Displaying items by tag: Cape Horn

8th April 2024

2024 Cape Horn Hall of Fame Nominations Close Now Open

The International Association of Cape Horners (IACH) has announced that nominations for the 2024 Cape Horn Hall of Fame Awards are now open.

The awards aim to honour the most accomplished sailors who have sailed around the challenging Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America.

The IACH has already received nominations for some significant names in the sailing world, including the first woman to win any round-the-world race, Kirsten Neuschäfer, and renowned French sailor Loïck Peyron. However, the public still has until 30th April to submit their nominations.

The IACH, which organises the awards, has an independent judging panel, including the chairman and renowned sailor, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. The panel will select a shortlist of 20 contenders, which will then be voted on by the entire IACH membership to select the top six inductees.

The award ceremony will be held in Les Sables d'Olonne, France, on 26th October, during the 2024/25 Vendée Globe Race build-up. The ceremony will take place at the Cape Horners Yacht Club, also known as "Le Carre," which opened last year. The Club has a bar, dining room, and terrace overlooking the Vendee Globe marina, and it holds a collection of memorabilia from famous circumnavigations.

The IACH Cape Horn Hall of Fame honours board currently lists 26 famous Cape Horners, including Dame Ellen MacArthur, Jeanne Socrates, and Grant Dalton.

Published in Offshore

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Cape Horn

25th March 2023

What Irish Sailors Can Join the 2023 Cape Horn Hall of Fame?

True to its tradition of hosting world-famous sailors, Les Sables d'Olonne, the global capital of single-handed ocean racing, is now home to the International Association of Cape Horners Cape Horn Hall of Fame.

The International Association of Cape Horners (IACH) is calling for nominations to be included in the 2023 Cape Horn Hall of Fame to join the names of 28 famous sailors inaugurated last year at a ceremony held in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, the home of solo sailing.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Chairman of the independent Cape Horn Hall of Fame Selection Committee, says: “This year, we are looking for Cape Horners past and present who have made a significant contribution to the sport of sailing, either solo or leading a crew around the world’s most infamous Cape.”

His committee, which includes veteran French sailor Jean-Luc van den Heede (deputy-chairman), American navigator Stan Honey, and fellow circumnavigators Dee Caffari (UK) and Dilip Donde (India), will review each nomination and select the best 20 names for a vote by members of IACH to determine the final six to be inducted into the 2023 Cape Horn Hall of Fame.

Aug 2022. The first induction of sailors into the Int. Assoc. of Cape Horners (IACH) Cape Horn Hall of Fame, held in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, the permanent home of the IACH Cape Hall Horn of Fame. Left to right: Yannick Moreau, the Mayor of Les Sables d'Olonne; Ashley Manton, Chairman of IACH; Jean-Luc van den Heede, Vice President of IACH. Photo: Tim Bishop/PPL

The Cape Horn Hall of Fame nomination form can be downloaded from the IACH website. Submissions close on April 30, 2023. The 2023 Cape Horn Hall of Fame induction ceremony will occur in Les Sables d’Olonne in September.

“We are very pleased to have the IACH Cape Horn Hall of Fame as a permanent fixture in Les Sables d’Olonne,” says the City Mayor, Yannick Moreau, adding. “The Board of Honour pays tribute to these men and women who have shown such bravery and courage. It has also become a pilgrimage for recipients and their families to visit, building on our reputation and maritime importance as a home for the Vendée Globe and Golden Globe solo round-the-world races.”

Ashley Manton, Chairman of the International Association of Cape Horners, adds, "This is now an important event in the sailing calendar, encouraging future generations to follow in the footsteps of their elders in setting new records in round-the-world sailing”.

Names already honoured on the IACH Cape Horn Hall of Fame

Willem Schouten (1567-1625), Netherlands
Jacob Le Maire (1585-1616), Belgium
Vice Admiral Robert Fitzroy (1805-1865), England
Capt. Vern Verner Björkfelt (1900-1982), Finland
Capt. Thomas Carter (T.C) Fearon (1813 - 1869), USA
Capt. Adolph Hauth, Allemagne
Capt. Louis Allaire (1880-1949), France
Alan Villiers (1903-1982), Australia
Vito Dumas (1900-1965), Argentina
Marcel Bardiaux (1910-1958), France
Sir Francis Chichester (1901-1972), England
Sir Alec Rose (1908-1991), England
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (1939-), England
Bernard Moitessier (1925-1994), France
Sir Chay Blyth (1940-), Scotland
Ramon Carlin (1923-2016), Mexico
Éric Tabarly (1931-1998), France
Cornelis van Rietschoten (1926-2013), Netherlands
Dame Naomi James (1949-), New Zealand
Kay Cottee (1954-), Australia
Jon Sanders (1939-), Australia
Philippe Jeantot (1952-), France
Titouan Lamazou (1955-), France
Sir Peter Blake (1948-2001), New Zealand
Dilip Donde (1967-), India
Stan Honey (1955-), America
Dee Caffari (1973-), England
Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (1945-), France

Published in Solo Sailing

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Cape Horn

16th February 2018

Enda O’Coineen Set To Round Cape Horn Solo This Weekend

Enda O'Coineen on the deck of his IMOCA 60

In the coming 24 hours, Enda O’Coineen is on course to sail solo around the notorious Cape Horn as he endeavours to complete his solo sailing lap of the planet.

Enda restarted his voyage in late January a little over a year since his Vendée Globe challenge came to an abrupt end, when his mast came crashing down some 180 miles south of New Zealand.

Having sailed more than half-way around the world from Les Sables in France, Enda was determined to finish what he started.

Initial plans to repair his boat changed when the opportunity arose to combine his efforts with another retired Vendée Globe team and merge as Le Souffle du Nord Kilcullen Team Ireland, with the mission to sail back to France and unofficially finish the race.

This weekend will be only one of a few recorded times that an Irish sailor has rounded the southern tip of the South American continent.

Enda OCoineen Cape Horn

Speaking about historic event, Enda O’Coineen said: “Cape Horn is one of, if not, the most feared pieces of land to round on the planet. And it is certainly living up to its reputation as I approach with 60kph winds and roaring seas hurtling me towards the great cape.

“This will hopefully be the coldest and wildest weather I will encounter as I then turn north and start the final leg up the Atlantic Ocean and into Les Sables d’Olonne to finish what I started.

“It’s hard to explain why I put myself in this position, alone, cold, and exhausted as the bottom of the earth but as any sailor or adventurer knows as soon as you reach your destination and accomplish your goal you quickly forget about the hardship.”

Enda added: “Right now I am living on the edge, moment by moment. Having the joint backing of two teams and flying both the Irish and French flags is an honour. The work of Le Souffle du Nord and the Atlantic Youth Trust keeps me motivated during the lows.”

The timing of the rounding coincides with summer in the Southern Hemisphere, but the latitude and converging seas make Cape Horn a daunting prospect year-round.

For live tracking of Enda’s voyage visit www.teamireland.ie.

Published in Solo Sailing

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28th March 2015

Volvo Ocean Race Fleet Approach Cape Horn

#vor – The Volvo Ocean Race fleet, battered but unbroken as they battle through the Southern Ocean, face the toughest 48 hours of the nine-month marathon as they approach Cape Horn on Monday.

The region is the only time in the 38,738-nautical mile race where the boats are likely to see icebergs, despite the ice limits set by organisers, and a huge storm is building up behind to chase them on their way (see details here).

Early on Saturday (0640 UTC), the Chinese boat Dongfeng Race Team, skippered by Frenchman Charles Caudrelier, led the leg from Auckland to Itajaí, Brazil, but by less than 10nm from four other crews.

Caudrelier admitted that the stress has become "wearing' on his eight-man team.

"I think it's unique in the history of the Volvo Ocean Race (launched in 1973) to have a fleet battling like this in these latitudes," he wrote in his blog on Saturday.

"Tomorrow, we'll be even further south and the water temperature is going to drop. I'm expecting the hardest part of this race in the next 48 hours."

Dongfeng were one of three boats to crash over on their sides midway through the Southern Ocean on the 6,776nm leg – a so-called 'Chinese gybe'.

Thankfully, all the crews avoided anything more serious than cuts and bruises and damage to boats have been repaired on the move.

After some 3,000nm miles of sailing in the toughest leg of the race, Dongfeng lead by just 5.1nm from Dutch boat Team Brunel (Bouwe Bekking/NED) with overall leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker/GBR), MAPFRE (Iker Martínez/ESP) and Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright/USA) no more than 4nm further adrift.

The all women's crew of Team SCA (Sam Davies/GBR) were nearly 100nm behind that pack, but gaining all the time in stronger winds.

They and MAPFRE also suffered Chinese gybes on Tuesday. The leg is expected to conclude around April 5-6 after three weeks of sailing from New Zealand.

In all, the boats will sail nine legs and visit 11 ports. They finish the race on June 27 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Published in Ocean Race

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2nd April 2012

Groupama Try Out a New Watch System

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - Has the Groupama sailing team adopted a new simplified watch system, keeping just one man on deck to handle the vessel - as demonstrated by Ireland's Damian Foxall in the video above?

Don't worry - it's just a prank for April Fool's Day yesterday!

The yacht and its full compliment of crew have rounded Cape Horn and are currently in overall second place as the Volvo Ocean Race fleet heads to Itajaí in Brazil on the fifth leg and longest passage of the race.

Groupama and PUMA are currently battling for first place on the leg, with Telefónica hot on their heels after making up 180 miles in just 36 hours with speeds near double those of the frontrunners.

Published in Ocean Race

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5th February 2011

Velux 5 Oceans: Windy Start to Ocean Sprint 3

The Velux 5 Oceans website has posted a video preview ahead of the third ocean sprint stage in the marathon round-the-world yacht race.

http://www.velux5oceans.com/latest-news/#/latest-news/cape-horn-awaits-preview-to-ocean-sprint-3/1416

The third stage, which kicks off tomorrow, will take the four competing yachts across the Pacific Ocean from Wellington, New Zealand to Punta de Este in Uruguay.

Sail World reports that northerly gales are expected to buffet the boats from the off as they set out on the incredible 6,000-mile route, which will take them to Nemo Point - the most remote spot in the world - and the notorious challenge of Cape Horn.

http://www.sail-world.com/UK/Gusty-Wellington-day-for-start-of-Velux-5-Oceans-Ocean-Sprint-3/80006

American Brad Van Liew, skipper of Le Pingouin, is currently in the lead having won the previous two ocean sprints in the 30,000-mile race.

The Velux 5 Oceans website has posted a video preview ahead of the third ocean sprint stage in the marathon round-the-world yacht race.

The third stage, which kicks off tomorrow, will take the four competing yachts across the Pacific Ocean from Wellington, New Zealand to Punta de Este in Uruguay.

American Brad Van Liew, skipper of Le Pingouin, is currently in the lead having won the previous two ocean sprints in the 30,000-mile race.

Published in Offshore

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Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.