Latest headlines from Scuttlebutt Sailing News, covering sport, sailing, with clear attribution and direct links to the original publisher.
The Lake Pleasant Regional Park is a large outdoors recreation area northwest of Phoenix, Arizona. There is a massive 10,000-acre water reservoir that serves as a premier destination for boating, and has been the home of Tiller & Kites, Arizona’s largest sailing operation. However, the Lake Pleasant Harbor Marina has pulled their lease and effectively [&hellip
Thirty-eight elite teams came for the 36th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup on September 7-12 in Porto Cervo, Italy. The 2026 event had a full range of conditions, from the light winds of the opening days to an intense Mistral with gusts exceeding 28 knots. The Rolex International Maxi Association (IMA) Maxi 1 World Championship title [&hellip
The Mighty Mary movie has been getting a lot of buzz since its opening in AMC Theaters, and it does well to retell the story of the women’s campaign of the same name for the 1995 America’s Cup. Gus Carlson offers an observation after watching the film: I once asked Dawn Riley, team captain on Mighty Mary, to speak to my daughter's all-girls U-12 hockey team as a highly accomplished woman who broke the glass ceiling in global sports. She agreed, but only if the boys' team was in the room as w
It's game time for 20 teams for the 2026 New York Yacht Club Women’s International Championship to be held September 15-19 at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, RI. Thirteen nations are represented in the inaugural edition, with mandatory practice familiarizing the field with the Club’s fleet of IC37s. - Full report
The 2025-2028 Racing Rules of Sailing state under RRS 52 that “A boat’s standing rigging, running rigging, spars and movable hull appendages shall be adjusted and operated only by the power provided by the crew.” To date, it has been permissible for Organizing Authorities to modify this rule as it pleases, but that could be changing as World Sailing seeks to strengthen its control of the sport. World Sailing’s Oceanic and Offshore Committee has approved a new Oceanic and Offshore Code that w
Taylor Canfield, driver for the United States SailGP Team, is ruled out for the next league event on September 19-20 in Geneva, Switzerland. The team reports that Canfield sustained an upper body injury, but no specifics were offered. Harry Melges IV, as reserve crew, is available to helm. Canfield is also listed as crew for Laura Grondin at the 2026 Melges 24 World Championship on September 22-26 in Harbor Springs, MI.
by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News The bar at my club was busy on a holiday weekend when I noticed a younger member past his limit. Bad things were going to happen, so I offered him a ride home. He accepted but while enroute, he got angry and grabbed the steering wheel. When I got [&hellip
by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News A one design class brings people together for a shared experience, with membership creating a community of like-minded sailors. While the Class Champions are admired, what happens when you take them out of their village? That question gets annually asked at the US Sailing Championship of Champions when the [&hellip
The 2026 J/70 World Championship attracted 100 teams from 26 nations for the 10-race series on September 8-12 in Cascais, Portugal. Haroldo Solberg (BRA) and crew Mario Tinoco, Gabriel Silva, and Carlos Robles finished with a 16-point margin to take the title, ahead of Corinthian champion Luis Bugallo Arriola (ESP) in second place. American teams completed the top five with John Heaton in third. - Details
Thirty-eight elite teams came for the 36th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup on September 7-12 in Porto Cervo, Italy. The 2026 event had a full range of conditions, from the light winds of the opening days to an intense Mistral with gusts exceeding 28 knots. - Full report
Once a superpower in Olympic Sailing, the USA has been on the descent for the past two decades. US Sailing appointed Paul Cayard in March 2021 to lead the turnaround, but that relationship imploded two years later. Cayard, with the same commitment to support US athletes in their pursuit of excellence, launched a new organization. America One Racing (A1R), as the largest private financial supporter of elite USA sailors, pivoted in 2023 to a hands-on organization with coaches and training plans.
So much for progress. During SailGP’s second season, the league introduced a mandatory female crew position in October 2021, marking a major step in the league's drive toward gender equity. This coincided with the crew expanding from five to six sailors, and most teams adapted the female crew as strategist on the F50. However, a longer-term goal was for the league’s first female helm, and that occurred in Season 5 when the Brazil SailGP Team entered with two-time Olympic gold medalist Martin
The second preliminary regatta for the 38th America's Cup is set for September 25-27 in Naples, Italy. Aside from Australia sitting out due to their late start, the other six teams will be competing. After missing the previous event, ARC Team USA has ramped up their program and is now training on-site. After his grandfather won in 1992, Harry Melges IV is on the wheel for this edition, continuing on his journey from scow land. Whereas most modern USA professionals toiled for eight years with
British sailing coach Dom Barnes offers this reminder for parents with youth sailors: I watched a parent rig their kid's boat while impatiently telling the kid not to touch it and to go and get changed instead. It wasn't about helping or saving time. The message was pretty clear: I've spent a lot of money on this, don't mess it up. Then this tiny human emerges from the changing room in a drysuit two sizes too big and the parent's parting words are not to come off the water unless they've w
The last time an official Australian team competed in the America’s Cup was 2000, and despite the nation's return for the 38th America’s Cup skipping a generation, the crew reveal for Team Australia is seriously stacked. The Aussies have been involved, but in 2027 they finally get to wear the Green and Gold. Led by Head of Sailing Tom Slingsby OAM, the seven-strong team brings together some of the world’s most accomplished sailors across Olympic, America’s Cup, SailGP, offshore, skiff, and int
