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  VOR,Caribbean sun,Pacific 52s—Sailing news from North America & beyond
 | | - Dongfeng Race Team - off Brittany coast, March 2017 © Benoit Stichelbaut / Dongfeng Race Team |
While the start of the 2017/2018 Volvo Ocean Race seems like along ways off, the reality is that the race's October 22 start is rapidly approaching and that fans, sailors and race officials will be hearing starting guns sounding far sooner than anyone realizes. Perhaps it's because 2017 is also an America's Cup year, with the eyes of the sailing world riveted on Bermuda, or perhaps it's because the VOR is being somewhat coy (in an entertaining way) about breaking the news on competing teams, but you are certainly excused if the VOR was not top-of-mind for 2017 events.
Now, let's change all of that.
 | | Charles Caudrelier, Skipper from Dongfeng Race Team visit the Boatyard facilities in Lisbon where their boat has been refited and is getting ready to be launched. Amalia Infante/Volvo Ocean Race |
As of this writing, four teams have confirmed entry on the October 22 starting line. These include Team AkzoNobel, skippered by Simeon Tienpont (NED); Dongfeng Race Team, skippered by Charles Caudrelier (FRA), and Mapfre, skippered Xabiu Fernandez (ESP), as well as a still mysterious (at the time of this writing) fourth team, which is widely rumored to be under the capable command of Americans Charlie Enright and Mark Towill, who readers will remember from the 2014/2015 VOR as the leaders of Team Alvimedica.
While news of this fourth team is expected to break this week, the great news for American sailors is that we not only have a team in the race, but we also have a stopover, as Newport, Rhode Island has been confirmed as one of the official stops for the 2017/2018 VOR. According to reports, the race is expected to arrive in the “City by the Sea” on or around May 8 of 2018 and is expected to be in town through the 20th of the month, so now might be a wise time to start reserving hotel rooms.
 | | Carolijn Brouwer - Dongfeng Race Team – Volvo Ocean Race © Martin Keruzoré / Volvo Ocean Race |
As mentioned, news is slowly percolating out of the VOR's offices and from various team bases, but veteran skipper Charles Caudrelier has wasted no time in naming several key positions on his team, including two world-class female sailors, Carolijn Brouwer (NED) and Marie Riou (FRA). (FRA). Fans of Team SCA will remember Brouwer's strong contributions to the team during the 2014/2015 VOR, and fans of Olympic sailing will remember Riou's dual Olympic campaigns and four world championship titles.
Caudrelier is now the first skipper to announce his intentions to sail with female sailors, after the rules were changed following the last edition to encourage mixed-sex teams. Under the new rules, a team can sail with seven men, or they can sail with seven men and one or two females; additionally, teams could opt to sail with five men and five women, or an all-female team of eleven women can enter.
 | | Marie Riou - Dongfeng Race Team – Volvo Ocean Race © Martin Keruzoré / Volvo Ocean Race |
It remains to be seen what combination of sailors the other teams will elect to recruit, but it certainly makes for some refreshing VOR optics to see mixed-sex teams.
Stay tuned to the website for the latest VOR news, as it unfurls.
 | | J-Class final day - St Barths Bucket Regatta Ingrid Abery |
Meanwhile, in more immediate sailing news, the Caribbean regatta scene is now in full swing, with the St. Bart's Bucket Regatta (March 16-19) just wrapping up and the St. Thomas International Regatta (March 24-26) just getting ready unfurl. Don't miss the great image galleries from the Bucket Regatta, courtesy of ace lenswoman Ingrid Abery, inside this issue.
And for West Coast readers who are keen on the big-boat scene, the first of at least three new Pacific 52 class boats, Invisible Hand, has arrived from Auckland's Cookson Boats to San Francisco Bay for owner Frank Slootman and has now graced The Bay with her go-fast aesthetic. According to reports, inside, Invisible Hand will soon be joined by two other Pacific 52s that are being built from the same mould.
 | | One of new Pacific 52 class, Invisible Hand, racing in San Francisco - March 2017 Erik Simonson/ pressure-drop.us © |
The Pacific 52s are expected to race in this year's Rolex Big Boat Series, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club (September 14-17), which will likely be the class' most visible public outing of 2017, so if you're interested in seeing these sweet new machines in action, mark your calendars.
 | | Land Rover BAR's AC50 launch - their movable dock can be seen in the background Austin Wong | ACEA |
Finally, for anyone who has ever accidentally “kissed” a dock, don't miss the footage of Sir Ben Ainslie's BAR Racing team as they experience a few bad moments in Bermuda that will likely result in some shed time for their newly launched ACC yacht.
May the four winds blow you safely home,
David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor
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