 |
 |
  Musings on New Years Resolutions—Sailing news from N.America & beyond
 | | Winter light and low-slung clouds on Puget Sound David Schmidt |
Across North America, sailors are rubbing the lingering grains of 2016 from their eyes while looking to the challenges, possibilities and changes ahead. On a macro level, a new POTUS arrives in Washington, D.C. on January 20, the stock market is exploring new heights, and-in the sailing world-a new America's Cup contest is set to start foiling on the waters of Bermuda's Great Sound this spring. On a much more micro level, plenty of us also bid farewell to 2016 with thoughts of ways of trying to better our (metaphorical) boatspeed for the coming year.
I'll be honest: One of my biggest goals for 2017 is to get out sailing more. For me, 2016 was awash with work, work-related travel and continued hard work towards rehabilitating a long-term shoulder injury. While my “bionic” arm will never be the same as it was before I learned the magical words “on belay”, it's as strong as it's likely going to be, so there's little reason not to try and press this New Year's resolution.
So, when my good friend invited me to join him for Seattle's own Duwamish Head Race, this coming Saturday, I jumped at the chance. Only later did I learn that our prolonged cold snap here in the Pacific Northwest would likely persist into the weekend, casting temperatures in the mid-30s (Fahrenheit and without wind chill) onto our carbon-fiber decks. Still, a resolution is a resolution, and-if nothing else-cold-weather racing creates a certain kind of crew culture that's absent from warm-weather regattas.
Maybe it's just the promise of a glass of fine sipping rum once the sails are flaked and the docklines made fast, but either way, camaraderie is camaraderie and as I sit here in my warm office, drinking a nice cup of piping-hot tea on this winter morn, I'm excited for Saturday's racing. Hopefully my New Year's resolve will stand the test of twelve-plus hours of hanging out in a freezer that features sporadic dousings of Puget Sound's finest brine!
 | | Perpetual Loyal - 2016 Rolex Sydney Hobart © Rolex/Daniel Forster |
Speaking of wearing brine, the veterans of the 2016 Sydney Hobart Race experienced a (relatively) benign ride to Tasmania this year, with only a (relatively) small number of retirements, including the high-profile super maxi, Wild Oats XI, which reported problems with their hydraulic keel-ram system. This retirement opened the door wide to Anthony Bell's 100-foot, Juan K-designed Perpetual Loyal (nee' Speedboat and Rambler 100), which broke Wild Oats XI's 2012 race record for this 628 nautical-mile course of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds by a stunning four hours, 51 minutes and 52 seconds. Perpetual Loyal's new record stands at a mere 1 day, 13 hours, 31 minutes and 20 seconds.
 | | Anthony Bell (left), owner/skipper of Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours winner Perpetual LOYAL, presented with a Rolex Yacht-Master II timepiece by Joel Aeschlimann, Rolex Geneva © Rolex/ Kurt Arrigo |
According to reports, Bell's New Years resolution may involve trying to recapture the Auld Mug for Australia, so stay tuned for further news on this matter, as it unfurls.
 | | Banque Populaire VIII - Armel Le Cleac'h - Vendee Globe 2016/17 Vendee Globe © |
Meanwhile, in the Vendee Globe singlehanded, around-the-world race, leader Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA), sailing aboard Banque Populaire VIII, continues to lead Alex Thomson (GBR), sailing aboard Hugo Boss, by a delta of just 146.96 nautical miles (at the time of this writing). This is an impressively slim advantage, given the fact that Thomson suffered the loss of one of his “Dali foils” following a collision weeks ago with an unidentified floating object, which reduced Hugo Boss' ability to press as hard as her French-flagged rival.
Thomson has clearly found another gear on his semi-stricken Hugo Boss, thus placing a huge premium on weather-routing, navigation, and each skipper's ability to coax each potential fraction of a knot from their steeds as they start to lock in on the finishing line, which is still some 4,542 miles ahead of Banque Populaire VIII's bowsprit.
 | | Hugo Boss on a sea trial off southern England in August 2016 © Cleo Barnham Hugo Boss |
The Vendee Globe fleet is now spread out across a wide swath of the globe, with two boats as far west as Tasmania and five boats (including Hugo Boss and Banque Populaire VIII) east and north of Cape Horn. Get the full Vendee Globe briefing, inside.
Finally, while everyone can set personal-improvement goals on New Years Eve, few will be able to top the new singlehanded around-the-world time established by Thomas Coville (FRA), sailing aboard his 31-meter (LOA) maxi trimaran, Sodebo Ultim. Coville shaved a stunning eight days, ten hours, 26 minutes and 28 seconds off of the previous record, which was set by Francois Joyon (FRA) in 2008.
 | | Thomas Coville broke the 50day barrier for a single handed round the world voyage © Thomas Coville / Sodebo |
Given how tough this new reference mark will be to beat, it was only fitting that Coville crossed the finishing line on this stunning project on Christmas Day, giving the 48-year old French skipper one of the finest Christmas gifts that he will ever receive.
 | | Thomas Coville breaks the world record in solo in multihull, at the helm of Sodebo Ultim © Eloi Stichelbaut |
So, as the world slides into 2017 (or lurches and groans, depending on one's political leanings), don't forget those quiet conversations that we all have with ourselves on improving our (metaphorical) boatspeed. Sure, these resolutions can be tough (or-in my case-cold) to maintain, but they can also lead to gladder tidings in the months and years to come.
Best wishes to you and your family for a happy, healthy and successful 2017 from your friends at Sail-World.com!
May the four winds blow you safely home,
David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor
Vendee Globe - Alex Thomson fields questions in the South Atlantic
Sail-World.com, 
Hugo Boss skipper, trimmer, mainsheet hand, helmsman, navigator, cook and bowman, Alex Thomson fields some questions from fans on Day 57 of the Vendee Globe, solo round the world race. He talks about power generation, engine use, how he copes with going through a wave, working on the bow, weather analysis, tactics, and best point of sailing for Hugo Boss - or as he puts it 'holiday time'!... [more]
|
|