Swiss sailor Bernard Stamm has won Leg 1 of the Around Alone 2002-03. Sailing his Pierre Rolland designed Open 60 Bobst Group - Armor Lux, Stamm crossed the finish line off the Berry Head Hotel in Torbay harbour at 15:33:38 local time (14:33:38 UTC). Throwing his arms into the air and smiling broadly Stamm looked tired but jubilant as he waved at the crowds assembled on the docks to welcome him in. Stamm clocks up 10 points as the Class 1 winner for Leg 1, and after starting from New York harbour at 16:00 hrs UTC on September 15th, his elapsed time is 10 days 22 hours 33 minutes 38 seconds
It has been two bites at the cherry for Stamm, who earlier this morning also established a new solo monohull transatlantic record when he passed Lizard Point off the southwest coast of England at 07:42:22 UTC (08:42:22 local time). His official time for the crossing from Ambrose Point to Lizard Point will be ratified by the World Speed Sailing Record Council later today, but his unofficial time was 10 days, 11 hours, 57 minutes and 19 seconds from Ambrose Light. His time will become a benchmark record for all future solo Atlantic crossings. A fast crossing for a single-hander compared to the crewed transatlantic record that he broke last year on the same boat, which was just 38 hours less at 8 days, 20 hours and 55 minutes.
"I am very excited to hold a new record and to win this first leg of the Around Alone race. My team and I have been preparing the boat for the last year and the hard work has paid off," he said. Stamm must be especially happy to step off the boat in Torbay after losing all his power from the on board electrics two days ago, forcing him to hand steer for the remainder of the trip. "I am very tired from steering my boat by hand and looking forward to getting some rest, but now I am too excited to sleep. Maybe later."
Second place finisher is set to be Frenchman Thierry Dubois on Solidaires, who is due to arrive at around mid-night tonight. Thierry was disappointed not to have been able to close the gap on his friend Bernard after encountering light winds last night, and so was still 109 miles behind when Bernard finished. As Around Alone is won on points Thierry nevertheless is happy to be taking the second spot on the podium. Who knows which boat in Class 1 will end up on in third as it is a four boat race between Tiscali, Garnier, Hexagon and Pindar ? more on this drama later, but these boats will be arriving in Torbay over this weekend.
Alexis Loison and Jean-Pierre Kelbert’s JPK 1050 Léon has been crowned overall winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race. No other boat still racing on the 695 nautical mile course can catch the French doublehanded duo for overall honours in this, the 51st edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s offshore classic.
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) is delighted to announce the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) as the winner of the 2025 Admiral’s Cup. After an intense battle during the RORC Channel Race, six inshore races in the Solent and the prestigious finale, the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Yacht Club de Monaco team is victorious. Runner-up for the Admiral’s Cup (…)
Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 (USA), owned by Christian Zugel and co-skippered by Johnny Mordaunt, has taken Line Honours in the West to East Transatlantic Race 2025 in an elapsed time of 07 Day 15 Hrs 29 Mins and 10 Secs. Tschüss 2 Crew : Christian Zugel, Johnny Mordaunt, Al Fraser, Andrew McLean, Campbell Field, Christopher Welch, Edward Myers, Fredric (…)
It has been a long time coming after spending much of the 2024 season finishing second and even continuing this in the recent IMA Maxi European Championship, but finally Guido Paolo Gamucci’s Cippa Lippa X has won a race. On Saturday morning at 1012 off Marina di Punta Ala, the white-hulled canting keel Mylius 60 crossed the finish line of the (…)
The inaugural McIntyre Mini Globe Race (MGR) has officially set sail, and what a start it’s been ! The first leg from Antigua to Panama has already delivered drama, camaraderie, and a masterclass in offshore sailing in these Mighty Mini’s. With 15 ALMA Class Globe 580s battling it out over 1,200 nautical miles, the MGR is proving to be (…)
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race line honours has been claimed for a second year in a row by LawConnect. The 100-ft (30.48m) maxi skippered by Christian Beck completed the 628-nautical mile course at 02:35.13 AEDT on Saturday 28 December in an elapsed time of one day, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds.
La jauge Mini pourrait évoluer dans les prochaines années. En dehors du débat sur l’autorisation des mâts en carbone dans la division Prototypes, s’est aussi posée lors de la dernière assemblée générale la question sur les bout-dehors en Série. Les membres de la classe se sont, là encore, positionné en faveur d’une réflexion plus approfondie. (…)
In the french version of SeaSailSurf.com, you can read Sébastien Magnen, Pierre Rolland, Ollivier Bordeau and Denis Glehen’s answers about the possible change in the prototype division of the mini 650 class rules. This time, it is to Leo Voornevelt to answer to thoses question.
Leo followed the last Transat 650 Charente Maritime Bahia. As (…)
Un deuxième défi français pour la coupe de l’America ! Est-ce vraiment possible alors que le team actuel, Le Défi peine à trouver un budget pour rejoindre Auckland ? C’est en tout cas ce que pensent les Kandler père et fils. Appuyés sur leur société K-Yachting, ils lancent K-Challenge. Un cas à part dans l’histoire de la Coupe en France.
Le jeune Anglais Alex Bennett convoyait le monocoque jaune ex-Aqua Quorum quand il a été contraint d’abandonner son bord après que le système hydraulique qui fait pivoter la quille ait donné de graves signes de faiblesse.
14th December 2001, 29 26 09’ N 26 03 49’ W : At 23.00 GMT Alex Bennett, 25-year-old solo yachtsman, abandoned his Open 50 racing yacht ‘One Dream One Mission’ to the elements.
Like the other skippers of Open 60 monohulls, the American sailor Bruce Schwab has done his inversion test for his new Ocean Planet. An important moment for the skipper :
Après Sébastien Magnen et Pierre Rolland, deux architectes navals, Ollivier Bordeau, un constructeur, voici l’avis d’un spécialistes des calculs de structures. Denis Gléhen est responsable des calculs chez HDS (Hervé Devaux Structures) à Brest. Il a travaillé sur les études de Club Med, de différents trimarans de 60 pieds et dernièrement de (…)
Une bonne prise sur le pont de Sill Plein Fruit. Photo : G. Le Cléac’h
Trois monocoques sont actuellement en convoyage retour vers la France. D’un côté, Sill Plein Fruit, l’Open 60 victorieux de la Transat Jacques Vabre rentre aux mains de Gaël Le Cléac’h et son équipage, accompagné par celui de Dominique Wavre. D’un autre, Adrien, le monocoque ‘no limit’ de 25 mètres de Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, qui poursuit sa (…)
Le patron du chantier naval Latitude 48°24’ répond, à son tour et sur le ton de l’humour, sur l’opportunité d’ouvrir la jauge des 650 prototypes aux tubes en carbone.
Grant Dalton doit maudire la rafale de 45 nœuds qui a couché Amer Sports One la veille de son arrivée à Sydney. Projeté à l’intérieur du bateau dans une chute magistrale, alors qu’il était entrain de cuisiner (fait exceptionnel), Dalton souffre de deux côtes cassées ainsi que de plusieurs fractures aux vertèbres qui pourraient l’empêcher de (…)