After months of waiting the verdict came in. In the so called Oscars of european sailing industry Seascape 18 was voted the winner in the category of Special yachts. Jury of editors from 11 biggest European magazines decided for Seascape since it “it represents best fun/price ratio on market”.

Journalist’s comment about selection:

Batnytt: Represents an econymy version of an Open 60 or VO 70. Quick, light and fun sailing for a nice price.

Seilas: Scores point on its simplicity - it’s not the most innovative or advanced boat, but its the attention to details and well thought ideas which impresses me. The concept of the boat and how the boat is used is well developed. It’s got a carbon mast, but it looks like a windsurfing mast. It’s light, easy to rig and a very uncomplicated boat.

Yachtrevue: A very good attempt, to transfer a modern VO70-hull-concept to a small boat; it is a very nice feeling, to sail with such a small boat at speeds of 15 Knots or more; excellent downwind performance; well done fittings: simple but functional; you feel the experience of the builders.

Yachting World: A scaled down Mini-Transat-styled One-design sportsboat, that’s affordable, versatile and lots of fun. Lifting keel and twin rudders allow her to be both beached and trailed, simple construction keeps the price tag down, while a carbon rig aids performance. Up to 15.5knot surfs on our first kite run! Playful and tamable, with her broad aft stable form sections, this is a both a fun family toy and a potentially thrilling sportsboat class within a commendable budget - definitely special.

Swissboat: Uncomplicated but yet challenging: The Seascape provides fun and speed for beginners and proven sailors - and remains at a very interesting price.

Voile Magazine: The very clever Seascape 18 is a good boat for racing or day-sailing. Maybe not the best for the open sea but a very pleasurable all-rounder, easy to trail and easy to sail.

Yacht: An almost democratic approach to small sportsboats: easy to rig, easy to beach, easy to handle - and a blast to sail when it’ s windy. Besides, quite accessible in terms of price, too - at least if one considers carbon mast, boom, bowspirt and laminate sails. And you can camp on the Seascape 18 with a tent over the vast, unobstructed cockpit. The only downside is performance in low wind - too much wetted area and too much weight with three on board.

Waterkampioen: It gives a lot of people the possibility to experience a little bit of the spectaculair sailing that you see nowadays (Open 650, Volvo 70 - you name all the well known downwind flying gennakerboats) for themselves. For a fair price (around 20.000€) and easy to achieve. The boat sails easily, is easy to handle and is more like a ‘fun’ performer, than a flat-out racer. It is forgiving, but can reward you with 14 to 17 knots downwind speed without getting in trouble.

More news on:

http://www.yacht.de/yo/yo_news/powerslave,id,8900,nodeid,50.html
http://www.yachtrevue.at/news-segelyachten/eyoty-2010-die-gewinner-910800.html
http://www.yachtingworld.com/news/439726/european-yacht-of-the-year-2010-winners

For New year greeting we borrowed words of Bernard Moitessier:

I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present. In this limitless nation, this nation of wind, light, and peace, there is no other ruler besides the sea.

In 2010 we wish you fair winds, following sea and courage to explore the unknown.

Team Seascape

Strong team of Seascape representatives joined our French dealer Francois Coutant from SDF in this year Paris Boatshow. And fortunately so, since the stand K51 was buzzing from activites. Some confirmed orders and over 100 new requests for test sailing and or quote will keep our French and Benelux dealers busy troughout the winter. Invitation to join biggest French sportboat race Grand prix Ecole Navale in Brest as OD class added the motivation for our dealers and customers.

A lot of interest went also to Seascape sailing center, that was presenting it’s programme for 2010.

Match racing, cruising, raids and more on a mere 18ft sailboat. Don’t believe it? Click on the photo bellow to open our new Seascape Newsletter which is covering the activities of the class during the summer. Newsletter itself is in PDF format and will open in your Acrobat reader.

Second Match race organized by YC Kornati again on the fleet of 4 Seascapes from Seascape sailing center took place in the island of Murter in Croatia. 5 teams, from Slovenia and Croatia competed.
FIrst day race committee managed to finsih Round robin duels that saw three men team sandwiched by women team of ex 470 Olympic sailor Vesna Dekleva on the top, another women team of Ana Gojčeta on the bottom of the leader board.

On second day fresh NE wind that followed passage of the cold front made for a bit more exciting sailing. Finaly Dekleva won the semifinals against Piesevoli, and Štibrić won against Barbieri. In finals Dekleva and her team won against Stibirć by 2:0 and by that proved that she feels comfortable also in this discipline of sailing.

Sailing club Val from Šibenik is the first one to organize Match race on Seascape18. Competing on the fleet of 4 Seascapes from Seascape sailing center (www.seascape.hr) the 10 crews from Slovenia and Croatia (2 of them female and 2 mixed ) are in their final duels as we write this. Even though in Croatian only, you can check photos and results on www.jkval.hr and follow the races trough trackers.

Arrival to Ijmuiden that is lying on the entrance to Amsterdam’s docks brought back memories from our previous life. Instead of warm blue waters of Adriatic before us stood murky wild waters of North Atlantic. With the background of gray skies drizzle and temperature in young teens the stage was set for the selection of European Yacht of the year 2010.
Seascape was nominated to the selection with 5 others in the group of special boats. From our competition only K650 showed up, the rest are obviously going for much more tame sailing conditions in Barcelona later this year.

First day was untypical warm and almost without wind. So we will skip it and focus on the second.
15-20kt of wind and gray skies greeted us on the morning of day 2. Torqueedo 401 electric engine kindly borrowed to us by Marko from SLO 007 proved to be just strong enough to push us trough against the wind out from the marina.
On schedule were 7 journalist from 7 countries that were exchanged on the boat by RIB. Me and Kristian stayed on the boat as crew while journalist took helm. Usually we started by one round in flat waters behind the breakwater and then made another trough crazy tide-against-the-wind waves on the exit of the channel.
My respect to journalist who managed to control Seascape surfing down the waves with speed regularly hitting 14 knots and on occasions exceeding 15.  It must be quite tricky to change the wheel of aluminium Allures 51 with carbon tiler of Seascape.
Some photos that were kindly sent to us by Axel Nissen-Lie from Norwegian magazine www.seilas.no

Our Belgian owner of BEL 017 Eric Van Nieuwenhuyse was kind enough to borrow us his Seascape so we were spared from trailing Seascape across half of the Europe. Also thanks to Gregoire Beauduin, our Benelux dealer for his help.

Challenge of first semi-offshore double-handed race for Seascape18 class gathered 3 crews that set sail on 60 miles long course from Sukošan around Blitvenica lighthouse and back to Sukošan.
See breeze played along and experienced crews of Kristan and Mojca on SLO 001 and Ratko and Nina on CRO 025 followed closely by Metod and Martin on CRO 004 surfed down the Zadar channel with average speed just over 10 knots. Fastest sailed mile had average of 11,7kt!!!
Ratko and Nina beat SLO 001 on Blitvenica rounding by just few boatlenghts so it was obvious that the race will be decided in dying breeze over night. The way back had proven itself as war of the nerves which was won by Kristian and Mojca that were first to catch the breeze next morning. CRO 025 followed within the hour and shortly after Metod and Martin on CRO 4.
Race proved to be great succes among the crews and we are looking forward to 10+ fleet fighting to beat the record and competition the next year.

Photos: Ana Lukanc, Andraž Mihelin

From 1st to 5th of July three Seascapes opened the new chapter in Seascape events. Seascape sailing center (www.seascape.hr) organized first Kornati Adventure, that took place in bay of Vrulje in Kornati national park. Breakfast, sailing, swimming, hiking, some more sailing, workshops, dinner and waiting for moon-set on the terrace of “hacienda” was generally the day’s schedule.
Organized exclusively for Seascapes (owners or ones that rent them in the Center) next Kornati Adventure will take place from 12th to 16th of August. And after that, there is one scheduled in September as well.

SLO-007 Crvenkapa with Marko an Jakica arrived to Kornati together with CRO 4 and CRO 25 sailing…

While press team and local team arrived with traditional Murter fishing boat.

Little piece of Heaven is under renovation but is stunning even as such.

Evening discussions couldn’t take place in better environment…

… that is with a view like that in the night…

… and like that in the morning…

Finale of boat building workshop where everyone had to build a racing boat from things found on the beach.

The race course for new controversial prototypes was set in reaching conditions across the bay. Detailed report can be found shortly on Seascape.hr

Return to Sukošan in perfect conditions.

Believe it or not, this photo was taken by Ana on our return just in front of Zdrelac bridge.

And a short video from the last two days…

Photo: Ursa Drofenik

3rd Seascape cup & 2nd Microsoft Dynamics IT cup took place embedded in 10th edition of Fiumanka race that takes place in Rijeka/CRO.
7 boats from 3 countries raced in two day programme. On Friday Seascapes joined fleet of Janneau OD35 boats that were hosting Press regatta and sailed on Olympic triangle courses. 4-8 knots of thermal breeze was enough for close fights throughout the day. After day one crew of Dejan Prosen on SLO2 was leading the pack in front of Damir Pahljina on CRO9 and Jakica Jesih on SLO007.

Night show race that took place in the heart of Rijeka an hour after sunset proved to be great fun for all the crews. At 2330 race committee decided to send boats back to the shore but some crews stayed on the water even after the bouys were picked up. Hard to blame them since reflectors, projection on the hydroshield and music that was coming from the stage next to the harbour made an impressive stage for night sailing.
CRO4 With Tome Bašič eventually took 1st place in this show in front of Dejan Presen on SLO2, Ratko Štibrič on CRO25 and Damir Pahljina on CRO9.

The Fiumanka race was threatening with light or no wind in the afternoon so finishing well on the turning buoy proved to be the name of the game. After poor start crew of Jakica Jesih and Marko Pihlar on SLO007 Crvenkapa made a nice comeback to claim 2rd place just in front of Burkart brothers on GER13. Ratko Štibrič and Nina Popovac on their CRO25 moved into the lead in the second part of the leg and defended it all the way to the end.

End results are:

1 7 SLO2 PLAVI Dejan PRESEN 1 2 4
2 10 CRO25 Ratko STIBRIC 8/DNS 1 1
3 10 SLO007 CRVENKAPA Jakica JESIH 4 4 2
4 11 GERO13 Armin BURKARD 3 5 3
5 11 CRO9 AGD REKLAME Damir PAHLJINA 2 3 6
6 16 SLO1 ŽUTI Pero NOUBADY 5 6 5
7 23 CRO4 INTERGRA GROUP Goran ARBANASIC 8/DNS 8/DNS 7