yacht racing experience days

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Yacht Sailing Experience Days

Master the waves with a yacht racing adventure or tall ship sailing experience.

Sailing experiences make the perfect gift for anyone who likes to spend time on the water. From a Tall Ship Sailing Experience in Dorset to a hands-on sailing lesson in  Edinburgh , these sailing experience gifts offer an unforgettable adventure on the water. Ideal for both seasoned sailors, beginners and those looking to spend time outdoors, Sailing Experience Days can be fun for the whole family  to enjoy. 

• Isle of Wight (5)
• Lymington (5)
• Dorchester (4)
• Brighton (3)
• Carlisle (3)
• Edinburgh (3)
• St Davids (1)
• Hampshire (5)
• Cumbria (3)
• East Sussex (3)
• Midlothian (3)
• Pembrokeshire (1)
• £100 to £200
• £200 to £300
• £300 to £500

19 Yacht Sailing Experience Gift Ideas

Dorset Two-Hour Tall Ship Sailing Experience

• Join the crew of a majestic tallship, and set sail on a two-hour trip off Dorset's Jurassic Coast.

Scenic Lymington Dinner Sail Aboard a Solent Yacht

• Relax on a Solent yacht sailing trip and enjoy a delicious dinner

Brighton Half-Day Scenic Sailing Experience

• Step aboard a performance yacht for a three hour sailing cruise from Brighton Marina. Sit back and r...

Firth of Forth Forth Bridge Sailing Experience

• Experience sailing in Edinburgh with this wonderful Forth Bridge taster sailing trip.

Scenic Lymington Lunch Sail Aboard a Solent Yacht

• Relax on a Solent yacht sailing trip and enjoy a delicious lunch

Dorset Four-Hour Tall Ship Sailing Experience

• Join the crew of a majestic tall ship and set sail on a four-hour trip off Dorset's Jurassic Coast.

Firth of Forth Full-Day Sailing Experience Edinburgh

• Spend a day sailing around Edinburgh's bridges and Islands with this full day Edinburgh sailing expe...

Firth of Forth Half-Day Sailing Experience Edinburgh

• Experience the beauty of Edinburgh's coastline and become an expert skipper with this half day saili...

Jurassic Coast Sailing Overnight Sailboat Stay

• Spend the day sailing the South Coast, setting off and finishing in Lymington. Stay the night in the...

Jurassic Coast Sailing Full-Day Lymington Sail

• Experience the beauty of the South Coast during this Full Day Yachting adventure, departing from Lym...

Dorset Five-Hour Tall Ship Sailing Experience

• Join the crew of a majestic tall ship and set sail on a five-hour trip off Dorset's Jurassic Coast.

Pembrokeshire Two-Day RYA Start Yachting Course

• Milford Haven
• An introduction to the fantastic sport of yachting, RYA certification at the end of the weekend, con...

Brighton Two-Day RYA Start Yachting Sailing Course

• Experience the magic of Yacht Sailing with this wonderful weekend on board, learning all of the skil...

Lymington Spa Two Night Luxury Yacht Cruise

• Spend two days sailing the South Coast, setting off and finishing in Lymington, before settling down...

Brighton Two-Hour Scenic Sunset Sailing Cruise

• Enjoy an evening aboard a performance yacht for a two hour sunset cruise in Brighton. Sit back and r...

Dorset Six-Hour Tall Ship Sailing Experience

• Join the crew of a majestic tall ship and set sail on a six-hour trip off Dorset's Jurassic Coast.

Cumbria Windermere Sail And Dining For Two

• Sail On Windermere With A Ploughmans Lunch In The UK

Cumbria Windermere Private Yacht Sailing

• Embark On A Hands On Sailing Adventure In England And Navigate A Ten Meter Yacht On The Iconic Water...

Lake Windermere Private Sailing For Four

• Sail Through Windermere On A Skippered Yacht Charter And Enjoy Scenic Views And Control The Yacht

Yacht Sailing Experience Gift Guides

• Adventure , Destination Guides

Sitting between the borders of Cornwall & Somerset and neatly tucked away in the South West of England lies the country’s third largest county; Devon. The picturesque ‘Cornubian Massif’ abuts both the English and the Bristol Channels, naturally creating a haven for extreme sports, and in particular;...

Pushing Limits: Extreme Sports in East Sussex in 2024 East Sussex, despite having no motorways, boasts impressive connectivity and shares borders with the scenic counties of West Sussex, Surrey, and Hampshire. Known for its green landscapes and Roman remains, East Sussex offers an array of outdoor ...

6 Thrilling Extreme Sports Experiences to Try in Surrey for 2024Nestled between East and West Sussex and beneath Berkshire, Surrey boasts the highest concentration of woodland in the country. This county is home to the Devil’s Punchbowl and England’s largest vineyard. As the most densely populated '...

Most Popular Yacht Sailing Experiences

Learn about yacht sailing experience gifts, yacht sailing experience gift guide.

There’s nothing in the world quite like yacht sailing. Gliding across the surface of the ocean, with the wind in your hair, the splash of the waves, and the sail billowing overhead, you feel an incomparable sense of tranquillity and oneness with your environment. 

Yacht sailing has so many benefits from improving cardiovascular health, improving concentration, and increasing agility to lowering stress levels and reducing anxiety. It’s also a highly sustainable activity that harnesses the natural power of the wind and waves. 

Dorset boasts one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the United Kingdom. With unique geological features like Durdle Door, and Lulworth Cove, there are few places that provide such a beautiful backdrop for a sailing experience. Take an unforgettable 5-hour trip off Dorset’s rugged Jurassic coast on a stately tall ship, join a full-day sailing experience from lovely Lymington, or go full ‘sailing lifestyle’ with a live-aboard boating experience on a 2-days and 2-nights sail along the South Coast. 

The quintessential seaside town, Brighton is a superb spot for a yacht sailing experience. Treat yourself to a 2-hour sunset sail on a performance yacht. Seeing the city skyline from the water, as the sky turns a rainbow of colours, is an experience you won’t forget in a hurry. Get a qualification while enjoying your yachting experience, with a beginners yachting weekend in Brighton. Under the guidance of your skipper, gain an RYA ‘Start Yachting’ certificate that counts towards the ‘Competent Crew’ certificate, while having the most amazing couple of days on the waters off the South Coast. 

The Solent, the strait between the Isle of Wight and Great Britain, is famous for being one of the premier yachting areas in the world, with picturesque locations and protected waters. Enjoy a Solent yacht sailing experience with a delicious included lunch, and either relax with a glass of bubbles, or get involved with the crew before sailing past the Isle of Wight, Beaulieu and the iconic Needles. Don’t forget your camera! 

Scotland is a pretty special location for a yacht sailing experience as well. Spend a half or full day exploring the stunning Fife coast and sailing round Edinburgh’s bridges and islands. Get involved with crewing the vessel, or just kick back and soak up the scenery. You might even catch sight of a porpoise if you’re lucky! 

A yacht sailing experience would make a generous gift for anybody with a sense of adventure or a love of the ocean. 

Yacht Sailing Experience Days Reviews

Yacht sailing experience days by price, questions about yacht sailing experiences, how many yacht sailing experiences are available as gift vouchers.

We have 17 yacht sailing experiences. 

How easy is it to book a Yacht Sailing experience during the summer?

Our Yacht Sailing experiences are very popular. Especially during the summer. If you would like to take part in a Yacht experience, always enquire before hand to check availability, and book as far in advance as you can.

Are there maximum weight requirements to take part in Yacht Sailing experiences?

This is completely dependant on the size of the Yacht. This tends to vary between experiences. The average requirement for Yacht Sailing experiences is that a participant does not exceed 20 Stone. You can find more specific details under the Requirements section of the product page.

More Water Based Experience Ideas

• Coasteering Experiences
• Jet Ski Experiences
• Kitesurf Experiences
• Paddleboard Experiences
• Power Boat Experiences
• Sailing Experiences and Lessons
• Scuba Dive Experiences
• Surfing Experiences
• Wakeboard Experiences
• Water Jet Pack Experiences
• Windsurf Experiences
• Scenic Cruises

You can manage your wishlist and share it from the My Wishlist link located at the top of the page.

You can manage your wishlist and share it from the My Wishlist link located at the bottom of the page.

Place your order online.

An Experience Days Gift Pack is sent via the shipping method of your choice. Instant Email Gift Vouchers are available for those last minute gift ideas. The gift pack includes everything your recipient will need to redeem and book their experience.

Gift Vouchers are valid for 12 months allowing the gift recipient the freedom to enjoy their experience at their convenience.

ITALIA YACHTS REGATTA EXPERIENCE DAYS 2024

Regatta racing season has started.

The success of a regatta lies in thorough preparations! Would you like to know how successful regatta sailors prepare for the coming Italian ORC Championship?

Join us at the 6th edition of the Coppa del Campioni, which will be held again in Trani, Italy, between May 31st and June 3rd. This warm-up event for the ORC nationals features captivating scenery and serene waters overlooking the historical village and cathedral, which is near Bari and the Bari International Airport.

Beautiful surroundings with heart-pounding experiences

Suppose you are a regatta sailor, want to see how sharp teams of racers work together during training and racing, or want to experience sailing a selection of Italia Yacht models yourself. In that case, this is the event of the year for you!

We invite you, as part of the Yacht-Match Client Network, to the unique opportunity to participate in the event as a crew member on the IY 11.98 racing boat OR as an observer on the beautiful Italia Yachts 14.98!

You also get to explore the features and capabilities of these fine yachts, test their speed, and enjoy the beauty of Italy’s open sea during sea trials right after the regatta. Our expert team guides you through the experience and answers all your questions - always readily available for your convenience!

EVENT SCHEUDLE

May 30-31st - preparations, june 1st - racing, june 2nd - racing & socialising, june 3rd - sea trials.

Suppose you’ve set your eyes on a Italia Yachts model. In that case, our team of yacht specialist advisors offers unbiased advice and guidance so you can get a comprehensive overview of your options moving forward. From Regatta Management Support to Yacht Ownership Solutions or Legal Advisory – we’ve got you covered for every possible situation.

Meet the team

Luka Prazic

Naval Architect, focused on the development and implementation of renewable energy solutions for the leisure marine industry, with emphasis on the reduction of C02 emissions. Yacht-Match Yachts & Brokerage

Our co-founder and an acknowledged yachtsman with over 35 years of experience in the leisure marine industry working for the largest shipyards and acting an independent yachting consultant. Yacht-Match Group

REGATTA SERVICE WEBINAR

On May 25th, you can learn more about our Regatta Services, which include crew training and race team management as well as logistics and fine-tuning of your boat.

*All technical details of the boats will be available one week before the event.

• News/Events

May 10, 2024 | Boating News

What you Need to Know About Yacht Racing

We talk to Cameron Davies about all things yacht racing.

Cameron runs a fantastic yacht called Expresso Martini, on behalf of First Class Sailing. He and his first mate will take you out on the water, to get a real taste of life at the cutting edge of the racing world, in a safe and fully supported environment.

Giving you an experience and adrenaline rush like no other, combined with the satisfaction of working in a team that’s being tested to its limits.

Tell us a little about yourself

I’m a Yachtmaster Offshore commercially endorsed skipper. That’s what I do for First Class Sailing – race a boat called Espresso Martini. I’ve been sailing for about 40 years. It started in dinghies, gone through sports boats into yachts, partly because dinghies is too physical for me these days. But partly also because you want to go further as your sailing career develops. I was lucky enough to have gone through the youth squad under the great Jim Saltonstall and his coaching experience, and it was absolutely fantastic, brilliant introduction to sailing.

Why Race? What got you into it?

I think there’s a combination of things you know, on the one hand there is nothing else but the wind, right? You’ve got the wind driving you. We’re an island race, we’ve blown along every day one way or another harnessing that to make the boat go as fast as possible on every angle of sail in every possible condition with a crew that may or may not have experience of doing this before.

That’s the buzz, right? You layer on top of that. The need to start, countdown, you know, five minutes, four minutes, one minute.  The heart races, the excitement’s up, the adrenaline’s there, the crew are sharp. There’s lots of people looking from the deck telling you what other boats are doing.

There’s a milling around of a lot of boats. The bigger the boats are, the more intimidating that can be. But you have to go in with a plan for your start. You have to know where you’re going to be. On the longer races, where it might be two days, one day might be two days, five days, whatever it might be, the start is less important.

But still, that’s one of the initial bits of the excitement, is to get there over the start line and get clear and get a good start.

What do people need to know or think about when it comes to yacht racing?

Yacht racing provides the opportunity to sharpen up all of those skills that sailors know they have. So We’re hoisting the mainsail, we’re hoisting the jib, we’re trimming the mainsail, we’re trimming the jib, we’re flying a spinnaker. A spinnaker could be a complicated thing, in waves, in breezy conditions, there’s a lot to manage. We may have to jibe the spinnaker, you’ve got to bring the pole down inside the forestay, trip the spinnaker before you do that, reconnect it after the jibe, on a boat that’s moving from side to side and fore and aft, on a narrow bow.

Because it’s a race boat, it’s quite a platform to encourage you to get your balance right and your coordination of all these various activities right. And when you then go back to perhaps cruising or another form of sailing that you might do, you take all of that with you as a sort of learning.

And it just makes you think, okay, I’ve been now used to pushing a fast boat hard at speed. At speeds that I’m not used to, we’ll get 14, 15, perhaps 18 knots surfing down a wave routinely, and we’ll go up, we’ll go up wind, we’ll go up wind in 8 knots, 10 knots of true wind, we’ll be going up wind at 6, 7 knots, so it’s immediate. You really get a sense of, okay, well, this is what I can do.

And one of the other great things when we’re going upwind is, our tacking angle is really small compared to cruising boats. So we’re tacking at 38 degrees, either side of the wind, it’s phenomenal. And so we make quick progress over the race course, over the ground. And that’s exciting, right? And you know, giving people the experience of that, is wonderful because they enjoy it. And when they then do step back to whatever it is is their normal form of sailing, I think they’ve just developed a confidence around sail handling, around boat trim, around sail trim, around spinnakers if they want to use them, that they wouldn’t have had.

Tell us about the team-building aspect.

I started in dinghy sailing, two man boats, single handed boats, you’re doing everything yourself. There comes a point where the boats get large enough for you not to be able to do that, and you need other people to be able to contribute. But the whole coordination say between helm and mainsheet, if the mainsheet person has not released the main at a time that I need to duck, if I’m helming, duck behind a boat, we’re not moving. We’re going to hit that boat. And if it’s a big drop down behind a boat, if we’re on port tack and we need to give way to a starboard boat and it’s a half a boat length or a full boat length, we need to duck down and it’s breezy,  the main needs to come off, the jib needs to come off too.

So you need a main sheet trimmer, you need a jib sheet trimmer, all to be coordinated with the helm. And you don’t want to be doing this and losing speed. So, you drop down, keep the speed on, come back up, and try and get nice and tight to the stern of the starboard tacker. Come back up onto the wind again, all of that coordination that people need on a boat. That’s three or four people working together to develop ultimately some kind of intuition between you all.

And that comes with time, practice and experience?

Exactly. And again, when you take that back to your boat, you realise that it’s a very manageable thing – actually I can get closer to that vessel than I thought I ever could, and I can do some racing. An example, Round the Island Race – it’s a race for all. So you can do the IRC classes as we do. We’re an IRC one boat. Or you can enter in as a cruising class, cruising racing class, and you can do something at a different level. It’s still a race, right?

Perhaps it’s something you never thought of doing before, but now you can.

Tell us about the racing opportunities at First Class Sailing

First Class Sailing is a London and Southampton based sail training company. We charter Espresso Martini into First Class Sailing, we love working with them, they’re a fantastic set of people. And, they provide people for us to take out for this experience. So, it can be everything from The Fastnet to Round the Island. We can do inshore racing, and we can do smaller offshore races in the Fastnet. The calendar is a full calendar, there’s no end of weekends to take part in through the summer.

What is the racing like in the Solent?

It offers everything really. And it offers a ruggedness, and yet without it being too wild. So, you’ve got the protection of the Hearst Narrows, so the seas can’t quite get that big, but they can get big enough.

And you’ve got wind against tide, you’ve got quite a ferocious tide at times. The racing will start this year with the Knab Tower Race, 23rd of March, so it’s a 35 mile race from Cowes. Out to the east, round the Knab Tower and back. The following day is a race out to the west, slightly shorter, 25 miles.

And you’ve got the south west facing western Solent, and the kind of south east facing eastern Solent – and a lot of water between the two. So it covers a lot of wind directions that you can Well, basically there’s not a wind direction. that doesn’t allow you to set a course, if that makes sense.

Tell us about the process someone new to sailing might go through.

We start the season March, April, depending really where Easter lies. It will start with the Winter Series racing, that’s usually run by Warsash or one of the other clubs.

That will involve day sailing, Sunday racing, and two weekends, full weekends, Saturday and Sunday, which are within that programme, but also independent of it. So you could just do those four days over two weekends. It does not include racing over Easter. Easter’s something separate. That builds you in then to the, really the start of the offshore racing season.

So that takes us through April. That’s a great way of coming into it. So that’s inshore sailing. generally flatter waters, sharp responses are required, lots of boats around, shorter race courses, more upwind, downwind legs. So, you’re sailing upwind, set spinnaker, come downwind, get the spinnaker down, go upwind again.

They do mix it up. If the wind’s in a different direction or awkward at a direction for that, they will set courses Around the Cans can be entirely interesting. You’ve got tide to contend with, boats to contend with a lot going on. So people can come into that and it provides a great starting point to sort of really feel confidence, just moving on a boat that’s moving quickly. And quick tacks, tacking when other boats force you to tack, you hope you see them, right? 99 percent of the time you will, 1 percent of the time you might miss them and you’ll get a late time.

There’s different jobs to be done on the boat. There’s myself, skipper and first mate. So we will run the boat. We can cover a lot of the tasks, and be taking people on to shadow us so that we can step away from the jobs that we do at the start.

So, for example, My my first mate will probably do the foredeck. The bow work is quite an important bit of what we do, and I will probably do the helm. I’ll quickly hand over that as, I’ll hand over that as quickly as possible to anybody who wants to take the helm. It’s a big wheel, it’s a very responsive boat.

I might not give them the starting responsibility straight away, but they can come out of the dock in Southampton water or into the Solent, wherever it is, and we’ll hand over skills to people as quickly as we can and give them the confidence that they will only get by making a few mistakes.

Let’s talk a little bit about your boat, Espresso Martini.

She’s a Farr 40. You’ll find plenty of images online of the design. It was a boat designed in the 90s, continued to be built through the 90s and the early 2000s. It’s probably one of the best race boats that’s ever been built. Not now the fastest. Modern designs have got a little bit better. But it’s still one of the best and one of the most solid boats out there. So when you get a race boat, you have to be able to put on a lot of tension on the rig. What we’re trying to do,  is get as much drive out of the wind on every angle of sail that we can. And in order to do that, we need the rig tensions to be tight. We need the wind to hit us and drive us, not spill out because the rig flexes. So we’re looking to get that drive all the way through what we’re doing. To support that, those kind of loads, inside the boat, it’s got an aluminium space frame.  It gives us a lot of confidence for driving it hard in wind, in waves, upwind, downwind. It’s an eight bunk boat, so we can sleep eight people on it, so we will go offshore with eight people. We can take more than that when we’re racing, up to twelve. A nice number to sail with is about ten people on board. The extra numbers help with the work on the boat.  We need to be able to balance the boat by sitting people on the rail. That weight matters. That helps us to go upwind and faster.

Why should somebody consider racing with First Class Sailing?

So I’ve mentioned the Warsash Spring Series and so forth. There’s the RORC, the Royal Ocean Racing Club offshore, and there’s the Junior Offshore Group as well. These are fantastic environments to get involved in sailing. There’s a lot of support and structure and a really good community that takes part in this. And it’s a really nice way to get your confidence up to get out there, to get out, get the early training in within the Solent and then stretch out a little bit further. We go into the Channel, we go to Alderney, we go to Cherbourg, we go to San Marlo, we go down the coast to Plymouth and back. We go to Weymouth. There’s a myriad of sailing events out there. And when we get there, we tie up with some mates, we have a beer. We have a bite to eat. It’s lovely.

The focus of First Class Sailing is first and foremost to have fun.

Yacht racing can be physically demanding. It can be lovely reaching along with a spinnaker up in a flat sea, but it can also be tough going upwind in a strong blow. You may be pleased to know that most of First Class Sailing’s racing is in the summer. Whatever the conditions and the experience, it’s always worth it and a sense of satisfaction and personal achievement is fantastic.

First Class Sailing yacht skippers are very experienced. They have many thousands of miles under their belts, and they love imparting their knowledge. They’re well used to sailing with both novices and experienced sailors alike.

Find out more about our upcoming race – Round the Island Yacht Race . Besides a Farr 40, we also have spaces on a Challenger 72.

The post What you Need to Know About Yacht Racing appeared first on Sailing Blog .

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Yacht Sailing Experience Days on The Solent, South Coast, UK.

If you would rather sit back and let our Skipper do the work – then no problem. Enjoy the views, the wind in your hair, the fresh air and picturesque scenery of bays and rivers whilst our skippers sail you around. They will also tell you some of the sailing history of the Solent and surrounds.

After returning to the marina you can grab a drink or excellent meal in the on-site bar / restaurant with viewing terrace overlooking the boats on the river Hamble. The view is spectacular.

SOLENT YACHT SAILING EXPERIENCE DAY – WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Steer the boat / hoist sails / trim sails for maximum efficiency
• See amazing yachts / ships / ports, all close up
• Anchor in fantastic locations
• Eat your picnic lunch on board at anchor
• Stop for lunch ashore on the Isle of Wight or at Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu River
• Relax & chill out

SOLENT YACHT SAILING ACTIVITY DAY – WHAT YOU GET

• Free on-site car parking within marina
• Excellent marina toilet / showers
• On site restaurant / bar
• Modern 37ft sailing yacht

• Professional Skipper
• Safety briefing
• Professional sail training tuition & guidance
• Up to 7 hours aboard
• Sail in protected waters of the Solent
• Sail to Isle of Wight or New Forest
• Bring your own picnic lunch / drinks to eat on board or eat ashore (at own cost)
• Anchor / swim (conditions permitting)
• Wet weather gear available for hire
• Excellent showers in the marina if you need them ‘post swim’.

You only need soft soled footwear that will not mark the deck, layers & wind / waterproof depending upon the weather plus swimming costume and towel. We will send you further information on what to expect and what to bring. There is plenty of free parking on site.

Check out what some of our clients say about their time on the water!

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What is Yacht Racing? (Here’s All You Need To Know)

Have you ever watched a yacht race, with its colorful sails gliding across the water in a graceful dance? Have you ever wondered what it takes to participate in yacht racing? This article will take you through all you need to know about yacht racing, from the different types of yachts and races, to sailing clubs and regattas, technical knowledge and skills, safety, and the benefits of yacht racing.

We’ll also explore some of the most popular events and races.

So whether you’re an avid sailor or just curious about this exciting sport, you’ll find all the information you need here.

Table of Contents

Short Answer

Yacht racing is a competitive sport and recreational activity involving sailing yachts .

It is most popular in areas with strong maritime cultures, such as the UK, US and Australia.

Races typically involve a course that boats must follow, which can vary in length depending on the type of race.

Competitors often use advanced sailboat designs, and use tactics and strategy to try to outmaneuver their opponents in order to be the first to cross the finish line.

Types of Yachts Used in Racing

Yacht racing can be done with a wide variety of boats, from dinghies and keelboats to multihulls and offshore racing boats.

Dinghies are small, lightweight boats with a single sail and are often used in competitive racing.

Keelboats, on the other hand, are larger and heavier boats with a fixed keel and two or more sails.

Multihulls, like the popular catamaran, are boats with two or more hulls and are designed with speed and agility in mind.

Finally, offshore racing boats are designed for long-distance racing and are typically larger and more powerful than other types of yachts.

No matter what type of yacht you choose to race, they will all have common features that make them suitable for racing.

All yachts must have a mast, sails, hull and rigging, and will usually feature a deck, compass, and navigation equipment.

Additionally, racing yachts are often fitted with safety features such as life jackets, flares, and emergency radios.

Each type of yacht has its own unique characteristics, and some are better suited for certain types of racing than others.

For example, dinghies are better suited for short-course racing, while offshore racing boats are better for long-distance racing.

Additionally, keelboats and multihulls are often used for more challenging types of racing, such as distance racing or match racing.

No matter what type of yacht you choose for racing, it is important to remember that safety should always be your first priority.

Be sure to check the weather conditions before heading out and make sure that you have the proper safety equipment on board.

Additionally, it is important to get professional instruction or join a sailing club to ensure you have the necessary skills to race safely and enjoyably.

Types of Races

Yacht racing events can take place in a wide variety of forms and formats, from long-distance ocean racing to short-course inshore racing in protected bays and estuaries.

Each type of race requires different skills and equipment, and the type of race you choose to participate in will depend on your sailing experience, budget and the type of boat you have.

Long-distance ocean racing is a popular form of yacht racing, with races often taking place over several days and often involving multiple stages.

These races often have several classes of boat competing, with each boat competing in its own class.

These races may involve sailing around a set course or route, or they may be point-to-point races, where the boats sail from one point to another.

Inshore racing is the most common form of yacht racing, with races typically taking place over a few hours or a single day.

This type of racing is often conducted in protected waters, such as bays and estuaries, and generally involves shorter course lengths than ocean racing.

Inshore races may involve multiple classes of boat, or they may be one-design classes, where all boats are the same model and size.

Multi-hull racing is another popular type of yacht racing and involves boats with two or more hulls.

These boats are generally faster and more agile than monohulls, and races are often held over a short course.

These races can be highly competitive, with teams of experienced sailors vying for position and race victory.

Offshore racing is similar to ocean racing, but often involves much longer distances and more challenging conditions.

Races may take place over several days and multiple stages, and require a high level of experience and skill.

Offshore racing boats are usually specially designed for speed and agility, and may have multiple crew members on board to help manage the boat in challenging conditions.

Sailing Clubs and Regattas

Yacht racing is a popular sport around the world, with sailing clubs and regattas held in many countries.

Sailing clubs are organizations where members can come together to race, learn, and enjoy their shared passion for the sport.

Membership in a sailing club usually includes access to the clubs facilities, equipment, and training classes.

Regattas are large-scale yacht racing events, often hosted by a sailing club.

The regatta can be organized for any type of boat, from dinghys to offshore racing boats, and the races can be held over a series of days.

The goal of the regatta is to crown the winner of the overall race, or the individual class honours.

Sailing clubs and regattas are a great way for sailors of all levels to come together and compete.

They give sailors an opportunity to hone their skills, network, and make friends with other passionate sailors.

Additionally, these events are often open to the public, so they give the general public a chance to see the amazing spectacle of yacht racing up close.

If youre looking for an exciting and fun way to get involved with sailing, look no further than your local sailing club or regatta.

Technical Knowledge and Skills

Yacht racing is a sport that requires a great deal of technical knowledge and skill.

Competitors must be familiar with the physics and dynamics of sailing, including how to read the wind and manipulate their vessel to maximize speed and maneuverability.

They must also be able to understand the principles of navigation, so they can accurately plot a course and adjust it to take advantage of the prevailing wind and current conditions.

Furthermore, competitors must be able to read the weather and use that information to their advantage in the race.

Finally, competitors need to have a good understanding of the rules of the race and how to adhere to them.

Yacht racing is a complex sport with a steep learning curve, and it requires a great deal of experience and practice to master.

Safety is a key element of yacht racing, as it involves operating large vessels in often unpredictable and hazardous conditions.

All racers must be properly equipped with the appropriate safety gear, such as life jackets, flares, and a first aid kit.

It is also essential that all racers are familiar with the rules of the race, and have a good understanding of the safety protocols that must be followed in order to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

All yacht racing events must be properly insured, and there are often medical personnel on standby in case of an emergency.

Before any race, all participants must sign a waiver declaring that they understand the risks involved and accept responsibility for their own safety.

Benefits of Yacht Racing

Yacht racing is a great way to challenge yourself and take part in a thrilling sport.

It offers numerous benefits to those that participate, from improved physical health and mental well-being to an opportunity to travel and explore new places.

Whether youre a beginner or an experienced sailor, yacht racing provides an exciting and rewarding experience.

One of the main benefits of yacht racing is its impact on physical health.

It requires a great deal of strength and endurance, as the sailors must use their arms and legs to control the boats sails and rudder.

Its also a great way to get your heart rate up and improve your cardiovascular health.

Additionally, sailing is a low-impact sport, meaning theres less risk of injury than other more strenuous activities like running or cycling.

Yacht racing also has many mental benefits.

Its a great way to relax and take in the beauty of the ocean, as well as the camaraderie and excitement of competing in a team.

Additionally, it gives sailors the opportunity to put their problem-solving skills to the test, as they must think quickly and strategize in order to succeed.

Yacht racing also requires quick decision-making, which can help to improve mental acuity and develop a more acute awareness of ones surroundings.

Finally, yacht racing is a great way to explore new places and meet new people.

Races often take place in different locations around the world, meaning sailors can get a glimpse into different cultures and explore new destinations.

Additionally, yacht racing provides an opportunity to socialize with other sailors, as well as make connections in the sailing community.

Overall, yacht racing is a great way to challenge yourself and reap the numerous physical, mental, and social benefits that come with it.

With its exciting races and stunning locations, its no wonder that yacht racing has become a popular sport around the world.

Popular Events and Races

Yacht racing is an exciting and popular sport with events and races held all over the world.

From the world-famous Americas Cup to local regattas, there are races and events of all sizes and skill levels.

The Americas Cup is the oldest and most prestigious yacht race in the world, with the first race held in 1851.

Held every 3-4 years in a different location, the Americas Cup pits the worlds best sailors against each other in a battle of boat speed, tactics and teamwork.

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is another major race, held annually in Australia.

The race begins in Sydney Harbour and ends in the port of Hobart, Tasmania and is known for its unpredictable and challenging conditions.

The Whitbread Round the World Race (now known as The Volvo Ocean Race) is a grueling nine-month, round-the-world yacht race.

This race is one of the most challenging and dangerous races in the world.

In addition to these larger races, there are many smaller local and national regattas and races that offer an opportunity for sailors of all skill levels to compete.

From small dinghy races to larger keelboat and offshore racing events, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in yacht racing.

Yacht racing is a fun, competitive and rewarding sport and with so many events and races available, there is sure to be something for everyone.

Whether you are a competitive sailor or just looking to have some fun on the water, yacht racing is the perfect sport for you.

Final Thoughts

Yacht racing is an exciting and challenging sport that is enjoyed by many around the world.

With a variety of yacht types, races and events to choose from, there is something for everyone.

To get started, it is important to have a good understanding of the technical skills and knowledge needed, as well as the safety protocols associated with the sport.

With the right preparation and dedication, yacht racing can be an incredibly rewarding experience.

If you’re interested in taking up this exciting sport, make sure you check out your local sailing clubs and regattas to find out what’s on offer.

James Frami

At the age of 15, he and four other friends from his neighborhood constructed their first boat. He has been sailing for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge that he wants to share with others.

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Ainslie and INEOS win Louis Vuitton Round Robin, while the French are sent home

• Toby Heppell
• September 9, 2024

The final three races of the Louis Vuitton Cup took place today Monday 9 September, with the French knocked out and the surprising need for an additional top-two sail-off

Today saw the final three races of the America’s Cup challenger selection series, the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin get underway after the cancellation of racing yesterday.

Once again today racing was delayed, though the southerly wind direction was due to see some thermal enhancement as the afternoon wore on, so racing was a much more likely possibility than yesterday’s very unstable conditions.

The big news from yesterday was a nosedive by French Orient Express Racing Team – who are due to have a must-win race today against INEOS Britannia in order to remain in the competition – causing some damage. They had managed to effect a temporary repair yesterday, but they will have been happy to have an extra 24 hours to make the repair a little more robust – and fully check the boat over.

The other big news from yesterday was that co-skipper of American Magic, Paul Goodison had picked up an injury so would not be racing yesterday – instead replaced by Lucas Calabrese, who has trained extensively with the team. This remains the case today and the team are reported to be taking it day-by-day.

It has been reported by a number of outlets that Goodison fell through a hatch in the team’s America’s Cup boat and sustained some rib damage, but we have been unable to officially verify that.

Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

Race 28 INEOS Britannia Vs Orient Express Racing Team

Skippers INEOS Britannia: Ben Ainlsie & Dylan Fletcher Orient Express Racing Team: Quentin Delapierre & Kevin Pepponet

The first race of the day was set to be the most important as the French needed to win to force a sail-off with Alinghi Red Bull Racing to see who is knocked out of the series. A short delay saw the race start 10 minutes late in winds that were just above the minimum 6.5 knots required to start a race.

Given the light winds and the associated risk of falling off the foils, it was maybe not a huge surprise top see both teams reluctant to engage in the pre-start. The French were first to head back to the startline very early and the Brits seemed content to let them go and claim the pin end of the line.

It was pretty poor racecraft from Delapierre and Pepponet who crossed the line right at the pin, with the Brits also hitting the line at pace at the windward end of the line. With such a significant gap, there was little chance of the French forcing the Brits to tack away and Ainslie and Fletcher were easily able to foot into the space between the two boats and accelerate to get slightly ahead. 

When the French got to the left hand boundary INEOS were easily able to tack on the French with a tight cover and lead them all the way up the beat.

The Brits managed to hook up some decent puffs on the downwind and, coupled with their impressive downwind pace, INEOS had pulled away to a 45 second lead on the first lap.

There were a few moments of peril in the remaining few laps as the wind softened a little in the middle of the race and made foiling through manoeuvres a bit touch-and-go, but the Brits were never really troubled and came home to win by over a minute. “It was a tough little race there in the light breeze,” said Ainslie. “I want to make a shout out to the French team and it’s great to see France back in the Cup and they’ve got a great young team.”

“Its not the best feeling in the world. We fought hard but it was not enough,” said Delapierre. “What this team has achieved is unbelievable. Unfortunately you can’t see it on the results, but putting together this team 1 year before and being able to compete against these experienced teams is good.”

What did we learn from Louis Vuitton Cup Race 28?

It was not the strongest showing from the French today, who came out desperately in need of a race win to avoid going out of the competition. However, they were not even able to land a punch. It is perhaps surprising that they did not come out with a bit more of an all-or-nothing approach and try to force the Brits off their foils in the start box.

That being said it is slightly unclear whether the French are still carrying any issues from their nose-dive yesterday. It’s been a pretty decent showing by the French given their small budget, small team and lack of time racing an AC75. But ultimately it was not enough to make it through the Round Robins.

INEOS was looking decent today in light winds and again was impressive downwind. Of course this race was over at the first tack, so they were never really under much pressure.

This win for the Brits means that they stand a chance of tying Luna Rossa for the series win, in the unlikely event that the Italians should lose the next race against Alinghi Red Bull Racing which would mean a race off between Luna Rossa and INEOS for the series win. The winner of the Round Robins gets to choose their competition in the Louis Vuitton Semi Finals, so it is a significant advantage.

Photo: Ian Roman / America’s Cup

Race 29 Alinghi Red Bull Racing Vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

Skippers Alinghi Red Bull Racing: Arnaud Psarofaghis & Maxime Bachelin Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli: Jimmy Spithill & Francesco Bruni

It seemed a very unlikely outcome indeed that Alinghi Red Bull Racing would beat the form team of the semi-finals but they did just that… albeit by dint of Luna Rossa picking up some damage to one of their foil arms and not being able to lower it in the lead up to the race. As such the Italian team were forced to concede the race.

There was briefly a question as to whether Luna Rossa had deliberately given up the race to take on INEOS in a sail-off for. But given how much of an advantage picking your semi-final competition is, it’s almost impossible to imagine the Italians would have deliberately given up a pretty clear shot at taking that advantage by beating Alinghi (currently looking like the weakest Semi-Final team) today.

Photo: Am Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

Race 30 Emirates Team New Zealand Vs American Magic

Skippers Emirates Team New Zealand: Pete Burling & Nathan Outteridge Tom Slingsby & Lucas Calabrese

The wind remained light for this, the final race in which Emirates Team New Zealand will compete before the America’s Cup itself. And the light winds quickly became a major issue for American Magic, who dropped off their foils in the light pre-start.

The US-flagged boat did manage to get foiling again before the start, but they had picked up a boundary penalty in the process and any tactical decisions had been taken out of their hands by the series of events.

As such at the start Emirates Team New Zealand hit the startline on starboard in the middle of the line with the Americans crossing behind the on port looking to scrub off some more distance to clear their boundary penalty. When all was said and done the race properly got underway with around 150 metre advantage to the Kiwis.

But with both teams on split tacks and a fairly changeable wind strength and direction American Magic managed to claw back some of the gap and were only a handful of seconds adrift at the windward gate rounding. But that was as close as they got and in the light winds is was American Magic who continued to struggle staying up on their foils.

Having struggled and had some near misses, the American team dropped off their foils on the final upwind. They had been slipping back the whole way, but the final upwind saw them fall a long way behind, finally coming home fully 2 minutes and 39 seconds behind the Kiwis.

“Obviously we didn’t execute the start and were on the back foot a little. But Lucas did a great job and we didn’t have any problems with our speed,” said Slingsby after the racing.

What did we learn from Louis Vuitton Cup race 30

For the American team, a race in marginal foiling conditions is probably the worst time to have to drop in a spare skipper. Of course the races against New Zealand are irrelevant in terms of the challenger selection series, so you could also argue it’s an ideal first America’s Cup race for Calabrese . 

This race will do little to dispel the increasingly prominent view that American Magic’s AC75 has a couple of weaknesses, one of which is looking to be at the very bottom of the wind-range.

The Kiwis now leave the competition and will have plenty of technical developments still to come. They will leave this series pretty confident that the’ve got what it takes to beat any of the challengers when the America’s Cup proper rolls around on 12 October.

Winner’s Sail-Off Race Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Vs INEOS Britannia

Skippers Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli: Jimmy Spithill & Francesco Bruni INEOS Britannia: Ben Ainlsie & Dylan Fletcher

Nobody really expected this race to be on the cards at the start of the day, but with Luna Rossa’s ‘loss’ to Alinghi this quickly became possibly the most important race of the day. Given the choice of opposition, whoever wins this race is easily the most likely team to be in the Louis Vuitton Cup Finals.

The wind was still at the lighter end of the range for this sail-off, but at 8 knots for the pre-start it should have been enough to make manoeuvres a lot less risky than they have been earlier in the day. It was, then, something of a surprise to see the teams not engaging all that much.

Spithill and Bruni decided to lead back to the start very early and it was clear that the Brits were more than happy to let them go. In fact this start was almost a carbon copy of the Brit’s first race again the Orient Express Racing Team. Here the Italians hit the startline just up from the pin not fully at pace, while Ainslie and Fletcher nailed the windward end at pace, with plenty of space to foot into.

When the Italian team tacked on the left hand boundary it was a simple job for Ainslie and Fletcher to tack right in front of them and give them plenty of dirty air. From there the Brits protected the right and kept a loose cover on Luna Rossa to lead at the top mark by 18 seconds. And with few passing lanes around, the Brits were able to extend that to 29 seconds by the end of the first downwind.

From there all the Brits needed to do to was complete the course without making any major errors to take the win, and the valuable option to choose their Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Final opponents. “The start is something we’ve been spending a lot of time on as I’m quite inexperienced there and so Ben’s been doing a lot of work teaching me, as well as Giles Scott and Ian Williams,” said Fletcher of their impressive starts today.

“It’s been a very interesting series and certainly INEOS had a good end,” explained Bruni. “We’ve struggled a bit in the last couple of days, but we always knew it’s going to be hard and we are prepared for that.”

What did we learn from  the Louis Vuitton Cup Winner’s Sail-Off?

The chunky INEOS Britannia (or Big Bertha as she’s become known in my household) has really hit her stride in the second half of this Louis Vuitton Round Robin series. The team are sailing well and now have a significant advantage heading into the Semi-Finals.

We’ll see in time who the Brits choose, but Alinghi seems to be the most likely pick for the Semi-Final competition and, from what we’ve seen, you’d back the Brits to win that one. “To win the America’s Cup you have to beat the best. It’s a bit early to make a call on who we will choose, and to be honest we weren’t really expecting [to win],” said Ainslie of the choice, which will be officially made this Friday before the Semi-Final racing at the weekend.

It will have been frustrating for Luna Rossa to ‘lose’ their race against Alinghi earlier today, particularly as their technical issue appeared to be a foil arm system problem, which is a one-design part supplied to all teams by the organiser. But it would be foolish to put too much weight on today’s results. It’s hard to look past them as the form team from the whole series, but the gap is certainly not looking as big as it once was.

Follow all of our  2024 America’s Cup coverage

Rhodes 18 Racing at BPYC

(Scroll down to view 2021 R18 Racing Results)

Rhodes 18 racing takes place at BPYC on Saturdays from the first Saturday after July 4th through the weekend before Labor Day. First gun is at 1pm, but competitors meet at the BPYC lawn around 12:30 before leaving the dock.

Rhodes 18 Nationals takes place typically the second Friday and Saturday in August and rotates venues from Biddeford Pool to Barnstable Yacht Club and Dennis Yacht Club on Cape Cod.

If you’re interested in racing at BPYC, please feel free to sign up for the crew list using the form below:

The Windsong Regatta

Every Labor Day weekend (on Saturday), BPYC members and other boats compete in the Windsong, which is a PHRF “race around Saco Bay.”

Boat owners are always looking for crew, so please make use of the form below if you’re interested in Sailing!

2021 Rhodes 18 Results

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So you want to race? All you need to know to get into the game

"Start small,” says naval architect Malcolm McKeon . “Superyacht racing is not like anything most owners have experienced before.”

McKeon speaks from recent experience. “When we were designing and building the performance cruiser Missy , I asked the owner several times if he was sure he didn’t want me to arrange the deck for racing. His answer was always ‘I’m not going to race Missy ,’” he recalls. “Then he saw a Bucket-type regatta and decided ‘That looks like fun.’ He followed my advice: start small and get a taste for it. We raced Missy in the 2018 St Barths Bucket in the non-spinnaker division and he won. For 2019 he’s added a bolt-on bowsprit, a few spinnakers to improve downwind performance and hired more pros.”

Dutch naval architect  Andre Hoek  has worked with very similar owners. “Many of our superyacht owners actually said they would never race but end up doing it anyway,” he says. “My advice would be to have some sailing miles on the boat before you start racing and begin with the second year of ownership, not the first.”

For owners contemplating building a new yacht, Hoek advises designing the boat with an option to race from day one simply because he’s had a number of projects where owners changed their minds after the boat was built and decided to race full-on. “We advise clients to at least lay out the sail and deck plan for racing.”

Several experts pointed to a significant recent change for superyacht regattas: the handicapping system has been altered to even up the playing field, add safety factors and reduce the number of crew and sails needed by including a non-spinnaker class. As McKeon says: “It used to be that a 500-tonne yacht like Twizzle could do no better than middle of the fleet – even if she was sailed perfectly – racing against boats with deep keels and retractable sail drives. The new handicapping system puts a fair penalty on those features so that almost everyone has a chance.”

Hap Fauth, who owns racing and cruising boats, took part in the Newport and St Barths Bucket regattas with his 35.3-metre Whisper from 2003 to 2010. He stopped because he thought the handicapping system didn’t seem to understand luxury yachts. “These big displacement boats will have the same top speed if the wind is blowing 12 or 20. I realised I could spend $100,000 [£77,000] to campaign the boat with the best crew and still end up 23rd out of 35 boats. They fixed the handicap and we went back to St Barths for the Bucket in 2018.”

Recruiting rock stars

Drop in on any superyacht regatta and you’ll note some high-profile professional sailors with well-earned star status based on their expertise as a designer, rigger, sailmaker or veteran of many racing events. They often have key positions as navigators, tacticians, crew bosses or helmsmen. These men and women made and maintain their reputations, and their pay scales, by doing their part to make the programme successful, whether that is learning the race course and studying charts or learning the boat and its gear and the abilities of the rest of the crew. Far from being someone who is just here for the beer, a professional sailor works between 200 and 250 days a year. But is hiring a couple of rock stars and building a regatta team around them the way to go? “Before spending an owner’s money on a pro race crew, you have to get to the details,” says Ken Read, president of North Sails. “You really have to listen carefully when you ask an owner what he wants to get out of the event.

“I have a database of sailors for all the positions, including assistants to all those positions, and I classify them as amateurs or pros. But before I start picking, I go old-school; I draw the boat’s deck layout, including all winches, and I put circles where you need people to work. I look at the skill levels needed in each of those circles. Then, what members of the crew can I draw on? Some captains don’t want a specific position because they want to be able to move around putting out fires. Some captains came out of powerboats and don’t know how to race. My job is to get them to be honest about their abilities and comfort level and those of their crew.”

The next part is chemistry, Read says. “You want them to have a blast. You want the entire group to feel it’s the best day or set of days they have had because the group is just right. You don’t want to put a tough, hard-ass pro with an owner who would rather just have fun. Some pros see winning a regatta as a notch on their belt. There’s a place for that guy, but it might not be with an owner just starting out.”

According to Bruce Brakenhoff, president of Perini Navi USA , a regular full-time crew is key. “They know their boat, they maintain it and tune it,” he says. “They communicate to the race guys what can or cannot be done, how far their boat can or should be pushed.

“The idea of a rock star aboard is fun, but in my experience the most successful boats seem to have permanent crews who sail their boat often and know its sailing systems really well. These are the guys who really gel with a race crew that joins them for a week or two.” Fauth calls his boat’s five permanent crew “the backbone of the team. We aren’t a push-button boat with captive winches so it takes 15 to race,” he says. He plans his regatta crew around his selection for navigator, tactician and a crew boss who manages assignments and gets the boat set up for each race. Fauth takes the helm and Whisper’s captain floats to give an assist where needed.

The Js are unique

The J Class is a different animal altogether. Dan Jackson, who ran Ranger’s programme for the late John Williams, says: “ Ranger had eight permanent crew and raced with a full complement of around 35, including guests. Generally, we had 15 to 17 professionals. Js tend to try and keep the same crew at least for the season and, where possible, year on year. Ranger had a core race crew that rarely changed – we just added to it from available sailors as necessary. Keeping the team together reduces the amount of practice time needed before a regatta and therefore an owner’s expenses.”

Depending on the boat, the owner’s goals for the regatta and whether the boat is sailing in a spinnaker or non-spinnaker class, expect racing crew to double or triple the yacht’s regular crew complement, says Peter Wilson of management firm MCM . “When an owner says he wants to race, we want to make sure it’s a really good experience and picking the extra crew is critical. Most expert racers aren’t superyacht crew and most superyacht crew aren’t racers, but we find they really like learning from the pros.” Wilson often puts pros on the bow “because dropping a spinnaker while a jib is being raised or unfurled and the helmsman is rounding a mark isn’t something superyacht crew tend to experience”.

Wilson says he builds a spreadsheet of positions that need to be filled with the associated costs to build a budget for his clients and then adds in the non-personnel items such as transportation of the boat, dockage, spare parts, food and entertainment budgets and extra insurance riders. While Fauth says he often turns to his vendors for race crew, Wally founder Luca Bassani and Wally Class secretary Paolo Massarini both say they feel that the pro sailors who work for vendors should have their fees paid by their employers. “Their fees should be covered by the brand they are representing, but it is different from time to time. There is no fixed rule,” said Massarini.

Organising a regatta programme

“On the boats we manage,” says Wilson, “we try to lock in our team six months in advance for summer regattas. For something like the Antigua Superyacht Challenge [in January], there is not so much competition for crew so we can start later. Accommodation, on the other hand, you want to book as early as possible.”

While most superyachts take part in just one or two regattas a year, and hire race crew by the event, the more performance-oriented yachts, and tight-knit Wally classes may do four. Bassani says it is his preference, and his advice to owners, to book the pros for the season. “I hire people for the whole season of races and sea trials. In this way [they] have the chance to get to know your boat better, to prepare the boat better and to achieve better results.” Massarini says another reason for contracting with the racing crew for the entire season is to make crew members loyal to the project.

Choosing a Wally’s race crew begins with the two or three most experienced permanent crew deciding what positions can be filled internally and then hiring a crew boss, Bassani calls it a head hunter, to recruit the other spots. The need for shore support and logistics obviously increases with the number of races the owner wants to do and perhaps with the distance from his home port, but Bassani cautions that regular crew shouldn’t be saddled with that responsibility.

Get a Den Mother

The bigger the boat, the more complicated the job. If they don’t have full-time professional management, most regatta entrants will liaise with a “Den Mother”. Brakenhoff suggested two such women who manage logistics for racing yachts, Polly Baptist and Nikki Smith. Both are former superyacht crew well versed in regattas. Baptist is now a sports nutritionist and Smith’s firm, Sailutions, provides shore support for yachts.

Both say arranging nearby accommodation for 20 to 30 crew, owners and guests, and then organising who goes where, is the most time-consuming task. Booking accommodation and shipping containers to move a yacht’s racing sails and spares needs to start well in advance – as much as a season ahead is typical. “Three months’ notice is doable,” Smith says, “but it will cost more. Once I had to rent a trimaran to sleep the crew because it was the only thing with enough berths close to the race venue.”

Finding someone to repair a torn spinnaker sock overnight, replacing lost contact lenses and booking restaurants and catering are typical assignments. “Depending on what service is needed I work with different crew within the team,” says Smith. “I mainly work with captains and race team managers on the more costly aspects of the planning; the stewardess and chief stewardess on more everyday items.” Smith charges either an hourly rate or a flat fee for the regatta, depending on services booked. A percentage charged on accommodation – like a travel agency – is often offset by the discounts she is able to arrange for her frequent bookings.

Baptist, a sail trimmer in Saudade ’s crew when it races in the Med, also cooks for her charges to make sure they have nourishing food as well as juices and smoothies. Her perfect timeframe is to start eight months in advance of a regatta as she helps with crew selection as well on some of the yachts she works for. “Owners new to the race scene need to be made aware that a lot goes on behind the scenes to make sure not only is their yacht in top shape, but also they have a great team on board who are ready to race each day. The permanent crew do a great job prepping the boat and some of the race crew fly in earlier than the rest [to set it up] and we stay later to help change the boat back to cruising/guest mode when it’s over. We are all there to make sure the owners have a fantastic time racing. It is a very prestigious thing for owners to be sailing their stunning yachts against others in beautiful parts of the world,” Baptist said.

It’s not just about race days Brakenhoff has been racing for about 30 years and advises: “Bucket planning for a 50-metre Perini with a total race-day crew of 22-plus should include at least one day of set-up, three days of practice, and one last day of final tweaks and prep at the dock for the three-day regatta.” That’s the same schedule used by Fauth, who also owns a series of racing yachts named Bella Mente that he campaigns on the grand prix circuit, the latest being a Maxi 72 designed by Botin Partners. He’s brought Whisper to quite a few Buckets, and says he runs its regatta programme much like that of his serious race boat – with one exception: “Instead of watching a video of our performance after each race the way we do with Bella Mente we might have a crew party. Superyacht regattas tend to start at noon. With the race boat programme, the guys are up running or at the gym at 7am.

“One of the reasons amateurs have such a hard time is because they can’t take the time out to practise,” continues Fauth. Most superyachts take part in just one or two regattas a year, while a racing boat will compete in six or more regattas, often moving the boat significant distances between each venue. “That is easily a 12-week commitment,” says Fauth, who is one of the backers of American Magic , a US challenger for the 2021 America’s Cup in New Zealand. Bassani likes to schedule two or three “long weekend” practices before regatta season begins and two days of practice before each event. And because he’s the boat builder, he’s privy to some rather important information.

“We have all the detailed reports of the performances of the boat after each sea trial and each race. It’s good to share all this information with the crew each day to make everybody more involved in the results of the boat. And this report can be very detailed and must be discussed on each of those details, like for each tack, each jibe, each hoist and so on.”

“Here’s what I think keeps some owners from trying racing,” says Read. “Superyacht owners are uber-successful people, they are confident and tend to have a take-no-prisoners ego about business. Someone like that might shy away from a situation where they might not win… and some superyacht events are becoming too competitive. Creating cruising or non-spinnaker divisions and pursuit starts are the way to go. Let’s ease people into it. If they want to get super competitive at a later date, they can, but at least they can say they’ve had fun along the way, made friends and sailed their boats in beautiful places.”

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