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f 21, 13

Musical Chairs

by Dave Reed

Dave Reed, Sailing World editor.

Sailing World editor Dave Reed is embedded with Tim Healy's J/70 Helly Hansen for an insider's look into the class's first major event.

Friday, January 25

The Final Four

A week ago, as you may recall (if not, see below), I joined The Starting Three in Key West, full of uncertainties. A new boat, a new team, zero practice days, and a lot to figure out: who does what, who sits where, what’s the right headstay length, and on and on.

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f 20, 13

Catapulted In Key West

by Steve Hunt

Steve Hunt, Sailing World racing editor.

Steve Hunt, tactician with Joel Ronning's Catapult, checks in from the Melges 32 circle where victory or hard defeat is always only one tack away.

Friday, January 25

Our final day of Quantum Key West was a bit of an average day. We could only move up one place if we sailed well and had the option of moving down, if we sailed poorly. We did our best to have a good day but ended up with middle of the road scores finishing sixth and seventh. We held our eight place overall.

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f 20, 13

Easing into the Opener

by Steve Hunt

Steve Hunt, Sailing World racing editor.

Steve Hunt, tactician with Joel Ronning's Catapult, checks in with a little pre-race insight on working on light-air speed, and getting sorted before the first race.

It's the night before the first day of racing at Key West Race Week and team Catapult is feeling ready. We arrived Thursday and have had three great days of practice. Since we have three new team members on board, our goal was to sort out our boathandling first, and then work on starting and light-air speed.

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f 18, 13

The Golden Boy of the Vendée Globe

by Bruce Gain

Gabart has a few more sunrises to experience alone at sea.

Francois Gabart on Macif discusses the highs and lows of his epic Vendée Globe journey as he fights to keep his lead ahead of Armel Le Cléac’h on Banque Populaire.

It is hard to know just how much Francois Gabart (Macif) thinks about the possibility that he could be the youngest sailor in history to win the fabled Vendée Globe race in just a few days at the age of 29. When I spoke with him by phone as he approached the doldrums in the Atlantic, he seem more concerned about maintaining his lead of a hundred miles or so ahead of the more experienced and very, very capable Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire) than the not-so-lofty chance that he could be the victor.

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f 17, 13

Out With the Old, In With the New

by Ryan O'Grady

SCA, the VOR's first official entry, snatched up PUMA Ocean Racing's mar mostro, and turned the Kraken and shoe into a pink field of grass and dandelions. The boat will be used for selection of the all-women's team.

With the calendar officially turning one year closer to the start of the next Volvo Ocean Race, it seems a fitting time to check in and see what teams are making New Year’s resolutions and which teams are moving on.

For both the Groupama Sailing Team and Puma Ocean Racing, official announcements have been made confirming the end of their Volvo ambitions. While a setback for the Volvo Ocean Race, both sponsors are still keenly committed to sailing. Puma is a technical sponsor to Oracle Racing’s bid to defend the America's Cup, while Groupama will continue to support Franck Cammas in the Little Americas Cup and France’s Tour de France à la Voile. For the other teams from the past race, no official announcements have been made regarding their futures.

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f 16, 13

Introducing the American Youth Sailing Force

by Michelle Slade

AYSF gets acquainted with the AC45.

The American Youth Sailing Force shares their enthusiasm and passion to represent San Francisco in the Red Bull Youth America's Cup.

Selected by Oracle Team USA to represent San Francisco in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup, the seven members of the American Youth Sailing Force are still pinching themselves that they’re potentially on the road to an America’s Cup career. For the first time there’s a path for youth sailors 24 and under to sailing’s pinnacle event, and this west coast-based team is ready with huge amounts of energy and passion.

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f 16, 13

You Again?

by Stuart Streuli

A look at the IRC Swan 42 sail plan on Phil and Wendy Lotz' Arethusa, the S2 symmetric spinnaker and a new spinnaker staysail.

If at first you fail to finish, well then, you have to try it one more time.

Last year, my first attempt at the Lauderdale to Key West Race did not go well. It was memorable, but much in the way a dinner is memorable when the waiter accidentally dumps a plate of marinara in your lap. The race produced a good yarn for the magazine (in our May 2012 issue) and more than a few worthwhile lessons.

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f 11, 13

Volvo Ocean Race: Reporters Wanted

by Dave Reed

Hamish Hooper, media crewmember with Camper/Emirates Team New Zealand in the 2011-'12 Volvo Ocean Race, earned the race's top MCM, despite chronic sea sickness.

The Volvo Ocean Race is seeking qualified candidates for onboard reporters for its 2014-'15 edition. Do you have the stomach?

The job listing’s video teaser says it best: “The best media job in the world . . . Or the worst?” This is a question only a select number of past Volvo Ocean Race media crewmembers can honestly answer, and those I’ve spoken to over the years offer the predictable response:

“It depends.”

It depends on whether you can tolerate organizing making freeze-dried meals for 10 grumpy, hungry, sleep-deprived men. And then doing their dishes for nine months.

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f 7, 13

Maserati's Classic Passage

by Tim Zimmermann

Maserati off on a wild ride from New York to San Francisco.

The Volvo Open 70 Maserati sets out to take a stab at the record of the legendary clipper ship Gold Route.

Ocean passage record setting is all about the big three: the Jules Verne (around the world, non-stop), the West-East Transatlantic (from Ambrose Light to the Lizard), and the 24-hour distance record. I have no argument with that. Those are intense, risky, and sometimes brutal sailing challenges. And it is fascinating to watch skill and technology inexorably raise the bar.

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f 7, 13

Down But Not Out

by Amelia Quinn

Don't wake up in the morning in a haze of pain-filled regret. Preventing injuries on the water, at the gym, and even out socializing is key to keeping your sailing season going smoothly.

Whether from a traumatic injury or general wear and tear, chances are that something is eventually going to lay low even the healthiest athletes. Knowing when to take a break and recover is just as important as hitting the gym, and dealing with your injuries instead of ignoring them will help reduce the time it takes to get you back in the game. Especially in the off-season, you should be checking in with your body and making sure that it’s at 100 percent.

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Musical Chairs

Catapulted In Key West

Easing into the Opener

The Golden Boy of the Vendée Globe

Out With the Old, In With the New

Introducing the American Youth Sailing Force

You Again?

Volvo Ocean Race: Reporters Wanted

Maserati's Classic Passage

Down But Not Out

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