ostar yacht race

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

OSTAR & TWOSTAR to go ahead in 2021

• Katy Stickland
• January 22, 2021

Organisers of the OSTAR and TWOSTAR have confirmed the transatlantic races will go ahead as planned in May 2021

The 2017 OSTAR was the last race to be held. Credit: Paul Gibbins

The MailASail OSTAR and TWOSTAR will go ahead as planned in May 2021.

Organisers the Royal Western Yacht Club (RWYC), confirmed this morning that they are “confident” they can provide a “COVID safe start and finish” to the 3,000 mile corinthian races, which start on 9 May from Plymouth.

It follows “continual communication with the Newport Yacht Club, our Finishing hosts,” said the club in a statement.

The solo and double-handed races were originally due to start from Plymouth in May 2020, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the first OSTAR in 1960.

The OSTAR starts from Plymouth and ends in Newport. Credit: Paul Gibbins

They were later postponed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The commodore of the RWYC,  Chris Arscott, said, “The OSTAR has been a breeding ground for some of the world’s best known and most successful sailors including Sir Francis Chichester , Eric Tabarly and Loick Peyron.”

“In 2007 the race returned to its Corinthian roots and has continued to offer the stars of the future a springboard as the toughest amateur/semi pro solo races there is,” he continued.

“This year will be no different with what is already a strong list of entries.”

The RWYC said that if the races needed to have an extended postponement at short notice due to COVID-19, then full refunds would be offered to entrants.

Many of the skippers will be using the 2021 OSTAR as their qualifying passage and training for the solo non-stop round the world event, Global Solo Challenge (GSC) , which starts in 2023.

The GSC does not demand a race qualifier for their entries, but the rigours of the OSTAR can provide a platform for them to test themselves and their boats ahead of their global adventure.

Continues below…

OSTAR: 60 and still going strong

Blondie Hasler's biographer Ewen Southby-Tailyour looks at the origin of the Corinthian race and its enduring legacy

Mervyn Wheatley: One last adventure

OSTAR veteran Mervyn Wheatley ponders the changes in sailing through his decades-long career

How to sail an Atlantic circuit

Sam and Alexandra Fortescue share the knowledge and experience they gained on a one-year Atlantic circuit from the UK to…

Mary Falk, OSTAR record holder, has died

Tributes have been paid to OSTAR and Round Britain and Ireland veteran Mary Falk, who has died

Singlehanded sailing for the first time

Toby Heppell looks at the art of singlehanded sailing and considers what constitutes good seamanship when it’s only you on…

‘The sickening sound of tearing wood as we were hit by the wave’

A freak wave wreaks havoc on Kass Schmitt and Rupert Holmes' 36ft Zest as they attempt to sail to Lanzarote

The last OSTAR took place in 2017.

The 15th edition of the event was the first time the Royal Western Yacht Club had started the OSTAR and TWOSTAR together.

The fleets were also hit by a severe storm – one of the worst in the history of the OSTAR – and out of the 21 boats which started from Plymouth, 10 retired and four were abandoned.

Just seven boats crossed the Castle Hill finish line in Newport, Rhode Island.

One skipper who was forced to abandon his yacht was OSTAR veteran Mervyn Wheatley .

He lost his Formosa 42, Tamarind when the yacht was rolled in a 70-knot storm in the mid-Atlantic .

A coachroof port on the starboard side was smashed and the yacht took on a lot of water.

Tamarind was scuttled to prevent her becoming a hazard to navigation. Credit: Pip Dando

Despite pumping for four hours, Wheatley was unable to save Tamarind , and he was rescued by the crew of the Queen Mary 2 luxury liner, who had been diverted to assist.

The crews of the TWOSTAR boats Happy and Furia also had to be rescued by nearby ships.

The Jeanneau Sun Fast 37 Happy , crewed by Wytse Bouma and Jaap Barendregt was dismasted.

Mihail Kopanov and Dian Zaykov aboard the Luffe 37 Furia had to abandon the sinking yacht after it hit a floating object.

Illumia 12 sustained keel damage in the Atlantic and had to be abandoned. Credit: Paul Gibbins

Solo Italian sailor Michele Zambelli also decided to abandon and was rescued by a Royal Canadian Air Force helicopter crew when his yacht, Illumia 12 sustained keel damage.

The eventual winner of the race was Andrea Mura on his Open 50, Vento di Sardegna who arrived in Rhode Island four days ahead of his nearest rival.

Having won the 2013 OSTAR, he is only the second competitor in the event’s history to win successive OSTARs.

French solo sailor Loïck Peyron was the first after winning in 1992 and 1996.

The TWOSTAR winner was the German boat Rote 66 , crewed by Uwe Röttgering and Asia Pajkowska.

Conor Fogerty on Bam won the Gypsy Moth prize.

The OSTAR was the first solo yacht race, which was established in 1960, eight years earlier than the Golden Globe Race .

It was conceived by Blondie Hasler, who wanted to use the event to test two of his ‘inventions’ – the junk-rigger Jester, with her self-steering gear and central, enclosed steering position to which all lines led, and his pendulum-servo vane gear.

The race has always been run by the Royal Western Yacht Club

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

OSTAR 2017: David Southwood recounts an exceptionally brutal Atlantic storm

• Tom Cunliffe
• June 4, 2020

On a solo race across the North Atlantic, British skipper David Southwood meets hurricane force winds

Only seven of 21 starters completed the 2017 OSTAR

Competitors in the 2017 Original Single-handed Transatlantic Race ( OSTAR ) experienced the worst conditions since the race was initiated in 1960 in the era of Blondie Hasler and Francis Chichester. This race is run in the true Corinthian spirit of the original event, with private yachtsmen sailing their own boats.

Several contestants, including Mervyn Wheatley of the Royal Cruising Club (RCC), had competed in previous OSTARs or TWOSTARs and most were otherwise experienced in short-handed ocean racing. During two desperate nights in mid-Atlantic, the fleet was so torn apart by hurricane-force wind and huge seas that only seven of 21 starters made it to Newport, Rhode Island.

The notably modest extract below is taken from the RCC journal for 2017, Roving Commissions . David Southwood, a member, describes how he coped in his Warrior 40, Summerbird , as things went literally from bad, to worse, then to simply awful. David, who started sailing aged eight in Gosport Creek, went on to serve in the Army before becoming a Lloyd’s broker.

The self-discipline and capacity for making tough choices in grim circumstances learned in the armed forces are an example to us all. One can only say, as we join him in mid-Atlantic, that we British are fortunate to have men like him on our side.

Extract from Roving Commissions 58

The first problem occurred when I rather clumsily reefed the main resulting in a D-ring supporting the starboard lazyjack parting from underneath the spreader. With string and mainsail all over the deck the solution was to swing a spinnaker halyard around the outside of the spreader to hoist the lazyjack again. This sounds easy but not in a heavy sea. The lazyjack got caught on everything and the halyard got in a wrap, but at long last the problem was solved.

I had decided to use a large genoa for the race, because in the Azores and Back Race in 2015 I felt under-canvassed with the smaller one. The idle sheet rested on top of the staysail furler drum. However, in heavy seas it jumped up and down as the genoa shook. I was down below when I heard a loud flapping noise. I came on deck to find the lower part of the staysail flying free because the genoa sheet had caught the staysail snap shackle, thereby opening it.

Article continues below…

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Having dealt with the shackle I sat on deck to re-hoist the sail, pulling the halyard with one hand and feeding the tape into the groove with the other. However, the cord at the bottom of the sail had parted. My remedy was to furl the sail with a couple of turns.

All was well for a few hours until there was a loud crack as the T-bolt at the head of the stay sheared. The sail remained held up by only its halyard, but was of no use. I furled it by hand and tied it off. This meant I was reduced to just a large, reefed genoa and two or three reefs in the main in quite lively winds.

Summerbird bashed into the headwinds still achieving 7 knots of speed. Four of us including my friend Mervyn Wheatley in Tamarind were roughly abreast, vying for 1st place in our class. The rest trailed behind. Summerbird doesn’t have internet comms, so I only knew this because of a very short 0800 daily satellite telephone call with Jill back at our house.

David Southwood’s Warrior 40 Summerbird braved fierce storms during the 2017 OSTAR

On the morning of 8 June my position was 49°N 30’W. Jill said: “I’d remain well reefed if I was you, something nasty is coming your way.” I did, but wondered why, as the day passed without too much problem. In the dog watches the wind suddenly increased, winding up to 58 knots about 1800.

I reefed the genoa to handkerchief size with three reefs in the main. I put the washboards in and controlled the vane with a continuous line from inside the hatch. Eventually, I set the vane at 90° to our track with it lowered on its axis. I lashed the wheel to assist, so that the rudder and the Hydrovane rudder worked in unison. Summerbird lay hove to just off the wind.

When dawn came, the wind eased. I decided to press on thinking the storm had passed. Sadly, I was mistaken, as we were in the eye. The storm was a convergence of two systems with a central pressure of 964mb (15mb below the 1979 Fastnet Race ) and waves of 10-15m. Rogue waves would have been much higher.

The 2017 OSTAR fleet negotiated a huge storm

On the evening of 9 June the wind wound up again. I recorded 59 knots, but found out later that Raymarine instruments only read up to 60 knots. Harmonii , a Najad 490, recorded 72 knots before his masthead unit blew off. Summerbird ’s was also lost that night. The new wind generator gave up as it had spun itself to death. Not being one for too much innovation I adopted the same tactics as the previous night. We lay hove-to and I went below.

Feeling a bit more confident about Summerbird ’s ability to withstand the pounding I heated a tin of ravioli, had two glasses of red wine, turned in and went to sleep. At 0220 BST I heard “ Summerbird , Summerbird ”. It was a Canadian Air Force Hercules on VHF. Tamarind was in distress 100 miles south of me. Could I go to Mervyn’s assistance?

I explained that he was a very good friend, but being hove-to in excess of 60 knots I was in no state to sail towards him. The reply came back; “Well, we don’t want any more casualties.” I didn’t know that the Canadians were dealing with four of our racing fleet in distress.

Royal rescue

At about 0900 I heard a call from a Canadian aircraft to a ship thanking it for going to Tamarind ’s assistance and that apparently Mervyn was in good shape. Later Jill told me he had been picked up by the Queen Mary 2 .

During the morning the storm passed and I set sail once more. I had not used my lifejacket and thought I had better keep it handy. I reviewed the contents of the grab bag in case I was also picked up by a ship. All went well for a day or so, except the confused sea was wild. Jill told me afterwards that the congregation of the churches of Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo prayed for me in peril on the sea during the Sunday services.

We were heading west and I was below contemplating where to cross the Grand Banks when there was another loud sound of flogging sail and I emerged on deck to find the big genoa totally unfurled as the reefing line had parted. A large sail flapping around in a heavy sea is frightening, with the leaping sheets particularly dangerous.

If I lowered the genoa, I knew that I could never get it up again on my own as I had done with the staysail. I just had to fix the reefing line. I tried knotting the two ends but the line parted again. I went below to dig out another line.

Normally one winds in the line with the sail off by turning the drum. Obviously this was not possible. Having attached one end to the drum I had to pass the entire line around inside the drum some 15-20 times, immersed in crashing waves as the bow plunged. This took patience, but eventually the job was done. Returning to the cockpit I furled the genoa and on we went. Two hours later the sail unfurled again and I repeated the procedure.

The third time it happened I realised that I had to lower the sail. This I did bit by bit, trying to lash it to the guardrail. Inevitably a large part of the sail went over the side and under the hull. I was pleased that my three workouts per week during the previous two years were for a good purpose.

Hydrovane self steering found the wind from astern ‘challenging’

It took ages to haul up the sail inch by inch and eventually to secure it as best I could. I laughed to myself as I sat on the deck with only my sea boot heels on the toe rail, thinking that at least I was in the right position for a sea burial if I slipped under the guardrail.

There was nothing for it but to get the storm jib out. It had strops to fit round a furled headsail, not as I now had, a bare forestay. The strops had small eyes to place in carabiners. Bouncing up and down at the pulpit it was a bit like playing ‘It’s a Knockout’ to attach them all.

On hoisting the sail, I found one strop had been missed, so had to lower it again. Once up it looked good and did the job. Then I heard a weird noise coming from up forward. This turned out to be the windlass motor at full spate within the anchor locker. It had malfunctioned. The solution was to flick the battery switch to off. I wasn’t planning to anchor in mid Atlantic anyway.

Summerbird ’s stem plate tore away, allowing water into the anchor locker

Unseen damage

What I did not discover until reaching port was that the stainless steel stem plate had snapped in half. The stem opened up like a shark’s mouth allowing considerable seawater ingress into the anchor locker. Worse still, the lower end of the forestay was virtually swinging in the breeze. Also unknown to me at this time was that the forward lower shrouds were 50% gone.

I went below for a large, well-earned G&T and decided to write an appreciation and plan, as I had been taught in the Army. The process led to me conclude that my mission should change from attempting to reach Newport, Rhode Island, to survival. Trying to sail another 1,500 miles with just a storm jib as a headsail would be silly.

It would be slow and I would arrive too late to avoid the hurricane season for the return trip. My best option was to turn south out of these dreadful weather conditions towards the Azores. I knew repair facilities were available at Horta, so that became my preferred port of refuge. Bearing in mind the stem plate problem this was just as well, because Summerbird would almost certainly have been in distress later had we carried on.

Roving Commissions 58 Royal Cruising Club Journal 2017 is available from rcc.org.uk, RRP: £17.99

The confused sea produced large waves from all directions. Each time the boat hit one we stopped dead, barely picking up any speed before the next one. In the first few days of the 710-mile passage we made good only 1-2 knots. One by one the strops on the storm jib parted and I replaced them.

In the end I gave up, with the sail just attached at head and tack with one or two strops. The mainsail slammed around even though a preventer was fitted. The gas strut in the rigid kicker went. A metal mainsheet block D-ring on the cabin top broke so I had to arrange a jury rig system to attach the mainsheet to the toe rail.

Jill had told Falmouth Coastguard of my predicament and I was required to telephone the Canadian Coastguard in Halifax each day on the Iridium. Eventually we crossed 45°N. The Canadians passed me on to the Portuguese and the weather calmed a bit. The sea state lessened. The wind went north, astern; that was good in one way, but the Hydrovane found it more challenging. I resorted to the Autohelm, but this failed.

Jill spoke to our electronics man who deduced that, because the wind instrument had gone, the SeaTalk link between all the instruments was affected and that the Autohelm needed to be isolated. To do so, I was advised to stick my head through a small locker door in the quarter berth where the computer was located in order to disconnect a wire, one of very many and probably red.

As the locker door slammed against my head and the yacht rolled violently, one by one I disconnected wires and reconnected them while checking the Autohelm each time, until – bingo – I found the right one. The Autohelm fired up to my great relief.

Now surfing downwind on big waves with 30 knots of wind behind us, progress was much improved. Eventually the island of Faial came into view. I berthed just as light faded at 2100 on 20 June, three weeks after departing Plymouth.

How the mast stayed up on the seven-day voyage to the Azores is a mystery, but being off the wind with a double backstay taking the strain must have helped, as must the prayers of the good people of Newton and Noss back home.

First published in the February 2019 edition of Yachting World.

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Royal Western Yacht Club confirms the MailASail OSTAR and TWOSTAR races are ‘all systems go'

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• Thursday, March 21 2024

OSTAR History

In 1959, at the request of Lt.Col. H.G. (Blondie) Hasler, the Royal Western Yacht Club decided to organize a single-handed transatlantic race – and so a tradition was born.

Blondie Hasler had for some time been trying to promote the idea of a single-handed race across the Atlantic against the prevailing winds and currents. His press release of November 1959 proclaimed:

“Described by one experienced yachtsman as ‘the most sporting event of the century’ a transatlantic race for single-handed sailing boats will start from the south coast of England on Saturday 11 th  June 1960 and will finish off Sheepshead Bay, in the approaches to New York, at least a month later”.

He had interested Francis Chichester – hence the story of the half crown (twelve and a half pence/twenty five cent) wager – and several others, but was unable to find an organizer or sponsor willing to move from the familiar full-crewed or ‘cruise in company’ racing to such a dangerous sounding innovation. But Blondie persevered and, with Francis Chichester, approached the RWYC whose Commodore at the time was Sir Winston Churchill and got a positive response.

With a yacht club of repute to take on the organization of the race, Blondie then obtained the sponsorship of The Observer newspaper and so the RWYC Observer Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race, or OSTAR, came about.

Of the eight entries for that first race, four crossed the start line on 11 June 1960 and a fifth, Jean Lacombe, started three days later. Forty days later Francis Chichester, in Gipsy Moth III, crossed the finish line to great media and public acclaim. All five competitors finished successfully with Jean Lacombe finally crossing the line in his 21ft Cap Horn some 76 days after the start.

The  OSTAR  was established and has been sailed every four years since.

The Royal Western Yacht Club of England is partnered with the Newport Yacht Club to bring you this exciting race again in 2013. The race which begins outside the break water in Plymouth Sound, Devon, UK  finishes off of Castle Hill Light here in Newport.

This race is supported by the Rhode Island Sailing Events Commission.

The MailASail 2021 OSTAR has been postponed due to Covid-19 Requirements to 15 May, 2022 .

MailASail 2021 OSTAR TWOSTAR Press Release 2 nd April 2020

The Royal Western Yacht Club of England announce the rescheduling of their MailASail OSTAR TWOSTAR that was postponed in 2020 due to the Covic 19 virus, to a new date of May 15 th 2021. We are extremely grateful to our title sponsor MailASail who will continue to support us for this rescheduled event.

The 2021 race will continue to run between Plymouth England and Newport Rhode Island as before.

A new 2021 Notice of Race, Entry form and World Sailing 2020 – 2021 Offshore Safety Regulations for Cat 1 yachts can all be downloaded from the event websites at www.rwyc.org/ostar/ and www.rwyc.org/twostar/

The Notice of Race outlines all requirements that must be fulfilled in order to compete, and includes contact details for general information, entry and communication with RWYC event management. Additionally, in the NoR are the event Facebook page and the Facebook Group addresses where competitors and potential competitors can interact with one another.

Neil Dunkley Race Director MailASail 2021 OSTAR TWOSTAR RWYC

Final 31st March 2020

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Start date; May 9 th 2021.

The Royal Western Yacht Club of England is pleased to confirm that the 2021 edition of the OSTAR and TWOSTAR races are to go ahead as planned.

Following continual communication with the Newport Yacht Club, our Finishing hosts, we are confident that we can provide a COVID safe start and finish to the race.

Chris Arscott, Commodore of the RWYC, said, “The OSTAR has been a breeding ground for some of the world’s best known and most successful sailors including Sir Francis Chichester, Eric Tabarly & Loick Peyron. In 2007 the race returned to its Corinthian roots and has continued to offer the stars of the future a springboard as the toughest amateur / semi pro solo races there is. This year will be no different with what is already a strong list of entries. “

The 60th edition is further recognised for its challenges as numerous entries are planning to compete as their qualifying passage and training for the Global Solo Challenge  – the solo non-stop round the world event whichstarts in 2023. The GSC does not demand a race qualifier for their entries, but the rigours of the OSTAR can provide a platform for them to test themselves and their boats ahead of their global adventure.

Being just over 3000 nautical miles and coming into contact with dense fog, icebergs and the Grand Banks off Newfoundland, the OSTAR is probably the most demanding of any of the amateur yacht races in the world.

Provision has also been made in the NoR to ensure COVID does not cost our competitors financially.

For those wishing to enter the OSTAR or TWOSTAR, please contact the RWYC on [email protected] as soon as possible. There is a potential delay allowance window of 3 weeks should this be required based on COVID restrictions. Should the race need to have an extended postponement at short notice due to COVID then full refunds will be offered.

‘Intent to enter’ emails should be sent to [email protected]

Entry form coupled with deposits are required to secure entry

For further information and entry please go to https://rwyc.org/ostar/

For more information on the global solo challenge, please go to https://globalsolochallenge.com/

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Original Single-Handed and Two-Handed Transatlantic Race

Celebrating 60 years of short handed oceanic racing

The Royal Western Yacht Club of England hosts the major transatlantic races; the Original Single-handed Transatlantic Race (OSTAR) and the Two-handed Transatlantic Race (TWOSTAR)

Are you up to the challenge of racing, single-headed or double-handed, 3000miles across the North Atlantic?

The first trans-Atlantic race, conceived in 1960 by ‘cockleshell hero’ Blondie Hasler and organised by the RWYC, sailed from Plymouth to New York and was won by the intrepid yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester. It was an instant success and despite strong opposition from the sailing establishment saw the birth of singlehanded racing throughout the world. Since then the RWYC has run the OSTAR (the Original Singlehanded TransAtlantic Race) every four years from Plymouth to Newport. It was later joined by a sister event, the Twohanded TransAtlantic Race (which quickly became known as the TWOSTAR), when the demand grew for a twohanded race.

The Creation of the OSTAR

In 1956 Blondie Hasler became interested in the challenges of offshore singlehanded sailing – “one man, one boat, the ocean…”. Over the next few years he conceived of a transatlantic race against the prevailing winds and currents whose purpose was to develop the necessary seamanship, equipment and techniques.

He had interested several competitors, but was unable to find an organiser or sponsor willing to move from the familiar full-crewed or ‘cruise in company’ racing to such a dangerous sounding innovation. His press release of November 1959 proclaimed “Described by one experienced yachtsman as ‘the most sporting event of the century’ a transatlantic race for single-handed sailing boats will start from the south coast of England on Saturday 11 June 1960 and will finish off Sheepshead Bay, in the approaches to New York, at least a month later”.

Blondie and Francis Chichester agreed that should no sponsor be found they would go ahead with the race anyway and each competitor would wager half-a-crown; winner take all. But Blondie persevered and, with Francis, approached the RWYC and got a positive response from the Rear Commodore Jack Odling-Smee.

With a yacht club of repute to take on the organisation of the race, Blondie obtained the sponsorship of The Observer newspaper and so the RWYC Singlehanded Trans-Atlantic Race for the Observer Trophy, or OSTAR, came about.

With sponsor and organiser in place, the half crown wager was no longer required but its proposal was recognised later when the Half Crown Club was created to honour the intrepid sailors who have competed in an OSTAR.

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Five months after being abandoned mid–Atlantic OSTAR Race yacht Illumia 12 turns up on County Kerry beach

The washed up hull of Michele Zambelli's Class 950 entry Illumia 12 was found by a man taking a walk along the beach this morning (29 November) in County Kerry, Ireland

When Michele Zambelli set off from Plymouth, England, at the start of the Ostar race to Newport, New Jersey in June little did he know that he would end up arriving by helicopter in Halifax, New Scotia two weeks later whilst his boat contrived to arrive alone on a beach in Brandon Bay, County Kerry five months later.

After encountering keel problems just two weeks into the OSTAR Race Italian skipper Michele Zambelli was forced to abandon ship. He was rescued by a Canadian Air Force helicopter about six hours after he activated his EPIRB.

Continues below…

Watch: sinking yacht with crew waist deep in water rescued in 14-hour operation off Cork

The crew of the French-registered yacht set off their EPIRB when they found themselves waist deep in water trying to…

Rescue after yacht loses its mast and rigging while racing in Wicklow bay

The dismasted yacht, which had two children on board, was towed into Wicklow harbour by the RNLI

Watch: Disorientated yachtsman rescued off the coast of Wales

A lone yachtsman, who had become disorientated after being caught in stormy weather, has been rescued off the coast of…

Illumia 12 has now turned up in Ireland, on a beach in Brandon Bay, County Kerry.

Mark Brodie and his daughter were walking their dogs when she thought she had spotted a beached whale. Closer inspection led to the discovery of Zambelli’s missing yacht.

“I was amazed to find the upside down yacht” Brodie told Afloat.ie “It does not appear to be holed and the hull looks in excellent condition as well as the metal work.”

On hearing that his stricken yacht had been found, a clearly elated Zambelli told YBW.com today: “ This boat deserves to race again and to see the United States. This boat has a soul!”

The keel of the Illumia 12 has now gone, but the hull with some of the rig, is still intact. Illumia 12 has been removed from the beach by the local authorities.

Strange Glow Over Moscow Skies Triggers Panic as Explosions Reported

B right flashes lit up the night sky in southern Moscow in the early hours of Thursday morning, new footage appears to show, following reports of an explosion at an electrical substation on the outskirts of the city.

Video snippets circulating on Russian-language Telegram channels show a series of flashes on the horizon of a cloudy night sky, momentarily turning the sky a number of different colors. In a clip shared by Russian outlet MSK1.ru, smoke can be seen rising from a building during the flashes lighting up the scene.

Newsweek was unable to independently verify the details of the video clips, including when and where it was filmed. The Russian Ministry of Emergency situations has been contacted via email.

Several Russian Telegram accounts said early on Thursday that residents of southern Moscow reported an explosion and a fire breaking out at an electrical substation in the Leninsky district, southeast of central Moscow.

Local authorities in the Leninsky district told Russian outlet RBC that the explosion had happened in the village of Molokovo. "All vital facilities are operating as normal," Leninsky district officials told the outlet.

The incident at the substation in Molokovo took place just before 2 a.m. local time, MSK1.ru reported.

Messages published by the ASTRA Telegram account, run by independent Russian journalists, appear to show residents close to the substation panicking as they question the bright flashes in the sky. One local resident describes seeing the bright light before losing access to electricity, with another calling the incident a "nightmare."

More than 10 villages and towns in the southeast of Moscow lost access to electricity, the ASTRA Telegram account also reported. The town of Lytkarino to the southeast of Moscow, lost electricity, wrote the eastern European-based independent outlet, Meduza.

Outages were reported in the southern Domodedovo area of the city, according to another Russian outlet, as well as power failures in western Moscow. Electricity was then restored to the areas, the Strana.ua outlet reported.

The cause of the reported explosion is not known. A Telegram account aggregating news for the Lytkarino area described the incident as "an ordinary accident at a substation."

The MSK1.ru outlet quoted a local resident who speculated that a drone may have been responsible for the explosion, but no other Russian source reported this as a possible cause.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Moscow with long-range aerial drones in recent months, including a dramatic wave of strikes in late May.

On Sunday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the region's air defense systems had intercepted an aerial drone over the city of Elektrostal, to the east of Moscow. No damage or casualties were reported, he said.

The previous day, Russian air defenses detected and shot down another drone flying over the Bogorodsky district, northeast of central Moscow, Sobyanin said.

There is currently no evidence that an aerial drone was responsible for the reported overnight explosion at the electrical substation in southern Moscow.

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For the first time Rosatom Fuel Division supplied fresh nuclear fuel to the world’s only floating nuclear cogeneration plant in the Arctic

The fuel was supplied to the northernmost town of Russia along the Northern Sea Route.

The first in the history of the power plant refueling, that is, the replacement of spent nuclear fuel with fresh one, is planned to begin before 2024. The manufacturer of nuclear fuel for all Russian nuclear icebreakers, as well as the Akademik Lomonosov FNPP, is Machinery Manufacturing Plant, Joint-Stock Company (MSZ JSC), a company of Rosatom Fuel Company TVEL that is based in Elektrostal, Moscow Region.

The FNPP includes two KLT-40S reactors of the icebreaking type. Unlike convenient ground-based large reactors (that require partial replacement of fuel rods once every 12-18 months), in the case of these reactors, the refueling takes place once every few years and includes unloading of the entire reactor core and loading of fresh fuel into the reactor.

The cores of KLT-40 reactors of the Akademik Lomonosov floating power unit have a number of advantages compared to the reference ones: a cassette core was used for the first time in the history of the unit, which made it possible to increase the fuel energy resource to 3-3.5 years between refuelings, and also reduce the fuel component of the electricity cost by one and a half times. The FNPP operating experience formed the basis for the designs of reactors for nuclear icebreakers of the newest series 22220. Three such icebreakers have been launched by now.

For the first time the power units of the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant were connected to the grid in December 2019, and put into commercial operation in May 2020. The supply of nuclear fuel from Elektrostal to Pevek and its loading into the second reactor is planned for 2024. The total power of the Akademik Lomonosov FNPP, supplied to the coastal grid of Pevek without thermal energy consumption on shore, is about 76 MW, being about 44 MW in the maximum thermal power supply mode. The FNPP generated 194 million kWh according to the results of 2023. The population of Pevek is just a little more than 4 thousand, while the FNPP has a potential for supplying electricity to a city with a population of up to 100 thousand people. After the FNPP commissioning two goals were achieved. These include first of all the replacement of the retiring capacities of the Bilibino NPP, which has been operating since 1974, as well as the Chaunskaya TPP, which has already been operating for more than 70 years. Secondly, energy is supplied to the main mining companies in western Chukotka in the Chaun-Bilibino energy hub a large ore and metal cluster, including gold mining companies and projects related to the development of the Baimsk ore zone. In September 2023, a 110 kilovolt power transmission line with a length of 490 kilometers was put into operation, connecting the towns of Pevek and Bilibino. The line increased the reliability of energy supply from the FNPP to both Bilibino consumers and mining companies, the largest of which is the Baimsky GOK. The comprehensive development of the Russian Arctic is a national strategic priority. To increase the NSR traffic is of paramount importance for accomplishment of the tasks set in the field of cargo shipping. This logistics corridor is being developed due regular freight voyages, construction of new nuclear-powered icebreakers and modernization of the relevant infrastructure. Rosatom companies are actively involved in this work. Rosatom Fuel Company TVEL (Rosatom Fuel Division) includes companies fabricating nuclear fuel, converting and enriching uranium, manufacturing gas centrifuges, conducting researches and producing designs. As the only nuclear fuel supplier to Russian NPPs, TVEL supplies fuel for a total of 75 power reactors in 15 countries, for research reactors in nine countries, as well as for propulsion reactors of the Russian nuclear fleet. Every sixth power reactor in the world runs on TVEL fuel. Rosatom Fuel Division is the world’s largest producer of enriched uranium and the leader on the global stable isotope market. The Fuel Division is actively developing new businesses in chemistry, metallurgy, energy storage technologies, 3D printing, digital products, and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. TVEL also includes Rosatom integrators for additive technologies and electricity storage systems. Rosenergoatom, Joint-Stock Company is part of Rosatom Electric Power Division and one of the largest companies in the industry acting as an operator of nuclear power plants. It includes, as its branches, 11 operating NPPs, including the FNPP, the Scientific and Technical Center for Emergency Operations at NPPs, Design and Engineering as well as Technological companies. In total, 37 power units with a total installed capacity of over 29.5 GW are in operation at 11 nuclear power plants in Russia. Machinery Manufacturing Plant, Joint-Stock Company (MSZ JSC, Elektrostal) is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of fuel for nuclear power plants. The company produces fuel assemblies for VVER-440, VVER-1000, RBMK-1000, BN-600,800, VK-50, EGP-6; powders and fuel pellets intended for supply to foreign customers. It also produces nuclear fuel for research reactors. The plant belongs to the TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom.

Rosatom obtained a license for the first land-based SMR in Russia

On April 21, Rosenergoatom obtained a license issued by Rostekhnadzor to construct the Yakutsk land-based SMR in the Ust-Yansky District of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

ROSATOM and FEDC agree to cooperate in the construction of Russia's first onshore SNPP

ROSATOM and FEDC have signed a cooperation agreement to build Russia's first onshore SNPP in Yakutia.

Rosatom develops nuclear fuel for modernized floating power units

Rosatom has completed the development of nuclear fuel for the RITM-200S small modular reactor designed for the upgraded floating power units.

OSTAR – Competitors

15 th may 2022, competitors, ostar 2024 competitors.

Competitors intro text here…

Markus Moser – Lifgun

Markus . I was born in 1966 and grew up in landlocked Switzerland. I live in Zurich and work as an architect. My father owned a boatyard: thus I spent my weekends sailing on Lake Zurich rather than hiking in the Swiss Alps.

What followed was a classic sailing career: at the age of five Optimist, at 12 Europe Dinghy, and at 16 Finn Dinghy.

Sailing has always been an expensive sport. When I was 14 I worked as a sailing teacher and accompanied sailing trips as a deck hand. I spent my summer holidays in Danish coastal waters, regularly taking part in races.

Boats at that time were larger (Matcher 31 and similar), with a Luffe 4004 finally being ordered and built in 2008. There then followed four years’ intensive sailing in Baltic waters. In 2011 the decision was taken to move over to a Luffe 45 which was then delivered the following year.  What a different world that introduced: many ever longer sailing trips would follow!

Oslo – Inverness – Oban – Stromness – Copenhagen – Gulf of Bothnia – Stavanger etc.

In 2017 and 2018 solo sail around Africa: Valencia – Cape Verde – Cape Town – Richards Bay – Suez – Didim (Turkey).

Lifgun . Lifgun is a Pegasus 50 designed by Slovenian Marko Pas and built at Pegasus Shipyard in Slovenia. She is hull number 3 and finished in late spring 2021. She is built out of Carbon (Hull and Deck). Carbonfibre mast, Aloy boom. 9/10 rigg with 2 spreaders, deck stepped mast. She is now going through her first sailings and will be ready and prepared until the start of the Ostar 2022. By the way – Lifgun has nothing to do with guns – it comes from Iceland and the meaning is (re)activate a hidden place….(Endurlífgun).

Jacek Chabowski – Blue Horizon

Jacek : Born in 1970 in Gdansk, Poland. Under sail since 1982. Some racing successes – Polish Sea Sailing Champion 2015. Winner of the South Baltic Cup in 2014. Winner of the Polish Sea Sailing Cup 2014. Three times winner of the L.Teliga Solitary Regatta Award. Repeated participant of the most difficult solo regatta in the Baltic Sea – Battle of Gotland. Skipper Polled Sailing Team. Many other racing successes achieved with the Polled Sailing Team. Surrounded areas: Baltic Sea, North Sea, Bay of Biscay (4 times, including once alone), Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic, Saronic Bay. Owner of a sailing school and yacht service – Sailing Factory (sailingfactory.pl). Total sailing experience about 40.000 NM. Father of Maciej and Kinga, husband of wonderful woman, Alinka.

Blue Horizon : Type: Delphia 47 (sloop) Year of construction: 2010 Length 47 feet, yacht of the ocean class (A). Designed by Andrzej Skrzat, produced in the Polish yacht shipyard Delphia. The yacht is well equipped and adapted for solo sailing, including oceanic sailing.

Neil Payter – Cariberia

Details to follow

Mihail Kopanov – Krone One

Mihail: Mihail Kopanov was born in 1965 in Bourgas, Bulgaria. A father of two daughters and a husband to a lovely woman. He started sailing in the optimist class as a child. Then he moved to different olympic and national classes, class Finn as well. At the age of 15 he started sailing keelboats. Since then he is a regular participant in various sailing races.

He participated together with Dian Zaykov in Twostar 2017 but did not finish. Their boat Furia collided an unidentifiable floating object near the Canadian coast and began taking in water. The crew was professionally rescued by the ship Thor Magna. The same year the owner of the sunk boat, Rumen Kotoff bought Krone 1, a Faurby 396, launched in 2010 and they both decided to participate with that boat in the Twostar 2020. Unfortunately, an unexpected health problem prevented Rumen from participating, and they both decided that Mihail Kopanov will take part with the same boat in the Ostar instead.

Krone One: The sailboat Krone One is a Danish production sailboat, manufactured by Faurby Yacht. The model is Faurby 396 Jesper Bank Edition, designer Niels Peter Faurby. It is CE certified as class A sailing yacht with carbon mast and boom and roll-reef genoa.

James Mansell – Escape

With a love of water sports from a young age, I became a water sports instructor, teaching white water canoeing and sailing. In between working offshore on the rigs in the North Sea and undertaking various work adventures around the world, I continued white water canoeing whilst also racing my Merlin Rocket dinghy.

Some 15 years ago having established a successful and growing business, I purchased my first yacht and with my family we have explored most of the West and South coast of the UK. During this time I met my good friend Eric Zon during a very drunken night in a bar in Qatar. Team Sea Camels was launched and we proceeded to undertake a range of races together including the Three Peaks Yacht Race. This led to us completing a range of other races over the last few years such as the Fastnet, Sydney Hobart, Caribbean 600 along with double handed races such as Round Ireland and the Azores and Back (AZAB). We also completed the last edition of the RWYC’s Round Britain and Ireland double handed yacht race, coming first overall under IRC, whilst also surviving being pitchpoled in the North Sea in some 60+ knots of wind.

The OSTAR has always been on my bucket list. With Eric off with his family to sail to sunnier climes in his aluminium expedition yacht for a year or two (before we undertake some Tilman type trips to the Frozen North), now seems like a good time to take a brave pill and go solo. Anyway I found my 500Nm solo qualifier remarkably enjoyable and did manage some sleep, so here goes.

I am now looking forward not only to the race, but too also completing this challenge in support of WaterAid and raising as much money as possible for them along the way.