Fastnet sailors ready to face their personal Everests
The eve of the Rolex Fastnet Race is a nervous time for the 2,700 sailors about to embark on this 605-mile offshore classic – for all gathered in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, a few are out to win…
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.
Dongfeng crew set to rock and roll in Fastnet classic
Gosport UK – Along with their six rivals in the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, Dongfeng Race Team will line up for the Rolex Fastnet Race on Sunday which promises to be a thrilling battle between crews preparing for the round-the-world…
Upwind slog forecast as Volvo Ocean Race fleet tackles Rolex Fastnet Race
The second stage of Leg Zero qualifying for the VOR fleet is the Rolex Fastnet Race, starting on Sunday (6 August), and it will present a very different challenge to the Volvo Ocean Race fleet – as well as an…
Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag name crew for Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18
Australian Luke Parkinson, who won the trophy as a rookie onboard Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing last edition, will race as part of skipper David Witt’s crew – and he is joined by navigator Steve Hayles, who returns to the event…
Rolex Fastnet Race – double-handed demons
Thanks to our modern day lifestyles, a frequent problem facing race boats owners is finding willing and available crew. One solution is to sail with less people, an ultimate expression of this being two handed racing. Therefore it is no…
Kialoa II’s revival at 47th Rolex Fastnet Race
It’s been 46 years since the 73-footer Kialoa II took line honours in the 1971 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and when the boat lines up for the Rolex Fastnet Race off Cowes in the UK this Sunday, its racing revival…
AkzoNobel sign up Brazil's Olympic gold medallist Martine Grael for the Volvo Ocean Race
Team AkzoNobel have added Martine Grael, the Brazilian sailing gold medallist from the 2016 Olympics in Rio, to their crew for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18. The 26-year-old is the daughter of race legend Torben Grael – Brazil’s most successful…
Can France make it a Rolex Fastnet Race hat trick?
In the last two editions of the RORC's biennial flagship event from Cowes to Plymouth via southwest Ireland's most famous rock, French boats have not just won, they have dominated. For example in the last race in 2015, Géry Trentesaux's…
Volvo Ocean Race – Liz Wardley joins Turn the Tide on Plastic
Turn the Tide on Plastic skipper Dee Caffari has named her first crew member of the 2017-18 edition by signing up two-time Volvo Ocean Race veteran Liz Wardley. The Australian, who first competed in the Race in 2001-02 onboard Amer…
Komatsu Azzurro takes overall win in the Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2017
GOLD COAST. For the second time in three years Shane Kearns' Komatsu Azzurro has powered to overall victory in the Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2017, finishing in a corrected time of 3 days 1 hour 40 mins…
What to look out for on Leg Zero of Volvo Ocean Race
Leg Zero not only takes care of the official qualifying for the Volvo Ocean Race – it’s also the first chance to see the teams in a competitive shakedown against each other. No points will be carried forward to the race…
Wild Oats XI just pips Black Jack in Sydney Gold Coast Race
In the closest finish in more than 15 years, the Oatley family’s record-breaking supermaxi, Wild Oats XI, has claimed line honours for the sixth time in the 384 nautical mile Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Race. The 30-metre long, silver-hulled…
CQS ready for Rolex Fastnet Race
Cowes, Isle of Wight: Super maxi CQS is back in the water and ready for the Rolex Fastnet Race after a week of maintenance and upgrades in Gosport, on the south coast of England. After sailing to and from the…
Volvo Ocean Race unveils Onboard Reporters for 2017-18
Featuring hardened media pros from six nations, the group of Onboard Reporters for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 includes award-winning adventure photographers, extreme sports filmmakers, the documentary-making son of a Volvo Ocean Race legend and a former soldier turned journo…
Top women sailors join MAPFRE for the Volvo Ocean Race
Sanxenxo (Spain), 27th July 2017: Yesterday MAPFRE set sail from their base in Sanxenxo, Galicia en route to England, where they are set to take part in the legendary Rolex Fastnet Race, to sail a distance of 605 nm(1120.46 km), which starts in…
Dorade arrives in Australia to kick off “Dorade Down Under” campaign
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (July 27, 2017) : The 86-year-old Sparkman & Stephens classic yacht Dorade made yacht racing history in the 1930s and holds a competitive edge over its modern counterparts to this day. The 52-foot wooden yawl arrived in Brisbane earlier…
Wild Oats XI eyeing line honours in Sydney Gold Coast Race
Australia’s most successful ocean racing supermaxi yacht, Wild Oats XI, will return to competition tomorrow as a starter in the 384 nautical mile Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast race. The 30-metre long, silver-hulled racer, which is owned by the Oatley…
Ocean racing's big guns in the Rolex Fastnet Race
Among the 400 boat fleet setting off from the Solent on 6 August in the Rolex Fastnet Race will be three of offshore racing's most prestigious classes. Grabbing the headlines will be the one design VO65s as the Rolex Fastnet…
Spanish navigator Juan Vila returns to the Volvo Ocean Race with MAPFRE
Juan Vila, one of the best navigators in the world, will return to the Volvo Ocean Race with MAPFRE in 2017-18, some 15 years after becoming the first Spanish sailor to win the coveted trophy. One of the most decorated…
Ludde Ingvall's CQS is back in England preparing for the Fastnet Race
After a successful sojourn in the Baltic, Ludde Ingvall’s eye catching super maxi CQS is back in Gosport on the south coast of England, preparing for Lendy Cowes Week and the Rolex Fastnet race. During her brief tour of the…
The new Black Jack 100 arrives in Sydney
Black Jack 100, the revamped Alfa Romeo/Esimit Europa II, has left the McConaghy facility in Sydney and has been trucked to Sydney City Marine. She has a busy schedule ahead of her, including Brisbane – Keppel, Hamilton Island Race Week,…
Rolex Fastnet Race – fight to be first home
While the Judel-Vrolijk 115 Nikata will be the largest yacht competing among the 350 or so yachts starting the Rolex Fastnet Race on Sunday 6 August, the battle for line honours glory looks set to be between two titans of…
Merlin makes Hawaii Homecoming In 2017 Transpac
Honolulu, Hawaii: Today a Transpac legend that came to symbolize the Fast is Fun philosophy in ocean racing crossed the finish line at Diamond Head 40 years after she did it the first time. Bill and Lu Lee's venerable Lee…
Blair Tuke joins MAPFRE in the Volvo Ocean Race
New Zealand’s Blair Tuke is joining MAPFRE in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2017-18, and could become the first sailor in history to win the ‘Triple Crown’ of an Olympic gold medal, the America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race….
Vestas 11th Hour Racing unveils race-winning mixed crew
With exactly 100 days to go before the Volvo Ocean Race fleet departs Alicante to tackle 45,000 nautical miles around the world, Vestas 11th Hour Racing have unveiled their crew for the 2017-18 edition – and have built a mixed,…
The Barn Door and more today at the 2017 Transpac
HONOLULU, HI – In the pre-dawn hours this morning, Manouch Moshayedi's Bakewell White-designed Rio 100 crossed the finish line at Diamond Head to be the first-to-finish monohull without powered assistance, and thereby winner of the historic Barn Door Trophy in…
International interest rises in Hong Kong to Vietnam Race
International entries from seven countries mark the first sign ups for the 8th Hong Kong to Vietnam Race; the 673nm predominantly downwind run to Nha Trang Beach, Vietnam. Racing kicks off on 18 October 2017 on Victoria Harbour in front…
Next wave of finishers nears in 2017 Transpac
HONOLULU, HI – As the first wave of record-breaking boats have finished, there is a break in the action at race HQ in the Ala Wai Marina before the second wave is soon to arrive in the 2017 Transpac. Among…
Multihull and Monohull records both fall in 2017 Transpac
HONOLULU, HI – Due to wind conditions veteran navigator Stan Honey described as a “surprisingly strong breeze,” both the multihull and the monohull first-to-finish race records have fallen in the 2017 Transpac. Over a 2225-mile course that starts from Pt…
Francis Joyon beats his own solo Atlantic record
French sailor Francis Joyon crossed the longitude of the Lizard at 0137 hrs UTC this morning (Wednesday 12th July 2017). This marks the finish line for the North Atlantic crossing from Ambrose Light off New-York. With a race time…
Race records set to fall in 2017 Transpac
Monday, July 10th looks to be our first finish day. Howard Enloe's ORMA 60 Mighty Merloe continues to perform outstandingly, maintaining a lead over the MOD70s Phaedo3 and Maserati. At the July 10th 0500 HST real time position report, Mighty Merloe was 251nm…
Mighty Merloe and Comanche on record pace in 2017 Transpac
HONOLULU, HI – One week after the first wave of starters and four days after the last wave, the bulk of the 55 entries in this year's 49th edition of the Transpac are at about their halfway points to the…
Second wave starts 2017 Transpac
LOS ANGELES, CA – The second wave of three starts to the 49th edition of the 2017 biennial Transpac Race left Pt Fermin today in a pleasant 8-10 knot Southern California seabreeze, en route to a finish line awaiting them…
Strong Australian representation in this year's Fastnet Race
As ocean racing enjoys rising entry lists around the world, the classic Fastnet Race is expecting more than 400 boats from over 20 countries on the startline on August 6, 2017. Among them are four strong Australian entries. CQS, Maxi,…
All competitors now underway in 2017 Transpac
LOS ANGELES, CA – Another perfect Southern California summer day yielded perfect conditions for the final wave of 17 fast monohulls and five fast multihulls to set off on their 2225-mile odyssey to the finish in Honolulu of the 2017…
Imperiet overall winner of ÅF Offshore Race 2017
Imperiet II is the overall winner of ÅF Offshore Race – round Gotland 2017. Early Wednesday morning it was clear that none of the boats behind would be able to catch up. The boat from Stockholm with skipper Paul Nord…
First wave of the Transpac leaves Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES, CA – Seventeen yachts in three divisions set off yesterday in the first wave of three starts to the 49th edition of the 2017 biennial Transpac Race. Under sunny skies and light winds the fleet left the start…
Nexba for Melbourne to Osaka Double-Handed crusade
Sydney based John Bacon and one of his core MC38 and Melges crewmates David Sampson have linked up for their first Melbourne to Osaka Double-Handed Race in 2018, an epic 5,500 nautical mile ocean adventure aboard Bacon’s Class 40. Designed…
Second Antigua Bermuda Race announced
Hamilton, Bermuda: July 3, 2017: The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club announces that the second edition of the Antigua Bermuda Race will start on the May 9, 2018. The 935-mile offshore race is organized in association with Antigua Sailing Week and is…
The MACIF trimaran is expected in New York during the night
The MACIF trimaran should cross the finishing line of The Bridge in New York, on Monday night (UTC+1), after 8 days at sea. Just under 100 miles from the Big Apple on Monday Morning, the crew led by François Gabart…
