Yachting World August 2021

Online www.yachtingworld.com YouTube Yachting World Facebook @yachtingworld twitter @yachtingworldmagazine Barely a day goes by without another multinational announcing changes to their return to office policy, or a report on whether our economic future lies in boardrooms or spare bedrooms. One thing is for certain: the culture of work has changed forever. Now remote working, flexible hours and teleconferencing have become the dominant way of operating for many, the ability to work from anywhere is becoming a reality. And that means casting off for a long-haul bluewater voyage is no longer something that has to wait until retirement. Top-notch connectivity and ruthless time management are prerequisites for anyone wanting to combine cruising with a career, be that running a business, consultancy or employment. But as our feature from ‘workaboard’ sailor Phil…

MOD70 record smashing continues The ongoing battle for record honours between the MOD70s continues, with Jason Carroll’s Argo demolishing the Bermuda-Plymouth transatlantic record in June. Argo took over 16 hours off the previous record for the 2,870-mile eastbound course across the North Atlantic, crossing in 4d 19h 30m. The crew sailed a total of 3,347 miles at an average speed just under 29 knots. Les Voiles turns 40 Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez celebrates 40 years of the annual French classic this year. The event will run this year with a new two-week format, as adopted in 2020, with the classic and modern yachts racing from Saturday 25 September and the Maxi yachts competing the following week from Tuesday 5 October. Teens set first IRC record The first recipients of a…

The first event run by the new organisers of the former Volvo Ocean Race, the Ocean Race Europe, finished in Genova this June. The Ocean Race Europe started on 29 May in Lorient, France, with stopovers in Cascais, Portugal, and Alicante, Spain before finishing in Italy. Yoann Richomme skippered the Mirpuri Foundation VO65 to win from Chris Nicholson’s AkzoNobel Ocean Racing, while the IMOCA 60 fleet was won by Robert Stanjek’s Offshore Team Germany ahead of Charlie Enright’s 11th Hour Racing Team. The race attracted some big names from the offshore racing world; Nicholson was joined by fellow Volvo veterans Bouwe Bekking and Simeon Tienpont in the VO65s. Meanwhile the IMOCA fleet included Louis Burton on Bureau Vallée, racing with Pip Hare for some legs of the race, Sébastien Josse…

The Rolex Fastnet Race looks set to consolidate its position as the biggest offshore yacht race in the world this August, with over 450 yachts entered for this year’s 49th edition. The 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race starts from Cowes on 8 August, returning to its usual dates of the Sunday following Cowes Week, but with a new finish port for 2021 of Cherbourg instead of Plymouth. The course change increases the length of the race from 608 to 695 miles, and will create some additional tactical and navigational challenges for crews, including the final hurdle of tackling the rapid tidal currents of the Alderney Race before the finish (see our expert advice on how to navigate this on page 86). The change of finish port has been controversial, but was…

A Southern Ocean passage has long been revered as the zenith of bluewater ocean voyages, but there has been little agreement on what, actually, constitutes the Southern Ocean boundaries. On 8 June 2021, World Oceans Day, the National Geographic Society formally recognised the Southern Ocean as the world’s fifth ocean, joining the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans. Most of the waters that surround Antarctica out to 60°S, excluding the Drake Passage and Scotia Sea, constitute the newly acknowledged Southern Ocean, which are characterised by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, rather than defined by a degree of latitude. By drawing attention to the Southern Ocean, the National Geographic Society hopes to promote its conservation and define areas for its preservation.…

The future of the 37th America’s Cup has been thrown wide open after a $99million funding offer from the New Zealand government was turned down by Emirates Team New Zealand. The New Zealand Government and Auckland City Council had a three-month exclusivity period to agree terms to host the 37th America’s Cup with the Cup holders. However, the two parties failed to strike a deal, leaving the options wide open for where and how the 37th running of the America’s Cup might take place. A statement from Emirates Team New Zealand read: “During the three-month exclusive negotiating period between New Zealand agencies and ETNZ, they have not been able to reach a conclusion that works for all parties. All three parties have worked through these discussions with the best of…