Thread: Competition Sailing

Silver Star for Cayard and Trouche

The 2024 Star South American Championship wrapped up in spectacular fashion at Club Náutico Olivos, with Paul Cayard (USA) and Pedro Trouche (BRA) claiming the title after three days of exhilarating and closely contested racing. The duo demonstrated their mastery of the challenging conditions and finished the championship with a well-deserved victory.

Coming in second were Lucas and Leandro Altolaguirre (ARG), who consistently delivered impressive performances throughout the regatta. Fabian Mac Gowan and Nicolas Rosas (ARG), rounding off the podium, secured third place.

The opening day of the regatta delivered sunshine, a steady breeze, and thrilling competition. The wind started at 12-15 knots during the first race, building to 16-20 knots for the second, with a direction ranging from 130° to 145°. The choppy waters added an extra layer of challenge, testing the fleet’s skills and endurance.

Both races had clear starts, showcasing the tight competition within the fleet. The first race was claimed by Paul Cayard (USA), partnered with Pedro Trouche (BRA). Cayard, the Star Class President and one of the most awarded and versatile sailors in the world, demonstrated he likes Rio de la Plata, where he won his Star World Championship back in 1988.

Clipper Race: Tenacity and passion

Tasked with leading a crew of up to 22 adventure-seekers around the world, the role of a Clipper Race Skipper is one of the most demanding leadership positions in the industry. Once the successful Skippers get through a rigorous selection process, five months of intensive preparation follows.   

The initial selection process involves rounds of interviews and intense on-the-water trials, but the hard work doesn’t stop there. Once recruited, Skippers will undergo a full program of preparation to hone their skills across a range of areas, from on the water drills and leadership development to studying SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and leading each level of Clipper Race Training course.

The Clipper Race Management Team is responsible for the recruitment and development of Skippers and is predominantly made up of previous Clipper Race Skippers, all of whom have first-hand experience of racing around the globe.

Dale Smyth, Clipper Race Director, said, “The role of a Clipper Race Skipper is one of the hardest sailing jobs in the industry. We are not only looking for vastly experienced offshore sailors but also incredible team leaders. Racing around the world for eleven months while supervising up to 22 Race Crew in a confined environment calls for the highest caliber of individual. Tenacity and passion is required to keep the team competitive and most importantly, happy.

About the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race:
The Clipper Race was established in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 1968-69. His aim was to allow anyone, regardless of previous sailing experience, the chance to embrace the thrill of ocean racing; it is the only event of its kind for amateur sailors.

Held biennially, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race has a fleet of eleven identical Tony Castro designed Clipper 70s that compete on a multi-leg course around the world. The team having the best cumulative score over the entire course wins the Clipper Race Trophy. The 2025-26 race will be the 14th edition.

GWA Wingfoil Racing World Cup 2024 in Jericoacoara - Event winners and world champions crowned

Austrian twins Tomas and Aleksander Acherer launched themselves onto the world stage with a remarkable one-two on the dramatic closing day of the season finale at the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Brazil in Jericoacoara.

Seventeen-year-old Tomas Acherer scored a perfect 10 for a "world first" Double Backflip in the semi-final, when he dispatched the newly-crowned world champion, the US's Chris MacDonald, and went on to win the Surf-Freestyle discipline.

"It was my first win, so I'm super-stoked that I did it after all the hard work," said Acherer. "It's even better that my brother is on the podium right next to me. It's crazy. We've proved we can do it and I hope the winning continues."

Spain's Nia Suardiaz won the women's Surf-Freestyle competition, but was pushed hard by her countrywoman, Mar de Arce. The win gave 17-year-old Suardiaz four wins from four for the season and was the cherry on the cake of her consecutive world titles.

"It was a really exciting event," said Suardiaz. "Mar [de Arce] had done a perfect Frontflip earlier. She couldn't manage it in the final, but I was nervous. We've had four stops this year and I won all four. It's amazing. For sure I'm going to train hard for next year. I feel the girls are coming for me."

The fifth and final day of the GWA Wingfoil World Cup Brazil saw the deciding heats play out in the perfect kickers and strong breezes of the bay of Malhada, just around the point from Jericoacoara.

Tie-break rule

In the women's quarter-finals Bowien van der Linden (NED) was locked in an epic tussle with Leonie Trondl (AUT). Both had identical trick scores and exactly the same heat score at the end. Van der Linden just won out and advanced on a tie-breaker.

France's Orane Ceris opened with her big trademark Backflip that gave her the edge over the young Austrian, Viola Lippitsch. But Lippitsch kept herself in the hunt and overhauled the Frenchwoman with a big 7.03 from 10 for a Backloop Spin to progress.

By then Spain's Mar de Arce was clear ahead of her semi-final rivals with series of solid moves. A 9.23 for a Frontflip was not as big as an earlier effort, but put the hammer down an gave her the win.

GWA Wingfoil Racing World Cup 2024 in Jericoacoara - Event winners and world champions crowned

Courtois claims Match Racing World title

Pauline Courtois (FRA) dominated the 2024 Women’s Match Racing World Championship, held December 5-8 in Dubai, UAE. Courtois and her team of Maelenn Lemaitre, Louise Acker, Sophie Faguet, and Laurane Mettraux were undefeated, winning all 21 races in their road to the title. Six teams from four nations competed in FarEast 28 keelboats on the eastern shores of the Red Sea. – Details

Vendee Globe Friday Morning Update - 60 knot winds and 8 metre seas take their toll on the fleet

While leader Charlie Dalin on MACIF Santé Prévoyance has now exited the Indian Ocean and is in to the Pacific, things are far from easy further back in the fleet.

Antoine Cornic has suffered damage to his mainsail track and Conrad Colman has been through the wars as 60 knot winds and high sees battered the fleet in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

We bring you the latest tracker and leaderboard, and PredictWind options for Charlie Dalin at the front as the weather in the Pacific Ocean is highly dynamic.

Sam Davies also updates us from Initiatives-Cœur after she has passed the longitute of Cape Leewiun this morning.

Vendée Globe Friday Morning Update - 60 knot winds and 8 metre seas take their toll on the fleet

Reshuffling The Ranking? - Day 34 - Vendee Globe

The majority of the Vendée Globe fleet is currently stretched over about 4,500 miles of ocean in the Southern Ocean, with the last sailor still waiting to round the Cape of Good Hope (Szabolcs Weöres, New Europe), while the leader (Charlie Dalin, MACIF) is preparing to pass New Zealand in the coming days.

Boris is currently in 10th position, having created some distance from the group of female sailors he has been sailing alongside for the past weeks. However, projected wind conditions indicate that the boats positioned 4th through 13th will likely compress again, opening up opportunities for a reshuffling of the rankings.

A high-pressure ridge is moving north, posing a significant challenge as it threatens to cut the fleet in half and further compress it. The high-pressure system currently advancing northwards will bring calmer and lighter winds as it moves toward Tasmania, likely slowing down the front boats (4th and following positions). This "high-pressure wall" will effectively act as a brake, reducing their progress.

Meanwhile, Boris and the sailors further back in this group could benefit from a low-pressure system pushing them forward, helping them gain miles on the leaders. This scenario could work to Boris's advantage, condensing the fleet and creating something of a “restart,” giving him a valuable opportunity to close the gap and gain ground on the sailors currently ahead.


Saturday, December 14 | Vendée Live