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Sailing News for November 11, 2025

This edition has something for every sailor. The CYCA opens discounted pre-orders for the 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart program packed with eight decades of racing history, while Auckland’s A-Cat Worlds prepare to launch into full foiling flight. Offshore lessons hit home with a dramatic chainplate failure story, and the BoatUS Foundation tackles derelict boats with a national cleanup database. Sustainability gets sleek with the electric Vaan R5 catamaran, and the new WASZP All-Stars Invitational promises foiling’s next generation a global stage.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

Discounted Pre-Order of the Official 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Program (3 min read)
With the 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race just weeks away, the CYCA is offering a special $15 pre-order for the official program, down from $25. It’s packed with skipper interviews, fleet profiles, and eight decades of race history, plus every order comes with a free commemorative A3 poster. Whether you’re racing south or watching from the shore, this guide is the perfect way to get hyped for the Boxing Day start.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

How a Faulty Chainplate Turned a Perfect Sail into a Dismasting Disaster (8 min read)
What started as a dreamy sail to the Isles of Scilly for Richard Ayerst and crew turned into chaos when a chainplate weld on Blue Dolphin, a Southerly 420, snapped without warning. The 54ft mast went overboard, the VHF went silent, and an impromptu hacksaw session began as they battled to free the wrecked rig. Thanks to quick thinking, the RNLI, and some nerve, no one was hurt, just a painfully expensive reminder to check your chainplates and carry better cutting tools.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

A-Cat Worlds: Ready to Go (4 min read)
Practice racing wrapped up in Auckland for the PredictWind A-Cat Worlds, where 55 foiling fanatics are fine-tuning for Tuesday’s kickoff. The breeze sat around 5–9 knots with just enough chop and seaweed to keep things interesting. Aussie newcomer Jamie Jochhiem showed serious form in the Classic fleet, while Kiwi Dave Shaw and Italy’s Lamberto “La Volpe Pazza” Cesari lit up the Open fleet with some wild foiling moves. The warm-up’s over — the real flying starts now.

Cruising

BoatUS Foundation Launches National Database to Track Abandoned Boats (5 min read)
The BoatUS Foundation has launched the first national database to track abandoned and derelict boats in U.S. waters, working with NOAA to crowdsource reports from the public. The goal is to map the problem, clean it up, and stop it from growing. With removal grants already going to states and territories from Alaska to the Virgin Islands, this project gives coastal communities a real chance to tackle the junked hulls cluttering their shores.

Sustainability

Vaan R5 Review: The 50ft Electric Multihull Pushing Sustainable Sailing (8 min read)
The Dutch-built Vaan R5 isn’t just another luxury catamaran, it’s a floating statement of eco-innovation. Made from 70% recycled aluminium and powered by twin electric pods, this 50-footer glides out of port in near silence. With Tesla-clean styling, panoramic glass, and clever energy systems, it proves sustainability can look sharp and sail fast. It’s not cheap, but if guilt-free cruising and quiet mornings under sail sound good, the R5 might be your dream cat with a conscience.

Spotlight

WASZP All-Stars Invitational: Where the Best WASZP Sailors Rise (6 min read)
The WASZP Class is taking youth foiling to the next level with the new All-Stars Invitational, launching in Pensacola in 2026. Twenty of the world’s fastest dinghy foilers will battle for a $10,000 prize pool in two days of high-octane sprint racing. It’s an invite-only showcase for rising stars from the SailGP Inspire pathway, designed to spotlight the next generation of pro sailors. Expect tight racing, slick storytelling, and plenty of future champions making their mark.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Ever wondered how an America’s Cup foiler can blast along at triple the wind speed? This Sailing Tips video breaks it down beautifully. Early square-riggers worked like parachutes, but modern boats act more like airplanes turned sideways — sails create lift in the air, foils do the same in the water, and the opposing forces push the boat forward faster than the wind itself. Add carbon fiber, hydrofoils, and some slick physics, and you’ve got the recipe for mind-bending speed.