George Gautrey hopes establishing the colour of New Zealand’s only medal at the Sailing World Championships early tomorrow morning will be far more straightforward than it was winning it…
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The 2023 Maui Strong Aloha Classic preview
The 2023 Maui Strong Aloha Classic is confirmed! This will be the Grand Final of the Unified PWA IWT Wave Tour.
Cup Spy August 18: Good times return for testing
Two America’s Cup Challengers sailed on Friday in good testing conditions off Cagliari and Barcelona. Both sailed their custom designed test boats…
Sail for Hope to benefit Maui victims
Sail Newport and organizers of the annual Sail for Hope on Saturday, September 30, have announced that the sailboat race will raise funds to help the victims of the Maui wildfires. The catastrophic fires on the Hawaiian island are said to be the deadliest in the U.S. in over a century.
“The need is immense in Maui, and because we have the opportunity to help relieve some of the human suffering, we’re going to do all we can to raise emergency funding for food, from one island community to another,” says Brad Read, executive director, Sail Newport.
Organizers will send the donations to the nonprofit organization Maul Food Bank (MFB). MFB is working round the clock to relieve hunger in the devastated community.
Sailboats 22′ and larger are invited to enter the race around Jamestown. Powerboats are also welcome to join the flotilla that starts outside Newport Harbor and makes an 18-mile circumnavigation of Conanicut Island.
Racing begins at 11 a.m. outside of Newport Harbor. Racing sailboat classes include multiple PHRF Spinnaker, PHRF Non-Spinnaker, Multi-Hull, and the Sail Newport J/22 One-Design Class.
Racers and non-Racing vessels are encouraged to participate. Sail Newport emphasizes that although it’s a race, all sailboats are welcome to join or cruise around the island in a show of support for Maui. Sail Newport will assign a Narragansett Bay rating for boats that do not normally race who wish to enter a scored class.
In addition to donations, financial support for the Maui Food Bank will also be derived from the net of race entry fees, social tickets, bar income, and merchandise sales.
Sailors will be encouraged to raise funds from their friends, neighbors, family and businesses to donate on behalf of their boat entry. An annual award for the top fundraising boat will be presented after the race.
“This race is about helping others who are in need of the basics of life,” Read adds.
A social will be held after racing at the Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard. Sailors and crew are invited, and guests may purchase a wristband to be available online at sailnewport.org
The event was first sailed in 2001, following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in the skies over Pennsylvania, when a few local sailing enthusiasts quickly responded by organizing a race to honor and support those affected. The first Sail for Pride around Conanicut Island rallied over 180 boats and raised $110,000 to support the NYFD firefighters and NYPD widows’ and childrens’ funds and the victims of the attacks and their families.
The display of patriotism and generosity on and off the water made a lasting impression on the sailing community. After the inaugural year, the organizers retired the name Sail for Pride but continued the event as Sail For Hope, reflecting the Rhode Island state motto of “Hope.” Their mission then became an annual tradition held to support the nonprofit community and those they serve.
Charities supported over the past 22 years include Seamen’s Church Institute, Newport Harbormaster’s Emergency Equipment Fund, The Rhode Island Red Cross, New Orleans Hurricane Katrina, Bahamas Hurricane Dorian, emergency assistance to active duty families, Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (Newport), Wounded Warriors, R.I. Frontline Food for COVID medical workers, Seamen’s Church Institute, local public high school sailing teams, U.S. Olympic Sailing Trials, The Wounded Warriors Project, World Central Kitchen and Save the Children for Ukraine aid, the Warrior Sailing Program, Sail Newport’s Timothy J. Mills Financial Aid Fund and many others.
HOW TO DONATE
Online:
https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/38720/donations/new
In-Person
Donations accepted in person (checks written directly to “Maui Food Bank”) or walk-in credit card donations:
Sail Newport, Rhode Island’s Public Sailing Center
72 Fort Adams Dr., Newport, RI. 02840
Tel. (401) 846-1983
Sail Newport is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization
BECOME INVOLVED
Sail – All sailboats 22′ and over are welcome, even if you’re not an avid racer!
Register your sailboat: https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=16178
Get a rating for your sailboat: gary.knapp@sailnewport.org
Powerboat or cruise around the Island with the Flotilla
Tell us you’re cruising around the island on a powerboat or sailboat: gary.knapp@sailnewport.org
The Maui Food Bank (MFB) was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1994. MFB is working round the clock to relieve hunger resulting from the catastrophic Maui wildfires. The Maui Food Bank is the only nonprofit in Maui County that collects, warehouses and distributes mass quantities of perishable and nonperishable food items to those in need. Visit mauifoodbank.org
CONTACTS
Donation Contact: eve.formisano@sailnewport.org
Media Contact: kim.cooper@sailnewport.org
Regatta Contact: gary.knapp@sailnewport.org
Van Den Heede on the great departure ahead for GSC
Behind the scenes of the Global Solo Challenge, we meet a true old salt, the famous French solo navigator Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, who offers his valuable advice and support to many skippers…
Hobie 18 North American Championships
The 2023 Hobie 18 and Hobie 17 North American Championship was held from 31st July to 4th August at Lake Quinault in the Olympic National Park about 3 hours east of Seattle in Washington state, USA…
VIDEO: 2023 RC44 World Championship
Highlights from the 2023 RC44 World Championship which attracted nine teams representing six countries on August 9-13 in Cowes, UK.
Australian sailors at Allianz Sailing Worlds day 3
The breeze was on again at the 2023 Sailing World Championships in The Hague, with seven Australian teams across the Skiff and Nacra 17 classes finding their way into Gold Fleet racing at the conclusion of their qualifying series…
We are Lahaina Strong
Wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui have killed over 90 people, and that number keeps increasing. More than 250 buildings in historic Lahaina Town have been destroyed which includes Lahaina Yacht Club on Front Street.
The fires started August 8 and fanned out across the island, growing in size and destructive power. It became national news as Hawaii declared a state of emergency on August 9, with aerial video showing the devastation.
As the co-host of the biennial Victoria to Maui International Yacht Race, Lahaina Yacht Club has welcomed been home to members and visitors since 1965. Here is a message from LYC Commodore Dave Schubert:
I write this with pure sorrow. Our beloved Lahaina Yacht Club and Lahaina Town has been devastated. The entire town of Lahaina and our home is gone and now just ash and rubble. What you are seeing in the news is probably accurate but just a small part of our reality. No power, water, etc… but we are an amazing community.
The people here are resilient. I have received many emails from reciprocal clubs across the country offering support and I want to assure that we will strive to rebuild, rebound, and come back better. We love and appreciate all of the heartfelt sentiments and support across the country.
To those amazing Commodores sharing such respect and support, I will absolutely share those caring messages after I get my/our lack of housing in check. To date quite a few of us Commodores, Past Commodores, and Board Members are now without homes. I do ultimately believe it will take all of us to be involved in rebuilding and all will commit to our future commitment to LYC.
Without hesitation, I am far more afraid for our general membership and their well-being. This town has so many amazing people. We are Lahaina Strong and most importantly we need to look out for the health and well-being of our families, friends, and membership and all those we love.
I hope this all makes sense. I am shedding tears as I write it. Lahaina Yacht Club and our strength has always been our family approach, our strength at its finest. Love and support to Lahaina and LYC.
To read the comments from this post on Facebook, click here.
To make a purchase from the LYC store, click here.
Tragedy in Lahaina
Amid the death and destruction due to wildfires in Maui, aerial video show the town of Lahaina having suffered significant damage, which includes Lahaina Yacht Club on Front Street and nearby Lahaina Harbor. Lahaina Town is a historic whaling village and tourism hotspot in Maui, Hawaii.
Cup Spy August 9: Three test alone in Barcelona
Three teams opted to sail for a second successive day in Barcelona. However two of those suffered breakdowns on one AC40, reducing their sessions to one-boat practice/testing only…
As the Earth hurtles headfirst
To paraphrase John Masefield’s poem ‘Sea Fever’, having a star to steer by is helpful for a night passage, but as George Day reports in the Cruising Compass, we will want to sit still for this sky show:
Here we are again in the middle of August and, hopefully, you are getting Cruising Compass on your boat while anchored in a lovely quiet cove. And, with luck, you will have an unobstructed view of the night sky and very little ambient light from civilization ashore. That’s because the middle of August is when the Earth sails through the interplanetary debris field left by the huge comet Swift-Tuttle (click here); comets, apparently, are terrible litter bugs.
As the earth passes through the debris field, particles the size of large rocks enter the atmosphere at high speed and burn up creating shooting stars with long glowing tails. The best time to catch this summer’s shooting stars will be on August 12 and 13, just before the new moon when the sky is at its darkest. Between midnight and dawn, as the Earth hurtles headfirst into the debris, you can see as many a 100 shooting stars an hour.
It is known as the Perseid Meteor shower because the shooting stars seem to emit from the constellation Perseus. If you have never witnessed a meteor shower, it is a show of celestial fireworks worth staying up for. To read more on The Planetary Society’s website, click here.
Cup Spy August 8: Full fleet sails in Barcelona
Five teams sailed on Tuesday in another seabreeze but lighter than the previous day. Two teams sailed AC75’s, two in AC40 combinations, and one in a custom design 12metre long test boat…
Bringing back the past to the present
During the 37th America’s Cup Challenger Selection Series in 2024, up to 25 12 Metres are anticipated for racing on September 4-7 in Barcelona, Spain. The 17th Regata Puig Vela Clàssica will be run by the Real Club Nàutic de Barcelona with the yachts moored at the RCNB’s marina in the heart of the America’s Cup Village.
“We enjoyed hosting the fleet back in 2014, on the 7th edition of the regatta, and look forward to welcoming the 12 Metre family again in 2024 where the contrast between the displacement era and the new era of foiling vessels will be a stunning backdrop for the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona,” said Jordi Puig, President of the Real Club Nàutic de Barcelona.
The 12 Metre Class can trace its history back to the early 1900s when they were used in the 1908, 1912, and 1920 Olympic Games. The class was introduced to the America’s Cup in 1958 by the holders at the time, the New York Yacht Club, following the cessation of the competition during the period of World War II.
The ‘Golden Era’ of the enormous J-Class yachts that had last competed for the Cup in 1937 was over, as harsh post-war economic times precluded the building and campaigning of these vessels.
The New York Yacht Club recognized the desire for a smaller and more cost-effective class to re-start the competition and the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes agreed, sending the David Boyd designed Sceptre to face the Olin Stephens designed Columbia in 1958.
The Americans successfully defended eight times in the Match against challengers from Britain and Australia through to 1983 when finally, the longest winning streak in sports history was ended by the radical winged-keel yacht Australia II helmed by John Bertrand and designed by the genius of Ben Lexcen.
The Cup was taken to Fremantle Western Australia for what would be the final time that 12 Metres competed for the trophy in a memorable regatta with the big seas and winds of Gage Roads as the Australian Kookaburra III Task Force Syndicate lost to Dennis Conner’s Stars ‘n’ Stripes ‘87 after a thrilling series that catapulted the America’s Cup into the mainstream.
The 12 Metre fleet was eventually replaced by the IACC class after the Deed of Gift Match in 1988 but they were anything but forgotten and fleets have sprung up most notably in North America and in both North and Southern Europe ever since, with owners restoring and updating the beautiful yachts with modern technology.
“In many people’s minds, the era of the 12 Metre Class in the America’s Cup was what inspired their interest in the event,” noted Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Events.
“The 12 Metres will provide a lot of interest, and as always, their racing will be incredibly tight. We’re looking forward to seeing the boats and for the sailors to enjoy the unique atmosphere that is building in Barcelona.”
Source: ACE
Kudos to US Sailing for this pivot
by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News
The problem with historic perpetual trophies is what to do when their events lose relevancy. That was the reality for US Sailing, as the growth of nationally organized age-based boats and class competition had thrown shade on some of the organization’s once iconic youth championships.
So it was in March 2023 when US Sailing revealed the revamp, but through all the event changes, the oldest of them all remained in place. Dating back to 1921, the Sears Cup for triplehanded competition was more important today than ever as it exposed kids to life beyond the doublehanded dinghies they’d soon age out of…
Eight Bells: Donald J. Matthews
Donald J. Matthews, a remarkable man of integrity, generosity, and unwavering faith, died peacefully on June 5th, at the age of 89, in Thousand Oaks, CA.
Don was born in 1933, the son of Captain John N. Matthews and Dorothy Webb Matthews, and brother to John, Robert, Richard, Jane, and Lucille. He grew up on Centre Island, Oyster Bay, NY where he developed his passion for sailing at Seawanhaka Yacht Club.
He graduated from Georgetown Prep in 1951 and the University of Notre Dame in 1955 with a bachelor’s degree in business where he also captained the sailing team. In 1956, Don married Cynthia Hackney and together they raised four children in Rye, NY.
Don was an accomplished sailor who co-skippered two America’s Cup yachts – Vim, the family-owned 12 Metre, which narrowly lost out in races to select the New York Yacht Club’s defender in 1958, and Weatherly, which won the America’s Cup in 1962. He was one of the longest standing members of the New York Yacht Club having joined in 1956…
Cup Spy August 4-5: Seabreeze sailing
The five teams based in Barcelona have enjoyed seabreeze sailing, and are learning how to foil with “off-axis” swells. Sailing conditions have followed a pattern, but various issues have stopped some teams from gaining the full benefit…
Capsize of the racing yacht Nexba
It was over a year ago when Farr X2 hull #1, which was the newest project by Farr Yacht Design to serve the short-handed market, capsized offshore when its keel attachment failed off southeastern Australia. After 14 hours of clinging to the upturned hull of Nexba, the two crew were safely rescued.
Keel failures had become a disturbing trend, so much so that World Sailing had enacted new regulations requiring inspections. Following the incident, the yacht’s home club – Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club – formed a Review Working Party to investigate and provide an account of the circumstances relating to the capsize of the yacht and the sailors’ survival.
“There are findings in this report that will have an impact on safety in sailing and may indeed save a life one day,” said Australian Sailing President, Alistair Murray AM.
The 33-page report is now publicly available, and while it did not investigate the potential cause(s) of the keel loss, it does detail how a seemingly well-prepared boat with an experienced crew can incur a life-threatening accident. To read the report, click here.
British Moth Nationals at Hollowell
The British Moth Nationals were held at a new venue for them on the 2nd to 4th August 2023. Hollowell Sailing Club were exceptionally welcoming hosts & opened the club the afternoon before the championship started to allow drop off and camping…
Firefly Nationals 2023 Runners and Riders
There’s just under a week to go until the Firefly Nationals at Felixstowe Ferry (12-18th August 2023) the first semi accurate forecasts are in and the local breweries are putting in double shifts to stock up in time for the impending Firefly invasion…
Historic Thunderbird Sailboats #1 and #2
Thunderbird #1, launched in November of 1958 and known as Number 1 or Thunderbird, and Thunderbird #2, named Pirouette and launched in August of 1959…
Cup Spy August 3: Super seastate hits Barcelona
Two teams had an interesting work out in the worst sea state since the teams began assembling on July 1, for a four month period, which coincides with the period in which the 2024 America’s Cup will be sailed in 12 months starting on August 12, 2024…
Bet on the Tortoise over the Hare
The problem with really fast boats is when they hit something, it can be game over, which is what occurred when the 121-foot trimaran Sails of Change tried to set a new transatlantic record from New York to Great Britain.
A collision with an unidentified floating object on the first night broke their port rudder, which made for naught all the preparation and cost for what is the largest ocean-racing trimaran which, by the way, had previously set the record this new effort was trying to break.
There are a lot of obstacles in that first day off the coast of the USA, but perhaps a separate effort by Jay Thompson to break the same record will have more luck as his boat of choice is the Mini 6.50 and he is merely seeking to establish a new small boat Atlantic crossing record. – Full report
56th Governor’s Cup at Balboa Yacht Club overall
The last day of the Governor’s Cup is always filled with tension and excitement. The day began with the continuation of yesterday’s semi-final races and the sail-offs for the rest of the of the rankings…
Cup Spy July 25: Fresh winds test teams
Dramatic day for Italians and Kiwis, with the Italians executing a low speed capsize in a fresh breeze. In Barcelona, Emirates Team New Zealand was the only team to sail in a fresh breeze recorded as gusting over 20kts…
Lawson’s trimaran capsized off Mexico
(July 26, 2023) – The family of missing sailor Donald Lawson reports a vessel found capsized off the coast of Mexico is, indeed, Defiant, Lawson’s 60-foot racing trimaran.
The U.S. Coast Guard informed Jacqueline Lawson, Donald’s wife, that the Mexican Navy was on the scene. Jacqueline positively identified the vessel as Defiant.
A U.S. Coast Guard Cutter has been dispatched to help in searching for the missing sailor from Baltimore, MD and is en route, 150 nautical miles out from the location.
The Coast Guard told Jacqueline yesterday that a vessel was found 315 nautical miles south/southwest of Acapulco.
Lawson had left Acapulco on July 5, 2023, singlehanding the ORMA 60 bound for the Panama Canal and ultimately Baltimore to prepare for a single-handed round the world record attempt this fall.
He communicated on July 9 that he had been experiencing problems with his hydraulic rigging and was without engine power, relying solely on a wind generator. But when he lost his wind generator due to a storm on July 12, he decided to return to Acapulco but contact was lost later that day.
Following a proclamation in June 2020 that he’d identified 12 records held by the World Sailing Speed Record Council that he planned to break, Lawson bought the ORMA 60 in April 2022 to pursue this initiative.
However, equipment issues and accidents marred his ownership of the boat which delayed his record-setting pursuits of which none were ever achieved.
Gunboat 72 set for the Cannes Yachting Festival
We’re pleased to announce the Gunboat 72 will be on display in Port Canto Sailing Area of the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival…
Rolex Fastnet Race: New record for François Gabart
At the helm of the Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue, François Gabart and his crew secured line honours in the 50th Rolex Fastnet Race on Sunday 23 July in 1 day 08 hours 38 minutes and 27 seconds…
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Fuerteventura day 2
The US’s Chris MacDonald and Spain’s Nia Suardiaz landed their second Surf-Freestyle crowns in a week at the end of back-to-back GWA Wingfoil World Tour stops in Spain’s Canary Islands…
WASZP European Games at Quiberon, France overall
An incredible five days of WASZP action came to a head on the beautiful waters of Quiberon, with four races completed creating a seventeen race series. It has to go down as one of the most spectacular foiling events in recent memory…
A tough weekend in Los Angeles
For the first time in the history of the SailGP league, ten national teams raced in the Port of Los Angeles this weekend, for the second event of Season 4…
2023 Rolex Fastnet Race day 1
A brutal first night at sea in this 50th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race has seen numerous retirements and many others seeking temporary shelter from the gale force conditions in the English Channel.
Lost contact with Lawson along Mexico
Donald Lawson (USA), who has sights to set sailing speed records on his 60-foot trimaran, is overdue in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico. He has not been heard from since July 12.
Lawson’s Dark Seas Project had acquired the ORMA 60 Trimaran Mighty Merloe from Howard Enloe in April 2022, but a series of mishaps has delayed his initial plan of sailing solo and nonstop around the world, with a start date in February 2023 from Honolulu.
After recently incurring sail and equipment issues along Mexico, he had left Acapulco on July 5, 2023, bound for the Panama Canal and ultimately Baltimore to prepare for a single-handed world record attempt for circumnavigation on the trimaran this fall.
He first communicated on July 9 that he had been experiencing problems with his hydraulic rigging and was without engine power, relying solely on a wind generator. According to his wife Jacqueline in his last communication on July 12, he lost his wind generator due to a storm that day.
His last known position was detected July 13 at 1324 GMT (1:24 pm), updated through the Predict Wind App, at 12°13.475’N, 099°19.735’W.
The US Coast Guard has issued a AMVER report (Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System) to alert vessels within a 300-nautical mile radius of Lawson’s last known position.
Anyone with information should contact the US Coast Guard National Command Center at 202-372-2100.
Lawson sought to be the first American to attempt a trimaran record single-handed without stopping (only five sailors worldwide have attempted it). He and his wife launched the Dark Seas Project, in part, to bring visibility to African Americans in the sport of sailing. Lawson serves as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee chair for US Sailing.
Originally Groupama 2, Lawson’s boat was the last ORMA class trimaran to be built, launched in 2004 and winning five ORMA championships under skipper Franck Cammas. After serving as Oracle Team USA’s training platform for the 33rd America’s Cup in 2010, the VPLP designed 60-footer was sold to Enloe in 2014.
From its base in San Diego, Mighty Merloe was well known on the California offshore circuit, setting the Transpac Race record in 2017 of 04:06:32:30. Under Lawson’s care, the boat has run aground and incurred collisions along the California coast during his Dark Seas Project outreach program…
Fastnet – Kialoa II’s navigator Lindsay May
Kialoa II’s immensely experienced navigator Lindsay May takes us on the route to the Fastnet Rock and back to Cherbourg, explaining the critical decision points on the course…
SailGP: Spithill’s future questioned
United States driver Jimmy Spithill has admitted ‘the results do the talking’ following a disappointing season start in Chicago…
Cup Spy July 21: USA hits the bumpy seastate
American Magic continued their testing program today, in a choppy sea state with the swell coming at an awkward angle for the AC40. Terry Hutchinson discusses the significance of the seastate off Barcelona in his post-session interview…
Cup Spy July 20: Searching for the best foil
Foil testing continued for a second day, in stronger winds, but with only the Swiss and Italian teams participating…
WASZP European Games at Quiberon, France day 3
The 2023 WASZP European Games has successfully concluded its qualifying round with an additional four races held in perfect medium conditions and flat water. The results have brought forth some exciting developments in the leaderboard…
VIDEO: The Ocean Race 2023
Relive triumph and disaster, experience joy and despair and the highs and lows of a round-the-world adventure in this epic impression of The Ocean Race 2023.
This 50th year of the Race was the first edition to feature the foiling IMOCA class, and boats and sailors were pushed to their limits and beyond in a classic edition full of emotional drama and spectacular images of extreme sailing…
Contenders Worlds at Kerteminde, Denmark
The 2023 Contenders Worlds at Kerteminde in Denmark would be the first return to the sort of multi-nation, international completion that keeps the Contender class so strong in the face of global pressures…
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