Opening day at 2026 Lanzarote iQFoil Games delivers fast-paced slalom action
The 2026 Lanzarote International iQFOiL Games, the first event of the newly inaugurated season, officially got underway today at Marina Rubicón in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote.
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GeMera Racing continues to impress on second day
The apple cart remains firmly upturned after day two of the 44Cup Puerto Calero, where the 2025 champion is currently residing at the unfamiliar bottom position on the leaderboard,
2026 Congressional Cup first eight skippers announced
Long Beach Yacht Club has announced the first eight entrants for the 2026 Congressional Cup, one of the world’s premier match racing events and a founding event of the World Match Racing Tour.
Spain and New Zealand set for Auckland return after SailGP technicians pull out all the stops
After the first event of Season 6 in Perth saw both Los Gallos and the Black Foils sidelined by serious damage to their boats, SailGP’s technical teams have executed a remarkable turnaround – ensuring both teams will be back on the water for the Auckland Sail Grand Prix next weekend.
GeMera Racing makes flying start in Lanzarote
The opening day of the 2026 44Cup was a fine one with a southwest wind that built to 15 knots and skies that cleared to reveal the long-awaited Canary Islands sun.
Podcast: Dee Caffari on The Famous Project CIC all-women circumnavigation
Guest presenter Matt Sheahan from the PlanetSail website catches up with British ocean racing yachtswoman Dee Caffari just over a week since she and the all-women crew aboard The Famous Project CIC 103-foot long trimaran completed a tortuous nonstop lap of the planet.
New World Tour of Finns Grand Slam 2026 schedule revealed
The International Finn Class has announced the launch of the World Tour for Finns Grand Slam 2026.
44Cup fleet set to race despite trade winds absence in Lanzarote
The 19th season of the 44Cup sets sail today from the familiar setting of Puerto Calero Marina in Lanzarote. What is unfamiliar is that due to heavy rainfall recently Lanzarote’s usually barren landscape has become lush and green, full of life and new vegetation.
Kevin Shoebridge: ‘We feel confident within the team’
Although it’s often Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton’s shoot-from-the-lip soundbites making the headlines, chief operating officer Kevin Shoebridge has also been key to the team's many America’s Cup successes. I caught up with him in Naples to get his take on the latest Kiwi campaign.
Prospective America’s Cup teams given two extra months to confirm AC38 challenges
The Reuters news agency has reported that the 38th America’s Cup deadline for late entries has been extended beyond January 31 for two further months.
How lucky are we to be part of a sport with so much going on in 2026?
From SailGP’s globe-trotting Season 6 to the return of the America’s Cup, new ocean-going foilers, classic offshore races and packed dinghy championships, and much more besides – 2026 is shaping up to be a blockbuster year for yacht racing fans. Here’s a guide for what to look forward to...
44Cup season opens this week in Lanzarote
The 44Cup begins its new season this week in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote. After a practice day on Wednesday the 11-boat fleet will race Thursday through until Sunday.
Iain Jensen revealed as new Emirates Team New Zealand crew member
Emirates Team New Zealand have beefed up their sailing team line-up with the addition of Australian double Olympic medallist Iain Jensen – previously a long-term member of the British GB1 syndicate.
Luna Rossa becomes official sponsor of Italian Sailing Federation
Italian America's Cup challenger Luna Rossa and the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV) have announced a new partnership aimed at supporting and accompanying Italy’s Olympic, youth, and para sailing teams on their road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Harmony, balance and plenty of boatspeed
An incredible seven decades of experience at the sharp end of both yacht design and active offshore sailing have been distilled into the new Swan 51.
First all-female crew to sail nonstop around the world
PlanetSail takes a closer look at the success of the all-female crew's around-the-world passage aboard The Famous Project CIC...
Podcast: Will Oxley on Raven RORC Transatlantic Race line honours performance
In this episode of the Yacht Racing Life podcast, I speak with navigator Will Oxley about his recent experience racing the foil-assisted superyacht Raven in a transatlantic race.
Game changer
The latest video from PlanetSail takes a closer look at how the closing stages of this season's two Jules Verne Trophy around-the-world record attempts played out for Thomas Coville's Sodebo and the all-women crew of The Famous Project CIC.
All just a matter of balance...
Rather than simply enlarge an existing model to increase its payload, Balance Catamarans took the opportunity to carry out a full redesign.
Valencia replaces Andalucía-Cádiz as Spanish stop on SailGP Season 6 tour
The Spanish leg of SailGP Season 6 will take place in the Mediterranean city of Valencia over the weekend of September 5-6, 2026 as part of a three-year deal announced by the international circuit today.
The Famous Project CIC crew complete first all-women nonstop circumnavigation
The eight-woman crew aboard The Famous Project CIC Ultim multihull completed their Jules Verne Trophy attempt in a time of 57 days, 21 hours, and 20 minutes, after crossing the finish line off Ouessant in northern France today.
France's Sodebo crew averages 22 knots around the world to set new Jules Verne Trophy record
It looked touch and go over the final few days of their 28,000-nautical mile nonstop circumnavigation of the planet, but yesterday Thomas Coville and his five-strong crew aboard the Ultim trimaran Sodebo set a new Jules Verne Trophy benchmark time of 40 days, 10 hours, and 45 minutes.
Racing Roundup #024
Our weekly curated digest of the latest news and stories from across the yacht racing world.
Behind the re-brand: A new look and feel for the British America’s Cup team
I caught up with the key protagonists of the newly rebranded GB1 campaign in Naples this week for a deep dive into the team's new-look challenge for the 38th America's Cup.
A legend reborn
Against all odds one of the great offshore yacht designs of the late 20th Century – Peter Norlin’s fast and elegant Omega 42 – is back in production.
What went on at the America's Cup gathering in Naples?
The first official gathering of the 38th America's Cup was a glitzy affair as five teams and the America's Cup entourage rolled into Naples.
How do you like me scow? Sam Manuard-designed Mach 50 Palanad 4 wins RORC Transatlantic Race overall
The Royal Ocean Racing Club has confirmed Mach 50 Palanad 4 (FRA), owned by RORC Member Olivier Magre and skippered by his son Antoine Magre, also a RORC Member, as the overall winner of the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race on IRC corrected time.
America's Cup Partnership officially initiated at stylish Naples event
The America's Cup Partnership agreement has been officially initiated at a glitzy ceremony in the grand hall of the Palazzo Reale in Naples, in the presence of the world's media, an audience that included the five competing teams and many of the key players behind the move to stage AC38 in Italy.
2 x broken records: Argo and Raven's remarkable Atlantic crossings
When the conditions align it's the dream trade winds course and this year the Royal Ocean Club's Transatlantic Race was a stunner. Perfect conditions saw flat out performances across the board and records tumbled.
British America's Cup team reveals new 'GB1' identity
Britain’s America’s Cup Team, representing the Challenger of Record, Royal Yacht Squadron Racing Ltd, has unveiled GB1 – the bold new team name and identity that signals a new era of British racing on the world’s most demanding sailing stage.
Emirates renews title sponsorship with Team New Zealand for AC38
Emirates has renewed its more than twenty year naming sponsorship of the Defender of the America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand – extending one of the longest-standing and most iconic sponsorships in international sailing through the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup and Preliminary Regattas.
Full throttle...
PlanetSail's Matt Sheahan reviews this weekend's spectacular opening event to SailGP Season 6 which took place down in Australia on the windy and wavy waters off Perth.
Bucking industry trends
The Genoa International Boat Show renews industry confidence, reporting further increases in exhibition space, visitor numbers, turnover and more.
Podcast: SailGP Perth analysis
In this episode of the Yacht Racing Life podcast, British sailing journalists Justin Chisholm and Magnus Wheatley dive into the thrilling opening event of SailGP Season 6 which took place in Perth, Australia over the weekend.
Raven foils to monohull victory with new RORC transatlantic record
The 34m Baltic 111 Raven has rewritten the limits of monohull offshore performance, taking monohull line honours to win the IMA Transatlantic Trophy and setting a new monohull race record in the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race from Lanzarote to Antigua – writes RORC communications manager Louay Habib
British defending champions dominate second day to win Season 6 opener
Defending champions Emirates Great Britain have sent a defiant message to their SailGP rivals with a commanding victory in the opening event of Season 6 after a supremely dominant second day of racing in blustery conditions on the choppy waters off Perth, Australia.
Swedish newcomers impress on turbulent opening day of SailGP Season 6 in Perth
The Rolex SailGP Championship’s 2026 Season opener has already wrought havoc across the fleet – with New Zealand out for the weekend after a shocking collision with the Swiss in race one. Artemis top the event leaderboard after a commanding performance that included two race wins.
MOD70 Argo sets new multihull race record after close battle with Zoulou
Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA) has claimed Multihull Line Honours in the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race, crossing the finish line off English Harbour, Antigua, on Friday 16 January at 12:31:15 UTC.
First regatta of the 38th America's Cup set for Cagliari, Sardinia in May
The first Preliminary Regatta of the 38th America’s Cup cycle will take place in Cagliari on the Italian island of Sardinia from May 21 - 24, with all five of the currently entered teams taking part in four days of racing in AC40 one-design foiling monohulls.
Full spectrum
There are never enough superlatives to adequately describe the Aegean 600, especially after its fifth edition held in 2025 when Poseidon threw a wide range of seamanship challenges at the fleet – ranging from fickle wind shadows to a 50-knot storm.
AMAALA Yacht Club announces partnership World Match Racing Tour and Women’s World Match Racing Tour
Today's landmark strategic partnership further reinforces the Red Sea’s emergence as a significant sailing destination and confirming AMAALA’s role as a long-term home for elite competition, talent development, and international events.
Valentine's Day launch scheduled for new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild
With its radically innovative architecture, ground-breaking appendages and a silhouette that is both striking and refined, the latest addition to the legendary Gitana lineage has set a new benchmark in the French programme’s ongoing quest for performance.
Bold new concept
A fresh approach to function, form, fit and fabric. Henri-Lloyd ambassador Sam Goodchild on the new range that aims to redefine offshore sailing apparel.
Unstoppable Ian Williams claims ninth Match Racing World Championship title
Ian Williams (GBR) and his Pindar by Manuport Logistics team of Gerard Mitchell, Richard Sydenham and Jon Gundersen made history today by winning a record-breaking ninth Match Racing World Championship title at the 2025 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) Final in Shenzhen.
2026 RORC Transatlantic Race underway
The 12th RORC Transatlantic Race began in commanding fashion off Marina Lanzarote. Framed by the dramatic coastline of Lanzarote and a palpable sense of anticipation, the start marked the opening chapter of one of offshore sailing’s most revered ocean races.
Britain's Williams prevails to claim place in 2025 WMRT Final
Defending match racing world champion Ian Williams of Great Britain has advanced to the final of the World Match Racing Tour in Shenzhen, overcoming former world champion New Zealand’s Nick Egnot-Johnson/ Knots Racing in a light-wind semi-final match
Racing Roundup #023
Our weekly curated digest of the latest news and stories from across the yacht racing world.
2025 World Match Racing Tour Final: Champions collide as semi final teams are confirmed
Day 4 at the WMRT Final Shenzhen Baoan for the 2025 Match Racing World Championship saw the final four skippers emerge from a challenging and hard fought quarterfinals in light and unpredictable airs.
Alfa Romeo unveils the limited edtion 'Giulia Quadrifoglio Luna Rossa'
The new limited series inspired by the Italian America’s Cup AC75 makes its world premiere at the 2026 Brussels Motor Show
RORC Transatlantic Race: Inside the minds of the navigators
Three elite strategists explain to RORC communications manager Louay Habib how they are reading the Atlantic racecourse for the upcoming 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race.
Giles Scott on NorthStar's path forward
We catch up with Giles Scott, skipper of the Canadian NorthStar SailGP team, as the British double Olympic gold medallist reflects on his up and down first year in charge and shares some of the team's plans for Season 6.
Eight left standing ahead of 2025 WMRT Final quarter finals
The knockout stage of the 2025 World Match Racing Tour Final is set after a high-pressure day of repechage racing in the heart of Shenzhen, where survival was the only objective and mistakes proved costly. In ultra-light, shifting winds on OH Bay, New Zealand’s Nick Egnot-Johnson / Knots Racing and
Now with more power
Two-speed and three-speed electric versions of Ronstan's Orbit winch are now available.
American Magic and SailGP announce Pensacola training facility partnership
SailGP has established its first long-term training base at the state-of-the-art American Magic performance and innovation center, which officially opened today in Pensacola, Florida.
2025 WMRT Final: Two top name skippers eliminated on Day 2 in Shenzhen Bao’an
Two of the highest-ranked skippers in world match racing were eliminated on Day 2 of the 2025 World Match Racing Tour Final in Shenzhen Bao’an, as treacherous light-wind conditions delivered a major upset and blew the competition wide open.
2026 RORC Transatlantic Race fleet assembles in Lanzarote
The 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race starts from Marina Lanzarote this Sunday and will see 21 teams take on the 3,000 nautical-mile voyage west across the Atlantic to Antigua – writes Louay Habib.
What's happening with the 38th America's Cup?
PlanetSail's Matt Sheahan shares his personal thoughts on the current state of play in the 38th America's Cup.
Young American Christian Prendergast leads after close-fought opening day in China at WMRT Final
The opening day of the 2025 World Match Racing Tour Final, running from 6-11 January in Shenzhen China, delivered high-intensity racing from the first start, with no shortage of close calls and razor-thin margins amongst the sixteen competing teams.
A storming debut
Last year Andrea Lacorte won the owner-driver title in his first 52 Super Series season, powered by Doyle Sails – and with four Doyle sailmakers on board.
SailGP Season 6 preview
Happy New Year everyone! 2026 is here and the first event of SailGP Season 6 in Perth, Australia is under a fortnight away. There will be 13 F50s on the start line for the first time ever and each and every team will aiming to make a strong start to the year.
Two design concepts – one RORC Transatlantic Race
The 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race will showcase two extraordinary yachts that could not be more different in design and yet share the ambition to race cross the Atlantic fast, safely and competitively – writes RORC communications manager Louay Habib.
Preparing a MOD70 to race the Atlantic
When the start gun fires in Lanzarote for the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race on 11 January, two of the most extraordinary offshore racing machines will once again go head-to-head across the Atlantic – writes RORC communication manager Louay Habib.