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| Suhaili crosses the finish line 50 years later |
I am definitely not one to dwell in the past but there are times when it’s good to look back and today is one of those times. It was fifty years ago today, April 22, that Robin Knox-Johnston sailed into Falmouth Harbor on the south coast of England to become the first person in history to complete ...
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I just can’t get enough of this boat, the new Ultime trimaran built for the French sailing star Thomas Coville. It was splashed for the first time a couple of weeks ago and this past week they took it out on the first of a series of sea trials. The thing is a beast but is it going to be a game changer? Their technical ...
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I am really not sure what to make out of the big new branding rollout of The Ocean Race, formerly known as the Volvo Ocean Race and before that the Whitbread Round the World Race. Their big event in Alicante, Spain was nothing more than a snooze fest with a logo that my 10-year old could have designed and a whole lot of nothing said. OK to be fair the logo was probably purposely simple in the hope that it can be easily rebranded if/when they find a new title sponsor. The race, under new ownership, still retains ...
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| Istvan aboard his Tradewind 35 Cutter Puffin crosses the finish line |
There was another huge welcome for the fourth place finisher in the Golden Globe. American Hungarian solo yachtsman Istvan Kopar ...
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The IMOCA class, operated mostly out of France, is one example of how a class association can really grow an idea into an international movement. IMOCA, which stands for the International Monohull Open Class Association, was originally formed in 1998 as a way to promote the rapidly growing Open 50 and 60 classes as well as ...
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One of my favorite books growing up was A World of my Own by Robin Knox-Johnston. It recounted his solo circumnavigation and ultimate win in the first Golden Globe Race that took place 50 years ago. What I recall most about the book was the fervor with which Robin took on the grueling task of sailing alone around the world stating on many occasions that
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| Thomas Coville atop his brand new spaceship |
So this is how it’s done in France when it comes to sailing sponsorship. Take a mainstream company, one that started out specializing in frozen pizzas which are consumed broadly across France on a daily basis, and have their marketing people decide that the best way to increase brand awareness is to get involved with sailing; yes ...
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SailGP. Ever heard of it? I didn’t think so but get ready to hear a lot more about it in the next few months. In my opinion it’s the most exciting sailing event to come around in decades. If you enjoyed the last America’s Cup in Bermuda then you are going to love SailGP. It’s the America’s Cup on steroids and the first race ...
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The crew of Spindrift Racing, the 130-foot maxi trimaran, have been forced to abandon their attempt to set a new fully-crewed, non-stop circumnavigation record. After setting a blazing pace which saw them set a new record for the fastest time from Ushant, on the northwest coast of France, to the equator, and a fast, but tricky passage around the South Atlantic ...
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| Mark Slats approaching the finish line in France |
The excitement had barely started to die down after the incredible victory by Jean-Luc Van Den Heede in the Golden Globe Race when second place finisher, Dutchman Mark Slats, rolled into town. It was an extremely impressive showing by the 42-year old sailor who had dogged Van Den Heede most of the way around the world. For a while there it looked as if Slats might overtake the French sailor given that ...
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