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Yachting Monthly

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Kirsten Neuschafer wins 2022 Golden Globe Race and makes history

• Katy Stickland
• April 27, 2023

Kirsten Neuschafer has become the first woman to win a solo, round the world yacht race after winning the 2022 Golden Globe Race

Kirsten Neuschafer made it very clear from the start that she was aiming to win the 2022 Golden Globe Race . And now the South African skipper has achieved her goal, and made history in the process.

After just over 235 days at sea, the sailor crossed the finish line off Les Sables d’Olonne in France at 9pm CEST on 27 April 2023 and became the first woman to win a solo, round the world yacht race.

After a painfully slow final few miles as she ghosted towards the finish, Neuschafer actually crossed the finish line around 10 hours behind competitor, Simon Curwen, but a previous stop for repairs for the British sailor had already relegated him to the Chichester class (for those who make a single landfall).

No wind, meant it took hours for Kirsten Neuschafer to sail the Minnehaha over the finish line. Credit: Katy Stickland

Second-time Golden Globe Race competitor, Abhilash Tomy will be the next boat across the finish line, lying some 100nm astern of Neuschafer. That these three will finish within the space of a couple of days after 235 days at sea speaks to the high level of competition between these front runners.

Tired but jubilant, the focussed 39-year-old, who throughout much of the race had no idea she was leading, celebrated a hard-fought victory. Her Cape George 36 cutter, Minnehaha was then towed up the channel to the pontoon as thousands of people cheered and applauded her incredible achievement.

Among them were 2022 Golden Globe Race skippers Ian Herbert-Jones, who had just arrived from Cape Town, having been rescued from his dismasted boat just weeks before, and French sailor Damien Guillou , whose race ended after windvane steering failure on approach to Cape Town.

‘I feel very emotional and honoured,’ said Neuschafer after finishing the race. ‘I am never going to forget the welcome. I want to thank my fellow skippers as without them, there would have been no race. Simon was very difficult as he was always in front of me and I knew Abhilash was close, and this encouraged me to navigate as quickly as possible.’

Kirsten Neuschafer – the winner of the 2022 Golden Globe Race and the first woman to win a solo round the world yacht race. Credit: Katy Stickland

1997 Vendée Globe veteran Catherine Chabaud, the first female sailor to race solo non stop around the world without assistance, and the winner of the 2018 Golden Globe Race, Jean-Luc van den Heede, were there to greet Neuschafer as she stepped off her boat after nearly 8 months at sea.

Her official finishing time was 233 days, 20 hours, 43 minutes and 47 seconds. This takes into account the 35 hour time compensation and 30 litre fuel allowance given to her following her role in the rescue of fellow race skipper, Tapio Lehtinen,

Neuschafer said she was driven to keep going, even in calms and the doldrums on the way up the Atlantic, where she regularly went swimming to deal with the frustration.

‘I never thought I would give up; there was no reason to think this as I had full confidence in the boat. I never doubted I would get to the finish line.’

Catherine Chabaud, the first female sailor to race solo non stop around the world without assistance was there to greet Kirsten Neuschafter on. her arrival. Credit: Katy Stickland

Throughout the 2022 Golden Globe Race , Kirsten Neuschafer has fought to be at the front of the fleet, her ambition to win driving her more than many of the other entrants.

She deliberately chose a boat that she believed could win the race and survive the Southern Ocean.

Speaking to Yachting Monthly from Prince Edward Island, where she was refitting the boat, she said: ‘From the outset it wasn’t a question of taking any boat that was available and in my price range; it was to choose a boat that I believe can win and can survive the Southern Ocean , and then get that boat at any cost, no matter how much work.’

Kirsten Neuschafer in the lead, in early March 2023. Credit: Kirsten Neuschafer/GGR 2022

Her choice of the Cape George 36 paid off. Minnehaha has the longest LWL in the fleet, and with a generous cutter rigged 806sq ft sail plan, the boat achieved slightly higher speeds than her counterparts.

As a result, she holds the 2022 Golden Globe Race records for the best 4 hour speed average (9.80 knots), best 24 hour distance (218.9nm) and best 7 day distance (1,216.2nm).

The boat’s performance was evident after her average start in the race, but she constantly pushed, choosing to hand steer the boat rather than just rely on her Hydrovane windvane steering to make up for lost ground. Her disappointment coming 6th through the first race gate at Lanzarote was evident, but her motivation was stronger.

Kirsten Neuschafer prepared Minnehaha on Prince Edward Island. Credit: Patricia Richard

Having exited the Bay of Biscay in 10th place, she was soon climbing the leader board. Coming down the Atlantic, she chose a more coastal route to keep the island of Trinidade to port; a strategy to make the most of the current and receive weather information via her weather fax so she could identify the location of the South Atlantic High.

She took the longer, southern route with a more comfortable point of sail to reach the race’s second gate at Cape Town; a strategy that paid off when she was second through the gate behind the then race leader Simon Curwen .

Article continues below…

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Third place Golden Globe Race skipper Kirsten Neuschafer has been left frustrated by the lack of wind, which has also…

By this time, Curwen was extending his lead as he began crossing the Indian Ocean. Days after leaving Cape Town, Kirsten Neuschafer diverted from her race route to rescue fellow entrant Tapio Lehtinen, after his Gaia 36, Asteria sank around 450 miles south east of South Africa.

At the time, Neuschafer was 105 miles from Lehtinen’s position; she hand steered through the night, posting speeds of 7 knots to reach him the following morning. Once safely onboard, they waited for the arrival of the Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier Darya Gayatri , which would take Lehtinen to port.

Kirsten Neuschafer and Tapio Lehtinen share rum after the rescue of the Finnish skipper from his liferaft. Credit: Kirsten Nesuchafer/GGR 2022

Neuschafer was awarded a 35 hour time compensation and a 30 litre fuel allowance by the Golden Globe Race organisers.

Back in race mode, she pushed hard across the Indian Ocean, gaining 500 miles on Curwen and arrived just 29.5 hours behind him in Hobart. She briefly took first place when passing through Tasmania but then became trapped in no wind zones around New Zealand for several days.

This allowed Curwen to extend his lead by 900 miles; by this time, he was also sailing in a different weather system to Neuschafer and her nearest rival, Abhilash Tomy .

Neuschafer and Tomy swapped second and third place positions across the South Pacific, Neuschafer often frustrated by the calms, and her inability to find the better wind, which was often in the race’s Pacific exclusion zone.

She dived for 8 hours to remove the barnacles from the boat’s hull to improve her speed.

Kirsten Neuschafer/ rounded Cape Horn on Day 164 of the race. Credit: Kirsten Neuschafer/GGR 2022

Curwen, who had a 1,200 mile lead, then reported the failure of his Hydrovane self-steering gear , which forced him to make a 1,000 mile detour to Chile to make repairs; this also put him in the Chichester Class for entrants who make one stop.

This meant both Neuschafer and Tomy were back in the race for first place.

After 150 days of racing, Neuschafer took the lead and was the first to round Cape Horn on 15 February 2023.

But her routing decision up the Atlantic allowed Tomy to make gains in his Rustler 36, Bayanat , despite battling problems with his Wind Pilot windvane steering, his rig, rigging, and having to hand-stitch his mainsail after it ripped in two.

Kirsten Neuschafer took a more easterly route up the Atlantic. Credit: Kirsten Neuschäfer/GGR2022

Unlike Tomy, who stayed close to the rhumb line, Kirsten Neuschafer, who was sailing more conservatively due to a bend in Minehaha’s bowsprit, decided to take a more easterly route.

At the time she said: ‘I read up in  Ocean Passages for the World what is the best route for this time of year and the route is to pass 80 miles south of the Falklands and make for a point to the east of 35°S and 30°W at this time of year, and this is what I’ve been doing. I don’t know if it was a good idea to follow the suggestions or not.’

Doubting her easterly route, she took a more northerly route; it was a decision which would prove incredibly frustrating for Kirsten Neuschafer, who sailed through more light winds than any other 2022 Golden Globe Race sailor while sailing up the Atlantic, and meant she crossed a very wide doldrums.

This allowed both Tomy and Curwen to make gains on her position before Curwen in his Biscay 36, Clara , took the lead and become the first of the 2022 Golden Globe Race fleet to cross the finish line.

Positions of the Golden Globe Race 2022 skippers on 27 April 2022 at 2100 CEST

Kirsten Neuschafer, (South Africa), Cape George 36 cutter, Minnehaha – FINISHED 1st Abhilash Tomy , (India), Rustler 36, Bayanat – 100nm to the finish Michael Guggenberger , (Austria), Biscay 36, Nuri – 1800nm to the finish

Chichester Class:

Simon Curwen , (UK), Biscay 36, Clara – FINISHED 1st (Chichester Class) Jeremy Bagshaw , (South Africa), OE32, Olleanna – 2600nm to the finish

Edward Walentynowicz , (Canada), Rustler 36, Noah’s Jest Guy deBoer , (USA), Tashiba 36, Spirit Mark Sinclair (Australia), Lello 34, Coconut Pat Lawless , (Ireland), Saltram Saga 36 , Green Rebel Damien Guillou , (France), Rustler 36, PRB Ertan Beskardes , (UK), Rustler 36, Lazy Otter Tapio Lehtinen , (Finland), Gaia 36, Asteria Arnaud Gaist , (France), Barbican 33 Mk 2, Hermes Phoning Elliot Smith ,  (USA), Gale Force 34, Second Wind Guy Waites (UK), Tradewind 35, Sagarmatha Ian Herbert-Jones (UK), Tradewind 35, Puffin

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GGR winner Kirsten Neuschäfer named female 2023 Rolex World Sailor of the Year

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The Golden Globe Race remains totally unique in the world of sailing and stands alone as the longest, loneliest, slowest, most daring challenge for an individual in any sport.

2026 Skippers

Pat Lawless

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Matthew Wright

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Daniel Alfredsson

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• Boat: OE 32

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Joel Harkimo

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Andoo Comanche wins Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2022 line honours after tussle with LawConnect

Andoo Comanche has triumphed in a two-boat chase up the River Derwent to take out its fourth line honours in a late-night finish to the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Key points:

• Andoo Comanche's finish was less than three hours off the race record set in 2017
• LawConnect crossed the finish line in second place, with both boats barrelling up the River Derwent at the same time
• The overall winner is yet to be declared, with times adjusted for boat size and other factors

The 24-strong crew on the John Winning Jr-skippered supermaxi crossed the finish line at 12:57am AEDT on Wednesday with a time of 1 day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds.

Favourable weather led to a speedy race this year but it was still not enough to pip Comanche's 2017 line honours win with skipper Jim Cooney, which set the race record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds.

This year's tussle for line honours and the JH Illingworth trophy became a clash between supermaxis Andoo Comanche and LawConnect on the River Derwent. 

LawConnect finished a little over 20 minutes after Comanche, with a time of 1 day, 12 hours, 23 minutes and 19 seconds.

Black Jack followed closely behind the pair and all three chased each other down the east coast of Tasmania, hooked a sharp right turn around Tasman Island and closed in on Hobart in quick succession.

Comanche skipper John Winning Jr said the line honours win felt "pretty unbelievable at the moment" and was "still sinking in".

"I was on [line honours winner] Perpetual Loyal as one of the skippers in 2016 so I sort of know what to expect in terms of all of this," he said.

"But to do it in a campaign that I was part of putting together is really quite exceptional."

He said this year he had "lost a dear friend", Andoo Team X founder Matthew Munting, and would dedicate the win to him.

He also thanked the "incredible legends" on his crew as well as his parents, who he said had put a love of the water into him at a young age.

LawConnect crew member Gavin Smith said on Wednesday morning the team was exhausted but happy with the result.

"We were always hoping we would be able to catch them in the end, it was just a case that we didn't get there this year, but hopefully next year."

Black Jack crossed the finish in third with a time of 1 day, 12 hours, 40 minutes and 34 seconds.

Hamilton Island Wild Oats lost ground earlier in the race to become a distant fourth.

Wild Oats got into drama on the first night, with a seam splitting across one of its downwind sails.

The crew were forced to pull down the sail to repair it, which took them an hour and a half.

Monday saw a chaotic start to the 77th edition of the bluewater classic, with near-misses, protests and penalties for the big four.

Despite its eventual win, Comanche had a poor start when it did not get enough clear wind to move ahead of its rivals and became jammed by other craft.

It then misjudged a turn and hit the mark, losing even more ground. Shortly afterwards, the crew raised a protest flag.

Wild Oats skipper Mark Richards let loose a number of audible obscenities on the TV coverage as he and his crew tried to navigate their way to the Sydney Heads and out into the ocean for the trip south.

At one point, Black Jack cut back across two of its rivals, running a fine line between LawConnect and Wild Oats.

On Wednesday morning, Comanche's protest flag was noticeably absent as it came up the River Derwent to the finish line.

Skipper John Winning Jr was asked why the team removed it.

"Would you worry about it if you came first?" he asked.

Yachtie injured, more boats retire as wind lashes Tasmania

Moneypenny crew member David Blanchfield received cuts to his leg when he was washed from the bow to the mast.

He was met by an ambulance after the yacht crossed the line in ninth place.

Stefan Racing skipper Grant Wharington said conditions were "heinous" off Tasman Island on Tuesday night, with winds of up to 45 knots from the north.

The sixth-placed yacht was racing Willow and Alive up the Derwent on Wednesday morning when it suffered mainsail damage.

"We got stuck with a jib that was too big," he said.

"It's maximum 18, 20-knot sail and we got like 30, 33 knots or something and it's just broke in half.

"It was quite an old sail. Anyway, you get that."

Although a number of other yachts have retired from the race, including White Noise, Mondo, Navy One, Sail Exchange and Huntress, it is a stark contrast to last year, when almost a quarter of entries dropped out before finishing.

Earlier in the race, Avalanche and Yeah Baby both retired with rudder damage while Koa suffered a damaged bowsprit.

It will be rough sailing for those still in the race, with the east of Tasmania now subject to gale and strong wind warnings.

'Polar opposite' weather conditions compared to 2021

While Wednesday brought tough conditions for sailors, LawConnect crew member Tony Mutter said for his yacht, the contrast in weather between this year and last year's event had been startling.

Mutter told the ABC conditions were "pretty nice" for the crew and the "polar opposite" to last year.

"I was wearing thermals [last year]; we were in thunder and lightning," he said earlier.

"Now, I am in a T-shirt, shorts and life jacket."

While line honours go to the first yacht to cross the finish line, the overall race winner is yet to be declared.

The major prize for sailors is the Tattersalls Cup — which goes to the overall winner on handicap after times are adjusted for boat size and other factors.

Last year, line honours went to Black Jack, but the overall winner — Ichi Ban — was not crowned until two days later.

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San Diego Yacht Club’s Biennial Race to the Mexican Mainland

San Diego Yacht Club is proud to host the 2024 Vallarta Race with the 1,000nm course from San Diego to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Racing to the Mexican mainland is a tradition for SDYC going back to 1953.

VALLARTA RACE NEWS

A lot of sailors would suggest that it’s ‘when’ you start that matters, the earlier the better. Others would insist that it’s the weather on your start day that matters most, the windier the better. Both are logical and have been true separately and combined. But what if NEITHER mattered?

Not many (any?) spectators on Shelter Island watching the Saturday starters for the the 2024 San Diego to Puerto Vallarta International Yacht Race would have speculated that seven of the boats floating in the windless bay that afternoon would fill the top seven overall finishing positions! They were already 48 hours behind the two Thursday starters blasting down the course in a fresh westerly wind. But after a week of many sail changes, cursing grib files, running weather models, and pressing the boat when the ‘park up’ (sitting ‘parked’ in becalmed windless conditions) was over, that is exactly what the results reflect.

Looking ahead to Wednesday night’s racing, it appears as if the wind will hold up overnight and allow the fleet to press to finish: the way it should be. There is traditionally a day or two of light winds in this race. This year, they came at the beginning of the race. Fortunately, ideal downwind race conditions have turned the race around for the 20 boats still on the course.

Pyewacket looms as the projected corrected-time leader despite the majority of the fleet sailing out ahead of them, leaving little room for error for those vying for the title. Two weeks ago, BadPak sailed an impeccable Islands Race, winning with Pyewacket 2nd overall. This week, Pyewacket looks to pay it back and will have the final 200 miles to set the pace. Also in contention is Rio100 with their Wednesday morning finish establishing the time to beat. Vitesse and Peligroso also rank in the top 5 and will have a chance at the overall win.

Rio100 used a strong last 24 hours to be first to finish in the 2024 PV Race, crossing the line at 07:36:25 Wednesday morning for an elapsed time of 3 days, 19 hours, 16 minutes, 25 seconds. In addition to their first to finish result, Rio100 has set the corrected time to beat. Based on predictions from recent progress on the course this time has a chance to be competitive against the rest of the fleet who still have a day of racing + to go. Rio100 has raced to PV 3 previous times, in 2016 (16th overall), 2018 (9th overall), and 2022 (9th overall). Could this be the year where the accolades include corrected time success in addition to elapsed time elite preformance?

Daily 0800 Projected Standings

Projected contenders this morning include Lucky Duck, Peligroso, BadPak and Pyewacket with estimated corrected times right around Rio's mark. BadPak and Peligroso remain within a few miles of each other and will likely eat up the miles between them and Lucky Duck 40+ miles ahead on the last leg of the race. While Pyewacket will sail in different conditions 60+ miles behind the other top contenders leaving lots of room for gains or losses along the way meaning this race is up for grabs and should have an exciting finish.

Competitors in the 2024 San Diego to Puerto Vallarta International Yacht Race are approaching a classic tactical waypoint while negotiating the Baja Peninsula. Boats will gamble on sailing fewer miles by hugging the Baja coast or bearing away to the south, hoping to avoid getting stuck in the lee of Cabo San Lucas and the surrounding Baja headlands. 

Rio100 finally powered up, showing teens on the speedo at sunrise on Tuesday morning. And as the first to reach the Cabo milestone at 1000 PST, Rio100 consistently sailed 18-20 kts throughout the day Tuesday, swinging just 14 miles offshore from Cabo and then gybing south nearly 60 miles. With the speed boost, Rio put 70 miles on their nearest competitor Blackwing, who passed 26 miles off of Cabo 7 hours later on Tuesday afternoon.

Most boats on the course are about 24 hours behind last year’s record-setting pace. Compared with their 2022 position at this same elapsed time, Rio 100 and BadPak are roughly 200 miles short. Such Fast , a Thursday starter, is about 140 miles short of last year’s Monday morning location.

The 2024 edition of the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta International Yacht Race features a staggered start so the smaller boats can sail their best race and hopefully finish within a day or two of the larger, presumably faster boats.

With the Thursday starters from division ORR 6 sailing about 140nm on their initial 24 hours down the course, Friday saw divisions ORR 5 and ORR 4 start in what amounted to a ‘fair’ breeze. While the forecasts called for mostly calm with some models even suggesting a southeast wind (which would mean upwind sailing) a modest 5-8 kts from the west showed up in the harbor to move both fleets smartly out of San Diego harbor and into a building westerly for the rest of their run for the day. 

The biennial San Diego to Puerto Vallarta International Yacht Race started in 1953, and returns for the 37th running February 22 - March 1, 2024. Sailors have been racing to the Mexican mainland for decades in San Diego Yacht Club’s signature offshore race for the on-water adventure and competition, and the tropical winter weather awaiting them in PV. Twenty two boats are set to compete in this year’s 1000nm race from the start line in San Diego Bay to the entrance of Banderas Bay in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

The race officially begins Thursday, February 22 with Class 6 boats Blackwing (Grand Soleil 44 Race) and Such Fast (1D35) squaring off as the first two starters of the race. These two will get a 24 hour and 48 hour head start over the rest of the fleet starting on Friday and Saturday. In 2022, the Thursday starters remained ahead of the later starters for the first three days of racing before the bigger and faster boats caught them at just past the halfway mark of the race. David Garman is racing his 1D35 Such Fast out of Seattle in his third straight PV Race, eager to escape the winter weather for warmer San Diego and tropical conditions in PV. Garman’s adventure won’t stop after the PV Race. He’ll be competing in MEXORC in Banderas Bay before solo sailing his boat up the Gulf of California for a few weeks.

The San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) is thrilled to announce the upcoming 37th edition of the Puerto Vallarta Race, a biennial international offshore yacht race, set to take place from February 22 to March 1, 2024. With a rich history dating back to 1953, the race has evolved into a premier event attracting the best offshore sailors, featuring a challenging 1,000 nautical mile course from San Diego, CA to the vibrant shores of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

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Everything you need to know about the 37th America’s Cup

Follow the build-up to the 37th America’s Cup as the teams prepare to fight it out for the oldest sporting trophy in the world.

Which teams are in the 37th America’s Cup?

In 2021 four teams raced in fully foiling AC75 monohulls which were conceived specifically for the event by then Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand and Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.

These same four teams return for the 2024 America’s Cup and will be joined by two additional teams, bringing the total number of entries up to 6.

Emirates Team New Zealand – America’s Cup Defender

As the current holder of the America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand will be racing again in the 37th America’s Cup. As the Defender, the Kiwis will be guaranteed a spot in the America’s Cup regatta itself.

Any other challengers will need to race each other in preliminary regattas for the right to be the single challenger in the America’s Cup regatta itself.

Emirates Team New Zealand represent the Royal Auckland Yacht Club in America’s Cup racing.

INEOS Britannia – America’s Cup Challenger of Record

The Challenger of Record is the name given to the first yacht club to challenge the holder of the America’s Cup once it has been won.

When Emirates Team New Zealand successfully completed their defence of the America’s Cup in 2021, the Royal Yacht Squadron immediately issued a challenge on behalf of Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Team UK (now called INEOS Britannia), so they are Challenger of Record for the 37th America’s Cup .

INEOS Britannia and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team has strengthened an exhausting relationship, with the British challenger standing to benefit from the technical and engineering experience of the multiple World Champion F1 team.

Luna Rossa perform a tight leeward mark rounding

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has a very long America’s Cup history having first competed in 2000 and has taken part in every Cup since (with the exception of the unique 2010 Deed of Gift match).

For the 36th America’s Cup Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli were the challenger of record. They also won the challenger selection series so it was this Italian team who took on Emirates Team New Zealand for the America’s Cup itself.

The team will return for the 37th America’s Cup though this time they are not the official challenger of record.

American Magic

In 2021 the New York Yacht Clubs’ American Magic was also competing, though their event was ultimately ruined by a capsize in the early part of the regatta . They did get the boat rebuilt but it never got back up to speed and they made an early exit.

The 2021 campaign marked the return of the New York Yacht Club to the America’s Cup. The NYYC held the America’s Cup from its inception in 1851 right the way through to 1983, when they were defeated by the Royal Perth Yacht Club’s Australia II .

American Magic have confirmed their entry into the 37th America’s Cup and will, once again, be representing the New York Yacht Club.

Alinghi Red Bull Racing out training in their training AC75, purchased from Emirates Team New Zealand. Photo: Alinghi Red Bull Racing media

Alinghi Red Bull Racing

Another team making a return to the America’s Cup scene after a long break will be Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi team. The Swiss team won the America’s Cup in 2003 and then completed a successful defence in 2007.

However, a serious falling out over the potential rules for the next America’s Cup saw Alinghi taken to court by Larry Ellison and his BMW Oracle team, the 2010 America’s Cup was held between Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing in a Deed of Gift match that saw the teams fight it out in huge multihulls.

BMW Oracle won the contest and Alinghi stepped away from America’s Cup racing. Their return is a welcome one and their Cup history alongside their partnership with Red Bull Racing should see them a solid challenge from the off.

Orient Express Team France

The French entry to the 2024 America’s Cup was long rumoured but it was not until quite late in the day that they officially announced their intention to challenge.

It was in early 2023 that the official announcement came of a French AC entry, backed by Accor Group and its brands Orient Express and ALL-ACCOR Live Limitless.

As a fairly late challenge they will have a lot to do to be competitive.

What boats will be used in the 37th America’s Cup

The Protocol for the 37th America’s Cup has been released including the rules for the class of boat to be used in the next edition of the event. Once again the America’s Cup will be raced for in AC75s . These boats were first brought in ahead of the 36th America’s Cup so this will be their second outing.

The foiling monohulls will be slightly different, with rules being tweaked partly aimed at improving light wind performance and reducing crew numbers from 11 to 8.

Teams will only be allowed to build one AC75 and nationality rules are strict this time around requiring 100% of the race crew for each competitor to either be a passport holder of the country of the team’s yacht club or to have been physically present in that country for 18 months of the previous three years prior to 17th March 2021.

Emirates Team New Zealand saw success in 2017 in Bermuda with their Cyclors . These may well return for the 37th America’s Cup.

When it comes to the events, there will be up to three Preliminary Regattas, the first two raced in a new one-design class of AC40s , the last one at the Match venue in AC75s. The Challenger Selection Series and the America’s Cup Match will be held in 2024.

Barcelona, the venue for the 37th America’s Cup

Where will the 37th America’s Cup be held?

Barcelona, Spain was selected in 2022 as the venue for the 37th America’s Cup , marking the first time a New Zealand team has chosen to defend a Cup win overseas.

The home city of Emirates Team New Zealand and the venue for the 36th America’s Cup, Auckland, had an exclusive period in which to tender for the regatta immediately after the Kiwis’ successful defence in 2021, but the sums on offer were not enough, and Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton cast the net wider internationally after rejecting a NZ$99 million (£50 million) offer from the New Zealand government.

A number venues were mooted including: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Cork, Ireland; Malaga, Spain, but Barcelona eventually won out.

When will the 37th America’s Cup be raced?

The America’s Cup will be held in 2024 in Barcelona. Racing in the 37th America’s Cup Match itself, which is a best of 13 (first to seven) format will start on Saturday 12th October 2024 and could run all the way to the 27th October should all the races be needed to pick a winner.

The America’s Cup will be proceeded by the challenger selection series, which will see which of the five challenger gets the honour to race New Zealand for the Cup itself.

The stated aim was to hold the event in the September-October window, which will allow for the Olympic Games in Paris, France to conclude and also offers a decent range of weather with wind speeds usually around the 9-15 knot mark.

Match Racing

Though the America’s Cup was first raced for in 1851 ( and won by the schooner America from which the trophy gets its name), this race was between a fleet of boats. A challenge by the British in the 1870s was also conducted as a fleet race.

By the 1880s, following a protest from the British, the America’s Cup was decided in a head-to-head match race where two boats sail against each other.

Match racing is a particular skill and encourages aggressive manoeuvres using the rules to put your opponent at a disadvantage. This cut-and-thrust racing, where the only objective is to beat your opponent, has long been at the heart of America’s Cup racing and produces a thrilling spectacle.

You can catch all the latest America’s Cup news, analysis and videos right here on Yachtingworld.com

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Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

Alive wins Rolex Sydney Hobart for a second time in 5 years.

Alive, skippered by Duncan Hine, has been declared the overall winner of the 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, securing the Tasmanian boat its second victory in five years.

• 29 Jan, 2024 11:27:00 AM

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Congratulations to all the divisional winners of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023.

• 22 Jan, 2024 09:00:00 AM

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• 01 Jan, 2024 08:59:00 AM

Q & A with Charles Devanneaux – owner of US entry Lenny

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PHOTOS | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

PHOTOS | Day 5 Morning - Tasman Island and Storm Bay

PHOTOS | Day 5 and Day 6 finishers

PHOTOS | Official Presentation of Tattersall Cup and Rolex Timepiece to the Overall Winner

VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Rolex Daily Video Summary

VIDEO | Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

VIDEO | Race Update - 31 December Morning

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 10

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 9

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 8

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 7

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 6

• Line Honours

Full Standings available approximately three hours after the start.

OFFICIAL ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART MERCHANDISE

Shop the official clothing range of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in person at the Club in New South Head Road, Darling Point or online below.  

From casual to technical clothing, there is something for all occasions. Be quick as stock is limited!

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19 Mar 2024

Qingdao ETAs

Please see below the latest ETAs for the fleet's arrival in Qingdao (correct as of 0900UTC on 19/03/24) Please note that these are best estimates based on the…

12 Mar 2024

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21 Jun 2023

Notice of Race: Clipper 2023-24 Race

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The Zhuhai Prizegiving was long awaited and did not disappoint. A packed banquet hall of Race Crew, supporters, Race Officials and dignitaries from the Zhuhai Organising Committee celebrated the achievements…

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Zhuhai Departure Day

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Penalty turns and close calls in dramatic start to Sydney to Hobart yacht race

• Fleet sets off down NSW coast in 77th bluewater classic
• Avalanche retires within two hours due to broken bowsprit

Andoo Comanche has overcome a difficult start to set the pace in the early stages of the Sydney to Hobart with the first retirement reported a couple of hours into the race.

Line honours favourite Andoo Comanche and rival supermaxi Hamilton Island Wild Oats each opted to do a penalty turn inside the first 20 minutes of the most action-packed start to race in recent memory.

Three and a half hours into the race Andoo Comanche was leading from LawConnect, Black Jack and Hamilton Island Wild Oats with little separating the four supermaxis.

Andoo Comanche navigator Justin Shaffer said they took their penalty turn after another boat protested against them, but he declined to identify which yacht it was and said that the matter would be resolved in Hobart.

He confirmed his boat was flying a protest flag but did not elaborate and said a few incidents had occurred.

Watched by a large spectator fleet, the drama started to unfold as the race fleet of 109 yachts set out in northerly breezes of around 15 knots on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day afternoon.

Inside the first few minutes some boats came perilously close to each other as they jockeyed for advantage.

Nine-time line honours winner Oats took their penalty turn several minutes Andoo Comanche, following a debate between skipper Mark Richards and senior crew members. The reason for the turn was not immediately apparent.

It brought back memories of 2017 when Oats opted not to take a penalty turn after an incident shortly after the start of the race.

She crossed the line first but dropped back to second after being slapped with a one-hour penalty by an international jury for a rule breach related to an incident with LDV Comanche in the harbour.

Despite the early drama on Monday, race organisers reported a clean start across all four lines of boats.

The first retirement of the race came within two hours of the start with 40-foot two-handed boat Avalanche pulling out with a broken bowsprit. It was the second time in three Sydney to Hobarts the boat didn’t make it to the finish.

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Last Sydney to Hobart yacht arrives with 18 minutes left of 2022

A ny other day, they would have slipped quietly into Constitution Dock. But when 70-year-old Kathy Veel and 62-year-old Bridget Canham crossed the Sydney to Hobart finish line - the last of the fleet to do so - at 11.42pm on New Year’s Eve, it was as if they’d heralded the early arrival of 2023.

A crowd in the thousands who had packed out the Hobart shoreline to ring in the new year chanted “Currawong, Currawong!” as the two-hander made its way past the packed-out Taste of Summer festival and around Constitution Dock.

Cheers came from the water, too, where boats had lined up to greet the nine-metre yacht as it pushed up the River Derwent.

After a lap of honour around the thrilled spectators, interviews on the boat, and the well-deserved popping of a giant bottle of champagne: the fireworks. Veel and Canham watched from the 1973 vessel that had carried them south.

You couldn’t have written a better ending to a story that stretched five days at sea, 630 nautical miles, and a day of waiting in Eden as they waited for bad weather in Bass Strait to pass.

“You wouldn’t believe the stops we pulled to get this happening,” said Canham. “The biggest challenge we had was getting here before New Year’s Eve,” she said. “We’ve been working our butts off to get here. And it’s paid off.”

Veel said the experience was “unbelievable”. “[It was like] nothing I’ve ever had ... in my whole life, she said. “When you heard people going, ‘Curr-a-wong!’, I thought, ‘What?!’

“I’m really proud of what we’ve done.”

The sailors described the weather conditions down the coast as “brilliant”.

“The boat behaved so well, it was just magic,” said Canham, a retired nurse.

The sailors are among the oldest to compete in the Sydney to Hobart race, and certainly the oldest in the race’s new two-handed fleet section. But Veel, a retired teacher now living in Bullabarra, near Katoomba, said they didn’t want to be defined by their age - nor their sex.

“It’s not, to be honest, how we think of ourselves,” said Veel in the lead-up to the race. “We’re sailors who happen to be women rather than women who sail.

Veel purchased the boat last year, and ran a GoFundMe page to raise financial support so the pair could purchase the necessary supplies to enter the race.

In 2021, Veel was named Blue Mountains Volunteer of the Year for her work with the not-for-profit sailing-based Making Waves Foundation.

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