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22 November 2021


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Another year and while the populations of whales on our globe continue to be under threat from noise pollution, plastic pollution, illegal fishing and natural predation, there remains a good group of gray whales in the Eastern Pacific, who annually migrate the length of the American western seaboard between their summer feeding grounds around the Aleutian Islands and in the Bering Sea and their winter breeding grounds off Baja California.

First created for Sailonline in 2010, this race celebrates this remarkable life cycle of the Gray Whales by following their route. In 2010 and 2011 we raced from Mexico up to the Bering Sea in late Spring (the mother and calf route), but since then, except in 2017, we have followed the autumn swim south to their warm and shallow breeding grounds in the lagoons off Baja California, and are doing so again this year.

This year also, a special RainbowChaser prize, to honour her creation of this terrific SOL perennial and all her tireless work behind the scenes, has been donated by Leatherman Inc. to be awarded to the SOLer who best outpaces the whales. Most will, as the whales travel at a leisurely 5 knots. But who will be first and win the multi-tool?


The race opens for practice on Monday, 22 November and will start on Wednesday, 2 December at 1900utc.

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Races

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Current Races:

Los Roques 2026


It's winter but not in the Caribbean, so welcome to Venezuela's Islas Los Roques archipelago for a 20nm sprint through these beautiful islands. Take care with your mutinous crew, they may be tempted to BBQ and snorkel!
Race #2007
INFO by brainaid.de
SOTO 30 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
RANKING:
SPQ1 - SPCH - SYC
Race starts: Feb 07th 13:00 Registration Open!
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Cross the Convergence 2026 - Samoa to Hawaii


The second race of our new series of ocean voyages across the World’s convergence zones, takes us northward again up the Pacific Ocean, now from Samoa at 13.5 degrees South, across the Equator to Hawaii, famed for its breaking surf and active volcanoes, on the edge of the Tropic of Cancer at 19.5 degrees North. It’s 2300nm, so we’ll take our very steady Steinlager II. Race #1982
INFOby brainaid.de
Steinlager IIPARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: CCZ - SYC
Race starts: Feb 06th 18:00 Registration Open!
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Beketov by Balloon 2026 - In Siberia


Way-back-when France and England, and Spain as well, were squabbling about who should control what of North America, only to lose the most of it to their own insurging colonists, their eastern European neighbour empire, Russia, was quietly assimilating vast, thinly nomadically populated territory of its own – Siberia! Amongst the many explorers and adventurers that served Russia so well in these conquests was the Cossack hetman Pyotr Beketov. Let’s pretend we’re he and eschewing horseback, let’s travel by balloon from Yekaterinberg to Krasnoyarsk – just a short 2000km (1100nm) section of the Trans-Siberian Express’ 9289km!
Race #1972
INFOby brainaid.de
SOL Balloon PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: BOL - SYC
Race starts: Feb 03rd 13:00 Registration Open!
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West Papua to Oregon 2026

Our next race in our Ocean Championships is the first of a series of great natural migrations we will track in 2026. The leatherback turtle is the most widely distributed marine reptile on planet Earth, and chooses to breed in warm tropical waters, but prefers to forage in more temperate habitats, travelling thousands and thousands of miles effortlessly annually to maintain this way of life. Our race will follow one of the typical trips of this turtle, from breeding grounds in the seas off West Papua to the coast of Oregon. It’s only 5900nm, so to keep up, but in comfort, we’ll follow in our Gunboat 90.
Race #2006
INFO by brainaid.de
GB 90 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ1 - OCCH - MIG - SYC
Race starts: Feb 02nd 11:00 Registration Open!
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Race to Up Helly Aa 2026

A-OI!!! The fiery spirit of Shetland’s legendary Up Helly Aa returns, and Sailonline’s annual race to Lerwick is once again upon us. Covering 383 nautical miles from Aberdeen, SOLers will tackle winter waters steeped in Viking tradition. This year, we race the classic Frers 33, a proven cruiser-racer born from the golden era of offshore racing and still a sturdy performer both on the virtual and real water. Can you master the course and reach Lerwick in time for the flames?

SAILING NOTE: Gruney may be approached from any direction but must be passed for rounding purposes as indicated on the chart.
Race #2005
INFO by brainaid.de
Frers 33 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
RACE CLOSE: Friday,
February 6 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jan 30th 17:00 Registration Closed
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