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Sailing News for March 10, 2026

After 45 years of trying, Paul Cayard finally captured the Bacardi Cup alongside Frithjof Kleen in the fiercely competitive Star fleet on Biscayne Bay, winning on consistency with just 11 points while Robert Scheidt and Austin Sperry finished a single point behind and Mateusz Kusznierewicz with Bruno Prada completed a podium sweep for Doyle sails. In inland racing, Nick “The Colonel” Craig dominated the OK Dinghy Travellers Series opener at Burghfield, winning seven of eight sprint races in classic shifty lake conditions while Roger Tushingham fought back from an early OCS to take second and 86 year old Alan Atkin even threatened the fleet at times. The spotlight story goes offshore where veteran sailor Pete Hill survived a brutal Tasman Sea passage aboard his junk rigged catamaran China Moon after losing steering, destroying two drogues and climbing the mast in heavy weather to clear a jammed sail before finally reaching New Zealand, proving once again that seamanship and stubborn grit still matter when the ocean decides to test you. Meanwhile the next America’s Cup campaign is already stirring as Emirates Team New Zealand’s rebuilt AC75 Taihoro returns to the water in Auckland, marking the real beginning of the push toward the 2027 Cup.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Doyle-Powered Teams Sweep Bacardi Cup Podium (3 min read)
After 45 years of trying, Paul Cayard finally snagged the Bacardi Cup, sailing with Frithjof Kleen in the ultra-competitive Star fleet on Biscayne Bay. The win came down to consistency, with the pair finishing the series on just 11 points. Right behind them were Robert Scheidt and Austin Sperry, only one point back, while Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada rounded out the podium. Fun twist: all three teams were running Doyle sails, turning the results sheet into a full-on Doyle sweep.

Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta Ends in High-Wind Chaos (5 min read)
Thttps://www.sailing.org.au/news/nautilus-marine-insurance-sydney-harbour-regatta

Nick Craig Dominates OK Dinghy Travellers Series Opener at Burghfield (4 min read)
The OK Dinghy Travellers Series kicked off at Burghfield with classic inland chaos: shifty breezes, disappearing wind, and plenty of head scratching. Nick “The Colonel” Craig handled it like a pro, winning seven of eight sprint races to run away with the event. Roger Tushingham grabbed second after bouncing back from an early OCS and even stealing the final race from Craig. Meanwhile, 86-year-old Alan Atkin nearly scared the fleet from the front at one point. Light wind, short races, and plenty of lake sailing mischief.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

Nick Craig Dominates OK Dinghy Travellers Series Opener at Burghfield (4 min read)
The OK Dinghy Travellers Series kicked off at Burghfield with classic inland chaos: shifty breezes, disappearing wind, and plenty of head scratching. Nick “The Colonel” Craig handled it like a pro, winning seven of eight sprint races to run away with the event. Roger Tushingham grabbed second after bouncing back from an early OCS and even stealing the final race from Craig. Meanwhile, 86-year-old Alan Atkin nearly scared the fleet from the front at one point. Light wind, short races, and plenty of lake sailing mischief.

Spotlight

Storm survival in the Tasman Sea: Pete Hill loses steering and two drogues (6 min read)
Veteran sailor Pete Hill survived one of the toughest passages of his career while crossing the Tasman Sea aboard his junk-rigged catamaran China Moon. A steering failure, two destroyed drogues, and Force 8–9 storms turned the 1,200-mile passage into a survival test. Hill climbed the mast in heavy seas to clear a jammed sail, hand-steered through the night while surfing at up to 20 knots, and improvised repairs before finally reaching Nelson, New Zealand. The ordeal also delivered hard lessons about drogue setup, Dyneema vs nylon rode, and preventing junk-rig fan-ups.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Emirates Team New Zealand just rolled their AC75 Taihoro back out of the shed after a serious six-month rebuild. The boat has racked up around 10,000 hours in the yard with new systems, updated hydraulics, and a bunch of tweaks hidden under the skin. For the sailors, it feels like a brand-new machine and the start of the next Cup push. With testing about to ramp up in Auckland, the Kiwis are officially back on the water chasing a fourth straight America’s Cup win in 2027.