Racing

New York Yacht Club American Magic has assembled many of the world’s best sailors to challenge for the 36th America’s Cup presented by Prada, and guiding them toward triumph in Auckland in March 2021 is one of the finest coaches in the sport. A resident of Granville, VT, James Lyne has won multiple world championships in the TP52, Maxi 72, Farr 40, Melges 24 and Melges 20 classes. WindCheck: Where did you grow up, and how old…

New York City is the venue for the third event of SailGP, a new annual global championship in which six nations are going head-to-head on identical 50-foot foiling catamarans. Billed as “sailing redefined,” SailGP was conceived “to engage and excite global sports fans year-round in a supercharged, fast-paced version of sailing aimed at increasing its mainstream popularity, introducing the next generation to the sport and creating a career path for extraordinary athletes.” Teams representing the United States, Australia,…

Paul L. Roberti shot this photo of Will Welles and crew Zeke Horowitz, Jake Doyle and Reed Baldridge sailing in the J/70 class at the 2019 Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta, hosted by the Coral Reef Yacht Club in Coconut Grove, FL March 3 – 9. Posting a 4-2-13-14-10-7-5-2 scoreline, Scamp finished fourth in the 33-boat fleet. A two-time J/24 World Champion and four-time J/24 North American Champion, Welles lives with his wife Katie and daughter Annika in…

By Stephen Zwarg Saturday, March 30 was a beautiful early spring day for the “frostbiting” Corinthians and guests at Mystic Seaport Museum’s Community Sailing Center on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT. With the temperature in the 50s, no wool hats or gloves were necessary! What kind of frostbiting is this? There were no complaints from the competitors, and the sailing conditions, SE to S winds from 5 to 12 knots, were ideal for the Museum’s fleet…

By Jim Arnemann Each year, the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, NY and the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, MD enter boats in the Around Long Island Regatta (ALIR) and similar races in order to train their midshipmen in the challenges of the sea. The USMMA has been participating in the ALIR for close to 30 years and the USNA is just slightly behind them with about 20 races. These service…

Editor’s note: This interview is the third in a series we’re planning for each issue of WindCheck leading up to the 36th America’s Cup presented by Prada, which will be sailed March 6 – 21, 2021 in Auckland, New Zealand. This month we’re checking in with a member of the challenger’s design team, a talented engineer who’s a graduate of both MIT and the Oakcliff Sailing Sapling Program. WindCheck: Where did you grow up, and how old…

In the world of auto racing, Roger Penske is THE MAN. It’s just that simple. Team Penske’s success in the sport – in multiple series over more than half a century – is unequaled, and the 2018 season was perhaps the best in the organization’s history. Drivers racing for “The Captain” tallied 32 wins last year, including a 17th Indianapolis 500 victory (Go, Will!) and Team Penske’s 500th all-time victory (Go, Brad!), as well as titles in…

By Chad Corning The speed and exhilaration of multihull sailing comes with a price. When it goes wrong and a big multi capsizes, it stays capsized and generally you’ll lose the rig. On Jason Carroll’s MOD 70 Argo (Larchmont, NY) we found ourselves in this unfortunate position just before the start of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 2019 Caribbean 600. Things were pretty rosy for Team Argo after blitzing the Pineapple Cup record and enjoying a nice, easy delivery…

Ever think the world is kicking you in the shins? That life’s not fair? Feeling sorry for yourself? Go immediately to ClagettRegatta.org. Here you will learn about people doing things that will make you cringe that you ever thought you were having a bad hair day. The C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta honors the memory of Tom Clagett, a passionate sailor who contracted meningitis in his youth. Tom was paralyzed for a while and…

By John Bainton Racing boats in the winter is something I have done since I was probably about eight or nine years old. I started while sailing with my father, Joe Bainton, in Interclubs at Larchmont Yacht Club in Larchmont, NY and Snipes in Annapolis. When I was about fourteen, I got my first Laser Radial and started frostbiting at Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport, CT. I was frostbiting in Lasers on and off over my adult…