EuroSail News #5494 - 30 January

In This Issue
• New Indian Ocean solo record
• Shirley Roberton: Brian Thompson Interview
• Sustainable future - Southern Wind Shipyard
• Royal Cork's New Admiral
• The usually fierce Tiger looking mild and moderate next weekend
• Cole Brauer rounds Cape Horn, Ronnie Simpson next
• SSE Renewables Round Ireland 2024
• Industry News
• Featured Charter: JPK1180 Sunrise
• Featured Brokerage:
• • Carkeek 47 “Stark Raving Mad IX”
• • TP52 - Quest
• • Bavaria C45
• • ClubSwan 50-014 'Zanoza'
• • Nautitech 44 Open Sport (January 2024)
• The Last Word: Thomas Paine

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

New Indian Ocean solo record for Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest leader Charles Caudrelier
Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest solo round the world race leader Charles Caudrelier sailed into the Pacific Ocean last night after setting a new solo record time for the passage of the Indian Ocean between Cape Agulhas in South Africa and the longitude of Tasmania.

On the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild Caudrelier passed Cape South East, the Tasmanian longitude at 00:03:10hrs UTC this Sunday morning. With a passage time of 8d 8h 20' and 36', the 49 year old French skipper broke Thomas Coville's 2016 record by 3hrs 57 minutes. Caudrelier's average speed in the Indian Ocean has been a remarkable 30.7kts.

The absolute record for the Indian Ocean is held by Francis Joyon at exactly seven days. Joyon sailed IDEC Sport with a crew of six and, unrestricted by any ice limits such as the AEZ imposed on this course, sailed very much further south and therefore covered a shorter distance. At the time, December 2015, Joyon smashed the newly set record of Spindrift 2 by nearly 33 hours.

And, also subject to approval by the WSSRC, Charles Caudrelier has already set one transoceanic record on this race. On Thursday January 25, the skipper of Gitana Team also set a new best solo reference time between Ushant and Cape Leeuwin. He improved on the time established by François Gabart in 2017 by 1d 8h, 25' 55''.

Caudrelier is making a steady 32 knots this morning in the Pacific and sees his lead grow to nearly 1900 miles over second placed Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim 3) who is about 300 miles from Cape Leeuwin. -- Andi Robertson

arkeaultimchallengebrest.com

Shirley Roberton: Brian Thompson Interview
This month, Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast hosts one of offshore sailing's most accomplished names, as multiple world record holder Brian Thompson drops in for a two part chat about being one of the fastest offshore sailors on the planet.

By his own admission, multihull expert Brian Thompson doesn't even know himself how many offshore World Records he's held, but in his opening chat with Robertson, the modest British sailor does admit to knowing for a fact that no one in sailing has ever held more than he has! From Trans-Atlantics to circumnavigations, the final figure is up in the forties, a fact Brian attributes to a long time spent sailing with American adventurer Steve Fossett...:

"Steve was a remarkable guy who was obsessed, and fascinated with breaking world records, and not just in sailing, but in all sorts of sports, so I think it all started with him, and we probably got fifteen world records with Steve, and later on with Lloyd Thornburg on Phaedo, we got another ten. Sometimes I've done the same record multiple times...round Britain three times, round the world twice, so in all I've probably broken near forty world records!"

Further into this first Episode, Robertson and Thompson discuss Brian's first circumnavigation record onboard Fossett's PlayStation, called Cheyenne at the time of the record attempt, and his growing ability to safely sail big boats fast in big seas. It's now something that Thompson is well known for, and as his career developed, he was in increasing demand, finding himself on a star studded ABN AMRO I as stand in helm for a southern ocean Volvo Ocean Race leg that would prove pivotal to the team's overall Race win...:.

This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley's own website - shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast.

Sustainable future - Southern Wind Shipyard
Lifecycle assessment was the important first step in Southern Wind's drive to reduce their carbon footprint. Now they're making positive changes

Sustainability is moving away from being a fashion or a passion, to being almost business as usual. If we don't go in this direction we won't be in business in five or 10 years.' That, in a nutshell, is why Southern Wind has put a lot of effort into a lifecycle assessment (LCA) project, as the shipyard's planning and control manager Paul Dumbell explains.

Yacht owners' interest in sustainability is definitely on the rise, so having accurate data on their boats' environmental impact isn't just the right thing for Southern Wind to do, it also makes good business sense. It's a move that many sailing yacht builders - and yacht racing teams - would like to achieve. Relatively few, thus far, have completed the process and had the results independently audited. That's because if you do it properly, LCA is a long-term commitment and a lot of work.

Full article in the February issue of Seahorse

Royal Cork's New Admiral Demonstrates Sailing In Ireland's Leading Role In Gender Equality Process
Admiral Annamarie Fegan. Photo by Robert Bateman.

This week's election of Annamarie Fegan as Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the first woman sailor to fill the top posting in this extraordinary organisation's 304-year history, is remarkable in that it doesn't seem to have been seen within the sailing community in Ireland as something particularly remarkable at all.

Admittedly it has been well-signalled years in advance, thanks to the Royal Cork's steady officer-promotion process. And if anything, that quietly reliable process is the club's most remarkable feature. The Royal Cork's continuing throughput of very able and multi-talented voluntary officers at all levels, and in every area of interest and activity in the complex functioning of this globally significant club, is a wonder to behold.

For although the RCYC may be global in outlook with an understandably large overseas membership keen to be part of this unique organisation, the fully-active home membership available to keep the wheels turning by renewing the active officer throughput is numerically quite small, even in comparison with some other Irish clubs.

WM Nixon's full editorial in Afloat magazine

The usually fierce Tiger looking mild and moderate next weekend
One of the great classics of the cold season takes place next weekend, 3 & 4 February, when Rutland SC hosts the John Merricks Tiger Trophy. It's the seventh event of the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series which has seen good turnouts over the past number of months.

As ever, Olympic silver medallist David Wilkins will be running the racing on the water as well as being a driving force behind the ongoing success of this long standing event. David has earned a reputation for sending the fleet out to race even in stormy conditions where other race officers might fear to tread. However, while the Tiger has a name for being brisk and breezy, next weekend is looking like a mild and moderate affair on the long-range forecast. The racing looks set to be spot on for some great competition.

Even with the closure of the John Merricks Sailing Trust, the event continues to support other sailing-based charities. "We have put together big plans this year for deprived young people with the fleet of four RS21 keelboats we now have at Rutland," said David. "We also are running programmes with local schools. That is just a small snapshot of what we hope to do. So the funds will be put to good use. Who knows, we may find another John Merricks!"

The Saturday night dinner is always a highlight of the weekend, and competitors can book their spot via the Series website...

Enter the event and buy your dinner here...

Overall in the Series after six events
A total of 406 boats have now achieved ranking points. After the second discard, Sam Pascoe (Musto Skiff - Castle Cove SC), holds onto the top spot, with last winter's runner-up Ben Flower (ILCA 7 - Paignton) still second, currently in Australia at the Laser Worlds, although he will be back for the final event, the Oxford Blue. Dan Vincent (Musto Skiff - Stokes Bay/RNSA) moves up 5 to 3rd, Imogen Wade and Hugo Valentine (420 - Draycote) are up five to 4th overall. With two events to go, there are currently over 100 boats that could qualify, so still much to play for. -- Andy Rice

sailjuiceseries.com

Global Solo Challenge: Cole Brauer rounds Cape Horn, Ronnie Simpson next
Click on image to enlarge.

Few feats are as awe-inspiring as navigating the treacherous waters of Cape Horn. In its first edition, the Global Solo Challenge has been graced with an extraordinary display of sailing prowess by Cole Brauer. Her journey around the legendary cape has been an excellent display of strategy, skill, and resilience.

On her rounding of Cape Horn she was congratulated by sailing legends such as Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, president of the International Association of Cape Horners, and Dee Caffari, the first woman to sail solo nonstop around the world in both directions (eastward and westward). The Global Solo Challenge, with a pursuit format and staggered starts saw 16 skippers taking the start, Cole Brauer currently holds second place in the event having outpaced many of her fellow competitors.

Cole is still hard on the chase of the front running boat Mowgli, sailed by French skipper Philippe Delamare currently leading the competition. Philippe rounded Cape Horn on the 9th of January in heavy weather conditions just ahead of a cold front that was threatening to bring messy and dangerous seas.

Next to negotiate his approach to Cape Horn is American skipper Ronnie Simpson sailing a 1994 vintage Open 50 which was donated by the previous owner, Whitall Stokes, to Patriot Sailing USA which Ronnie proudly represents as a US war veteran, injured in combat many years ago.

globalsolochallenge.com

Entry Now Open to the SSE Renewables Round Ireland 2024
Wicklow Sailing Club has officially confirmed that entry for the next edition of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race is open from today (29 January). The 704-nautical mile-race, which has been described as the Kilimanjaro of Sailing will commence on Saturday, 22 June 2024.

The race will offer both competition and personal achievement for boat owners and crews alike. Since the success of the 2022 event, significant interest has grown in the race with a promising level of pre-entry enquiries already submitted to the race organisers.

Berthing facilities at the pier and quays close to Wicklow Sailing Club's base will be available, in addition to marina options at Greystones and Dun Laoghaire for big boat entries.

The course for the classic biennial offshore event follows the traditional route first contested in 1980 that states - "leave Ireland and its islands to starboard - while starting and finishing at the scenic port of Wicklow on the East Coast of Ireland".

Entries will be accepted from 29 January to 31 May 2024.

See roundireland.ie for updates.

Industry News
On September 10th 2023, Martin Young celebrated 50 years of highly-skilled work at Berthon, a career that began in 1973 when he started as an apprentice joiner. His early influences were the older skilled joiners, foreman Don Slocombe, Ken Woolgar (father of current Berthon project manager Iain Woolgar), Tony Keeping and Ron Hampton. Day release at college completed his education. Berthon was building the 70' Environist for Jack Seiger during his first year, and Martin helped the skilled joiners make and fit the teak interior, a steep learning curve. A year into his apprenticeship, Martin won the Shipbuilding Industry Training Board's Agar Trophy for best trainee, in competition with 75 others from around the country.

During the late 1970s, Berthon built nine Fisher 46 sailing yachts, and Martin helped craft the teak joinery.

In the early 1980s, Berthon built the first Mari-Cha for Bob Miller, the Duty Free Shoppers tycoon, and Martin led the team making the sycamore interior for this 70' sailing yacht. Not long after, Martin met Anita Flood from the Berthon accounts department at the company's Christmas party: they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in 2023.

Over the years, Martin has diversified his skills to include grp and composite laminating, laying teak decks, and invisible repairs to woodwork. He has also carried out the regular maintenance of the sawmill and workshop machine tools.

Martin has passed on his expertise to two generations of apprentices, having trained individuals like Curly, who is now joinery foreman. Curly fondly notes "Martin's impact on my career is huge. Having trained me up as an apprentice 38 years ago, and then handing me the foreman role, he's been there throughout my entire career. He's passed down a wealth of knowledge and skills that I'm grateful for, and I wish him all the best in his retirement."

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Winners & Other Cool Yachts at BOOT

It's the biggest indoor boat show in the world and marks the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere season. Seventeen halls full of everything that floats.

It is also where the Oscars of the boating world, the European Yacht of the Year awards are announced and that's where Matt Sheahan starts as he trawls the halls in search of the 2024 winners and talks to the people behind them.

Boot Dusseldorf is as rich in news, views and announcements as it is in physical boats on display, so as always, there was as much to talk about as there was to see. Plus, Matt declares his boat of the show.

planetsail.co.uk

Matt Sheahan's Blog

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Viko Yachts , a Polish shipyard known for the excellent value for money of its boats, is now a reality in Italy too.

In recent years the shipyard has made considerable progress, after the production of boats under 9 meters such as the Viko 21, three years ago it introduced the Viko 35 among its models. The model debuted on the market with a price of only 85,000 euros, approximately 30% less than its competitors. This yacht, sold in dozens of units, marked a turning point for the shipyard, pushing it to innovate further.

The shipyard has entrusted our Maurizio Cossutti with the design of a new 43 footer, the Viko 43 , the projects of which were presented in recent days at the BOOT in Dusseldorf.

Until recently, Viko Yachts managed all phases internally, from production to sales. Now, with the introduction of the 35 and 43 models, it has been decided to entrust the sale of the brand's models to one of the most qualified Italian importers, AdriaShip of Grado , a company that already imports Bali, Catana and Elan.

solovela.net

vikoyachts.com

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The Oakcliff Sailing Event Management Bootcamp, May 7-11 is designed for regatta directors, events chairs and race organizers. The session provides guidelines to properly and creatively plan for events that come in on budget, and deliver good results. This is not just the fundamentals of Race Administration, but also race official and competitor recruitment, care and feeding of volunteers, prizes sailors really want and more. This is a hands-on intense session that will kick start a successful season.

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Italia Yachts has launcheds a new significant initiative: 55 checks approved - 3 years warranty. 55 checks approved serve as the seal across the entire construction chain, from hull fabrication to boat delivery. Italia Yachts had already begun moving in this direction by consolidating all processing phases into a single structure in Fano to ensure consistent quality for each boat.

Building on its achievements, Italia Yachts extends the warranty by an additional year for any boat introduced to the market. Worldwide.

Italia Yachts enriches its team by including two new high-value technical and experiential professionals: Marco Veglia and Mario Pedone, already known in the industry. Marco Veglia, a naval architect with extensive experience over the years in the development and realization of interiors and exteriors of boats. He is entrusted with managing the relationship between design studios collaborating with the shipyard and the internal Technical Office to ensure the best solutions are always found, speeding up production times so that a boat can always meet expectations. Mario Pedone, with a degree in Materials Engineering and experience gained in both the yachting and aerospace industries for resolving post-sale issues.

italiayachtsinternational.com

Featured Charter
JPK1180 - Sunrise. Located in the UK.

JPK have become known for building fast and very competitive race winning yachts. Sunrise has an asymmetric setup with a 1.7m bow sprit and an IRC handicap of 1.099. This is an exciting 40’ race charter option for any enthusiastic team wanting to win. Available to charter in the UK.

See listing details in Seahorse Charters

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

See the the Seahorse charter collection

Featured Brokerage
Carkeek 47 “Stark Raving Mad IX”. POA.

Major upgrades and refit in 2021. Over twenty podium finishes across three seasons including Newport, RI and the Caribbean.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Expressions of interest for this exceptional boat, along with POA to:
+1-949-466-9210

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TP52 - "QUEST". 299000 EUR. Located in Sydney.

Quest is a new, central listing and an incredibly exciting one at that. This IRC / ORC / TP52 is a two-time Sydney-Hobart overall winner and is a brilliantly well rated, fast and reliable TP52 platform.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Race Boats

+447759 424900

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BAVARIA C45. POA EUR.

BAVARIA C45 - Pure sailing pleasure.

When we designed the BAVARIA C45, we wanted to create a yacht which people would feel completely at home on - with features like the huge bathing platform, big cockpit and bright saloon - and also a yacht of the utmost flexibility. There are two versions available: ‘Holiday’ and ‘Style’.

Furthermore, this is the only yacht in its class available in a five-cabin version as well as three and four cabins, and which has a dinghy garage for a tender. The new BAVARIA C45 is an absolute all-rounder.

For full details

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
bavariayachts.com/service/dealer-locator

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ClubSwan 50-014 'Zanoza'. 600000 EUR. Located in Tallinn, Estonia.

The ClubSwan 50 was developed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Nautor Swan shipyard and celebrate everything that has made this cutting-edge boat builder one of the most widely recognized and trusted brands in yachting.

The result is an eye-catching machine, fully constructed in carbon fiber and utilizing the very latest technology and all the finest materials. The interior is a pleasant surprise and completely unexpected on a performance yacht of this caliber. This yacht is fully configurable for offshore and inshore races and would be a fantastic contender for not only the ClubSwan events but also for offshore events such as the Fastnet race.

See listing details in Nautor Swan Brokerage

Contact
Lorenzo Bortolotti

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Nautitech 44 Open Sport (January 2024). 745,080 (ex VAT) EUR.