Dear readers,
As I write to you, I'm sitting at the small round table in our flat in Barcelona. It's Thursday evening and already dark. I'd love to take this opportunity to philosophise about what Sir Ben Ainslie called "the most exciting Louis Vuitton Cup final in a really long time" and express my admiration for the extremely rapid development of the British team. But by the time you read this, the challenger series may already be over, or "Luna Rossa" may have struck back and we are eagerly awaiting the decisive 13th duel.
Would I - today on the eve of the possible decision - have to I would bet everything on red, blue and white. Will the team be back in the America's Cup match today after 60 years? Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli's seventh attempt to bring the bottomless silver jug to Italy would then have failed prematurely.
Before I look further into the crystal ball under this assumption and possibly predict that the British will also beat the dreaded defenders from Emirates Team New Zealand, I would rather turn back to the facts at this point. Fortunately, there have been enough of them recently, especially from a German perspective on sailing.
It seems that after the super sailing year of 2024, with the Olympics, America's Cup and Vendée Globe, we will have our very own highlight year in 2025. It has been known for some time that the Ocean Race Europe will start from Kiel on 10 August, but not which teams will be taking part. Further announcements are expected, but after Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia and Team Holcim-PRB with skipper Rosalin Kuiper, two more big names confirmed their participation this week.
None other than the two Vendée Globe co-favourites Yoann Richomme and Thomas Ruyant will start the Ocean Race Europe with their teams off Kiel. This has already given the appeal of the supposedly small race, four legs to Montenegro, a real boost. According to Boris Herrmann's tip, a further four to six racing teams will come to Germany. I have fond memories of the incredible Pictures and crowds at the Ocean Race Fly-by almost one and a half years ago. Why not do it again, Kiel?
While the capital of Schleswig-Holstein has already proven its sailing craziness on several occasions, there is likely to be an exciting premiere 225 kilometres away one week after the Ocean Race Europe start.
The first German SailGP event is to take place in Saßnitz on Rügen on 16 and 17 August 2025. The F50 catamarans equipped with T-Foils from the coming season should then race along in front of the famous chalk cliffs. With Martine Grael becomes the first helmswoman in the racing series for the new Brazilian team over the course. Two-time Finn Olympic champion Giles Scott will then be at the helm for Canada and Erik Heil will whip his German team to the front at the home event.
From own experience from New York I can definitely speak for every enthusiastic sailor: It's worth being part of this spectacle! Even if you have little contact with the SailGP or regatta sport in general, it is definitely a fascinating experience to see these projectiles whizz past you at possibly over 100 kilometres per hour.
So: pull out your calendar and set the 10th, 16th and 17th of August 2025 bold mark, because this will be the next super sailing summer on your doorstep!
Max Gasser
YACHT editor
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The week in pictures
Recommended reading from the editorial team
SailGP Sassnitz
15,000 fans, a multi-million impact and plans up to 2030
15,000 fans, a new speed record and plans up to 2030: at the SailGP Sassnitz, the venue on Rügen was the real winner.
Ocean Race Atlantic
Live debut with Boris Herrmann’s “Malizia 4”
Will the 24-hour record be broken? Boris Herrmann’s new “Malizia 4” is one of the six IMOCs set to take part in the inaugural Ocean Race Atlantic on 1 September.
Following a collision and engine failure
A ‘Steel Buddy’ brings the ‘Soggy Dollar’ home
Engine failure off Heligoland: Sea rescue services tow the ‘Soggy Dollar’. A Steel Buddy then builds an unusual emergency diesel supply system.
Sophie Steinlein
Between Foils and Design Language
Sophie Steinlein is setting her sights on the 2028 Olympics. In an interview with YACHT, the 49erFX helmswoman talks about making decisions at 50 knots, the balancing act between top-level sport and her studies, and the role of women in professional sailing.
Y6
The new luxury cruiser from Greifswald in front of the camera
The first pictures show the new Y6 from YYachts under sail. The gallery also offers a detailed look at the deck and the bespoke interior of this luxurious blue-water cruiser from Greifswald.
Baltic Sea
Remains of piles at a depth of just 1.5 metres – danger off Großenbrode
A dangerous underwater obstacle has been discovered off the coast of Großenbrode: the remains of piles, lying just 1.5 metres below the surface – and this is a heavily trafficked stretch of water.
Oyster 825 ‘Viva La Vida’
Capsized following severe keel damage
The Oyster 825 ‘Viva La Vida’ has capsized in Australia; the lower ballast section of the keel is missing. The incident is reminiscent of the ‘Polina Star III’, but the damage patterns differ significantly.
Linjett 36
The versatile Nordic boat in our test video, Part 2: What it’s like living on board.
The second part of the video presentation on YACHT-TV takes us below deck on the Linjett 36: we show you the interior fit-out, layout, storage space and on-board technology, and take a detailed look behind doors, hatches and panelling.
100 years ago
YACHT 5/1926 – ‘Albert’-class cruising yacht
In issue 5/1926, the editorial team described the construction of a new vessel based on a shipyard class by Abeking & Rasmussen that was already 19 years old at the time. The “Albert class” was a cruising boat that had evolved from an early design for the metre class.
‘Pavane’
How a young boatbuilder saved a classic
The ‘Pavane’ had been left neglected on land for years before the young boatbuilder Kyrell Becker took her on and restored her. Now, a new rig is set to give this classic Olin Stephens racer better performance in light winds.
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