Ocean Racing

The Tradition

by David Schmidt, Posted December 15, 2009

A Look at the 2009 Sydney-Hobart RaceAmongst Australia’s hard-core sailors, the question isn’t whether you’re going. It’s a question of how many you’ve sailed (so far). Indeed, amongst the most hardcore of this decidedly hardcore country, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, or “The Hobart” as it’s known, represents a serious challenge. The brochure goes something like this: Start on

Volvo Ocean Race Update

by David Schmidt, Posted November 19, 2009

While the next Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) doesn’t kick off until 2011, gears are spinning rapidly to get the various pieces in place so that teams can design boats, build boats and start test sailing their craft. As the past two editions have made completely clear, VOR teams that start early, train hard and are the most prepared are certain to be strong contenders, if not outright winners. It was no

Volvo Ocean Race - Racecourse

by Sail Staff, Posted September 30, 2009

Torben Grael and his crew aboard their superbly prepared Ericsson 4 dominated this year's grueling 37,000-mile Volvo Ocean Race. Guy Salter, 37, a skilled ocean racer in his own right-he was bowman aboard Tyco in the 2001 VOR-was also aboard Ericsson 4 as the team's media crew member; every boat had one. But under the race rules Salter couldn't help his crewmates sail the boat. His job was to

Banque Populaire And Groupama - Racecourse

by Sail Staff, Posted September 24, 2009

In late July two giant trimarans, Banque Populaire 5 and Groupama 3, set out from Ambrose Light off New York, their bows aimed for Lizard Point on England's southwest coast, both bent on breaking the fully crewed west-to-east Transatlantic record. The record, set by Franck Cammas on Groupama 3 in 2007, was 4 days, 3 hours, 57 minutes and 54 seconds, a pace so quick that both teams needed a

Broken: 50-Knot Barrier falls!

by David Schmidt, Posted September 10, 2009

On 4 September, Alain Thbault’s hydrofoiling trimaran, L’Hydroptre, became the fastest sailboat on the planet, rifling off two impressive feats in the same day in France’s La Seyne sur Mer. First, the flying tri registered an average speed of 48.72 knots over a distance of one nautical mile; then it fired off an average pace of 51.36 knots over a distance of 500 meters. Even more

Hummus the hard way

by David Schmidt, Posted August 24, 2009

So there we were last Friday evening, sitting on the rail of Tom Hill’s magnificent new Reichel/Pugh 75 Titan XV during the 2009 Ida Lewis Distance Race off Newport, Rhode Island, happily munching on carrots and hummus, when a curious thing happened: a torrent of saltwater exploded over everybody seated at the back of the sled. It happened so suddenly that all I could

The Race to be The Youngest

by Sail Staff, Posted August 18, 2009

While the Volvo Ocean Race has been dominating sailing headlines this year, there’s an unofficial circumnavigation “race” taking place: The contest to become the youngest person to circle the globe. At only 17 and 16 years old respectively, Zac Sunderland (USA) and Mike Perham (UK) are vying for a place in the pantheon of sailing world-record holders David Dicks, Jesse Martin,

VOR changes announced

by David Schmidt, Posted August 18, 2009

In the current economic climate, it’s no surprise that that potential sponsors are balking at the prospect of ponying up the $50-60 million needed to fund a first-rate Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) campaign. The VOR itself has been working to reduce costs, as they recognize that sponsors only get their full value if there are plenty of boats competing.So far, changes include a

Abracadabra, they're gone but...

by Kimball Livingston, Posted August 18, 2009

If I’m not mistaken, more than one of the rock-star boats that were supposed to be making news are not. If I’m not further mistaken, quite a few of the usual suspects are missing from the ranks of the regulars.It’s a sign, but a sign of what? New boats are being built—in lesser numbers. Races are being sailed—with fewer boats at the higher end. And high-profile boats disappear for a

Mac Attack: A look at the 2009 Chicago-Mac Race

by Sail Staff, Posted August 6, 2009

With limited wind throughout the 101st Chicago to Mackinac race, many would consider it ordinary. Except perhaps the nine-member crew on Zoom, who made it extraordinary, by winning the Chicago Mackinac Trophy with a corrected time 55:09.53.“It was very satisfying,” said skipper Mike Newman. “It was a strange feeling. All we did was sail the boat. There was no