It has been just over a month since Alinghi Red Bull Racing first set up their temporary base in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in advance of the second America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta…
Turbocharging a round the world racer
Tuesday
Nov 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Britain’s Pip Hare explains for Yachting World how she’s turbocharged her IMOCA 60 Medallia ahead of next year’s Vendée Globe, the ultimate race for any singlehanded offshore sailor
Ahead of me, the bow of Medallia is pointing at the sky. This is not poetic license; I am actually looking upwards at my bowsprit as it rises up, 50ft in front of me and some 3m higher than I am. In that split second, I can barely compute what is happening.
My brain just starts to grasp the situation when Medallia levels out and shoots forwards. I watch the speed log flick from 26 knots to 27, 28, 29 knots. The acceleration is actually insane. The foils are humming. Occasionally the windward foil grazes the waves and sprays me with a wall of water. Medallia, newly refitted and modified, is just one hour into our first commissioning sail and I have no doubts that we have indeed turbocharged our IMOCA 60.
The IMOCA class is in the midst of a boom. There are now over 50 international teams running these 60ft ocean racing beasts. The Vendée Globe has expanded its entry list to 40 candidates for the next edition in 2024 while The Ocean Race has been reborn as a crewed IMOCA event, with teams smashing the 24-hour monohull record. – Full report
New leadership for US SailGP Team
Monday
Nov 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Changes are underway for the United States SailGP Team as a new ownership group has bought the team, and has released CEO and driver Jimmy Spithill (AUS). Rumors have Taylor Canfield (USA) filling Spithill’s role.
Spithill had taken over the team for Season Two, with the league now preparing for the sixth event of Season Four.
“I leave it in as good a shape as I could,” Spithill told The Associated Press. “If I look at when I started it, what I built and how I’m leaving it, it’s basically qualified for the final right now, having just won the last event, giving them a team with a winning culture and that’s competitive and with some value.”
The league was established in 2018 with funding from tech billionaire Larry Ellison, but the requirement was for all teams to be commercially sustainable by the end of the fifth year. The USA team was still owned by the league.
Spithill, who is preparing for his second straight America’s Cup as co-helmsman of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team, has been given the option to start an Italian SailGP Team which would debut in Season 5.
Cup Spy Nov 24: Italians making key decisions
Monday
Nov 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Alinghi Red Bull Racing sailed in light winds of up to 9kts at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and tested using two boats in development mode. Two other teams INEOS Britannia and Orient Express Racing Team also sailed in their One-Design configurations…
18ft Skiff NSW Championship Races 1 and 2
Monday
Nov 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The defending champion Andoo team of John Winning Jr, Seve Jarvin and Sam Newton hold a narrow lead after the first two races sailed on the opening day of the 2023-24 NSW 18ft Skiff Championship…
A closer look at ATMOS
Friday
Nov 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
I spoke to Grant Fox of Scanstrut at METSTRADE 2023 about ATMOS, the waterproof on-board air station engineered to thrive in the challenging marine environment…
Alla Grande Pirelli take first place in Class40
Friday
Nov 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Italian skipper Ambrogio Beccaria and French co-skipper Nicolas Andrieu sailing the all Italian Musa 40 Alla Grande PIRELLI took first place in the highly competitive Class40 race on the 16th Transat Jacques Vabre…
Formula Kite Asia & Oceania Championships day 3
Friday
Nov 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Chinese rider Wan Li came out on top of the first day of racing in the women’s fleet at the Formula Kite Asia & Oceania Championships today in Shenzhen, China. After two days of delay, the breeze kicked in nicely for six heats for the women…
IMOCA’s streaming in at TJV finish
Tuesday
Nov 21
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 21
2023
Posted by XS Editor
While the IMOCAs will now continue to arrive in Martinique for the foreseeable future to complete their Transat Jacques Vabre race from Le Havre to Martinique it is the match at the top of Class 40 which is becoming more and more engaging…
The World Sailing Show
Tuesday
Nov 21
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 21
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The World Sailing Show delivers 30-minute episodes which feature news, profiles, and racing highlights from across the world of sailing. The November episode of the World Sailing Show airs November 22, 2023…
learn to fly
Tuesday
Nov 21
2023
Posted by deleteme
Nov 21
2023
Posted by deleteme
This is a pretty good foiling retrospective, and a good peek inside what makes them fly . We particularly like what Patrick Rynne from Waterlust has to say.
At least it’s not the normal hyperventilated SailGP propaganda…
Holcim-PRB arrives in Martinique
Monday
Nov 20
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 20
2023
Posted by XS Editor
At 0815am (local time) on Monday morning, the IMOCA Holcim-PRB arrived into the magnificent bay of Le Marin in Martinique under a bright sun. The monohull’s crew will have taken 14 days to reach the West Indies from Concarneau, Brittany…
SSL Gold Cup 1/16 Finals Day 4
Monday
Nov 20
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 20
2023
Posted by XS Editor
What a scintillating Sunday we had lined up to conclude the SSL Gold Cup 1/16 Finals. With double points on offer everything was to play for, and Fleet 1 was set to be a thriller with three teams tied on points…
Cup Spy Nov 20: Kiwis dodge thunderstorms
Monday
Nov 20
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 20
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Emirates Team New Zealand struggled to wring out a good testing day as Auckland flicked between no wind and breeze in the mid-teens, interspersed with isolated showers and the threat of thunderstorms – cut their foil testing session short…
Andrea Mura begins Global Solo Challenge
Monday
Nov 20
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 20
2023
Posted by XS Editor
On a gray autumn afternoon in the bay of A Coruña, with light southwesterly winds, Andrea Mura departed on November 18th at 14:00 local time (13:00 UTC) for his Global Solo Challenge, joining the fleet of thirteen competitors already at sea…
Ruyant wins again on the transatlantic course
Sunday
Nov 19
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 19
2023
Posted by XS Editor
In France they call him “The King of the Transat” and with good reason because, with his dominant victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre-Normandie le Havre today, Thomas Ruyant has achieved what no one else has before him…
Amazon’s answer to Starlink – Project Kuiper
Sunday
Nov 19
2023
Posted by deleteme
Nov 19
2023
Posted by deleteme
Anyone been following Amazon’s development of Project Kuiper; a competitor to Starlink? It looks like the same thing, but hopefully cheaper. They even have a “portable” version of their antenna, so hopefully it will work just like Starlink mobile.
Everything you need to know about Project Kuiper, Amazon’s satellite broadband network
Everything you need to know about Project Kuiper, Amazon’s satellite broadband network
Get answers to your questions about Amazon’s big, new initiative in space.
18ft Skiff 2023-24 Spring Championship overall
Sunday
Nov 19
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 19
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The Oak Double Bay-4 Pines team of Jacob Marks, Alex Marinelli and Marc Chapon became the 2023-24 Australian 18 Footer League’s Spring champions following a sensational final race of the six-race Spring Championship series…
Massive test of man and machine
Sunday
Nov 19
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 19
2023
Posted by XS Editor
There is no greater offshore achievement than winning the Vendée Globe, held ever four years for the IMOCA 60-foot class. This singlehanded non-stop around the world race is a massive test of man and machine, and every moment now is preparing for the 2024 edition.
The recent IMOCA test was the 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre, a 5400nm course from France to Martinique, which was won by Thomas Ruyant alongside Morgan Lagravière on Ruyant’s new Antoine Koch/Finot Conq-designed foiler. They covered the transatlantic course at an average speed of 19 knots.
The pair on board For People finished just over four hours ahead of second-placed Yoann Richomme and Yann Eliès on Paprec Arkéa, the sistership of For People, who were just nine minutes ahead of third-placed Sam Goodchild and Koch himself on Ruyant’s old boat, For The Planet.
A delighted Ruyant admitted that his long-term focus remains the round-the-world challenge. “That’s the goal and the whole group is working towards it. In the back of our minds, we’re making our boat more reliable for the Vendée Globe. You can’t write the history of the Vendée Globe in advance, but that’s our goal.”
An intriguing aspect of Ruyant and Lagravière’s performance was the extent to which they relied in the second half of this race on hand-steering a beautifully balanced boat that allowed them to do that for hours at a time.
While Lagravière spent a lot of time on the helm, Ruyant was using the intelligence he gained to improve his auto-pilot set-up that he will rely on when he goes solo in the upcoming Retour à la Base – a 3500nm race from Martinique to Lorient, France – and then the Vendèe Globe itself…
SSL Gold Cup 1/16 Finals Day 3
Saturday
Nov 18
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 18
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Momentum is a precious commodity on a yacht, but is just as important in any regatta or sporting series. The national teams, especially those who have qualified from the 1/32 Finals, need to stay on a roll to continue their SSL Gold Cup adventures.
“Wayward Passage” found adrift after 9 days lost. Captain rescued.
Saturday
Nov 18
2023
Posted by deleteme
Nov 18
2023
Posted by deleteme
A boater not heard from for nine days was rescued when a good Samaritan discovered his disabled sailboat 270 miles off Hatteras, North Carolina, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.The identity of the boater and details of any injuries were not released.
A search for the Wayward Passage was launched Tuesday, Nov. 14, after the boater’s family reported it had not been…
“Wayward Passage” found adrift after 9 days lost. Captain rescued.
hell…sinki
Saturday
Nov 18
2023
Posted by deleteme
Nov 18
2023
Posted by deleteme
Okay it didn’t sink, but it sure looks like hell! From the Global Ocean Race.
Transatlantic testbed for new designs
Thursday
Nov 16
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 16
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The ULTIM division for 32m multihulls have all completed the doublehanded 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre, with the other three classes – IMOCA, Ocean Fifty, and Class40 – continuing on the course from Le Havre in northern France to Martinique in the French Caribbean.
While the 50-foot trimarans will be next to finish this 16th edition, it is the 60-foot IMOCAs that has attracted interest as the two lead boats are both launched in 2023, and both from the same design team – Koch-Finot Conq. Co-designer Antoine Koch, who is also competing in the race, likes what he sees:
“Obviously I am pretty happy to see both boats at the front of the fleet. It’s great to see that they perform well in race conditions. Very often during training in Brittany during the summer, you have flat water and medium wind and you are going upwind and downwind only, so you don’t have a real picture of what’s going on.
“So to see that they perform well in race conditions, in strong winds upwind at the start and then downwind in the tradewinds, is good for the future of the boats. This is especially so given that the are essentially designed for stronger winds downwind, and we only have medium-force tradewinds, and they already seem to be pretty quick and have the ability to sail maybe a bit deeper than the other boats.”
Details: www.transatjacquesvabre.org/en
Trying to find the path through tragedy
Thursday
Nov 16
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 16
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Sandra Barnes lost her boat while doing the Baja Ha-Ha, a two-week cruisers rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, which takes place every fall. Here is her story:
It is with mixed emotions that I write this. I am the owner of BoatBumGal, a 1968 Nicholson 38, center cockpit ketch, that sank after striking rocks outside of Bahia Tortugas (Turtle Bay) Baja Sur, during the 2023 Baja Ha-Ha. Luckily, we were able to exit the vessel with no injuries to crew or myself. As we moved away from the boat, I had the misfortune of watching my vessel slip under water.
This was not just my boat, but my home as well. All of my possessions were on the boat. My boat was my world. I had worked on her for five years, fought for her during a divorce, and honed my sailing skills on her. She was my pride and joy. The circumstances surrounding the reason she strayed off course and hugged the coast is up for dispute; let’s just say I put my faith in someone who possessed credentials far superior to mine.
But we were fortunate. The people of Turtle Bay embraced us as family. I was provided with warm clothes and shoes. I exited my boat, grabbing only a bag (phone, some money and identification), and was fortunate that my daughter was able to arrange for our departures. It was a long, arduous trip back, but I am now back in the United States, as is my crew.
After the Ha-Ha, I had planned to sail to La Paz and continue to parts unknown. Now, I have no idea where my journey will take me. I’m 65 years of age and am now couch surfing. Still I have no regrets. I tried, failed overwhelmingly, but I tried.
I’m proud to say BoatBumGal passed the finish line of the first leg of the Ha-Ha. I want and need to return to the water…my happy place. Unable to secure hull insurance, I was insured for liability only. Before this adventure, I sold all of my non-boat related belongings, which in turn allowed me to obtain upgrades and services for my boat. All is under water. To paraphrase the Jimmy Buffett song Bubbles Up, I am now just trying to find my path.
A fundraiser is online to help her get back on her feet after losing everything. Please help if you can: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sailor-who-lost-her-boat-during-the-bajahaha
Copa del Rey MAPFRE to host the 2025 ORC Europeans
Wednesday
Nov 15
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 15
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The Offshore Racing Council (ORC) announced today that the Real Club Náutico de Palma, has been awarded the organization of the 2025 ORC European Championship…
Only the best
Wednesday
Nov 15
2023
Posted by deleteme
Nov 15
2023
Posted by deleteme
Enrico Chieffi, CEO of Italian sailing clothes brand SLAM, and Grant Dalton, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, have a relationship that goes way back. Both of them have a long track record as world class sailors and managers. Through decades they have been both rivals and friends. Now they have a joint project: developing the best possible sailing clothes in a partnership that puts ENTZ in a better position to win their fifth America’s Cup title, and SLAM in a position where they can benefit from the feedback of the world’s best sailors.
Crikey!!! … the stories were true
Wednesday
Nov 15
2023
Posted by deleteme
Nov 15
2023
Posted by deleteme
Most developments in yachting are evolution, not revolution but once in a while a boat is launched that’s a complete game changer, difficult to categorise because it’s distinctly different from anything that’s come before. Thus it is with Baltic Yachts’ 111ft (34m) foil assisted superyacht Raven. This isn’t a raceboat but it is focused on taking performance to a new level. It’s not a blue water cruiser but it is designed to make high-speed, long-distance offshore passages, potentially crossing an ocean with the owner and guests on board. At the time of writing there’s nothing else quite like Raven afloat.
VIDEO: 1/32 Finals of the SSL Gold Cup
Wednesday
Nov 15
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 15
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Forty teams from five continents are competing in the 2023 SSL Gold Cup, being held in SSL47 One-Designs on November 10-13 in the Canary Islands. The multi-stage event has a knock-out format which advances the top teams to the next round, and ultimate the final. This video highlights the 16 national crews that competed in the first stage on November 10-13.
The greatest event that almost never was
Wednesday
Nov 15
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 15
2023
Posted by XS Editor
It’s been a very hard week for personal reasons, but I am very glad I made it to Gran Canaria to cover the SSL Gold Cup…
rip it up
Wednesday
Nov 15
2023
Posted by deleteme
Nov 15
2023
Posted by deleteme
The new Beiker-designed, Betts-built Riptide 30 Baby Blue finished second overall in ORC in the Round the County Race in the Pacific Northwest. Looks good.
Transatlantic Race returns in 2025
Wednesday
Nov 15
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 15
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The New York Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club, in partnership with the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Storm Trysail Club, will host the Transatlantic Race 2025. The race will start on June 18 from Newport, RI and finish off Cowes, England.
The west-to-east Transatlantic Race was most recently run in 2011, 2015, and 2019. This slightly extended break has allowed the race to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the RORC as well as the next edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race and the return of the Admiral’s Cup.
“For the past few years, we have been fielding regular calls regarding the next iteration of this race,” says Commodore Paul M. Zabetakis, M.D., of the New York Yacht Club. “Crossing the Atlantic is a bucket-list achievement for many offshore sailors.
“The time and effort required to prepare for and compete in the race, the unpredictability of the North Atlantic Ocean, the tactical challenge presented by the Gulf Stream and the historic connection to the origins of offshore racing distinguish this competition from all other distance races.”
It was over drinks at the Union Club in New York City one night in October 1866 that the first Transatlantic Race came to be. Three proud yachtsmen—Pierre Lorillard, George Osgood, and James Gordon Bennett—each thought their yacht to be the fastest and decided the best way to settle the discussion would be a race from Sandy Hook, N.J., to the Needles, off the Western tip of the Isle of Wight…
Gimson and Burnet scoop second Euro title
Tuesday
Nov 14
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 14
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Anna Burnet and John Gimson’s bid for Paris 2024 gold enjoyed a timely boost as they were crowned Nacra 17 European champions for the second time in three years…
Sailors of the Year: Neuschäfer and Slingsby
Tuesday
Nov 14
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 14
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Sailing’s highest achievers were honoured at a glittering World Sailing Awards ceremony in Málaga. The 2023 Rolex World Sailor of the Year awards were presented to Tom Slingsby and Kirsten Neuschäfer. The AC40 won Boat of the Year…
Closure for first round at SSL Gold Cup
Monday
Nov 13
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 13
2023
Posted by XS Editor
For the lowest seeded teams in the 2023 SSL Gold Cup, 16 national crews competed in SSL47 One-Designs on November 10-13 in a knock-out format which advances the top teams to the next round in the Canary Islands.
Surviving the 1/32 Finals was Bermuda, Estonia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Portugal, Slovania, South Africa, and Tahiti. Also, Chile and Antigua & Barbuda were awarded ‘Lucky Loser’ places, keeping them in the game for the 1/16 Finals which has 16 teams competing on November 16-19.
Forty teams from five continents compete in groups of four until the final. Another 16 countries were previously knocked out of the competition in the qualifying series that took place between May and July 2022 at Lake Neuchatel (Grandson, Switzerland), and 24 of the 40 that reach the finals do so directly by their position in the overall ranking of the SSL.
Eight countries advance directly to the quarter-finals: Spain, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, and Italy.
The competition program on November 10-December 3 foresees a total of 66 races. For details, click here.
To watch the racing, click here.
Source: SSL Gold Cup
Copa Kitley GKA Freestyle-Kite World Cup Overall
Monday
Nov 13
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 13
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The final epic day at the Copa Kitley GKA Freestyle World Cup Brazil dealt drama and upset in equal measure, with home favourite Bruna Kajiya taking the narrowest of wins as France’s Arthur Guillebert came out on top…
Banque Populaire XI win ULTIM race in 16th TJV
Monday
Nov 13
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 13
2023
Posted by XS Editor
French duo Armel Le Cléac’h and Sébastien Josse sailing Maxi Banque Populaire XI crossed the finish line of the 16th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre off Fort de France, Martinique…
Racing to complete American Magic HQ
Monday
Nov 13
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 13
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Pensacola is on the clock to build a new $15 million headquarters for New York Yacht Club American Magic in time for its return for the 37th America’s Cup.
The city has pledged to build the new Maritime Center of Excellence at the Port of Pensacola by November 2024, when the American Magic team is set to return from the America’s Cup competition in Barcelona, Spain.
Completing a $15 million project in a year is an ambitious goal for the city as projects of similar size and scope have taken years to come together, but Pensacola Mayor Reeves said he believes they will be able to get it done. – Full report
Cup Spy Nov 13: Kiwis make rare stumble
Monday
Nov 13
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 13
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Emirates Team New Zealand had a rare breakdown early in the testing session today, Monday. There appeared to be a problem with the new port wingfoil. The LEQ12 was hauled from the water…
Heading Deep South
Saturday
Nov 11
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 11
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Five days into Leg 2 of the McIntyre Ocean Globe and the fleet is experiencing classic Southern Ocean sailing, whales, albatross and settling in for the next month of adventure…
An Inspiring Day 2 at the SSL Gold Cup
Saturday
Nov 11
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Nov 11
2023
Posted by XS Editor
On day two of the SSL Gold Cup 1/32 Finals, Gran Canaria delivered another beautiful setting for world-class racing. Today it was all about teamwork, smooth sailing and eyes out of the boat looking for the best wind. Tactical yacht racing at its best…
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