After three days at a truly relentless pace, devouring miles at near record speeds – 520, 530, 550 miles in a seemingly single bite, the top leaders of the Vendée Globe fleet continue to stay ahead of the depression while at the same time their pursuers are dropping off the back of the system, as was expected. And so the expectation is that the leaders will continue to multiply their margins. Behind them cracks become gaps become chasms.

The gap is already growing notably after the top nine and that will become more pronounced between now and the rounding of the Cape of Good Hope late on Friday. Those behind who are dropped off the back will need to wait for the next low-pressure train, but meantime race leader Charlie Dalin (MACIF Santé Prévoyance) and his closest rivals will continue to race in sustained winds before gybing south to work the of the Antarctic Exclusion Zone.

The Race Directors have decided to drop the AEZ south by almost 100 miles – at least to the Crozet archipelago – which will allow them to now sail a shorter route, at the same time being able to better exploit the depressions which are running further to the south,

Dalin and the lead posse have been sailing 500 miles in each 24-hour increment living life at a hellish pace.

“It’s tough mentally and at the same time it pushes you to keep up the pace”, commented Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) in fourth at 90 miles behind Dalin. “The depression that we are on seems to be reducing. Some will not manage to stay on its back while on our side, we will find ourselves right in it!”, detailed Simon who is anticipating another tough, fast night on the edge.

The AEZ is moved south

“The wind will be strong but also very gusty. We will have to go fast in a sea that will build It will be quite intense”, said Simon who hopes to take advantage of the winds generated by the tightly packed low for as long as possible before being overtaken by it and then gybing towards the South to avoid being caught by the rebuilding Saint Helena anticyclone. But their route is opened as Race Management has chosen to reduce the Antarctic Exclusion Zone (AEZ), this imaginary ring fence drawn around the Antarctic continent (drawn by 72 GPS points separated by 5° each) prohibited to skippers for their safety.

A double advantage

What motivated this decision?

“At the time of the start and during the first days of the race, CLS which provides the Vendée Globe with its expertise in processing radar and altimetric satellite data and in modelling ocean currents to detect the presence and predict the drift of icebergs, had reported echoes close to the zone. Since then, new satellite images have made it possible to identify these echoes are fishing boats and in fact the icebergs and growlers are located quite far away. We have decided to reduce the AEZ by almost 100 miles to the Crozets archipelago,” explained Fabien Delahaye who could, with the other members of the Race Direction team, decided in time, to also change this zone after the Kerguelen Islands.

“This change will allow us to start the Indian Ocean well but also shorten the theoretical route a little,” enthused Sébastien Simon echoing the thoughts of most competitors- even if most of them are thinking of other things right now.

For those who have fallen off the back of the train the conditions suddenly become very turbulent in terms of unsettled, shifting winds and seas: 

“Unlike the boats in front who are ahead of the depression, we are just behind. So we are suffering a little from its torments but we are making progress,” commented Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée) who is unhappy not to be up with the leaders.

Hare hits the buffers

Pip Hare in 16th on Medallia found the conditions tough last night, dropping suddenly out of the wind band to be caught under a cloud. The somewhat random course for a few hours gave some cause for concern but she explained, “I had a pretty calamitous night. We are sailing along next to a massive front just to the south of us. Early evening the wind just died completely and filled back in from 180 degrees.

“The front was bulging up and I sailed under a cloud. And I was there for four and half hours. Every time I got to the edge of the cloud I thought ‘yes I am going to pop out’ but the wind would change direction and by the time I had the sails on the right side I was back under it again. My arms hurt so much and I have not slept at all. I am almost scared to sleep. And I feel so dumb. I am beating myself so much. But I know I can’t stay in this place. I need to move on this is a long, long race.”

And later she added, “I have a winch which I have to rebuild in daylight hours when the boat is doing 22.5kts and so I am prioritizing that. That is the thing with this race is that a small problem can escalate really quickly and so every time you see a technical issue, you need to give yourself the time and space to fix it before it escalates. I can’t imagine what the rest of this race is going to be like, even passing the Cape of Good Hope and heading down into the Big South. But now I need to be back to the tool box. Now I have Damien Seguin two miles ahead of me I can see him and so not only am I trying to fix this winch I am trying to maintain a bit of pressure on him too!”

The post Life On The Edge As Vendée Leaders Dive South appeared first on Sailing World.

Having been spared the significant damage back-to-back major hurricanes inflicted upon many parts of Florida, the team at St. Petersburg YC is pressing ahead with its regatta-packed winter calendar, including the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series, which opened registration this week with the posting of the Notice of Race.

As the marque southern event of the 35-year-old Regatta Series, the St. Petersburg stop (February 14 to 16) is always favorite for locals and visiting sailors from the north escaping winter’s grip. The regatta is renown for its reliable racing conditions on Tampa Bay, a superb host club, and a blossoming city with a night life and cultural experiences on par with any top tourism destination in the Sunshine State.

The invited one-design classes include: A Class Catamaran, J/70, J/24, J/88, J/105, J/111, L30, Lightning, Melges 15, Melges 24, S2 7.9, Sonar, Windmill and Weta Trimaran. Invited rated classes, for three days of buoy racing include ORC or Level.    

The regatta will be the first major event utilizing St. Petersburg YC’s new state-of-the-art marina and concrete dock facilities, which features more slip space for visiting teams, reducing the raft-ups of years past, electrical upgrades, and a pump-out station. With updates to the clubhouse as well, and a new dress code (note: leave your “cut offs, ripped jeans, extremely short skirts or shorts” at home), competitors can expect the same great hospitality the club has extended for three decades of the series.

Along with the traditional classes expecting strong turnouts, five have designated the regatta as class championships: the L30s will sail their North American Championship and the Melges 24 will race their Midwinter Championship, which is also a North American Sailing Series Qualifier. The venerable S2 7.9s will contest their Midwinter Championship, as will the Sonar and Windmill classes. With long-course racing continuing to draw top PHRF teams from around Tampa Bay, the regatta’s distance race fleets will once again enjoy two days of distance races.

With Helly Hansen returning as title sponsor for the 11th year, organizers are planning four nights of social events at the club, including the Sailing World Speaker Series on the eve of the regatta, an hour of storytelling and knowledge sharing with Sailing World Magazine’s Dave Reed and a celebrity guest.

The post St. Petersburg Kicks Off Regatta Series With 5 Class Championships appeared first on Sailing World.

Picking up where they left off in January, Peter Burling’s Black Foils have claimed their third consecutive win in the UAE, soaring ahead of the Emirates Great Britain and US SailGP Team on the pristine waters of Port Mina Rashid. The Black Foils are back-to-back-winners of the Rolex SailGP Championship’s season-opening event.

New Zealand driver Peter Burling said, “Awesome play from the group – I mean as a new team to get to the final this week – it’s one of the hardest things in this light air. And we really pulled it out this season and got a great start and hit it right at mark one. I made a bad choice making it a bit more complicated – taking a right turn – which put us right back in the pack but then it was clean, and it was good to race from there to take a win.”

Following a day of technical, light-air racing on Saturday, the 11-strong Rolex SailGP Championship fleet enjoyed breezy, foiling conditions – providing a spectacle for fans watching along the shoreline.

Finishing in third was an ecstatic US SailGP Team Driver Taylor Canfield, who celebrated, “Any event going on the podium is incredible, so it’s awesome to see how all the hard work we have put in is paying off. It’s early stages, and we have a lot to build on –- but the team are working hard and made a huge jump here overnight. And everyone dug in deep and found a way to get better for today. That’s the goal and it just shows how driven, and that everyone’s got that fight in them – so yeah we are pumped.”

The Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix, presented by P&O Marinas marked a welcome shift for the all-American crew, who have not made it on the podium since the last time they raced in the Middle East. The team delivered a consistent performance on both days of racing, earning the critical points needed to clinch a spot in the podium final.

Celebrating an impressive second place podium finish at his first event since Season 1, Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher proved he’s more than capable of competing against the best athletes in the sport.

Heading into the fifth and final fleet race of the weekend, a tight battle for third was poised between a handful of teams, including Emirates GBR and reigning Rolex SailGP Champions Spain. But it wasn’t to be for Los Gallos, who couldn’t manage to stay in front of Fletcher and missed out on the three-boat final. Despite leading the fleet heading into day two, the Flying Roo of the Australian SailGP team also missed out after finishing last in race five.

One of SailGP’s two new nations in the 2025 Season, Red Bull Italy, missed out on event points whilst fellow debut Mubadala Brazil added their first point to the Rolex SailGP Championship standings.

Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team Driver Martine Grael said, “There were a lot of challenges. Some during the first day – our first time on the big wings. I think it’s all going well and I’m very happy with our crew. We’ve been trying to improve a lot in the last few days, so it’s been a steep learning curve.”

The league now heads down under in January, with the Rolex SailGP’s first event of the new year, the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland (January 18-19, 2025). The event will be the league’s long-awaited debut in the city. “We’re super excited to get home,” Burling said. “The buzz in town is already growing. The renders of the grandstand, which is just about to get built, is amazing. So, for any Kiwis who have not bought tickets yet, it’s going to be an amazing weekend.”

EMIRATES DUBAI SAIL GRAND PRIX, PRESENTED BY P&O MARINAS DAY TWO STANDINGS

EMIRATES DUBAI SAIL GRAND PRIX, PRESENTED BY P&O MARINAS LEADERBOARD

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The sailors of the US SailGP Team have been living their best Rockstar life in Dubai for about three weeks, acclimating for the first regatta of SailGP’s fifth season. They’ve played in a gigantic waterpark, bounced a concert, and bombed through the desert in dune buggies under a full moon. All of it so ridiculously amazing, says its strategist Mike Buckley, and that’s even before the lights and cameras of the media day, the VIPing and the practice sessions on their newly wrapped Lady Liberty in “Liberty Green.”

It’s all good, but it’s time to go racing.

The league has slapped down a bumped-up $12 million prize purse on the heels of announcing Rolex as title sponsor and a 10-year deal. The Rolex SailGP Championship is now a long season that circles back to the Middle East (Abu Dhabi) next November, with 14 international venues and 12 teams going for it. The US Team rookied its way through last season, under-skilled in the F50 and babes to the slaughter of the leagues veteran teams. But a summer training block in Bermuda in August, and productive days in Dubai with their new flight controller Hans Hanken, is a boost to their confidence.

“Our confidence—in executing maneuvers—is probably the biggest thing,” said helmsman Taylor Canfield. “We gained a lot of confidence in our ability to push the boat. In some of the venues and in some of the conditions last season where we were very inexperienced there was definitely some intimidation. The boat was sailing us a little bit, and now it feels like we’re sailing the boat and taking control. We have the confidence to do any maneuver that any of the top teams are doing now.”

That’s not just because of Henken’s mountain of experience as flight controller alongside Jimmy Spithill, the league’s undisputed GOAT. It’s the whole team, Buckley reminds: “Everybody’s so damn good on these teams. The experience certainly helps. But you need the chemistry, you need the communication, you need the confidence in each other to really move up the leaderboard. Some of these other teams have taken key people out or moved people around, and it’s going to be interesting to see how it stacks up.”

Weis is Jacked, As Is the Team

Buckley also believes he has an ace in the cockpit with jib trimmer and grinder Anna Weis. She’s been posted up at the Red Bull Athletic Performance Center, doing the heavy lifting so her grinding can get the F50 the lift it needs for “popping.”

She went into training at 14 pullups, Weis says. She’s now pulling 17. Canfield only dreams of that.

“I’m on for every single race, and that’s exactly why I train super hard, so that I can push as hard as I can in every single race,” Weiss says. And yes, when not hitting the handles hard, she’s also trimming the jib. “I think that especially in lighter conditions it’s going to be an advantage because the women are going to have to grind and four- and five-up sailing conditions (likely for Dubai), so it just gives our team a benefit that I have the experience and have been training for it.”

Light-winds on the practice day delivered mixed to marginally good results (5-7-8) for the US team, but those don’t count, Canfield says, as there was some “erratic behavior from some of the teams” and “umpires clearing calls whenever they want.”  

Still, Canfield said, “We stuck to our plan and had two decent starts and one really good start. We executed when we needed to and made a few mistakes. There’s no doubt with our sailing ability, how much it’s grown over the last month, that, if we sail our best, we can go out and have a good start and win the race.”

An Underdog Prone To Bite

If that were to be the case, the team on Lady Liberty would certainly shock the broadcast commentary team of SailGP, which put the US team at rock bottom of its pre-seasons rankings. “Haters gonna, hate,” Buckley says. “I think we’re a little misunderstood and frankly, everybody loves an underdog, right? And there’s a reason it’s called the American dream, so we’re gonna figure it out. It might not be tomorrow or the next day, but it’s really hard to beat people that are not willing to ever give up.”

As far Canfield is concerned, “It’s a long season, and with this many more boats, you’re going to see people having that big swings, they’re going to win races, and they’re going to have deep ones. So I think a good goal for the team right now is to play the averages, to come away with some threes and fours, and occasionally maybe a seven. We’ll start making finals pretty quickly if we aim for that.”

And it’s all live on Saturday and Sunday (November 23-24), 1 to 5 p.m. GST, on SailGP.com, YouTube and host broadcast networks.

The post No Doubts in Dubai For Rebooted US SailGP Team appeared first on Sailing World.

[Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the addition of the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team to the roster of what is now the Rolex SailGP Championship, following the league’s long-term title sponsorship agreement with the Swiss watch brand.]

SailGP Season 4 is so yesterday, and today the professional sailing series is in full noise in Abu Dhabi with the first of 14 events getting underway this weekend following a flurry of off-season crew shuffles, team reboots and big-time announcements for the league created by Russell Coutts and Larry Ellison.

With a new season comes new expectations, so let’s get to it, starting with the US team, poised to make a move from the basement of the Season 4 rankings. The upstart US SailGP Team, which league broadcast commentators confidently put at the bottom of their pre-season prognostications, certainly has something to prove. With the benefit of an off-season training block in Bermuda over the summer and the addition of experienced flight controller and Olympic medalist Hans Henken to the team’s starting roster this week, they’re in a much better place and poised for the long season ahead which finishes in Abu Dhabi next November. Helmsman Taylor Canfield, team strategist and CEO Mike Buckley, wing trimmer Jeremy Wilmot, flight controllers Henken and Mac Agnese, and grinders Anna Weiss (also the designated jib trimmer), and Peter Kinney round out the All-American starting lineup, which will be out for points on its rebranded F50.

The Season 4 champions of Spain SailGP Team return largely intact with Rolex Yachtsmen of the Year and Olympic gold medalists Diego Botin and Florian Trittel, as well as Joel Rodriguez, the team’s flight controller. With this threesome locked into their normal positions and a solid grinding squad to pull from, there’s good reason to expect a strong showing from the defending champions.

Australia SailGP Team helmsman Tom Slingsby is now free of his America’s Cup distractions and will no doubt return to form, but he’s lost his longtime wingman Kyle Langford and the chemistry the two of them have perfected over the years. Smoothing the transition, however, is Chris Draper, who’s moved fluidly between various teams over the past few years as a reliable and experienced hand on the controls.

Slingsby has retained the rest of the Aussie line-up, including veteran flight controller Jason Waterhouse, grinders Kinley Fowler and Sam Newton, strategist Natasha Bryant and reserve strategist Nina Curtis. Confidence is high that the Aussies will find their way to Dubai’s three-boat finale and will continue to be contenders for the season purse once again.

The Canadian squad was hot and on the chopping block at the end of Season 4, but with a new helmsman in British Olympian and Giles Scott (and the dismissal of the league’s most entertaining helmsman Phil Robertson) and a rebrand as the Northstar SailGP Team, the Canucks are a true wildcard of the league once again. Wing trimmer Paul Campbell-James, who’s been in the league since the beginning, has seen most everything that can happen in an F50, remains with the team, as does strategist and past US Olympian Annie Haeger.

Emirates GBR SailGP Team’s most dramatic lineup change is Olympian and America’s Cup helmsman Dylan Fletcher assuming full control of the wheels from team principle Ben Ainslie, who no doubt was looking for a bit of mental break after a brutal America’s Cup campaign and keen to see the team develop with some new and younger energy. Ainslie will settle deeper into his CEO role.

“It’s a tough one because ultimately I love the sailing part more than anything,” Ainslie said in a team statement. “I still feel good physically, I can get around the boat just fine, but it’s about the future of the team and I don’t think the future of the team on the water should be based around me.”

It will be fascinating to watch develop the dynamic between Fletcher and ace strategist Hannah Mills, who led the INEOS Britannia’s AC40 Athena Pathway program into the Puig America’s Cup Final in Barcelona. Both have been immersed in pinnacle racing for the past year and at the top game, and that will certainly make a difference when the pressure is on.

Denmark’s Rockwool Racing, with its entertaining and humble helmsman in Nicolai Shehested, has been knocking at the top of the fleet for the past two seasons, beset by self-inflicted setbacks, so the announcement this week of onboarding Italian America’s Cup helmsman Francesco Bruni as a coach is welcome news to Rockwool fans. With teams now having direct communication with coaches on shore during the racing, the coach’s booth concept has had a significant impact on better consistency for some teams in Season 4 and as this relationship develops, Bruni will perhaps provide the sage wisdom to keep the Danes more consistent over the duration of the entire season.

Germany SailGP Team, now in its third season, has continued to be a regular presence at the back of the fleet, but with its squad returning behind helmsman Erik Heil, German fans hoped the team’s collective experience of late will advance them up the standings this year, leaving the newcomers of the Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team with the burden of rookie status.

But the Brazilians have the league’s sole female helmswoman of Martine Grael, a decorated medalist in the 49erFX, and a force on any racecourse. To fast-track with the F50, the Brazilians have tapped British wing trimmer Leigh McMillian and recruited flight controller Andy Maloney away from the New Zealand Black Foils camp. Grael was expecting to get up to speed with the F50 during the Bermuda training camp, but her time was cut short when the boat’s wing collapsed (no fault of the sailors), leaving them short on time in the boat.

The Swiss SailGP Team, unable to string together a winning package over the past three seasons have rebooted with an interesting new lineup that includes Alinghi Red Bull Racing America’s Cup helmsman Arnaud Psarofaghis as wing trimmer to helmsman Sebastian Schneiter on the wheels. Flight controller Bryan Mettraux is also new to the squad and the team’s management doubled-down on recruiting winning talent from other teams in the league to fill out other roles.

New Zealand, known now as the Black Foils, remains the spoiler as always. With Peter Burling and Blair Tuke fresh off their America’s Cup win in Barcelona, they’ll be eager to put full attention to the season. Leo Takahashi replaces Andy Maloney as flight controller, and Dubai will be the first reveal of how good the Kiwi outfit is for Season 5.

Only days before the Dubai regatta, the league’s 14th team was revealed with the SailGP’s original gangster Jimmy Spithill introducing the sailors of the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team. Spithill, while listed as an alternate helmsman, is leading the young team from the executive suite, leaving the driving of the team’s white F50 to double Olympic Gold Medalist Ruggero Tita. Australian wing trimmer extrordinaire Kyle Langford, was recruited away from the Aussie squad, and is joined by Alex Sinclair and grinders Matteo Celon and Enrico Voltolin. Giulia Fava, fresh of a win of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is the team’s strategist, and Andrea Tesei is the starting flight controller.

The prize money is on the table, the past is in the past and the SailGP beast is about to be unleashed.

The post SailGP Season 5 Up For Grabs appeared first on Sailing World.

On the afternoon on Friday, August 2, Ian Barrows and Hans Henken became a part of sailing history by winning the bronze in the Men’s Skiff class for Team USA in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games—and the US Sailing Team’s first medal from Marseille. What makes this bronze medal even more sensational is the simple fact that no one has achieved that feat for the United States in 24 years. Receiving their medals was just one flash of a moment in time; behind that moment, however, was a lifetime pursuit.

An Olympic sailing campaign is no easy undertaking. There are countless hours of traveling, logistics, practicing and competing, all of which leads to a four-day regatta that is capped by a single, high-pressure double-points medal race. The sailors have to be ready for anything, and that was exactly what Barrows and Henken were. It was a roller-coaster ride for the Men’s Skiff class as Marseille dished out a variety of conditions for the sailors to master.

When they arrived in Marseille, Barrows and Henken knew that it was going to be a tough event, and their game plan was simple—to be consistent. They had spent several months over the past two years ­getting ready to compete in Marseille, ­learning the venue and winds that range from whispers to near gales. In a regatta with only one discard race allowed, being able to log ­consistent “keeper” scores was the priority. 

Over the four-day medal-race ­qualifying series, as expected, they experienced a wide range of conditions. Light and shifty winds on the first day finally built to a steadier, but still light, breeze by the third and final race of the day. Barrows and Henken were struggling a bit on the starts, but they found themselves in prime positions to stage a few impressive comebacks for the first two races of the day. The third race was looking like a repeat of the first two, but after a weather-mark penalty and turns, they finished 17th. It was a tough end to a long and hard first day of racing, and Barrows considers that port/starboard foul to be their biggest mistake of the regatta. Thanks to their pursuit of consistency, however, the 17th would become their dropped score. After Day 1, the pair were sitting in 12th overall, just outside the ­coveted top 10.

The second day was also light, hot and sunny, but the breeze direction was much steadier, making it a shorter, more conventional day of racing for the racers. They added more emphasis on being able to get better starts, which finally came to fruition on the last race of the day and a fifth-place finish. This brought Barrows and Henken up to sixth overall, and the relief and excitement were easy to see on their faces as they sailed back to the marina, waving to all the fans on the seawall. 

The leaderboard had a big shake-up on Day 3, with waves and extremely erratic winds blowing down from the nearby mountains. Barrows and Henken thrive in such challenging conditions and felt prepared thanks to the amount of time on the water and training that they had put in leading up to the Games in the same wind direction. They were finally on form, scoring a 10, 7 and 3. Their third-place finish was nearly a first, but they got unlucky at the bottom of the last leg, finding themselves in a lull trying to get enough momentum to cross the finish line.

Undeterred by losing out on a potential first-place finish, Barrows and Henken carried their upward momentum into the last day of racing in the qualifying series. Sitting in fifth overall to start the day, the American duo scored their best finish yet: a second. At the conclusion of the qualifying series, they were fourth overall—just 4 points behind the New Zealand team in third; 7 points out of second, held by the Irish; and 12 points behind the Spanish leaders (and eventual gold medalists), Diego Botin and Florian Trittel.

The medal-race day in the Olympics comes with additional ceremonies and a big change for the sailors because they have to appear at a finalist presentation before rigging their boats in a “pit lane” in the spectator venue in front of the crowd. The atmosphere on this August day was loud, the crowd packed with fans, friends, and families cheering and waving flags, a scene completely different from the normal seclusion of the marina.

Barrows says that the medal-race morning was the first real time that it felt like he was at the Olympics, that it felt like a really big deal. The two sailors knew the enormity of the moment, and after finding their friends and family to give a final wave, they launched their 49er and made their way to the course for the race. Mother Nature had a different plan. The breeze was light and dropped to unsailable conditions, not once but twice, saving the pair from two potentially disastrous races and well out of medal contention. Racing was abandoned—a nerve-wracking dress rehearsal for the sailors. 

A second attempt at the medal race the following day was much more promising, with a steady 7-to-10-knot sea breeze. After a strong start and a stroke of good luck with three boats being over the line early, Barrows and Henken enjoyed a healthy lead on the Irish team and were in the leader pack with the runaway Spanish team and the New Zealanders. All they needed to do to secure the bronze medal was to put three boats between themselves and the Irish, and that was exactly what they did.

“Our whole Olympics, we kept ­building and building toward the medal race,” Henken says. “In a way, it’s how our whole campaign played out. Each day, month, year of our journey, we continued to build, learn and improve. We never let setbacks, or results, define our ability to sail. We set clear goals and peaked at very key moments throughout. In the end, it all came down to execution, and that’s how we would define our medal-race performance: precise ­execution at the highest level.”

Barrows shares a similar perspective. “We’ve put a lot of effort into peaking at this regatta,” he says. “I think we did a really good job of improving our speed and starting throughout the event. Our goal was to have a chance at a medal going into the medal race, and we had a great game plan going into the medal race and executed it well. Luckily, things went out with the Irish being over the line. We feel very lucky and honored to have won the medal for the United States.”

It was a once in a lifetime moment built on a lifetime of moments in preparation and something the two sailors say they will never forget. They are proof that no matter what happens, what setbacks occur, if you keep pushing forward, you really can make your dreams come true. They put in 556 days of sailing to get their medals and say that every single one of them contributed ­something to their success.

The post Henken and Barrow’s Olympic Moment appeared first on Sailing World.

Britain’s Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) took the lead today in the Vendée Globe solo race around the world as the leaders of the 40 boat fleet descend south down the Iberian peninsula. Passing the length of Portugal today, Goodchild, pursued by French ace Charlie Dalin, who was 22-nautical miles behind at press time, was passing Lisbon and should be at the latitude of Gibraltar tonight.

The British skipper, who is racing his first Vendée Globe, has benefited so far by taking a course slightly closer to the coast than Dalin and those chasing him, he has been dicing with possible calmer patches, but sailing fewer miles and making slightly fewer maneuvers than his rivals. This afternoon he was repositioning himself to try close the separation from the French skipper who is widely tipped as the pre-race favorite.

The 40-boat fleet have now largely passed the strong winds and big seas off Cape Finisterre, the gnarly northwest corner of Spain, and are heading south today the temperatures are rising and the wind conditions becoming easier meaning rest will be possible.

For the moment it seems like Goodchild might have outsmarted the wily Dalin, one of the master meteo strategists in this fleet. The Brit has gone well in both light and strong conditions which have marked the first two days of the race which started on Sunday out of Les Sables d’Olonne.

But ahead the breezes are set to be lighter as they jibe down a narrow corridor of pressure and it seems there might be the chance for the boats behind to bring down the wind from behind. Nonetheless it is an important morale boost for the 35-year-old Goodchild who attended his first Vendée Globe as an 18-year-old nipper working with British skipper Mike Golding.

The challenge facing him to hold the lead is a big one, the conditions contrasting sharply with the last edition which Brit Alex Thomson also led after battling through Tropical Storm Theta to cross the Equator with the race lead after 9 days 23 hours. Thomson also led the 2018 race and set the existing record to the Equator at 9 days and 7 hours.

Conditions through the second night at sea were tough, winds to 40 knots and crossed, confused seas which meant another night with very little sleep.

Speaking on the Vendée Globe LIVE show in French this morning second-placed Dalin said: “There was quite a bit of wind and maneuvers. Fortunately, it’s not like this every day on the Vendée Globe, I would not like live too many days like the last two. There was quite a bit of wind, very unpleasant and very short sea, but now it’s starting to get better…It’s quite nice to gain speed after a rather slow start. It has been quite hard work doing these short jibes downwind because you barely have time to recover and then it is time to go again.”

Germany’s Boris Herrmann (Malizia Seaexplorer) has continued to climb through the fleet, he has had stronger breeze letting his powerful boat start to do its thing and this afternoon was in ninth place, the fastest of the Top 10.

The choice of going outside the Traffic Separation Scheme, to the west at Finisterre , was a prudent one made by several skippers, notably Switzerland’s Justine Mettraux (TeamWork-Team Snef) and Nico Lunven (HOLCIM PRB).

Lunven is now furthest to the west, more than 180 miles behind the leader, and reported, “I wanted to do something simple, I wasn’t very comfortable with the idea of passing inside the DST of Cape Finisterre with the coastal traffic, quite a lot of wind and seas, gybing. I preferred to take a simple route, even if it meant losing a little. Unfortunately, I had a little problem with my rudder last night, the rudder bar ripped off, so I had to do a bit of fixing and I lost a bit of time.”

That said current routings predict enough of a gain offshore that they may catch right back up with the leading peloton.

Britain’s Pip Hare (Medallia) admitted on Vendée LIVE that she, as have almost others, struggled to rest and is now low on energy after this punishing calm then windy opening phase.

From 24th position today Hare commented, “It has been pretty relentless to be honest, having drifted across the line we have then had 48 hours of really intense sailing, lots of maneuvers lots of jibes, plenty of sail changes, sneaking through between the TSS and Finisterre the sea state became quite big this morning, but it feels like I have only been napping for 20 minutes and then having to get up and do something I have burned a lot of energy for sure. To be honest I am not thinking too much about my position in the fleet too much. I did not get away as well as I would have hoped and it is really easy to dwell on that and get dragged down. I just really struggle at the start of races, I struggle to find my pace, and we have the whole world to go.

Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur) is also working up the fleet in 17th and reported, “I think I had something round my keel and then I just went the wrong way but I think there will be some compression ahead.”

Making her debut on the French LIVE was the 23-year-old sensation of the race so far, the youngest-0ever skipper Violette Dorange (Devenir) who is sailing the boat which her mentor Jean Le Cam raced to fourth on the last race, best known as Hubert. “I took off my spinnaker a bit early, I lost a bit, I wanted to be very safe, but I’m regaining distance, I’m really concentrating on my race,” Dorange said. “There was a lot of crossing in the fleet. Passing to the west of the TSS seemed easier, so it really didn’t make any difference to the routing.  Hubert is a great boat, she’s my little home, I feel good aboard, I know her well! I was a bit apprehensive before the start, when the wind picked up, but now I’m starting to get into the rhythm. It’s great training to find your bearings in the wind before the south.”

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The International Sunfish Class Association announced the selection of Zim Sailing, Bristol, Rhode Island, as a new builder and supplier of class-approved boats and parts, which will come as welcome news to devotees of the classic centerboard dinghy introduced in 1952 and still racing globally.

According to a statement from Zim Sailing, class-legal boats will be built at its facilities in Bristol, alongside their other offerings (Flying Juniors, and their 420E). Zim is also currently building ILCAs, and is reported to be in the final approval stages with World Sailing before ramping up full production of US-built ILCAs.

The appointment of Zim Sailing is seen as a long overdue development for US and South American Sunfish sailors and dealers who’ve been challenged with supply issues over the past few years, with regard to boats and parts. Zim Sailing also brings to table an extensive dealer network and the ability to support events, as it does with its other institutional classes and recreational boats.

“Zim Sailing is thrilled to take up this exciting opportunity to bring production of a classic

sailboat back to Rhode Island,” said George Yioulos, Zim Sailing CEO. “Our team is extremely

excited and are already working hard to hit the ground running. We look forward to supporting the thousands of sailors already sailing ISCA boats, and long term being good stewards of this historic class.”

According to the release, Zim’s in-house production team is already advanced for production to begin next year, and if the sample builds are approved by the class and World Sailing, boats and parts should be available by the summer of 2025. Pricing is not finalized, but the builder says, “it is expected that prices will be similar to current.”
The International Sunfish Class Association met at its World Council meeting held in

Heath, Texas, at the recently concluded World Championship to approve Zim’s builder status. “They will be producing a top-quality boat that will be competitive with our existing class-approved boats, which will help accelerate the class’ current growth,” said ICSA president, Guillermo Cappelleti. “And with manufacturing in the US, distribution to our core markets of North, Central and South American will be simpler, faster and more efficient.”

Zim, the release states, “will support the class by providing charter boats at the North Americans, Worlds, and other events. There will also be a certification fee paid on boats and equipment, which will be used to help grow the class.”

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The New York Yacht Club announced the launch of its International Women’s Championship, a female-only competition that will be sailed in the club’s fleet of IC37s in September 2026.

According to an announcement about the biennial event, teams of nine or more sailors are invited to request an invitation regardless of country, yacht club affiliation or amateur status. “As with other provided-boat events hosted by the New York YC, the International Women’s Championship will feature the ultimate level playing field,” the announcement says, “a combination of provided one-design boats and sails maintained to the highest racing standard with uniform rig tuning and on-the-water umpiring.”

The winning skipper will receive a Rolex timepiece.

“The New York Yacht Club envisions that this event, like the very successful Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, will emerge as one of the sport’s top events,” says L. Jay Cross, Commodore of the New York Yacht Club. “The IC37 keelboat was designed to reward talented crews who can execute exquisite teamwork, speed transitions and excellent tactics, regardless of size or gender, so we’re excited to put these great boats into the hands of the world’s top female sailors.”

Event chair Cory Sertl, a past Rolex Women’s International Keelboat champion, says, “Our goal is to attract a truly international field of top competitors. We are hopeful that top professional sailors from the Olympics, Women’s America’s Cup and other top competitions will field teams and compete alongside top amateur keelboat sailors. The IC37 is a great platform that can accommodate sailors of all sizes and ages while still facilitating a robust and athletic competition.”

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The 2024 Rolex World Sailor of the Year awards were presented to Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist Marit Bouwmeester, the most successful female sailor at the Olympics in the sport, and the Spanish duo of Diego Botin and Florian Trittel, gold medalists in the men’s skiff at Paris 2024 and winners of SailGP season 4. The awards were decided by the combined verdicts of a record 49,964 public votes and an expert panel of judges.

The new Young World Sailor of the Year awards were won by Poland’s Ewa Lewandowska and hometown hero Max Maeder of Singapore.

Ewa Lewandowska claimed an impressive gold medal in the mixed category of the 29er at the Youth Sailing World Championships. That success came in partnership with Krzysztof Królik, with whom she started sailing in February and with whom she also won the European title and finished second at the 29er worlds. Lewandowska also won youth worlds gold in December last year in partnership with Julia Maria Zmudzinska.

At the age of 17, Max is the reigning Formula Kite World, Asian Games, Asian and European champion, as well as the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze-medalist. He claimed the gold at 2024 Formula Kite World Championships in Hyères and his incredible rise also includes winning the KiteFoil World Series in Austria, gold at the 2024 KiteFoil Asian Championships, gold at the Asian Games, and gold at the 2023 Youth Sailing World Championship. He is one of the most consistent athletes in the Formula Kite class with a podium finish at every event. He is the youngest world champion of an Olympic class and Singapore’s youngest Olympic medalist.

Winds of Change won the 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award, NLcomp was named the first ever winner of the new World Sailing Technology Award, the Olympic champion pair of Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti won the Team of the Year, adding to the Rolex World Sailor of the Year award they both won in 2022, Aiko Saito was presented with the Beppe Croce Trophy in celebration of a career devoted to sailing, and Tunisian Olympian and President of the Tunisian Sailing Federation, Hedi Gharbi won the President’s Development Award.

Marit Bouwmeester wins the female 2024 Rolex World Sailor of the Year for the second time, after her win in 2017. This year she became the most successful female Olympic sailor of all time when she won gold in the women’s dinghy at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. That took her career tally at four Olympic medals – gold from Paris 2024 and Rio 2016, silver at London 2012 and bronze at Tokyo 2020. Marit’s Olympic success has seen her hailed as a role model after she returned to competition following the birth of her daughter in time to begin preparations for this year’s Olympics.

The Spanish pair of Diego Botin and Florian Trittel had a truly exceptional year with success at the Paris 2024 Olympics and in SailGP. Botin and Trittel won Olympic gold in the men’s skiff less than a month after taking the Spain SailGP Team from 10th to first to win the Season 4 SailGP championship. After breaking the Australian hold on the SailGP title, Botin and Trittel claimed gold in Marseille after a 49er season which also saw them win at the Semaine Olympique Francaise and the Princess Sofia Regatta.

The President’s Development Award went to the Tunisian Olympian and President of the Tunisian Sailing Federation, Hedi Gharbi. Gharbi is a dedicated and influential figure in Tunisian sailing, with a lifelong passion for the sport and an exceptional record as both an athlete and a sports leader. He participated at the Rio Olympic Games as an athlete while occupying the position of President. Currently serving his second term as President of the Tunisian Sailing Federation, he has played an instrumental role in advancing sailing across Tunisia, from grassroots programs to high-performance competitions.

World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award

Founded by Olympian and IOC Young Leader from Cyprus, Sophia Papamichalopoulos, Winds of Change aims to bridge divides and promote peace by bringing together young people from both sides of Cyprus through the unifying power of the sport of sailing. Winds of Change’s headline achievements include completing the first circumnavigation of Cyprus in 50 years, inspiring youth-led sports-for-peace activities, hosting the inaugural “Olympism for Peace” event in Cyprus, and being referenced in the UN Secretary General’s report on Cyprus.

Winds of Change has directly impacted nearly 2,000 young people and reached 80,000 others indirectly. The initiative was recognized with the “Peace Award” by the Youth Board of Cyprus in 2024, and its documentary premiered during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

World Sailing Technology Award

Northern Lights Composites (NLcomp) has pioneered sustainable solutions in boat construction, addressing environmental challenges head-on. Developer of the “ecoracer,” a winning boat in the Italian Sportboat Championship, the company has collaborated with prestigious shipyards like Grand Soleil and Beneteau to incorporate sustainable technologies into new boat designs as well as patented recyclable composite material addressing the end-of-life issues of fiberglass boats.

Northern Lights Composites tackles one of the biggest environmental challenges in the sailing industry – fiberglass boat waste. Their recyclable composite material offers a solution to boat disposal problems, pushing the industry toward more sustainable practices. By partnering with top-tier shipyards like Grand Soleil and Beneteau, Northern Lights Composites’ technology is helping to drive widespread adoption of eco-friendly construction materials. Their “ecoracer” boat has already won championships, demonstrating that sustainable technology can also be high-performing, making Northern Lights Composites a pioneer in green sailing innovation.

Team of the Year

Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti continued to dominate the Nacra 17, adding the Olympic mixed multihull gold to an impressive roster of career successes. The Italian pair are double Olympic champions in the mixed multihull, after retaining the gold won at Tokyo 2020 at Paris 2024. They also won the 2024 Nacra 17 World Championship, as well as the Princess Sofia Regatta.

Beppe Croce Trophy

Aiko Saito represented Japan at the Seoul 1988 and Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, and since retiring from competition has led the Japanese Olympic sailing team at the 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. Aiko gave the perfect demonstration of the Olympic spirit at the Tokyo Games, held at her home club of Enoshima, by providing support to all NOCs with logistics and arrangements during the pandemic, including key updates for the games when travel to the Olympic venue of Enoshima was not possible.

At Paris 2024, Aiko supported World Sailing by working as the conduit between coaches and the International Federation and OCOG, helping both organizations understand the feedback and needs of the teams and the athletes. Aiko also consulted on coach technology and ensuring compliance from coaches with the spirit as well as the letter of the rules.

For the last eight years and ongoing, Aiko has volunteered her time for free to work on World Sailing commissions, committees and working parties – ensuring the needs and interests of coaches and athletes are considered at the highest levels of the sport. She has also volunteered her time for free to support committees and commissions of the Japanese Sailing Federation since 2001.

President’s Development Award

Hedi Gharbi is a dedicated and influential figure in Tunisian sailing, with a lifelong passion for the sport and an exceptional record as both an athlete and a sports leader. Beginning his journey in the Optimist class at a young age, he quickly progressed to the national level. He represented Tunisia in both the windsurfing and catamaran classes.

He participated at the Rio Olympic Games as an athlete while occupying the position of President. Currently serving his second term as President of the Tunisian Sailing Federation, he has played an instrumental role in advancing sailing across Tunisia, from grassroots programs to high-performance competitions.

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