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AMERICA’S CUP WORLD SERIES, PORTSMOUTH PREVIEW ANALYSIS

Vendée insight

Assessing the latest IMOCA 60 foilers TECHNIQUE

Agility training

Get fit for high performance sailing

SHORTHANDED

JOY OF SIX

IONIAN CHARTER

Top technique tips for the shorthanded sailor

Why 1946, ’56 and ’76 saw so many new classes

How to get the best out of a yacht holiday in Greece

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Dinghy Sailing

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THIS MONTH AUGUST 2016

SAP / CHRISTOPHE FAVREAU

A look at the New York-Vendée race

OPINION

OLYMPIC CONTENDERS

FEATURE

leadership but on the plus side it has forced others to step up; guys with natural charisma like Luke [Patience].” It’s certainly true that this current crop has adapted to the changing of the guard and moulded itself into a tight-knit unit. There are still enough old heads within the team to provide continuity and steady the ship. Meanwhile, Rio offers the opportunity for a number of tyros to make their mark. Perhaps the most fascinating example is Giles Scott in the Finn, who seems to have been Olympic champion in waiting for decades now and finally has his chance to showcase his prodigious talent at the very top level. There are others too who are eager to make their mark; the Olympics may come around every four years but, for the British Sailing Team, the cycle for developing and honing a talent begins many years earlier. Anything up to a decade of practice and preparation culminates in those few hours out on the water and the chance to for a sailor to etch their name into Olympic history. Sparky remains upbeat at the team’s prospects: “My view has always been that you would hope to convert about 50 per cent of your realistic medal chances and I would say certainly in

6 Hot topics from the racing scene News

10 A look at the ACWS clash in Chicago News spotlight

MEET TEAM GB

eight classes we are in the mix, and not far away from nine and 10. “Now, having said that, Rio on any given day can be a particularly difficult venue. Very strong and changeable tides, and not just how the water flows inside the harbour. “Because it is fairly mountainous you get quite a lot of rain, with freshwater coming into the harbour, which can change the natural flow and ebb. Again, with the winds, because it is quite mountainous, they can be shifty. “So it can be difficult, as we saw two years ago [the first test event at the Olympic venue] when we saw 19 different nations win one of the 33 medals – people you wouldn’t have expected to win medals win medals, and others you would have expected to win medals struggled. So it could be a tough regatta and we could be at the bottom end of our predicted range. Or equally it could go better than we are predicting.” So how are our prospects shaping up for Rio? If preparation is everything, momentum is also vital; so here is an insight into the form of our Olympic stars. Recent peformances at the Sailing World Cup event in Weymouth and Portland provides a decent indication of form going into the Olympics.

1. Giles Scott: Finn Age: 28 Although technically making his Olympic debut, Scott is far from a fresh faced contender and, were it not for Ben Ainslie, he could already have a couple of Olympic golds to his name. He is now unbeaten in two years of racing and is viewed by many as a shoo-in for gold in Rio. That winning streak, which runs from Giles’ return to the Olympic classes in October 2013, includes victories at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships and twice at Rio Test Events with the most recent coming in August 2015. 2. Nick Thompson: Laser Age: 29 Another sailor who has been out there winning for so long it seems incredible this will be his first Olympics. Thompson was kept out of the 2012 games by Paul Goodison. He appears to be peaking at just the right time, having claimed the top spot of the podium at this summer’s Laser World Championship.

3. Alison Young: Laser Radial Age: 28 When you talk about gaining momentum going into the Olympics, then you have to talk about Ali Young, who chalked up a hugely impressive World Championship title in April, becoming the first British female to lift the crown. Unfortunately,

even with the wind firmly in her sails, her form has been patchy since that triumph and she endured a tough time at the recent Sailing World Cup in Weymouth and Portland, coming in 14th.

the big time in 2004 when he picked up bronze before enduring disappointment in 2008 when he narrowly missed out on a podium position but made up for it with a silver in 2012.

4+5. Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark: 470 Women Ages: 27 and 36 Two of the more experienced heads within the British Camp, Mills and Clark have built on the form that won them a silver in 2012 and the pair’s recent tally includes silver medals at the 2014 and 2015 Rio Test Events, bronze at the 2014 World Championships and World Cup gold on their home waters of Weymouth and Portland in June.

8+9. Charlotte Dobson/ Sophie Ainsworth: 49erFX Age: 29 and 26 Dobson and Ainsworth are making their Olympic debut, having sailed together since 2013. The pair has impressed and nailed down their place at Rio with fifth and seventh places at the Rio test events. They also secured a fifth at the 2015 Worlds.

6. Bryony Shaw: RS:X Women Age: 32 Shaw has been ever-present within the squad since 2008 when she picked up a bronze in Beijing – Team GB’s first ever women’s windsurfing medal. Her 2012 campaign was marred by illness and she finished a disappointing seventh. Her form has remained steady since then and In 2015 she secured World Cup wins in Miami and Abu Dhabi as well as gold at the RS:X Europeans. 7. Nick Dempsey: RSX Men Age: 35 Nick Dempsey is one of the longest serving members of the British Sailing Team, having first competed at an Olympic Games at Sydney 2000. He hit

13 Is the Olympic spirit dead? Plus a Bob Fisher

14+15. Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign: 49er Age: 28 and 30 Fletcher and Sign will be making their Olympic debut, having sailed together for almost a decade. The pair hit a strong vein of form in recent years and has picked up two European Championship silver medals. 2016 saw them up their game further with their first 49er World Championship medal – a bronze – at the 2016 Worlds in Clearwater, USA. They come to Rio on the back of a solid performance in Weymouth and Portland, where they finished fifth, but concluded the event with three seconds to further buoy their confidence ahead of Rio.

racer through her paces

3 8 6

11 4

look back at the One Ton class

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

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August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

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14 Piet Vroon – still racing at 85, and a

on all the runners and riders ahead of the Games. Plus a venue guide and a look back at past Olympics

look at the Volvo Round Ireland Race

17 How not to gybe a Musto Andy Rice

foiled? 48 AFoils bruising New York – Vendée race recap

Skiff and other stories

Stuart Childerley 56 Th e veteran racer discusses success both

INSIGHT & ANALYSIS

18 COVER STORY: How will Ben Ainslie’s

Dinghy anniversaries 62 2016 is a bumper year for

BAR team fare back on home turf?

anniversaries in a number of our favourite dinghy classes

NEW YORK – VENDÉE

sailing 70 AShort-handed look at techniques to make short

FOILS FOILED?

handed racing easier and faster

JAMES BOYD takes a look at lessons

learned for the IMOCA 60 fleet in the New York –Vendée race

PHOTOL LLOYD IMAGES/HUGO BOSS

he final warm-up for this winter’s Vendée Globe answered some questions such as the performance of the latest generation IMOCA 60 semi-foilers, but raised other such as their viability to race non-stop around the world. The New York – Vendée (Les Sables d’Olonne) Race presented by Currency House and SpaceCode was the latest event in the IMOCA Ocean Masters World Championship and the third organised by Sir Keith Mills’ Lausanne-based company Open Sports Management (OSM). OSM holds marketing rights to the

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

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IMOCA class for which it is seeking an overall sponsor enabling it to transform the IMOCA circuit into the international sports property it deserves to be. What better way to do this than starting an event from New York, in the heart of the world’s largest economy, with the boats based in North Cove Marina, a stone’s throw from Wall Street? Fourteen IMOCA 60s made the start, including the six new generation VPLP-Verdier designed semi-foilers, and Jérémie Beyou’s Maître CoQ – the only IMOCA 60 retrofitted with the new generation foils. The race was the first time No Way Back’s Dutch skipper

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August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

Greece peace 90 Travel: An insider’s guide to chartering in Greece’s Ionian Islands

and tested 98 Tried The Yachts & Yachting team put

a range of products through their paces and give you their verdict

Buyer’s guide: Digital tactical 100compasses

A look at what’s available if you opt to make the switch from analogue to digital compass

in business and on the racecourse

ACWS Portsmouth preview

24/06/2016 15:17

Olympic special 28 COVER STORY: A full run down

Andi Robertson

FEATURE

test: Dehler 42 86 Boat Andi Robertson puts this all-new cruiser/

13 1

15 14

EQUIPMENT AND TRAVEL

2 9

10+11. Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves: Nacra 17 Age: 25 and 26 A new class means all new partnerships and the pairing of Saxton and Groves has proved to be a successful one, with the pair chalking up a seventh place at the World Cup in 2014. Building on this success, they were crowned European champions in 2015. The pair’s recent form has been impressive and they blew away the competition with a late surge in Weymouth and Portland in June to place first overall and head into Rio high on confidence.

Below After a long, hard battle, Team GB’s sailing team has now been finalised

24/06/2016 15:15

J Cup

A look back at this hard-fought regatta

your agility 80 Improve How nimble footwork gives you an edge

ESSENTIALS

Gold Star Awards

This month’s selection of inspirational winners announced

& Classes 104 Clubs The latest event round-ups from around the country

114 Position The witches’ broomstick – ideal

for those moments when you just want to magically disappear

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

EDITORIAL Acting Editor Toby Heppell Deputy Editors Sue Pelling, Sam Jefferson Art Editor Claire Wood Senior Sub Editor Henry Giles Clubs & Classes Editor Paula Irish club@yachtsandyachting.co.uk Contributors Bob Fisher, David Henshall, James Boyd, Rupert Holmes, Hannah Diamond, Louay Habib, Andy Rice, Andi Robertson

BUMPER ISSUE

9 770044 000205

£4.30

Issue #1700 August 2016 yachtsandyachting.co.uk

AMERICA’S CUP WORLD SERIES, PORTSMOUTH PREVIEW ANALYSIS

Vendée insight

Assessing the latest IMOCA 60 foilers TECHNIQUE

Agility training

ONEDITION

Get fit for high performance sailing

The Olympics return

elcome to Yachts & Yachting’s bumper Olympic issue! If you are anything like us you will almost certainly be checking your calendar and wondering how on Earth four years have passed since the heady summer of 2012 and the London (or for us sailing types, the Weymouth and Portland) Olympic Games. Although it may seem like only a short time since the last Olympics, one look at Team GB and it is clear that we are entering a new era. Gone are many of the old names such as Ainslie, Percy and Goodison having given way to a new class. Such is the strength of depth in British sailing, many of the new names at the Games are established top performers, who most likely would already have medals around their necks had they been born in a different country. Looking through the form guide for Olympic sailing generally, perhaps the standout feature of the last four years has been the total domination by a small number of teams across an array of classes. Much has been written about the total domination of the 49er fleet by Kiwis Peter Burling and Blair Tuke but it’s worth taking a moment to

consider how impressive their record is. The 49er class holds a greater number of races per regatta than any other fleet and the perceived wisdom within the class is that consistently good (if not stunning) results would see you win. That Burling and Tuke so often win straight firsts has turned the entire thought process of the fleet on its head. Just as impressive as the Kiwis has been the French team of Billy Besson and Marie Riou in the Nacra 17, who have won every world championship since the boat became an Olympic class. Britain’s Giles Scott has also won all the world championships he has attended in the Finn. Then again, Rio looks to be one of the least predictable venues of modern times. How cruel would it be to be so dominant but still miss out...

SHORTHANDED

JOY OF SIX

IONIAN CHARTER

Top technique tips for the shorthanded sailor

Why 1946, ’56 and ’76 saw so many new classes

How to get the best out of a yacht holiday in Greece

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Cover Image JesusRendo/SailingEnergy/ISAF The Olympic sailing venue in Rio de Janeiro ADVERTISING Advertising Manager Jodie Green jodie.green@chelseamagazines.com +44 (0)207 349 3722 Advertising Sales Executive Harry Warburton harry.warburton@chelseamagazines.com +44 (0)207 349 3739 Advertising Sales Executive Robert Roberts robert.roberts@chelseamagazines.com +44 (0)207 349 3746 PUBLISHING Managing Director Paul Dobson Deputy Managing Director Steve Ross Finance Director Vicki Gavin Publisher Simon Temlett Publishing Consultant Martin Nott Brand Manager Ginny MacLean ginny.maclean@chelseamagazines.com WEBSITE yachtsandyachting.co.uk SMALL PRINT Printed in England by William Gibbons. Ad Production: All Points Media www.allpointsmedia.co.uk Distribution: News Trade (UK and Rest of World), Seymour International Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT. Tel: 020 7429 4000 Fax: 020 7429 4001 Email: info@seymour.co.uk

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WRITERS THIS MONTH INCLUDE… Squad member Hannah Diamond studied sports physio at university during her Nacra 17 Olympic campaign

Yachts & Yachting July 2016

Bob Fisher is one of the biggest names in yachting journalism. He has a passion and depth of knowledge that’s second to none

Stalwart of the Solent racing scene, Rupert Holmes is a respected sailor and journalist. Rupert specialises in keelboats

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission in writing. Every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information in Yachts & Yachting, but no responsibility can be accepted for the consequences of actions based on the advice portrayed herein. The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd makes every effort to ensure that the advertising contained in this magazine is derived from responsible sources. We cannot, however, accept responsibility for transactions between readers and advertisers. Yachts & Yachting welcomes letters. Also part of the Chelsea Marine Magazines family:

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Big boat record-breaking bonanza Thomas Coville smashed the 24-hour singlehanded distance record (subject to ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council) aboard his 100ft trimaran, Sodebo by 32nm. Coville, who was on his return voyage to his home port of La Trinite-sur-Mer in France, from New York following his second

place in the Ultime class in the recent Transat Bakerly, sailed 714nm in 24 hours, clocking an impressive speed that averaged just under 30kt. In doing so he broke Armel Lecleach’s previous record of 682 miles achieved in 2014 aboard Banque Populaire VII (now IDEC Sport). Elsewhere, news from the race

track shows Comanche – Jim and Kristy Hinze-Clark’s 100ft racing machine – skippered by Ken Read, has shaved almost five hours off the Newport to Bermuda Race record. Her elapsed time was 34 hours 42 minutes 53 seconds. She sailed at an average speed of 28-29kt, and recorded a top speed of 32kt. The previous time

of 39 hours 39 minutes 18 seconds was set in 2012 by George David in Rambler. Adding to the list of record-breakers MusandamOman Sail MOD70 has broken her own 704-mile Round Ireland record. She completed the course in 38 hours 37 minutes 7 seconds smashing her 2015 record by two hours, 14 minutes and 50 seconds.

AMORY ROSS/TEAM ALVIMEDI

VOR reporters wanted

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

The Volvo Ocean Race is on a mission to find Onboard Reporters for the 201718 Volvo Ocean Race. As glamorous as this may sound, this particular job is unquestionably a challenge beyond all challenges, and certainly no place for the faint hearted. In its recent press announcement, the organiser said it was looking for “multi-skilled and experienced media professionals to join the crews onboard and report back to shore from the most remote and hostile regions on the planet”. Organisers added that the ideal candidates to join the current crop of onboard reporters will be capable of producing high-quality

video, photo and written content on a daily basis, wherever they are in the world, whatever the conditions. The organisers say that prospective candidates will have to survive a creative boot camp proving their ability to stand the mental and physical pressure of the job. Sign up if you dare. Apparently over 2,000 people applied for a position in the last edition in 2014-15, and even more are expected to apply this time. Details from if.volvooceanrace.com. If you make it through the on-line test and you are passionate about joining a team, don’t miss the deadline for application – 1800hrs (UTC) Friday, 15 July.

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YVAN ZEDDA

NEWS

Olympic countdown With the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Weymouth – the final elite event on the Olympic circuit – done and dusted and just 28 days before the start of the first race at the Olympics, most teams are either in the process of arriving at, or have already settled into base at the Olympic village in Rio. The last few weeks will see teams making final preparations and familiarising themselves with Guanabara Bay. Team GBR strike gold at last major event before Games The Sailing World Cup at Weymouth and Portland provided sailors with the perfect opportunity to assess their performance for an indication of what’s in store at Rio 2016. Top of the scoreboard was Team GBR. Most Olympic Team GBR sailors secured podium positions including Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (470 Women), Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth (49erFX), Giles Scott (Finn), Nick Thompson (Laser), Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves (Nacra 17) all of whom secured gold. British Paralympic sailors on form British sailors enjoyed a medal boost at their final major event before the Paralympic Games (7-18 September), claiming two podium finishes in the Sonar and Skud classes at the Para World Sailing Championships in Medemblik, the Netherlands. John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas secured a closely-fought silver medal in the Sonar class, while Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell also claimed silver in the two-person Skud event. Paralympic champion Helena Lucas finished just outside of the podium spots in the 2.4mR class. No go for Aussie 49er girls An appeal put to the Australian Olympic Committee relating to the recent Olympic qualification issue in the 49er FX class has been dismissed. The Australian 49er FX teams of Tess Lloyd and Caitlin Elks, and Olivia Price and Eliza Solly have had their hopes of Olympic selection dashed after the Australian Sailing Appeal Tribunal agreed that the teams hadn’t reached the required standard of performance. A Statement issued by Australian Sailing concluded that “The criteria sets out the performance required, and no crew in the 49er FX and RS:X windsurfing classes achieved the baseline performance.”

Entries in the 50th Newport Bermuda Race

29.75 Knots was the average speed in which Thomas Coville smashed the 24-hour singlehanded distance record aboard his 100ft trimaran, Sodebo

PEDRO MARTINEZ/SAILING ENERGY

200,000

Year rumoured waiting list for an Exocet foiling International Moth

Fans turned up for final day of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series in Chicago

THEY SAID… “…arriving in Portsmouth and seeing the base, I’m even more impressed.” XABI FERNANDEZ commenting on joining Land Rover BAR ACC team.

“You are pushed far beyond your physical, mental and creative limits in a way that can compare with little else.” FILMMAKER AMORY ROSS, recalls life as the Onboard Reporter for Team Alvimedica in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15.

“As to whether this is the end of a chapter for me in the Volvo Ocean Race? We’ll have to wait and see.” IAN WALKER commenting after the news of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s departure from the next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.

“It’s really exciting, at every event the form book goes out the window, we don’t know who’ll be quick in Rio” BEN SAXTON talks about the challenges of the new Nacra 17 ahead of the Olympics.

“The Champagne at the end tasted very sweet. I quite like Champagne, especially the Moët that was given to us, and when you get to spray a huge bottle of Moët over all your teammates when you’ve won, that’s a very special feeling.”

AINHOA SANCHEZ/VOLVO OCEAN RACE

28 days to go

190

PEDRO MARTINEZ/SOFIA

IN NUMBERS

ARTEMIS RACING SKIPPER NATHAN OUTTERIDGE savours the team win at the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series in Chicago.

“We wanted first coming into New York so badly. Missing out on it by 40 minutes in the end was so disappointing, but one tactical decision made the difference. ASH SKETT, skipper of Garmin commenting on the team’s second place in Race 11 of the Clipper Round the World Race to New York.

“We hit the bottom a few times and I’ve got quite bit of work now to do on the hull and foils, but it was worth a bit of filler and sanding.” KATIE NURTON, first female helmsman ever to win the International 14 POW Cup comments on her interesting tactics.

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

Ô IN BRIEF

ROB HOWARD

Abu Dhabi has quit the Volvo Ocean Race following a successful five-year association with the event as a team and event stopover. Abu Dhabi not only won the Volvo Ocean Race trophy, and the In-Port Series but also staged two stopovers in previous races.

HISTORIC FIRST FOR ALL-FEMALE ADVENTURERS

On form

Giles Scott, Team GBR’s Finn representative, added another win to his recent Finn Gold Cup success with a gold at the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Weymouth. Fashioned Musto launch special commemorative range of clothing to celebrate its partnership with Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week as official clothing supplier. Dates Dates confirmed for the Mount Gay Round Barbados Race Series – 16-24 January 2017. The Round Barbados Race recordbreaking challenge is on 21 January. Charity

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

The Etchells class is preparing for one of the biggest events seen for some time in the UK when it hosts not only the class National Championship (24-26 June), and European Championship (27-31 August), but also the class World Championship (31 August-11 September). All three events are hosted by the Royal London Yacht Club in Cowes. The class is also looking forward to welcoming to Cowes Week and the nationals the three Royal London youth teams (pictured) who won the 2016 trials for the use of a fully funded Etchells for a season courtesy of the Royal London Etchells Youth Academy. Over 200 sailors from RLYC benefited from the initiative thanks to the support of class volunteers over the last four years. The teams are: Anna Watkins’ Team: Rory Davis, Ali Hinds, Ed HamptonMathews Martin Evans’ Team: Sophie Stockton, Libby Watkins, Andrew Clear Emily Wiltshire’s Team: Jack Preece, Tom Williams, Calum Healey

GREAT READING This month our sister magazines offer incisive additional reading for sailors. Classic Boat discovers Blitzen, one of Olin Stephen’s finest, restored, and offers a guide to fitting out with cotton sails. Plus a bumper 16 page regatta supplement. Meanwhile, in Sailing Today, Rod Heikell goes volcano hopping in the Aeolians and the team takes a look at why you should upgrade your fixed prop and learns how to avoid a lightning strike.

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OLIN’S FINEST The design he couldn’t improve

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Rod Heikell’s guide to volcano hopping in the Aeolian Islands

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Gipsy Moth IV Why she was a handful

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Strangford Lough Sheltered cruising in Northern Ireland’s ‘Solent’

Brixham Detailed guide to the English Riviera harbour

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Tom Harrison (42) dyslexic sailor/boatbuilder from Burnham-on-Crouch, plans to windsurf 75nm across the Channel to raise funds for the British Dyslexia Association and the RNLI. The aim is to raise a total of £10,000 for each nominated charity.

Bumper year for Etchells

DAVID FRANKS

RICARDO PINTO

Winners The Swedish-flagged Artemis Racing team won the Chicago edition of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series.

The race involves 389 miles of challenging sailing up the west coast of the UK, also features over 11,000ft of climbing – taking in the summits of Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis – a 72mile run, and a 72-mile cycle. While top-class sailors and navigators are a huge advantage, success is all about having a versatile team and well-seasoned mountain runners. Dee Caffari and Libby Greenhalgh competing on a Reflex 38 in the Sail 4 Cancer team had a skilled running team and really enjoyed the experience, despite finishing further down the fleet. Caffari (pictured above) commented: “I can see why this race is addictive. It’s a crazy, nautical adventure, and it’s about much, much more than just sailing.”

For the first time in the event’s 39-year history, an all-female team has taken line honours in the Three Peaks Yacht Race. Solo sailors Pip Hare and Nikki Curwen, alongside team mates – rower/sailor Dr Elin Haf Davies, long distance runners Lowrie Morgan, and Jo Jackson – sailed their J/120 Team Aparito Digital Health across the finish line in first place after an impressive, and consistent performance. The IRC and overall winners of the 2016 event however, were Fergus McDonald and team on the X37 Pure Attitude, while the young Southampton University OTC team – led by skipper George Jorgensen – won the coveted Tillman Cup (where four of the five crew complete a mountain run).

21/06/2016 16:47

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NEWS SPOTLIGHT

ACWS–CHICAGO

he sixth Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series regatta was blighted by the almost total absence of wind on Saturday 11 June forcing the day’s cancellation. But Chicago lived up to its soubriquet – The Windy City – to some extent on ‘Super Sunday’. It also helped that on the practice Friday, a ‘substitute’ race was held with the plan being that the results would be used if there was no racing on the Saturday during the scheduled hours of television coverage. Prior to the ‘substitute’ race on Friday, there had also been a full three-race programme and two rounds of match races – an almost unheard of format in the modern events, even if the America’s Cup itself remains a match race. During the course of the match racing Land Rover BAR beat Groupama Team France; Softbank Team Japan beat Artemis Racing; and Oracle Team USA

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

beat Emirates Team New Zealand when the Kiwis capsized on a bad gybe. SUBSTITUTE RACE (RACE 1) With light winds forecast for Saturday the substitute race held on Friday saw Jimmy Spithill’s Oracle Team USA lead the fleet off the start, but downwind, with speeds of up to 27kt, Artemis moved into the lead, four seconds ahead of Oracle and 11 seconds clear of Land Rover BAR. On the upwind leg, Ben Ainslie (Land Rover BAR) moved into second ahead of Dean Barker’s Softbank, but those places changed downwind, and the British BAR boat fell further back behind Franck Cammas with Groupama as they charged to the gate at 30kt. It was here that Oracle, caught trying to avoid an upwind boat, gybed with the weather runner still set up, and capsized, again delighting the fans. For the rest, the downwind leg produced little change with Artemis

leading Softbank. Barker and his team moved ahead on the next windward leg and held off Artemis to win the 15 minute race. Team Oracle did manage to right the boat and limped across the finish line late and last. On Saturday the time limit for racing ran out due to the lack of wind. A race was held, which would count only if there were no racing on Sunday.

Finishing order: 1. Softbank; 2. Artemis; 3. Groupama; 4. ETNZ; 5. Land Rover BAR; 6. Oracle.

RACE 2 Chicago came good on Sunday as racing began on time with a fresh 18 knots from the north-northeast. When Ben Ainslie took the start, hopes were high that he could retain the initial advantage. His early challenger was Jimmy Spithill with Oracle, but after the starting reach and the downwind leg to Gate 2, BAR

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INGRID ABERY

The America’s Cup World Series descended on ‘the windy city’ which didn’t fully live up to its reputation, as BOB FISHER reports

was 10 seconds in front. That lead was doubled upwind and the British team seemed very much in control. Oracle was under fire from Nathan Outteridge in Artemis and on the sixth leg Oracle was penalised for fouling the Swedish Artemis boat. The penalty allowed Softbank to close and pass the ‘local’ team. BAR finished the race a full 51 seconds ahead of the fleet. Finishing order: 1. Land Rover BAR; 2. Artemis; 3. Softbank; 4. Oracle; 5. ETNZ; 6. Groupama.

RACE 3 Finishing last appeared to spur Franck Cammas into activity and the French boat was fast out of the starting blocks for the second race of the day, but there the French advantage began to evaporate and by the second mark Groupama had been passed by Artemis, Oracle and ETNZ. Softbank and BAR were bringing up the rear. While Artemis

Above Although the competitors were not always blown away at the windy city, the breeze did pipe up as the weekend progressed

and Oracle held their places there was some shuffling among the tailenders, notably that BAR moved up to fourth behind series leaders, ETNZ.

Finishing order: 1. Artemis; 2. Oracle; 3. ETNZ; 4. BAR; 5. Groupama; 6. Softbank.

RACE 4 The start of the last race was very level but Dean Barker edged out BAR and Oracle at the turning mark to go upwind, but here the boundary was closer than it should have been and both Oracle and BAR went over it and were penalised allowing ETNZ and Artemis into the leading mix. Softbank retained her lead to the finish, but a fast finishing Land Rover BAR snatched second place with ETNZ third ahead of Artemis, Oracle and Groupama. Finishing order: 1. Softbank; 2. BAR; 3. ETNZ; 4. Artemis; 5. Oracle; 6. Groupama

Overall results – Chicago 1.

Artemis Racing

2,2,1,4

Land Rover BAR

5,1,4,2

Softbank Team Japan

1,3,6,1

Emirates Team New Zealand

4.5.3.3

Oracle Team USA

6,4,2,5

Groupama Team France

3,6,5,6

Overall standings after six regattas 1.

Emirates Team New Zealand

295

Land Rover BAR

285*

Oracle Team USA

285

Artemis Racing

262

Softbank Team Japan

259

Groupama Team France

234

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

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Bob Fisher OPINION

How is excluding sailors not deemed as ‘medal capable’ in keeping with the Olympic spirit?

PEDRO MARTINEZ/SAILING ENERGY/ISAF

he founder of the modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin many years ago stated quite clearly: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” His philosophy is not being observed by Yachting New Zealand, and others for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero. The Kiwis’ national authority, whose sailors have qualified in every one of the disciplines for the upcoming Olympics, has decided not to send its representatives in either of the windsurfer classes and the Laser Radial, seemingly because it believes they do not have the ability to reach the podium, so it is denying the three sailors the opportunity to take part after they have struggled for the past four years to reach the qualifying standard for their country. One could forgive JP Tobin, Natalia Kosenska and Sara Winther for being upset at this ill-mannered action and even cheer at Tobin’s move to turn his back on his own country and accept a contract to coach the Brazilian windsurfers, but it is impossible to understand the action of Yachting New Zealand. The authority has the necessary money to fund these three athletes, so why should it deny them their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in defiance of Baron de Coubertin? Yachting NZ is not alone. There will not be representation for the Australian team in the Laser Radial and the 49erFX classes. The sailors have been deemed not to be ‘medal capable’. Just how this is judged defies comprehension – the Olympic Games provides a special stimulus to some – but to rely on results spreadsheets displays unmitigated dullness. How can these dullards predict performance? Who, for example, would have given the Irish pair, David Wilkins and James Wilkinson, a chance of a silver medal in the Flying Dutchman

To rely on results spreadsheets displays unmitigated dullness. How can these dullards predict performance? at Tallinn in 1980? But they produced the surprise of the sailing events that year. Maybe any of the six Antipodean sailors could have done so this year. Moving away from Olympian waters to happier territory, here in Britain we can praise the continued resurgence of the Quarter Ton class – the promise is for more than 20 entries this year for the cup races under the aegis of the Royal Yacht Squadron in July. Thankfully for the competitors, the races are all over inshore courses. It was not so back in the day. The 1973 edition, which I sailed with fellow columnist Jack Knights on Odd Job out of Weymouth, included the then mandatory offshore races – one of 150 miles and the other of 250 miles. We enjoyed the first, I remember, and the second went pear shaped soon after rounding the Needles Fairway. We were headed for CH1 (a regular rounding mark back then) and I was steering as Jack had gone below to get some rest.

Above New Zealand’s Sarah Winther is not considered likely enough to return with a medal to be sent to the Olympics

One of the biggest names in yachting journalism, Bob Fisher has a passion and depth of knowledge that’s second to none

Suddenly we broached. It was dark. From below came the call: “Can’t you keep this boat on course?” My negative reply was prompted by the fact that the tiller had become detached from the rudder head! Jack was on deck in a flash, brandishing a massive Stilson wrench, but all attempts to fix it as an alternative tiller proved impossible – it would only grip the rudder head at 45 degrees to the centreline. We tried but eventually had to give up. And that’s where the problems really began. The engine that Jack had installed in order for the boat to complete the engine trials, known as the the P-bracket Grand Prix, was of the air-cooled lawnmower variety. Unfortunately this was midsummer. We downed sails and made our first attempt to reach home, but it didn’t last long. We anchored and allowed the engine to cool. I have no idea how many times we did this before we reached Yarmouth somewhere about midday. I left and caught the ferry home. Five years later I was back in the class again. After a great race in Cowes Week aboard Wings (previously owned by David Robinson), I was asked to sail her in the world championship. The only drawback to this was that the event was to be held in Sajima Bay, Japan. I had secured the services of Hugh Welbourn to assist the two owners and we were all slightly intrepid as the boat was set to obtain age allowance two months later. We hadn’t perhaps allowed for the long courses and the strong winds – the short offshore race finished as the second night was starting, and the long offshore race was into the third night! It was an exhausting and intense schedule and, given my experience in Odd Job, I was slightly wary of an offshore race in unknown waters. Nevertheless, everyone enjoyed themselves and we finished a respectable fourth in a highly professional field of sponsored boats. It is little wonder therefore that there is a special place in my heart, so, while no longer competing, I shall go to see this year’s One Ton Cup off Cowes.

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

Andi Robertson YACHTS

Kieler Woche has a relatively decent fleet of racer-cruisers competing under ORC but the giant German regatta is not somewhere you might expect to meet the redoubtable Piet Vroon and the crew of Tonnere. But then Vroon, now 85 years old, is one of those delightful characters who confounds expectations. Kiel is just one of those regattas he fancied the idea of, it is a nice stopover en route from the Solent to Gotland Runt – set to be another first for Piet and his cosmopolitan crew. Tonnere won the opening offshore race handily. As scratch boat by some margin they did not see other boats at all on the 150 miles race and finished over three hours ahead of the second boat. Vroon’s appetite to go offshore racing and compete at different regattas remains undimmed. Tonnere 4 has already competed in the Caribbean 600, passing through the Solent to do the Myth of Malham before heading on to Germany and Sweden. And Vroon plans to be back to compete at Cowes Week where he first raced in 1952. “I have to make the best of things now as I may not be able to do this much longer and I don’t really contribute. I serve as ballast and keep the cheque book dry.” Vroon quipped in Kiel, bright eyed and bushy tailed despite a finish at 0130hrs and docking at 0400hrs. “We really did not know much about the competition here and did not even know how we would rate, but it’s an event we’d heard a lot about and it’s on the way to Sweden. The regatta has a good reputation and I wanted to come here and see it. “We did not see another boat at all. And the last bit was between two unmarked buoys, which we found OK but that would be so much easier in the light. But we had a wonderful time, we went fast, the weather was good.” Vroon, and his crew have the ORC worlds in Copenhagen under consideration. One can only hope of living to 85 and, if I do, to be blessed with the same passion,

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

LLOYD IMAGES

Still competing at the grand old age of 85, and the thrills and spills of completing the Volvo Round Ireland Race record

...I don’t really contribute. I serve as ballast and keep the cheque book dry drive and energy. Respect! Any time is a good time for the ‘Told you so’ dance, but we said the MOD70 fight round Ireland in the Volvo Round Ireland Race would be fast and close. It was. Just six minutes separated the winning Musandam-Oman Sail from third placed Concise, which had led for most of the 704-mile course. Sidney Gavignet and the Oman Sail crew broke their own record for the passage by some two hours and 14 minutes at 38 hours 37 minutes and 7 seconds. It is perhaps apposite that Oman Sail won the race given the effort they went to to set the record last year and also that they had Ireland’s Damian Foxall as watch leader onboard. They sailed with six crew, less than Phaedo and Concise but I am sure the fact that Gavignet and Foxall sailed the 2013 Transat Jacques Vabre together across the Atlantic together to Brazil sets a very solid core. That said it was an opportunist’s win. Closing to the finish in light airs they clearly saw their two rivals had slowed in the fickle breeze and were able to cut inside them to steal victory. Most of the way around Phaedo and Concise had been in a match race just

Above Team MusandamOman Sail hit a bit of a light spot but were able to keep the momentum going to break their own Volvo Round Ireland Record

Few people can match Andi Robertson’s insight into the big boat world, both in the UK and globally

minutes and sometimes seconds apart. Rob Greenhalgh, who was on Phaedo said he loved the experience. “It was absolutely great. Having three such closely matched multihulls around this course was always going to be good. The weather all the way was good for speeds and even upwind we were doing 20kt. We passed the Fastnet doing 30-35kt and along the top of Ireland we were reaching along at 40kt, blasting to 42kt at times, but a lot of the time you are doing 35-36-37kt. “We were in good shape until the parking lot just before Wicklow. Ourselves and Concise were level all the way around. We are a little better upwind and they had the edge in the lighter stuff but it was proper ding dong stuff all the way. Around the top of Ireland we hit something and our rudder came up. We lost about eight miles to Concise but battled all the way back. Just south of Dublin we were back ahead, I think just by using the shifts well. Around 0200-0300 it went super light. Oman saw what had happened to us and cut right inshore. We could see them on the tracker all the time. “It was a great experience, I’d love to do more of this type of sailing. The boats are awesome and this course length is about ideal. It becomes a different game when the course is longer. That central hull is cramped and when everyone is wet and cold it would not be as much fun as this.”

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Andy Rice DINGHIES

A look at the trials and tribulations of the Musto Skiff Worlds and the writer’s attempts to reintroduce the age-old skill of ‘wearing ship’

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

C/O THE MUSTO SKIFF CLASS

eith Musto made an observation to me recently that was really too close to home. “If you want to do more sailing, don’t work in the business.” Unfortunately I have long discovered that to be true. Reporting on other people going racing has not led to me doing more sailing of my own. And from what Keith was saying, creating and developing one of the most iconic brands in sailing has not afforded him as much opportunity to pursue his own sailing interests as much as he would like. Except, unlike me and maybe you too, Keith did win an Olympic medal before his business interests took over. I was having this chat with Keith while competing at the recent Musto Skiff World Championships in Carnac in northern France. Yes, it meant passing up two gigs at the World Match Racing Tour event in Newport, Rhode Island, and at the Sailing World Cup in Weymouth. The Weymouth one would have been particularly good to see, it being the last big competitive get-together for the Olympic sailors before Rio 2016. It’s so exciting that Team GB is sending the reigning world champions in all three singlehanded classes: Giles Scott (Finn), Alison Young (Laser Radial), and Nick Thompson (Laser). But there was to be no missing the Musto Skiff Worlds even if I would go there, as ever, woefully unpractised. Fortunately my two old strengths – good starting and good upwind boatspeed – got me out of jail some of the time. But my old nemesis – strong wind gybing – came back to haunt me time and time again. Hate as I do to admit it, after falling in on the first two races of the final day while in 2nd and 4th place at the top marks, I decided that for the final race I would go downwind without the gennaker. And, dear reader, I even ‘wore round’. You probably don’t even know what that means, and if you don’t want to find out, look away now. Yes, instead of

Reporting on other people going racing has not led to me doing more sailing of my own committing myself to the dreaded gybe, I tacked around, amidst the tombstones of others who had had the courage and foolhardiness to attempt the gybe but – like me earlier – had failed. That lily-livered approach earned me my best result of the final day, an 11th place, putting me in 22nd out of 74 overall. I spent the long ferry ride home quizzing two of the top finishers – my fellow Stokes Bay comrades George Hand (2nd overall) and Dan Henderson (4th overall) about what they do to pull off the dreaded high-wind gybe. George and I are about the same weight – about 90kg – while Dan’s vegetable diet had dropped him from the mid 80 kilos down to 75kg for the championship. Which makes Dan’s ability to execute the high-wind gybe even more impressive and worth listening to. Dan was über-fast in the light airs, and struggled manfully to hang in there during what was predominantly a strong-wind regatta. Dan won a light-airs Worlds in Melbourne back in 2011 and was looking good for Carnac too until the bigger breeze kicked in towards the end of the week. Talking to the experts, there really is no secret to the high-wind gybe, although it seems nearly everyone has a slightly different way of doing it.

Above Going upwind in a Musto Skiff is one thing but a well executed gybe in heavy weather proved the author’s downfall at the recent Worlds

Musto Skiff sailor Andy Rice has unparalleled knowledge of the dinghy sailing scene, from grassroots to Olympic level

Going in with maximum pace, making sure the boom goes across early – even pushing it through – and getting your weight early on the new side, are all common themes. I know this stuff! But executing it time after time is another matter. Practising complex manoeuvres – the hand movements, the footsteps through the boat, the visual cues, the motion of the boat – all these things have to be practised numerous times until you’ve ingrained the processes in your muscle memory. Despite being one of a small German contingent at the regatta, and being predominantly a lake sailor, Andi Lachenschmid sailed a fantastic series on the waves of Quiberon Bay to win the regatta without ever looking that special – just very solid. George Hand sailed great to finish 2nd overall, another example of a young sailor who has brought his experience from the 29er and the 49er to bear in the Musto Skiff and made it pay. But my honourable special mention goes to Dave Poston who sailed a blinder of a final day, scoring 1,8,1 in the big breeze and shot up the rankings to finish 3rd overall. If only he hadn’t scored two black flag disqualifications earlier in the week, big Dave probably would have won the week. His bigbreeze boatspeed is no doubt partly due to the fact that he is about 6’13” tall, plus which he has a GoPro almost permanently strapped to his head. But what I really like about Dave is he has been in the Musto Skiff forever, and for many of those years he has been pretty average. But he has kept plugging away, training at Datchet Water, and gradually turned himself into a world class sailor. Above all though, Dave always has a smile on his face, whether he’s just crossed the finish line in first place to the sound of the winner’s gun, or to the dreaded sound of silence. It’s a rare and special character than can do that. But that’s what Dave does, and that’s why he’s my Man of the Match from Carnac.

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Portsmouth plays host to the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series later this month. Here is Y&Y’s essential guide on how to make the most of this world class event

AMERICA’S CUP CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN Date: 21-24 July Venue: Portsmouth

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

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FEATURE

issues have often been wind-based. Even Portsmouth (one of the most wind-sure venues on the calendar) lost the Sunday to inclement weather in 2015. Stunning conditions on the Saturday, however, proved that when Portsmouth is good, it is very good indeed. The event itself directly relates to the America’s Cup in 2017. Heading to the AC in Bermuda, the six teams will be reduced to four for the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifier, where the winner of the 2015-2016 Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series will have a two point advantage. Two points may not seem like all that much, but any advantage should be extremely valuable.

MARK LLOYD

he America’s Cup World Series is back in town and when the show rolls into Portsmouth on 21 July, the old naval port will shed its businesslike, sometimes slightly gritty demeanour, don its gladrags and transform into a glitzy, world-class sailing Mecca. Since its inauguration in summer 2015, this elite racing series has established itself as one of the sailing world’s most glamorous, cutting edge events and a buzz follows the fleet wherever it rocks up and hoists its sails. But it’s also fair to say the World Series circuit has not been without its troubles. As is ever the way with sailing, these

AMERICA’S CUP PREVIEW

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

IAN ROMAN

THE STORY SO FAR 2015 was the World Series’ inaugural year and Portsmouth, Gothenburg and Bermuda were host venues. At the first event in Portsmouth, huge crowds turned out to watch Sir Ben Ainslie’s home team Land Rover BAR take victory on UK waters. The regatta then moved to Gothenburg where Emirates Team New Zealand flew to the top of the leaderboard. As the 2015 action drew to a close, Artemis racing took victory in Bermuda. The 2016 season kicked off in Oman, the first time ever America’s Cup racing had been seen in the Middle East. Sir Ben Ainslie and his super-tuned team on Land Rover BAR secured overall victory once again. A nail-biting final

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

day saw it come from behind in all three races and snatch the top spot by just two points from Oracle Team USA. The next stop earlier this year in May, was New York. This was the first time America’s Cup sailing had been to New York since 1920. Racing took place on the lower Hudson River, in front of the Manhattan skyline, and Emirates Team New Zealand was victorious closely followed by Oracle Team USA. Back on home turf in Portsmouth, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge joined Sir Ben Ainslie for a high-speed yacht ride with Land Rover BAR to celebrate reaching the ‘one year to go’ mark to the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers. A month later, in June, the fleet

Above The America’s Cup accompanied by one of its designated minders Facing page The ACWS aims to redefine yacht racing as a spectator sport

headed to Lake Michigan, Chicago where maritime history was made when it became the first freshwater venue in history to host America’s Cup racing. Perfect winds, cooler temperatures and a record-breaking crowd of over 200,000 America’s Cup fans lining Chicago’s Navy Pier, combined to make an incredible finale for foiling action in the USA. The final regatta podium saw Artemis Racing as event champions with Land Rover BAR in second place. Land Rover BAR skipper Sir Ben Ainslie, commenting after the event, said: “As a team we are happy with second place. We would have liked to have the win, but Artemis Racing sailed very well. It really was an amazing day for the whole sport, and I’m delighted with how well this weekend has gone overall.” Following on from Chicago, Sir Ben Ainslie’s team are delighted to be sailing in front of a home crowd in Portsmouth. But Emirates Team New Zealand retains its position at the top overall, ahead of Land Rover BAR and Oracle Team USA. Toulon will be the third European city to host the Series, which will arrive in town on 10 September. A passionate reception for Groupama Team France is expected. Further evidence that the America’s Cup is a truly global event was underlined by the announcement that the ACWS will be heading to Asia for the first time in its history. Fukuoka, Japan’s fifth largest city, will be playing host to the action from 18-20 November. With the challenge from SoftBank Team Japan marking the return of Japan to the America’s Cup, enthusiasm is building for the sport in Asia. PORTSMOUTH RUNNERS AND RIDERS Defender: Oracle Team USA Oracle Team USA was founded by American businessman Larry Ellison in 2000. Following the team’s win in the 2010 Deed of Gift match in giant multihulls, Oracle’s managment set the direction for the event as we see it today. In 2013 the defender was facing a crushing defeat in the finals at the hands of Emirates Team New Zealand when at 8-1 down, it staged a historic comeback to win 9-8. It remains the rumoured best-funded team in the cup and, as is always the case as defender, will start 2017 with a signficant advantage. It is the only team allowed to build two of the foiling cats to be used in the America’s Cup itself, although it may use only one for racing.

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FEATURE

AMERICA’S CUP PREVIEW

MARTIN RAGET

Ainslie will develop and lead a British entry capable of winning the prestigious trophy Challenger: Land Rover BAR Land Rover BAR was launched on 10 June 2014. The team was conceived by four time Olympic gold medallist and 34th America’s Cup winner, Sir Ben Ainslie with the long-term aim of challenging for Britain and bringing the America’s Cup back home to where it all began in 1851. Ainslie is developing a British entry capable of winning the prestigious trophy, something Britain has so far never managed to achieve. As a commericially backed team it does need to be careful in how much it spends and, although it has more money than the French by orders of magnitude, it remains one of the poorer teams. On the water, it has delivered impressive results and few could argue with the strength of the sailing team. The stunning base in Portsmouth stands tall as a statement of intent, a storey’s-high representation of the team’s long term goal of winning and hosting the America’s Cup in the UK.

Challenger: Emirates Team New Zealand Emirates Team New Zealand is the most established sailing team in recent America’s Cup history, competing in every event since Fremantle 1987 – except the 2010 Deed of Gift match. It is two times winner of the America’s Cup (1995 and 2000) and three times winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup (1995, 2007 and 2013). Emirates Team New Zealand was the team to successfully develop and bring foiling into the mainstream America’s Cup by spotting a loophole in the 2013 rules. They got to within one race of winning the Cup again, but ultimately were out-developed during the course of the AC regatta in 2013. A very public removal of Dean Barker as skipper of the team, coupled with the loss of public funding, represented a low moment for the team following that loss, but in new helmsman, Peter Burling alongside his 49er crew Blair Tuke, coupled with the leadership of Glenn

Ashby and experience of Ray Davies onboard they have developed a sailing team that looks to be the business. The question is, will they have the time and resources to develop a platform quick enough to give them a shot come 2017? Challenger: SoftBank Team Japan SoftBank Team Japan, supported by SoftBank Corp and Kansai Yacht Club, is the Japanese Challenger for the 35th America’s Cup. As the first Japanese flagged challenger since 2000, SoftBank Team Japan seeks to make history by becoming the first Japanese team to win the America’s Cup. It is often said that a new team stands very little chance of winning the America’s Cup on the first attempt, but the Japanese seem to be taking an approach of buying the disparate parts of more experienced teams to give them a shot. Led by winning America’s Cup skipper Dean Barker along with Luna Rossa skipper from 2013, Chris

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

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AMERICA’S CUP PREVIEW

THE RACE COURSE Course 1: Start- M1 (port)- L Gate- W Gate- L Mark(port)- Finish (FIVE Leg Course) Course 2: Start- M1 (port) - L Gate- W Gate- L Gate- W Gate- L Mark (port)- Finish ( SEVEN Leg Course)

STAKE BOATS

THE COURSE WILL BE LAID TO SUIT PREVAILING WIND (Course Shown Is For South Westerly)

RACE VILLAGE

FINISH

AY HW

N HA

Perimeter Boundary Marks At 100 MT SPACES

45 MOORINGS

AS SW

SPECTATOR BOATS

L . GATE

(NO ANCHORING)

START

SPIT BANK FORT W. GATE

STAKE BOATS

NB. No Spectator Boats Between Stake Boats

SPECTATOR BOATS

Draper and veteran Japanese sailor Kazuhiko ‘Fuku’ Sofuku, SoftBank Team Japan is made up of a multi-national collaboration of sailors, boatbuilders, and support crew who are proven performers. It was a late announcement in the Cup cycle but bought Oracle’s first development platform in order to get a jump start. It is rumoured to be a relatively wealthy team too. Challenger: Artemis Racing Artemis Racing has a multi-national crew comprising some of the most successful and respected sailors and designers in the world. Notwithstanding the tragic loss of Andrew Simpson, the team had a disastrous campaign for the 2013 AC, being convinced a foiler would not win and suffering the destruction of its first boat. Wholesale change, however, saw it come back strong in the latter stages of the event and it is now one of the most highly rated teams. Unfortunately this did not initially translate into results

during the first few World Series events and it under-delivered throughout the season. It now seems to be delivering the sort of performances on the water that are expected of the highly experienced sailors and has also been one of the first on the water with its development platform. This, coupled with the rumoured deep pockets of the team, will make it a force to be reckoned with in 2017. It will be looking for a good showing in Portsmouth to continue climbing the World Series results ladder. Challenger: Groupama Team France The Team France challenge was launched in late 2014 and is led by three of the most iconic and successful French sailors: Franck Cammas, Michel Desjoyeaux and Olivier de Kersauson, who have an incredible track record in both inshore, offshore, monohull and multihull international races. Despite having competed several times in the world’s oldest sports trophy since the 70s – with teams managed by

SCALE: 1000 METERS

Above How the course will look. The exact orientation may change depending on the wind direction

the famous inventor of the ballpoint Baron Marcel Bich – a French syndicate has never succeeded in taking it. Groupama Team France would be the first to admit that they are the least well funded team in this cycle. They are trying to get through this Cup with a good enough showing for a strong challenge in AC36. A good showing at World Series events is therefore very important to the French and they have certainly been making progress there. THE BOATS The boats used in the World Series (AC45Fs) are a smaller, one-design version of those to be used in 2017. The AC45F catamarans have solid wing-sails and hydrofoils which provide lift, speed and a wow factor for spectators. The AC45F was created in 2015 as a relatively inexpensive boat to transport and sail. The boats to be used in the cup itself are slightly bigger and allow for individual development by the teams.

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AMERICA’S CUP PREVIEW

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11.

BERMUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY

5. SAIL RACING / GOSLINGS

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ROYAL NAVY & ROYAL MARINES

6. AC TEAM EXHIBITS

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RYA

7. LOVE SOUTHSEA

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RNLI

MEDICAL CENTRE

INFO POINT

ENTRANCES / EXITS

FOOD & DRINK

E3 MEDICAL KIDS ZONE SKATE PARK

GENERAL PARKING

12 13 10

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PARK & RIDE

MEDIA CENTRE

VIP PARKING

6 LANDROVER BAR

VIP DROP OFF

BLUE BADGE PARKING

SAILORS LOUNGE

BT 100% SPORT

MAIN STAGE

VOLUNTEERS

THE MARKET PLACE

4 TECH ZONE

TV / MEDIA COMPOUND

AC ZONE

RACE VIEWING HILL

PREMIER GRANDSTAND

2 BIG SCREEN

VIP HOSPITALITY PAVILION

BIG SCREEN

RACE VIEWING

AC45 MOORING

*Plan subject to change

THE ORIGIN OF THE CUP The America’s Cup is the oldest trophy in world sport, yet Britain has yet to win it. For 164 years, the America’s Cup has become one of sport’s most revered trophies, with challenges characterised famously by some of the most thrilling dramas – and bitter rivalries – in sporting history. The first race was organised by the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1851 and was a single race around the Isle of Wight, open to yachts from all nations. The prize was a silver Cup that was valued at 100 pounds sterling. The black schooner America won this nascent contest of maritime supremacy, outclassing the rest of the field to be first at the finish line off Cowes. To honour that victory, it was renamed the America’s Cup and became a challenge trophy, open to sailing clubs of all nations. American teams representing the New York Yacht Club successfully defended the Cup against all challenges for 132 years until an Australian team won in 1983.

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

Above The Race Village with its cuttingedge layout

How to ‘do’ Portsmouth RACE VILLAGE For the full America’s Cup World Series experience it’s worth signing up for a ticket for the new look Race Village located around the Southsea Castle area, locally known as Bandstand Field and Castle Field.

BROADCAST AND MAINSTAGE Racing will take place in The Solent off Portsmouth but Race Village spectators will benefit from large screens broadcasting racing and live racing commentary, on-board footage, audio and easy to follow graphics. Interviews from the Main Stage before and after racing will include expert insight and analysis from the competing teams in the Dock In/Out Show, along with a full programme of entertainment to accompany the action.

TECH ZONE The Tech Zone is a new addition to the Race Village for 2016. It offers

spectators the opportunity to meet America’s Cup experts and learn how the state of the art AC45F speed machines fly on the water and reach speeds of over 40 knots.

LAND ROVER BEN AINSLIE RACING AREA The Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing area is where visitors to the Village are most likely to meet members of the home team. There’ll also be the chance to take a close look at a Land Rover BAR AC45 race boat and find out, from experts on hand, about the technical details and what it takes to be part of the team. To discover what it’s like to sail one of these amazing, super-fast foiling AC45 boats, there’ll be the opportunity to step on board the Tech Zone sailing simulator. The team’s sailing kit with all the gadgets, including underwater breathing aperatus, will also be on display, plus there’ll be a shop to purchase team support kit.

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info@lewmar.com 1 www.lewmar.com RaW-Ad-210616 copy.pdf

22/06/2016

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CMY

OFFICIAL SUPPLIER

NORTH FIELD The North Field area of the Race Village is dedicated to those passionate about learning new skills. South coast-based Top Banana Circus training, and the Royal Navy’s 40ft climbing wall and an offshore raiding craft aims to provide fun for all the family. Members of the Royal Naval Sailing Association will also be on hand to introduce people to grass-roots sailing. Careers advisors will also be in attendance for those interested in a career at sea.

LOVE SOUTHSEA MARKET Organisers of the event have teamed up with Love Southsea, a Portsmouth-based events movement, to offer visitors to the Race Village an opportunity to support local traders, artists, and craftsmen. There will be an exciting array of nautical-themed, crafty gifts and art on sale, and plenty of local produce to discover.

AIR DISPLAYS A summer festival wouldn’t be complete without an air display. This event has three. As well as the high-speed action on the water, there’ll be aerial acrobatics the sky at 1200 each day before racing starts, including the Red Arrows.

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

Friday 22 July – the RAF Red Arrows team, and their distinctive nine red Hawk jets will swoop in, in tight formation and fill the sky with plumes of coloured smoke and synchronised manoeuvres. Saturday 23 July – The Blades acrobatic display team will also hold a display with four high performance planes flown by former RAF fastjet pilots performing a routine that includes over 30 manoeuvres and features plenty of close-crosses and heart-stopping dives. Sunday 26 July – the Red Bull Matadors, featuring two modern acrobatic planes pushing the limits in a creative show packed with incredible stunts.

Above The Race Village is the place be for close-up race action

will get the chance to see the team showcase their skills and fine tune their manoeuvres and boat handling on the race track. Book a seat in the grandstand and enjoy a relaxing afternoon watching the six international teams engage in close, tactical racing at exhilarating speeds up to 40+ kt. Features include: nnRed Arrows Aerobatic Display Team nnYouth sailing displays nnAmerica’s Cup practice racing nnDock out show nnDock in show nnPoster signing – meet the teams nnAprès sail entertainment

SATURDAY – 1100-1800 HRS TIMETABLE As this event marks the last chance for visitors support British team Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing in home waters before the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda 2017, a spectacular three days are lined up. To fully embrace the event here’s schedule of events.

FRIDAY – 1100-1800 HRS This is the first public opening day and, although official racing doesn’t start until the Saturday, spectators

Saturday marks the first official day of racing so there’ll be plenty of excitement as the six teams go head to head on the racecourse. Features include: nnOfficial opening ceremony nnThe Blades Aerobatic Display Team nnYouth sailing displays nnOfficial America’s Cup racing nnDock in show nnPoster signing nnPost racing interviews and analysis nnAprès sail entertainment

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ALL PICTURES THIS PAGE MARTIN RAGET

SUNDAY – 1100-1830 HRS

HOW TO WATCH THE RACING

Watch the excitement unfold on the final day as the six super-charged teams battle it out in an effort to secure a podium position. nnFeatures include: nnRed Bull Matadors Aerobatic Display Team nnYouth sailing displays nnOfficial America’s Cup racing nnDock out show nnPoster signing nnPost racing interviews and analysis nnOfficial Awards Ceremony nnHow to watch the racing

The best place to watch the action is from the Race Village, which offers close up views of the racing. There is however, a free to view area located on Southsea Common, which is unrestricted for the public to access during the event. This area gives good views of the racing from the shoreline.

Top left Southsea Skateboard park Above left and top right The Tech Zone sailing simulator Above right The Navy climbing wall

Race Village – Day Ticket price £25/£12.50 (junior) Family friendly features and exciting interactive live content focused on the sport of sailing.

Premier Grandstand – Day Ticket price £60/£47.50 (junior) Upgrade your Race Village ticket with a dedicated grandstand seat offering unparalleled panoramic views over the race course. Sailors Lounge – Ticket price £120 For the full sporting experience, including Race Village entrance, Premier Grandstand seat, access to a private bar with special guest speakers and lunch and drinks voucher. To book or for further information visit: lvacwsportsmouth.com/ticket

HOW TO WATCH THE RACING FROM THE WATER Those who want to join the crowds on the water in their own/chartered yachts should be aware of the exclusion zone in place in that particular area of The Solent. Racing is scheduled to take place close to shore and within a commercial shipping channel. This is an area managed by Portsmouth’s Queen’s Harbour Master (QHM) and the exclusion zone created

around the racecourse will help to ensure perfect racing conditions are delivered to the world class sailing teams. It will also ensure the safety of both the racing teams and the spectators. The racecourse layout will be dependent on the wind direction on each race day. Racing buoys will be laid on each day of racing by the official authorities, and the final layout

of the course will be published once finalised, on the day. To ensure on-the-water safety, The America’s Cup race management team will form a protective exclusion zone around the racing area made up of official marshalls and official event sponsors and team boats. Only boats designated by race management will gain access to this area.

CHARTER Preferred charter partners: The event’s charter partners include Solent Rib Charter, Marine Events, or Sunsail Events, to gain access to the marshalled Official Sponsor boat zones. Private boat owner: Register details with watchonwater@teamorigin. com to receive official on water viewing pack guide.

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

OLYMPIC CONTENDERS

FEATURE

GOLDEN WONDERS? Preparation is everything if you are to succeed at the Olympics and the British Sailing Team is noted for its thorough approach. So how are our sailors shaping up as they enter the home strait?

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

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JESUS RENEDO/ SAILING ENERGY/ ISAF

he British Sailing Team has long been noted for its meticulous approach to each Olympics, with no stone left unturned in an effort to give their sailors the edge. Over the years, this approach has gradually established them as the dominant force in Olympic sailing. Yet, in this game, the cliché that if you’re standing still you’re going backwards certainly rings true and there is no question that rival teams have learnt from the British methods and are out to knock them off their perch. In addition, the run up to Rio was bound to be to be a little bit tricky for the Brits after the excitement of the 2012 Games being held in home

waters. Inevitably sponsorship has dropped off slightly and, although UK Sport is providing £25.5m worth of funding (a 4% rise on 2012), the British Sailing Team has felt a slight pinch. Post 2012, there was also a definite feeling that this was a squad in transition, with a number of the ‘big beasts’ moving on. Sailors like Ben Ainslie, Paul Goodison and Iain Percy were superstars within the team but also provided a reassuring presence. Meanwhile, the tragic loss of Andrew Simpson, a big character in previous campaigns, has inevitably had an impact, as Olympic Manager Stephen ‘Sparky’ Park concedes: “Of course, losing them from the squad you are going to lose

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

OLYMPIC CONTENDERS

FEATURE

MEET TEAM GB

15 2 9

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

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even with the wind firmly in her sails, her form has been patchy since that triumph and she endured a tough time at the recent Sailing World Cup in Weymouth and Portland, coming in 14th.

the big time in 2004 when he picked up bronze before enduring disappointment in 2008 when he narrowly missed out on a podium position but made up for it with a silver in 2012.

Below After a long, hard battle, Team GB’s sailing team has now been finalised

12+13. Luke Patience and Chris Grube: Men’s 470 Age: 29 and 31 Luke Patience has already enjoyed Olympic success in this class, having picked up a silver in 2012 sailing alongside Stuart Blithell. Post 2012, Blithell teamed up with Elliott Willis and the pair continued to dominate the class, picking up gold in the Worlds in 2015. Willis was sadly forced to withdraw following a diagnosis of bowel cancer and his place has been filled by Chris Grube, who previously sailed with Patience in 2009. The pair resumed their partnership in late 2015 and secured qualification for Rio with a silver at the 2016 qualifier. 14+15. Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign: 49er Age: 28 and 30 Fletcher and Sign will be making their Olympic debut, having sailed together for almost a decade. The pair hit a strong vein of form in recent years and has picked up two European Championship silver medals. 2016 saw them up their game further with their first 49er World Championship medal – a bronze – at the 2016 Worlds in Clearwater, USA. They come to Rio on the back of a solid performance in Weymouth and Portland, where they finished fifth, but concluded the event with three seconds to further buoy their confidence ahead of Rio.

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August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

ALL PHOTOS THIS PAGE: JESUS RENEDO/ SAILING ENERGY/ ISAF

OLYMPIC CONTENDERS FEATURE

POSITIONING FOR THE PODIUM With the games now upon us who looks likely to take a medal home?

ooking at the list of those likely to be on the podium at the conclusion of the Olympic regatta flags up one recurring theme; one of class dominance. It’s hard to work out exactly why there have been teams or individuals clearly dominant in such a wide number of classes, but as we go into the Olympics this summer this remains the overwhelming factor when looking at form heading to Rio.

49er

It would be a brave person to bet against New Zealanders, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke for 49er gold. The pair has won every single regatta they have attended bar one (for which they only completed races on one of the three days) since they secured silver medal at the Olympic Games in 2012. Not only have the Kiwis made winning

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

Above Burling and Tuke are the clear favourites in the 49er Above right Local sailors Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze are a good bet for a medal in the 49erFX

a habit, they have been winning in style wrapping up many events with a day to spare. Perhaps more worryingly for the remainder of the fleet, Burling and Tuke do not seem to have discovered a silver bullet, rather they appear to simply be making fewer errors and sailing faster than the rest – and the consensus seems to be that they have continued to improve despite America’s Cup commitments for Emirates Team New Zealand limiting training time. Back in 2012 the standout performers in the 49er were Australians, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen – who had dominated the circuit in the lead up to the event – although not quite to the same level as we have seen from the Kiwis this cycle. In the run up to 2012, Outteridge and Jensen had invited Burling and Tuke to train alongside them and these two teams were far and away the standout performers of the Games. However, commitment to their

America’s Cup programme (with Artemis Racing) seems to have taken its toll on the Aussies. The question is, will they find their form again in time for the big one this summer? Whatever we say about Outteridge and Jensen’s form, however, it must be noted that the pair has been making improvements in recent months and there are whispers around the fleet that everyone else is likely racing for bronze. But sailing can be a cruel mistress and there are a number of teams just behind these two top performers who could cause an upset and take the ultimate prize.

49erFX

This will be the first Olympics for the 49erFX, the women’s skiff. The hull is identical to the men’s 49er with a slightly smaller rig to suit a lighter crew-weight. In theory it should be harder to make a really solid form-guide with a newly

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introduced boat. The recent introduction of the class to the Olympic family should mean the likelihood of an upset on form is higher here than elsewhere, but there are still several form teams. Taking up the position of favourites in the class are the ‘home team’ of Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze. The Brazilians have been at the front of the fleet throughout the Olympic cycle. They have won the worlds once and have placed second twice, but most convincingly they have taken victory at both test events in Rio, implying their local advantage remains relatively strong. The main contenders for the Brazilians look likely to be Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich (ITA) who are rarely seen outside the top five at important

Above The Croatian team of Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic may be peaking at exactly the right time Top Britain’s Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth have been consistent in the 49erFX

events. But regularly pushing these two and realistically in with a very good shot at victory are Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen (DEN) and the Kiwi team of Alex Malloney and Molly Meech (NZL). To add a little more intrigue into the brand-new class, the most recent World Championship, in early 2016 in Miami saw Tamara Echegoyen and Berta Betanoz (ESP) take the win, followed by Maiken Foght Schutt and Anne-Julie Schutt (DEN) and Victoria Jurczok and Anika Lorenz (GER) in second and third respectively. Of those considered to be the main contenders Conti and Clapcich were best in fifth with Grael and Kunze sixth.

470M

Matt Belcher and Will Ryan are another standout pairing and seem odds-on to take victory in Rio. Belcher took gold in 2012 with previous crew, Malcolm Page, and continued winning when he and Ryan hit the circuit. In fact, it was not until this year that the Aussie duo lost their first event of the cycle and then only managed third at the World Championship. Victory at the 2016 World

Championship, combined with the runner up spot at the 2015 and 2014 worlds puts the Croatian team of Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic firmly at the forefront of teams vying for a podium position. Throughout 2016 the Croatians have really stepped up, taking wins in Hyeres at the Sailing World Cup and Weymouth. Looking across the four-year cycle, these two teams are the standout performers but the fight for podium positions is likely to be between a number of crews. Peter Snow-Hansen and Daniel Wilcox (NZL) are sure to be fighting for the front, as are the French team of Sofian Bouvet and Jérémie Mion and Greece’s Panaglotis Mantis and Pavlos Kadialis. Flying the flag for Britain will be Luke Patience and Chris Grube, who are somewhat difficult to slot into the form list. Patience and Grube do look strong at times but with less than a year of sailing together under their belts by the timer the Olympics get under way, they must remain something of a wild card.

470W

It looks as though we could well see a repeat of 2012 at the Rio Olympics as

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

JESUS RENEDO/ SAILING ENERGY/ WORLD SAILING PEDRO MARTINEZ/ SOFIA

both gold and silver medallists continue to do battle at the front of the fleet. New Zealanders, Jo Alleh and Polly Powrie, have continued their strong form after winning gold in Weymouth four years ago, while runners up at that Olympics, Britain’s Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark are also sailing well. Austria’s Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar look set to push these two teams hard. After finishing dead last in 2012 with previous crew, Eva-Maria Schimak, Vadlau and new crew, Ogar burst into this cycle with a second at the worlds in 2013 following up with wins at the event in 2014 and 2015. Also looking likely to be a force to be reckoned with is the French team of Camille Lecontre and Helene Defrance. The French pair has been improving since they teamed up in 2014. Significantly, they go to Rio as the reigning world champions in the fleet.

Laser

Having waited his whole professional career for a win at the Laser World

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

Top Luke Patience and Chris Grube are something of a wild card Above Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark will be fighting for medals Above right Nick Thompson is the reigning Laser World Champion

Championship, Nick Thompson picked up victory at the worlds in 2015. And it would seem the well-worn bus analogy holds true as the Brit took his second world title earlier this year. All of which means he heads to the Olympics as back-to-back world champion. With its position as both the most popular class at the Olympic Games (and in the world), coupled with its extremely strict one-design rules, the Laser (and the women’s Laser Radial) offers the widest spread of possible medal contenders. But the class has not been without its dominant figures. One such, is Robert Schiedt who has returned to the class where he made his name (and won two gold and one silver medal). Scheidt had moved on to the Star class in recent years (taking Silver at the 2008 Olympics and bronze in 2012). But with the Star removed from the Olympic programme, the Brazilian will be looking to add to his impressive haul on home waters in the Laser this summer and has clearly not lost any of his talent. However, at 43 and racing in a very physical class, he may struggle in the breezier conditions. Australia’s Tom Burton will also be a major threat in the Laser. Not only has he had a strong cycle in the fleet, picking up a number of podiums, he’s also had a very close-fought selection battle in

the last year with compatriot, Matt Wearn. Also looking good for a podium position are Germany’s Phillip Buhl and Holland’s Rutger van Schaardenburg.

Laser Radial

Team GB heads to Rio with the incumbent World Champion in all three singlehanded classes after Alison Young took victory in the 2016 World Championship. But realistically she has been far from the most consistent Radial sailor this cycle. We would probably split the consistency award between Marit Bouwmeester (NED), Evi Van Acker (BEL) and to a slightly lesser degree Anne Marie Rindom (DEN). Bouwmeester heads to the Olympics with an impressive list of firsts and seconds at major regattas. She will head to Rio, having secured victory at the Sailing World Cup, Weymouth and Portland, the final major event ahead of the Olympics, as reigning European Laser Radial Champion. Plus in January of 2016 she went to Rio to take part in the Brazilian Radial nationals, which she duly won. Van Acker is a tricky one to place. On the one hand she has won countless World Cup events and has been on the

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JESUS RENEDO/ SOFIA MAPFRE

Finn

With his most recent Gold Cup (world championship) win, Giles Scott became the second most successful Finn sailor of all time – the most successful being his America’s Cup boss, Sir Ben Ainslie. Scott has won the event (this cycle) in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and has also taken victory in the Finn at both the 2014 and 2015 Olympic Test Events. It is worth noting too that in the middle of this cycle Devoti bought out a new design of Finn. Much of the fleet (Scott included) have moved over to the new design, citing its impressive downwind pace. So these consistent wins are in an environment that is anything but. Of all the classes on the Olympic circuit, the Finn seems to specialise

in retaining its sailors and/or keeping people coming back for more. As such, many of the big names hoping to do well at the Olympics are similar to previous Olympiads. Looking back at Y&Y’s form guide ahead of the Olympics in 2012, we picked out Ben Ainslie (GBR), Pieter-Jan Postma (NED), Rafa Trujillo (ESP) and Ivan Gaspic (CRO). Of those four, Ainslie is fully focussed on his AC campaign and 40-year-old Trujillo has moved away from Olympic sailing. Postma and Gaspic, however, both remain strong contenders in the class. Elsewhere, Frenchman Jonathon Loubert is often at the front of the fleet and should be one of Scott’s main contenders, having sailed consistently throughout the cycle. It may seem odd to discuss the 2012 Silver medallist and long term Finn sailor, Jonas Hoegh-Christensen in wild-card terms but many might ask how long can the ‘great Dane’ continue to hop in and out of the class and continue to do well? He quit Finn sailing before the 2012 Games then jumped back into the class to win silver. He then quit

PEDRO MARTINEZ/ SAILING ENERGY/ WORLD SAILING

PEDRO MARTINEZ/ SAILING ENERGY/ ISAF

podium at more regattas than most in the fleet – thus she is currently ranked as world number one. But on the other, her record at the major events always sees her fall just short. She was second at the worlds in 2011, third at the Olympics in 2012 and third at the Worlds in both 2014 and ‘15. She will be looking to break that run in Rio this summer – a venue where she has so far scored a second and a third at the 2014 and 2015 Rio test events respectively.

How long can the ‘great Dane’ hop in and out of the class? Above Evi Van Acker will be looking to break a run of seconds and thirds Top The Nacra 17 is a new class for Rio 2016

again, before briefly stepping back in to qualify his country for the Olympics in 2014 – still unsure of his future plans – and recently committed to the 2016 Games, walking away from the 2016 Gold Cup with a second place. On the one hand it is difficult to imagine time out of the class will not work against him. On the other, most would have been inclined to say the same thing ahead of the London Olympics in 2012.

Nacra 17

The new-for-2016 Nacra 17 represents two factors of Olympic sailing that many in the sport have been pushing for, for years. It is, of course, the reintroduction of the multihull to Olympic sailing following the exclusion of the Tornado from the 2012 Olympic Games – a decision that seemed ill-conceived at the time, and even more so in recent years. But more importantly it also represents the first time in the history of our sport that we have a true mixed class in the Games. The second factor here is the one that

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

PEDRO MARTINEZ/ SAILING ENERGY/ WORLD SAILING

Billy Besson and Marie Riou have taken victory at every worlds

Above Charline Picon is undefeated in Rio Right Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin look strong in the Nacra 17

Poland’s Malgorzata Bialecka is another inconsistent performer. She goes to the Olympic Games as the reigning World Champion, but she has also scored a disappointing 11th position at the Hyeres Sailing World Cup two months later.

PEDRO MARTINEZ/ SAILING ENERGY/ ISAF

RS:X M

has caused significant differences and difficulties in form throughout the cycle. Specifically surrounding the question of which end of the boat was more suited to females and which end more suited to males. It seems the majority but not all teams have settled on the male helmsman and female crew route. Once again in this class, despite it being new to the Olympics and an entirely new class in general, there is a clear standout favourite for gold, the French team of Billy Besson and Marie Riou. The pair team have taken victory at every worlds this cycle, a great number of the top level events and secured a first and a second at the two Olympic test events in Rio. Behind the French, things are rather closer, with the Aussie pair of Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin probably best of the rest and having picked up victory in the 2015 test event in Rio. The Aussies have been on the podium at the Worlds in 2014 and ‘15 and took a fifth in 2016. It certainly seems likely they will be able to strike and take advantage of any sign of weakness from the French. Other big threats for the podium are likely to be reigning European

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

Champions, Brits Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves. Also likely to be challenging for the front of the field are Allan Norregaard and Anette Viborg Andreasen (DEN), Mandy Mulder and Coen de Koning (GER) and Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA)

RS:X W

Charline Picon will hit the start line in Rio knowing she is undefeated at the venue, having scored wins in both test events there. However, results in the later part of 2015 and throughout much of 2016 have not been quite so strong. Britain’s Bryony Shaw has had a strong cycle and heads to South America as one of the strongest contenders. The Brit went into the 2012 games looking fairly strong too and was keen to add to her bronze medal from the 2008 Olympics. However, a disappointing regatta saw Shaw come home in seventh position at her home Olympics. She will go to Rio fired up and keen to make amends. Lilian de Geus (NED) also looks likely to be well in the fight for the podium. She is often on the podium at big events but can also be a little inconsistent.

If Britain’s Nick Dempsey can pick up a medal of any colour this summer, he will officially become the most successful Olympic windsurfer of all time. More often than not, Dempsey can be relied upon to be on or near the podium at big events. However, the Brit does have an odd habit of being either within the top five or outside of the top ten. Hopefully in Rio he has a top five regatta. Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED) probably goes into the Games as the favourite to take gold in the men’s RS:X fleet. The Dutchman is the reigning Olympic Champion, took second at the most recent World Championship. He has also been on the podium at almost every major RS:X event he has attended in the last two years. However, one notable exception is the 2015 Test Event in Rio, where he came away with a very disappointing eighth overall. In pure consistency terms, Piotr Myszka (POL) should be included when looking at podium potentials. He is one of the few sailors in the fleet that can be relatively reliably in the top ten and heading to the Olympics as reigning world champion is a significant bonus. France’s Pierre Le Coq looks set to put up a solid challenge for the podium and has a good record in Rio, with the second and a third at the 2014 and 2015 test events respectively. As with much of the rest of the fleet (both for the men and the women), however, the Frenchman can struggle with consistency, taking victory at the 2015 World Championship, but finishing a disappointing 13th in the event in 2016.

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FEATURE

EILEEN RAMSAY/PPL

OLYMPIC PAST

CLASS ACT I

n the 116 years since sailing was first introduced to the Olympics there have been 50 different Olympic classes. The Finn is probably the most established and highly developed of all Olympic classes having raced at every Games since 1952. Although today’s 10 classes (470 men and women, Finn, 49er, 49erFX, Laser, Laser Radial, Nacra 17 and RS:X men and women) offer a good spread that incorporates most sailing disciplines, the chances of change in the next decade look highly

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

likely, particularly given the sport’s ever-evolving move towards foiling. At the first-ever sailing Olympic Games in Paris in 1900, class divisions were determined by tonnage under the Thames measurement rule and included half ton, half to 1 ton, 1-2 tons, 2-3 tons, 3-10 tons, and 10-20 tons. Interestingly, the announcement to include sailing in the Games happened just four months before the first race but lack of preparation time didn’t stop the British team taking their first

Above The 5.5 Metre was an Olympic class until 1968 Facing page top The Tornado lost its Olympic status after the 2008 Games Facing page bottom The Yngling was the debut women’s keelboat class

medal haul, which included three golds and a bronze. Racing took place on the River Seine at Meulan (20 miles south of Paris) and a total of 42 boats representing six classes participated. Sailing as Olympic sport became established from thereon and - despite one exception – St Louis, Missouri (USA) in 1904 where the venue was deemed too far inland for Europeans to travel to – it has been included at every Games since. In 1908 and 1912 racing took place in Metre classes including the 6,7,8,12,15

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FRANCOIS RICHARD/PPL

The choice of Olympic classes and process of selection has, not surprisingly, always been up for debate and will, no doubt, continue as the sport of sailing develops

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

CHARLES CURREY SAILING ARCHIVE/PPL JAMES ROBINSON TAYLOR/PPL

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ALASTAIR BLACK/PPL

BARRY PICKTHALL / PPL

classes but by 1920 (post World War I) one-design dinghies were introduced so, in addition to the Metre Classes there were classes for 12ft and 18ft dinghies. The first multihull, introduced in 1976, was the Tornado, which was an Olympic class for over 30 years until 2008. Although winning Olympic status is naturally regarded as one of the greatest honours a class can achieve, and generally beneficial for the class all round, it’s a challenge for any class association to re-launch and make a comeback following its Olympic reign. Some of the older designs such as the Dragon and Firefly have successfully survived and the Flying Dutchman is thriving on the international circuit, while other former Olympic classes have not been so successful. In an effort to offer an ‘after life’ for former Olympic candidates and their yachts, and keep the combined history of the former Olympic classes alive, an event known as the

Vintage Yachting Games was launched in 2008. This regatta, which takes place every four years and includes classes such as the Europe, O-Jolle, Flying Dutchman, Tempest, Soling, Dragon, and 5.5 Metre. Over the years there have been some extremely interesting Olympic classes, some of which have gone on to become successful in their own right, and have had an influence on future designs. SNOWBIRD This 11ft dinghy, introduced along with the Star class in 1932, originated in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Although it had more of a Sharpiestyle, chined hull, its forward-stepped mast and large mainsail showed a remarkable resemblance to today’s modern Finn. A fine example of No 1 is on display at the Newport Harbour Nautical Museum, USA. During the class Olympic reign, the boats were supplied by the organisers

Top right The Firefly competing at the 1948 Games in Torquay Top left The 8 Metre was one of the early Olympic classes Above left The Soling class at the Barcelona Olympics Above Rodney Pattisson and Julian BrookeHoughton, gold medal winners in the Flying Dutchman at the 1972 Olympic Games, Kiel

and swapped between helmsmen in each race. The Snowbird however, was replaced by the Olympia-Jolle in 1936, and again by the Firefly in 1948 for the second-ever London Olympics. FRENCH NATIONAL MONOTYPE The French National Monotype also known as the Twelve Voetsjol was the first ever Olympic singlehander. This pretty 12ft dinghy was introduced for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Although there are few of the originals remaining, boatbuilder Jachtwerf de Jong in the Netherlands is still building fine examples of them. FIREFLY The strict one-design Firefly, designed by Uffa Fox in 1946 was an Olympic class in 1948 but because it was a doublehander being raced as a singlehander for the London Games it was, not surprisingly, deemed

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OLYMPIC PAST

SILVIO SANDONINI

FEATURE

unsuitable for purpose. It was, however, the class in which Paul Elvstrøm won the first of his four gold medals. There can be few ex-Olympic boats, however, to match the popularity of this lightweight, 12ft racer. As a simple, relatively low cost dinghy, the Firefly became an instant hit with young sailors, many of whom went on to win world championships or race at the Olympics. During the 1980s the class was so popular particularly on the second-hand market and it wasn’t unusual to see 100 boats at the national championship. DRAGON The Dragon was also introduced as an Olympic class in 1948 as was the Swallow. While the Swallow’s brush with the Olympics was short lived the Dragon survived as an Olympic class for seven events until 1972 when it was superseded by the Soling. When the Dragon was introduced

The Dragon is now one of the largest active keelboat classes in the world as an Olympic keelboat class in 1948 however, it was an instant success because it was already established in most major yachting nations. When it lost Olympic status it didn’t fade away like many other ex-Olympic classes, but continued to grow. With careful development over the years, the Dragon is now one of the largest active keelboat classes in the world. 12-SQUARE METRE SHARPIE The two-person 12-Square Metre Sharpie was the first ever Olympic doublehanded class when it was introduced in 1956 but was superseded by the Flying Dutchman at the following Games in 1960. Numbers dwindled post Olympics but thanks to a strong, established class association,

Above The O-Jolle, designed for the 1936 Olympics, is still a popular class in Germany and The Netherlands

there are now approximately 60 sharpies racing in the UK plus fleets in Holland, Germany and Portugal. As well as open meetings, mainly in the Norfolk area, the class holds an annual national championship, a European championship hosted in rotation by England, Holland, Germany and Portugal where over 50 boats regularly take part. FLYING DUTCHMAN The Flying Dutchman has to be one of the most elegant Olympic classes ever designed, and it was in this class that British sailing legends Keith Musto won silver, in Tokyo, Japan at the 1964 Olympics, and Rodney Pattison won gold in 1968 and 1972. Although, like many former

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

OLYMPIC PAST

FEATURE

Daggerboards (weighing in at 4kg) had to be carried over the sailors’ shoulders

Above The Mistral windsurfer was used for three Olympic Games

SILVIO SANDONINI

Left The Europe dinghy was the first-ever women’s singlehander

Olympic classes, numbers dwindled post de-selection, the class worked hard to continue to establish fleets around the world. At this year’s world championship in Steinhude, Germany there were an impressive 113 entries. TEMPEST The Tempest made its Olympic debut in 1972 as did the Soling but with more new classes such as the 470 and Tornado introduced in 1976 the Tempest lost its status after the 1980 Games – the year America’s Cup specialist Dennis Conner won a bronze. Now 51 years old, the Ian Proctordesigned Tempest keelboat continues to attract a small but loyal following in the UK with fleet in Ullswater and Carsington. Other major fleets are located in Switzerland, North America, Germany, France, Austria, and Australia, and the class world championship is taking place from 9-15 July at Cowes Classic Week.

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

WINDGLIDER The first ever sailboard – the Windglider – was introduced as the seventh Olympic class in 1984 for the Los Angeles Games. It was a strict onedesign and served the purpose but four years of development resulted in the Division II taking the sailboard slot in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. Interestingly, the use of a harness was not permitted, and even more alarming was the fact that daggerboards (weighing in at 4kg) had to be carried over the sailors’ shoulders downwind. EUROPE The 11ft Europe, designed by Alois Roland in 1960 was originally built under the rules of the International Moth. Its popularity as a lightweight singlehander helped to earn its place as the first-ever Olympic women’s singlehander in 1992. It was however, replaced by the Laser Radial for the 2008 Games.

YNGLING The Yngling was the debut women’s keelboat class in 2004. At 20ft 10in LOA, it was the smaller sister to the Soling, which made it the natural choice for Olympic selection. However, its Olympic status remained for two Games only (2004, 2008) before being replaced by the Elliot 6 for the women’s match racing in London 2012. There is now no women’s keelboat in the current Olympic class line-up.

DID YOU KNOW? nnThe UK won three gold medals and a bronze at the first sailing Olympics in Paris in 1900 nnThe first sailing Olympic format included four races with no discard nnMoney prizes in addition to medals were awarded to helmsman and crew in 1900 nnThe first London Games were in 1908, the sailing venues were Ryde (Isle of Wight), and the Firth of Clyde (Scotland) for the 12M class nnThe UK won gold in every class at the London Games in 1908 nnIn 1936, 26 nations took part nnThe first year all six Olympic classes were one-designs was 1972

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PREDICT THE UNPREDICTABLE Guanabara Bay looks set to deliver a variety of conditions in a venue that is notoriously hard to understand

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

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FEATURE

WORLD SAILING

io is without doubt one of the most difficult and unpredictable venues we have seen for sailing at the Olympic Games, certainly in the modern era. Initially, it was thought to be an almost exclusively light wind venue, similar to Qingdao in 2008, but with the significant local topography of mountains and high-rise buildings adding to the difficulty, causing unpredictable shift patterns. However, over the course of the Olympic cycle, as teams have spent more time practising at the venue and a greater number of events have taken place there, it has become increasingly clear that, though it can be light – and the innermost courses suffer from serious land effects – it can also be windy and very wavy. It is the sort of venue you are only going to master by spending as much

time as possible in and it is likely, even in the modern era, that teams will scarcely have scratched the surface of what the venue can deliver at its extremes. As if the changeable wind was not enough to deal with, the variation in tide Rio has is yet another addition that is hard to get to grips with. “I’ve experienced similar strength before, and China was a very tidal venue for example, but Rio is something else… It is so unpredictable and getting your head around it all is a massive challenge,” explained Britain’s Nick Dempsey following one of the team’s early training camps at the venue. Not only are the tidal strengths variable but the bay itself is very geographically complex and the water swirls around inside it. Sometimes you can actually see the tide, other times you can’t, but there’s no mistaking it’s there. However, Dempsey believes that,

OLYMPIC VENUE

in spite of the difficulties it will cause, it will not be the tide that will prove the deciding factor in performance in Rio, it will be that fickle wind. Anyone who has seen footage of the sailing test events in Rio will be aware of the stunning scenery on offer. It is also no secret that both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Sailing (formerly ISAF) are very keen on the visual aspect of the venue but to a degree, it is that very scenery that is likely to cause difficulties. The wind comes between the mountains, around the mountains, over the mountains, and it can, at times, be difficult to understand where it’s going to come from next. Usually shifts oscillate in a readable and understandable fashion but in Rio, particularly in those courses closest to the shore, the timing and severity of shifts can, we are told, seem almost random.

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

FEATURE

PEDRO MARTINEZ / SAILING ENERGY

OLYMPIC VENUE

the severely polluted bay. There have been incidents of sailors hitting rubbish in the bay and spates of illness and infection following the completion of test events held at the venue. Officially, World Sailing has declared itself satisfied with preparations for the Olympics but even within the organisation there have been problems. Peter Sowrey, then recently appointed CEO of the organisation, stepped down from the role claiming later that he was forced out after lobbying to move the event to cleaner but less spectacular waters. World Sailing itself recently stated that: “The health and safety of sailors competing at Rio 2016 is paramount and World Sailing remain focused on delivering an excellent Olympic Sailing Competition on a safe and fair field of play.” As with the wind and the tide in Rio, the water quality is yet another variable that can change day by day. Significant rain and breeze coming from the land

Above The Copacabana course should see some decent waves Below The venue offers fantastic scenery

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

washes sewage, waste and rubbish out into the bay and could render the sailing there very difficult. If this is the case there is some scope to move many of the races further offshore. By now all the teams are almost certainly on top of their procedures to prevent illness both in the build up and during the course of the Olympic Games. Worries certainly still exist surrounding flotsam becoming tangled up with foils but even in this area it seems concerns have been somewhat mollified. Most teams seem to have concluded that, although things are unlikely to be perfect, they are not likely to be as bad as once feared.

COURSES

WORLD SAILING

SEWAGE SITUATION As part of the development taking place ahead of the Games, the base for sailing, the Maria de Gloria has undergone a €17 million refit and, where Rio’s residents and visitors were previously barred from entry, the site has been (and will once again be following the Games) opened up to the public who will have access to new leisure facilities. As well as being expanded and redesigned, the marina has been completely integrated with Flamengo Park, one of the most popular leisure areas in Rio. Located on Guanabara Bay, where the racing will take place, Marina da Glória was one of the few Olympic venues completed ahead of time. Yet despite the delivery of the marina there remains significant controversy over the cleanliness of the water in Guanabara Bay. As part of Rio’s bid to host the Games, in addition the marina development, there was also a promise to clean up

Pão de Açucar – Closest to the shore and right in the mouth of Gunabara Bay. This is the course scheduled for use for Medal Racing. Winds will be shifty Escola Naval – Situated in the mouth of Guanabara Bay and next to Pão de Açucar again likely to see fickle breeze Aeroporto – Right in the narrowest part of Guanabara Bay’s mouth and, as the name implies, set just off the Airport to Marina de Gloria’s north northeast Ponte – The northernmost of the courses and set furthest inside Guanabara Bay. Likely to be one of the least regularly used courses due to difficult tides and winds coupled

with a location away from the crowds Niterói – The largest course area outside Guanabara Bay and easternmost of all the courses. Should be least affected by waste and provide some big waves Copacabana – Unsurprisingly located just off Copacabana beach. The course area sits within sight of the famous sugarloaf and is in the mouth of Guanabara Bay. Likely to be a popular course providing spectacular imagery Pai – Located outside of Guanabara Bay and further out to sea than both Copacabana and Niterói. This is the reserve course to be used in very light winds in the bay or if waste is an issue inshore

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FOILS FOILED?

JAMES BOYD takes a look at lessons

learned for the IMOCA 60 fleet in the New York –Vendée race

PHOTOL LLOYD IMAGES/HUGO BOSS

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

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FEATURE

NEW YORK – VENDÉE

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

Above Alex Thomson’s Hugo Boss heads away from the start in New York

PHOTO OCSPORT

Left Jean-Pierre Dick’s StMichel-Virbac is effectively a Mk2 new generation IMOCA

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

Pieter Heerema had lined-up against top IMOCA teams. Heerema has been racing competitively all his life from IOR boats to Dragons and the RC44 class. For his first ambitious foray into singlehanded offshore racing (culminating in this year’s Vendée Globe), he had planned a lo-tech campaign until a gleaming new VPLP-Verdier design became available: “If you walk into a car park and someone says you can ‘take what you want’, you’ll probably take the Ferrari, not the Vauxhall!” It was also the first time Japan’s Kojiro Shiraishi had competed in the IMOCA 60s. His Spirit of Yukoh was formerly Alex Thomson’s steed which came third place in the last Vendée Globe. Finishing was vital for Shiraishi, Japan’s only three time round the world sailor, for his Vendée Globe qualification. Similarly Conrad Colman’s 100% Natural Energy was making its debut, the Kiwi-American skipper running an eco campaign on a boat that will generate power from its main propeller. Among the six new boats, No Way Back, plus Morgan Lagravière’s Safran and Armel le Cléac’h’s Banque Populaire are technically Mk1 versions of the latest VPLP-Verdier IMOCA 60 design, the latter two built by CDK Technologies. Jean-Pierre Dick’s StMichel-Virbac and the Seb Josse-skippered Edmond

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FEATURE

NEW YORK – VENDÉE

de Rothschild are slightly narrower Mk2 versions, both built by Multiplast, while Alex Thomson describes the new Hugo Boss, built by Green Marine, as a Mk3 design that’s narrower again. Seb Josse explains it: “The idea is that you are better in transitions: If the wind drops 5 knots, you don’t need to make a sail change, you can keep going, because the boat’s a little lighter with less drag.” But of course it’s the 60’s dramatic new foils that are in the public eyes. These perform similarly to the latest AC catamaran foils: They are ‘dual function’, providing both lateral resistance to prevent leeway and also vertical lift, which in turn has twin benefits. Beneath the boat it reduces wetted surface to the extent that at times the hull is ‘flying’ from the bow back to aft of the keel. Meanwhile vertical lift to leeward, increases righting moment. At present the IMOCA 60 foils come in different sizes, with different shaped tips and tip-shaft angles, straight shafts and curved shafts, etc. Maître CoQ’s foils have a skeg on their bottom while Hugo Boss’ foils have a small gate, which aims water to flow pass beneficially across the foil rather than up or down it. Most of the new generation boats suffered structural issues to varying degrees during last autumn’s Transat Jacques Vabre, related to their

THIERRY MARTINEZ/GITANA

LLOYD IMAGES/HUGO BOSS

At times the hull is ‘flying’ from the bow back to aft of the keel

Above Seb Josse had a strong race, pulling into Les Sables d’Olonne in second

boards and/or to their ‘monolithic’ carbon fibre hull construction. Both have had to be substantially beefed up on all the boats since. Going into the New York – Vendée (Les Sables d’Olonne) Race, Banque Populaire and Edmond de Rothschild were most proven of the new boats. Banque Pop was the only one to finish the Transat Jacques Vabre and had just won the Transat Bakerly solo race

from Plymouth to New York, while Edmond de Rothschild was first in December’s St Barth-Port la Forêt. They were also the most developed – both teams are concurrently developing new maxi-trimarans and have personnel numbers half-way to those of America’s Cup campaigns. The most talked about boat in North Cove was Alex Thomson’s mean-looking Hugo Boss. This was the boat that

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

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FEATURE

NEW YORK – VENDÉE

MAITRE COQ

Almost all of the boats suffered some collisions, most with substantial marine life

suffered most in the TJV when, as her crew was waiting for some particularly nasty weather to pass in the Bay of Biscay, the boat was rolled. Over the winter she has been fully repaired and significantly strengthened. Hugo Boss is noticeably different in having a huge chamfer around her foredeck. Her black foils, are by far the largest and, extending by more than 3m from her all-black hull, look like something created by Caligula to decapitate Christians. In fact the boards are so long, their inboard ends protrude through the foredeck. The tip-shaft angle of the Hugo Boss foils is larger than the other boat’s foils, improving the foil’s vertical lift component but at the expense of lateral resistance. We don’t know the equivalent numbers for Hugo Boss, but on Edmond de Rothschild, Seb Josse says the part of each foil preventing leeway is around 1.8m2 compared to 4m2 for a straight daggerboard. After a dummy start beneath the Manhattan skyline, the New York – Vendée (Les Sables d’Olonne) Race set off properly from a line off Sandy Hook, in a pea-soup fog. So dense was

the fog that on the committee boat, Race Director Jacques Caraes only saw three boats start… Intermittent fog would affect competitors for the first few days of the race. Crossing the Atlantic today is a great deal more complicated than it was for the first great west to east transatlantic race held exactly 150 years ago. For the New York – Vendée there were Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS) to avoid on both sides of the Atlantic, plus an ice exclusion zone that extended all the way down to 43°N to keep boats away from icebergs drifting south and the fishing fleet and fog of the Grand Banks. In the event, the only boat to come close to this zone was Hugo Boss. More controversial was the passing of another exclusion zone, east of Nantucket, around the Nantucket Shoals, described as a ‘whale critical habitat’ (WCH). At the time the IMOCA 60s were attempting to stay south of another TSS (taking shipping south of the Nantucket Shoals), some 40 miles south of the WCH. Nonetheless almost all of the boats suffered some collisions, most with substantial marine life. It became Russian roulette as to

Above Jérémie Beyou’s Maître CoQ is an older generation IMOCA fitted with new lifting foils. He was first across the finish line

which boats survived and which didn’t. Ultimately five boats turned north towards Newport, Rhode Island to effect repairs: Quéguiner - Leucémie Espoir, Safran, No Way Back, BanquePopulaire and StMichel-Virbac. At the time all had been on starboard tack, the collisions damaging their port boards/ foils. Four of these incidents occurred within four hours (between 0440 and 0820 EST the day after the start) with StMichel-Virbac’s collision coming later. All but Quéguiner - Leucémie Espoir were new boats and after putting into Newport, all removed their broken or damaged daggerboard/foil and sealed over the aperture in the hull, limping back towards France with only their starboard daggerboard/foil intact. Worst affected was Safran, on which the foil had twisted fore and aft in its case. After the collision, skipper Morgan Lagravière had rushed up on deck and tacked: “But between the crash and the tack was maybe 20 seconds, but with a big hole in the hull maybe one tonne of water came in. It took me two hours to pump it out…” Later Lagravière admitted that he felt like he was going through similar trauma to

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

NEW YORK – VENDÉE

FEATURE

Above Alex Thomson has a fast boat on his hands Left Tanguy de Lamotte and his Initiatives Coer leave New York

someone who’d experienced a car crash. With several of the frontrunners ‘taken out’, and with early leader, Vincent Riou’s PRB, heading for the Azores to repair a leak and some power issues, this left a three horse race at the front. On day two Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss pulled into the lead, having successfully made it past the Nantucket Shoals despite Hugo Boss suffering four collisions, one of them significant. On day three, due south of the ice gate, the front runners diverged with Thomson heading north, where he eventually shaved the southeast corner of the ice gate, while Edmond de Rothschild and Maître CoQ were engaged in a match race to the south.

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

At the time the boats were working out their tactics for dealing with a substantial static depression they were due to encounter east of the ice gate. With several depression centres coming together, this had the makings of a ‘Perfect Storm’ but was fortunately in deep water some 600 miles northwest of the Azores. Typically on faster offshore boats, the technique is to reach in towards the centre of depression and reach out, however Alex Thomson’s routing took him close to the depression’s centre. En route, while sailing downwind in 40kt, Hugo Boss’ autopilot stopped steering, causing the boat to round up and crash tack, leaving sails, keel, ballast, foils, all on the wrong side.

Thomson managed to get the boat back on her ‘feet’ and then, with his shore team in Gosport, went through a lengthy process, to establish what had gone wrong (a faulty GPS input). Sadly after passing the south of the depression into more clement conditions, the system began to move east, giving the front runners another pasting before heading off north. While Hugo Boss’ lead had been 100+ miles, the knock-down and the second gale caused this to evaporate. After the two gales, the race took on yet another dimension as an area of high pressure parked over the Bay of Biscay. In light or no wind, the leaders covered only around 350 miles over the final two days. Eventually the wind filled in from the south and rewarded Beyou’s Maître CoQ with line honours, while Edmond de Rothschild and Hugo Boss followed into Les Sables d’Olonne’s famous channel, finishing two hours 28 minutes and four hours and 41 minutes behind respectively. Thomson said of his new steed’s shake-down: “The foils are fantastic. They change everything: In flat water they make a massive difference – five knots quicker. In waves it’s less, maybe only two or three knots faster than the old boat. It’s the future, there’s no doubt. I think sailing upwind the difference is quite small – the old boat

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FEATURE

NEW YORK – VENDÉE

Going to the toilet is virtually impossible I promise you, this boat scares me

Above Paul Meilhat’s SMA was the first boat without new foils in fourth place Right Starting in New York is a sponsors’ dream Right below Thomson celebrates his third place

THIERRY MARTINEZ/HUGO BOSS

was probably slightly faster than the new one, but now reaching and downwind, this boat is much, much faster. “The only problem for the foilers is hitting something in the water, and this race was terrible for that. “In the big storm, I had the full foil out and was averaging nearly 30 knots. I was scared, so I brought the foil in, just to try and slow down….” Life on board is also unpleasant: “It’s seriously uncomfortable. I crawl like a baby on my hands and knees. If you let go for a second, you’ll go down a wave, the boat will stop and you’ll be at the front of the boat. Going to the toilet is virtually impossible and sleeping is very hard too. I promise you, this boat scares me – and that’s coming from me…” All the collisions that took place are being assessed, but it is hard to see how this can be legislated against in the future other than positioning waypoints further away from exclusion zones. Given the range of conditions and the serious broad reaching they experienced, the New York – Vendée was a valuable test going into November’s main event. However, teams with new generation foils fitted must be contemplating their vulnerability. Yet with just four months left to go until the start of the Vendée Globe, it would be a big call if any teams opt to make a return to the older more sturdy foil arrangement at this late stage.

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

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INTERVIEW

STUART CHILDERLEY

STUART CHILDERLEY The world champion, Olympian and offshore winner, turned coach and race official, talks to RUPERT HOLMES who also learns about transferrable skill sets in sailing and business

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tuart Childerley retains a huge passion for the sport that has helped shape much of his life. His many successes include two Etchells World titles, two Olympic fourth places in the Finn class and a leg win in the Volvo Ocean Race. More recently, a short campaign saw him and Kelvin Rawlings take fourth overall, winning the doublehanded class, in last year’s Rolex Fastnet Race. Yet despite this, and his considerable influence in the sport, Childerley is humble about being selected for a Y&Y profile. “I’ve already turned 50, isn’t it just a big slide down the hill after that?” he jokes. I counter that by saying that, even in the Vendée Globe Race – arguably the biggest physical challenge in the sporting world – there are plenty of successful skippers in their 40s and 50s. “That’s a mental and endurance challenge as well,” he replies. “You can be fit at 50, but experience really counts. A lot is about pacing yourself, a bit like in our doublehanded campaign, and in identifying and working though the key aspects.

“Most things I do I ask: ‘What will make the biggest differences?’ I’m quite process driven, so I tend to be pretty clear on: ‘this is what I want to achieve. This is the timespan I have. Therefore this is what I need to do.’” As an example, Childerley cites the Etchells sailing he did last year, achieving fourth place in the worlds with owner/driver Jeremy Thorp. “We only had 14 months in the boat… I was reasonably clear about what we had to do within the timescales we had. So it was about prioritising those objectives

so you know you’re working on the aspects that will make the most difference in the shortest time. PROCESS “The doublehanded campaign came about as thinking ‘we need a bit of a challenge, what can we do?’ We all need little challenges once in a while and for me it was great – I learnt so much. Yes Kelvin and I knew how to sail – we’ve done a huge amount together – and we’ve raced offshore, but we learnt right at the beginning that

We all need little challenges once in a while and for me it was great – I learnt so much and driving the programme to get the best out of the time available.” Timescales are something he keeps coming back to: being realistic about what can be achieved in a certain timescale, while being certain the correct key objectives are identified,

we couldn’t take all that for granted.” After collecting Jester from Germany, they had problems with gear failure and poor weather. On reaching Holland, they trucked the boat the rest of the distance to the Solent. “It was a really good learning

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

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INTERVIEW

PETER BENTLEY

Left Childerley in his heyday as a Finn sailor

What we lacked in terms of preparation we made up through sheer determination in really good shape. Our focus then was to do more work with sail handling and crossovers. During the Fastnet, knowing when to drop a reef in, when to change from a light to a medium jib came to the fore. Both Kelvin and I are pretty driven in a boat, so what we lacked in terms of preparation [a really good pilot and weather routing] we made up through sheer determination. That level of drive certainly paid off – although conscious of the need to pace themselves, at least one of the pair was hiking for much of the distance. After more than 100 hours of racing they beat the 2013 overall winner Pascal Loison’s JPK10.10 Night and Day by just 14 seconds on corrected time.

Barcelona in 1992) was an achievement in its own right. “I’m driven, want to win and be successful, but at the same time I need to make sure the fun card is happening – if it doesn’t I know the balance won’t be right,” he explains. “Without majoring on it too much, there are a couple of times I’ve lost perspective – if you lose that, it’s hard.” Childerley is also justifiably proud of the time he spent campaigning his own boats in the Etchells class, always finishing in the top five in the worlds and winning the championship twice. “It was great racing and I really enjoyed the Etchells Worlds – winning for the first time was good, and winning it the following year in New Zealand was very special.” Despite these successes on the international stage he still comes over as being grounded. “Last year I went back to my home club, Staunton Harold SC in Derbyshire, for the club’s 40th anniversary, sailing a Fireball for the day. It was really special to go back there and relive the dream. A lot of my whole life and career path has stemmed out from sailing – it was my escape from school. For me, unfortunately, school was rubbish, so I was very happy to step out of it. In addition to sailing, I also spent a couple of years working on a dairy farm, before I left school at 17.” The lessons learnt and skill sets developed through competitive sailing would subsequently stand Childerley in good stead during his business career. This started through developing a family business, which he grew into a successful and profitable company. When the business was sold it gave him the opportunity to work at director level in big corporations. How much overlap is there between the different disciplines of sailing he’s done and the business world? “It’s

ACHIEVEMENT What does Childerley see as his biggest achievements in sailing? “I’ve been very lucky – I’ve done some fantastic racing, including two legs of the Volvo on NewsCorp. We won the Miami-Baltimore leg, before breaking the 24-hour record distance record crossing the Atlantic, but then Illbruck broke our new record three hours later. It was just so exciting doing all of that – it was very special.” He also jokes that getting over the disappointment of his two fourth places in the Olympics (at Seoul in 1988 and

RICK TOMLINSON

experience – a reminder that you need to be prepared and know and research what you’re letting yourself in for. “In a way that experience restarted us with the right frame of mind. The important thing was identifying the bits that would give the best return in the shortest period of time. We spent a lot of time preparing the boat on shore, putting effort into ensuring it wasn’t going to break, and made sure we were well briefed in terms of weather and our game plan for the race. “The preparation leading up to the St Malo race was great. We did a bit of sailing for a couple of afternoons to check the new sails, threw some routes in and started to do everything properly. Very quickly we learnt that two of us could race the boat well, but we still needed to be sure we could get the boat through everything that might be thrown at us – gybing, how best to put in a reef, change headsails and all those sort of things. We were on a steep learning curve. “The St Malo race was a classic, beautiful race with a lovely spinnaker reach pretty much all the way, before the wind got up just before the finish. We were always learning and after sailing back to Cowes in race mode, we said that if we just took half of what we learned into the Fastnet we would be

STUART CHILDERLEY

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

INTERVIEW

DANIEL FORSTER

STUART CHILDERLEY

I get a buzz from bringing something to an event that improves the experience

GIVING SOMETHING BACK “The passionate side of me knows I’ve got a lot out of the sport and I really want that to continue for others. I’ve found coaching very inspiring in terms of being able to help people and it’s very satisfying now my kids (aged 13 and 16) are an age that they’ve started asking really good questions.” However, Childerley also identifies a danger in confining youngsters to “… training, training, training. As soon as they start to drop out when they’re not making squads, they don’t come back into sailing – they just disappear. “There’s a risk that will make the sport much poorer in the future. I think the RYA recognise that now, but it’s a big thing to undo. Kids these days are pulled away from clubs to spend a huge amount of time travelling, often without returning to a home club afterwards. When I was growing up I’d always be very pleased to get back to Staunton

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

Harold. It was great to get back racing among your mates, into the social scene and to share the lessons you learnt. “There are still some very strong clubs with a great family environment – like Hayling Island, Itchenor and Staunton Harold – but we don’t have the depth of infrastructure of really good club environments that we did 20 years ago. That’s really sad and worrying – we need to do something about it.”

Below A good sailing background is important to understand how to run a good race

RACE MANAGEMENT “I got into race management when my children sailed Optimists. I was determined not to get in a RIB and coach from the sidelines, and I’m not good at standing on shore drinking

RICK TOMLINSON

huge, all my skill sets I carry from one project to another, whether that’s Etchells racing, doublehanded offshore, business or race management. Being driven, focused and identifying where you should put your time and effort to get the best reward, applies equally in life, in business and in sailing.”

Above Childerley and Kelvin Rawlings took an impressive fourth overall in last year’s Fastnet sailing the J/105 Jester doublehanded

coffee. So I went afloat, pulled a few flags and realised race management is an important role that’s closely aligned to sailing skills. I’m a very strong believer that you need a good sailing background to understand how to run good racing. “My perspective on race management is that I’m sailing the race just as much as the sailors. That’s a different perspective to a lot of people, but a good sense of what’s happening with the conditions – tide, wind and so on – can help neutralise some aspects of a biased race course. It’s also important to be able to anticipate what’s going to happen next, which is exactly what you do when you’re sailing. “It’s a great challenge and very rewarding – I get a buzz from bringing something to an event that improves the experience for sailors. I try to work hard with [race management] teams to make sure our delivery to the sailors is consistent and fair, with very strong communication with the sailors of what I’m thinking, seeing and intending to do. That tends to take everyone with you, whether the decision turns out to be right or wrong. “On the downside, it’s a more political arena – in sailing and business your success is recognised through profit, growth or race results, but there’s not such a direct metric in race management.” LOOKING AHEAD Childerley’s approach to race management seems to have struck a chord – he’s almost fully booked 12 months ahead, working on a wide range of events, including the Hamble Winter Series, Etchells winter series in Miami, Antigua Race Week and Key West. With some of these events he’s responsible for more than simply running the racing, having an input into helping improve the overall delivery of the event. He’s also race director for the new Fast 40+ class in the Solent. “We’re working hard on that and it’s been very successful, but as with other classes we need to find a way to bring the tail of the fleet up towards the head. While there are some very good teams, some are weaker and either they will get fed up of being near the back, or they will want some help. We need to make sure we don’t end up with an A and a B league and are working hard on that. Although the overall standard in the fleet is good, but there’s a significant jump in terms of manoeuvres, how hard teams hike and so on.

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DINGHY ANNIVERSARIES

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

FEATURE

yachtsandyachting.co.uk

THE BIG SIX DAVID HENSHALL

N TOM GRUITT

takes a look at some key dinghy class anniversaries, and discovers why a year ending in six is so special

umerologists love to have fun with the number six, claiming that it has many special connections with nature and positivity. However, in the real world of dinghy sailing, it seems that the number six really is special, for if the year has ended in a six, then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very often a year of note. In terms of the Olympic Games, a six in the year means medals for the Great British sailors, with notable performances ranging from Peter Scottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard-fought bronze medal in the O-Jolle singlehander in the 1936 Berlin Games, to a young Ben Ainslie taking silver in the Laser class at Atlanta 60 years later in 1996. In addition, many of our most iconic dinghies have been launched in a six-year, with both the Firefly and Merlin/Merlin Rocket being launched

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

owning a boat was one of the top aspirations for the ‘working man’

PPL MEDIA

purpose” than the GP14, which was seen as being too race orientated.

in 1946. In a revealing example of how quickly post-war dinghy sailing was developing, move on another decade to 1956, and the dinghy scene was about to take a quantum leap forward. In those intervening 10 years, most of the growth came in either the restricted development classes or in the hardchined, one-designs, a field dominated by boats from the pen of Jack Holt. Holt, known with good cause as the ‘Wizard of Putney’, had set out with boats such as the Cadet, GP14 and Hornet that were easy to build and easy to sail. He reasoned that if sailors

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

Above A prototype of the easy-to-build sliding seat Hornet Top right The ‘racy’ Jack Holt-designed, hard-chined GP14

could build one of these boats in their garage (though often they were built in the lounge) that they were now ready for something more advanced. His thoughts were also being driven by a new commission from a surprise source; the News Chronicle daily newspaper. The News Chronicle were aware that a recently-conducted survey had found that owning a boat was one of the top aspirations for the ‘working man’. Jack Holt was the obvious choice of designer, given the success of his GP14, but the stipulation from the News Chronicle was that the boat was to be “more general

A NEW ENTERPRISE Drawing on all his experience, Holt came up with a hull that was less boxy than that of the GP14 and instead was lighter, beamier and flatter. Crucially, Holt was to move away from his previous hard chined hulls to a far more advanced double-chine form. Although harder to build, he reasoned that it would be within the capabilities of the DIY builder. The prototype was built at the Holt workshop at Ranelagh, where work was also in hand sorting out the rig. Holt, who had worked throughout the years of wartime shortages, had a strong sense of not wasting anything and as he had a bolt of blue sailcloth left over from another project, it made sense to use this on the new boat. Courtesy of deck mounted handles, the first ‘News Chronicle Enterprise’ was carried down from the workshop and launched into the Thames, where the boat immediately showed some superb handling characteristics, being fast to tack and quick to accelerate. Holt was aware though of the original criteria calling for the boat to be multi-functional. Holt and his business partner Beecher Moore then decided that the way to demonstrate the versatility of the new

yachtsandyachting.co.uk

DINGHY ANNIVERSARIES

ANDY GREEN

FEATURE

a trio of Mikes – Holmes, McNamara and Rimmer – demonstrating that top class dinghy racing was as much a cerebral activity as a physical one. The boats, however, were changing and, although early efforts to make them in glassfibre were not successful, in more recent times the adoption of composite construction and then the development of the Rondar Mark 3 boat with the simplified mouldings and self-draining cockpit, have brought the boat right up to date. With over 23,000 boats sold, the Enterprise celebrates its 60th year with a special running of the Tideway Race on the Thames, and a birthday national championship.

Above Sixty years old and still going strong. The Enterprise class offers exciting racing for all the family Below The GP14 class still attracts big numbers on the world circuit

GOING SOLO Still in that mega year of 1956, Holt’s pragmatic approach to dinghy development was about to take yet another step forward. The Enterprise hull shape was clearly an advance on the old hard chine hull forms, which gave the designer an easy solution for his next project. The singlehanded scene in the UK was very poorly served; the Finn was the Olympic boat, the OK the de facto trainer for the Finn, but on the domestic scene there was little to choose from other than the British Moth and a few International Moths. Seeing the opportunity for an advanced singlehander, aimed

MIKE RICE

boat was to sail it across the English Channel to France. Enterprise 1 and 2 were rigged on Dover Beach by the light of flares, before launching into the darkness at 0330. It was as well that Holt had recruited top helmsman Bruce Banks to lead the sailing, as Banks was able to both sail and navigate when conditions got murky. This was something of a saving grace for the crew on the following press boat who had been over-indulging and would have been completely lost had they not been able to follow the blue sails into the harbour at Calais. Holt may have intended the Enterprise as a general-purpose dinghy but the changing nature of dinghy racing in the UK would determine another future for the Enterprise. As the country emerged from the era of austerity into the swinging ‘60s, one of the key driving forces was the emergence of the inland sailing club. On any bit of water big enough to squeeze in a course, sailing would be taking place and the Enterprise was the right boat at the right time. Without the complication of a spinnaker, the nimble Enterprise was the perfect boat for tight competition and by 1971 the class would receive full international recognition. Little wonder that the class developed a new breed of championship sailor, with the likes of

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

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The powerful rig required the helmsman to work hard upwind but Holt’s clever design had angled the side decks to make hiking easier, while offwind the easily driven hull form made for sparkling performance. With home building very much in mind, Holt gave the Solo a small bow transom, which made completing the hull easier. SUCCESS The same factors that had helped drive the growth in the Enterprise also fed into the Solo class with strong Solo fleets appearing at clubs inland, at sea locations as well as spreading across

Above The OK was seen as the main non-Olympic singlehander Below left and right The clever angled side decks were designed to make hiking easier

the North Sea to the Netherlands and further afield to Australia. The further development of the Solo closely followed that of the Enterprise, with the early glassfibre hulls being heavy and soft. This didn’t hold back the growth of the Solo because the class was strongly supported by a number of first-rate builders. Also, although the main activity in the UK dinghy scene was still in doublehanders, the Solo thrived through the 60s. It also helped that the Solo had enjoyed a full 15 years of established sailing before the Laser phenomena arrived to revolutionise the single-handed scene. Far from the total one-design ethos of the Laser, the Solo, although a onedesign, allowed almost total freedom to individualise the boat. It would be this freedom that would see the boat appealing to a wide cross section of helmsmen. With one of the widest helmsmen weight ranges of any of the small to mid size singlehanders, the Solo really was becoming just about the ‘boat for everyman’. At a time when other classes were struggling, the Solo, which was now allowing epoxy construction, started to experience a new lease of life. With the low rig tensions and superbly-built, strong hulls, the new breed of fibre reinforced plastic boats displayed an amazing degree of longevity, making them an attractive investment for sailors. As the Solo fleet look forward to their anniversary championship at Pwllheli SC (17-22 July), they remain the shining example of how a superbly managed Class Association can keep their boat ahead of the competition. Over the past 60 years the Solo, the most popular domestic singlehanded dinghy in the UK, continues to see off all comers that might want a slice of their market share.

SOLO CLASS

DAVID HENSHALL

squarely at the domestic dinghy scene, Holt took the double-chine shape, flattened the hull out even further, and dropped the hull length down to just under 12ft 6in. The advantage of being first to do something is that you get your choice of the best of the names, with Holt being free to christen his new boat the Solo, which pretty much defined the class as the singlehander to be in. Once again Holt showed his penchant for recycling, when the boat was ready for testing he had a Hornet mainsail sitting idle, so with some judicious re-cutting, the Solo was born with a fully-battened mainsail.

DINGHY ANNIVERSARIES

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

FEATURE

SIMON MCILWAINE

DINGHY ANNIVERSARIES

The Laser still carries the Olympic torch but it is the Solo that has the homegrown appeal that keeps driving growth. MORE TO COME 1956 really was a vintage year for, in addition to the Enterprise and Solo, the year saw three other enduring designs that cover the whole range of the sailing scene. Ian Proctor came up with the 11ft Gull, while Canvey Island-based Prout brothers finally settled on the layout of the Shearwater III, the catamaran that would do so much to popularise multihull sailing. However, this wasn’t the only multihull making its debut in 1956, as during the year the IYRU (ISAF/World Sailing) would found the ‘A Division Catamaran Class’ and 60

years on, the A Class Cat can now rival the International Moth for being at the leading edge of innovative development. It is interesting that if 1956 saw so much activity in the previously under represented singlehanded world, you can then fast forward 20 years to 1976, when another of the iconic singlehanders, the Ian Proctor’s Topper arrived and revolutionised the manner in which dinghies could be produced. During visits to the USA, Proctor had been impressed with the scows he saw sailing there, along with the relative cheapness of the commercially-produced, and hugely popular Sunfish dinghy. On his return to the UK Proctor produced the Topper, which was originally built in fibregalss and

Above The hugely popular Topper class is now 40 years old

A PY OF 60 The launch of the Enterprise, Solo and Shearwater in 1956 was just the latest episode of that great expansion of UK dinghy sailing. Yet, with each new class, the problem of finding a way they could all race together was becoming ever more acute. At the time there were several different approaches being considered, with ‘time on time’ and ‘time on distance’ being the more popular options. However, the issue was being complicated by the arrival of dinghies that could plane, with the previously acceptable compromise of an early handicapping system failing when planing and non-planing dinghies raced together. A decade earlier, at Langstone Sailing Club in Portsmouth, the Club handicapper, Sidney ‘Sinbad’ Zillwood Milledge was already looking at the complex issue of sailing disparate boats on the same race course and by 1952 had had his own E=MC2 moment, when he settled on the equation of Corrected Time = Elapsed

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

Time/Handicap x100. At this point the system lacked refinement, with races having to last at least an hour and no more than 3 hours and covered a handicap range of 65-150. (The 505, Flying Dutchman and International Canoe were all level pegging on a PY of 70, the Enterprise, Solo and Firefly were all lumped together at 86!) By 1956 the system was fully operational and in 1960 the Portsmouth Yardstick had become so ubiquitous that the RYA would assume responsibility for its administration. By 1976 the system would be refined annually through the collection of data via an annual questionnaire sent to clubs. A further decade later, in 1986, with the dinghy scene changing rapidly, the system would undergo a further modification to allow the inclusion of faster catamarans and dinghies before the final tweak in 1995, when all PY numbers were multiplied out to create the current 3 and 4 digit numbers used today.

could be manufactured at the rate of a boat a day. Then came the decision to investigate a revolutionary new build technique, and although not the first dinghy to use Polypropylene construction, it would be the Topper that would enjoy the huge injection of funding to set up a production line on a truly industrial basis. The scale of this can be seen by the level of investment needed, with the initial project costing over £250,000 (£825,000 in today’s money) but once fully operational, Toppers were being produced at the rate of 200 complete units per week. The re-launched Topper was perfectly positioned to feed into the ever growing youth racing scene and today the Topper squads are a fertile breeding ground for the next generation of top class dinghy sailors. Just as with 1956, 1976 was again a vintage year with not only the Topper being relaunched but the year would also see Rodney Marsh’s cleverly innovative one-design Dart catamaran launched. The Dart 18 would take the established cat sailing scene by storm, going on to sell over 8,000 boats. Another Topper singlehander would also debut on a ‘six’ year, this time in 1996 when the company launched the Blaze. Just as with the first Topper, success would not come easy, as the boat in its original set-up left a lot to be desired. Following a reworking, the Blaze would develop into an exciting performer that has seen it populate a healthy niche. Sadly, the other big launch of 1996, Topper’s twin wire Spice, would fail to reach critical mass needed for a class to survive and become the exception to the rule that if launched on a year ending in a ‘six’ that success would be assured!

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RUPERT HOLMES analyses techniques that make short

handed racing easier, more efficient and faster

SHORT HANDED TECHNIQUE 70

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

yachtsandyachting.co.uk

FEATURE

JEAN MARIE LIOT

o a great extent success in short handed racing depends on many of the same factors as for fully crewed teams. These range from ensuring manoeuvres are well practiced and slick, that all settings are marked and you have a full set of accurate polars. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth remembering these are all often neglected by all but the boats at the front of their respective fleets. Nevertheless, there are a few key differences in set up between boats

SHORT HANDED TECHNIQUE

optimised for fully crewed and short handed racing, particularly offshore. Mainsail luffs are more likely to have slides than a plain bolt rope â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the small loss of aerodynamic efficiency is more than compensated by the time savings that arise out of more efficient handling. Similarly, easy reefing is a must. This often means leading pennants from the luff of the main back to the cockpit, which enables one person to tuck a reef in the mainsail of a 35ft raceboat well inside 60 seconds.

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

SHORT HANDED TECHNIQUE

FEATURE

TOM GRUITT

If you trim with minimal twist this will help with pointing

HEADSAIL CHANGES/REEFING Short handed teams almost universally shun the otherwise ubiquitous twin groove Tuff Luff headsail foil in favour of either a furler or hanked on sails. The latter option is gaining in popularity among IRC boats, having been well proven in both the Mini Transat and Class 40 fleets. Hanked on sails can be fitted with slab reefs, which makes for quick and easy reefing, while maintaining an efficient sail shape. Indeed the Minis have two slab reefs in their Solent jibs, enabling this sail to be reduced to storm jib size. Boats with roller furling tend to use a

Below Mainsail twist is a key sail control upwind

multipurpose sail for most conditions, along with a separate hanked on heavy weather jib that sets on a removable inner forestay. This also provides a stay onto which the storm jib can be hanked in severe conditions. UPWIND SAIL TRIM It would be easy to assume that short handed sailors should look for exactly the same sail shape as fully crewed boats. However, that’s often not the case according to North Sails’ Dave Swete, whose credentials include winning the World Match Racing Tour with Adam Minoprio’s Black Match Racing team, as well as competing in the last two Volvo Ocean Races and the America’s Cup World Series. “Twist is very forgiving when you’re sailing upwind,” he says, pointing out that it creates a wider groove in which the pilot can steer without the boat losing efficiency. If you trim with minimal twist this will help with pointing, and give the option of a higher upwind mode, but will require an alert driver to keep the boat in the groove. TRIMMING THE PILOT Perfectly matching autopilot settings to the conditions can easily have as big an effect on performance as sail trim. This allows you to spend more time

TOM GRUITT

Above Short handed teams usually eschew the twin groove headsail foil

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

trimming or changing sails, navigate, eat and rest without a loss of performance. Clearly the better the autopilot, the greater the chance that it will hold an optimal course in challenging conditions and the latest models with a heel angle input have an advantage in this respect. Nevertheless, a properly trimmed mid-range pilot can give good results, providing it has a gyro or rate sensing compass and a rudder angle sensor. Artemis Offshore Academy graduate Sam Matson, who is now sponsored by Chatham Marine, says he expects to use the autopilot for around 90 per cent of the time when racing. To achieve this, he says up to 20-25 minutes’ of adjustments may be needed on each new leg. “The way I check the settings are correct,” Matson says, “is to steer with the autopilot, while holding my hand on the tiller – that way you can figure out whether it is making exactly the same movements that you would make if steering yourself.” In addition to the basic ‘response’ setting, the more advanced rudder gain and counter rudder controls are important (note that, although some manufacturers use slightly different terms, the principles remain the same). Rudder gain is the ratio between the commanded angle and the heading error, while counter rudder counteracts the

yachtsandyachting.co.uk

ALEXIS COURCOUX

GYBING SYMMETRIC SPINNAKERS Twenty years ago asymmetric spinnakers were seen as a great panacea for short handed crews for the simple reason no pole is needed. However, thinking on this has swung back in favour of symmetric spinnakers. While fast lightweight planing designs – like Class 40s, IMOCA 60s and Mini 650s – will invariably generate sufficient apparent wind to make gybing angles feasible, that’s not the case for most sub 40ft IRC oriented designs, which are simply too heavy. When racing inshore, the best asymmetric sails can be held at very deep angles – up to 165 degrees apparent – in flat water and when attended by a full crew of alert people. However, it’s a different matter short handed offshore, where a quartering swell will rock the sail around. In such conditions an asymmetric may not allow you to steer lower than a 150 degree true wind angle, especially if the pilot is driving, hence the appeal of symmetric spinnakers. There seems to be no set procedure

that’s universally followed for gybing symmetric kites short handed, but this is the way Figaro sailors do it: start by squaring the pole right back while sailing dead downwind, with the leeward clew a little aft of the forestay. Then change course and bring the main boom across, coming out the gybe at a hotter broad reaching angle. The kite can then be flown on the sheets, with the tweakers hardened down, while the pole is transferred to the new side. Before the gybe it’s worth hauling the traveller up to windward to reduce the amount of mainsheet that needs to be pulled in before the boom comes over. What can go wrong? Turning too far is the most obvious danger, with the risk that the boat broaches and the pole, which is now on the lee side, dipping in the water. In moderate conditions that can be prevented by ensuring the mainsheet is allowed to run out quickly as the sail fills on the new side. However, when it’s windy that can still lead to a problem – arguably the best solution is to adopt Mike Golding’s policy in the last Vendee Globe Race. With more than 20 knots of true wind, he aimed to chicken gybe on the basis that, while most full gybes will go smoothly, it only takes a single bad one to knock you out of the race. It’s possible that, had Sébastien Josse followed the

Above It can take 20-25 minutes per leg to set up the autopilot Below The length of sleep cycles varies for each person

same policy his IMOCA 60 Edmond de Rothschild, he might have remained among the leaders in this year’s Transat bakerly. Instead he was forced to retire with sail damage sustained in a broach while gybing in 25-30 kts of wind. GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP Irrespective of however well the autopilot settings are tweaked, there will always be occasions on which hand steering is faster providing you’re well rested and properly fed. This is particularly true downwind in a blow, where the autopilot cannot anticipate gusts or waves. The concept of sleep cycles, and the

ALEXIS COURCOUX

effect of the boat’s turn rate and inertia, with the two tending to be adjusted in tandem. Ideally, the aim is to have a number of base settings for different wind angles and strengths, so that when changing course you can dial in the base numbers and then fine tune from there.

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

FEATURE

TOM GRUITT

SHORT HANDED TECHNIQUE

if you leave it until the second day you’ll already be building up a deficit

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

possible to continue in this manner for up to four or five days. Beyond this, however, Matson says you must get a number of longer periods encompassing at least one full sleep cycle. SORC ROUND THE ROCK RACE Sleep will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge for the 60 plus skippers entered in the inaugural SORC Round the Rock Race this summer. While

Below There is no single agreed upon routine for gybing a symmetric spinnaker single handed

TOM GRUITT

ways they impact on your ability derive maximum benefit from the time you spend resting, is a crucial aspect to understand. While the length of sleep cycles varies for different people, for adults they average around 90 minutes. When sailing two handed, two hour off-watch period therefore also allows just enough time to visit the heads, as well as organising a hot drink and some food, but with little, if any, left to strategise about weather routeing and so on. However, a three-hour off watch will inevitably mean waking mid-cycle once 15-20 minutes are allowed for getting ready at each end of the watch. For a shorter race, such as one with only a single night at sea, or if you’re sailing solo, then a different consideration in terms of sleep comes into play. It takes around 20 minutes to fall into proper sleep, so don’t plan for naps longer than this, as waking from deep sleep mid-cycle will leave you groggy, as when woken by the alarm in the morning. This is an area Matson has studied intensely, to the extent of taking a masters degree in the subject. He says a short break for him works best at just 12 minutes, although some people are okay with closer to 20 minutes, without risk of falling into a deep sleep. Perhaps surprisingly, he says it’s

Above You should start taking naps as early into a race as possible, once you are away from the bulk of traffic

there’s nothing new about long distance solo races, in the amateur sphere they have all been well offshore, with significant time spent in the open ocean. Managing sleep when close inshore, with more traffic and worries about bumping into land is a different matter. Matson points out that it’s impossible to recover from a severely sleep deprived state without extended periods of rest, so the challenge is to maintain sufficient sleep from the outset. When should you start taking naps? As early in the race as possible consistent with getting out of the Solent and safely into more open water – if you leave it until the second day you’ll already be building up a deficit. If the wind allows, taking short naps on starboard tack makes sense, even better if that’s the offshore tack. Given that it is only the skippers of the fastest boats in the fleet will be able to guarantee finishing within four-tofive days, it will also be important at some stage to get longer 90-minute sleep cycles. This should be possible on the two long legs across the Celtic Sea, where there’s relatively little other traffic to concern yourself with. Nevertheless, it will still be important to have an AIS proximity alarm set, as well as a loud timer set to wake you. The latter point is particularly important – the best advice is that the timer should be permanently set. This means that, when woken by the alarm, the very first thing you do, however urgent other tasks are, is to reset the time. That’s the only way to guarantee you’ll never fall asleep without the timer set.

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Constrictor Clutch

South Coast Yacht Charters We are a private Yacht Charter company based in Hamble on the Solent, the hub of British yachting. We offer both bareboat and skippered yachts, mostly privately owned and maintained. We have a Bavaria 37.6, coded, ideal for racing, cruising and corporate events. Our aim is to provide a personal service for all clients, many of whom return year after year. We can also offer skippered charters, bareboat charter, character building, team development, training and management. • Americas Cup places available for Skippered Racing or Corporate Days Charters 23rd & 24th July • Cowes Week places available on a daily basis for Skippered Racing or Corporate Days In addition for those who would like shoreside accommodation we can provide reasonable priced Bed and Breakfast in Hamble book direct. Accommodation on the yacht is also available.

Three bedroomed crew house available for the Fastnet Race. We are also partnered with a Sea School where you can gain qualifications for Comp Crew, Day Skipper, Coastal and Yacht-master

Mobile: +44(0)7802 276468 kathy@galeforce8.co.uk

www.galeforce8.co.uk

9-11 September 2016

Supported by

Incorporating the Spinlock IRC Channel Islands Regional Championships

Push the boat out this year! This September join us for three exhilarating days of high speed racing on the beautiful Jersey coast. Share the excitement on the water with sports-boats, cruisers, dinghies and catamaran classes. Step ashore and sample delicious delicacies by the beach as you unwind in Jersey’s welcoming and relaxing atmosphere. Experience the best of the island’s attractions as you explore rugged cliffs, sweeping bays and secret coves.

Soak up the sun, sea and sand at Jersey’s flagship sailing event. Call:

00 44 (0) 1534 732229

Email: info @jerseyregatta.com

Visit:

www.jerseyregatta.com

J-CUP

FEATURE

The 17th edition of the annual J-Cup on the Hamble River attracted a large international fleet and included four class national championships. LOUAY HABIB reports.

hen J Boats gather en masse, you know you can expect high quality, hard fought racing and the 17th edition of the J-Cup certainly did not disappoint. 66 teams took part, with competitors coming from all corners of Europe and the standard of racing was exceptional. The event featured no less than four

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

UK national championships and, of the 34 teams vying for national titles, 23 made the podium during racing. The exponential development of the J/70 class meant that 20 of one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular sportsboats were racing and 12 J Boats that did not fit into the one-design category formed an IRC class that was just as competitive. This popular one-design, keelboat regatta was hosted by the Royal

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ALL PHOTOS: TIM WRIGHT/PHOTOACTION

J BOAT EXTRAVAGANZA

The vast majority of competitors are amateur sailors, and having fun is very much part of the occasion August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

J-CUP

FEATURE

Southern Yacht Club, on the Hamble River and, the blend of close racing, precise race management, and excellent shoreside facilities, produced a regatta that was nothing short of outstanding. The J/88 UK National Championship was won by Gavin Howe’s Tigris, competing in its first regatta. The team was also awarded the J-Cup for their impressive overall performance. David Apthorp’s J Dream was second

in the J/88 class and last year’s national champion, Paul Ward’s Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat, was third. Gavin Howe has been racing Swans for many years but decided to buy a J/88 last year. “I still have my S&S Swan 76, which is also called Tigris and some of the crew on the J/88 are from that,” commented Howe. “I decided to race the J/88 because it is a well balanced boat, easy to sail and maintain, and it looked like a lot of fun.

RESULTS (TOP THREE EACH CLASS)

1ST

2ND

3RD

IRC

J92 Wildebeest V IRC GBR9292C Craig Latimer (11pts)

J112E J Lance 12 IRC FRA43855 Didier Le Moa (12pts)

J92S Upstart IRC GBR9224R Robin Stevenson (16.5pts)

J/70

Harlequin, GBR4 J. Calascione Team RAF Benevolent and S. Ripard (9pts) Fund Spitfire, GBR123 Simon Ling (11pts)

Baby J, GBR433 Charlie Esse (18pts)

J/109

Jolly Jack Tar, GBR8541R Joe Henry (11pts)

Diamond Jem, GBR1466R Robert Stiles (20pts)

Jumping Jellyfish, GBR2709R David Richards (24pts)

J/97

Blackjack II, GBR97X Andy Howe (6pts)

Alamara B III, GBR5797R Ole Bettum (15pts)

Jumblesail 2, GBR3965R Rachel and Robert Hunt (18pts)

J/88

Tigris, GBR4688 Gavin Howe (10pts)

J Dream, GBR8848R David Apthorp (14pts)

Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat, GBR8888X Paul Ward (19pts)

J/111

Black Dog, GBR1419R Stuart Sawyer (14pts)

Sweeny, NED8337 Marco van Driel (16pts)

McFly, GBR111N Tony Mack (25pts)

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

Above 1100 J/70s have been sold in the last four years Facing page Racing is highly competitive across all classes

We really didn’t know what to expect, taking part in the J-Cup for the first time but it has been extremely competitive on the water and a lot of fun ashore. To win the J-Cup was totally unexpected and it is a wonderful way to end a perfect regatta.” The J/111 UK National Champion is Stuart Sawyer’s Black Dog. The team from Falmouth Cornwall took the title by just two points from Marco van Driel’s Dutch J/111 Sweeny. Royal Southern YC member Tony Mack, racing McFly was third. The competition in the class was intense; of the eight J/111s in action, six made the podium during the eight race series. Stuart Sawyer from Black Dog commented: “The standard of the UK J/111 fleet has been on the up for some time and the two Dutch boats at the J-Cup really mixed it up. For the worlds, there will be top competition from America, Australia and Switzerland as well, which is going to be fantastic racing. Last year, we got a bit too serious and our mantra for this year is to make sure we have fun and I think that has definitely kept us from getting too stressed out on the race course. When

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J SUCCESS

We didn’t know what to expect but it has been competitive on the water and fun ashore you have boats all around you for the duration of the race, keeping focused is very important. The whole Black Dog team put in an amazing effort and we are very proud to be taking the national championship back to Cornwall.” A total of 14 J/109s competed for the UK nationals and the intensity of racing meant that half of the fleet made the podium during the eight-race series. Jolly Jack Tar, skippered by Joe Henry was third last year, but they came quickest out of the blocks this year, winning the first four races. Robert Stiles’ Brighton team on Diamond Jem fought back taking two race wins, but Jolly Jack Tar kept up a consistent set of results to win the J/109 UK National Championship. Diamond Jem was second and David Richards’ Jumping Jellyfish was third. Andy Howe and Annie Kelly racing Black Jack II retained the J/97 UK National Championship with a stunning

performance of seven bullets out of eight races. However, it was not easy for the team because every race was won by less than a minute and often by just a few seconds. The Black Jack Team typify the atmosphere at the J-Cup. The vast majority of competitors are amateur sailors, and having fun is very much part of the occasion. Howe commented: “The team has been together for a while and that time on the water helps you get the little things right that win races, especially in a one design fleet where the boats are all capable of the same speed. Black Jack’s team do like to party and that is very important as well. Having fun keeps the team together and gives us the motivation to do well. We will definitely be back for the 2017 J-Cup as it will be in Torbay, where we started racing together six years ago.” Next year’s J-Cup will run from 17-19 August at the Royal Torbay Yacht Club.

J Boat builder Didier Le Moal has been building the Boats for decades and was competing at the regatta in the latest J Boat design, the J/112e. Didier talks about the exponential rise in the J/70 fleet and the philosophy of the latest model from J Boat: “The rise in the number of J/70s has been unprecedented. We are building 15 J/70s per month on average, and they are all sold, which will make a total of 600 boats sold in Europe over four years. When you add the American market, then you have 1100 J/70s sold worldwide in four years, compare that to the J/80s; it took 20 years to reach that figure. “I think this impressive figure is because J Boats has produced the right product at the right time. It is a fun boat, which can please both the professional sailors and the amateurs. “The J/70 can be easily put on a trailer because of the lifting keel and the four crew maximum is also appealing. “The J/112e is seen as a replacement for the J/109, which has been so successful for 15 years. The J/112e fits between the J/97 and the J/122. Compared to the J/109, the J/112e has a number of new features. “The J/112e is a cruiser racer with a balance between performance and comfort. The IRC rating is very good and we have had some early success in racing against the leader in the IRC class, the JPK 1080. “The J/112e rates about the same and is a capable of a similar speed downwind but is potentially much faster upwind. “The J/112e is true to the J Boat ethic; it has good sailing performance, is well balanced and well constructed. This is the philosophy of J Boat.”

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

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FEATURE

BUILDING AGILITY

As dinghy racing becomes increasingly athletic and the market moves towards higher performance classes, HANNAH DIAMOND considers modern sailing fitness people looking for the adrenalin rush provided by fast boat sailing, be it in a skiff, a catamaran or a foiling Moth. LIGHT-FOOTED Travelling at such high speeds requires great control of steering and sheeting but also of body movements. The slightest unbalanced movement through a manoeuvre is certainly enough to bring a boat off the foil and crashing into the water. This means good agility is key for performance in these speedy dinghies. As boat speed increases, the margin of error dramatically decreases.

If we are looking for race wins in these high performance boats, it is therefore necessary to look at all aspects of how we sail the boat, not only set up, equipment and tactics but also how we, as sailors, influence the trim of the boat. We all know that we need to be physically suited to the class we choose, and that hiking harder and sailing smarter leads to better results. However, there are little talked-about areas that could make sailing some of the trickier boats more enjoyable, and also ultimately lead to better performance. It doesn’t matter whether your aim is

PHOTOS: CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT IAN ROMAN AND TOM GRUITT

reat Britain has been known for successfully winning medals in the ‘sit down’ sports; cycling, rowing and sailing, with many medals won in hiking classes. Yet with the addition of more and more trapeze classes, the British Sailing Team is definitely looking to continue that medal winning form in the stand up classes. Over the past few years there have been many new high-performance boats brought to the market, and there has been an increase in the number of

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

Get one person to move as though they are wearing lead boots and see how the boat is affected to finish within the time limit of a club race, or win a world championship title, the principle is the same. Agility is a combination of balance, speed, strength and co-ordination and is directly relevant to sailing. During all manoeuvres and even in mode changes in straight line sailing, it is essential to move body position efficiently without affecting the trim of the boat. Agility may conjure memories of hopscotch and school games lessons but it is underpinned by good strength and proprioception around the joints we are trying to use. The ability to move around in a way that doesn’t affect boat speed or stability is a huge advantage and can even save capsizes as well as increasing boat speed. Use a very light wind session to observe how the boat reacts when you move around – in a

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

singlehander try to see how the wake changes if you move aggressively or, in a doublehander, get one person to move as though they are wearing lead boots and see how the boat is affected. Whether it is transferring from sitting to standing, changing sides in a hiking boat, or footwork across the deck in a trapeze boat, there are many instances where being more nimble can lead to a clear performance advantage. MANOEUVRES For tacking and gybing, the aim is to spend as little as time as possible down speed before accelerating on the new tack. To achieve this, good movement through the boat is key to allow the boat to get up to full speed as quickly as possible. It is important to separate the movement from one side to the

Below Agility and core strength are intertwined

other from the sheeting and steering. We must be able to control the speed of the tack and the sheeting of the sails while also being in control of our body. Take the example of a skiff in a tack – it is essential to have a rehearsed footwork pattern to cross sides so that each tack is the same. The crew will lead the helm in with the mainsheet. The timing of the steering must be very accurate and both the helmsman and crew want to pop out on the wire at the same time to pull the boat flat and accelerate. If one or both the crew members are off balance at any point during the tack, the boat will become unstable and it is impossible to maintain good trimming and steering. As we move up the wind range, we need to be able to move faster across the boat, but this cannot be to the detriment of accuracy and control, so this really is something worth adding into your preparations for this summer’s racing. Recently selected 49er helmsman Dylan Fletcher understands the importance of good agility and its impact on racing performance and comments: “Agility is incredibly important,

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PHOTO: IAN ROMAN

FEATURE

particularly in the 49er, with such wide wings and a big rig we have to be able to get across the boat as fast as possible. Speed is not just enough though, you have to be light on your feet so as to not upset the balance of the boat or wind in the sails. Lastly, accuracy is key; while running around the deck you need to keep the steering accurate as a helm and be able to control the sheet as a crew. This is something which is much harder than it first appears but practice makes perfect and spending time training both on and off the water will have a huge impact on your racing.â&#x20AC;? TRAINING Improving agility can be done in a few different ways and it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be time consuming. The first thing to do is work out the movement patterns for your specific class for each manoeuvre. This can be achieved by tying the boat down to the ground on its trolley and running through tacks and gybes, working out

Above Without consistency in execution, the worst can happen

BUILDING AGILITY

your exact footwork plan for each. Think about how many steps you are taking and try to position your feet in the same place on the deck each time, ensuring the pattern is the same going both ways. It is not unusual to see a difference when tacking from starboard to port in comparison to port to starboard. If this exercise is not possible, then it is worth thinking about trying to get hold of some video footage of yourself by setting up a GoPro or similar on your boat. Video makes it easy to evaluate your movement and iron out any differences tack to tack. Consistency is key for execution of good boat handling and once you know how to move through the boat you can plan how best to improve your footwork to be light on your feet. When you have identified the movement patterns required for your particular boat, you need to work on simplifying and replicating it to improve speed, strength and control.

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

BUILDING AGILITY

FEATURE

Left Aim to be able to move only the lower part of your body

PHOTO: TOM GRUITT

Below left Foot-to-foot weight transfer is vital in a skiff

control through a range of movement and good flexibility around the hips. In an International Moth or other hiking boats, the ability to move from hiking to having your weight on your feet to cross the boat and then back to hiking is essential – all without using your hand on the gunwale to help pull yourself in to the boat. It can be useful to practice land drills during the week so you can see the progression you’ve made when racing or training the following weekend. By improving movement patterns around the boat, you will notice that your boat handling becomes easier as you gain more control of your body. The faster your boat speed, the smaller the margin for error. Therefore, if you are looking to move into a more high performance dinghy, or improve your racing skills in your current class, it is vital to have not only your boat race ready but also it is essential you and your body are race ready too.

PHOTO: RICHARD LANGDON

Basic agility routine :

Good movement can also help improve boat speed, particularly in light wind conditions. Any boat with a big powerful rig has quite a fast transition from underpowered to crew fully extended starting to be overpowered. If you are able to move your body weight out without affecting the rig, you are able to harness the extra power from increased wind speed directly into forward motion rather than missing that acceleration while your competitors get away. The same can be said in windy conditions. During tricky manoeuvres make sure you are very definite with your movements so that you can control the boat and not the other way round. Specific agility training can be tagged on to the end of any training session, or at home. Even simple everyday movements can improve the awareness of how you move. For example, can you stand up from a seated position using

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

only your legs? If not, this is a good place to start. If that feels easy, see if you can stand up from a cross-legged position without the aid of your arms. This will build the base for your agility training and strengthen the muscles required to gain more control of your movement. The aim is to be able to move only your lower body, allowing you to efficiently move through the boat. Separate these steps from the delicate steering and accurate sheeting required for good execution of boat handling. In a skiff where you side step under the boom, transfer of weight from foot to foot is the priority as it allows you to be smooth and soft through the boat and then explosive out on to the trapeze wire. In a catamaran where the boom is often only 50cm above the trampoline, a key skill is to be able to shift your weight from being high, to low and then back to high on the new side. This requires great

Side lunges – Stand with your feet wide apart, transfer weight from one foot to the other, making sure your knee goes forward in line with your toes. Reverse lunges – Stand with your feet together and then lift your right foot, reach back and place it on the floor and bend your front leg until your back knee touches the floor, stand and bring your feet together and then repeat on the other side. Curtsey lunges – Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, take your right leg and cross it behind your left leg, reaching as far as you can then bend your knees like a curtsey. Repeat on the other side. Curtsey lunge progression – Join up curtsey lunges in each direction, increase the speed as you feel comfortable. Get Up – Sit cross-legged on the floor and rise to a standing position by using only your lower body – no hands on the floor. Side steps – Place two markers on the floor about four metres apart, face forwards in between the markers. Side step to the right, placing your foot next to the marker then change direction and side step to the left as fast as possible. However, you must be mindful of the power that you are putting through the floor, thinking all the time of how that would affect the boat. See how your speed is affected when you alter the force through the ground. Land drills – Practice the footsteps you take through tacks and gybes until it is really natural and automatic. A1. Reverse lunges x 15 A2. Side lunges x 15 B1. Curtsey lunges x 12 B2. Get ups x 8 C1. Side Steps x 8 You need to rest for approximately 90 seconds in between each of the exercises and then repeat four times.

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DEHLER 42

BOAT TEST

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS? 1

aunched at Dusseldorf ’s Boot this year, the new Dehler 42 follows the 38 and the 46 as the third model update of the four strong line-up for the German marque which has a proud history of producing successful racer-cruisers. The 42 holds true to the new look of the family lineage, a very sleek hull form, new distinctive deck and window lines, subtle slender hull windows and big, flat transom. It is, as usual, from the Judel/Vrolijk design house. We sailed one of the first production boats at a media test day in Palma, Mallorca. Circumstances dictated we were taken out to the boat in a RIB and sailed for an hour before we parked it back in the Marina. Dehler remains quite unique in its operation in the cruiser-racer market, continuing to develop and push its performance versions for IRC and ORC racing. In this respect it remains true to the Dehler roots, making historic level rating production boats like the dB2 which won the ¾ Ton World Championships in 1984 in the hands of a young Karl Dehler. The fact that Dehler still campaigns his own Dehler 38 and takes a firm hand in the development of

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

aboard the Dehler 42, a smart, comfortable new yacht that is also optimised for IRC and ORC

new boats is an essential part of ensuring Dehler Yachts retains its distinct identity and pedigree. Equally, however, as part of the Hanse Group, which acquired the marque in 2009, Dehler can sell at meaningful prices because of the massive economies of scale and efficient high volume production. Dehler would like to consider that its performance models sit within the Hanse group and are developed along the lines of the motorsport divisions of BMW or Porsche. This is a moot point perhaps but, for sure, there is an active, partisan fan base. Our test was on the standard cruiser racer model equipped with some nice Elvstrom GPEX 08 Film on Film sails using a 105 per cent jib set on the standard Furlex below deck furler. The spiciest model, however, is the Performance version which has an all carbon rig which is about 45cm taller supporting a bigger main. Upwind sail area increases by over 7m2 and the iron/ lead deep keel the draught is 2.38m with a heavier bulb but is 650kg lighter. A fully tricked out boat – Intermezzo – has just started racing in Germany and has a stripped out performance interior.

SPECIFICATIONS LOA Hull length 12.84 m LWL 11.50 m Beam 3.91 m Draught 2.15 m (standard) 2.40m (competition) 1.98m (shallow) Displacement 9.100kg (standard) 8.450 kg (competition) 9.350 kg (shallow) Ballast 2.950 kg (standard) 2.500 kg (competition) 3.250kg (shallow) Engine Volvo D2-40 (39.6hp) Fresh water approx. 315l Fuel tank approx. 160l CE Certificate Total sail area (m2) (standard) 93.0 (competition) 99.5 Design: Judel/Vrolijk Interior: Dehler

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ALL IMAGES: DAVID HARDING / SAILING SCENES

ANDI ROBERTSON takes to the water

UNDER SAIL 9/10

HULL AND DECK 8/10

1. The Judel/Vrolijk design bucks recent trends and features less beam aft. The 42 is also easy on the eye

The hull is very similar to her predecessor, the 41, but has some subtle tweaks. The underbody is slightly flatter, the canoe body aft narrower. The hull shape is quite moderate, a smooth flat rise to the hull aft rather than hard chine, nothing too extreme, with stern sections which look like a decent mix of power without too much wetted surface area. The hull is vacuum infused foam sandwich construction using a new laminate schedule which Judel/ Vrolijk say has reduced the hull weight significantly. The deck line is sweet and distinctive with the big, angled coachroof

2. Heading upwind, the 42 is responsive and gets into the groove with pleasing ease 3. The nav station slides aft on a rail system, meaning you can face forward or aft 4. Controls are clear and simple 5. The moulded instument pods are a nice touch

window. The deck is balsa cored. Deck space is excellent, with a moulded in toerail which is subtle but functional. The cockpit is class leading for a production cruiser-racer. The fold down transom is full width and super-simple with no messy aft seat. The space aft for the helm is really excellent with a small outboard seat which is comfortable and secure but can be braced against, perched with one cheek on, or fully weight bearing sat on. Typically on longer stages the helm will sit one leg either side of the wheel pedestals. The cockpit seats are also great; nice and high for good vision but with great angled coamings. There is a large but light cockpit table with big, chromed

handholds. What we loved though is the moulded instrument pods neatly integrated into the cockpit coamings. RIG AND DECK LAYOUT. 8/10 The standard set up is a 9/10th keel stepped alloy mast from Selden but the rig control is good. Standard spec is a 48:1 backstay control. The German mainsheet system is clean, functional and works well sheeted to a winch a metre or so forward of the helm. This means that in cruising mode the helm will trim the main with ease. The full width floor mounted track is good. Otherwise the Lewmar 40

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

Race primaries are also well sited with a good working area for the racing crew but not too far forward for short handed sailing. The slanted coamings are great for the trimming team, even when the boat is very well heeled. The side decks and foredeck represent good working areas, our test boat was trimmed with the teak deck option. In real terms it could be argued the double aft cabin version lacks deck

Above Modest beam aft and a soft turn of the bilge make for pleasing lines and an easily driven hull Below The recessed traveller and carbon wheels give the 42 a racy feel

accessed storage lockers but, frankly, so often the aft corner and big stern lockers on cruising buses are just filled with extra unused kit anyway. On the aft edge of the coachroof are a pair of roof hatches which allow the halyard tails to be dropped below. The jib car pullers are easy to operate, while the halyards are of a high spec. In short, this is ready to go racing racer-cruiser featuring the sort of Teutonic attention to detail we have come to admire and expect. I was informed that this aspect was pushed personally by Karl Dehler, who will not compromise. It still speaks volumes that the Dehler 38 won Yacht of the Year and I could see the 42 following suit. UNDER SAIL 8/10 We sailed in a 8-10kt Bay of Palma early afternoon sea breeze. It speaks volumes that I could step from the RIB to the helm and immediately have the boat moving well. It has a lovely feel, a nice upwind groove typical of the breed – easy to encourage up to height and hold – but responsive to the finger

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

tip helm as the breeze eased. Equally when we pressed the boat upwind in the odd puff, the helm retains good traction and feel. Typically we made just shy of 7kt upwind. The foils are a good compromise between low wetted area but with enough surface grip to execute precise low speed manoeuvres. The boat was quick enough upwind and was easy to settle and steer. It is very much a club and regional regatta racer, ideal for modest budget Cowes, Dartmouth, Cork, Spi Ouest type events provided you are equipped with good sails. The gennaker we had was a little basic for racing use but it did give the feeling that the boat will be happy with as much power running and reaching as possible. It tracked very well, accelerated smoothly in the puffs. And all the mechanical processes worked smoothly through the gybes with us sailing three up. It is hard to really tell how well the Dehler 42 will do in full race mode. Intermezzo was just about to start its first race series – Kieler Woche – but this will be against a mixed bag of boats, making it hard to get a precise measure of performance. Time will tell.

yachtsandyachting.co.uk

BOAT TEST

DEHLER 42

Dehler remains unique in its operation in the cruiser-racer market… INTERIOR 7/10

VERDICT 8/10

There are two interior options, one with two symmetrical double aft cabins and a forward owners cabin with en suite heads. The alternative has the port aft cabin as locker space and a bigger forecabin. I personally still like the idea of a nav station. On the Dehler 42 the nav station is on a rail system, which allows it to slide aft making the port settee a full length berth with a small infill. But also this means the table can be forward or aft facing depending on preference. Typically, for example, this would allow you to set the port settee as a sea berth close to the nav station. The curved locker lids give the saloon a very uniform, modern look. Correspondingly, there is lots of storage space. And the main comms equipment and switchboard are hidden by the same shape of cover. The L-shaped galley is great with ample working space, a double sink, and front and top loading 130lt fridge. The finish is perhaps on the utilitarian side with the mahogany satin finish but complemented with good textile liners, while you can be as adventurous as you like with the upholstery and finishes.

As the bigger sister to the successful Dehler 38, the new 42 seems to be sticking to the same formula. It is hard to tell at this stage how competitive it will be in the race arena, but it has all the right components and, as a basic platform, seems to be a very good package. The all round sailing performance sparkles but it is the layout and the attention to detail – the ability to race straight from the box – which is most appealing. It is at heart a family cruiser with all the comfortable accommodation requirements for safe and fast distance and coastal cruising. Making the switch from cruising to racing mode is as simple as changing sails and replacing the roller furler jib for a choice selection of headsails. Dehler know their market and have already sold 40 42s since the start of 2016. The majority will be sold as fast cruisers, which will do the occasional race perhaps but the competition options are a moveable feast. Ultimately, the basic boat represents excellent value for money and with some astute spending a competitive racer-cruiser can be set up without breaking the bank.

COMPARISONS

ANSWER BACK

C/O RYA

BOULOGNE CONCEPTION MARINE

Peter Thomas of Inspiration Marine

Arcona 410

X-41

Swedish Arcona Yachts aim for a similar blend of high performance cruising with the potential to cross over into racing when required. The 410 is an older design but is quick and pretty. LOA 12.2m Beam 3.9m Weight 7,800 kg

X-Yachts’ ability to put together a cruiser/racer has allowed it to ride out even the toughest financial storms. The 41 offers one design racing combined with a high level of comfort. LOA 12.35m Beam 3.64m Weight 6,800kg

We’re delighted Andi enjoyed sailing the Dehler. The new 42 was never only about sailing, but about more ideas generated per every mile sailed. It’s about the comfort of a luxury yacht and the performance of a racing yacht; about a design that follows principles, not fashion. Yachts that can be sailed under all conditions. There are choices of cabin layouts to suit families who weekend on a boat or longer-term cruisers who want to maximise storage. Add on to that the ability of the owner to select a wooden interior made from their choice of mahogany, American cherry or teak, four different types of cushions fabrics (including real leather) from a range of 30 colours, and you can have the cruising boat you have always wanted – and with all the performance you will ever need.

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

GREECE PEACE If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re planning on chartering a yacht abroad this summer, the chances are that the Ionian is on your shortlist. If this is the case, SAM JEFFERSON has a few insiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tips

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

yachtsandyachting.co.uk

TRAVEL

ALAMY

here is something about the eastern Mediterranean in summer that is truly hypnotic. For a few months between May and October it basks in glorious sunshine and its azure waters, fanned by sea breezes, seem to beckon you irresistibly to these shimmering waters. It’s a time when even the keenest racing sailor’s thoughts can turn to the joys of chartering a yacht and embarking on a leisurely cruise. The Aegean, Turkey and Croatia all have their merits, yet few would argue that, when it comes to chartering, the Ionian is one of the jewels in the crown. Certainly this was the area where the chartering

IONIAN CHARTER

industry first took hold and there are many cogent reasons for that. Not least, it’s a stunning place to go sailing. The Ionian Sea takes in a biggish area starting in southern Albania and stretching across to the Calabrian coast of Italy. In summer, it’s a huge swatch of glistening water. Yet the key attraction as far as sailors are concerned is the chain of Greek Islands, which start with Corfu in the north and end with Zakynthos in the south. The chartering Mecca is the stretch of water tucked between Lefkas and the mainland. This broad, sheltered sheet of water overlooked by the dramatic sweep of the Acarnanian mountains, is almost custom made for a

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

TRAVEL

SAM JEFFERSON

IONIAN CHARTER

The Southern Ionian Regatta… features some light hearted (and some deadly serious) racing week’s chartering. Beautiful islands such as Cephalonia, Ithaca and Meganisi are dotted with sleepy villages replete with Venetian church towers. Their shores are indented with tempting, sheltered anchorages making this an ideal sailor’s playground. I was fortunate to live and work there for two summers and got to know the area very well. Here are a few of my insider’s tips to getting the most out of a week’s chartering. STARTING OUT If you’re chartering in the southern Ionian, then almost all roads lead to the Island of Lefkas. Sail Ionian operate out of Nidri, while Nisos Yacht Charter are based in nearby Nikiana and Sailing Holidays and Sunsail have bases in Lefkas Town. The exception is Neilson, which is based at Palairos on the mainland which is about 30 minutes by car from the airport at Preveza. Nidri is also conveniently situatedabout a 45-minute taxi ride from the mainland airport of Preveza. Most of the charter companies run a shuttle bus and the causeway across to Lefkas ensures there is no queuing for a ferry. The charter operators are used to a

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

wide range of sailing levels so if you are an experienced dinghy sailor but lack big boat experience, then most charter companies will offer you the option of assisted bareboat charter, whereby you spend a day or so with an instructor to get the feel for mooring and manoeuvring before being turned loose. Full RYA courses are also available. Some more sociable sailors may fancy flotilla sailing. Sunsail, Neilson and Sailing Holidays are the big operators but there are other options, with companies such as Ocean Elements, Seafarer and Nautilus also offering flotilla. Beyond these ‘traditional’ charter options, there are other options. One way in which you can treat yourself is with a crewed charter. DI Yachting is an example of a company that offers this service and has a good selection of ‘mid range’ yachts available including a Jeanneau 57, 64 and a Lagoon 62. MUST SEES The Ionian is crammed with gems; yet there are a number of standout spots. The town of Fiskardo on the northern tip of Cephalonia is considered something of a gem. It was one of the few

Above A tranquil Ionian morning looking out from Kioni toward the island of Atokos

settlements on the island not seriously damaged by the 1953 earthquake and retains many of its old buildings and a great deal of character. Its sheltered anchorage is a magnet to charter yachts and, as a result, the waterfront is crammed with restaurants and bars. It can get a bit hectic in the height of summer and as a consequence is perhaps at its best just outside peak season. A short sail to the east of Cephalonia lies Ithaca. This island will always carry a mythical air due to its inevitable

SOUTHERN IONIAN REGATTA

If you fancy a charter with at least a hint of racing involved, you may want to charter during the Southern Ionian Regatta, which is always held on the third Thursday in September and features some light hearted (and some deadly serious) racing where local rivalries are settled once and for all. Three charter companies, Nisos, Sail Ionian and Sailing Holidays are among the sponsors of the event, and none of these companies mind their charter yachts taking part. The handicapping system owes nothing to IRC or even IOR for that matter, but works on data collated on individual yachts over the previous 20 yearsworth of regatta results to determine a handicap. Although racing can get intense, evening celebrations are equally serious, and this is a very lively local event ionianregatta.com

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TRAVEL

IONIAN CHARTER

STUART PEARCE

ports don’t charge mooring fees whatsoever. Even where a charge is levied, it’s rarely more than a nominal fee or the simple understanding that you dine at the adjoining tavern.

LOCAL CONDITIONS The peak season is May to September and temperatures average around 25 degrees during this period. There is, however, also plenty of good sailing to be enjoyed in April and October, although you are gambling on the weather, with the risk of boisterous and chilly weather in the spring. Autumn sailing can be a

real joy, with the water remaining warm through into late October. You find after the August rush that the islands tend to wind down as they prepare for a sleepy winter. You often have anchorages or even whole harbours to yourself, while the landscape becomes suffused with a wonderful golden light. Naturally, the later you get into October, the cheaper it gets to charter, but if you gamble for too long, you might end up getting walloped by the first of the late autumn gales that sweep through. Despite this, any sailing within peak season is characterised by gentle, predictable sailing conditions. Generally the day starts with a clock calm, before the sea breeze kicks in after lunch. This usually builds until sundown when tranquillity returns. It’s nothing like as violent as the Meltemi in the Aegean and sailing – and more pertinently mooring – is generally far less stressful. The steeply shelving shorelines and deep waters mean navigation is generally straightforward and can often be done by eye. Anchoring in the comparatively deep water can take a bit of getting used to, but the crystal clear waters mean you can see the anchor all the way down to the seabed. Mooring in port is almost exclusively Med mooring, sometimes with lazy lines, generally using your own anchor. This can take practice for the uninitiated, but can be mastered after a couple of attempts. A big plus is that most smaller

Above Moderate sea breezes and sheltered waters make the Ionian an ideal chartering destination Below The town of Palairos, nestling beneath the Acarnanian mountains is a popular stopover

STUART PEARCE

associations with Homer’s Odyssey. The lack of an airport on the island means that it retains a certain drowsy, friendly demeanour, which is complemented by a dramatic landscape with steep hills plunging into azure waters. Kioni, toward the island’s northern end is often singled out as the archetypal Ionian village and with its three windmills marking the entrance and pretty harbour it certainly has a picture postcard charm. A selection of pebble beaches within a short tender ride from the town add to its appeal. The harbour offers excellent shelter and there is a good range of restaurants and shops if supplies are running low. The island of Atokos, with its distinctive triangular peak is a notable landmark, and is a well-placed lunchtime stopover from any number of islands in this corner of the Ionian. Cliff Bay is a peaceful spot and an ideal place to drop the hook. There is a taverna at the end of the bay that seems to open as and when the owner can be bothered to cook something. Plunge further south and the island of Zakynthos or Zante as it is sometimes known, which boasts Shipwreck Cove, also known as Navagio Beach. With its dramatic cliffs plunging down to gleaming white beach and azure waters, it’s one of those iconic places that crops up time and again on postcards. Ideally, you need to get here early as, once the trip boats start to turn up, much of the grandeur of this place is gone. Other islands well worth a visit include Meganisi, a quiet island with a charming port, and Kastos, which is often so sleepy it can appear dozy.

EATING OUT Greek food is generally uncomplicated, healthy and tasty if somewhat repetitive. In peak season even the smallest port on the most sparsely populated Ionian island will generally have a tavern with tasty food available. The local wine often falls into the ‘interesting’ category and occasionally you hit on something that tastes like it might be better going in your outboard. Nevertheless, if you want a truly exceptional local wine, then the New Mill Tavern in Palairos is a real standout. The food is also sublime and if you have any pretensions of being a foodie, then you need to make a detour to this truly exceptional restaurant. Another good insider’s tip is to pay a visit to Rementzo restaurant in the village of Frikes in Ithaca. There is a good secure mooring for the night here and Poppy, the rather degage hostess, dishes up a selection of delicious meals.

GETTING THERE AND CHARTER OPTIONS The most convenient airport to fly into is Preveza, a 40-minute drive from Lefkas. Flight prices vary between around £90 and £200. Charter prices vary seasonally, but as an indication, Sail Ionian offer a 36ft Bavaria, which costs around £2,500 in May and

June with the price rising to around £3,500 in August.

ALTERNATIVES The Ionian is one of the gems of the Greek archipelago but there are other options. The Agean is another favourite, while the Saronic Gulf is another option. Situated along

the dramatic Peleponnese coast, the Saronic islands are just a short hop from Athens. There are a number of operators, including Aegean Sailing Holidays, based on Aegina Island, offering luxury skippered charters on a performance cruising yacht.

August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

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Mobile: +30 6979446824 â&#x20AC;˘ info@aegeansailingholidays.com

Luxury skippered charters on a performance cruising yacht in the breathtaking and historic Saronic Gulf and along the dramatic Peloponnese coast

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A group of small sailing clubs in Yorkshire has joined forces to develop racing and training opportunities for their younger members. Members of Craven SC near Skipton say it has always had a handful of juniors between the ‘going out with mum and dad’ stage and being fully-fledged racers. This prompted Colin Alred and a team at Craven SC to attempt to bridge the gap by organising a Junior Invitational Event. Halifax, Otley and Denholme sailing clubs sent youngsters, while club volunteers played a supporting role. The on-thewater coaching – led by visiting instructor Charles Watson from Halifax SC – made a noticeable difference to boat speeds and tactical awareness over three races. Fifteen sailors enjoyed the chance to learn and compete in a larger group than usually possible at their own club, including Matt Alred (Craven SC) who finished top boy; Ellie Young (Otley SC) top girl; Fergus Hodgson (Halifax SC) and Hannah Davison (Otley SC), the most improved; and Laurie Trevor (Halifax SC), 1st U-12. Optima Watches and Crewsaver kindly donated prizes, and books for each club taking part were supplied by the RYA. Al Cass, Craven SC’s secretary, says he hopes the event will be the first of many: “Filling that gap between club sailing and the regional squads by staging informal guided racing with other clubs could be a great boost to young sailors and provide a way for small clubs looking to provide

opportunities for their junior members. “Ours is a small club – we even had to borrow an extra powerboat from a friendly neighbour – but we are trying hard to get more people sailing more often. We are also running regular Friday evening sessions when more experienced members are on hand to offer support and advice to others. These are being well supported and the habit of people bringing food to share has made them very sociable affairs.” He says much has been achieved informally, spurred on by conversations with parents and novices: “Small clubs like ours can’t offer RYA training opportunities, but we can still operate at a grass-roots level to support and give opportunities to our members.” The success of the first event prompted Halifax SC to host the following event. Sue Lamb, chief instructor from Halifax SC, explained: “Our young sailors have a chance to meet young sailors from other clubs, to have some fun, learn to race dinghies in a less pressurised environment and enjoy the experience.”

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KIT INNOVATIONS

SOLARMONKEY ADVENTURER CHARGER Phone charging space on a crowded racing yacht is often at a premium and sometimes there is a rather desperate queue that forms around the single 12v socket that replenishes our precious smartphones. Solarmonkey’s Adventurer charger means you can leave that disorderly queue as it provides the juice required via a solar-charged 300ah internal lithium battery. I have experimented with all sorts of solar phone chargers while afloat, but this is a good one because it is compact and, unlike devices that charge directly from the sun’s rays, you can charge up the actual device during clement weather but charge your phone from it while safely down below out of harm’s way. On the other hand, if conditions are favourable, it will charge directly from the sun. When I used it, I was able to fully charge my iPhone 5 with juice still to spare at the end of it. RRP: £85 powertraveller.com

GILL DRY BAG Gill’s 20 litre dry bag is a nice mid-sized bag which is ideal for cramming full of gear preparatory to a weekend on the water. The roll top seal is a well tried and tested method of keeping water out of dry bags these days, but it’s still mighty handy, as it means you can adjust the size of the bag depending on the size of the load. I have immersed the bag and can report that no water got in. Most of these bags have a smaller pocket for a wallet or similar on the inside, but this model has the pocket on the outside. It’s much more convenient, but the zip, although water resistant, is not fully waterproof. The rucksack straps are padded and breathable with an airmesh system ensuring you don’t end up with a sweaty back. If anything, I found the whole system comfortable but slightly bulky considering the actual size of the bag. Still, if you were lugging your kit any great distance, I’m sure you would be grateful for it. RRP: £59 gillmarine.com

Yachts & Yachting August 2016

KIT TRIED & TESTED The Yachts & Yachting team puts a selection of nautical goods through their paces

ADIDAS ADIPOWER HIKING BOOTS The Adipower hiking boots don’t look like any wetboot I have previously worn with the combination of a horned toe tip and section of material cut out at the ankle. Putting the boots on, I found they fitted nicely and felt rather more solid than other wetboots. There is an upper strap to tighten the boot around the lower calf and a lace/ drawstring at the heel to tighten the bottom part of the boot. The 3-D mesh covering feels more glove like than the neoprene feel of a more traditional boot and the sole feels more robust. This all combines to provide a much more solidly boot-like feel. Once on, however, the sole was more flexible than I had feared, and the heel cutout provided bags of flexibility. The toes really come into their own when hiking at maximum extension, helping the tips of your toes grip the toe strap. All in all these work exactly as hoped and the input from Olympic sailors is clear in their functionality. They are not the most attractive shoes in the world and the first time I put them on, I did feel a bit of a wally. But that is a small complaint in a sport that requires participants to wear rubber suits as standard… RRP: £86 adidas.co.uk

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6 ISSUES MUSTO BR2 RACE LITE JACKET

EVOLUTION FLOATING SUNGLASSES For some careless sailors, sunglasses have to almost be treated as a disposable item. I place myself in that bracket, having lost the last two pairs of Ray-Bans I owned by throwing them in the sea. For sailors such as these, Evolution’s Freestyle floating sunglasses are ideal. The reasons are threefold: Firstly they float, so you have a chance to retrieve them should they fall in, secondly they have a factory fitted bungee cord attached to the arms to minimise the risk of losing them in the first place, and thirdly they are reasonably priced. In addition, they are polarised, which is a real plus. The styling is very racy and the wraparound frame cuts out rays most efficiently, although you do look a bit like Spiderman, which you can view as a pro or con. Quality is reasonable, although not quite up there with the Ray-Bans that I left gently rusting at the bottom of Split Marina. RRP: £19.95 sunglassesforsport.com

Musto’s streamlined jacket is lightweight for inshore and day racing with a three-layer, waterproof, windproof and breathable fabric with articulated sleeves and in-seam reflective tape. Pleasantly light with four zip-uppable pockets of dimensions suitable for a hand-bearing compass, snack bar or hand warming. The slightly snug fit around the stomach may not be a design fault – more dietary – but the cut is not overly generous. Very windproof but, being Gore-Tex, this is not in a ‘boil-in-the-bag’ kind of way and in warm weather it isn’t hot and heavy. Velcro-adjustable waterproof cuffs are a nice touch. Being very light means it doesn’t hamper movement and doesn’t give the feeling of being dressed for the Southern Ocean when merely sailing in the Solent. The zip-offable hood is a nice touch and easier than trying to re-fold than a regular ‘built into the collar’ sort. RRP £275 musto.com

VISTAL Vistal cleaner is a product that has long been recommended by those in the know for removing grime from the waterline of their dinghy. I’ve used this product for years and can thoroughly recommend it. It basically contains a cocktail of cleaning agents, which are non abrasive, non toxic and biodegradable. It comes in a solid block rather like a soap and you rub it on with a damp sponge. A bit of rubbing later and your waterline is gleaming. Given this is a non-abrasive product, there is a limit to the amount of ingrained staining it can deal with, but I have always found the results to be highly impressive. Once completed, the product leaves a protective sheen, which remains for a couple of weeks. A pot will last years and it can also polish brass and plexiglass. Head home and it’s great for polishing tiles and – you heard – AGAs! RRP: 300g tub: £9.95 vistalcleaningproducts.co.uk

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BUYER’S GUIDE

DIGITAL COMPASSES

TACTICAL COMPASSES

Digital compasses have been a sometimes controversial game-changer since they gained popularity in the early 2000s. SAM JEFFERSON points you towards the right compass direction

f you’re dinghy racing in earnest, a decent compass is a vital tool for picking up lifts, headers and determining when to tack for maximum advantage. It’s not an exaggeration to state that clever use of a compass can be the difference between first and second out on the racecourse. For time immemorial, racing dinghy sailors used a magnetic card compass, reading windshifts off the lubber lines to gain an advantage. Although the

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Fluxgate electronic compass has been around since 1982, the idea of using one aboard a racing dinghy was, for many years, unthinkable due to the bulk of a battery and basic waterproofing issues. That all changed in the 1990s, when technological advances meant it was possible to cram all of that electronic chicanery in a small package and also waterproof it. Suddenly, compact digital fluxgate compasses were readily available to the dinghy sailor. Initially, they came

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at a premium price but, year on year, this has gone down. As sales went up, so did the controversy surrounding the new breed of compass. The problem was that, far from just being a compass, these new ‘micro’ compasses were able to perform a huge range of functions; from acting as a countdown timer and starting aid to precisely pinpointing when you should tack to lay a mark. Basically, as these new compasses developed, you had the rough equivalent

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PEDRO MARTINEZ

of an onboard computer and, perhaps understandably, many cried foul, with calls from many classes to ban them. This rumpus was largely settled with a compromise, whereby the compass itself could be used just as a traditional magnetic compass is, but many of the extra features – apart from the timer are blanked out during racing and can only be used as training tools. In recent years, this has led to a wide acceptance across the classes that the digital compass has its place. There are exceptions, however; perhaps the most notable is the Laser class, which has steadfastly stuck to a ban on the digital compass. So do you need a micro compass? Well, it won’t suddenly turn you into a winner overnight, even if it can be a useful training tool. Ultimately dinghy racing is down to ‘feel’ and no amount of technology can give you that, but it can nudge you in the right direction. Here, however, are a few pros and cons. ADVANTAGES OF A MICRO COMPASS: Compact – the average micro compass these days is generally around 10cm wide. Light – the weight saving compared with a decent sized card compass is substantial. A micro compass can weigh as little as 15g, while a decent sized card compass weighs in at around 80g. Buoyant – if the worst comes to the worst, the latest generation of micro compasses float, so you have a chance of rescuing it. Easy to read – many newcomers to the sport find micro compasses are – at least initially – easier to understand than card compasses, where reading off the lubber line requires a modicum of time to get used to. Marginally quicker to correct itself than a card compass. Not prone to magnetic variations. As an extreme example, if you took part in a competition in the southern hemisphere, a digital compass requires no correction. Often come with many additional features that can be useful training tools. Small size makes it easier to mount DISADVANTAGES: Still generally more expensive than a traditional card compass. TackTick’s standard Micro Compass costs around £230, while Plastimo’s Iris 100 tactical compass is priced at around £80. Battery powered – although micro compasses are solar powered and in theory will run forever, they are

inevitably slightly more vulnerable to failure than an unpowered card compass. Still banned in some classes. Experienced sailors often maintain that analogue compasses are easier to work with as the lack of damping on a digital compass means that you can sometimes end up bombarded with information. Analogue compasses are often more accurate at extreme heeling angles. WHICH MICRO COMPASS? When it comes to selecting a micro compass, the choice is surprisingly narrow, with two brands dominating the market; Raymarine and Velocitek. For many years Raymarine’s Tacktick TO60 Micro Compass has dominated the field. This was the compass that really opened up the market: Compact, with a clear twin display clearly visible on either tack, the Tacktick is waterproof and solar powered. Fully charged up, it should last for up to 200 hours. In common with all micro compasses, it comes with a custom bracket. In addition to performing the basic function of a tactical compass – allowing you to pinpoint headers and lifts – the Tacktick features a number of extra functions. First up, there is a countdown timer integrated into the compass – which is clearer and easier to use than the trusty digital watch. Secondly comes the more controversial ‘tactics’ button, which opens up a world of electronic chicanery to help you steal a march on your rivals. Extra functions include the ability to determine line bias, course skew and the option to calculate and memorise your optimum tacking angle on any given day and conditions. Most of these functions are outlawed for using in racing in the vast majority of classes, however. If you’re hungry for more data, then Raymarine also offer an upgrade, the TO70 and TO75 Race Master. Both show you precisely how far you are being headed or lifted from your mean course and also feature downwind data readouts to illustrate how far you are off a dead run and also when is the optimum time to gybe in terms of VMG. The TO75 also comes with a Micronet Hull Transmitter to provide boat speed and depth data but this comes at a heavy premium. For many years, it almost seemed to be a case of a Tacktick micro compass or nothing else but more recently Hawaiian based Velocitek has become a strong competitor and now offers an impressive range of tactical compasses. Velocitek came into dinghy sailing

nnGarmin’s Quatix watch features a compass and countdown timer

nnNauteek’s SC range features a GPS compass

nnRaymarine’s TackTick range has proved an enduring favourite

nnVelocitek’s Speedpuck is very simple but effective

nnThe Velocitek Shift is a true digital compass

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from the windsurfing world, having initially pioneered a waterproof speedo for speedsurfers. Their first attempt at a tactical speedo/compass was the SC-1 launched in 2008. This relied on GPS to establish heading and was capable of accurately measuring the distance between the bow of the boat and a start line. The drawback was that, in Velocitek’s own words, the SC-1 was ‘painfully complex and impossible to use without first reading a user manual that was thick enough to stop a bullet.’ Perhaps this refreshingly frank assessment of their own product explains why the company went back to basics with its hugely popular Speedpuck. This very simple device essentially gives you your speed and heading and not a lot else apart from a very simple shift tracking graphic at the top of the screen which indicates any deviations from your mean heading on any given tack. Waterproof and extremely compact, the speed puck is hard to beat in terms of simplicity. It takes three AA batteries which can be charged via a USB cable. The big drawback compared to the Tacktick is the lack of a dual display, making it trickier to read when hiking. If you fancy a little more information, Velocitek offer the Prostart, which is a refined and simplified version of the SC1. Its key feature, in addition to speed and heading is its distance to line calculator. In addition, the Prostart’s GPS capability enables it to provide useful data on how currents and tidal streams are affecting your performance. It also stores your track around the racecourse, which can be downloaded and analysed post race.

SARAH PROCTOR/VELOCITEK

BUYER’S GUIDE

Above The compact size of the latest digital compasses is a real boon on smaller boats

It won’t turn you into a winner overnight, even if it can be a useful training tool Strictly speaking, both these devices are first and foremost speedometers. They use GPS in order to determine your heading, meaning you wouldn’t strictly class them as a compass at all, as they lack pinpoint accuracy. Velocitek’s Shift, however, is first and foremost a compass. It uses a system known as Altitude Heading Reference System, an aerospace-grade heading indication that Velocitek state is smoother and more responsive than any other tactical

ANALOGUE COMPASSES Despite the huge advances made in digital compasses, nothing will replace the trusty analogue card compass in the eyes of some racers. Perhaps this is because there is something smoother and more harmonious about the analogue compass and the way it supplies information. The danger with a digital compass out on the racecourse is that it can almost supply you with too much information, while the damping effect of the analogue compass gives you a broader scope of information that can be more easily taken in at a glance. Basically, it’s horses for courses on this point; both types of compass have pros and cons and it is often a case of what you are used to. If you do go for an analogue compass, however, here are a few options: Silva has four different types of tactical compass available in a range of shapes and sizes, Plastimo has three including the Olympic compass, which is easily mounted and doubles as a hand bearing compass. Ansar has also recently introduced a tactical compass which aims to keep things as simple as possible, featuring extra large digits for clearer readouts.

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compass on the market. Like the Tacktick range, it’s solar powered but features a replaceable battery. In addition to displaying the heading, there is a clear shift indicator and a countdown timer. There is also a supplied sticker which covers up additional data if that is required to keep it within class rules. Velocitek is not alone in the use of a GPS led device to get readings. Nauteek’s SC200 and SC100 both work on a similar premise. Again, this is primarily designed to measure speed and distance to the start line, but it also provides information on heading and shifts. The compass features damping and magnetic declination. It’s fully waterproof and post race you can download and analyse data. The SC100 is a slightly more basic (and cheaper) version of the SC200. Other than that, there are a number of small companies such as Rockbox, and Novasail that both offer variations on this theme. If you fancy a complete break from convention, then Garmin’s Quatix marine watch packs an awful lot of tactical information into a very small package that is handily strapped on your wrist. In addition to telling the time, It features a race countdown timer, virtual starting line and tack assist. It is also equipped with barometer, auto-calibrating altimeter, a three axis compass and temperature sensor.

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CLUBS & CLASSES

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CLUBS & CLASSES With the arrival of summer some championships have revelled in champagne sailing conditions while others have faced the challenge of light winds. PAULA IRISH reports Moths at sea The sixth British Moth Sea Championship took place at Fowey in Cornwall with 16 taking part, about half of the class’ competitive boats. Andy Matthews (Chew Valley) was crowned this year’s Fowey champion, with Richard Keefe (Hunts) second, and Colin Hall (Hunts) third. Ladies’ champion was Nicola Barrett (FOSSC).

Tom Wright fifth. Some challenging weather systems produced a variety of conditions for the 73-boat fleet over the five-day championship. In the end, Lachenschmid claimed the title, counting 36 points after two discards from the 10 race series. He also took the title of first junior.

Mitchell masters tricky Solo Southerns A 44-boat fleet faced a feeble northeasterly breeze at the P&B Solo Southern Area Championship at Bough Beech. Pete Mitchell won the first two races then the third was run in a strengthening wind that feinted right but quite often swung in a left hook, flummoxing even the best. Mark Maskell (Blackwater) took the win before Mitchell reasserted himself in the final race with a third bullet for a convincing win.

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British Para worlds success GBR claimed two medals at the Para World Sailing Championships in Medemblik, Holland. John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas secured a closely-fought silver medal in the Sonar after winning a nail-biting final race; the US team of Rick Doerr, Hugh Freund and Brad Kendall took the world title by just one point. Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell also claimed silver in the two-person SKUD event. Helena Lucas just missed the podium in the 2.4mR.

Steve Goacher added the Scottish Flying Fifteen Championship title to his collection of titles with a masterclass at Solway YC. Sponsored by Loch Fyne Oysters, the event saw Windermere’s Goacher and crew Tim Harper stamp their authority on the fleet with back to back wins. Goacher then continued his masterclass off the water, demonstrating the details of rig setting and technique. With lighter winds on day two, race three was another win for Goacher-Harper before David McKee-Mal Hartland added a bullet to their scoreline of seconds for second overall.

NSSA Inlands at Datchet

JASPER VAN STAVEREN

Germany’s Andi Lachenschmid became the new ACO Musto Skiff world champion at Yacht Club De Carnac, France, with a healthy 20 point margin. British sailors took the next four spots, with George Hand in second overall, Dave Poston in third, previous world champion Daniel Henderson fourth and

IAN ROMAN

Musto Skiff Worlds at Carnac

Goacher Flying 15 masterclass

Ideal sailing conditions at the National School Sailing Association Inland Championships at Datchet Water SC saw Pierce Seward of Kent dominate the Laser Radial fleet with a clean sweep of six bullets. The next four all finished on 17 points, the tie breaks

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CLUBS & CLASSES

In a far from straightforward fight on the Clyde, the Thomson brothers’ Swan 40 Sloop John T overcame the opposition to take the Old Pulteney Scottish IRC Championship for a second time. At Mudhook YC Regatta near Helensburgh a light easterly made for two competitive races on the second day, which was not all that it could be for Team Sloop – but a robust performance on day one of two firsts and a second ultimately paid dividends. Sloop touched a race mark, was protested and took her turns, but it was maintained that she did not make them at the earliest opportunity and she retired from the race. Meanwhile, Neill Sandford and team aboard MAT 1010 Now or Never 3 were having a good day with two race wins, with Sloop finishing second in the latter - enough to claim the championship ahead of Carmen II, the Jeffrey/Scutt owned First 36.7.

IAIN MCLUCKIE

Sloop John T claims Scottish IRC Championship

Girls on Film triumph at Vice Admiral’s Cup The RORC Vice Admiral’s Cup had fast racing over two breezy days before concluding with a dramatic finale in two classes, as a light northerly succumbed to a building south-westerly which cranked up the tension, especially in the 10 strong Fast40+ Class and the 12-strong Quarter Tonner Class. Two races for their fleets completed an eight-race series. In the Fast40+ Class, Bill Coates of Texan Ker 43, Otra Vez, was over the line in both races, while Peter Morton’s

British Carkeek40 Girls On Film scored a 1,2 to snatch the title. In the Quarter Tonner Class, Sam Laidlaw’s Aguila retained their class win from last year, winning the very last race to take the series by a half point from Louise Morton’s Bullit. The HP30 Class was won by Lloyd Thornburg’s Farr 280; the SB20s by Forelle Estates; the J/111s by Stuart Sawyer’s Black Dog; and J/109s by Robert Stiles’ Diamond Jem.

putting Michael Carver in second place and Imogen Cage-White third. The Handicap fleet was a similar story with Oxford’s Cameron Tweedle in a Finn discarding a third and counting five firsts. James Oakley was second in a Laser 4.7 and Caitlin Atkin third in an Aero 7. In the Toppers, Isha Lowdon of Worcester was able to snatch first place ahead of Harrison Bennett from Barry Youth Watersports, with James Widenbalm third overall.

socialising, including a hog roast and the week’s legendary cocktail party. The finale on day four saw racing with calm patches creeping up the bank and sudden slamming gusts threatening capsizes, before concluding with pouring rain and huge gusts. The overall win went to Rob Cage and Nicky Erskine Tulloch, with Chris Kilsby and Pippa Taylor second ahead of Jon and Dan Meadowcroft.

Merlin Rocket River Champs at Upper Thames

The 10th Solution National Championships at Llandudno SC started with light airs for three races, all of them won by Pembrokeshire YC’s Christian Smart. A sea breeze on day two provided ideal conditions and the finishing positions were less

The annual Bourne End Week Merlin Rocket River Championships at Upper Thames SC combined competitive racing with mostly light to moderate shifty breezes and plenty of

Smart wins Solution Nationals

consistent which made for some good competition but ultimately, Smart held on to his overall lead to claim the title counting just six points, with Tynemouth’s Nathan Batchelor second overall just ahead of Hykeham’s Sam Davy.

Miracle Northern Championship

A sunny weekend for the Miracle Northerns saw fickle winds for the 18 boats competing at Delph SC. the conditions proved to be a challenge for both the race organisers and the visiting sea-sailors. Five races in the fluky conditions saw Wayne Atherton-Angela Sweeny win the final race by millimetres to take the overall win, just two points ahead of fellow locals Jack Hopkins-Ross Southwell, with David and Michelle Raines (L&LSC) third.

In the spirit of hope over experience 40 Blazes turned up for the nationals at Paignton SC. The forecast was for a sunny drifter, and when asked to perhaps cram in a third race on day one so as to guarantee a championship, the race officer replied: ‘I like your optimism’. And so, optimistically, the fleet flipflopped out in to Tor Bay. Eden Hyland made his mark early, winning the first race, followed by Burghfield’s Mike Lyons, a light wind master and former national and inland champion, and Hugh Kingdon, who would prove a handy light wind sailor. Race two saw Kingdon lead upwind, while offwind Ben Pickering got the most out of each friendly wave; both he and the lightweight Hyland sailed around Kingdon to seal a one-two victory for the youngsters from Chase SC.

Race three, Warsash’s Bob Cowan led but Hyland and Pickering took him on the final, miserable drift to the line; Hyland took second and Pickering caught Cowan on the line for a true photo finish. Day two came in grey, cool and breeze-less and day three was pretty much the same. After a wait on the water of nearly two hours a fourth and final race got underway, the stage set for a battle of the Brummies between Hyland and Pickering. Pickering had to win the race for the title and cruised to the finish line, but there was no gun. He’d been over the startline. Hyland, who’d watched the championship sail away from him in the last race, now got it back. Second was Simon Beddows with Mike Lyons third ahead of Pickering.

STEVE CAYLEY

NEIL ROSS

Brummie Blaze sailors battle light wind

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40th Dart 18 Nationals ‘best ever’ Similar but stronger conditions on day two saw the usual faces at the front – plus Paul Chatfield sailing the Windsport boat who won race four – and concluded with the same top three. Day three brought far stronger winds again from the north leading to ominous random patterns on the water and providing some fast and furious racing, with wins going to Lloyd-Akhurst and Dan and Jenny Kilsby, both local sailors. The socials continued with a toga night of partying. Fortunately for many the final day’s racing was canned, due to 30+ knot gusts. Lloyd-Akhurst took the title, counting a consistent series of firsts and seconds. Second overall were NormanMarkiman with the Roberts’ finishing in third.

HOLLY HANCOCK

The Dart 18 class celebrated its 40th anniversary nationals at Stokes Bay SC in style, with a week of racing and socials declared ‘best nationals ever’. The championship, sponsored by GJW insurance, Andark Diving and Watersports, Mill and Bank Solicitors and Windsport, saw 61 teams entered, including Joffan Garka, the first helm to reach the windward mark of the first-ever Dart Nationals. The more seasoned warriors were balanced by the fleet’s growing youth element. Multiple winds straight offshore from the north on day one saw two races and much place changing, with David Lloyd-Tori Akhurst leading overnight ahead of Dan Norman-Alysian Markiman and Dave and Louise Roberts, and a win for Barry Peters-Olly Stuart.

The 56th Navigators & General Three Rivers Race The 56th Navigators & General Three Rivers Race, hosted by Horning SC on the Norfolk Broads, saw some 98 boats embark on the 50-mile endurance race. After some eight hours, the first boat home at just after 7pm was Thames A Rater Osprey helmed by Paul Browning, but the winning boat on handicap was Martin Hunter’s Merlin Rocket Quiver, crewed by Margaretha Von Herman. This marked Hunter’s third win (the previous two in an A Rater) and the first time that a Merlin Rocket has won the race. Despite the light to moderate winds,

SARKA NGASSA

Firebird Championship

HISC sailors dominate Fevas Freddie Peters and Louis Johnson were crowned winners of the PA Consulting RS Feva Nationals at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, showing consistency throughout. Louis Wright and Jamie Allen claimed second overall and Henry and Rupert Jameson third, meaning all three podium teams were from Hayling Island SC. Draycote SC’s Jack Lewis and Lucas Marshall finished fourth, while Jack’s brother Daniel and Katheryn Byne, also Draycote, were first mixed team in seventh. Burnham sailors Ellen Morley and Sophie Johnson took the ladies’ title. The championship saw 110 teams competing with a qualifying series to split teams into gold and silver. Fifth overall were HISC’s Charles Elliott-Ethan Miles ahead of father-and-son team Steve and Jamie Tylecote from Rutland. At the preceding RS Feva Europeans in the Czech Republic, reigning champions Jack Lewis and Lucas Marshall from Draycote Water SC successfully defended their title.

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Flushing SC hosted the second annual Firebird championship with a five-race series supported by Elemental UK, Windsport and Cafe Mylor. Ten of the multihulls are now based in and around Falmouth from a total of 15 ever produced in Gweek. Conditions ranged from a steady sea breeze to light winds. Peter Stephens crewed by Tom Laity counted three bullets on day one and then sailed a consistent enough second day to take the overall title, with Mike Wigmore just taking second from Steve Hutt in third.

Smiths win Javelin Inlands The Javelin Inlands at Carsington were mostly light and variable. Race wins were correspondingly

shared out over two days before a breezy final day saw Richard Smith-Stuart Reid/Kathryn Smith add two more bullets to their scoreline of podium finishes to take the title with a race to spare. Second overall, just two points behind, were Brian and David Earl.

Lightning Sea Champs The Lightning 368 Sea Championship at Thorpe Bay YC saw Simon Hopkins claim three wins from the four races to take the title ahead of Paul White with Penny Yarwood third.

Combined Comet Inlands At Cotswold SC, Adrian and Tracy Padro from Shustoke dominated the Comet Trio inlands, winning all five races in the gusty and shifty conditions, chased hard by Stuart and Rory Bush, also

the day was not without incident, particularly at the bridges, which had their usual share of excitement. River Cruiser Zingara practised a swift man overboard drill after a crew member attempting to avoid a collision, executed a spectacular somersault into the river shortly before going through Potter Heigham Bridge. Nevertheless the young team, led by Richie Dugdale, were first Cruiser home and second overall for their efforts. Chris Bunn sailing River Cruiser Ladybird showed impressive bridge-shooting to come third.

Shustoke, who secured the runners-up spot. The Versas were won by John and Jackie Sturgeon from Hawley Lake.

Inaugural RC Laser Europeans

The first ever RC Laser European Championship, at Valenciennes in northern France, had 33 competitors from Europe and Australia. Opening with fairly strong winds, Dave Fowler (GBR) gained four wins, with a bullet each also going to Marcel Bleeker (NED) and Ulf Neumann (SWE). The wind moderated for day two and two wins went to world champion Tjakko Keizer (NED), while others included one to Adrian Tomlinson (GBR). A challenging final day then had very light wind and with the top three places separated by one point and countback, the pressure was on. Ultimately GBR’s Fowler

claimed the title ahead of Bleeker in second and Keizer in third overall, with Tomlinson fourth.

Phantom champs The Phantom East Coast Championships at Royal Harwich YC – supported by Sail Medic and Seamark Nunn – had three races in a building Force 3 on day one; John Wayling claimed a consistent 2,1,2, with Matt House having 1,2,7 and Paul Church 3,12,1. With a failing wind and no further racing on day two, Wayling took the title on countback.

Squib East Coast Championship The Squib East Coast Championship at Medway YC - supported by Pirates Cave Chandlery and Holt Marine Products - was blessed with decent breezes. Aquabat (Stu Rix/ Steve Warren-Smith, Royal

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CLUBS & CLASSES

Light airs for the annual Windermere Waterhead Race – the length of the lake and back – saw 22 dinghies setting off and the overall win taken by Mark Fearnley in a Blaze, with Chris Spicer, also in a Blaze, second ahead of K1 sailor Mike Dean.

Calum Claims Topper crown

Calum Bell won the Scottish Topper Championship crown on home waters at Loch Lomond SC, counting three bullets and a second from the five-race series, sponsored by Sailing Fast, with Christine Wood (CCC) second and Suzie Homer (DBSC) third.

Welsh Topper Champs

Magnus Handley from Queen Mary SC, won the Stride Treglown Welsh Topper Championships in light winds at Llandegfedd SC, with Oliver Vowles from Llangorse the top Welsh competitor in second. Top girl was Dale’s Lowri Boorman.

The Sir Kenneth Preston Trophy attracted one of the largest fleets of Etchells seen in the Solent for many years – bolstered by the forthcoming worlds to be held in Cowes – with 28 teams from Australia, Britain, Hong Kong and the US. The eight-race series saw 11 teams achieving podium results. Victory went to Peter Duncan, with Ante Razmilovic second and Lawrie Smith third.

J24 Nationals down to the wire It was a mix of old guard and new youth sailors for the J24 nationals at Parkstone YC and the racing couldn’t have been closer. Day one, David Cooper’s Jawbreaker and Duncan McCarthy’s Madeleine were tied at the top after each won two races, with light airs in the morning building throughout. In slightly stronger conditions on day two, Howths K25 Squad in Irelands Eye Kilcullen kicked off with two solid wins and Unity Lets also had a brilliant day, further stirring up the results at the top. The final day saw the championship go down to the wire as McCarthy’s team on Madeleine came from behind to overhaul Cooper’s Jawbreaker, finishing the regatta counting 21 and 25 points respectively.

TOM HICKS WWW.SOLENTACTION.COM

Windermere Waterhead Race

Sir Kenneth Preston Trophy

RORC De Guingand Bowl The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s De Guingand Bowl Race in the Solent and along the south coast of England had the wind direction swinging to every point on the compass and its strength varying from zephyrs to 16 knots.

There was a longer 123nm course for fast yachts and a 105nm one for slower boats, with results decided on average speed. Christoph Avenarius and Gorm Gondesen’s German Ker 46, Shakti took Line Honours,

Seaword wins Silvers Marine Scottish Series Dara O’Malley and Seaword from Port Edgar YC took not just their class win but also lifted the Silvers Marine Scottish Series trophy – for their near perfect scoreline. Class wins also went to: IRC 1, Aurora, Rod Stuart/Bill Ram; IRC 2, Something Else, John and Brian Hall; IRC 3, Trastada, Roddy Angus/Dan Challis; CYCA 5 Thrust, Richard Shellcock; CYCA 6, Farr e Nuff, John Kent; CYCA 8 Restricted Sail, Slippi Jin, David and Karen Parker; CYCA 9 Restricted Sail, Brave, Ken Allan/S Shearer; Sigma 33, Mayrise, James Miller; Sonata, Edgy, Douglas Paton; VX One, Ovington Boats, Brian Bennett.

Barbados in Bala for GP14s The GP14 worlds in Barbados may be over but they’re certainly not forgotten, with Bala providing the ideal setting for a Rum Punch Reunion – the Gul Inland Championship. Tough competition in the 34-boat fleet resulted in four different winners out of the five races. A manageable Force 4 wind saw two race wins

Class IRC Zero and the overall win for the best corrected time under IRC for the fleet. Second overall and winner of IRC Three was Arnaud Delamare/Eric Mordret’s JPK 10.80 Dream Pearls.

go to Poole’s Andrew Clewer/Mark Taylor and one to Ian Willis/Keith Dutton from South Staffs. A Bajan-themed social followed, with the bar suitably decorated and sumptuously stocked. A steady breeze on day two saw a race win for Andy Smith/Phil Hodgkins from Bassenthwaite but by this time the wind was all over

the place. A slow, windless final race favoured those used to picking out whatever breeze is generated by a passing bird. Budworth’s Nick Devereux/Geoff Edwards taking the win. Ultimately Mike and Liz Senior – counting a consistent 3,3,2,4 – took the title, with Devereux/ Edwards second ahead of Willis/Dutton.

TOM HICKS WWW.SOLENTACTION.COM

Victoria YC) and ReHydrated (Nigel/Jack Grogan, Royal Corinthian YC) each won two races to finish second and third. But Lady Penelope (Malcolm Hutchings/Andy Ramsey, Royal Corinthian) won overall counting one first place and four seconds.

Myth of Malham With a light fickle northerly breeze, tenacity and dogged determination were to the fore for the class winners of the 230-mile Myth of Malham Race. Gilles Fournier’s French J/133, Pintia was the overall winner after a tremendous battle with Suzi and Nick Jones’ British First 44.7, Lisa. Mike Greville’s Ker 39 Erivale III was third overall. ‘We really pushed each other and that is probably why we both did so well,’ commented Lisa’s skipper Nick Jones. ‘Using the apparent wind to hop from one puff of breeze to the next was the trick and the team managed that very well.’

Morgan Cup Past RORC Commodore Mike Greville racing his British Ker 39 Erivale III was the overall winner of the 108-mile light airs Morgan Cup race from Cowes to Dieppe after IRC time correction. Arnaud Delamare-Eric Mordre’s JPK 10.80 Dream Pearls won IRC Three and was second overall, while IRC Two victory and third overall went to Gilles Fournier’s J/133.

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With Alacrity dominate Sigma 38 nationals

DAVID EBERLIN

The With Alacrity Racing Team – owned by Chris and Vanessa Choules and crewed by a group of close friends – won every race in the Sigma 38 nationals at the Royal London YC in Cowes to claim the title. A variety of conditions over the long weekend – sponsored by Elvstrøm UK and supported by OneSails - ranged from incredibly light to fairly heavy, gusty winds, with crews having to adapt their skills across the wind range. Peter Hopps’ Sam triumphed over Tim Levitt’s Machismo II in an incredibly tight battle to take second place by only one point.

TOM HICKS WWW.SOLENTACTION.COM]

Clementson’s claim Graduate crown Father-and-son team John and Jamie Clementson claimed five bullets from six races at the Graduate nationals at Notts County SC to retain their title. Two races in a light shifty northerly on day one rewarded those who could find pressure first in the 18-boat fleet. The Clementsons took both race wins followed by another father-and-son combination, Tony and Sam Cooper.

In a stronger Force 3 on day two, it was again the gusts which decided the positions. The Clementsons claimed two more wins while Andy and Sue Flitcroft continued to build a consistent scoreline, adding a 3,2 to their previous day’s 3,4. A breezy finale was then to the liking of Steve Blackburn-Ciaran McKettrick who powered to the front, while a second for the Clementsons was enough to

Light airs for RS Aero nationals

JEAN BORDER HTTP://WWW.BORDERPHOTOS2010.COM

Royal Torbay YC hosted the RS Aero UK nationals sponsored by Magic Marine with 70 entries from as far afield as France and Holland. The RS Aero Challenge Cup was an ‘All Aero’ PY race, with the PYs adjusted for light winds. Gareth Griffiths took line honours but the 7 rig of Peter Barton kept close enough to claim the PY win ahead of Griffiths and Nigel Rolfe in their 9s.

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Day one of the nationals proper had a light easterly for four races, day two was lost to no wind, then day three brought 10 knots and the top reach even saw a little planing and surfing; the wind then slowly died with one race completed. Antony York’s win in the 9s brought him up to second overall behind the consistent Peter Barton, with Paul Bartlett claiming third.

David Ellis did just enough in the 7s to take the title, while Fergus Barnham moved up to second overall with his second race win of the series, with Harvey Martin third. Archie Hainsworth took the title in the 5s and was also first youth, just a point ahead of Kate Sargent in second, who also enjoyed a strong event and finishi as first lady overall.

make them overall winners. Race six was then full of drama as the close racing and conditions took their toll; the Coopers needed a good result for second overall but had to beach for emergency repairs, only to then resume racing and capsize. The Clementsons took the final race win, while Team Flitcroft’s continued consistency put them second overall with BlackburnMcKettrick third.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS August 1-5 RS Tera nn

Worlds, Santona, Northern Spain August 2-6 Dinghy nn Week, Chichester YC August 3-6 GC32, Copa nn del Rey Mapfre, Palma de Mallorca August 4-7 British Finn nn Nationals, Christchurch SC August 5-7 Challenger nn MultiClass Regatta, Rutland SC August 5-13 IRC yachts, nn Channel Week, Solo Offshore Racing Club August 5-21 Olympic nn Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil August 6 38th Coupe nn Tartan - passage race, Royal Channel Islands YC August 6-9 Hurricane nn 5.9 and SX Nationals, Thorpe Bay YC August 6-11 Yachting nn World Dayboat Nationals, Brixham YC August 6-12 Ullswater nn YC Regatta & Holiday

Week

Itchenor SC, West Sussex

August 6-13 Cowes nn

August 22-27 Mersea nn

August 7-12 Miracle nn

August 26-28 nn

Week

Nationals, Plas Heli Welsh National Sailing Academy August 10-13 British nn Moth Nationals, Northampton SC August 12-14 IRC Welsh nn National Championship, Pwllheli SC August 13-19 2000 nn Nationals, Castle Cove SC Camel Week, Rock nn Sailing and Waterski Club August 15-19 Chichester nn Harbour Race Week, Hayling Island SC Half Ton Classics Cup, nn Flushing SC, Falmouth August 20-21 nn Annual Regatta, Royal nn Harwich YC August 20-26 nn GP14 UK Nationals, nn Pwllheli SC August 22-25 nn Mirror Nationals, nn

Week, Dabchicks SC

Challenger UK Championships, Rutland SC August 27-28 707 nn Scottish Nationals, Royal Forth YC Enterprise Scottish nn Nationals, St Mary’s Loch SC Jersey Channel Islands nn 25th Hobie Cat Championships, Royal Channel Islands YC August 27-29 J/80 nn Nationals, Royal Lymington YC RS Vareo Nationals, nn Llandegfedd SC One Metre Nationals, nn Birkenhead Radio Sailing & Power Club August 27-September 3 nn Burnham Week, Royal Corinthian YC, Burnham August 29-September 2 nn Flying Fifteen, europeans Medemblik

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August 2016 Yachts & Yachting

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