Sailing News

18 June 2007 – Yott Partnership becomes UK Agents for Hans Christian Yachts – Yott Partnership will now represent the classically designed blue water cruisers, Hans Christian Yachts in the UK. Ranging from 34-42 feet, these modern cruisers have a classical design including a choice of bowsprit and canoe stern. Yott Partnership said "We are delighted to be involved in these wonderful yachts. They are truly the ideal blue water cruising yacht combining safety, comfort and sailing performance. They always draw a crowd of admirers in any anchorage and are a lovely yacht to own."

22 April 2007 – Ghost yacht found floating in Australian waters – A yacht found with a neatly laid table and engine running was found deserted off the coast of Queensland last Wednesday. No one knows what happened to the three Australian crew, who had just left Airlie Beach for a cruise of a lifetime around the Australian coast to Western Australia. Conspiracy theories abound with talk of piracy, although the three men, all in their 60s, could well have gone for a swim and never made it back to the yacht. .

12 March 2007 – Stamm leads by two weeks – Bernard Stamm, leader of the Velux 5 Oceans Round the World Race, arrived in Norfolk, Virginia on Saturday, 3 March after a gruelling 14,000 mile, 48-day solo sail from Fremantle, Australia. Stamm arrived an estimated two weeks ahead of his closest competitor after building up a staggering lead against the four other skippers. The Race resumes on April 15 for the last leg to Bilbao.

12 March 2007 – British Cruising Couple Caught in Algeria – a cruising couple from Worcestershire found themselves drifting in the busy Med shipping lanes, after losing their rudder in high winds. The Algerian coastguard picked up their SOS and towed them in to Tenes, only to charge them US$10,000 salvage and an estimated US$80,000 for the repair. The couple were confined to port until an agreement was reached.

5 March 2007 – Yachts Face Pirate Threat in Red Sea – On 15 February the IMB reported an attempted attack by pirates on a 40 metre sailing yacht in the Southern Red Sea. The yacht, which was 15 miles NW of Al Mukha, was approached by 2 fishing boats with 5 men in each. On seeing the yacht taking anti piracy measures, the fishing boats departed and sailed towards a possible mother ship in the distance. This constant pirate threat in the area is hugely worrying for the fleet of cruising yachts making the seasonal voyage up the Red Sea to transit the Suez Canal. Another recent report from a French cruising yacht in the Indian Ocean tells of three aggressive encounters between Sri Lanka and Djibouti, showing that vigilance is required throughout the Indian Ocean.

6 February 2007 – What News of Bullimore? - Having hit the world's media headlines before Christmas when he 'disappeared' with his yacht on his way to Tasmania for the start of his round the world record attempt, Tony Bullimore has gone quiet again. Reports after Christmas said that he was holed up at his departure point for the 27,000-mile solo voyage, waiting for the Sydney to Hobart Race to finish. The next hold up was for the arrival of a new furling system. Since then, the 9th of February was suggested as a departure date, but already his press team are expressing doubts. His yacht Doha 2006 is already out of date, can the same be said for Tony Bullimore's record attempt?

5 February – Pacific Voyaging by Canoe - The Hawaii based Polynesian Voyaging Society has begun its 2007 cruise to Micronesia and Japan in two traditional canoes. The voyage aims to promote global kinship and educate others in their cultural heritage. The design of their 62 foot, twin hull open voyaging canoes is based on drawings by Captain Cook's artists and draftsmen along with other early explorers of the Pacific.

ARC 2006 19 January 2007 – Not All Smooth Sailing for ARC - The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) fleet arrived into Rodney Harbour, St Lucia after another text book down wind passage from the Canaries. Another race record was set, doomed to be shattered by an even bigger and sleeker racing yacht. Meanwhile amongst the cruising fleet, talks of torn spinnakers, broken rudders, collisions with whales gave an idea of the real dramas on an ocean crossing. Not every yacht arrived safely with one boat being abandoned after the skipper was evacuated with of mental problems.

19 January 2007 – Velux Five Oceans Off Again - The five remaining skippers of the single handed around the world race left Fremantle on Sunday 14 January for the 14,200-mile leg to Norfolk, USA. This is the longest and toughest section of the race and will send yachts deep into the South Pacific. Knox-Johnston has already turned back to repair his autopilots, leaving Stamm in the lead. The fleet are expected in Norfolk in early March after over 50 days at sea.

18 January 2007 – 14 Year Old Single Handed Success - Fourteen year old Mike Perham sailed into the record books just after Christmas when, he arrived in Antigua, after seven weeks at sea, having sailed across the Atlantic, single handed, in a Tide 28 trailer sailer, Cheeky Monkey. His father followed close behind throughout the journey in an identical boat.

ARC 2006 26 November 2006 – ARC Fleet off to the Caribbean - a 223 strong Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) fleet departed Las Palmas, Gran Canaria today, for the 2700 passage to St Lucia. Representing 27 different nations, the yachts left the start line with spinnakers flying in ideal sailing conditions. The standard advice to skippers is to 'head south until the butter melts and then turn right', riding the trade winds all the way to the Caribbean. The first yachts should arrive in under two weeks.

24 November 2006 – Double Disaster in 5 Oceans for British Sailors - Alex Thomson, UK entry in the Velux 5 Oceans, was forced to abandon his sinking yacht, Hugo Boss, in the Southern Ocean on 23 November, after a catastrophic failure of the keel. Fellow Brit, Mike Golding sailed 90 miles upwind into big seas and 30 knots of wind, to successfully rescue Thomson, only to lose the top section of his mast shortly after. Golding, greatly relieved to have Thomson on board, is still able to sail, heavily reefed, and is making for South Africa. Goldings account of this truly heroic rescue can be read on www.mikegolding.com.

22 November 2006 – Tony Arrives with a Bump and Splash - Tony Bullimore reappeared in Western Australia after being reported missing in the Indian Ocean since 6 November when his satellite communications went down on his 102ft Catamaran, Doha 2006. En route to Hobart with four crew to start his single handed round the world record breaking attempt, Bullimore sailed into Albany for repairs to a crowd of 150 spectators, hitting the pontoon on arrival and sending a crew member hurtling into the water. He denies that his disappearance was a publicity stunt.

12 November 2006 – Bullimore Goes Missing Again - British yachtsman Tony Bullimore has gone missing in the Indian Ocean on his way to Hobart to start his latest challenge to become the fastest solo sailor to circumnavigate the globe. Sailing on the 102ft Catamaran, Doha 2006, he left the Maldives for Hobart on 6 November with a four man crew and quickly lost satellite contact with his shore team. The Western Australian Coastguard has been alerted to report any sightings. Bullimore made headlines in 1997 when he survived five days after his yacht capsized off Antarctica.

8 November 2006 – Yacht Watches Tongan Volcano Erupt - A cruising yacht witnessed a volcanic eruption at sea last August, whilst sailing out of the Vava'u Group in northern Tonga. They came within two miles of the active volcano which had emerged from the sea to become Tonga's newest island. The yacht faced a sea of pumice stone, that had been ejected from the crater, which quickly clogged the engine cooling system. The massive raft of pumice continues to head west on the currents and has already passed Fiji.

2 November 2006 ARC 2006 - Yachts Gather For 21st ARC - Over 230 yachts are gathering in Las Palmas, Canaries, in preparation for the 21st Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). Departing on 26 November 2006, this annual pilgrimage across the ‘Pond’, from the Canaries to St Lucia, attracts a huge mix of entries worldwide, from ‘first timers’ looking forward to the camaraderie and security of crossing an ocean en masse, to hardened race crews hoping to break the passage record of 11 days and 13 hours. The majority of yachts will be looking to complete the 2,700-mile passage in 18-21 days.

30 October 2006 – Round The World Skippers Head South – Seven of the nine skippers in the Velux 5 Oceans are currently racing South in the first leg to Fremantle, after last week's storm in the Bay of Biscay sent all but two back into port for repairs. Swiss skipper Stamm currently leads the fleet followed by Japan's Shiraishi and Golding who is hungrily eating into their 500 mile lead. Two yachts remain in port, Spaniard Pakea with more repairs following the storm and Tim Troy from America who has yet to start.

30 October 2006 – All Over For Challenge Business – Founded by Sir Chay Blyth, Challenge Business is in the hands of the receivers after failing to find a sponsor for its key event, the Global Challenge 2008/09. The 13 yachts in the fleet are to be sold by Berthon International, including Aviva, the yacht sailed by Dee Caffari earlier this year in her successful challenge to become the first woman to sail non-stop around the world, the wrong way.

25 October 2006 – Storm Sends Sir Robin Back To Port – Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is heading back into port after his yacht, Saga Insurance, was rolled 360º, sustaining mast and equipment damage in the Velux 5 Oceans race. Only two of the eight yachts that started on Sunday are still racing, Stamm and Shiraishi, after winds of up to 70 knots swept across the Bay of Biscay creating havoc throughout the fleet.

23 October 2006 – Mid Sea Collision... with an unlit house- Keeping watch for heavily laden ships, erratic fishing boats, bamboo fish traps is quite normal around Indonesian waters, but for Australian sailor, Basil Diethelm, sailing into a house in the middle of the Java Sea came as a big surprise.“'It was a rather darkish night and we were in very deep water when we ran slam bang into - an unlit thatched roofed house! It was not a large house, just a small house, about the size of a garage. We figured that the house must have been some type of floating fishing house that had broken its mooring from a fish trap or farm in shallower coastal depths and simply blown out to sea. Needless to say we were all a bit unnerved for the rest of that night, kept watching out for more unlit houses." sail-world.com

23 October 2006 – Round the World Race Underway - 1300 local time on Sunday 22 October saw the start of the single handed Velux 5 Oceans yacht race. UK's Alex Thomson, the youngest entrant at 32, took the lead as seven yachts left Bilbao, Spain. The skippers face 45-50 days racing before arriving in Fremantle, Australia. The weather over the next few days looks set to test the fleet with 35 knots and rough seas forecast. They are already one yacht down with Graham Dalton failing to make the start.

18 October 2006 – Sir Robin Knox-Johnston - At 30 years old, Sir Robin was the first solo sailor ever to complete a non-stop, circumnavigation of the World. Now aged 67, this feisty Englishman set sail again on Sunday 22 October from Bilbao, Spain, competing in the single-handed, Velux 5 Oceans round the world yacht race. Sir Robin's Open 60 entry was initially called 'Grey Power', it has since picked up sponsorship from Saga Insurance. His aim is clear, sail safely around the world and prove that age is no barrier to achieving your goals.

22 October 2006 – Start of the Velux 5 Oceans - This solo, round-the-world yacht race promises storms, waves of up to 25 metres, blizzards, icebergs and the windless tropics, sleep deprivation and extreme isolation.

Described as the longest and toughest event for any individual in any sport, the Velux 5 Oceans (formerly the BOC Challenge) is a single handed, round the world yacht race covering 30,000 nautical miles across five oceans. The race started in Bilbao, Spain on Sunday, 22 October 2006, the nine solo skippers face only two land stops during the six-month, east bound, epic voyage, the first in Fremantle Australia and the second in Norfolk, USA. The winner is expected to cross the Bilbao finishing line in May 2007.

The nine international skippers sailing open 50s and 60s, are some of the best and most experienced in the world. In 1969, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston became the first person ever to sail single-handed non-stop around the world. Now at 67, he will compete in this year’s Velux 5 Oceans. However, he will face tough competition from seven other great skippers, among them the 2002-03 winner, Bernard Stamm from Switzerland, UK’s Mike Golding who has already sailed both ways around the world, Graham Dalton from New Zealand, who was dismasted in the last race and the youngest skipper, Alex Thomson, also from UK, pictured here on his yacht Hugo Boss.

11 October 2006 – World ARC for 2008 -World Cruising, organisers of the annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), has announced the birth of a round the world equivalent, ‘World ARC’. Avoiding the Red Sea and Cape Horn because of piracy and political unrest, the group circumnavigation will take one year, departing from the Caribbean in January 2008. The itinerary will take in the Pacific, Australia, South Africa and the Carnival in Brazil, bringing the fleet back into the Caribbean for March 2009. With only 45 places available on the rally and over 13 already confirmed, early booking is essential.

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