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The speed race towards the Cape of Good Hope has begun in southerly trade winds, and the wind forecasts promise a fast race. ----- The quickest (25 knots) was Charlie Dalin FRA ('macif'), who was able to extend his lead over Thomas Ruyant FRA ('Vulnerable') to 31 miles. Sam Goodchild GBR ('Vulnerable') is in third place, 40 miles behind. Still in the leading group is Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Team SNEF') in 10th place is now 82 miles behind. Boris Herrmann GER ('Malizia') has moved up to 13th place with a deficit of 178 miles. Alan Roura SUI ('Hublot') advanced to 29th place, 579 miles behind. Oliver Heer SUI ('tut gut') is 36th 658 miles back, and he will cross the equator today, for the first time! ----- The race tracker and the reports.

The new F50 catamaran season starts today in Dubai. The class has been further upgraded to 12 teams with, for the first time, Team Brazil with Martine Grael BRA and Team Italy with Ruggero Tita ITA. 11 Teams will be at the start, as the French team will miss the first event in Dubai, and join in Auckland in January 2025 for the rest of the season. Their boat is currently being finished in Auckland, New Zealand. Sébastien Schneiter SUI's Team Switzerland also has a new team: the Alinghi crew with Arnaud Psarofaghis SUI and Bryan Mettraux SUI and, as strategist, Maud Jayet SUI are now also taking part. The preview.

The leading group was only slowed down briefly in the Doldrums. In the southerly trade winds, the foilers accelerated to 20 knots and had already crossed the equator. A speed race to the south now follows, with at least 2 days on a half-wind course in ideal conditions. The fleet is close together, the first 12 are just 80 miles apart. ----- Thomas Ruyant FRA ('Vulnerable') leads by just 4 miles ahead of Charlie Dalin FRA ('macif'), Sam Goodchild GBR ('Vulnerable') is 8 miles behind in 3rd place. Also in the leading group is Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Team SNEF'), in 9th place 49 miles behind. Boris Herrmann GER ('Malizia') is in the first chasing group in 14th place, 128 miles behind. Alan Roura SUI ('Hublot') is still 31st. Oliver Heer SUI follows in 36th place. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

The leading group accelerated massively in the trade winds yesterday: Yoann Richomme FRA ('Paprec-Arkea') set another 24-hour solo record with 551 miles - average speed 23kn (40km/h)! This morning, however, the leaders have now reached the Doldrums, and leader Sam Goodchild GBR ('Vulnerable') is traveling at just 4 knots and should soon be replaced by Thomas Ruyant FRA ('Vulnerable'), who is trying his luck further west and making good progress at 17 knots. Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Team SNEF') has moved up to 6th place, 22 miles behind. In the dense midfield is Boris Herrmann GER ('Malizia') in 16th place, 122 miles behind, while Alan Roura SUI ('Hublot') has moved up to 31st place, 272 miles behind. Oliver Heer SUI ('Tut gut') is in 36th position, 456 miles back. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Now in the trade winds, the foiling Open 60 can show off their qualities: In flat water and moderate winds of around 20 knots, they are chasing southwards at 30 knots. ----- Sam Goodchild GBR ('Vulnerable') is back in the lead, Sébastien Simon FRA ('Groupe Dubreuil') follows 42 miles behind, and Charlie Dalin FRA ('Macif') has moved up to third place, 58 miles back. Jean Le Cam FRA ('Tout commence en Finistère') dropped back to 11th place, with Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Team SNEF') right behind in 12th place, 122 miles behind. Alan Roura SUI ('Hublot') and Oliver Heer SUI ('Tut gut') follow in 34th and 36th, respectively. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

François Gabart FRA and his team have been on stand-by in Lorient since Monday to wait for a suitable weather window for their round-the-world record attempt. The record is 40 days and 23 hours, set in 2017 by Francis Joyon FRA and his trimaran 'IDEC'. ----- The report.

Jean Le Cam FRA (tout commence en Finistère) back in the lead! Yesterday, Jean Le Cam FRA was the first to reach the trade winds and accelerate: This morning he is ahead by 48 miles. The next hurdle now is to find the best passage through the Doldrums. South of the Cape Verde Islands, Le Cam is heading west. The first chasing group with all the favorites has also reached the trade wind zone this morning. Among them is Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Team Snef'), 117 miles behind in 11th place. Boris Herrmann GER ('Malizia') follows in 23rd place, 211 miles behind. Alan Roura SUI ('Hublot') has lost a lot (320 miles behind) and is now 31st. Oliver Heer SUI ('tut gut') follows in 36th place. ----- The race tracker and the news.

Another change on top yesterday: in the lead is Sam Goodchild GBR ('Vulnerable'), one of the first in the western group to turn south and continues to benefit from good winds - still - as today, he will reach the flat transition zone to the trade winds. Sébastien Simon FRA follows in second place 38 miles behind, and Thomas Ruyant FRA ('Vulnerable') is already 70 miles behind in third place. Yesterday's leader Jean Le Cam FRA ranked 4th with a 96 miles backlog, currently in the doldrums on the extreme east of the course, is not far from the trade winds. Alan Roura SUI ('Hublot') has dropped back to 8th place, Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork Team Snef') has improved to 14th place, 166 miles behind. Among the day's losers was Boris Herrmann GER ('Malizia'), who dropped back to 30th place, 266 miles off the leader. Directly behind him in 31st place is Oliver Heer SUI ('tut gut'). ----- The race tracker and the reports.

There was good participation at the 3rd round of the ILCA Mediterranean Championship in Marseillan over the weekend. ----- Colombe Le Sage FRA won the ILCA 4, and Elena Ezraty SUI came 6th. André Sorokin SUI followed in 8th place. 42 participants were at the start. ----- There was a Swiss victory by Ulysse Raison SUI in the ILCA 6. ----- In the ILCA 7, Dominguez Marvillet FRA won all 3 races. ----- All rankings.

A spectacular 5th race of the 18-Footer Spring Championship was held yesterday in Sydney: at 25 to 30 knots, only 8 teams reached the starting line, 4 of which finished the race, characterized by capsizes and high-speed sailing. The experienced teams fought a close duel until the end, with Rag&Famish and Harry Price taking the win. ----- The replay (1h 45) and the report.

The 2nd leg of the Régate de l'Escalade from Rolle back to Corsier brought no changes at the top: Jean-Olivier Kerr SNG with his Psaros 33 won again ahead of Denis Menetrey SNG with his MF10. There were 30 teams at the start. ----- The ranking list. José Pont CNM won on calculated time with his Esse 850 - the ranking and the report with pictures.

A race in a class of its own! The first week of racing at the Vendée already exceeded all expectations: Regular lead changes, record speeds, a compact fleet in which even the non-foilers kept up, inconsistent winds with many options for strategic attacks ! This morning Jean Le Cam FRA (Tout commence en Finistère) was still in the lead with his conventional Open 60. In the meantime, he has also reached the flat transition zone to the trade winds in the far east. Also sailing to the east of the fleet, Alan Roura SUI (Hublot) has moved up to second place, just 13 miles behind Le Cam! The former leaders, on the other hand, are sailing in the far west in fresh northerly winds, but are not making any progress towards the equator and are far behind in the classification. Two-time Paralympic gold medallist Damien Séguin FRA (Groupe Apicil) has moved up to 9th place (58 miles behind), Clarisse Cremer FRA (Occitane) is the best ranked woman in 10th place, 76 miles behind. The 23-year-old Violette Dorange FRA (Devenir) has moved up to 15th place, ahead of Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia - 18th place). The winners of the day also include Oliver Heer SUI (Tut gut), who has moved up to 20th place 169 miles behind, two miles ahead of Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork Team Snef) in 21st place. There are likely to be numerous changes of position again today. Who will reach the trade winds first ? Louis Burton FRA (Bureau Vallée), who was sailing in the top group in the west, reported structural damage with cracks in the deck, it is questionable whether he will be able to continue the race - the report. The race tracker and the reports.

The first round of the J/70 Winter Series was sailed in Monaco last weekend. After four races, Stefano Roberti MON and Pierrick Devic MON and their teams achieved a local one-two victory. Lorenz Kausche SUI and Lorenz Müller SUI followed in 6th and 7th place. 22 teams from 6 nations took part. The ranking list.

The Swiss sailing season is not over yet: 30 teams are taking part in the Escalade in Geneva, a two-leg race that led from Corsier to Rolle yesterday and will return to Corsier today. The Psaros 33 of Jean-Olivier Kerr SNG won ahead of Denis Menetrey SNG on an MF 10. The ranking.

As expected, there was an upheaval in the classification yesterday when the doldrums zone was reached: ----- Jean Le Cam FRA (Tout commence en Finistère) was able to get around the leading group in the doldrums in the east along the coast of Morocco and is also the only one sailing at a speed of more than 10 knots this morning. Gian-Carlo Pedote ITA ('Prysmian') is in 2nd place, 7 miles behind, Benjamin Ferré FRA ('Monnoyeur') is in 3rd, 25 miles behind. Alan Roura SUI ('Hublot') has made a huge leap to 4th place, 29 miles behind. Samantha Davis GBR ('Initiatives Coeur') is now the best classified woman in 6th place. Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Team Snef') has dropped back to 17th place, 77 miles behind. Oliver Heer SUI (tut gut) was able to reduce his deficit to 156 miles and is now 31st. Jean Le Cam FRA is the only one trying his luck in the south. It remains to be seen who will be the first to reach the trade winds. The weather conditions are still very unusual. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

Maxime Sorel FRA was the first to retire from the Vendeés Globe yesterday: He injured his ankle and could barely walk. He also damaged his rig, and repairing the halyard swivel in the masthead was beyond his capabilities. The report.

After dominating the qualifications, Maxime Chabloz SUI and Bruna Kajiya BRA also came out on top in the finals. ----- This is Chabloz's first World Cup victory after a series of 2nd places. Arthur Guillebert FRA followed in 2nd place, Finn Flügel GER was 3rd. ----- In the women's final, Kaja Lehmann GER finished 4th behind the clear winner Bruna Kajiya BRA. ----- The results, the report and the Facebook page.

After passing the Canary Islands, the fleet has reached a flat transition zone and the leaders have moved closer together. ----- This morning, Sam Goodchild GBR led 17 miles ahead of Nicolas Lunven FRA ('Holcim-PRB'). Yoann Richomme FRA ('Paprec-Arkea') is now in 3rd place, 43 miles behind, while Justine Mettraux SUI (Teamwork/Team SNEF), who overtook Boris Herrmann GER (Malizia, Rang 9), 9th place, yesterday, is also in the leading group 57 miles behind. ----- The race tracker and the reports. Instead of the usual trade winds, a larger, flat transition zone awaits today....the cards are being reshuffled!

With her conventional Open 60 without foils, 23-year-old Violette Dorange FRA (Devenir) continues to hold her own. After even keeping up with the leading group shortly after the start, she is now in 26th place, 182 miles behind the leaders. With her daily Facebook coverage, she has become an internet star: Meanwhile, 300,000 followers have subscribed to her news! The report.

Qualifying was completed yesterday in Brazil, followed by the quarter-finals. ----- On today's closing day, the semi-finals - with Maxime Chabloz SUI and Finn Flügel GER - and the final are on the program. In addition to favorite Bruno Kajiya BRA, Julia Heckhausen GER and Kaya Lehmann GER have also qualified for the women's semi-finals. ----- All results and the daily report. If possible, we will broadcast the finals live this afternoon.

The fresh aft winds made for a fast race yesterday again. ----- Nicolas Lunven FRA ('Holcim-PRB') even set a new 24-hour single-handed record with 546 miles, moving to 6th place. This morning the fleet is about to pass the Canary Islands, for once in the north where the wind forecast is better: The northerly winds should hold out until the trade wind zone. The leaders are still close together: Yoann Richomme FRA ('Paprec-Arkea)' leads this morning by 2 miles from Charlie Dalin FRA ('maci'f). Sam Goodchild GBR ('Vulnerable') is now 6 miles behind in 3rd place. The chasing pack moved a little closer: Boris Herrmann GER ('Malizia') in 8th place is now 45 miles behind, Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Groupe SNEF') follows in 10th place 57 miles back. Alan Roura SUI ('Hublot') is now 26th, Oliver Heer follows in 34th place. ----- The Race-Tracker and the Reports.

The Freestyle World Cup in Brazil kicked off yesterday with the first heats in perfect conditions. ----- All the favorites won their runs, including Maxime Chabloz SUI and Finn Flügel GER. ----- The results and the daily report.

In the meantime, the leaders have passed Gibraltar in fresh aft winds. While there are stronger winds out in the Atlantic, the IMOCAs sailing close to the coast are benefiting from flat water. ----- The leaders are still close together: This morning Yoann Richomme FRA ('Paprec-Arkea') has taken the lead, followed 6 miles behind by Charlie Dalin FRA ('macif'). The lead is likely to change again in the day: Nicolas Lunven FRA ('PRB-Holcim') has sought his luck far to the west, has moved up from 26th to 7th place and is still travelling 5kn faster than the competition. The winners of the past 24 hours also include Boris Herrmann GER ('malizia'), now in 8th place, 67 miles behind, and Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Groupe SNEF'), who has reduced her deficit by 30 miles and is now 11th, 85 miles behind. Alan Roura SUI ('Hublot') follows in 26th place, 186 miles behind, Oliver Heer SUI ('tut gut') is in 35th place, 235 miles behind. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

With three Olympic participations (ILCA 6, Nacra 17) and as the helmswoman of Alinghi's America's Cup Women's team, Nathalie Brugger has set new standards in Switzerlands Women's sailing for almost 20 years. Now as a coach and foiling trainer, she is the first top athlete in Switzerland to make sailing her profession. ----- In a longer interview, she talks about her high-speed foiling experiences in Barcelona, but also about her cancer illness, which is not yet over.

The second Freestyle World Cup of the year starts today in Brazil. ----- Maxime Chabloz SUI is the favorite in the Men's event, having won the first World Cup in Dunkerque last summer. 15-year-old Finn Flügel GER and Karim Mahmoud EGY also have a chance of a top result. ----- In the Women's event, victory will likely go to four-time world champion Bruna Kajiya BRA. ----- The preview.

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As expected, the fleet quickly crossed the Bay of Biscay with the freshening aft winds and passed Cape Finisterre on the north-western tip of Spain during the night. With winds now up to 25 knots, the foilers have accelerated: ----- Impressive the favorite Charlie Dalin FRA ('macif'), who, after a moderate start, has moved into the lead and is now steadily extending his advance with speeds around 25 knots. Sam Goodchild GBR ('Vulnerable') is now 27 miles behind in second place, with Sébastien Simon FRA ('Groupe Dubreuil') a further 2 miles behind. The well-starting Justine Mettraux SUI ('Teamwork/Groupe Snef') was the first to launch an attack towards the west. With good chances: on the approach to the Canary Islands, the winds will die down close to land and turn to the south, while the fresh northerly winds should persist out in the Atlantic. For the time being, however, the Swiss has lost some ground and is in 19th place, 104 miles behind. Boris Herrmann GER ('Malizia') follows in 26th place, 115 miles behind. Alan Roura SUI ('Hublot') and Oliver Heer SUI ('tut gut') follow in 36th and 37th place. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

The start of the 10th Vendée Globe took place yesterday in light winds in front of 350,000 spectators. Light aft winds kept the fleet close together. This morning - halfway across the Bay of Biscay - the winds picked up enough for the foilers to take off and accelerate. ----- This morning UTC, Sébastien Simon FRA ('Groupe Dubreuil') is leading with a 2-mile advance over Charlie Dalin FRA ('macif'). The favorite Dalin moved up to 2nd place tonight after a slow start. Justine Mettraux SUI follows in 3rd place, 4 miles behind. Oliver Heer SUI ('Tut gut') also got off to an excellent start, keeping up with the leading trio for the first few hours of the race and now dropping back to 22nd place, 22 miles behind. ----- The freshening aft winds will make for a fast race, and the fleet will pass Cape Finisterre on the north-west tip of Spain as early as midday today. ----- The race tracker and the reports.

The final day of the Nacra 17 European Championships brought no changes: Willemijn Offerman/Scipio Houtman NED remained in front after beating Gianluigi Ugolini/Maria Giubilei ITA in the match race for the title, which was held for the first time. Bronze went to Kwinten and Lieselotte Borghijs BEL, who also became European Junior Champions. Laura Farese/Matthäus Zölchling AUT missed a medal by just one point in 4th place. Marie Mazuay/Clément Guignard SUI came 9th, and Andrea Aschieri/Tine Rossel SUI followed in 17th place. ----- The ranking list and the report.

After the lack of wind for the first races on Saturday, two races were sailed yesterday on Lake Thun. ----- With two race wins, Adrian Koller WVR won ahead of Lou Eisenhut RCO and Florian Moser SVKr. 34 Optis were at the start. ----- The results.