A Good Ol' America's Cup LAN Party...Kinda - Multi-Team Simulator Competition
For many of the sailors in the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup and the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup, their first taste of what to expect has been found on the team simulators that are dotted all over the globe. We have heard rumours of private races being taken “before breakfast” and “after dinner” between some of the antipodean teams whilst in the northern hemisphere unofficial leagues are forming.
Behind the Sails: The Making of the U.S. Sailing Multihull Championship
Organizing a US Sailing Championship is no small feat. It requires meticulous planning, seamless coordination, and an unwavering passion for sailing. This year, the US Multihull Championship, held at the Dallas Corinthian Yacht Club (DCYC) in Oak Point, Texas, showcased the combined efforts of Shiela Holmes, the Event Organizer, and John Nekus, the Committee Chair of the US Sailing Multihull Committee. Their dedication brought together 28 teams from across the country, including two from Puerto Rico, in a thrilling display of skill and camaraderie. The wind ranged from 5 to 25 knots, adding an extra layer of challenge and excitement throughout the weekend.
Revitalizing Youth Sailing
Thanks for the opportunity to follow up on the thoughtful “A Parent’s Perspective” article in last week’s newsletter. I’m sure the author’s concerns resonate with many parents of young racing sailors; it also points towards solutions and growth opportunities for US Sailing and the sport. As US Sailing’s Youth Racing Manager and a volunteer on the ILCA-North America Class Association executive committee, I am certainly someone who appreciates your points and is paying attention!
GOOD NEWS, THE FOILS ARE LOUD AGAIN! - DAY 9 - NEW YORK VENDÉE
“Hello from Malizia - Seaexplorer! Yesterday, it felt great when I got the wind, when it finally kicked and the boat graually accelerated. And on flat water, I find it particularly nice to sail like that. I’m optimistic for the second place, my Adrena routers indicate that I have a comfortable margin ahead of the South Group. So I’m quite confident and that feels good! But having taken the North route means that I’m also quite isolated here. I’m the only boat in this area. I usually find that it is actually much nicer to have boats around. It was a bit difficult for me at the beginning when I needed to assume my choice, and the models were very uncertain then. Now, I have accepted the situation. I’m here, I’m doing my thing. And that’s it. So all good.
Alinghi Red Bull Racing AC75 || Yachting World
America's Cup designer, Thomas Tison of Thomas Tison Yacht Design & Engineering, speaks to Yachting World editor, Helen Fretter, about Alinghi Red Bull Racing's America's Cup boat. Could this be the team to win the world's oldest international sporting trophy later this year?
The Ocean Race and IOC/UNESCO: contributing towards the science we need for the ocean we want || The Ocean Race
In the lead up to the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, The Ocean Race - the round-the-world race often described as the toughest test of a team in sport and now an ongoing platform for making a meaningful difference to ocean health - today shared the impact of the data collected by teams and sailors through the race’s science on board programme. This vital data is shared with scientists striving to understand the complexities of the ocean and improving climate and ocean science and helping to inform policy and meteorological reports.
The Ocean Race team brought the spirit of ocean racing to over 100 participants in a satellite event co-organised with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO), the only UN body responsible for supporting global ocean science and services. The event gathered representatives from the world of science, research, sailing and policy at the Barcelona Maritime Museum and included panels entitled: 'Offshore Racing and Science' and 'Understanding our Ocean'.
All of the America's Cup Boat Launch Updates You've Missed...Or Haven't
Over the past couple of weeks the announcements of boat launches have been coming fast and furious from the syndicates. Here is our rundown of recent announcements and coverage in case you haven’t kept up:
Gamers welcome at 37th America’s Cup || Scuttlebutt Sailing News
The America’s Cup yachting event is taking a leap into the virtual world with the launch of its official simulation video game, AC Sailing, along with its first-ever e-sports world championship, America’s Cup E-series.
AC Sailing is developed from the same physics engine used in the simulators that America’s Cup teams train with to enhance racing tactics and recreate race scenarios, as well as develop and test design ideas and iterations for their race yachts. The game is the culmination of over 10 years of research and development by Emirates Team New Zealand
By making it available, the event seeks heighten public engagement with the oldest trophy in international sports.
“Gamers will get to experience America’s Cup sailing as close to reality as possible like never before,” said Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Event. “We’re thrilled to bring this innovation legacy into the virtual world, elevating the role of sailing within the e-sports ecosystem.”
Wanderers of the Wayfarer Dinghy || Sailing World
Classic one-design classes like the Wayfarer dinghy live on through the strength of their communities and their lifelong connections.
By James Heffernan
April 9, 2024
The author and his son, Paul, enjoy their time together sailing the waterways of North Carolina on the family’s Wayfarer dinghy. Lori George
While in pre-flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, I had a classmate with sailing expertise that he’d gained at the US Naval Academy. He was always happy to share his passion for sailing with our cadet class, whether leading a hands-on lesson in a Penguin dinghy or aboard a Luders 44 wooden yawl. It didn’t take me long to be as hooked as a sailor as I was an aviator.
Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point - Day 1 || Sail-World
When the going gets tough, the tough get going and today was no exception on Charleston Harbor where 16 classes proved that the smart tactic no matter the weather was to put your best sail up, keep moving forward, and have as much fun as possible. Racing was tight as sailors pushed each other across the fleet; in the Melges 20 class 3 teams tied for second, and a 4-way tie in the J88 fleet ensures that all bets are off for Saturday's racing.
PRO Taran Teague noted, "When we came out this morning, we knew it was going to be a tough day due to lighter air building after 11am but we didn't know quite when. It was going to be coming from the west and was anticipated to back to the south, south-west for a sea breeze. We were looking for puffy clouds to indicate backing of the wind, the sunshine and land heating but it was delayed because we had too many clouds." Nonetheless, most classes got at least two races in and a shipload of smiling faces at the post racing party on the USS Yorktown told today's real story.
Youth Movement for Quantum Racing || Scuttlebutt Sailing News
Continuing the initiative launched last year by team owner Doug De Vos to provide younger sailors with experience and learning at the highest level of grand prix racing, four new athletes will also join Diaz de Leon.
Among the new talent will be the circuit’s first female navigator, Evelyn Hull. The other new team members getting ready for the season to start are Nevin Snow who will be strategist, Ian Liberty trimmer and Alex Sinclair mid bow.
The selected new athletes have already been put through their paces during a tuning and training week on the Bay of Palma last month when the team worked alongside Tony Langley’s new Gladiator, which was previously Alegre.
J/22 District 5 - Southwest Circuit Update - Shreveport POSTPONED
Due to dock damage sustained during recent flooding Shreveport Yacht Club has canceled the upcoming J/22 circuit regatta (April 20-21) . As we learn details of a potential reschedule, replacement, or confirmation of full cancelation we will let you know.
2nd Cascais Melges 15 Winter Series at Clube Naval de Cascais || Sail-World
Portuguese locals Diogo Pereira and Tomas Barreto take the second and final Cascais Melges 15 Winter series.
After 5 bullets and a 6th place on the six races that took place on the two first days Diogo Pereira and Tomas Barreto sailed comfortably for a 2nd and a 5th on the two races that took place on the last day to secure victory at the second and final Cascais M15 Winter Series.
2nd Cascais Melges 15 Winter Series - photo © Neuza Aires Pereira
Diogo and Tomas were superior through the whole event and their results show. Despite having sailed the Melges 15 for the first time one day before the event, Their experience in both 420 and 49ers definitely helped and good starts and good boat speed were key to their win.
Henrique Brites and Luis Pinheiro did what they could and were improving along the championship (4, 3,3,3,2,2,1,2) but a not so strong start to the event weighted at the end. They finished second trailing the leaders by four points. Vasco Serpa and Pedro Garcia closed the podium (DNS, 4, 6,4,1,4,4,1) beating the brothers Antonio and Joao Matos Rosa by two points. 5th place was for Keiran Searle and Declan Mcgranahan, winners of the second Florida Winter Series in the US.