0 Wild Oats XI takes line honours 

• Regatta news
• by Team Racing-Yachts.com
• 28-12-2018

Val Oatley described Wild Oats XI’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race line honours victory perfectly alongside the dock in Hobart this morning: “Three years of misery to this moment,” and you could not wipe the smile from her face or that of her sons, Sandy and Ian, as they waited for their super maxi to moor alongside Kings Pier. Three years of trauma for the Wild Oats family when the yacht retired from the 2015 race with a torn main followed by Bob Oatley’s death in January 2016. Another retirement in 2016, this time with hydraulic ram issues. Then came last year’s much publicised finish when Wild Oats XI was penalised one hour after an incident with Comanche and lost her line honours crown and a new race record to Jim Cooney’s ‘aircraft carrier’. This year’s victory makes it a new record of nine line honours for Wild Oats XI, which broke the seven years of line honours stranglehold of Kurrewa/Morna in 2014 with her eighth line honours crown. Perennial skipper Mark ‘Ricko’ Richards generously handed the helm over to the Late Bob Oatley’s grandson, Daniel (Ian Oatley’s son), on his third Sydney Hobart on the family yacht, before they crossed the finish line after gybing all the way up the River under Code Zero. Wild Oats XI won the hard-fought battle between four of the five super maxis entered in the race. Until 6.30am this morning, the four were still locked in a tight fight for honours - just 4 nautical miles separating them before Wild Oats XI came into her own. Peter Harburg’s Black Jack from Queensland was second over the line at 8.35.06am, followed by Comanche at 8.36.09am, after the two went gybe for gybe to the finish after rounding the Iron Pot. Christian Beck’s InfoTrack finished at 08.51.17am. Never before in the history of the race have we witnessed four yachts fight for supremacy throughout the entire race. It kept us all on tenterhooks the most exciting Sydney Hobart line honours stoush since Bob Bell’s Condor of Bermuda beat Jack Rooklyn’s Apollo over the finish line by seven seconds in 1982. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHz0eMUozpk   By Scuttlebut www.rolexsydneyhobart.com

1 Join VOR70 for Southern Ocean Leg

• Charter
• by Team Racing-Yachts.com
• 21-12-2018

Join VOR70 for the Southern Ocean Leg from Auckland to Ushuaia/ Puntas Arenas Chile  There are 5 spots left! Contact us for more info

1 Merry Christmas

• News
• by Team Racing-Yachts.com
• 21-12-2018

Racing-Yachts.com wishes you Happy Holidays and all the best for 2019!   See you on the water!

0 2019 ORC EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP OPEN FOR ENTRIES

• News
• by Team Racing-Yachts.com
• 19-12-2018

Oxelösund, Sweden - The Oxelösunds Segelsällskap and the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) are pleased to announce that the 2019 ORC European Championship being held over 11-17 August is now open for entries. Oxelösund is a relatively young port town in the scenic region of Södermanland, 100 km southwest of Stockholm on the Baltic coast. This is a new venue among many in Sweden that have hosted past ORC European Championships, including Gothenburg, Marstrand, Sandhamn and Ystad. This history and the success of the venues in the Baltic region indicates a strong enthusiasm about ORC racing, with the current record number of entries being the 83 boats from 11 nations that competed last year in Gdansk, Poland. This many and perhaps more are expected to converge on Oxelösund in August to enjoy several days of inshore and offshore racing after two days of measurement and inspection formalities. Racing will be held in three classes, with European Champion titles awarded to entries in Class A, Class B and Class C, with class splits defined by the CDL ratings in the 2019 ORC VPP, which will be available soon after the New Year. One team is excited about competing in their back yard, their home being on the west coast in Gothenburg: Patrik Forsgren's modified Beneteau First 36.7 Pro4U. This team has been consistently winning ORC championships in Class C for the past few years, including Gold in Gdansk in 2017, Gold in Estonia in 2015, and Bronze at the Worlds this year in The Hague, Bronze at the Worlds in Copenhagen in 2016, and Silver at the Worlds in Kiel in 2014. "I've sailed these waters since I was a kid," said Forsgren. "The mix of archipelago and open sea right on our doorstep is the perfect background for challenging racing. I'm really happy that Oxelösund gets the opportunity to arrange the ORC championships and I'm looking forward to coming home. If we're able to get the trophy, it's even better!" "We are really looking forward to returning to Sweden and having another successful Europeans regatta," said Bruno Finzi, Chairman of ORC. "This region has a long history of excellence in offshore sailing, so we expect a lot of good teams and strong enthusiasm. We urge all who are interested to sign up early in their planning for a high-quality event." Already there are 18 entries signed up from six nations, with many more expected soon. Entries fees are offered at discounted rates prior to 30 April 2019, the fees then increasing until 30 June, then increasing again until the close of entries on 15 July. An important part of planning is booking accommodations for the team, and these can be made in Oxelösund or nearby Nyköping at these sites: www.visitoxelosund.se/boendewww.nykopingsguiden.se/bo More information on the ORC Europeans can be found at https://orc2019.oxss.nu, with entries made at http://european2019.orc.org/en/default/races/race-inscription/text/preliminary/YES/cruise/yes. More on ORC rating systems, ORC certificates and events can be found at www.orc.org.  

1 2019 D-MARIN ORC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OPEN FOR ENTRIES

• News
• by Team Racing-Yachts.com
• 11-12-2018

Sibenik, Croatia -- In June 2019 Sailing Club Val, D-Marin Mandalina and the City of Sibenik will host the 2019 D-Marin ORC World Championship, which will attract around 150 sailboats and 1,000 sailors from all over the world to participate in this prestigious regatta. This will be the greatest sporting event ever held in Sibenik. The official regatta program will start on May 31st with sailboat measurements, while the opening of regatta will take place on Sunday, June 2nd in the Old Town of Sibenik. Except in D-Marin Mandalina, the sailing boats will also be berthed on beautiful Sibenik waterfront promenade, so locals and their guests will be able to see them from up close. The regatta will last for six days and will be divided in one long and one short offshore navigational races with the remainder of the program being buoy racing on two course areas.   Final awards ceremonies will be held after racing on June 8th in the D-Marin Mandalina marina, as D-Marin is the general sponsor of the event.  "The D-Marin ORC World Championship will be the most significant nautical event of the season and we couldn't be more proud for hosting it in Croatia. This gives us an opportunity to simultaneously promote nautical sports in Croatia, as well as the alluring charm and rich cultural heritage of Sibenik", said Burak Baykan, CEO of D-Marin Group. Sibenik has hosted numerous past championships Along with Sailing Club Val, the marina D-Marin Mandalina has hosted many other high-level international regattas including the 52SuperSeries, the Croatian ORC D-Marin Cup, and various Farr 40, Melges 24 and Melges 32 Class events. "We are very pleased to return to Croatia for our ORC World Championship event," said Bruno Finzi, Chairman of ORC. "Sibenik is a beautiful venue, and everyone who has come here has been extremely impressed. It was in 2011 here in Croatia where the number of ORC World Championship entries exceeded 100 for the first time, so we are looking for another strong turnout for 2019 and a great regatta for all." "The fact that Sibenik will host 2019 ORC World Championship is a big recognition for our Sailing Club Val, the City of Sibenik and the whole of Croatia. In June 2019, Sibenik waters will be full of the world's best sailors, and millions of people around the world will get to see that. This is an excellent promotion for our town and it gives us an optimist view of the next tourist season," said Zeljko Burić, Mayor of Sibenik. Entries are now open at the event website: www.orcworlds2019.com.

0 NEW YORK YACHT CLUB TO HOST 2020 IRC/ORC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

• News
• by Team Racing-Yachts.com
• 01-11-2018

Sarasota, Florida, USA -- The Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) working in cooperation with the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and Union National Course au Large (UNCL), founding partners of the IRC rating system, are pleased to announce the approval of the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) to host the 2020 IRC/ORC World Championship in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.  This will be the first World Championship for offshore boats held in the United States since the IMS World Championship in 2000, also hosted by the New York Yacht Club. "We are very pleased to work once again with RORC to plan this important event on the offshore sailing calendar," said Bruno Finzi, Chairman of ORC. "It has been too long since we have been away from the U.S., where US Sailing was one of our founding members when ORC was formed in 1969." Competitive offshore racing is in the DNA of the NYYC - photo Daniel Forster/New York Yacht Club The proposed dates are 25 September - 3 October 2020, subject to slight modifications pending review by a Working Party formed by members representing all three partners to start on the detailed planning. "Our experience in The Hague for the first edition of the IRC/ORC World Championship this year was positive on many levels," said Steven Anderson, Commodore of RORC, "There is a strong desire to continue this cooperative momentum towards the future. We have agreed that IRC and ORC will work with each other to approve and plan these Worlds events every two years so that our sailors may also plan to put this on their calendars as well." The Worlds have not been in the USA since last held at NYYC in 2000 - photo Daniel Forster/New York Yacht Club "Offshore sailing is part of the DNA of the New York Yacht Club," said Commodore Philip A. Lotz. "Our waterfront clubhouse at Harbour Court combined with Newport's tremendous sailing conditions and extensive marine infrastructure, provide what we feel is one of the greatest venues for offshore racing. The Club is very excited to welcome the world to our hometown for the 2020 IRC/ORC World Championship." The typical format of the combined Worlds has been 2-3 offshore or coastal races, followed by 6-7 inshore races. Racing will be in three classes defined by the size and rated speeds of the boats, and all-amateur Corinthian prizes will be offered in each class. ORC and IRC ratings will be used to score the racing, however the Working Party will make the final determination on how when a Notice of Race is issued for the event in 2019. www.orc.org   

0 ORC AND IRC AGREE CONTINUED COOPERATION

• News
• by Team Racing-Yachts.com
• 30-10-2018

Sarasota, Florida, USA -- Representatives of the RORC and ORC met at the Royal Malta Yacht Club before the start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race to discuss the continued cooperation between IRC and ORC on a technical level, and the future of a joint Offshore World Championship. Both sides agreed that The Hague Offshore World Championship, which used both IRC and ORC to score the results, was a success on many levels. Most notably was the willingness of the technicians from IRC and ORC to quickly find solutions to measurement issues and that most competitors felt that the combined scoring allowed boats normally using different rating rules to race competitively against each other. The two international rating systems recognized by World Sailing, IRC and ORC, agreed to continue their dialogue on a technical level to further develop the Universal Measurement System (UMS) to allow boats to be rated more easily for different measurement system around the world. It was also agreed that IRC would be involved in the decision to select future venues for the joint Offshore World Championships and in the interest of the sport and event organisers that a joint Worlds would be held every two years starting in 2020. Chairman of ORC Bruno Finzi was pleased with this accord: "We're pleased we can agree on this shared vision for the future health of offshore sailing. It will help give confidence to the many thousands of boats competing in this important sector of the sport that we will have a clear road map forward towards popular and competitive World Championships." Commodore of the RORC Steven Anderson was pleased with the outcome: "It was a very positive discussion. My thanks to Bruno for such a positive and open approach. Both organizations agreed that the joint Worlds had been a success and the organisers had run an excellent event. The decision for the 2020 World Championships has not yet been made and we would like to be involved in that decision and also feel that having a joint Worlds every two years would be attractive to boats outside the region in which the Worlds are being held." Further discussion about the level of co-operation will be held at the World Sailing Annual Conference being held now in Sarasota, Florida. More on the ORC rating system, ORC certificates and events can be found at www.orc.org.

0 Farr 52 Optimum wins Malta Middle Sea Race in IRC2

• Regatta news
• by Team Racing-Yachts.com
• 25-10-2018

Farr 52 made the podium in IRC-2 of the 2018 Rolex Middle Sea Race Official Site. Farr 52 Team Optimum sailed their yacht to first place in IRC2 and second ORC2.  Periklis Livas & Nikolaos Lazos have shown with the Farr 52OD "Optimum3" (des 444) that she is a competitive racer. owners comment: our Farr 52OD has given us so many pleasure rides in Greek and Middle Sea waters. It is still such a crazy, reliable and winning yacht! For the results check this link Like to sail this racer yourself? She is for sale, contact us for more information  

0 GS48Race world premier

• News
• by Team Racing-Yachts.com
• 11-09-2018

During Yachting Festival Cannes the Grand Soleil 48 race has been launched. Amazing, full carbon yacht! Pictures underneath          

0 ORC PRODUCES NEW MEASUREMENT VIDEO SERIES

• News
• by Team Racing-Yachts.com
• 10-08-2018

YouTube videos on Sail measurements are the first of several being produced to educate new measurers and the public on measurement techniques for boats, spars and sails Annapolis, USA  -- As part of its ongoing commitment to support offshore sailing around the world, members of the technical team of the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) have been working with T2P Productions to produce a series of instructional videos on measurement of boats, sails and spars. These videos provide step-by-step guidance on the techniques of collecting the measurement data outlined in the International Measurement System rules that are needed by rule authorities to produce certificates for ORC and other rating systems as well. As such these videos provide practical reinforcement of the Universal Measurement System concept that is supported by World Sailing. The first in the series are three short videos each on the measurement of Mainsails, Headsails and Spinnakers. Other videos in final production now and to be made available soon are on Boats, Propellers, Rigs, and Stability. "Accurate measurement data provides the fundamental backbone of any science-based handicap rating system," says Bruno Finzi, Chairman of ORC. "We feel these videos are an important step forward in making the racing public more aware of how this data is collected so they may then have a better understanding of how its use affects their ratings, and in turn their racing." The Mainsail, Headsail and Spinnaker videos have been made searchable, or "Public", on YouTube with the following titles and descriptions:  "How to Properly Measure Sailboats - Mainsails" In an effort to standardize the way measurers around the world are measuring sails, this is an instructional video on how to properly measure a mainsail.  "How to Properly Measure Sailboats - Headsails" In an effort to standardize the way measurers around the world are measuring sails, this is an instructional video on how to properly measure a headsail, whether on the headstay or set flying.   "How to Properly Measure Sailboats - Spinnakers" In an effort to standardize the way measurers around the world are measuring sails, this is an instructional video on how to properly measure a spinnaker, whether symmetrical or asymmetrical. The videos have also been added to a playlist with the following title and description: "How to Properly Measure Sailboats" In an effort to standardize the way measurers around the world are measuring in sails, this instructional video on how to properly measure mainsails, headsails and spinnakers.   More on Measurement, the ORC rating system, ORC certificates and events can be found at www.orc.org.