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.”

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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.

Among the elite band of rock star offshore racing sailors that do a solo lap of the planet there’s one basic yet counterintuitive rule they swear by: ‘To go fast you have to understand how to go slowly.’

Wherever you look into the history of fast passagemaking, the accounts of those that were seeking to set new records always include frequent references to looking after the boat. And no matter how clunky and old fashioned those boats might look today, in their time they were most likely at the cutting edge of design and materials available.

Being heavy and slow by today’s standards didn’t make them any safer, robust or any less of a challenge when it came to going the distance. Indeed, being hefty and sluggish brought its own problems that modern day skippers of carbon rocket ships don’t have to worry about, not least the inability to sail away from the path of a nasty depression.

The irony is that in the relentless quest to go faster, never has the skill of sailing slowly been more important. The Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest was a fascinating example.

This extraordinary solo non-stop race around the world in 32m trimarans saw five of the six entrants complete the course. This in itself is incredible – few would have given odds on that before the start.

The Ultims are notoriously fragile machines, plus the risk of hitting something in the water and doing serious damage is not measured by chance, but by certainty. (How skippers deal with the constant stress of this is beyond me.)

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There were staggering average speeds well into the 30s among some of the boats. One skipper reported hitting 47 knots at one point, on foils, alone, and deep offshore.

But for all the impressive speeds across the fleet it was Charles Caudrelier’s regular and obvious slow downs on Maxi Edmond de Rothschild to let weather systems pass in front, like children on a zebra crossing, that I thought were particularly amazing.

On an Ultim knowing how to slow down is one thing, these beasts take off like a scatty race horse at the least provocation, but they need a lot of sea room too and take a while to turn around. As a result, the tactics of pulling in the reins to just 10 knots need to be combined with giving yourself room to manoeuvre while maintaining this ‘pedestrian’ pace.

At one point Caudrelier did stop completely. On his approach up through the Atlantic his ETA had him conflicting with a serious weather system in the Bay of Biscay. His decision was to wait in the Azores.

The ability to stop during this race was one of the big discussion points before the start where some bemoaned the fact that the skippers would be allowed to make pit stops.

This wasn’t in the spirit of a solo non-stop lap of the planet, they said. And perhaps when judged by traditional global laps they’re right. But, the reality is that the machines at the leading edge of offshore design are now too quick for the weather. It’s an incredible position to be in. Continuing into serious weather would be asking for trouble.

Photo: IMOCA / TR Racing

Yet, before we go blaming the Ultims for spoiling the art of solo global racing, it looks like the IMOCA 60s are heading in a similar direction.

A recent study by French sailor and performance expert Olivier Douillard plots the rise in performance of these offshore 60s throughout the last 22 years. His figures, graphs and polar diagrams show how overall performance has increased by almost 50% during this time while the true wind speed to hit 20 knots of boat speed has reduced from 30 knots to just 14.

Over the same 20-year period, reaching speeds have shot up by over 70% with boat speeds leaping from 13 knots to 22 knots with a modern IMOCA on its hydrofoils. It is of course these outrageous scythe-like foils that have been at the heart of the leap in performance.

Originally there to generate more righting moment and to reduce the displacement and wetted surface area, it didn’t take long before the 60-footers were flying. But, even without understanding hydrodynamics it’s easy to see their current limitations. Dragging your stern around like a dog in the park is not quick, or especially comfortable. If and when the class moves to allow T-foils on the rudders, speeds will doubtless shoot up again.

Like it or not, you can’t uninvent the wheel. Boats that sail faster than the weather are already a thing.

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The post ‘The latest offshore racers take off like a scatty race horse’ – Matt Sheahan 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.

In a newly announced move, MerConcept, the offshore sailing and sustainable tech hub in Concarneau, France, has unveiled a new multihull racing program named UpWind, which is dedicated to empowering female sailors in the world of offshore multihull racing.

Aimed at fostering inclusivity and diversity, UpWind by MerConcept will recruit, train, and support a squad of six talented female sailors for the Ocean Fifty offshore sailing circuit, with the ambitious goal of having a female skipper at the helm for the 2026 Route du Rhum.

Start of the Route du Rhum. Photo: ALEXIS COURCOUX

Backed by Founding Sponsor 11th Hour Racing, UpWind is aiming to spearhead a transformation in offshore sailing. With a vision for a more inclusive and diverse sailing community, the program seeks to provide equal opportunities for all, ultimately expanding the pool of skilled female sailors available for selection in mixed multihull crews for iconic challenges like the Jules Verne Trophy.

Based in the heart of the Brittany (the Mecca of the offshore sailing world), MerConcept was founded by François Gabart, the fastest person to sail around the world, and he is at the forefront of this initiative. “Our mission at UpWind is to support and empower female sailors, breaking down barriers and creating a welcoming and safe space for everyone. We believe that diverse talent enhances team performance, and by fostering a critical mass of skilled female sailors, we aim to pave the way for mixed crews in future challenges like the Jules Verne Trophy,” Gabart says.

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The application process to join this groundbreaking program is now open to female sailors worldwide, with the deadline for submissions set for 24 March 2024.

Cécile Andrieu, MerConcept’s Director of Racing, emphasises the program’s spirit of performance and diversity, welcoming applicants with a range of racing experience. Two groups will be formed – a performance-focused squad for Grand Prix and transatlantic races, and a second group supporting training and deliveries, gaining valuable sailing experience for their CV.

Francesca Clapcich, the accomplished skipper who clinched victory in The Ocean Race with 11th Hour Racing Team in 2022-23, will lead the sailing squad. Gabart praises Clapcich as the ideal skipper, with an impressive sailing CV across various disciplines and a strong advocacy for women in the sport.

Francesca Clapcich will lead the sailing squad. Photo: G.Gatefait | MerConcept

MerConcept’s acquisition of the Ocean Fifty trimaran, previously owned by Armel Tripon, adds to the program’s excitement. The trimaran is currently undergoing a complete refit and is set to launch at the end of March, ready for the 2024 Ocean Fifty circuit, which will include four events between June and October.

11th Hour Racing’s role as Founding Sponsor underscores its commitment to diversity, opportunity, and access in sailing. Michelle Carnevale, president of 11th Hour Racing, states, “UpWind by MerConcept marks a substantial progression for women in sailing, and we look forward to witnessing its positive influence on the future of ocean racing.”

The race schedule for 2024 is yet to be officially announced, but this initiative could well be poised to make history.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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The post Breaking barriers: How UpWind by MerConcept is aiming to usher in an offshore racing transformation appeared first on Yachting World.

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.”

Article continues below…

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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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.

The Transat Jacques Vabre is one of the ultimate tests of short-handed racing, a double-handed dash from France that sees many of the world’s top racing machines take on the North Atlantic in often brutal winter conditions. The 2023 edition will start on Sunday, 29 October almost exactly 30 years after the first edition of the event back in 1993.

Huge Transat Jacques Vabre fleet

The competitors taking on this gruelling ocean sprint are a true ‘who’s who’ of offshore sailing. The numbers are impressive, 190 sailors, 95 boats, 17 nationalities and 77 race first-timers are set to take part in the event for the first time.

Fleet sizes are similarly massive with fully 40 IMOCA 60s registered and 44 Class 40s. Add in six Multi 50s and an incredible five giant 100ft foiling Ultime trimarans, and you can quickly see that the 2023 Transat Jaques Vabre is a collection of some of the absolute best offshore sailors in the world.

Charlie Dalin onboard his new Macif was once again the stand out performer in the 2023 Fastnet Race

Incredible IMOCA 60 line-up

With just one year to go until the Vendée Globe this race is a key part of many teams’ preparation programme – and with many still to get their full qualifying mileage under their belts it is a vital part of qualification for a good number of sailors. Most of the new IMOCA 60s that have been built to challenge for the 2024 Vendée Globe are now on the water, so this represents a great barometer for where each team sits in the pecking order.

It’s hard to look past Charlie Dalin in the his new Macif IMOCA. The Frenchman, who has dominated much of the racing in this fleet in recent years, won his first big race on the new boat, the Fastnet Race, earlier this year. He will once again be sailing with Pascal Bidégorry and the two have proven a very effective team.

In the Fastnet Dalin and Bidégorry where pushed hard by Yoann Richomme and Yann Elies on Paprec Arkéa and there is little to suggest this will not be the case again with both teams looking very fast, and very sorted.

Elsewhere Thomas Ruyant‘s For People is back on the water having suffered some structural issues on the Fastnet Race and the two-boat team of himself and Sam Goodchild, sailing For the Planet both look set to be contenders. But in truth there’s a plethora of top teams any of which could make a podium. Despite a disappointing Fastnet, it would be foolish to write off Jérémie Beyou and Frank Cammas sailing Charal, for example.

Plus several of the IMOCAs that took on the fully crewed The Ocean Race are now back in their shorthanded racing set ups and with plenty of racing miles under their belts, they should be contenders. Included in this list is Boris Herrmann’s Malizia-Seaexplorer, which took the 24 hour record during the race. He will be sailing alongside Britain’s Will Harris and the pair look a formidable duo.

Tricky conditions for the giant 100ft Ultimes exiting the Solent at the start of the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race. Photo Rick Tomlinson/RORC

Five foiling Ultims

The Ultim trimarans represent the fastest and most advanced foiling offshore designs ever created, and an astonishing fleet of five will be racing in this month’s Transat Jacques Vabre, all looking to blast across the Atlantic at speeds approaching 40-knot averages.

Fresh from a Fastnet Race win, the fastest man to sail around the world, François Gabart, will be racing his impressive SVR-Lazartigue once again with Tom Leperche, the pair looking to get another win over their rivals, former Vendée winner Armel Le Cléac’h, who will sail with Seb Josse on Banque Populaire XI.

Not taking part in the Fastnet this year, the Gitana entry of Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, will be skippered Charles Cauderlier with Erwan Israel and in a class where results can be up and down, this boat probably has the strongest pedigree of the lot.

Probably the most tried-and-tested of the foiling designs is Sodebo Ultime 3, skippered by round the world record breaker Thomas Coville, and Thomas Rouxel. So far absolute top performances have been somewhat lacking for this boat, but she is fast and will be fighting at the front.

It seems surprising to say it, but the oldest and least technologically advanced boat in the five-boat fleet is Actual Ultim 3, previously designed for Gabart upon which he set his round the world record. Anthony Merchant has taken the reigns of this foiling Ultime and will sail it alongside Thierry Chabagny. It might not be the absolute latest design, but it is a tried and tested foiler with plenty of potential to fight it out at the front of the fleet 

The 7,500-mile Transat Jacques Vabre course

The Transat Jacques Vabre is now 30 years old, having first run in 1993 and every two years since, though the concept of the route is far older – the race course traces the historic coffee trading routes between France and Brazil used by clipper ships in the 19th century.

After starting in Le Harve, this year the finish is now in Martinique in the Caribbean, as opposed to the old finish in South America, with a mid-Atlantic turning mark of Trindade, off Rio de Janeiro, added for the fastest Ultime trimarans bringing their race distance up to 7,500 miles.

Meanwhile the Ocean 50 multihulls and IMOCAs will round a mark off the Brazilian archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, in a nod to the race’s historical destination, covering around 5,800 miles, and the Class 40s pass the Cape Verdes before heading to Martinque, around 4,600 miles.

However, the race is often decided in the opening miles, with the Bay of Biscay in late October/early November often delivering brutal, sometimes boat-breaking conditions.

Plenty of Brits will be cheering on Sam Davies. Photo: Yann Riou – polaRYSE

International line-up

Though the French have been the dominant force in shorthanded offshore racing for as many years as most can remember – and remain the nation with the strongest hold on the sport – international entries have come a long way in recent years. Gone are the days that events like the Transat Jaques Varbe where almost exclusively French event with a handful of international entrants taking part.

The 2023 edition has 17 sailors from different nationalities taking part, with the IMOCA 60 fleet featuring 26 non-French sailors.

For British fans there’s plenty to keep you interested as Pip Hare gets to stretch the legs of her newly relaunched Medallia who will be looking to show what her new-to-her boat can do after a disappointing Fastnet due to damage. She’ll be sailing alongside fellow Brit, Nick Bubb. Sam Davies will also be one to watch in her brand new IMOCA Initiaves Coeur 4.

There will be plenty of people watching Sam Goodchild to see if he and Antoine Koch can back up their impressive early races in Thomas Ruyant’s old IMOCA. If form so far this year is anything to go on he should be right at the sharp end of the fleet, despite only graduating up to the IMOCA 60 in the last year.

Elsewhere, Brit Alan Roberts will be once again sailing alongside Clarisse Cremer as the Frenchwoman looks to qualify for the next Vendée in Charlie Dalin’s old Macif – now rebranded for her title sponsor L’Occitane en Provence – and with extra British incentive on this team as ex-Vendée star, Alex Thomson heads the team behind the scenes.

Long-time followers of British offshore racing will be interested to see Mike Golding back on the water as he takes on this year’s TJV alongside Jingkun Xu on Singchain Team Haikou.

Follow latest race developments, including the live tracker, at: transatjacquesvabre.org

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The post 5 reasons to follow the 30th anniversary Transat Jacques Vabre appeared first on Yachting World.

Francois Gabart’s Ultime SVR-Lazartigue has claimed Rolex Fastnet Race line honours and set a new course record of 1d 8h 38m 27s over the 695-mile offshore.

With two foiling Ultimes lining up in this year’s Fastnet Race it was always going to be a straight head to head battle for line honours between SVR-Lazartigue and Armel le Cléac’h’s team on Banque Populaire.

After the two giant multihulls opened the Rolex Fastnet Race start sequence yesterday, Saturday 22 July, they went into a tricky tacking duel out of the Solent and through Hurst Narrows.

Tricky conditions for the giant 100ft Ultimes exiting the Solent at the start of the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race. Photo Rick Tomlinson/RORC

Skipper François Gabart told Yachting World after finishing: “These boats, they’re amazing, but it’s not an easy boat to do coastal racing and to be close to the shore like we were in the Solent. There was not a good angle to go out of the Solent. It was just tack, tack, tack. And it was strong winds and gusty, so clearly not easy and not safe to sail out of the Solent in these condition and with other boats around.

“So, yeah, I was a little bit nervous about the start, I was hoping it was not too much winds because more than 30 knots – if you’re out[ of the Solent], it’s okay, but if you’re close to the coast, it can be tricky. But then after, when we were out, it was strong winds.”

Shortly after exiting the Solent the ability of these 100ft goliaths to eat up the miles became evident when the two boats split tactics. Armel le Cleac’h on Banque Populaire headed directly to Cherbourg, crossing the Channel in less than three hours and tacking off the French coast before most of the fleet had even got into Poole Bay.

Meanwhile SVR Lazartigue headed some 30 miles offshore before tacking and reaching to the Lizard. The two boats remained split as they passed the Casquets TSS, SVR-Lazartigue to the north, Banque Populaire to the south, before both powered west. When they reconvened at the Needles, SVR Lazartigue held a 10 mile lead.

SVR-Lazartigue skipper François Gabart greets the press in Cherbourg. Photo: Nicolas Touze/Arrivee Fastnet Cherbourg

30 knots upwind

“The wind was going to the right, so it was a question about the timing and when [that shift] will arrive. If it was too late, it could be a good option to be in the south like Banque Populaire did. If it was arriving early, it was good for us to be on the right.

“I think we were a little bit slower, at least in the few first minutes when we were close to them, a little bit slower. So at the end we were something like 10 or 15 miles in front of them. So it was a good option and we didn’t break anything. Also it was strong winds for a few hours and some big waves.”

Gabart says the strongest windspeed they saw was 34-36 knots. “What was more was the waves, because we were still sailing at 28, 30 knots upwind. And when you arrive at 30 knots in front of big waves, it’s not easy.”

The SVR-Lazartigue crew celebrate winning line honours and setting a new course record in the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race. Photo: Nicolas Touze/Arrivee Fastnet Cherbourg

First around the Fastnet Rock

It was a drag race to the Rock for both teams, before each put in a short tacking hitch off Kinsale, Ireland.

Gabart’s team rounded the Rock at 0804 (BST), after 19 hours 4 minutes 31 seconds of racing – one hour slower than the time set by the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild during the last edition – before flying back to Bishops Rock at 30-35 knot speeds.

“Coming back from Fastnet was downwind all the time, which means for us flying all the time. We went straight to the Scilles. Then after some gybes from the Scillies to here, it was perfect.”

Gabart’s team crossed the finish line off Cherbourg in 1st place at 21.38, setting a new course record of 1d 8h 38m 27s, and breaking team Gitana’s previous time in Maxi Edmond de Rothschild by 36 minutes and 27 seconds.

Armel le Cléac’h in Banque Populaire finished 2nd at 2236, also ahead of the existing course record time.

“Honestly? [I didn’t think about the record] not at all. We had both eyes on Banque Populaire all the time! And we lost them on the AIS when they went north of the last TSS. Then we saw them reappearing again – so just at this final timing, we started to think about the record.

“The focus was on the race and trying to be first.”

François Gabart and crew on SVR-Lazartigue celebrate as they cross the finish line of the Rolex Fastnet Race in Cherbourg Photo: Nicolas Touze/Arrivee Fastnet Cherbourg

Leading monohulls in Rolex Fastnet Race

Meanwhile the first Ultimes were approaching Cherbourg, the leading monohulls were approaching the Fastnet Rock. First monohull and first on the water in the IRC classes, the 88ft canting keel design Lucky (ex-Rambler)  was less than 10 miles ahead of the first IMOCA, Yoann Richomme’s Paprec Arkea. 

After last night’s brutal conditions, the forecast front has passed through with just 7-10 knots of breeze across much of the Celtic Sea going into the second evening of racing and calm conditions for those rounding the Rock tonight.

Lucky is also trading places with Sunrise for IRC overall lead. Were Thomas Kneen’s JPK 1180 to win it would make for a historic double, having won the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race overall – however there are still 500 miles to go and the race remains open for the taking.

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After yesterday’s strong wind start for the Rolex Fastnet Fleet, the number of boats that have retired from racing has continued to multiply. At 0700 this morning over 80 of the 445 entries had officially retired from racing, and by this afternoon that had increased to 112.

It was an incident-packed first day and night for many competitors in the fleet, and for rescue services along the south coast of England and Isle of Wight.

Wind speeds in the western Solent were particularly high, with data from Hurst Castle last night recording 38 knots, gusting 43 shortly after 2000 hours.

HM Coastguard reported that they responded to 28 incidents involving yachts participating in the Fastnet Race.

Lifeboats and coastal rescue teams from Yarmouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, Portland and Wyke were all deployed to multiple incidents, with Yarmouth RNLI in the western Solent being called out six times alone. The Coastguard helicopter was also deployed to assist injured crew members.

Fastnet sinking and dismastings

The most dramatic incident was the sinking of a French double-handed yacht in the western Solent. A search and rescue helicopter and two RNLI lifeboats were deployed after reports that the Sunfast 3600 Vari was taking on water. The two crew members were found in their liferaft – both were safely recovered safely and taken ashore to Yarmouth.

The Rolex Fastnet Race race committee issued a statement saying: “At approximately 16:30 yesterday afternoon the Sun Fast 3600 Vari began to take on water southwest of the Needles.

“The boat is believed to have sunk although the exact reasons are not yet confirmed.”

With near back-to-back callouts for many rescue crews, the Coastguard and RNLI were tasked to assist included yacht Azora with steering failure, and another vessel with medical assistance for a head injury.

In other incidents, one yacht ran aground off Beaulieu (after the anchor dragged), and Richard Matthews’ CF520 Oystercatcher XXXV suffered deck failure.

Though there was at least one MOB/EPIRB alarm, it turned out to be a false alarm and all crew are accounted for.

There were also four dismastings. Golden Globe Race skipper Tapio Lehtinen was dismasted on his 1970 Swan 55 Galiana, which is entered in this September’s Ocean Globe Race – a crewed ‘retro’ style race being held in homage to the 50th anniversary of the Whitbread Round the World Race.

Lehtinen posted on Facebook: “Galiana WithSecure was dismasted at 22.30 local time South East of Portland Bill. Main mast fell down at the lowest spreaders. 

“Everyone onboard and the boat itself is sound and safe. We were able to get the rig and sails onboard. Coastguard and RORC informed. 

“Now slowly drifting towards the Needles and waiting for the daylight to motor back to Gosport. 2/3 of the team are resting.”

The Sun Fast 3200 Mirabelle was also dismasted, along with the Royal Naval Sailing Association’s Sun Fast 3600 Yoyo; and Nick Martin’s Sun Fast 2600 Diablo.

Meanwhile Gery Trenteseaux’s Sydney 43 Long Courrier retired after their mast suffered significant deformation near the base, though the crew rigged a jury system to support it (left).

“The strong winds last night were forecast well in advance,” commented Rolex Fastnet Race Race Director Steve Cole in a statement issued this afternoon.

“The club would like to thank HM Coastguard and the RNLI for their assistance. It is thanks to their effort and skill that the incidents were dealt with professionally and those who required assistance were recovered safely. Now the front has passed the wind and sea state have dropped, and conditions are even set to be light over the next 24 hours.”

Fastnet teams wait out weather

Other teams opted to take refuge from the conditions before restarting. Crew member Jaime Torres, who is racing aboard the First 40 Olympia’s Tigress, posted: “Fastnet update: We are a charter boat racing with an amazing mix of a top pro sailor and several intermediate and advanced crew members  aged from 18 to 60 y/o. 

“We started at 14:00 in 25 knots and slack tide.  In prep for very tough conditions to come, we were sailing under storm jib and triple reefed main. That would turn out to be a wise choice. We went faster as the wind got stronger. 

“We kept a very sharp lookout as the gusty conditions, fast current and the fact that we were surrounded by 450 competing yachts made for a lot of close crossings. We were doing 7.5s on the [boat speed] and up to 9 knots on SOG due to current.

“The wind continued to build as we worked our way west out of the Solent. On approach to the west exit just inside the Needles, our skipper noticed the massive breaking waves caused by the super strong winds against an outgoing tide. 

“Safety is our number one concern so we made the call to temporarily turn back to Yarmouth and moor to let the worse of the weather pass. 

“Conditions are close to extreme and several boats have suffered catastrophic damage.”

“WE ARE STILL RACING. We intend to reengage at dawn when the conditions are forecasted to improve.”

Moonbeam, the 1903 Fife-designed gaff yawl took this plan one step further. The classic, which is skippered by the Vendée Globe Race director and French offshore racing legend Jacques Caraës, waited the worst of the weather out in Cowes overnight before restarting on Sunday morning.

The Ultime SVR-Lazartigue was first boat around the Fastnet Rock. Kurt Arrigo/Rolex

Line honours contenders

Meanwhile the hot competition for Rolex Fastnet Race line honours continues. Francois Gabart’s SVR-Lazartigue is leading the fleet, with less than 200 miles to the finish in Cherbourg after blasting back from Fastnet Rock at 30 knots. They are expected to arrive into Cherbourg late this evening

The 88-footer Lucky is in close contention with the IMOCA Arkea-Paprec for monohull line honours, and early predictions show the first monohull finishing early on Tuesday, 25 July.

The post Incident-packed first day for Rolex Fastnet Race fleet with rescues, retirements and one yacht sunk appeared first on Yachting World.

Strong headwinds are forecast for the start of the 50th Rolex Fastnet Race, which sets off tomorrow from Cowes, Isle of Wight to Cherbourg, France, via the iconic course around the Fastnet Rock. 

Wind speeds of 20-25 knots from the south-west are expected at the start. This will build to 30-35 knots, potentially gusting 40, as the fleet exits the Solent, although conditions are forecast to moderate rapidly on Sunday.

“At the moment all the information says it will be a gnarly night, but safe to go,” explained Steve Cole, RORC Race Director, at today’s Skippers’ Briefing when asked if organisers RORC had considered postponing.

This year’s race has a record entry, expected to be the largest ever offshore race with over 440 boats taking part and more than 3,000 crew competing.

Record-breaking forecast for Fastnet 2023?

However, the strong winds could potentially also see the course record broken. The current monohull record, set on the race’s first running over its longer 695-mile course in 2021, stands at 2d 8h 33m 55s, set by the ClubSwan 125 Skorpios.

The canting-keeled 88-footer Rambler 88 here competing in the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race, and will be returning for a tilt at the race record in 2023 under its new ownership as Lucky. Photo: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex

However, the team onboard Bryon Ehrhart’s Lucky, the 88ft canting keel design that was formerly Rambler 88, believe they are in with a good chance of smashing that. 

Andrew Cape, navigator on Lucky, explained: ‘It’s a big possibility, like a 75% chance. The routings have us [finishing] at 2 days and 2 hours, so we’re looking pretty good.

“Like anything with weather, no plan lasts past first contact but we’ll see. Five out of six weather models have us breaking the record.”

America’s Cup legendary sailor Brad Butterworth, tactician on Lucky, cautioned that with the forecast tough start, the big challenge in this year’s Fastnet race would be in avoiding damage. 

“I don’t believe Capey by the way!” he quipped. “You have to finish, and the first day is going to be pretty sporty and I think there’s going to be a lot of boats that will be thinking twice about continuing on. We’re setting up for quite a bit of wind the first day – but you have to get through that and to break any record first you have to finish.

“But we’ll pushing hard, there’s no question about that.’

Tough start expected for IMOCAs in Fastnet

For the 29 IMOCA teams taking part there will be the additional challenge of racing double-handed among the enormous fleet. Pip Hare, who’ll be sailing her newly refitted Medallia complete with monster foils, explained they would be sailing ‘Very cautiously!’ after the start.

“That is the bit I am most worried about, and I know all the other IMOCA skippers are worried about it as well. Obviously we’ve got a lot of bits sticking out the side! And really limited visibility – my boat is actually quite good from that perspective because my coach roof pushes forward so I can actually have my head out the boat, but most of the new build boats are [crew] inside. 

“And as we head out to the west we go through a funnel, and it gets windier and narrower! So I think everyone is nervous about it and I think we’re probably going to see a cautious exit from the Solent from most people.”

The 29-boat IMOCA fleet is one of the most fascinating in the race, with several brand new designs making their race debut. However, there are also several older, straight daggerboard designs in the fleet and with the initially upwind forecast it might not be the newest foilers that dominate.

“I think it’s going to be interesting, with the non-foiling IMOCAs in the mix all the way up to Lands End,” explained Pip Hare. 

“I think they’re going to be quite happy with the forecast, then we’re hoping that once we get past the Scillies we can stick a bit of foil down and pull away from them. It will definitely be a mixed fleet until Lands End.”

Strong winds are again forecast for the initial stages of the Rolex Fastnet Race. Photo: Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

A wet and windy first night

Due to the strong wind forecast organisers RORC have reversed the start sequence, with the largest IRC yachts starting first instead of last so they can have a clear exit from the Solent. This means the starting sequence is slightly shorter, with the first warning signal for the multihull fleet at 1250 to start at 1300, the IMOCA 60s starting 15 minutes later, and so on in decreasing yacht size until the IRC 4 class start at 1445.

Race meteorologist Christian Dumard forecast 20-25 knots of south-westerly wind at the start, potentially gusting 30.  

By the time the fleet reaches the Needles Channel the wind will increase, and with the current against the west-going fleet it will likely feel stronger again for the competitors as they punch their way out of the Solent. Wind speeds are expected to be 30-35 knots, maybe gusting 40, the sea state will also deteriorate with 1.5-2.5m waves over the first evening.

A front from the west is forecast to cross over the fleet around midnight tomorrow, and will likely bring rain. Dumard anticipates that will be followed by a right-hand shift, with the best of the conditions in the west of Lyme Bay. As the front moves east, the sea state is expected to improve and the wind speed reduce fairly rapidly on Sunday morning.

A second front will bring winds from a more north-north-westerly direction, which could make for a tactically interesting right-hand shift for the leading IRC boats around Lands End. While the weather models aren’t yet in agreement on how far the northerly wind will shift, it’s possible boats may even experience some downwind sailing towards Fastnet Rock if it clocks all the way round to the east.

Here’s how to follow the race start, plus don’t miss our coverage of all the action on yachtingworld.com, social media and YouTube.

The post ‘Gnarly’ but potentially record-breaking forecast for 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race appeared first on Yachting World.

The Fastnet Race 2023 will be the 50th edition of the event and is set to be the largest offshore yacht race in the world, with over 440 entries. The Rolex Fastnet Race is one of the most famous ocean yacht races in the world, and completing it widely regarded as one of sailing’s crowning achievements.

Begun as a challenge between a handful of competing yachts in 1925, the Fastnet Race is run every two years by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC). The 605 nautical mile course traditionally ran from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, west to the Fastnet Rock lighthouse off the south-west corner of Ireland before returning to finish off Plymouth.

The race is well know as a challenge just to complete and the 1979 Fastnet Race disaster remains at the forefront of the minds of many of those who compete. The disaster led to huge improvements in yacht and safety gear design, and the race now has stringent entry requirements. However, the actual race course remained largely unchanged until 2021 when the finish line moved to Cherbourg, France instead of Plymouth in 2021 and 2023. This new course added a further 90 miles to the race – much of it a tricky tidal section – making it an even bigger challenge

When is the Fastnet Race 2023?

The 50th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race starts on Saturday 22 July with the first start at 1300 BST.

For those wishing to follow the action from the start, there will be a livestream shown on the various RORC channels.

The show will feature expert commentary from a team including British racers Mike Golding, Annie Lush and Pete Cumming, and French meteorologist Christian Dumard, on the Royal Yacht Squadron Platform for the start, along with on-the-water commentators.

Live coverage of the start beings at 1230 with the first class start is at 1300 BST.

Due to the strong wind forecast organisers RORC have reversed the start sequence, with the largest IRC yachts starting first instead of last so they can have a clear exit from the Solent. This means the starting sequence is slightly shorter, with 15 minutes between each class.

The first warning signal for the multihull fleet (including the two giant Ultimes) is at 1250 to start at 1300, the IMOCA 60s starting 15 minutes later, and so on in decreasing yacht size until the IRC 4 class start at 1445.

Windy start to the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race. Photo: Martin Allen/pwpictures.com

Watch the Rolex Fastnet Race start

Race website: https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/en
RORC YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/rorcracing
RORC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoyalOceanRacingClub

Where to watch the Fastnet Race 2023

The best vantage points of the start will be along Cowes Green and Egypt Esplanade. As the fleet funnels west out of the Solent there will be lots of chances to see the yachts from Yarmouth as well. From the mainland you can view the yachts on their outbound leg; the best places to watch are from Hurst Castle, Anvil Point, St Alban’s Head and Portland Bill.

Track the Rolex Fastnet Race Fleet

All yachts competing in the Fastnet Race are fitted with a YB Tracker so you can follow an individual boat, a class or the whole fleet. The race tracker is linked to via the official race site https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com or direct at https://cf.yb.tl/fastnet2023

The tracker lets you watch the full fleet, separate classes or follow individual yachts.

Yachting World will also bring you all the latest news and views in the build up to the race and will be reporting throughout at our dedicated Fastnet Race homepage. We will also have several of the team on the ground and will be reporting both online and via video on our Yachting World Youtube channel and on Facebook and Instagram.

A list of competitors can be found at the RORC website.

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The overall winner of The Ocean Race is likely to be decided in the protest room after a huge collision between 11th Hour Racing and Guyot-environnement – Team Europe shortly after the final leg start on Thursday, 15 June.

The crash occurred just 17 minutes into the start of Leg 7 of The Ocean Race, from The Hague to Genoa in Italy, in a port-starboard incident between the 11th Hour and Guyot-environnement IMOCA 60s. 11th Hour Racing had tacked onto starboard to approach the fourth mark of the course, and were racing in 2nd place.

The Ocean Race 2022-23 – 16 June 2023. Screen Capture of the moment when GUYOT environnement – Team Europe crashed with 11th Hour Racing Team 15 mins after the start of Leg 7.

Guyot-environnement, on port, did not see 11th Hour Racing and did not alter course in time to avoid them. The result was a full-bore ’T-bone’, with Guyot’s bowsprit spearing into the side of 11th Hour’s cockpit, missing skipper Charlie Enright by inches, while Guyot’s bow smashed into the port aft quarter of the 11th Hour IMOCA Malama, leaving a substantial hole.

Incredibly, no crew members were hurt, though all were deeply shocked by the incident.

Guyot’s skipper Benjamin Dutreux, clearly distraught, immediately offered his apologies to Enright. “I was helming, and I just saw their boat appear suddenly, and it was too late. The contact was unavoidable [at that point]. I take full responsibility. It is our fault.”

The French team also pledged to support the Americans in any way they could to get them back on the racecourse. In a painful twist of fate, Guyot had only returned to the race in Aarhus after a mid-Atlantic dismasting thanks to 11th Hour Racing offering up their spare mast.

A distraught Benjamin Dutreux, skipper of Guyot-environnement, speaks to 11th Hour Racing team manager Mark Towill after the collision at the start of Leg 7 of The Ocean Race

Ocean Race crash

11th Hour Racing navigator Simon Fisher explained said afterwards, “I’m lost for words. We tacked on our lay line, sailing on starboard for 20 or 30 seconds. Charlie was screaming ‘starboard’ at Guyot, and they did not respond.

“The net result is that they have put their boat firmly in the side of ours. The bowsprit went right through our boat and came out on the inside. We are really lucky that no one got hurt; Charlie was sitting so close to the hatch. Thankfully everyone is ok.

“Personally, I refuse to admit this [race] is over. We would rather try to win it on the water, but we need to find out what our options are, if this can be repaired, and what our redress implications are as a team now, and hopefully move forward.

“I have seen plenty of stuff in my time over six Ocean Races, this is not one of the better ones, but we have a fantastic team, and going into today, we were in a fantastic position, and that is thanks to the team we have. If I wanted to be with any group of people in adversity, it’s them.”

Skipper Charlie Enright echoed the sentiment, saying: “This race has a way of testing people in different ways – physically and mentally, and this is a test for our team. There is no team I would rather be on, that I would rather have with me. If anyone can figure this out, it is us.”

11th Hour Racing crew member Jack Boutell breaks down after a violent collision with Guyot-environment shortly after the start of Leg 7 in The Ocean race. Photo: Sailing Energy/11th Hour Racing

11th Hour set off for Genoa

11th Hour Racing officially retired from the leg the following day, and lodged a request for redress. The request will be heard by the World Sailing International Jury, which under the Racing Rules of Sailing may compensate a boat when “a boat’s score or place in a race or series has been or may be, through no fault of her own, made significantly worse.”

Clearly 11th Hour Racing will be hoping to be awarded an average of their previous leg points in order to hold onto their lead.

The team also spent 72 hours working around the clock to effect a repair that would get the IMOCA back on the water.

This evening, Sunday 18 June, the race crew left The Hague in the hopes of delivering the boat some 2,500 miles to Genoa in time for the final in-port racing, which will take place on July 1.

Going into the start of Leg 7, 11th Hour Racing was sitting at the top of the overall leaderboard, following a hat-trick of winning three legs in a row. Enright’s team had 33 points, with Holcim-PRB in 2nd on 31 points, and Team Malizia in 3rd with 27 points.

The Ocean Race 2022-23 – Leg 7, June 16, 2023. The 11th Hour Racing Team continues repairs to Malama after a collision during the start of Leg 7.

With both Guyot-environnement and 11th Hour Racing having retired from Leg 7, there are now just three IMOCAs racing to the race’s finale.

Meanwhile the current Leg 7 leader, Holcim-PRB, is sailing under a new skipper after Kevin Escoffier stood down in Aarhus following an incident at the previous stopover in Newport.

Escoffier confirmed that he would not longer be skipper for the remainder of The Ocean Race following what he described in a post as an ‘alleged incident’ (the line was later deleted). Details of the circumstances that led to Escoffier standing down have not been confirmed by either the team or The Ocean Race organisers.

It was later reported in both the German and French sailing media that allegations of harassment were made by a young woman at the US stopover. The incident is understood to be being handled by the French Sailing Federation (FFV), the French national sailing authority.

Benjamin Schwartz has been appointed Holcim-PRB skipper for the duration of the race. Schwartz was part of the technical support team for previous race winners Dongfeng, and is navigator on Spindrift/Sails for Change giant trimaran.

Millpond conditions mid-Channel for The Ocean Race fleet on Day 2 of Leg 7 with leg leaders Team Holcim – PRB trying to keep moving.

Race decided by redress?

For the race and its fans, this has been a devastating sequence of events. While Holcim-PRB was the stand-out team for the opening stages, and Malizia impressive in the gripping Southern Ocean leg, 11th Hour Racing were delivering a zero-to-hero comeback story.

Having overcome several potentially race-ending breakages on the long Southern Ocean Leg 3, to win back to back wins over Legs 4, 5 and 6 – including into their home port of Newport – was shaping up to be a fairy tale finish for the US team, And with just two points separating 11th Hour and Holcim-PRB over the unpredictable leg from northern Europe, across Biscay and deep into the Mediterranean, there was potential for a nail-biting finale.

Now the outcome of the 27,000-mile race is likely to be settled in the jury room.

The post The Ocean Race overall win down to jury decision after huge collision appeared first on Yachting World.

Two separate Man Overboard incidents have occurred during different cross-Channel races this weekend, with one fatality confirmed.

The first incident took place during the Royal Escape Race, which set off from Brighton to Fécamp, in Normandy on Friday 26 May.

The yachtsman is reported to have fallen overboard around 1400 hours, some six hours into the 66-mile race across the English Channel.

A French search and rescue helicopter and lifeboat were dispatched to the scene. French media have reported that a fishing vessel also diverted to the area and was first to recover the casualty, who was then airlifted to hospital in Le Havre.

Tragically the sailor was later confirmed dead. He is reported to have been  from the Greater Manchester area. The yacht was taken under tow to Fécamp.

In an unrelated incident, a second man overboard was reported from a yacht competing in the JOG (Junior Offshore Group) cross-Channel race from Cowes to Deauville, also in Normandy, on the same day.

The sailor was believed to have gone overboard at approximately 2130 on Friday 26 May. A Mayday was issued and multiple French search and rescue vessels, plus two helicopters, were reported to have rapidly arrived on scene. They were joined in the search by fellow competitor yachts.

It’s understood the search was resumed by helicopter at daybreak on the morning of Saturday 27 May but was later suspended and has now been stood down. The yacht has been taken to Le Havre.

The incident involved a 68-year-old man from the Isle of Wight.

Conditions in the Channel this weekend saw winds gusting 30 knots from the north-east and 3-4m waves that were beam-on for much of the crossing for yachts racing in a south-easterly direction.

Official statements

Both organising clubs issued statements following the incidents.

Sussex Yacht Club, host of the Royal Escape Race, said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our fellow sailors yesterday.

“We are working with police, maritime and coastguard agencies and the Marine Accident Investigation Bureau to assist with their inquiries.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and supporting our fellow sailors at this difficult time.”

The Junior Offshore Group, which runs the Cowes-Deauville event, said: “JOG Yacht Racing are deeply saddened to announce that a competitor was reported overboard during the Cowes to Deauville race on Friday 26^th May at approximately 21:30hrs BST. The incident occurred some 15 miles from the finish in the Seine Bay off the Northern coast of France.

“Following a Mayday call to the French rescue services, air rescue and lifeboats, together with nearby vessels and a number of competing boats, assisted in a search. At the time of this statement, no person has yet been recovered.

“We are cooperating with French authorities, and all concerned in establishing the full details and assisting with enquiries.  The competitor’s next of kin has been informed. Our thoughts and most sincere condolences are with the family at this difficult time.”

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French Figaro sailors, whether they’re currently on the circuit or former Figaro skippers who cut their teeth in the class years ago, seem to do very well in the fully-crewed offshore world. So what makes them so good? British sailor Alan Roberts has spent the past decade immersing himself in French offshore racing culture, learning by competing against the best of the best in the Figaro scene as he works his way towards a Vendée Globe campaign.

Roberts is in demand as a very effective consultant on fully-crewed offshore racing projects where he tends to operate in the tactician or navigator role. The short-handed nature of the Figaro forces a sailor to set strict priorities about what’s the most important focus at any given moment of a race. It also teaches a level of intensity and focus that he feels is often missing from the mentality of many offshore sailors.

According to Roberts, every second and every metre of advantage counts, and knowing how to up the intensity and maintain that level of focus are key skills that he aims to impart to every team that he works with. Here are his five tips for resetting your offshore racing priorities for greater success on the race course.

Close quarters, tactical racing places big demands
on solo skippers. Photo: Alexis Courcoux

Prioritise

As a Figaro sailor you’re forced to face up to your priorities all the time. Over time you become very good at quickly filtering through the job list to focus on the things that are going to make the biggest difference.

Planning ahead is the most critical skill. There’s never enough time, so the more you think through the scenarios in advance, the better you’ll be in the heat of the moment. It’s also about bringing a higher level of intensity and urgency to your sailing.

In long, offshore races there’s a tendency to fall into a more relaxed pattern, which means you can start to miss important details. Over time this can compound into a significant loss of time and distance. Every moment, every wave matters.

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Share the plan

When I come aboard a boat as a navigator, I bring along details of the weather forecast, our likely routing on the course, and an overall game plan for the race. It’s important to involve the whole team so that everyone gets a chance to contribute and talk through how and when things are done.

It’s also vital to run daily briefings in the lead up to the race and make sure everyone has the latest version of the documents. A simple PDF highlighting the key points is a really good way of sharing the plan with everyone on the boat. It means every crewmember can anticipate the likely next move rather than waiting to be told what to do.

Swap roles

Figaro sailors can do any job on the boat. That’s part of what makes a team of Figaro sailors so strong in a race like the Fastnet. They can float in and out of different roles because they’re great multitaskers.

Most keelboat sailors tend to be much more specialised in their skill set, but a great way to overcome this is to dedicate part of your training sessions to swapping roles on the boat. How often does a driver go up to the bow? Or a bowman step into the mainsail trimmer’s role?

Communication and expectation are two really important factors a whole team needs to understand. Swapping roles during a training session can really improve communication and expectation and make sure everyone is working more cohesively as a unit.

Alan Roberts is an in-demand solo skipper and offshore racer

Visualise scenarios

There’s no substitute for focused time on the water, but something that’s almost as good and which you can do pretty much anytime, anywhere – even in the car or on the train – is visualisation. Running through a mental simulation of different scenarios is a really effective way of practising even when you’re nowhere near the boat. It’s something you can do as an individual, perhaps thinking through the detail of how you prepare the Code 0 for a hoist, for example. Or it can be a visualisation process between the whole team, whether it’s face-to-face or even on a midweek Zoom call to talk through various manoeuvres and the crew choreography.

Risk: reward ratio

Just because somebody else won a race with a certain strategy or manoeuvre doesn’t mean you could have done exactly the same. With a cold front about to hit the fleet, maybe they waited until just 10 minutes beforehand to reef the mainsail and change to a heavy-weather jib. A well drilled team can afford to leave it that late. But if you fumble the reef and get caught out with full mainsail in 35 knots of wind, it could end your race. So discuss and agree on your risk:reward ratio so you have a shared response to a changing scenario. The more training, the more experience, the better you know your boat, the more cold fronts you’ve been through, the more you can turn the dial on this risk:reward ratio. Set your expectations to reasonable limits for your abilities and skill levels. Sail up to, but not beyond, your limits.

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One of offshore racing’s greatest heroes, Canadian Mike Birch, has died at the age of 90.

Legendary Canadian skipper Mike Birch won the first edition of the Route du Rhum in 1978, crossing the finish line on the diminutive yellow trimaran Olympus Photo just 98 seconds ahead of his nearest rival Michel Malinovsky’s mighty 21m yacht Kriter V. 

Birch’s win was a catalyst to a revolution in offshore sailing, the reverberations of which are still being felt today: cast iron proof that – in the right hands – multihulls could be as fast, or faster, than monohulls over long ocean crossings.

Born in Vancouver, Canada on 1 November 1931, Birch had a varied career which included working as a gold miner, on oil derricks, as a mechanic – where he developed a love of beautiful sports cars, and even as a real-life cowboy competing in rodeos, before he began sailing full-time. 

Birch was in his mid-40s when he moved into offshore racing. After working as a delivery skipper in Dartmouth in the 1970s he entered the 1976 OSTAR in the 32ft trimaran Third Turtle and finished 2nd, not far behind Eric Tabarly’s 73ft Pen Duick VI.

Two years later, he won the Route du Rhum in the smallest boat in the fleet, the 30ft tri Olympus Photo. The nail-biting finish which was broadcast live, making not only Birch but the new French transatlantic race (set up as an alternative to the English Transat from Plymouth) famous.

OlympusPhoto, skippered by Mike Birch overtakes (foreground) the yacht Kriter at the finish in Point-à-Pitre, Guadaloupe, of the 1978 Route du Rhum. Photo AFP via Getty Images.

Birch went on to spend the next decades innovating in multihull offshore racing. He built several Nigel Irens designs, beginning with the 50ft Vital. 

That was followed by Formula Tag (later ENZA and Tony Bullimore’s Doha, now Energy Observer), which was at the time the largest ever pre-preg structure ever made, and in many senses the yacht from which today’s record-breaking maxi multihulls and foiling Ultimes have evolved. Birch skippered the 26m (85ft) catamaran to victory in the Monaco-New York Race in 1985, and sailed a remarkable 516 miles in 24 hours in the Quebec-St Malo race  – unheard of speeds nearly four decades ago.

He was a force to be reckoned with on the ORMA circuit during the 60ft trimaran class’s heyday, twice finishing on the podium of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe.

Birch continued to race for many decades, competing in every edition of the solo Route du Rhum until he was 71. He was 9th in his final outing in 2002, and finished 3rd in 1982 and 4th twice, in 1986 and 1990. 

He carried on double-handed racing even longer, competing in the two-handed Transat Jacques Vabre aged 77 in 2007, with American co-skipper Rich Wilson on the Open 60 Great American III, and the 2012 TWOstar race with Franco-American sailor Etienne Giroire, aged 81, on a 60ft trimaran Eure-et-Loir. 

Mike Birch helming Fujichrome ahead of the 1990 Route du Rhum. Photo by Nicolas LE CORRE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Birch divided his time between his house in Brittany and a remote cabin in his native Quebec, also continuing to sail his own boat – named Dolly, after his mother – until last year.

While his actions on the water were often revolutionary, and widely celebrated, Birch himself was modest, self-deprecating, and a fan of the quiet life.

“I have never done anything but what I wanted,” he said when his biography was published in 2017,  “But also I’ll make a confession. I have always hated to talk about myself.”

I met him in St Malo ahead of the 2018 Route du Rhum when Birch, then 87, was there to wish his good friend Charlie Capelle good luck, who was racing A Capella, a yellow Walter Greene trimaran that is a sistership to Olympus Photo. Birch was treated like a true celebrity by the gathered crowds on the pontoons, but preferred to quietly step down below aboard A Capella, and chat about the race – politely and self-deprecatingly deflecting any questions about himself. 

Canadian former skipper and first winner of La Route du Rhum Mike Birch in November 2018 in Saint-Malo. Photo: FRED TANNEAU/AFP via Getty Images

“A character from a novel,” is how fellow solo skipper Thomas Coville summed up Birch’s remarkable life when news of his death was announced today. Coville had sailed with Birch on the ORMA Fujicolor trimaran in the 1990s. 

“I discovered very late that he had had this life before and rode the great outdoors. I read his book, one of the rare seafaring books that I read to the end, as if I had read a story by Jack London. This gentleman has always been young.”

Fond memories of Birch have been widely shared by those in the offshore racing community The Route du Rhum, which starts on 6 November, will be paying tribute to Birch with his photo projected on the ramparts of Saint-Malo every evening.

Birch died peacefully last night at his home in France, just a couple of days before his 91st birthday. 

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A flurry of competitors in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race crossed the finish line in Cowes today after an intense race which saw many boats take a full two weeks in order to complete the course.

Despite the light airs forecast, the 1,800-mile race took even longer to complete than predicted for many, with some boats having run very low on food and non-emergency water by the time they finally crossed the line.

Ten teams finished the race today, with the very relieved crews enjoying an impromptu dock party on Trinity Landing was followed by a welcome meal at the RORC Clubhouse in Cowes.

Among them were Richard Palmer, sailing with Yachting World regular contributor and boat tester Rupert Holmes on the JPK1010 Jangada, who are currently leading as 1st IRC overall, having finished this morning with an elapsed time of 14d 22h. They are also 1st IRC 3 boat and 1st double-handed team.

Though five boats are still racing none can realistically better the IRC corrected time scored by JPK 1010 Jangada, so the Royal Ocean Racing Club has declared Jangada the overall winner of the 2022 Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race.

Richard Palmer’s JPK 1010 Jangada, racing Two-Handed with Rupert Holmes is the overall winner of the 2022 Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race Photo: James Tomlinson/RORC

Round Britain and Ireland Race winners

The overall win was decided by the thinnest of margins, as after 15 days of racing, Jangada won overall on IRC corrected time by just seven minutes and nine seconds. Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, racing two-handed with Deb Fish was 2nd.

In percentage terms, RORC calculates that Jangada won by just 0.03% of the time taken to complete a race of 1,805 nautical miles.

Sam White and Sam North racing JPK 1080 Mzungu! are 3rd overall, with all three top teams racing in IRC Two-Handed.

“Just a full-on race, absolutely no let-up; snakes and ladders all the way. The pressure was always on. Mentally this race was totally exhausting, but great fun with really close competition,” explained Jangada’s Palmer.

“The final 12 hours was incredible. As soon as Bellino crossed the line the clock started ticking and we had a goal to aim for. Our routing programme predicted we could reach that goal with two minutes to spare. I woke Rupert up and told him it was game on and we went for it.”

“This race really is the pinnacle of offshore racing because it offers absolutely everything; close racing on the IRC ratings and the race track has plenty of headlands and tidal gates, all with weather systems that are constantly changing. This race just throws everything at you and it tests you to the limits,” continued Palmer.

Medallia at the start of the 2022 Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race © Paul Wyeth/RORC

Pip takes line honours

First to finish was Pip Hare on Medallia, this time sailing her IMOCA with a crew of five. Hare and team completed the circumnavigation in 10d 13h, with even the foiling 60-footer languishing at sub-3 knots at times as a high pressure system dominated the first portion of the race.

Medallia took over seven days to get to Muckle Flugga, at the northern turning point of the course, from the start on the Isle of Wight.

“It is not often I go into a race wanting to take line honours, but that really was a goal, so we are very happy,” commented Pip Hare. “We concentrated on trying to extend from the other boats in the race and get around the course as quickly as possible. I am really stoked to get line honours in a race around Britain and Ireland.”

“In the Vendée Globe it is a big deal to race around Cape Horn, but the Shetland Islands is way further north than Cape Horn is south. I’m very, very proud to have my name against line honours in this edition of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. I have full admiration for everyone out there; this is a tough race for all of us.”

Stronger breezes for the second week saw Medallia cover the eastern return leg in just over three days, and as Hare was pulling back into Cowes, competitors at the back of the fleet were rounding Muckle Flugga in near gale conditions.

Not just for lightweight flyers – Marie Tabarly’s 73ft, 34-ton ketch Pen Duick VI was the winner of IRC 1 Photo: James Tomlinson/RORC

Class 40s round Britain

Next to finish was James McHugh’s Tquila, the first Class 40, sailing with a highly experienced crew of Brian Thompson and Alister Richardson.

“It was a fantastic race but very long,” commented McHugh after the finish.

“As we were passing Galway where my parents are from, a few boats had retired and the thought did cross my mind, but we carried on! It was a real change to see the scow bow boats pull out as it was interesting to match up against them to see how we would go against them. 

“This is only my third Class40 race […] and Brian and Richard have been putting me through my paces to get up to speed. They are great sailors, really intuitive. It has been wonderful to do this race with them and work as a team.

“For me going around the Shetlands was something special; it is an incredible landscape.”

Former Vendée Globe racer Mike Golding was also in the Class 40 fleet, racing on Greg Leonard’s Kite (USA). “This was great fun to do, if rather long,” Golding said afterwards.

“We always saw that it was going to be a slow race but I don’t think any of us expected it to be quite that slow. Everything was very well prepared on the boat, we didn’t run out of anything. Greg is really organised and we even had enough water – we did economise when we saw the writing on the wall but, to be honest, we’ve got another two days left.”

Rising talent

“I love the Class40, it’s a fantastic class,” added Golding. “The boats actually feel like the first Open 60s; they feel very powerful and they are quick. They sail so beautifully, as a class I really like them.

“It’s interesting sailing on different boats and particularly the scows, which I know a lot of sailors don’t like, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it because they are rather good. Kite isn’t particularly scow-ish but it is a powerful boat.”

“Hannes Leonard (Greg’s son) is really the hidden star in all this. Unbelievable. It’s a very long race for us, but for an 18-year old to have maintained the endurance and stamina and staying power to do a race like that is quite something.

“Hannes is a fantastic sailor and a credit to his Dad and his family. I wish I was that good at his age.

“These long races do take a lot of preparation and for Greg, this is part of his prep for the Route de Rhum (solo from Saint Malo to Guadeloupe in November) and that’s quite a commitment. But RORC’s Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race is definitely accessible and it is a matter of biting the bullet and going out there and giving it a go.

“Understandably some of the competitors have had to retire because of time constraints, but most have stuck with it so that’s a testimony to all the people out there.”

Double-anded competitors Deb Fish (Bellino), Maggie Adamson (Tigris), Shirley Robertson (Rockit), Ellie Driver (Chilli Pepper) and Dee Caffari (Rockit) Photo: James Tomlinson/RORC

Staying power

Of the 23 boat fleet, just four were still racing this evening, with 11 finishers. 

The final boats still racing include Charlene Howard on her Sun Odyssey 45 AJ Wanderlust. Howard commented as she rounded Muckle Flugga:  “This has been a slow race so far but it is not mentally tough if you flip your thought progress. 

“AJ Wanderlust and her crew (Robert Drummond) love sailing, so the longest on the water wins, right? We just try to enjoy all the magic of nature in its various moods. AJ Wanderlust does not come to start races, she comes to finish them!”

The post Epic Round Britain and Ireland Race decided by minutes appeared first on Yachting World.

In a remarkable rescue two sailors have been rescued off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, after the keel detached causing a capsize on the new Farr X2 they were sailing. The pair, both reported to be highly experienced yachtswomen, were found clinging to the hull of the upturned yacht over 15 hours after it inverted.

The two sailors were sailing Hull #1 of the new Farr X2 about 15 nautical miles off Wollongong when the yacht rolled at around 0100 on 2 July.

The Australian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre initiated a search shortly after 1300 that day, and the Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Brisbane arrived at the 60-square-mile search area about an hour later.

The upturned yacht was spotted by the crew of a passing merchant vessel, MV Arietta Lily, shortly after 1500, and HMAS Brisbane headed to its position.

The two yachtsmen were found clinging to the hull of the upturned yacht, and rescued by the destroyer’s RIB boat in 30-knot winds and 2-metre swells.

Despite spending 15 hours in the water, the two sailors were reported to be in good health, and were reunited with their loved ones at Fleet Base East, Sydney, a couple of hours later.

Nexba Racing team

Two days after the incident the Nexba Racing team issued the following statement on Facebook:

As our close followers may be aware, team ‘Nexba’ capsized in the very early hours of Saturday morning. The team were completing a 100nm qualifier and had left Pittwater early Friday afternoon to be back in Pittwater by early to mid-Saturday morning.

“Around 1am on Saturday morning as the team made their way home to Sydney in light to moderate breeze and 1-2m seas, the boat capsized. After spending 15hrs drifting out to sea with the upturned vessel, the team were rescued and are now safe on land, and have recovered in hospital with minor injuries. They are not yet ready to talk about their ordeal in a public forum and are grateful for space at this time. They will release a statement when they are ready.

The girls wish to say: “Thank you everyone for your kind words of support, we are so grateful to have survived an awful ordeal and for our amazing community of family, friends, fellow sailors (basically family) and all of the incredible people who assisted in our rescue effort.

Thank you so greatly in particular to everyone who assisted in the team’s rescue effort, especially the incredible and highly trained team from the HMAS Brisbane, the crew of the Arietta Lily, the water police, marine rescue, 000 and the many parties who helped in communicating our position.”

New Farr X2 design

The Farr X2 is a new compact racing design from renowned designers Farr Yacht Design, promoted as the first small new race boat from Farr since the much-loved Mumm 30 in the 1990s.

The Farr X2 sailing in Sydney before the incident. Photo © Matt Cumming/Vicsail

The Farr X2 is a production built boat designed specifically for short-handed racing, although, and was conceived by well-known Australian sailor Bret Perry, and built in Singapore by XSP.

In a statement FarrX2 Australia said: “On July 2, 2022 the Farr X2 Nexba Racing was completing an overnight offshore qualifier off the coast of New South Wales, Australia. The boat was sailing into a building breeze and significant seaway when the keel attachment failed resulting in a capsize.

“We are very thankful that the two crew were safely recovered and for the swift action of the Royal Australian Navy Destroyer HMAS Brisbane for rescuing the sailors in very challenging conditions.

“Attempts are underway to recover the vessel to allow a thorough investigation process into the cause of this incident. We take the safety of all the crews who sail on boats of our design very seriously and our design team is working with the builders, component suppliers and the composite structural engineers to identify the root cause and to implement any necessary design, material or build process changes required to insure [sic] this cannot happen again.”

Hull #1 of the new Farr X2. Photo: Matt Cumming/Vicsail

The X2 features a 30ft hull, plus bowsprit, and carries 250-litres of water ballast on either side, to give the equivalent righting moment of two or three crew. It has a two-spreader rig with running backstays and flies a 102 sqm asymmetric and 41.4sqm Code Zero, designed for exceptional fast reaching performance.

The Farr X2 has a projected IRC TCC of 1.080 and is suitable for World Sailing Category One Races.

The keel of the Farr X2 – this is Hulll #2, recently delivered into the USA

Appalling conditions

Commander Kingsley Scarce, Commanding Officer of the Brisbane, paid tribute to his crew’s bravery in difficult conditions. “We were happy that we could come to the aid of fellow mariners in their time of need,” Commander Scarce said:

“It was tremendous teamwork from all of Brisbane’s crew, from those who coordinated the search effort and response, to the bridge crew and lookouts, to those who provided medical care and hospitality, to the survivors once rescued, and to all others who supported. The entire crew was eager to do whatever they could in the rescue effort.

“I want to particularly acknowledge the bravery of the sea boat crew, who conducted the rescue in appalling sea conditions.”

The location of the disabled yacht has been reported to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority as a navigation hazard.

The post Crew rescued from upturned hull of new Farr X2 after keel loss appeared first on Yachting World.

The inaugural Globe40 Race got underway on Sunday, June 26, with seven Class 40 teams starting from the Moroccan city of Tangier on a 30,000-mile circumnavigation.

The new double-handed Globe40 Race boasts several firsts, including being the first round-the-world race that departs from Africa.

It has also, unfortunately, had its first incident, with a collision shortly after the start between two competitors.

The Globe40 Race is created especially for the relatively affordable Class40 yachts. The skipper demographic also has a heavier focus on experienced amateurs rather than heavily sponsored professional teams.

Divided over eight legs the Globe40 Race has the option for the two-man teams to switch out crew at several points in the race, making it much easier for the largely amateur competitors to manage home life without the commitment of being offshore for nine months.

All the crews include at least one amateur and most are only crewed by non-professionals, albeit non-professionals with impressive amounts of blue water experience.

Brisk westerlies for Gryphon Solo II at the start of the Globe40 race in Tangier. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Globe40

The seven-boat fleet is a multicultural line-up for a Class40 offshore event, with teams from Japan, America, the Netherlands, Canada, one boat from France, and even a home entrant from Morocco.

Having only a single French team in a French organised race is surprising, especially given the depth of the Class 40 fleet in France. Only America is represented by two teams in the seven yacht race.

Fifteen boats originally signed up for the Globe40 but later dropped out due to reasons varying from covid concerns to the war in Ukraine.

Early into the Southern Ocean

One of the major challenges for competitors in the Globe40 will be its relatively early departure date for a circumnavigation.

After leaving Tangiers in June, the fleet will have a stopover in Cape Verde in July, and are likely to be rounding the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa at the end of July, in southern hemisphere mid-winter.

Dutch entry Sec Hayai is the oldest Class40 in the fleet. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Globe40

Dutch co-skipper Ysbrand Endt shared his concerns regarding the weather in the southern hemisphere: “It will be very hard so we certainly took it into consideration regarding whether we can handle big winds. For example, we have a fourth reef in our mainsail.

“We have a very strong J2 which is a little bit stronger than normally we would have chosen so we are able to go downwind in 50-55 knots.

“In the Southern Ocean, in winter time, it will be hard.”

Globe40 skipper ambitions

With varying levels of competitive experience in the fleet, the Globe40 skippers’ ambitions are equally mixed.

We spoke to the skipper of the Japanese entrant Masa Suzuki on board his 2nd generation Class40 Milai:

“My dream is to go round the world so I tried to make this dream come true before I was 40. I want to make it around the world safely, that’s my first concern and otherwise have a wonderful time seeing the world.”

Japanese skipper Masa Suzuki is fulfilling a lifetime sailing ambition by competing in the Globe40 round the world race. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Globe 40

Suzuki and Milai had already seen their share of trouble before the race. On passage to Tangier during the prologue leg from Lorient the Class40 was attacked by an orca whale off Spain, which saw the yacht have a bite taken from its starboard rudder. Fortunately the team was able to find a replacement before the race started.

Not all the teams are taking part simply out of a spirit of adventure, however. Some have their eye on the prize while others see this as a potential stepping-stone to greater things.

The Dutch team has been preparing for this race for two years and skipper Frans Budel has already completed a circumnavigation with his father. Their Class40 Sec Hayai is the oldest in the fleet.

Budel says: “I knew I wanted to sail around the world on this boat. It is an older boat but we think we have a competitive boat, a good boat and a little bit heavy, but for a race like this that might be better.”

Canadian entry Whiskey Jack. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Globe40

Drama at Globe40 start

The Globe40 is the brainchild of Manfred Ramspacher, who launched the event three years ago but had to delay the start by one year due to covid. The next edition is planned for 2025.

We asked him why a Frenchman would launch a new race from Africa? “Of course I had a few French harbours in my mind but very quickly we were in touch with the people of Tangier.

“The first time I came to Tangier I was very impressed. It was a great place for an event, it’s a new marina and the city is perfect for Europeans, it is close and the people speak so many languages.”

After an intense week of pre-start preparation work in the brand new marina in Tangier the seven yachts set out towards the start into fresh westerly winds gusting from the high teens to low 20s: perfect conditions for the mile-eating Class 40s to begin their nine months at sea.

Within the first 10 minutes, however, disaster struck for the French team.

The French entry The Globe en Solidaire, skippered by Eric Grosclaude, was only just out the gate when they tacked into the Canadian Whiskey Jack, skippered by Melodie Schaffer, and struck her amidships in an apparent port-starboard incident.

Fortunately the Canadians seemed to escape without too much damage and continued on, but the French team had to return to port with a broken bowsprit.

First stop will be the Cape Verde islands, followed by Mauritius, Auckland, Tahiti, Ushuaia, Recife, Grenada, and finishing in Lorient. Follow the fleet at globe40.com

The post Collision as new double-handed Globe40 race starts from Morocco appeared first on Yachting World.

Years of short-course racing in small keelboats in fleet race and match race competitions had made Annie Lush very good at downwind VMG sailing. But when she started offshore racing, she found herself sailing across the wind: the forgotten art and science of reaching!

“For me, that was the biggest shocker. Going from Olympic sailing to ocean sailing was not so much the difference between inshore versus offshore. Okay, so it takes a while getting used to not sleeping much. But more than that, it was the sudden realisation that everything I’d learned for 10 years was not that relevant to offshore where you spend a lot of your time trying to sail the boat as fast as possible, mostly on some kind of reaching angle.

“When you’re racing around the world, you’re trying to go as close to your fastest angle. So you want to reach whenever you can, you never want to sail VMG if you can avoid it. For me it was about learning completely new ways to set up the boat for top reaching speed.”

Here are Annie’s five expert tips for helping you hit optimum speeds with the wind on your beam.

Go extreme

When you’re beam reaching and struggling to manage the power in the rig, go extreme on all your settings. If you’re reaching along in 25 knots, that’s pretty extreme conditions for any kind of boat. So extreme situations demand extreme measures and going to the extreme of your settings.

It’s easy to think you just pull on the Cunningham a little bit more than usual. Don’t! Pull it on as hard as it will go, pull on as much backstay as you can, don’t be afraid to go to the end of your controls because that’s what they’re there for.

As for crew weight, most boats want the weight all the way aft and as far out as possible.

Reaching under big masthead asymmetric. 

Know your limits

Having talked about the extremes, there is a caveat. If you’re on the cusp of whether or not it’s possible to carry a spinnaker, or any kind of big headsail, remember to keep in mind the performance window that the sail was designed for.

Normally your sailmaker will give you a maximum apparent wind speed that the sail will tolerate. This is an important number to keep in mind because when you’re reaching, there’s a lot more stress on it. You might have a spinnaker that is fine for sailing downwind in 30 knots of true wind, but if you’re trying to suddenly sail 125° true wind angle, it might not be able to take it.

So you do need to know the design limits of your headsails, otherwise you’ll be blowing up your sails pretty quickly.

Balance the helm

What configuration of sail plan is going to work best on a reach? The overriding goal should be to achieve good balance on the helm so that the rudder isn’t overloaded. You want the boat to be able to track in a straight line.

For a reach, chances are you’ve got more sail up in front of the mast, which means the mainsail might be flapping a lot as you try to lose the power. If your main is flapping all the time you might as well put a reef in it.

Article continues below

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Practise your reefing procedure before racing and consider if it’s worth installing different systems to make it easier. Putting a reef in or out shouldn’t lose you too much time because you can keep the boat going in a straight line, whereas getting a spinnaker up or down requires a big bear-away while you make the sail change.

Also keep staysails in mind. Even though it’s more sail area, a staysail can really help with balance and keep the boat tracking straight.

Set targets

Before you get on to the reach, make sure everyone knows what the target angle will be, especially the trimmers because they need to set up the leads for the sheets. If you’re going to be flying a spinnaker or a gennaker on a really tight reach, you’ll want to set up with a lot of tackline tension.

Have someone calling the puffs, so that the helm is ready for a bear-away if needed and the trimmers can ease the sails slightly. You know everything is working nicely if no-one is having to adjust anything too radically.

Big eases of the headsail are exhausting when you have to constantly wind in the sheet again, and it’s a sign that the boat is out of balance.

Photo: Ainhoa Sanchez/VOR

Reduce sail early

If you see signs of a squall and think it’s about to strike, don’t wait for it to happen. Reduce sail early while it’s easy to do. If you have to get a big sail down in 30 knots of wind or more, it’s a big turn downwind and will be hazardous and time consuming.

These early calls will preserve energy and equipment. However, one trick from our days in the Yngling carries up to bigger boats nicely too. When you’re pushing for a gybe mark or a scenario where you’re not quite holding the spinnaker, strap the foot in by sheeting on as hard as possible. Now blow the kite halyard and the sail will flutter out to leeward above the surface. Once you’re able to bear away, just rehoist the halyard and off you go again!

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The post 5 expert tips for going fast while reaching appeared first on Yachting World.

First home in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race was the Multi 70 Maserati, skippered by Giovanni Soldini.

Maserati finished this morning, Saturday 15 January, at 05:51:41 UTC, to take Multihull Line Honours. The Italian modified MOD70 overhauled the more conventionally set up Powerplay, which led for the majority of the 3,000 race, and Argo, despite suffering damage to its port rudder.

The three 70ft trimarans developed an intense mid-Atlantic match race over the final 500 miles of the transatlantic, the front runners frequently sailing in sight of each other as they raced to Grenada. 

Giles Scott and Miles Seddon study the weather at the nav station on PowerPlay. Photo Paul Larsen/Powerplay/RORC

Having initially headed far north of the rhumbline in order to navigate a low pressure system tracking from Nova Scotia, the three leading trimarans engaged in a straight-line downwind speed contest over the final few days of the race, flying down to the Caribbean at speeds topping 30 knots and matching each other gybe for gybe. 

Powerplay was first to concede the lead to Argo, the pair initially duelling on a slightly more southerly line, but Maserati was sailing at 25-27 knot averages to overhaul them both in a well timed run for the finish.

As PowerPlay’s Paul Larsen reported from onboard: “We’ve effectively got a new race start with around 500 miles to go. Everyone’s pumped and Powerplay is at 100 percent. This has already been a belter of a race. Looking like it’s going to be like that all the way to the end. The blue bus is the hunted, but the hounds are all around!”

Damaged port rudder on the Multi 70 Maserati. Photo: RORC Transatlantic Race

Maserati is the more heavily modified of the three MOD70s, having been fitted with foils. However, Soldini reported that Maserati had damaged, then lost, its port rudder, so was unable to foil on starboard gybe. Argo had also suffered rudder damage during the race.

Second to cross the finish line off Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada was Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 PowerPlay at 0646 this morning.

Double-handers lead IRC 1

This eighth edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race has attracted the strongest fleet yet.

Behind the three 70ft trimarans, the 100ft Maxi yacht Comanche is chasing monohull line honours and course record and looks set to achieve both. This morning it is leading both IRC Super Zero and IRC overall on handicap, although the Volvo 70 L4 Trifork is challenging hard for the IRC Super Zero win. It won’t be a new record eastbound transatlantic time however – Comanche already holds that at 5d 14h 21m 25s.

Comanche at the start of the RORC Transatlantic Race off Lanzarote. Photo: James Mitchell/RORC

The RORC Transatlantic Race will be a very different experience for the double-handed team on the 32ft JPK 10.10 Jangada. Richard Palmer and Jeremy Waitt are leading IRC 1 overall but still have over 1,600 miles to go.

Richard Palmer reported from onboard: “Jangada is performing well so far all systems are running as expected. With only satellite data systems to get weather updates on we are always needing to ensure our small crafts systems work, it’s taken a huge amount of preparation to be ready to race. It’s getting exciting as we close up to the top of the leader board and we hope we can continue to push for a top spot. The level of competition is immense racing against ocean going machines like Comanche and Volvo 70s makes the task a tough one.”

Jeremy Waitt said: “It’s such a privilege to be racing in the ocean like this, the moonlight dancing of the wave tops and vast expanse of this ocean is stunning. As I write we are surfing down large waves at high speeds with the spinnaker and the conditions have been tough.  

“Being two handed makes things pretty tough and sleep deprivation can make it really hard. Alongside lack of sleep each of us must manage the boat for long periods whilst the other is asleep effectively single handed, there’s no doubt we have to compromise at times compared against the fully crewed boats with 6-14 people aboard. 

“We will soon be passing the place where two year ago I fell off the boat and thankfully was retrieved by Richard, it’s a reminder of the risks involved in ocean racing.”

Thomson retires from RORC Transatlantic

Two boats have had to stop racing following damage. Alex Thomson, who was making his first competitive outing since announcing his retirement from IMOCA 60 sailing, was racing with Ken Howery on Tosca, a newly launched Gunboat 68 catamaran. 

Howery reported that Tosca had been taking on water which meant the team “could not run the basic electrical systems necessary for the safety of the crew.” The Gunboat diverted to the Azores, and intended to set off for Grenada after making repairs.

On Day 6 the Botin 56 Black Pearl reported that they had been dismasted. All crew on board were unhurt and the boat is making its way back to the Canary Islands under jury rig.

Follow the race at https://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/

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