Yachting news, Sunday, 8 November 2026

The Gulf season opens in Dubai at the end of the month

The 32nd Dubai International Boat Show runs at Dubai Harbour from 25 to 29 November. It was originally due in April and has moved to November for good, so from now on it will be held each autumn, in the week after Metstrade and the week before the Abu Dhabi show. The day before it opens, SuperYacht Times brings its eighth Gulf Superyacht Summit back to Dubai on 24 and 25 November. The summit is a two-day meeting for senior people in the industry, focused on the Gulf as a winter cruising ground for superyachts. The Qatar Boat Show, the first of the region's autumn shows, closed in Old Doha Port yesterday after four days.

Record shortlist for the DAME Design Awards

The jury for the 35th DAME Design Awards, Metstrade's prize for marine equipment, received 153 entries from 30 countries and has picked its longest shortlist in 23 years. Spinlock's VITO AFS 170N lifejacket, which uses a new buoyancy design, is among the nominees, and Harken, Mustang Survival, Ronstan and Wichard all have products on the list. Winners in eight categories, and an overall winner, will be named when Metstrade opens in Amsterdam on 17 November. Until the show closes on the 19th, every nominee will be on display in the Elicium, Hall 13.

Golden Globe: deBoer asks to be taken off Spirit

Guy deBoer was declared unfit to continue on Wednesday, after he fell below decks on 2 November. Yesterday his condition got worse. Shortly after 16:00 UTC he rang race headquarters by satellite phone to say he could no longer use his left arm, could not stand or keep his balance, and could not eat. Don McIntyre asked MRCC Brazil for an urgent evacuation at 16:20 UTC. His family had already been in touch with the Brazilian rescue centre late on Friday.

Spirit was about 800 miles east of Rio de Janeiro and making for the coast in light winds. The Brazilian Navy corvette Barroso, which carries a helicopter, may be sent. The race's medical adviser, Dr Spike Briggs of MSOS, had earlier told deBoer to head downwind for Punta del Este. At the last update, at 18:54 UTC yesterday, an evacuation plan had not been confirmed.

Route du Rhum: the race behind the winner

Away from the Ultims, the other classes still have days to go. At the 09:00 French-time ranking yesterday, Corentin Horeau (MACSF) still led the IMOCAs, with 1,023 miles left and Boris Herrmann (Malizia 4) about 260 miles behind. Basile Bourgnon (Edenred) was still in front in the Ocean Fifties, doing 24 knots with 856 miles to go, ahead of Thibaut Vauchel-Camus (Solidaires En Peloton) and Pierre Quiroga (Wewise). In Class40, Guillaume Pirouelle (Sogestran Seafrigo) had a narrow lead over Achille Nebout (Amarris). The Ocean Fifties are expected in Guadeloupe from about 11 November, and the IMOCAs from about the 12th.

Moth Worlds: Balanger pulls 11 points clear

The defending champion, Enzo Balanger, won two of the three races on day two in Perth, and after five races he has four wins and a second. That puts him 11 points ahead of the rest of the fleet. Melville Waters was not available until 16:00, but the Fremantle Doctor was blowing by then, though it was shifty, with some big holes near the top mark. Richard Didham of the USA scored 7, 7, 2 and is second overall, Jack Bennett of New Zealand has moved up to third and Australia's Ryan Littlechild is fourth, with only a few points between them. Stronger winds are forecast for the coming days.

J/24 Worlds open on Port Phillip

The J/24 World Championship has started at Sandringham Yacht Club in Melbourne, with 38 teams and 202 sailors from ten countries. The opening Invitation Race, which did not count for points, was sailed in light, fickle north-north-westerlies. Gyosyu got the best start, just 6 cm behind the line at the gun, and Jet logged the top speed of the day at 6.6 knots. After a Welcome to Country, a smoking ceremony and a parade of nations, points racing began yesterday. It runs until 11 November.

Yellow warning for rough seas on the Algarve's south coast

Depression Bruna reaches the mainland today, and IPMA expects it to bring rain, wind and rough seas until 13 November. According to Sul Informação, the Algarve's south coast is under a yellow warning for sea conditions on Monday and Tuesday. IPMA forecasts south-easterly waves of 1 to 1.5 m today, turning south-westerly and building to about 3 m significant height between Monday and Wednesday. The west coast could see 4 to 5 m. Southerly winds will freshen and the rain will be persistent and sometimes heavy.

The civil protection authority, ANEPC, has issued its own advice and asks people to take particular care near the shore. That means staying off harbour moles, clifftops and beaches while the sea is up. If you have not done so already, double up your lines and check fenders and chafe protection today, before the south-westerly swell sets in.

Bruna hits Madeira hard; the Azores triangle ferry is cancelled

Madeira took the brunt of the storm yesterday. Between 08:00 and 23:00, the regional civil protection service logged 111 incidents and called out 220 people. Most were fallen trees (47) and flooding (28), and 55 were in Funchal. By the afternoon 37 flights had been cancelled at Madeira airport. IPMA forecast waves of 3.5 to 4.5 m on the island's south coast and gusts of up to 130 km/h on high ground.

In the Azores, which are on yellow alert, Atlânticoline has cancelled today's Linha Verde sailing between Horta, Cais do Pico and Velas. IPMA expects north-westerly waves of up to 6 m in the central group and gusts of up to 90 km/h across the islands from early today. Anyone on passage near the archipelagos, including the Route du Rhum boats stopping in the Azores, should keep well clear until the system has gone through.

Miami voters reject the Virginia Key marina lease

In Tuesday's referendum, City of Miami voters threw out a plan to lease about 27 acres of public waterfront on Virginia Key, covering the Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium marinas, to Virginia Key LLC. That is a joint venture between RCI Group and Suntex Marinas. The deal would have run for an initial 45 years and paid the city $2.2 million a year in rent. About 65% voted against. The opposition campaign, Preserve & Protect Miami, argued that the terms rested on a bid made years ago. The vote does not decide who will run the site in future. The developers have pushed back, and the Rickenbacker operator has not ruled out bidding again if the city starts a new process.