Making its global debut, the new Grand Soleil 52 Performance brings a celebrated nameplate back into the spotlight, this time reimagined with modern performance engineering, refined Italian design, and the versatility to cruise fast or race hard. Naval architect Matteo Polli and Nauta Design have reshaped this 55-foot hull into a balanced, powerful, and luxurious performance cruiser available in two personalities: an easy-to-manage Performance configuration or an upgraded Race setup built with competitive sailors in mind. With three cabins, race-worthy sail plans, and a deck optimized for real offshore miles, the Grand Soleil 52 Performance delivers a compelling blend of speed, comfort, and craftsmanship.

Design & Layout

The Grand Soleil 52 Performance is built for owners who want a true dual-purpose yacht: fast enough for the ORC/IRC racecourse, capable enough for long passagemaking, and elegant enough to feel like a luxury home afloat. Polli’s hull lines carry volume aft for stability and power, while a tall rig and generous sail area give the 52 its punch in lighter air. Nauta’s deck design keeps sailhandling efficient and unobtrusive, leaving a clean cockpit where guests can relax even while under sail.

The interior maintains the warm, minimalist Italian look that has defined Grand Soleil in recent generations. The C-shaped galley, forward-facing chart area, and expansive dinette create a welcoming social hub. Three private cabins, each with its own dedicated head and separate shower, give cruising families or race crews genuine liveaboard comfort. Owners can select from oak, gray oak, or teak finishes, all paired with contrasting floorboards that echo the brand’s luxury aesthetic.

Video

Get a first look of the Grand Soleil 52 Performance with this video highlighting its craftsmanship and sailing characteristics:

Construction & Systems

Cantiere del Pardo builds the 52 Performance entirely in sandwich construction using lightweight woods, marine plywood, and PVC foam cores. Bulkheads are composite and structurally bonded, increasing rigidity without adding unnecessary weight. The rig is set aft of the main bulkhead to fine-tune the center of effort and improve balance under sail.

Systems are equally well thought-out. A 24-volt electrical backbone reduces cable size and increases efficiency. Four stainless steel water tanks totaling 600 liters (159 gallons) sit amidships for ideal weight distribution, while a 350-liter (92-gallon) diesel tank provides long-range motoring autonomy. A Volvo Penta 75 hp saildrive is standard, with an 80 hp Yanmar available. Bow and stern thrusters with brushless motors simplify docking without adding noise.

Performance & Handling

The 52’s calling card is versatility. In Performance trim, the boat features four aft winches, a fixed-point mainsheet, and a standard self-tacking jib, creating an easy-to-handle, efficient package for short-handed cruising or family sailing. A carbon bowsprit comes standard and accommodates furling Code sails for downwind power.

The Race version turns up the heat. Sailors get six winches, longitudinal jib tracks, a recessed traveler with electric controls, textile lifelines, and a bowsprit extended by 90 centimeters. Pair all that with the optional carbon mast and boom, and the 52 transforms into a competitive offshore racer with pedigree, building on Grand Soleil’s recent dominance in ORC regattas.

Two keel options further refine performance. The standard 2.90 m (9.6 ft) T-keel suits most cruising and club racing, while optimized foils and a 2.70 m (8.1 ft) Race keel improve righting moment for competitive sailors. A 2.30 m (7.7 ft) shoal option is available for sailing in thin-water regions.

Interior Living & Cruising Comfort

Below deck, the Grand Soleil 52 delivers more space than expected for a performance cruiser. Three cabins and three heads create a private, well-organized layout. The forward master suite includes a large berth, a private head, and a dedicated shower. Aft, the VIP cabin can be arranged with a double or twins, while the port guest cabin features its own double.

The galley is designed for real offshore cooking with deep storage, wide counters, and three fridge/freezers totaling 172 liters of space. Ventilation and light flow easily through the many opening hatches and hull windows, while integrated air-conditioning can be individually controlled in each living zone.

Grand Soleil 52 Performance Specs (Race variations in parentheses)

A Legend Reborn

The original Grand Soleil 52, penned by German Frers in 1987, quickly earned a reputation as one of the shipyard’s most timeless designs. Nearly 60 were built, and today many still sail actively offshore. The new 52 Performance pays homage to that classic with its understated lines, deep navy accents, and balanced proportions—but beneath the familiar silhouette lies thoroughly modern engineering. Lighter materials, safer deck ergonomics, and Polli’s performance-oriented hull bring the spirit of the original into the 21st century.

Performance or Race?Owners Now Choose Both Personalities

Grand Soleil recognizes that sailors are increasingly demanding yachts that can do more than one thing well. The 52’s two configurations share the same hull but differ significantly in how they’re optimized. Performance owners get simpler sailhandling and a clean, family-friendly cockpit, while Race sailors can dial up the horsepower with carbon spars, traveler controls, more winches, and a longer bowsprit. The keel options also allow owners to fine-tune their sailing style: shoal for adventure cruising, deep for podium chasers.

Systems for Real-World Cruising

Long-term cruisers will appreciate how carefully Cantiere del Pardo has balanced performance with autonomy. Four baffled stainless steel water tanks sit low in the hull. The large diesel tank supports long motoring legs and extended time away from marinas. The 24-volt electrical system improves efficiency and expands battery runtime. Even the air-conditioning, managed by three separate control zones, was configured with real cruising comfort in mind. These thoughtful choices allow the 52 to support extended passages without sacrificing speed or style.

About the Builder: Cantiere del Pardo

Founded in 1973, Cantiere del Pardo has become one of Italy’s most respected builders of high-quality sailing yachts, recognized for craftsmanship, engineering excellence, and timeless design. The yard’s Grand Soleil line blends competitive performance with Mediterranean luxury, and recent collaborations with top architects like Matteo Polli and Nauta Design have elevated the brand’s reputation for innovation. With thousands of yachts launched over five decades, Cantiere del Pardo continues to refine its philosophy: elegant boats that sail exceptionally well and stand the test of time.

Editor’s First Take

The new 52 Performance feels like the Grand Soleil many sailors have been waiting for: a boat with real pedigree, unmistakable style, and a modern hull that promises both speed and kindness offshore. The layout is smart, the cockpit is clean, and the build quality looks every bit like what we’ve come to expect from Cantiere del Pardo. What struck me most was how well the two personalities (Performance and Race) are integrated into one platform. It’s a boat you could cruise comfortably across an ocean, then tighten up the rig and go race on Saturday. The 52 isn’t just a revival of a classic name; it’s one of the most well-rounded performance cruisers making its debut this year. —CW

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American sailors made a strong showing at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games, bringing home two gold medals and one bronze after four days of racing in Encarnación, Paraguay. The international regatta drew athletes ages 17 to 22 from 23 countries across the Americas, with competition held on the shifting currents and light winds of the Paraná River.

The United States’ medal haul came from standout performances in both iQFOiL windsurfing and ILCA dinghy racing. In the ILCA 7 fleet, Hamilton Barclay won three of his five races to secure gold. Windsurfer Makani Andrews matched that record in the Men’s iQFOiL division, earning a gold of his own. With their victories, both Barclay and Andrews gained automatic qualification to the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

“It feels great. This was the big event I worked toward all summer, and to see it all come together is a dream come true,” Barclay said after the win. Andrews added that competing against close friends from the iQFOiL circuit made the event especially meaningful.

On the final day of competition, Danicka Sailer added to Team USA’s medal count with a bronze in the Women’s iQFOiL class, closing her series with a race win. “I kept it simple: good jibes and good starts. Now I get a pretty cool medal and a little jaguar plushie, so that’s fun,” she said.

In the ILCA 6, Isabella Mendoza Cabezas posted a fifth-place finish, highlighted by a victory in the second race of the series.

Team coach Rosie Chapman praised the squad for its composure in difficult conditions, noting the collective support shown onshore and afloat. “A highlight of the week was watching the team rally together on the final morning to help Danicka rig and see her off the beach,” Chapman said. “It was a real testimony to the team environment. I am proud of these young athletes for their commitment, and the future is bright.”

The sailing portion of the Junior Pan American Games ran August 13–18, with racing completed August 15–17.

With three medals in total, the U.S. sailors left Paraguay with proof that the next generation of competitors is ready to make its mark on the international stage.

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Philadelphia, PA — Sailing returns to the heart of Philadelphia this fall with the 2025 Philadelphia Cup Regatta, set for September 27 off the city’s Penn’s Landing. Hosted by Liberty Sailing Club, the regatta promises a full day of competitive action for sailors of all levels, paired with spectacular waterfront views and festival activities for spectators.

The Philadelphia Cup welcomes one-design classes including J/27, J/22, Lightning, Flying Scot, Mariner, V15, Laser, and Sunfish, alongside PHRF-handicap boats in both Spinnaker and Non-Spinnaker divisions. Other designs are also encouraged to join. To form a class, a minimum of three boats must register by August 30.

“We invite dinghy and keelboat sailors from clubs across the tri-state area to set sail with us for a day of exhilarating racing on the Delaware River,” says Mark Sidell, Commodore of Liberty Sailing Club. “There’s no more beautiful venue, and it’s a magical experience to enjoy the city from this perspective. The Philadelphia Cup Regatta’s date change this year to September aims to capitalize on the typical fall breeze. Spectating is spectacular from the city’s waterfront, and the Delaware River Festival activities offer a fun way for non-sailors to enjoy the river.”

Racing will feature round-the-buoy courses between the Ben Franklin Bridge and the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay base. The first start is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., with the final race no later than 3:30 p.m. Spectators can follow the fleet from several key vantage points along the waterfront. Awards and a post-race celebration will honor class champions, who will have their names engraved on The Philadelphia Cup.

Early registration offers discounted entry fees until September 1, ranging from $30 for Lasers and Sunfish to $70 for keelboats. Late entries will be accepted on September 26 or 27 at a higher fee. Included with registration are a light breakfast, skipper bag, and launching service for select one-design boats.

The regatta coincides with the Delaware River Festival, running September 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Penn’s Landing and Wiggins Park in Camden. Festival attendees can explore environmental exhibits, interactive activities, free museum access, pedal boats, crafts, and live bird programs.

The Liberty Sailing Club, home to more than 150 members, maintains a fleet of J/27s and supports both competitive and recreational sailing on the Delaware River. The club’s programs also emphasize diversity, equity, and inclusion to welcome sailors of all backgrounds.For more information and registration, visit philadelphiacupregatta.com, or contact the regatta director at info@philadelphiacupregatta.com. Follow the Philadelphia Cup Regatta on Facebook and Instagram.

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The America’s Cup is entering uncharted waters. The newly released Protocol for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup outlines sweeping changes to the way the 174-year-old competition is governed, raced, and promoted — a move that organizers are calling the most significant shift in the Cup’s history.

The agreement, signed by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) and Team New Zealand as Defender, and the Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd and Athena Racing as Challenger of Record, establishes a new America’s Cup Partnership (ACP) granting equal governance to all participating teams. This collective authority will oversee everything from race formats to media rights, with the goal of creating a more predictable, sustainable, and globally appealing event.

“As the founding Trustee of the America’s Cup, we are completely supportive of the move to modernise the oldest sporting trophy in the world,” said NYYC Commodore Jay Cross.

Entries open August 19, 2025, for the 2027 event, which will be hosted in Naples, Italy. The Protocol aims to make the Cup a biannual fixture, supported by consistent formats and commercial planning that allow teams, sponsors, and venues to invest in multiple cycles.

Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton called the agreement “the boldest change in 174 years of the Cup,” noting that it addresses the long-standing challenge of continuity. Sir Ben Ainslie, CEO of Athena Racing, described it as “a seismic moment” for sailing, bringing inclusivity and financial stability to the forefront.

Among the headline changes:

• Women’s and Youth America’s Cup events will remain, with at least one female sailor required on each AC75 crew.
  
• Nationality rules will require three of the five sailors onboard to hold the team’s passport.
  
• AC75s will be powered in part by battery systems, and teams will be allowed guest racers — giving VIPs, media, and sponsors a front-row seat to the action.
  
• Cost controls will cap team budgets at €75 million, with rules requiring reuse of AC37 hulls where possible.
  

Racing will feature both match and fleet formats, ensuring all teams see more race time. Preliminary regattas in AC40s are set for 2026 and early 2027, leading into the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series and the final America’s Cup Match in July 2027.

“As current Trustee of the America’s Cup, we have been integral in carving this new path,” said RNZYS Commodore David Blakey. “Promoting pathways for young sailors and developing the sport in New Zealand is a top priority.”

With Naples confirmed as the host city, anticipation is already building for an edition of the Cup that organizers hope will honor its history while charting a course for the future.

READ THE LOUIS VUITTON 38TH AMERICA’S CUP PROTOCOL HERE

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When the Caribbean Multihull Challenge (CMC) launched in 2019, it quickly became a winter highlight for sailors who love speed, style, and the unique handling of high-performance catamarans and trimarans. For its eighth edition, set for February 2026 in Sint Maarten, the event is upping the stakes with a brand-new prize — a Line Honors Trophy for the outright fastest yacht in the fleet.

Traditionally, CMC winners have been determined using the CSA handicap rule, rewarding skill, tactics, and boat speed in balance. That system will still be in play, but the new award strips it down to pure pace: first to finish over the regatta’s four race days takes the honors.

“This is about giving skippers and shipyards a platform to show off their stuff,” say organizers. “We want to celebrate flat-out performance on some of the Caribbean’s most exciting race courses.”

The 2026 program includes a 60-mile sprint around St. Barth’s, a 52-mile dash to Saba and back, and a 27-mile navigational challenge weaving through the rocks and cays off Sint Maarten, plus a day of racing along the island’s south shore. Conditions promise a mix of robust tradewinds and manageable seas — ideal for the large-production HHs, Gunboats, ORCs, and Catanas that dominate the multihull performance scene, as well as custom builds.

While the sponsor for the Line Honors Trophy will be announced later, entries are already open. Registration is available at YachtScoring.com and CaribbeanMultihullChallenge.com.

For multihull sailors craving Caribbean breeze, competitive camaraderie, and a chance to push the throttles forward without looking back, the 2026 CMC just raised the bar.

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With less than two months to go until the 26 July start, the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race is shaping up to be the biggest offshore race in history — both in size and significance. This year’s race coincides with the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s (RORC) centenary and marks the return of the legendary Admiral’s Cup for the first time since 2003.

Currently, 464 yachts have entered, surpassing the 430 entries recorded in 2023’s 50th edition. Among them is a record-breaking 407-boat fleet competing under IRC rating rules — up from 358 in 2023 — representing 33 countries. The largest contingents hail from the UK (160 boats) and France (130), with crews spanning an astonishing 41 nations including French Polynesia, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. Ages of competitors range from 14 to 81, showcasing the broad appeal of this premier offshore challenge.

The race route begins in Cowes on the Isle of Wight and heads westward around the iconic Fastnet Rock off Ireland’s southwest coast, finishing in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France. The Fastnet Race’s history stretches back to 1925, when seven yachts set sail from Ryde in what was then a novel offshore event, leading to the formation of the RORC itself. Since then, the race has grown from a small, pioneering challenge to the world’s largest offshore yacht race.

The 2025 edition’s revival of the Admiral’s Cup adds an extra layer of prestige and excitement. The series kicks off with the Channel Race on 19 July, culminating with the Fastnet Race on 26 July. This revitalized grand prix yacht racing series will feature 15 yacht clubs from across the globe, including teams from New Zealand and Australia, fielding two boats each. Crews include Olympic and world champions, America’s Cup veterans, and round-the-world racers, all preparing new, optimized boats specifically for the event.

Among the standout competitors are some of the world’s fastest yachts: 100-footers such as Remon Vos’ Black Jack 100 and Seng Huang Lee’s SHK Scallywag, along with former Volvo Open 70s and other high-performance vessels. However, the race’s IRC handicap system means boats of all sizes and designs have a genuine chance to win the Fastnet Challenge Cup, awarded to the top IRC boat overall. Past winners have ranged from 33-footers to 76-footers, underscoring the event’s inclusivity and tactical complexity.

The 2025 race also features vibrant competition within IRC classes, with well-represented fleets including JPK 1010s, First 40s, Sun Fast 3600s, and J/109s battling for class honors in what is among the most competitive offshore racing worldwide.

Beyond IRC, cutting-edge French pro classes add to the spectacle. The world’s fastest multihulls, including the Ultim trimarans Banque Populaire and Sodebo, and high-tech IMOCA monohulls such as Jeremie Beyou’s Charal, join the fleet alongside MOD70s, Ocean 50 trimarans, and the popular Class40s.

The Rolex Fastnet Race’s evolution has not been without hardship. The infamous 1979 Fastnet disaster, where a sudden storm led to 15 fatalities and a massive rescue operation, dramatically reshaped safety regulations and boat design standards. Since then, advancements in weather forecasting, boat construction, and safety equipment have ensured the race remains a pinnacle of offshore sailing without repeat tragedy.

With Rolex’s continued title sponsorship since 2001 and IRC’s fair rating system in place, the Fastnet Race continues to attract top-level sailors alongside passionate amateurs, creating an enduring mix of competition, camaraderie, and adventure.

As the centenary edition approaches, the Rolex Fastnet Race remains not only a test of sailing skill and technology but a celebration of offshore racing’s rich heritage and vibrant future.

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The high-performance C&C 30 One Design skiff is a twitchy, skittish beast not for the faint of heart. This much I was discovering in an elemental way, perched on the windward rail with eight fellow crewmen on the C&C 30 Chinook in this past fall’s annual Sail for Hope fundraising regatta on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay.

It was a puffy, shifty, challenging day for helming, and I was more than happy to serve as human ballast on the long, upwind tacks. At the same time, I was mightily impressed with the dude at the tiller skillfully carving our course to weather. His name is Steve Baskis. He’s a decorated Army veteran, one of several who were on the boat. 

Yet even in this distinguished company, Baskis was different. He couldn’t see a bloody thing. 

Chinook was competing under the figurative flag of a nonprofit organization called Sail To Win. Founded by Army combat vet Aaron “Ike” Isaacson and professional sailors Mike Patterson and Whitney Curtin, the group’s mission statement is straightforward: “To honor and empower wounded veterans, first responders and people that have served their community with disabilities by training, educating and competing in sailing competitions around the globe.” 

Isaacson received the Purple Heart after being wounded during one of his several deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He told me: “I was lying in a hospital bed, and my thoughts went back to being a kid and the fun things I always wanted to do, like sailing and mountaineering. Those ­became my two main targets: sailing around the world and climbing all the mountains I could.”

Baskis lost his sight outside Baghdad in 2008 when his vehicle was raked by an improvised explosive device. A lifelong athlete, he was also hospitalized and pondered his next moves: “Thinking about how to rebuild my life, I just realized if I get out and do things, it’s going to force me to adapt, to communicate.” He moved to Colorado and got into cycling, whitewater kayaking and, eventually, mountaineering. In fact, he met Isaacson on a climbing expedition to Nepal.

“We’ve been like family ever since,” said Isaacson, who ultimately concluded that sailing, not mountaineering, was more of a lifelong pursuit. That’s when he reached out to Patterson and Curtin, whose family owns the classic 12-Metre and two-time America’s Cup winner Intrepid, which also hosts Sail To Win outings. Down the road, the organization hopes to land a larger donated boat (which is how they obtained Chinook) for offshore training and racing, perhaps even a transatlantic race. 

Baskis has steered both the stately 12 and the frisky C&C. I asked him what, if anything, was the difference. “On Intrepid, you’re standing at the wheel, and you can feel the tension and the weight and the energy it takes to carry it through the water,” he said. “On Chinook, you’re steering with a tiller. It’s way more ­reactive. You feel like you’re dancing through the water.” 

The Sail for Hope racecourse was a 20-odd-mile lap around Conanicut Island, and there were plenty of sail changes, including a couple of long stretches under spinnaker. The dance was ever-changing. Isaacson said that the team has ­experimented with haptics technology—the vibration you feel on your ­smartphone—to help get Baskis in a groove while driving. “We’ve been developing a watch that vibrates when Steve’s on the helm, that signals whether he’s on course or veering off,” he said. 

However, that’s still in the experimental stage, and during our race, Patterson served as both tactician and guide, perched alongside Baskis and providing steady input on wind strength and direction, the sea state, and the competition. “It was a tough day with the breeze up and down, constantly changing pressure,” Patterson said. “But Steve hung in there. He’s a very active guy. He’s done all sorts of adventure sports since he lost his vision.” Even up on the rail, it was easy to understand that he’d be a hard dude to rattle.

Later, after talking to Baskis a bit more, it seemed to me that two things were true: Yes, of course, Baskis is blind; yet his true soul and spirit, his inner vision, is ­crystal-­clear. 

Herb McCormick is a CW editor-at-large.

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World Cruising Club confirmed on Tuesday that 33-year-old Swedish sailor Dag Eresund was lost overboard from the Volvo Open 70 racing yacht Ocean Breeze early Monday morning while participating in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC).

A search was coordinated in the Atlantic Ocean by Marine Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) Norfolk USA and involved Ocean Breeze, ARC yacht Leaps & Bounds 2 and motor vessel Project X. World Cruising Club stated that air cover was not possible due to the distance of the incident from land.

MRCC Norfolk ended the active search 18 hours later due to diminishing daylight and worsening sea conditions. It has requested that all able vessels amend course to pass through the search area of 20^o24.838N 043^o11.623W and keep a sharp lookout for any signs of a person in the water.

These coordinates will be updated over time to account for drift rates and weather conditions, and MRCC Norfolk will continue to provide updates.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Dag Eresund’s family and friends and with all the crew members on Ocean Breeze at this unbelievably difficult time,” World Cruising Club said in an emailed statement. “We thank the skippers and crew of Leaps & Bounds 2 and Project X for diverting to assist in the search.”

The ARC rally started last Sunday with over 140 boats routing from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia.

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Forty years ago this month, an eclectic fleet of international solo sailors was underway on the second leg of the inaugural BOC Challenge, a dicey passage through the wild Southern Ocean from Cape Town, South Africa, to Sydney, Australia. The BOC was the first singlehanded round-the-world race to begin and conclude in the United States, having set forth from Newport, Rhode Island, on August 28, 1982. 

On the occasion of the event’s 40th anniversary (where does the time go?), it seems like an appropriately nostalgic moment to reflect on not only what transpired then, but also what has unfolded in the sport of marathon ocean racing in the four decades since. The changes have been significant. 

The BOC was the ­brainchild of a burly offshore veteran (of both yacht racing and the US Navy) named David White. He’d washed up in Newport after a solo trans-Atlantic race, with dreams of taking the competition to a new level. He recruited a willing accomplice in Jim Roos, who managed properties on Goat Island—including the marina that became the base of operations—and assumed the role as the first race director. Ultimately, the pair convinced the British-based BOC corporation (formerly known as British Oxygen) to come aboard as title sponsor for the race, which was run in four legs, with cash prizes of $25,000 each for the winners of Class I (45 to 56 feet) and Class II (32 to 44 feet). Game on.

Along with White, 16 sailors from eight nations signed up for the inaugural edition, and a wild cast of characters they were. Among them was a Japanese Zen Buddhist named Yukoh Tada; a Czech who officially defected on the day of the start, Richard Konkolski; a scrappy, tough-as-nails South African called Bertie Reed; the elder American statesmen of the fleet, former Los Angeles Times editor Dan Byrne; New Jersey grandfather and yacht broker Francis Stokes; and a handful of Frenchmen, most notably a dashing former deep-sea diver, Philippe Jeantot. 

Covering the BOC was my first major assignment in yachting journalism. I was on the docks in Cape Town when they set forth, and in Sydney when they pulled in. A whole lot of drama transpired in between. 

Tony Lush, an American sailing a 54-foot cat-ketch called Lady Pepperell, called for assistance early after falling off a wave and realizing his keel was wobbly. He was rescued at sea by Stokes on his Fast Passage 39, Mooneshine. 

Brit Desmond Hampton was not as lucky: On the final stretch to Sydney, he overslept and crashed the 56-foot Gipsy Moth V, chartered from the family of previous owner and English legend Sir Francis Chichester, on the rocky shores of nearby Gabo Island. Hampton survived, but the boat was reduced to kindling. 

Unfortunately, pre-race favorite White retired early after his 56-foot Gladiator suffered structural damage; running the race and building a solid boat proved to be one task too many. His departure opened the door for Jeantot, who’d arrived with a purpose-­built 56-footer called Credit Agricole and proceeded to dominate the event, winning all four legs in decisive fashion, and setting a record for fastest solo circumnavigation: 159 days and change. 

It seemed remarkable at the time, but today the record belongs to his countryman Francis Joyon, who took his 103-foot trimaran, IDEC Sport, on a spin around the planet in just over 40 days. 

Jeantot went on to launch the Vendée Globe race, a nonstop round-the-world contest; founded Privilege Catamarans, a brand of cruising cats; and got into loads of tax trouble with the French government. But his true legacy, as far as I’m concerned, was maintaining France’s role as the leader in solo sailing, carrying the baton first held by Bernard Moitessier and Eric Tabarly, and passing it along to a whole new generation of countrymen, who have run with it ever since. The English may have invented the sport, but the French came to rule it. 

And for me, the BOC Challenge turned out to be the first of many sailing events in which I’d cover or even ­compete. But none were ever better. 

Herb McCormick is a CW editor-at-large.

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In 2025, the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers will host its 40th edition. Boats will depart from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, bound for St. Lucia in the Caribbean.

It’s projected that when the 2025 rally concludes in St. Lucia, more than 8,000 boats and 40,000 sailors will have sailed the Atlantic with the support of the ARC.

To celebrate this achievement, there are discounts available now for all boat entries smaller than 40 feet and for any boats or skippers who participated in the inaugural rally in 1986. In addition, a portion of every entry fee will be donated to the newly formed World Cruising Positive Impact Fund.

“Forty years is a landmark anniversary” Paul Tetlow, World Cruising Club managing director, stated in a press release. “Supporting local organizations on our route has always been a part of the rally, from the ARC Forest in Gran Canaria to supporting local sailing in St. Lucia, and our new Positive Impact Fund will enable us to reach more charities and communities in the countries we visit.”

Sailors who prefer to contribute hands-on donations of time can plant trees in the mountains above Las Palmas, working with Fundacion Foresta. So far, 3,770 trees have been planted in what has become known as the “ARC Forest,” helping to capture carbon and improve rainfall retention.

Sailor Jimmy Cornell devised the ARC four decades ago to be a fun event for true cruising enthusiasts. The rally has always been intended to increase safety and enhance participants’ confidence on board, as well.

The first rally, in November 1986, attracted 209 yachts from 24 countries. Nobody could have foreseen just how much the event would grow throughout the years. Today, late November is known as “ARC season” in Las Palmas—and a sister event, ARC+, has been added from Las Palmas to Mindelo in Cape Verde and then on to Grenada.

To date, 7,656 yachts have crossed the Atlantic with the ARC and ARC+, sailing a combined total of more than 22 million nautical miles. The course record is eight days, six hours, 29 minutes and 15 seconds, set by George David’s Rambler 88 in 2016.

Have any boats already entered this autumn’s rally? Oh, yes. More than 160 boats are entered for ARC 2024, while ARC+ 2024 has 103 entries. ARC 2024 boats range in size from a Hallberg Rassy 352 to a Wally Yachts 83.

Where to learn more: click over to worldcruising.com

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