valiant sailboat marblehead

Sparkman & Stephens VALIANT

Sail Number: US 24

Type: 12 Meter (Third Rule AC)

Valiant Specifications:

LOA: 64’5″ / 19.63m – LWL: 47’7″ / 14.53m – Beam: 12’0″ / 3.66m – Draft: 9’0” / 2.76m – Hull Number: 1978 – Designer: Olin J. Stephens – Original Owner: 12 US/24 Syndicate – Current Owner: Paul G. Gregory III, Homeport: Marblehead, MA – Year Launched: May 1970 – Built By: Robert E. Derecktor Yacht Yard, Inc. – Hull Material: Triple-planked mahogany, laminated oak frames – Gross Displacement: 32.35 t. – Sail Area: 1,754.51 sq ft / 163 sq.m.

Historical:

1970-1972 Valiant was commissioned by Robert W. McCullough of the 12 US/24 Syndicate, her first homeport was New York, NY. She was one of the “jumbo twelves” and the heaviest ever built. She was eliminated from the 1970 Defender Trials by Intrepid, but won the Lipton Memorial Trophy (NYYC) that year.

1973-1989 She was owned by Brown University (Providence, RI) in 1973 and in 1973 she went to the Kings Point USMMA at Kings Point NY where she served as the trial horse to Mariner for the 1974 Defender Trials. In 1978, she was purchased by William Edwards of St. Petersburg FL, who installed an engine. From 1988-1989 she was owned by Charles W. Kem of Long Beach, CA.

Since 1989 Paul G. Gregory III – home port: Marblehead, MA (USA). He has done several modifications to improve successfully the yacht performances including several tests to discover why Valiant was performing better on port tack than starboard; he discovered that the lead in the ballast keel was asymmetric and its modification, and others more, improved her performance.

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

Owner/Guardian: (1970) 12 US/24 Syndicate Owner/Guardian: Brown University (Providence, RI) Owner/Guardian: (1973) USMMA, Kings Point NY Owner/Guardian: (1978) William Edwards, St. Petersburg FL Owner/Guardian: (1988-1989) Charles W. Kern, Long Beach, CA. Owner/Guardian: (1989-) Paul G. Gregory III, Homeport: Marblehead, MA.

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One Comment

CHARLES W. KERN Not KEM. His wife was our maid of honor.

Valiant, US-24

Built in 1970 according to the International Third Rule- America’s Cup.

1970-1972: Valiant was commissioned by Robert W. McCullough of the 12 US/24 Syndicate, her first homeport was New York, NY. She was one of the “jumbo twelves” and the heaviest ever built. She was eliminated from the 1970 Defender Trials by Intrepid, but won the Lipton Memorial Trophy (NYYC) that year.

1973-1989: She was owned by Brown University (Providence, RI) in 1973 and in 1973 she went to the Kings Point USMMA at Kings Point NY where she served as the trial horse to Mariner for the 1974 Defender Trials. In 978, she was purchased by William Edwards of St. Petersburg FL, who installed an engine. From 1988-1989 she was owned by Charles W. Kem of Long Beach, CA.

1993-present: Paul G. Gregory III, purchased Valiant who sails and races her from Marblehead, MA.

*Content courtesy: The Twelve Metre Class by Dyer Jones & Luigi Lang

Jump to International Twelve Metre Yacht Club, Newport Station Fleet page for Valiant (US-24)

Sail Number	US-24
International Rule	THIRD Rule-AC
Year Built	1970
Designer	Olin J. Stephens
Builder	Robert E. Derecktor Yacht Yard
Hull ID Number	design #: 1978
First Owner	12 US/24 Syndicate
First Name	Valiant
First Sail Number	US-24
First Country	USA
Original Homeport	New York, NY
Current Status / Condition	sailing
Current Owner	Gary Gregory
Current Location	Marblehead, MA (USA)
Construction	Triple-planked Mahogany, laminated Oak frames
Length Overall	19.63 m.
Length Waterline	14.53 m.
Beam	3.66 m.
Draft	2.76 m.
Sail Area	163 sq. m.
Displacement	32.35 t.

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Painting a Valiant.

Thread starter Brimptsman
Start date Mar 29, 2020
Forums for All Owners
Destinations

I have two issues on our recently purchased Valiant 40: Firstly inside the hull is lined with closed cell insulation and I would like to paint a protective layer on the foam. Secondly Calypso has a multitude of pimple sized blisters on the cabin sides, she is a blister era boat, I was wondering if anyone has sanded and painted their cabin/coamings/decks to improve the tired look of an older boat. The boat yard has suggested using Interlux Perfection, any thoughts ?. thanks

Careful with Perfection in Canada it was ban for consumer use . It has Isocyanates in it and are a major cause of cancer. A respirator is not good enough for this product ,a helmet with fresh air supply is a must , same goes for dupont Imron , and some Awlgrip products

Thanks for the warning, any thoughts on Brightside, maybe less toxic?

Brightside is fine ,however not as durable

Hayden Watson

Resin blisters rather than osmotic water blisters are a thing on some years of Valiants. Valiant 40 resin blisters

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	Post Date: Monday, July 3, 2017
As a Marblehead local, Gary Gregory has participated in an impressive twelve races aboard his historic Twelve Metre, Valiant.

As a Marblehead local, Gary Gregory has participated in an impressive twelve Marblehead to Halifax Races aboard his historic Twelve Metre, Valiant. Those who have been in Marblehead harbor have surely marveled at the boat. Built according to the International Third Rule Americaâs Cup in May of 1970 under the design of Olin J. Stephens at Robert E. Derecktor Yacht Yard, she is one of the heaviest Twelves ever built. Valiant calls New York, NY, her original homeport but has since spent time in Providence, RI, St. Petersburg, FL, and Long Beach, CA, before being brought to Marblehead in 1989 by Gary Gregory. She has undergone several advanced modifications under the ownership of Gregory to improve her speed and symmetry.

Valiant fields an impressively loyal crew, with many of them sailing together and enjoying each otherâs company since the 1980s. These crewmembers all have a tremendous amount of blue water sailing experience in a vast range of boats, helping to lead to the teamâs success throughout the years. Gregory impressively notes that âSome sailors who started sailing with us as children now have children of their own. This year weâll range in age from early 20s to mid 80s.â

This yearâs MHOR will prove to be exciting for Gregory and the crew of Valiant to participate in. Despite the fact that they know the boat and the race well, Gregory says that there is still much to learn and that at the end of each race, they reflect upon the things that went well and what did not go as planned in order to improve for future races. A few years ago, they switched to asymmetrical spinnakers because they are easier on the crew than their symmetrical counterpart. In anticipation of this yearâs race, Gregory says, âWeâre finally getting the hang of them and are looking forward to seeing if we can be more competitive reaching this year under a full moon.â

This yearâs race boasts an impressive fleet including Valiant. Sailors and spectators alike all have high hopes for ideal sailing conditions and look forward to cheering on all competitors!

Sandy's Ramblings

A repository for whatever wisdom (or lack thereof) I choose to dispense. Probably consisting mostly of Naval and Maritime history, Photography, or a combination thereof.

Tuesday 11 July 2017

12m sailboats "valiant" and "true north i".

That distinctive 12M bow.

arriving at the Government Wharf on a trailer, and being lifted by a crane into the waters of the LaHave River. The tarpaulin is covering the keel - after 's winged keel helped her win in 1983, the keels were a closely guarded secret.

being lowered into the water. The while aluminum speedboat in several photos was also built by Crockett and McConnell Inc.

alongside with the tarpaulin removed.

No comments:

Marblehead gathers to watch the Corinthian Classic

Capt. Gary Gregory prepared to raise the main sail aboard the Valiant in Marblehead.

MARBLEHEAD — Gary Gregory first set foot on a sailboat in 1973, racing on the Charles River as a college student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

His collegiate sailing career has evolved into a tremendous love of wooden yachts, the aesthetically pleasing, graceful vessels that some purchase the same way they would a piece of art, he said.

On Saturday, Gregory will hop aboard Valiant, his 64-foot yacht, with 16 or 17 crew members to compete in the annual Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta , a Marblehead maritime tradition that attracts sailors and spectators from all over New England.

“For me, it’s the people,” said Gregory, 61, who lives in Marblehead. “I love the people and their interest and we are united by a love of boats.”

The two-day event, hosted by the Corinthian Yacht Club, includes two 20-mile races over courses that start at the mouth of Marblehead Harbor. More than 60 boats will participate in the regatta.

There are two races scheduled, but the race committee can alter, add, or abandon a course because of the weather.

Despite the competitive edge, the race is more about the people, the excitement, and the beauty of the vessels. Cocktail receptions are held after each race. The Marblehead Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual Maritime Festival — featuring exhibits, vendors, and tours — Thursday through Sunday to coincide with the regatta.

Timothy Dittrich, cochairman of the event and past commodore of the Corinthian Yacht Club, said that aesthetics, grace, and functionality are what make these sailing yachts such special boats.

“Their long overhangs, the space between the water and the tip of the bow, the space between the water and the tip of their stern, presents this graceful style,” Dittrich said. “That’s what’s so alluring about them. They’re not only functional, they’re graceful.”

The Corinthian Classic is part of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge , the largest international circuit of regattas for classic yachts. Officine Panerai, an Italian watch design company, hosts the series.

Panerai is in its ninth year hosting its circuit challenges and regattas, which extend to Europe and Antigua, but brought its Classic Yacht Challenge to New England in 2010 by launching three events, one of which was the Corinthian Classic.

The Marblehead yacht club hosted the regatta for years prior to its partnership with Panerai, but under various titles, such as Corinthian Wooden Boat Regatta in 1999, and Foxy’s Wooden Boat Regatta North in 2003.

The other two local events in the series include the Nantucket Opera House Cup Regatta , slated for Aug. 18, and the Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta off Newport, R.I., Aug. 31-Sept. 1.

International races in the 10-event series are held in Antigua, England, Italy, France, and Spain.

Gregory won the New England series in 2012 by having the best three of five races in the Nantucket, Newport, and Corinthian Classic A regattas. But as the three local races approach, he said he is looking forward to simply being on his boat with his best friends.

“We’re just excited to be racing,” Gregory said. “We’re all very competitive, we like being on the boat together, and we try to do our best. As long as we don’t break something or hurt anybody, we’re going to have a great time no matter what.”

Organizers of the regatta are focusing on creating a fun, exciting atmosphere, as opposed to a cutthroat competition.

Dittrich, who also will be racing, said the regatta is a distinguished event that recognizes the boats that sailors spend hours maintaining by hand.

“What makes this regatta so special is that it’s a celebration of some great classic boats that people love, and take care of, and it’s their day to be proud of it,” Dittrich said. “It’s not a hard-core racing program. It’s designed so that you don’t need a super crew. You don’t need to buy a lot of sails to be competitive. It’s just fun.”

Despite the jovial atmosphere organizers are aiming to establish, competitors have some challenges they must overcome.

Each boat must do bare-headed sail changes, meaning one sail has to be completely taken down before another one is put up. This rule was enforced in order to even out the playing field, as not all boats have the ability to make sail changes where one sail can come up before the other is taken down.

“It’s not difficult to do it, it’s difficult to do it fast,” said Bruce Dyson, cochairman of the event. “That’s the key. You have to do it quickly and efficiently so you lose as little time as possible. Time equals speed.”

Dyson added that it typically takes about seven or eight crew members to complete the sail change. If everyone does their job correctly, the chances of something going wrong are slim, but one small mistake can cause a “huge slowdown” in the boat’s progress.

Along with specifically enforced regulations, participants must take the weather conditions into consideration.

Captains and their crew must sail through whatever comes their way, whether the winds are strong or the rain is heavy.

“Sailing is all about sailing in whatever conditions provide or throw at you,” Dittrich said. “That’s part of the thrill of seamanship, and seamanship is about being a steward of your yacht, your vessel.”

Terri Ogan can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter @Terriogan .

Discover The Valiant

As Charles River Boat Company’s most luxurious vessel, the Valiant is an elegant 97′ yacht, uniquely serving the waters of Boston Harbor. This vessel boasts a traditional salon area with a full bar, connecting to a wicker-furnished fantail. Her extended bow is ideal for capturing that perfect photograph or taking in the spectacular views of Boston Harbor. The Valiant’s large canopy deck offers a magnificent setting for a wedding, cocktail reception, or elegant meal, accommodating up to 120 on-board guests. All chartered events offer a full service premium bar and a variety of catering options.

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Corinthian Classic brings vintage, modern classics together

Forty-one classic and vintage yachts were a graceful sight off Marblehead this past weekend, as yachts of various size and age competed over two days in five divisions in a 25th-anniversary event. Many divisions had a photo finish with close racing throughout, while participants were able to sail hard but also use a pursuit race format that causes less congestion at the start.

“The racing is fun when we start about two minutes apart, and then at the end it can be very close,” said Marblehead sailor Quin Vaillancourt.

A photo finish wasn’t quite what Vaillancourt was expecting when he found himself looking up at the massive bowsprit of the 47-foot Alden Schooner “Spirit” owned by Lars Forsberg as they crossed the finish line together in different divisions.

“It was great to be winning my division and then look up and see the bowsprit of this massive schooner bearing down on me leading another division,” he said.

Vaillancourt ultimately won in his Classic division on board his custom-built L. Francis Herreshoff design “Rozi,” which finished 11 points ahead of over “Abigail,” a 39-foot Alden schooner.

“This is the only event I race in each year, and I love it,” Vaillancourt said. “I can’t wait to come back next year.”

Marblehead’s 12-metre “Valiant,” owned by Gary Gregory and helmed Sunday by famed sailmaker Robbie Doyle, had a special weekend of racing. Not only did it finish first in its division, but Gregory is retiring from 12-metre racing and has donated his vessel to a maritime academy for training.

“It was our last day, and we sailed as good a race as we could. In a pursuit race format, there is much less chance of any damage to the boats,” said Doyle. “There is no reason to put these boats so close together at the start.”

In fact, even without worry of contact at the start and damage to the boats, the races are still extremely close. Valiant finished first with four points, just ahead of Jud Smith on board his Farr 44 “AFRICA” and the 12-metre “Intrepid.”

“It is lower stress at the starting line, but you still must sail fast and take advantage of every wind shift,” said Jud Smith. “In a standard pursuit race, you get a sense you can hold off your opponent and with a handicap built with elapsed time, different sizes in the same division still come out very evenly matched.”

“It is a super fun event,” added Jud Smith. “It is not one-design sailing, but it is the boat you have.”

Bruce Dyson of Marblehead raced on board his IOD “Gypsy” and noted that for him, too, this is one of his favorite events.“I especially love all the wooden boats here,” he said.

Dyson congratulated Gregory on so many years of bringing opportunities to sailors with his beautiful “Valiant” in the harbor all these years.

Peter Forsberg of Connecticut raced his family’s 1934 “Spirit” in the Vintage Division, coming in fifth with 11 points. He and his team are taking part in the Classic yacht racing circuit, which is growing each year. He had raced the boat down from Boothbay Harbor Maine after completing four classic yacht regattas on the Maine coast.

“Today was a wonderful day, as our boat likes to sail slightly ‘off the wind,’ and while yesterday we had a deep finish with the upwind legs, today was much better,” Forsberg said. “We love sailing here, and I love the pursuit race style. It is fun and different, and with the boats being so different we have to really focus on racing our own boat well.”

Race committee and Corinthian Yacht Club member Tony Charmay felt the format of the regatta was great for the sailors because, as the boats are so different in speed, a good start is not quite as critical as it is in one-design racing.

“I am a vintage sailor and appreciate the classic wooden boats and can say that this is one of my favorite events that I look forward to each year,” said Charmay. “The race organizers deserve a lot of credit for the work they do behind the scenes.”

Race organizer Tim Dittrich of the Corinthian Yacht Club was able to helm the beautiful New York 32 “Siren” owned by Peter Cassidy, which placed sixth in the Vintage Class.

“It is a very special feeling to feel yourself gliding along with the wind in a vintage boat,” Dittrich said. “We had great breeze and a great event.”

Added Dittrich, “It is a lot of work behind the scenes and planning starts in December. Our hope is that everyone who came had a fantastic time and will spread the word and come back again next year.”

Laurie Fullerton

Harbor hosts 700 sailors for light-air Race Week
UPDATE: Lack of wind delays Junior Race Week until Tuesday
25th year of the Beringer Bowl Ocean Race sets off for Provincetown this Friday
EYC finishes third in National Women's Invitational

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Russia says it's battling a surprise cross-border assault by Ukraine

Russia said Wednesday it was battling an unprecedented cross-border incursion from Ukrainian troops backed by armored vehicles and aerial support, with Moscow scrambling to reinforce the area after what President Vladimir Putin called a “major provocation.”

Russia said on August 6, 2024 that it had repelled an attempted incursion by the Ukrainian army into the Kursk border region, after several operations of the same type claimed in recent months by a group of pro-kyiv fighters.

The attack has not been acknowledged by Ukraine but would mark a dramatic shift in strategy as its forces struggle to hold on to key territory on the front lines in the country’s east .

While developments on the ground were murky, the apparent assault on the Kursk region in southern Russia raised questions about the Kremlin’s defenses and about Kyiv’s aims at a crucial moment in the war.

Kursk incursion

Acting Gov. Alexei Smirnov first reported Tuesday morning that Ukraine’s armed forces were attempting to cross the border of his region.

Hours later, Russia’s defense ministry said that up to 300 Ukrainian troops, supported by 11 tanks and more than 20 armored fighting vehicles, attacked Russian positions on the border. It said its forces were repelling the attack with artillery, aviation and drones Tuesday night.

The ministry said early Wednesday that it was still battling the incursion, adding that up to 260 Ukrainian troops had been killed as its military and border guards prevented them from advancing deep into Russia’s territory.

Reporting to Putin later on Wednesday, Russia's chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, said up to 1,000 Ukrainian troops attempted the incursion early Tuesday and at least 100 had been killed, with 215 more injured.

NBC News has not verified the claims.

Smirnov said that he spoke with Putin on the phone overnight and the Russian leader was “keeping the situation under personal control.” He added that residents were being evacuated from the border of the region and urged people to give blood as the fighting continued.

Five civilians had been killed since Tuesday, he said. The Russian health ministry said 24 people had been injured, the Tass state news agency reported.

Videos and images geolocated by NBC News show damaged buildings in the border town of Sudzha in the Kursk region, which is just 6 miles from the border with Ukraine and has a population of about 5,000 people.

It's unclear whether the damage or the reported casualties were the result of ground combat or from the rocket and drone fire that Smirnov reported earlier.

Putin himself addressed the situation in Kursk during an unrelated meeting Wednesday afternoon, accusing Ukraine of “another major provocation” and saying that he would meet with the heads of the country's security, defense and law enforcement agencies on the situation.

The rapid developments sent Russia’s military bloggers into a tailspin, reporting ongoing advances Wednesday morning and that Ukrainian troops had been able to establish a foothold.

The influential “Two Majors” Telegram channel reported that Ukrainian troops had penetrated as far as 9 miles into the Kursk region and were present in 11 settlements. Others alleged that Ukraine was supplying fresh troops to the area of the breakthrough, with elite and well-trained divisions on standby. NBC News could not verify those reports.

While Russian volunteer groups opposed to the Kremlin have attempted a series of incursions into Russian regions bordering Ukraine since last year, it appears to be the first time that Ukraine’s own troops have attempted such an audacious attack.

There has been no official comment from Kyiv on the incursion or what resources may have been involved. Ukraine’s army and military intelligence did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.

But it fueled questions about why Ukraine might have launched an incursion into Russian territory with regular troops just as military observers say it’s bleeding soldiers and weapons in the vulnerable east, particularly near the towns of Pokrovsk and Toretsk in the Donetsk Region.

Ukraine’s General Staff said Wednesday that its troops repelled 42 enemy assaults in the Pokrovsk direction and 18 in the Toretsk direction.

It’s hard to understand what exactly Ukraine is trying to achieve with this incursion, Matthew Ford, associate professor in war studies at the Swedish Defence University in Stockholm, told NBC News.

It could be that Kyiv is trying to distract Moscow’s attention, forcing it to recommit troops to the border, Ford said. Ukraine could also just be in need of a “good news story” for its domestic audience or striving to recapture headlines in the West, he added.

But in the context of a difficult situation near Pokrovsk and Toretsk, he said, it could be doing Ukraine more harm than good in the long term.

“What they’re doing is effectively extending their line and potentially thinning out the number of troops that they can use to defend that line,” Ford said. “There must be something else going on to make them think that this is a good move,” he said, adding that a lot will be contingent on how many troops Ukraine has actually committed for the incursion and whether they intend to stay beyond carrying out a simple raid.

Yuliya Talmazan is a reporter for NBC News Digital, based in London.

Matthew Mulligan is a reporter for the NBC News Social Newsgathering team based in London.

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Ukraine’s Push Into Russia Is a Surprising Turn in the War

The local government in the Russian region of Kursk declared a state of emergency as military analysts reported that Ukrainian forces had advanced several miles across the border.

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A destroyed house in a neighborhood strewed with debris.

By Andrew E. Kramer

Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine

After months of losing ground to Russia in brutal, grinding battles in Ukraine, Kyiv shifted tactics with a surprise attack into Russian territory this week that caught Moscow off guard and opened a new front in the 30-month war.

Ukrainian forces have punched through Russian border defenses and seized several settlements in fighting that was still raging on Thursday, according to Russian officials, a Ukrainian soldier and analysts. The attack triggered a state of emergency in one region in the west of Russia. Ukrainian armored columns were filmed moving along roads as far as six miles inside Russia.

But the attack left some military analysts wondering why Ukraine would throw scarce resources into a risky assault in a new area at a time when it is fighting pitched battles to hold on to positions in its own territory.

It was unclear whether Ukraine would seek to hold the area. Whatever the next step by Ukrainian forces, the attack appeared to push the limits on attacking inside Russia with American-provided equipment and put the Russians in disarray. American-made armored vehicles were also filmed being blown up in a Russian counterattack.

The goal was to shift the fighting — and Russian soldiers and weaponry — onto Russian territory and ease the pressure of Moscow’s offensive in eastern Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official said. He asked not to be cited by name, as Ukraine has not acknowledged its soldiers are fighting in Russia.

“We are at war,” he said of striking inside enemy territory. “Why Russia can and we cannot?”

So far the assault has played out “much more successfully” than previous cross-border raids, the senior Ukrainian official said.

Operating surreptitiously to evade Russian reconnaissance and spies, Ukraine gathered a force that Russia’s top general has estimated at 1,000 soldiers for a mechanized assault on Russia’s border, an audacious move after repeated setbacks over the past year and a half.

In Washington, a State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said Wednesday that the use of U.S.-supplied weapons and munitions in the attack by Ukraine did not violate U.S. policy.

“Nothing about our policy has changed, and with the actions that they are taking today, they’re not in violation of our policy,” Mr. Miller said.

Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a former Ukrainian defense minister who still advises the government, said the goal was not to hold the territory long-term, but rather to challenge the Russians, to “divert their forces, attention and resources.” And “show they have no reserves and no resilience capacity.”

Konrad Muzyka, a military analyst for Rochan Consulting in Poland, writing in Ukraine Conflict Monitor, said Ukraine could benefit if the attack reduced Russian attacks in the Donetsk region of Ukraine and allowed Kyiv to maintain a presence in the Kursk area, and thus improve its negotiating position. But Ukraine would be the loser if its troops were pushed back with high losses, he said.

“There is no middle ground here,” Mr. Muzyka wrote. “The operation is daring. Let’s see what the next few days bring.”

Military analysts say they are skeptical that Russia, which has a vastly larger army and arsenal of weapons than Ukraine, would be forced to divert forces from the fighting inside Ukraine to defend its border. Russia has reserves of conscript soldiers it is prohibited by its policies from deploying into Ukraine, but could on Russian soil.

Ukraine has remained mostly silent about the attack, which began on Tuesday . President Volodymyr Zelensky seemed to hint at an aim of raising the cost of the war for Russians without directly acknowledging the Ukrainian incursion in a speech Wednesday. “The more pressure is exerted on Russia — the aggressor that brought war to Ukraine — the closer peace will be,” he said.

Mr. Zelensky, in his nightly address on Thursday, again spoke only indirectly of the Ukrainian attack, saying, “Russia brought war to our land and should feel what it has done.”

Surprise played the pivotal role, Roman Kostenko, the secretary of the defense and intelligence committee in Ukraine’s Parliament, said in an interview. “It was obvious Russia was not prepared and it was a total surprise,” he said. “This is rare in modern war.”

Ukraine, he said, should fight wherever conditions are favorable, whether in Russia or along the front line inside the country. “Our readiness to strike in this way, here or somewhere else, will force Russia to deploy troops to respond.”

Ivan Kyrychevsky, a commentator on military affairs for Defense Express, said Ukraine’s official silence on the operation aided its success, in contrast to the highly telegraphed lead-up to Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year. “If we don’t understand what’s happening, it’s even less clear to the enemy,” he said.

The Russian and Ukrainian armies face off over about 600 miles of international border, in addition to the frontline inside Ukraine. In the Sumy region, Ukraine in June and July had been bracing for a Russian cross-border assault, officials had said. But when the fighting started, it was Ukrainian troops entering Russia.

“They were not expecting us, and they fled wherever they could,” said a Ukrainian soldier who fought in the assault and who asked to be identified by only his first name, Oleksandr, in keeping with Ukrainian military protocol. His unit took prisoners and captured a tank, he said in a telephone interview.

The Ukrainians, he said, were motivated to take the fight into Russia. “To be honest, we all have joy in our hearts,” Oleksandr said, though he acknowledged there were still risks.

Ukraine has not advanced so quickly since reclaiming the Kherson region in the country’s south in November 2022. In May, Russia had surprised Ukraine when it sent troops across the border in the area north of Kharkiv, where it still has a narrow foothold. In the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, understrength Ukrainian units are falling back, and Russia is fighting in or close to the strategic hilltop town of Chasiv Yar and rail and road hubs in Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk.

The incursion into the Kursk region is the third significant Ukrainian ground assault on Russian territory since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. But it appears to be the largest, according to open-source intelligence analysts studying photographs and videos from the area of Russia under attack, a rolling expanse of farm fields, forests and small towns.

Some analysts estimate that Ukraine has sent hundreds of troops into Russia, a major commitment as its forces are under pressure in the east. Russia’s chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, said in televised remarks that Ukraine deployed 1,000 soldiers.

In a statement on Thursday, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it was destroying Ukrainian formations and repelling the attack.

But a prominent Russian military blogger who writes under the name of Rybar said Thursday that Ukrainian forces had Sudzha, the main town in the area, “practically under full control.” Videos from Sudzha, verified by The New York Times, show cars trying to leave amid sounds of gunshots and roads littered with burned vehicles and what appeared to be mines.

The Kremlin sought to maintain calm as the state news media portrayed the incursion as akin to a natural disaster rather than a military crisis, Mikhail Vinogradov, a Moscow political analyst, said. State media highlighted efforts to help civilians while doing little to place the attack in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A noon news broadcast on Russia’s state-controlled Channel 1 on Thursday showed bottled water being dispatched for evacuees and supportive vigils in cities like Sochi on the Black Sea.

“Kursk, we are with you!” a person there was shown saying.

Mr. Vinogradov, in a phone interview, said the restrained coverage reflected the Kremlin’s avoidance of “politicization” of the Russian public, with Russian officials instead preferring to limit people’s exposure to the ups and downs of the war.

Dmitri Kuznets, an analyst of the war for Meduza, an independent Russian news outlet based in Latvia, said the Ukrainian Army had clearly found a loophole in Russian defenses and caught thin and ill-equipped troops off guard.

Mr. Zelensky’s administration offered its first commentary on the incursion on Thursday in a statement by a senior adviser that did not acknowledge any Ukrainian role but portrayed Russians as collectively backing Mr. Putin’s invasion, signaling the intention was not to affect morale inside Russia.

The adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, said Russians were not going to “come out with flowers to greet the anti-Putin tanks,” and noted that a million Russians had volunteered to serve in the country’s military.

The Ukrainian push involves regular army units, analysts have noted, in a change from the previous incursions, which were carried out by armed groups of Russian exiles backed by Kyiv’s army. That tactic had offered Kyiv a veneer of noninvolvement.

The European Union spokesman, Peter Stano, told the Ukrainian news outlet Suspilne that Ukraine “has the legal right to defend itself, including by striking at the aggressor on its territory.”

Photographs and videos posted online and verified by independent military analysts suggested that Ukrainian forces had overrun a Russian metering station for a pipeline exporting natural gas to Europe across Ukraine, which had remained active despite the war. Gazprom, the Russian gas company, told Russian news media the flows declined slightly. In Europe, natural gas prices rose.

A video filmed by a Russian drone and posted by a Russian military blogger who writes under the handle Dva Mayora, or Two Majors, showed a damaged, U.S.-made armored vehicle at a road intersection six miles inside Russia.

Reporting was contributed by Eric Schmitt , Anton Troianovski , Ivan Nechepurenko , Constant Méheut , Sanjana Varghese , Dzvinka Pinchuk and Stas Kozljuk.

Andrew E. Kramer is the Kyiv bureau chief for The Times, who has been covering the war in Ukraine since 2014. More about Andrew E. Kramer

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

Russia’s Bombing Campaign: Moscow’s far-reaching bombardment of Ukraine , which President Volodymyr Zelensky has called one of the largest since the war began, eased after two nights of deadly barrages .

Mine-Detecting Drones: Ukraine has become a beta test for embedding A.I. and other new technologies in drones and robots to find deadly land mines.

Ukraine’s Poetry Boom: With verses that capture the raw emotions of the war and resonate deeply with the population, Ukrainian poets have emerged as some of the country’s most influential voices .

Modi’s Kyiv Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India visited Kyiv, furthering a diplomatic effort by Ukraine to engage non-Western nations in potential settlement talks with Russia.

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .

COMMENTS

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On Saturday, Gregory will hop aboard Valiant, his 64-foot yacht, with 16 or 17 crew members to compete in the annual Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta, a Marblehead maritime tradition that attracts ...
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Corinthian Classic brings vintage, modern classics together. August 16, 2024. Forty-one classic and vintage yachts were a graceful sight off Marblehead this past weekend, as yachts of various size and age competed over two days in five divisions in a 25th-anniversary event.
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After the success of the Valiant 40, Bob Perry was asked to build a smaller, more affordable version during the late 70's. 65 of the Valiant 32's were made, starting in 1976 with Uniflite manufacturing the boats. Like the 40, the 32 is a strong sailing, heavier-built boat to handle all sorts of conditions that the PNW will throw at you.
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After the success of the Valiant 40, Bob Perry was asked to build a smaller, more affordable version during the late 70's. 65 of the Valiant 32's were made, starting in 1976 with Uniflite manufacturing the boats. Valiants can be considered "blister boats" and this one does have cosmetic blisters, but no structure blisters or concerns.
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Rich Worstell, a Valiant owner and dealer, bought the molds from Uniflite after they went out of business in 1984. After building some boats in Washington, he moved the operation to Texas. (The first boat built in Texas was the Valiant 40, hull number 267). Valiant Yachts 500 Harbour View Rd Gordonville, TX 76245 Phone: 903-523-4899 email: [email protected]
August 2024 Kursk Oblast incursion
On 6 August 2024, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine as part of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an incursion into Russia 's Kursk Oblast and clashed with the Russian Armed Forces and Russian border guard. [36][37][38] According to Russia, at least 1,000 troops crossed the border on the first day, supported by tanks and armored vehicles. [39] A state of ...
Ukrainian Units Roll Into Kursk; Artillery Hits Russian ...
Four days into Ukraine's surprise invasion of Russia's Kursk Oblast, just across Ukraine's northern border with Russia, the number of confirmed Ukrainian brigades in and around the invasion ...
Kursk incursion: Russia battles Ukraine border attack
Russia said Wednesday it was battling an unprecedented cross-border incursion from Ukrainian troops, a major offensive that left Moscow scrambling to reinforce the Kursk region.
In a Surprise, Ukraine Advances on Russian Region of Kursk
The local government in the Russian region of Kursk declared a state of emergency as military analysts reported that Ukrainian forces had advanced several miles across the border.