How do you define ‘cool’? It’s an unquantifiable quality. What’s cool to one person, might be banal or brash to another. But when it comes to boats, like people, some just have it. That vibe. That authenticity. That swagger. That je ne sais quoi. That undeniable cool factor.

American Racing Challenger Team USA is proud to announce the appointment of sailing great Giles Scott as Sailing Director, a key leadership role as the team ramps up preparations for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup.

I had sailed from San Diego on my engineless Ericson 37 cutter, EGREGIOUS, almost two months earlier, on my third attempt to round Cape Horn alone. The first two had ended because of rigging failure. Three weeks out of San Diego the hull cracked and I began bailing water with a bucket.

The XR-41 won the 2025 ORC World Championship, but it was deemed faster on the water than their rating would indicate. An investigation revealed an anomaly, and while ORC works on their VPP, they issued the boat a rating adjustment, which has been widely referred to as a penalty.