Editor’s Picks

It was a busy weekend for sailing and other sports too. From SailGP to Formula 1 GP racing, to beach clean ups, we have it all.
Our weekly Weekend Wrap-Ups will bring you the weekend’s best sailing and sporting news.

After a busy deadline schedule, I was overdue for a much needed get away. I needed a  place where I could switch off from the relentless world that is media. Just once in your life you may be lucky enough to experience a place that is so unique and exclusive, with such raw, natural beauty that it takes your breath away.

The 30th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup delivered a week of pulsating action, consummate skill and elevated performance. The contest is the pinnacle of large monohull yacht racing, attracting the best boats, the most passionate owners and the finest crews. South African sailors were amongst these crews to take positions on the podium. A fleet of 53 yachts competed in the 2019 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. The eventual winners were Velsheda (Supermaxi); Highland Fling XI (Maxi Racer) with Sail + Leisure’s Yachting Editor, Hylton Hale and fellow South African Mike Giles on board; Nefertiti (Maxi Racer/ Cruiser); Cannonball (Mini Maxi Racer 1); Supernikka (Mini Maxi Racer 2); Lyra (Wally) with South African Marc Largesse on board; Flow (Mini Maxi Racer/Cruiser); and, H2O (Mini Maxi Cruiser/Racer).

The legal fires ripping through the Amazon have received a lot of media attention recently, and most of the news tends to breed fake news alongside with it. In line with our #wecare platform, we decided to do some digging. Why are these fires still burning? And why is it such a big deal?

The Rolex TP52 World Championship, hosted in Puerto Portals this year, tested some of the world’s best sailors in an epic one-design regatta. With some curve-balls thrown, the event was full of twists and turns in an epic fight for top of the leaderboard.

Following last year’s memorable gathering in Cascais, Portugal, the host venue for the 2019 edition of the TP52 World Championship is Puerto Portals on the island of Mallorca, Spain from 25-29 August. The Rolex TP52 World Championship and the associated season-long series, the 52 SUPER SERIES showcase the very best of inshore yacht racing, demanding the highest standard of human and technical performance.

More than 3,000 miles and not a single drop of gasoline. Well, that’s the plan anyways. Team Malizia and climate activist Greta Thunberg are on their way across the Atlantic expending minimal CO2 emissions, a journey that aims to change the mindset of people around the world.

After the third scheduled day of racing of the Lipton Challenge Cup was cancelled on Wednesday due to a strong Cape winter’s storm, racing resumed yesterday. The conditions were icy and rainy, with huge swells of between 2.5-3m’s and drastic wind shifts. All this didn’t make for an easy day out on the water. Going into the day’s racing the leaderboard looked like this: 1st – Witbank Yacht Club/Nitro; 2nd – Royal Cape Yacht Club/ Yanmar; 3rd – Walvis Bay Yacht Club/MB Racing. At the day’s prize giving, the top three boats were handed different colour decals for their sails. Reminiscent of the Tour de France the first boat showed yellow for 1st, white for second and red for third.

For the first time the Lipton Challenge Cup is being sailed on the fast and fun Cape 31’s. The approved sails suppliers for this sports boat are Ullman Sails and North Sails South Africa, as part of a mandate of the Cape 31 build to make use of South African suppliers. Where previously, top-class sailors would largely rely on imported product, the two world-class Cape Town lofts are now also exporting state-of-the-art sails, taking on the best in the business. North Sails South Africa and Ullman Sails Production have not only put local sailmaking on the international map, they have also bolstered brand South Africa at a time when local boatbuilders are increasingly making their presence felt on the world stage.

Long-distance swimmer Ben Lecomte is trying to raise awareness around the overuse of plastics by swimming through the worlds most polluted stretch of water.