http://www.greatcirclesails.com
Brian Hancock is the founder of Great Circle Sails and has been a working sailmaker for almost 40 years. He has raced in multiple Whitbread (Now Volvo) Round the World Races. He is the author of the book Maximum Sail Power which was hailed as the best book ever on the subject by industry leaders including Tom Whidden who at the time was head of North Sails. Most recently Brian has been the PR and media manager for SpeedDream, a quest to build the world’s fastest monohull.
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CRAZY IS AS CRAZY DOES

Happy New Year – let’s hope that 2019 is a year filled with crazy sailing stunts. I know, that’s an odd wish, but two sailing related stories in the news caught my eye this past week and it’s worth commenting on them. But first… It used to be a big deal to sail across an ocean or ...
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CARNAGE IN THE ROUTE DU RHUM

The 11th edition of the Route Du Rhum started from France and there has been much carnage. In addition to two of the Ultime trimarans sustaining hull damage that forced them out of the race, there has been damage on many of the other boats. Overnight the much-anticipated storm in the Bay of Biscay ...
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ROUTE DE RHUM – DESTINATION GUADELOUPE

ROUTE DE RHUM – DESTINATION GUADELOUPE The Route du Rhum is one of the greats and this year’s race looks to be one of the greatest ever. The race is run every four years and goes from the beautiful walled city of Saint-Malo on the north coast of France to Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe....
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The Barcolana Autumn Cup Regatta

The race organizers estimate that in addition to the 25,000 or so competitors an additional 250,000 people come into town to enjoy watching sailboats sail around a short course. As sailors, we often think that we are participating in a sport that many people don’t follow or really even understa...
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America’s Cup 35 Years Ago

It was 35 years ago (September 26) that John Bertrand and his Australian crew did the impossible by beating the American’s and taking home America’s Cup. For sailors, it was a JFK assassination moment. We can remember exactly where we were to the second when the Australian yacht Australia II gy...
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Carnage in the Golden Globe Race

Carnage in the Golden Globe Race “ROLLED. DISMASTED. SEVERE BACK INJURY. CANNOT GET UP.” –  Abhilash Tomy There was some high drama in the Golden Globe Race over the last few days that resulted in two sailors being rescued. It all started last Friday when race founder and organizer Don M...
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Hilary Lister
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Sail on Hilary Lister

I never met Hilary Lister and now it’s too late. This brave sailing icon passed away yesterday after decades of struggling against a degenerative condition that left her wheelchair-bound at the age of 15. I am sure that many are thinking ‘who is Hilary Lister’ and that’s understan...
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VOR Vestas Recap
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A Bittersweet Look Back At The Volvo Ocean Race

The 2017/18 Volvo Ocean Race has slipped into the history books and I have to admit, I kind of have withdrawal symptoms. Clicking on the race tracker was starting to become a bit of an obsession – say nothing of a giant time-suck – so maybe it’s a good thing that “normal” life has...
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Dongfeng Race Team Make Volvo Ocean Race History

Dongfeng Makes VOR History In what was without a doubt the most exciting Volvo Ocean Race finish, or perhaps the most exciting sailboat race finish since the Australians won the America’s Cup in 1983, the Chinese entry Dongfeng Race Team took overall victory in the tense and nail biting finish ...
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Mapfre VOR
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Is There A Future For The Volvo Ocean Race?

I read with interest an article by British sailing journalist Magnus Wheatley. He had a pretty acerbic take on the state of the current Volvo Ocean Race and I have to say  that agree with him. His article starts, “Like the drunken uncle that refuses to leave the coming-of-age party, the Volvo ...
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