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
The Warren Jones International Youth Regatta
Perth, Western Australia: The first day of the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta was sailed in unseasonal overcast skies with continuous rain showers all day and a shifting breeze ranging from 5 - 10 knots.
Defending champion Sam Gilmour and his Neptune Racing Team from RFBYC reeled off 4 wins in 4 races laying down a solid marker in the earlier part of the day.
Chris Steele (36 Below Racing), one of three teams from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, had a slightly shaky start in his first two matches having to use all his experience to claw back the advantage in his match against fellow team member Leonard Takahashi. He did however end the day with 4 wins and no losses.
The forecast for the second day of round robin matches is for more rain showers possibly clearing in the afternoon and some more tricky E/SE breezes
Standings after Day 1 - Round Robin 1:
Sam Gilmour (Neptune Racing) RFBYC AUS - 4 - 0
Chris Steele (36 Below Racing) RNZYS NZL - 4 - 0
Will Dargaville (Dargavllle Racing) RPAYC AUS - 4 - 4
George Anyon (RNZYS Performance Programme) NZL - 4 - 4
Will Boulden (Alpha Racing Team) RFBYC AUS - 4 - 4
James Hodgson (Mooloolaba YC) MYC AUS - 4 - 4
Harry Price (Down Under Racing) CYCA AUS - 3 - 1
Lachy Gilmour (Gilmour Racing Team) RFBYC AUS - 2 - 2
Matt Jerwood (Redline Racing) SoPYC AUS - 1 - 3
Mans Holmberg (CFA Sports) CCYC SWE - 1 - 3
Ethan Prieto-Low (Calypso Racing) RFBYC AUS - 1 - 3
Leonard Takahashi (RNZYS Performance Programme) NZL - 0 - 4
C&C 30 At Quantum Key West Race Week
Key West - with its azure waters, sunny skies and consistent winds - provided the perfect venue for the opening event of the 2017 C&C 30 season.
C&C 30 was among six one-design classes participating in Quantum Key West Race Week 2017, organized by Storm Trysail Club. Dan Cheresh and his Extreme2 team came out on top following five days of intense competition that saw all five entries have their moments.
"It was a great week of racing. Conditions were absolutely ideal and the race committee work was fantastic," Cheresh said. "We got a little bit of everything in terms of wind range so it was a good test for all the teams."
The Conch Republic delivered a wide range of conditions, ranging from heavy air and high seas early in the week to moderate winds on Wednesday and lighter conditions toward the end.
"It was a typical Key West Race Week and I think all the C&C 30 sailors enjoyed themselves," said Brady Stagg, who worked the mast aboard Flying Jenny V while also providing on-site oversight along with Tink Chambers on behalf of class manager Stagg Yachts. "We had great competition and I would say that every boat in the fleet performed well at various points."
Keeping A Good Lookout
Conrad Colman on Foresight Natural Energy crossed the Equator back into the northern hemisphere this morning at 0845hrs UTC in tenth place in the Vendee Globe solo round the world race. This is another important milestone for the Kiwi-American skipper as he also negotiates the Doldrums. Colman looks like he is being blessed with a relatively straightforward passage of the ITCZ, the Doldrums, racing slightly east of north without too many squally clouds around. The weather models suggest he should hold on to mainly E'ly winds until he emerges into the NE'ly trade winds.
Sebastien Destremau (TechnoFirst - faceOcean), in 18th place, had a slow and erratic course after passing Cape Horn yesterday but was making 8 to 9kts northwards this afternoon looking to pass to the east of Staten Island this evening. The French skipper passed close to the hostile, lonely rock island to ensure he could get his best possible view. "When I was a little bit down a few days ago my brother Jean-Guy he said 'look mate go there and look at it straight in the eyes and say 'G'day Mate'. I am turning left after this and going home," said an emotional Destremau at the Horn yesterday.
Almost exactly 1500 miles in front of Destremau, in 17th place, Pieter Heerema the Dutch soloist on No Way Back has been enjoying himself in unexpectedly beneficial conditions. After many problematic and frustrating weeks early in the race when he fought many battles with his autopilot systems, often speaking of possible points to stop his race, Heerema is on great form, enjoying good speeds and much more at one with his boat – the final foiling IMOCA in the race.
Six hundred miles SE of Rio the match race between Spain's Didac Costa and French skipper Romain Attanasio is unrelenting, the competitive edge between the two is complemented by regular VHF conversations between them. Upwind in very light airs Costa is about eight miles ahead. American Rich Wilson on Great American IV nearly 350 miles north of the chasing duo is finding his way finally into a light E'ly trade wind to the NE of Rio and was making a steady eight to nine knots this afternoon. He is still losing miles to the race's youngest skipper Alan Roura on La Fabrique, 158 miles to his north in 13th place.
Seahorse February 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
World news
Those crazy Frenchies, Coville on a (serious) roll, Agincourt revisited, the AC50 'sailing challenge', (quite likely) the most important new high-performance small boat since the 49er... Plus keeping the rain out in Key West (at long last). Ivor Wilkins, Blue Robinson, Patrice Carpentier, Andrew Mcdougall, Dobbs Davis, Dean Barker
Rod Davis - Damn the torpedoes
We have set a new course for the America's Cup - for now at least we must stay with it...
World Sailing - Positive outlook
Incoming president of sailing's world governing body Kim Andersen is clearly up for the job!
ORC column
Big mountain, small molehill, but Mr Chairman Stan Honey stayed on top of it all (somehow)
Design - Time for a truce?
Gino Morrelli is one of a number of leading multihull designers concerned that things are getting more than a little out of hand
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A Warm Welcome Awaits In Bermuda - America's Cup Viewing Selling Fast
A fantastic welcome is awaiting the magnificent fleet taking part in the inaugural Antigua Bermuda Race. As host for the 35th America's Cup, Bermuda will be buzzing with excitement.
The destination for the 935-mile offshore race will be one of the oldest yacht clubs in North America, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, established in 1844, seven years before the America's Cup. Starting from Antigua on May 12, many of those taking part will have already enjoyed the 50th edition of Antigua Sailing Week.
Goslings, the Official Rum of the America's Cup, will be sponsoring the pre-race crew party on Wednesday, May 10 and the Prize Giving on May 20th. Royal Bermuda, with many years' experience hosting the Newport Bermuda Race arrivals, will guarantee a good party.
Over 40 yachts from around the world have expressed an interest in taking part, such as Mike Slade's British Farr 100, Leopard 3, who has already registered for the America's Cup Superyacht Regatta taking place just ahead of the 35th America's Cup match. Classic yacht interest includes Eleonora, an exact replica of the 1910 schooner Westward and the 1930 Alfred Mylne classic, The Blue Peter.
A diverse fleet should be on the start line in Antigua, including the all-carbon, high-speed 78ft foiling multihull, APC78 Allegra, Swan 90 Freya, the British Swan 82 Stay Calm, Volvo 70 Warrior, and Sir Peter Harrison's Farr 115 ketch, Sojana. Superyachts will race under ORCsy.
RYA Scotland Annual Awards
The boating community from around Scotland gathered on Saturday evening (28th January 2017) at the Glasgow Science Centre as RYA Scotland recognised the achievements and outstanding commitment of Scotland's volunteers, coaches, instructors, officials, clubs and performance sailors. The theme throughout the evening returned to the boating 'family' as the support network that enables the vast range of activity represented across the ten award categories.
Among the highlights was the Performance of the Year category which was won by Daniel Smith from West Kilbride, for his result in the Clipper Round the World Race in which he led the crew of Derry~Londonderry~Doire crew to 2nd place overall. His team won a hat trick of back to back wins in the Pacific and remained on the podium 7 times in the 14 race series.
The Performance category demonstrated the wide range of competitive sailing from ocean racing, day boat racing and Olympic sailing who all merited nominations. Luke Patience, double Olympian and Silver Medallist in the 2012 Games spoke later in the evening.
Skye Sailing Club was awarded the RYA Scotland Club of the Year award for their recent investments in the club and commitment to the local island community within the past year.
The Volunteer of the Year Award went to Billy Fortieth of Oban SC for his lifelong dedication to support both the club and the local RNLI.
The Elizabeth Mackay Award for female endeavours in sport went to Bess Homer of Dalgety Bay Sailing Club.
The entire team from Dalgety Bay Sailing Club were nominated in the Instructor of Year awards demonstrating the community within Bess's club but the award went to Team 15 Windsurfing instructor Calum Nicol.
Among the other awards in the training network Alasdair Young originally from Tarbert, Loch Fyne took the coach of the year award for his creative coaching techniques with the Class Academies and in clubs.
The RYA Scotland Official of the Year went to Tom Thurlow. Currently Tom is also an instructor on Cumbrae.
Royal Flying 15 Coweslip To Star At RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show
To kick start their 70th Anniversary year on an even keel, the Flying Fifteen Association invites all keelboat sailors, to join us at the RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show, 4 & 5 March.
The class will have the Royal Flying Fifteen, Coweslip, on their stand C2 at the Dinghy Show.
The Flying 15 was designed and built by Uffa Fox. Coweslip was launched at Uffa's yard 6 Jun 1949 and presented to His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh who sailed her for many years.
Coweslip will be taking pride of place alongside GBR4047, an Ovington built boat owned by Ian Pinnell from Pinnell & Bax. Ian is a new comer to the fleet and GBR4047 will be show casing the new class sailplan.
Also on the Flying 15 stand:
See footage of the past 7 decades, right up to hearing updates and progress on the Southern Area Championship plans for this July marking the 70th anniversary celebrations.
Gain insights from one of our boat services expert, Phil Evans from Royal Windermere Yacht Club, a past World champion crew, who will share his secrets and tips of the best way to fit out a boat (on the Saturday).
The class plan to host live updates from the World Championships at Napier SC, New Zealand on the Sunday 5 March, where there is a strong GBR team competing. -- Gerald New, Sailweb
Sailor Of The Year Awards Reminded Us There Are Events Beyond The Majors
Although it was no surprise when Annalise Murphy was enthusiastically acclaimed as the Volvo Sailor of the Year 2016 last night in Dublin, the ceremonies around her "coronation" were a reminder that our boat sports and amateur sailors are great in their diversity writes W M Nixon.
Taken at the gallop, Irish sailing in 2016 was all about the Olympics, the Round Ireland race, and the Laser Radial Worlds in Dublin Bay. Yet while those who were our top achievers in these majors were duly honoured in the RDS Concert Hall in front of a capacity crowd, the eclectic nature of the many other achievements, harvested from a year-long assessment of notable success at home and abroad, spoke volumes of how difficult it can be for outsiders to grasp what it's all about.
The lists speak for themselves, and the fierce joy in the Foynes Yacht Club contingent at being hailed as the ISA Training Centre of the Year was both a delight to behold, and a reminder of just how much enthusiastic volunteerism is at the core of our sport. -- W M Nixon in Afloat
Full editorial updated with photo gallery:
www.afloat.ie/blogs/sailing-saturday-with-wm-nixon/
British Warship With &Pound;1bn In Gold
A British warship which is thought to contain around £1 billion in gold is to be raised by an Argentinian treasure hunter.
The Lord Clive was sunk 250 years ago off the coast of Uruguay, in a battle with the Spanish.
The ship's captain, Robert McNamara, was attempting to reclaim the city of Colonia del Sacramento at the end of the Seven Years' War.
The 64-gun vessel was sunk in a Spanish counterattack, however, with 272 of its crew killed, including McNamara.
78 servicemen made it to shore, only to be tried and hanged by the Spanish.
Now, Ruben Collado, who discovered the wreck in 2004, is attempting to recover the ship, which is thought to contain a vast haul of gold coins.
A team of divers will be sent to recover the former Royal Navy ship in February.
Built in Hull as HMS Kingston, the vessel was launched in 1697.
She was renamed after Major General Robert Clive after being sold in 1762, before sailing to South America on behalf of the East India Company to bring funds for men and British military campaigns.
International Interest Building In OSTAR 2017
The Royal Western Yacht Club's Original Singlehanded Transatlantic Race, established as the OSTAR in 1960, has attracted strong international interest. The event which is the ultimate 3000 mile Corinthian challenge across the North Atlantic has already received confirmed entries from Australia, USA, Italy, Ireland, France, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Holland and the UK.
The race which starts with its sister event the TWOSTAR at midday on Monday 29th May 2017 will be the culmination of a weekend of historical maritime activity. On Sunday 28th May Plymouth will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Sir Francis Chichester's return in 1967 from his epic Round the World voyage when he was greeted by over 200,000 people on Plymouth Hoe.
Celebratory events are planned with a GIPSY MOTH arrival re-enactment followed by a Tiger Moth air display. A strong link exists between Sir Francis, who was knighted for his exploits at Greenwich, and the RWYC. He won the first OSTAR in 1960 and was the Commodore of the Club in 1972.
Newport R.I, of Americas Cup fame and historic host finish port, has once again confirmed sponsorship of the event in the USA. They look forward to welcoming the Line Honours winner expected around 17 days at sea.
Entries for both the OSTAR and TWOSTAR close on 31st March 2017.
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