Weekend wrap-up report—Sailing News from the U.S. and Beyond

by David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor on 16 Jul 2012 For New England-based sailors, this weekend offered a glimpse at some of the prettiest, most traditional boats afloat, namely, the fleet that was racing in the eighth-annual New York Yacht Club Race Week, which was presented by Rolex and held in Newport, Rhode Island. Twenty-eight boats, ranging in vintage from the 1920s to the early 1960s, danced on the historic waters of Narragansett Bay, challenged by tides, current and a fleet rife with individual and team talent (not to mention copious amounts of brightwork).

'What’s represented here this weekend are the finest classic yachts of this area, and each one has its own intriguing provenance,' said Bill Doyle, a crewmember aboard on Clarity, Jed Pearsall’s 6 Meter. 'Personally, we make a concerted effort to enjoy the beauty of wooden boats; it’s not always about winning,' added Doyle. Check out the full regatta report, as well as images, inside.

Down south in Larchmont, New York, over a thousand sailors gathered for a 'Good Luck USA Send Off' party for the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider, which was hosted by the US Sailing’s Olympic Sailing Committee and the Junior Sailing Association of Long Island Sound and held at the Larchmont Yacht Club. 'Sending off the Team with one final celebration on American soil has become a treasured moment for the Olympic Sailing Team,' said Dean Brenner, Chairman of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Program and Team Leader. 'Saturday’s party exceeded our expectations.' Racing begins in two weeks in Weymouth, England, so stand-by for the latest news, as it becomes known.

Meanwhile, in the Windy City, Ian Williams (GBR) won the 2012 Chicago Match Cup, besting Australian youngster Jordan Reece 3-0 in this inaugural match-racing regatta. 'It wasn't straightforward out there,' reported Williams. 'The conditions were very difficult with the light air and missing Bill [Hardesty, due to an emergency appendicitis surgery] after he'd done a fantastic job all week was a tough change to make. Garth Ellingham is also great sailor and he did a great job in the Final, but obviously it takes a while to gel as a group.' The event—hosted by the Chicago Match Racing Center—is also part of the larger World Match Racing Tour, so this win helped to bolster Williams’ overall season standings.

And in offshore sailing circles, Alain Thébault and his l’Hydroptère 'flying' trimaran have been earning ink recently for their upcoming assault on the LA-Hawaii record. Inside, don’t miss the two great videos document the team’s quarter century-plus quest to build the world’s fastest sailing machine, starting with Eric Tabarly’s original vision and carried through to scale models, early 'flights', and even footage of several high-speed wipe-outs. Gidyap!

Also, get the latest happenings from the 52 Super Series, the 505 Worlds, the 2012 Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship, and the Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre. And finally, kick-start your week with a gander at ace lensman Carlo Borlenghi’s eye-popping photo gallery from the final day of racing at this year’s Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week. Enjoy!

May the four winds blow you safely home,