Please select your home edition
Edition
CompareBoatInsurance Leaderboard

Twenty Twenty-Four starts in style

by Mark Jardine 8 Jan 2024 16:00 GMT
Arkea Ultim Challenge - Brest © V.Curutchet / GITANA SA

It was almost two years ago that I wrote 'Twenty Twenty-Four', looking forward to a bumper year of sailing, leaving me wondering how time is flying by so fast. While in the wider world we continue to head down the dystopian path, the first week of the year has started in extraordinary fashion.

Firstly, let's have a quick look back, albeit it only a couple of weeks... We finished 2023 on a high note, with Australian Editor John Curnow orchestrating our coverage of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. With correspondents on the ground and in their air, we brought you all the action during the points of interest, including the thrilling line honours battle between andoo Comanche and LawConnect.

A special thanks to Dale and Cros Lorimer for their brilliant coverage, and Tony Lathouras in Hobart for knowing the place to be to catch LawConnect on their charge up the River Derwent as they reeled in andoo Comanche to secure the line honours victory. It's no mean feat bringing this all together, leaving you having less sleep than a doublehanded navigator / helmsman, so many thanks John.

Back in the UK we've been battered by a succession of storms, but thankfully there was a brief window of respite on New Year's Day to get out and sail at my local club, participating in the traditional 'Rum Race'. First job was re-threading the halyard on my Keyhaven Scow, which I'd taken off ahead of the storms (to reduce windage), then out on the water to join 22 dinghies in a jovial celebration of all that's good about sailing. For the first time anyone can remember in the race, we had a general recall, and a fair bit of bumper cars, but mostly just laughter and great competition. I simply can't think of a better way of starting 2024.

In Australia, a highly competitive 100-boat fleet is competing in the Tasar World Championship at Sandringham Yacht Club. A strong contingent of North American sailors are making their presence known at the front of the fleet, with Jonathan Mckee and Libby Johnson Mckee leading the charge. As a UK sailor, you know when a fleet is hot when you have to look outside the top ten for Steve and Sarah Cockerill's names, and we'll be tracking this event closely as it reaches its finale.

On Saturday I travelled up to the outskirts of London to take photos and video of the GJW Direct Bloody Mary at Queen Mary reservoir. This is a true winter classic and attracted 185 boats onto the water. The pursuit race format usually leaves everyone guessing until the very end as to who will win, but Sam Pascoe in his Musto Skiff showed a devastating turn of speed to reel in the early starters, going on to win by a very comfortable margin.

The winter events in the UK are brought together so well in the Seldén SailJuice Winter Series, coordinated by Andy Rice and Simon Lovesey, and here Pascoe has had a superb season so far, winning the Draycote Dash, the Datchet Flyer, the Grafham Grand Prix fast fleet, and now the Bloody Mary.

Roll on Sunday, and two more massive races...

Let's start with the Arkéa Ultim Challenge - Brest, as things simply don't get any bigger. Six foiling Ultim trimarans set off across the Bay of Biscay to start a battle around the world. Remarkably, these 32-metre-long leviathans (which can be up to 23 metres wide) are being sailed singlehanded. Just trimming a sail, or taking in a reef, takes a herculean effort, so the idea of 50 days at sea on one is beyond daunting.

Early on Monday morning they passed Cape Finisterre, recording speeds of up to 45 knots during their intense first night at sea.

Tom Laperche, skipper of SVR-Lazartigue, summed up the situation by saying, "It's the dead of night, we're going down towards Cape Finisterre and we're all side by side with the different boats. There is a super irregular wind, which is quite rare: one minute we're at 40 knots, the next at 15 knots, and what's more, we're slaloming between the cargo ships! It's not easy but I managed to take a few naps. The start was great, a lot of emotions as we set off round the world but very happy to have left. The procedures and the progress went well with the team. It was beautiful to pass Ushant and the start line in the lead."

We wish all the skippers safe passage in what will undoubtedly be an exciting race, but one that is fraught with difficulty and danger. Hitting an object in the sea at the speeds these craft achieve can have catastrophic consequences, and they are pushing the boundaries of technology, so the risk to them all is very real.

Also under way is the RORC Transatlantic Race, with a diverse fleet, ranging from MOD70 trimarans and the mighty 100 foot Leopard 3, down to Sun Fast 3600s, setting off from Lanzarote to travel the 3,000 miles to Grenada. The fleet enjoyed a downwind start with flat water, 10 knots of breeze, 20-degree temperatures and a sizeable spectator fleet. We'll be following this race closely as well and wish all the competitors fair winds and safe seas.

Elsewhere we've been covering the ILCA 6 Women's Worlds in Argentina, the ILCA Australian & Oceania Championships in Adelaide, alongside a plethora of other events, and I haven't even mentioned the events discussed in the Twenty Twenty-Four article two years ago... the Olympics, the America's Cup, and the Vendée Globe. Undoubtedly, it's an immense year for sailing!

Mark Jardine
Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com Managing Editor

Related Articles

Make me smile even wider and brighter
What's better than writing about a great programme to get people into yachting? Only one thing... What's better than writing about a great programme to get people into yachting? Well, how about actually speaking with a former participant who has then gone on to work in the industry. That's what! Posted on 22 Apr
The holistic approach of Ancasta Yacht Services
Helping owners protect their investment and keep their boat in top condition Take a look behind the wood, gelcoat and trim panels on any modern yacht or powerboat, and you'll see that they are complex things. An array of cables, hoses & pipes interconnects electronic devices and amenities which make life on board more comfortable. Posted on 17 Apr
Jazz Turner explains more about Project FEAR
She will leave the wheelchair behind to sail unassisted around the British Isles for charity I caught up with Jazz Turner, who cited "the pure freedom I get when on the water" as the most important thing to her. Most of us sailors can appreciate that, but what we cannot really empathise with is being told you may only have 6 months to live. Posted on 15 Apr
Pro Sailing Drama and Intrigue
SailGP, the America's Cup, and the sailors themselves have all been in the mainstream news What a couple of weeks it has been in the world of professional sailing: SailGP, the America's Cup, and the sailors themselves have all been in the mainstream news for one reason or another. Posted on 15 Apr
For the love of small, fast boats - the Cape 26
Chickens, eggs, and boats. Until now, had never, ever put that lot together! The proverbial chicken, an egg, and boats. Not entirely sure I had ever pondered that until after my recent conversation with Davey James and Mark Mills. The genesis for the discussion was the reveal of the new Cape 26 OD.... Posted on 6 Apr
The Proving Ground
Why the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS is such an important regatta The end of an Olympic quadrennial cycle often brings sailing campaigns to an end. Some partnerships in doublehanded classes split, with helm and crew going their separate ways, while others use the time to reflect on their future. Posted on 1 Apr
The most important job in sailing
How Nick Scott is delivering radical change to competitive sailing pathways in the UK I am putting forward that falls to Nick Scott and his team. Namely to secure its competitive future by addressing challenges and delivering radical change while bringing people on that journey with him. Posted on 31 Mar
Revealing the Secrets of the 'Impossible' XR 41
An out and out race yacht, but also a sporty cruiser, thanks to its modular interior The XR 41 from X-Yachts was quite a departure from what they'd been doing for the last 15 years: concentrating on high-end Performance Racing Cruisers. This is an out and out race yacht, but it's also a sporty cruiser, thanks to its modular interior. Posted on 27 Mar
Going to publish the 'F' word – Again!
Clearly, there are lots of young sailors out there looking to add a load of fun to their sailing Now we published the first one back in June last year. It did really well, thank you. Very much appreciated. Clearly, there are lots of young sailors out there looking to add a load of fun to their sailing, and are keen to get into the foiling world. Posted on 23 Mar
RYA influences MCA's changes to regulations
Interview with Niall McLeod to see how Sport and Pleasure Code of Practice affects us The RYA have been working closely with the the government to make sure that new regulations for leisure vessels are not too restrictive. It seems that any group which operates a "coded" vessel should be thankful. Posted on 18 Mar