Set to replace the current L-Foils in Season 5, the T-Foils were designed to improve the performance and control of the F50s at high speeds…
it’s never like this
It seems that circumstances conspired this morning to throw a spanner in the works of the Martinique Cata Raid’s well-oiled organisers. As soon as the competitors were on the water, the start procedure was delayed. The cause was the heavy conditions outside the bay, which made anchoring the markers tricky.
With the fleet dismasting and returning to the club, the series has only just begun on a day full of pitfalls. A torn mainsail, a blown genoa sheet and a blown spinnaker pole for three of the race’s main protagonists… It’s clear that Tuesday will have given everyone a hard time! Read more.
Photo Pierrick Contin.
Arkéa Ultim Challenge – Brest day 17
At his current average speed, race leader Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) should pass Cape Leeuwin later tomorrow afternoon or evening…
Avoiding problems in ULTIM CHALLENGE
(January 23, 2024; Day 17) – While Charles Caudrelier on the 32m Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has demonstrated his offshore mastery by leading the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest, he has benefited in this solo, non-stop round the world race from the hardships across the fleet. Here is the position report:
1. Charles Caudrelier (FRA), Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (2017 Verdier 32/23)
No reported issues.
2. Thomas Coville (FRA), Sodebo Ultim 3 (2019 VPLP/others 32/23)
Damage on January 17 to starboard foil lowering system but anticipates it can be fixed without stopping.
3. Armel Le Cléac’h (FRA), Maxi Banque Populaire XI (2021 VPLP 32/23)
Completed on January 16 a 27-hour pitstop in Recife, Brazil to repair bow pulpit and correct an issue with the hydraulics on the starboard foil.
4. Anthony Marchand (FRA), Actual Ultim 3 (2015 VPLP 30/22)
Collision on January 23 damaged port foil. No plan to stop.
5. Tom Laperche (FRA), Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue (2021 VPLP 32/23)
Damage on January 18 when daggerboard in the main hull collided with an UFO (unidentified floating object). Arrived to Cape Town on January 22 for repairs.
6. Éric Péron (FRA), Trimaran Adagio (2014 VPLP 31/21)
Slowed progress as only entrant without foiling appendages
The top four solo skipper are in the Indian Ocean which Coville considers the ocean he fears the most:
“It is the ocean that mixes more different air masses. First, there is the cold air mass of Antarctica along the line between Cape Town and Cape Horn. On the other hand, there is the warm air that comes down from Africa, Madagascar, and Reunion. We must go along this corridor affected by masses which are very different, which meet and generate violent and sometimes very erratic phenomena. Sometimes it takes different measures of opportunity, talent, and luck like Charles has to cross the Indian Ocean, remaining at the front of one front which was generated in South America….. but this is very rare. That doesn’t make us give up, we all know how long this course is!”
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Getting rest while solo sailing
For the six Ultim Class multihulls racing in the solo non-stop ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest, getting rest while their boat sets a blistering yet blind pace around the world would not seem too restful. And while a good night’s sleep is not an option, neither is getting no sleep.
“To last the distance, long term you have to eat well and sleep well,” notes skipper Charles Caudrelier. But sleeping well is a battle and requires preparation both technically and psychologically. That can be specific equipment, alarms, working with freedivers. Sleep management has long since become a performance issue.
“What we try to do is to sleep as regularly as possible five, six, maybe seven times cumulatively over any 24 hours in increments of 30 to minutes to 1 hour 30,” explains skipper Armel Le Cléac’h. “As soon as the conditions are good, you have to sleep.”
Sébastien Josse, a member of the Banque Populaire routing unit and co-skipper of Le Cléac’h on the Transat Jacques Vabre, notes how 6 to 8 hours of sleep is possible…
Arkéa Ultim Challenge – English video – Jan 20
At the latest report 2000hrs UTC on January 22, 2024, the race leader Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) has stepped out to a lead of over 1400nm over Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim 3)
ripping
Charles Caudrelier, leader of the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest, is passing the NE corner of the Kerguelen Islands exclusion zone, racing on a SE’ly course at around 35kts as he plunges towards the ice exclusion zone. The skipper of Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is expected to pass Cape Leeuwin on Wednesday and Tasmania, gateway to the Pacific on Thursday or Friday. More here.
An Extraordinary Solo Race Around the World
It’s never been done before. In fact, to date only four people have ever completed a solo lap of the planet in a multihull…
Maxi Edmond de Rothschild leading at Good Hope
Charles Caudrelier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope this Friday 19 January at 13:32:22 UTC…
Key dates for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup released
The dates for the Preliminary Regatta, Louis Vuitton Cup and the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match have now been released…
ETNZ hit the ground running back out on Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf with new foil
In seven months, America’s Cup racing will begin in anger in Barcelona – with the start of racing for the new AC75 boats in the Preliminary Regatta on 22 August…
Arkéa Ultim Challenge-Brest day 11 morning update
Brest pacemakers Charles Caudrelier (Edmond de Rotchschild) and Tom Laperche (SVR Lazartigue) are profiting from conditions which remain ideal for high speeds as they head south east towards the longitude of Cape Horn…
AC37 – Ainslie buckles down to two boat training with INEOS Britannia
INEOS Britannia have started two boat training with the new AC40-10 ‘Sienna’ and the older AC40-2 ‘Athena’ in Barcelona…
Teen sailor makes record-breaking voyage
On Sunday 14th January 2024 13-year-old Vincentian Kai Marks Dasent accomplished a remarkable feat by sailing 10 miles from St. Vincent to Bequia, setting a record for future attempts…
Australian A-Cat Nationals at Lake Macquarie overa
The final day of a regatta can be a strange one. Sometimes, it all comes down to the last race as in the Toulon Worlds, and sometimes the last downwind leg of that race too, as we saw in Houston. On other occasions, the frontrunner is already decided.
18ft Skiff Australian Championship Race 1
Current Giltinan 18ft skiff champion Andoo, skippered by John Winning Jr, with Seve Jarvin on the sheet and Peter Harris standing in for Sam Newton in the bow, survived the strengthening South-East breeze to take out Race 1 on Sydney Harbour…
ARKÉA ULTIM CHALLENGE – Top duo open the gap
The leaders of the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest, Tom Laperche and Charles Caudrelier, head south in a steadily building trade wind…
RORC Transatlantic Race – Argo take Multihull Line Honours in Grenada
Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA) crossed the RORC Transatlantic Race finish line Saturday 13 January 2024…
SailGP – Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix day 2
Another light weather forecast for Day 2 of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix, with seven of the teams still in with a chance to make the winner-takes-all final…
Genoa headquarters for The Foiling Organization
The Foiling Organization, the global association of the foiling industry and its professionals, will establish its headquarters in Genoa (Italy) from the first months of 2024…
A mystery in Hawaii. Can you help solve it?
SDYC and NHYC set the stage for 2024 Islands Race
Sailors are eager to take on the challenge of this competitive offshore race, covering 142 nautical miles around Santa Catalina and San Clemente Islands…
Arkéa Ultim Challenge – Brest day 5
Leaders of the Arkéa Ultim Challenge-Brest, the solo Ultim multihull race around the world, Tom Laperche (SVR Lazartigue) and Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild), have continued to pace each other…
SailGP returns to the water in Abu Dhabi
Following holiday break, the SailGP league returns to the water on January 13-14 for the Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix. As the seventh stage on the 13-event schedule for Season Four, here are five things to watch out for when racing gets underway in Abu Dhabi at 2:00pm GST (5:00am EST):
SailGP’s first ever event in Abu Dhabi
This weekend’s event marks the first time SailGP has ever visited the UAE capital, marking a first for all competing teams. With a light air forecast and tight racecourse on the iconic Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi promises to throw a fresh set of challenges at SailGP’s 10-strong F50 fleet.
Giles Scott’s racing debut at Emirates GBR driver
Freshly unveiled as Ben Ainslie’s immediate replacement, Olympic champion Giles Scott will take the wheel for his SailGP racing debut on board Emirates GBR this weekend. With a few days of practice in Dubai behind him, and another crucial training day in Abu Dhabi, Scott will take charge of the team and go head to head against the F50 fleet for the first time.
The return of Tom Slingsby
After missing Dubai for the birth of his first child, Australia driver Tom Slingsby will return to the Flying Roo this weekend, and remains on the hunt for the team’s first Season 4 victory. Still top of the leaderboard, the triple SailGP champions haven’t won an event since Season 3’s San Francisco Grand Final, despite appearing in all six Season 4 Finals so far. Could Abu Dhabi host the Aussies’ first win of the season?
More Information, and a Correction, About Anchoring in the Port of Los Angeles
Readers — We made a mistake. (Or rather, I did.) In the December 2023 ‘Lectronic “Can Cruisers Anchor in the Port of Los Angeles?,” I mistakenly referred to both the ports of Long Beach and L.A. simply as “the Port of Los Angeles.”
“You tried to answer a question and made everything far muddier,” said one reader, who understandably assumed that we didn’t know that there were two distinct and separately governed ports within the same massive breakwater in the heart of the Los Angeles coast. We did speak with the City of Long Beach’s marine bureau manager, and the information they gave us is accurate. (We’ll add a bit of info about Long Beach later in this story.)
But in addition to using poor/incorrect wording to describe the individual ports, we … sorry, I … failed to contact the Port of Los Angeles to complete our original query: Can cruisers drop the hook in the Port of L.A.? We are happy to report that the answer is yes, temporary anchoring is allowed inside the port.
The Port of Los Angeles
A spokesperson for the Port of Los Angeles shared two links with us. The first “boaters” link describes the launch ramp, public landings, and recreational courtesy docks within the Port of L.A., as well as links to the 15 marinas within the Port. The “Mariners Guide” link is nearly 90 pages of rules, safety information, maps and charts, phone numbers for maritime services, etc.
Regarding anchoring, we spoke with the Los Angeles Port Police, who are the primary contact for boaters to obtain a permit to drop the hook in the Port of L.A. “We issue permits for around three days; anything longer than that would have to be discussed with our supervisor,” an L.A. Port Police officer told us, adding that in the event of severe weather, permits would be extended to allow boaters safe haven. “We do a background check and see if the vessel is registered and operable,” the officer added; boats are apparently not required to have insurance in order to anchor in the port.
The officer recommended calling the Port Police’s dispatchers directly at (310) 732-3500 for the quickest response. The background check can take as little as 10 to 15 minutes depending on the availability of officers. There is no fee for a permit; sailors anchoring for just a few hours do not need to obtain a permit.
The anchorage itself lies in the southwest corner inside the breakwater, off Cabrillo Beach and near the Cabrillo launch ramp.
What about dinghy docks? That one’s a bit tricky.
“The closest public dinghy dock is at the [Cabrillo] launch ramp, but that’s only for loading and unloading,” the Port Police officer told us. “If it’s during the week and slow, and if you arrange it with the lifeguards, it might be OK [to leave a dinghy for an extended period]. If it’s on a busy weekend, [the dinghy] could be cited or impounded.”
The “boaters link” above mentions two courtesy docks — at berths 85 and 186, the latter of which is currently closed — but both are deep inside the canal separating the harbor shores of San Pedro from Terminal Island. Berth 85 is an eight-mile drive from the Cabrillo Launch Ramp (to be fair, traffic in L.A. is famously terrible), so it’s probably quite the epic dinghy ride to get there.
The Port of Long Beach
To reiterate from our December story, there is a “nearshore ocean area” in the Port of Long Beach, off Island White; that anchorage is only available on Friday through Sunday, along with moorings for rent.
“We highly recommend consulting an L.A. area chartbook,” a Port of Long Beach spokesperson told us this morning. There is an “‘open permit’ to allow for limited anchorage at Island White in the nearshore ocean area,” the spokesperson said. “The permit does not need to be filled out or submitted to our office. A boater needs simply to follow the rules of the open permit while at Island White. Long Beach Fire Department marine safety personnel patrol the area by boat and advise mariners of the open permit and rules thereof daily.” Click here to see the open permit: Open Permit – Island White 11-1-21
Apologies again, Latitude Nation, for the mistake, and that I’m just now getting around to correcting it. (The holidays always do a number on me.)
Does anyone have sailing stories or photos from the enormous and densely packed megalopolis in which the ports of Long Beach and L.A. lie? Please comment below, or email us here.
Cup Spy Jan 6-8: Quick start for American Magic
American Magic was the first America’s Cup team to begin training/testing for 2024, the year of the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona. The US team sailed on Saturday January 6 and Monday January 8, 2024 in their AC75 Patriot…
Arkéa Ultim Challenge – Brest day 3 morning update
The steady leader is still Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) who has a margin of about four miles. But as they sought a lane with more breeze and start to consider the approach to a big low pressure set to hit them tomorrow night…
RORC Transatlantic Race, Day 3 – Out of Africa
Land effects have created strategic options for the international fleet for the first three days of the RORC Transatlantic Race…
Arkéa Ultim Challenge – Positions/Images – Day 2
Charles Caudreiler in Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is leading the Arkéa Ultim Challenge by a 3.6nm margin over Thomas Colville (Sodebo)…
Arkéa Ultim Challenge – Positions/Images – Day 1
Join six of the Worlds top trans-oceanic sailors and record holders as they race in a non-stop single handed around the World Race in monster 105ft Ultim trimarans. Currently the least experienced sailor in the fleet is leading…
Ben Ainslie retires from SailGP league
Forty-six year old Ben Ainslie (GBR), considered the most successful sailor in Olympic history, is stepping away from the helm in the SailGP sports league. After a dust-up with the Kiwi team in October, and recently voted the biggest trash talker by his competitors, Ainslie hands over the wheel of the Emirates GBR team to double Olympic Gold medalist and America’s Cup teammate Giles Scott.
“It’s probably the toughest decision I’ve had to make in my sporting career,” shared Ainslie. “Like any big decision, there’s plenty that goes into it and a lot of factors at play.
“As the CEO of both Emirates GBR and the INEOS Britannia America’s Cup Team, and most importantly a husband and father, at some point you’ve got to realize that you can’t do everything.
“I’m coming to that point where it’s time to let the next generation come through and have their opportunity. We’ve got a huge talent in Giles Scott, he’s one of the best in the sport and he will suit this style of racing perfectly. He’s an incredible sailor, one of the best I’ve ever raced with, but he’s also a very mature, level-headed person and that’s why I think he will do a fantastic job in SailGP.”
Ainslie and Scott have a long history, initially competing against each other to represent Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Scott pushed hard and it was an extremely close competition, but Ainslie was successful in selection and went on to secure his fourth Gold medal before retiring from Olympic sailing. The torch was then passed to Scott, who competed at the Rio 2016 Games, winning Gold in the Finn class, before achieving the double at Tokyo 2020…
Ocean Globe Race: A turning point
The crew on Explorer are still enjoying champagne sailing as they make their way up the Tasman. A steady 10-15kts from behind and a spinnaker flying. There is a pothole ahead that could cause some extra grey hair, but that’s life…
Finn celebrates 75th anniversary
The Finn was designed by Swedish canoe designer Rickard Sarby in 1949 for the Helsinki 1952 Olympics, gradually evolving from the wood hull and cotton sails of the early years. The stout singlehander was used for 18 Games, and while its removal after Tokyo 2020 was unpopular for plus-sized competitors, the Class has proven to be far more than only an Olympic boat.
In 2024, the Finn celebrates 75 years of first-class racing for an active membership.
“One of the big decisions (last year) was going to Miami for the Finn Gold Cup in January 2023 and that was very successful,” noted President of the International Finn Association, Rob McMillan. “We can see the growth and enthusiasm of the American fleet and they are now in a very healthy position with lots of enthusiastic sailors.
“I think as an executive committee we’ve put together a great calendar for the years ahead and we continue to attract sailors into the class, and the events have great people loving their Finn sailing, builders are busy, so from my perspective, while I think there is a lot more work to do, we are trending in the right direction.
“For me the most important things are keeping together as a community and building the brand about the prestige of our events. Being the world champion in the Finn is an amazing achievement and needs to remain one of the greatest achievements in sailing. And to do that we need to sustain the level of competition and to do that we need to keep bringing people into the class.
“Whether they are U23, U30, U40, U50 or even legends, we need to bring in people that want to compete, enjoy it, and engage with their fellow Finn sailors, wherever they are and do that in the confidence that when they invest in the Finn it’s a very solid investment. That’s what every member of the executive wants to maintain. The concept of stewardship is very important to all of us.
Already the entry for the 2024 Finn World Masters is approaching 200 boats, the first time this has happened post-COVID.
“Further in the year, we have the Finn Gold Cup in Aarhus, out of the Danish Sailing Centre,” noted McMillan. “I can foresee a very good competition, very accessible and very well timed, so we should get many there and the talk in the boat park, even in Australia, is very positive.
“Cannes for the Europeans will be huge. Great location, late in the year, Cannes has a great historic connection with the Finn class, running the Cannes Ski yachting event in the 1980s, which was always the first major Finn regatta of the year. It’s going to be an amazing event.
“It looks like it’s going to be a really great year.”
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race – Alive overall victor and winner of the Tattersall Cup
Overall Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race victor and winner of the Tattersall Cup was Philip Turner’s ‘Alive’…
ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE – Brest – First ever solo race round the world on giant Ultim trimarans
The ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE – Brest which starts from Brest, France on Sunday 7 January will be the first ever solo race round the world on giant Ultim trimarans…
49th Australian Tasar Championship overall
Following yesterday’s blow out where the breeze and seas were fit for a Tasmanian west coaster, today, Port Philip displayed some hopeful signs of summer…
SailGP: Top Moments of 2023
Count down to the New Year with us as we relive some of the most pivotal racing moments of 2023 and get ready for even more action as Season 4 continues into 2024!
Casualties follow Sydney Hobart start
Sydney, Australia (December 26, 2023) – LawConnect made best of its bid to break a hoodoo of three runner-up finishes in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race by leading the fleet towards the Heads after this afternoon’s start.
The Christian Beck owned maxi led off the start line on Sydney Harbour at 1pm, then lost the lead to SHK Scallywag and Andoo Comanche due to a furling issue on a sail change.
SHK Scallywag led out of the Heads from Andoo Comanche, with the fleet of 103 strung out on four start lines. Grant Wharington’s Wild Thing 100 was the last of the maxis to clear the Heads, her smaller rig made it hard to keep up.
Last boat out was the Currawong 30, Currawong, one of 18 two handed entries that is co-skippered by Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham and was last to reach Hobart last year. Just in front of them was Sylph VI, Bob Williams’ boat with cat Oli aboard enjoying the ride.
Soon outside the Heads, LawConnect recovered from its furling issue and was back leading the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s (CYCA) 628 nautical mile race.
Beck lauded his crew today, but he was at pain to modestly set himself apart from the praise, saying: “That’s not me … The rest of the crew is awesome. I think that’s what will make or break us really.”
Beck also admitted that the label of being seen as perennial Sydney Hobart bridesmaid has added fuel to the motivation of his crew. “Of course, it does. Yes,” he said.
Today’s start before a larger than usual spectator fleet in light 5 to 10 knot east to north-easterly winds was not without drama though.
Andoo Comanche, the defending Line Honors champion skippered by John Winning Jnr, raised a protest flag after a port and starboard incident with the David Witt skippered SHK Scallywag.
However, SHK Scallywag, owned by Seng Huang Lee, completed a 720 degree turn near Bondi which exonerated the Hong Kong boat from the incident.
The forecast before the start was for east to north-east winds of 5 to 10 knots, with winds increasing to 20 knots offshore, with warnings of gusts. Winds were then expected to shift south-westerly by Wednesday as a series of troughs and cold front push through.
By the time the fleet was pushing south down the NSW Coast in lumpy offshore swells this afternoon, the signals of what is expected to come had already been seen.
Half an hour before the start, the humidity and heat made way for a fall in temperature as darkening skies, thunder and lightning in the horizon moved in from the north.
A shower of rain then swept over Sydney Harbour as crews underwent their final preparations before it headed south to leave the harbour again under a blaze of sunshine.
In the front line, the maxis, TP52s and other medium boats had a clean start. The four maxis were separated into two pods. HSK Scallywag and Wild Thing 100 set off from close to the pin on the western side of the Harbour, while LawConnect and Andoo Comanche favoured the east.
Casualty Count:
Seng Huang Lee’s 100ft SHK Scallywag from Hong Kong, has become the first casualty of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, breaking her bow sprit early this evening Sydney time.
SHK Scallywag, skippered by David Witt, had recently undergone modifications and with some well-known crew added, seemed to be in great shape, but it was not to be. Without the bow sprit, flying spinnakers is impossible.
A short time later, Peter Davison’s Archambault 40 RC, Arcadia from Victoria, along with the two-handed entry of Shane Connolly/Tony Sutton on the J/99, Rum Rebellion, also reported they had retired from the 78th running of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 628 nautical mile race.
Arcadia has retired with a torn mainsail, but no reason has been given at this stage for Rum Rebellion from Sydney.
Later during the first night, Michael Spies skippered TP52, Maritimo 52, sustained rig damage which ultimately caused other damage to the boat.
Crew member Peter Jones said, “The fitting on the deck for the forestay shredded, which ripped the No. 4 headsail and the mainsail. We tried to work a million ways around it, but we would have been sailing at 50 percent. We are shattered.
“The weather shocking overnight. We had as much lightning as I’ve ever seen. The sou-west front came through, we saw high 20s to early 30s (knots) and had solid rain for three hours.
“We were south of Jervis Bay, 115 miles down the course. Everyone on board is fine,” ended Jones, who expects the yacht to be back at the CYCA around mid-afternoon today.
Then came the news that Sticky, the Cookson 50 owned by Richard Harris, had suffered electrical damage, forcing her retirement.
There are now 98 boats still in the race, inclusive of 17 two-handed entries.
Details: https://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/
The 628 nm course for the 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has several key features following the exit from Sydney Harbor on December 26. Most notable is the crossing of the easternmost edge of the exposed Bass Strait, a notorious expanse of water that can serve up punishing and violent waves, and then periods when the sea is calm as the wind fades. The final stretch up the Derwent River into Hobart can be either kind or cruel when deciding the results of the race.
Source: RSHYR
Sydney to Hobart – First Day Wrap from LawConnect
Video race update from Skipper Tony Mutter on board the 100-foot supermaxi, LawConnect…
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