A Class 40 race around the world—Sailing news from the U.S. and beyond

by David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor on 18 Nov 2015 Irrespective of whether you race around buoys or across oceans, there’s something cool-if not downright enchanting-about the prospect of setting a recognized world record. Irrespective of the plum, the mindset of racing against a clock requires a different kind of concentration and competitive drive than racing in a fleet, where an extra shot of motivation can often be conjured by looking at the other boats around you and working hard to keep pace with ones rivals. For anyone racing a clock, however, the desire to press hard, and to achieve something of a more personal nature, must come from intense internal pressures rather than external stimuli such as a vanishing masthead light.

And while Joe Harris (USA) and Henrik Masekowitz (DEU) can’t even begin to see each other's vanishing rigs in the murky dawn hours, they are likely acutely aware of each other's position and progress, as both sailors set out this past weekend with the express purpose of breaking the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation aboard a Class 40. The current record holder is Guo Chuan (CHN), whose record stands at 137 days, 20 hours, 1 minute and 57 seconds.

Masekowitz began his journey in the early hours of Friday, November 13, 2015 (talk about an inauspicious day-on a lot of levels-to begin a record attempt) from Ushant, France aboard his 2007 Akilaria Class 40, Croix du Sud, and is reportedly making good progress.

Harris launched his record attempt on Sunday, November 15 from Newport, Rhode Island, where the highly experienced solo sailor has long based his 2008 Akilaria Class 40, GryphonSolo2. According to reports, Harris also started early, with a dock-out time of 0700 hours and a ton of fanfare from his family, friends, and supporters.

“After a trial run to choose the right sail combination, we transferred the crew off and I sailed across the start line at 9:18:24 AM EST... hoping to return without stopping sometime in March... what a concept,” wrote Harris on his blog on Sunday evening, less than 12 hours into his around-the-world adventure. “I have now sailed out about 75 miles out past Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket and we have been absolutely sendin' it in 22-30 knots of wind from about a 120' true wind angle which this boat just loves- so speeds have been in consistently in the teens and a top speed of 19.2. Talk about a flying start!”

While Harris hooked into fast conditions for the first few days of his shadow-boxing race against both Guo Chuan and Henrik Masekowitz, there’s no question that the South Hamilton, Massachusetts-based sailor will experience everything from frustration-inducing doldrums to the fury of the Southern Ocean as he sprints around the Great Capes and eventually sets his trusted steed on a course back home to Newport sometime next spring.

It’s expected that both Harris and Masekowitz will sail similar courses, although it will be interesting to see-come spring-if (and how) their routing back to their individual starting points affects their standing in this rather unusual race. After all, most solo record attempts are just that-a single skipper alone in a vast ocean aboard a well-prepared raceboat, fighting a clock and working with nature. The contest is likely to be particularly enthralling both for the skippers as well as for shore-based fans and virtual spectators, given the two-horse nature of this footrace and the element of direct boat-against-boat competition.

Be sure to stay tuned to this space for more on Harris’ and Masekowitz’s record attempts, as they unfurl.

Also inside this issue, get the latest news on the storm-battered Clipper Round the World Race, get the latest downloads from the Laser Radial Women’s World Championships (November 17-26), and don’t miss the latest reports from the Finn Gold Cup, the Transat Jacques Vabre and the Seabin project. Enjoy!

May the four winds blow you safely home,