Sailing World on Water Sept 01.23 Team Australia AC, 52 Super Series Barcelona, Solitude Figaro 3

Highlights of what happened globally in the sport of sailing in the last 7 days.
The Team Australia Challenge campaign was confirmed in April 2023 by the organiser’s of the 37th America’s Cup as one of 12 national Youth and Women’s competing nations.
The Challenge campaign is underway to deliver two national teams to the start line in Barcelona.
The Qualifying series group races will be staged in identical AC 40 foiling yachts, during September and October 2024. The Women’s finals race will be broadcast globally as part of the 37th America’s Cup telecast.

This is your weekly Global Sailing Highlights show, the World on Water, September 01, 2023.

The Palermo-Montecarlo, 437 mile long course took the fleet from Sicily to Montecarlo via a gate off Porto Cher-vo, the race was organised by the Circolo della Vela Sicilia and Yacht Club de Monaco in partnership with Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
On the first afternoon Peter Harburg’s 100ft maxi Black Jack powered away making 11 knots. The Aussie maxi had a good run to the finish reaching Montecarlo on Thursday evening at 19:53:06. Given the conditions, her elapsed time of 55 hours three minutes six seconds, was surprisingly close to the race record of 47 hours, 46 minutes and 48 seconds which Black Jack managed in 2015, when she was Igor Simčič’s, Esimit Europa 2.

Due to the threat of big thunderstorms only one race was sailed day 3 at the 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week. Quantum Racing powered by American Magic bounced back from a disappointing second race when they stole the Race 5 winning gun from under the noses of the Whitcraft family’s Vayu. There was no racing on days 1 and 2 due to the lack of wind.

As the fleet in La Solitude du Figaro Paprec climbed to the North West across The Channel, their third transit since Sunday lunchtime’s sorth start, there was still only one third of a mile between the top four solo skippers. Corentin Horeau (Banque Populaire), had benefited from being first to tack west late this afternoon, and took the lead from Guillaume Pirouelle, (Région Normandie), by a matter of 400 metres or so. But Land’s End, and the Traffic Separation lanes at the Scillies, may shake up the leading peloton.

The leaders of the 2023 52 SUPER SERIES circuit, Ergin Imré’s Provezza, carry a slender three points lead into the final day of the Rolex TP52 World Championship, Saturday. After two back-to-back wins between the last race yesterday and first race today, Provezza took a fourth and fifth while the double world champions, Harm Müller Spreer’s Platoon really applied the pressure with a very solid, 2, 2, 3 today. Now there is the prospect of a thrilling finale, potentially over two races in a what looks to be a very mixed up, unpredictable weather scenario.

Arkas Aegean Link Regatta was held for the seventh time along the shores of Cesme. The winner of the regatta has been Borusan Çılgın Sigma, followed by Blue Moon in the second place and Anything Dere Construction in the third place. The champion of the Turkish Yacht League that took place for the first time this year and had Arkas Aegean Link Regatta as its final leg of the races, remained the same.

It’s T-minus nine days until the Race Start of the Clipper Round THe World Race and Skippers, AQP’s, and Race Crew have been hard at work during Prep week, making the final preparations ahead of the 40,000 nautical mile circumnavigation. From rigging the yachts with fresh lines, to training up the Race Crew for their roles on board all the novices and their professional leaders were anxious to see the starting line.

Harm Müller Spreer’s German flagged Platoon team clinched the 2023 Rolex TP52 World Championship title with a thrilling comeback in the final minutes of the final race off Barcelona. Outgoing 2022 champions Quantum Racing powered by American Magic, finished second behind Provezza, the team which had led the regatta since the end of the first day of competition.