Boats & Yachting - issue 78

Spring 08 | Issue 78 â‚Ź1 (Where sold)

Hanse

320 Schengen

for Yachting

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07 08 11 13 15 18 21

Editorial Schengen for Yachting Ten Fathoms How to recognize a flotilla from afar.

The MacDonald Chronicles Boat show delights

Hot Tips Ways to go about mundane problems.

Hanse 320 B&Y’s cover model this issue.

Interview: Paolo Vitelli

24 27 31 33 41 45 48

Cruising Catania Oceanis 31 Boat Preview

Chartering Rough passage to Crowdy Head 7th Episode of a maltese circumnavigator

P1 Locations San Benedetto del Tronto & Marseille.

Beneteau Flyer 12 Chefs Ahoy!

Quick dips & Crudities

BOATS

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FINALLY, A SPORTS CRUISER YOU CAN REALLY OPEN UP.

When creating the new SC38 our designers had the bright idea of using our innovative, convertible roof. This easily-retractable, translucent roof provides the flexibility to enjoy the cockpit whatever the weather. But being creative they didn’t stop there. They also introduced a full-beam skylight, spacious saloon and a separate head and shower. They even found space for three full sized berths in the aft cabin. Combined with our use of contemporary materials and quality finishes, the new SC38 convertible really does feel like a home from home.

FOR SALES INFORMATION CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER NAUTICA LTD 21/23 Msida Road Gzira GZR 03 Malta Tel: +356 21 338 253 Fax: +356 21 343 821 www.nautica.com.mt info@nautica.com.mt

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INSTINCTIVE INNOVATION.

A WORD FROM THE

EDITOR Welcome to another issue of B&Y and I hope you’re all busy preparing for another good summer of enjoyment, on our marvelous seas and countries beyond. This summer, for the very first time as Maltese boaters, we do not need to exchange any money before traveling north and we can buy a cappuccino in Syracuse with the same coins used in a Valletta café.

This direct benefit of EU and Eurozone membership will be felt very tangibly by the many holiday makers travelling to places like Sicily, Italy or Greece. However, there is also the Schengen development which can contribute towards making marine life easier. The benefits of Schengen are not as straightforward as the single currency, but Vanessa Macdonald has gone a long way in explaining how things will work out in her article on page 8.

This period is always an interesting one for boaters. Boats would be on their way back to the sea after the annual maintenance period, but for most, it’s still somewhat early to embark on anything significant. People tend to prefer to wait until the weather settles and children’s summer holidays start. However planning can start in earnest and I always recommend meticulous research before going on a trip of any length.

In our coverage on cruising locations we try to give you fresh and practical insight. Although Catania (page 24) is one of the most visited locations by Maltese people, we have tried to give a new perspective on a city which is often just seen as a shopping location.

In future issues, we will give you cruising guides to new locations and as always, your input and insight into any place you visited is warmly welcome. Some places are not as easy to reach from Malta, but remain of great interest due to their link to major boating events. In this issue, we have guides to San Benedetto del Trento and Marseille, the first two locations of the Powerboat P1 season on pages 41 and 43.

There is much more to read in this issue of Boats & Yachting, but make sure not to miss out on On Deck, our sister publication which gathers the latest local and international news from the boating world. On Deck is out today and will be due again in six weeks time. As always, please get in touch with any comments and insights you might have to offer on editor@boatsandyachting.com.

Richard Muscat Azzopardi

www.boatsandyachting.com Issue Number 78 Spring 2008 Boats & Yachting is a quarterly magazine about boats, marine equipment, windsurfing, diving and all other marine activities and sports in and around the Maltese Isles.

Cover Photo: Hanse 320 © muscatazzopardi.com Published by:

Directors Matthew Bugeja Richard Muscat Azzopardi 236, Mdina Road, Qormi, Malta Tel: +356 2149 0539 +356 27 300 500 Fax: +356 2149 8893 www.bma.com.mt info@bma.com.mt Editor Richard Muscat Azzopardi editor@boatsandyachting.com Deputy Editor Greta Muscat Azzopardi greta@boatsandyachting.com News & Features Editor Gustav Pace Contributors Vanessa Macdonald, Deborah Ratcliffe, Godwin Muscat Azzopardi, Joe Schembri Art Director Matthew Bugeja matt@bma.com.mt Designers Bertrand Fava Malcolm Bonello Prepress and Printing Progress Press Advertising & Subscriptions: +356 2149 0539 +356 9989 5100/1 info@boatsandyachting.com

It is understood that all material supplied by agents (printed or otherwise) to promote their products is supplied with all necessary permissions for reproduction.

Whilst great care and attention has been taken by the editorial board to ensure accuracy of text, advertising and other published matter, we disclaim all responsibility for any omissions and errors. The editor and Publisher do not necessarily agree with views expressed in articles/ adverts/ letters etc. appearing in this publication.This magazine is being published in strict compliance with the laws of Malta. Any litigation is to be handled in Malta.

BOATS

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Cruising

SCheNGeN FOR

M

alta recently joined the Schengen area, meaning that no border checks are required when moving from one Schengen state to another. Passengers on aircraft or ferries bypass immigration controls and go through special channels. But what about yachts? They too will be able to travel freely when coming from or departing to a port situated in a member state within the Schengen area, which now stretches across the Mediterranean states of the EU (except Cyprus).

This means you can cast off from anywhere in Malta and Gozo and keep going till you hit Sicily or Greece, with nothing but a valid ID card in your wallet. Obviously, the usual ship’s documents should always be available.

Yet how would authorities know whether a yacht is coming from a Schengen state or not, especially if it does not have a Maltese flag?

Police Assistant Commissioner Andrew Seychell said that it remains a matter of risk assessment and cooperation between the immigration authorities of member states. Competent authorities will always retain the right to carry out checks in line with the established Schengen criteria.

“The officials will take into account various assessments of the risks of illegal immigration, public security and cross border crime, and reports from other ports amongst other issues.

Each country has a Risk Analysis Unit for this 8

| BOATS

YACHTING

YAChTING

by Vanessa Macdonald

specific reason. Someone that goes to Syracuse several times a year without any problems will probably get no more than a wave and a greeting from the officials!

“Do bear in mind that the Schengen Regulations say that a boat travelling by the coastline of a third country located in the immediate vicinity of a member state may be subject to a check of the persons and/or a physical search of the boat.

“Technically speaking, the captain of a pleasure boat could give immigration officials a passenger list before the boat leaves, even if this is not always done in practice. The important thing is that this list should be readily available if officials in other Schengen states ask for it. If a copy has been left in Malta, then it becomes much easier for the authorities of the other country to check.”

Boats usually inform the Malta Maritime Authority that they are leaving Malta but this is more to do with their berths being freed up. A boat also usually informs Valletta Port Control that it is leaving Maltese waters – but this procedure is important from a safety and security point of view and should not be discontinued.

Schengen will not only help Maltese sailors. The procedure will also be much easier for yachts and superyachts with third party nationals on board. Once they present their visas at the first

... you can cast off from anywhere in Malta and Gozo and keep going till you hit Sicily or Greece, with nothing but a valid ID card in your wallet.

Cruising

Schengen port, they will then be able to circulate within the area without further checks (although a passenger list must be with the ship’s papers at all times). Obviously the Schengen visa of such third country nationals must be one valid for all Schengen states and not with Limited Territorial Validity (LTV).

“The first check at the point of entry will probably be more thorough but thereafter, they will be free to circulate and will only be subject to spot checks by the competent authorities in the way that Schengen area nationals are,” Assistant Commissioner Seychell said.

“They will also be able, at the point of first entry, as the exception rather than the rule, to enter ports that are not border crossing points, by seeking prior authorisation from the port authorities, which will in turn notify the seaport/ marina immigration officials. Passenger lists should be made available to the port authorities and to the immigration officials, at the latest upon arrival.

“If a superyacht is coming to Malta from a Schengen port, for example, the boat’s agent should send a passenger list to the immigration officials there in advance. This will make the procedure much easier. The boat will not need to ‘check in’ and will be able to go straight to an anchorage, if the captain so decides.

“What is important is that no people join or leave the boat without prior knowledge of the authorities. If this happens,

the immigration officials must endorse the changes prior to departure of the superyacht.”

Of course, Schengen has not only removed internal borders; it has also created an external one. This means that any vessel entering the Schengen area will go through rigorous procedures to ensure that both crew and passengers fulfil entry conditions in respect of third country nationals. AC Seychell explained that Malta had to be prepared to take on this responsibility, which require the development of a considerable amount of training and technical systems.

“The evaluation on whether we were ready for Schengen or not involved a team of several evaluators from other EU member states,” he added.

“Believe me, they were very thorough.”

But Malta at the end succeeded. Sailors having to race home from Schengen ports to Malta to be able to check in with the authorities before the Immigration Office closes, has become a thing of the past.

BOATS

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Light Hearted

Ten fathoms

IL O

We admire the subjects chosen for tattoos. Perhaps the only claim to sailing experience one of them possesses is the anchor tattooed on his forearm.

They all look expectantly at the flotilla leader. They are perfectly silent, hanging upon his every word. Then charts are unfolded noisily, portable GPS navigators clicked on, wives, the automatic navigators, are advised to pay undivided attention to absorb the briefing. Many times I have drifted inconspicuously within hearing distance.

The day’s route has obviously been carefully planned to include a broad reach or a run, avoiding unnecessary tacking and guaranteed to bring every boat into a harbour which requires as little manoeuvring as possible at the end of the day.

Then they scramble to the boats. Some leave instantly, typically the athletic types who have breakfast at 6am Others leave later. The flotilla leader leaves at the end. He has to unravel mixed up warps and recover some anchors.

In another article I have described the traditional way of flotilla anchoring.

Observing it is a sadistic pleasure not worth foregoing. Of course flotilla sailing separates the experienced from the tyros. But there are far more of the latter. Most flotilla mooring on swinging moorings is a haphazard af-

fair. The anchor goes in while the boat is still motoring forward, not enough scope is paid out and the boat eventually stops and immediately drifts back on to one or more of the other boats.

The tangle of chain and rope is usually impressive as is the language which can hardly have been learnt at Oxford or Cambridge. Flotilla mooring at the quay is a straightforward operation.

You can tell a flotilla is approaching from the zigzag motion. I do not mean tacking and gybing, but zig-zag.

The skipper drives the bow into the quay with a crunch, the missus jumps ashore with a warp and the anchor is plummeted down by the skipper over the stern. The poor flotilla leader has the unenviable task of taking out every single anchor by dinghy, then clambering on each individual boat and hauling in on the anchor rope. In the meantime the crew scramble ashore for the nearest taverna. Somehow, however there is always some anchor movement during the night and there is always one anchor whose rode overrides at least that of one other anchor.

You can tell a flotilla is approaching from the zig-zag motion. I do not mean tacking and gybing, but zig-zag. Zigzag motion is produced involuntarily and inevitably results in screams and swearwords in more or less broad English as the boom swings round.

I was told by one flotilla leader that the problems during day sailing are always encountered with self-professed sailors, never with the tyros. They take risks and assume they are capable of avoiding the dangers. They depart from the planned route and depend on the

O M

T

hey assemble in twos and three at 9am and sit down in various positions on the quayside. Some are sunburnt, fit and athletic, others white and bordering on the obese. They come from all walks of life and with widely different sailing prowess. Some still show the effects of the quantity of Greek wine consumed the previous evening. Most wear T-shirts, caps and even bikinis adorned with the flotilla logo.

E V

How to recognize a flotilla from afar and other golden insights by Godwin Muscat Azzopardi.

M

flotilla leader to see them back at night to the agreed anchorage. To be fair the Ionian has a predictable NW prevailing wind but also an unpredictable series of land breezes that make it interesting for competent sailors and terrifying for the others.

During our visits to the Ionian we have seen remarkable things like the family head hanging on the boom-end, swung out over the side with feet dangling in the water. We never got to the reason for this original (or perhaps aboriginal) behaviour. We caught up one night with a couple whom we had seen motoring bows into the wind with both sails flapping. Under tender interrogation they explained that they were following instructions to goose-wing, only going the wrong way. Another couple attempted to tow a fellow sailor who had engine problems into harbour.

The warp was made fast to the second boat’s stanchions. The stanchions came up and ripped out of the deck when the first boat took the strain. Then there are the innumerable scraped bows. The preferred method of stopping a flotilla boat is ramming the jetty.

Some flotillas have identical boats, and when these are anchored side to side, the swell rocks the boats. The attention of the skipper goes to the sides and fenders are carefully positioned.

But they do not look up. We have witnessed several instances of tangled spreaders.

Flotillas generate a particular type of camaraderie. Friendships are easily made and easily broken. Some neighbours who have decided to have a holiday together will never speak to each other again. Still, some do have a tremendous capacity for punishment and will return year after year to the same experience.

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Light Hearted

The

Macdonald Chronicles

Vanessa Macdonald gives a refreshingly unlofty account of boat show delights s it safe to come out? Are all the boat shows over? This is a good sign: It means the dismal winter season is over and the real boating season has started. We no longer have to be bunk potatoes. We can get out there into the cockpit soon, strip off and be ... well, crisped?

I

Sales staff are trained not to smirk at tyre-kickers. They strain to keep a straight face when a man in the grip of a mid-life crisis swaggers on to a 70-foot boat feigning interest, inadvertently letting slip that he takes his holiday in a caravan in Yarmouth.

I, for one, must sigh with relief as the damage this year has been considerably less than in previous years. This year, Big Mac only went to one boat show and that was the local one, where we spent as much time hooting at the sculpture in the hotel as we did walking round the stands and gawking at the boats. Normally, he finds every possible excuse to go to Southampton or London, and in good years, even both.

Many spend the whole year dreaming about Dusseldorf and Genoa.

Some are harder to spot than others. I was a total rooky.

My colleague could smell the money from three boats away and would discreetly head them off before they reached the queue, whisking them to the hospitality tent for a quick nibble of salmon and a fizz of champagne before trying to sell them the 80-foot version. Her encyclopaedic knowledge of shoes, bags and watches did not always work. She once tried to persuade a man with a baby in a pouch against his chest that it would not be worth waiting an hour to see the boat... until he pointed out that it was his boat and he had lent it to them for the show.

The thing is, we just don’t understand why they go. If you are in the market for a sailing yacht, it is really not terribly helpful to know how it performs with the sails in the locker and its keel safely embedded in carpet. You can of course organise a test sail but that is rarely going to be fitted in to the frantic dash around the exhibition hall, whether or not you have to stop for the mandatory five pints of Guiness in the tent.

I worked at a number of shows and learned the dark, secret art of dressing up a boat. It is no different to dressing up a show-home but everything is smaller. You actually use small props so that the amount of space looks bigger. So small books on the shelves, small flowers, small soaps, small oranges. Walk onto a boat at the show and you are amazed by how spacious it is. Fill it with your weekend paraphenalia and it is like when you are a kid going back to your first bedroom and cannot understand how you actually managed to fit in the bed.

As you walk around a boat at the show, you are so overwhelmed by the clever catches on the doors and the subtle saloon lights with 20-different settings that the salesman points out that you fail to remember whether there are any harness points.

Of course, the great majority of those who go to boat shows are not in the market for a boat at all. They just want to gawk, much in the same way that women window shop in Milan. So they queue up for an hour to sit in the cockpit of a revolutionary 120-knot speedboat with built in DVD, cocktail bar and stiletto-proof headboard. Just perfect for the mother-in-law and her dish of mqarrun.

Boats are only half the fun of the show. There is also equipment, corridors and corridors of every conceivable gadget and gizmo, from the marine equivalent of spinning hubcaps to the marine equivalent of the US Navy’s latest satellite tracking system. Men who have not yet got round to reading the manual on their new mobile phone listen in raptures as a woman with a very low cleavage explains the 58 functions of the GPS-cum-depth sounder-cum ice maker that no serious boater is without.

And then there is the clothing. Seasoned squash players rub their hands in glee when their opponent turns up in crisp new T-shirt with matching piping on his shorts and socks, and a sweat band round his wrist and forehead. There is a boating equivalent but since they probably don’t know who they are, it is best not to say anything more specific.

It is often all over in a day or two and they come home, weary but sated, until the next round. They may have committed mental maritime adultery but they have remained faithful to their beloved, even if she is somewhat scuffed and sagging.

In the meantime, they have collected three carrier bags of brochures that duly get binned three months later and have bought a nifty little gadget for retrieving buoys that gets shown to everyone that comes on the boat that summer but which is never actually used once

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R I V I E R A I N N O V A T I O N C O N T I NU E S

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Light Hearted

HOT TIPS

by Deborah Ratcliffe Over the years we have all come up with innovative and often amusing ways of coping with a variety of mundane problems or tasks, such as repelling cockroaches. I’ve been hot footing it around the marina asking people for their most inventive and informative ideas. Some are eminently practical, others entertaining, but nonetheless the crews swear by them. I must say the first tip on chilli powder appears to have worked wonders.

The crew of Storm Chaser added copious amounts of very hot chilli powder to her antifouling whilst in Turkey. I watched her having her bottom cleaned by the diver 18 months later, and was truly amazed by the result. The diver was very surprised by the lack of barnacles. She did have weed, but even then not as much as we did moored opposite her with a brand new hull and layers of antifouling.

Thanks for tips go in particular to crews of experienced Med cruising yachts Brighton Belle, Storm Chaser, Gallivanter and O2 – oh yes and us – Lady Morwenna!

01 The hottest tip of all: red hot chilli powder mixed in anti fouling – certain to give barnacles ‘hot lips’. This is a sworn, tried and tested solution to the barnacle problem learned in Turkey.

02

Squeaky floorboards are one of the most annoying noises on board, especially in the still of the night when you’re trying to creep to the heads– simply squirt WD40 into the joints.

03 Keep a basil plant near your companionway to ward off mosquitoes. My problem is I keep forgetting it’s for the mosquitoes and end up with a leafless plant as I love using it in cooking.

04 A wind scoop attached to your forward hatch. But don’t forget to add a mossie cover. A squadron of mossies swirling down the hatch can cause mayhem in the middle of the night.

05 Carnation milk and Boric acid for cockroaches – keep away from all other living creatures, especially kids. It works as we are now ‘roach’ free. Just use a water bottle cap. Fill ¾ up with the milk and add a pinch of acid – mix well. Leave in areas the pests have been spotted. Don’t get on skin or especially in the eyes and gloves are suggested.

06 Wash decks down with washing up liquid and vinegar – this caused numerous arguments as each yachtie had their own particular brand of liquid and vinegar – however a decent priced liquid and cheap vinegar (definitely not balsamic!) was finally agreed upon. This is an example of finding a solution that doesn’t break the piggy bank as many proprietary brands of deck cleaner cost a fortune.

07 Although using inverted bottles/sprays on ropes can stop rats and ‘roaches, remember that the little pests can also merrily walk aboard across the passerella. Spray all areas in contact with the pontoon and remember to spray ropes attached to the shore if you use them. I remember in Singapore watching a battalion of ‘roaches marching up the passerella in formation. After that we sprayed with fervour.

08 Make up a varnish kit – touch up regularly. A useful and simple tip – have a kit made up and stored in a plastic container – including varnish in a small plastic container, a paint brush cut to fit the container, sand paper etc.

09 Use Dry Cleaning spray to remove stains on teak.

Don’t spray if going to rain or when windy as the spray can BOATS

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Light Hearted

travel forever. Be quite liberal in use and make sure it is totally dry before brushing off. Beware though as the dusty powder causes nasty coughs if inhaled. I know.

10

Arguments abound over the general looking after teak.

I used to swear by scrubbing down with salt water. Now I have changed my mind and favour washing down gently with fresh water.

11

Remove wine stains from wood with a mild chlorine bleach. Thoroughly damp the area and then allow to dry for 5 mins. Repeat until stain is removed. This works but you need a plastic glove and I found a sponge to get into the pores of the wood are needed. Moral: Don’t spill wine.

12

Vegetable storage is easily sorted out – either buy small woven ‘hammocks’ or ‘tidies’ from baby’s shops or pharmacies for bathroom toys. Special dark breathable bags can also be purchased for potatoes. I ‘borrowed’ my daughter’s baby bath tidy when last visiting. The stern gas locker if you have space is usually relatively cool and a good place to stow onions and potatoes.

13

If you buy the tablet form of washing machine powder, save the small tablet. I cut out the foam insert as they are brilliant for storing garlic, packets of sugar, stock cubes, clothes pegs etc.

14

Cooler bags given away ‘free’ with wine are great – I

n Qualit y o

use these for shopping ashore to keep chilled food cool. They are small and robust. As I have collected so many I use them for wash bags.

15

Lock-tight plastic containers – my ‘new’ discovery.

Amazing for keeping everything fresh for much longer. I now stow everything in the fridge in these boxes that come in all shapes and sizes.

16

Carry a Kite in your grab bag – great for signalling and great to amuse yourself.

17

Squeaky toilet – a little baby oil into the toilet. Also useful for squeaky hinges if no WD40 around!

18

Squeaky fenders – squirt washing up liquid onto fender – again a simple but effective solution to an annoying problem.

19

Get a solar bag for hot showers – they are worth their weight in gold as they save on heating water – I use the stern shower after a swim but like hot water to wash my hair. Beware though ‘hot’ water can be an understatement! Its also great for heating water for washing clothes – saves carrying hot water up from the cabin. Wish I had this when we used to sail when the kids were in nappies!

These are just a few ideas – more welcome! Send to dkr425@yahoo.com

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ON THE

COVER

HANSE 320

by Richard Muscat Azzopardi

The first time I saw this boat was while I was out testing another boat -a 43 footer. Mind you, there was a bit of a problem as we could barely keep up with it while sailing on a very close reach. I naturally preferred to believe that the Hanse 320 is an incredibly fast boat for its size rather than shoulder the blame as I was helm of the 43 footer at the time. This left me wanting to see more of the boat and I got in touch with Hanse’s local agents Yachting Partners - to get me a test sail on the boat. Since the boat was already sold we had to ask the permission of the owner, but thankfully he was more than willing to take me out for a test.

The first thing I noticed when I got on the boat was the fact that the owner had chosen a tiller rather than a wheel.

This gave the cockpit the kind of room usually reserved to larger boats which added to the impression of fun the boat oozes. For the uninitiated, a tiller might seem a tad rudimentary but on a boat this size it is still very manageable and even allows for a more precise and responsive handling.

18

| BOATS

YACHTING

EXTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHS Š RMA (MUSCATAZZOPARDI.COM) / B&Y

On The Cover

On The Cover

Not only can you feel whatever the boat is telling you at every movement, but your response can be far quicker and more accurate. Even though handling a tiller can be tiring when compared to a wheel, a bit of practice helps you find less tiring positions. This boat was also fitted with an autopilot to provide relief on longer trips and since the owners sailed it down from the yard themselves, I could certainly understand why they wanted it there.

Sailing the boat was a real pleasure.

We first took her out for a good sail in the open sea and she handled beautifully. The self tacking mechanism really stood out in the last half hour of sailing, when we decided to play around in the harbour. Thanks to the size of the boat and the self tacking, this was akin to an arcadish version of dinghy sailing. I was sailing from one side of Marsamxett harbour to the other tacking tightly at each end. As anyone who has ever sailed under bastions must know, wind bounces off them to create mini pockets of wind coming from various directions and while this makes it much more challenging, the whole experience was very rewarding.

rette which is also accessible from the saloon, giving owners ample storage for fenders, ropes and extra sails but also enough room for provisions on long trips.

So the boat looks good enough to honour the Hanse badge it carries and also passes the test as a friendly cruiser but I really wanted to see the interior since this is usually Hanse’s real forte. Once again I was not disappointed. Headroom was ample throughout the centre of the boat and the saloon and galley are very decently sized. Hanse chose to stick to two cabins, quite a wise choice seeing that living aboard for more than a day would not be very comfortable for more than four people. This meant that both cabins are relatively large and ample storage is afforded too. The starboard side of the cockpit, where there is no cabin, has a massive sail locker/ lazza-

The smallest sibling in the Hanse stable has a big reputation to live with but Hanse has made sure that it does not become a thorn in their side as their is no compromise on quality and ideas.

The boat does not reinvent the wheel (in fact it leaves it out completely) but brings Hanse’s big ideas and striking lines to a price range where it is not only competing with other boats but also with another product Germany is famous for - cars. Starting at €60,800, this boat costs as much as the smallest decently specced premium saloon in each of the three big manufacturers’ lineups. If you want more information about the Hanse 320 or any other boat

in the Hanse range, please do not hesitate to contact Yachting Partners, the local representatives of Hanse.

Hanse 320 • Specs LOA

9.63 m/ 31’6’’

Width:

3.30 m/ 10’8’’

Draught:

1.75 m/ 5’7’’ (Standard) 1.40 m/ 4’6“ (Optional)

Displacement:

4.7 t/ 10,362 lb

Sail area:

51.35 m²/ 553 sq ft

Steering:

Pin, wheel steering optional

Design: judel / vrolijk & co

BOATS

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| 19

Interview

Mega-yacht maker

pushes out the boat “I want to create my own monument,” the 60-year-old Italian entrepreneur says as he gazes across the sprawling ship building yard, where a massive crane is getting ready to lower yet another multi-storey motor yacht into the harbour’s choppy waters.

Mr Vitelli has chosen a relatively modest yacht; a 103 feet long Azimut sports yacht, with a list price of 7m euros.

Modest, that is, compared with some of the other yachts sold by Azimut-Benetti Group.

As one of the world’s biggest players in the fast-growing market for hyper-luxurious motor yachts, its multi-storey crafts can cost as much as $50m (£25m) and stretch from 24 metres to 85 metres in length.

And yes, they are metres - the world’s wealthy all know that feet will not do when describing seriously large yachts.

But Mr Vitelli has not merely become one of Azimut-Benetti’s customers. He is also the group’s chairman, having founded the Azimut business while still a student.

Winning formula Reading economics by day at the ancient University of Turin, Mr Vitelli spent much of the swinging sixties in a nightclub in the city’s old town.

After years of running his own business,

Paolo Vitelli has decided to commission his own yacht.

by Jorn Madslien, Business reporter, BBC News, Viareggio, Italy

Indeed, it was here as much as in the lecture theatres, where the foundations for his future fortune were laid.

“I started from practically zero,” Mr Vitelli declares proudly, explaining how he and a group of his friends built up the nightclub from scratch.

“We rented a cellar and with hard work we decorated it with our own hands,” he grins. “The music system was the last valve system made, which we got third or fifth hand for very little money.”

With the money he had made from the nightclub, Mr Vitelli started a boat charter business.

“Within three months, I realised there’d be better money in brokerage,” he says, and so he continued to fine-tune his business until,

BOATS

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Interview

five years later, he started producing Azimut luxury yachts by combining British interior design with Italian artisans’ craftsmanship.

Risking it all The situation was very different in the mid 1980s, when Mr Vitelli first came to Viareggio, determined to shop.

Growing market The noisy streets around the Azimut-Benetti yard in Viareggio are lined with workshops where specialist carpenters and brass craftsmen are busy producing made-to-measure maritime equipment and furniture.

At the time, the small Italian coastal town was in danger of losing one of its main employers, the historic yacht builder Fratelli Benetti.

Nearby, in an enormous covered yard, multi-storey yachts are built and fitted with the handmade luxurious interiors.

The place resembles a building site, complete with scaffoldings and workmen milling around like ants.

Some of the world’s wealthiest people will travel here to commission their own life monuments, and despite their eye-watering prices, demand for mega-yachts is soaring, not least from customers in the Middle East, China, Russia and India.

In the year to September, the group built 800m-euros worth of yachts for the world’s super-rich.

And with an order book worth more than 1.5bn euros, at a time when the global yacht market is growing steadily at some 10-15% per year, Azimut-Benetti’s future is bright.

“The market is growing fast, but we are growing faster than the market,” says Mr Vitelli, before explaining how the company is planning to invest 220m euros over the next three years as it prepares to expand its production facilities by 30% and introduce 25 new models.

22

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YACHTING

The company was in deep financial trouble, so Mr Vitelli offered to buy it and merge it with his own company.

“Benetti was practically the founder of the mega-yacht,” Mr Vitelli says, so it was well worth the risk. And yet, he says, “it was an enormous step”.

“I put everything on the table,” he recalls. “It was all my money.”

His overtures worked.

“We had the support of the management,” Mr Vitelli says.

“We became friends of the family.”

Demanding clients Acquiring Benetti helped Mr Vitelli to speed up the company’s growth, though first he had to make changes to the way business was done.

“We were still selling boats with a handshake,” he recalls.

These days, Azimut-Benetti employs a small army of lawyers to work on every sale, and customers often turn up “with their own architects, sometimes the ones that designed their homes”, Mr Vitelli says.

“They want the satisfaction of inserting their soul into the yachts, to innovate and personalise. We aim to give them a feeling that they’ve created something,” he explains, warning, however, that “if you give them too much freedom the result can be a bad boat”.

“The customers have to be made to feel they work with the expert,” he insists. “The idea must be theirs, but the materialisation must be ours.”

And that materialisation must go well beyond the actual creation of crafts that are merely seaworthy and luxurious.

The world’s super-wealthy demand plenty of attention, not only before they buy a yacht and during the construction period, but afterwards as well, Mr Vitelli explains.

“Owning a yacht without the headache is a strong factor,” he says, which is why Azimut-Benetti is developing four managed marinas, including a 150-berth marina on the Moskva river, 15 minutes from Red Square in Moscow.

Keep it plain sailing We’ll handle the rest Boats are a source of pleasure for many.

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Marketing efforts In order to get the super-rich’s attention, Azimut-Benetti’s well-heeled customers are also occasionally invited to lavish events, such as this summer’s yachting gala, complete with concerts and live shows.

“We don’t charge,” Mr Vitelli says, though the company tends to get its money’s worth. “Generally, they leave a cheque for a new boat,” grins Mr Vitelli, pointing out that some 60-80% of its customers have bought a yacht from them before.

Mr Vitelli still attends some of the company’s events, but the days when he was socialising with his clients are over.

In recent years, he has taken a step back to enjoy his hobbies - classic cars and alpine hotel restoration - so these days he meets with just a handful of clients per year.

“I accept a certain level of contact,” he says, though “when all the things happen without my presence, I’m proud.”

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Cruising

CRUISING:

CATANIA

Dramatically situated between the Ionian Sea and Europe’s greatest active volcano Mount Etna, Catania guarantees a colourful cruise writes Godwin Muscat Azzopardi

I

t used to be difficult to moor in Catania proper and we avoided it to berth further up the coast but now there are good marinas with sheltered pontoons and all services. They are not cheap but the service is excellent and as far as I am aware all of them are provided with adequate security, which is of course a must in Sicily. This allows you to leave the boat and enjoy both the ruins from the ancient city, and the fine Baroque architecture. As the city was largely rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693, the major buildings are in the Baroque style.

The city of Catania was founded in 729B.C., It was conquered by the Romans in 263 and became the most prosperous city in Roman Sicily.

Proximity to Mt. Etna gives the entire province beautiful scenery, but is also responsible for devastating natural disasters. The city of Catania was almost destroyed by an earthquake in 1169, and again in 1693, while lava flow from a worse-than-usual Etna eruption did serious damage in 1669.

There are well preserved Roman ampitheatres in Catania, one of which is built over the ruins of a Greek theater. Ursino Castle, a Norman fortifi24

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YACHTING

cation, is another historical site and has the remains of several royals and dignitaries entombed inside. There are many other churches and cathedrals in the province which are well worth a visit depending on the time which you have available for touring.

It is fun to stroll down Via Etnea from piazza Della Borsa with its Roman remains, to piazza Duomo and the impressive facade of the cathedral which looks out over the square and Elephant Fountain featuring a black elephant with a raised trunk. Just around the corner from piazza Doumo is the old fish market, still used today as part of a busy area that retails all types of food. We are usually at the fish market early and the mussels and calamari in this part of Sicily are particularly tasty.

I am sure the sale of tiny calamari and cuttlefish is prohibited, but then it is the type of food which is the tastiest.

Forbidden fruit. So back to the boat for a quick breakfast, then out for a stroll then back to cook lunch.

Catania seems to be full of street markets, selling absolutely everything from the freshest vegetables to shoes to haberdashery. The smells and sounds are unforgettable. We usually alternate between strolling through the market

and enjoying the sights. The Roman Theatre in Via Vittorio Emanuele, is surrounded by later buildings. Next door is the round Odeon, a smaller auditorium. Close by in Via Rotonda, the church of Santa Maria della Rotonda is founded on the remains of Roman baths. The lava-and-marble Roman Amphitheatre, part of which can be seen in Piazza Stesicoro, dates to the second century AD. At walking distance from the port, Piazza del Duomo is Catania’s principal square, at the end of busy Via Etnea (named for the volcano), and most of the town’s tourist attractions are close by. In the centre is a much-photographed eighteenth-century lava statue of an elephant, supporting an Egyptian obelisk. The Duomo itself is one of Catania’s grandest sights. The facade dates from the Baroque rebuilding of the town, although some of the earlier church did survive the earthquake.

Summer is the time for weddings in Sicily and you will see fashion parades as guests walk to and from the Duomo in their elegant dark couture, the ladies showing off “la bella figura” which they have been working on for a year.

Food is of course of the highest quality

Cruising

and our evening meals are enjoyed in one of the many restaurants. Vincenzo Bellini is from Catania, and so is the pasta dish named for his masterpiece, Norma. Chunks of fried eggplant, tossed with pasta, tomato sauce, basil and ricotta salata form this delicacy, pasta alla Norma. Many other culinary delights abound in Catania: crespelle (ricotta fritters), the lovely pistachios from Bronte, arancini (fried stuffed rice balls), and more. Sweets and deserts include so many sweet almond recipes, cannoli and nougat. Bronte, on

the western slopes of Etna, is the only place in Italy where pistachios grow and they are considered some of the finest in the world.

No trip to Catania is complete without visiting the highest, most active volcano in Europe. It is also the highest point in Sicily. The Mt. Etna Park straddles Messina and Catania . The ancient Greeks believed that Vulcan, the god of fire, lived in Etna, as did the monster Cyclops. Today it is the largest nature preserve in Sicily, offering summer hiking and winter cross-country skiing.

Take a taxi to visit the nearby Alcantara Gorge which is another natural wonder,

created by lava flow, as are the numerous grottoes around the volcano. In the Gorge a very cold stream flows above ground for some time then disappears into the bowels of the earth.

If you do not intend cruising further up the coast you can leave the boat at its berth and take taxis or coaches to the nearby villages . Taxis are not expensive. Acitrezza and Acicastello are well worth a visit and they have excellent sea front restaurants. Visitors right before Lent should go to the Carnival of Acireale, which is widely regarded as the most beautiful carnival in Sicily.

Dating to the 16th century, the carnival features magnificent carrettinos and is reputed to use up to 30,000 carnations alone for the parade.

USEFUL INFORMATION Circolo Nautico NIC Port Nuovo, Catania Tel:+39 (0)95 531 178 Visitors' berths usually available and are on the starboard side of Porto Nuovo, at the far end of the east pier.

Diporto Nautico Etneo sas via Canfora 76, Cantania Tel:+39 (0)95 531 347 This yacht club's berths are on the longer pontoon to sta'board in Porto Vecchio.

Mediterranea Yachting Club Molo di Lavante Tel:+39 (0)95 534 139 This club manages berths in the Porto Nuovo, on the eastern breakwater.

Port Authority Capitaneria di Porto di Catania, Porto Vecchio, via Dusmet Tel:+39 (0)95 747 4111 catania@guardiacostiera.it BOATS YACHTING | 25

a P i n g an this Summer t n e i l s l c u m o o t f t Keeping your Bo Boero Anti Sole Dealers & Representatives

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Yacht Preview

BENETEAU OCEANIS 31 a LuXury at uNbeatabLe VaLue In the January issue of on Deck we reported the launch of the Oceanis 31 at the Paris Boat Show 2007. This latest model from the French Yard of the Year 2007 Award Winner sports a design that is very similar to her larger sister - the Oceanis 37. The challenge put forward to the designers Finot Conq and Associates was to design as comfortable and good looking a cruising boat in spite of the sharp reduction in overall length.

Beneteau were clear in their aspirations.

“Besides the build quality which is an important element in the DNA of any Beneteau, all our boats look nice, and the Oceanis 31 cannot be an exception@ they had said. Once Finot drew the lines, Nauta Design (Italia) were once again called in to design an interior, which is not only plush, but also one which makes the most of the volume available.

This meant establishing new concepts that would maximise the use of space.

The result is a 32 foot yacht that boasts a number of innovative ideas that will surely affect positively both the market and the industry. comfortable cockpit One can safely say that all the usual features of a Beneteau Oceanis cockpit can be found in that of the 31, whether it is the easy access around the large wheel, genoa sheet winches positioned just by the helm, good seating space, central binnacle for instruments and chartplotter, and a good access onto the bathing platform. It is easily a comfortable cockpit for six.

Liferaft Locker and aft cabin Upon boarding the boat one will immediately notice that the aft section of the cockpit, port side, has a dual function.

Mounted with a gas piston, this whole section rises in order to accommodate the liferaft and the gas cylinder. Inherited from the Oceanis 37, this element of design pushes the conventional cockpit locker towards the back of the boat. The advantage is that the storage space that normally encroaches so much on the headroom in an aft cabin is no longer needed. The result is a very airy aft cabin which also includes very reasonable storage and three opening portholes too. Aft coffins rather than cabins should now be considered a thing of the past. galley Layout In the galley itself down below, being 2 people is no longer a crowd. The new concept focuses on the positioning of the twin stainless steel sinks. Instead of having the conventional single bowl sink at the edge of the ‘island’ with a conventional tap (i.e. placed in front of the bowl), the twin sinks in the Oceanis 31 have their taps mounted on port side.

This means that one uses the sinks by positioning themselves in the passage between the galley and the heads, thus allowing ample room for another person to work in the galley. hull shape As with all fourth generation Oceanis, the hull shape gives a priority to solid windward performance with the narrow entry at the bows. Maximum beam, as

BENETEAU OCEANIS 31 • SPECS Hull Length (metres)

9.30

Max length / LOA (metres)

9.66

LWL (metres)

8.69

Hull beam (metres)

3.39

Max beam / Overall (metres)

3.39

Minimum draft (metres)

1.8

Fore / aft cabin (metres)

1.77 / 1.84

Saloon (metres)

1.77

Forward heads - Aft heads

0 / 1.84

Companionway (metres)

1.85

expected, is close to the main shrouds. This has been retained as far aft as possible in order to increase the buoyancy of the stern quarters, enabling a smoother ride downwind.

Overall the Oceanis 31 promises to be a reliable and comfortable family boat with the potential to perform. The standard price of the boat is EUR60,900 (Lm26,144) BOATS

YACHTING

| 27

Navigare Alto

RIO 44 ART

28”

32”

All Winds Yachting

35”

40”

42”

44” 44HT

47”

St Joseph High Street Hamrun Malta • Tel. +356 21225721 • Fax. +356 21242503 • Mob. +356 79493656 • alfen@maltanet.net

Affordable Luxury

35”Blu 35”Blu 38”Blu 38”Blu

Affordable Luxury

16” 16” 18” 18” 18.5” 18.5” 20.5” 20.5” 22” 22” 25” 25” 27” 27”

RIB 2.4 - 2.7 - 3.0 - 3.3 - 3.5 -3.9 - 4.2 meters

40”Blu 40”Blu

RIB + Console 4.2 - 4.7 - 5.0 - 5.6 - 6.2 - 6.9 - 7.5 meters

Tender 1.8 - 2.0 - 2.4 - 3.0 - 3.3 - 3.5 - 3.8 - 4.2 meters Baby Boat - X14 - Skipper 16

All Winds Yachting

St Joseph High Street Hamrun Malta • Tel. +356 21225721 • Fax. +356 21242503 • Mob. +356 79493656 • alfen@maltanet.net

®

, International ® and Micron® are registered trademarks of Akzo Nobel.

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Visit our website for more information: yachtpaint.com

Distributed Locally by: Macmed P.O. Box 29, Cospicua CSP01 Tel: (+356) 2182 4101/4, 2180 6815 – Fax: (+356) 2180 2791 Email: info@macmed.com.mt – Website: www.macmed.com.mt

Chartering

Chartering a Yacht The concept of yacht charter as a family holiday is fairly new to Malta, but it is quickly becoming a viable and cost effective way to enjoy boating without the costs and headaches of boat ownership.

Utilizing a yacht from a yacht charter company offers both the experienced and inexperienced yachtsman the opportunity to sail in many Mediterranean locations as well as the freedom, ease and convenience to explore new coastal towns and bays. Apart from local travel, mobile accommodation gives your time and budget the flexibility for overseas travel to places like Sicily, Lampedusa or Tunisia.

Those who do not have sailing experience often take up the option to have a skipper onboard. Granted at minimum cost, the skipper provides useful knowledge about the cruising area and advice on anchorages, bays and marinas as well as the best places to eat and drink.

Boats and Yachting spoke to boat charterers Nautica on the types of boats and facilities they provide. Managing Director Simon Borg Cardona expounded on Nautica’s chartering fleet, which is made out of Beneteau Cyclades sailing yachts. These yachts range from 43ft-50ft and sleep between six and ten guests for overnight charters in double berth cabins that mostly include ensuite facilities.

The Cyclades were built by Beneteau specifically for charter guests. They are easy to sail, with all sail controls leading to the cockpit and twin wheels

specifically designed to leave clear access to the large cockpit area.

All vessels are equipped with the required safety equipment and certified by the Malta Maritime Authority for bareboat or skippered yacht charter.

Both vessel and guests onboard are fully insured and the fleet is maintained to the highest standard by the Nautica team who work to a maintenance plan.

This ensures that the yachts are kept in an ‘as new’ condition until they are replaced after about three years so that clients always have new vessels available.

bunk berths, sleeping eight guests on bareboat charters and six on skippered charters.”

So why not try something different this summer? Plan your summer vacations on a chartered sailing yacht from Nautica Ltd. - call them on 21345138/9 or send an email to charter@nautica.com.mt to plan out your holiday onboard one of their vessels. You can visit their website for more details: www.nautica.com.mt

“This year Nautica is looking forward to a new addition to its fleet, a Beneteau Cyclades 43.4, which is being delivered from the Beneteau factory in France at the beginning of April,” Simon Borg Cardona said. “This new 43ft sailing yacht has three double cabins and a fourth cabin with twin

Those who do not have sailing experience often take up the option to have a skipper onboard.

BOATS

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| 31

A touch of brilliance

VISION

Plug in an optional g2 Vision SD card for enhanced features

Connect to the Garmin Marine Network to add sonar and radar options

Transducer

GPSMAP 5000 Series

GSD 22

GPSMAP 4000 Series

The GPSMAP 5000 series chartplotters.

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Medcomms Ltd. 4, Msida Road, Gzira | Tel: 2133 5521 | Fax: 2131 0820 | Mob: 7947 1291 E-mail: admin@medcomms.com.mt | www.medcomms.com.mt

GMR 18 (4 KW )

GPS 17

Circumnavigator

7 Episode

Diary of a Maltese Circumnavigator’

ROUGh PASSAGe TO CROWDY heAD Everyone loves the sight of a distant sailing yacht under full sail. Yet few realise the risks involved in manoeuvring sailing vessels in heavy seas or adjusting the sails in bad weather. Joe Schembri takes us on another adventure on his boat Il-Bahhar to confirm that life on his sailing boat adventures is rarely plain sailing.

“D

rop the mainsail we have too much canvas,” I yelled to the boys as they stumbled across the deck. “The boat will sail better with just the jib and the mizzen-sail.”

The boys went forward to secure the 500sq feet of mainsail using the simple jiffy reefing system to reef and control the sail as ominous black clouds formed on our wind-ward side.

The weather was going crazy. It was unreasonably cold, probably the effect of bad weather from the south. The weather forecasts were changing on an hourly basis as bouts of strong 28+ knot winds interchanged with periods of no wind whatsoever.

“Change compass heading and steer 280degrees,” I ordered.

We still needed two good hours to reach the nearest harbour Port Stephens and by then I knew we’d have to face at least

on hour of flood. The ebb conditions were compounded by strong onshore winds which meant that the entrance would be accompanied by tidal overfills.

As the chill winds hit our summer clothing I couldn’t believe we were facing such weather in summer time. As often happens, the odd weather was not well forecast by the barometer and weather bureau. It must have been the Black North Eastern winds brought about by high pressure on the east coast of New South Wales. Such winds are known to abruptly blow at gale force in violent, heavy rain storms which may last up to three days.

Thankfully the wind faltered and shifted to 080degrees to settle at ENE (?) – an unusual direction in the weather conditions. We sailed aft in reasonable speed towards the anchorage at Port Stephens. As we neared the two headlands guarding the entrance, Toomeree and Yacaaba, heavy clouds

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Circumnavigator

piled on top and short steep waves were continuously forming and breaking on the South Head. The waves were not high enough to cause problems and as we neared our destination, we felt The most overwhelming relief that the storm did fascinating not materialize. aspect of Port

Stephens is to I had been to the place twice before and I knew that with a depth of around 12 be found below metres, it was safe to enter the harthe waves bour. As before Port Stephens provided where the remarkable facilities with many places marine life is so for good anchorage around the many prosperous that foreshores.

the area has Port Stephens is one of the few large been declared natural harbours on the Australian an aquatic coast. It is around 95 nauticical miles reserve. north of Sydney Harbour or a two hour drive through the F3 Freeway. With 26 superb beaches dotted around the Bay, it is primarily a tourist centre with the only other industries being oyster farming and professional game fishing.

Beaches like Fingal and Shoal bay are particularly safe as they are protected by the enveloping arms of the bay. If you want to enjoy calm and lovely beaches, these places are perfect to drop anchor. Further south, in Stockon Beach you will also find Australia’s largest coastal dune system stretching for more than 30km.

Nevertheless, these are not the reasons I visited the place before. The most fascinating aspect of Port Stephens is to be found below the waves where the marine life is so prosperous that the area has been declared an aquatic reserve.

We decided to stop around Shoal Bay under Toomeree Head as it lies close the entrance, anchoring some 30 metres from the pristine beach. In our previous visit we had loved the solitude and appreciated the fact that we could leap into the water without fear of becoming lunch for some shark. This time we decided to stay for an extra two days. The kids were busy bush walking while I followed my tradition of staying at the cockpit and doing nothing but watching dolphins frolic by.

Such sessions would be interrupted by the smell of frying fish coming from the galley which would give me the will to lean closer to peep through the half opened cockpit. My wife would be preparing some great dinner with all the trimmings in one huge plate. Smoked trout with mixed horseradish served with crème fraiche and chopped dill is one of her specialities. She’d buy everything from the delicatessen shop in one of the supermarkets on the only main street in the City of Newcastle.

Because of time and distance it is not possible to visit all the interesting places on this coast, however there are some places I must recommend.

Lying 15km north east of Port Stephens, Broughton islands are unmissable attractions, offering beautiful beaches, volcanic peaks and wind swept vegetation. The major inner island is covered with scrub vegetation. A steep East side is marked by rugged cliffs and various peripheral caves. Although the islands are uninhabited, fishermen spend time in huts built in the Esmeralda cove facing the southeast. Legend has it that there is a hidden treasure somewhere in the island, supposedly hidden by a Russian spy during the Cold War.

We sailed slowly to Broughton Island, giving Bahhar a chance to show her potential as a nice comfortable cruising boat. In a 15knot breeze we sailed on the high side of 7 knots, taking turns to hold the wheel, enjoying our boat’s steady motion and strength.

We lingered around Broughton island for a couple of days, using the second to goof around the beach. The beautiful underwater kept us busy snorkelling and skin diving as we observed the diverse marine life which included varieties of snapper, drummer, kingfisher and grouper.

Of particular interest were the mutton beards (shear water) which we saw entering their burrows at night. These mutton birds are known to fly up to twelve thousand miles each year around the vast Pacific Ocean, arriving in October to find their old burrow and mate from previous years to start a new generation.

The next morning we waited for the first light and when the sun was a few degrees above the eastern horizon, we weighed the two anchors that secured Bahhar for two days.

We left Broughton islands with a moderate breeze from the south west. The full sails of Bahhar were pulling hard as we raced out of Esmeralda Cove towards Crowd head, a little

BOATS

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Circumnavigator

fishing port further north.

We made steady progress, sailing nicely with the yankee, full mainsail and the mizzen sail. The speed log was showing 7.5 knots but from DR to DR it showed close to 9 knots. This confounded my son Stephen who remarked that he couldn’t understand how the boat travelled at such speeds when the current travelled opposite to its progression.

“Stephen you must have learnt at school that the East Australian Current (EAC) carries a stream of warm water from the Coral sea in the cool waters of the Tasman sea,” I had told him. “We are experiencing the anticlockwise ocean eddies which form from pinch-off meanders of the Great East Australian Current. These are called warm core eddies because at depth, close to the shore they are much warmer than the outside waters.”

“Since we are going to sail for hundreds of miles up this coastline, you kids should know how important the EAC is, not only for sailing but also for the livelihood of Australians.

The current renews fish stock and helps fisheries maintain sustainability, apart from dispersing effluent and marine pollution from coastal cities.”

I handed Stephen a book from the aft cabin: The Last Voyage of Captain Cook by Hammond Innes, and told him to read the log of 15 May 1770. However Stephen didn’t have much time to read as Patrick announced that he had just heard the latest weather forecast.

“Dad, are we still heading for Crowd Head?” he asked. “The coastal patrol are predicting a fast moving low south of the Tasman Sea, heading north with cooler southerly winds of 30/35 knots.” I noticed that Patrick started to worry as the waves started coming towards us with a vengeance.

Before even listening to Patrick’s advice, I had already decided to brave the gale force winds from the southeast and continue towards Crowdy Head. Despite the three metre seas, no water came aboard the winward side of the boat as our Bahhar was behaving magnificently, almost like a wind jammer. My only concern was that down

below it was incredibly difficult to walk and despite the pill popping, my wife was suffering from a bad bout of sea sickness.

“I don’t think the weather is going to get worse,” I said mostly to cheer up my crew. “We should be in Crowdy Head Harbour in a few hours. After all it’s a much better option than Cape Hawke where you can only reach the shore through dinghy.”

I tried to maintain a distance of two three miles to the coast to benefit from the north gong currents crated by the eddies.

“Joe look there is a yacht behind us” went my wife. She was very happy to see another yacht as it gave her security in the rough stormy seas. Right behind us to our portside we could see a big yawl hugging the coast heading north and gaining fast on Bahhar. Being in close proximity I could seek the higher freeboard and a somewhat flatter sheerline. The stern tended to rise beautifully with the sea sweeping under it, leaving a big wake. It was a truly magnificent site.

As we approached Crowdy Head from the south, at a distance of around 2miles we could see three conspicuous mountains, namely South Brother, Middle Brother and North Brother.

According to my chart the only navigation hazard around was Forde Rock and once past that it was maent to be plain sailing.

Alas life on a sailing ship is never that simple and there is little easy pleasure to be taken from sailing a yacht in such

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156, Ta’ Xbiex Seafront, Gzira Tel: 21335591 | Fax: 21344615 Email: info@rlryachting.com Web: www.rlryachting.com

conditions. We began to experience wind gusts of 40-45 knots as we deviated or ship’s heading by .35 degrees in order to line the yacht’s bow toward the harbour entrance. With this new heading, the boat was in full mercy of the wind which was hitting the Bahhar full force on road side. The pressure on the sails was tremendous and the stern started to lift.

“We are going to Broach!” I bellowed to the crew as they let the vang and main sheet go. Thanks to their swift action we avoided the worst, however it was too late for the jib halyard as it snapped near the masthead with most of the yankee sail finding itself in the sea alongside the steel hull.

It was relatively easy to retrieve the sail and we secured it along the teak deck through the twenty pistol hangs that hold the sail alongside the steel forestay, using the short nylon cords permanently placed around each stainless steal staunch.

It seemed that the day was intent on ending on a bad note as when I started the engine and pushed forward the throttle lever it broke in half. As we approached the harbour entrance, I had to go down and lift the sole cabin floor boards to use the throttle lever attached to the gear box.

There was no need to panic because as soon as we rounded the south headland we encountered flat calms seas. What a relief, we could finally breathe easy. The entrance was clear and there was no danger in entering the harbour. After a day of hard uncomfortable sailing, the relief was on everyone’s face was evident. The journey to the secure little harbour had taken nine hours to complete but now it was time to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

Lying about 356 kilometres north of Sydney, Crowdy Head is one of the safest harbours on the coast. It is the base of Crowdy-Harrington Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol, one of the 25 bases on the NSW coast.

We liked this little fishing port and stayed for three days to replace the jib halyard and the broken throttle lever. The next day I hitched a ride to Harrington, the nearest town to by a replacement. My wife had time to do the laundry and other chores as the rest of us cleaned the boat and filled the fuel tans with 100 litres of diesel fuel that we bought form the fisherman’s co-operative. We also took a long walk up the mountain and had a look at the Crowdy Head Lighthouse. Built in 1856, it is one of the oldest in on the East Coast. Later we enjoyed sharing our experience with other sailors over a beer in the local bar, a truly ideal location to meet nice people and make good friends.

There comes a time in many sailors’ lives when they realize they want to expand their horizons and sail offshore. The voyage across the east coast of Australia was such an experience and the first hand knowledge we gained allowed my family to become more sea fairing confidence. We learnt that we could handle heavy weather sailing and that by taking maximum control over circumstances, we would be okay.

After each trip I was filled with emotion because it exceeded my expectations as each passage was a great adventure of beautiful moments mixed with miserable ones. The 65 miles passage between Broughton islands and Crowdy head was such an experience.

Tel: (+356) 7959 6596 | Email: info@dehlermalta.com

The Elan E340 One of the many Award Winning boats from Elan* Germanischer Lloyd Yacht Plus

E410 ELAN YACHTS: HIGH PERFORMANCE CRUISER RANGE: NEW!

NEW!

E31

E340

E380

ELAN IMPRESSION RANGE: FAST CRUISER RANGE:

*The Elan E340 is the winner of:

- Europen Yacht of the Year 2007 for boats under 10M - Val Nautica Yacht of the Year - Boat of the Boat show at the Vene 2007 BAT in Helsinki - Boat of the Boat show at Internautica 2007 & is one of the first boats to be certified Germanischer Lloyds Yacht Plus

E410

E450

P1 Locations

P1 2008 Venues

With only two 2007 Powerboat P1 venues revisited in 2008 (Valletta and Portimao), B&Y takes a closer look at this year’s venues over several issues. In this first installment we visit San Benedetto del Tronto in Italy and Marseille in France.

9th - 11th May SaN BENEdEttO dEL trONtO - ItaLy San Benedetto del Tronto is a picturesque location in Marche, Italy, within the province of Ascoli Piceno. San Benedetto is an extremely active fishing centre as well as one of the major sea-side resorts at the centre of Italy’s Adriatic coast.

With its 8km long beach full of fine white sand and numerous palm trees, the area evokes feelings of a tropical paradise. In fact San Benedetto del Tronto is frequently referred to as “Riviera delle Palme.” Although popular in the height of summer, the long, wide beach leaves plenty of space for everyone and the resort combines old world elegance with a trendy night life and plenty of charm.

Riviera delle Palme has been awarded with the Blue Flag since 1998.

There is plenty to do apart from enjoying the sun and sea, whether you are out to relax, scour the tourist sites or partake in sport activities. Several sport clubs including ones for tennis, hockey and athletics provide the necessary infrastructure for sport enthusiasts while several medieval sites within a few kilometers cater for lovers of history.

The centre of San Benedetto del Tronto holds a quaint, typical Italian market as well as several shops along a pleasant walking route. Being an important fishing port one can witness fishermen unloading their catch to be sold

throughout the area. As one can expect , the area is dotted with several excellent yet modestly priced fish restaurants. It is the birth place of the Brodetto alla Sambenedettese, a fish stew made with no less than 13 different species of fish and seafood.

BRODETTO ALLA SAMBENEDETTESE ingredients around 1Kg of various kinds of fish and seafood including squid, cuttlefish, monk fish, skate, cod, gurnard, red mullets, prawns and more. ideally 13 species!

Extra virgin olive oil 1o onion 300g green pepper 300g green tomatoes 1/2 glass white wine vinegar ¼ glass water or fish stock Dried chilli rock salt in a large metal casserole fry the onion in a little olive oil adding the chopped squid and calamari allowing them to brown. add the chilli, green pepper and the coarsely chopped tomatoes. Pour in the vinegar and water or fish stock, salt and allow to simmer for ten minutes. remove the green pepper and tomatoes and start adding the fish, starting with those needing the longest cooking time. Finally return the tomatoes and green pepper to the casserole. serve with chunks of toasted, crusty bread.

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P1 Venues

23rd - 25th May MARSEILLE - FRANCE Located on the south-east coast of France, Mediterranean Marseille is the second largest city in France with over one and a half million inhabitants. The Greeks founded Marseille around 600 BC as a trading port, making it one of the oldest cities in France. The port has been an extremely important part of Marseille throughout its history and continues to be the major French port in the present. The container terminal at the New Port is an important part of French economy, sending and receiving goods from the rest of the Mediterranean and far beyond.

Historic sites to see: • Cathedral of the Major.

• La Vieille Charité (old quarter of Panier).

• Notre Dame de la Garde (a 19th century basilica).

• The Jardin des Vestiges (ruins).

• The Palaces of Longchamps and Pharo.

Things to do: Water sports (23 beaches), sailing (5 ports), fishing, golf, tennis, squash,salt water therapy, night clubs, theaters,a cycling and soccer stadium, 21 museums. www.provenceweb.fr

time museums, five art galleries as well as a large number of theatres including la Criée, le Gymnase and the theatre Tourski. For the less culturally inclined Marseille also houses numerous cinemas, clubs, bars and restaurants.

Marseille’s calm and mild Mediterranean climate will hopefully mean pleasant weather that not only does not give the P1 boats too much of a hard time but also augurs a pleasant weekend for all the tourists who fly in for the weekend of racing.

The old part of the docks, known as the Old Port or Vieux-Port is no longer a commercial trading port but is now the main harbor and marina of the city. The area around the Old Port has been refurbished, is guarded by two massive forts (Fort St Nicolas and Fort Saint Jean) and is one of the main places to eat in the city. Dozens of cafés line the waterfront. A daily fish market operates at the end of the harbour at The Quai des Belges.

Listed as a cultural centre, Marseille offers much in terms of opera and theatre as well as a number of museums and galleries that promise to keep culture vultures entertained for at least a few days. Culture haunts include an opera house, historical and mariBOATS

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EXTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHS © RMA (MUSCATAZZOPARDI.COM) / B&Y

Boat Review

BENETEAU FLYER 12 I

n the last issue of Boats and Yachting I tested the latest addition to the Beneteau powerboat range - the Montecarlo 37 - an open sports boat, and was duly impressed. However Beneteau have been producing all season motor boats for quite a long time and have been well known for the solid performances of their Flyer and Antares ranges.

The moment I heard a Flyer 12 (42 ft) was sold to a Maltese client I was itching to try it out and when I finally got to do so I was not disappointed. I was also lucky enough to be accompanied by the boat’s owner on the test and he proved to be an ideal companion to have aboard. He probably knows enough about the boat to make interesting conversation with Beneteau’s engineers and answered my every question with a depth which showed me that this was not just a spontaneous purchase but a very well thought out and researched decision.

The major talking point on our trial was the fact that the Flyer 12 is propelled

by Volvo’s relatively new IPS (Inboard Performance System). This was my first test on Maltese waters with IPS drives and was therefore the first time I could really try them out. Most people seem to find the joystick handling while mooring to be the most impressive

by Richard Muscat Azzopardi feature of this new system however, IPS brings much more to the table.

First of all these drives are far more efficient, which means that you benefit directly in a combination of three ways - fuel efficiency, better acceleration and higher speeds from the same engine output. The acceleration is probably the most surprising part of it all, and we managed to hit a plane in well under 10 seconds. IPS also makes the boat easier to handle at higher speeds and gives better and safer cornering thanks to the complete control you’re given over the boat. Another impressive difference is the relative silence and lack of vibrations. Since I’ve never tried another Flyer with shaft drives I can’t really tell whether this is attributable to Volvo or to Beneteau, but the boat’s owner explained that the choice of under water exhaust helped significantly in this department.

Life on deck is pretty limited by the fact that the boat’s most prominent feature is its wheelhouse. The boat I tested had the back bench which opens to create a decently sized sunlounge as an optional extra. Access to the engines is incredibly comfortable, as it has one of the most spacious engine bays I’ve seen in quite some time. The route to the engine bay is via a gigantic hatch which opens hydraulically, but there is also an alternative entrance through

the lazarette, which is available thanks to the space saved by he IPS drives.

This means that if something goes wrong with the hydraulics or if you just want a quick peek you can do it without disturbing guests or family members on deck.

While some might question the use of having a boat with such a large wheelhouse in Maltese waters, I actually think it is brilliant for our climate. Even though the purpose of the Flyer 12’s main cabin was conceived with rough seas and gloomy weather in mind something powerboat owners tend to avoid, I’m pretty sure that in the peak of summer the added shade will be just

BENETEAU FLYER 12 • SPECS LOA

12.60 m

Hull length

11.96 m

Beam

3.99 m

Draft

1.6 m

Air Draught

4.2 m

Light Displacement

9240 kg

Cabins

2

Berths

4

Fresh water

320 L

Fuel tank

2 x 600 L

Engine types: Volvo D4-300 Shaft 2x220KW (300HP) D Volvo IPS500 Diesel 2x272KW (370)HP Volvo D6-370 Diesel 2x272KW (370)HP Shaft BOATS

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Boat Review

as welcome as the shelter offered on the stormiest winter nights. The automatically opening sunroof means that you can still enjoy quite a bit of sunlight while using the well ventilated saloon in warm summer days. Beneteau chose to give the wheelhouse an open boat feel, so decor is relatively spartan, especially when compared to the feeling of luxury most Italian built and designed boats would give you. Having said that, this probably means that you can enjoy the boat without any worries about damaging it - walking in while still wet and not really worrying when sea spray

comes in through the open roof. The galley also suffers a bit from being in the wheelhouse - storage for perishable foods is limited and even though the boat was equipped with a microwave oven, the cooker is pretty small. I wasn’t too keen on the fact that you descend straight into a corridor from the wheelhouse, but I guess the main focus of the cabins below is mainly necessity waking hours on this boat are all spent in the wheelhouse so the focus was put on giving it as much space as possible.

Both cabins are very comfortable, and I also noticed that once again Beneteau

has given very easy access and lots of room to the guest cabin too. No crawling into bed here.

Overall I was quite pleased with this offering from Beneteau. Starting at around â‚Ź260,000 it offers excellent value for money and has very little in the way of competition at that price point. While the cabin design and the galley leave some room for improvement, Beneteau have come up with a very solid boat which not only looks the part but also goes as smoothly as she looks.

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Recipe

cheFs ahoy!

by Deborah Ratcliffe

Quick Dips Dips are brilliant if you want to have something quick and easy to nibble with drinks whilst relaxing alongside after a hard day at sea. they are easy to make either at home or aboard.

very acidic. the Cheese and brandy Dip is very versatile and great stuffed in Jacket Potatoes. try it spread on toast and popped under the grill until the cheese starts to brown ‒ almost a ʻWelsh rarebitʼ. Delicious!

one of my favourites is the blue Cheese dip ‒ i have used Danish blue for this ‒ but do try your favourite ʻblueʼ. take care though as some are very powerful in flavour and can be

i usually make up a load of ʻcruditiesʼ before i leave home, put them in an air tight plastic container and leave in the fridge on board until needed.

CHEESE & BRANDY DIP I love this with cider as well. Just substitute the brandy for a good strong cider and drink the rest of the can!

It’s also great spread inside a Panini topped with thick slices of ham off the bone and then toasted. I often omit the butter as it makes it a bit rich as a dip, but if using in a Panini it saves using extra butter

CRUDITIES Quantity depends upon number of people and appetites. Use anything you fancy – even raw button mushrooms and cooked artichoke hearts.

A few packets of Tortilla Crips and Prawn crackers add variety and texture.

DANISH BLUE DIP This is so tasty especially for lunch with a few beers and spread on savoury biscuits.

INGERIENTS 100G DANISH BLUE CHEESE 3 TBS SINGLE CREAM 8 LARGE PECAN NUTS FINELY CHOPPED 1 ½TBS FINELY SNIPPED CHIVES PROCEDURE 1. Blend the cream into the cheese.

2. Stir in the nuts and chives 3. Put in serving bowl 4. Cover with cling film and chill until required 48

| BOATS

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INGERIENTS 275G

grateD Mature cheDDar cheese

25G BUTTER 175ML SINGLE CREAM TABASCO OR WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE TO PERSONAL TASTE

1-2 TPS BRANDY TO TASTE

INGERIENTS CARROTS CELERY STICKS ANY COLOUR PEPPER CUCUMBER CHERRY TOMATOES R ADISH OR ANY OTHER VEGETABLES OF CHOICE INCLUDING CHICORY LEAVES, CAULIFLOWER FLORETS AND SPRING ONIONS

PROCEDURE 1. Cream the cheese and butter together 2. Slowly beat in the cream – if the mixture appears too thin reduce the quantity of cream 3. Add the Tabasco/Worcestershire 4. and brandy 5. When smooth place in a swerving dish 6. Cover and chill until required

PROCEDURE 1. Clean the vegetables 2. Cut the carrots, celery, peppers and cucumber into strips about 5 cms long 3. Leave tomatoes, radish and mushrooms whole – unless very large 4. Arrange on a large platter and serve with the dips

PHOTO BY RICHARD MUSCAT AZZOPARDI

Mediterranean Yacht Sales Limited