In This Issue
adidas Poole Week off to a scorching start |
J Class Association and North Sails announce details for 2018 Kohler Cup |
Where Sailing Comes First but the Rum is a Close Second? |
J/111 World Championships |
The Nations Trophy Spreads Its Wings |
10 Years and growing - Yacht Racing Forum |
Jimmy Spithill on how he attacked Dean Barker with mind games |
Launchings |
Featured Brokerage
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
adidas Poole Week off to a scorching start
For the 140-odd competitors from across the country who descended on Parkstone Yacht Club over the weekend, adidas Poole Week got off to the sort of start no one would have expected given the British tradition of Bank Holiday rain and gales: they were greeted on Sunday by blue skies, temperatures soaring into the 20s and a benign 5-8 knots of wind.
One tradition was maintained, however: that of hot competition within the fleets, many of which managed two races before tide started to ebb in earnest.
As usual, the Flying Fifteens saw some extremely close finishes, the first few boats in race 1 crossing the line within seconds of each other. Jo Allam, crewing for the week with various helms including husband Pete, finished the day level on points at the top of the list with Crispin Read-Wilson crewed by Steve Brown.
Also true to form, the Lasers turned out in force and included a good number of radials and 4.7s, though some who might normally have entered with a reduced rig were emboldened by the forecast of predominantly light winds for the week.
Over the past few years you have had to look quite hard to find a Dart in Poole Week, so it's good to see them making a comeback. With 9 boats, they're not competing with the Lasers, XODs or Flying Fifteens in terms of fleet size, but counting the number of hulls moves them well up the rankings. If one team feels a hull short, it will be Miranda and Phil Cotton, more commonly seen these days in a Diam 24. -- David Harding, www.SailingScenes.com
Racing continues through Friday.
J Class Association and North Sails announce details for 2018 Kohler Cup
Following the success of the first ever J Class overall season championship, the inaugural 2017 Kohler Cup, the J Class Association and North Sails are proud to announce the 2018 Kohler Cup schedule. The 2018 Cup will be comprised of a total of four events as opposed to just three in 2017. The other notable difference is for the upcoming year events will be weighted equally, with boats that take part in all four events able to discard their worst result.
The Kohler Cup is the first ever season-long points championship for the fleet, aimed at promoting and enhancing the racing for the celebrated world-class fleet of J Class yachts.
The 2018 season will consist of the following events:
- St Barth's Bucket, Caribbean
- Superyacht Cup, Palma
- Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Porto Cervo
- Les Voiles de St Tropez, France
The Kohler Cup Scoring System:
- The Kohler Cup presented by North Sails is awarded at the end of the J Class racing season using the high point scoring system
- Each boat will receive point(s) equal to the number of boats she beat, plus one point. The end season score will be the sum of all the points of the individual races
- The J Class yacht with the highest number of cumulative points wins the Kohler Cup Each event has the same coefficient
- Points will be calculated on the final scores at the end of each event
- J Class yachts not entering an event or a race will be scored with zero (0) points Only J Class yachts participating at least in three (3) events will be eligible to compete for the seasonal Kohler Cup
- Yachts competing in all four (4) events drop their worst score prior to final tally
- In case of a tie, the better position in the final event will determine who breaks the tie on top
Where Sailing Comes First but the Rum is a Close Second?
Big warm seas, consistent trade winds, challenging round the buoys racing and the best shoreside parties in the Caribbean sum up the phenomenon that is Antigua Sailing Week. Preceded by an optional race, the Peters & May Round Antigua Race featuring 52 nm of perfect pre-ASW tune up for new teams, followed by five days of racing off Antigua's south coast and interrupted by a beach day, this is a regatta not to miss.
Classes include Big Boat, Racing, Sport Boat, Cruising, Multihull, Bareboat and Club Class. Daily prize givings at Antigua Yacht Club are legendary as is the final awards party hosted in historic UNESCO-accredited Nelson's Dockyard.
Bragging rights, the best silverware and a photo op with the Queen's representative, the Governor General mean you get the best of all worlds - professionally run race management, incredible history and Caribbean beaches, parties and English Harbour Rum.
Mix that with a Fever-Tree ginger beer and you have the Perfect Storm.
J/111 World Championships
After nine races spread over four grueling days, Peter Wagner's Skeleton Key (USA 115) is the 2017 J/111 World Champion. Going into day four, this regatta was still anyone's game, and all eyes were on the top three contenders who had tussled for pole position throughout the regatta.
Bright sunshine and 10 knots of air greeted the eight J/111 crews that assembled on San Francisco Bay this morning for the final day of racing at the 2017 J/111 World Championships hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California. Racing had been consistently competitive throughout four days of competition, with regular leader changes and a good mix of boats winning top-three finishes. Better still, the weather cooperated perfectly, giving sailors a hearty dose of what they came for: San Francisco's legendary summer breeze.
Going into the final day, Jim Connolly's Slush Fund (USA 019) topped the leaderboard, tied for total points (18) with Rod Warren's Joust (AUS 1110). However,Slush Fund had a net score of 12 points (due to discarded races), while Warren and company carried 13 net points; Skeleton Key was in third place with 17 total points and 13 net points.
After nine races, Peter Wagner's Skeleton Key crew are the new J/111 World Champions, and their victory on their home waters is made all the sweeter by the fact that they came in second at last year's J/111 Worlds in Cowes, UK.
Final top five
1. Peter Wagner, USA, 16 points
2. Jim Connelly, USA, 18
3. Rod Warren, AUS, 18
4. Doug and Jack Jorgensen, USA, 31
5. Martin Roesch, USA, 36
The Nations Trophy Spreads Its Wings
Following a hugely successful showing of the Swan One Design fleet at Copa del Rey Mapfre at the end of July, entries for The Nations Trophy have increased rapidly over the last few days. Scheduled for 10 - 14 October and hosted by the Real Club Náutico de Palma, the event is the culmination of the Swan One Design Mediterranean season and incorporates the Swan 45 World Championship along with the ClubSwan 50 and ClubSwan 42 European Championships.
The current entry list shows seven ClubSwan 50s, eight Swan 45s and five ClubSwan 42s. Germany, the first team confirmed as competing for the inaugural Nations Trophy, has been joined by Italy and Spain; France, the Netherlands, Russia and the UK are among other teams expected to be settled shortly.
The Nations Trophy will be decided by a country's best performing boats from two of the three Swan One Design classes competing; consequently, it is not necessary to have boats in all three classes even though it may help. Italy is the one nation so far to have yachts competing across the three championship events: Cuordileone, which won her class at the Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean in March, and Ulika compete in the ClubSwan 50 Europeans, Thetis in the Swan 45 Worlds, and Far Star, Digital Bravo and Mela will compete for the ClubSwan 42 Europeans. All of the Italian yachts took part in the Copa del Rey achieving respectable results in all three fleets, particularly the ClubSwan 50.
The inaugural Nations Trophy will be held in Palma de Mallorca from 10 - 14 October, 2017.
10 Years and growing - Yacht Racing Forum
With its dynamic mix of technical presentations and networking the Yacht Racing Forum is now firmly established as a 'must attend' winter event for anyone involved in the business of sailing and yacht racing
The Forum was launched 10 years ago in Monaco by the Informa Group; the event has since been taken over by Bernard Schopfer and his Geneva-based agency MaxComm, who organise the event with passion, determination and a longterm vision.
Today the Forum is in good shape and attracts a growing number of the sports' leading personalities and brands. The reasons for this success? 'We are here for the entire sport, from kiteboarding to superyachts, and the industry that supports the sailors involved. The chance to engage in dialogue here is very important to us', says Andy Hunt, World Sailing CE.
Photo: The return on sponsorship is always a big topic at the Yacht Racing Forum; one less well discussed aspect is the ‘secured value’ – ie the value of not winning. While not questioning Franck Cammas’s ultimate goal of winning the America’s Cup, this time Groupama will have priced their spend very carefully to ensure good value even if - as indeed happened - Cammas left the stage early. With one-tenth of the budget of other teams Groupama easily won the ROI battle
Full article in the September issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com
Jimmy Spithill on how he attacked Dean Barker with mind games
In one of sport's most famous comebacks, skipper Spithill and Oracle rose from a hopeless 1 - 8 score against Team New Zealand to retain the Auld Mug in 2013.
In his just released biography "Chasing the Cup", Spithill said his Uncle Ron - his first sailing sponsor - and wife Trish were headed to San Francisco after being delayed by a business commitment in Paris.
But Spithill's dad told Ron and Trish not to bother.
"You've got to be a realist here, Ron," Arthur Spithill told them.
"We are talking about you spending four grand on airfares to get here and see the Kiwis driving off with the trophy. It doesn't look terribly good."
They took the advice, headed back to Australia so were not on hand to watch the Oracle skipper turn his team around, while sending Barker's TNZ into a tailspin.
"So, there you have it: neither my father nor (Uncle Ron) thought Oracle could win the Cup."
While improvements to the boat, a major crew change and improved sailing all contributed to the fightback, Spithill reveals how he used a press conference to start turning the screws on Barker and co. by planting doubt in their mind.
Spithill explained in his book: "I sensed this was a situation I could use to put unexpected pressure on the Kiwi team: they had everything to lose. I don't think such a thought had ever previously entered their minds, but now it had. This was a fight to the end..."
Launchings
Click on images to enlarge.
The first J/121 named "Incognito" was launched at Stanley's Boat Yard in Barrington, Rhode Island on Monday 8/21/17 at 9:45am. Within 15 minutes the Southern Spars carbon deck- stepped mast was installed, shrouds pinned and the next few hours the rigging systems were assembled. By late afternoon, the design and build team, several suppliers and the new owner and friends, were rewarded with a beautiful first sail on Narragansett Bay.
The J/121 took off with the very first puff once the new carbon North Sails were raised, and even with twice the normal number of crew on-board the boat responded nicely. There is a light touch on the wheel, combined with a big boat feeling of substantial stability and control.
Everyone is raving about the uniquely open, secure and comfortable cockpit design on this boat. There are versatile trimming and driving positions and clear/wide paths for crossing the boat during all maneuvers. The twin wheel system with floor-mounted traveler provides open access to the back of the boat and great visibility of headsails from the helm both while sitting and standing. With 13 crew on this maiden voyage one might expect to feel a bit over crowded but that was not the case at all. The J/121 cockpit might just be the most comfortable of any 40 footer and is combined with the best layout for sail handling by just a few at the same time.
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The MW680F is a foiling one design sport boat concept thought to fill the space open up between the new foiling creatures and the planning yet floating sport boats.
With a crew of 3, it will be challenging and expected to become a wide appeal to sailors from many skill levels, ages, and genders searching for fun, fast, and exciting sailing.
The boat is expected to start flying at around 8 knots of TWS with an asymmetric Spi / Code 0 type of sail set at the prod. It will also be capable to sail fast in conventional mode with both foils fully retracted thanks to stability provided by wings and an efficient mono-hull shape. This flexibility will be valuable for a gradual warm up on the foiling learning process and more relaxed sail back to dock when required.
LOA: 6.8 m
Hull Beam: 2.1 m
Max. Beam With Racks Out: 3.5 m
Max. Beam With Racks Folded: 2.5 m
Draft: 0.35-1.55m
Displacement: 300 kg
Bulb Weight: 60 kg
Crew Weight: 210-260kg
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To create the next great one-design class, the New York Yacht Club has partnered with Melges Performance Sailboats along with other industry leaders, including Mills Design, North Sails and Westerly Marine. The IC37 was developed to carry the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, the world's premiere Corinthian competition, into its second decade. But interest in the boat has spread well beyond the current and former Invitational Cup participants.
In May, the New York Yacht Club announced that a 37-foot boat from Mills Design had been selected from 18 entries from the world's top yacht designers. The addition of Melges Performance Boats as the marketing and class development partner, along with North Sails and Westerly Marine, and equipment suppliers Harken and Southern Spars, completes the picture.
The New York Yacht Club will purchase a fleet of 20 boats to be used for the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, starting in 2019, and a member concierge charter program. Melges Performance Sailboats will be in charge of developing the worldwide class.
The class rules are an evolution of the principal philosophy for the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup: top-notch Corinthian competition in matched one-design boats. With the exception of one bona fide boat captain, the crew will be all World Sailing Group 1 (amateur) sailors and the inclusion of female sailors on each crew will be required. The combination of sails constructed to a common design by industry leader North Sails and hulls built to exacting tolerances by Westerly Marine, one of the world's most respected and capable boatbuilders, will ensure a level platform previously unseen for boats this size. The innovative class structure will establish a new paradigm for true one-design racing.
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The newly-formed ClubSwan Yachts division is moving forward with pace.
An exciting project has just been started, marking yet another milestone in Nautor's Swan's history of craftsmanship, innovation and technological advancement.
Designed by Juan Kouyoumidjian, the ClubSwan 125 is a project being realized for a knowledgeable and skilled racing owner, who relishes the high-performance ideals and fresh-thinking behind the concept.
"Each Supermaxi is unique, but few will go as far as the new ClubSwan 125 to merge style and performance," declares Juan Kouyoumidjian. "While below deck you will marvel at the attention to the detail and the space, both of which exemplify the experience of being afloat at its best, at the helm you will be immersed in the sensation of sailing the fastest monohull ever conceived".
The ClubSwan will launch in 2019
Featured Brokerage
2011 Maxi 82 AEGIR. 3,599,000 EUR. Located in Palma de Mallorca.
AEGIR, a Simon Rogers Design built in 2010 and designed as a modern Racer-Cruiser to compete in the Maxi Class of the most prestigious race events, has fulfilled her goals at the Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup in Porto Cervo, winning both the 2012 and 2013 editions, and finishing 2nd in her class in 2016!
She is also a proven offshore racer with a 3rd place at the Caribbean RORC 600 in 2011, and a 4th at the Middle Sea Race in 2016!
Light, strong, fast and sharp on the water, she can also turn into an ideal blue water cruising yacht, offering excellent comfort and all the amenities of high standard sailing style, with 2 double cabins forward and one triple cabin with single beds, a large saloon, a comfy cockpit table for up to 8 guests and a large sunbed area on an open transom.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
info@bernard-gallay.com
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2012 Swan 60 Racer Cruiser. Price on application. Located in Spain.
New to the brokerage market, this Swan 60 has been optimized for competitive racing and is offered as a turn-key regatta program including sails, rigging, equipment and storage/shipping cradle. Contact our office in Monaco for additional information about pricing and location
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage
brokerage@nautorswan.com
Tel. +377 97 97 95 07
nautorswanbrokerage.com
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2002 IRC Maxi LA BETE. 600,000 EUR. Located in Toulon, France.
Fresh from a winter refit of full servicing and checking, conversion of the primary winches to hydraulic and many more upgrades, this IRC Maxi 90' (LA BETE) offers superb value for money in a competitive package ready for the Maxi Worlds and regattas all over the globe.
See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly
Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk
See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/
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