Pauls Most Recent Sailing Reports
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Cayard’s Updates
- St. Barths BucketMarch 29, 2026 - 10:12 am
- Bacardi Cup 2026March 29, 2026 - 9:49 am
- Rolex Yachtsman of the YearMarch 29, 2026 - 9:31 am
- America’s Cup Hall of FameDecember 20, 2025 - 5:20 pm
- Star World Championship-2025December 20, 2025 - 5:10 pm
- Time to TackFebruary 25, 2023 - 3:48 pm
- US Olympic SailingMay 7, 2021 - 9:00 am
Bacardi CupMarch 2, 2020 - 7:56 pm
Sailing Scuttlebutt
- 2026 US Sailing Youth National Team
- Reimagining the 50-foot offshore racer
- Sailing, motherhood, and road to LA 2028
- Elite offshore racing coming to New York
- Regatta within a regatta in Charleston
- Sailing Grand Slam moves to France
- World Sailing’s latest contrived solution
- Curmudgeon’s Observation
- Karel Komárek: About business and yachting
- How would you decide this?
HAT TRICK FOR CAYARD?
12 MeterAlmost a week into the 15th Pacific Cup, some of the earliest starters are preparing to hold their traditional halfway parties as they pass the 1035-miles-to-Hawaii mark. Following Sunday’s standings, Paul Cayard’s family performance on Hula Girl (San Francisco), moved them into first place overall. The crew sailed almost 300 miles in a single day, […]
Hula Girl Update
UncategorizedThings have been going very well on board Hula Girl and we are all in high spirits. Currently our position looks really good. From what I understand we are winning our Division (E) and have been gaining the entire time. We are the southernmost boat in the fleet and as of this morning’s roll call, […]
Hula Girl – 30° 38′ N 131° 24′ W
UncategorizedIt’s been a rough first 48 hours. Compared to our 48 hour training, the weather has been cold and quite windy and we have yet to see much sea life. This morning our spinnaker halyard broke with four people on deck. Two more crew quickly rushed up to retrieve the kite out of the water. […]
Hula Girl- Friday
UncategorizedWe are finally headed to Hawaii. After months of work on the boat, we get to go sailing!! With 2 reefs in the main and the #4 up the tender SC 50 got a good start in front of my home club of 32 years and we tacked and crossed the fleet heading for the […]
Sailing in Marin: Next generation of Cayards head to sea
UncategorizedDanny and Allie are descended on both sides of their family from famous sailors. Their mother Icka’s father, Swedish ocean racing veteran Pelle Peterson, was one of the true pioneers of the sport, winning three Olympic medals before they were born. Their father, Paul Cayard, won the Whitbread Round the World Race when they were […]
Our Last Practice Session
UncategorizedJuly 8th-10th was our last practice session before the start of the Pacific Cup. We finally had everyone together – Danny, Paul, Ralfie, Cameron, Morgan, Mark, Robbie and me. Our goal was to be offshore for 48 hrs to try to understand what racing will be like.
Pacific Cup Has Biggest Fleet In Years
UncategorizedSan Francisco, California, USA: The Pacific Cup race organizers announced the final starting lineup, with a total 61 boats competing in the biennial race to Hawaii. Twenty-two boats including two double-handed divisions are set to begin the race early afternoon Monday, July 14, with additional starts for faster boats through Saturday, July 19. Most racers […]
Preparation continues for the Pacific Cup
UncategorizedThe Hula Girl, a Santa Cruz 50, untied her lines yesterday afternoon at 1600 local time with 8 crew onboard. Destination unknown, pretty much wherever the wind would take us. In our case we have been very lucky. Amazingly, the wind has been very light, 5-8 knots from the South. Currently (1000 local) we are […]
TP 52 Update Audi MedCup, Cagliari
TP52With a ten o’clock first start, the teams were up early and off the dock by 0830.
TP 52 Update Audi MedCup, Cagliari
TP52The wind turned 180 degrees today and we had a mistral of up to 30 knots. There was enough carnage after race one that the committee sent us to the shore where we waited a short time until they called it for the day. Onboard Desafio, we had a decent result finishing 4th, but unfortunately […]
TP 52 Update Audi MedCup, Cagliari
TP52Today was the coastal race which was basically two longer windward leeward courses tied together, with about eight miles of reaching each way. The wind was more left in direction today and lighter. We started in 8.5 knots of wind. No one used the mast head genoas on the first windward leg although we were […]
TP 52 Update Audi MedCup, Cagliari
TP52Two races were held today in 12-16 knots of wind, similar in direction to yesterday, South Southeast see breeze. There is still no gradient as a large high pressure system is sitting over this part of the Mediterranean. Mean Machine and Quantum Racing continue to be setting the pace and really it is starting to […]
TP 52 Update Audi MedCup, Cagliari
TP52Three races were held today in perfect conditions. Sunny skies, 10-18 knots of wind and smooth seas. For El Desafio it was a mediocre to poor day, with a 6,7 and 11th. In the last race we were over the start line early, and well trapped, so it took us over a minute to restart. […]
TP 52 Update Audi MedCup, Cagliari
TP52Tuesday is the first day of racing here in Cagliari, the third stop on the MedCup circuit for the Transpac 52 Class. The forecast is for a sea breeze (160-170 degrees) of about 12-15 knots. There are just 14 boats competing here which is quite a drop from a year ago when we had 23 […]
Newport Bermuda Race
UncategorizedOn Friday evening, 198 boats headed out of Newport following the start of the 42nd edition of the Bermuda Race. Paul Cayard is onboard Jim Swartz’s brand new STP65 Moneypenny as watch captain for this demanding 635 mile race. The competition will be intense in the St David’s Lighthouse Division with the likes of Puma’s […]
Change of tack…
Ocean RaceMy last article seems to have created quite a stir, even prompting an online poll showing a big split in opinion over the nationality requirement for the pending America’s Cup match between BMW Oracle and Alinghi. There was even at least one email lobbying people in how to vote! As I struggled to find something […]
Preparation continues for the Pacific Cup
UncategorizedMay 31st and June 1st was our second practice weekend in preparation for the Pacific Cup. I feel as though most of us are becoming much more comfortable around each other. We are also all beginning to see what needs to be done when, and who is best at doing it. The bowmen are Morgan […]
Personal thoughts and opinions from the frontline of the Audi MedCup Circuit.
TP52Paul Cayard, Helmsman of el Desafio. The impetus for the Desafio TP52 project was to keep the sports team from the Spanish America’s Cup challenge together and active whilst awaiting the outcome of the Cup. When we realised there would be quite a delay before a multi- challenge America’s Cup the decision was made to […]
Preparing for the Pacific Cup 2008
UncategorizedWith less than two months until the start of the Pacific Cup, Allie Cayard shares a bit of insight into the team’s preparation for the race from San Francisco to Hawaii. The crew of the Hula Girl consists of Paul, Danny and me (Allie) Cayard, along with two Marin Catholic High School alumni who are […]
Audi Med Cup – Alicante – Race Day 5
TP52The wind gods only graced us with enough wind to get one race in today. Bribon, with the King of Spain onboard, got to the left on the first windward leg and the wind in Spain went left and they were launched. The wind speed was about 10 knots for the 1.25 hour affair and […]
Audi Med Cup – Alicante – Race Day 4
TP52Strange day today. No wind, then plenty of wind…up to 15 knots, then no wind. Luckily, we were able to squeeze in one race during a one hour window with 15 knots and that it was a good one for us. I got the boat up on the line and we finished 3rd. Mean Machine […]
Audi Med Cup – Alicante – Race Day 3
TP52The coastal race was held today, with light to moderate winds from the southeast. Most of the coastal racing is a procession, with little chance to pass. Today was not a lot different. For the second day in a row, Mean Machine won. They scored two first places, as they were in the lead at […]
Audi Med Cup – Alicante – Race Day 2
TP52A big day of racing today with Races 3, 4 and 5 held in 10, 12 and 14 knots of wind, respectively. Course number one (windward, leeward, windward, finish) was used for all three races. Mean Machine had the best day with a fifth and two firsts, while Bribon is in first place with just […]
Audi Med Cup – Alicante – Race Day 1
TP52Onboard Desafio we had an average day today. The conditions were very light winds, with smooth seas and partly sunny skies. The wind was 7-9 knots from 135 for the two races. We finished the day with a 9th and 6th, so we are in 8th place overall. The big winner of the day was […]
Transpac 52-Med Cup – Alicante
TP52The 2008 Audi Med Cup is about to get under way here in Alicante. Twenty boats are present, with a little more than half the fleet sailing new boats just built this winter. The season consists of six events, over five months, with a stand alone event for a World Championship in October in Lanzarote. […]
TIME TO PLAY JUDGE
UncategorizedIn the May Issue of Seahorse Magazine, columnist Paul Cayard provided his latest theory regarding the America’s Cup, and it has to do with an interpretation of the Deed of Gift that might become the next fodder for the New York legal system. The crux of his position focuses on whether the complete boat must […]
Audi Med Cup. Desafio Espanol America’s Cup sailors train on TP52
TP52Desafio Espanol began training yesterday on board its TP 52, which will make its debut in the first Audi Med Cup event, which starts on 12 May in Alicante. During the last week, the support team completed the task of assembling the new boat and Desafio will continue its training, in Valencia, until the next […]
Desafío-Iberdrola: staying sharp is priority
TP52With Paul Cayard as skipper Spain’s 32nd America’s Cup Challenger Series Semi Finalists plan to use the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit to keep crew race sharp With the key objective of keeping their sailing team together, sharp and active 32nd America’s Cup Challenger Series Semi Finalists Desafío-Iberdrola will launch a TP52 programme this season with […]
The 2008 Pacific Cup.
UncategorizedStarting in San Francisco and finishing in Oahu’s Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, the Pacific Cup is organized by St. Francis Yacht Club. This year marks the 15th edition of the biennial race, which will commence on July 14. More than 70 boats are expected to participate in the 2,070 mile downwind race. Together with his son […]
Careful what you wish for
Ocean RaceAmerica’s Cup Here is my latest theory… Ernesto will fight Larry tooth and nail with lawyers. He knows how to do that. His goal will be to get the BMW Oracle challenge dismissed in court by any means and for any reason possible and then host a multi-challenger event in 2011. He will not build […]
Far 40 World Championship-Final
Farr 40Just a quick one to say its over. Joe Fly of Italy won on the water but Mascalzone Latino is protesting them. The Jury will decide who won the 2008 Farr 40 Worlds. We had a mediocre day, not sure exactly the scores but I think we will finish up around 10th overall. As I […]
Farr 40 World Championship-Day 3
Farr 40Another two races and still no breakthrough for us on Warpath. We just don’t have it this week. The conditions have been real difficult, sloppy seaway and very puffy, celly, wind. The wind strength was 8-12 knots and shifting through 15 degrees. Everyone struggled and I am sure sailing upwind in these conditions did not […]
Farr 40 World Championship-Day 2
Farr 40Another beautiful day off Miami Beach… 10-15 knots of wind and a lot of sunshine. That sounds so nice and pleasant. For the teams that were racing in the Far 40 worlds, it was anything but nice and pleasant. I have never been in a war and I certainly would not think it was like […]
Farr 40 World Championship-Day 1
Farr 40It was a day in which many boats were up and down through three races. Mascalzone Latino has the lead followed by fellow Italians “Joe Fly”. Still the two boats have 16 and 18 points respectively which is more than usual for the leaders after three races signaling the tough competition out there. The wind […]
Farr 40 Pre-Worlds-Day 2
Farr 40Three more race were held today in the Farr 40 warm up for next weeks World Championship. The winds were 13knots for the first races dropping to 8 knots in the third race. There were plenty of ups and downs for all competitors in the fleet. Some of the favorites had a very tough series […]
Farr 40 Pre-Worlds-Day 1
Farr 40Three races were held off Key Biscayne today all in 9-11 knots of wind from the South East. The sea was a bit choppy which made the job for the mainsheet trimmer, jib trimmer and helmsman very challenging. Happily, our speed team of Steve Howe, Dave Armitage and Grant Loretz got it figured out and […]
Farr 40 Pre Worlds
Farr 40The Farr 40 fleet has reconvened in Miami for the World Championship which will begin Wednesday April 16, 2008. A preliminary regatta, “Pre-Worlds”, starts Friday April 11. There will be 33 boats racing for the 11th World Championship in this class. Most of the fleet have been here training since Tuesday this week and the […]
World’s best gear up in Miami for 2008 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship
Farr 40“It’s nice for my crew and me to be the current Farr 40 World Champions,” said Vincenzo Onorato of Milan, Italy days before the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds warm-up regatta this week. “But I will try to forget all of that when I begin the first race. Pressure is part of the game; if you […]
2008 Acura Miami Grand Prix- Final Race Day
UncategorizedShort Story Warpath won the day and we finished third, 1 point out of second and 5 points out of first. Long story The wind was very shifty today. We played the shifts very well and worked through the fleet in the first race to win by a healthy margin. In the second race, we […]
2008 Acura Miami Grand Prix- Race Day 3
UncategorizedThe forecast was for a strong northwester today and it was for the first race. When it blows out of the northwest here it is very shifty. With the wind blowing 22-24 knots from 315, the first race got underway at 1040. A number of boats were over the start line early including the eventual […]