Kelly Slater Wins Billabong Pipe Masters Over Vans Triple Crown Winner John John Florence : ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals

BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Saturday, December 14, 2013) - Kelly Slater (USA), 41, has won his 7th Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons after a day of incredible 10-to-15 foot (three to four metre) waves at Pipeline today. Slater defeated John John Florence (HAW), 21, in a hard-fought, 35-minute Final that ended with less than half-a-point separating the two. The runner-up finish for Florence saw him crowned 2013 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing champion.

The final day of the Billabong Pipe Masters capped off the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) season in fine style, with epic conditions providing the ideal backdrop for the crowning of Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, as the ASP World Champion. It also finalized the ASP Top 34 roster for 2014. Fanning finished third overall, defeated by Florence in their Semifinal.

Transat Jacques Vabre review

The eleventh edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre double handed race set the longest course yet in the 20 years history of the coffee route. The MOD70 one design Multihulls set a blistering pace with a head to match race all of the 5450 miles course from Le Havre to Itajaí, Brasil. The IMOCA Open 60 fleet featured 10 boats from the last Vendée Globe and the flourishing Class 40 fleet drew 26 entries and delivered a truly international podium. And the Multi 50 class also enjoyed a thrilling match race between the top two protagonists.

  

MOD 70: Atlantic Match Race
There were two MOD70s on the start line in Le Havre. Jean-Pierre Dick’s Virbac-Paprec 70 capsized whilst training and broke their rig, just as Spindrift Racing also did in the summer. But the two, Edmond de Rothschild (Sébastien Josse and Charles Caudrelier) and Oman Air-Musandam (Sidney Gavignet and Damian Foxall) produced a close and engaging high speed race all the way from the start line off Le Havre to the finish line in Itajaí.

Whilst Edmond de Rothschild may have lead from the first mark of the course, and extended after breaking away slightly at Cape Finisterre, it was really only in the final hours of the race that Gavignet and Ireland’s Foxall had to concede they were destined for second place. The maximum delta was around 100 miles but in the latter stages of an express race, over which they averaged over 22kts boatspeed, the differential dropped to about 27 with 36 hours to the line.

The IMOCA creates the OCEAN MASTERS circuit - Vendée Globe

At a press conference organised on Friday morning at the Paris Boat Show , the IMOCA class announced the creation of a new world championship: Ocean Masters. It will begin with a new double-handed transatlantic race from New York to Barcelona starting on 1st June 2014. While the Vendée Globe remains the major event for the class, the goal is to give a structure to the 60-foot IMOCA monohull circuit, in order to internationalise and widen its audience.

New York - Barcelona
This is the course for the new double-handed race on the IMOCA calendar. The race will start on 1^st June 2014, after a week of racing in the heart of Manhattan. A warm up before the double-handed round the world race (the Barcelona World Race), the event is expected to attract around ten international double-handed crews. “I’m pleased to see the creation of this new race between New York and Barcelona and to be able to include it in the programme for Cheminées Poujoulat,” the Swiss skipper, Bernard Stamm declared. “It is important for our sponsors to be able to benefit from a solid programme with a clear outlook for the coming years.”

Ocean Masters, a new World Championship
It is with this in mind that at the Paris Boat Show Sir Keith Mills, founding president of the OSM (Open Sports Management) announced the creation of the IMOCA Ocean Masters, the new championship for the class. All of the major events in which the IMOCA60s compete will be included and the world title will be awarded every two years after the Barcelona World Race (double-handed races for the period 2014-2015) and the Vendée Globe (solo races for the period 2016-2017). “Just like other international circuits such as the F1 circuit, we wanted to offer sailing fans a real circuit. We need to open up this extraordinary sport to other countries, more sponsors, in order to widen our audience,” declared Sir Keith Mills. “It is vital to give the IMOCA a boost to achieve the success it deserves on an international level,” confirmed Luc Talbourdet, President of the IMOCA class. Seven nationalities were represented in the last Vendée Globe. The aim is to see even more countries represented in 2016-2017.

Billabong Pipe Masters to Decide World Title Race and 2014 Qualifiers | ASP North America

PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Thursday, December 5, 2013) - The 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) is nearing a close and the final event of 2013, the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons, will see a showdown for the ASP World Title between Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, and Kelly Slater (USA), 41. In addition to the battle for the throne, Pipeline will also determine the final qualification slots for the elite 2014 ASP World Championship Tour.

Entering the Billabong Pipe Masters, Fanning holds a commanding lead on a potential third ASP World Title. In order for Slater to surpass Fanning for an unprecedented 12th crown, he must win the event. Nothing less than a victory for Slater will see him pass Fanning on the rankings. If Slater does run the road to victory at Pipeline, Fanning must finish 3rd or better to claim the title for himself.

World’s Best Big Wave Riders Join Aikau Family to Celebrate Eddie’s Life at 29th Annual Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau

WAIMEA BAY, Oahu/Hawaii (Thursday, December 5, 2013) - On March 17, 1978, Waimea Bay’s head lifeguard and beloved big wave Hawaiian surfing son Eddie Aikau was lost at sea. Aikau was part of the crew aboard the traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule’a, en-route to Tahiti when Hokule’a capsized during a wild storm just outside of the Hawaiian Islands. Aikau set out on his surfboard to paddle for help for his stranded crew but was never seen again. The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau big wave invitational is celebrated at Waimea Beach each year in his honor.

Today, the world’s best big wave riders were joined by Aikau’s family and members of Aikau’s voyaging crew, who sailed in to join the surfers and hundreds of spectators who gathered to celebrate in Aikau’s honor.

Nainoa Thompson, fellow crewman on Hokule’a and the last person to speak to Aikau, addressed the surfers who gathered today. His soft voice, still touched by the events that took place 35 years ago, spoke with deep affection, humility, and sincere gratitude for Aikau and his actions on that fateful day that set an example for all who follow his story through time – surfers or otherwise.

ISAF | World Sailing | Allansson, Belcher And Ryan Light Up Melbourne

ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year and London Olympic Champion Mat Belcher and crew Will Ryan re-wrote sailing history by securing another regatta win in the 470 class, the 18th in a row for Belcher.  News & Features | ISAF | World Sailing | Official Site : Allansson, Belcher And Ryan Light Up Melbourne

World Championship Class 1 Title for Victory Team

Friday, 6 December, ABU DHABI (UAE): Arif Al Zaffain and Mohammed Al Marri produced a command performance to win race 2 of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and clinch a record 13^th Class 1 World Championship title for Victory Team.

 

The only brief challenge to their utter supremacy over the 14 laps came early on when their teammates Darren Nicholson and Nadir Bin Hendi in Victory Australia jumped them at the start on the outside leg to lead, albeit briefly.

But a mistake by Nicholson at the first turn allowed Al Zaffain and Al Marri to get ahead and once out front they simply disappeared off into the distance to win by over 40 seconds with Al Zaffain and Al Marri taking their 37^th and 27^th career wins. “Today the luck was on our side because we broke a prop on the penultimate lap,” said Al Zaffain. “I was surprised to be passed at the beginning but 7 is a very quick boat but once we got back ahead it was our race and our title.”

52 SUPER SERIES – 2014, In a league of their own… | 52 Super Series

It may seems like there has been a close season break at all but in just six weeks the US 52 SUPER SERIES’ first regatta Quantum Key West (20-24 January) is set to be the early season springboard for what promises to be an exciting 2014 52 SUPER SERIES season. Regattas in Key West and Miami are followed by the European events in Capri, for the first time ever, Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Palma Mallorca and Ibiza. 

Building on the success of last year’s initiative to take the 52 SUPER SERIES to America for the first time, Quantum Key West looks set to attract seven 52’s including the 2013 world champions, Niklas Zennström’s Rán Racing and 2013 Key West winners, Azzurra, from Europe.

Of the five US flagged boats which are expected to compete, three crews will be new to 52 SUPER SERIES racing, Anema & Core (ex Platoon 2006), Hooligan (ex 2x Med Cup winning ETNZ) – which has just been bought by US owner Gunther Buerman from a very successful period in Australia and Sled (ex Rio/Synergy), owned by Takashi Okura.

Generation Next | OffshoreOnly.com – Powerboating Online

From Offshore Only - As I watched the action on the final day of the Super Boat International Offshore world championships from Key West, I was impressed by a number of things. The Super Stock class was easily the best action of the week and I have to give a nod to the Snowy Mountain Brewery team and my friend Brian Forehand for their second consecutive title in Manufacturer’s Vee class.

But I also realized something as I watched the races. The future of offshore racing is in good hands thanks to some talented second-generation competitors from some of the best-known families in the sport.

The best performance on Sunday was turned in by the Spirit of Qatar Superboat entry, which was driven by Ali Al-Neama and throttled by second-generation throttleman Billy Moore, son of the inventor of the throttleman position, the legendary Bobby Moore. Fuel starvation problems plagued Moore and Al-Neama’s 42′ MTI on Wednesday and Friday, but once Moore realized that he had full power on Sunday, he put it to good work.

First the 38-year-old Moore over took the Stihl team for second place and then the chase was on as he tracked down Billy Mauff and Jay Mueller in the Skater 40, WHM Motorsports, which looked like an aircraft carrier compared to the rest of the boats in the class. Eventually, with a few laps to go and WHM’s engines banging hard on the rev limiters the two boats charged into the harbor turn side-by-side. Moore and Al-Neama had the inside but WHM had a couple of boat lengths and tried to slam shut the door. Read more; Generation Next | OffshoreOnly.com – Powerboating Online

Mylène Paquette - Successfully rowed across Atlantic Ocean

On Tuesday, November 12, Mylène Paquette, 35, became the first North American to row solo, from west to east, across the Atlantic – a trip about 2,700 nautical miles in length. The Montrealer successfully completed her trip at 11:09 a.m. local time in France (5:09 a.m. Eastern Time) when she reached l’île d’Ouessant, which is located about 60 nautical miles from the French port of Lorient. She had been at sea for 129 days, leaving Halifax on July 6 in a specially designed 7.3-metre boat propelled only by Paquette and the currents.

In September, the rower got a helping hand from the world’s largest ocean liner – the Queen Mary 2. Paquette capsized and lost some key items, including her anchor, iPhone and satellite phone, after she was hit by the remnants of Hurricane Humberto. The Queen Mary 2 received her call for assistance and agreed to help out the young rower. The crew donated food and supplies, including a new satellite phone and two anchors. Paquette had been part of a six-person crew that rowed the Atlantic Ocean in 2011.

P1 Champions To Be Crowned At St. Cloud Finale - P1 Superstock

SuperStock and AquaX national titles to be decided on East Lake Toho this weekend

Anyone who believes in the saying that it’s not the winning but the taking part that counts would be well advised not to show their face in St. Cloud this weekend. The city on the southern shore of East Lake Tohopekaliga in Florida will host the final round of the P1 USA SuperStock and AquaX race series and it will not be a place for the fainthearted.

The SuperStock Championship has raced in some of Florida’s best known resorts and lakes across the summer, and the City of St. Cloud will be an event sponsor for this weekend’s four-race finale. A fleet of 9 Panther boats will be on the start line with no fewer than four teams still in the hunt for the P1 national title.

Four boats signal technical stops | Transat Jacques Vabre 2013 : Le Havre - Itajai

Further damage has affected the Transat Jacques Vabre fleet with a further four boats having recently signalled that they intend to make technical stops. There are three Class 40s, GDF SUEZ, Tales Santander 2014 and 11TH Hour Racing  and one Multi 50 Actual.

GDF SUEZ (Class40)
Not long after they left Roscoff in the lead of the Class40 fleet on Sunday morning at 0400hrs (CET/France) French duo Sébastien Rogues and Fabien Delahaye realised they had lost the two essential wind vanes off the top of their mast. The pair plan to make an express pit-stop on the Spanish coast to make a rapid repair. On the 1400hrs (CET) position report this afternoon they lead the class by 18 miles this afternoon.

Actual (Multi 50)
Class leaders of the Multi50s, Actual, sailed by Yves Le Blévec and Kito de Pavant have confirmed that they have decided to make a technical stop in Madeira which lies 160 miles away pretty much on their direct course. They plan to re-instal part of their wind instrumenta at the top of the mast. Ronan Deshayes, technician, will be in situ to help. The stop is also expected to be a short one. On the 1400hrs ranking this afternoon Actual were leading by 39 miles ahead of FenêtreA-Cardinal (Erwan Le Roux/Yann Eliès).

Tales Santander 2014 (Class40)
Spaniards Alex Pella and Pablo Santurde on the seventh placed Class 40 Tales Santander 2014 have indicated they plan to stop into La Coruna after their starboard rudder took a shock, damaging the bearing. The two Spanish sailors believe they should reach La Coruna tomorrow but cannot anticipate how long the repair might take.

11TH Hour Racing (Class40)
And Transat Jacques Vabre race direction received confirmation from Hannah Jenner (GBR) and Rob Windsor (USA) that they will head to Brest after damaging their forestay where they will make a full assessment.

 Jenner reported, "At 0945 UTC this morning we were sailing upwind in 16-17 knots when there was a loud bang.  Our forestay has detached at the top of the mast dropping the Solent (headsail) into the water.  We have recovered the sail and saved the rig.  We are headed back towards Brest where we will make a final decision on our race status."

 Brest is approximately 150nm NE from their last reported position.

Shawn Alladio, the discreet woman who saves big wave surfers / Surfer Today

Shawn Alladio is the foremost expert in jet ski safety and rescue. Despite not living under the media radar, she has saved lives of the best big wave surfers in the world.

She is one of the most influential people in big wave surfing. Her name is Shawn Alladio. She has been teaching how to save fearless wave riders' lives, since 1989.

Alladio is a woman in a male-dominated environment. Big surf. In 1979, she bought her first Kawasaki jet ski and within years she had established the K38 Way of Training, a lifesaving method involving personal water crafts (PWC). More; Shawn Alladio, the discreet woman who saves big wave surfers

Mason Ho Wins HIC Pro : ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals

SUNSET BEACH, Oahu, Hawaii – (Saturday, November 9, 2013) - With the DNA of a Sunset Beach surfing champion, 25-year-old Mason Ho followed his father Michael’s legendary footprints to post his first ASP victory in the HIC Pro. His dad won this particular event four times between 1988 and 1996, and now Mason becomes the 30th name on the HIC Pro winner’s cup. His win earns him $15,000; takes him to No.1 on the ASP Hawaii regional rankings; and earns him a wildcard into the Round of 64 of the first two events of the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing that starts next Tuesday.

Mason will now be hoping his dream run of today continues with a dream finish in the Vans Triple Crown. His dad was the original Triple Crown champion back in 1983… 30 years ago, and won the Vans World Cup of Surfing 3X from 1983-85.

Skydive Dubai claim second XCAT win at Chinese Grand Prix - UIM XCAT World Series Powerboat Racing

10 November 2013, Ningbo, China – Wiping the windscreen with their feet was probably not quite what Sultan Al Dhaheri and Jay Price were expecting when they took to the water for the Chinese Grand Prix this afternoon.

But, so tightly strapped into the boat, that was the only option available when soggy conditions caused the inside of the boat to fog up and cloud their vision.

Whatever they did, it seemed to do the trick as the Skydive Dubai duo managed to stay out in front, powering their way to their second victory of the UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series at the Chinese Grand Prix. That’s after claiming victory in round 4 of the Series in Stresa, Italy in September.

Arkema stablised | Transat Jacques Vabre 2013 : Le Havre - Itajai

The Multi 50 trimaran Arkema Aquitaine capsized yesterday evening (Sunday) around 200 miles from the port of Lisbon, Portugal. Co-skippers Lalou Roucayrol and Mayeul Riffet have made arrangements for a tow to Portugal.

 In the IMOCA Open 60 monohulls MACIF which made a four hours pit stop in Peniche, Portugal yesterday to replace a rudder blade is back in contact with the leaders. And GDF SUEZ still leads the Class 40 fleet.

Ironically, after surviving a Biscay gale, it was in more manageable but gusty, shifty trade winds conditions that Lalou Roucayrol and Mayeul Riffet on Arkema - Aquitaine capsized at around 2230hrs (French time) on Sunday with the Portuguese trade winds blowing from the N’ly sector at around 20kts.  The fast, gusty conditions proved to be the undoing of the multihull in conditions which often cause problems for multihulls, flying downwind. The gennaker sheet would only need to have snagged with a bad set of waves when the evening visibility was poorer.

2013 Key West Super Boat International World Championship Results

Key West World Championship - overall unofficial results below.  If you missed the live action, watch it here; http://new.livestream.com/sbi/keywest2013

Volvo Ocean Race | 'I have to make sure I do the Volvo Ocean Race' – Falcone

Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race

Having just won the America’s Cup with Team Oracle, Shannon Falcone already looks forward to the next challenge – which may very well be the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15. After sailing twice in the race, the charismatic grinder tells us about the differences and the similarities of both events, and why doing both made him a better sailor. More; Volvo Ocean Race | 'I have to make sure I do the Volvo Ocean Race' – Falcone

Transat Jacques Vabre: Off and Racing

The 11th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre started under grey, drizzling skies in light winds at 1300hrs (local) off Le Havre’s Saint Adresse beach. The 44 boats, 26 Class 40s, six Multi 50s, 10 IMOCA Open 60s and two MOD70s broke the start line in eight knots of W’ly breeze in very choppy seas, heading three miles to the France Info mark before heading down the Channel towards Itajaí, Brazil. The Class 40 fleet are required to make a weather stop in Roscoff, 190 miles from Le Havre to sit out a big low pressure system which would have hit them in the Bay of Biscay at the weekend. They should arrive in Roscoff tomorrow afternoon.
 

Before heading out to the open sea, the 44 boats had to pass the France Info buoy, three miles from the start line. The order are buoy was:

- MOD70: 1-Edmond de Rothschild, 2-Oman Air - Musandam
- IMOCA: 1-Macif, 2-Maître Coq, 3-Safran, 4-PRB, 5-Bureau Vallée, 6-Votre Nom autour du Monde, 7-Team Plastique, 8-Initiatives Coeur...
- Multi50: 1-Actual, 2-Arkema, 3-FenêtréA Cardinal, 4-Maître Jacques, 5-Rennes Métropole Saint-Malo Agglomération, 6-Vers un monde sans sida
- Class40: 1-SNCF-Geodis, 2-GDF Suez, 3-Dunkerque, 4-Watt & Sea, 5- BET 1128, 6-79 Matouba, 7-Mare ...

2013 Key West Results (Day 1) | Super Boat International

Key West World Championship - day one results below.  If you missed the live action, watch it here; http://superboat.com/2013/11/key-west-racing-day-1/

 

Start of the Transat Jacques Vabre set for 1300hrs Thursday off Le Havre

 

At a skippers briefing at 1500hrs local time today race direction confirmed that the start of the 11th edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre from Le Havre to Itajaí, Brazil will be at 1300hrs (local time) on Thursday, November 7, for Class40, Multi50, IMOCA and MOD70.

The fleet will dock out from Le Havre’s Paul Vatine Basin in the morning at 0930hrs am starting with the Class 40 Proximedia – Sauvez mon enfant until 1100hrs with the MOD70 Oman Air -Musandam moves out. The Quinette lock gates open at 1115hrs.

At 1300hrs the 44 boats will cross the starting line, head to the France Info mark (north cardinal General Metzinger) be left to port before setting sail to Itajai in Brazil.

Given the big depression forecast for the night of Saturday into Sunday race management have an option of requiring a weather stop, as authorized by the sailing directions, for Class 40 and perhaps also the Multi 50’s in Roscoff. That announcement will be made tomorrow pre-start.

More; http://www.transat-jacques-vabre.com/en

Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau Invitees Announced : ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals

HONOLULU, Hawaii (Tuesday, November 5, 2013) - The 29th annual Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, the original one-day big wave invitational surfing event that requires waves measuring in excess of 20 feet, is excited to announce the list of 2013/14 Invitees and Alternates. The holding period for the event begins on December 1, 2013, and concludes on February 28, 2014. The official Opening Ceremony with the Aikau Family will be held on Thursday, December 5th, 3pm, at Waimea Bay.

Aaron Gold at home at Waimea Bay.

After opening the selection process up to peer polling for another year, there has been much movement on the Alternate list, but only one newcomer to the Invitee list: the North Shore’s own Aaron Gold, 31. A dedicated father, quiet charger and shaper of his own big wave ‘guns’, Gold is precisely the kind of surfer who Eddie would have hand-picked.

XCAT World Series Heats Up | OffshoreOnly.com – Powerboating Online

While a majority of the performance boat enthusiasts will be fixated on Key West, Fla., for the remainder of this week and through the weekend as the Super Boat International World Championships and Florida Powerboat Club’s Key West Poker Run converge, I’d like to steer a little attention toward some exciting racing that is about to take place in the Far East.

Two months after the team flipped its boat at the race in Arona, Italy, the Victory Team will enter a new boat in the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend.

With 13 teams expected to participate in the sixth leg of the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) XCAT World Series in China this weekend (Nov. 8-10), there’s plenty of news coming out of the competitive international circuit featuring outboard-powered cats. Taking place on Meishan Bay in Ningbo, the event marks the first time the series has raced in Chinese waters. The Chinese Grand Prix follows a pair of September races in Italy, which marked the first ventures outside of the United Arab Emirates for the up-and-coming series.  More; XCAT World Series Heats Up | OffshoreOnly.com – Powerboating Online

Key West Worlds Update: GEICO, Stihl Win; SuperStock Team OK After Crash

The first day of the Super Boat International Key West World Championships lived up to the hype. Due to nasty, wind-whipped conditions—not uncommon for Key West—race officials shortened the first stretch of the course so teams wouldn't have to withstand the conditions further offshore, which were reported to be at least 8 to 10 feet. Here's a look at the highlights from the day.

 

Miss GEICO Commands Attention With Win: By bringing home the win in Miss GEICO catamaran, the veteran team of Scott Begovich and Marc Granet got off to a fine start in the extremely competitive Superboat Unlimited class. The duo battled Spirit of Qatar and CMS in a back-and-forth first lap, but managed to keep pulling ahead en route to a commanding win. Spirit of Qatar, one of the Qatar Team's three race boats, finished 45 seconds behind Miss GEICO and 30 seconds ahead of CMS.  More; Key West Worlds Update: GEICO, Stihl Win; SuperStock Team OK After Crash

Third Qatar Cat A Wild Card For Key West Worlds

Of the 45 boats that reportedly "answered the roll call" at the Super Boat International Key West Offshore World Championships drivers meeting this morning, a hefty seven percent of them were from the country of Qatar. Backed by the Qatar Marine Sports Federation, the team, which pulled into Key West, Fla., yesterday, is fielding catamarans in the Turbine, Superboat Unlimited and Superboat classes.  Read More; Third Qatar Cat A Wild Card For Key West Worlds

A Battle with the Channel - Transat Jacques Vabre

The 44 boats in four different classes which will take on the 5400 miles course to Itajaí, Brazil should take the start line off Le Havre at 1415hrs (local time) on Monday. While both of the MOD70’s will return to their docks for a couple of days to await their own start to Itajaí, all of the other duos are expected to start, heading into big winds and chaotic seas through the first days of the race.

 

 

There are always moments of apprehension for the Transatlantic racers as they leave the dock, but given the forecast for the passage out of the Channel, across the Bay of Biscay to Cape Finisterre those nervous times may linger well after the start gun.

Starting under Cape de la Hève the fleet will set off on starboard tack out three miles to the first buoy, ‘France Info’. Tacking at the mark they will then go NE for 3.5 miles tacking then towards the Cotentin Peninsula.

33rd Annual Key West Super Boat World Championships Ready To Begin | Super Boat International

Boat teams from around the United States and the World are ready to compete in the running of the 33rd Annual Key West Super Boat World Championships November 3rd through 10th in Key West, Florida. This ultimate competition of the biggest and fastest boats in offshore racing will be like no other race that has come before. The backdrop is set and high performance offshore teams will be ready with 3 days of racing starting Wednesday, November 6th at 10:00 am.

Recognized around the world, the biggest offshore racing event is ready to play host to the most powerful fleet of Super Boats. No class will have an uncontested winner and many classes are brimming with more boat entries per class than any race all season. The big boats will include multiple turbines, four or more Superboat Unlimiteds, eight or more Superboats and many more in other classes. This is expected to be one of the most exciting World Championships in the recent past.

Volvo Ocean Race | A year to go: the countdown has begun

There is exactly one year to go before the start of the Volvo Ocean Race on 4 October 2014 in Alicante. It's going to be a groundbreaking edition in more ways than one, as the race's CEO Knut Frostad explains.

For the first time in the 40-year history of the Whitbread/Volvo, the race will be contested in a one-design boat. The first of the high-performance Volvo Ocean 65s is now out there sailing while race organisers are working on bringing a full fleet to the start line in Alicante on October 4, 2014.

All change at the RC44 Cascais Cup » News » RC Forty Four

With six races completed at the RC44 Cascais Cup it was all change on the leaderboard as Peninsula Petroleum claimed the top spot and Team Aqua dropped to fourth. Katusha was the most consistent team in a day where the sea state flattened, the fleet compressed and every position counted.

The first race of the day started in just 6 knots, Synergy Russian Sailing Team tacked straight onto port after the start and headed right, a winning move that took them onto a convincing win. Behind them the places changed leg by leg. Artemis Racing’s new tactician, double Olympic gold medallist Iain Percy picked the shifts well, after an indifferent start, for the team to take second on the final run, Katusha finishing third.

Five for 35 – Names to look for in the 35th America’s Cup / America’s Cup

The 34^th America’s Cup opened up opportunities for a new breed of America’s Cup sailor. Fitter, younger, new to the game, but bursting with accomplishments in dinghy classes where going fast, and sailing on the edge were the daily routine.

Plenty of young sailors played prominent roles in this America’s Cup, including Kyle Langford, at 24 the youngest sailor in the event, who was thrust into a starring role as the wing trimmer on ORACLE TEAM USA.

Langford (AUS) will be sought after as teams begin recruiting for the next Cup. And here are five other names to look for as teams start assembling talent for the 35^th America’s Cup:

Only Four Weeks Until the Super Boat World Champioinships and Poker Run Action in Key West

Only 4 weeks to go until we all once again hear the thunder and see the excitement of what are arguably two of  the best and biggest powerboating events in the world.

The Super Boat International World Championship run from November 3rd - 10th with live racing on the 6th, 8th and 10th.  Find more information and the complete schedule here; http://superboat.com/2013-Key-west-schedule/

The Key West Poker Run is The Florida Powerboat Club's signature event, voted Best Poker Run in the Nation by Powerboat Magazine. Commencing on Tuesday November 5th and running through November 11th, close to 200 powerboat teams are expected to attend and explore the 160 mile poker run course from Miami to Key West.  More information; http://www.flpowerboat.com/key-west-poker-run.html

Australia’s Hamilton Island Yacht Club confirmed as Challenger of Record / America’s Cup

Hamilton Island Yacht Club (HIYC), located on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia, has challenged for the 35th America’s Cup. HIYC’s challenge has been accepted by the Golden Gate Yacht Club, which remains the Defender and Trustee of the world’s oldest international sporting trophy after its team, ORACLE TEAM USA owned by Larry Ellison, won the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco last Wednesday.

For the past three decades HIYC has run Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, which has become the largest annual regatta in Australia with some 200 offshore yachts competing in recent years.
HIYC is led by Australian winemaker and sailing legend Bob Oatley, whose succession of yachts named Wild Oats have dominated ocean racing in Australia for years, including having won six of the last eight Sydney-Hobart races. An Australian team led by Mr. Oatley won the last Admiral’s Cup, widely regarded as the world’s top prize in ocean racing.

Kai Lenny, Annabel Anderson win 2013 Battle of the Paddle | SUP Magazine

Kai Lenny has won two World Tour surf Titles and a World Series race title. But a Rainbow Sandals Battle of the Paddle title, basically the surf race world championship, is the one win that had eluded him. That all changed today when the 20-year-old Maui native became the newest champion in the event’s illustrious six-year history.

“This one is definitely one of the sweetest ones ever, just because this race is so gnarly,” said Lenny, who with this win arguably became the most decorated paddler in the sport’s history (all before being able to drink legally). “I kind of got shaken up in the qualifier and in this race I just wanted to stick to my guns. I knew I’d never forgive myself if I lost that lead I built up.”

On a beautiful day in Dana Point, Calif., with a three-foot swell, Lenny didn’t beat Connor Baxter and Danny Ching because he caught a great wave or slipped into first by missing a carnage-inducing set. He won the old-fashioned way: by grinding out a hard-fought win in the flats, out-paddling both Ching and Baxter, who’ve won the last two years respectively. More; Kai Lenny, Annabel Anderson win 2013 Battle of the Paddle | SUP Magazine

Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau | Surfline

Using a combination of archival footage, family photos, first-person accounts, and re-enacted scenes, Hawaiian: the legend of Eddie Aikau provides a thorough account of the life of one of Hawaii's greatest watermen. As each person in the film gives his or her recollections of Eddie, a clearer picture of humility and courage emerges. The great tragedy of his disappearance at sea looms over the film, adding poignancy to the triumphs and setbacks that Eddie faced. And taken together, the events of his life line up like stars in the Pacific night sky, marking a course of development from great surfer to ageless Hawaiian legend. But perhaps the film's greatest achievement is its deft presentation of the corrosive effects of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, and the ensuing denigration of traditional Hawaiian ways of life.

Three Scholars -- Jonathan Osario, Nainoa Thompson, and Isaiah Walker -- give many examples of the injustices done throughout the 20th century in Hawaii: The coup d'état set up by American businessmen in 1893; The systematic crushing of the Hawaiian language in schools; And pervasive stereotypes of native Hawaiians as stupid and lazy.

New non-stop challenge for Gazprom Swan 60 Class in Nord Stream Race 2013

For 2013 the Gazprom Swan 60 Class took on a new challenge of racing the full length of the Baltic Sea in the second edition of the Nord Stream Race.  The non-stop 800 nautical mile offshore race is organised by the Yacht Club of Saint-Petersburg (SPBYC) and the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) and this year celebrated the completion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which now allows gas to flow the full length of the Baltic Sea.   

Five Swan 60 yachts entered the second edition of the offshore race, which this year started in Flensburg, Germany and concluded in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Swan 60 teams competing were Team Russia, Team Germany, Team Europe and newcomers Team Great Britain and Team Turkey.  Crews crossed the waters of Germany, Poland, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden and Finland before finally coming to the finish in Saint-Petersburg, Russia after five days of non-stop racing.

Clearwater Super Boat National - Florida Championship Unofficial Results

Rolex Big Boat Series - Battle on the Bay: Winners, Including HPR National Champion, Determined

 

Just as the America’s Cup finals did for two weeks before it, the Rolex Big Boat Series—St. Francis Yacht Club’s signature regatta—took over San Francisco Bay for four days of spirited racing this week (Thursday through Sunday, September 25-28), giving 107 teams in 10 classes the chance to enjoy stadium sailing at its finest.  In fact, for 49 years the annual event has captured for its competitors the thrill of sailing in a famous venue with even more famous winds; thus, there is always plenty of fast action for spectators to enjoy from multiple vantage points around the Bay, including St. Francis Yacht Club’s own race deck, which serves as one end of the finish line in each day’s final race.

For today’s traditional “Bay Tour” finale—the single long race that wraps up each class’s series and determines final winners—the fleet’s final push to the finish was tame in comparison to previous days when boat speeds were jacked up by brisk breezes and a strong flood tide, but the end result was all that mattered. Six class winners were awarded St. Francis Yacht Club Perpetual Trophies along with Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner timepieces, while new title holders were named in the 2013 HPR National Championship, the J/120 North American Championship and the IRC West Coast Championship. 

Volvo Ocean Race | The start of something special

To see Team SCA's new Volvo Ocean 65 actually sailing feels like a real landmark moment. This is not only the debut of a stunning new racing boat, but the beginning of a new one-design class and a whole new era – or to put it another way, the start of something truly special.

Rick Tomlinson/Team SCA

 

The new Volvo Ocean 65s are here to stay. They have been designed and built to withstand everything the oceans can throw at them over the next two editions of sailing's toughest challenge, in 2014-15 and 2017-18.

Friday's sail was nothing like a speed run or a race, more like a test of all systems and hardware, but it doesn’t matter – it’s a rare feeling to see a new boat going to sea.

Al Adaa’am 96’s Sheikh Hassan And Steve Curtis Head For Clearwater Super Boat Showdown - QMSF

 

CLEARWATER (USA): Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani and Steve Curtis will take to the waters for the last time competitively before the Key West World Championships in November, when they take part in this weekend’s 5th Annual Bright House Clearwater Super Boat National Championships, round eight of Super Boat International (SBI), in Florida.

A minor technical issue prevented the racing team from the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) from entering their new turbine racer, Al Adaa’am 96, in Sarasota in late summer, but the eagerly awaited first appearance in New York at the start of September did not disappoint and the Mystic boat, powered by Whispering Turbine engines, crushed the opposition and lapped the rest of the field in a one-sided debut.

Miss GEICO Strategy For Beating Qatar Turbine Cat: ‘Out-Turn Them’

With the Miss Mary Mac turbine-powered 48-foot Marine Technology, Inc., officially out for Super Boat International National Championships this coming weekend in Clearwater, Fla., the battle of the fastest boats in the SBI field likely will be between the piston-powered Miss GEICO catamaran and Al Adaa'am 96, the new turbine-powered 50-foot Mystic cat. The 50-footer made its debut at the recent SBI event in New York City.

With its twin 1,800-hp T-53 turbine engines, the Qatar-backed Mystic driven by Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani and throttled by Steve Curtis comes into Clearwater with a 300-hp edge over the 44-foot GEICO cat with twin 1,650-hp turbocharged Mercury Racing engines. But the GEICO team's throttleman Scott Begovich and driver Marc Granet believe they can neutralize that advantage in the turns.  Read more; Miss GEICO Strategy For Beating Qatar Turbine Cat: ‘Out-Turn Them’

Round 2 Called Back ON at Quiksilver Pro France : ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals

SEIGNOSSE Le Penon, France (Friday, September 27, 2013) – Event officials have decided to call competition back ON this morning at the back-up location of Seignosse Le Penon. Waves in the 3Ft (1 metre) range are breaking on the sandbank offering clean long walls with multiple turn and air sections.

Event No.8 out of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour, the Quiksilver Pro France plays a vital role in both the World Title race and requalification campaign of the elite ASP Top 34.

“The contest director, surfer’s representative and ASP Head Judge got together and decided to put competition ON,” Renato Hickel, ASP Tour Manager stated. “Everybody’s opinion is that there are enough waves to finish the second round today. The tide is still pushing in until 10:45am and both rights and lefts are breaking on two separate peaks surfers can choose from. Today’s schedule is Round 2 heats 6 to 12 and then the King of the Groms.”

Up first this morning will be C.J Hobgood (USA) against Alejo Muniz (BRA).

The Quiksilver Pro France is scheduled from September 26 – October 6 and will be webcast LIVE via http://quiksilverlive.com/profrance/2013


REMAINING QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 2 MATCHUPS:
Heat 6: C.J Hobgood (USA) vs Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 7: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 8: Nat Young (USA) vs Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 9: Kai Otton (AUS) vs Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 10: John John Florence (HAW) vs Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 11: Sebastien Zietz (HAW) vs Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Heat 12: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs Travis Logie (ZAF)

Candice Appleby: "Why I'm Not Racing The Battle Of The Paddle This Year" | SUPracer.com

Boss Man’s note: Candice Appleby is a four-time winner of the toughest event in SUP racing: The Battle of the Paddle Elite Race. She has one of the most recognisable names in our sport and is always in contention at Dana Point (Candice has competed in every single BOP and her worst ever result is second…).

So needless to say a lot of fans were going to be watching Candice closely this weekend to see if she could regain her BOP crown. However, for reasons Candice explains below, that won’t be happening: The four-time champ has withdrawn from the 2013 Battle of the Paddle due to injury. Here’s the full story in Candice’s own words…

I’ve been in a bit (well, a lot…) of denial about the lack of progress of my injury. I had surgery in April and once the bandages came off and I got the “Okay” from my surgeon to get back in the water, I threw myself back into competition and training. More; Candice Appleby: "Why I'm Not Racing The Battle Of The Paddle This Year" | SUPracer.com

What is The World Championships of Paddleboarding? | SUP Races

SAN DIEGO, California - With the 6th annual California Battle of the Paddle quickly approaching (only a few days away), competing athletes and the entire stand up paddleboard community in general are buzzing with excitement.  

There is no doubt that the Battle of the Paddle (B.O.P) has become one of the largest gatherings for SUP racing in the world and that winning the title of this renowned event carries a lot of clout.  However, have you ever stopped to ask yourself which of all the SUP races/events is truly considered the "World Championships of Stand Up Paddle"? More; What is The World Championships of Paddleboarding? | SUP Races

Volvo Ocean Race | Volvo Ocean 65 hits the water at start of new era

The Volvo Ocean Race offered a glimpse of the future on Monday when the first of the radical new Volvo Ocean 65 racing yachts being built for the next two editions left the Green Marine boatyard in the UK and hit the water for the first time.

Rick Tomlinson/Team SCA

"It's a very proud moment," said Connell Daino, project manager at Green Marine. "This represents a lot of hard work by a lot of people but really it's just a beginning. We have a long way to go."

 

Radical, high-performance, tough and purpose built to deliver the best multimedia material possible – the new Volvo Ocean 65s mark the first use of a one-design boat in the 40-year history of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Rolex Big Boat Series - Strong Beginnings

San Francisco, Calif. (September 26, 2013) –The four-day Rolex Big Boat Series kicked off with two races today in light to moderate breezes and a strong flood tide that kept 107 sailing teams in 10 classes working hard to outwit each other. The annual regatta, in its 49th running, has long been the benchmark for spectator-friendly racing on San Francisco Bay, and today there was plenty of action to catch on courses emanating from four strategically placed starting areas, including one directly in front of the St. Francis Yacht Club’s observation deck, which takes in grand views of the Golden Gate Bridge just to its west and Alcatraz Island to its east. In addition, the race deck serves as one end of the finish line for all classes in their final race of each day, making for downwind conclusions that are colorful and oftentimes dramatic in the Bay’s typically breezy conditions.

The two largest monohulls here—Isao Mita’s (Kanagawa, Japan) TP 52 Beecom and Jim Swartz’s (Park City, Utah) TP52 Vesper, a defending champion here—battled one-on-one today in IRC A. Vesper gave Beecom a caning in race one, handicapping out with more than a six-minute lead after nearly two hours of racing, and then another victory played out for Vesper in race two.

2013 Hennessey's-WPA World Paddle Championship Results! - World Paddle Association - WPA

Hennessey’s and the World Paddle Association crown 2013 Stand Up Paddle World Champions Fernando Stalla and Kristin Thomas.  Fernando now holds back to back World Championship Titles also winning in 2012. Participants competed in both Elite and Open divisions on Saturday, September 21^st at Lake Las Vegas in Nevada. Competitors paddled surrounded by majestic scenery at Lake Las Vegas with the air temperatures in the high 90’s and very challenging wind conditions just in time for the start of the Pro Slalom Race.

2013 Stand Up Paddle World Champions Fernando Stalla
Photo by Sean Douglas, Hobie 2013

Fernando Stalla paddled on a 14’ custom Rogue followed by Leou On Eric who finished 2nd and 3^rd place was our very own Byron Kurt. Kristin Thomas paddles on a 12’6” SUPLove and was followed by Betsy Risner who finished 2^nd and 3^rd place was claimed by Ruth Vesler.

Thomas Maximus landed a first place overall finish in the Pro Long Course paddling on a custom Riviera unlimited and also competed strong in the Pro SUP Slalom Race. Scott Diederich was the winner of the Open Race paddling on a 14’. Robin Jacobsen was the 1^st female across the line paddling an open stock board.