Brad Van Liew Wins Third Leg of Velux 5 Oceans

Brad Van Liew arrived in Punta del Este, Uruguay yesterday, winning the third leg of the Velux Five Oceans Singlehanded Around the World Race.   The remaining three racers, Zbigniew “Gutek” Gutkowski, Derek Hatfield and Chris Stanmore-Major are all within only 50 nautical miles of … Continue reading

Wet And Wild Start For VELUX 5 OCEANS Sprint Three

Blustery winds, gray skies and rain marked the beginning of the 6,000 nautical mile Sprint 3 of the Velux Five Oceans Singlehanded Around the World Race.  The four remaining boats departed Sunday from Wellington, New Zealand bound for to Punta del … Continue reading

The Velux 5 Oceans Eco 60, an “affordable” ocean racer?

Six sailors have crossed the starting line on the Velux 5 Oceans single-handed around the word race.  They are all sailing Eco 60 class sailboats.  As the race begins we thought it worthwhile to take a look at this “new” class of … Continue reading

Countdown to the VELUX 5 Oceans Race

The Velux 5 Oceans Single Handed Round the World Race will be starting in just over a week on October 17th.   The competitors will race from La Rochelle, France to Cape Town, South Africa; then on to Wellington, New Zealand; to … Continue reading

Van Liew Sweeps the Velux 5 Ocean Single-Handed Around the World Race

Our slightly belated congratulations to Brad Van Liew, the American sailor who won the Velux 5 Oceans single-handed around the world race in his Le Pingouin ECO 60.  Van Liew dominated the Velux 5 Oceans race, winning all five legs.   Van Liew is the first … Continue reading

Brad Van Liew Arriving Charleston Today, Winning Fourth Leg of Velux Five Oceans

Brad Van Liew sailing  Le Pingouin is expected to cross the finish line in Charleston, SC, his adopted home town, some time today, continuing to dominate the Velux Five Oceans singlehanded around the world race.  Thus far, he has won all four legs of the around the world race thus far. … Continue reading

The Fourth Leg of the Velux Five Oceans Singlehanded Round the World Race Underway

The fourth leg of the Velux Five Oceans Singlehanded Round the World Race is underway as the four competitors set off from Punta del Este, Uruguay bound for Charleston, South Carolina.  The racers are currently sailing at north at around ten knots … Continue reading

Second Leg of the Velux Five Oceans Race Underway

The second leg of the Velux Five Oceans singlehanded around the world race began today with the five  competitors  setting  sail from Cape Town, South Africa bound for Wellington, NZ, a 7,000 mile voyage across the wild Southern Ocean.  Brad Van Liew, … Continue reading

Charleston Harbor Fest – Mix of Old and New

The Charleston Harbor Fest which begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday features a mix of old and new on the water.  The four competing ECO 60 sailboats in the Velux 5 Oceans Around the World Race will be on display as will the three traditional vessels, the … Continue reading

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede Wins Golden Globe Race After 221 Days at Sea

After 221 days alone at sea, 73-year-old French sailor, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, returned to where he started, Les Sables d’Olonne, France, winning the Golden Globe Race. He crossed the finish line at 0900 local time this morning aboard his Rustler 36, Matmut.  The … Continue reading

Older Sailors and the Sea — Robin Knox-Johnston, Stanley Paris & Jeanne Socrates

An update on previous posts involving sailors of a certain age.  Sir Robin Knox Johnston, 75, sailing Grey Power, placed third in the highly competitive Class 40 fleet in the Route Du Rhum race between St. Malo in Brittany to Guadeloupe.  In … Continue reading

Vendée Globe: Leaders Cross the Equator & ‘Gutek’ Retires due to Autopilot Failures

The six boats leading in the Vendée Globe non-stop round-the-world single-handed yacht race have all crossed the equator and are heading for the Southern Ocean.  The leaders are, respectively – Armel Le Cléac´h,  François Gabart, Bernard Stamm, Vincent Riou, Jean-Pierre Dick, and Alex Thomson.  Meanwhile, Zbigniew Gutikowski, … Continue reading

Post Irene Wrap-up: How the Ships & Boats Coped with the Storm

Hurricane Irene has swept past, not as bad as she could have been, but bad enough, nevertheless.  Downgraded to a tropical storm by 9AM this morning, she still caused significant flooding on the East coast, hitting  Philadelphia  particularly hard. The city, situated between the Delaware … Continue reading