Corinthian offshore racing, VOR—Sailing news from the U.S. and beyond
by David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor on 25 Jun 2015
Volvo Ocean Race 2015 - Leg 9 arrival in Goteborg Carlo Borlenghi/Volvo Ocean Race
http://www.volvooceanrace.com
The summer sailing season has arrived with force, bringing with it great regattas from coast to coast and-in the coming weeks-across two mighty oceans. On the East Coast, the Transatlantic Race kicks off this Sunday with the first of a staggered, three-start sequence (the fastest boats start the following Sunday), while West Coasters are gearing up for the Transpacific Race, which sees its first starting guns fire on July 13 (with the fastest boats starting on July 18).
Overlaid on top of these two high-level Corinthian events is the Marion to Bermuda Race, which began last Friday, as well as the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR)’s celebrations and aftermath, as racing officially ended earlier this week.
In the Marion to Bermuda Race, Mischievous, a Meriten 65 sailed by cadets from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and skippered by Charles Cahill, took line honors, while Silhouette, David Casso’s Cherubini 44, is currently leading the hunt on corrected-time results.
“Excellent… Great!” said George Fergusson, Bermuda’s Governor, about his first Bermuda race. “The Gulf Stream was a bit damp with waves coming from various directions. The highest wind was 39 knots. We took the mizzen (a small sail in the back of the four-sail rig) down and put reefs in the mainsail (the biggest sail) to reduce its size. When we took the mizzen down, the boat got more upright without reducing speed. We were doing 11 knots in the Gulf Stream. We had two beautiful days from the Gulf Stream to St. David's.”
Get the full report from the Marion to Bermuda Race, inside.
Also on the East Coast, these are busy days in Newport, Rhode Island, as teams arrive for the Transatlantic Race ahead of their respective starts, and as yards and marine professionals rush to take care of last-minute jobs and projects before the starting guns sound. While all teams have been training and preparing for this grueling race, some of the stand-out entrants include Comanche, Rambler 88, Phaedo 3, and Paradox. Stay tuned for more from this storied event as it becomes known.
Meanwhile, on the West Coast, the 61-strong Transpac Fleet has now been divided into different Divisions, based on their speed and handicap ratings. According to reports, inside, Monday, July 13 will be a busy one for the RC, as they will be starting ten boats in division seven and twelve boats in division eight.
Fans of Grand Prix hardware will want to tune-in on July 18, when the fastest boats-including the 105-foot trimaran, Lending Club 2 (more on that magnificent boat later this week!), and Wild Oats XI-will begin the 2,225 mile course that takes racers to beautiful Honolulu.
And in Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) news, teams are celebrating their victories or simply celebrating the completion of safe racing circumnavigations aboard high-performance boats. As for Ian Walker (GBR), skipper of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and the overall winner of the 2014/2015 VOR (and a former Olympic medalist), this win represents the culmination of eight years of effort, starting with two campaigns that ended up DFL.
“My whole relationship with the Whitbread started as a kid with pictures of the boats on the wall,” said Walker at a post-racing VOR press conference in Gothenburg, Sweden. “I did my first Volvo Ocean Race two editions ago and I really wasn’t sure if I’d be up to it. I wondered what the Southern Ocean would be like, lots of self-doubt, and it’s been a long, old road.”
“We’ve made a lot of mistakes and we’ve learned a lot of lessons and this time round we threw all that experience in place, surrounded myself with good guys and it worked,” continued Walker.
As for his future plans, Walker intends to stay ashore, at least for a while. “I think my next appointment is rescue boat duty at Junior Fortnight sailing with my kids,” said Walker. “I’m going home for the summer – my kids want their Daddy back.”
Get the full post-VOR debriefings, inside.
Also inside, get the latest downloads from the Stena Match Cup Sweden, the 2015 Giraglia Rolex Cup, the Extreme Sailing Series, the Clipper Round the World Race, and the ICSA 2015 All-American Team.
May the four winds blow you safely home,
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