Back on the water – Boris Herrmann’s offshore sailing team launched their new race yacht as scheduled on 19 July, after 18 months of innovative design and construction…
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Father-Daughter duo top Mackinac Race
The 98th edition of the Bayview Mackinac Race got underway on July 16, with the 172 entrants either on the 259 nm Cove Island or 204 nm Shore courses on Lake Huron. Each course extends from the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron to Mackinac Island which sits between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas.
On the shorter course, finishing third overall and winning the doublehanded class was the J/111 nosurprise sailed by 14 year old Merritt Sellers along with her dad Scott. While they belong to St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, the family keeps their boat at Little Traverse Yacht Club (Harbor Springs, MI) where they have a summer home.
“We got ’em at night,” Scott Sellers, 50, told the Detroit Free Press immediately after the race while docking his boat. “I worried they would get us. We went from 2 miles back to 2 miles in front.”
Finishing at 20:57 on July 17, Merritt was exhausted after the race, trying to process the moment, nibbling on Milano mint cookies. The pair had survived on cold pizza and freeze-dried food — pad thai for her and chicken risotto for him. But they were both so happy…
A new approach for Team Maliza
In the fast-growing world of IMOCA sailing, there are all sorts of teams – French, international, large, small, well-funded and not so – but one that stands out right now is the group behind the charismatic German skipper Boris Herrmann…
setting sun
It was always known that the financial support from major Oracle shareholder and founder Larry Ellison was not open-ended and Team Japan becomes the first casualty of that.
The statement released regarding SailGP Team Japan reads as follows:
“After much deliberation and taking into account logistical and commercial considerations, SailGP has made the difficult decision to pause the participation of Japan SailGP Team indefinitely. The league would like to thank Nathan Outteridge and all of the athletes and staff involved in the Team for their outstanding performance in the first two seasons of SailGP and wish them the very best for the future.
Season 3 will continue with nine teams racing for the remainder of the season…
Long Beach shines for West Marine US Open
114 athletes took to the water in the LA 2028 sailing venue this past weekend for the West Marine US Open. Each day, mornings of fog gave way to beautiful ocean breeze, with race committee running a total of 64 races across seven fleets…
International Canoe UK Nationals – Day 1 at Hayling Island
First day of the International Canoe UK Nationals hosted at Hayling island SC finished with Day 1 leader Gareth Caldwell…
Ownership Opportunities on the Sea of Cortez
Meet the worldly Casa Blake, a new ownership opportunity in the heart of the Costa Palmas Marina Village. Come explore this collection of residences on the Sea of Cortez in Cabo. Register to find out more.
Emirates Team NZ designer wins Women’s WASZPs
Emirates Team New Zealand designer Elise Beavis was crowned Women’s WASZP World Champion at the Waszp International Games in Lake Garda, Italy…
Like no other race in sailing
Newport, RI (July 17, 2022) – Two hours after her Swan 42 Entropy crossed the finish line and won the 67th running of the historic Queen’s Cup trophy, Patti Young still couldn’t fully believe the results.
“I’m in shock,” said Young, who navigated on the boat while her husband, Paul Hamilton, steered. “This is just as important to me as when I won the Mixter trophy for being the wining navigator in the St. David’s Lighthouse division of the Newport Bermuda Race. I feel this it’s just like that. And this was a team effort. Everybody on the boat contributed.”
Entropy won the race with a corrected time of 2:52:50, just 19 seconds ahead of Victor Wild’s Pac52 Fox, which finished second, and two minutes ahead of Tony Langley’s TP52 Gladiator.
The Queen’s Cup trophy was given to the New York Yacht Club by Queen Elizabeth II and officially presented to the Club by the British Ambassador in November 1953. It’s a perpetual trophy that is raced for annually under the same conditions as the King’s Cup that preceded it and was retired after the passing of King George VI in 1952.
The Queen’s Cup is both one of the most-prized trophies in the New York Yacht Club and one of the most unique competitions in sailing…
SailGP Drop Nathan Outteridge and SailGP Japan Team
SailGP issued a press release Friday announcing the dropping of Nathan Outteridge and the SailGp Japan Team from the circuit…
Project Speed: Waiting is best, patience is s must
With a project as highly contingent on weather and conditions as the Emirates Team New Zealand wind powered Land Speed World Record attempt, constant evaluation and adjustments of plans are essential to the success of the overall objective…
18 starters for the Golden Globe Race 2022
North American entries are rushing across the Atlantic Ocean, while others are expected to make landfall this week in France and the United Kingdom…
World Sailing to again vote on reform
Governance Reform at World Sailing has been under discussion since 2017, and was part of the 2018-2022 strategy presented at the May 2018 Mid-Year Meeting, with the objectives to establish a governance structure within World Sailing that was simple, clear, and transparent to all stakeholders.
It was among the major talking points at the 2019 World Sailing Annual Conference, following a proposal to reform the governance which had been published in May 2019. But when it was put to World Sailing’s Members for approval, it failed to reach the majority of 75% required, reaching only 64.4% in favor so it was not passed.
Revisiting the topic in 2021, 92% of Member National Authorities (MNAs) voted in favor of the Board continuing its work to modernize the governance structure, and now World Sailing has scheduled an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to once again discuss and vote on proposals for Governance Reform. The meeting, which will be virtual and open to representatives of all MNAs, is on July 18, 2022.
The proposed changes to World Sailing’s governance aim to equip the governing body for the sport of sailing globally with accountable, efficient decision-making processes in order to better support sailors, volunteers and MNAs
The proposals require a simple majority of 50%+1 to pass. The purpose is to express support for the concepts that have been developed in extensive debate, particularly over the past seven months. Should the concepts be approved, detailed drafting will be undertaken for amendments to the World Sailing Constitution. These will then be put to the Annual Conference in October 2022 for approval by the requisite 75% majority.
https://www.sailing.org/inside-world-sailing/organisation/governance/governance-reform/
America’s Cup: Upcoming reveal of AC40
When the AC37 Protocol was released, the authors noted how cost reduction was a key consideration. Among the efforts to achieve that goal was how teams were only permitted to build one new AC75, but a smaller yacht was to be developed by the defender for teams to use for testing, component development, and training.
“We didn’t hold back on the design,” explained Dan Bernasconi, Chief Designer of Emirates Team New Zealand. “We took the IP of Te Rehutai (the Cup winning boat from AC36) and translated it into the best 40-footer we could create.”
Mostly built at the McConaghy factory in China, the first foiling AC40 monohull is just weeks away from being shipped to defender’s base in Auckland for sea trials
“It’s a step on in terms of hull form from the Cup winning design of Te Rehutai,” said Richard Meacham, who has overseen the project. “(The AC40) adheres to all the fundamental rule changes implemented for the AC75s and we’re looking at performance estimates way in excess of our training boat, Te Kahu, or any of the other teams’ test mules that they ran in the lead up to AC36.”
While the AC40s are to be a testing platform for the teams, there are strict parameters and cost reduction measures with stipulation. This includes a maximum of four custom foil wings and four custom flaps, plus ten custom jibs and four mainsails are permitted to be built. Teams will also be allowed to build just one custom mast in addition to the two-piece supplied as standard.
Down below, the auto-pilot controls the ride height only and can be manipulated, holding the wing at a certain set point below the water. If the teams want to change the pitch angle or trim differently for conditions, then there needs to be manual intervention whilst all foil cant operations during the high-speed maneuvers are controlled by direct input from the crew.
“One of the guiding principles of both the AC40 and AC75 projects is that they must be sailed, trimmed and set by the crew,” noted Bernasconi. “Top speeds of the AC40’s will be well into the forty-knot mark plus they will be optimized to fly faster and sooner in light airs – the same as with the AC75s.”
With the first AC40 boat due to be sailing in the next few months and throughout the New Zealand summer, the subsequent AC40s will be rolling off the production line for the main teams in quick succession, the coming months.
Multihull Review: Kinetic 54
Luxury high-end cruising cats with high-performance DNA have occupied an established if somewhat rarified niche in the sailboat market ever since Peter Johnstone launched the first Gunboat in South Africa just over two decades ago. Kinetic Catamarans is an interesting new player in this field. An American company also building boats in South Africa, it launched its first model, a 62-footer, in 2019. The company’s latest offering, the slightly smaller Kinetic 54, designed to appeal to active sailing couples, is a highly attractive, thoughtfully designed craft that snagged a nod from SAIL as Best Large Multihull in our 2022 Best Boats compilation.
Design & Construction
As is de rigueur for boats of this type, the design and construction of the Kinetic 54 tips straight out of the world of go-fast racing. Its hulls are narrow and svelte, with sharply angled wave-piercing destroyer bows. The bridgedeck is set high to reduce resistance from passing seas and is cut back toward the middle of the boat, with only a light forward crossbeam and a central longeron carrying headstay loads. Construction is at the cutting edge of lightweight strength—all carbon everything, including interior furniture, cored with foam and vacuum-infused with epoxy resin. Even the toilets on this boat are built of carbon fiber.
That said, there are also some important variations on the theme. Where daggerboards are normally favored so as to maximize performance to windward, Kinetic offers centerboards, which are much less vulnerable in groundings (with daggerboards as an option if an owner prefers). Also, like many modern performance cats, the Kinetic 54 boasts a forward working cockpit just ahead of the cabinhouse, but has its carbon mast-mounted outside the cockpit aft, with the maststep set on the very forward end of the coachroof.
The heart of the boat systems-wise is a sophisticated 24-volt C-Zone distributed power system designed by Cay Electronics of Rhode Island. This automatically balances high loads and feeds juice to a bank of lithium batteries from a large coachroof solar array, a DC genset (which fires up on its own as needed) and high-output engine alternators. It includes online diagnostics that allow for detailed remote tech support.
On Deck
The Kinetic can be controlled from three different helm stations. The primary station is inside at the front of the bridgedeck saloon just behind the working cockpit. From here you can easily access the winches and running rigging by stepping through a nearby forward-facing door and also operate engine controls, navigation electronics and board controls. A large moon-roof directly above the wheel allows you to easily keep an eye on mainsail trim.
The other two wheels are aft, one at the back of each hull, with full sail controls and a B&G multifunction display at each station. The Jefa steering system linking the three different stations is segregated with clutches, so that only the wheel being used is actually connected to the rudders. When the autopilot is engaged, no wheels are connected. The break-default mode, which engages automatically when anything goes amiss, connects all wheels to the rudders. All sail controls, including the furlers, and the board controls are push-button powered systems, with load sensors to prevent over-tensioning and breakage.
Unlike many catamarans with aft decks dominated by long mainsheet travelers, the Kinetic’s traveler is mounted atop the back of the long coachroof, with a nicely curved track that carries sheet loads more efficiently. This saves lounging guests from accidentally tangling with the mainsail controls and creates a convenient space for an outdoor electric grill and fridge. It also allows for a unique fold-down transom that connects the back ends of the two hulls and transforms the rear of the boat into an immense swim platform spanning its entire breadth.
Accommodations
As we’ve come to expect with modern catamarans, the Kinetic is available with two basic layouts: a four-cabin/four-head plan with double berths in the back and front of each hull; or a three-cabin/three-head plan, where one hull is given over to a vast owner’s stateroom. The most important space, as on any cruising cat, is the bridgedeck saloon. On the Kinetic this truly does have wrap-around views of the outside world, thanks to the absence of the mast forward…
Another Bad Idea is a good idea
As youth sailing got organized with age-based boats and competitions, it increased participation but created a divide in which young sailors lost exposure to other forms of sailing. The knock-on effect has not all been positive as the transition to adult sailing has been stunted.
As a result, it is often said in Scuttlebutt that if you’d like to see youth sailors stay in the sport beyond their youth years, they need to be exposed to what that may look like during their youth years. And that’s what Mark Liebel did.
Vertically challenged and pushing 50, Mark knew that he wasn’t ideally suited to crew in the dynamic VX One, a sporty 19-foot keelboat that planes easily downwind and can require maximum hiking leverage upwind in heavy conditions. But a few years ago he bought one anyway, and named it Another Bad Idea.
The reality of the situation has proven to be completely the opposite. Liebel purchased the boat hoping his now 18-year-old daughter Kaitlyn, who also sails 420s and Nacra 15 catamarans, would continue to race with him.
“The reason I bought the boat was so she could drive,” says Liebel of Bradenton, FL. “Without a doubt, she’s a better driver. I like calling tactics.”
Like many talented young sailors, Kaitlyn learned the sport at his feet, crewing on a J/24, but then moved through the youth sailing progression and plans to sail for Jacksonville University this fall.
But she hasn’t outgrown the thrill of sailing with her original sailing mentor. And the VX One has proven to be the perfect vehicle for efficient family bonding.
“Dad bought the boat a few years ago, he wanted something where we could travel pretty easily, go to a lot of different regattas and not have to put together a lot of crew,” she says. “The boat’s a lot of fun to sail, it’s so versatile. Off the water there’s a really good fleet bond.”
The VX One is sailed with either two or three crew. Together, the Liebels would be a little light, so they typically sail with a third crew. This could create a challenging dynamic, but Kaitlyn Liebel is wise beyond her years in that regard…
Shustoke Solo Open
The Shustoke Reservoir website refers to it as ‘a haven of tranquillity for nature lovers, hikers and water enthusiasts, Shustoke Reservoirs are famous for their impressive wildflower displays’…
Allegra first to finish in the Aegean 600
At an average speed of 11.3 knots around race course, Adrian Keller’s 78-foot Nigel Irens-designed performance luxury catamaran ALLEGRA (SUI) crossed the finish line at 19:36:02 local time today in the second edition of the AEGEAN 600…
It is Cheating! Plain and Simple.
With Luiz Kahl’s untimely death, Chris Clark accepted the duty of filling in for Luiz as the 2022 Bayview Mackinac Race Chairman. In preparation for the start of the 98th edition on July 16, Clark’s updates keep competitors informed and on track, and he’s not shy about being the bad cop when needed.
In a recent communication, he addresses a very important topic… cheating:
I want to emphasize that I hate sending these types of messages, yet I find myself having to do it again. Yacht racing is a Corinthian sport, and that is a huge part of why I got into sailing. I am just bewildered by the belief that “it” is okay as long as we are not caught.
We are still finding boats that are contemplating NOT sailing in the configuration they are measured for or in violation of other class rules.
• If you are registered in the Cruising Class, the boat MUST comply with the class rules. If not, you will be moved to the appropriate section in a racing class.
• If you are registered in a One Design Fleet, you must comply with all ORC measured configuration requirements AND you MUST comply with your class rules. Your class rules are managed by your class.
• The crew weight you are sailing with must be within the range declared on your certificate.
• Don’t think complying with the above statements and then NOT complying with other rules is acceptable. It is not.
• This is not a complete list or meant to define all the requirements. These are just the blatant simple ones to catch.
• It is the boat owner or person in charge’s responsibility to make sure a boat and crew comply with all requirements.
If on random inspection, we find a boat with a certificate that disqualifies it from a class it is registered in, we will put the boat in the appropriate section/class. This is nonnegotiable, non-protestable. How do you avoid this?
1) Review your certificate. It is the gold standard for your boat’s configuration.
2) Review the rules.
3) Make sure you comply.
4) If you don’t comply, fix it!
“Corinthian” is not just a word, it is a way of life. For questions: Mackchair2022@byc.com.
Editor’s note: We applaud the leadership. Nice job Chris!
2022 ILCA Atlantic Coast Championship overall
Competitors came from up and down the Atlantic with many from the area Long Island Sound clubs, as well as major contingents from Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, & St. Petersburg, FL, Charleston, SC, Annapolis, MD, and more, including Bermudian & European entries…
SailGP: Ainslie goes back to the drawing board
Latest newsletter from SailGP, looking back at the winning moves from Chicago, what lies ahead for Portsmouth, why Ben Ainslie and the British SailGP team are going back to the drawing board – despite two podium place finishes in the Season 3…
total awesomeness
Seriously…
Classic yachts claim Cowes Dinard St Malo Race victory
This year’s Cowes Dinard St Malo Race results were highly unusual, as in a light airs race, three classic yachts claimed the top three results overall…
The fleet is flying in the Aegean 600
The fleet in the second edition of the Hellenic Ocean Racing Club’s (HORC) AEGEAN 600 is flying around the race course with the fleet leaders passing the halfway point of the race at the northeast end of Rhodos (Rhodes)…
James Wharram’s special Hui gathering
Attendees at James Wharram’s special Hui gathering to celebrate his life are requested to fill out a simple registration form…
Youth Worlds: Four NZ crews in top 10 – Day One
Four New Zealand boats are in the top 10 after a tricky opening day of the World Sailing Youth Championships being staged at The Hague and sailed in light 6-11 knot breezes, strong current and messy chop…
WASZP Pre-Games at Fraglia Vela Malcesine
The preparation is now complete for an event three years in the making, excitement is at fever pitch on the ground in Malcesine on Lake Garda as 170+ WASZPs prepare for battle at the International WASZP Games…
2022 Star Europeans – Title for Tonci Stipanovic and Tudor Bilic
After a slow start (14, 11) Tonci Stipanovic and Tudor Bilic upped their pace to take three race wins in the next four races to claim the 2022 Star European Championship…
French Laouenan & Moriceau top J/80 Europeans
The 2022 J/80 European Championship took place off the historic waterfront of Saint-Cast-le-Guildo, France, known as the “Emerald Coast” for its verdant green landscape cascading into the gorgeous emerald-green waters of the Atlantic Ocean…
Nitro Juice wins J/22 World Championship
The 2022 Marriot Investment Managers J/22 World Championship sailed on the spectacular waters offshore of Durban, South Africa. The Point Yacht Club hosted two-dozen teams from South Africa, the Cayman Islands, and the Netherlands…
From San Francisco to Kaneohe
While light winds plagued the teams with early staggered start days (July 4, 5, 7, 8), conditions for the 21st edition of the Pacific Cup have normalized now with all teams underway. The entry list of 63 lost two teams before the start, with two additional teams forced to retire along the 2070 nm course from San Francisco, California to Kaneohe, Hawaii. – Details
2022 Star Europeans in Denmark day 2
A broken mast followed by a second place for Hubert Merkelbach and Kilian Weise. A great come back by Tonci Stipanovic and Tudor Bilic best of the day…
SSL Gold Cup goes live on Twitch and virtual
The SSL Gold Cup, the Football World Cup… in Sailing, will be now be accessible on Twitch from Tuesday, July 12th, to become one the first Sailing events to be present on the fastest growing live broadcast and gaming platform…
What do you have to do when crossing the equator?
Crossing the equator per se is not a difficult task, stable trade winds make the moment joyful. Tradition has it that an alcoholic drink is offered to Neptune to secure a safe journey ahead…
The Dutch Bridge Too Small (and Too Far) for Jeff Bezos Will Not Be Dismantled
A bridge at the center of controversy in the maritime capital of Europe — which has become a structure symbolizing the excesses of wealth — will not be temporarily dismantled to make way for Jeff Bezos’ new superyacht.
In February, Oceanco, the Dutch boatbuilder of Bezos’ beast, lobbied the city of Rotterdam, Holland, to temporarily deconstruct the middle section of the 95-year-old, decommissioned, national-heritage-landmark Koningshaven railway bridge, also known as “De ‘Hef,” to accommodate the passage of Y721, which, at 417-ft, would be one of the largest sailing yachts in the world. The New York Times said that the necessary work on the bridge would take about two days total, according to a spokesman for the city of Rotterdam.
Recently, Rotterdam city officials said that Oceanco had “informed the municipality that it is cancelling its current logistical plans,” according to the Independent, which said that employees at Oceanco “feel threatened, and the company fears it will be vandalized.”
After the proposal to dismantle De Hef became public, an event was organized to throw eggs at Y721 when it transited Rotterdam’s canals…
2022 Finn World Masters at Helsinki, overall
Just two months after winning his first ever Finn Gold Cup, Pieter-Jan Postma, from The Netherlands, has become the first person in history to also win the Finn World Masters in the same year…
Scow bow trending for IMOCA 60s
Having started four Vendée Globes and finished two of them, once on the podium in third place, once after starting a second time nine days late, you would think that Jérémie Beyou had enough of this solo, non-stop round the world race. But not so.
The 46-year-old skipper from northwest France is certainly nowhere near finished with the IMOCA Class and nor with the Vendée Globe, and gets out of bed every morning driven by the goal of finally winning a race that has so far eluded him.
He has a new IMOCA Charal 2 – this time from the board of Sam Manuard with its signature scow bow – and the goal for this boat is crystal clear – win the 2024 edition.
This new IMOCA is fascinating because Beyou and his team have again built early in the cycle, but have stepped away from VPLP who they used for Charal 1 – the first of the 2020 generation of new foilers – and chosen Manuard instead…
Two RNZYS crews set to compete in Gov Cup
The Governor’s Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship is the one of the oldest and most prestigious youth match racing regatta’s in the world – and this year’s field contains two ready and eager Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron crews…
star eyed stella
Koehler Kraft in San Diego has given new life to the 1976 Doug Peterson quarter tonner, named Star Eyed Stella. Check out the work.
Final preparations underway for AEGEAN 600
An impressive fleet from 13 nations is assembled at the Olympic Marina in final preparations for the second edition of the AEGEAN 600, the premier 600-mile ocean race of the eastern Mediterranean region…
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