Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting July 2022

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REGULARS

8 News 34 Paul Heiney 36 Andy Rice 44 Tom Cunliffe Heavy weather tips from Bernard Moitessier and Vito Dumas

98 Jess Lloyd-Mostyn

UNDER SAIL

16 Transatlantic the hard way Leo Kenny recounts a west to east transatlantic crossing

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24 Solent weekend Clive Loughlin makes a circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight

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28 Round Britain Preparations for the upcoming Round Britain and Ireland race

48 Round the Island A preview of this classic race

52 Keelboat racing 68 Interview: James Harayda We talk Vendée dreams with one of offshore sailing’s brightest prospects

72 Charter guide Are exotic locations back on the agenda?

74 Gulls Eye Marina guide to Carteret in Normandy

78 Interview: Stephen Ladd Recounting a five year trip through the rivers of South America in a 22’ day sailer

BOATS

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14 New boat news 38 On test: Jeanneau 65 A supersized blue water cruiser

66 On test: Mojito 6.5 A de-tuned Mini Transat gets put through its paces

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92 Three of the Best Three of the finest brokerage boats

EXPERT’S FORUM

83 Expert’s Forum

Advice covering everything from racing techniques to cruising conundrums

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Welcome

EDITORIAL EDITOR

Sam Jefferson 020 3943 9261 sam.jefferson@chelseamagazines.com Georgie Corlett-Pitt georgie.corlett-pitt@chelseamagazines.com GROUP EDITOR Rob Peake ART & PRODUCTION EDITOR Gareth Lloyd Jones PUBLISHING CONSULTANT Martin Nott PUBLISHER Simon Temlett simon.temlett@chelseamagazines.com ADVERTISING ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER Mark Harrington 020 7349 3734 mark.harrington@chelseamagazines.com SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE Charlene Homewood 020 7349 3779 charlene.homewood@chelseamagazines.com GROUP SALES DIRECTOR Catherine Chapman HEAD OF SALES OPERATIONS Jodie Green ADVERTISEMENT PRODUCTION Allpoints Media Ltd allpointsmedia.co.uk CHAIRMAN Paul Dobson CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Vicki Gavin MANAGING DIRECTOR James Dobson Published by: The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ Tel: 020 7349 3700 © The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd 2020.

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

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Skipper’s View A YACHT RACE CAN MEAN MANY DIFFERENT THINGS BUT IT IS THE HUMAN ELEMENT THAT IS THE WINNING FACTOR FOR ME THIS ISSUE FEATURES an interesting juxtaposition between two racing sailors at opposite ends of the spectrum. On the one hand we have an exciting young gun, James Harayda, who is aiming to make his mark in the Vendee Globe by becoming the youngest skipper to compete in the 2024 edition, on the other, Matteo Ricciardi, who is competing in the Round Britain and Ireland race in a Vertue 26, the oldest and smallest boat in the race by some measure. Two very different sailors with different stories but one thing in common; they have an extraordinary dream and they are determined to realise that dream.

Ultimately every story about a race is a human story on some level and it has always been that side of the sport that has captivated me. My own route into sailing came indirectly via racing, largely through the fascinating human stories that surrounded events such as the OSTAR and Whitbread races of the late 80's. I was particularly inspired by the Whitbread Race of 1989/90 which was the first offshore event to feature prominently on the television. The racing was exhilarating and some of the Southern Ocean footage was absolutely awe inspiring. Yet what kept me gripped was the human side; the myriad stories that came out of the race; be it the tragedy of Alexei Gryshenko on Fazisi, the uphill battle the crew of Maiden faced from a sceptical public and Peter Blake's triumph after years of coming in second. There was something else too; this was a moment when yacht racing was just geting to grips with a more corporate world and the crews themselves were a weird blend of amateurs, adventurers and true racing pros. It was a captivating mix and I recall thinking at the time; I could do that! Well, somewhere along the way I lost that belief. In part, this was because the standard of sailing and general level of professionalism in these big events rose so exponentially that it became intimidating and seemed unattainable. Yet the stories of both James Harayda and Matteo Ricciardi make me feel you are never too young, nor your boat too old, to chase your dreams and that racing takes so many forms that it truly is for all of us.

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JESS LLOYD MOSTYN is a writer and blue water cruiser who is currently moored in Singapore

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

ANDY RICE is a journalist and veteran dinghy racer who has won championships at both ends of a skiff Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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In the wake of Melville If it’s blue water cruising you’re dreaming of then what better place to inspire you than the beautiful anchorage of Nuku-Hiva in Tahiti. It was at this island paradise that Herman Melville opted to jump ship after arriving here on the whaling ship, Acushnet in 1842. He had been over a year on passage and the delights of paradise were too great for him. His adventures in the interior are related in his novel Ty-Pee Photo: iStock

News

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

SailGP returns to Plymouth on July 30-31 July and tickets are now on sale.

It will be the third event in the global championship’s 2022/23 calendar and follows a hugely successful SailGP event in the Devon city in 2021, which drew an estimated 27,500 spectators around the Sound and on the water.

Tickets for the 2022 ‘grand prix’, held once again in partnership with Plymouth City Council, will include options to watch from the Hoe, from official spectator boats and from your own boat.

There are also team base tours being offered, giving the chance to see the ‘pit lane garages’ where the athletes and shore teams prepare the foiling F50 boats.

As ever with SailGP, there will be a huge array of concurrent local activities in line with the series’ environmental and youth initiatives.

The SailGP Inspire programme aims to give “residents and the area’s youth an exciting agenda to use the power of sport for good while developing sailing as a sustainable sport”.

In 2021, SailGP partnered with the Plymouthbased Ocean Conservation Trust, with an educational programme, a mammal protection plan for the racing weekend and the restoration of seagrass meadows in Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. For 2022, while continuing the conservation work, Plymouth will sign SailGP’s Climate Action Charter, “committing to

PHOTO CREDIT JOHN BUCKLE FOR SAILGP

SailGP set for Plymouth return

local impact projects that focus on clean energy impact and wider ocean conservation”.

The line-up for SailGP has expanded this season, with new teams from Canada and Switzerland joining the fleet. There will no doubt be cheers for the home team, Sir Ben Ainslie’s Great Britain, with the rest of the fleet made up by defending champions Australia, Denmark, France, Japan, Spain, New Zealand and the United States.

A number of leading America’s Cup sailors helm the boats, including Jimmy Spithill on the USA boat, Peter Burling for New Zealand and Nathan Outteridge on Japan.

Ainslie, who couldn’t attend SailGP Plymouth last year and was replaced by Paul Goodison, will be in the driving seat this year and said: “Last

Slingsby responds on safety issues SailGP skipper Tom Slingsby responded to our article last month about safety in the series. Following a number of high-speed crosses and collisions, we raised the idea of the ‘halo’, used on F1 cars to protect drivers on impact. Slingsby, who helms the Australia boat and has now won SailGP twice, said: “Sailing the F50 has risks which do increase when we are racing these boats. We have had a few close calls and because of this we now have a safety panel which discusses every close call and incident at every event. I am a part of this panel, and we will go through how this event occurred and improvements or changes we could make to protect the yacht and the sailors. We have spoken at length about the halo system on our yachts. It’s still on the table but there are many different issues which come with having them on the yacht compared to the cars. The boats are being constantly modified to improve safety. Some the viewer will see, some they will not.”

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

year’s event was fantastic, delivering on all fronts with close racing, perfect weather, big spectator numbers and even a whale!

“It will be great that now Covid restrictions are lifted even more fans can visit and watch the action from Plymouth Hoe, with its natural amphitheater providing one of the best viewing areas for any sailing event in the world.

“For our home event we also have exciting plans with our new charity partner ‘Protect our future’ to showcase Plymouth’s brilliant environmental credentials with the aim to help empower young people in the City with scientific knowledge to combat climate change.

“From a personal point of view, this will be the first time I have competed on home waters for nearly six years and there is nothing quite like it – we can’t wait.”

A variety of early bird ticket options – offering a discount of 15% – were on sale as we went to press via SailGP.com/GreatBritain

Podcast There is now a SailGP podcast, called Deep Dive, hosted by SailGP broadcast commentators Stevie Morrison and David ‘Freddie’ Carr. Morrison competed at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games, while Carr has taken part in six America’s Cup challenges over the last 20 years. The first episode is out now, looking ahead at the coming season, available on all major podcast platforms, with new episodes released ahead of each SailGP event.

News

NEWS BRIEFS Cowes Week video Following the debut of the Club Cruiser Class at Cowes Week last year, the Cruising Association and Cowes Week have released a ‘first-timer’ video, aimed at new skippers and new crew. The video covers topics including sails, courses and other essential information. Search for the Cowes Week channel on YouTube. Cowes Week is from 30 July to 5 August.

Slingsby signs for American Magic Leading sailor Tom Slingsby has signed for the American Magic team, challenging for the next America’s Cup in Barcelona in 2024. Slingsby helped win the event for Team Oracle USA in San Francisco in 2013 and raced again for the USA in 2017 in Bermuda. In the meantime he’s won SailGP twice with his Australian team (see story opposite). At American Magic he joins top English sailor Paul Goodison among others.

South Coast Boat Show success The South Coast Boat Show was a success at MDL’s Ocean Village Marina over the weekend of 7-8 May, with multiple boats sold.

Visitors were treated to blue skies as they browsed some of the leading sailing brands, including X-Yachts, Arcona, Hanse, Dufour, Beneteau, Jeanneau, Salona, Broadblue, Dazcat, J-Boats and Nautitech. Show sponsors were Raymarine and Dream Yacht Charters.

MDL’s Sales and Marketing Director, Tim Mayer, said: “There have been multiple power and sail yachts sold over the weekend. It’s very encouraging for the marine industry that even in the current uncertain economic climate, people are continuing to invest in boats and the boating lifestyle.

“Following the success of this year’s show, 90% of the landside exhibitors have already signed up for

next year and multiple brands have also secured marina space.”

Richard Marsden, UK Sales Manager at Raymarine, said: “The 2022 South Coast Boat Show not only bought us fantastic weather, but lots of enthusiastic boaters. It was great to talk about our new products and help with technical questions. The marina was full of RIBs, sail and powerboats flying their flags. Thank you to MDL Marinas for putting the event together, we loved being a part of it.”

“It was an incredible show,” said James Kent from professional yacht valeting company, JDK Marine.

“We couldn’t believe how good it was for us in terms of the numbers of people we saw and the contacts we made.”

Next year’s show takes place on 5-7 May 2023. mdlmarinas.co.uk/scbs

First Infiniti 52 lost at sea The first Infiniti 52 to be delivered has been lost in the Atlantic after colliding with an unidentified floating object (UFO).

The boat was being sailed from Portugal to Gosport when the collision happened shortly after midnight on 18 April. All four delivery crew survived unharmed after setting off their EPIRB and being evacuated to an oil tanker that had been diverted to assist two days later.

A salvage operation started on 21 April, with a high-powered tug sent to search the area with a spotter plane. Drift calculations, however, proved fruitless and the search for the boat was called off on 29 April.

Designed by Hugh Welbourn, the Infiniti 52 has been around five years in the making and is the first semi-production yacht built with DSS foils.

Robbie and the Jubilee Robbie Maiden (pictured) was 10 when he first met Her Majesty The Queen in 1977 as part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations and proudly told her he would one day follow in his fathers’ footsteps as a crewman for the RNLI. 45 years later he is Hartlepool’s lifeboat coxswain. He joined the crew on his 17th birthday and has launched on 404 rescue missions, saving the lives of 17 people and aiding 564.

Para saiing chance Following World Sailing’s announcement that the U25 Para World Championships will debut in the Netherlands this summer, the RYA is offering U25 disabled sailors the chance to attend development and selection camps, held at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in May June and July. Search for ‘U25 Para World Championships’ on rya.org.uk Foyle is back Foyle Maritime Festival takes place on the banks of the River Foyle from 20-24 July, with live performances, ship tours, boat viewings, water activities, food trails, animated zones and many other attractions. foylemaritime.com Southampton show Tickets are now on sale for the Southampton International Boat Show from 16-25 September at southamptonboatshow.com Ian moves on Shortly after our interview with RYA Performance Director Ian Walker last month came the news that he would be stepping down from his role in July after four and a half years, having overseen the British Sailing Team’s success at Tokyo 2020.

During the pandemic, Ian was central to the development of the RYA’s Covid-19 response and enabling sailors to get back on the water as soon as possible. He is moving to a role at North Sails.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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News

Green Tech Boat Show

London Luxury Afloat The new Oyster 495 was unveiled at the first London Luxury Afloat boat show, held at St Katharine Docks, London, from 21-24 April.

The boat’s official launch was attended by F1 legend Eddie Jordan and double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robinson.

Oyster and Hallberg-Rassy yachts were on show amid a selection of luxury motoryachts. “We are absolutely delighted with how well the debut London Luxury Afloat has gone,” said Lesley Robinson, CEO, British Marine. “We have been working closely with the luxury sail and motor yacht market to develop an event tailored to their respective buyers and to see it all come to fruition has been fantastic.” londonluxuryafloat.com

Brits take Congressional Cup Match-racing demon Ian Williams from Lymington added another prestigious win to his packed CV as he took the 57th Congressional Cup with Team Gladstone for a fifth time.

Sailing with him were fellow Brits Matt Cornwell, Richard Sydenham and Steve Mitchell, with New Zealanders Andrew Estcourt and Jon Gunderson.

They took the Cup, known as the ‘granddaddy’ of match-racing, at Long Island Yacht Club against a crack US team led by Taylor Canfield, winning 3-1 in a thrilling five-day regatta.

Williams has won the World Match Racing Tour seven times among many other victories.

Williams applauded his crew, saying: “We hadn’t been here for three years and I hadn’t match-raced for the last 18 months so we had a lot of work to do but we just kept improving every day. I can’t say enough about these guys.”

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

The second Green Tech Boat Show takes place from 16-18 June at Queen Anne’s Battery in Plymouth.

The event is run by MDL Marinas and features some of the leading companies offering products that promote sustainable boating. Exhibitors confirmed so far include: Aegina-Pure, Aqua superPower, The Bounty Project, ePropulsion, Finsulate UK, The Green Blue, Marine Energy Systems, Maritime UK South West, Mastervolt, Optima Electric Boats, Pixii Electric Boats, RS Electric Boats, Sail Electric, Silent Yachting, University of Plymouth, Vita Yachts and Vulcan Industries Limited. ePropulsion will have Vendée Globe sailor Conrad Humphreys (pictured) on its stand, talking about the switch to electric power. mdlmarinas.co.uk/gtbs

Live Ocean Racing America’s Cup winners Peter Burling and Blair Tuke are behind a new female sailing team competing in the French ETF26 series for foiling cats.

Live Ocean Racing Team, named after Burling and Tuke’s ocean conservation foundation, is skippered by Liv Mackay, with sailors Jo Aleh, Molly Meech, Alex Maloney and Erica Dawson.

Burling and Tuke say the initiative aims to create “a platform for diverse and talented sailors to compete at the highest level” and is “focused on accelerating the pathway for female sailors into professional foiling events such as SailGP and the America’s Cup”.

Liv Mackay said: “Sailing is evolving rapidly, with new technology and innovative boat designs dominating professional sailing. Up until now the majority of women have spent their careers in single or double-handed dinghies with very limited opportunities to move beyond that into professional campaigns and foiling boats. The ETF26 Grand Prix offers opportunities for more time training and competing in foiling boats, and with the announcement of SailGP and America’s Cup women’s programmes, it’s exciting to see more opportunities arise.”

The team is partnering with Zhik, whose Sponsorship Manager Johnny Rodgers said: “It’s exciting times. The sailing scene is changing fast with the action driven by world class sailors, such as Pete and Blair, to encourage more opportunites for women in professional sailing and foiling.”

Charter bookings at pre-pandemic levels Charter bookings for 2022 and early 2023 are booming, with some companies back to pre-pandemic figures.

Helm sales director Simon Morgan said: “We’ve seen a huge spike in charter interest and bookings for this summer. The pandemic created a surge of pent-up demand which matured at the turn of the year, and the momentum has just rolled on and on! People are desperate to get away after two years indoors, and what better holiday is there than a yachting holiday?

“Our January 2022 revenue was up 350% compared to our previous biggest month ever, and this has continued and become the norm in February and March, resulting in Helm’s busiest quarter, matching our pre-pandemic 2019 revenue in just three months.”

Aimee Barnes, Head of Marketing for Dream Yacht Charter UK, said: “Now that the world has

opened up, people’s pent up frustrations to travel are clear and bookings are booming in the traditional favourite destinations including Croatia and Greece, with occupancy at an all time high.”

Both companies advise booking early.

While Med and Caribbean destinations attract many, domestic charter is also staying popular and charter operators have adjusted accordingly, increasing fleet sizes in the UK, France and Italy for customers who don’t want to travel.

Position: The multihull

© Sailing Energy / Princesa Sofía Mallorca

The foiling kiteboard is a versatile thing...

When the foiling kiteboard was announced as an Olympic sailing discpline, lovers of the ‘traditional’ classes scoffed. As we learn more about these fascinating devices, however, it has become clear that they’re about far more than simply flying along at 25 knots with one blade scything through the waves. Many foiling kiteboarders, for example, having admired their colleagues on the Nacra 17s, have adopted a ‘multihull’ technique, whereby the sailor cleverly utilises parts of his or her body as an additional provider of buoyancy. This greatly enhances stability and is sometimes a position that is maintained for entire legs of a course. It’s a manoeuvre that beginners learn early on, but it is far from uncommon in the pro arena. Directional control can be an issue, as can be discomfort, but the amusement factor for spectators is never in doubt.

“The sailor uses parts of the body to aid buoyancy...”

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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Viewpoint

Women in sailing Gender diversity is finally happening in the professional and amateur ranks, but all is not well yet

T

he creation of an all-female racing team by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke has drawn widespread applause from the competitive sailing world.

The Live Ocean Racing Team (see page 10) will compete in one of a rash of new professional foiling circuits, with the idea of creating a pool of female talent with the skills to take on the America’s Cup or SailGP. It’s a great initiative, particularly so because it’s come from two of the most famous sailors in the world, both double America’s Cup winners.

What’s also great is that it’s not as uncommon an initiative as it would have been a few years ago. Competitive sailing is changing fast to create more opportunities for female sailors. The Ocean Race, SailGP and even the America’s Cup have initiatives in place that are moving – slowly – towards the 50/50 gender neutrality required by the International Olympic Committee and therefore by World Sailing for the Olympic sailing classes.

At professional level these things are measurable. Rules can be set and crew quotas must be met. But is any of this reflected in the amateur ranks? Here, attitudes are influenced by the people around us, rather than by class or event rules.

Weekend club dinghy racing, most obviously, is often a youth and family-oriented world, where equality is more natural.

Step up the ladder into keelboats and attitudes are similar, but the figures are disappointing. A large proportion of teenage and young women give up competitive sailing. The reasons vary, but an overarching lack of awareness is often at the core. Long days on the water, with no chance to go ashore between races, fails to take into account needs as basic as menstruation or loo breaks. Not something that boys need to worry about – and many regatta organisers, however well-meaning and hardworking they are, may not have even thought about it.

It’s in big boat racing, from yachts to superyachts, that improvement needs to come most. It’s here that sexist snubs from fellow crew members are still a fact of life in a maledominated arena. The truth is that these comments need to be ‘called out’ by the other sailors on board. Quotas or no quotas, that is the only way sailing as a community will change.

The irony, of course, is that having a mixed crew can be a distinct advantage, if you’re prepared to play it. A lighter crew overall can bring performance gains, while the ‘grunt’ jobs can be shared, given a bit of crew planning.

Despite this, when it comes to weekend yacht racing, female sailors are still few on the water in some fleets. Impetus here could come from clubs, from classes and event organisers, but it’s tough enough to find crew for a yacht. Having to meet

mixed-crew requirements would make it harder for skippers to get to the startline.

And does it matter if, say, your local spring series has few women taking part? It matters not. What is important is simply that women – and all sectors of society – feel welcome. You don’t have to go far to find that, anecdotally at least, that is not always the case.

UK sailing club membership is roughly 39% female, not a disastrous figure, and getting it closer to an average of 50%, to reflect wider society, is surely not an impossible task. Many sailing clubs are already working hard to find ways to attract all parts of their community. SUPs at inland clubs are successful, introducing people who then might try sailing one day too. Coastal clubs offer ‘family sailing’ and ‘ladies afloat’ sessions, to broaden membership.

The RYA, too, is tuned into this and its Diversity Strategy, while intially focussed on ethnicity, has bold aims to “demonstrate that a person’s sex, gender...should never be a barrier to participation”.

The more equal sailing is in the number of participants, the more naturally it will be able to eradicate the offhand comments and moments of sexism, deliberate or not, that put women off.

And the cruising world? The cliché of the husband at the helm bellowing at his wife struggling with the lines is sadly not entirely gone from marinas. Here too, surely, change will come as society changes, as a new generation grows up with greater awareness, where – shock horror – women with independent incomes may be the ones who want to buy boats, not the men.

Clubs are doing great work here in continuing to appoint female commodores and officials, ensuring the traditional blokey atmosphere at the yacht club bar does not prevail.

Sail trainers can play a part, by ensuring the old prejudices – the jokes about ‘woman drivers’ – are not what welcome burgeoning female sailors as they train for a Competent Crew or Day Skipper ticket.

And we, as sailing journalists, can play a part, too. A more diverse sailing community must be reflected in our pages.

This is not ‘wokery’. It’s just sailing being sensible, fair and welcoming. It’s about sailing not being left behind as the world changes. It’s about ensuring our daughters do not face the same hurdles that Tracy Edwards faced back in the 1980s. It’s about ensuring this article never has to be written again! It’s about allowing us all to focus on the sailing, not the things that are wrong with it. It’s a change for greater participation and a change for good.

“Sexist comments need to be ‘called out’ by other sailors on board”

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Oceanis 30.1 - 34.1 - 38.1 - 40.1 - 46.1 - 51.1

PHOTO: © JB D’ENQUIN

DESIGN MEETS PLEASURE The new Oceanis 34.1 is sleeker, lighter, has a larger sail area, and is more spacious at the bow and therefore in the owner cabin, and it is the joint work of Marc Lombard on the naval architecture and NAUTA Design on the deck plan. Together they have reinvented the pleasure of family cruising!

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New boats A look at the latest launches from around the globe Dehler 46 SQ

Excess 14 Excess Catamarans is an offshoot of Lagoon, the best selling cruising multihull manufacturer of all time. The aim of Excess was to draw in a younger audience essentially. The first few models used existing Lagoon hulls and spruced them up but the project has now evolved and an entirely separate range is being developed. The new boat is 44’ on the waterline and features the nowtrademark twin helms aft. The boat features a relatively low freeboard compared to Lagoon and, although daggerboards have been eschewed, the keels are somewhat deeper – pointing to the line being trod between speed and comfort.

l sea-ventures.co.uk

GT 325 British boatbuilder GT Yachts hit the headlines some years ago by unveiling an exciting range of pure blooded cruisers. Their first model off the production line, the GT 35 gained big plaudits and the company is now back with a big financial backer and a second boat, the Stephen Jones designed 325. A yacht that looks to fill the substantial gap in the market for a small (ish) ‘go anywhere’ cruiser. As such, the boat comes as standard with bilge keels (a single fin is an option), meaning the boat can be beached and making her ideal for coastal cruising in the UK. The boat can accommodate six and offers generous volume. l gtyachts.com

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

The Dehler 46 first hit the market back in 2016 and this Judel/Vrolijk design proved itself to be a polished performer, striking a pleasing balance between performance and comfort which is, after all, the key to producing a successful cruiser/racer. The manufacturers have decided that it is time for a bit of a refresh and, rather than go for a full on redesign, have stuck with the same hull but with significant modifications. Perhaps the most striking one is the interior which, although slick on the original 46, was extremely muscular and perhaps a touch too individual for all tastes. The new interior is lighter thanks to bigger portlights and brighter materials, while the old curved lockers have been replaced with more conventional ones. On deck, there is now an option of an arch over the cockpit with the mainsheet fixed to it. This allows for a bigger bimini and removes the traveller – making for a more cruiser friendly option. l inspirationmarine.co.uk

Persico Fly 40 The recent innovations pioneered in the AC75 America’s Cup class are showcased in miniature in the Persico Fly 40. This 40’ one design racing yacht is set to hit the water in 2023 and uses many of the principles seen in the Luna Rossa America’s Cup campaign, which Persico Marine was intimately involved with. This foiling monohull is designed to take flight in 7kn of true wind speed and can accommodate a crew of 4-5. Maximum speed is projected to be a somewhat hair raising 40kn. Persico has partnered with renowned designer Pininfarina to produce this pocket rocket and in the interests of safety and ease of handling, the Fly 40 will be equipped with Electronic Flight Control.

Persico has extensive experience in the world of production yachts, having worked on Numerous Wally designs plus the Club Swan 85. l persicomarine.com

ORC 57 Marsaudon Composites has been hitting the headlines regularly in recent years due to eye opening results in regattas and races across the world. What makes the results so impressive is that these catamarans offer decent levels of both comfort and space while also dishing up superlative performance. The Marc Lombard designed 57 is their biggest boat yet and that

means more speed. The boat certainly looks the part too, with the manufacturers stating that they want their yachts to look like the multihull equivalent of an American muscle car. As such the styling is aggressive. At the same time the interior is extremely light, stylish and comfortable.

Granted, it’s not as lavish as, say, an Outremer but, then again, it will outsail an Outremer. l marsaudon-composites.com Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

15

Atlantic crossing

Westward Ho Getting a boat across to the Caribbean via the Canaries is a breeze compared to heading back. Leo Kenny describes a trip from Antigua to Gibraltar

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

H

ere I was again in the Caribbean. Antigua.

We had delivered the Lagoon Catamaran 45 Boogie Woogie from Grand Canaria in November last year. Now we were taking her back to Europe.

Getting into the mood, I went to the Skullduggery Pub and had a rum punch whilst waiting for Tomaz, Boogie Woogie’s owner, and his kids, who had crossed the Atlantic with us last November; they had been in Antigua chartering their boat since I left them in Grenada last year. Boogie Woogie was anchored, waiting for us to take her back to Greece. I was escorted straight to my old cabin. Then, hungry as hell, we climbed back aboard the dinghy and went back to Skullduggery for hamburgers, fish and chips and another rum.

The next day, after an early morning swim I met the three other new crew with whom I would make the crossing without Tomaz, Dasa and the kids. Three young beautiful people - fit, smart and interesting: Alvaro from Argentina (skipper of Tomaz and Dasa’s other boat Lady Ida), Louisa from Belgium and Vincent from France. Thus began the arduous task of transferring things between boats: things for the Atlantic; things for the sale of the other boat. Vincent and I took the easy job and, donning masks and snorkels, began scraping the hull of barnacles that accumulated from our last Atlantic crossing in November.

Being in Antigua felt like I hadn’t left the Caribbean last December.

It smelt distinctly Caribbean - a mélange of salt bush mixed with rum and curry. We waved Antigua farewell around 17:00 headed for Sint Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

17

Atlantic crossing

Maarten and next day we cruised into Nelson’s Bay, Sint Maarten, hoping to replace the Genoa furling drum and take on provisions for departure the following day on Boogie Woogie. We manhandled, winched and cajoled the forestay off to replace the furling drum and would be glad we didn’t wait until mid-Atlantic. We didn’t finish putting it back until after dark, in the rain. After two dinghy trips with 2,000 Euros of stores, we rigged up a net at the stern for fruit and veg storage. Plenty of flour and yeast for bread making - but no rum or beer this trip! We had hoped to run NNE up to 38° before turning E for Azores.

A rough start

Twenty minutes out of Sint Maarten’s sunny harbor, the Atlantic became grey and angry as if to say, “Huh, you again.” “I’m not scared,” I said. “We will see,” said the sea and threw a rain squall at us with the pelting

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

rain driven by winds around 35kn.

One crew member with only 100 nautical sea miles under his belt, asked me earnestly, “Is this normal?”

Our first morning found us with 20-30kn of wind close hauled and a 3kg Mahi Mahi on the line. Louisa landed it. I filleted it. Ceviche for lunch and fillets for dinner.

The first reefing line on the mainsail broke that first morning, with the sheet inside the boom, so we rigged up a makeshift reefing line at the gooseneck and end of the boom, which needed to be reefed by hand. Only 2,400 NM to go! When the wind reached 25kn again, it blew out the shackle we had rigged, and all the port side lazy guy shrouds collapsed to the deck. A trip up the mast in the bosun’s chair, was not possible in 25kn winds, so we used the second reef and left it for another day. We did 174 NM on the first day averaging over 7kn. Pretty

PREVIOUS PAGE

English Harbour, Antigua, where it all started

ABOVE LEFT

Boogie Woogie ready to leave Sint Maarten

ABOVE RIGHT

A plentiful supply of fruit and fuel

BELOW (L-R)

Various fishing exploits and the reward of delicious ceviche

good with the second reef.

On first watch next day, I hooked an enormous fish - tuna, I think - which ran all 100m of line out before I could tighten the drag.

Poor thing got away with a lure and trace wire in its mouth. Sorry big fish. The sea moderated and the kind old sun at last broke through reminding me that Atlantic waters are indeed deep turquoise and sometimes almost violet.

Alvaro is a hero. I winched him to the second spreader, 15m up in 20kn of wind, and he repaired the lazy guy shrouds. It was an excellent day with kind 15-20kn winds averaging a boat speed of 7-8kn. I was looking forward to a sleep after a weekly shower. At 04:00, the moon was up high but waning over a gentle 10-15kn breeze. Light winds and following sea. What more can a man ask - except maybe his family with him? Oceans like this make you

think of everything you have done right in life. I spend hours watching the sea, thinking of people I love.

A moment of calm

No wind, but water, water everywhere at 24°N! The crew bet on arrival time in Azores. I knew I would win: 1560NM to go @120 NM/day. We were thinking of going for a swim but worried that tuna I lost was following us.

Do you ever get that feeling - that you are being watched by a giant tuna? A pod of dolphins came to watch some clothes washing out of the corner of their little eyes. We repaired a small hole on the main then stopped the boat and went for a swim. 6000m of water under you makes your feet tingle. Looking out as the sun was setting over gently undulating silky water, there was not a single other ship in sight or even showing on AIS. We were in the Atlantic alone in this overpopulated

world and the washing was dry.

On the midnight watch, a threequarter orange moon appeared from behind the only cloud in the sky on our eastern horizon. For the first time, I notice a different temperature, not a chill, but a different night feeling. Louisa asked if she should leave the blanket when I came up to the bridge. “Yes thanks,” I replied. We were still heading NNE hoping for a wind shift to head east to Azores. I got Azores’ entry protocol on Satphone. We needed to do a PCR, so we were thinking of just refueling, taking on water and heading for Spain - another 10 days.

Next morning as we passed the 1000 NM mark, an extraordinary sight greeted me as I was putting out the tuna line: right next to the boat was a beautiful blue-fin tuna keeping up with the boat. One hour later she was still there; I could see her big black eye observing me. I was going to let her go if I caught her, but I

ABOVE

Up the mast to remedy numerous problems with the rig

BELOW LEFT

Once again battling with the troublesome mainsail

BELOW CENTRE

Mid ocean doldrums

BELOW RIGHT

The crew assembled prior to departure

tried dangling the bright green lure right in front of her. I even tried a fillet of Mahi Mahi on the hook. She ignored it as if to say, “You think I am a silly tuna?” I decided to name her Betsy the Tuna. At sundown, amazingly she was still there. Maybe she was hiding from a larger predator who was stalking us, or just going to meet some friend in the Azores.

We gybed round and were now reaching directly towards the Azores.

Betsy the tuna was long gone but the dolphins came back to play with us as we ran with a steady 15kn West wind driving us directly to the Azores under a clear sunny sky and following sea, we put a preventer on the main, did clothes washing; made some water; and did maintenance on the engines.

It was cold at 37°N. Messages from family on satphones tend to dry up mid-Atlantic - like the fish.

Being alone, sometimes you think you hear a bird or someone talking,

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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Atlantic crossing

Factfile

Crossing the Atlantic West to East Crossing the Atlantic west to east is a more challenging trip than the ‘downhill’ east to west via the Canaries and Cape Verdes. Here are a few pointers...

When to go: With the Caribbean season winding down, early spring/ summer is the usual time. This means that as you head north towards Europe, the weather remains relatively kind. Between March and mid-May you might get a helpful push along at the start from SE-SW winds – but these are not guaranteed.

Weather and routeing: The most popular departure points are Sint Maarten or Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Both offer good services for repairs, spares and supplies. From here, a stopover in the Azores is pretty much mandatory and Horta is the preferred port, almost purpose built for such a stopover. Expect a good thrash against the trades early on, followed by calms as you feel the influence of the Azores High. After that, the prevailing south westerlies should funnel you home.

There is also the option of departing from Bermuda, well to the NE. This is a more direct route but, being more northerly, can be a bit heavier going.

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

but it’s just the boom squeaking or a rope stretching, and the voice-like sound is the auto pilot correcting course. And then, a yacht! Swedish Sandvita was the first yacht we had seen for two weeks. We said hello on VHF. There was no moon that night and the through smudges in the Milky Way, I could see other galaxies.

I felt lucky to be alive; 15-20kn from 120° starboard, zooming along at 7-8kn with silent sails.

Azores to Gibraltar

The last hundred miles to the Azores took forever. They say it’s hard to leave the Caribbean.

Then we saw a volcano like a smudge on the horizon in the early morning rain. People!

Lights! Whose idea was it to put these islands in the middle of the Atlantic? The Portuguese? Faial, Pico, São Miguel, Santa Maria, Terceira, Graciosa - all just little spots on the charts, but grandiose to any seafarers like us as we got close around 06:00. Someone with a sense of humour named Pico with its 2000m volcano, towering over us as we entered the harbor on Faial (the next island). Such a good feeling in the rainy morning after 21 days at sea to enter a calm refuge.

We were told to anchor in a quarantine area, so we parked beside the Swedish couple - to whom we had been chatting on radio for a couple of days - on their Hallberg Rassy 50 and made

ABOVE LEFT

Thrumming along mid ocean

ABOVE RIGHT

The Azores proved to be a very satisfactory stopover

some bacon and eggs whilst awaiting our PCR test. Then, no rest for the wicked, we fixed the furling drum on the forestay that had slipped and began work on hauling down the main. WHAT A JOB! The bolts and brackets had been frozen together by sun and salt and water.

After we had made garlic prawns and moussaka and had a few rums we heard people talking on VHF about PCR results. We checked and voila, there were four negative results. We climbed in the dinghy to visit the “201 Inn” The bar was for seafarers. It sold scrimshaw and had hundreds of flags on the wall. This used to be a whaling town. There was a wonderful mix of old locals who eyed the blow-in sailors suspiciously and ....well...blow-in sailors ....of indeterminate ages. Reminded me of that bar in Muppet Treasure Island and everyone was called Jim Lad. Out of the harbour we headed SE in 20-30 knots. Dolphins joined us to say goodbye and wink at us going out into this weather. No other boats around. Spectacular coastline with the Atlantic - which said, “What Islands? I don’t see any islands,” crashing into ragged cliffs and a 3-4m swell. I was happy because I managed to have an internet to chat with family before we were out of range and had to rely on the expensive 20-character limit of the Satphone’s SMS. We settled in for the night heading 120° as the wind died and forced us to drop the repaired main. The dolphins were still with us. Seven hours later we

left the eastern tip of Pico with its lighthouse flashing well wishes on a calm sea. All’s well that end swell.

It felt like we didn’t go ashore; it felt more familiar out here. Cold, rainy and there was pretty heavy 3m swell around the outer Azores.

Only 25Kn winds but we were close hauled doing 8-9kn and going across the swell so lots of rockin’ and a rollin’ and doin’ it tills the break of day.There are strange seas, wind and currents as we pass the easternmost tip of São Miguel. One can expect winds to back coming off an island, but we are 15 NM off! The waves come from different directions and many wash over the decks. The two hulls nosedive down swells and it is a bit of a roller coaster ride. The normally level platform of the Lagoon 45 becomes a wobble board depositing carelessly left equipment on the floor.

Dire straits

As we get to within 790NM to Gibraltar, commercial traffic starts to increase; we encounter three cargo vessels on AIS, all silently going about their business en route

to Gibraltar to get cheap diesel like us. The Atlantic remains irritatingly choppy and A few broken dishes are testimony to the flaws in our storage strategies. As I have mentioned, I have a lot of respect for this Lagoon 45. But in seas like this, as with all catamarans, she tends to porpoise over the waves making it uncomfortable - especially after three days and nights of the same motion. It makes you a bit grumpy.

The weather doesn’t look good for our ETA in Gibraltar: 35-40 knots of E wind and a tide against us make it difficult/not possible for yachts to pass through the straits even motoring. Then the Atlantic really turns it on for us two days from Gibraltar but, as we approach land, there is a respite; the sun is out, the wind has dropped, the sea has flattened somewhat. We are crossing the shipping lane. Ships to the left of me; ships to the right; here I am stuck in the middle with you. I can smell land and internet and shortly afterwards we see land!

It’s the southern tip of Vila do Pispo, Portugal. The weather in the Gibraltar Strait looks better so we

ABOVE RIGHT

Spinnaker up, drone out, we captured this shot of the boat in mid-Atlantic

BELOW

The bustling harbour at Gibraltar was a powerful contrast with weeks of solitude

will drop Vincent off in Portimao and continue to Gibraltar. 18nm from the Portuguese coast we sight a whale! What a bonus. It surfaced twice and blew spume into the air like in a children’s storybook.

It’s very exciting approaching the Strait of Gibraltar. You can see two continents and make out Tangier Morocco on starboard and Tarifa Spain on port. What makes it all surreal entering these straits is having seen them on maps, and in person from both sides, to be in the middle, diving between ships, hearing the provocative banter between the Spanish, English and Moroccan authorities as well as bad tempered skippers on individual boats - all jockeying for positions against the roaring current and winds; makes you think that we have not really changed much since the Moors crossed into Spain around the first Crusades. One thing very encouraging just struck me as we left this beautiful expanse of the Atlantic; on both crossings, we saw very few plastics or fishing gear and no big navigational hazards. Anyway, we had made it.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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Cruising - Solent Weekend

Clive Loughlin plans a mid-tide weekend circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight

Time for a circumnavigation

H

aving previously planned weekends in the Solent based around neaps (ST October 2021) and springs (ST May 2022), this article is based on a trip roughly mid-way between springs and neaps.

The idea is that someone with a berth up the River Hamble arrives at their home berth on Friday afternoon, and needs to be back there by Sunday afternoon. With relatively minor variations it should also work for those with berths anywhere within the Solent area.

Time for a change?

While the previous weekends have aimed to exploit the opportunities provided by reduced (neaps), and enhanced (springs) ranges in tidal height, this weekend is all about the timing of the change in direction of the tidal streams.

The timings of high and low water at springs and neaps are always the same within about an hour, and change predictably each day between springs and neaps – so what follows should work for dates midway between springs and

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

neaps, or a few days either side.

The tidal range in terms of height and rate are more modest than at springs and this gives us a bit of tolerance regarding contrary tidal streams and windagainst-tide conditions.

I leave it to you to do the necessary passage planning, pilotage and secondary port tidal height calculations for your specific adventure.

Planning

As always my starting point for passage planning is to make multiple copies of the Solent Tidal Stream pages from the almanac and then

ABOVE

Getting the tide right as you round the Needles is key to an enjoyable circumnavigation

fill in the times (I prefer to use BST) so I have an hour-by-hour snapshot of what is flowing where for the whole of the weekend.

This particular passage plan starts on Friday 1 July 2022. This happens to be only one day after springs, but the plan should work for any weekend that starts a few days after springs, and with everything getting later by about 30-40 minutes each day, some of the tidal-gate timings get even more user-friendly than on this particular occasion.

Circumnavigation

The main aim for this weekend is to circumnavigate the Isle of Wight in an anti-clockwise direction, and assumes that the wind is from the prevailing south west. The southern half of the island has no harbours and precious little shelter, but it does provide spectacular views and the opportunity to venture slightly off the beaten track on a route less travelled.

The passage plan is all about what is flowing where and when, and the aim is to sail the southern half from the Needles, past St Catherine’s Point and on to Bembridge Ledge with the tidal stream helping us on our way.

ABOVE

Getting 'rescued' by the coastguard in mildly challenging conditions

BELOW

The Solent can get very hectic - not least if you get tangled up in a race

The total distance from the Needles to Bembridge Ledge is about 30nm. If we get our timing right we should gain about 1 knot from the tidal stream, so a yacht of modest dimensions can expect at least 6kn over the ground – which equates to 5 hours.

Going round clockwise is of

course very possible, and if the wind is from the east then this may well be the preferred direction. However if the wind is from the west then a west-going tide will kick up lumpy windagainst-tide conditions that can be quite challenging – especially south of St Catherine’s Point.

Should have known better

I made the mistake of doing this once as part of a Coastal Skipper course, and we found ourselves being ‘rescued’ by the Coastguard helicopter as we were making the final approach to the Needles, after a rather unpleasant and slow passage.

The Coastguard like to practice their craft in challenging conditions and the weather ticked the boxes as far as they were concerned. We also ticked the box that is probably labeled ‘Sailors who should have known better but look as though they know what they are doing’.

We were motorsailing close-hauled and were asked to maintain course and speed. After a bit of hovering practice that had their wheels at mast height they then did a hi-line deployment into our cockpit.

In an instant they had turned a rather tedious rough passage into what turned out to be the highlight of the week – but we still should have known better.

PHOTOS CLIVE LOUGHLIN/ISTOCK

Friday evening – head west

Our aim for the Friday evening is to position ourselves within easy striking distance of the Needles for early on Saturday morning. Those with home berths in Lymington or Yarmouth can stay where they are, however those with a boat up the Hamble or in Cowes or Portsmouth need to head out as early as possible on Friday afternoon Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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Cruising - Solent Weekend

to catch the west-going tide.

Coming from the Hamble I would either head for Yarmouth (15nm) and their exceedingly helpful berthing masters, or Lymington Town Quay (15nm) which is now greatly improved and expanded by the addition of new pontoons in 2020 (best booked ahead), or Newtown River (10nm), where you take pot luck.

Nocturnal arrival

In summer there are plenty of daylight hours, but later in the year I would encourage you to practice your night navigation and head for Newtown River.

The approach to Newtown at night is not difficult, but it needs to be done with care, as there are no lights to guide you in. Once you have found the diminutive but helpfully lit, west cardinal that is 0.4nm from the entrance, head in initially on a bearing of 150°T and then follow the ‘Y’ and ‘O’ leading marks. These marks are unlit, but do have reflector strips that save the day, so if it is dark, get your youngest crewmember on the foredeck with the most powerful torch you can lay your hands on.

Once within a cricket pitch or two of the ‘Y’ head for the centre of the entrance and once inside leave the starboard hand buoys well to starboard and the isolated danger to port and keep a very close eye on your depth, especially as you will be approaching near low water.

If one of the first trot of mooring buoys is free I suggest you grab it, otherwise bear round to port and

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

proceed with caution and drop your hook, being sure to allow sufficient scope for depth at high water.

The nice thing about arriving near low water is that things only improve depth-wise – so if you can get in, you should be able to get out.

If you head for Yarmouth or Lymington Town Quay you are spoiled for choice with restaurants and shore facilities. If you are in Newtown you have all the benefits that nature can provide in a gloriously peaceful setting.

Tomorrow will be a long day and needs an early start.

Saturday – Needles, Points and Ledges

Our aim is to be in the Needles Channel either at slack water or a bit earlier in the very last of the ebb, and arrive at the ‘SW Shingles’ port hand mark, which is about 1.5nm west of the Needles, just as the tidal

ABOVE

The lighthouse at Needles Point is your prompt to head east

BELOW

The anchorage off Yarmouth is a great spot to wait for a favourable tide

stream starts heading east. On the 2nd July 2022 this happens around 0800. The ‘SW Shingles’ mark is 6nm west of Yarmouth and so I would be aiming to get going by 0600.

The tidal stream heads east along the south coast of the Isle of Wight for 6 hours, and you need to be sure to have reached Bembridge Ledge before it turns against you.

Dally too long in the showers in Yarmouth and you will regret it.

The first leg to the ‘SW Shingles’ will be under engine and hopefully quite calm, so breakfast underway is both viable and impressively scenic.

It is quite possible and safe to make the turn for St Catherine’s Point (115°T) as soon as you have passed the ‘Bridge’ west cardinal, but delaying another 0.5nm until past the ‘SW Shingles’ should get you into a stronger favourable tidal stream, and buy you a bit of extra sea-room from what is now a lee shore.

St Catherine’s Race

There is a ledge of comparatively shallow water stretching about 3nm south west of St Catherine’s Point.

Depth-wise it is not a problem for yachts, but when the tidal stream hits it, wave heights can easily double.

St Catherine’s Point should be abeam about two and a half hours after rounding the ‘SW Shingles’ and the tidal stream off the point will be doing about 2.5kn.

It is well worthwhile getting your binoculars out and taking a look at the water ahead. If it looks rough and you don’t fancy an adrenaline boost, head south until you are 2-3 miles off the Point to avoid the race.

If you leave turning until too late you may find yourself going through the overfalls whether you want to or not.

Judge the conditions on the day, and once you have made your decision, warn the crew if necessary.

Bembridge Ledge

After rounding St Catherine’s Point, head up to about 45°T and admire the seaside towns of Ventnor, Shanklin and Sandown. Be sure to also keep a watchful eye out, ahead and behind you, for the ferries and cargo ships that are plying their trade. You will often see ships anchored in this area while they wait for a turn of tide or (more likely) for their time-slot to enter port.

You should arrive at Bembridge Ledge about an hour before high water and are now spoiled for choice for options.

Bembridge Harbour is certainly accessible at this state of tide, however if you do decide to call it a day and stay in Bembridge for the evening, you will have to stay there until Sunday afternoon to have enough depth of water over the bar (see ‘Spring time in the Solent’, ST May 2022).

ABOVE

St Catherine's Point (left); the sheltered environs of Bembridge Harbour (right)

Clive Loughlin teaches for First Class Sailing in the Solent area and is a regular Sailing Today contributor.

Go for gold

The day is still young and the tidal stream is now favourable for continuing on for another 12nm to Cowes, if you fancy a dose of cosmopolitan pampering.

Alternatively press on a further 5nm beyond Cowes to the Beaulieu River for something a little more refined at Buckler’s Hard, or a tranquil evening accompanied by white egrets on a visitor’s mooring buoy.

There is a bar (0.9m below chart datum) on the entrance to the Beaulieu River. If all has gone according to plan you should arrive at the entrance about 3 hours before low water and have plenty of depth under your keel. Check your calculations if you are running late or are exceptionally deep drafted.

Whether you choose Cowes or the Beaulieu River for your Saturday evening stopover, you will have completed your weekend circumnavigation.

Lazy Sunday

Having had quite a busy Saturday you have earned a chilled out Sunday.

If your home port is the River Hamble, or Cowes or Portsmouth you need to make leisurely tracks to arrive before the tidal stream turns against you in the afternoon.

However if your home port is Yarmouth or Lymington then I would suggest messing about doing MOB exercises in the relatively quiet western Solent before letting the early afternoon west-going tidal stream take you painlessly back to base. Perhaps ducking in to Newtown River for a peaceful lunch.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

27

?????

A Vertue and a necessity Matteo Richiardi explains why he feels driven to take part in the Round Britain and Ireland race in a 25’ classic yacht

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE LEFT

Skipper Matteo Ricciardi aboard Mea

ABOVE RIGHT

The slender lines of Mea, a Laurent Giles Vertue

BELOW

At rest in Mea's home waters of the River Orwell, Suffolk

'serious stuff ' again, Vertue style.

Because this is why I got fascinated with Vertues in the first place.

I once read the story of Humphrey Barton who had to deliver a Vertue from Laurent Giles’ headquarters in Lymington to Wales, a 300 miles job… Once in the Channel, he looked at his mate: “Right or left?” he asked. And they turned left and sailed to Wales “the wrong way”, a 1,500 miles anti-clockwise passage around Britain, just for the pleasure of it. And this is only one of the many stories about Vertues, the little boats with a big heart. Like David Lewis on Cardinal Vertue finishing 3rd at the first OSTAR, behind Francis Chichester and Blondie Hasler.

Or other noticeable transatlantic crossings, including that of Barton himself (“Vertue XXXV”) and David Woolass (“Stelda, George and I”).

Or David and Daniel Hayes sailing around the Horn on their Sparrow (“My old man and the sea”).

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

PHOTOS RYA/NICK DEMPSEY

L

et me introduce myself: I am an intruder. I am a small entrant in a big game. I’ve just being granted a wild card to participate double handed in the Round Britain & Ireland race - my boat, at 25’, being smaller than the minimum length allowed. Not only she is small, perhaps the smallest boat ever to enter the race, but she is for sure the oldest. She is a Laurent Giles Vertue, built by Cheoy Lee in Hong Kong in 1959, teak planks on ipol frames. Her name is Mea, meaning 'Beauty and Grace' in Chinese. Mea has already put quite a few miles below her keel: she has sailed from Hong Kong to the UK, then to the Baltic, then to the Caribbeans and back, but she has spent the last quarter of a century in semi-retirement, like many older boats. I bought Mea in 2018 and have spent the last three years preparing her to do

29

?????

Paragon of Vertue

Since my first literary encounters I always dreamt of sailing a Vertue, so when life brought me to the UK and I decided to get myself a boat, I knew what to look for. And here I found her, at the cost of a second hand car, with that unmistakeable charm, a long history below her keel, that huge space below deck, with more than 6’ headroom in a 25’ boat, sailing so beautifully, always taking care of her crew. Mea went far beyond my expectations, and she fills me with joy every time I step on deck… There are only two things I can do to pay her back: taking care of her, and sail her.

Small and big adventures alike start either by chance, or by choice.

So why do this? Well, I guess my first answer is, Because if not now, when? But also to stop dreaming about things I might not do, after all. To give me a sailing purpose.

To test myself a little bit. To change, hopefully for the better. Because every time I went on a sailing adventure, it enriched me. To meditate. Because God commanded to sail around islands. To go 60 degrees North, and see the Northern lights. To be in the ocean. To connect with myself, my family and friends. To meet interesting people.

To perhaps do more in the future.

The Round Britain & Ireland race was first organised by the Royal Western Yacht Club in 1966, after an idea of Blondie Hasler, following the success of the first two OSTARs. No doubt he considered a single-handed race, but proximity to land necessitated two crew.

As the course website says, ‘the course, of about 2000 miles, …

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would circumnavigate Britain and Ireland and, with the exception of the Channel Islands and Rockall, all islands and rocks would be left to starboard’. The character of the event was set by the rule which said “The race is a sporting event to encourage the development of suitable boats, gear, supplies and techniques for efficient short-handed cruising under sail, and also to test the speed and seaworthiness of widely different types of boats by enabling them to race against each other on equal terms.” Early critics argued that a race of this nature is no place in which to find out if a boat is seaworthy or not.

But Blondie responded “The only reliable judge of seaworthiness is the sea itself, and the seaworthiness of an individual boat depends to a large extent on how she is handled.”

ABOVE LEFT AND RIGHT

A spartan interior but not perhaps as stripped out as some modern racers

BELOW

Mea under way prior to the race

Mental preparation

I am now confident that Mea is (almost) ready. But am I? To cheer me up, I tell myself not to overestimate the whole endeavour.

This Round Britain & Ireland race is not the Vendee Globe, it is not the 'new' Golden Globe – like it or not (just for the record, I don’t), it is not even the 'other' Round Britain & Ireland race, organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Yacht Club and due to start on August 7, which does not envisage any stop at all.

'Our' race is a relatively long one, true, and you are pretty sure you’ll find some nasty weather – which I don’t like. But you can replenish supplies at the three stops in Galway (Ireland), Lerwick (Shetland islands, Scotland) and Blyth (England); you can even get a warm shower and a cold beer, and perhaps a decent sleep if you do not exaggerate with the beer. So I won’t make too much of a fuss of it. True, I have zero experience of ocean racing, which partly explains why I want to start with this race. But the RB&I is not my life goal, I don’t see it as my personal Everest. I’m pretty sure I’ll get my fair share of boredom along the way, especially going from Mea’s home port in Suffolk to the race start in Plymouth and back (so that’s effectively one and a half tours around Britain, for the records…), and I expect to dream of working at my desk at home, riding my bike, enjoying family dinners, visiting friends, and gently cruising on the Orwell on a sunny weekend.

But I want to make a point. I can do this, with little means, and a little boat. Without sacrificing my life, my job, my family, my other interests.

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And I would like to do it my way, connecting with the geography of the sea and the land, with people present and past, with the wood that grew in Asia decades ago and was cut and shaped into the idea of a ship by craftsmen long gone, with the sailors that sailed Mea through time, temporarily handing her to me.

Sailing through history, and through culture, if you wish. Sailing to the edge of time, as John Kretschmer put it in what I consider one of the best sailing books ever written.

The competition is just an excuse, an opportunity. But having said that, I won’t be there for tourism…

Crew needed

The past three months have been quite hectic, with some important structural work done on the boat at Harry King’s boatyard at Pin Mill, and an endless list of smaller tasks I dealt with myself. The problem is, as many sailors before me experienced, the list seems to get longer the closer we get to May 29, the start of the race…! Perhaps the biggest problem of all is finding the second hand for the race, a mate.

This is possibly not an issue for some of the bigger boats,

which will take a week or less to circumnavigate. But at an average speed made good of 3-4 knots, we can easily take a month! And I understand that one month is a lot of time. That if you can take that time off, you may want to devote it to your project, not someone’s else, be it walking the Camino de Santiago, climbing the K2, or sailing your own boat. That if you are an employee, you only have a limited number of leave days. And if you are self employed, you might not afford to stay one month without working.

A dear friend and keen sailor is a penniless artist. To sail with me, he needs all his expenses covered, but I am struggling to pay my boat

ABOVE LEFT

Running goose winged in modest conditions

ABOVE RIGHT

Mia is the oldest boat to ever take part in the Round Britain and Ireland race

bills… An ocean racer I admired for his approach to sailing and life, asked me for a stipend, leaving me questioning whether I got that approach right in the first place. A few friends and sailors could be lured for one week, but the rules only allow for one crew change, in Lerwick.

So, it seems that Mea is too slow – or life is too fast – for the RB&I. Well, like Mea, I have one quality above all: I am stubborn… See you on the start line on May 29.

To follow Matteo's progress in the race and read more of his adventures, go to: Sailing Mea: Finding Beauty and Grace at sea, measailing.wordpress.com

Factfile When: The race starts on May 29th Leg 1: Plymouth to Galway Leg 2: Galway to Lerwick Leg 3: Lerwick to Blyth Leg 4: Blyth to Plymouth Number of Entrants: 26 (at the time of writing) Largest boat: Volvo 70 For fleet tracking go to rwyc.org

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Paul Heiney One of the great tricks of the sea is that it can give you an altogether different view of a port than if you approach by land - often the sailor’s view is far more pleasurable

E

veryone has a favourite harbour, the ones we long for and lust over on long winter nights. We imagine ourselves edging through the harbour mouth, returning to our spiritual home, feeling the swell disappear as we drift into sheltered waters. In our dreams there’s always a spare mooring, and our favourite stool by the bar in waiting for us, the fish and chips are as we remember them. That’s what sailing into a harbour should feel like.

But let me give you a word of warning. If, for some reason, you aren’t able to get there by boat, don’t even think of doing it by car. Harbours have two faces; the one they present from the sea - which is the one we remember and is closest to our affection - and the other is the motorist’s view, and this is to be avoided at all costs.

I know this from harsh experience having just spent days in my car slogging up and down the Brittany coast. My travels took me to a little harbour which I remember once fighting my way into through twelve hours of dense fog, pre-GPS as well. Once safe and secure, it seemed the most magical place on earth. But how do I find it when seen from behind the wheel of my car? Shopping estates, garden centres, McDonalds on the outskirts, and all the dreary paraphernalia of modern life. And I don’t like playing dodgems with bloated SUVs squeezed like toothpaste into too narrow streets. Talk about a land of broken dreams.

On the plus side, this nightmare turned into an idea for a book. Pilot books are unmatchable when it comes to getting you into harbour, brilliant at pointing out the hazards, the tides, and all other things that can cause a cruise to come to a crunchy ending. But once the lines are ashore, you’ve taken a breath, put the kettle on, that’s when you are on your own. So my idea was this: I’d compile a book that focussed not on the sea but on the shore, hence title for this new series of books - ‹Shores Guides’. The first one is out now and covers the Channel coast of France from Dunkerque to L’AberWrach, next year will take us from Brest to La Rochelle.

It’s worth remembering that on a typical cruise, as

much time is spent ashore as it is on the high seas, and arriving in a new harbour raises a mountain of urgent questions, such as where’s the nearest shop for an essential baguette and croissant, and the butter to go with them? There’s a bin liner full of salty washing, so where’s the laundry?

What is there to actually do in this place, once you’ve wandered round the chandlery in a forensic kind of way on the deeply held suspicion that the French have some secret yacht fitting they are keeping from us.

I’ve seen a lot of things while cruising, but I’ve missed a lot too.

I can’t tell you how many times I have sailed away from a harbour, only to discover later the place was immersed in history, had a tuckedaway little museum which would pass an hour, or perhaps there was an epic swimming pool, out of sight but just round the corner from the marina and so never visited. Of course, if you have children on board, then the questions become ever more urgent. Hardly has the turn gone round the first shoreside cleat, and certainly before the engine goes off, and they want to know if there’s a beach, are there chips, and what about those scuba lessons they were promised? Oh, and bike hire! You promised us we could hire some bikes, Dad. To try and answer some of these plaintive cries I reluctantly got in my car and headed for France. And why not by boat? Because, for a change, I was focussed on the shore, not the water. Many of the harbours I knew quite well anyway after many years of channel hops and Brittany cruising. If you can get there outside of the French holiday season of July and August, you are in one of the finest cruising grounds in Europe, and only a twenty four hour sail for most of us.

But please remember that the satisfaction harbours have to offer has to be earned. They simply didn’t feel like the places I was so fond of after hammering down a dreary dual carriageway to get there. But the job in done now, the first book is out, and that is the last time I go to Brittany by land. The lesson is always to arrive by sea. But I suppose we all knew that in the first place.

Paul’s Adlard Coles Shore Guide to the Channel Coast of France is out now priced at £18.99. Go to bloomsbury.com for more details

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HAVE YOUR SAY When it comes to the environment, where is the balance to be found? facebook.com/ sailingtoday @sailingtodaymag sailingtoday.co.uk

ILLUSTRATION CLAIRE WOOD

‘Harbours have two faces; the one they present from the sea - and the other is the motorist’s view’

ÇOIS TR PHOTO FRAN

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Andy Rice What’s the key to victory on the race course? It’s simpler than you might think, says one Olympic medalist - but you do have to go back in time

A

ccording to one sailor who’s stood on that hallowed podium, there are three ‘non-negotiables’ that you must achieve if you’re to win an Olympic medal.

Or any other major fleet racing regatta for that matter. After winning Olympic silver in the 470 at the Barcelona Games in 1992, American sailor Morgan Reeser has gone on to win numerous world titles in a variety of classes, both as a sailor and a coach.

It was some years ago that Morgan happened across a simple formula that he believes is the key to victory on the race course. Now, the gospel according to Morgan goes like this. In order to win an Olympic medal you must: 1. Achieve an average first mark rounding position in the top 30% of the fleet 2. Overtake one boat or more after the windward mark through to the finish 3. Keep unwanted letters out of your scores, e.g. DSQ, OCS, etc In the lead-up to the Athens 2004 Games, Morgan was hired as a coach by Greek 470 duo Sofia Bekatorou and Emilia Tsoulfa. Sofia suffered a major back problem in the final year before her Games on home waters. Aside from the crippling physical effects of her injury, which limited her training time in the boat, the former World Champion was also suffering a crisis of confidence. Would her lack of training limit her ability to perform when it mattered the most?

Morgan came up with an ingenious solution to Sofia’s lack of belief. He started poring through all the old mark rounding data from previous Olympic Regattas going back to 1992.

This is where he came across these three vital ingredients for reaching the podium. When he showed this to Sofia, it made an unsurmountable challenge look quite achievable.

Not that #1 is easy. Rounding consistently in the top 30% is still quite demanding. But it takes the pressure off feeling like you need to be pushing the edges of the course, or needing to be the absolute fastest boat. You don’t have to be winning races, just be in the hunt at the top mark. From then on, if you can maintain your position or pick off a couple of boats, that’s all you need.

Provided of course you keep those letters out of your scores.

Sofia and Emilia would go on to win Olympic gold in the 470, becoming the darlings of their nation. It’s notable that others who won gold at Athens 2004 more than ticked the box for #2, overtaking boats after the first mark. Both the Laser and Finn gold medallists, respectively Brazil’s Robert Scheidt and Britain’s Ben Ainslie, had downwind speed in spades. It was always their get-out-of-jail move if they found themselves struggling after a bad start. In the case of GBR’s three blondes in a boat, Shirley Robertson, Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb had so much

spinnaker speed to burn in their Yngling keelboat that, by Morgan’s recollection, they overtook a staggering 45 boats on the downwind legs across all races of the Olympic regatta. Except for the last race which they missed out because they’d already taken gold with a day to spare.

Morgan’s analysis of some pretty basic data, just mark rounding positions, has led to a pretty smart formula that has guided his career ever since, and those of the other sailors he has coached to Olympic and world championship success.

Since then, data has proliferated like crazy, with GPS tracking showing us the winning moves by the top sailors. How fast were they? How many manoeuvres did they make? What course did they sail? Did they play the wind shifts better than the rest or were there other factors in play?

We’ve seen Strava revolutionise cycling, with road bikers able to compare their performance with friends and other bikers they’ve never even met. If you’ve ever taken part in the Saturday morning 5k ritual of Park Run, you’ll know how motivating the data can be. In sailing there are the GPS tracking options that are handed out at competitions for spectator purposes and post-race analysis for the competitors. SailRacer and TracTrac are two popular examples, and the gold standard is SAP Sailing Analytics. Looking back through the tracking data of past competitions is a staggeringly good venue research tool.

Then there are the personal data options, such as Garmin, Vakaros and Sailmon, where you can analyse your data on the fly, actually sailing to the numbers and adjusting your steering, your sail trim or your tactics and strategy based on what the data is telling you. This is the controversial end of the market, because it begs the question, how much data should you be allowed while racing? Of course, you can use whatever you want in training; it’s using an electronic instrument for a competitive advantage that is the area with a big question mark over it. The ability to ping both ends of the start line, see how fast you’re going through the water and compare with speed over ground, monitoring your heel angle and so on. Generally sportsboats and keelboats tend to permit the use of advanced instrumentation in racing. It’s becoming part of the furniture. Now the technology is becoming small enough and affordable enough to be used on dinghies too.

Different classes have varying attitudes to the adoption of such technology. Some of the objections are cost-based, others on maintaining the purity of the sport and keeping electronics to a minimum. For me, the relevant question in such a debate is to ask, will it encourage or discourage greater participation in the sport?

It’s an interesting question, and I really don’t know the answer!

PHOTO OCEAN IMAGES/RYA BRITISH SAILING TEAM

“It begs the question, how much data should you be allowed while racing?”

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ABOVE The most successful sailor in Olympic history, Sir Ben Ainslie, winning his fourth Olympic gold at London 2012

ANDY RICE As a sailing journalist and TV commentator Andy has unparalleled knowledge of the performance racing scene, from grassroots to elite level

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Jeanneau 65

Expanded horizons The Jeanneau 64 changed perceptions of what a ‘big’ boat was. Well, things just got bigger with the launch of the new Jeanneau 65. Sam Jefferson tested it’s successor

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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Jeanneau 65

B

ack in 2015 I stepped aboard the all new Jeanneau 64 and took it for a spin. The review I subsequently wrote up made it clear that, although I was impressed with many aspects of the boat, I also thought the French manufacturer had gone off its rocker in producing a yacht sitting just below the superyacht bracket. I argued that Jeanneau Yachts itself as a mass producer was the very antithesis of the exclusivity they seemed to be chasing with the 64. Many hulls sold later and I am obliged to take a hearty meal of my own words. It turns out that a 64 footer was exactly what the world needed and other manufacturers such as Hanse, Bavaria and Dufour found themselves scrambling to keep up with the trendsetters. I guess the idea of a mini superyacht that was a tad more accessible than, say, a Swan 65 is not the crazy idea I originally thought it was.

Anyway, seven years on and the 64’s production run is finally over, with the boat replaced by the all new 65.

All new? Well perhaps not quite.

I think it’s fair to say that this is a MKII. As such, the Philippe Briand lines have been retained but the boat has been cosmetically tweaked with a dreadnought bow giving the boat a more contemporary look and a reconfigured bathing platform and dinghy garage providing greater practicality.

Something old, something new

The big investment has been in the cockpit, with Jeanneau creating an entirely new deck moulding in order to reconfigure this area. The key change being the introduction of the a deck that slopes downward as you head aft. This has become a bit of a Jeanneau trademark and has a number of benefits, as it means that the side decks feel nicely enclosed and there is no step across and over between the helm and the side decks. This is a clever touch, but not necessarily the most noticeable one. That has to be the fact that the cockpit is simply huge. The feeling of space is increased by the unusual truncated

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step up into the forward section of this space. This step up is actually there to provide extra headroom in the stateroom down below, but it does break up the cockpit which conspires to add to the impression of space. It also nicely separates the ‘working’ end of the cockpit aft from the ‘relaxing’ space forward.

The aim has always been very specific and that is to create a feeling of being on a superyacht and Designer Andrew Winch along with Philippe Briand clearly worked hard on this. The vast acreage of space in the cockpit points to the fact that Jeanneau anticipates that a lot of time will be spent out here sipping

ABOVE The dreadnought bow and fixed bowsprit give the boat a contemporary look BELOW The bathing platform has been reconfigueres compared to the 65's predecessor, the 64

pina coladas and such like. There are twin cockpit tables and these whirr down electrically to create a truly huge lounging space amidships with the addition of a couple of cushions. The original 64 featured an arch above the cockpit with an anchoring point for the mainsheet.

This has changed and, although the arch remains an option, you can also have an entirely open cockpit with the mainsheet fixed to a single anchoring point in the centre of the cockpit. The mainsheet is situated sufficiently far aft to ensure the lounging area is unaffected. There is, of course, still the option of a solid arch with the mainsheet attached,

the arch can also be extended to feature a solid bimini that also features a targa top with a canvas infill that slides back electrically when a bit of extra sunlight is required. It’s a nice feature that adds a lot of practicality of the yacht.

Further aft, there is an aft bench with a cooking grill and sink integrated into it. Below that, the bathing platform is well proportioned and features a clever retracting passarelle that also doubles as steps down to the bathing platform if you twist unlock the wooden plank of the passarelle which then divides into three hardwood steps. Opening out the

36

bathing platform reveals a huge dinghy garage with a customised retractable, pivoting ramp capable of getting a decent sized RIB in and out with ease. Basically, everything so far points to a yacht absolutely tailor made for summer cruising in the Mediterranean. To this end, the cockpit is the focal point of the yacht and they state that 40% of deck space is taken up by this area. This bears out when you head forward. The side decks are wide but not expansive and the foredeck feels like it belongs to a 50 footer. Nevertheless, the flush hatches and general lack of clutter create a very clean, thoroughly modern feel and afford yet more lounging space. There is also access to the crew quarters via a hatch set well forward.

Superyacht touches

Close inspection of the rig also reveals a few touches that don’t generally belong on a Jeanneau.

For starters, the mainsheet winch is tucked away down below, making for near silent, push

ABOVE

Masses of cockpit space. The arch and solid bimini are optional

BELOW

The twin cockpit tables can be raised and lowered, providing masses of lounging space when lowered

button control of the big sail. There were other little touches that I identified with my own (brief) stint working on superyachts such as the halyard tensioning tracks which do away with the general spaghetti of seldom used lines that generally gather around the mast foot. For ease of handling, the Jeanneau features an in–mast furling mainsail and cutter rig, with a self tacking inner jib making life extra easy.

Both headsails are on large electric furlers and I was surprised to see that, whereas on many yachts the bulky furling mechanism would have been recessed into the deck, here they stood proud and rather unwieldy looking. It was one of the few pointers on deck that the Jeanneau is at heart a large production yacht built to price.

Stepping down below, you enter a very light, airy space. The Jeanneau has a beam of 17’8” and it shows in the saloon, which feels very roomy and thoroughly modern. It feels pretty top end in fact, and it should because it was designed by Andrew Winch, who is noted for his interior work on any number of super yachts. This is one of his first projects on a production yacht for many years and one gets the impression he enjoyed himself.

The yacht I tested was finished in light oak with a dark laminate floor which looked very stylish. There is an abundance of natural light down here and, again, the feeling of space is accentuated by the split level layout, with the saloon raised up to accommodate generators, tanks, watermakers and any other gizmos of that type you may wish to add.

The layout is not totally set in Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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Jeanneau 65

stone but, understandably, this is not a custom yacht and, as such the layout I saw on the test boat can only be tweaked moderately.

As such, there was a lounging area to starboard with a saloon table that dropped down so that it could be either at coffee table or dining table level and provided a nice space for drinks on a cooler evening. The galley was to starboard and was a nice self-enclosed space with plenty of room but also lots of extra work surface area and plenty of bracing points if you were cooking at sea. It has all the luxuries such as a dishwasher, but even more impressive is the wine cooler, which surely should be standard on all French yachts.

Walk through the galley heading aft and you go past a small communal heads compartment en route to the aft cabin. On the yacht I tested this was the master cabin; a big, airy space with masses of light coming from a huge pair of skylights set into the truncated bridge deck arrangement in the cockpit. These skylights not only make this one of the lightest cabins I have been in, but also allow easy access to the

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cockpit from the cabin. Important in an emergency and handy if you want to nip down get changed after a swim. The master heads is well appointed, although not particularly huge but it is from here that Jeanneau presents its trump card: from the master heads, a small doorway leads into the walk in engine room which features enough space to pretty much stroll around and minimal opportunity for grovelling about. It’s a mechanic’s heaven.

Super sailing?

We started the test in about 15kn of wind, but this gradually died off to 10kn as the test progressed. Now, given that the Jeanneau 64 weighs in at around 31 tons it’s going to take a pretty powerful rig to get her moving in light airs. Despite this, her sail plan is reasonably moderate. The 9/10ths fractional rig is stepped well aft allowing for a more generous fore triangle but it’s still not a massive rig bearing in mind that it’s a self tacking headsail although things improved markedly after we unfurled the Code 0 and eased off the breeze a touch. With the help of this, we did hit seven knots plus despite the

ABOVE LEFT

A very light, well appointed saloon

ABOVE RIGHT

A huge stateroom aft

BELOW (L-R)

A massive heads compartment aft with walk in access to the engine room to port; a practically laid out linear galley; The 65 boasts a cutter rig with the inner jib set up as a self tacker

modest conditions. Frustratingly, the breeze filled in after I had got off the boat and I endured the chagrin of watching the boat creaming along effortlessly in 20kn plus of breeze while not profiting. I was, however, given a fine demonstration of this boat’s potential, as the vessel was completely unfussed in the gusts and demonstrated why this would be a fine boat to take on a round the world trip. The yacht also demonstrated her ease of handling beautifully. Almost everything is push button and most controls are accessible from a panel set into the helming position. The mainsheet whirred away inaudibly beneath the deck and the self tacking jib ensured that you really didn’t have to think about much at all. If you want to switch to the genoa then the winches are well positioned within easy reach of the helmsman. The helming position is good, giving you a commanding view. It’s perhaps a little more exposed than on some of those hard core blue water specialist yachts, but it is partially enclosed and the high freeboard is also reassuring. All in all, she was well mannered and effortless to sail.

ALTERNATIVE BOATS

HANSE 675 Hanse Yachts issued a powerful statement of intent with the launch of the 675 in 2016. Just like Jeanneau, they aimed to offer superyacht style and luxury at production yacht prices. inspirationmarine.co.uk

SAM’S VERDICT Jeanneau proved in 2015 that a 60’ plus yacht could be a hit with the public and the 65 looks set to pick up where her predecessor left off.

The manufacturer has not gone for a wholesale root and branch change with this boat but the minor tweaks have ensured that the product has been refined and improved without doing any harm to the original

concept. The boat is easier to handle than my own 28’ yacht and bow and stern thrusters ensure that mooring couldn’t be much easier. wind on the day of my test to fully enjoy her.

PERFORMANCE: HHH HH BLUE WATER ABILITY: HHHHH LOOKS: HHHHH

DUFOUR 61 Dufour’s take on the mini superyacht concept is a tad smaller than the 65 but also works on the concept of marrying the best of production yachts with a hint of superyacht style. This Umberto Felci design certainly cuts a dash on the water and features acres of space and a lot of luxury down below. universalyachting.com

THE SPEC LOA: 65’ 11” (20.1m) LWL: 59ft 1in (18m) Beam: 17ft 9in (5.4m) Draught: 9ft 8in (2.95m) Disp: 31,000kg (68,343lb) Sail area:204.1m2 (2,197ft2) Berths: 6-10 Engine: 180hp Volvo Water: 1,000lt (220gal) Fuel: 825lt (181gal) Sail area:disp: 21.0 Disp:LWL: 148 Price ex VAT £626,000 – Test boat: £832,000

BENETEAU OCEANIS YACHT 60 The Oceanis Yacht has been out for a while now and has proven to be a big hit. Featuring a high level of luxury and distinctive styling this is a boat that shares a good deal with the 65 right down to competitive pricing. beneteau.com

Contact: www.jeanneau.com Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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Tom Cunliffe

Tom Cunliffe

T

he sea generates literary art like nothing else on the planet. Love runs it a close second and war features well too, but for an endless source of great reading, sailing’s top of the bill.

Prodigal antiquarian book-buying has long been a diversion enjoyed by my wife, who is a well-known figure prowling the dusty corners of coastal bookstores. Her on-line presence haunts their websites,

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while our home shelves groan under the weight of beautifully written works in which the west winds blow, the trades hum, grass skirts sway under moonlit palms and desperate men battle against ice and gale to save not only their ships, but their immortal souls as well.

It’s not all romance either. An encyclopaedia of seamanship is waiting to be found in the experience of others. There may be little substitute for making our

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

own mistakes, but when it comes to extreme weather there aren’t many who can put hand on heart and say they’ve been there so many times that it’s all in a day’s work. Luckily, sailing literature is such a rich resource that even if we haven’t yet faced 40-foot seas and hurricaneforce winds ourselves, someone else certainly has and will have taken the trouble to write about it.

The best-prepared seamen and women are those who understand

ILLUSTRATION: CLAIRE WOOD, PHOTOS TOM CUNLIFFE/COMMONS

A mariner’s library is a treasure trove of entrancing tales that can also unearth a wealth of invaluable practical advice

“An encyclopaedia of seamanship is waiting to be found in the experience of others” their options when the big blow comes, but if we haven’t read all we might before setting sail, a wellstocked saloon bookshelf can still give us an extra chance. The most illustrious names in heavy weather survival admit to learning from the experience of others when the stormy day dawns. Even that visionary sailor Bernard Moitessier delved into his ship’s library when he found himself nearing his wit’s end.

Moitessier is perhaps best remembered for ‘going round again’ in the Southern Ocean after passing Cape Horn in the original 1960s Golden Globe event. Driven by philosophical issues and having no interest in praise from those who had not seen the ocean in its fury, he sailed on to Tahiti instead of turning north into the Atlantic to beat Sir Robin Knox-Johnston for the glory of being first to circumnavigate non-stop. This unique story is recounted in his book, ‘The Long Way’, but it is an earlier work, ‘Cape Horn the Logical Route’, in which he spells out his conclusions about storm survival. Other equally

authoritative voices might disagree with these, but the truth is that much depends on the type and size of boat. Moitessier’s storm was clearly as bad as they get, and Joshua was a relatively heavy, 40ft doubleended steel ketch. The endurance option he settled for worked for him, and who are we to argue!

On passage with his wife from France to Tahiti, he found himself under the hammer deep in the

ABOVE A well stocked mariner’s library full of treasures BELOW Vito Dumas, who appeared in a vision to offer Moitessier some advice mid-storm

Southern Ocean. By the end of the first storm day he was in survival mode. Steered from below, with Moitessier looking out from a Perspex ‘astrodome’ above the wheel position, Joshua was running under bare poles with five warps streamed.

The drag was loaded up further by weighting them with iron ballast pigs and rolled-up fishing nets.

To begin with, this seemed to work well, so long as he kept dead before the seas. The warps made steering sluggish but they maintained his speed at manageable levels. The yacht was, however, being regularly swept end-for-end. Shortly before dawn, the seas were running phenomenally high. Helming became progressively more difficult until finally Joshua broached and took a knockdown. The cabin was filled with flying objects, but she righted herself without damage. It was clear the wind was not easing and the seas were getting steadily worse. A seemingly innocent wave picked up her stern which rose, as usual. The boat stayed dead upright and began to accelerate.

Suddenly, without warning, the foredeck went under and was buried all the way back to the mast.

She rose again, but the danger of pitchpoling was abundantly clear.

At this point, Moitessier thought again over storm accounts from boats not dissimilar to his. He recalled the fate of Sandefjord, a Colin Archer sailing lifeboat – some would say the ultimate seaboat– and Tzu Hang, a well-crewed classic yacht. Both had been pitchpoled running dead before the weather, so whatever tactics they were adopting, they weren’t successful. As day two progressed, dry under his astrodome and powered by coffee, Moitessier remembered the Argentinian Vito Dumas in Legh II, a beamy, Archer-inspired double-ender considerably smaller than Joshua.

Dumas had traversed the Southern Ocean single-handed. He claimed to have carried some sail in all weather which Moitessier believed to be impossible. He couldn’t recall Dumas’ survival technique, so his Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

45

Tom Cunliffe

“Everything had changed because a long-dead seaman had replied to my insistent question. Five blows with my knife had freed Joshua of the chains she had been dragging ” wife Françoise produced the Dumas book. The claim was confirmed.

Dumas apparently left a lot of sail up.

His little boat surfed at speeds of up to 15 knots and was saved by keeping up with the waves. Moitessier was cynical, remarking, ‘If we had followed that method we would have done ten Catherine wheels by now!’

Further plundering of Joshua’s library brought out the opinion of Pilot Bohlin, a schooner skipper from Gloucester Massachusetts who had fished and raced those powerful vessels back in their glory days.

Bohlin also recommended cracking on before a storm, but Moitessier wouldn’t have any of it until he had a sort of out-of-body experience.

Perhaps this was unsurprising after being on the helm for more than 24 hours. Against all logic, he swore he heard Dumas saying, ‘Look, I’ll show you…’

Yet another awkward wave now lifted Joshua’s stern. Even with her warps, she began to surf.

She yawed and heeled heavily but this time she didn’t bury her bow, because the heeled topsides forward acted like a ski and bore her up by virtue of her own speed.

He had found Dumas’ answer. He grabbed his sharpest knife, went out on deck and committed himself

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Bernard Moitessier’s Joshua is still sailing strong even though her old master has made his final voyage

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 runs his own internet club for sailors worldwide at tomcunliffe.com

by cutting the warps adrift.

Joshua was immediately a different boat. No longer was she held back, parrying the blows of the seas.

Instead, she was running free under bare poles. Taking the waves at 15 to 20 degrees from dead aft, she heeled and took off, resting her bow against the trough and virtually planing. She steered easily and the huge seas were suddenly harmless as they came up under her quarter.

Moitessier’s last word on the matter was this. ‘Everything had changed because a long-dead seaman had replied to my insistent question. Five blows with my knife had freed Joshua of the chains she had been dragging. A small gesture, but what a difference!’

The benefits of running off in a storm to minimise the force of the waves are spelled out in this account.

An interesting side-implication is that, as long as the boat was steering freely, Moitessier believed her less likely to suffer the sort of potentially destructive knock-down that Joshua took while her stern was inhibited by warps. By no means all voyagers of comparable experience would agree with this, and perhaps the effects of Joshua’s warps were exacerbated by the policy of ballasting them. So far as can be deduced, the warps

were streamed from the extreme stern which cannot have helped the steering. Awkward though it might be in practice, if they could have been led to a point further forward of the rudder post, it might have helped, but one thing is sure. Cutting them loose worked wonders.

One possibility not considered

by Moitessier back in the 1960s was to run with a series drogue. A smaller craft might have done well lying to a streamed para-anchor.

Many authorities now speak highly of both of these, but neither was on the agenda sixty years ago.

Later in the same interminable gale, Moitessier finally succumbed to exhaustion after forty-eight hours at the wheel. His self-steering gear had long since thrown in the towel. As he handed the helm to his wife, he remarked, ‘You are driving a 15-ton lorry without brakes down a winding road at 60mph. If you don’t slow down before each bend by changing gear, we are bound for Chile like Tzu Hang.’

Tzu Hang had limped in to Chile after pitchpoling ripped off her dog-house and left her dismasted.

Françoise Moitessier passed her driving test and, whatever we may think of the tactics, Joshua sailed free into the sunlit seas of legend.

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Round the Island Race

Round the Island Race The 91st Round the Island Race takes place on 25 June. We look at what’s new this year, including how to hold your own 'race within the race'

T

he entries have been flooding in for the Round the Island Race on 25 June and preparations are in full swing at the Island Sailing Club. This year there are new race partners and a new race village, with Cowes Yacht Haven open to all, competitors and spectators, for race briefings and entertainment.

Race Director David Atkinson says: “For the first time since the pandemic started we are delighted to be able to offer a terrific onshore hospitality programme at both the Race Village and the Island Sailing Club in Cowes. It’s also fantastic to see entries returning from abroad this year, plus we’ve also got the highest percentage of first-time participants that we’ve ever experienced. I think there are a lots of new owners keen to challenge their boats and crew with our incredible race.”

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Compare your tracks

The Island Sailing Club has listened to regular competitors and brought in a dedicated live tracking feature on the race website, giving the chance to have a real ‘race within the race’. Requests have come in from class associations, from boats from the same marina who are doing the race, from friendly crews on ‘rival’ boats and others who fancy making

ABOVE

Rounding the Needles in the Round the Island Race is a moment not to be forgotten

more of the competitive element.

The club says: “You asked, we listened! Whether you’re sailing a Farr 52 or a Hunter Impala, we know that many of you like to use our tracking system to compare your performance in the race with other boats of the same type.

“In past races, this has not been especially easy to set up, so by popular demand, this year we’ve upgraded our Race Viewer with a new ‘Compete & Compare Tracks’ feature that give you one-click access to the tracks of all the boats that match yours. And best of all, you can even do this live while you’re taking part in the race!”

The new ‘Compete & Compare’ on Race Viewer will be available for all competitors from mid-June.

Advice for competitors

For many crews, it’s the only official race they do all year and sometimes the longest sail they do all year.

ABOVE

The 'race for all': amateur crews share the same race course as some of the most famous names in pro sailing

BELOW

The basic rules of sailing are outlined in a video on the Island Sailing Club website

Robertson and Dee Caffari, who will be doing the event double-handed.

Find it on YouTube – search for the Round the Island Race channel.

B&G will also have a series of webinars with America’s Cup navigator Mark Chisnell, offering ‘hints and tips for a successful race’ – again, for first-timers and those who are more experienced.

Keep checking the race website and the B&G website before the race for when these pop up.

Additionally, you can get your questions answered directly by Island Sailing Club Sailing Secretary Ben Ferris, who is standing by via a new Q&A section on the front page of the event website. And the club team has produced a ‘First Timers’ Guide’

ALL PHOTOS PAUL WYETH

This year the Island Sailing Club is seeing more first-timers registered in the race than any previous year.

It’s important that everyone knows

what to expect and appreciates that for many boats, the competitive nature of the event is the most important part. With that in mind, the Island Sailing Club and Official Race Marine Electronics Partner B&G is putting together a series of videos and webinars, explaining how the day works and what to expect.

B&G has been posting some useful blogs aimed at new and experienced competitors – subjects include ‘calibrating your electronics’, ‘how to get the perfect start using your chartplotter’ and ‘viewing exclusion zones on your charplotter’.

The company is also doing videos – the latest features Shirley

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

49

ALL PHOTOS PAUL WYETH

Round the Island Race

with everything competitors need to know – from how to enter and how to prepare, to where to berth and what to look out for – as well as a ‘Layman’s Guide to the Racing Rules’.

All of the above information can be found on the event website at roundtheisland.org.uk

Race village

The race village will this year be in Cowes Yacht Haven, with entertainment, briefings, drinks, food and stands for competitors and members of the public to enjoy, open from midday on Friday 24 June and throughout the race weekend.

Daniel Jehan, Managing Director of the Cowes Yacht Haven, says: “We are very excited to be hosting the Race Village and look forward to entertaining competitors, supporters and spectators with our pop-up food hall, bar area and terrace.”

Race Partners Marathon Watch, B&G, Helly Hansen and

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust will all have stands.

B&G’s stand will have their technical support vehicle, kitted out with all the latest electronics, as well as some giveaways.

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust will be there with branded goods, all helping to raise funds for the trust, all day Saturday and Sunday morning of the race weekend.

Ellen says: “If you’re around, please come down and meet the Trust team and find out more about what we do. The young people we support are absolutely incredible, truly inspirational and it’s wonderful there are going to be so many of them out on the water for the race again.”

Helly Hansen has developed a merchandised capsule collection, which incorporates some of the brand’s favourite technical pieces, along with new pieces for 2022 that use its most responsible materials to date. The collection will be available

ABOVE

The Race Village wil be at Cowes Yacht Haven, open to spectators and competitors from midday Friday, for the duration of the race weekend

BELOW CENTRE

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is the official charity and will have five boats taking part

to pre-order from May 2022.

Helly Hansen is also working in partnership with the RNLI to offer a free Lifejacket Clinic, which will take place at the HH Cowes store on Friday 24 June. RNLI volunteers will be performing lifejacket checks to make sure competitors are ocean ready and prepared for the race.

Charity

Dame Ellen MacArthur admits she is “so excited” as up to 30 young people supported by her cancer charity prepare to take part in this year’s Round the Island Race for the first time since 2019.

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust has been the Official Race Charity since 2005, with young people, who have all been treated for cancer, racing as part of Trust crews in the event. The Trust is set to have five boats racing on 25 June.

Ellen said: “The race gives young people, who have sailed with us

before, the chance to do something a bit more serious and really feel that sense of achievement from sailing such a long and thrilling course around the Isle of Wight.”

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust inspires young people aged 8-24 to believe in a brighter future living through and beyond cancer. For many young people, picking up where they left off before their diagnosis just isn’t possible. “When treatment ends, the Trust’s work begins”, it says.

Amongst this year’s Trust crew is 20-year-old Jessica Plumb, who first sailed with the Trust ten years ago, following treatment for Optic Pathway Glioma, a type of tumour that occurs along the nerves sending messages from the eye to the brain.

Jessica said: “I was keen to do the race again this year because I want to be able to be around people who have gone through the same experience and to reunite with friends. I am

looking forward to seeing all the other boats and to feel the excitement in the air, while I’m in the race.

“The Trust has made such a difference in my life. I’ve gained back confidence and I’ve been able to make new friends who have gone through the same experience.

Without the Trust I don’t think I would be where I am now.”

Since 2005, over £300,000 has been raised by competitors and supporters of the race. To support the Trust, visit their fundraising page: justgiving.com/ campaign/2022roundislandrace

Trophies

More than 100 trophies are up for grabs and most boats have the chance to win several different prizes!

The most famous is the Gold Roman Bowl, which has been awarded to the overall winner of the race (now the IRC division) since the first race in 1931, but there are many wonderful

BELOW

The Gold Roman Bowl goes to the overall winner but there are many other trophies up for grabs, including watches from partner Marathon Watches

trophies with rich histories that are presented each year to class winners.

This year, eight yachts will also be awarded a prize of a Swiss-made General Purpose Marathon Watch – this includes Family Crewed Boats and Classic Racing Yachts.

Competition

The annual Round the Island Race competition gives you the chance to win a series of prizes, including a subscription to Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting or our sister title Classic Boat. Chelsea Magazines is the race's official media partner.

Also up for grabs is a B&G Zeus 3S chartplotter, worth more than £2,800, with a Marathon watch, the Helly Hansen Skagen Offshore Sailing Jacket, dinner for four at the Island Sailing Club, and a neon blue Chilly bottle branded with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust’s logo. Entry via the race website roundtheisland.org.uk

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

51

Keelboat racing

PHOTOS RICK TOMLINSON/JOG

Race revolution

52

I

One club is revitalising keelboat racing through the innovative use of technology. Georgie Corlett-Pitt speaks to JOG Race Captain Stuart Lawrence to find out more

t wasn’t that long ago that race results would take a couple of days to be posted, typically scribbled in pencil, recalls Stuart Lawrence, Race Captain of Junior Offshore Group – the keelboat racing club better known to many as JOG. While he says there was nothing unusual about the way the club was operating in a sport that is entrenched in tradition, the potential to transform a club on the brink of decline was tantalising.

JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Stuart talks animatedly as he goes on to explain how, after a term volunteering on the JOG committee, he felt compelled to initiate real change. He knew the potential that technology has to accelerate change from his professional expertise as founder and director of Serversys, a business systems provider specialising in digital transformations. With that in mind, he stepped into a position first as a club flag officer, then as

ABOVE

The new web portal has increased interest - bumper turn-outs and super close racing have become the norm

Captain and began to galvanise support to help realise a vision of JOG as the ‘yacht club of the future’ guided by the belief that, while fancy premises are not necessary to achieve that, a thriving, engaged multi-generational membership most definitely is. At the same time, he was aware of the importance of retaining JOG’s Corinthian values of promoting grassroots keelboat racing that had been built up over the club's 72 year history.

Strategic approach

To many, it would seem a huge challenge that could take a generation to achieve. But under Stuart’s leadership, the JOG committee developed a strategic approach, focused around an online platform that could be used to both communicate with existing members and engage with a new, younger demographic, and that would integrate well with a social media outreach campaign.

“We began with a basic website update, but it soon moved on in a bid to streamline the race entry and results process, which are both complicated processes,” Stuart explains. “Racing in JOG and at other yacht clubs has always seemed very dated, with start lines with flags and an entire language of its own, understood fully by few. That doesn’t appeal to young people.

Yes, it’s traditional and tradition has benefits, but it can also stop people engaging with racing.”

Three years later, and the result is a dynamic web portal that gives members access to all relevant documents and specially written advice guides, and the ability to register for events, pay for entry and merchandise, track live results, monitor competitors, and analyse individual stats such as miles and hours spent racing and compare them with others on live leader boards; individual crew results are visible to others, so skippers looking for crews can search ‘live’ racing CVs. Importantly for accessing when afloat, the site is optimised for mobile use, and individual results are confirmed the second a boat crosses the line, while integration with WhatsApp has

ABOVE LEFT

A Corby 35, NJOS, embracing the challenge of offshore racing

BELOW

Elite sailors such as Dee Caffari have recently been attracted

by JOG events, though a Corinthian spirit prevails

enabled communication with crew as well as skippers – boosting the sense of community. The system is scalable, so races for 150 boats are the equivalent work for club officials as those with 15 boats – an important consideration when relying on club volunteers for race management and safety.

Stuart estimates this level of tech solution would cost in excess of £350k to deliver as a corporate project, having taken three designers a total of three years to build. He admits it’s not the sort of amount that ordinary yacht clubs are able to invest – an industry imbalance that he questions, given the amount owners are willing to invest in their boats.

Fortunately for JOG, Stuart’s vision and support has put them in the enviable position of not only being able to remove barriers using technology, but being able to deliver

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

53

Keelboat racing

on the next level, with engagement and ease of communication creating a buzzing community at the centre of that. It’s not only proving to be a hugely valuable asset in JOG’s much-needed under 30s recruitment campaign, but it’s also forging a path that Stuart hopes will inspire other clubs to consider how they might use resources within their means to implement a similar step change.

Next generation

Any large scale organisational change of course has complexities, so some serious big picture thinking has been necessary to maximise benefits and reach. Stuart says: “Encouraging younger people into sailing is not just as simple a solution as saying ‘right, let’s advertise here’; there’s a lot more to it than that. What we’ve seen already in the industry is that there are siloed solutions are getting young people in, but none of them really build the whole future. Yes, you can bring someone along to go and race on your boat - but how does that keep them in sailing? A lot of youngsters come through the ranks from dinghy sailing, but it can be a big step into keelboat racing. There are challenges; we see for example the growing popularity of double-handed racing, which is great, but has its limitations if you want to train five or six young people at a time.

“As a club, since having this platform, we have been able to reach out to young people to come sailing, give them confidence to advertise themselves as crew by building up a sailing CV within our platform that’s automatically updated and fully visible to other skippers. We’re finding that that’s not just bringing people to do one sailing event, but keeping that connection because they are engaging with the platform, tracking their own stats and performance, and everyone can follow each other.

“More than just a race entry or results site, the platform helps us put the whole ring around the life of someone, from coming into sailing, being able to see what boats are looking for crew, and helping to develop their

54

JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

sailing career from there.”

Stuart points out that, despite its operational transformation, JOG’s direction is still firmly underlined by its long-standing commitment to keelboat sailing at grassroots level.

Its history is as a proving ground for yachts of 16-20ft who wanted to test themselves offshore; today, racing is competitive with a busy calendar, but with a Corinthian spirit that, for example, excludes individually sponsored yachts and doesn’t shy from using the term ‘chivalrous’ in relation to the club.

Younger sailors seeking to broaden their experience in keelboat racing align well within that ethos.

Stuart says: “We feel it’s our responsibility to bring youth into the sport and start them off, and if they go off and sail in big RORC races or sail double-handed or at major international contests, that’s great – that, for us, is a success.”

Over the last few years, JOG has not only halted decline but seen a 250% increase in membership. 25% of the total membership falls now into the new under 30 category, catchily dubbed ‘Generation JOG’; under 25s can join for free and there is no membership vetting process

ABOVE

The busy calendar sees 18 events this year, with inshore as well as offshore races

BELOW

Short-handed entries race within the main fleet but also score separate points for the race and the overall series

(the latter is true for any category).

Mentoring opportunities are helping develop confidence with the aim of improving retention; Stuart himself regularly includes younger members as crew on his J/120 Scream 2. A specific fund has been established for Gen JOG initiatives such as race training in order to boost young people’s confidence on the water as a conduit towards regular crew spots.

Virtual meetups give direct access to celebrity guest speakers. Gen JOG members are being encouraged to sit on the committee and their opinions are regularly being canvassed as part of a continuous campaign towards ‘the club of the future’ vision.

Member Oliver Jenkins describes the Gen JOG programme as “a great help to me in moving up from dinghy racing to keel boat racing”, as he explains that “after I joined, I immediately advertised myself on the crew finder as a Generation JOG member; within two weeks I was learning how to do the bow and now I’m a regular part of the race crew building up my sailing CV with 133 miles already under my belt.”

Looking ahead

The resulting flip-reverse in numbers has re-introduced a vibrancy to the club’s activities, which Stuart says even the most stalwart traditionalists find hard to argue with. As the level of competition has risen across the board, it’s drawn attention from the likes of Dee Caffari MBE, Pip Hare and other elite racers, strong testament to an organisation that would have been dismissed as irrelevant and fuddy-duddy by pro racers just a few years ago.

JOG has had a lot of interest

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Order your subscription today Subscribe online www.chelseamagazines.com/CSTO0722 or call +44 (0) 1858 438 442 (quoting code CSTO0722) Prices and discounts based on the regular subscription price of £70. If for any reason you’re not happy with your subscription, you may cancel within 14 days of placing your order.

environmental impact. Relevant issues include the effects of antifoul on the marine environment, eliminating single use plastic on board, and extending the lifespan of sails and equipment. Again, through digital rewards accessed via the portal, members will be able to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and ocean health. It’s an area that Stuart and the wider committee feel passionately about, and there’s a firm belief that all clubs can act as platforms for change.

If at first…

in its platform, and Stuart hopes the technology and example they have set can help inspire change in other organisations too.

For JOG itself, having already surpassed expectation, the next stage is to further develop benefits for existing members as the key to the JOG community. Initiatives such as ‘danger lists’ – showing live updates on your closest competitors – and digital milestone badges – which sailors can collect when they have sailed a certain number of miles or completed their first Channel crossing, for example – have already proven popular.

“We want to make ourselves ‘sticky’,” says Stuart, as he explains that the long term strategy relies on achieving impact at multiple levels.

“The milestone badges, for example, mean that people want to come back and race again with us because they want to earn more badges, so skippers are no longer looking for crew because there’s an abundance of crew on our crew finder. This is something we plan to build on. Any boat with a Generation JOG sailor on board is automatically entered into a separate results league with additional prizes available - spread throughout the fleet for both participation and performance - so there’s already plenty of healthy competition among skippers to invite Gen JOG sailors on board.

Importantly, it means that people start talking about your organisation and so they encourage more skippers

to come and race with you.”

He says that booming membership and increasing race entries have “created a real energy” within the club. It has also made the club attractive to a raft of commercial partners, further testament to JOG’s new reach and appeal.

Sponsors are vetted for their commitment to sustainability – a factor that has been made a cornerstone of JOG operations and another area in which they are seeking to directly engage members. It’s a vital topic that is held to the fore by the under 30s, but the scope for increased education and awareness among the wider membership is significant, and once again, the web portal is set to be central to encouraging uptake.

Through a partnership with notfor-profit organisation Clean Sailors, JOG is delivering a programme to help sailors to better understand how they can minimise their

ABOVE

Younger crews have been given the chance to gain experience thanks to Gen JOG

BELOW

Action from the 2022 Lonely Tower Race

As we wrap up our chat, Stuart is busy preparing for JOG’s Cowes to Cherbourg race – the first time the race has been run since the pandemic – with some 40 entries expected.

It’s one of several cross-Channel fixtures, and part of the appeal is the chance to “chat all things sailing” with fellow sailors at the end of the race while enjoying some French hospitality. The social side is, of course, an important element; attendance at post-race gatherings has rocketed recently thanks to WhatsApp communications with all crew, not just skippers. In total this year, there are 18 events making up JOG’s 2022 schedule, split between an inshore and an offshore series; the highlight being JOG Week in August with racing from Dartmouth and Torquay, as well as feeder races to and from Cowes.

A bumper turn out is expected.

Asked what the secret to achieving such a positive impact in such a short space of time, Stuart credits the energy and open-minded approach of his fellow committee members. But more than that, he says, “It’s about not being scared to try things. Often when you have a big committee, people are reluctant to try something because it will fail or it has failed in the past. We have taken the approach of ‘let’s give it a try, if it fails then we will re-form it in a different way’.

"I believe that’s what holds a lot of yacht clubs back; because something failed 10 or 15 years ago thinking it is never going to succeed. That is the wrong approach.

"My advice would be that it is always best to try things.”

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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Buyer's Guide - Bluewater gear

Bluewater dreams Three bluewater sailors tell Sam Fortescue about their top offshore kit ideas

D

istant shores and balmy waters are the stuff of bluewater dreams. Many of us have idly thought about escaping the rat race to explore. Perhaps fewer have actually managed to do it. But from our three case studies, one thing is clear: preparation is absolutely key.

All three of those we interviewed had spent at least two years readying the boat. In the case of Hugh Mullens’ Oyster 565, the options were chosen with the yard and built in from the outset.

At the other end of the scale, Elisa and Guillaume Guerrhit did much of the work on their Dufour 425 themselves in the years before setting off.

Top of everyone’s list, after sails, seems to be onboard power – or tackling a shortfall thereof. There are three classic avenues open here, and many blend elements of each: add renewable generation capacity, trim on board power consumption and invest in better fossil fuel capacity.

Wind power

D400 British-built machine with a top output of more than 600W, but good low-wind performance too. £1,852.10 plus £366 for the charge regulator. eclectic-energy.co.uk LE-300 Also built in the UK, this is a good value three-blader topping out at

BELOW (L-R)

The D400, the LE 300 and the Air Breeze wind turbines

300W. Costs £789.93 plus £207.95 for a Tristar charge controller leadingedgepower.com Rutland 1200 Marlec’s three-blader produces 40W at 10 knots of wind speed and tops out at 483W in a strong breeze. Price of £1,372.96 includes controller. marlec.co.uk Superwind 350 Super robust, proven unit with low wind start-up and 350W peak output. Expensive at £2,473.37 + £524.86 for the charge controller. mactramarine.co.uk Silentwind Pro Very capable, producing up to 420W, with low start-up speed. Blue carbon blades are designed to be near silent. Costs from €1,857.30, including the Bluetooth controller. silentwindprogenerator.com Air Breeze Sleek-looking three-blader with 250W top output. Needs no charge controller, but benefits from one. Price: £1,250 ecopowershop.com

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Solar power

Sunware Semi-flexible monocrystalline panels from Germany. From 20W-110W. Price: £257.50 to £656.95 marlec.co.uk Solbian Among the most efficient rigid and semi-flex panels out there: From 52W to 258W. From £330.14 to £1,231.67 barden-uk.com Solara Rigid and semi-flexible panels – choose the Power-M (mono-crystalline) range from 12W to 150W. Prices from £238.25 to £845.71. barden-uk.com SunPower Resists shading by the rig.

Available from 50W to 170W. Prices: £116.95 to £455.95 marlec.co.uk

Hydrogeneration

Watt&Sea Cruiser Transom or pod mounting for 300W or 600W units. Output up to 120W at 5 knots boat speed. £3,504.10 (300W) or £5,010.41 (600W) wattandsea.com

Swi-Tec Hydro-Charger 600W system for transom mounting, with an impeller that can be repitched. Produces 85W at 5 knots and tops out in excess of 400W. €3,650.18 (c£3,093) swi-tec.com Sail-Gen On a long pole for towing, SailGen can produce 80W at 5 knots, or around 350W at 8 knots. Costs £2,575.61 without charge controller. eclectic-energy.co.uk

Alternator/generator

One way of getting better charging out of your engine hours is to install a beefier alternator – Balmar makes marine-specific units for a range of engine types (balmar.net). More power out means more power in, so check for compatibility with your engine. You could also invest in an alternator regulator to get more out of your existing unit, although this can involve dismantling it, so is not for the faint hearted. Sterling Power Products manufactures an excellent example, with prices starting at £140.40 (sterling-power.com).

Then there is the 9-18kW alternator-on-steroids from Integrel.

In fact, it’s an alternator, a 28kWh battery bank and sophisticated power management electronics.

ABOVE LEFT

Solara panels in situ

ABOVE RIGHT

multihulls provide plentiful space for solar panels

BELOW (L-R)

A Watt and Sea hydrogenerator; the Fischer Panda 4000s generator; the Rainman watermaker

The idea is that you can harness the excess energy produced by your engine during harbour manoeuvres or digging in the anchor to charge up a big battery bank very quickly.

It’s not cheap, with the Integrel costing some £13,000, the batteries £8,500 and another £2,000 for other kit. Then it has to be installed!

But it could be cheaper than a similarly powered standalone genset, especially when you factor in fuel savings. A 10.3kW Westerbeke is £13,926, while a Paguro 5.5 SY costs £7,250 and a 3.4kW Fischer Panda 4000s Neo is £5,040.

Alternatively, you could look at buying a small portable generator, such as Hyundai’s 1000W unit, which weighs just 14kg and costs £385 from onboardenergy.co.uk

Watermakers

Then there are watermakers, which can range in capacity from simply providing a few litres of drinking water every day to filling the tanks for daily showers, dishwashers and other mod-cons.

Choose a DC system that will run off the boat’s batteries, and look for the most economic in terms of power consumption for your desired output. An energy recovery system should form part of the design, and then it’s up to you whether you want

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

59

Buyer's Guide - Bluewater gear

bells and whistles such as remote displays and automatic flushing etc.

Dessalator Modular 12/24V units from 30100lt/hr. Prices from £7,140-£12,432 dessalator.fr Rainman Portable petrol or 12V systems producing 26-140lt/ hr. £4,199-£5,499. thewetworks.co.uk Schenker Super quiet, efficient Zen models produce 30-150lt/hr.

Touchscreen controls available.

From £4,968 to £12,804 mactramarine.co.uk Spectra: Efficient, compact systems producing from 24-155lt/hr.

Pricing £5999.95 to £22,500. gds.limited Osmosea Very efficient, brushless units producing from 20-100lt/ hr, depending on the model.

Prices start at £4,074. sailfishmarine.co.uk

EcoSistems: Efficient watermakers producing from 25-90lt/ hr. Prices start at £4,434. improducts.co.uk

ABOVE LEFT

An X-Yachts Xc45 with extendable XT wind vane

ABOVE RIGHT

An Aries wind vane in action

Windvane steering

Often on the bluewater wishlist, windvane steering is purely mechanical, hugely reliable and akin to having a dedicated helmsperson permanently on watch. Not for nothing are these bits of kit often given a name by grateful skippers!

Aries The classic servo-pendulum vane gear. From €5,847.50 ariesvanegear.com Monitor US-built servo-pendulum

unit on a hinge, to improve access to the bathing ladder.

From c£3,570 ($4,495) scanmarinternational.com Hydrovane Exquisitely engineered, very robust and entirely independent of your rudder, allowing offset mounting on the transom. From c£5,078 Hydrovane.com

Drogues

Proven again and again in storm conditions offshore, drogues or para-anchors help to slow the boat when running ahead of big seas.

You can stream them over the stern to stop the boat from burying the bow, or to help steer. Lin and Larry Pardy developed a system for hanging off the bow at an angle to the seas, where the boat creates a ‘slick’ to windward that helps

Hugh Mullens Oyster 565, Akoya Delivered in June 2020 in the teeth of the first wave of Covid, Akoya was, “built with a circumnavigation in mind”, according to owner Hugh Mullens. His first passage was Ipswich to Lymington in a force 7, but he is now on the other side of the planet, halfway through the Oyster World Rally.

Being built to go bluewater means that she was well equipped from the off. “All items were installed during the build, but with the circumnavigation in mind,” Hugh says.

His list of extras included: l Dessalator Duo 100 watermaker l AB Lamina 12ft semi-rigid inflatable tender with aluminium hull and 25hp Yamaha outboard with a custom stainless propguard l Twin headsail rig - lightweight twin to the 125% Yankee l Asymmetric spinnaker, heavyweather staysail reefable down to a storm jib – all by Dolphin Sails l 3x 180Ah Mastervolt lithium-ion batteries l Watt & Sea 600 hydrogenerator pod, fitted just aft of the keel

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

11kW Cummins Onan generator Swissway hydraulic passarelle Icom SSB radio Hydraulic swimming platform Most of the equipment has performed very well, he says, including the pasarelle, although “not much use for it in the Pacific”. He singles out the watermaker, batteries and genset as a particularly good combination. “All these make the management of the boat and its services easier and provide a high standard of ‘hotel’ services - good for crew morale.”

The Watt & Sea unit has given excellent results recharging the batteries, but has not been reliable. Hugh says it has not been l l l l

working for some months while Oyster tries to arrange servicing. Otherwise, the one regret has been a rather non-technical one. “One item I missed was fitted seatback cushions in the cockpit,” he says.

Akoya has had particularly good use of the dinghy, which takes six people in comfort, “the propguard being a very good buy, despite its cost”. He recommends a tender that functions at long range, for beach landings, exploring the coastline and quick commuting to and fro. The Oyster World Rally zigzags across the Pacific to Australia, Indonesia, then over the Indian Ocean to South Africa.

It winds up back in Antigua in April 2023.

end. But if it does happen, you’ll need to make sure you have an offshore certified raft – that is meeting ISO 9650 Part 1. Choose the 24hr+ pack, which includes a little more drinking water and food.

calm conditions for the boat.

Drogues are often said to be easier to handle, being a hundred or more small cones sewn into a long line. Para-anchors can be harder to retrieve, but have tremendous staying power.

Para-ring Approved by NASA, with a design that resists tangled lines and offers a rapid deployment and recovery system. From £237 when you buy direct. para-anchor.com Yachtsman series para-anchor Robust drogue in sizes from 9-28ft diameter. Pair with a retrieval line and an anchor line. From £1770. oceansafety.com Sea-brake GP-30 Unique rotation-free design with

heavy webbing lines that creates it’s a variable pressure wave. From £190 plus £200 for the towkit. oceanchandlery.com

ABOVE LEFT

The Para-ring drogue

ABOVE RIGHT

Plastimo's TransOcean six man liferaft

Ocean Brake Series drogue described as ‘the sailor’s airbag’. From 100-180 small cones, costing from $981.40 (c£778) oceanbrake.com Jordan Series Drogue Series drogue made now by Ace Sailmakers in the US. From 100-180 small cones, costing from $1,150 (c£917) jordanseriesdrogue.com

Liferafts

They say you should step up into the liferaft from your sinking ship – what they mean is that the boat is safer until the very

Crewsaver’s 6-man valise is a bestseller: £1,275 www.survitecgroup.com Ocean Safety’s top quality 6-man valise costs from £2,099.95 oceansafety.com Plastimo Transocean 6-man valise is c£1,395 Plastimo.com Lalizas Liferafts are Polish-made and carry a 12-year guarantee.

Six man valise: £1,309.08 Lalizas.com

Epirb/PLB

Epirbs have become vital safety kit, and most offshore sailors have one on board. They send your distress signal via satellite to your home MRCC, along with your exact GPS position for rapid rescue. Category 1 units deploy automatically when

Jonas Edholm Arcona 400 Fresh from last winter’s ARC rally to St Lucia, Jonas Edholm and his family have been exploring the Caribbean in their Arcona 400, Liv. They spent over two years preparing the boat. “Our original plan was to leave the summer or 2020 but we postponed one year due to Covid,” says Jonas. “Almost everything was completed before the summer 2020 and very little needed to be done the last 12 months before we set off.”

Key items on the job list included: l Replace all the electrical wiring l Install 320Ah of Winston LiFePO batteries and a high-performance alternator l Install an arch with 780W of SunPower/Victron solar panels and integrated dinghy davits l Install an Echotec 260 watermaker l Modify the anchor locker to fit 2 x 5kg LPG bottles, the anchor windlass, 60m of chain and a 20kg spade anchor l Reinforced the bulkhead and mounted chainplate for the cutter stay l Installed Raymarine Quantum 2 radar l Install Raymarine Evolution autopilot

and EV-1 sensor with linear drive “For sail configuration we used a bit of a different setup when we did the crossing.

Due to heavy winds and cross-seas we were limited. Roughly half the crossing (day 4 to 13) we had an average wind of around 30 knots, more in squalls. To provide more comfort and make it easier for the autopilot to steer we used the genoa 1 with a pole and no mainsail, that pushed the bow pointing downwind and made it easier for the autopilot.

“As soon as we started to get winds around 20-30 knots we used the main with one or two reefs together with the genoa. We tried using the spinnaker, but due to the movement in the boat

from the waves, it wasn’t possible.”

Jonas also put a lot of thought into small things to ease passagemaking. They include an electric kettle and hand blender running off a 230V inverter, cheap non-slip mats to stop things in the galley from rattling, Hella fans and lamps with integrated USB charging sockets.

“It’s great to not have the kids fighting about who can charge their phone when everyone has their own at each bunk,” he explains.

“Another small thing that we do enjoy is the lighting inside the boat. At the main saloon, kitchen and toilet all lights are equipped with a red night mode so you can choose to either only use red lights to preserve night vision and not disturb the crew sleeping or use the regular white light.”

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

61

Buyer's Guide - Bluewater gear

they sense water, but even manual ones float and have a minimum 48hour battery life. Personal Locator Beacons do much the same thing, but are worn, so transmit your position rather than that of the boat.

Epirbs RescueME Epirb 1, £445.54, oceansignal.com ACR GlobalFix V4, £535, acrartex.com McMurdo Smartfind G8 AIS, £861, seasofsolutions.com Kannad SafePro AIS, £861 seasofsolutions.com

PLBs

Ocean Signal PLB1, £317.36, oceansignal.com McMurdo FastFind 220, £361, mcmurdogroup.com Kannad Safelink Solo, £361, kannadmarine.com ACR ResQLink, from £365, acrartex.com

Bluewater comms

Staying in touch offshore is another key priority, but it doesn’t come cheap. You can install an SSB long-range radio kit for free voice and basic data services using an external Pactor modem, but there won’t be much change from £5,000.

If you opt for satellite, you’ll need to spend £1000-plus on a terminal and then take out a subscription, where monthly costs can quickly reach £100 or more. It all depends on whether you simply want an emergency phone, or hope to send/ receive emails and photos and social media posts under way.

Iridium is the low-bandwidth specialist, with a number of phone and low data options.

Its Extreme phone can act as a modem for very basic email and weather routeing. But the Iridium GO is optimised for this, using your mobile phone or tablet as the handset and display. Predictwind has an app

ABOVE (L-R)

An Ocean Signal EPIRB, Inmarsat's Satellite Internet receiver; the Iridium Certus Skylink

BELOW LEFT

McMurdo's FastFind PLB

that is optimised for this platform.

Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband has been the go-to system for more datahungry usage, including surfing the web and posting regular pictures.

This market is also being disrupted

by Iridium’s new Certus terminals, which are smaller, cheaper and faster.

Satellite phones

IsatPhone 2: £714 Iridium Extreme: £1,319 Iridium Go: £959

Satellite internet

Inmarsat Fleet One: £3,899 Inmarsat Fleet Broadband 150: £5,999 Iridium Certus Skylink 100: £2,999 inmarsat.com iridium.com

SSB

Icom’s brand new European certified IC-M804 is the best bet for SSB. £3,780 icomuk.co.uk

Guillaume Guerrhit Dufour 425 Guillaume’s father had bought the boat second-hand in 2011, so before setting off on the long-awaited Transatlantic voyage, there was some work to do.

Together with his partner Elisa, they started the modifications in 2019, doing much of the work themselves.

Here are the headline items: ● Changed the mainsail for a bigger one with a 3rd reef ● Bought a spinnaker pole ● Upgraded to a Raymarine Axiom display ● Added AIS and Iridium GO! satphone ● Gantry with 300W of solar 440Ah gel/carbon batteries ● New 25kg Rocna anchor “The spinnaker pole is one of the best investments we made,” enthuses Guillaume.

“We have used it a great deal, especially

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

during the crossing where we’ve had the genoa poled out to starboard with several turns in it. With lots of heavy weather, we had the main to port and two or three reefs. We kept this set-up for 3000 miles.”

The rigging is still original, but they had it checked before setting off on the long leg from the home port of Quiberon, south Brittany, to Galicia. “There were a couple of small factory errors we discovered. Otherwise, we are looking for a Hydrovane self-steering

gear, so it’s a bit more relaxed as we always sail two-up, even for the crossings.”

There was no budget left over for a watermaker, but Guillaume and Elisa have developed a successful watering strategy. “We have 440lt of tankage on board, and we carry 80 litres in jerrycans. The advantage is that we regularly fill the jerrycans in the dinghy, so rarely need to go alongside to fill the tanks.”

You can follow Guillaume’s adventures on Instagram at @sailingleGG

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63

Boat Test - Mojito 650

A heady cocktail Rupert Holmes sails the Mojito 6.50; an impressively fast pocket cruiser with a lot of interior volume

W

hen David Raison won the Mini Transat race in his radical scow-bow prototype TeamWork Evolution he demonstrated the potential speed and seaworthiness of this hull shape. At the same time, many sailors from a cruising background wondered what such a shape could do for accommodation volume.

The Mojito 6.50 is the answer – it’s a fast cruising boat based on a development of Raison’s original hull shape, tweaked to produce IDB Marine’s Maxi 650. This design took an impressive five of the top nine places in the series division of last year’s Mini Transat.

The Mojito is a capable fast mini cruiser or weekender that’s easy to look after, while offering loads of

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

fun and a lot more accommodation that other boats of its length. As well as the scow bow there are almost full length chines, vertical topsides and twin rudders. This is topped by a chunky, but not obtrusive or unsightly, coachroof that provides a lot more space inside than the original version and gives an almost all-round view of the outside world.

On deck

The deck layout has been deliberately simplified to make this an easy boat to sail, without miles of string. However, it still offers a large degree of efficiency compared to most cruising yachts.

The carbon rig of the original design is replaced by a more economic and practical Sparcraft aluminium spar, without a backstay. Similarly, the massive articulating bowsprit of a racing

ABOVE The Mojito's Mini Transat pedigree is clear for all to see in her lines

Mini has been replaced with a simple retractable carbon tube.

This sits in a recessed groove on the foredeck and is typical of the many neat touches on this boat.

On the other hand it retains the race boat’s transom mounted mainsheet traveller and deck layout with three Carver Compact 45 winches, plus a hanked on slab reefing headsail. On our test boat this was supplied with a decent bag that allows the sail to the left on deck ready for use, just as easily as for a roller furling sail. It therefore doesn’t have to be removed and stowed below deck at the end of every trip.

A common drawback with smaller boats is that when sailing shorthanded you are limited to relatively low specification autopilots. However, in common with racing Minis, this boat has quadrants below deck that allows

a top-notch system to be fitted.

A generous 3m beam means the cockpit has the feel of that of a much larger yacht, yet it’s an easy step up onto the side decks to go forward.

Despite the large coachroof, these have plenty of width and the lower shrouds are taken to the cabin sides, so movement forward is unrestricted.

There’s a decent toerail of around 1.5 inches height, very good moulded nonslip and coachroof handrails.

On the downside, our test boat was fitted with shorter 18 inch stanchions. While they are within regulation for both the RCD and racing on a boat of this size, I’d prefer to see full height 24 inch stanchions, which would give a greater feeling of security.

A big locker under the cockpit has space for fenders, warps, ground tackle and even a small dinghy. The hydraulic lifting keel has a 400kg bulb, giving shallow draught for cruising, with the ability to dry out using optional beaching legs.

Under sail

The form stability of this boat is so great that the moment you step on board it has the feeling of a much larger yacht – unlike most 21 footers it doesn’t immediately lurch when you step on the side deck. However, the ease of pushing off the dock is a welcome reminder that this boat weighs only 1,200kg.

One of the delights of sailing a small boat, even one this powerful, is how easy everything is. We popped the mainsail up within the confines of the La Rochelle’s Port les Minimes marina and hoisted the masthead A2 spinnaker immediately outside the harbour entrance.

At this stage there was no more than 4-6 knots of wind, yet our boat speed on a broad reach was soon touching 5 knots, as the apparent windspeed built thanks to our own acceleration. Even in the many holes in the fitful offshore breeze we never stopped and acceleration in any gusts was brisk. This all but eliminated any concerns about the range of the Torqeedo Cruise 2.0 electric outboard on the transom.

As the afternoon wind started to fill in we were soon reaching off towards Ile de Ré at 6 to 7 knots. It

was absolutely effortless sailing with the pilot steering and no worries about its ability to cope in gusts. This boat’s massive form stability means it does not respond to gusts in the way lesser vessels react. Heel only increases very marginally, the tiller remains light, and weather helm builds very, very slowly. Add to that a decent below deck pilot and you have a boat that’s very easy to sail without being physically tiring.

A continuing trend in the Mini class has been for the boom to get progressively lower. The same is also true of the foot and clew of spinnakers. This makes it difficult to see past the kite, and those accustomed to larger boats may find the boom in the way.

However, these are not intrinsic problems with this boat. A discussion with a sail maker could raise both the aft end of the boom (with a higher clew for the mainsail) and create a higher clued spinnaker that it’s easier to see underneath.

What about upwind speed? This

ABOVE The scow bow is unquestionably eye catching BELOW Performance is really rather impressive

is where smaller boats with their inevitably short waterline lengths often suffer. Beating in 6-8 knots of true wind we maintained 5.5 knots boatspeed, with flashes of 6 knots in the stronger puffs.

Of course, speed alone is only half the equation when sailing to windward – tacking angles are just as important. This is another area in which this boat scores highly – despite the light conditions we repeatedly tacked through 80 degrees. As a result we were faster up wind than several 1980s 36-38ft cruiser-racers.

It’s a shame that we were not able to test the boat in much stronger winds. However a couple of my colleagues from French sailing magazines had been out two days earlier in 25 knots, with stronger gusts. The boat was comfortable upwind with a reef in the main and the slab reef in the jib. Downwind with a kite up they notched up speeds well into the teens, again under good control.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

65

Boat Test - Mojito 650

Interior

Below decks is a very interesting open plan interior with a large properly rectangular double bunk forward. Overall, it’s a bright and appealing space with a folding two leaf table that will seat six and a basic galley around the keel box.

The companionway is offset to port, which means those sitting around the starboard side of the saloon table aren’t in the way of anyone wanting to get in or out of the boat.

Unlike most boats of this size the saloon doesn’t feel claustrophobic with four people and there’s impressive stowage. The wide beam gives space for deep bins outside of the settees and the forward double berth that will easily swallow a dozen kit bags or sail bags.

There are also two generously proportioned quarter berths, meaning four people can be accommodated comfortably without using the saloon settees.

Sitting headroom is ample, but for some the biggest downside is the lack of an enclosed heads compartment. Instead, a chemical toilet can be stowed behind the companionway steps and slid forward for use when necessary.

In many ways this is entirely in keeping with the builder’s plan to create a modern day Muscadet or Coco. These 21ft mini offshore yachts from the 1960s and 1980s respectively now have a cult-like following in France, while the former played a big part in the democratisation of sailing in the country as Eric Tabarly rose to fame.

ABOVE A design that definitely dares to be different BELOW Plentiful interior volume

RUPERT’S VERDICT Over the past few years the Mojito brand has established a reputation for well designed nicely built daysailers and weekenders that dare to be different. With the 650 the yard has followed a sensible balance between simplicity, comfort and extracting the enormous performance potential of the core design.

The result is a thoroughly attractive small cruiser and weekender with excellent standard of finish. As standard construction

THE SPEC LOA 6.50m Beam 3.0m Draught 0.8-1.85m Light displacement 1,200kg Mainsail 21m2 Headsail 17m2 Gennaker 47m2 Base price €75,075 ex VAT Contact: idbmarine.com

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

is now flax fibres, recycled PET foam core and bio sourced resins.

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67

Interview - James Harayda

He has Dee Caffari as a mentor, and Alex Thomson’s old boat.

James Harayda is on course to become the next big name to fly the union jack in offshore racing, as Georgie Corlett-Pitt discovers

PHOTOS C/O GENTOO SAILING TEAM

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t the age of 24, James’ rise to fame has been meteoric. He admits as much himself as he tells how a speculative email to offshore legend, Dee Caffari MBE, ahead of an RYA training weekend in early 2020, paved the way for the two to become sailing partners.

“It was an open training weekend, and I had heard that Dee was going to be there. So I sent her an email to introduce myself, and said I would like the chance to learn from her. She agreed to give it a go. I remember when she replied, I took a photo of the email and sent JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Rising star it to my friends, thinking, ‘this is going to be the coolest thing ever!’

“At the time, neither of us thought it was going to be a long term project; it was just a few weekends of sailing.

But we both ended up having a really good time and found that our skill sets and personalities were similar but also complementary. We found we had this great dynamic and a very strong mutual trust.

“It’s amazing to have Dee’s experience, not only from ocean racing, but also from everything else she has accomplished and all the barriers she has broken down, it’s great to be able to learn from her and I’m so happy to have her involved.”

James remembers one of their very first outings, as he describes: “We were sailing my Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300 and it was a reach all the way to the Nab Tower and back. It was a bright spring day during covid, so there was no-one out. Neither of us had been sailing for ages because of lockdown. I was just thinking, 'wow!'

“We then did our first race, the Drheam Cup - one of the best races

ABOVE

With the backing of his sailing partner and mentor Dee Caffari, James is getting ready to take on sailing's biggest solo challenge

I have ever sailed - and after that, things snowballed very quickly. We had an email saying that we had been selected to represent Great Britain at the European Championships, so then Dee didn’t really have an option to leave!” he says with good humour.

At the time, the discipline of mixed double handed offshore racing had Olympic status, having been voted in for Paris 2024. James had long dreamed of competing at the Olympics, having grown up racing Lasers in Singapore before moving to the UK to study at the University of Surrey. He also had 50,000nm of keelboat sailing under his belt.

The stars seemed to be aligning, and when James and Dee went on to win the British Double Handed Nationals not once but twice, the future looked very bright indeed.

That was until they received the shock news that decision had been reversed: double handed keelboats were out of the Olympics.

James was determined to overcome the disappointment. Fortunately, with Dee’s unique support and

his Gentoo Sailing Team already established, James was able to take what he describes as a “glass half full approach” to the news, recalibrating his ambition towards an altogether different challenge: that of racing singlehandedly around the planet in the next Vendée Globe.

Vendée vision

The next edition of the 24,000 mile race sets off in November 2024, and James believes he is the youngest competitor entering. Asked where in the fleet he predicts he might finish, James considers carefully before replying that top 15 (of 40) would be “amazing” then quickly adding, “It’s the Vendée Globe, though - anything can happen!”

“We have set our ambitions high, but I think completing it is going to be a massive milestone. With so many new IMOCA 60s being built now, you’re going to have 15 boats that are all in a position to win. It’s going to be super challenging.”

Not only is he hoping to be competitive, but James plans to enter with a carbon neutral campaign. By the next race in 2028, he hopes to run a carbon negative campaign – and to top the podium.

There’s no doubting this young sailor’s determination, and you can feel the energy radiating from him as he talks. While others would choose a more tiered pathway in their assault on offshore sailing’s pinnacle event - racing the Mini Transat first perhaps, or the Figaro or Class 40 circuits - James has his own rationale for tackling his ambition head on. He says: “The Vendée Globe has been an event I’ve always been fascinated with. It’s super interesting, not just from a racing point of view, but the adventure, the human side of it, the boats, the technology. I’ve always dreamt of being involved at some point.

“After the disappointment of the Olympic classes decision, Dee and I were throwing ideas around about where to take Gentoo Sailing Team next. After a few discussions, the Vendée and the IMOCA was something that just stuck, so we thought ‘let’s give it a go’.

“We have the advantage of having already built the Gentoo brand; I’m

still young and I can take a few risks. So this cycle will be about forming partnerships, developing our team identity, using knowledge and skills and expertise for 2028 race, which we hope to win. There is a long term strategy there, as opposed to me jumping into the Figaro for a season, then the Class 40 for a bit, before the IMOCA. From a practical and commercial perspective, in the UK, it’s more difficult to build a presence in classes like the Mini, Figaro or Class 40 - it just doesn’t have the same reach and funding.

The Vendée is more difficult, but it is becoming more well known.

We are throwing all our eggs in one basket, which is a bit risky, but it seems to be working so far!”

James has already employed a small but professional campaign team. He has seed funding for the early stages, enough to purchase an older IMOCA (ex Hugo Boss 2) which was most recently campaigned by Stéphane Le Diraison as Time for Oceans. The boat is currently based in Gosport.

“The previous skipper has done

ABOVE

James and Dee quickly built "a great dynamic" racing on his Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300

BELOW

Helping other young sailors through Gentoo Sailing Team's youth programme has been a big priority

an amazing job with modifying it (for foiling); hopefully it’s a very reliable boat, a strong boat and one that’s perfect for establishing myself in the IMOCA fleet,” he says.

James believes that having sports sponsorship experts on the team - crucially, from a nonsailing background - has been instrumental in helping him develop an outside-the-box approach to his campaign. He is securing a number of partnerships, including R&D collaborations with hi-tech companies keen to gather data and test product in harsh marine environments – an area he finds fascinating.

In particular, James is keen to form partnerships that dovetail with Gentoo Sailing Team’s sustainability agenda. “I believe that, long term, the way we can solve issues like climate change is by making a life that we can still enjoy but with a sustainable approach; it’s not about cutting everything fun out, that’s simply not going to be possible.

“We are approaching companies where we can either play a pivotal role in developing technologies or products, or where we can offer our campaign as a narrative to tell potential customers more about products; something that is becoming increasingly difficult in a more digital world is actually showing people what your technology can be used for.

We can also collaborate on data collection, whether that’s for the environment (salinity, microplastics, air pollution, sea temperature), human performance or the boat’s performance. We will of course Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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Interview - James Harayda

use that data from a performance standpoint, with a view to winning the Vendée in 2028, but we can also package that up in a way that’s appealing to data specialists.”

Youth pathways

While James’ own sailing has been hugely accelerated in a very short time frame, he’s acutely aware that few young sailors have anything like that opportunity. As a result, establishing a youth programme for Gentoo Sailing Team has been a priority.

“Over my time competing in the double handed class, I first-hand realised how difficult it is to break into keelboat sailing in the UK; there have been pathways previously like the Artemis Academy, but right now, it’s super tricky. A big thing for me is breaking down barriers to entering the sport, particularly short handed sailing, which is why it is important that the sailors don’t pay for anything.”

Thanks to funding from the Ian Atkins Keelboat Awards and yet more support from Dee Caffari, this time as Trustee, in its first season the programme has taken off and already 10 male and 10 female sailors aged 16-23 are benefitting. James was overwhelmed to have received close to 100 applications, from all around the world, representing a variety of backgrounds, experience levels and ambitions. For this season, each of the youngsters will have the chance to race on board with James in various RORC and JOG races, as well as mentoring and industry placements. His intention is to repeat the intake annually and to give ongoing support to young people wishing to pursue careers not only in racing, but in campaign management and the wider marine industry; there may even be a few future recruits to the Gentoo campaign team.

Taming the IMOCA

With so much to juggle in Gentoo’s multifaceted campaign, James admits, “Sometimes it’s easy to forget I’m here to go sailing!

“I’m constantly rushing around, whether that’s in France sorting out containers, or bringing the boat back to the UK, or working on the commercial side. It’s so frantic, but it’s really cool. I wouldn’t change it!”

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Right now he is switching focus to spend more time on the water ahead of his first major race, and the first real chance to test himself, in November’s Route du Rhum.

“To be sat on that start line seems a long way off,” says James, brimming with nervous excitement.

“It still doesn’t feel quite real. It’s early days and we’re learning a lot, but there’s a lot to be distracted by. I went to the IMOCA AGM two weeks ago, and walking into that room with all these legendary skippers who I have read all about and followed, to be there with them as an equal, is amazing, that feeling of being on the same playing field.”

While his may be a fledgling campaign, it is, crucially, underpinned by a determination that is absolute – something any solo sailor needs to have by the bucketload. “It helps that I quite like talking to myself!” says James.

I sense that he’s quite serious.

One of his heroes, Alex Thomson, has already furnished James with some advice on coping with the mental challenge. “Alex has done an incredible job, and I’m super happy to have his support. He talked about using a helicopter perspective where he takes a look from outside the boat and thinks, ‘what does Alex Thomson need to do right now?’

“There’s a huge amount of development for myself that I need to do over the next few months, and races like the Route du Rhum are perfect examples for where we can learn and train ourselves. I use the word ‘ourselves’ because it’s as much about me doing the

ABOVE LEFT

James' new IMOCA 60 will soon sport Gentoo branding

BELOW

Aged 24 now, James plans to be the youngest competitor in the 2024 Vendée Globe

race as it is about the wider team perspective of ‘what do we do in the build-up to an event in order to be successful?’, even down to ‘how do we manage James in the 24 hours before the race?’ I don’t know the answers yet but I’m sure we will soon discover them by doing real races.”

Warm-ups for the Route du Rhum include RORC's Round Britain and Ireland Race (with crew) in August, and the Défi Azimut (solo) in September. He plans to do as much of the IMOCA Globe Series as possible, including two qualifying races for the 2024 Vendée Globe.

And what of sailing the IMOCA 60? Having just completed the delivery from France to the UK, with Dee on board, it can be, he admits, quite intimidating!

“The boat is so powerful and it’s very easy to run away from you, especially compared to the Sun Fast where you can get away with mistakes; with the IMOCA the boat will bite back. You need to be constantly managing it; it’s not just about sailing as quickly as possible all the time, it’s about making sure you don’t break the boat in half!

“When I look all the way to the bow I think, ‘how am I meant to sail this thing by myself?’ But then every time I go out I just get a little bit more comfortable with it, and pick up little bits of knowledge each time.”

Small steps in a very big campaign perhaps, but this ambitious young talent is far from fazed – though he does have to pinch himself from time to time. “The day I got the reply from Dee was the day my life spiralled seaward…” he laughs.

He is certainly one to watch.

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Charter - Exotic locations

Totally tropical Post pandemic, and chartering off the beaten track is definitely back on the agenda. Sam Jefferson explores some of the possibilities

PHOTOS ISTOCK/HELM/SUNSAIL

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he Covid 19 pandemic has been a journey for all of us and one that has actually involved travelling a good deal less. Nowhere was this more evident than in the charter industry, where previously popular destinations simply fell off the map. Pacific islands became all but untouchable while Australia and New Zealand were seemingly perpetually out of bounds.

Thankfully, there is a sea change and borders and barriers are currently tumbling at a rate of knots. Laura Bowtell, Head of Sales UK at Sunsail and The Moorings, explains the current situation: “Many of our more exotic locations were slow coming out of the pandemic restrictions and it wasn’t until recently that a lot JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

of Covid mandates were lifted.

“As an example, Thailand was really tough but in recent weeks things have suddenly become a whole lot easier and most of the barriers have been removed. Just at present, the Seychelles is probably the easiest long haul destination, as there are no restrictions for vaccinated travellers.

“One thing that we have noticed that has remained is that travellers are are now being asked to show proof of travel insurance which is no bad thing. Aside from that, we provide information on all the latest travel requirements on each destination page of our website. It’s also worth checking with the airlines aswell as they are the ones delivering you there and nobody will know better than them what is required.”

Despite the cost of living crisis,

ABOVE

The dream; powder white beaches and impossibly blue waters

there are some great deals to be had on flights, as Laura explains: “In terms of long haul, there are some great deals on flights now, especially if you are planning ahead.

Most countries are also desperate to welcome back tourists, so you can expect an extra warm welcome!”

Where to go?

Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia offer spectacular cruising with magnificent peaks, cliffs and luscious green hillsides, while beautiful lagoon anchorages offer dazzling white beaches for swimming and snorkelling.

Although Bali currently has few large charter bases, it has over 13,000 tropical islands to explore with local companies, while Thailand’s 2,000 miles of coastline with its mix of quiet bays, hidden beaches

and vibrant harbours is a newly discovered treat for many. Explore the west coast with a one-way trip from Phuket in Thailand to Langkawi, Malaysia – there are few navigational challenges in the emerald-clear Andaman Sea, while stopovers offer bustling villages and tranquil temples to experience.

For a hassle free destination, James Foot of charter operator Helm recommends the South Seas: “For a far-flung charter without the red tape, French Polynesia is a wonderful option. It’s a magnificent sailing area of 117 islands, each utterly unique and off the beaten track. The islands benefit from consistent E trade winds (15-20 knots year round), and I’ve never seen such clear water anywhere else in the world.

"These incredible islands combine volcanic mountains with barrier reefs teeming with vibrant marine life. Fully-vaccinated British travellers are now able to travel freely, and the health monitoring programme ended on 28 March 2022. And because it’s a French

territory, you don’t need a visa."

There are some of the usual global operators out there, as well as boutique local fleets.

My favourite time to visit the islands is November – things are beginning to heat up, but haven’t reached the heights of summer – water and air temperatures are both a balmy 29˚C. The Seychelles are another excellent exotic option, lying off the east African coast and offering superb cruising between a wide selection of islands all offering white sand beaches and crystal clear waters.

Australia’s 74 Whitsunday Islands are a spectacular natural landscape set in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, and they’re on many a charterer’s bucket list. It’s a World Heritage destination teeming with animal life, surrounded by coral and pristine beaches.

When to go?

Malaysia and Thailand charters are best from November to February when you can expect sunshine

ABOVE LEFT

The Seychelles is an accessible and extremely beautiful location

ABOVE RIGHT

Cruising in Polynesia

BELOW LEFT

Ko Lanta in Thailand

BELOW RIGHT

The spectacular Andaman Islands in Thailand

and gentle north easterlies. March to May can bring squally rain, while humidity can be oppressive in other months. The Pacific Islands promise sunshine and balmy breezes all year outside the November to April hurricane season.

Australia’s Whitsunday Islands offers moderate sailing conditions throughout the year, while New Zealand is best from November to April when winds average Force 1 to 4.

CHARTER CONTACTS dreamyachtcharter.co.uk boatbookings.com clickandboat.com helm.yt oceangetaways.com theglobesailor.com sunsail.co.uk sailconnections.com themoorings.co.uk Other useful contacts Foreign travel advice: gov. uk/foreign-travel

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S W

E N

GULL’S EYE

CARTERET

Brian Ferguson takes us on a guided tour of his local marina in idyllic Normandy 49’22’08 1’47’24.

BIG BOAT MOORING

LIFT OUT

APPROACH The port of Carteret is easily identified from seaward by its lighthouse on the cliffs above the town. Its entry is clearly marked by port and starboard lights. The entry is open roughly two and a half hours each side of high water

ROWING CLUB AND SAILING SCHOOL

SLIPWAY

FUEL PONTOON VISITOR’S PONTOONS (E AND F) HARBOUR OFFICE

SHOWERS

F

or more than 150 years the coastal resort of Barneville-Carteret has been a magnet to tourists. In its heyday the beau monde of Paris and the discerning members of Edwardian British society flocked to its endless white sand beaches and clear blue sea warmed by the gulf stream. Today BarnevilleCarteret is popular with visitors from Europe and the UK and an especially favoured stopover for yachtsmen both French and British.

Barneville-Carteret’s position directly opposite the Channel Islands gives it a unique flavour among French ports, decidedly French, but closer to the British Isles even than Dover. The area’s close connection with the Channel Isles spans many centuries, regardless of wars, foreign occupation or dare we say it, more recently Brexit. There is even a common language between the two, the Normandie “Patois” Barneville-Carteret’s recent €2.4m marina development has seen the addition of a further 370 pontoon berths, including 60 berths for visiting yachts Some of the annual berths are, at the

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ABOVE LEFT A roomy, well proportioned modern marina backing onto a charming historical town ABOVE RIGHT Carteret’s famous Maison du Biscuit BELOW the approach is clear and well marked

49’22’08 1’47’24.

time of writing, still available. The falling sill, which used to be at the entrance of the old marina, has been repositioned towards the harbour entrance. This has left a large area of the port permanently flooded giving all tide access to dinghy sailors and rowers from the local coastal rowing club. The second phase of the development has begun which will see a new marina office building incorporating extensive new sanitary and laundry facilities.

There are many distractions in Barneville-Carteret for the visiting yachtsman. The local restaurants cater for all tastes and pockets, from the Michelin stared Marine Hotel to excellent pizzerias, bars and bistros such as L’Abri in the old sailing school building or Le Barneville-Carteret near the Station of the Train Touristique.

The Yacht Club next to the marina is open to visitors with toilets, showers and washing machines, It also has a bar and restaurant with an upstairs terrace with the best view in the town. However local opinion has it that the Kalakiki on the promenade towards the ferry terminal serves the best moules frites in the Manche, a full kilo of

mussels per person for 14 Euros.

The coastal rowing club of Barneville hosts each year an open sea race between Jersey and Carteret.

This is one of the most famous ocean rowing events in Europe, however the club is open on weekends to anyone who would like to try a spot of less competitive exercise.

Dinghies, windsurfers and stand up paddle boards are also available to hire. A restored private railway runs in the summer between BarnevilleCarteret and Port-Bail-sur-Mer using vintage engines and rolling stock. This is particularly popular on Portbail’s market day(Tuesday) There are supermarkets in Barneville and an excellent epicerie and wine cave in Barneville-Carteret’s main street all of which will deliver to your boat.

For something a little different you should try a visit to the Maison de Biscuit a few minutes by taxi, anyone familiar with the famous Gosselin boutique in St Vaast-la-Hougue will be seriously impressed by its bigger and more visually impressive west coast rival. Engineering and repair services along with a large and well stocked chandlery are available at Carteret Marine, two minutes walk from the marina.

PHOTOS: BRIAN FERGUSON/ MAISON DU BISCUIT, BENJAMIN HUE, SPL DES PORTS DE LA MANCHE, PHILIPPE FAUVEL, THOMAS JOUANNEAU – OTGTM

Gull’s Eye - Barneville - Carteret

Passage Planning

Most UK visitors arrive at BarnevilleCarteret after a stopover in the Channel Islands. This makes it much easier to plan your arrival to coincide with the local tides. The entry, with its falling sill, is open roughly two and a half hours each side of high water, depending on tidal coefficient.

The port of Barneville-Carteret is easily identified from seaward by its lighthouse on the cliffs above the town. Its entry is clearly marked by port and starboard lights, a white stone building at the end of a jetty to port, and a starboard mark at the end of the southerly retaining wall.

The passage over the falling sill is clearly marked, the port side entry marker having a tide gauge attached.

There is also a digital depth readout on a large panel beside the footpath to the left of the entrance.

This shows the depth of water available at the entrance and is only illuminated when the port is open.

Incoming boats have priority and all boats should pass in the centre, between the posts marking the sill.

First time visitors, or those with a small auxiliary engines are advised to delay entry for at least 30 minutes after the initial opening of the sill,

ABOVE LEFT the Chausey Islands are a real hidden gem not far from Carteret ABOVE RIGHT The port of Granville is also good for a wekend sail from Carteret

until the incoming tide begins to flow over the retaining walls each side of the entrance, thereby reducing the flow over the sill. It is also an idea to plan landfall a mile or so to the south of the port entry as at springs the northward current can run at 3 to 4 knts.

Any obstructions from all directions will be well submerged by the time entry to Barneville-Carteret is possible, but yachts arriving early will need to stand well off as the tidal range locally can be up to 12 metres.

fabulous walled city, faithfully rebuilt after the war. It’s an interesting fact that for its surface area St Malo has more eateries that any other town or city in Brittany. Just around the corner is the entrance to the Rance estuary with its picturesque marina at Plouer-sur-Rance and for those with a small enough draught there is the medieval walled city of Dinan.

FACTFILE

PORT OF CARTERET

Cruising grounds

Barneville-Carteret is within easy reach of Jersey, with the port of Gorey only 14nm distant, and Guernsey and Alderney a day’s sail away. It is further south that the real jewel in the crown lies. The Chausey Islands are an archipelago of small islands most of which are submerged at high water but at low tide provide an incredible playground of sandy beaches, shallow warm bathing pools and, on the main island, restaurants and bars. Bernard Moitessier described the Chausey as paradise, and he wasn’t wrong.

On to the other side of the bay of Mont St Michael is St Malo with its

Local Berth Holder The author Brian Ferguson has lived in France since moving from the North of England in 2004: “I arrived in France with a 37 foot long keel Tayana, a yacht practically identical to a Hans Christian, with a draught of two metres and a displacement of eighteen tonnes. The plan was to buy a small house for the winter and cruise all summer. We bought a farm with thirty acres, and the rest as they say is history.

“We downsized to a 24ft Cornish crabber in which we cruised the northern Brittany coast and recently, after forty years under sail succumbed to the dark side and bought an Aquastar 27 motor cruiser which we keep in Carteret.

Our new cruising grounds are the extensive inland canal system of central Brittany, which at our present rate will occupy us for several years to come.”

Contact: 0033 (0) 233047084. portcarteret@ports-manche.fr Electricity and water on all pontoons. Diesel and petrol 24 hrs on pontoon F Rates: Visitors: €19.29 low season to €27.57for a 30 foot monohull Annual: €2,215 per year or €1551 for a pontoon with access by tender.

Winter: €193 euros per month The Marina offers free wifi, weather reports, a boat hoist of up to 40t, dry boat storage and electric bicycle hire.

Market days are, Thursday Carteret, Saturday Barneville and Tuesday at Portbail Useful contacts: ports-manche.com Carteret Marine, 0233 012001 Yacht club, 0233 526073 Pole Nautique (Watersports center),0233 931207 Jobourg Coastguard,0233 521616.

Pompiers,(For all fire and medical emergencies)18 Medical advice helpline 116117 Jersey coastguard 01539 447705 Comptoir carteret,0233 538107

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Interview

An inland voyage Stephen Ladd and his wife sailed from Florida to Argentina in a 21’ boat along the way they gained a child and many memories as Sam Jefferson discovers

"

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W

anderlust is a force that always pulls but as long as I satisfy that from time to time it’s not overpowering” Stephen Ladd reflects. This is a man who has seen more adventure than most, yet when I chat to him he sounds settled and his life almost mundane. In the background the babble of everyday life goes on. This is a man with two kids and a wife; it is morning with him in Duluth, Minnesota and the sounds of kids being prepared for school and breakfast being served are a comforting burble in the background. It’s hard to equate this scenario with the man who recounts a life less ordinary in his book The Five Year Voyage. “It’s a case of managing your wanderlust and satisfying that need when it grows really strong. At present I head out into the wilderness for a couple of days at a time and that keeps things in check.”

Yet when his thirst for adventure JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

comes on, it bites hard. The Five Year Voyage recounts a lengthy trip spent in a 21’ boat which took he and his wife from Florida down to Argentina by way of the Caribbean before heading inland up the river system into Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.

Having reached Buenos Aires,

ABOVE

Below the waterfall of Salto Yacy in Argentina

the couple then headed back via a different network of rivers, exiting at Pernambuco, where Stephen opted to go solo as he coast hopped back up to Florida. Sadly the voyage ended abruptly when the boat was wrecked off the Dominican Republic – but we’ll get to that.

“To understand this voyage, you need to know a bit about my previous one,” Stephen says: “That first voyage took place some years ago in a 12’ open boat and covered much the same area. That was a five year trip and I was on my own.

“This time I had my wife with me so we needed a level of comfort for two but it also needed to be flat bottomed, light and with a decent amount of storage. Sailing a boat of this type takes a bit of getting used to because it’s flat bottomed and has good initial stability that disappears to zero pretty rapidly.

Kind of the opposite on most yachts which heel early but won’t flip. It’s like sailing a dinghy essentially, you are always on the mainsail sheet and you tend to reef early.”

The voyage

“The first part of the trip we rowed and sailed but by the time we got to Panama we decided we needed an outboard because we were going straight into the trade winds so we got a very light Honda outboard and continued.

"We then went up the Orinoco into Venezuela and at the top of the Orinoco found and intersection that actually took us into the Amazon.

"We then went down the Amazon to Manaus then up again to the Mato Grosso. We portaged (dragged) boat on 13 occasions.

"We eventually found ourselves on the Rio Paraguay and the Parana which we took all the

way down to the Atlantic, coming out at Buenos Aires.

“From there we headed back north to the Amazon delta. It was at this point my wife had a baby and it was possible to have a newborn on the boat because we were still in the river system. Eventually though, we were obliged to leave the rivers to get back north and it was at this point that my wife and son left and I carried on alone.

“I nearly made it back but off the Dominican Republic I lost the boat. This came about because the east coast had very little shelter and I needed to stop for the night.

"This was where I met my

ABOVE LEFT

Exploring a dead end trail high up the Rio Negro

ABOVE RIGHT

Enjoying a Belkin beer in Belize

BELOW

The boat was portaged on a number of occasions - this time in Costa Rica

Waterloo: there was a big swell running and I tried to land in what should have been an ok spot but the swell was big and as I closed with land I saw the surf was huge.

Unfortunately I pitchpoled the boat and it was badly damaged.

“I was very sad as it was a really nice boat and we had adapted it a lot and in minute detail. I wanted to save it but at the same time I hadn’t seen my wife and young child for five months so I figured I wanted that more than saving my boat.”

A voyage of self discovery

All this sounds like a splendid adventure but, as always, what I wanted to understand was; why?

“Adventure helps us discover who we are,” Stephen explains: “This especially true for youths. A native American youngster might call it a spirit quest. He travels alone through strange lands. Everything is in flux. The only constants are those he contains within.

“Through the trial he realizes his strengths, and develops to his full potential. Older people can also benefit to the extent we are still capable of curiosity and personal reflection.

"If an intense experience can still rock us to our foundations it’s not too late for us. We may yet find an unexpected twist in our destiny if we have faith in ourselves and allow ourselves to be carried away.”

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PHOTOS; STEPHEN AND GINNY LADD

Interview

The other side to it is the human connections you make, as Stephen explains: “When you are voyaging like this (in rivers) you are generally stopping every night. I did a few overnight passages on the open sea but it’s pretty horrible on a boat of this size. The main thing is you are generally looking for new places to stop off and reprovision. In doing so you generally discover new places and people and the amazing thing is that people are drawn to you like a magnet. It’s strange, it’s like they recognise you for the spirit you are and they want to help you.

“The rivers of this part of South America are particularly special too and there is also a lot to be discovered in some of the less popular countries on the Caribbean coast such as Nicaragua, Colombia and Venezuela. These are not generally recommended to sailors but our manner of travelling made it a bit easier as it was clear we did not have a great deal so people were less inclined to get jealous.

"The rivers are remote, untouched and often huge. They

are full of nature too and it’s amazing because at times you can sail through partially flooded forests, nature all around.

A new arrival

Perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of the adventure was that Ginny gave birth to the couple’s first child while they were in the depths of South America. “We were in the river system at a place called Foz de Iguassu when my wife gave birth.

“This is a famous waterfall but there is also a town of about 150,000 people so there was a hospital so it was fine. After that we carried on and it was absolutely fine.”

All very well, but it was interested to know how such a trip had impacted their relationship. “We never argued. This is something pretty unique I guess. My wife seems quite ordinary and she’s certainly not macho or anything but she has a lot of courage. Her desire to do the trip was equal to my own too which probably helps.”

For now, Stephen’s wanderlust seems to have been satisfied,

ABOVE LEFT AND RIGHT

A new arrival in Brazil did not deter the adventurers and their new son soon adjusted to the environment

Stephen Ladd’s book The Five Year Voyage is out now go to Stephen-ladd.com for more details

The Sea Pearl 21: The Sea Pearl 21 was designed

by Ron Johnson as a daysailer and first built in 1982. The boat is a development of, or at least inspired by, the 1929 Herreshoff Carpenter design by L Francis Herreshoff. It’s a cat rigged ketch, with two unstayed masts. The hull has a raked stem; an angled, canoe transom; a transomhung rudder and the choice of either a centreboard or lee boards.

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although he is aware it will probably strike again. “I don’t want to sail around the world or anything like that.” He explains: “I am building a new boat, a proa, in my workshop but I have no plans.

“If opportunity allows, which is a small chance given my age and family circumstances, it would be to trailer my proa to Duluth, sail the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, then the Azores, NW Europe, a river/canal passage to the Black Sea, then the Med, then West Africa, then cross the Atlantic to the horn of Brazil. Cruise to Buenos Aires and back, then NE Brazil, the Guyanas, Eastern Caribbean, Turks and Caicos, Bahamas, to Florida. Cross Florida via canal, and follow the coast to around about Galveston. Which members of my family would accompany me is not known. It doesn’t hurt to say it as long as you know it’s not 'a plan'.”

It sounded like a plan to me. I look forward to updates a few years down the line from as man who, in a very understated way, makes the improbable seem eminently possible.

Stephen set about modifying the boat, as he explains: “We added a rigid cabin, water tanks and storage bins secured transversely across the floor to double as ballast, and a sliding-seat rowing station.

“The result was a rowable, shallowdraft, and self-rightable boat with a cabin minimally big enough for two.”

Specifications (pre modification): LOA: 21.00 ft (6.40 m) Beam: 5.50 ft (1.68 m) Displacement: 600lb (272kg)

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EXPERTS' FORUM Advice this month includes...

- Provisioning tips from chef Mitch Tonks - Matt Gotrel on being a team player - Man Overboard!

- Clive Loughlin's anchorage advice

Keelboat masterclass

Solo sailing - marina challenges When 14-year old Katie McCabe set off to become the youngest person to sail around Britain on her classic Morgan Giles 26fter Falanda, she thought that getting her mum's 'okay' on the trip would be the hardest part - that was until it came to entering a marina solo at the end of a tough passage...

“Sailing 1600 miles solo round Britain in under two months meant 35 marinas – and I had never really been into a marina before on my own!

“Growing up, I lived on a 50ft boat for 13 years, but we rarely went into marinas, and even then it was my parents doing it. So I was a bit terrified going into the first couple of marinas but I slowly got the hang of it.

“The scariest was Brighton; on the way in we had a fair bit of wind, Force 5 or so, and we had quite a big following sea. It’s a very awkward channel into Brighton Marina. As I went in, there was white water crashing over the breakwater and crashing down back onto the boat.

“As you go into the breakwater, there’s a really sharp right, so I got in out of the swell but I still had to put all my fenders and lines out before going in to the marina. And then I had the harbourmaster on the VHF, which was just washing around the cockpit, issuing some really complex instructions.

“My dad (who, for insurance reasons, followed me on his own yacht) wasn’t listening on that channel, so it was down to me to get both the berth numbers and remember them - and figure out where they were!

“Later, along the east coast, due to the tides, we

Katie on board her classic yacht, which she restored herself

had a lot of late night arrivals and early morning starts. Having arrived in Lowestoft at 10.30pm and then left at 2am, I hadn’t booked the next marina - obviously the marina wasn’t open at 10.30 at night! - so I had to rely on my friend and fellow round-Britain solo sailor, Tim Long, to book it.

“The passage to Grimsby was 105 miles-ish and took 28 hours, so I had to wait for 24 hours until I got phone signal for him to text me back, which was nerve wracking.

“Sometimes, just trying to sort out where to stay for the night can be the most stressful part of the whole trip, especially when you are just exhausted after two days of no sleep.

“I was also relying on the kindness of sponsors as I only had a budget of £100 for all 35 marinas, so I was very grateful to everyone who helped me.

“My advice to others would be to call the marina in advance; they will often tell you where you are likely to be. But at the time, with the whole of Britain to sail around, I just didn’t think about that!

“And when you get there, be prepared - always try to have your fenders and lines out ready before you go in.”

Follow Katie’s campaign for the 2025 Mini Transat via falandasailing.blogspot.com

This month Racing during a super windy weekend for the recent Warsash Spring Series gave me fresh cause to appreciate the importance of being prepared – and not just for standard textbook scenarios.

For sure, as a new team in a new boat, we had diligently put in time over the winter to work on hoists, drops, tacks, gybes, time-on-distance, and so on, to the point where we were just about slick enough to not completely embarrass ourselves when it came to race one of the new season. Great, well done us.

But what we hadn’t thought through was what when it all goes pear-shaped?

What about when your boat is lying on its side in a solid 30 knot gust with one crew member half in the water, or when you have to dump the halyard to get out of a broach and the kite goes under the keel? In those frantic few minutes, without a plan, things can go either way.

Fortunately we managed to figure it all out on the fly, no-one got hurt, and now we know, having thoroughly debriefed, what to do next time - happily we are all still friends! But it was a good reminder of why, even if you are all experienced sailors, it’s a good idea to think ahead and agree your contingencies before you need to use them.

Advice to share? Email me at Georgie.

Corlett-Pitt@chelseamagazines.com

Inspiration Make every race count This month we are loving super crew Ben McGrane’s never-give-up attitude. He says: “If you have a bad race, go back to what you normally do and focus on that. Think, 'ok so this race started badly, but let’s try and turn that into a countable result'.

Always try to get the most out of every race. Your next race could be even worse! This result could have to count, so make the most out of every opportunity. If it’s passing two boats, it’s passing two boats - never give up!” More tips from Ben on page 85.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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EXPERTS' FORUM

HOW TO WIN

Coach boat view

Passing on the reach

Our resident racing expert Mark Rushall takes a closer look at a common offwind scenario in multi-class racing. When should you race the clock, and when should you race your opponent?

PHOTO S TIM OLIN

T

84

he patchy 3/4 reach is perfect for the RS200 asymmetric, and a great opportunity to gain time on the fleet. But the D-zero, which should be well ahead according to its handicap, is blocking progress... I watched this scenario (fig 1) unfold recently - and it's a classic dilemma for both dinghies and keelboats in mixed fleets. With the handicap clock ticking, how do we get clear while losing the minimum time on the rest of the fleet?

How long is the leg, and what will the start of the next leg look like? If it’s a short leg, with no competitors close behind, and the next is a run, the least worst option may be to encourage the boat ahead to focus on sailing their fastest course, and round the next mark on their transom. To achieve this, the following boat never points above the other’s line. They sail low in the gusts to maximise time in the pressure and, sail slightly higher in the lulls to keep the

JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

speed on and set up for the next one. If they get an extra big gust at the right time, they may even be able to get low enough to break through to leeward.

Test the water Often, the boat ahead’s interests would be best served by letting the quicker boat come past as painlessly as possible.

The boat behind can test this early by sailing a course that would take them at least five boat lengths to windward of the other. If the other boat responds by sailing high too, it is not going to happen.

If not, the boat behind minimises the effect on the boat ahead, and the chance of them changing their mind and luffing to block the pass, by continuing to sail high and fast, staying at least five boat lengths to windward until their wind shadow is well past the singlehander. A ‘thank you’ might help for the future, too.

The singlehander continues to sail low in the gusts, maximising the gap, reducing

ABOVE

Clear your opponent as efficiently as possible; don't sacrifice time to the rest of the fleet

the slowing effect and saving time on the rest of the fleet.

However, the boat ahead is intent on defending. So long as they comply with rule 16 by giving the passing boat room to keep clear every time they alter course, they can luff to head to wind if they wish, to prevent the other boat passing to windward. That’s no good for anyone on corrected time.

Getting past As the next leg is a long starboard tack fetch, rounding behind will consign the passing boat to a big detour, or a long painful leg in a lee-bowed position. They do need to get past on this leg if possible, while losing as little time as possible.

Therefore, the boat behind focusses on reducing the gap as much as possible without threatening the one ahead.

Sailing low while the boat is fast, sailing higher (but not above the other boat’s transom) in the lulls. It should soon be

Fig 1

clear if there is enough wind to give any chance to break through to leeward.

If the passing boat becomes overlapped within two of its hull lengths to leeward of the other, its actions are limited by rule 17. It must not sail above its proper course unless it passes behind the other boat.

To find the proper course, take the other boat away, and decide where you would choose to point. That might be above the course to the mark if there is more wind to the left.

If it’s marginal whether the passing boat will break through to leeward, and they want to make the ultimate aggressive move, they could sail further than two boat lengths to leeward, or make a big bear away to break the overlap. Now released from rule 17, the passing boat could luff the other, then bear off to the mark to break the overlap

before the zone. This option relies on mutual rules understanding, and won’t meet the goal of “minimum time loss on the rest of the fleet!”

The killer move The overtaking boat’s’ killer move is to stay passive until the boat ahead is

slow and down pressure. They then reach across the other’s transom at maximum speed. The expected luff of the defender is slow and ineffective: the attacker is quickly onto the wind of the other, and soon clear ahead. Once ahead, they focus on the perfect rounding. Once past head to wind, they will be keep clear boat until they reach close hauled on starboard tack (under rule 13). To avoid any issues, they luff to head to wind as they pass the mark so they are always sailing higher than the boat behind.

Mission accomplished: it is now time for the long slog upwind!

RULES TO READ 16 – Changing course 17 – On the same tack; proper course 13 – While tacking

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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EXPERTS' FORUM Cruising clinic

Be ready to adapt plans during the race

Sketchy details Approaching an unfamiliar anchorage requires a good plan - and a little doodling helps too. Resident cruising expert Clive Loughlin explains...

A tight anchorage requires a cautious approach

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

The sketch also serves well for briefing the crew prior to the approach. The briefing (and sketch) needs to be kept as simple as possible.

An informed crew will be much more interested in the proceedings, and better able to do their allotted tasks efficiently, if they know and understand what is going on.

I favour drawing sketches on a waterproof whiteboard with ‘permanent’ marker pens. This can then be taken into the cockpit, in all weathers, and is on hand as a ready reference.

In tight shallow anchorages such Newtown River on the Isle of Wight, it is no good blindly following the chart plotter display. The depth sounder is the key instrument, and is your new best friend as you ‘feel’ your way in.

The helm will likely be dodging other boats, and so it helps to have someone dedicated to keeping a beady eye on the depth in case the helm gets distracted.

Decide where to go, approach into the wind or stream, lower the anchor and then drop back letting out more chain as you go, before finally applying gently-increasing reverse power to dig it in.

Check the depth is as expected – and then put the kettle on.

On board with...

Pro navigator SiFi Simon ‘SiFi’ Fisher has five Ocean Race circumnavigations to his name - and counting!

He is currently campaigning as co-skipper for 11th Hour Racing’s IMOCA programme. We asked for some insider advice...

As a navigator, what are your top priorities during racing?

I have a plan built out in advance, but it needs to constantly evolve as the race unfolds, as the forecast changes and develops, and depending on the tides, and currents, as well as the surrounding boats. Look at various weather models, satellite imagery, and the sky above you; also the other boats, race tracking, and AIS data as well as your own boat’s performance relative to the polar. You need to weigh all of this up in order to make good decisions and effectively manage risk. Many decisions won’t win you the race but you could lose it due to a strategic mistake at an early point in time. It is often better to be patient and hang in there as opposed to trying to win the race with a big move early on!

What is one thing a good navigator should always do?

Communicate! It is really important to get on deck and make sure everyone understands what will be coming up in the race with respect to the course, the forecast, and what the important tactical considerations are at any point in time.

Accurate and honest information on the performance is crucial too. Equally, good feedback from the guys helming and trimming the boat is crucial to the navigator as it tells you what mode you can sail effectively against the fleet or in the current conditions. A constant dialogue makes everyone’s life onboard easier and eliminates the chances of mistakes creeping in.

What’s the most rewarding thing about your role?

It’s a great feeling when you sail a strong race, having made the right decisions and nailed the forecast and the strategy. It is such a wide-ranging role - you're involved in so many different aspects of any campaign, there's never a dull moment.

How much analysis do you typically do post-race?

Post-race analysis is where many lessons and improvements can be found. We analyse all the data from the boat and also a meteorology and strategy debrief. I always write notes as I’m racing. This way, we are to look into the data at specific points where performance felt good or bad, or where something with the weather didn’t make sense so we can get more insight.

What’s your advice for others looking to raise their game?

Take the opportunity to learn from others; work with people smarter than yourself! Also, look at the wealth of information that is now available through various sources online.

Follow SiFi via 11thhourracingteam.org

PHOTOS ISTOCK; 11TH HOUR RACING

What are the two most important things you need to know before making your way into an anchorage?

My crew often get this wrong, but the two pieces of vital information are: • How much will the tide fall before low water?

• How much will the tide rise before high water?

The first tells you the minimum depth you need under the keel before settling on a place to drop the hook; and the second will tell you how much scope to pay out.

When approaching an unfamiliar anchorage I like to study the almanac, charts and pilots and then draw my own sketch with key items identified.

This sketch (or sketches) can include such things as headlands, leading lines, hazards and mooring buoys etc, together with perhaps a dashed line of the intended route.

Some will argue that there is little point creating a rough sketch, when the chart or guide already includes one that is way more accurate than anything that can be hand-drawn on a boat.

However, I find that the action of drawing the sketch helps embed an image of the task in the mind to the extent that the sketch itself becomes virtually redundant.

Pro insight

Yes Chef!

Mitch Tonks of Rockfish fame is an acclaimed restauranteur, chef and author. As well as an ambassador for sustainable seafood, he is of course, an avid sailor. Here he shares his top tips for provisioning when space is tight...

As with all boats my galley is a small place, but I feel very at home there, either on passage or in port. When I was cooking in the restaurant I loved small spaces and the art of working out how to make cooking 100 plates of food work super quickly. If you weren’t organised, it all went down - I’ve been there!

There is nothing quite like landing in a foreign port and stocking up with unusual ingredients. My cupboards are full of possibility with rice, grains, dried pulses and pasta. I treat the boat as if it is a restaurant or my home, using only the best ingredients whenever I can. It’s easy to put something together quickly when you know what’s in the store cupboard, so I always keep a book that lists everything I have, and when I’ve used it I cross it out. This saves me coming back to the boat with a jar of pickle that we already had, but that I’d forgotten about. I think my record is about six jars of Branston pickle which I accumulated from each time I bought cheese!

I am actually going to be doing a big crossing in the next few years so planning the menus is a big part of that. Naturally, seafood features heavily on our menu (if we catch any) and I plan to keep lidded containers labelled up for each day; each one contains all the ingredients I need to make a meal.

Spice mixes are kept in small jars, garlic is blitzed on land, placed in a jar then covered in sunflower oil - this preserves it and when you need chopped garlic and garlic oil, it’s right there. I do the same with ginger which makes a curry base really easy. All you need to do is then add a few teaspoons of both, your spices and curry mix, a tin of tomatoes and your fish, meat or veg, a little water, seasoning and lots of coriander; my crew love a boat curry!

Next month: Mitch’s quick and easy galley recipes, including delicious pasta and how to cook hand-made pizza on board Follow Mitch via mitchtonks.co.uk and therockfish.co.uk

Crewing skills Q&A: Ben McGrane Ben McGrane has numerous world and national titles to his name – from International 14s to Merlin Rockets to Mirrors – and has sailed just about every class in between; he’s also one design manager for Hyde Sails. Here he shares his highlights and a few words of wisdom from the front of the boat…

What has been the stand-out moment for you as a crew?

The 505 Europeans last year, and in the final race six boats could win the event. Roger (Gilbert, helm) and I were about tenth round the windward mark, so not in a winning position. As we rounded the leeward gate, I spotted a big storm on the right side of the course, so we headed right, picked up the shift and won the race – and with it the event. I’ll take that one!

It really paid to have eyes out the boat, and having the confidence in my tactical knowledge to share with the helmsman, plus the teamwork to listen to each other.

What has experience taught you about being a successful crew?

It’s all about good preparation. There is a lot in your processes how you prepare mentally and physically, the boat tuning that you do, knowing your boat speed is good. I am fortunate as well, I’ve sailed with lots of different people but in particular with Roger for 15 years, and you do build up a partnership and trust in the other person. Once you have that, the results will come.

Faced with a big day on the race course, do you get nervous?

Not as much as I used to. I remember doing a Topper event when I was 15 years old and leading the event and all I could eat was jam tarts, it was all I could face for breakfast. But nowadays, since marriage and having kids, the emphasis has been much more on fun, so that takes the pressure off; even though I work in the industry, I don’t feel the pressure like I used to.

What’s your advice to other crews?

Sail with someone you can have a laugh with and enjoy your time on the water. If you are keen to progress don’t be afraid to ask questions to others in your fleet or club to increase your understanding. Read up - tactics, boat prep, how to crew - all the information on what the guys at the front of the fleet are doing is available; there are no secrets, just learning and applying.

PHOTOS MITCH TONKS; HYDE SAILS; DAVID HENSHALL

Ben and Roger in training

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JULY 2022

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EXPERTS' FORUM Pro insight

How to... Be the best team player Matt Gotrel won Olympic gold at Rio 2016 - not in sailing, but in rowing. Since returning to his childhood sport of sailing, he has twice campaigned with INEOS Britannia for the America’s Cup and is also in the British SailGP team. Here he tells us how he has learnt to dig deep even when he’s at the limit…

“Returning to sailing has been a steep learning curve; as I left my 49er campaign for rowing they had just about put foils on Moths! When I came back to grind on the F50 (for SailGP) we all knew the learning curve would be steep. It was a great time to be involved with the British team, everyone was really committed but there wasn’t the expectation to be the finished article straight away.

“This America’s Cup cycle feels very different. I know the team a lot better. The rules are slightly different this time, so you may see cyclors on board, as the power generation can come from anywhere. So that’s a big difference – but the training mentality is still the same.

“I’ve always enjoyed being part of a team more than competing individually, I feel like I can always push myself more for my teammates rather than for self-gain. In rowing, the environment and culture is such that if you didn’t do it, someone else would; you can’t let that happen, you always have to be there for your team mates. Ultimately, I don’t want to let people down. If I have a job to do, I want to do it to the best of my ability.

“If you can give an extra 2 per cent when it matters it’s going to make the difference between nailing a manoeuvre and not nailing a manoeuvre – that kind of pressure is what drives me on. That ability to push past your limits is definitely something you can learn in training. There’s the classic saying, ‘train how

you race, race how you train’, so I feed that into my day to day training.

“Bear in mind that your body can always do more than you think. Again, that’s something I learned from rowing - that the limit you set in your mind is not the limit of what you can physically achieve. Getting there is down to the environment you create; the guys that you train with; pushing each other on and going to new levels each time, and it becomes normal, as painful as it can be!

“I’m often asked which sport is harder. With sailing there are so many variables to factor in.

Rowing is physically exhausting, but in sailing there is so much else that goes on –

equipment, competitors, tactics – that mentally you have to be very sharp. You can do everything right but still lose a race.

“We talk a lot about ‘controlling the controllables’. One of my key learnings coming back in to sailing has been to take ownership for myself in being able to do the best I can in my own area, and to do that 100 per cent before I worry about others and what else is going on.

“My biggest driver is to do the best I can in my job and not let anyone else down; don’t give any excuses for anything to go wrong.”

Follow Matt and the team via ineosbritannia.com

Man Overboard!

I spent over 16 years as a lifeboat launching authority and probably authorised and monitored over 200 shouts. Most of them were fairly routine, but in among those were some where people were in grave and imminent danger, none more so than where someone was in the water.

Given that, I would always advise a Mayday from a short-handed yacht for a man overboard – you can always stand it down if you recover the person but time really is of the essence.

Now think about how things would go. If you have the usual setup with the VHF at the Nav Station and a speaker in the cockpit then you are going to have to abandon the deck at the time when keeping an eye on the casualty is

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

crucial, to put out the Mayday, which may take longer than you expect.

One such incident convinced me of the problem and I afterwards installed a 2 station VHF radio on my boat so that it can be used from the helm. Some people have a hand-held VHF nearby for just such an emergency but if that is your plan then please try it out – my experience is that feedback makes it unusable.

It is also useful for calling for berthing instructions during normal cruising.

The Cruising Association is the home of worldwide boating information for yacht cruising enthusiasts. Visit theca.org.uk

PHOTOS INEOS BRITANNIA; ISTOCK

Do you sail as a couple? Have you thought of how you would cope with one of you going overboard?

President of the Cruising Association, Derek Lumb, offers some expert advice...

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NAUTOR SWAN 56 | LA BELLE Sparkling Swan 56 ‘Cruiser/Racer’ version, launched in 2005, with later single-cockpit layout, versatile four cabin plus crew interior layout and a comprehensive performance cruising inventory. A beautiful example of an early 2000’s vintage Swan which displays all the attributes you’d expect of a boat of this pedigree.

Constructed in December 2004 and launched in 2005 as hull No.43 out of 46 built between 1997 and 2006, La Belle was purchased by her current owner directly from Nautor Swan in 2010 and has been used for cruising with occasional racing from her base in Barcelona. The 56 was designed by German Frers and was available as either a cruiser/racer or regatta model. At the time it was noted that the boat held all the attributes to become a modern classic and this is a prophecy that seems well on the way to coming true as this boat demonstrates.

Year: 2004 LOA: 57’5” (17.53m) Beam: 15’5” (4.73m) Draft: 9’ (2.75m) Displacement: 21,500kg Engine: Volvo D2-75 75hp Designer: German Frers Accommodation: 8 berths in 4 cabins Location: Barcelona Contact: grabauinternational.com craftinsure quote: £1162

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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

€7 VA 75,0 T p 00 aid

HALLBERG-RASSY 62 | CONTRARIAN Number 14 of this remarkable sisterhood from HallbergRassy built in 2004, she is a world class blue water cruising yacht. With fully automated cutter rig, BRIG RIB with upgraded davits and her Rassy hard top offers excellent all weather protection. Recent upgrades include new battery management system, new AV and electronics. Down below her tardis-like mahogany interior is warm and welcoming, with stacks of room for up to ten.

Easy to manage, great family yacht with room enough for crew as you wish.

Year: 2004 LOA: 61’11” (18.87m) Beam: 16’10” (5.13m) Draft: 8’2” (2.49m) Displacement: 33,000kg (72,753lb) Engine: 1 x Volvo Penta TAMD 63 Designer: German Frers Accommodation: 10 berths in 4 cabins Location: Lymington, UK Contact: berthoninternational.com 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 JULY 2022

91

TIME OUT SAM JEFFERSON AND STEFFAN MEYRIC HUGHES REVIEW THE LATEST BUNKSIDE READS, CLASSIC BOOKS AND MORE

Diesels Afloat – Second Edition Callum Smedley & Pat Manley Pat Manley’s Diesels Afloat was much praised when it was first published in 2007 and has now been thoroughly modernised and updated by course lecturer and merchant ship’s chief engineer Callum Smedley.

Diesel engines are installed in just about every yacht and in most large motorboats and, while professional help is often at hand, sometimes it is not.

Indeed, engine failure is one of the most frequent cause of RNLI launches.

This book explains how to prevent problems, troubleshoot and make repairs using safe techniques. It could also help you save money on expensive bills for yard work you could do yourself.

Diesels Afloat covers everything from how the diesel engine works to engine electrics, from fault finding to out of season lay-up. With this guide and your engine’s manual you can be confident in dealing with any problem and get the best performance from your boat’s engine.

The book also covers the syllabus of the RYA Diesel Engine and MCA Approved Engine Course 1 (AEC-1).

Fernhurst Books RRP: £18.99

Classic Choice

Coastwise Peter Firstbrook Coastwise examines the coastline of the British Isles as a dynamic environment and offers you an understandable explanation of how the coastline functions as a single entity. It is supported by hundreds of stunning photos and illustrations.

It begins by exploring how the forces of nature combine to create its physical features (and continue to do so). This is a multifaceted story that involves ancient geology and powerful ocean forces.

It then turns to the living nature of the coast, covering the unique plants, animals and other organisms whose interdependence keeps the coast alive and healthy.

These amazing creatures are described and displayed in full colour.

The third part of the book looks at how humans have interacted with the coast, using it for defence, commerce and leisure. It explores these aspects from the earliest times to the present day.

The final section shows, for each coastal region, where the features discussed in the book can be observed and enjoyed, giving you a practical way of exploring the elements described in the book.

All aspects of the coast are covered, making it essential reading – or a wonderful gift – for all those who spend time on Britain’s coast. As Countryfile presenter, Tom Heap, says in his Foreword: “These pages are a practical love letter to Britain’s waterfront and no seaside holiday home should be without them.”

Fernhurst Books, RRP: £35.00

Fazisi – Skip Novak

An unusual choice given that the author is alive and kicking. In fact, It’s possible that Skip Novak may not thank me but bear with me. The book is a documentation of the Russian Fazisi campaign in the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race. This ambitious project enlisted Novak, an American veteran of Simon LeBon’s ill fated Drum campaign in the previous iteration of the race, to help the Russians navigate the bewildering waters into which they had launched their strikingly innovative aluminium yacht, Fazisi. Novak rapidly became deeply involved and ended up co-skippering the boat. Although the framework of the book is obviously the race which was, incidentally, an absolute classic, with the late great Peter Blake cleaning up in the maxi ketch Steinlager. Novak documents the various travails of funding the campaign – US sponsor Pepsi pulled out at the last minute due to fears about anti-Russian feeling – and also the general psychology of a team plucked from Communist USSR and thrust into a bewildering corporate world – with very mixed results.

The book is shot through with wit and also pathos. The suicide of co skipper Alexei Gryshenko in Uruguay is appalling but sensitively dealt with, while there are many amusing incidents blended in with some fantastic racing action. The fact was that Fazisi was an unusual but very competitive yacht that occasionally surprised some more established competitors until lack of funding meant that her sails got so worn that she slipped inexorably toward the back of the fleet in the later legs.

Anyway, given the current climate, the book is a really fascinating look at a different, more optimistic geopolitical era, with Perestroika sending borders tumbling and ushering in an era of freedom and hope. The book also provides some insight into the psychology of Russians at that time which is a useful signpost to explain our current woes. That’s not bad for a book about a race and, for that, I make it a classic choice.

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Considering an Electric Outboard?

“Using a well-engineered electric outboard has been a revelation.’’

TOM CUNLIFFE Classic Boat

Quiet, Convenient, Reliable and Easy-to-Use In the popular 2-4hp category, the latest electric outboards – with their integral and rechargeable lithium batteries – have transformed the market, rendering petrol motors all-but obsolete. Advantages include:

Epropulsion Spirit PLUS 1276Wh battery Faster to charge Battery floats if dropped Foldable tiller means only one cable to connect › Three shaft length options › Direct drive (no gearbox) › › › ›

› Ease of Use Switch on, twist the tiller handles, go. Almost anybody can do it; no experience, strength or mechanical knowledge is needed. › Ease of Handling The batteries are removable, and the “pass up and down” weight (the shaft/motor assembly) is then 10kg or less. › Ease of Storage These electric motors divide into components, don’t leak oil or petrol, and don’t mind which way up they’re stored. › Quietness & Smoothness Electric motors are a delight to use.

Torqeedo 1103 › 916Wh battery › GPS data on tiller gives speed & range indication › Removable tiller (more compact for storage) › Near‐silent direct drive › Much more robust than the previous model (Torqeedo 1003)

› Power Forget slow speed “trolling motors”, these 1kW electrics have huge torque (more like a 3hp petrol). › Range There are many variables, but most users achieve at least 9 to 10 nautical miles per charge, at 4 to 5 knots (2.5m inflatable dinghy).

Much more if you slow down a little. › 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 there’s no carburettor to “gum up”.

Of course, it’s not all perfect. The range may still not be enough for some users.

And they’re 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.

NESTAWAY BOATS is the UK’s number one retailer for both Torqeedo AND Epropulsion. You can find out more on our website, and we are always happy to discuss further – and offer advice – by email or phone. If you’d like to see them before making a purchase, we are based in Christchurch, Dorset (UK).

www.nestawayboats.com mail@nestawayboats.com Tel 0800 999 2535

Marathon stopwatch To celebrate being the official timekeeper for the Round the Island Race, the family-owned Marathon Watch Company is launching a Limited Edition Round the Island Race Marathon Stopwatch – shockproof, waterproof, nautical and able to deliver “precision timing to help competitors get across the start line in perfect time and reach the finish line ahead of the rest”. The stopwatch features a unique face design inspired by the race logo and can be pre-ordered for delivery in June. To order email UKsales@marathonwatch.com  £550  uk.marathonwatch.com/collections/round-the-island

LAUNCHED New kit for you and your boat

B&G app B&G, a partner for the Round the Island Race this year, unveiled its app last summer and for 2022 has a number of updates including safety and navigation enhancements, personalised notifications, plus an anchor alert safety feature for premium subscribers. The B&G App is available on both the Apple Store for iOS and Google Play for Android. Premium subscribers now get a satellite overlay view, enhancing situational awareness with the option to choose between full view or land-only. In addition, they can select the transparency level of the layer.

There is also a weather overlay, which includes wind, gust, rain and more. So you can predict what the weather will be like at a specific point in your trip. When anchoring, premium users can set their location and receive push notifications if the yacht drifts. Using GPS data, a breach of the geofence will result in the sound of an alarm, meaning “sailors can now be certain their anchor is not dragging and get a good night’s sleep”. You can also share tracks with friends and followers in social media channels.

Helly Hansen quick-dry t-shirt Also marking its partnership with the Round the Island Race this summer is Helly Hansen, official clothing supplier for the event. This HP Ocean Quick-Dry T-shirt is part of the Round the Island Race Capsule Collection, “made for the warm days on the water, using a technical fabric that will keep you cool when the sun heats up”. There is UPF 50+ sun protection and it is made with “a unique 96% Ocean Bound recycled textile – developed with reused plastics that would otherwise become marine debris”.  £35  hellyhansen.com

 bandg.com

Smell good at sea Rowing team One Ocean Crew, first in the female class in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge recently, were sponsored by a company called Grangers, which assisted the rowers by ensuring they smelled good and were well-waterproofed. Easier said than done for four ocean rowers in an open boat. In 2005, Grangers became “the first manufacturer to invent a formulation that could both clean and reproof sailing kit using one washing machine product”. Grangers Wash + Repel 2 in 1 “maximises the breathability of your clothing, ensuring it continues to perform as well as when you first bought it and also helps to extend its lifetime”, they say. “Cleaning and proofing your gear separately usually takes up a lot of time, but with this new formula, simply add to the detergent drawer of a washing machine and you’ll be back on the water in no time.” There are other products available in the range.  £11.50  grangers.co.uk

JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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www.sealsdirect.co.uk RS400 1427. Vinylester hull, Harken fit out, carbon pole. 2021 main/ jib, 2022 mast. Combi trailer & cover. TRADE. £8000 Tel 07738 984826 / (TYNEMOUTH)

24 FT CRUISER QUARTER TONNER. Fully Restored and going fast. 4 berth, fin-keel, open-plan cruiser. Good family boat, self draining cockpit. Re-masted, re-rigged, re-keeled, new rudder. Laminate sails little used. 3.5hp outboard. Full recent survey - yard trolley available. Must be seen. £9000 Tel 07765 900259 / (CARDIFF)

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View at North Devon Yacht Club. £4500 Tel 07487 812871 / (BIDEFORD) OPTIMIST GBR 6356. Amazing, race ready, Oppie. Sailed successfully in the national girls squad and sailing events all over the country. Some bumps and scratches but overall brilliant condition. (Road trailer can be included for extra *£150*.This trailer is road ready and has a secure roof box and rig tube.). £1750 Tel 77666 61066 / (SEAFORD)

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Top cover in poor condition, and new undercover. White sails still crinkle, plus has spinnaker with new pole. New bouyancy bags. Sail number 4389. . £450 Tel 01590 670028 / 07949 810587 (LYMINGTON) WAYFARER 5982. Mark 2 in good general condition. Genoa and jib. 2 reefs in main.

Oars. Suzuki outboard. Anchor with chain and rope. Fender/rollers. Combi trailer. 2 covers. White hull orange deck. . £1800 Tel 07778 841487 / (PLYMOUTH) PHANTOM 1466. CST Mast and Boom, 1 North full cut sail, Fixed rudder, Full Ovington fit-out, Combi trailer, Over/under covers, Lighty used due to lockdowns, Video at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=cKoSqZs-0Xs. £10000 Tel 01590 718200 / 07971 670374 (LYMINGTON) SCORPION DINGHY, WHOLE OR FOR PARTS, INCLUDES LAUNCHING TROLLEY,.

Everything for sale. Glass fibre hull has small hole that could be repaired - 2 suits of sails, canvas cover only 3 years old, would wash well. Launching trolley with removable jockey wheel. Would prefer to sell the whole as a lot. Everything in fair condition. . £100 Tel 01969 368371 / 07815 643408 (LEYBURN) INTERNATIONAL 14 1266. Penultimate (old rules) boat. (Benedict IV) Not quite as fast as the latest boats, but just as exciting to sail! Several sets of sails. Combination trailer. Flat cover. £1000 Tel 07913 604 574 / (STAINES)

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97

Jess Lloyd-Mostyn The poet Masefield once wrote that ‘all I need is a tall ship and a star to steer her by’.

Certainly the magic of night watch is something to be cherished, as Jess reflects

I

love sailing at night. There can be few things in life that I honestly find as thrilling and sense-tinglingly wild as cutting along through the water under sail with the cloak of nighttime all around you. We’ve sailed some long passages since living aboard and crossed two oceans so we’ve had our fair share of nights at sea and they all have a distinctly different flavour from their daytime counterparts.

On our first ocean crossing, the Atlantic, we sailed with two friends and it was long before we had any kids. With four on board the watch system was a luxurious 2 hours on, 6 hours off schedule, which meant we were all well-rested. We’d gently wake one another when it was time, give a brief rundown of conditions during our shift and offer to make tea or bring up biscuits for the new helmsman. In those days we had an unreliable autopilot and no Hydrovane so we hand-steered. I remember so clearly the feeling of holding the wheel for those stints, how it felt like taking the reins of some untamed horse, how the darkness around heightened every one of my senses and just how utterly bonkers it seemed that I was now in control of this 41ft being.

Years later the routine was a little different, juggling sleeping toddlers or breastfeeding babies with standing a turn at the helm. The balance had changed, with my husband taking longer shifts, a self-steering system in place, and shorter voyages where possible to make night sailing easier on the family. I’ve stood at the wheel with a child strapped to my front or my back, gently jiggling or singing to them as we glide through the blackness. But that wild feeling still lingers and excites me in a way that I struggle to describe.

We both agree that whenever we listen to music on night watch it suddenly becomes more dramatic and poignant, an intense soundtrack to the rhythm of the sea. A gentle song is ruthlessly juxtaposed by a sudden fierce squall, as salt spray stings your face and rain blurs your vision. Or a loud, bold anthem is made all the more epic by the flashes and forks of lightning on the horizon.

Actually no, because you lose the horizon at night, out at sea. And the lightning, though it can be seen

from maybe a hundred miles off on a clear night, makes you feel vulnerable and terribly small all of a sudden. It scared me so much in the early days, each flash causing me to flinch and silently hope for a benign weather god to take pity on our little bobbing boat.

But clear skies also mean stars and our ocean nights have shown me more stars than my eyes could comprehend. Endless stars, clusters upon clusters, stretching further up and out and beyond with just little me on the helm, gazing gape-mouthed up at them.

And I’ve sailed through nights where the waters were eerily still, and the stars were doubled in the water beneath us, and the boat was suspended amid a whitestudded black backdrop. And, like any good story, the nightwatch has a beginning, a middle and an end. The spectacular shades of the sky streaked at sunset or first glimmers of sunrise are astonishing at sea. Made all that more special by feeling that your unique geographical position allows you a completely rare and exceptional view.

I’ve had visitors at night. Invisible dolphins whose sudden sharp breath alerts me to their presence and they dance alongside our beam. Sometimes they have glittering outlines and trails from the phosphorescence or their leaps and splashes spill light onto the ocean.

Often we get birds swooping round us, looking for a suitable spot to land and rest for the hours of darkness.

Most common are the little swallows, exhausted from flying so far off land and tucking under our sprayhood where they perch in a wary half slumber. Larger ones, brown boobies or frigate birds, would try to land on our A-frame solar panels or mast spreaders. And then there is the company of other boats far off in the inky distance.

The coloured lights or faint engine thrum help to punctuate the long hours of solitude and provide a sense of company. But, if none of these make an appearance, there is always the camaraderie provided by the moon.

And yes, of course, there have been rough nights, wet nights, hardworking, never-ending, “when will we get there?” nights. But, on balance, the magic of our nights lingers in my memory, knowing that while the world was sleeping, we were out on the wild sea.

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JULY 2022 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 HOLLY ASTLE

‘Our ocean nights have shown me more stars than my eyes could comprehend’

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