Alex Thomson heading for British record in Vendée Globe

Vendee Globe live tracking

Alex Thomson sets sights on new British record for Vendee Globe
Telegraph.co.uk
The aim, as he has oft repeated is to finish but if he crosses the line inside 80 days as he hopes to do, he will not only set a new British record for completing the Vendee Globe but he will also beat Michel Desjoyeaux' overall race record, set in the ...

Telegraph.co.uk

Thomson Takes the Road Less Travelled - Vendée Globe 2012-2013: "His more westerly passage to the equator and through the doldrums (probably starting on Friday afternoon) still looks favourable on paper and he gave some insight to his strategy for being there and for what he will do in the North Atlantic: “Even if I do make the miles up and I was to get equal with Jean-Pierre (Dick), if we’re sailing in the same breeze and neither of us have any problems, he does have a slightly faster boat,” Thomson said to Vendée Globe TV. “So I have to think about that, I can’t really be doing the same thing as those guys, if I have a chance to beat them. There’s a big gap between me and Jean Le Cam (in fifth) so in terms of routing and navigation, maybe there’s a possibility of taking some risks for making some gains and not following people because if I follow I’m not going beat them in a boat speed race.”One the oldest maxims is sailing races is: ‘if you stay behind, you stay behind.’ This applies especially when those in front have a speed advantage. This is not gamesmanship by Thomson, it’s a fact. Hugo Boss is fast, but it’s a second generation boat from the last edition of the Vendée Globe, the three in front are all new and have been demonstrably faster in the same conditions. It is the reason that Thomson’s performance has drawn praise from all quarters. Despite the extraordinary speed of Gabart and Le Cléac’h and to a lesser extend Dick, he is still in with a chance."

Vendee Globe - Go your own way

Sail World
In the Vendee Globe, Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) remained the fastest man at the front of the fleet, albeit less dramatically than on Thursday morning, as he chips away at the lead of the three in front. Only Alessandro Di Benedetto (Team Plastique ...

Sail World

Vendee Globe - Virbac-Paprec 3 ready to tackle North Atlantic
Sail World
In the Vendee Globe, yesterday at the end of the day (French time - UT+1), Jean-Pierre Dick completed two important repair jobs on board Virbac-Paprec 3. The skipper can now confidently tackle the sail up the North Atlantic and intends to grab any ...

Sail World

America's Cup veteran and America's Cup World Series commentator Gary Jobson take us on a journey through the oldest trophy in sport. Sailing on an multihull or monohull has always been about speed. The vision of the 34th America's cup in 2013 has a new look; not only with the catamarans, but also with the younger, fitter and stronger sailors. No matter the boat, no matter the athletes onboard; the passion to excel has endured the decades.

One-Design Leaders Honored by US Sailing: "Last Saturday night at US Sailing’s 2013 One-Design Sailing Symposium, presented by Gowrie Group and hosted by the Cleveland Yachting Club in Rocky River, Ohio, five awards were presented to recognize outstanding individual and organizational achievements in one-design sailing. These annual award categories are for Service, Leadership, Club, Regatta, and Creativity. These awards highlight role models of creative leadership in one-design sailing. Fletcher Driscoll (Saint Paul, Minn.) received the John H. Gardiner, Jr. Trophy for Service award. Driscoll is responsible for the tremendous resurgence of the A Scow class on White Bear Lake over the past decade. His restoration of a classic fleet got more people involved in sailing, especially women. Driscoll was instrumental in building one of the largest A Scow fleets in the world. . . . "

How Paul Larsen Reinvented the SailBoat | Autopia | Wired.com: " . . . across Walvis Bay, the windswept patch of Atlantic Ocean known as Speed Spot is barely more than a sparkle of whitecaps against a long, low sandbar. As we get closer to what is one of the world’s most perfect speed-sailing areas, I scan the shore. It’s featureless save for two small shelters. We motor our zodiac toward the remote beach until we have to kill the outboard and tilt it up to spare the prop. The five of us jump overboard into the waist-deep water, following our guide, Paul Larsen, who is wading toward the shore. The wind howls in our faces, blowing so much sand that it runs down the beach in rivulets, like rain across a windshield. We climb up on the beach, jellyfish at our feet as thick as paving stones. “This is it. This is the Bonneville Salt Flats of speed sailing!” Larsen shouts, gesturing to the water just off the sandbar. The flying sand sticks to our teeth, turning the insides of our mouths to 600-grit with every word. “We’ll have to shovel out the timing hut,” Larsen says, peering into the primitive shelter he built years ago and pointing out animal tracks inside. “Jackal,” he concludes. . . "

Telestream Wirecast Streams Sailing Series Finale From Rio
TV Technology
Telestream said that its Wirecast live video production software was used to stream live coverage of the Extreme Sailing Series final Act 8 to worldwide audiences. OC Sport, a global sports marketing company that specializes in professional sailing and ...

Smooth sailing for racers headed to Key West
Sun-Sentinel
The fastest sailing conditions are winds out of the north or northeast at the start as the boats headed south along the coastline, then shifting to the east as the boats rounded Key Largo and sailed southwest to Key West. Bella Mente, a 72-foot Judel ...

Finish Results - Ft. Lauderdale-Key West - IRC Racing - IRC Division
1 USA 45 Bella Mente Judel-Vrolijk Mini Maxi Hap Fauth
2 USA 95 SPOOKIE Carkeek HP 40 Steve & Heidi Benjamin
3 USA 84001 Decision HPR Carkeek 40 Stephen Murray
4 USA 145 Rebecca J 120 Glenn Gault
5 USA 7 Thin Ice Aerodyne 38 Stuart Hebb / John Vincent
6 USA 54 Dragon Class 40 Michael Hennessy
(source and more info at: http://keywestrace.org )

Roman named BSA president

Royal Gazette
Roman currently runs Bermuda Para Olympic Association's sailing programme and serves on the Bermuda Byte Association board and Newport Bermuda Race committee. * Polish Olympic sailor Zizi Staniul has returned to Bermuda to assist with Royal ...

Strictly Sail will bring sailing tech to Chicago boaters
Medill Reports: Chicago
Except for the purists, sailing is becoming a high-tech activity. Computer programs help pilot boats, automatic winches raise sails and GPS sets the course. For Midwestsailors, the Progressive Insurance Strictly Sail Chicago show opens next week and ...

Come sail away, come sail away with me
Dailybarometer
OSU competes in the Northwest Intercollegiate Sailing Association, which consists of Pac-12 members: Oregon, Washington and Washington State. The NWISA also includes Lewis and Clark, Portland State, Puget Sound, Victoria, and Western Washington.

Team NZ's second AC72 running ahead of schedule
TVNZ
Team New Zealand's highly anticipated second AC72 remains under wraps as the finishing touches are made on the boat that the team hopes will reclaim the America's Cup. After months of continuous hard work and over 40,000 man hours the boat, which...

Gentle Sailing Conditions in Hong Kong For The Tomes Cup
The Epoch Times
“This is one of my favourite pastimes, I sail once a week on Saturdays or sometimes on Sundays” he said sitting at the tiller of his cruiser,” said Lee who will be 90 next year and has been sailing for 40 years. “I started out too late to do some of ...

The Epoch Times

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