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report by Graeme Willcox & Andrew Taboton With a light mist covering the lake we prepped our ourselves for the first day of the Garda Olympic week. With three races planned on a course shared by the 49ers, FX and 470 fleets it was going to be a day of waiting for our turn on the course. At the last minute the fleet petitioned the RC to change the split fleet format in favour of a single fleet. So once …

Dongfeng Victorious 39 days ago, they were in the middle of the Southern Ocean, their mast broken. And today, May 7 at 02:03:00 UTC, Dongfeng Race Team triumphed in Leg 6 from Itajaí, Brazil to Newport, Rhode Island, USA. “I’d like to give our shore crew this victory.” Charles Caudrelier’s voice shakes a bit. Maybe it’s the exhaustion – or the emotion. “The goal for this leg was to be ready in Itajaí, and the shore crew did a fantastic …

Almost a year ago the Beneteau First 40.7 Cheeki Rafiki was found capsized 720nm off the coast of Nova Scotia. Her four crew, delivering the cruiser/racer back to UK, were never found. The upturned hull of the boat sunk before it was able to be recovered. The yacht’s liferaft was found strapped into its well in the aft end of the cockpit by divers from the US Coastguard. The relevant UK Government agency, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch has completed …

  Okay all you landlubbers following the 2015 Vasco da Gama Race. The finish line has been set and now we await the arrival of the leading boats. It’s tough out there, very tough – but that’s what ocean racing is all about. It’s certainly not for sissies! Both Gumption and AL Mount Gay Rum are trading places for line honours at the moment as they head into Algoa Bay . Gumption is heading inshore and AL Mount Gay Rum …

Here are profile pics of the skippers in the 2015 Vasco da Gama Ocean Race Follow the Vasco da Gama Race on the Race Tracker sponosred by GIMCO at: http://yb.tl/vascodagama2015 Entry List Al Mount Gay Rum    Rob van Rooyen Majimoto                     Jon Marshall Nemesis                       Anthony Bailes Bellissama                   Vernon & James Goss Bellatrix                       Gregg Hurter Gumption                    Nicholas Mace Ray of Light                Michael & Heidi Kavanagh Rocket                         Herbert …

Who will win the Vasco da Gama Race? There is a poll on which followers of this classic race can cast their votes to see who will take line and handicap honours. There are 2 questions, so scroll down the page after question 1 to get to question two and cast your vote by following this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3Q3GHQ9 So far the money for line honours is on the Cape Town boat Gumption skippered by Nicholas Mace – a previous race …

The finest sailing talent on the planet is assembling in Hyères, France for the next instalment of the ISAF Sailing World Cup. Elite level fleets in all ten of the Olympic events will put their skills to the ultimate test with 40 of the world’s best in each class. ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères marks the first occasion where fleets are decided based on the ISAF World Sailing Rankings and a qualification regatta. The world’s top 30 sailors from the …

James Blakemore’s South African entry Music had a clean sweep of ‘firsts’ in the Spinnaker 3 division to win his class. “The race was great today – good steady breeze between 16 to 20 knots and great sea conditions,” said Blakemore. “My guys sailed the boat really well; we got off to a really great start, and from the first weather mark, I don’t think we lost the lead in our class from then on. Every day has been good …

Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race set off after a spectacularly successful Itajaí stopover on Sunday, but an almost total lack of breeze ensured the fleet had more than enough time to wave their farewells. Just as Saturday’s Team Vestas Wind Itajaí In-Port Race was won almost in slow motion by Team Brunel, so the departure to Newport, Rhode Island, was conducted as if the fleet were sailing through treacle. Overall Race leaders, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, found themselves …

Team SCA passed the mystical and legendary Cape Horn where the Pacific Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. When passing the Horn the crew paid a tribute to their late coach Magnus Olsson who passed away close to two years ago. A wreath with hundreds of small messages and greetings to Magnus, written by many of his friends at the memorial ceremony in Stockholm in June 2013, was placed in the water off Cape Horn. “We have been looking forward to …

More people have climbed the Mount Everest, than sailors have sailed around this infamous Cape. Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright/USA) had the considerable honour of leading the battered fleet past the fabled point, just 15 minutes clear of overall race leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker/GBR). MAPFRE (Iker Martínez/ESP) and Team Brunel (Bouwe Bekking/NED) were hot on their heels as the fleet prepared to head north at last and back in to the Atlantic for the first time since last …

High Winds Close Port and Halt Sailing The expected westerly started making it’s presence known early on Wednesday morning. Some anxious and eager faces in the boat park of the 60th SAP 5O5 World Championships told the tale of who was expecting to do well and … who not. With the wind reaching 45 knots in Algoa Bay the Port of Port Elizabeth closed the port to any vessels wishing to leave or enter the harbour and the postponement flag …

Can anyone out there give any detail on the pics – all of the same boat. The pic itself is 59cm x 39cm and was likely to have been taken with a plate camera as the detail is very fine. The owner would like information such as: the type of yacht, the sailor’s uniforms, its age, where it could have been taken – and anything else that is relevant. Please comment or mail: editor@sailing.co.za

Pinnell Wins A Race But Holt Still on Top Day 3 of the SAP 505 World Championships saw the return of stronger breezes to Algoa Bay in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Mike Holt and Carl Smit were the pathfinder boat for the first race of the day, but the reigning World Champions found no benefit in having to sail to the right-hand side of the course, while early-out-of-the-gate Ian Pinnell was pleased that his hunch about the left proved correct. …

The breeze increased in strength and with that it brought along a big sea that provided excellent sailing conditions in races 4 & 5 Two races were sailed in 13 – 17 knots of south-easterly breeze and the battle for the top position, was yet again, hot and fast. In race 4 Ian Pinnell and Johannes Tellen showed the fleet what sailing was all about and led the fleet around the course in style. Sandy Higgins and Luke Payne chased …