In This Issue
• ULTIMs in search for the Trade Winds
• No start before Monday
• Epic Middle Day of J/70 World Championship
• Vote for the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Award
• IRC rating rule changes for 2024
• Women's Invitational Regatta Returns
• Sailing "World on Water" November 03.23
• Industry News
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Swan 68-004 Explotadot
• • J99/ - Calypso
• • TP52 Alegre
• The Last Word: Sylvia Beach

Brought to you by Seahorse magazine and YachtScoring.com EuroSail News 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

ULTIMs in search for the Trade Winds
After nearly four days and some 1500 miles of racing of racing the leaders of the ULTIM class on the Transat Jacques Vabre were around 120 miles NW of the Canary Islands a all five of the boats and all were in a radius of 30 miles.

This very much unprecedented in the history of the class of the giant 32m trimarans. Francois Gabart and Tom Laperche on SVR Lazartigue were still leading the fleet, which compressed together again as they made their way across the ridge of high pressure yesterday and that is now behind them. However, they need to keep pushing hard as the trade winds are still south of the Canaries at latitudes that they will reach late today.

After 24 hours spent finding their way across the ridge of high pressure, remaining in front is something of a small victory for SVR Lazartigue, but François Gabart and Tom Laperche are not in that comfortable a position... While they are keeping their closest rival, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild in check, the blue trimaran can only watch the attacks from further east and west. To port, Sodebo Ultim 3 and Actual Ultim 3 managed to get back to around twenty miles of them and need to be taken seriously as opponents.

To starboard, Banque Populaire XI has moved further away passing Madeira via the west during the night. This option enabled the pair formed by Le Cleac'h-Josse to avoid the wind shadow of the island, although to find more wind, it extended their route. "A daring option," declared Thomas Coville when contacted this morning. It has paid off, as Banque Populaire XI is the fastest in the fleet by far. Second at the moment, they have managed to claw back miles since the middle of the night.

The wind does not appear to have the strength from west to east and over the last four hours, Banque Populaire XI has accelerated to an average speed of 18 knots, while SVR Lazartigue and Maxi Edmond de Rothschild are finding it hard to get above 12 knots.

transatjacquesvabre.org

No start before Monday
All of the docked 90 boats fleet of the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre have been kept safe and secure through last night's Storm Ciarán which ravaged the Brittany coast and the English Channel. Meteo France say they recorded gusts of over 80kts last night.

This morning the winds eased off and as the tide dropped the seas around the docks in Lorient La Base allowing skippers and technical teams from the Class 40s and Ocean Fifty classes there to be able to carry out a full check of boats and their mooring lines ahead of another storm expected Saturday.

In Le Havre where the 40 IMOCAs are securely tied up in the Paul Vatine basin, a chop was whipped up to 80cms by the storm force winds in the enclosed docks. The winds peaked in Le Havre at the end of the morning. "We remained very vigilant especially when the dock gates opened between noon and 1:10 p.m., with a one-meter surge, which caused the pontoons to rise by that much. Fortunately, the wind dropped at the same time and there was no damage." explained Race Director Francis Le Goff.

All day Race Direction continued to work on scenarios for a new start, in collaboration with Christian Dumard, meteorologist for the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre. Francis Le Goff explained "The possibility mentioned yesterday of seeing the IMOCAs set off on Sunday is now no longer possible, in particular because of the strengthening of the westerly wind, which is going to impact heavily on the coast around Le Havre" Added to this is a time constraint with the gates of the Le Havre basins closing at 3:30 p.m. for sunset at 5:30 p.m. that day. So no start on Sunday.

sail-world.com/news/268404/

Epic Middle Day of J/70 World Championship
What happens when you combine 22 knots of breeze, planing waves, sunshine and 83 teams at the J/70 World Championship? Smiles all around the St. Petersburg Yacht Club in Florida, and exhausted sailors looking forward to two more days of racing! Tom Mallindine and Charlie Thompson's Brutus III (GBR) excelled in the brilliant conditions with scores of 2,1 Thursday to launch into second place overall at 20 net points.

Following two races on the day, the fleet is up to six total, meaning the discard came into effect to scramble up the standings. Peter Duncan's Relative Obscurity (USA) stayed hot in posting finishes of 6,5 (now discarding an 18 from race one), and maintained the overall advantage at 18 net points. Laura Grondin's Dark Energy (USA) kept close with a pair of twelves for third place with 39 net points.

Andres Ducasse's Ducasse Sailing Team (CHI) moved atop the 28-boat Corinthian Division, and Tim Ryan's Vamos (AUS) kept the lead in the 13-boat One-Pro Division.

The top three finishers in Race Five were Bruce Golison's Midlife Crisis (USA), Mallindine and Thompson's Brutus III (GBR) and Martin Dent's Jelvis (GBR). In Race Six, the Brutus III group took line honors, followed by Dick Kalow's Superior 1 (USA) and Jack Franco's 3 Ball JT (USA).

Top ten after six races
1. Relative Obscurity - Peter Duncan, USA, 18.0
2. Brutus III - Tom Mallindine and Charlie Thompson, GBR, 20.0
3. Dark Energy - Laura Grondin, USA, 39.0
4. North Sails - Luis Albert, ESP, 50.0
5. Midlife Crisis- Bruce Golison, USA, 51.0
6. Casting Couch - Cate Muller-Terhune, USA, 56.0
7. Rowdy - Richard Witzel, USA, 64.0
8. Doyle Sailmakers - Ralph Vasconcellos Rosa, BRA, 70.0
9. Vamos (One Pro ) - Tim Ryan, AUS, 71.0
10. Savasana - Brian Keane, USA, 73.0

Full results on YachtScoring.com

Last opportunity to vote for the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Award 2023
144 yacht racing photographers representing 30 nations have submitted an image for this year's photo contest dedicated to competitive sailing.

The top 80 images selected by the international jury are online and the public is invited to vote until 8 November at midnight (CET) on yachtracingimage.com

The top 20 images will be exhibited at METSTRADE Amsterdam, where the prize giving will take place on November 16 at 4:30 pm. Places are limited and registration is mandatory (). Priority will be given to yacht racing photographers; other guests will be accepted on a first registered first served basis.

yachtracingimage.com

IRC rating responds to racing practices with rule changes for 2024
Following the international IRC annual Congress meeting in October, the 2024 IRC rule text is now published on the IRC website and includes changes that reflect IRC's desire to listen to what sailors want, and respond to changing trends not only in technical development but also racing practices.

Sails produce the driving force for any racing boat and as such are always at the forefront of design development and the subject of discussions within the IRC Technical Committee and IRC Congress. This year is no exception, and a number of rule changes relate to the rating and setting of sails. As already well-publicised from 2024 the total number of headsails carried will be rated, excluding up to two OSR safety sails, to reflect the speed and flexibility advantages gained from carrying multiple headsails (rule 21.7.1). IRC Notice 2023-01 has recently been updated with further information to help answer owners' and sail designers' questions and this can be found on the IRC website (ircrating.org). At the same time, the minimum half-width ratio for IRC-defined flying headsails has been reduced from 62.5% to 60% to open up the design options for this useful sail. The IRC Technical Committee has also taken the opportunity to simplify the rules surrounding single furling headsails, without removing the limitations on eligibility which are necessary to avoid abuse of this rule (21.8); and regarding the setting of headsails, in particular spinnaker or genoa staysails, IRC now clarifies where a headsail may be tacked (rule 21.3).

In response to requests from event organisers and measurers, for Endorsed IRC certificates any sails certified (measured) after 31st December 2023 will require a measurement sticker or stamp showing the measured data. Sail stamps serve as a visual confirmation that a sail has been properly measured and complies with the rating certificate, and aid equipment inspection at events when checking sails.

2024 IRC Rule text and more information about rule changes: ircrating.org/irc-rule/

Full IRC Congress 2023 Minutes and other associated documents: ircrating.org/about/irc-congress/

Women's Invitational Regatta Returns to San Diego Yacht Club
San Diego Yacht Club's annual Women's Winter Invitational Regatta returns this upcoming winter, February 16-18, 2024. Recently having won the US Sailing One Design Regatta Award, this all-woman, three-day competition attracts sailors from all over the world.

The Women's Winter Invitational is sailed at SDYC directly off the docks in La Playa and features the Club's J/22 sailboats, which are sponsored by Mount Gay. The course can expect more than 80 sailors over 24 teams for an action-packed regatta weekend on and off the water.

The Women's Winter Invitational is one of the first established yacht club challenges for women in the country, with a goal to encourage participation in the sport while providing a unique Southern California sailing experience.

Applications for invitation are currently being accepted through December 1, 2023. Accepted teams will be notified of their invitation by December 9, 2023. Teams can apply here.

facebook.com/SDYCWinterInvitational

Sailing "World on Water" November 03.23
At the time of editing this video the latest Daily report on the progress in the Transat Jacques Varb was for November 01. The storm is about to hit Europe whilst the Ultim leaders are sailing near Madera, at about 6 knots. The rest of the fleet is tucked up in Lorient and Le Harv, awaiting the weather bomb.

Offshore races are long and gruelling yet frequently decided by fine margins and minute details. The 44th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race demonstrated this in crystal clarity as two contrasting yachts and crews produced awe-inspiring performances in a memorable contest for the coveted title of overall victory. Leopard 3 would ultimately claim line honours as fastest monohull. Bullitt was second across the finish line in Malta a little under two hours later, assuming leadership on corrected time.

There's been a lot of talk about the Weather Bomb which is hitting England and France. The Canadian Weather Channel has released an excellent report on the huge weather event.

boatson.tv

Industry News
Nicolas Retailleau has been appointed chief financial officer (CFO) of Groupe Beneteau, effective November 1, 2023. He succeeds Bruno Thivoyon, currently CEO of the Group and Boating Solutions division.

Retailleau joined Groupe Beneteau in September 2022 as CFO of the Boat division. With over 20 years' experience in finance management, he has worked in various business segments and countries, for the Valeo, Galeries Lafayette and Tarkett Groups.

Groupe Beneteau offers more than 150 recreational boat models, from sailing yachts to motorboats, monohulls and catamarans. Through its Boating Solutions division, the troup is also present in the daily or weekly rental services, marina, digital and financing sectors.

Groupe Beneteau recorded revenues of 1.5bn Euros in 2022, employing around 8,000 people, primarily in France, the US, Poland, Italy and Portugal.

ibinews.com

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Dockmate announced today the introduction of a new feature for their wireless remote control systems - Dockmate Positioning System (DPS).

Dockmate's DPS solution has two operating modes: one mode for use on the open water and another mode to use for short periods of time in close quarters. In the open water operating mode, DPS will use only the engines to keep the boat in its target position. It is ideal for short-handed crews, allowing the captain to step away from the helm to tend to mooring lines and fenders before entering a marina. In the close quarters operating mode, DPS uses both the engines and bow and stern thrusters in concert to keep the vessel in its target position.

Dockmate Positioning System is driven by an IMU unit (which includes a compass, accelerometer and gyroscope) and a DPS Receiver installed within the vessel, and connects to Dockmate GNSS antennas installed on the hardtop. It is designed for installation on any vessel with at least two engines and Dockmate compatible engine and thruster controls. DPS is easy to install and requires only a short calibration sea trial.

Visit the Dockmate booth at METSTRADE, stand 01.721.

dockmate.eu

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Emirates Team New Zealand is today announcing the launch of the Design Works, an offshoot that will focus on bringing America's Cup technology to high-tech commercial projects.

Emirates Team New Zealand Design Works will be demonstrating their technological capabilities at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Expo in Sydney, 7 - 9 November, and at the METSTRADE show in Amsterdam, 15 - 17 November. At both shows, AC40 simulators will be on display for visitors to take a test drive, and potential clients can discuss their upcoming projects with Emirates Team New Zealand designers.

Emirates Team New Zealand Design Works comprises 35-40 designers and engineers across disciplines encompassing naval architecture, composite engineering, mechanical design, fluid dynamics, simulation development, optimisation, mechatronics, software engineering, machine learning and AI.

To get in touch, email

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Despite the current trading conditions and the threat of more interest rate rises in Australia, the Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIAV) has deemed the 2023 Melbourne Boat Show a resounding success. From 26 to 29 October, the event celebrated boating across more than 1km of waterfront, and five full marinas at Docklands, in Melbourne's CBD.

Featuring well over 100 exhibitors and 42,575 attendees, the event provided something for all boating enthusiasts, as well as those new to boating. Show attendees lauded the event, noting its growth on the 2022 event, the additional exhibitors, as well as the new activations. "The initial feedback from visitors has been fantastic," said BIAV CEO Steve Walker. "Our members put on a great display of boats and boating lifestyle, and the new activations and features were really well received."

Those new features included Hooked Up's Rig-Rundown, the Supertank, Retail (Tackle) Island, as well as the Heritage and Wooden Boat Precinct. The historic ferry Grower was also well received as it transited visitors over to North Wharf to take in the two Tall Ships, the historic steam tug Wattle, and a vast array of beautiful wooden boats.

MarineBusinessWorld.com

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The RYA's must-see sailing and watersports event will return to Farnborough International from 24-25 February 2024 - and this year welcomes a new face to the presenting team.

Olympic sailing star Eilidh McIntyre MBE will join the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show hosting line-up for the 2024 edition, which kick-starts the season with interactive family fun, demos, live coaching sessions and the biggest names in marine retail all under one roof.

In 2023 the Show welcomed 8,500 visitors, 160 exhibitors, and hundreds of boats and boards with some 74 expert talks and presentations also taking place over the two-day event. Visitors flocked from all over the UK as well as Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Singapore, Hong Kong and USA.

Featuring dinghy sailing, windsurfing, wingsurfing, foiling, kitesurfing and paddleboarding, however you like to get afloat, the Show will have you covered.The RYA's must-see sailing and watersports event will return to Farnborough International from 24-25 February 2024 - and this year welcomes a new face to the presenting team.

Olympic sailing star Eilidh McIntyre MBE will join the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show hosting line-up for the 2024 edition, which kick-starts the season with interactive family fun, demos, live coaching sessions and the biggest names in marine retail all under one roof.

In 2023 the Show welcomed 8,500 visitors, 160 exhibitors, and hundreds of boats and boards with some 74 expert talks and presentations also taking place over the two-day event. Visitors flocked from all over the UK as well as Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Singapore, Hong Kong and USA.

Featuring dinghy sailing, windsurfing, wingsurfing, foiling, kitesurfing and paddleboarding, however you like to get afloat, the Show will have you covered.

Tickets now on sale: dinghyshow.org.uk

Featured Brokerage
1993 Swan 68-004 Explotadot. 700,000 EUR, VAT Paid. Located in Barcelona, Spain.

Swan 68-004 Explotadot was originally launched in 1993 as ‘Solleone’ for the chairman of Nautor Swan. She was the first Swan 68 to feature four guest cabins with a galley forward arrangement, allowing greater separation from guests and crew. This German Frers designed yacht still maintains her classic lines and provides a true feeling of luxury and comfort. She had her first major refit in 2006/2007 where many systems were upgraded and a new bow-thruster installed and again spent the majority of 2014 undergoing a complete refit in Genoa. In 2019, the boat had another new refit in preparation to cross the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean which also included the main engine and generator.n

See listing details in Nautor's Swan Brokerage

Giorgio Passarella

Tel. +377 97 97 95 07

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J/99 - Calypso. Located in Malta.

The J/99 'Calypso,' which was launched in 2020, stands as the latest addition to the J Sport range, seamlessly blending headroom and comfortable interior accommodations with the agility of a racing boat. This presents a great opportunity to acquire a fully equipped and striking J/99, complete with an extensive array of options. Notably, in the 2023 Rolex Middle Sea Race ‘Calypso’ achieved an impressive 2nd overall in ORC (13 minutes and 19 seconds of 1st after 4 days of intense racing) and 5th overall in IRC in a very competitive fleet beating many professional fully crewed yachts.

This J/99 shares the same DNA as the J/112E and J/121 and designed to meet the needs of owners who wish to sail with a small crew, or a double handed campaign.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Lucy Jackson - LV Yachting
Call: +44 (0) 20 3920 6261
Email:

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2018 TP52 Alegre. 1.5 million (ex VAT) EUR.

Professionally maintained and fully optimised to the highest level of competition on the 52 Super Series circuit. Cradle, container, sails and spares.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
or

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
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