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Blitzen’s Baddies aim for strong finish to 2024 Newport Yacht Club’s racing season

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Challenges confronted the crew of the Blitzen from day one in their inaugural year competing in the Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s racing season. Their halyard broke during the opening day race in May, sending the wind-catching kite propelling their boat from Long Beach Harbor to Newport Pier tumbling into the ocean.

“There was no hesitation between this team,” Blitzen’s owner Brett Scott said. “Everyone grabbed the kite and in 20 seconds it was up and flying again.”

She has been sailing since she was 5. But her first year at the head of a team has taught her a lot about managing schedules, the personalities aboard the boat and finances, she said.

“Whenever something breaks it adds up, so I’m definitely not doing this for the money,” Scott said with a laugh. “Don’t take investment advice from me. But we’ve really bonded as a team, and I think that’s our greatest achievement.”

There were plenty of smirks, side-eye and playful jabs as she and the crew rigged the Blitzen Friday in preparation of Long Point Race week. The three-day race is the last competitive event of the yacht club’s season.

The first leg starts in Newport Harbor and ends at Catalina Island. Boats then sail to the opposite end of the island and back on day two before returning to Newport Harbor on day three.

Blitzen’s Baddies, as the crew refers to themselves on Instagram, are all experienced sailors and were optimistic about finishing strong in their first season as a team. They’ve had some success this summer, including third-, second- and first-place finishes in their class during the three days of Long Beach Racing Week in June.

“We keep getting better,” Scott said.

Crew member Tyler Macdonald said the hardest part about the season has been “dealing with Adam and Spencer,” drawing laughs from Adam Bradley, Spencer Buchanan and the rest of the team aboard the Blitzen on Friday. Teammate Matt Whitfield said the real challenge of each race lies in “the hangover afterwards.” Coincidentally, he said his favorite activity while sailing is when they crack open some beer mid-journey.

There’s no shortage of banter aboard the Blitzen. And the irreverent sense of humor of her crew is half the reason Scoot chose to have them aboard.

She grew up in Reno and traveled to Newport Beach every summer as a child to sail with her family. She fell in love with both the ocean and the tavern-style warmth of the community that welcomed her into the sport.

Her father, Bart Scott, said he wasn’t surprised to see her move to Newport Beach. He’s proud to see her fulfill her lifelong dream of owning a boat and fielding a racing team. And although she has a sense of humor, she runs a tight ship and commands the respect of her crew.

“Once we all come together on what a problem is there’s not a lot of back and forth or arguing,” Scott said. “They all just recognize what we each need to do and get it done.”

After Long Point, Blitzen’s Baddies plan on participating in small casual races while preparing for next season. They hope to compete in the Transpacific Yacht Race from San Pedro to Honolulu next July.

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Eric Licas covers Newport Beach for the Daily Pilot. He previously was a crime and public safety reporter and, before that, spent four years as a staff writer with the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. He has been on the ground to cover active wildfires, civil unrest and mass shootings. He was born in the Philippines, raised in the San Fernando Valley and is a Cal State Northridge alumnus.

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Plymouth to host new round-the-world yacht race

Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City, is set to host an exhilarating new around-the-world sailing event, the WORLDSTAR on Saturday 26 September 2026!

Organized by the Royal Western Yacht Club (RWYC), the WORLDSTAR promises to be a thrilling spectacle. Starting in the picturesque Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, sailors will embark on an impressive journey around Antarctica before returning to Plymouth for the finish.

This extraordinary race is open to all solo and double-handed boats between 35ft and 60ft that has completed a 2000-mile qualification passage within the specified timeframe.

Commodore and Race Director, Chris Arscott said, “As we know, The Royal Western Yacht Club was the very first club to introduce short-handed and fully crewed offshore and oceanic racing. We want to complete the offering by launching this unique and ultimate test of seamanship to complement the OSTAR TWOSTAR and the RB&I, an opportunity for those sailors who want to take on the World in their own boat without the need to spend huge amounts of money.”

Race ambassador and round the world sailor, Guy Waites said “This is for the adventurer, for the sailor who inspires to the ultimate challenge… short-handed, non-stop, around the world via the 3 great capes. An event with clear guidelines, an event to facilitate your dream in, quite possibly, the boat you already own.”

RWYC Vice Commodore Adrian Gray said, “It is our intention to help as many sailors as possible with the required experience to achieve their dream at a reasonable level of investment, with the confidence of knowing that one of the worlds most experienced oceanic yacht clubs is with them in their quest to conquer their ‘Everest’. This will become part of a very tough, 3-STAR Challenge, along with the OSTAR and TWOSTAR.”

The WORLDSTAR start is scheduled to start at 12pm on Saturday 26 September 2026.

To find out more and to register your note of intent please go to  https://rwyc.org/worldstar

Further information and sponsorship opportunities please email  [email protected]

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The Plym Yacht Club is an enthusiastic family-oriented sailing club located in Plymouth, England. The club offers a convivial atmosphere for parents and children, yachtsmen, dinghy sailors and all water sports enthusiasts.

With the beautiful waters of the South West literally on their doorstep, members are spoilt for choice. They can choose to cruise this stunning area of unspoilt estuaries, rivers and creeks with tranquil anchorages some challenging offshore passages or racing within Plymouth Sound or offshore.

The club runs weekly racing series in Plymouth Sound during the Spring, Summer and Early Autumn. During the summer their premier yacht racing "Friday Night Series" provides a relaxing end to the week and currently has in excess of 20 boats entering. There are several long-distance races at weekends to ports like Fowey, Falmouth, Salcombe and back.

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A great weekend of sailing in the Sound

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Valentine’s Cocktail Night tonight

Ahoy, sailors! 🛥️ Join us tonight for a delightful evening of romance and libations at the Plym Yacht Club. 🥂 Whether you’re sailing solo or have a first mate, our…

With our attractive bar and friendly atmosphere, you’ll find plenty of reasons to visit — sailing night or not!

We run club racing and sailing events throughout the year, from early April right up until New Years Eve.

We love our club, and we want to see it thrive into future generations. Find out why our youth sailing is so popular…

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Great Britain Sail Grand Prix at Plymouth – Live

The Great Britain Sail Grand Prix at Plymouth is this weekend 30 and 31 July.

Five fleet races will be contested across Saturday and Sunday before the three boat match race final on Sunday to decide the overall winner.

Ben Ainslie is racing on home waters for the first time with his Great Britain SailGP team. And will be looking for his first event win since over a year ago in Bermuda.

With more boats and more events for Season 3, SailGP has brought in tougher penalties to encourage teams to avoid contact during racing, with the safety of athletes on board and limiting damage to the F50s a top priority.

Based on the nature of the contact and the severity of damage caused, teams can lose both race points and overall season points.

To watch here in the UK it will be a choice of Sky if you have their Sports channel or YouTube which will be available live here at 13:30 hrs Sunday.

Day 2 Racing starts from 14:00 hrs local time . . .

  And this is the day 1 Saturday video rerun . . . Read the report here . . .

  How the Event Works:

Events take place across two days, with six races scheduled for each Sail Grand Prix; five Fleet races and The Final.

The first day includes three fleet races, while the second day has the other two fleet races and ends with The Final – the last race of the event.

The last race of each SailGP event is The Final – a race in which the three highest ranked teams in the event leaderboard face off to be crowned event champions.

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Sail GP Plymouth

The most competitive racing on water is returning to Britain's Ocean City!

One of the world’s most impressive sailing events - the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix - returns to Plymouth!

Adrenaline filled sail racing between 10 teams, featuring the sport’s best athletes, including Sir Ben Ainslie’s Great Britain team, will take place within the natural amphitheatre of Plymouth Sound. The foiling catamarans are capable of speeds exceeding 50 knots (nearly 60 mph), promising high speed, high tech and high drama.

For full details on the Race Village and waterfront access on Plymouth Hoe, visit SailGP.com/GreatBritain

2021 Highlights

Highlight from the 2021 Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Plymouth

2021 Sail GP Plymouth Gallery

Photos (c) Sail GP and Jon Buckle, Thomas Lovelock and Ricardo Pinto.

Yachting World

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How to watch the Great Britain SailGP in Plymouth

• Toby Heppell
• July 22, 2022

The thrilling SailGP circuit is heading to British shores: here's how to watch the Great Britain SailGP on shore, on the water, or online as racing heads to Plymouth Sound

The foiling F50 catamarans will be heading to Plymouth for the Great Britain SailGP in one week’s time, from July 30-31, and there’s still time for British and visiting fans to buy tickets to view the ‘stadium racing’ on the UK’s south coast.

Great Britain SailGP racing takes place in Plymouth Sound with the race village on the Hoe providing a perfect natural amphitheatre. Three races will be held each day, including a final three-boat decider. Racing takes place from 1400-1530.

Onshore there will be a Fan Village with commentary and live screens (entry £4.75/adult, children free) as well as a seated Waterfront Premium area (£45/adult, £23/child).

You can also watch from the water for free on your own boat – just register in advance to get key course and safety information – or upgrade to Own Boat Premium access for a position at one of the turning gates.

Get Great Britain SailGP tickets and find out more at sailgp.com

Ainslie at the helm of the British F50. Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut for SailGP

Great Britain SailGP competitors

Nine teams will be competing in the high performance foiling cats , including home crew Great Britain skippered by Ben Ainslie , reigning champions Team Australia with Tom Slingsby , and up-and-coming stars Canada, skippered by multiple world match racing champion Phil Roberston with Brit Chris Draper trimming the wing.

They’ll be racing against Jimmy Spithill in Team USA, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke on the New Zealand boat, plus teams from France, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark.

British skipper Ben Ainslie explained that Plymouth Sound is a ‘challenging but great venue’, with the breakwater providing ‘relatively flat waters’ and the Hoe acting as a natural amphitheatre. “It ticks all the boxes,” he says, adding: “You don’t get many opportunities to race at home at this sort of level and it’s extra special to race in front of a home crowd.”

Unfortunately, after their boat went to the new Canadian entry for the start of the season, team Japan under helmsman Nathan Outteridge have recently officially been ruled out of returning to the competition for the rest of the season. It had been hoped that the Japanese-flagged team could return with a new boat after missing the first few events of the year, but a recent statement from the organisers said:

‘After much deliberation and taking into account logistical and commercial considerations, SailGP has made the difficult decision to pause the participation of Japan SailGP Team indefinitely.

‘The league would like to thank Nathan Outteridge and all of the athletes and staff involved in the Team for their outstanding performance in the first two seasons of SailGP and wish them all the very best for the future.’

Fast and furious SailGP action. Photo: David Gray for SailGPx

Great Britain SailGP royal visit

On Sunday, July 31, The Duchess of Cambridge will be among those heading to Plymouth.

The Duchess is the Royal Patron of the 1851 Trust, and will be joining a group of young people taking part in the Protect Our Future program, before heading out on Ainslie’s British F50 to take part in a friendly Commonwealth race against UN Patron of the Oceans, Lewis Pugh, who will race with Peter Burling and Blair Tuke’s New Zealand SailGP Team.

The guest race will take place ahead of the three SailGP races on the final day of the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix and be commentated live from the Official Race Village.

Along with the Protect Our Future programme, there are a raft of sustainability innovations at Plymouth, including the largest solar array SailGP has ever used and bio-methanol fuel used as an energy source at a live event in the UK for the first time ever. This will enable the entire race village to be 100 per cent powered by clean energy.

There will also be electric support boats joining the RIB fleet, and robotic sailing marks by MarkSetBot, while DRIFT Energy will be showcasing their world-first technology of a foiling yacht that produces green hydrogen on board.

How to watch Great Britain SailGP

For those unable to make it to Plymouth to watch the action live,  the Great Britain SailGP regatta will be streamed live on YouTube and will be available in most territories.

For viewers in the UK, in addition to the live YouTube SailGP racing, it will be available on Sky Sports with both live racing and a highlights package.

For those in the USA, CBS also will be offering a mix of live broadcasting and highlights packages.

There will also be a delayed full race replay put out on the SailGP Facebook page.

A SailGP app is available as a companion app to the broadcaster coverage. The app provides: live data and video feeds; video and race stats side by side; the option to change viewing angle and zoom in on the action; switch teams, and select data feeds.

The app will offer delayed coverage and full race replay 48 hours after race completion.

Get the SailGP app on Apple or on Android .

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Uninterrupted Views

Housed in modern purpose built waterfront premises at the Queen Anne’s Battery Marina and Events centre in Plymouth which were officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal in 1989, the whole Club has a special, exclusive ambience. It’s superb, uninterrupted views, towards the city’s historic Barbican Elizabethan quarter, the Mount Batten Peninsula and across Plymouth Sound towards Drake’s Island and the Breakwater, all add to its unique appeal.

Our Facilities

The facilities of the Club are second to none. The Bar offers a warm welcome and is ideal for a lunch and/or a drink, or for unwinding in the evening. While the Bar is lively, especially on race days, the Lounge offers a comfortable relaxing environment in which to enjoy a drink and admire the magnificent views. The kitchen, under the direction of our cook Theresa, provides excellent lunches and evening suppers. The monthly Sunday carvery is always popular with the members.

SAMPLE LUNCH MENU:

Sandwiches, Baguettes or Jacket Potatoes Served with Salad, Home-made Coleslaw & Crisps

Bacon, Brie & Cranberry      £8.25

Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato    £8.25

Tuna Mayo                                 £8.25

Coronation Chicken               £8.25     

Prawn Marie Rose                  £9.00     

Ham & Cheese Toastie          £8.25                                                                                                     

Home-made Soup with Crusty Bread            £5.50       

Cheddar Ploughman’s                                         £9.00                                       

Goats Cheese & Beetroot Salad                        £8.25         

Chicken & Bacon Caesar Salad                        £8.25                                       

Sausages, Mash & Peas with Onion Gravy  £9.50

Cod Goujo ns with Chips & Peas                    £10.95                                       

Scrambled Egg & Smoked Salmon on Toast £9.00        

Calamari, Sweet Potato Fries & Sweet Chilli Dip £9.35                            

Scampi, Chips & Peas         Large £11.00     Small £8.25

Please Note: Member’s Prices Shown Include 15% Discount

There is usually no need to book for lunch, but if you are a party of more than 4 it helps us if you let us know in advance.

We look forward to seeing you soon (please feel free to bring guests)!

Visiting sailors are always welcome. The Club has changing facilities and showers, which are available for use by visitors. The RWYC welcomes enquiries from potential new members who should call for membership details or to arrange a visit to the Club.

Club House Opening Hours

The Clubhouse will normally be open during the following hours. These hours may be extended or curtailed by order of the Committee.

Summer (1st Apr – 30th Sep)

Winter (1st oct – 31st mar).

* The Club will close earlier if no members are present. ** 23:00 on function evenings.

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  Gatchina is the largest city within the Leningrad Region and is famous for being home to a former imperial residence, which is now a museum. The UNESCO-protected Gatchina Palace is more reminiscent of a castle than the traditional decorative Russian palaces. As such it became the favourite residence of Emperor Alexander III who thought Gatchina safer for his family during a time of unrest. Gatchina can be easily visited as a day trip from St Petersburg .

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