scuttlebutt
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:30:06 +1100
Subject: Scuttlebutt 6503 - February 10, 2026
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Scuttlebutt Sailing News [1]
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - Issue 6503
Harken’s ILCA vang was the standard for 20+ years. So we replaced it.
This newsletter is provided through the support of its sponsors, delivering a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk…with a North American focus.
Today's sponsors:
Harken - Team One Newport - Quantum Sails
SUPPORT SCUTTLEBUTT [2]
We are grateful for our generous community that financially contributes to Scuttlebutt Sailing News. If you can help the publication, an online patron program [3] accepts pledges or a check can be made payable to Inbox Communications [2]. Thanks in advance for your consideration!
Nature’s onward march to better itself [4]
In 2020 [5], Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck observed how sailing gear development was impacting participation:
“When we look at sails, cordage, electronics, and hardware, everything has contributed to an increase in performance, but an increase in cost too. At some point people walk away for an alternative recreation, and for those that pull out the credit card to buy the better sailing stuff, they are all even again, having about the same amount of fun, but for more money.”
Protecting the herd from the wolves [6] has resistance, with this report by Brian Eiland:
Twenty-five years ago, I was a younger fellow aspiring to become a sailing yacht designer. I was particularly interested in ocean going, cruising boats. I would devour every reference I could find on what made sailboats work.
With keen interest, I followed new developments on the racing circuits, believing that this was the incubator of fresh new ideas to speed our progress across the seas. Surely this breeding ground would bring significant evolution to the sport of sailing and the art of designing.
“Au contraire” – I became disillusioned so soon.
Bruce King’s fantastic twin, asymmetrical, bilgeboard development, disappeared in little over a year. Professor Jerry Milgrams cat-ketches were afforded a similar welcome. Truely different sail rig innovations were totally discouraged, and numerous other design innovations were “rated” out of existence by handicap racing rules.
Ocean going boats were not being designed to “mother-ocean’s rules” but rather to some arbitrary, man-created, racer/cruiser rule.
No thanks, let me look elsewhere. A group out of England, the Amateur Yacht Research Society came to my attention. A relatively new group of multihull enthusiasts and their new publication, “Multihulls Magazine”, also caught my attention.
Here were some sources of true experimentation, innovation, and creativity; and subsequent evolution of the art of sailing, unbridled by handicap rules. Today, look at the French and their fantastic ocean racing boats – both mono- and multi-hull. Exciting innovation.
Evolution is nature’s onward march to better itself by slowly rejecting less efficient characteristics of the whole, and either replacing them with more efficient offspring, and/or redefining the whole as an entity. But change comes so slow in traditional sailing.
Look how long it took the traditionalist to adopt the fully battened mainsail that multihulls have long been exploiting for the better part of 25 years. Did they just resist acknowledging it because it was foreign to them, or was it the handicap rules? I suspect both, but there is no doubt to its superiority; ah evolution!
[7]
New ILCA Vang Is Cool Even If You Don’t Sail ILCAs [8]
This February, Harken introduces a completely new, integrated boom vang system for the ILCA. If you sail one, you will want to know everything. Let’s take it from the bottom up, one component at a time.
• Unit 1. The next generation bottom unit features Fly® sheaves throughout. All are larger than in our current offering, which ensures the whole system is both more powerful and loses less energy to friction. It’s built of fiber-reinforced composite, molded for more material where loads are greater and less where they’re less. So this unit is 21% lighter. You can rig it 15:1 or 12:1 for less line in the cockpit.
• Unit 2. The Zircon™ ‘Twiddle’ in the middle. Until now, ILCA vang systems used a double block here. Those sheaves rotate at different rates, so every double tips and line rubs the side plates. We created a fiddle block twisted 45 degrees. It stays upright and erases that chafe.
• Unit 3. The first aluminum Fly block. It is pinned to a key custom-designed to stay in that boom no matter what.
If you don’t sail an ILCA, that’s a lot. We promise that same attention to detail in everything we make.
>>> Watch Video [8]
By making things better, are we? [9]
Badly run races discourages participation, but excellence in event management has taken the sport down a path of increased certification and cost. By making things better, are we? Not if improvement discourages volunteerism and the standard cannot be met. Dave Ellis shares how he tapped out:
My first race offer task at a National Championship [ was in 1983 for the Windmill Class. Then from 1987 to 2000, I was an employee at St. Petersburg Yacht Club, doing mark set and safety under the tutelage of Patricia Siedenspinner, who literally wrote the Race Committee book.
Going on my own until 2016, I ran each year’s 505 Midwinters and often for Flying Dutchman, 470, Fireball, International Canoe, Swift Solo, Musto Skiff, A-Cat events, and a popular PHRF ‘Good Old Boat’ race.
But then the insurance disappeared, for good reason. SafeSport was a hassle, but doable. The repetitive re-examination was expensive if one lived far from the venue. It got difficult to find race committee help.
Finally, I just stopped. Time for me to do some actual sailing.
Editor’s note: As Chair of the US Sailing Umpires Committee, the report Decreasing numbers of race officials [10] by Steve Schupak has stirred a lot of commentary on Facebook: click here [11][0]=AZaOFEROpyMcQzi8DEfwrVVjoKvT4pastpYNILM8UWON5Yk9pZoCNaKf4X9AUmqKhb6DTpLw-EClSxUaaJhaRuUAESyP3LuqRo7vIyLu4-HSLlE2A_IympSaZP25sjUvKpvV-_tvyoaD4d4eDvxMYVqeQqK3polayVdR9L_bh_V0Zg&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R-R].
[12]
Giving courage to others [13]
In 2019, blind Japanese sailor Mitsuhiro “Hiro” Iwamoto completed a non-stop Pacific Ocean crossing from San Diego to Fukushima, Japan with the aid of a sighted navigator. In 2027, he intends to complete the route alone [14]. “I wanted to make future success 100 times bigger,” he explained.
Closer to shore, Blind Sailing International Commodore Kylie Forth provides this update:
For the first time blind sailing was incorporated into a larger World Sailing event at the inaugural World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Oman in December. Seven teams from five countries participated in a week of intensive league racing in Far East 28R keelboats.
It was exciting to be involved in such a prestigious event, and many new friendships were formed with sailors from other disciplines. We look forward to continuing the partnership with World Sailing and becoming more involved in the wider Parasailing community. - Full report [13]
[15]
Progress is not measured only in miles [16]
Ten teams began the 2025-26 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race [17] on August 31, with the 14th edition completing the first half of the multi-leg course around the world. Racing identical Tony Castro designed Clipper 70s, this event for amateurs is en route to the Philippines, with the milestone prompting reflection.
"I set out to sail around the world and discovered that the greater journey was inward," noted crew Jimmy Johnson. "What began as an adventure became a lesson in humility, endurance, and gratitude. The ocean strips life down to its essentials. Out here, you learn that strength isn't found in force, but in patience, awareness, and the willingness to continue when comfort disappears.
"There comes a moment when you believe you have nothing left to give. The sea teaches you that this moment is rarely the end, it is often the beginning of your truest effort. Reaching the halfway point is a reminder that progress is not measured only in miles sailed, but in the understanding gained along the way."
[18]
Empowered by 129 pounds of fiberglass [19]
The list of Sunfish World Champions includes Sailing Hall of Famers Garry Hoyt, John Kostecki, and Paul Foerster, with two-time winner Derrick Fries reflecting on what the title meant to him [20]:
In 1975 in Miami, Florida, I was honored to win my first World Sunfish Championship. More than a hundred sailors from all over the world sailed in the very light and tricky seas by Kings Point Yacht Club. I was 21 years old and had been to three prior World Championships, placing 4th, 7th and 4th, respectively, before my success in Miami [21].
It all seems like yesterday and now, fifty years later, I wanted to reflect on and rejoice in this accomplishment that altered my pathway of life. Since my Miami victory occurred when I was age 21, I decided in the summer of 2025 to complete 21 athletic events, including running races, triathlons and Sunfish regattas. - Full report [19]
[22]
You can’t insure old sailboats… right? [23]
Published since 1974, Practical Sailor is the only independent product test report of sailboats, sailing equipment, and gear. In a video by Chief Editor Tim Labute, he discusses getting insurance on older boats:
If you’ve been shopping for a 20, 30, or even 40-year-old sailboat, you’ve probably seen the warnings online: “Insurance won’t touch it.” But is that actually true?
In this video [23], we break down the real rules behind insuring older sailboats in the United States and Canada. We look at what insurance companies actually care about, why boat age alone is rarely the deciding factor, and how thousands of owners are still insuring older cruising sailboats every year.
Older sailboats are not banned. They’re not obsolete. And they’re still being insured every day, if you understand how the system actually works.
[24]
TEAM ONE NEWPORT IS IN ST PETE! [25]
Team One Newport is proud to partner with Helly Hansen and Sailing World for the 2026 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series [26]. Come visit the Helly Hansen/ Team One Newport booth at St Pete Yacht Club this Thursday, February 12th to Sunday, the 15th where we will have the official regatta merchandise with great Helly Hansen sailing gear and lifestyle items! Psst… We have a great Clearance selection on site.
Team One Newport is the exclusive merchandiser for the 2026 [27] Newport Bermuda Race! Start thinking about your Crew uniforms for the race! Reach out to us at [info@team1newport.com] to start creating your crew’s special kit!
Team One Newport is happy to celebrate 41 years of partnerships with the finest sailing gear providers, such as Musto, Helly Hansen, Gill, Zhik, Patagonia, North Sails, Rooster, Spinlock, Revo, Dubarry, Arntson Marine, Garmin. Hobie, Mustang Survival, Zeal, Harken Derm, ZBlok and more.
Why good boats aren’t selling anymore [28]
by Ryan Craig, Great Lakes Bike Ski Boat
You ever walk down a marina and notice the same boats sitting in the same slips month after month? Clean decks, polished hulls, good sails — but no buyers in sight. It’s like a floating graveyard of dreams that once had diesel fumes and salt spray running through their veins.
Something’s changed out there. The boat market isn’t just slow… it’s broken. And if you’re trying to sell, you probably already know it. Prices are sliding, buyers have vanished, and good boats — not just project boats — are sitting for months or even years.
So, what the hell happened? Let’s talk about it. – Full report [29]
[30]
IOC agrees on new gender policy [31]
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) achieved its goal of full 50:50 gender parity in athlete participation at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but with a limit on total athlete participation, more women meant fewer men. Women's events were to create a fair platform, but now gender identity has become an issue.
The IOC has been working on policy, which initially had been for each sport to create regulations. But that has proven complicated, and now is seeking a uniform standard. As Sailing is an Olympic sport, what the IOC decides can trickle down to all levels of the sport.
The latest news is how the IOC's Protection of the Female Category Working Group is set to announce their findings during the first half of 2026, having reached a consensus on a new set of eligibility criteria for transgender athletes.
The working group is the brainchild of new IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who stressed her mission to "protect the female category and female athletes" during her presidential campaign and address the growing concern about policies regarding transgender and DSD (differences of sexual development) athletes. - Full report [32]
[33]
Reviewing the Olympic Sailing Program [34]
The trend in the Olympic sailing has been to evolve the program to appease the International Olympic Committee which wants gender balance and more dynamic racing and formats that present well on broadcast. To keep the sport in the Olympics, the ten events [35] have significantly changed.
The program for 2024 and 2028 remained the same, but now World Sailing is seeking feedback as part of its review of Olympic sailing events going forward. The review is required under its regulations ( Regulation 11) [36] which mandates that at least four Olympic events are placed under review every four years.
At the 2025 World Sailing Annual Conference, the General Assembly voted to place the Men’s Kite, Women’s Kite, Mixed Dinghy, and Mixed Multihull under review. Following the review, this year’s General Assembly will vote, deciding for each event to either:
• Retain the event and equipment,
• Retain the event but evolve the equipment,
• Retain the event but adopt entirely new equipment,
• Replace with a new event (equipment to be determined).
F0r full report, click here [34].
[37]
When your sailing needs more than wind [38]
If spending vast sums of money in sailing is what you like to do, the global charter fleet includes a small but exceptional group of sailing yachts. Since 2018, this has exceeded the 100-metre mark, with BOAT International profiling seven of the largest sailing yachts available for charter in 2026:
Black Pearl – 105-metre
Maltese Falcon – 88-metre
Aquijo – 85.9-metre
Sea Eagle – 81-metre
Vertigo – 67.2-metre
Spirit of the Cs – 64-metre
Athos – 63.2-metre
When a day of sailing requires a gym, pool, jacuzzi, sauna, and an impressive toy box, this list has your boat [39]. If you are curious about the 200 largest sailing yachts in the world, click here [40].
[41]
Seasoned champions and rising stars [42]
While the schedule for the 2026 World Match Racing Tour is not finalized, plans are rolling at Long Beach Yacht Club (Long Beach, CA) to host the 2026 Congressional Cup, one of the world’s premier match racing events and a founding event of the World Match Racing Tour.
With eight confirmed entrants, this year’s lineup blends seasoned champions with rising stars, setting the stage to battle for one of sailing’s most coveted titles, the Congressional Cup and Crimson Blazer.
Defending champion Eric Monnin from Switzerland returns to Long Beach for his twelfth challenge of the event, aiming to repeat his team’s breakthrough victory of the Cup last year, marking Monnin’s first ever World Match Racing Tour championship event win.
He will face some of the sport’s most accomplished skippers, including the remarkable and seemingly ageless Ian Williams from Great Britain, a nine-time World Match Racing Champion and five-time Congressional Cup winner. Ian has competed at the Long Beach event thirteen times, donning his first Crimson Blazer in 2011. - Full report [42]
[43]
Quantum Sails at HHSWRS St. Petersburg [44]
Great performance starts with great sails—but it’s also about how you use them. That’s why we’re proud to partner again with the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series [45], helping every sailor elevate their game—no matter who made your sails.
We’re gearing up for St. Petersburg, February 13-15. Check out our resources onsite [46] including coaching, daily weather debriefs, and more. There’s still time to get in on the action—find an event near you and experience the country’s top regatta series.
Sailing in the series or one-design winter circuits? Upgrade your inventory with Quantum’s championship-winning one design sails. Request a quote [44] today.
Eight Bells: Geoffrey Mason [47]
Geoffrey Mason, a lifelong sailor and longtime sports television production executive passed away on January 25 at the age of 85.
Geoff grew up sailing on Marblehead Harbor at the Corinthian & Pleon Yacht Clubs, later becoming a valuable member of the Eastern Yacht Club. He won many a sailing trophy on his own and crewed for some of the Club’s best skippers of our time, which included being a member of America’s Cup contender NEFERTITI with Steve & Jon Wales, Bradley Noyes, Don McNamara, and Ted Hood.
In addition to his sailing accomplishments, he was a longtime sports television production executive and member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. - Full report [47]
[48]
GUEST COMMENTARY
Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. You can add your comments directly to stories on the website [49] or submit commentary by email [mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com]. Please save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.
DECREASING NUMBERS OF RACE OFFICIALS ( #6502 [50])
It took me eight months to obtain a Club Race Officer status. I have 20+ years of race committee experience, attended a class on 2/1/25, got a 100% on the test taken on 2/9/25, but didn’t get approval of the certification until 9/30/25. SOARS (Sailing Officials Automated Reporting System) needs a rewrite. Don’t get me wrong, I love US Sailing but know RC Officer candidates who have given up because the process isn’t efficient.
- David Erwin
AMERICA’S CUP IS BEING RUN ILLEGALLY ( #6502 [50])
Thank God someone is standing up for sailboat racing in the true sense of the word for the majority of the sport embodying the skills that have defined it from the time two boats went to sea. I salute and support John's effort and pray for its success.
- Don Brush
To the gentleman who wrote this letter and is pursuing this quest
- Susan E. Riley
CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
Anything seems possible if you don't know what you're talking about.
SPONSORS THIS WEEK
Harken - Team One Newport - Quantum Sails - North Sails - Lex Risks - Tripp Design
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[4] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/09/natures-onward-march-to-better-itself/
[5] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2020/04/16/the-state-of-the-sport-in-2020/
[6] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/03/protecting-the-herd-from-the-wolves/
[7] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-m/
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqRv-ZoC2AY
[9] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/09/by-making-things-better-are-we/
[10] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/04/decreasing-numbers-of-race-officials/
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[12] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-c/
[13] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/09/giving-courage-to-others/
[14] https://timesofsandiego.com/life/2026/02/04/blind-japanese-sailor-solo-pacific-san-diego/
[15] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-q/
[16] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/06/progress-is-not-measured-only-in-miles/
[17] http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/
[18] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-w/
[19] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/07/empowered-by-129-pounds-of-fiberglass/
[20] https://www.sunfishclass.org/newsletter/06670-20260205170150-098088400-1572479418
[21] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Spring_1975_Sunfish_Scuttlebutt_Magazine_-1.pdf
[22] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-jd/
[23] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/07/you-cant-insure-old-sailboats-right/
[24] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-jh/
[25] https://www.team1newport.com/
[26] https://www.team1newport.com/Helly-Hansen-Sailing-World-Regatta-Series-2026/products/1742/
[27] https://www.team1newport.com/Newport-to-Bermuda-Race-2026/products/1733/
[28] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/08/why-good-boats-arent-selling-anymore/
[29] https://greatlakesbikeskiboat.com/why-good-boats-arent-selling/
[30] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-tr/
[31] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/08/ioc-agrees-on-new-gender-policy/
[32] https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/ioc-agrees-new-gender-policy
[33] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-th/
[34] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/09/reviewing-the-olympic-sailing-program/
[35] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/09/reviewing-the-olympic-sailing-program/#more
[36] https://d7qh6ksdplczd.cloudfront.net/sailing/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/08021932/2025-Regulations-November-2024-7.1.25-1.pdf#page=8
[37] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-ir/
[38] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/09/when-your-sailing-needs-more-than-wind/
[39] https://www.boatinternational.com/charter/luxury-yacht-charter-advice/seven-largest-sailing-yachts-for-charter
[40] https://www.yacht.de/en/yachts/superyachts/superyacht-ranking-the-200-largest-sailing-yachts-in-the-world/
[41] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-ik/
[42] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/06/seasoned-champions-and-rising-stars/
[43] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-dy/
[44] https://www.quantumsails.com/en/sails/request-for-quote?utm_source=scuttlebutt&utm_medium=text_ad&utm_campaign=SWRS_2026&utm_content=SWRS_2026_StP
[45] https://www.sailingworld.com/regatta-series/?utm_source=scuttlebutt&utm_medium=text_ad&utm_campaign=SWRS_2026&utm_content=SWRS_2026_StP
[46] http://flow.page/swrs_regattasupport?utm_source=scuttlebutt&utm_medium=text_ad&utm_campaign=SWRS_2026&utm_content=SWRS_2026_StP
[47] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/09/eight-bells-geoffrey-mason/
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Subject: Scuttlebutt 6503 - February 10, 2026
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Scuttlebutt Sailing News [1]
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - Issue 6503
Harken’s ILCA vang was the standard for 20+ years. So we replaced it.
This newsletter is provided through the support of its sponsors, delivering a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk…with a North American focus.
Today's sponsors:
Harken - Team One Newport - Quantum Sails
SUPPORT SCUTTLEBUTT [2]
We are grateful for our generous community that financially contributes to Scuttlebutt Sailing News. If you can help the publication, an online patron program [3] accepts pledges or a check can be made payable to Inbox Communications [2]. Thanks in advance for your consideration!
Nature’s onward march to better itself [4]
In 2020 [5], Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck observed how sailing gear development was impacting participation:
“When we look at sails, cordage, electronics, and hardware, everything has contributed to an increase in performance, but an increase in cost too. At some point people walk away for an alternative recreation, and for those that pull out the credit card to buy the better sailing stuff, they are all even again, having about the same amount of fun, but for more money.”
Protecting the herd from the wolves [6] has resistance, with this report by Brian Eiland:
Twenty-five years ago, I was a younger fellow aspiring to become a sailing yacht designer. I was particularly interested in ocean going, cruising boats. I would devour every reference I could find on what made sailboats work.
With keen interest, I followed new developments on the racing circuits, believing that this was the incubator of fresh new ideas to speed our progress across the seas. Surely this breeding ground would bring significant evolution to the sport of sailing and the art of designing.
“Au contraire” – I became disillusioned so soon.
Bruce King’s fantastic twin, asymmetrical, bilgeboard development, disappeared in little over a year. Professor Jerry Milgrams cat-ketches were afforded a similar welcome. Truely different sail rig innovations were totally discouraged, and numerous other design innovations were “rated” out of existence by handicap racing rules.
Ocean going boats were not being designed to “mother-ocean’s rules” but rather to some arbitrary, man-created, racer/cruiser rule.
No thanks, let me look elsewhere. A group out of England, the Amateur Yacht Research Society came to my attention. A relatively new group of multihull enthusiasts and their new publication, “Multihulls Magazine”, also caught my attention.
Here were some sources of true experimentation, innovation, and creativity; and subsequent evolution of the art of sailing, unbridled by handicap rules. Today, look at the French and their fantastic ocean racing boats – both mono- and multi-hull. Exciting innovation.
Evolution is nature’s onward march to better itself by slowly rejecting less efficient characteristics of the whole, and either replacing them with more efficient offspring, and/or redefining the whole as an entity. But change comes so slow in traditional sailing.
Look how long it took the traditionalist to adopt the fully battened mainsail that multihulls have long been exploiting for the better part of 25 years. Did they just resist acknowledging it because it was foreign to them, or was it the handicap rules? I suspect both, but there is no doubt to its superiority; ah evolution!
[7]
New ILCA Vang Is Cool Even If You Don’t Sail ILCAs [8]
This February, Harken introduces a completely new, integrated boom vang system for the ILCA. If you sail one, you will want to know everything. Let’s take it from the bottom up, one component at a time.
• Unit 1. The next generation bottom unit features Fly® sheaves throughout. All are larger than in our current offering, which ensures the whole system is both more powerful and loses less energy to friction. It’s built of fiber-reinforced composite, molded for more material where loads are greater and less where they’re less. So this unit is 21% lighter. You can rig it 15:1 or 12:1 for less line in the cockpit.
• Unit 2. The Zircon™ ‘Twiddle’ in the middle. Until now, ILCA vang systems used a double block here. Those sheaves rotate at different rates, so every double tips and line rubs the side plates. We created a fiddle block twisted 45 degrees. It stays upright and erases that chafe.
• Unit 3. The first aluminum Fly block. It is pinned to a key custom-designed to stay in that boom no matter what.
If you don’t sail an ILCA, that’s a lot. We promise that same attention to detail in everything we make.
>>> Watch Video [8]
By making things better, are we? [9]
Badly run races discourages participation, but excellence in event management has taken the sport down a path of increased certification and cost. By making things better, are we? Not if improvement discourages volunteerism and the standard cannot be met. Dave Ellis shares how he tapped out:
My first race offer task at a National Championship [ was in 1983 for the Windmill Class. Then from 1987 to 2000, I was an employee at St. Petersburg Yacht Club, doing mark set and safety under the tutelage of Patricia Siedenspinner, who literally wrote the Race Committee book.
Going on my own until 2016, I ran each year’s 505 Midwinters and often for Flying Dutchman, 470, Fireball, International Canoe, Swift Solo, Musto Skiff, A-Cat events, and a popular PHRF ‘Good Old Boat’ race.
But then the insurance disappeared, for good reason. SafeSport was a hassle, but doable. The repetitive re-examination was expensive if one lived far from the venue. It got difficult to find race committee help.
Finally, I just stopped. Time for me to do some actual sailing.
Editor’s note: As Chair of the US Sailing Umpires Committee, the report Decreasing numbers of race officials [10] by Steve Schupak has stirred a lot of commentary on Facebook: click here [11][0]=AZaOFEROpyMcQzi8DEfwrVVjoKvT4pastpYNILM8UWON5Yk9pZoCNaKf4X9AUmqKhb6DTpLw-EClSxUaaJhaRuUAESyP3LuqRo7vIyLu4-HSLlE2A_IympSaZP25sjUvKpvV-_tvyoaD4d4eDvxMYVqeQqK3polayVdR9L_bh_V0Zg&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R-R].
[12]
Giving courage to others [13]
In 2019, blind Japanese sailor Mitsuhiro “Hiro” Iwamoto completed a non-stop Pacific Ocean crossing from San Diego to Fukushima, Japan with the aid of a sighted navigator. In 2027, he intends to complete the route alone [14]. “I wanted to make future success 100 times bigger,” he explained.
Closer to shore, Blind Sailing International Commodore Kylie Forth provides this update:
For the first time blind sailing was incorporated into a larger World Sailing event at the inaugural World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Oman in December. Seven teams from five countries participated in a week of intensive league racing in Far East 28R keelboats.
It was exciting to be involved in such a prestigious event, and many new friendships were formed with sailors from other disciplines. We look forward to continuing the partnership with World Sailing and becoming more involved in the wider Parasailing community. - Full report [13]
[15]
Progress is not measured only in miles [16]
Ten teams began the 2025-26 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race [17] on August 31, with the 14th edition completing the first half of the multi-leg course around the world. Racing identical Tony Castro designed Clipper 70s, this event for amateurs is en route to the Philippines, with the milestone prompting reflection.
"I set out to sail around the world and discovered that the greater journey was inward," noted crew Jimmy Johnson. "What began as an adventure became a lesson in humility, endurance, and gratitude. The ocean strips life down to its essentials. Out here, you learn that strength isn't found in force, but in patience, awareness, and the willingness to continue when comfort disappears.
"There comes a moment when you believe you have nothing left to give. The sea teaches you that this moment is rarely the end, it is often the beginning of your truest effort. Reaching the halfway point is a reminder that progress is not measured only in miles sailed, but in the understanding gained along the way."
[18]
Empowered by 129 pounds of fiberglass [19]
The list of Sunfish World Champions includes Sailing Hall of Famers Garry Hoyt, John Kostecki, and Paul Foerster, with two-time winner Derrick Fries reflecting on what the title meant to him [20]:
In 1975 in Miami, Florida, I was honored to win my first World Sunfish Championship. More than a hundred sailors from all over the world sailed in the very light and tricky seas by Kings Point Yacht Club. I was 21 years old and had been to three prior World Championships, placing 4th, 7th and 4th, respectively, before my success in Miami [21].
It all seems like yesterday and now, fifty years later, I wanted to reflect on and rejoice in this accomplishment that altered my pathway of life. Since my Miami victory occurred when I was age 21, I decided in the summer of 2025 to complete 21 athletic events, including running races, triathlons and Sunfish regattas. - Full report [19]
[22]
You can’t insure old sailboats… right? [23]
Published since 1974, Practical Sailor is the only independent product test report of sailboats, sailing equipment, and gear. In a video by Chief Editor Tim Labute, he discusses getting insurance on older boats:
If you’ve been shopping for a 20, 30, or even 40-year-old sailboat, you’ve probably seen the warnings online: “Insurance won’t touch it.” But is that actually true?
In this video [23], we break down the real rules behind insuring older sailboats in the United States and Canada. We look at what insurance companies actually care about, why boat age alone is rarely the deciding factor, and how thousands of owners are still insuring older cruising sailboats every year.
Older sailboats are not banned. They’re not obsolete. And they’re still being insured every day, if you understand how the system actually works.
[24]
TEAM ONE NEWPORT IS IN ST PETE! [25]
Team One Newport is proud to partner with Helly Hansen and Sailing World for the 2026 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series [26]. Come visit the Helly Hansen/ Team One Newport booth at St Pete Yacht Club this Thursday, February 12th to Sunday, the 15th where we will have the official regatta merchandise with great Helly Hansen sailing gear and lifestyle items! Psst… We have a great Clearance selection on site.
Team One Newport is the exclusive merchandiser for the 2026 [27] Newport Bermuda Race! Start thinking about your Crew uniforms for the race! Reach out to us at [info@team1newport.com] to start creating your crew’s special kit!
Team One Newport is happy to celebrate 41 years of partnerships with the finest sailing gear providers, such as Musto, Helly Hansen, Gill, Zhik, Patagonia, North Sails, Rooster, Spinlock, Revo, Dubarry, Arntson Marine, Garmin. Hobie, Mustang Survival, Zeal, Harken Derm, ZBlok and more.
Why good boats aren’t selling anymore [28]
by Ryan Craig, Great Lakes Bike Ski Boat
You ever walk down a marina and notice the same boats sitting in the same slips month after month? Clean decks, polished hulls, good sails — but no buyers in sight. It’s like a floating graveyard of dreams that once had diesel fumes and salt spray running through their veins.
Something’s changed out there. The boat market isn’t just slow… it’s broken. And if you’re trying to sell, you probably already know it. Prices are sliding, buyers have vanished, and good boats — not just project boats — are sitting for months or even years.
So, what the hell happened? Let’s talk about it. – Full report [29]
[30]
IOC agrees on new gender policy [31]
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) achieved its goal of full 50:50 gender parity in athlete participation at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but with a limit on total athlete participation, more women meant fewer men. Women's events were to create a fair platform, but now gender identity has become an issue.
The IOC has been working on policy, which initially had been for each sport to create regulations. But that has proven complicated, and now is seeking a uniform standard. As Sailing is an Olympic sport, what the IOC decides can trickle down to all levels of the sport.
The latest news is how the IOC's Protection of the Female Category Working Group is set to announce their findings during the first half of 2026, having reached a consensus on a new set of eligibility criteria for transgender athletes.
The working group is the brainchild of new IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who stressed her mission to "protect the female category and female athletes" during her presidential campaign and address the growing concern about policies regarding transgender and DSD (differences of sexual development) athletes. - Full report [32]
[33]
Reviewing the Olympic Sailing Program [34]
The trend in the Olympic sailing has been to evolve the program to appease the International Olympic Committee which wants gender balance and more dynamic racing and formats that present well on broadcast. To keep the sport in the Olympics, the ten events [35] have significantly changed.
The program for 2024 and 2028 remained the same, but now World Sailing is seeking feedback as part of its review of Olympic sailing events going forward. The review is required under its regulations ( Regulation 11) [36] which mandates that at least four Olympic events are placed under review every four years.
At the 2025 World Sailing Annual Conference, the General Assembly voted to place the Men’s Kite, Women’s Kite, Mixed Dinghy, and Mixed Multihull under review. Following the review, this year’s General Assembly will vote, deciding for each event to either:
• Retain the event and equipment,
• Retain the event but evolve the equipment,
• Retain the event but adopt entirely new equipment,
• Replace with a new event (equipment to be determined).
F0r full report, click here [34].
[37]
When your sailing needs more than wind [38]
If spending vast sums of money in sailing is what you like to do, the global charter fleet includes a small but exceptional group of sailing yachts. Since 2018, this has exceeded the 100-metre mark, with BOAT International profiling seven of the largest sailing yachts available for charter in 2026:
Black Pearl – 105-metre
Maltese Falcon – 88-metre
Aquijo – 85.9-metre
Sea Eagle – 81-metre
Vertigo – 67.2-metre
Spirit of the Cs – 64-metre
Athos – 63.2-metre
When a day of sailing requires a gym, pool, jacuzzi, sauna, and an impressive toy box, this list has your boat [39]. If you are curious about the 200 largest sailing yachts in the world, click here [40].
[41]
Seasoned champions and rising stars [42]
While the schedule for the 2026 World Match Racing Tour is not finalized, plans are rolling at Long Beach Yacht Club (Long Beach, CA) to host the 2026 Congressional Cup, one of the world’s premier match racing events and a founding event of the World Match Racing Tour.
With eight confirmed entrants, this year’s lineup blends seasoned champions with rising stars, setting the stage to battle for one of sailing’s most coveted titles, the Congressional Cup and Crimson Blazer.
Defending champion Eric Monnin from Switzerland returns to Long Beach for his twelfth challenge of the event, aiming to repeat his team’s breakthrough victory of the Cup last year, marking Monnin’s first ever World Match Racing Tour championship event win.
He will face some of the sport’s most accomplished skippers, including the remarkable and seemingly ageless Ian Williams from Great Britain, a nine-time World Match Racing Champion and five-time Congressional Cup winner. Ian has competed at the Long Beach event thirteen times, donning his first Crimson Blazer in 2011. - Full report [42]
[43]
Quantum Sails at HHSWRS St. Petersburg [44]
Great performance starts with great sails—but it’s also about how you use them. That’s why we’re proud to partner again with the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series [45], helping every sailor elevate their game—no matter who made your sails.
We’re gearing up for St. Petersburg, February 13-15. Check out our resources onsite [46] including coaching, daily weather debriefs, and more. There’s still time to get in on the action—find an event near you and experience the country’s top regatta series.
Sailing in the series or one-design winter circuits? Upgrade your inventory with Quantum’s championship-winning one design sails. Request a quote [44] today.
Eight Bells: Geoffrey Mason [47]
Geoffrey Mason, a lifelong sailor and longtime sports television production executive passed away on January 25 at the age of 85.
Geoff grew up sailing on Marblehead Harbor at the Corinthian & Pleon Yacht Clubs, later becoming a valuable member of the Eastern Yacht Club. He won many a sailing trophy on his own and crewed for some of the Club’s best skippers of our time, which included being a member of America’s Cup contender NEFERTITI with Steve & Jon Wales, Bradley Noyes, Don McNamara, and Ted Hood.
In addition to his sailing accomplishments, he was a longtime sports television production executive and member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. - Full report [47]
[48]
GUEST COMMENTARY
Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. You can add your comments directly to stories on the website [49] or submit commentary by email [mailto:editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com]. Please save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.
DECREASING NUMBERS OF RACE OFFICIALS ( #6502 [50])
It took me eight months to obtain a Club Race Officer status. I have 20+ years of race committee experience, attended a class on 2/1/25, got a 100% on the test taken on 2/9/25, but didn’t get approval of the certification until 9/30/25. SOARS (Sailing Officials Automated Reporting System) needs a rewrite. Don’t get me wrong, I love US Sailing but know RC Officer candidates who have given up because the process isn’t efficient.
- David Erwin
AMERICA’S CUP IS BEING RUN ILLEGALLY ( #6502 [50])
Thank God someone is standing up for sailboat racing in the true sense of the word for the majority of the sport embodying the skills that have defined it from the time two boats went to sea. I salute and support John's effort and pray for its success.
- Don Brush
To the gentleman who wrote this letter and is pursuing this quest
- Susan E. Riley
CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION
Anything seems possible if you don't know what you're talking about.
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[14] https://timesofsandiego.com/life/2026/02/04/blind-japanese-sailor-solo-pacific-san-diego/
[15] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-q/
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[20] https://www.sunfishclass.org/newsletter/06670-20260205170150-098088400-1572479418
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[22] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-jd/
[23] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/07/you-cant-insure-old-sailboats-right/
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[28] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/08/why-good-boats-arent-selling-anymore/
[29] https://greatlakesbikeskiboat.com/why-good-boats-arent-selling/
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[31] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/08/ioc-agrees-on-new-gender-policy/
[32] https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/ioc-agrees-new-gender-policy
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[34] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/09/reviewing-the-olympic-sailing-program/
[35] https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2026/02/09/reviewing-the-olympic-sailing-program/#more
[36] https://d7qh6ksdplczd.cloudfront.net/sailing/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/08021932/2025-Regulations-November-2024-7.1.25-1.pdf#page=8
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[39] https://www.boatinternational.com/charter/luxury-yacht-charter-advice/seven-largest-sailing-yachts-for-charter
[40] https://www.yacht.de/en/yachts/superyachts/superyacht-ranking-the-200-largest-sailing-yachts-in-the-world/
[41] https://email.sailingscuttlebutt.com/t/j-fb-ydtjhhdd-ijtljumj-ik/
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