Cruising

The Boating Industry is confident about a coming upswing of the economy in general and its own business outlook. The INTERBOOT open from September 18 to 26, 2010 demonstrates this with the attractive products on exhibition. The new motor-boats are speed and fun oriented, and also in the sailing yachts, performance boats including comfort in the cabin prevail. A preview (PDF).

The larger version of the popular and successful Esse 850, the Esse 990, which had been shown to the public at the Friedrichshafen Boat Show, is for sale at a 20-percent discount off list price, which includes aluminum trailer, carbon mast and boom and 3DL North sails. The boat is lightly used as it was sailed in a few long-distance races on the Jura lakes in Switzerland. See the detailed equipment list and specs. More information at info@boatcom.ch.

The X-35 Worlds began yesterday with 3 races off Scarlino ITA with the Italians dominating the fleet with 4 teams on top, but the points' gaps are still very small. Gianluca Vigano ITA leads in the results (PDF).
In the X-41 Europeans, sailed at the same time, M.Tedesco ITA is clearly ahead followed by the former Finn European Champion Paolo Semararo ITA. The report.

As Tropical Storm Danielle dissipates in the North Atlantic, the East Coast of the U.S. is bracing for a brush with Hurricane Earl. Earl is now a powerful Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 135 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands and a watch is in effect for the southeastern Bahamas.The center of Earl will continue to move away from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands this morning and move over the open Atlantic east of the Turks and Caicos. Tropical storm force winds extend as far as 200 miles. The hurricane center warns that interests from the Carolinas northward to New England should monitor the progress of Earl. Complete report in Trade Only Today.
Check out the NOAA's storm page to get a read on the predicted track of the season’s second major hurricane that looks like it will be rolling up the eastern seaboard from Florida to Newfoundland. You might find value in playing with the animations on the tracking page by Sailing Weather Service where you can zoom in over the Chesapeake or New England.

Up to 30 knots greeted the 27 teams at the start for the roudn Britain & Ireland Race, including the two vintage Volvo-70s 'Telefonica Blu' skippered by 49er-Wolrd Champion Iker Martinez ESP and 'Groupama 70' with Frank Cammas FRA. The odds-on favorite, the 100-foot Super Maxi 'ICAP Leopard', didn't get very far and had to withdraw with an unspecified defect. The race can be followed via GPS tracker, which revealed that 'Telefonica Blue' has the early lead over 'Groupama 70'. The positions and the event Web site.

The original 'Atlantic', built of steel in 1903 with no hydraulics and just ten crew, set the record for the transatlantic crossing at 12 days, 4 hours and 1 minute. A mono-hull record that would stand for 100 years. The schooner measures 69.24 meters (227') overall, 56.43 meters (185') over the bows, excluding bowsprit and mizzen boom outboard of respectively 8.76 meters (28'8) and 4.05 meters (13'3). With her beam of 8.85 meters (29') and draft of 5.00 meters (16'5) her displacement is 395 tons. Dutchman Ed Kastelein, who had already created or restored such famous yachts as 'Thendara', 'Aile Blanche', 'Borkumriff', 'Zaca a te Moana' and most recently the Herreshoff racing schooner 'Eleonora', has had this legendary schooner built faithfully to the original. From the different sail plans of the original, the record setting 1905 rig of 1,720m (18,500 square feet) was chosen for the recreated yacht. An article in Sail World.

No changes on top of the ranking lists on the final day of the Copa del Rey on the Bay of Palma waters yesterday. In the IRC-A-rankings after 12 races, Niklas Zennerström SWE with his 'ran' is holding the lead. 'Bella Mente' USA finished on rank 4. The TP52 'Matador' of Alberto Roemmers ARG renewed her last year's victory in the IRC-B-rankings. 'Lucky' USA is on the 8th place. The Swan 45 'Rats on Fire' of Raffael Carbonell ESP is the winner in the RI-1 category. All other ranking lists, the daily report and the video clips.

Alberto Roemmers ARG and ‘Matador’ are likely to win the Copa del Rey after dominating their main contender ‘Bribón’ ESP yesterday. The TP52 skippered by Gonzalo Araújo ESP will have to fight to keep the second place in IRC B under the pressure of John Cook's GBR ‘Cristabella’, which had a great performance with 1-3. The Judel-Vrolijk designed Mini Maxi ‘Ran’ owned by Niklas Zennstroem GBR reclaimed the lead in IRC A, with a four-point advantage over Andy Soriano GBR and 'Alegre’ who fell from first and into a tie with Udo Schütz GER and ‘Container’. Two more races today. The report.

The sea breeze off Palma was late, but strong enough for two more races. In IRC A (the Mini-Maxis) Andy Soriano's 'Alegre' had an off day allowing 'Ran' and Niklas Zennerström GBR and 'Container' Udo Schütz GER to reduce the points gap. In IRC B it's down to a duel between leader Alberto Roemmers ARG on 'Matador' and Jose Cusi ESP on 'Bribon,' 3 points behind. All results, the report and the videos.

The leaders padded their accounts in yesterday's long-distance race at the Copa del Rey in Palma. In IRC A Andy Soriano GBR on 'Alegre' took another bullet and now leads Niklas Zennstroem’s GBR on ‘Ran’ and Udo Schuetz GER on ‘Container’. Hap Fauth USA on ‘Bella Mente’ took fourth yesterday and slipped to fourth overall. In IRC B the TP 52s are among themselves. Alberto Roemmers ARG on ’Matador’ is unbeatable right now and leads Jose Cusi ESP on ‘Bribon’. The www.prensarcnp.es/copa10/noticias/0031_uk.php ]report[/url].

The ideal conditions of the opening day of the 29 Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre didn't accompany today's races, and the shifty breeze only allowed one race per class in the Alpha and Bravo areas. In the RI1 division, 'Rats on fire' was the unexpected winner and now is in the lead. While 'Movistar' with Pedro Campos ESP comfortably won to increase her advantage in RI2 IRC and X-41 couldn't start their race till late in the afternoon, which resulted in victories for Andy Soriano GBR on 'Alegre' in IRC A (Mini Maxis) and Albert Roemmers ARG on 'Matador' in IRC B.

In addition to the X40-catamarans which we cover daily, there's a considerable number of other international, national and development classes sailing in the traditional Cowes Week, which dates back to 1851. New this year are the Chinese Longtze racers, which are catching on in parts of Europe. After three races, Eckehardt Kaller GER leads Jarmo Wieland SUI. More than 50 class results are posted on the Web site. The report of the day.

A typical Palma sea breeze of 10-12 knots from the south started the 29th Copa del Rey Regatta. After two races in IRC A, 'Allegre' of Andy Soriano GBR is the leader while in IRC B the TP 52 'Matador' of Alberto Roemmers ARG is first. All results and the report.

As we reported earlier, the Mistral storm was up during the last crossover leg from Marseille to La Seyne with wind-speeds around 35 kn. The Farr 30s und spi reached surfing top speeds of 25 kn and more. A report by 'Bienne-Voile' and an impressive video of the Dutch 'Mummaduck'-Team, taken with the onboard-camera.

Victories for the Amateur teams 'Ville de Genève' SUI and 'Mummaduck' NED in the three short races sailed with a 15 kn breeze in the Bay of Marseille. The Dutch have now a one point lead in the Amateurs’ ranking.. Overall, 'Nouvelle Calédonie' is the clear leader and will earn another Tour win in a few days. The daily report.

Without fanfare, Italian extreme sailor Alessandro di Benedetto completed his incredible single-handed round-the-world jaunt on his modified Mini 6.50 ‘Findomestic Banca’ yesterday in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France. The geologist traveled 28.360 miles in 270 days, endured storms and fought through a dismasting in late March off Cape Horn (we reported), but carried on under jury rig. In 2002 he sailed from Las Palmas ESP to Guadeloupe and became the first to cross the Atlantic solo, non-stop on a beach cat and in 2006 he did the same from Yokohama JPN to San Fran USA. Di Benedetto’s blog did not even carry a note that he has finished. Talk about modesty and contrast to the garish hype surrounding the teenage sailors. The report (in Italian)

After cleaning up in the short inshore contests at Port Camargue 'COYCH Hyeres' and Fabien Henry added a bullet in the 60-mile coastal race to Marseille to stake their claim on third overall behind 'Nouvelle Calédonie' and 'Courrier Dunkerque' in the overall standings . The first non-French 'Groovederci' USA (Deneen Demourkas) got a fourth in the last inshore at Port Camargue and finished also fourth in the coastal race to move up to fifth. They leapfrogged 'Oman Sail's Renaissance' which is now in sixth, three points behind the US boat. The report and the video library.

A couple who took a yacht for a quiet sailing trip were stunned when a 40-ton whale crash-landed on their boat off Cape Town RSA. The pair were enjoying calm seas off the South African coast when the animal flipped into the air and smashed into their mast. Ralph Mothes, 59, and Paloma Werner, 50, were helpless as the beast thrashed around on their 33ft vessel before slipping back into the water. The story and a slide show.

After a short race off Port Camargue with 'Courrier Dunkerque' adding another race win to reduce the points spread overall to leader 'Nouvelle-Calédonie', the 28 teams started the 60-mile crossover regatta from Port Camargue to Marseille. At half-time of the race, 'TPM-COYCH Hyères' was ahead of 'Nouvelle Calédonie'. The teams are expected in Marseille this morning. Ville de Genève' finished 6th in the short race helping to defend the lead in the Amateur rankings. The event-website.

It has been the longest and most challenging leg of their journey, but the Phoenicia, the replica of a 600BC Phoenician vessel which it is believed circumnavigated Africa, has reached the Azores. The journey covered over 3500miles, with eight crew members, and proved that the sturdy vessel, faithfully recreated according to the mode of its era, could withstand the challenging conditions of the Atlantic Ocean. The Phoenicia arrived in Flores, the most westerly island in the Azores this week, and is now anchored there.
Three additional crew members will join the vessel from Marina de Horta, before she will set off on her next leg to Gibraltar. According to the notes of the Greek historian Herodot from Halikarnassos (* 490/480 BC; † um 424 v. Chr), the Phoenicians were the first to go around Africa 600 BC. The report in Sail World.

TPM-COYCH Hyères' (Fabien Henry) was the team of the day yesterday with two wins in the three short races, consolidating its third rank overall. Nothing new on top where 'Nouvelle Calédonie' (Bertrand Pacé) remains the clear leader ahead of 'Courrier Dunkerque' (Daniel Souben). In a 10-12 kn breeze and summery 28°C, 'Ville de Genève' delivered a fair performance despite of technical problems, defending its lead in the Amateur classification. However, the advantage melted in half to 13 points. The results, the daily report and the video of the day.

According to the International Maritime Organisation IMO, a non-profit organisation which acts as a focal point for the global war against piracy, and reports regularly on pirate attacks and attempted attacks against ships, no piracy against yachts has been recorded in the first half of 2010. The stand-out change in the last few years is that of Yemen, that in 2007 joined the party of nations attempting to stamp out piracy, and set up three anti-pirate coordination centres along the Yemeni coastline. While attacks by Somali pirates from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea account for more than half of attacks world-wide, other areas most prone to attack are the South China Sea, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia, which were included in the top seven areas by the IMO. The article in Sail World and the reports of the IMO.

The 'PASSAGE', a 57-foot-aluminium sloop, built for the Whitbread Ocean Race (today's Volvo Ocean Race) has vacancies for enthusiastic sailors who want to round the Cape Horn and sail in the Antartics. Next possibility to join an learn more about the 'PASSAGE' is a training trip to the Faeroes from August 7 to 28, 2010 (1, 2 or 3 weeks). More information at www.sailfast.ch

After a short inshore race yesterday that was won by the Dutch team 'Mummaduck' the 28 teams started to the 112-mile offshore leg to Talmont-St.Hilaire. At the last sched, ‘Mummaduck’ was ahead again. Finish is expected for later today. The report and the standings.

In time for the soccer World Cup final, the Dutch amateur team of ‘Brunel’ NED got in gear at the Tour de France, winning a 17-mile inshore race around the island of Groix near Lorient. In second, 'TPM-COYCH', and in third another Dutch team with 'Mammaduck.' In the overall standings 'Nouvelle Calédonie' with Bertrand Pacé FRA leads with a nice cushion over 'Courrier Dunkerque', 'TPM-COYCH' and ‘Ile de France.' 'Ville de Genève' finished 11th, confirming its 9th place overall and the lead in the Amateur rankings. The report.

After a tough, 44 hours light-wind race, the overall leader 'Nouvelle Calédonie' with Bertrand Pacé came up on top with a 3 minutes’ advantage over 'Ile de France' with Jimmy Pahun FRA. 'Groovederci' of Deneen Demourkas USA finished 3rd. ‘Ville de Genève’ finished 10th and advance to the 9th position in the overall rankings. With this result, they returned on the first position of the Amateur rankings. The report.

The second offshore leg at the Tour de France suffers from light air and foul current, forcing the boats to anchor out to avoid losing distance. Last midnight, the leaders 'Nouvelle Calédonie' (Bertrand Pacé FRA) und 'Ile de France' (Jimmy Pahun FRA) still were 80 miles from the finish in Lorient. The time limit for the 28 teams expires today at 8 p.m. CEST. There is a strong possibility that this leg might have to be shortened. The official report.

The 28 teams were still under way this morning on their 200 miles leg around Britany.. In a light breeze and a thick fog, apparantly a group of five - with from the top teams 'Nouvelle Calédonie' with Bertrand Pacé FRA, 'Oman Sail' mit Rob Greenalgh GBR and 'Groovederci' mit Deneen Demourkas USA - has succeeded to get some distance on the rest of the fleet. The report.

Sunshine and moderate sailing conditions for the start to the traditional Round Gotland Race, as usual with a huge fleet of all kind of boats. See the entry list that contains among other nations a big representation from Germany. The event-website and the gallery showing the start by Oscar Kihlborg.

At 1 a.m. this morning the amateur crew of 'Ville du Port- Région Réunion' pulled a surprise by winning the 196-mile leg at in Pléneuf. Right behind them the leaders in the overall standings , '’Nouvelle-Calédonie', 'TPM-COYCH Hyères' and 'Ile de France'. The daily report and the video of the last inshore race in Dieppe on Sunday.

After a short regatta off Dieppe, the start has been given to the next crossover leg, 196 miles, from Dieppe to Pléneuf Val André. The overall rankings did not change after the short race: 'Nouvelle Calédonie' (Bertrand Pacé) keeps the lead ahead of 'Courrier Dunkerque (Daniel Souben) and 'Toulon-Provence Méditerrané COYCH' with Fabien Henry. Thanks to a race win, 'Purflo Thems Marins-St.Malo' replaced 'Ville de Genève' on top of the Amateurs. The teams are supposed to arrive at Pléneuf this evening. The www.tourvoile.fr/en/2010/accueil-tfv-2010.html]daily report[/url].

No time to recover for the 28 teams after the demanding crossover leg from Calais to Dieppe. Yesterday, the Tour continued with three short races, and again, 'Nouvelle Calédonie' (Bertrand Pacé) was the team to beat, booking two race wins. 'COYCH Hyères' was the winner of the 3rd heat. In the Amateur-standings, 'Ville de Genève' defend the lead, but the medium results yesterday had them descend on the 10th place from the 6th they had after the excellent 3rd position at the crossover leg. The two teams of Bienne-Voile follow on the ranks 17 (Lorenz Müller) and 21 (Stefan Seger). The results and the daily report. Dont miss videotheque with film clips of a number of French TV channels.

Is this a good sign for soccer, where the World Champions will be crowned in a week? In sailing at least, Wolfgang Schäfer GER (Farr 40) and Jean-Francois Lacruette FRA (Melges 32) did it on Sardinia. Yesterday again, the breeze was not good enough to add some more races to the sailors' recordings. The already published resultsw are now firm. The final report.

The Race Management waited in vain until 17.50 hrs deadline yesterday. as the teams had no chance to overcome the lulls. The Farr 30s had dropped their anchors to avoid drifting back in the strong counter current. Finally, the ranking list was established on the base of the control mark passage off Fécamp. 'Courrier Dunkerque' with Daniel Souben FRA is the winner ahead of the student team of the 'CSC-HEC-Ecole Navale' and 'Ville de Genève'. With this escellent position, the Geneva teams is the winner of the Amateurs, winning some places in the overall rankings as well, as this regatta is graded factor 3. The updated overall classifications are not yet posted on the official website, but a first communique presents the difficult slow race.

Yesterday, the Farr 40s and Melges 32 at the ISAF Offshore Team Worlds (aka Sardinia Cup) in Porto Cervo ITA had an unplanned lay day. The Race Committee postponed the start until 3pm in the hope that the 4-knot breeze would fill in. The wait, however, turned out to be in vain and racing was cancelled for the day leaving all to be decided tomorrow, the final day of the event. Current standings: 1. Germany (34 pts. ); 2. Italy 2: ( 44 ); 3. USA (47). The report and the standings.

The 28 teams are still on their way from Calais to Dieppe on the extremely tough second 125-mile coastal regatta. Shortly after the start, the boats had to anchor in the foul current to avoid losing ground. Part of the fleet is looking for better conditions way off the coast, but most are tacking inshore along the coast of Calais. It was not clear which option will pay. They are expected to finish late Friday with a time limit of 17 hrs for this leg. The report in French.

Team Germany, composed of the Farr 40 ‘Struntje Light’ and the French flagged Melges 32 ‘Teasing Machine’ dominated yesterday’s 16-mile coastal race and now sits at the top of the overall classification in the Audi Sardinia Cup – ISAF Offshore Team World Championship organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Team USA moved up to third place in the overall standings, thanks to Jim Richardson’s Farr 40 ‘Barking Mad’ taking a second place coupled with a fifth place by Pieter Taselaar’s Melges 32 ‘Bliksem’. They sit on 47 points, three points behind Italy 1 (‘Nerone’ and ‘Fantasticaaa’) and one ahead of fourth-placed Italy 2 (‘Joe Fly’ and ‘B Lin Sailing’). Following the Jury’s decision regarding protests yesterday evening (Sailing News reported), Italy 2 started the day in first place, ahead of Germany and Italy 1. Four more races are scheduled. The daily report.

Yesterday the 28-boat Farr 30 fleet again faced challenging conditions with a well established breeze and a strong current. Bertrand Pacé's 'Nouvelle Calédonie' defended the overall lead in the two short races, but the direct opponents are getting closer. The surprising student team 'SOG Safran' with Julien Villon is second, followed by the day's top teams 'COYCH Hyères' (Fabien Henry FRA) and 'Ile de France' (Jimmy Pahun FRA) in third and fourth. Today is the start to the first longer race from Calais to Dieppe. The daily report and the videotheque.

Day Two of the Sardinia Cup in Porto Cervo ITA saw Team Italy 2 with the Farr 40 ‘Joe Fly’ and the Melges 32 ‘B-Lin Sailing’ move to the top of the standings after two inshore races that were sailed in moderate to light air. Team Germany fielding the Farr 40 ‘Struntje Light’ and the French Melges 32 ‘Teasing Machine’, is tied on points but ranked second ahead of Italy 1 (Farr 40 ‘Nerone’ and Melges 32 ‘Fantastica’) and Team USA (Farr 40 ‘Barking Mad’ and Melges 32 ‘Bliksem’). Team Malta (Farr 40 ‘Enfant Terrible’ and Melges 32 ‘Rush Diletta’) were reported to be overall leaders, but the results show them in fifth after both boats were disqualified in the last race. No word about why at press time. The daily report.

Up to 20 kn breeze and a head current of 3 kn welcomed the 28 Farr 30 on their first 25 miles crossover race from Dunkirk to Calais, and in consequence, the sea in the British Channel was very rough. 'Nouvelle Calédonie' with Bertrand Pacé confirmed once more its leadership winning ahead of 'Ile de France' (Jimmy Pahun FRA) and 'COYCH Hyères' with Fabien Henry FRA. 'Ville de Genève' with Jerôme Clerc SUI, followed on the 4th place, advancing in the overall rankings as first Amateur team to the 7th position. The report and the mediatheque (with a one-day-delay).

Winning yesterday's prologue in a 10 kn breeze, 'Nouvelle Calédonie' with Damien Iehl FRA, helmsman, and Bertrand Pacé FRA, tactician, asserted their high aspirations for this year's Tour de France. The prologue does not count for the overall results, yet the short race was a good last chance to test and tune the boats. No official results were posted at press time, so the finish of the US entry 'Groovederci' is not yet known. The official report and the video of the prologue.

Light winds are awaiting the 28 teams for today's prologue, not counting for the overall rankings. The participation has never been so international before with newcomers from the USA and Oman on the entry list, and Switzerland represented by three teams this time (Ville de Genève and two Bienne Voile teams). Entries for the virtual Tour de France, also beginning today, are still possible. Up to now, 11'000 participants have registered. The report.

Tomorrow’s prologue (not counted toward the overall results) starts the 33rd. Tour de France à la Voile in Dunkerque. During the coming four weeks, a fleet of 28 teams from six countries will hold a few inshore races before mixing in some longer coastal races southwards along the French Atlantic coast before transferring to the Med where they’ll sail the final legs. Favorites are defending champs 'Courrier Dunkerque' (Daniel Souben FRA), 'Nouvelle Calédonie' (with AC and matchracing vet Bertrand Pacé FRA) und 'COYCH Hyères' (Fabien Henry FRA).
It will be the last hurrah of the Farr 30s at the Tour. At today’s opening ceremony, Team New Zealand helmsman Dean Barker NZL will christen the first of the new M34 sprit boats after the sea trials of last week. Check out the video.. Your crew at Sailing News will deliver daily reports from this unique event. For more details, see the official report.

After more than 59 hours of racing for the 635-mile course from Newport to Bermuda, the 100-foot sloop ‘Speedboat’ took line honors early Monday morning at 3:49 AM EDT. Finishing second on the water and on corrected time was ‘Il Mostro’ (Puma), a 70-foot Volvo Ocean Racer sailed by Ken Read. Both sailed in the Open Division for racing yachts with canting keels. By corrected time the 90-footer ‘Genuine Risk’ was ahead in class. In Class 10, victory went to Fastnet and Sydney Hobart race winner, ‘Ran’ owned by Skype founder Niklas Zennstroem, followed by ‘Bella Mente’ and ‘Beau Geste’, ‘Titan 15’ and ‘Rambler.’ The report and all the preliminary results.

Sunshine and moderate breezes of 10-15 knots accompanied the more than 1,700 vessels that competed in the race around the Isle of Wight. No new records were reported for the 50-miles course, but all boats were in before sunset. Francis Joyon FRA on his 70-Fuss-Trimaran ‘IDEC’ finished after 4 h 24 min, three minutes ahead of two Xtreme 40 cats, but more than an hour outside of the record. Top monohull was 100-foot Maxi 'ICAP Leopard 3'. The Maxi class (IRC 0) was won by the J-Class-Yacht 'Velsheda', finishing second 35 minutes after ‘Leopard’. The report, some fine videos and the gallery of Thierry Martinez.

[Ed note: While the oil keeps gushing, BP boss Tony Hayward goes sailing… the UK tabloids are all over this]
The BP boss at the centre of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill came under further pressure last night after he was spotted relaxing at a yachting event on the Isle of Wight. Tony Hayward, BP’s £1million-a-year chief executive, was enjoying the clear blue waters of the Solent, 4,500 miles away from the disaster. His appearance came as it was reported he had been removed from day-to-day control of the crisis. Just 48 hours after Mr Hayward was ‘sliced and diced’ for four hours at a US Congressional hearing in Washington in which he was accused of failing to take responsibility and ignoring dangers when BP was drilling in the Gulf, he watched a 52ft yacht named Bob, which he co-owns, take part in the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race yesterday. It came fourth in its class behind triple Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie. Read the full report.

The only winner on the penultimate day of the Marseille Trophy was the Mistral. The strong NW’ly wind peaked at over 30 knots, keeping the fleet of TP52’s and GP 42’s tied to the dock in the historic Vieux Port all day. Today’s racing is scheduled to start at 11:00h CET. The standings: 1.Quantum Racing USA (22,5 pts), 2. Matador ARG (27 pts.), 3. ALL4ONE FRA/GER (29,5 pts.) See the event Web site.

With 1754 boats on the line, the 50-mile Round-the-Island-Race is by far the biggest highlight of the UK sailing season. Sun and breezes from 10 to 17 knots were forecast for this classic race at the cradle of the America's Cup. The fleet is loaded with rock stars, including Ben Ainslie, Paul Goodison, or Shirley Robertson and some fine and fast boats that vie for line honors such as the Super-Maxi 'ICAP Leopard 3', the Maxi-Trimaran 'IDEC' with Francis Joyon FRA, some X40-Cats and the J-Class 'Velsheda'. Follow the race on the live tracker. See the 2008 video and the event Web site.

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After the fast squall-driven passage from St-Tropez FRA to the Giraglia Rock, the wind died on the way from the northern tip of Corsica to the finish in San Remo ITA. Only eight teams had finished by press time. Line honors for the 100-foot Super-Maxi 'Esimit Europa 2' (ex Alfa Romeo) owned by Igor Simic SLO with Flavio Favini ITA at the helm. The Maxi class was won on corrected time by Neville Crichton NZL with 'Shockwave' ahead of the German 'Container,' owned by Udo Schütz GER and skippered by Markus Wieser GER. The report.

All going well on their last day, Talisker Bounty Boat crew members (leader)Don McIntyre, Dave Pryce, David Wilkinson and Chris Wilde will arrive in Kupang this afternoon (Tuesday), completing their recreation of Captain Bligh’s epic journey after his crew mutinied and set him adrift with some of his men. (More on the project.) Only once, the skipper and adventurer Don McIntyre had to use the emergency GPS, as we reported. Not content with just taking on this huge challenge, McIntyre and the crew were also attempting to raise over $250,000 for the Sheffield Institute Foundation For Motor Neurone Disease (SIF), which is building the world’s first research Institute into Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. An article in Sail World.

New York City artist, adventurer and sailor Reid Stowe, on his 70-ft. gaff-rigged schooner Anne, returned from an epic 1,152-day non-stop and non-re-supplied sea voyage. No human has ever been away from land for this duration. The live coverage on his arrival at W. 42nd Street on the Hudson River on his homepage.

Rain and a stormy breeze prevented racing yesterday off St-Tropez FRA, as the Race Committee decided the boats and equipment should be taken care of before today's start to the 241 miles Giraglia Race to San Remo ITA. The standings after two races are therefore final. The STP65 'Container' of Udo Schütz GER with Markus Wieser GER (arriving from the Dragon Europeans on Lake Balaton) at the helm is the winner in the Maxi class, in the biggest class with 127 teams, the IRC A-category, Gilles Argellis on 'Imagine' took first. The report.
Milder conditions have been forecast for today's Giraglia Race with a 10-15 kn southerly breeze. First boats are expected to finish early tomorrow.

The 10 to 15-knot breeze was perfect for yesterday's coastal races at the Rolex Giraglia Cup. With a second place, 'Container ', the TP65 of Udo Schütz GER, defended the lead in the Maxi class, holding off 'Allegre' und 'Shockwave' . In the IRC group A, the Swiss GP42 'Near Miss' had to concede the lead to 'Imagine'. The daily report.

June 26th marks the start to the Tour de France in Dunkerque, the last edition of this classic regatta that will be sailed on Farr 30s. 28 Teams are registered, among them defending champions 'Courrier Dunkerque' with Daniel Souben FRA, 'Nouvelle Calédonie' with America's Cup and match racing veteran Bertrand Pacé FRA and for the first time 'Oman Sail' with Robert Greenalgh GBR und 'Groovederci' with Deneen Demourkas USA. Read more about this crazy, fascinating race on the event Web site.

Am Sonntag begann in St.Tropez der Giraglia-Cup mit ersten Kurzregatten, das eigentliche Giraglia-Race führt dann am kommenden Wochenende von St.Tropez über die Insel Giraglia neu nach San Remo und nicht wie früher nach Genua. In der Maxi-Wertung siegte die deutsche Container mit Udo Schütz GER, 'Near Miss' von Noël Franck SUI holte sich den Sieg in der mit 123 Teams grossen IRC A-Wertung. Alle weiteren Ranglisten und der Bericht.

One month ahead of the start to the Tour de France - the last one sailed on the Farr 30 - Bruno Barbarin SUI, co-skipper of 'Ville de Genève' draws positive conclusions regarding the preparations made so far. With good ranks at the Atlantic regattas this spring, they have demonatrated their capabilites for a win in the Amateur Classification of the Tour de France. The interview.

After 276 days and 21'600 miles, Dilip Donde, age 42, steered his yacht into Mumbai Harbour to a tumultuous welcome, achieving the milestone as the first Indian solo circumnavigator. (More...). The journey started in August 2009 with the first fiber-glass yacht entirely constructed in India, the 'INSV Mhadei' (56 ft.). Donde had four stop-overs in Australia, New Zealand, the Falklands and in South Africa. An article in Sail World.

32 two-person-teams started yesterday evening at the French Britanny coast for the Channel crossing to England and back. This morning, the first boats will be back. The event-website does not yet contain results at copy deadline. In addition to Bernard Stamm SUI/Bruno Jourdren FRA on a Class 40 (mentioned yesterday), Franck Cammas FRA and his team are benefitting from the possibility to do a test course with their Volvo 70 'Groupama' in view of the Volvo Ocean Race 2012. It might well be that the record will be broken. The report and a video of the first training of the 'Groupama 70'.

For the 26th time, the 'Transmanche en double', the crossing of the English Channel for double crewed yachts, will be sailed during the coming Whitsum weekend. The entry list of this popular 220 miles race contains amateur and professional sailors, some of them with well known names, such as Bernard Stamm SUI together with Bruno Jourdren FRA. After the Transat AG2R on a Bénéteau Figaro, Bernard Stamm SUI looks forward to be on the faster Class 40.

Th four-time America's Cup winner Dennis Conner, an aficionado for classic yachts, has just bought the 12 meter long 'Fame' to resore it. The 'Fame', a gaff schooner, was built and launched in 1910 on Long Island. With his actual yacht [mail=www.toandos.com/DCole1.html]Cotton Blossom II[/mail], that he restored in 2003 and tranferred her to the Mediterranean in 2006, Conner participated in all Classic-Boat events, from San Stephanio Italy, over to Villefrance, Antibes, Cannes and St. Tropez. The single-handed schooner 'Fame' had been built by the designer BB Crowninshield for his own use on the Great Lakes. The report.

Jessica Watson, the 16-year-old Australian who braved knockdowns and seven months of solitude set foot on dry land outside the Sydney Opera House on Saturday, thus becoming the youngest person to sail around the globe solo, nonstop and unassisted when she cruised into Sydney Harbor in her pink, 34-foot yacht ‘Ella’s Pink lady’ to a rock-star welcome. "Amazingly, I just enjoyed it much, much more than I ever thought I would and handled the challenges better than I thought," Watson said. Her feat will not be considered an official world record because the World Speed Sailing Record Council discontinued its "youngest" category, which was held by another Australian, Jesse Martin, after he completed the journey in 1999 at the age of 18. Martin and British sailor Mike Pelham, another young solo circumnavigator, were among the first to congratulate Watson.
Read more.

Four weeks ago, the replica of the Phoenician/Mediterranean vessel as operated in 600 BC departed from Ascension to their longest leg of about 3'500 sm to the Acores. They are making there way through the doldrums at present. Read also the ship's blog for this fascinating account. You can also keep up to date on the ships position on the satellite tracker.
Eight crew members from England, USA, Indonesia and South Africa are actually on board of the expedition rounding Africa, passing the Mediterranean to Syria. Crew places are still available for the Mediterranean leg. All information and contacts on the Phoenicia Homepage.

The first yacht to arrive at St. Georges Harbour on the Bermuda was the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49 'Janana' of the American David Simon. Very mixed reports concerning the weather and sailing conditions during the Tortola BVI to the Bermudas have been posted. Too much wind, not enough wind, high waves, mirror-like flat sea. Read the blogs as e.g. the one of the 'Polaris' owned by the Swiss Andreas Burkard.

Three different TP52's ‘Quantum Racing’ USA, ‘Synergy’ RUS and Emirates Team New Zealand’ NZL won the first three races of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit yesterday off Cascais, POR. But it is ‘Cristabella’ GBR that had the most consistent day in the moderate and inconsistent conditions to take the overall lead with a score line of 2, 8, 3 and 13 points, one point ahead of 2008 champions ‘Quantum Racing’ USA. Controversy is mounting about the winglets on the keel bulb of 'TeamOrigin GBR', the only new boat of the fleet (see our Monday report). Race report, photos and videos can be found on the event page.

Designed by Knut Reimer, this 25 metre yawl was built on the Baltic shore in 1950 and is still second to none in every way, both aesthetically and in her performances on the Mediterranean Classic Yacht regatta racing circuit. A keen yachtsman, Fiat's Chairman Gianni Agnelli enjoyed more than 25 years of cruising and racing on this elegant and streamlined yawl. In 2001, the history deck has been restored with Burma Teak on Marine plywood. All spars are new made from Canadian Silver Spruce. All standing and running rigging are new from 2003. The actual owner Peter Engels is offering the 'Agneta' for sale for 1,45 mio €uro. The yacht is at present in France, advertised on the luxury market place JamesList.

Perfect conditions in the Sir Francis Drake Channel prevailed for the start of the main fleet a mile south of the entrance to Nanny Cay. Sunny and warm with an ENE 10 to15-knot breeze, the downwind start sent the yachts on a westerly course through The Narrows between the US and British Virgin Islands before heading north some 840 miles to the finish line in Bermuda. Two yachts started in St. Augustine, Fla. and have about the same 840 miles to sail. They are expected to join the main fleet in the coming week. Eleven British, six US, two German and and one boat each from Panama, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium participate. The official report and the entry list.

On April 29, the four men crew started with their wooden, 25 ft long and 7 ft wide Talisker Bounty Boat under the command of the Australian adventurerer Don McIntyre from Tonga in the direction of Fidji, to re-enact Captain Bligh's journey after the mutiny on the Bounty (more ...) North of Fidji in a 30 to 40 knots wind and swells reaching 6.5-7 metres in height. the boat almost capsized. During the night, approaching an island, it ended almost on a reef. Read the Blog.

Over the last weekend, the CER team with the 'Ville de Genève' finished the Grand Prix Atlantique off Pornichet FRA on the 7th place. New teams, who will participate in the Tour de France (start end of June) sailed for the last time on Farr 30s, have even more improved the performance level of the fleet, and in spite of this, the Geneva team has shown a consistent performance with some top results. The objective for the Tour de France is the overall Amateur victory. In an interview, the main sail trimmer Céderic Schmidt informs about the procedure of the regatta.

Tomorrow Friday, the City of Hamburg starts the festivities for the 821st (!) anniversary of its harbour with a number of attractions along the Elb shore. A special attention goes to the (Swiss company owned) solar catamaran Planet Solar which will moor in Hamburg. The communiqué (PDF).
The video of the last year's celebrations gives a extensive overview on the event. See also the program in detail.

The 'Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly' at Lorient FRA opened the exposition «Skippers du ciel... l’aventure des voiliers volants» (skippers from heaven ... the adventure of flying sailboats) lasting till December 2010. On 400 square meters, 'Cité de Voile' presents the history of gliding aircrafts and flying sailboats beginning in 1860 and ending in 2009 with Alain Thébault's trimaran l'Hydroptère, the contender of the absolute world speed record on the water over 500 meters and the mile. (more...). See all information on the exposition on the official website.

When Jessica Watson, age 16, sails into Sydney Harbour next weekend, the harbour she left on October 17 2009 for an unassisted circumnavigation, she will have survived a bruising voyage with bravery and skill, and be on her way to fame and fortune, but she will not have taken Jesse Martin's non-stop unassisted round-world record from him. In fact, technically speaking, she will not have even been 'around the world'. An article in Sail World.

Winning the overnight coastal race, 'Nouvelle Calédonie' with the America's-Cup veteran Bertrand Pacé FRA took the overall lead of the Farr 30 GP Atlantique. In second the newcomer of this year, 'Oman Sail' with Robert Greenalgh GBR. 'TPM-COYCH Hyères' with Fabien Henry and Sébastien Col FRA climbed into third in the 20-team fleet. Scott Nixon USA and 'Groovederci' are tied for fourth with 'Courrier Dunkerque'. Some more inshore round-the-buoys racing is scheduled for today. The rankings and the report.

After the three short races on Thursday and two more yesterday, the fleet left for the coastal race, and the boats are expected back this morning around 9 a.m. At the last control gate, 'COYCH Hyères' with Sébastien Col FRA was leading ahead of 'Nouvelle Calédonie'. In the overall rankings after 5 races, 'Oman Sail' with Robert Greenalgh GBR is first ahead of 'Nouvelle Calédonie' (Bertrand Pacé FRA) and 'Courrier Dunkerque' (Daniel Souben FRA). The event-website with additional news to be followed during the day.

After another round of autopilot troubles, Abby and her support team have decided to pull Abby into Cape Town, South Africa for repairs. A difficult decision, Abby sums it up on her blog. She is nearly half way around the world having departed from Marina del Rey, California 3 months ago. The official website

Day three dawned with the prospect of some breeze and some proper racing for the first time in the 2010 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship. But the wind continued to make life difficult for the Race Committee and the competitors as it swung about violently during the day, rarely refusing to settle from one direction for any length of time. ‘Nerone ‘(ITA) looked to heading into the final day with a scoreboard lead until an uncharacteristic crew error at the final leeward mark of the day saw her slip from third to seventh, whilst ‘Transfusion’ (AUS) pulled up into fifth from eighth. After an intense day of four races, Guido Belgiorno Nettis’ ‘Transfusion’ is still tops with 21 points, two points ahead of Massimo Mezzaroma and Alberto Signorini’s ‘Nerone ‘with Jim Richardson’ Barking Mad (USA) now in third with 32. The daily report and Daniel Forster’s gallery.

For the teams competing at the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds in the Dominican Republic, it was a long, hot morning waiting dockside at the Casa de Campo Marina for the breeze to fill in. PRO Peter Reggio postponed the 11am start and kept the fleet dockside where they could find shade and stay hydrated. Finally, when racing got under way, the breeze was from the SSW at 6-8 knots. Three races were held and at the end of Day 1 the overall lead belonged to ‘Transfusion,’ Guido Belgiorno-Nettis AUS with 5 points, followed by ‘Barking Mad, ‘Jim Richardson USA with 8 and ‘Nerone,’ Massimo Mezzarona/Alberto Signorini ITA with 12. The long report.

Live streaming over GPS tracking is making another step forward: Last January, the Island Sailing Club announced its intention to introduce live GPS tracking for boats taking part in the 2010 Round the Island Race on June 19. New is the scale (an estimated 1,500 boats will be in this race), which represents numerous technical and logistical challenges. The report.

The skipper of a yacht that caused an false international search by being 'missing' for seven weeks is to be investigated. Britain's MCA (Maritime and Coastal Agency) is reported to have launched an investigation into the the SS Columbia and its skipper Boguslaw (Bob) Norwid, a Polish born French national, after they were 'missing' off the coast of Chile for seven weeks with an Australian and two Canadians aboard before it finally arrived in Coquimbo last Saturday. The yacht was flagged in Britain, and is therefore the responsibility of the British. The report.

The waterspout is essentially a tornado over water, often weaker than a tornado, but extremely dangerous to encounter. Contrary to popular belief that waterspouts suck up water, the water seen in the main funnel cloud is actually water droplets formed by condensation. While many waterspouts form in the tropics, locations at higher latitude within temperate zones also report waterspouts, such as Europe. The report in Sail World shows photos about three watersprouts off Taslik Burnu, the cape near Kumluca on the Turkish South coast.

The sea breeze in the bay of Palma was late, with the only race of Thursday getting started at 3p.m.. It fell upon the ‚big ones’ - Maxis, Mini-Maxis and the TP52s to open the Palmavela 2010. For the TP52s, the Palmavela is a good opportunity to test the mandated measurement modifications before serious racing begins in May with the MedCup. The finish was close with the Swedish 'Artemis' team and Paul Cayard USA getting the gun. In the Mini-Maxis, the German entry 'Container' with Markus Wieser GER was the top boat for the day. All results and the daily report.

171 yachts participate in the Primavela 2010 that opens today at Mallorca ESP for a variety of classes such as the Maxi-Wally's, the TP52, the Platu 25 or the J/80. Many well known sailors are among the participants, such as Paul Cayard USA and Cameron Appelton NZL on the TP52 'Artemis', Sébastien Col FRA, Markus Wieser GER, Jesper Radich DEN or Peter Holmberg ISV. The event-website and a preview.

It's when one experiences first hand the bad effects of using biodiesel without changing the fittings on the fuel tanks that the message comes home in a dramatic way: Read Glen Tuttle's story published in Cruisers Network Online as commented in Sail World.

After three days of fantasy sailing in fresh trade winds at the inaugural Les Voiles de Saint-Barth, the final race yesterday led all the way around the island of St. Barts. After a squall-induced delay, the race got under way, and the stage was set for the Reichel/Pugh-designed 'Rambler' winning for the fourth time in four races, a fine tribute to their mate Peter Doriean, who recently died in a tragic accident. The big ketch 'Sojana' with Peter Holmberg ISV, Loïck Peyron FRA, Lionel Péan FRA and Jacques Vincent FRA on the crew, finished second. In the Classic Division, the boys on the W 76 had to fight to the finish to beat the all-girls drew on their sister ship ‘White Wings.’ The winner in the racing class was James Dobbs ANT on "Lost Horizon" (J/122) while Robert Velazquez AHO steered “L'esperance" (First 45 F5) to four race wins. Check all the results and the report.

Dick Drechsler, the founder of The Sail Through Cancer Foundation and a cancer survivor himself, found himself in a pickle after getting caught by some steep breakers in the shallowest part of the entrance of the San Blas MEX estuary. Accompanied by his wife Sharon, he watched two fellows ahead of him getting tossed around, so he tried to time it and gunned the engine of his Catalina 470 ‘Last Resort.’ It looked good for a while, but then things changed…. Listen to Sharon’s voice and remember these images next time you are about to do the same. On the upside: Only a camera had to be chalked up in the loss column.

He's sailed around the world single-handed and he's over-wintered with his wife in the Antarctic, but the adventure that has him leaving Sydney today is bound to eclipse both. Two of his crew have backed out, Pete Steir and teen circumnavigator Mike Perham with complications after appendix surgery, but on April 28 Don McIntyre with a new crew will set out to recreate Captain Bligh's incredible journey after the famed Mutiny of the Bounty. An article in Sail Wordl and the respective web site.

Overcast skies and moderate breezes greeted the 65 teams that raced the 2010 Doublehanded Farallones Race from San Francisco to the Farallon Islands and back. Class winners included Sailing News friend Urs Rothacher SUI on Tatiana (F9-RX), by winning the four-boat multihull class and doing a horizon job on the entire fleet. Get the details of this year’s classic in Urs' report and check the results.

Things calmed down considerably on the last day of the Spi Ouest in La Trinite sur Mer FRA, so the 400+ boats in 15 classes got two more races in. Of special interest is the Farr 30 class, which will have its last hooray at this year's Tour de France.The top positions remained unchanged, that means 'Courrier Dunkerque' with Daniel Souben FRA took home the big prize, followed by 'COYCH' with Fabien Henry FRA. 'Groovederci' and Deneen Demourkas USA were adrift in the lower half of the standings, ending up in 14th in the 22 boat fleet. Artlantis just about killed the 92-boat J/80 fleet with 12 points in eight races and won the class by a mile with a race to spare. Check all results and the Web site.

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) meteorologist who studies a rare weather phenomenon says he is convinced a Canadian-based sailing school was hit by an intense blast of air moments before it sank off the Brazilian coast (more...). He studied satellite and global forecast system data from Feb. 17. Pryor found the data showed three key weather conditions came together to cause a severe microburst or downburst that likely hit the ship with downward winds in excess of 120 kmh (80 mph). Read the report.

After Saturday's 50-knot ballbuster, Poseidon mellowed considerably and sent a 20-knot breeze to the folks woo are racing in the Spi Ouest in La Trinité-sur Mer FRA. In the Farr 30s, the teams with Tour de France ambitions continue to hog the top of the leader board: 'Courrier Dunkerque' with Daniel Souben FRA is 5 pts ahead of 'COYCH Hyères' with Fabien Henry FRA steering. The largest fleet here are the J/80s with 91 boats. Their leader after six races is 'Atlantis' in the care of Luc Sambron FRA. Check all the standings, read the report and browse the event site.

The 20 kn+ Mistral filling in on the waters of the Bay of Marseille made racing yesterday quite demanding for all classes. The lead in the IRC 1 category remains with 'Nikimar' of Christophe Picard FRA, a Farr 52. All standings and the daily report.

Scandinavian adventurers Børge Ousland and Thorleif Thorleifsson plan a circumnavigation of a different kind this summer: They want to circle the Arctic Ocean and conquer both the Northwest Passage (Canada) and the Northeast Passage (Siberia). That's about 10,000 long miles in three short months. Starting date is set for June 2010. The vehicle of choice is a 31UC-trimaran by Corsair Marine, that draws a little more than a foot of water and can reach a theoretical top speed of up to 20 knots. Sounds more than a tad crazy, but then again, how boring would our job be without people like them? Get the skinny here.

Yesterday, the SNIM continued in a freshening breeze of up to 25 kn. While the smaller yachts were sailing short inshore races, the bigger boats, among others the Class 40, finished their coastal race to Porquerolles in the early morning hours. All results and the daily report. With the Mistral filling in today, racing will become even more exciting.

The 'Spi Ouest' at the French Atlantic Coast began yesterday with cool temperatures and a breeze of up to 30 kn. With over 400 teams in 15 classes, this event is the largest one-design regatta of France. While the smaller classes stayed ashore, the Farr 30 started as first to their races. After 4 heats, the Tour-de-France winner 'Courrier Dunkerque' with Daniel Souben FRA is leading closely ahead of 'COYCH Hyères' with Fabien Henry FRA. 22 Farr-30 participate. All results and the daily report (f).

These images were shot from Auckland's Piha Beach at a point about 150 metres above sea level around 1930 hrs last evening NZT of what is believed to be a satellite re-entering Earth's atmosphere, and plunging into the Tasman Sea, an estimated 75 kms off the coast. The disintegration was observed over an eight minute period right on dusk, with good visibility. The images.

Today is the first day of the 'Spi Ouest' at La Trinité, the biggest multi-class keelboat event on the French Atlantic Coast with 430 teams on the entry list. Among the 15 classes, most of the Tour-de-France favorites will participate in the Farr 30 with 22 boats enrolled. The event-website.

The forces now patrolling the Gulf of Aden have been unquestionably effective, as evidenced in the decrease in the number of ships held for ransom. However, according to the Royal Navy, the wide ranging piracy emanating from Somalia has recently dramatically increased in range, taking up almost half the Indian Ocean(east to India, south to Madagascar) and also increased in force, causing the International Sailing Federation ISAF to issue a new statement and Guidelines for the benefit of cruising sailors. In cooperation with the 'Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa' MSCHOA, a summary of the guidelines has been published.

The 25the edition of the ARC is the most popular ever. Already in early March, the 200th yacht has registered, and it looks like the anniversary edition of this event is fixture on every cruising calendar. The organizing World Cruising Club of Cowes GBR says it is overwhelmed by so much interest. A number of parties are planned in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and at the finish port of Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. A special highlight will be the participation of several ARC veterans, i.e. sailors and yachts from the first event in 1986. As the number of berths at the Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) marina is limited to 215, owners have to make up their minds quickly to sign up. The report.

With a few exceptions, most of yesterday's class leaders remained in place on the last day of the International Rolex Regatta in St. Thomas USVI to collect the winners' watches. Unlike last year when he lost it in the last race, Puerto Rico's Fraito held on to win the IC 24 class. In the Spinnaker Racing 2 Class Chris Stanton's Melges 24 Devil 3 managed to beat Dave West's Melges 32 Jurakan on corrected time and by four points overall. In IRC, Richard Oland's Vela Veloce, with Olympic silver medalist Brian Ledbetter (Seattle, Wash.) driving, posted a final score of 13 points to overtake Austin and Gwen Fragomen's Interlodge. The Spinnaker Racing/Cruising Class was won by James Dobbs' J/122 Lost Horizon while Antonio Sanpere's J/36 Cayennita Grande posted five victories in as many races in Non-Spinnaker Racing. The Farr 65 Team On-Deck/Spirit of Isis, edged the magnificent Kialoa V in CSA Spinnaker Racing 1, while John Holmberg prevailed to win the Beach Cat class on a Hobie 16. View the videos, check all results and photos.

Day 1 at the International Rolex Regatta brought two races under sunny skies with 15 to 18-knot breezes that kept all teams honest. Interlodge (JV 52) won today’s first “town” race in IRC, which went from St. Thomas Yacht Club to Charlotte Amalie. White Heat took (Summit 40) second and Vela Veloce (Southern Cross 52) was third. In the second race, which reversed course, Vela Veloce outmaneuvered Interlodge at the start on her way to a bullet, while Interlodge settled for second. Overall, Interlodge leads the 8-boat IRC class. The Spinnaker Racing 2 class is led by Jurakan (Melges 32), tied on points with Devil 3 (Melges 24). The report and the results. Online video highlights and updates for mobile phones.

With the release of several early seasonal hurricane forecasts for this year, boaters and marina operators may face a much different scenario than last year's relatively mild storm season. Accuweather, a nationwide weather service, recently reported it expects 2010 to be an "extreme season" with as many as 18 named storms, a 100-percent increase over 2009. BoatU.S., a national boat owners group says that most boaters and marinas can survive by being better prepared. The Web site offers storm planning materials including a hurricane preparation worksheet, an in-depth 'Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes,' and checklists for what to do before and after a hurricane strikes. Sample hurricane plans for boat and yacht clubs as well as up-to-the-minute storm tracking tools with live satellite images are also available.

One of the world’s resources that have run out are restorable J-Class yachts. Therefore, the only way to prolifeate is built them from scratch using aluminum for the hulls, carbon for the spars and 3Dl for the sails. The idea is to make them hip, but not overly so in order to let them race against the existing vintage J-Class boats like Endeavour, Velsheda and Shamrock V or other replicas like Hanuman, Ranger J5 and Lionheart. The latest one of these J-replicas, the Starling Burgess-designed Rainbow, which was modified by Dykstra & Partners Naval Architects, recently was turned over Bloemsma Aluminiumbouw in Makkum NED to get ready for outfitting. Read rainbow-jh2.com ]more[/url]

The replica ninth-century 'Jewel of Muscat', a square rigged sailing ship, has completed the first leg on its way from Oman to Singapore, arriving at the Indian port of Kochi. The wooden 'sewn plank' sailing ship has been modeled on the famous Tang Treasure ship that sank in the Indian Ocean with gold and other precious items belonging to the ancient Chinese Tang dynasty. The plan is to stick to ancient trade routes, hence the first stop in India. Next stops are Galle in Sri Lanka, George Town in Penang, and Malacca before arriving in Singapore after a five-month voyage. After the trip, Oman will gift 'Jewel of Muscrat' to the people of Singapore. Read the article.

The very last edition of the Tour de France on Farr 30s (formerly Mumm 30) could well attract a record participation this summer. One month before entry deadline, 26 teams have registered, among them also famous tour veterans like the America's-Cup-helmsman Bertrand Pacé. A newcomer is the 'Sail Oman' team with the Volvo Ocean Racer Sydney Gavinet FRA. As reported here earlier regarding the Swiss entries, 'Bienne-Voile' plans to enter two boats, and 'Ville de Genève' is running an intense preparation program to match the high hopes expressed. The press release.

With one last race on Sunday, it's a wrap. After three days of Caribbean flair and fun for the 240 boats and more than 2000 sailors, the 30th edition of the Heineken St. Maarten Regatta is in the books, even though some might still be standing at a bar somewhere. In Spinnaker 1, the showcase class, Tom Hill’s racing red R/P 75 'Titan 15!' proved too much to handle for the bigger boats'Rambler' (R/P 90) and 'Highland Fling' (Wally 82). Three firsts and two seconds for a low-point score of 7 reflect the kind of regatta they had. In Spinnaker 2 ‘Sin Duda’ was equally dominant with the same score. Read the final report, check all results and thegallery.

Mystery still surrounds the sinking of the sailing ship, which was sailing in rough conditions at the time of the sinking, but not in life-threatening conditions. The tall ship classroom Concordia which sank on February 17 off the coast of Brazil with all 64 lives saved is flagged in Barbados, so Barbados authorities are conducting an investigation. However, in a surprise announcement the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) have announced that they will also conduct a parallel investigation - on a 'no fault' basis, as is their rule. An article in Sail-World.

Strong and shifty winds off Miami’s South Beach challenged skippers and crews on the opening day of the 2010 Miami Grand Prix. All classes got in three races in NW winds that averaged 15-18 knots but gusted to 25 at times. Defending class champion Massimo Mezzaroma ITA and his tactician Vasco Vascotto on ‘Nerone’ were unflappable in the 10-boat Farr 40 class. They benefitted from a big right-hand shift in Race 1 and followed up with a sixth and another bullet in the other races. Although he’s a relative newcomer to the Melges 32 class, Jean-Francois Cruette FRA and his crew aboard ‘Teasing Machine’ owned the 23-boat fleet today with a fifth and two firsts, which put them nine points ahead of Joe Woods GBR on ‘Red.’ Another point back is Pieter Taselaar USA, the defending champ with Jeremy Wilmot calling tactics. In the IRC class, the breeze suited older boats just fine. Jim Bishop USA kept his venerable IRC-optimized J/44 above the fray with a solid score of 2-3-1. Read the report and check the results.
Photo galleries by Tim Wilkes and Sharon Green.

The hurricane low 'Xynthia' has left a swath of destruction thru Western Europe with at least 59 victims. In France, 47 people died during the flooding of the Atlantic coast, and over a million inhabitants were without electricity temporarily. In many locations of the Département Charente-Maritime near La Rochelles, the water in the streets was up to 1.5 meters. Many ports have been damaged. At Les Sables d'Olonne in the Département Vendée, jetties have been destroyed or washed ashore. Yachts were scuttled, dismasted or thrown on the beach. According to [url=wxw.france-info.com/france-regions-2010-03-03-la-tempete-xynthia-couterait-un-milliard-d-euros-412562-9-13.html], the wind reached speed of over 80 kn.

On Sunday, the second part of the coastal race St-Tropez - Cavalaire - St-Tropez, the return race, had been sailed with Luigi Balestra SUI defending his first position overall in the Groupe 1060 category with a 2nd place. 71 teams were racing in 7 classes. Next on the program of the triathlon is the ski race at Isola 2000, followed by the painters contest. The results and the report.

It’s not a secret that the sport of sailing struggles for participation, especially among the crowd of 25- to 45-year olds. European Travel Ventures AB in Sweden is tapping into this void by offering The Yacht Week, a ‘summer sailing vacation that is accessible to everyone.’ This means package deals for charter boats in some of the world’s finest sailing venues with like-minded, fun-hungry people in shorts and bikinis. If the video is any indication, the party is the destination.
The 2010 dates:
British Virgin Islands: March 13-20
Croatia: July 17th - August 28
Greece: August 14-21, August 21-28
Ibiza: July 31 - August 7, August 7 - 14

Serious fun at shoreside parties often has a dirty secret: The serious amount of trash that’s left behind. And the folks at the upcoming the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta want to do something about it. Like last year, they participate in the Clean Regatta Program by non-profit Sailors for the Sea to create environmental awareness and to reduce their impact on oceans and coastal waters. Here’s how they’ll do it: Issuing reusable bow numbers, enabling paperless registration, using biodegradable office products, using absorbing pads to prevent oil and fuel spills, passing out biodegradable drinking cups and straws at the parties, and selling bracelets to raise money for marine parks on the island. Read more about the eco-conscious attitude in St. Maarten.

Despite the famous name, David de Rothschild is an adventurer in his own right. He was the youngest Brit to reach the North and South Pole and he crossed the Arctic and Greenland’s ice cap, all of which puts him into illustrious company and netted him a slew of accolades. But the adventure goes on. Supported by sponsors like Swiss watch company IWC Schaffhausen, Hewlett Packard and Inmarsat, he now wants to sail 11,000 miles across the Pacific ocean, from California to Australia on Plastiki, a 60-foot catamaran made out of recycled PET plastic bottles.
His mission, which recently was introduced to an international Press Corps in San Francisco: Creating awareness for the millions of tons of plastic garbage that should have been recycled, but went into landfills or the ocean instead. It may sound a little crazy, but de Rothschild is a man who’s not just endowed with considerable means but also confidence and many believe he can pull this off successfully. For part of the voyage he and his sailing crew will be accompanied Olav and Josian Heyerdahl, two grandchildren of the famous Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl. Read the Sailing News-Interview (PDF) with David de Rothschild.

Alex Whitworth (62) and Peter Crozier (59) with their 33 ft-Sloop 'Berrimilla' have become legendary with their Sydney-Hobart-Fastnet-Sydney-Hobart-Round-the-World-journey in 2005. They repeated this adventure a second time, beating records and records and receiving high awards. And the are still involved in sailing projects. The veteran yachtsmen, both in their sixties, are scheduled to arrive in Tasmania after another incredible voyage, this time across the Southern Ocean from Cape Town to Hobart. An article in Sail-World.

With a few days to go, final preparations are well underway for the 30th anniversary of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta (4-7 March). There’s a steady flow of yachts arriving in the marina and the bareboat charter fleet is expected to surpass 100 boats, with Beneteau and Jeanneau yachts making up the bulk of the fleet. There’ll certainly be no lack of top-ranked competition in this fleet either with the likes of Margriet Matthijsse – Dutch, double Europe Olympic silver medallist – who will be racing with her team aboard a Beneteau Oceanis 473 Heineken Rotterdam (Monet II), among the notable entries. The big boat line-up includes Tom and Dotty Hill’s new custom Reichel/Pugh 75 ‘Titan 15,’ George David’s Reichel/Pugh 90 – ‘Rambler’, and Irvin Laidlaw’s Wally 82 ‘Highland Fling,’ Roberto Galperti’s Swan 90 ‘White Lie,’ Patrick Adams’ Swan 100 ‘Varsovie,’ Peter Harrison’s Farr 115 ‘Sojana,’ and Christopher Besser’s Swan 80 ‘Team Selene.’
Read more
Check out the videos

The 'Festival Armen' (ARt-MEr-Neige) began yesterday with a coastal race from St. Tropez to St. Cavalaire, disputed in a light wind. 71 teams from 9 nations are on the entry list. Winner in the IRC-rankings was Luigi Balestra SUI with his 'Maluba'. Today, the race back to St. Tropez is on the program, during the coming weekend, a ski race will be disputed, and the final of this very special triathlon will be a painting contest of the participants. The report (PDF). The ranking of the race has not yet been published on the web.

In spite of the purported warming up of relations between the USA and Cuba and months of effort by the organisers, the Sarasota-Havana Regatta, a rally which would have allowed American yachts to sail to Havana in Cuba, will not take place in 2010. The Commodore of Cuba's Hemingway International Yacht Club, which would have played host to the boats, even visited Sarasota, the departure point of the rally, to address yacht club members. Unfortunately, the efforts have been unsuccessful to obtain the necessary license to travel to Cuba from the US Treasury Department Office of Asset Control. As a result, the focus will now be to conduct the Regatta in the Spring of 2011. The report.

Phoenicia, a primitive sailing vessel, based on designs of Phoenician cargo ships from circa 600 BC, will soon face its biggest challenge yet as the international crew members onboard attempt to navigate a stretch of the worlds most dangerous coast line; Cape Agulhas on the southern tip of Africa, and its more famous brother, the Cape of Good Hope. The project of the English entrepreneur Philip Beale started in summer 2008 in Syria to prove that already the Phoenicians rounded Africa (more...). An article in Sail World.

Yesterday, the 30-meter Solar-trimaran 'Planet Solar' was unveiled for the first time at the HDW-shipyard in Kiel GER. In a few weeks already, she shall be launched. The round-the-world rounding project with solar energy only will start in 2011. The report (PDF) in french.

The Australian adventurers Don McIntyre formally announced his most recent expedition – to re-create one of the most extraordinary stories of survival and determination, Captain William Bligh’s 4,000 mile open boat ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ voyage. The reenactment, following the journey across the Pacific from Tonga to Timor, will launch on the same day (April 28th), at the same time and in the same place 221 years after the original mutiny journey. The seven week expedition aboard the Talisker Bounty Boat – a 25ft long, 7ft wide, open wooden vessel – will see the crew facing the same deprivations as the original crew that were cast adrift in the middle of the Pacific, including: no navigation charts; only two weeks of water; hardly any food; and, of course, no luxuries like a torch or toilet paper! An article in Sail World with the crew and a detailed list of the tools aboard. See also the website of the Bligh-expedition.

Yesterday evening, after 2 days, 11 hrs and 21 min, 'Beau Geste' with Gavin Brady NZL as helmsman passed the finish line winning the 600 miles race across the Caribbeans. And Brady had his fun: 'I sailed in shorts and T-shirt the whole race, even though the wind strength got up to 20 knots. That's something you don't say very often after a 600 mile classic.' The report and all results.

Scores of spectators gathered on Shirley Heights and Fort Charlotte on the island of Antigua to witness the start of the RORC Caribbean 600. The first boats crossed the line for the 605-mile race on Monday, 12:30 p.m. local time, taking on the course that will take them around 14 Caribbean islands in what organizers consider 'probably the best sailor's play ground in the world.' Competitors were treated to some superb sailing conditions, with warm waters and a balmy easterly breeze of 12-15 knots. Read daily reports and track the fleet.

As reported by Sailing News last week, 48 students and 16 professional crew and teachers were rescued successfully after the Canadian-flagged threemaster 'Concordia' sank 300 miles off the coast of Brazil. The Concordia's Captain, William Curry, told the Associated Press that the sinking occurred Wednesday afternoon - a day earlier than previously reported. Curry said he and the crew had prepared for rough but not unusual weather. He blamed the sinking of his vessel on a 'microburst,' a sudden, vertical downdraft that first heeled the ship over, then kept it on its side as window began to pop, which caused 'Concordia' to take on water and sink.
Read Sail World's report.

The sailing yacht Triton reported it was attacked by pirates 40 miles north of Trinidad. Details are sketchy thus far, but according to a report by another sailor on Cruisers Network Online, nobody was injured while the boat was ransacked. Sailors criticize the Yacht Services of Trinidad and Tobago allegedly for not doing enough to make this incident public, i.e. through the association’s Web site, which offers a ‘Safety & Security Notice' menu. However that appeared to be defunct. Read the Report.

The 'Concordia', a threemaster from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, capsized and sank in high seas about 480 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro reported The Globe and Mail. The vessel is part of the West Island College Class Afloat program and was underway from Recife, Brasil to Montevideo, Uruguay. The cause for the sinking of the 'Concordia' is unknown, but Brazil's Navy said a distress signal was picked up from about 5 p.m. (2 p.m. ET) on Thursday. All crew and passengers - 64 people on the 10-month voyage including 48 students in grades 11 and 12 and first-year university - have been recovered and are uninjured. A report with a video.

Sailing for a good cause in the Caribbean, it does not get any better than this. More than 50 entries will gather this weekend in St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands to help raise funds at the annual St. Croix Yacht Club Hospice and Optimist Regatta that will go to support the end-of-life medical needs of St. Croix residents, regardless of their ability to pay. More than one third of the island’s population of has poor or no health insurance coverage at all. The preview and the Gallery.

It was a drifting rope. A piece of flotsam thrown overboard by a fisherman or the like. But in the heavy swells of the Pacific crossing between Panama and Galapagos in the dark early hours of morning, it spelled disaster for the World ARC 2010/11 Round the World Rally yacht 'Bristol Rose' USA. She eventually called a Pan Pan. The article in Sail World.

The Polar View sea ice service, coordinated by the British Antarctic Survey, has greatly improved the service for the 2009/2010 Antarctic season. The satellite image capture has been extended by services of the European Space Agengy (ESA), providing interactive maps displaying the latest imagery and sea ice information, even on ships with limited internet access. Simple tools allow users to zoom into their area of interest and see recent cloud free satellite pictures. An article in Powerboat World.

It's still nine months from departure date, and Atlantic Rally for Cruisers ARC 2010 registrations are flying along as World Cruising Club WCC signs up the 150th entry already 9 months before the start of ARC 2010 on 21st November. Due to space restrictions in Las Palmas marina at the start of the rally, ARC 2010 currently has an upper limit of 215 yachts, which is likely to be reached in April. A report.

Somali Labour Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir, who is from Suleiman sub-clan of the Habar-gidir, and reported to be a relative of the clan who have kidnapped Paul and Rachel Chandler, requeyted that the pirates should release the old British couple unconditionally. An article in Sail World.

The world's very popular informational website for long distance sailors Noonsite.com has just launched a new service for long-range cruisers wanting global weather and routing advice. An article in Sail World.

New footage has now been received of cruising sailors Paul and Rachel Chandler, who have been held captive by Somali pirates for over three months now after they were captured from their yacht Lynn Rival while sailing from the Seychelles towards Tanzania. (more...) The Somalian doctor who examined Mrs Chandler said she was suffering a heavy ‘ mental’ toll as well, which was manifested in ‘insomnia’. The strain on 56-year-old Mrs Chandler’s face is clearly visible as she sits with her dress hanging loosely from her thin shoulders. An article in Sail World.


The image was taken by a French news agency that was allowed to accompany a doctor who examined Mrs Chandler and her husband Paul, who are being held separately.



Yesterday she renewed her plea for urgent help, saying: ‘We have not much time left and are being badly treated. Please help us – these people are not treating us well.

For all sailors planning for a Transatlantic crossing: The website of the Climatology of Ocean Winds COWGOW of the Oregon State University has been expandet. Time and location of departure and winds can be calculated more precisely. QuickSCAT of the Remote Sensing Systems shows also monthly, weekly and daily averages of windspeeds and -directions. Interesting also the pages of OceanMet by Tactical Weather. An article in Sail World.

600 BCE, Phoenician mariners are supposed to have rounded Africa (more...) The present Phoenicia-Expedition is aiming to re-create the first circumnavigation of Africa with a replica of the ancient boat, and is an approved voyage with the Royal Geographical Society. The ship is now successfully past the pirate zone in East Africa, although they were forced to detour almost to the Chagos Archipelago to avoid the area. The team will have a week long break in port before setting off again towards the Cape of Good Hope. An article in Sail World.

Looking for a new challenge in the coming season? There is now a unique opportunity to join the famous exclusiv J-Class. The American Ranger', a replica of the America's Cup yacht from the 30ies is for sale or charter. Price information upon request. The report.

Dieter Loibner, an Austrian yachting journalist living in the US recently published a book with the title 'Sustainable Sailing' about the increasing impact of sailing on the environment. He explains how sailors can be a positive force for change. An interview with the author.

Dieter Loibner, an Austrian yachting journalist living in the US recently published a book with the title 'Sustainable Sailing' about the increasing impact of sailing on the environment. He explains how sailors can be a positive force for change. An interview with the author.

OceansWatch is looking for an experienced skipper to run their flagship, 'Magic Roundabout'. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a lifetime of sailing behind them, a love of the ocean and a proven conservation background.The sailor can be currently located anywhere, but needs to be able to travel to New Zealand to join the expedition to the South Pacific. An article in Sail-World.

Cruising sailors Paul Chandler and his wife, Rachel, seized by Somali pirates on October 23rd have appealed for help, believing their captors are losing patience and may kill them, not in March, as one pirate said previously, but within a few days. In an interview with Britain's ITV News, Chandler, 59, said the pirates had separated him from his wife, giving him an ultimatum of 3 days. A report in Sail-World.

Just on time for the start of the Key West Race, the cold front, causing even temperatures below 0°C in Florida, disappeared and the typical warm Florida winter came back. In a light 7-10 kn seabreeze, all classes could sail two races yesterday. A surprise happened in the Farr 40 class, where Wolfgang Schaefer GER with his new 'Struntje Light' took the lead ahead of the two favorites James Richardson USA and Giovanni Maspero ITA at equal points. In the Melges 24 class however, the favorites are already in front with Lorenzo Bressani with his 'Uka-Uka' on position 1 with the day ranks 1 and 2, followed by Franco Rossini SUI with his 'Blu Moon' (4/1). In the 22 boats' Melges 32 fleet, Rodrick Jabin USA has taken the lead. Calling tactics on his boat is Gavin Brady USA. The report.

After 88 days on the sea, the Australian girl Jessica Watson, age 16, has passed the Cape Horn - the 'Mount Everest of sailing' - yesterday, successfully having mastered 8 meter waves and a 35-40 kn breeze. A report and the latest onboard-video, taken 80 miles before the Horn.

When 15 Omani sailors set sail from the port of Muscat next month, it will mark the beginning of yet another attempt to recreate the journeys of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years ago. The 'Jewel of Muscat', 18 meters long, is a replica of a ninth century wooden square-rigged sailing ship that will be heading for Singapore. It has been modelled on the famous Tang Treasure ship that sank in the Indian Ocean while laden with gold and other precious items belonging to the old Chinese Tang dynasty. Since last year, the Phoenicia, an ancient replica of an Egyptian sailing vessel, is circumnavigating Africa, and last year a Chinese vessel, the Princess Tai Ping was tragically split in two when just one day from completing a double trans-Pacific crossing when it was hit head-on by a cargo ship. An article in Sail-World.

During the last week of January, the traditional 'Boot' takes place again in Düsseldorf GER with the X-Yachts boatyard, presenting their new models X-34, Xc-42 and Xc-45. X-Yachts kindly invites to visit their stand. An advance notification is recommended for an expert advice on any subject.

We wish you a good start, luck and success in 2010 !
www.sailing-news.ch will remain your companion for daily up-to-date information on the global sport of sailing. Already in January, some highlights of the new year will be organised: the World Championships of the Olympic classes 49er on the Bahamas and Star in Rio de Janeiro. During the month of January, the preparations for the 33rd America's Cup will continue, either for the races beginning on February 8, or more disputes in front of the Jury panel. Most probably, the two maxi trimarans 'Banque Populaire V' and 'Groupama 3' will depart for their round-the-world record attempts.
Sailing is and remains a most entertaining all-year-round sport !

Bad luck for 'Zephyr', the smallest yacht in the fleet, stuck in a lull just before the finish line and missing the victory in calculated handicap time. But the winner of the IRC-classification is not yet known as there is a protest pending against the leading 'Two True', a Bénéteau 40, which is accused to have been involved in a collision shortly after the start. The Jury decision will be published within the next hours today. In case of a disqualification, 'Wicked', another Bénéteau 40, would be the winner. The report and yesterday's video-update.
Update: Just now (06:00 GMT), the information comes in that the protest against 'Two True' has been rejected and therefore Andrew Saies AUS and his team are the winners of the IRC rankings. The report.

On day 5 of the Sydney-Hobart-Race, the final rankings in calculated time, the Tattersall's-Cup, is not yet decided. Good condition made it possible for the smaller yachts to reduce the gap to the big boats, and it is actually the Bénéteau 40 'Two True' who is on top of the handicap rankings, but the 'Zephyr Hamilton Elevators', a Farr 1020, has good chances to take over the first place, as she has still 10 hours left to finish the final 18 miles of the race. The IRC interims rankings and the latest reports.

Yesterday, the line honours went to 'Alfa Romeo' of Neville Crichton NZL, arriving at Hobart two hours ahead of 'Wild Oats XI' and 7 hours 45 of 'ICAP Leopard'. The ranking in compensated time is still open. Actually, the English 'Ran' of Nicolas Zennström SWE, winner of the Fastnet Race, is on the first position. She arrived at Hobart on the 5th place, but has to wait now on the timings of the smaller yachts coming in. Theoretically, some yachts are ahead of the 'Ran' according to the IRC-ranking assumptions. Up to now (05:00 h GMT), only 7 of the 100 teams did arrive. 5 yachts were forced to abandon the race. The rankings and all reports, as well as the video-gallery with the daily film reports.

The leader 'Alfa Romeo' is at this moment (4.30 GMT) 75 miles before the arrival and is scheduled to be in Hobart today by noon. The battle for the line honours is still on, as the past year's winner 'Wild Oats XI' - having reduced the gap during this night to 15 miles - is close. Everything is possible in the unconstant winds when approaching Hobart. Contrary to the bulk of the fleet, the three super-maxis have only been slowed down shortly when crossing the lull zone of the Bass Strait, smooth as a mirror. The two 100-foot-yachts in front will probably be in front in calculated time as well, as their advantage is actually over 100 miles. The interinms standings, the race-tracker and the event-website with all reports.

The Australian girl Jessica Watson, age 16, has now been underway in her round-the-world solo since 60 days. Up to now, her journey was without major problems. For one repair however, she had to climb on top of the mast. Her regular video reports are actually followed by over 60'000 contacts. In her latest video, she celebrates Christmas in the Howling 50ies. After almost 8'000 miles behind her, Jessica Watson is now approaching the Cape Horn. Here her blog.

The leading trio has reached the South Cape, the most Southern point of Australia, this morning, sailing in a moderate breeze between 10 and 15 kn. The wind direction has now changed from South-East to North-East, and the first boats have hoisted their spinakers. 'Alfa Romeo' of Neville Crichton NZL is the first of the three 100-foot-supermaxis, followed by 'ICAP Leopard' (Mike Slade GBR) 15 miles behind and 'Wild Oats XI' (Mark Richards AUS) 17 miles back. Here the interims standings. Unkconstant conditions with lulls and wind shifts await the fleet within the next 24 hours in the Bass-Strait area between Australia and Tasmania. The race is by far not over yet. In the meantime, a 6-minutes film about the start has been published by the Australian TV. Moreover, reports commenting the race are posted, some of them with photo galleries.

Covered sky and a 10-12 kn breeze welcomed the 100 teams at the start of the Sydney-Hobart Race this morning. Already during the first downwind leg leaving the Sydney Harbour, the super-maxi 'Ethihead' was in troubles hoisting the spinaker. Apparently, the spare mast flown in from France did not function properly, and the team abandoned the race after a few minutes.
The fleet is now sailing on the open sea with the English 'ICAP Leopard' leading on an upwind leg going South with an advantage of 0,9 miles on 'Alfa Romeo' and 1,8 miles on 'Wild Oats XI'. The highest rated favorites are making the pace, and several changes in the lead will follow in the next few hours, as 'Alfa Romeo' and Wild Oats' on more easterly positions will touch a fresher breeze first. The race-tracker and the latest news on the official website.

Less than 24 hours until the start of the Sydney-Hobart-Race - probably under spinaker - tomorrow morning at 2 a.m. GMT for the 100 participants departing from the Sydney Harbour in the direction of Hobart. According to the latest weather forecasts, the 42 hours' record is not in danger, as the wind change at mid-course will slow down the boats probably to a standstill for several hours. In these conditions, only 'Alfa Romeo' seems to be able to challenge the four-time winner 'Wild Oats XI'. However, the variable condition during the second half of the race and especially approaching Hobart leave some tactical options open for other maxis. Here the latest official report. Tomorrow morning, the first videos of the start will be available. With several cameras on board, the Volvo 60 'Merit' will for the first time offer a full live Internet coverage during the whole offshore race.

On December 26 at 2 a.m. GMT, the start to the 58th Sydney-Hobart-Race will be given. In the meantime, it has been confirmed that the seventh super-maxi 'Etihead' will participate. Only 13 day after breaking the 44 meter mast, a replacement has been flown in from France and mounted on the boat (see photo). The installation will be finalised just a few moments before the start. An article in Sail-World.
The latest weather forecast announces now variable conditions, caused by a depression passing by. After an upwind course following the Australian coast, a north-westerly breeze will allow for some fast spinnaker rides during the passage of the Bass Street, before the fleet touches a westerly storm front with wind speeds of up to 50 kn. The official report.

Whereas the probability of a fast down-wind race is more and more confirmed by the weather forecast, other environmental unknowns could play a role in the outcome of the Race: Sunfishs, weighting up to 2,5 tons, are very numerous in this region, swimming mostly close to the surface of the sea. Already in previous races, collisions have happened causing damages at the keels and rudders, forcing yachts to abandon the Race. A report.

Four days before the start of the Sydney-Hobart Race, the weather forecast for December 26 is very uncertain. The original prediction for the normally prevailing south-westerly winds around 30 kn, but this time with a strong counter-current, resulting in a very rough race in waves up to 6 meters, seems to become invalid, because of an extension of the tropical storm 'Lawrence' north of Australia. It could be possible, that the start will be given in a 20-30 kn north-wind, which would mean that the record of 42 hours 40 min is in danger. The report.

Next Saturday, the start to the Sydney-Hobart Race will be given. Already racing against the running clock is the super-maxi 'Etihead', that lost the mast during the overpass to Sydney. In the meantime, the spare mast of the 'Alfa Romeo' has been bought in France, but the 50 meter mast had to be cut in two pieces for the air cargo transport today. The cargo flight ends for the time being in Hongkong, but the transport space from there to Sydney has not yet been confirmed. At the very best, the shore crew will have 2-3 days left to rig the 'Ethihead'. The report.
7 super-maxis, as many as never before, are on the starting line, five of them with real chances for the line honors. A preview. It goes without saying that www.sailing-news.ch will report daily every morning during the coming year end holidays.

Yesterday, the Danish X-Yacht boatyard presented the latest member of the sporty cruising yacht family, the Xc-38. The 38-foot boat complements the serie which started with the Xc-45, added the Xc-42 and has the Xc-50, expected in April 2010 already in production. The Xc-38 will be available in August 2010. With over 6'000 boats built within the last 30 years, the X-Yachts are among the most successful yachts ever. The Xc-38 details.

8 days before the start of the Sydney-Hobart Race, the Australian top sailing event, the preparations are intense and the media coverage is enormous. The first weather forecasts have been published. As in most parts of the world, the weather situation in Australia has been extraordinary during the past year. The peak was probably the sand-storm hitting Sydney (see photo). Actually, there is an exceptional current of up to 5 kn opposed to the SW-wind direction. Boat-breaking-conditions are to be expected. An article in Sail-World.

The big sailing news network 'Sail-World' (Australia) is about to prepare the Fleet Notes, as every year. The very detailed information on boats, owners, crews is updated by the owners and skippers themselves, open with a deadline just before the start of the race. 'Sail-World' will follow the 65th 'Hobart Race' with a big team of yachting journalists and photographers. In a preview, the favorites are presented. The 'Line honours', the victory in absolute sailed time, will go to one of the 7 super-maxis with the fourfold Sydney-Hobart-winner 'Wild Oats XI' as the most cited boat. The prevailing sailing conditions will much influence the ranking in calculated time. The official Sydney Hobart Race website.

It was a longer, slower voyage (more...) than originally expected, but they've arrived! Phoenicia, a replica sailing ship from 600 BCE has successfully avoided the pirate zone around Somalia, and reached Mayotte in the Comoros Islands of East Africa. They have detoured via the middle of the Indian Ocean to avoid the threat. Their expedition is aiming to re-create the first circumnavigation of Africa, believed to have been achieved by Phoenician mariners around 600 BCE, and is an approved voyage with the Royal Geographical Society. An article in Sail World.

On St. Stephen's Day, the start to the traditional Sydney-Hobart Race will be given. The preparations are well progressing, with the unsual ups and downs. Bad luck was on the side of the Australian supermaxi 'Etihad Stadium' (the former English 'Skandia' now sponsored by the Abu Dhabi airline Etihad) of Grant Wharington AUS, loosing the mast during the overpass to Sydney. A spare mast is supposed to be flown in from France within the coming two weeks. Much work and rather costly. Six super-maxis are on the entry list of the coming race. The official event-website and the report.

At the Paris Boat Show, the organisers of the Tour de France announced the course 2010. The most important change is the shortening of the Mediterranean legs: the start will be at Port Camargue, the Tour visits Marseille, to finally end at La Seyne. The presentation with video-animations.
2010 will be the last time, the Tour will be disputed on Farr 30s (previously Mumm 30s). As from 2011, the M34s, especially developped for the Tour, will be used. 9 yachts have been sold already. In April 2010, the first launching will follow. The Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker NZL seems to be a fan of the new class, and he has announced his participation for 2011 with a NZL team. The report.

20 kn on the final day of the Kings Cup with Neil Pryde HKG easily winning in the Racing Division with his 'HiFi' with a considerable advantage. After another 2nd race rank, he did not need to take the start in the last race. The TP52 'Evolution Racing' was the winner of both regattas, terminating the event on the 3rd place. All results, the final report and the video of the day.

The lone Swiss/German sailor attempting a non-stop double circumnavigation has retrieved his yacht (see previous news on the incident) by towing it an amazing 500 miles with the help of a fisherman. Sailing south west from Bluff on the south coast of New Zealand, the cray fishing boat called X.S., with four crew including the rescued sailor onboard located the lost yacht and successfully towed it back to land in a salvage operation that took 50 hours to complete. An article in Sail World.

Australian Andrew Witton from Coff's Harbour in New South Wales was sailing from Tahiti to the Galapagos Islands with his friend Simon Golding when he disappeared from his yacht 'Kaileia' on January 13, 2007. His body has never been found. An inquest at the State Coroner's Court in Sydney has heard that Mr Witton and Mr Golding were about 300 nm south of Pitcairn Island, without an HF radio, when Mr Witton vanished. At the outset of the inquest, the counsel assisting suggested the coroner might make a finding of accidental death or deliver an open finding - ruling that there was insufficient evidence to determine how Mr Witton died. An article in Sail-World.

After three days with moderate winds, a breeze of up to 25 kn filled in for the 28-miles-coastal race. Damaged boats and lost masts were inevitable. The ranking lists did not change much. Neil Pryde HKG with his 'Hi-Fi' is still leading in the Racing Divison. The report and the video-gallery.

After a 24 hours' shifting duel, the Volvo 60 'Big One' of Damir Repac CRO finished first with an advantage of only 16 min 5 sec on 'Bagheera', a Wally 80, owned by Kemal Cingilliogle TUR. The English 'Stay Calm', initially leading the race, arrived on the third place. Today, some more teams are expected at St. Lucia. The rankings and the report

This morning, the three leading big racers will arrive at St-Lucia, the port of destination of the Atlantic Rally. The gaps between the boats after 2700 miles are still very small and it remains open who will get the line honors. Yesterday evening, the classifications showed the Wally-80 'Bagheera' three miles ahead of the Volvo-60 'Big One', with the Swan 70 'Stay Calm' 30 miles farther back. All other boats are at least one day behind. The report.

Five crew members of British yacht 'Pelican' were evacuated from onboard their 53 foot Roberts design Tuesday night following a rig failure, approximately 325 nautical miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. The Singapore flagged merchant vessel 'Crimson Mars' diverted to assist the yacht at the request of MRCC Falmouth, after a MayDay call as the yacht was also unable to motor and the rig was considered to be in a dangerous condition following several failures. MRCC Falmouth (England) and MRCC Ponta Delgada (Azoren) were involved in co-ordinating the evacuation of the yacht with the merchant ship. A report in Sail World and the ARC homepage.

The Kings Cup continued yesterday with two short races in a 10 kn breeze. Team of the day was the 43-foot 'Full Metal Jacket' of Chris Mead NZL, remaining in contact with the leading 50-foot 'Hi-Fi' of Neil Pryde HKG with the ranks 1 and 2 in the Racing Division. The America's Cup veteran Chris Dickson NZL is calling tactics on the 'Full Metal Jacket'. The results and the daily report.

The first boats are already approaching the port of destination St. Lucia, while the bulk of the 213 boats' fleet is still in the middle of the Atlantic sailing in fresh trade winds towards the Carribeans. Yesterday evening, the 'Bagheera', a Wally 80, had 270 miles to sail to the finish line. However, a new record seems to be out of reach, and the probable time of arrival will be tomorrow morning. The rankings and the daily report.

Last Wednesday November 25, the 'Kingdom of Bahrain', a Volvo 60 owned by 'Team Pindar/Sail Bahrain', was captured by the Iranian Marine on their way to Dubai, port of start for the 'Dubai-Muscat Offshore Race'. The five yachtsman have been released in the meantime after some diplomatic interventions. A report in Sail-World and a statement by Andrew Pindar OBE, Chairman of 'Sail Bahrain'.

Just in time with the first snow all around Switzerland, the first photos have been posted from the intial days of the Kings-Cup Regatta disputed in summery temperatures with a nice 8-12 kn breeze. Wind ausgetragenen ersten beiden Regatta-Tage des Kings-Cup. Despite of a stronger competition compared to previous years, Neil Pryde HKG with his 'Hi-Fi' is again leading in the Racing-Division. The results and the daily reports.

The 213-yachts fleet crosses the Atlantic in good speeds thanks to the favorable sailing conditions. The top teams sail around 250 miles daily. After one week cruising, the British Swan 70 'Stay Calm' is still leading. She has 700 miles left to St-Lucia. In order to establish a new record, she has to arrive at the Carribean destination until Thursday evening. The rankings and the daily report.

The 23rd edition of the famous Kings Cup in Thailand starts today with the practice race. In the racing division former champions Frank Pong HKG and Neil Pryde HKG are challenged by four TP52. The entry lists and a preview.

On December 26, 2009, the start for the 64th edition of the legendary 'Sydney Hobart Yacht Race' will be given. The 628 miles' course from Sydney Harbour crossing the Tasman Sea to Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, is renowned as very strenuous and spectacular. Therefore, many well-known yachtsmen participate and the media coverage is likely to be third to the America's Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race. As always, the race hits the infamous low depth Bass Strait with choppy waters and flucky shifting winds. The race is a tactical challenge until the finish up the Derwent River to Hobart. Favorites among this year's participants are the maxis 'ICAP Leopard' (GBR), 'Alfa Romeo' (NZL) and the four-time winner 'Wild Oats XI' (NSW). Of special interest will also be the Farr 40 and TP 52 class races. The entry list and the weather forecasts since 1945.

Until today, only 16 solo sailors have finished a round-the-world trip nonstop from East to West against wind and waves, among them two women. Last September, Stéphane Narvaez from the South of France started on the Mediterranean Sea for such an adventure. On a series yacht from the Jeanneau shipyard, and with renewable energy resources exclusively, he planned to master the 30'000 miles. Now on last Wednesday, his yacht 'Toccata' wrecked and sunk in a storm near the Cape Horn. Narvaez could be saved by the Argentinian Coast Guard from his life raft. The report.

Already 211 entries have been received for the '2011 Around Australia Ocean Race' and the '2011 Around Australia Ocean Rally', among them two motor yachts from the USA. An article in Sail-World.

Yesterday, 209 teams from 30 nations started under spinnaker from Las Palmas / Canaries in the direction of the Carribeans. Already on the first day, the first abandons had to be registered, among others of the German Christian Pothoff who lost the rudder of his 'Auliana II'. The team was rescued by the Coast Guard. The report. The fastest yachts, having sailed 220 miles within 24 hours, are already clearly ahead in the interims rankings with the Swan 70 'Stay Calm' of Tim Hyder GBR on the first place. The report covering the start.

Berndt Lüchtenborg, a German sailor living in Switzerland, intended to draw the attention to the climate change by a double Antarctic circumnavigation - nonstop and solo, and at the same time collect money for underprivileged children. In June, he departed from Cuxhafen. Now, with his yacht damaged after the collision with a whale and non-steerable, he has to abandon the boat with a rescue action by helicopter. The report.

During the past weekend, the Cruiser Championship of Cataluña took place off Barcelona. The only non-Spanish entry among the 14 teams of the A category was the Swiss Farr 40 'Kajsa II' with Rolf Auf der Mauer, who finished 7th. The rankings.

Whilst the European regatta season is coming to an end, the big classic races are beginning in the Southern hemisphere. This year's NZL coastal race from Auckland to Russell could take advantage of the windy conditions. 'Alfa Romeo' of Neville Crichton NZL set a new record with 6 hours 45 minutes and the 100-feet Super-Maxi realised an average speed of 17,95 kn. An article in Sail World. Peter Burling/Blair Tuke NZL sailed with a top speed of 21 kn. They had 9 hours 30 minutes for the 120 miles ride, including four capsizes, gliding on reaching gennaker courses during 70% of the distance. The report. For 'Frenzy' (photo), the wind was too strong at a certain moment, just in time for a photographer to shoot a series of explicit pictures.

Yesterday, a major part of the fleet arrived at La Valetta with a delay of more than two days on the winner 'IACP Leopard', including the English Swan 68 'Risktaker' with among others Christoph Burger SUI, finishing 37th on caluculated time. The rankings and the report.

After the 100-feet-Maxi 'IACP Leopard' which crossed the finish line in La Valetta already on Monday, the winner of the Middle Sea Race in calculated time is also known with 'Alegre', a Mill 68 with the owner Andres Soriano GBR steering arriving 7 hours after the 'ICAP Leopard'. Until yesterday evening, only 11 of the 53 boats remaining in the race did arrive at Malta. The very light winds slow down the yachts considerably. The report and the race-viewer.

The 100-feet supermaxi 'ICAP Leopard' (GBR) was first home at the 606-nm 2009 Rolex Middle Sea Race to take line honours, just over half an hour outside the mark set by George David and Ken Read two years ago. Of the 69 starters on Oct. 17th, 23 yachts have now retired, mostly due to damage resulting from the vicious squalls that persisted until midday today. With seven boats finished, the current overall leader is the 21-metre mini-maxi 'Alegre' owned by Andy Soriano. The rankings and the report.

In an excepionnally fast race, the Super-Maxi 'ICAP Leopard' is about to beat the record of the 'Rambler' established in 2007. The 100 feet Maxi is expected back at La Valetta today already. The record is at 47 hours and 55 minutes. The fleet has just completed the rounding of Sicily. The rankings and the report.

On next Saturday, the start to the Middle Sea Race will be given at La Valetta. Departing from Malta, the race leads over 606 miles around the Italian islands Sicily, Pantelleria and Lampedusa back to Malta. At this time of the year, the Mediterranean Sea is unpredictable. In the past years everything - from tempests to complete lulls - did happen. With 77 teams, there is again a pretty large fleet on the starting line. The 100-feet-Super-Maxi 'ICAP Leopard' is the main favorite, but the two first-generation Volvo 70s 'Intermatica' of Fabio Mangifesta ITA and 'Ericsson' of Aegyd Pengg AUT (among others with the top Finn sailor Gasper Vincec SLO) will also fight for the first place. On the STP65 'Luna Rossa' is an all-start team with among others Torben Grael BRA, Robert Scheidt BRA, Mark Mendelblatt or Flavio Favini ITA. The only Swiss team 'Kuka', a 42-feet Cruiser-Racer, registered at the SC St.Moritz, owned by Franco Niggeler SUI, has Mitch Booth NED aboard as prominent helmsman. The event-website, with a report on the Practice Race.

OpenSeaMap was founded in 2009 replying to the large request for free nautical charts with nautical and tourism information a sailor could be interested in and to present it in a pleasing and useful way. Those include beacons, buoys and other seamarks, port information, repair shops, ship supplies and much more. This also includes amenities such as shops, restaurants and places of interest. OpenSeamap is a project of OpenStreetMap using its database system. The website.

A huge participation again this year with 1789 yachts on the starting line ! With good sailing conditions - a 10-12 kn north-westerly breeze - the number of finishers was exceptionally high. Mitja Kosmina SLO with his Super-Maxi 'Jena' was the winner. The Barcolana was again a big city festival for Trieste with approx. 350'000 spectators along the shores watching the regatta. The report and all results.