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  AC news & tough Vendee break-Sailing news from North America & beyond
 | | The LandRover BAR Race yacht "Rita" shown here being christened and launched today at the teams base in Bermuda. Lloyd Images © |
These are heady days for fans of the America's Cup, as most teams will be unveiling their brand-new, 50-foot America's Cup Class (ACC) catamarans this week, following several years of training and racing on the smaller AC45 and the fully foiling AC45F. For fans who have been waiting years to see the new designs, the dry period is officially over, starting with Sir Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR team and followed this week by the Defender, Oracle Team USA.
Sir Ben has a fine, long-established tradition of naming his 19 previous boats Rita, a naming scheme that served him well as he collected his five Olympic medals (four of them gold), and now he and his team are carrying this winning tradition forward with the 35th America's Cup (AC35).
 | | Land Rover BAR launch of the first AC50, February 6, 2017 Americas Cup Media |
The team unveiled their wingsail-powered, fully foiling Rita on February 6, 2017 in a ceremony at their base on the island nation of Bermuda, where AC35 will unfurl this coming spring, using a bottle of Nyetimber (English sparkling wine).
“The launch represents the sum of all the team's efforts to bring the America's Cup home, and we're delighted to get her in the water here in Bermuda,” said Sir Ben. “There are just a few short months before the racing starts at the end of May, and we will be working very hard now on the final development and testing of this boat to make sure we are ready for the racing.”
 | | Land Rover BAR Team Principal & Skipper Sir Ben Ainslie ?(c) Fabien Nissels - Zenith watches |
This last comment is likely especially exciting news to fans that have had to go a long time sans an AC fix. And while June's finals feel a long ways off on a cold mid-February morn, the calendar doesn't lie-time is short, especially for any teams that might need to make unexpected further developments to their boat before it's ready for the prime time.
Other teams are clearly aware of the calendar and the need to launch their boats ASAP and start the development curve that will ultimately lead to a victory come June. For example, Oracle Team USA plans to launch their boat on Valentines Day (February 14) to celebrate seven years since they won the 33rd America's Cup in a Deed of Gift Challenge on the waters off of Valencia, Spain.
 | | USA-17 on her way to winning the 33rd America's cup BMW Oracle Racing © Photo Gilles Martin-Raget |
Be sure to stay tuned to the website in the coming days for the latest Cup news and images of the new boats being launched, as they unfurl.
Meanwhile in offshore racing news, sailors are still crossing the finishing line in the singlehanded, non-stop around-the-world Vendee Globe Race, which was won by Armel Le Cleach (FRA), sailing aboard Banque Populaire VIII, on January 19, 2017. Most recently, Nandor Fa (HUN), sailing aboard the Spirit of Hungary, crossed the finishing line on February 8 to become the eighth boat back to the barn, however, calamity struck Conrad Colman, who holds both U.S. and New Zealand passports and who is sailing aboard Foresight Natural Energy, when he lost his rig just over 700 miles from the goal post.
 | | Hungarian solo skipper Nandor Fa - Vendée Globe © Olivier Blanchet / DPPI / Vendee Globe |
According to reports, Colman was sailing in 35-40 knot winds on Saturday, February 11, at around 2200 hours UTC when his rig came tumbling down. While this was understandably terrible news for the young skipper, he has vowed to fight on and is currently sailing for the Les Sables d'Olonne, France finishing line under jury rig using his boom and remnants of his rig.
 | | Conrad Colman aboard a dismasted Foresight Natural Energy the day after she was dismasted in the Vendee Globe Race - February 11, 2017 © Conrad Colman / Foresight Energy / Vendée Globe |
Hopefully the gods of the Vendee Globe Race will grant him safe passage back home, and hopefully prospective sponsors are also witnessing Colman's grit, gumption and dedication to pressing on and finishing under his own steam (hint: the next Vendee Globe starts in November of 2020, and it's never too early to start considering the next campaign).
May the four winds blow you safely home,
David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor
Mike Ingham's Tarheel takes J/24 Midwinter Championship
Julie and Christopher Howell, 
Just a few days after being named US Sailing's 2016 National Coach of the Year, Mike Ingham earned his first J/24 Midwinter Championship, helming Tarheel. The Rochester, NY-based skipper posted a line of one, three, (sixteen), one, two, two, nine, five for 23 points over eight races at Eau Gallie Yacht Club in Indian Harbour Beach, FL in the 31-boat fleet.... [more]
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