The crew from the Hong Kong-flagged tanker, Silver Muna, recovers two men and their dog that were aboard a sailboat that had been adrift for several days in the Atlantic Ocean on December 13 2022. The two men aboard the Atrevida II were recovered after being spotted by the crew of the Silver Muna and later transferred to Coast Guard Station New York where they were reunited with family and friends. (Courtesy video by the crew of the Silver Muna). – Full report
Monthly archives for December, 2022
ETF26 production to be relaunched in 2023
Wednesday
Dec 14
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 14
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Following the takeover of Jean Pierre Dick’s ETF26 business in the spring of 2022 and the current strong momentum of the ETF26 SERIES sailing events, Pierre Picot and his company Anemo Sailing are relaunching the production of fabulous foiling catamarans…
Woody took the wind out of son Herman’s sails
Wednesday
Dec 14
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 14
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Legendary 18 footer sailor and former JJ Giltinan World, Australian and NSW champion John ‘Woody’ Winning (Yandoo), along with Fang Warren and Josh Porebski, lowered the colours of the previously unbeaten Andoo, skippered by his son John ‘Herman’ Winning…
Missing sailors along eastern USA coast
Tuesday
Dec 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dane Kmetz contacted Scuttlebutt as his father-in-law had gone missing on a sailing trip, and would appreciate assistance as the Coast Guard searches for the overdue sailing vessel which departed November 26 from Cape May, NJ.
Missing are Kevin Hyde, a 65 year-old male, and Joe DiTomasso, a 76 year-old male, and a dog. The vessel is transiting from Cape May to Marathon, Florida with a planned port call in Jupiter, Florida.
On November 29, Hyde and DiTomasso ran aground upon entering Rudee Inlet, near Virginia Beach, Virginia. Coast Guard Station Little Creek and Virginia Beach Fireboat 12 helped to safely refloat the boat with no reported damage.
Coast Guard Fifth District command center watchstanders received a report December 11 that the blue and white Catalina 30 Atrevida II had not been heard from since December 3 when it departed from a stop at Oregon Inlet, North Carolina.
The Coast Guard commenced an air and water search effort on December 12, initially focused on the ocean between North Carolina and Marathon Key. The Coast Guard has since expanded its search area from the northern coast of Florida to waters east of New Jersey.
Coast Guard assets in the region continue urgent marine information broadcasts and communications with mariners to help locate the overdue vessel. The assets thus far include:
• Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City HC-130 Hercules airplane and MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews
• Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater HC-130 airplane crew
• Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew
• USCGC Oak (WLB 211), homeported in Newport, Rhode Island
• USCGC Richard Snyder (WPC 1121), homeported in Atlantic City, North Carolina
• U.S. Navy USS San Jacinto (CG 56), homeported in Norfolk, Virginia
“The total area is about 16,000 square miles. So, to put it into perspective, it’s roughly twice the size of New Jersey. We’re looking for something that’s a little bit bigger than a large SUV,” said Commander Daniel Schrader of the United States Coast Guard.
Due to the large search area, the case was transferred to the Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command Center Monday. Anyone with information regarding the Atrevida II is asked to contact the Coast Guard Atlantic Area command center at (757) 398-6700.
Bye Bye Florida
Tuesday
Dec 13
2022
Posted by deleteme
Dec 13
2022
Posted by deleteme
There’s a story on my boat’s website that everybody should read who lost a boat in the two recent hurricanes, or who might be thinking of getting their boat out of Florida. We’ve found a safer, (and a lot cheaper) place to keep our…Bye Bye Florida
AC37 – Broken Rules, Broken Boats + New Tech
Tuesday
Dec 13
2022
Posted by deleteme
Dec 13
2022
Posted by deleteme
Just the second Mozzy Sails Recon Report and it’s been an incredibly busy month…
The first female trifecta at the Manly 16s
Tuesday
Dec 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Minutes after crossing the finish line in the sixth long course heat of the season, the first three females to “trifecta” a club race at Manly 16ft Skiff Club shared a special moment 100 years in the making…
Volvo fleet returns to Heineken Regatta 2023
Monday
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
With just months to go before the start of the 43rd edition of the St Maarten Heineken Regatta, many race teams are now finalizing their arrangements to attend this bucket-list event…
Joe Harris: Entering the no mistake zone
Monday
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
American Joe Harris along with Roger Junet are competing in the Globe40, an eight-leg doublehanded round the world race in Class40s. Seven teams were at the beginning on June 26, with five teams now on the fifth leg from Papeete, Tahiti to Ushuaia, Argentina.
After starting on November 26, Harris files this report from onboard GryphonSolo2 on December 11, 2022:
We are now just 1,400 miles from the infamous Cape Horn, and we just had a tough day. At 0600, I wake to a cold and increasing wind and sea state and quickly go to the computer to review the forecast for the day, which is for winds in the 20s gusting to 30. However, we are already seeing high 20s windspeed and it looks to be increasing.
We have too much sail up…
No Southern Ocean for world races
Monday
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
In the fabric of around the world races is the extreme conditions of the lower latitudes. When passing the tip of Africa, easterly routing descends south for better winds and shorter courses, but this is no easy ride. Massive waves and freezing temperatures are legendary.
To both simplify this section of the earth, and to brand it with terminology that shivers the spine, the span along Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, Australia’s Cape Leeuwin, and South America’s Cape Horn has been referred to as the Southern Ocean.
Note the uppercase and singular spelling, as this refers to a specific place. However, when the oceans have gathered at parties, the table had only four chairs for the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans. But this all changed on World Oceans Day in 2021 when the Southern Ocean was formally recognized.
Although sailors have been referring to the icy waters around Antarctica as the Southern Ocean for decades, it had been a battle among the international scientific community to define its boundaries.
There was also a debate about its name, as the same region had also been unofficially referred to as the Antarctic Ocean. But when the International Hydrographic Organization asked its 68 member countries to agree on a name, 18 of the 28 responding countries voted in favor of calling it the Southern Ocean.
So now where is it? While the other oceans are defined by the continents that fence them in, defining the location of the Southern Ocean was less obvious…
Globe40: Entering the Furious Fifties
Monday
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The 2022-23 Globe40 is an eight-leg doublehanded round the world race in Class40s. Seven teams were at the beginning on June 26, with five teams having started the fifth leg on November 26 from Papeete, Tahiti to Ushuaia, Argentina.
(December 12, 2022) – Around 1,000 miles from Cape Horn, the GLOBE40 crews are having to contend with a succession of depressions, the latest one fueling winds of up to 50 knots. Though the skippers aren’t currently reporting any serious damage, the atmosphere is one of tension and concentration during this tricky phase.
The course includes the Chilean Gate, positioned some 1,500 nautical miles from the coast of Chile which forms part of the event’s safety device, as well as adhering to the spirit of the category 1 classification (rules for equipping sailboats according to their course – category 1 comes just after category 0, the latter equating to sailing with no limits).
The gate is positioned in such a way as to prohibit the competitors bound for Cape Horn from dropping down to the more hostile southern latitudes. All the competitors have now negotiated this mark with some 37 hours separating the first and the last boats.
After negotiating the Chilean Gate, a deeper than forecast secondary depression rolled over the top of the fleet yesterday serving up an average of around 35 knots of breeze, gusting up to 50 knots. It was a tense moment for the GLOBE40 teams which are set to reach Cape Horn on December 16…
2022 Star South American Championship Day 3
Sunday
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
It was finally a windy day in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the Yacht Club Argentino at the Dársena Norte is organizing the 2022 Star South American Championship with 25 teams fighting to win the silver star continental event of the year…
44Cup Oman overall
Sunday
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
On the concluding day of the 2022 44Cup’s final event, the 44Cup Oman, PRO Maria Torrijo defied the odds and was able to stage three races…
2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race Video
Sunday
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
In 2022, a fleet of 118 yachts from 24 countries had to negotiate extremely light winds, requiring crews to demonstrate supreme patience and perseverance to maximize every opportunity to maintain momentum…
NSW 18ft Skiff Championship Race 3
Sunday
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The Yandoo team of John Winning Sr., Fang Warren and Josh Porebski closed the gap to Andoo (John Winning Jr., Matt Stenta and Sam Newton) in the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship with a amazing exhibition in the North East wind conditions…
ETNZ set new wind powered land speed world record
Sunday
Dec 11
2022
Posted by deleteme
Dec 11
2022
Posted by deleteme
Emirates Team New Zealand and Land speed pilot Glenn Ashby have sailed ‘Horonuku’, their wind powered land speed world record craft, faster than any previous records…
Cup Spy Dec 9 : Not enough hours in Patriot’s day
Saturday
Dec 10
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 10
2022
Posted by XS Editor
American Magic was the only team to sail/tow on Thursday/Friday December 8/9. The Brit’s saga over the legality of their Instrumentation Pole continues. A team has put forward a tighter solution covering a total of nine components on the AC75…
44Cup Oman Day 2
Friday
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
After a light start, conditions were optimum off Muscat’s Al Mouj Marina for day two of the 44Cup Oman, the fifth and concluding event of the 2022 44Cup…
Shirley Robertson talks with Tom Slingsby
Friday
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Tom Slingsby: “I was getting yelled at by Russell Coutts, and I still remember sitting there thinking ‘I can’t believe I’m sitting there with these legends, Grant Simmer, Jimmy (Spithill), Ben Ainslie, Russell Coutts’, I remember I was really in awe!”
2022 Star South American Championship Day 1
Friday
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The 2022 Star South American Championship has started Thursday and will end on Sunday December 11th in Buenos Aires, Argentina, organized by the Yacht Club Argentino at the Dársena Norte with the International Star Class Yacht Racing Association…
Windpowered landspeed record attempt this weekend
Friday
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
With weather conditions at South Australia’s Lake Gairdner finally turning for the better, pilot Glenn Ashby is preparing take a crack at the world mark of 202.9kph this weekend…
there goes my christmas
Friday
Dec 09
2022
Posted by deleteme
Dec 09
2022
Posted by deleteme
Not Sailing
Last week, the crew of the Royal Dutch Navy patrol vessel HNLMS Holland lucked out with a particularly easy drug bust. No pursuits, warning shots or boardings were required: all they had to do was pull 5,000 kilos of cocaine out of the water.
A Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) patrol aircraft spotted a floating field of bales in international waters of the Caribbean, and the Holland diverted to the scene to investigate, along with a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. The Holland dispatched her small interceptor boat, and the crew discovered that they had stumbled upon a vast cargo of cocaine, afloat on the high seas and waiting for pickup.
No suspects were present, so there were no arrests to make. The drugs were hauled aboard and passed off to the U.S. Coast Guard for destruction. Read on.
Floating wind farms coming to California
Thursday
Dec 08
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 08
2022
Posted by XS Editor
While it is a long time from happening, navigating off of California may ultimately get a bit more complicated, according to this report by the Associated Press:
The first-ever U.S. auction of leases to develop commercial-scale floating wind farms in the deep waters off the West Coast attracted $757 million in winning bids on December 7 from mostly European companies, in a project watched by other regions and countries just getting their own plans for floating offshore wind started.
The auction featured five lease areas — two in Northern California and three in Central California — about 25 miles off the coast that have the potential to generate 4.5 gigawatts of energy, enough for 1.5 million homes. Combined, the lease areas cover 583 square miles of Pacific Ocean.
The winning bids came from Norway’s Equinor; California North Floating, part of Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners; Germany’s RWE AG, and Central California Offshore Wind, a part of the French and Portuguese joint venture Ocean Winds. Invenergy was the only American company with a winning bid…
New investment values Ainslie’s SailGP Team at $40m
Thursday
Dec 08
2022
Posted by deleteme
Dec 08
2022
Posted by deleteme
Sir Ben Ainslie has secured further investment in his Great Britain SailGP Team . . . giving a valuation of US$40m for the Great Britain SailGP Team…
Cruising World Boat of the Year 2023
Wednesday
Dec 07
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 07
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The winners of the 2023 Cruising World magazine Boat of the Year competition are the Lyman-Morse LM46 (Domestic Boat of the Year), a performance cruiser from New Zealand naval architect Kevin Dibley, and the Hallberg-Rassy 400 (Import Boat of the Year), a cruiser with versatility penned by naval architect German Frers.
“The Lyman-Morse LM 46 is a heck of a boat,” said judge Mark Pillsbury. “Cold-molded construction, top-notch systems, a powerful sail plan, and an interior that is both practical and lovely at the same time. Purpose-built for an experienced owner, for sure, but in terms of a pure sailing machine, the 46 was the standout boat in this year’s lineup of new models.”
The judging panel was “thunderstruck” by both the formidable sailing prowess and the exacting level of execution of the LM46, which received their unanimous nod for Domestic Boat of the Year…
Tall Ship Concordia sinks
Wednesday
Dec 07
2022
Posted by deleteme
Dec 07
2022
Posted by deleteme
I just heard a report that the 188′ Canadian tall ship Concordia sank off of Brazil today. Apparently there was no loss of life and the crew and students were in three lifeboats that were picked up by two merchant vessels. There’s not really much info on the sinking yet. If y’all hear stuff, post it! Having worked in the Tall Ship industry for a number of years I know this boat well; she’s pretty new, well built and run by a good crew. This is going to be a big blow to the industry.
Cup Spy Dec 7: INEOS tow tests – sail next week
Wednesday
Dec 07
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 07
2022
Posted by XS Editor
INEOS Britannia conducted a five hour, ten tow testing session off Mallorca, Palma. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, the Italian challenger had a useful test sailing session in winds of up to 12kts off Cagliari, Sardinia. Top Kiwi coach joins Luna Rossa…
Six-time world champion Ian Williams to miss 2022 WMRT Final
Wednesday
Dec 07
2022
Posted by deleteme
Dec 07
2022
Posted by deleteme
The line-up for the 2022 finale of the World Match Racing Tour in Sydney, Australia, has been confirmed…
war of words
Wednesday
Dec 07
2022
Posted by deleteme
Dec 07
2022
Posted by deleteme
Anarchist David wrote
that the recent Cabbage Tree Island Race podium was indeed filled by small boats and as any experienced offshore sailor knows there are times when the conditions favour the small boats just as equally there are times when conditions favour the big boats. When at the ‘corner’ of rating size there is always the possibility of conditions suiting one size boat but equally quite the opposite.
This Cabbage Tree island Race lasted 24 hours, was in light primarily reaching conditions, and covered 172Nm AND goes nowhere near the Bass Strait. In other words, less than one-third of the race distance of the Sydney Hobart which is over 600 Nautical Miles long and a much greater difference than the ‘tiredness’ or lack thereof of the smaller shorthanded boats is that the Sydney Hobart is highly unlikely to have the same weather conditions (relatively light reaching) for the 600 miles and the three days or more it takes to complete the race…
World Match Racing Tour Final skippers confirmed
Wednesday
Dec 07
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 07
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The line-up for the World Match Racing Tour Final 2022 has been confirmed, with 10 teams invited for the inaugural Tour event to be sailed on Sydney Harbour…
Cup Spy Dec 6: Luna Rossa & American Magic
Tuesday
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Tuesday was described by both the Luna Rossa crew and the AC37 Recon Team as being quite a productive day the Golfo degli Angeli…
Registration for N2E 2023 is open
Tuesday
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The Newport Ocean Sailing Association announces that online registration is open for the 75th Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race. The iconic coastal race will start off the Balboa Pier on April 28, 2023…
Race to Alaska: Going beyond the norm
Tuesday
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The year was 2014, and sailboat racing was killing itself slowly. More and more races, going around the same windward-leeward course. Boat designs were getting harder to sail, and the investment to sail them was increasing. The sport was evolving toward extinction.
And then came the announcement for the Race to Alaska, proposing to be North America’s longest human and wind powered race. A 750 mile course on a boat, with a chance of drowning, being run down by a freighter, or eaten by a grizzly bear.
Other than no engines permitted, it was anybody’s guess what best to face ferocious squalls, killer whales, tidal currents that run upwards of 20 miles an hour, and some of the most beautiful scenery on god’s green earth.
R2AK was based on the hardest kind of simplicity. Just you, a boat, a starting gun, and $10,000 if you finish first, a set of steak knives if you’re second, and Cathartic elation if you can simply complete the course. It was a self-supported race with no supply drops and no safety net.
The 2015 race far exceeded expectations, and was annually followed through 2019 before the pandemic derailed the race in 2020 and 2021, with the race returning again in 2022.
Beyond the concept’s unbridled adventure, race organizers brilliantly brought it to life through spirited reporting and imagery. Not only did they have an un-regatta format that people were desiring, they delivered the vibe to a wanting audience. At Scuttlebutt, we adored it all.
Yet despite our fan status, and publishing over 100 stories on the event, being there is significantly different. Thankfully, that is now possible too.
Created by R2AK Film Boss Zach Carver and his team of filmmakers, The Race to Alaska movie is a visceral film showcasing the camaraderie of the racers and the competition of the race. From the quirky to the sublime, from Olympic athletes to high schoolers, the characters in this film show that there’s no one way to do the hardest thing you’ve ever done.
Using all the footage from the first five races, both from the race media team and competitors, the movie perfectly captures the exciting and adventurous spirit of R2AK. It is not about winning, it’s about living, and doing it on the water reminds us what living is like.
Pay the nominal fee to become immersed in the experience: https://r2akthemovie.com/
Live Coverage: Solas Big Boat Challenge
Tuesday
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Coverage of the Solas Big Boat Challenge, the final race of the 2022 Australian Maxi Championship, raced on Sydney Harbour on Tuesday December 6, 2022…
Eight Bells: Robert Keefe
Tuesday
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Robert Cotter “RC” Keefe passed through the Golden Gate for the last time on December 4th, 2022. Bob was 90 years old and the Senior Staff Commodore of the St Francis Yacht Club where he was a member since 1950.
His life was dedicated to the St. Francis and sailing, he lived and breathed everything that ever floated. He was the Club Historian for over 30 years, writing monthly articles in the Club’s Mainsheet magazine.
Bob joined the Barient Winch Company in the 1960s where he grew the company to the most prominent winch company in the world. While at Barient, he oversaw the development of the “self-tailing winch” which is the same basic design we used today.
After Barient, he founded the Keefe Pacific Company where he developed and built anchor windlasses. Not surprisingly, the license plate on his car was “Winch”.
Bob was part of the golden years of sailboat racing on San Francisco Bay. He raced aboard Bolero with Denny Jordan and then on Baruna with Jim Michael. It was during this time that he had the idea to have a large sailboat racing event on the Bay. The idea of the “Big Boat Series” was started with the first event in 1964.
He is credited as the father of Big Boat Series, and as the boats traveled up from Southern California, they would call him at home via the ship-to-shore radio. He would meet them at the St. Francis Yacht Club guest docks and welcome them into the Club for a drink in the Grill room, no matter the hour! In 1966, he was awarded the “Yachtsmen of the Year” award for his efforts with the Big Boat Series…
Heli Rescue, 3 Adults + 15 yr old, aboard “Rojodan” cat, 98 miles off Hatteras
Tuesday
Dec 06
2022
Posted by deleteme
Dec 06
2022
Posted by deleteme
Three adults and one teen rescued from disabled sailboat 98 miles off of Cape Hatteras | Island Free Press
The Coast Guard rescued three adults and a 15-year-old from a sinking sailing vessel Thursday approximately 98 miles from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The 41-foot sailboat Rojodan crew contacted Coast Guard Sector North Carolina at approximately 6 p.m. Wednesday, stating that they had lost the…
islandfreepress.org
It will be interesting to get the back story, sequence of events that obviously went sideways, plus departure location/date, destination, experience of skipper/crew.
Anonymous Global Solo Challenge entry revealed
Monday
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Swiss-based, Australian, Henry Rourke had been tempted by an ‘adventurer’ entry in the Vendee Globe but never saw a realistic path to making that dream come true…
Globe40: Diving deep in the Pacific Ocean
Monday
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
American Joe Harris along with Roger Junet are competing in the Globe40, a multi-leg doublehanded round the world race in Class40s. Seven teams were at the beginning on June 26, with five teams now on the fifth leg from Papeete, Tahiti to Ushuaia, Argentina.
After starting on November 26, Harris files this report from onboard GryphonSolo2 on December 4, 2022:
Senator, we are a long way from anywhere. This is ‘Point Nemo’ where NASA drops used satellites and jet trash. Ain’t nuthin’ or nobody around for thousands of miles.
But strangely…. I have been here before… in 2015 during my solo circumnavigation when I felt way lonelier, so at least I have four other boats around me now in the event of a disaster.
For the start of this leg, we motored quite a distance to get to a scenic location with little wind. We won the start while nosing Sec Hayai out at the committee boat (French Naval vessel) end of the line but then sailed into a wind hole.
We then had to choose the southern route between Tahiti and Moorea which was shorter, or the longer route around the north end of Tahiti which had more wind. We chose south and chose wrong and parked up for a bit before admitting our error and humbly following the fleet to the north. Oh well!
World Sailing . . . Back to the Future
Monday
Dec 05
2022
Posted by deleteme
Dec 05
2022
Posted by deleteme
Without a hint of irony World Sailing has announced that they will work with four of the leading Olympic class regattas on three key areas…
Phuket King’s Cup 2022 – match racing TP52s
Monday
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Unrelenting Grey was the colour card for the opening races of the PKC 2022 big boat programme. 20 kts of breeze gusting 25, and a 1.2 nm leg windward-leeward for the racing divisions got the 34th King’s Cup away today…
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