Boat News Races & Regatta

The 41st Rolex Middle Sea Race is virtually done and dusted. Only one boat is left at sea, her crew clearly set on completing the course despite the likelihood that they will finish outside the race time limit. Kudos is due to Luigi Paolotti and the team of the Dufour 405 Tattoo (ITA) for their fortitude and perseverance. Otherwise, with ...

2020 has been the year of uphill battles, and the PIC Coastal Classic yacht race which started on Friday will see no different. From 9:30am, 165 sailboats will quite literally begin an uphill battle from Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour to Russell in the Bay of Islands, sailing against the wind into light winds from the north. With the wind strength on ...

My background Date of birth: 27th January 1977 Place of birth: Munich (Germany) Lives in: Lorient Studies and career path: I read literature, studying Arts for two years and then continuing with a master’s in Arts. I then got my official papers to be a skipper and trainer, which allowed me to become a professional skipper and sailing instructor. Your first experience of ...

While the next edition of The Ocean Race (nee The Volvo Ocean Race) isn’t slated to begin until October of 2022, some teams that will be racing aboard IMOCA 60s are already deep into the design and build process of their new steeds. 11th Hour Racing Team falls into this camp. The team is being led by CEO Mark Towill, ...

The prime role of the International Maxi Association, as endorsed by World Sailing, is to encourage and support all forms of maxi racing internationally. In line with this remit, five years ago it introduced the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge (MMOC), to entice more maxis out on to the race course and friendly rivalry between owners. Past winners of have ...

The classic moan in offshore yachting is how the ‘rich get richer’; often aimed at the bigger, faster yachts using waterline length and sail area to profit from tidal gates to gain an advantage over their smaller rivals. This morning, it certainly looked that way as day two of the 2020 Rolex Middle Sea Race dawned. A clutch of boats ...

The final day of the Farr 40 One Design Trophy was sailed on Sydney Harbour and Nutcracker, with substitute helmsman Ray Roberts, held onto their substantial lead from yesterday to take out the regatta. The standard has now been set, so Melbourne Owners Rob Davis and Andy Baker, whilst ecstatic, will be no doubt be feeling under pressure to similarly ...

Sharp eyed Wakatere Boating Club member Justin Mitchell caught American Magic putting their newly launched AC75 Patriot through its paces late Friday afternoon on its first test sail. The breeze which had been light and ideal for a test sail but increased suddenly came up to 21kts, giving the AC75 a real workout on her first sail. The flared bow ...

The waiting is almost over. At the Skippers’ Briefing on Friday evening, the Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC) confirmed that everything is in place for the 2020 Rolex Middle Sea Race to start tomorrow, Saturday 17 October, as scheduled. The relief is palpable for the organisers and crews. Despite the club’s conviction that race could and should go ahead, if ...

Patriot, the first of the second generation AC75’s was launched from the American Magic base, in Auckland, around 9.00am local time. Instead of being a development of what had gone before, the Marcelino Botin led American Magic design team came up with a design which is quite different. The only similarity to any of the four AC75’s previously launched is ...