North Atlantic, the hard way

High-stakes, high-speed sailing is back in the news this week, with the 15th TRANSAT CIC starting gun going off this Sunday. As for me, I’m more of a mimosa sailor than an IMOCA sailor. But hey, it sure is fun to watch.

In today’s letter:

• The North Atlantic: Going the Hard Way.

• Race Updates: Clipper Round The World, Antigua Sailing Week.

• Sailing Snippets: The Endeavour, Nautical Entymology, Boat Thief Found, Noir ‘Nouncement, Free Sailboats.

The North Atlantic: The Hard Way.

The origin and evolution of an impossible race.

The idea for the race was cooked as a bet by some British sailors who wanted to see if it was possible to cross the Atlantic, solo, from East to West. Aka, the Hard Way. For its time, this was considered an almost certain death wish.

In 1960, 115 registered for the race. Of those, 5 boats will make it to the starting line in Plymouth, racing towards New York. Francis Chichester claims the first victory, crossing in 40 days. Of the ordeal, he said, “It was like trying to reach a door with a man standing in your way, a hose pointed at you.”

The first boats had nothing but a compass, a sextant, and a prayer for guidance, and made the occasionally deadly crossing in 40-70 days. Today, foiling trimarans make it in as little as 8. Some of the many highlights (and lowlights) over the years include:

• 1968, 35 Competitors: Geoffrey Williams, on Sir Thomas Lipton is the first to use weather routing in racing, using a radio to communicate with a ground crew back home, avoiding a major depression.

• 1976, 125 Competitors: One of the entrants, David Sandeman, is discovered to be only 17, just before the race begins. He is banned but crosses the starting line anyway. In the middle of the Atlantic, he collides with a Russian trawler and demasts. The trawler crew help him make repairs, and he becomes the youngest sailor in history to cross the Atlantic solo. Two other racers are lost at sea.

• Controversy rages over Alain Colas's participation on the gigantic 236-foot (72-meter) Club Méditerranée monohull, and whether it could be safely single-handed.

• 1980, 110 Competitors: Multihulls now dominate the race. Philip Weld wins aboard Moxie, a trimaran purpose-built for the race, setting a new record of 18 days.

• 1988, 95 Competitors: One boat is damaged, and another is sunk after being attacked by whales.

• 2004, 37 Competitors: The TRANSAT is reserved for professionals, with amateurs racing in the OSTAR the following year. A major storm hits the fleet, with an unprecedented number of de-mastings, capsizing, and rescues all within a few hours.

• 2008, 25 Competitors: François Gabart makes history after crossing in only 8 days and 54 minutes, with an average speed of 23.11 knots.

This year the 15th edition of the race begins Sunday, April 28th in Lorient, and ends in New York. There are 48 skippers in 3 classes: 33 IMOCAs, 13 Class 40s, and 2 vintage yachts.

Race Updates

Clipper Race safe in Seattle, and Antigua Sailing Week.

Clipper Round the World: Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam finished first, crossing the desolate Pacific in 25d 19h 26min 11s. The team also played their Joker for the race, doubling their first-place points.

Antigua Sailing Week: Kicked off this Thursday with the Antigua Wingfoil Championship. On Saturday, April 27, the start gun will fire for the stand-alone Peters & May Round Antigua Race. On Sunday April 28, Antigua Sailing Week has five days of racing plus a midway Lay Day on Wednesday, May 1. On Friday, May 3, the Final Prize Giving Party follows the last day of racing.

Sailing Snippets

The best clips, clicks, & listens from the week.

🎧 Worth a Listen: You might already know the story of Endurance, and Ernest Shackleton’s incredible survival against all odds. If not, this is a must-listen. Even if you already know the tale, this podcast episode is worth a listen not just for the adventure, but because the host pays particular attention to Shackleton's leadership tactics he used to bring his men home. Even if none of us will ever cross the Drake Passage in a 20-foot open boat, there’s still something to learn.

🤳 Worth a Watch: You might not have noticed how many nautical phrases there are hidden in the English language, or that they ever were nautical. Check out this TikTok from an etymology enthusiast on how 300 years of seafaring has influenced more than you think.

🏴‍☠️ Boat Thief Found: Last week an elderly gentleman snuck off with a restaurant’s decorative model boat. This week he was found after the restaurant just, you know, looked at the name on the credit card bill. The boat is now resting safely back on its shelf, and the low-stakes caper has been resolved.

⚫️ Noir ‘Nouncement: It’s so big that her tender is bigger than most full-size sailboats. Dutch shipyard Royal Huisman has announced Project 411 an 81-meter sailing yacht named Noir that will feature the world’s tallest sloop rig, clocking in at 93 meters.

⛵️ Disposition of Town Sailing Fleet: If you’re a Madison Beach resident, you’re in for a treat this weekend. The Town of Madison Beach and Recreation Department invites all Madison residents to visit the Surf Club on Saturday, April 27th from 3pm-6pm as we dispose of the old sailing fleet. Apparently, there is a governmental way of saying “free sailboats”, and that is it. The department invites locals to come and take any parts of the sailing fleet, including whole vessels.

That’s it for today, we’ll ketch ‘ya next week.