It would be a scene worthy of the most outrageous Hollywood action movie: a man, alone on an enormous flying trimaran, is hurtling across the ocean’s remotest reaches, when he plunges through the floor of the cockpit. He dangles, metres above the churning waves – with no way of calling for help – until he manages to haul himself back on board. Then he dusts himself off, and keeps racing. But Charles Caudrelier barely mentions it.

“You had some wave damage?” I ask during our chat about the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest, the solo around the world race in 100ft foiling Ultims.

“Oh, yes. Before Cape Horn, I caught some 7m waves and with the wind churning and the waves coming off a front for a few hours that was quite uncomfortable. A wave onto the back of the boat hit the deck, so I had a big hole in my boat. That was quite difficult, because you feel safe in your cockpit and then suddenly your cockpit is open and you can see water.

“I nearly fell in the water because I forgot that the hole was there. When I came back from doing a manoeuvre, I walked on the hole, because there was still one skin of carbon, but it was like a piece of paper. So I dropped in the hole up to my shoulders, and I managed to catch something and stay on board.

“At this moment I thought about all the hours I spent on the Volvo Ocean Race, outside, waves coming over the deck. And I say, okay, this is nothing compared to that. Your boat is 10m metres longer and you are inside the cockpit, you just have a hole. No worry, everything is going to be fine.”

Photo: Marin Le Roux/polaRYSE/Gitana

It was fine. Caudrelier went on to win the Arkea Ultim Challenge, sailing around the world in 50 days. In doing so he set a litany of firsts: first to foil around the world on an Ultim; winner of the first solo around the world race in multihulls; and takes a unique place as having won both a solo around-the-world race and a crewed around-the-world race as skipper.

Solo sailing goals

Charles Caudrelier, now 50, was born in Paris but the family moved to Brittany so his father could pursue his twin passions of sailing and horses. “When I was two, he decided to leave Paris for another life, which was quite courageous, because his job and all his family were in Paris,” recalls Caudrelier.

The young Charles got involved in sports ranging from golf to fencing and windsurfing, but remembers a pivotal moment when he decided his future was in sailing.

“My father was crazy about offshore racing, and we would go to all the starts of the famous races. One day, I think I was 15, it was the beginning of the one-design solo Figaro. It was also the start of the story of Michel Desjoyeaux, Jean Le Cam, all these guys. He introduced me to Michel and said, this guy will become a great sailor. Michel became my hero, and I started sailing more.

The Caudrelier family moved from Paris to Brittany, and immersed themselves in sailing and windsurfing. Photo: Courtesy of Caudrelier family

“I just wanted to sail single-handed. Sometimes I stole the boat belonging to some friends of my father, and would go sailing in the night trying to sail single-handed on it. It was really what I wanted to do.”

It’s a trait Caudrelier has shown throughout his career – putting the work in, trusting the process – with flashes of risk-taking when required. But the returns weren’t ever guaranteed.

“At this time it was difficult to be a sailor. Nobody was winning money and my father was a bit worried. He told me: finish your studies and after you can do what you want. But I was sailing more and more, doing the Tour de France a la Voile. When you are a young guy, motivated – and people don’t need to pay you! – famous people started to ask me to sail with them. That’s when I met Franck Cammas, and with Franck we did a lot of match racing, so I started to learn how to be very accurate and good at trimming, and as a tactician.”

Article continues below…

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Caudrelier wins first ever solo round the world race in foiling Ultim

Solo skipper Charles Caudrelier has won the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest, the first ever solo around the world race in…

Having left school he completed his French military service (compulsory until 1996) as an athlete, training at Port-la-Forêt, then took part in his first Solitaire du Figaro, where he finished 9th and 1st ‘bizuth’ or rookie. But when he lost his first sponsor, Caudrelier went back to the day job. “My job was at a merchant ship academy, so I went to work on the Brittany Ferries. But after six months, I was going crazy and said, okay, that will not be my life! I will do whatever I can, but I want to win the Figaro.”

After double-handing with Olympic sailing and Figaro legend Gildas Morvan, Caudrelier secured a new backer, and began to move his way up the Figaro rankings: 5th in 2001, 3rd a year later, before winning in 2004. But even then there were still no guarantees of success.

Caudrelier was inspired to sail solo aged 15, even ‘borrowing’ a family friend’s boat overnight to practice. Photo: Courtesy of Caudrelier family

“Now, people prefer to be good on Instagram than trying to win the Figaro! Lots of sailors are on the start of the Vendée Globe, who never succeeded in the Figaro, just find a sponsor because they are good in the media.

“At the time, when I started, if you wanted to have a big boat and do the Vendée Globe, the first step was to win the Figaro. So I did. Unfortunately, I never found a sponsor for myself.”

High performer

Though Charles Caudrelier might not have had his own campaign, the opportunities kept coming. “I was lucky that I joined the best team – Banque Populaire with Pascal Bidégorry – and did all the races in the Orma 60 multihull,” he recalls. “My phone was ringing a lot.”

He co-skippered Marc Guillemot’s innovative Safran IMOCA 60, winning the double-handed races they entered. “That was the first time somebody used this title in France of ‘performer’ [performance analyst]. I was in charge of performance for him.

Racing double-handed in the IMOCA Safran. Photo: DPPI Media/Alamy

“Then my phone rang again, and it was Franck calling me to join the Groupama Sailing Team. That was an amazing experience with top level guys, top design. But it was very tough.”

Groupama, with a Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed Volvo 70 and talent-packed crew (including fellow Ultim skipper Thomas Coville) won the 2011 Volvo Ocean Race, despite a dismasting.

“I learned so many things. I learned how to be a specialist, because as a single-handed sailor I could do everything on the boat. But at the beginning, it was difficult for me to concentrate on one thing. So I learned to do the pitman [role], to do manoeuvres.”

The campaign also had a strong performance development team led by Yann Riou with Charles Caudrelier. “We tried everything. During two years of preparing we did so much work with the designer, there were so many smart people in this team. I have the feeling that I learned more in two years than in 10 years of my sailing life before.

“I learned also to manage people. And I realised that even if you have the best people, if they don’t manage to work together, and if you don’t have a good team spirit, it doesn’t work. That was quite a difficulty inside the Groupama team sometimes.”

It was something Caudrelier prioritised when he was appointed skipper of Dongfeng Race Team for the Volvo Ocean Race. “When I created the team with [team manager] Bruno Dubois, I told him it’s all about human performance, it’s all about working together. And I can say that it’s a success – not only because we won (in 2017/2018). From the Groupama Sailing Team, I speak with nearly nobody. But the Dongfeng Race team – we still have the same WhatsApp group and nobody left it.

Firehose conditions on the Dongfeng VO65. Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut/Dongfeng Race Team

Each time there is a birthday or something important, like a baby – or a rugby match! – everybody makes jokes. I think in 20 years we will still be in contact.”

Another key tenet of the Dongfeng campaign was that the crew looked after each other. Caudrelier recalls that when Dongfeng made their final race-winning decision to take a daring inshore route to the finish in The Hague, no other team had spotted the opportunity. “When we spoke to the other guys they said, ‘Oh, I was exhausted, we didn’t think about it.’

“We worked a lot on the routing, probably because we were not exhausted. And nobody was exhausted because we had good food, we were in good shape. Some other crews had skin problems, foot problems – because they didn’t think this stuff was so important. We had very heavy mattresses; people were laughing at us, saying it’s too heavy – but not if you sleep better. The small details make a difference.”

Celebrating Dongfeng’s Volvo Ocean Race win with crew mate Carolijn Brouwer. Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut/Dongfeng Race Team

Big questions

Despite Caudrelier’s no-stones-unturned approach, the Arkea Ultim Challenge harboured a great number of unknowns, not least uncertainty about whether the 100ft foiling Ultims could even make it around the course.

“I was very confident – and I’m never confident, that’s not me. But I’m also Cartesian,” he says, referring to the mindset that allows you to rationalise two opposing truths. “I was thinking, okay, I know my boat is stronger than the others. I was sure about that. I know we have more experience. Nobody has sailed as much as me on this kind of boat.

“But I was not sure that one boat would finish the race, to be honest, because we tried two times with the Trophée Jules Verne and we broke something every time.”

The Verdier-designed Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Gitana 17, was launched back in 2017. Seven years is a long time to be at the cutting edge, but its deep development programme has enabled Caudrelier, together with former co-skipper Cammas, to become the dominant force in the Ultim class, winning Fastnet Races, the Transat Jacques Vabre, and the double-handed Brest Atlantiques race – a proof of concept event for the foiling trimarans (which proved, ultimately, that they could race trans-ocean, but probably not non-stop).

Finally, in 2022, Caudrelier got his single-handed ocean race win when he took 1st in the Route du Rhum – a boyhood dream come true.

“I think because Gitana were the first to make the step of flying offshore it was a huge advantage that we still have in the game,” says Caudrelier. “Today, it’s very close in terms of performance. But I was sure that I have the boat that is the most reliable. I know that my boat is a bit heavier than the others – because it’s stiff, that’s the first reason. But also because we think systems need to be strong to last. And that’s what happened. Everybody had rudder system [problems]. We already had all these problems with rudders two years ago. So I knew that I could push.”

The Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest saw six 100ft trimarans race around the world solo, but only Caudrelier nearly made it non-stop. Photo: Vincent Curutchet

Breakneck pace

And push he did. The early stages of the race were breakneck with Charles Caudrelier and Tom Laperche on SVR-Lazartigue locked into a battle at 30 knots, often less than two miles apart. For followers it was riveting, but on board it was relentless.

“We were racing like we were with crew. We were dropping the sail at full speed, hoisting at full speed. We were trying to lose nothing. Each mile was important, which, I think, could have been our mistake. If Tom hadn’t broken his boat [SVR-Lazartigue retired into Cape Town after an underwater collision], maybe we would have been stupid and pushed together too far. But yeah, that was quite impressive…”

It’s a work rate Charles Caudrelier is known for. He has the reputation for being a machine. “It’s what my routing guys call me,” he explains, “because when I did the Route du Rhum, I was doing the same performance as the crew, and when they asked me to do a tack or manoeuvre, I never say no.” (During his six day transatlantic he made 17 gybes and 15 tacks).

Co-skippering with his close friend, Franck Cammas. Photo: Alexis Courcoux/Brest Atlantiques

“But I’m just very well organised. I don’t like to say where I’m good, but I think I’m very good at manoeuvres. I’m not a guy who’s organised in real life, but when it’s about manoeuvring, I always have a good plan, and I really want to do it perfectly. Tom is also a machine. I thought nobody will follow me at the beginning – Tom did, but he’s 25 years younger!”

By the time Caudrelier returned to the North Atlantic, he was the only one of the six skippers not to have made a technical stopover for repairs. Besides the hole in the cockpit sole, Gitana 17 had suffered early wave damage to the front crossbeam, and later mainsail damage, both of which Caudrelier was able to fix on the fly. Before and after Cape Horn he had slowed to avoid severe weather systems, but the forecast for the final approach to Biscay was impassable: 50-knot winds and 7-10m waves.

“So we stopped in the Azores. That was my decision. I didn’t want to stop, actually, and the team didn’t want me to stop. But at one point, it’s all about ego. What is the smartest thing to do?

“If I’d had a boat behind me, I would have gone, it was not impossible. But the only goal was to win the race, so why take so much risk? The mast was my big worry, because I can break a foil, I can break a rudder, I will finish. But if I break the mast, I cannot finish. So I said, okay, I don’t want to take this risk.”

Huge crowds turned out to welcome Gitana back to Brest. Photo: Loïc Venance/AFP/Getty

Ego is not something that drives Charles Caudrelier. I ask if the significance of his win has sunk in?

“No. I always see myself as a kid who had dreams. I’m 50 today, so people call me the old guy, but in your mind, sometimes you’re still the same person that you were when you were 20 or 15.

“I am proud about it. But I never forget that because I became skipper very late – I was 40 – you need a bit of luck in this sport. I try to stay humble. Of course it’s amazing, but it’s not only about me. Even if I was single-handed, it’s a team job. And I am lucky to be in the best team. Without them, I’m nothing.”

Caudrelier meets the crowds at the end of the Arkea Ultime Brest. Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut/polaRYSE/Gitana

What next for Charles Caudrelier?

The Gitana team has a new Ultim in build. They’re yet to release any details, but have been clear that radical ideas were on the table, in search of a radical performance gain.

“I think it’s possible to go much faster, especially on the waves. That’s the goal of Gitana 18. On flat water we know how to do it, but on the waves It’s much more complicated,” says Caudrelier.

“Unfortunately, we cannot do a wing sail. Today, we know where we could win a lot is by doing a wing. But it’s not possible because of the rules, and it’s also probably not possible today in terms of techniques, because you need to take reefs and so on. But one day it will happen, because I think the ‘engine’ of the boat with soft sails is not so good.”

Gitana 17 is up for sale, though Caudrelier says they could make another Jules Verne attempt. Otherwise he will aim to defend his Route du Rhum in 2026, but has no ambitions to sail the next Ultim around the world.

Instead he wants to work more closely on the design side, and help bring on a new skipper (none have yet been named).

“I realised today that the race is over,” he says, having just returned from a long-awaited holiday. “My brain was never free because I was always thinking about this race. And today I think I’m more available for my family than I was before. I don’t want to go again for another cycle.”

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The post Charles Caudrelier: the first man to foil a giant multihull around the world appeared first on Yachting World.

New York Yacht Club American Magic became the fifth America’s Cup team to reveal – or at least partially reveal – their AC75 when their new ‘B3’ briefly appeared out of the team shed in Barcelona today.

The team kept observers guessing, with no full boat images released in the press release, although the America’s Cup ‘recon’ programme – created to remove the ‘spying’ element which has traditionally been a big factor in Cup preparations – showed the boat more fully and there are whole boat images on the America’s Cup social pages.

First whole boat view of the new American Magic AC75. Photo: Job Vermeulen/ America’s Cup

I spoke to Paul Goodison, who’ll be co-helming the new American Magic AC75 with Tom Slingsby, earlier today, and he hinted that their team had taken a different design approach to the second iteration of the America’s Cup rule. 

“When you look at [the other teams’ boats] and it’s really interesting. The ones we’ve seen so far are very, very similar in concept. 

“I’m not sure how much I can say – but our boat is slightly different and I think it’s going to be really interesting when the world gets sight of it to see what they think. 

“I’m very excited about what the guys in the design office have come up with and what we’ve thought of, and it’s going to be really interesting when we first get to line up with the other guys.”

American Magic AC75

First impressions of the new American Magic AC75 are certainly that it is different to what we’ve seen from the previously launched designs (Alinghi Red Bull Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and INEOS Britannia). The hull lines are notably smoother and more organic – some observers noted that it bears more than a passing resemblance to the shape of a whale.

Although it’s hard to judge without being able to view the deck, the freeboard appears lower – and it’s not immediately obvious where the cyclors’ pods are sited. Whereas some teams have shrouded their foils or launched their new AC75 with legacy foils, American Magic was first shown with truncated foil arms and no end sections fitted at all.

American Magic’s new AC75, with truncated foil arms. Photo: Job Vermeulen/ America’s Cup

The American Magic ‘B3’ had been built in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, before being flown to its current home in Barcelona on an Antonov AN124 giant cargo plane. The team report that the two-and-a-half-year development and build process totalled over 108,000 design hours and 65,000 construction hours.

A further phase of commissioning and testing will be completed before B3 has its official naming ceremony and inaugural sail.

The Anerican Magic team limited views of their new AC75 on its first day out of the shed. Photo: AmaliaInfante.com/American Magic

Second boat launch strategy

American boat is one of the later to be unveiled, and three teams – Emirates Team New Zealand, Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – are already sailing their second generation boats. However, Goodison said he was confident that the team’s earlier practice time in its previous iteration boat, Patriot, would give them an advantage when it comes to getting the complex AC75 up to speed.

“I guess the teams that launched the [first generation] 75s this campaign and have already done a lot of the big boat sailing should hopefully be at an advantage when it comes to sailing. 

The Anerican Magic team limited views of their new AC75 on its first day out of the shed. Photo: AmaliaInfante.com/American Magic

“On the [new] 75s, you see both Team New Zealand and Alinghi Red Bull that have launched so far, they’re only a couple of days in and they’re sailing their 75 pretty well. And obviously, I think that’s a testament to the work that they’ve done earlier in the year in their big boats. 

“We spent a fair bit of time at the beginning of this year in the 75. And I think that time, just ironing out a lot of the teething problems from the systems side – some of the new mainsheet systems, some of the new jib systems, some of the new hydraulic systems, the bikes on board – we hopefully have debugged a lot of teething problems. 

“So hopefully, the first couple of days, we’ll get commissioning out of the way and be putting our foot on the gas pretty early.”

Helmsman Paul Goodison. Photo: NYYC American Magic

We’ll have a closer look at American Magic’s AC75, and all the new America’s Cup boats, over the coming weeks.

The post “We’ve done something slightly different” American Magic tease first look of AC75 appeared first on Yachting World.

The British America’s Cup team has become the fourth challengers to unveil their new AC75. INEOS Britannia revealed their AC75 in the early hours of morning, as the foiling monohull – which is code-named RB3 – emerged from the INEOS Britannia base in Barcelona in preparation for having the rig stepped in readiness for its first ever sail. 

Team Principal and Skipper of the Challenger of Record,  Sir Ben Ainslie said RB3 would be “on the water very soon”.

COO David Endean confirmed the team will first perform some initial tow testing and systems checks before hoisting sails.

The British America’s Cup team’s AC75, code named RB3, came out of the shed for pre-sail preparation on Saturday 20 April.

The British America’s Cup boat was built by Carrington Boats in Hythe, on the south coast of England, before being transported to Brackley, in Northamptonshire, which is the centre for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, where the F1 Team’s Applied Science division partnered with INEOS Britannia for the design and build. On 2 April, RB3 left Turweston for its journey to Spain, arriving at the INEOS Britannia Barcelona base on 6 April, delivered by GAC Pindar.

The build has been a two-and-a-half year project, and the team now has less than four months in order to get to grips with the new sailing yacht ahead of the first Preliminary Regatta races for the AC75s on 22 August.

The INEOS Britannia shore team working on the AC75 race boat ahead of first test sails. Image: 37th America’s Cup recon

Ainslie said: “This is a big day for the team. We have been keeping RB3 under wraps for such a long time that it’s almost surreal to see her out of the shed and in public view here in Barcelona. 

“Thousands of hours of work have gone into this boat and so it’s great to finally reveal her to the world. Things are really stepping up in the campaign now, and we are looking forward to launching RB3 and getting out on the water very soon.”

British AC75 unveiled

Not all of RB3 has been unveiled – the foils appear to have ‘socks’ concealing the lower arms (teams are allowed to conceal their foils until the boats are first launched in water) – and there was no rudder in place. The eye-catching livery also has something of a ‘dazzle ship’ effect in the dark. However, the early shots suggest a flared bow, and a fairly bulbous ‘bustle’ under the hull, with a finer skeg running underneath it, which stops forward of the expected rudder position.

Bow on view of INEOS Britannia’s new AC75 showing the boat’s ‘bustle’

AC75 ‘bustles’ are designed to achieve an end plating effect between the boat and the sea, effectively sealing the boat to the water’s surface for aero and hydrodynamic efficiency – but balanced against additional drag during take-off and touch-downs. Of the four boats so far, RB3 initially looks to be among the most substantial, with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s appearing to be a finer, slimmed down design.

Each of the AC75s unveiled so far has also removed volume aft – in part a response to rule changes which mean that runners are no longer required – with RB3 showing radically sloping topsides from what we assume are the top of the cyclor pods down to the transom, meeting with a very flat under section.

The boat’s unveiling also showed the suspended aerial gantry which the team has built above the deck of RB3, a learning from its partnership with INEOS Mercedes to make key maintenance work more efficient in order to reduce time required in the shed.

INEOS Britannia has built an aerial gantry suspended above the race boat pit lane area, inspired by their partnership with Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, to improve efficiency in repairs and maintenance

We’ll have a fuller analysis of the different AC75s’ hull shapes, and what the teams are aiming to achieve in the challenging waters off Barcelona, coming soon, plus more images of RB3 once the boat has been made public in daylight.

The post Ainslie’s team reveals Britain’s new America’s Cup boat appeared first on Yachting World.

Organisers would like to hear from any women sailors who are still considering applying for the new offshore training scheme, UpWind by MerConcept, which is being supported by 11th Hour Racing with Francois Gabart’s MerConcept stable, and skippered by Francesca Clapcich.

The scheme is particularly keen to attract women sailors from a diverse range of nationalities and skillsets, so international applications are strongly encouraged.

The scheme has received over 30 submissions from female sailors based in 13 different countries. With experience from the offshore, inshore, and Olympic worlds, the sailors have applied from countries as far afield as New Zealand, Mexico, India, and Lithuania.

“This is exactly what we hoped for when we launched UpWind,” said Team Manager Louis Giard. “Not only do we have 30 strong applications so far, we have also had calls and messages from some very talented sailors indicating their intention to apply, so we anticipate this number will increase significantly over the final week.”

UpWind by MerConcept is developed to create a pool of female sailing talent based for the next two years around the Ocean Fifty tour, the international multihull racing circuit. The ambition is to see a female Ocean Fifty skipper on the startline of the 2026 solo Route du Rhum race from St Malo, France to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. 

The program will provide a training platform to upskill female offshore sailors in multihull racing, with the aim of creating opportunities to join mixed-gender crews for high-profile teams such as Jules Verne Trophy attempts.

Applications for UpWind by MerConcept close on March 24, 2024 and the application form for UpWind by MerConcept can be found here.

After a first round of video interviews, a shortlist of 12 candidates will be invited to MerConcept’s Concarneau base in the home of offshore sailing, in Brittany, France. The 12 candidates will be put through their paces over five days of assessments from April 15-19, from technical and physical, performance and teamwork. The successful sailors will then be assigned to either the racing or the training and development squads.

UpWind by MerConcept will enter a team for the 2024 and 2025 Ocean Fifty tour, which this year includes four European Acts (events) and a west-to-east transatlantic race from St Pierre and Miquelon, the French archipelago south of Newfoundland,  to Saint-Brieuc, France. 

Francesca Clapcich, the appointed skipper for UpWind by MerConcept, said, “We have put a lot of effort and thought into creating an accessible, fair, and just application system.

“I’ve had a number of calls with athletes who are lacking confidence, or feel they don’t have enough experience, or believe they know of someone better than them, who deservers it more.

“I’ve said to each and every one of them Apply! Don’t get discouraged if you think “Ohh I might not be good enough,” or “I’m not sure if I can commit enough time,” or the tons of other questions that inevitably come up in our minds when we want to apply for something. The process is part of the journey.

“At the end, only a small pool will be selected but the process of going through the application will make all of us grow and learn. I can promise you that we will do our best homework, with a diverse board of selectors, with a lot of input, to make it fair for all.”

The post Final week for applications for women’s Ocean 50 trimaran programme appeared first on Yachting World.

With a Women’s America’s Cup due to start in 2024, a gender balanced sailing event at the Paris Olympic Games, and female entries lining up for this year’s Vendée Globe, female athletes around the globe are driving hard for success and representation in sailing. And not just onboard, but behind the scenes too.

As many of these women’s stories demonstrate, there are still many areas of competitive sailing where there is still much work to be done towards the goal of gender equality, but we highlight and celebrate some women sailors who are driving change right now:

Pip Hare. Photo: Lloyd Images

Pip Hare

Pip Hare needs little introduction to Yachting World readers, having set herself a target of making it to the start of the last Vendée Globe, and getting there through incredible hard work and force of will.

She applied that same determination to her race, pushing the positively ancient – in IMOCA terms – Medallia around the course to an incredible 19th place, showcasing her competitive talents despite sailing a much slower, more unwieldy boat than almost all of her rivals. Now she has a foiling IMOCA 60, and continues to push hard to be competitive against highly funded male French skippers.

Pip is a phenomenal example of doing things on your own terms – she forged her own path into the world of professional solo ocean racing, and never shies away from the fact that she, as a 50-year-old woman, will be sailing her boat differently to the younger men she is starting against.

Having also admitted to a degree of ‘imposter syndrome’ in her early IMOCA days, Pip is now a respected advocate for women in sailing and uses her voice to highlight causes that are important to her, including mental health. She is an absolute inspiration, in every sense of the word.

Pip is currently seeking qualification miles for the 2024 Vendée Globe, and the skipper who heads up the selection table is a fellow British female sailor, Sam Davies, who’ll be lining up for her fourth Vendée with her new Initiatives Couer in November.

Other experienced women ocean skippers competing for a place in the Vendée this year include Isabelle Joschke and Justine Mettreaux.

Clarisse Cremer. Photo: Olivier Blanchet/Alea/Vendée Globe

Clarisse Cremer

Clarisse Crémer is the fastest woman ever to sail around the world non-stop, having finished 12th in the last Vendée Globe and set a new record time of 87 days 02 hours 24 minutes.

But Clarisse has demonstrated another remarkable trait over the past year: she doesn’t back down. When she was dropped by sponsors Banque Populaire, apparently after taking a year out to have her first child left her qualification in doubt, Crémer posted a furious response on social media.

That’s unusual – usually skippers who lose their backers quietly shift into another fleet. But the fact that Crémer’s case centred on her becoming a mother was incendiary – the story became a huge news storm, and led to Banque Populaire dropping out of the Vendée altogether.

Crémer secured a new team and new backer, and has been working hard to get into this year’s Vendée Globe – only for another firestorm to erupt around her when anonymous emails purported to show she had cheated during the 2020 race by discussing routing with her husband. Once again, Crémer did not stay quiet – she waived anonymity to discuss the allegations made against her, and to vehemently refute them. This week the French Sailing Federation cleared both her and her husband of any misconduct.

In a world where pro female sailors are often left feeling that they should be grateful for any opportunities that come their way, Crémer has shown that she refuses to be intimidated or cowed.

Cole Brauer. Photo: Cole Brauer – First Light @colebraueroceanracing/Globe Solo Challenge

Cole Brauer

Cole Brauer sailed into the history books yesterday when she became the first American woman ever to sail around the world solo non-stop. It is truly remarkable that Brauer’s 2024 Global Solo Challenge race 2nd place finish was the first time this has been achieved, but she also showcased ocean racing to a whole new audience along the way.

Brauer, 29, posted hugely entertaining and relatable videos throughout the race, building a huge social media following (nearly half a million followers on Instagram for starters) who followed her every step, including being thrown across the cabin in a broach and having to self-administer an IV drip after severe seasickness.

At just 5’2”, Brauer says she has always been motivated by people saying she is too small, or too young, to take on such a challenge. There is already chat of a possible future Vendée Globe campaign for the Long Island sailor.

Hannah Mills. Photo: C. Gregory / INEOS Britannia

Hannah Mills

Not only the most successful female Olympic sailor in history, Hannah Mills is bidding to become the winner of the first ever Women’s America’s Cup.

As CEO of the British Athena Pathway, Mills is leading the British women’s and youth teams at the 37th America’s Cup this year, but since retiring from Olympic sailing she has also been a driving force in increasing opportunities for women sailors to compete in high-profile foiling events, particularly SailGP, where she has raced as strategist, a role she has shared with fellow Brit Hannah Diamond.

Diamond, along with sailors like Emily Nagel, are part of a new generation of female sailors with strong analytical skills who have competed in both ocean racing and with foiling teams.

Dee Caffari (left) and Alexia Barrier (right) doing some team building in the alps

Alexia Barrier & Dee Caffari

Alexia Barrier’s co-skipper Dee Caffari describes her as ‘a force of nature’, so when Barrier announced that she was forming an all-female challenge for the Jules Verne Trophy it was clear she was serious. The Famous Project has made huge strides forward since its launch last summer, taking delivery of both a MOD70 and Francis Joyon’s former 103ft Idec Sport, and securing sponsorship from global tech company Wipro.

Together with fellow female trailblazer Dee Caffari, the pair have assembled a talented team of female sailors, and are working with some of the best multihull racers in the business as they prepare to push the giant trimaran around the world non-stop. Although their initial aim is to set a benchmark time for an all-female crew, this is a performance-driven team who have already proven that they are not to be underestimated.

Photo: INOES Britannia

Jo Grindley

Flick through the ‘senior leadership’ pages of most America’s Cup team websites, and there are vanishingly few women. Jo Grindley is one exception, as Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Commercial Officer of INEOS Britannia, the British Cup challenger.

Jo has been there from the start – having worked alongside Sir Ben Ainslie for 17 years, including through three Olympic campaigns, before the pair decided to set up a British America’s Cup team, the first of three challenges (Land Rover BAR). An America’s Cup team depends almost entirely on its funding, and as CMO/CCO she has delivered three campaigns with solid backing – no small achievement and a major part of Britain’s bid to bring the Cup home.

Celebrations as the crew of Pen Duick VI take line honours in Leg 3. Credit: Rob Havill/Ocean Globe Race

Heather Thomas and Marie Tabarly

The Cape Horn leg of the Ocean Globe Race was won by Marie Tabarly, on Pen Duick VI, followed by Heather Thomas skippering her all-female crew on Maiden. Both are skippering iconic yachts through some of the toughest waters in the world, and with the fleet now on their final leg, Maiden is challenging for the overall race lead. If they were to achieve it, it would be the first time an all-female team has ever won a round the world race.

Francesca Clapcich

Clapcich broke down boundaries when she was part of the 11th Hour Racing team which won the 2022-23 Ocean Race, not only a key member of the first US team to take the win, but also speaking out about LGBTQI+ issues, and being a mother in the offshore racing world.

She is now spearheading the Upwind by MerConcept programme to give women sailors more offshore multihull racing opportunities in the Multi 50 class.

Hannah Snellgrove, Laser Radial

Hannah Snellgrove

Hannah is the most recent member of the British Olympic sailing team to be announced but her path to the Games is inspirational for her tenacity in overcoming many obstacles along the way. “I like to think that enthusiasm and stubbornness have made up for a possible lack of natural talent,” she joked on her social media page when it was announced she would sail the ILCA 6 at Paris this summer.

“It’s 25 years since I failed my Salterns Red Pennant, 23 years since I was told I had no potential, 9 years since I was dropped from funding, and 2 years since I thought an injury would end my career.

“I guess where I’m going with this is that for anyone who needs to hear this today… the view can sometimes be nice when you take the scenic route.”

Neuschäfer finds time for a selfie while up the mast on Minnehaha. Photo: Kirsten Neuschäfer/GGR2022

Kirsten Neuschäfer

The awards have just kept coming for Kirsten Neuschäfer, winner of the Golden Globe Race in 2023, and the first woman ever to win a solo around the world race in doing so. She’s currently up for an prestigious Laureus World Sports Award – previous winners include such household names as Tiger Woods, Usain Bolt, Roger Federer and Lionel Messi.

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Clarisse Crémer has been cleared of any misconduct following anonymous accusations that she cheated during the 2020/21 Vendée Globe by discussing routing options with her husband, Tanguy Le Turquais.

The accusations were made via leaked photos of Whatsapp messages exchanged between Crémer and Le Turquais during the race, which were anonymously sent to some French media outlets, IMOCA skippers, and the FFVoile (the French sailing federation) on Sunday February 11.

Crémer, who finished 12th in the solo unassisted round the world race, had posted a vociferous denial of the accusations four days later, in which she insisted that: “I never cheated, I never had any desire to break a rule during this 87-day world tour.

“No conversation I had with him contributed to me changing course or making a strategic choice that would have had an impact on my race. I have always made all my performance choices alone and unassisted according to the rules.”

The conversations were held on a phone owned by her former sponsors, Banque Populaire, which Crémer says she also left accessible after arriving back in Les Sables, in accordance with the race rules.

Cremer finished the last Vendee Globe in 12th position and Photo: julia.huve / imoca.org

Today the Vendée Globe organisers released a statement confirming that the allegations of misconduct against both Crémer and Le Turquais had been dismissed.

In the statement Alain Leboeuf, President of the Vendée Globe, said: “On 12th February this year, the President of the French Sailing Federation informed me of the anonymous e-mail he had just received implicating Clarisse Crémer, who had allegedly benefited from routing information from her husband Tanguy Le Turquais during the 2020-2021 Vendée Globe.

“Since then, the French Sailing Federation has asked me and the Race Committee to appoint a Jury to analyse the veracity of the information and its content.

“The International Jury is entirely convinced that there was no misconduct on the part of either Clarisse Crémer or Tanguy Le Turquais and you will understand that it is not for me to make any comment whatsoever on a decision taken by the federal sporting authority.

“I therefore take note of these conclusions, which were reached in complete independence.”

Cremer Jury findings

The jury’s findings (translated by Tom Grainger) were reported. 

They included the fundamental principles that there is no time limit on calling a hearing under Rule 69, so “the evidence of pictures of WhatsApp messages is just as valid today as it would have been during the 2020-2021 race if it had emerged then. The passage of time has not diminished its significance.”

The report continued: “The main evidence examined, discussed, and questioned were 14 screenshots of WhatsApp messages between Clarisse and Tanguy, from an unknown source, presumably some of many such messages as part of the permitted communication between Clarisse and Tanguy during the race, using the boat’s phone and Tanguy’s own phone.

“Five pictures included examples of route images generated by Tanguy. This concerned very different parts of the race (passage of the Theta low pressure, approach to Cape Horn, return passage of the equator and finish). The International Jury accepts that Tanguy was trying to understand Clarisse’s intentions, for his own reassurance for her safety (as husband) and in order to answer media and family questions. The routes did not include any detailed information about wind, wave states, time and course options that Clarisse could adapt for her own use for routing.

Cremer reunites with husband Tanguy Le Turquais after finishing the 2000 Vendee Globe. Photo: Olivier Blanchet/Alea

“Two pictures related to Clarisse having a problem with her AIS, and wishing to check whether she was visible on the MarineTraffic website.

“The final pictures relate to Clarisse’s projected finish, in relation to severe weather conditions. This was an issue raised by Race Management, which was providing competitors with advice and weather information and encouraging them to coordinate their plans with their teams.

“For this reason, a WhatsApp group was created with the race management, the boat, the shore team and the weather consultant. The timing of her finish was also a relevant issue for the media and for personal arrangements. Her boat was several hours behind the previous finisher and several hours in front of the next boat.

“Clarisse’s weather models used with the routing program was more sophisticated than Tanguy’s, and she was using it for many hours every day.”

Cleared of misconduct

The jury reached the conclusion that: “The screenshots do not demonstrate that “routing” took place as defined in the article.

“Clarisse did not ask for routing advice from Tanguy. She never followed any of the screenshots from Tanguy. They were not useful information for her. She was always in possession of better information and had the time to work on her plans. 

“The screenshots do not demonstrate that Clarisse received performance support as described in the article.

“The Race Management team applied the NoR article Exceptional Circumstances at the end of the race for Banque Populaire, due to safety concerns due to high winds and exceptional weather, to ensure safety of the competitor and her boat. This included permitting conversations and options for Banque Populaire’s finish.

Clarisse did ask Tanguy’s opinion about her finishing route intentions, but that was for safety, and included the possibility of deliberately slowing, to avoid low tides or a night-time arrival given the bad weather. These were issues to which Race Management had alerted all competitors and shore teams of boats likely to be affected. She therefore did not receive outside help.

The jury’s conclusions also noted: “Tanguy had sent several course options to Clarisse, on his own initiative. The International Jury feels that this was not a wise or necessary thing to do, but accepts that his intention was to get clarification of Clarisse’s plans rather than to advise her what to do.”

This will likely become an ever-increasingly careful line that skippers and teams must tread as mid-ocean communications on the IMOCA 60s become not only sophisticated, but as simple to use as sending a message at home. Last race the skippers were already using WhatsApp chat groups and Kevin Escoffier’s rescue was in part co-ordinated on Skype.

The jury’s verdict is that: “Rule 69, Misconduct – The International Jury is completely satisfied that there [sic] was no misconduct by either Clarisse Crémer or Tanguy Le Turquais.”

Crémer is currently campaigning for the 2024 Vendee Globe selection with her new L’Occitane en Provence campaign, managed by Alex Thomson’s team.

In a statement on her new team website, Crémer said: “Of course, I am relieved by this decision, and I thank the jury for examining our case with impartiality and professionalism. Now that these challenging moments are behind us, the team and I can get back to work to prepare for the Vendée Globe 2024.”

Team mentor, Alex Thomson added: “We have weathered this storm together as a team. We have always supported Clarisse, standing by her every day. Clarisse is a person of great integrity, and we were all convinced of that, with the jury’s decision serving as proof.”

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“It has to be Monitor, of course! The father of all flying rockets!” says Desjoyeaux. One of the world’s first sailing hydrofoils, Monitor was created in 1955 by Gordon Baker, who designed military hydrofoils, and built by his company, JG Baker Manufacturing, with input from the US Navy.

“[It was] at the same stage of the current America’s Cup, with the technologies of that time,” explains Desjoyeaux. “Today, it’s very difficult to find pure innovation, as lots of solutions have been tested/tried. Most of the time, only successful ones are known. (Though I heard that at the end of the 18th century, they pulled a flying machine on Thames river, by horses running on both sides!).”

Monitor carried cotton sails and could foil in around 13 knots of wind on two ‘ladder foils’ forward and a submerged foil at the transom. Early speeds were around 25 knots, and in October 1956 it hit over 30 knots, sailing at twice the windspeed. It is now at the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia.

Photo: Courtesy of Mariners Museum USA

Make sure you check out our full list of Coolest Yachts.

Monitor stats rating

Top speed: 30.4 knots
LOA: 7.92m/26ft 0in
Launched: 1955
Berths: 0
Price approx: $20,000
Adrenalin factor: 98%

Michel Desjoyeaux

Michel Desjoyeaux is one of France’s biggest offshore racing stars, and the only skipper to have won two Vendée Globes. He is also known for his design innovation – he was first to sail a canting keel Mini Transat design in 1991, and later developed widely-adopted designs such as IMOCA 60 kick-up rudders through his Mer Agitée racing stable.

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Solo skipper Charles Caudrelier has won the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest, the first ever solo around the world race in multihulls, on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild giant foiling trimaran.

Caudrelier crossed the finish line off Brest, northern France this morning, Tuesday 27 February, at 0837 after 50 days and 19 hours of racing.

The Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest is the first time giant multihulls have ever been raced solo around the world head-to-head. Caudrelier is the first person ever to sail a foiling Ultim around the world solo, and in fact only the eighth ever to complete a solo circumnavigation on a multihull.

Charles Cauderlier and the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild win the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest solo round the world race. Photo: Vincent Olivaud/Arkea Ultim Challenge

Though the race is ‘non-stop’, in the sense it has no scheduled stopovers, by the North Atlantic Caudrelier was the only skipper not to have made a technical stop for repairs. But with potentially ‘impassable’ conditions in the Bay of Biscay forecast of 7-10m waves and 50 knot winds due to Storm Louis, Caudrelier took a four-day pause in the Azores before cautiously sailing the remaining 1,200 miles to Brest to take the race win.

Caudrelier was able to stop in the Azores having built up an unassailable lead since his nearest rival Tom Laperche on SVR Lazartigue had to retire into Cape Town after a collision with an underwater object. Caudrelier and his Gitana-backed Ultim consolidated their position as front runners since January 17, at one point extending his lead to over 2,500 miles from second placed Thomas Coville on Sodebo.

The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild in Faial, Horta -t he damaged front starboard beam is visible. Photo: M. Le Roux/Polaryse/Gitana SA

Throughout the race Caudrelier revealed little about any technical problems he had experienced on the ground-breaking, and highly complex 100ft foiling trimaran. However, when he put into Faial in the Azores it became obvious that his boat had incurred damage early on, after a front section of one crossbeam had been ripped off by a wave. The solo skipper had cut a spare mainsail batten in order to rig a repair, tying it together with straps.

Cauderlier’s first round the world

Remarkably, this is Caudrelier’s first ever solo around the world race. Though Caudrelier – who turned 50 yesterday – had early ambitions to compete in a Vendée Globe, he instead began working with many top offshore teams, including joining Franck Cammas’s winning Volvo Ocean Race entry Groupama 4 as a navigator and helmsman. He then stepped up to skipper his own entry in back to back races for the Chinese Dongfeng team, winning – by the race’s closest ever margin – in 2018.

Photo: Vincent Olivaud/Arkea Ultim Challenge

In 2019 he joined the Gitana stable as co-skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothchild trimaran with Franck Cammas, with a long-term plan that he would skipper the enormous machine solo for each single-handed event.

With one of the longest running Ultim campaigns, a well-resourced team encompassing some of the best in the business, and a focus on banking as much sailing time as possible, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has long been the boat to beat. Cauderlier skippered or co-skippered the Ultim to major wins in the Brest Atlantiques, back to back Rolex Fastnet Races, Transat Jacques Vabre, and an emotional 2022 win in the Route du Rhum. 

Though he did not set a solo round the world record on this race, he did set a new benchmark for a solo Indian Ocean crossing, covering the 6,113 miles between Cape Agulhas (South Africa) and the Cape Leeuwin (Australia) in 8 days 8 hours 20 minutes and 36 seconds, at an incredible average speed of 30.7 knots.

We’ll have a full report, with the skippers’ first-hand tales from this incredible race, in the May issue of Yachting World.

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Two liveaboard cruisers, Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, are missing feared dead after their catamaran Simplicity was apparently stolen during a prison escape in the Caribbean.

Hendry and Brandel’s 48ft St. Francis catamaran Simplicity had been anchored in in Grand Anse bay, Grenada, but was discovered off St Vincent, apparently abandoned with torn sails. AIS data shows the vessel left Grenada at around 2200hrs on Sunday 18 February.

Three Grenadian suspects are known to have escaped from police custody on February 18. They were rearrested on Wednesday, February 21 on St. Vincent by members of Grenada’s Narcotics and Rapid Response Units.

Simplicity was discovered in Walliabou, on the western coast of St Vincent, the same day by another cruiser, who boarded the vessel and noted that its owners were not onboard.

The St. Vincent Coast Guard has taken possession of Simplicity and the St. Vincent police are currently investigating with the U.S Embassy and the Grenada police department. The Royal Grenada Police Force issued a statement saying that the force was ‘currently working on leads that suggest that the two occupants of the yacht may have been killed in the process.’

The St Vincent Times has reported that bloodstains were found on the interior.

The three men, aged 19-30, were in custody having been charged with violent offences, two charged jointly with Robbery with Violence.

Veteran cruisers missing

Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, image via Salty Dawg Sailing Association

Hendry and Brandel were members of the Salty Dawg Sailing Association and had been living and cruising aboard Simplicity for a decade. The couple joined the Caribbean Rally for their passage from Virginia, USA to Antigua last October and cruised the Caribbean over the winter.

The Salty Dawg Sailing Association described them as ‘veteran cruisers and long-time members’ and ‘warm hearted and capable’.

A joint statement by their families said: “We want to reach out to the entire cruiser community to express our gratitude for everyone that worked to gather information from eyewitnesses and provide search and rescue support. It means so much to us that so many people cared for Ralph and Kathy as friends and fellow cruisers that they are willing to stop and help in whatever way possible.

“Thanks to all this input from this community we are able to develop a timeline of events. For the safety of the cruising community we are asking all cruisers, and anyone that is not affiliated with the officials with presiding jurisdiction, to stand down. The only way we feel this situation could be worse would be if anyone was hurt or endangered trying to conduct searches.

“We also want to applaud the St. Vincent authorities for their quick actions in securing Simplicity and their brave, swift response that led to the apprehension of three dangerous fugitives. We greatly appreciate the coordination of the St. Vincent and Royal Grenadian Police forces and Coast Guards in investigating these events.”

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Charles Caudrelier, skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild trimaran and Arkea Ultim Challenge leader has paused his race in the Azores after a severe weather forecast for “impassable” conditions in Biscay on his return to Brest, north-west France.

Caudrelier, who has led the fleet since the South Atlantic, having also been in front or vying for the lead since the race began on January 7, is the only one of the six solo skippers not to have made a technical stop for repairs so far on the ground-breaking around the world race for 100ft foiling Ultims.

However, his team confirmed this morning that they are making a stopover, which race rules specify must be for a minimum of 24 hours, off Horta, in the Azores.

Initially it seemed as if Caudrelier could arrive into Brest as victor tomorrow, Thursday 22 February. However, a severe low pressure system in the North Atlantic have made conditions for the final 1,200-mile passage to Brest untenable for the giant multihull.

Charles Caudrelier, skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild in the solo Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest. Photo: Yann Riou/Polaryse/Gitana

“Unfortunately, a big depression is blocking the way to Brest. 40 knots of established wind, gusting to over 50, and 8 to 9-metre seas… We’ve been patiently waiting and hoping conditions would improve but that is not the case,” explains Benjamin Shwartz, one of the weather routers from the Gitana team.

“It is out of the question to take the slightest risk, all the more so considering the lead we have over our rivals.”

Solo record out of reach

Caudrelier, who holds a 2000-mile advantage over second placed Thomas Coville on Sodebo, has been clear that he does not want to jeopardise a potential race win for the sake of a few hours or days.

“I’m not going to sacrifice the team’s work out of impatience,” Caudrelier told race organisers on Monday, 19 February.

“There are races which have ended badly in the Bay of Biscay which is one of the most difficult sailing waters.”

Despite a fast start for the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest, the solo around the world record has been out of reach for some time, meaning Caudrelier is racing only the fleet, not the clock.

Initially the record looked within grasp – in spite of the fact the fleet set off on a fixed start day, rather than following an optimum forecast. The leaders crossed the Equator on their southbound stage after around six and a half days of racing, while the fastest solo time down the North Atlantic had previously been 5d 17h 11m.

Caudrelier then crossed the Cape of Good Hope after 12 days 1 hour 2 minutes and 22 seconds, which equates to an average speed of 28.85 knots. The current solo round the world record holder, Francois Gabart, passed the Cape of Good Hope after 11d 20h. 

He then enjoyed a rocket-fast South Indian Ocean stage, passing Cape Leeuwin after 18d 5h, compared to Gabart’s 19d 14h at the same point. This set a new Indian Ocean record, with Maxi Edmond de Rothschild maintaining an incredible average speed of 30.7kts from South Africa to Australia.

However, approaching Cape Horn in early February, Caudrelier intentionally slowed his giant trimaran dramatically for 48 hours to allow a violent low pressure system to roll to the south of him past Cape Horn. After rounding the iconic headland on February 7, he then faced tricky headwinds which saw the giant multihull making just over 400 miles in 24-hours, compared to the 800-plus mile days it is easily capable of.

Maxi Edmond de Rothschild passing Cape Horn in the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest. Photo: Yann Riou/Polaryse/Gitana

Shelter in the Azores

The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild trimaran is currently seeking shelter in the lee of Faial, Horta. 

The Gitana team had initially considered waiting offshore from the French coast before making the final approach to Brest, but rejected the idea due to the heavy shipping and sea states expected which would make handling the 100ft foiling trimaran extremely difficult.

“It’s a safety choice to take shelter,” explains Guillaume Evrard of the race organisation. “Their intention is to stay outside the marina, in a small channel between two islands.”

Caudrelier will be met by a technical team from Gitana who can assist him in making any repairs to the boat – he has not disclosed many problems with the boat, but hinted that he has had some breakages.

The team will also be restocking Gitana with some very welcome food for the final few days of sailing – the skippers initially provisioned for 40-41 days at sea, and have already been sailing for 45.

Gobal Solo Challenge leader faces 9m waves 

Caudrelier is not the only race leader to be hampered on his final approach to the finish.

Philippe Delamare, the long-time leader of the Global Solo Challenge, was also due to arrive in A Coruna, north-western Spain, on Friday 23 February. 

Although Delamare does not need to cross Biscay, race organisers report that the same system is likely to produce a very severe north-westerly wind and 9m waves just offshore of A Coruna, with a sea state in excess of 10m further north. 

Delamare, who is already well north of the Azores and around 500 miles west of A Coruna, is currently continuing racing though Global Solo Challenge organisers report that he is closely monitoring the situation.

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If you have a happy boat, you can have disasters happen to you, and it’ll be fine. On an unhappy boat the smallest things can become an issue.”

“A happy boat is my biggest ambition for this trip,” said John Kirchhoff before setting out on his Atlantic crossing with the ARC last November, on his Southerly 42 Easter Snow.

So, how can you set your boat up for crew happiness? Between social media and crew-match websites, it’s easier than ever to connect skipper-seeking-crew with potential crew-seeking-yacht and, hopefully, find a good match. But there are no guarantees: whether strangers or close family, living in the confined space of a yacht, and potentially adding stress, restricted sleep or seasickness to the mix, can reveal people’s true personalities like few other scenarios. We spoke to skippers and crews taking part in this year’s ARC rally to find out what they saw as key rules for crew happiness.

Set expectations early for a happy crew dynamic. Photo: Tor Johnson

Get to know each other

Just as internet dating has revolutionised how people meet one another ashore, so the majority of crew matches occur online – with sites such as Ocean Crew Link, Crewseekers etc offering a simple way to upload and view profiles. There were still a few ‘Boat Wanted’ flyers pinned up around Las Palmas before this year’s ARC, but anybody wanting to do their due diligence on a potential crew member or yacht should have made contact a long way in advance of arriving in Gran Canaria.

While it might be tempting to sail with close family or friends to the Canaries, it’s the opportunity for a valuable shakedown – not just for the boat and systems, but potential crew too.

John Kirchhoff was relieved he’d agreed to meet two crew he matched with on Ocean Crew Link in Gibraltar for the sail south. “They lasted a day and a half on the boat before deciding it wasn’t for them. We never even got to sea. We set some jobs to do and it all went very peculiar, very suddenly. Boats are strange environments and either I’m a complete ogre or they really didn’t want to come!”

David Poole and wife Joy went one step further, meeting their original intended crew in Thailand when they took delivery of their new Seawind 1600 Pure Joy before bringing it to Europe. “We just didn’t get on – there was no chemistry,” recalls David.

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Both Kirchhoff and the Pooles had originally planned to sail with couples. “Be very, very conscious of the relationships that you bring on board,” notes Joy. “When you bring on a couple, you bring on whatever baggage they may have themselves. You also bring the potential that one person is much more interested in doing a big adventure like this than the other.”

The Pooles went back to the drawing board, shortlisting new crew from Ocean Crew Link for the ARC, based on a mix of experience – including multihull ocean passages and racing – and qualifications. The couple then set up video interviews to see if their personalities aligned. “At the end of the day, if the personalities hadn’t been right, then we wouldn’t have chosen them,” says Poole, though he added that qualifications were also important to satisfy their insurers.

The crew met in Tarragona, Spain, a full month before the start of the ARC and sailed to Las Palmas together, then prepared the new boat for the crossing. “We’ve had the benefit of having spent several weeks sailing together now, which a lot of the crew coming here just before the ARC have not,” David pointed out in Las Palmas.

“The overarching thing that we would share from our experience is to absolutely listen to your gut as soon as you get into the process of interviewing, talking to and getting to know potential crew,” advises Joy, after the Pure Joy team made a successful crossing. “If there is even a single, solitary little niggle of a doubt really press into that to understand it before you settle and say, ‘I’m sure it won’t be too big a deal.’

Crew shirts can help you feel like a team as well as being a treasured memento of the crossing. Photo: WCC/James Mitchell 

“We just felt good in our bones about the folks that we were talking to, and it played out beautifully this time. We didn’t have any reservations, and it turned out to be a really wonderful and compatible crew.”

The fact that Ocean Crew Link is affiliated to World Cruising Club was a reason many crew chose the site to find a berth for their crossing. “From my point of view, you have a very good sense of safety when you’re coming on the ARC,” explains Martin Mathews, on Pure Joy. “When you’re joining a boat, you obviously don’t know anything about the boat, but you know they’ve gone through the scrutiny and that they have all the right safety equipment, which is important.”

Set expectations

Whether crew members are new contacts or old friends, it’s important to set expectations early. John Kirchhoff invited his new crew to meet him away from the boat, at his West Country house.

“They came for dinner – with my brother who’s also crewing – so we all sat down around a table and talked it all through. No one was left under any illusions about anything.”

Mark Hollis was looking forward to skippering the Fountaine Pajot Lucia 50 Wanderlust that he co-owns, sailing with a six-man crew that included three father-and-son pairings. As the crew had known each other for years, and included two teenagers and Hollis’s own son, he was conscious that he didn’t want to have to become the disciplinarian on board. “I don’t want to be saying to people every day ‘That’s wrong’. Actually, the more days you’re at sea, the more difficult it is to start that conversation, because the crew will feel like they’ve become qualified. So I wrote the Wanderlust handbook.”

The Poole family invited three crew for their ARC crossing. Photo: WCC/James Mitchell 

The handbook is a ring bound A4 folder containing a detailed guide to sailing Wanderlust, including safety protocols, manoeuvres, and sets out agreed rules and routines for the crossing. “Basically, this is my expectation of what we’ve got to be as a team. Luckily they’ve all received it really well and bought into it.

“I just wanted to lay the rules out and then it’s not about me nagging, it’s just the rules.”

Though the handbook was intended for the crew, Hollis says he found the process of writing it enormously helpful. “I’m in construction and everything that we do has to be risk assessed. Writing the handbook made me methodically put myself into every foreseeable scenario I can possibly think of.

“To write a handbook that takes absolutely everything into account is quite difficult, but at least we’ve thought it all through. I do feel like I’m a better sailor now than before I started writing that, because it prompted me to make sure that I’ve thought about every angle.”

the Pure Joy crew made time to prepare the catamaran – and experiment with the tender – before the start. Photo: WCC/James Mitchell

Share the Starlink?

The hottest topic among ARC boats with Starlink was what data crews would be allowed to access.

“This has been a very interesting conversation I’ve been having with a lot of skippers,” said Miguel Querioz, who was fulfilling a lifetime dream of crossing the ARC aboard his Fountaine Pajot Tanna 47 Portlish. “How are you going to manage Starlink at sea? Are you going to make it available to all crew or have one device connected only? How many hours a day: are you going to make it 24/7, or turn it on once a day, download your weather and that’s it?

“For me having it on all the time would spoil the crossing because everyone will have their faces glued to their phone. There’s a safety issue there, because at night time it takes a couple of hours to get back your night vision. But also the social element would be lost, the bonding between crew you get when you actually isolate from the world a little bit. For me, that’s part of the crossing.”

Dan Bower, who runs the Oyster 62 Skyelark 2, agreed, and was planning on restricting access on their forthcoming World ARC. “The danger is that it changes the experience of the passage. We already kind of veto news – even from home via people’s own satcoms.

A ‘dads and lads’ crew on Wanderlust. To avoid conflict or confusion they created a boat handbook for the passage. Photo: WCC/James Mitchell

“We find that clients are generally less keen to have comms with home. It’s about going away and having that experience, getting that detox.

“The idea of Starlink for us is that it’s amazing for a lot of places where you want comms in anchorages, but you don’t need to keep buying local SIM cards. So at that point it’ll be unrestricted for the crew, but not at sea.”

Crew meals

As galleys have become ever better equipped with multiple fridges and equipment to rival a home kitchen, provisioning has become easier, but food can still be a bone of contention.

“One thing we will specifically pay attention to when next cooking for crew is dietary requirements,” says Joy Poole.

“Maybe it sounds obvious, but if there are folks on board that have dietary restrictions or severe allergies that are not compatible with your own, over the course of a long crossing, this will become a major friction point.
“All of us are happy to eat whatever. But you’re cooking under not easy conditions sometimes and trying to make the most of whatever you have towards the end of a long crossing, so if there had been really challenging dietary restrictions, this can really impact team morale.”

Miguel and Claire Querioz (right) sailing with friends on Portlish. Photo: WCC/James Mitchell

If you have a crew member who requires special foods – such as vegan or gluten-free versions – you will need a system to ensure that it doesn’t get accidentally eaten by others. More serious intolerances or allergies might require the whole crew to eradicate items from their diet – avoiding cross-contamination of nut oils or peanut butter, for example, can be difficult.

Another common point of conflict is a crew member using up ingredients that have been earmarked for later in the passage. Dan and Emma Bower have years of experience sailing with guests, and now provision before their crew step on, with a meal plan for each day of the passage. Every crew member takes their turn at cooking, but according to a clear set of instructions, which specifies ingredients and quantities to use.

“Every meal we do is to a recipe now,” explains Dan. “So if you’re cooking lasagna, it tells you how many tins of tomatoes to use so that you don’t have those main flashpoints that happen when someone uses everything for one meal.”

Team Penny Oyster. Photo: WCC/James Mitchell

Prioritise rest

Key to reducing stress on board is sleep, and one way to improve your rest is to find crew you have total confidence in. Mille Webb and David Warner bought their Oyster 406 Penny Oyster while in their late 20s and early 30s.

Both are highly experienced, Millie having been a deckhand with Emily Penn’s eXXpedition yacht, and opted to take good friends Phoebe Bidwell and Tom Keeley, who are liveaboards with their own yacht in Australia . Having absolute trust in all four crew proved an invaluable asset on the sail from Portimão, Portugal, to Las Palmas.

“That has been a real blessing because we’re all good sailors and know how to hold a watch. We got a lot of sleep! We do three hours on and then you’ve got about five hours of rest. So your first hour is with someone, like a handover, then the second hour is on your own, and then you’ll have someone new come up for your last hour. It’s very sociable, but you’ve also still got that space on your own,” explains Millie.

“And we rotate that,” adds David. “So if you’re on the 0800-1100 shift, the day after you’re on the 1100-1300. That’s great because you get to see different parts of the day over the course of the crossing – sunrise, sunsets and lots of stars.”

As all four have spent time working aboard yachts they are also very used to confined quarters. “I’m a bit of a neat freak, but we’ve all lived in really small spaces,” says Millie. “[Our friends] were living in a campervan before their boat, so we’re all pretty good at stowing everything. That’s our one rule – to make sure that we keep it all tidy.”

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Clarisse Cremer, who finished 12th in the 2020/21 Vendée Globe, has posted a firm rebuttal of anonymous accusations that she cheated during the solo around the world race by discussing routing with her husband ashore.

The accusations were lodged anonymously and did not initially name Cremer, but allegedly included photographs or screenshots of WhatsApp messages sent from a Vendée Globe skipper to their shore team.

While communication systems onboard the IMOCAs competing in the Vendée Globe have become increasingly sophisticated, the fundamental rule remains that no skipper can receive weather routing or navigation assistance from their shore teams.

Clarisse Cremer on Banque Populaire X finishes the 2020 Vendee Globe race, on February 2, 2021. Photo: Olivier Blanchet/Alea/IMOCA

French sailing website Voiles et Voiliers reported that the photographs were sent via an anonymous email to some media outlets, some other Vendée Globe skippers, and Jean-Luc Denéchau, president of the FFVoile (the French sailing federation) on Sunday February 11.

Although they have not been made public, Voiles et Voiliers reported that the pictures of the WhatsApp messages were visibly taken onboard the Banque Populaire-sponsored Ultim (which is currently competing in the round the world Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest). Banque Populaire was Cremer’s sponsor during the 2020/01 Vendée Globe, before they controversially dropped her as a skipper last year.

Cremer today ended speculation as to the identity of the accused skipper by posting on her social media pages. Her husband, Tanguy Le Turquais – also an IMOCA skipper – echoed her post.

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The ‘motherhood penalty’? Controversy as Vendée Globe skipper Clarisse Cremer loses sponsor

IMOCA skipper Clarisse Cremer, who has recently given birth to her first child, has been controversially dropped by her sponsor…

Clarisse responds to allegations

“I want to respond to the recent accusations that have been brought against me in the last few days,” Cremer wrote.

“I learned about the opening of an investigation by the Federation Française de Voile about the WhatsApp exchanges I had with my husband during the Vendée Globe 2020.

“These exchanges took place on my board phone, owned by my former team, which I left accessible to all as soon as I landed in accordance with the rules.

“I never cheated, I never had any desire to break a rule during this 87-day world tour.

Cremer reunites with husband Tanguy Le Turquais after finishing the 2020 Vendee Globe. Photo: Olivier Blanchet/Alea/IMOCA

“During our exchanges, which are mainly related to the intimacy of a couple, Tanguy never gives me any information that I did not already have.

“No conversation I had with him contributed to me changing course or making a strategic choice that would have had an impact on my race. I have always made all my performance choices alone and unassisted according to the rules.

She went on to say that she was “outraged by the response that anonymous denunciations can have without even questioning their regulatory basis, nor the context of those posts. I am scandalised at how these screenshots are exaggerated to draw hasty and false conclusions, which completely bypass official investigations, and are already hurting us.

“Three years after the end of Vendée Globe, we can only wonder about the motives and timing of this anonymous disclosure and we reserve the right to make a complaint if necessary.

“For my part, I am of course at the disposal of the FFV and Vendée Globe to analyse our exchanges in full transparency.”

Cremer and her husband both put out statements firmly denying the rumours of routing during the 2020 Vendée Globe. Photo: Bernard Le Bars/Alea/VG2020

IMOCA class responds

The IMOCA class also issued a statement yesterday. “We are aware of the publication of an article reporting suspicions of routing in the Vendée Globe 2020-2021.

“This situation is currently in the hands of the competent institutions responsible for regulating and monitoring competitions within the Fédération Française de Voile. We express our full confidence in their ability to carry out impartial and thorough investigations.

“The use of personalised weather assistance and routing from sources external to the boat is prohibited in the context of IMOCA racing. This rule is a fundamental pillar of our commitment to fairness and sporting integrity.

“With this in mind, we stress the importance of a procedure that is carried out with a good knowledge of our races and their rules, in a calm and exhaustive manner.”

This is the third major controversy to break in the IMOCA class in the past year, following Cremer’s very public falling out with her previous sponsors last year, and Kevin Escoffier being suspended by the FFV for 18-months following accusations of sexual assault by a member of his Holcim-PRB team during The Ocean Race in May last year.

The FFV also disqualified the final stage winner of the 2023 La Solitaire du Figaro, Benoit Tuduri, for breaking class rules after he was found to be carrying a second mobile phone and downloading additional weather data.

Cremer’s Vendée campaign

Cremer currently holds the record for being the fastest woman to sail solo around the world thanks to her race with Banque Populaire in the last Vendée Globe.

She was initially named as the skipper who would take over Charlie Dalin’s former Apivia for Banque Populaire in the 2024 race, until they controversially ended their sponsorship deal in February 2023, apparently due to the fact that her qualification for the race would be in doubt after she took time out to have her first child.

Banque Populaire later withdrew entirely from the race, and British former Vendée Globe skipper Alex Thomson’s team swiftly bought the former Apivia FRA 79 – widely considered the fastest IMOCA 60 in the previous generation fleet.

Cremer currently skippers L’Occitane en Provence, the former Apivia. Photo: ATR Racing

In March 2023 it was announced that Cremer would skipper the yacht, with Thomson as Team Principal, under new sponsorship by French skincare company L’Occitane en Provence.

Whilst this reignited Cremer’s campaign, qualification for the 2024 Vendée Globe is still not assured – according to the published selection table which lists entered skippers and their qualification miles, she is currently ranked 41st. The top 39 skippers will secure their place in the race, with a 40th ‘wild card’ entry invited by race organisers.

There are, however, still several major races in which IMOCA skippers can earn additional qualifying miles this ear, including the CIC Transat, which starts in April, and the return New York to Les Sables D’Olonne transatlantic in May.

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Armel Le Cléac’h’s 100ft foiling trimaran Maxi Banque Populaire XI became the 15th boat to pass Cape Horn in a week, when he rounded at 05:01:50hrs UTC this morning, Sunday 11 February.

Le Cléac’h is currently 2nd in the solo around the world Arkea Brest Ultim Challenge race, and today’s rounding is his personal fourth passage of the Horn.

The Ultim fleet is just one of three around the world races currently exiting the Pacific and beginning the Atlantic return, in an extraordinarily busy period at the Horn.

First of the Ultims was fleet leader Charles Caudrelier on the Gitana Maxi Edmond de Rothschild who flew around the last of the great capes on his circumnavigation on Tuesday, 6 February at 1708.

Maxi Edmond de Rothschild leads the Arkea Brest Ultim Challenge fleet around Cape Horn. Photo Yann Riou/Polaryse/Gitana

HIs rounding had been delayed by severe weather forecasts, which predicted two major Southern Ocean lows colliding to produce potential winds of 50-70 knots and extreme sea states. Caudrelier sailed conservatively for around 48 hours, but retained a lead of more than four days over Le Cléac’h and 3rd placed Thomas Coville on Sodebo (who is expected to round later today).

Caudrelier’s Cape Horn rounding – his first solo – was dramatically captured by Gitana team photographer Yann Riou, who flew overhead.

However, Riou was also flying over the area to check for potential ice risk. Prior to Caudrelier’s rounding the CLS service (Collecte Localisation Satellites), which monitors iceberg movements and determines likely risk areas, spotted icebergs north of the previous exclusion zone in the Cape region. 

Since Gitana sailed out of the area, race management team members have made further surveillance flights over the area to check the movements of the ice, but the waters so far appear clear.

Ocean Globe Race rounds Cape Horn

Riou also captured Marie Taberly and crew on Pen Duick VI, Leg 3 leaders in the Ocean Globe Race, as they rounded the Horn early on Tuesday 6 February. in a 25-knot north-westerly, gusting 45, and 2-3.5m seas.

Skipper Taberly reported that their approach to the Horn had been challenging, on a video sent from the yacht after their rounding. “At some point, the wind stabilised between 40 knots, 45 knots, to 50 knots, then from 50 to 60 knots before dropping back to 50. It kept rising and falling, and the waves, well, there were waves and swells, some breaking waves, and the boat started to surf.

“We averaged about 12 knots throughout this low pressure area, which amounts to approximately 270 nautical miles per day. We had beautiful days of consistent surfing between 20 and 23 knots. There was even a surf at 28.3 knots, which I think scared us all. We were all very frightened, but the boat was on fire completely.

“Indeed, the sea was very rough, so the challenge was to keep the boat aligned and manage the waves coming from port or starboard, which could easily catch the stern of the boat and make us broach. In such conditions, it’s crucial to keep the sail up; speed is safe, so you must keep the sail up and move the boat as fast as possible to control and not be overwhelmed by the swell. Instead, know where to position yourself, maintain speed in the trough of a wave, and be ready to tackle the next wave with good speed.

Marie Tabarly at the helm of Pen Duick VI in the Ocean Globe Race, Flyer Class Photo: Martin Keruzoré

“Steering was very challenging; those who are cold once they’re at the helm usually warm up in a few seconds because of this, plus the stress of being at the helm. And yeah, there are moments when you feel quite small, especially at the top of a wave, 7 to 10 metres high, looking at the vast ocean. It’s really when you’re at the top of the wave that you realise the immensity of the sea. And then, we’re at the Horn, not just anywhere in the world.

“Passing Cape Horn isn’t that difficult because when you arrive, the sea is calm, and there’s no wind. The challenge is before reaching Cape Horn; passing it is the reward,” Taberly added. “We passed Cape Horn under excellent conditions with an incredible sunrise. It was the first sunrise in Patagonia, just sublime. And well, the Translated team was still there, passing Cape Horn a few hours after us.

“From Cape Horn, we started our ascent of the Atlantic towards Punta del Este, passing a place called the Strait of the Sea, west of the Falkland Islands, also known as the Malvinas. Our friends from Translated 9 also followed us closely in the Strait of the Sea, overtaken by Charles Caurdrelier and Gitana. So, we won our bet, arriving before the Ultimes.“

Storm conditions at the Horn

Second-placed Swan 65 Translated 9, co-skippered by Golden Globe Race finisher Simon Curwen and Marco Trombetti rounded five hours later in more moderate conditions of 15-20 knot winds as they sailed just half a mile from the coast of Cape Horn.

“We’ve had three days of fire; we sailed through the storm with winds at 55 knots, gusts, and formed waves. Only as we approached Cape Horn, about 60 miles away, did the weather situation improve, and we had a great rounding of the Cape,” the team reported.

However, Translated 9, which has held the overall race lead in IRC since the race’s outset, was forced to divert to the Falklands Islands swiftly after, having reported hull damage. The crew discovered two cracks in the stern section – one potentially significant – causing water ingress. The team safely made port in the Falklands, where they confirmed that the yacht cannot be repaired without assistance, forcing their retirement from Leg 3.

Thursday 8 February saw three more Ocean Globe Race crews make the rounding, with Maiden, the Swan 651 Spirit of Helsinki and the French former Whitbread 60 Neptune passing the iconic Cape, followed closely by the Swan 53 Triana. 

In doing so, three of the crew on Maiden – Vuyisile Jaca, Junella King and Maryama Seck – made history as the first black female crew to become ‘Cape Horners’.

Maiden rounds Cape Horn in the Ocean Globe Race. Photo courtesy of OGR

The brief messages sent from the teams in the ‘retro’ round the world race captured the moment. “CAPE HORN! Laughing, crying, hugging on the deck. LEGENDARY moment. Masa shouted land ahoy and Jouko drove us through the longitude,” reported Spirit of Helsinki. 

“Bye Southern Ocean, thanks for being so good to us. A life-changing experience.”

Over the past two days, the former Whitbread yacht L’Esprit d’Equipe, Tapio Lehtinen’s Galiana with Secure, the Swan 57 White Shadow, Outlaw and Evrika, with just two teams still to round on their way to the race’s final stopover in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

“The wind was gusting up to 50 knots as we were approaching, and the waves were steep, breaking waves, so it was proper Cape Horn weather! So I feel lucky that for me it was my fourth time sailing Cape Horn, and I felt lucky to do it in a proper gale and also during daylight,” said Lehtinen.

Tough conditions for Galiana WithSecure on the race towards Cape Horn. Credit: Galiana WithSecure Ville Norra / OGR2023

Global Solo Challenge

Meanwhile entrants in the single-handed Global Solo Challenge have also been streaming around Cape Horn. 

While the leader Philippe Delamare on the 46-footer Mowgli rounded on 9 January, the past couple of weeks have seen second-placed Cole Brauer on the Class 40 First Light round on January 26, then Ronnie Simpson on the Open 50 Shipyard Brewing on 1 February.

Italian skipper Andrea Mura, also on an Open 50 passed the Cape on 7 February, closely followed the same day by Francois Gouin on Class 40 Kawan 3, and Italian Class 40 skipper Riccardo Tosetto the next day. American David Linger is likely to pass the landmark before the close of this weekend.

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Don McIntyre is on relaxed form when he calls from Les Sables d’Olonne. His current flock of round the world racers are swooping south on the second leg of the Ocean Globe Race, McIntyre’s 50th anniversary homage to the Whitbread Around the World Race. Conditions were good, and the crews had been revelling in their first taste of Southern Ocean swells. It’s a lifelong ambition made real for those who dreamt of taking part in the original iconic races.

The Ocean Globe Race (OGR) is also something of an apotheosis of McIntyre’s 50-year career. His life story is all about creating adventures, but this is an adventure made accessible. It’s something that ‘normal’ people could do. Don McIntyre sees that as the reason so many sailors – 160 crew in the OGR so far, 24 solo skippers in two editions of the Golden Globe Race (GGR) – have signed up for his new breed of ocean races.

“I consider myself to be very normal. Some people think I’m an arsehole, others will think I’m a genius, but I’m very normal. So if it’s something that I’d like to do, I’m sure there are other people that want to do it too,” he muses.

But though McIntyre might see himself as an everyman, he has not lived a ‘normal’ life. Racing solo around the world is enough isolation for most, but Don followed it up by deliberately stranding himself on Antarctica for a year. His stories are peppered with sentences like “And then I learnt how to fly a helicopter”, or “We had some pirate interaction – so I got off the boat and instead took up rally car racing.”

It’s a delivery that will be familiar to followers of his daily race video updates – genial, with a slightly homespun air that’s at odds with the slick production values of most sailing events today. But these adventures are serious business – and Don’s formula of back-to-basics retro ocean races has hit on something that has a surprisingly wide appeal.

Don McIntyre on board Sponsor Wanted in January 1991 during the BOC Challenge. Photo: Stuart Davidson/Fairfax Media/Getty

Outward bound

Don McIntyre was born in Adelaide, Australia, in 1955 and began developing expedition skills from his earliest years. “We used to go on holiday to a place called Aldinga Beach,” he recalls. “I was always in the water. I was either fishing, or I’d make my own hand spears, or I’d go rabbit trapping. I’d do all sorts of things, but the water was a constant.

“I started surfing when I was about 12 or 13 – I had a 9ft longboard. My sailing was off the beach, I had a Heron dinghy and some catamarans. Then I saw a movie called Crystal Voyager, which was about three guys who fitted out a 36-footer and went sailing-surfing. I’d also been influenced by Chichester with his stop-off in Sydney.

“By 18, I’d started building my first boat, which was a replica of Suhaili, because Robin Knox-Johnston was one of my three heroes. The other was Jacques Cousteau, and the third was a guy called Tom Neale, who was a dropout on an island in the Pacific. His autobiography An Island to Oneself was the first book I ever read cover to cover at high school, because I was dyslexic and I didn’t read a lot.

“Those things all had a profound impact, which I didn’t realise really until probably 30 years later.”

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McIntyre was brimful of inspiration – and had become a certified celestial navigator aged 18 – but his plans needed refining. “The replica of Suhaili was too big, so I swapped it down for a 29-footer. And then I realised you can’t go sailing-surfing easily because you’ve got to anchor somewhere and the surf is where there are no anchorages. So instead I decided to set out into the Pacific and that’s how it all began. I built my little Duncanson 29, and set off on a three-year trip, where I did my first single-handed sailing.”

Having left Adelaide in 1978, sailing to Sydney, through the Great Barrier Reef and out to the Pacific islands and back, McIntyre found himself anchored in Apollo Bay, southern Australia, at the same time as David Scott Cowper. Scott Cowper was on his way to beating Chichester’s solo circumnavigation time on his 41ft S&S Ocean Bound. “He’d come in because he had a problem with his wind vane, and I got to know him. We became good friends.”

Relaxing after completing the Australian leg of the BOC. Photo: Stuart Davidson/Fairfax Media/Getty

After helping Scott Cowper fix Ocean Bound, McIntyre became the Australian agent for Aries wind vanes, and travelled to Sydney to service yachts competing in the 1982 BOC Challenge (later the Around Alone/Velux 5 Oceans). “I’d been cruising for three years, and didn’t even know the BOC was on,” he recalls. “I put all the wind vanes in my little Triumph TR7 sports car, drove from Adelaide to Sydney, and there was Philippe Jeantot, Bertie Reed, Guy Bernadin… I was like, ‘Whoa!’”

McIntyre immediately decided that he wanted to compete in the 1986 BOC race, and – after considering borrowing Ocean Bound – later set out to build his own aluminium 50-footer for the race. He now had a plan, and the means to make it happen.

“We learned very early on about how to make some money, and one of those was selling things. When I built my first boat, I was importing stuff all the time. And when I wanted all the gear for the BOC you couldn’t buy it in Australia, you could only buy rubbish.

“So, effectively, I just started bringing in equipment that I needed and instead of bringing in one for me, I’d bring in five or six and sell them. Very quickly I had a very viable marine equipment importing business that doubled its turnover every six months.”

Rig checks during a 1990 BOC Challenge stopover. Photo: Tim Clayton/Fairfax Media/Getty

In the news

McIntyre realised Australia wasn’t just lacking a supply chain. “Short-handed sailing was just about illegal in Australia at the time, it was so frowned upon. And I thought, I’d better start a short-handed sailing association.” He invited Robin Knox-Johnston to be patron.

Due to a lack of funds and time, there was no way McIntyre’s was going to be ready to compete in the ’86 BOC. Instead, in the interim, as chair of the Australian short-handed sailing association he organised a new race, the Goodman Fielder Wattie Bicentennial Around Australia Yacht Race, in 1988. First home was Peter Blake in the 60ft trimaran Steinlager, having overcome horrendous conditions that included 9m waves and 50-knot winds. But the race was marred by the death of a competitor who was lost overboard.

During the search and rescue operation, a police boat sank, and the Australian police commissioner was swift to condemn McIntyre’s race management. It led to a lengthy and highly public defamation trial, even after the coroner’s inquest placed no blame on the organisers.

Having sailed past Antarctica in the BOC Challenge, McIntyre went back to explore it in 1993. Photo: Wade Fairly

In the end, McIntyre won. But when the French sailing federation, the FFV, initially criticised the Golden Globe Race as a ‘totally unconscious and dangerous challenge’, it hit a sore nerve with McIntyre, who posted a lengthy rebuttal online. (It was later established that the event would not be run under FFV jurisdiction and, according to McIntyre, the French maritime authorities went on to praise the safety and security aspects in the GGR Notice of Race as the best of any sailing event in France).

Around alone

McIntyre finally got his solo ocean racing adventure in 1990, when he took part in the BOC Challenge, setting off without a sponsor, and around $300,000 of debt (a backer was signed part-way through the race).

He finished 2nd in class despite several knockdowns, being fully rolled, and finishing with a broken forestay. “I wasn’t a racer, I was a compass and knife man. But it wasn’t about the racing for me, it was a voyaging and challenge and adventure thing. I’ve never done a Sydney Hobart, even today, it just doesn’t appeal to me.”

McIntyre returned with yet more adventurous dreams in his head. One was to sail non-stop around the world. “The BOC was great, but it had four stopovers. I always thought I just really wanted to put myself up against Robin, not as a competition, but just to go through what he did.

McIntyre and his then wife, Margie, lived for a year in this cabin at Antarcica’s Cape Denison. Photo: McIntyre Adventure

“It was a very attractive concept, building a Suhaili replica in timber and doing what he did. That was the lead-in to how the GGR started.”

The other was inspired by David Lewis and his Antarctic voyages on Icebird. “When I did the BOC we were going around Antarctica, it’s literally just over there on the right! I had a Southern Ocean-capable boat that could take on anything. So when the BOC was finished, it seemed natural to go to Antarctica at last.”

Sailing into Cape Denison in 1993, McIntyre and crew were astonished to find the shelters built by pioneering Australian explorer Douglas Mawson during a 1911 expedition to the South Pole still standing.

“I was looking at Mawson’s Hut, which is where all the boys lived for a couple of years and thinking, this is unbelievable, you could come here and live here.”

Incredibly, he and his then wife Margie did, sailing back to Cape Denison in 1995 with building materials, tools and provisions for two years in an expedition called Together Alone. They built a tiny 2.4m x 3.6m shelter, chained to the rocks just 40m from Mawson’s Hut, and equipped it with solar panels, a generator, and basic furnishings.

And there they lived, entirely unsupported and without human contact, for a year-long experiment including a full Antarctic winter. (The expedition is the subject of a compelling documentary film, see the McIntyre Adventure YouTube channel).

Round Australia gyrocopter record. Photo: McIntyre Adventure

The project demonstrated a familiar characteristic of Don’s: his ability to not only think up an outlandish idea, but see it through, even without financial backing.

“Most people don’t stop and think about whether they really want to do it. But for me, there’s a lot of joy planning these expeditions. The planning and preparation is often more enjoyable than the execution.

“I knew how to do it and I believed we could do it and we did. It cost us about AUD$800,000 to do that trip, to get the boat set up, build the box, get it down there. It was like a military operation, but it was fantastic fun. It was very special because it was unique.”

Ice and tropics

After the Together Alone expedition, he and Margie returned to Antarctica to attempt a 70km trek to Madigans Nunatak, a rocky outcrop discovered by Mawson’s team in 1912. They also spent time surveying the Great Barrier Reef.

Next McIntyre bought a 36m ice expedition ship. “That was my Jacques Cousteau dream. I ended up with a ship that was better than Calypso. It was fantastic, called Sir Hubert Wilkins. I had exactly the same helicopter and I was flying that. We had all the dive gear, we had a five-man recompression chamber. And we had four years of just crazy stuff.”

Exploration ship Sir Hubert Wilkins. Photo: McIntyre Adventure

They spent several seasons surveying areas of Antarctica, supporting expeditions and conservation teams, before taking on a private charter ‘treasure hunting’ in the Philippines, in search of significant wreck sites. The search was unsuccessful, but caught the eye of a terrorist group who attempted to board the ship. Provisioning became high risk, with local militia harassing the crew whenever they stepped on land.

For a change of scene, Don and Margie took up rally car driving, buying a Peugeot 206 GTi and competing in some of Australia’s biggest road races. Next he set a record flying a single-seat gyrocopter to the furthest east, north, west and southernmost points of Australia, some 115 hours in the air. He became one of Jessica Watson’s main backers, buying her S&S 34 Pink Lady and supporting her bid to become the youngest solo skipper to sail around the world in 2009.

In 2010 Don got back on the ocean, with an ambitious plan to recreate William Bligh’s epic voyage after being cast adrift during the mutiny on the HMS Bounty in 1789. Sailing with a crew of three (unlike Bligh’s 18 men) in an traditionally-built 7.3m open whale boat, the Talisker Bounty Boat, they covered nearly 4,000 miles from Tofua, Tonga, to Kupang in West Timor.

The voyage took McIntyre and crew 48 days, finishing within three hours of Bligh’s time, despite capsizes, near grounding on a reef, McIntyre twice developing kidney stones, and severe food and water shortages.

“A lot of people think I’m 68, but I’m really 28,” McIntyre jokes. “People say I’ve never really grown up because all of these things are basically like camping holidays. They’re just great things to do. I’ve always had a project, I want to wake up in the morning and have something to do. Otherwise you think, why wake up?

McIntyre recreated Captain William Bligh’s epic 4,000 mile ‘mutiny on the Bounty’ voyage in an open boat. Photo: David Pryce

“When you start dreaming about something long enough, you get to the stage where you have to do it because otherwise you’ll regret it. And that’s how most of the ideas form.”

Retro appeal

His longest held ambition – to recreate Knox-Johnston’s famous solo circumnavigation of 1968, finally came to fruition in 2018 – but not as he’d imagined it.

Initially McIntyre began planning an event that he wanted to take part in. “The original race had nine, so I was thinking there might be six, seven, or eight other people that might want to go,” he recalls. Instead, dozens of applications poured in. Three years before the start, the race had received 30 provisional entries and over 150 expressions of interest. “We created a monster and the popularity was going crazy,” recalls McIntyre, “So our first stop for a sponsor was obviously NewsCorp.”

Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp owned The Sunday Times, sponsors of the original 1968 race. Early conversations were initially positive and a delegation including McIntyre and Knox-Johnston went to present their proposal. “Without going into the fine details, by the time they walked out the door it was looking like nearly £5 million might have been possible,” McIntyre says. “But directly after that, NewsCorp announced a billion-dollar write down of their print properties.”

No title sponsorship was ever forthcoming, though the port of Les Sables d’Olonne stepped in to rescue the event.

McIntyre and his Talisker Bounty Boat crew. Photo: David Pryce

It also became clear that Don would be needed to stay ashore and run the show, with a small team including his current wife, Jane.

“I didn’t mind that. Running the race itself became my adventure. I got a lot of satisfaction out of it – we created something from nothing. Many people think that our first Golden Globe Race in 2018 was a disaster. We lost a few boats and lots of rigs and a lot of people believe it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened in sailing. But I didn’t look at it that way at all.”

“I was really proud of the first fleet,” he adds. “There was a really good mix of people.”

The outcome of the first revival Golden Globe Race is well documented: of 18 starters, just five finished, four skippers had to abandon their boats, five were dismasted. But it certainly didn’t put off would-be entrants, as four years later another 16 skippers set off to do it again. Enthusiasm for the race seems undimmed.

“I think there are many factors that contribute to the popularity of the Golden Globe Race,” last year’s winner Kirsten Neuschäfer explains. “One of the biggest, in my opinion, is Don’s emphasis on the ‘human story’. Because this is not sailing at its highest performance and technological level, instead, I think, it talks to people from all walks of life, of all age groups, and people who are not necessarily sailors. It transports them back to the true spirit of adventure.”

McIntyre is founder of the retro Golden Globe Race. Photo: MAXPPP/Alamy

Passion projects

The GGR had its fair share of critics, and the OGR has not been controversy-free either. “About a week before the start of the race, I had a letter signed by a group of entrants basically saying the race was dangerous and that they demanded satellite weather forecasting,” Don reveals. His response was the same as it has been to Golden Globe skippers demanding rule changes.

“The reality is that the entrants have signed on for this. This is what they want.

“I say to them all, if you’re feeling that way, I am telling you not to start. Just stay home.” The teams did start (after being requested to resign their liability forms), and the OGR rules have not been changed to allow satellite weather forecasting.

Start of the 2023 Ocean Globe Race. Photo: Tim Bishop/OGR

McIntyre certainly isn’t impervious to criticism, particularly when it comes to the safety of his events. “I’ve been facing uphill battles all my life, because what I do is not conventional.

“I’m not saying all our decisions are correct because they’re not. But we make those decisions based on very sound values. All our events have risk. We can never get rid of it. But that’s the attraction, the entrants are there because of the risk. Our role is to minimise that risk.”

There is no question that McIntyre cares deeply about the safety of his competitors.

“It’s very obvious that the GGR is not a job for him – it’s his passion,” Neuschäfer adds. “He is the one who bears the responsibility, the hopes, fears, anxieties and dreams that he shares with all the skippers, who he has in some way ‘sent’ out on their adventure.”

As for his own dream to sail in the wake of his hero Knox-Johnston, McIntyre says that dream has passed. On a transatlantic passage on his Globe 5.80 yacht he had ‘a huge revelation’ that he no longer wanted to sail around the world solo.

“I worked out why I do all this stuff. I finally had the answer. I do it to prove something to myself. And at that stage in my life, with the people around me, I didn’t have to prove anything to myself, not a thing. And you sort of think,” he says, becoming emotional, “that people and time are the most valuable commodity you have.”

Opening photo by Jan Kasl @jankaslphoto

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The British team is seeking to win the first ever Women’s America’s Cup. It will also be aiming to defend its title as Youth America’s Cup winners, having won with the Land Rover BAR Academy at the previous Youth event in Bermuda in 2017 (no Youth America’s Cup event was held in New Zealand in 2020).

The Athena Pathway is headed up by Hannah Mills, the most successful female Olympic sailing medallist in sailing history. Mills has been an active part of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team in the strategist role on the F50 whilst also leading the British Youth and America’s Cup campaign.

Photo: C. Gregory / INEOS Britannia

Olympic talent for British Women’s America’s Cup team

While Mills will take one wheel of the AC40, the other named female helms are Freya Black, aged just 22, who’ll be representing GBR at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the 49er FX class in the months before the Cup, and Ellie Aldridge, who’s also competing in the Olympics in the Women’s Formula Kite class, having previously competed at a high level in the 49er FX.

For the Women’s America’s Cup Mills will be reunited with Saskia Clark, with whom she won Olympic Gold in Rio 2016 in the 470. Clark will be on the AC40 as a trimmer.

Clark commented: “Very excited is an understatement. Hannah and I had a great Olympic career together and I’m looking forward to reuniting, taking all the learnings from our Olympic experiences and applying them into a broader team environment in a new class of boat”.

Hannah Mills will head u the British Women’s America’s Cup challenge. Photo: C. Gregory / INEOS Britannia

They are joined by Saskia Tidey, who’ll be competing at Paris in the 49er FX with Black, and Tokyo Olympic Silver medallist Anna Burnet, who is also set to represent Britain at Paris 2024 in the Nacra 17 mixed multihull class.

Hannah Diamond, who races with Mills on the Emirates GBR SailGP F50 and is also an experienced offshore sailor, also joins the Women’s America’s Cup Squad.

British Youth America’s Cup sailors

The Youth America’s Squad must be between 18 and 25 years of age. Nick Robins is an under-25 helm for the Youth team, having campaigned a 49er and also worked with INEOS Britannia as a data analyst, along with James Grummett, who’s also been campaigning for Olympic selection in the 49er.

Hattie Rogers, the current Waszp National, European female World Champion and International Moth female World Champion, joins the squad as a trimmer. Fellow Waszp sailor and former European champion Mat Beck and former 470/49er sailor Alex Hughes are also named as trimmers for the Youth AC40.

Nick Robins. Photo: C. Gregory / INEOS Britania

INEOS Britannia Skipper and CEO Ben Ainslie commented: “We couldn’t be prouder of what Athena Pathway stands for – giving youth and female sailors more opportunity in our sport. We have selected a high calibre squad and to have someone like Hannah leading them on and off the water is incredibly inspiring. We will certainly be setting our expectation high as we look ahead to the Women’s and Youth America’s Cup.”

The British squad a deep pool of talent to draw on – between the 12-strong squad they have won 6 Olympic medals and 22 World Championship medals. The Athena Pathway received over 300 applications for the squad, with selections held over an intensive 18-month trials period, including both on-water and simulator-based analysis.

The selection process was led by Olympian Penny Clark, who has worked extensively with the British Sailing Team as a coach from youth to international level, and Olympic 49er bronze medallist Chris Draper, an America’s Cup veteran who’s worked with many new teams in both the America’s Cup and SailGP arenas to accelerate foiling skills. The Athena Pathway trialled crew in a 26-foot ‘Easy to Fly’ foiling catamaran and the programme also has a fleet of Waszp dinghies.

Along with today’s team announcement, the Athena Pathway also announced a sponsorship partnership with UK/US engineering firm Cobham-Ultra, which operates in defence, aerospace and electronics sectors.

The AC40 will be used for both the Women’s and Youth America’s Cups. Photo: C. Gregory / INEOS Britannia

Women’s and Youth America’s Cup racing in 2024

The Women’s and Youth America’s Cup events will both be held in one-design AC40s, with the teams competing in Barcelona concurrently with the main Cup racing.

The British America’s Cup team took delivery of its second AC40 at the end of 2023, with the boats sharing duties as a test-platform for the AC75 as well as being the one-design class for the Youth and America’s Cup racing.

The Youth America’s Cup begins with practice racing from 19 September and official racing from 26 September until the final on 2 October. The AC40s then get immediately handed over to the women’s squads, with the Puig Women’s America’s Cup practice racing beginning on October 4 28, and racing running from 10 October until the grand final on 16 October (also the third day of the Louis Vuitton Match Race Final).

There are 12 teams entered in the Women’s and Youth America’s Cups. Besides the America’s Cup entrants – Emirates Team New Zealand, Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI), Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA), American Magic (USA), the French Orient Express Racing and British Athena Pathway – six further teams have entered from Spain, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Australia.

For both events the fleet will be split into two groups of six boats for an eight race opening series. The top six teams will then advance to a four-race series of fleet races to decide the top two boats, with the winner decided by a single winner-takes-all match race.

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The highly competitive Class 40 fleet has long been a proving ground for talent, both for designers and sailors, with many going on to the IMOCA class.

“I’ve had the chance of sailing the best part of a decade on Class 40s – from the 2011 Transat Jacques Vabre with Damien Seguin, to my second Route du Rhum victory in 2022,” says Richomme.

“The Class 40s to me represent the best sailing potential of any glassfibre-built boats: they are now incredible machines capable of 10 knots upwind and sometimes more than 20 reaching and downwind. I’ve had the thrill of crossing the Altantic in less than 14 days beating some IMOCAs across the line.

“The class is very active with four or five designers launching new designs every two to three years, which makes it really interesting to follow. The hull designs have come a long way from the pointy ends to the now very fat bow. Look out for more evolutions to come in the future!

“I’ve especially loved working with the team led by Eric Levet at Lombard Yacht Design, they have designed the two Class 40s that I raced solo.”

Photo: Vincent Olivaud/RDR 2022

Make sure you check out our full list of Coolest Yachts.

Class 40 Lift 2 stats rating

Top speed: 29 knots
LOA: 12.19m/40ft
Launched: 2022
Berths: 2
Price: €800,000
Adrenalin factor: 80%

Yoann Richomme

Yoann Richomme is one of French offshore racing’s biggest talents. He has twice won La Solitaire du Figaro (2016 & 2019), and also twice won the Route du Rhum in the Class 40s in 2018 and 2022. He studied naval architecture at Southampton, and is known for his highly technical approach. He is aiming to compete in his first Vendée Globe in 2024.

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Finnish solo sailor Ari Känsäkoski has safely reached Durban, South Africa, 25 days after dismasting in the remote Indian Ocean and sailing 1,200 miles under jury rig.

Känsäkoski, who is competing in the Global Solo Challenge – a single-handed ‘pursuit’ style non-stop around the world race – was dismasted on his Class 40 Fuji on the night of 21 December in the Roaring Forties.

The aftermath of Fuji’s dismasting in the Indian Ocean, December 2023

He was sailing in a remote area of the Indian Ocean at a latitude of over 41 degrees south, when the D1 lower diagonal shroud failed after shearing off at the tip-cup.

Känsäkoski took down all sails, hoping to secure the mast at first light by rigging a Dyneema replacement D1 or similar, but in 20 knot winds the boat’s violent rolling of under bare poles caused the deck-stepped mast to buckle in half, breaking just above the first set of spreaders, and collapsing partially on deck and overboard in the middle of the night.

Fortunately Ari was not injured and there was no damage to Fuji’s hull. He was able to secure the mast against the boat during the night to ensure it could not damage the hull in the rolling waves.

Building a jury rig

Känsäkoski was approximately 1000 nautical miles south of Madagascar, 1,200 miles from continental Africa and 1400 miles from Cape Town at the time. The nearest land was Iles Crozet, some 300 miles away, but these remote Islands had no facilities that could have assisted a repair.

Känsäkoski location in the remote Indian Ocean shortly after the dismasting

At daylight the following morning Känsäkoski assessed the situation and determined that he did not require assistance. He deemed that neither he nor the boat were under immediate danger and that, thanks to having secured all the sections of the mast and the boom, he was able to build a jury rig.

MRCC Finland (the boat is Finnish flagged) and MRCC Reunion were kept informed and remained in constant contact with the skipper since.

After waiting for a suitable weather window Känsäkoski was able to retrieve the top section onto the deck, using deck winches and an outrigger to create a crane to lift the mast aboard. He then built a jury rig which allowed him to hoist his storm sails with the outrigger, while the broken mast remained lashed to the deck.

The jury rig combined storm sails and an outrigger, though was hampered by the broken rig still on deck

Fuel transfers

Due to challenging weather conditions, and being in the full flow of an easterly-flowing eddie of the Agulhas Current, the Finnish skipper charted a northerly course in consultation with his routing team to quickly get out of the Roaring Forties.

However, this rapidly depleted Känsäkoski’s already limited fuel resources, and on Christmas Day 2023 MRCC Reunion broadcast a message to any nearby vessels requesting refuelling assistance.

The following day, the Japanese fishing vessel Tomi Maru No.58, captained by Sachio Hagiya, responded. Despite challenging sea conditions, they successfully transferred 300 litres of fuel and other essential supplies.

“They had good clear floating lines and buoys even with lights when it was getting dark. We were passing canisters back and forth,” explained Känsäkoski at the time.

Challenging sea conditions for the fuel transfer from the Toni Maru No58 fishing vessel

After a first transfer the operation was suspended for the night and resumed the following morning, “Until all of mine [jerry cans] were full and they had sent all they had. Being a a fishing boat it was easy for them to fish the canisters back for a next round. And they were super friendly and helpful.”

The fishing vessel was able to transfer 300 litres of Marine Gas Oil, 10 litres of engine oil and 10 litres each of Kerosene and Light Oil, which Känsäkoski mixed to decrease the viscosity of the fuel used by high sea vessels.

However, with around 400 miles to go, Känsäkoski required a second fuel transfer and rendezvoused with a new Finnish RO-PAX vessel, the MS Finncanopus, on its maiden voyage from China to the Baltic Sea which had diverted from its initial Red Sea route due to the political situation in the area.

Welcome freshly baked treats from the crew of the Finncanopus after 800 miles alone under jury rig

Finncanopus Captain Jyrki Repo was able to position the 65,000 tonne ship to allow Känsäkoski to approach in his disabled yacht. The Finncanopus crew then transferred additional clean diesel other supplies – even including freshly baked bread and pancakes! – using a throwing line and floating cans.

Arrival in Durban

Känsäkoski was initially scheduled to arrive in Durban at first light on January 15, but the engine V-belt broke less than 10 miles from port. A local rescue boat was able assist by towing Fuji into port in Durban, South Africa.

Kansakoski photographed by the crew of the Finncanopus

The Global Solo Challenge organisers reported that they, Ari Känsäkoski and his shore team wished to “extend their deepest gratitude to MRCC Reunion, Captain Hagiya, the crew of Tomi Maru No. 58, Captain Jyrki Repo, the crew of Finncanopus, Finnlines, NSRI Durban, Durban Marina, Vince Nel – Point Yacht Club Rear-Commodore and all those who were involved in any other aspect of the operation and all those who have contributed to Ari’s fundraiser.”

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Less than a week after setting out from the start in Brest, the leading Ultim trimarans in the Arkea Ultim Challenge have crossed the Equator.

First to enter the Southern Hemisphere was Tom Laperche on SVR Lazartigue, who crossed at around 1843 (CET) this evening, with Charles Caudrelier on Maxi Edmond de Rothschild around 1.5 hours behind.

The blistering pace set by the 100ft foiling trimarans has seen the leading Ultims cover the North Atlantic, from northern France to the Equator, in six and a half days.

For context, on his 2017 record breaking solo circumnavigation Francois Gabart’s took 5d and 20h to get to the Equator, while the fastest solo time was during Thomas Coville’s previous record, in 5d 17h 11m. The fastest ever is is that of the crewed Spindrift 2 team, who sailed from Brest to Latitude 0 in just 4d 20h at the start of a Jules Verne Trophy attempt.

However, all of those record attempts were carefully timed to depart at the absolute optimum moment for a fast Atlantic passage, while the Arkea Ultim Challenge fleet set out on a predetermined race start day.

The start of the Arkea Ultim Challenge in Brest, January 2024. Photos: Alexis Courcoux

High speed solo trimarans

The Arkea Ultim Challenge, which is the first race of its kind as solo around the world non-stop in giant multihulls, set off from Brest on the West of France, on Sunday lunchtime, 7 January 2024. 

The six trimaran fleet had passed Cape Finisterre before breakfast on Monday and hurtled past the latitude of the Azores in the small hours of Tuesday. Despite being briefly slowed in the first 48 hours by a ridge of high pressure, the Race HQ frequently noted speeds of more than 45 knots at times by the fastest trio while by Wednesday, as they approached the Canary Islands, the leading boats were posting averages of 38 knots.

Vendée Globe winner Armel Le Cléac’h (Maxi Banque Populaire XI) commented after two days of racing: “At this pace we can be at the Cape of Good Hope in 12 days and at Cape Horn in 30 days. In the IMOCA it took more than double the time. It totally changes your vision of a race round the world.”

Anthony Marchand (Actual Ultim 3) agreed: “What’s crazy is this feeling of traveling very quickly, of being at the Canaries in 3 days and the Cape Verde 23 hours later.

Eric Peron on Adagio at the start of the Arkea Ultim Challenge in Brest, January 2024. Photos: Alexis Courcoux

46 knots is too fast!

The teams swiftly faced their first low pressure system, which required a mindset shift for the skippers from the first few days of closely matched sprinting.

Anthony Marchand (Actual) explained on Wednesday 10 January: “Going into 6 metre waves, after three days at sea, I feel good, I am starting to switch to ‘offshore’ mode, less in tactical regatta mode. 

“You can quickly get caught up in the game of in contact racing, which can be a bad idea.”

Charles Cauderlier on Maxi Edmond de Rothschild agreed: “For sure there is a definite, noticeable intensity between us, that’s for sure, even a little too much sometimes. 

“I calmed things down in the breeze for the boat, especially after I was hitting 45, 46 knots. That really felt a bit quick for what is, after all, the start of a round the world race!

“We started out fast but I think in time everyone will find their rhythm and it will all settle down little by little, especially as things get serious with the first depression.”

All six trimarans negotiated the first major front without incident, though experienced winds of up to 40 knots, as predicted by the shoreside routing teams each skipper works closely with 24-7.

Armel Le Cléac’h explained: “The wind strengthened from ahead as expected, pretty much as I was anticipating it to do, I had reduced sail area a lot, well in advance to tackle this slightly delicate passage. Then there was a big shift in the wind with gusts of over 50 knots. At night, in torrential rain, let’s just say it wasn’t very comfortable.”

Since flying past the depression, the Arkea Ultim Challenge fleet were in search of tradewind conditions, with the fleet splitting into pairings. At the front, SVR Lazartigue and Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, with Thomas Coville on Sodebo and Armel le Cléac’h on Maxi Banque Populaire XI closely matched around behind, then Anthony Marchand on Actual Ultim 3 in 5th and Eric Peron, a late entry on Adagio, in 6th.

Thomas Coville on Sodebo racing in the Arkea Ultim Challenge, 2024. Photos: Alexis Courcoux

Long way round

Le Cleac’h revealed that he had suffered a problem with his largest headsail, the J0, which contributed to him losing touch with the leading pair.

“Two or three days ago I was still in contact with the leaders then I had a problem with a sail and it took me quite a while. I had to fix stuff and  unfortunately that left me behind. Now, though, I have found conditions that allowed me to sail quickly.

“But this course is long, I know a lot more things will happen. We must maintain our pace, our strategy with conditions which should allow us to quickly descend into the 40s.

“The idea is to get to the gates of the Indian Ocean with a boat at 100% operational capacity and to be able to attack the big South where we will have to change down the gears.”

For the leaders it now looks like a fast passage towards the longitude of Cape Town at good speeds. The wind flow around the Saint Helena high pressure system is favourable and in flat water they should be able to sail at close to maximum speed potential.

“There is no sea, no secondary swell and a very favourable weather situation,” explains  assistant race director Fred Lepeutrec from Race HQ in Brest.

“Within 48 hours, the leading duo will begin to slowly curve towards the South East, following the great circle route, the more direct route.

“It’s different to the usual sequence. With the southwest flow of the Saint Helena anticyclone, which will strengthen, they have a slant direct towards the Indian Ocean and conditions to go at their full potential.”

Follow on the live tracker at arkeaultimchallengebrest.com

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Every autumn the pontoons of Las Palmas are a hive of activity, as hundreds of yachts prepare for an Atlantic crossing with the ARC and ARC+ rallies.

Over its 38-year history, the ARC has seen thousands of sailors pass through Las Palmas, and an entire network has grown up around the port and city to support the World Cruising Club community, as well as dozens of suppliers and services who set up base in Gran Canaria for a few weeks to help prepare the fleet.

But if you’re planning to cross from the famous transatlantic jump-off point, what are the key things to get checked off your jobs list before you arrive in Gran Canaria, and what is best done in Las Palmas? Shortly before this year’s ARC rally we spoke to skippers, organisers and yacht services to get their top tips.

Arrive early

“The most important piece of advice is get here early,” cautions World Cruising Club’s Jeremy Wyatt. “And by early, I mean ideally September. Certainly no later than early October, because you’ll have more time to do things, the yards are less busy, the chandlers have got time for you. If you leave everything until the first or second week in November, it’s going to be very stressful.

“We definitely advise yachts to get here by early October, and there’s also a good weather reason for that as well. If you look at the synoptics at the moment [early November] there are some big low pressure systems in Biscay, so you should be across Biscay by early September. You should be hopefully out of the Iberian Peninsula, or out of the Med, to be in the Canaries by early October, and then you’ll miss the worst of the weather that could delay your arrival.”

Las Palmas is busy ahead of the ARC start. Photo: James Mitchell

Even if you’re not crossing with the ARC rally but plan to transat independently, it’s important to schedule your arrival so you’re not competing with the rally fleet for service availability as turnaround times for between the ARC+ and ARC fleets are tight.

This year a number of yachts told us they had altered their route to sail directly to the Canary Islands rather than follow the traditional path south along the Iberian peninsula in order to avoid any risk of encountering orcas.

“We were planning on going to Portugal to have some work done, but instead we dodged the orcas, and came here early to get all the work done here,” explains Dan Bower, skipper of Skyelark 2, a charter Oyster 62.

Boat work

Due to the sheer number of yachts stopping over in Las Palmas, there are marine services capable of doing pretty much everything required to get your boat ready for a transatlantic passage – but timing is key.
“You can get anything done in Las Palmas,” explains Wyatt. “It’s a big port, there are riggers, metal workers, boatyards.

“We don’t recommend having major equipment fitted out here simply because you won’t have time to test it properly. So we really recommend any new systems you’re putting on should be done before you leave your home port and use the delivery down here to shake down and test it.

Boat work activity in the run-up to the ARC and ARC+ transatlantic rallies. Photo: James Mitchell

“A classic example is a watermaker. If it’s been badly installed, you’ll find out on the way down that it aerates and you can try and alleviate the problem. You don’t want to find that out when you’ve just left to go 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. So big systems should get done in advance.

“Typically what people are doing here is maybe getting new sails shipped in, or their canvas work done, or they’re getting rigging checks and repairs. And then the usual fixing pumps that weren’t working, stripping winches down in preparation for the trip, that level of maintenance.”

Some skippers cautioned that it’s important to get quotes for any planned work well in advance as costs can be higher than anticipated – unsurprising due to the ‘honeypot’ effect of the ARC arrivals each autumn.
“I had a quote to fabricate a solar arch that was over double what I might have paid at home,” noted UK east coast sailor John Kirchhoff, who is preparing for his first transat on his Southerly 42 Easter Snow. “I suspect the companies here do 90% of their business when the ARC is in, and they do charge very healthily for it. We’ve already had a quote for the arch from somebody in St Lucia, and it’s under half the price of getting it done here. Chandlery costs and purchasing things is not too bad, but the cost of the engineering support can be very high.”

On the other hand, skippers rated Las Palmas as a particularly affordable place to spend time in the marina, or leave a boat if arriving early, and flights back to the UK or mainland Europe are often cheap, particularly out of peak season.

Take the opportunity in port to check off maintenance jobs while there are services on hand if you need assistance or parts. Photo: James Mitchell

Local providers

The boatyard in the Las Palmas marina is run by Rol Nautic, which has been involved with the ARC since 2004. Rol Nautic also has a chandlery on site, stocking many items on ARC skippers’ last minute shopping lists. Services include antifouling, mechanical repairs, fitting windvanes and hydrogenerators, metalwork, glassfibre repairs and joinerwork.

“We get everything here, all kinds of problems to deal with,” director Juan Carlos Rodriguez explains. Common requests include solving issues that only revealed themselves on the sail down to the Canaries: in the previous weeks the Rol Nautic team had dealt with delamination around the bow thruster on an ARC+ entrant, lifted yachts for concerned skippers that had grounded in the Canaries or Madeira, and fixed a leaking diesel tank in a 47-footer.

“Rudders are a typical problem, because a lot of sailors are pushing the boat hard to get here,” adds Rodriguez. “At the end of the day it’s a weak part of the boat, if you’re constantly moving 20 tonnes on a small piece of glassfibre you can have problems.”

Sail repairs being made on site by the Alisios team. Photo: James Mitchell

After completing the ARC, Dan and Emily Bower’s Oyster Skyelark 2 will be heading on to the World ARC circumnavigation rally. They arrived months early into Las Palmas, with Skyelark booked in for work pre-circumnavigation including rudder bearings – “which turned into a bigger job than anticipated, as these things do, but they managed it and got on with it” – new batteries, and repairs to a lazarette lid and surrounding teak. “The boatyard partner with an engineering company out in the main docks, and they’re brilliant. It gets project managed by the yard and they’re pretty on top of it. And it wasn’t too busy,” Dan notes.

Previously Rol Nautic has been unable to lift out catamarans as its current travel hoist can only handle vessels with less than 6.5m beam. Next year there’ll be a second Rol Nautic yard in the commercial docks (roughly a 10-minute taxi ride away), with two new lifts – one with a hoist capacity of 850 tonnes and nearly 16m beam, and another capable of lifting boats of 120 tonnes and up to 9m beam, which will enable the company to offer more multihull services. Alternative options for haul outs include a boatyard on the south of Gran Canaria at Pasito Blanco, and there are three boatyards in Lanzarote, including one in Aracife which can lift catamarans with a beam of over 8m.

Across the road from Rol Nautic is Alisios, another doorway almost every ARC skipper will step through. Alisios is a rigging specialist company that has also worked with the ARC rally since it was founded 26 years ago. Owner Octavio Jimenez estimates they see around 200 boats taking part in one of the ARC rallies each year – most of them within just a few weeks in late October and early November.

Alisios’s services now range from rigging, sails and electronics, to engines and deck equipment. It’s also an official service provider for brands including North Sails, Lagoon, Beneteau, Fountaine Pajot and Nautitech.
The most common reason ARC sailors contact the Alisios team is to book a rig inspection (they work closely with ARC stalwart Jerry ‘the Rigger’ Henwood), easily inspecting 10 rigs a day in the run-up to departure. Participants can book their rig check online before arriving in Las Palmas, though Jimenez reiterates that confirming their rig check early is key.

Lift out at Rol Nautic’s marina facility. Photo: James Mitchell

“The problem is that years ago sailors would arrive here as early as August, and leave the boat here for us to work on. But now so many people arrive just one week before. It’s almost impossible if you find some problems.”

Among the most common issues the rigging team finds are torsion problems in wire forestays with furling systems, cracked swages and broken wires – often single wires that are hard to spot without an expert eye – in terminals. “But we always solve it, nobody misses the start!”

Scrutineering

For many cruisers a key reason for signing up with the ARC in the first place is its stringent safety requirements, and every yacht is subject to a safety check before departure. However, an initial inspection can now be done remotely so any deficiencies can be rectified before arriving in Las Palmas.

“My advice to anyone thinking of doing this is to take advantage of the opportunity to do an early safety equipment check, which you can do via a video call during August and September,” says Wyatt. “You can do it when you’re closer to home, and have a better chance of getting items from your preferred supplier. If you’ve been through the equipment list, there shouldn’t be anything on there that you haven’t got.”

Las Palmas chandleries are well stocked with ARC-mandated items, right down to St Lucia and Grenada courtesy flags.

Break provisioning down into stages. Photo: James Mitchell

Provisioning

A slick operation has developed to get the provisions required to sustain thousands of hungry ARC crew to the boats each year. If you’ve not provisioned for an ocean passage before then Clare Pengelly’s excellent and detailed seminar is a must-attend, as she breaks down what to buy, where, and when. Each year she shares updated local knowledge, such as which butchers currently supply meat in vacuum packs and the exact (and slightly complicated) procedure for refilling gas bottles at the Las Palmas DISA gas plant.

“Take time to plan your provisioning because you’ll need several days just to go out and visit the different vendors, find out where the brands are that you like,” advises Wyatt. “If you’re planning to have several days of packaged meals, you’ll want to buy different brands and try them because they won’t be familiar.

“Because of the volume of things you need to buy, you can’t do it in a day. By splitting up into multiple trips you’ll take the stress away and also you’ve then got time to stow it in a logical order, organise it, and get your fresh produce ordered for delivery at the last minute – and by last minute, I would recommend Friday.”

Multihulls head out of Las Palmas at the start of the 2023 ARC in November. Photo: James Mitchell

Pengelly suggests buying dry goods and household items in one shopping trip, drinks in another, meat and fish in a third, and then finally fruit and vegetables. Suppliers are used to making deliveries to the dock. “It’s very easy – all the supermarkets and market stalls offer delivery services now,” says Wyatt. “So really, you don’t need a car other than for a couple of days to explore the island.”

That’s what Claire and Miguel Queiroz opted to do, arriving in Las Palmas from their home country of Portugal with weeks to spare, and their Fountaine Pajot Tanna 47 Portlish was enviably ready to go. Although they initially planned to cruise the Canaries, they instead made Las Palmas their base, mingled with the ARC+ fleet and hired a car to explore. “We have been very happy here, we’ve had lots of fun, met some really nice people from the ARC and ARC+ – watched the Rugby World Cup with them! And it’s been really quite nice to actually just slow down and get ourselves a little bit calmer,” says Claire.

And another thing…

If you’re travelling with pets, make sure all vaccinations are up to date. The WCC can recommend vets in Las Palmas used to the paperwork needed for Caribbean arrivals, but some vaccinations are a multiple week course.
Allow some time to stock up the ship’s medical supplies also. “There’s a local pharmacy who will prescribe based on ships papers and passports, so the advice is to go and see them directly. There are different controls on what you can buy in different countries, particularly around opiate-based drugs, so our recommendation is not to have those, but they will offer alternatives that work almost as effectively,” adds Wyatt.

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Law Connect has won the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race line honours, after the closest finish in over 40 years, which ended in a gybe-for-gybe battle up the Derwent River against long-time leader Andoo Comanche.

Andoo Comanche held the advantage going into the Derwent with a two-mile lead, John Winning Jr’s crew crowded onto the bow in the light early morning winds to try and lift Comanche’s 8m beamy transom, which gives the yacht the nickname the ‘aircraft carrier’. 

Law Connect followed up the Derwent River with a knot or two more breeze, and were able to close the gap some two miles from the finish line, but the waters outside Hobart were littered with glassy patches, and each boat repeatedly battled to maintain hull speed through windless holes.

After 628 miles of racing, the lead changed repeatedly in the final half hour, with Law Connect taking the advantage on the final gybe for the line to roll over the top of Andoo Comanche and cross the line ahead. 

Law Connect overtakes Andoo Comanche metres from the finish line of the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Photo: Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

It was an exceptional display of light winds tactical match racing, with Law Connect helmsman Tony Mutter and tactician Chris Nicholson directing Christian Beck’s team to victory, after being 2nd on three previous years. Law Connect crossed the Castray Esplanade finish line in Hobart at 08.03.58am local time after 1 day 19 hours 03 minutes 58 seconds of racing.

Beck gave a self-deprecating speech after, praising the crew for their efforts on a boat he admitted was not as fast or well-funded as their rivals. “I honestly can’t believe it. I rated it about a 25% chance we’d win, so to win was just amazing.

“An hour ago we were about 3 miles behind Comanche, so to win – I still can’t believe it.”

Law Connect (SYD 1000)a Juan K 100ft Custom design, on its way to winning the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

Mixed 2023 Sydney Hobart Race

The 2023 edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart has so far seen truly mixed conditions. The Boxing Day start delivered its customary spectacle, as the three 100ft maxis led the fleet out of a packed Sydney Habour. Law Connect gave an impromptu demonstration of how to gybe a giant overlapping headsail after breaking a furling line that left them unable to tack around a turning mark, while Scallywag took penalty turns once in clear water after a port-starboard incident with Comanche shortly after the start.

Start of the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart yacht race. Photo: Rolex/Andrea Francolini

Over the first two days of racing the fleet had to contend with electrical storms, squalls and severe sea states, as well as periods of light winds, and there have been 11 retirements so far. They included another line honours hopeful, the 100ft Scallywag, which had to retire after snapping the bowsprit in the first day of racing.

Other boats retired due to rigging damage, mainsail damage, and severe seasickness caused by the unpleasant sea state. 

Most dramatically the double-handed entry Rum Rebellion retired after being knocked down and having a Man Overboard, who was safely recovered. 

Co-skipper Shane Connelly reported that they were approximately 20 miles offshore on the first evening of the race, sailing under full main and spinnaker in 6-10 knots of wind, when the wind suddenly increased to over 16 knots with a ‘ferocious’ looking storm cloud approaching from behind. 

The duo prepared to drop the spinnaker, but a micro-burst of wind hit the yacht, causing a knockdown. Connelly, who had gone forwards during the spinnaker drop, was thrown overboard but tethered, and as the boat righted was lifted back onboard. He reported after: “The safety drills and systems all worked and we could sort ourselves out”

The stormy conditions caused issues across the fleet on the first night. Aboard the Santa Cruz 72 Antipodes crew member Geoff Cropley reported this morning: “We had lightning and thunder for hours. Then there was a major wind shift which auto gybed the boat.

“The spinnaker got wrapped in the drop, along with spinnaker staysail. All the team was up and trying to untwist and get that down. It took us about 40 minutes. We were heading north-east and sailing backwards for a period of time.

“We’re now hunkered down with a reef in the main. There’s little bit of blue sky. It’s quite nice out here.”

Azzuro, an S&S 34 owned by Jack Kliner, with crew including Jessica Watson, during the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Photo: Rolex/Andrea Francolini

Meanwhile the battle for IRC overall continues. IRC 1 contender Alive, a Reichel Pugh 66 with a talent-packed crew including Gavin Brady, Stu Bannatyne and legendary Australian navigator Adrienne Cahalan, a veteran of 30 Hobart races. Close behind them on the IRC rankings is Hobart grandee, Sean Langman on the Reichel Pugh 69 Moneypenny led IRC 0, while the S&S 34 Azzurro raced by Jessica Watson is fastest of the small boats on the current IRC rankings. 

The post Rolex Sydney Hobart Race winner decided by 51 seconds appeared first on Yachting World.