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Sailing News for February 27, 2026

Sydney’s SailGP start line will look a little less crowded with New Zealand and France sidelined after the Auckland crash, the investigation confirming it was a brutal gust and foil ventilation at 90 km/h rather than hardware failure, while Tom Slingsby’s Flying Roos lean into trust and tight teamwork as their edge heading into home waters. Offshore, Ian Lipinski and Antoine Carpentier pushed their Class40 scow CREDIT MUTUEL around Cape Horn in the GLOBE40, a milestone lap that proves the latest generation can handle the deep south, and in the Caribbean the 100 footers delivered a classic as Black Jack 100 edged Leopard 3 for monohull line honours in one of the closest finishes the RORC 600 has seen. Ashore, the used boat market refuses to blink, with tight 40 to 60 foot inventory and strong prices rewarding sellers with clean paperwork rather than bargain hunters, while Hyde Sails locked in the full wardrobe for the new Clipper RX fleet built to survive 45,000 miles of punishment. High speed, hard miles and margins measured in seconds.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

Circus moves on without the Kiwis and Frenchmen (3 min read)
Sydney’s SailGP lineup just got lighter. New Zealand and France are sidelined after that brutal 90 km/h crash in Auckland turned two F50s into carbon confetti. The investigation says it wasn’t gear failure, just a nasty gust, foil ventilation, and physics taking over at full send. The Kiwis keep their eight-point penalty, France walks free, and the rest of the fleet gets a slightly less chaotic start line. High speed, tiny margins, zero room for error.

Why trust and belief are driving Australia’s Flying Roos forward (4 min read)
Inside the Flying Roos camp, it’s less hype, more hard-earned trust. Racing F50s at 100 km/h in tight Sydney boundaries leaves zero room for doubt, so strategist calls have to be sharp and execution sharper. Tom Slingsby’s calm sets the tone, but it’s the shared miles and mutual belief that glue it together. After a composed win in Auckland, the Aussies head home with quiet confidence. On Sydney Harbour, trust might be their fastest weapon.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Credit Mutuel at the Horn – A first for a Class40 scow (4 min read)
A Class40 scow just ticked off one of offshore racing’s biggest milestones. Ian Lipinski and Antoine Carpentier took CREDIT MUTUEL around Cape Horn at 13:03 UTC, leading Leg 5 of the GLOBE40 by nearly 600 miles. That is new territory for this generation of Class40s, which have now proven they can handle the deep south with the big boats. There are still 3,000 miles to Recife, and the South Atlantic is rarely polite, but this is a proper statement lap for the class.

Cruising

Is now a good time to buy (or sell) a used boat? (8 min read)
Thinking recession equals bargain boat? Not so fast. In the 40 to 60ft range, stock is tight, prices are holding firm, and clean, well-documented yachts are still moving quickly, sometimes above asking. Sellers are sitting put because new builds cost more and take longer, which keeps supply thin. The real battleground right now is paperwork, especially VAT proof and compliance. Bottom line: it’s not a fire sale. It’s a sharp market that rewards preparation, not cheeky lowballs.

Tech & Gear

Hyde Sails selected to supply critical components for next generation global ocean racing fleet (4 min read)
The next Clipper Round the World fleet just locked in its horsepower. Hyde Sails will kit out all 12 new 72ft Clipper RX yachts with full sail wardrobes, built to survive 45,000 miles of Southern Ocean punishment. The new design, led by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and drawn with input from Nigel Irens, features a beefier bow and smarter deck layout for safer sail changes. Same adventure vibe, tougher platform, and a lot of sail area heading offshore.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

The 100-footers went head to head and it was a proper heavyweight bout. Remon Vos’ RP100 Black Jack 100, skippered by Tristan Le Brun, ripped around the 600-mile Caribbean course in 1 day, 20 hours and change to grab Monohull Line Honours. They edged out the Farr 100 Leopard 3 in one of the tightest duels the race has seen. Not bad for a boat that used to be Alfa Romeo II. Same hull, fresh campaign, still seriously quick.