Established in 2016, the Fast40 Class was becoming one of the most exciting UK based race circuits until the pandemic reeled in some of the growth…
Monthly archives for May, 2021
Highs and Lows action for an 18ft Skiff Champion
Saturday
May 22
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 22
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Current JJ Giltinan world champion, Michael Coxon has been sailing 18s for around 20 seasons, but even the world’s best can have good and bad days when you are racing an 18ft Skiff around Sydney Harbour…
Tokyo moves to Delivery Mode with 63 days to Opening
Saturday
May 22
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 22
2021
Posted by deleteme
The final meeting of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 concluded with 63 days remaining until the Opening of the Games…
Latest World Sailing Rankings – May 2021
Saturday
May 22
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 22
2021
Posted by deleteme
World Sailing have published the Olympic classes World Rankings updated as at 17 May 2021…
SailGP: Burling and Tuke step off NZSailGP entry
Friday
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Joining the New Zealand SailGP Team are international high-performance sailors Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) (helm), James Wierzbowski (flight controller) and New Zealand Olympic sailor Jason Saunders (wing trimmer)…
just do it
Friday
May 21
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 21
2021
Posted by deleteme
Live with no regrets.
Marisa Personius remembers thinking about all the things she wanted to do when – not if – her body was strong enough. Of course, there were the fears. During chemotherapy, you’re petrified, she said, living every moment careful to not compromise your already battered immune system. Your body is weak, muscles out of whack.
But coming close to death makes you realize how much you want to live, she said. Read on.
A New Twist on Soft Shackles
Friday
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
LOOP soft shackles are a simple, yet highly versatile product. They can be used almost anywhere that you would use a conventional shackle and have an incredible strength to weight ratio, as you would expect from Dyneema…
IMOCA Globe Series Championship 2021-2025
Friday
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Devised in 2017, the IMOCA Globe Series Championship, which combines the world’s superlative offshore races, enjoyed its first great success with its inaugural cycle from June 2018 to March 2021…
Precision Performance Consultancy
Friday
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Cyclops has partnered with world-leading sailors and coaches to assemble a ‘Global Performance Team’ of expert consultants that use Cyclops data as part of their process…
Streakers at Hornsea
Friday
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Hornsea SC on the east coast of Yorkshire welcomed 13 Streakers to the Mere for the first Pinnell & Bax sponsored Northern Paddle Meeting of 2021…
World Sailing and Virtual Regatta join first ever Olympic Virtual Series
Friday
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
World Sailing, supported by Virtual Regatta, the leading digital sailing platform, have partnered with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to join the Olympic Virtual Series (OVS)…
Laser/ILCA Grand Prix at Bartley preview
Friday
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Bartley Sailing Club is situated on Bartley Reservoir in the south-western outskirts of Birmingham. Close to the M42 and M5 we have 120 acres of clean water and generally excellent wind conditions…
College of Charleston Wins College Sailing Women’s Nationals
Friday
May 21
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 21
2021
Posted by deleteme
College of Charleston’s sailors came out on top only 1 point ahead of Tulane on the final day of Women’s Nationals. (Courtesy ICSA/)
The racing over the last two days brought light winds and shifty conditions. The first day was all about boat speed and the Boston College sailors excelled at this winning the day – although closely followed by the College of Charleston, Tulane University, Stanford University and the U.S. Naval Academy – in the top five.
The sailors completed 10 races in each division on the first day of competition and 6 races today for a regatta total of 16 races in each division. The sailors raced in Navy’s Z420s and Georgetown University’s Club Flying Juniors (FJs) on the Severn River. The Annapolis Yacht Club, Severn Sailing Association, Eastport Yacht Club and the Annapolis Sailing School supported Navy by storing boats and hosting four schools on their property each day to allow for proper distancing…
Eight Bells: Vince Morvillo
Friday
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 21
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Vince Morvillo, husband, father, businessman and champion sailor died peacefully on May 16, 2021 in Houston, Texas. He was 75.
As a blind teenager growing up in Rhode Island, Vince focused on his special abilities. As president of Sea Lake Yacht Sales of Texas, Vince led a successful team in business with a reputation of strong ethical standards.
He was a Certified Professional Yacht Broker, a founding member of the Marine Edge peer review professional organization and served as national president of the Yacht Broker’s Association of America. Later in life Vince enjoyed his career as a motivational speaker…
What’s the deal with boats in Europe/UK?
Friday
May 21
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 21
2021
Posted by deleteme
Is it my imagination or are used boats more expensive in the UK and Europe? I often see ads mentioning “tax paid”. Is that it? These boats have to pay an import duty and the owners are trying to recoup that in the sale?
RS:X Class: End of an era
Thursday
May 20
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 20
2021
Posted by XS Editor
There are some realities regarding Olympic equipment. One is the overall level of class competition will heighten, and this can lead casual class members to seek lower ground. Another is for equipment created specifically for the Olympics, the class will likely fade out if the equipment is not renewed.
That is now the situation for the RS:X windsurfer, introduced at the 2008 Olympics for the Men’s and Women’s Windsurfing event, and now to be replaced by the iQFoil for Paris 2024. With the focus solely on elite competition, Olympic classes don’t establish the grass roots level needed to live on.
Farrah Hall, who will represent the USA in the Women’s Windsurfing event at Tokyo 2020, shares her view of the RS:X last hurrah:
Ali Young – Full Steam Ahead to Tokyo 2020
Thursday
May 20
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 20
2021
Posted by deleteme
In the run up to Tokyo 2020 Team GB selected athletes will give you an insight in to their lives ahead of the Olympic Games – this month ILCA 6 Radial sailor Ali Young…
Record Rolex Fastnet Race entry despite COVID-19 uncertainty
Thursday
May 20
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 20
2021
Posted by deleteme
With 450+ yachts entered in this year’s 49th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s biennial flagship event has consolidated its position as the biggest offshore yacht race in the world…
pole dancers
Wednesday
May 19
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 19
2021
Posted by deleteme
What’s the difference between a spinnaker pole, a jockey pole, a whisker pole, a reaching strut and a jib stick? If you thought defining those distinctions was no more than yachting pedantry then think again. Using a whisker pole could now cost your boat up to a half-point penalty on IRC handicap.
The IRC published a Q&A paper in late April backgrounding that decision and say there was no negative reaction from Northern Hemisphere owners. But it seems to be a different story Down Under where the ruling comes into effect on June 1. A forum of owners convened yesterday by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia heard some powerful arguments against the rating change.
There was rebellion in the air, and this disquiet among the owners of competitive offshore yachts in Australia may even lead to a push for the overall prize in the Sydney-Hobart race to switch from the prevailing IRC rating system to ORCi…
Islay Watson leads iQFoil International on Garda
Wednesday
May 19
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 19
2021
Posted by deleteme
Britain’s Islay Watson leads the women’s iQFoil International on Garda after taking back-to-back wins on the opening day…
Goodison replaces Ainslie for Italian and Great Britain SailGP events
Wednesday
May 19
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 19
2021
Posted by deleteme
Olympic Gold medallist and three-time Moth World Champion Paul Goodison will replace Ben Ainslie in the Great Britain SailGP Team for the Italian and Great Britain SailGP events
box out
Wednesday
May 19
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 19
2021
Posted by deleteme
Responding to the dramatic increase in the loss of containers at sea in the past year, the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization discussed the issue at its recent meeting. Agreeing that the loss of containers at sea represents a potential danger to maritime safety and is a threat to the environment, the IMO’s MSC took initial actions focusing on detecting and reporting lost containers.
The IMO said that it will also work to address efforts to prevent the loss of containers and restore confidence in container shipping practices. Read on.
Back in the saddle (finally) for 44Cup
Wednesday
May 19
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 19
2021
Posted by XS Editor
(May 19, 2021) – After a few days out on the water training here in Slovenia, owners and crews of the eight RC44s are now back in the saddle and ready for tomorrow’s start of the 44Cup Portorož. The last time the 44Cup fleet raced was in Palma in mid-November 2019. A full season was scheduled for 2020 but was cancelled in its entirety due to the COVID-19 pandemic. – Full report
America’s Cup: Where do we go now?
Wednesday
May 19
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 19
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The moment Team New Zealand crossed the finish line to win the 36th America’s Cup, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron accepted the challenge presented by Royal Yacht Squadron Limited. What comes next? Jack Griffin of CupExperience News refreshes our memory of what has been announced for the 37th edition:
• The Protocol will be published by mid-November 2021.
• The venue will be announced by mid-September.
• Dates will be announced by mid-November.
• The AC75 yachts will be used for the next two America’s Cup cycles, and agreement to this is a condition of entry.
• Teams may build only one new AC75 yacht for AC37.
• A new Crew Nationality Rule will require 100% of the race crew to hold the passport of the country of their team’s yacht club, or to have met the physical presence rule that was in effect for AC36. “Emerging Nations” will be given a quota of non-nationals in their race crew.
• Unlike AC36, there will be one Event Authority to run all racing and manage all commercial activities. This was first used by Alinghi for the 2007 America’s Cup and again by Oracle in 2013 and 2017. For AC36, the Challenger of Record organized all the racing except the America’s Cup Match, and presenting sponsor Prada controlled much of the commercial aspects of the event.
• The Defender and the Challenger of Record are exploring cost reduction measures, hoping to attract more challengers…
why no men?
Wednesday
May 19
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 19
2021
Posted by deleteme
Stanford will reinstate all 11 varsity programs slated to be discontinued following the 2020-21 academic year, in a shocking reversal that follows months of student, athlete and alumni activism.
The sports; men’s and women’s fencing, field hockey, lightweight rowing, men’s rowing, co-ed and women’s sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, men’s volleyball and wrestling will all retain varsity status next fall, athletes confirmed to The Daily.
Athletes from at least one of the affected teams were informed of the reversal by coaches this morning. The decision was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, and an official announcement from the University is expected later today. There is a thread.
coming along
Tuesday
May 18
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 18
2021
Posted by deleteme
Bermuda suffered the perfect Covid storm in April. The combination of the UK variant spreading among school children and some illegal house parties caused infections to take off. One party alone accounted for more than 80 new cases. The Bermuda Government responded by imposing a stay at home order for 1 week and followed with a non-mixing of households order for 3 weeks. This, along with continued progress with vaccinations, has had great results. The seven day average of new infections has fallen to 7. On a population of 64k this puts us at 109/million, about 1/3 lower than the US, 1/2 of Germany but trailing the UK. This weekend, Bermuda moves back to the rules being followed earlier in the year and life is more or less normal.
Currently, 39% of the total population is fully inoculated, 51% have had at least one dose. So 62% of the eligible population has had at least one dose. As in other countries, the rate of vaccination is slowing due to reluctance to be vaccinated rather than availability of supply. Significant efforts are underway to coax more people toward vaccination…
Katie Dabson secures podium place at Formula Kite Spain Series
Tuesday
May 18
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 18
2021
Posted by deleteme
Current world number one, Axel Mazella of France won the Cutty Sark Formula Kite Spain Series, Castelló, while American Daniela Moroz was the winner in the women’s category…
When Flares Were in Fashion
Tuesday
May 18
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 18
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The Magnum design of International Moth began a dynasty of increasingly skinny boats that would start out by rewriting the rule book for dinghy design whilst stretching the UK’s PY system to the maximum…
A message from Alan Ostfield, CEO of US Sailing
Tuesday
May 18
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 18
2021
Posted by XS Editor
I write to you today with incredible excitement, having just joined US Sailing as its new Chief Executive Officer…
OK Dinghy carbon fibre mast hit by lightning
Tuesday
May 18
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 18
2021
Posted by deleteme
OK dinghy mast hit by lightning during Hellerup training session – sail undamaged but mast and boat destroyed…
Harken’s All-Soft-Tie Jib Cars
Monday
May 17
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 17
2021
Posted by deleteme
The new 2767 car has no stainless hardware other than the ball bearing retainers—no shackles, pins or ring-dings. Everything’s meant to be soft-tied. (Courtesy Harken/)
An evolution of Harken’s 2700 series of small-boat cars, the new 2767 car has no stainless hardware other than the ball bearing retainers—no shackles, pins or ring-dings. Everything’s soft-tied. In fact, there are just three main parts: an aluminum body, ball bearings and the two-ball bearing retainers. As a result, the car weighs in at an amazingly light 1.48 ounces.
The design was inspired by Adam Palfrey, who had been using the 2702 cars on the athwartship jib tracks he designed for use in the Etchells class (“A Sheeting Angle Solution”). For Palfrey, they were good, though not quite perfect, as he had to hog out a small section of aluminum on each car to allow the up-down line to work without chafing, plus they had stamped stainless control tangs with somewhat squared-off corners—ok, but not optimum for a spliced traveller control line…
Corsair 880 with Colligo Marine
Monday
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The Corsair 880 now features the Colligo Marine Stopper Knot Lashing System! Our ongoing relationship with Corsair Marine is stronger than ever and the symbiosis keeps resulting in problem solving new technologies…
Sailing towards a regenerative future
Monday
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
11th Hour Racing Team, formed in September 2019 and led by American offshore sailors Charlie Enright and Mark Towill, is preparing for the The Ocean Race 2022-23. Hoping to parlay their experience from the two previous editions of the race (previously known as the Volvo Ocean Race), their team also has sustainability at the core of all operations.
In this report they share how they seek to inspire positive action among sailing and coastal communities, and global sports fans, to create long-lasting change for ocean health…
International Moth GP at the WPNSA
Monday
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
After nine months since the Moth nationals at Weymouth, and a long winter with no racing, 33 Moth sailors descended upon Weymouth despite a windy forecast itching to dust off their boats and get some long-needed race practice…
Stu Bithell warming up for Tokyo with cleansweep at WPNSA
Monday
May 17
2021
Posted by deleteme
May 17
2021
Posted by deleteme
Olympic Team GB 49er sailor Stuart Bithell, took time off from training for Tokyo 2020+1 with a productive weekend in the International Moth…
Yacht Club House Drinks 2021
Monday
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
Sailing has its traditions, and for better or worse, the adult beverages is one of them. At some yacht clubs, this tradition goes so far as a designated house drink. In 2010, Scuttlebutt took on the task of creating a list of these house drinks. Here’s the 2021 edition:
American Yacht Club (Rye, NY) – Planter’s Punch
Bay Head Yacht Club (Bay Head, NJ) – Steak Knife, Light & Dark
Bayview Yacht Club (Detroit, MI) – Hummer
Chicago Yacht Club (Chicago, IL) – Thunderhead
City Island Yacht Club (City Island, NY) – Dark and Stormy
Club de Yates de Acapulco (Acapulco, MEX) – una Betty
Corinthian Yacht Club (Seattle, WA) – Dark and Stormy
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (Darling Point, NSW) – Mutton Bird Repellents
Dillon Yacht Club (Dillon, CO) – Dark and Stormy
East Greenwich Yacht Club (East Greenwich, RI) – Dirty Harry
and more here…
Bluebottle to race in this year’s Edinburgh Cup
Monday
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The beloved keelboat of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Bluebottle has undergone a momentous restoration and a road trip to now complete the Royal fleet in Edinburgh…
Trans-Tasman bubble eases entry for superyachts
Monday
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
With a trans-Tasman travel bubble now in place and working between the Australian states and New Zealand, NZ Marine Industry Association has clarified the changed entry situation between the two countries for cruising yachts and superyachts…
Evolution Sails Northern Triangle sells out fast
Monday
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The Short Handed Sailing Association of New Zealand (SSANZ) has announced that the Evolution Sails Northern Triangle has sold out three minutes after entries opened on Sunday evening…
Innovative scoring for race to Bermuda
Monday
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
May 17
2021
Posted by XS Editor
The 2021 Spirit of Bermuda Charity Rally, a race from the USA to Bermuda and back will start on June 18 from two locations in international waters. The race introduces a new and innovative format with the option of two starting lines set up on lines of latitude and longitude located in the Atlantic Ocean 12 miles south of the coast of Newport, Rhode Island and 20 miles east of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay at Chesapeake Light. – Full report
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