The SailGP F50’s have proven to reach ridiculous speeds – in excess of 50knots. Sailing these boats is a fine balance between crew work, great helming and understanding the capabilities of these boats. Tom Slingsby explains what NOT to do, and the potential consequences of wiping out.
Category:
Racing
-
-
The latest generation IMOCA’s will no doubt deliver a new Vendée Globe time. But with record speeds expected due to the new generation foils, what technology has been introduced to protect both the boats and the sailors? Since the last Vendée Globe, speeds on all points of sail have increased thanks to major innovations in three main areas: foils, data capturing, and skippers’ safety.
-
Off Watch chats to Carolijn Brouwer, a three-time competitor in The Ocean Race, who sailed to victory with Dongfeng Race Team in that epic final leg of the last race, finishing in her home port of The Hague. Watch this interview for an in-depth and honest talk about her very successful sailing career. Did you know that before she was an offshore sailor, Carolijn was an incredibly accomplished dinghy sailor in the 470, Laser Radial, Europe and Tornado class? She won World Sailor of the Year in 1998 and raced in the Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
-
In a two-part podcast, Shirley Robinson chats to Vendée Globe skippers Samantha Davies, Alex Thomson, Charlie Dalin, Clarisse Cremer and Boris Herrmann. As the start date of 8th November nears, the skippers share their fears, their personal goals, and just how long they have chased success in the Vendée Globe Race.
-
With the start of the Vendée Globe Race on November 8th, many skippers and fans alike will be worried about safety at sea for such a long length of time. Fortunately the risk of collision will be significantly reduced as many of the competing IMOCAs have been fitted with a pioneering new electronic safety aid called OSCAR. Using day and thermal cameras combined with artificial intelligence provides a second set of ‘eyes’ for the solo skipper both during the day and, crucially, at night time as well.
-
The 36th America’s Cup is pipped to be the most highly competitive in Cup history. The Defenders, Emirates Team New Zealand have an important legacy to uphold as respected and serious contenders with strong aims to raise the Cup once more.
-
The Cape 31 is a South African-produced which has been developed for a fast, one-design racing circuit in strong winds, utilising a small crew. The C31 is the brainchild of Irvine Laidlaw, who wanted to develop a boat that would be built and assembled in Cape Town to support the local boat building industry. Designed by Mark Mills, this boat has taken the one-design 30 footer class by storm, leading to sales in the UK, USA and Australia. Choosing the correct sail inventory can improve the speeds and handling of these already fast-paced boats.
-
Things are hotting up for the teams competing in the 36th America’s Cup in New Zealand in 2021. With boats and teams arriving weekly, the Challenger on Record, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, is the latest team to deliver their 2nd boat to the competition venue. The Prada Cup – the Challenger selection series – takes place in Jan and Feb 2021 to determine who will challenge the Defender, ‘Emirates New Zealand’ in the America’s Cup Match in March 2021.
-
Tracy Edwards was the skipper of the all-female entry Maiden in the 1989/1990 edition of the Whitbread Round the World Race. She was just 24 years old! Tracy and her crew broke barriers, and proved so many people wrong in the male-dominated sport. They weren’t even expected to finish the first leg, but they did just that, and went on to win both southern ocean legs too.
-
Spirit Yachts recently unveiled their highly anticipated 34m sailing yacht, the Spirit 111. With eco-features throughout and a stand-out interior design that makes you wonder if you are indeed on a boat, this sloop-rigged yacht is the largest single-masted wooden sailing yacht to be built in the UK since Shamrock V in the 1930’s. At the request of her buyer, the Spirit 111 has been designed and built in-house by Spirit Yachts to be one of the most environmentally friendly sailing Superyachts ever created.
