Daily Sailing Debrief - February 9, 2026

Feb 9

America’s Cup & Legal Challenges

Is the America's Cup Being Run Illegally? Local sailor and former AC challenger John Sweeney has formally challenged the legality of the current foiling format. Sweeney argues that the high-speed "flying machines" violate the historic Deed of Gift, specifically regarding racing waterline requirements and the use of stored power. He is calling for a return to 90-foot monohulls with traditional 30-person crews. Latitude 38 | Scuttlebutt Sailing News

Peninsula Racing Clinches Victory in Lanzarote John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing secured a major win at the 44Cup Calero Marinas, triumphing by five points over newcomer GeMera Racing. The final day featured a tense tactical match race against Team Aqua to seal the title. MySailing | Sail-World
Turkish Delight: Wow! Sailing Team Scores First Ever Bullet Led by double Olympic gold medalist Iker Martínez, Turkey's Wow! Sailing Team claimed their first-ever RC44 race win. The team navigated a shifty "minefield" of 10–25 knot winds to take a decisive 32-second victory. Afloat.ie | Live Sail Die

First Eight Entrants for 2026 Congressional Cup Announced The Long Beach Yacht Club has revealed the first group of skippers for the prestigious Congressional Cup. The lineup includes defending champion Eric Monnin (SUI), nine-time world champion Ian Williams (GBR), and USA’s Chris Poole. World Match Racing Tour | Live Sail Die
SailGP: Auckland Prepares for 30,000 Fans Despite major repairs needed for the Spanish team Los Gallos, they have confirmed their place on the starting line for the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix. Organizers expect a massive turnout in the "City of Sails" for the upcoming event. YACHT | Sail-World

U.S.-Built Hybrid Yacht Generates Drinking Water from Air Designers have finalized the production-ready concept for the SXR 75 XLC, a hybrid explorer yacht that utilizes Atmospheric Water Generators (AWG) to produce fresh water directly from humidity. This eliminates the need for bottled water and traditional desalination systems while cruising remote areas. Powerboat World | Boating New Zealand

Queen of the Waves: 18ft Skiff Titles Decided Emma Collins and her Vaikobi team (Kirk Mitchell, Andrew Stephenson, and Daniel Barnett) have been crowned the 2026 18-footer Queen of the Waves champions following a dominant performance in Sydney. Sail-World
Round Ireland 2026: Strong Overseas Interest Entries for the 2026 Round Ireland Yacht Race are already pouring in, showing significant interest from international teams looking to challenge the 704-mile course starting from Wicklow. Afloat.ie