The 52nd running of the Newport Bermuda Race starting on June 17, 2022. Photos by Daniel Forster…
Tritium: Where are they now?
Monday
Jun 20
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 20
2022
Posted by XS Editor
by Jo Murray, Press-Telegram
Tritium — one of the most famous and fastest offshore vessels in the Pacific — sailed out of Alamitos Bay quietly, without fanfare on June 8 for a journey from California to her new home in Florida.
For years, the modified ORMA (Ocean Racing Multihull Association) 60-foot Trimaran, later stretched to 72 feet, seemed to be holding court as she was berthed near the entrance channel just past Alamitos Bay Landing. Her mast was towering and could be spotted from anywhere in the bay. Her beam of 61 feet gave her a bold presence.
Originally built by offshore racing legend Jean Le Cam, the vessel was modified by Artemis Racing for testing and training in preparation for America’s Cup racing. The composite hulled vessel competed in the 2013 Transpac, where she was First-to-Finish and had the fastest elapsed time.
She was owned since February 2013 by Long Beach restaurateur John Sangmeister, who was part of Dennis Conner’s winning America’s Cup team in 1987.
“I called it my mid-life crisis purchase. It costed me less than a Porsche and an affair would have,” he said, and added, “I have a very kind and patient wife.”
It was under Sangmeister’s ownership that the craft raced in the 2013 Transpacific Yacht Race, but she failed to break the race record set by Bruno Peyron in 1997 because of telephone poles and other debris that was floating in the Pacific as a result of the 2011 Great Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
“There were at least six major impacts we had with debris out there,” boat captain Ryan Breymaier in an interview after the race. “In all, I think we probably spent about 10 hours working with the damage on the board.”
Breymaier explained in that interview that the team had to hoist the board up out of the hull, assess the damage, then re-insert it because the water pressure at high boat speeds could create damage to the trunk. The board was even swapped end-for-end after one large impact, but then that end too was damaged from another impact.
“The severe damage from the six telephone poles that we experienced brought positive attention to the harm the tsunami caused and helped accelerate the clean-up efforts,” Sangmeister said…
PlanetSail: Premature end for Vendée Arctique
Monday
Jun 20
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 20
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The Vendée Arctique skippers knew they were embarking on an extraordinary race and a brand new and demanding course. But no one expected it to pan out like this – a park-up in an Icelandic gale…
Final day rush at KiteFoil World Series Traunsee in Austria
Monday
Jun 20
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 20
2022
Posted by deleteme
Julia Damasiewicz (POL) and Martin Dolenc (CRO) both became first-time winners of a World Series event today at the conclusion of KiteFoil World Series Traunsee in Austria…
R2AK, Newport Bermuda Race, Mac Solo Challenges
Monday
Jun 20
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 20
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The past week has been a big one for North American sailing, with the start of the Race to Alaska, the Newport Bermuda Race, and the Great Lakes Singlehanded Society’s Mac Solo Challenges…
Brutal waves in Newport Bermuda Race
Sunday
Jun 19
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 19
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Hamilton, Bermuda (June 19, 2022) – Jason Carroll (New York City) stood on the dock at Royal Bermuda Yacht Club well after midnight, looking fatigued yet energized after winning line honors in the 52nd Newport Bermuda Race.
Carroll and his crew on the MOD70 trimaran Argo set an elapsed-time record time of 33 hours—faster than any elapsed time ever recorded in the 116-year history of the Bermuda Race—covering the 635-nautical mile course at an average speed of 19.24 knots. But it wasn’t without some pain.
“The forecast under-appreciated just how rough the sea state was,” said the 44-year-old Carroll. Later he added, “The whole crew is wiped out. We’re tired.”
Tired, perhaps, but also happy to set another course record—Argo’s sixth, to go with two world records—and relieved that they made it to shore in one piece. They were the first Saturday-night finishers in the history of the storied race, co-organized by the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club…
Flying Dutchman Italian Championship 2022
Sunday
Jun 19
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 19
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The 2021 Italian champions, Nicola and Francesco Vespasiani, won the Championship held by Yacht Club Isole di Toscana, following a close combat with the team of Matteo Pincherle and Carlo Carincola…
Aussie SailGP Team win Chicago
Sunday
Jun 19
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 19
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Tom Slingsby has proven why Australians are known for their fighting spirit, making an unbelievable comeback in the fleet racing to just qualify in the final, then win the T-Mobile Chicago Sail Grand Prix at Navy Pier…
SailGP Chicago – Day 2 Live
Sunday
Jun 19
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 19
2022
Posted by deleteme
Day 2 of the Chicago SailGP sees Phil Robertson and Team Canada at the top of the leaderboard…
Dragon Worlds – Diederichs, Lea and Negri are 2022 Champions
Sunday
Jun 19
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 19
2022
Posted by deleteme
GBR819 Klaus Diederichs, Jamie Lea and Diego Negri are Dragon 2022 World Champions…
Argo sets new Newport Bermuda Race record
Sunday
Jun 19
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 19
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jason Carroll (New York City) and the crew of the MOD70 Argo outran every elapsed-time record associated with the Newport Bermuda Race when they completed the 52nd edition Saturday night at 2320:09 (ADT)…
18ft Skiffs: John ‘Woody’ Winning, 70 years young
Sunday
Jun 19
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 19
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Australian 18 Footers League President and legendary 18ft Skiff champion John ‘Woody’ Winning celebrates his 70th birthday this week but you would never know it as the dynamic ‘Woody’ prepares for his 38th season of 18 footers racing on Sydney Harbour…
Xacobeo Six Metre Worlds – Final Day
Sunday
Jun 19
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 19
2022
Posted by deleteme
Momo, helmed by Swiss owner Dieter Schoen and crewed by Markus Wieser, Dirk de Ridder, Ross Halcrow and Victor Manuel Marino Prieto, win the Xacobeo Six Metre 2022 Open World Championship…
Canada sets pace at Chicago SailGP
Sunday
Jun 19
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 19
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Chicago, IL (June 18, 2022) – Phil Robertson’s Canada SailGP Team continues to show its more experienced rivals how it’s done in Season 3, with the newcomers sitting on top of the standings after day one of the T-Mobile United States Sail Grand Prix | Chicago at Navy Pier.
It was a day that tested the flight controllers to the max. Many battled with the unique challenges of freshwater racing and wind speeds of 32 km/h, struggling to keep their F50s under control. However, the day undisputedly belonged to Robertson, who admitted before racing that the unique course would suit his style of racing.
Coming back from a fourth in the first race, Robertson perfectly judged both of the next two starts and looked relatively unchallenged to take two race wins…
SailGP Chicago – Day 1 Live
Saturday
Jun 18
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 18
2022
Posted by deleteme
Watch the live action from Day 1 of the T-Mobile United States Sail Grand Prix – Chicago at Navy Pier…
British SailGP hit Chicago this weekend
Friday
Jun 17
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 17
2022
Posted by deleteme
Ben Ainslie has fired warning shots at Tom Slingsby’s Australia SailGP Team ahead of the T-Mobile United States Sail Grand Prix Chicago at Navy Pier, describing the team’s confidence as a ‘huge motivator’…
Line honours for Magic Carpet Cubed
Friday
Jun 17
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 17
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Crossing the finish line in Genoa, Italy at 22:07:17 CEST on Thursday 16 June, Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones’s Wallycento registered an elapsed time of 34 hours, seven minutes and 17 seconds…
ILCA 6 Masters Worlds in Mexico day 5
Friday
Jun 17
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 17
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Moving west off the southern coast of Mexico, Hurricane Blas left its mark. Although the storm is moving safely away from Banderas Bay, the anticyclone effects were still being felt with largely overcast skies, cooler temperatures, and lighter winds…
Key Yachting J-Cup Regatta 2022 preview
Thursday
Jun 16
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 16
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The Key Yachting J-Cup is the largest meeting of J/Boats in Northern Europe, 52 teams have already entered with over 300 sailors taking part…
ghost ship
Thursday
Jun 16
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 16
2022
Posted by deleteme
Not really, it’s the recreation of the San Salvador, the first European vessel to reach San Diego in 1542. While grabbing line honors, there is no word on how she did on corrected time… Photo thanks to my girlfriend…
Spinnaker start expected
Thursday
Jun 16
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 16
2022
Posted by XS Editor
With northerly winds predicted for the weekend, the start of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race on Saturday afternoon (Wicklow, Ireland) is set to be a colourful affair at the beginning of the 705 nautical-mile route…
International Six Metre Worlds – Day 2
Thursday
Jun 16
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 16
2022
Posted by deleteme
The second day of the Xacobeo Six Metre World Championship at the Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo proved to be long and frustrating for the sailors and race committee alike…
2022 Foiling Week on Lake Garda preview
Thursday
Jun 16
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 16
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Malcesine on Lake Garda will host the Foiling Week, the premier event for sailors, technicians, and sailing 3.0 enthusiasts from around the world…
U.S. SailGP Team first to take flight in Chicago
Thursday
Jun 16
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 16
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jimmy Spithill and the United States SailGP Team have arrived in Chicago for the second event of SailGP Season 3: the T-Mobile United States Sail Grand Prix | Chicago at Navy Pier, June 18-19. Today, the American team was first to test the waters…
New Multihulls for 2022
Thursday
Jun 16
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 16
2022
Posted by deleteme
Excess 14
The latest addition to the Excess catamaran line, which now includes four models with LOAs from 37ft to 48ft, the Excess 14 carries on the tradition of cruising comfort with a dash of performance and a unique, new aesthetic. As is the case with the rest of the boats in the fleet, the Excess 14 boasts twin helms set well aft, a reverse sheer, a low-slung cabintrunk also set aft and the option of a standard rig or a higher performance “pulse” rig, which is taller with increased sail area. An A-sail can be flown from a surprisingly long fixed sprit (at least for a cruising cat) and in the three-cabin layout, the entire starboard hull is dedicated to a truly sumptuous owner’s cabin for a boat with this kind of LOA. If it’s anything like the Excess 11, in particular, expect some great performance out of this sharp new design. As is the case with the rest Excess line, the saloon windows are specifically figured to accommodate a clear view forward from the helms. And how about those sharp-looking bows!
LOA 45ft 9in BEAM 25ft 9in DRAFT 4ft 10in DISPLACEMENT 25,794lb (light ship) SAIL AREA 1,270ft2 Excess Catamarans, excess-catamarans.com
Fountaine Pajot Aura 51
In its new 51-footer, Fountaine Pajot has sought to combine comfort with “sustainable cruising” in a sharp-looking catamaran with the company’s now trademark reverse sheer, sharp lines and tumbehome bows. As part of the “comfort” package, the Fountaine Pajot 51 has a wide-open transition between the aft cockpit and the saloon, facilitating freedom of movement between the galley and spacious cockpit that will be just the thing when at anchor, especially. With an eye torward sustainability, the boat includes sufficient surface area to mount a battery of solar panels providing an impressive 2,000 watts of “green” energy. Four different layouts are available, including a six-cabin version with a bathroom in every cabin. The boat also includes a forward lounging area and an elevated lounging area aft of the helm station. A fixed sprit forward can be used to fly an A-sail off the wind, complementing the power of the boat’s genoa and fully battened main.
LOA 51ft BEAM 26ft 6in DRAFT 4ft 3in DISPLACEMENT 39,900lb SAIL AREA 1,650ft2 Fountaine Pajot, fountaine-pajot.com
More boats to see!
WASZP Games hits 150+ entries from 25 nations
Thursday
Jun 16
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 16
2022
Posted by XS Editor
With just under one month to go until the 2022 International WASZP Games excitement has hit fever pitch with currently 158 entries taken so far…
Doyle Sails partner with Langford and Gilmour
Wednesday
Jun 15
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 15
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Doyle Sails International has announced a powerhouse partnership with Seagull Sails, owned and operated by world-renowned, professional sailors Kyle Langford and David Gilmour…
gone wrong
Wednesday
Jun 15
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 15
2022
Posted by deleteme
On the night of June 12 to 13, 1998, more than 20 years ago, Eric Tabarly disappeared at sea. Sailing aboard his Pen Duick , which he was transporting as a crew to Scotland to take part in a gathering of sailboats designed by the naval architect William Fife , father of the Pen Duick …
ugly early
Wednesday
Jun 15
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 15
2022
Posted by deleteme
No one ever said the Race to Alaska was gonna be easy…
First, most important: everyone is ok. Us, you, 100% of this year’s racers, and the brave men and women of the US Coast Guard and R2AK support vessels that affected four rescues in the Race’s first four hours. Everyone is ok.
Bruised egos, dashed dreams, but body and souls intact. Breathe in, exhale slowly. Everyone is ok…
Over 100 boats entered for 2022 GP14 Worlds
Wednesday
Jun 15
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 15
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Host club Skerries Sailing Club are delighted to announce that there are now 105 entries for the upcoming GP14 World Championship taking place from the 14th to the 19th of August this year. That number is set to grow further as the event draws closer…
Pondering the future of Scuttlebutt
Wednesday
Jun 15
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 15
2022
Posted by XS Editor
by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News
The proverb ‘All Good Things Must Come To An End’ is rooted in the 14th century, and while I don’t know if they were talking about popsicles or the calm before the next battle, this 25th anniversary year of Scuttlebutt Sailing News has made me think.
What began as a lark in 1997 when the internet was young and fun, the publication now lives in the madness of what the modern internet.
I have been pondering the future of the publication. Do I sell it, and witness where it goes, or do I end it like Thelma & Louise? And then a letter like this arrives that keeps me on watch:
—————
As a former Snipe sailor and now steeped in catboats, I want to thank you for your publication of Scuttlebutt over the many years.
You have consistently been a reasonable and moderate voice in the inevitable controversies and issues. You have covered events of regional, national, and international significance with insight and photo journalism. You connect with the newer sailors and the more experienced, without condensation, but, instead, earnest effort toward inclusion.
Also, I appreciate your “Curmudgeon” insights at the end, many of which I have forwarded to friends and relatives for their relevance and insight. Your Scuttlebutt is probably the last thing I would ever cancel from my incoming email blogs.
Just wanted you to know how much I appreciate what you do and have done over the years. Please keep it up.
– Woody Norwood; Atlanta, GA and Beaufort, SC
—————
What the future holds is to be determined, but I remain immensely proud to guide the publication, and always hope it helps in some way to make this such a great sport. Sail on!
it’s rough out there
Wednesday
Jun 15
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 15
2022
Posted by deleteme
On Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued three sailors in the Strait of Juan de Fuca after two competing sailboats capsized in rough conditions. The boats were under way in a larger flotilla for the annual Race to Alaska, and they were transiting the easternmost stretch of the strait from Port Townsend to Victoria. A gale warning and small craft advisory were in effect, and organizers described the conditions as “between seasick and dangerous” before departure. Water temperature in the strait was in the range of 50 degrees F, as is typical for the time of year. Read on.
Bill Tripp’s first big win
Tuesday
Jun 14
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 14
2022
Posted by XS Editor
For every notable yacht designer, there is that one boat which launches their career. For Bill Tripp Jr, whose life was cut short in 1971 at age 51 due to an automobile accident with a drunk driver, that boat was an innovative yawl which Donald Street recalls in this report:
In 1956 I sailed the Vineyard race on Katingo, a very nice centreboard yawl of about 50-feet that Bill had designed for Captain Vatis, a Greek ship owner.
At that point, Bill was no longer working for S&S but was trying make it as an independent designer, though his income was still largely from Red Hand paint that he represented in some fashion.
I can’t remember the entire crew but there was Captain Vatis as owner and skipper, Bill as navigator along with Arthur Knapp, Rod Oakes (an old friend who in our teen age years was a star boarder at our house in Port Washington on Manhasset Bay), myself, and a couple of others.
The race started in fog, and for navigation we relied on Dead Reckoning, using a Kenyon speed gauge that was not too accurate and didn’t record total miles. We had basic Direction Finding, but our distance sailed was a guesstimate, and while there was a sextant on board, with the fog there was no sun to use.
After leaving Long Island Sound, passing south of Fishers Island and Watch Hill, on an inshore leg as we tacked I saw Weekapaug Inn. I went below and asked Bill where his DR put us, and he showed us on the chart as being ten miles out which was not surprising considering fog and the navigation equipment available in those days.
Having spotted the Inn through the fog, I pointed out where we were along the Rhode Island shoreline, certain of our location as the Street family had spent summers on that beach since 1936 (and parts of the Street family still do).
This gave Bill a good point of departure to work out our approach to Vineyard Sound Lightship which we found by homing in on the DF and picking up the fog horn. We rounded the lightship, and headed back to Plum Gut south of Block Island, on a fast shy spinnaker reach. – Read on
America’s Cup: Join the Spy Game
Tuesday
Jun 14
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 14
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Teams using spies armed with long lenses to get an insight into what design direction competitors are heading in, are a common sight. For the 37th America’s Cup, the spy game has been reinvented. Here’s your opportunity to be part of it…
SailGP visits Chicago for the first time
Tuesday
Jun 14
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 14
2022
Posted by deleteme
On June 18 and 19, nine national SailGP teams will race in excess of 60mph – on Lake Michigan in front of the Chicago skyline…
UK Moth Nationals – Hiscocks by a point
Monday
Jun 13
2022
Posted by deleteme
Jun 13
2022
Posted by deleteme
Simon Hiscocks took victory on the final day of the International Moth UK Nationals at WPNSA…
American Magic training in Pensacola
Monday
Jun 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The City of Pensacola is welcoming New York Yacht Club American Magic back to the Port of Pensacola for training, marking the team’s third winter training on the Gulf Coast. PATRIOT, the team’s AC75 racing yacht, arrived in Pensacola after making the journey from New Zealand on June 11, 2022.
American Magic will spend the summer building out the team’s base in advance of winter training. The team will spend all winter in Pensacola training before relocating to Barcelona for the final push into the 37th America’s Cup…
Details: https://www.americascup.com/en/home
Source: NYYC American Magic media
Ready, set, R2AK
Monday
Jun 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
We’re back. 829 days since the world was cancelled by the murder sneeze, Race to Alaska (R2AK) Central is shaking off the cobwebs and getting back in the saddle for a long delayed year of engineless hard charging to Alaska. Thank god.
Deep in R2AK’s command bunker we’re Rip Van Winkling our way out of forced hibernation. Our beards are a little longer, jumpsuits a little tighter than they were when we hung them up back in 2019. While R2AK Central is trying to remember where all the light switches are, both streets of Port Townsend are a sea of boat trailers, foul weather geared pedestrians, and R2AK t-shirted tourists and volunteers.
The marinas and boat launches are bumper to bumper with pedal-driven and paddle-wheeled weirdo craft, the movie theater is filled with the R2AK documentary. This is definitely happening, three years and finally since the last one.
With three years to prep, you’d think that teams would be dialed in and disciplined, fire-drilled and dojo-honed, executing a plan three calendars in the making. You’d be wrong, at least a conceptual “half” of the time…
Sailing In the Dark? Let Cyclops Be Your Eyes…
Monday
Jun 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The world’s elite offshore sailors have found an alternative to all those pre-race carrots you’ve been eating…
SDYC hosts 2022 Snipe Nationals
Saturday
Jun 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Jun 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
San Diego Yacht Club is proud to host the 2022 Snipe National Championship this summer, July 11-15, 2022. Four full days of racing in what promises to be tight competition in the Snipe Fleet will be paired with five days of on-land festivities…
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