Video Review: For many sailors this was their first look at the Olympic venue for Weymouth 2012, and what a week it was. The first four days were full-on hardcore high-wind races. And then the Medal Race day went out with a whimper, testing a whole different range of skills. SailJuice partnered up with Sailing Talk podcaster Justin Chisholm of OffshoreRules.com to record some of the action and interviews with the Olympic stars who had flown in from round the world.....
Olly Turner has won the SailJuice Global Warm-Up, the four-event winter travellers' series which concluded at the weekend with the Hoo Freezer. Turner's victory is particularly special because he sailed as crew in three events and as helm in the other, proving himself a versatile sailor at both ends of the Merlin Rocket that he competed in. Turner, crewing for Richard Whitworth at the Hoo Freezer in Kent this past weekend, finished 9th in Saturday's practice race, which was won by the International Canoe sailed by Simon Allen. At the time Turner can't have realised the significance of completing the practice race, but with winds gusting up to Force 7 across the Medway estuary on Sunday morning, Saturday's warm-up took on a new level of importance.
More than 200 sailors are revving up for Round 3 of the SailJuice Global Warm-Up Series this weekend at Rutland Water. The John Merricks Tiger Trophy attracts the best dinghy racers from around the UK for two days of frenetic racing in the middle of the country.....
Where Peter Barton had capsized his way around the Bloody Mary three weeks earlier, the more moderate conditions suited his T-foiled Cherub to a T, with Barton and crew David Ellis winning both races of the Asymmetric fleet. After two events, victory at the Bloody Mary plus their 3rd at the Steve Nicholson keeps Andy Smith & Tim Needham's 505 in pole position, but just a point ahead of Barton's Cherub...
Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell lie in 2nd place in the early stages of Miami Olympic Classes Regatta. Friend of SailJuice, editor of OffshoreRules.com Justin Chisholm caught up with Luke and Stu after their first day of racing to ask them more about their new partnership and their aspirations for the future...
With sub-zero temperatures, bone-chilling winds gusting over 25 knots, just 61 entrants and 29 finishers, this year's Bloody Mary must go down as one of the toughest in its 37 year history. This classic pursuit race throws up many different kinds of winners, and this year it was the turn of a 505, immaculately sailed by Staunton Harold's Andy Smith and Tim Needham, to lift the coveted trophy.
SailJuice gets an exclusive interview with Mike Drummond, design coordinator of BMW Oracle Racing, the day after the extraordinary 190-foot wing rig goes for its first test sail on the DogZilla trimaran. Mike is talking straight from the boat, and shares his views on the benefits of solid-rig technology and his first impressions of this feat of modern engineering....
Azzurra strategist Tom Burnham looks back at a classic - and controversial - day's match racing at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Nice. We also ask Tom to offer his views on the controversial Thierry Henry hand-ball incident in the recent World Cup qualifier against Ireland in the football.
Rio de Janeiro winning the bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games is exciting news. The first time the Games will take place in South America, for starters. Rio is a really exciting city, some would say too exciting. Anyone who has seen the film 'City of God' would know something about that. But what's it going to be like for sailing?
Matt Belcher & Malcolm Page lead a hot 470 fleet at Skandia Sail for Gold, after two days of windy racing. The Aussies talk about their new partnership and their plans for winning gold in Weymouth three years from now...
Michael Blackburn after day one at Skandia Sail for Gold in Weymouth. An Olympic bronze medallist in his own right, Michael is coach to Tom Slingsby, the double Laser World Champion, who has had a bad year - until today. He won both races on a day where the Aussies did well across the board. Today Weymouth Bay was a bit like Sydney Harbour, said Michael, except for the climate maybe...
Here's the List of Entries to the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta 2009. SailJuice.com is going to be in Weymouth reporting from on and off the water. Send in your requests for who you want us to interview, and whoever is the most popular choice, we'll go after them and get the word from the sailors that you most want to hear from...