Andrea Mura, aboard Vento di Sardenga, was the first racer to finish this year's RWYC's Ostar/Twostar race. His elapsed time was 17 days, 4 hours, 6 minutes, and 19 seconds to complete his screech across the pond. Nearly five sailboats were unable to finish this harrowing race, due to a "perfect storm" hitting the rest of the fleet harder than it hit him. Mura sailed into the eye of the storm, where the waves were only 30 feet high versus the nearly 50-foot seas that hit the other contestants later on. Subsequently he was whipped out of the storm with an even greater lead over the…

The marine technology company Garmin has been in a patent dispute over sonar technology with a rival company Navico since 2015, and in May of this year was found guilty of patent infringement by the International Trade Commission. On June 13th the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overturned that decision, stating the Navico’s claims “were not supported by substantial evidence.”  Garmin is free to import and sell the product in question again and will not have to pay the historically large $37 million fine recommended by the ITC. “This ruling confirms our strong belief that Navico’s patent claims…

Burnaby, BC – Mustang Survival®, the North American brand known for innovative solutions for the most demanding marine environments, celebrates fifty years of keeping people dry and safe in and around the water. From humble beginnings that focused on Pacific Northwest mariners, Mustang Survival has grown to a brand now used by military teams, water rescue professionals, and recreational users around the world. Synonymous with safety, Mustang Survival gear is made for the experts who save lives for a living but has been made accessible for the everyday water enthusiast.  Not a brand to rest on its laurels, Mustang Survival is…

Skipper Ron Wisner, of Marion, Mass, sets sail today for Bermuda in the 48-year-old ship Hotspur II to compete in the Marion Bermuda race for the fourth time, racing in the class of celestial navigators. The art of celestial navigation developed over centuries. Ron is not continuing the tradition out of nostalgia or for historical interest, for him it is an essential tool for mariners the world over, for safety reasons and as a practice of good seamanship. ON: What is the Marion Bermuda all about? RW: The Marion Bermuda is a smaller race then the Newport race. It’s more intimate…

Team New Zealand’s catamaran dramatically pitch poled before crossing the start line of the America’s Cup Challenger Race semifinal on June 6th , going airborne and plunging bow first into the water. Three crew members were ejected overboard leaving the rest of the crew suspended in the cockpit, 40 feet above the water. The crew was all accounted for, uninjured, and the vessel was righted in 15 minutes and taken back to base for repairs.  The shore team repaired the ripped wing sail and wrenched fairings in time for New Zealand to compete as planned on June 7th, providing the scheduled race was not delayed by weather conditions. The race…

Watermakers, like any other modern shipboard system, rely on their electronics for continued trouble-free operation, monitoring and automated self-maintenance. Already the benchmark of the industry, FCI Watermakers has enhanced its feature-laden V4 Controller. FCI upgraded the V4 Controller's rock-solid firmware. The improvement increases screen response speed and provides an enhanced graphics-based visualization, or HMI (human machine interface). Using the V4 Controller is simple with its intuitive menu. Accessed through a hi-res 7" or 4.3" HMI touch screen, users can set up automation processes, such as fresh water flushes, customized for the individual application. Instructions and on-screen help is built into…

Burnaby, BC – Mustang Survival®, the North American brand known for innovative solutions for the most demanding marine environments, is pleased to announce that the Gulf Nova Scotia Fleet Planning Board (GNSFPB) has made another round of major investments in safety equipment which includes 1,200 Mustang Survival immersion suits. As part of a $1.3 million spend, the GNSFPB is aligning with new safety requirements for commercial fishing vessels introduced by Transport Canada, which will go into effect this summer.   Found aboard many water vessels - from recreation to water taxis, Coast Guard to commercial fishing - Mustang Survival is…

One way the Seven Seas Cruising Association communicates with its far flung members is via its monthly newsletter. The Commodores' Bulletin always has great info and observations on the voyaging life. Here is an excerpt from the June 2017 edition that points out some of the differences between cruising in the Caribbean and in Portugal's Atlantic islands, the Azores.  Top ten ways the Azores differ from cruising the Caribbean, by Barb and Stewart Hart  Courtesy of the Seven Seas Cruising Association. This is a condensed version of the original article.  10. Voyage Two thousand miles and 18 to 28 days at sea (plus or minus) depending on…