The over-riding take-away from the early commissioning phase of the new Emirates Team New Zealand AC75 is one of smoothness personified. As the sailing team wind up through the commissioning gears – and even with legacy foils – what we’re seeing is a boat flying at a consistency both in a straight-line and through the manoeuvres with an ease of purpose and simplified execution. The almost unseen power unit is delivering from the aft pods what looks like plenty of control and already we’re seeing sail shape manipulation, perhaps through early pre-sets, that makes boat-handling look a cinch. Go ..read more

The Herreshoff Marine Museum / America’s Cup Hall of Fame welcomes Josh Belsky, Bob Fisher, Kevin Shoebridge and Juan Vila as Class of 2024 inductees of the America’s Cup Hall of Fame. They will be honored on October 14th, 2024 at the America’s Cup Hall of Fame Induction gala at the Maritime Museum of Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain. “This year’s class reflects the America’s Cup’s intent to foster ‘friendly competition between foreign countries’. We’re honoring four individuals—from four different nations—united by their genuine affection for each other and for yachting’s greatest prize”, said A ..read more

For NYYC American Magic it was back to business in the AC40s with the relentless two-boat race practice continuing in a beautiful 14-18 knots spring breeze with a messy off-set swell that called for boat-handling of the highest order. Unfortunately, the day was cut short by ‘America’ hitting their rudder on some debris in the water and despite putting a diver down to check the foil and stock, ultimately the wise decision was taken to return back to dock and do a thorough analysis. Speaking afterwards, Paul Goodison, helmsman for the team commented: “A beautiful day out in Barcelona, the sea-b ..read more

Another milestone day for Alinghi Red Bull Racing who not only managed to foil tow-test their stunning new AC75 but later in the afternoon also launched and sized the sails. Although they didn’t actually sail, everything is now ready for that first moment, coming soon, when the sheer power of the latest generation Swiss America’s Cup boat is unleashed. For NYYC American Magic it was another day of high-octane training marred by the presence of debris that curtailed their session. Ugo Fonollá / America’s Cup The Swiss are certainly signalling their methodical intentions in this cycle with the r ..read more

A day of firsts in this Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup with Alinghi Red Bull Racing launching in Barcelona and heading out for its first tow-test whilst in Cagliari, a mast-less Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli battled worsening weather for a quick, and at times eventful, tow-session in the morning. For the Italians, there was a large sense of excitement as they docked-out from their Molo Ichnusa base with technicians onboard monitoring everything and the helms, Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni, and the flight controllers (Umberto Molineris and Andrea Tesei) getting to grips with a boat that they ..read more

The 35th Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, with its unique blend of sport, tradition, camaraderie and maritime heritage, starts next Wednesday, April 17th and promises to be an unforgettable experience for all who attend. The racing will be held off the scenic south coast of the island while the onshore events will be in Nelson’s Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is dripping in history. With the largest registered fleet of classic boats since 2014, this year’s regatta is poised to be a truly spectacular event. From the 177-foot sister ships Chronos and Rhea to the 29-foot Falmouth quay ..read more

“This would be my dream motor yacht!” says Nauta Design’s Martino Majno, project manager of the studio’s dazzling new explorer project. At 75 metres in length overall with a beam of 12.8 metres, the XP75 goes well beyond any other explorer project Nauta has designed to date. Based on a client brief, the engineering by Azure Naval Architects is well advanced and comes complete with a 200-page specification document. This is more than just a concept: it’s a mature project ready to start building. Flexibility “A key word when we were designing the XP75 was flexibility,” continues Majno. “An Ice ..read more

2024, a year bluer than ever! Where is the Blue Economy navigating? This year we encounter some events that will mark the calendar and dress it in blue. They are the Paris Olympics, the first sporting event of global interest with the most spectators; and the America’s Cup Barcelona, third sporting event behind the Soccer World Cup. Barcelona will also be the axis of the Blue Economy in the month of April, it has been chosen by UNESCO to host the 2024 Ocean Decade Confrence. Among one of the stages is the renovated Olympic Port of Barcelona, which is preparing to host the America’s Cup. We are ..read more

With the weather clearing in Auckland, Emirates Team New Zealand took advantage of a window to quietly launch the raceboat that will defend the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona in October. The hopes of this sailing-mad nation rest on a progressive and heavily refined design, a (big) step-on from their America’s Cup winning boat ‘Te Rehutai’ of AC36. The full naming ceremony and blessing is not scheduled until later this month, but time is a valuable currency in this competition and the clock is ticking. Hamish Hooper / Emirates Team New Zealand The shore crew worked quickly to ste ..read more

Every new Riva model looks to the future but draws at the same time on an inimitable heritage of elegance, style and know-how that’s been handed down for over 180 years. This formidable mix of innovation and heritage is perfectly captured by Riva El-Iseo, the brand’s first full-electric powerboat that launches the new E-Luxury segment under the banner of sustainability. Like all Riva creations, the new Riva El-Iseo was penned by Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta, founders of Officina Italiana Design, working in partnership with the Strategic Product Committee led by Piero Ferrari and the Ferret ..read more