Yachts & Yachting magazine January 2019

The end of the year is traditionally a time for reflection and celebration. And what a year it has been! We had the roller coaster ride of the Volvo Ocean Race to be inspired by, and we’ve all enjoyed competing in the more Corinthian annual highlights such as Cowes Week and Round the Island Race, through to special events like the RS Games. As ever at Y&Y we strive to bring you not only insights to these events, but also advice to help readers get the most from our sport - I hope you have enjoyed an upward trajectory this year in your own results! This month, we’re delighted to celebrate the very crème de la crème of the sailing world as we announce the winners of the inaugural British Yachting Awards.…

Transatlantic record up for grabs As one transatlantic race drew to a close in the Route du Rhum so another, more everyman race began this month. The RORC Transatlantic Race set off from the start in Lanzarote on 24 November with the IRC fleet Caribbean-bound, where many will stay for the winter season. From the start the two boats fighting at the head of the fleet were the two 70ft trimarans of Powerplay - ex-MOD70 Concise, and Maserati – a MOD70 extensively modified with hydrofoils. After an intense 3,000 mile battle, it was Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati which took Multihull Line Honours in an elapsed time of 6 days, 18 hours, 54 minutes and 34 seconds. Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 PowerPlay, was less than 46 minutes behind Maserati, and took the MOCRA Class win on handicap. As…

“As the breeze built to 22 knots in a rain shower, we accelerated still further to sustained speeds in the low 30s and a maximum of 38 knots. It’s nothing short of astonishing for an ocean-going yacht.” Y&Y’s Rupert Holmes reports from his sail on the foiling MOD70, Maserati ahead of the RORC Transatlantic Race – read the full report at yachtsandyachting.co.uk “All I can do is live and learn – it’s the land of hard knocks as we say in England. You have to try and stay strong; you have to learn, you have to be better and ultimately, obviously, I wanted to win this race. But the aim is to win the Vendée Globe and I think I’ve proved in this race that I can win the Vendée Globe.” Alex Thomson…

Mentors The Magenta Project has announced a mentoring programme with 34 young women so far being matched with a top sailing mentor to help speed up their professional sailing development. Rewarded 57 volunteers have been recognised for their exceptional dedication and achievements in boating at the RYA Volunteer Awards. The awards were presented by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. Youths Entries are now open for the first ever Star Class Junior World Championships. The event is open to any skipper 30 years or younger and will take place in Miami in February. Bloggers Musto is encouraging youngsters to send media entries relating to sailing to the Yachting Journalists’ Association’s Young Bloggers Competition. The top prize is a £100 Musto voucher plus an item of your choice from the British Sailing Team merchandise…

Slowly, so slowly, the details of the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland 2021, are emerging from Emirates Team New Zealand (the Defender) and Luna Rossa Prada (the Challenger of Record). As the official final deadline for entries to be accepted looms on the 31 December 2018, many had assumed the two challengers of INEOS Team UK, and American Magic were likely to be the only teams to join the Challenger of Record and Defender in the series. It was, then, quite a surprise when details of a further eight notices of challenge were revealed by Emirates Team New Zealand as the period in which teams may apply to enter the Cup drew to a close on 30 November 2018. However, this does not guarantee a further eight teams on the startline come…

The close finish of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe this year when Francis Joyon in IDEC Sport beat François Gabart in a similar 90ft trimaran, Macif, by 7 minutes, 8 seconds, reminded me of the first of these races 40 years ago when it was simply ‘Route du Rhum’. In those bold days it wasn’t considered necessary to include the destination in the title but the change in name now reflects the strong support from the Region Guadeloupe, the race’s exclusive major partner for the second year running. Back then, a small gathering of British press were in Guadeloupe awaiting the arrival of the leaders, and turned out early in the morning when Michel Malinovsky was first sighted with a huge (by the standards of the day) 70ft monohull, Kriter V.…