Yachting World April 2020

One of sailing’s most prestigious awards, the Cruising Club of America’s (CCA) Bluewater Medal, has been given to French solo sailor Jean-Luc Van Den Heede. ‘VDH’ as he is affectionately known in France, won the Golden Globe 2018 race last year, capping an illustrious career that includes six single-handed circumnavigations. The 74-year-old year old also still holds the record for the fastest solo non-stop record sailing the ‘wrong way’ route westabout the world, which he set in 2014 in the 86ft aluminium cutter Adrien. Prior to that, VDH took part in two Vendée Globe races and a BOC Challenge – his solo racing career dates back to the early days of Open 60 circumnavigations in the 1980s. Before that, like so many of his contemporaries and elite solo sailors of today,…

One of sailing’s most prestigious awards, the Cruising Club of America’s (CCA) Bluewater Medal, has been given to French solo sailor Jean-Luc Van Den Heede. ‘VDH’ as he is affectionately known in France, won the Golden Globe 2018 race last year, capping an illustrious career that includes six single-handed circumnavigations. The 74-year-old year old also still holds the record for the fastest solo non-stop record sailing the ‘wrong way’ route westabout the world, which he set in 2014 in the 86ft aluminium cutter Adrien. Prior to that, VDH took part in two Vendée Globe races and a BOC Challenge – his solo racing career dates back to the early days of Open 60 circumnavigations in the 1980s. Before that, like so many of his contemporaries and elite solo sailors of…

Emirates Team New Zealand and Challenger of Record Luna Rossa have had to go through a mediation process to agree on wind limits for the 36th America’s Cup. The defender and challengers disagreed on where the upper wind limit should be set, with the Kiwi team pushing for a higher figure. It is now fixed between 6.5 and 21 knots for the round robins and repechage series and between 6.5 and 23 knots for the Prada Cup and America’s Cup match The wind range has been hotly debated because it fundamentally shapes the design of each team’s second AC75 design and foils. Teams are allowed only one measurement certificate for each event, meaning it is not possible to mode a boat for any given day depending on the forecast, as was the…

Emirates Team New Zealand and Challenger of Record Luna Rossa have had to go through a mediation process to agree on wind limits for the 36th America’s Cup. The defender and challengers disagreed on where the upper wind limit should be set, with the Kiwi team pushing for a higher figure. It is now fixed between 6.5 and 21 knots for the round robins and repechage series and between 6.5 and 23 knots for the Prada Cup and America’s Cup match The wind range has been hotly debated because it fundamentally shapes the design of each team’s second AC75 design and foils. Teams are allowed only one measurement certificate for each event, meaning it is not possible to mode a boat for any given day depending on the forecast, as…

Happy Meals and Big Macs are coming to the 36th America’s Cup. Long synonymous with upmarket luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, BMW, Prada and Panerai, the Cup will now have McDonalds as Emirates Team New Zealand’s new ‘official family partner’. The company’s Golden Arches logo will appear on the mainsail of ETNZ’s AC75, Te Aihe. The association has already proved controversial. Some have argued that it sends the wrong message about healthy eating. According to government statistics, 60% of boys aged 10-14 in New Zealand eat fast food at least once a week. The deal curiously recalls a witheringly disdainful comment made in 2015 by Bruno Troublé, who created the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series in 1983. When Russell Coutts announced foiling catamarans for the last Cup, Troublé warned, with a shudder,…

Happy Meals and Big Macs are coming to the 36th America’s Cup. Long synonymous with upmarket luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, BMW, Prada and Panerai, the Cup will now have McDonalds as Emirates Team New Zealand’s new ‘official family partner’. The company’s Golden Arches logo will appear on the mainsail of ETNZ’s AC75, Te Aihe. The association has already proved controversial. Some have argued that it sends the wrong message about healthy eating. According to government statistics, 60% of boys aged 10-14 in New Zealand eat fast food at least once a week. The deal curiously recalls a witheringly disdainful comment made in 2015 by Bruno Troublé, who created the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series in 1983. When Russell Coutts announced foiling catamarans for the last Cup, Troublé warned, with…