British Olympian Ben Ainslie, just days after competing in AC class racing in Valencia, has been named ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year at the 2008 ISAF General Assembly in the Spanish capital of Madrid. Ainslie won his third gold medal at the Qingdao Olympiad (he also has a silver in the Laser) with an overwhelmingly confident win in the Finn dinghy. Ainslie, 31, is the first
Just a few days after it started off the coast of France, the Vendee Globe solo round-the-world race is already living up to its reputation as the ultimate test of sailors and equipment.Battered by huge seas and strong winds in the Bay of Biscay, nine of the 30 starters have either retired or been forced back to the French port of Les Sables dOlonne for repairs.The race started in
The French dominate the world of shorthanded ocean sailing, and the man of the moment among French solo sailors is Francis Joyon.Last winter Joyon became the fastest person to sail single-handed around the world, setting a remarkable time of 57 days, 13 hours, knocking nearly two weeks off the previous record.Last weekend the 52-year-old Frenchman set another record aboard his 97
Sixteen-year-old American Zac Sunderland, whos halfway through his attempt to become the youngest-ever solo circumnavigator, has a rival. British teenager Mike Perham, who is 108 days younger than Zac, is about to set sail from the UK on a fully sponsored Open 50 racer.Mike made headlines in 2007 when he and his father sailed solo from England to Antigua in separate boats. He was just 14
Is the Americas Cup saved? No. Sadly, the battle of the ego-heavy billionaires continues, with neither side showing any signs of backing down, even though the Socit Nautique de Genve/Alinghi has won an important victory by having Desafo Espaol, Club Nutico Espaol de Vela reinstated as the official challenger of record (BMX/Oracle of course claims that Desafo Espaol, Club Nutico Espaol
The Vendee Globe is the real deal: A singlehanded sailor, a massively powerful, 60-foot canting-keel carbon-fiber racing shell with some of the fastest sails around, and Planet Earth. Solo. No assistance. Just the sailor, aboard his/her boat, taking on the world. What could be simpler?Obviously, simple is not a standard word used to describe the work list necessary to just arrive on the
This thing is like a Volvo Open 70 except it doesnt have a canting keel and its systems are more refined, says veteran bowman Jerry Kirby as Numbers, Dan Meyerss newly splashed Judel/Vrolijk 66, hits a big wave and jostles the crew, most of whom are stationed near the stern to keep the bow up. All around us are choppy seas; the true-wind instrument reads 18 to 21 knots, and our
We all want our boats to be more stable, but how can this be accomplished? The conventional solution is to hang more ballast off a deeper keel. Think more progressively, and youre talking about water ballasting, which, while effective, also adds extra weight. Go sci-fi, and youre canting your keel to windwardwhich is very effective, but is complicated, accident-prone, and still depends on
You gotta be kidding me! exclaims a muscle-bound member of the crew of Leopard, a brand-new Farr-designed, British-owned 100-foot Super-Maxi, from our observation post aboard her tender. The RCs set the finishing line just off that reef. Leopards doing 15 knots, easy. Theres not much time to gybe, get that kite down, and head up. Seated around me are other
So, you want to campaign a Volvo Open 70. The 200809 Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), a fully crewed around-the-world marathon, started on October 4, 2008, in Alicante, Spain, so you’re out of luck unless your time frame is far downstream. As in, the next race. When the time comes, you could model yourself this way: You could start by buying the VO70 that holds the monohull 24-hour distance record
They said it couldn’t be done, but damn it, we did it! We sailed the Great Dismal Swamp Canal, in light winds, no less. Everyone
After concerns about the closed border between the United States and Canada forced race organizers to cancel the biennial Marblehead to Halifax Race, The Michael
Thirteen sailors have been confirmed for the United States’ 2021 Tokyo Team, including Olympic veterans in five of the nine classes. “I know how much
The title of this essay is a bit of a misnomer because I don’t actually believe there is such a thing as an objectively “good”
The 50th Anniversary Catalina 22 National Championship regatta will take place May 23-27 at the Pensacola Yacht Club in Florida. 24 boats are currently registered from
The Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image is now accepting submissions for its 12th annual contest. This international photo contest is dedicated to showcasing the best in
In the spring of 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic was just beginning to surge across the country, many municipalities and health departments banned all competitive
Caribbean yachting at its best took place this past weekend when eight teams participated in 16 rugged races over three days through variable currents, strong
This year’s annual Ida Lewis Distance Race on Narragansett Bay will offer something for everyone. In addition to ORC and PHRF, there will be sections
Not the office type? College isn’t an option, or your degree in philosophy isn’t panning out? If a job in the marine trades sounds like
