Morris Yachts, located in Bass Harbor, Maine, has established a reputation as a builder of sailing yachts that are known for their performance, craftsmanship and ease of handling. Established in 1972, Morris has used the designs of Chuck Paine and Sparkman & Stephens two establish two lines of yachts – the Ocean Series and the M-Series. While the Ocean Series targets the yacht owner who may have long-distance sailing in mind, the M-Series is engineered for owners who want to get sailing as quickly as possible. Push-button sail raising is one of the features that makes the M-Series perfect for local cruising.

All of the boats build by Morris Yachts can be customized and personalized to meet owner requirements. Find out more at the Morris Yachts website. You can also read a detailed M29 and M52 review in Yachting Magazine.

On Sunday, July 10, the yacht Rambler 100 was first to cross the finish line of the Transatlantic Race 2011.  The yacht set a new course record with an elapsed time of 6 days, 22 hours and 8 minutes for the 2975 nautical mile course which began in Newport, Rhode Island and finished at Lizard Point, South Cornwall, UK.

The final yacht to finish was the Sasha, which crossed the finish line on July 17 — 22 days after leaving Newport. The Sasha experienced the roughest weather of any participating yacht.

The Transatlantic Race was a collaboration between the Royal Yacht Squadron (founded in 1815), the New York Yacht Club (1844), the Royal Ocean Racing Club (1925) and the Storm Trysail Club (1938). It has been defined as “a defining race in ocean racing.”

Read more about the results of TR 2011 on the official race website.

The Hobie Cat is the best selling sailing catamaran in the world. The Hobie Cat Company began as a surfboard manufacturer in the late 1950s and added catamaran sailboats to its line of products in the late 1960s. Today, more than 100,000 Hobie Cats can be found sailing around the world. Many are members of Hobie fleets and participate in regattas. To find out more about Hobie Catamarans, visit the Hobie Cat Company website.

Chuck Paine, one of the most prolific yacht designers, has written a book that tells the story of 40 years in the yacht design field.  My Yacht Designs and Lessons They Taught Me is filled with stories about the yacht-building trade as well as stunning photos of Chuck Paine-designed yachts.

Paine’s specialty is high-end custom yachts, both power and sail.  To date, more than 1000 yachts have been build from Chuck Paine designs.   Since retiring as a yacht designer in 2008, Paine has spent time as a lecturer on the subject of design.  His website, chuckpaine.com, receives more than 1 million hits per year, making it one of the most popular design websites in the world.

Read more about Chuck Paine on the Cruising World Blogs website.  You can also visit Paine’s website to see some of his yacht designs and order his book.

Bavaria Yachts USA, the sponsor of the 19th Annapolis Leukemia Cup Regatta, is a provider of 32′ to 55′ cruising sailboats designed by the German company Bavarian Yachtbau GmbH. Bavaria combines the quality of German engineering with design collaboration from BMW Designworks USA and Farr Yacht Design in its Cruiser and Vision lines.

The Bavaria shipyard, located in the heart of Germany, is the largest yacht production facility in the world. Over 650 employees working side-by-side with a few robots deliver over 3500 yachts to owners around the globe. Each yacht is made to order, providing many individual customization options ranging from air-conditioning and auto-pilots to electric winches and generators.

Find out more on the Bavaria Yachts USA website.

The TR2011 is an adventure challenge that involves 26 sailboats and almost 3,000 nautical miles, with the first ships setting sail on June 26 in Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A. and finishing in mid-July off Lizard Point in South Cornwall, U.K. The remaining ships will following in a staggered series of starts that will take place through July 3.

The sailing vessels that are scheduled to participate range in size from the 289 ft. luxury yacht Maltese Falcon (one of the largest privately-owned sailboats in the world) to the 40 ft sailboat Dragon.

Check back here for updates as the race progresses.  You can find out more about the Transatlantic Race 2001 on the official race website.

Oracle Racing unveiled a new class of racing catamarans in San Francisco Bay this week in preparation for the 2013 America’s Cup.  The high tech design was engineered in Auckland for Oracle Racing of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, defender of the America’s Cup.

No one expected the AC45 Oracle Racing Yacht to flip, but that’s exactly what happened in rough conditions that included high winds.  One member of the crew suffered minor injuries and was briefly hospitalized.  Check out the capsize in this YouTube video.

Credit: Marinas.com

On June 11, the Eastport Yacht Club of Annapolis, MD, will host the 19^th Annapolis Leukemia Cup Regatta.  Bavaria Yachts USA is a presenting sponsor of the annual event.  Following the race on the Chesapeake, Bavaria will open its doors to the public and provide an opportunity to view its newest line of 45ft Cruiser yachts.  An All Hands Crew Party will follow and will include an awards ceremony where the top fundraising boat will be awarded the Leukemia Cup.

The 19^th Annapolis Leukemia Cup Regatta is one of a series of regattas held nationwide to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  More than 100 sailboats and 500 crew members are expected to participate in the one-day event.

Find out more on the website of the Eastport Yacht Club.

The captain and crew of the Volvo Open 70 yacht “Mar Mostro” visited Miami this week in preparation for the upcoming 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race.  The 39,000-mile race kicks off in Spain this October and will finish one leg in Miami the following May.  The “Mar Mostro” is the only American entry in the around-the-world race and Miami is the only North American stop.  Captain Ken Read and his crew of 10 were in Miami for a shakedown cruise in their new Puma-sponsored yacht. 

See the first day sail of “Mar Mostro” in this YouTube video.  You can find out more about the race on the Volvo Ocean Race website.

After Tortola and Anegada, Virgin Gorda is the third-largest largest of the British Virgin Islands.  The island’s name, which means “Fat Virgin” in Spanish, is said to have been bestowed by Christopher Columbus because the island resembles a plump woman lying in the water.  The Baths is one of the most popular attractions on Virgin Gorda.  This unique geological site, formed by volcanic activity, includes large granite boulders that are piled on the beach, creating a series of natural grottoes that open to the sea. 

The Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor is located just north of The Baths and the world-famous Bitter End Yacht Club is also nearby on Virgin Gorda.  Find out more about The Baths on Virgin Gorda on the British Virgin Islands website.