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After a gentle start and a peaceful first night of the Vendee Globe, the entire fleet will begin this evening rounding Cape Finisterre. The conditions will be tough – 30 knots of wind, gusts of 40 knots – throughout the night. The objective: to get out of it without incident to continue the descent of the Atlantic. Read more here.
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The Vendée Globe is arguably the pinnacle of solo ocean racing. On November 10, 40 skippers will set out from Les Sables d’Olonne, France, with the aim of sailing nonstop, unassisted around the world. Many will not make it. In recent years, the race has had an attrition rate between 20 and 30%, with everything from sinking to electrical failures ending campaigns. While the podium always reflects the best of the best, in a race this tough, for most skippers just getting to the finish line is the ultimate goal, and no matter where you look in the fleet, inspirational stories of grit and passion abound. Winning the race is one thing, winning the hearts of spectators is another.
The fleet of IMOCA 60s is dominated by the French, but in total, this year’s 40 skippers will include 11 nationalities, among them Japan, China, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, and Hungary. Conrad Coleman will sail under the joint flags of the United States and New Zealand and will be the only American in the fleet. The fleet will also include six female skippers and two para-athletes.
In recent years, American offshore racing has really started to come into its own, as seen in particular with 11th Hour Ocean Racing’s victory in The Ocean Race, and Cole Brauer’s record-setting solo circumnavigation in the Global Solo Challenge. If this has put you in the mood to follow the Vendée Globe, but you’re not sure exactly where to start, here are some unsung campaigns to get excited about.
Though this will be Kojiro Shiraishi’s third Vendée Globe campaign, he’s been involved with offshore racing since before the Vendée Globe even existed. He worked on the shore crew for his mentor Yukoh Tada’s BOC Challenge-winning campaign, which still inspires his racing today. “Watching my first BOC Challenge was incredibly emotional. I made so many friends during the Newport stopover, and we’re still in touch today,” Shiraishi remembers. He was back in New England, this time for his own campaign, last spring when sailing the Transat CIC and NY-Vendée.
Shiraishi, who speaks neither English nor French, says being the only Japanese sailor in the fleet has never been a problem for him. “They have been very welcoming. There have never been any issues. The only difference between us is that they carry a fork with them, and I have chopsticks,” he jokes. There are a few other cultural nods aboard DMG Mori, such as the temple hanging on his bulkhead or the rope tunnels that bracket his helm station, which are painted red to evoke the image of a Shinto temple.
“Maybe it’s the Japanese thinking, but we want to make things that last a long time, not just things that go as fast as possible. The main goal isn’t necessarily to win, but to teach. We want to bring young sailors in,” he says. To that end, the team has two bases for emerging sailors, one that races a Mini 6.50 out of Japan, and a French location that has two more Minis and a Figaro. This provides a pathway for young Japanese sailors to compete against the European cohort that tends to dominate the offshore scene. Mentorship was a huge influence on Shiraishi, and giving back is an essential component of his campaign.
“In the IMOCA class, even if we compete in the same race, all of the boats are really different, and the people are really different. But at the end of the day, there’s only one ranking. That’s what makes it unique.”
Follow along on Instagram @kojiro.shiraishi
Sam Goodchild’s calm, understated way of talking about his campaign belies that this has been his dream since he was a teenager, reading about it in magazines at just 14 years old. He got his first taste of the Vendée Globe at 18 aboard Mike Golding’s boat and has never looked back, working on numerous other offshore campaigns, such as Phaedo and Spindrift. He then sailed the first three legs of The Ocean Race with Holcim-PRB, which gave him critical IMOCA experience. Now, 20 years after that first seed was planted (he will turn 35 about a week into the race), Goodchild will be headlining his own campaign. His team is part of a joint endeavor with French skipper Thomas Ruyant, and he will be sailing Ruyant’s former boat, built in 2019 (then called Linked Out).
“We’ll be the only boat ever to do a fully integrated two-boat campaign,” says Goodchild, adding that this arrangement lets the two sailors share resources and expertise, like their design and communications offices. Both boats are sponsored by cybersecurity company Advens, “but instead of putting their brand on the sail, they wanted to put their mission. We need to embrace our vulnerabilities in order to improve,” Goodchild says. “In the 21st century, we’re starting to ask ourselves what we’re doing with our lives and what impact we’re having. It’s nice to support something that’s got a goal and a meaning.” Both his boat and Ruyant’s are officially named Vulnerable, though his is green with “For the Planet” livery, while Ruyant’s is blue with “For People” livery.
Goodchild’s boat is an all-arounder, and though he days it will never be the fastest boat, it will also never be the slowest. He’s hoping that consistency will be the key to doing well in a race that lasts for months. His goal is to finish, and he foresees the biggest obstacle being finding a balance between pushing for performance and sailing conservatively enough to keep the boat healthy.
Follow Vulnerable on Instagram @goodchildsam
Clarisse Crémer is currently the fastest woman to solo circumnavigate unassisted, having finished the 2020 Vendée Globe in just 87 days. From the moment she finished, she says she had one goal: get back out there.
The path wasn’t easy, and when Crémer’s maternity leave impacted her ability to get the necessary qualifying miles and consequently her sponsorship deal, there was an international outcry. Fans demanded that the race organization reconsider systemic barriers that might affect female sailors more their male counterparts. Soon, she had a new sponsor in L’Occitane en Provence and was back on her way to the start line.
Crémer says she learned a lot with her previous campaign and has been able to outfit her IMOCA (formerly Apivia, which took line honors in 2021) better. She says the boat excels in light air, upwind, and in transition zones, while downwind and big seas can be a challenge. To make things more comfortable, she has added a proper bed, a bucket seat, and a fully enclosed cockpit. Making life onboard palatable is essential in a race this long, where it’s critical to keep both the mental and the competitive edge for months on end.
“I was struggling with my mental health at the start of the last Vendée Globe. I was standing at the bottom of a mountain looking up, and it took a full 15 days to get my head straight,” she says. This time, armed with more knowledge and confidence, she plans to be tactically more aggressive than last time.
“Every system that you cross, every mistake that you make, it teaches you something. It’s very hard to accept the technical issues. I really struggled last time with that uncertainty. As things break down, you’re constantly mourning for the boat you had yesterday,” she says. “But I’m more confident now. You learn a lot about the weather, the strategy, but the biggest thing you learn is how to deal with the mental side of it.”
Her first goal is to finish, but beyond that, she hopes to be in the top 10 and stay competitive with the other boats of the same generation.
Follow the campaign on Instagram @loccitane_sailing_team
A dismasting during the 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre set Oliver Heer back nearly 7,000 miles on his Vendée Globe qualifying track. The remaining events on his calendar became must-finish races.
Then, during the Transat CIC, disaster struck again. Heer’s boat rolled, and he suffered a complete electronic blackout. Unwilling to give up his chance at qualifying, he managed to rewire the solar panels so that he could use the autopilot for a few hours when it was sunniest. Even when it was bright out, this left him hand steering over 18 hours a day. He used paper charts to navigate. “I was so, so happy to arrive. There were times when I was not sure I would make it. The lesson is to never give up, there is always a way to get the boat to the finish line.”
The Swiss sailor approaches his racing with a humble optimism that distills down to pure grit when push comes to shove. Heer did not make a top 39 spot that would have guaranteed his position on the starting line of the 2024 Vendée Globe, and the 40th spot goes to a wild card team selected by the organizers. “It wasn’t an easy choice, as [all the remaining] skippers are extremely deserving…After careful consideration, I’ve decided between them in the order of the mileage rankings,” explained Alain Leboeuf, President of the Vendée Department and the Vendée Globe. Because he dragged himself to the finish of the Transat CIC instead of retiring, Heer was the final addition to the fleet, securing the 40th spot.
His boat Tut gut., which is an older generation non-foiling IMOCA, can point a lot higher than the foiling boats, he says. It does well upwind and in light air but lags when reaching.
Follow along on Instagram @oliverheeroceanracing
If none of these sound interesting to you, don’t worry. There are plenty of other skippers to root for. Consider Sam Davies, the Vendée veteran racing for a lifesaving children’s charity, or Boris Herrmann, The Ocean Race legend who won hearts in 2023. Other familiar faces from The Ocean Race will also be there, including Benjamin Dutreux, Paul Meilhat, Justine Mettraux, Damien Seguin, Charlie Dalin, and Sébastien Simon. Seguin and Jingkun Xu are each competing as para-athletes. Pip Hare’s honest, delightful social media is sure to charm spectators just as it did in 2020-21. Violette Dorange will be setting out on her first around-the-world race at just 23 years old. As is always the case in the Vendée Globe, it’s about more than who makes the podium. With so many inspiring stories, this is sure to be a race to remember.
Fabrice Amedeo (Nexans – Wewise) – FRA
Romain Attanasio (Fortinet – Best Western) – FRA
Eric Bellion (STAND AS ONE) – FRA
Yannick Bestaven (Maître CoQ V) – FRA
Jérémie Beyou (Charal) – FRA
Arnaud Boissières (La Mie Câline) – FRA
Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée) – FRA
Conrad Colman (MS Amlin) – USA/NZL
Antoine Cornic (Human Immobilier) – FRA
Manuel Cousin (Coup de Pouce) – FRA
Clarisse Crémer (L’Occitane en Provence) – FRA
Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) – FRA
Samantha Davies (Initiatives-Cœur) – GBR
Violette Dorange (DeVenir) – FRA
Louis Duc (Fives Group – Lantana Environnement) – FRA
Benjamin Dutreux (GUYOT environnement – Water Family) – FRA
Benjamin Ferré (Monnoyeur – Duo for a Job) – FRA
Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) – GBR
Pip Hare (Medallia) – GBR
Oliver Heer (Oliver Heer Ocean Racing) – SUI
Boris Herrmann (Malizia – Seaexplorer) – GER
Isabelle Joschke (MACSF) – FRA/GER
Jean Le Cam (Tout commence en Finistère – Armor-lux) – FRA
Tanguy Le Turquais (Lazare) – FRA
Nicolas Lunven (Holcim – PRB) – FRA
Sébastien Marsset (Foussier) – FRA
Paul Meilhat (Biotherm) – FRA
Justine Mettraux (TeamWork – Team SNEF) – SUI
Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian) – ITA
Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) – FRA
Alan Roura (Hublot) – SUI
Thomas Ruyant (VULNERABLE) – FRA
Damien Seguin (Groupe APICIL) – FRA
Kojiro Shiraishi (DMG MORI Global One) – JPN
Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) – FRA
Maxime Sorel (V and B – Monbana – Mayenne) – FRA
Guirec Soudée (Freelance.com) – FRA
Denis Van Weynbergh (D’Ieteren Group) – BEL
Szabolcs Weöres (New Europe) – HUN
Jingkun Xu (Singchain Team Haikou) – CHN
November/December 2024
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The final word on the America’s Cup!
When the decision to move away from Auckland because the then New Zealand government reckoned the America’s Cup wasn’t worth supporting to the required level. Many people criticized Grant Dalton and Emirates Team New Zealand with talk that Barcelona wouldn’t work for one reason or another.
Well after the crowds that attended the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona spending multiple millions of Euro in the city, I am sure the powers that be in New Zealand are regretting that it wasn’t New Zealand Dollars being injected into their tourism industry and economy in general.
There, that’s got the politics out of the way, what about the event itself? We don’t know if the two European teams from France and Switzerland and France would have found competing on the other side of the world rather than on relatively home waters, but the event attracted a healthy number of challengers, the city and its citizens appear to have welcomed them and the event with open arms, and it was good to see crowds of people lining the foreshore on each of the race days.
Of course the venue was much more accessible by the fans of all the teams than Auckland would have been, except for the defender’s supporters but they too were there in their droves.
Picture ©Job Vermeulen/ America’s Cup.
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And you’re an IOM freak? Then here ya go!
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Ineos Britannia started their fightback with two race wins an day 4 of the 37th America’s Cup to finish the day 2 – 4 down to Emirates Team NZ…
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Emirates Team NZ take a 4-0 lead, The conditions were better, the racing was better . . . The result was the same…
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Inos Britannia has one last chance to turn this Cup around . . . Unlikely as that might seem…
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Lieutenant Dan, the TikTok star who refused to evacuate from his sailboat in Tampa Bay Harbor, has survived Hurricane Milton.
The 54-year-old, real name is Joseph Malinowski, became an online sensation for his flat-out rejection of advice to leave the area in recent days—even when it looked like Tampa would suffer a catastrophic direct hit by the storm. Milton turned south in the hours before making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday night in Siesta Key, around 70 miles south of Tampa. More here.
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A new IMOCA before even having completed a round-the-world trip?
While the IMOCA class advocates values of sustainability, carbon footprint reduction, and circular economy, some choices, such as those of Thomas Ruyant , raise questions.
In 2023, Ruyant had a new IMOCA built for the 2024-2025 Vendée Globe, but he is already starting the construction of another boat for 2026. While he has not yet tested his new one on a round the world race … Although his current IMOCA could be taken over by Sam Goodchild , who shares his TR Racing team, the rapid construction rate seems at odds with the values advocated by the class. More.
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SWE, NED and ESP are the top three Group B teams and advance to Friday’s semi-finals, with the Aussie missing the cut…
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It was a dramatic day of many highs and lows in Port Vell, Barcelona, today as INEOS Britannia won the Louis Vuitton Cup, defeating Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli 7-4. The British had complete control of the race for the most part as winds were remarkably consistent given the forecast. They will now go on to face Emirates Team New Zealand for the America’s Cup Match beginning October 12, in another best-of-13 series.
The breaking news of the day is that Luna Rossa co-helmsman and America’s Cup GOAT Jimmy Spithill announced he is retiring from Cup action to make way for the young guns in the sport.
We’ll have a full report in Monday’s ‘Lectronic, including interviews with Jimmy Spithill and Sir Ben Ainslie. In the meantime, here’s a snippet from the America’s Cup newsroom.
“Inches and hard yards were fought for in Barcelona today in a classic final race at the Louis Vuitton Cup, and when the dust settled from the on-water fireworks, it was INEOS Britannia that emerged as the top Challenger and secured their place in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match, where they will face the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand, with racing beginning on October 12.
“It is over 60 years since Great Britain had a yacht compete for the America’s Cup trophy in the final Match, and what INEOS Britannia has achieved here, winning against the vastly experienced challenge of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, cannot be underestimated.”
The post INEOS Britannia Defeats Italy and Jimmy Spithill Retires From Cup Racing appeared first on Latitude38.
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In a display of neat perfect sailing, the Brits moved to one win away from winning the LV finals, and facing mighty TNZ. More here.
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And that seems to be the single largest determinant on day one of the AC LV final between Prada v Team Frack.
Race 1
Gucci Gucci, Louie Louie, Fendi Fendi, PRADA
Breeze on! Gotta be 18-20. 8 leg race instead of 6. I am expecting at least one, if not both boats to DNF. (I was wrong, which is strange because I’ve never been wrong before. Weird.)
Prada crushes frack at the start, frack tacks away, tacks back and Prada crosses easy. Prada is flying higher and looks faster, but would we know? the broad aster aren’t showing the boatspeeds on the beat. Prada rounds first and immediately hits 52 knots and builds a 275. lead. Fracks rounds well behind, rolls into a clumsy tack, and Prada builds a 330m lead. They look flawless.
400m lead now but Frack takes 50m out of the lead, but Prada, at this point looks untouchable. Kind of amazing to watch Prada round the weathermark and just rockets away downwind at 50 knots. Prada touches down and Frack gains 50m. Prada rounds the leeward mark with nearly a 400m lead.
The Britts butcher the rounding and Prada stretches, clearly the better boat today. A 635m lead proves that. Prada seems to make less fuss going through the water and rounds the leeward mark with a 500m lead.
Breeze drops slightly, but no matter to Prada, as they round the final weather mark with a 44-second lead. The lead builds to over 800m and this race is officially a beating!
Prada has changed jibs,, to what we don’t know, although the breeze is up over 20 and the RC has delayed the start. Frack gets a better start and they are going better. Prada’s jib looks too small, Frack starts to stretch to a 140 m lead and rounds first and touches down, Prada gains but Frack goes well to round first.
Prada though looks good on the left, gaing the whole time. Frack slams them but Prada keeps gaining though, only 80m behind, Frack rounds ahead, with Prada lurking.
Frack has better vmg on the run and they build on the run. Prada takes the right gate to no avail. Frack simply going better. But Prada is hanging in there, but not gaining. Ineos is simply better, stretching and wins decisively.
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INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli finished the first day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Final aith a win apiece…
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So far, fortunately, the predicted very active 2024 hurricane season has not lived up to expectations. That doesn’t mean people close to the storms that have erupted care about the predictions — the Grenadines were hammered early in the season by Hurricane Beryl. It’s the local predicament that matters.
In the Pacific, Hurricane John rapidly ramped up to a Category 3 storm and struck the southern Mexico coast south of Acapulco (site of last year’s devastating Hurricane Otis). It is now Tropical Storm John that is landing off the Mexican coast, continuing to bring torrential rains with life-threatening mudslides and flooding. Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast of Florida is bracing for Hurricane Helene, poised to hit tomorrow morning.
The so-called “Big Bend Coast” of Florida is somewhat lightly populated, though that doesn’t matter much to those who live there. The wind, rain and storm surge will be significant, so residents and boating interests are doing the best they can to prepare before it arrives tomorrow. Current predictions are for Helene to hit the coast as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane, meaning wind speeds from 111 mph to 156 mph. Even at the lower end, the wind combined with rain will cause severe damage to those facing the current uncertain path of the storm’s eye.
Hurricane/Tropical Storm John continues to travel along the Mexican coastline. While the winds are reduced, they’re still damaging, and forecasts predict rains of 6 inches up to an impossible-to-imagine 30 inches in isolated areas.
The post Damaging Hurricanes John and Helene Hitting the Coasts appeared first on Latitude38.
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Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and NYYC American Magic will meet in the in a one-shot, winner-take-all, UniCredit Youth America’s Cup Final. After four outstanding fleet races in Tuesay’s Semi-Finals Marco Gradoni, from Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, and Harry Melges representing NYYC American Magic, both sealed their places in the UniCredit Youth Match Race Final to…
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The British AC40 Athena Pathway team secured the final UniCredit Youth America’s Cup Semi-Final spot in a final race showdown in Barcelona…
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We are told that the use of cyclers to deliver power to trim the sails on the America’s Cup boats is a breakthrough – the kind of cutting-edge technological development that only the extreme competitiveness and huge budgets of the Cup cycle can produce.
Baloney. Consider the illustration to the left (click to expand). It’s from the February 1974 edition of the British magazine Yachting World and clearly shows that the idea of onboard cycle-generated power was being explored half a century ago.
The accompanying explanatory text begins: “In the attempt to obtain more power for winching sheets you can be sure that the seaborne sailing bicycle is soon to be seen”.
The system was developed by Lewmar at the request of the French AC campaign. Those concerned about the legality of non-sailors pedaling below deck were assured that “The teamwork required is only an extension of current crewing techniques. As the load increases, the gear can be changed by the cyclists as if they were going uphill.”
An intriguing aspect of the proposal was how it dealt with the angle of heel problem. Simple! “The tandem frame is gimballed fore and aft, because it would be difficult to exert effective leg push at an angle to the vertical.”
But with typical British reserve, Yachting World felt compelled to ask its readers: “Now comes the question of whether this is absurd.” Fifty years later, that’s still a good question.
– anarchist David
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Today’s AC LV Series
AM v Prada
Do or die for American Magic. Lose and go home.
Lumpy with 8 knots. Once again AM wins the start, forces Prada to tack, Prada going better but AM crosses and tacks on Prada, Prada sails through their Lee and forces AM to tack, Prada first at the weather mark by 14 seconds.
Prada builds a 400m lead, AM jibes away, Prada rounds the leeward mark 20 seconds to the good. Huge split on the next beat, no real change, but AM creeping a bit closer, now within 80m.
Prada only 8 seconds ahead at the weather mark, but Prada sails into more breeze and builds a 250m lead, which AM promptly eats into, then AM blows their jibe, Prada boogies away to round 22 seconds ahead at the bottom mark.
Prada is going very well, sailing strong, and they have this guy named Jimmy Spithill, perhaps you’ve heard of him? They build a 500m lead to round the final weather mark by 51 seconds, build the lead to 700m and baring breaking their traveler, this one is over. And it is.
AM was good, if not a bit strange. They had moments, but then they had a lot of control issues and other moments of mediocrity. The boat didn’t seem like it wanted to turn very well, but in fairness, none of the boats did. However, in comparison, Prada did it much better, as could be said for their overall effort.
A word about Spithill: he is, by far, the best skipper out there. His leadership skills are superb, his positive, cheerful and calm demeanor onboard is inspirational. His experience, knowledge, and skills are going to be very hard to beat going forward.
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Great start of the Sandberg Estates J/70 Worlds. The event organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP) and the J/70 class International Association has opened the scores with the dispute of the first two races programmed. With a first and a seventh, Douglas Newhouse and Jeremy Wilmot`s, USA, “Yonder” is the first leader of an overall that today has been marked by the irregularity of the fleet.
With about nine knots of wind from the northeast, the race committee blew the first starting horn just fifteen minutes late, at 11:45 am. After nearly an hour and a half of intense competition, it was Newhouse and Wilmot’s “Yonder”, from the New York Yacht Club, who took the win ahead of Douglas Rastrello’s “Good to go”, also racing under the U.S. flag representing Newport Harbor YC. Third place in this first race of the World Championship went to a Spanish team, Luis Albert’s “Patakin” from the Real Club Náutico de Palma. Results.
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The big bad Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Rolex IMA Maxi 1 Worlds canceled their racing as they claimed it was too windy (25+) but yet, here were a bunch of pictures of the big boys out sailing in those conditions. That is the crew led by Ken Read on Karel Komarek’s V took the opportunity blast around in the lively conditions. Photo: IMA / Studio Borlenghi
And we get nobody wants to break their boat, but can nobody race in 20+ knots anymore?
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Keep an eye on a press release regarding the post-race accident with Paul Goodison. Apparently in the hospital with some broken ribs and a concussion. Lucas Calabrese in for Goodie tomorrow. Apparently, he stepped back and fell into one of the hatches.
That’s not going to help them. Jump in the thread here.
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No racing Friday 6 September for the Louis Vuitton Challenger Selection Series (CSS). Racing resumes Saturday and concludes Sunday…
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The re-scheduled race day 6 managed five match-races with varying success, the wind going lighter and more patchy than forecast, producing some wildly unpredictable races. Two races involved Emirates Team New Zealand and featured a lot of stop-start situations, but were non-scoring so did not effect the challenger leaderboard. The first race of the day…
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Just when I was looking forward to getting up early and watching the AC “racing”, the threat of 50-knot gusts and possibly even more lightning than yesterday canceled today’s sailing. Apparently, tomorrow’s forecast looks more promising.
And we didn’t know it at the time, but Luna Rosa’s impressive win over TNZ yesterday was all for naught, as the race was officially abandoned when lightning appeared. Bad break for LR, and a lucky break for TNZ.
Clearly, the most anticipated race will be a rematch of those two…
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According to the latest routings by Race Direction the La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec leaders should cross the finish line around 16:00hrs Wednesday afternoon…
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Anarchist Layne sent us this…
Just finished watching a full replay of yesterday’s AC “racing”.
What a joke! It’s like a bad sitcom. “Yachts” that don’t turn up for the start, “yachts” that can’t sail because of software glitches, “yachts” that need to be towed by speedboats to get up on their foils, “yachts” that then fall off their foils and wallow around like dead ducks.
I think what we’re watching is the inevitable end game of an extreme, mutated, unworkable development that will have to be put out of its misery by the next Challenger of Record protocol. I am reminded of when Reliance was such a distorted idea of a “yacht” that the Cup turned to J Boats.
This title ripoff, is from one of the darkest, insane movies ever… Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke.
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The first day of the second-series of Challenger round robin racing was again beaten by the weather conditions, this time some dramatic thunder and lightning…
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Between the Challenger Selection Series and the 37th America’s Cup, the boats that were once legends of the past America’s Cups have reached Barcelona…
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The latest from Dufour continues the French builder’s move toward refining its performance cruising chops under the guidance of naval architect Umberto Felci, “integrating elements from the Dufour 470 and Dufour 530, emphasizing fluid communication in the cockpit, facilitating easy passage to the deck, and optimizing the overall length of the boat.”
The big sister to the Dufour 41, a SAIL Top 10 Best Boats winner for 2024, this boat adopts the same design philosophy of bringing the beam far forward for maximum interior space yet keeping the hull relatively narrow below the waterline for improved performance. Sailing the 41 last year, we were impressed with how it would heel to a certain angle—in this case, about 18 degrees—and park there, a sweet spot for brisk upwind work in 20-plus knots of breeze. The new 44 shows the same pronounced flare above the waterline, and we would expect it to perform much the same.
Despite all that beam carried to a nearly plumb bow, the flat sheerline and low deckhouse keep the profile sharp. The sailplan offers multiple gears with a self-tacking jib, overlapping furling genoa, and a tack point on the sprit for an asymmetrical headsail.
The large cockpit, which seats at least six, has cleaner access to the side decks than the 41, as well as a massive lazarette, outdoor grill accessed while standing on the swim platform, and access on both sides to that platform.
The interior, designed by Luca Ardizio, is enormous for a 44-footer and comes in four layouts with three or four cabins, the option for a C-shaped galley forward or a linear fore-and-aft arrangement, and a hexagonal salon table that seats up to 10 people.
LOA 45’7” LWL 40’1” Beam 14’7” Draft 7’2” (std) or 5’10” Air Draft 66’8” Displacement 22,487 lbs (light) Ballast 6,283 lbs Sail Area 1,076 sq ft (main, genoa) 366 sq ft (self-tacking jib) Power Yanmar or Volvo 50-60 hp options (option for hybrid electric)
Despite already having an award winning cat in this size range, the 50, HH has launched a new model with a new purpose: electrification. With owners increasingly asking for quieter, more sustainable, fume-free, long range cruising, electric options are looking like the future of the industry.
The purpose-driven design features a new cabin top to accommodate a solar array and additional sail area so that owners can spend more time sailing and less time motoring. Small wings have been added to the keels, which calculations suggest should reduce leeway by up to a degree while sailing upwind, adding back some of the efficiency that cats aren’t known for. This all supports a 48 volt electrical system with a 43.2kWh house bank and EcoDrive Parallel Hybrid Electric/Diesel propulsion system.
The cat itself maintains a svelte and sharp appearance despite spacious lounge areas and comfortable cabins. Much of the boat is customizable, with two or three cabins; an option for a workshop with pullman berths; and a U-shaped or an island galley. You can even swap some of the aft seating for a BBQ with dive tank storage. But the big choice for owners is going to be in the helm position, with two options: dual aft helms or an interior forward helm. Both come in an Ocean Cruising (50/50 e-glass/carbon) or Sport Cruising (100% carbon fiber) version. If you opt not to put the helms aft, you can instead get outboard seats with instrument panels that have a distinctly space-age vibe. In any configuration, it will be a lux, comfortable ride.
SC Specs LOA 55’11” LWL 49’6” Beam 24’4” Draft 5’5” (brd up) 11’7” (down) Air Draft 79’7” Displacement 24,500 lbs (light) Sail Area 1,742 sq ft (main and overlapping solent) Power 2x BETA 38 hp
SAIL New Boats & Gear 2025 is here and it’s chock-a-block with new boat reviews by SAIL’s boat review team, info on the latest models hitting the water, and gear SAIL‘s editors have checked out as well. It’s available on newsstands, so head to your nearest West Marine or Barnes & Noble, or catch us at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis in October to say hi and get your issue.
NBGR 2025
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With the Challenger Selection Series due to start Wednesday 29 Aug , how did the five challenger teams really fare in the Preliminary Series?
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Sam Whaley (1st overall) and Katy Jenkins (1st UK female) are WASZP UK National Champions!
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Day 3 of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta and the British team desperately needed to up their game and get some points on the board…
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The new Xquisite 30 Sportcat looked like a drag racer, tugging at her dock lines at the Annapolis sailboat show. At 30 feet, she was by far one of the smallest boats in the water, but this carbon speedster looked like she’d give the big boats a run for their money. She was, in a word, enticing.
With a rotating carbon mast, carbon deck beams, displacement of just 1,872 pounds, an interior whose greatest luxury is a mattress, and a construction methodology that lets it be dismantled and fit onto a trailer and inside a 40-foot shipping container, this little rocket is just begging to be sailed fast and fun—and that is precisely its purpose, according to Tamas Hamor, Xquisite’s founder and CEO.
A cruising sailor himself, Hamor launched Xquisite just 10 years ago after deciding he could build a better cat and provide better service to boatowners. The company has since launched 50 boats built in South Africa—large, luxury bluewater cats—and now they’ve expanded into power cats as well…
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The Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta, the first event in the 37th edition of America’s Cup is taking place between 22-25 August off Barcelona
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With just days to go to the first meeting of the six AC37 race boats in anger, INEOS Britannia helmsman Sir Ben Ainslie talks with Matt Sheahan of Planet Sail…
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