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YACHT Class n°38 (sept-oct-nov 2024)
Clube Naval de Cascais (CNC)
Spectacular racing for the 5th Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy
The annual Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy took place from July 5th to 7th in Cascais. Recognised by UNESCO as an Ocean Decade event for the regatta’s work to promote and raise funds for ocean health initiatives, the CNC event has become one of the highlights of the European summer sailing calendar since its creation in 2020. In addition to the sustainable Mirpuri Foundation Conservation Forum conference, the event offered two days of contested competition to the 700 sailors battling across seven classes. Line honours went to Paulo Mirpuri’s superyacht Green Eyes (NHC), helmed by Honorary Commodore Patrick Monteiro de Barros, while the ORC class was won by the Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team’s VO65 Racing for the Planet, skippered by Olympic athlete Bernardo Freitas. Corrected time saw the victories of : Xekmat (ORC A), Bamak (ORC B). Funbel – Nacex (NHC) and Alta Pressão (Mini Cruises), Solyd Property Developers (J/70), Fernando Bello (Finn), AP Hotels (SB20) and Pedro and Sofia Barreto (Snipe). The Mirpuri Foundation Ocean Prize, in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), was awarded to an IUCN-led initiative in Thailand.
Adapted sailing on the spotlight
Adapted Sailing, one of the CNC’s flagship programmes, has been in the spotlight in recent months as the Portuguese club recently celebrated a decade of existence of one of its most emblematic trophies, the Saúde Prime Cup. Contested in the Hansa 303 class, the competition brought together seventeen sailors in a round-robin format, followed by semi-finals and finals. Victory went to Gil Évora/Francisco Neto. A few weeks earlier, the club also organised its traditional Trophée Brisa and Sailing Without Limits Meeting. The latter brought together more than fifty participants, many of them for the first time, for a fantastic nautical experience aboard the Inclusion, a catamaran developed for adapted sailing, designed and built in Portugal. As for the XVth Brisa Trophy, a championship contested in Hansa class boats, it brought together club members and participants in the Sailing Without Limits programmes during the week. This year’s competition included sixteen users who faced each other in a series of eliminations, culminating in a final of four boats. The 2024 winners were António Chuço and António Barros.
A CNC member, winner of the 2024 ILCA 4 Youth World Championship
Carlos Charabati, a CNC sailor, won the gold medal at the 2024 ILCA 4 Youth World Championships, which took place in Portugal. His gold medal is a first in Cascais Race Teams sailing at these annual championships, created in 2002. Throughout the six days of the event, Carlos Charabati recorded seven top 10 results during the nine races that were held, including two wins. A total of four CNC sailors took part in the competition. The team was coached by Bernardo Loureiro.
A 2nd Invitational Cup in Cascais
Following the success of the first edition in 2023, the CNC will organise the Invitational Cup (J/70) for the second year, to be held in Cascais from October 4 to 6, to which all ICOYC (International Council Of Yacht Clubs) members and its reciprocal clubs are invited. It’s a great way to get in shape before the first-ever J/70 Corinthian European Championship in 2025 and then the 2026 World Championship, which will be held at the club. Registration open at: www.cncascais.com
Royal Cork Yacht Club (RCYC)
A memorable edition
It’s RCYC’s premier event. The 23rd edition of the biennial Volvo Cork Week took place in mid-July in this seaside and university town in the south-west of Ireland, home to the oldest yacht club in the world. With racing at sea and festivities on land, it is a great celebration for the RCYC and the sailing family. Ireland, France, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Ecuador and the United States… once again this year, they have come from far and wide to take part in the five days of competition, with different types of races, from longer coastal courses organised offshore to the ‘Round-the-Cans’ racing inside the harbour, and multiple short races and Olympic courses laid in the open waters, including the race around the Fastnet Rock lighthouse. The 114 boats in the fleet were in for a couple of thrilling encounters. The Crosshaven harbour once again lived up to its promise, providing some fine conditions and some close races that went down to the wire. Results included wins for Rope Dock Atara in the 1720 European Championship, Nick Burns & Andy Pidden’s King 40 Blitz (RHKYC) in IRC Zero and Barry Cunningham’s J/109 Chimaera (RIYC / RCYC) in IRC One. The RS21 class, competing at Cork Week for the very first time, was dominated by Dark n Stormy, with eleven wins from twelve races. In IRC Two, after an epic battle between two Half Tonner boats, it was finally Farr (RSC & BSC) that won the final race, by seven seconds after IRC time correction. This boat also won the Sisk Corinthian Cup. In IRC without spinnaker, Frank Caul’s Grand Soleil 37 Prince of Tides (RCYC) won IRC 1 and John Twomey’s Blazer 23 Shilleagh (KYC) won IRC 2. Special mentions go to the US Patriot Team Racing Holland 39 Imp, winner of the Carroll Cup, the 1902 Classic Lady Min, which received the Hugh Loane Prize for Elegance, and the Young family’s North Star, won the Coveney Trophy for the best RCYC boat. The Kinsale Kettle, rewarding the best overall performance at Cork Week, went to Johnny Treanor’s J/112 ValenTina (NYC), which won by just 0.009 points. Finally, the Beaufort Cup was won by the Irish Defence Force’s J/109 Artful Dodger, skippered by Brian Mathews, after winning both the race around the Fastnet Rock and the inshore races. Second for the series was Denis Murphy & RCYC Admiral Annemarie Fegan’s Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo representing the Crosshaven RNLI. Third was the US Patriot Team.
But the Volvo Cork Week is not just about the competition, there was also plenty to do on shore, with live music, local food, Family Day, Ladies’ Day charity lunch in aid of the Crosshaven RNLI… Each year the event attracts 8 000 spectators and sea enthusiasts.
Yacht Club of Greece (YCG)
Grand premiere
It’s a new event with a great future in the Greek ocean racing calendar. The inaugural Cyclades Cup Antiparos was held last June around the island of Antiparos. Organised in partnership with the Yacht Club of Greece and the Cyclades Cup, this event, endorsed by the SuperYacht Racing Association, was open to superyachts over 30 metres, divided into three categories named after an element of Greek mythology: the Apollo class, composed of beautiful yachts over 30 metres, worthy of Apollo, the ancient Greek god of beauty. The Skyphian class, named after Poseidon’s horse, brought together the fast, versatile over-80-footers, while the Meltemi class encompassed high-performance sloops of unrivalled speed that feel most at home with a brisk ”meltemi”, the Aegean wind, on their swart sails.
“The 1st Cyclades cup was a dream that we shared with Stratis from the Yacht Club of Greece that came true”, explained Ilia Rigas, principal of Cyclades Cup: “Our simple dream was to bring the grandest yachts of the world to Antiparos, creating a fresh venue for superyacht racing. Our aim was to bring together wonderful people from around the world to this tiny island to share the love of sailing, the sea, the natural beauty of the island, and the warmth of Greek hospitality.
We wanted to have a nice balance of competitive sailing in Corinthian spirit together with the social programme that only a simple but chic unpretentious Greek island can offer. We have now demonstrated that Antiparos has the potential to be one of the best destinations for superyacht racing worldwide.” In addition to the fabulous setting, the competition lived up to expectations, as explained Stratis Andreadis, Race Chairman from YCG: “We had two days of great racing testing out the race courses for next years’ cup. The first day was quite difficult as we had to construct a course for a very unusual and shifty wind direction. In the end we finished a light air race in three hours and everyone went home happy. The second day, I believe, will stay in everyone’s mind forever. We designed a course through the channel of Despotiko with a moderate northerly and ended up with some of the most beautiful images yacht racing has seen in a long while. On to next year, with more courses, more days, more unforgettable memories.” After three days of competition and great night-time gatherings, the Cyclades Cup Antiparos came to its conclusion with a prize giving ceremony to remember. The Grand Prize, a replica Cycladic head, formed of brilliant Parian white marble, from the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, was given to the “Head of the Fleet” the yacht Tawera of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron owned by Mike Mahoney for winning both his racing division and winning by the biggest cumulative margin in corrected time.
Société Nautique de Genève (SNG)
The Translémanique en Solitaire: the largest single-handed lake regatta is back
The 51st edition of the Translémanique en Solitaire will take place from August 23rd to 25th departing from the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG). This year it will welcome up to 130 participants.
Recognized as the ultimate test of courage and determination, the Translémanique is a celebration of the passion for sailing and the art of solo navigation. Organised by the Société Nautique de Genève, this event brings together the best sailors from Lake Geneva and also welcomes famous international sailors. A test of endurance and tactics in a spectacular setting, this is also a solo race that requires resilience and tactics. It is open to regatta and racing cruising monohull sailboats.
The Translémanique en Solitaire is run on corrected time, based on a calculation that allows the different sailboats to sail on an equal footing. This is why, at the end of the race, when the last competitor arrives, the calculations will be made and the winner of the race will be determined. Prizes are also awarded to the real-time winner and the winner of each boat category.
Since its creation in 1974 by Gérald-A. Piaget, the Translémanique en Solitaire has been among the main events of the Lake Geneva sailing season. Since 2017, the old Geneva – Lutry – Geneva has been replaced by a complete tour of the lake.
The BCGE Tour du Léman à l’Aviron, an extreme endurance test
From September 27th to 29th, the 52nd edition of the BCGE Tour du Léman à l’Aviron will bring together passionate rowers ready to take up the challenge of the 160-kilometre round-the-lake race, the world’s longest rowing regatta in a closed basin.
The start of this extreme endurance event is scheduled for Saturday September 28th at 8am sharp off the Société Nautique de Genève. Participants will row for more than 11 hours (for the fastest) to complete the circumnavigation of the lake, without interruption and without outside assistance.
This event welcomes up to seven categories of boats: Elite Men, Elite Women, Mixed, Novice, Master, Advanced and Junior. Each team consists of four rowers and a helmsman, i.e. five people on board.
Launched in 1972, the Tour du Léman à l’Aviron is one of the oldest long-distance rowing competitions. The event lasts between 12 and 17 hours, depending on the weather conditions, the boat’s equipment and the level of the crew. The record for the full circumnavigation of the lake is 11hrs 43mins 30secs (all categories together), set by a German crew in 2011.
Yacht Club de Punta del Este (YCPE)
Sailing all around the world
The least we can say is that in this centenary year, the YCPE is, more than ever, keen to make its colours shine. Very active on the international scene, the Uruguayan institution decided to hoist its burgee in all the main events of this 2024 with the ambition of showing the world that its sailors keep the dream of its founders alive : sailing and promoting the club and the seaside town of Punta del Este.
The Yacht Club Punta del Este Clipper boat has just completed the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, with Fernando “Nano” Antía, one of its members, as skipper. The club also recently hosted the Rolex South Atlantic Race but also The Ocean Globe Race, remembering that the club was one of the best host ports in the past three editions of its predecessor, the Whitbread Round the World Race.
All year long, its sailing school trains great sailors, who shine the colors of the club in different classes (Optimist, J 70, ORC, ILCA, 49ers….) in South American events and world championships… but not only. During the southern winter of the South American continent, the Uruguayan club saw many of its sailors migrate to Europe and particularly to the Mediterranean. And participating in premier events like the Rolex Giraglia, won by Fernando Chain, with his boat From Now On, and the Giorgio Armani Super Yacht Regatta, won by another club member Juan Ball, with his boat Moat.
Last July, the club, like that of the rest of the world, was focused on the Olympic Games, and particularly on the 49er class in which two of its sailors, Hernán Umpierre and Fernando Diz, competed. The Uruguayans, who started in the Optimist class, had a real chance of medal, just a few weeks after winning the European Championship. They finally ended at an honourable 10th place.
The dream of a small group of sailors, who decided to start a yacht club in a beach used only by fishermen boats, finds their heirs 100 years later sailing the globe, with the entity joining the best yacht clubs in the world, being the first South American club in the International Council of Yacht Clubs.
Kieler Yacht Club (KYC)
Boris Herrmann wins award in Germany
A member of the Kieler Yacht Club for over 20 years, and an honorary member since 2021, German sailor Boris Herrmann recently received the ‘Deutscher Meerespreis’ (German Ocean Prize) from the Prof. Dr Werner Petersen Foundation, organised in partnership with the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel. This award, worth €20,000, acknowledges his commitment as an ambassador for the ocean and for communicating marine research topics to the general public. “I am proud of what we have achieved with Team Malizia. This includes the growing popularity and enthusiasm for our sport, but above all the visible commitment to education and science to protect the climate and the Ocean. This award honours the long-standing and focused work of the entire team, our partners and supporters worldwide and, last but not least, my wife Birte with our educational programme My Ocean Challenge,” said award winner Boris Herrmann. “We see this award as an incentive to continue our mission with vigour, to look for solutions and, above all, to get people around the world excited about Ocean and climate protection.” After his fine 5th place in 2021, Boris Herrmann, who co-founded Team Malizia in 2017 with the vice-president of the Yacht Club de Monaco Pierre Casiraghi, will participate in his 2nd Vendée Globe aboard Malizia – Seaexplorer starting on 10 November.
Yacht Club Italiano (YCI)
An epic 2024 edition for the Loro Piana Giraglia
It was a close one! After 15 hours, 11 minutes and 43 seconds of sailing, the Blackjack 100 maxi yacht and its 19 crew came within 15 minutes of breaking the record set in 2012 by the same yacht, then called Esimit 2, in the Giraglia offshore race. Despite the disappointment, her new owner, the Dutchman Remon Vos, can rejoice at this second consecutive real-time victory in this prestigious 241 nautical mile race between Saint-Tropez and Genoa, passing by the island of Giraglia, to the north-east of the Cap Corse. Black Jack 100 thus managed to distance the 129 boats that set off from the capital of the jet set the day before, at the end of a race characterised by average speeds of around 20 knots, peak winds of 37 knots, steep and breaking waves at Giraglia and finally an air pocket just before arriving in Genoa. Next on the podium was Pigi Loro Piana’s ClubSwan 80 My Song, skippered by Tommaso Chieffi. A great result for this boat, which sailed close to Black Jack for a long time before she had a problem with the mainsail during a particularly hard jibe around Giraglia. The boat had to finish the race with only the headsail.
The 2024 Loro Piana Giraglia winner, awarded to the yacht making the best overall corrected time, was won by the Lann Ael 3, a prototype optimised for ocean racing with a reduced crew, owned by Didier Gaudoux, vice-president of the Yacht Club de France, the founding club of the Giraglia with the Yacht Club Italiano in 1953.
This was the culmination of a week of high-flying competition that began in Saint-Tropez with four days of coastal racing in Saint-Tropez, which also had their share of close encounters.
Real Club Nautico de Barcelona (RCNB)
The Menorca Sant Joan Regatta, Alfonso XIII Trophy celebrates its 25th edition
Last June saw the 25th edition of the Menorca Sant Joan Regatta, Alfonso XIII Trophy, organised by the RCNB and the Club Marítimo de Mahón. With 50 boats entered, this regatta is one of the benchmark events in the offshore calendar.
After a start marked by rain and a lack of wind, the first boat to cover the 140 nautical miles between the island of Menorca and Barcelona was Kiloton, after just over 19 hours of sailing. Second in real time, the Kasjsa III finally won on corrected time.
RCNB will have a very busy calendar over the coming months. In addition to its regular regattas, the club will host the 37th America’s Cup between August 22nd and October 27th.
De Antonio Yachts, new institutional sponsor
De Antonio Yachts has joined the RCNB as an institutional sponsor. The brand will provide the club with two boats for exclusive use from June to November for its participation in the various regattas on the calendar with its sponsors and partners. The agreement aims to add value to the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, for which the shipyard is the supplier of the official electric boat.
