Giles Scott started day 3 needing a couple of low results to get in contention for the final stage of the Finn European Championship . . . He did just that to finishing the day with a race win and in second place overall…
Monthly archives for April, 2021
Finn European Championship – Scott joins the leaders after a win on day 3
Wednesday
Apr 14
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 14
2021
Posted by deleteme
sailboat in a box
Wednesday
Apr 14
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 14
2021
Posted by deleteme
The latest promo video from the folks at the Reverso Project.
Finn European Championship – Cardona hits top form on day 2
Tuesday
Apr 13
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 13
2021
Posted by deleteme
Spain’s Joan Cardona dominated Day 2 of the Finn Open and U23 European Championship 2021 in Vilamoura, Portugal…
A Key Approach to Passagemaking
Tuesday
Apr 13
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 13
2021
Posted by deleteme
How you approach offshore sailing is key to the success of each passage. In addition, some of the most valuable, even crucial attitudes and skills may not be either learned or valued in everyday life on shore and may even fly in the face of talents that are greatly admired and sought after. The following is what I’ve learned over my years of sailing offshore.
After 15 years of coastal cruising, I decided to take my LeComte Northeast 38, Early Riser, on my first offshore passage, a round trip from New York to Bermuda, to see if bluewater sailing was for me. We prepared endlessly, expecting a five- to six-day passage south. The trip did not go as planned. On day one, we bumped our overloaded boat onto a shoal in New York Harbor. After that came a couple of days at sea of near-flat calm
Then—careful what you wish for—we were chased by a tropical storm that forced us significantly off course. We hove-to until the storm left us behind, ending the now nine-day passage with a boisterous close-reach to our destination…
8,000 miles
Tuesday
Apr 13
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 13
2021
Posted by deleteme
It’s not often that a VPLP architect gets the chance to sail an IMOCA designed by the firm over a great distance. But that’s just what Antoine Lauriot Prévost did when he seized the opportunity to crew HUGO BOSS on her 8,000-mile return trip from Cape Town to Gosport, following her withdrawal from the Vendée Globe.
Under the remote supervision of Xavier Guisnel, who coordinates the engineering team at VPLP Design, Antoine harvested precious information on how an IMOCA behaves on the open sea. The resulting data will contribute to improving the firm’s tools for analysing performance.
Antoine’s experience will also bring to the table a greater appreciation of the “feel” of the vessel, knowledge which can be leveraged during the preliminary design phases of future IMOCAs. Antoine and Xavier told us about their experiences…
ILCA Laser 50th anniversary sail in Sydney
Tuesday
Apr 13
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 13
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Double Bay Sailing Club will host a large exhibition of ILCA Laser dinghies sailing on the iconic Sydney Harbour on Sunday, 30 May 2021, to mark the 50th anniversary of the one-design class…
SailGP event facing worst-case scenario in Bermuda
Tuesday
Apr 13
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 13
2021
Posted by deleteme
All operations at SailGP’s racing facility on Cross Island have been suspended in compliance with the Bermuda Government’s latest Covid-19 restrictions, which came into effect this morning, 13 April…
Lessons of the Sabot Dinghy
Tuesday
Apr 13
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 13
2021
Posted by deleteme
Steve Hunt applies his self-help skills to his Sabot. His methodical approach to understanding the nuances of the classic Southern California dinghy allowed him to better understand what is fast in certain conditions. (Stacy Childers/)
This past spring, I started sailing a Naples Sabot, which is a Southern California kids’ boat, somewhat like an Opti. There have always been adults, as well as kids, in this class, but when the pandemic hit, a lot of other adults jumped into the class, if nothing else, just to get on the water. As a result, San Diego YC’s Monday night fleet rapidly grew to around 25 very competitive boats.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Sabot, it’s an 8-foot, 95-pound cat-rigged dinghy, with a leeboard hanging off on the starboard side. They’ve been around since 1946. I didn’t sail Sabots or Optis growing up, so this was new territory for me—and light-years from the big J/70, Etchells and Melges 20 programs I’ve been involved in lately…
2021 Landsail Tyres J-Cup preview
Tuesday
Apr 13
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 13
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Key Yachting is delighted to announce the launch of the 2021 Landsail Tyres J-Cup. This will be the first major regatta in England following the proposed final stage of the UK Government roadmap to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions…
power ball
Tuesday
Apr 13
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 13
2021
Posted by deleteme
Last week we shared this amazing write-up by Paul Larson on PowerPlay’s Fastnet course record, now check the video. Would have been good if they had identified each guy on camera – most of us have no idea who they are…
Enjoy Downwind Sailing with Walder Boom Brake
Monday
Apr 12
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 12
2021
Posted by deleteme
The innovative Walder boom brake — active safety at sea www.boom-brake-walder.com
GBR’s Neil Payter enters Global Solo Challenge
Monday
Apr 12
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 12
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Neil Payter has been professional sailor and commercial fisherman since 1985 then moved onto becoming a professional skipper and feels now ready for the Global Solo Challenge…
FIRST SAILBOAT PURCHASER. NEED GUIDANCE
Monday
Apr 12
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 12
2021
Posted by deleteme
I’m new to sailing. I just took ASA 101. I only know the basics. I’m am looking to purchase, but I’m more anxious about purchasing than I am to actually sailing! I am gravitating towards a 30ft Catalina. We are not rich people , but could afford a used sailboat. My fear is purchasing a lemon! And to add pressure, my husband, while fully supportive of my dream to sail , he isn’t into it. He says it is like watching paint dry. Other sailors are discouraging me from purchasing a boat…FIRST SAILBOAT PURCHASER. NEED GUIDANCE
Finn European Championship – Strong start for defending champion
Monday
Apr 12
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 12
2021
Posted by deleteme
First day of racing at the Finn Open and U23 European Championship 2021 in Vilamoura, Portugal. After two races defending champion Zsombor Berecz (4,5) of Hungary tops the leaderboard…
Charleston Race Week overall
Monday
Apr 12
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 12
2021
Posted by XS Editor
While major regattas around the world are still getting canceled because of coronavirus, Charleston Race Week elected to press forward with its 25th anniversary celebration…
Crunch time for Finn champ Scott
Monday
Apr 12
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 12
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Giles Scott says the Finn European Championships will provide a crucial performance benchmark as he returns to the Olympic circuit fresh from the America’s Cup…
Momma said there’d be days like this
Monday
Apr 12
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 12
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The first year of an Olympic campaign in the women’s 49erFX skiff event is mastering boat handling skills, and progress does not occur without setbacks. Lucy Wilmot and Erika Reineke, who are working toward Paris 2024, share the pain of improvement: Training in Fort Lauderdale this past month brought a whirlwind of chaos. However, preparation and thinking quick on our feet gave us the opportunity to maximize each day to the fullest.
We started off March testing our boathandling skills in short course racing. The pressure was on to execute maneuvers we had been working to perfect since last October. With no obvious pattern to the waves, each tack, gybe, set and dowse was slightly different from last. Heart rates were high as we found ourselves constantly adjusting timing and weight placement through each maneuver. The margin for error was high and having fluidity in our boathandling was the only way to constantly hit the averages…
Team Barker back into the Young 88’s
Monday
Apr 12
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 12
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The Young 88 fleet continues to strengthen its position as a great racing and cruising option for all ages, stages and regions of the country. The newest crew to join the fleet are “Team Barker” taking over Dangerzone from “Team Marsh” in March…
Figaro 3 – Sardinha-Cup – St.Gilles Croix-de-Vie FRA – Leg 2 – Day 1
Monday
Apr 12
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 12
2021
Posted by deleteme
Yesterday late in the afternoon, the 21 two-person teams set off for the second and final leg of the Sardhina Cup in fresh winds around 20kn. The 775-mile leg is expected to last until Friday. Northerly winds make for a tactically challenging cross across the English Channel to the Scilly Isles, the return leg with astern winds should then be a speed race. This morning Pep Costa ESP/Will Harris GBR, holding close to the coast, were narrowly in the lead. Tanguy Le Turquais/Corentin Douget FRA are just 0.7 miles back in 2nd. —– The race-tracker, the report and the videos.
SailGP – Bermuda in Covid lockdown
Monday
Apr 12
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 12
2021
Posted by deleteme
Bermuda, host to the first SailGP event of the 2021 Series 2 has gone into a “shelter at home” policy from Tuesday 13 April…
Crossing shipping lanes in the fog
Sunday
Apr 11
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 11
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Avoiding collision requires visibility which is hard in the fog, and once was a whole lot harder before pinpoint navigation tools. But what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger and provides good stories… here’s one of them:
From Chuck Hawley:
When I was graduated from high school in 1973, my parents allowed me to take the family’s Herreshoff H-30 ketch from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara and back with four of my classmates as a graduation present. Sailing along the California coast in summer is an exercise in avoiding very strong NW winds in the afternoon when northbound, and navigating in dense fog, all while avoiding coastal shipping traffic. A perfect place for teenagers!
We made it down the coast, somehow, to Santa Barbara, and decided to head across to Santa Cruz Island on a particularly foggy day, cutting directly across the busy shipping lanes that connect Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor to the North Pacific…
2024 Vendée Globe projects already launched
Sunday
Apr 11
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 11
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The president of the IMOCA Class was a passionate fan of the ninth edition of the Vendée Globe. And so now looking forwards to 2024 projects are emerging fast as are new ideas and solutions which will make it possible to have a faster, better race…
World class Finn fleet keen to start racing
Sunday
Apr 11
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 11
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The 2021 Open and U23 Finn European Championship gets under way in Vilamoura, Portugal, on Monday with around 49 sailors from 29 nations completing measurement and registration over the weekend…
Charleston Race Week day 2
Sunday
Apr 11
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 11
2021
Posted by XS Editor
It was moving day at Charleston Race Week and many teams took that mandate to heart. There was a shakeup of the standings within several classes as certain boats many opening day leaders were overtaken…
Drain hole in keel?
Sunday
Apr 11
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 11
2021
Posted by deleteme
Hello, I’m working on my Irwin 30. I dremelled into what I thought was a seeping blister in my keel (about half way up the keel about two inches from the back edge). I ended up finding a small plug (less then a dime in size) just below the surface. The plug was ‘plugging up’ an obvious man-made channel (the channel makes a quick turn so I can’t see see very far in). I’ve googled without finding an obvious explanation of what this could be. A drain for the keel? Should I leave it…Drain hole in keel?
36th America’s Cup put under the microscope
Sunday
Apr 11
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 11
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Key moments and analysis on the 36th America’s Cup. This includes several interviews with key team members on their recollections of some of the more spectacular incidents, which were glossed over at the time due to the pace of the event…
Figaro 3 – Sardinha-Cup – St.Gilles Croix-de-Vie FRA – Leg 2 – Today Start at 17h
Sunday
Apr 11
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 11
2021
Posted by deleteme
The start to the second leg of the Sardinha Cup, which leads over 800 miles to the Scilly Islands in the south of England and back, takes place today in St.Gilles. The fleet of 21 two-person teams is expected back in France on Friday. Given the small margins in the first stage – Xavier Macaire/Morgan Lagravière FRA won by just 5 minutes from Alexis Loison/Guillaume Pirouelle FRA – the final decision will be made in this leg. —– The preview.
Etchells – Midwinters West Regatta – San Diego Yacht Club – Day 2 – Chris Busch and his team defend rank 1
Sunday
Apr 11
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 11
2021
Posted by deleteme
Another three races were held yesterday at the San Diego YC Etchells Midwinters West Regatta, and Chris Busch/Ben Mitchell/Patrick Powell, San Diego, CA, defended rank one 3 points ahead of Jim Cunningham, San Francisco, CA and another 3 points back the teams of Thomas Carruthers, San Diego, CA, and Argyle Campbell, Huntington Beach, CA. —– The results and the event website.
Monday 12 April . . . One small step!
Sunday
Apr 11
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 11
2021
Posted by deleteme
From Monday 12 April, England will be in Step two and the following will change or reopen under the Government’s Covid-19 Response − Spring 2021 guidance…
A new American crew set for the Globe40
Saturday
Apr 10
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 10
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Following on from Joe Harris – Gryphon Solo 2 – whose track record includes a first circumnavigation of the globe in 2016, another top-flight American crew has now joined the Globe40 ranks…
Charleston Race Week day 1
Saturday
Apr 10
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 10
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Charleston Race Week 2021 got off to a rousing start on Thursday with organizers completing multiple races for all classes in moderate to medium conditions…
Call for Transat boat race competitors
Saturday
Apr 10
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 10
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Entries are open for the second annual transatlantic Route Saint Pierre Lorient – Pure Ocean Challenge which gets under way on June 13th. The open class event offers sailors a competitive way to travel to Europe for the summer racing season…
Analysis of the Kiwi AC75 Te Rehutai design
Saturday
Apr 10
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 10
2021
Posted by deleteme
Before unraveling what the next America’s Cup will be like, it is essential to understand why Te Rehutai was the fastest, and here Chevalier Taglang discusses the advantages, in yacht designing terms, of the Kiwi second AC75…
M32 North America 2021 schedule
Saturday
Apr 10
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 10
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The season includes a mix of coastal distance and high intensity around-the-buoy racing building up to our anticipated 20 boat fleet at the Miami World Championship in November…
Champagne Barons de Rothschild adds some sparkle to SailGP
Friday
Apr 09
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 09
2021
Posted by deleteme
SailGP has partnered with Champagne Barons de Rothschild to add the requisite sparkle for the 2021 Season events across three continents and eight countries…
2021 Finn Europeans saved by Portugal
Friday
Apr 09
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 09
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The 2021 Open and U23 Finn European Championship will be held April 12-16 in Vilamoura, Portugal. Wtih a fleet of around 50 sailors from 28 nations entered, the event is the beginning of the end of the extended road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and for many it is being used as a warm up event to the crucial Finn Gold Cup in Porto in four weeks, the final Olympic qualification event.
Registration opens for 2021 Rolex Big Boat Series
Friday
Apr 09
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 09
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The Notice of Race has been posted and registration is open for the 2021 Rolex Big Boat Series at St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California…
U.S. SailGP Team completes line-up
Thursday
Apr 08
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 08
2021
Posted by XS Editor
With the second season for SailGP to kick off in Bermuda on April 24-25, the U.S. SailGP Team have revealed its complete SailGP Season 2 lineup with the announcement of Daniela Moroz (USA), CJ Perez (USA), and Paul Campbell-James (GBR) to its roster in addition to its acquisition of Philippe Presti (FRA) as head coach.
The additions bolster a previously announced lineup that includes Rome Kirby (USA), Andrew Campbell (USA), Cooper Dressler (USA), and Alex Sinclair (ANT) — all selected by helm Jimmy Spithill (AUS) who took over team leadership from Kirby.
The U.S. team joins seven other campaigns in pursuit of the championship’s $1 million winner-take-all prize…
it’s on
Thursday
Apr 08
2021
Posted by deleteme
Apr 08
2021
Posted by deleteme
Looks like big fleet racing in the US is starting to pop.
For the Melges 24, there is nothing quite like the anticipation of Charleston Race Week. It has become a massive, highlight event that elevates the level of fun and competition so high, it is powerful enough to set the momentum for the entire racing season. Read on.
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