The strong Tramontana wind which was blowing this morning dropped suddenly and shortly after the start of the first race, the race officers had to sound the cancellation, the wind having completely disappeared…
Monthly archives for November, 2021
Tide turning in Mini Transat
Thursday
Nov 04
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 04
2021
Posted by XS Editor
(November 4, 2021; Day 7) – The competitors further south today in the 23rd Mini Transat EuroChef fleet have evidently hung a right, deciding it was the time to cash in on their investment and take the direct route towards the West Indies, propelled along by a NE’ly trade wind with better speeds than their northerly counterparts.
Though the trades are slightly lacklustre, their average speed of between 8.5 and 10.5 knots are better than their adversaries further north who are having to pick their way along through patchy breeze and are readying themselves for a few tricky hours, especially so over the course of tomorrow.
The reason for the fickle forecast is a large area of very light winds sprawled right in front of them that could well wreak havoc on the leader board…
Nothing certain at TP52 World Champs
Thursday
Nov 04
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 04
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Mallorca, Spain (November 4, 2021) – A seemingly unerring consistency, Platoon returning a pair of second places and Phoenix a pair of thirds, sees the German and South African TP52s locked in a three way tussle with the USA flagged Sled for the Rolex TP52 World Championship title. After six races only one point separates the trio. – Full report
Iconic Herreshoff and 12 Metre Yachts Paint the New England Coastline During Summer Yacht Series
Thursday
Nov 04
2021
Posted by deleteme
Nov 04
2021
Posted by deleteme
Classic yachts on the run along the Maine coast from Camden to Castine. The 2021 Classic Yacht Challenge Series drew classic-yacht owners and fans from across New England. (Alison Langley/)
Few optics are finer than pulling into a quiet New England harbor before a classic-yacht race and beholding myriad gorgeous yachts, their lovely sheer lines and gleaming brightwork set against a backdrop of hardwood trees in full summer trim. The tradition of racing classic yachts remains strong in New England, and recently has been bolstered by the Classic Yacht Owners Association and its Classic Yacht Challenge Series, which this summer drew dozens of iconic participants and delivered great racing on some of the country’s most storied waters.
The Classic Yacht Owners Association was founded in 2015, with the aim of bolstering camaraderie among classic-yacht owners. One of the most important ways they’ve accomplished this was by joining existing New England classic-yacht regattas into a greater tri-regional circuit that includes Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York. Yacht owners must compete in five races across two of the three regions and be CYOA members to compete for the series’ overall awards. These rules encourage sailors and yachts to travel, meet new friends, and share ideas and classic-yacht culture…
to the rescue
Thursday
Nov 04
2021
Posted by deleteme
Nov 04
2021
Posted by deleteme
Granted, this is essentially a watch commercial, but there is some real honor here…
No 37 Squadron Association celebrates 55 years of Lockheed Hercules C-130 operations at Queensland Cruising Yacht Club. Sailors and aviators discuss the historical origins and use of celestial navigation in aviation…
boom sweeper!
Thursday
Nov 04
2021
Posted by deleteme
Nov 04
2021
Posted by deleteme
The IRC rating offices have seen a growing number of instances and inquiries about additional cloth set under the boom, known by various names including lazy sweeper, deck sweeper, mainsail skirt, water sail.
In response to this, the IRC Technical Committee has issued IRC Notice 2021/02 which explains that this cloth is defined as a sail and explains how to measure the additional area so it can be accounted for in the rig factor.
International Moth Lowrider Nationals at Burton
Thursday
Nov 04
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 04
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The 2021 International Moth Lowrider UK Championships took place at Burton Sailing Club over the weekend of the 30th & 31st October. 25 boats registered and attended for a thrash around the superb, large, elevated Foremark Reservoir in Derbyshire…
Revised course for The Ocean Race
Thursday
Nov 04
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 04
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The race course for the 14th edition of The Ocean Race around the world has been updated due to continuing complications involving the pandemic, which has removed legs stopping in China and New Zealand.
As a result, this is the longest lower latitude leg in the 50 year history of the event – 12,750 nautical mile marathon between Cape Town, South Africa to Itajaí, Brazil. This change will also delay the start from Alicante, Spain, originally planned for October 2022, to now late December 2022 or early January 2023 with the final date yet to be announced.
The rest of the course remains unchanged from what was confirmed March 2020 and then delayed one year due to the pandemic.
The race starts with the IMOCA and VO65 fleets heading out of the Mediterranean Sea to Cabo Verde, visiting this African island nation for the very first time, before racing down to a perennial favorite among stopovers in Cape Town, South Africa…
Race details – Route – Teams – Facebook
IMOCA mixed crews in the Transat Jacques Vabre
Wednesday
Nov 03
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 03
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The IMOCA Class has always welcomed male and female competitors, whether it be in the single-handed classics like the Vendée Globe and the Route du Rhum or double-handed races like the upcoming Transat Jacques Vabre…
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Morocco 2021, day 1
Wednesday
Nov 03
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 03
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The GWA crew and athletes are thrilled to be in Dakhla, Morocco, bringing this new emerging sport to Foum Labouir wave spot for the first time. It is an epic location known for incredible wind and waves, and the forecast for this week is no exception…
Rolex TP52 Worlds at Palma day 1
Wednesday
Nov 03
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 03
2021
Posted by XS Editor
With two solid wins today Hasso Plattner’s South African flagged Phoenix team lead the Rolex TP52 World Championships and moved to the top of the overall 52 Super Series leaderboard with four days of the 2021 season remaining…
18ft skiffs: Rogue powerboat wake takes out Yandoo
Wednesday
Nov 03
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 03
2021
Posted by XS Editor
John Winning, the Patron Saint of the Australian 18 Footers League, and the crew of Yandoo, looked set for a well deserved win in the third race of the 18ft skiff Spring Championship sailed on Sydney Harbour on Sunday afternoon…
hang on honey
Wednesday
Nov 03
2021
Posted by deleteme
Nov 03
2021
Posted by deleteme
Two-time winner of the Silverrudder Hans Genthe explains his radical new doublehanded raceboat concept
Aeolos Yachts is addicted to scientific approaches. The base for our yacht design is market research and competitor analysis to understand the customer benefits. Aeolos does not design boats which suit everyone. We build boats which are perfect for a certain target group and which can be produced economically.’
The Aeolos P30 design
Hundreds of hours of optimisation result in a highly optimised shape. Our team tested various modifications of the hull with more rocker and/or more volume in the midsection with different fins and rudders. For all variations, we checked the influence on the rating…
To old to sail?
Wednesday
Nov 03
2021
Posted by deleteme
Nov 03
2021
Posted by deleteme
Hello everyone…
I have been married for 56 year (high school sweetheart) I had a 30 ft sloop and smaller boats prior to that. Now at 76 I want to do it again, of course my wife says I am to old, I say you don’t know until you try. Anyone gone back to sailing at 76 or older?
wattsAsailor
wattsAsailor
Pyewacket’s Barn Door Burner
Tuesday
Nov 02
2021
Posted by deleteme
Nov 02
2021
Posted by deleteme
<em>Pyewacket 70</em> boat captain Mark Callahan keeps an eye on the horizon while 11th Hour Racing co-skipper Mark Towill keeps the turbocharged Volvo 70 at pace. (Peter Isler/)
Close your eyes and imagine a 2,200-mile ocean race where you start out going upwind in light air. Not very exciting—yet. But within a few hours, you transition to a few hundred miles of brisk and sometimes rough close reaching across a chilly ocean under gray skies. Not fun—yet. Then, over the course of half a day, you go through the boat’s entire reaching sail arsenal until the wind is aft and you are surfing downwind in 18-knot trade winds for days. Now it’s getting good.
But wait—it gets better…
America’s Cup: Avoid Saudi Arabia or else
Tuesday
Nov 02
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 02
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Dr. Hamish Ross, a legal advisor for America’s Cup teams who completed a PhD at the University of Auckland on the legal issues surrounding the America’s Cup, has been questioning the actions of the principal characters in the 37th America’ Cup.
Ross has claimed that Team New Zealand’s chosen Challenger of Record, the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS), was invalid as the challenge was made in the name of a limited liability company owned by RYS, rather than by the yacht club entity itself, and arguably in breach of the Cup’s governing Deed of Gift.
He also considers the pursuit of Team New Zealand to select an offshore venue to host the competition is extending beyond what is permitted, as one of the options revealed – Jeddah in Saudi Arabia – would be in conflict with a 2009 New York Supreme Court decision regarding venue selections where human rights (as in NY and the US) are not respected…
Sailing beyond the four corners
Monday
Nov 01
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 01
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The J/111 Class Rules have a maximum crew weight, and like most one design classes, it is preferred to be as close to the maximum as possible. When one of the teams was slightly under the limit for the 2021 J/111 World Championship, they reached out to Maxwell Plarr, Sailing Director at the host club, for suggestions. Plarr picks up the story here:
Max Hutter, the boat captain for Team Fireball, asked if I knew of anyone under 90 pounds that was able to sail. “Well, I have some good Optimist kids,” I replied, which is how Finley Webster got to compete in his first World Championship at the age of 9!
Finley started sailing last year with the Hampton Yacht Club program and quickly took to racing. I jokingly refer to him as a sponge, because he soaks up everything his coaches tell him. He is devoted to getting better and loves the sport of sailing.
With his parents’ permission he was quick to say yes to this opportunity, and Fireball promptly adopted him onto the team with an intense championship on the line. Finley was able to contribute and keep the boat calm and collected… it’s hard to swear when a spinnaker set goes wrong in front of a 9 year old…
Team DutchSail wins Youth Foiling Gold Cup Act 3
Monday
Nov 01
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 01
2021
Posted by XS Editor
It was their third victory in a row after winning Act 1 and Act 2 earlier in the year. The Dutch team consisting of Cas van Dongen, Scipio Houtman, Ismene Usman, and Merle Louwinger was sailing supreme in Cagliari…
Fawley chimney demolition video
Monday
Nov 01
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 01
2021
Posted by XS Editor
PlanetSail’s Matt Sheahan was on hand in the driving wind and rain on Sunday morning to witness the end of an era as Solent marine landmark Fawley powerstation chimney was demolished…
make your move
Monday
Nov 01
2021
Posted by deleteme
Nov 01
2021
Posted by deleteme
Now hear this! Now hear this!
This is your captain speaking. At ease.
It has come to my attention that there was a certain amount of disrespectful behavior during a recent presentation given at the Cripple Creek Sailing & Croquet Club by Monsieur Alphonse Onaniste, skipper of the Clean Green Sustainable One Minute to Midnight Carbon Neutral entry in the next single-handed Vendee Globe Race…
trickle down
Monday
Nov 01
2021
Posted by deleteme
Nov 01
2021
Posted by deleteme
We’re used to technology trickling down but sometimes it goes the other way. That’s what happened with Harken Air winches, which have moved steadily upwards in terms of size and complexity through grand prix racing fleets over the last eight years, delivering performance gains and major weight savings. The product, with a brilliant piece of design – a super-strong, featherweight, fully optimised structure with a big hole in the middle and a tiny gearbox on the inside rim, replacing a large, solid lump…
they all fell down
Monday
Nov 01
2021
Posted by deleteme
Nov 01
2021
Posted by deleteme
Big Blow in Hamble, UK the other day.
70 knots of breeze blew a Fast 40 blew over, causing the fleet of Cape 31’s to domino, the weight of all that ultimately landing on the previously untouchable fast 40, Ran…
Mini Transat EuroChef Leg 2 Day 4
Monday
Nov 01
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 01
2021
Posted by XS Editor
As has been the case for the past 36 hours, the 23rd Mini Transat EuroChef fleet – with the exception of three competitors who are favouring a trajectory close to the great circle route – is continuing to zigzag its way down the Atlantic…
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