Day 2 is underway and the first competitors are starting to head out…
Team Malizia’s dream has come true
Tuesday
Apr 04
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 04
2023
Posted by XS Editor
It had been less than 24 hours and the news hadn’t fully sunk in in our minds just yet: Our team has won the third leg of The Ocean Race. Yesterday, we turned our Southern Ocean dream into reality…
The Ocean Race Leg 3 Day 37 update
Tuesday
Apr 04
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 04
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The podium battle promises to push the two teams still racing up the coast to the very end with Biotherm and 11th Hour Racing Team racing within less than 15 miles of each other on the leaderboard…
MOD70: World’s coolest yachts
Monday
Apr 03
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 03
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Yachting World has been asking top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times, and British offshore competitor Sam Goodchild nominated the MOD70 class trimaran. Here’s the report:
“In terms of complexity for speed, there isn’t anything else which has such a good ratio as a MOD70. We’ve been over 40 knots [boatspeed] on them, and with Phaedo we used to sail for up to 200 days a year, all around the world, with just two shore crew. We were sailing offshore with just five people, so you’ve got super high performance for relatively easy upkeep.
“We’d be doing the Caribbean regattas against boats like Comanche, they’d have 20-something people on the rail and we had five, doing circles around them! Then we did all the transatlantic races – for me it’s an amazing boat.
“The MOD70s are robustly built, but also fast. [designers VPLP] took learnings from the Orma 60 class, all the best bits, tamed them down a little so they’re a bit less dangerous, and came out with a boat which was simple and fast. We raced against the old Groupama Orma 60, and when you see how much more complicated the Ormas are, the MOD 70s definitely struck the right balance.”
Cup Spy Apr 3: Kiwis test in big breeze
Monday
Apr 03
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 03
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Emirates Team New Zealand put in a solid training session on the Waitemata Harbour and inner Hauraki Gulf today in offshore winds of 20-25kts, and gusting to just under 30kts…
Improving future for North American Finn Class
Monday
Apr 03
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 03
2023
Posted by XS Editor
It was February 2021 when Peter Frissell, President of the USA Finn Association and Finn Foundation, made the pitch. “What if you could buy a brand-new, competitive, US-built Finn rather than paying a premium to ship a new Finn from overseas? The Finn Foundation is launching a project to make that a reality.”
The recent growth of the class in the USA was notable, but at that moment, it had mostly relied on cleaning up old used boats. Without a domestic supplier, the ceiling would be reached, so the fundraising mission began to purchase the Lemieux Finn molds and finance a reputable US boat builder’s start-up and development costs.
Two years later, the first boat ably competed at the 2023 Finn North American Masters Championship (above). Here’s an update from Rodion Mazin:
Cleaning the hull – what are these
Monday
Apr 03
2023
Posted by deleteme
Apr 03
2023
Posted by deleteme
I cleaned a portion of my hull and thousands of these small, wriggling things had to be washed from my skin, dive gear, and even ears. This picture is from my swimming shorts and doesn’t show their wriggling motion. What are they? I’ve googled a bit but haven’t found anything definitive. They are really irksome and I’m either going to have to get a wetsuit or hire divers to clean the hull.
Team Holcim-PRB retain overall lead
Sunday
Apr 02
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 02
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The Ocean Race leaderboard is beginning to take shape after two teams crossed the finishing line in Itajaí on Sunday morning…
The Ocean Race – Biotherm hits unidentified floating object
Saturday
Apr 01
2023
Posted by deleteme
Apr 01
2023
Posted by deleteme
Biotherm has collided with an ‘unidentified floating object’ damaging the port foil as they head north to the finish in Itajaí, Brazil…
52 Trofeo Princesa Sofía – Stella Leads International 6M Class
Saturday
Apr 01
2023
Posted by deleteme
Apr 01
2023
Posted by deleteme
Ahead of the Olympic class racing starting on Monday, the keelboats and ORC racer-cruisers enjoyed excellent conditions for their races…
The Ocean Race Leg 3 Day 34
Saturday
Apr 01
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Apr 01
2023
Posted by XS Editor
A quick, deepening low pressure system bringing winds in excess of 40 knots, a sickening sea state, and another massive challenge for sailors operating on the 34th day of racing…
Allstate Sugar Bowl Viper 640 Worlds day 4
Friday
Mar 31
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 31
2023
Posted by XS Editor
On a Chamber of Commerce sailing day on Lake Pontchartrain, Brad Boston of Windsor, Canada maintained a tie at the top with Jackson Benvenutti of New Orleans in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Viper 640 World Championship after four more races on Thursday…
The Emergency Antenna You Will Want to Use
Friday
Mar 31
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 31
2023
Posted by XS Editor
You are at sea, and you find yourself in a rather unfortunate position with no primary antenna working on board. It’s time to step away from traditional backup antennas and meet the latest emergency technology on the market…
The Ocean Race Leg 3 Day 33
Friday
Mar 31
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 31
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Tension, exhaustion, and extreme emotional swings through elation and despair. That’s likely to be the mood on board Team Holcim-PRB and Team Malizia all the way to the finish now…
Sea Eagle II – The sea eagle soars
Friday
Mar 31
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 31
2023
Posted by XS Editor
A true sailing yacht, this 81m / 266ft beauty immediately earned her place alongside the shipyard’s Athena in the elite club of the world’s 10 largest sailing yachts…
It’s different in the dirt
Thursday
Mar 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
America’s Landsailing Cup, North America’s premier landsailing event, was held in 2023 on March 17-25 in Ivanpah Dry Lake, CA. Iceboat icon Daniel Hearn shares his experience on the dirt:
He called at exactly the right time. It appeared the Fat Lady was about to sing. (Oops, lack of wokeness. Much work to be done on my sensitivity. What I meant to say was, “that the perfectly round person, who is currently identifying as a female singer, was about to share a vocal performance”).
The ice sailing season was all but over. I’d had a good run but was intrigued with the idea that the solid surface action could be extended. Or maybe I’m just an addict. There are worse things.
“Just fly into Vegas,” the laid back, but highly convincing man said. “I’ll have the boat on the playa ready to go.”
A couple hours later, I’d purchased a ticket, rented a campervan, and confirmed that my buddy was still bringing Drifter v.1. Check—Mini Skeeter designer, John Eisenlohr is bringing me his fully sorted boat that no one else can beat. (I can fix that). Check—C-Skeeter Bubble Boat designer, Pat Heppert is driving west and bringing all the food. Check—All I have to do is show up with a helmet. I’ll never be closer to rock stardom.
It’s different in the dirt. You’re not a Skipper or Helm, you’re a Pilot. Most pilots use a pusher off the start line, but the pusher can’t cross the line. A boat not using a pusher can push for as long as they desire. Races last a specified period; usually 15 minutes. Scoring is a combination of laps completed and finishing position.
Start line is closed after the flag drops. Boats must pass through a “scoring line” adjacent to the start line on each lap, for that lap to be scored. The boat on the right always has right of way. Protests are rare. And get this—they sometimes round to starboard. Now that’s a mind bender!
Many ice sailing skills seem to transfer. But I was also reminded that old habits are, indeed, hard to break. Eighteen Mini Skeeters and I was feeling pretty good about myself finishing in the second position in my very first race. Back in the pits, however, race winner Dave Gluek, another long-time ice sailor, realized that the top three finishers had all rounded the bottom mark on each lap in the wrong direction.
We’d spent the entire training day rounding all marks to port. But on race day when it counted, everything was backwards for the ice sailors. We successfully rounded the top mark to starboard and opened a big lead on the rest of the fleet. Approaching the bottom mark, we were so focused on each other, we forgot it was a starboard hike we should be managing. Top three to DSQ. Ugh!
Since misery loves company, many others made us feel less stupid, repeating the same error. Our PRO remarked that he’d never seen so many DSQs across all the fleets in a single race. An anonymous, highly experienced dirt pilot, having committed the same rounding error, further magnified by failing to cross the scoring line on the first lap, succinctly summed up his performance: “fast boat, slow mind.”
“Push like your pants are on fire,” read the starting tip in the Mini Manual. Taking that to heart in another race, I gave it my best Usain Bolt. From either the tremendous thrust I generated, or the fact that my steering dampener had loosened a bit (not sure which), my steering flopped to leeward just as I was jumping into the cockpit.
I found myself on a fast-closing collision course with the pilot below, unable to grab the steering bar in time. So, after laying some rubber on him, apologizing profusely, and confirming no damage, I pushed off sheepishly hoping to chase down some of the fleet. DFL at the first mark…lots of work to do. Fortunately for me, the breeze was up and down, and shifty. I was able to keep MS1 in the pressure, recovering to a sixth place finish. Not bad considering my embarrassing start…
Cape Horn is now behind them
Thursday
Mar 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Cape Horn is now well behind the sailors in this edition of The Ocean Race, as leader Team Malizia battles Holcim-PRB for the stage win at Itajaí..
2023 Foiling Awards
Thursday
Mar 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The prize-giving ceremony of the sixth edition of the Foiling Awards took place at the Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci in Milan, in front of an audience of more than 250 guests…
The Sailors Log: Dave Perry
Wednesday
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Tom Darling, host of the Conversations with Classic Boats podcast series, has launched a new production, The Sailors Log, which brings the listener classic conversation with the most interesting people in the sport.
Episode One features Dave Perry, noted college sailing ace, match racer, and author of the book, now in its 10th edition, Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing through 2024.
Dave is well known for his entertaining presentations on the rules and is enthused about being the rules advisor for the US Olympic Team at the 2024 Olympics. With episodes released every six weeks, candidates to feature can be nominated by clicking here.
Rolex Fastnet Race: The two-handed revolution
Wednesday
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Offshore yacht racing’s greatest evolution recently has been the rise of doublehanding. No better demonstration of this is there than the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 50th Rolex Fastnet Race…
A Guide to Bowsprit Configuration
Wednesday
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
A bowsprit is now an almost inevitable feature of a racing yacht or performance cruiser and there are also a number of off-the-shelf retrofit options available. The uptake is due in part to the popularity of asymmetric downwind sails…
WBV and New York Yacht Club American Magic
Wednesday
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
We spoke to Daniel Henderson of WBV about their seat suspension system specifically designed, tested and manufactured in the UK, to significantly reduce wave shock…
An opportunity to try something new
Wednesday
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The 2023 US Sailing Championship of Champions will be held October 22-23, with the invitees competing in Radio Controlled DragonFlite 95s on White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX. As the use of an RC boat for the event has stirred opinion, Committee Chair Shannon Bush provides background on the decision.
Historically, the event is raced in fleets of 20 boats that are evenly matched, to offer sailors who qualify the opportunity to apply from winning of their own one design National, North American, or World championship to compete against the best of the best.
With the challenges that come with finding evenly matched fleets and clubs willing to take on hosting the championship, 2023 presented an exciting opportunity to do something new and showcase a popular and growing side of our sport that is inclusive, technical, affordable, and regarded as tough to win by many of the names we regularly see at the top of regatta scoresheets.
Is it experimental and ground-breaking? Yes. Will some people be outside their comfort zone? Yes. Will it be a challenge? Yes. Will it be the same fun factor as year’s past? ABSOLUTELY! Competitors will still have to use their sailing smarts and the rules to race these boats. Change is not always a bad thing. Sometimes, you have to mix it up to make everything you know and love about sailing “new” again. Careful, you may actually enjoy it!
The DF95 class, (a member of US Sailing and a recognized one-design class with thousands of members), is excited to share with one design sailors why this class is so fast growing and provide the opportunity for traditional one-design sailors to try something new…
11th Hour Racing Team begins race to north
Wednesday
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Rounding Cape Horn is one of the great moments of any sailor’s career, although the enjoyment tends to come later, a few weeks, months, or even years later, according to skipper Charlie Enright (USA)…
The Ocean Race Leg 3 Day 31
Wednesday
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
After passing Cape Horn and escaping the south, the big weather challenges haven’t quite ended for The Ocean Race sailors yet…
Joanna wins Cervia Winter J/24 Championship
Tuesday
Mar 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
With the last three races held last Saturday and nothing happening on Sunday due to adverse weather conditions, the curtain fell on the XVI Winter Championship – XVII Stefano Pirini Memoria hosted by the Circolo Nautico Cervia…
A special moment: Answers, insights of project 408
Tuesday
Mar 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Today’s hull turning of Royal Huisman project 408, Aquarius II, in Vollenhove: home to the world’s finest superyacht building…
Speedmeute wins APCC J/80 Women’s Cup
Tuesday
Mar 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The women’s teams sailed in a fleet of matched J/80 one-design class sailboats supplied to the competitors. The racing was hard fought, and close, and came down to the final two races of the nine-race series on the final day…
Update from 37th America’s Cup venue
Tuesday
Mar 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Barcelona, Spain (March 28, 2023) – It has been exactly one year since the announcement that Barcelona had secured the venue rights as the host city for the 37th America’s Cup and following the signing of the agreement, work has been ongoing transforming the Port Vell and Port Olímpic areas ready to host the competing teams who are setting up bases and will be onsite from Summer 2023.
All around the Port Vell, building work is now at pace as the construction of the team’s bases takes shape. For the teams themselves, winter training has been an intense period with new boats launched, new design ideas coming to fruition and sailing techniques honed through long hours on the water.
Spreading the message of the America’s Cup across Catalonia and Spain and engaging with the widest possible audience is very much key to the mission of America’s Cup Events Limited and its CEO, Grant Dalton, is enthused by the opportunity of an event with such a broad audience.
Following the publication of the AC37 Protocol and AC75 Class Rule on November 17, 2021, the AC75 Class Rule and AC Technical Regulations were finalized on March 17, 2022. The entry period opened December 1, 2021 and runs until July 31, 2022, but late entries for the 37th America’s Cup may be accepted until May 31, 2023. The Defender was to announce the Match Venue on September 17, 2021 but postponed the venue reveal, confirming it would be Barcelona on March 30, 2022. The 37th America’s Cup will be held in September/October 2024.
Teams revealed to challenge defender Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
• INEOS Britannia (GBR)
• Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI)
• Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (ITA)
• NYYC American Magic (USA)
• K-Challenge Racing (FRA)
Noticeboard: https://ac37noticeboard.acofficials.org/
Additional details: www.americascup.com/en/home
The Ocean Race Leg 3 Day 30
Tuesday
Mar 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Team Malizia continues to head the leaderboard in leg 3 of The Ocean Race after leading the fleet around Cape Horn…
Dreams of solo circumnavigation
Tuesday
Mar 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The inaugural Global Solo Challenge 2023-24 seeks to be a budget-friendly solo, non-stop race around the world. For boats from 32 to 55 feet with an IRC rating below 1.370, a pursuit start over 11 weeks begins in A Coruña, Spain, with the first boat to return deemed the winner. This report features a recent entrant:
Two eyes as blue as the sea and looking into the distance, so far that they dream of sailing around the world solo. A big and generous heart that wants to share his passion for the sea and show the stars to others, even to those who have never seen them or can no longer see them due to a visual impairment.
Louis Robein, a French sailor approaching his seventies, had to earn the right to sail. Born in Moselle, a town home to coal mines in northeastern France, on the border between Germany and Luxembourg, he developed a passion for sailing late, around the age of 18, but then never stopped.
At 24 years old, when he started working, he began to consistently engage in sailing. In 1994, as an amateur, he took part in his first Solitaire du Figaro, one of the toughest and most demanding races in the solo racing circuit in France. Louis ended up participating in eight editions of the Solitaire.
“At the first edition I took part in, I discovered the thrill of competition because I was not used to racing, let alone solo. I came from recreational sailing, so from a safety point of view, I was very prepared but not competitive at all. My goal was to see what I was truly capable of doing. I was very well received by the organization and then by the professionals, who encouraged me to persevere…
International Moth GP at Queen Mary
Monday
Mar 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
A forecast depleted fleet of 9 moths got their entries in on time and landed in the capital for the first Grand Prix event of the year at London’s Queen Mary SC…
VIDEO: Head Injury in The Ocean Race
Monday
Mar 27
2023
Posted by deleteme
Mar 27
2023
Posted by deleteme
After sustaining a head injury yesterday, Malizia‘s Rosalin Kuiper is awake and recovering. She fell from the high side of the boat while off watch and likely hit her head on the galley, resulting in the intense pain, disorientation, and extreme fatigue that typically accompanies a concussion. Teammate Will Harris reports that first aid training before the race proved vital. Maliziais currently leading the Ocean Race fleet on the final approach to Cape Horn.. .
March 2023
The Ocean Race – Team Malizia lead fleet around Cape Horn
Monday
Mar 27
2023
Posted by deleteme
Mar 27
2023
Posted by deleteme
The German team Team Malizia rule the south, leading past the iconic Cape Horn and winning the Roaring Forties trophy…
Science and The Ocean Race
Sunday
Mar 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
After a long hiatus, The Ocean Race is back, but this year, as reported by Yvonne Gordon of the Guardian, while dodging icebergs, cracking masts and suffering the occasional ‘hull sandwich failure’, the teams are gathering crucial data from places even research vessels rarely reach.
The Southern Ocean is not somewhere most people choose to spend an hour, let alone a month. Circling the icy continent of Antarctica, it is the planet’s wildest and most remote ocean. Point Nemo, just to the north in the South Pacific, is the farthest location from land on Earth, 1,670 miles (2,688km) away from the closest shore. The nearest humans are generally those in the International Space Station when it passes overhead.
But, four sailing teams came through that part of the world, part of the marathon race round the bottom of the Earth, from Cape Town in South Africa to Itajaí in Brazil.
By the time these 18-metre (60ft) Imoca monohull sailing yachts neared Point Nemo, the five sailors on each boat had already been at sea for 23 days, with another two weeks to go before they reach port in early April. And this is just leg three, the longest portion of the even longer Ocean Race, a 32,000-nautical-mile dash around the world that started in January and finishes in July.
Competition is fierce and racing is close, even after three weeks at sea. Boat speeds on leg three so far have been up to 40.5 knots, the equivalent of gale force winds, and the vessels have, subject to ratification, broken the 24-hour distance record multiple times. The crews survive on freeze-dried food (rehydrated with hot water from a kettle, there’s no kitchen), and operate a four-hour alternating watch system. Nobody gets much sleep. The toilet is a bucket…
Lots of action for Lightnings
Sunday
Mar 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The junior team of Bobby Starck, brother Adam Starck, and Buck Rathbun navigated the tricky currents and tight boat traffic on the Wilmington and Skidaway Rivers to take home the 2023 Deep South Regatta in Savannah, Georgia. David Starck with crew Jenna Probst and Debbie Probst finished a point back in second place, which also secured the overall 2023 Southern Circuit Championship for his team on PatStrong.
Ched Proctor with crew Eric Oetgen and Laura Goldberg took home third place and finished second overall in the Southern Circuit. Under-30 skipper Tanner Probst with crew Abbie Probst and Dominique Wright lost the tiebreaker to Proctor and finished third overall in the Southern Circuit. Full results of the Southern Circuit, Deep South Regatta and the Winter Championship are included below.
The Lightning Class has always worked to remove barriers to allow juniors and under-30 competitors to compete in our event. Specifically, the Helen and Jay Limbaugh fund was established to support the education, training and promotion of junior sailoring in the Class. For the 2023 Southern Circuit, the Limbaugh Fund reimbursed 50% of the entry fees of any under-30 skipper.
That saved competitors like Bobby and Tanner, and 6 other under-30 skippers, up to $300 each over the past week. Further information on the Limbaugh Fund and the Lightning Boat Grant program can be found at www.lightningclass.org
Finally, the Southern Circuit is like a big family reunion for the Lightning Class. Like all family reunions, sometimes there is a little friction. Luckily, the class have an amazing Class member and boat builder in Tom Allen to help smooth these situations over (sometimes late into the night). That’s family, see you next Southern Circuit in St. Pete and Miami.
IRCRecords fall on the Solent
Sunday
Mar 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
With a favourable, albeit very gusty SW wind and big tides in the Solent, three Jeanneau Sun Fast boats challenged the IRCRecords™ Nab Tower Course, each having a frothing Friday sail…
The Ocean Race Leg 3 Day 28
Sunday
Mar 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mar 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
After 48 hours of building wind and seas, with gusts over 40 knots and waves approaching 7 metres, conditions are starting to moderate on Sunday with the IMOCA fleet turning south to squeeze between Cape Horn and the ice exclusion zone…
The Ocean Race – Final weekend in the South
Saturday
Mar 25
2023
Posted by deleteme
Mar 25
2023
Posted by deleteme
It’s the final weekend in southern latitudes for the sailors in The Ocean Race with winds a steady gale force 35 knots (65 km/h) and gusting to 45 knots (85 km/h)…
INEOS Britannia T6 gets a makeover and a radical new foil design
Saturday
Mar 25
2023
Posted by deleteme
Mar 25
2023
Posted by deleteme
INEOS Britannia roll out their LEQ12 prototype ‘T6’ after six weeks in the shed with a radical new foil design and re-sculpted bustle profile…
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