Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting October 2020 - Boats2020

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REGULARS

12 News 22 Tom Cunliffe A sailing adventure concludes in the slammer for Tom

26 Paul Heiney 28 Jess Lloyd-Mostyn 30 Andy Rice 32 Andi Robertson 82 Interview

84

Hannah Mills talks about her Olympic dreams in the 470 class

130 Position

UNDER SAIL

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34 Round Britain Part 2 Jonathan Winter makes the trip from Dundee to Belfast via Orkney

40 70 days adrift Peter Lukursky’s dream cruise turns into a Covid-19 induced nightmare

54 America’s Cup preview A look at the runners and riders gearing up for a showdown in Auckland

78 Blue water planning How the ocean currents and winds dictate ocean voyage planning

84 Inspirational women How can we boost female participation?

Plus a look at sailing’s trailblazers

92 Gull’s Eye Penarth Quays Marina

112 Lonely Rock Race Full report on what is likely to be this year’s only UK-based offshore race

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

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Mainsail - £1,920 Mizzen - £384 Yankee - £1,440 Staysail - £618

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BOATS

20 New boats All the latest arrivals on the market

48 Dufour 530 Dufour’s latest cruiser is a fine blend of comfort and power

64 Tofinou 9.7 Tofinou’s new take on the modern classic is put through its paces

124 Three of the Best Three of the finest brokerage boats currently on the market

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GEAR

68 Summer kit special

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Everything you need for your sailing over the rest of this summer and beyond

106 Buyer’s Guide: Batteries Sam Fortescue takes a look at which battery bank will keep you powered up

120 Books A selection of classic bunkside reads

122 Shortlist: Watermakers A look at a selection of devices providing fresh water on board, on tap

MASTERCLASS

100 Self-coaching

Mark Rushall on refining your skills without the luxury of a coach

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

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Welcome

EDITORIAL EDITOR

Sam Jefferson 020 3943 9261 sam.jefferson@chelseamagazines.com

YACHTS & YACHTING EDITOR

Georgie Corlett-Pitt georgie.corlett-pitt@chelseamagazines.com GROUP EDITOR Rob Peake

Skipper’s View IT'S BEEN A STRANGE AND ROTTEN SUMMER, BUT THERE ARE STILL SMALL MERCIES TO BE GRATEFUL FOR...

ART & PRODUCTION EDITOR Gareth Lloyd Jones PUBLISHING CONSULTANT Martin Nott PUBLISHER Simon Temlett simon.temlett@chelseamagazines.com ADVERTISING ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER Jodie Green 020 7349 3722 jodie.green@chelseamagazines.com Mark Harrington 020 7349 3734 mark.harrington@chelseamagazines.com ADVERTISEMENT PRODUCTION Allpoints Media Ltd allpointsmedia.co.uk CHAIRMAN Paul Dobson CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Vicki Gavin DIRECTOR OF MEDIA James Dobson CHELSEA CREATE MANAGING DIRECTOR Steve Ross PARTNERSHIPS DIRECTOR Lyndall Beeton Published by: The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ Tel: 020 7349 3700 © The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd 2019.

All Rights Reserved. ISSN 1367-5869 (print) ISSN 2059-9285 (digital)

I FEAR THAT THIS IS YET ANOTHER editorial dominated by an ailment with a short name but far-reaching consequences. There are few positives to take from this rotten pandemic, which has been devastating in so many ways. For many companies in the marine industry, it has meant a barren summer, in terms of business at least, and the latest blow was the last-minute cancellation of Boats2020 and the Ocean Village Boat Show, a decision made by Southampton City Council on the eve of both shows. We report on and discuss the ramifications of that decision in our next issue, the November issue of Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting. In this special digital edition of our October issue, which we are sending out to people who would have visited the Boats2020 event, we feature a grand selection of the boats, kit and clothing that would have been at the show. We hope you enjoy perusing our 'summer kit special' on page 68.

Meanwhile, there are some small mercies amid the pandemic and recently I discovered one while out sailing on an extended cruise down France's Mediterranean coast. Generally the stretch of coastline between Marseille and Porquerolles is both unremittingly beautiful and impossibly overcrowded - not so this year where a lack of foreign flagged yachts kept the anchorages nice and tranquil. We're talking small mercies here, but it's something. The flipside of this can be witnessed on page 40 where contributor Peter Lukursky spent a fairly hellish 70 days trying to find a safe haven once lockdown began. Blue water cruising is all about freedom, but this experience illustrates how fragile and special that freedom is.

Finally, forgive me for mentioning Christmas at this stage of the year but on page 109 you can find our special Christmas subscriptions offer. I hope you continue to enjoy the magazine.

Subscriptions and back issues Tel: +44 (0) 1858 438769 Annual subscription rates: UK £69 ROW £81 Email: sailingtoday@subscription.co.uk Online: subscription.co.uk/chelsea/help Post: Sailing Today, Subscriptions Department, Chelsea Magazines, Tower House, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street Market Harborough LE16 9EF

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OCTOBER 2020

T H E W O R L D’ S M O S T B E A U T I F U L B O A T S

ITALIAN JOB

Sangermani ketch rebuilt SHAMROCK & SYCAMORE The Big Class FRENCH POLISH Portier mahogany runabouts ISLAND CLASS Mylne’s original cruiser racer

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BLUEWATER CRUISE

Design below decks Crossing the Pacific CB388 October Cover.indd 1

NEW YARD, NEW LIFE

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Colin Henwood 01/09/2020 15:01

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PETER LUKURSKY is a sailor and vlogger whose Sailing on a Dream vlog covers blue water cruising

TOM CUNLIFFE is an author, journalist and TV presenter, and one of Britain's best-known cruising sailors

MARK RUSHALL coaches at the highest level of the sport, from Olympic dinghies to big boat campaigns

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

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Safe haven The port of Bocas del Toro may seem like an obscure choice for this month’s Big Picture but this somewhat ramshackle Panamanian port was one of the few havens in the Caribbean accepting foreign arrivals at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more about this on page 40, where blue water cruiser Peter Lukursky documents his misadventures in searching for a safe haven for his yacht.

Photo: Magalza/iStock

Positive vibes With the 2020 Round the Island Race sadly postponed (and since, cancelled), 133 yachts nonetheless took an alternative opportunity the sail the 50nm course in RORC’s Race the Wight event. Covid restrictions meant many raced short-handed, but perfect conditions and a charitable donation of over £5000 made to the NHS and the Scaramouche Sailing Trust gave the race an all-round feel good factor. Staying close inshore paid for many, in particular Mike Bartholomew’s GP42 Tokoloshe. The Fast40+ did the double, taking monohull line honours and the overall race win on IRC time correction.

Photo: Rick Tomlinson/Royal Ocean Racing Club

News

Ebb and flow EVENTS | NEWS | TALES FROM THE SAILING COMMUNITY

Applications are open for the RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year Awards, which celebrate the achievements of sailing clubs across the UK. All RYA-affiliated clubs in the UK are eligible for the competition, which is sponsored once again

by Gallagher. The judging panel selects a finalist for each of the ten RYA regions, as well as two wild card entries.

The finalists are invited to the RYA Dinghy Show, which in February 2021 is due to be held at Farnborough Exhibition Centre. The announcement of the winner is made by RYA chief executive Sarah Treseder to a packed house at the show each year and the winning club gets a range of benefits, including follow up articles in Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting over the year.

Clubs are also recognised for particular achievements, so club representatives are encouraged to apply if their club has made significant steps in any of the following areas: · Heart of the community – new for 2021, a recognition for a club that has worked tirelessly to support its local community. This could be through the efforts of volunteers working within their local area for good causes, sharing club facilities with those in need or perhaps opening the club up to local community groups to get out on the water. · Modern, innovative and forward thinking – recognition for a club that makes a break from traditional ways of running a club or delivering boating activity. This could be delivering different

PHOTOS: PAUL WYETH/RYA

Could your club be the Club of the Year?

formats of training or racing to engage new participants, creating new membership models or embracing the use of modern communications. · Sustainability – another new category with recognition for a club that has embraced sustainability and demonstrably reduced its own and/or its members’ impact on the environment through education, action or improved facilities. · Inclusive and open to all – recognition for a club or project that has been impactful in developing participation amongst people with disabilities or from other under-represented or disadvantaged groups. · Boosting membership – recognition for a club that has done much to attract new participants and grow its membership.

The finalists go through to a public vote with the overall winner selected by RYA members, Yachts & Yachting readers and the judging panel.

RYA Director of Sport Development Alistair Dickson said: “The RYA and Yachts & Yachting

Club of the Year Awards have always been a fantastic way for us to celebrate the huge efforts of those involved in running sailing clubs.

“The past few months have been hugely challenging for clubs, so it feels more important than ever to recognise the people who have worked tirelessly to ensure that others can continue to get out on the water safety and enjoy what they love doing.”

Georgie Corlett-Pitt, Yachts & Yachting editor said: “Celebrating club activities has always been central to Yachts & Yachting’s coverage.

While recent months may have posed many unprecedented challenges for our clubs, they have also brought to the fore the spirit and resilience of the sailing community. This year more than ever we look forward to acknowledging those achievements with the RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year Awards”.

Applications close on 21 September. Enter now at rya.org.uk/go/cluboftheyear Christchurch Sailing Club is the current Club of the Year, shown here and accepting the trophy at the RYA Dinghy Show last March (right)

Falmouth Week attracted more than 100 entries, with racing in the estuary to avoid the need for committee boats

Racing revived but disappointment for some The relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions in July and August prompted a spate of regattas and racing around the British Isles, with further events planned for the late season.

Uncertainty continued to cause cancellations, most notably the Round the Island Race, which had been postponed to 26 September. Race director Dave Atkinson, of the Island Sailing Club, said: “As sailing restrictions have eased, it appeared that safety on the water was becoming less of an issue; but sadly, with Round

RORC Transatlantic Race and the RORC Caribbean 600, had been completed, and three were required to make a series.

The club organised a two-handed race to Cherbourg starting on 4 September and meanwhile its one-off Race the Wight event on 1 August proved successful, with Tokoloshe II and PowerPlay taking mono and multihull line honours ahead of 133 entrants. More than £5,000 was raised by competitors for the NHS and the Scaramouche Sailing Trust.

the Island being one of the UK’s largest sporting events, achieving shoreside Covid-19 compliance within current government guidelines, is simply not achievable.”

The club has organised two Solent races for September, the ISC Nab Tower Race on 5 September and a Christchurch Bay Race on 26 September. Notice of Race at islandsc.org.uk The other major cancellation was the RORC Points Championship, the first time the club has not held it. The club said that only two races, the

August regatta highlights, plus forthcoming events on track areas to allow social distancing. The event had been planned as one of the flagship events of the Tricentenary celebrations at the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Monkstown Bay Sailing Club offered to host part of the event to ensure safety guidelines could be met.

Megan Pascoe from Frensham Pond Sailability won the RYA Sailability eSailing Multiclass Regatta final. Competing against 14 other finalists from Sailability groups across the UK and oversees, Megan raced over a series of live races on virtual waters. Current 2.4mR World Champion, Megan said: “In the virtual game it is very hard to be consistent, especially because

club organised race officer teams made up of family or friendship bubbles.

Falmouth Week took place with 110 entries and crews of friends of family bubbles. Full report in Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting soon.

The RS Vareo Nationals went ahead with a grand total of five entries in a socially distanced format at Itchenor Sailing Club.

The Astral Azure 2000 Class Nationals took place at Brixham Yacht Club in August, with a good turnout and fine conditions.

Two Cork Harbour sailing clubs joined forces to enable the Laser Nationals to take place, with Standards, Radials and 4.7s racing in different

A large RORC fleet gathered for the Race the Wight event

PHOTOS: RICK TOMLINSON (RORC); BECKY DICKER (RS VAREO)

Salcombe Yacht Club marked its 125th anniversary with a successful race week, 85 boats taking to the water in glorious conditions and the rare spectacle of racing on the estuary thoroughly welcomed by locals and holidaymakers. The club’s planned anniversary ball had to be cancelled because of the pandemic but commodore Andy Savell and flag officers pulled out all the stops to produce a memorable event. Social distancing measures included asking all competitors to refrain from using the slipway and instead sail from a mooring, or launch from the beach each morning. Everyone who raced did a duty and the

Broads sailor Nick Crickmore won the RS Vareo nationals

PHOTOS RICK TOMLINSON & JAMES TOMLINSON

Typically tight racing in the Salcombe Yawl fleet at Salcombe YC regatta

PHOTOS: TRISTAN STONE (SALCOMBE); NIGEL SHARP (FALMOUTH)

News

The Ocean Race has delayed its departure for a year

NEWS BRIEFS Mirabaud Sailing Video Entries are open for a competition to find the best sailing video shot this century.

Supported by Group Mirabaud, the Mirabaud Sailing Video Award is open to professional cameramen, directors, editors, TV production companies as well as professional sailors who film their achievements during regattas.

The award is normally given at the end of each sailing seaon, but this year is being opened to the ‘best of the 2000s’. Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting group editor Rob Peake is one of the judges.

Yachtracingimage.com

The south of France was bracing itself for three major classic regattas back to back in September and October, culminating in Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez (26 Sept - 10 Oct), for classics and modern yachts, with more than 250 boats registered.

For the first time since it was first awarded in 1950, and for the first time in the history of the class, the Merlin Rocket class decided not to award the Craftinsure Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller in 2020. To qualify for the Silver Tiller, helms and crew must complete in at least five events. However, there are a number of open meetings for the class around the country over the rest of this season.

The Ocean Race has postponed its next start for a year. The route remains the same for the round the world event, which will take place in two classes, crewed IMOCA 60s and VO65s. The Ocean Race will start from Alicante, Spain, in October 2022, and finish in Genova, Italy, in the summer of 2023, during the 50th jubilee anniversary year of the race. Meanwhile organisers are considering a Europe Race for the summer of 2021; a feasibility study is underway.

Meghan Pascoe won a virtual version of the RYA’s Multiclass Regatta

Fastnet countdown Online registration for the next Rolex Fastnet Race opens on 12 January at 10am.

RORC marked the one-year-to-go point on 8 August with club CEO Eddie Warden Owen reminding all: “For the 2021 and 2023 races, the finish will be in Cherbourg and we are excited at working with our colleagues in France, where offshore racing is a national sport and where competitors can expect a wonderful welcome and warm hospitality.”

Click&Boat expands Click&Boat has acquired Spanish company Nautal and now has an additional 360 boats listed for rental in the UK, including 117 boats in south west England and 82 boats in Hampshire. clickandboat.com/uk Win for teen sailor Cornish sailor Romy Rundle, 16, has won a Musto competition to design the official t-shirt for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. Romy was diagnosed with bone cancer in her leg in 2018 and endured eight months of treatment and surgery, during which time she was inspired by Ellen MacArthur’s autobiography. Her sketch of a porthole surrounded by a line about how the Trust sparks new adventure in young people was voted this year’s Musto Trust tee winner, in an annual competition run

by Musto.

PHOTO: MARTINA ORSINI/YCI

everyone goes the same speed, so one bad shift and that’s it. It was great fun in a really competitive fleet.

I wish all the Sailability groups luck for getting back on the water in these difficult times and I’m sure the Multiclass regatta will come back better and stronger next year.”

The Royal Temple YC in Ramsgate made a return to racing with nine yachts from IRC1 and IRC2 and four boats from the cruiser classes enjoying a steady westerly and pleasant conditions, the first of a 13-race series, with weekly races until 25 October.

The Spinlock IRC Welsh Nationals took place at Pwllheli Sailing Club in conjunction with ISORA, with social restrictions specific to Wales’ own rules. Crew numbers were limted and the fleet was limited overall to 30, with IRC and NHC fleets.

There were three days of good racing in the Royal Southern YC Charity Cup, but with not a breath of wind in the Solent, racing was called off at midday on the final day. A virtual prizegiving was held at the Royal Southern clubhouse, with commodore Graham Nixon welcoming the audience via Facebook Live.

A charity raffle was also conducted with proceeds going to Solent Mind and Hamble Sea Scouts.

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is set to go ahead in Porto Cervo from 30 August to 4 September. Organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association, it will be the 31st running of the Cup, the annual highlight of the maxi yachting season. However, no shoreside activities were planned.

The Landsail Tyres J-Cup attracted nearly 40 teams, for the 21st birthday of the regatta, which is exclusive to J/Boats, held 3-5 September. Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, by invitation of Key Yachting, eight races were scheduled in the Solent.

Among the entries were Paul Ward’s reigning J/70 world champions on Eat, Sleep, J Repeat.

The GC32 Racing Tour will hold a single event for 2020, out of Riva del Garda. The GC32 Riva Cup will run from 14-18 October, the fifth consecutive year the high speed flying cats have visited the Italian lake, renowned for its flat water and big winds, and its dramatic backdrop with the Dolomite mountains encircling it on three sides.

HMS Victory’s bottom HMS Victory re-opened in August with her underside visible to the public for the first time, following groundbreaking work by engineers, scientists and historians to replace the original cradles that the ship has rested on for nearly 100 years. In their place, 134 stainless steel ‘smart-props’ now support the 260-year-old warship and will provide feedback on her condition. The 3,500-tonne HMS Victory has been preserved in No 2 dry dock (itself 218 years old) since the 1920s.

Tokyo dates The Tokyo Olympic Organising Committee confirmed the sailing events at Enoshima Yacht Harbour next year would run from Sunday 25 July to Wednesday 4 August.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

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News

Left to right: Tuke, Burling and SailGP’s CEO Russell Coutts

Burling and Tuke join SailGP The SailGP series was bolstered with the news that New Zealand would be taking part next season, with the crew including Pete Burling and Blair Tuke.

The pair are among the most successful sailors in the world, as reigning 49er Olympic champions and winners of the last America’s Cup. Burling helmed and Tuke was flight controller in the Bermuda America’s Cup on the F50 catamaran, which is the same boat used in SailGP. The boat has since been tweaked by

SailGP to be faster and to create a one-design fleet, unlike in the Cup. The 2020 SailGP season was called off after Ben Ainslie and his INEOS team mates, who form the GB SailGP team, won the opening event in Sydney, just before the pandemic.

The next SailGP season kicks off in April 2021 in San Francisco. The series now boasts a stellar line-up of some of the most famous sailors in the world, competing over a global series for a $1 million prize.

Burling and Tuke will have to juggle their SailGP duties with their Olympic title defence, in July in Tokyo. Both sailors are also part of the Emirates Team New Zealand crew for the America’s Cup, which takes place in March.

Burling said: “We are really proud to represent Aotearoa in what is shaping up to be one of our sport’s premier events. SailGP provides an annual platform for professional, high-performance sailing on the global stage, which complements our AC and Olympic commitments.”

Alex Thomson qualifies for Vendée Globe

PHOTO: MARK LLOYD

British sailor Alex Thomson has officially qualified for the Vendée Globe, with a six-day solo passage on board the new Hugo Boss.

And the Gosport man has been speaking about the Vendée-Arctique-Les Sables d’Olonne Race, which featured many of his likely

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

rivals in the Vendée Globe and which Thomson followed while sailing Hugo Boss.

Thomson, who was second by a matter of hours in the last Vendée Globe four years ago, completed a six-day solo passage recently and said of his qualifying sail: “This was the first time I’ve sailed solo on the boat and, I can tell you, she is a real pleasure to sail on your own. I’ve been blown away by her performance and I’m super happy with the set-up. Being inside the cockpit, protected from the elements, is a real game changer, particularly as foiling offshore takes much more of a toll on the body”.

Hugo Boss has a totally enclosed cockpit, a ground-breaking design concept that will shield Thomson from the elements and means he operates the boat largely without going on deck.

“We’re in a race against time to the start line so every day counts from now until then,” he said. “Every day, we learn more about the boat and that learning process will continue right up until the start of the race.

“There is only one objective – to win. Nothing else matters, and everything we do between now and 8 November has to bring us closer to that goal”. Full interview coming soon.

Dee goes for the Olympics Record-breaking circumnavigator Dee Caffari is going for her first Olympics, as she competes with young gun James Harayda for Great Britain at the EUROSAF Mixed Offshore European Championship.

The pair will go up against national doublehanded teams in the regatta, which is major step towards the Paris 2024 Olympics where the mixed offshore keelboat event will debut.

Caffari and Harayda were picked after a second-place finish in their SunFast 3300 Gentoo at the recent Drheam Cup, a 428-mile race starting and finishing in France.

Despite her offshore experience, which includes six cirumnavigations, one of them in the Volvo Ocean Race, Caffari has never competed in the Olympics.

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News

Keelboat Academy places up for grabs Young sailors aged 18-24 can now apply to be part of the next cohort of British Keelboat Academy sailors.

The programme is run by the RYA to help dinghy racers make the transition to yacht and keelboat racing. A number of graduates have gone on to become top professionals.

Successful applicants receive expert coaching and advice.

Jack Fenwick, RYA Keelboat Development Manager, said: “The BKA is a popular and proven environment for young sailors wanting to make the jump into keelboat racing, and we are looking forward to welcoming the next generation.”

The first part of the programme over the winter sees sailors encouraged to try different roles on different boats.

The training takes place in Gosport, London, Portland and Cowes in boats including Elliott 6Ms, used at London 2012, J/70s, J/80s and 40ft yachts. Sessions are broken down into skill sets and look at areas such as sail-handling and overtaking. In the second part, sailors work with coach Niall Myant-Best and take on work placements with professional race teams and racing opportunities.

Up to 60 sailors will be invited to the selection weekend which will take place on 7 and 8 November.

Apply via the RYA website rya.org.uk

Portsmouth Yardstick expands The accuracy of Portsmouth Yardstick (PY) has been bolstered after US race results became part of the wider PY database. Sailors in the US have been using PY for years, but only this summer has governing body US Sailing joined the digital PY database run by the RYA. It means US race results can now be used to widen the sample and improve the accuracy of individual ratings. The scheme aims to handicap boats based on their relative performance in a mixed fleet. Handicaps are allocated by clubs to suit local factors such as boat type, wind trends and water type.

Adam Parry, Technical Manager of the RYA, which runs PY, said: “The more data that we get in, the more confident we can be in the number that is generated, as this will take into account a larger sample of clubs and venues.”

PY was created in 1947 by Sidney ‘Sinbad’ Milledge and this is the 60th year the RYA has administered it.

Parry said: “The RYA has developed ‘PY online’, which removes the need for paper returns.

Within this website, clubs can amend handicaps to suit their particular waters, which the RYA then takes into account when we review the PY numbers annually.

“A number of US clubs have now signed up to PY online and we hope that this will grow.”

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Q&A MARIN SUSAC, GLOBESAILOR How is the charter market doing?

Although there are fewer bookings than last year, holiday-makers and sailing enthusiasts are still going out on the water, generating income for charter fleet operators, and keeping them afloat. Statistics from late July and early August in regards to the Med fleet occupancy are at almost 60 per cent overall. Italy, among the first to be affected by COVID-19, is actually leading with almost 70 per cent fleet occupancy, followed by Croatia.

Is the UK government doing all it can for the travel industry?

While it is important to acknowledge the UK government’s efforts to support the travel industry, the UK alone looks set to lose three million jobs in the sector according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. This is due to an international failure to implement a coordinated response to combating the pandemic. Replacing ineffective quarantine measures with comprehensive rapid testing, a worldwide accepted standard of contact tracing, and widespread face mask usage, are all very much needed.

Where best to charter over the UK winter? St Vincent and the Grenadines, Martinique and French Polynesia would be a great choice: from 4 July these destinations are exempt from the FCO advice against all non-essential international travel. Closer to home are the Canary Islands, depending of course on the evolution of travel advice.

Are you undertaking any special cleaning between charters?

Yes, a raft of reinforced health measures have been introduced, including distancing measures in charter offices, thorough disinfecting and ventilation of boats, skipper tests and more. We ensure that these instructions are implemented by our entire partner network.

With a global network, how do ensure quality of service? For the past 10 years, we have only selected professional charter companies that we trust, who are committed and whose boat maintenance and services meet rigorous quality standards. Each partner in our network had to submit certain documentation and pass our unique verification process conducted by our fleet managers.

What does GlobeSailor offer that others in the sector don’t?

GlobeSailor is not only a yacht charter agency but a travel agency as well.

Comprised of more than 15 nationalities, the GlobeSailor team provides a multilingual service and importantly we can share precious information from our own sailing experiences about each destination. We also offer themed private and cabin cruises – gastronomic, historical, yoga and wellness.

Do you pay attention to customer reviews?

Each GlobeSailor client is given a dedicated advisor, who takes care of them from the very first inquiry about planning their sailing holiday, until the end of their cruise, and examines their feedback and communicates with the partners to help them improve their service if needs be. In yacht charter, problems inevitably will arise. However, a dextrous and timely response can make all the difference.

As country manager for the UK and USA, what does your average day look like?

Emails, coffee, pain au chocolat and lots of meetings! I mostly work on brand development and strategic partnerships and where I can I assist my sales/booking team members from the UK, US, Canada and the Netherlands. Great people.

The obvious question – your favourite charter destination?

The Mediterranean as it once was…

Croatia!

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New boats DESIGNS | LAUNCHES | PROJECTS

Trintella Yachts Dutch builder Joop Doomernik is behind a relaunch of the much-loved Trintella marque with two designs by German Frers. Doomernik (pictured) is best-known for building modern racing Dragons and high-tech boats including the Wally Nano MkII. He started sailing as a child at a club next door to the Trintella yard, and later worked there as an apprentice. When the chance came to buy the brand name, he decided to revive Trintella Yachts - a respected range of seamanlike cruising yachts first built in the 1960s. The marque was still popular in the 1990s but closed in 2003.

“For the good old Trintella this means a new era has dawned,” says Doomernik of the new boats, the Trintella 45 and Trintella 50.

“Exclusive yachts with a classic touch and a style that blends high quality craftsmanship, timeless elegancy and great eye for detail... built according

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to the latest technology with modern-classic beauty.”

Designer German Frers said: “The brief from Joop Doomernik was straightforward. The accent was put on traditional beauty, simplicity and ease of handling by a single person or a couple intending to go out for a short sail and the occasional chance to spend a night on board. The plumb bow in combination with a bowsprit and a gracious sheer line is both traditional, efficient, and modern at the same time.”

Both boats will be built in vacuum-infused glass/epoxy sandwich construction with carbon reinforcements, with a carbon rig and “superyacht quality” fittings, equipment and sails. l trintellayachts.com

X2 by Farr

Dehler 38 SQ

Double handed IRC one designs are enjoying something of a heyday at the moment, with yachts such as the Dehler 30 OD and the Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300. Now, the X2 comes from the design board of Bruce Farr, who has worked with former Mini 650 sailor Bret Perry to put together this lightweight flier that promises turbocharged performance. This is an altogether more extreme vessel than the aforementioned rivals. Weight has been kept down to 2,500kg and sail area has been retained, meaning that Farr has gambled on any loss in rating will be paid back in outright speed.

The results are compelling.

Dehler Yachts made a storming comeback a couple of years ago after merging with Hanse Yachts and launching a range of really rather splendid cruiser/racers. The problem is, where do you go from there? The logical answer is, of course, to go for more of the same with a MK2 version. That is the strategy Dehler has gone for with the 38SQ (standing for ‘speed and quality’). So what’s new? Well, this is more about tweaks than radical changes and, as such, there is an upgraded bathing platform, small adjustments to the rig with the option of a square headed mainsail, plus more light down below thanks to enlarged cabin windows.

l farryachtsales.com

l inspirationmarine.co.uk

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

New boats

Swan 98 Nautor’s Swan continues the refresh of its range with the Swan 98 which – let’s be realistic – will have to sit on the ‘dream boats’ wish list for most of us.

As ever, Swan turned to German Frers to pen the lines and gave him the brief to produce a fast ocean passage maker – something Frers is well used to working on. The 98 will be a semi custom yacht, so no two boats will be the same.

However, all will share the easily driven hull which features twin rudders and beam carried well aft. Down below, Swan has deployed the skills of Misa Poggi who has provided a suitably classy interior. l nautorsswan.com

Neel 43

Sarch S8

Neel Yachts continues to plough its own furrow when it comes to building cruising multihulls by consistently maintaining that three hulls are better than two. The Neel 43 is the latest addition to the range and sets out to provide roomy accommodation combined with speedy performance. This performance aspect is especially important, and Neel maintains that the aim is for their yachts to be achieving podium places in ocean races. Yet comfort also remains a priority, and the 43 boasts Neel’s trademarked and somewhat unfortunately named ‘cockloon’ whereby the cockpit and saloon are merged to create a vast living space.

This Spanish boatbuilder has been developing some really eyecatching trailer sailers using an interesting mix of carbon, epoxy and ply. The S8 is their most exciting yacht to date, being a 33ft yacht that can be trailered but is also rated Class A (can sail across oceans). What’s more, this is a very dramatic looking boat with a generous sail area and aggressive lines. Beam is moderate for trailerability purposes and this adds to the look of the yacht.

There is the option of swing or lifting keels. All of this comes in at an eyebrow raising €63,000, representing astonishing value for a 33ft carbon/epoxy Class A yacht.

l neel-trimarans.com

l sarch.eu Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

21

Tom Cunliffe

Tom Cunliffe

think it might be fair to say that for an active sailor to have lived out his allotted three-score years and ten without spending more than two days in jail isn’t bad going. This is my score at the time of writing and I continue in the lively hope that the total may rest there.

My inaugural custodial experience was a direct result of a misunderstanding with a South American bribe broker back in the 1970s. Arriving with my wife

22

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

in a well-known port south of the Equator, I was approached by an official-looking character with no obvious function demanding a substantial sum of money. He had no receipt book and, when pressed, he explained in excellent English that our cash was to be distributed among various public servants, honest fellows all, who needed help with their domestic bills. To an Anglo-Saxon still wet behind the ears, whose life

PODCAST Catch up with Tom’s columns now and in the future at sailingtoday.co.uk

experience had thus far been innocent of all forms of corruption, complying with such a proposition was unthinkable. I handed him a haughty brush-off. Being unarmed and a foot or so shorter than me, he was at a disadvantage and left, muttering under his breath.

All afternoon we hid from a punishing sun beneath our awnings, speculating about whether we had seen the last of him. My wife rather thought we had, but my own

ILLUSTRATION: CLAIRE WOOD; PHOTO TOM CUNLIFFE

I

A brief spell behind bars is certainly one way to accelerate understanding of local culture

sense of uncertainty grew until by nightfall I felt positively insecure, so we quietly let go our mooring and slipped out. As we neared open water, a motorboat a bit shorter than our yacht came bustling alongside in the dark. I shone a light down and at the stern crouched our erstwhile inquisitor, now backed up by a couple of heavies, one of whom was grabbing my capping rail.

Instead of entering into a civilised negotiation as I ought to have done, I took hold of the nearest winch handle and used it to dissuade the bruiser from any further contact with my boat. They retreated into the gloom and that, I imagined, would be the end of the matter.

The following morning we anchored off a village 50 miles

‘He made up for any shortage of vocabulary by gesticulating with his regulation pistol’ along the coast. Feeling merry and relieved of care, I left my shipmate sleeping and rowed ashore to look for some fresh bread. I’d grabbed a coffee in a waterfront bar and was strolling back to the dinghy when a heavy hand clapped me on the shoulder. The policeman spoke no English, but he made up for any shortage of international vocabulary by gesticulating with his regulation pistol. The short-arm jab backed up by narrowed eyes meant, “Move it!” Once inside the dusty station with its peeling walls and faded picture of a moustachioed man with more medals than Joseph Stalin,

ABOVE One culutral encounter the author hopes not to repeat

the languid wave towards the open cell needed no words at all.

The door shut with a clang like the end of the world, followed by retreating footsteps and a silence that could be felt. Then nothing happened until lunchtime when I was handed a plate of black beans and rice through a sort of heavyduty serving hatch. By 1400 the temperature was suffocating, so I followed the example of Johnny Cash when locked up in Starkville, Mississippi for picking flowers. I kicked the cell door and shouted.

No-one came, so I dozed off, wondering if anything was being Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

23

Tom Cunliffe

TOM CUNLIFFE

‘He patted my arm and gave me a shot of rum, then showed me onto the street’’

24

done for me out in the real world.

Just before dark I found out.

The lock turned in an eloquent sort of way and the same policeman came in, now wreathed in smiles.

He patted me on the arm, led me to his desk and gave me a shot of cane rum, then he showed me onto the street where my wife was standing with an elderly American introduced as Charlie. Down in the bar where I’d thrown back my coffee in what seemed another existence, they filled in the gaps.

My wife had waited a while with no dinghy before swimming ashore to find out if I’d run off with a local beauty. She’d discovered Charlie in the bar and accosted him for advice. Charlie had lived there for 30 years. As soon as she’d mentioned the man in the main port with no receipt book, he saw it all.

“That guy deals in bribes,” he told me. “He’s a ‘despachante’. It’s his job. These countries run like that.

Governments don’t pay officials properly. The boys take up the slack by making life hard for folks then accepting backhanders to smooth things over. If each officer had to be visited by everyone with dues to pay, nobody would get anything done, so these characters extract the money and pass it round.’

“But how did the police here know I hadn’t paid?”

“Easy. When your man saw you’d gone, he only had to make a few calls up and down the coast. The bribery is virtually sanctioned, you see.

They can’t let you get away with it.”

He took a pull at his rum, then he told me something about travelling I never forgot. “This place isn’t Britain, son. It’s not Uncle Sam’s fair land either. It’s their country.

ABOVE South America in 1975

TOM CUNLIFFE Tom has been mate on a merchant ship, run yachts for gentlemen, operated charter boats, delivered, raced and taught. He writes the pilot for the English Channel, a complete set of cruising text books and articles for sailors worldwide. www.tomcunliffe.com

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

If you don’t like the way they run it, go play someplace else. Your lady paid off the cop. That’ll get sent back. And she slipped him a few bucks extra for himself. See what good friends you are now?”

My second brush with the law came a mere 40 years ago when I docked in a northern French port, skipper of a substantial sail training vessel. My crew were all in their late teens and the mate was planning to take them round the local liqueur distillery to broaden their minds. I was keen to visit this sanctum myself and was on my way ashore to deal with the ship’s formalities when a posse of hardlooking gendarmes clumped on board asking for ‘Le Capitaine’.

Despite an early deficiency in the lingua franca of South America, I can muster a stab at French so long as my interlocutors are sympathetic. These men were not. The ‘chef ’ launched into a diatribe that seemed to be about crew changes, but was far too fast and idiomatic for me. I knew that France had been levying some sort of tax on aliens joining ships in their ports, but my crew were with me for the duration of the voyage so the rule hardly applied to us. Opening my arms in what I fancied to be a Gallic gesture of submission, I explained my position as best I could. Instead of backing off, however, the lawman went into a worse tirade.

Unable to understand anything but his gist, I didn’t like the way things were going. So far as I knew, I was just sailing the seas and bringing a

lot of kids to learn a little culture in his country, but he clearly took a different view. Slowly, through the barrage of insults, it dawned on me that I was being arrested.

Unwilling to submit to a foreign policeman who had yet to charge me formally, I began to argue. This proved to be my second major error in handling authority. He unbuckled his holster and summarily held me up while his sidekick handcuffed me.

Then, in front of my flabbergasted crew, I was marched off to the town lockup where I mouldered the day away until a plain-clothes man arrived to explain in slower French about the allegations.

I had recently taken over the boat from a strong character with a gloriously double-barrelled name, noted for snappy ship handling and an uncompromising attitude to rip-offs. It transpired that he had made a crew change on the same berth six weeks previously and had refused to pay the tax demanded of him. Then, in the best traditions of the freebooter but perhaps not those of the finest sail training skipper, he had let go his lines and ‘done a runner’. It wasn’t me they had a grudge against, it was my ship.

I called the UK office, paid the fine and missed the distillery trip, but walked free in time for an excellent waterfront dinner. If ever I meet the man with the name like a symphony, I’ll tell him about old Charlie and the Latin-American bribe broker.

I might also mention something about leaving a clean wake.

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Paul Heiney Joseph Conrad described the anchor as an ‘emblem of hope’; a permanent reminder that once more, we will be at rest. Yet sailors have a complex relationship with this bit of metal

I

hope you never get to that point in life where I am now, when you feel you can no longer trust what you thought was your very best friend. All relationships have up and downs, and often when the first doubt crosses your mind you dismiss it. But when the thought crosses your mind for the second time, and the idea lingers and can’t be dismissed, then it’s time to sit down calmly and work out who your friends really are.

I have just gone through that process and I can tell you it hurts.

I have decided that I no longer love my old anchor, and that anchor is certainly no longer fond of me. It pains me to have to write this.

I always thought I had the perfect anchor; it was modern, sleek, the product of a clever, imaginative mind designed with seductive curves to suck its way into the seabed. It stowed neatly on the bow, never budging or rattling, and has held me safe in many a place on all sides of the Atlantic Ocean. It was the anchor to beat all anchors, I thought.

Then a few years ago I decided to venture further afield, down to places where williwaws come careering down mountainsides and kiss anchorages at 60 knots. My usual anchor, the one I loved, simply didn’t look up to the job. I shopped around, eventually ending up with something less artistic, but somewhat more agricultural. It was a heavy brute, a good five or more kilos heavier than the maker recommended but, I asked myself, who ever had a bad night’s sleep because their anchor was too heavy? Only those who get insomnia from having too much money in the bank. I headed south, the old anchor discarded to the depths of a rarely visited locker as a spare.

That heavy anchor never gave me the slightest trouble until last year. I was cruising alone on the north east of Spain, the Atlantic coast, and had dropped the anchor for the night. The wind was light; I slept well.

The next morning, on raising this overweight anchor, I found it would only emerge upside down. Being impatient, and with the bow rapidly paying off downwind towards the rocks, I kept stabbing at the windlass button hoping it would right itself. It never did. Five sharp stabs of the button and there was a crunch - the windlass turned no more.

While getting this ingot of steel from the seabed without a windlass would have been manageable by two, I doubted I could manage it alone. So as soon as I got a chance I fished out my older and much lighter friend.

She looked a bit on the rusty side but it was good to see her again, and as she hung over the bow, revealing her grace once again, I was as proud of her as those old tall ships sailors would have been of their figurehead.

Then, the most cruel thing. The first time I deployed her I was in the company of friends. I dropped the hook, let out the chain, and went ashore for the required feast of freshly cooked Spanish mussels. Lunch finished, I made my slow way back to the beach. The boat wasn’t there!

Gone. She was drifting way down tide, doing several knots under her own steam with rocks under the lee.

Friends came to help and helped me haul the chain. Once the anchor was away and we were sailing once more, my pulse returned to normal, I chuckled and put it down to bad luck.

Surely, it must have been my fault for miscounting the length of chain, or something. That old anchor would never let me down.

Homeward bound, I did not anchor again in Spain; in fact, I didn’t anchor again for some months. Then I found myself in the anchorage for the night at East Head, near the mouth of Chichester harbour, anchored in the mud which famously has a holding power that epoxy glue would be jealous of.

The dawn brought an unexpected sight of the shore.

Things didn’t look right... We were well on our way to sea and would have been in Bembridge by lunchtime if we hadn’t spotted we were dragging. For a second time she had let me down. It was a tough decision but there was only one choice. Back to the locker she went and out came the brute.

That heavy old anchor is looking at me now with undisguised glee. He’s sending out a very clear message, as follows: I might be big, ugly and fat but no seabed messes with me.

Is there a message for me in all of this? Might it be that sweeping curves and artistic flair is best left to the fashion pages, and if you want the job done properly then might is right?

26

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

HAVE YOUR SAY What ‘essential’ item would you leave rather leave ashore? facebook.com/ sailingtoday @sailingtodaymag sailingtoday.co.uk

ILLUSTRATION: CLAIRE WOOD

‘The boat gone! She was drifting way down tide, doing several knots under her own steam, rocks under the lee’

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1, 2, 3 forecasting When your plans are wholly dictated by the elements, picking which forecast to put your faith can be a true test of resolve, says Jess Lloyd-Mostyn

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f you stop and think about the actual word ‘forecasting’ it sounds like something ancient and magical. The art of predicting what is to come, accurately calculating the cadence and pulse of the atmosphere and projecting educated guesses of what weather we will experience seems like an almost mystical skill. And as forecasts get more precise and detailed, the more the world of sailing gets opened up. We can now pick and choose our moments, opting to avoid the rougher conditions or stronger winds. Or perhaps deciding to go out in them anyway, but with a better prepared crew and vessel, in full anticipation of a lumpy voyage.

The trouble that I have with weather forecasting is the element of human interpretation that it is subject to. Or, more specifically, that I can all too easily fall into the trap of seeing what I want to see in those sorcerous runes of GRIB files and synoptic charts.

When I was doing my sail training an instructor told me you should always consult at least three or four forecasts for your passage. But that the real trick therein was to not believe the sole one that matches your plans perfectly when the other three are saying something different.

In practice that’s a very hard skill to master. Naturally we make plans, all cruisers do. The shape of our sailing season might be dictated by tropical storms, trade winds, monsoon directions and peppered with real world milestones of family visits, visa extensions or cruising permit limitations. Rarely but occasionally we even carve out room for places we’ve always wanted to go to, anchorages recommended by friends, towns with striking architecture, cities holding festivals or islands of spectacular beauty.

It’s testing that the reality of boat life is that we have no power over the conditions and we will sometimes have to relinquish our meticulously planned-out schedules and bow down to the gods of weather. So it’s tempting to cling on to the shreds of information, the little snippets of fact that might make things work out according to our hopes.

“See here, Windfinder and GFS both agree for Saturday that there will be westerlies,” I muse aloud to James, already aware that I’m adding a bit too much of a convincing tone to mask the truth of the other forecasts I

cannot pretend not to have seen.

Chances are that there won’t be westerlies, but that we’ll be hit by wind on the nose from the east, which will then dwindle and we’ll be forced to motor. My false enthusiasm peters out and our plans to move change yet again.

It’s taken a while but I’ve learned my lessons in this respect and, to an extent, we’ve grown comfortable with surrendering our plans to what the forecast holds.

In Borabora, in the South Pacifc, we were getting fidgety waiting on weather. The steady southeast trades had abandoned the cruising fleet on what’s affectionately known as the ‘coconut milk run’.

Folks around us were getting panicky about the stall in their plans as day after day of weather predictions came in with the wrong sort of winds for any of us.

The moans were for good reason; from that point it’s no short hop, putting up with adverse conditions for a day or two. It’s more like a minimum 500 miles to Rarotonga, closer to 700 for Suwarrow, more than 1,000 to Niue or a 1,100 mile slog to American Samoa’s Pago Pago. When each forecast came in with 25-30 knot winds from the west we all mentally weighed up a week or more of bashing upwind versus the French gendarmerie’s wrath at overstaying our visas.

It was a tough call, choosing to see the true general consensus of conditions that were actually predicted rather than what we so wanted to see instead.

In the end we delayed nearly four weeks for a favourable passage and got one. Friends of ours who couldn’t wait endured a horrendous trip, with winds gusting up to 50 knots, which cost them considerably in damaged gear and frazzled nerves.

The big jumps load even more pressure onto your decision-making. Picking the right moment to step out into either the Atlantic or Pacific ocean passages was a daunting prospect. You so want to see the right pattern in those GRIBs, with the trade winds established and playing ball, with the predictability of steady weather, consistent winds and, to resort to the cliché, ‘smooth sailing’.

But powerful though mankind might be, it’s sobering to submit and accept that our talents in forecasting may be greater than our willingness to embrace change. And besides, why travel by sailboat if you’re in such a hurry?

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

JESS LLOYDMOSTYN Jess and James left the UK in 2011 in their Crossbow 42 and have sailed halfway round the world, growing their crew en route.

Follow their journey at water-log.com

ILLUSTRATION: MICHAEL PARKIN

‘We weighed up a week or more of bashing upwind versus overstaying our visas’

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Andi Robertson YACHTS

The TP52 class celebrates its 20th anniversary this year but racing remains on hold – giving a chance instead to reflect and plan ahead

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PHOTO MARTINEZ STUDIO FOR TP52 CLASS

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nfortunately the TP52s 20th anniversary invitational regatta due to be held in June concurrently with the Costa Smeralda 52 SUPER SERIES event - went the same way as the rest of the season, including the TP52 Worlds.

Losing the 20th anniversary event is a blow to the circuit and the class.

There are certainly plans to run it in 2021, but gone is the chance to give prospective teams an experience of TP52 fleet racing at the highest level, to dip a toe in the water, and it is an untimely loss when the circuit really could use new teams coming in for 2021.

That said, the core group of owners who are involved right now remain committed and are looking forward to next season. Management have listened to owners and crews on the choice of venues, electing to visit Baiona in Galicia, northwestern Spain for the first time, and to go to Saint Tropez where so many have raced TP52s or other boats at Les Voiles each autumn.

The season will start in Saint Tropez in May, then Galicia in June, Cascais in July, Puerto Portals in August and the final event in September is likely to be Valencia, or maybe Sardinia’s Porto Cervo. Keeping to the Atlantic and western Med minimises travel.

Personally I can’t wait to go to Galicia with the class. I was fortunate to be at La Solitaire du Figaro in Ria de MurosNoia in 2018, and it was stunning.

There is such a passion for grand prix sailing in the north of Spain and so many of their nation’s top offshore sailors come from there. But so few of the major offshore circuit regattas are hosted on this coastline. My plan is to take some time either side of the regatta there to explore the area’s amazing coastline, go biking and visit a few vineyards around the Rías Baixas, and sample the excellent Albarino wine.

There is concern that this mix of venues will generate a season of light to moderate breezes, Cascais being the obvious exception. This feeling may yet swing the balance in favour of Sardinia,

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

There is concern that this mix of venues will generate a season of light breezes, Cascais being the exception which served up a great finale last year with plenty of Mistral breeze action.

20 years is a landmark anniversary for the class and, I suppose, one which not many would have foreseen in the early days. The class started in the USA in 2001 very much with an offshore pedigree. The original crew weight limit was1270kgs, so 14 crew; now it is 1130kgs. The rule has been carefully and wisely managed by Rob Weiland who has achieved the balance between keeping the boats interesting and speeding them up generation by generation, while at the same time keeping the circuit mostly inclusive and accessible. The first big step was in 2007 when the rule was completely re-written, stepping it clear of the wreckage that was IMS measurement, and in so doing taking control of the class’s own destiny. It made the rule much more user-friendly.

The next key stage was removing the need to incline to measure stability - the keel and fin being controlled by given dimensions and weights to establish the centre of gravity. The power to weight ratio of the TP52 sees more than 60 per cent of the weight in the fin and bulb.

In 2007 there were 21 boats racing on the MedCup and 16 at the Global Championship, where Torbjorn

Above Racing in Cape Town in March, the only TP52 event to take place this year

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

Tornqvist’s Artemis team won. I find it amazing to look back at when generations of new boats were built: 2010 was the first year the America’s Cup teams came to play; in 2011 six new boats were built; 2015 saw nine new boats - including three new teams among the 12 that raced. Nine new boats were also built for the 2018 season, the main catalyst then being the return to the monohull for the Cup. Where to for the future? It will be up to the current owners. Globalisation of the circuit is on hold right now frustrating after the successful first visit to South Africa at the start of this year.

With active fleets in the USA, I would contend that, post-Covid, a return to the other side of the Atlantic is long overdue. Some would like to take the circuit to Newport but that would preclude racing in the Med before late summer as it takes at least three weeks to have the boats prepped, shipped and prepped again. The class loves Florida in the winter, though, and it would be great to see a return, perhaps for two events back to back in the same way that was planned for South Africa.

Meantime it is nine months before the first 2021 regatta, and that sadly seems a long time to wait…

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Andy Rice DINGHIES

It’s a privilege to be trusted with someone’s pride and joy, and when the opportunity comes to jump into another class it’s hard to say no

32

C/O MERLIN CLASS/GEORGE YEOMAN

T

here are some boats you wouldn’t mind lending out to a friend. How much harm could you do to a Laser or a Topper for example? Not much, although I bet you’re already thinking of at least 10 different ways I - or anybody else - could ruin your pride and joy.

I am still smarting from the time I lent out my International 14 to a sailor who had won national championships in other classes and whom I thought would be a safe and honest pair of hands.

He is a hydrographer by trade, someone professionally trained in the process of charting the ocean floor. What I hadn’t bargained on was that the hydrographer would use the daggerboard of my 14 to chart the floor of Chichester Harbour with such enthusiastic abandon and cause almost £1000 of damage in the process.

Anyone can make mistakes of course, but you should at least have the decency to own up to your boat-breaking error rather than scarper without so much as a by-your-leave or an apologetic phone call.

I myself have conducted my own accidental hydrography in various boats around Chichester Harbour, including the time when I ran a friend’s foiling RS600 up the bank of Thorney Island.

I was caught short when the foiler took off at a 20 knot gallop and with me not having read the manual on how to get it to stop in time. And yes, I did pay for the boat repair, in case you were wondering!

So it was with some trepidation that I accepted my friends Martin and Vicky Jones’s generous offer to take their Merlin Rocket out for a sail from Itchenor Sailing Club. I have done plenty of hydrography in the 14 back in the day when crewing for Will Henderson out of Itchenor in the early days of twin trapezing. And just last Christmas for the 14 boat test in Y&Y, crewing for Martin in his brand spanking new Ovington hull we did indeed strike the dirt, followed shortly after by both of us ending up in the jib.

At least the daggerboard cases of the modern 14s are a fitted with a rubberised, replaceable shock absorber that gets

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

The foiler took off at a 20 knot gallop with me not having read the manual on how to stop you out of trouble provided you’re not travelling too quickly into the shingle.

The Merlin is a much more sensible harbour boat than the 14 because it has a centreboard which hopefully operates as an early warning system before the rudder hits the bottom. But what I hadn’t fully appreciated until I lifted off the cover was just how complex a Merlin can be.

Yes, I’ve stood and admired them at the Dinghy Show but as for rigging one up with no Merlin expertise on hand - that I hadn’t bargained for. Not only is there a Harken cleat for the guy rope on the spinnaker, there’s another Harken cleat for the fine-tune tweaker on the guy rope!

It was gobsmacking how many rock stars had turned up for this little open meeting at Itchenor, with Nacra superstar and Endeavour legend Ben Saxton crewing for his brother Tim, former Fireball world champions and current Merlin national champions Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey, and former Merlin champions Stu Bithell and Tom Pygall also there.

I was remarking on the head-spinning complexity of the Merlin to this group

Above A chance to join the Merlin class came at a recent Itchenor SC open meeting

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

of experts and Christian was reminded of the time at a Fireball Worlds when people spotted a spare block and cleat on the back of the centreboard case. Asked what it was, quick as a flash Christian quipped that it was ‘mainsheet fine tune’, and before he knew it, the word had whistled round the boat park of this championship-winning piece of kit.

Except that it really was just a spare block and cleat that did 5/8s of absolutely zero.

By the time I had worked out the cat’s cradle of control lines and got out in Martin’s Merlin with my 17-yearold virtual sailing novice son, Gabriel, we had missed the racing. But we did at least get to enjoy a bit of full-hiking upwind for 20 minutes in what felt like blazingly hot Caribbean trade-winds before Chichester Harbour glazed over again to a flat calm. I can see why, for all the boats that Olympic medallist and pro sailor Stu Bithell has ever sailed, the Merlin Rocket is still his favourite. It’s such a beautifully balanced boat, and that myriad of control lines really does give you the ability to change anything you could possibly want at any time.

In such light winds as I experienced, however, the twin flyaway poles seem like an awful lot of hassle and make it very hard to execute any kind of elegant gybe where the spinnaker might have even half a chance of staying full throughout the manoeuvre.

I’m sure that if I experienced the Merlin in a big sea and a Force 6, the ability for the crew to do the whole hoist from the middle of the boat would become very attractive indeed. Maybe it should be compulsory to wear protective eye goggles and gumshields, though, as you don’t want your face to be anywhere close to that carbon pole as it flies back at warp speed into the cockpit. I’d rather see Merlin crews up at the mast, endfor-ending the pole as they do on a 470, a Fireball and many other classes.

But long live our few remaining development classes such as the Merlin Rocket, with or without its twin flyaway poles. Such a pleasure to sail and a beauty to behold.

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Cruising ~ Around These Islands in 12 Ports

AROUND the top of Scotland In the second part of his round-Britain adventure series, Jonathan Winter sails Nova from Dundee to Belfast via Orkney and the Hebrides, sampling the delights of Scottish whisky and discovering close-knit coastal communities on the way

MAIN PICTURE Loch Nevis anchorage discovered via Antares Charts

MAP C/O VESSELFINDER – BIT.LY/TRACKNOVA

LEFT Interactive map available at bit. ly/tracknova RIGHT The over-thetop crew on the Isle of Rona

Cruising ~ Dundee to Belfast via Orkney

Stromness For a sailor from the Solent, Orkney is in the far north. But far from being off the beaten track, for millennia Orkney was the beaten track, and even in the 20th century this archipelago had central significance as a naval centre.

In his article written for this project, Nick Isbister writes about the way Stromness – and the Orkney Islands – has found its way into people’s stories, including his own. He reflects on how people and groups through history have formed their identity, told their stories, and made their mark: bit.ly/12ports-stromness

IMAGES JONATHAN WINTER

Dundee to Stromness

If this journey were an ascent, the mountaintop would naturally be the Orkney Islands, and the last camp on the route would be Wick. We arrived there ahead of strong easterly winds, which might have prevented us from entering the harbour and sent us scuttling all the way back across the Moray Firth. The lifeboat crew were preparing for their Harbour Day. There’s a good reason for lifeboats around here – the Pentland Firth has a fearsome reputation. The Admiralty Sailing Directions from 1935 says “when a swell is opposed to the tidal stream, a sea is raised which can scarcely be imagined by those who have never experienced it”.

Wick was a welcome surprise. Its large sheltered harbours and the town above were designed by Thomas Telford on instruction from Sir William Pulteney, governor of the British Fisheries Society. It became the world’s largest herring port, with over 1,000 fishing vessels in the summer. Peak herring was in 1867 when it is said that 50 million “silver darlings” were gutted and packed in just two days by 3,500 herring lassies.

To accommodate everyone, Telford also built Pulteneytown, an early planned town, partly modelled on Bath. Today this part of Wick is best known for its whisky.

Harbour Day dawned with unexpected fog, which lasted all day.

Wind fluttered the colourful flags on all the boats, including Nova. The

town turned out in force, and at the appointed time the Longhope lifeboat loomed into view, visiting from Orkney. It was a solemn moment as the crowds commemorated the 50th anniversary of the disaster in which eight of the Longhope crew were lost. We met people whose relatives were amongst them. It was clear that an event like this further cements the pivotal role the lifeboats play in small coastal communities. We enjoyed generous hospitality from Mark the lifeboat coxswain and his team, who served barbecued steak marinated in cider and flamed in Old Pulteney, and partied into the night.

Next morning, time came for us to leave. We looked for Malcolm, the harbourmaster, who had promised advice, and found him clearing up after the party. “Head for Skirza,” he said, “until you reach the 26 metre

ABOVE Wick’s lifeboat crew gave a warm welcome BELOW LEFT RNLI Wick Harbour Day arrived with unexpected fog BELOW RIGHT Midsummer night light in Orkney

contour. You’ll find a back eddy along the shore to Duncansby Head.

If you arrive there an hour before the tide turns northwest, you’ll find the current will continue north across the Pentland Firth.”

He smiled at our nervous looks.

“Follow my advice and you won’t be troubled by the Firth. It will be ‘oilies off, slippers on’.” And so it was.

Arriving in Scapa Flow, the wind rose and we tacked fast towards Longhope, passing a large flock of gannets and arctic skuas wheeling and diving with intent. We went ashore and visited our newly-made lifeboat friends before returning to the boat in the late sun of midsummer’s eve. The sun set at 10.30, and light never disappeared from the colourful sky.

Our time in Scapa Flow coincided with the 100th anniversary of the scuttling of the German fleet at the

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

35

Cruising ~ Dundee to Belfast via Orkney

end of the Great War. Sailing across the flat waters towards Stromness, we could see why this has been a significant naval harbour. The tides around Orkney are notorious, but Scapa Flow is like the Solent – perfectly sheltered. We passed the ferry terminal and tied up in the small marina, ready to explore this place full of stories.

Pilot books and useful apps • RNYC Sailing Directions, Humber to Rattray Head • Clyde Cruising Club Sailing Directions, Orkney and Shetland Islands, inc N and NE Scotland • visitmyharbour.com

Stromness to Oban

If we’d seen this on the south coast of England we would not have been surprised. But well off the north coast of Scotland we were astonished to pass a small open boat, with a single occupant, heading northeast.

To the North Isles of Orkney? And then? Later Tom Cunliffe helped us identify it as most probably an Ian Oughtred design, a descendent of the Shetland Island Yoal. Perhaps it was going home.

We played ‘Farewell to Stromness’ and sailed west, with our most experienced crew on board. In the event, the weather was kind; all day we watched the distant mountains and cliffs stretched out in sunshine

OBAN Oban, sheltered behind the island of Kerrera, is a haven for yachts and a hub for ferries that transport people to and from the islands. It’s a natural harbour, but hasn’t always been a significant port. What has made it such a success? Whisky? Seafood?

Tourists? All of the above contribute, and in addition today one of

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Rounding the turning point of Cape Wrath INSERT Who was this solo sailor heading north from Scotland?

and haze along the coast. As evening came, in a rising wind, we finally rounded the high cliffs of Cape Wrath at a respectful distance. The name comes not from its fearsome reputation but from the Old Norse ‘hvarf ’ (‘turning point’). Surfing south in the evening sunshine, there was a great sense of satisfaction as we headed for shore and anchored in a small sheltered bay called Loch Clash, after a 13 hour passage.

The Shetland Yoal was one of several encounters with impressive sailors. We found different kinds in different places. In central London, the visiting yachts were Dutch.

Further up the east coast, in May, we saw hardly leisure boats at all –

Oban’s largest employers is the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS). In their article, Mike Robinson and Dr John Howe describe how hi-tech sonar scans of the sea bed have revealed more about the history of this busy gateway to the islands. bit.ly/12ports-oban

Cruising ~ Dundee to Belfast via Orkney

mainly we sailed alone. In Hull we saw only locals. In Edinburgh likewise. Then leaving Arbroath near Dundee we found ourselves in company with yacht Shearwater, also circumnavigating. Experienced and fearless, Jim and Angela sailed further and faster than we did, and got rather wetter as a result. We enjoyed their company on several occasions and compared notes.

By the time we reached Orkney, the boats were from Scandinavia and further afield, but still they were few and far between – we rounded Cape Wrath alone. Down the rugged northwest coast we continued to enjoy wide empty seas until we reached Skye. This felt like a long way south. Now it was July and holiday season, with sailors from all over the UK and Ireland. Suddenly things were getting crowded. Attempting to moor at Kyle Akin by the Skye Bridge, we were told there was officially no space, but we squeezed in alongside a glass-bottomed trip boat at the end of the pontoon, having been waved in enthusiastically by the de-facto pontoon master. He was a sociable character living aboard his own boat nearby, who serenaded beautiful women on his boat late into the evening.

We had allowed extra time to enjoy these sheltered waters with friends. It was an overdose of scenery and stories in intriguing and romanticsounding places like the Summer Isles, Rona (Acarsaid Mhor), Canna and Knoydart. There we spent a

37

Oban to Belfast

magical night moored in Doune Bay and dining on venison at one of the most remote restaurants in all of mainland Britain.

On 24 July we tied up at Kerrera Island in the shelter of Oban Bay. It’s another place where coastal sailors mix with ocean adventurers, like Gary Hancock. Having retired as professional sailors, Gary and Kirstin have been voyaging in their yacht Wandering Albatross, campaigning for wildlife while sailing from the Arctic to Antarctic and now back in the North Atlantic. When we left to sail down the Scottish coast, they were about to set out for the Azores to pick up a dive team, head out into the Atlantic, and anchor on an underwater sea mount to continue their work of marine conservation.

ABOVE Acarsaid Mhòr, Isle of Rona INSERT Bruichladdich’s Octomore whisky is super-heavily peated BELOW From Rathlin’s East Lighthouse you can see the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland

The Glasgow train came to a halt at Oban station and a bedraggled but cheerful family of four came chattering onto the concourse. Rain wasn’t going to dampen their spirits, and that was just as well; our friends’ first experience of yachting consisted of two dreich days seeing almost nothing.

After a night on board to acclimatise and our usual crew briefing, the next morning we set out in thick cloud, motoring past Seil and through the narrows at Fladda island. On down the Sounds of Luing and Jura, we regaled our novice crew with dramatic descriptions of the dangerous whirlpool at Correyvreckan, invisible as we passed at a safe distance.

That night we dropped anchor at Lussa Bay on the island of Jura. For the first time, our spacious GT35 felt like a small boat as we tackled the challenge of drying six people’s

Pilot books and useful apps • Clyde Cruising Club Sailing Directions, Orkney and Shetland Islands, inc N and NE Scotland • Clyde Cruising Club Sailing Directions, Ardnamurchan to Cape Wrath • Clyde Cruising Club Sailing Directions, Kintyre to Ardnamurchan • visitmyharbour.com Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

37

Cruising ~ Dundee to Belfast via Orkney

wet-weather gear while conjuring up the illusion of civilised living. The rain stopped and several of us went ashore for a walk, greeted immediately by the sight of two impressive stags. Further on, we discovered the Lussa Gin distillery.

As we were soon to learn, the Scottish islands have jumped on this trend with impressive enterprise. It is easier and faster to make money from gin than from whisky.

Between us, Anne and I have family roots in England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. My Scottish forebears manufactured gimletheaded screws in Glasgow and I suspect they were teetotalling Presbyterians. Meanwhile Anne’s great-grandfather, William Harvey, was busy testing water samples on the island of Islay before setting up a state-of-the-art distillery in 1881.

We sailed to Port Ellen and took a bus across to visit Bruichladdich Distillery. Anne was welcomed by private client manager Mary McGregor, and discussed family

archives. We toured the distillery which today makes gin as well as whiskies, including Octomore, the smokiest (and costliest) I have ever tasted. Today the company is the largest private-sector employer on the island and despite various corporate take-overs (it is now owned by Rémy Cointreau) it maintains a distinctive community ethos. It showed island enterprise at its best, we thought.

Back at Port Ellen, the marina was crammed with Dutch yachts on a Round Britain Adventure Cruise. It was time to leave for Ireland. That involves crossing the North Channel, known for uncomfortable seas and strong tides. Our calculations were spot-on; we arrived at the western point of Rathlin Island at slack water.

But there was no slack we could find – the tide simply reversed and we fought 2 knots into the harbour at Church Bay. Soon we were walking the cliffs where Marconi sent the first commercial radio transmission,

ABOVE LEFT One of Bruichladdich’s original copper stills from the 1880s ABOVE RIGHT Church Bay, Rathlin Island

Jonathan Winter is a social entrepreneur and lifelong cruising sailor. He is an RYA Yachtmaster, has a passion for innovation, and a degree in aeronautical engineering which fuels his interest in new boat designs.

He and Anne live in Oxford and sail GT35-01, first of the GT Yachts, designed by Stephen Jones: See 12ports. com or search #AroundTheseIslands

looking east to Scotland and south down the Antrim coast, where we planned to continue to Belfast the next day. We could see fierce tides and rough water below us – the MacDonnell Race. It was named after the MacDonnell brothers, who were drowned there while returning to Rathlin. Their father, watching from land, raised his arm as if to move the boat’s tiller to steer them out of harm’s way. Legend has it that his arm stayed in the same position for the rest of his life.

Pilot books and useful apps • Clyde Cruising Club - Sailing Directions, Kintyre to Ardnamurchan • Irish Cruising Club - East and North Coasts of Ireland, Sailing Directions • Welcome Anchorages publication - welcomeanchorages.co.uk • visitmyharbour.com • eOceanic.com

BELFAST Nova tied up right at the heart of Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. In his article for the 12 Ports project, award-winning author Alf McCreary explores how a mud-locked inlet, which seemed to lack the raw materials for success, turned into one of the world’s great ship-building ports and one of the greatest cities in the British Isles. How will Belfast fare in the postBrexit world? With hard work, courage and ingenuity, he says. The Harbour Board plans to create 10,500 jobs and help boost Northern Ireland’s economy. bit.ly/12ports-belfast

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

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Exiled at sea for A dream tr ip nightmare to the eastern Caribbe aft an 70 day odys er coronavirus quaran turned into a ti sey for Pete r and Marg ne rules led to a arida Lukur sky

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Cruising ~ 70 days adrift

A

s an Australian-Portuguese couple sailing around the world on a very simple cutter rigged 42ft monohull, we had heard about the coronavirus as we checked out of Cien Fuegos, Cuba on 10 March but we never would have imagined the world shutting down in the way that it was about to. Our plan was to take a couple of weeks sailing down the Jardines and then head over to Jamaica. We had difficulty filling up completely with water, food and diesel but we weren’t worried - we had plenty for the trip to Jamaica, where we could provision easily.

As we arrived at the Jardines we met up with some cruisers who told us that the world was in a panic and that Jamaica had closed its borders for 14 days. Still, we weren’t too concerned; we would simply wait it out until the Jamaican border was opened. We sailed around this beautiful part of the world and were completely alone - save for an occasional fisherman - for the next 12 days, until a Cuban military team came and told us we had to leave immediately. There was no concern from them at all about whether we had adequate food, fuel or water, we were just told “go now!”

We were escorted out to sea and, in light conditions, duly started sailing to Jamaica at 1.5 knots. It was now day 24. The wind came in but as we got close to Jamaica, we got notice on our InReach that Jamaica had closed its borders for another 14 days. This was getting tricky...

70 days

Where to run to?

ABOVE Receiving supplies fromthe Colombian coast gaurd INSERT Peter and Margarida in the dinghy unaware of the ordeal to come

As this was potentially going to be our last trip, we had planned to visit the eastern Carribean - somewhere Margarida was really excited to visit.

With that in mind, we sailed east to the Dominican Republic, 250 miles away. With very little wind, it took us seven gruelling days to get there. We had only 13 hours of diesel in the tank (26 litres) so motoring was for emergencies only. As we got close, the borders were closed for a second time. If this was Neptune’s plan, he was running it with precision. On Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

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Cruising ~ exiled at sea

“I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO SNEAK IN TO A REMOTE BAY IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, THE BAY OF EAGLES - ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BAYS I HAVE EVER SEEN�

top of that, our cooking gas had run out and Margarida had run out of seasickness treatments. She gets seasick in the mildest of conditions and can only handle a day or two without them if there is a nice anchorage afterwards to recover.

Being an already thin girl, if sailing went on for too long, this could get dangerous. She was getting thinner

and thinner since the very little that she put in would come out again.

By day 32, I had no choice but to sneak in to a remote bay in the Dominican Republic, the Bay of Eagles - one of the most beautiful bays I have ever seen. Surrounded by stunning cliffs, there was a gorgeous long beach with crystal clear waters.

We pulled out our camp stove

ABOVE Freedom anchored off Morant Cays some 30 miles off Jamaica BELOW Feasting on barbecued cray fish and fish balls

back-up with two small gas canisters as supply and prepared a hot meal.

Then we slept. But early in the morning we were woken by the Dominican Republic coast guard telling us we had to leave. Speaking Spanish, Margarida, pleaded with them, explaining that we were very low on fuel, food and water and that to send us out would be disastrous.

They asked for jerry cans and we handed over all our cash ($85US).

They returned later with 80 litres of fuel, 100 litres of water and a very small amount of vegetables. They then escorted us out of their waters, specifically warning us not to re-enter.

Rough road to nowhere

In addition to our InReach, we had HF radio, but the information we obtained was that everything within reach of us was closed. It seemed we would only get through this by being sneaky. Los Roques archipelago was an option but was 470nm away off Venezuela and it was going to be close hauled, slamming and tacking all the way. After less than one day of

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Cruising ~ 70 days adrift

recovery, and still clinging to Margarida’s dream of seeing the eastern Caribbean, we set off. With the wind at 40 degrees and at 28 knots it was not a pleasant ride and it got worse around the southernmost tip of the Dominican Republic where the auto-pilot started failing. I immediately turned tail and sailed north to the Bay of Eagles, hoping to heave-to in the lee at the six mile limit and fix the problem, but the wind followed us all the way around and there was no lee at all.

The only place close by was Haiti about 120nm away, so we continued sailing and by midday the next day we were hove-to 20 miles out. I wanted to enter just as the light was failing, then hopefully nothing would happen until the morning. Haiti also had its borders closed so we would likely be kicked out at some point but that was okay; I just needed time to get food and water into Margarida so she could recover and we could do another couple of days at sea.

But after just 30 minutes we were told to leave immediately. The

Haitians were extremely agitated by our presence and when we tried to explain to them the situation, they became more so.

So we left late at night, keeping as close to our track as possible. There were shoals and reefs everywhere. This was becoming a nightmare.

Scanning the charts, we saw there were islands 33 miles SSE of Jamaica, about 150 miles away. We set sail once more and, two days later, 37 days after we checked out of Cuba, we arrived at Morant Cays, a group of five islands nestled amongst coral reefs with white sandy beaches. It was heaven for Margarida having been nauseous for so long. But best of all, there was nobody around at all.

Our food was low; unlike some cruisers we don’t have huge stores.

We generally catch fish along the way. We have back-ups of canned goods, rice and spaghetti, but this covers us for two or three weeks and we had already bitten into them. I jumped in to spearfish only to discover that there were few fish left.

I gathered some conch and was lucky to shoot a barracuda, so all was well.

We found wood on the island and cooked a meal, and it was wonderful to see Margarida recover.

ABOVE Dog snapper - fishing provided the main source of food

Medical exam

A day later 30 fishermen arrived on the main island in small boats. They stopped and said hello, maintaining their distance as prescribed. I

BELOW Binoculars out, scanning for breakers and reefs

apologised for being anchored near their island and putting them at risk.

Their vetting of us was intensive. They asked, “do you got it?”, to which I replied “no”, and they said, “No problem man, enjoy the islands...”

I love Jamaicans!

They were going to be here for a few days so it was likely that when they returned back home, a coast guard would come out and kick us off. So there was a chance that we would have three or four days of peace before being moved on to another reef somewhere. That was precious time to give Margarida a chance to recover and prepare.

Basically every day revolved around catching food, cooking it and having at least four days of meals in reserve, just in case we were ordered to go. It was at this time that Margarida was showing signs of emotional stress. Everything was dirty and salty in the boat. Sleeping on moist salty sheets isn’t pleasant but we had no choice. We were strict with our water from day one; three litres per person per day so there was no water for cleaning at all. Nausea, constant rejection, lack of sleep and not knowing where we would be in a few days time played havoc with her.

Over the next two weeks more and more fishermen came. The fishermen were perfectly polite but the arrivals both day and night so close to our boat made Margarida uneasy. She was the only woman around for

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Cruising ~ 70 days adrift

“THE BIG PLUS FOR US WAS THAT BOATS COULD QUARANTINE AT ANCHOR”

miles and miles. So we set sail once more, this time to Bajo Nuevo, a tiny cay 272nm off the Nicarauguan coast. The Jamaicans warned us that big squalls threatened that area and that illegal fishermen from Nicaragua and Honduras visited those reefs - a lone boat may be a tempting target for them; watch out!

Armed and ready

I felt I had a good understanding of the weather and its signs so that was no problem. We had security bars and spearguns for weapons plus a radar to keep watch. So, with Margarida almost insisting that we leave, I felt we were appropriately prepared to meet any opportunistic fishermen down on their luck.

We arrived late the following day and anchored just shy of the

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

lighthouse. On visiting the cay the next day we were surprised to see that it was literally little more than an old ruined lighthouse base. Stuck on it was a wooden pallet and a small bag of coal, probably left by illegal fishermen. This was a godsend since it was the only wood around. I figured it would last a week but I noticed some dried out sargassum around, so we collected it, threw on a bit of diesel and it burnt well. We now had cooking fuel for two weeks.

Things were looking good.

The water was crystal clear and the coral reefs were beautiful - the fish were few but if you looked carefully enough there were crabs and lobsters around. I was happy to be in the water all day if need be, so we dined mainly on lobsters and crabs. Life wasn’t so terrible.

ABOVE The tiny, deserted cay of Bajo Nuevo BELOW LEFT Magarida pleading with the Dominican Republic coast guard BELOW RIGHT Sneaking onto dry land for much needed recovery time

The human touch

Day 56, and very early in the morning our radar started beeping. I had to wait an hour before I could properly see the boat and when Margarida saw it she immediately told me to load the spearguns for protection. Bless her heart but the vessel was huge, 100ft long, and the small amount of damage I could do with two loaded spearguns was incomparable to the firepower that the approaching boat no doubt possessed. I explained that it was obviously an official boat and they had rules to follow. Margarida was really anxious. Next came a very emotional time for Margarida when, on approaching in a RIB, the Colombian coast guard captain seemed not angry, nor dismissive but had sized the situation up perfectly

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Cruising ~ 70 days adrift

and demonstrated the highest degree of professionalism you could ever see. Although he no doubt had orders from above, the captain had more common sense and intelligence and applied them in this unusual situation with a human heart, something which had seemed to go out the window in this crazy time in other places. It affected Margarida deeply. The captain gave us 60 litres of diesel, 120 litres of water and food, some of which was fruit. There was no issue about the fact that we couldn’t pay. We hadn’t seen fruit in six weeks. The female officer, from her own supplies, gave Margarida female items, snacks and a brownie, which brought tears to her eyes.

Through all the rejection, through all the seasickness, through all the not-knowing in this maddening time it took the kindness of complete strangers to re-align Margarida’s compass. Well done to the Colombians, a shining light in this greying world.

The captain suggested that San Andrés may be able to quarantine us.

We asked whether it could be done at anchor but this was unknown to him; we would have to go there to find out.

Fearing the high costs of marina and hotel fees at a resort island such as San Andreas we declined; it was too risky for us. We would have to sell the boat to do the quarantine. So we sailed from reef to reef, found places to cook, found wood, speared fish. We always had four days of meals in reserve just in case. This continued like a drill while we waited for the world to become normal again.

ABOVE LEFT Sailing towards the Bay of Eagles, Dominican Republic ABOVE RIGHT Happy to arrive in the Bay, albeit illicitly

Unwelcome visitors

By day 66, we had anchored off a small cay and in the middle of the night, the radar started beeping.

There was a boat coming close by.

There were no running lights, just a faint glow. It then slowed down behind us and stopped on the other side of the reef. This was serious.

There was only one thing to do: wake

Peter and Margarida Lukursky sail their 42ft Lehete Bourgois, Freedom, to some of the planet’s most remote locations, and pride themselves on self sufficiency. Follow their adventures on YouTube: Sailing Into Freedom

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Margarida and leave the reef immediately. The trouble was, we were nestled within the reef and to exit in the pitch dark, without any moon or stars to guide me seemed suicidal. I didn’t want to use the chartplotter either since it was too bright, even when dimmed, and would be seen. Also, in the past I have tried to steer a course by chartplotter at night without any reference points and it is difficult.

The delay in the arrow marking your direction on the chartplotter makes you steer madly like a drunk and within this reef there was no room for drunks. However, I had previously noted that my safe sector to leave the reef was between 280 degrees and 340 degrees. I felt that our safety lay in acting quickly, so five minutes later, we had the anchor up and we were sailing away without any lights. We exited the reef on our magnetic heading and simply sailed straight past the suspicious boat and down the lee of the reef at 8 knots.

By dawn we were 14 miles away.

A few hours later news finally came through on the InReach that although Panama was officially closed, other boats had sailed into Bocas del Toro, Panama and had been accepted. The big plus for us was that boats could quarantine at anchor. We were going to be okay. So, 71 days since we checked out of Cuba, we finally reached the beautiful Bocas del Toro archipelago.

On the way into quarantine, we were greeted by other sailors from all around the world. It was great to be amongst fellow cruisers again all eager to help out. Our ordeal was finally over.

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47

05/01/2018 09:4

Boat test ~ Dufour 530

Spoilt for choice Comfort, speed and a whole host of options, Dufour’s 530 has it all, as Sam Jefferson discovers

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

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Boat test ~ Dufour 530

PHOTOS: DUFOUR

T

50

he freedom to make decisions for ourselves is one of the foundations of modern western culture. Sometimes too much choice can be a bad thing, but generally, we all agree it’s for the best. All of which brings me to the Dufour 530 – yes, that’s right, this boat is arguably the ultimate demonstration of all that is great and good about liberal democracy. Alright, I jest, but it is an example of how the big boatbuilders are wrestling with the concept of trying to provide customers with plenty of choice while also providing value for money.

You see the whole problem for the big boatbuilders is that they can’t really afford to provide masses of choice. They have to look at the bottom line, which essentially means turning out a lot of boats quickly and efficiently. To do that, you can’t afford to be pandering to the needs of each individual customer.

Dufour has come up with its own solution to this problem by offering its new 530 in three distinct versions: Easy, which is aimed at the charter market; Ocean, for the cruising family; and Performance, which is a bit more sporty and could be raced.

By providing three very distinct

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

packages for its customers, Dufour cuts out on a good deal of the general faff that comes with catering to general customer requirements because the options are already there in the DNA of the boat. To add to this feeling of extra choice, the manufacturers have also opted

THIS PAGE The beamy 530 is easily driven yet powerful

to offer an unusually high range of five different interior layouts.

This is the first yacht designed since Dufour joined forces with multihull manufacturer Fountaine Pajot to become among the biggest boatbuilders in the world.

For all that, there’s nothing too revolutionary on show here. The boat is designed by Umberto Felci, the Italian designer who has been their go-to guy for some years now. He has stuck with a tried and tested formula of delivering big volume by having masses of beam carried well aft; a move further accentuated by the addition of a chine in the aft sections.

Although 53ft overall, the length on the waterline is 50ft and the hull form is instantly familiar; plumb bow, straight transom, and purposeful looks. There is a single rudder and the option of three different L-shaped keels; 6ft 4in, 7ft 6in and 9ft 2in deep respectively.

Although the sail area is generous, this is far from a stripped-out racer even in Performance mode.

It is what you’d expect it to be: an extremely roomy cruising yacht with a decent turn of speed.

On deck

As you’d expect from a yacht with a beam of 16ft 6in, the cockpit space is substantial. I probably shouldn’t go any further before mentioning the barbecue/sink/kitchen area on the transom, which has become a bit of a Dufour trademark over the years and offers a more sociable option for cooking in warmer climes. This is integrated into a pod set right on the transom and means that you

can prepare food while standing on the bathing platform. Combine this with the flip up seats either side of the helm and you have a good feeling of enclosure compared to some other yachts in this category.

The problem of where to put the tender is dealt with thanks to some telescopic davits set on the transom.

With the helmsman’s seats flipped up, access to the bathing platform is also good. There is a space to store a liferaft behind the bathing platform.

In the cockpit there is acres of space. Perhaps the most notable demonstration of this is that, just forward of the outdoor galley and plumb between the two helming stations, is a very comfortable lounger. As you can imagine, that

ABOVE The 530's Easy configuration will appeal to charterers BELOW RIGHT The large cockpit table cleverly secretes a fridge BELOW LEFT The transom galley is a nifty Dufour trademark

can only be achieved on a yacht with masses of beam. This lounging area is optional but certainly makes for a very comfortable cockpit.

In terms of sail controls, the mainsheet is sited on the coachroof, although this changes if you go for the Performance option - in which case it is sited between the helm stations. There is also the option of the German mainsheet system.

Other than that, the running rigging is led through the coachroof and coamings via channels and emerges near the helmsman. There is a handy rope bin that also serves as a step up onto the side decks and keeps things simple. Moving further forward, there is a big single cockpit table with a fridge set into

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

51

Boat test ~ Dufour 530

it, plus more than ample seating.

The split bimini is also a clever touch which allows you to exit the cockpit without bashing your head.

Step forward and the broad, flat coachroof offers a huge sunbathing area where you can attach cushions if you wish. Up forward there is an optional crew cabin plus its own heads, which is impressive.

This space could be used for storage instead should you wish.

Down below

Step down below and there are two words that spring immediately to mind; light and space. There is a simply cast number of hatches on the coachroof plus big portlights that ensure that the 530 is incredibly bright down below. Throw into the mix the light wood finish on the boat I tested and you have an impressively airy space.

Speaking of space, there’s a heck of a lot of it down here. As mentioned, there are various different layout options available and, given that there are so many, I’m not going to make this article a novel by listing them all. Suffice to say that in it’s most expanded form – optimised for the charter market – it’s possible to sleep 12. The layout itself is rather pleasing, with Dufour opting for an athwartships galley set well forward, which is well set up and combines a feeling of space with excellent bracing positions in heavy weather. The criticism sometimes levelled at a forward galley is that it is detached from the cockpit and this can be a pain. On the 530 though, that matters far less because there is a second galley in the cockpit.

The great benefit of this layout

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

is that it makes stepping down into the saloon a real pleasure, as you are immediately in a nice sociable ‘living room’ area; the quality of the finish is excellent.

The three cabin version I tested is very spacious indeed. All of the cabins were ensuite and the owners suite, set forward, was frankly immense with a walk around island berth. The heads and shower have been split in the owner's stateroom; a practical bonus as it means you’re not showering in the toilet.

Back aft, the two rear cabins were of a decent proportion, and on the boat I tested there was a split berth to port and a double berth to starboard.

ABOVE LEFT Stepping down into the saloon ABOVE RIGHT The spacious owner's stateroom BELOW In strong winds, the 530 inspired confidence

On the water

Test day presented superb conditions, with 15-20 knots of breeze that eventually built, gusting 23 knots. We sailed out of La Rochelle; conditions were initially flat but as we sailed out toward Fort Boyard, things became increasingly lumpy. We set out with full main and self tacking jib. The test boat was the Ocean version so it has 84sq/ft less sail area than the Performance version (which, incidentally, has the option of a carbon rig). In the boisterous conditions we did not feel the loss of sail area too keenly, and it must be said that the 530 behaved magnificently. I was interested to see if a single rudder on such broad hindquarters might be lacking in grip, but this was not the case. In fact, the boat was absolutely in its element. This is not a light boat, but it was extremely easily driven and it felt powerful, inspiring supreme confidence even when somewhat overpressed in the gusts.

There was minimal weather helm but just enough to keep you interested. Meanwhile, the self tacking jib meant that sail handling was a breeze. The helm position was also sensible and extremely comfortable. Our speed rarely dropped below 7.5 knots, at times touching 9 just off the wind. It was exhilarating stuff and a great advert for modern yacht design as we were careering along dinghy style in a yacht loaded up with all manner of paraphernalia.

Under power, the 530 was predictably - well behaved and the option of stern thrusters to augment the bow thrusters would make it even more so.

Boat test ~ Excess 15

ALTERNATIVE YACHTS

BENETEAU OCEANIS 51.1 An innovative and stylish yacht that turns modern naval architecture on its head by putting chines in the forward sections of the yacht and creating ‘champagne glass’ hull sections. The result is a yacht with masses of internal volume well forward. beneteau.com

SAM’S VERDICT I was impressed with the 530. Boat tests can be very subjective and this one was certainly helped by conditions the boat seemed to revel in. However, a boat that sails fast and reassuringly in boisterous conditions is a good one. Added to that, the 530 is a supremely comfortable boat with an immense amount of space, both

on deck and down below. It is also a competitively priced yacht. So, all in all, I felt it ticked an awful lot of boxes.

It’s not an extraordinary boat, it just does everything it is meant to do well.

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HANSE 548

Hanse’s well-proven Judel/Vrolijk design teams’ fingerprints are all over the 548, which boasts sporty good looks plus masses of internal volume in a tried and tested package. hanseyachts.co.uk

COMFORT: HHH HH

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Engine: (standard) 75hp, (optional) 110hp

Beam: 16ft 4in (4.99m)

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JEANNEAU SUN ODYSSEY 490 The latest offering from Jeanneau is designed by Philippe Briand and also aims to up volume in the forward sections without reducing wetted surface area too drastically. The result is a stylish and very modern looking yacht that performs very strongly, be that on internal volume or out on the water sailing. jeanneau.com Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

53

PHOTO WILL RICKETSON/AMERICAN MAGIC

Cup countdown Over the next few weeks, all eyes will be on Auckland as the four teams for the 36th America’s Cup will – finally – assemble in the Cup venue

America's Cup ~ Countdown

A

fter cancelled World Series events (Cagliari, Sardinia, and Portsmouth, UK) so far denied the four America’s Cup teams the chance of any warm-up, boats and equipment were hastily rerouted and attention directed towards to New Zealand and 2021 instead. Not even the Kiwis were immune to pandemic disruptions, with their AC75 stuck on a needless voyage by ship to Italy and back.

Now, with the sole remaining World Series event just three months away and the Prada Cup beginning beyond that, there’s no time to lose. We can certainly expect an exciting few weeks in store out on Waitemata Bay and the Hauraki Gulf.

However, these are unlikely to be the actual boats used in competition.

With each team permitted to build two AC75s, the Americans' second boat was due to be flown from their construction base in Rhode Island by early September.

INEOS Team UK and Challenger of Record Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli are taking a different approach. They are yet to arrive in Auckland, having so far remained in Europe to maximise training time.

Their second generation AC75s are both due to arrive by air in Auckland

The only boat so far to join the Defenders on their home waters in Auckland is American Magic’s first generation AC75. Having left the team’s training base in Pensacola, Florida on 28 May, Defiant arrived by ship at the end of June and the Americans wasted no time in getting afloat. Naturally, they haven’t been able to resist a couple of informal line-ups against the Kiwi Defenders, Emirates Team New Zealand's Te Aihe, giving us a tantalising picture of the competition to come.

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PHOTOS AMERICAN MAGIC; EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND

Auckland action

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

PREVIOUS PAGE American Magic and Emirates Team New Zealand on the same stretch of water for the first time ABOVE Defiant shows its pace for all of Auckland to see, but the boat to be used in the Prada Cup is still being completed in Rhode Island BELOW Emirates Team New Zealand's AC75 Te Aihe

towards the end of September. Both teams have already begun a phased relocation of equipment and team members, each of whom must undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival in Auckland. Both teams will ship their first generation AC75s to New Zealand as back-ups. We can expect both Brits and Italians to be fully operational on the water by mid-October.

Meanwhile, the Defender has said they won’t have their second AC75 on the water until later in the year…

Is it a case of waiting and watching?

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America's Cup ~ Countdown

What have we seen so far on the water?

PHOTOS AMERICAN MAGIC; LUNA ROSSA; EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND

With the design emphasis on early transition from displacement to foiling mode, aerodynamic considerations have been at the fore.

What have the first generation boats already revealed? Well, hull shape – where the rule allows for a lot of design freedom – has been perhaps the most obvious difference. While American Magic and INEOS Team UK have opted for a smooth, flat hull, almost scow-like in shape, the Italian and Kiwi teams have adopted a more vee’d shape with a ‘bustle’ toward the stern. The latter was an element the Brits then sought to add to their own design, hastily retrofitting a similar element to Britannia I. Teams will be looking to cherrypick the positives for their second boats. NZ’s Te Aihe has so far shown a capacity for early take-offs, particularly in lighter winds. The boat had been prone to splashdowns, but emerged from time in the shed in early August with much improved stability. In contrast, the smoother hull on the USA’s boat Defiant allows it to skim relatively low to the water.

Although slower on the take-off in the same conditions than the Kiwi boat - possibly due to more pronounced rocker - Defiant seems to sail well once airborne and maintain that through manoeuvres.

While masts, rigging, foil cant arms and their hydraulic controls are supplied one-design components, teams do have design freedom in the boom and double-skinned soft sail, as well as the foils – the trailing edges of which will, for the first time, include flaps to control ride height.

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

With design here a closely guarded secret and teams able to develop several sets, it’s unlikely we can derive any real clues at this stage.

Meanwhile, the first generation of boats has helped sailors continue to refine manoeuvres, including foiling tacks and gybes. All so far have twin cockpits; there’s some debate as to whether it’s more efficient to have the crew switch sides during manoeuvres, or whether to split the team into two tacks.

It will be fascinating to see how closely all these ideas align or diverge when the second generation of boats is unveiled.

Max Sirena, team director and skipper for Luna Rossa told Y&Y: “You can tell, at least for boat #1, that each team has built with a different philosophy and design, which is interesting to see. However, I am pretty sure that with boat #2 the teams will come close in terms of design and look. Each one of us has followed and observed the

ABOVE AND BELOW Whoah! The New Zealanders (in their smaller test boat, above) and Italians have both experienced a 'thrust up' as the boats reach top speeds

opponents, so we have been able to study some of the characteristics of the others and easily understand what they have been doing in terms of boat handling, manoeuvres and measuring components.

"Clearly it is almost impossible to measure the performance of the boats and this could be a big question mark. I think now everyone is looking forward to starting racing and seeing where everyone is.”

Thrills and spills

With the boats capable of 50+ knots there have already been a few hair-raising moments afloat. Capsizes will be inevitable and have already happened, as well as a dismasting for Luna Rossa which set them back a month with boat damage. At least two teams have experienced ‘thrust ups’ – whereby the boat dramatically projects, bow upwards, from the water as ventilation around the rudder causes the transom to drop suddenly at the same time as the angle of attack increases on the front foils, causing a massive vertical thrust. While designers and sailors will be doing their best to minimise this sort of thing, they will also be pushing hard as the Cup nears and the potential is there for drama.

Racing begins with the America’s Cup World Series (17-20 December).

After that it’s on to the Prada Cup (15 January – 22 February) to determine which Challenger contests the 36th America’s Cup (6-15 March) against the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand.

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

59

America's Cup ~ Countdown

Every Cup cycle has its challenges and surprises, but AC36 has already brought more than its fair share, as Sir Ben Ainslie tells Georgie Corlett-Pitt

Ainslie: all set for Auckland

A

fter beating a hasty retreat from their winter training base in Cagliari, Sardinia, in March, Sir Ben Ainslie and the rest of INEOS Team UK found themselves in uncertain times. With New Zealand appearing to quickly control the virus, the Cup itself seemed set to go ahead as planned, but the road map for getting there was suddenly thrown up in the air.

“Since returning to the UK from Cagliari, Sardinia, our focus has very much been on the development of our second boat, which will ultimately be our America’s Cup race boat, Britannia II,” says Ainslie. “As part of that development process, however, we have had a great summer of sailing in the Solent on Britannia I. It’s been a really productive period getting out on the water on a regular basis. The learning curve on these brand new AC75 boats is so steep that every time we get out sailing, we learn a huge deal.

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

“In terms of challenges, just the mechanics of sailing this boat took some getting used to. It’s a hard boat to sail, with only one foil and the rudder in the water making it difficult to get that stability you need.

That’s why it’s been so valuable to us to get out sailing frequently on the Solent over this summer period and get more and more used to sailing these incredible boats.”

Next steps

Asked what's next, Ainslie replies: “After we finish sailing Britannia I in the Solent, our second boat, Britannia II, will arrive at our base in Portsmouth from our builders, Carrington Boats. The team will then get to work on her, doing all the necessary work before she flies out to Auckland, including measurement and testing. In the meantime, Britannia I will be packed up and shipped to New Zealand.

“Within the sailing team, we will continue to both work on our fitness and continue sailing in the virtual

ABOVE Britannia 1 at pace on the Solent ABOVE RIGHT Ainslie dons his face mask - safety measures have been crucial to the team's continued operation

environment, in our team simulator.”

Off Auckland, there are five possible race areas, depending on wind and current conditions. Of Waitemata Harbour, Ainslie says: “It’s a fantastic place to sail and a real challenge with the winds and the tides. We know there is a huge amount of support for the America’s Cup in New Zealand and it’s going to be brilliant racing in that environment.

“In terms of preparation, we have been sailing regularly in the event venues in the virtual environment in our simulator, with all conditions in Auckland replicated virtually.”

NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern imposed a second lockdown in Auckland after fresh outbreaks in August, but despite this the Defender has emphasised the event is on track.

Ainslie shows equal poise about the situation: “The latest short lockdown in Auckland has not affected our relocation plans, as all our team members travelling will still go into a two-week quarantine when we arrive in New Zealand.

PHOTOS C GREGORY/INEOS TEAM UK

“Regarding any future lockdowns, we will be closely monitoring the situation and stay in close and constant communication with the local authorities. Once all the teams are in Auckland, any potential future lockdowns there will, of course, affect us all in the same way.”

Undeterred

But as 2020 has already shown, the impact of this pandemic can be as unpredictable as it is unprecedented.

“The Covid-19 crisis has been a challenge for us, as it has been for everybody. As they say in the America’s Cup, the one thing you can’t buy is time, and as we were locked down we were losing time on the water, which is always frustrating,” Ainslie admits.

“In some ways, however, I think we are almost better off as a team because of it, as it’s forced us to slow down and evaluate what we are doing, making sure our strategy is right. Our work, of course, never stopped. The fact that so much of our design work is now done in the virtual environment meant that the design of our second race boat was negligibly impacted. The sailing team and I, meanwhile, were able to both

work on our fitness and make great use of our simulator to continue sailing in the virtual environment.”

The clock is now seriously ticking.

With the set-backs and unknowns already thrown up by 2020, Ainslie could easily be forgiven should his ambition be anything less than 100 per cent. But, true to character, the opposite is the case; despite the challenges, his confidence is high, as he asserts: “We’ve got a great team that started as an organisation for Bermuda 2017 and we have come a long way since then.

“It’s certainly going to be one of the toughest America’s Cups to win.

To win the America’s Cup you need great designers, great sailors and significant funding and I am confident that for the first time, in a long time, we as a British team have those three elements right.”

There’s also excitement at the prospect of finally lining up against his competitors. All four campaigns in this cycle have serious funding and weight behind them, making all four teams viable contenders.

“All of the teams are really strong,” he acknowledges. “We obviously saw Luna Rossa up close during our winter training camp in Sardinia before the lockdown, so it will be great to get out on the water with the Americans and the Kiwis for the first time in Auckland too. That will be a great moment.”

The Brits have of course had a close eye on proceedings out on Cup

BELOW Ainslie and team have been putting in some long days on the water in and around the Solent, including one day of more than 200 miles

waters. “We have been watching all three of the opposing teams closely and all the teams look very strong.

Just to get through the Prada Cup is going to be a real challenge and then if you get through that, you are up against effectively the ‘All Blacks’ of the sailing world, in their home waters.

"It doesn’t get much tougher than that, but that’s what makes the America’s Cup so special and if we do manage to win it for the first time with Britain it would be the biggest moment in all our sporting careers.”

So with that tempting and hopedfor goal in mind, is there any one aspect that he feels will make all the difference? “The America’s Cup is such a significant challenge and team effort that there is no one element that will make all the difference.

Everything, from the sailing side to the design side, has to come together perfectly for us to get the job done.

“With the complexity of these new AC75 boats, however, and the learning curve that is associated with sailing a completely new class of boat, the most valuable resource in the America’s Cup, in this campaign more than ever, is time.

"In the end each team will simply run out of time to learn more about these brand new boats and for us as a team it’s all about how efficiently we operate as a team in the time we have. It will be a real team effort to get the boat working as reliably and efficiently as possible come race day," he concludes.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

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America's Cup ~ Countdown

One Brit already out on the water in Auckland is Paul Goodison, who tells Y&Y that balancing priorities is the key to Cup success

Goodison: getting ahead

P

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Speaking to Y&Y's Andi Robertson as he had a behind the scenes tour of the US base earlier this year, Goodison said: “We have done a lot of sailing in certain conditions in Pensacola and I guess in the 12 to 15 or 16 knot range, we are pretty confident that we can get around the course without falling of the foils.

We have done a lot of sailing in the lighter winds. It’s obviously very tricky knowing whether you are going to go code zero or jib and the sacrifices each one makes. We probably have a lot to learn on some of the crossovers there.

“We have not done much sailing in over 20 knots. It gets pretty full-on but I think these boats are potentially easier to sail than the [AC50 ]

PHOTOS RYAN PELLET; AMORY ROSS/AMERICAN MAGIC

aul Goodison was an early pick for the New York YC’s American Magic team on the strength of his successes since his 2008 Olympic gold. His reputation for embracing the technical boundaries was proven by three consecutive Moth World Championship wins – not to mention his supporting role with Artemis in the last America’s Cup. Goodison’s current role is described as mainsail trimmer, but on these extreme boats, crew set-up during manoeuvres means he also gets his hands on the wheel, an experience he describes as “awesome”. He explains: “In a straight line I’m dealing with the mainsail, making sure it is well set up and the boat is going fast. But during the manoeuvres, I cross over and take the opposing wheel to ride through, and then there’s a quick swap over back into trimming sail.”

Also with Goodison in Defiant’s afterguard are veteran America’s Cup helm Dean Barker and ex-Laser Olympian Andrew Campbell, along with skipper Terry Hutchinson. They have spent an intensive 15 months training together in Pensacola, Florida to become a closely knit team.

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The US boat Defiant, with its flat underside clearly shown BELOW Goodison has enjoyed getting into the technical side of this Cup campaign as much as the sailing

catamarans up range if they’re working properly,” he explained.

Auckland adjustments

Now, since landing in New Zealand this summer, the team has wasted no time in getting Defiant afloat.

But where at the start of the year Goodison had described the main challenge as being a constant balance between equipment development and testing, versus time spent refining race manoeuvres, the unforeseen set-backs brought about by Covid-19 have forced a reassessment.

“My focus hasn’t really changed much but the process is evolving daily,” he says, speaking to Y&Y from Auckland. “The big change is the loss of five months on the water in testing and development, reducing the opportunities to validate and feed the design for new equipment. From here on we will be refining rather than making major iteration changes.”

Asked how the enforced time off the water affected him personally, Goodison admits: “To be honest it was really frustrating. If I hadn’t been able to get out Moth sailing I may have gone mad… It was made harder knowing the other AC75s were on the water while we were restricted and

a really small price to pay to be back out in the real world, sailing again and enjoying a normal life.

"Unfortunately it only lasted for three weeks here in Auckland before the latest level three restrictions were enforced.”

Asked what impact the new restrictions were having on the team, he answers: “We are still in control of our time and able to sail, which is a big relief. Other than wearing a mask and limited numbers in meetings, operations are close to normal here.

The mask on the water for me is actually quite nice when it’s cold with 50 knots apparent over the deck. Not sure the grinders feel the same way…!”

PHOTO WILL RICKETSON/AMERICAN MAGIC

ABOVE Goodison is mainsail trimmer and he takes the wheel during manoeuvres

Culmination

Even before the global health crisis arrived and accelerated the race against time, Goodison described the learning curve in this Cup cycle as “so steep”, saying, “From the foiling to the rig, there are so many new areas to throw yourself into and learn. There are so many opportunities and things to try that it’s all about managing them.”

The American Magic campaign has clearly enabled him to indulge his self-confessed ‘geekiness’ - something he kept supressed while in the one-design Laser and only unleashed when he began Moth sailing. It’s a side we saw of him when he became involved with Artemis for the 35th Cup in Bermuda, and that’s really come to the fore this time round.

Have there been many crossover learnings? While the AC50s of the

PHOTO AMORY ROSS/AMERICAN MAGIC

moving south. The good news is we are gaining that time back now in the venue, even if it is winter… It was a good time to step back and spend more time looking at what we have developed, what the next step should look like, giving the designers more time to refine without any distractions.

“It’s been so good to get back out on the water and sailing again,” he adds. “We have been working through the test list to feed final design decisions. With the ever uncertain times and not knowing if the on-the-water time will be restricted again, the focus also moved more towards the racing.

Simulated pre-starts and race laps give you real clarity on where you can gain more ground on the racetrack than equipment choices.

“It’s nice to be here early and get settled. Auckland is a very different race area to the near-perfect testing conditions in Pensacola; it gives you a better idea of what will be needed to go the whole way. Having another AC75 on the same water is a real bonus, helping to evaluate where you are at and check in with the competition in real life, rather than from recon videos. It’s exciting times as racing gets ever closer.

“There are always challenges but Covid has thrown some serious swerve balls, the uncertainty and losing control of your timeline is the hardest part to deal with. It was quite a challenge being in quarantine in a hotel room for two weeks with a 14-month-old [son, OJ], that had just learned to walk, but this seemed like

last campaign were similarly big, powerful, foiling boats, Goodison says that the difference comes in the amount in which you can play the cant variation of the foils, as well as a difference in the ride height controls.

He also says: “The biggest challenge is the wing. The wing was very, very, efficient and quite easy to manipulate with the control system you had; these boats and now having these sails - it’s a lot more complicated.

“The beauty of having the [AC50] wings is that you don’t have to carry around 8 or 9 tonnes of mainsheet load while you are trying to manipulate the top. Now you are trying to manipulate the top of this sail and you are fighting all this mainsheet load and it’s obviously not as efficient as a well-designed wing with a slot in the middle.

“It is quite different, but it’s also very interesting,” he says, hinting at a catalogue of techniques the team is developing. “There are lots of different ways to skin a cat.”

Goodison is looking forward to putting his considerable talents to good use in the culmination of this campaign, and unlike AC35, this time it is guaranteed he will have a spot on the race boat. That’s been a huge boost, which he says, has “given a lot more ownership” and has been “very motivating”.

Does he harbour any frustrations that his campaign is with a US rather than a British team? “I wanted to win an Olympic medal, and to win a medal for my country was the biggest thing. After that you want to win the America’s Cup and there are certain opportunities that come, and some you choose to jump at and grab.

Whichever flag that is for at the end of the day, from a personal side I want to win the America’s Cup, so I’ll choose whatever gives me the best opportunity to do that.”

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BOAT TEST TOFINOU 9.7

Champagne sailing

French manufacturer Tofinou has always excelled at marrying speed with style. Their new 9.7 does not disappoint, as Sam Jefferson discovers

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I

t is some years since the last sailors went down to the water to earn their crust by the power of the wind. Since then, going sailing has become a hobby; something whereby we gain pleasure. Yet a glance around our marinas suggest that there are a high proportion of masochists out there. Anyone who has sailed a Macgregor 26X, for example, will know that there is precious little enjoyment to be derived from ‘sailing’ this craft.

One company that has not lost sight of supplying what you would

think (hope) was the most basic requirement of a sailing yacht is the boatbuilder Latitude 46. This La Rochelle based manufacturer has been building the Tofinou line of day-sailers for over 30 years now and has stuck slavishly to an ethos of producing nice looking boats that sail well. Crazy fools!

Yet their new 9.7 does represent something of a departure for the company; in the past their day-sailers and weekenders could always sit relatively comfortably in the ‘modern classic’ bracket; their lines certainly Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

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Boat test ~ Tofinou 9.7

harked back to a more gentlemanly era of sailing. The same cannot really be said of the new 9.7; one look at her lines and it’s clear that – despite a plethora of highly polished mahogany on show, this is a thoroughly modern yacht. The 28 footer has been designed by naval architect Michele Molino and Georgio Angelini, while the deck layout has been penned by the Peugeot design studios. It’s only 20cm longer than its smaller sister the Tofinou 9.5 but it is a million miles away in terms of design. A generous beam of 3m has been carried well aft, while below the water twin rudders are an option that help to provide masses of grip. Despite this, the new model’s low freeboard and towering carbon rig ensure she retains a certain elegance on the water - aided by the glistening mahogany coachroof and teak decks - that will ensure other sailors still cast admiring and covetous glances in her direction.

Basic concept

The concept behind the boat is simple; a large day sailer/weekender that sails fast, can be easily handled – even singlehanded – but also with the potential to be raced hard. The boat has to be good looking and accommodation, although stylish, is basic. The idea is you sail it for the day and stop off in some nice swanky hotel for the night. This basic

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

premise has been realised by marrying the slippery yet powerful hull lines to a big rig (48sq/m of upwind sail, plus another whopping 40sq/m gennaker).

Carbon spars are an option that most will take. Below the waterline, there is the option of either a fixed, swing or lifting keel and the choice of single or twin rudders. The lifting keel is the most expensive option and features an electric lifting system that reduces draft from 2m to 1.22m.

The deck layout is kept simple with all the halyards, clutches and two winches set on that shiny coachroof and the sheets for the self tacking headsail and mainsheet set aft within easy reach of the helmsman. Tiller

ABOVE LEFT Teak and mahogany combine with a slick layout on deck ABOVE RIGHT Twin rudders give a light yet responsive feel on the tiller BELOW An open transom and lack of guardrails create a sleek aesthetic

steering is standard. Customers wishing to race in earnest will doubtless take the performance package with two extra winches for the Code 0. This set up means that in cruising mode, the cockpit forward of the helmsman is a comfortable seating area (a removeable teak table can be fitted if owners wish), while in race mode, this becomes a pit where crew can work the Code 0, asymmetric or spinnaker from. There is a small fixed sprit on the stem for downwind work and a detachable anchor roller plus a modest chain locker. The wide aft sections mean there is a decent amount of storage toward the transom, although it is quite shallow. Nevertheless, it’s a

Boat test ~ Tofinou 9.7

SAM’S VERDICT This is a yacht designed to be fun and look good. It fulfils both criteria with a good deal of panache.

In addition, the boat is easy to handle - even singlehanded - and the powerful hull means that it is very forgiving even in blustery conditions. It would have been interesting to see how the boat would have performed in light winds with all that beam aft, although I suspect the light displacement and big sail area would compensate well.

PERFORMANCE: HHH HH LOOKS: HHH HH COMFORT: HHH HH

THE SPEC Length: 9.72m (31’8”)

good spot to fling lines and fenders.

The transom is open and there are no guard rails as standard. The yacht comes with an 15hp Yanmar inboard diesel on a saildrive as standard although there is the option of a Torqueedo electric motor.

Down below, things are kept very simple. Headroom is around 5ft 3in which spells out that this is not a boat for long cruises yet the hull is actually pretty voluminous and there is space for a vee berth forward and two generous single berths tucked under the cockpit aft. If you take the ‘comfort’ pack, you get a fridge, electric hob, sink, extra cushions and a forward hatch. The chemical toilet is tucked under the vee berth. The quality of the interior is nice but, let’s face it, the concept of this boat is not to create a comfortable space for a liveaboard.

Out on the water

Test sail day dawned with a fresh 15 knot breeze crisping the waters off St Martin de Ré in southwest France. White fluffy clouds raced across bright blue skies, occasionally darkening the waters with playful 20 knot gusts. In other words, it was a perfect day - and location - for sailing fast. The test boat had the optional Torqeedo motor, which had a pleasing amount of power, and getting the mainsail up was

easy enough. After that, we peeled off toward the tip of the Ile de Ré and rattled out the roller furling headsail. The boat took off and streaked past a 40ft cruising yacht with embarrassing ease. All that beam combined with twin rudders gave the boat an impressive feeling of power in the strong winds and, with a displacement of just 2,300kg, there was little to hold the boat back aside from a bit of chop on the nose as we headed out.

Handling was a joy; the helm was light to the touch and the tiller extension meant that you could perch in a very comfortable spot on the coamings as you streak along.

All the necessary sail controls were well within reach and the display readouts set into the coaming were also thoughtfully placed. Above all though, the boat was fast. We never dropped below 7 knots until we came to drop the mainsail and we were generally running between 7.5 and 8 knots. The sail controls were all nicely to hand and the mainsheet was well within reach but never got entangled with the helmsman. Easing the boat off the wind, my only regret was that we were not carrying any downwind sails. Nevertheless, we got a spot of surfing in as we ran before the modest chop and hit 10.5 knots. The boat is capable of far more than that though.

Beam: 3m (9’8”) Standard draft: 2m (6’5”) Shallow draft: 1.22m (4’) and 0.9m (2’6”) with keel raised on lift and swing keel models Upwind sail area: 47m² (505ft²) Displacement: 2,300kg (5,070lb) Price: (base) €135,000 ABOVE The 9.7 boasts ample sail area and a carbon rig option

Contact: keyyachting.com 023 8045 5669

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SUMMER KIT SPECIAL All the latest kit for your dinghy sailing, yacht racing or cruising Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting is proud to be media partner for Boats2020 and over the next few pages we bring you some of the exciting new kit launches that were destined for the event.

Scores of exhibitors were ready to show off their wares in Mayflower Park from 11-20 September, before Southampton City Council made a last-minute decision to cancel the show.

Despite that decision, you can still view many of the boats, kit and sailing clothing you would have seen at the show, in our exclusive show guide, brought to you here over the next few pages.

TheYachtMarket.com was the show’s digital sponsor and The Green Blue also partnered with the show.

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EXHIBITOR

RYA The RYA stand was to have Training, Legal and Cruising experts on hand to offer advice and information for visitors and RYA Members throughout the week. rya.org.uk

EXHIBITOR

Churchouse Boats (Drascombe) Exhibiting a Drascombe Lugger, sailaway price £19,500

“We’ve been busy over the past few months and have delivered eight boats to customers in the UK, US and Australia. Our big news is that we have the Drifter 22 back in production, a Mark2 of the original boat with a pre-moulded interior, stainless fittings throughout and opening windows [price from £46,000]. We were looking forward to seeing our loyal customers at the show.”

Sharon Geary Harwood, owner, Churchouse Boats

EXHIBITOR

Ewincher (Ocean Chandlery) Sold by Ocean Chandlery, the Ewincher is an electric winch handle that you can fit to any winch or the windlass. You can use it in electric mode without your input, or as a normal, manual winch handle, or you can use ‘combined mode’ to add your power to its own output. “With the Ewincher electric winch handle you can electrify all the winches on your boat for just £1,900,” says the manufacturer. oceanchandlery.com

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KIT SPECIAL Garmin quatix 6X Solar The quatix 6X Solar is the latest addition to Garmin’s impressive new marine GPS smartwatch series, which in true James Bond style enable you to steer the boat using your watch. This model is the first one to offer solar charging, giving battery performance of up to 21 days in smartwatch mode and up to 24 days with solar charging.

Meanwhile it has all the boating capabilities of Garmin’s fēnix 6X Pro Solar with builtin activity profiles and performance metrics for sailing, paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, skiing, golf and more. It can be linked to your Garmin chartplotter and other marine electronics for autopilot control, data streaming, SailAssist race assistance, Fusion-Link entertainment control and more. It can also show streamed instrument data such as speed, depth, temperature, wind direction and speed and more.

Garmin has also launched a version of its Marq watch branded for American Magic, the US America’s Cup team. £999.99.

garmin.com

EXHIBITOR

Fischer Panda UK watermaker

Chatham Compass II deck shoe A premium moccasin leather deck shoe from Chatham’s 2020 Spring/Summer range, handstitched and coming with a two-year guarantee. £110

chatham.co.uk

Musto kit While we can’t watch our Olympic stars competing on Japanese waters for another 10 months, we can use the same kit they’ll be wearing right now, courtesy of Musto.

These leggings are infused with xylitol, which lowers the surface temperature of the body by up to three degrees, giving those marginal gains needed to take gold in your next Thursday night club race. £100

musto.com

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Designed for sailing yachts with limited power and space options, Fischer Panda UK’s Village Marine Little Wonder watermaker system will be shown at Boats2020. The compact, fully manual unit is a simple DC 12v or 24v system that is said to be easy to install.

Fischer Panda UK offers a range of watermakers from Parker Group brands Sea Recovery, Village Marine and HRO, all experienced in the design of reverse-osmosis desalination equipment.

RRP £4,750 with show discounts available.

“We felt it was very important to support the industry and were really excited about participating in this much-needed show. We were looking forward to meeting our contacts, as well as talking to current and new customers. We have missed out on some of the usual interaction with boaters this year, so this alternative show was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our products and equipment to visitors and discuss projects and requirements.”

Chris Fower, Sales and Marketing Director, Fischer Panda UK, fischerpanda.co.uk

PERFORMANCE HYBRID ™

See us on stand C021

Performance Reliability Durability Handling Sailcloth by:

HSX-V The latest advance in weaving technology using super low stretch VECTRAN fibres in a load bearing RIPSTOP MATRIX - giving high-performance, forgiving handling qualities.

Also available in White.

Photo © Graham Snook Photography

CRUSADER SAILS The Sail Loft, Hatch Pond Road, Poole, BH17 0JZ, UK +44 (0) 1202 670580 info@crusadersails.com www.crusadersails.com

KIT SPECIAL EXHIBITOR

Schenker Zen 30 watermaker A ‘new generation’ watermaker from Mactra Equipment & Fittings in Weston Super Mare, boasting an energy recovery system and powered directly from the batteries. 30 litres per hour capacity. Price £3,785 mactramarine.co.uk

Gill OS2 jackets

Vetus says its new ILT120 inspection port “benefits from a unique clamp-and-seal design which simplifies installation and facilitates easy opening, inspection and cleaning of the tank… depending on the positioning of the tank, it can be possible to inspect the tank interior whilst maintaining the connections”. from £59 vetus.com

The UK manufacturer is celebrating 20 years of its OS2 jacket, available this season in a series of anniversary designs, one of which is shown.

Hyde Sails offers for Touring sails Hyde Sails are offering a discount for those sailors who want to plan ahead and buy their sails this autumn, at the time of the year that is quietest for sailmaking. Hyde says: “During lockdown we have negotiated special cloth prices from our suppliers for bulk purchases and engineered production.

“Our Touring range of cruising yacht sails has been reduced in price across the board. Special prices for sails made between now and the end of this year will be just about unbeatable, but will be made from the best available cloth ranges, designed individually by our top designer and custom-built the way you want them.”

Hyde’s Touring Sails are cross-cut dacron sails “aimed at the end of the market where quality and durability are important, but price is paramount”. hydesails.co.uk

OS2 jacket (men and women) £285 gill.com

Rooster team kit Rooster has expanded its range of clothing suitable for corporate branding with this cotton polo shirt, available for men and women.

Email custom@roostersailing. com with your image and the products you wish to customise for more. £POA roostersailing.com

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Vetus Inspection Port

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

Reliable internet at sea Stay safe; access class-leading weather onboard with our fast marine internet solutions

See us at BOATS2020, stand B020A

WiFi

4G

Satellite

Proud sponsors of the MailASail OSTAR/TWOSTAR 2021 and the MailASail Azores and Back Yacht Race 2023

mailasail

roam-free communications

t: +44 (0)2070 432 832 e: sales@mailasail.com w: www.mailasail.com

KIT SPECIAL EXHIBITOR

boatfolk Exhibiting as part of The Yacht Harbour Association, tyha. co.uk “Meet the boatfolk crew. We do things a bit differently, and our mission is to help our customers have more fun on, in and by the water.

Visit us on the TYHA stand at Boats 2020 or at one of our 11 marinas nationwide.”

MD Michael Prideaux, boatfolk.co.uk

MOB light from Exposure Lights If you fall overboard, the MOB Carbon light is buoyant and will automatically start to strobe. There is a six second delay to avoid false activation if the light gets an accidental dunking.

It will then strobe continuously, one flash every second, for up to 20 hours. Exposure recommend that you keep one close to the helm. If someone goes overboard, throw the light towards the MOB casualty, where it may help you track back to their position. The light floats at an angle so the lens is partially submerged, creating a bright pool of light in the water to make it easier to locate when searching the area. £124.95

exposurelights.com

EXHIBITOR

chargemetrix Remote Battery Monitor

Zhik kit for hot and cold conditions The new “super lightweight, breathable” Zhik XWR Pro Long Sleeve Top is for high activity sailing in warm conditions, when you need to keep cool, yet avoid chilling and stay protected from spray and sun.

Zhik has also launched new Junior Hydrophobic Fleece Top and Long Pants, performance clothing that mirrors its adult range. Made from a plush, four-way stretch Spandex fabic, with a soft thermal fleece inner layer. The fabric has a water-repellant outer face that is breathable too.

XWR Pro Long Sleeve Top £85; Junior Hydrophobic fleet

top: £39.95; Junior Hydrophobic fleece pants £49.95 zhik.com

WIPEE Forward WIP, together with the French women’s Olympic sailing team, developed this female urination device for sailors called the WIPEE, which could revolutionise women’s comfort on board. £10

forward-sailing.co.uk

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This device gives status reports on your batteries, temperature, bilge, alarms and location remotely via an inbuilt SIM. Suitable for all sizes of boat, simply fit it to your main battery to start reporting data. Log into your account to see live info and historical data. Notifications warn of low batteries, temperatures, bilge, alarms and location changes.

Hardware packages from £99.99; monthly cost £3.99. chargemetrix.com

EXHIBITOR

DinghyGo from Nestaway Boats Sold by Nestaway in the UK, the DinghyGo is a three in one inflatable sailboat, row boat or outboard-powered tender.

The boat is ready to go in 20 minutes, say the manufacturers, and is stowed in two 40in and 46in-long bags. There is a range of boat sizes and spec, taking up to six people. Prices from £3,100. dinghygo.com nestawayboats.com

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Tel. +44 (0)1202 233216 Email. info@marinefactors.co.uk

• Exhausts • Controls • Water inlet kits • Stern gear • Fuel tanks • Starter batteries CONTACT A VETUS DIESEL DEALER FOR FULL DETAILS

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ENGINES | STERN GEAR | FUEL | INSTRUMENTS | FRESH WATER | WASTE WATER MANOEUVRING

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

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KIT SPECIAL EXHIBITOR

Crusader Sails Crusader Sails has a range of services available as well as its latest unique products like the brand new Performance Hybrid range and popular Super Zero. crusadersails.com

Ocean Signal AIS kit

Hydrovane Billed as “your best ever crew member”, Hydrovane will fit any cruising boat, can be fitted off-centre and it doubles as an emergency tiller. Probably millions of miles have been steered by the Hydrovane since it was created in 1968.

Ocean Signal has combined two of its most technically advanced AIS products to create a cost-saving kit providing boat owners with a complete MOB system. The package unites the ATB1 transponder with the MOB1 man overboard beacon. Easily integrated within a lifejacket, the compact MOB1 communicates with the ATB1, as well as boats within a five-mile range, providing two methods of rapidly relaying the MOB’s position. It transmits an alert to all AIS receivers and plotters in the vicinity. Secondly, the MOB1 will activate the DSC alarm on the vessel’s VHF radio to alert fellow crew members so crew can track the person’s position. £849.99

oceansignal.com

from approx £3,900 ex VAT

hydrovane.com

EXHIBITOR

Raymarine Axiom 9 navigation system Raymarine’s Axiom 9 is a powerful new multifunction navigation system, which along with Raymarine’s groundbreaking ClearCruise™ Augmented Reality system, allows users to see navigation objects overlaid directly on Axiom’s high-definition video display. raymarine.com

EXHIBITOR

MailaSail comms solutions The onboard comms specialists will be launching a series of products around the show, including a new RedBox high power with integrated wifi and 4G. They will also have new extra high power wifi extenders and a new higher performance 4G+ booster. Further details and prices available at the show. mailasail.com

Frigomar BLDC Inverter Drive Air Conditioning Voted 2019 British Marine Product of the Year and marketed in the UK by Advance Yacht Systems, this low-energy unit has no start load, i.e. no high demand for electricity to start the aircon compressor rotating, therefore no large wasted capacity sitting there waiting to be used. Consequently it takes up less space and adds less weight than a traditional start/ stop air con system. The compressor can vary its operating speed – lower if less cooling required, higher if more, which significantly reduces the energy drawn and also reduces noise.

Advance Yacht Systems say the product runs silently, so you can run it all night with no noise and no generator needed. from approx £2,560

advanceyacht.co.uk

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KIT SPECIAL Synchronised Mainsail Furling from Seldén Seldén’s new Synchronised Main Furling (SMF) system allows an E40i electric winch and a Seldén in-mast furling system to communicate. A single button unwinds the sail while the E40i pulls in the outhaul. The system is load-detecting, so it can gauge the right outhaul tension, relative to how much sail has been released. Non-Seldén manual furling systems can be upgraded to SMF by fitting an electric motor in the mast and an E40i on the coachroof. It’s another significant development from Seldén intended to facilitate shorthanded sailing. from £6,840 (approx €7,560) seldenmast.com

Magic Marine spray top

Harken Grip Tape A thin, durable, non-abrasive grip tape that is claimed to be more effective than adhesive alternatives and waxes. Harken says the tape, designed to stop you slipping on deck, does not get hot in sunlight or oxidize, it doesn’t come off in pieces when it’s removed and it doesn’t abrade skin or clothing. It is sold in 60ft rolls, strips or hexagon-shaped pieces.

Twin-layer stretch fabric with taped seams, neoprene waistband and adjustable cuffs and neck make the Magic Marine Racing Spray Top a favourite with Olympic champion Santiago Lange. €139 (approx £122) magicmarine.com

£25.92 for a pack of 10 pieces harken.co.uk

EXHIBITOR

Teak Cleaner

B&G “B&G has a range of products including Vulcan, Triton(2), WS320 and the new Zeus™3S multifunction display system. Boasting unrivalled performance, features and connectivity, designed specifically for sailing, the new Zeus3S chartplotters offer super-fast response times, promising all the information you need, when you need it. These easy to use displays come with B&G’s unique sailing features and make it simple to navigate, plot routes, add waypoints and see all the key sailing or racing information at the touch of a button, or the screen.”

Simon Conder, Head of Global Brand, B&G, bandg.com

Cleantogleam has launched new cleaning products for teak, the Teak Cleaner and Teak Shield. Sold individually or in a duo-pack, the new products have been developed to clean and guard teak and other hardwood from spillages and weathering without harming fibreglass or painted surfaces. The Cleaner is designed to help restore teak to its natural colour and contains nonhazardous brightening ingredients. It is easily applied using a soft cloth, then worked in using a brush or scrubbing pad. from £18 cleantogleam.com

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SAILING THE WORLD Dick Beaumont spells out what you won’t find in the almanac Before setting off on any offshore cruise it is essential to understand, in depth, the vagaries of the world’s weather systems and ocean currents. All sailors must be able to make their own decisions independently of any route planning services or pilot book. They must develop their own voyage and passage plans, and will feel empowered once they have seen their calculations at the chart table pay-off in practice. It’s worth knowing that a single trip from A to B is a passage; a voyage is a series of passages linked together over several months. In military terms, a passage is a tactic; a voyage is a strategy.

PART ONE Voyage planning

T

he first step is to decide where you want to go, the weather and climate will dictate when you can go.

Typhoon, cyclone and hurricane - all three of these are just regional names for the same weather system, namely an intense depression.

But they play an important part. The primary consideration when planning an extended voyage is knowing entry and exit times for a given cyclone area, so developing a ‘helicopter view’ of the whole voyage and no-go areas and times, is essential.

It follows that unless you are prepared to stay in a given area for 8-12 months plus, to await next year’s weather windows, and are prepared to stay-put through the cyclone season, your time visiting these areas will be restricted.

If you want to spend several months exploring that region you have to arrive there with adequate cruising time before the cyclone season starts. For instance, if you want to be in the Caribbean and sail the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands there’s no point arriving there in April as the

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hurricane season begins at the end of May and lasts through to the end of November (see cyclone map, opposite). Instead you would need to arrive there in early December and depart by mid-April.

If your voyage plan is from Europe to New Zealand, and includes the Caribbean you need to get from the Caribbean through the Panama Canal, but the earliest you can arrive in the eastern South Pacific cyclone belt is around mid-May. You’ll need to depart from the western side of the South Pacific cyclone belt by mid-October. So, if you are starting out from Europe you need to leave the Canary Islands at the end of (the previous) October.

It’s worth noting that, although rare, hurricanes, typhoons or cyclones can and do occur well outside their prescribed ‘season’ and area. Due to climate change, violent storms both inside and outside of the season’s slot are increasing.

Five years ago on 25 October I was anchored inside Kapingamarangi Atoll in Micronesia on a voyage from New Zealand to Hong Kong. We were a long way below the cyclone

Sailing the world ~ Voyage planning

CYCLONE MAP

NE Pacific Hurricane May to November

NW Pacific Typhoon

North Atlantic Hurricane

May to October

June to November

North Indian Cyclone March to December

SW Pacific Cyclone

SW Indian Cyclone

November to April

September to May

SE Indian Cyclone November to April

LEFT Pilot chart of the Northern Atlantic and Mediterranean ABOVE Kapingamarangi Atoll, Micronesia in 2015, just before an unexpected cyclone

belt as well as being outside the cyclone season for the nearest location in the belt. However, on checking the GRIB file weather charts that morning I noticed that east of our position the isobars were unexpectedly close together, so I checked the next area even further to the east and to my horror saw a cyclone heading our way. I went ashore and warned the villagers, then reluctantly weighed anchor and headed out to run further west to keep four days ahead of the cycloneaffected area.

That cyclone was also heading due west but was forecast to swing north the following day, but instead it just continued to head due west. We kept three or four days ahead of it as we hurried across Micronesia.

Our original passage plan was to go to Yap which was further west and

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Sailing the world ~ Voyage planning

TRADE WINDS

Westerlies

Northeasterly Trade Winds

Southeasterly Trade Winds

Westerlies

a little north of our route but we erred on the side of caution, missed Yap and went west and south instead, to Palau. The cyclone went right through Yap, flattening the villages and devastating the island. If you check you’ll find that cyclones are expected to pass well north of Yap.

or light winds. It’s a common mistake for a less experienced skipper to head out when the forecast is for very light winds to ensure an easy passage.

However, many yachts do not carry

ABOVE Global prevailaing winds

Climate at destination

It’s always preferable to arrive in a region that is enjoying its most settled weather season. This can be the winter season, as in the Caribbean, or the summer season, as in the Mediterranean. It is important to factor this in to your planning from the outset.

Some areas like the North West Passage or the Aleutian Islands route from Russia to Canada and North America must only be attempted in the areas’ summer season.

Prevailing winds

To make the best use of a fair breeze you will require a wind pilot for the ocean or area you will sail in for the months you will sail there.

The wind pilot (pictured on p77) covers the Atlantic Ocean for the month of October, by zooming in you will see where your course must take you to take advantage of the prevailing wind at this time of the year. Wind Pilot charts covering the whole world’s seas and oceans can be downloaded free of charge via offshore.com/ navigation/pilot-charts.php.

In an open ocean there is an enormous difference from sailing with a 35 knot wind behind you and sailing against it. Sir Chay Blyth did make a circumnavigation going the ‘wrong way,’ but this was a stunt voyage to break a new record and nothing to do with cruising! It’s vital to plan voyages not only to take advantage of trade winds and prevailing regional winds, but also when and where there is a high expectation of calm

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

sufficient diesel to run for more than three or four days of motoring.

Therefore setting out with light or variable winds can be a frustrating and expensive mistake.

Ocean currents

READING WIND ROSES A full explanation of how to use the info on the wind rose is given on each wind pilot chart. However, this example shows the prevailing wind is east or northeast, and the most common wind strength from these directions is Force 4, since each feather segment on the wind direction arrow represents one force of wind.

The number four in the centre indicates how many days a month it is dead calm. It must be understood that whilst the wind will most regularly blow from the east or northeast in this area during this month of the year, it is by no means guaranteed that it will, and as the rose shows - for several days a month it may blow from any other direction.

Although these currents generally run constantly in the same direction they do strengthen or weaken at seasonal times. It is therefore essential you know when they are with you or against you. The diagram opposite gives an overview.

Next steps

This introduction provides a basic understanding of what you need to know, so you can now plan in more detail for your own voyage or passage. Information is readily available on the internet - Wikipedia and Noonsite are particularly helpful - but there are many other websites,

Sailing the world ~ Voyage planning

OCEAN CURRENTS Norwegian E. Greenland Alaska

Oyashio N. Atlantic Drift

N. Pacific

Labrador

NE Pacific Hurricane

Canary

Gulf Stream

North Atlantic Hurricane

California

Kurishio

N. Equatorial

Equat orial C ounte

N. Equatorial

r

N. Equatorial Equatorial Counter

Equatorial Counter

Agu lh

as

S. Equatorial

South Equatorial South Equatorial

SW Pacific Troptical Cyclone

Benguela E. Australia

W. Australia

Peru

Mozambique South Atlantic

dian

th In

Sou Antarctic Circumpolar

South Pacific Antarctic Circumpolar Antarctic Subpolar

Antarctic Circumpolar Antarctic Subpolar

some of them government-run cyclone watch sites, that will allow you to make your own plans.

Plans A, B and C

Remember, plan a place, or a date, but never plan a place and a date! In developing a voyage plan, you need a plan A, plan B and plan C. No matter how committed and determined you are, there are many unforeseen situations that can come along to derail you, so having a pre-planned alternative is essential.

I knew one blue water yachtsman who was in Phi Phi Don, Thailand when the tsunami hit and after this life-changing event he said he never plans anything more than a few weeks in advance. Whilst such a mindset is understandable, in reality you have to plan months in advance to take into consideration the factors I’ve mentioned above. However, I think his philosophy is sound: to make plans with a relaxed attitude, accepting that they can radically change at any time.

The current coronavirus pandemic is a case in point. Yachts have been restricted or even impounded upon arrival at a foreign destination. In some cases this has resulted in crews being unable to depart cyclone or typhoon areas at the correct time.

Therefore, my advice is always to plan certainly but understand that it cannot, and should not, be a certain plan.

ABOVE (top) Global prevailing currents; Pilot chart for the northern Atlantic for October LEFT Be wary of setting out in too little wind ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

PLAN A PLACE OR A DATE BUT NEVER PLAN A PLACE AND A DATE

Dick Beaumont is an experienced blue water sailor with tens of thousands of nautical miles under his belt. He has used his knowledge garnered from these trips to develop Kraken Yachts, a series of blue water cruisers which he views as ideal blue water cruising yachts krakenyachts.com

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

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Interview ~ Hannah Mills

A

MEET OUR OLYMPIANS

Hannah Mills hopes to become the most successful female Olympic sailor ever in Tokyo next year, but now she also has other things on her mind 82

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

PHOTO NICK DEMPSEY/RYA

Sustaining the dream

sk Hannah Mills about the unthinkable – that the Olympics might be cancelled – and she replies evenly: “Obviously that thought crosses your mind, but the only thing you can do is to push it aside and just say ‘it’s irrelevant’.

You can’t stop training, you can’t stop being motivated.

“If the Games don’t happen it’ll be a disaster. Of course there are doubts, but you push them aside.”

A gold in Tokyo next summer would make Hannah Mills, aged 32, the most successful female Olympic sailor of all time, having won silver in London and gold in Rio with Saskia Clark. The image of her and Clark embracing on the podium in Rio was one of the most moving of the Games and the culmination of a great sailing partnership. Afterwards Clark retired from Olympic competition and Mills considered it, but she’d seen something in Rio that she couldn’t forget. “Every beach, marina and coastal area we visited during that four-year period was affected and damaged beyond belief, and so much of it was single-use plastic.

“Post-Rio, once we’d won and I was thinking about whether to compete again, I was so moved by what I had seen that I felt maybe the best thing I could do was go and compete at Tokyo and be able to talk about this issue on my journey, raising awareness and trying to change people’s attitudes.”

She got the backing of the International Olympic Committee and the Big Plastic Pledge was launched, encouraging people to make three daily promises to reduce single-use plastics in their lives.

In an ocean of well-meaning environmental campaigns, Mills’ simple message seemed to resonate and she found a receptive audience in the sailing world and outside it, most recently at the RYA Dinghy Show in March, where she talked to a packed auditorium. “It was a really positive vibe and I had so many people come up after the talk saying they had made the pledge, especially lots of kids, which was really nice, hassling their parents to go and make their own pledge.”

Now she wants to expand the campaign further to encompass

everything is about the Games. You live, breath, eat, sleep, everything it.

It’s so cool to see and it definitely motivates me and that brings us together. She is also just a great teammate, so fun to be around, and she brings a lot out on the water, always trying to problem-solve and figure out how we could be better.”

The partnership was sealed when they took gold at their first event, the 2017 World Cup Series final in Spain, and then followed it up with silver at the 470 world championships. They were 2019 world champions and were three days out from starting a defence of their title when the Olympics was postponed.

“We knew it was coming and we knew it couldn’t possibly go ahead,” says Mills, “but when it was announced and I read it, it still hit pretty hard. I had a moment of bursting into tears!

“When you’re training so hard for something and every single day is dedicated to that final push and that final push is so all-consuming… to have have that taken away and moved on a year, you think: ‘I’ve got to put myself through this again in a year’s time’. It took a couple of weeks of ups and downs, trying to reframe it in my mind, and most of the time now I see it as positive.”

Post-lockdown, she and McIntyre are back on the water training full-time, but international competition, such a key part of any

Defending gold

“BUT WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED AND I READ IT, IT STILL HIT PRETTY HARD”

RYA

This unusually relaxed time on the water was reinvigorating and Mills realised she wanted to defend her Olympic gold, but with Saskia Clark retired, she had no crew, and who would dare to fill those mighty shoes?

The answer came in the form of Eilidh McIntyre, who with helm Sophie Weguelin had been Mills and Clark’s rival for the Rio spot in 2016.

McIntyre told Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting last month of her terror at phoning the Olympic champion and asking to be her new crew – to which Mills cooly replied: “I was expecting your call.”

Mills laughs: “I was! I thought it was really brave of her to call. I was really hoping she would and obviously I would have called her eventually. We’d been rivals for that spot in Rio and Sophie and Eilidh gave us a real battle. I was really excited that she had called but we just had to figure out the right way forward because I definitely wasn’t ready to go full-time sailing just yet.”

“She is amazing,” Mills says of McIntyre. “She has so much energy, so much motivation and passion for the Olympics. She definitely reminds me of me in the London cycle, where

RICHARD LANGDON

sustainability in general and also to include other sports.

“I want to create something that involves more athletes at the helm, so it becomes something about sport in general. The pledge will still stand, because it’s a really powerful thing for individuals to latch onto, but it’s definitely going to evolve in terms of sustainability and sport.”

Mills may have found a cause and a reason – more altruistic than most reasons athletes might offer – to do another Olympic campaign, but did she still have the ambition and the drive on the water? The younger Mills had lived and breathed every moment of the road to Olympic glory, but post-Rio she took a moment to ponder the path ahead – by going skiff sailing. “I wanted to keep learning. Jumping into a new class, your learning curve is so steep, it is really motivating. The 49erFX just looked like good fun. I always knew I’d be too small to sail the boat at Tokyo and it was more something to keep me learning until the 470 panned out how I hoped it would.”

ABOVE Mills and Clark savour their Rio gold medals BELOW Mills and McIntyre are world champions in the class

normal Olympic build-up, is lacking.

“At the moment we have six [elite] 470 crews in the UK, all training,” says Mills. “That’s been a really good training group for us at home. Now we’re starting to look at trips abroad to find some foreign competitors, but obviously that is challenging.

“It’s difficult to know what to do, whether to chase some competition or just say for now we’re going to stay in the UK and not stress. No one knows what the future holds. If we get to the spring next year and still haven’t had any competition, then we’re looking at the Olympic Games a couple of months away, that’s starting to get a bit stressful that we won’t have raced for over a year.”

Their last major regatta was the the Olympic Test Event a year ago, where their French rivals Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz snatched gold by a point. Now the French and other rival crews on the continent are getting together to form training groups. Still reigning 470 world champions, Mills and McIntyre hope to be able to reaffirm their standing at the class Europeans in Mallorca in October. bigplasticpledge.com OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

83

Feature ~ Inspiring female sailors

A review by World Sailing Trust reveals attitudes need to change in order to encourage one half of our population to get afloat. Georgie Corlett-Pitt reports

G

ender imbalance has long existed across all areas of sailing; take a glance about you, it’s not hard to miss. Now, a Strategic Review into Women in Sailing by the World Sailing Trust has gathered irrefutable data to back up anecdotal evidence, gathered from over 4,500 respondents – male and female – from 75 countries. They ranged from ages 11-83, and were involved with all aspects of the sport, from dinghies to keelboats, sailors to volunteers to official representatives.

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

The report was underwritten by Andrew Pindar, a long-standing and passionate supporter of sailing, who felt the need to galvanise action after attending a seminar on women’s sailing at the 2018 World Sailing Annual Conference. The session had been side-lined and so too, Andrew felt, had the issues raised in it.

Realities revealed

Thanks to the report, we now have a tangible understanding of the overall situation: clear evidence of a lack of female participation,

ABOVE Team SCA, an all-female team in the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race

coupled with lack of support and incidences of discrimination, stereotyping and even harassment – all make for sobering reading.

The findings also show that experience of gender imbalance intensifies with age, and that the concerns are global, with the problem marginally more entrenched in developed nations – where sailing has deep-rooted traditions that are harder to overturn – compared to most emerging nations.

While gender discrimination is inherent in all parts of sailing,

PHOTOS A SANCHEZ/C HALLORHAN FOR VOLVO OCEAN RACE; SAM DAVIES

Inspiring women in sailing

according to report author, Vicky Low, one positive trend does show through: “Where respondents have sailed within a mixed crew, incidences of discrimination were fewer, because there is the realisation if you have sailed with a woman that it’s likely they are very good at what

they do. Yet often, a lack of opportunity means women are being denied this initial chance to prove themselves.”

In tackling such wide-ranging problems, comprehensive, long term solutions are needed - as chair of the Trust, Dee Caffari, explains: “Implementations take time. We are asking an international federation to change all its Member National Authorities’ [e.g. the RYA] actions.

That is a huge amount of people and countries to influence and facilitate change. We [World Sailing Trust] are now starting to identify best practice and will be sharing these ideas that are proven to work so we can unite as a sport and help everyone improve, rather than be siloed in our approach.

“We are also looking at a topic that will evolve as time passes - there

ABOVE The report highlights a need for role models at elite level BELOW LEFT Vendée Globe hopeful Sam Davies on board her IMOCA 60 BELOW RIGHT Round the world sailor Dee Caffari is chair of the World Sailing Trust

is not one solution and right answer, so taking that into account we need to aim for continuous improvement and tangible changes to report annually.”

Benchmarking and learning from other sports, as well as aligning with national bodies such as Sport England, will also be key to accelerating change.

It is hoped that the 2024 Olympic Games – where sailing has been targeted with gender equality off the water as well as on – will be a turning point, creating a focus at elite level in a similar way to the achievements of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. The 2021 Youth America’s Cup also stipulates mixed teams.

But Low points out that, to ensure the strength of the sport going forwards, “it’s important not just to fill holes with women, rather a pathway has to be created so that capable women fill those holes.”

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

85

Feature ~ Inspiring female sailors

Opinions...

“Women need to think that they have as much right to be on the boat in the same way as they have every right to be in any given job role. We need to shake off that ‘apologetic’ mindset. Giving women opportunities in sport not only enables women to believe in themselves, but also to have people believe in you” Vicky Low, Strategic Review author

“Though progress has been made towards gender equality throughout much of western and even world society, much of the sailing world remains something of a last bastion of male dominance.

For me, the sport and pastime of sailing is under general threat of losing relevance unless it is of appeal to girls and women as much as boys and men. I’ve been deeply involved with the sport, through participation, sponsorship and business, for the last four decades. Over this time sailing has lagged behind the societal shift and it is high time we saw systemic change” Andrew Pindar OBE DL Founding Partner GAC Pindar “Change is difficult for everybody and it has to happen over a period of time. The key thing is that no-one is getting pushed out. It should not be about taking opportunities away but creating opportunities for all” Ian Williams, World Match Racing Champion

“At the top level, especially in yachting and keelboats, women have fewer opportunities and are still excluded.

In dinghies the men’s titles are still seen as more prestigious and they are often the ones expected to give speeches after their awards, rather than the women. It’s very rare to find female coaches and on the senior Laser Radial circuit almost every single coach is male” Anon 20 year old female Survey respondent

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

The Nacra 17, one of four mixed classes for the 2024 Olympics

Pathway to change

With the long term aim of establishing this pathway, the report makes nine recommendations, targeting policy, participation and leadership. In March this year, World Sailing actioned two of those recommendations, signing up to the UN Women’s Sport for Generation Equality Charter and adopting an Equality Policy. Separately, the organisation has already started work on new safeguarding policies to eradicate harassment.

One of the major points for action is to enable greater opportunity. Dee explains: “This is all about having role models and inspirational sailors to look up to. There are many of us that play a part in this role. If we can continue to illustrate it can be done, this will help drive the enthusiasm from the new generation sailors.

Then we will need to give back by encouraging and helping facilitate opportunities to develop the new talent and grow their experience, and help guide them in their quest to further their sailing careers.

“There are a number of men that champion this cause and the more female sailors we can put in roles with them and give an opportunity for them to flourish and show their skills, the more opportunities will open up.

“I believe there are (already) some great opportunities to sail out there and always have been. However, in the majority of cases, you need to be invited to participate. If 50 per cent of the population are automatically excluded from the invite list, then

you have a problem… I hope we achieve an invite list that ensures that everyone is invited to the party.

“We are seeing some bold moves within the sport that should help grow the experience of and opportunity for female sailors; then it is a question of our confidence to push ourselves forwards and seize the opportunities out there. This is often a key factor holding female participants back.”

Creating visible role models and mentors for female sailors to identify with and aspire to is also central to progress. The Ocean Race with its mandated mixed crews is going some way to remedy this, but the report shows that the concept needs to filter much more widely through all levels and aspects of sailing.

“One of the key recommendations from the Strategic Review was for female coaches to be more prevalent,” says Dee. “There is a real case for ‘if you can’t see it then you can’t be it’.

PHOTOS RYA; C HALLORAN FOR VOLVO OCEAN RACE

“To any young or new sailor out there wanting to do more, my advice would be to work hard, sail as many boats as possible with many different people and always be polite, helpful and hard working.

“Your reputation will go before you and you will be recommended for other boats and teams by your attitude as much as your ability” Dee Caffari MBE, yachtswoman and World Sailing Trust chair

Female pioneers

Jacqueline Dowding spotlights some of those who have paved the way with their inspirational feats

Early generation Clare Frances MBE

Ann Davidson

In 1952 Ann sailed a 23ft yacht singlehandedly from Plymouth, UK to Antigua.

Originally she and her husband set off to cross the Atlantic in their 70ft converted fishing boat. The yacht was not ready, but they set off, only getting as far as Portland Bill. Already fatigued, they found themselves in the notorious Portland Race, when their liferaft capsized many times. Ann tragically found her husband dead; 14 hours later she and the raft were swept ashore.

Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz

From Poland, Krystyna was in fact the first woman to sail around the world singlehanded, pipping Naomi James to the post.

She took 401 days to complete the 31,166nm, voyage, finishing on 21 April 1978.

Dame Naomi Christine James, DBE

The first woman to have sailed singlehanded around the world via Cape Horn, and the second woman to have ever sailed solo around the world. Naomi departed Dartmouth, on 9 September 1977 and finished her voyage on 8 June 1978 after 272 days. However, in 1982, following dreadful sea sickness - she was pregnant at the time - during the Round Britain Race, with her husband (professional sailor Rob James), she retired from sailing. Devastatingly, not long after her retirement in 1983, Rob fell overboard from the same yacht he was delivering.

10 days later their daughter was born.

Beryl Smeeton

One of my favourite sailing adventurers.

Her book Once is Enough, co-written with husband Miles, tells of how she was thrown from the tiller into the sea when their 46fter was caught by a huge wave. Despite a broken collarbone, she swam to safety.

History repeated itself 10 months later when the couple were capsized and dismasted off Cape Horn, managing to sail 2000nm back to Valparasio, Chile.

Susan Hiscock MBE

This intrepid lady sailed many oceanic voyages with her husband Eric. They made three trips around the world in total and wrote many books that I feel every sailor today should read.

Around the World in Wanderer III tells of their first circumnavigation in 1952.

PHOTOS ALAMY; PPL

We therefore need to highlight role models, coaches and officials to generate interest in our sport and allow females to see what could be possible. This will help with retaining female participation in the sport.”

This action point comes at a level that all of us as sailors can identify with - and actively contribute towards changing. Although wholesale transformation is likely to take many years - perhaps even a generation - to effect, small steps by clubs, classes and individuals can all contribute. The report includes a free starter toolkit aimed at club level, which is available to download via yachtsandyachting.co.uk.

“There should be gender parity in all areas of life and that includes the sport of sailing,” concludes Dee. Men and women should be afforded the same opportunities and, based on the results of the World Sailing Trust Strategic Review, sadly this does not appear to currently be the case within our sport. Addressing this would inevitably lead to an increase in the number of female participants - but that is almost a by-product.

If you restrict or withdraw opportunities from any section of the population, immediately there is less balance and more elitism.

This is what happens when we discriminate. Crew selection is generally based on a combination of experience, skill, team fit and a number of other performance focussed criteria. Gender shouldn’t be a factor, and hopefully this review is a starting point for positive changes to be made.”

I discovered Clare through her first book, Come Hell or High Water. She crossed the Atlantic single-handed twice and was the skipper of 11 crew in the Whitbread Round the World Race, in 1977. A female captain; her five year career in sailing was unplanned.

The odyssey was an unsponsored and unsung solo voyage across the Atlantic. Soon after, she was offered sponsorship to take part in the Round Britain Race, sailing with fellow pioneer, Eve Bonham.

Feature ~ Inspiring female sailors

The soloists Isabelle Autissier

Another long-standing hero, Isabelle was the first woman to complete a solo navigation in the BOC (British Oxygen Challenge) in 1990-91. Growing up in Paris, Isabelle took a degree in marine engineering and is a human rights activist.

Dee Caffari MBE

Kay Cottee

Dee did it differently, gaining notoriety in 2006 by sailing single-handedly round the world ‘the wrong way’. Originally a teacher, her book Against the Flow, tells of her transition. She has now sailed around the world six times, including twice in the Volvo Ocean Race; firstly with Team SCA and then as skipper of Turn the Tide on Plastic.

The first woman to sail around the world solo, non-stop, and without assistance, taking 189 days and finishing on 5 June, 1988. Her 37ft yacht, Blackmores First Lady, was certainly a blessed name. Kay has written three books, the first covers her record breaking voyage First Lady: A History-making Solo Voyage Around the World. Multi-talented as not only a sailor and author, but also a boatbuilder, business executive, motivational speaker and artist.

Galia Moss

Mexican sailor Galia holds the record as the first Latin-American woman to sail solo across the Atlantic, from Vigo, Spain to Cancun, Mexico taking a far longer 9,000nm route than is standard.

Dame Ellen MacArthur DBE

Ellen’s first stint in solo yacht racing was the 1997 Mini Transat. However, her first nationally recognised accomplishment was in 2001, when she raced singlehandedly non-stop around the world on Kingfisher, in the Vendée Globe, finishing second at the age of just 24. In 2002, she won the Route du Rhum. Moving on to a 75ft multihull B&Q/Castorama, in 2005 she became the fastest person to circumnavigate the globe singlehanded. Founder of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and of the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, these are two legacies from this frontierswoman of a sailor. She has also been awarded the Legion de Honeur.

Florence Arthaud

After competing in the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race, Florence established a new world record in 1990 for the fastest solo west-east crossing of the North Atlantic, before going on to win the Route du Rhum. In 1997, she won the TransPac with Bruno Peyron. She also campaigned against pilot-whale whaling. Tragically, in 2015 she was killed in a helicopter crash while taking part in a reality TV show.

With 25 Transatlantic crossings and two round the world races under her belt, including one as skipper of Team SCA in the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race, Sam is also a Cambridge University graduate. Her love for sailing grew from her upbringing in Portsmouth in a seafaring family. She’s hoping to better her fourth place in the 2008-09 Vendée Globe in the 2020 edition on board her IMOCA Initiatives-Coeur.

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

PHOTOS M KERUZORE & C HALLORHAN FOR VOLVO OCEAN RACE; PPL; ALAMY

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Feature ~ Inspiring female sailors

Pip Hare Jeanne Socrates

Tracy Edwards MBE

Aged 24, Tracy led her all female crew in the Fastnet Race, before taking on the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race, finishing second in class, despite many naysayers. Tracey was relieved when King Hussein and Queen Rania of Jordan - old friends from her previous work on yachts - sponsored them. She was also the first woman to receive the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy. Tracy has recently reiterated her struggles through the TV documentary, Maiden. She also rescued the original Maiden to launch The Maiden Factor charity initiative in 2018.

A remarkable woman and sailor, Jeanne became the oldest woman at 77 to sail single-handed non-stop around the world. In 2016, two circumnavigation attempts ran firstly into weather and then into gear-related but the British sailor finally arrived safely back in Canada on 7 September 2019. She is also the first woman to sail solo nonstop unassisted around the world from north America.

Pip came to racing later in life, after growing up sailing her family’s Folkboat.

After competing in the, OSTAR, two Mini Transats, then the Transat Jacques Vabre 2017, she competed in the Route du Rhum 2018 and the Rolex Fastnet in 2019. Also, in 2019, her team came third in the Three Peaks Yacht Race. Now at the pinnacle of her career, Pip has entered into the Vendée Globe 2020 with support from sponsor Medallia; see last month for interview.

Female firsts Wendy Tuck

In 2018, Wendy became the first female skipper to win the Clipper Round the World Race. Since, enquiries from women about taking part increased by 115 per cent.

Hannah Stodel

Four time Paralympian and triple world champion Hannah is remarkable, not only in her stamina and fortitude, but also in her sailing prowess. She now has her sights on competing in the Vendée Globe.

Nikki Henderson

Finishing second to Wendy in 2018, Nikki is the youngest ever Clipper Round the World Race skipper at the age of 25.

Shirley Robertson

Shirley was the first British female to win consecutive Olympic gold in 2000 and 2004.

Co-founder and skipper of Spindrift Racing Team, Dona became the fastest woman to sail around the world during a Jules Verne attempt in 2015.

Laura Dekker

In 2012, Laura sailed solo around the world aged 16, then the youngest person to do so.

Cathy Foster

The first female helm in the modern Olympics, Cathy represented GBR in the 470 class in 1984 with crew Pete Newlands.

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PHOTOS RICHARD LANGDON; MICHAEL CHESTER; PAUL WYETH/RYA

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DOCKS ENTRANCE

CARDIFF BAY

MARINA INNER BASIN

E N

PENARTH MARINA VALE OF GLAMORGAN 51.4456° N, 3.1691° W

CARDIFF BARRAGE

Some of the UK’s most fascinating – and challenging – cruising grounds lie beyond the Cardiff Bay Barrage, as Chris Rosamond discovers

MARINA ENTRANCE

MAIN FACILITIES

` WRACH CHANNEL

S

GULL’S EYE

W

Gull’s Eye ~ Penarth Marina

PHOTOSC/O PENARTH MARINA/BOATFOLK

T

he Bristol Channel and the Severn Estuary at its eastern end are not at first sight the most promising of cruising grounds. Hearing of extreme 14-15m tidal ranges, 4-6kt tidal streams and shifting sandbanks, sailors of nervous disposition thank their lucky stars they’ve got a boat tied up in Hamble – or better still, the Med. Yet dotted all around the local coastline there are harbours hosting sailing clubs and marinas, and many dedicated sailors who take the unique Channel challenges in their stride.

These are sailors used to passage

ABOVE Penarth Marina is a sheltered Severn Estuary sanctuary BELOW RIGHT Secure pontoons are all fully serviced with water and electricity

51.4456° N, 3.1691° W

LOCAL BERTH HOLDERS Tony and Jackie Thomas are old sailing hands, enjoying their retirement in Cardiff. They’ve both been sailing for 20 years, and have kept a boat at Penarth for around 10 – the current vessel being a Jeanneau 41 DS White Swan. Extended sailing trips have taken them to southern Ireland and the south coast in recent summers, and further adventures are always being planned.

In spite of their impressive cruising

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planning around 2 hour high water windows, always hitching a ride with the rise and fall of the tides, and keeping abreast of both the weather and the movement of the sands.

Their reward? Access to a range of unspoiled and uncrowded harbours, anchorages and spectacular scenery that most of us will never visit by boat. Not to mention the chance to follow in the wake of sailing ships bringing once lucrative but now controversial cargoes into Bristol on the flood tide, or the legendary Bristol Channel pilot cutters racing out to meet them in the wild Atlantic waves.

Not that berth-holders at Penarth Marina need to expose themselves much to all that excitement.

The marina is sheltered behind the barrage at the mouth of Cardiff Bay, giving sailors there an opportunity to shrug off the vagaries of tide or weather, and practise their skills on the calm protected waters of the bay when conditions outside are challenging.

When they choose to venture out, there’s a range of pleasing destinations in easy reach whether you’re planning for a day trip, a weekend or a week afloat.

TONY AND JACKIE THOMAS range they’ve stayed loyal to Penarth as their home port. “We’re always impressed with the friendliness and commitment of the team, and everything is always well maintained and in good order. We also feel confident our boat is secure and looked after, and we’ve made lots of friends. It’s great having the opportunity to sail the bay or walk to Mermaid Quay, as it means we spend time on the boat,” says Tony.

MARINA GUIDE Formerly known as Penarth Quay Marina, this prime Cardiff Bay location dropped the ‘Quay’ from its title following the merger of its previous owner with the Dean and Reddyhoff group.

There are 320 berths at Penarth, and the marina is accessible – and staffed – 24/7. A 7.2m wide lock with pedestrian footbridge guards the entrance, which is opened on request as water levels are usually consistent with those in the Bay. Vessels of up to 72ft can be accommodated, while a lock sill determines maximum draft of 3.5m.

The marina has all the features and services that you’d expect, including a small chandlery, brokerage and marine engineering company. The management maintains relationships with external providers of other marine services, so berth-holders or visitors should be supported whatever their requirements. The boatyard operates a 20 ton lift,

ABOVE Brand new restaurant and bar facilities at ‘The Deck’ are open to berthholders and locals

although hard standing is limited.

Annual berth-holders are entitled to four weeks storage ashore, but we’re told the majority of boaters stay afloat over winter, taking advantage of protected Cardiff Bay waters to enjoy their sailing all year round.

A swanky new restaurant and bar called The Deck has just opened, serving meals throughout the day and into the evening. The marina also has a café for breakfasts and snacks, a TV lounge and the usual shower and laundry facilities. Parking and wi-fi are free, and there are preferential rates for fuel which is pumped from 9am to 5pm. There

FACTFILE

PENARTH MARINA Website: boatfolk.co.uk/ penarth-marina-cardiff Email: penarth@boatfolk.co.uk Tel: +44(0)2920 705021 VHF: Ch 80 Cardiff Bay Barrage Control +44(0)29 2070 0234 VHF Ch 18 Tides: Standard port Cardiff Water and electricity: All berths Fuel: Diesel and petrol available 9am-5pm daily Facilities and services: Toilets, showers, laundry, free Wi-Fi 20-ton boat hoist; 1-ton crane for masts/engines Slipway Car parking - free Team Marine Services – Marine Engineers/Chandlers +44(0) 29 2070 9983 BJ Marine brokerage +44 (0)7815 561554

are visitor berths outside The Deck, but marina staff may direct you to any vacant berth if they’re full.

For self-caterers, there’s a supermarket a five minute walk away, and the town of Penarth with its shops, restaurants and takeaways is a 10 minute walk uphill to the west. Carry on down the other side and in another few minutes you’ll reach the town’s picturesque Victorian beachfront and pier.

Head west on foot across the Barrage, and you’re 30 minutes away from Cardiff ’s vibrant Mermaid Quay with its many brasseries, restaurants and bars.

Freemantle Yacht Rigging +44(0)7897 252736 Cardiff Yachting Company sea school +44(0)7403 151561 The Deck restaurant and bar open daily 9am-11pm +44(0)2920 099737 thedeckpenarth.co.uk Berthing charges: Short stay (4hrs) £10 fixed rate Daily £3.05 per m Weekly £18.03 per m Annual £334.75per m (paid in full) Annual £351.49per m (paid monthly) Summer berth (Apr 1 – Oct 31) £264per m Winter berth £135 per m Electricity: metred for monthly/ annual berths and visitors at 16p/unit

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Gull’s Eye ~ Penarth Marina

PASSAGE PLANNING Entry is simple by day or night but consider both commercial and leisure boat traffic The Bristol Channel is a giant funnel that opens onto the Atlantic, which accounts for the extreme tidal ranges.

Flows of up to 6kts are common at Lavernock Point and the Ranie Shoal which lie to the west of Cardiff, and there are strong counter currents at times across the entrance to nearby Barry Harbour. The dredged Wrach Channel which offers an ostensibly simple approach to Cardiff Bay can also be subject to strong SW tidal flows 2 hours before high water.

With all that said, the approaches to Cardiff are relatively simple. From the west, assuming safe passage up channel as far as Lavernock Point you’ll be looking for the Ranie bouy (R FL (2) R 5S) before heading north towards the entrance of the Wrach Channel. The big South Cardiff cardinal marker will be off your

starboard side (YB Q (6) and LFL 15S Bell) as you make the turn.

Approaching from the east means you’re likely catching leaving with the ebb tide down the channel from Portishead, and you’ll need a course that keeps you south of

BELOW Freshwater Cardiff Bay lies behind the barrage. It’s a short hop across the Bay to Cardiff ’s buzzing Mermaid Quay.

the Monkstone Light. Keep going to the South Cardiff cardinal to make sure you skirt the Cardiff Grounds sandbanks, and the turn NNW for the Wrach Channel.

Commercial shipping uses the channel to access Cardiff Docks, but vessels headed into the Bay should keep to the Penarth side.

There’s a clearly marked channel that leads off the Wrach towards the triple locks of the Barrage itself, and on arrival at the entrance Barrage Control will instruct you on which lock to use. Contact them in advance on VHF CH18 when you’re halfway down your Wrach Channel approach. Pontoons accommodate waiting vessels, and there are two ‘in’ and two ‘out’ lock movements to Cardiff Bay every hour.

It can take 15 minutes or so to transit the barrage, so now’s the time to alert the marina office of your imminent arrival on VHF CH80. The marina entrance lock is immediately to port as you exit the barrage, and you’ll find plenty of space if you need to wait for the entrance traffic light to turn from red to green.Visitors may be asked to wait on a reception pontoon inside the lock, where they will be met by marina staff.

PHOTO ISTOCK

CHARTS Admiralty Chart No. 1176 Severn Estuary – Steep Holm to Avonmouth Admiralty Chart No. 1182 Approaches to Cardiff Admiralty Chart No.1859 Port of Bristol Admiralty Chart No. 1179 Bristol Channel Admiralty Chart No.1160 Plans of the Ports of Somerset and North Devon Stanfords Chart Pack No: 14 Bristol Channel

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CRUISING GROUNDS The merger means Penarth Marina bertholders now enjoy membership of the 11-strong Boatfolk group.

This brings access to free reciprocal berthing at locations including Portishead on the south side of the Severn Estuary, Conwy in North Wales, Rhu in the Firth of Clyde and Bangor, Northern Ireland – not to mention multiple options on the South Coast, and a 50 per cent discount for visits to TransEurope Marinas.

There are a multitude of fantastic

destinations in closer sailing range of Penarth though, the shortest of which is a popular scoot across Cardiff Bay to Mermaid Quay for lunch. Beyond the barrage the city of Bristol is a popular destination via the spectacular Avon Gorge. This is most easily achieved over two tides, with a first leg 18NM across the Channel to Portishead Marina, before following the Avon up to Bristol.

Heading West along the Welsh coast brings you to Porthcawl Marina in 20NM, at the heart of a popular and welcoming resort town, while the city

ABOVE LEFT The stunning suspension bridge at Clifton, Bristol ABOVE RIGHT Tenby offers genuine seaside charm BELOW The beautiful sands of Porthcawl

of Swansea is another major boating venue that’s just 50NM from Penarth.

Pretty Tenby is another popular beach destination a short hop further to the West – there is a drying harbour, and sheltered anchoring outside – and beyond that the wonderful expanse of Milford Haven to explore.

The Bristol Channel offers the nature reserve islands of Steep Holm and Flat Holm, with Lundy a more distant prospect off the Devon coast. The coast of Somerset offers drying harbours or anchorages at Porlock and Watchet, while more intrepid sailors make longer passages to Ilfracombe,

USEFUL CONTACTS

PHOTOS ISTOCK

Portishead Marina VHF Ch. 80 +44(0)1275 841941 Bristol City Harbour VHF Ch.14 +44(0)117 9031484 Lundy Landmark Trust +44(0)127 1870870 Tenby Harbour Master on +44(0)1834 842717 Neyland Yacht Haven VHF Ch. 80, 37. +44(0)1646 601601 The Pilot restaurant, Penarth +44(0) 2920 710615 Mo’s Traditional Indian and Takeaway +44(0)29 2070 3388 Taxi: K-Tax of Penarth +44(0)29 20708525

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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99

How to Win ~ Self-coaching

Taking time out from the race course to have an objective look at your skills can pay dividends. Mark Rushall explains the process

Coach yourself 100

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

PHOTO PAUL WYETH FOR RYA

R

acing is so much fun that, for many of us, it’s difficult to break out of the habit of using every bit of free time to do just what we love: going racing. For those who don’t race but might like to, there is not always an obvious way to develop confidence in the skills they may need: they rarely see the racers working on honing their skills alone.

This season, as recreational sailors, we’ve been forced to adapt: initially sailing on our own, then informally racing with a few like-minded teams, and eventually if we were lucky, some club racing and even the occasional regatta. It has been a great reminder that there may be better ways to learn and develop sailing skills, than spending all our available time racing round the cans or reaching up and down the same piece of water.

So, why is that? Let’s take a look...

Change can be painful Many years ago, I visited the club of my youth, Draycote Water, where my father had chartered a club Laser for me to race with him in his Sunday morning race. “I’m losing out on the tacks in a breeze,” he said as we rigged our boats.

It didn’t take me long to work out what the problem was: he was still tacking facing backwards as we both had learned even more years before in Mirror dinghies with transom sheeting.

But could I get the message across or even get him to try something new in the race? Of course not! “Out of my way, son, I’m trying to win the race!”

Obviously trying something new was going to have a detrimental effect on this race and his competitive instinct was way too strong to cope with that.

Eventually, in clear breach of racing rule 2, I managed to get between him and the windward mark and shepherd him off the course so that we could stop and chat. I showed him that by facing forward, he could cross the boat more efficiently, and control the mainsheet all the way through the tack, easing sheet if there was any danger of stalling on the

exit. While the rest of the fleet raced on, we practised the new skill, and by the time it came to race two he was ready to test it in competition.

I’d rate the intervention 7/10 in effectiveness: in low pressure situations with time to think, the tacking looked way neater. In the race, when things got tight, the routines fell apart: he had not yet learned to adapt the new technique to a changing environment. If winning the race was the sole objective, he’d be better off going back to the old way. But he had seen the potential and resolved to continue practising outside the racing environment until facing forward became automatic.

Some full-time racers have the discipline to designate specific regattas as ‘process’ regattas: where the goal is to work on a specific skill in a racing environment, as opposed to an ‘outcome’ regatta where the result is the goal. I’m too much like my father: I need to get outside the normal racing environment in order to give myself permission to focus outside of the result. The opportunity to develop new skills is increased.

A non-racer with aspirations may have a parallel conflict: why stray out of a comfort zone by practising a gybe,

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How to Win ~ Self-coaching

when a tack comes with no danger of getting wet? It’s takes a mental leap of faith.

Options are limited by the race situation Effective decision-making is a big part of success in ‘getting there quickly’, but options to practise and improve are severely limited in classic club racing, unless you are the fastest boat or consistently the best starter.

After a bad start, or in the slowest boat, tactical decisions quickly become based on the ‘least worst’ option in the fight between clear wind and an opportunity to go the right way.

In these cases, it’s really difficult to focus on the ‘big picture’ considerations - the factors that, in isolation, would give the shortest or quickest route around the course.

Instead, boat on boat decisions have the biggest impact, and it is possible to sail a whole race without learning what - for the winners - was the biggest strategic priority.

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You have no control of the learning environment One of the most important things for us to learn in our new (to us) RS200 this spring, was just how deep to sail downwind in the range of conditions. How low dare we go in the puffs without stalling the kite and losing too much speed? How

ABOVE Focus on ‘adaptive’ skills such as sail trim BELOW Buddy up: this gives a clear benchmark

much kicker do we need? How much extra pressure do we need to make it worthwhile heating up to plane?

Two evenings during semi-lockdown spent with two other RS200s on our own windward-leeward course fast-tracked this learning for us: we had complete control of the course and environment, and each time the

BELOW Time away from the race course allows you to isolate specifics

small changes in wind and wave conditions while maintaining focus on what is going on around them.

Moving the body to windward in anticipation of the next gust, a little tweak on the kicker and ease of the mainsheet when body weight is not enough to keep the boat flat, a tiny ease of the jib as a bad set of waves approach, or simply using body weight and trim to initiate a turn rather than that speed-sapping pull or push on the rudder. But it is really hard to work on these skills with all the distractions of other boats, and a course to sail around.

The practice of self-coaching

PHOTOS TIM OLIN; NICK DEMPSEY/PAUL WYETH/RYA

boats separated we could re-group to maximise the feedback. It might take a whole season of club racing to give that quality of learning, and even then, the feedback might be hijacked by the presence of other classes preventing freedom to experiment.

Feedback is all outcome-based In a formal race, it is incredibly difficult to separate the result of the race from how well you executed a particular skill. How do you evaluate whether you have made a gain on your roll tacking if you made a mess of the start and spent the whole beat trying to find clear wind? If you win, how do you nail down exactly what you did well, and what still needs attention? With a multitude of variables, and no external observer, it is almost impossible to be objective about this.

Outside a racing environment, with a buddy or even on your own, it is much easier to set up an exercise, and work out how you are going to measure success (the ‘feedback’). For example, following our last club race, it was clear that our roll tacking needed some attention. We were shipping a lot of water, and often exiting the tack high and slow, with the jib barely filling. So next time the wind is right, we’ll launch early, and spend some time experimenting with rate of turn, and amount of roll. The feedback will be straightforward: how much water do we ship, and how

much of a steering correction is needed on the exit? We will achieve more on our own in half an hour than we could hope to during a race.

Becoming adaptive Experience suggests that the best sailors in the club are often not those with the newest sails, the complicated tuning sheets, the fancy control systems and wind indicators and marks on all the controls for each condition (although yes, that all helps). They are the sailors who appear to react automatically to

If you are now inspired by the idea of investing some thought and time into turning yourself into a better sailor, read on. I’d suggest that some sort of structure will maximise the return of your investment: you could try mine or adapt it to suit your own learning preferences. So, where to begin?

What’s your goal?

One way to nail this down is to ask: ‘What’s the problem I’d like to solve?’ The better we can define the problem, the more we can structure our self-coaching around it. We’ll also be able to check in afterwards: did we solve the problem, or do we need to modify the exercise?

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How to Win ~ Self-coaching

In the Laser example, the problem was: ‘How can I keep control all the way through a tack in the breeze?’ In the downwind RS200 scenario it might be: ‘I want to get a feel for the right downwind angle through the wind range.’

Is there anything more I need to know?

Without a coach to ask challenging questions and make timely observations, we may need to do a little research before going afloat.

Internet resourses, reading, watching or chatting to top sailors might have given a hint that tacking facing forward was worth exploring in the Laser. Looking more closely at some of the video resources available might suggest some solutions for the ‘easy when you know how’ solution to changing hands out of the tack.

Design the exercise The activity may be as simple as ‘get on the water and do it’! Or it could be a staged process, for example, changing a long-established boat handling routine that is crying out for a land drill before going afloat.

Take the wheels off the trolley, tie the boat down, and practice the move in slow motion, working out where your arms, legs, and body need to go.

Feedback Because there is no coach, try to design an activity that provides its own feedback, whether you are sailing with others or on your own.

The feedback from sailing the RS200 downwind came from our speed against the other boats: we agreed to sail windward-leeward courses and re-group every time the ‘fleet’ spread and make direct comparisons.

If I wanted to work on my strategic decision making, I might play ‘good guy, bad guy’ with a buddy. We take it in turns to sail the beat as good guy and bad guy. The bad guy always sails on the opposite tack to the good guy, until he gets to the layline. The feedback is

ABOVE Research techniques and settings used by the top sailors

immediate: each time the good guy makes a good call, he sees the gain.

How will I know I’ve solved the problem?

BELOW Refining established routines such as tacking can take time

It’s good to start any project with a view of what success will look like.

The feedback is designed to lead us in the right direction, the vision tells us if we’ve got there. Sometimes it’s clear that we need to reset: the exercise is not having the desired effect, or there is some blocker preventing progress. It may be that we have unearthed a new problem and need to start the process again.

Or maybe we’ve cracked it in training: it’s time to stress test the new skill by upping the level.

Make it harder

In an ideal world we would gently wind up the difficulty and the distractions as our mastery of the skill develops. Slowly increasing the wind strength would do that nicely, but we have little control of that.

With the tacking examples, we could increase the frequency, or urgency, introduce some marks, add some more boats.

PHOTOS NICK DEMPSEY FOR RYA

What next?

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The ultimate stress test is to try the developed skill in a race. It may not work perfectly this time, but you can use the race to refine the problem and solution, or if you have done a really good job, to tick the box and work out what is going to make the next biggest difference: either way, the cycle of self-improvement is a continuous one.

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105

Buyer’s Guide ~ Batteries

Powered up 12V marine batteries come in a baffling array of sizes and types.

Sam Fortescue explains how to make sense of them all

T

ime for new batteries on board? Well, you could simply replace like for like and carry on as before. If your system worked perfectly, and the batteries lasted five, six or more years, then why not? But this is also an opportunity to review your electrics and see whether there is a more suitable battery out there for

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you. Could you fit in a highercapacity unit perhaps, or prevent the plotter switching off when you fire up the engine?

Most of us use lead-acid batteries and their performance is determined by two factors: the amount of current they can provide quickly, and how often they can be discharged. Both of these are affected by basic design, and by the quality of the materials

ABOVE A well charged battery bank is vital whether you are cruising or racing

used in the battery – particularly the density and purity of the lead. You really do get what you pay for here, with more expensive batteries lasting longer, putting up with more abuse and charging faster than their bargain-basement colleagues.

Bluewater cruisers or liveaboard sailors will benefit enormously from investing a little more in their batteries at the outset, according to

warranty and the older batteries will drag down the newer battery,” he adds.

PHOTOS ISTCOK/BARDEN

Horses for courses

Phil Smith of Barden UK. “You get more battery life for the extra money,” he explains. “Generally, it’ll have thicker plates, and the busbars inside will be beefed up to handle higher currents.”

That said, there’s little point in just dropping a more expensive battery into the space vacated by your old car battery. “It won’t make any difference if there is a problem with the electrical system,” adds Smith.

For the battery bank to perform it needs a suitable charger and monitoring. “Quite a lot of the older boats require battery monitoring system and charger upgrades but the newer models of boat generally come with these,” says Jim Caterall, Berthon’s electronics manager.

Crucially, you must replace all the batteries in the bank at the same time. “Otherwise you may void your

So how to set about navigating the battery marketplace? Well, first of all, take a look at how you use the boat and what sort of systems you need the battery to power. The role of a battery on board will typically fall into two distinct profiles. A cranking battery needs to supply a high current for just a few seconds to get the engine turning over. Even 400 Amps supplied for just 15 seconds will draw less than 2 Amp-hours from your battery, so it should never be discharged deeply.

At the other end of the scale are deep-cycle domestic batteries, whose role is to supply sustained low currents to keep everything from navigation systems to fridges running for hours on end. If you spend the night at anchor, you could find that even a relatively small 34ft cruising boat draws 50 Amp-hours from the house bank.

Somewhere in the middle of these two extremes – the sprinter on one hand and the long-distance runner on the other – a range of equipment such as windlasses and electric winches may also draw fairly heavy currents for several minutes at a time, or frequently over the course of a cruise as sails are trimmed.

ABOVE A standard cranking battery which supplies high current for just a few seconds BELOW Keeping batteries topped up when away from shore power is vital to avoid damage

That said, even top-of-the-line deep cycle batteries do not like to have more than about 50 per cent of their power regularly drained. US battery maker Concorde, whose brands include Lifeline, says that its units should manage around 1000 cycles to 50 per cent discharge. Raise the depth of discharge to 60 per cent, and cycles fall to 800. Cut it to 40 per cent and you get 1,500 cycles before you have to replace the batteries.

It's also well worth noting that if you empty a cranking battery regularly, you may only get a few hundred cycles out of it. They are that sensitive.

What’s in a battery?

All lead-acid batteries rely on the chemical reaction that takes place when lead plates are suspended in a strong acid, creating a flow of electrons through an external circuit.

Though their outward form has changed little over the years, battery chemistry is constantly being refined. And the way they are built will depend on how they are to be used. The ‘sprinter’ will have more, thinner lead plates inside, giving a greater surface area capable of supplying a higher current. But thin plates are usually more vulnerable to damage when the battery is discharged deeply. A house battery, on the other hand, has much more lead on fewer plates, and can sustain low currents for longer, as well as surviving deep discharge.

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Buyer’s Guide ~ Batteries Battery life - top tips •

•

• •

•

•

•

Types of battery

The vast majority of boat batteries are still of the lead-acid variety, despite the recent availability of lithium cells. There are three basic lead-acid types, and they each have their advantages and drawbacks. The longest standing is the wet-cell battery, which is also the cheapest option. Its lead plates are simply set in a bath of sulphuric acid. It vents hydrogen and oxygen when charging and needs to be kept topped up with distilled water. It must also be installed upright and can release corrosive sulphuric acid mist. “If the battery is easily accessible and you can get in and easily top up, we’d often recommend wet-cell,” says Smith at Barden.

For better performance, there is also a sealed variant of the wet-cell battery, while the manufacturer of the Trojan brand uses a proprietary carbon additive to speed up charging times and improve charge retention.

So-called ‘smart carbon’ is particularly useful where recharging cycles are often incomplete because of reliance on renewables.

Gel-type batteries contain the acid electrolyte in a gel form, combined with silica, and were developed 30 years ago as an improvement on the basic wet-cell variety. They are

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sealed, so no topping up is required, but they are more sensitive to fluctuations in charging current, and are best used with a specific gel charger. Though they usually absorb less power than AGM batteries, they retain that charge well and discharge themselves much more slowly.

More recently, AGM batteries have emerged, where the acid is absorbed in a very fine glass mat, so that it is never sloshing around inside. They can be installed on their sides, and also need no topping up. They are the most resistant to temperature fluctuations and vibration, and are said to be safer, because they recombine the oxygen and hydrogen

ABOVE Topping up with shore power BELOW Optima's distinctively shaped AGM batteries

Replace all batteries at the same time, don’t combine new and old.

Use the battery manufacturer’s guidelines on charging voltages, not those of the charger maker Ensure the charger has a temperature sensor Only connect batteries that are physically located in the same place Install an alternator regulator so the engine charges your batteries properly too Use a battery monitor to keep an eye on battery health Check batteries visually from time to time – even AGMs will deform if overcharged

produced during charging more quickly back into water.

They also have lower internal resistance, which means higher currents and greater efficiency.

A further refinement of the AGM battery has been developed by US manufacturer Northstar. Known as ‘thin plate pure lead’ batteries, they are intended to be more efficient, last longer and resist temperature extremes better.

Lifeline Produced by the American company Concorde, Lifeline AGM batteries are touted as the most efficient on the market. They have been supplying marine AGM batteries for over 20 years.

Varta Pitched more at the motorboat market, Varta manufactures both AGM and wet-cell batteries for marine use in plants in Europe and America. It produces a ‘dual purpose’ line designed to crank the engine and provide power for onboard systems.

Optima Also built by the company which owns Varta, Optima batteries have a distinctive rounded shape to each cell. They are all AGM varieties and

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Buyer’s Guide ~ Batteries

have a reputation for durability, especially the Bluetop model, recommended for marine use. Best suited to smaller boats because of a 75Ah maximum size.

composite material on the negative plates which is supposed to be more efficient and more resilient in the face of persistent partial charging.

This latter issue is more of a problem in off-grid power systems, but it can be a useful attribute on a boat where recharging is via solar and wind.

Rolls Built in Canada, the distinctive red-cased Rolls battery is a highquality AGM or wet-cell unit. The AGM in particular includes thick plates with a new high-density active paste that makes the battery more efficient and thereby reduces the discharge rate.

ABOVE The Rolls and PowerMax batteries

Sonnenschein Known as the German brand which first developed gel batteries, Sonnenschein is now a subsidiary of Indian-owned Exide

Trojan US manufacturer of wet-cell and AGM batteries, including a marine line. So-called T2 technology includes a stronger grid, high density Alpha Plus active paste and Maxguard separators between the positive and negative plates to extend battery life.

Victron Energy Victron is a big name in the power management world. Their range of lead-acid batteries are zero maintenance, with a lead carbon

PowerMax This is part of battery supplier Barden's Leisure range, includes calcium to reduce self-discharging when the battery is not in use, and is available in a ‘maintenance-free’ sealed version, despite being wet-cell.

These batteries have thicker plates for deep cycling, a magic eye hydrometer, and dual terminals. This is Barden’s ‘own label’ battery.

Numax Introduced in 2002 by the British

Battery comparison table Brand

Model

Type

Lifeline GPL-31T AGM Northstar 31M AGM PowerMax 100 Sealed Flooded PowerMax 110 Leisure Flooded Rolls S12 AGM Rolls R12 AGM Varta Pro LFS105 Flooded Varta LA105 AGM Trojan 31-GEL Gel Trojan 31-AGM AGM Optima BlueTop D31M AGM Numax CXV30HMF Flooded Leoch Powabloc GTP12-110 Gel Sonnenschein GF12094Y Gel Exide ES1350 Gel Victron Lead Carbon AGM

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Ah (20hr)

105 100 95 110 105 100 105 105 102 100 75 105 95 110 120 106

Cranking current EN (0 deg) 750A 1370A 700A 630A 820A 900A 800A 950A 620A 600A 900A 940A 800A 760A 760A 500A

Lifecycle (50%) Price

1050 900 n/a n/a 1200 800 200 400 1000 1000 n/a 500 2000+ 800 800 1500

battery supplier ManBat, the own-brand Numax line covers AGM, gel and classic wet-cell batteries.

£375.00 £304.00 £99.00 £92.70 £239.03 £207.37 £137.98 £206.50 £350.00 £258.30 £260.00 £89.99 £200.00 £295.00 £250.00 £306.98

Competition

WIN! Zhik Kiama

jacket and trousers Zhik's popular jacket and trousers are perfect for inshore and coastal sailing

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e have teamed up with Zhik to offer a competition to win a set of their Kiama jacket, worth £179, and trousers, worth £169, for men or women.

Zhik’s Kiama Jacket and Trousers are the perfect waterproofs for inshore and coastal sailing.

This waterproof, breathable jacket has a durable, breathable membrane, with a plush, moisture-wicking inner lining for added comfort and warmth against windchill.

Available in men’s and women’s sizes, the jacket is completely waterproof with fully taped seams. Inbuilt soft PU wrist seals keep water out. Styled with a longer race cut for more protection, and the large, discrete zip pockets are lined with a cosy fleece. The adjustable hood stows easily in the collar pouch.

Made using exactly the same construction techniques, Kiama waterproof trousers have adjustable Neoprene shoulder straps for a perfect fit and comfort and 600+ denier abrasion-resistant panels on the seat and knees.

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ENTER THE COMPETITION AT yachtsandyachting.co.uk/zhik Entries close midnight Sunday 1 November

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

111

Feature ~ Lonely Rock Race

Race to the Lonely Rock (well, almost)

T

he inaugural Lonely Rock Race served up a range of testing conditions for a diverse fleet of predominately very experienced sailors and well-proven yachts. After a summer of weather noted mostly for successive heat waves, conditions for the first 608-mile Lonely Rock Race proved just how challenging this course can be.

Very light conditions were forecast for the start thanks to a complex weather situation left over from the extensive thunderstorms of the previous week. On the second day that would give way to a slow transition towards westerly winds of 14-18 knots. After that, an extratropical low-pressure system

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

promised fresh to frightening conditions on the way home from the Fastnet Rock, with the possibility of winds well over 40 knots.

False start

Fortuitously a band of wind on the leading edge of a belt of rain provided a reasonable breeze at the start off Ryde and for the first few miles of the race. In the first start, for the faster boats, Pip Hare’s IMOCA 60 Medallia, sailing with Paul Larsen and Mikey Ferguson, was first away, close reaching at speeds in double figures, followed by Chris Edwards’ F31 trimaran Chimera, and CJ and Jody Smith’s Bavaria 50 Sue Zolica.

Five minutes after the second start Tom Kneen’s JPK1180 Sunrise enjoyed an early lead on the water,

ABOVE Light winds set in as IMOCA 60 Medallia extended her lead ABOVE CENTRE Bavaria 50 Sue Zolica ghosting past the Needles

accelerating cleanly away into clear air. However, the breeze didn’t last and it was not long before the fleet was ghosting along in the merest of zephyrs and pouring rain. In the Western Solent even Medallia was down to speeds in the 3-4 knot bracket and those further back in the fleet had a frustrating period trying to get wet spinnakers and asymmetrics to fill.

The leg westward in the Channel is common to many offshore races, but this time only the IMOCA 60 rounded Portland with a favourable stream. Sunrise subsequently sneaked past the Bill, short tacking through the inshore passage against the stream, followed just over an hour later by Chimera. Some of the remainder of the fleet were slow to

PHOTOS PAUL LARSEN; RICK TOMLINSON FOR RWYC

Rupert Holmes reports on a weather-plagued first edition of this offshore race

kedge and therefore lost valuable ground, with a few boats dropping back as much as two or three miles.

Despite Sunrise’s early gains on sistership Ed Ball’s Dawn Treader, winds overnight favoured the boats further offshore. By midday on Monday, when Sunrise tacked offshore a few miles to the east of Dartmouth, Dawn Treader was well ahead on the water.

The IRC fleet was split neatly into two sections, with three faster boats, including Sunrise and the other JPK1180, Ed Ball’s Dawn Treader rating at exactly 1.100, while Adrian Troop’s Pogo 36 rated 23 points higher. The remainder of the fleet was grouped around 1.000, giving these boats decent competition despite the small size of the fleet.

At this stage, the slower-rated IRC

ABOVE Tom Kneen's JPK1180 crew celebrates in Plymouth BELOW Light airs required max concentration, as here on Sun Fast 3200 Sunfire

designs were led by Kathy Claydon’s Arcona 370 Arcsine, with Will Claxton’s venerable JOD35 Tarantella looking very well-placed further south. These two boats met up as they passed Salcombe and stayed together for the rest of the afternoon, until Arcsine tacked away to the south a little after sunset, a move that gained them several miles as they closed on the Lizard peninsula.

Dawn Treader and Sunrise continued their match race and by midnight on the second day were close together approaching the Lizard, with Dawn Treader enjoying a marginal advantage, as Medallia passed them on the return leg to the finish line in Plymouth.

Storm warning

Throughout the race, concerns about the weather forecast for the Celtic Sea legs were high among race officials, competitors and enthusiastic spectators alike. By the end of his pre-race weather briefing Miles Sneddon had left competitors in no doubt that they needed to keep a sharp eye on the forecast for the Celtic Sea sections.

As the fleet headed towards Land’s End on Tuesday the weather models Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

113

Feature ~ Lonely Rock Race

Spotlight on the sailors Pip Hare needs no introduction.

She’s one of the best British sailors of her generation, with her sights firmly set on this year’s Vendée Globe race. She competed in the Lonely Rock Race with world sailing speed record holder Paul Larsen and seasoned IMOCA sailor Mikey Ferguson.

were converging on the upper end of their previous predictions. With forecasters warning of the potential for even further strengthening, race director Chris Arscott made the prudent call to shorten the course.

Competitors would round Wolf Rock, eight miles south-southwest of Land’s End, before returning to the finish at Plymouth. A few hours after the shortened course announcement the Met Office issued a warning of Storm Force 10 in sea area Fastnet.

Little more than 24 hours later the wind at the Fastnet lighthouse peaked with sustained speeds of 58 knots and gusts of up to 64 knots.

Rounding Wolf Rock

Medallia rounded Wolf Rock with a big lead to take line honours in the early hours of Tuesday morning, by a margin of nine hours after 41 hours

of racing. As the IMOCA finished, Dawn Treader and Sunrise were rounding Wolf Rock. On the final 72 mile downwind leg to the finish Sunrise was marginally - but consistently - faster.

She neatly executed several gybes in the final few minutes of the race, before goosewinging her asymmetric kite passing the western end of Plymouth breakwater. Kneen’s team took overall victory on corrected time, 22 minutes ahead of Dawn Treader in second place. Next across the line was Chimera, who won the multihull division.

After passing the Lizard on the outboard leg Arcsine consistently stretched her lead on her immediate competitors. She was third IRC yacht to finish, almost an hour and 20 minutes ahead of local Plymouth entry, Steve Andrew’s Sun Fast 3200

By contrast, former professional badminton player Matt Smith is one of the less experienced skippers in the fleet, having only taken up sailing some five years ago. However, he has gained an impressive amount of experience in that time, from both time on the water and expert mentoring.

He regularly raced his first boat, a Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200 R2, with the Solo Offshore Racing Club. He followed that with a couple of seasons as co-owner of a Class 40, before buying his current stead, the Archambault A31 Columbus Circle, which he has prepped for next year’s 3,800 mile Cap Martinique race from the Breton port of La Trinité sur Mer to Fort de France, Martinique.

ABOVE Pip Hare leaving the Solent, on board IMOCA 60 Medallia BELOW Matt Smith's Archambault 31 battles with Ed Ball's JPK1180

Charlene Howard I know of no one with a regular full-time job who clocks up more miles than Charlene Howard and her Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45.2 AJ Wanderlust is one of the most travelled in the fleet. In a decade of ownership she has covered close to 100,000 miles, including multiple Round Britain and Ireland Races, last year’s Azores and Back, and many others. She is also entered in next year’s TWOSTAR double-handed trans Atlantic race from Plymouth to Newport, Rhode Island.

PHOTOS RICK TOMLINSON FOR RWYC

Kathy Claydon

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Kathy Claydon has huge experience gained over an extended period. Her Arcona 370 Arcsine is well-known at the front of both JOG and RORC fleets – she has notched up wins in the doublehanded class of the RORC overall points series as far back as 2003.

RS aero

lable

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March 2020 Yachts & Yachting

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

115

Feature ~ Lonely Rock Race

Sunfire. Arcsine also saved her time on Sunfire to take third place on corrected time, almost an hour ahead of Andrew.

Claydon’s performance also earned first place on corrected time among the six-strong double-handed contingent, ahead of Matt Smith’s Archambault A31 Columbus Circle and Tarantella.

Against the odds

The Lonely Rock Race looks likely to be the only long offshore race in the UK calendar this season. Even then, it was only possible to run the race with many Covid precautions in place and numbers were well down, with many boats that had intended to compete not making it to the start line.

In particular, a large number of charter boats, including several Volvo 60s, had to withdraw due to not being able to sail the qualifying miles with the crew that would be on

board for the race. In addition, only British based teams were able to compete, which further reduced entries to only 15 boats.

Competitors were grateful for the work put in by the Royal Western and Royal Victoria Yacht Clubs to enable them to compete. On receiving her prizes Kathy Claydon told race director and RWYC commodore Chris Arscott: “We appreciated your decision – we know how hard it is to make decisions on the weather, but we still had a very interesting race and are very pleased that you were able to put it on.”

The industry is also clearly strongly supportive of the race, with sponsors including Zhik, Team O, B&G, Allspars, Magenta Project and Ullman Sails, collectively giving prizes worth many thousands of pounds, including a Cape Horn 330 model from Spectra Watermakers.

ABOVE Rounding the Rock in the last RORC Rolex Fastnet Race; entries for 2021's race open 12 January BELOW Inaugural Lonely Rock Race line honours for the Medallia crew: Pip Hare, Paul Larsen and Mikey Ferguson

With RORC’s biennial Rolex Fastnet Race due to switch to a finish off Cherbourg, France from 2021 in order to accommodate a larger fleet, Plymouth's Royal Western Yacht Club decided to resurrect a race format first used by the club in 1925 - together with the Royal Victoria Yacht Club - with the introduction of the Lonely Rock Race.

What began 95 years ago as a bet saw seven boats contest the inaugural race. Two years later and the race drew the first international entrants, with French and American yachts entered. Starting off Ryde on the Isle of Wight, boats originally had the option of exiting the Solent eastwards, or west past the Needles, before rounding the Rock and finishing in Plymouth.

Now, dubbed the Lonely Rock Race (a translation of the Gaelic for 'Fastnet Rock'), this most recent iteration of the event heads west from the Needles to the Rock and maintains a finish in Plymouth Sound. The intention is to run this event on alternate years to the RORC Rolex Fastnet Race - now on to its 49th edition. However, in 'Fastnet years', a shorter race is now also being planned by RWYC, from Plymouth via the Rock back to Plymouth. Visit: rwyc.org/lrr.

For info on RORC's Rolex Fastnet Race visit: rolexfastnetrace.com

PHOTOS PAUL LARSEN; RICHARD LANGDON/OCEAN IMAGES; CARLO BORLENGHI/RORC

The evolution of racing round the Rock

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‑ Reliability. Many outboard motors don’t get used very often, and small petrol motors hate this. Electric outboards have fewer parts in general, and in particular (the most common cause of petrol motor issues) there’s no carburettor to “gum up”.

It’s not all perfect: they are undeniably More Expensive than petrol outboards, mostly because lithium batteries are expensive. But that extra upfront cost is largely offset by their Lower Lifetime Running Costs, including (almost) No Servicing.

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Dispatches MARSEILLE | BLACK JOKE The appointment of a harbourmaster in France is a political one. It is a role selected by the mayor and, as such, this means that it can be open to an element of baksheesh. This is because, in some ports, the job is something of a sinecure. Without wishing to point fingers, I nominate role of harbourmaster to the port of Marseille as the biggest sinecure of them all. I pulled in here with the aim of a night’s repose and some moderate pastis drinking at the midway point of a cruise.

Entering Marseille is rather magical as this is one of the great historical ports of the world and retains a very authentic salty tang. The marina is also incredible, as you motor right to the heart of the old town and moor up within a stone’s throw of the waterfront cafes and bars. Magical. Yet it was the actions of the harbourmaster that really caught our attention. After mooring up at the visitor’s pontoon, we were told to “marche vite’”as the harbourmaster was about to take his lunch. I hurried to his office and was greeted by a rosy faced good humoured man, well upholstered, who simply said, “Belle bateau!” and pointed me to the adjacent yacht club who actually took payment (an extraordinarily reasonable €22) and allocated a berth. That afternoon as we cleaned and re-stocked the boat, he and his colleagues took a three hour lunch break and then spent the rest of the afternoon drinking coffee, smoking and hoovering up their outdoor dining area; only occasionally pausing to bawl pleasantries at his mates on passing tripper boats. The next morning I awoke at 8am to the sight of him coolly sipping a pastis in the early morning sunlight.

Rarely have I seen a man so completely in command of his position. Doffing a chapeau to this venerable man, we headed out toward the Chateau d’If and the shimmering waters beyond, dreaming of one day landing the job of harbourmaster to the port of Marseille.

FEATURE HERE! Send us your dispatches – from St Mawes to St Croix editor@sailingtoday.co.uk twitter.com/SailingTodayMag

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

119

TIME OUT SAM JEFFERSON REVIEWS SOME BUNKSIDE READS, AND THUMBS THROUGH THE LATEST REFERENCE PUBLICATIONS

Classic Choice A Cruise in an Opium Clipper - Captain Lindsay Anderson They say not to judge a book by its cover but in this case, I think it’s safe to do so. A Cruise in an Opium Clipper covers precisely that subject matter. Captain Lindsey Anderson relates in some detail his time serving aboard the clipper schooner Eamont as it engaged in the illicit smuggling of opium into China, a trade that brought obscene wealth to a number of British and American merchants in the early to mid 19th century. For the unenlightened, this trade was set up largely by the British East India Company in order to redress an imbalance of trade in China caused by the Chinese merchants’ refusal to purchase British and European goods in exchange for their own high value products such as silk, porcelain and tea. With money pouring into China and none coming out, trade was running at a huge deficit until someone came up with the ingenious and repugnant idea of importing opium from India and ensnaring the Chinese with addiction.

While the concept was appalling, there is no question that the fast clippers that undertook this high risk, high speed trade were

handled with utmost skill and the tales of their exploits are fascinating. The fact Lindsay Anderson was there makes this both a fascinating tale of derring-do and a vital historical account.

Things reach a climax when the Eamont opens up a new supply line in Formosa (modern day Taiwan) and enters uncharted waters by actually bumping over a reef - a hugely risky undertaking. The book is not beautifully written but it has the tang of authenticity and the accounts of skill are breathtaking, while the disgraceful practices of the British and American drug dealers should not be forgotten.

A Simple Life – Philip Corridan Philip Corridan’s A Simple Life is a sort of hard luck story that develops into a crime thriller based around the misadventures of Paul Williams, an embittered divorcee who is forced to live in extreme poverty aboard a small plywood yacht in Norfolk following a messy divorce. He is kept tied to his job and this unsatisfactory lifestyle because he has to pay alimony for his young son, Ben. Having laid out the basis for Ben’s ‘simple life’, author Philip Corridan then sets about shaking it up and further ruining an already rotten existence by making Paul lose his job and get involved with a criminal gang.

For reasons too obscure to explain here, this

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

leads to Paul deciding the only logical option is to do a midnight flit with his young son. Is it any good? Well, it’s eminently readable and keeps you engaged. I’m not saying it’s up there with the works of James Joyce, but for a holiday read it’s good. I also got the strong impression that Mr Corridan might well have lived certain aspects of the book – probably not the criminal side of it – but some of the dark passages about living alone on a small boat in the Norfolk Broads definitely brought to life a very real, first-hand sense of suffering. amazon.co.uk £7

Sundowner – Robin Lamb Robin Lamb’s sundowner appears to be the true story of his and his wife’s retirement plan, involving buying a boat and living aboard in Greece. It’s written in the style of a memoir and at times the detail is almost forensic. As such, it’s an interesting read and might well prove useful for someone looking to do the same thing, as it lists the pleasures and pitfalls of setting out and undertaking such an enterprise. For me, however, I couldn’t help but find it a little tame; I guess these days selling up and going to Greece is not particularly revolutionary. Nevertheless, the style is engaging – albeit overly detailed at times.

Illustrated Guides to the French Waterways – Gordon Knight

olympiapublishers.com £12.99

Anyone planning a cruise of the French inland waterways will welcome the news that Gordon Knight’s excellent guides have been digitised in full colour as a series of 12. They provide details of marinas, haltes and other mooring points (even picnic stops), together with information on facilities, shopping and nearby attractions.

The guides currently cover the Canal du Centre; Canal du Loing and Canal de Briare; Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne; Canal Latéral à la Loire; Canal Latéral à la Marne; The River Marne; Canal du Rhône au Rhin; Canal du Rhône au Rhin (Nord) and Canal de Colmar; Canal de la Marne au Rhin (Est); Canal de la Marne au Rhin (Ouest); Canal de la Sarre and River Saar and The Petite Saône. Proceeds from the digital guides go to ASPAS, a French wildlife charity. play.google.com/books £5 each

Reeds Skipper’s Handbook – Malcolm Pearson This is a handy, pocket-sized reference book that covers all the key things you need to remember if you are the skipper of a sailing yacht; whether that be how to take a fix, right through to an aide memoire on flag signals. It’s an immensely useful and carefully thought-out guide of the sort that I never read, despite at times being one of those most in need of such a book.

The fact this is the seventh edition – revised to include more on electronic navigation, tides, communications and licencing – indicates that this is a highly rated little handbook. The publishers recommend it as a quick reference guide as well as for revision, and I can see it would be handy in both cases. I look forward to taking on board some of its sage advice in the future. adlardcoles.co.uk £8.99

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Shortlist |Watermakers

SHORTLIST

MORE SHORTLISTS We keep this list and others like it bang up-to-date online at sailingtoday.co.uk

WATERMAKERS Katadyn PowerSurvivor 40E

Osmosea New 12 Automatic

This 12V system is claimed to be the world’s smallest electric desalinator and draws only four amps from 12 volt systems. It weighs 11.6kg and rated output is 5.7 litres per hour, although it’s only suitable for use in clear water.

Osmosea’s 12 or 24 volt New 12 Automatic range encompasses seven models from 20-100 litres per hour, with power consumption ranging from 108-456 watts. Features include automatic freshwater flushing and water quality control, digital flowmeter to display production rate and a digital remote control.

£3,200 katadyn.com

from c£4,780 sailfishmarine.co.uk osmosea.it

Aqua Whisper Mini 170 / 350

Spectra Cape Horn Extreme 330

These units from Fischer Panda are intended to offer quiet and vibration free running. Both models offer automatic operation, with a failsafe diversion valve that’s intended to ensure only fresh water reaches the water tanks. There’s also a weekly automatic fresh water flush.

This rugged unit is a favourite for ocean races including the Vendee Globe and The Ocean Race. Maximum output is 56 litres per hour and the unit has two pumps, so if one pump fails it will continue to operate at half capacity. £POA spectrawatermakers.com furneauxriddall.com

£POA fischerpanda.co.uk

Katadyn Survivor 35

Schenker Zen 30

When we think of hand-operated desalinators we typically think of small hand-held units. However, this model is rated at 4.5 litres per hour and intended to supply sufficient water for up to 20 people, making it an ideal back up for larger crews.

The smallest of Schenker’s new-generation low voltage DC models weighs just 21kg, is 10cm wide by 71cm long and power draw is only 110W. It’s engineered to minimise the number of components and output is 30 litres per hour.

£POA katadyn.com mactramarine.co.uk

€4,776 schenkerwatermakers.com

Dessalator DUO

QuenchSea

Unsure whether to opt for a low voltage watermaker or a 240V system?

This range can be run from low-voltage DC when running the engine, or when excess solar power is available, or from a 240V generator. A 120V AC option is also offered.

To date watermakers have been expensive products. However, QuenchSea aims to disrupt the market for low-output hand-held devices, though producing them in very high volumes for use in emergency humanitarian relief efforts, as well as for adventurers and the maritime sector.

from £9,372 dessalator.fr advanceyacht.co.uk

122

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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Cheer up Tess At Euromarine, we only insure boats. Not houses or cars or, indeed, pets. That’s because we believe you can only do one thing brilliantly. By sticking to boats we can offer expert advice, and make sure you’re covered for accidental damage while sailing, racing and towing.

And if your boat sinks, not only are you covered for the removal of the wreckage and any pollution it causes, but you’ll also get a pre-agreed value. So you and your first mate can be back on board fast.

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

123

Three of the best BROKERAGE | BOATS FOR SALE

£4 0,0 00

SIGMA 38 | =Q The Sigma 38 first appeared on the scene in 1985 after RORC and the Royal Thames Yacht Club, reflecting on the tragic events of the 1979 Fastnet Race, opted to sponsor a one design class that would stand up to the rigours of tough offshore racing. The result was the David Thomas designed Sigma 38 and the yacht can now be viewed as a modern classic that can be comfortably cruised but that also enjoys a strong reputation as a racer. This particular example dates from 1988 and benefits from considerable work undertaken in the last two years. Her engine was replaced in 2017 and then during her yard period in 2019 her keel was off and

keel bolts replaced, standing rigging renewed along with most of her running rigging too. iow.boatshed.com

HANSE 588 | SEAHORSE

Cabins: 3 Year: 1988 LOA: 11.58m | 38’ Beam: 3.71m | 12’1” Draft Max: 2.03m | 6’6” Displacement: 6,237kg |13,752.6lbs Engine: Beta 30 (2017) Lying: Isle of Wight craftinsure quote: £350

Seahorse is almost definitely the highest specification Hanse 588 ever built, delivered by the UK Hanse dealership in 2017. Electric furling for the main, jib and genoa, larger 150hp engine option, generator, air conditioning, hardtop, full Flexiteek decks, hydraulic passarelle, bow and stern thruster... the list goes on, including a Williams Jet tender that lives neatly in the garage.

If you are looking for a Hanse 588, or indeed any 55-60ft cruiser, Seahorse should be considered. Seahorse boasts the upgraded oak interior with contrasting darker wood flooring to create a lovely light and bright interior space.

Recently re-upholstered in light grey throughout, including new cockpit and sunbathing cushions. michaelschmidt.co.uk

Cabins: 4 Year: 2017 Length: 17.20m | 56’4” Beam: 5.20m | 17.06” Max Draft: 2.65m | 8.69” Engine:Volvo | 150HP Lying: Hamble craftinsure quote: £POA

£5 Tax95,0 Pa 00 id €5 Tax75,0 Pa 00 id

BALTIC 56 | BIONIC ELK Originally launched in 2005 and the first in the Baltic 56 semi-custom series, Bionic Elk is by far the most unique and performance orientated of her class. Simply perfect for inshore racing, she also has great ocean legs as proved by an ARCcrossing in her early life. Extensively updated throughout her time, her most recent refit took place in 2017 shortly before her purchase by her current owners. Highlights from this refit included a complete new B&G electronics system, a new suit of North 3Di sails, new exterior and interior canvas work. The technology level is extremely high, utilising pre-preg carbon laminates, foam sandwich in the hull with honeycomb sandwich in the deck laminates and in general the technology is taken to the highest level. The boat is equipped with a canting keel system allowing the keel to swing 40 degrees to each side, boosting the sailing stability without making the boat heavy. grabauinternational.com

Year: 2005 LOA: 17.1m | 56’1” LWL: 14.29m | 46’8” Beam: 4.59m | 15’ Draft: 3.1m | 10’1” Displacement: 13,300kg | 29,331lbs Engine: Yanmar 4JH3-TCE 75hp Lying: La Coruna, Spain craftinsure quote: £POA

Insure your yacht with Craftinsure - boat insurance at the touch of a button.

Get a quote online or call today: craftinsure.com; 0345 2607 888 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

125

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OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Classified

To advertise call 020 7349 3787 or email mark.harrington@chelseamagazines.com

CLOTHING MUSTO WOMEN’S BR2 OFFSHORE JACKET Brand new, with tags. Size 14.

Black/Black. Still in original bag. £175 Tel 07867 820942 / (FAREHAM)

DINGHY COVERS

www.rainandsun.co.uk Dinghy covers

WETSUIT ‘VEST’ BLACK Wet Suit ‘Vest’ Black [TRADE]. £7.5 Tel 0161 793 1787 / 07975 901478 (MANCHESTER) WETSUIT ‘SHORTS’ BLACK Wet Suit ‘Shorts’ Black [TRADE]. £15 Tel 0161 793 1787 / 07975 901478 (MANCHESTER)

DINGHIES COMET XTRA 882 Three years old and little used. Includes trolley and cover. £2250 Tel 07970 248300 / (LANCING) 1178 RS AERO Excellent condition, selling with either 5 or 7 rig. It is ready to race, sails in great condition. the boat has across deck controls and comes with cover and aluminium trolley. Could sell it with both rigs for an extra £500. £5200 Tel 07990 867339 / (HUDDERSFIELD) 2020 CABRINHA SWITCHBLADE FX KITE New Cabrinha 2019 Switchblade FX Kite Complete With Bar And Lines kitesurf 2020 Cabrinha Switchblade FX Kite Complete With Bar And Lines kitesurf Available Colors Orange / Yellow / Blue Contact : Simonsenterprize. Call Me +1 832 299 4636 Whatsapp +1 469 988 5877. £700 Tel 83229 94636 / (DALLAS)

DINGHIES TOPAZ UNO RACE X (WHITE) This amazing versatile small sail boat, is in excellent condition. TRILAM construction. Length 3.86m, Beam 1.45m, Crew 1-2, Hull Weight 60kg, Main 6.93m2, Jib 1.75m2, Spinnaker 8.41m2, level Intermediate-Racer. Included Launching Trolley, Topaz Race Main Sail, Topaz Race Jibsail, Uno Spinnaker Kit, Topaz Race X Spinnaker black and Topaz top cover. . £1895 Tel 07772 503355 / (WESTCLIFF-ON-SEA)

4 88 5

4

British Made Drysuits Drysuit REPAIR Service

www.hammond-drysuits.co.uk 01474 704123 ENGINEERING

DRASCOMBE LONGBOAT Longboat 22ft open-cockpit version, new 2009.

Yawl rig, all in good condition for age.

NB no engine or trailer. . £5000 Tel 01579 342144 / 07530 095594 (LISKEARD)

MERLIN ROCKET - 3760 Winder Canterbury Tales built late 2013. Selden mast, boom and spinnaker poles with Winder pole launch and Ronstan cleats on the mast. Rod rigging. Winder lifting rudder with carbon tiller 3 jibs, 2 mainsails,2 spinnakers all HD Sails.

West Mersey road base. Lots of photos on request. . £13000 Tel 07903 993588 / (CHICHESTER)

SCORPION DINGHY PARTS Everything for sale apart from hull - mast, boom, sails, rudder, centreboard, spinnaker poles, rigging and fittings, etc. Canvas cover only 3 years old. Launching trolley with removable jockey wheel.

Everything in fair condition. Parts for sale separately, please apply. £20 Tel 01969 368371 / (LEYBURN)

STARFISHER 34 CRUSIER Engines: 2x VOLVO PENTA D4 DIESEL (2X 280 HP). LENGTH: 10,74M. BEAM: 3,68M. DRAUGHT: 0.58M. I am the second owner. Reason for sale: looking to get a bigger one 70-80 feet. . £133000 Tel 00407 44300954 / (ROMANIA)

803

LASER 209056 CARBON T/MAST COMBI TRAILER Mark 1 & 2 plus radial sails, carbon topmast, combo trailer, all kit etc,. £3750 Tel 07702 559845 / (POOLE)

CORNISH CRABBER 12 (BERMUDAN RIG) Excellent condition. Main, jib, spinnaker, cover, combi. Little used, never raced. Can be rowed and fitted with outboard. One owner since new 2013. £3750 Tel 01730 267701 / (PETERSFIELD)

SEALINE 290S 32,500 1991, 9.57m, white Awning. Sunshade, picnic table, fridge, etc. £27403 Tel +3465 6405192 / (PORTO CRISTO)

023

DRYSUITS

TOPAZ VIBE Built 2010, lightly used, two mains, jib, spinnaker, trapeze lines.

Hull watertight. Combi trolley trailer.

Blue boat cover. Topper handbook included. All in excellent condition. £1799 Tel 07986 507228 / (LEIGH-ONSEA)

505 K7302 Solid Parker composite hull. Boat is complete and sailable, with Genoa/Main/Spinny in good order. Needs some TLC as hull is faded and (included) combi trailer needs repainting. Tel 01376 501881 / (COLCHESTER)

TIDEWAY SAILS Tideway Sails by Jeckylls in White Terylene Main - 1 row of reefing points fitted. (No battens supplied) Genoa - some staining, nylon twist Hank’s on luff Jib - brass piston Hank’s fitted to luff All in good useable condition. £100 Tel 07887 771451 / (FAREHAM)

Tel:

Call Philip Bull on 023 8034 8854

TRAPEZE OR SKIFF BOOTS Gill Boots size 51/2 [TRADE]. £10 Tel 0161 793 1787 / 07975 901478 (MANCHESTER) LADIES HI FIT TROUSERS Henri Lloyd Hi Fit Tousers Red with Navy trim Excellent Condition (new about £150.00) [TRADE]. £50 Tel 0161 793 1787 / 07975 901478 (MANCHESTER)

rain .co.uandsun k

FLYING DUTCHMAN - ITALIAN BUILT GLASS HULL - TIMBER DECKS 40yrs, Well built hull, Timber decks need replacing. Needlespar mast, 4 Genoas, 2 Mains one with reefs, folding cuddy. £500 Tel 01634 404 327 / (ROCHESTER) TOPPER TOPAZ Boats are in a good condition less than 6 months old.

Price includes main,jib,and launching trolley. [TRADE]. £2350 Tel 01305 457400 / (PORTLAND UK) TOPPER CX 14 Boats are in a good condition.Price includes main,jib and spinnaker. [TRADE]. £4900 Tel 01305 457400 / (PORTLAND UK) TOPPER CX 12 Boats are in a good condition.Price includes main,jib,and spinnaker. [TRADE]. £3750 Tel 01305 457400 / (PORTLAND UK)

DINGHIES

DINGHIES

TOPPER HARKEN RACE Boats are in a good condition. 2017 hulls numbers.

Price includes launching trolley and top cover. [TRADE]. £2220 Tel 01305 457400 / (PORTLAND UK)

DEVOTTI D-ONE GBR 151 Very lightly used, hull and sails in excellent condition. All systems recently re-strung. Full suite of bags (foils, mast, boom, racks, over/ under and regatta). All white hull, blue spinnaker. Combi trailer. £7000 Tel 07795 516401 / (CHICHESTER)

EUROPE CLASS SAILS Velas Pires de Lima (AP-3 layout, different shapes) 4 sails in very good condition, used 2-3 months Spanish Champion design 2014!!! . £280 Tel +3466 0181999 / (SPAIN) MIRROR 14 (MARAUDER) 14 foot racing dinghy with spinnaker & trapeze. With launching trolley and boom-up cover. £200 Tel 07913 604 574 / (STAINES) PRICE REDUCED RS600 FF - 897 Boat in good condition,black carbon foils in good condition with full covers,newish foil sail and spare original sail,super spar mast,new boom,combi trailer,Top/ Bottom cover,narrow wings,cont kicker.

Pos px RS300 or RS700. £2750 Tel 07500 931665 / (OPRINGTON) MIRROR DINGHY Mirror dinghy No.64859 for sail. Never sailed. Stored in garage since built. All parts still in original package, Stainless Steel rigging. £700.00. £700 Tel 07798 828733 / (DARLINGTON)

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KEELBOATS CONTESSA OOD 34 Built 1984.

Extensively modified for 2 handed cruising & racing, Monitor self steering, B&G electronics, all lines led aft. see web link for full specifications and pictures https://nazcaii.wixsite.com/ nazca. £19950 Tel 07973 892412

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

127

Classified

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INSURANCE

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Boat Insurance made easy Get a quote in 20 seconds On cover in 2 minutes Low on-line premiums Get the App - craftinsure.com/app

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Instant on line quotes and cover I Tel: 02392 754000 Quality Policies for all kinds of Dinghy, Yacht and Multihull, from Sailors to Sailors. dinghyinsurance.com is a trading style of WH Insurance Consultants which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority KEELBOATS HALLBERG-RASSY 34 Built 1994, 2 owners. All the usual HR qualities of build and looks including heater, fridge and radar. Decent boat. . £67000 Tel 01403 267453 / (CHICHESTER)

Calls maybe recorded. Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

128

J24 BOAT LIFTER Hydrohoist Boat Lifter. Ideal for J24 or other keelboat/small yacht. Lifts boat completely out of water so no need for antifouling. Good working order, can be seen in action in Poole. Can be disassembled for transport. £2000 Tel +4419 29556222 / (POOLE)

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

KEELBOATS BRAND NEW GENOA SAIL New unused rollingfurler Genoa. Suite Nauticat 33 or similar. 33.6m2 LUFF. 1112cm. FOOT 365 cm. LEECH. 1058 cm White Dacron 350g with Blue material UV protection strip on Leech Foot. Padded Luff .

Reinforcing stitching, reinforced clew.

Tell tails Trim line to leech. Near offers considered. Photos available. £950 Tel 07810 751305 / (WELLINGBOROUGH ) FLYING 15 - 3827 Built August 2005 by Carbon Composites Cowes, Carbon deck, flyaway spinnaker pole system, carbon spinnaker chute, adjustable jib cars, fully faired hull, keel, rudder. Full amount of correctors. Lovely looking boat in off white. Comes with full set of Pinnell and Bax sails. Road trailer. Lying Grafham SC. . £5000 Tel 07816 836245

VAN HOEVELL 24ft LIFTING-KEEL SAILING YACHT - Beautiful varnished mahogany strip planking on oak frames, 1970. Easily managed singlehanded. 3 berths plus 2 using cockpit tent. Well maintained. Stem and stern recently rebuilt. Long lead-ballasted stub keel with ballasted lifting keel – min. Depth 0.8 m. Inboard diesel with feathering 3-blade propeller.

Sails in excellent condition. Ideal for coastal cruising and creek crawling.

Inflatable dinghy may be available as tender. Lying South Coast. £5000. Tel 07809605011.

COLVIC COUNTESS 37 1989 Colvic Countess 37’Centre cockpit, comfortable saloon,2 generous cabins with heads, holding tank.

Yanmar 4JH5E, propshaft, stern tube and underwater seal fitted in 2016.

Plotter, autohelm etc. Long range water and fuel tanks - comprehensive cruising inventory. Needing some light re - commissioning and TLC. Solid sound boat. . £24500 Tel 07545 066088 / (LARGS)

Classified

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KEELBOATS

KEELBOATS

KEELBOATS

1/5 SHARE SUN ODYSEEY 36.2 Fully equipped8berth 3cabin boat all safety equipment included, inmast furling 25hp diesel/fridge/oven/2burnerhob/ gps/autohelm/dinghy/new rigging. poros x overs, fly to Athens.weeks reserved 6-19june and1-14aug+224sep .sale due to mobility prob. dues paid till 1 June, . £5750 Tel 01543 432314

TRAPPER TS240 - RACING / CRUISER YATCH Length 24” Beam 9” Draft 5’ 6/2” Hydraulic lifting keel Outboard 8HP well mounted 4 Berth cooker GPS Auto helm Echo sounder CD radio Ships radio etc All sails / 2 x spinnaker & pole / Anchor Purpose built Hi cradle Please call for full details, quick sale required. £3500 Tel 07960 141492 / 07950 141496

J92 2000, J composites in France with Volvo 10hp inboard. Good sails, lots off kit and equipment. Call for more details. £28500 Tel 07891 544291 J24 Race-ready Rogers Contessa J24.

GBR4113 is ready to take away today, fully rerigged in 2019 with Kingfisher Ropes, Harken and Viadana blocks.

Correctors, 2016 Dart Sails set, North Sails spinnaker, road trailer, outboard engine. Contact for full history and inventory. £6950 Tel 07894 275014

J24 HYDRO HOIST LIFTER Will lift boat totally out of the water other than tip of keel. Perfect working order. Nearly all of metal work replaced in 2018.

New pads and feet 2018. Can be disassembled for transport. . £3000 Tel 075408 54030 / 01789 404000 (POOLE)

SAILS

1/5 SHARE SUN ODYSEEY 36.2 Fully equipped /in mast reefing /genoa/ elect windlass/dinghy outboard/liferaft/ 3 cabin /8 berth circa 1998/bimini/deck shower/ ashore Aegina. weeks reserved in June/aug add weeks aug available .maintenance payments till May 1st paid. . £5950 Tel 01543 432314 AJAX 23 No.43 “Astrid” White hull, light blue deck. 2 suits of sails, one set used only twice. In fair condition. Currently laid up at Percuil Boatyard. £1500 Tel 01872 862833 / (ST MAWES)

KNIVES Exceptional Performance

MYERCHIN KNIVES

T: (01929) 554308 The Sail Loft, 16 Sandford Lane Ind Est, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 4DY

www.kempsails.com

OTHER EQUIPEMENT ARIES - YACHT SELF STEERING VANE GEAR Well known and well proven ‘Blue Water’ system. Used but good condition. Suitable for yachts 30’ to 40’. Mounting tubes and attaching parts included, plus servo rudder and wind vane. Adapter for tiller steering, but can equally be used with wheel (adapter needed). For collection OR packaged for buyer to arrange transport. £1100 Tel 01436 842254 / (HELENSBURGH)

TRAILERS

HALF TON CLASSIC 1979 Mistral 31 - Hull No 1. Taken from the mould of the legendary Rollercoaster.

A gorgeous and seaworthy Rob Humphreys design with blistering pace. Good condition, fully loaded, ready to race. £24995 Tel. 07971 809294 / (BRADWELL ON SEA) OFINOU 7 Tofinou 7. Beautiful day boat in an immaculate condition and well looked after. Recent varnish work.

Brand new unused jib and mainsail.

Original sails inc. spinnaker. Yanmar 1GM10. 2012. Custom boom tent and full winter cover. Available to view, please get in touch to arrange viewing or for more information. £40000 Tel 07821 583277 / (ISLE OF WIGHT) 1990 ROGERS DESIGN J-24 Good race results both in club racing and opens.

2nd Spring Cup 2019 in Dartmouth. 5th Summer Cup 2019 in Parkstone with race win. 3rd Autumn Cup in Poole.

Race wins at the last two National Events. Last weighed in at 1272KG. Original Kenyon Mast with forestay reinforcement completed 2019. . £9000 Tel +4477 87741871 / +4477 68533119

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CATAMARAN TRAILER - CAN CARRY 2 NACRA 17S OR SIMILAR 2 year old trailer in fantastic condition with fibre glass gear box attached to trailer. Double mast holder. Will hold A classes, 17s, anything up to a Tornado. . £950 Tel +1345 5265353 / 01394 389360 (IPSWICH) DOUBLE-STACKING LASER ROAD TRAILER Double-stacking Laser road base. Please contact via email for photos which are available on request. Takes two Lasers on their standard launching trolleys, and has rollers to make them easy to load. Is about 15 years old but is in good condition. . £395 Tel 07973 432462 / (WARSASH)

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting OCTOBER 2020

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POSITION

noblemarine.co.uk | 01636 707606

No. 138 Lofty ambitions When you see a dinghy sailor trying to climb the rig, you’ve gotta wonder why

T

hey say when racing to keep a close eye on the mainsail leech, but it seems as if this sailor may be taking things to the next level, attempting a quick shimmy up the back edge of the sail to peer more closely at the tell tales and determine exactly how air flow is exiting from the back of the sail.

Or perhaps she is going a step further and somehow trying to replicate Alex Thomson’s famous mast walk on Hugo Boss… without the benefit of a keel.

Or maybe she just needs to get aloft to check the Windex.

Whatever the rationale, a capsize seems inevitable, in which case swimming to the top of the mast is probably the most effective option.

PHOTO SAILING ENERGY

Reach for the stars, climb every mainsail higher...

Reach for the stars, follow your heart’s desire

DIFFICULTY RATING: 3/5

We'll put you back on the right tack www.noblemarine.co.uk

FCA No. 305884

130

OCTOBER 2020 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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Tailored Rewards for You Like nothing you’ve seen before in the marina sector, Otium is the most comprehensive benefits and discounts package available.

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