On the 16th Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre as the final Class40 skippers are reaching Lorient, the ULTIMs are continuing to make rapid headway south and this morning were at the latitude of Lisbon…
Monthly archives for October, 2023
Does bottom paint even make sense?
Monday
Oct 30
2023
Posted by deleteme
Oct 30
2023
Posted by deleteme
So the divers have pretty much put an end to my bottom paint. When I last hauled 1.5 years ago I had 5-gal applied to my 41′ boat. There was plenty of that paint still on the hull 5 months ago.So since the divers didn’t say anything I didn’t plan for needing a haul/painting and now an on the wait list in case someone cancels the next 2 months before scheduled to leave here.
In the meantime I started adding up the cost of getting the bottom job done verse just cleaning. It works out that…
Youth Foiling Gold Cup in Barcelona
Monday
Oct 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The third act of the 69F Sailing Youth Foiling Gold Cup season was seized by the Antiguan team, Rum Runners, led by skipper Rocco Falcone…
Alongside on an incredible journey
Monday
Oct 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
When the Olympic Sailing Program re-imagined the Two Person Dinghy event, and the men’s and women’s events were merged into one mixed event, this completely shuffled the deck for all the existing teams. The 470 has been the boat for this event since 1976, and has proven well suited for the this new era as both men and women are skippering and crewing.
The top USA team with a female helm is Louisa Nordstrom and Trevor Bornarth (aka NB470), and as both a new team and new to the boat, they have been scratching and clawing their way to the top of the fleet. While the top USA team is arguably 4-time Olympian Stu McNay and 2020 Olympian Lara Dallman-Weiss, the combined talents of Nordstom and Bornarth like their chances to win the USA trials. Here is their latest update:
NB470 Racing checking in again from our training overseas! We are now 70 days out from the US Olympic Trials taking place in Miami on January 6-13, 2024. All gas no breaks as we accelerate towards this exciting culminating event. The athlete selection procedures outline our qualification system for the Paris 2024 Olympics, and for the mixed 470 class, our qualifying event will be this one week event, winner takes all!
Details: https://www.paris2024.org/en/the-olympic-games-paris-2024/
2023 Lipton Cup at San Diego Yacht Club overall
Monday
Oct 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
San Diego Yacht Club has won the 108th Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup! The defending champs were determined to hold tight to the cup and they did just that in final moments of the regatta…
The chase has begun in the Global Solo Challenge
Monday
Oct 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
At noon on Sunday, October 29th, the creator and organizer of the Global Solo Challenge, Marco Nannini announced on the skippers’ chat: “Ladies and gentlemen, the show is on!” wishing good winds to the seven sailors who just departed from A Coruña…
America’s Cup Champion signs off Barcelona
Monday
Oct 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 30
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Emirates Team New Zealand’s intense four month sailing block in Barcelona has wound up with the America’s Cup winning boat Te Rehutai signing off its scheduled sailing and testing program for the 37th America’s Cup…
18ft Skiff 2023-24 Spring Championship Race 4
Sunday
Oct 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The current world 18 footer champion Andoo team of John Winning Jr, Seve Jarvin and Sam Newton demonstrated their skill and experience to win Race 4 of the Australian 18 Footers League’s 2023-24 Spring Championship in a close and exciting finish…
Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre start
Sunday
Oct 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Strong, gusty winds and choppy seas made for a spectacular start to the 16th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre for three of the four race fleets today…
World’s most water-repellent surface
Sunday
Oct 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 29
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Foils lift the hull from the water to reduce displacement, but what if water does not stick to the hull when it is in the water? Scientists in Finland may have broken the code:
Scientists have developed what they call the most water-repellent surface ever. By giving it a liquid-like coating that defies usual designs, water will roll off the surface at angles 500 times shallower than other superhydrophobic materials.
The ability to repel water is important for many materials, particularly in the automotive, marine, and aerospace industries. Many superhydrophobic surfaces work by trapping a layer of air or liquid, which causes any water that lands on it to ball up into droplets and roll off more easily.
But an emerging technology creates what are called liquid-like surfaces (LLS), which have layers of highly mobile molecules that act like liquids but are tethered to substrates so they don’t escape. The end result is like a lubricated surface that water slides right off. – Full report
Cup Spy Oct 27: Swiss reach one hundred
Saturday
Oct 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The Swiss were the only team to sail – and in their AC75. They completed a foreshortened 3.5 hour session. It was their 100th sail in what that call Boat 1
Second stage for Mini Transat 2023
Saturday
Oct 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 28
2023
Posted by XS Editor
(October 28, 2023) – The 87 remaining competitors in the 24th edition of La Boulangère Mini Transat will set off today on the second leg of the race. They will depart from Santa Cruz de La Palma to reach Saint-François, Guadeloupe, covering a total of 2,700 nautical miles.
Everyone is preparing for the actual Atlantic crossing, with the only instructions being to leave the island of El Hierro and a waypoint located at 25° North and 27° West to starboard in order to avoid taking a route too far north. This route still carries a high risk of the formation of small tropical depressions.
The overall plan? The first miles are expected to be tricky due to light and unstable winds, as well as the wind shadow of the Canary Islands. The strategic aspect is wide open. In this context, some twists and turns are certainly not out of the question, but all solo sailors are well-prepared for the big leap!
If the first leg from Les Sables d’Olonne to Santa Cruz de La Palma (1,350 miles) gave them a taste of the challenge, the second leg from the Canary Islands to Saint-François (2,700 miles) will truly immerse them in the vast open sea. Once they leave the Spanish archipelago behind, the next coastline they will see will be Guadeloupe…
Will USA risk competing in Saudi Arabia?
Friday
Oct 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
After America’s Cup Challenger American Magic (USA) won the first of the three preliminary regattas, the question remained whether they would compete in the second event. The team unsuccessfully sought relief from participation due to safety concerns in Saudi Arabia, and it was unclear what penalty they could incur as attendance was required.
While the USA team has not declared its intent, the Arab News publication reports that all six teams taking part in the 37th America’s Cup will be at the second preliminary regatta on the Red Sea in Jeddah.
With the event dates of November 30-December 3 (AC40), the six teams are from New Zealand, UK, Switzerland, France, Italy, and USA which will be racing their AC40s out of Jeddah Yacht Marina and just a few hundred meters away from the racetrack that hosts the Saudi Arabia Formula One Grand Prix.
Saudi Arabia will be the only venue outside of Spain to host an America’s Cup regatta during the 37th AC cycle.
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 begins October 12, 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)
• Orient Express Racing Team (FRA)
2023-24 Preliminary Regattas
September 14-17, 2023 (AC40): Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
November 30-December 3 (AC40): Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
August 2024 (AC75): Barcelona, Spain
2024 America’s Cup
August 29-October 7: Challenger Selection Series
October 12 – ?: 37th Match (Best of 13)
Additionally, 12 teams will compete in the 2024 Youth & Women’s America’s Cup.
Noticeboard: https://ac37noticeboard.acofficials.org/
Additional details: www.americascup.com/en/home
UKLA ILCA 7 Qualifier 6 at Weymouth
Friday
Oct 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
In case anyone forgot this was the final qualifier of the year, a small downpour took place just as the everyone launched and headed out into Weymouth Bay, dampening neoprene but never enthusiasm…
Union strike closed St. Lawrence Seaway, halts shipping
Friday
Oct 27
2023
Posted by deleteme
Oct 27
2023
Posted by deleteme
Canadian union strike has closed the seaway, as well as Welland Canal between lakes Erie and Ontario.No commercial ships moving; no recreational vessels can transit either.
Strike Halts All Shipping on St. Lawrence Seaway | Transport Topics
Strike Halts All Shipping on St. Lawrence Seaway | Transport Topics
MINNEAPOLIS — A strike has shut down all shipping on the St. Lawrence Seaway, interrupting exports of grain and other goods from Canada and the U.S. via the Great Lakes to the rest of the world.
www.ttnews.com
Seven skippers taking up the Global Solo Challenge
Friday
Oct 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The atmosphere is electric on the eve of the most crowded departure, with seven skippers at the next start of the Global Solo Challenge…
air foil
Friday
Oct 27
2023
Posted by deleteme
Oct 27
2023
Posted by deleteme
The Environment
The Seawing, an automated kite system designed to provide wind-assisted propulsion, has achieved a key milestone in completing its validation testing. Developed by the French company Airseas, it is a unique approach toward the decarbonization of commercial ships using aerospace technology to harness the power of the wind.
Based on the latest phase of trials, Airseas is now able to project initial results with a 16 percent fuel and emissions reduction, in line with its broader development roadmap. The company calls the latest steps a demonstration of how aerospace expertise allowed it to pass major technological challenges and demonstrate the potential for wind-assisted propulsion. They had projected up to a 20 percent reduction depending on operating conditions.
Founded by Airbus engineers, the company conducted its first demonstration flights six years ago in 2017 helping it to win financial support from Airbus. Working with Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, which operates vessels chartered to transport components for Airbus, Airseas received its first order for a prototype system. The company has also partnered with Japan’s “K” Line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha) which has become an advocate and supporter of the kite system. The Japanese company has committed to testing the system aboard its bulkers and won support from the Japanese government to advance the development of the technology.
march of the maxis
Friday
Oct 27
2023
Posted by deleteme
Oct 27
2023
Posted by deleteme
We are back in peak Maxi racing season having just completed a very successful Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (MYRC) in Porto Cervo and are now en route for Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez (LVdeST). Both attract some 50 Maxis although there is substantial variation between the fleets which begs the question: ‘what makes a regatta really attractive to Maxi owners?’
As estate agents say the main drivers really are location, location and location. We go to Saint-Tropez twice in a season – in June for the Rolex Giraglia Regatta which has inshore racing followed by the classic offshore, and then again in October where there is just inshore racing.
At the glamorous 12-strong racing boat end of the Saint-Tropez fleet, 10 were also racing at the MYRC. But scrolling down to the sub-class of smaller, more cruiser-racer boats it is a very different mix with 14 boats only two of which were in Sardinia. Read on.
Boris Herrmann and Will Harris Ready to Race
Friday
Oct 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 27
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre 2023 will see Boris Herrmann and Will Harris race onboard Malizia – Seaexplorer from Le Havre, in northern France, to Fort-de-France on the French island of Martinique in the Caribbean…
Cup Spy Oct 26: Swiss build confidence
Thursday
Oct 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The Swiss were the only team to sail their AC75, and completed a four hour session, in a flatter seaway of 0.7mtrs. They sailed in lighter winds and not surprisingly were able to achieve a high (94%) dry foiling percentage – and in a racing context…
Competing on the coffee trading route
Thursday
Oct 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Ninety-six doublehanded teams intend to start the 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre on October 29 for the biannual race from Le Havre in northern France to Martinique in the French Caribbean. Following the historic coffee trading route, the 13th edition has divisions for Class Ultim, Ocean Fifty, IMOCA, and Class40 with varying courses from 4,500 to 7,000 nm across the Atlantic to allow a grouped finish at approximately November 12. – Details
First leg of Ocean Globe Race
Thursday
Oct 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The Swan 651 Spirit of Helsinki (FIN) crossed the finish line of the 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race to take line honors for leg one, completing the 7670 nm course from the UK to Cape Town in 39 days, 20 hrs and 10 mins. The Swan 65 Translated 9 (ITA) was third across the finish line and is holding first place overall in IRC (above). The second leg starts on November 5 for the 7250 nm course to Auckland, New Zealand.
Event information – Race rules – Entry list – Tracker
2023-24 Ocean Globe Race:
FIRST LEG: Start 10 September 2023. 7670 miles. First boats finish 9-21 October 2023.
SECOND LEG: Start 5 November 2023. 7250 miles. First boats finish 14-23 December 2023.
THIRD LEG: Start 14 January 2024. 4980 miles. First boats finish 9-18 February 2024.
FOURTH LEG: Start 5 March. 6550 miles. Finish 1-10 April 2024.
The 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race (OGR) is a fully crewed, retro race, in the spirit of the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race, marking the 50th Anniversary of the original event. Starting in Southampton (UK) on September 10, the OGR is a 27,000-mile sprint around the Globe, divided into four legs that passes south of the three great Capes. The fleet is divided in three classes with stop-overs in Cape Town, South Africa; Auckland, New Zealand; and Punta del Este, Uruguay before returning to Southhampton in April 2024…
Cup Spy Oct 25: Magic off to an early start
Thursday
Oct 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 26
2023
Posted by XS Editor
New York Yacht Club American Magic (NYYC AM) was the only team to sail on Wednesday. They got way to an early start, with the focus of the session being the presence of a couple of cameras mounted on the outer wing of the starboard foil…
Red Ruby unable to beat Bullitt
Wednesday
Oct 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
At 2100 CEST on Wednesday, 25 October, the winner of the 44th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race was announced as the Italian Wally 93 Bullitt, skippered by Andrea Recordati…
Maxi Edmond de Rothschild at Transat Jacques Vabre
Wednesday
Oct 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Moored in the Bassin de l’Eure at the heart of Le Havre since last Thursday, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is patiently awaiting the green light alongside four more ULTIMs, which make up the fleet of giants in the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023…
European Star Championship day 1
Wednesday
Oct 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The Star European Championship kicked off today in the Bay of Cannes, organized by the Yacht Club de Cannes and the International Star Class. 45 teams from 15 nations were on the starting line of the first two races of the Championship…
From the Editor: You Go, Girl(s)
Wednesday
Oct 25
2023
Posted by deleteme
Oct 25
2023
Posted by deleteme
So, how’s she doing today?
This question hops to the top of my morning scroll through the usual feeds and takes me to the YB tracking app, where I check the blue path and yellow pin that shows Cole Brauer’s progress across the Atlantic. It’s late September as I write this, and a couple of days ago she left Newport for A Coruña, Spain, on her final qualifier to the start of the Global Solo Challenge. The only female entry, she is to start the race on October 28.
She’s sailing First Light, a Class40 on which this summer she and her doublehanded co-skipper, Cat Chimney, became the first women to win the Bermuda One-Two—first to finish on both legs, and not by a little. She hopes to win the Global Solo Challenge. No less significantly, she also hopes to become the first American woman to successfully race solo nonstop around the world (“Leading the Pack,” October 2023). I know I’ll be as glued to her tracker in November and December as I was to Kirsten Neuschäfer’s earlier this year, as she became the first woman to win a solo round-the-world race, sailing her stout and beautiful 36-foot Cape George cutter Minnehaha to win the Golden Globe (“Golden Globe Glory,” August/September 2023)…
gotta go
Wednesday
Oct 25
2023
Posted by deleteme
Oct 25
2023
Posted by deleteme
I’m burnt out and pretty much done with racing. It’s been coming for a while and I thought getting the 105 would be a bit of an elixer, and while I truly like the 105 and the OD racing is really fun, it’s simply time for me to get out.
I’ve made the boat as good as I can and it is plenty fast. New sails, new bottom, etc. This is a great boat for class racing, PHRF and ORR. And, I’ve priced it right. Check it out! –ed.
Legendary veteran vs. the 18 footer rookie
Wednesday
Oct 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Thirty nine season veteran, the legendary 18ft skiff skipper John ‘Woody’ Winning, and three-race rookie skipper, Jacob Marks are the two skippers leading their teams at the half-way mark of the 2023-24 Australian 18 Footers League’s Spring Championship…
Leopard Dodges the Bullitt
Wednesday
Oct 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
If yesterday’s story of the 44th Rolex Middle Sea Race was the first multihull to finish, today’s is definitely monohull line honours. At 0152 CEST this morning, the fascinating race-long duel between Leopard 3 and Bullitt concluded.
Cup Spy Oct 22: Italians sail as Kiwis tow
Tuesday
Oct 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The Italian team LRPP rolled out their LEQ12 prototype at 11:40 and sailed out of Cagliari in a steady 12-16kt breeze. Emirates Team NZ had a towing session only in the early morning, presumably related to flight control systems…
The explosive increase in IMOCA performance
Tuesday
Oct 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Anyone who has followed the growth of the IMOCA Class in recent years will be well aware that the boats are now going faster than ever before and that the advent of foils has produced a spectacular jump in performance…
Mini Transat: Downwind to the finish
Tuesday
Oct 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Ninety solo skippers started the first stage of the 2023 Mini Transat, with Peter Gibbons-Neff (USA) sharing the experience of racing his 21-foot Mini Class boat from Les Sables d’Olonne in France to the Canary Islands. Following his Part One, Two, and Three reports, he details days 9-13 below:
As we sailed into the ninth day of this race, I crossed the halfway point of this 1,350 nm long leg of the Mini Transat. The A2 spinnaker was flying all night long and I was averaging over 7 kts on starboard tack. Unfortunately, I could not see any Minis on AIS throughout this night and into the early morning. While I was not trying to necessarily follow the groups route exactly, I could not tell if they had jibed over onto port yet or not. – Full report
Mother and daughter cross Atlantic Ocean
Tuesday
Oct 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Amanda Shehab, 56 and daughter Megan Allpress, 26 have arrived into Uruguay having crossed the Atlantic Ocean together and ticking off the first major ocean crossing of the competition…
Translated 9 win the first leg of Ocean Globe Race
Monday
Oct 23
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 23
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Translated 9 crossed the finish line of the first leg of the Ocean Globe Race at 4:00 a.m. yesterday in Cape Town, securing the 1st position overall ranking with a 2-day advantage over the second boat…
Don’t let them go to the chainsaw
Monday
Oct 23
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 23
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The Cal 20 is an iconic Southern California one design class, and was an early design by Bill Lapworth who will be inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2023. The boat was designed to please:
• the yachtsman who want a spacious, seaworthy, low maintenance boat
• the man who races
• the family that day sails
• the family that likes a weekend cruise
• the sunbather who will enjoy the wide flat surface
• the man who would rather sail than maintain a boat
• the discriminating yachtsman who demands more boat for less money
The Cal 20 Class organization remains eager to encourage participation, which includes Class President Richard Welsh giving away free boats:
We have two boats available for free and each has participated in several past class championship regattas so both boats have been measured and are with thickened, faired keels. They are both in rough condition but if one is willing to put some work in, they will make great boats.
Hull #386 with its original stock blue decks & hull stripe, sits at King Harbor Yacht Club (Redondo Beach, CA) and belongs to Tony Gudish. It has been out sailing in the last year but needs some rigging updates, paint, and for the keel to have rust areas ground out and patched up along with some fiberglass work. Tony no longer uses the boat but would like to see it go to a new home for free. If interested please contact Paul Zambriski at pzambriski@gmail.com.
Hull #254 is also in Redondo Beach although it sits across the way at the AES power plant parking lot. This boat was owned in the 80s and 90s by Robin and Gail Hoeven out of Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club and they raced the boat quite extensively. Robin was going through a refit on the boat but after a while lost interest and then sold it to an individual in Redondo Beach. The keel and keel/hull fairing is in great shape and no rust appears. Robin used an air foil template to get the desired shape and if you had to have a professional do this it would be quite expensive. This boat is missing its mast but has most everything else. If interested, please contact Brian Lindquist at 310-920-2453.
Both these boats are diamonds in the rough and are fast according to several individuals who raced them in the past. Let’s not let them go to the chainsaw please!
stop eating the dock!
Monday
Oct 23
2023
Posted by deleteme
Oct 23
2023
Posted by deleteme
Global Solo Challenge: triple departure
Monday
Oct 23
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 23
2023
Posted by XS Editor
On Saturday, October 21, in A Coruña, amidst white clouds, layers of cumulus and cirrus, which adorned the sky like brushstrokes, the sun peeked out, providing a favorable omen for the departure of the three competitors…
Planet Sail Episode 27: Nowhere To Hide
Monday
Oct 23
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Oct 23
2023
Posted by XS Editor
SailGP’s fourth season is the busiest so far with 13 events around the world. And while the dominant Australians continue to lead the overall standings, recent results suggest that their reign is coming under increasing pressure…
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