The sight of five 12-Metres sailing up
Narragansett Bay would be impressive any day of the week. Today, however,
the 12s seemingly ushered in the breeze that had kept competitors waiting
under a postponement flag for the concluding matches of the International
Catamaran Challenge Trophy (ICCT). For the first time since 1976, it would
come down to the final match in this best four-out-of-seven finals before
the champagne was uncorked to spray the winners and award "The Little
America’s Cup" for the 23rd time since the event was created in 1961.
Today’s action was again set off Goat Island providing a perfect view of the
competition. In the first race, the Challengers (the Italian team of
Daniele Saragoni and crew Teo Di Battista, representing Club Nautico Rimini)
appeared to have control of the start as they took a slight lead off the
line on the windward-leeward course. The Defender (John Lovell of New
Orleans, La., and crew Charlie Ogletree of Houston, Texas, representing
Southern Yacht Club) caught up by the first mark just as a 140’ motor yacht
cruised onto the course requiring both cats to maneuver around the
slow-moving vessel. By the end of two very tight laps around the course,
the Italians were first to the finish line by 15 seconds over Lovell and
Ogletree to tie the score at 3-3.
In race two, which would be sailed three times around the course, Lovell and
Ogletree crossed the start line first and never looked back as they opened
up a sizable lead on the Italians. Undaunted, Saragoni and Di Battista
whittled down the distance and by the last leg had closed the minute and
twenty gap to five seconds for a nail-biting finish close behind Lovell and
Ogletree.
"I’m very excited by this win," said Lovell after he had warmed up.
"Saragoni definitely had an edge with the boat, as this is only my third
time in an F-18HT, which is much narrower than a Tornado, making it harder
to gybe downwind and less stable in general." Comparing the differences
between the F-18HTs used for the Little America‚s Cup, and the Tornado that
the two-time Olympians spend most of their time racing, Lovell also noted
the difference in their teamwork required by match racing in catamarans.
"The crew does most of the work, I mostly steer while Charlie drags me
around the course. I learned a lot from this event".
After two days of frustratingly light winds, the TF35 Crans Grand Prix concluded today with four high-speed foiling races. Consistency proved key as Yann Guichard’s Sails of Change 8, with tactician Noé Delpech and crew Arnaud Psarofaghis, Bruno Mourniac, Adrien Mestre, and Solune Robert, mastered the difficult conditions and sealed victory - (…)
The Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank has entered the winners circle, claiming their first event victory at the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix in tricky, light conditions on the waters of Lake Geneva. Germany clinched the top spot ahead of Australia in second and Switzerland in third, in a high-stakes final that saw some of (…)
Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti retained their Olympic title in the Mixed Multihull with a dazzling display in Marseille. The Italian crew picked up the gold medal in Tokyo and looked set to replicate that feat in France, winning half the races that took place in the Opening Series. Heading into the Medal Race, Tita and Banti had at least a (…)
With only two races sailed due to light winds on the final day of the TF35 Malcesine Cup 1, Realteam Sailing, skippered by Jérôme Clerc, who have clinched the victory at every event of the 2023 season, claim the annual TF35 Trophy with one event remaining.
Four days of racing at the GC32 Lagos Cup came to a conclusion today on Portugal’s Algarve coast with a run-away victory for the Nicolai Sehested-skippered Team Rockwool Racing. Out of 15 races sailed, the Danish SailGP crew won a phenomenal ten, including an opening day of five races when they were unbeaten. In fact Thursday was the only one (…)
The prestigious speed record covering the length of Lake Geneva between Port-Noir (GE ) and Le Bouveret (VS) had been held by Hydros.ch since 2014, but Monday, at 15.27, flying over the virtual finish line near Port Noir, the Lausanne team of Esteban Garcia and Jerome Clerc has set a new record of 3 hours, 43 minutes and 27 seconds as certified (…)
La 3ᵉ étape de The Ocean Race Europe entre Carthagène et Nice (650 milles) a offert aux équipages un long exercice de patience dans les petits airs méditerranéens. Si Biotherm, une fois encore, a dominé les débats devant Holcim-PRB, Allagrande Mapei a terminé troisième et offert son premier podium en IMOCA à Ambrogio Beccaria. Retour sur cette (…)
Holcim-PRB se classe deuxième de l’étape entre Carthagène et Nice. Déjà deuxième de l’étape précédente entre Portsmouth et l’Espagne, l’IMOCA suisse signe une superbe réussite après s’être livré à un exceptionnel mano à mano avec Biotherm jusqu’aux derniers milles dans la Baie des Anges. Rosalin Kuiper et son équipage (Carolijn Brouwer, Franck (…)
L’ENVSN de Saint-Pierre Quiberon a vibré toute la semaine dernière au rythme du Championnat de France Espoirs Windsurf, qui s’est déroulé du 18 au 23 août, organisé par le Comité Départemental de Voile du Morbihan. Après cinq jours de compétition, c’est samedi matin à 9h30, que les dernières courses ont été lancées pour départager les favoris (…)
On the 52 SUPER SERIES’ return to the Mediterranean after two regattas in the Atlantic, 2025 circuit leaders American Magic Quantum Racing scored a resounding victory today on the Bay of Palma, Mallorca, lifting the top prize at Puerto Portals 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week.
After leaving Mondello, just north of Palermo, at midday on Tuesday, competition in the Maxi class, part of the 41 boat fleet in the annual Palermo-Montecarlo, was decided on Thursday. The IRC corrected time victory went to a first time winner, while one of the race’s most frequent competitors was again both first home and set a new race (…)
Le nom Caradec s’apprête à faire son retour sur la ligne de départ de la Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. Quarante ans après la disparition de Loïc Caradec dans la tempête tragique de l’édition 1986, son fils Tanguy prendra, à son tour, le large. En novembre 2026, il s’élancera en solitaire de Saint-Malo vers Pointe-à-Pitre, à bord d’un (…)
À plus de 70 ans, Éric Loizeau, qui incarne comme personne les croisements d’expérience entre la course au large et la haute montagne, annonce son retour en mer pour participer à la Route du Rhum 2026. Et pas à bord de n’importe quel voilier puisqu’il a choisi Flo, l’ancien trimaran de Florence Arthaud, comme compagnon de route pour cette (…)
Les WASZP Games restent un championnat du monde avec 247 participants où tous les meilleurs se donnent rendez-vous. Avec des conditions variées et compliquées, ce sont toujours les plus réguliers qui terminent en haut du classement. Les WASZP Games de Weymouth n’ont pas dérogé à la règle.
C’est une performance majuscule qu’Alexis Loison et Jean-Pierre Kelbert viennent de signer sur le centenaire de la Rolex Fastnet Race. Les deux marins s’imposent en effet sur le classement Overall puisqu’aucun concurrent encore en course ne peut rattraper l’équipage français.
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.