Amazing to be back on Hamilton Island for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week. A record-breaking fleet of 252 boats, a stunning location, and catching up with so many of my sailing mates from around the world, what could be better??!
First up I caught up with Matt Owen, “Pillow” in the Tavern to chat about his success at AHIRW over the past ten (??!) years. He has won a few times, not…
Cowes Week adventures...
13 August 2016
The Cowes Week adventures so far…
Day 1 & 2 – Figaro, first-timers, fast mast drops and First 40s
I talk with my Dad, Rob Douglass on his first sail on the Solent, Sam Laidlaw who dropped a rig during a race and was still leading the Quarter Tonners at the end of day two, Piers Hugh Smith who was leading the Figaro class and Andrew “The Admiral” McIrvine on his up and…
5o5's in Weymouth
9 August 2016
Wow. Have you ever seen a World Championship with a fleet of 130 boats have a possible seven winners leading into the last race?
Mike Martin & Andy Lowry had a 22 point lead going into the last race of the 5o5 Worlds with two tough results in races 1 and 2 of the series. Hear how they sailed a consistent series with low risk options to take the title. Also interviews with Nathan Batchelor who…
Etchells Invitational won by RTYC Academy
4 August 2016
The Cowes Etchells Invitational Regatta finished up today with the Royal Thames Yacht Club Youth Academy beating a fleet of far more experienced Etchells teams to take the Gertrude Cup. I interviewed Tim Gratton from the winning team, who have an average age of 22, and Tom Carruthers, skipper of the San Diego Yacht Club (or Elizabeth) team who were runners up.
The Etchells Invitational is a bit…
Comanche: on the dock and on board
30 July 2016
Congratulations Comanche!
Trans-Atlantic monohull record: 5D 14H 21M 25S
Prior record: 6D 17H 52M 39S (Mari Cha 2003)
1D 3H 31M 14S faster over 2880nm
Averaging 21.44 knots
The last time I was waiting for Comanche to arrive after achieving a goal that they had set out to achieve was a very different scene to the empty dock at Williams Shipping in Southampton last night, with four shore crew…
LVACWS Portsmouth final day - fast and furious
25 July 2016
While Oracle Team USA did all but everything they could to take the win with a 2, 1, 1 scorecard today, it wasn’t enough to topple the fast and furious tenacity of a Ben Ainslie led Land Rover BAR on the final day of racing at the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series in Portsmouth.
“We really want to try and do you proud” said Sir Ben Ainslie to the crowd before racing…
LVACWS Portsmouth 2016 day 1: "Bumper" action
24 July 2016
The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series racing today in Portsmouth, with light winds across the course in a slowly building south-easterly sea breeze was far more exciting than any of us were expecting. Feedback from all of the teams put this down to a tight start line, tidal influence and the constantly shifting breeze to the right resulting in “bumper car” action that kept…
I feel like I should buy a lottery ticket. No offence locals of England, but I believe we have had five sunny summer days in a row, which meant for a little sea breeze this afternoon, and four practice races ahead of official racing tomorrow and Sunday. Could this be the first Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series event where we see a full program of racing? Here’s hoping!
Land…
T
hey say the years get faster, and this one has just flown by. It feels like more than a year and yesterday at the same time that the America’s Cup World Series was first raced in Portsmouth. And now, as I am typing this, the AC45’s are heading out on the water for an unofficial day of practice before official practice racing tomorrow, and the real deal on Saturday and Sunday.
The…
