ocean-racing « WordPress.com Tag Feed

Clipper Round the World Race Arrives in Liverpool

emilyboats — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:09:05 +0000

On Saturday the sailing fleet of ten internationally-backed 68-foot ocean racing yachts competing in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race arrived back in Liverpool at the end of their 35,000-mile circumnavigation. For the non-professional crew onboard, the race finish this weekend marks the end of a challenge of a lifetime as they battled the elements in search of victory and the title of Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race champions.

Doctors, students, teachers, secretaries and a taxi driver are among the crew members who are nearing the end of their challenge. Onboard each yacht is just one professional, the skipper, whose role it is to lead the team to victory. The crew is all amateurs, nearly forty percent of whom had no sailing experience when they began this adventure ten months ago. National pride is at stake as the Clipper Race is the longest race in the world where cities and nations go head to head.

The fleet’s arrival in Liverpool on Saturday coincided with the height of the city’s celebrations as European Capital of Culture 2008 and thousands of supporters are expected to line the banks of the River Mersey to welcome the teams back home.

On Saturday the program was as follows (all times in GMT):

Early AM - First yachts to finish at the Bar buoy in River Mersey

0830 - Start of Liverpool 08 Dash up the River Mersey to Dukes Mast (media boat available)

1115 - Parade of sail with cannon fired in honour of each of the ten yachts

1145 - Fleet enters Canning Half Tide Dock

1300 - Prizegiving for Race 14 in Canning Half Tide Dock

1400 – Fleet enters Albert Dock

1415 - Prizegiving for Liverpool 08 Dash and overall race in Albert Dock

For everyone onboard each boat this final race is a poignant moment. Sailing round the world is an unprecedented achievement – more people have climbed Mount Everest than have raced yachts around the world. The last short race, which culminates with the fleet’s arrival in Liverpool’s famous Albert Dock on Saturday, is the climax of this once in a lifetime adventure.
Clipper 07-08 started in Liverpool on 16 September 2007 and over the last ten months the teams have circumnavigated the globe, crossing the Atlantic three times, the Pacific once, and sailing across the infamous Southern Ocean, with stopovers in 6 continents.

The Clipper Race is the brainchild of legendary yachtsman, Sir Robin Knox Johnston, who in 1969, became the first man to sail solo, non-stop around the world.

Round the Island Race

emilyboats — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:41:50 +0000

Sailing a yacht around the island of wight in the Round the Island Race (RTI).

Onboard video from Round the Island Race. Yacht sailing on the back of the island of Wight in the UK.

Yachts sailing around the island of Wight in the Round the Island Race (RTI).

Sailing round the island of Wight in the Round the Island Race (RTI). Yachts in the UK.

Newport Bermuda Race

emilyboats — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:33:43 +0000

Newport Bermuda Race

Rhode Island, US - The Newport Bermuda Race sailed out of Newport Rhode Island a few days ago with sailboats ranging from 100' mega-yachts to family sailboats.

The Newport Bermuda Race is organized by the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. The race is handicapped with ORR (Offshore Racing Rule) and IRC. The course was from Newport to Bermuda with a first warning gun firing on Friday, June 20, 2008.

The Sail boats sailed from Newport all the way to Bermuda in the Newport Bermuda Race. The maxi yacht Speedboat crossed the line in Bermuda first, then came the boat Rambler.

Following the Newport Bermuda Race, Speedboat will head north and the crew will be on standby for the right weather window to scream across the Pond and try to break the Trans-Atlantic sailing record.

Robin Knox-Johnston

emilyboats — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:09:26 +0000

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (born March 17 1939) , was the first man to sail non-stop single-handed around the globe. Robin Knox-Johnston was also the second winner of the Jules Verne Trophy (together with Sir Peter Blake). He was born in Putney in London and grew up on The Wirral. From 1957 to 1965 he served in the Merchant Navy and the Royal Navy. In 1965 he sailed his Colin-Archer-design sloop Suhaili from Bombay to England.

In June of 1968 the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race started at Falmouth, UK. Robin Knox-Johnston rounded Cape Horn in January, 20 days before his closest competitor Bernard Moitessier who was the favorite to do the fastest circumnavigation, but Moitessier abandoned the race. Thus, Knox-Johnston became the first man to circumnavigate the globe non-stop and single-handed on April 22 1969, the day he returned to Falmouth. He donated his prize money to the family of Donald Crowhurst who died during the race.

Read an interview with Robin Knox-Johnston | digg story

Yacht Racing Video

emilyboats — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:28:00 +0000

Yacht Racing Video

Samantha (Sam) Davies - Top Female Solo Sailor

emilyboats — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:37:20 +0000

Sam Davies: One of the top sailors in the world, Samantha (Sam) Davies is on her way to achieving rock-star status. Sure, Sam Davies is pretty, but she's also a solid world-class sailor. Sam Davies just finished 5th in the Artemis Transat on her sailboat Roxy and is about to sail off around the world in the Vendee Globe, alone!

Peyron: Winner of the Artemis Transat

emilyboats — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:53:13 +0000

Loïck Peyron cut his sailing teeth aboard a cruiser in La Baule bay, before making his first Atlantic crossing in the Mini-Transat at the age of 18 in a 6.50-m boat. From then on, he ceaselessly honed his solo sailing skills in Figaros or multihulls, as well as serving as a crew member from Formula 40 through to match racing.

Almost forty transatlantic races later and armed with a breathtaking honours list, his passion for boats, big and small remains undimmed.

Click here to read more...

Sailing track record
# 39 Atlantic crossings, 15 of them solo
# 2 laps of the world
# 5 ORMA Champion titles
# 16 Grand Prix victories
# 2 solo English Transat wins
# 2 solo Transat Jacques Vabres wins
# 2 Course des Phares wins
# 4 Course de l'Europe wins
# 7 Trophée Clairefontaine wins
# 9 D 35 victories and 2 titles : 2005 and 2006

Sailing honours

# Artemis Transat 2008: 1st on Gitana 80
# Transat Jacques Vabre 2005: 1st on Virbac-Paprec with Jean-Pierre Dick
# Bol d'or 2005: on OKALYS D 35
# Transat Jacques Vabre 2003: 2nd on Belgacom with Jean-Luc Nélias
# Transat Jacques Vabre 2001: 3rd on Fujifilm
# The Race 2000-2001: 2nd on Innovations Explorer
# Transat Jacques Vabre 1999: 1st on Fujicolor II
# Course de l'Europe 1999: 1st on Fujicolor II
# Route du Rhum 1998: 5th on Fujicolor II
# Course de Phares 1998: 1st on Fujicolor II
# Transat Jacques Vabre 1997: 3rd on Fujicolor II
# Course de l'Europe 1997: 1st on Fujicolor II
# Québec - Saint-Malo 1996: 1st on Fujicolor II
# Europe 1 Star 1996: 1st on Fujicolor II
# Course de l'Europe 1995: 1st on Fujicolor II
# Twostar 1994 : 2nd on Fujicolor II
# Transat Jacques Vabre 1993: 3rd single-hull on Fujicolor III
# Course de l'Europe 1993: 1st on Fujicolor II
# Europe 1 Star 1992: 1st on Fujicolor II
# Vendée Globe 1990-1991: 2nd on Lada Poch III
# Lorient - Saint Barth - Lorient 1989: 1st on Lada Poch III
# Québec - Saint-Malo 1988: 2nd on Lada Poch II
# C-Star 1988 : 3rd on Lada Poch II
# La Baule - Dakar 1987: 1st on Lada Poch II
# GP de Boulogne (Formule 40) 1987: 4th on Lada Poch
# Route du Rhum 1986: 5th on Lada Poch I
# Solitaire du Figaro 1986: 4th on Lada Poch
# Tour de l'Europe 1985: 1st on Lada Poch I (Class III)
# Québec - Saint-Malo 1984: 5th with Mike Birch on Formule TAG
# La Baule - Dakar 1983: 4th on Lada Poch I
# Lorient - Les Bermudes - Lorient 1983: 5th on Transat TAG Québec
# Route du Rhum 1982: 17th on La Baule-Teletota
# La Rochelle - New Orleans 1982: 9th with Bruno Peyron on Jaz
# La Baule - Dakar 1981: 21st on Accoustique HRC
# Mini Transat 1979: 26th on Sogeport-Alcor

Read the interview with Loïck Peyron fresh from his world record win sailing the Artemis Transat.

read more here

British Girls Sailing into Boston Solo in the Artemis Transat Yacht Race

emilyboats — Tue, 27 May 2008 23:25:54 +0000

Artemis Transat Singlehanded sailing race - The UK girls come into Boston!

Samantha Davies on board Roxy crossed the finish line of The Artemis Transat as the first British yacht to finish this years Transat.

UK sailor Dee Caffari has also crossed the gate in Boston in her first solo offshore race.

Loick Peyron Wins the Artemis Transat Setting A New Record!!!

emilyboats — Sat, 24 May 2008 04:00:39 +0000

Loick Peyron won the 2008 Artemis Transat aboard the Open 60 Imocoa class sailboat Gitana 80, setting a new record!

Loick is the first skipper to have won the Artemis Transat three times!

Click here to read more about Loick Peyron winning the Artemis Transat.

Read more about the Artemis Transat

Earthrace - Biodiesel Eco-boats

emilyboats — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:07:47 +0000

Eco-boat of the future: Biodiesel eco-power powerboat Earthrace is setting a new world record for boating around the world in a bio-diesel boat.

Currently in central america, the boat will now continue boating using bio-diesel. This is an amazing boat.

Life at the Extreme

aghardt — Tue, 13 May 2008 04:36:19 +0000

Não preciso nem dizer que estou contando os dias para o início da VOR 2008/09. Em 04 de outubro acontece a in port race em Alicante, e uma semana depois os barcos largam para as tradicionalíssimas 6.500 milhas da primeira perna até a Cidade do Cabo (scoring gate em Fernando de Noronha novamente).

Daqui a menos de um ano, no início de abril/09, os sete barcos estarão no Rio de Janeiro, de onde partirão no dia 11 para Boston, não sem antes disputarem a in port race na baía da guanabara. Provavelmente estarei lá novamente.

Minha curiosidade fica por conta das in port races que não acontecerão na Cidade do Cabo nem em Kochi (Indía), as duas primeiras paradas. Após a disputa inicial de aproximadamente duas horas em Alicante, somente na China os barcos irão disputar outra regata rápida.

Dois videos para começar a sentir o tesão da coisa:

Crossing the Atlantic Alone on a Beach Cat - Sailing Records

emilyboats — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:55:22 +0000

It took Vittorio Malingri just 13 days, 17 hours and 48 minutes to sail 2,545 miles from Dakar, Senegal to Guadeloupe, Antilles. This Italian sailor didn't make the crossing in your average boat however, he made the crossing single handed aboard Royal Oak, a 20 foot beach cat!

Click here to read more about this record breaking journey on a catamaran.

Famous Solo Sailor Dee Caffari - One Cool Sailor Chick

emilyboats — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:58:09 +0000

Dee Caffari, an accomplished ocean racer and skipper, is preparing for the single-hand Artemis race next month. Of course, for Dee, that's really just a lead up to the solo Vendee Globe, which is going to earn her a record as the first woman to solo both ways around. Interview with Dee at sea, photos, and videos.

read more about the famous female sailor Dee Caffari.

Super Crazy Sailing on Trimarans

emilyboats — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:41:24 +0000

This video is da bomb! These dudes are flyin' in those trimaran sailboats.

Trimaran Sailing Video

emilyboats — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 05:08:15 +0000

Incredible sailing footage!

America's Cup Legal Battles

emilyboats — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:07:58 +0000

The lawyers play games in the courtroom, full timeline of the America's Cup legal battle. Meanwhile, the sailors continue to train for the next America's Cup. Responses from sailing crews on the America's cup sailboats. Amazing photos of the latest America's Cup sailboats sailing.

read more | digg story

Funny Sailing Video

emilyboats — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:44:24 +0000

Marseille International Sailing Race - France

emilyboats — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:50:14 +0000

The 6th edition of the Marseille International Match Race (MIMR) just finished in Marseille France. Organized by the Yachting club de la Pointe Rouge (Marseille, France), it attracted the top sailors in the world of sailboat racing.

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race - Another Boat DISMASTED!

emilyboats — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:13:57 +0000

The sailing team representing Durban, South Africa, contacted the Race Office to report that they had been dismasted, at deck level, in approximately 20 knots of wind. The sailing crew of 16 is in the process of clearing the decks and cutting away the trailing rigging from the boat, to prevent damage to the 68' yachts hull.

read more | digg story

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

emilyboats — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:51:16 +0000

The clipper race yachts are about halfway between China and Hawaii, and sailing into the wind.

They are near the island of Midway in the Pacific Ocean.

read more | digg story

Sailboat Dismasted while Sailing on the Pacific Ocean

emilyboats — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:40:57 +0000

Clipper Round The World Yacht Race

Devastating news came this morning from the westernaustralia2011.com sailboat as they reported rig failure and subsequent dismasting on the eleventh day of the around the world sailing race leg 7 from Qingdao to Hawaii. Noone was injured, and the rest of the clipper race sailboats continue on.

read more | digg story

Sailing in Dubai City - Dubai

emilyboats — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 01:27:21 +0000

Dubai – Rich sailors and their expensive sailing toys.

read more | digg story

Sydney Harbour Regatta Sailing in Australia

emilyboats — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:21:49 +0000

Strong and gusty southerly winds sorted the tough from the not so tough at the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta in Australia this weekend, as one boat after another went down in the poor sailing conditons.

read more | digg story

Sailing Around Icebergs in Antarctica

emilyboats — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:23:40 +0000

"4 icebergs in 4 days -- I've never seen this many during three previous circumnavigations" Russian solo sailor Fedor Konyukhov reported this week from deep in the Southern Ocean after completing his first month trailblazing the Antarctica Cup Racetrack on his sailboat.

read more | digg story

New World Sailing Record - New York to San Francisco - Gitana 13

emilyboats — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:44:35 +0000

Gitana 13 Sailing into the History Books

READ THE STORY ABOUT GITANA 13