After an action-packed summer full of exciting events and competition in the Northern Hemisphere, the focus of the sailing community moves southwards. Between now and the end of the year there are a number of events for sailing fans to look forward to and this article will give fans a quick rundown of the sailing events you can’t miss.
To find out more visit Fixture Calendar and make sure you don’t miss a single start, first beat or finish.
J70 World Championships, Yacht Club de Monaco, 18th – 22nd October
After hosting an incredibly successful Worlds in 2015 the Yacht Club de Monaco will once again play host to one of the biggest and most competitive sportsboat fleets around. Over 90 teams from 23 nations will go head-to-head for 5 days in the waters off the Principality, in what promises to be an incredible week of racing. Arguably the pre-race favourite is Peter Duncan’s Relative Obscurity who will be looking to win a second consecutive World Championship. There are also a number of teams to watch in the Corinthian division, can Marshall King’s Calypso follow their win at the Europeans, a few weeks ago, with a win in the waters of Monaco? What is for sure is that few venues provide as spectacular of a stage as the rolling waves of Monaco.
Dubai Sail Grand Prix, Dubai, 12th-13th November
After a hiatus following Spain SailGP, the world’s best sailors will head to the Middle East for the 7th installment of SailGP action. The season has arguably been the most exciting we have seen to date and the last event in Cadiz was no exception. After Pete Burling and his Kiwi crew took two consecutive wins, Cadiz saw Quentin Delapierre and his French team win their first ever event. Gone are the seasons where we would see Tom Slingsby and his Australian team almost inevitably at the front of the fleet, instead this season it really has been anyone’s guess as to who will finish the weekends on top. Dubai is a new venue for the series and it will be interesting to see which team adapts to the new venue the fastest.
Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, Sydney to Hobart, 26th December
It is difficult to think of a more iconic offshore yacht race than the Sydney Hobart, which is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and finishes 630 miles away at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. This year will host the 77th edition of the famous race and over 100 boats are expected to take part. The fleet ranges hugely in size, with Ranger, Andoo Comanche, Wild Oats XI and Lawconnect some of the highlights of the star-studded entry list. The race is notoriously brutal and once the boats leave the Sydney Heads conditions can be rough and put a focus on conservative sailing. The sailing community is waiting with bated breath to see whether the nine-time winner of the race, Wild Oats XI, has benefited from its recent and extensive refit and can win another Hobart race. Whoever wins, however, there is very little that compares to seeing the fleet race hard out of Sydney Harbour. Who will take line honours?
