The Barnett family name and 18 footer racing in Australia goes back at least 110 years to the time when Sid Barnett (Snr) sailed as forward hand on Billy Dunn’s 1912-13 Australian champion Kismet…
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Vendee Globe: It was time to go for it
Sunday
Dec 18
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 18
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Not many 2024 VG skippers will have made the step up from captain of a cutting edge IMOCA racing machine which competed on the last race to competing in their own right on their own boat with their own programme but Oliver ‘Ollie’ Heer is on course…
2022 Jeri Wingfoil Racing Cup day 3
Sunday
Dec 18
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 18
2022
Posted by XS Editor
It was the end of qualifying, and day 3’s racing finally produced a change in the men’s leaderboard at the Wingfoil Racing World Cup in Jericoacoara…
Kiwis win 2022 Match Racing Worlds
Sunday
Dec 18
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 18
2022
Posted by XS Editor
These are not the best of days for the World Match Racing Tour. What once was the proving ground for current and aspiring America’s Cup sailors is now seeking sunlight for this niche corner of the sport.
Foiling boats have little need for the tour format, with America’s Cup experience coming from high performance one designs and the SailGP league. The tour lost momentum in the pandemic, while a relationship with Chinese money effectively turned off the lights.
After the 2020 Open Match Racing World Championship was somehow hosted by Bermuda in October, and won by Taylor Canfield (USA), Chinese border restrictions cancelled the 2021 Worlds and nearly again in 2022, with a late shift from China to Australia allowing the title event, which is hosted by the tour, to be held.
Up to 12 teams were invited for the 2022 Worlds on December 14-18 but when defending match racing world champion Taylor Canfield (USA) and six-time world champion Ian Williams (GBR) declined to participate, lower seeds eventually filled ten slots for racing Elliott 7 boats on Sydney Harbour.
At least it is assumed they are lower seeds as World Sailing has not updated the international rankings since April 2020, but back then six of the skippers at the 2022 Worlds were outside the top 25. However, Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL), ranked third 32 months ago, proved his worth to claim the 2022 Open Match Racing World title in his first attempt at the championship.
After finishing the qualifying round robin series in fourth, Egnot-Johnson dropped just one race in the Repechage, Quarter Final, and Semi Final Rounds before facing Round Robin winner Chris Poole (USA) in the Finals. The Kiwi and American traded wins through the first four races before Egnot-Johnson sealed the victory in the match’s deciding fifth race.
Representing Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Egnot-Johnson’s team included Zak Merton, Sam Barnett, and Bradley McLaughlin.
There have been no announcements yet for the 2023 World Match Racing Tour, though it is likely the schedule will begin with the 58th Congressional Cup on April 18-22, 2023. As for the rest… standing by.
Calm for Globe40 Cape Horn winners
Saturday
Dec 17
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 17
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The 2022-23 Globe40 is an eight-leg doublehanded round the world race in Class40s. Seven teams were at the beginning on June 26, with five teams having started the fifth leg on November 26 from Papeete, Tahiti to Ushuaia, Argentina.
(December 16, 2022) – At 20H54 hours UTC, the Franco-Japanese crew of MILAI Around The World was first across the leg 5 finish line at the entrance to the Beagle Channel, which leads to the Argentinean town of Ushuaia. Hours earlier, Masa Suzuki and Estelle Greck were also first to reach the legendary Cape Horn at 09:36 UTC, where wind conditions were very calm.
MILAI utterly dominated the last two weeks of this 4,500-mile leg, with a long stretch of downwind sailing in an established breeze, punctuated by a series of low-pressure systems.
Over the coming hours, it will likely be confirmed that the current ranking will earn MILAI second place in the overall ranking, with SEC HAYAI set to remain at the top of the leader board just one-point ahead. As a result, there is still everything to play for in the next few legs as the fleet climb back up the Atlantic.
The 4682 miles covered by MILAI in this latest leg required a sea passage of 19 days and 19 hours at an average speed of 9.84 knots. Setting sail from Papeete, the competitors initially had to contend with a week of light to medium winds as they dropped due south in search of the strong west winds reminiscent of the lower latitudes. Over the course of that first week, the hierarchy was constantly shifting according to the tactics in play, everyone alternating between first and last place…
Final four at Match Racing Worlds
Saturday
Dec 17
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 17
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Sydney, Australia (December 17, 2022) – The four semi-finalists were decided today at the World Match Racing Tour finale event on Sydney Harbour, with the winner of the event to be crowned 2022 Open Match Racing World Champion.
Completing the last quarter-final races during the morning of Day 4 of the regatta, the four top skippers advancing to the semi-finals are Chris Poole (USA, Riptide Racing), Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL, Knots Racing), Harry Price (AUS, DownUnder Racing), and Jeppe Borch (DEN, Borch Racing).
While Poole, Price, and Egnot-Johnson were quick to dispatch their opponents 3-0 in the quarter-finals, Borch lost his second race to New Zealand’s Megan Thomson, but the team was able to redeem themselves to finish the next two races against Thomson and advance to the semis with a 3-1 score.
The persistent southerly breeze brought with it some early rain showers to the race course before clearing to bright skies and gusts over 28 knots.
After drawing their respective opponents, the semi-finals got underway completing just a single flight before PRO Denis Thompson called an early finish to the day as the breeze started to build with gusts over 30 knots.
The opening race of the semi-finals saw a shock early loss for event leader, USA’s Chris Poole, who up to that point had not lost a race, with Jeppe Borch storming away in Race 1.
In the other semi-finals, the two friendly rival teams from ‘down under’ saw another intense battle, with Nick Egnot-Johnson coming away with early bragging rights of the home favourites Harry Price, representing the host Club.
Ten teams representing seven nations are racing at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia on December 14-18.
Event details – Crew lists – Results
2022 World Match Racing Tour Schedule
April 14-16 – Ficker Cup – Long Beach, CA, USA
April 18-23 – Congressional Cup – Long Beach, CA, USA*
April 28-May 1 – Szczecin Match Race – Szczecin, Poland
May 6-8 – Porto Montenegro Match Race – Tivat, Montenegro
May 20-22 – NJK Open Spring Cup – Helsinki, Finland
May 24-29 – Island Match Cup – Puerto Rico (cancelled)
June 4-5 – GKSS Spring Cup – Gothenburg, Sweden
June 16-19 – OM International Ledro Match Race – Ledro, Italy
July 4-9 – GKSS Match Cup Marstrand – Marstrand, Sweden* (cancelled)
August 12-14 – Chicago Grand Slam – Chicago, IL, USA
August 18-21 – International Match Race for the Detroit Cup – Detroit, MI, USA
August 25-29 – Oakcliff International – Oyster Bay, NY, USA
August 30-September 3 – Thompson Cup – Oyster Bay, NY, USA
September 7-11 – Baltic Match Race – Tallin, Estonia
September 29-October 3 – Match Race Germany – Langenargen, Germany (cancelled)
September 30-October 3 – DBS Marina Bay Cup – Marina Bay, Singapore
October 7-9 – Polish Open – Szczecin, Poland
October 17-22 – Bermuda Gold Cup – Hamilton, Bermuda* (cancelled)
December 13-18- WMRT Finals – Sydney, Australia*
*World Championship (WC) Events
WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR
Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion.
Previous champions include Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Taylor Canfield (USA), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (ISV), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Bertrand Pace (FRA), Jesper Radich (DEN), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Ian Williams (GBR).
Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD23million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors. www.wmrt.com
Knockout time at Match Racing Worlds
Friday
Dec 16
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 16
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Sydney, Australia (December 16, 2022) – The field of 10 teams representing seven nations competing in the 2022 Open Match Racing World Championship has been thinned to eight for the Quarter Final stage at the finale of the World Match Racing Tour, hosted by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia on December 14-18.
Following a qualifying round robin to advance the top two finishers USA’s Chris Poole and Denmark’s Jeppe Borch, the remaining eight competed in a repechage round for the final six positions.
As the forecasted southerly breeze built to a fresh 18-25 knots on Sydney Harbour today with gusts of 30 knots, it was a test of the best match racing skills on the Elliott 7s. Local Sydney sailor Cole Tapper and USA’s Dave Hood/DH3 Racing did not survive the test.
The remaining six teams joined Borch and Poole to complete the draw for the quarter-finals which got underway in the late afternoon after the skippers drew their opponents in front of the Sydney Opera House.
Completing the first flight of the quarter-finals before the end of the day, event favorites Chris Poole, Jeppe Borch, Nick Egnot-Johnson, and Harry Price went to win their opening matches against their chosen competitors.
The forecast for tomorrow is expecting all but the same conditions with the Southerly breeze set in for the final days.
Event details – Crew lists – Results
2022 World Match Racing Tour Schedule
April 14-16 – Ficker Cup – Long Beach, CA, USA
April 18-23 – Congressional Cup – Long Beach, CA, USA*
April 28-May 1 – Szczecin Match Race – Szczecin, Poland
May 6-8 – Porto Montenegro Match Race – Tivat, Montenegro
May 20-22 – NJK Open Spring Cup – Helsinki, Finland
May 24-29 – Island Match Cup – Puerto Rico (cancelled)
June 4-5 – GKSS Spring Cup – Gothenburg, Sweden
June 16-19 – OM International Ledro Match Race – Ledro, Italy
July 4-9 – GKSS Match Cup Marstrand – Marstrand, Sweden* (cancelled)
August 12-14 – Chicago Grand Slam – Chicago, IL, USA
August 18-21 – International Match Race for the Detroit Cup – Detroit, MI, USA
August 25-29 – Oakcliff International – Oyster Bay, NY, USA
August 30-September 3 – Thompson Cup – Oyster Bay, NY, USA
September 7-11 – Baltic Match Race – Tallin, Estonia
September 29-October 3 – Match Race Germany – Langenargen, Germany (cancelled)
September 30-October 3 – DBS Marina Bay Cup – Marina Bay, Singapore
October 7-9 – Polish Open – Szczecin, Poland
October 17-22 – Bermuda Gold Cup – Hamilton, Bermuda* (cancelled)
December 13-18- WMRT Finals – Sydney, Australia*
*World Championship (WC) Events
VIDEO: Rescue of the Atrevida II
Thursday
Dec 15
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 15
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The crew from the Hong Kong-flagged tanker, Silver Muna, recovers two men and their dog that were aboard a sailboat that had been adrift for several days in the Atlantic Ocean on December 13 2022. The two men aboard the Atrevida II were recovered after being spotted by the crew of the Silver Muna and later transferred to Coast Guard Station New York where they were reunited with family and friends. (Courtesy video by the crew of the Silver Muna). – Full report
ETF26 production to be relaunched in 2023
Wednesday
Dec 14
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 14
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Following the takeover of Jean Pierre Dick’s ETF26 business in the spring of 2022 and the current strong momentum of the ETF26 SERIES sailing events, Pierre Picot and his company Anemo Sailing are relaunching the production of fabulous foiling catamarans…
Woody took the wind out of son Herman’s sails
Wednesday
Dec 14
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 14
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Legendary 18 footer sailor and former JJ Giltinan World, Australian and NSW champion John ‘Woody’ Winning (Yandoo), along with Fang Warren and Josh Porebski, lowered the colours of the previously unbeaten Andoo, skippered by his son John ‘Herman’ Winning…
Missing sailors along eastern USA coast
Tuesday
Dec 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dane Kmetz contacted Scuttlebutt as his father-in-law had gone missing on a sailing trip, and would appreciate assistance as the Coast Guard searches for the overdue sailing vessel which departed November 26 from Cape May, NJ.
Missing are Kevin Hyde, a 65 year-old male, and Joe DiTomasso, a 76 year-old male, and a dog. The vessel is transiting from Cape May to Marathon, Florida with a planned port call in Jupiter, Florida.
On November 29, Hyde and DiTomasso ran aground upon entering Rudee Inlet, near Virginia Beach, Virginia. Coast Guard Station Little Creek and Virginia Beach Fireboat 12 helped to safely refloat the boat with no reported damage.
Coast Guard Fifth District command center watchstanders received a report December 11 that the blue and white Catalina 30 Atrevida II had not been heard from since December 3 when it departed from a stop at Oregon Inlet, North Carolina.
The Coast Guard commenced an air and water search effort on December 12, initially focused on the ocean between North Carolina and Marathon Key. The Coast Guard has since expanded its search area from the northern coast of Florida to waters east of New Jersey.
Coast Guard assets in the region continue urgent marine information broadcasts and communications with mariners to help locate the overdue vessel. The assets thus far include:
• Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City HC-130 Hercules airplane and MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews
• Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater HC-130 airplane crew
• Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew
• USCGC Oak (WLB 211), homeported in Newport, Rhode Island
• USCGC Richard Snyder (WPC 1121), homeported in Atlantic City, North Carolina
• U.S. Navy USS San Jacinto (CG 56), homeported in Norfolk, Virginia
“The total area is about 16,000 square miles. So, to put it into perspective, it’s roughly twice the size of New Jersey. We’re looking for something that’s a little bit bigger than a large SUV,” said Commander Daniel Schrader of the United States Coast Guard.
Due to the large search area, the case was transferred to the Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command Center Monday. Anyone with information regarding the Atrevida II is asked to contact the Coast Guard Atlantic Area command center at (757) 398-6700.
The first female trifecta at the Manly 16s
Tuesday
Dec 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 13
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Minutes after crossing the finish line in the sixth long course heat of the season, the first three females to “trifecta” a club race at Manly 16ft Skiff Club shared a special moment 100 years in the making…
Volvo fleet returns to Heineken Regatta 2023
Monday
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
With just months to go before the start of the 43rd edition of the St Maarten Heineken Regatta, many race teams are now finalizing their arrangements to attend this bucket-list event…
Joe Harris: Entering the no mistake zone
Monday
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
American Joe Harris along with Roger Junet are competing in the Globe40, an eight-leg doublehanded round the world race in Class40s. Seven teams were at the beginning on June 26, with five teams now on the fifth leg from Papeete, Tahiti to Ushuaia, Argentina.
After starting on November 26, Harris files this report from onboard GryphonSolo2 on December 11, 2022:
We are now just 1,400 miles from the infamous Cape Horn, and we just had a tough day. At 0600, I wake to a cold and increasing wind and sea state and quickly go to the computer to review the forecast for the day, which is for winds in the 20s gusting to 30. However, we are already seeing high 20s windspeed and it looks to be increasing.
We have too much sail up…
No Southern Ocean for world races
Monday
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
In the fabric of around the world races is the extreme conditions of the lower latitudes. When passing the tip of Africa, easterly routing descends south for better winds and shorter courses, but this is no easy ride. Massive waves and freezing temperatures are legendary.
To both simplify this section of the earth, and to brand it with terminology that shivers the spine, the span along Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, Australia’s Cape Leeuwin, and South America’s Cape Horn has been referred to as the Southern Ocean.
Note the uppercase and singular spelling, as this refers to a specific place. However, when the oceans have gathered at parties, the table had only four chairs for the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans. But this all changed on World Oceans Day in 2021 when the Southern Ocean was formally recognized.
Although sailors have been referring to the icy waters around Antarctica as the Southern Ocean for decades, it had been a battle among the international scientific community to define its boundaries.
There was also a debate about its name, as the same region had also been unofficially referred to as the Antarctic Ocean. But when the International Hydrographic Organization asked its 68 member countries to agree on a name, 18 of the 28 responding countries voted in favor of calling it the Southern Ocean.
So now where is it? While the other oceans are defined by the continents that fence them in, defining the location of the Southern Ocean was less obvious…
Globe40: Entering the Furious Fifties
Monday
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 12
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The 2022-23 Globe40 is an eight-leg doublehanded round the world race in Class40s. Seven teams were at the beginning on June 26, with five teams having started the fifth leg on November 26 from Papeete, Tahiti to Ushuaia, Argentina.
(December 12, 2022) – Around 1,000 miles from Cape Horn, the GLOBE40 crews are having to contend with a succession of depressions, the latest one fueling winds of up to 50 knots. Though the skippers aren’t currently reporting any serious damage, the atmosphere is one of tension and concentration during this tricky phase.
The course includes the Chilean Gate, positioned some 1,500 nautical miles from the coast of Chile which forms part of the event’s safety device, as well as adhering to the spirit of the category 1 classification (rules for equipping sailboats according to their course – category 1 comes just after category 0, the latter equating to sailing with no limits).
The gate is positioned in such a way as to prohibit the competitors bound for Cape Horn from dropping down to the more hostile southern latitudes. All the competitors have now negotiated this mark with some 37 hours separating the first and the last boats.
After negotiating the Chilean Gate, a deeper than forecast secondary depression rolled over the top of the fleet yesterday serving up an average of around 35 knots of breeze, gusting up to 50 knots. It was a tense moment for the GLOBE40 teams which are set to reach Cape Horn on December 16…
2022 Star South American Championship Day 3
Sunday
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
It was finally a windy day in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the Yacht Club Argentino at the Dársena Norte is organizing the 2022 Star South American Championship with 25 teams fighting to win the silver star continental event of the year…
44Cup Oman overall
Sunday
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
On the concluding day of the 2022 44Cup’s final event, the 44Cup Oman, PRO Maria Torrijo defied the odds and was able to stage three races…
2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race Video
Sunday
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
In 2022, a fleet of 118 yachts from 24 countries had to negotiate extremely light winds, requiring crews to demonstrate supreme patience and perseverance to maximize every opportunity to maintain momentum…
NSW 18ft Skiff Championship Race 3
Sunday
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 11
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The Yandoo team of John Winning Sr., Fang Warren and Josh Porebski closed the gap to Andoo (John Winning Jr., Matt Stenta and Sam Newton) in the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship with a amazing exhibition in the North East wind conditions…
Cup Spy Dec 9 : Not enough hours in Patriot’s day
Saturday
Dec 10
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 10
2022
Posted by XS Editor
American Magic was the only team to sail/tow on Thursday/Friday December 8/9. The Brit’s saga over the legality of their Instrumentation Pole continues. A team has put forward a tighter solution covering a total of nine components on the AC75…
44Cup Oman Day 2
Friday
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
After a light start, conditions were optimum off Muscat’s Al Mouj Marina for day two of the 44Cup Oman, the fifth and concluding event of the 2022 44Cup…
Shirley Robertson talks with Tom Slingsby
Friday
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Tom Slingsby: “I was getting yelled at by Russell Coutts, and I still remember sitting there thinking ‘I can’t believe I’m sitting there with these legends, Grant Simmer, Jimmy (Spithill), Ben Ainslie, Russell Coutts’, I remember I was really in awe!”
2022 Star South American Championship Day 1
Friday
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The 2022 Star South American Championship has started Thursday and will end on Sunday December 11th in Buenos Aires, Argentina, organized by the Yacht Club Argentino at the Dársena Norte with the International Star Class Yacht Racing Association…
Windpowered landspeed record attempt this weekend
Friday
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 09
2022
Posted by XS Editor
With weather conditions at South Australia’s Lake Gairdner finally turning for the better, pilot Glenn Ashby is preparing take a crack at the world mark of 202.9kph this weekend…
Floating wind farms coming to California
Thursday
Dec 08
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 08
2022
Posted by XS Editor
While it is a long time from happening, navigating off of California may ultimately get a bit more complicated, according to this report by the Associated Press:
The first-ever U.S. auction of leases to develop commercial-scale floating wind farms in the deep waters off the West Coast attracted $757 million in winning bids on December 7 from mostly European companies, in a project watched by other regions and countries just getting their own plans for floating offshore wind started.
The auction featured five lease areas — two in Northern California and three in Central California — about 25 miles off the coast that have the potential to generate 4.5 gigawatts of energy, enough for 1.5 million homes. Combined, the lease areas cover 583 square miles of Pacific Ocean.
The winning bids came from Norway’s Equinor; California North Floating, part of Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners; Germany’s RWE AG, and Central California Offshore Wind, a part of the French and Portuguese joint venture Ocean Winds. Invenergy was the only American company with a winning bid…
Cruising World Boat of the Year 2023
Wednesday
Dec 07
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 07
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The winners of the 2023 Cruising World magazine Boat of the Year competition are the Lyman-Morse LM46 (Domestic Boat of the Year), a performance cruiser from New Zealand naval architect Kevin Dibley, and the Hallberg-Rassy 400 (Import Boat of the Year), a cruiser with versatility penned by naval architect German Frers.
“The Lyman-Morse LM 46 is a heck of a boat,” said judge Mark Pillsbury. “Cold-molded construction, top-notch systems, a powerful sail plan, and an interior that is both practical and lovely at the same time. Purpose-built for an experienced owner, for sure, but in terms of a pure sailing machine, the 46 was the standout boat in this year’s lineup of new models.”
The judging panel was “thunderstruck” by both the formidable sailing prowess and the exacting level of execution of the LM46, which received their unanimous nod for Domestic Boat of the Year…
Cup Spy Dec 7: INEOS tow tests – sail next week
Wednesday
Dec 07
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 07
2022
Posted by XS Editor
INEOS Britannia conducted a five hour, ten tow testing session off Mallorca, Palma. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, the Italian challenger had a useful test sailing session in winds of up to 12kts off Cagliari, Sardinia. Top Kiwi coach joins Luna Rossa…
World Match Racing Tour Final skippers confirmed
Wednesday
Dec 07
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 07
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The line-up for the World Match Racing Tour Final 2022 has been confirmed, with 10 teams invited for the inaugural Tour event to be sailed on Sydney Harbour…
Cup Spy Dec 6: Luna Rossa & American Magic
Tuesday
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Tuesday was described by both the Luna Rossa crew and the AC37 Recon Team as being quite a productive day the Golfo degli Angeli…
Registration for N2E 2023 is open
Tuesday
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The Newport Ocean Sailing Association announces that online registration is open for the 75th Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race. The iconic coastal race will start off the Balboa Pier on April 28, 2023…
Race to Alaska: Going beyond the norm
Tuesday
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The year was 2014, and sailboat racing was killing itself slowly. More and more races, going around the same windward-leeward course. Boat designs were getting harder to sail, and the investment to sail them was increasing. The sport was evolving toward extinction.
And then came the announcement for the Race to Alaska, proposing to be North America’s longest human and wind powered race. A 750 mile course on a boat, with a chance of drowning, being run down by a freighter, or eaten by a grizzly bear.
Other than no engines permitted, it was anybody’s guess what best to face ferocious squalls, killer whales, tidal currents that run upwards of 20 miles an hour, and some of the most beautiful scenery on god’s green earth.
R2AK was based on the hardest kind of simplicity. Just you, a boat, a starting gun, and $10,000 if you finish first, a set of steak knives if you’re second, and Cathartic elation if you can simply complete the course. It was a self-supported race with no supply drops and no safety net.
The 2015 race far exceeded expectations, and was annually followed through 2019 before the pandemic derailed the race in 2020 and 2021, with the race returning again in 2022.
Beyond the concept’s unbridled adventure, race organizers brilliantly brought it to life through spirited reporting and imagery. Not only did they have an un-regatta format that people were desiring, they delivered the vibe to a wanting audience. At Scuttlebutt, we adored it all.
Yet despite our fan status, and publishing over 100 stories on the event, being there is significantly different. Thankfully, that is now possible too.
Created by R2AK Film Boss Zach Carver and his team of filmmakers, The Race to Alaska movie is a visceral film showcasing the camaraderie of the racers and the competition of the race. From the quirky to the sublime, from Olympic athletes to high schoolers, the characters in this film show that there’s no one way to do the hardest thing you’ve ever done.
Using all the footage from the first five races, both from the race media team and competitors, the movie perfectly captures the exciting and adventurous spirit of R2AK. It is not about winning, it’s about living, and doing it on the water reminds us what living is like.
Pay the nominal fee to become immersed in the experience: https://r2akthemovie.com/
Live Coverage: Solas Big Boat Challenge
Tuesday
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Coverage of the Solas Big Boat Challenge, the final race of the 2022 Australian Maxi Championship, raced on Sydney Harbour on Tuesday December 6, 2022…
Eight Bells: Robert Keefe
Tuesday
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 06
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Robert Cotter “RC” Keefe passed through the Golden Gate for the last time on December 4th, 2022. Bob was 90 years old and the Senior Staff Commodore of the St Francis Yacht Club where he was a member since 1950.
His life was dedicated to the St. Francis and sailing, he lived and breathed everything that ever floated. He was the Club Historian for over 30 years, writing monthly articles in the Club’s Mainsheet magazine.
Bob joined the Barient Winch Company in the 1960s where he grew the company to the most prominent winch company in the world. While at Barient, he oversaw the development of the “self-tailing winch” which is the same basic design we used today.
After Barient, he founded the Keefe Pacific Company where he developed and built anchor windlasses. Not surprisingly, the license plate on his car was “Winch”.
Bob was part of the golden years of sailboat racing on San Francisco Bay. He raced aboard Bolero with Denny Jordan and then on Baruna with Jim Michael. It was during this time that he had the idea to have a large sailboat racing event on the Bay. The idea of the “Big Boat Series” was started with the first event in 1964.
He is credited as the father of Big Boat Series, and as the boats traveled up from Southern California, they would call him at home via the ship-to-shore radio. He would meet them at the St. Francis Yacht Club guest docks and welcome them into the Club for a drink in the Grill room, no matter the hour! In 1966, he was awarded the “Yachtsmen of the Year” award for his efforts with the Big Boat Series…
Anonymous Global Solo Challenge entry revealed
Monday
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Swiss-based, Australian, Henry Rourke had been tempted by an ‘adventurer’ entry in the Vendee Globe but never saw a realistic path to making that dream come true…
Globe40: Diving deep in the Pacific Ocean
Monday
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
American Joe Harris along with Roger Junet are competing in the Globe40, a multi-leg doublehanded round the world race in Class40s. Seven teams were at the beginning on June 26, with five teams now on the fifth leg from Papeete, Tahiti to Ushuaia, Argentina.
After starting on November 26, Harris files this report from onboard GryphonSolo2 on December 4, 2022:
Senator, we are a long way from anywhere. This is ‘Point Nemo’ where NASA drops used satellites and jet trash. Ain’t nuthin’ or nobody around for thousands of miles.
But strangely…. I have been here before… in 2015 during my solo circumnavigation when I felt way lonelier, so at least I have four other boats around me now in the event of a disaster.
For the start of this leg, we motored quite a distance to get to a scenic location with little wind. We won the start while nosing Sec Hayai out at the committee boat (French Naval vessel) end of the line but then sailed into a wind hole.
We then had to choose the southern route between Tahiti and Moorea which was shorter, or the longer route around the north end of Tahiti which had more wind. We chose south and chose wrong and parked up for a bit before admitting our error and humbly following the fleet to the north. Oh well!
Phuket King’s Cup 2022 – match racing TP52s
Monday
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Unrelenting Grey was the colour card for the opening races of the PKC 2022 big boat programme. 20 kts of breeze gusting 25, and a 1.2 nm leg windward-leeward for the racing divisions got the 34th King’s Cup away today…
Go behind the scenes at the America’s Cup
Monday
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The latest episode of the World Sailing show goes behind the scenes to look at the first weeks of testing ahead of the 2024 America’s Cup in Barcelona. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s LEQ12 test boat is currently in Cagliari…
Project Landspeed: World record mark within reach
Monday
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 05
2022
Posted by XS Editor
After what has seemed like endless weather delays over the past couple of months, finally Horonuku got to stretch its legs on a dry Lake Gairdner with breeze that is edging closer into the required zone for world record attempts…
NSW 18ft Skiff Championship Race 2
Sunday
Dec 04
2022
Posted by XS Editor
Dec 04
2022
Posted by XS Editor
The Andoo team of John Winning Jr., Seve Jarvin and Sam Newton extended its lead in the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship with another top class exhibition in the North East wind conditions which prevailed for Race 2 of the series on Sydney Harbour today…
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