Thomas Coville and his team aboard the foiling Ultim trimaran Sodebo-3 have set a new non-stop record around the world and in doing so has taken the Jules Verne Trophy. The team's new record pace takes over 12 hours off the previous record and yet impressive though it is, the achievement represents a great deal more. In the closing stages severe weather came close to derailing the campaign and put huge amounts of pressure on the team. Since the record was set in 2017 there have been 13 unsuccessful attempts at beating it, Coville accounted for three of them, that's how hard this record is to achieve and why Coville's success is seen as such a major achievement. But still there is more to this Jules Verne season - This is a story of not one but two campaigns. The second trimaran, IDEC Sport had set the previous record and now known as The Famous Project, was attempting its own non-stop lap. If successful they too would enter the record books as the first ever all women crew to complete a non-stop lap pf the planet. But they too were facing a serious dilemma as to how best to handle the weather that was threatening to block their path at best and derail their entire campaign at worst. So, in part 3 of our Jules Verne coverage we look at how the final stages of the two Jules Verne attempts played out. Sodebo 3 - Crew Thomas Coville - skipper Benjamin Schwartz - co skipper Frédéric Denis Pierre Leboucher Léonard Legrand Guillaume Pirouelle Nicolas Troussel New Record time: 40 days, 10 hours, 45 minutes and 50 seconds

The first official gathering of the 38th America's Cup was a glitzy affair as five teams and the America's Cup entourage rolled into Naples, Italy. To many this event, set in the prestigious surroundings of the Palazzo Reale marked the start of the 38th Cup cycle. And as with pretty much every start to a Cup there were smiles all round and talk of big things to come. Justin Chisholm was there on behalf of PlanetSail and thrust his microphone under the chins of the key players to find out how they felt about the road to the Cup, while Matt Sheahan gives his take on what we have learned at the start of the 38th America's Cup cycle.

When the conditions align it's the dream trade winds trip and this year the Royal Ocean Club's Transatlantic Race was a stunner. Perfect conditions saw flat out performances across the board and records tumbled. Here's what it was like aboard two of the front runners who both set new course records from the crews themselves starting with the crew of the MOD 70 Argo who demolished the multihull record while locking horns with their familiar competitor and sister ship Zoulou. Plus, we gain a fascinating an insight into one of the most secret yet advanced monohulls on the planet, the stunning 111ft Raven. We covered the launch of this boat two years ago and her story was extremely popular. If you want to know more about the background to a racing superyacht project that was extreme in every way from the start you can find the two features we ran here. The Foiling Superyacht https://youtu.be/wxeBv5TWiMA Superyacht Raven Takes Flight - OnCourse Ep29 https://youtu.be/7uhelqmwyDM?t=27 Facebook - @planetsail.org Website - www.planetsail.co.uk Twitter - matthewsheahan Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-sheahan

'Absolutely amazing!'.....'The best conditions!'.......'Phenomenal Racing'! It was clear what the sailors thought as they stepped ashore at the end of the opening event of the 2026 SailGP season. Expectations leading into the event had been high, thanks largely to the reputation of the notorious local sea breeze, The Freemantle Doctor. And from the moment teams went out to practice in the days before it was obvious that the chatter hadn't been hype. Injuries, breakages and high speed dramas had been delivered before the racing had event started, and when it did, the competition was explosive. Fleet racing at speeds of 30knots upwind and 45 downwind made for some hair raising mark roundings and plenty of stress. Here's the PlanetSail review of a spectacular opening weekend.

From winning nine world titles to heading deep into the Southern Ocean aboard a 40 footer, from taking an F50 foiling cat fully airborne to the next generation of round the world racing for everyone, this week we take a look at four very different corners of the sport, starting with Ian Williams’ incredible ninth win in the World Match Racing Tour. How did the defining day play out? Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the scale the fleet of Class 40’s competing in the Globe 40 race are heading to the most remote point at sea where the International Space Station provides the closest access to other humans. We take a quick look at SailGP’s opening event where the local ‘doctor’ has been causing a few breakages, injuries and hairy moments, before turning our attention to the new 72 footer that you could be racing around the world in 2027. Could this be your new ride? CHAPTERS & LINKS 00:29 World Match Racing Tour 04:30 Globe 40 race 06:08 SailGP in Perth 07:00 New Clipper Yacht

Be it Sodebo 3, or The Famous Project, both have their heads down as they try to achieve two separate records. Their passages through the Southern Ocean have been fascinating. Here's a taste of why and a link to part 2 of our Lapping the Planet feature

Two teams are on the verge of setting two new records. For Alexia Barrier's team on The Famous Project and Thomas Coville's crew aboard Sodebo 3, charging through the Southern Ocean and past the three great Capes has been a stressful and emotional experience. And while both have succeeded in running the gauntlet to head back into the South Atlantic, both teams know that even though their bows are pointing at the finish, they are still a long way off sealing the deal. Whatever happens next, their trips since crossing the start line in Ushant have been outstanding to follow. In part 2 of our Lapping the Planet feature, Matt Sheahan takes a close look at what their long trips through the Southern Ocean have been like. Both provide a fascinating insight into two very different campaigns. Both have been candid about what it's like and what it means to them - This is not to be missed! Plus, if you haven't done so already you can see how the opening stages played out in part 1.

The recent signing of the AC38 protocol created a flurry of news stories and speculation as to how the next Cup would play out. And while the governance of the Cup is a big deal, the news that followed has been more of a drip feed than the start of a new chapter for the 175 year old trophy. But don't be fooled, the 38th Cup is a big deal, not least of all because the runway is now pretty short with teams moving into completely new territory when it comes to how this Cup will be run. The first event is in just a few months time with the Cup Match itself taking place next year. The closing date for entries is the end of January 2026 and yet there's still talk of more teams taking part and the Kiwis are about to get their AC75 back on the water. The fact is we're underway already, so what's going on? In our latest update Matt Sheahan pulls together the various news stories, inside chatter and gossip to put together his personal analysis of what's going on to explain what state the Cup is in and where we should be looking. We also hear from the chief architect of the AC75 Emirates Team New Zealand's Dan Bernasconi about how this generation of AC75s will differ from the previous machines. Plus, if you thought that talk of a collaboration among Cup teams with the ACP sounded familiar, we've dug out some great clips from 2017 where some of the key players in the sport talk about the biggest change for the Cup......If nothing else it should produce a wry smile or two!

With the big guns tied to the dock in Hobart the stopwatches were running to see who would take overall victory on corrected time in IRC. Like the supermaxis, this too became a tight battle but with a twist at the end. This feature is an amended version of our first 2025 Sydney Hobart Race report so if you've already watched that skip to 04:15 to pick up the latest news on the IRC victory.

Every Boxing Day the focus for the offshore world shifts to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. This year the forecast was for punchy upwind conditions for the opening stages of the race and while the chances of a new record were slim, the battle at the front of the fleet was as close as it gets. Here's how the race for line honours played out.

From the giant 32m Ultims looking to break the fully crewed non-stop record and win the Jules Verne Trophy to those who are sailing double handed in Class 40s. Plus, the solo sailors that are currently looking at the home stretch in their 5.80m long home built plywood monohulls. We take a look at this season's global circumnavigations.

If you're looking to complete a lap pf the planet, now's the time to knuckle down to business. And there are plenty out there who are doing just that. But what makes this this season so different is the range of boats out there right now. From the giant 32m Ultims looking to break the fully crewed non-stop record and win the Jules Verne Trophy, to those looking to set a completely new record and those who are sailing double handed in Class 40s. Plus, the eleven solo sailors that are currently looking at the home stretch having already clocked up over 20,000 miles in their 5.80m long home built plywood monohulls. Yes, you read that right, it's not a typo. We take a look at this season's global circumnavigations. We also have a helping of Docktalk where we look at what Hall Spars and Quantum Sails have been up to. (Note: Opening sequence includes flash frames)

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