Francesca Clapcich does things differently. Her current goal is the 2028 Vendée Globe and yet contrary to many of those who have either completed or are aiming to do the race, she says the non-stop race around the world was never her dream. PlanetSail's Matt Sheahan finds out more.
Now that we have all managed to catch our breath after the frenetic action of last weekend’s first Preliminary Regatta of the 38th America’s Cup cycle in Cagliari it’s time to take a look back over the Italian three-day event to see what we have learned.
While the first event of the 38th America's Cup cycle was eagerly awaited, no one dared hope that it would be this good. But over five days the Sardinian town of Cagliari delivered a superb event culminating in a final day that few, if anyone, had anticipated.
A consummate final day performance by the Luna Rossa senior team sees them see off his old team – the America's Cup holders Emirates Team New Zealand. Meanwhile, the Italian Youth and Women crew's fairytale regatta ends in a nightmare.
The second day of racing at the opening Preliminary Regatta of the 38th America's Cup saw another dominant performance by Luna Rossa's Youth and Women crew.
Expectations for the second day of racing at the first Preliminary Regatta of the AC38 were for more crash and burn conditions on the Mediterranean waters of Cagliari. The weather gods had a different plan – but the racing amongst the eight boat fleet was still hugely entertaining nevertheless.
What a spectacular day we saw for the opening three races of the first Preliminary Regatta of the 38th America's Cup cycle. 15-20 knots of breeze with a sea state that challenged everyone and provided drama right to the end.
Italians Marco Gradoni and Margherita Porro stole the show on Day 1 of the AC38 Preliminary Regatta in Cagliari. Two race wins, a Kiwi nosedive, and a GB1 breakdown nightmare. It's been all-on on the Gulf of Angels today.
The America’s Cup is back in action, and if the last few days I have spent in Cagliari, Sardinia this week are anything to go by, it has come back stronger than it ever was.
The racing hasn't even started yet in the 38th America's Cup cycle, but the big questions have been coming all day. Among them, what state is the British America's Cup team GB1 in following their very public spat with former backer Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS?
Not all the teams are here, no one is sailing their 75-foot Cup boat and this isn’t where the 38th America’s Cup will be contested. So why is the first Preliminary event in the Sardinian town of Cagliari so important?
Justin Chisholm and Magnus Wheatley talk through the action from the two-day Canadian SailGP Grand Prix in Halifax, Nova Scotia – which saw the league’s full thirteen-boat contingent race in split fleets for the first time in a full regatta.
Francesca Clapcich does things differently. Her current goal is the 2028 Vendée Globe and yet contrary to many of those who have either completed or are aiming to do the race, she says the non-stop race around the world was never her dream. PlanetSail's Matt Sheahan finds out more.
They might have been involved in major grand prix offshore racers before, but getting Gitana 18 up onto her foils for the first time was a very big deal for the team.
Last week I made a ‘trains, planes, and automobiles’ round trip to attend an update presentation on Giovanni Soldini’s Ferrari Hypersail project at the spectacular all-new North Sails loft in Genoa, Italy.
This north German boatbuilder has carved a remarkably successful niche by sticking resolutely to its founding principle of keeping things simple.
Henri-Lloyd’s head of design Matteo Alfieri explains how fabric innovations are driving performance gains in clothing technology for sailors.
Allen’s blocks are moving on up from Moths to Cape 31s and even IMOCAs, with a two-tonne max working load.
Two years ago Bella Mente won the Maxi Europeans with a Structured Luff Asymmetric. This innovation from Doyle Sails has now become the norm.
Balance Catamarans is replacing its most successful model with a new one, re-designed throughout. The Balance 540 has a tough act to follow.
After 15 years of physical and culinary endurance as an ocean racer, Giulio Bertelli founded Akta – a company that is serious about offshore nutrition.
