As predicted a fresh southerly was on the order today. 10-25 knots SSE and very gusty meaning most boats had many capsizes. A few boats retired with gear failure…
RORC Transatlantic Race – Wednesday – Day 12
SiSi the Austrian Ocean Race Project’s VO65 of Gerwin Jansen finished the RORC Transatlantic Race Wednesday at 15:53hrs an elapsed time of 11d 4h 43m…
SeaGliders – From nearly flying to fully flying
With the America’s Cup now raced in boats that nearly fly, one U.S. marine manufacturer has taken the next step to build crafts that fully fly.
Moore Brothers Co., a maker of composite boat components, is working with research and development company Regent Craft Inc. to build vehicles that combine elements of boats and aircraft. According to Boston-based Regent, these seagliders will cruise at 180 mph for distances up to 180 miles, and as far as 500 miles as battery technology advances.
The companies say they expect the electric-powered vehicles, which resemble seaplanes, to operate over water routes connecting coastal cities such as New York and Boston. Regent says they will generate a fraction of the noise and emissions of the ferries and airlines that currently serve these regional routes.
Moore Brothers, based in Bristol, Rhode Island, has been part of the New England boat-building community for generations, says its president, Samuel Moore. The company designs, develops, and manufactures rudders, steering systems, keels, and structural parts for a range of vessels including America’s Cup racing yachts.
Working on the seaglider “is a logical next step for us,” according to Moore, who added that the company will expand its plant by 5,000 square feet and add 10 workers as it prepares to ramp up seaglider production.
Moore says the companies are almost finished assembling a quarter-scale, radio-controlled prototype of the vehicle that they expect to test in Tampa, Florida, by the end of January, with Regent planning to bring seagliders to market within five years.
RORC Transatlantic Race – Day 11 – Comanche looking safe in the clubhouse
With RORC Transatlantic Race Line honours decided, the race takes a breather with just the Volvo 70 I Love Poland due to finish today…
A perfect day of winter racing
The roads were icy, but far less treacherous than I feared as I eased onto I-5, my car aimed at Seattle’s Shilshole Bay Marina. Amazingly, this motif of the day exceeding expectations continued throughout our team’s 2022 Duwamish Head Race…
Fast Finishes for the RORC Leaders
Over the weekend, the first finishers of the 2022 RORC Transat made landfall in Grenada, led by Giovanni Soldini’s Multi70 Maserati, which was awarded line honors with a corrected time of six days, 18 hours and 51 minutes. Maserati finished ahead of Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 PowerPlay and Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo by less than 20 miles.
“That was really fantastic,” said Soldini after the finish. “To do a transatlantic race like that with three boat 20 miles from each other is just amazing. We had a big problem the first night as straight away we broke the port rudder (hitting a UFO). However, in the second part of the race, luckily the angle was such that the starboard rudder was in the water.”
The next day, the famed 100ft VPLP Design/Verdier Maxi Comanche was awarded line honors for monohulls and secured the IMA Trophy. Comanche has set a new race record of seven days, 22 hours and one minute, beating the previous monohull record by over two days. Their speed run is not a huge surprise given that Comanche is in the habit of squashing records, and it already holds the title for the Monohull West-East Transatlantic record, as well as race records and line honors for the Rolex Fastnet Race, the RORC Caribbean 600, the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the Transpac and the Rolex Middle Sea Race. It’s still possible, however, that another monohull in the fleet could take the overall victory with a corrected IRC time.
“Comanche is an absolute weapon in the open ocean,” said skipper Mitch Booth. “The team are just so privileged to have the opportunity to race this boat with the full support and trust from the owners. It’s just a real thrill to be on board” The crew is a mix of offshore sailors, grand prix inshore sailors and a few newcomers. “We are not in set roles,” Booth says. “Everyone is trimming and on the helm. We are mixing it up, having a great time. It’s been really fun sailing together. Setting Atlantic records is iconic and very special.”
A treacherous piece of water
In his January column for Seahorse magazine, Paul Cayard described San Francisco Bay as “a treacherous piece of water off the otherwise peaceful Pacific Ocean. On a summer afternoon, with the current going at 2kt out the gate and the 59° wind pushing in at 25kt, what you have is the Octagon of Sailing.”
Here are some memories from fighting on this canvas:
Toby Cooper:
Besides the routine knockdown Westerlies, SF Bay is known and loved for its powerful and complex tidal patterns.
Winter races can be notorious for variable winds and big tides. During one double handed race on the Moore 24, we were eeking our way to the Golden Gate Bridge against a monster flood.
We squeezed past Harding Rock in the light stuff, marveling at how disorienting it felt to creep past the buoy which was stationary, but surrounded by surging water which was not. In fact, you almost had to consciously deny the perception that the mark was trying to pass your boat and not the reverse.
A half hour later a desperate voice rang out over the VHF, “Pan Pan, Pan Pan,” came the near-frantic call. “Harding buoy is hooked on a submarine and it is being pulled out to sea!” It actually took multiple replies from all over the Bay to convince them of the truth.
Sue Mikulski:
We’d chartered a boat for the 1998 J/105 North Americans, and wow were the boats beat up compared to Annapolis, and wow did the locals blade out their sails! With winds over 30, we all took turns tacking the jib, as with multiple short tacks next to the city front to avoid the current, we were exhausted by the end of the day…
Comanche’s RORC Transatlantic Race video
The 30.48m (100ft) VPLP Design/Verdier Maxi Comanche, skippered by Mitch Booth, took Monohull Line Honours in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race, winning the magnificent IMA Trophy…
NSW Championship in Sydney – race 6
The third race win of the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship to the Tech2 team of Jack Macartney, Charlie Wyatt and Lewis Brake, in Race 6 on Sydney Harbour today, puts it into the equal lead of the series with just two more races to be sailed…
RORC Transatlantic Race – Comanche sets new race record
Comanche the 100ft VPLP Design/Verdier Maxi, skippered by Mitch Booth, has taken Monohull Line Honours in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race…
Be race ready – N2E 74 – Seminars scheduled
As we enter into our 75th year, NOSA is once again going all out in preparation for the annual Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race, which sails April 22, 2022…
Maserati takes win in Transatlantic Race
(January 15, 2022; Day 8) – After an intense Atlantic battle, Giovanni Soldini’s Multi70 (ITA) Maserati has crossed the finish line first in the 8th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race, finishing today at 05:51:41 UTC to take Multihull Line Honors.
Soldini’s crew was Vittorio Bissaro, Oliver Herrera Perez, Thomas Joffrin, Francesco Pedol and Matteo Soldini, and media man Alberto Origone.
Next to cross the finish line was Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 PowerPlay at 06:46:42 UTC.
Race details – Entry list – Tracker
The 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race started January 8 for 256 sailors from 27 different countries. The record fleet of 30 boats set off from Lanzarote for the 3000nm course to Grenada.
America’s Cup – Somewhere to hang their hat
While Cork, Ireland, has been making all the running with their pitch to host the 37th America’s Cup, Malaga in Spain has apparently also been testing the waters…
Pirates at Australian Weta Class Nationals
With issues around border closures looming, nineteen boats – including six sailed two-up – made it to Port Kembla Sailing Club on Lake Illawarra near Wollongong, NSW for the five day event held over New Year…
RORC Transatlantic Race – Black Pearl dismasted on day 6
The Botin 56 Black Pearl has contacted the RORC Race Team to retire from the race due to a broken mast – all OK on board…
Global Solo Challenge reaches 40 entries
First, we received two new entries bringing the total to 40. It is such an incredible milestone for the event. We never imagined the first edition of the Global Solo Challenge could receive so much interest…
NSW 18ft Skiff Championship continues this Sunday
The Australian 18 Footers League’s 21-boat fleet will be back on Sydney Harbour next Sunday (January 16) when the club will conduct Race 6 of the eight-race 2021-22 NSW 18ft Skiff Championship…
RORC Transatlantic Race Day 5
The RORC Transatlantic Race enters the fifth day with the potential for a real twist of fate at the front of the RORC fleet…
RORC Transatlantic Race Day 4
Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 PowerPlay (CAY) is over halfway and just two hours outside multihull race record pace. The 100ft Maxi Comanche (CAY), skippered by Mitch Booth, is 1,900 miles from Grenada and well inside monohull race record pace…
Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race goes virtual!
While we won’t be racing in person this January, we are excited to offer the Pineapple Cup-Montego Bay Race virtually via RealSail.net!
J/88 Midwinter Championship at St. Petersburg
The J/88 Midwinter Championship returned this weekend amid picture-perfect conditions in the waters off St. Petersburg Yacht Club in Florida…
RORC Transatlantic Race – Day 2 and two boats retire
By sunset on the second day of the RORC Transatlantic Race, two of the boats racing in the RORC Transatlantic Race have reported that they are heading for shore…
Paper Tiger Nationals: Napier’s Percy wins
Not only did 46 boats line up at the New Plymouth Yacht Club but the age range of sailors (15 to 75) also highlighted the popularity of the single-handed catamaran that first emerged in the late 1960s…
RORC Transatlantic Race – Spectacular downwind start
The 3,000nm RORC Transatlantic to Grenada started on time in glorious conditions from Lanzarote…
Strong showing for 2022 Vallarta Race
Thirty-two boats have committed to the 2022 San Diego to Vallarta International Yacht Race, making this edition of the biennial event the largest since 2000. A staggered start schedule begins March 10 if needed, with additional starts on March 11 and 12.
Race Co-Chair Ben Mitchell, who will be onboard Roy Disney’s Pyewacket 70, looks forward to adventure. “The sunrise on the open ocean, the sunsets, and not knowing what the night skies will bring can all add up to an amazing experience.”
Tom Holthus, who won overall in 2020 sailing with Bill Hardesty on a Hobie 33, has entered his Botin 56 BadPak. “We will go with nine crew, a lot of the same crew that did Transpac last July and we are working hard on making sure the boat and crew are ready for the March start.”
The 1000 nm course begins with an offwind slide down Baja California, but strategy and luck are needed to make the turn at the tip toward Puerto Vallarta…
good luck
Explorers are preparing an epic expedition in the Antarctic to find the wreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance, the ship that disappeared under the ice in the Weddell Sea in November 1915.
The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (FMHT) has announced that come February 5, a team of polar explorers will embark on another mission to locate the famous wreck. The expedition, dubbed Endurance22, comes one month after the 100th anniversary of Shackleton’s death on 5 January, 1922. The British Antarctic explorer led three expeditions to the frozen continent, playing a central role during a time that was in later years called the “Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.”
Endurance was one of two ships used by the Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914–1917, which aimed to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic. In January 1915 the ship became trapped in the ice, stranding Shackleton and his 27-member crew…
American Magic to represent New York Yacht Club
American Magic is pleased to confirm that it intends to compete in the 37th America’s Cup and represent the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) against the field of challengers and the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand for the most coveted prize in sailing…
Red Pumps 16ft Skiff AUS Championships day 5
A long-awaited and much-wanted Red Pumps 16ft Skiff Australian Championship was in the spinnaker bag today for Nathan Wilmot, Brett Davis and Malcolm Page aboard Ronstan… right up until their spinnaker cruelly disintegrated…
There’s nothing mixed about this duo
Young girls in the United Kingdom, and far beyond those shores, will bear witness as two of Britain’s most decorated female sailors will be teaming up for the 2022 UK Double Handed Offshore Season.
Racing a new Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300, the pair will be entered in seven offshore races throughout season culminating in the grueling 1,805nm Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race.
One of the sport’s most accomplished offshore sailors, Caffari boasts a remarkable career that includes six laps of the planet, three of them solo. A maiden solo circumnavigation against the winds and tides preceded the Vendee Globe and the double handed Barcelona World Race. As the only woman ever to have sailed non-stop around the planet three times, she twice completed the Volvo Ocean Race…
Best Boats 2022
In case you hadn’t heard, the fall 2021 boat show season was one for the record books. If there was ever any doubt the sailing public still enjoys making its way to Newport, Rhode Island, or Annapolis, Maryland, to see the latest in boat design, those doubts were put to rest this past fall. Boat sales were through the roof, and the lines to get in to see the various boats on display at the Annapolis show, in particular, were unprecedented. Even the weather was outstanding!
Adding to the fun was the fact the marine industry also pulled out all the stops this year. Even in the very darkest days of the pandemic, the naval architects and boatbuilders of the world never lost hope as they continued to do what they both love and do best. The result was another outstanding crop of new boats and as a strong class of Best Boat winners as we’ve seen in years. As in the past, there were plenty of big new boats to be seen, including, of course, this year’s Best Boats contest flagship winners, the Dufour 61 and Kinetic 54. Equally fun, though, were some of the smaller boats on offer, including two great daysailers that received a nod as Best Boats winners: the J/9 from Rhode Island-based J/Boats, and a brand-new performance catboat of all things. How cool is that…
PHRF Scoring: Is something amiss?
The PHRF rating system is unique to each local area as it seeks to fairly rate boats that frequently compete against each other. The rating numbers are derived by observation of boat performance, with race results ultimately used as evidence.
In theory, when dissimilar boats frequently race against each other, their rating numbers are refined to provide fair racing. But do these observations change if the format for racing changes?
Do PHRF ratings derived from observations based on race results using the Time-on-Distance (ToD) method of scoring remain theoretically correct for races that use Time on Time (ToT) format? Christopher Cole doesn’t think so as he shares in WindCheck Magazine:
I’ve noticed that a lot of races recently seem to be using Time on Time (ToT) instead of Time on Distance (ToD) to correct time. I have a problem with that. ToT greatly favors the boats with higher PHRF ratings in every condition.
In a fairly average race in average conditions that went a very typical eleven miles in a quite common two and a half hours, we recently beat the second place boat by over ten minutes on actual elapsed time (00:10:28). Using the standard ToD formula, we would have won by 00:02:24 on corrected time. Under the ToT rule, however, in average conditions, we gave up another two minutes (00:10:04 total) and won by a mere 24 seconds!
I would think that in average conditions, a boat’s standard PHRF would be as close to fair as possible. But that is not the case. In fact, every commonly used “B factor” gives a significant advantage to boats with a higher PHRF!!
In light air under the ToT rule, with a B factor of 600, we would have gained only about half a minute and would have beaten the second place boat by about only one minute! And that’s in conditions that greatly favor the smaller boats! Again, under ToD, we would have won by about two and a half minutes, light air or not…
Red Pumps 16ft Skiff AUS Championships day 4
With boat speeds nudging 26 knots, and a nor’east wind strength not far behind, it was survival of the fastest in races 6 and 7 of the 2022 Red Pumps 16ft Skiff Australian Championship today, hosted by Belmont 16s on Lake Macquarie…
J/99 wins Two-Handed S2H
Victory in the inaugural Two-Handed category by Jules Hall and Jan Scholten on J/99 “Disko Trooper-Contender Sailcloth”, for all three handicap systems IRC, ORCi and PHS…
World Sailing is Recruiting, but you have to be quick
World Sailing, the world governing body for the sport of sailing, is currently recruiting for the following positions . . .
All dressed up and no weather to go
The Jules Verne Trophy is awarded to the team which sets the fastest time for a crewed, unassisted, round the world under sail effort. It has been held since 2017 by Francis Joyon and his crew with a time of 40:23:30:30, but Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard want it.
However, this duo hasn’t had much luck. They’ve made three previous attempts at breaking the record, posting the third best time in history in 2016, and have been on standby since November 1 to try again with the largest racing multihull ever built at 37 metres…
Is no hull the ultimate in sailing?
In a phrase adapted from the Book of Ecclesiastes, the author complains frequently in the book about the monotony of life. The entire passage reads, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”
While there are no theologians at Scuttlebutt HQ, a report from nearly fifty years ago explains the thinking that is being applied today to break the world speed sailing record.
When Scuttlebutt published the story about how French kiteboarder Alex Caizergues aims to dethrone Vestas Sailrocket 2’s 2012 record set at 65.45 knots over 500 meters, it sparked the memory of Bill Kreysler who recruited the New York City Public Library research team to find the report for Scuttlebutt.
Published in Scientific American in 1975, author C.L. Stong shared how the ultimate in sailing is a rig without a hull, which is exactly how Caizergues expects to reach 80.99 knots by the end of 2022. Here is the report:
America’s Cup: All things AC40 with Dan Bernasconi
Bernasconi said there had been some unease about putting all the teams secrets into the AC40. In the end the decision was made to trust that the team would stay ahead of its rivals by continuing to innovate throughout the AC37 cycle…
J Class return to racing with Saint Barth’s Bucket
The recent J Class AGM signalled an upturn in interest and intention develop two to three year racing programme…
VIDEO: Looking back on 2021
World Sailing provides some epic moments on the water in 2021.
Video uploaded Jan 4, 2022.
VIDEO: Rolex Sydney-Hobart Finish
The Rolex Sydney to Hobart is one of the toughest ways to ring in the New Year, covering about 725 miles from Sydney, Australia, to Hobart, Tasmania. After a hiatus in 2020, the annual end-of-year regatta more than lived up to its daunting reputation in 2021 with strong winds and an agitated sea state forcing a third of the 88-boat fleet to retire (112 had entered but, largely due to Covid concerns, 24 did not start). Matt Allen’s 52-foot Ichi Ban was the overall winner on corrected time. Black Jack took Line honors, followed by LawConnect and SHK Scallywag…
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