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…
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The explosive increase in IMOCA performance
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
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
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
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
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!
Global Solo Challenge: triple departure
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
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…
Clipper Race: Five Scottish cross Atlantic Ocean
Five Race Crew from Scotland have just crossed Atlantic Ocean – the first major ocean crossing of the Clipper 2023-24 Race…
Whitbread Round the World Race 93-94 Official Film
By the 1993-94 edition, the Whitbread Round the World Race had already transformed from an adventure imbued with Corinthian spirit to a professional sport where food, bedding and clothing were being optimised for performance not comfort…
Classic Rolex Middle Sea Race unfolding
The 44th Rolex Middle Sea Race is now over 24 hours old, and the picture is starting to develop. The fleet has spread out over the course, with the front-running multihull well on the way to Favignana and the slowest monohull still parallel with Etna…
Cup Spy Oct 21: Kiwis and Swiss strike rare wind
Two of the six America’s Cup Challengers Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand, sailed on Saturday, experiencing a breeze from a direction that is unusual in Barcelona…
Tragedy in offshore race
Tragedy struck during the 2023 Coastal Classic, a 119nm race in New Zealand which started on October 20. The incident occurred at around 11:30pm when a crew member on board a competing yacht was hit by the boom, rendering them unconscious and necessitating immediate medical attention.
Coast Guard volunteers had been conducting a night-time training exercise in the area and were able to arrive to the yacht at shortly after 1:00 am, yet with a medical kit and defibrillator, the individual passed away.
Two other sailors sustained moderate injuries, according to the agency. The Coast Guard vessel accompanied the yacht back to Opua, arriving shortly before 4:00 am.
“Our thoughts and love are with the crew, and the family and friends of this person,” said Commodore Adrian Percival of the host New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club. “Words cannot express our sorrow.”
Source: 1news
PIC Coastal Classic: Melges 40 Clockwork wins
In the 41 years of PIC Coastal Classic history there are always many winners – but four winners stand out above them all: overall line and handicap winners in each of the monohull and keelboat fleets…
Not ready for steady flight
The 60-foot IMOCA has evolved into a high-flying offshore boat as sidefoils reduce displacement and increase speed. But foiling boats perform best with a balance of lift surfaces to provide steady flight, and that was the debate for the IMOCA Class:
It was at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Class where members voted on a revision of the one-design mast which aims to increase safety coefficients, possible new rules on engine size, limits to the number of sails carried during races and other technical measures and improvements.
But the biggest discussion point was on the issue of T-foils on rudders which would convert IMOCAs from skimming boats with foils to even faster fully flying ones.
Those in favor of the change say it would be within the spirit of innovation that is a cornerstone of the IMOCA Class’s philosophy, that the change can be made simply and that it would greatly improve the level of comfort for skippers as they fly above the waves…
Cup Spy Oct 19: Rough-up in Barcelona
Alinghi Red Bull Racing was out for a session of three hours. The breeze forecast to increase later in the day, arrived early forcing the Swiss to stop training after one impressive sailing display. Luna Rossa sailed off Cagliari also in fresh winds.
Astounded by new foiling superyacht
Giant T-foils provide most of the stability for Baltic 111 Raven, a cruising yacht that’s likely to break speed records with its hydrofoils born of America’s Cup technology. Report by Toby Hodges for Yachting World:
Wow…! This foil-assisted, ultra-lightweight superyacht breaks new ground in many respects and Baltic says it is “one of the most extreme yachts” the yard has built in its 50-year history. Raven is designed to sail partly on her leeward chine, with giant T-foils providing the bulk of stability, plus some vertical lift, while a 9.3-tonne bulb at the end of a precision engineered 5m-deep fixed fin keel provides additional righting moment.
There have, of course, been many standout superyachts over the past few years, yet it’s still extraordinarily rare to come across a yacht like Raven. This 34m foiling beast blends virtually unprecedented performance potential with light displacement and a level of luxury that’s rarely encountered on such fast yachts. – Full report
Building fire set by squatters
Since 1997, Scuttlebutt has been providing sailing news but there are plenty of Scuttlebutts – breweries, bars, coffee shops, and book stores. And for anyone driving through Louisiana on Interstate 10, there was also the Scuttlebutt Gentlemen’s Club in Slidell.
The building has been quiet since it closed a year ago, but has been back in the news when emergency services were required to extinguish a building fire set by squatters.
Known for its iconic pink establishment, and ‘follow me to the butt’ bumper stickers, the latest chapter occurred when a woman attempted to burn another’s clothing after they got into an argument…
Maxis set for the Rolex Middle Sea Race
The International Maxi Association’s 2023-24 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge starts this Saturday with a huge, top quality maxi yacht line-up as part of the Royal Malta Yacht Club’s Rolex Middle Sea Race…
2023 Rolex Middle Sea Race – The essential details
With the 44th Rolex Middle Sea Race starting on Saturday 21 October, it is little surprise that the Royal Malta Yacht Club is currently a hive of activity…
Up and down, inside-out SailGP
A criticism that is often levelled at Formula 1 motor racing is that it’s too predictable. One team, or more often, one driver, dominates the racing. At first glance, SailGP could be regarded in the same way….
Went out doing what he loved
It remains a mystery of what happened to three Americans who in April disappeared while en route from Mexico to San Diego, CA. Kerry O’Brien, Frank O’Brien, and William Gross, aboard the La Fitte 44 Ocean Bound, had left Mazatlán with plans to stop in Cabo San Lucas but they never arrived.
Six months later, without any answers, Gross’ daughter Melissa offers closure with this tribute. Her dad was a major volunteer for Challenged Sailors San Diego (CSSD) who assisted in keeping the fleet floating, and it was here where she did a memorial during a CSSD sailing day:
First and foremost, thank you for being here and taking the time to honor my dad, Bill. Challenged Sailors has been an integral part of my dad’s life for the last several years.
As many of you know, dad had a passion for sailing and a deep love of the ocean. At Challenged Sailors, he had a chance to share that passion and love with people who might not necessarily have had the opportunity to feel the wind on and salt spray on their face.
He was committed to the mission of this fantastic organization. Maybe sometimes a bit too passionate. I don’t think that man could work on a project without dropping a flurry of f-bombs.
Most of you know the Bill of now – a retired machinist who could fix just about anything. I wanted to share with you about his life on the water. Dad lived on Laneki Beach for several years in his youth. He spent his days on the beach, in the water, and climbing the hills behind his house. Here he fell in love with the Polynesian culture and the water.
My grandparents and dad returned to St. Louis, MO in the early-mid 60s where dad finished school. He then moved to San Diego in 1970. Here he rekindled his relationship with the sea, taking a job as a commercial diver and sailing on the weekends.
For 11 years, he was on or in the water as much as he possibly could be. Sailing the bay, Southern California, and Northern Baja coasts. He was a spear fisherman who would joke that he was definitely part of the problem that led to the ban on abalone fishing.
After two kids, my mom and dad decided to move back to St. Louis to raise the kids around family. He spent 13 years away from the ocean, but we were never far from water. We boated on lakes and rivers every summer. Dad went cave diving and spelunking. He is even attributed to the discovery of a massive cave in Jefferson County, MO. He and one other were the first humans to ever step on that ground.
My family returned to San Diego in 1994 and one of the first things we did was go sailing. Us three kids were hooked. In the early 2000s dad, me, and my siblings joined Harbor Island Sailing Club. Together we would sail whenever we had the chance. Dad instilled that passion for sailing and love of the ocean into his kids.
I got it the worst and can recall hour of conversations with my dad talking of sailing the world. We would pull out maps to look at all the places we wanted to go. The places we wanted to dive. It was always the South Pacific and always we were going to go by sailboat. I grew up hearing about the South Pacific and the Polynesian culture, yet another fascination my dad instilled in me.
When my life turned sideways in 2016, and I learned the hard way that tomorrow isn’t promised, my dad was an important key to convincing my husband to get rid of everything we owned, buy a sailboat, and sail the world. All three of us moved to Plan B on November 1, 2019. But like all the best sailing plans they went astray. It kept turning into “next year” and here we are, almost four years later.
But Dad took every opportunity to sail, so when the call came to crew on a sailboat from Mexico back to San Diego, he took it. No one could have stopped him. There are plenty of ‘what ifs’ and of course the ultimate question of what happened. We will probably never have the answer to that question. However, me and my family take solace in the fact that dad went out doing what he loved and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
SEA-FEVER
by John Masefield
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.
Sunfish US Masters Championship
The 2023 Sunfish US Masters Championship was held in breezy conditions on October 14-15 on Long Island Sound at Niantic, CT. Fifty-one competitors, age 40-83 completed eight races with Paul-Jon Patin (Master division for ages 50-59) claiming the overall win with five bullets, including all four races on the last day.
Runner-up was Amanda Callahan (Apprentice Master for ages 40-49), posting scores of 3-17-4-4 on day two when gusts reached the high 20s on several occasions. Callahan is the female US representative to the 2023 Pan Am Games in Chile (the first time there will be a dedicated women’s fleet the Pan Ams). Doug Kaukeinen, also a Master, finished third, tying with Amanda, but losing on countback.
Details: https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=16242
Final results (Top 10 of 51; 8 races, 1 discard)
1. Paul-Jon Patin – 3 – 3 – 1 – [9] – 1 – 1 – 1 – 1 ; 11
2. Amanda Callahan – 1 – 2 – 2 – 7 – 3 – [17] – 4 – 4 ; 23
3. Doug Kaukeinen – 2 – [8] – 8 – 3 – 2 – 4 – 2 – 2 ; 23
4. Dominic Simonetti – 4 – 5 – 3 – 5 – 11 – [19] – 6 – 6 ; 40
5. Hank Saurage – [14] – 1 – 6 – 10 – 6 – 2 – 13 – 3 ; 41
6. Hal Gilreath – 7 – 7 – 4 – 2 – 7 – 6 – 8 – [9] ; 41
7. Rob Hallawell – 19 – 4 – [27] – 6 – 5 – 3 – 3 – 5 ; 45
8. John Eckart – 5 – [38] – 18 – 1 – 4 – 13 – 18 – 7 ; 66
9. Lee Montes – 13 – 14 – 5 – 11 – [21] – 9 – 9 – 8 ; 69
10. Cesar Brea – 9 – 9 – 10 – 13 – 14 – 12 – [15] – 15 ; 82
Family Dynamic
While racing a Lightning, the author Prudence Brown Lev wonders if a father-daughter relationship can be strengthened at sea:
Haul hard! Cleat that halyard and watch the luff.”
Dad’s nautical commands were the soundtrack of my adolescence. But at 21, I wasn’t a kid anymore, and my mandatory crewing days on the Lightning were over. I had returned to the family cottage on Wellesley Island in upstate New York for Labor Day weekend and much-needed R&R from a demanding newspaper job in Manhattan. Dad had other plans for me, and on race day, I found myself back on board.
“Pay attention,” he ordered.
“I am.” But I wasn’t. I was waving to friends on shore when the Committee boat’s hand-held horn announced the midday start of the final race for Thousand Island Park’s Regatta Cup. – Full report
More Gostosa wins J/80 North Americans
The 2023 J/80 North American Championship took place on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, one of the most picturesque lakes in New England and the White Mountains…
Final Clipper Race Teams arrive in Punta Del Este
After a tricky run into Punta del Este, with the second half of the fleet getting stuck in a troublesome wind hole just off the coast of Uruguay, the final teams have now docked in the marina and are enjoying some well-deserved celebrations and rest…
USA wins Spain Sail Grand Prix
After Jimmy Spithill’s USA Team narrowly advanced out of the qualifying stage at Spain Sail Grand Prix, they clobbered Denmark and Australia in the winner-take-all final to claim the fifth event of the season on October 14-15 in Cádiz, Spain.
With the USA team including new flight controller Taylor Canfield on day one, Canfield had to watch on day two as lighter winds reduced the crew to four, but it is in the non-foiling conditions that Spithill has proven dangerous, and it was that scenario in which they claimed the third slot in the finals.
Denmark and reigning champion Australia had dominated the qualifiers, and they got off the line in that order with USA trailing with a pre-start penalty. “Nothing pretty about that start – it was 100 percent my fault,” said Spithill. “I didn’t see the boundary.”
But opportunity came after the teams rounded the first mark in that order…
Whitbread Round the World Race 89-90 Official Film
The 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race was a true classic, ending in a clean sweep of all six legs by Peter Blake and the crew of Steinlager 2. Behind Blake, Grant Dalton’s Fisher & Paykel NZ and Pierre Fehlmann’s Merit completed the top three…
Cup Spy Oct 13: Swiss sail on Black Friday
On Black Friday, October 13th, Alinghi Red Bull Racing team had a blistering five hour sailing session putting their AC75 through its paces in a building breeze…
Australia on hunt for first Season 4 win in Cadiz
After an exhilarating first day of racing at the Spain Sail Grand Prix, Tom Slingsby and the Australia SailGP Team are in hot pursuit of their first win in Season 4, finishing the first day of racing in pole position…
‘A tough day but we will come back fighting’
The Spain Sail Grand Prix kicked off in Cadiz with a win for the home team but a tough day for Emirates GBR SailGP Team.
All eyes on U.S. SailGP Team in Spain
As the USA Team tries to find its footing in the fourth season of the SailGP league, their efforts will be closely watched as they compete on October 14-15 in Cádiz, Spain.
Taylor Canfield, whose involvement in a possible ownership group for the team has been rumored, is now among the crew. The timing is fortuitous as the team’s flight controller, Hans Henken, who was injured at the last event, is away from the team and focused on his recovery for the 2023 Pan Am Games.
“We have steadily been building our results, however, when you lose a key team member due to injury – those hours together are lost as well,” noted skipper Jimmy Spithill.
Canfield is no stranger to the flight controller position, having raced in that role during Season 1 with the U.S. SailGP Team, and also competed with the Spanish team in that role in Season 2, but the the F50s have evolved since then.
“In my mind, the flight controller role is the most difficult on the boat,” said Spithill. “Taylor is jumping back into this role and has been working hard to understand the changes to the position since he first flew the boat in Season 1. He’s a very talented sailor and we’re excited to have him with us and to get out and race.”
As SailGP approaches the halfway point of its 13-event season, the Americans have been steadily progressing toward the top half of the leaderboard, capitalizing on the back-to-back European events in France and Italy with a fifth place in Saint-Tropez and third place in Taranto – the team’s first podium finish of the Season.
Canfield was also with the team in Saint-Tropez, and was intending to take over for Henken after his injury on the first day, but was left off when light winds on day two required teams to drop from six to four crew. With more mild weather forecasted for Cadiz, Canfield may be watching again. Stand by…
Cup Spy Oct 10: Another glamour day
The most interesting point from the interviews came from President of Sailing Operations for American Magic, Terry Hutchinson, who commented that the AC40 One Design may not have been the smartest choice for a test hull…
Cup Spy Oct 9: A busy day at Barcelona
Five teams sailed on Monday out of Barcelona. Two – Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand sailed their Version 1, upgraded AC75s. The third American Magic sailed paired AC40s…
‘Racing on the Edge’ episode of Season 4 Episode 3
SailGP’s arrival in Europe for Season 4 provides the most explosive, personal and hard-hitting episode of Racing on the Edge – the championship’s behind-the-scenes docuseries…
12ft Skiff Upper Harbour Championship
Lane Cove 12ft Sailing Skiff Club hosted the first interclub of the 12ft Skiff Calendar on Saturday…
Eight Bells: Cedric Gyles
Cedric Gyles passed on September 24, 2023 at the age of 96 years old. He was one of the past Commodores with the Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) in Toronto, as well as one of the founding members of the Lake Ontario 8 Metre Class Association, which started with his purchase and restoration of the Norseman boat in 1973.
“Cedric Gyles (senior) was most certainly a patriarch of one of Canada’s great sailing families following on from his father George,” said Hugh McGugan, Chair of Sail Canada’s Board of Directors. “Ced’s sailing accomplishments, including the part he played in (re)establishing the Eight Metre Class in Canada, have left an enduring legacy for sailing in Canada. Ced will be remembered by sailors young and old from across the country.”
Born and raised in Vancouver, Cedric joined the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club (RVYC) in 1943 as a junior member, becoming the third generation of Gyles to be part of the club. His sailing experience was gained in Snipes, Stars, 6 Metres, R Boats, and 8 Metres. He maintained his membership until his passing…
Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta entry open
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.
Budworth SC Solo Open
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…
Reality bites as green agenda takes hold
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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