British sailor Alex Thomson has announced he won’t compete as a skipper in the 2024 Vendée Globe, the solo, non-stop race around-the-world, but doesn’t rule out returning to the race in 2028. Thomson has competed in the IMOCA circuit for 19 years including five successive Vendée Globe’s with two podium finishes and numerous world records. “I have had the privilege to compete and race IMOCA 60s for…
The RYA is calling on clubs to help make 2021 one of the biggest and best years for Portsmouth Yardstick data to ensure numbers are as accurate as possible for 2022. The Portsmouth Yardstick handicap system is run jointly by the RYA and its affiliated clubs to allow sailors to race different boats against each…
The Great Britain SailGP Team were dealt a huge blow in the Final of the Spain Sail Grand Prix as they capsized just seconds into the winner-takes-all race – while leading! Ben Ainslie’s team started with real pace in the strong winds in Cadiz, but as they were streaking out ahead of Final rivals Australia…
2021 J/70 UK National Championships 8-10 October hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron The 2021 J/70 UK National Championships, hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron, came to a dramatic conclusion on Sunday 10th October. Nick Phillips’ Chaotic and Doug Struth’s DSP winning the Open and Corinthian titles respectively. The Royal Thames YC Academy team, skippered…
Entry is still open for the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race, starting from Puerto Calero, Lanzarote, Canary Islands on Saturday January 8th, 2022. In association with the International Maxi Association (IMA) and the Yacht Club de France, over 20 teams are expected to race the 3,000 mile course across the Atlantic Ocean to Camper & Nicholsons…
The Rolex Fastnet Race has a reputation for the severe weather that it can throw at its competitors. Still strongly remembered is the 1979 race that cost 19 lives. Today the 49th edition of the 96-year-old offshore racing classic lived up to its fame as the first of seven starts got underway at 15 minute…
Cowes Week 2021 delivered a mix of interesting and exciting racing, with up to 40 races per day across 30 classes. Giles Peckham’s Daring Dauntless won the regatta overall for a record fourth time, having notched up five race wins and one second place. “It’s been a very classic Cowes Week, with light and strong…
A change in the weather, with shifty east and south-easterly breezes replacing the westerlies of the first two days, saw new boats coming to the fore in many fleets today. Winds were strongly influenced by a small slow-moving secondary low pressure system sat over Sandown Bay. In the eastern Solent there was more breeze than…
Competitors had an easier second day at Cowes Week, with shorter courses and predominately wind with tide conditions giving a dry ride. Tidal conditions for those starting on the Royal Yacht Squadron line provided an interesting tactical challenge, balancing the last of the ebb tide and early flood stream. The day started with a westerly…
An action packed opening day of Cowes Week delivered lots of extremes in a shifty westerly wind. This averaged 10-15 knots, punctuated by occasional showers bringing gusts well over 20 knots that tested competitors’ skills across a wide range of conditions. Twenty one of the 30 classes, including the largest IRC rated yachts, started from…
