1916 gaff yawl SEMINOLE (Lawley & Sons) proves that she can take whatever comes her way. Photo by YVES TUSET, July 2007, Toba Inlet, British Columbia
(via WOODEN BOAT)
Top-end professional sailing never seems to settle into a stable hierarchy. Instead, circuits wax and wane, while the professional sailors just float from one circuit to the next, following the money and energy. No circuit ever seems to truly crack the code.
The America’s Cup will always attract top talent because it pays top, which is to say ridiculous, dollars. But it’s hard to argue that with skyrocketing costs, uncertainty over the venue, and just three paid-up challengers the AC is thriving.
MedCup was looking good for a while, but the AC, the economy, and the high cost of campaigning a top-end TP52 (and team) killed that Formula 1-style show.
So where do you go if you are a rich guy who wants to compete in a hot circuit with the world’s best sailors? Looks like these days the RC44 is the top dog (for now). (Though if you are a speed freak who likes the thrill of potential crash and burn, then I direct you toward the Extreme Sailing Series).
Fourteen boats competing this year. A mix of fleet and match racing. A (relatively) affordable buy-in. And
Read MoreOh hey.
Kinda one of my favorite houses ever/favorite views ever. The best part about Mairéad is that we can anchor about 50 yards from shore at low tide right next to this person’s yard.
Great Salt Pond, Block Island, Rhode Island
I miss this place.
Onboard the Mar Mostro
We had the completely insane opportunity to compete in a Pro-Am race aboard Puma’s 6 Million Dollar, carbon fiber Mar Mostro race boat. These boats are the fasted in the world (can reach speeds of 45MPH +) and are manned by the best sailors alive. It was exhilarating, exhausting and really just a whole lot of fun. Tomorrow they will do some sprint races and then leave for stage 3 of the Volvo Ocean Challenge
THIS. IS. WHAT. I. WANT. TO. DO. WITH. MY. LIFE. I don’t have the biggest respect for this guy’s photos (or any of the other blogger people who were hired by puma to take these photos, VOR is not a fashion shoot) but it is so inspirational in terms of thinking about being hired by one of these teams. that’s one of my goals.
