yachts and yachting race reports

Race of the (almost) midnight sun

P40 Class gets off to a promising start

The P40 class is on a mission to revitalise fully crewed offshore and inshore racing in forty-something-footers and boost participation. The first year in which the

Gill OS3 Coastal Jacket Review

My own experiences have crowned the Gill OS3 Coastal Jacket as an indispensable ally offering robust protection against the elements. A recent journey put its

Gill OS3 Coastal Trousers Review

Have you ever considered how the right gear can transform your experience on the water? For those who dedicate significant time to sailing or engaging

Britannia refined

Now seriously for sale, the majestic gaff cutter Alexa of London is an improved version of the iconic Royal Yacht, with great potential for long-distance

Lessons learned

Lessons learned from racing two-handed in a rough 2023 Fastnet Race. The 2023 RORC Rolex Fastnet Race had its toughest weather conditions in recent years. Three

High-wind crescendo sees Nolot & Maeder win 2024 Formula Kite European Championship

Winds gusting close to 30 knots brought spectacular conditions for the climax of the 2024 Formula Kite European Championship in Mar Menor, Spain. Reigning World

Black Foils win ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix

New Zealand’s ‘Black Foils’ – driven by Peter Burling – today claimed victory in front of an adoring hometown crowd at the the second-annual ITM

The incredible race

Before the six skippers had even started the solo race around the world in their 32m giant trimarans it was clear that the Arkea Ultim

Building on success

Doyle Sails builds on success with a renewed focus on next-level R&D. A stellar showing at the 2023 Maxi World Championships might have been just cause

Life forward of the beam

The new generation of large, high-performance luxury cruising catamarans are making great use of the latest developments in AC rig technology. You simply can’t miss them,

53 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca set to showcase Olympic classes

With the first entry registration period now closed, most of the racers who will compete at the 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar have

Clarisse Crémer and Tanguy Le Turquais cleared of misconduct by international jury

French yachtswoman Clarisse Crémer and her husband Tanguy Le Turquais have been cleared of anonymous allegations of cheating during the last edition of the Vendée

Shirley Robertson takes over as manager of the Super Yacht Racing Association

The Super Yacht Racing Association (SYRA) as announced Shirley Robertson as the new manager of the association. With a wealth of experience and success in

470 World Championship – Xammar and Brugman reign in Spain

Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman (ESP) have been crowned 470 World Champions of 2024. After five days of competition in a variety of conditions on

America’s Cup: Changing gear

Just as teams were getting used to the heat of competition and squaring up to their opponents at the two America’s Cup Preliminary Events, the

Offshore legend

This month on Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast Shirley talks to British offshore adventurer Pete Goss, an accomplished offshore sailor famed for executing one of the

Charles Caudrelier wins inaugural Ultim solo around the world race

French solo racer Charles Caudrelier, skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the finish line off the coast of Brest, this Tuesday morning at

Victory on home waters marks first Australian win of SailGP Season 4

Tom Slingsby and his Australian crew have been crowned champions of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney, flying home in front of an

SailGP: Danes and Australians top the leaderboard on opening day in Sydney

Tom Slingsby and his Australian crew have delivered for the home crowd at the opener of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix, securing a solid

Ten teams ready to race in Sydney

With just one day remaining until the highly awaited KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix takes place on the picturesque waters of Sydney Harbour, anticipation builds

Storm Louis delays Caudrelier’s victory parade

Arkea Ultim Challenge race leader Charles Caudrelier and the ULTIM Maxi Edmond de Rothschild have been in the Azores port of Horta since Wednesday morning

Sustainable future

Lifecycle assessment was the important first step in Southern Wind’s drive to reduce their carbon footprint. Now they’re making positive changes. 'Sustainability is moving away from

An intriguing new chapter in the 470’s Olympic history

It’s just over a week until the 470 World Championship begins in Palma, Mallorca. Taking place from 24 February to 3 March, 63 international teams

Rudder damage forces second Brazilan stop for Le Cléac’h

In a message distributed late this morning, the Banque Populaire team has confirmed that Armel Le Cléac'h’s ULTIM Maxi Banque Populaire XI, racing in second

Clarisse Crémer refutes Vendée Globe cheating accusations

A story published by France's international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) has named French yachtswoman Clarisse Crémer as the Vendée Globe skipper accused of cheating

Upwind by MerConcept female high-performance multihull racing program launched

MerConcept, the high-performance hub for offshore sailing and sustainable technologies based in Concarneau, France, has announced the launch of its brand-new racing program to provide

German city Kiel to host 2025 start of The Ocean Race Europe

The organisers of The Ocean Race have confirmed Kiel.Sailing.City as the host of the start of The Ocean Race Europe during a press conference in

Elan Yachts – A speedster for all seasons

Elan Yachts made a big splash two years ago with its GT6 performance cruiser. Soon there will be a new version optimised for ocean cruising. If

Olympic places at stake at 470 World Championship on Palma Bay

Sixty-three 470 teams from nations as diverse as Angola, Ecuador and Mozambique are gearing up for the first big challenge of the 2024 season, the

Cup Insider – LiDAR in the America’s Cup

Ever wondered what those funny looking units are on the side of the latest crop of America's Cup test boats? Turns out they are LiDAR

Caudrelier leads Arkea Ultim Challenge fleet around Cape Horn

Long time leader of the Arkea Ultim Challenge solo multihull race around the world, French skipper Charles Caudrelier on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has

Beautiful design and masterful construction

RM Yachts’ new 1080 is a more powerful and spacious version of one of the marque’s most successful boats – and it will be even

A record breaking life

This month, Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast hosts one of offshore sailing's most accomplished names, as multiple world record holder Brian Thompson drops in for a

Cammas on Caudrelier Arkea Ultim Challenge performance…

With Arkea Ultim Challenge leader Charles Caudrelier far enough ahead the rest of the six boat fleet to push the pause button to allow a

Gunboat 80 – Rewriting the playbook

Technology and design tools from the America’s Cup, Ultim trimarans and IMOCAs have been combined to phenomenal effect in the Gunboat 80. The Gunboat 80 belongs

America’s Cup: New Territory

Aside from the Swiss Alinghi Red Bull Racing squad who had arrived in Jeddah well ahead of the other teams to train, few people knew

Taking care of the beast

Charles Caudrelier's solo performance aboard the 100-foot Ultim Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has been nothing short of mind blowing over the three and a half

11th Hour Racing announces Francesca Clapcich sponsorship deal

On the heels of The Ocean Race win by its sponsored team, 11th Hour Racing is expanding its work beyond sustainability and ocean health to

Caudrelier record setting performance has designer Verdier on edge of seat

There are few individuals who you could imagine tracking the progress of Arkea Ultim Challenge race leader Charles Caudrelier any closer than Guillaume Verdier –

Looked at differently

HH Catamarans is on a mission to redefine the concept of a luxury performance multihull – from 44ft all the way up to superyacht size. With

Italian ocean racer Soldini swaps his Trident for a Prancing Horse

There I was earlier this week, feeling sorry for iconic Italian yachtsman Giovanni Soldini, after he announced his 11-year collaboration with the luxury car manufacturer

Mixed fortunes befall the Ultim solo around-the-world skippers

We are now roughly two and a half weeks into the Arkea Ultim Challenge and there is a contrasting mix of fortunes for the six

31 IMOCA solo skippers registered for New York Vendée – Les Sables d’Olonne race

While the IMOCA fleet is in winter refit, the organisers of the Vendée Globe are unveiling the details and line-up of their transatlantic race, the

Wow Factor…

The design brief for the 65m ketch Aquarius II posed challenges for the rig and winch designers at Rondal – who delivered some creative solutions. The

Arkea Ultim Challenge – Caudrelier scorches across Indian Ocean

Charles Caudrelier, leader of the Arkea Ultim Challenge, is passing the NE corner of the Kerguelen Islands exclusion zone, racing on a south easterly course

12 days to Cape of Good Hope for Arkea Ultim Challenge leader Caudrelier

At 13:32:22 UTC today the Arkea Ultim Challenge leader Charles Caudrelier on Maxi Edmond de Rothschild passed the longitude of South Africa's Cape of Good

Arkea Ultim Challenge – An extraordinary solo race around the world

A race around the world for solo-skippered 32-metre foiling trimarans has never been attempted before. In fact to date only four people have ever completed a

Vakaros’s wireless instruments just got even better. The technology to provide performance information in a wireless format is not new, with on-deck display units introduced over

Arkea Ultim Challenge – Laperche in safety mode as Caudrelier sets blistering pace

This week's compelling high-speed open ocean match race between the two leaders of the Arkea Ultim Challenge around-the-world race came to an unfortunate end overnight

Yacht-Match – Now you can always get what you want…

Yacht-Match is a yacht broker, dealer and service provider that is founded on a fundamentally different way of doing business. Yacht-Match, Italia Yachts’ dealer for the

Le Cléac’h to pitstop in Brazil for vital repair work

There is bad news for Maxi Banque Populaire XI skipper Armel Le Cléac'h tonight in the Arkea Ultim Challenge who is having to head to

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The best yacht, keelboat & dinghy racing news, race results and personal insights, with racing series and regatta reports and lots of beautiful high resolution sailing photographs. Including daily news coverage from major races and circuits Olympic Sailing, America’s Cup, Sydney Hobart, SailGP, 44Cup, The Ocean Race and more.

Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta – Better Every Day

The second race day of the 35th Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta was a vast improvement with a gentle 7-8 knots of breeze from the South-East, and with the flat seas from the previous calmer day made it almost perfect sailing…

18ft Skiffs: Victorian team at the 2024 JJs

Reflecting on the “bucket list experience” Just six months ago, November 2023, Scott Cunningham and Brody Riley came to Sydney and picked up the former Noakes Blue 18ft skiff from the Australian 18 Footers League.  In March 2024 they returned…

The Jean Genie Triumphs: Recap of the 2024 5.5 Metre Alpen Cup at Riva del Garda

The standout performer this week was The Jean Genie (GBR 43), helmed by Peter Morton, Andrew Palfrey, and Ruairidh Scott, who secured victory with their consistent performance throughout the event. In the first race of the day, The Jean Genie…

INEOS BRITANNIA reveal RB3 before dawn

The shutters opened at the INEOS Britannia base just after 5am on Saturday, and out into the moonlight under floodlight came the boat that all British fans hope will have the best chance of winning the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s…

Young guns ready for action – five sailors selected for Paris 2024

On the shores of the Mediterranean Sea not far from the Olympic waters of Marseille, the Australian Olympic Team announced five sailors for the upcoming Olympic Games. Zoe Thomson will represent in the ILCA6, Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown will…

Sail Port Stephens final results and wrap

With only a few points separating rivals across each of the five divisions contesting the Sail Port Stephens Passage Series (Commodores Cup PHS), the prospect of receiving a thorough rinsing in the rain didn’t deter the bulk of the 115-strong…

5.5m Alpen Cup in Lake Garda – Day 2

The Jean Genie (GBR 43, Peter Morton, Andrew Palfrey, Ruairidh Scott) extended their lead at the 2024 5.5 Metre Alpen Cup at Riva del Garda after the second day of racing, which brought significantly more wind. Girls on Film (GBR 41, Louise Morton, Sam Haines, Andrew…

Australia’s sailing squad For America’s Cup in Barcelona announced

The sailing squad for Australia’s 2024 America’s Cup challenge in the Unicredit Youth and Puig Women’s competitions in Barcelona has been announced, with a combined team of 13 sailors including several Olympic and Sail GP athletes. The final Team Australia…

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52 Super Series – Alegre launches new boat

The first of the two new Botin Partners designed TP52s to be built for this 52 SUPER SERIES season, Andy Soriano’s Alegre, is on course to make its racing debut at 52 SUPER SERIES Palma Vela Sailing Week which is…

5.5m Alpen Cup in Lake Garda

The Jean Genie (GBR 43, Peter Morton, Andrew Palfrey, Ruairidh Scott) won two out of three races on the opening day of the 2024 5.5 Metre Alpen Cup, on Thursday, which is being hosted by the first time by Fraglia Vela…

Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta kicks off

The 35th Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta got off to a slow start today with unusual calm southerly winds which prompted the race committee to shorten the Old Road course.  This however gave the crews time on the leeward rails to…

GKA – Winners crowned at Lords of Tram

The final day of Lords of Tram was nothing short of spectacular, with the athletes going all in for this first event of the season for the Big Air discipline. Pippa van Iersel and Jamie Overbeek were crowned in front…

Burling reacts to Australia mark crash penalty; analyses Grand Final challengers

by Miranda Blazeby, Digital Editor New Zealand driver Peter Burling is riding a wave of momentum heading into Bermuda after a triumphant Christchurch event. Not only did the Kiwis beat the fleet to win the event in front of home fans,…

ETNZ name and bless ‘Taihoro’ to defend the 37th America’s Cup

In a stirring ceremony today, Iwi manaaki Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei gifted and blessed the name ‘Taihoro’ on the boat that Emirates Team New Zealand will sail in their defence of the 37th America’s Cup. The launch event took place at…

Sail Port Stephens Day 3 wrap

Getting into the groove toward sailing perfection By day three in regattas the cobwebs have been shaken-off, the crew dynamics are coming together and the muscle memory of putting-in an optimum tack or bear-away set should be kicking in. And…

2024 World Match Racing Tour season kicks off in Long Beach

Long Beach, CA (17 April, 2024) – The 2024 World Match Racing Tour kicks off this week in Long Beach, California with 17 teams and over 100 of the world’s top match racing sailors competing across back-to-back events The Ficker…

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Sail Port Stephens Day 2 wrap

The best aspects of regatta sailing crystalised for the record fleet contesting the second day of the Passage Series comprising the Commodores Cup and Port Stephens Trophy. It turned-out to be a highly memorable day of threading out through the…

Sail Port Stephens Passage Series Day 1 wrap

Light-air lottery for Sail Port Stephens opener. The delightful unpredictability of yacht racing in light airs ensured a nail-biting opening day for crews aboard the record fleet of 115 boats assembled for the Sail Port Stephens Passage Series (Commodores Cup)….

Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta starts next week

The 35th Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, with its unique blend of sport, tradition, camaraderie and maritime heritage, starts Wednesday, April 17th and promises to be an unforgettable experience for all who attend. The racing will be held off the scenic…

Luna Rosa launches with style

Cagliari, the city that just surprises at every juncture, didn’t disappoint. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli launched the boat that every Italian fan, the sailing-mad ‘Tifosi’, hopes will win the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup and bring the trophy to the…

Victor Diaz De Leon leads young Americans looking to become 52 SUPER SERIES champions

True to an initiative launched last year by team owner and 52 SUPER SERIES champion Doug De Vos that aims to provide younger sailors with experience and learning at the highest level of grand prix racing, Quantum Racing powered by…

GWA WingFoil – FreeFly-Slalom winners are crowned

Cappuzzo & Suardiaz defend their titles The GWA Wingfoil World Cup Leucate so far has treated spectators to three exhilarating days of relentless competition. As the final day approached, following the crowning of our champions in the Surf-Freestyle discipline, we…

ETNZ’s new AC75 race boat revealed

After an intensive 10 month building program, Emirates Team New Zealand’s brand new AC75 emerged from their Wynyard Point base today in preparation for its launch and commissioning phase in Auckland this month. It was wheeled out to have its…

Nick Craig back on top of OK Dinghy World Rankings after 14 years

Britain’s Nick Craig is back on top of the OK Dinghy World Ranking List for the first time in 14 years, moving up four places. In fact, it is all change at the top with Patric Mure, from Sweden, moving…

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GWA WingFoil – World Champions defending their titles

Winners crowned in nuking conditions in Leucate On day four of the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Leucate the Tramontana winds kicked in again, with gusts reaching up to 57 knots. The Surf-Freestyle women geared up to face the tough conditions…

30 Days Until the Start of the Worrell 1000 50th Anniversary Race

The countdown timer on the official website for the Worrell 1000 is now down to just 30 days – Twelve teams representing five countries will descend upon the beach adjacent to the Hollywood Beach Marriott in Florida, and when the race…

Port Douglas Race Week 2024 – Still going strong after 30 years

Its almost 30 years since Port Douglas Yacht Club conducted its first annual race regatta. This year’s 2024 Riddoch Insurance Port Douglas Race Week preparations are well and truly underway, with our dedicated race committee organising a great week of…

Strong is smart – pin-to-pin load monitoring hits 10 tonnes!

Whether your goals are confident cruising or optimised performance, the more you understand about your yacht, the more you can achieve. An intimate knowledge of your rig based on live load data allows you to truly excel–getting the most out…

BVI Spring Regatta 2024 – Wrap-Up Video

All the highlights from the 51st edition of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival. Competitors racing in the 51st edition of the BVI Spring Regatta experienced a week of mixed conditions which put the best to the test; light…

Preview to biggest ever Sail Port Stephens

Just when it looked like the Sail Port Stephens Passage Series couldn’t grow any further, the iconic regatta has once again surpassed trends and expectations with a record fleet of 115 entries gathering ahead of the Monday April 15 start….

GWA Wingfoil – Surf-Freestyle competitors battled it out until the semis

Day three of the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Leucate began with a bright and early start for the riders, who awoke to nuking 40+ knot winds rattling through the Viglamo village. The judges decided to proceed straight ahead with the…

Tom Slingsby has confirmed the team will be on the start line of Bermuda next month

by Miranda Blazeby, Digital Editor It comes after Australia sustained serious damage in a collision with a race mark in Christchurch after which Slingsby cast uncertainty on whether the team could race at SailGP’s next event in Bermuda. But Slingsby has…

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Allegra claims inaugural IMA Caribbean Maxi Multihull Series by a point

The first running of the International Maxi Association’s Caribbean Maxi Multihull Series concluded on Sunday with the end of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival held out of Nanny Cay, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The new series…

Upcoming Big Air Event in France – Your Complete Guide

The world’s leading Big Air kiteboarding athletes are set to battle at Lords of Tram in Barcarès, France, as the Qatar Airways GKA Kite World Tour teams up with the renowned event for the second successive year. THE LINE UP…

18ft Skiffs – Positive Future for JJ Giltinan Championship

Positive future looms for coveted world title The recent 18ft skiffs Winnings 2024 JJ Giltinan (world) Championship regatta had so many positive aspects that it has set up the future for the coveted 87-year-old championship to reach its greatest heights…

America’s Cup enters the E-sports arena with launch of official game and Championship

Watch AC sailors battle out for the first AC sailing regatta. Live streamed on Twitch from Barcelona at 6:20 pm CET AC Sailing, the ultimate regatta simulator built on actual simulation technology used by America’s Cup teams, will be available…

Team Racing – Tasmanian State Titles

Words: Liz RountreePhotos: Courtesy of Sandy Bay Sailing Club Sunday April 7th concluded the 2024 School Team Racing State Titles, run by Tasmanian sailing and hosted by the Sandy Bay Sailing Club. 13 teams from 6 schools competed in over…

First entries in for 32nd Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta

Australian sailing identity, Wendy Tuck and Queensland sailor, Lea Foster, were quick off the bat when Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron opened entries for the 2024 Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta (AWKR), which generates entries from around Australia and New Zealand.  Tuck, one of the country’s…

America’s Cup – Swiss Boat One roll out

BARCELONA, 5TH APRIL 2024 The magnificent Port Vell base of Alinghi Red Bull Racing was the hottest ticket in Barcelona for friends, family, sponsors and dignitaries from Spain and around the world for the ‘reveal’ and roll-out of the AC75…

SailFest Newcastle – drama to calmer on final day

After yesterday’s mark drama, today was far calmer on the offshore course as the 2024 Australian Yachting Championships and SailFest Newcastle Regatta completed two final windward-leeward races to decide the silverware. The light-air specialists seized their chance to move up…

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America's Cup

37th America’s Cup: Everything you need to know

First preliminary regatta set to open for 37th America’s Cup –...

America’s Cup latest: videos of teams practising

America’s Cup warm-up regatta in September 2023

America’s Cup: latest videos of teams practising

French America’s Cup team named Orient Express

Entries open for Cowes Week 2023

Cowes Week 2022: video round-up + who won!

All set for nailbiting final races after big shifts cause leaderboard...

Tight racing at Cowes Week: 20 XODs cross finish line overlapped!

Family Day at Cowes Week: Contessas, Flying 15s, GP42s and ...

Spectacular international fleet races at Cowes Week: day 1 report

Cowes Week entries still open – racing starts on 31 July!

Duke’s Dragon wows Cowes Week

Cowes Week final day report

Cowes Week day 6 round up report

Cowes Week day 5 round up report

Cowes Week Daily Round Up Day 3

Scottish marina celebrates 40 years: largs yacht haven.

Chartering in Greece: Three Greecy Areas

New issue of Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting out now!

RNLI named as the Official Charity for Round the Island Race 2024

Baptism of Fire in the Transat Jacques Vabre

Round the Island Race

RNLI named as the Official Charity for Round the Island Race...

Round the Island Race: everything you need to know

Round the Island Race: competition hotting up for race day on...

Sailgp reports on its green initiatives.

The Russell Report: Coutts on how SailGP teams are doing so far in season 3

RYA Dinghy Show

2023 sailing season lifts off at ‘buzzing’ RYA Dinghy & Watersports...

RYA Club of the Year 2023 Announced

Competitions Galore and New Product Launches from Barton Marine at the...

Join the sustainable boating community at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports...

Find a Class of your own with over 60 Class Associations...

Olympic champion sailor Eilidh McIntyre retires

Tie up a bargain with hardware best buys at RYA Dinghy...

Q&A: Ed Sibson, Director of Sailing at Royal Hospital School

WEST SYSTEM epoxy offers masterclass in transforming boat repairs

Pledge to be a green sailor at the RYA Dinghy &...

Mike and Eilidh McIntyre to talk at the RYA Dinghy &...

RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show: everything you need to know

Southampton boat show.

Southampton International Boat Show 2024 announces Christmas ticket offer!

54th edition of the Southampton International Boat Show returns and it’s...

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Visit the Dinghy Zone, a ‘show within a show’ at the...

Olympic sailors cut the ribbon to open 52nd Southampton Boat Show

The show goes on: Southampton Boat Show set to present Boats...

The ocean race.

11th Hour Racing Team win The Ocean Race after last-minute jury decision

The Ocean Race departs amid Newport fanfare

Newport welcomes 11th Hour victors

Team Holcim-PRB dismasts in The Ocean Race

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ARC 2023 fleet sets sail across the Atlantic

• Heather Prentice
• November 19, 2023

And they are off! Spectacular is one of the few words able to describe the magnificent panorama of the ARC 2023 yachts sailing towards the horizon at the start of the 2,700-mile journey to St. Lucia.

Days and often years of preparation are over. The ARC 2023 saw 156 yachts cross the start line at Las Palmas, Gran Canaria in light 8-10 knot winds, hot sunshine and blue skies. The Spanish Navy offshore patrol vessel Rayo fired the starting gun.

‘It is a tremendous sight to see close to 160 yachts heading for the horizon,’ said World Cruising Club Managing Director Paul Tetlow. ‘The weather conditions are light. The stronger trade winds will kick in a couple of days. We wish them all safe passage.’

The Cruising Division fleet at the ARC 2023 start off Las Palmas

The ARC 2023 is back to pre-Covid levels with the largest-ever fleet of multihulls – 43 in number – plus one trimaran, a Neel 43 MiaMaGiR (FRA) – and a competitive Racing Division with 13 yachts. There are over 90 yachts in the Cruising Division.

The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), organised by the World Cruising Club, brings together cruising sailors, families and professional racers for the Atlantic crossing and this highly social element adds to the joy of the ARC.

In the ARC 2023, there are 10 boats with families and 17 children under the age of 16, with the youngest aged just two.

The Hvenegaard family sailing aboard Apoena, their Beneteau Oceanis 473. Photo: Heather Prentice

The ARC 2023 start

The fleet was split into three classes for the staggered start: Division IV (Multihulls) and Division V (Open), followed by Division II (IRC Racing) and Division I (Cruising).

First across the line was the Outremer 51 multihull Piment Rouge (FRA), skippered by Pierre de Saint-Vincent, followed by Marjolijn van Oordt’s Swan 52-3 Gaia (NLD) in the racing division. The British Farr 65 Celeste of Solent , skippered by Svante Jacobsson led the Cruising Division.

ARC 2023 French multihull Piment Rouge leads the fleet at the start. Photo: James Mitchel

For the racing yachts, the journey could be as short as just over a week. The current crossing record stands at 8 days, 6 hours and 29 minutes, set by George David in 2016 aboard the super-maxi Rambler 88 . But for the smaller boats, the crossing could be closer to a month.

ARC 2023 Celeste of Solent GBR leading the Cruising Division across the start line.

A dream come true

For many, it is a dream to cross the Atlantic and has taken years of preparation and planning just to get to the start. For the lucky few, it is the start of bluewater cruising around the world.

The smallest boat is the Italian-flagged Grand Soleil 34 Lady Eleonora at 10.11m. The smallest multihull is Tanoa (DEU) a Privilege 37 at 11.2m. Some 8% of the fleet is under 12m, and 41% of the fleet is between 12.06 and 15m.

The magnificent Alloy Yachts-built Irelanda (MLT) is the largest in the fleet at 32m and the largest multihull is Meribel (EST) a 20.55m Lagoon Sixty 5.

The crew of Lady Eleanora, the smallest yacht in the ARC 2023. Photo: James Mitchel

Sail south ’till the butter melts

Meteorologist Chris Tibbs outlined the expected conditions for the first week at the skippers’ briefing: ‘With a low-pressure system currently over the Azores and a large low in the mid-Atlantic, we are expecting light winds (10-15 knots) for the start of the rally and the first couple of days of the crossing.

‘As the fleet head south towards the acceleration zone, the wind is likely to back to the north and possibly increase to 15-20 knots.’

It seems likely that the fleet will chose the traditional ‘sail south until the butter melts’ route as this looks to be the most favourable.

Follow the fleet at: www.worldcruising.com

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

WATCH: Ocean Race yachts ‘attacked’ by orcas following spate of whale collisions

• Helen Fretter
• June 23, 2023

Two VO65 yachts racing in The Ocean Race have become the latest boats to face ‘attacks’ by orcas off the Iberian Peninsula after a spate of whale collisions with yachts

Two VO65 yachts racing in The Ocean Race have become the latest boats to face ‘attacks’ by orcas off the Iberian Peninsula.

The two VO65s, Team JAJO and Mirpuri Trifork Racing , were racing in the VO65 Sprint leg to the race finale in Genoa when they were approached by orcas yesterday afternoon between 1-5 miles off the Spanish coast on the approach to Tarifa.

Despite the orcas shoving into the boats, and nudging or biting at the rudders, both VO65s escaped unscathed, and subsequently contacted Race Control to confirm there had been no damage or injuries onboard.

“Twenty minutes ago we got hit by some orcas,” said Team JAJO skipper Jelmer van Beek shortly after the incident. 

“Three orcas came straight at us and started hitting the rudders. Impressive to see the orcas, beautiful animals, but also a dangerous moment for us as a team. We took down the sails and slowed down the boat as quickly as possible and luckily after a few attacks they went away… This was a scary moment.”

The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint Cup 2022-23 – 23 June 2023, Stage 3 onboard Team JAJO. Gibraltar Strait Orca encounter.

The attack is of little surprise to sailors who have been monitoring the spate of encounters between orcas and yachts both in the area around Gibraltar and up Portuguese and Spanish Atlantic coasts. 

Since the summer of 2020 a pod of whales has been repeatedly swimming up to sailing yachts, aggressively nudging the boats, biting and hitting the rudders and keels. Many yachts have suffered severe damage, and in some incidences – though thankfully limited to a handful cases – the damage has caused the yachts to sink. So far three yachts have sunk off the Iberian coast, fortunately with all crew safely rescued, though encounters have been reported by over 100 other yachts over the past 18 months.

Last month it was revealed that some researchers believe the same female orca, nicknamed ‘White Gladis’, began the pattern of behaviour, which has now been adopted by the local killer whale population. Mature females have the highest status and importance within the whales’ social groups.

Researchers have also identified that a group of juveniles are leading their own attacks. However, scientists studying the whales have no clear answer as to why their behaviour has changed.

In a previous incident, orcas hitting the rudders of a Lagoon 45 catamaran off the Spanish coast. Credit: Halcyon Yachts

Orca attacks spreading?

Until now the incidents have been limited to the Spanish and Portuguese coasts, but earlier this week a sailor reported that his seven-tonne steel yacht had been rammed whilst sailing off Shetland in the North Sea.

Dutch sailor Dr Wim Rutten, a 72-year-old retired physicist, was sailing solo from Lerwick to Bergen in Norway, and was trolling with a single fishing line for mackerel at the time.

He told the Guardian that an orca repeatedly hit the stern of his yacht and swam behind the vessel “looking for the keel. Then he disappeared … but came back at fast speed, twice or thrice … and circled a bit.”

This would be the first reported incident of similar behaviour spreading to other local orca populations. Dr Conor Ryan, a scientific adviser to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust , who has studied orca pods off the Scottish coast, told the Guardian: “I’d be reluctant to say it cannot be learned from [the southern population]. It’s possible that this ‘fad’ is leapfrogging through the various pods/communities.”

Orcas circle a Sun Odyssey 40 yacht. Photo: Martyn and Zoe Barlow

Pacific sinkings following whale collisions

Entirely unrelated to the spate of attacks by orca whales in the Northern Hemisphere, there have also been two reported sinkings caused by yachts colliding with whales mid-Pacific in the past couple of months.

Just yesterday, eight Danish sailors were rescued by a fishing boat mid-Pacific after their 51ft Beneteau Oceanis Lulu sank following a collision with either one or two whales, the Danish Armed Forces confirmed in a statement on Thursday 22 June.

After abandoning the yacht, the crew took refuge in their liferaft and raised the alarm via sat phone. An international search and rescue co-ordinated by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu, Hawaii saw the crew safely rescued by a fishing vessel before being transferred to a container ship, now headed for Tahiti.

This follows the March rescue of four American sailors , who were also recovered from their liferaft after their Kelly Peterson 44 Raindancer sank rapidly following a collision with a whale 1200 miles from French Polynesia. It’s unknown whether whales intentionally collided with yachts Lulu and Raindancer , or if they are purely coincidental. 

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By SuperyachtNews 22 Sep 2023

Superyacht racing returns to New Zealand

The new zealand millennium cup announces a number of new entries set to join the 2024 edition….

One of the world's most iconic, and southern, superyacht sailing regattas is returning with new entrants in 2024. Brand new to the racing is 60 metre Perini Navi, Perseus^3, with race watchers excited to see her unique features - including the tallest carbon fibre mast built and extensive sail area - put to use on the Auckland race course.

“Perseus^3 was built to race specification and we’ve enjoyed building her reputation on the course across the world’s great superyacht regattas. With a race crew which has become known for its spirit and camaraderie, we’re looking forward to bringing Perseus^3 to New Zealand’s waters and letting her show her ability during the New Zealand Millennium Cup,” says Burger van der Walt, captain of Perseus^3.

It will join other early entries to the race including Royal Huisman’s Sassafras, the crew of which is competing after the regatta’s two-year hiatus.

“The team on Sassafras is excited at the prospect of racing in the New Zealand Millennium Cup after a two-year hiatus. The Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf offer a world-class sailing venue, with the backdrop of the City of Sails, home of the holder of the America’s Cup. We look forward to competing with visiting yachts and crews, to make the New Zealand Millennium Cup 2024 the best yet,” says Matt Lovett, captain of S/Y Sassafras.  

Joining the race for the first time will be a fleet of multihulls. With a resurgence of cruising activity in the South Pacific, and growing numbers of the superyacht fleet forecast to arrive in the next seasons, this multihull class is set to offer a new aspect to the regatta’s racing with strong interest from Kiwi owners.

The regatta will take place from 23 to 26 February 2024 and will be raced on Auckland’s waters for the first time since 2013. It will form part of 2024’s inaugural Moana Auckland Festival; a celebration of the integral role of the sea in Auckland’s cultural and economic life.

The entry form and notice of race are available online now at millenniumcup.com. The regatta is comprised of New Zealand Millennium Cup, Multihull, and Corinthian divisions, with the role of principal race officer filled by Harold Bennett.

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Published on October 2nd, 2023 | by Editor

Famous yacht races and luxury regattas

Published on October 2nd, 2023 by Editor -->

The old adage – “Opinions are like assholes; everybody has one and they usually stink” – may apply in this report by Prestige, the ( according to them ) online lifestyle media of choice for the affluent and influential as well as among high-flying corporate leaders, the country’s most eminent personalities, and Asia’s social elite:

Whether you’re a sailor looking for your next yacht racing adventure or a spectator hoping to soak up the exclusive atmosphere of a luxury superyacht regatta, we take a look at the most famous yacht races in the world you should be keeping tabs on.

Watching one of the world’s top yacht races is how many seasoned sailors have first become interested in the sport of sailing. A display of skill, style, and perseverance, significant sailing events take place in major yachting hubs around the world every month of the year. And every three to four years, yachting enthusiasts can gear up to watch extreme around-the-world regattas such as the Vendèe Globe or The Ocean Race.

The top sailing race in the world is currently considered the America’s Cup, a prestigious yacht race begun in 1851 and raced on AC75 foiling boats. But there’s also plenty of traditional sailing events to capture audiences of all inclinations, such as the Boxing Day Sydney Hobart yacht race, which involves sloops and cutters sailing along the sun-kissed shorelines of Australia, or exclusive regattas raced on luxury mega yachts, such as the St Barth’s Bucket.

If you’re serious about sailing, these top sailing yacht racing events are a must-have inclusion in your calendar. – Full report

Tags: Prestige Magazine , superyacht

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• How Design-Savvy Electric Boats Are Shaping the Future of Yachting

Battery-powered boats have come of age, thanks to collaborations with luxury automakers, creative design, and improved performance and range.

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Then one day in 2021, the phone rang. An iconic German automaker needed a partner to help them build a boat. Did he want in?

It was Porsche, a brand synonymous with performance and luxury, so Frauscher gave the only logical response: “I do.”

Last October, the Frauscher x Porsche eFantom launched in Geneva using the drive train from the Porsche Macan and showing off a top speed of nearly 50 mph, with the potential to break 60. At a 25-mph cruise speed, the 28-footer also had a respectable 30-mile range.

Performance is only part of the package, though. The helm recreates the interior look of a 911, including the steering wheel, instrument panel and seats. “I think it will make a great superyacht tender,” Frauscher says. “Wouldn’t it be nice to enter a fancy harbor in an electric boat with the Porsche logo on the side?”

It would, but turning heads in a battery-powered boat keeps getting easier. The eFantom is just one of a new breed of electric boats riding a technological wave that has changed the paradigm of what’s possible.

“The difference is that we’re seeing more boats designed from the ground up to accommodate electric,” says Ed Sherman, a technical consultant for the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), who has been following the electrification of boats for a decade. It’s not just a simple case of retrofitting an existing hull with electric motors and heavy lithium-ion batteries. “It has to be engineered together to work effectively,” says Sherman. “All the better boatbuilders will tell you that.”

Car makers, too. Many of the new entries have connections with the auto industry, either through direct partnerships like the Frauscher-Porsche deal or via founders and key executives who’ve migrated from cars to boats. Other players include newcomers trying their luck as startups, or marine powerhouses such as the Ferretti Group ’s Riva brand.

“The marine industry is so small that the investment to develop new technology often doesn’t make sense,” Frauscher says. “But the car business has so much volume they can afford it. We get the benefit of their R&D.”

Tyde, based in Germany, has partnered with another luxe automaker. Its partnership with BMW has produced two unique and stylish foiling models, the 48-foot Open and the 43-foot Icon , that combine performance and pleasure.

The partnership is particularly satisfying for a guy who couldn’t give away an electric jet ski 15 years ago. Back then, Ballin met the 2008 world champion paddleboater, who produced about 0.5 horsepower with his legs, but propelled his paddleboat to 16 knots.

The trick? Foils. Fascinated by the idea, Ballin hired the paddleboater to develop a foiling PWC. The prototype hit 18 knots using a 4 hp motor. At the time, Ballin had founded Torqeedo , a maker of electric marine motors, but he had no interest in becoming a PWC builder. Instead, he offered the design to every builder he knew, free. No one wanted it.

In 2021, BMW reached out. The company’s battery pack had become commonly used by other builders (it even resides in the Frauscher-Porsche project), and it, too, wanted to show what it could do in marine. Ballin pitched the team on the benefits of foiling, especially for an electric boat, and Tyde was launched.

“Foiling has made a lot of progress since the 2013 America’s Cup, where it made its debut,” Ballin says. “Before, the knowledge only existed in the heads of a few engineers, but it’s gone from an art to a science.” Today, there are a handful of companies that design what he calls a “proper flight system,” most notably Candela , which has been producing foiling electric boats in Sweden for five years, and San Francisco-based Navier , which has a 30-foot foiling powerboat called the N30.

Drivetrain developments also played a role in the progression of electric boats. The energy density of battery packs hasn’t changed much in recent years, so a lot of the gains have come from coaxing more efficiency from the power chain. That includes, shafts, drives, sensors, connectors, and the cooling system.

Instead of cobbling together a Frankenboat, the team designed a fast, sleek weekend cruiser that will compete with non-electric vessels from Pardo , Vandutch and Wajer . Besides range-efficiency and speed, Siala’s proprietary battery system includes a safety management system (SMS) for optimal performance, which includes an automatic failsafe that limits output if the driver puts too much pressure on the batteries.

“Performance is a function of managing the thermal load,” adds Mitch Lee, CEO of Arc, which is based in Los Angeles. “You need to eject the heat to maximize the system.” Lee’s ARC One does that via a software-controlled module that allows the 24-foot towboat to produce a combustion-like 525 horsepower and hit speeds of 40 mph. It can run for four to six hours at slower speeds, he says. That model has already gone out of production, but a new design, the Arc Sport , will offer similar speed and range, with the ability to offer wake surfing.

Arc achieves that performance by building many of its systems in house, supplemented by parts developed in the auto industry, and by building the boat around the drivetrain. “Electric cars took off when they started designing around the battery pack,” he says. “That’s happening now with boats.”

No surprise that Lee’s partner, Ryan Cook, previously worked as an engineer at SpaceX, a corporate cousin of Tesla. Their team includes refugees from Elon Musk’s car company as well as Rivian and Lyft.

Like the Arc, the BIG has an aluminum hull, telemetry (remote updating of systems by the factory), an integrated control module and solar panels built into a hard top that help run systems.

Large solar-panel arrays are integral to recharging banks of batteries on vessels like the Silent 62 three-deck power catamaran , one of the largest electric yachts on the water. The panels are designed across the top for maximum exposure to the sun. The catamaran design is also more efficient than a monohull, which has a lot more wetted surface, while giving owners much more interior volume, thanks to the large beam.

The Silent range has become much more stylish since the company first started building boats a decade ago. The cats then were purely functional, boxy and uninspired. Designers are now seeing opportunities for dressing up the interiors, while making the exteriors as sleek as the form allows.

Most builders of larger cruisers, say in the 50- to 80-foot range, install hybrid diesel-electric propulsion because their owners don’t relish running out of juice miles offshore, with no power source other than the sun. The diesel part of the equation also increases the vessel’s speed, range and weight-carrying capacity.

Cosmopolitan Yachts incorporates solar panels across the top deck of its 70-foot power cat, which feed its banks of lithium batteries. But the Spanish builder also has two diesel generators for alternative power. The shipyard could have reduced overall weight by cutting amenities, as full electric boats must do, but the hybrid power allowed it to go full luxury.

Cosmopolitan’s Ivan Salas Jefferson says his company has taken full advantage of the progression in electrical propulsion and solar panels, as well as the materials. “We could have built this boat five years ago but probably would not achieved the same standards,” he says.

Fully electric power for megayachts remains years away, according to Stefano de Vivo, chief operations officer of Italy’s Ferretti Group , who oversees superyacht brands like Custom Line and CRN. “The batteries are very heavy, making them a challenge for larger yachts,” he says, “so we began studying the possibility of electrifying one of our smaller boats, the 27-foot Riva Iseo.”

Riva launched the production electric version called the El-Iseo in January, with a Parker Hannifin motor and a battery-pack supplied by Podium Advanced Technologies, an auto tech company.

“It would be easy to make an electric boat with 100 miles range, and in bigger sizes, if you do not want the same level of comfort and luxury that a normal Riva has,” de Vivo says. To split the difference, Riva dumped non-essential components that added weight, such as the mahogany transom, but kept everything else the same, winding up with a top speed of 40 knots with a 25-mile range and a cruising speed of 25 knots.

In search of even better performance, the builder is now considering a larger boat with foils, showing that even a traditionally minded company like Ferretti can keep up with changing technology as long as one thing remains true: The boat needs to have the same amenities and build quality, and performance must be close to its non-electric counterparts.

Read More On:

• Electric Boats
• Ferretti Group
• Frauscher Boats
• Tyde Marine

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