More sailing news

The final day of the first superyacht event of the Mediterranean season confirmed victory for the two yachts firmly at the top of their respective categories.

The next edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race will start on Sunday 8th August and for the first time in its history, the race will finish in Cherbourg, France. In the current health context, the organisers are taking all the necessary steps to welcome the competitors in the best conditions.

Leg One is likely to be decided in the final hours with one last hurdle between the fleet and the finish line off Cascais.

High performance racing with the Royal Ocean Racing Club is back with the Vice Admiral’s Cup taking place in the Solent from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd May. The 2020 event was cancelled due to the pandemic, but over 50 teams have taken up the challenge for 2021. Eight classes will compete on technical windward leeward courses, with adrenalin-packed action for FAST40+, Performance 40, J/111, J/109, Cape31, HP30, Quarter Tonner and SB20.

World Sailing’s Council have approved the Men’s and Women’s Kiteboarding (Formula Kite) and Men’s and Women’s Two Person Dinghy (470) as the first and second alternative event proposals to Mixed Offshore at Paris 2024 following their meeting at the 2021 Mid-Year Meeting.
 

Following last night’s deluge, the fourth and final day of racing at the Maxi Yacht Capri Trophy, the opening event of Rolex Capri Sailing Week 2021, was held in conditions that challenged both competitors and race committee alike. A giant wind shift caused the first attempt at today’s single windward-leeward race to be abandoned. The race committee, led by Alfredo Ricci, then moved a little further out into the Bay of Naples. Starting in just 4-6 knots of wind from the south-SSE, the race finally got underway shortly after 1400 CEST.

Zhik are delighted to announce they are back as the Technical Clothing Partner for AkzoNobel Ocean Racing for The Ocean Race Europe 2021, the prelude to The Ocean Race 2022-23.  

The 2021 Finn Gold Cup was opened on Friday in Porto, Portugal, but without an opening ceremony due to COVID-19, but with a practice race with a small fleet taking part. Nearly 60 sailors from 33 nations are taking part in the final major event before the Olympic Games in August.

While the Vendée Globe grabbed headlines over the winter with a record fleet of 31 boats, France boasts a yet more extraordinary fleet of boats – the Ultimes. Developed over the last 30 years by teams attempting to break the non-stop round the world record, the Jules Verne Trophy, these giant 32m long by 23m wide flying multihulls are the fastest offshore racing yachts by far.

For decades record-setting in sailing has been dominated by adventurers, pioneers, eccentrics and, in recent years, pro-sailing teams in custom built machines.