The sail racing world is spluttering back into life after over 12 months of being hostage to the COVID pandemic – here’s a look at how SailGP and the America’s Cup coped, plus the 2024 Olympic event quandary…
Unfold Boat, Go Sailing
Even though it’s portable, the Reverso Air doesn’t lack in performance. (Courtesy Reverso/)
Do you have big sailing dreams but not a lot of room for a boat? Check out the Reverso Air, a 12-foot sailing dinghy that can be disassembled into four pieces that will fit in the trunk of a car. A company release includes a video of two people fitting and latching the hull pieces together and assembling the mast and single sail in under two minutes. The Reverso Air breaks down into four pieces and can fit in the trunk of a car. (Courtesy Reverso/)
The four hull sections range in weight from roughly 4 to 35 pounds. Sections of the rigid hull are made from vacuum infused fiberglass with a foam core; the mast is carbon fiber. Carrying weight is up to two adults or roughly 350 pounds. The boat comes in four models, with pricing, delivered to the US, starting at just under $13,000.
Australia’s first Figaro Beneteau 3 makes debut
After a month of setup and tuning, the first Figaro Beneteau 3 (FB3) in Australia, sold by our dealer in the country, Flagstaff Marine, successfully launched to water with her happy owner onboard…
UK Double Handed Offshore Series race 1
This is a new series for doublehanded offshore boats founded by Henry Bomby whose career includes four Solitaire du Figaro campaigns. The objective is to cherry pick the best Offshore Races each year and combine them into one season long series…
O’Day 16 Day Sailer–selling–price?
New axles and tires with spare
New tongue jack
Trolling motor with mount–to get away from shore and/or docks before setting sails
All new riggings…
Baja Ha-Ha XXVII Opens For Registration at Noon on May 6th
Grand Poobah, Richard Spindler, wrote to announce the opening of the 2021 Baja Ha-Ha:
Why sign-up right away? The earlier you sign up, the higher you are on the list to get a berth in Cabo San Lucas at the end of the Ha-Ha.It may not seem like a big deal now, but for a lot of folks getting a berth after nine days ‘out there’ is an attractive proposition. Particularly for women.
The Ha-Ha, as you probably know, is the 750-mile cruisers’ rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas that will start on November 1. Since it is a cruisers’ rally, participants can use their engine whenever they want, be it for safety or convenience. There are R&R stops along the way at Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria, as well as social events before, during and after the fleet reaches Cabo. Boats must be 27 feet or longer and have been designed, built and maintained for offshore sailing. There must be at least two crew. There are daily roll calls and weather forecasts…
New leadership at Sailing/Cruising World
May 6, 2021 – Sarah Renz has been named Event Director for Sailing Events, Bonnier Corp. Renz will oversee the execution of the Helly Hansen National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regatta Series and develop new opportunities in the sailing category. Renz spent the past seven years working as VP of the Berteau Group, a full-service marketing collective, she founded. In her new role with Bonnier Events, Renz will focus on strategy and activation. – Full report
Cascais 49er and 49erFX Championship – Day 3 Results
The Clube Naval de Cascais hosted Cascais 49er and 49erFX Championship completed three more races on Thursday…
what to do 1st/buy the boat. Sell the house?
Star World Champs return to Germany
The Star, designed in 1910 as an open two-man keelboat by William Gardner and Francis Sweisguth, experienced a rapid rise from the start: an international association of interests was founded in 1911 and a world championship was held almost annually from 1922. As early as 1932, the 23-foot Star was selected as an Olympic boat class, making it the first one design class to compete at the Olympic Games.
From 1968 onwards, the success story of the two-man keelboat was rather undulating. In 1968, the Tempest replaced the Star, but thanks to its great popularity and recognized lobby, the Star regained its Olympic status after the 1976 Olympic Games. However, the second and final Olympic out followed after London 2012. Today, the Star is experiencing its second renaissance. In many nations, competitive sailors are rediscovering the two-man keelboat for themselves in advance of the 2021 Star World Championship in Kiel, Germany…
World’s fastest tris set for Rolex Fastnet Race
While the Vendée Globe grabbed headlines over the winter with a record fleet of 31 boats, France boasts a yet more extraordinary fleet of boats – the Ultimes…
Rolex Middle Sea Race fleet builds steadily
Some 47 yachts from 17 countries have entered, currently ranging in size from the mighty 42.56 metre (140 feet) ClubSwan 125 Skorpios down to the 9.14m (29.12 ft) Pogo 30 One and Only…
49er, 49erFX – Championship – Cascais POR – First races today, with six North American teams
The 2021 Cascais 49er and 49erFX Championships will start in Portugal today. —– Disappointing the participation in the 49ers, only 12 boats, where the North American delegation with Nevin Snow/Dane Wilson USA, Ian Barrows/Hans Henken USA (St. Francis YC/Eastern YC) and William Jones/Evan DePaul CAN (Royal Hamilton YC) will compete with mainly development teams. —– In the 49ersFX however, with 27 teams on the starting line, almost all the cracks are taking part with the Olympic Champions Martine Grael/Kahena Kunze BRA, Ida-Marie Baad/Marie Thusgard DEN, Tina Lutz/Susann Beucke GER, Charlotte Dobson/Sakia Tide GBR or Tamara Echegoyen/Paula Barcelo ESP. —– North America is represented by Stephanie Roble/Margaret Shea USA (Lake Beulah YC/Chicago YC/St Francis YC), Georgia and Antonia Lewin-LaFrance CAN (RNSYS/CYC) and Ali ten Hove/Mariah Millen CAN (KYC). —– All entry lists.
Moana Bluewater Yachts presents the new M35′ WRC
Designed for short crew offshore and serious ocean racing, can be upgrades for crew inshore races and cruising use with unlimited custom possibilities by Moana Custom…
World’s best sailors primed for epic Finn Gold Cup
The Finn Gold Cup has been part of the fabric of the sport of sailing for 65 years, an iconic trophy that is reputed to be more difficult to win than an Olympic Gold medal…
Flying for the hell of it – In the Air and on the Sea
Matt Sheahan admits he really has no excuses for this latest video, it doesn’t seek to explain the differences and similarities between sailing and flying…
Meet Rolex Yachtsmen of the Year Martin and Lowry
Mike Martin and Adam Lowry log another day training in Northern California in preparation for the 2021 International 505 Worlds in Bermuda in October. (Abner Kingman/)
Entering the penultimate day of the 2019 International 505 World Championship in Fremantle, Australia, Mike Martin and Adam Lowry were leading the regatta comfortably, but while warming up for the first race, the hole that holds the centerboard pivot pin ripped open, leaving the centerboard free-floating inside its trunk. With some quick thinking, Lowry says, they wedged a paddle—required equipment on a 505—into the trunk to minimize the board’s movement. Not ideal, but good enough to continue racing. “It moved all the way back in the trunk, and then it tilted backward, so the center of lateral resistance was all over the place,” Lowry recalls. “That was challenging, and we were trying to do a lot with our trim to compensate.”
Vendée Globe – On course for 2024
The huge wave of enthusiasm for the Vendée Globe during and after the last edition means there are more and more solo skippers intimating their plans to do the next race which will start November 2024.
Having a Whale of a Time on a Saturday
A few weeks ago, captain Teddy Strawser and the crew aboard the Catalina 42 MkII Janie Jones were enjoying a Saturday sail on the Bay when they spotted whales. Three gray whales inside of Alcatraz and another just outside the Gate. Fortunately one of the crew, Alex Houlton, was quick with the camera and managed to capture some video of the magnificent creatures. Alex put together this montage…
GWA Wingfoil World Cup Leucate overall
The sun was out bright and early on the last day here at Mondial du Vent, lighting the way to the playground for the final time. It’s a beautiful clear morning here, with a cold 20kts Tramontana chill blowing through the air…
thirty something
Two major European clubs, the Union Nationale pour la Course au Large ( UNCL ) for France and the Royal Ocean Racing Club ( RORC) in the United Kingdom, already partners in the management of the IRC tonnage, announced the launch of a call for projects for the creation of a new class of boats, called Class 30.
These sailboats, with a length of 30 to 32 feet, accommodating up to 6 crew will be available in three versions that can each sail separately in one design or together through a rating. The 1st version is intended for clubs, with minimal and simplified equipment, while the Class 30 OD (One Design) is aimed at private boaters with a wider range of equipment. A third model called Olympic is being considered if offshore racing is registered for the Olympic Games , in particular with video broadcasting systems. Read on.
circle jerk
Fremantle to Exmouth Ocean Race and Rally preview
With Fremantle Sailing Club’s Fremantle to Exmouth Ocean Race and Rally less than a week away, thirty seven crews are eagerly looking at advance weather models, all indicating that the race record is set to be smashed…
Dogs
We let him sleep with us the first night, and it fell out of bed in the pitch black and started to weep, if a dog can weep. My girlfriend picked him up to comfort him, but he pulled away and came to me. He held his head to my chest and stopped sobbing and we fell asleep with his head on my chest. Long story short, he is now my dog, or I am his human.
So he is 50% German Shepard, and the other half roughly equally Great Pyrenees and Rottweiler. So not a small dog: he turns 6 months next week and is 70lbs. So I see nothing but pitfalls in taking him sailing. Maybe day sailing not so much, but I see cruising, even weekend cruising as a problem. The upside, he is a really smart dog, and he can hold going to the bathroom for a long time – ten or twelve hours.
Does anyone here cruise with a dog or know anyone that does? I am hoping it is not as bad as I imagine…
Maxwell gets Annapolis NOOD overall
J.R. Maxwell and his crew of Jim Schmicker and Matt Spencer (with Bryan Pryor sailing on Saturday only) won the J/22 division at the 2021 Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Annapolis, and were also selected as the overall winner, earning a berth to compete in the Helly Hansen Caribbean NOOD Championship in October. – Full report
Final 2020-21 weekend for the Bembridge Illusions
Saturday, the penultimate day of racing of the 2020-2021 Illusion season was a frustrating one! The forecast was for light cyclonic conditions and that was exactly what was delivered…
470 – European Championship 2021 – Vilamoura POR – Day 1 – the favorites already in the lead
Yesterday, the 470 European Championships started with 3 races by class in winds of 8 knots, later increasing to 16 knots. —– In the 470 men, Jordi Xammar/Nicolas Rodriguez ESP took the lead, followed by Paul Snow-Hanson/Daniel Willcox NZL and Anton Dahlberg/Frederik Bergström SWE. —– Stuart McNay/David Hughes USA (Trevor Moore Foundation) follow on rank 12, Jacob Saunders/Oliver Bone CAN (RNSYS/CYC/Trevor Moore Foundation) are 21st, and Shawn Harvey/Augie Dale USA (Oyster Bay 470 Team) 25th among the 29 teams. —– In the 470 women, Camille Lecointre/Aloise Retornaz FRA took the lead with 2 wins. Hanna Mills/Eilidh McIntyre GBR and Silvia Mas-Depares/Patricia Cantero ESP follow behind. —– Nikole Barnes/Lara Dallman-Weiss USA (St. Francis YC, St. Thomas YC) are 10th, Carmen + Emma Cowles USA (Larchmont YC) 14th among the 18 participants.. —– In the 470 Mixed, Nitai Hasson/Saar Hamir ISR and Therese Dahnke/Matti Cipra GER share the lead with equal points. —– Louisa Nordstrom/Trevor Bornath USA (Oyster Bay 470 Team) follow in 10th among the 34 teams. —– All rankings, the report and the video
Young Azzurra wins in Malcesine
Sunday was the final day of racing at the Grand Prix 1.1 Persico 69F Cup and Young Azzurra has won the first event in this year’s circuit…
2024 Olympic Mixed Keelboat update
The Oceanic and Offshore Committee recommends that World Sailing recognize the following clarification regarding the Mixed Two Person Offshore Event and communicates this new information to the IOC…
International 5-05 Day – 5th May to celebrate the 60+ years
The International 5O5 Sailing Class has adopted the 5th May as International 5O5 Day to celebrate the 60+ years of history and community
David Henshall looks at Seven Dinghies for Seven Decades
Join sailing historian David Henshall as he travels back in time to the very first Dinghy Show in 1952 and examines one boat per decade that helped define the time…
TF35-Catamaran – TF35-Trophy, Act 1 – SN Nyon – Final results, Alinghi inaugural winner
No more wind yesterday in Nyon/Lake Geneva for the foiling TF35 catamarans. Thus, the classification from Saturday remained the same with 3 races sailed: Alinghi with Ernesto Bertarelli won thanks to two race victories with a one-point lead over Jeru00f4me Clercs Realteam. Spindrift with Xavier Revil FRA followed in third place. —– The ranking, the report and the videos.
ITALY VS. GREECE
American Magic ready to sail with 7-8 days notice
American Magic’s Terry Hutchinson says the AC36 Challenger are all packed and ready to go sailing at seven days notice, wherever the next Match is held…
2021 Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Annapolis day 2
“Challenging, puffy conditions” is how J/111 skipper Peter Wagner described conditions on the second day of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Annapolis. “We had to keep our eyes out of the boat and change gears frequently, but it was really good racing.”
TF35 Trophy Day 2
After day one of the TF35 Opening Grand Prix in Nyon was abandoned due to lack of wind, PRO Benoit Deutsch and the race committee had the TF35 teams on Lake Geneva early today to make the most of a small weather window.
2021 Yachting Cup at San Diego Yacht Club day 1
The 2021 Yachting Cup, one of San Diego Yacht Club’s most popular signature regattas, might look a little smaller in size this year, but is certainly matching the on-the-water spirit of Yachting Cup’s past…
Running engine on the hard
Smeg: 25 Years of Champion Sponsorship
Whether it’s a high-performance sport or a small, local sporting club, to be successful, the organisation needs the support of commercial sponsorship or, at least, one major benefactor…
Kite-Foil, Wing-Foil – Mondial du Vent – Leucate FRA – Day 4, finally the first races underway
Finally wind on the 3rd day of the Mondial du Vent competition in Leucate FRA yesterday! On a rainy day, the offshore Tramontana blew with around 30kn. Both, the Wing Foilers in their World Cup and the Kite Foilers in their national circuit, were able to sail a race each. —– Axel Mazella/Poela Newland FRA won the Kite-Foiler mixed race – the ranking. —– The Wing Foils started their freestyle contest with qualifications for the Quarter Finals, with among others the newcomer and multiple Windsurfing World Champion Antoine Albeau FRA getting thru. —– The event website with all results and the video of the day.
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