All Girls Sailing Voyage on Legendary ‘Maiden’

Courtney Koos is a sailor and a former student of Bowdoin College. She is currently sailing the 58-foot renowned yacht, Maiden. It is the same vessel which was by a legendary sailor from Britain, Tracy Edwards in the year 1989 when she was the skipper of the very first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race. Maiden has been newly restored after thirty years. It is on a voyage that will go on for almost two and a half years covering 32 destinations across 17 nations. This time it is also an all-female crew from hailing from different countries.

The project of this voyage is named The Maiden Factor. It was started by Edwards for raising funds for charities to support girls’ education globally. Koos is one of the permanent crew along with three others. She is a major in government and economics from Bowdoin. She will also take on board as a guest crew at each leg of the voyage. Currently, they are at a position which is 360nm from the Panama Canal on the side of the western entrance.

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US SER List Revised

Revised list of safety equipment has been released by US Sailing for sailboats in the monohull category. The safety equipment requirements list has been revised and SERs for multihulls have been approved as well. These revised guidelines will become applicable this year.

SERs describe the kind of gear to be used on these boats whether they race near shore or offshore in the US. The information needs to be referred to by boat inspectors, race, and owners. Racers that happen offshore as well as in the coastal regions would need to refer to these lists that would help them know boat particulars and equipment requirements.
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Sailor And Entrepreneur Tony Bullimore Dies At 79

The global star of 1997 who earned fame after his dramatic rescue during the Vendee Globe died aged 79 on the 31st of July, 2018. He was given another name in ‘British Bulldog’ and the man had survived for around four days below the hull of his boat that had capsized during the race. He was diagnosed with an exceptional form of cancer. Known for his determination to get things done, Bullimore is described as a character full of life and crazy. Over the years, he has won numerous trophies and races, but his nephew Stephen Mulvaney explains how Bullimore felt sad for being known for the rescue, rather than the races he won. He was dreaded to have drowned after his Exide Challenger capsized in the Southern Ocean in 1997.

Fortunately, he was spotted and rescued after four days by an Australian navy ship. He was later introduced to the Queen who praised Bullimore’s extraordinary feat of survival. The sailor had sat under the hull of his yacht that had been upturned, surviving on chocolate and water. Bullimore was more than a sailor; he was a celebrated philanthropist as well. He was also a part of the documentary released by the BBC in which he had crossed the Atlantic Ocean. In yet another documentary prepared by BBC Radio Bristol in 2016, he was described by one of his friends as a generous and humble man who helped thousands of black people.
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Young Sailors Welcomed By Optimist National Championships

Hal Smith, the Pensacola Yacht Club Fleet Captain talks on what makes the Pensacola Bay and the PYC unique as far as the Junior Olympic Festival is concerned. Around 300 young sailors from all around the world added thrill to the historic grounds of the PYC this week as all teams were preparing for the international sailing race. Pensacola is hosting the USODOA Optimist Nationals, Optimist Team Race National Championship and the Girls Optimist National Championship. Racing has already begun and the check-ins and measurements took place on Friday and Saturday.

It is quite exciting to see sailors as they make their journey from Denmark, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and the United Arab Emirates to achieve the title in the Gulf area of Mexico. The grand opening ceremony was made for the National Championship at Saenger Theater at Pensacola on Saturday. American Magic from Americas Cup was also featured in the event. The mayor of Pensacola Ashton Hayward and the commodore of Pensacola Yacht Club Jim Reeves did honor the guests and the sailors thoroughly enjoyed the opening event. They had to represent their countries with the help of flags in addition to other tokens. As the Optimist Championship is scheduled to be contested from 15th July, it will be concluded in 18th July. The Optimist Girls National Championship will be contested in 19th July. Similarly, the Optimist Team Race National Championship would take place from 20th July.
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BEIJAFLORE TO CLOSE TO WINNING EFG SAILING ARABIA

French sailing team Bejaflore are a stage away from winning the EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour trophy. Team Beijaflore is a venue and two scoring points away from becoming the new champs of EFG Sailing Arabia. They are the clear favourites to usurp EFG Bank Monaco as Tour champs with their ten point lead.

 

There are one coastal raid and stadium race day events to claim the crown. Podium finishes aside coastal raids win in Salalah, stadium racing victory in Duqm and Sur coastal raids ensured Beijaflore are the side to beat. For EFG to retain their title they would need to emerge winners in both races while Beijaflore finish last – a thing that is very unlikely.

“Despite our lead we aren’t thinking about the overall result. We will just treat the last part of the regatta like we have treated all the others. Our goal is always to sail fast and to beat the other teams. The rest will come,”Beijaflorecaptain ValentinBellet said.

EFG Bank Monaco have better chances fighting off the competition from Steve Morrison-led Averda. The two time Olympian won in the Sur stadium racing series and had other good results to go two points of EFG Bank Monaco.

LorinaGolfe du Morbihanare fourth in the standings and nine points behind Averda. Vivacar.fr comes next before ChemineesPoujoulat in sixth, two points off LorinaGolfe du Morbihan. Renaissance and DB Schenker make up the top eight on the log so far on 2018 EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour.

The Tour finale will begin with a coastal raid from Bandar Al Rowdha to an old town Muttrah in Muscat on the 16th before a closing day stadium race on February 17. There would be a prize giving ceremony on the evening of the 17th at the Muscat’s National Museum of Oman.

Coral Expeditions Offers 2017 Sydney To Hobart Race Sail

The annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is one of the most looked forward to events by many of the locals as well as foreign tourists.


This is a celebration week as the event is held just after Christmas day and will go on to usher in the New Year. This year the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is a platform that Coral Expeditions is looking to make use of to usher in tourists to take cruise rides when the event is on.

The Coral Expeditions will offer its guests a sail along with the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race to explore the waterways of Australia. The cruise on the Coral Discoverer will start off from where the yacht race starts and will come down to Hobart just when the winner celebrations of the race are set to begin in Hobart. John Longley, a veteran of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, will be on board the cruise to give details about the race to the guests. He has taken part in many of other prestigious races and getting a first-hand view of the yacht race from him is one that everyone will enjoy and cherish. Continue reading “Coral Expeditions Offers 2017 Sydney To Hobart Race Sail”

At Masters Games, Para-Sailors Turning Ahead

The green machine of Chris Sharp is becoming popular on the course of sailing at the World Masters Games, this is because it is giving tough competition to most of its rivals and finishing ahead.


You must be thinking what is extraordinary in it. So, the thing that makes it extraordinary is Sharp is a paraplegic. Seven years back, he had a motorbike accident. He is now 59 years old and competed in the tournament with a great zeal. Among the 30 competitors, Sharp finished in eighth Weta class single-handed. The racing happened for two days, where Sharp gave tough competition to other players and in the race, he also defeated some of the top players.  Weta class after two days of racing, where he is against a number of former top-level sailors.

Though, the game of Sharp was an extraordinary, but it is not like he is alone in the event who has turned heads. Continue reading “At Masters Games, Para-Sailors Turning Ahead”

Maui Canoe Sailors Come Home

Sailing can be inspirational and life changing. No one understands that better than residents of Maui counties who recently took part in a unique sailing event. Hokule’a is a canoe that embarked on a journey to travel the waters across the globe.

It came back to its home country in Hawaii after a span of three years. It has covered a total of 60,000 nautical miles as well as stopping by hundred ports in Africa, South Pacific, East Coast, South America and the Caribbean. Continue reading “Maui Canoe Sailors Come Home”

Figaro 3 Transformed For Foil

Groupe Beneteau is all set to produce first series-built monohull with foils in newly launched new Figaro 3.


The initiative of Beneteau is a strong message and it’s going to have a knock-on effect for sure to yacht production and for racing.

Those who think whether foiling will ever come into mainstream sailing, the initiative of Beneteau to produce Figaro 3 fleet with foils is an answer to them. It is a radical new one-design brought by Beneteau.

Beneteau declared the transformation of Figaro 3, on Boat show of Paris in December. VPLP the leading design firm of French has drawn race boat with contemporary looking. Continue reading “Figaro 3 Transformed For Foil”

3rd Belize Bart’s Bash

The Bart’s Bash of 2016 will be taking place on September 17 and 18 in Belize. The organizers of the event have decided to make full use of the weekend of conducting a regatta race on 17 September and a sailing Bart’s Bash on September 18.

Sailors from all over the world take part in this Bart’s Bash sailing race. They will come in a wide range of sailboats that you can ever imagine to add color and spectacle to the sailing event.

The Bart’s Bash started in the year 2014 and it has been recognized as the largest boat race event in the sailing history by the Guinness Book of World Records, with many companies like Dubrovnik Yacht Charter giving away their yachts for free for the day to help the effort. What started as a one day all encompassing event has now moved on and is now conducted as an all-on-the-same weekend sailing event. This year’s Bart’s Bash should entertain more boats than the previous two years. This means you can see more than 16,000 boats take part in the sailboat race. Continue reading “3rd Belize Bart’s Bash”