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On this day in 1851, the schooner America won the 100 Guinea Cup, which would then be renamed the “America’s Cup” in her honor. American boats went on to win The Cup until 1983, the longest winning streak in modern sports history…
For a full history of the Auld Mug, click here.
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The Mediterranean has lived up to its reputation, transforming the sprint to Cartagena into a crawl. After storming through Gibraltar at 30 knots, Paprec Arkéa this morning were drifting at barely a knot, watching as Biotherm and Holcim-PRB slipped past.
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With legal action underway following the youth sailing program accident that killed three people in Miami, Peter Swanson reviews some of the information in this report for Loose Cannon:
The Hobie catamaran run down by a barge late last month was effectively adrift and unable to get out of the way, even though her skipper could see the 200-ton commercial combo coming at them, according to the lawyer suing on behalf of one of the victims.
The barge ran over the 17-foot Hobie, capsizing it and resulting in the deaths of three girls, ages 7, 10 and 13, who had been learning how to sail. They were participants in a sailing program sponsored by the Miami Yacht Club and under the tutelage of a 19-year-old camp counselor.
Attorney Judd Rosen of Miami represents one of the survivors, a nine-year-old. (Six were on board. The counselor and a fifth girl also survived.)
Rosen said the engineless Hobie was unable to maneuver to avoid the barge because of light air. “They could see the barge. They just couldn’t move the boat to get out of the way,” he said. – Full report
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The Protocol for the 2027 America’s Cup has been agreed between the Challenger of Record, the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Defender, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
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The multihull SVR Lazrtigue of skipper Tom Laperche first round the Fastnet Rock, at 15:23ish Sunday
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Datchet Radio Sailing are hosting the IOM World Championships in 2026 so this ranking event would be the first test event to check the club logistics are in order. The organisers had put in a huge amount of effort getting ready.
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Report #2 from the mighty Restless Transpac 2025 Team.
Let’s start where we left off late on the 5th. We did have the shrimp and rice for dinner. It was a nice light fare that would have paired well with a Sauvignon blanc (which we didn’t have). The nights have been quite dark with low cloud cover every night but we finally had some stars in sight for a welcome change. See where they are.
That is until Greg and I were midway through an early AM watch, and it started drizzling. Mind you, we have been itching to get out of foulies during the evenings for a couple days at this stage so we’re only in long pants and light puffers over tee shirts. No rogue waves this time, but the light drizzle turned into a bit more as we sat in silence.
Eventually I said, “this is real rain and it kind of sucks.” Greg responded with a simple “yeah” before I suggested maybe we should put some proper gear on. Again, I was greeted with a dumbfounded, “yeah” and I quickly lept below and tossed on bibs and a jacket before relieving Greg on the tiller for him to do the same. Once he came back on deck, we both burst out laughing at our lack of urgency, like we were maritime versions of Beavis and Butthead.
Morning of July 6th and the clouds lifted early for another beautiful day of sailing. We are VMG running with the S-2 and trying to get south to avoid an incoming swath of light winds hot on our heels. Hopefully the big guys behind us hit this speed bump on the course as the tracker has them eating up our lead in a hurry.
The breeze has been quite soft at times but we did try some of our staysail inventory out with little success. A few major boat prep projects like water maker, alternator, and rudder in the 60 days leading up to the start made prioritizing some of our sail inventory testing impossible, which has left us with some staysails that are too big for moderate conditions and can’t be used effectively. Like Maverick said, time is your greatest adversary!
Not sure I am ready to deplete the onboard sail repair kit for a mid-ocean recut, but who knows… food wise, we had a brunch of bagels with cream cheese, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Homemade beef jerky is also a fan favorite. Dinner was pasta with sausage and veggies. Having a proper galley on a race boat is a rare luxury that we are taking full advantage of.
Overnight, the high pressure finally swallowed us as anticipated. We actually made it about 4-5 hours further than we thought before it caught us. The team worked hard to change the mode of the boat, adjusting the sail stack, trim setups, and sail selection. We learned a ton and improved at managing these tricky conditions, but they are always tough mentally, especially when it’s so easy to check our competition in real time.
Worth noting here that the way the tracker works is that it takes a snapshot in time and extrapolates from that data so it is not super accurate. It also doesn’t take into account the weather across the course, only the boat’s geometry. Better for us to just sail our own race and let the scores work out at the finish.
By now we have also sailed 1000nm west, but onboard we have stayed on Pacific Standard Time so the number on the clock feels really different than the daylight on deck. I am currently typing at 10pm but its really only early evening out here.
At approximately 1400 the wind finally filled and we have started chugging down the track again. We are one of the few (maybe only?) day one starters to have stayed below the rumbline which is going to minimize our overall distance in the second half of the course. Our sail de jour this afternoon was the S-4 which is pretty versatile as long as the pressure stays up above 13-14 knots on our “specially calibrated ” instruments. CBTM for a bit here.
Dinner was black bean enchiladas, and for the first time the whole trip the entire entree was finished so maybe this meal is leading the onboard culinary competition. Chef Greg also caught another “rogue wave” (check the boat’s IG for more onboard footage and back story @cal40_restless) right down his back to the tramp stamp.
Evenings are still chilly and occasional rain showers persist. Some of the team is running low on fresh clothes, though the water tank is full and ready for mid race showers for us which should help the general smell onboard.
Overall, the boat is exceeding expectations for livability and comfort. Lots of opening ports and good air flow are a welcome change from the dark and wet bowels of modern race boats. Man, I’m sounding old…
Time to head up for some moonlight surfing on deck. Heim out.
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July 5th, around ⅓ of the way to Hawaii on the fine yacht Restless ( brought to you by Driscoll’s Boatworks), Alli Bell’s classic Cal 40, which has recently undergone a complete refit. We have a great team onboard with everyone bringing unique skills and perspectives to the table. Alli Bell needs little introduction; she is currently Vice Commodore of the San Diego Yacht Club and Rear Commodore of the TPYC. 3rd gen transpac racer and childhood friend to all of us. Her husband Stephen Driscoll comes from a family with a long history in yacht racing, and he is our de facto boat captain as well.
When Alli and I discussed the Restless Transpac plan shortly after she bought the boat, I said I was only in if Stephen was coming. Graham Bell is Alli’s cousin whom she has sailed thousands of ocean miles with and our navigator for the race. His mellow demeanor hides a sharp mind and wit within. Chef onboard is Greg Reynolds who also happens to be a world-class helmsman, and his class clown nature means we are never taking any situation on without some humor. I round out the team.
We started July 1st in what was forecast to be the best start day. Yay! But the change this year to Forecast based ratings for overall aim to neutralize this advantage. Boo! Felt great to finally cast the dock lines and head out to the start. Speaking of starts, the RC postponed with about 40 seconds to go due to the pin drifting. We were all tee’d up for a nice win of the boat end. Our strategy was that we are a smaller/slower boat and wanted to minimize getting rolled on the long starboard tack to Catalina.
They reset the pin a bit more to weather but we stuck with the game plan and won the boat on the restart as well so boy to get pinched off by some of the faster more modern boats. Made the best of our lane and beelined for Parsons Landing near the West End then 4 tacks to clear the rock and we punch in next waypoint. Diamond Head buoy a bit over 2200 miles away. Kept the new AP #1 genoa up through the night slowly easing sheets and eventually settling on an outboard lead for night 1. Felt like a good escape compared to last race in 23’…
More from Eric Heim can be found here.
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We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths… or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?!
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Three times America’s Cup winnning skipper Peter Burling will join the crew of the Ultim SVR-Lazartigue for the upcoming Rolex Fastnet Race.
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Bummer for these boats…
As of 0800 PDT, July 6, 2025, three boats have retired from racing in the 2025 Transpac. Two have safely and successfully returned to the mainland, and one is underway. Race Committee received word at 1800 PDT on Friday, July 4, that J/125 Vortices 2 retired from the race due to rudder issues. All aboard are safe and the vessel has returned to the mainland.
At approximately 1800 PDT on Saturday, July 5, Transpac Race Committee received notification from Reichel/Pugh 63 GoodEnergy that they have retired from the race due to rudder bearing issues. All aboard are safe and the vessel has returned to the mainland.
At 2134 PDT on Saturday, July 5, Race Committee received notice that the Andrews 68 Rock n Roll retired from the race due to an injury onboard. A crewmember sustained an injury from a fall and was taken to Avalon for treatment before transfer to a mainland hospital. The injured crewmember is reported to be in good spirits. Families have been notified. The vessel is proceeding safely to Long Beach with the remainder of the crew. TPYC wishes the injured sailor a full and speedy recovery. More.
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With an entry quota of 240, the Moth Class has attracted 148 competitors to vie for the 2025 World title on July 8-13 in Lago di Garda, Italy. Great Britain leads 23 nations with 27 entrants, while 15 competitors will represent USA in the 15-race series on Lake Garda. Mattias Coutts will seek to defend his 2024 crown that he won on home waters in January. – Details
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Strale (1967) by Antonio Bandini of the Circolo Velico Ravennate wins the Overall of the XII Principality of Monaco Trophy. The two scheduled races of the Trophy, promoted by AnnaLicia Balzan, Honorary Consul of the Principality of Monaco in Venice, took place on Saturday and Sunday with calm seas and a light breeze from the South-East.
Strale was built in wood in Ravenna by the Angelo Montanari shipyard and designed by Giuseppe Belardi. A boat that, despite its decidedly unusual shape (a small horse and an upside-down bow), has participated and won in both the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas in numerous classic sailing regattas. Due to its long and narrow shape (13.47 meters x 2.70 meters), it is nicknamed ‘the Worm of Rimini’, but it has proven to be very fast and competitive.
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World Sailing has said it welcomes the confirmation of sailing venues for the Olympic Games LA28 the boards will be at Long Beach, with the dinghy events at the Port.
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Sail Wars dives into the fierce competition to win back the America’s Cup. This one-hour video follows the high-tech journey of Stars and Stripes ’87, the third and final yacht crafted by the Sail America team in their bold quest to dethrone Australia and bring the Cup home.
From the transcript:
This is a story of Sail America’s three-year effort to design a yacht capable of recapturing sailing’s greatest trophy. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at a major 12 Meter campaign, one that takes us to the highest levels of international sport and to the frontiers of science.
In early 1984 John Marshall was named coordinator of the Sail America design team we can do the best we can his job was to organize and manage an American design effort that would be technologically second to none.
“We decided that what we would have to do is put together a multidisciplinary team,” explained Marshall. “People from specifically the sailing environment professionals, in that area our three yacht designers, but also people whose expertise was much broader – theoreticians from a university background, practicing aeronautical engineers, people involved in military development, people from the ship hydrodynamics background – so that what we would have would be the best in the country in a wide range of skills that all could be brought to bear on this particular problem.”
Details: https://www.americascup.com/
No entries have yet been submitted for the 38th America’s Cup as Defender New Zealand works with the Challenger of Record from Great Britain to organize the event. The two teams have agreed on some details with the venue moved to Naples, Italy after Barcelona, Spain declined hosting another edition. Racing will be in the spring and summer of 2027.
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The Canadian Government could not hit reverse gear fast enough, on their brand new digital tax, following Trump shutting down trade negotiations…
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All eyes will be on Kiel this week as the iQFOiL International Games begin tomorrow, Saturday, June 21, at Kieler Woche, marking the first time this cutting-edge Olympic windsurfing class takes a leading role at the iconic German sailing festival.
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The USCG tall ship Eagle is scheduled to arrive in San Francisco Bay on the morning of Wednesday, June 25. She will be coming under the Gate at around 8 a.m. and tying up around 10 a.m. at Piers 15/17 by the Exploratorium. The Eagle is heading south after visiting Portland and Astoria, OR. After her Bay Area stop she’ll continue her training mission by visiting our friendly neighbors to the north in Victoria, BC, before again turning south to make a stop in Seattle.
The Eagle will be open for free public tours from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, and will depart the Bay on Sunday, June 29. After visiting Victoria, BC, and Seattle, the ship is due to return to the Bay on July 25. There will be more public tours on her second visit, with the schedule TBD. Eagle will leave the Bay again on July 28 and head south to arrive in Los Angeles on August 1.
The remaining West Coast tour schedule is here:
San Francisco – Wednesday, 25 June
Victoria, BC, Canada – Monday, 7 July
Seattle, Washington – Tuesday, 15 July
San Francisco – Friday, 25 July
Los Angeles – Friday, 1 August
San Diego – Friday, 8 August
San Diego – Friday, 15 August
The Eagle is a 295-ft, three-masted barque, and is the only active square-rigger in US government service. She is used as a United States Coast Guard officer-training vessel, with her crew of 120 cadets swapping out at various ports during the tour. She last visited the West Coast and San Francisco Bay in 2008.
You can track the Eagle’s approach to the Bay here.
If you’re wondering what she’s been up to while not sailing the West Coast, or you’re thinking being a Coast Guard officer might be a pretty good gig, check out this video from one of her Caribbean tours:
The post The USCG ‘Eagle’ Has Landed — Almost appeared first on Latitude38.
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Despite the shift of three times America’s Cup winner, Peter Burling it is understood that there is unlikely to be any softening of the Nationality rule to enable Burling to compete in the 38th America’s Cup.
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The Ocean Race confirms the around‑the‑world yacht race will return to Brazil, with the fleet stopping April 2027 in Itajaí and again in 2031, in a two-edition hosting partnership. This will mark the fifth time the race has been in Itajaí and the 11th visit to Brazilian shores.
Itajaí first joined the global sailing stage in the 2011-12 edition of The Ocean Race, becoming the race’s sole South American stopover that year. The city welcomed the fleet again in 2014-15 and 2017-18, and most recently hosted the 2022-23 edition, making 2027 its fifth consecutive appearance on the race route.
“Itajaí is always a very welcome stopover for The Ocean Race and our sailors, not least because it usually comes after the longest leg at sea,” said Johan Salen, Director of The Ocean Race. “The passion the people in Itajaí have for the Race and the leadership the team in Itajaí has demonstrated in sustainable event excellence makes it a natural fit for a fifth consecutive stopover.”
It is expected the leg finishing in Itajaí will start in Auckland, New Zealand.
Confirmed course ports*
Alicante, Spain (start)
Auckland, New Zealand
Itajaí, Brazil
Port Said, Egypt
AMAALA, Saudi Arabia (finish)
*More to be confirmed
Details: https://www.theoceanrace.com/en/
The Ocean Race will begin again in 2027 using the IMOCA class boat, with two earlier events providing training and exposure to prospective teams. In 2025, The Ocean Race Europe will start on August 10 from Kiel, Germany and take a route south around the Iberian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean Sea. In 2026, The Ocean Race Atlantic will start in New York, USA and finish in Barcelona, Spain.
Source: The Ocean Race
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Once again, Roy Disney has assembled his highly experienced crew for this year’s 2025 Transpac. With Roy’s Volvo 70 Pyewacket fresh off a clean sweep in Antigua Race Week, the boat is now in transit to England for this years Fastnet Race, San Tropez Race Week, and the Rolex Maxi Worlds in Sardinia. Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Roy will be sailing his Andrews 68 Pyewacket in the 2025 Transpac.
There are probably more total Transpac miles on the Pyewacket crew than on any other boat. This will be Roy’s 26th Transpac, and as amazing as that might seem, watch captain Gary Weisman also has 26 Transpacs on his résumé. Next on the list are Ben Mitchell and Scott Easom with 21 each. Bowman Robbie Kane and navigator Peter Isler both have eight; Daryl Wislang, Brad Jackson, Tony Mutter and Torben Grael, four each. This doesn’t even take into account the combined 50-plus Pac Cups the team has done as well. The more difficult the conditions, the more this team’s experience shines.
All totaled it’s about 300,000 Transpac miles (or 12 circumnavigations) of racing to Hawaii by this crew. In 2019 their race was cut short when they stopped to rescue the crew of OEX after a rudder failure that caused the boat to sink. In 2021 they raced Disney’s modified Volvo 70 Pyewacket to a second in class, and in the 2023 Transpac they were back to win their class aboard the Andrews 68 Pyewacket.
If you’re looking to find a boat that knows the way to Hawaii, keep an eye on Pyewacket. (Listen to a podcast with Roy Disney here.)
The post Transpac Profile: Disney’s ‘Pyewacket’ Adding Up the Miles appeared first on Latitude38.
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Spain top the leaderboard after the first day of racing in the Mubadala New York Grand Prix, after a consistent day’s sailing on the murky and rainswept Hudson River.
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After time correction, Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, racing double-handed with co-skipper RORC Commodore Deb Fish, was the winner by just 53 seconds after 22 hours of racing.
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The Melges 15 is redefining what sailors can expect from a modern, doublehanded dinghy. Since its launch, the boat has gained momentum across America and Europe for one simple reason — it delivers high-performance sailing with unmatched accessibility.
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As one of two new teams for Season Five, the Italy SailGP Team revealed it is funded by a group of investors organized by Muse Sport, the sports investing and advisory practice of early-stage VC firm Muse Capital. The consortium is led by Muse founding partner Assia Grazioli-Venier, Italian luxury brand entrepreneur Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo, and team CEO Jimmy Spithill.
The transaction, which valued the team at $45 million, also includes Hollywood flair. Academy Award winning actress Anne Hathaway is among the investors, while Passi de Preposulo is married to Academy Award-winning actress and producer Jessica Chastain.
“Anne brings both vision and values to the table. We hope her involvement encourages more people to look under the hood of this league and realize this is not our grandfather’s sailing,” Grazioli-Venier told ESPN. “Her presence reflects the kind of team we’re building — one with heart, talent, and purpose.”
Muse Capital’s portfolio includes the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League, Women’s Professional Baseball League, Sports Innovation Lab, and Just Women’s Sports. The acquisition marks the first women-led ownership group for the global racing championship.
The Italian-born Grazioli-Venier got her first taste of SailGP team ownership through the U.S. team, which she invested in several years ago as a minority partner. While the latest transaction closed in February, the new owners have effectively been financing and operating the team since its on-water debut in November.
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The SP80 kiteboat has reached a top speed of over 58 knots, or 108 km/h. This new personal best makes SP80 the second fastest sailboat ever recorded, behind Vestas Sailrocket II and its 68.01-knot top speed.
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For cryin’ out loud, how many of these damn near look a like 70′ + luxury liners can about 10 manufacturers produce? It just shows how much money people have to buy something like this, the new Oyster 805.
Wonder how many will be sold from now on in the Trump Economic Disaster?
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This is Magic Carpet e, the brand new maxi that is undefeated after two races at the PalmaVela.
If you can stomach it, you can watch yet another mind-numbing, quick-cut video of the event here. – ed.
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Defending champion Chris Poole USA, leads first day of the Congressional Cup at Long Beach
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Greg Dorn’s San Francisco Yacht Club-flagged Favonius 2 (Transpac 52) raced the 77th Newport to Ensenada Race on Friday. We used the race as another training session for the 2025 Transpac coming up in July.
Conditions were fairly mellow but consistent this year. For our noon start in the Maxi class, we had overcast skies, which slowly burned off to a late afternoon sun and a spectacular sunset. Winds for the majority of the race were 8-12 knots. The top teams all navigated slightly east of rhumb line this year for best routing. We sailed within 2–3 miles of Mission Bay and Point Loma, and the sunset inside the Coronado Islands was spectacular.
Our main competitors Zephyrus (R/P 77) and Fast Exit II (Ker 52) did a great job in the reaching conditions. At 9 p.m. in the darkness south of Rosarito, they had extended to a 5–7-mile lead on us. We were in a strong third for line honors with a half-dozen boats within five miles of our transom.
Just as our navigator Sylvian Barrielle predicted, we were lifted at 10 p.m., jibed onto the port-tack header, and lined up perfectly for the finish line 21 miles away. Zephyrus and Fast Exit barely slowed down on final approach to Ensenada, and both finished around midnight–12:30 a.m. The nighttime wind gods (unsurprisingly) wouldn’t let us pass through so smoothly. We had a few starts and stops inside the last 10 miles to finish third on line honors at 3:05 a.m.
Quick high-fives and cleanup followed, and then it was a skeleton shift on deck as we motorsailed right back to San Diego. An early Saturday afternoon lunch at SDYC was welcomed as we debriefed the race and discussed further improvements for the Favonius 2 crew and yacht. Our next race is the SoCal 300 at the end of May.
Beyond the racing there are the natural wonders captured while sailing south:
The post Newport to Ensenada Race With ‘Favonius 2’ appeared first on Latitude38.
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Yachting World has been asking top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times, and match racing world champion Ian Williams nominated the M32 Catamaran. Here’s the report:
As a match racer, Ian Williams frequently jumps into different classes of boats, but the Marström-designed M32 Catamaran is his pick. “What I love about the M32 is the simplicity of design allowing for such a light weight boat (550kg all up) which makes for a number of sailing and practical benefits.
“The boat can be towed behind a normal car, and rigged and launched from a slipway in a few hours.
“On the water, the boat is incredibly responsive, flying a hull in as little as four knots of wind. The C-boards and relatively full bows mean they are also controllable in strong winds, but if you do capsize they are quite straightforward to right with a medium sized RIB, usually with no damage.”
The M32 Catamaran has a rotating rig and hiking racks. “With only two sails, rigging is very quick, and the job list is usually very short. Combined with getting around the race course at high speed means you can step off the boat about four hours after stepping on, having completed five races. Top speed is about 28 knots in perfect conditions, but the boat regularly sails downwind at 23 knots.”
M32 Catamaran stats rating
Top speed: 28 knots
LOA: 9.68m/31ft 9in
Launched: 2011
Berths: 0
Price: $250,000
Adrenalin factor: 85%
For Yachting World’s list of cool boats, click here.
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The Transatlantic Race 2025 from the East Coast of the United States to the shores of the United Kingdom stands as one of sailing’s most time-honored and demanding challenges.
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by Buttons Padin
On a ship in the Navy, Hail and Farewell parties blend the arrival of a new member of the wardroom with a send-off for a departing shipmate. In the Racing Rules of Sailng 2025-2028, an improper “hail” could result in an untimely “farewell” from the protest room.
The current rules address Hailing as follows:
20.1 Hailing
A boat may hail for room to tack and avoid a boat on the same tack by hailing ‘Room to tack.’ However, she shall not hail unless:
• She is approaching an obstruction and will soon need to make a substantial course change to avoid it safely, and
• She is sailing close-hauled or above.
In addition, she shall not hail if the obstruction is a mark and a boat that is fetching it would be required to change course as a result of the hail.
Intertwined in this rule are a number of subtle points that most sailors “reading through the rules” quickly may miss. Let’s consider hailing at an obstruction. – Full report
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When I first saw the March cover of Latitude 38 floating around San Diego, I had to pick it up. I mean, come on — that’s just a badass shot. Winger mid-carve, massive swell, moody lighting — you can almost hear the wind, and feel the harsh light and spray. Then I noticed the credit: Jacob Rosenberg. Wait, that Jacob? The co-founder and president of Tajima Direct — one of our favorite advertisers and makers of the best lens technology on the planet?!!
Turns out, yeah. Jacob’s not just building the sailor’s favorite lens tech — the guy absolutely charges on the water, too. I sent him a note to ask about the shot. His answer:
“Just another day in the office testing lenses. I was actually wearing a new pair of Tajima prescription polarized lenses I made for myself. It was one of the biggest days we’ve seen in a while … solid 10 to 15 foot breaking faces under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. I was out with a couple of buddies riding huge waves and testing lenses. Bryan McDonald and Grace Towle just happened to be there with the camera and perfect boat positioning — one of those perfect timing situations for all of us.”
Jacob and his Crissy Field wing crew are wrapping up wave season and switching back into race mode for the 2nd Annual US Wing Foil Nationals hosted by St. Francis YC this June. Jacob’s a serious contender — he took 3rd last year — and Tajima Direct is stepping up as a sponsor in support of the event. You can check out his write-up from last year’s Nationals right here.
Want the full story behind the cover shot — and what it’s like testing new lens tech in 15-foot surf under the Golden Gate?
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Matt Sheahan tours the new Magic Carpet-e, considered to be the most advanced Maxi in more than a decade. In the first of three reports, Matt speaks to owner Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, skipper Danny Gallichan, and project manager Ed Bell about this sophisticated and slippery 100-footer.
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This Sunday at 13:02, the 19 duos competing in the Transat Paprec will set sail across the Atlantic Ocean. The morning promises to be full of emotion.
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California sailing legend Paul Cayard, Australian-born racer Jimmy Spithill, and Susan Henn, the first known woman to compete in the America’s Cup, have been announced as the Herreshoff Marine Museum/America’s Cup Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Each sailor is recognized for their personal achievements and positive influence on the sport and in America’s Cup racing.
Paul Cayard has been in the sailing news for decades and has won seven world championships and the Whitbread Round the World Race, competed in seven America’s Cup campaigns, and is a two-time Olympian. He has also been highly active in official roles behind the sailing scene including board chair for the St. Francis Yacht Club, former executive director of US Olympic Sailing, and president of the International Star Class Association.
Cayard’s first America’s Cup campaign was as a sail trimmer aboard the 12 Meter Defender in 1983. He served as tactician in the 1987 America’s Cup in Fremantle, Australia. He went on to win multiple sailing events and championships including the International Star Class Worlds, the Maxi Yacht World Championship, and the 1997–98 Whitbread Round the World Race. In 2000 Cayard launched an America’s Cup campaign on behalf of his home club, the St. Francis Yacht Club, with his team AmericaOne. He is also an inductee of the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Spithill was just 4 years old when Australia II won the 1983 America’s Cup. His first boat was a race-ready dump-find, recovered from a dump and made ready for racing, and in 1989, together with his sister, he won the first race he ever entered. In 1997 he captained his crew to win the Australian High School Sailing Championship. That same year Spithill was named New South Wales Youth Yachtsman of the Year.
In 1998 Spithill was recruited to race the Rolex Sydney Hobart race aboard Ragamuffin, and in 2000 at age 20, he became skipper of Young Australia for the 2000 America’s Cup in San Diego — the Cup’s youngest-ever helmsman. Subsequent America’s Cup campaigns followed, including roles with the USA’s American OneWorld and ORACLE teams, and Italy’s Luna Rossa. In 2024, Spithill retired at the conclusion of the America’s Cup in Barcelona but not before having led numerous teams aboard foiling trimarans, the foiling wing sail AC72 and AC50 catamarans, foiling AC75 monohulls, and the foiling F50s as captain for the US SailGP Team.
Susan Matilda Cunninghame-Graham Henn (1853-1911) is celebrated as the first woman to compete, and ultimately command a yacht, in the America’s Cup. Henn sailed aboard the 102-ft steel cutter Galatea in the 1886 match against the Mayflower. Henn and her husband Lt. William Henn sailed across the Atlantic for the race against Mayflower, proving Henn’s disposition for a life at sea. When her husband became ill during a race, Henn took charge of their yacht, once more demonstrating her exceptional sailing skills.
The America’s Cup Hall of Fame has inducted over 100 individuals since its founding in 1992. Candidates eligible for consideration include sailing team members, designers, builders, syndicate leaders, supporters, chroniclers, and other individuals of merit. Each nominee is judged on the basis of outstanding ability, international recognition, character, performance, and contributions to the America’s Cup. The members of the Selection Committee are intimate with the history and traditions of the America’s Cup and are committed to maintaining the integrity of the Hall of Fame.
Cayard, Spithill, and Henn will be honored on October 16 at the America’s Cup Hall of Fame Induction at the New York Yacht Club.
The post Cayard and Spithill Join America’s Cup Hall of Fame Class of 2025 appeared first on Latitude38.
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As the owner of a stock 41-year-old Hobie 33 in an area with at least one questionable 33 (and one I will immediately protest when we race against it), I don’t think equitable OD racing would be possible. This post from the forum is a good one…- ed.
We’ve had a recent influx of boats into a one-design class at our club. The issue is that the design (and all the boats) are 40-something years old and not all have been treated the same in that time. Realistically, the difference between the best and worst boats in that fleet is probably ~10 sec / mile.
I like OD racing as much as the next guy, but ostensibly OD fleets should take the “boat factor” out of the equation and let the best skippers rise to the top and I’m not sure that is a realistic proposition with old beercan level boats. At the top of the class for major regattas, nationals, worlds etc. the boats can be remarkably close across the fleet, but at the local club level they are generally not.
Now, first, I have no dog in this fight. I’m just curious to hear others’ opinions and thoughts. Second, I have read the forum discussions on how to try to keep things level in inexpensive OD fleets (e.g. new sail limits, round-robin boat assignment etc.).
I realize that whether OD or handicap racing, boat condition is not accounted for and those with deep pockets or a knack for boat maintenance have an advantage. Here are the things I am wondering about:
1. Is it worth racing these things OD for Wednesday beercans, or will it always be too big a spread between boat condition to make for close racing?
2. At a small club that can scarcely get a dozen boats on the start line on Wednesdays anyways, is it worth having a separate OD fleet? Would it be better to just lump everyone together (and the OD boats could have their own separate scoring if they really want)?
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