another trajedy

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Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta entry open

Monday
Oct 09
2023

Posted by XS Editor

Online entry is now officially open for the highly anticipated 2023/2024 Bacardi Winter Series, leading into the world-famous Bacardi Cup and Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta from March 3-9, 2024, on Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL.

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ladies first

Monday
Oct 09
2023

Posted by deleteme

To the Editor,
Sailing Anarchy,
San Diego CA

Dear Sir,

It falls to me, as World Sailing Executive Vice-President for Gender Equity and Sexual Diversity, to respond to your offensive commentary on the Gender Design Survey initiative recently announced by the World Sailing Trust.

This may be a matter for derision among the male heterosexual sailing community but for those of us who make a handsome living inventing meaningless issues and then attending all-expenses-paid conferences around the world to promote them, these are issues of considerable significance.

Let me provide one example: the term “Man Overboard”. This is plainly insulting to any sailor who does not identify as “male”.

The obvious replacement – “Person Overboard” – appears adequate until we consider its acronym, “PoB”. This could be confused with “Persons on Board”, which is required in the Owner’s Declaration before any offshore event.

The World Sailing Trust now proposes a new term: “Lesbian/Gay/Bi-sexual/Transgender/Intersex/Queer/Asexual Person Overboard”. This might take a little longer to say than the previous hail, however, as the person drowns they will have the comfort of knowing they were not demeaned by any slight on their current sexual identity or preferences…

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Budworth SC Solo Open

Monday
Oct 09
2023

Posted by XS Editor

Once upon a time… on a lake not so far away 24 solo sailors arrived at Budworth SC for the penultimate solo open of the 2023 Northern Series event on a very mild October day…

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Reality bites as green agenda takes hold

Monday
Oct 09
2023

Posted by XS Editor

As green as we’d like to think of our sport, competing beyond the local level is hardly clean. And lately, its been pretty costly, particularly when putting a boat on a ship for transport.

Futuristic stories of transport ships with wing sails have transitioned to realistic objectives, perhaps to help both needs, but changes to this industry are coming. Lloyd’s List editor-in-chief Richard Meade shares the clairvoyant content from his crystal ball:

That faint whirring you can hear in the background right now is not the air con on the blink — it’s the sound of mental cogs grinding as the industry collectively runs through the mental calculations and reviews long-held assumptions about what happens next.

There is a recalibration happening in the minds of governments and, some, executives as they start to clock that decarbonization is not just a press release and real problems are about to start really hurting much sooner than they expected.

Widespread complacency based on the 2018 initial greenhouse gas strategy of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is evaporating and, in some quarters, mild panic is setting in. Once the rest of them catch up, that panic is going to be more audible.

Conceptually, most understand that the IMO’s revised climate strategy creates a very clear onus for a rapid and strong upwards revision of corporate, national and regional actions…

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Cup Spy Oct 7: Decisions for Luna Rossa

Sunday
Oct 08
2023

Posted by XS Editor

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sailed on Saturday. With the Italians continuing to test the recent upgrades to their LEQ12…

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Sweden’s Berntsson wins Bermuda Gold Cup

Sunday
Oct 08
2023

Posted by XS Editor

Swedish skipper Johnie Berntsson has won the King Edward VII Gold Cup, the championship trophy of the Bermuda Gold Cup match racing tournament, for the third time since 2008…

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18ft Skiff 2023-24 Spring Championship Race 1

Sunday
Oct 08
2023

Posted by XS Editor

The Australian 18 Footers League’s 89th consecutive 18ft skiff racing season began on Sydney Harbour today, when the club staged Race 1 of the 2023-24 Spring Championship…

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Antigua Yacht Club Marina offices burned down

Saturday
Oct 07
2023

Posted by XS Editor

As many of you will have heard already, very sadly during tropical storm Philippe that passed over Antigua and Barbuda last Monday night, the Antigua YC Marina offices burned down which included Skullduggery cafe, Cloggy’s and shops within that block…

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Blackwater Sailing Club Optimist Open

Saturday
Oct 07
2023

Posted by XS Editor

The Indian Summer arrived just in time for this year’s Optimist Open meeting at Blackwater Sailing Club; a one-day event and indicator for the East’s regional training group RTG. This year with a bumper entry of over 80 boats…

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Live Ocean Racing: Kiwis 5th in Spain

Saturday
Oct 07
2023

Posted by XS Editor

Live Ocean Racing has finished the ETF26 Series season in 4th place, after wrapping up the season finale in 5th place…

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double fast

Friday
Oct 06
2023

Posted by deleteme

An interesting look at the new VPLP Gunboat 80 full-race version

Launched in early June for Irvine Laidlaw, a Scottish baron, the first Gunboat 80 made her regatta debut in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (3–9 September, Porto Cervo). Xavier Guilbaud, Partner Naval Architect at VPLP Design, and Benoît Lebizay, Managing Partner at Gunboat, were aboard to present this exceptional catamaran.

She’s the eighth Gunboat to be launched since the brand was picked up in 2016 by Grand Large Yachting, and she’s also the biggest. While seven Gunboats ranging in size from the Gunboat 68 to the Gunboat 72 flybridge have already gone into the water since last spring, the new Gunboat 80 represents another step forward for the range of ocean cruising catamarans built by the yard based in La Grande Motte (France).

“We honoured the brand’s DNA, notably with the inclusion of a cockpit forward and a helm station inside,” says Xavier Guilbaud. “But we also managed to move the mast further aft, stepping it on the coachroof, which results in a more balanced sail plan and a better centre of gravity.” Unlike her predecessors whose carbon cored layup was infused in-house, the 80 was built entirely with pre-impregnated carbon fibre, a construction process also used on the big racing boats (Ultim, IMOCA).

Because of this, Gunboat decided to outsource the manufacture of the hulls, superstructure and bulkheads to Multiplast (Vannes) and Fibre Mechanics (Lymington). It took two years to build the first boat. “On this model we are assemblers, in the best sense of the word. More than ever our expertise lies in our capacity to manage the integration of complex systems in a body whose weight estimate is strictly controlled. Weight estimates are, by the way, a contractual obligation at Gunboat,” says CEO Benoit Lebizay.

This focus on weight began way back in the concept stage, because the boat’s lines and structure were designed for the most unfavourable loading scenario, in this instance 29 tonnes light displacement. The second Gunboat 80, which was commissioned by the American Jason Caroll (owner and skipper of the MOD70 Argo) for fast cruising with his family, should be close to this maximum displacement…

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An action-packed Global Solo Challenge in October

Friday
Oct 06
2023

Posted by XS Editor

Another three are preparing to set sail in two weeks, and the docks at Marina Coruña are beginning to welcome other skippers, including the nine competitors who will animate the event’s most significant departure on October 28…

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Coca-Cola joins the 37th America’s Cup

Friday
Oct 06
2023

Posted by XS Editor

On Friday morning, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners signed an agreement at its Martorelles (Barcelona) plant, through which the company becomes a sponsor of the 37th America’s Cup.

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Guinness World Record for Gimson & Burnett

Thursday
Oct 05
2023

Posted by XS Editor

Gimson and Burnett achieve Guinness World Record sailing from Northern Ireland to Scotland, while campaigning for climate change awareness…

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heartbreak at the bathtub worlds

Thursday
Oct 05
2023

Posted by deleteme

We kid, these minis are so badass and a very close race just finished as a heartbreaker for Victor Mathieu, (pictured above) as he saw his once 40-mile lead get eaten up. More here.

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hellish

Wednesday
Oct 04
2023

Posted by deleteme

An inferno engulfed Falmouth Harbour, Antigua as Tropical Storm Phillipe travelled across the islands in the early hours of this morning (Tuesday 2nd). Whilst some reports claim it was instigated by lightning, the cause of the fire is still under investigation. No deaths or injuries have been reported at this moment in time. Government authorities are also reporting widespread flooding on both islands.

“First and foremost, the most important thing is that everyone is safe. No one has been hurt or injured,” Devin Joseph, Yachting and Sailing Business Development Manager, Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority tells SuperyachtNews. “The commercial building, however, has been fully destroyed, which housed the Dock Master’s Office, Cloggy’s restaurant, Turtle Surf Shop, Skulduggery bar and café, Ari fish shop, Dockside supermarket, Marina Gym, and Seabreeze bar and café.” More here.

Former Tesla exec announces e-boat launch

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Former Tesla exec announces e-boat launch

Wednesday
Oct 04
2023

Posted by deleteme

Some St. Petersburg Pier visitors may have noticed a strange-looking boat cruising just offshore. Blue Innovations group will soon publicly unveil the completed version. Images provided.

John Vo, the former global head of manufacturing for Tesla, pledged that his latest venture would bring technological ingenuity typically found in Silicon Valley to St. Petersburg.
He is now eager for residents to test drive his R30, a 30-foot…

Cup Spy Oct 4: Fresh breeze arrives in Barcelona

Wednesday
Oct 04
2023

Posted by XS Editor

Five teams sailed off Barcelona in fresh winds – but generally below the maximum strength for racing. The best option for Barcelona would seem to be a good all round boat, rather than one that is moded for a particular set of expected weather conditions.

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SailGP doubles down in the UAE

Tuesday
Oct 03
2023

Posted by XS Editor

The fourth season for the SailGP sports league has expanded from 12 to 13 events with the addition of the Dubai Sail Grand Prix in Mina Rashid on December 9-10. This adds a second event in the United Arab Emirates, filling a gap between the Spain Sail Grand Prix (October 14-15) and Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix (January 13-14).

“Following our successful debut (at the venue) last year, returning to Dubai will help to amplify our ambitions to grow the sport across the UAE,” said SailGP CEO Russell Coutts. “…we are looking forward to what the Dubai event can bring this year by welcoming even more fans to the race stadium at Mina Rashid.”

Mina Rashid, also referred to as Port Rashid, is a man-made cruise terminal and was Dubai’s first commercial port. As cargo operations moved to Jebel Ali Port in 2018, it currently serves as a seafront coastal destination, tourist cruise destination, and residential area.

“Mina Rashid Marina is the perfect destination for all things maritime,” said Hamza Mustafa, Chief Operating Officer at P&O Marinas. “Our partnership (with SailGP) cements our commitment to making Dubai a leading maritime hub and a global destination for yachting and sailing enthusiasts.”

For additional details, click here.

SailGP information – YouTube – How to watch

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are we clear?

Monday
Oct 02
2023

Posted by deleteme

Don’t know the story, just know it is the fear of “are we clear?” come to life…

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Best Boat Nominees 2024

Monday
Oct 02
2023

Posted by XS Editor

It’s boat show season in the USA which triggers the magazines to host their ‘best boat’ contests. Here is the preview from SAIL magazine:

One thing you can say for sure about sailboat designers and builders, they are always up for a challenge—whether that’s finding new ways to provide comfort and glamour to a sailboat’s living spaces while delivering improved performance; seeking more environmentally sustainable propulsion systems, charging methods, or building processes; improving what’s tried and true; or stretching into new thinking about some aspect of sailing.

All of this and more is reflected in the designs that are nominees for SAIL’s Top 10 Best Boats for 2024. From comfort and performance to size range and customizable options, we’re seeing production boats deliver more than ever before…

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The Kitchen Maker 18ft Skiff Racing Team

Sunday
Oct 01
2023

Posted by XS Editor

The Australian 18 Footers League is always aware of the need to develop a good relationship with its sponsorship partners, so it’s no surprise that The Kitchen Maker will be lining up for its 13th consecutive season.

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Whitbread Round the World Race 85-86 Official Film

Sunday
Oct 01
2023

Posted by XS Editor

The latest in the series of historical re-uploads… The 1985-86 Whitbread Round the World Race. Lionel Péan skippered L’esprit d’équipe to victory over 14 other teams, marking the first time a French team would win the race…

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Around the world in a 5-metre boat

Sunday
Oct 01
2023

Posted by XS Editor

Polish adventure-seeker Arek Pawelek will attempt to singlehandedly circumnavigate the globe, non-stop and unassisted in his 5-metre boat Elblag. Believed to be the smallest boat to attempt the feat, he departed September 28 from Plymouth, England. Pawelek’s expects the route around the capes of Africa, Australia, and South America will require 300 days to complete.

While no official record is maintained for the feat, the smallest yacht to previously circumnavigate the globe is understood to be Poland’s Szymon Kuczynski who completed the course in a 6.36-metre boat Atlantic Puffin in 2017.

Pawelek’s adventurous nature first attracted attention in 1998 when he participated in sailing across the Atlantic from Cadiz to Barbados on a 4.4-metre-long inflatable boat. He has been a treasure hunter and will produce a documentary about his voyage.

“People have asked why I want to sail such a small boat,” he said. “I was searching for a new adventure and considered sailing the world on my 2.7 metre long dinghy. My wife, unsurprisingly, was concerned about this and suggested I sail the world in Elblag instead.

“I like sailing on small boats. I feel more confident on small boats than on large sailing yachts. For years, I have been trying to show other sailors that sailing doesn’t have to be very expensive and can be made on a budget. I encourage others to buy or build small yachts and try to sail at sea.”

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