Following a month long delivery trip on board a cargo ship, which left Toulon in southern France on 28 May 2012, l’Hydroptère DCNS made it safely into port in Los Angeles this Tuesday 5 July 2012. The big carbon bird will be reassembled and re-launched in the Californian port of Long Beach, where she will be on weather stand-by for her Transpacific Record attempt.
The Transpac, or Transpacific, is one of the oldest yacht races in the world, since it was created back in 1906. Every two years, for over a century, it has gathered together the greatest sailors on the planet, who come to do battle over the 2,215 nautical miles (4,102km), which separate Los Angeles from Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii. This legendary course also forms the backdrop for a number of record attempts throughout the year  … Pictures and more
America’s Cup World Series 2011-12 concluded yesterday, Sunday 1st July, in Newport R.I. Oracle Team USA CEO Russell Coutts stood giving an interview to a reporter, reflecting on the final day of racing when team skipper Jimmy Spithill sidled up next to him.
‘Nice work you old bugger. Hey, you still got a few tricks in you. How you feeling, alright?’ said Spithill, who turned 33 years old earlier this week and had just been crowned the first-ever America’s Cup World Series overall champion.
‘You’re too young to know some of those tricks,’ the 50-year-old Coutts shot back with a laugh  … More
It was the shortest leg of the race so far, but just as packed full of drama and excitement. Camper with Emirates Team New Zealand clinched the IWC Schaffhausen Speed Record Challenge Trophy, setting a new record for this year’s race on the run from Lisbon to Lorient. Groupama took the leg win to cement their place at the top of the overall standings. Telefonica, meanwhile, suffered heartbreak.
African Diaspora Maritime (ADM), a non-profit corporation created to motivate, inspire, and teach problem solving and cooperation by introducing early disciplines of maritime knowledge, is suing America’s Cup host, Golden Gate YC, for not letting them compete.
‘I just want to integrate a sport that really needs some integration,’ Charles Kithcart said with more than a twinge of frustration in his voice.
Kithcart is the founder of the North Carolina-based organization which is dedicated to getting more African Americans involved in yacht racing, a sport that tends to be cultural shorthand for ‘wealthy and white.’ His dream is to  … More