After last week's deluge of off-the-water shenanigans in the America's Cup, it's wonderful to be starting this week off writing about some great match racing and team racing events in the US – and looking forward to this year's expected-to-be record-setting Rolex Fastnet Race.
Corinthian Yacht Club Sets The Benchmark At The Team Racing World Championship
What a week it’s been in Newport for the long-awaited return of the Team Racing World Championship. After a decade off the calendar, this year’s edition delivered everything we could have hoped for—tight racing, varied conditions, and a global lineup that showcased just how much this discipline has evolved. And at the centre of it all? A textbook performance from the Corinthian Yacht Club, who rightly leave as 2025 world champions.
From the very first day, CYC looked sharp—fast out of the blocks and consistent in their execution. You could see the time they’d put in ahead of the regatta. Whether it was training weekends, racing Sonars at the Baldwin Cup, or simply getting dialled into the 2v2 format, it all paid off. Over four days and 25 races, they only dropped five. That’s not just strong form—that’s clinical.
But this wasn’t a wire-to-wire cruise. There was serious talent in the fleet, and the closing stages delivered real tension. Kiwi Racing, who started slowly, found their groove when it mattered. They were mid-fleet early on but just kept building. By the time they hit the gold fleet round robin, they looked like a different team—calm, confident, and quick. In the end, they finished tied on points with Baltimore SC and West Kirby Hawks, claiming second on countback.
For New York Yacht Club, this one might sting. With all their history in the event—and racing at home—you know they were aiming for the top step. They sailed hard and gave it everything, but as skipper Clay Bischoff admitted, CYC were simply better prepared. That said, it was clear NYYC were warming to the 2v2 format as the week went on. It’s a mind-bending game at times, but it makes for brilliant viewing.
The broader story here is the global flavour of the event. Teams from Europe, South America, the Caribbean, and Oceania all made the trip, and they brought serious quality. The format change and the choice of Sonars seem to have hit the mark—accessible, tactical, and exciting to watch.
In short, this year’s Worlds showed us just how vibrant adult team racing has become. Corinthian Yacht Club set the benchmark—but the rest of the world isn’t far behind.
Courtois Stamps Her Authority at Casa Vela Cup
If there was ever any doubt that Pauline Courtois is still the benchmark in women’s match racing, she settled it emphatically last week in San Francisco. From the moment the Casa Vela Cup got underway, the French skipper and her Match in Pink Normandy Elite crew were in complete control—and honestly, it was a masterclass to watch.
Right out of the gate on day one, Courtois looked sharp, racking up win after win in the breezy conditions between Alcatraz and the Golden Gate. By the end of the round-robin stage, she was an eye-watering 15–0. It was clear she was at home in the San Francisco breeze, and she said as much, comparing it to the conditions she’s used to in Le Havre.
And what conditions they were—classic Bay sailing at its finest. Each day brought a reliable building westerly, starting at a manageable 15 knots and gusting up into the mid-20s by the afternoon. Add in the trademark flood tide and flat water and it made for ideal match racing—and spectacular imagery. The shots from this regatta were absolutely stunning: tight pre-starts with Alcatraz in the background, full-hike downwind blasts framed by the Golden Gate Bridge, and plenty of close crosses and boat-on-boat action. A photographer’s dream and a reminder of just how photogenic this sport can be.
But it wasn’t entirely plain sailing. In the semi-finals, Julia Aartsen and her impressive young Dutch crew managed to land the first punch—handing Courtois her first (and only) loss of the event. It didn’t rattle the French team for long though. They came back strong and took the next three straight to book their place in the final.
On the other side of the draw, Nicole Breault gave the home fans something to cheer about. She and her Vela Racing team had unfinished business with Sweden’s Anna Östling, who knocked them out at the same stage in 2023. This time, Breault turned the tables in a gutsy five-race battle—holding her nerve even after a late downwind broach to clinch the win and set up a dream USA vs France final.
The final itself was brilliant. Breault pushed hard and made Courtois work for it—especially in the last race, which had drama right to the wire. A penalty each, a luff, a gybing duel, and then Courtois, just by inches, nailing the win. Clinical. Cold-blooded. Classic Courtois.
Östling took third with a tidy 2-0 win in the petit-final over Aartsen, but this was Courtois’s week from start to finish. She and her crew walked away not just with the trophy, but also a well-earned week in a beachfront treehouse in Mexico—which, after four days of hard-fought racing, sounds like the perfect reward.
Next stop: Annapolis. If anyone wants to knock Courtois off the top spot this season, they’ve got some serious catching up to do.
Fastnet 2025 Set to Make History
With fewer than two months to go until the 2025 edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race, the stage is set for what promises to be one of the biggest and most competitive offshore yacht races in history. This year’s race coincides with a major milestone—the centenary of the Royal Ocean Racing Club—and interest is at an all-time high.
The numbers speak for themselves. A staggering 464 yachts are currently entered—already eclipsing the record 430 starters in the 2023 edition—and remarkably, 407 of those are IRC entries. It’s a vivid demonstration of how vibrant and global the offshore racing scene has become. Crews from 41 nations will take part, from offshore powerhouses like the UK and France to more unexpected entries representing Rwanda, French Polynesia, and Zimbabwe. Ages range from 14 to 81—proof that the Fastnet spirit is ageless.
The 2025 race also marks the long-awaited return of the Admiral’s Cup, being run for the first time in over two decades. The rebooted format features two-boat teams representing yacht clubs from around the world, kicking off with the Channel Race on 19 July and culminating with the Fastnet itself. With Olympic medallists, America’s Cup sailors, and round-the-world veterans among the crew rosters—not to mention teams building and optimising new boats specifically for the event—it’s clear the Admiral’s Cup is back with intent.
The battle for overall IRC honours and the prestigious Fastnet Challenge Cup will be fierce. Among the front-runners are the 100-footers SHK Scallywag and Black Jack 100, along with VO70s like Pyewacket 70 and Tschüss 2, and seasoned maxi Leopard 3. But as always, the magic of the Fastnet is that the overall winner could just as likely come from mid-fleet—a well-sailed smaller yacht that nails its weather routing and sails smart.
With its record fleet, global reach, and high-stakes racing, the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race is shaping up to be a landmark moment—not just for the RORC, but for offshore yacht racing worldwide.
Cippa Lippa X Breaks the Curse with Long-Awaited Win at 151 Miglia
Guido Paolo Gamucci’s Cippa Lippa X came painfully close so many times over the last season, it was great to finally see the team take a well-earned win in the IRC Over 60 maxi class at this year’s 151 Miglia–Trofeo Cetilar. After a string of second places last season, this one must have felt extra sweet for everyone onboard.
Conditions were typically tricky for this 151-mile coastal dash through the Tuscan Archipelago. The maxis set off from Livorno into a light, patchy breeze and were soon deep into a tactical game of snakes and ladders. Cippa Lippa X found themselves in a tight battle with Nice and Atalanta II, while FlyingNikka initially broke away, foiling into a healthy lead—at least until the wind shut down near Pianosa in the early hours of Saturday. That’s when everything compressed again.
From there, it was all about grinding through the transitions, and Cippa Lippa X played it smart—gybing inside Elba when others might have played it safe. Tactician Michele Regolo said they found a local breeze where others found a hole, and from then on it became a match race with Nice. Although they crossed the line just behind her, Cippa Lippa X took the win on corrected time. Gamucci’s home club is Yacht Club Punta Ala, so this one will have been especially satisfying.
Further up the course, ARCA SGR did what they do best—claiming line honours with a confident performance from Furio Benussi and his crew. They were never seriously threatened and navigated the light spots perfectly to finish just after 6am on Saturday.
It wasn’t FlyingNikka’s race in these conditions—just 8% of the course flown—but the team is clearly still evolving the platform and using each race to refine the concept. Some pretty bold modifications are on the way, including aircraft-style cockpit canopies.
This year’s new course, which dropped the traditional leg around the Giraglia rock and stuck closer to the Tuscan coastline, was well received by the maxi fleet. With the wind shutting down again on Saturday afternoon, some of the later finishers had a long wait.
Next stop in the IMA Maxi Offshore Challenge is the offshore leg of the Loro Piana Giraglia on 11 June. Let’s see if Cippa Lippa X can keep that winning momentum going.
Rocketship
A little while ago I wrote a story about what my racing schedule would look like if i won the Mega Millions Lottery. I hadn't heard of the Wally Rocket 51 at that point but having been sent the specs and a photo gallery I think the millionaire-me might have to give one of these very careful consideration.
Go here to see for yourself.
Images © Gilles Martin-Raget
