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
Ian Walker Named As RYA Director Of Racing
Photo by Ian Roman/Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
RYA Racing will have an experienced new hand at the helm with the announcement that Ian Walker MBE is to take up the Director of Racing position this autumn.
The double Olympic medallist, America's Cup sailor and Volvo Ocean Race-winning skipper will take up the baton from John Derbyshire OBE, who is set to retire later this year after 32 years' involvement with the organisation, including 16 years in the Director of Racing role.
Walker has enjoyed an impressive and multi-faceted career in the sport, winning two Olympic silver medals (470 in 1996; Star in 2000) and coaching Shirley Robertson, Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb to Yngling gold at Athens 2004.
Among a host of inshore and offshore racing successes, Walker has been involved with two America's Cup campaigns (GBR Challenge in 2003; +39 in 2007) and won the 2014/15 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.
A trustee of the John Merricks Sailing Trust, set up in memory of his 470 crew, he has also helped provide a supporting hand to numerous young people through the sport of sailing.
As Director of Racing, a position he will take over full time from October, Walker will oversee the RYA's World Class Programme and talent pathways, as well as the broader remit of racing participation in all its forms in the UK.
Walker said: "I'd like to thank the RYA and UK Sport for their confidence in me. John Derbyshire has provided a tough act to follow and I look forward to the benefit of his experience and that of the wider RYA Racing team in the coming months before I take up the reins full time in the autumn."
European Match Race Vienna
After two days of spectacular racing in front of Vienna's skyline, Polish skipper Patryk Zbroja secured his first victory this year when no wind denied the final battle between him and Austrian Christian Binder. Dejan Presen finished third and took over the yellow jersey of the European Match Race Tour 2017.
The Vienna City Match Race, the third stop of the European Match Race Tour, took place at the Old Danube just some minutes away from the city centre of Austria's capital. Bright sunshine, summerlike temperatures in the mid-20's and winds up to 22 knots provided a spectacular stage for Europe's top match racers. It was only on the final day when the reigning Soling European champion Christian Binder was denied his final attack on the leading Polish team with skipper Patryk Zbroja due to lack of wind.
Dejan Presen from Slovenia used the absence of the double stage winner Simon Bertheau from France to climb on top of the European Tour rankings while Australian Adam Smith finished fourth just ahead of home team skipper Helmut Czasny. Bertheau however will have the chance to fight back next weekend in Monaco, when the European Match Race Tour will stop there for stage 4.
Final Results
1. Patryk Zbroja, POL
2. Christian Binder, AUT
3. Dejan Presen, SLO
4. Adam Smith, AUS
5. Helmut Czasny, AUT
6. Lars Hueckstedt, GER
7. Julian Kircher, AUT
8. Johanna Bergqvist, SWE
europeanmatchracetour.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/europeanmatchracetour/
Tickets To The 35th America's Cup 
The America's Cup is the competition for the oldest trophy in international sport and this summer it is coming to Bermuda for the 35th enactment of the greatest race on water.
From 26th May until 27th June the fastest yachts in the 166 year history of the "Auld Mug" will be raced by the greatest sailors in the world on the beautiful, crystal clear waters of Bermuda.
ORACLE TEAM USA are the Defenders and they are taking on teams from around the world. Great Britain is represented by Sir Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR; SoftBank Team Japan are lead by Dean Barker; Sweden's Artemis Racing are skippered by Nathan Outteridge; Franck Cammas and his Groupama Team France squad are flying the flag for France and Emirates Team New Zealand are helmed by Peter Burling, 2016 Olympic Champion.
The events in Bermuda will be one of the world's greatest sports events and will be watched by millions of people worldwide, on TV and live at the America's Cup Village in Bermuda.
To book your place at what many experts are predicting will be the best America's Cup yet go to www.americascup.com/tickets
America's Cup Superyacht Program
The 35th America's Cup is not just about racing on Bermuda's waters. The events are also going to play host to one of the greatest gatherings of superyachts in history. These incredible boats, beautiful to look at and awe-inspiring in size and impact, will add to the sheer spectacle of the America's Cup, as well as adding yet more numbers to the thousands of people travelling to Bermuda
A dedicated America's Cup Superyacht Program was created by the America's Cup Event Authority (ACEA), in conjunction with BWA Yachting. BWA Yachting played a central role in the America's Cup Superyacht Program at the 34th America's Cup in San Francisco in 2013.
The original America's Cup Superyacht Program had 39 berths allocated for superyachts coming into Bermuda from all over the world. Due to overwhelming demand, that number was extended to 50 berths
The America's Cup Superyacht Program is not just about beautiful yachts watching the action. It also incorporates racing with the America's Cup Superyacht Regatta, being run from 13 - 15 June in conjunction with Boat International. 19 superyachts are already entered, including Adela, the 55 metre superyacht which won the 2013 America's Cup Superyacht Regatta, and a long list of enquiries is being assessed for additional entries.
The America's Cup J Class Regatta will take place on 16, 19 and 20 June and will feature some of the most iconic boats in the history of the America's Cup, with eight of the nine existing J Class boats committed to participating in three days of racing scheduled around the first weekend of the America's Cup Match presented by Louis Vuitton.
CFA Sports To Deliver 2017 M32 Series Scandinavia
Malmo, Sweden: Prior to the start of the fifth season, the M32 Series Scandinavia will have Charlotte Bergman and Fredrik Alstierna from CFA Sports leading the operation of the sailing series in 2017."
"World class sailors in fast boats competing close to the shore is turning this event into something truly unique and spectacular", continues Charlotte who will lead the M32 Series Scandinavia 2017 together with Fredrik Alstierna and Swedish event specialist CFA Sports.
M32 Series Scandinavia will take place in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland in 2017. The Series is owned by Aston Harald Sports and CFA Sports will lease the rights for the 2017 season.
"We look forward to watching the Series mature and grow and from now on will concentrate our focus on the race management side of the event, which we have considerable experience in," said Robert Magnusson, CEO of Aston Harald Sports. "Handing over the responsibility for the land activity is a natural part of our development as we see this cooperation can create something bigger and hopefully improve the product to all partners and sponsors and guests of the event. We look forward to the summer sailing activities with lots of sun and wind."
M32 Series Scandinavia 2017
1. Gothenburg, Sweden June 15-17th
2. Risor, Norway July 27-29th
3. Helsinki, Finland 11-13th August
4. Århus, Denmark August 31st - September 2nd
5. Stockholm, Sweden September 14-16th
CFA Sports To Deliver 2017 M32 Series Scandinavia
Malmo, Sweden: Prior to the start of the fifth season, the M32 Series Scandinavia will have Charlotte Bergman and Fredrik Alstierna from CFA Sports leading the operation of the sailing series in 2017."
"World class sailors in fast boats competing close to the shore is turning this event into something truly unique and spectacular", continues Charlotte who will lead the M32 Series Scandinavia 2017 together with Fredrik Alstierna and Swedish event specialist CFA Sports.
M32 Series Scandinavia will take place in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland in 2017. The Series is owned by Aston Harald Sports and CFA Sports will lease the rights for the 2017 season.
"We look forward to watching the Series mature and grow and from now on will concentrate our focus on the race management side of the event, which we have considerable experience in," said Robert Magnusson, CEO of Aston Harald Sports. "Handing over the responsibility for the land activity is a natural part of our development as we see this cooperation can create something bigger and hopefully improve the product to all partners and sponsors and guests of the event. We look forward to the summer sailing activities with lots of sun and wind."
M32 Series Scandinavia 2017
1. Gothenburg, Sweden June 15-17th
2. Risor, Norway July 27-29th
3. Helsinki, Finland 11-13th August
4. Århus, Denmark August 31st - September 2nd
5. Stockholm, Sweden September 14-16th
Soling World Championships
Finally the Soling World Championships 2017 will be held again in the Netherlands !!!!
It has been over 27 years since the Soling Club Nederland (SCN) has hosted this event. We are very happy to have the opportunity again to welcome all foreign competitors of the International Soling Class in the Netherlands.
The last time the Soling World championships were held in the Netherlands was in August 1990 when 66 Solings set sail from Medemblik. The event featured the attendance of the current King of Spain HRH Felipe de Bourbon, who as a crewmember in one of the Spanish boats was racing together with Fernando Leon and Alfredo Vacquez. They finished 5th overall at the event,the world title was won by Marc Bouet, Fabrice Levet and Alain Pintet.
It is a tribute to the International Soling Class to see that several of the competitors who participated in 1990 will be participating again in the Soling Worlds 2017 and we are thrilled to see that the event is generating so much interest already among participants around the world.
This time the event will be organized by the Royal Netherlands Yacht Club, which is located in the town of Muiden, near Amsterdam.
The Dutch Soling class is expanding rapidly and we will have 10 or more Dutch competitors at the 2017 event. They, together with many enthusiastic volunteers are looking forward to making this event a success.
We already have entries from Brazil, Germany and the United States but many other teams from other countries confirmed that they will be present, including teams from Denmark, Ukraine, Canada, France, Austria, Hungary and Argentina.
Teams that enter early can save 75 euros on the entry fee. The Dutch Soling Class and our volunteers are happy to assist you in finding suitable accommodation and a rental boat in case you do not (or cannot) bring your own.
New Sardinian Venue For 2017 GC32 Racing Tour
The GC32 Racing Tour will break new ground when it visits southern Sardinia at the end of June: This will be the first time that a major international sailing event has been held at Villasimius, on the Italian island's southeasternmost tip.
While Cagliari is well known in international sailing circles having previously hosted events for the TP52 and RC44 circuits as well as being the base for Luna Rossa's 35th America's Cup challenge, Villasimius, until now, has been something of a secret Italians have liked to keep to keep to themselves. Situated 50km east of Cagliari, it has some of Sardinia's finest white sand beaches as well as the azure blue water for which the island is famous. It even features a salt water lake, Timi Ama, home to pink flamingos.
Taking place from 28th June to 1st July, with support from Regione Sardegna, the GC32 Villasimius Cup will be the second event of the 2017 GC32 Racing Tour, following the season opener at Riva del Garda on Lake Garda in mid-May.
For its GC32 Villasimius Cup, the GC32 Racing Tour has recruited Mirco Babini as local coordinator. Babini is a long term professional windsurfer and kite boarder and is current President of the International Kiteboarding Association. He also has strong experience in professional yacht racing having previously worked for Luna Rossa.
The GC32 Villasimius Cup will take place over 28th June until 1st July. The 2017 GC32 Racing Tour starts with the GC32 Riva Cup over 11-14th May and the five event circuit will then continue on to Spain and France. The venue for the Tour's fourth event will be announced shortly.
2017 GC32 Racing Tour
11-14 May - GC32 Riva Cup / Riva del Garda, Italy
28 June-1 July - GC32 Villasimius Cup / Villasimius, Sardinia, Italy
2-5 August - 36 Copa del Rey / Palma de Mallorca, Spain
13-16 September - TBA
12-15 October - Marseille One Design / Marseille, France
Irish Cruising Club Fastnet Award To Nikolay Litau
To get the full measure of the man, the ICC Western Committee's Citation puts it in manageable form:
Citation For Fastnet Award 2016-17
"Nikolay Litau was born in 1955 in North Kazakstan. At the age of 32, he began sailing and took part in regattas and overseas cruises. In 1991 he received a Yacht Captain diploma. In the next year, he was invited as a supervising captain to Miles Clarke in Wild Goose, the first foreign yacht to sail through the inner waterways from the White Sea into the Black Sea.
From 1993 to 1996 he managed the building of a yacht, Apostol Andrey, and became the first to complete a circumpolar navigation. For this he was awarded The Royal Cruising Club Medal for Seamanship. In 2002, the Cruising Club of America awarded Nikolay Litau the Blue Water Medal for the first navigation of the North East Passage on a yacht.
In the autumn of 2001, the second round-the-world journey of Apostol Andrey took place. The route led from St.Petersburg via the Atlantic to the Antarctic, followed by the Pacific Ocean, shores of Alaska and the Northwest passage.
In the autumn of 2004 the third round-the-world journey of Apostol Andrey took place. This voyage took place around Antarctica, close to the Antarctic continent inside the 60th parallel. By 2013, Apostol Andrey under the command of Nikolay Litau had covered 150,000 NM.
In 2016, Nikolay skippered Northabout on the circumpolar expedition "PolarOcean Challenge,", in which the Northeast and Northwest Passages were transitted in an unprecedented seven weeks venture."
W.M. Nixon's article in Afloat: afloat.ie/blogs/
Bright And Light On Day Four Of The Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series
Race Officer Peter Knight summed up day four (Sunday 02 April) of the Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series as "a testing day for competitors and committee boats alike!".
It was set to be a challenging day on the Solent; a sunny spring day but with a forecast of 5 to 10 knots of breeze dropping towards lunchtime and tides at about 85% of full springs.
White Group classes and IRC4 started near Royal Southern with a light Northerly breeze averaging around 350 degrees, but periodically flicking left and fading before going back to around 350 and strengthening slightly. The first two White Group races were set on an axis of about 350, but for the third race, the course had to be adjusted as the breeze trended left towards Southampton Water.
Black Group classes started near East Knoll, with the wind initially about 10 knots NNE and dropping to 5 or 6 knots by midday. Courses set were a beat to Coronation, followed by round the cans courses shortened at East Bramble as the wind faded. IRC1 and IRC2 did about 12 miles on their shortened course, IRC4 about 9 miles and the remaining classes around 9.3 miles.
As the breeze dropped, cross tide runs and spinnaker reaches taxed tacticians as the puffs and lulls made calculating lay lines difficult, and noticeably at East Knoll some boats had a slog to get back to the mark against the flood tide, after getting too far east.
The course for the IRC1 and IRC2 classes was put at risk when a laid inflatable Spring Series mark was removed by "a third party". As Peter Bateson, Series Chairman explains" Fortunately the race committee discovered this in the nick of time and substituted a rib with an "M" flag. The five leading boats had to sail a few extra yards, but it appears that the order of results was fortunately unaffected".
Nothing is set in stone in most of the classes as we head into the last two Sundays of the Spring Series, and see the start of the Crewsaver Warsash Spring Championship on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th April continuing after Easter on 22nd and 23rd April.
Leading the Series by class:
IRC1 Night Owl 2 - Julie Fawcett
IRC2 Sailplane - Rob Bottomley
IRC3 Quokka - James Crew & Peter Rutter
IRC4 Silver Shamrock - Stuart Greenfield
J/109 Jago - Mike & Susie Yates
J/88 J-Dream - David & Kirsty Apthorp
Combined White Group - Betty -Jon Powell
J/70 Offbeat - David Mcleman
J/80 Betty - Jon Powell
SB20 Trouble & Strife - Radley College
www.warsashspringseries.org.uk
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The Last Word
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