The B Boat

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The B Boat by Ryan O'Grady

f 9, 13

The Dash for Cash

by Ryan O'Grady

The 2012 Atlantic Cup champion Mare (foreground) isn't entered this year. But the path to victory taken by the German entry will be scrutinized by the seven teams that will contest the 2013 Atlantic Cup from Charleston, S.C., to Newport, R.I., via New York City.

The third edition of the Atlantic Cup features three legs, seven teams, and a heavy payout to the winners.

Three years ago, the Atlantic Cup debuted with a bold plan: to bring a European-style doublehanded offshore racing series to America, and provide the top finishers with a cash prize. The first year of the regatta, 2011, drew a small fleet of mostly local boats. In 2012, the top European boats took notice, and 14 of the world’s best Class 40 teams converged on Charleston for a battle up the Atlantic Coast.

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f 12, 12

Almost Perfect

by Ryan O'Grady

Fernando working at the end of the pole

Visions of a fast Vineyard Race and Saturday afternoon finish dashed through my head. Could it really happen? Or was this just another forecast destined to fail?

Sometimes I’m amazed that anyone chooses to distance race in the Northeast. The events lack the fun factor of distance sailing in most other places. Take the Vineyard Race for instance. Taking place every Labor Day weekend since 1932, the race starts off Stamford, Conn., rounds the Buzzards Bay Light tower to starboard, Block Island to starboard, and finishes back in, err, Stamford 238 miles later.

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f 10, 12

MOD-ernizing Ocean Racing

by Ryan O'Grady

Although they've been hovering under the radar of sailing fans, Multi One Design 70 trimarans could shine in the spotlight if given the chance. With the right media, better scheduling, and improved promotion, these incredibly fast boats could really take flight.

f 28, 11

A Ride Aboard the Time Machine

by Ryan O'Grady

Dennis Williams' Victory 83 (seen here during the New York YC's 2010 Race Week at Newport) won the modern 12-Metre division at the club's 2011 Annual Regatta with four firsts in five races.

Compared to modern racers, 12-Metres are heavy, slow, and a lot of work to sail. But no other class can match the 12s when it comes to sailing history, and that's what makes the ride worthwhile.

The New York Yacht Club’s Annual Regatta is always as much spectacle as it is a regatta. Really, how many other weekend regattas have a Volvo 70 entered in IRC? This year, the event’s boat porn quotient was even higher than normal with the approaching starts of the Transatlantic Challenge and J Class Regattas.

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f 6, 11

Thank You for Flying Oman Air

by Ryan O'Grady

Veteran offshore sailor Sidney Gavignet is trying to climb a steep learning curve during his first season on the Extreme Sailing Series.

Come onboard with Oman Air for a race during the Boston stopover of the Extreme Sailing Series. Like the season to date for this first-year team, the race has its ups and downs, all at breakneck speed.

Sidney Gavignet is no stranger to high-pressure yacht racing. A veteran of four Volvo Ocean Races, the last with Puma Ocean Racing, and the skipper of the giant maxi trimaran Oman Air, you’d think that day racing small catamarans would be a walk in the park for one of the most experienced skippers in the Extreme Sailing Series.

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f 20, 11

On the Air

by Ryan O'Grady

Who Says I Can't host Jothy Rosenberg (right) and 2008 Paralympic Gold Medalist Maureen McKinnon-Tucker during filming of the first episode of Rosenberg's new TV show.

A new TV show will profile people who have been knocked down and fought though adversity. The first episode will highlight the accomplishments of 2008 Paralympic Gold Medalist Maureen McKinnon-Tucker.

Our pre sail brief begins with, “OK, so today we would like you to go out sailing for some B-roll footage.” Maybe my long winter layoff from sailing really has affected my brain, but I’m awfully used to a pre-sail briefing sounding like, “Today we’re practicing jibe sets.” It’s not until the camera guys are jumping in the boat that I remember that my first day sailing this year is being filmed for a TV series, and a segment for NBC’s Today show.

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f 25, 11

One for the Admiral

by Ryan O'Grady

A former crewmember remembers the patriarch of an extended sailing family.

Caller ID can be a wonderful thing. On one of the coldest days of the year, my mood was immediately brightened seeing the phone ring from an old sailing friend. Hoping the call was an invite to a tropical sailing event, I picked up the phone. "Did you hear about the Admiral?” Tom asked. “He’s very sick. I’m going to see him now, you should come along if you can.”

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f 27, 10

A Wing and a Prayer

by Ryan O'Grady

Moth champion Bora Gulari tests his new wing sail.

In a show of solidarity, the Moth class has decided to allow wing sails at the upcoming Zhik Moth Worlds.

“The Eagle has landed.”

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f 2, 10

Handicapping the Fleet

by Ryan O'Grady

By setting a course record in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race earlier this year, Franck Cammas and Groupama put competing Volvo Ocean Race teams on high alert.

The 2011-'12 edition is shaping up to be the most competitive Volvo Ocean Race yet.

In less than a year, the starting gun will fire on the world’s premier crewed global ocean race. So far, six teams have officially entered the Volvo Ocean Race, and an equal number of teams are still dreaming of making the start. While race CEO Knut Frostad has often predicted 10 entries, the current economic climate has made it hard even for established teams to find the financing they need. So, who will make it to the starting line, and who will win?

The Official Entries (in alphabetical order)

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f 20, 10

A Chance to Break Out

by Ryan O'Grady

Stop whining about the AC 72 rule; it's time to embrace the thrill of high-performance multihulls.

If there's one certainty for the next Americas Cup, it’s that it will be the most revolutionary event the sailing world has ever seen. Yet, instead of anticipation, there's almost universal disdain for the choice of wing-masted multihulls. A recent Sail World survey found that 67 percent of racing sailors would prefer to see the next Americas Cup sailed in monohulls. A common argument is that multihull match races are less competitive. But I think, if we look a little further, we’ll find the real cause is keelboatitis.

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