Ocean Racing

Shipping to Boston

by David Schmidt, Posted April 16, 2009

If you’re into Celtic punk, you’re familiar with the Dropkick Murphys song, “I’m Shipping up to Boston”, a tune that twangs many sailor’s heart strings for a bygone era of wooden ships, men of steel, and onboard accommodations that defined the term “lacking.” In this song, written by Woodie Guthrie, a fictitious sailor loses his leg climbing the topsails while sailing up to

Sixth-Annual MacMan Challenge

by Tom Nunlist, Posted April 15, 2009

The Mackinac Island Yacht Club will have its 6th annual MacMan Challenge July 23-25 this summer. The 125-mile distance race runs from Mackinac Island to Manitoulin Island, with a stopover in Gore Bay, before heading on to the finishing line in Little Current, and includes nighttime

The Zaraffa Transatlantic Journal

by , Posted June 22, 2003

SAIL's deputy editor Josh Adams crewed aboard the 66-foot Zaraffa in the DaimlerChrysler North Atlantic Challenge, 3,600 miles from Newport, Rhode Island to Cuxhaven, Germany. Designed by Richel/Pugh and owned by Skip Sheldon of Shelburne, Vermont, Zaraffa went into this race as a favorite (she was the overall winner of the 2002 Newport-Bermuda) and was first to finish by a large

Countdown to Belief

by Sail Staff, Posted September 14, 2007

After three years of prepping for a dream, American Clay Burkhalter counted the time remaining to the start of Mini Transat 2007. "A state of disbelief" is how he described the feeling as the clock wound down to Sunday.And, after many years of living the dream, the designer of Burkhalter's Mini, Rod Johnstone, could look back and believe that he's moved the ball in the world of

Triple Victory: Rambler Scores Big in Middle Sea Race

by Sail Staff, Posted October 24, 2007

The 28th Middle Sea Race proved shorter than expected for many competitors as 45-knot sustained winds with lashing, 50-knot-peak puffs forced nearly half the 57-boat fleet to retire and one boat, the Australian-flagged Reichel/Pugh 60 Loki, to abandon ship because of a broken rudder. At least one owner crossed the finish line with a smile on his face. George David’s older-generation

Salter Signs On For A “Lap”

by Sail Staff, Posted November 1, 2007

Ericsson Racing names Navigator for next year’s Volvo RaceBy David SchmidtFollowing Ericsson Racing Team’s recent news that sailing-great Torben Grael will skipper the team’s internationally-crewed “A” boat, the team recently announced that Englishman Jules Salter will navigate for Grael in the 2008/2009 event. “Ericsson has a great team. They are well organized, and we

Inked: SE Asia

by Sail Staff, Posted November 19, 2007

Singapore has been named as the first official Southeast Asian stopover in the Volvo Ocean Race’s history. The fleet of Volvo Open 70’s is expected to reach Singapore in mid-December of 2008, and will tie up at the new, state-of-the-art One Degree 15 Marina Club, located on the resort island of Sentosa. Says Glenn Burke, the CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race: “Singapore is vastly experienced in

It’s Official!

by Sail Staff, Posted November 30, 2007

The Portimo Global Ocean Race—the world’s first “Solo-Double” Race—has officially published their Notice of Race, the official document that governs next year’s solo/doublehanded round-the-world ocean race. “Publishing our Notice of Race is a defining moment for us and for our competitors who can now move their campaigns forward with the utmost confidence,” said Race Director Josh Hall. “The NOR

Out of the Wild

by David Schmidt, Posted December 3, 2007

Watch video of the Avanti ripping it up at 19+ knots in Block Island Sound.(May take several minutes to download.) Clip 1 | Clip 2“Hey David, do you have a life-insurance policy?” Ken Read asks, poking his head through the companionway of the Volvo Open 70 Puma Avanti as we pound

Namaste!

by Sail Staff, Posted January 18, 2008

Volvo Ocean Race makes confirmed stopover in Indian city of KochiBy David SchmidtRickshaws, chai, incense, street vendors, sacred cows, sardhu’s, ashrams, and Volvo Open 70’s? Indeed, the world’s highest-tech monohulls might seem oddly juxtaposed with India’s more iconic symbols, but it is confirmed: The Indian city of Kochi (in the state of Kerala) will host the second