Grinders Coffee SOLAS Big Boat Challenge Grinders Coffee SOLAS Big Boat Challenge Wild Oats XI reclaims Line Honours crown Despite smart crew work from last year's Line Honours winner Peter Harburg's Black Jack, it was only a matter of moments before the Oatley Family's Wild Oats XI exerted her authority to take Line Honours in the Grinders Coffee SOLAS Big Boat Challenge. by Di Pearson with DJ Munro Posted 11 Dec 08:52 GMT RS Aero Lymington Christmas Stadium Racing RS Aero Lymington Christmas Stadium Racing 24 sailors racing on the river at the top of the tide 24 RS Aero sailors entered the Christmas edition of the Lymington sprint racing on the river at the top of the tide. With strong winds whipping across the river the fleet divided into RS Aero 5s and RS Aero 7s. by RS Aero UK Class Association Posted 11 Dec 07:23 GMT 2018 Australian Para Sailing Championships 2018 Australian Para Sailing Championships Inaugural event at Sail Melbourne International Australia's best para sailors, including 2018 Para World Sailing Championships gold medallist Chris Symonds (TAS), will be competing for national titles when the inaugural Australian Para Sailing Championships debut at Sail Melbourne International. by Michael Martin Posted 11 Dec 06:58 GMT Smith storms to gale force Datchet Flyer victory Smith storms to gale force Datchet Flyer victory Winning Selden SailJuice Winter Series Round 2 Reigning National Champion Richard Smith brought his RS600 safely into land despite the gale-force gusts on Datchet Water at the weekend... by Andy Rice Posted 10 Dec 21:43 GMT DMYC Frostbite Series day 6 DMYC Frostbite Series day 6 Fast and furious! Monitoring the forecast from the Thursday beforehand the weather prognosis for the Frostbites of Sunday 9th December wasn't good, with the base wind strength in the low twenties but gusts going above 30 knots. by Cormac Bradley Posted 10 Dec 15:30 GMT Pwllheli and Plymouth to host RYA Youth Nationals Pwllheli and Plymouth to host RYA Youth Nationals RYA Youth Nationals is the UK's premier youth racing event and a must for young sailors The 2020 event will be staged at the Welsh National Sailing Academy at Plas Heli, while in 2021 the spotlight will shine on Plymouth Youth Sailing Club and the Mount Batten Centre Charitable Trust. by British Sailing Team Media Posted 10 Dec 14:24 GMT Leigh & Lowton Revett Series day 5 Leigh & Lowton Revett Series day 5 The best conditions of the series as 42 boats hit the water The final weekend of the 2018 Revett Series saw the best conditions so far as 42 boats hit the water on bright but chilly day. by Paul Heath Posted 10 Dec 12:54 GMT Sunsail teams up with Andrew Simpson Foundation Sunsail teams up with Andrew Simpson Foundation To get more young sailors out on the Solent in 2019 Global yacht charter company, Sunsail has teamed up with sailing charity, the Andrew Simpson Foundation (ASF) to give more children from Portsmouth the chance to get out on the water in 2019. by Liberty Ash Posted 10 Dec 11:16 GMT RORC Transatlantic Race: Hydra happy in Grenada RORC Transatlantic Race: Hydra happy in Grenada Hydra was runner-up in the Class40 Division to Catherine Pourre's Eärendil Henrik Bergesen's Norwegian Class40 Hydra, skippered by Tristan Kinloch, finished the RORC Transatlantic Race at 22:02:23 UTC on Sunday, 09 December in an elapsed time of 15 days 10 hours two minutes 23 seconds. by Louay Habib / RORC Posted 10 Dec 11:07 GMT RS Aero Australian Championship RS Aero Australian Championship Fleet hail Port Stephens 'best sailing venue' Port Stephens hosted the RS Aero Australian Championship December 6 - 9, 2018, drawing a majority New South Wales and Victorian contingent keen to sample the waters before the strong European and USA fleets arrive for the class' world championship by Lisa Ratcliff Posted 10 Dec 11:05 GMT Bembridge Illusion Inter Club Team Racing Bembridge Illusion Inter Club Team Racing High wind racing for the event! Strong winds were forecast for the annual Illusion Team Racing Championships held at Bembridge over last weekend (8th & 9th December) and first thing on Saturday it looked very much as if they would have to be postponed. by Mike Samuelson Posted 10 Dec 10:15 GMT 420 class have fun on a windy weekend 420 class have fun on a windy weekend At the Datchet Flyer and Oxford coaching The 420 class had an exhilarating weekend on the 8th and 9th December with sailors revelling in the windy conditions which prevailed. by Jennie Clark Posted 10 Dec 09:42 GMT 6th Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series Act 2 6th Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series Act 2 Spring temperatures for the 76 contestants at this winter regatta Sunday 9th December 2018 – With sea and air temperatures of 18 degreesC it was like spring for the 76 contestants in Act II of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series for two classes (J/70 and Melges 20). by Isabelle Andrieux Posted 10 Dec 06:11 GMT J/70 Winter Series at Tampa, Florida weekend 1 J/70 Winter Series at Tampa, Florida weekend 1 Igor Rytov's Russian Bogatyrs earns the overall victory Forty-seven J/70 teams traveled to Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, Florida for the first weekend of the 2018-2019 J/70 Winter Series. Conditions on Saturday were sunny and warm with winds at 6-8 knots, allowing three races. by Julie or Christopher Howell Posted 10 Dec 06:08 GMT 2018 Imperia Winter Regatta overall 2018 Imperia Winter Regatta overall December racing in Europe for the 420 and 470 classes From 5th to 9th December the Imperia Yacht Club, in collaboration with Assonautica Imperia, organized the 29th Imperia Winter Regatta 2018 the great international sailing event, which brought 120 crews from all over Europe (represented eight nations) by Elena Giolai Posted 10 Dec 06:01 GMT European Match Race Tour 2019 announced European Match Race Tour 2019 announced Visiting Italy's Lago di Ledro and Romania's Limanu for the first time The European Match Race Tour will feature another 7 qualifying events and a Grand Final for its third edition. While many of the tour stops were already hosts in previous editions, the 2019 tour will visit Lago di Ledro and Limanu for the first time. by Helmut Czasny Posted 9 Dec 21:29 GMT Chichester Frozen Toe Series day 3 Chichester Frozen Toe Series day 3 More than enough wind for exciting sailing The final day of this year's frozen toe series was forecast to have strong winds decaying through the day. The Race officer and race committee exchanged many emails over the weekend trying to decide whether to go ahead with the event. by Mark Green Posted 9 Dec 20:51 GMT RS Elite late season report RS Elite late season report Plus looking forward to 2019 season's racing 2018 has been an active season for the RS Elite class with well-attended open events throughout the British Isles and an active racing scene at club level. Internationally a new fleet is becoming established in Italy. by Alasdair McLeod Posted 9 Dec 20:02 GMT Big Boat Day Challenge broadcast Big Boat Day Challenge broadcast Sailor Girl prepares her crew, to join in raising money for SOLAS Tuesday 11 December marks the final warm-up for the “big boats” before the Rolex Sydney Hobart on a tight and fast-paced track around Sydney Harbour to raise money for SOLAS, the Safety of Life at Sea trust. by Nic Douglass Posted 9 Dec 18:41 GMT 2019 Tour Voile: Spotlight on well-rounded sailors 2019 Tour Voile: Spotlight on well-rounded sailors 17 days of adrenaline and confrontation along French coast Over the years, the Tour Voile has established itself as a pioneering event famous for its ability to evolve and break new ground. by A.S.O./Tour Voile Posted 9 Dec 18:10 GMT Hive Energy and Will Harris announce partnership Hive Energy and Will Harris announce partnership For the 2019 Beneteau Figaro 3 season A new Beneteau Figaro 3 will be named 'Hive Energy' in January 2019 as the global solar power business, Hive Energy Ltd, announce their support of British single-handed sailor Will Harris in the 2019 Figaro season. by Will Harris Posted 9 Dec 17:21 GMT 2019 Transat Jacques Vabre: Preview 2019 Transat Jacques Vabre: Preview Class40, Muli50 and Imoca60 will brave the Atlantic double-handed The "Coffee Route" from Le Havre to Salvador de Bahia is a familiar one for the sailors, as it will be the 6th time that the Transat Jacques Vabre will finish there. by Media TJV 2019 Posted 9 Dec 16:05 GMT New-build Bronenosec is back for 52 Super Series New-build Bronenosec is back for 52 Super Series Vladimir Liubomirov will return armed with a new boat in 2019 The decision to build a new boat for 2019 reflects the experienced team's desire to find an edge in the highly competitive 52 Super Series fleet. by 52 Super Series Posted 9 Dec 14:03 GMT RYA introduces new English Regional Forum RYA introduces new English Regional Forum To further enhance its engagement with members and stakeholders A decision has been taken by the RYA Board of Directors to create a new English Regional Forum (ERF) to further enhance its effective engagement with its 112,000 members and many valued stakeholders. by Loretta Spridgeon, RYA Posted 9 Dec 11:37 GMT Franck Cammas joins Oman Sail Franck Cammas joins Oman Sail To manage their ongoing Diam and new Figaro campaigns Regarded as one of the highest-profile sailors of his generation, Cammas, 45, has a glowing racing CV which includes victories in the Volvo Ocean Race, Tour de France a la Voile, Transat Jacques Vabre, Route du Rhum and Solitaire du Figaro. by Oman Sail Posted 9 Dec 09:54 GMT 18ft Skiff NSW Championship race 3 18ft Skiff NSW Championship race 3 Incredible win for the Asko Appliances crew The Asko Appliances crew of James Dorron, Harry Bethwaite and Karl Langford came from a seemingly hopeless position to win an incredible Race 3 of the NSW 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour today. by Frank Quealey Posted 9 Dec 08:08 GMT Star Sailors League Finals overall Star Sailors League Finals overall Brazilian double victory For a second time a Brazilian crew claimed victory in the Star Sailors League Finals, but on this occasion it was not the bookies' choice. Olympic legend Robert Scheidt and Henry Boening were favourites going into this event and completely dominated by Star Sailors League Posted 9 Dec 06:14 GMT RORC Transatlantic Race: Eärendil celebrate RORC Transatlantic Race: Eärendil celebrate A warm welcome in Greneda Catherine Pourre's Class40 Eärendil finished the 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race on Saturday 08 December at 04:10:18 taking Class40 Line Honours for the 3,000 mile race from Calero Marinas Marina Lanzarote to Camper and Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada. by Louay Habib / RORC Posted 8 Dec 18:44 GMT New Spinlock Deckvest VITO lifejacket launched New Spinlock Deckvest VITO lifejacket launched During METSTRADE in Amsterdam Spinlock's European launch of the new-generation VITO lifejacket for the leisure community took place at METSTRADE. by Spinlock Posted 8 Dec 17:00 GMT Entries flooding in for 2019 Superyacht Cup Palma Entries flooding in for 2019 Superyacht Cup Palma No fewer than 14 of the world's finest yachts have already expressed interest While the thoughts of many may be turned towards the end of year festivities, superyacht owners, skippers and crews have been planning ahead and registering for next June's edition of the Superyacht Cup Palma. by Superyacht Cup Palma Posted 8 Dec 14:25 GMT Susie Goodall rescued in Golden Globe Race Susie Goodall rescued in Golden Globe Race Joyous ending to 50 hour nightmare in the Southern Ocean The crew of the Hong Kong registered cargo ship MV Tian Fu successfully rescued the distressed British yachtswoman Susie Goodall Friday, some 2,000 miles west of Cape Horn after a tense operation to get her yacht DHL Starlight alongside the cargo vessel. by Barry Pickthall, Golden Globe Race Posted 8 Dec 11:10 GMT Normandy Channel Race 2019 preview Normandy Channel Race 2019 preview Event going from strength to strength on 10th anniversary Created by Sirius Evenements with the support of the local authorities and the CCI Normandie, the event has only been able to go from strength to strength thanks to the remarkable and constant commitment from these five partners. by Sirius Events Posted 8 Dec 10:47 GMT RYA Webinar on part two of the new IPV Code RYA Webinar on part two of the new IPV Code Race Support Boats webinar set to take place on 13 December 2018 On Thursday, 13 December at 12:00pm, the Royal Yachting Association will be holding a webinar on Part 2 of the Code of Practice for Intended Pleasure Vessels in Temporary Commercial Use at Sea, looking at the details of the Code and how to comply. by Loretta Spridgeon Posted 8 Dec 09:25 GMT Star Sailors League Finals day 4 Star Sailors League Finals day 4 Scheidt/Boening demolish opposition on final day of Qualifying While the star performers today certainly were Robert Scheidt/Henry Boening and Paul Cayard, significant to more competitors was what was happening mid-fleet. For today, Friday, the final Qualifier races were held at the Star Sailors League Finals by Star Sailors League Posted 8 Dec 09:12 GMT Volvo Ocean Race: Remembering Sir Peter Blake Volvo Ocean Race: Remembering Sir Peter Blake It's 17 years since the Kiwi Race Legend passed away This week marks 17 years since Race legend Sir Peter Blake passed away. Revered by many as the greatest yachtsman of the modern era, Blake was 24 when he first took part in the Race as a watch captain onboard Burton Cutter in the debut edition in 1973. by Jonno Turner | Volvo Ocean Race Posted 8 Dec 08:50 GMT Royal Yacht Clubs announce Mutuality Agreement Royal Yacht Clubs announce Mutuality Agreement Sharing facilities across the Solent Two prominent South Coast yacht clubs have established a unique "mutuality agreement" allowing members to share each other's facilities and could lead to joint on-the-water events. by Michael Ford Posted 7 Dec 21:30 GMT CYOA continues Classic Yacht Racing Series in 2019 CYOA continues Classic Yacht Racing Series in 2019 The series formerly known as the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge With Panerai's recently announced intention to discontinue their support of classic yachting events in both Europe and the US, the series was left without an Organizing Authority. by Bill Lynn Posted 7 Dec 19:38 GMT Claim your free gift when shopping at Trident-UK Claim your free gift when shopping at Trident-UK Options include Harken calendars worth £26 Claim your free gift for a limited time only! Depending on what you spend, there are three levels of free gift (and several options in each level). by TridentUK Posted 7 Dec 18:00 GMT GGR - Susie Goodall rescued! GGR - Susie Goodall rescued! Susie Goodall rescued! Busies simply wrote - ON THE SHIP!!! by way of explaining how the Hong Kong registered cargo ship MV Tian now has her on board, 2,000 miles west of Cape Horn and en route for Argentina. by Barry Pickthall, Golden Globe Race Posted 7 Dec 17:04 GMT Musto Skiff Victorian State Championship Musto Skiff Victorian State Championship Rescheduled event finally gets going in Melbourne The Victorian 2018 Musto Skiff State Titles were scheduled for March, but due to bad weather were rescheduled to the 24-25 of November. Murphy, however, struck again and as the fleet headed down to PMYC the forecast was again unfavourable. by Paul Newman Posted 7 Dec 16:17 GMT Wild westerly on its way for the Datchet Flyer Wild westerly on its way for the Datchet Flyer The trapeze boat sailors are licking their lips at the prospect The trapeze boat sailors are licking their lips at the prospect of a strong westerly wind for this weekend's Datchet Flyer, round two of the Selden SailJuice Winter Series, after a few years of quieter, gentler contests. by Andy Rice Posted 7 Dec 15:06 GMT Olympic classes decided on Day 4 at Sail Sydney Olympic classes decided on Day 4 at Sail Sydney Waterhouse and Darmanin prove to be Australia's Nacra 17 powerhouses Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin proved to be Australia's Nacra 17 powerhouses once again, their worst result a second and a DNF from 12 races putting them four points clear of New Zealand's Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders who put up an epic fight. by Michael Martin Posted 7 Dec 14:40 GMT Jack's back from the Route du Rhum Jack's back from the Route du Rhum 8th place in a brutal race for a young sailor with diabetes Jack Trigger is home and finally dry in England after taking part in the transatlantic Route du Rhum, the iconic yacht race. He set sail from St Malo on the North coast of France, through the Bay of Biscay, and then across The Atlantic, to Guadaloupe. by Chris Marchington Posted 7 Dec 13:27 GMT My first season foiling by Keith Bedborough My first season foiling by Keith Bedborough 'Wouldn't it be a laugh if we all got one of these?' As I'm sure many others in the sailing world will relate, I was suitably amazed by the spectacle of the foiling cats in the last two America's Cups and this ignited a spark within me to learn more about this exciting new type of sailing. by Keith Bedborough Posted 7 Dec 12:00 GMT 18ft Skiff NSW Championship race 3 preview 18ft Skiff NSW Championship race 3 preview Sailors are hoping for a change of fortune after first two weeks The cream of Australia's 18ft Skiff Racing talent is hoping for a change of fortune when the 2018-2019 NSW 18ft Skiff Championship resumes on Sydney Harbour on Sunday. by Frank Quealey Posted 7 Dec 11:14 GMT Is it worth paying for better running rigging? Is it worth paying for better running rigging? The cost versus benefit trade-off for a 25ft boat What is the cost versus benefit trade-off for running rigging options on a 25 ft sailing boat? We take a look at three running rigging specs and investigate whether the increase in cost is justified by the performance benefits. by Phil Anniss Posted 7 Dec 09:00 GMT 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race day 12 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race day 12 Kuka3 fight to the finish Franco Niggeler's Swiss Cookson 50 Kuka3, skippered by Roberto Chuny Bermúdez de Castro, overcame technical issues and a fire on board to post the best IRC corrected time so far in the RORC Transatlantic Race. by Louay Habib Posted 7 Dec 06:58 GMT CYCA Trophy Series: Offshore hit-out before RSHYR CYCA Trophy Series: Offshore hit-out before RSHYR Four 100-foot super maxis race ahead of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Four 100-foot super maxis will this weekend have their final offshore hit-out at the CYCA Trophy Series before the Everest of Ocean Racing, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race starting Boxing Day. by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Posted 7 Dec 06:29 GMT