2024-2025 Vendee Globe, Sydney Hobart, Bermuda Gold Cup, and the International Women's Championship
by David Schmidt 6 Nov 05:00 NZDT
November 5, 2024
Dock at Lorient - 2024-25 Vendee Globe - October 2024 - Lorient © Vincent Curutchet / DPPI / Vendee Globe
A quick glance at a map of Bellingham, Washington, shows the town is essentially at the end of a long gun barrel known as the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Huge Pacific Ocean storms regularly slam into Washington State's coastline and get funneled to my adopted hometown, broken up only by the majestic San Juan islands. To say it gets windy here, especially on the town's southern flanks, where I live, is a bit like saying that AC75s are fast.
Take today. As I write these words, a fairly big storm is whipping around the massive fir trees that surround my house like blades of grass on a sports field, and causing my dog to cower. According to Weather Underground, the average sustained winds are in the 30s, with gusts into the 70s.
While I'm grateful for my sturdy roof, I find my mind drifting to the 40 skippers who will embark on the nonstop solo around the world Vendee Globe race this coming Sunday, November 10. The winds that we're experiencing today in Bellingham will be mere table stakes for these brave sailors as they race around our lonely planet by way of the three great capes.
Even more impressive is the fact that many of these sailors will be foiling their way around the world.
Perhaps I'm starting to emulate my dog, but when the big winds hit Bellingham, foiling isn't exactly the first thought that comes to my mind.
North American sailors will be (partially) represented in this largely Francophile affair by Conrad Colman, who will be flying both the New Zealand and American flags from MS AMLIN, his 2007-generation non-foiling IMOCA 60. For Colman, this year's Vendee Globe will be his second attempt at winning offshore sailing's greatest prize, and while he might not be racing aboard the fastest or newest horse in the barn, this storied race is often as much about great seamanship as it is about the latest technologies.
Afterall, one can't win the Vendee Globe without finishing the course, and it's fair to say that foils represent a delicate appendage in oceans punctuated by UFOs (that's "unidentified floating objects").
Sail-World wishes all Vendee Globe skippers great luck, and we look forward to closely following their progress around the planet.
Also in offshore news, the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Race (December 26, 2024) has announced that they have closed their entry period with 112 confirmed teams. While the number of supermaxis and TP52s is down from recent years, almost half of the 112 boat fleet falls into the 30-40-foot category, and 23 teams will be racing double-handed.
"I am incredibly pleased to see the entries close with 112 yachts - an excellent turnout," said Sam Haynes, commodore of the Cruising Club of Australia. "We're especially proud of the continued growth of the Double Handed division since its introduction in 2021, which has established itself as an important part of the Great Race."
While racing doesn't start until Boxing Day, North American fans are reminded that—depending on one's time zone—the starting guns should sound on Christmas Day, sometime between when gift giving concludes and when Christmas dinner is served. (If you're looking for an excuse to escape Christmas music, this is it.)
Meanwhile, in match-racing news, skipper Johnie Berntsson (SWE) and his Berntsson Sailing Team took top honors in the 2024 Bermuda Gold Cup (October 27-November 3), beating Eric Monnin (SUI) and his Capvis Swiss Match Racing Team by a narrow margin. The two teams were tied 1-1 going into the last race, but Berntsson and company forced a penalty on their rivals before crossing the finishing line.
This win represents Berntsson's fourth Bermuda Gold Cup win, and his second consecutive win at this high-level match-racing event.
"It was such close racing, and we knew [Monnin] and his team would be strong in the light wind, so we needed to perform our best," said Berntsson in an official regatta communication. "It really came down to the last 20 meters; it was very close racing, and they gave us a good push, but we are delighted with the win!"
And finally, much closer to home, the New York Yacht Club has announced its inaugural International Women's Championship (September 12-16, 2026), which will be contested on the waters off of Newport, Rhode Island, aboard the club's fleet of identical IC37 keelboats. This biennial event will involve two days of practice and five days of racing, and will feature teams of nine or more sailors.
"Our goal is to attract a truly international field of top competitors," says Cory Sertl, a world-champion sailor and event chair for this high-level regatta. "We are hopeful that top professional sailors from the Olympics, Women's America's Cup, and other top competitions will field teams and compete alongside top amateur keelboat sailors. The IC37 is a great platform that can accommodate sailors of all sizes and ages while still facilitating a robust and athletic competition."
May the four winds blow you safely home.
David Schmidt
Sail-World.com North American Editor