Vol. 9 No. 6
November - December 2014
Southeast Asia’s yachting & marine industry magazine www.seayachting.net
AUD7.95 HKD45 RM7.90
SGD6.90 THB180 PHP275
FORT L AUDERDALE + SOUTH OF FRANCE + NEWPORT + SAN DIEGO + PALMA + HONG KONG + SINGAPORE + THAIL AND + PHILIPPINES + VIETNAM + INDONESIA
►S E A T U G C O N V E R T E D T O L U X UR Y E X P E D I T I O N YA C H T
LADY ARRAYA 132.3' (40.31m) :: Oceanfast :: 1990 :: US $2,800,000 Bart Kimman :: Hong Kong :: +852 9759 7845 :: Bart.Kimman@NorthropandJohnson.com
CONVERTED BALTIC S T 110' (33.5m) :: VEB J. Warnke :: 1990/1999 :: US $975,000 Bert Van Muylwijk :: Thailand :: +66 89 289 4038 :: Bert.VanMuylwijk@NorthropandJohnson.com
► F O R S A L E A ND F O R C H A R T E R
SY ASIA 98' (29.8m) :: Don Brooke Custom Built Offshore Sloop :: 2009 :: US $4300,000 Bart Kimman :: Hong Kong :: +852 9759 7845 :: Bart.Kimman@NorthropandJohnson.com
AVENTURE 93' (28.5m) :: Baso/Zircon :: 2012 :: $4,000,000 Bert van Muylwijk :: Thailand :: +66 89 289 4038 :: Bert.VanMuylwijk@NorthropandJohnson.com
► P R I C E O F B A S E S P E C I F I C AT I O N S
►W E L L M A IN TA INE D W O R L D C R UI S E R
BERING B80 80' (24.4m) :: Bering Yachts :: Newbuild :: US $3,990,000
KANTER 54 54' (16.5m) :: Kanter :: 1994 :: US $398,000
Bert Van Muylwijk :: Thailand :: +66 89 289 4038 :: Bert.VanMuylwijk@NorthropandJohnson.com
Bert Van Muylwijk :: Thailand :: +66 89 289 4038 :: Bert.VanMuylwijk@NorthropandJohnson.com
►W I T H A E R O R I G 3 6 0 F R O M C A R B O S PA R S
MONASHEE II 53' (16.15m) :: Custom :: 1999 :: US $490,000 Bert Van Muylwijk :: Thailand :: +66 89 289 4038 :: Bert.VanMuylwijk@NorthropandJohnson.com
► R E F I T T E D IN O R I G IN A L NE W S TAT E
SWAN 46 46' (14m) :: Nautor's Swan :: 1987/2010 :: US $299,000 Bert Van Muylwijk :: Thailand :: +66 89 289 4038 :: Bert.VanMuylwijk@NorthropandJohnson.com
BROKERAGE + CHARTER + MANAGEMENT + NEW CONSTRUCTION + CREW SERVICES
NORTHROPANDJOHNSON.COM
Bakri Cono Shipyard, Thailand, Proudly Presents
HELIOTROPE 48 “Maybe the finest Family Power Cat� Available in two Semi-Custom Made versions, Four Cabins & Owner. Come to visit us at our new Shipyard or www.bakricono.com info@bakricono.com For the sales of the Heliotrope line; H48 and H65 as well as Sailing Cat BC60, visit our website www.bakrikono.com and contact the office nearest to you.
Heliotrope 65 solar assisted
Heliotrope 80
Bakri Cono 60
The late great Rolien Beute took this picture of spinnakers frolicking through the stunning karst topography of Phang Nga Bay.
DISCLAIMER Although the information in this publication has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, the magazine cannot guarantee accuracy in all cases. Persons wishing to purchase boats, yachting equipment or other related marine or other products should consider all information or advice in this publication as a general guide only, and should consult a professional prior to making purchases. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor but are usually those of the writers. All editorial is published in good faith, but the editors cannot vouch for the accuracy of all information provided by others.
Sihanoukville
The Bay Regatta www.acyc-phuket.com/ bayregatta.htm
Kings Cup Regatta www.kingscup.com Phuket Raceweek Phuket www.phuketraceweek.com Banda Aceh
Samui
Saigon
Koh Samui Regatta www.samuiregatta.com Borneo International Yachting Challenge www.borneorace.com Royal Langkawi International Regatta www.langkawiregatta.com
Superyacht Rendez-vous www.asia-superyacht-rendezvous.com
RELATED WEBSITES For this magazine: www.seayachting.net For info on The Greater Phuket Magazine: www.phuketmagazine.asia
Singapore
Palembang
Makassar
Jakarta
Bali
Christmas Island
FREELANCE CONTRIBUTIONS Freelance contributions are welcomed, but the publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs or other materials sent. Editorial guidelines are available on the website. SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available worldwide through the network of distributors in each country, or when not available, from Dragon Art Media directly. Please see the subscription card in this magazine first, and if the service is not available in your country go to the website for details.
Kota Kinabalu
Palawan
Kuching Boat Asia www.boat-asia.com
PIMEX www.phuketboatshow.com
Nias Raja Muda Regatta www.rmir.com
COPYRIGHT All text, photographs and other materials in this magazine are the property of AP PACIFIC Co., Ltd. or Dragon Art Media Co., Ltd. or the respective authors and photographers and the copyright is reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form, electronic or otherwise, without the written permission of the copyright owner is strictly prohibited. To obtain permission for reproduction please write to the editor.
Manila
Top of the Gulf Regatta www.topofthegulfregatta.com Mergui ArchiPelago
LOCATION & FREQUENCY The magazine is published under contract in Thailand, with editorial, advertising and design offices in Phuket and a head office in Bangkok handling production and shipping.
Da Nang
Sail Indonesia www.sailindonesia.net
Distribution: SEA Yachting is distributed in sufficient quantities to reach virtually all professionals in Southeast Asia's and selected tropical Australian marine industries by free distribution through all yacht clubs, marinas and other marine outlets. It is also retailed comprehensively through bookshops throughout the region, reaching all visitors with in interest in boats. Free copies are also placed in up-market rental villas in Phuket and Bali. Sufficient copies are delivered to all marinas and yacht clubs in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia for virtually all members to receive a personal free copy
SEA Yachting is a production of AP PACIFIC Co. Ltd. Suite D, 16th Floor, On Hing Building 1-9 On Hing Terrace, Central Hong Kong. SEA Yachting is produced under contract by Dragon Art Media Co. Ltd. of Bangkok.
November - April NE trades Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth, whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul...then. I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. "Herman Melville
Bangkok Offic e: 1201/ 65-66 Soi Lard Phrao 94 Office: Wangthonglang, Bangkok 10310 Tel. (66 2) 559 0360-3 Fax (66 2) 559 0363
Phuket Office: 169/63 Ban Benjamas, Soi San Sabai Rat-U-Thi Song Roi Pee Road Patong, Katu, Phuket 83150 Tel. & Fax (66 76) 341 685
Editor: Nanta Boonmee Managing Editor Editor:: Scott Murray
Davao
scottm@dragonartmedia.com
Associate Editor Editor:: Ken Loh Designer: Apichai Ekapoom Krisana Ekapoom
Advertising Regional: Sales@dragonartmedia.com
Manado
Ternate
Distribution Thailand: Scottm@dragonartmedia.com
Biak Jayapura
Ambon
Dili Timor
Thursday Is. Darwin
Port Moresby
Cairns
SEA Yachting is Southeast Asia's regional marine industry magazine. We welcome your comments. Please feel free to send comments or letters to the editor at scottm@dragonartmedia.com Where possible your letters will be published.
Marina Distribution
Southeast Asia’s yachting and marine industry magazine
CONTENTS Continuity assured as Ocean Property confirms ownership of ToG Ownership of the Regatta has been vested in Ocean Property Co. Ltd, owners of Ocean Marina, & dates have been set for next year’s regatta – 30th April to 4th May 2015. Meanwhile, the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show 2014 to be held from November 27th-30th at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club, is expected to be bigger and better and with an expanded four-day format organizers are expecting to welcome over 6,000 visitors this year.
BVZ Asia® is sea savvy BVZ Asia® carries specialty fabrics, hardware and finishing materials for boat tops, covers, tarps, sails, seat cushions, interiors and more. With the widest distribution network of Sunbrella® performance fabrics and associated products in Asia, it has inventories in six major distribution centers in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Rolien’s DPS of Bay Regatta Rolien Beute, a long-time contributor to both SEA Yachting and Phuket Magazine died this past summer in Holland after a long fight with breast cancer. She loved photographing the Bay Regatta, so we thought we would honour her memory with this classic shot of hers, which celebrates the colours and pageantry of the “party that sails around.”
Seaventres of Plane Sailing When Bob and Deirdre Plane set off from South Africa in May of 2003 for a 36,000nm circumnavigation they didn’t have much sailing knowledge, but, boy, do they have it now. Adventure after adventure has beset them along their journey on their Admiral built-cat. We feature an excerpt from Deirdre’s soon-to-be published book, Seaventures of Plane Sailing.
Top Gun Superyacht Guides in Indonesia Ricardo Buxo, Didier Romero & Paul “Bob” Brunskill are a few of the top-gun guides that Asia Pacific Superyachts Indonesia has on offer to steer you through the magical waters of the 17,000island Indonesian archipelago.
www.seayachting.net
14 22 24 28 40
Southeast Asia’s yachting and marine industry magazine
CONTENTS
42 48
Vision Surveys 25th Airlie Beach Race Week Celebrated Aussie photo/journalist Kevin Green takes his sailing and reporting skills with him to the Vision Surveys 25th Airlie Beach Race Week and with his usual flair provides us with a wrap-up of all the key events during this exciting week of sailing action. The regatta got off to a flying start that never slowed thanks to a week of big winds that brought thrills and spills to for the 135-yacht fleet.
Images from the Samui Regatta The last leg in Captain Marty’s prestigious Asian Yachting Grand Prix, we take a look at some of Scott Murray’s images from the 2014 Samui Regatta, brilliantly organized by Simon James, Kae Wattana and their team at Regattas Asia.
52
Building your dream yacht
56
Rob Williams Reviews
60
Labuan beckons
Yacht broker Bert van Muylwijk, the director of Northrop & Johnson Thailand, walks us through some of the dos and don’ts of building a yacht. Informative as always, Bert’s article is a must read for anyone thinking about constructing their own boat.
Rob Williams, the MD of Yachtpro Thailand and South East Asia Yacht Sales, takes us through the Sealine S330 Sports Cruiser, which will be certain to set new standards in this class of sports motor boats. He also tells us about the Fjord 36 M/Y Tender, specifically built for owners of large motor yachts, as well as the new Dehler 46, from Hanse Yachts, which has generated much interest at the early European boat shows.
Situated in between Sabah and Sarawak the duty-free port of Labuan unfortunately gets very little press. But this delightful little federal Malaysian territory is a “must visit” if you are in the area. SEA Yachting made a recent stop there during the Borneo International Yachting Challenge.
www.seayachting.net
14
Regional
NEWS
Continuity assured as Ocean Property confirm ownership of
Asia’s largest multi-class sailing event, Top of the Gulf Regatta
The 2015 Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by Ocean Marina will take place 30th April to 4th May at Ocean Marina Yacht Club. Following the successful 10th Anniversary Top of the Gulf Regatta, the dates have been set for next year – 30th April to 4th May 2015 – and organisers are planning for a strong fleet of boats ranging from dinghies to large keelboats and multihulls hosted at Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Jomtien, Pattaya. Racing for the keelboats and multihulls will take place 1st to 4th May while the Optimists, competing in the Thailand National Optimist Championships, dinghies and beach catamarans will race over three days, 1st to 3rd May. Registration for the keelboat and multihull classes, together with a practice race and opening party will be on Thursday 30th April. Ownership of the Regatta has been vested in Ocean Property Co. Ltd, owners of Ocean Marina, while the organising committee structure remains the same with Co-Founder and long-serving Chairman Mr. William Gasson appointed Co-Chairman with Ocean Property’s Mr. Kirati Assakul, also a regular competitor at the Regatta on his multihull Sonic. Reflecting the ownership change, the Regatta sees a change of name: Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by Ocean Marina. Ensuring continuity, the Regatta format remains unchanged and over the coming years will evolve in response to competitors’ needs, as it has over the past 10 years. Home of the Regatta since its inception, Ocean Marina have undergone significant expansion in recent years and is now the largest marina in South East Asia. In addition to the expansion in berthing, dry storage and onshore facilities, a new 75 ton Travel Lift has been added and extensive dredging taken place. The dredging will allow for more of the larger keelboats, such as the TP52s – of which organisers have received new enquiries already – to berth and join the Regatta, and with the favourable berthing rates for yachts proceeding to the Samui Regatta this bodes well for an increased participation in 2015. Ten years on, the Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by Ocean Marina has become firmly established on the sailing map, is one of the 12 five-star regattas selected to be a part of the prestigious AsianYachting Grand Prix circuit, and today welcomes sailors of more than 35 nationalities each year to compete. The largest multi-class event of its kind in Asia, the About the Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by Ocean Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by Ocean Marina Marina regularly welcomes over 250 boats and more than Founded in 2005 the 2015 Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by 650 sailors to compete across 10 or more classes, and Ocean Marina will take place 30th April to 4th May. Owned and organised incorporates the Coronation Cup – competed for by oneby Ocean Property, the Regatta is hosted by Ocean Marina Yacht Club with design Platus – and the Thailand National Optimist support from the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, Royal Thai Navy, Championships. Royal Varuna Yacht Club and Pattaya City. Organised by Ocean Property, the 2015 Top of the The Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by Ocean Marina is unique: it Gulf Regatta Presented by Ocean Marina will take is the largest multi-class sailing event of its kind in Asia, incorporates the place 30th April to 4th May, hosted by Ocean Marina Yacht Coronation Cup and the Thailand National Optimist Championships, and is Club, Jomtien, Pattaya, Thailand. the only regatta in Thailand hosted at a marina. In recognition of the Regatta’s success and cementing its position on For more information, visit www.topofthegulfregatta.com the international sailing calendar, Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by Facebook: www.facebook.com/togregatta Ocean Marina was recently voted ‘Asian Regatta of the Year’ at the 2014 Twitter: www.twitter.com/togregatta Asian Marine & Boating Awards. YouTube: www.youtube.com/TOGRegatta
Regional
NEWS 15
Record numbers expected to enjoy marine, leisure and lifestyle offerings at 2014 Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show Thailand’s multi-million-US dollar marine leisure in dustry leads the way among ASEAN E conomic Community (AEC) countries
Record numbers of visitors are expected at the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show this year as the organisers, Ocean Property, confirm a new expanded four-day format, increased exhibition space and an exciting programme of activities including the International Fishing Boat Competition and Boat & Yacht Thailand 2014 Conference. Held 27th to 30th November 2014 at South East Asia’s largest marina, Ocean Marina in Jomtien, Greater Pattaya, the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show has grown to become a hotly anticipated annual showcase of everything marine and associated lifestyle all within easy access of Bangkok and the capital’s international gateway, Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thailand’s multi-million-US dollar marine industry is the envy of AEC countries and Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show is at the heart of the industry’s growth. “Now in it’s third year, the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show has grown from strength-tostrength. This year we have expanded the show to be four days from Thursday 27th November to Sunday 30th November, giving visitors more time to enjoy the spectacular array of exhibits, products and services on offer,” said Mrs. Supatra Angkawinijwong, Deputy Managing Director of Ocean Property, the organisers. “We welcomed over 4,000 visitors to last year’s Show, and as the popularity of Ocean Marina and the Gulf of Thailand as a marine hub in South East Asia grows, we expect the number of visitors to increase further this year to more than 6,000.” With a total of 12,000 sqm of onshore and on-water exhibition space this year – an increase of 20% – businesses have been quick to reserve their space. On the back of strong early bookings, organisers expect more than 100 exhibitors, a clear sign of strength in Thailand’s marine and lifestyle sector. “The quick pace at which marine businesses and companies in the marine and lifestyle sector have reserved space is very encouraging. Onshore the exhibition area will be larger than ever before and on-water the line-up of boats includes many of the top brands in the world,” added Mrs. Angkawinijwong. In co-operation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Ocean Marina – South East Asia’s largest marina – is driving growth of Pattaya’s marine leisure tourism and positioning Pattaya as the premier upscale beach resort destination in Thailand. Taking place for the first time this year from 29th to 30th November, is the International Fishing Boat Competition. Open for teams of upto three people, the two day competition is organised by the Thailand Fishing Tackle Trade and Manufacture Association in co-operation with Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show, and prizes are awarded for the top 10 hauls in two categories. Another addition to the Boat Show programme, and a first of its kind in Thailand, is the Boat & Yacht Thailand 2014 Conference which will take place on 28th November. Under the theme of ‘Green Boating’ the one-day conference will provide a platform for marine industry experts and boating enthusiasts to share their ideas about environmentally friendly marine craft, alternative energies, equipment and other green innovations for pleasure boats and watercraft. Other highlights at this year’s Boat Show include free yacht cruises, kayak and paddle boat experiences, an open-air drinks and food festival with live band, jetpack flying board and radio control power boat demonstrations, games and much more. Now in its third year, the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show is held in high regard both internationally and domestically. Providing a valuable platform for marine and lifestyle businesses to showcase their products to discerning customers, the Show is also a unique opportunity for visitors to get onboard a boat, walk through and experience a boat, and learn more about the marine and luxury lifestyle that is on offer in Thailand. For more information: website: www.oceanmarinapattayaboatshow.com facebook: www.facebook.com/oceanmarinapattayaboatshow
About Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show was launched in 2012 to much acclaim from the industry and visitors. Attracting a wide range of marine and leisure exhibitors, the 2014 Show will take place 27th to 30th November at Ocean Marina Yacht Club and will showcase Jomtien and the Greater Pattaya region to the world, underscoring the Gulf of Thailand as a strategic yachting hub in South East Asia. About Ocean Marina Situated on Jomtien Beach in Greater Pattaya, Ocean Marina is Thailand’s premier marina resort complex and the largest in South East Asia, a short drive from Bangkok and just one hour from Suvarnabhumi Airport. The world-class marina is complemented by a yacht club, accommodation, fine dining and recreational facilities as well as two luxury residences - San Marino and Ocean Portofino. Ocean Marina is home to the annual Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show and Top of the Gulf Regatta Asia’s largest multi-class regatta and has been the official venue for leading international events, including CataWorld Cup, 24th SEA Games, as well as large-scale concerts by Grammy, Cool FM and more. www.oceanmarinayachtclub.com
16
Regional
NEWS
Sunset from Port Blair.
Havelock Island.
Visiting the Andamans & their Amazing Anchorages
Barren Island Live Volcano.
I N D I A Port Blair, India —Those interested in cruising the clear waters of the Andaman Seas will find enchanting islands with miles of seclusion… offering drift diving over coral gardens, soft sandy beaches and pure blue waters, a water temperature of 28º, cool nights and good sailing winds. A paradise of anchorage options awaits and skippers will find Thailand’s Phuket an excellent departure to cruise the 400 NM to Port Blair in the Bay of Bengal. You can fly or sail down from either Phuket or Langkawi, Malaysia to the entry port of Port Blair located at 11º40.3’North x 92º44.2' East. Port Blair is the capital of this union territory and well connected to mainland India with Kolkata in the East of India and Chennai in the south of India serving as primary gateways. A major challenge when visiting a new wilderness destination is knowing where to go, where to anchor and what to see along with trying to figure out the time-consuming checking in and checking out procedures of a new destination. R. Rathnam operates the leading professional yacht handling & facilitation agency, Asia Pacific Superyachts Andamans, and can assist with all of this while arranging for an Itinerary specifically designed to the Captain’s interests and requests. Visitors to the Andamans are allowed a 30-day visa, though Mr. Rathnam notes he can advise on longer stays. He and his team can provide the expert assistance needed through a vessel’s arrival and departure as clearance procedures at Port Blair can be a lengthy experience requiring lots of paperwork. Customs, Immigration, Coast Guard, Harbour Master and the Forestry Department all require written requests before providing formal written approvals. Arrival and departure procedures for these needs and for visas, health and security can be professionally and efficiently handled with you by your agent. Port Blair is steeped in British tradition and holds many delights for visitors while numerous procedures and paperwork are completed with the guidance of an experienced agent. It may take up to a couple of days to clear in, including arranging with the Harbour Master to take on water at the commercial dock and to ensure all paperwork is completed and provisioning has been done. In fact, Asia Pacific Superyachts Andamans can bring provisions right to your yacht from their new provisioning facility at Port Blair. Your agent can also plan and submit the detailed itineraries which will require twice daily radio check-ins to ensure the authorities know where the vessel is at all times. While guide books provide some indication for an itinerary, they invariably omit some of the best spots. A good agent will tailor an itinerary drawing on extensive knowledge and include advice of navigational hazards along with options for quality accommodation, vehicle hire, air travel and helicopter. Reporting on the following islands, Mr. Rathnam shares a few favored skippers’ anchorages below with location.
Ellular Jail at Port Blair. Rutland Island, latitude 11º 25.7' North, longitude 92º36.8' East Discover fresh turtle tracks on the beach during egg laying season. Make day sails from the island anchorage to isolated reefs and swim with schools of large double headed parrot fish, moray eels and view crayfish hiding in rocks amongst millions of beautiful reef fish. Havelock Island, beach #7, latitude 11º58N, longitude 92º57E Ashore is a great Italian restaurant and tourism here is low key, back-packer based and easy on the pocket. The local market town is a delightful experience where you can select some ginger spiced samosas while enjoying a glass of chai, then stocking up on freshly picked produce at local market gardens. The beach often has great waves, just perfect for boogie boarding and body surfing followed by late afternoon fishing. However note that arriving by dinghy on this beach can often be challenging. Inglis Island, latitude 12º 08n, longitude 93º 06E You can anchor in a stunning passage between two islands and inspect the reef by dinghy. While trawling you might catch a polka dot cod amongst the underwater delights. And watch out for a crocodile! An Andaman Islands itinerary, including the above (but not including Nicobar Islands) might consist of any of the following islands: Long Island, Inglis Island, Rutland Island, Ross Island, Tarmugli Island, Inglis Island, Cinque Islands, North Sentinel Island, Neill Island, Kyd Island, Havelock Island, John Lawrence Island, Henry Lawrence Island, Outram Island, North Passage Island and Barren Island. The Barren Island volcano, the only confirmed active volcano in South Asia (most recent eruption was 2 May 2006), could be at least 1.8 million years old according to a group of scientists at Ahmedabad-based Physical Research Laboratory and the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay. The Andamans climate and weather may be described as normal for tropical islands of similar latitude. It is always warm but tempered by pleasant sea breezes and can be very hot when the sun is northing. The rainfall is irregular but usually dry during the north-east, and very wet during the south-west monsoon. An incredible and unique journey awaits those wanting to experience a different world – to learn more about Superyacht cruising in the Andamans, email R. Rathnam at andamans@asiapacific-superyachts.com
Regional
NEWS 17
Explorer unveils new lines including a passage-maker H O N G KO N G Cruising motoryacht builder Explorer Motor Yachts has announced development of two new lines to expand its range of flybridge and pilot house cruisers. The Odyssey line comprise passage-maker cruisers and the Hudson Bay line is made up of classic-style single-level sports yachts. Describing the Odyssey line, Explorer Motor Yachts CEO Mark Campion said: “Everything I learned from many years of offshore sailing has gone into these boats. “I was fortunate to learn from some of the great ‘old sea dogs’ who are not around any more and I have rolled that skill and knowledge into the design and construction of the Odyssey boats.” Explorer has announced two models in the Odyssey line, a 52 and a 62-footer. Campion said the boats have been designed and developed to take on the world oceans, carrying owners and friends across thousands of blue water miles in style and safety . “They combine rugged construction with the highest levels of luxury on board,” he said. “We have also included elements that all offshore skippers and navigators will appreciate. The dedicated pilot house combines comfort and control. We have a dedicated and fully equipped chart table on each boat. I would never go to sea without a full set of paper charts, even though the boats are equipped with the very latest of electronic navigation aids.” Moulds for two Odyssey passage-makers are complete at the company’s yard, with the hull of an Odyssey 62 already out of the mould. The Hudson Bay line combines the classic look of traditional Explorer flybridge models with a single-level entertainer sports yacht layout and functionality The first in this line is a Hudson Bay 50 model with two boats already delivered. The Hudson Bay 50 is offered with either a three or two cabin layout, each with a full-beam master stateroom amidships. The Explorer Motor Yachts web site is www.explorermotoryachts.com. FOR MORE INFORMATION
Mark Campion Explorer Motor Yachts (HK) Limited 7C Beaudry Tower, 38 Bonham Road Hong Kong Phone: (HK) 852 9307 5786 (China) 86 1377 705 6183 Email: mark.campion@explorermotoryachts.com Web: www.explorermotoryachts.com
18
Regional
NEWS
Tahiti Charter Tax Drop!
H48: New Catamaran Yacht The design of the H48 was developed by Albert Nazarov’s Albatross Marine design team; the H48’s hull shape is the quintessence of AMD’s catamaran experience providing a soft ride and fuel efficiency in wide range of semi-planing speeds. Seakeeping was the primary concern and vertical accelerations have been reduced by 30-50% compared to monohull craft. The structure is composed of high-tech sandwich laminate using Finite Element methods; the experience of extensive testing and service records of high-speed patrol boat hulls was applied. The H48 can be beached and the propellers and rudders are well protected by skegs. A synonym for catamaran is “space” and the flybridge and saloon on the new H48 are spacious and great for in/ outdoor picnics with a barbeque. Of special concern were the exterior styling and interior ergonomics: Albatross did not want to squeeze space to accommodate a maximum numbers of bunks and bathrooms. Styling can be impressive for those who want to stand out and be seen, but without going to extremes, which often make “innovative looking” boats unpractical. The boat is being put into production by the Bakri Cono Shipyard. Main particulars: length of hull 14.7m; beam 7.2m, displacement full load – 24t, engines in range 2x260HP with top speed to 17tks fully loaded (other engine options possible); certification CE/RCD Cat B. www.amdesign.co.th
Etienne Boutin, owner & manager of Asia Pacific Superyachts Tahiti.
MY Ultimate Lady à Moorea in French Polynesia Courtesy Asia Pacific Superyachts.
French Polynesia —” I would like to report that Tahiti charter tax has just dropped to 5% of gross revenues (the previous rate was 12%)”, Etienne Boutin of Asia Pacific Superyachts Tahiti recently announced. “We hope this change will help more guests decide on our islands as their next charter destination and enjoy the French Polynesia preserved marine environment and fun land- based activities.” This drop of the charter tax, combined with the recent extension of yachts allowed a “duty-free Stay” to 36 months, is also a great opportunity for yacht owners in the Asia-Pacific region and further afield to base their yacht in Tahiti”, the agent explains. Etienne notes French Polynesia charter regulations were first put in place in 1995 and simplified in 2004. One hundred large yachts have applied for a license since then. The license is granted to yachts over a certain size and quality (yacht with a value over US$1M, has a weekly charter tariff of US$15,500 with minimum crew of three). The agent explains: “We (APS Tahiti agency) will organize the charter license application and will also manage all the paperwork involved for a seamless experience, leaving the crew to the only important task on board: the guests’ satisfaction.” Etienne Boutin has worked over 20 years in the shipping and yachting industry before creating Tahiti Ocean in 1995 as the first agency exclusively dedicated to the service of luxury yachts visiting French Polynesia. He now heads up Asia Pacific Superyachts Tahiti. CONTACT: Etienne@asia-pacific-superyacht.com and www.asia-pacificsuperyachts.com
Regional
NEWS 19
Multihull Solutions signs agreement with N&J to expand Asian distribution Multihull Solutions has further expanded its Asian network of multihull sales with a recent agreement giving Northrop & Johnson the license to represent the company’s stable of brands in Hong Kong, Vietnam and the Philippines. N&J can sell power and sail multihulls represented by Multihull Solutions Asia Ltd throughout these specific regions. The two-year agreement also gives N&J the rights to sell any of Multihull Solutions’ exclusive pre-owned brokerage listings through their own network of sales offices, giving vendors significantly increased exposure to potential Asian buyers. Multihull Solutions Asia general manager Andrew de Bruin said the agreement was signed during thes Singapore Yacht Show and represents an exciting development for the company. “We welcome the opportunity work with Northrop & Johnson who have an outstanding international reputation and history,” Andrew said. “The partnership provides a fantastic boost to our brands, and we look forward to seeing Fountaine Pajot, Catana, Fountaine Pajot Motor Yachts, NEEL Trimarans and our other brands enjoying even greater exposure in the greater Asian region,” he said. “The agreement also provides further reason for those wishing to sell their boat to list it with our brokerage division. The combined power of the two companies’ international sales reach, expansive buyer databases and professional marketing campaigns delivers a compelling advantage over other yacht brokerages. Since the company’s launch at the 2014 PIMEX show, Multihull Solutions has been overwhelmed by the response to its expansion into Asia. The team has already sold a number of new multihulls as well as securing contracts on several pre-owned brokerage catamarans, and is enjoying solid success at the Singapore Yacht Show where it is showcasing the Summerland 40 Long Range and the Queensland 55 by Fountaine Pajot Motor Yachts.
Multihull Solutions is the exclusive distributor of Fountaine Pajot and Catana Catamarans in southeast Asia and also represent Sunreef Yachts, TAG Yachts, NEEL Trimarans and Privilège Catamarans in the region. The company has offices in Phuket and Singapore to provide sales and service for new and pre-owned multihulls. Further information about Multihull Solutions Asia or its recent agreement with Northrop & Johnson can be obtained by contacting Multihull Solutions in Thailand on +66 (0)8 1894 1530+66 (0)8 1894 1530, emailing info@multihullsolutions.asia See more at: http://www.multihullsolutions.com.au/multihullsolutions-signs-agreement-with-nj-to-expand-asian-distribution#sthash.h8QhY77D.dpuf
20
Regional
NEWS
ONE°15 Marina Club, an awardwinning private marina club and integrated marina property developer in Singapore is pleased to announce its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vung Ro Petroleum Co. Ltd, an independent petroleum company based in Vietnam to develop an integrated marina resort in Vung Ro Bay, Vietnam. The MoU was signed by Mr. Arthur Tay, Chairman and CEO of ONEÚ15 Marina Club and SUTL Group of Companies and Mr. Kirill Korolev, CEO and General
Signing Ceremony of MoU between ONE°15 Marina Club & Vung Ro Petroleum Director of Vung Ro Petroleum Co. at ONEo15 Marina Club at 10am, Monday, 26 May 2014. This is ONE°15 Marina Club’s first marina property in Vietnam and is also its first partnership with Vung Ro Petroleum Co., who is backed by the Rose Rock Group, an investment management and real estate development firm founded by the Rockefeller family. To be named ONE15 Vung Ro Bay Marina Resort, the development aims to become an international nautical hub with its superb location and natural deep water and sheltered bay. The iconic destination will comprise of a private members club, marina berths, hotel, dining, retail outlets, and a collection of exclusive boutique villas. Kirill Korolev, CEO and General Director of Vung Ro Petroleum Co. says: “the MOU signing opens new horizons for the entire Vung Ro Bay development that will emphasize sustainable development and focus on creating an extraordinary thriving ecology of education, healthy living, lifestyle and culture.” Ideally located in the Phu Yen Province of Vietnam with direct links to Tuy Hoa and its Dong Tac Airport, Vung Ro Bay About ONE°15 Marina Club development is a convenient location for both tourists and Located in Sentosa Cove, the prime leisure district of Singapore, residents alike. ONE°15 Marina Club features a beautiful marina of 270 berths with The development will comprise several hotels with over 760 facilities to accommodate megayachts of up to 200 feet. The wellrooms, 4,300 apartments, 100 luxury townhouses, a variety of appointed clubhouse encompasses worldclass facilities including fine retail shops and a 400m sandy beach as well as the marina restaurants and bars, luxurious suite rooms, a modern spa, a wellberths. The gross commercial area will total approximately equipped gymnasium, members’ and kids’ lounges as well as conference 200,000 square meters, providing space for schools, healthcare and meeting rooms. Evoking the glamour and elegance of Monte Carlo, facilities, retailing, leisure and entertainment complexes as well ONE°15 Marina Club is emerging as Asia’s most desired waterfront leisure as the ONE15 Vung Ro Bay marina. Already garnering destination. international support, the Vung Ro Bay Master Plan won the Silver Award at MIPIM in Hong Kong in November 2013 as a ONE°15 Marina Club is the winner of several international accolades travel and living destination. including: Mr. Arthur Tay, Chairman of ONEÚ15 Marina Club and SUTL Group of Companies, enthuses: “the creation of the ONE15 Vung ◆ Outstanding Hospitality Award at the Singapore Yacht Show 2013 Ro Marina Resort is the start of something very exciting for ◆ Asian Marina of the Year consecutively from 2012 - 2014, ONEÚ15 Marina Club and SUTL. In Asia, we are seeing more ◆ Best Asian Marina /Best Yachting Club 2009, and more aspiring generations wanting to embrace new lifestyle ◆ The prestigious FIVE Gold Anchor Award choices such as yachting and waterfront living. As an integrated marina property developer we believe in sharing what we know The Club also has the honour of hosting upscale international to help build the marina property business in the region, and yachting events including: are actively pursuing marina projects in Vietnam, Korea, ◆ Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and China. Be it seaside, lakeside ◆ Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09, or riverside, we expect to see more infrastructure being built to ◆ Asia Superyacht Conference 2009 – 2011, accommodate this growing demand and governments putting the ◆ Asia Pacific Superyacht Conference 2012 & 2013, appropriate regulatory environment in place for yachting and ◆ 6th Asia Pacific Yachting Conference 2014 marina activities. These developments present many ◆ Singapore Yacht Show 2011 – 2014 opportunities for us. This collaboration with Vung Ro Petroleum For more information, log onto www.one15marina.com Co. is certainly a step in the right direction for us.”
Regional
NEWS 21
Saba 50 The Saba 50 elevates performance cruising to an entirely new level of style and affordability. Replacing the Salina 48, the Saba 50 is designed to optimise living space while delivering outstanding performance at sea.
See us at Phuket International Boat Show 8-11 Jan 2015 Summerland 40 LR on display
For further information, a test sail or advice, please contact: Andrew de Bruin at Boat Lagoon Marina, Phuket: P +66 (0) 76 238 117 M +66 (0)8 1894 1530 E info@multihullsolutions.asia www.multihullsolutions.asia Asia Pacific Importer and distributor of:
AUSTRALIA I ASIA I PACIFIC I NEW ZEALAND
SAIL I POWER
NEW I PRE-OWNED
tŚĞŶ ǁĞ ƐĂLJ ŽƵƚĚŽŽƌ ƐŽŌ ƐŽĨĂƐ͕ ǁĞ ŵĞĂŶ ŝƚ͘
Insist on the original. &ƌŽŵ ĐůĂƐƐŝĐ ĚĞƐŝŐŶƐ͕ ƚŽ ŵŽĚĞƌŶ ĂŶĚ ĨƵŶĐƟ ŽŶĂů ŵŽĚƵůĂƌ ƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ͕ ǁŝƚŚ hƌĞĐĞů YƵŝĐŬ ƌLJΠ ĨŽĂŵ ŝŶƐŝĚĞ͕ ĚƌĞƐƐĞĚ ŝŶ ĂŶLJ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŚƵŶĚƌĞĚƐ ŽĨ ĐŽůŽƌƐ ŽĨ ^ƵŶďƌĞůůĂΠ ĨĂďƌŝĐƐ͕ ƚŚĞƌĞ ǁŝůů ĂůǁĂLJƐ ďĞ ŽŶĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƐƵŝƚƐ LJŽƵƌ ŶĞĞĚƐ ĂŶĚ ŵĂƚĐŚĞƐ LJŽƵƌ ƐƚLJůĞ͊ KƵƌ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ĐŽŵĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ŐƵĂƌĂŶƚĞĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ͘ tŚLJ ƚĂŬĞ Ă ƌŝƐŬ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ďƌĂŶĚƐ͍
www.suniture.com
22 ®
I
n line with its thrust to increase its offering and strengthen its commitment to supporting the marine industry, BVZ Asia® is offering new product lines in addition to its wide assortment of collections. BVZ Asia® carries specialty fabrics, hardware and finishing materials for boat tops, covers, tarps, sails, seat cushions, interiors and more. With the widest distribution network of Sunbrella® performance fabrics and associated products in Asia, it has inventories in six major distribution centers in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Clients can order directly from any
of the offices ensuring convenient and reliable delivery. “We carry the best lines for marine applications including Nautolex® Grand Cayman, Ultraclear, Covermaster 697, Q-Snaps and Perfix,” says Paul Hunt, Thailand general manager. “We are excited about Nautolex® Grand Cayman fabrics. They are durable marine upholstery fabrics finished with the easyto-clean protective, PreFixx. Resistant to staining, abrasion, and scuffing, they are suited for both indoor and outdoor marine applications,” says Hunt. “Coupled with the QSnap® and Perfix® fasteners, we continue our
23
Sea Savvy
New products for marine applications positioning as a one-stop-shop for all your marine requirements.” “A remarkably clear vinyl sheet, Ultraclear is a world-leader in clarity, consistency and durability. It is ideal for both internal and external applications and is exclusively available through in Asia through BVZ Asia® ,” Hunt explains. “For boat owners who are serious about protecting their investment, they can have custom-fit Covermaster 697 fabric covers. Custom-fit boat covers are great for mooring and storage,” Hunt shares. “Having the right cover can prolong the beauty of seats,
instrument panels, and ensures durable, worryfree use.” Ultimately, when looking for marine products, the bottom line is that they need to stand up to the harsh elements. With BVZ marine collection, you are guaranteed unparalleled performance. For more information on these marine products, visit www.bvz.com. In Thailand, you can call (+66) 02-174 5174-5. (Photos courtesy of Glen Raven Inc., owner of the Sunbrella registered trademark)Sea Savvy New products for marine applications
24
5ROLHQ FDSWXUHV the Bay Regatta
This DPS by Rolien Beute, captures the beauty of the Bay Regatta so well. Rolien sadly passed away after a long fight with cancer on 24 July 2014 in Holland.
25
A regular contributor to our magazines, she left many good friends behind; we honour her work and her spirit with this photograph.
28
Seaventures L
istening to our daughters Nicola and Karyn suggesting that we should plan for retirement and settle in a secure village retreat in Cape Town overlooking both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans and, at the same time, seeing the horrified expression on Bob’s face, I knew this would never happen when he exclaimed, “What! Retire, walk a dog, play bowls whilst I wait to die – never!” And so the search began. We ultimately decided to purchase a new catamaran with an interior designed to our own requirements. Our choice was a South African-built vessel. During the many months it took to build our catamaran, watching it gradually transform from drums of glass fibre resin into a splendid complex artistry of hull, deck and bulkheads, we joined a yacht club hoping to learn to sail. After joining, much to our dismay, we learned that the club didn’t operate a training yacht and the majority of the yachts in the marina seldom moved. At the club we were introduced to a great many mahogany-reef sailors, persons who sat around the bar drinking and telling endless stories of their sailing exploits. Real or imaginary, we were never sure. Our son-in-law, Wayne, strongly advised us to sail around Cape Town’s Table Bay,
delaying our departure for a year, to gain sailing experience. “At our age we don’t have a year to spare,” we replied. “If we don’t giddy up we may never actually leave.” We headed westwards to faraway places, adventures and thrilling experiences that we could never have imagined. We speculated, would we ever see anything as stunning as the vast, gray, flat-topped buttress of solid rock that is Table Mountain as she majestically sank beneath the horizon. I realized we must once more motivate ourselves, seeking further adventures to provide our grandchildren with something to remember us by. Life is not a dress rehearsal – it is the real thing. It’s no use telling what we almost did. Make a start, you’re never too old! After departing Cape Town the first eight days of sailing were daunting with waves as high as halfway up the mast and blustery thirty to forty knot winds. This was an intimidating beginning for inexperienced sailors. The sea was wild as we rollercoasted up and down the endless tumbling waves, plunging off a wave crest to plummet down into the dark trough. Such was our rudimentary sailing knowledge. It was mandatory that we spent hours on navigation, plotting our progress on paper charts. As a backup to traditional
29
Deirdre and sister Lynne hanging out on a horizontal tree trunk.
Deirdre at play up the mast.
of Plane Sailing By Deirdre Plane
navigational methods we also had to study a GPS and electronic-charts on the computer; Bob spent hours meticulously reading the instruction books on all the instrumentation and electronic-equipment fitted aboard. St Helena appeared rising starkly out of the ocean early one morning, a gargantuan, austere island of volcanic rock with a ribbon of turbulent white spray thrashing the base of its rocky shore. Viewed from the sea, St Helena resembles a huge brown fruitcake with a portion cut out where the town nestles between 1,000 foot steep cliffs. Our stay in St Helena was most enjoyable – a peaceful temperate island – but the biggest thrill of all was speaking to our daughters on the telephone and sending emails to family and friends. We were ecstatic to hear their voices, sensing the subtle change in their attitudes. Now our daughters were still concerned about our safety but also saying how proud of us they are. At this time we had no Internet connection aboard and no cell phone, our only communication with anyone was our VHF and SSB radios. We embarked on a projected sixteenday sail to an island 300 miles off the coast of Brazil called Fernando De Naronah. It was excellent sailing weather as we departed, with
the ark of a magnificent rainbow loitering across St Helena Island bathing the island and fairweather cumulus clouds drifting across the sky shepherded by the trade wind. Another catamaran was also preparing to depart. Later, shortly before nightfall, we watched its sails and lights appear on the horizon behind us. Speaking to the skipper on the radio at 3am, he confirmed that he had us in sight and advised that he would be overtaking us soon since he was using both sails and engines to maintain his tight delivery schedule to the Caribbean. Shortly before 4am, with the moon waxing towards fullness and Bob sleeping below, I watched the rapidly approaching catamaran, which appeared to be getting too close for comfort. Since I knew the experienced skipper himself was at the helm I was not unduly concerned. Nevertheless, in addition to our navigation lights I switched on the cockpit lighting, illuminating Plane Sailing like a Christmas tree! I awakened Bob and we were appalled to see the vessel careering down the swells towards our stern with its sails set and engines throbbing. Bob quickly started our engines, going immediately to full throttle, but it was too late to avoid our being rammed, although it did help to reduce the impact. With
30
a dreadful bang their starboard bow slammed into our stern, three feet left of centre, shooting shards of broken fibreglass and gel-coating all over our cockpit. The only other boat for hundreds of miles around had rammed us! It was too dark and the sea too rough to safely check for external damage until morning light. One of the boats was obviously damaged but when daylight appeared we were relieved to see that our damage was slight. Meanwhile the other vessel had long disappeared over the horizon never to contact us again. An accident may be excusable, but to abandon the innocent party and thereafter fail to contact them by radio, not being sure they are undamaged, is unforgivable. We later learned that there was damage to their starboard hull.
Lynne, Deirdre, with friends Bob and Gurney in dinghy.
As we approached the island of Fernando de Naronah, sailing across a brightunruffled sea, a mournful, lamenting sound, haunting and sombre, broke the silence, signalling the presence of five enormous humpback whales surfacing around us, grey and glistening – like huge sea elephants. Two of the whales ahead began crossing our path, causing us to quickly change course to avoid them. Another two whales burst through the surface at our port side, gleaming and monstrous in the sunshine. They immediately and aggressively began bumping our bows, pushing us around! Suddenly, a fifth whale surfaced directly below us, between our hulls. With a great whooshing sound it ejected a cloud of fetid, stinking vapour from its blowhole through our foredeck trampoline, which washed over us polluting the air with its odorous smell. We were mortified realizing we were riding on the back of a whale, its head between our two hulls with
its tail thrashing behind us. It was an alarming, nerve-racking experience, with the distinct feeling that we were being raised above the surface! I shouted to Bob, ‘Do something!’ He replied, ‘We’re screwed.’ He started the engines and, like magic, the whales disappeared into the enfolding sea, erasing all evidence of them; we had no idea where they would surface next. After trimming the sails we were gratified to see them reappear some distance behind us, their fins elevated out of the water, tails thrashing as one whale breached, rising clear of the surface and slamming back down into the sea. Later we were able to inspect our hulls below the waterline, relieved and amazed to find no damage had been caused to our hulls, rudders or propeller drives. After five days we commenced the 300mile sail to Fortaleza on the mainland of Brazil. It was a miserable, rainy day as we departed Fernando de Naronah and we were pleased that it was to be only a three-night sail; talk about the grand slam! Undulating waves crested at incredible heights, plummeting down into valleys, regularly breaking over the boat. Constant rain, whipped by the troubled wind that had sprung up, was falling heavily like lead. Large thunderheads were forming, erasing any glimmer of sun from the sky. We wore foulweather clothing all the way. The nights seemed endless; any ocean crossing is a laborious affair. Even though I do my share of night watches, Bob doesn’t sleep well on crossings. We could not believe the bravery and skill of the fishermen we saw on their miniscule craft, which are little more than flat, hollow, wooden platforms with rudimentary mast, sails and rudder. They battle the seas far out from land, seeming to fly across the surface of the water like tandem windsurfers. At daybreak we sighted Brazil! Oh the joy and tear-filled eyes; finally we had crossed the South Atlantic Ocean!!! Quite an accomplishment for wrinklies with no previous sailing experience! The Amazon River water from the rain forests surged over a hundred miles out to sea, carrying with it many floating logs which created a serious hazard for sailing vessels. Frequently we had to change course to avoid collisions. During night time we sailed on regardless with our fingers crossed! It was unbelievable how far out the fresh, green water of the Amazon River pushes into the ocean before it finally fuses with the blue, salt- water sea. There was a distinct, massive, confused line of water where the sullied green and blue waters
31
meet. We followed this line of turbulence for 120 miles as we crossed the Amazon River mouth! As dawn broke one morning we were appalled to find ourselves surrounded by thousand’s of polystyrene floats from horizon to horizon marking sunken crayfish traps. What a disaster it would have been had we become entangled in them. Nearby, three commercial fishing craft were attending the traps. Suddenly one of them repeatedly and aggressively raced alongside of us, the crew gesticulating, demanding beers, cigarettes and money whilst trying to board us. I stayed hidden in the saloon as Bob manoeuvred Plane Sailing, avoiding their extended grappling-hooks, at the same time bombarding them with anything and everything that was near to hand. We lost a dozen beers this way! We felt exceedingly vulnerable! Bob spent the next few hours making petrol bombs and fastening long ropes together to trail from our stern, hopefully to entangle the propellers of any other unwelcome boats. The long passage northwards to Trinidad was superb, with the cruising chute steadily pulling us along under a light breeze through the doldrums. The last night, before we reached Trinidad, we encountered a major storm with many black, towering thunder- heads surrounding us. We were at the helm the whole night ploughing into the surging swells; it was spookily quiet until the next bolt of lightening lit
up the underside of the clouds followed by crashes of thunder. The sky was an ominous grey and we felt a foreboding thickening the air around us. We passed many oil rigs silhouetted on the skyline, with flames pouring out of their stacks lighting up the sky for miles. While anchored at the island of Carriacou, where to our horror, a yacht anchored not fifty-feet away from us exploded and disintegrated in flames, belching thick, black smoke, which enveloped the wreckage and us. The explosion, sounding like a thunderclap, reverberated across the bay to be heard by our visiting daughters, who were ashore at the time. Looking seawards they saw Plane
32
Sailing cloaked in smoke and seemingly enveloped in flames; they feared the worst. It was quite some time before they learned their parents were not involved in the disaster. Fortunately, the skipper of the yacht was catapulted overboard by the explosion and rescued unhurt by local fishermen. For hours afterwards the cloying stench of fuel and smoke contaminated the air as the yacht sank. Within hours of our daughters’ departure, the heavens opened and torrential rain poured unremittingly for two weeks. One night we experienced a tropical storm with
65 knot winds. In the anchorage there was pandemonium, with yachts dragging anchor and colliding. Radios were active throughout the whole night as boats tried to assist each other. We were lucky, being tucked into a cove in the bay, and spent a relatively quiet night. Prior to our leaving Prickly Bay, a tugboat towing a barge full of building materials and equipment turned into the anchorage too sharply, causing excessive tension on the towing cable, which proved to be too much and the cable snapped. The barge’s momentum caused it to plough ponderously through the anchored yachts. Skippers hastily dragged up anchors and scattered in all directions, whilst the tugboat raced alongside the barge desperately trying to push it out of harm’s way. Unbelievably, no damage was done and with huge sighs of relief everyone re-anchored safely. Leaving Bequia, on a ten-hour sail to St
Lucia, once again tumultuous waves were breaking over the boat, but we were so thrilled to be sailing again. We wondered where the legendary smooth Caribbean seas were to be found. The sail was exhilarating, with Bob at the helm soaked through with a grin all over his face, like a mischievous kid, we were on our way to another adventure. Early next morning we quietly departed, enjoying a bracing eight-hour sail to three stunning islands called the Saints. It was love at first sight, an absolutely blissful place with rolling hills and pathways threading their way over the hills, descending to pristine, white beaches. Waves rolled gently against the rocky shore. We felt we had been transported into a truly exotic paradise. There is only one small, impeccable village. It is sparklingly clean and picture-book perfect with red roofs and a handful of beautifully maintained, older Caribbean-style buildings; all balconies and gingerbread, windows turning golden in the afternoon sun. Blooming hibiscus is in abundance around the island, with the fragrance of frangipani filling the air. It is touristy and extremely French. he most popular form of transport is rented motorcycles; hundreds of them line the main thoroughfare. In the village the air is heady with the delicious aroma of coffee, oven-fresh baguettes, pate, pungent cheeses and other delicacies. The bay we anchored in boasted an enchanting beach and a fascinating coral reef; we wallowed in our good fortune to find such a place. There are some splendid walks. We accidentally came upon a secluded, nude bathing beach where we saw some truly impressive locals! I watched entranced as a magnificent male version of Ursula Andress nonchalantly emerged from the surf, naked with snorkels on top of his head. Anguilla was our next haven; the sky was heavy with the ungainly flight of squadrons of pelicans plummeting into the water to seize fish in their voluminous beaks, whilst numerous long white-tailed birds wheeled and swooped as they accompanied us during our sail. Throughout the Caribbean we have seen a huge variety of birds, booby birds’, and frigate birds with their seven foot wingspan and deeply cleft tails. They tuck their wings against their bodies and dive as fast as bullets to catch unwary fish off the sea surface before ricocheting back into the sky. A highlight of Anguilla is a lovely reef where we snorkelled and swam with leatherback turtles. We had been told to visit Prickly Pear Cays. Here the coral reefs are even more impressive and snorkelling exceptional with a
33
profusion of coloured fish of every species; it is a secluded paradise. I particularly thought so when a gorgeous young man, snorkelling from a nearby boat, boarded our catamaran by mistake. Much to his embarrassment he was confronted by two topless ladies. He spluttered out his apologies as we told him he had twentyfour hours to get off our boat. On a deserted island we anchored in Dead Man’s Bay where we discovered a dozen or so old graves. It was here that Captain Morgan had abandoned part of his crew, leaving them without water and with only one cutlass with which they eventually killed each other during arguments. Daring ourselves, we slept in this forsaken bay on the boat trampoline telling ghost stories. It was eerie with the white moon spilling across the sea, dappling the water and moonbeams striking through the coconut palms; the stars seemed close enough to touch. At last we were sailing again, but our delight was short lived. By morning there was a storm bringing rumbustious winds and an enormous swell straight onto our beam, with waves continuously foaming over the trampoline. The next two days were a living hell: a deluge of torrential, lashing rain cannoning into us, sheets of sullied dirty grey water cascading over the boat; the hulls seemed to be plunging into the trough between waves,
like a bottomless pit, and then lifted up again at the last second. The tension was palpable knowing the sudden treachery of the elements; it was enough to put a lot of people off sailing! The sullen sky was hanging low, dulling the colour of the uneasy sea, tinting it a leaden grey. During this time, Bob restricted me to the cabin whilst he harnessed himself to the helm for the rest of the passage. The ferocity of the storm was intensifying, the wind whining and moaning in the rigging as Plane Sailing fled before it with Bob battling the raging seas and increasing winds causing foaming whitecaps to loom in a steady succession. We were in near disastrous conditions; it was a harrowing situation realising the enormity of our survival! With the gale howling and waves breaking over us we limped gratefully into Rodney Bay, St Lucia, overwhelmed with relief to be undamaged and unharmed. The forthcoming sail into the Atlantic from St Lucia to Barbados was a discouraging prospect and we were not happy to set out sailing again. We were sleeping peacefully on board our boat when loud, drunken shouting and singing awakened us. Looking out of our cabin window we saw a man in a tiny wooden dinghy called Rocking Horse, hanging onto our stern trying to look through our cabin window.
34
Hurrying outside we asked him what he wanted, telling him to go away. “A guy can sing if he wants,” he bellowed, continuing to sing loudly and to hang onto our boat steps. He fired signal flares at us, which fell burning into the water below our bows. Many people were out on their decks shining powerful lights at him. Moving away he hurled a smoke bomb between the hulls of the catamaran next to us. Now there was pandemonium in the anchorage. Rowing off to his wreck of a boat he brought his own flashlight out and retaliated by shining it back at everyone
dreadful reputation for acts of piracy, we decided to take the plunge. What a fortunate decision that was, because shortly after we left, Grenada was devastated by hurricane Ivan! A tropical storm can spread to a radius of a hundred kilometres its eye can move at a speed of thirty to forty kilometres an hour and its direction could change. Making an expeditious decision we sailed eighty- miles, retracing our route back to Laguna Grande where we anticipated we would get the best protection. Three boats were in the bay of our choice. Lashing our sails down and deploying three anchors we hoped to be ready for the onslaught. Hurricane Ivan was forecast to strike our area about eleven o’clock that night, expecting to be awake most of the night we retired early. Awakening only next morning at seven o’clock we rushed outside; it was so unbelievably tranquil, the water seemed like pounded copper, the exceptionally translucent reflections of the green, gold and russet hills in the still water were beyond belief. Protected by the mountain-ranges we had slept undisturbed throughout the hurricane! Grenada is a region where freak storms don’t happen but had been in the path of the full force of the hurricane and was almost demolished with the high, capricious winds leaving hundreds of yachts severely damaged or destroyed.
THE PACIFIC Bob and Deirdre on their boat.
Gurney at the helm.
else. Sailing to Grenada the next day we heard that someone had reported him to the authorities. Since they had previously had many similar problems with him, they, in turn, decided he had caused trouble for the last time and he was evicted from Carriacou, where he had been an illegal resident on board his derelict boat for twenty years. Grenada, which according to the meteorological experts is in a hurricane-free zone, was to be our hurricane hideaway hole for the season; we anticipated being there for some months until the danger of hurricanes in the Caribbean had passed. After a few weeks, with so many of our friends leaving for Venezuela despite its
One day we caught a handsome sailfish with dark blue dorsal fins. It was a fish of great strength and fighting spirit as it came hurtling out of the sea in all its spectacular glory, skidding across the surface in a flurry of foam towards the boat. It was a major fight, seeming to take an eternity, to reel him in before his heart was broken and we gazed in wonder at the glorious creature we had killed. We were overwhelmed with emotions of victory, guilt and elation. Many times we heard the poignant, plaintive cry of whales and watched them spy hopping and breaching in the distance. It was blissful sitting at the helm, the enormous, languishing swells pushing us forward with the soft air flowing over us listening to the ocean’s timeless rhythms making us feel transcendentally alive. Fatu Hiva was the most incredibly stunning island I had ever seen, lush jungle prevailed. Precipitous cliffs pounded by heavy surf fringed the whole island. We entered the anchorage through a cleft between rocky spires at the head of the bay. On either side and beyond were green cloaked, steep-sided mountains creating magical views, with the sea
35
colour changing from azure to opal to silver grey. The bay was enclosed by imposing pinnacles of rock warranting it the name, Bay of Phallus because of the shape of the rocky pillars. Absolutely superb! The distant mountains were a shark’s tooth silhouette of cliffs. Snorkelling to clean the bottom of our boat is a frequent and arduous chore, but necessary! Our hulls were badly marked after the gruelling sail across the Pacific, with stains, baked by the sun, for a foot above the waterline, a growth of barnacles and a forest of weed on our rudders, propellers and keels. It took two days of physical exertion to get the hulls shipshape. Reluctantly we said goodbye to the Marquises and began an exhilarating 600 mile sail to The Dangerous Archipelago known as the Tuamotu Atolls. After voraciously scanning the horizon the first sighting was of palm trees waving in the breeze. This uninhabited region is a 1,000 mile chain of seventy low-lying islands, protuberances of reef rising above the sea are known as cays, some of which are a profusion of ancient, almost submerged volcanic peaks. Others are flat atolls enclosing a ring shaped lagoon, a polished silver mirror of astoundingly clear, calm water with vibrant coral abounding with exquisite sea life below the unsullied blue sky. Diving is terrific at the passes entering into the atolls, an underwater wonder-world. Enclosing the lagoons are many flat miniature islets with unspoiled sandy beaches, where hushed winds rustle through coconut palms. The atolls symbolize the cruising sailor’s dream;
as close to heaven as you will find. The whole area, when bathed in moonlight, is idyllic, and as a bonus the region is only accessible to yachts! Aircraft, merchant ships and cruise liners do not pass this way. After six-weeks in one place, even though we were reluctant to leave this unique location, when we sailed away our spirits were raised. We felt energetic and rejuvenated, with the sunlight streaming down, intoxicated by the embracing, tangy smell of the sea as the wind blew us on our way across an ocean glittering with the reflected bright blue of the sky. This life on the ocean waves is great! Tahiti next, and to our joy we learned that our daughters and their husbands were to join us in French Polynesia. Everything was fantastic until a catastrophe occurred. Bob was knocked down as he crossed in front of a stationary car, which suddenly jerked forward, hitting him and knocking him into the road. The car stopped, with Bob lying in the road in front of it, and then, unbelievably, it was driven forward again over both his legs just above his ankles. Immediately we were surrounded by a surging crowd of sympathetic people all shouting in French. It was pandemonium! Like magic, an ambulance appeared and Bob was rushed off to the hospital for x-rays. It was barely credible that he had no broken bones; legs of steel obviously!
MOREA We anchored in a mini-amphitheatre with outstanding deep-green forested
Bob, Gurney, Lynne and Deirdre frolicking on the beach.
36
mountains surrounding the bay. It was an ecstatic, mesmerising experience swimming with a school of stingrays, three feet wide across the wings and extremely long tails. These critters swim up your body reaching for the morsels of fish that we held in our hand, they had no teeth but a strong sucking system of eating. Their skin felt like suede and they had long tails. Unfortunately there were also a dozen or more intimidating, black-tipped sharks swimming amongst them. Can you believe we actually swam with dozens of sharks? Arriving at the island of Palmerston with the colours in the water shifting as the clouds moved through the sunlight a native came alongside in a small boat, directing us to a favourable place to anchor in deep water outside the reef. He announced that he and his family had watched our approach to their island and elected themselves to be our hosts, saying that he would later transfer us from our catamaran to the shore to enjoy a mid-day feast. Each of the six yachts at anchor was adopted by a different island family for the duration of their visit. The Kingdom of Tonga was, perhaps, one of the most picturesque groups of islands; it comprised of 170 coral and volcanic islands, thirty-six of which were inhabited. The first group was the archipelago of Vavau, a dazzling cluster of waterways with flawless, barely inhabited islets. The islands were thickly wooded with palms lining white scalloped beaches or steep rocky buffs. Vavau was the principle cruising centre of Tonga. We spent a few hours provisioning before sailing to a group of smaller islands. We
had the most awesome experience when we swam with massive humpback whales, a mother and baby; it was absolutely classic, wholly beyond belief! We swam together within twenty feet of these whales, swimming and snorkelling under the water with them for about two hours. They are gargantuan creatures; which awed and enthralled us; it was a privilege to be in the world of these gentle giants! It was apparent that we did not alarm them in the slightest. They were impervious to us; in fact I would say they were enjoying our close proximity. I could envisage mother whale saying to baby whale, ‘Today I will take you to see the humans!’ We were tremendously impressed!
THECRUELSEA Three days’ sailing short of our destination, Brisbane, we heard radio warnings of approaching storms and immense seas. This seemed oddly off- kilter to me with Plane Sailing in seas smooth as glass mirroring the sky. The ocean stretched ahead in variegated bands of blue, from crystalline turquoise to deepest cobalt, and the water was surprisingly shimmering, as if diamonds had been scattered across the surface. It was forever etched on our minds! Bob, with his years of flying experience knew this was the harbinger of a change in the weather and he remarked, ‘This is the lull before the storm!’ as we watched the bank of clouds on the horizon, which portended bad weather. I was jolted out of my blissful reverie to prepare for the inevitable. While the weather
37
was calm we set about the task of securing the boat. The following day the sea ruffled as the weather changed, deteriorating rapidly as white caps thudded against the hulls. Suddenly we were struck by driving rain and the brutal impact of gale-force winds at close to forty-five knots. It was phenomenal, but we were prepared. The storm increased; the sea wild with twenty foot waves and a lashing, shrieking wind gusting at sixty-five knots, thrashing the sea to a pounding maelstrom. The entire night we hunkered in the saloon, fraught with uncertainty, as a continuous horrific electrical storm split the black sky. The hammering of waves beneath our hulls, driven by demonic rising eighty-knot winds, was causing us to feel a chilling dread. Thunder reverberated from horizon to horizon whilst fearful bolts of lightening tore through the clouds, illuminating the sky and striking the churning seas. Come daylight the monster seas continued battering us. The storm was in full fury, the angry wind chasing the waves, whipping the rain in circles. The port hull rode the crest of each swell before sliding sideways into the trough between the waves. There was excessive turbulence as the ferocity of the elements rained its terror upon us. All that could be seen was the swelling, smashing, foam- crested black walls of water as far as the invisible dark horizon. We decided it would be prudent to change course, abandoning Brisbane as our destination. Making the decision to run with the wind and seas behind us seemed a good idea, going northwards along the Australian coast a further 170 nautical miles to the coastal town of Bundaberg. The weather became even worse. Wicked, black squalls stalked us and the atmospheric propagation was so bad we could get no response on the radio. We hadn’t seen another boat during the previous thousand miles. The storm continued throughout the second day, waves crashing and breaking at twenty-seven feet and the wind between seventy-five to eighty knots. Surfing at twentytwo knots down the waves was like shooting the rapids! We were trapped in a raging vortex and had a feeling of impending disaster. Trailing warps, (long ropes with full water containers attached), we attempted to decrease our speed. It worked well, reducing our speed to ten knots with the result that we began to feel more comfortable. Our main concern was that no one knew our position; we suffered a sense of inescapable isolation, the last we’d told anyone on the radio was that we were en-route to Brisbane Australia. For three days we wore foul weather gear and lifejackets,
tension suffused us. As a precaution we put our passports, boat papers and valuables in the watertight flares container along with our emergency grab-bag and a five gallon container of fresh water, all of which we secured to the cockpit. If we capsized we planned to stay with the catamaran clipped onto ropes attached across the stern. We didn’t fancy our chances in our little six man life raft in those seas! The life raft, made of lightweight material, would very likely skip across the ocean at near supersonic speeds in the windstorm!
Defeated by the enormity of the problem we transmitted a PAN emergency call on the SSB radio but there was no response. We tried a second time – nothing! At first we felt despondent until half-an- hour later we were ecstatic when, to our utter delighted disbelief, an aircraft appeared low overhead transmitting to us on the radio. What a tremendous relief! The coastguard aircraft pilot requested information on the status of Plane Sailing and crew. He assured us they would continue to monitor our position until we were safely in port. Still feeling vulnerable, this bolstered our confidence. Was this to be our kismet? Waves continued to smash into our cockpit over the stern and beam, flooding through the closed saloon door, causing automatic bilge pumps to operate and us to bale constantly. I could not deem possible the intangible menace of the forces of nature. In the midst of this crisis we suddenly
Lynne and Deirdre standing on the trampoline deck.
38
Farewell, Plane Sailing leaving Cape Town.
realized the cockpit was empty. Everything including the flare container with our passports in it had been washed overboard. Clipped on to the safety line we went outside to confirm that everything was gone! We couldn’t believe it. What a disaster! The leaden sky was pitch black; consequently we rigged a powerful light and shone it over the stern where, unbelievably, the buoyant flare container was happily bouncing from wave to wave sixty-feet behind us on the end of the rope. What Luck! This was a rough passage and definitely the longest three-nights and days of our lives, but our gallant Plane Sailing had prevailed. Finally, to our eternal relief, we entered Bundaberg bay. Ephemerally in the surrounding haze, out of the enfolding ocean, I believe I saw a mirage far out at sea, a trident held aloft and crown rising above the heaving swells. Could it be that I saw the whimsical face of Neptune giving us a reluctant nod of approval as he raised his trident with great flourish in a mock salute to mortals he had befriended for a while. Surprisingly, during our ordeal we had remained calm and methodical, focusing only on the practicalities of the situation – obviously concerned – but we had not panicked. On the third day we crossed into a bay about 200 nautical miles north of our original destination
and found shelter in an Australian town called Bundaberg. Every year increasing numbers of yachts depart from their home shores to travel around the world, looking for the freedom to go where they want and the camaraderie of like-minded people. They sail, often seeking freedom as well as a period of respite from world chaos. Sadly, the majority of cruisers quickly become disenchanted when their dream perception of placid seas, balmy breezes and swaying palm trees is shattered by the harsh reality of dangerous ocean crossings with capricious seas. The sea commands respect, and the few who confront the challenges and prevail are an exceptional breed and most of them will concur that the rewards of such epic accomplishments are eternal in every respect. Our challenge ahead was to cross the Indian Ocean, sailing into the Red Sea and onwards to the Mediterranean, but sadly there were daily news reports of a volatile situation, with armed pirate attacks taking place along that route, creating a harrowing conundrum. This situation had intensified and became more sophisticated being orchestrated and controlled by the Somalian war lords who reaped high ransom money estimated at millions. These pirates were not the characters from our childhood storybooks with a patch on one eye, parrot on their shoulder and peg leg! These were a modern deadly version, dirty, filthy, rat-tailed individuals with speedboats and omnipresent AK-47s. Decisions! Decisions! How should we decide? We could not afford to run the gauntlet of a danger zone, our safety and survival and that of other cruising yachts hoping to cross these seas may lie in military action against these flagrant pirates. We were facing the Rubicon – could we depend on the cavalry! Contact info Deirdre has now completed writing a book embracing the full story of the Seaventures of Plane Sailing. S/V Plane Sailing is now for sale from within the Thailand/Malaysia region. You can contact Bob & Deirdre at catplanesailing@hotmail.com.
39
40
“Top Gun” Superyacht Guides in Indonesia
Asia Pacific Superyachts Indonesia provides superb yachting guides
“I
ndonesia and its vast expanse of 17,000 islands is a “must-see” world cruising destination and a top guide can ensure a spectacular cruise”, reports Asia Pacific Superyachts Indonesia. The Superyacht agency is encouraging visiting yacht captains to, “Make your stay the best it can be while making your life easier by enlisting the services of an experienced Top Gun guide during your time in Indonesia.” Captain Jimmy Blee of APS Indonesia explains, “It is one thing to have the pre-planned cruising itinerary we work together with captains to produce before they arrive, however, to ensure the owners and/or guests’ trip goes off with a high level of satisfaction along with meeting the fine details required in viewing and activities in the best locations, it is highly beneficial to have an on-board professional guide.” Jimmy notes superyacht cruising in Indonesia is a relatively new experience for local authorities and villagers alike, so the boats themselves tend to make quite an impression when they turn up in some of the more outlying locations. The skills of the on board guide again come forward here, to deal with this attention on the captain’s behalf and in an empathetic and culturally effective manner. Such interest can range from local police inquiring into the nature of the boat’s presence in their area to local villagers in canoes wanting to sell fish to the visitors. As an example, Captain Jimmy says, “While cruising in Papua the ADAT, or local customs [laws], see that villages actually own the water rights to their areas up to three miles off shore. The on-board guide will skillfully negotiate in these matters if and when they come up. “Our prime objective for our client boats is to ensure the Captains have as much support and care as we can give them”, Jimmy states. “As we well know their jobs are already demanding, we can relive some of these demands with the on board guide, while at the same time show the vessel’s owner and guests the best Indonesia has to offer.” Top Gun guides can be provided by APS Indonesia; the company selecting a guide for each boat on an individual need and compatibility basis. Owners and captains can rest assured the company has assembled some of the most knowledgeable, skilled and culturally sensitive guides the country has to offer, as outlined by APS Indonesia in the Top Gun guide listing profiled below: Top Gun Guides with Asia Pacific Superyachts Indonesia
Ricardo Buxo Ricardo Buxo is a Spanish skipper and diving instructor that left his native Barcelona in 1993 to sail and dive the world. After five years of diving and cruising the Red Sea he moved to Indonesia in 2000, to personally supervise the construction of a 100-foot traditional wooden schooner to be dedicated to diving charters. Ricardo has plied the waters of the Indonesian archipelago with his boat and others since. He lives in Bali, where he combines the management of the boat with publishing stories for yacht and diving magazines, and private guiding for yachts visiting Indonesia. Richard’s recently published book, Underwater Paradise, A Diving Guide to Raja Ampat, has proved to be a great publishing success. Ricardo speaks Indonesian like a native and has a wonderful sense of empathy for the Indonesian people and its differing cultures. One of his strengths is his ability to relate to all Indonesians whether they are high level officials or local villagers with a perception and dignity that makes him an absolute asset to have on board.
41
Paul “Bob” Brunskill
Didier Romero Born in Guadeloupe in the West Indies, Didier grew up in Paris and fell in love with diving, becoming a certified Dive Master Mexico, and working as a dive guide in Playa del Carmen, in the Dominican Republic and in Barbados. Traveling through the Caribbean, Thailand and the Philippines as a dive instructor, he landed in Indonesia in 1999, where he continued his diving education to become a master instructor for recreational diving as well as a technical diving instructor. Didier extended his experience (7000+ dives) and knowledge of this wonderful archipelago as a cruise director on ‘live aboard’ diving boats operating in the Komodo region, Nth Sulawesi, Raja Ampat, Alor and most Eastern locations. Didier’s extensive knowledge and easy going nature has transferred well in Superyacht guiding, working for APS Indonesia on MSY Naos, MY Karima, MY Double Heaven, MSY Vertigo and MY Helix, to name a few, and says, “After more than 15 years in Indonesia I am still looking forward to sailing and exploring the archipelago. Didier is fluent in French, English and Indonesian.
Bob left the United Kingdom in 2003 in search of a better life. He was certified to dive in Thailand and began working on live aboard dive boats in Australia, where he honed his excellent guest communication skills and enhanced dive guide skills. Adventure attracted Bob to Indonesia, with the sheer scale of the divable ocean and the amount of high quality diving to discover. For the last 10 years and 4,000 dives later Bob has marked himself as one of the real personalities in the local dive community and is a perfectionist when it comes to quality of dive activity presentation. Additionally, Bob has intimate knowledge of all land based and cultural programs APS Indonesia offers. With his fluency of the Indonesian language and a keen love of local people and traditions, Bob is an all-rounder on any of our client vessels. Bob has organized and guided hundreds of successful dive trips in the remote regions of Indonesia, bringing specialist local knowledge to the Asia Pacific Superyachts guide team.
Indonesia and its vast expanse of 17,000 islands is a “must-see” world cruising destination and a top guide can ensure a spectacular cruise.
Jimmy Blee, co-owner of Asia Pacific Superyachts Indonesia Originally from the Queensland East coast, Captain Jimmy arrived in Thailand to support the formation of Amancruises, the marine branch of the world renowned Amanresorts in Phuket. He moved to Indonesian waters in 1994, establishing a luxury marine operations base on the remote Moyo Island near Komodo. For the last 18 years Jimmy has sailed extensively the waterways of Indonesia, particularly the eastern islands. He operated his own charter vessels and guides expedition-style cruises and other long-range adventure trips throughout the Eastern Islands. Jimmy is an experienced diver with over 3,000 dives and a stand-up game fisher guide of vast experience. Jimmy is the Indonesian content contributor for the South East Asian Pilot http://www.southeastasiapilot.com/ contributors.htm and has written two children’s book series about Indonesian island adventures.
42
Bruising but brilliant – Australia’s Airlie Beach
Race Week 2014
A record 135 boat fleet contested the windy Vision Surveys 25th Airlie Beach Race Week 2014.
43
Tankphotography.com
The Vision Surveys 25th Airlie Beach Race Week 2014 got off to a flying start that never slowed thanks to a week of big winds that brought thrills and spills to the 135 yacht fleet, reports KEVIN GREEN.
A
ustralia’s premier east coast events of Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island are back-to-back weeks’ of action for grand prix boats and the many racing divisions. With the new Port Airlie Marina recently completed, the record 135-yacht fleet was split between it and the Abel Point Marina to the north of town. The scenic Pioneer Bay with a shoreward backdrop of cascading hills and seascape of islands is a beautiful place for sailors to enjoy, especially during the passage races that took us south along the coast to the furthest mark of White Rock near Shute Harbour.
44
Dramatic weather with heavy rain and winds gusting to 40 knots pushed crews to the limit during the six days of racing at Airlie Beach.
The wide and inclusive nature of this event is for me the great attraction so this year, just like the last, smaller trailer-sailors with family groups were rubbing shoulders with the elite grand prix yachts. In between were nippy sports boats, fast trimarans and majestic catamarans; many from local builders.
Winners and grinners The largest and the newest grand prix race boat in the fleet, Matt Allen’s 60-foot carbon rocket-ship Ichi Ban didn’t have it all her own way during the six days of racing thanks to the efforts of the smaller 2013 built Patrice which withstood winds touching 40 knots at times to win. The Ker 46, built by Australian builders McConaghy China, I rated as my top race boat this year after sailing her with owner Tony Kirby, who was understandably delighted he told me when I had a beer with him afterwards. “All credit to my crew who had to work really hard during all the six days and I
was pleased the boat stood up well to the wild conditions,” said Tony. Elsewhere in the top IRC fleet, the battle of the two canting keel Cookson 50 yachts – Pretty Fly III and the newer Victoire – went to the latter, as owner and plastic surgeon Daryl Hodgkinson made the podium, adding to his Hobart win earlier in the year. The largest part of the fleet at Airlie was made of up 66 cruising yachts spread across four divisions so it was a good event to watch the big four manufacturers – Beneteau, Jeanneau, Bavaria and Hanse – slug it out but particularly enjoyable to see Tony Horkings Australian built Northshore 38, Lee-way, spoil their party by winning the top division. The non-spinnaker division is a good way to sample the racing without too many strings to pull so its 16-strong fleet was the safest one given the massive conditions. Not that Belinda Cooper’s quilting club ladies crewing eventual winner La Quilter weren’t partial to strings but
45
Kevin Green
they won anyway and in style on their comfortable Moody 45 deck saloon. Among a larger multihull fleet than the previous year Andrew Stransky’s self-built 51ft wooden Fantasia continues her successful return from Asian waters to overcome some expensive and fancy opposition - including George Owen’s APC Mad Max and Wayne Bloomer’s stylish Schionning G Force Chillpill. “Really happy to win but we broke a lot of gear – daggerboard boxes, halyards and padeyes – so we were working on the boat till late every night to have it ready the next day,” explained the tall, blonde Andrew when I caught up with him at the sailing club. Along with wife Elizabeth and 15year old daughter Mara, the five-year-old catamaran is also their home.
Interesting yachts There was plenty eye candy for us yachting tragics to ogle so I was particularly
The stylish JV42 Elena Nova was recently imported by first-time yacht owner Craig Neil who is enjoying this grand prix level yacht.
pleased to sail the wooden Inglis 47 Dolce along with owners’ Pierre Gal and Doug Gayford. Thought to be around 25-years old and sister ship to the legendary Wild Thing of top Victorian racer Grant Wharrington, the Coffs Harbour based duo had laboured for the last two years rebuilding her with new deck, mast and cabin. In Dolce’s cockpit we had a thrilling ride on one particular down-wind run from the White Rock near Shute Harbour making 17-knots with our small spinnaker up. We competed strongly with the larger carbon hulled Martin 49 Ocean Affinity that eventually won our Performance Division, thanks to a faultless effort by skipper Stewart Lewis, while Dolce took a very commendable third overall. Another yacht I enjoyed taking the tiller of was the JV 42 Elena Nova that owner Craig Neil had imported into Australia earlier in the year from Germany. Designed by the wellknown Judel & Vrolijk team, the GRP hulled 42-footer is optimized for ORC handicap racing.
Kevin Green
46
Holding-on tightly but happy aboard Alan and Sue Pick’s Oceanis 46 Supertramp in the non-spinnaker division.
Kevin Green
Along with two other sister ships already in Australia these are interesting race boats. More interesting is the fact that this is Craig Neil’s first yacht, as he explained to me as we bashed our way to windward. “For many guys the JV42 would be their second or third boat so I’ve jumped in at the deep end but really enjoying racing with the big guys,” laughed the Sydney businessman. The metallic silver painted hull had received some local modifications with the keel bulb weight increased and the rudder remodelled. Information www.airliebeach.com www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au International Airports – Cairns Or Brisbane National airports – Hamilton Island Airport, Proserpine Airport www.abelpointmarina.com.au www.bluehorizonairlie.com.au www.portofairlie.com.au www.airliebeach.com/bareboatcharters/welcome.html www.whitsundaysailingclub.com.au
Another interesting yacht was the 39-foot catamaran Rushour of Drew Carruthers that preferred the heavier conditions and impressively won all but one race. The 2011 built GRP hull is a Rogers 12 design and I watched it use its large daggerboards well on some of the bumpy upwind legs.
Wild winds and dramas Many boats and crew suffered from the gusty conditions, especially on the offshore legs when the south going spring tide kicked up the southerly swells and among the serious casualties was the Beale 780 trailer-sailor Rum Gutz that lost its lifting keel, capsizing before its crew were rescued near the Cones Islands. Three yachts also lost their masts on the stormy first day but more was to come during the week with the luckier ones merely damaging spinnakers. Even some locals succumbed by going too near Pioneer Rock during the spring ebb tide and cracking their keel box. Among the protests that Regatta Director Denis Thompson had to deal with was redress requested from Ichi Ban for going in search of the
47
Having a welcoming coldie at sunset in the friendly and informal Whitsunday Sailing Club, Airlie Beach.
missing Farr 400 Vento that had broken her mooring but miraculously was found drifting unscathed. I was crewing on Elena Nova at the time and took part in the successful search that thankfully ended well when the yacht was found near the Cones Islands.
Onshore action and wet t-shirts After each hard day’s racing there was plenty onshore action and stylish eateries along the main street for crews to kick-back in. The bars buzzed with backpacker action as the miss wet-shirt got underway amidst a rowdy multinational crowd. Up at the sailing club the most hotly contested event was the bruises competition, pushing crew to reveal more and more embarrassing bits of flesh as the Mount Gay rum flowed and the band belted out old favourites at the event’s 25th birthday party. Elsewhere, the town pirate party at Mama Africa’s bar saw many Johnny Depp lookalikes swashbuckle along Main Street. On the final Friday the fireworks blasted among the rain clouds to signal the grand finale of a bruising but
Vampp Photography
brilliant Vision Surveys 25th Airlie Beach Race Week. For all results and more information on the event: www.abrw.com.au
Charter and Stay For some sailors at this year’s event chartering a boat was the easiest option and a cost-effective way to race, so for sailors visiting from Asia there is plenty choices of both monohulls and multihulls from companies including Cumberland Yacht Charters, Queensland Yacht Charters and many more. Check out the www.airliebeach.com/bareboatcharters/welcome.html. After the regatta 74 islands await you nearby for world class cruising including the legendary Whitehaven Beach on the national park island of Whitsunday. Accommodation in Airlie Beach is plentiful. With quality apartments including the Blue Horizons Resort which I found comfortable this year, to a wide range of hotels, right down to back-packer budget accommodation there’s plenty to choose from in Airlie beach and nearest airports are only an hour away at Prosperpine or Hamilton Island. Night life is also plentiful with music filled venues and quality fish restaurants a speciality. Other attractions include the free open-air beachside swimming pool and wood surrounds for bushwalkers. The nearby coastal town of Bowen is a classical Australian coastal town with a retro feel or for those seeking modern cinemas and bigger town facilities Mackay is just down the coast.
48
Samui Regatta 23rd - 30th May, 2015
Samui R
e
g
a
t
t
a
49
50
51
52
Royal Huisman - Twizzle Royal Huisman - Hanuman
I
t might have happened to you: visiting a boat show you fall in love with a boat on display. Walking through it you get more and more excited with the turn of every corner. You envision yourself on the high seas, checking out all the exciting places you have read about. It’s there and then that you decide to have one for yourself. Now what … This article is about the process up where you sign the construction contract for the boat of your dreams. In this case it concerns a semi-customized long-range explorer yacht of 24 meters (80ft) to be built by Bering Yachts Ltd. In a previous article (SEA Yachting May-June 2014) Bart Kimman of Northrop & Johnson broad-brushed the reasons for venturing into having a boat newly constructed and the complexities involved. He also touched on the need for and the role of a broker in the whole process; an expert who will always represent the interests of the client and no one else. The broker is responsible for covering the following issues: * Defining the client’s expectations * Identifying the best professional consultants to define the project * Choosing the most suitable shipyard for the client’s project * Assuring the client they get will get value for their money * Assuring that the yacht when built will represent value * Determining the per annum cost of running the yacht * Determining the expected rate of depreciation * Determining how much the yacht can be sold for in 5- or 10years * Deciding what crew and maintenance program is required to keep the yacht pristine * Deciding how the client can best market the yacht’s features from inception to sale
53
By Bert van Muylwijk
Building your Dream
Yacht Seeing what a shipyard is actually already building will also give you some insights in their professionalism and the quality of their work.
54
But back to the case of our client working towards his decision to sign a boatbuilding contract. When discussing customization aspects of a boat there are basically three types: production boats, customized boats and semi-customized boats. The customization of production boats usually is restricted to colour schemes and adding standard options. For customized boats it’s the opposite, you can have whatever you want, or define anything you like and it can be built. Semi-customized boats walk the middle road; hull design and structural aspects are fixed, but the rest is very flexible. After establishing a budget, an approximate size and type of boat (sail or power, planing or displacement, etc.) you start working on your requirements. It’s the broker’s role to ask you the right questions in order to get your explicit requirements. Some of the questions will be: how are you going to use your boat, what are you are going to do with it, and what do you want to get out of it? The answers to these crucial questions will define the type of yacht that will be built for you. Very often you already have a specific idea of what you want; that makes it easier to get to the next step — compiling a “long list” of possible candidates. Your broker will contact the shipyards and request all possible information among which will be the General Arrangements (GAs). Studying these will show you the brands and models that are not within the basic requirements set or simply do not appeal to you in style or otherwise. In this way you end up with a shortlist of potential yachts from whence you can start digging deeper through the already listed requirements and the GAs of the boat on the shortlist. After some effort and a lot of fun, you will end up with two brands that will have all requirements that you want. From this point on it’s going to be intensive and even more fun. Your broker will do a financial analysis of the two shipyards that are now on the shortlist. If that seems sound enough, the shipyards will be contacted and the owners will be invited to come and see you and your broker for a meeting. Having a boat built is not only a very personal thing; you are also dealing with people. Learning to know the key players in the whole process is an absolute must. Although every step of the building process will be checked and double-checked, you also need to have a basic trust in the people you’re going to be dealing with for quite a while. So you need to meet them in the early stages. After these first meetings the next step will be to visit the shipyards with your broker. Seeing what a shipyard is actually already building will also give you some insights in their professionalism and the quality of work. Being on the boats in progress will also give you feedback on your requirements and the feasibility that your boat’s requirements can be met. After your visits to the yards the big moment has arrived: the final choice for the dream yacht you want to build. After everyone is informed, a second visit to the shipyard of choice will give you the opportunity to discuss in minute detail the final specifications. These will be compiled in the final specifications document and together with the final General Arrangement, cost calculations and final quotation will form the basis for the new construction contract that you can now sign. You’re on your way to realizing your dream. (Bert van Muylwijk is a yacht broker and director of Northrop & Johnson Thailand; office: Phuket Boat Lagoon, email: bert.van muylwijk@northropandjohnson.com Tel: +66 89 289 4038)
Bakri Cono - 80' Power Cat
Xinlong - 69'
55
Bering Yachts - 95' Explorer
Although every step of the building process will be checked and double-checked, you also need to have a basic trust in the people you’re going to be dealing with for quite a while.
56
S
ealine has recently launched its new S330 Sports Cruiser, which is certain to set new standards in this class of sports motor boats. She really is exceptional in all areas, including price. The distinctive design is from the board of renowned designer Bill Dixon and has an enormous amount of space below deck combining sports performance with the comfort you’d expect to find in a 36' cruiser. Her sculptured hull and sleek superstructure are both eye catching and practical and show the character of a true Sealine. Sealine’s characteristic use of space is evident throughout and the boat is packed with a range of innovative features. This combined with the quality of Hanse’s German engineering makes her unique in the market. The hull is designed not only for performance but to give a spacious and light interior with big hull windows and two skylights. It boasts the highest headroom and the highest sleeping capacity for its size in the sports boat category. In the standard version, the bow cabin and salon are a single area while the aft cabin has a separate door. An optional door is available for the forward cabin as is a fill piece that turns the V-Berths into a giant double bed. The passengers are well looked after on deck with a unique “two openable roof solution” giving maximum versatility and comfort with shade and sun where needed. A bow sunpad is standard and an aft one is available as an option and there’s a huge sofa for 6 in the cockpit...plus pilot seats for three. Single or twin engine installations are available with easy access a feature. As you can imagine in any boat from the Hanse Group there are so many options (at a quick glance it looks like over 1,000), which provide huge scope to customize your boat to your own taste and requirements. At a base boat ex-factory price of €144,950.00 the S330 is a real bargain.
57
The Sealine Sports 330 See the Future FACT BOX LOA Beam Draught Displ. Fuel capacity Water capacity Max Pax: CE Category :
10.3m 3.50m 0.89m 6700kg 570L 220L 8 B
ENGINE STANDARD 1 x Volvo Penta D6 330 hp, Duoprop Sterndrive 27/28knots*
OPTIONS 1 x 2 x 2 x *All
Volvo Penta Volvo Penta Volvo Penta performance
D6 400 hp, Duoprop Sterndrive D3 170 hp, Duoprop Sterndrive 31/33 knots* D3 220 hp, Duoprop Sterndrive 32/34 knots* figures are given in good faith
58
If you’ve got nearly everything, you’ll need one of these..
Fjord 36 M/Y Tender T
he M/Y Tender is a purpose-built development of the FJ 36 Open specifically for owners of large motor yachts. Each tender is customised to suit her owners specific requirements. Her high top speed, long range capacity, quality and comfort put her with the leaders in her class, at a very competitive price. With comfortable guest seating and lounges and great deck space, she ticks all the boxes. She also has abundant storage for all the toys. Her ease of handling and low maintenance haS proved her a huge hit with her crews.....the speed doesn’t hurt!!
59
Dehler 46 Launched to the World
T
he new Dehler 46, from Hanse Yachts, has certainly generated a lot of interest at the early Boat shows of the European season. Little wonder with its great looks, performance and comfort. Her optional Performance pack is attracting the keen racers that want some comfort below when not on “the course�. Her interior volume is similar to a modern yacht of the same size and she has speed to burn. All this and a very competitive price tag for a boat of this quality. The photos here tell the story better than words.
60
PLACES OF INTEREST 1. DUTY FREE ISLAND Labuan enjoys a tax-free status that makes it the perfect place to find imported products at bargain prices. Visit this freetrade zone to choose from an assortment of perfumes, chocolates, cosmetics, liquor, cigarettes, textiles, leather goods, electrical appliances, electronic gadgets, pens and watches. Among the popular shopping areas are: * Jalan OKK Awang Besar * Ferry Terminal area * One Stop Duty Free at Victoria Point * Financial Park Complex
2. HISTORICAL PLACES I) WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL Jalan Tanjung Batu
Located along Jalan Tanjung Batu lies the final resting place of some 3,908 war heroes – the Labuan War Memorial. This beautifully landscaped memorial garden pays tribute to the Australian, British, India and New Zealand servicemen as well as local heroes who fought and fell during World War II. Also laid to rest here are some of those who died during the infamous Sandakan-Ranau death march, where the Japanese marched prisoners of w.ar from Sandakan to Ranau in 1945. The manicured lawns are dotted with rows of white headstones that mark the graves, while panel on the colonnade bear the names of every soldier interned here. The Memorial is regularly visited by war veterans groups, some all the way from Australia who consider Labuan an important destination on the battlefield tour curcuit. Remembrance Day is held on the first Sunday of November each year to honour and remember the fallen servicemen. The War Memorial was constructed and is maintained by the Commonwealth Graves Commission.' II) THE CHIMNEY Tanjung Kubong
Commonly associated with Labuan, the Chimney is somewhat of mystery. The 106-feet high structure was made from 23,000 pieces of red bricks imported from England. It was originally thought to be a ventilation stack. Recently, it was discovered that there are no traces of smoke within, thus making its purpose and existence a puzzle. The Chimney is situated at the Chimney Historical Complex. The Information Centre here details the coal mining industry in Tanjung Kubong since 1847. Some say that the Chimney is an unfinished mansion. Others say that it served as a lighthouse for passing ships. Until today, its existence remains a mystery. It is the winner of a Green Apple Award 2013 for the Built Environment and Architechtural Heritage.
61
Federal Territory of
Labuan, Malaysia Malaysia
62
3. BEACHES Take a stroll along Batu Manikar Beach, fringed with casuarinas and swaying coconut trees. Enjoy the refreshing sea breeze upon your cheek as the lapping waves serenade you. Joggers are often seen here, enjoying the footpath encircling the area while others prefer a relaxing walk. Come 6pm, the attention turns to the changing hues of the sky; a brilliant spatter of orange and red as Labuan encounters yet another glorious sunset. Don’t forget to catch the encore the same time, the next day. The 9km strecth from batu Manikar Beach to Sungai Miri Beach, winner of one of the categories in COBSEA Clean Beach Award 2008 a recognition given by United Nations Environment Programme.
4. HOMESTAY AND SEAFOOD A trip to Labuan would be incomplete without visiting the water villages. The main villages are Kampung Patau-Patau I and II. These homes are built on stilts above the water and can be quite big. Most homes have airy, cooling verandahs that are decorated with potted plants and flowers. The villages were established by Malay fishermen and traders from Brunei. Stay in a scenic Malay village, or live in a water village. To experience the lifestyle of the locals, visitors can participate in a homestay program. Kampung Patau-Patau II is the oldest water village in Malaysia and the only water village homestay in the country. Pamper your palate with some of the freshtest seafood, literally right out of the water, fresh onto your table. If crabs are picked, look no further than Anjung Ketam located just off Jalan Tanjung Aru. Select any of the stalls and have your crabs cooked to your preference. Other than Anjung Ketam, you can get delightful food from Anjung Ikan Bakar at Jalan Lubok Temiang and eco-tourism restaurant at Jalan Kinabenuwa. The choice is yours.
5. SHIP WRECKS Dive deep and back into time. Explore the ship wrecks of yesterday found in the surrounding waters of Labuan during a wreckdiving excursion. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned diver, wreck-diving offers you a chance to explore a site of devastation transformed into a stunning marine paradise. You can go wreck diving at the following four dive sites: I) American Wreck
The wreck lies at a depth of approximately 33 metres. II) Australian Wreck
Sunk 23km southwest of Labuan, its shallowest depth is 24 metres. III) Blue Water Wreck
This fishing trawler from the Phillipines sank in 1981; considered the most popular wreck; this Blue Water Wreck is named after the surrounding crystal blue waters and has good visibility. IV) Cement Wreck
Located some 21km off Labuan, east of Kuraman Island, this wreck sits perfectly upright at about 30metres depth.
63
THERE’S MUCH MORE IN LABUAN Despite the small size, Labuan has a number of places that are of interest to tourists, including: * Labuan Square * Labuan Gudwara Sahib (Sikh Temple) * Museum Square * Labuan Bazaar * Tanjung Kubong Tunnel * Mini Agriculture Park, Kilan * Papan Island * Jamek An’Nur Mosque * Labuan International Sea Sport Complex * Chinese ‘Eight Reity’ Temple * Labuan Bird Park * Labuan Walk * Peace Park * Surrender Point * Kinabenua Wetland & Mangrove Forest * Labuan Marine Museum * Labuan Botanical Gardens
Getting There: By Air Labuan is well-linked by air. It is easily accessible from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), situated in Peninsular Malaysia. It is also accessible from Kota Kinabalu in Sabah and Miri in Sarawak. Labuan is served by Malaysia Airlines, MASWings as well as Air Asia.
By Sea The International Ferry Terminal receives ferries from Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei Darussalam. The journey from Kota Kinabalu takes about three hours. From Brunei Darussalam, Limbang and Lawas in Sarawak, Labuan is accessible in only one hour. Alternatively, visitors can take the speed boat or the passanger ferry (capable of accommodating vehicles) from Menumbok in Sabah.
Getting Around Getting around Labuan is relatively easy. The island’s excellent road network links Labuan’s main town with other parts of the island. It takes about 2-3 hours to go around the island by road. Taxis are the popular mode of transport. Alternatively, 24-hour call taxi services are available. Car, motorbike and bicycle rentals for self-drives can be arranged.
64
Regional
NEWS
SUZUKI AT PATTAYA BOAT SHOW 2014 The Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show 2014 is set to take place this year at Ocean Marina Yacht Club between November 27-30, 2014 at 11.00 hrs -19.00 hrs, with one of the goals to promote marine leisure tourism in Thailand. Hull Co., Ltd., in association with Thai Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd., would like to cordially invite all visitors, boaters and boat builders to visit our booth at Booth No. B15, B16 and B17. At the show, the visitors will be the first to pull the wraps off our new series of compact 200 HP 4-stroke outboards, the DF200A, featuring inline four-cylinder blocks and boasting a host of advanced features. The test-ride with the engines is organized for your pleasure and excitement twice a day at 11.00 hrs and 15.00 hrs. See you all then‌.