winner of the America's Cup, told the New York Times that he still hoped to have six challengers in Bermuda and said it was unlikely Team New Zealand would withdrawal.
But if they did he said another team from New Zealand would most likely replace them. "Others would put a New Zealand team together because frankly they have the components of a very competitive team, more so under this rule," the Oracle Team USA chief executive said.
"They have a great sailing team, and this rule favours a great sailing team."
Team New Zealand say they have not agreed on the new format which takes away the Auckland regatta.
The original decision to hold a pre-regatta in Auckland was strongly opposed by the European challengers, who indicated a preference that all of the racing in 2017 be conducted at a single venue, Bermuda. -- New Zealand Herald
Tangentially Related To Sailing...
Without the option of going to the cheapest cafe to get the greasiest fry-up, ancient Egyptians had few options when it came to easing a hangover.
However, without a dose of protein and no modern medicines, the people of ancient Egypt had other ways of trying to lessen the pain.
A newly translated and published papyrus - which dates back almost 2,000 years - shows that they would have made a necklace of leaves from a shrub called Alexandrian chamaedaphne and worn it around the neck, because it was thought this plant could cure headaches.
The text was discovered in the Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus - 160km south of Cairo - about 100 years ago by Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt, Live Science reports.
Industry News
Sunset+Vine|APP, the Oxford-based unit of the multi-award winning UK independent TV sports production and media company Sunset+Vine, part of The Tinopolis Group, has been awarded a significant contract by ISAF to provide live host broadcast coverage of the Medal Races at the ISAF Sailing World Cup regattas in Hyeres and Weymouth & Portland as well as international news. The production will be executive produced by Andrew Preece, Managing Director of Sunset+Vine|APP.
Medal Races in Hyeres will be broadcast live on the ISAF website on Sunday 26 April with Weymouth & Portland following on 14 June 2015.
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Professional BoatBuilder magazine is producing a new annual trade event exclusively for yacht refit professionals called Refit International Exhibition & Conference. The premiere Refit show will be held at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, January 28-29, 2016. Featuring a series of 24 technical seminars and an exhibition hall, Refit is the only marine event to gather every stakeholder in the comprehensive refit process to share ideas for improvement.
Exhibition space is currently available exclusively to vendors of refit products and services. Vendors to the refit industry who would like to learn more about exhibit space should contact Ray Clark at ray@refitshow.com or Todd Richardson at todd@refitshow.com
The Refit conference program is currently in development; industry professionals who have seminar suggestions should email Nicole Jacques at nicole@refitshow.com
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Yanmar Marine International is relocating its marine recreation engine business from Osaka to Almere in the Netherlands and has appointed Mrs Shiori Nagata as its first president.
Almere has been home to Yanmar Europe BV since 1988, when it opened a new distribution hub serving the many market sectors for Yanmar diesel engines Russia, Europa and Africa. Final assembly of marine diesel engines up to 260mhp, in the Yanmar range which extends to 480mph, is also carried out there. However, the Dutch business unit has now also become the administrative, sales and marketing headquarters for its global marine business.
Mrs Nagata, who has been appointed to head the business, joins Yanmar following a career in management consultancy and business leadership.
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Silvers Marine Scottish Series is delighted to announce the return of one of its most popular sponsors, The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, for this year's regatta. The Botanist will be joined by Bruichladdich, the renowned Single Malt whisky from the same distillery.
Of course, not only is the House of Bruichladdich a local sponsor, given its distilleries on the island of Islay, but the brand fits very well with the ethos behind Scottish Series.
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The National Marine Manufacturers Association canceled the Progressive Chicago In-Water Boat Show, which was set to take place June 11-14, and will stop producing the annual show.
The NMMA made the decision because of "market demand and lack of inventory this time of year for exhibitors," Salvatori said. "We're going to put more emphasis on the recently merged Chicago Boat, RV and Strictly Sail Show to have one comprehensive show in the Chicago market."
The NMMA plans to make the Progressive Insurance Chicago Boat, RV & Strictly Sail Show, scheduled for Jan. 14-18, 2016, at McCormick Place, "the largest comprehensive boating event in the Midwest and an ideal sales environment for exhibitors."
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For the eighth consecutive year, creators and organisers of the Extreme Sailing Series™, OC Sport, have confirmed another record breaking year for the original and only Stadium Racing series, as independent media evaluation agency Havas Sports & Entertainment report €44 million in global media value for 2014. Now in its ninth year, the continual upwind trend confirms the Series stability, reliability and ability of the organisers, OC Sport, to deliver to its global Partners, Teams and Host Venues on an annual and global scale.
The 2014 figures show a 25.3% increase in global media exposure compared to 2013, with TV exposure accountable for 57% of the overall final figure across all levels of output. Live TV coverage in seven of the eight global venues visited as well as internationally, year round coverage in dedicated sports and sailing magazine shows, news and the dedicated eight-part TV series are all attributable for this increase.
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The American industrial conglomerate General Electric (GE) announced today that it will divest the bulk of its GE Capital financial services unit over the next two years.
GE Capital's Commercial Distribution Finance (CDF) division is the leading provider of inventory financing in the boating industry, both in the US and in Europe. The program allows participating dealers to stock, market and sell a wide variety of boats and engines from industry manufacturers.
In the US, GE Capital finances more than 2,000 dealers in the marine segment. One of CDF's largest industry clients, MarineMax, recently expanded its financing facility up to US$235m in borrowings through August 2017, with two one-year options to renew.
GE Capital has long been an important part of the overall GE business portfolio, valued at US$500bn and generating approximately half of the company's annual profits, but the higher risks associated with the finance and leasing sector have been weighing on investor confidence and the company's stock price. Initial investor reaction to the news has been positive, boosting GE stock by about 7% in today's trading.
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The publishers of PassageMaker and Sail magazines are launching the International Cruising Boat Expo, a new event for New England, June 2-7 at Brewer Essex Island Marina in Essex, Conn.
The event will be in the tradition of TrawlerFest, PassageMaker's combination of educational seminars, cruising boat show and social gathering.
PassageMaker, Sail and Soundings Trade Only are owned by Active Interest Media. AIM Marine Group, the magazines' parent company, decided on the new name to broaden the event's appeal.
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The Last Word
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