All in 2024
For many of the sailors in the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup and the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup, their first taste of what to expect has been found on the team simulators that are dotted all over the globe. We have heard rumours of private races being taken “before breakfast” and “after dinner” between some of the antipodean teams whilst in the northern hemisphere unofficial leagues are forming.
In the lead up to the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, The Ocean Race - the round-the-world race often described as the toughest test of a team in sport and now an ongoing platform for making a meaningful difference to ocean health - today shared the impact of the data collected by teams and sailors through the race’s science on board programme. This vital data is shared with scientists striving to understand the complexities of the ocean and improving climate and ocean science and helping to inform policy and meteorological reports.
The Ocean Race team brought the spirit of ocean racing to over 100 participants in a satellite event co-organised with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO), the only UN body responsible for supporting global ocean science and services. The event gathered representatives from the world of science, research, sailing and policy at the Barcelona Maritime Museum and included panels entitled: 'Offshore Racing and Science' and 'Understanding our Ocean'.
The America’s Cup yachting event is taking a leap into the virtual world with the launch of its official simulation video game, AC Sailing, along with its first-ever e-sports world championship, America’s Cup E-series.
AC Sailing is developed from the same physics engine used in the simulators that America’s Cup teams train with to enhance racing tactics and recreate race scenarios, as well as develop and test design ideas and iterations for their race yachts. The game is the culmination of over 10 years of research and development by Emirates Team New Zealand
By making it available, the event seeks heighten public engagement with the oldest trophy in international sports.
“Gamers will get to experience America’s Cup sailing as close to reality as possible like never before,” said Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Event. “We’re thrilled to bring this innovation legacy into the virtual world, elevating the role of sailing within the e-sports ecosystem.”
Classic one-design classes like the Wayfarer dinghy live on through the strength of their communities and their lifelong connections.
By James Heffernan
April 9, 2024
The author and his son, Paul, enjoy their time together sailing the waterways of North Carolina on the family’s Wayfarer dinghy. Lori George
While in pre-flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, I had a classmate with sailing expertise that he’d gained at the US Naval Academy. He was always happy to share his passion for sailing with our cadet class, whether leading a hands-on lesson in a Penguin dinghy or aboard a Luders 44 wooden yawl. It didn’t take me long to be as hooked as a sailor as I was an aviator.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going and today was no exception on Charleston Harbor where 16 classes proved that the smart tactic no matter the weather was to put your best sail up, keep moving forward, and have as much fun as possible. Racing was tight as sailors pushed each other across the fleet; in the Melges 20 class 3 teams tied for second, and a 4-way tie in the J88 fleet ensures that all bets are off for Saturday's racing.
PRO Taran Teague noted, "When we came out this morning, we knew it was going to be a tough day due to lighter air building after 11am but we didn't know quite when. It was going to be coming from the west and was anticipated to back to the south, south-west for a sea breeze. We were looking for puffy clouds to indicate backing of the wind, the sunshine and land heating but it was delayed because we had too many clouds." Nonetheless, most classes got at least two races in and a shipload of smiling faces at the post racing party on the USS Yorktown told today's real story.
Continuing the initiative launched last year by team owner Doug De Vos to provide younger sailors with experience and learning at the highest level of grand prix racing, four new athletes will also join Diaz de Leon.
Among the new talent will be the circuit’s first female navigator, Evelyn Hull. The other new team members getting ready for the season to start are Nevin Snow who will be strategist, Ian Liberty trimmer and Alex Sinclair mid bow.
The selected new athletes have already been put through their paces during a tuning and training week on the Bay of Palma last month when the team worked alongside Tony Langley’s new Gladiator, which was previously Alegre.
Due to dock damage sustained during recent flooding Shreveport Yacht Club has canceled the upcoming J/22 circuit regatta (April 20-21) . As we learn details of a potential reschedule, replacement, or confirmation of full cancelation we will let you know.
Portuguese locals Diogo Pereira and Tomas Barreto take the second and final Cascais Melges 15 Winter series.
After 5 bullets and a 6th place on the six races that took place on the two first days Diogo Pereira and Tomas Barreto sailed comfortably for a 2nd and a 5th on the two races that took place on the last day to secure victory at the second and final Cascais M15 Winter Series.
2nd Cascais Melges 15 Winter Series - photo © Neuza Aires Pereira
Diogo and Tomas were superior through the whole event and their results show. Despite having sailed the Melges 15 for the first time one day before the event, Their experience in both 420 and 49ers definitely helped and good starts and good boat speed were key to their win.
Henrique Brites and Luis Pinheiro did what they could and were improving along the championship (4, 3,3,3,2,2,1,2) but a not so strong start to the event weighted at the end. They finished second trailing the leaders by four points. Vasco Serpa and Pedro Garcia closed the podium (DNS, 4, 6,4,1,4,4,1) beating the brothers Antonio and Joao Matos Rosa by two points. 5th place was for Keiran Searle and Declan Mcgranahan, winners of the second Florida Winter Series in the US.
Those of you on the J/22 District 5 rolls and email list will have received this recent message from 2024 District Governor, Colin Feik. Here’s a great recap of recent district happenings and a reminder: Crew get your skippers and skippers get your crew and get yourself on your way to Shreveport Yacht Club for the next District 5 Circuit stop.
The second edition of the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series kicks off with racing from Tuesday 13th February. An international fleet of boats from 13 countries will be racing: Antigua; Australia; Canada; Cayman Islands; France; Germany; Great Britain; Monaco; Netherlands; South Africa; Sweden; Switzerland and the United States of America.
The World Sailing Open Team Racing World Championships make their return to the international sailing calendar in 2025 after a ten-year hiatus. The first Team Racing World Championships were held in West Kirby, Great Britain, in 1995 and was held every two to three years.
The 2024 Women’s World Match Racing Tour has cancelled the opening season events in Annapolis and San Francisco due to a shortage of registered teams. The updated 2024 schedule will have four events including the new women’s event in Bermuda to be held October 29-November 3.
Sailing upwind in the middle of the world’s oceans gave Chris Brooks plenty of experience handling big weather conditions. He shares his knowledge here with Andy Rice.
Spring has made its way to Lorient. The first flowers are blooming and the IMOCA racing boats are, just like the blossoms, gradually appearing, emerging one by one from their sheds after three months of winter refit. Yesterday, Team Malizia launched their Malizia - Seaexplorer and now she is back in her usual spot at La Base harbour. With a few adjustments and a new pair of foils, both the boat and team are ready to start the first training sessions and solo races of the year.
This year promises to be an epic Charleston Race Week experience for the VX One fleet. The event responded to the fleet's request to be moved farther out in the harbor away from the shallows so VX One racing will take place on the same course as the J70s and Melges 24s. Twenty-five boats are registered and the fleet hopes that there'll be at least 30 on the start line. It's not too late to register!
Happy Spring, Sailors!
And welcome to the second issue of your new favorite source of Gulf Coast/Galveston Bay-Focused sailing updates and general sailing news!
