After four races in warm winds of 8 to 16 knots, some clear patterns are already beginning to emerge in the three world-class kitefoiling contests taking place in Torregrande, Sardinia…
Posts by
Record conditions for The Ocean Race
Thursday
May 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
(May 25, 2023; Day 5) – It’s going to be an interesting 24-hours in The Ocean Race as the leading trio find themselves in record-setting conditions with strong downwind reaching angles and ‘relatively’ flat water.
11th Hour Racing Team, at the head of the fleet, is already posting a run of over 550 miles for the past 24 hours, a number that is currently going up with each hourly position report.
It was on Leg 3 when 11th Hour Racing Team posted a 544.63 nautical mile run over the 24 hours, which improved on the distance for a monohull up to 60-feet over the record set in 2017 of 536.81 nm.
“We’ve got plenty of wind, there’s a bit more pressure than forecast, and it’s still a little bumpy, but we got out across the front earlier than the other guys which seems to be a gain for now,” said 11th Hour Racing Team’s skipper Charlie Enright. “And we just had 31 knots as a 10 minute average, which isn’t nothing!”
Team Holcim-PRB and Team Malizia, in second and third place respectively, are striving to match that pace. This is a flat out drag race, with limited tactical opportunities…
Orca attacks continue off Spain
Thursday
May 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 25
2023
Posted by XS Editor
(May 25, 2023) – Killer whales severely damaged a sailing boat off the coast of southern Spain, reports the local maritime rescue service, adding to dozens of orca attacks on vessels recorded so far this year on Spanish and Portuguese coasts.
In the early hours today, a group of orcas broke the rudder and pierced the hull after ramming into the Mustique on its way to Gibraltar, prompting its crew of four to contact Spanish authorities for help, a spokesman for the maritime rescue service said.
The service deployed a rapid-response vessel and a helicopter carrying a bilge pump to assist the 66 feet vessel, which was sailing under a British flag, he added. The Mustique was towed to the port of Barbate, in the province of Cadiz, for repairs.
Earlier in May, the sailing yacht Alboran Champagne suffered a similar impact from three orcas half a nautical mile off Barbate. The ship could not be towed as it was completely flooded and was left adrift to sink. – Full report
Cup Spy – May 23: Kiwis hit 57kts
Wednesday
May 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 24
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Emirates Team New Zealand had an early start, with a poor forecast which didn’t eventuate. The Kiwis set a new top speed of 57kts – achieved in a bear-away. Alinghi Red Bull Racing broached twice in top end conditions – self recovering each time…
World Sailing Show goes behind the scenes
Monday
May 22
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 22
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May’s World Sailing Show focuses on Tom Slingsby’s Team Australia in San Francisco as SailGP season three honours are decided…
RORC Vice Admiral’s Cup 2023 concludes
Monday
May 22
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 22
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Racing at the Royal Ocean Racing Club Vice Admiral’s Cup concluded on Sunday 21 May after a second superb day of racing in The Solent. The north easterly breeze wicked up to 20 knots at times, but was once again variable in speed…
America’s Cup: Join ETNZ for a dual AC40 training
Monday
May 22
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 22
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Join America’s Cup Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand on their Chase Boat as they move away from the AC75 test program and onto two-boat testing with the two AC40’s…
The Ocean Race enters Atlantic Ocean
Monday
May 22
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 22
2023
Posted by XS Editor
(May 22, 2023; Day 2) – The Ocean Race commenced yesterday in light winds following stormy weather the day prior which postponed the In-Port Race and had it incorporated into the fifth leg start from Newport, RI. While Team Malizia snatched the In-Port victory from hometown team 11th Hour Racing, it is the later that now leads the fleet across the Atlantic Ocean.
After being squeezed between two Marine Mammal Exclusion Zones for much of last night, the US-flagged team has shown an extra gear as the race course opened up. With the 11th Hour, Malizia, and Holcim-PRB near even at the edge of the zone, American skipper Charlie Enright’s squad has been a couple knots faster with speed over 20 knots on the second day of the double-points leg to Aarhus, Denmark.
Sea conditions could get worse as the boats move into a favorable Gulf Stream current that will be pushing against the northerly winds in the forecast to dramatically disrupt the sea state…
Skipper MACIF wins
Friday
May 19
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 19
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Even in the the inky darkness there was no mistaking the exuberant mix of sheer joy, relief and final deliverance for Skipper MACIF duo Charlotte Yven and Loïs Berrehar when they crossed the finish line off Gustavia, Saint Barths…
470 Europeans in San Remo, Italy day 5
Friday
May 19
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 19
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Anton Dahlberg and Lovisa Karlsson (SWE) didn’t sail as well as they would have liked today, but the Swedes still hold a slender lead at the 470 European Championship in San Remo, Italy…
Global Solo Challenge update
Thursday
May 18
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 18
2023
Posted by XS Editor
American Curt Morlock will be on the starting line of the first edition of the Global Solo Challenge, with the first start scheduled for next August in A Coruña, Spain, followed by a sequence of staggered starts according to boat performance…
AC teams pack up for the move to Spain
Wednesday
May 17
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 17
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The 37th America’s Cup is taking a significant step toward its 2024 competition as teams pack up from their remote training sites for the move to Barcelona, Spain. Challenger NYYC American Magic. Both teams are shipping their AC75 and AC40 boats, with the USA team looking to resume training in the Mediterranean by the third week in June…
2022 recreational boating statistics
Wednesday
May 17
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 17
2023
Posted by XS Editor
During the National Boating Safety Advisory Committee meeting on May 11, 2023 (NBSAC), the U.S. Coast Guard released a summary of statistics on calendar year 2022 recreational boating incidents, revealing that there were 636 boating fatalities nationwide in 2022, a 3.3 percent decrease from the 658 deaths in 2021.
From 2021 to 2022, the total number of accidents decreased 9 percent (4,439 to 4,040), and the number of non-fatal injured victims decreased 15.9 percent (2,641 to 2,222).
Alcohol continued to be the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents in 2022, accounting for 88 deaths, or 16 percent of total fatalities.
The data also shows that in 2022:
• The fatality rate was 5.4 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels. This rate represents a 1.8 percent decrease from last year’s fatality rate of 5.5 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels. (In 1971, when the Safe Boating Act was first passed, the fatality rate was 20.6 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels.)
• Property damage totaled $63 million.
• Operator inattention, operator inexperience, improper lookout, excessive speed, and machinery failure ranked as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents.
Where the cause of death was known, 75 percent of fatal boating incident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, 85 percent were not wearing a life jacket.
“Most incidents occur in benign conditions—calm waters, light wind, and good visibility—under which you may least expect to end up in the water, which is why it is critical to wear a life jacket and engine cut-off switch at all times as they are designed to save your life,” stated Captain Troy Glendye, Chief of the Coast Guard’s Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety. The Coast Guard reminds boaters to ensure life jackets are serviceable, properly sized, correctly fastened, and suitable for your activity…
Skippers set for 2023-24 Clipper Race
Tuesday
May 16
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 16
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Following a selection process, the eleven skippers for the 2023-24 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race are set to lead teams of non professional sailors from all walks of life around the globe.
With nationalities from the UK, Uruguay, Portugal, South Africa, and the Netherlands, the skippers appointed to lead their teams around the world have collectively sailed over a million nautical miles and bring a vast range of experience and expertise.
With varied skills among the crew, teams are faced with Mother Nature’s best and worst conditions as they race across the world’s oceans. Therefore, the skippers leading the teams need to be of the highest caliber to ensure a safe and successful race…
More Florida funding for American Magic
Tuesday
May 16
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 16
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Pensacola is on its way to having a permanent home for America’s Cup challenger New York Yacht Club American Magic after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed off on a $3.9 million grant from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund on May 15, 2023.
That grant will go toward the first phase of the scaled-back $53-million Triumph Gulf Coast project request the city submitted last year, which consisted of seeking funds to build a $15 million Center for Maritime Excellence at the Port of Pensacola…
Hang Ten crowned J/70 Spring Med Cup Champion
Monday
May 15
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 15
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Last weekend ended the third and final event of the J/70 Spring Mediterranean Cup in the waters of Palma de Mallorca, hosted by the Real Club Nautico de Palma…
North Sails’ innovation leads The Ocean Race 22-23
Monday
May 15
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 15
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Global leader in sailmaking and performance clothing, North Sails, is proud to again be the Official Sail Supplier at the Ocean Race 2022-23…
Transat Paprec Day 15
Sunday
May 14
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 14
2023
Posted by XS Editor
As the leading trio sail south west this Sunday afternoon, two weeks exactly since the Concarneau start of the Transat Paprec mixed tow handed race to Saint Barth’s, they are crossing in front of fourth placed Guillaume Pirouelle and Sophie Faguet…
69F Youth Foiling Gold Cup Act 2, overall
Sunday
May 14
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 14
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The Antiguan crew, Rum Runners, snatched the overall victory in La Grande Motte on the very last double points race against the Dutch from DutchSail JAJO…
Mark Foy, More than just the father of 18 footers
Sunday
May 14
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 14
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Mark Foy fathered the sport of 18 footer racing when he staged a regatta, featuring his spectator-driven concept, on Sydney Harbour in January 1892, but Foy was far more than a ‘one-trick pony’…
Podium complete for Golden Globe Race
Friday
May 12
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 12
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Les Sables d’Olonne, France (May 12, 2023) – Michael Guggenberger (AUT) started the 2022-23 Golden Globe Race with a few impediments compared to other entrants in the GGR.
First, he is coming from land-locked Austria when most of the other entrants grew up on the seaside. Second, he started sailing only 12 years ago when most other GGR competitors started sailing at an early age from dinghies, going into keelboats later, some raking up significant mileage on the way.
He did, however, compensate for his relative inexperience with inextinguishable passion and dedication to make it to the GGR start line, and complete his race on his Biscay 36 Nuri in 249 days. He was welcomed at the finish by winner Kirsten Neuschäfer (ZAF), second place Abhilash Tomy (IND), and Chichester Class winner Simon Curwen (GBR) (GBR) as well as hundreds of enthusiasts on the channel and the stage.
Originally planning to enter the 2018 GGR on an Endurance 35, he later switched rides and bought a ketch-rigged Biscay 36 from Antoine Cousot (FRA), who raced later rebuilding and preparing it with his Team Manager Stefan Weigel, turning the graceful cruiser into a bullet-proof yacht that could weather the worst conditions…
The Ocean Race Leg 4 Day 20
Thursday
May 11
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 11
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Skipper Paul Meilhat and his Biotherm team had a long wait to get to the finish on Thursday morning in Newport, Rhode Island…
How the $1 Million Final was won
Thursday
May 11
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 11
2023
Posted by XS Editor
When the SailGP show rolled into town in San Francisco for the Season 3 Finale there was one key question being asked… Who was going to join the Australians and Kiwis in the million dollar final?
11th Hour wins The Ocean Race Leg 4
Wednesday
May 10
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 10
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Newport, RI (May 10, 2023) – 11th Hour Racing Team won leg 4 of The Ocean Race, leading the fleet into their hometown of Newport, Rhode Island on a spectacular spring afternoon in New England.
Skipper Charlie Enright was beaming as he stepped ashore, moments after his team held off Team Malizia to cross the finishing line for their first leg win of the event…
Inside American Magic: Vlog #1
Wednesday
May 10
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 10
2023
Posted by XS Editor
In this monthly video series, the USA America’s Cup challenger American Magic offers a behind the scene view of their journey toward the 37th edition in Barcelona, Spain.
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 will be held in September/October 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)
• K-Challenge Racing (FRA)
Noticeboard: https://ac37noticeboard.acofficials.org/
Additional details: www.americascup.com/en/home
The Ocean Race Leg 4 Day 18
Wednesday
May 10
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 10
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Wednesday has dawned with a beautiful morning in Newport, Rhode Island. It’s a cool, crisp, spring day, with bright sunshine and clear blue skies…
Investigation emerges from SailGP event
Wednesday
May 10
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 10
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The penultimate event of Season 3 for SailGP is under investigation due to the risk the foiling F50s posed to sea life at the racing venue of Lyttelton Harbour in Christchurch, New Zealand.
When news came out prior to the racing on March 18-19 for how race management sought to protect the Hector’s dolphins, which were well known residents of the marine mammal sanctuary, it appeared there was more to the story, and now that looks to be the case.
Reported by Kiwi media newsroom, what didn’t halt the race’s momentum – from a public relations perspective – was news of a Department of Conservation (DoC) investigation into the event, and questions are now being asked about whether there was an element of control about when details were released about the investigation…
Golden Globe Race 2022 Day 247
Wednesday
May 10
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 10
2023
Posted by XS Editor
With just under 200 miles to the finish in Les Sables d’Olonne and nearly 30,000 miles sailed over the past 247 days, this 44-year-old Austrian sailor Michael Gugg is completing an eight-year dream that has changed his life!
The Ocean Race: Final night for Leg 4
Tuesday
May 09
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 09
2023
Posted by XS Editor
(May 9, 2023; Day 17) – The morning began with the news that GUYOT environnement – Team Europe lost their rig at 0243 UTC when in gale force winds and big waves, the boat slammed off a wave and the mast crashed down. It is the second dismasting after overall leader Holcim-PRB lost their mast on the fifth day of the leg.
Meanwhile, at the front of the fleet, 11th Hour Racing Team (USA) and Team Malizia (GER) were the first to emerge from what Amory Ross, the veteran onboard reporter on 11th Hour Racing Team called ‘terrifying’ conditions.
While the leading pair remain close, skipper Charlie Enright’s 11th Hour Racing Team may benefit from some local knowledge on the approach to the crew’s home port.
“We are doing everything we can to try not to break anything,” Enright reported from the boat. “The difference in the leg can be made here by not making any mistakes, keeping high [speed] averages, and keeping the boat moving towards the mark. No bear aways, no breakages and none of that stuff.”
Team Malizia skipper Will Harris said the crew of the German entry had also been focused on avoiding serious damage in the boat breaking conditions overnight but were gunning to chase down their American rival before the finish…
America’s Cup is swirling down the loo
Tuesday
May 09
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 09
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Jim FarmerA lawyer by profession, Jim Farmer (NZL) has history in the America’s Cup. He served as a director of Team New Zealand from 2004 to 2013, was a member of the Challenger Commissionfor the 2007 Cup and a member of the International Committee that investigated safety rules following the death of Andrew Simpson for the 2013 Cup.
In this commentary, Farmer follows a timeline that is arguably swirling down the loo:
We all remember the excitement when Sir Peter Blake led Team New Zealand to win the America’s Cup from the United States in 1995, with the whole country getting behind the “red socks” campaign to raise money to ensure that the team got to the finish line. Winning it from “Dirty Dennis” Connor, who was seen to be unsporting and who didn’t play fair, was the icing on the cake.
However, after Blake left, the Cup was lost to Alinghi but then won back again by Team NZ under Grant Dalton from Oracle in 2017 and then successfully defended in Auckland in 2021 with the aid of substantial New Zealand public money and other local support.
It has all been downhill since.
Dalton cajoled the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, which under the America’s Cup Deed of Gift is the true holder and trustee for the Cup, into agreeing to the next defense (in 2024) being hosted by Barcelona in Spain. As a softener to the disappointment and anger that was generated, he told a RNZYS members’ meeting that one of the preliminary regattas leading up to the Challenge Event would be held in Auckland. That promise will not be kept…
The Ocean Race Leg 4 Day 17
Tuesday
May 09
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 09
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The GUYOT environnement – Team Europe crew is safe and working on a jury rig after dismasting in a fierce north Atlantic storm overnight Monday night on the closing stages of Leg 4 from Itajaí, Brazil to Newport, Rhode Island.
Cup Spy – May 5: Spectacular AC75 nosedive
Monday
May 08
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 08
2023
Posted by XS Editor
From a quick scan of the Recon File System, used as a repository by the Joint AC37 Recon Team, the most interesting of the last week, was the nosedive of Alinghi Red Bull Racing, while sailing their AC75 on last Friday (May 5).
One month from the Race to Alaska
Monday
May 08
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 08
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Somewhere between the harbor of Sydney, Australia (where one aspirant still hasn’t begun his solo ocean crossing to the start line), and a country lane just a stone’s throw south of Sherwood Forest (where last year’s Team Zen Dog has been licking his battered paws and planning for redemption), Race to Alaska 2023 has, in the hearts of the racers, already started.
All told, 112 humans, comprising 40 teams overall, are readying themselves for the seventh R2AK.
The rules still haven’t changed: get a boat (any boat). Take out the motor (if it had one in the first place). Get to Ketchikan before the race is over without any pre-planned support. Besides that, it’s all up to you.
The original idea behind this thing: We nail $10,000 to a tree in Alaska and say “Go get it.” The funny part? Most folks know even before they start that upon their arrival in Ketchikan, all they’ll find is what they brought, what they discovered along the way, and an empty nail hole and the lingering smell of money. Through six incarnations of the race, it’s become clear that the definition of “winning” might, in fact, be somewhat broader than who gets there first.
The R2AK course is a true wilderness and a place you’ve got to mean to be. That said, the race through it is built to bring that wildness and the stories the racers paint on it to anyone inclined to be inspired. The 24-hour tracker will be on for every minute, the media team will hunt down and capture each and every delicious story and bring it to your table through email, social media, and any other way they can find.
Race start: 5 AM, June 5, at the Northwest Maritime Center.
Race details – Entry list – Facebook
The 7th edition of the Race to Alaska in 2023 will follow the same general rules which launched this madness in 2015. No motor, no support, through wild frontier, navigating by sail or peddle/paddle (but at some point both) the 750 cold water miles from Port Townsend, Washington to Ketchikan, Alaska.
To save people from themselves, and possibly fulfill event insurance coverage requirements, the distance is divided into two stages. Anyone that completes the 40-mile crossing from Port Townsend to Victoria, BC can pass Go and proceed. Those that fail Stage 1 go to R2AK Jail. Their race is done. Here is the 2023 plan:
Stage 1 Race start: June 5 – Port Townsend, Washington
Stage 2 Race start: June 8 – Victoria, BC
While the Stage 1 course is simple enough, the route to Ketchikan is less so. Other than a waypoint at Bella Bella, there is no official course. Whereas previous races mandated an inside passage of Vancouver Island, the gloves came off in 2022. Previously, the course mandated the inshore passage but for teams that could prove their seaworthiness, they now had the option of the western route.
There is $10,000 if you finish first, a set of steak knives if you’re second. Cathartic elation if you can simply complete the course. R2AK is a self-supported race with no supply drops and no safety net. Any boat without an engine can enter.
There were no races in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. In 2022, there were 45 starters for Stage 1 and 34 finishers. Of those finishers, 32 took on Stage 2 of which 19 made it to Ketchikan.
Source: R2AK
April update for 37th America’s Cup
Monday
May 08
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 08
2023
Posted by XS Editor
It has been a big month both on and off the water in this 37th America’s Cup cycle with all the teams stepping up their training and testing programs ahead of their move to their Barcelona bases, which are springing up fast around the Port Vell, for the summer sailing season…
Here’s the team round-up for April… click here.
SailGP Season 3: Grand Finals replays
Monday
May 08
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 08
2023
Posted by XS Editor
For those who were unable to catch the Live racing coverage from San Francisco of Season 3, the delayed coverage is now available…
Transat Paprec Day 8
Sunday
May 07
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 07
2023
Posted by XS Editor
One week on from last Sunday’s start from Concarneau, Brittany most of the eleven duos competing on the mixed doubles have passed the La Palma waypoint and turned west for the passage across the Atlantic towards the finish line in Saint Barths…
The Ocean Race Leg 4 Day 15
Sunday
May 07
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 07
2023
Posted by XS Editor
11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malizia continue their cat and mouse duel towards a Wednesday morning finish…
Australia Team dominate at SailGP Grand Final
Sunday
May 07
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 07
2023
Posted by XS Editor
The Aussies have shown their infamous aggression on the San Francisco race course, dominating the dramatic first day of racing at the Mubadala SailGP Season 3 Grand Final…
Cal 40: World’s coolest yachts
Saturday
May 06
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 06
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Yachting World has been asking top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times, and pro navigator Stan Honey nominated the Cal 40. Here’s the report:
The Cal 40 has iconic status in the United States and was a game-changer in the 1960s as a true racer/cruiser. Designed by Bill Lapworth, it has a radical flat-bottomed hull and separate rudder and keel, and was famed for its downwind surfing performance.
“The Cal 40 revolutionized yacht design,” says Honey. “All ocean racers that came after had the fin keel and spade rudder that the Cal 40 proved in the mid-1960s, dominating the sport including the Transpac, Bermuda Race, SORC, etc. The Cal 40 remains competitive in racing and an easy-to-sail, well-mannered cruising boat, perfect for a couple.
“One aspect of owning a Cal 40 is that everywhere you go folks come by the boat and tell stories about how they used to race on a Cal 40 and that they love the boat. Cal 40s have friends and admirers everywhere. It’s like driving a 1965 Mustang, everybody has fond memories. The Cal 40 changed the design of offshore sailboats, like the ‘65 Mustang changed the design of cars, forever.”
Cal 40 stats rating
Top speed: 22 knots
LOA: 11.99m/39.3ft
Launched: 1963
Berths: 6
Price: $30,000-$80,000
Adrenalin factor: 70%
For Yachting World’s list of cool boats, click here.
The Ocean Race Leg 4 Day 13
Friday
May 05
2023
Posted by XS Editor
May 05
2023
Posted by XS Editor
Team Malizia and 11th Hour Racing Team remain locked in a battle that appears destined to last until the finish line off Newport, Rhode Island is in sight…
Follow Us!