Thread: Competition Sailing

New Zealand secures Grand Final qualification by beating Canada and Emirates GBR with flawless New York performance

New Zealand posted a flawless performance in New York to triumph over Canada and Emirates GBR, guaranteeing their place in San Francisco’s $2 million Grand Final.

A blistering start saw all three teams jostle in a frantic drag race to Mark 1, but it was New Zealand which pushed Emirates GBR and Canada high and wide to secure the all-important inside line. The Kiwis went on to push their ride height to the limit, sailing faster and higher than both other teams.

Considered and flawless maneuvers by New Zealand saw the Kiwis stretch away, leaving Canada and Emirates GBR to battle it out for second and third respectively.

The triumph means the Kiwis have now won five of Season 4’s 12 events - almost half of the entire season.

Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week 2024

The 19th edition of Long Beach Race Week concluded on Sunday with a full complement of races sailed in eleven divisions, including six one design classes and five PHRF fleets. Throughout the three solid days of racing conditions the breeze rarely dropped below 14 knots and settling in the 16-18 knot range for the most part, blue skies prevailed and temperatures in the 80s...YES, t-shirt and shorts racing!

"We're thrilled with the results from yet another outstanding LBRW, in particular we'd like to congratulate Long Beach Yacht Club member Chris Orlando and his crew who took seven bullets in the Catalina 37 (37) class - a feat which has never before been accomplished in this highly competitive class at LBRW, it's very exciting for Chris and his crew," Chuck Clay, Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Staff Commodore. "It was great to host so many out-of-towners this year; they love the Long Beach conditions and know that everything from the race committee to the parties are world-class."

Owning a clean sweep in the C37 class, Orlando's team were followed by Allie Tsai and her crew in second with 24 points. Keith Ives, racing with family as well as friends, scored 29 points for third.

An ecstatic Orlando said, "Today's first race was a little funky, we had a bad start and it was light and left. Then there was a big shift, so after the first beat there was a course change and it went back right which was the breeze we were expecting all day. Things just really went our way, we kept focused throughout the three days, the crew work was great and you couldn't ask for a more classic LBRW. Hats off to Justin Law who helmed all regatta - he was just great!"

In PHRF 1, the Melges 32 The Baby Screams lived up to its name as it shredded on the runs today to take two firsts on the final day of racing, finishing with thirteen points and a solid five points ahead of Dirk Freeland's Cape 31 Full Send. The Farr 40 Blade, owned and skippered by Mick Shlens, took third with 22 points.

https://www.sail-world.com/news/2762...k-2024-overall

Rose Cup: Youth match racing champs

The 2024 U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship (USYMRC) is set, showcasing the top young sailing talent in the country. This prestigious competition will take place from June 26 to 30, 2024, at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

The USYMRC is an invitational event open to sailors who have reached their 16th birthday but not their 21st birthday during the calendar year in which the event is held. The Championship features world-class coaching and race management and serves as an outstanding training ground for young sailors who are interested in match racing and focused on competing at the next level.

The event will feature teams of four sailors, competing in a round-robin format followed by knockout stages. Races will be held using Sonars, known for their suitability for close and competitive match racing.

Prior to the start of racing, competitors are treated to two days of practice and clinics, with coaching from sailing rules expert, Dave Perry, and match racing icon, Janelle Zarkowsky Martin.

Participants will be vying not only for the championship title but also for the prestigious Rose Cup, a trophy that symbolizes excellence in youth match racing. The event will follow the Racing Rules of Sailing and the specific Sailing Instructions tailored for this championship.

The winner of the USYMRC will also receive an invitation to the Governor’s Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship, provided he or she has filed a Request for Invitation (RFI) for the Governor’s Cup by Friday, April 12, 2024. The “GovCup” is the oldest, and arguably the most prestigious, youth match racing event in the world and will be sailed this year for the 57th time at Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Beach, California from July 22-27, 2024.

Rose Cup

2024 Newport Bermuda Race

On June 21, 2024, 162 boats set sail from Newport, racing towards the Gulf Stream and kicking off the 53rd Newport Bermuda Race. 4,000 race fans along the shoreline, spectating the first time off Fort Adams, watched them start their journey to Bermuda.

The first night was expected to be slow, as storms affecting southern New England had dampened the wind. It’s a race to get away from land and into the next prevailing ocean breeze and Gulf Stream current.

At just shy of 48 hours into the 53rd Newport Bermuda Race, and there was already a dismasting, an abandoned ship, and a few retirements. Despite these challenges, the fleet encountered a variety of sailing conditions and sea states as they made their way to Bermuda. As the navigator on the expected first-to-finish Pyewacket 70, Peter Isler, said, “We have had every headsail up in the inventory (except the storm jib).”

Roy P. Disney’s Pyewacket, Volvo 70, arrived in Bermuda achieving the line honor finish with an elapsed time of 02d 11 : 17 : 35.

Snip

Gunga Din, a Swedish Yachts 41 owned by Robert Fye and Paul Cunningham, with a total crew of seven, had to abandon ship 80 miles from Bermuda due to water ingress. All crew members were successfully transferred, unharmed, to Desna, a Tartan 37 owned by Adam Van Voorhis with seven also aboard. All 14 are now making their way towards Bermuda expected late tonight. It is unknown at this time what precisely caused the water ingress. They are racing to Bermuda and were expected Wednesday afternoon, June 26.

Leaderboard

The Transat Québec Saint-Malo (TQSM) is the oldest ocean race from west to east, non-stop and crewed.

TQSM - Day 5

Alberto Bona, Luca Rosetti and Pablo Santurde del Arco, aboard the Class40 IBSA, are 16 miles from the leaders, in a group of ten boats about six miles apart from each other, while Ambrogio Beccaria – who with a courageous choice managed to break away and maintain first position – is still in the lead.

Yesterday less than one hundred miles were covered, bringing the balance – at the 8:30 check (Italian time) – to 700 miles sailed and 2,150 to go.

Transat Québec Saint-Malo updates: 5 July

America's Cup: Barcelona venue makes Kiwis $20million richer

Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton was interviewed by ThreeNews, which launched the first full night of its new primetime news format on Monday evening.

The occasion underlined the June 20 announcement that Warner Bros. Discovery would carry Louis Vuitton America's Cup coverage in New Zealand starting August 28.

The change of NZ broadcaster marks the end of 38 years of live America's Cup coverage by incumbent Television New Zealand, which began on October 5, 1986, with the first race between the then New Zealand Challenge (KZ-7) and the Buddy Melges skippered Heart of America.

Asked by Samantha Hayes about the new wingfoils that Emirates Team New Zealand has fitted since they arrived in Barcelona, Dalton replied: "Well, they're certainly faster than the last ones, but everybody's like that."

"But at the moment, they're so covered in cameras that the drag on them doesn't allow us to check on the numbers. But on the computer - which is where it all starts - they look just fine. And we've pushed it pretty hard like we always do; they're certainly slightly more radical than anybody else is running at the moment."

With New Zealand in a Reserve Bank-induced recession, the reality of not hosting the 37th America's Cup is a sore point for many, conscious of the boost, particularly for Auckland with the teams setting up now for a Cup in early 2025. To rub salt in the financial wounds the major event calendar looks very sparse to 2028, indicating under investment.

"I think we foresaw quite early what the economy in New Zealand was going to be like about now," Dalton explained. "Certainly, in my lifetime, I don't remember it [the Kiwi economy] being this bad. And we could never have expected taxpayers to put up the money. "

"If you win the event like we have, it costs NZ$100million just to run the event, and in New Zealand, that would be impossible to raise," Dalton added.

[The NZ Govt put up a NZ$40million Event Fee for the 2021 Cup, which belly-flopped economically after the former government imposed 185 days of COVID lockdowns in Auckland before and during the regatta.]

Pushed further on the financial differential of hosting the Cup in Barcelona, Dalton said he hadn't done accurate numbers but responded saying, "It's probably north of $20million Kiwi."

Currently, Emirates Team New Zealand is sailing "every day" in Barcelona. The team's two AC40s are headed for Barcelona, and the Youth and Women's teams will start sailing when sailors return from the 2024 Olympic Regatta in Marseille.

July 12^th – 700 miles to go

Couple hundred miles from finishing

Highlights - SailGP Season 4 Grand Final San Francisco

USA Youth America's Cup revealed

New York Yacht Club American Magic has confirmed the youth team that will represent the United States at the 2024 Youth America’s Cup. This lineup will compete against 11 other nations on September 17-26 in Barcelona, Spain.

The seven sailors selected are:

• Severin Gramm: Delray Beach, FL
• Ian MacDiarmid: Miami Beach, FL
• Harry Melges: Fontana, WI
• Kyle Navin: Fontana, WI
• Ben Rosenberg: East Greenwich, RI
• Finn Rowe: Fontana, WI
• Ripley Shelley: Miami, FL

Under the guidance and leadership of President of Sailing Operations Terry Hutchinson and Coaches Kinley Fowler and Charlie Ogletree, American Magic has assembled a versatile and skilled sailing team.

“We’ve formed a strong team to represent the United States and challenge at the Youth America’s Cup,” said Hutchinson. “NYYC members Amy Ironmonger, Suzy Leech, and Peter McClennen have provided invaluable mentorship and guidance through a rigorous selection process.”

Based in Badalona for the next two months, the NYYC American Magic Youth Team has begun intensive training on the AC40, marking a significant milestone in their preparation for the upcoming Youth America’s Cup. The team is taking advantage of excellent sailing conditions with winds ranging from 5 to 20 knots and sea states from 0.3m to 1.3m.

No Stress wins 5.5 Metre German Open in Berlin

Open at the YC Berlin-Grünau after five races were sailed on Saturday.

Last year's Open champions MELX IV (GRE 6, Stavros PAPAGIANNOPOULOS, Yannis MITAKIS, Pavlos KAGIALIS) had their chances, but twice lost the lead in races to end second while last year's German champions Ali Baba (GER 125, Wolf-Eberhard RICHTER, Beata KALLKOWSKI, Max Müller) finished third. 15 5.5 Metres from five nations were taking part.

After two days of no wind, the fleet finally had a lot of racing on Saturday. Five short sharp races turned the championship into more of a mini-series but nevertheless, it was a valid series, with the race team putting on a slick display to keep the course fair in the shifty winds.

The wind started light with a big shift out of first start. No Stress led out of the pin and rounded first to extend for a huge win with Ali Baba second all the way. The classic, Manuela V (ITA 36, Guido TOMMASI, Matteo BARISON, Filippo AMONTI) crossed third.

MELX IV levelled the score in the next race, with No Stress in second and Manuela V third, the light winds producing little speed difference between boats built 50 years apart.

The wind had stabilised for the third race, but MELX IV was a little too early at the pin and rerounded. No Stress was first to tack away and led at top. MELX IV proved faster downwind but chose the opposite gate, which let No Stress away and she regained the lead. The final downwind was close, with both boats overlapped at the finish. Ali Baba was third.


Highlights from the 2024 5.5 Metre German Open

Notice of Race published for Hansa World Championships 2025

The Hansa World & International Championships 2025 is set to sail into action from March 23 to March 30, 2025, at the prestigious Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, located at 16 Mitala Street, Newport, NSW, Australia. The Notice of Race has now been published, marking the official start of preparations for this highly anticipated event.

Competitors, coaches, supporters and volunteers are encouraged to express their interest and start planning their participation by completing the Expressions of Interest form, now live on the event website. This form is a crucial step to ensure all participants are kept informed about the latest updates and essential information leading up to the event.

The Hansa Worlds are renowned for their inclusive competitions, welcoming sailors of all abilities from around the globe, promoting the spirit of unity and sportsmanship. The 2025 edition will also incorporate a number of Para Sailing World and International Championships with results of para classified sailors drawn from the open fleet results. In addition, World Sailing will conduct an Inclusive Development Program prior to the event.

To provide for the large number of international competitors, Boat Charter application forms are available on the entry landing page of the event website. To secure a charter boat for the championships complete the form online. The Australian Hansa Class Association ensure that all competitors have the necessary equipment to compete at their best.

Participants and attendees are encouraged to explore various accommodation options to make their stay comfortable and enjoyable. A comprehensive list of nearby venues is available on the accommodations page of the event website.

For more details and to stay updated on all aspects of the Hansa World Championships2025, visit our official event website at hansaworlds.org.

Who is the quickest America’s Cup team?

The America’s Cup is as much a confidence game as it is one of design, technology and boat handling. Whether you’re a Challenger or Defender, asserting your authority wherever you can is all part of gaining the upper hand. On my most recent visit to Barcelona, I was delivered a showcase display of just that.

The whistle of the foils came first, followed a split second later by Alinghi Red Bull Racing under full sail and at full noise as the Swiss scorched through the canal-type entrance, leaving the French base to port before spinning into the breeze in the modest sized basin. Stopping with a flamboyant handbrake turn, their chase boat locked into position as the sails came down.

It was a spectacular display of the size, power, and speed of an AC75, but also an illustration of just how confident this team is in its boat handling aboard its priceless carbon machine. Trip up and the unforgiving concrete walls mean you’ll need a roll of bin liners rather than a RIB to get the boat back to the dock. – Full report

Teams revealed to challenge defender Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):

• INEOS Britannia (GBR)
• Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI)
• Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (ITA)
• NYYC American Magic (USA)
• Orient Express Racing Team (FRA)

2024 America’s Cup
October 12-21

Ida Lewis Yacht Club

IDA LEWIS Distance race August 16-17, 2024 - 24-Hour Offshore Race in New England Waters

Forty-nine teams have registered thus far for the 2024 Ida Lewis Distance Race presented by Bluenose Yacht Sales, and they’ll be starting the revered 24-hour race south of Pell Bridge in Narragansett Bay’s East Passage on Friday, August 16 at 11 a.m. From nearby vantage points along the Jamestown and Newport shorelines, including Fort Adams and Castle Hill, spectators can watch the fleet as it heads off to some of the most storied cruising grounds in the Northeast, including Rhode Island Sound, Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound, Long Island Sound and the waters south of western Long Island before returning to a finish off host Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport.

Hamilton Island Race Week 2024 Day 1

Hamilton Island Race Week officially opened with a bang last night, marked with fireworks at the Nautilus Marine Insurance Yacht Owners and Skippers Welcome Cocktail Party. While the welcome went off with plenty of sparks, the breeze this morning for the first day of racing was lack-lustre.

The 164 boats split into twelve divisions headed out for the scheduled 1130 start across the Dent Passage and Eastern Passage starting areas, and were met by a glass out.

After the lengthy postponement, a beautiful easterly filled across the Whitsundays, and when most had all but given up, racing got under way at 1335 for the Rating Series divisions, and Hamilton Island Blue, from Eastern Passage. The remainder of the Hamilton Island divisions, the Trailable Yachts, and the Multihulls, got under way in Dent Passage from 1355 as the breeze built in the channel.

It was incredible work by the twenty-four strong volunteer-driven Race Committee, who are on Hamilton Island to run the racing. The team cleverly changed the scheduled short passage races into afternoon sprints to ensure the races could be held, and all divisions came back together for a stunning southerly bound finish into Dent.

Mark Richards at the helm of Wild Oats X was the IRC Rating Division 1 winner, followed very closely by sistership Alive, skippered by Duncan Hine, also an RP66. Completing the top three was David Gotze's, No Limit.

"Early days", Mark Richards said of the win. "We've made a few changes, and they must be working, which is good".

"It's such a special week for us, for the whole Wild Oats family", he continued. "My grandkids are here, and a lot of the crew have family here. To have a win, when this week means so much to us, is just fantastic. Now we will go out and see what we can do tomorrow".

IRC Rating Division 2 saw Matador skippered by David Doherty take first place with Marcus Blackmore's Hooligan second and Gordon Ketelbey's Zen rounded out the podium. This division is made up of 52 foot yachts, all of which are TP52s except Virago, the one-off RP52 design. It promises to be fiercely contested again this year.

Wazza Red Boat skippered by Garth Riley were winners of IRC Rating Division 3 with second achieved by Nocleks skippered by Joel Skelton and Bruce McCraken's Ikon secured third, finishing exactly a minute after the winner on corrected time.

The IRC Super 40 division saw Ray Roberts' Team Hollywood secure first place followed by Secret Weapon skippered by Billy Leonard in second, David Ross' Cape 31 Kukukerchu took third.

The Cape 31 class are also contesting their 2024 National Championship during Hamilton Island Race Week, and Kukukerchu also took the opening race in their one-design fleet. Dirty Deeds DC, skippered by Alan Stein, and B4-Celestial, skippered by Sam Haynes, rounded out the minor placings.

"It was a tough day even before the racing, we were bobbing around like corks", said David Ross of the long wait for wind.

"We have a great fleet, and what made it really interesting was that we were racing with the Super 40's, which adds another dimension to it".

"We had a good start, it was chaotic at the first mark, Dirty Deeds were onto it and put on an A3, the right call, and the rest of us had A2's or 1.5's. Regardless, we worked well as a team, and everyone kept us on our toes, but we put it together" he finished on the win.

AMERICA'S CUP HIGHLIGHTS: High Winds on DAY ONE of Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta in BARCELONA

Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta | Day 3

American Magic Faces Setback on Day Three of Preliminary Regatta

Emirates Team New Zealand vs. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli - Full Race 25/08/2024

Emirates Team New Zealand vs. NYYC American Magic - Full Race 25/08/2024

Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta | Day 4 Highlights

Louis Vuitton Cup Day 1 Highlight