This is an exceptional machine. Three years in design and build, the latest maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Gitana 18 has been designed to set new offshore records both fully crewed and solo. And while it’s a bold claim before the boat has even touched the water, there’s very good reason to believe the team when they say that they are expecting a 10-15% improvement in performance. After all, this is the team that led the foiling charge in the Ultim class after years of testing and development on a modified MOD70. Gitana 17 was the first 32m tri to get up onto foils, now it’s standard practice in this elite fleet of maxis. But while G17 was designed to fly in optimum conditions, the new sistership is designed to fly all the time given sufficient breeze and in big seas states. No one has cracked this yet, so to achieve this has required an ingenious and innovative approach. having been built in secret, as the new beast was revealed for the first time, we needed no encouragement to head over to her base in Lorient to see her for real and speak to some of the key players behind this extraordinary machine.

The Mubadala SailGP Abu Dhabi was a profitable one for Emirates Great Britain as the team came away with $2,400,000 after winning the grand final and the 2025 season. In fact, their season had been so successful that their total SailGP winnings topped out at $4.4 million. The British team has been the best this season with 7 event podiums, 3 event victories plus the winner take all grand final. And while success in SailGP is all about the team, Dylan Fletcher has been at the wheel for the entire season and in a very good position to explain how they did it, so we gave him a call to find out what lay behind their consistent performance and ultimate success.

The Mubadala Abu Dhabi SailGP was the final of 12 events in a busy and action packed season. Looking at the overall scoreboard going into the final weekend, on the face of it if you weren’t one of the top four teams there wasn’t much to play for. Barring a disaster Emirates Great Britain and the Kiwi Black Foils were pretty much guaranteed a place in the three boat grand final. This meant that the focus for the weekend was going to be between the formally dominant Australian Bonds Flying Roos and the defending champions the Spanish Los Gallos who would be fighting it out for the remaining spot. And yet Abu Dhabi was far more than that. New wings, new players and new dramas and more money on the table, this was an event that said more about how SailGP has developed and what it has become. And then there was the final race, 8 minutes with a $2million payout. Even then it wasn't straightforward. With all three finalists leading at some point on the course, the grand final was not only dramatic, but another perfect indication of a step change for SailGP. Here’s the PlanetSail review of the final event. To see the full official broadcast from both days: Day 1 - https://youtu.be/HC_IfJF6Ekg Day 2 - https://youtu.be/pbEzb5YiXKY Facebook - @planetsail.org Website - www.planetsail.co.uk Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-sheahan Instagram - matthewsheahan

Given the global popularity of shorthanded offshore racing in both amateur and professional circuits, it's amazing to think that there is no offshore world championship event. And yet this type of racing is something that nearly made it through to the Olympics. The recent Offshore Double Handed Worlds run out of Cowes and organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club suggests that this could be a successful format for the future. But the event also provided guide lines for a new way of holding keel boat racing in the future. Given the widespread concerns about the ever spiralling costs of 'big boat' racing and how future generations will be able to afford it, the Offshore Double Handed Worlds provided some interesting ideas. We report on who came out on top and talk to shorthanded expert and self confessed addict Nigel Colley about what this might mean for the future. CHAPTERS & LINKS 00:00 Intro 00:41 The Olympic Plan 01:36 The competitors 03:07 Qualification Race 1 04:32 Qualification Race 2 06:22 Repechage 07:01 Final 09:59 Discussing the future with Nigel Colley To find out more about Sea Venture and their range of new and used boats https://www.sea-ventures.co.uk Facebook - @planetsail.org Website - www.planetsail.co.uk Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-sheahan Instagram - matthewsheahan

Before the race had started it looked likely that the biggest fleet in the Transat Cafe L’Or were going to be dealt the toughest hand. The weather forecast for the opening few days of the race had already forced some changes across the fleets. The Ocean 50s were starting a day early to miss the worst while the Class 40s now had a pit stop in A Coruna inserted into their schedule. This now split their transatlantic dash into two legs, forcing all the crews to re-work their Atlantic strategy. But, three days after the fleet had re-started from the Spanish port there was another big judgement to make as the weather split their options in two. The questions was simple, go North or South? The answer was very complex and turned the 3,200 mile race to Martinique into a 13 day nail biter. We take a look at how the race played out in this fiercely competitive fleet. Facebook - @planetsail.org Website - www.planetsail.co.uk Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-sheahan Instagram - matthewsheahan

Originally designed to blast around the world non-stop and solo every fours years, the IMOCA scene and its racing calendar has exploded to the point that there is almost too much choice for teams. But given that the Vendée Globe is stil the ultimate race for this class it is no surprise to see that events like the Transat Cafe L’Or have attracted a great deal of interest from teams who look to find more ways to develop and refine these outrageously powerful machines. But this year something else was bubbling beneath. New designs for the next Vendée cycle are starting to appear and along with them, new names on the leaderboard. So, in this episode we take a look at how this race played out for the IMOCA fleet as they wrestled with the tactics and what the top dogs thought about it once they had reached the other side. Thumbnail credit: Jean-Marie Liot / Alea

In less than a fortnight both the multihull classes had completed the extended race across the Atlantic. The Ultims had been down to the equator before heading back up to the finish in Martinique while the Ocean Fifties had turned west at Cape Verde. Two classes and on the face of it two different types of competition where one seemed to deliver a dominant walk in the park, the other a full on transatlantic fist fight with boats barely out of sight of each other. Yet behind the scenes both were intense, relentless races that took teams to the edge. In an event that is driven and dominated by the French, it's not often that the non-French speaking public get to hear what really goes through the minds of the world's best, seemingly fearless and accomplished offshore heroes. But in this episode we find out what made this race a tough one, get an insight into their world and discover what an emotional place it is. Hot on their heels were the front runners in the IMOCAs and we take an initial glimpse at the winner. Thumbnail credit: Jean-Marie Liot / Alea CHAPTERS AND LINKS 00:00 Setting the scene 00:22 The story so far 02:21 Victory secured in the Ultim class 07:43 Views from the runners up 10:24 The Ocean 50 needlematch 11:17 Ocean 50 winners 15:09 Ocean 50 runners up 17:17 IMOCA first look Facebook - @planetsail.org Website - www.planetsail.co.uk Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-sheahan Instagram - matthewsheahan

From Atlantic gales that swept through the fleets, to weather forecasts that threatened to cause havoc, the start of the 2025 Transat Cafe L'Or was a challenging one for organisers and competitors alike. Despite threading their way through the heavy duty Autumn Atlantic conditions by amending courses and setting a mandatory pit stop for the Class 40s, all four fleets were working hard to negotiate conditions at both ends of the scale. So, while this Transatlantic double handed-classic is well known for being a tough one, this year the stress just kept coming. We take a look at how the first 8 days of racing played out across the fleets. CHAPTERS & LINKS 00:00 Setting the Scene 00:46 Pit stop for the Class 40 03:06 IMOCA re-set 04:21 Ocean 50s head south 04:53 Ultims in the Doldrums 05:56 IMOCAs head west 07:07 Conrad Colman not enjoying dawn 08:43 Edenred Ocean Fifty loses the lead 09:43 Class 40s face serious weather Facebook - @planetsail.org Website - www.planetsail.co.uk Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-sheahan Instagram - matthewsheahan

When the clocks go back, the gales sweep in and the nights become unpleasantly long, its time for most normal people to lay up their boats or head for sunnier climes down south. But not in the offshore rock star scene. For them, the end of October means it’s time to get out there and put hammer down across the Atlantic in a double handed race from Le Havre to Martinique, the Transat Cafe L’Or. It’s a huge event in France and pulls in everyone from the most accomplished to the rising stars of the shorthanded offshore world. And the locals know it. It might be winter but the start is as much a festival of high tech sail as it it about a long distance event with a race village that pulls in thousands of spectators every day. The boats are something else as well, with each of the four classes representing the leading edge of offshore racing from the massive 32m Ultims, to the insane Ocean Fifties that will blast their way around the two longest courses. In the monohulls its the IMOCA 60 footers, several of which have come hot foot from The Ocean Race Europe, through to the biggest class of the four, the radical looking Class 40s. In the first of several features based on this race, the boats and the characters involved, PlanetSail was there at the start in Le Havre to stroll the docks, talk to the key players and feel the vibe around one of France’s biggest offshore races.

But not everybody's happy

The latest America’s Cup development is the biggest step change in the history of the Cup according to Sir Ben Ainslie. He also says that the newly signed America’s Cup partnership (ACP) is ‘Critical to the future success of the Cup.’ His opposite Grant Dalton is equally bold. ‘If we hadn’t have done this it could have been pretty much the end of the Cup,’ he says. Punchy talk by both given that the Cup has endured 174 years without such interventions. So why do these two key Cup figures think that the America’s Cup Partnership is such a big deal? Matt Sheahan talks to both men about the details that lie behind the new move and asks what it means for the future of the Cup Facebook - @planetsail.org Website - www.planetsail.co.uk Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-sheahan Instagram - matthewsheahan

It was the penultimate event in the 2025 SailGP season and there is simply no question that this year has been the most competitive so far. Those that had been to the Spain GP before knew that Cadiz could throw up anything to deliver one of the trickiest race courses on the circuit. And when you see teams that have dominated the racing for years come last, you can be sure that this isn't simply a dose of hype. Cadiz was tough for everyone and delivered the best penultimate event in the history of SailGP by demonstrating; a) how fiercely competitive all the teams are, b)how any one of them can win a race and c) setting up a big show down for Abu Dhabi where no one has a guaranteed place in the final.....yet. Plus, we include a healthy dose of Docktalk in this episode and find out about: Zhik's innovative new wetsuits Nautix slippery coatings The new Balance Cats from South Africa Reckmann's special relationship with Nautor Swan

On the face of it Paul Meilhat's Biotherm had pretty much won the Ocean Race Europe ahead of the final leg from Italy to Montenegro.Their command of the race over the previous four legs had been dominant, but, on paper it was still their to lose. So, while they might have had a 12 point lead, over second placed Paprec Arkea there were still 16 points on the table thanks to leg 5, the scoring gate points and the final coastal race that counted for as many as the final offshore leg. It was clear just from the route that the final offshore leg was also a very twisty, tricky tactical leg that had potholes and speed bumps all over it. And that is just how it played out. Leg 5 was the most stressful of the lot and a leg that also delivered some of the biggest surprises. This made leg 5 and the coastal races fitting curtain callers to an amazing six week event that had delivered way more than anyone had expected. Here's how it panned out.

AC38 Event Director talks to Matt Sheahan about this ambitious project that seeks to bring spectators back in touch with the boats, the teams and their bases.

The next America's Cup cycle is already under way. With the AC38 match due to take place in 2027, teams are expecting to be in their bases in Naples from April 2026 and the first Preliminary event is due a few months later in June 2026. So, what will the venue look like and how are things progressing? PlanetSail takes a look and speaks to 38th America's Cup Event Director Leslie Ryan about what we can expect.

The Swiss lake played up to its reputation with light and fluky winds, but with just three events to go in the 2025 season and the points at the top of the leaderboard super close, Geneva mattered. And this made it a tense, stressful event.

It might have been painfully light weather, but with just three remaining gigs left on the 2025 SailGP tour and with the tight battle for points at the top of the table, Geneva mattered. In fact, you could argue that with such stiff competition in a season that has been a needle match from the start, like it or not, Geneva would be crucial for those at the top. But, with a forecast for wind speeds that would barely snuff a candle, planning for success was going to be a very big ask. Instead, Geneva had stress written all over it.

Two broken boats, a relentless schedule and concerns around key elements of the fleet of F50s, once again SailGP had it's back against the wall. This time it was the build up to the event in St Tropez that was causing the stress and pressure. And then the weather threw a few curved balls into the mix. Whether you were on the shore on or a boat, the French SailGP was a nail biting affair and yet it was also a regatta that ended up being far more 'normal' than any of the others this season! Plus, SailGP continues to draw the attention of F1 drivers, here's what one made of it after a full on experience along with our full report on the Mistral mayhem in St Tropez.

When you consider that the 38th America's Cup kicks off in around 18 months time, it's been very quiet on the Cup front. At least that what it feels like on the outside. Sure, we've seen the Protocol for AC38 and the Italians have been out for a spin, but that's it, there's been little else going on. But behind the scenes teams have been working on one of the biggest shake ups the Cup has seen and it's not going to be universally popular. In fact, it looks like it's already upset some of those who were up for having a crack at the Auld Mug. Matt Sheahan considers what's been going on behind closed doors and away from the spotlights and microphones. Plus, in Docktalk we take a look at engineering experts Cariboni and a new exploration yacht from Pure Yachts. DOCKTALK 07:38 Cariboni 08:46 Pure Yachts Facebook - @planetsail.org Website - www.planetsail.co.uk Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-sheahan Instagram - matthewsheahan

While an IMOCA is a highly complex machine, the fundamental rules that govern their design are straightforward. A key focus within the rule is on limiting the power that can be generated through the sail plan by putting limits on stability. Offshore project manager and sailor Marcus Hutchinson explains.