Final sprint to Abu Dhabi too close to call
Team Brunel are just ahead in the race to win Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race and join Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing at the top of the leaderboard – but the sprint into Abu Dhabi still looks too close…
Offshore
News, race results plus editorial coverage from the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Vendée Globe, The Ocean Race, ARC, Fastnet, Transpac, Ocean Globe Race, Global Solo Challenge and Offshore Yachting from around the world.
Start date confirmed for 2016 Vendee Globe
With less than two years to the start of the Vendée Globe, Bruno Retailleau, President of the Saem Vendée, gave a complete rundown of the situation concerning the eighth Vendée Globe at the Paris Boat Show this afternoon (Tuesday). As…
Team Vestas Wind looking at new boat to complete the Volvo Ocean Race
ABU DHABI, December 8 – Team Vestas Wind is ‘exploring the opportunity’ of re-entering the Volvo Ocean Race with a new boat just over a week after their Volvo Ocean 65 ran into a reef in the Indian Ocean.. With…
Date and route announced for 2015 Transat Jacques Vabre
On Sunday 25th of October 2015, as tradition dictates, the Transat Jacques Vabre will rally to a coffee producing destination. After more than a week of celebrations around the Paul Vatine harbour in Le Havre, the four classes taking part…
Imagination wins Bird Island Race ahead of Rolex Sydney Hobart
Careful sailing, exceptional crew work and a new Code Zero have contributed to Robin and Annette Hawthorn’s runaway victory in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s painfully slow Bird Island Race this weekend, with Anthony Bell’s Perpetual Loyal taking line…
Big year ahead for Spindrift Racing
The maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2 reached her home port of La Trinité-sur-Mer in the early hours of Tuesday morning after a week-long crossing from Guadeloupe. Conditions were ideal for Yann Guichard and his eight crew members. The return trip across the…
Early entry extended for Club Marine Pittwater to Coffs race
The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club announced today they have extended the closing date for the first round of Club Marine Pittwater to Coffs Yacht Race entries by a week to Friday December 12, 2014. After the cut-off a late…
Wild Oats XI spreads her wing for 10th Rolex Sydney-Hobart
She’s the Grande Dame of ocean yacht racing and had near a dozen makeovers in the past 10 years. Now it’s hoped her latest upgrade will literally wing her to unsurpassed levels of acclaim on the international sailing scene. The…
Team Vestas Wind arrive safely in Mauritius
Volvo Ocean Race’s ship-wrecked nine-man Team Vestas Wind crew finally made it back to civilisation on Wednesday, telling of their amazing escape from a collision with an Indian Ocean reef which grounded their boat. The unshaven, exhausted team in the…
Team Vestas Wind crew finally return to civilisation
Chris Nicholson’s stranded Team Vestas Wind crew are finally on their way back to civilisation after two days sitting on a remote ‘sand pit’ in the Indian Ocean, where there was a risk of shark encounters. The Volvo Ocean Race…
Comanche arrives in Sydney to do battle with Wild Oats XI
Comanche, one of five eye-catching 100-foot super maxis competing in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race, has now arrived in Sydney to begin final preparations to take the start line on December 26th. Arriving on a container ship from the…
Chris Nicholson talks about the salvage of Team Vestas Wind
Hey Chris, Mark Covell here calling from Race Control. Hey Mark, how are ya? Yeah good, and how are you? (laughs) Mate, I’m ah, I’m sitting here on a, on a, I guess a ship-wrecked island, it’s beautiful, and I’m here…
Syd Fischer launches his 100ft “surfboard” ahead of Rolex Sydney-Hobart
As family, friends and well-wishers looked on Syd Fischer OBE launched what he has dubbed “my giant surfboard”, his newly-hulled Ragamuffin 100, at Sydney City Marine in Rozelle, Sydney, today. Before having its keel locked into place and being lowered…
Will Oxley describes what happened when Team Vestas Wind ran aground
November 30, 2014 – Team Alvimedica has resumed racing today toward Abu Dhabi, after diverting yesterday afternoon to stand by until early morning today to assist in the rescue of fellow Volvo Ocean Race competitor Team Vestas Wind after they…
Chris Nicholson: Proud of how his crew reacted when Vestas Wind went aground.
ALICANTE, Spain, November 30 – Australian skipper, Chris Nicholson, spoke on Sunday night of his immense pride at the way his Team Vestas Wind crew came through the ordeal of being grounded and being forced to abandon their boat in…
RORC Transatlantic Race gets underway after two postponements
After two delays to the start due to horrendous weather conditions, the RORC Transatlantic Race in association with the International Maxi Association started from Puerto Calero Marina at 1000 UTC, Sunday 30th November. It was third time lucky as the…
Team Vestas Wind abandon ship after running aground
Statement from Team Vestas Wind and Volvo Ocean Race: At 1510 UTC, Saturday, November 29, Team Vestas Wind informed Race Control that their boat was grounded on the Cargados Carajos Shoals, Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean. Fortunately, no one has…
Team Vestas Wind crew safe after rescue during Volvo Ocean Race
ALICANTE, Spain, November 30 – Team Vestas Wind crew were rescued in the small hours of Sunday morning after the Danish team's Volvo Ocean Race boat was grounded on a reef in the Indian Ocean, forcing them to abandon it….
Dongfeng damages mast track in leg 2 of Volvo Ocean Race
China’s Dongfeng Race Team were forced to carry out repairs on Thursday to a detached mast track that could have hampered their challenge in Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race. The track runs the whole length of the 30-metre…
Storms come to play with Volvo Ocean Race fleet
A big make-or-break moment for Leg 2 is almost upon the Volvo Ocean Race fleet in the Indian Ocean: do they take on an approaching tropical storm in the next 24 hours or so, or dodge it? If they try…
Mapfre challenges for the lead in leg 2 of Volvo Ocean Race
MAPFRE, the Spanish boat which finished last of the fleet in Leg 1, has bounced back in style to challenge for the lead in the next stage between Cape Town and Abu Dhabi. Skipper Iker Martínez (ESP) acted decisively after…
Sir Robin “ecstatic” with third place in Route du Rhum
British adventurer and Clipper Race Founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, 75, has finished solo Transatlantic race the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe in third place in the Rhum class. Sir Robin crossed the finish line on his Open 60 Grey…
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston locked in battle for podium places
As the bulk of the Class 40 fleet in the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe file in to the finish in Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe Friday with their stories to tell, the fight for the remaining places in the Rhum Class of the…
Wounded mates to face the Bass Strait together
A new group of serving and former Australian soldiers will take on one of the most gruelling long ocean yacht races in the world as part of their rehabilitation and to raise awareness of the challenges facing young service men…
Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Historical Photographic Exhibition at National Maritime Museum
To help celebrate the 70th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race the Australian National Maritime Museum has honoured the CYCA by creating an intimate photographic exhibition in their Tasman Light Gallery. In collaboration with Ian Mainsbridge, Richard Bennett, Daniel…
Miranda Merron finishes seventh in Route du Rhum
British solo sailor Miranda Merron crossed the finish line of the 3542 miles La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe solo Transatlantic race off Pointe-a-Pitre this Thursday afternoon at 16:17:25hrs UTC 12:17:25hrs local time in seventh place from a Class 40 field…
New sponsor for Wild Oats in her 10th Sydney-Hobart
While more modifications are being mooted for the champion supermaxi yacht Wild Oats XI as part of her preparation for next month’s Rolex Sydney Hobart yacht race, a high-profile new member of the team was revealed on Sydney Harbour today….
Alex Pella takes out Class40 division in Route du Rhum
While Spain's Alex Pella is riding a wave of sheer happiness after finishing first across the finish line for Class40 in La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, confirming he is setting his sights now firmly on the Vendée Globe, the Class40…
Howling start to Leg 2 of Volvo Ocean Race
This was more like weather to topple over their owners too – and send everything cartwheeling down the Cape Town V&A dockside in the early evening sunshine. Well, nearly. Sailors are hardly the breed to complain about too much breeze…
Alex Pella closes in on Route du Rhum finish line
Catalan solo skipper Alex Pella passed another mental milestone this afternoon as he seeks to close out victory in Classe40 in La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeluope, but he needs to remain totally focused to avoid any mishaps in the final…
Cyclone season to test Volvo Ocean Race fleet in leg 2
Volvo Ocean Race sailors set out again for the open seas on Wednesday with no piracy activity on their radar, but the threat of cyclones ahead on Leg 2 from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi. Sailing conditions in Cape Town…
Team Alvimedica visit children’s hospital in Cape Town
November 17, 2014, Cape Town, South Africa – Team Alvimedica skipper Charlie Enright and crew member Dave Swete made an emotional visit this morning to the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital. The two Volvo Ocean Race sailors were shown…
Beyou and Guillemot complete IMOCA top three
His swansong race on the IMOCA60 Safran sees Marc Guillemot finish in third place in the IMOCA 60 Class just as he did four years ago on the same boat. Jeremy Beyou finished last night in second place on Maitre…
Abu Dhabi wins Volvo in-port race in Cape Town
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 15 – Ian Walker (GBR) and his Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing crew became the confirmed kings of Cape Town on Saturday, clinching the in-port race less than a week after arriving here as Leg 1…
Cougar II breaks own record in Maria Island Yacht Race
Tony Lyall’s powerful yacht Cougar II today underlined her competitiveness for this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race with a record-breaking line honours win in the 67th TasPorts Maria Island Race. The TP52 will be Tasmania’s number one prospect for…
Whistler wins Maria Island Race despite crew evacuation
Sydney Hobart Yacht Race entrant Whistler is provisional winner of all three handicap categories of the TasPorts Maria Island Race. The MBD36 achieved the hat-trick of wins under AMS, IRC and PHS scoring, despite losing an estimated 45 minutes in…
Cougar II sets cracking pace in Maria Island Race
Rolex Sydney Hobart Race contender Cougar II is setting a cracking pace tonight in the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania’s 67th annual Maria Island Race off the south-east coast of Tasmania. Just two hours after the 7.00pm start from Hobart,…
Gabart wins IMOCA 60 Class and sets record in Route du Rhum
When he crossed the finish line off Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe this Friday afternoon to win the IMOCA 60 Class in La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, François Gabart completed a vey rare back-to-back solo ocean double, adding the Route du Rhum solo…
Erwan Le Roux wins the Multi 50 Class in La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe
When he crossed the finish line at 18:13:55 TU/19:13:55 CET / 14:13:55 hrs local this Thursday 13th November Erwan Le Roux (FenetreA-Cardinal) won the Multi50 class of the 10th edition of La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. The solo skipper completed…
Volvo fleet gets all clear from piracy threat
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 13 – Volvo Ocean Race’s seven-strong fleet are to sail all the way from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi for Leg 2 after the event’s security experts gave the all-clear this week following a big…
