Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting April 2022

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INNOVATION & SPEED We sail the cruiser with an America's Cup keel

CLUB RACING Boost your skills

BETTER CREWING Eilidh McIntyre's top tips

ANTIFOULING Which tin is best

“I WAS ON BOARD”

Re-living horror SailGP smash

NORTHERN NOSTALGIA

Hebridean meanderings

DISABLED SAILING

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REGULARS

8 News 16 Paul Heiney 18 Andi Robertson 2O Andy Rice 32 Tom Cunliffe 98 Jess Lloyd-Mostyn

UNDER SAIL

36 Falkland Islands Genevieve Leaper explores an obscure Southern Ocean cruising ground

36

44 RORC Season Preview Race Director’s take on events and trends

48 Solent to Scotland

62

John Simpson recalls a poignant summer cruise from Hamble to Scotland

62 British Sailing Team Georgie Corlett-Pitt takes a look at what our elite sailors are up to post Olympics

66 Hannah Diamond On that SailGP crash and hitting 53 knots

70 Gulls Eye An overview of Portland and Weymouth marinas

76 How to Win Jon Emmett looks at getting the most out of club racing to help you refine your skills

80 Charity of the Year Mike Wood, founder of our charity of the year, the Disabled Sailors Association

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92 Croatia Charter tips for this summer season

84

BOATS

14 New boat news The latest launches

22 Dinghy Show Preview A thorough overview of the upcoming show

52 On test: Pegasus 50 An innovative Slovenian fast cruiser

90 Three of the Best

52 72

Three of the finest brokerage boats

GEAR

84 Buyer’s Guide Paints and antifouling

88 Books Our picks and reviews

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting NOVEMBER 2020

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Welcome

EDITORIAL EDITOR

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

YACHTS & YACHTING EDITOR

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

Skipper’s View A LANDMARK ARRIVES FOR SAILING TODAY MAGAZINE - PROMPTING ESOTERIC MEMORIES

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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THIS ISSUE IS the 300th edition of Sailing Today - obviously Yachts & Yachting is on far more but, still, it's something to shout about in its own way. For me it's quite significant as it gave me pause for thought and made me realise that I have been working on the magazine since 2009 when I started out as Deputy Editor under the auspices of the mildly eccentric Jake Frith. I then switched to freelance in 2012 before coming back onto the magazine full time in 2017. If you were to ask me what has changed during that time, the biggest one is the background noise; in 2009 off the back of the financial crisis, the magazine seemed to be in an endless state of flux, with the publication constantly changing hands. In my second full time stint, things have been markedly more calm. There are other huge differences too; first time around we were based in Swanwick Marina at the top of the Hamble. This was a great office for keeping your finger on the pulse of the sailing world but not without disadvantages; most notably our 'office' was not really suited to being an office as it was more of a large shed. There were no toilets - you had to dash across the marina to go - and I was urged on my first day not to drink the tap water as it was 'not right'. The office was also absolutely crammed with boat related detritus that seemed to accumulate at a worrying rate; dinghies, outboards - you name it, they would be stacked up anywhere there was space. To add to the chaos, ex editor John Goode would sometimes wander in and sort of prowl around barking out obscenities at random intervals. I reckon that during all that time I've tested over 100 boats - new and used - I'd love to tell you which my favourite was, but it's actually incredibly difficult. It might actually be the CNB 66 I tested in Cannnes a few years back. The boat sailed very well but, after handing over the helm to another journalist, I was urged to go below and 'test the sofa'. Seemed odd, but I was game and the broker assured me it was the most comfortable sofa out there. Two minutes later I was sound asleep and concurred heartily with his assessment. Anyway, 300 is a landmark and here's to many more issues to come in partnership with Yachts & Yachting.

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CONTRIBUTORS

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission in writing. Every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information in Sailing Today, but no responsibility can be accepted for the consequences of actions based on the advice portrayed herein.

The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd makes every effort to ensure that the advertising contained in this magazine is delivered from responsible sources.

We cannot, however, accept any responsibility for transactions between readers and advertisers. For the Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd full set of terms and conditions please go to chelseamagazines.com/terms-and-conditions

Also part of the Chelsea Marine Magazines family:

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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 APRIL 2022

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The world’s your Oyster The residents of English Harbour in Antigua are used to the spectacle of many beautiful yachts, but the Oyster World Rally put on a real show as a fleet of 25 Oysters headed off on a round the world odyssey on January 9.

There’ll be a full look at the event in the next issue.

Photo: Oyster World Rally

News

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

Calls to change marine industry Leading sailors called for more action to protect the world’s oceans at the One Ocean Summit in Brest, with Vendée Globe racer Pip Hare addressing the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Hare joined 73 other seafarers at the summit, hosted in February by French President Emmanuel Macron and the United Nations to agree initiatives to protect marine ecosystems, fight pollution and promote better governance of the oceans.

Vendée Globe winner François Gabart, Yves Parlier, Alan Roura and Charlie Dalin were some of the other leading sailors who signed a Seafarer’s Appeal for the Ocean, calling on governments around the world to act now.

11th Hour Racing Team co-skipper Charlie Enright (pictured) also addressed the summit, saying: “Across the marine industry, we have to reduce our footprint by 50% by the year 2030 to align with the Paris Agreement. Within our sport, for too long we have chased performance over a responsibility for the environment and people. We must work together to reduce the impact of boat builds, adopt the use of alternative materials like bio-resins and recycled carbon, lobby for a change to class and event rules to reward sustainable innovations, and support races and events that are managed with a positive impact on our planet and people.”

The Seafarer’s Appeal letter reads: “We are not better or more exemplary, but more aware of the state of the oceans…While aware of the wrath and sometimes cruelty of oceans, we believe that human beings can no longer ignore their crucial benefits. Our footprint must no longer disfigure them, betray their grandeur and prevent them from fulfilling their missions: to enable living beings to breathe, to act as an engine of the planet’s climate machinery, to unite human beings instead of dividing them and to save them instead of drowning them. But we are merely the ones sounding the alarm. We do not have the competence nor the legitimate and necessary

power to decide and implement complex solutions. For this is the challenge, honour and duty of those who govern.”

Pip said: “It’s uncomfortable to present problems when you can’t provide the solutions. But I do feel that as a community who spend our lives on the world’s oceans we have a responsibility to use our experience as ocean travellers and platform in the media as sportspeople to draw attention to this very real issue..”

There was also a partnership announced between UNESCO and The Ocean Race, to gather data from the race yachts in remote seas.

Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of IOC-UNESCO, said: “Since 2015 we have been in partnership with the sailing world through the IMOCA Class, and I think our new partnership with The Ocean Race demonstrates this community’s growing commitment to understanding and protecting the ocean.”

Emsworth SC leads single-use plastics campaign Emsworth Sailing Club in Hampshire has become the first club to be awarded a new Bronze Certification that rewards “responsible and innovative practices” over single-use plastics.

The new standard was launched at last year’s Southampton Boat Show by The Green Blue and Final Straw Foundation.

Emsworth SC commodore Jane Mellor said: “We are extremely proud to be the first club to be awarded the Bronze Certificate following on from some of the early work we have done guided by the teams at The Green Blue and The Final Straw Foundation.

“As the sea is our playground, we have embedded the control of our environmental impacts into the work of all our committees, but there is always more to do so continuous improvement is constantly on our minds. We are now working hard

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

towards gaining Silver and hope to be the first club to get there too!”

Marine recruitment specialist Marine Resources is the first business and the first marina is Val Wyatt Marine in Berkshire. Val Wyatt Marine MD Lisa Anacora said: “We’re delighted that initiatives like The Green Blue and Final Straw Foundation exist to help support businesses and communities to look after our rivers, seas and global ecosystems.”

Bianca Carr, of the Final Straw Foundation, said: “We are so proud to be working with such forwardthinking organisations that put the planet before profit. They’re leading the way in promoting the sustainability message throughout the recreational boating industry.”

Clubs, centres and boating businesses that are keen to reduce their single-use plastic footprint can find information at finalstrawcertified.org

News

Ellen’s old trimaran runs aground The latest attempt to break the westabout, non-stop, round the world sailing record came to grief when the trimaran Use It Again! ran aground in a remote area of southern Chile.

Frenchman Romain Pilliard and his Spanish co-skipper Alex Pella were sailing the boat in which Ellen MacArthur broke the solo round the world record in 2005.

Pilliard refitted the boat over two years according to the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ principles of the circular economy, using second-hand kit and materials where possible.

Use It Again! was well ahead of the outright record (crewed or solo) of 122 days, set by Jean-Luc Van Den Heede in 2004 on a monohull.

Romain and Alex passed Cape Horn in early February and had sought shelter in Cook Bay, Chile, while a big depression passed out at sea.

But on 9 February, a report came through from Romain, saying: “It was 1am local when a loud noise woke me up. The boat came to a standstill. I immediately understood.”

He reported: “Alex was on shifts, and it was my turn to rest. After more than a month at sea, fatigue built up and Alex landed inside and fell asleep.

It’s a real nightmare! I don’t really have the words. I am devastated. I try to evacuate and focus on the urgency of the moment. But I find it hard to believe what happened to us. The trimaran is literally laid on the rocks, we are stuck in a mouse hole with rocks all around us. It’s surreal to be there.”

They sent a video showing their predicament to the Chilean Navy, who arrived on scene and towed the trimaran out. It was then motored through the Beagle Channel and on to Ushuaia, where Alex and Romain were greeted by the local yacht club.

RYA launches Join Pen-Duick VI around the world LGBTQIA+ network Eric Tabarly’s daughter Marie is looking for crew to help her race Pen-Duick VI around the world.

Volunteer crew would join Marie in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race, a recreation of the early Whitbread Round the World races and the innaugural edition featuring some of the boats that took part in the first Whitbread, in 1973.

So far 24 boats have entered the Ocean Globe Race and many are looking for amateur crews.

Marie Tabarly has been sailing PenDuick VI for years, as the flagship of her Elemen’Terre Project. The 73ft ketch, built for Eric Tabarly’s entry in the 1973 Whitbread, has become “a floating think tank, a place of exchange and meeting, to reflect on social issues and environmental protection”.

Marie said: “The decision to take part in a crewed round-the-world race is not one to be taken lightly, but it is a beautiful tribute to Pen Duick VI and her jubilee.

“With this in mind, I am inviting sailors to apply to be crew on board, as this is a lifetime opportunity I wanted to share, and a way to meet new people on this adventure.”

2022 crew training will include a programme of racing, including the Round Britain and Ireland Race this summer, after which final selection will

be made. Apply for a place on board at contact@elementerre.earth Meanwhile 700 sailors have applied to crew on the Nautor Swan 65, Translated 9, in the Ocean Globe Race. The boat took part in the 1977 Whitbread, when it was known as ADC Accutrac and skippered by Clare Francis.

Meanwhile Tapio Lehtinen, who sailed in the 1981 Whitbread and the 2018 Golden Globe Race, has selected a young Finnish crew – average age 24 – for his Nautor Swan 55, Galiana, in the OGR. He said: “I was fortunate enough, as a 23-year-old, to embark on a life-changing adventure as a watch leader on board Skopbank of Finland in 1981. I want to offer the same opportunity to young and spirited sailors from my country.”

The RYA has launched a LGBTQIA+ network, aiming to “make equality and inclusion for those that identify as LGBTQIA+ a reality in the sport”.

The network is open to the wider boating community and will welcome “anyone who is an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community” as well as those who identify as part of LGBTQIA+.

The announcement follows the RYA’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity Strategy, launched last year, the RYA’s plan to develop a sailing culture that is free from discrimination and prejudice.

Mel Hide of the RYA said: “Inclusivity and equality should be at the heart of boating.”

Email equality@rya.org.uk for more.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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News

Q&A LUCY GRAY, GENERAL MANAGER, THE CRUISING ASSOCIATION

South Coast Boat Show MDL Marinas’ South Coast Boat Show, sponsored by Raymarine, will take place at Ocean Village Marina from 6-8 May. The show offers more than 70 new yachts, catamarans, RIBs and more on display, with many of the leading brokers present.

“We’re thrilled with how the South Coast Boat Show has grown over the last three years,” said Tim Mayer, sales and marketing director at MDL Marinas. “The increasing success of the show is demonstrated by so many global boating brands returning to showcase their ranges, and Raymarine returning as title sponsor, having recognised the quality of the visitors being attracted to the show, and how this translates to genuine leads and direct boat sales. This year we’re creating the most engaging atmosphere possible, introducing music and entertainment, to offer people a thoroughly enjoyable boat buying experience.”

The show is free to attend, with registration open at mdlmarinas.co.uk/scbs. Appointments to view specific boats on display can be made directly with the yacht broker.

Crewmatch for Lymington If you fancy racing as crew in the Royal Lymington Yacht Club’s Spring Series this April, the club has a crew match and open day, taking place at the club on Saturday 26 March from 10am to 12pm. It says: “Crew Match is a relaxed and informal event enabling people to match their sailing experience, level of knowledge and racing ambition with club members looking for crew. Being part of a crew requires no financial outlay apart from some waterproof kit.”

The club announced that Gallagher Insurance has renewed its sponsorship of the popular Spring Series, this year taking place in the club’s centenary year, running on four Sunday mornings in April and May, starting on Sunday 3 April.

Find out more at rlymyc.org.uk/CrewMatch2022

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

So what’s exciting about the new Cruising Association app?

CAptain’s Mate is a trusted app packed with reliable first-hand information from our members. The app features 6,500+ locations in 70+ countries around the world and innovative features enhance users’ discovery of locations, with 20,000+ member contributions giving the expertise and insights that boaters need.

What sets this apart from other cruising apps and websites?

The USP of CAptain’s Mate which makes it stand out is that it is trusted by the cruising community. The app has been developed by members for members to share knowledge on harbours, anchorages, marinas, ports, etc and reflects factual ‘know-how’ to boost the cruising experience of others. Importantly it is free from any commercial influence.

What is the cost?

CAptain’s Mate app is one of many member benefits. Full annual membership starts at £143.50.

Under 25 members pay £26.50.

Does this mean the Cruising Association sees Pilot Guides as a thing of the past?

CAptain’s Mate is complimentary, providing practical information on locations, whilst Pilot Guides provide nav data to ensure safe passage.

What are the benefits of being a Cruising Association member?

The CA is a centre of excellence for the support of cruising activities.

Knowledge and expertise is at our heart and our mission is to share that with our members, whether sail or motor cruising inland, coastal or offshore. Our website provides a definitive resource of cruising information, cruising guides and publications, expertise on rules and

regulations, online forums, quarterly magazine, news, events programme, CAptain’s Mate and much more.

Is the CA a rival to the RYA? The CA and RYA are complimentary in many ways. The CA is dedicated solely to providing expertise and services to the cruising community, and our remit extends to representing the interests of our members abroad as well as UK based.

CA members share the unifying interest of cruising and our goal is to provide unparalleled support through our vast cruising know-how.

What work does the Cruising Association do in lobbying UK Government over marine issues?

Our Regulations and Technical Services group (RATS) advocates for the cruising community and provides guidance on regulatory issues.

What influence does the CA have with non-UK governments?

We do have direct contact with non-UK Governments, but tend to support our members and contacts on the ground in different countries to engage directly with their national legislative organisations.

How are lobster pots in Scottish waters being marked more clearly now?

The key point of Scottish legislation was to specifically ban the use of rubbish, such as old canisters, to mark lobster pot ‘ends’.

The ‘ends’ of static fishing gear now has to be marked with something fit for purpose, such as a proper buoy. This simple change makes all the difference as a buoy can be seen, even in a seaway.

Can the Cruising Association help me if I run into trouble while cruising abroad?

Yes, absolutely. We have a network of local representatives in 200+ locations in 60 countries. They can, for example, help source emergency repairs, find moorings, securing visas, translations and more. theca.org.uk

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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Entries open for 2022 Round the Island Race The Island Sailing Club has announced that entries are open for the 2022 edition of the Round the Island Race, which is being held on Saturday 25 June.

Race Director, David Atkinson commented: “In 2021, the 90th year of the race, our expectations were exceeded when we welcomed over 1,200 boats and 8,000 competitors, who enjoyed an absolutely magical extravaganza on the waters around the Isle of Wight. We hope to build on this success and attract a wide range of boats from the UK and abroad to experience the race and hopefully onshore hospitality in Cowes this year.”

Marathon Watch and B&G come in as new race partners, alongside long-standing partners Helly Hansen and Chelsea Magazines.

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust continues to be the official charity for the race. Frank Fletcher, Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust CEO, said: “The past two years have been the most challenging of the Trust’s history, so we are incredibly grateful for the continued support this year.

After the triumph of getting 315 young people back on board in 2021, this year we hope to welcome more than 600 young people on Trust trips across the UK. You are making this possible so thank you.”

To enter visit roundtheisland.org.uk

Position: Foredeck newbie

You haven’t been clew-less at some point in your sailing life?

Mate: “Can you reach that end and take it back?….. No the other end!”

Newbie: “The tack?”

Mate: “It’s the clew…”

Newbie: “Which is it, this one?”

Mate: “Here, let me reach it for you.”

Newbie: “Sorry, what was that?”

Mate: “I said: ‘I’ll get it!’… there, that one!’”

Newbie: “Ok thanks, now I take it back to the cockpit?”

Mate: “Hold tight, big wave coming!

Newbie: “Whoaaa!! Ugh, I lost it! Where is it?”

Mate: “Grab it quick – it’s going over the side! Quick!”

Entire crew: “Get that sail!”

Newbie: “Okay I got it! Whoopa! What now?”

Mate: “Pass it to John in the pit.”

Newbie: “Ok, John here’s the tack, I mean the clew!”

Bow: “Come on let’s get this sail on!”

Helm: “Wait on the sail change guys, breeze is on!”

Can you reach that end and take it back? No, the other end!

DIFFICULTY RATING: 1/5

Quote and buy online at www.noblemarine.co.uk or call us on 01636 707606 Authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

13

New boats DESIGNS | LAUNCHES | PROJECTS

Jeanneau 65 French boatbuilder Jeanneau broke the mould back in 2014 when it announced its all new ’mini superyacht’ the Jeanneau 64. Many argued that the demand for such a mammoth yacht would be limited. Well, they were wrong. The boat has been one of the biggest success stories of recent years and has been imitated by all of Jeanneau’s rivals. Anyway, skip forward some years and the company have finally put the 64 to pasture but are back with an all new 65 footer from the same design team of Andrew Winch and Philippe Briand. In fairness, this looks very much a Mk2 version of the 64 that has been enlarged and refined. Nothing wrong with that of course. Anyway, the boat features top end luxury and plenty of potential for customisation with the choice of four different interiors. l jeanneau.com

Italia 20.98 Italia Yachts has been turning out top notch cruiser/racers for a number of years now but has sat pretty firmly in the 40-50’ bracket. A change of ownership seems to have prompted the boatbuilder to think big and the result is the Italia 20.98. Measuring in at 66’, this is definitely a big yacht and is dubbed a ‘mini maxi’ by her builders. This Cosutti designed yacht is also very sleek and features relatively modest beam albeit carried right aft. Displacement is moderate for a big yacht and the sail plan is powerful, all pointing to a boat that will make short work of a long offshore passage. The interior is luxurious and stylish while there is a nod to cruising practicality with the choice of a telescopic lifting keel. l italiayachts.com

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Dufour 32 French manufacturer Dufour has unveiled an interesting take on an entry level yacht with its all new 32 which features a range of thoughtful and sometimes innovative solutions to age old design conundrums. Perhaps the most notable is the inflatable bathing platform which encloses the cockpit but can be dropped down to provide either a standard bathing platform or detached to serve as a sort of mini stand-up paddleboard. It is, if nothing else, intriguing. Aside from that, this Felci design features wide hindquarters and champagne glass shaped forward sections which all add up to masses of volume for a relatively small boat. l universalyachting.com

Marlin 33 Marlin Trimarans are a new Danish boatbuilder that seem to be the brainchild of Danish sailor Jan Andersen who is a big noise in Denmark and both designed and built this interesting new boat. The concept seems to be for an ultra lightweight tri that can be trailered thanks to folding sponsons and also decent accommodation. This is a laudable concept and the early signs are good, with weight kept down to 1,460kg thanks to carbon construction.

Headroom is 1.95m inside which is pretty decent and the boat looks like it will be very fast into the bargain. Kick up rudders and centreboards also point to good cruising practicality.

Fellow Danish trimaran boatbuilder Dragonfly, who previously cornered this market, must be vaguely concerned. l marlintrimarans.com

Domani S32 Lounge Domani Yachts is a small Dutch boatbuilder that specialises in fast, stylish weekenders and day sailors. The S32 is their latest boat and is also the largest yet she sticks to the template of being a stylish, speedy little boat with little pretension of being either a full blown racer or a long distance cruiser. The yacht was actually developed out of the desire to fit a steering wheel to the S30 to provide another option alongside tiller steering.

With time, however, the design team came to see that the boat needed to be enlarged and reconfigured and the S32 was born. One notable feature is the large aft deck with integrated sun loungers. This is a feature the boat shares with rival Dutch boatbuilder Saffier. The boat is light as 2,000kg and features a decent sail area, electric propulsion as standard and the choice of fixed or lift keels. l domaniyachts.com

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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Paul Heiney The character of the cabin of your yacht can change with circumstance much like the wind. Yet nothing beats the cosiness of being hunkered down below in a snug anchorage

T

he routine for opening up the boat after the winter has been the same for years now. I keep her afloat, so it can be a heart-in-the-mouth moment. Did the lines hold, the fenders float away, was the cover ripped off the mainsail by that storm strong enough to blow the froth off a cappuccino? As it happens, I’ve always found her to be fine, if grubby, and a bit hairy around the waterline, as if she’d grown one of those whispy little beards so loved by young men these days.

I clamber aboard, rummage through my pockets for the key, which turns the lock but with a little difficulty, so I make a note to apply oil, which I never get round to. Then the difficulties arise: I can’t remember where anything is. I am suddenly a stranger in my own boat; it was once as much a part of me as a limb, but now I’m adrift. Where do the lights switch on, did I disconnect the batteries? Where are the batteries anyway?

There is a small dance I must do on the top cabin step otherwise I bang my head on the hatch (poor design) and I must have done it a million times, but now I’m like a new entrant on Strictly who can’t put one foot in front of the other. The footwork will soon come back to me, but in the meantime the not so gentle caress of teak on forehead must be endured.

And then the magic moment arrives when you finally realise you are back home. You are no longer a stranger here; this is your boat, this is your place, and you reach for your kettle to make that first celebratory cuppa of the year.

We underestimate the importance of cabins. They are not merely to keep us out of the rain, or provide somewhere for us to lie down, or somewhere to stow the tons of junk we haul around the seas because we never throw anything away, just in case. A proper cabin is what turns a boat into a home. While a racing crew might consider them to be nothing more than a space which keep the shrouds apart, to a cruising sailor they are places of refuge where warmth and

shelter can be found, where spirits can be restored and where, at anchor, good times can be had.

There is much thought given to the mechanics of sailing, but less to getting the best out of cruising in those golden moments when the sun is going down, the lines are secure ashore, and the anchor has extended its grip to the sea bed. We each have our own preferences; I like to see a little woodwork glistening in the glow of an oil lamp and, as I have already written before, the glow of my wood stove lifts the spirits to the heavens. I like my cabins to look created and not moulded.

Fashion is against me, though.

Modern designers have embraced designs seemingly inspired by a dentists’ waiting room, or a bland hotel chain. But if that’s what you like, what’s it to do with me?

Cabins can change their character as easily as the wind can shift, it doesn’t take much. At times, my cabin has felt more like a home than any I have ever lived in, but when hove-to in a strong gale, the growing seas slapping against the bow before falling with the thump of the cabin roof, then it can feel like a coffin. I found myself in this position for two days mid-Atlantic, thinking that every crack of ocean as it hit the boat was going to split us apart, like a nut at Christmas. It was so rough that I had to crawl to the stove to make something hot, stealthily returning to the bunk certain I would never make it with any tea remaining in the mug. I lay down, unable to read or listen to music, a prisoner of that bunk, captive in my own cabin.

But storms pass and the character of the cabin changes. All it takes is a gleam of sun, a smoothing of the sea, and so relieved are you that the cabin becomes like a child’s nursery where you are free to play once again, do what you wish, make a bacon sandwich and love your cabin once again. It has seen me through the worst and again allows you to sigh with relief.

I try to remember all this as I stumble around on the first day back on the boat after the winter.

I remember all the good times, and the bad. But it’s the memory of the good times that keeps drawing you back. Just like home, really.

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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

‘I am suddenly a stranger in my own boat; it was once as much a part of me as a limb, but now I’m adrift’

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Andi Robertson

I

The Ocean Race is seeking to raise the game in its move to include the IMOCA 60 as a crewed class, but has it taken the right approach?

t still seems hard to visualise what The Ocean Race is going to look like and how it will finally unfold. One esteemed commentator recently described it as in its death throes - I sincerely hope it’s not. But clearly it is not getting the traction within the IMOCA fleet that they hoped for.

Yes, there may be a couple of boats and teams still to appear last minute, but I don’t see more than four or five IMOCAs on the start line.

It now seems that, rather than complement the Vendée Globe, the massive success of that solo non-stop race round the world actually leaves a very small space for a crewed race.

For major sponsors, you could argue that the Vendée Globe represents better value and a more engaging proposition at this present time for a smaller budget.

My benchmark was always that Alex Thomson’s team in Boss colours were instrumental in supporting the move to IMOCA, but the race became too expensive and too long for them. If it was not for them, who is it for?

Clearly Boris Herrmann - who leads Team Malizia - has done his sums and sees it as a viable proposition for his new boat, which will launch this spring. He finished fifth in the last Vendée Globe. He created a German audience of over five million regular fans and after Cape Horn was featuring on national terrestrial broadcasting every day.

Long before he was finished it became obvious he could monetise the new following very swiftly to massively expand his programme to build new, and now plans to do the Route du Rhum, The Ocean Race and the next Vendée Globe.

“A study by the Melt Water Institute estimated the advertising value of media return at 420 million euros. We must certainly take that with a pinch of salt, but it shows the importance of the media impact which broke the ice in Germany, we did not expect that at all!” Herrmann said recently. “It’s fabulous to see how the Vendée Globe has allowed young and international teams like ours to achieve such success and we really had a very strong dynamic that pushed sponsors to come and meet with us and now to take part in the adventure. We were even able to choose our partners, today we have eight united under the slogan ‘A Race We Must Win’.

This dynamic led us to tell ourselves that we would perhaps

IMAGE SAILING ENERGY/THE OCEAN RACE

‘AI makes pilot systems more efficient than the human helm in many conditions... the performance gap between solo and crewed must be converging’

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The crewed, foiling IMOCA 60 is one of two fleets racing in next year’s The Ocean Race; the other is the VO65

ANDI ROBERTSON An offshore sailing expert, few people can match Andi’s insight into the big boat world, both in the UK and globally

only have the opportunity once in our life to build a new boat, which is why the choice was made very quickly.”

By most conventions, having already built a boat for the race and with the most comprehensive training and prep programme already in place, 11th Hour Racing then should be the stand-out favourites. They will do two Transatlantics this season, to and from their home in Newport, and you can add in the two they did last year between the Transat Jacques Vabre. By comparison, new boats like Team Malizia which will do the Route du Rhum will be sailed conservatively as they have no room at all for breakdowns.

I do hope The Ocean Race does prosper, but right now it needs to evolve to something above and beyond just another opportunity for the top pro sailors doing their job.

It has always been the case that the crewed boats could be pushed harder. As routing software and meteo forecasting becomes more advanced, AI makes pilot systems more efficient than the human helm in many conditions, the performance gap between solo and crewed must be converging all the time. It will be interesting to see what unfolds.

Sadly this is my last column for Yachts & Yachting.

Thanks to all who have collaborated over the 30 years I have had pleasure of contributing.

Peace of mind.

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Andy Rice

G

Whether it’s sailing with the family or making an unprecedented mark on the Winter Series, one top dinghy sailor shows us there’s no substitute for getting involved

ilbert & McGrane, one of the best known partnerships on the GBR dinghy scene, have been sailing together for almost 15 years. That’s longer than Burling and Tuke! Roger Gilbert and Ben McGrane were originally rivals on the 49er circuit, Roger as a high-achieving weekend warrior on the Olympic scene while Ben was part of the British squad.

Although Ben didn’t make it to the Games, there’s no doubt he’s one of Britain’s best small-boat sailors. Not only that, Ben clearly loves the sport with a passion.

It was great to see Ben joining Hyde Sails last year. A sign perhaps that Hyde Sails is returning to its roots of developing fast sails for small boats. As Ben says, massproducing sails for the so-called OEM market, for the highvolume single-manufacturer one-designs that are sold in their hundreds, remains the company’s bread and butter. So while making sails for the likes of RS, Topper and whatever a Laser is called these days, is the bigger part of the business, the passion part of the business is where Ben is focused.

Ben appears equally comfortable and equally winning in any part of the boat, whether he’s trimming the kite sheet at the front or waggling the tiller at the back. Despite spreading himself pretty thin across a number of classes, Ben seems to hit the front of almost any fleet with sickening ease. When he briefly owned a Musto Skiff, Ben often left the rest of the fleet in the dust.

Jumping on to a Musto Skiff really shouldn’t come that easy.

This year Ben identifies the 505 Worlds in Ireland and Cowes Week aboard an XOD as his two primary focuses for the season. “Although my seven-year-old daughter Keira might argue the Mirror Nationals is more important,” Ben laughs. “We won the Mirror Nationals last year which was pretty good fun, quite special. It’s a class which has fully embraced parents racing with their children. Turning up there and finding ourselves racing Simon Hiscocks [49er Olympic medallist] and DJ Edwards [former Fireball World Champion] and people like that in Mirrors, it’s absolutely brilliant.”

While kids going sailing with their parents seems to have gone out of fashion over the past few decades, Ben says this is how he came to the sport and likes to believe Keira is enjoying sailing with her dad. “She loves it. She has sailed in up to 30 knots and she’s doing the spinnaker trim, she’s hiking as hard as she can. It’s fairly advanced sailing for her age, and I think

she’s experiencing more sailing that way than she would any other way. So it’s a good starting point.

“Young kids, especially when they’re sailing with someone reasonably good, they’re like sponges. You can pick up a lot as a crew that you can then transfer and use for helming later on, or you find a passion for crewing and become a crew.”

While Ben would love for Keira to enjoy the sport as much as he does, there’s no big agenda. “I’m not sure we’re trying to create Olympic rock stars or anything. I think me and Ros just want our kids to find something to be passionate about and pursue it. That might be sailing, it might be climbing, which my daughter loves, and she’s just started doing karate.

So there’s plenty of other things on the agenda. At the moment they love being around the water, so we’ll keep doing that.”

Meanwhile Gilbert and McGrane have been tearing up the track in the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series, sailing their 505 to victory in three of the events across a variety of wind conditions - a mixed bag Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash, a light-air King George Gallop, and a typically stormy Tiger Trophy at Rutland Water.

There are two rules for the Tiger Trophy says Ben. “Rule One, it’s always windy! Rule Two, gybe at the church!” Ben adds: “I don’t know why it’s always gybe at the church, but there were plenty of spectators there to watch the action this time. We were following Mike Sims in his 505 and he gybed and capsized, right at the point where we wanted to gybe.

There was about 100 metres of water before we were about run into the shore at high speed. So we said let’s drop and tack round. You have to be quick and adapt to the situation in the Sailjuice events. Hopefully when we get back on a big course with the 505 fleet it will seem a bit more laid back.

But probably not, it will just be hectic in different ways.”

As I write, the Oxford Blue was yet to take place for the concluding event of this season’s Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series. But their three victories are an unprecedented achievement in the series which now leaves Gilbert and McGrane clear to become the first ever winners of the Winter Series in a 505. It bodes well for the summer.

Watch out for a world-class performance from this dedicated duo at the 505 Worlds in Cork this August.

PHOTO TIM OLIN/SAILJUICE WINTER SERIES

“I don’t know why it’s always gybe at the church, but there were plenty of spectators there to watch the action this time”

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Gilbert and McGrane in action at the recent Tiger Trophy, the penultimate event of the 2021-22 Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series

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

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RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show

Dinghy celebration!

T

he RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, presented

by Suzuki, takes place at its new venue of Farnborough International Exhibition Centre over the weekend of 26-27 February.

With room to expand and include new exhibitors, the 2022 show promises to be better than ever and

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

The ever popular RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, presented by Suzuki, takes place on 26-27 February.

What is in store this year? this year will widen the scope of the event to feature paddleboarding, kayaking and other board sports, in addition to its dinghy core.

RYA Shows and Promotions Manager Celia Edgington said: “For 70 years the show has proudly hosted some of the greatest names in the industry and for 2022 we have a full range of expert speakers across three stages. We’re welcoming back

ABOVE

Boats, equipment, clothing, talks and time to enjoy a shared hobby, all in the show's new venue at Farnborough

some much-loved dinghy sailing favourites alongside watersports coaches, medallists and more.”

Over the next few pages we preview the show, with a glance at some of the exhibitors, talks and other attractions that are going on.

We will have our own stand there at A24. Please come and say hello, grab your free copy of the magazine!

Exhibitors at a glance Barton The UK company has a vast range of dinghy kit from class-specific replacement packs to individual blocks, vangs, strops and more. Their dinghy boom strut and Laser kits have proved innovative and popular. bartonmarine.com Stand F64 Bainbridge The world’s oldest sailcloth and hardware manufacturer and distributor will be selling a range of sailcloth bags, sailing gloves, foul weather clothing, and buoyancy aids as well as displaying a wider range, relevant to the dinghy world. They will also be offering sailcloth advice. bainbridgeint.com Stand C24 Devoti/D-zero The company is a regular show exhibitor and will have an ILCA and D-zero at the show as well as information about its many other boats and projects it has ongoing with top sailors. devotisailing.com Stand E20 Gill The British brand will be for sale at the show through outlet Pinnell & Bax, with much of its latest range including its Aqua Parka (second from left, below), retailing for around £140, well-suited for duties in the dinghy park. gillmarine.com See Pinnell & Bax, stand F82 Harken Harken UK will be at the show offering sales and information on its products ranging from its grip tape to high performance blocks, to furling hardware and more. harken.co.uk Stand C40

Laser/ILCA sail combos, Velcro clew straps for various dinghies and much more. roostersailing.com Stand G30

Mustang Survival A new brand for UK sailors but wellestablished in Canada and the US, with high quality sailing clothing and kit for sale and much more in the pipeline for 2022. mustangsurvival.com Stand G81 Musto Sustainability is the name of the game at Musto and their latest range, launched with 11th Hour Racing, includes the Evolution hoodie (second from right, below). All products in the range are made entirely from polyester, “facilitating a circular recycling process at the products’ end-of-life”. Musto has several big announcements at the show including news about new kit for 2022. musto.com Stand F40 Nacra Multihull specialist and UK dealer Fluid Boat Services will be on hand to discuss all things Nacra, including coaching, brokerage, spares, maintenance and more, along with the World Sailing youth multihull the Nacra 15, along with its big sister the Olympic Nacra 17, plus an F18 Evolution, a Nacra 20 and the brand new Nacra 500. nacra.co.uk, fluidboatservices.com Stand B30 Rain & Sun A range of dinghy and catamaran covers, made in the UK from UV treated materials, easy to fit and take off thanks to clip buckles and straps and shock cord draw strings. rainandsun.co.uk Stand D4 Rooster A show staple and offering a huge range of dinghy kit including new replacement

Royal Hospital School The school that produced Youth Worlds ILCA6 champion Seb Kemp is an RYA-recognised training establishment offering inland sailing on Alton Water, a few minutes from its main campus in Suffolk, and coastal sailing too. royalhospitalschool.org Stand A34 Seldén Win a complete Seldén dinghy deck hardware kit at the show – enter at the Seldén stand.

Plus see Seldén’s new manual ratchet and soft attachment blocks (pictured below). These, and the company’s complete range of dinghy deck hardware, will be for sale. Meanwhile the Seldén SailJuice Winter Series’ prize giving is on the Suzuki Main Stage at 10.15, Saturday. seldenmast.com Stand C12 Seafarer Win a holiday for two at Nikiana Beach Club, with flights! This will launch online on 17 February and run until 15.30 on the Sunday of the show, with a prizegiving at 4pm at the show and on Facebook Live. seafarersailing.co.uk Stand F54 UKSA The team from the Cowes sail training base will be on hand with information about their wellestablished courses and industry training. uksa.org Stand F56 For the full list of exhibitors, visit dinghyshow.org.uk

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show

Show talks – what not to miss!

T

he RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show has a series of excellent talks throughout each day, across three stages. These feature some of the sport’s biggest names and a wealth of experts passing on invaluable advice for racing and cruising in small boats, as well as on maintenance and other general tips on boat ownership.

The Club of the Year competition, supported by Gallagher, is one of the big highlights, run by the RYA with Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting. The RYA’s new chief executive Sarah Sutcliffe will announce the winning club, as voted for by the public, on the Suzuki Main Stage at 4pm. The atmosphere is always tense for this one!

The Suzuki Main stage also hosts some of the British Sailing Team, giving insights on their careers

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE

The Club of the Year winner announcement is always a packed house

BELOW L-R

and historic performances – watch out for Eilidh McIntyre (Saturday only), Dylan Fletcher and Matt Gotrel of INEOS Britannia (Sunday only) hosted by Hannah Diamond (see page 67 of this issue).

The show is not just about racing.

The Dinghy Cruising Association’s Roger Barnes talks about his latest dinghy travel adventures, followed

by Steve White from Cody Sailing Club on the new RYA Dinghy Trails.

Also on both the Saturday and Sunday, historian Dougal Henshall will give a fascinating talk about the last 70 years of performance sailing.

Laser star Sam Whaley will be busy with several appearances at the show; Stu Bithell and Dylan Fletcher, seen here pre-Olympics at the last show – Dylan will be at the 2022 event; Hannah Diamond is show host

The Knowedge Zone is packed with useful practical talks, including start line expertise with British Sailing Team coach Jonny McGovern and 'rudderless steering' with Steve Cockerill.

Our regular writer and Olympic coach Mark Rushall talks on both days at 11.15am on tactics – always one of the best attended sessions of the show.

This year there is also a Watersports Stage, with sessions on the RYA Wing Scheme, as well as talks about windfoiling, windsurfing, winging and paddleboarding.

Meanwhile you can head to the show’s ‘Sailors’ Corner’ to meet members of the British Sailing Team and other sailing heroes, plus play virtual reality games.

Over the next few pages we talk to some of those people presenting at the show. See the full schedule at dinghyshow.org.uk

Keeping girls sailing

D

emonstrating pathways is a key element of sustaining participation in any sport and ‘This Girl Can Race’, a Q&A session at the Dinghy & Watersports Show on both Saturday and Sunday, will give top female racers the chance to relate their routes through the sailing ranks.

Hosted by Hannah Diamond, 'This Girl Can Race' will feature Laser Radial sailor Hannah Snellgrove (Saturday only), 49erFX sailor Steph Orton (Sunday only), of the British Sailing Team, and 29er sailor Hattie Rogers.

Also on the panel will be Susie Moore, RYA Regional Development Officer for the south region and a keen competitive sailor herself as skipper of a Solent-based J/111.

Susie said: “It’s about showing pathways that are not so obvious, such as race coaching, lifelong friendships and even travelling the world, because across all sport, not just sailing, we do see girls in their early teens start to step away from the competitive elements.

Covers

“Sometimes they feel more motivated by the recreational side and they feel they may lose the social side of the sport in a competitive environment. The irony is that you still very much have the social element within the regatta world and if you progress to keelboat or yacht sailing, then the bigger the boat, the more the social side grows.”

Sailing club membership across the UK is roughly 39% female and Susie said: “Society in general is at 51%, so our clubs are not representative and that does indicate that we’re not structuring the sport in a way that is female-friendly."

A decline in female participation is noticeable in the early teens and while the title of the Q&A session might suggest it’s only for young female sailors, Susie makes clear it is as much for race organisers.

“There can be an improvement in how those who are organising events think about who they are organising them for,” she said.

“They’re not doing anything wrong, it’s just about awareness.”

ABOVE

Youth sailing is thriving but there is a noticeable drop-off in young female participation

A full day on the water with back-to-back races and no chance to go ashore fails to take into account needs as basic as menstruation.

Susie says: “These are things that historically haven’t been considered and for some people it’s an unconscious bias, but it is often males that are running the racing and they might not think about that, or the fact that women can’t just go for a wee off the back of the boat. It’s not a conversation that people are comfortable having, hence the lack of awareness, and we also need to talk to women and girls so that they can handle this.”

On the J/111 that Susie skippers, it’s a mixed crew and she said: "Yes, women can be great tacticians, great helms, but they can also have the strength to do other jobs on the boat.

“You can also create partnerships.

We generally need a smaller crew because we have a class weight limit – so we’ve made sure our mastman can support our bow, who is a woman, when strength is needed.

Meanwhile we accelerate quicker with a lighter person up front.

“I’d love to see a world where we are not referring to a ‘female tactician’ – it should be just ‘the tactician’ and based on skills. That’s when we know we’ve reached gender equality.”

She stressed: “Gender isn’t the only part of our sport where we need to push on doors and ask why some people don’t see sailing as something that’s for them. Everyone has different types of privilege. We need to have the right conversations so that people feel comfortable stepping through the doors of their local sailing club."

This Girl Can Race takes place at 2.15pm on Saturday and Sunday in the Knowledge Zone

www.rainandsun.co.uk Dinghy covers

Call Philip Bull on 023 8034 8854 VISIT US AT THE RYA DINGHY SHOW 26 & 27 FEBRUARY – STAND D4 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show

Dinghy cruising treasures

T

hese two dinghies will be centre stage at the Dinghy Cruising Association's stand A20, at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show.

Mary Dooley’s Mirror dinghy has been seen at the show before and will make a welcome return,

no doubt causing as much astonishment as ever that a humble Mirror can be home for a blissful few days of camping cruising.

Mary will be there in person again to show how she does it.

Also on the stand will be Alastair Law’s self-built Paradox, Little Jim, not quite 14ft long and 2ft wide. She’s

ABOVE (L-R) Alastair Law's home-built Paradox; and Mary Dooley's Mirror

flat bottomed with no centreboard.

Alastair will also be on hand to explain Microcruising as a concept.

Exploring by Dinghy, a talk by the Dinghy Cruising Association’s Roger Barnes, followed by Steve White from Cody Sailing Club, on the new RYA Dinghy Trails, will be on the Suzuki Main Stage, both days, at 12.30pm.

How to get a decent forecast

I

n this excellent age of access to a million and one weather sources,” says meteorologist Simon Rowell, who is giving two talks at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, “it’s easy to look at your phone and forget about how the weather is actually working. What I want to do is show people how to get a decent forecast to make their day on the water more enjoyable.”

Simon is a Clipper Race-winning skipper, author of several weather books and consultant on weather to everyone from the British Sailing Team to ocean rowers.

He approaches the subject from all angles, utilising traditional methods as much as he does the latest tech: “It’s about learning to understand it better and then being able to use it more. Part of going back to basics is always just using the mark#1 eyeball, but now with the internet you can look further upwind to see what is happening out of sight – there are lots of sites that will give you wind readings along the coast. If you’re expecting

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

LEFT Simon Rowell is the British Sailing Team's weather guru

the wind to pick up in an hour or two’s time, you’ll be more aware of what's going on when it starts to kick in. You can use weather radar to actually watch the fronts come down towards you. So yes it's going back to basics, but it’s about using observations and using the tech you’ve got to boost your awareness."

For dinghy racers on a club lake, the advice remains the same: “If you’re inland and sailing out of the edge of a forest into a bunch of

fields, you’re going to get a change in the wind as you go across the lake – it's something that everybody knows, but may not think about in the course of a race or before a race.”

Simon enjoys the fact, at the show, that he’s speaking to a well-informed audience.

At the same time, he’s aware that the watersports boom has introduced countless new people to the scene.

He advocates “a measured approach to starting your watersports career – the ideal thing is to do an RYA course”, and his talks will be relevant for kayakers, paddleboarders and other watersports enthusiasts: “There are quite a few people out there now who are keen on the sport and want to get out and do something, which is great, but it is easy to get into trouble around the UK where the weather is changeable and we do have strong tides.”

Forecasting for Watersports, with Simon Rowell, is at 4pm on Saturday and Sunday on the Watersports Stage. Weather Forecasting Afloat is at 11am on the Suzuki Main Stage.

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RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show

Sustainability for life When the winners are announced in the University Sailing Sustainability Challenge, on the Suzuki Main Stage at 1.15pm on Saturday, it will mark the culmination of a journey that will surely remain with the undergraduates involved for the rest of their lives

T

he University Sailing Sustainability Challenge is one of the most impactful initiatives connected with the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, although perhaps one that is at times overlooked.

Launched in 2015 and run by the RYA and British Marine’s environmental arm The Green Blue, it requires university sailing clubs across the UK to undertake a series of environmental challenges over the academic year, meeting green criteria in aspects of their sailing lives ranging from kit, to waste, to travel, to seabed protection and more.

Backing comes from the British Universities Sailing Association (BUSA) and sponsorship from OceanЯ, who provide prizes to those who achieve an award.

Around 25 university sailing clubs enter each year.

Kate Fortnam, Campaign Manager at The Green Blue, said: “It’s a great experience and opportunity for them to build up their skills and knowledge in environmental sustainability within sport. This generation of sailors are very much in tune with the environment and want to protect it.

“Not every university sailing club competes in regattas, but for the Sustainability Challenge, any

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

university club can take part. It’s an even playing field and something all sailors can participate in.”

Within the university, taking on the challenge can be useful for the sailing club, to gain further support and recognition from their Student Union as as well as contributing towards their university’s overall sustainability goals. This can help to gain funding if the university can point to proactively sustainable internal sports clubs.

Kate said: “Over the last three years, there has been a heightened interest in this area amongst students, and universities as a whole have pushed sustainability to the top of their agendas. Thanks in part to the social and media interest that has been happening around preventing plastic pollution, everyone is a lot more conscious around environmental issues.”

The Sustainability Challenge encourages each sailing club to appoint a Sustainability Officer.

The role holder is responsible for coordinating the club’s entry and submitting evidence to demonstrate that the club has achieved the sustainable actions set out by the challenge.

Kate said: “It ranges from raising awareness through social media, to supporting their sailing venue with spill prevention kits, to making sure

ABOVE

Explore seagrass beds in virtual reality on The Green Blue Stand; Kate Fortnum congratulates the 2020 winners of the University Sustainability Challenge; invasive species can be a threat if you don't wash down your boat

BELOW

The Green Blue stand has plenty of guides and advice on how to make your sailing greener

their venues are displaying green boating guides, as well as ensuring that they’re cleaning their boats to remove invasive species.”

The students must also show they are using sustainable materials; this includes their equipment and their club kit. The Challenge's sponsor, OceanЯ, produces a range of sports clothing made from recycled waste plastics and offers participating clubs discounts on teamwear.

Three levels of the Challenge exist – bronze, silver and gold – and all three can be achieved within one year, but most universities choose to tackle one per year.

Prizes, from OceanR, include discounted team wear, branded with their club’s logo, and a cash prize draw split across the three award levels to spend on sustainable initiatives at their sailing club.

Over the years the Challenge has been streamlined so that award levels can be achieved over time, making impact on the university sailing clubs and their venues transformational year on year. Meanwhile the impact on the undergraduates themselves is clear – the awards presentation at the Dinghy Show is often an emotional affair.

Watch the announcement of The Green Blue University Sailing Sustainability Challenge on the Suzuki Main Stage at 1.15pm on Saturday.

The Green Blue stand

The Green Blue, meanwhile, has its own stand at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, this year with two parts to it – one offering advice on how you can make your sailing, club, centre or business greener, with various approved, sustainable products from The Green Blue’s online Business Directory, showing visitors how they can be more sustainable in other areas of their sailing activities, with green boating guides and other information available.

The second focus of The Green Blue at the show will highlight the organisation’s work with the EU LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES Project, led by Natural England, which aims to find ways of protecting and restoring seabed habitats such as seagrass and Maerl in UK waters. As part of this project The Green Blue is raising awareness of seabed habitats and encouraging the adoption of sustainable practices among recreational boat users. Best practice advice and guidance for landing, launching, anchoring, and sustainable moorings will be available.

The Green Blue team will be joined by partners in the project including the Marine Conservation Society and Ocean Conservation Trust to help deliver educational activities on the stand, including virtual headsets that will give visitors the experience of swimming beneath the waves among seagrass, to see what kind of wildlife it supports, as well as the chance to replicate the project’s efforts in reseeding the seabed with seagrass.

The Green Blue is on stand B5. For information, guidance and resources to help make your boating more sustainable, visit thegreenblue.org.uk and follow @TheGreenBlue

Crewing masterclass

A

Crewing Masterclass with the current Rolex Sailor of the Year is not something any aspiring sail racer wants to miss.

Olympic gold medallist Eilidh McIntyre will be on stage, at 12.45 in the Knowledge Zone, on Saturday.

Hosted by Ian Walker and featuring other top sailors sharing insight and advice, it promises to be one of the highlights of the show. We caught up with Eilidh to find out how an Olympic gold medallist approaches the sometimes underrated role of dinghy crew.

“I have had an interesting background in crewing – although I’ve done it for a long time I wasn’t always a crew. Coupled with that, I really didn’t have an awful lot of respect for my own crews when I was younger!

“Now – I mean, I would say this, but I truly believe it! – the crew is such a vital part of the boat and that applies in professional and amateur sailing. I don’t think the crew is given enough credit or utilised enough in many boats. If you want to create a team and real partnership, plus have fun on the water and succeed in your racing, you need to be working as one unit.

“It’s about pulling together both people’s skills. It is definitely not just about the helm while the crew is sitting there! I really want to bring that to life and my talk will focus on how much a crew can add to the boat and how essential they are to a great performance.”

What are the main things for club sailors to focus on?

“I would really focus on the communication element – how vital it is for you, as the crew, to be the eyes and ears of the boat, to be engaged in the racing and be a part of that.

“At the show I also want to get into how hard it is to feel a boat without having control of the rudder – how that is a real skill to hone. You need to focus on what parts of your body you are using to be able to feel the boat. You need to know when it feels good and how to dial into that, because it is certainly harder when you can’t feel the rudder and it takes a long time to develop that.”

Eilidh, unsurprisingly, has childhood memories of visiting the show with her father, himself an Olympic gold medalist, who introduced Eilidh to Ben Ainslie, Bart Simpson and Iain Percy.

“I remember that from my RS days," she said, "being very shy, them signing my t-shirt, but also feeling very inspired. I clearly remember thinking ‘I’ll do that. I’ll be here one day’.”

The last time Eilidh was at the show, it was five months before the Olympics – until just weeks later, the Games was postponed.

She reflected: “When I look back at the last two years, I feel pretty relieved that it’s done and it worked out the way we wanted it to.”

Crewing Masterclass hosted by Ian Walker, with Eilidh McIntyre (Sat) and nine times Endeavour Trophy winner Toby Lewis (Sat) plus Steph Orton (Sun) at 12.45pm in The Knowledge Zone.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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Tom Cunliffe

Tom Cunliffe

B

efore my defection to the Baltic Sea, my home mooring for 30 years was up the Beaulieu River on the West Solent. There’s a useful waterside pub a couple of miles in, handy both for the marina and the scramble-ashore dinghy pontoon favoured by those unwilling to empty their wallets for a South-coast walk-ashore berth. Back then, I could often be found at the bar taking a

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

breather after a tough beat from Dover, or just enjoying a warm-up by the fire. One time, I was halfway down a pint with an old pal who’d been on the river since before I was born, when a young man in a smart Musto jacket offered to buy us both a drink. Neither of us was ever known to refuse refreshment, so we shuffled our stools to one side and he settled in to join us.

After confirming that we were indeed locals, his opening gambit

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

was to ask if we got fed up with having to motor all that way to the river mouth before we could make sail and do what we’d paid our money for. I responded to that one. It was easy. The answer was, “No” - for two good reasons.

The first was that because I had a reasonably athletic yacht (a 22-ton gaff cutter, in fact), I could often sail straight off my mooring and proceed in silence down the waterway, disturbing nobody, least of all the

ILLUSTRATION: CLAIRE WOOD, PHOTOS TOM CUNLIFFE

Sailing the same stretch of water year after year could appear monotonous to the uninitated. Yet the ever changing waters ensure it is anything but

“How could I be bored?’ he said. The landscape might not change much, but the water’s what it’s about. Every day is different” international migrant bird life which proliferates along the banks. Much of this is rarely seen and seldom even suspected by those condemned to the inevitable wash and noise attendant with the motor. If I did choose to start the diesel to save time or to beat a total headwind, it only took half an hour or so, the river was still lovely, and I continued to benefit from the second half of my answer.

My wife Roz and I have spent far in excess of a thousand nights lying to our anchors. We choose our anchorages carefully, and the best are undoubtedly those from which the horizon is obscured by land. If we can see the sea, the Great Law of Sod states unequivocally that it will blow in from that direction around midnight, relieving us of our shelter and creating stress. Once round the second bend in the Beaulieu River, there isn’t a lot to see but oak

trees, the occasional cottage and the aforesaid wildlife. Anchoring is no longer an option up here because of the well-laid and well-spaced moorings, but the principle remains.

For a quiet night, the further you are from open water, the better, so half an hour spent travelling up and back seems a small price to pay.

Our benefactor’s second query was an interesting one. “Don’t you get bored,” he enquired, “always sailing from the same patch of water for decade after decade?” I knew that I didn’t, but I’d never really thought to ask myself why. Any answer was clearly going to involve more in the way of philosophy and less direct common-sense seamanship, so I took a sip of my fresh pint and left the matter to my elders and betters.

My friend’s reply opened my eyes to something I now realised I’d known for ever, but hadn’t put into

ABOVE The upper reaches of the Beaulieu River from the masthead

words. It also showed the question to be profoundly inappropriate.

“How could I be bored?” he said. “The landscape might not change much, but the water’s what it’s about. Every day is different.”

How right he was. I found myself recalling a time in the Hebrides in my old pilot cutter Hirta. We were bound on a pilgrimage towards the remote islands of St Kilda, half a day westward from the Sound of Harris. The main island of the group bears the same name as the one given to the boat in the 1930s by the man who owned them both. We’d been driven back into the sound by a gale ripping down from Iceland and had limped off into Loch Portain on North Uist where we found perfect shelter below a small post office. The chart showed a flattish area with widely spaced soundings, so I anchored in 12 feet at low water, giving my 8-foot draught 4 feet of clearance, laid out a hefty length of cable and kissed my troubles goodbye.

After three days of damp, freezing weather, we were running low on coal for our bogey stove, so I rowed ashore to strike a deal with the postmistress, whose neat Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

33

Tom Cunliffe

“Only a carefully calibrated echo sounder tells the whole truth and nothing but the truth ”

stack of turf had caught my eye.

“Any chance of buying some peat for my fire?” I dripped shamelessly on her clean boards.

“None whatsoever.”

Sadly, I opened the door onto the driving drizzle, but she called me back with a smile.

“You can help yourself to all you can carry, though…”

I loaded up a canvas sack, bought a pair of hairy socks knitted before my very eyes by this generous lady’s blind old mum, then pulled home to stoke up. The following day the wind was still howling, but overnight the moon had been waxing big above the driving wrack. As the tide came in towards teatime, far more land was disappearing than previously, and instead of high water bringing a depth of 18 feet, we were finding twenty-two. I went forward to check the cable at sunset and saw the halfinch chain standing out bar-taut in front of the boat. Dragging her 120lb Fisherman was not one of the boat’s bad habits, but to sleep more easily I surged out another 10 fathoms, giving her a scope of nine to one.

The holding ground had proved itself already and we could now have ridden out a hurricane except that the changing scene was not confined to the top of the tide. When

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ABOVE The author’s daughter inspects the peat; Hirta in the background

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

I roused out at 0800 to brew up it was blowing harder than ever. By coffee time the beach was showing more dry land than I wanted to see.

Transits confirmed that Hirta hadn’t budged, but by the bottom of the tide we had only a foot under our keel and the tides were still building.

At midnight we bumped. Not severely, but the thud left no doubt we’d have to shift berth at first light, come storm or tempest. I turned in with a heavy heart, but the issue never arose because The Clerk of the Weather switched off the westerly gale. Instead of the spell of helpful northwesterlies we’d every right to expect, however, he substituted a stiff east wind which would be blowing straight into St Kilda’s only roadstead with a 40-mile fetch.

The trip wasn’t going to happen, so we built up the fire and beat back across a confused Minch to Skye, contemplating lessons learned.

The first message was the benefit of a real stove. If we’d had blownair heating, I’d never have met the postmistress and her matchless mother and my feet would have been freezing for the remainder of the so-called summer. Furthermore, I’d have burned valuable diesel and the batteries would taken a needless hit.

The second, perhaps more important

point, was that examining charted depths in detail would not have made any difference to the fact that my chosen spot to anchor ultimately turned dodgy. After studying the chart for potential hazards, I’d selected it by the safest method of sounder alone, reckoning that all I needed was enough water to float me. Had it been half-tide instead of low tide, I’d only have needed to check my tidal curve to see how much it would fall between anchoring time and low water, add that to my draught plus a clearance figure and let go. Easy. In my examining days, I always suspected a Yachtmaster candidate who scrutinised the chart then added the soundings into the equation of his depth calculation for anchoring overnight. After all, there’s no certainty that the sounding to which you are nailing your colours is exactly where you’d like to think it is, especially when defined by an over-zoomed chart plotter. Only a carefully calibrated echo sounder tells the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

My plan had worked well. The mistake was to reckon without a long wait and to forget that in a tidal anchorage, just as in the Beaulieu River, no two days are ever quite the same.

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F

rom humble beginnings almost a century ago, Fox’s Marina and Boatyard has established itself as one of the UK’s leading yacht refit and repair facilities. Based on the East Coast, the 15-acre boatyard offers complete in-house services, with teams of skilled engineers and craftsmen, boat handlers, riggers, electricians and fabricators.

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carbon racing machines. Fox’s deliver bespoke solutions to all customers.

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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Cruising - The Falklands

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

A leap into the unknown Genevieve Leaper recounts an intriguing cruise through the Falkland Islands followed by a dramatic singlehanded return north made by her partner, Aleko Stephan

S

ailing out of Port Stanley I was excited but also more than a little nervous. Setting out into unknown waters is one thing, but in an unfamiliar boat with a man I’d only met a few weeks earlier was taking it way beyond my comfort zone. Not to mention that we had no dinghy, only paddleboards, and Aleko and I do have communication problems English being his fourth language.

I had arrived on another boat.

It had been a wonderful six weeks sailing south through Patagonia with my friends Colin and Ana on their Ovni Ithaka and I had thoroughly enjoyed the three day passage from Isla de los Estados (Staten Island).

We had been cruising in company with Aleko and his Nicholson 32 Beduin since the Magellan Strait and I had become quite attached to both the pretty little boat and the skipper, with his happy-go-lucky attitude.

I had only begun to appreciate the scale of the archipelago when it took us more than a day from sighting Sealion Island to arriving in Port Stanley. The Falklands are just a dot on the map beside the South American continent, but at

4700 square miles (12000 km²) have a larger area than all the Scottish islands put together. Besides the two main islands, there are another 776 smaller isles, most of the interesting ones in the west or south – a long way from Stanley in East Falkland. I had only two weeks left - even after twice delaying my flight home - which I realised wasn’t nearly long enough.

Strangely familiar

It’s a very windy place, that was one of the few things I did know about the islands. The wind blows Force 5 and above for 40% of the time. So it was frustrating, but not surprising, for our departure from Stanley to be delayed by the weather. Stanley is both very British, in a rather old-fashioned way, and strangely foreign. The red phone boxes, Anglican cathedral and even an old London bus seemed incongruous among the colourful houses with corrugated metal roofs that could have been in Chile. The total population is only 3000 people, so even though most live in Stanley, the town has a small community feel and we found everyone friendly and helpful. The boats were berthed at FIPASS (Falklands Islands Interim Port & Storage System), a chain of rusty Port Stanley

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Cruising - The Falklands

barges forming a pontoon for cruise ships and fishing boats. It was a mile to walk into town but we were glad of the facilities (showers, laundry and wifi) at the Seamen’s Centre.

It was still breezy when we left but with three tons of lead in her long keel, the Nicholson 32 could have been designed for the Falklands. She is at her best in a blow and always felt well balanced and light on the helm.

Luckily Aleko and I were in agreement - we wanted to see penguins! There are around one million penguins in the islands but some of the five species are easier to find than others. So our first stop was Cow Bay, 20 miles north of Stanley, one of the few places with king, as well as gentoo and Magellanic penguins. We could see the penguins on the long, white sand beach – behind a line of breaking surf. We waited all next day, Beduin rolling in the swell, but the wind never dropped enough to get ashore.

Aleko suggested we keep going overnight and sail directly to Carcass Island over a hundred miles away in the northwest. We enjoyed a fast

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reach up to MacBride Head in the lee of the land but it was followed by a long beat to get west against the prevailing wind. With a short, steep swell on the beam for much of the night and all the unfamiliar noises, I didn’t get much sleep. The morning dawned grey and misty but after a few hours Pebble Island appeared out of the murk, then Saunders Island, and we reached Carcass Island in the afternoon, anchoring off the settlement in Port Pattison. The peculiar name comes from HMS Carcass which surveyed the island in 1766 (a carcass was a type of incendiary bomb).

Strolling around the bay on a beautiful evening we finally got to meet penguins up close.

The burrow-nesting Magellanic penguins are the most widespread, found all round the islands.

They entertained us every day with dawn and dusk choruses of donkey-like braying. There were also pairs of kelp geese and caracaras. The striated caracara, known locally as Johnny Rook, is a long-legged bird of prey, very rare

PREVIOUS PAGE

(left) Beduin anchored off the Neck, Saunders Island, with Gentoo penguins and chicks on the beach (right) Red phone boxes outside the post office in Stanley

ABOVE LEFT

Beduin on passage to the Falklands

ABOVE RIGHT

Gentoo colony at the Neck, Saunders Island

BELOW LEFT

Rough seas leaving the Tamar Pass, Pebble Island

BELOW RIGHT

Rare but not timid - Striated caracara on Carcass Island

but certainly not shy and retiring.

This opportunistic scavenger is well known for stealing things like hats and cameras. Charles Darwin, visiting in the Beagle commented: “These birds are very mischievous and inquisitive; they will pick up almost anything from the ground”.

Back onboard we enjoyed a fabulous sunset; the islands’ wide open vistas and changeable weather are certainly great for dramatic skies.

Nature’s bounty

The star attractions here are the elephant seals. Next morning Rob, the owner, gave us a lift to the far end of the island. The elephant seals weren’t difficult to find; we heard them before we saw them and almost fell over the first one in the tussac grass as we walked down to the shore.

We had missed the breeding season but now, in late January, they were back ashore to moult.

There was a crowd on the beach, huge blubbery lumps, snoozing, snoring, and occasionally snarling at each other. These were the males,

several tonnes a piece. Most of the females had finished moulting and gone back to sea, the few that were left lying quietly away from the males. They were so much smaller I thought they were pups at first.

I could have stayed a week but it was time to start heading back east, first to Saunders Island. We anchored at The Neck, a low sandy isthmus which is home to 6000 pairs of gentoo penguins. Their nests were simple piles of stones and we watched one stealing stones from a neighbour’s nest. Walking along the beach we passed a family of steamer ducks, a flightless species endemic to the Falklands, and had just found the rockhoppers when a landrover appeared, so we went to speak to the owners. It is customary when visiting ‘camp’ (anywhere outside Stanley) to contact the landowners first. Although we always tried to call on the VHF before going ashore, as we’d been advised, no-one ever answered. Apparently we’d arrived at just the wrong time, there was a cruise ship coming and we were politely asked to leave. We couldn’t

see what difference we would make to the cruise ship but were quite happy to come back next day. Tourism is now an important part of the Falklands economy.

Next day we had the penguins to ourselves and spent a long day ashore. We found the king penguins in a little huddle among the gentoos. They are almost as big and just as handsome as the emperors of Antarctica but didn’t do much, mostly standing around looking dignified, some appeared to be incubating. Higher up there was an enormous mixed seabird colony with Imperial cormorants, blackbrowed albatrosses and rockhoppers nesting side by side. The rockhopper chicks clustered in little groups, while each fluffy albatross chick occupied a substantial mud tower nest. With albatrosses soaring the cliffs and dolphins surfing the waves below, there was so much going on, we didn’t know where to look. We found our way down the slope to a rocky platform where we could watch Aleko’s favourites, the rockhoppers, coming ashore.

ABOVE

Gentoo penguins returning from fishing trip, Cow Bay

BELOW LEFT

Ashore to moult - male Southern elephant seal

BELOW RIGHT

Female elephant seals are much smaller than males

These tough little characters lived up to their name. Leaping out of the breaking waves they seemed unbothered when they got the timing wrong and were washed back down the rocks. After stopping to preen on the flat rocks they hopped their way on up to the colony. I photographed one individual with particularly fine feather tufts in the colony and only realised later it was the fifth species, a Macaroni penguin - of which there are only a few pairs.

From The Neck we were heading for Pebble Island but when we heard Ithaka calling Saunders Island on the VHF we joined them at the anchorage off the Sealers Cove settlement. The first British settlement in the islands was established just north of here at Port Egmont in 1765. French navigator Louis de Bougainville had established a settlement on East Falkland the previous year, which was bought out by Spain a few years later. He named the islands Les îles Malouines, after the settlers home port of Saint Malo, hence the Spanish name Las Malvinas. After that the history is

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Cruising - The Falklands

complicated, the colonists apparently unaware of each other at first but disputes beginning between Britain and Spain (later Argentina) from 1770. All the settlements were evacuated in the early 19th century, leaving the islands to the sealers and whalers for a while. In 2013 the islanders voted by overwhelming majority to remain a self-governing British Overseas Territory.

Anchoring anguish

Much to our frustration it was too windy to go visiting and when Ithaka’s anchor dragged we could only watch as Ana battled with the kelp. Kelp shows the rocks and provides shelter from the waves but is formidable stuff to get tangled in. A good kelp cutter is essential and we’d had plenty of practice in Patagonia. Aleko used a machete while, with higher freeboard, Colin and Ana favoured a pruning saw with a long handle. Finally the wind eased a little in the evening and we paddled across – with a line in case we had to haul ourselves back.

It was still blowing a gale next morning but our route was

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downwind in the shelter of the islands. We set off at 4 knots under sprayhood while we had a discussion on the foredeck about which headsail to hoist. I was allowed my preference for the storm jib and with a helpful tide Beduin averaged nearly 6 knots. Tides around the islands are complicated; the tide runs strongly in opposite directions in the Northwest passage and Tamar Pass, the narrows at either end of Pebble Island, just 12 miles apart.

Colin admitted he’d been caught out; having timed it right to enter the Tamar Pass, they found themselves going backwards while motoring hard in the Northwest passage.

Beduin was accompanied by Commerson’s dolphins most of the way. They look more like porpoises, with rounded fins and snub noses, but these smart little black and white dolphins are very playful and love boats. There are not many boats to play with in the Falklands - cruise ships are more numerous than yachts - so they were making the most of it, taking turns to bowride as more came to join in.

When we turned upwind into Ship

ABOVE LEFT

West coast of Beaver Island

ABOVE RIGHT

Beaver Island, with Beduin anchored off the settlement and Weddell island in the distance

BELOW

Commerson's dolphin playing alongside as Beduin runs east to Pebble Island under storm jib

Harbour at the east end of Pebble Island, the short chop was sending spray and solid lumps of water over the sprayhood, so I left the skipper at the helm and retreated below. The evening forecast was worse so we stayed a day. We were both quite glad of a rest and I even had a swim. But I was getting worried that we were still a long way from Stanley and the next day’s forecast of N to NW 5-7 wasn’t conditions I’d normally set out in.

It was rough leaving through the Tamar Pass with the tide going out against the wind but after rounding the Eddystone Rock off Cape Dolphin we bore away for a splendid sail back to Cow Bay on a fast broad reach, surrounded by albatrosses and sooty shearwaters skimming the waves.

The skipper was not feeling well and when he retired below it was my chance to play single-hander for a few hours. By this time I was feeling very comfortable with the boat. In fact, Beduin had felt strangely familiar from the start. I was reminded of my grandfather’s South Coast One Design (SCOD), but thought it was just the deep, narrow cockpit and teak decks. I hadn’t realised that the 26ft wooden SCOD was an earlier design by Charles Nicholson on which the very successful Nicholson 32 was based.

Beduin, built in 1964, is the original Mk1 design. The low freeboard does make her rather wet but there are advantages to being closer to the water. And the narrow beam means you can reach both sheet winches

ABOVE

Commerson's dolphins accompanied the paddleboard every time Aleko went ashore on Beaver Island

PHOTOS ALEKO STEPHAN

BELOW

while standing at the tiller. Mostly I loved the boat but I don’t know how Aleko managed a three year voyage without a gimballed cooker!

This time we did get ashore in Cow Bay. Too lazy to walk, we just sat on the beach to watch the gentoos.

They gave us no more than a casual glance as they marched past, setting out or returning from fishing trips.

Young penguins loitered on the beach waiting for the next meal, while a few went for swimming practice close to shore. Gentoos are the champion swimmers, reaching speeds of 20 knots underwater.

It was a dull, misty day and I spent most of the sail back to Stanley down below, packing my bags though I did rush up on deck when Aleko spotted sei whales crossing Berkeley Sound. The wind died then came back, just too late, as we were motoring into the Narrows.

Determined to returned to Stanley in style, we hoisted the sails again and Beduin sailed alongside the FIPASS. Next day I reluctantly boarded the weekly flight to Punta Arenas, not knowing if I would see Aleko and Beduin again and already wondering if I was making a mistake.

For Aleko, with thousands of miles still to sail home, the adventure was far from over. Although keen to see more of the Falklands his main priority was to get a new AIS transmitter. He’s not a big fan of electronic gadgets but AIS is an invaluable safety aid for the singlehander as the oceans get busier. A friend arranged for the AIS to be

sent out from the UK but after two weeks Aleko was still waiting. At least he wasn’t alone, having met up with Ithaka again and a charter boat we’d met in Puerto Williams. They were all berthed now on a pontoon closer to town which was more convenient, but the yachts did have to move out and anchor occasionally when a cruise ship came in. A Frenchman who stopped to chat on the pontoon turned out to be the legendary Jérôme Poncet, pioneer of Antarctic sailing. He invited Aleko to visit his home on Beaver Island and have the AIS sent on there.

Like Carcass Island, Beaver is named after a ship, in this case the first American whaling vessel to round Cape Horn in 1791. Beaver Island lies in the southwest of the archipelago so Aleko set off to the south but after 10 miles, with Beduin making no progress beating into wind and waves, he turned round to sail non-stop 159 miles around the north and west before the next bad weather came in.

Aleko’s emails now made me very jealous. Most of the Falklands are quite low, in places reminding me of the Outer Hebrides or Shetland, but Beaver has dramatic vertical cliffs in the west, where he was surprised to see fur seals high up the steep rocky ledges. More unusually the island also has a herd of reindeer, which Jérôme brought from South Georgia.

Best of all were the Commerson’s dolphins which hung around waiting to accompany the paddleboard every time Aleko went ashore. Aleko

Aleko (left) tries his hand at sheep shearing on Beaver Island

thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality of Jérôme and his son Leiv, especially the three course birthday dinner Jérôme cooked for him.

Shear joy

It’s generally recommended that yachts should leave the Falklands by the end of February before the worst of the autumn gales. Aleko delayed his departure a week to help with the sheep shearing. Sheep were for a long time the mainstay of Falklands economy and there are still around half a million. There is a sheep on the islands’ coat of arms and the daily forecast includes the ‘sheep chill factor’ as wind chill is a real risk to newly-shorn sheep.

Before the professional shearer arrived the sheep had to be rounded up – by motorbike. Aleko is not unfamiliar with riding off road but couldn’t keep up over the rugged terrain, frequently falling into unseen ditches. Then there were two hard days work starting at 6a.m. Aleko did have a go at shearing - one lucky ewe didn’t lose as much of her wool as the rest - but his job was to clean the dirt out of the fleeces and put them in the press. After handling several tonnes of wool he wrote to me: “Two things I know definitely now; I don’t want to be a sheep and I don’t want to be a sheep farmer or shearer”.

After another gale, which

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Cruising - The Falklands

prevented Aleko even getting ashore, Beduin left Beaver Island on 10 March, with half a sheep and half a lamb, leaving presents from Jérôme, hanging from the solar panel frame at the stern.

With depressions coming through thick and fast, timing was everything in picking a weather window. The plan was to use the tail end of a small low to get far enough north to avoid the next big low coming in - but it didn’t work out quite like that.

After leaving in a calm, the wind started to increase before Beduin was clear of the Falklands, sailing through the first low with confused seas and steep waves as the wind backed from east through north and within minutes round to the west. The waves were hitting the boat from all sides and broke the connection between the wind vane and rudder of the self-steering gear.

The mutton had to be sacrificed as it was bending the frame too much but Aleko managed to cut up the lamb and store it in the fridge.

Feeling the strain

The electronic autopilot worked for a few hours before also breaking due to excessive forces on the rudder from the awkward seas. After heavingto for the night, Aleko managed to get it working again with a spare bar, but this one failed when water got in the motor. It was too wet and cold to stay outside for long so he had to give up on sailing fast to escape the weather. There was no respite before the deep depression hit; Beduin was north of it but not far enough to avoid the strongest winds. By this stage it was too late to reduce sail so he hove-to with the double-reefed main and a small jib

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and lashed the tiller. Although the boat was very much over-canvassed, Aleko believes this was no bad thing.

The boat was heeled over so much that she slid down the waves and he never felt there was a risk of being rolled. It also meant the waves hit the hull rather than the large saloon windows which could be a weakness.

It was dark in the cabin though with the lee side underwater and waves foaming over the top. Aleko pulled the mattresses and duvet off the bunk and wedged himself on the floor amongst the chaos of clothes and books that had already tumbled down. And there he stayed for four or five days, checking outside once or twice a day but unable to do much.

His memory of that time is blurred as he was in considerable pain from an old neck problem that flared up. But he remembers how the white horses were whipped off the waves, leaving the sea completely covered in foam.

The wind, he said, made strange noises, over and above the shrieking in the rigging. He couldn’t describe the sound but it was well beyond anything he had experienced before.

Gradually the wind decreased and once the waves were no longer washing right over the boat and he

ABOVE

Too windy to get ashore: white sand beach at Cow Bay

BELOW LEFT

Sunset from Port Pattison, Carcass Island

BELOW RIGHT

Aleko at the helm

could stay on deck for a while, it was possible to sail again. At least Beduin had been drifting in the right direction, making 70 miles in one 24 hour period while hove-to.

It was obvious that repairs to the wind pilot would have to wait for very calm conditions, so the only options were to steer by hand or lash the tiller. Luckily, with the sails well trimmed, Beduin is good at steering herself. Things improved, Aleko even managed to photograph a pod of pilot whales that came to surf alongside. But he was still suffering badly and running out of painkillers so abandoned the plan to go to St Helena and headed for Piriapolis in Uruguay (1300 miles from the Falklands) for rest and repairs.

That was the first I heard of the storm and even then he didn’t let on quite how bad it had been.

Luckily the rest of the long voyage back north up the Atlantic was uneventful, though I didn’t envy him the weeks of sailing hard on the wind through the tropical heat.

After a brief stop in Cape Verde Beduin arrived in the Azores at the beginning of June. I flew out to meet Aleko and we sailed together back to his home in Greece.

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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RORC season preview

Man with a mission The man behind RORC Racing CHRIS STONE talks to Georgie Corlett-Pitt about exciting new events and key trends as the 2022 season gets underway

PHOTOS RORC/RICK TOMLINSON; HELSINKI MARKETING; SOREN WIEGAND; PAUL WYETH; PHOT-Y

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s Director of Racing for the Royal Ocean Racing Club, Chris Stone is a busy man.

He’s responsible for the hefty schedule of offshore and inshore events around the world that make up the club’s racing programme. A native Aussie with a longstanding background in sailing event management, he has been in this particular role for five years, and his knowledge and passion for sailing is obvious from the off.

We chat as he’s preparing to leave for Helsinki, Finland where he will discuss plans for the club’s newest event – the RORC Baltic Sea Race. Organised in conjunction with the Ocean Racing Alliance, this new 630nm race will set off on 21 July, with IRC, MOCRA and Class 40s among the fleets racing a loop around the Swedish island of Gotland, some 250nm southwest of Helsinki. The star of the entry line-up so far looks to be Arto Linnervuo’s new foil-driven Infiniti 52, Tulikettu.

“It’s a good opportunity for RORC to explore other parts of Europe we haven’t been to before, good for APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

membership, and good for IRC,” explains Chris, as he confirms a raft of interest from boats in Sweden and Germany, as well as Russia, Poland, Latvia and Estonia.

“We’ve got 22 entries and around 45 expressions of interest so far; we weren’t expecting anything amazing in the first year, but the groundswell of interest is certainly there.”

From Helsinki, Chris is due to fly directly to Antigua for the start of the RORC Caribbean 600,

ABOVE

Coastal races are seeing a surge in popularity

BELOW

Helsinki will host RORC's newest event, the Baltic Sea Race

where some 80 boats will charge 600 miles around the Leeward Islands. With Maxis Skorpios, Leopard and Comanche all in the hunt for monohull line honours, and MOD70s Maserati, Argo and PowerPlay vying for a multihull race win, plus strong contingents of Volvo 70s, Class 40s and IRC boats, Chris’s excitement at this, the 13th edition of the race is palpable. On landing, he’s anticipating a busy week of preparations as he and his

team work with sailors to ensure World Sailing’s latest updates to the Offshore Special Regulations are understood and enforced.

Trends and highlights

The bumper entry for this and other recent events signifies a new inclination among competitors, according to Chris. “After last year’s Caribbean 600 was cancelled, we were nervous about this year,” he admits.

“We thought we might have 50 entries

and now we are almost at 80, that’s a record. We can’t ask for more than that!

“We think there’s a trend that is panning more towards big event sailing, especially when you look at last year’s Rolex Fastnet Race and January’s RORC Transatlantic Race, which both had their biggest ever entries. Now we are about to have the biggest ever Caribbean 600, so I think we can say people are really interested in doing those big events. Obviously there was a cooling off of the inshore fleet last year and the year before when it was really affected by Covid, but we are seeing a strengthening in numbers for the big events. People are entering those events straight away; they are really engaged and it’s an opportunity to bring crews together on something pretty exciting.”

August sees the pinnacle event for RORC’s 2022 calendar, with the Sevenstar Round Britain and Island Race and again, another record entry is expected; already 30 entries have

ABOVE

Iconic races like the RORC Transat are galvanising crews; as here, on board the VO70, L4 Trifork

BELOW

The quadrennial Round Britain and Ireland Race is due to take place this year

BELOW

Pro sailor Sam Goodchild gives a thumbs up as he rounds Muckle Flugga in the last Round Britain and Ireland Race

registered. Held quadrennially, this gruelling 1805nm circumnavigation is billed as ‘arguably the toughest pro-am race in the world’ and is renowned for its complex navigational challenges. There’s a strict crew qualification process and safety preparations need to be paramount, as Chris cautions: “This is not a race to put a crew together at short notice, it is a race for wellseasoned and well-practised teams.”

For the fastest crews, with the right weather systems, there’s the temptation of a place in the history books; the 2014 race is a constant reminder, well known for setting an astonishing five world records – including the outright record of 3 days, 3 hours, 32 minutes set by Sidney Gavignet’s MOD70 Oman Sail, and fastest monohull of 4 days, 13 hours, 10 minutes set

by Ian Walker’s Volvo 65 Azzam Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.

This year, the fleet is expected to see record entries in the double-

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

45

RORC season preview

handed class, as a reflection of the growing popularity of this discipline. Chris points out that this is no flash-in-the-pan result of double-handed racing’s recent flirtation with Olympic status, rather a long term shift nurtured

by RORC since the late 1990s.

He welcomes the exponential growth of more recent years, saying: “In the last five years we have seen a lot more boats really designed and tailored to two-handers, so that makes the entry point a lot easier.

“I don’t think there’s going to be any ground lost with it not being in the Olympics. It’s disappointing because we were really well positioned to move on that with the RYA, but it wasn’t to be. However, I don’t think you’re going to lose anyone as a result of the decision; that fleet is so competitive.”

The last couple of years have brought some great ambassadors for two-handed racing, such as Richard Palmer (Jangada, JPK 1010), and Henry Bomby and Shirley Robertson who campaigned together with a. view to Olympic selection. That impetus is carried forward this year as Shirley teams up with Dee Caffari to campaign a Sun Fast 3300 building towards the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race.

Chris attributes a lot of twohanded sailing scene’s success to Kate Cope of the UK Double Handed Offshore Association. He says: “Kate is looking after the offshore doublehanded scene now, and with Henry and the wider community they are doing a great job, especially with training weekends. It’s following the French pattern that we have seen in the past, which is really supportive of training as well as racing, and the

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social aspects too; after every race having a few beers and some food as a group is great. It’s a community thing, which I think is really positive.”

Chris is also on the look out for future growth areas, citing the Class 40’s four-handed programme as a “popular format that works well and something we are keeping an eye on”.

Close to home

Another growth area is in shorter offshore races, and there are a number of domestic events that Chris anticipates being especially well attended this year; the first being the Cervantes Trophy Race from Cowes to Le Harve, which he says, “is a perfect length to test your offshore legs after the winter”.

Slightly longer, the CowesEddystone-Solent course for the Myth of Malham in June is also

ABOVE

The Round Britain and Ireland Race record was set in 2014 at 3d, 3h, 32m by the MOD70 Oman Sail

BELOW LEFT

Dee Caffari raced twohanded last year with James Harayda; this year she teams up with Shirley Robertson

BELOW

Two-handed racing has seen huge growth but it's not a new thing

expecting a bumper turn out.

July sees a further two races involving cross-Channel nav - La Trinité-Cowes and Cowes-DinardSt Malo – both of which have shown exponential growth in recent years, with the St Malo race almost becoming a rival for the Fastnet for popularity, with support from both sides of the Channel.

Also featuring this year will be several shorter coastal races, with a full day of racing but notably no overnight sailing. This concept is a legacy of RORC’s Covid response, which received plenty of positive feedback from competitors. These are currently being worked into the calendar for autumn 2022 and will be confirmed soon. Chris explains: “Our plan is to replicate what we did during the pandemic with some kind of longer coastal

PHOTOS RORC/MARK LLOYD; PAUL WYETH; JAMES TOMLINSON;

inshore series, most likely three days of racing over three separate weekends with 50-60 miles a day.

“We introduced it as a concept during Covid just to get racing because we couldn’t really race overnight at that time. It was really successful, a full day of racing but still back to the clubhouse that night. It works well for people’s timetables, especially for that colder time of year.”

If that’s not an already busy enough schedule of events, Chris is excited by the prospect of the biennial SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race, hosted in June by Wicklow SC, RORC’s second longest race. He predicts “interest from different Europe and around the world, which will tie in well with other events in Ireland this year”.

Inshore, the IRC Nationals is expected to be hotly contested, which Chris says is great for the IRC rule (which RORC partly governs) as “it shows that the guys racing performance-cruisers are doing really well in terms of learning how to optimise their boats quickly”.

Similarly enticing large numbers of sailors with the promise of top competition is the Vice Admiral’s Cup. Primarily a one-design regatta, it has been growing in popularity as classes such as the Cape 31 and J/70 gain ever more momentum alongside performance band classes such as the Performance 40 and HP30. It’s another indicator of current trends according to Chris, who says that the “tight banding of boats works well in that format”.

Positive outlook

Tailing the events list for 2022 is the Rolex Middle Sea Race which starts from Valletta, Malta, another 600nm classic that draws many top boats.

October’s event is sure to be in the spotlight after a contentious decision by the race committee at the same event last year saw a last minute change to the finish procedure – made citing safety considerations - resulting in the overall winner being overthrown, with a series of combative protests following. “It wasn’t the outcome anyone wanted,” reflects Chris, “but no-one can argue with a decision that’s made on the basis of safety.

“I think everyone’s learned a lot, the team from Royal Malta has learn a lot. We’re really happy with the direction they’ve taken; we’re now helping them make sure that the documentation is right and the competitors understand

ABOVE

The very successful Cape 31 has recently boosted inshore racing, as seen here at 2021's IRC Nationals

BELOW

Farr 42 Redshift, one of 127 boats that competed in last year's Myth of Malham

what that documentation. We are making sure everyone is on the same page going forwards.”

Despite being the last event of this calendar year, the Middle Sea Race actually counts as the first of 2023’s Season’s Points Championship events. Any boat entering even one of the points series events is automatically entered. This year, as well as prizes for overall and class points scores, there’s a new trophy for the best of any six events under IRC, the Gordon Applebey Trophy, providing an extra level of competition.

Chris is optimistic that the 2022 event schedule will go ahead uninterrupted. Although Brexit has created ongoing complications, RORC is working closely with UK Border Force to help competitors assimilate the new regulations.

Chris says: “From where we were 18 months ago, we now have a process for Brexit clearances, and with the ease in Covid, the 2022 season is looking really strong.”

It’s been hard work getting to this stage. Of the many challenges in his role, Chris says paperwork is the biggest, but his overriding aim is to make things as easy as possible for competitors. On the flip side, being present at all the major regattas does means he gets to “live sailing”, and there’s even the occasional chance to compete. But for now his attention is firmly on making those events happen. And whether you’re a pro or am, inshore or offshore sailor, there’s plenty to look forward to this season. Get those entries in early!

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

47

Cruising – North Sea Cruise

Tintin treks north

John Simpson looks back on a summer trip up the North Sea then across the Caledonian Canal to the west coast that has taken on an extra poignancy

PHOTOS JOHN SIMPSON

S

48

ometime has elapsed now for me to write about my good friend Clive Anderson’s last fight with life. It has been a bit raw to write before. He bought his secondhand 43-foot yacht from another Scotsman at Moody’s at the top of the Hamble then asked me if I would help to sail her back to Scotland, starting at the beginning of March from the Hamble. At the time he was already fighting for his life, having been diagnosed with cancer but he opted to seize the day and carry on cruising.

Our early legs were great, making many quick miles, due to a named storm blowing through just before we left. Heading east from the Solent, we were lucky to have on board Lisa: she is a very fine crew but could only do the first leg.

Clive needed treatment for his cancer every two weeks, which meant we did quite a few miles in hire cars, scooting from north to south and back again. Very few serious problems occurred with his Ovni 435 APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Tintin, particularly as she had been a charter boat before Clive bought her and had clearly been well cared for.

Berthing her was easy. Though I did experiment with her keel lifted in Lowestoft - we were immediately blown sideways quickly onto another boat.

Leaving from there was tricky however as we were poorly charted and his plotter was not updated fully. We left before dawn to catch the tide with a big swell after an easterly gale, which was not very comfy; we could easily have lost her with the shifting banks there.

Benefits of shallow draft

At Hartlepool we lost the morse controls after locking into the marina. This was alleviated by a local shipwright who saw our plight from his own boat and towed us into a berth with his flubber. We left a bit late from there and just got away with her keel and rudder well raised by slithering down the mud bank after the lock. Watched by

ABOVE

Friend and skipper Clive on the Hamble prior to our trip north

the lock staff in total amazement.

Given the cold, mostly northwest or northerly winds about Force 4 to 6 plus after Clive’s latest chemo, many of the early part of each of these legs he naturally felt very poorly. Those early passages were mostly on my own; whether driving to windward under sail or motoring; she was a lovely tough cruising yacht.

The autopilot did most of the work, I would just duck under the sprayhood, which was okay; then do the odd trip below to check on Clive, to make a brew or eat some scoff.

It felt very quiet down there; often I would start the heater to keep him warm until he felt better from his treatment. If we arrived early enough and we’d found a good fish restaurant we ate very well. Arriving later there would still be a curry house or even Chinese still open.

Bonny and Blyth

My wife Janet had fallen and hurt herself during our first leg; but my sister stepped in like a brick giving me her car to get home

to Argyll rapidly. After that we had easily driven Tintin into the north of England to Blyth; then had to head back a few miles to Newcastle due to bad weather; we could not leave her at Blyth.

Another of Clive’s friends, Doug Cameron, joined him from Newcastle to Peterhead, which I felt rather bad about, but he understood Clive’s illness a lot better than I. Actually, worked out well for me as this was the start of my wife’s Alzheimer’s. So, this was also probably a blessing for Clive because he was forced to skipper Tintin more and he got to know her well. Clive took a long break plus small refit at Peterhead, which allowed his family and friends to go on board his new toy.

Caledonian Canal

After that it felt much easier continuing the journey as we both understood his boat more, plus the weather was mostly kinder.

Joining him again at Peterhead, we took her to Inverness and the start of the Caledonian canal.

Because I was still working, I did not have time to go through the canal. Stuart and then his wife Linda joined us for these legs.

Finally, Clive finished his long struggle from down south to where he had planned to keep her in Arisaig on the west coast. His voyage round about two-thirds of the UK had started off in Spring with the cold North Sea; then ended three and a half months later in warmer, wet and balmy Hebridean

ABOVE LEFT

St Kilda was a stunning conclusion to our northward trek

ABOVE RIGHT

Gennaker up en route to St Kilda

BELOW LEFT

Crewmember Linda at the sea lock at the entrance to the Caledonian Canal

BELOW RIGHT

Coming alongside and Amble, Northumberland

waters after visiting 23 ports.

We met many interesting characters in these places sailing round the UK coast. This type of voyage is much more difficult than crossing an ocean and many of these fine yachtsmen reflected this.

Clive was a giant soul, his tough Highland spirit carried him through the tough times.

A few weeks later we took Tintin out further west to St Kilda and you could positively feel his joy.

This was his wonderful penultimate summer. The next season we did some more cruising on the west coast, but he left us soon after his cancer finally took to his brain.

His big heart and optimism is still with me whenever I am feeling down. The fact was we were quite

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

49

Cruising – North Sea Cruise

different as a Highland Scot and an Essex sailor, but it never made any difference to us. Except when watching rugby at either Twickers or at Murrayfield; then we could fall out quite badly, even though on my Mum’s Yorkshire side of her family there were family members who originally came from Scotland. Perhaps that helped us to not be totally at odds most of the time; or was it just that we had both been world travellers, seen a lot of life and recognised what was more important.

Ovni advantages

Personally, I would not buy an aluminum French Ovni yacht.

I prefer tiny yachts I can singlehanded with plenty more performance and much faster; but if I was heading right up north or south they are perfect for these adventurous voyages; an Ovni would be on my list. We had very few problems with the boat and although quite technical, it was mostly easy to fix with an excellent manual. We had a wee Morse problem in Hartlepool; another tiny fault in Scarborough before that with the bow thruster, which took us about three hours to fix. The electronic self-steering let go on the way up the Forth into Lossiemouth, having lost hydraulic oil from an old pipe connection. Plus the aft bog went wrong, but these were all minor problems; especially for a 10-year old bareboat ex-charter yacht.

The lifting keel and rudder gives this boat another special dimension, which is why this concept of cruising yacht is the way to go - provided

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you can afford one and want to push out your cruising parameters into ice, shallow water, etc. But it would keep you very warm and is a beautifully designed long-distance cruising yacht. In fact, it is one of the warmest, quietest, most efficient yachts for the size I have ever sailed on. The French, the French, what is it with the French? They are always pushing design things on; as perhaps they have always done. Obviously, some is by computer design; but then they say: “let’s go and see how this works offshore?” Perhaps because I have an Anglo-Saxon brain these concepts are way beyond me; but I don’t lose any sleep about that.

Remembering a friend

It was interesting meeting voyaging people sailing round the UK that season; most were heading south to the sun. Many of them have impressed me about our island’s ability to give them this freedom for travel; particularly those doing it on a small budget with scruffy, often cramped, craft. We were lucky to enjoy their company.

ABOVE

A good portent at Tobermory

BELOW

Clive giving Tintin a good scrub down

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Simpson grew up on the Thames Estuary at Leigh-onSea, sailing with his parents on an old sailing smack and later racing dinghies. Once married with children, a career in yacht racing, delivering, coaching, and examining followed.

He has plenty of single-handed miles and three Atlantic crossings to his name, and no plans to stop any time soon

Clive’s maiden trip would be a remarkable achievement for anyone, more so for someone who had almost no intestines left. Once he summed it up with his Scottish way, “I’ve got a very small tail pipe now, John. Dinna you worry how often I have to go to the loo, after eating.” 10 days later Clive, Stuart and I took Tintin out to St Kilda and back during a 10-day passage for her first west coast jaunt. I will never forget the smile on his face and his joy walking on a bit of virgin sand in Village Bay with a huge amount of seabirds around.

At one stage we were running down to the south to Skye with his Tintin spinnaker set; watching a sea eagle being mobbed by smaller buzzards in Loch Bharcasaig in Skye. Even tried to fish (illegally) in the shadow of the Grey Corries at Loch Coruisk in competition with Stuart, when we had dropped the pick overnight in Scaviag. It was fun being able to show him some of my favourite spots on the west coast.

My mate Clive was not the same as most normal men from the northeast of Scotland. He had worked offshore all round the world, and was incredibly good at surveying to find oil. He had worked offshore for most of his life and was paid big money, then he would stay ashore for equal periods of time. He loved many women, but his time at sea and a travelling lifestyle did not lead him into any long-term relationships. He was great fun; special times would be freshwater fishing for salmon or trout in either Scotland or New Zealand (his mum was Kiwi) in extremely fast rivers. I'll treasure the memories of our last cruise together.

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51

Boat Test - Pegasus 50

Daring to be different Yacht design can be infuriatingly conservative at times but, once in a while, someone comes along with something a bit different. The Pegasus 50 definitely is, as Sam Jefferson discovers

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

53

Boat Test - Pegasus 50

O

ne of the fascinating things about boat tests is that every boat designed and built then proudly presented to you is the culmination of many thousands of man hours, often many years of development. You step aboard, take a look around, go for a sail and then say ‘well, yes it’s ok’ – or whatever.

In the very worst case the boat is so forgettable you struggle to think of anything to say at all. This is not a concern I had after quitting the Pegasus 50; a reviewer’s dream in that it is wilfully different.

Concept number one was a fast, lightweight blue water cruiser made out of carbon. Fair enough; concept number two seems to have been to ditch the aft cabin.

This seems odd but in fairness, get rid of that inconvenience and you open up all sorts of possibilities – most pertinently the eternal problem of the cockpit and saloon being extremely separate areas.

The main advantage of no aft cabins as here, is that you can then lower the level of the cockpit substantially, meaning that the transition from cockpit to saloon is suddenly not a dramatic one. Add into the equation massive sliding patio doors, which let in masses of light and open up the space, and you have what all monohull boatbuilders are constantly battling to achieve – generally in vain.

So that’s radical concept number one, but there are all sorts of clever touches. Yet before we get to them, a spot of background... Pegasus is a Slovenian company bankrolled by Swiss businessman Ernst Thomke.

Some may recall he was involved in the revival of the Swiss watchmaking industry, driven by Swatch watches.

Now he has turned his hand to yachts with interesting results.

The boat has been designed by Marko Pas who previously worked extensively with Shipman Yachts, among others. He is a partner in the company and therefore has skin in the game so to speak, and it’s clear he has put his all into this new design. The hull is a fibreglass/ carbon composite with the main hull featuring an outer skin of fibreglass,

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a PVC foam core and then a carbon inner skin. The deck is carbon, as are many other mouldings. This keeps weight down compared to a standard cruiser. The hull shape features relatively full bow sections – as is the modern trend – but comparatively modest beam aft by recent standards.

There are twin rudders but the real piece de resistance down here is the tandem keel. This comprises two relatively narrow foils set in line with a gap or ‘window’ between them and a long lead torpedo bulb bridging the gap. It’s not a new concept – those with very long memories may recall Bruce Farr’s radical America’s Cup design Kiwi Magic sported a tandem keel. That boat, incidentally, narrowly missed out on challenging for the America’s Cup after losing the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup to the Italian Il Moro de Venezia. Anyway, that’s another story. The tandem keel on the Pegasus allows for relatively modest draft (2.35m) with a lot of lead low down that gives the boat a ballast ratio of 39.7%. All of this

ABOVE Striking lines set off in this case by an equally striking paint job BELOW The low, roomy cockpit was a real boon

adds up to a boat with excellent speed potential. Combine that with a comfortable interior and you have a boat with what the manufacturers feel is a winning formula.

On deck

The Pegasus is dominated by that coachroof. The decision not to have aft cabins means that it is set well back and, although it is relatively high, the lack of aft cabins keeps the cockpit and coachroof low and relatively sleek. The solid bimini therefore looks low and stylish rather than unwieldy and there is a definite look of the IMOCA in the set up.

Starting at the back, there is a wide drop-down bathing platform and the transom is further enclosed by a long, narrow seat that runs across the transom. This can be lifted out when the bathing platform is dropped and doubles as a passarelle – a clever touch. Beneath this is a garage for a dinghy which can accommodate a fully inflated boat up to 2.7m – which isn’t half bad. This locker is a ‘wet’ locker meaning it is sealed off completely from the rest of the yacht and water can enter and drain away freely. The twin helms are set well back with two pairs of large electric winches to either side just forward of the helm plus twin banks of jammers for all the sail controls.

The mainsheet is fixed on the carbon doghouse arrangement which features a slide-back targa top to let in plenty of sunlight when required.

When the sun isn’t shining this area is very protected and sheltered, the

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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Boat Test - Pegasus 50

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Boat Test - Pegasus 50

seats have very deep backs thanks to the fact the cockpit is set so low.

This set up ensures that the boat has a very clearly defined ‘sailing’ and ‘relaxing' space. The helm can also control the boat from within the shelter of the doghouse if they sneak in front of the helm – a boon in wild weather – more on that later.

The seating area features a large carbon table with a fridge built into it plus a dedicated space for the liferaft. The whole table flips up to allow excellent access to the 75hp Volvo engine which is on a saildrive.

Beneath the seats to either side of the chart table is superb storage and access to all of the electric circuit boards, water pumps and shut off valves. I was fortunate enough to briefly test the electric version of the Pegasus 50 too which featured twin Oceanvolt motors, each of which was neatly tucked in these two lockers.

The rig is carbon and features a square topped mainsail with a backstay on a crane with a hydraulic tensioner to keep it out of the way of the tip of the mainsail. The backstay is Dyneema and the shrouds and forestay are rod rigging. The standard set-up is a cutter rig with the choice of the inner staysail being fixed on a furler or on a removeable baby stay.

The inner staysail is self tacking.

The sheeting angle for the jib is very tight to the extent that a spare set of sheets are fitted to give a better angle of trim when you are off the wind. Up at the bow there is a short sprit for your gennaker or Code 0 plus a nicely integrated anchor roller that is set below the sprit.

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Down below

The key premise here is that there are no aft cabins. This allows for the seamless segue between the cockpit and the saloon. There is a slight drop down of about 3’ but the huge windows and sliding door mean that this boat is more effective than any other monohull I have tested for making the transition between indoor and outdoor spaces completely seamless. The main saloon features a U-shaped seating area with a large table to port with the galley to starboard aft and a chart table forward of that. The whole area is something of a triumph for a number of reasons. Perhaps most importantly the galley is very well thought out and cocoons and encloses you perfectly to ensure that cooking in a seaway is as comfortable as possible. The

ABOVE

The cutter rig is ideal for blue water cruising

BELOW

An innovative interior boasting masses of both light and space

worktops are made of stainless steel which is very practical, the induction hob and electric cooker/microwave are a nice touch, keeping the boat gas free, while the chart table seat flips up to create even more worktop space. Little touches like the twin bins recessed into the counter show that this boat has been put together by someone who actually cares and definitely goes sailing.

The seating area is large and comfortable but the most distinctive and weird point is that it is gimballed. Yep, that’s right, the whole unit is one solid carbon fibre moulding that can be canted in a seaway by an electric ram to minimise discomfort. It could be argued this is a gimmick but, then again, on a long ocean passage, with the boat tilted on the same angle day after day, I can see it would be a bonus. The skipper's

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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Boat Test - Pegasus 50

seat at the chart table is a triumph and this commanding position is surely the most coveted spot on the boat and, with decent views out from every angle, would be a nice spot to spend a chilly watch.

Views out forward are not as good as on some deck saloon yachts as the windows forward are realtively narrow, but they are still good and this space is among the lightest of all the boats I have ever tested thanks to that huge amount of glass aft.

Descend down a couple more steps and you’re in a long corridor with doors leading off to various cabins.

Immediately to port is a pilot berth, which is open to the corridor and is well placed for dozing between watches. This space can be a bunk room if needs be. To starboard of this is the main stateroom which is a good sized space. The double can actually be slid apart to create two singles which is a clever additional touch. There is an ensuite head with shower that can also be accessed from the corridor. Forward of this is another double vee berth with a heads just aft of that and a large cupboard that can accommodate a washing machine if you wish.

There is the option of a separate shower room or that space can be a hanging locker. The forward double berth can convert into a large sail locker if needs be too. As you can imagine, Pegasus offers a good level of customisation to clients and there are a number of permutations on this layout, but this is the basic set-up.

The quality of fit-out is good but things are kept relatively simple and un-elaborate. It’s not spartan in the style of the ‘go anywhere’ aluminium yachts, but things are definitely kept simple and quite muscular with woodwork kept to a minimum and a good deal of brushed stainless steel and a dash of carbon.

Under sail

The boat test took place in the Adriatic in early November and the weather gods dished up a savage Bora that came roaring down the moutains providing gusts of up to 31kn and the sort of horrible short chop that would throw any boat off its stride. We put one reef in the main and set about our work. Soon

we were pounding into the short seas hard on the wind and reeling off an impressive 7.5-8.5kn. The boat was hard pressed yet extremely mild mannered, with a total lack of weather helm. The boat is fitted with hydraulic steering as standard – something that worried me greatly as, in the past, I have tested boats with hydraulic steering and found it either totally lacking in feel/absurdly heavy and notchy, or so light you felt like you were twizzling it endlessly to no avail. It’s all about tuning but, this system was well tuned and while it lacked a slight visceral immediacy of cable driven steering, it wasn’t far off – good enough to keep me well content in these wild conditions. Meanwhile, the grip was absolutely superb and the boat inspired confidence. It’s worth noting

ABOVE

Test day and the wind was gusting up to 35kn but the boat handled it supremely well

BELOW

The carbon rig is extremely powerful and the boat is a strong performer in light airs

that under motor the relatively wide forward sections combined with the stiffness of carbon construction meant there was a couple of hard slams in the short chop but the boat settled down as soon as sail was up and was unruffled by the wild conditions. The protection of the doghouse meant that I was able to hide from any wayward sprays that flew aboard, while those sat in the doghouse area were completely protected and very comfortable.

Heading off the wind, we hit 10kn and again the boat was poised and in control. Under motor there was also very little noise in the saloon, in part thanks to the fact the engine is kept well separated from the saloon and accessed via the hatch in the cockpit. I also tested the electric version under power and the twin motors set just in front of each rudder were very effective when manoeuvring in tight spots as they can be used in forward and reverse to facilitate tight turns. It did take a bit of getting used to though. With the boat pinned over on its ear by some savage gusts, I headed down below to test the gimballed seating area and, by God, it worked a treat.

Sailing in and feeling exhilarated, I was informed mournfully that the best conditions to test the boat would have been 5kn as the boat could then have demonstrated its prowess in light airs. I agreed that this was a shame but was secretly rather glad we had stormed around the Adriatic for a couple of hours at high speed.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Boat Test - Pegasus 50

ALTERNATIVE BOATS

AMEL 50 The Amel is similar in the fact it wants to be different. It’s also a blue water cruiser with lots of clever touches and a cockpit and living area that segue seamlessly together.

Displacement is alarmingly different though. amel.fr

SAM’S VERDICT Generally with a boat test you think things like ‘this boat is a bit like the (insert competitor brand)’.

Yet this really was tough with the Pegasus – a fast blue water cruiser made out of carbon with a tandem keel? It’s pretty unique – yet the whole package worked. It won’t be for everyone as anyone after an aft cabin is immediately excluded but by refusing to compromise on this, the Pegasus 50 has opened itself up to being a really clever and original boat. Performance was impressive in really horrible conditions and the boat was comfortable and

crammed with clever and thoughtful touches that certainly set it apart from the crowd. The tandem keel seemed to work well and keeps depth respectable while the striking looks will also turn heads. For a carbon boat, the price is also impressive. All in all, you have a boat that will perform a job as a Med cruiser or blue water mile muncher with aplomb – just don’t expect an aft cabin and you’ll be delighted.

PERFORMANCE: HHH HH

CONTEST 50CS Contest Yachts are all about performance in a blue water sailing package but they come at the matter from a very different angle, going for a fibreglass build, centre cockpit and lines penned by Judel/Vrolijk. contestyachts.com

BLUE WATER ABILITY: HHHHH LOOKS: HHH HH

THE SPEC LOA: 49’2” (14.98m) LWL: 46’5” (14.14m) Beam: 15’10” (4.83m) Draft: 7’9” (2.35m) Displacement: 12,300kg (27,117lb) Ballast Weight: 5,020kg (11,067lb) Engine: Volvo D2-75 (75hp) Contact: pegasus-yachts.com Price: €890,000 (full sailaway price including commissioning and numerous extras included; for a lower price some upgrades can be deducted)

KRAKEN 50 Another yacht where the manufacturer has gone for painstaking attention to detail in order to produce their vision of the ultimate blue water cruiser. The key for Kraken is to produce a yacht with a skeg hung rudder but there are many, many other thoughtful touches beyond this.

Krakenyachts.com

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

61

British Sailing Team

Passing the baton As the British Sailing Team's preparations gather momentum for Paris 2024, Georgie Corlett-Pitt hears from team boss MARK ROBINSON on the fresh faces and new classes shaping this Olympiad

G

reat Britain’s stellar performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games saw them top the tables for the fifth time in six Games with three golds, a silver and a bronze – a hugely impressive achievement considering the challenges brought by the pandemic.

But with several key members of the British Sailing Team now hanging up their buoyancy aids (see right), and the biggest equipment shakeup for decades, how are things shaping up for the next Olympic cycle ahead of Paris 2024?

According to the RYA’s Olympic Performance Manager, Mark Robinson - who was recently awarded an MBE for leading the team’s success in Tokyo – the British Sailing Team’s build-up is already well underway, thanks in part to

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

the pandemic. He explains: “When the postponement for the 2020 Olympic Games came, we were in the fortunate position of having already selected our team for those Games. Also, given the introduction of new classes for 2024, we knew it was important to get started early, so we split into a Tokyo Games team and a ‘Project 24’ team, which has allowed us to focus the right resources in the right place in line with our short and long term goals.

“The last few months have been about bringing the team back together instead of working as two separate streams.”

It’s an approach that Mark hopes will give the team the edge at the next Games, now just two and a half years away, as well as beyond that at Los Angeles in 2028.

And even as some of the sailors step down from the team, they

ABOVE LEFT

Mark Robinson MBE is the RYA Olympic Performance Manager

ABOVE RIGHT

The Tokyo team leaves a legacy of inspiration

BELOW

49erFX crew Saskia Tidey, one of several Olympians going again for Paris 2024

not only leave behind them an important legacy of inspiration, but will continue to act as mentors to those taking their place.

Of course, not everyone is moving on. Sailors from the Tokyo team who are continuing campaigns include gold medal winners Dylan Fletcher (49er helm) and Eilidh McIntyre (women’s 470 crew), silver

From gold medals to…?

PHOTO NICK DEMPSEY, WILL CARSON, LLOYD IMAGES/RYA; SAILING ENERY/WORLD SAILING

Olympic stars reveal what’s next as they bow out after Tokyo

medallists John Gimson andAnna Burnet (Nacra 17), and bronze medallist Emma Wilson (RS:X); together with Tom Squires (RS:X) and Saskia Tidey (49erFX crew).

And there’s no shortage of talent joining them. In the 49er, James Peters and Fynn Sterritt look set to challenge Olympic champion Dylan Fletcher who has teamed up with a new crew Rhos Hawes; while in the women’s 49erFX Saskia Tidey is now onboard with a new helm, Freya Black, who has jumped over from the 470 squad. As the 470 men and women’s classes merge to form a mixed discipline, 2020 gold medallist Eilidh McIntyre has paired up with Martin Wrigley. The ILCA 7 (Laser) sees a strong squad that chased Elliot Hanson hard for the Tokyo spot, currently fronted by Michael Beckett, Sam Whaley and Dan Whiteley. There’s plenty of promise in the ILCA 6 (Radial) from Hannah Snellgrove, pushed by Matilda Nicholls and Daisy Collingridge who are stepping up their game since moving up from youth level.

And in the all-new IQFoil (foiling windsurfer) women’s fleet, Islay Wilson is set to rival Tokyo medallist Emma Wilson, while Matt Barton and Finn Hawkins are currently top performers in the men’s fleet.

2020 Olympic gold medallists Hannah Mills, Giles Scott and Stuart Bithell are among those calling time on their Olympic careers.

A successful defence of Olympic 470 gold at Tokyo saw Hannah Mills become the most successful female Olympic sailor of all time, adding to a silver from 2012. Since then, Hannah has been awarded an OBE (her crew Eilidh McIntyre an MBE) and been voted World Sailor of the Year, accolades she describes as “surreal but amazing”. But as the 470 goes mixed for Paris 2024, she feels “it’s the perfect time to step away and explore other options”.

Instead, Hannah will continuing with the GBR team in SailGP and is looking towards the new Women’s America’s Cup: “There’s so much going on in the world of professional sailing, it’s a pretty amazing time to a female in sailing right now”.

Hannah will also be spending more time on her sustainability charity campaign, the Big Plastic Pledge, through which she aims to “inspire and empower other athletes to use their platform to speak up about different challenges”.

For double Olympic gold medallist Giles Scott it’s also time to move on after 14 years with the team; the Finn class made its final appearance at Tokyo. He admits he still hasn’t watched the replay of Tokyo’s gripping medal race, and says he probably never will!

“I took on an awful lot with the America’s Cup while trying to defend my Olympic title,” he reflects. “Somehow I managed to keep that gold medal. In honesty I’m not sure how, but I got there just about! I’ve enjoyed my time off, doing some Moth sailing and sailing some bigger boats.

I’m getting back with INEOS and the America’s Cup... I’ve absolutely loved my Olympic sailing but I feel like it’s been a chapter in a bigger book.”

For Stu Bithell, after claiming Britain’s first ever 49er gold in Tokyo and adding to his 470 silver from 2012, he says that after “putting everything in to this campaign” it’s “nice to stop here at the top”. He received an MBE in recognition of his Olympic success (as did his helm, Dylan Fletcher), and is now keen to try other areas of the sport. “There’s plenty on with professional sailing, the America’s Cup, SailGP and lots of other professional circuits around the world. I’m aiming for the big circuits and we’ll see how we go.”

Also moving on is London 2012 silver medallist Luke Patience who is contemplating a campaign for The Ocean Race, although he is also considering starting a whiskey brand!

Three-time Olympian (Laser Radial/ILCA 6 ) Ali Young plans a transition to coaching; while twotime 49erFX helm Charlotte Dobson and Rio 2016 Nacra 17 helm Ben Saxton have plans to pursue careers in banking and sail-making respectively.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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British Sailing Team

So you want to be an Olympic sailor?

“I always say that you’ve got to enjoy what you do.

My success has come from doing something that I love to do, and that was certainly the case when I was a kid. My message to young sailors would be to enjoy the sport, don’t get bogged down in results and if you love it you’ll become good at it” – Giles Scott, double gold medallist (Finn, 2016 & 2020) “I come from a background where you wouldn’t expect to be on the top of an Olympic podium. I grew up sailing on a tiny lake in the north of England, and my message is that you can do whatever you want if you put your heart and a bit of time into it. Nothing is impossible” – Stu Bithell, gold (49er, 2020) & silver medallist (470, 2012) “The vast majority of us Olympians were kids who watched the Olympics and were inspired by them. I was curious about what it would feel like to represent my country and I became obsessed with finding out.

That’s all I’ve been for 25 years: curious. If you think it’s out of reach it isn’t.

Hold onto that inspiration and just keep chipping away” – Luke Patience, silver medallist & 5th (470, 2012 & 2020) “Never lose the love for the sport. Do as much sailing across a variety of boats. And if you decide you want to go to the Olympics it’s totally possible. Anything is possible when you set a goal, put your mind to it and crack on” – Charlotte Dobson, 8th & 6th (49erFX, 2016 & 2020)

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ABOVE

John Gimson and Anna Burnet showed what's possible when they won Nacra 17 bronze on their Olympic debut

While it’s not unusual for sailors to only win Olympic medals on their second go at Games, that’s not always the case, as John Gimson and Anna Burnet proved when they took silver in the Nacra at their debut Games last summer, adding to an RS:X bonze for Emma Wilson – Tokyo being her first Olympics at the age of just 22.

Looking ahead, with such a blend of experience and influx of promising new talent, hopes are high that we will maintain our form as top sailing nation.

The sailors will have plenty of ongoing support from the shore team, nearly all of who are continuing, which Mark says gives a “good degree of stability”. The long-serving coaching team includes ex-team members Penny Clark and Stevie Morrison, and double Olympic silver medallist Joe Glanfield - now Head Coach - while three-time Olympic medallist windsurfer Nick Dempsey adds fresh input as a new recruit.

Benchmarking

The first chance for any aspiring Olympian to make baseline assessments for this cycle comes at the Princess Sofia Regatta in April.

It’ll be the first major multi-class gathering since Tokyo, and athletes will try out new partnerships, test equipment, benchmark their performance and secure funding.

British team sailors will be targeting top-of-the-table results, first at this event, and then also at their

PHOTOS SAILING ENERGY/WORLD SAILING; JON ASHWORTH/TEAMNEWWAVE ; PAUL WYETH/RYA

British Sailing Team veterans have this advice for young sailors hoping to fly the flag for GBR at a future Games…

individual world and European class championships through this year and into next. Then in August 2023 comes the first opportunity to qualify Olympic places with the Sailing World Championships at The Hague, Netherlands; the Brits will be hoping to follow their form in recent cycles by qualifying across all 10 disciplines.

Despite this uniquely compressed three-year Olympiad, Mark says there are no plans to significantly alter GBR’s approach to team selection. Instead, the focus is on boosting support to sailors and continuing to build the strength in depth of the British squad – a factor that Mark believes was crucial to success at Tokyo, in many instances enabling British sailors to train and push one another at a world class level, even when international travel wasn’t possible.

A squad approach is also proving beneficial as 2024’s radical new foiling

classes - iQFoil and Formula Kite become established. A recruitment initiative #KiteForGold, kick-started the search for talent among kiters in 2018 and has since resulted in rapid progress. As the windsurf classes switch to foils, athletes have similarly been undergoing intensive training as a squad to shortcut learning in this new discipline.

Elsewhere, a flurry of equipment updates intended to boost performance across the wind range are being introduced, including new centreboards and rudder elevators for the Nacra 17, and for both 49er classes there are new masts and sails. There’s also a revised ‘knock-out’ race format for the boards to contend with.

Mark is optimistic about the British team’s ability to embrace and excel in the face of these changes when he says, “every nation

ABOVE

Tom Squires getting to grips with the new iQFoil

BELOW LEFT

Matilda Nicholls, one of several promising ILCA 6 sailors stepping into the team

BELOW RIGHT

Windsurfer Emma Wilson is hoping for the chance to better her Tokyo bronze at the next Olympics

is facing the same adjustments; it’s about how you take on those challenges that counts”.

He emphasises that the key will be “learning what it takes to win and understanding the nuances of the equipment”.

Time in the 2024 Olympic venue will of course be important, and although the UK’s proximity is an advantage, there are post-Brexit Schengen restrictions that the team now needs to navigate. Sailing takes place from Marseille Marina, which is currently undergoing a full re-development. It’s already a familiar venue for the Brits from competitions past, and the Project 24 team was busy training here last summer while the rest of the world was glued to the action in Japan.

The clock may be ticking but the British Sailing Team is already well ahead in its next quest for gold.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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Interview - Hannah Diamond

High impact

I

t was a jaw-dropping impact that saw fans around the world recoil from their screens, as the bow of Team Great Britain sliced dramatically down through the starboard hull of Team Japan. As the Japanese boat abruptly stopped in its tracks, crew members that had been flung across the boat recovered to their feet – thankfully uninjured to question what had just happened.

The incident, just seconds before the start of race three, was quickly dubbed by the media as the ‘craziest crash’ in SailGP’s history; almost as quickly, GBR’s skipper Ben Ainslie put his hand up and offered his boat to rival skipper Nathan Outteridge so the Japanese team could compete on day two of the event. For the Brits that was them out of the event and out of the running for the overall season title.

For those on board with Ainslie, it was a surreal moment; while anticipation of what was about to unfold only served to heighten

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the drama for those watching, the crew were, by admission, oblivious to the impending collision as they focused their attention forwards and on the American boat to leeward.

Only afterwards, a realisation of what had happened brought the magnitude of the impact home.

“It happened in a split second,” says Team Great Britain’s Hannah Diamond, who was racing for the first time in SailGP during the Sydney event as part of the series’ Women’s Performance Programme, introduced last summer to fast track elite female sailors.

“We’ve replayed it in our minds thousands of times to think what we could have done and at what point could we have avoided it,” she explains. “It didn’t feel that scary until afterwards because the moment that we realised that there was an issue was the same moment that the impact happened.

“Things just change so quickly on those boats. In the pre-start when

ABOVE

Competing for the first time with Ainslie and the British team as part of the SailGP Women's Pathway Programme

you’re jostling for position, there are certain areas in the boat which are really hard to see through; you always try to have someone checking that. When you’re racing it’s easier because everyone’s got a direction they’re heading towards, even if you are on different tacks or gybes; but in the pre-start, it’s a lot more difficult because boats are trying to accelerate and decelerate, avoid other boats, and they can be moving in any direction.

We just weren’t able to see the Japanese boat until it was too late.”

You can see Hannah is still processing the incident when we speak, even if a return flight from down under and the Christmas break mean a fair bit of time has passed. It’s left her with an overwhelming realisation of just what it takes to handle these boats, as she describes being on board as “a big responsibility” and expresses her amazement and relief that no-one was injured.

“At the time, it didn’t seem like a

PHOTOS BOB MARTIN, SALTY DINGO/SAILGP; RICHARD LANGDON/RYA;

From being on board for that crash at the Sydney SailGP to opening doors for female pro sailors, HANNAH DIAMOND chats to Georgie Corlett-Pitt

particularly risky manoeuvre to be doing,” she says. “It’s really difficult when so many people have invested so much into a campaign like that.

The risks are high, the rewards are high, and unfortunately this time we sailed the wrong side of that.”

Smashing 53 knots

The team will take time to re-group before the season Final in San Francisco, USA at the end of March, and Hannah says there is plenty of resolve. It’s still to be confirmed who the female sailor will be for that - and future events (the British team has a rotation system in place with several top female sailors they can call on) but Hannah is hopeful for more opportunities.

“I do love this high performance, fast boat-fast decision making, high risk-high reward type of sailing.

It’s so unique; you don’t get that kind of buzz from doing anything else,” she says. “The F50s are really different. You’ve got speed and close quarters racing but with high loads, hydraulics and electronics. For me that’s been the challenge, also the appeal; it’s a combination of those things coming together - on steroids!

It is the top level racing, the top sailors, the newest technology, all in one place, and definitely as a female sailor there’s not that many times when we get to be involved in that.”

She describes the first time she stepped on board an F50 for a practice session in Plymouth last summer - when the Women’s Pathway Programme was first trialled - as a “baptism of fire”.

“At the time it felt really fast. I was sat at the back with Goody (Paul Goodison) driving. We were entering the start zone on port tack a little late, and all the other boats were approaching on starboard. I was looking for a gap and realising we were doing 30 knots this way, the other boats are doing 30 knots that way, and just wondering where we were going to go? The start box felt absolutely tiny!”

Not long after, she joined the team for further training at the Aarhus event, and was on board when the British boat set a new F50 speed record of 53.1 knots Of that experience she says: “53 knots in flat water in sight of land feels about comparable to 30 knots surfing down a wave in the Southern Ocean a few thousand miles from land in terms of fear, adrenaline and sheer amazement.”

But it meant that 30 knots had quickly become the norm. Even with

ABOVE

Caught on camera: the moment Ainslie's F50 sliced Team Japan's hull in half during the Sydney SailGP

BELOW

Hannah's career as a pro sailor has included an Olympic campaign in the mixed Nacra 17

very little training time (just two days practice is permitted for each event) and a near-vertical learning curve, Hannah feels she has been able to acclimatise relatively quickly to these boats thanks to her determination to study as much as possible about techniques and tactics in advance, and a tailored fitness programme.

Driving change

Hannah's ability to adapt is a strength she attributes to a broad mix of sailing experiences. She started sailing in Optimists as a youngster on the river Hamble, and remembers being inspired by Shirley Robertson’s gold medal win at the 2000 Olympics, citing her as the only visible female role model at the time. For a long time, the Olympics were her sole ambition as she moved into 29ers, Laser Radials and then the Nacra 17. But narrowly missing out on a spot for the 2016 Olympics sent her sailing career on an altogether different trajectory, which saw her join Vestas 11th Hour Racing in the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, and more recently, various offshore crewed and double-handed campaigns, as well as coaching keelboats.

Alongside that, she is studying for a degree in Physio (adding to an MSc in Sports Medicine) a qualification she hopes will extend her knowledge and complement her capabilities as a professional sailor. But there’s no doubt that her main focus is on developing her sailing career.

With the introduction of SailGP’s Women’s Pathway and the recent announcement that there will be a Women’s America’s Cup raced in the new AC40 class – more opportunities for female sailors to compete at Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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the highest levels are slowly taking shape. Hannah is excited to be a part of that. “The junior sailors of today are looking up to opportunities that didn’t exist when anyone who was sailing at this level now was that age.

We are just kick-starting that, but it’s about getting some momentum and keeping it moving forwards.”

But for Hannah and other women like her who are determined to forge their careers as pro sailors, there is the obvious - if awkward - question I just have to ask...

To what extent are these new opportunities truly changing things?

In the few months since it was introduced, SailGP’s Female Pathway Programme has rapidly evolved from merely allowing female sailors on board for training to stipulating a new crew configuration of six sailors (four in light winds) in order to include female sailors for racing. It’s this ‘sixth sailor spot’ that Hannah and her peers are currently filling.

So, what are they gaining from it?

When Hannah initially describes the role as “passive”, I’m prepared for disappointment. But as she quickly makes it clear, there are positives in that this provides a low risk way for newcomers to learn the boat, which makes sense when you consider that the majority of female sailors, while they have the capability to develop the necessary skillset, have not really ever had exposure to this sort of sailing before.

And already, progress is being felt. She says: “If we had been having this conversation a couple of months ago my answer would have been different, but it’s encouraging to see the way that the concept is already evolving, and has potential to evolve even further.

“The racing is so quick that while the boat can be sailed by five, I think ultimately you will end up giving more responsibility to that sixth person. Importantly, that will unload some of the other crew.

The intensity in the racing as it is is insane, things change so quickly and you do miss things. I think the level of racing will increase if you regularly have a sixth person, who can add real value because the five people in front of them are already completely overloaded with

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

information from other boats, the screens showing all of the settings and so on. And the more sailing the female sailors can do, the more value they can add to the team.”

Hannah credits the current SailGP sailors for helping drive this change, and says that, where previously as the sole female sailor in an all-male team she has felt the need to have an “elbows out” approach to be seen or heard, with SailGP and the British team in particular, that has not been the case. “The British team has been so welcoming,” she says.

They’ll give you any time they can to pass on their knowledge; some of them have been sailing these boats for nearly 10 years now.”

Numbers game

For female sailors to feel completely comfortable operating at this level, however, there’s still a long way to go. Hannah sees it as a numbers game and says it’s crucial to keep pushing for opportunities. That the Women’s America’s Cup will now provide a pinnacle high performance event for female sailors should have a radical impact; each Cup team

ABOVE

SailGP's sixth sailor spot may literally be the 'back seat' but it is providing Hannah and others with a much-needed opportunity to learn

BELOW

Hannah in the 201718 Volvo Ocean Race, which had incentives for teams to include female sailors

is required by the rules to enter the all-women’s event, which is also open to non-Cup teams.

“The Women’s America’s Cup Trophy should really accelerate things; you’re going to need not just one sailor per team, but a whole team of female sailors,” says Hannah.

No doubt there are plenty of female sailors who can’t wait to get involved, but teams will need to be ready and willing to fast track their development.

“I know from my Olympic campaign that the best way to accelerate your learning is to surround yourself with people who are more experienced than you. If female sailors can shortcut their learning in a really high performance environment, they can be competitive at the top of the sport - and that’s how the male sailors do it. They join a team and their learning is accelerated because they’re surrounded by people who are more experienced than them. It’s a question of how do we continue that pathway for female sailors?

“It’s not something that can change overnight; it’s going to take years rather than months for the opportunities to become equal, but I think slowly but surely we’re making steps in the right direction.”

The Women’s America’s Cup means Hannah now has another goal to pursue. Ultimately, she says, her ambition is to push herself at “the forefront of the sport” and compete with the best in the world, whether male or female. “I want to see how far I can get,” she says with a determined smile. As a next step, the Women’s America's Cup fits the bill nicely.

PHOTOS DAVID GRAY/SAILGP; RICHARD LANGDON/RYA; JEREMIE LECAUDEY/VOR

Interview - Hannah Diamond

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

69

GULL’S EYE

PORTLAND MARINA 50’34”21N 002’27”05W

Cruise back in time with a stay on Dorset’s beautiful Jurassic coast.

Sam Fortescue explores

S E

W N

APPROACH Once through the breakwaters of the outer harbour, turn slightly west of southwest towards the marina entrance. The marina dry stack building is easy to spot and a good landmark to guide you in.

CHESIL BEACH DRY STACK

HARBOUR OFFICE LIFT OUT HARD STANDING

FUEL BERTH

Gull’s Eye - Portland Marina

O

ut on a limb at the end of the restless miles of Chesil Beach lies the Isle of Portland, jutting into the tidal streams of the English Channel.

It’s not a real island, of course, being tied to the Dorset coast, but it is a dramatic windswept place of tremendous beauty.

The marina lies in the lee of Chesil Beach, on the northeast side of Portland, where it is protected from the prevailing southwesterlies, and from unseasonal easterly weather by the mighty stone breakwater of Portland Harbour. The world’s largest manmade harbour on its completion in 1872, it had been an important naval station since the days of Henry VIII, and grew as a counterweight to Cherbourg across the Channel.

Portland played a key role launching troops and Mulberry harbours at D-Day, and was afterwards a centre for weapons research, training and a naval helicopter base until 1995. These days, the port runs commercial operations, hosts the Boatfolk marina and the National Sailing Academy. A generation of sailing stars has trained here, with the sailing events of the London 2012 Olympic Games being fought out in the harbour.

Visitors can enjoy excellent walking along Portland’s famous limestone cliffs, which run down to the boulder-strewn tip

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Excellent shelter and a beautiful backdrop at Portland BELOW Approaches to Weymouth, which is just adjacent to Portland and features a second Boatfolk marina

50’34”21N 002’27”05W

of Portland Bill with its famous lighthouse (and The Lobster Pot Café). “There’s also Tout Quarry,” says Bee Woodland of Boatfolk, “perfect for a gentle amble through whilst sculpture-spotting with pieces by local and international artists scattered throughout the quarry.”

Dorset’s breathtaking Jurassic cliffs run east towards Swanage and Poole Harbour and west towards Lyme Regis, where Mary Anning discovered one of the first fossils of an ichthyosaur. Besides walking, there’s coasteering and rock climbing here.

This coast is also rich with seafood, and there are plenty of opportunities to try top-notch fresh fish, crab and scallops locally.

Some of England’s top sparkling wines are produced nearby from Dorset grapes, and local brews include Palmers ale from Bridport and Badger in Blandford. With its traditional family farms, Dorset offers rich pickings for foodies.

HARBOUR GUIDE Portland Marina is run by Boatfolk, and it is located on the centre of Portland Harbour, where the island fades into the low-lying shingle of Chesil Beach. Berthholders rate the friendly staff and plentiful social activities on offer, with Ribeye driver Mandy Harraway saying: “We were made to feel so welcome by all the staff – everyone helped us as first time boaters. Everyone joins in with all the events: Santa paddle boarding, dancing, Portland Week festival with music out on the water.”

With 130 berths, it began to emerge from the disused naval site in 2007. A reported quarter of a million tonnes of local Portland stone was used to construct an 875m-long breakwater to enclose the pontoons, and it was officially opened in 2009 by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The marina is purpose built and benefited from the widespread regeneration of the Osprey Quay area of Portland vacated by the Royal Navy. Further investment was ploughed in to bring the facilities up to the standard required to host the 2012 Olympic sailing events. The result is a modern, well-equipped marina.

Visitor berthing is well catered for, with up to 30 pontoon berths

Berthholder’s view Chris Morton, Pogo 850

earmarked. Minimum depth is 4m and there’s berthing for boats up to 40m (the TS Royalist is a regular visitor). There’s water, electricity and wifi included with your overnighting costs, as well as access to the modern 24-hour showers and loos. Other handy services include a fuel dock and a pump-out station, a chandler’s and a scrub-down service.

You can find all the key services here, from mechanics and electricians to fabricators and general shipwrights. The office should be your first port of call on this.

Copious car parking is available free for visitors to use once your numberplate is registered with the main office. If you don’t have your own wheels, you can walk into Weymouth in about 30 minutes or jump on the regular bus service.

The railway from Weymouth connects Bristol and London.

The marina itself offers some excellent eating options if you fancy trying some local specialities. The Boat That Rocks is a restaurant/ bar with outdoor seating that is on site, as is the café-gallery at Taylor’s Mess Deck. Half a mile south, and overlooking the beach and Lyme Bay, Quiddles is a good spot for a sundowner. On the other side of the isthmus leading to Weymouth are two more good options: Billy Winter’s bar and Diner and the excellent Crab House Café.

Berth holders are able to spend a night or two at sister marinas, including the one in Weymouth, at no extra cost.

“I’ve been seven years at Portland Marina. When I started, I was living on my boat. It had great facilities, nice showers, laundry plus a little pub and restaurant.

“Nowadays, I race in exclusively solo offshore series through the summer months, based at the JOG line at Cowes, in a mixture of boats and classes: a lot of Sunfasts, Minis, Figaros and traditional IRC boats; a mix of people. I got down to Wolf Rock once, up to Ireland and also over the Channel.

“I spend a lot of time traipsing from Portland up to Yarmouth, where I have family. I use the sister marina Boatfolk has in East Cowes, where you can drop down and sit on the end of their pontoons.

“When I’m not racing, I sail every weekend. I just potter around Weymouth Bay, or to Lulworth. I like the section between Kimmeridge and St Alban’s, where the cliffs look like the big ones you see in Wyoming, with rock and scree. Sometimes I anchor in Worbarrow - either corner is very good if it’s very settled or you have a westerly wind; holding is quite reliable.

“In the marina itself, The Boat that Rocks is great – very friendly and they’ll even take a food order when you’re on the way down. I also like the Cove in Portland. That’s the benefit of the marina: all the peace and tranquillity of the harbour, but you’ve got the chandlery, the cafes – everything you need.”

FACTFILE

PORTLAND HARBOUR Open: 24/7 Tel: +44 1305 866190 VHF: Ch80 Email: portland@boatfolk.co.uk Website: boatfolk.co.uk

Facilities: Pontoon berths Water/electricity Free wifi 24-hour security Berthing assistance Boat and trailer storage Pump-out station Diesel/petrol Cooking gas – Calor (not blue Campingaz) Recycling Showers and toilets (accessible 24/24 hours) Laundry 50t Wise hoist On site café and restaurant Chandlery and supplies Berthing fees: Daily: £3.75/m Weekly:£22.50/m Monthly: from £80/m Short stay (<4hrs): £15-20 Annual: £558/m Services: 50-tonne Wise travel lift can handle boats up to 22m long and 5.5m in the beam

Dorset boatcare: All aspects of repair and refit including mechanical engineering, Coppercoat application and valeting. Chandlery based in boatcare office (unit 11) – 01305 818550, portland@boatcare.co.uk Other useful numbers: Mechanical Services – 01305779379, mechanicalservicesltd.co.uk Craft Care Marine Services – 07972 329463, craftcaremarine.co.uk Dan Stuttle Marine Services – 07973 325180 Marine Tec – 01305 820924, marine-tec.co.uk Ocean Electric Ltd – 07768 533119, oceanelectrics.co.uk Clarks Boatworks – 01305860265, clarksboatworks.co.uk Richard Woof Marine – 01305 826142 Wright Way Boat Cleaning – 07854 694917, boatcleaner4u.co.uk Mobile Yacht Maintenance – 07780 950467 Moatt Sails – 01305 824254, moattsails.co.uk Coastal Customs Ltd – 07919 521560, coastalcustomsuk.com AD Gordon Yacht Rigging – 07774 633419 Apollo Marine Systems Ltd – 01305 860220

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

73

Gull’s Eye - Portland Marina

PASSAGE PLANNING Portland Marina lies on the northeast side of the Isle of Portland, protected from the prevailing southwesterlies.

Access from the east is relatively straightforward, with no hazards in the approaches to the breakwaters.

The tide is the biggest factor, especially round St Alban’s and Durlston Head south of Swanage.

You’ll want to time your passage here around slack water if you want to make progress. Note that overfalls extend for miles southwest of St Alban’s Head, so if you’re taking advantage of the ebb you’ll want to stand well off – the more so if there’s any sort of west in the wind.

Coming up from the West Country, you’ll first have to round the formidable obstacle that is Portland Bill. With close attention to the pilot guide, this can be entirely pain-free, but get it wrong and you’ll find yourself plugging into a violent race that has swallowed ships without leaving any trace.

The water is deep off the Bill, and you can slide by a few cables out if you’ve got the stomach for it. Again, this passage is best made at slack water for the smoothest conditions. Note that a useful/infuriating back

ABOVE Portland Bill on a calm day should still be treated with caution

eddy runs down the eastern side of the Bill for 10 hours in every 12 at up to 5 knots. The alternative is to round several miles out, clear of the well charted overfalls.

Entry to Portland Harbour is simple, as long as you observe the navigation instructions. The south ship channel entrance to the harbour is blocked by the wreck of HMS Hood and should never be used. Instead, choose between the eastern ship channel and the northern entrance.

The most hassle-free option is the route in from the north, where the fairway is marked and lit. Heading southwest on around 220 degrees, pass two port cans, then turn due south around the third. The marina lies half a mile further south, with its entrance angled towards the northwest.

Beware of the swinging moorings laid just to the west of this path.

Some 95 per cent of the commercial traffic uses the east ship channel, but sailing boats may do so too. First of all, call up Portland Port on VHF Ch. 74 to check you are safe to proceed. Once through the breakwaters, turn slightly west of southwest towards the marina entrance. Boatfolk says that the marina dry stack building is usually easy to spot and provides a good landmark.

There are traffic signals on both entrances and if either is lit, you should steer clear. There is a six-knot speed limit in force.

USEFUL CONTACTS Southampton Coastguard +44 2380 329 486 Portland Port +44 1305 824044 Weymouth Marina +44 1305 767 576 Weymouth Harbour +44 1305 838 423 The Boat That Rocks +44 1305 823000 Taylor’s Mess Deck Café +44 7813 983782 Quiddles Café +44 1305 820651

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Billy Winter’s Beach Bar +44 1305 774954 Crab House Café +44 1305 788867 Sea Life Weymouth +44 1305 761070 Taxis Weyline: +44 1305 777777 Jurassic Coast Travel: +44 7532 120000 Fleetline: +44 1305 777333

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: From £1650 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.

From £1750 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

How to Win - Club racing

Shake it up From expert training tips to unusual race formats, Jon Emmett shares his advice for getting the most from racing at club level

PHOTOS JON EMMETT; SPORTOGRAPHY.TV

C 76

lub sailing is the grass roots of our sport and the key to our future success. It provides sociable, fun, safe racing and is the introduction to racing for many, long before open meetings or class training. Even if you are not an overly competitive person, racing is a great way to see how much your sailing has improved. Don’t be daunted by the rules; they are there to avoid boat-on-boat contact, so that everyone ends up with the same amount of gel coat on their boat as they started with – which is particularly relevant on busy start lines and mark roundings.

APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Learning from the top

In handicap races it is great if there are several boats out in your class to benchmark your sailing. Enthusiasm is infectious and it is amazing how a simple WhatsApp reminder of up-coming racing, or a write up of a previous race online can encourage more people to participate. Larger fleets not only mean closer and more exciting racing, but better preparation for open meetings or even national championships. Some of the best sailors come from very active sailing clubs because learning is accelerated in these environments.

To gain from and also progress the quality of the fleet, a buddy system can work really well, pairing the most

ABOVE

Club racing is a great way to raise your game, regardless of your experience level

experienced members of the club with those new to the fleet, either informally - someone helps with your rig settings, or perhaps gives advice for launch and recovery - or more formally - perhaps a prize for the most improved mentor-mentee pair, or a combined score series.

Another good incentive for improvement is a personal handicap.

This can be calculated alongside a main series: the better the people perform in the main series, the more their personal handicap is reduced, giving, at least in theory, everyone an equal chance of winning the personal handicap series.

Making the most of our top club sailors will also encourage them

because you don’t work on them, your weaknesses get weaker.

Pre-race priorities

to race at the club. Rather than be worried that they take things too seriously (remember, the rules are there to keep sailing a noncontact sport, which is good for everyone) or unbeatable (shifty/ gusty conditions can a be great leveller), take the golden opportunity to learn from them: What is it that makes them successful? Is it their mental approach? Is it their rig set up? You may be surprised, but most will readily share: the higher the standard at the club, the more the top sailors themselves get pushed, and the better they will do when racing away from the club.

The top sailors at your club can be used to gauge your performance and set yourself targets. Knowing your weaknesses is vital. Some may be obvious like fitness; the harder you hike/trapeze the faster you will go, all things being equal. We gain more from working on weaknesses than strengths. If, for example, you do well in strong winds, only training and racing in strong winds will mean your strengths get stronger, and

Make time to get afloat early to test the course and do a quick prerace warm-up (like in athletics), rather than only just making, or perhaps even missing, the start.

Time permitting, ideally you want to sail a whole lap of the course, if for no other reason to be absolutely sure where the marks are. Not knowing where the first mark is can be disastrous!

Prioritising time for a pre-race routine is your chance to get a little extra practice in every single week and also do a good warm-up for the race, which is a standard part of preparation for elite sport and should be the same for club racing.

See below for some ideas to practise.

A good start is an important part of a good result. In light winds allow plenty of time to get to the start line, and in the medium to strong winds to practise your techniques. Your body doesn’t want to go from 0 to 100 per cent work rate all in one go.

You need to train by pushing hard on the club start line, just like you need to at championships, so you form good habits that become second

ABOVE

nature. Hike or trapeze just as hard in a club race as you would if you were winning a championship race!

BELOW

What to practise and when to test yourself

Build time into your pre-race routine to perfect the basics Practice your time and distance skills at every opportunity

Holding position Every race - Even before the start line is set you can practise holding position by a mark and then ‘trigger pulling’ (accelerating from a standstill) to see in the given conditions how long it takes you to get up to full speed and how easy it is to hold your position (how quickly you drift along/over/back from the line). You can know the current, know the wind, but actually doing the routine will help you sort out your time and distance.

Roll tacks Light winds - This is absolutely a top skill. Big, smooth tacks are key here.

The first tack off the line (whether you can cross or have to duck) can be crucial. Tacking practice can also be a great physical warm up.

Gybes Strong winds - As a minimum prerace, you need to make sure you do a spinnaker hoist, gybe and drop to ensure that everything is well set-up, and respect the bear away. One of the biggest issues in strong winds is confidence, so getting a few gybes out of the way early can help a lot.

Maybe start safe and then gradually push it harder to see how close you can get to the limit.

Two-boat tuning Any wind - Two-boat tuning can be really useful to make sure that you have your rig set up correctly for the Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

77

How to Win - Club racing

conditions. You can either line up an equal distance upwind with two or three boat lengths between you, shout "3,2,1 go" and both sheet in and sail upwind at the same time to compare speed and pointing; or you can start with a rabbit start, with the rabbit tacking after three boat lengths.

Course testing Any large course - With your training partner (now you are of similar speeds!) Here, rather than one boat going hard left and one going hard right, you want to make an ‘8’ shape (or two diamonds). So, sail for two minutes on port with the other boat on starboard, then both tack and sail for four minutes, crossing in the middle, then both tack again and sail for another two minutes. This way, both boats have the opportunity to go left and right and you can see if, for example, the right is paying due to pressure/current, or maybe it is just about being in phase with the breeze.

Other ways to gain

After racing, stay and have a beer, chat and get to know your fellow club members. You may learn some new techniques, improve your old ones or even get the opportunity to try out different boats.

While you’re there, why not discuss other types of racing you might want to explore as a group?

Competition often brings out the best in us, because it forces us to care more about the end result. Interclub competitions can be great fun – perhaps organise a local series with the top three sailors' results from each club determining the winner.

Racing doesn’t always have to be

78

APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

formal: rabbit starts (one boat goes on port close-hauled course and the rest of the fleet pass behind, then the rabbit tacks) mean you can start races without a committee boat, for example. Really encourage the top sailors to come and join; everyone gets an equal chance off the line which makes it fun and interesting. eSailing is now also a part of many sailing clubs, a habit carried over from lockdown – great for during the winter. It can be run as an official club series, or as a one-off if a weekend is blown off. The social aspect remains important and a Zoom meeting running alongside can work really well in discussing why a tactic works, or just providing friendly banter.

Perhaps one of the most fun aspects of our sport is team racing; I would love to see this at more clubs. The short sharp races are excellent for boat handling and tactics, and fit in especially well in the winter months as it avoids prolonged lengths of time on the water. Take advantage of the more experienced members of the club to balance teams and super close racing;

ABOVE

Two boat tuning with a buddy is a great way to learn

BELOW

Trying out unusual formats such as sprint racing is not only fun, but allows you to focus on different aspects of your sailing

everyone has something to learn.

Continuing this theme, ‘fast and furious’ days at the club can be great.

Analysis showed that the finishing order in most classes at the 2020 Olympics was almost identical to the average first windward mark position, showing something we intuitively know: starts and first beats are really important. So, for example, rather than just doing 2 x 1 hour races, why not do 8 x 15 minute races? Everyone will learn more and you will probably see, if only for one or two races, different people at the front/back of the fleet than normal. The key skill here is to be consistent, which means risk management, so going for good not great starts (and mitigating the chance of the very poor starts), being really careful on laylines, port tack windward mark approaches and other high potential loss areas of the race course. To add even more pressure, make it a no discard series!

Rather than a normal 5,4,1-go sequence, using a 2,1-go can keep the waiting to an absolute minimum; the 2 minute can start when the last boat finishes, another good reason to keep up - if you finish top then you get more rest between races, which is vital in medium to strong airs.

Finally, clubs need to be an open and welcoming place to come to.

The signs which say ‘members only’ could be replaced with ‘new members welcome’. Barriers, real or imagined, to both sailing and racing need to be removed and all young, old, novice, expert - should be encouraged to come to the club and indeed race whenever possible.

Wherever we ourselves stand in that, it’s important to do play our part.

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Interview – Mike Wood

Man on a mission When Mike Wood found his wheelchair was a barrier to him going sailing, he built a wheelchair-accessible yacht and formed a charity so that others could join him. The Disabled Sailors Association is now our Charity of the Year – and it’s fundraising for a new catamaran that could double its intake

M

ike Wood’s house is easy to spot.

Several boat hulls rear up over the garden walls.

Through a side gate and it’s a short walk, past multiple wheelchairs and more boats, to the back garden workshop. The noise of drilling masks my entrance.

Mike is sitting at the bench, tools and bits of model aircraaft laid out before him – his other hobby, or one of them. Competitive sailing was his big thing for years but the drive has eased somewhat.

“I’ve mellowed,” he says with a smile, as we chat over a coffee in the

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home he shares with wife Irina.

Mike was 33, a professional motorcyclist who raced for Honda, when a lorry hit his bike while he was riding to work. “I lost everything,” he says gently.

ABOVE

Mike Wood with Spirit of Scott Bader in Port Solent, and below, at home in his workshop

That was 1978 and several months in Stoke Mandeville hospital followed, with treatment and rehabilitation that required him to play sport. He found himself winning at archery, then tried wheelchair rugby and field athletics.

“I’m a C6 spinal injury, which means I shouldn’t have as much use of my hands,” he says. “I’m very lucky indeed – I’m at the very top end of the possibilities for my disability.”

National titles came in almost every sport he touched and he spent a decade living the life of the elite sportsman, travelling around the world – “on my own” – and competing as part of the disabled

“They plonked me into a Sunbird dinghy and said 'off you go'. It was freedom... mindboggling” GB athletics team. He was heading for the Olympics until an ugly funding row upset him enough to resign from the squad. “That gives you an indication about my life,” he says. “If I don’t like it, I quit and go and do it myself.”

Sailing came to him by chance.

He’d dreamed of it since childhood and had spent hours in his local library in Surrey, where he was brought up by his grandparents, reading the great sailing books and learning the symbols on a nautical chart. “But I always thought it was for rich and clever people,” he smiles.

When an athletics meet was called off at short notice one day in 1989, Mike’s physiotherapist suggested they try sailing on a nearby lake.

“They plonked me into a Sunbird [dinghy] and said 'off you go' – my first time in a dinghy and the first time I’d done anything outside my wheelchair. It was freedom. No one telling me what to do. Unless you’re stuck in a wheelchair all the time you won’t understand it, but it was mindboggling.”

Disabled sailing was in its infancy.

Mike singles out The Whitefriars Sailing Club in the Cotswolds as being “brilliant…they welcomed disabled people and there was no

patronisation, they were just a group of volunteers there to help”.

But elsewhere the opportunities were few. The Sailability Organisation was founded in the mid-1980s, organised by Julian Mandiwall, Ian and Pauline Harrison, Hugh Campbell and Geoff Holt. Mike recalls: “There was never any talk of ‘empowerment’ or ‘discrimination’ or ‘integration’, just sailors sharing an experience. They were a very successful few years indeed and truly paved the way for disabled sailing.”

Mike got the bug in a big way and would take every chance to race, but it was always inland.

“Then one weekend we went down to Hayling Island. They lifted me out of my wheelchair on the beach and hauled me into the Sunbird.

They gave me a chart and a compass and said: ‘We’re going to Wootton

ABOVE

Winches, helm and instruments are at user height on Spirit of Scott Bader; Mike is pictured here with Frank Gardner, the BBC's security correspondent and a vice-patron of the DSA

BELOW

Mike competed for the country in fencing and discus

Creek, find it and sail there’.”

The hours poring over chart symbols in his youth proved handy and Mike was in his element, despite the fact that a thick fog had descended. “I couldn’t see land and I was completely and utterly alone.

I absolutely loved it. I remember thinking: ‘If they’ve given me a chart and compass, this is all I need’.

“At one point I heard this whooshing noise and it got louder – I saw this wall of water coming towards me, a metre high. A wake from a ship, absolutely silent.

But I found Wootton Creek and had a fantastic time. That was it for me. I wanted a yacht and I wanted to sail it on the sea.”

But as a powered wheelchair-user, asking to come aboard with most of the disabled sailing charities of the time got him nowhere.

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Interview – Mike Wood

“At first I was disappointed and then it made me really angry. I knew from Sailability that there were hundreds if not thousands of people in wheelchairs who wanted to go sailing. That’s what started it for me.”

Telling his story today, Mike is mild-mannered, reflective, full of indiscreet good stories and great company. He’s quietly spoken but his life story – outside sailing, as well – has been the tale of an independent spirit. On and off the regatta course, he admits, he likes to get things done, and he’s not shy of a politely expressed opinion: “If someone asks me, I’ll tell them.”

Today, the charity he founded, inspired by his own experiences of being refused by disabled sailing charities, is responsible for getting hundreds of disabled people afloat every summer. Perhaps sadly, what still sets the Disabled Sailors Association apart from many others, is the fact that it will take people with any disability sailing. The DSA’s catamaran, Spirit of Scott Bader, is probably the busiest sailing boat on the Solent, out from Port Solent every day between March and late season, with crews that include injured and recovering ex-servicemen, those with visual and hearing impairments, those with MS, those with profound learning and physical disabilities, and many others.

Mike says: “We’re proud of that. I don’t believe we’ve ever refused anyone.”

The DSA was launched in 1996

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with its first boat, a monohull named Verity K, launched by Princess Anne at the 1996 Southampton Boat Show. Its first seasons were overrun with applications and Spirit of Scott Bader, named after the materials firm that backed the project, was launched just four years later, in 2000, as a state-of-the-art, wheelchair-accessible sailboat.

“It meant we could take bigger chairs, the boat was faster, so you could go further, and there was more to do for everyone on board, plus we could manage some of the demand,” recalls Mike.

Now skippered by former social worker John Douglas, Spirit of Scott Bader has become a lifeline for

ABOVE LEFT AND BELOW

Family trips are a big part of the Disabled Sailors Association's focus and it is proud to be able to take people with any disability on board

scores of disabled people, many of whom return to become regular crew. As well as having its own programme, the DSA operates the boat as a platform for the Gwennili Sailing Trust and other charities to use. There’s also a focus on providing family days out, so that families with a disabled person can enjoy an experience together.

Even for parents, Mike says, seeing their disabled son or daughter taking the helm or winching the sails can cause a hugely positive shift in perception.

Twice in our conversation Mike’s voice breaks – once when he is describing the care he was given at Stoke Mandeville in the 1970s, and now: “Back in about 1996 we went sailing with a mother and her two daughters, one of whom had had a car accident. About three years ago I got a really nice email with a collage of photos, saying: ‘18 years later, my daughter still talks about sailing your yacht’.”

He pauses. “It stays with people.”

The cost of upkeep, the changing needs of disabled people and the sheer demand mean Spirit of Scott Bader is in need of replacement.

Mike says: “We need to be able to accommodate modern care regulations, which have become more demanding, and for those with complex needs and in wheelchairs we need a hoist, a wet room, a changing table, medication storage… On top of that, wheelchairs themselves have got bigger over the years – we need more space.”

A chance contact via social media saw Taiwan luxury performance catamaran manufacturer HH step in and design the perfect boat.

Now, the DSA is fundraising for the money to build it.

Mike says: “We’d be able to sail year round, as the whole main deck area is enclosed. As a disabled person, it can be hard to regulate your temperature, because any neck injury disconnects your body's temperature sensor. If you go out in the sun, you get hotter and hotter. If it’s cold you can’t get warm and adding layers doesn’t usually work. With the way the HH Open is designed, with a massive sunroof and windows that open, this new boat can be warm in the winter and cool in the summer.”

Capacity is bigger with the new boat, so as well as running more trips per year, the DSA could take more people per trip. Already Scott Bader takes around 1,000 people each summer, an estimated 20,000 since its launch. That number could be doubled with the new boat.

Mike says: “The new boat would allow us to target a section of society, those with the most complex disabilities, who wouldn’t even consider going on a boat.

“We all know there is something about going sailing.

It’s something people always want to do. It’s in our blood.”

The DSA is a cheaply run organisation. Only two people are paid, the charity relying on a dedicated and long-serving team of volunteers, trustees and vice-patrons.

The estimate to build the new HH catamaran and sail it back to the UK from the build site in China is £1.5 million.

The delivery would be a story in itself, with a crew made up of wheelchair users and other DSA beneficiaries. “There’s a huge demand for a round-the-world voyage for wheelchair users,” Mike says. “I’ve got 1,000 people interested in sailing this boat back from China.”

Thirty-three years after he first sailed himself, what is Mike’s ultimate

ABOVE

The new boat concept, drawn by HH Catamarans

BELOW LEFT

Mike with skipper John Douglas and DSA fundraiser Zoe Colthart at the British Yachting Awards, December 2021

BELOW RIGHT

Mike has been designing dinghies for disabled people for decades

dream for disabled sailing? “One of the things that has kept me going is seeing what sailing does to youngsters,” he says. “The amount of times I’ve moved away from the wheel and said to the disabled person there: ‘Okay you take it’. I always tell them it cost £5 million and is the fastest thing round here. You see their grip tighten on the wheel.

“We’re providing 1,000 disabled places a year and we can do so much more with the new boat and we can offer real benefits to a backer – naming the new boat, sponsorship, this is all up for grabs.

“My ultimate aim with disabled sailing? To allow any disabled person to go sailing.”

The Disabled Sailors Association can be contacted via disabledsailing.org or email mikewood@disabledsailing.org To donate to the fundraising appeal directly, visit justgiving. com/campaign/DSA

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Antifouling and paints

Treat your hull and topsides to the latest paint technology, or go for a wrap. Sam Fortescue reports

G

etting the boat painted for the spring is just one of those jobs you have to get on with.

Whether it’s you or the local boatyard ducking into overalls, gloves, masks and goggles, it is often tempting to simply use the same stuff as last year. After all, if the hull came out clean in the autumn, why change?

Well, legislation doesn’t stand still, and neither do the R&D departments of the world’s paint manufacturers, which means products are always evolving. Here we highlight some of the latest hull and topside treatments, as well as offering a quick guide to the other coatings are available.

As with everything in boating, you can pay bottom dollar for a simple rosin-based paint which quickly rubs off and provides less protection.

The next step up is a longer-lasting resin-based paint which doesn’t wear away so fast, and the pinnacle is a jazzy self-polishing paint, which generates a constant amount of biocide through a chemical reaction with the water by the hull.

“I always say, the first thing a boatowner should do is sit down and work out how often they’re going to use their boat,” says Jamie Smith of Marine Ware, UK distributor of Nautix and International paints, among others. “If you use the boat often, go for an ablative, but it’ll wear fast. If you only use the boat for a couple of weeks, then you need something with more biocide in it.”

For faster boats and multihulls, you can look at a hard antifoul.

While it generates less friction with the water for a fraction of a knot more speed, you’ll need to spray down the hull during the season to remove slime and buff the finish for optimum performance.

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Foul language And of course, there is a growing range of super-slippery hull treatments that prevent marine fouling getting any purchase, rather than killing it. These socalled fouling release coatings are less toxic and generally last two years or more between coatings.

Also in this category is ultrasonic antifouling, which uses inaudible sound waves to create vibrations that prevent fouling from taking hold. Here’s what’s new for 2022...

Seajet 034a

In a year that has seen a number of ‘hybrid’ products emerge, Japanese manufacturer Seajet is no exception. It is replacing its existing 034 Emperor and 035 Hard Racing paints with a new formulation which sits halfway between the two.

By reducing the amount of zinc pyrithione contained in the paint, Seajet technicians have made the paint less toxic without apparently affecting its performance. It sits between a self-polishing co-polymer paint and a hard racing antifoul.

“Tweaking and evolving formulations is an inevitable process for a manufacturer such as Seajet, which is committed to maintaining high product performance, with products that continue to meet public demand,” said a spokesperson.

The new paint is available in large 2.5lt tins and is approved for

application by boatowners. It also comes in 250ml cans for applying to propellers, shafts and other stern gear. Colours are limited to black, white or dark grey at the moment, and the product costs £29.43 for a small pack or £153.01 for the large. seajetpaint.com

Hempaspeed TF

Global coatings manufactuer Hempel has added another product to its non-biocidal range for sailing boats.

Its slippery SilicOne fouling release coating has been a staple for some years, finding increasing favour among eco-aware sailors. Like all fouling release coatings, it works because slime, polyps and larvae cannot get a good enough purchase to create a fouling problem.

Its new Hempaspeed TF is a slightly lower performance hybrid alternative designed for sailing boats. Hempel says it combines traditional tough thin-film coatings with Hydrogel fouling release technology. Hydrogel is a proprietary polymer that absorbs seawater to form a barrier around the hull. Being mostly water, fouling organisms don’t recognise it as a place to attach themselves.

Incredibly clever as all this sounds, the result is a Hempel’s cheaper product, pitched more at trailer-sailers, regularly-scrubbed raceboats and freshwater cruisers.

Premier

“Hempaspeed TF is based on hard acrylic binders and hydrogel,” explains Zeljka Bassanese. “This makes Hempaspeed TF ideal for any boat. However, it will pick up a little bit more slime than the premium Silic One.” It can be applied by a DIY-er taking the usual precautions, and is expected to cost around £36 per 750ml can. It is available in white, blue, black and grey.

Other products from Hempel include its Hard Racing antifoul, and its high-performance Mille NCT self-polishing product.

Tiger Xtra is Hempel’s standard eroding antifoul and Classic is its basic ablative product. hempel.com

Jotun Non-stop Supreme Not new as such, but newly approved for sale in the UK, Jotun’s Non-stop Supreme is an advanced selfpolishing antifoul. It leaches biocide at a constant rate, unlike cheaper resin-based antifouls, which wear according to boat speed. However, Jotun is targeting the superyacht market, and although many of its products can be applied by DIYers, they are marketed and packed in a way that will appeal more to professional paint applicators.

For example, they have increased pack size from 750ml to a full litre. Non-stop Supreme should not be applied by amateurs.

Jotun also produces its Racing product, which can be burnished for speed around the cans. jotun.com

International

Part of the giant AkzoNobel group, International offers a full range of antifoul paints, plus varnishes and topcoats.

International's Micron 350 is a hi-tec self-polishing antifoul that protects for two years, while Ultra 300 and VC Offshore are hard racing products.

International-yachtpaint.com

British manufacturer of good value resin-based paints and selferoding antifoul in a black red, dark blue and light blue. Comes in 2.5lt tins from £44.50 or £74.59 respectively. Also does a range of bilge, locker and deck paints. premiermarinepaints.co.uk

Teamac

Another British paint brand, with a line of straightforward ablative antifouls and boat paints. Its Antifouling D product costs a very reasonable £44.14 per litre. teamac.co.uk

Flag

This British-based manufacturer has a range of good value paints, including its eroding Cruising Anti Fouling, a semi-hard Performance product and its CopperQuick, which binds its copper in a PTFE resin for minimal hull friction.

The latter can be effectively burnished for a racing finish.

Flagpaints.co.uk

Nautix

With a useful line-up of products for DIYers and pros, hull types from wood to aluminium and fast to slow boats, Nautix has a good presence in the UK. Its A3 is high quality eroding antifoul, while A4 is aimed at hard racing finishes. Its A4 T.Speed product is aimed at serious racers who want even lower water friction. It also produces an intriguing fluorescent antifouling for application to keels and rudders, where the colour could make it easier for SAR authorities to zero in following a capsize. paints.nautix.com

Boero

The Italian coatings specialist is focused on the superyacht sector, but also has a decent line-up for ‘normal’ boats. These include its premium Magellan 630 selfpolishing copolymer antifouling, which lasts for 36 months or more. Its Mistral NF is copper heavy and only available in the UK market – it is suited to medium speed boats. Admiral 933 is its middle tier self-polishing antifoul,

Case study: Freya, Maxi 1100 Tony Rice, owner I purchased Freya in 2018 and had the hull polished using the usual cutting paste, but it deteriorated over the year with white oxidised areas reappearing. Over the next two years I repeated the process prior to launching for the season, but the interval before the white patches reappeared decreased each year. Last winter we concluded there was no point in spending more money having the hull cut each year with cutting polish, and therefore examined our options, which were: Do nothing - Given the value of our boat and indeed our pride in her, we felt this was not an option with which we were comfortable.

Dry sand - There is a boat maintainer who I met who carefully dry-sands coloured hulls, cutting back into the original coloured gel coat and then waxing it. I had a test panel done and was very pleased with result. I had seen a Maxi 1050 that he had polished this way a couple of years ago.

Wrap the boat - We had seen a number of boats that had been wrapped and were impressed with the results. Our main concern was repairing damage, but I was reassured seeing some professional repairs. You had to look carefully to see them.

Paint the hull – Many Maxis have had this done.

Our decision to wrap Freya was mainly driven by cost. Wrapping was cheapest, less than £5,000, the dry sand was £5k+ and I was uncertain of how long it would last. Having her professionally painted was likely to be more than £13k, a sum we could not contemplate spending.

After one season are we pleased with our choice? Most definitely. I am of course paranoid about scraping the hull coming into a berth or when others come alongside, but this is no different than if I had had her painted. We have invested in some more fenders with thick fender socks which we rinse off regularly. We wash the hull down with fresh water after every trip to remove the salt but always did this as I have a teak deck to keep pristine too. I had a canvas cover made to go over the blue areas of the counter stern (looks like a chin strap) to stop the dinghy damaging the wrap when we used it from the stern gate. I have also put a stainless steel plate over the bow to protect against damage from the anchor chain.

The wrap looks as good today as when it was fitted.

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Antifouling and paints

while Scirocco and Altura round out its hard racing offer. boeroyachtcoatings.com

Coppercoat

Now a tried and tested hull treatment, Coppercoat is an epoxybased system that can perform for 10 years or more with minimal maintenance (the odd sand-down).

It is more expensive at the outset, and needs careful application, but just think of all the hassle saved! coppercoat.com

Sea-speed V10 X Clear

Seacoat’s Sea-speed is a hard epoxy paint containing siloxanes, which can switch valency in moving water, making it very hard for fouling to latch on. It is widely used in the cruise and military sectors, but works for slower sailing boats too.

As with all fouling release coatings, slime may build up if the boat is left for long periods at her berth, but it comes off with a gentle scrub or a bit of pace through the water. Better still it lasts for 10 years and doesn’t contain copper, making it suitable for aluminium hulls.

The price is £435 per US gallon, which will cover about 22sqm of hull. apexmarinesolutions.com

Awlgrip HD

AkzoNobel, the chemical giant behind the Awlgrip brand, has formulated a new longer-lasting gloss version of its popular topcoat.

Called Awlgrip HDT, for High Definition Technology, it guarantees that the finish will retain at least 70 per cent of its gloss for 24 months.

Accelerated weathering carried out in Florida suggested it should do even better, making for less frequent maintenance and recoating.

HDT is a polyurethane paint that is applied as a single-stage topcoat to produce a mirror-like finish when it dries. It has been specially formulated to produce a hard finish, but not so hard that it cannot be repaired in event of a scratch or hull damage. It is, however, designed only for spray application by a professional, as the last coat of a multi-layer system.

“Recognising the demand for

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a topcoat that filled the gap between hard, durable finishes and slightly softer, repairable finishes, we saw the opportunity to create something revolutionary,” says Akzo. “We leveraged the knowledge gained from over 45 years of creating world-class coatings to design Awlgrip HDT from the ground up.”

Pricing is not yet available for the UK, but in the US, a one gallon tin (3.79lt) goes for some $190 – equivalent to £37/lt. awlgrip.com

CeramicPro

Ceramic coatings protect the topsides by carefully ‘filling-in’ the micro and macroscopic pores and voids left open in bare gelcoat and glass-fibre hulls. Those same pores, voids and undulations are also present even on the very best top-coat paint finishes.

The hard and resilient nature and deep gloss shine of ceramic coatings are perfect for protecting painted topsides and deck surfaces from oxidation and fading, acid rain, bird droppings, fender-rub and general wear and tear. CeramicPro is not ideal for use below the waterline on sailing boats, according to UK distributor Arron Perry.

“It would be beneficial if the boat was still original gel coat and the ceramic coating applied if kept on a trailer or dry stack,” he says.

“But it’s perfect for every surface

ABOVE

The superyacht Magic Carpet III getting the Ceramic Pro treatment

BELOW

A Grapefruit Graphics hull wrap is put in place

above the waterline and means less cleaning, less chemicals, etc.”

It is important to thoroughly prepare the surface prior to application, removing any oxidation or scratches. A ballpark cost here is some €50/sqm, followed by €65/sqm for the CeramicPro itself. So reckon on £1000-£1500 for a 35-footer. ceramicpro.co.uk

Vinyl wrapping

It’s hardly new, but it is gaining momentum in the UK. Vinyl wrapping is becoming a more common way of protecting and revitalising the topsides.

Because it employs a printed vinyl film, wrapping is usually employed on boats with coloured topsides, although it could in theory be used on a white hull too. It is also often used to add a logo or design to the hull.

“Wrapping your boat is essentially applying a ‘second skin’ to change the colour or design,” says Harry Derbyshire of Grapefruit Graphics.

“It not only works for older boats but can be used on brand new hulls to bring your own personalisation and to protect the gelcoat for future sales.”

Hull wraps can be cost-effective and an alternative solution to painting, due to the speed at which a wrap can be applied. A 30-40ft boat can be transformed in two days, with a significant benefit being the ability to do the work outside in the yard “The finishing on wrapping is just as good as paint and will last between 6-10 years depending on where your boat is located,” says Derbyshire.

“There is no need to polish your boat each year as all the films need is a quick wash with a little fresh water to keep them looking pristine.”

Although the vinyl is scratch resistant, it wouldn’t stand up to a collision with a pontoon. But small tears are easy to repair yourself using patches supplied by the applicator from offcuts. They are simple to apply and virtually undetectable. grapefruitgraphics.com

Where to get a wrap yachtwrapsuk.co.uk yachtwrap.co.uk wrapmarine.co.uk wrapuk.com velociwrap.co.uk

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TIME OUT SAM JEFFERSON AND STEFFAN MEYRIC-HUGHES REVIEW THE LATEST BUNKSIDE READS, CLASSIC BOOKS AND MORE

In the Wake of the Gods – Sam Jefferson You will doubtless be astonished to discover that I am not going to offer a searing critique of this book, given that I wrote it. I am, however, in a good position to explain what it is about. The concept is pretty simple; many of the places narrated in Greek myths actually tally with true locations in Greece so I decided to put together a guide for sailors that would mean that if they cruised into a certain bay or to a certain island they could bore fellow crew members with all the myths associated with that particular place. Into the bargain I re-told the myths in condensed form and put in some sailing directions and tips on good anchorages, etc. The concept was inspired by time I spent living in Ithaca in the Ionian which is obviously rich in mythical locations.

Having also worked for a yacht charter company I was mildly annoyed by how charter skippers would authoritatively tell guests mythical ‘facts’ that were patently wrong. I therefore re narrated the myths for their benefit in the most basic form.

After getting started, I rapidly realised I had bitten off more than I could chew and therefore scaled back the guide to the Ionian and Saronic Gulfs, which definitely made things easier. I must admit that after a while I got a bit weary of the pure filth that the Greek myths peddle and apologise if my narration becomes a touch flippant. Certainly, I began to understand why our own Prime Minister is so entranced by this Bacchanalian world. I have extensively cruised that area which helped and was also hoping to follow the route with my own boat. Alas, Covid turned that into a Homeric task and I was obliged to rely on my memory. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, it’s a good companion if you are chartering and fancy annoying guests by saying ‘well, wouldn’t you know, we are anchored in the very spot where Zeus….’ You get the picture. bloomsbury.com £18

Arctic Star - Tom Palmer This novel for younger readers tells the fictional story of three young RN recruits who join an Arctic Convoy sailing through the frozen northern seas to deliver supplies to Russian Soviets. These Allied convoys, famously hunted by German U-boats, are sometimes described as ‘the worst journeys in the world’, not least because of the high stress suffered by the crews, as they waited, week after week, for a torpedo to slam into their ship and sink them. I’ve started to read this to my 10-year-old son at bedtime – so far, so good! It’s vivid, simple and effective, and in bringing to life a vital, and sometimes overlooked, part of the British war effort, it’s the perfect children’s counterpart to Nicholas Monsarat’s classic The Cruel Sea. barringtonstoke.co.uk, £6.99

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Sail the World with Me – Jimmy Cornell Jimmy Cornell’s adventures in blue water cruising span many decades and he is therefore in a great position to provide a few tips on both planning trips and also spinning a few yarns at the same time. This is the concept behind Sail the World with Me and it’s a good one, as Cornell has a treasure trove of adventures to relate, from early circumnavigations through to later epic trips such as his traverse of the North West Passage. Cornell is also clearly a prudent skipper who enjoys carefully planning things so this makes him a good guide and reference point for anyone planning a similar trip. In common with earlier publications by Cornell, this is also a beautifully put-together book. The narrative style is good and the blend of stories of adventures mixed with tips works well, as it means you learn as you go along. All in all, it will leave you wanting to go sailing to far-distant horizons. amazon.com £29.95

A Very Happy Little World Mark Laity The Thames SC based in the far west London suburb of Surbiton on the non-tidal Thames, is the oldest river sailing club in the world and last year celebrated its 150th year. You might these days associate dinghy sailing with rubber-clad, spotty teenagers tearing across reservoirs in fast planing – or even foiling craft – but for many years, competitive river sailing was a sport for gentlemen of the era. And as such, TSC has played an amazing role in the development of not just dinghy sailing, but yachting too, through innovators like the yacht designer Linton Hope and the boatbuilder-designer Alfred Burgoine, both of whom were heavily involved with river racing in the pre-war years of the 20th century. TSC is best known for its fleet of superlative Thames A Raters, many of which are still sailing today. Rather poignantly, the foreword is by the late HRH Prince Philip, who was an active patron of the club for an astonishing 61 years. One of the great joys of the book is the huge number of top-quality photos that richly illustrate the club’s history from its very dawn. thamessailingclub.co.uk, £POA

Practical Skipper - Bill Johnson I have to confess, I do sometimes wonder how many of these books the reading public can absorb – but they keep coming, partly because of new blood in the sport, and partly because of changes in techniques progressing with experience and technology. This one is quite nifty actually. The blurb describes it as “the notes you wish you’d written when you attended your sailing course” and that’s pretty much what it is. The book is supremely clear and easy to navigate and one of the best features are the checklists, to stop you forgetting something important that you last might have heard in a classroom decades ago. It’s also sensibly priced.

The author, rather impressively, is a Cambridge-educated engineer who packed it all in to go sailing and stopped counting after 50,000 sea miles. He is also author of the well-known Reeds Crew Handbook.

Pub Adlard Coles 2021, bloomsbury.com, £14.99

Classic Choice Kicking Canvas Alfred Bestic Kicking Canvas is a memoir by Alfred Bestic about his time at sea in the last days of sail.

There are a number of accounts like these generally dating from the late 1890s through to the 1930s which recount the final dying throes of the great age of sail. Of course, they are all valuable historical documents but the quality can vary pretty markedly. Bestic’s is one of the better ones as he has an easy narrative style that conveys both the camaraderie afloat and the mixture of extreme hardship and joy experienced on passage. What really makes this particular book stand out though is an absolutely jaw dropping narration of the near wreck of his first ship, the Denbigh Castle which was headed for Mollendo on the west coast of South America from Cardiff.

Usually this would mean beating around Cape Horn but, after a protracted battle, the master of the Denbigh Castle turned tail and instead headed east with the favourable winds past

Australia and reached Mollendo by that route after a passage of 253 days – given the tall ship record was around 60 days, you get some idea of how bad this passage was. Yet the drama was just starting as, after making landfall 15 miles to the south of Mollendo, the ship became hopelessly becalmed in the lee of the towering Andes. This was a common mistake which , in the days before engines, could often prove to be fatal. It was soon clear that currents were slowly sweeping the windjammer onto the inhospitable shore. As the ship painstakingly closed with the shore, the power of the mighty Pacific swell also became clear. The manner of the narration of this incident, the exasperation and disbelief of the crew combined with the mounting fear and a certain gallows humour as it looked like they were going to die, is absolutely masterful and well worth a read.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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GRAND SOLEIL 50 | BELLA OF LONDON GIBSEA 33 | HARLEQUIN The GibSea 33 is a good looking J&J design which offers excellent accommodation with six berths, a large double berth forward and another aft along with two saloon berths. The sailing performance and easy handling under engine makes the Gibsea 33 an excellent family cruiser. Incomparable living space for a yacht of this size thanks to the Naval Architects who have maximised room in the cabins and bring an elegance to the saloon. Light but warm pale woodwork gives comfort and elegance. A very clever, well designed, easy maintenance, easy sailing yacht.

Year: 2001 Length: 9.92m (32’5”) Beam: 3.45m (11’3”) Max Draft: 1.5m (4’9”) Engine: Volvo 19HP Cabins:2 Lying: Hamble, Hampshire Contact: michaelschmidt.co.uk craftinsure quote: £177

Fantastically well-equipped and upgraded example of the Judel Vrolijk designed Grand Soleil 50 aft cockpit performance cruising yacht. Presented in great condition inside and out with over £70k in recent expenditure to make her 100% turnkey. Launched in April 2005 and very lightly used in both of her original ownerships, Bella of London was bought in 2013 by her current owner. Coded to SVC2, she has taken her owner and crew on the ARC in 2013, the Fastnet in 2013, 2015 and 2017 and has been used for cruising in UK and Channel waters. Comprehensively refitted and upgraded throughout her current ownership with in excess of £70k spent over the past five seasons, Bella of London is one of the best-prepared and immediately usable cruising yachts out there. Her current owners comment: “Since owning Bella of London we have sailed many thousands of miles having been to Gibraltar, Tangier, the Canaries, the Caribbean via the 2014 ARC, the North French coast, three successful and hugely enjoyable Fastnets and cruised round Britain. “During this time we have built complete confidence in her through all conditions. She is fast, fun and really comfortable.”

Year: 2005 Length: 14.9m (48’8”) Beam: 4.56m (15’9”) Max Draft: 2.3m (7’5”) Displacement: 13,000kg Engine: Volvo D2-75 75hp Cabins: 9 berths in 3 cabins Lying: Solent, Hampshire Contact: grabauinternational.com

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XC 42 | SKEDADDLE From 2017 she has been very lightly used with under 100 under hours on the clock. The XC42 is a fab cruising yacht and very well set up to do just that. Her in boom furling and electric winches makes life on the water very easy.

Below decks she has three cabins and two heads, her owners cabin with ensuite is forward, both heads even feature separate showers! Her joinery is a modern light oak which is rarely seen on these yachts. For 42ft she features a large saloon with table that stretches her full beam, aft of this is a very well equipped spacious galley. A chance to own a very nice yacht without the wait time of a new one!

Year: 2017 LOA: 12.81m (42) LWL: 11.37m (37’4”) Beam: 4.1m (13’5”) Draft: 2.1m (6’11”) Displacement: 11,400kg (25,133lb) Hull Material: GRP Engine: 1 x Volvo Penta D2 55hp Accommodation: 8 berths in 3 cabins & saloon Builder: X-Yachts Location: Lymington, Hampshire Contact: berthoninternational.com craftinsure quote: £1056

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91

Croatia

Split decision With more than 3,000 miles of stunning coastline to explore and easy access from the UK, Croatia is now considered a favourable charter holiday destination. Sue Pelling takes a look the options to consider for 2022.

C

roatia with its 1,200+ islands and islets to discover off the Dalmation coast is the perfect charter holiday playground.

With uncrowded anchorages, a reliable climate for all levels of sailing ability, plus fascinating history and culture to discover, Croatia is now considered one of the top charter holiday destinations.

Its location in the Adriatic Sea opposite the eastern coastline of Italy and its border countries of the Balkan Peninsula (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania), also means it’s convenient in terms of travel from the UK. This short haul flight of approximately two and a half hours from Gatwick to Split makes it an ideal choice particularly for those travelling with young children

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and/or older family members.

Roger Garnett from Tenrag Yacht Charter says his company understands the need for accessibility: “Our charter from Trogir is just 20 minutes from Split Airport.”

The charter holiday season in Croatia typically runs from May to early October and, because it is further north than other parts of the Mediterranean, the temperature is generally not quite so intense, with

ABOVE

The stunning fortress of Sveti Nikola, judst outside Sibenik

average temperatures from April to May between 22°C to 28°C. June to August are the hottest months with temperatures up to 30°C, so expect sunny, blue skies nearly every day.

As far as wind conditions go, there is something for everyone.

Kate Staniforth, Head of Marketing for Sunsail says: “Croatia falls into Sunsail’s Level 1 experience bracket, meaning it has the easiest and safest waters perfect for beginners. However, there are plenty of adventurous options for those with more experience.”

Jonathan Shears from Nautilus Yachting added: “During the season the wind commonly runs up and down the Adriatic so expect north westerlies or south/ south easterlies (in local terms the Bora and the Jugo). Winds are variable so there is always some sailing to be had each day.”

Croatia is known for its ‘line of sight’ navigation with plenty of short hops between islands and anchorages. This makes it a good choice for beginners or those with less experience. For more advanced sailors there are also plenty of options to sail further afield to experience more open sea sailing where wind can easily build to 20-25kts.

In his experience, Tommy Tognarelli, CEO PlainSailing.com yacht charter broker company, believes Croatia has possibly the best sailing conditions in the Med: “It’s in a beautifully sheltered part of the Med, which means that you’re unlikely to get rough seas or foul winds, particularly in the main sailing season. That’s all coupled with fine sunshine – and this is potentially where Croatia beats Greece, because it’s a little bit further north, and conditions never get stiflingly hot. In Athens and Rhodes for example, temperatures can get into the high 30s in August.”

What’s in store for 2022 With signs of ‘freedom’ beginning to appear following recent Covid 19 travel restrictions, Croatia is expected to be a hot favourite charter destination again this

year. In fact many of the charter companies we spoke to highlighted the already higher than average demand for bookings.

Tognarelli (PlainSailing.com) says despite disruption/uncertainty with travel last year, demand on charter yachts was huge, which has had a knock in effect with costs: “We’re not anticipating any issues with Covid disrupting international travel this summer – which is kind of new… Interestingly there was crazy demand for boats in Croatia last summer, and we were turning away customers because there were literally no boats available.

My advice if you are looking to book, is to start making plans now, because, like last year, I think lastminute charters won’t be possible.

“You will find however, after the crazy demand we saw in 2021, charter fees have increased somewhat, and customers can also expect to pay more for marina fees and fuel.”

To meet demand, many charter companies such as Nautilus, Tenrag, Dream Yacht Charter, Moorings, have added new yachts and catamarans to their fleets in Croatia this year.

ABOVE

The iconic beach at Bol off the island of Brac

BELOW

A stunning anchorage in the Kornati

Charter options

Most charter companies including Tenrag, Plainsailing.com, Nautilus Yachting, Medsail Holidays, Dream Yacht Charter, Sunsail, Moorings and Escape Yachting offer a selection of charter options.

Bareboat – Skippers who hold a practical sailing certificate equivalent to RYA Day Skipper Practical, or International Certificate of Competence (ICC) for example, and who have a VHF licence, are free to skipper their own yacht, which is known as bareboat charter.

Bareboat charter is the ultimate way to enjoy time alone with family and friends while exploring new destinations. The aim with charter holiday passage planning is not to re-trace ‘steps’. To take out the stress of passage planning therefore, Sunsail has come up with a new pre-prepared two-week itinerary specifically for bareboat charter guests in 2022. Staniforth (Sunsail) said: “Our new two-week bareboat itinerary will take you island hopping from Agana to Dubrovnik and back without ever repeating a destination.”

Skippered and fully crewed charter – Without the appropriate qualifications the options are limited to skippered charter (with company’s qualified skipper aboard), or fully crewed. Fully crewed is when the yacht is crewed by a professional team, leaving family, friends and travel companions free to participate in the sailing as much or as little as they wish.

PlainSailing.com, known for specialising in bareboat charter, has now recognised the growing popularity of crewed charter and Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting APRIL 2022

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Croatia

has this year invested in that sector.

Tognarelli said: “We’ve added a whole team to look after our crewed charters division, which brings another dimension to the company.”

Kate Staniforth, Head of Marketing for Moorings added: “I would say that If you really want to put your feet up and relax during your holiday, then a crewed yacht might be the choice for you. The gourmet chef and professional captain at Moorings will provide a premium, personalised yacht charter experience.”

Flotilla – As the name suggests, a flotilla is basically a cruise in company with other yachts, guided by an experienced, qualified leader who, among his/her responsibilities is to run the itinerary. Also, regardless of experience, if you have never chartered a yacht before, a flotilla is a great option.

Not only does it provide an insight into processes and procedures of chartering but also, with no pressure on organisation, a flotilla is a great way to experience places of interest off the beaten track under the guidance of a professional who is familiar with the local area and its rules and regulations.

Interestingly there are only a handful of companies we spoke to running flotilla holidays in Croatia including Nautilus Yachting and Sunsail. Staniforth (Sunsail) chatting about the options available said: “We offer bareboat, flotilla and skippered charters from either Dubrovnik or Marina Agana. Being part of a flotilla however, offers a little more guidance and you might make a few friends along the way.

“For 2022 we have also upgraded our beloved Vis flotilla route to provide more freedom while sailing, and flexibility of booking dates.”

By the cabin charter – This is a great option for solo travellers because not only does it offer the luxury of a personal cabin, but also everything on board is taken care of. Check out Dream Yacht Charter, which has a new eight-day By the Cabin charter from Dubrovnik aboard a Lagoon 620 catamaran.

Places to sail to

Part of Croatia’s charm and

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APRIL 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

attraction is the fact there are oodles of beautiful places to visit by yacht, including unspoilt islands and National Parks, and a wealthy mix of secluded anchorages and modern marinas to choose from.

For a taste of old world charm a visit to Dubrovnik’s Old Town is a must because it is home to one of the world’s 10 best-preserved medieval walled cities. It also features some beautiful beaches and offers stunning mountain-top views.

Cruising between the islands of Hvar, Korcula, Ston, Brac and Mljet is popular, with places like Hvar known as the place to visit for a jet-setting way of life. A vibrant mix of boutiques, cafés and culture means there is something for everyone on Hvar.

Starigrad, on the northern side of the island of Hvar, is one of the oldest town quays in Europe and a Unesco world heritage site. On the south side of the island you’ll find Sveta Ndjela.

Shears (Nautilus Yachting) says it’s special treat to moor up in the unique setting of Sveta Ndjela Zlatan Vineyard: “With their own tiny marina literally within the wine cellar and restaurant, you can step off your boat and enjoy wine tasting, visiting the underwater

ABOVE

Looking down on the Pakleni islands just off the coast of Hvar

BELOW

An anchorage off the island of Palmizana in the Pakleni islands

wine cellar and a fantastic dinner – after picking your fish or seafood from the seawater pools.”

Based on his experiences, and things to do in Hvar, Savas Ozel from Medsail Holidays says: “Don’t leave the island without sampling Croatia’s infamous Gregada fish stew.”

If you choose to charter the northern part of the Dalmation coast, the Kornati National Park archipelago (which you need to purchase a permit for) offers a host of secluded anchorages hidden among 89 islands/islets.

Another interesting place to visit is Pag (the fifth largest island on the Croatian coastline). This island is known for its barren, moonlike landscape and is home to one of the oldest known olive trees – a mind-boggling 1,600 years old.

Finally, with many companies reporting a busy season ahead, booking early seem to be the key words. To ensure you get the best from your charter holiday in Croatia, Shears (Nautilus Yachting) offered his top tip: “If you’re going in the busy season, plan well ahead, check the forecast, and make sure to book your moorings at restaurants and marinas if there are particular places you want to visit.”

Contacts dreamyachtcharter.co.uk nautilusyachting.com plainsailing.com sunsail.co.uk moorings.co.uk tenrag.com medsailholidays.com escapeyachting.com

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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)

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The town of Arbroath also offers a variety of social and sporting amenities to visiting crews and a number of quality pubs, restaurants, the famous twelfth century Abbey and Signal Tower Museum are located close to the harbour.

The railway and bus stations are only 1km from the harbour with direct north and south connections.”

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Jess Lloyd-Mostyn Much is made of anchoring given that at its most basic level it is throwing out a heavy iron object on the end of a chain. Nevertheless, at certain moments, it is a fine art

T

here is a real art form to knowing how to squeeze yourself into an already crowded anchorage and also acknowledging when there is simply no more space to fit. There are certain spots all over the world that are popular and at the height of cruising season they can get busy, and I mean silly busy.

Try snagging a decent anchorage spot in St Lucia around Christmas time or getting a place in one of Antigua’s top harbours during the holidays. Anywhere that also has a charter fleet is likely to be somewhere that you’re vying for a position to drop the hook and if you find yourself still doing laps of an anchorage come sundowner time the chances are that you won’t be able to find one.

It’s not exactly a Caribbean phenomenon. Just try getting into Oneroa Bay in Waiheke in New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf on a weekend or during the summer holidays. The same goes for the prime spots in the Bay of Islands, further north.

How about the Med during the height of cruising season?

Or the Scilly Isles? Or the farther flung first landfall in the Marquesas islands? Absolutely jam-packed.

Maybe it’s that more of us are out there on the water now. Or maybe it’s that there are certain spots that have just the right balance of beautiful scenery and great facilities. Whatever the magic mixture is there are definite locations where your anchoring prowess will be tested to the limit in order to get you properly set, with the correct scope, and equally well-prepared for an easy evening sipping G&T’s in the cockpit or wild weather with strong winds.

Recently we approached one of the few southern island anchorages in Singapore on a weekend just before sunset.

It’s just two miles from the largest marina so there is a natural exodus come Friday afternoon when boats of all shapes and sizes head out to play. Upon arrival I could see the challenge ahead: this is a place with uncertain holding, where all the depths are over 10 metres and we were already surrounded by many large powerboats. Add to that swimmers in the water, paddleboarders on the surface and the odd, ubiquitous jet-ski. About half were charter boats, with their own skippers, hosting groups of

partygoers so the place was packed with music, lights and drinking.

This also means lots of eyes on you as you manoeuvre about.

Fortunately, having anchored our boat thousands upon thousands of times now, I know well how much room she needs. I also knew that in the mild afternoon breeze we would have no worry if our scope wasn’t ideal, especially as we’d be staying aboard and that, come nightfall, many boats would be clearing out, allowing us to put out more chain.

In the British Virgin Islands I remember boats hovering, their engines idling, turning in endless circles, waiting for the few mooring balls relating to the top snorkelling spots to become free. We had a similar situation in Indonesia’s Komodo islands, as everyone wanted to snag the closest place to shore in order to do a particular hike or trail. But New Zealand really takes anchorage squeezing to a whole new level.

Perhaps it’s because they are a nation of boaters.

Ocean goers, weekend trippers, casual fishing boats, big gin palace powerboats, classic-lined sailing yachts, all of them all at once happily sat on top of one another. We learned early on when the Friday crowding would start so would choose to arrive on a Wednesday or Thursday in relative seclusion and simply sit back and watch the madness ensue over the following days with a nice cup of tea in hand.

It became like watching sport on the telly. The natural slots and openings would fill in so that the bay was covered and yet still more upon more would keep coming. The spacing would get tighter and tighter and the arriving boats would reconnaissance for longer and longer, slowly patrolling like patient sharks, looking for an opening or desperately hoping to spot a departing yacht. As dusk would fall there would be more crews shouting in panic “I think over to starboard there’s one!” What makes it all the more hilarious is that two days later we’d be alone with the place to ourselves in this country that has so much space and wilderness.

Sometimes you’ll find space, but maybe you won’t so, as is the way with so much of sailing, make room for a plan and a back-up to save the day.

98

APRIL 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 MICHAEL PARKIN

‘There are definite locations where your anchoring prowess will be tested to the limit’

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