It was a tricky second race day at the Enel Rio SailGP in Brazil on Sunday, 12 April. As is standard in SailGP events, the final day held 3 fleet races followed by a single winner-takes-all race for the top three teams.

The races took place in the gorgeous Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with skyscrapers nestled in the valley between Sugarloaf Mountain and the favelas. Emirates GBR strategist and three-time Olympic medalist, Hannah Mills, said that it’s “One of the more beautiful places I think I’ve ever sailed.” Adding “It was the most amazing feeling winning the gold medal here [at the 2016 Olympics].”

Mills also explained that returning the the venue was a reminder that competitive racing can be about more than just winning, “For me as a female, seeing the women’s pathway and the progression and how that’s transforming young girls when they come to talk to me, they talk about the Olympics, but they also talk about wanting to have a career in SailGP.”

Australia’s team competes during the Rio 2026 SailGP race day two in Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 12, 2026. Photo: Daniel Ramalho / AFP via Getty Images

However, as Mills and other competitors discovered at the 2016 Olympics, this venue isn’t without its challenges. The wind has to come around Sugarloaf Mountain, often making the bay a flukey place to sail. For Sunday’s racing in particular, this made for a chaotic right-hand side at the start line and windward marks.

As a double Olympic gold medalist and Mubadala Brazil driver, Martine Grael, explained, “It is a very tricky piece of water, especially where the SailGP is going to race, right on the Sugarloaf, and it’s very, very tricky wind, even for me.”

SailGP Enel Rio Grand Prix Race 5 – The Roos’ strong start

The Australian Bonds Flying Roos team, skippered by Tom Slingsby, made a very quick start, in first place at the first mark. With a pretty unstable breeze, it proved difficult for other teams to catch up.

With the windward marks so close to Sugarloaf, the top of the course saw teams struggling to keep their foils up. Slingsby’s team fell victim to a particularly light spot at Gate Three, opening the door for Red Bull Italy to grab the lead with some stronger wind getting them around the windward gate and off on the downwind.

However, the Italian lead didn’t last long, as Slingsby’s always-impressive Aussies took back the lead by the leeward gate. From here, they didn’t relinquish control and held on to take the day’s first win.

Red Bull Italy finished second, 17 seconds back, and Sweden’s Artemis, who had never reached a Sail GP final, secured third.

(L to R) Teams from Canada, Brazil, Switzerland, and Denmark compete during the Rio 2026 SailGP race day two. Photo: Pablo Porciuncula / AFP via Getty Images

Race 6 – ‘It’s just about staying alive in this stuff’

For race six, the leaderboard was tightly packed. The Australians were on top with 38 points, closely followed by Artemis on 34. The USA team sat in third with 33 points, and the Italians were hot on their heels, hoping to take a final race spot.

A tight, hectic start saw both the Brits and the Aussies picking up penalties while the Spanish-flagged Los Gallos led at the first mark. Los Gallos managed to hold this lead on the downwind and through the first leeward gate.

However, Slingsby’s Australian team were looking quick, having recovered from their startline penalty to round the gate closely behind the Spaniards. A jostle for the lead between these two developed. But it was the Spanish who held on to first place around Gates Three and Four.

The fight wasn’t over between these two. On the downwind to Gate Five, the Australians had managed to split to the other side of the course from the Spaniards. Slingsby’s team picked up a touch more breeze on the right (looking upwind). And at the cross, it was close enough that the Australians would need to dip the starboard-tacked Spaniards.

Fatally, Diego Botin, skippering Spain, tried to close cover on their rivals and gybed to keep the Aussies off their leeward hip. In response, Slingsby and his team luffed a touch to pick up the pace, got a leeward overlap on their rivals and managed to force a windward / leeward penalty. The Spanish team dropped off their foils.

It was impressive work from the Australian team, which went on to win the race with a decent margin over the Spanish. Los Gallos held onto third against a hard-sailing Danish team.

France’s team (L) and Brazil’s team competing in Guanabara Bay. Photo: Pablo Porciuncula / AFP via Getty Images

Speaking to TNT Sports directly afterwards, Slingsby said, “It was a pretty crazy race once again. “[We] had a bit of an issue at the start and then, yeah, it’s just about staying alive in this stuff and keeping the boat on its feet.”

Strategist Natasha Bryant commented, “I think we feel like we’re sailing the boat pretty well, so that makes my job quite a bit easier. But there’s plenty of traffic around, so that makes it tricky with boats on other legs to us trying to figure out where everyone is going.”

Article continues below…

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Race 7 – Artemis gets to their first final

Going into Race 7, the Aussies were still leading with 48 points. The Swedish team had 41 points, with the Spanish breathing down their necks just one point back. The USA team were bumped down to fourth with 36 points after a disappointing eighth in Race Six.

Before the start, Botin told TNT Sports, “It’s super hard, super puffy. With these big winds, it is super hard to manage the loads.” However, he continued, “We’re going to focus on doing another good race and see how it goes.”

A congested start with some decent foiling breeze saw teams keen to hit the line at pace. But it was a total disaster for the French team, who found themselves high above the start line with nowhere to go. Rather than bailing out, French skipper Quentin Delapierre tried to force his way in at the windward end, fouling the Aussies and ultimately resulting in their disqualification. The judges waved the black flag for the French’s reckless move.

It was the Swedish Artemis team that led around the first mark and set off downwind with the Australians in second, hot on their heels.

Italy’s team preparing before race day 2. Photo: Pablo Porciuncula / AFP via Getty Images

Once again, displaying the impressive boat speed they have shown throughout the regatta, the Australians swiftly climbed into first place. As had been the case all day, it was snakes and ladders back in the back with teams quickly picking up and dropping positions.

After Gate Four, the Flying Roos were well ahead in first, with Artemis still holding second, and the Germans pushing them very hard indeed. But around the windward gate, Artemis floundered, almost coming off their foils. By the time they regained boat control, their race for second was long gone.

The drama wasn’t quite over as the Bonds Flying Roos headed for the finish line. The hard-charging Germans had found some decent breeze and were bearing down on the Aussies. The Australians clung on and managed to cross the line a few cm ahead. In so doing, Slingby’s team took the maximum 10 points, bringing their total to 58 and guaranteeing a spot in the final.

32 seconds later, it was huge news for Artemis as they came in third. This result meant that Skipper Nathan Outteridge had reached the first-ever SailGP final for this team. Although Outteridge himself has been there with another team, Artemis was on 49 points. Los Gallos came in fourth, 48 seconds after the Aussies, getting the last place in the final with 47 points.

Brazil’s team competing in Rio. Photo: Pablo Porciuncula / AFP via Getty Images

SailGP Final

Speaking to TNT Sports on board the Bonds Flying Roos before the final, Strategist Natasha Bryant said, “We’ll just have to see how it goes. It will be nice to have some space, finally. It’s been pretty clustered, I’ve been holding my breath a bit around the race track.”

It remained for the spectators to watch how the mindset shift, going from 12 boats to 3, impacted the teams.

The Bonds Flying Roos edged before Artemis at the start, turning around Mark One in first. On the downwind to Gate Two, the Aussies held onto their lead, again showing superior boat speed, with Botin’s Spanish team in third.

The Bonds Flying Roos barely faltered across the day’s racing. Photo: Pablo Porciuncula / AFP via Getty Images

Outteridge’s Artemis did manage to challenge for the lead briefly; however, at Gate Three, the Swedish-flagged team hit a light patch. The Australians took their moment to strike, zooming ahead with impressive boat handling, keeping their F50 at pace. It went from bad to slightly worse for Sweden when they didn’t give Los Gallos enough room, and the umpires issued a penalty to the Swedes. Artemis had to slot behind the Spanish team.

By Gate Four, the Aussies were maximising their lead as Artemis lagged behind Los Gallos.

You’d be a brave person to bet against Slingsby’s team losing it from here, and sure enough – despite a brief wobble off their foils nearing the finish – the Australian team sealed a Sail GP victory.

Botin’s Spanish team came in second, showing some smooth boat handling in the difficult, patchy conditions. Outteridge’s Artemis team crossed the line last in their first SailGP final.

Sail GP overall standings

On the 2026 season Sail Grand Prix leaderboard, Australia’s Bonds Flying Roos are in first with 35 points. Emirates GBR, last year’s champions, are seven points behind on 28, and the U.S. SailGP team are in third with 27 points.

The Sail GP season is leading up to the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix Season Final from Nov 28-29, when the overall winner will be announced. Stay tuned.

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Christina Koch – sailor, surfer, rock climber, electrical engineer, and the first woman astronaut ever assigned to a lunar mission – has seen the dark side of the moon.

And now, she’s on her way back from it.

The Artemis II mission’s historic lunar fly-by draws to a close today, with Koch and fellow astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen expected to land in the waters off San Diego at 20:07 eastern US time.

The mission, named for the goddess of the moon and the twin sister of Apollo, was the first human spaceflight to the moon in 53 years.

‘Together, we are ushering in a new era of exploration for a new generation of star sailors and dreamers – the Artemis Generation,’ says NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

But few may know that long before she went to space, accomplished astronaut Christina Koch was a sailor.

Christina Koch: from sailor to astronaut

Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft’s main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon on April 4, 2026. Photo by NASA via Getty Images

Koch, a supporting ‘mission specialist’ in the Artemis II flight, has already accumulated several achievements in space.

She participated in the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, and holds the record for the longest continuous stretch of time spent in space by a woman– 328 days, the exact same it took Australian sailor Jesse Martin to complete his solo, nonstop, and unassisted circumnavigation in 1999 at just 18 years old.

With the Artemis II mission, she has also become the first woman assigned to a lunar mission.

In the 2000s, long before she ever stepped out of the stratosphere, Koch sailed on Snipes with the Severn Sailing Association and the Goddard Sailing Association, which offers NASA employees and families sailing opportunities in Chesapeake Bay.

She was a postgrad working for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland at the time.

‘Severn Sailing Association sailors may remember Christina from when she sailed Snipes with us a handful of years ago,’ the SSA posted on Facebook when news of Koch’s all-women spacewalk first circulated in 2019.

The Snipe, a 15ft American sailing dinghy, was designed by William F. Crosby in 1931 for one-design racing and has been named one of our World’s Coolest Boats.

An article published on the Baltimore Banner reports that Koch also frequented the Boatyard Bar & Grill, a sailor-favourite local establishment, which is now host to a flag of the Maritime Republic of Eastport she brought a mission to the South Pole.

After becoming an astronaut in 2013, Koch swapped sailing the seas for cruising through the night sky, though she never lost her passion for the water.

She continues to enjoy surfing when she’s on Earth and has even scouted surf spots from space, captioning a photo of the Gold Coast of Australia, ‘Just a little surf spot in the universe.’

The Artemis II Mission brought us the furthest ever from Earth

The Artemis II crew – (from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Pilot Victor Glover, and Commander Reid Wiseman – pause for a group photo inside the Orion spacecraft on their way home. Photo by NASA via Getty Images

On the sixth day of the mission, the four history-making astronauts ventured 248,655 miles from Earth, the furthest any human has ever been.

That’s almost 150 times more remote than the Southern Ocean‘s famed Point Nemo, the most remote location on the planet.

The Artemis II mission’s historic lunar fly-by also included a solar eclipse, a 40-minute communication blackout, and a now-viral moment of the four astronauts meeting US President Donald Trump’s congratulations with… total silence.

‘Among the [Artemis-2] crew are the first woman, first person of colour, and first Canadian on a lunar mission, and all four astronauts will represent the best of humanity as they explore for the benefit of all,’ said Vanessa Wyche, director of Nasa’s Johnson Space Flight Center.

Previously, all lunar missions were undertaken by white men.

The ten-day Artemis II mission is the final step before the Artemis III mission, which aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2027.

If you enjoyed reading about sailor/austronaut Christina Koch….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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Former British America’s Cup team title sponsor Sir Jim Ratcliffe of petrochemicals giant INEOS is taking legal action against team boss Sir Ben Ainslie over the ownership of the AC75 yacht used in the last America’s Cup.

The yacht raced as INEOS Britannia in the 37th America’s Cup, winning the Louis Vuitton Cup challengers’ series in 2024 to become the first British boat in an America’s Cup final for 60 years.

Despite the team’s success, Ainslie and Ratcliffe’s relationship disintegrated, and the partnership was not renewed for a third Cup cycle, the two parties officially splitting in January 2025.

Sir Ben Ainslie was Team principal and skipper for the INEOS Britannia British America’s Cup team. Photo: Team INEOS UK /Lloyd Images

At the time, there was much speculation over who actually owned the assets of the team — both the physical AC75, but also the enormously valuable intellectual property associated with the performance data. That question may now be answered in court, as in a statement today INEOS announced that they are taking legal steps to reclaim the physical AC75.

For the 38th America’s Cup, which takes place in Naples next summer, the same boats that were raced in Barcelona in 2024 are being reused, so the latest generation AC75s are being re-moded to meet the AC38 class rules.

INEOS Britannia racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup, Semi Finals in 2024. The AC75s will be remodelled to replace the grinders with battery power and reduce crew numbers, plus add a guest sailor slot.

Legal challenge for INEOS Britannia

INEOS’s statement read: “INEOS is surprised that the boat we built for the last America’s Cup (AC37) has been taken by Athena Racing. The boat belongs to INEOS and it is inappropriate to assume it can be used for the next competition without seeking our permission.

“The boat was the most successful British boat in history and cost INEOS £180m and evolved naturally from the first boat which cost a further £170m. INEOS is taking legal steps for the boat to be returned.”

Athena Racing responded to the claim this afternoon, stating: “It should come as no surprise to Ineos that assets which are owned by, and have always been in the possession of Athena Racing are being used for AC38.”

INEOS Britannia crew, with Ratcliffe in white, celebrate winning the Luis Vuitton Cup in 2024. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

Their full statement read: “Athena Racing is proud of its achievements over the past 12 years since launching the British America’s Cup team in 2014. Britain has still not won the America’s Cup in its 175 year history which started off our shores in 1851. The mission of the last 12 years remains the same, to win sports oldest international trophy for the nation.

“Our America’s Cup team, GB1, alongside our Women’s and Youth America’s Cup squads are currently training together in Cagliari in preparation for the first Preliminary America’s Cup regatta in May. The 150 strong team based out of Portsmouth are focussed on the task at hand, working with some of the best British technology companies and developing skills and careers for generations to come.

“We will always appreciate the sponsorship and support of Ineos over the last two campaigns, culminating in the team becoming the most successful British Challenger in 60 years in Barcelona 2024.

“It should come as no surprise to Ineos that assets which are owned by, and have always been in the possession of Athena Racing are being used for AC38.”

Critical timing

Ratcliffe sponsored the team for two cycles (AC36 and AC37), which had previously evolved from BAR Racing, the British Challengers for the 35th America’s Cup.

Ainslie is founder and CEO of the Athena Sports Group, which includes the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, the British America’s Cup Team – now rebranded as GB1 –  and the Athena Pathway development programme.

In December 2025, it was announced that Oakley Capital has acquired a majority stake in Athena Racing, the America’s Cup team. Oakley Capital is a private equity group headed up by Peter Dubens, himself a long-time supporter of British America’s Cup challenges. Oakley Capital also owns the North Technology Group, which includes Southern Spars and North Sails, which are key suppliers to all teams in the Cup.

This dispute comes at a critical point in the short 38th America’s Cup cycle, with the British among many teams confirming key team signings (GB1 has recently confirmed Dylan Fletcher, Bleddyn Mon and Ben Cornish), and the New Zealand team unveiling their updated AC75 in recent days.

Dylan Fletcher (left) co-helmed INEOS Britannia alongside Ainslie (right) in 2024 and has been reconfirmed as helmsman for GB1. Photo: Ian Roman / America’s Cup

We’ll update more on this story as it develops.

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Tom Slingsby and his Australian team claimed victory at the ITM New Zealand SailGP this weekend, though the event was defined more by a violent opening-day collision than the final results.

The Australians secured their second consecutive win on the Waitematā Harbour, managing a rain-soaked final against Emirates GBR and Spain. However, the racing took a backseat to the fallout from a high-speed crash between the New Zealand and French F50s that left two athletes hospitalised.

Serious Injuries Confirmed

The collision occurred during the first leg of Race 3 on Saturday. Organisers have confirmed that Black Foils grinder Louis Sinclair sustained compound fractures to both legs and remains in stable condition.

DS Automobiles Team France strategist Manon Audinet was also injured after being thrown forward into the steering wheel. As of Monday morning (UK time) she was being assessed for abdominal injuries. Both teams were forced to withdraw from the event due to significant structural damage to their boats.

Black Foils SailGP Team helmed by Peter Burling and DS Automobiles SailGP Team France helmed by Quentin Delapierre collide during Race 3, on Race Day 1 of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix, Auckland. Photo: Simon Bruty / SailGP

Tactical Shifts in High Winds

Following the crash and a forecast for heavier gusts, officials moved to a “split-fleet” format for the first time. The 11 teams were divided into two groups to provide more space on the water.

Despite the safety measures, the conditions remained punishing. 25 knot gusts pushed the boats and crews hard. Great Britain’s Dylan Fletcher commented on the intensity of the day after racing mentioning “some pretty loose moments” as teams struggled to maintain control in the rising breeze.

Article continues below…

Catastrophic crash at SailGP Auckland leaves two sailors injured

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The Final Results

In the three-boat final, the Spanish team Los Gallos led early after a clean start. However, Slingsby’s Australians found an opening at the top mark to take the lead. A late move by Emirates GBR allowed them to overtake Spain on the line for second place, but they couldn’t close the gap on the Australians.

The result leaves Australia and Emirates GBR tied at the top of the overall season standings with 17 points each.

If you enjoyed this….

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Two sailors were reported as stable after being treated for injuries sustained during a serious crash between the Black Foils SailGP Team, helmed by Peter Burling, and DS Automobiles SailGP Team France, helmed by Quentin Delapierre shortly after the start of Race 3 at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland today.

Racing in strong, gusty winds on a tight course off the New Zealand city shoreline, the 13 F50s lined up for their third start of the day in a building offshore breeze.

On the first reaching leg from the start to the Mark 1 turning mark, the Black Foils F50 appeared to ride high, losing rudder grip and skidding sideways to leeward, before then spinning up into the wind, effectively stopping dead, broadside to and immediately in front of the French team.

Black Foils SailGP Team helmed by Peter Burling and DS Automobiles SailGP Team France helmed by Quentin Delapierre collide during racing on Race Day 1 of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland. Photo: Andrew Baker for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP

French skipper Delapierre appeared to try and take avoiding action, but with just split seconds to react their port hull violently slammed into and across the New Zealand starboard hull and cockpit, where the majority of crew were positioned.

Sailors from the French team could be seen immediately running across the boat to check on the Kiwi crew, while rescue RIBs powered towards the scene.

The live broadcast captured the moment, and some shocking onboard camera perspectives (race 3 starts around 51 minutes):

All sailors were swiftly accounted for, but it was reported that two sailors had suffered injuries and were being taken for treatment, with their condition reported as stable.

The Black Foils team later confirmed that grinder Louis Sinclair had suffered compound fractures to both legs during the incident.

The team statement said: “Sinclair is receiving treatment for compound fractures to both legs but is in a stable condition. Thank you to all of the messages of support since the incident, special thank yout o all of the medical staff involved in the response to the crash and subsequent treatment of al the athletes involved.”

Black Foils SailGP Team helmed by Peter Burling and DS Automobiles SailGP Team France helmed by Quentin Delapierre collide during Race 3, on Race Day 1 of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland, New Zealand. Photo: Simon Bruty for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP

The French team also confirmed that Manon Audinet had also been taken to hospital. Their statement explained: “At the moment of impact, Manon Audinet, positioned leeward while preparing for a gybe, was violently thrown forward inside her cockpit, resulting in the breakage of the F50 steering wheel.

“She was immediately attended to by the SailGP medical team before being transported to AUckland Hospital for further examinations. These assessments are intended to rule out any major injury, particularly in the abdominal area, which was most exposed during the impact. She is currently being kept under observation.”

The Black Foils SailGP Team buries its bow shortly before colliding with DS Automobiles SailGP Team France on Leg one of Race 3. Photo: Iain McGregor for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP

Speaking shortly after arriving onshore, DS Team France driver Quentin Delapierre told waiting reporters: “On the incident itself, I can’t really say anything. Everything happened so quickly – it’s still super cloudy in my head and I haven’t reviewed the footage or spoken to the umpires.

“I think both teams are OK. I want to give my thoughts to the New Zealand team and also to my teammates – this was tough for everyone on both teams. I believe we’ll find some solutions to make sure we never see this kind of thing happen again.”

There had been plenty of build-up surrounding the potentially testing conditions the SailGP sailors would face in Auckland, with strong winds resulting in the cancellation of practice day yesterday, and a full fleet of 13 F50s lining up on one of the tightest and most spectacular race tracks on the circuit.

And so it proved, with strong, gusty winds barrelling across the course. On the first leg of Race 3, the boats were power reaching at over 93kmph, or 50 knots, and many sailors reported afterwards that the wind was both shifty and gusty.

The damaged hull of the DS Automobiles SailGP Team France F50 catamaran is worked on in the technical area following the collision. Photo: James Gourley for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP

Tom Slingsby, skipper of the Australian BONDS Flying Roos, said afterwards: ““It was a very tricky race course.”

“That wind direction is the one here that doesn’t leave much space, so we knew it was going to be tight. Coming into the first mark, you’re getting hit by a lot of bullets of wind and then it goes light, and it’s hard to read the breeze across the track. 

“It was fun racing when everything was going well, but then you’re just trying to stay out of trouble and get the best result you can.”

Both boats were severely damaged in the impact, the Black Foils F50 dismasting afterwards, with both a hull and crossbeam apparently smashed, while the port bow of the French boat was sliced off in the collision.

Members of the salvage team works to clear the wreckage of the Black Foils SailGP Team F50 following the collision. Photo: James Gourley for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP

We wish all sailors involved a speedy recovery.

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Today, Monday 26 January 2026, the eight-person crew aboard The Famous Project became the first all-female team to sail non-stop around the world.

Crossing the finish line between Ushant and the Lizard at 1200hrs, The Famous Project completed their non-stop circumnavigation in 57d 22h 20m after setting off on 29 November, 2025. This does not break any existing official records for the Jules Verne Trophy, but sets a groundbreaking benchmark time as the first successful all-female bid to complete the course.

Alexia Barrier and crew of The Famous Project CIC: Dee Caffari, Annemieke Bes, Deborah Blair, Molly LaPointe, Támara Echegoyen, Stacey Jackson and Rebecca Gmür Hornell. Photo: Lloyd / Jmliot Images / CIC

This is also the first time an all-female crew has sailed a maxi multihull around the world. The only previous all-female attempt on the record -– Tracy Edwards’ Royal & Sun Alliance – dismasted in the Southern Ocean. In total just 14 female sailors have ever attempted a Jules Verne Trophy circumnavigation.

The Famous Project was masterminded and skippered by former Vendée Globe sailor Alexia Barrier, together with British co-skipper Dee Caffari, and an international crew of Annemieke Bes, Rebecca Gmür Hornell, Deborah Blair, Molly LaPointe, Támara Echegoyen and Stacey Jackson.

They were sailing the former Idec Sport, the previous holder of the Jules Verne Trophy record at 40d 23h 30m – a record which was broken only yesterday by Thomas Coville and crew on Sodebo Ultim.

The Famous Project’s challenge

Idec Sport is a non-foiling maxi trimaran, and now a 20-year-old design. From the outset the crew were faced with gear troubles – including steering issues and mainsail halyard problems.

Later an entanglement with fishing gear caused damage and delamination to their starboard foil, so the team continued for the second half of their round the world voyage with the foil out of use. ““We went from 30 knots to 5 knots!” Alexia described the incident. “We put the boat in reverse and were able to remove the large net, but the foil remained stuck in the down position for a while.” It later transpired that the foil had been damaged beyond repair.

Their biggest blow came in late January, when their mainsail tore in half in strong winds. Although they managed to secure it to the second reefing point, 45-knot winds in Storm Ingrid further shredded the damaged sail, leaving them with little more than a headboard and the wingmast, plus headsails, for the final miles.

Under barely any mainsail, The Famous Project CIC aboard the IDEC Sport crosses the finish line off Ouessant after completing their Jules Verne Trophy non-stop crewed round-the-world record bid, in Brest on January 26, 2026. Photo: Lloyd / Jmliot Images / CIC

Despite being behind the outright record from early on their circumnavigation, and seeking shelter in the lee of islands at several points, the team never once suggested they were considering retiring. Though the bid has attracted some critics, their goal was unwavering: to become the first all-female Jules Verne Trophy challengers, and to set a benchmark time for the next.

Many of the Royal & Sun Alliance crew went on to become leading figures in ocean racing, and tens of thousands of collective miles of maxi multihull oceans racing experience have now been gained by the Famous Project crew.

The Famous Project’s Alexia Barrier and Dee Caffari,embrace after finishing the Jules Verne Trophy on January 26, 2026. Photo: Lloyd / Jmliot Images / CIC

History makers

Shortly before the finish, Dee Caffari posted a quote by former US President Theodore Roosevelt on Facebook: “It is not the critic who counts; not the one who points out how the strong woman [Dee’s edit] stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

“The credit belongs to the woman who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds..

“Who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends herself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if she fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that her place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

See more at thefamousproject.io and we’ll report further when we hear from the crew.

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Thomas Coville’s Sodebo team crossed the virtual finish line between Ushant and Lizard Point this morning at 0746 (French time), after 40 days, 10 hours, and 45 minutes at sea, setting a new time for the fastest ever boat to sail non-stop around the world and claim the Jules Verne Trophy.

The Sodebo Ultim 3 – crewed by Thomas Coville with Benjamin Schwartz, Frédéric Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Léonard Legrand, Guillaume Pirouelle – completed the circumnavigation 12 hours and 44 minutes faster than Francis Joyon’s long-standing previous record, which was held by IDEC Sport since 2017.

Sodebo’s record speed

The team sailed 28,315 miles non-stop at a jaw-dropping average speed of 27.17 knots.

Thomas Coville and crew, approach the Jules Verne finish aboard the Trimaran Sodebo Ultim 3 – recent damage to the starboard rudder casing is visible caused during Storm Ingrid. Photo: Lloyd Images / Sodebo

After setting off from Ushant, they reached the Equator in just 4 days and 4 hours, and the Cape of Good Hope in just under 11 days.

Sodebo rounded Cape Leuuwin, having sailed half way around the planet, in 17 days and 1 hour – at that point having maintained an average speed of 32.1 knots since the start.

They crossed the Pacific in just 7 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes — taking three hours off the previous fastest time set by François Gabart (subject to WSSRC validation). And on the return leg, they were 20 hours and 49 minutes ahead of Idec Sport at the Equator crossing.

Thomas Coville and his crew, Benjamin Schwartz, Léonard Legrand, Frederic Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Guillaume Pirouelle, Nicolas Troussel, aboard Sodebo Ultim 3 off Ouessant, celebrate after winning the Jules Verne Trophy on January 25, 2026. Photo: Lloyd Images / Sodebo

By that point they had already sailed nearly 2,000 miles further than IDEC Sport, and had maintained a blistering average pace of 29.9 knots since the start.

They team were still on course to break the symbolic 40-day barrier until the final miles, when Storm Ingrid forced them to take a westerly course and slow the trimaran in a potentially boat-breaking sea state.

Apart from the loss of a rudder casing, they got through Storm Ingrid relatively unscathed and were able to get back up to 30-knot speeds for the final approach to Ushant, crossing at 0746 this morning.

Thomas Coville record breaker

Skipper Thomas Coville. Photo: Team Sodebo

Thomas Coville has dedicated his life to the pursuit of incredible round the world records.

A truly extraordinary human being, Coville is not only remarkably skilful, brave and resilient, he is also an erudite philosopher who brings an incredible energy and curiosity to everything he does.

He has twice set a Jules Verne record as crew — with Olivier de Kersauson in 1997 on Sport Elec (71 days), and the second in 2010 with Franck Cammas on Groupama 3 (48 days).

In 2016 he set a non-stop solo circumnavigation record after a decade of attempts.

In 2019 he launched his new Sodebo Ultim 3, with the goal of becoming the fastest boat ever to sail around the world — see more about the remarkable boat and watch our exclusive video tour.

Over the past six years the Sodebo team have made three attempts at the Jules Verne, sometimes in a ‘race’ with other Ultims, sometimes alone. Each was thwarted by damage as the Ultims – fully foiling, at the very bleeding edge of offshore technology — suffered breakdowns and damage. This is also the first time an Ultim has sailed non-stop around the world.

So remarkable was IDEC Sport’s time, that in total there have been 13 attempts at the record since, but all others had failed.

The Ultim Sodebo filmed by drone by the team in the Southern Ocean shows the extreme speed. Photo: Leonard LeGrand/ Team Sodebo

Despite starting in an optimum weather window, the Sodebo crew did not have an easy circumnavigation: the position of the St Helena High meant they had to add precious extra miles to their route in the South Atlantic, avoid rogue ice in the Southern Ocean, and withstand 40-50 knot winds as an Atlantic depression, known as ‘Storm Ingrid’ stood between them and the finish line.

However, Sodebo’s outright speed also saw the crew set two passage records (Ushant-Equator and the Pacific Ocean) and establish benchmark times at each ‘Great Cape’ (Good Hope, Leeuwin, and Horn).

Coville signed off his final onboard update yesterday , as Sodebo hurtled through the remnants of Storm Ingrid — with the record not yet secure, saying “Know that on the other side of Biscay there are seven guys out here having a blast and dreaming of sharing it with you!”

Creac’h lighthouse, the Jules Verne record’s finish line, is passed by Sodebo on January 25, 2026. Photo: Lloyd Images / Sodebo

Long-standing support

Coville has been supported by Sodebo, a family-run food company that has a huge presence on the French offshore racing world, since 1998. Co-president Patricia Brochard was one of thousands who turned out to welcome Coville and crew back into Brest:

“It’s an intense joy, a mix of relief and excitement,” she said as they finished.

“It’s the culmination of the wonderful story we’ve been writing together for 27 years with Thomas (Coville). What we love is seeing men and women united around a common project, with unwavering determination.”

We’ll report further with the sailors’ reactions once we have them.

The post Around the world record broken: Sodebo takes Jules Verne Trophy in 40d 10h 45m appeared first on Yachting World.

The two teams making Jules Verne Trophy attempts have both faced damage to their trimarans in their final approaches to the finish line off Ushant, northern France.

Thomas Coville’s Sodebo is this afternoon, Saturday 24 January, just 400 miles from the finish line and more than 470 miles ahead of the record pace set by Francis Joyon on Idec Sport in 2017. They are expected to finish around 0700 tomorrow, Sunday 25 January, and are currently on course to break the around the world non-stop record.

However, it will truly go to the wire and the record is likely to be broken by hours, rather than below the 40-day barrier.

Rudder damage for Sodebo

Yesterday the Ultim Sodebo sailed through winds of 40-knots while tracking around Storm Ingrid, sailing under J3 and a reefed mainsail, intentionally making slow progress to the north rather than sailing at a reaching angle – around 90° becomes a ‘no go zone’ in these conditions for the Ultim trimarans.

Despite nursing the boat in atrocious sea states, the team sent photos of the starboard rudder sleeve ripping off, the carbon shredding under force.

The starboard rudder casing can be seen shredding in the rough seas. Photo: Team Sodebo

In the team update they explain that, although dramatic, the damage should luckily have little impact.

“This incident could have affected the rudder and steering system, but fortunately the robustness of the systems allowed the steering system to remain intact. Only the rudder trim tab is lost.

“In the evening, the sleeve detached from the boat, seemingly without causing any further complications.”

Skipper Thomas Coville added: “We had a hell of an encounter with Ingrid, with gusts of over 50 knots and 8 to 10-meter swells.

“The last 36 hours have been the most difficult and longest of this attempt: we’ve damaged more things than during the entire round-the-world voyage.

“A breaking wave ripped off a support that allowed us to raise and lower the rudder, and we’re lucky because it’s still operational. Naturally, this adds extra tension and stress on board.

“Were working hard to find the physical, technical, and mental resources. This is what the crew is doing perfectly, just like the shore team that prepared the boat.”

This afternoon the boat was back up to 30-knot speeds.

Follow at https://sodebo-ultim3.sodebo.com where there will be live updates as the team approaches the finish tomorrow, with a live video broadcast of their arrival.

Famous Project loses mainsail

Meanwhile the all-female team The Famous Project are continuing on their non-stop around the world voyage despite having completely lost the use of their mainsail.

The Famous Project, skippered by Alexia Barrier together with Dee Caffari, is not in the running for an all-out circumnavigation record, but have committed to setting a benchmark time as the first all-female crew to complete the non-stop around the world lap.

The Famous Project is currently around 800 miles from the finish, mostly sailing under bare wingmast and headsail alone. The mainsail of their giant trimaran initially tore at the second reef — a setback, but manageable given the strong wind conditions they faced in Biscay. However, the mainsail then ripped from luff to leech, leaving it unable to be hoisted, and the crew were reliant on the power generated by the giant wingmast, together with a headsail.

“We are sailing with just the headboard of the mainsail plugged in and the mast (the rotational mast is 30 square metres on its own,” Caffari explained on Facebook.

After some reconfigurations, she then updated today: “The final stretch is getting smaller. We survived the storm conditions and now enjoy a slight respite for a few hours.

“In this time we have looked at how we can make best use of the sails we have available. We now have the head of the mainsail hoisted as a reef it never knew it had and the J2. This is giving us some better and more consistent boat speeds. This afternoon we will see an increase in wind but with the right angle we can make use of this with our limited sail area.

“Tomorrow will test us once more with wind and waves but we have handled it once, we will not be beaten by it now!”

The trimaran, which was formerly Idec Sport, has also lost the use of its starboard daggerboard and both autopilots have ceased functioning. Follow their progress at https://thefamousproject.io/

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Thomas Coville and his crew on the Sodebo Ultim 3 trimaran are less than 1,000 miles from crossing the finish line of the Jules Verne Trophy, and are currently more than 600 miles ahead of the record time set by Idec Sport in 2017.

Coville and crew must cross the finish line before 2031 on Sunday, January 25 to beat the coveted non-stop fully crewed around the world record of 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes, and 30 seconds.

But over the next 24-48 hours, the crew could yet face their biggest challenge yet with a huge winter low pressure system – named Storm Ingrid – in the North Atlantic.

“A very large winter storm is coming our way and will accompany us all the way to the Bay of Biscay,” explained skipper Thomas Coville in an update from the team today. The systems is expected to produce winds of over 40 knots, gusts up to 50 knots, and “swells of over 10 meters,” he adds.

The Ultim Sodebo filmed by drone by the team in the Southern Ocean shows its extreme speed, even in larger sea state. Photo: Leonard LeGrand/ Team Sodebo

Sodebo’s Jules Verne attempt

This is by far the most successful record bid ever by a foiling Ultim trimaran, following repeated attempts by Sodebo, Gitana 17 and SVR Lazartigue over the past six years. All of those previous attempts ended less than halfway around the world after the boats suffered damage or collisions with underwater objects.

In passing the Azores, Sodebo’s circumnavigation has also become the longest non-stop around the world passage by an Ultim – Charles Caudrelier sailed Gitana 17 solo around the world in the Arkea Ultim Challenge in 2024, but made a brief stop in the Azores when he faced an impassable system in Biscay with potentially boat-breaking sea states.

Approaching the final North Atlantic stage, Coville and team have maintained an advantage they have held almost continually – albeit narrowly at times – since setting off at 2101hrs on Monday 15 December, 2025.

Skipper Coville explained at departure: “It’s a very good North Atlantic window, the likes of which we haven’t seen for a very long time. It allows us to make a great track.”

Skipper Thomas Coville onboard during the 2025/26 Sodebo Jules Verne record attempt. Photo: Team Sodebo

Despite optimum conditions, they were just a few hundred miles ahead of the 2017 record, set by Francis Joyon on Idec Sport, for most of the Atlantic – demonstrating just how tough Idec’s benchmark time would be to beat.
However, just four days and four hours after setting off, Sodebo crossed the Equator, setting a new record for the first section (set by Spindrift 2 in 2019).

Despite having to take a westerly route around the St Helena High, the South Atlantic saw them rapidly build their advantage to 800-plus miles over Idec Sport, extending to 1200-miles by the Cape of Good Hope. Again, they set a new record time, rounding the Cape after just 10 days and 23 hours (this one beating the record set by Gitana Maxi Edmond de Rothschild in 2021) on Boxing Day.

The foiling Ultim is capable of maintaining average speeds of 30-35 knots and beyond. Photo: Team Sodebo

Fighting for every mile

Tricky conditions in the Indian Ocean saw that lead eroded almost completely, dropping to just 250 theoretical miles around the Kerguelen islands. They passed Cap Leeuwin less than 200 miles ahead of Joyon, but still set another record on the way.

“They didn’t gybe once during the entire crossing of the Indian Ocean,” recalls Sodebo co-skipper/navigator Benjamin Schwarz, comparing their routing to Idec Sport’s. “We’ve already done 19 gybes since the Cape of Good Hope, and there are about ten more to go to Tasmania!”

The Sodebo team dropped further and further back as they traversed south of Australia, briefly falling behind the record as they passed the longitude of New Zealand.

In the Pacific, they began to regain some of those lost miles – regularly sailing at 35+ knots to overtake the record pace again. Sodebo set a third benchmark time rounding the last ‘Great Cape’ of Cape Horn, with nearly an 11-hour advantage over Idec.

The return up the South Atlantic was another game of snakes and ladders, Sodebo gaining and losing hundreds of miles over the record time before crossing the Equator on 19 January.

The Sodebo team has set new benchmark times at all three Capes and both Equator crossings. Photo: Team Sodebo

Finding the boat’s limits

In a daily update, the team explained their strategy for contending with Storm Ingrid: “The goal is to continue sailing upwind as long as the wind and sea conditions allow. Routing is being adjusted to force us further west whenever possible. The idea is to create more leeward space so we can sail downwind when the wind and sea are at their strongest.

“While we’ll discover the boat’s behaviour and limits in these conditions, we believe that sailing beyond 110-120° TWA is definitely safer than sailing at 90° to the wind.”

The team press release also notes that these conditions are ones which “the boat has never encountered, but for which it was designed”.

Wind conditions in the North Atlantic for Sodebo (yellow) on Friday 23 January. Red is the Idec Sport benchmark record time. Image: Sodebo team tracker

Coville, who has previously held the solo non-stop around the world record, is sailing with Benjamin Schwartz, Frédéric Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Léonard Legrand, Guillaume Pirouelle and Nicolas Troussel.

You can follow the team’s record bid on their superb tracker at sodebo-ultim3.sodebo.com

The post Will the Jules Verne record be broken? Final 1,000 miles for Sodebo – but brutal Biscay conditions expected appeared first on Yachting World.

After months of tumbleweed, there has been a flurry of America’s Cup news from both organisers and teams.

Ahead of a gathering today between the five ‘founding teams’ of the new America’s Cup Partnership in the host city of Naples, the British squad got their news out first this morning.

Sir Ben Ainslie’s team – the Challenger of Record, representing the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes –  revealed their new name GB1, complete with patriotic red, white and blue styling.

GB1 also confirmed that Dylan Fletcher, Olympic gold medallist, SailGP reigning champion helmsman and Ainslie’s co-helm in the 37th Cup will return to helm for the 38th America’s Cup.

No surprises there – although also no word on who’ll be sitting on the opposite wheel. Ainslie has mentioned in several interviews that he may not be back in an active sailing role – but equally nor has he definitively ruled it out.

Eyes on the prize… Dylan Fletcher will helm GB1 in the 38th America’s Cup. Photo: Ian Roman/GB1

British America’s Cup talent

Ainslie, whose official job title now is Team Principal for GB1, said in today’s news release: “GB1 is delighted to secure Dylan as our helm for AC38.

“He has worked extremely hard to earn the seat, and his results on the water don’t lie. Olympic and SailGP champion, and an America’s Cup finalist all in the space of five years, these are no mean feats and highlight his absolute dedication to performance on the water.”

Fletcher said: “I’m buzzing to be back in the America’s Cup with the British Challenger. Reaching the final last time out was a great achievement for the team, but getting so close drives us on even more.

“I know how committed the whole organisation is to winning the Cup for Britain. There is a huge amount of work to do, and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”

Fletcher, Ainslie and team mates celebrate winning the Luis Vuitton Cup as INEOS Brtannia in the 37th America’s Cup. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

Ainslie’s phrase ‘delighted to secure’ is unlikely to be accidental. With the loosening of the nationality rule in the AC38 Protocol (the so-called ‘Burling clause’ which enabled the three-times Cup winning helmsman to move from New Zealand to Italian Challengers Luna Rossa), and the recent flurry of ‘athlete transfers’ in SailGP, locking key team members in will have been a big focus for all teams.

One such transfer was Iain ‘Goobs’ Jensen – a key member of the INEOS Britannia British America’s Cup squad, as well as wing trimmer for the season winning Emirates GBR SailGP team (also run by Ainslie and helmed by Fletcher). He has since departed the British SailGP team for Slingsby’s Australian team.

British Youth Team applications open

Again, no surprises that Hannah Mills has been confirmed as helm for the second edition of the Women’s America’s Cup and Team Principal for the British women’s and youth Athena Pathway Programme.

Today in Naples Mills also opened the British application process for the Youth Team – they’re looking for talented, high potential sailors born between 1 July 2001 and the 1 July 2008. See the application criteria here,

Who’s backing the British Cup team?

The fact that the two British squads have two different identities – GB1 and Athena Pathway, albeit both under the ‘Athena Sports Group’ – points to their different funding.

Just before Christmas, the team revealed that the America’s Cup Challenge had secured majority ownership investment from Oakley Capital, a private equity firm headed up by businessman and yachtsman Pete Dubens – who was also one of the founding backers of Ainslie’s first ‘BAR’ America’s Cup challenge for AC35.

Oakley Capital also own North Technology Group, which includes North Sails and Southern Spars, as carried by every AC75 and AC40.

In November, former North Sails UK manager Ian Walker was appointed CEO of Athena Racing (as it was known then). This also raises the question of, whether freed from the conflicting demands of being CEO, team boss and skipper, Ainslie might find his role is once again back in the sailing team…

Ian Walker and Sir Ben Ainslie as Walker joins Athena Racing (now GB1)

In an interview with The Times today, Ainslie revealed that he had personally funded the team for 14 months following the acrimonious fall-out with previous backers INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

With the rebrand, GB1 is not currently carrying a title sponsor at all, but it’s understood they are still very much looking for commercial partnerships.

Interestingly, the Women’s and Youth seems to have been an easier sell – Ainslie told me months ago that they had secured funding for the Athena Pathway programme, and Mills’s squad has backing from another private equity firm, Advent, and defence/technology company Cobham Ultra.

Naples’ impressive history was on show as organisers and teams gathered on January 21, 2026 to confirm the dates of the 38th America’s Cup. Photo: Ian Roman / AC38

Bringing in backers

Despite the oft-repeated message that the new ACP is all about financial security, the Brits aren’t the only team who are yet to carry full title sponsorship.

Today Cup defenders New Zealand confirmed that their title sponsor will be airline Emirates, who have renewed their partnership for an impressive fifth Cup cycle. And the Swiss entry is titled Tudor Team Alinghi (having apparently dropped the Red Bull F1 tie-in from AC37).

However, the Italian entry is currently simply ‘Luna Rossa’ and the French ‘K-Challenge’.

As part of today’s official event at Naples, though, Louis Vuitton was confirmed as title sponsor for the 38th America’s Cup event.

Founding members of the America’s Cup Partnership (ACP) and title sponsor Louis Vuitton at Palazzo Reale in Naples. Photo: Ian Roman / America’s Cup

When is the 38th America’s Cup?

The other major announcement in Naples was confirmation that the Cup Match will begin on Saturday July 10, 2027 and will be wrapped up by 17-18 July 2027.

There is no word yet on the dates for the Challenger Selection Series.

This follows last week’s confirmation that the first preliminary regatta of AC38 will take place in Cagliari, Sardinia, on 21-24 May 2026 in the one-design AC40s.

The ‘shoulder season’ prevailing winds in Cagliari at that time of year could make for some spicy sailing conditions. Up to 10 races are planned over four days, with the top two teams then racing in a deciding winner-takes-all single match.

Up to three Preliminary events may be held in 2026 – we’ll report on any further date and venue announcements.

The post 38th America’s Cup Match dates set – and Dylan Fletcher back on the helm for British team appeared first on Yachting World.

Slovenian boatbuilder Elan has stunned many by announcing the development of ‘the ultimate bluewater cruiser’, designed by J&J and Guillaume Verdier. Starting with this new high-performance carbon epoxy 65-footer, the range includes a 73 and 80, and shows Elan now focusing on the premium sector.

The novel carbon fibre invitation we received was a clue, yet few were expecting such a markedly bold tack, and one that comes after a turbulent year for Elan. It’s a step change for a brand known for its family cruisers, made during a year when it ceased yacht production altogether.

The SixtyFive marks Elan’s move away from smaller family cruisers into the domain of prestige, lightweight and high performance cruising yachts. Photo: Elan Yachts

“Earlier this year, we made the very tough call to pull the emergency brake on Elan Marine,” CEO Jeffrey Tirman explained at a special press presentation during European Yacht of the Year trials in October. “We’re not planning on building family cruisers any more – we can’t compete on price, labour is too expensive.” It’s hard news for the many who’ve been long-term Elan supporters.

The Elan SixtyFive has Composite Prowess

Tirman described how they used the following months to analyse and focus on what Elan does well, pointing to how they have built boats for 80 years, 65 of which have involved composite construction. While renowned for its alpine skis, Elan is an expert in composites today, with repeatable industrial processes in place for partners such as Siemens offshore wind.

The company now aims to create the ultimate bluewater cruiser. The commissioning of Verdier for the naval architecture, who is arguably the world’s leading performance designer, gives the SixtyFive serious gravitas, while J&J are behind the concept and styling. Known for his IMOCA work, Verdier’s hand can be seen in the powerful rig, with a raked mast stepped well aft, and very rounded forward sections.

Photo: Elan Yachts

So, will this be a racing-inspired machine for professional sailors?

“The goal is to make something really easy to handle,” Verdier told us. The fixed spray dodger is another design trait taken from IMOCAs, to help enable those standing a watch on the SixtyFive to do so from a protected position. To make the yacht manageable and safe for cruising, it will use digital load monitoring and, crucially, a custom IMOCA-style autopilot.

The design team predicts the 65-footer should sail faster than the wind up to 11 knots true and be able to plane in 14-knots.

The Elan SixtyFive also reunites the yard with fellow Slovenians J&J, over 40 years after they designed the Elan 31. Co-founder Japec Jakopin spoke at length about the new design’s development, its DNA and place in the market. He explained how they’re using the essential knowledge gained from building 55 Shipmans.

Twin wheels – but an IMOCA-style autopilot will be able to do a lot of the driving. Photo: Elan Yachts

Jakopin referenced how the 20-year-old Shipman 63 weighed only 18 tonnes and could cruise in the mid-teens, yet today the average bluewater cruiser this size weighs 32 tonnes. By using vacuum-infused carbon-epoxy construction, a light displacement of nearly half that figure is predicted for the new Elan. Beam is also kept to a modest 5m to ensure it planes.

Easy living

The designers are promoting a yacht that’ll be easy to sail and live aboard, with just 1m in height difference when moving from cockpit to saloon. The forward owner’s suite has an opulent amount of space and includes a walk-in wardrobe, while the three or four guest cabins are all en suite. The 65 can also accommodate three crew.

Photo: Elan Yachts

Elan will start building when it receives two firm orders, says Tirman, who envisages being able to produce three to six yachts a year.

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Elan SixtyFive Specifications:

LOA: 21.35m 70ft 1in
LWL: 19.41m 63ft 8in
Beam: 4.99m 16ft 4in • Draught 3.5m 11ft 6in
Displacement (light): 17,000kg 37,478lb
Price: circa €3m
Contact details: elan-yachts.com

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ‘cruise’ aboard an Ultim in comfort? This audacious new project, which is already being built for an owner, could be the closest thing yet.

While the odd maxi cat has previously been retrofitted for minimalist fast cruising, this 100ft trimaran is designed from scratch to set a new bar of luxury performance sailing. The tri platform is also a more powerful, stable and safer one than a cat, its development team argues.

Photo: Global Yacht Technology/VPLP Design

Anahita 100 is a project born in, and utilising the high-performance skills of, Brittany’s famed Sailing Valley. Designed by VPLP, it is being built at CDK in Lorient, led by Global Yacht Technology (GYT), a brand formed to help owners develop such projects. We were given a sneak peek of these renders by GYT’s co-founder Ulysse Harin, during the Cannes Yachting Festival in September.

“We wanted to create the fastest cruising multihull in the world,” Harin stated. To put that in context, imagine crossing the Atlantic in six days in comfort! Anahita will be 60% lighter than most yachts this size, and is predicted to sail at twice their speed. While capable of 40 knots, it is geared more for cruising at 20-25 knots. The central hull is designed not to lift, and it can’t capsize, we are told.

Today’s new age of reliable AI-enhanced pilots means an autopilot will be in control most of the time. The project team use Ultim (and IMOCA) solo racers as examples as they almost constantly rely on pilot control during circumnavigations.

Planned as a repeatable build, the Anahita 100 features superyacht quality interiors designed by Christophe Chedal Anglay

The Anahita 100 is race-inspired

“It’s not a racing boat, but it looks like one,” adds a man who really knows: Loïck Peyron. He also confirms CDK is the best yard for such a project, having built leading Ultims such as the Banque Populaires and SVR Lazartigue.

“This is a logical evolution of our work,” agrees Lucien Boyer, CDK Group’s CEO. He highlights their 40 years of winning ocean races, including producing six out of the top 10 IMOCAs in the last Vendée Globe.

“We know what it takes to make fast, reliable yachts. We believe this is a new approach, using a pro crew to provide owners with new adventures, those who want to go fast in a safe environment.”

Photo: Global Yacht Technology/VPLP Design

This particular environment can run independently of fossil fuels, can anchor in shallower water than most 50ft monohulls, and offers 160m2 of trampoline area (or ‘marine garden’) and over 120m2 of living space.

The Christophe Chedal Anglay-designed interior is superyacht style, with all accommodation in the main hull, centred around the area of least pitching. Three or four double cabins are offered on the main deck, the former with the option for a vast owner’s suite forward. This looks set to create a new definition of a room with a view at speed. Crew quarters for four are situated on the lower deck, while the outriggers are only used for stowage.

Photo: Global Yacht Technology/VPLP Design

A hybrid build of prepreg and infused carbon with some glassfibre will result in a weight of just 34 tonnes. The main hull for the first boat is already infused, the 34m mast is being built by Lorima, and the roof by MerConcept.

Launch is expected during 2027, while the project team envisions a small, select series of these 100ft beasts sailing. And yes, we have firmly volunteered for sea trials!

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Anahita 100 Specifications:

LOA: 31m 101ft 9in
Beam: 21m 68ft 11in
Displacement: 34,000kg 74,956lb
Draught: 2.00m 6ft 7in
Price: €27m

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Anahita 100 First Look: The ‘world’s fastest cruiser’ is in build appeared first on Yachting World.

Two sailors have been discovered dead on their yacht, while sailing between Madagascar and Mozambique, off Africa’s south east coast in the Indian Ocean.

The yacht Acteon is a 50-footer registered in France, and was sailing in the Mozambique Channel, around 200 miles north east of Beira, Mozambique.

The two sailors have been named as Deirdre Sibly, 67, of Port Lincoln, Australia, and Frenchman Pascal Mahe. Both are understood to be highly experienced cruisers.

The pair were sailing to Durban, South Africa from Reunion Island, when a distress call was sent from their yacht on Thursday, 27 November, which was received by a cargo ship in the area that alerted French authorities.

Deirdre Sibley, an Australian cruiser reported to have been found dead aboard the yacht she was sailing in the Indian Ocean, in a photo released by her sister Sue Good.

Speaking to The Guardian in Australia, Deirdre Sibly’s sister Sue Good said that the cargo ship approached Acteon but was unable to board the yacht. Two additional vessels then joined the rescue effort, and crew were able to get aboard.

“I had a call from [the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade] at about 10am Friday morning, that’s when they told me someone was able to board the yacht and a man and woman had been found deceased,” Cook confirmed to Guardian Australia.

Speaking to Australian news broadcaster ABC Adelaide, Good was also quoted as saying: “We’re just devastated; she’d been away sailing with Pascal since early June … she was so happy.”

The yacht Acteon, as identified on the Marine Traffic AIS tracking site. Image Fran Solly/Marine Traffic

Piracy speculation

There has been no official indication of a likely cause of death, though some online reports have speculated that piracy may be involved.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it was “providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian missing in the Mozambique channel”.

A spokesman added: “Our thoughts are with the family at this distressing time.

“Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.”

Historically there have been numerous incidents of Somali pirates targeting yacht sailors, most high profile of which were the Chandlers, who were kidnapped from their yacht near the Seychelles in 2009 and held captive for over a year before being released in 2011. That same year four American sailors were killed after being hijacked off the coast of Oman.

The Gulf of Aden has been known to be a high risk area for over two decades, although some yachts do still transit the area – 50-60 yachts are estimated to have crossed the Suez Canal in 2023 and 2024.

The reported location of the yacht Acteon when it issued a distress call on 27 November.

The waters further south were previously thought to be lower risk, though a radical Islamist insurgency in northern Mozambique, funded in part by drug smuggling from Afghanistan to East Africa, led to authorities warning of an increased piracy risk in the area from 2020/21 onwards.

The Mozambique Channel is a key shipping route, and also a major oil and gas production area.

Madagascar and the eastern side of the channel were previously considered safer, though Madagascar has also experienced political upheaval and unrest, with a coup in November 2025.

The yacht Acteon is understood to still be adrift. We’ll report more when we have further information.

The post Mystery after two cruisers discovered dead aboard yacht in Indian Ocean appeared first on Yachting World.

The Famous Project CIC, the all-women challenge for the Jules Verne Trophy, the non-stop around the world record, departed on Saturday 29 November.

The team, which is skippered by French former Vendée Globe skipper Alexia Barrier and was set up together with British record-breaking yachtswoman Dee Caffari, is aiming to become the first all-female crew to complete a Jules Verne attempt.

But above all they are chasing one of the all-time great sailing records, the non-stop, no-holds-barred around the world record time, which currently stands at 40 days and 23 hours, set by Idec Sport in 2017.

As Dee Caffari posted on her Facebook page: “Sh*t is about to get real!”

Barrier and Caffari are racing with Annemieke Bes, Rebecca Gmuer, Deb Blair, Molly Lapointe, Xiquita Etchegoyen, and Stacey Jackson aboard Idec Sport, the same maxi-trimaran which set the current Jules Verne record in 2017, skippered by Francis Joyon.

The Famous Project CIC, 100% women crew, crossing the start line for Trophée Jules Verne on November 29, in Brest, France. Photo by Jean-Marie Liot / The Famous Project CIC

Starting a Jules Verne challenge

The Jules Verne Trophy has an official start/finish line between the Créac’h lighthouse on the island of Ouessant, France, and Lizard Point lighthouse on the southernmost tip of England.

Crews must sail around the world, passing Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape Horn to port, before crossing the same line in the opposite direction to finish – a ‘great circle’ distance of 21,760 nautical miles (40,300km).

But the Jules Verne has no set start time, so teams may leave whenever their weather routers believe a suitable window of opportunity for a fast Atlantic descent is opening up.The Famous Project first moved to what’s known as ‘Code Green’, or ready to depart. Having left Brest, they crossed the line at 01.40 UTC (14 h 40 FR) on Saturday, November 29.

The Jules Verne Trophy course

Toughest 24 hours at start

The Famous Project crew set off in tough conditions with a blustery north-westerly, and will immediately face 4-5m waves in the Bay of Biscay.

“I feel very lucky and grateful for all the work that has been done over the last few months and years, all together. It’s really a collective celebration to be at the starting line,” said Barrier.

“Obviously, I’m a little nervous because what we’re doing is huge. But what reassures me a lot is having these incredible girls by my side. I’m not alone and I know my team is up to the task.

“We’ll be sailing downwind until we reach the equator. These are conditions we know well. Further on, the doldrums are still shifting.

“As Brian Thompson, who has helped us a lot throughout this training course on trimarans with the girls, would say, ‘You’re going to experience the toughest 24 hours of your Jules Verne Trophy.’ So we need to stay focused and conservative so we don’t hurt ourselves or break anything on the first day.”

Boat and crew of The Famous Project CIC, 100% women crew, before start for Trophée Jules Verne on November 29, in Brest, France. Photo by Jean-Marie Liot / The Famous Project CIC

“I’m surprisingly calm, but I think I’m calm to help everyone else, because you can feel a certain nervousness,” said Dee Caffari on the morning of the start.

“The main goal has always been to get to the starting line, and I think today we took a big step forward. It’s an important milestone, and I think it deserves a little celebration.

“It’s been a long road, with ups and downs, but Alexia never lost confidence or faith in herself, and I supported her throughout. So I’m very happy to be here. Today it’s about reminding the girls that we’re just going to sail, which is what they do perfectly, but simply that they won’t be sleeping in a bed for a few days. That’s exactly what we practiced in training, so we’re just going to set off, enjoy ourselves, and do what we know how to do.

“We wanted a perfect start, but perfection doesn’t exist in sailing, because we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature. That said, it’s a very good start.”

Skipper Alexia Barrier (FRA) before start of The Famous Project CIC attempt on the Trophée Jules Verne. Photo by Jean-Marie Liot / The Famous Project CIC

Jules Verne weather window

Ashore the team is supported by meteorologist Christian Dumard. The circulation of two high pressure systems over the North Atlantic has created an opportunity for a starting window, though the team will have an immediate race against time as the movement of an anticyclone threatens to close the route off Cape Finisterre.

“The front will pass over the starting area on Saturday morning,” explains Dumard. “The idea is to leave just behind it, in the early afternoon, in a north-westerly wind of less than 30 knots, which will gradually weaken.

“This window is very short and does not necessarily offer an absolute chance of achieving a ‘blistering’ time at the equator. But it does offer favorable wind and sea conditions for downwind sailing and a relatively comfortable start for the crew.”

“We will leave Brest on Saturday before noon and cross the line about two hours later. There will be rough seas, with swells of over 4 meters, which are perfectly manageable aboard Idec Sport,” adds Barrier.

“The danger is that the high-pressure system centered off the coast of Portugal will grow and block us as we pass Cape Finisterre. We would then have to turn back and resume our standby in Brest.”

A big crowd turned out to see the crew of The Famous Project off from Brest. Photo Jean-Marie Liot/The Famous Project CIC

All-female team

The Famous Project was launched in 2022, with the team initially training in a MOD70 before taking delivery of Idec Sport. They have been working with round the world yachtsman Brian Thomspon, with fellow British ocean sailor Jonny Malbon the Team Director.

In a recent blog post, Dee Caffari reported that the team’s final training sessions in late October ahead of the record were both invaluable, and challenging.

“These training sessions are where theory meets reality – intense, demanding, and absolutely invaluable.

“We were fortunate to train with Brian Thompson, whose expertise and calm authority at sea are second to none. Brian’s coaching has helped us fine-tune our performance and strengthen our team dynamics – those crucial marginal gains that will make all the difference when we take on the planet’s toughest challenge.

“This month, Mother Nature decided to push us harder. The conditions were significantly bigger and stronger than what we experienced during the summer -exactly what we needed. It’s one thing to sail fast in perfect conditions; it’s quite another to maintain that performance when the waves are towering and the wind is howling.

“These challenging sessions gave us a much more realistic preview of what life will really be like as we chase the record around the world.”

Skipper Alexia Barrier and his crew training onboard the Maxi-Trimaran The Famous Project CIC, off Groix island. Photo: Jean-Marie LIOT / The Famous Project CIC

Jules Verne attempts

There have been numerous attempts on the Jules Trophy record since Joyon set the current record in 2017. That time of 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes requires an average speed of 22.84 knots.

The foiling Ultim trimarans – capable of maintaining consistent speeds in the high 30s – have set off several times. In 2024 Thomas Coville’s Sodebo and Francois Gabart’s SVR-Lazartigue started within hours of each other, but both had to pause their attempt after damage or gear failure. Sodebo restarted last winter, but later had to retire after losing their central rudder.

In 2020, Charles Caudrelier’s team on Gitana 17 and Sodebo also set off in the same weather window in late November, but both had retired by mid-December after colliding with underwater objects.

Sodebo is among the Ultims that has made numerous attempts at the Jules Verne Trophy. Photo: Pierre Bouras/DPPI

The last all-female attempt on the Jules Verne, Tracy Edwards’ Royal & Sun Alliance in 1998, ended when the 92ft catamaran dismasted in the South Pacific 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile.

Idec Sport, the trimaran the Famous Project CIC crew are sailing, is a non-foiling design that was originally launched in 2006 as Groupama 3, and won the Jules Verne Trophy in 2010, skippered by Franck Cammas. While its peak speed is less than that of an Ultim, it is a robust and well-proven boat which has successfully completed multiple non-stop around the world passages – the first challenge of any Jules Verne attempt.

How to follow The Famous Project Jules Verne bid

You can follow The Famous Project’s attempt at thefamousproject.io

The team also has an app, active social media, and plan to share live daily updates on their YouTube channel.

The post All-female round the world record attempt sets sail in tough conditions appeared first on Yachting World.

‘Oceans must be at the forefront of climate discussions,’ says CEO of COP30 Ana Toni.

With ocean issues at its centre, it’s no wonder this week’s UN Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil included members from across the sailing community. From sportsmen to sailing activists to race officials, here’s who sailed to the UN Climate Conference and why.

Cop30 sailing news at a glance

• Greepeace and the People’s Summit Flotilla in the waters of Belém
• The Ocean Race highlights what climate leadership can learn from the sailing mindset
• Crews from Voices of and Ocean Institute and the Women Wave Project sail into the conference
• COP30’s Ocean-first topics that sailors will want to know about, including the Blue Package and the High Seas Treaty

The People’s Summit Flotilla takes to the waters around COP30

Over 150 boats with members of indigenous communities and social organisations sailed the Guama River as part of a symbolic crossing during the COP30, according to organisers. Photo: Mauro PIMENTEL / AFP.

Ahead of COP30, more than 5,000 people across 200 vessels sailed in the waters of Belém as part of the People’s Summit Flotilla in the hopes of demonstrating that a sustainable future is built not by industry, but by mobilising on a community level.

In attendance was Greenpeace’s iconic fishing trawler-turned sail-power ship, the Rainbow Warrior, the second ship to bear this name after its predecessor’s infamous sinking by French secret service agents.

Executive Director of Greenpeace Brazil Carolina Pasquali commented:

‘The thousands of people in the flotilla today are showing the strength of a unified global movement — communities who have been impacted by extreme weather events and by companies profiting from the destruction of our planet, Indigenous Peoples who have been fighting for generations for their rights, their lands and the forest, and civil society demanding real action from world leaders and negotiators at COP.’

Inside COP30: The Ocean Race tackles ocean advocacy

Photo: Sophie Valerie Hulme / The Ocean Race.

Inside the conference, sailor-driven events highlighted the importance of protecting the oceans to address climate change.

In a panel titled ‘Racing for the Ocean: Faster and Smarter’, the Ocean Race brought Brazilian sailing icon, Olympic champion, and winner of the 2008-2009 Ocean Race Torben Grael together with global experts to explore the findings of the Planetary Health Check 2025.

Talks between Grael, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean Peter Thomson, Ocean Impact Director at The Ocean Race Lucy Hunt, and Race Chairman of The Ocean Race Richard Brisius highlighted the urgent need to protect natural carbon sinks, reinforce ocean science, and revitalise humanity’s connection to the ocean.

‘Ocean health is currently, measurably, in decline,’ commented Thomson. ‘But there is hope. Around the world, ocean science is advancing at a pace we have never seen before.’

What can climate leaders can learn from sailing?

Torben Grael after winning the semi finals, race 5, against U.S. BMW Oracle of the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2007. He was Italy’s Luna Rossa Challenge Tactician. Photo: Associated Press / Alamy.

As the ‘Racing for the Oceans’ panel’s sailor-in-residence, Grael identified elements from the sailing mindset that can help climate leaders face uncertainty, solve problems under pressure, and persist as they work to protect the oceans.

‘Sailing is a very difficult sport because it involves water and wind, both unpredictable and sometimes dangerous,’ he explained. ‘We must analyse what went wrong, decide what to correct, and make it better next time,’ Grael says. ‘That is how we win this race for the ocean.’

‘Just as sailors navigate the unknown with courage, determination, and teamwork, the world must chart a new course, one that respects planetary boundaries and safeguards the ocean for future generations,’ adds Brisius. ‘Sailors depend on the ocean: it is our racetrack, our home, our teacher. We have a responsibility to protect it.’

‘Racing for Oceans’ builds on the Ocean Race’s wider efforts to put ocean advocacy at the forefront of racing, which include sailor-led offshore data collection and stopover events dedicated to conservation.

More sailing crews mooring up for COP30

The Greenpeace ‘Rainbow Warrior’ ship docks at the riverbank of the Federal University of Para (Orla da UFPA), Belem, Brazil for COP30 UN Climate Summit. Photo: Mauro PIMENTEL / AFP.

Heloisa Schurmann, co-founder of Brazilian global-impact initiative Voice of the Oceans Institute (VOI), sailed 3,000 miles from St Helena to Brazil to attend COP30 with the sustainable sailboat Kat. 

Kat docked in Belèm from early November, giving visitors a chance to get onboard for a firsthand look at the sustainable onboard technologies developed in collaboration between VOI and global electronics company WEG.

VOI and WEG also teamed up on the Casa Vozes do Oceano, a free exhibition space open to the public, where they are presenting a series of activities to promote ocean protection and recovery through science, education, and innovation.

‘Voice of the Oceans is not just an expedition,’ Schurmann wrote from onboard. ‘It is a call. An invitation for every person, institution, and government to listen to what the sea has to say. We are bringing to Belém—and to COP30—not only data and alarming evidence, but also inspiring stories of those who chose to take action.’

The Women Wave Project

French climate activist Camille Etienne before sailing with other activists to COP30 on L’Esprit d’Equipe. Photo: Damien Meyer / Getty.

The Women Wave Project, supported by Amnesty International Belgium, brought an all-female crew of sailors and activists from Saint-Nazaire, France to Brazil onboard the legendary French racing yacht L’Esprit d’equipe, winner in her class of the 1985-86 Whitbread Round the World Race.

‘Crossing the Atlantic with women only was both intense and deeply symbolic,’ said crew member Maïté Meeûs, Brussels-based feminist and founder of an NGO that support survivors of sexual violence. ‘We wanted to embody the message we’re bringing to the COP: that women are always on the front line of crises, yet rarely at the decision table.’

The Women Wave Project is accredited within the Belgian delegation, and has taken part in both the public “green zone” and the official “blue zone” for state delegations at COP30.

Oceans at the centre of COP30

Attendees line up to get into the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. Photo: Fernando Llano / Getty.

These sailors were part of more than 55,000 participants in attendance at COP30, where talks focused on the dual priority of protecting the world’s oceans and its forests.

In the ocean sphere, three primary initiatives were front and centre.

First, explicitly including ocean resources in Brazil’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), or its climate impact plan, in order to foreground the ocean in its measurement of climate progress and to provide a ocean-inclusive impact model for other nations.

Second, coordinating the Blue Package, a roadmap for accelerating ocean climate solutions by 2028.

Finally, talks centred not only the ratification but the implementation of the High Seas Treaty, also known as the global BBNJ (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) agreement, which will become effective in January 2026 after reaching the 60 ratifications needed to trigger its entrance into force.

The High Seas Treaty establishes Marine Protected Areas in two-thirds of the world’s oceans and creates a legal framework for governing the worlds commons. In the marine sphere, this includes marine life and environments in areas outside of national jurisdiction, such as the high seas and the international seabed, and their possible use in practices such as commercial fishing and deep sea mining.

Its funding and implementation will be discussed at BBNJ COP1 in late 2026.

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If you enjoyed this article about COP30….

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World Sailing has recognised its top achievers, honouring two offshore stars, Charlie Dalin and Justine Mettraux, as the Rolex World Sailors of the Year.

The awards highlight not only exceptional performance but also remarkable personal resilience in the face of immense challenge.

Dalin’s Secret Battle Behind Record Victory

France’s Charlie Dalin was named the Male Rolex World Sailor of the Year, a tribute to his all-conquering victory in the 2024–2025 Vendée Globe.

Aboard Macif Santé Prévoyance, Dalin completed the grueling solo, non-stop circumnavigation in 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, and 49 seconds, demolishing the previous course record by nearly 10 days. His win was made all the more heroic by a revelation shared recently: Dalin was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumour in 2023.

He competed in the Vendée Globe while undergoing treatment, managing his illness with daily medication.

Mettraux Sets New Female Circumnavigation Record

The Female Rolex World Sailor of the Year title went to Swiss sailor Justine Mettraux, who delivered an historic performance in the Vendée. Finishing eighth overall on Teamwork-Team SNEF, Mettraux was the first woman and first international competitor to cross the finish line.

Mettraux completed the race in 76 days, 1 hour, 36 minutes, and 52 seconds, setting a new record for the fastest single-handed, non-stop, monohull circumnavigation by a woman. Her achievement is the latest in a highly diverse and impressive offshore career that has seen her compete in the Vendée Globe, participate in the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup, and, more recently, take part in The Ocean Race Europe.

Emirates Team New Zealand Named Team of the Year

In the collective categories, Emirates Team New Zealand earned the 2025 World Sailing Team of the Year Award. The honour recognises the team’s continued success and commitment to innovation and community within the sport.

The award follows ETNZ’s historic third consecutive America’s Cup victory in Barcelona in 2024, a feat that solidified their position as one of the most successful teams in America’s Cup history.

Kevin Shoebridge, COO of Emirates Team New Zealand, emphasised the collaborative spirit behind the win. “This recognition is especially meaningful to us because it is not about any one individual. It is about the strength of the team,” Shoebridge said.

“Every single person in our organisation, from the sailors to the designers, the boatbuilders, the shore crew, and the families who support us, plays a crucial role in what we achieve together.”

In accepting the award, the team also paid tribute to inspirational blind sailor Dani A Pich, acknowledging the importance of championing inclusivity and accessibility in sailing.

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11th Hour Racing Impact Award

The commitment to sustainability in the sport was also recognised, with the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Impact Award being presented to the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES Project.

The project, led by the Royal Yachting Association, was honoured for its landmark collaboration uniting conservation bodies and the recreational boating community to restore and protect fragile seagrass meadows and maerl beds across five Special Areas of Conservation in southern England.

Youth Winners Impress

The Kuehne+Nagel Young World Sailor of the Year awards were won by Greece’s Nikolaos Pappas and Marta Cardona of Spain.

Nikolaos Pappas, from the small Greek village of Vonitsa, made history on the global sailing stage. At just 13 years of age and competing at his first international event – the 2025 Optimist World Championship in Portoroz, Slovenia – he beat 213 athletes from all over the world to take the title.

Another debutant, Marta Cardona Alcántara from Spain, showed her potential by winning the 470 Mixed World and European Championships at the first time of sailing in the events. She won the European title after sailing with her partner Jordi Xammar for just 40 days and went on to claim the world title a month later.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

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The Pegasus 50 is one of the standout yachts we have trialled in recent years. It’s a brilliant design for both its performance ability in lighter breezes, and its deck and cockpit layout, which will look after short-handed sailors while sailing serious passages. Having built 18 of these since this Slovenian yard formed in 2019, and after multiple requests for a larger version, Pegasus is now announcing this Pegasus 67. It gave YW the exclusive.

As you can see, the concept is very much in line with the original yacht, so is again aimed at owner-drivers. It’s a platform which offers the performance of a 65ft+ hull with the ease of handling of one 10ft shorter. “We want to build a boat that a couple would not hesitate to take out on a windy day,” designer Marko Pas explains.

Refreshingly, length is not the decisive factor here. Volume and displacement are the controls, built on the desire to keep it to under 25 tonnes loaded – consider that similar length 60-65ft cruising yachts are typically 10-tonnes heavier.

Weight is reduced by minimising hull volume where it’s not needed, and max beam is kept comparatively narrow. This helps Pegasus’s desire to present the P67 as visually small as possible, so as not to put sailors off by its size.

Long, sleek hull of the Pegasus 67 is designed to be easily handled by a sailing couple even in challenging weather.

In terms of internal hull volume, it’s more comparable to a 57-59ft yacht. Indeed, the 67 began at 59ft, but Pegasus chose to extend the hull forward rather than add a bowsprit. The company’s view is that this adds more performance and a softer entrance and gives more sail locker space, while doing the same aft created space for a dinghy garage and gangway.

This struck a chord, as longer hull lengths can really help with passage speeds if you can control weight. On a fast cruising cat, for example, you’d ideally make it as long as you could handle (and afford) but with empty ends.

Today’s 60ft+ monohulls typically have wide aft beams and a tall sailplan to help the weighty volume in light winds, but Pegasus’s ‘less is more’ philosophy sees it using the length for speed not volume. “It’s the total boat displacement that makes the difference, not the length,” argues Pas.

As per the P50, the design is by Pas, also responsible for the Shipman carbon cruising range. Pegasus then went to Juan K, chiefly for his computing power rather than any big name promotional reasons, “to optimise the hull appendages and to make the sailplan as small as possible, and to run the VPPs on these.”

Keeping displacement light and low allows for less mast height and standing rigging, and less sail to manage. The P67 is conceived for light wind sailing and serious passagemaking. So despite bow sections deliberately designed for a soft entry, that means sailing with the tradewinds when possible. Offwind sails will typically be left rigged on furlers, with lines and reef controls led to the cockpit, while the mainsheet is out of harm’s way on the fixed arch.

This leaves the proper all-weather cockpit protected by a composite roof and windshield, both features integrated into the design rather than as a bolt-on extra option. The cockpit, saloon and galley, where most spend the majority of time aboard a yacht, are all sited as centrally as possible, and linked by only two steps.

Almost all equipment required for bluewater sailing is included in the base price

The saloon features a similar gimballing settee seen on the P50 and the engine room is again deliberately placed aft, under the cockpit sole to keep noise and smells from the interior.

In terms of layout, the chief gain of the P67 over its smaller sister is the space to house two aft cabins. This gives the option for three or four cabins with two or three heads. And there can be full separation between guest and owner’s cabins. The latter can be a super-suite that takes the full area forward of the main bulkhead.

Fitout looks really thorough for cruising, including the doubling-up of all major systems for redundancy, such as autopilot, watermaker, pumps, batteries and charging. There are two technical lockers, one for pumps and liquids, one for electrics.

The Pegasus is built using vacuum-infused epoxy or Vinylester, with a hybrid of glass and carbon fibres on a PVC core. The first boat is expected to be ready by early 2027. The standard price comes with a very full spec, which includes a painted hull, Estec decking, carbon mast, sails including Code 0, thrusters and aircon.

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Pegasus 67 Specifications:

LOA: 20.46m 67ft 2in
LWL: 19.50m 64ft 0in
Beam: 5.60m 18ft 6in
Draught: 3.00m 9ft 10in
Displacement (light): 21,000kg
Price: €3.5m ex VAT
Contact details: pegasus-yachts.com

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Pegasus 67 first look: A roomier Pegasus 50 for sailing couples appeared first on Yachting World.

It’s here! Amazon’s big summer sale, Prime Day 2025 (or what we should probably start calling Prime Week 2025, is the event is running over four days this year). Prime Day 2025 has officially kicked off today, Tuesday 8 July 2025 and deals will be running all the way through to Friday 11 July.

Although the sales from Prime Day are not as popular as Black Friday the deals are often just as good – and sometimes better. in 2025, we’ve already seen some impressive deals with great Fish Finder discounts at Bass Pro Shops, loads of bargains at French giant Decathlon, Helly Hansen Prime deals for the outdoor enthusiast + a huge power station discount at Amazon.

You’ll need an Amazon Prime membership to take part in the biggest shopping event of the year (so far), but if you don’t want to subscribe, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Prime instead.

You can cancel at any time within 30 days, so if you subscribe now, you can take advantage of Prime Day 2024 boating deals and you’ll still have plenty of time to cancel without paying the year’s subscription fee.

Although Prime Day is officially an Amazon initiative, the following stores all usually offer good deals over the same period, so we’ve linked to their deals pages below as we expect they will have some decent deals for Prime Day 2025.

• • QUICK LINKS

    • Amazon: Savings on paddle boards, kayaks, marine clothing and much more
    • West Marine: Marine electronics deals
    • Decathlon: Water sports deals from kayaks to diving gear
    • Walmart: Life jackets, paddle boards, tenders and more
    • Gael Force Marine: Top bargains on chandlery for UK boaters
    • Bass Pro Shop: Huge discounts on outdoor kit and electronics

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Best Prime Day Boating Deals USA

Humminbird Helix 12 CHIRP GPS G4N Fishfinder/ Chartplotter – was $2,699.99. – Now $1499.98
This is the perfect tool for anglers looking to take their fishing game to the next level. This impressive fishfinder features CHIRP Sonar, MEGA Side Imaging, Mega Down Imaging, and GPS technology to help you locate and identify fish quicker and easier than ever before. And this Black Friday it’s reduced by a massive $1000!

View Deal

Jackery Explorer 500 Portable Power Station – Was $499 – Now $299
518 Wh capacity, 500 W AC output, great for phones, laptops, lights, and fridges
Portable at ~13 lb, easy to move between salon and cockpit
Solar-compatible
A portable mid-capacity unit that balances power and practicality without breaking your budget. Perfect for weekend sails or as a smaller backup to the 1000 V2.

View Deal

Spinlock Deckvest 6D – Was $419 Now $379
This lifejacket is Spinlock’s offshore ‘all the bells and whistles’ lifejacket. Of all the brands out there making PFDs Spinlock is one of the very best. This Spinlock Deckvest 6D came out top in our sister magazine’s extensive lifejacket and PFD test.

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Helly Hansen gilet – Was $150.00 Now $105.30
This stylish Helly Hansen gilet is lightweight enough to pack away in a rucksack or wear on a breezy sailing trip. The healthy discount is at a new low for Prime Day as well.

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Raymate Bluetooth Waterproof Speaker – Was $139.99 Now $39.99
This prime day waterproof speaker deal will have you saving money on a music system worthy of taking out on a sailing trip.
Its long battery life will keep the sound going for a long time after you’ve left the marina. And it’s soothingly easy to connect to a phone, tablet, or laptop as well.

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Airhead Big Mable Boat Tube – Was $324.99 – Now $243.74 
The Airhead Big Mable Boat Tube, offer really impressive airtime for a 2-person towable and also features dual towing points for extra security.
Not only that but the size and sofa shape of this tube mean that is can be used as a sunlounger if you’re looking for slightly less adrenaline-fuelled fun!

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Intex K2 Inflatable kayak – Was $139.99 Now £111.99
The Intex Challenger K2 is the company’s mid-range inflatable kayak and the one that our Kayak tester, Drew Maglio has owned and enjoyed for many years. Currently the Kayak is priced at just £82 in the UK Prime Day sales and down to $111.99 in the US Prime Day sales.
Drew says he has kayaked the Challenger K2 with another paddler up to 2.5 miles to two offshore islands in the Florida Keys on one occasion, so it can certainly promise to take you on an adventure should you wish.

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Best Prime Day Boating Deals UK

The Tribord Offshore 900 Jacket – Petrol – Was £259.99, Now £163.99
Our editor Theo recommends this Decathlon jacket as his pick for best affordable sailing jacket. It has 3-layer hydrophobic fabric, plenty of pockets, and excellent performance for the price – even better considering it’s now almost £100 cheaper!

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Helly Spinlock Deckvest Lite – Was £149.95 Now £137.95
The best lifejackets I’ve owned have been Spinlock and their quality of construction is second to none. When our Tech editor, Fox Morgan tried on the Spinlock Deckvest lite, she claimed it was ‘so comfy you can forget you’re wearing it’. It’s not a massive discount – but Spinlock kit rarely is. But if you’re looking for a comfy coastal lifejacket you can’t go wrong with this.

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Crewsaver Crewfit 165N – Was £112 Now £96.95
In our sister magazine’s lifejacket testing I described this jacket as: ‘an excellent lifejacket, leading the way with coastal lifejackets that will take you offshore and into the night with its well positioned strobe light and nicely designed sprayhood.’
I highly recommend Crewsaver lifejackets in general and this one specifically. Given a choice I’d probably go with Spinlock for comfort, but at around £95 in Prime sales, you’ll struggle to find anything better at this price.

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The Coleman Xtreme Cooler – Was £139.99 Now £102.17
Strong enough to sit on, durable, and easy to wheel, our editors think this cooler box has great value for money. It has a 66L capacity and promises to keep food and drink cool for up to five days.

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Intex K2 Inflatable kayak – Was £102.82 Now £82.25
The Intex Challenger K2 is the company’s mid-range inflatable kayak and the one that our Kayak tester, Drew Maglio has owned and enjoyed for many years. Currently the Kayak is priced at just £82 in the UK Prime Day sales and down to $111.99 in the US Prime Day sales.
Drew says he has kayaked the Challenger K2 with another paddler up to 2.5 miles to two offshore islands in the Florida Keys on one occasion, so it can certainly promise to take you on an adventure should you wish.

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Cressi Octopus Dry Backpack – Was £53.69 Now £39.49
This dry bag from trusted dive brand Cressi is one of the most stylish waterproof backpack options out there. With a smooth finish, plenty of handy straps, and a truly sleek design, you can get both style and substance at a discount price.

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AMAZON PRIME DAY

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Think of it as another Black Friday. Prime Day used to be a 48-hour flash sale from Amazon, where, for two days only, consumers can grab a whole host of bargains. However, for the first time 2025 will see the sales run over four full days. It’s online only and is held to mark Amazon’s birthday. Prime Day started in 2015 on Amazon’s 20th birthday, with this year being its 29th.

Which brands are taking part in Prime Day 2025?

Lots of big brands are offering deals, such as Philips, Bosch, Miele and Samsung, but we’ve also seen plenty of sailing brands getting involved too, such as Bluefin, Helly Hansen, Sebago, Sperry and Steiner. And not only that, but given the popularity of the summer sales, other companies tend to join in too, so you can expect sales from brands like Walmart, Decathlon, REI, West Marine and more.

Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Head to Amazon’s dedicated sailing page for more marine products.

The post Best Prime Day 2025 boating deals: How to save big on sailing gear this year appeared first on Yachting World.

On 17 June 2025, World Sailing officially launched the World Sailing Academy, providing online training and educational resources to the global sailing community. The site offers a broad array of training resources for all members of the sailing community – from sailors and coaches to officials and administrators.

Among the core training offerings are free courses on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, as well as the fundamentals of race management, safeguarding in sport, and sailing-specific conditioning exercises.

The platform also offers resources and news on specific areas within the sailing world, including those focused on women in the sport, para-inclusive activities, sustainability, coaching, anti-doping, safeguarding, and support for race officials.

For more general or niche topics, there is a hub with links to YouTube webinars hosted by World Sailing on a range of other sailing topics, from the RYA’s children’s sailing and windsurfing programs to conservation within the America’s Cup.

There are various courses on offer. Photo: World Sailing Academy

The sign-up process is relatively straightforward, with World Sailing requesting that you complete this Google form so they can send a login link to your email. Once you set a password, you can access the academy and access courses from your dashboard.

World Sailing’s Head of International Development, Fiona Kidd, said, “The launch of the World Sailing Academy is a pivotal moment for our sport. The platform embodies our commitment to global growth and inclusivity, ensuring that every individual, regardless of their location, can enhance their knowledge, skills, and contribute to the advancement of sailing. The World Sailing Academy delivers flexible and accessible education, allowing users to learn at their own pace, any time, and anywhere.”

For sailors working remotely or relying on Starlink at sea to access the internet, the online platform offers an opportunity to connect with marine news and develop sailing skills.

The Women in Sailing hub on the World Sailing Academy site. Photo: Tim Bishop/PPL

Kidd continued, “It will be particularly vital for athletes and officials from developing sailing nations, offering them unprecedented access to high-quality training courses and resources while empowering our entire community and preparing them for the future of our sport.”

As the courses are free, some financial barriers to participating in the sport are removed. World Sailing believes that this will increase accessibility and create opportunities for individuals from more diverse backgrounds to become involved.

The World Sailing Academy’s four key features

World Sailing outlined that the academy has four main characteristics designed to provide the sailing community with access to relevant education.

These features are:

• Self-paced learning to provide flexibility for diverse time zones and needs
• Certification programs for recognising achievement and supporting career progression
• Mobile-friendly access for convenience
• Thorough resource hubs offering tools for learning

World Sailing provides guidance on which features could benefit different people in the sailing world. For example, they recommend that all those participating in World Sailing events take the Safeguarding in Sport course to ensure the well-being of those involved.

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More courses in development

According to World Sailing, the academy ‘will evolve over the coming months with new courses and content being added and updated regularly.’ They go on to say that they will add more learning hubs supporting race officials, environmental sustainability, and youth development. As part of World Sailing’s Ready for the Future 2025-2029 strategy, the updates will aim to educate ‘both emerging sailing nations and experienced Member National Authorities’

Additionally, World Sailing states that they are developing other courses in key sporting areas to build confidence and strengthen capabilities. The organisation says these new resources will include detailed modules on Para Classification Fundamentals, Inclusive Coaching, pre-Technical Coaching Course requirements, and Event Accessibility Planning.

World Sailing said they are committed to keeping the academy ‘relevant, responsive, and inclusive’ by working with the community and experts across the sport.

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Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post World Sailing launches online learning platform with free courses for sailing community appeared first on Yachting World.

Update 10 June 2025 15:00 BST: Following its interception by Israeli forces on 9 June 2025, the Madleen was docked in the port of Ashdod Monday evening. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) had been out of contact with the twelve members of the crew for 19 hours.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry (IFM) posted two photos of members of the Madleen’s crew, stating on their official X account that “The ‘Selfie Yacht’ docked at Ashdod Port a short while ago”, and that passengers were undergoing medical examinations.

On Tuesday morning 10 June 2025, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg departed a Tel Aviv airport on a flight to Sweden via France.

On arrival at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, Thunberg accused Israel of “kidnapping us in international waters” in her comments to reporters. She added that her experience of detention and deportation was “nothing compared to what the Palestinians are going through,” but that it represented “yet another intentional violation of rights” by the Israeli state.

Another three members of the Madleen’s crew have since been deported, while the 8 remaining activists from Madleen’s crew have refused deportation. Among them are the Madleen’s Skipper Riva Viard and Rima Hassan, a French MEP of Palestinian origin.

“Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority,” the official IFM account wrote on X.

The FFC says that they expect members who do not agree to leave immediately to be moved to the Givon detention facility for ‘illegal residents’ in Ramleh. They will be held for 96 hours, after which they can be deported with or without their consent.

In an update from Freedom Flotilla, Press Officer Hay Sea Wiÿa writes that “Israel is handling the custody of all 12 as though they had entered illegally– even though they were forcibly abducted from international waters and brought into Israel against their will.”

Report from Monday 9 June 2025:

Sailing yacht Madleen was on its way to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip when it was intercepted by Israeli forces on 9 June 2025, just after 05:30 local time (03:30 BST).

At the time of its seizure, the vessel was sailing lawfully in international waters 110 nautical miles from Gaza. It was heading towards Palestinian territorial waters under a British flag.

Where is the Madleen?

At present, the Madleen’s exact location and expected docking time are still unknown. No contact has been possible with her crew since their detainment, and updates have ceased on her live tracker.

Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said both the Madleen and its crew would be taken to the Israeli port city of Ashdod, around 27km north of the Gaza Strip. Upon their arrival in Ashdod, Katz has instructed that Madleen’s crew be shown footage from the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023. Since then, Israel’s response has been widely denounced as a genocide.

The ship, registered as Barcarole, was renamed Madleen by its crew in honour of Madleen Kulab, Gaza’s first and only known fisherwoman. Photo: Getty

The Madleen’s interception

Israeli military personnel boarded the vessel before it lost signal. Moments before, drones had dropped an unidentified white, paint-like chemical substance on board.

In a video clip from onboard one of the crew comments, “We are using the Palestine flag to protect us,” before telling the camera, “It’s burning my eyes, this thing.”

Further video footage since released by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition shows the crew cooperating with Israeli forces, with no physical confrontation occuring between the two parties.

In the video, Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila can be heard saying into a phone, “It’s very important you know, no one is wounded now. No one was wounded when they boarded our boat.”

Still an unnamed woman says, off camera, “If anything happens to us, this is yet another war crime.”

On their official social channels, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has previously stated that, ‘Any attack or interference with the Madleen would constitute a violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an affront to UK sovereignty, and a breach of international humanitarian law.’

Photo: Getty

Greta Thunberg and the Madleen‘s crew

The 12 members of Madleen’s crew are: Skipper Reva Viard, Greta Thunberg, Rima Hassan, Yasemin Acar, Thiago Avila, Yanis Mhamdi, Omar Faiad, Sergio Toribio, Baptiste Andre, Suayb Ordu, Mark van Rennes, Pascal Maurieras.

In the hours since the vessel’s seizure, the GFF has released pre-recorded videos of many of these Pro-Palestinian activists urging action in case of their detainment.

In one of these widely circulated clips, Greta Thunberg dons a Keffiyeh (a head dress traditionally worn in the Middle East and a symbol of Palestinian solidarity), stating:

“If you see this video we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli Occupational Forces, or forces that support Israel. I urge all my friends, family, and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”

The video was followed by similar clips of the rest of the crew appealing to citizens of their respective countries of origin, which include Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

Photo: Getty

The Gaza Freedom Flotilla

Formed in 2010, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition says it works with ‘civil society partners’, rather than any party, faction or government.

The flotilla was aiming to break an Israeli-imposed sea blockade that has surrounded Gaza since 2007 by sailing through it. The Madleen’s journey was organised and undertaken in full compliance with international, maritime, and humanitarian law.

The Barcarole/Madleen is an 18 metre schooner built by Van Dam Nordia in 1974. It was motoring at the time of its interception.

When it set off from the Italian port of Catania, Sicily, on June 1st, Madleen carried an unarmed crew and a small quantity – which the campaigners defined as a symbolic amount, less than a lorry load – of humanitarian aid, including items such as rice, medical supplies, and baby formula.

Israel denounced the small amount of aid carried onboard. In a press conference today Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said: “On the subject of aid, the yacht had a meagre cargo but of course it will be sent into Gaza.”

He added: “When it comes to this flotilla, it wasn’t a flotilla, it was a selfie yacht. It was Instagram activism.”

Sailing activism

In a previous incident in May 2010, a Turkish-owned aid vessel, the Mavi Marmara was seized by Israeli forces, who killed 10 passengers on board and left another 30 wounded. Mavi Marmara was part of a six-ship aid flotilla also attempting to breach the naval blockade of Gaza, carrying 10,000 tonnes of goods, including school supplies, building materials and two large electricity generators.

Environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg has previously twice sailed across the Atlantic as part of her activism.

In 2019 she sailed to New York aboard the IMOCA 60 Malizia with Vendée Globe skipper Boris Herrmann in order to attend the UN Climate Action Summit without air travel. She then made the return passage back to Europe aboard the catamaran La Vagabonde with crew including Nikki Henderson (a major Yachting World feature).

Photo: Getty

Global Response to the Madleen‘s interception

In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, “This heinous act by the Netanyahu government, which threatens the freedom of navigation and maritime security, once again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a terror state.”

France is already working to ensure the swift return of French citizens that were onboard.

In a recent post on X, Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, urges the UK government to “secure the immediate release of the vessel and its crew.” According to the BBC, Downing Street has stated that it hopes to resolve the question, “safely with restraint, in line with international humanitarian law”.

“Every Mediterranean port,” Albanese writes on X, “should send boats with aid, solidarity, and humanity to Gaza. They shall sail together – united, they will be unstoppable.”

On land, news of the incident has garnered support worldwide, with protests underway to oppose the seizure and detainment of Madleen and her crew and the ongoing occupation of Gaza. To date, at least 54,880 people have been killed by the Israeli forces in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Latest update

According to Israel’s foreign ministry at around 1500 (BST), sailing yacht Madleen is “safely making its way to the shores of Israel”.

A group of pro-Palestinian activists in Ashdod are gathering for a demonstration before her arrival. The yacht’s cargo will be sent to Gaza, while the members of her crew are expected to be deported to their home countries. 

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Gaza Freedom Flotilla latest: Greta Thunberg and crew of yacht Madleen detained by Israeli forces appeared first on Yachting World.

With Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds as its new co-owners and Australian underwear brand Bonds as a brand-spanking new sponsor, the Australian SailGP team is set to take centre stage.

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds new co-owners

As co-owners, Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds will lead the freshly rebranded Bonds Flying Roos SailGP Team.

The announcement is already making headlines, but these seasoned showmen are no strangers to the limelight.

Or to cheeky marketing campaigns! They’ve collaborated on everything from movie to coffee to gin brands. Now, they’re spending millions to get into the sailing game.

In a joint statement, they’ve said, “We’re incredibly excited to set sail together in this new adventure. Hugh brings a deep love for and pride in his home country as well as being an avid fan of sailing. He will also be bringing his overly clingy emotional support human along for the ride. Apologies in advance to Australia. No comment on whether we’re writing this in our Bonds. No further questions.”

A warm welcome for Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds

The Australian SailGP team, now the ‘Bonds Flying Roos,’ are taking their victories with them into a new chapter.

With celebrity ownership and a fresh rebrand powered by Aussie-made Bonds underwear, the Roos are hoping to capture fan engagement well beyond the docks with the aim of reaching fresh audiences outside the sailing community.

Driver and CEO Tom Slingsby says of the new additions: “[Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds] bring unmatched star power, a love for storytelling, and a sharp sense of humour that fits perfectly with our team. With Bonds joining as our Title Partner and the launch of the Bonds Flying Roos, we’re building something distinctly Australian; a team driven by spirit, resilience, and national pride.”

Bonds Flying Roos Driver and co-owner Tom Slingsby.

Bonds, a new sponsor #Madefordownunder

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds aren’t the only cheeky new addition to the Australian SailGP team. A new multi-year partnership with Aussie-made underwear brand Bonds marks the first time the Roos have had a Title Partner.

Previously, Bonds has sponsored another beloved Aussie icon, conservationist, TV presenter, and beloved Aussie icon Robert Irwin. They now bring their signature Aussie spirit to sailing.

Tanya Deans, President of Bonds Australia says, “We’re thrilled to join forces with such an iconic duo and an adrenaline-fueled sport ready for its moment in the spotlight. And how do you say no to Hugh Jackman? He’s Australian royalty! As we set sail on this new adventure, the Bonds Flying Roos have one less thing to worry about – we’ve got their backs (and bums) covered.”

But the SailGP team sure won’t be flying by the seat of their (Bonds) underpants. With three championships in four seasons, Australia has been dominating the SailGP scene.

An exciting new era for Australian sailing

Andy Thompson, SailGP Director said, “Today marks a landmark moment not just for the Australia SailGP Team, but for the trajectory of SailGP globally.” This exciting new partnership represents, “an extraordinary combination of global reach, vision, commercial nous and no doubt plenty of fun along the way too.”

The new Bonds Flying Roos SailGP Team will make their official debut at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix from June 7-8, where they will have the chance to defend their leading position.

With Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in their corner, the Australian SailGP team is sure to capture attention worldwide.

We can’t wait to see what hijinks the Roos and their new celebrity owners get up to!

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds new co-owners of Australia’s SailGP team appeared first on Yachting World.

The current holder of the America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, have named Nathan Outteridge as the skipper of their team and the man who will head up their Defence of the 38th America’s Cup.

The news comes after the team was unable to come to an agreement with 3 time winning skipper, Pete Burling earlier this year. It’s thought that Burling was not able to commit to demands surrounding how much of his time should be focused solely on America’s Cup racing in the build up to the next event.

The announcement was simply presented in social media posts by the team with the same short message on their website which reads:

The America’s Cup always ends on the water, but it always begins with a meeting of minds. This week the Emirates Team New Zealand core sailing team began plotting the strategy to defending the America’s Cup again in 2027.

Meet the core team so far:

Nathan Outteridge (Skipper)
Andy Maloney
Blair Tuke
Sam Meech
Chris Draper
More sailors to be announced in due course…

Emirares Team New Zealand’s Core Team. Photo: Hamish Hooper / Emirates Team New Zealand

Outteirdge was bought into the team ahead of the 2024 America’s Cup, with he and Burling sharing helming duties on the AC75 on the team’s march to victory. So he is far from a surprise selection to step up to the role of skipper.

Indeed consistency appears to be the key in most of the rest of the ‘core team’ announcement with long term and trusted Emirates Team New Zealand sailors, Blair Tuke, Andy Maloney, and Sam Meech all core members of the team for several cycles.

However, the final member of the core team – and a brand new signing for the Kiwis – is British sailor Chris Draper. Draper has a long history at the very top of the sport and in many ways his sailing resume is not dissimilar to that of Outteridge.

Draper was a formidable Olympic 49er sailor picking up a bronze and silver medal. He has plenty of America’s Cup experience too, albeit always with teams who were unlikely to challenge for the trophy itself.

In 2013 he was a key member of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s late challenge and then in 2017 he was the tactiacian onboard the Dean Barker skippered Softbank Team Japan. Since then he has headed up and been a key member of a number of SailGP teams.

The inclusion of a British sailor on the key sailing group could well signal a relaxation of the strict nationality rules of the previous cycle, which are said to disliked by a number of the smaller and newer teams, preventing them buying up talent to accelerate their learnings.

We will not know if that is the case until the 38th America’s Cup protocol is officially released, which is currently under discussion between Cup Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand and challenger of Record, Ben Ainslie’s Athena Racing.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

The post Nathan Outteridge named as New Zealand’s America’s Cup skipper appeared first on Yachting World.

This truly fascinating new project has been in development for several years and is finally due to be unveiled in La Grande Motte this April. The 70ft MODX is designed to be the first yacht capable of self-generating energy, so it can sail the oceans without emitting any CO2.

A zero emissions autonomous yacht requires some assurances in clever tech, performance and efficiency. Confidence in the latter two attributes will come from the fact it is designed by multihull and offshore racing supremos VPLP, and it’s built by a Lorient yard with plenty of experience in offshore racing multihulls (including the MOD70 trimarans).

The 70ft MODX should be able to sail the oceans with zero CO2 emissions

It includes numerous new technologies and innovations, not least the dual inflatable and retractable wingsail rigs. This automated wing system was developed by Lorient-based specialists Aeroforce, who says it offers 35% extra power over conventional sails.

This Starship Enterprise of a catamaran is largely controlled automatically and monitored from an internal bridge. Two adjustable pitch propellers provide over a third of renewable energy, or 3kW at 10 knots boat speed, while the considerable pasture of 70m2 solar panels can harness 12kW for the 230kWh lithium battery bank.

Dual inflatable wingsail rigs are automated and fully retractable

The two 40kW electric motors provide silent propulsion for 100 miles at 5 knots or 40 miles at 8.5 knots. And it can harness and store 800lt of rainwater.

Look at the fine hulls and clever sail plan and you’ll appreciate this is a sailing yacht first and foremost. It’ll need to be comparatively light and slippery to achieve its projected polars of boat speed exceeding 15 and 20 knot true wind speeds. Its 23 tonnes light displacement is respectable for a 70ft cat, and not bad when you consider that it’s constructed from bio-sourced materials, recycled PET foam and bio-resin.

The MODX has a muted interior colour palette

The MODX is available as an owner’s yacht, charter or expedition version, all with crew accommodation and the latter with a ‘scientific area’ too. We’re intrigued and look forward to bringing you more on this yacht and project – let’s hope the technology can be downscaled to a more approachable size.

Article continues below…

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MODX Specifications:

LOA: 21.33m 70ft
Beam: 10.00m 32ft 1in
Draught: 2.00m 6ft 4in
Displacement: 23,000kg 53,706lb
Contact details: modx-catamarans.com

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

The post MODX first look: Dual inflated wingsails lift the catamaran market to new heights appeared first on Yachting World.

Now this is a multihull to raise a sailor’s adrenaline. With the wish to create something special between its 32ft and 40ft models, Danish trimaran specialists Dragonfly spent two years developing this new Dragonfly 36.

“When you develop something new you want to raise the bar,” designer and CEO Jens Quorning explained to me at its Düsseldorf premiere in January. A key development is that the folding mechanism structure is now made in composite, something Quorning says has been his dream to do for a decade.

Pace and deck space, with easily folding floats

Why haven’t they managed it before? “There’s 20 tonnes of compression on the arms when flying a hull,” Quorning answered, referencing why they preferred to play safe with metal before now. The analysis they have recently done with composites, which included crash tests and pull tests, has given them the confidence to now use it in key structural areas.

Winches are sited by the twin wheels.

The resultant weight savings – this boat weighs under five tonnes – mean more speed. Performance wise, Quorning expects this to be somewhere between the standard and performance version of the 40 (which is quite capable of speeds in the mid 20 knots).

The 36 also has new asymmetric float designs with added volume, which are slightly longer than the main hull for diagonal stability. The bottom line is that it’s an easy yacht to sail, says Quorning, pointing out the ability to carry full sail in up to 20 knots, that it can dry out, and that it only takes 40 seconds to fold the floats.

The long saloon in the central hull.

Dragonfly has taken the best bits of the 40’s cockpit to create a large, comfortable bench space with winches by the dual aft wheels. And the yard obviously knows how long people like to actively spend on the wheel even in Baltic waters, as it included heated helm seat options!

A 30hp Yanmar is located right aft between the wheels, keeping noise and smells away from the interior, while the saildrive is protected from drying out, positioned directly in front of the rudder for manoeuvrability.

The first boat drew a crowd at boot Düsseldorf

Below decks is Dragonfly’s favoured layout with a long, sleepable saloon and proportionately the largest galley it has done. It also has a proper aft double and a forward V-berth.

The 36 is offered as a cruising version with self-tacking jib or a performance version with taller rig. Seventeen had sold off the plans and around 80% of Dragonfly clients take the performance rig. Hull number two is being exhibited at La Grande Motte.

Article continues below…

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Dragonfly 36 Specifications:

LOA: 11.55m 37ft 10in
LWL: 10.99m 36ft 0in
Length folded: 13.43m 44ft 0in
Beam: 3.70m 12ft 1in to 8.12m 26ft 7in
Draught: 0.67m 2ft 2in to 2.00m 6ft 7in
Displacement (light): 4,500kg 9,920lb
Price from: €510,000 ex VAT
Contact details: dragonfly.dk

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Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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The post New Dragonfly 36: Composite folding wings reduces weight for more speed appeared first on Yachting World.

The University of Washington in the USA has put out a plea for any cruisers south-east of Hawaii to help recover their ‘Seaglider’ drone.

The Student Seaglider Center is a student-run lab within the University of Washington School of Oceanography.

Seagliders are autonomous underwater vehicles that collect data on oceanographic conditions including water temperature, salinity, density, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll.

The Seagliders operate without the need for a ‘home’ ship, and can be programmed to repeatedly dive and travel underwater. They can dive up 1000 meters and can stay at sea for months while automatically reporting data back to scientists every time they surface.

However, one has been pulled off course in the Pacific and the University of Washington is seeking assistance from the sailing community to recover it.

The current location of the Seaglider drone – GPS location is accurate to within metres.

2000km south-east of Hawaii

Layla Airola, Chief Business Officer of the Student Seaglider Center, and also Commodore of the Washington Yacht Club, explains:

“In November, we deployed a Seaglider in the equatorial pacific to collect vital oceanographic data like temperature, salinity, oxygen, and chlorophyll.

“We aimed to pilot the Seaglider to the shore [of] Hawai’i, but currents have been stronger than we anticipated and the glider will not be able to make it to Hawai’i before its batteries run out.

“In order to not lose the instrument, we need a boat to pick up the glider in the next two months.”

Recovering a Seaglider drone Photo: University of Washington

The glider is currently 1,975 km southeast of Hawaii and is pinging GPS signals accurate to within meters. Each glider weighs 55kg (120 lbs) and at the surface, the orange antenna will be visible.

The glider will keep sending GPS updates for the next 3 months, and live coordinates will be shared with any vessel able to assist. The map shows its location and projected route.

If anyone is interested in picking up the glider please email lairola@uw.edu

The post Could you help to save ‘Seaglider’ underwater ocean research drone? appeared first on Yachting World.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Britannia will not compete in the next America’s Cup.

The release issued last night stated: “INEOS Britannia announces that it has withdrawn its intention to challenge for the next America’s Cup.

“The decision has been taken after a protracted negotiation with Athena Racing Ltd following the conclusion of 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona.”

This follows the dramatic split between team boss and skipper Sir Ben Ainslie, and twice Cup title sponsors INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe in January. INEOS Britannia became the first British team to reach a Cup final in 60 years, but lost 7-2 to Emirates Team New Zealand in Barcelona last October.

INEOS Britannia and Emirares Team New Zealand race in the Louis Vuitton Round Robin Series in 2024. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

The release went on to place the blame with Ainslie’s team for the fact that INEOS would not be competing in the 38th America’s Cup:

“The agreement that had been reached with Athena would have allowed both parties to compete in the next Cup, but it depended on a rapid resolution. INEOS Britannia had agreed the substantive terms very quickly, but Athena failed to bring the agreement to a timely conclusion. INEOS Britannia is of the opinion that this six-month delay has undermined its ability to prepare for the next Cup and so has reluctantly withdrawn its challenge.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS, commented, “This was a very difficult decision to have taken following our challenge at the last two America’s Cups.

“We were the most successful British challenger in modern times with an exceptionally quick boat and we felt with the very effective input from the Mercedes F1 engineers that we had a real chance to win at the next Cup. Unfortunately, the opportunity has slipped away.”

This is a major reversal since INEOS’s first communication in January, which stated that the team “already have 100 scientists and engineers working on the design of our AC38 yacht” and had appointed Dave Endean as CEO.

As recently as early March, Sir Jim Ratcliffe told the BBC – in a long-form interview that addressed the many tribulations of his sporting investments – that: “We will be at the next America’s Cup and I think we will be there with a very quick boat.”

Grant Dalton congratulates INEOS Britannia backer Sir Jim Ratcliffe on winning the Louis Vuitton Cup Final. Photo: Ian Roman / America’s Cup

Ainslie’s Athena Challenger of Record

Ainslie’s side has remained tight-lipped on the subject, after an initial release stating that they were “astounded” by INEOS’s announcement in January.

The Challenger of Record remains the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes, UK. Shortly after the split, Ainslie quietly laid down a line in the sand with the team, now known as Athena Racing, describing itself as ‘the British Challenger for the 38th America’s Cup’ on the Athena team website.

This fact was equally discreetly confirmed by the Royal Yacht Squadron on its own website, with an update in February that: “Athena Racing represents Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd, the British entry for the 38th America’s Cup lead [sic] by Sir Ben Ainslie.

It went on to add: “Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd is honoured to be the Challenging Club for the British Challenger of Record Athena Racing for the 38th America’s Cup. We will work alongside The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron to deliver the protocol for the oldest trophy in modern sport.”

So far, so British.

Sir Ben Ainslie was skipper and team boss for INEOS Britannia in the 37th America’s Cup but has since split from the title sponsors. Photo: Ian Roman / America’s Cup

Ainslie’s funding challenge

But the big question British supporters have been asking since the very public break up is: can Sir Ben get the funding he needs to build a competitive entry?

There are many with deep loyalties to Ainslie in the sailing world – from his early Olympic successes Ainslie was the figurehead of a wave of British Sailing Team successes that in turn attracted world-class funding and personnel, developing Team GBR into a ‘medal factory’ that was the envy of almost every sailing nation.

His successive Olympic victories, America’s Cup challenges, and most lately SailGP team ownership, have brought yet more sponsorship funding and employment opportunities for those good enough and lucky enough to join his squads. Off the water, many have also worked with him for decades – including his CMO Jo Grindley and others on the commercial side who, of course, got a British America’s Cup team to Bermuda long before the INEOS partnership .

Ainslie is also, as anyone who’s even remotely followed sailing will know, not a man to be underestimated, particularly when backed into a corner.

One good indication of the team feeling came after Ainslie’s Emirates Team Great Britain won the Sydney Sail GP, with plenty of posts on social media from key players praising Ainslie’s leadership.

Ainslie’s Emirates Great Britain team won the Sydney Sail GP event. Photo: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP

Of course, loyalty alone won’t pay the very substantial bills for an America’s Cup team, but both new backers and some of the original team founders were being courted in Barcelona.

Interestingly, the British SailGP F50 now carries branding for both JPMorgan and Howdens. JPMorgan has been associated with Ainslie since his Olympic campaigns, while Howdens insurance has now added sailing to a sporting portfolio that includes rugby (British and Irish Lions) and horse racing (Ascot Racecourse and the Bahrain Turf Club, among others).

Where next for America’s Cup?

Another challenge for Ainslie – or any other team looking to secure additional financial backing right now – is the uncertainty about where the next Cup might be.

It won’t be in Auckland, that much we know. It wasn’t an April’s fool, but Emirates Team New Zealand’s announcement – dropping into inboxes in the northern hemisphere just hours before April 1, certainly had plenty of us checking the date.

The statement read: “It would take a combination of private backing, local government as well as central government support to make it happen, but not at the expense of funding other priorities in the tough economic climate.

“In this time, the team have had comfort in the level of private support and have been working with Tātaki Auckland Unlimited who have been proactively spearheading the bid. So, it is with both disappointment and understanding to hear MBIE and central government have decided not to back the 38th America’s Cup in Auckland in 2027.

“While the significant economic benefits of hosting the America’s Cup and other major events are well proven, such as €1.034b (NZ$1.9b) of economic benefits in Barcelona in 2024, we understand there are other priorities for the New Zealand government right now.”

Auckland hosted a spectacular 36th America’s Cup – despite Covid restrictions – in 2020/21. Photo: ACEA

Other European options?

And so far, when it comes to the 38th America’s Cup venue, that’s all we’ve got.

Interestingly, at a few events recently both former team sailors and sponsors have quietly asked me ‘What do you know?’ And while I’m sure some of that is trying to figure out where any leaks are springing from, there’s also a genuine sense that no real information is forthcoming, so pretty much everything else is speculation.

Last year’s host city of Barcelona is known to not want to re-host. A play from Valencia, hosts of the hugely successful 32nd Cup in Spain in 2007, and the 2010 Deed of Gift Match, went understandably quiet after devastating floods hit the region.

The rumour mill is currently in overdrive suggesting alternative European venues. Naples is reported to be a forerunner, which would reward the longest standing entrants in the modern day Cup, with Italian syndicate Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. Although it would be unusual, to say the least, for a defeated Challenger to have the Cup held in their home country despite not having won it – and therefore not be hosting it.

Naples hosted a dramatic America’s Cup World Series event in 2012.

Italy would no doubt appeal to the luxury brands associated with the Cup – Prada from Luna Rossa, event partners Louis Vuitton, 37th Women’s America’s Cup partners Puig. And remaining in a European time zone would presumably help with negotiations when it comes to all-important TV rights. (Though to really build continuity of audience from Barcelona, what the Cup needs is some racing soon, which is looking increasingly unlikely…)

New Zealand news outlet Stuff – who always have their ears to the ground on the Cup, even if it’s hard to know who to listen to – are reporting that Greek shipping tycoon George Prokopiou is behind a bid for the country to host, with Athens a forerunner. It would be a spectacular venue for sure, but Greece has never entered the America’s Cup – it has no fan base nor physical base.

And though there is much less chatter about Jeddah or Abu Dhabi these days, the option of the event going to the Middle East – with all the financial and political ramifications that brings – still looms over the Cup.

Where next for the 38th America’s Cup?

Lost momentum?

For fans, it’s hard not to feel disappointment that the momentum of the 37th America’s Cup has faded – for British fans in particular, it’s a bitter disappointment that the opportunity to build on the best Cup result in 60 years has been lost.

There has long been sufficient depth of talent at the very top end of British sailing to support more than one Cup bid – between Ainslie, Dylan Fletcher, Giles Scott, Paul Goodison, Hannah Mills and others – but funding one viable and competitive team is yet again going to be the biggest challenge.

The post INEOS Britannia pulls out of America’s Cup – but what next for the Cup – and British hopes? appeared first on Yachting World.

The Wauquiez 55 is a serious, long distance cruiser breaks new ground in a number of respects. The exaggerated reverse sheer may be unconventional, but it’s an inherently stiff shape that keeps weight out of the ends of the boat.

It also maximises headroom centrally, allowing for a raised saloon above systems, tankage and batteries, while the hard top that gives excellent shelter over the cockpit can be lower and less visually obtrusive.

Plenty of handholds for security in a seaway

A class-leading full beam owner’s cabin aft has what feels like an exceptional amount of space and natural light, including a view across the aft deck to the water.

This area also has its own aft companionway that helps separate it from the rest of the accommodation, giving an unusual feeling of privacy. It would therefore not be surprising if some buyers choose a Wauquiez 55 for these aspects alone.

Full beam owner’s cabin aft has its own companionway for privacy

The remainder of the interior is spacious, yet planned to be safe even in extreme weather, with plenty of handholds, and there are features that will appeal to those planning long-distance cruising, including twin engines.

Article continues below…

[collections]

Wauquiez 55 Specifications:

Hull length: 16.40m 53ft 8in
Beam: 5.25m 17ft 3in
Draught: 2.40m 7ft 11in
Displacement: 20,000kg 44,100lb
Typical on the water price: €2.0m to €2.6m ex VAT
Contact details: wauquiez.com

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Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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The post Wauquiez 55 first look: A new stunner in the long distance cruiser market appeared first on Yachting World.

The kite-powered SP80 has achieved a new top speed of 51 knots in Leucate, France, taking them one step closer to their stated aim of beating the world speed record before summer 2025. The current sailing speed record stands at 65.45 knots and was set in 2012 by Paul Larsen aboard Vestas Sailrocket II. 

To achieve the record, the SP80 team is pinning their hopes on the engineering behind the boat. It has a custom-designed foil, which the team says is built to propel it past 150 km/h.

Celebrating aboard SP80. Photo: Guillaume Fischer

‘This run above 50 knots allowed us to finally observe the behaviour of our foil in a speed range that remains largely unexplored in the world of sailing,’ explains Benoît Gaudiot, the kite pilot aboard SP80.

‘We deliberately slowed the boat down just before reaching 52 knots as a precaution, but our analysis of the data indicates that it did not encounter any major barriers. This is extremely promising for the future!’

‘The boat is now close to its full technical potential,’ explained SP80 pilot Mayeul van den Broek. ‘The challenge for Benoît and I now is to sail as much as possible to master the boatʼs behaviour from 0 to over 70 knots. We need to fine-tune our trajectories, improve our synchronisation, and push the machine even further.’

SP80 in 2025. Photo: Guillaume Fischer

The team launched the latest version of the boat in January 2025, and five days later, in February, SP80 set an average speed of 41.35 knot over the record distance of 500 meters.

‘Since the boatʼs relaunch at the start of 2025, the weather has not always been favourable, with winds often too light to accumulate significant sailing hours. But with each outing, we can feel it the logistics are running smoothly, the boat wants to go faster… all we need now is more time on the water to unleash its full potential!’

Article continues below…

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The SP80 journey

The team behind SP80 started in 2017 when one of the three founders Benoît Gaudiot, built super-ventilated fins for a kiteboard. As an experienced kiteboard sailor, Gaudiot quickly reached 41 knots. However, he realised then that ‘The body cannot handle the power that is required to reach more than 60 knots.’

Another founder, Xavier Lepercq, built a simulation tool and began developing designs. The creators created a trimaran concept powered by a kite with an aligned force balanced by a water surface-piercing foil.

One of SP80‘s first high-speed runs in 2025. Photo: Guillaume Fischer

In 2020, they tested a prototype on Lake Geneva and, in June 2021, began building the entire boat at Persico Marine.

By 2022, the SP80 team planned to challenge the record in the south of France early in 2023, and Paul Larsen was looking forward to it. At the time, Larsen commented, ‘I think the SP80 is a practical solution… I think SP80 is probably closer to getting results. And I want to see how a kite’s going to go against the [Sailrocket] wing because historically wings are faster.’

Hitting 50 knots is undoubtedly an impressive feat for the SP80 team. Indeed, some considered this an absolute upper limit for wind-powered, waterborne craft at the turn of the century.

SP80 from the beach in the south of France. Photo: Guillaume Fischer

However, there are 25 knots of average speed before bettering Larsen’s record and becoming the world’s fastest boat. Every knot thereafter becomes more challenging to achieve.

The SP80 team hopes their first official record attempts will take place this spring at their base in Leucate, Occitanie. Their latest speeds mean the speed sailing world will be eyeing their progress with renewed interest.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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The post SP80 breaks the 50-knot barrier, stepping closer to the World Speed Record appeared first on Yachting World.

One of the stand-out new yachts of recent years is the Thomas Tison-designed 48ft Elida, which combines high-tech timber construction with innovative laminates and local carbon reinforcement to create a very fast yet timeless racer/cruiser.

This smaller vessel is designed for Elida’s builder, Jan Brügge Bootsbau on Germany’s Baltic coast, to continue in a similar ethos. It’s an exquisite open daysailer designed by Martin Menzner of Berckemeyer Yacht Design.

Photo: Eva Biederbeck

The result is a radically modern design, including a flat hull with wide, open transom, a negative stem, twin rudders and a lifting keel with a T-bulb. For ease of handling, the carbon rig has swept spreaders but no backstay and a self-tacking jib.

“With the WOY 26, our idea of a modern wooden sailing yacht has come to life,” says the yard’s founder Jan Brügge, with…“sustainable design, modern lines for maximum performance and easy sail handling.”

As with Elida, the idea was that the boat would push technical boundaries, as well as showcasing the abilities of its builders. The precise choice of materials, using quality domestic hardwoods rather than tropical species, plus the vacuum glueing techniques employed, were developed as a research project in collaboration with the University for Sustainable Development. The hope is these will set new standards for the serial production of modern wooden yachts.

Photo: Eva Biederbeck

The first example of the WOY26 was launched in October 2024 and boat number two is already in build. Price is expected to be ‘between a new Dragon and a ClubSwan 28 – or slightly under €200,000.’

Article continues below…

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WOY26 Specifications:

LOA: 8.0m 26ft 3in
LWL: 7.13m 23ft 5in
Beam: 2.42m 7ft 11in
Draught: 1.1-1.9m 3ft 7in-6ft 3in
Displacement: 1,112kg 2,450lb
Price: Circa €200,000
Contact details: woy-yachts.com

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

The post WOY26 first look: Open daysailer with sustainable design appeared first on Yachting World.

Roberto and Luisa Lacorte are passionate sailors with enviable track records of yacht ownership, including Flying Nikka, the Mark Mills-designed Mini Maxi that uses similar foiling technology to the America’s Cup (see video and more on that at yachtingworld.com).

When it came to choosing a yacht to sail as a couple, or with family and friends, they turned to Giovanni Ceccarelli who created the standout Ceccarelli 42 spirit of tradition yacht. Slender hull lines with low freeboard and a beam of only 3.16m (10ft 4in), plus extensive external woodwork echo a style of earlier times, as do the deep bulwarks and long aft deck.

The Ceccarelli 42. Photo: Fabio Taccola

Yet the Ceccarelli 42 is absolutely a contemporary yacht, with a near plumb bow and stern, a powerful square-top mainsail and long bowsprit for reaching sails and asymmetric spinnakers. Below the waterline is a high-aspect deep draught torpedo bulb keel and efficient single rudder, while a displacement of only 6,400kg puts the boat firmly in the high-performance category.

Tiller steering suits a boat of this style perfectly and helps make for easier solo and short-handed manoeuvring. It also maximises cockpit space that can be freed up for après sail socialising. Despite LuluNikka’s sleek lines there’s also welcoming accommodation for weekending in an interior that shows off her construction.

LuluNikka’s spirit of tradition design shows in her pleasing hull lines and an interior that highlights her timber construction at its best. Photo: Fabio Taccola

LuluNikka was built at the Checchi Shipyard in north-western Italy, and is expected to be a regular at regattas and rallies on the Mediterranean classic circuit.

Article continues below…

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Ceccarelli 42 Specifications:

LOA: 14.5m 47ft 6in
Hull length: 12.86in 42ft 2in
Beam: 3.16m 10ft 4in
Draught: 2.78m 9ft 2in
Displacement: 6,400kg 14,100lb
Contact details: ceccarelliyachtdesign.com

Photo: Fabio Taccola

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

The post Ceccarelli 42 first look: A contemporary spirit of tradition yacht appeared first on Yachting World.