24 hours of sailing news in 5 minutes.

Sailing News for November 07, 2025

Offshore racing is on fire. Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas clinch Transat CAFÉ L’OR glory after a neck-and-neck 6,600-mile sprint, while the Mini Transat sees Benoît Marie fighting to hold his lead with just 400 miles to go. The homebuilt Globe 5.80s prove their ocean mettle after 10,000 rugged miles, and RORC fine-tunes the 2027 Admiral’s Cup for even closer competition. Cruising tales turn bureaucratic in South Korea, where red tape trumps adventure, and back home, the Australian 18 Footers League celebrates a first-ever double win for female skippers.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Mini Transat 2025: 400 Miles from the Finish, Benoît Marie Under Pressure (4 min read)
With less than 400 nautical miles to Guadeloupe, Benoît Marie (Nicomatic – Petit Bateau) is hanging onto his Proto class lead, but Mathis Bourgnon (Assomast) is closing fast. Mathis has found a better angle and is clawing back miles as Benoît struggles with a slower tack. It’s turning into a tense sprint through the trade winds where one wrong sail choice could decide the winner.

Globe 5.80 Performance Review: How the Micro-Yachts and Gear Fared After 10,000 Miles of Solo Racing (7 min read)
After 10,000 miles of solo ocean punishment, the homebuilt Globe 5.80s are proving tougher than they look. Skippers praised the plywood 19-footers for their seaworthiness and “bulletproof” Hydrovane steering, though wet electrics, tired sails, and shaky solar setups have kept them busy in Fiji’s boatyard. From Starlink Minis zip-tied to stern rails to clever DIY cockpit bubbles, the fleet’s tweaks show that small boats can go big if you are ready to fix everything yourself mid-ocean.

French Mastery at Sea as Cammas and Laperche Win Transat CAFÉ L’OR Duel (4 min read)
Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas took the ULTIM win in the Transat CAFÉ L’OR after a 6,670-mile drag race across the Atlantic that came down to just four hours. Their flying trimaran SVR-Lazartigue held off Sodebo’s Thomas Coville and Benjamin Schwartz after ten days of blistering pace and sleepless dueling. The French duo’s precision sailing sealed the deal in Fort-de-France Bay, proving once again that the French offshore fleet is in a class of its own.

Refinements for 2027 Admiral’s Cup (5 min read)
After a hugely successful comeback in 2025, the Admiral’s Cup is tightening things up for 2027 with small but smart tweaks. Teams will now need one more U27 and female sailor, and new draft limits plus refined rating bands promise even closer racing. The Short Offshore and Rolex Fastnet still carry heavy points, keeping the offshore grind at the heart of the event. RORC is focused on fine-tuning a classic rather than reinventing it, aiming for another world-class showdown in Cowes.

Cruising

Cruising South Korea: The Oppressive Restrictions That Scuppered Our Plans (6 min read)
Cameron Dueck set out to explore South Korea’s stunning island coast but ran headfirst into a wall of red tape. Every marina hop required pre-approval, endless emails, and Coast Guard escorts warning of “very big danger.” Even a simple bridge clearance turned into a bureaucratic standoff. Friendly locals and wild scenery couldn’t make up for the paperwork maze, leaving the crew to swap sea time for sightseeing ashore. It’s a cruiser’s dream wrapped in admin nightmare.

Spotlight

History-Making Day for the League 18 Footers (5 min read)
The Australian 18 Footers League just logged a first since 1935, with two female skippers winning on the same day. Tash Bryant steered Yandoo to the Club Championship win, while Bec Hancock took the Eric Bowen Memorial Trophy with Sotheby’s Ballard Property. Emma Rankin’s Club Marine sits second overall in the SIXT Spring series, proof that consistency counts. With Sixt leading on 11 points and a forecast near 25 knots on tap, the next race could scramble the leaderboard in spectacular fashion.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

JoyRider TV’s Joe Bennett hops aboard the Nacra F20 Carbon FCS for his first foiling blast and immediately hits “Christ on a bike” levels of adrenaline. With Kevin at the helm, the 20-foot carbon rocket lifts off and screams across the water like a jet with sails. It’s chaotic, hilarious, and genuinely awe-inspiring as Joe clings on, half-terrified and half-thrilled, discovering just how wild high-speed foiling can get when you’re not quite ready for it.