Father and son go head-to-head in Solo Tasman
They will probably finish in first and second in the 1380 nautical mile race in what is a small fleet of only six boats. But it will be only one small achievement for the pair in what has been a…
Offshore
News, race results plus editorial coverage from the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Vendée Globe, The Ocean Race, ARC, Fastnet, Transpac, Ocean Globe Race, Global Solo Challenge and Offshore Yachting from around the world.
Osaka Race yachts dash for shelter from Cyclone Iris
Almost half the fleet in the 5,500 nautical mile yacht race from Melbourne to Osaka in Japan tonight have sought shelter in ports along the south Queensland coast as reformed Cyclone Iris moves south. Iris has become a Category 3,…
Wide cross-section of craft signed up for New Caledonia's Groupama Race
Entries for the New Caledonia Groupama Race close April 17 and a cross-section of monohulls and multihull owners have signed-up for a very different kind of South Pacific adventure. Most visitors to the French territory travel for the water sports, beaches, ethnic fusion…
Team Brunel hold on to win toughest stage of Volvo Ocean Race
It was easily the most difficult stage of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18, and the sailors will almost certainly rank it as one of the hardest in the history of the race. But Bouwe Bekking used his veteran nous to…
Brunel and Dongfeng in see-saw battle for the lead
Volvo Ocean Race veteran Bouwe Bekking is predicting a photo finish to Leg 7 as his Team Brunel leads Dongfeng Race Team into the final 36 hours of what has been a massively challenging leg. Less than six miles separate…
Clipper fleet says farewell to land as they leave Japan behind them
The tenth day of the Race to the Emerald City saw the fleet compress yet again in what felt like the third on-the-water race restart for the eleven Skippers and their teams as they converged on the final mandatory gate…
Melbourne Osaka competitors warned to take action as tropical cyclone approaches
Following the Notice to Competitors yesterday regarding concerns over cyclone Iris there have been some decisions made by skippers overnight and courses in some cases altered accordingly. Some competitors such as Allegro have decided to head further east, keeping an…
Black Jack smashes Brisbane to Gladstone record
The QantasLink 70th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, organised by the Queensland Cruising Yacht Club, was one to remember for many reasons other than just the historic landmark it reached. The race started in near perfect conditions in Moreton Bay…
China Sea Race wraps up under idyllic conditions
he final yachts arrived in Subic Bay this morning, wrapping up the 2018 Rolex China Sea Race. 29 boats took part in the 2018 edition with 265 competitors hailing from 22 territories. The 18 year-old multihull record was broken by…
Volvo Ocean Race: Brunel and Dongfeng fight for top position
Team Brunel has hung on to the Leg 7 lead following an attack on the top spot by Dongfeng Race Team as the leaders get within 1,000 nautical miles of the finish line in Itajaí, Brazil. Charles Caudrelier’s Dongfeng actually…
Clipper Race: Time for reflection as open ocean awaits
The Mandatory Gate Haller lies between the Japanese islands of Hachijo and Aogashima and for the Clipper Race fleet it marks the edge of the open Pacific Ocean and as the teams converge again, on what is the last compulsory…
Clipper Race: Blue skies and calm after lumpy seas
The Clipper Race fleet remains compressed as the teams attempt to position themselves ahead of another ridge of high-pressure. The challenging sea state has eased as the teams choose their routes to Virtual Mark 'Haller' ahead of the North Pacific…
Volvo Ocean Race: Leader gap closes as Vestas arrives in the Falklands
The battle for victory in Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race took a new twist on Friday as Dongfeng Race Team moved to within striking distance of long-term stage leaders Team Brunel. Bouwe Bekking’s Brunel crew have seen their…
Volvo Ocean Race: Vestas 11th Hour Racing dismasted – all safe
Vestas 11th Hour Racing has dismasted while racing in Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race. The team is safe and reports there is no immediate danger to the crew. The team reported that the mast broke at 15:59 UTC…
Clipper Race: Wind wishes come true as Pacific beckons
It might have taken the entire first week of the race but the requests for reliable wind have finally been answered, resulting in teams recording their best 24 hour runs, and the North Pacific Ocean is now under 300nm ahead….
Volvo Ocean Race: MAPFRE chasing fleet towards Falkland Islands
The overall race leader, MAPFRE, resumed racing on Friday morning (UTC) following a Cape Horn pit-stop to make repairs to a torn mainsail, as well as a damaged mast track and boom. The move, which cost MAPFRE nearly 13-hours when…
MAPFRE suspends racing and Brunel is first Volvo boat round Cape Horn
MAPFRE, the overall leader in the Volvo Ocean Race, has suspended racing to attend to damage to their mast track. A section of the mast track came unglued from the mast five days ago, but until now the team has…
IMOCA Class looks for replacement after Barcelona World Race is cancelled
Taking into account the political and administrative situation in Catalonia, the organiser of the Barcelona World Race (the FNOB) has taken the decision to cancel the fourth edition of the double-handed round the world race on IMOCAs, which was due…
Scallywag crew statement on the loss of John Fisher
The following story has been issued on behalf of Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag: On Monday 26 March, Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag lost John Fisher overboard in the Southern Ocean, approximately 1,400 nautical miles west of Cape Horn. Despite conducting…
Volvo Ocean Race fleet closing in on Cape Horn with Scallywag heading to Chile
Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag is heading towards the coast of the Chile, as the team attempt to recover from the devastating loss overboard of John Fisher on Monday. At this point, the team has not confirmed its plans,…
High pressure system hampers progress for Clipper fleet
Progress in the race to Seattle has continued to be hampered over the past 24 hours by the high-pressure system which has kept teams in very close proximity of each other. However, the light at the end of the windless…
Melbourne Osaka Cup – stories from the first few days
The main fleet started their run to Osaka in the Sundance Marine Melbourne Osaka Cup on Monday March 26th. Since then, quite a number of the fleet have been in touch. Not long after clearing the Heads on Monday, Grant…
Hectic start for Rolex China Sea Race
The 2018 edition of the Rolex China Sea Race got underway at 1120hrs today with blue skies and an easterly breeze of 8kts. The start line, located in front of Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Kellett Island Clubhouse, was a…
John Fisher now presumed lost at sea – message from Volvo Ocean Race President
An update on Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag crew member John Fisher, from Richard Brisius, the President of the Volvo Ocean Race: This morning I am extremely sad to inform you that one of our sailors, John Fisher, from Team…
Challenging conditions for remainder of Volvo fleet as entire community mourns
Six crews in the Volvo Ocean Race fleet are facing challenging conditions as they race towards Cape Horn, still 900 miles and two days away. The seventh team, Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, is working to recover from the tragic loss of…
Groundhog day for Clipper fleet as light winds continue in the North Pacific
Day 4 of Race 9 has been a case of 'Groundhog Day' as the light winds that had been a feature of the previous 24 hours continue to frustrate the teams. Despite not making much progress towards the southern tip…
DRHEAM CUP–Destination Cotentin: Class40 in force
With just over four months to go before the second edition of LA DRHEAM CUP-Destination Cotentin (21-29 July) and with the Notice of race published, the fleet is growing: already over 60 boats entered, a 40% increase compared to the…
Frustrating conditions challenge sailors in Round Tortola Race
Tortola, British Virgin Islands – March 27, 2018 – “We looked behind us and didn't see anyone at all, we were pretty far ahead of the fleet,” said David Liddell, co-owner of WOW, the Stealth 14GT catamaran and the first…
Man overboard on Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag
Race Control for the Volvo Ocean Race has been informed by Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag of a man overboard incident, on Monday afternoon at approximately 13:42 UTC. The team, along with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), has been conducting…
The Southern Ocean bites back at Volvo teams
After winds had moderated over much of the weekend, and provide a much-needed respite to the Volvo Ocean Race sailors, Monday showed the Southern Ocean still has some bite. With 1,400 miles to sail to Cape Horn, the fleet is…
Record two handed entry expected in Round Britain and Ireland Race
The 2018 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race starting on Sunday 12th August will feature a wide variety of yachts racing under the IRC rating rule as well as one design and open classes, such as IMOCA, Class40 and Multihulls….
City of Plymouth confirmed as start venue for The Transat 2020
Britain's Ocean City, Plymouth, has won the bid to host the start of the next edition of The Transat in 2020, the first and oldest single-handed transatlantic race in history. The historic port on the Devon coast, which has a…
Search and Rescue operation continues for Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag sailor
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) is continuing to lead efforts to recover Volvo Ocean Race sailor John Fisher (UK), who was reported overboard off Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag early on Monday afternoon UTC. The Scallywag team, assisted by…
Melbourne Osaka Cup start is fast and furious
Weather has played a major role in the Sundance Marine Melbourne Osaka Cup this time around. Two out of three starts so far have had to be postponed until the following day because of strong wind. Having had a day…
Clipper fleet sails out of the fog and into glorious sunshine
Things are starting to look up for the Clipper Race fleet on Day 2 of Race 9; glorious sunshine has emerged after a challenging 24 hours for the teams trying to navigate their way through the notorious Chinese fishing fleet,…
Respite for the Volvo fleet as Team Brunel takes pole position
As the winds moderate to 20-25 knots on Sunday, the seven Volvo Ocean Race boats racing through the Southern Ocean towards Cape Horn are taking the opportunity to regroup before the next gale. Bouwe Bekking’s Team Brunel had taken a…
Clipper Race: Cat and mouse start amidst obstacles
Race 9, from Qingdao, China, to Seattle, USA, is officially underway after the thick fog cleared and the wind picked up sufficiently to allow for the delayed Le Mans start to take place at 0800 local (midnight UTC) this morning….
Volvo Ocean Race: Southern Ocean conditions begin to take a toll
The Southern Ocean is beginning to exact a toll on the Volvo Ocean Race fleet as conditions intensify this weekend. The wind is consistently above 30 knots now, with gusts approaching 40 knots and the sea state is rising above…
Volvo Ocean Race: Classic Southern Ocean conditions from here to the Horn
The sixth day of Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race dawned with a reshuffle of the rankings as MAPFRE and Dongfeng Race Team shot to the front of the fleet. The two feared red boats were rewarded for choosing…
Volvo fleet bouncing off the boundary as cold front approaches
The Volvo Ocean Race fleet continues its relentless charge east, towards Cape Horn on Thursday, enjoying the best the Southern Ocean has to offer. The teams have been skirting the southern race course boundary and racing in strong but manageable…
