yacht racing line honors

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Celestial Tops Hobart Classic

• January 3, 2023

One of the world’s great sportsmen once said: “Winning takes care of everything.” For Sam Haynes, the Australian owner of Celestial and recipient of the Tattersall Cup for overall victory on corrected time at the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race , never have truer words been spoken. To a lesser degree, and without any intended pun on his name, the quote also reflects John Winning Jr’s line honors success with Andoo Comanche .

The 77th Rolex Sydney Hobart started on 26 December, its traditional slot in the global sporting calendar. Once again hundreds of thousands of people crowded the shores of Sydney Harbour, or watched from the water as well as live on television and over the internet. The departure from the familiar setting did not disappoint. 109 yachts, comprising professionals and Corinthians, and some twenty doublehanded or two-person crews, set off under blue skies and bright sunshine. A 10- to 15-knot north northeasterly meant a beat out to the heads, before spinnakers were hoisted and close to 48 hours of uninterrupted downwind sailing began.

With an international repute that transcends sailing’s perceived boundaries, the Rolex Sydney Hobart is an icon in the sport and has been supported by Rolex for over 20 years. The organizing club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), works tirelessly with its partner the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania to ensure the race remains at the pinnacle of classic 600-mile offshore competition. Supporting dynamic yacht clubs like the CYCA, institutions essential to the evolution of sailing, is a core facet of Rolex’s relationship with yachting.

Success at the “Great Race South” is dependent upon so many factors. Paul Cayard, legendary yachtsman and Rolex Testimonee, is clear on the qualities required: “Success in offshore racing requires rigorous preparation, tactical skill and an unyielding determination to push through to the finish.”

A veteran of 11 previous campaigns, Sam Haynes agrees: “You have to arrive on the 26 December completely ready. That is the only way to approach a race like this. Testing, training, analysis, getting prepared involves a lot of people who are not even on the race boat.”

John Winning Jr speaks in a similar vein. His first thoughts on realizing his would be first boat to finish the 628nm course turned to who and what had made it possible: “This boat is all about line honors and we have done what we set out to achieve. I reflected on all the people in the support crew, the team onboard, the time spent training, doing what it took to make the boat go faster, on everything we did to have the best chance possible to achieve our aim.”

Ahead of the race, Winning Jr had said about the battle to be first home: “Second place will not do. It is win or nothing.”

In a race like this, nothing is only a heartbeat away. Shortly after the congested start, where the four competing 100ft (30.5m) maxis traded tacks in their concerted effort to be first into open water, Andoo Comanche struck a mark of the course. Recognizing their error, the crew performed two 360-degree turns in quick succession to purge the infringement. Failure to do so could have led to a fatal penalty at the end of the race. The pre-race favorite needed to reset and refocus.

Once in the Tasman Sea, the crew of Andoo Comanche set to work reeling in the yachts ahead and establishing a small but vital lead over their closest pursuers. Winning Jr acknowledged the determination witnessed in the battle for line honors and the J.H. Illingworth Challenge Cup.

“It is an incredible ocean race, something quite special. Equal amounts of effort will have gone into all the yachts competing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The three other 100 footers especially kept us honest, and I would like to congratulate them for an amazing competition.”

Andoo Comanche completed the course in a time of 1 day 11 hours 56 minutes 48 seconds, two hours outside the race record established in 2017.

The hurdle faced by Celestial came a year earlier and was substantial. Turning the clock back 12 months, Haynes, Vice Commodore of the CYCA and a passionate sailor, admitted to being crushed by finishing second overall after a rule infringement late in the 2021 race resulted in his team being demoted from top spot.

“After last year, I was ready to walk away from the sport. Talking to my family and key people on the team, I realized it was not the right way to go. I wanted to try again, to step up to the challenge.”

As the race unfolded it was clear no crew would have a straight-forward time. The initial downwind sleighride was brutal and tiring, boats racing at speed and on the edge, with race-ending damage a split second away. For the smaller entries, there was an additional, cruel twist as the wind turned on day three forcing them to beat upwind to the southernmost point of the course at Tasman Island, slowing down their progress and effectively removing any chance of overall victory on handicap.

Onboard Celestial [a Judel/Vrolijk TP52], the mindset was singular, as Haynes explains: “We had done our homework. We had done a lot of training, so we could be absolutely confident in the boat and ourselves. At our final pre-race briefing I told the crew we are going to push as fast as we possibly can because we have to do that to beat the other boats.”

 The approach was not without danger, particularly in the hours of darkness: “There is always an element of extreme risk in fast offshore racing at night. It can be quite beautiful, but the second night east of Tasmania was gnarly with a big sea state and gusts of 30 to 35 knots. The boat was waist deep in water, regularly diving into waves, violently shaking, but still being driven right on its limits.”

Celestial eventually crossed the finish line late in the morning of 28 December, establishing an unbeatable lead in the standings. The crew included (with number of Sydney Hobart Races completed): Lewis Brake (2), Callum Cecil (7), David Chapman (7), Troy Grafton (19), Robert Greenhalgh (5), Josh Junior, Jack Macartney (9), Frank O’Leary (9), Malcolm Parker (15), Luke Payne (1), Lindsay Stead (12), Harry West (1), Wulf Wilkens (2).

Fiercely challenging, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race offers a huge sense of personal achievement to those that complete it. Winning the race on corrected time guarantees a place in sailing folklore. Open to all, only the most determined entrants can truly aspire to this pinnacle of achievements. For this edition, the last words rest with Sam Haynes:

“To win a race like this is a massive, life changing achievement. It is a very hard trophy to win. However good you are there are a lot of reasons why you might not succeed. To finally hold the Tattersall Cup means everything.”

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At 5pm today, Peter Harburg’s Black Jack was well into the crossing of Bass Strait and leading the race by 18 nautical miles over the David Witt-skippered SHK Scallywag 100.

Christian Beck’s LawConnect was in third place another 13 nautical miles behind. Meanwhile, the 80-footer, Stefan Racing, was in fourth, six nautical miles further back.

As they sailed on, behind them the fleet continued to be depleted by retirements due to the southerly winds that reached 30 knots overnight, and a southern current.

From the 88 yachts that started at 1pm on Sunday, Boxing Day, 34 had withdrawn for various reasons by 6.30pm (AEDT) on Monday, leaving 54 in the race, including 11 two-handed boats.

Speaking in Hobart on Monday afternoon, the Commodore was optimistic that the big boats in the 628 nautical mile race would get through the southerly soon and find themselves in favourable winds for a nail-biting finish off Constitution Dock mid-or-late afternoon tomorrow.

Asked if the prospect of the frontrunners charging up the Derwent River together was a possibility, Commodore Cornish said: “It certainly is. They are neck and neck at the moment.”

However, Cornish believes it may be a different story for the smaller boats in their wake.

“The boats that are leading, like the 100-footers, they’re probably pretty much through this system now,” he said.

“I would expect in the next five to 10 hours that they’ll be into much calmer conditions from a wind and waves viewpoint, but it will take a while for the seas to abate.

“With respect to the sort of medium size and smaller boats in the fleet, they’ve probably got another 12 hours or so of these southerly conditions before they move into easier times.

“This is a race that’s going to be pretty tricky because by the time they get further down into the Tasmanian coast, these medium-sized boats and smaller boats will be into a ridge.

“There will be a big high system down there and they’ll be much lighter winds and there will unfortunately be times when there’s no wind. It’s going to be a race of very varying conditions.”

Stefan Racing continues to apply pressure on Black Jack, SHK Scallywag 100 and LawConnect, and skipper Grant Wharington is determined to keep them within reach.

“It was a bit uncomfortable last night,” Wharington said. “We haven’t gone through too many dramas. The boat is going pretty well, we keep up with the 100-footers except when close reaching.

“When the breeze drops down, it will be interesting to see who makes it across and who doesn’t. We have to hang in with the front guys and get the pressure with them.

“We haven’t sailed together very much at all. Even in Wolf Rock, we only sailed with half of the crew. Some of the guys haven’t been going too well – they’re a bit ill, but we’ll go strong to the finish.

BLACK JACK, Sail No: 525100, Owner: Peter Harburg, Skipper: Mark Bradford, Design: Reichel/Pugh 100 ©Rolex/Andrea Francolini

“The young guys are going well. They’re doing a bit of cooking and helping out below and on deck.”

Meanwhile, spirits were high on the fifth-placed JV62 Whisper, owned by David Griffith, as she sailed south of Gabo Island into a 15 to 20 knot south-easterly breeze at 12 to 13 knots.

“It’s still moderate, we still have reasonable conditions, but it’s not as bad as last night. The sea we had last night was very rough,” said navigator Michael Bellingham.

“The first 24 hours are time to look after your boat and certainly that was paramount for us.

“We had a few little issues but we’re ok. We’ve got the three 100-footers and an 80-footer ahead. We have a bunch of TP52s behind us. We’re pretty happy with how we’re going.”

For smaller boats, the race has been tough, as reported Grant Chipperfield, owner of the two-handed Victorian entry Joker on Tourer. He is sailing with Peter Dowdney.

Chipperfield reported “a bumpy night last night, storm activity where we saw 45 knots 30 miles off the coast. It was a very uncomfortable night – one reef in the main. Not much sleep…”

• Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

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Published on December 29th, 2021 | by Editor

Sydney Hobart: Overall title undecided

Published on December 29th, 2021 by Editor -->

Hobart, Australia (December 29, 2021) – No sooner had the fight for line honors in the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race been won and lost by the three 100-footers in the race early this morning, attention turned towards the main event – that being, the race for overall victory and the prestigious Tattersall Cup.

While the owners, crews and staff of the front-running big boats were well into celebrating or commiserating their fate in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 628 nautical mile event, in their wake was a fleet scrapping for their place on Division and ultimately their overall place.

The Tattersall Cup, awarded to the boat that finishes first on corrected time, is the most prestigious award for the race, notwithstanding the broad appeal of the line honors race.

First to finish and take line honours for the J. H. Illingworth Cup was Peter Harburg’s Black Jack that crossed the line at 1:37am in a time of 2 days 12 hours 37 minutes 17 seconds.

Second was Christian Beck’s LawConnect in 2 days 15 hours 11 minutes 44 seconds. Third was Seng Huang Lee’s SHK Scallywag 100 in 2 days 15 hours 30 minutes 52 seconds.

The next boat to finish at 3:22pm and take fourth place on line honors after challenging the 100-footers early was the Botin 80 Stefan Racing, skippered by co-owner Grant Wharington.

The JV62 Whisper was the next boat to finish on line honours in fifth place, riding a strong south-westerly blowing at 20 knots on the Derwent River, crossing the finish just over half an hour behind in second overall on IRC in Division 0, with Matt Allen’s Botin 52 Ichi Ban – the two-time Tattersall Cup winner – taking the divisional win after finishing at 04:45:29pm.

Sam Haynes’ TP52 Celestial was seventh over the line, moving to the top of the Division 1 IRC standings and taking the overall lead on IRC.

The race fleet dropped by one at 1pm with confirmation that the Beneteau 473 Wonderland, owned and skippered by Rebecca Connor, had withdrawn due to equipment issues. Wonderland, in her second Rolex Sydney Hobart, was this afternoon heading to Bermagui on NSW south coast.

Wonderland’s retirement meant that the race now had 37 retirements, three finishers and 48 boats still sailing, of which 10 are racing in the Two-Handed division.

The overall standings were shifting a lot this afternoon, and will probably continue to do so.

But at 3pm, leading overall was Shane Kearns’ S&S 34 White Bay 6 Azzurro that was 27 nautical miles east of Flinders Island. It has been in the fray since the race began on Boxing day.

In second place was Simon Kurts’ S&S 47 Love & War, followed by Mark Dribitko’s Beneteau First 40 Fruit Salid 3.

Other overall contenders in the fray included Ichi Ban and Celestial, two TP52 entrants that were separated by only 400m as they charged up the Derwent River in a mighty tussle.

Race details – Results – Tracking – Facebook

The 628 nm Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be the 76th edition in 2021 with a fleet of 88 boats that include three international entries. One hundred fifty seven teams set off in 2019 for the 75th edition, but since then the 2020 race was cancelled due to the pandemic and uncertainty has hovered this year.

From the start in Sydney Harbour, the fleet sails out into the Tasman Sea, down the south-east coast of mainland Australia, across Bass Strait (which divides the mainland from the island State of Tasmania), then down the east coast of Tasmania. At Tasman Island the fleet turns right into Storm Bay for the final sail up the Derwent River to the historic port city of Hobart.

Source: RSHYR

Tags: Sydney Hobart

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The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Has a Boat-Size Absence

Wild Oats XI, a crowd favorite that is one of the most successful yachts in the event’s history, will not compete this year pending repairs and rethinking.

By Kimball Livingston

When the hundred-foot Maxi yachts hit the starting line for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, one absence will loom as a powerful presence.

There will be no Wild Oats XI, and Wild Oats XI is more than a boat.

Speculation is inevitable when a crowd favorite is missing. The report from the boat’s skipper, Mark Richards, is straightforward, but it won’t put an end to wondering. Of the boat and its owners, Richards said: “We had a structural failure in the bow and are having that addressed. The Oatley family are re-evaluating how to progress forward in our sport and they have just decided to have a break this year while they work it out.”

That resonates because in this race, Wild Oats XI has taken line honors (first boat to cross the finish line) nine times, set records three times and, beyond that, won the hearts of Australians.

“Kids 6, 7, 8 years old know the name,” Richards said.

No one dares use the past tense in speaking of Wild Oats XI, but questions arise when a boat that is synonymous with the Sydney Hobart, and that has been rush-repaired in the past to make a race, is absent.

Last year, the boat finished fourth at the Sydney Hobart after a sail ripped underway. It was in August of this year during a race in Australia’s Whitsunday Islands that the hull failure occurred.

In 2005, Bob Oatley commissioned the build of Wild Oats XI and set the standard — the boat swept all honors in its first Sydney Hobart race, only two weeks after launch. The boat would win line honors seven more times before Oatley’s death in 2016. His son Sandy, also passionate about sailing, carried on.

“I’d love to get one more crack,” Richards said. “I guess we’ll know more next year.”

Steve Quigley got his first crack as a crewman in 2012 and felt “daunted” joining the famously accomplished crew. Then, “We were first over the finish line, we set another course record, and we won our division on handicap,” he said. “I should have retired from racing then and there, but it wasn’t until I went walking around Hobart in my team shirt, with strangers asking for autographs, that I understood that Wild Oats XI had become the people’s boat.”

What next? Richards said, “The boat is still very capable.”

Quigley, a naval architect, was part of a team responsible for a bold 2015 redesign that bought the boat some time. In Quigley’s recollection, “I was the one in the meeting who had to tell Bob, ‘You may have the fastest Maxi in the world, but if you want to keep it that way, let’s chop it in half,’” he said.

Then they chopped it twice.

To respect the 100-foot maximum limit for the Sydney Hobart race, length was removed from the stern and added in a new bow section that accommodated bigger sails. Wild Oats XI.2 proved effective across the wind range, and success continued as the boat won line honors again in 2018.

Imagining a 2024 race, Quigley said, “Given the right combination of wind strength and direction, we could find a window to win, but the newer boats have a wider window.”

Design DNA in 2023 is different from 2005. Boats are now wider, yielding stability to carry taller masts and more sail. The maximum width of Wild Oats XI, 17 feet, is 45 percent less than LawConnect, winner of the most recent lead-up regatta series and yet not the newest or widest.

Sandy Oatley did not respond to a request for comment. More than one member of his crew spoke of the team as a “family,” so any decision is charged with emotion: Do you throw money at an unlikely Wild Oats XI.3, or would it satisfy if the boat slipped into the role of sentimental favorite and long shot?

The citizens of Hobart cheer for all, but it doesn’t hurt to arrive on Wild Oats XI. Andrew Henderson, part of the crew since 2005 and a 25-race veteran, said: “Anyone who can get a boat to Hobart deserves respect. The town offers the warmest reception in Australia. All of us understand how special that is.”

This year, however, after many years racing, he said, “I’m spending Christmas with the kids.”

Sydney to Hobart: line honours v handicap honours — who is the real winner of the race?

By Andrew McGarry

Topic: Sport

Prized possessions ... the JH Illingworth Trophy (L) for line honours and the Tattersall's Cup for handicap honours. ( AAP: Elizabeth Hanna )

From athletics to horse racing to Formula One to vast majority of races operate using a simple concept — the first competitor to make it to the finish line is the winner.

In the Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race, however, things get a little more clouded.

News coverage, and public interest, tends to follow the boats at the front who are chasing line honours — the right to be called the first across the line at Constitution Dock in Hobart.

That competition is usually limited to three or four "super-maxis", the biggest, fastest boats in the fleet, which are at least 100-feet in length.

For line honours, the winner gets the J.H Illingworth Trophy, named after Captain John Illingworth, who won the first edition of the race on Rani.

Among most sailors, however, the more important challenge is the race for handicap honours.

The winner on handicap wins the Tattersall's Cup, which was donated to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in 1946. The name of the 1945 winner was subsequently added.

Boats are rated (or handicapped) by their expected speed based on the vessel's size and other statistics.

In years where an entry breaks the race record, such as Wild Oats XI in 2012 — where the super-maxi finished in one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds — they usually win handicap as well as line honours.

But most of the time, handicap honours are won by a smaller, physically slower boat, which nevertheless outdoes its opposition when time is adjusted for size and other factors.

Handicap system an 'equaliser' for the fleet

The Commodore of the CYCA, John Markos, says the handicap system has been designed "to create an equaliser" for the fleet.

"There are so many contexts that go into creating the system," he said.

"You talk about displacement, how much water that a boat displaces (when fully loaded). Then there is sail area, that has an effect, and the mast size does too.

Balance - owned and skippered by Paul Clitheroe - won handicap honours by less than three hours in last year's Sydney to Hobart. ( Supplied: Rolex Sydney to Hobart yacht race )

"There are a lot of these things that have been studied closely to come up with the formula.

"That (handicap honours) is the one that counts for a great many sailors."

According to Commodore Markos, there will be plenty of people racing boats that are much older, up to 50 years old, who he says will still be capable of making the 628 nautical miles to Hobart and giving it a shot for handicap honours.

Last year's winner on handicap, Balance, was owned and skippered by Paul Clitheroe.

Balance's crew had to wait for half a day to find out if they had won, because there was a boat still out on the water called Quikpoint Azzurro, skippered by Shane Kearns, that had a handicap that could have won it the Tattersall's Cup.

For a while it looked like Quikpoint Azzurro, the smallest boat in the fleet, at just 10.1m long, would win the race overall.

But the wind that was pushing Quikpoint Azzurro toward victory died in the River Derwent, and in the end, Balance won on handicap by less than three hours.

Wide range of sailors in the blue water classic

"Many of the people there (in the race) are professional sailors who are there to race to their maximum performance," Markos said.

"Then you have the Corinthians — amateur crews with no professionals on board — they want to have a bash at their division ... and they may be capable of winning the race (on handicap).

"Then you have design classes, like the TP52, there are about 10 of them in the fleet. It all comes down to the crew, because the boats are virtually identical.

"And then you have some people who just want to sail down to Hobart!"

In the end, we return to the question of line honours.

"I think line honours will probably be contested by the four supermaxis, the 100-footers," he said.

Record-breaker Wild Oats XI will be back again this year, seeking to clinch a ninth line honours victory in Hobart. ( ABC News: Siobhan Fogarty )

"Each of them will find their own weather pattern. Some will be set up for downwind, some for upwind. It (the result) really will turn on the weather.

"These boats will be at the centre of technical development, with large sails and (crews with) experience at the elite level."

First and foremost, there is Wild Oats XI, which is the most successful entrant in Sydney-to-Hobart history, with a record eight line honours wins.

Wild Oats XI has also had two clean sweeps, taking out line honours, handicap honours and the race record. She will be skippered again by Mark Richards.

Next is Perpetual LOYAL, which will hope for a better run than the last two years. In 2014, LOYAL was forced to retire on the second morning after hitting an object at sea the previous night and taking on water.

Last year, owner and skipper Anthony Bell had to turn the boat around and head back to Sydney for the second straight year after LOYAL suffered hull damage. Bell and his crew will be hoping for big winds to take advantage of LOYAL's big hull.

Next is Scallywag. This supermaxi was previously raced as Syd Fischer's Ragamuffin 100 - now owned by Seng Huang Lee, Scallywag has a bigger mainsail and will also be looking for strong winds in a bid for line honours.

Last, but by no means least, of the four is CQS, skippered by Ludde Ingvall. Formerly a 90-footer, Nicorette, which won line honours in 2004, CQS has had a serious transformation — with a reverse curved bow, wings and a canting keel, and lengthened to the 100-foot mark to make it a supermaxi.

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2024 Newport Bermuda Race

Palm Beach Motor Yachts is proud to be an official sponsor of the 2024 Newport Bermuda Race produced by the Bermuda Race Foundation. This year’s race marks the 98th Anniversary for the collaboration between the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, producers of the historic yacht race. Palm Beach Motor Yachts’ sponsorship of the 2024 race goes deeper than just viewing the event from the starting line.

WATCH THE RACE LIVE FROM THE PALM BEACH 70

The Palm Beach Motor Yachts team and special guests will be stationed at the starting line off Ft. Adams onboard our flagship Palm Beach 70.

As the race commences, Palm Beach CEO and Chief Designer Mark Richards will then push the throttles forward and head out with the fleet to Bermuda.

“I’m very proud to have Palm Beach Motor Yachts sponsoring this prestigious event. Ocean racing is a huge passion of mine and I'm looking forward to navigating the complete course from Newport to Bermuda at the helm of our beautiful Palm Beach 70, demonstrating our ocean going capabilities and amazing fuel efficiency. I look forward to seeing all the competitors at the finish line!”

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A spirit of adventure and tradition lies at the heart of Palm Beach Motor Yachts, exemplified by the company's founder, CEO, and Chief Designer, Mark Richards. An elite ocean yacht racing champion from Australia, Mark holds nine line honors in the prestigious 628 nautical-mile Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, skippering the Super Maxi Wild Oats XI. His accolades span over two and a half decades and include two America’s Cup campaigns and an Admiral’s Cup victory.

Palm Beach Motor Yachts’ success is driven by its proprietary V-Warp® Technology, a design and construction process derived from Mark Richards' experience as an ocean-racing champion and shipwright. This technology incorporates a warped, semi-displacement hull form and extensive use of carbon fiber, setting a new industry standard for the power-to-weight ratio. This results in class-leading speed, performance, and unrivaled fuel efficiency.

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New York Yacht Club wins third consecutive Hinman Masters Trophy

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By New York Yacht Club

Twenty-five short-course races in three days in winds that rarely topped 10 knots are more than enough to fray the nerves of the most experienced and tranquil sailor. But when it came down to brass tacks on the final day of the  Hinman Masters Team Race , held this past weekend at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, R.I., the key was to forget what was on the line and all the hard work required to get to that point and stay calm. “When you’re thinking about that kind of a situation, where everybody’s finishing at the same time in an important race, you’re really trying to relax and just make your boat stay in the right spot, be legal, not foul, and get across the line in front of the competition,” says Brian Doyle (above, center), who led the host New York Yacht Club to its third consecutive win. “When it’s that close, and everyone’s shooting the line, you never know how the results are going to come out. But we came out on top by inches.”

The race Doyle references was sailed earlier today between Southern Yacht Club and New York Yacht Club. After three grueling round robins among all eight teams and going into a mini round robin among the top four teams, Southern and New York were tied at the sharp end of the leaderboard with 17 points apiece. In this race, the advantage repeatedly shifted between the two teams. As all six boats approached the finish line, it was impossible to tell which team had the edge. The race turned on the battle for fifth place, which was ultimately decided within feet of the finish line. While each team still had two races remaining, the odds for the overall win had tipped decidedly in favor of the New York Yacht Club, which secured the victory by splitting its final two races. Southern Yacht Club finished second—on the podium for the fifth straight year. Eastport Yacht Club took third and Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club finished fourth.

The New York Yacht Club helped usher in a new era of adult team racing with the creation of the  New York Yacht Club Invitational Team Race Regatta for the Commodore George R. Hinman Masters Trophy  in 2000. That race, which requires skippers to be at least 45 years of age and crew to be over 40, was soon followed by the  New York Yacht Club Invitational Team Race Regatta for the Morgan Cup , an all-ages event, in 2003 and, in 2010, the  New York Yacht Club Grandmasters Team Race Regatta , which mandates skippers be at least 60 years of age and crew at least 50. The three team races are traditionally held over consecutive weekends in August at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court, using the Club’s fleet of 22 Sonar keelboats, and annually attract some of the best adult team racers in the United States and Europe. New York Yacht Club Regatta Association sponsors for 2024 include  Helly Hansen ,  Peters & May ,  Hammetts Hotel  and  Safe Harbor Marinas .

To a spectator, team racing can seem loud and contentious, which is at least partially due to the quantity of starts, mark roundings and finishes that go into an average day. There’s simply a lot more racing, in tight quarters, on short courses, than in a typical fleet-race regatta. For the victorious New York Yacht Club team, however, the key to success lay in familiarity and quiet.

“Our team’s been sailing together for several years, and we work really well together,” says Doyle. “We know what each other’s going to do. There’s not a lot of conversation between boats or even on the boats. We’re just boathandling well and consistently making moves to move up our teammates. And with that kind of teamwork, it works out well in the end.”

Of the 13 sailors who raced on Doyle’s squad this year, six raced together in the previous three editions of the Hinman Masters while another three sailed two of the previous three years. That experience and trust was essential for a regatta with predominantly light and variable winds.

“No win was ever secure, because as soon as you turned downwind, anything could happen,” says Doyle. “[On the final day] we had the wind coming over Goat Island, which made it even more tenuous, puffy and shifty all the way down the run. It didn’t matter if you were 1-2-3 [at the top mark], you could get overtaken.”

With the win, its ninth in the 25-year-history of the regatta, the New York Yacht Club widened its commanding lead in the overall win column. Southern stands second, with four. But the competition this year was as close as ever, a testament to the continued interest in this discipline and the growing collective skill level of the competitors.

“Adult team racing, though 25 years of the Hinman Masters, has grown substantially,” says Doyle. “It’s really exciting. There’s more and more clubs now with fleets of boats, particularly Sonars, which is great, because they maneuver well and they’re great for team racing. We just heard that some more yacht clubs are purchasing fleets this year, so adult team racing is going to continue to grow.”

The New York Yacht Club’s 2024 team racing schedule will conclude with the  New York Yacht Club Grandmasters Team Race , which starts on Friday, August 23, and runs through Sunday. Ten teams are scheduled to participate in this event, which mandates that skippers be at least 60 years of age and crew 50 or older.

Winning New York Yacht Club team, above with former Commodore George R. Hinman Jr. (left) and Vice Commodore Clare G. Harrington (right): Brian Doyle (skipper & team captain), Whitney Rugg, Hannah Swett, Shane Wells, Steve Kirkpatrick (skipper), Alice Leonard, Zachary Leonard, Whitney Peterson, Jane Kirkpatrick, Chris McDowell (skipper), Libby Toppa, Brett Davis and Sam Septembre.

New York Yacht Club Invitational Team Race Regatta  for the Commodore George R. Hinman Masters Trophy August 16 to 18 New York Yacht Club Harbour Court Newport, R.I. Final Results Click  here  for scoring matrix and race-by-race results

1. New York (N.Y.) Yacht Club – Doyle, 19 wins; 3. Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, La., 18 win; 3. Eastport (Md.) Yacht Club, 16 wins; 4. Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Centre Island, N.Y., 16 wins; 5. New York (N.Y.) Yacht Club – Singsen, 9 wins; 6. Annapolis (Md.) Yacht Club, 7 wins; 7. Riverside Yacht Club, Greenwich, Conn., 7 wins; 8. St. Petersburg (Fla.) Yacht Club, 4 wins. Photos: Stuart Streuli / New York Yacht Club

Obituary: Thomas Goff

Obituary: Paul Elshant

Suárez delivers again for the Orioles, who earn a split with a 4-2 victory over Boston

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Sidewinder wins 2 Handed Line Honours in the 2021 Sydney Hobart race

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The wind posed its challenges throughout the Games, but sailing at the 2024 Paris Olympics was ultimately a success. 

The mixed two-person dinghy event made its Olympic debut in Paris, along with kiteboarding and iQFoil.

Here's a look back at all the action, from highlights to medal results and everything in between.

FULL EVENT REPLAYS: SAILING RESULTS: SAILING

Netherlands wins gold despite nearly missing finish line during women's skiff race

The women’s skiff race in the 49erFX class ended in dramatic fashion. Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz from the Netherlands clinched gold, Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler from Sweden secured silver, and Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon from France took bronze.

The Dutch team got off to a strong start and displayed impressive upwind speed, leading slightly at the first mark. The Americans were also performing well, rounding the first mark in fourth and the second mark in second. By the final mark before the finish, the Dutch were a length ahead of the U.S., with Sweden in third and France in seventh. It seemed like a straightforward finish: a short sprint to the line would secure gold for the Dutch and move the U.S. up the standings.

However, both the Dutch and Americans mistakenly thought they had crossed the finish line when they actually had 200 more yards to go. The Dutch misread the course, and the Americans followed their lead. Meanwhile, the Swedish crew correctly identified the finish line and sailed straight to victory. The Americans, not realizing their error, took down their spinnaker and stopped racing. The Dutch, belatedly recognizing their mistake, raced back to cross the line in third. The French finished sixth and believed they had won gold, while the Dutch team was devastated, thinking they had lost due to their mistake. The Americans were left perplexed.

The situation took a turn when the Dutch coach boat approached van Aanholt and Duetz, informing them through their tears that they had actually won gold. In disbelief, Duetz asked in English, “We won the gold?” After a stunned silence, the two sailors erupted with joy upon realizing the wonderful news.

Team USA wins lone medal in men's skiff

American sailors Ian Barrows and Hans Henken leave the Games with a bronze medal — the only medal for Team USA in sailing. 

Barrows and Henken, distinguished All-American intercollegiate sailors from Yale and Stanford, excelled in precise boat handling under tight conditions. Their extensive experience in close racing proved invaluable in the biggest race of their careers. At the third mark, which concluded the windward leg, Barrows faced a split-second decision: whether to tack ahead of a swiftly approaching Swiss boat or to duck behind and risk losing a crucial position to avoid a potential foul. It was a high-stakes call.

Barrows chose to tack. The Swiss team protested, arguing that the maneuver was too close, but the on-the-water umpires quickly judged it to be legal, allowing the race to proceed. On the downwind leg, the Swiss team aggressively tried to block the American sails, potentially turning it into a grudge match after being outmaneuvered. For Barrows and Henken, it was frustrating to contend for clear air while also aiming to finish ahead of Ireland to secure the bronze medal.

Marit Bouwmeester makes history

Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands clinched the gold medal in the women's dinghy, solidifying her position as the most successful woman in Olympic sailing with an unbeatable lead going into the medal race. It was Bouwmeester's fourth Olympic medal in as many Games. 

Denmark’s Anne-Marie Rindom , Bouwmeester’s nearest competitor in the Mediterranean waters of Marseille, effectively secured the silver medal, adding to the gold she won in 2021.

First Olympic kiteboarding medals awarded

On the women's side, Great Britain's Eleanor Aldridge won Olympic kiteboarding's first-ever gold, with France's Lauriane Nolot securing silver and Annelous Lammerts of the Netherlands taking bronze in the women's event.

American Daniela Moroz finished fourth in the first-to-three final, as the medal favorite and No. 1-ranked sailor in the world was surprisingly kept off the podium.

After light winds early resulted in postponed races for the 12th time in 13 days, it was 23-year-old Austrian Valentin Bontus who claimed the first gold medal in men's Olympic kiteboarding. Slovenia's Toni Vodisek won silver and Singapore's Max Maeder took bronze.

Note: Some components of NBCOlympics.com may not be optimized for users browsing with Internet Explorer 11, 10 or older browsers or systems.

Assessing claims about Tim Walz’s military service

Republicans are attacking the Democratic vice-presidential nominee on his retirement timing and with allegations of “stolen valor.”

When Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday introduced her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, she lauded his lengthy service in the National Guard: “He is a veteran who served our nation in uniform for more than two decades as a member of the Army National Guard.” Walz played up his service, too: “For 24 years, I proudly wore the uniform of this nation. The National Guard gave me purpose.”

Since that moment, Walz’s record has been under attack by Republicans, with claims that he abandoned his troops on the eve of a deployment to Iraq and that, in an instance of “stolen valor,” inflated his credentials and wartime experience.

Here’s an assessment of those claims.

Abandonment of his troops

“When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him.”

— GOP vice-presidential candidate JD Vance, Wednesday

The Washington Post reported that at least three former Guard colleagues have publicly voiced bitterness at Walz’s decision to leave their unit shortly before a possible deployment to Iraq — a deployment that, because it was extended, lasted 19 months. The record shows that Walz made his decision to retire after the National Guard announced the unit might be deployed to Iraq. Walz initially issued a news release indicating he would deploy with his unit.

We constructed the following timeline from interviews, National Guard records and news reports.

April 8, 1981 — Two days after he turns 17, Walz joins the Nebraska National Guard.

1996 — Walz transfers to Minnesota National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery.

September 2001 — Though Walz qualified for retirement at 20 years of service, he said in an interview for a Library of Congress oral history project that the Sept. 11 attacks persuaded him to reenlist.

Aug. 3, 2003 — Walz’s unit deploys for nine months of active duty, based in Vicenza, Italy, to support Operation Enduring Freedom, the war in Afghanistan. The troops provided security for Air Force bases in Turkey, Italy, Belgium and Britain, with some elements deployed to support stability operations in Bosnia and Kosovo, a unit history says . In the Library of Congress interview, Walz said the experience made him more politically aware.

April 2004 — Walz returns to Minnesota.

Feb. 5, 2005 — Walz, describing himself in a news release as “Mankato West High School teacher and Command Sergeant Major in the National Guard,” files paperwork saying he is exploring running for Congress.

March 17 — The National Guard announces possible partial mobilization of 2,000 troops. “The announcement from the National Guard PAO [Public Affairs Office] specified that all or a portion of Walz’s battalion could be mobilized to serve in Iraq within the next two years,” according to a March 20 news release issued by the Walz campaign. “Walz Still Planning to Run for Congress Despite Possible Call to Duty in Iraq,” the headline said.

In the news release, Walz said he “had no plans to drop out of the race.” He also said: “As Command Sergeant Major I have a responsibility not only to ready my battalion for Iraq, but also to serve if called on. I am dedicated to serving my country to the best of my ability, whether that is in Washington DC or in Iraq.”

March 21 — KEYC, a radio station in North Mankato, Minn., broadcasts a report that highlighted Walz’s “unique position” in light of the National Guard announcement. “He will continue his campaign for the congressional seat, despite his possible deployment to Iraq,” the newscast said. “Walz also says if called to active duty in Iraq, his family will continue his campaign back home in Mankato.”

May 16 — The Harris campaign did not respond to a request to provide the day when Walz submitted his retirement papers, but records show this is Walz’s last day with the National Guard. He is 41. His daughter, Hope, is 4. In the Library of Congress interview, Walz said he left the Guard in April “to run for this office.” He said that “we were concerned we would try to do both” and “I decided to retire to focus full time on running.”

Maj. Gen. Randy Manner , U.S. National Guard (ret.), who oversaw overseas deployments, told The Fact Checker that it usually takes at least 90 days to process retirement requests so “60 days would be extraordinarily fast.” Manner said that the Minnesota adjutant general has the final say and could have blocked Walz’s retirement if he thought it would have had a negative impact on the possible deployment.

A former top official in the Minnesota National Guard at the time, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid being entangled in politics, told The Fact Checker that there was no consideration of blocking Walz’s retirement.

July 14 — Walz’s unit officially receives orders to deploy.

Oct. 14 — Unit is mobilized.

March 2006 — Unit deploys.

November 2006 — Walz elected to Congress.

October 2007 — Unit returns after deployment was extended.

Assessment: Walz knew that he might soon be deployed to Iraq. However, he had served nearly a quarter-century in the Guard and had already announced he was considering a congressional race. He has said he could not do both, and so chose to run for Congress. Whether he abandoned his troops is a matter of perspective, but it is noteworthy that his retirement request was not blocked.

In a statement, the Harris campaign said: “After 24 years of military service, Governor Walz retired in 2005 and ran for Congress, where he was a tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform — and as Vice President of the United States he will continue to be a relentless champion for our veterans and military families.” The campaign did not respond directly to a question about the timing of his resignation and why he left.

Stolen valor claims

Republicans have cited three examples of “stolen valor” — broadly intended to mean Walz is claiming credit for something he did not achieve in the military. The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 makes it a crime to claim to be a recipient of various military medals or badges — and Walz is not accused of that.

‘Command Sergeant Major’

“Walz referred to himself as a retired command sergeant major in his run for Congress and governor. This is a lie and stolen valor.”

— Ashley Hayek, chief engagement officer, America First Policy Institute, Wednesday

Walz’s biography on his website says: “After 24 years in the Army National Guard, Command Sergeant Major Walz retired from the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion in 2005.” At various times, such as in a 2006 C-SPAN interview , he described himself as a command sergeant major. Republicans say that is misleading because he is receiving retirement benefits for the rank one level below — master sergeant. That’s because he still needed additional training at the time he retired.

“He held multiple positions within field artillery such as firing battery chief, operations sergeant, first sergeant, and culminated his career serving as the command sergeant major for the battalion,” said Army Lt. Col. Kristen Augé, Minnesota National Guard’s state public affairs officer. “He retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.”

The Harris-Walz campaign on its website initially called Walz a “retired Command Sergeant Major” but then updated his biography to say he “served as a command sergeant major.”

Assessment: This is on the line. He did achieve the title he has claimed, for a total of seven months, but it would be more accurate to say he “served as command sergeant major” rather than claim the title outright.

Operation Enduring Freedom

“Tim Walz Falsely Claimed He Served in Afghanistan.”

— Washington Free Beacon headline, Wednesday

Walz’s deployment overseas was in support of the war in Afghanistan, dubbed Operation Enduring Freedom, Augé said, saying “the battalion supported security missions at various locations in Europe and Turkey.”

Generally, Walz makes that clear. “I deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom,” he said in a 2007 C-SPAN interview. “My battalion provided base security throughout the European Theater from Turkey to England in the early stages of the war in Afghanistan.”

But Republicans have pointed to a 2006 news release by his congressional campaign, which called him “a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom” and also a 2004 photo in which he is holding a sign saying “Enduring Freedom — Veterans for Kerry.”

Augé said Walz earned a Global War on Terrorism medal but the records are unclear on whether it was a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal or a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal . A Harris-Walz campaign aide said it was the service medal, which is for individuals who either directly or indirectly supported these designated operations: Airport security, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Assessment: This is also on the line. We can find no evidence Walz ever claimed he served in Afghanistan. He served overseas in support of the Afghanistan war, but sometimes his phrasing might mislead people into thinking he was an Afghanistan veteran.

Carrying weapons

“Well, I wonder. Tim Walz, when were you ever in war?”

— Vance, Wednesday

The Harris campaign circulated a 2018 clip of Walz arguing in support of gun restrictions. “We can make sure that those weapons of war that I carried in war is the only place where those weapons are at,” he said.

There is no evidence that Walz served in combat — and he has not claimed he did. He did receive ribbons for proficiency in sharpshooting and hand grenades, according to military records obtained through an open records request by MPR News .

“In his 24 years of service, the governor carried, fired and trained others to use weapons of war innumerable times,” a Harris-Walz campaign aide said. “Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American’s service to this country — in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. It’s the American way.” The aide did not address his use of the phrase “in war.”

On Friday, after this fact check first appeared online, campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa told The Post that “the governor misspoke” in his remarks. “He did handle weapons of war and believes strongly that only military members trained to carry those deadly weapons should have access to them.”

Assessment: Walz’s language was sloppy and false. He did carry weapons of war — just not in war.

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