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  Caribbean 600, Vendee, VOR — Sailing news from North America & beyond
 | | A record fleet is expected for the 9th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 starting in Antigua on 20th February 2017 © RORC / ELWJ Photography |
All told, today's run was a good one: no rain, not too much wind, temps in the low 40s, and only moderately high humidity-meteorological rarities for Seattle in February, and the kind of conditions that dedicated runners should be grateful for. Still, the human brain has an amazing way of simply knowing when the grass is greener on the other side of the hill, and, as I turned to begin running up the long hill home, I made a mistake: I started to daydream about sailing, specifically about the RORC's Caribbean 600, which starts today on the crystal-clear, bathtub-warm waters off of Antigua and stretches around the nearby islands to create a geographically interesting and navigationally challenging race that has long topped on my personal sailing bucket list.
Instantly, instead of being grateful that the pregnant clouds overhead weren't unleashing their “liquid sunshine” at 0530 hours, my brain became transfixed with thoughts of perfect trade-wind sailing, watches spent wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and the stunning scenery that the fortunate few will be enjoying over the span of the next few days. And that's to say nothing of the promise of world-class downhill sailing, surfing on open-ocean rollers with kites full of mercifully warm airs.
 | | 2016 RORC Caribbean 600 © Tim Wright / Photoaction.com |
Suddenly, my run felt like pure drudgery compared to the adventure that awaits the crews of the 80 yachts that are currently registered for this yearly bluewater adventure. If you find yourself facing similar hills today, metaphoric or otherwise, take heart in the fact that we can live vicariously through our luckier friends while planning for future winters that involve Caribbean breezes.
Also offshore-related, sailors continue to cross the finishing line in the solo, non-stop-around-the-world Vendee Globe Race, which began back in November. Skipper Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA), sailing aboard Banque Populaire VIII, took top honors in this highly prestigiously (and highly Francophile) event on January 19, followed by 11 other solo skippers, but now the finishing-line drama involves two skippers who carry American passports, namely Rich Wilson, who is sailing aboard Great American IV, and Conrad Colman (NZ/USA), who is sailing aboard Foresight Natural Energy.
 | | Conrad Colman new mainsheet arrangement - Vendee Globe 2016-2017 Vendee Globe © |
While both of these sailors have captivating stories to share, Colman has earned international headlines in the past week and a half after he dismasted on February 10, some 800 miles from the finishing line. Colman, a former sailmaker, is now sailing under jury rig, and-at the time of this writing-had 352.7 miles to go to the finishing line, which he was dispatching at a pace of 3.1 knots.
Wilson, it should be noted, had just 217.5 nautical miles to go, and was sailing at a pace of 10.4 knots. With some luck, Mr. Wilson, who ranks as one of the race's smartest and best-educated sailors, as well as its elder statesman, will enjoy his first non-freeze-dried meal in several months within the next 24 hours.
 | | Rich Wilson, USA skipper, great American iv on pontoons of the Vendée Globe Mark Lloyd/ DDPI/Vendee Globe © |
And for fans of fully crewed offshore racing, word broke that two-time Olympic medalist Xabi Fernandez (ESP) will serve as skipper aboard MAPFRE for the 2017/2018 Volvo Ocean Race. Keen fans of the VOR will remember Fernandez well, as he has already completed this grueling course four times, once as co-skipper of MAPFRE with his Olympic sailing partner, Iker Martinez. Now, Fernandez will be serving in this capacity alone, as Martinez plans to sit out this next VOR and pursue other professional plans.
 | | Xabi Fernandez (Mapfre) talks to media after the finish - Leg 4, Finish - Volvo Ocean Race © Richard Gladwell |
“The Volvo Ocean Race is an enormously difficult challenge combining human adventure, world-class sport, technical expertise, logistics on a global scale, and a unique communications platform,” said Fernández. “Being fortunate enough to be back on the start line, with a chance to claim victory, is something that we are very proud of, and I'm thankful to MAPFRE for believing in a project that began back in 2014.”
 | | Onboard MAPFRE – Xabi Fernandez on the helm with tight upwind conditions - Leg 8 to Lorient – Volvo Ocean Race 2015 Francisco Vignale/Mapfre/Volvo Ocean Race |
To date, three teams, including the Dutch-flagged Team AkzoNobel, led by skipper Simeon Tienpont (NED), the Chinese-flagged Dongfeng Race Team, led by skipper Charles Caudrelier (FRA), and now the Spanish-flagged MAPFRE, led by Fernandez, have announced their participation in the next edition of the VOR.
In total, the VOR expects to see seven or eight of the identical, Farr-designed Volvo Ocean 65s on the starting line off of Alicante, Spain, come October. Giddyap!
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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