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  Vendee Globe final-mile drama—Sailing news from North America & beyond
 | | Sailing aerial images of IMOCA boat Hugo Boss, skipper Alex Thomson (GBR), during training solo for the Vendee Globe 2016, off England. © Cleo Barnham Hugo Boss |
Simply put, these are halcyon days for fans of offshore sailing. At the time of this writing, just 812 nautical miles separates skipper Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA), sailing aboard Banque Populaire VIII, from the Les Sables d'Olonne, France and the finishing line of the 2016/2017 edition of the Vendee Globe Race, which is a singlehanded, non-stop round-the-world race that's contested every four years aboard wildly powerful IMOCA 60 monohulls. While this is great news for first-placed Le Cleac'h, who has been leading the race since December 2, the less-than-sterling news (for Le Cleac'h) is that skipper Alex Thomson (GBR), sailing aboard Hugo Boss, is just 78 nautical miles astern of his French rival, meaning that the final miles will be a tactically minded, full-bore sprint.
Moreover, according to the latest reports from Thomson and Le Cleac'h, the breeze is supposed to gather considerably in the coming hours and days, and the boats' masthead anemometers could easily see 30-plus knots (again) by the time the two IMOCA 60 come within striking distance of the finishing line.
 | | Banque Populaire VIII - Armel Le Cleac'h - Vendee Globe 2016/17 © Team Banque Populaire |
While this contest appears to be that of two perfectly matched boats and skippers conducting a globe-girdling chess game that's unfurled over the last two-plus months, the unvarnished truth is that Hugo Boss suffered a daggerfoil-snapping collision with an unidentified floating object in November that broke his starboard “Dali” foil, thus rendering his boat's speed potential while sailing on port tack.
Fortunately for Thomson, the final miles to Les Sables d'Olonne will be a starboard-tack affair, meaning that he can press Hugo Boss hard as he attempts to catch up with his still mechanically intact rival.
 | | Hugo Boss, skipper Alex Thomson (GBR) at start of the Vendee Globe, in Les Sables d'Olonne, France, on November 6th, 2016 © Jean-Marie Liot |
While these final miles must define the word “stressful” for Thomson and Le Cleac'h, for fans this showdown is an offshore drama to be savored.
True, the last edition of the Vendee Globe also saw two boats-[Macif, skippered by Francois Gabart (FRA), and Le Cleac'h, sailing aboard Banque Populaire VII-cross the finishing line just over three hours apart, however both boats were still mechanically sound when they finished racing.
 | | Armel Le Cleac'h - race leader Banque Populaire V - Vendee Globe Race Voile Banque Populaire |
Be sure to stay current with the website for the latest Vendee Globe news, as it breaks, and check out the website for the latest news on Thomson's impressive 24-hour record (536.81 nautical miles in 24 hours), which he set on December 15, 2016, and which has now been confirmed by race organizers.
 | | Caleb Paine after securing Finn class Bronze at Rio 2016 Amory Ross © |
Much closer to home, the annual US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards were announced last week. On the men's side of the aisle, Caleb Paine (26), who claimed a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics in the one-person Finn, will be awarded a new Rolex timepiece for his efforts, while young Daniela Moroz (15), the women's winner of the 2016 IKA Kite World Champion, will be similarly honored.
“It was a tough battle for me, and I feel fortunate to come up with a medal in the end,” said Paine of his Olympic bronze-medal win. “I didn't get off to the best start, but I kept my eyes open and saw an opportunity to make a gain on the right side, and it was go all the way or nothing at all, so I had to fully commit and fortunately it paid off.”
 | | US foil sensation Daniela Moroz challenging for top spot - 2016 IKA Formula Kite (Foil) World Championships—Day Five Alexandru Baranescu |
As for Moroz, her top performance at the IKA Formula Kite World Championship was part of a bigger year of successfully foiling on the international stage. “The Hydrofoil Pro Tour was awesome,” said Moroz of her 2016 experiences. “It is one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Traveling around the world and being able to compete is a dream. The racing is a big part of it, but it's not everything. I've made some great friends along the way.”
Get the full report on both of these sailors, inside.
 | | Azzurra's - 2017 52 Super Series 52 SuperSeries |
Also inside, be sure to get the latest news from the 52 Super Series, the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, and Key West Race Week (January 15-20), which kicks-off racing today.
May the four winds blow you safely home,
David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor
A QandA with Dick Neville, Quantum Key West Race Week's RC chairman
David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor, 
For the past 30 years, international sailors have gathered in Key West, Florida, each January for Key West Race Week, a regatta that has achieved legendary status due to its calendar dates, its location, and the impressive level of competition and racecourse management that this storied event offers. I caught up with Dick Neville, Race Committee chair for this year's Quantum KWRW, to learn more.... [more]
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