Yachtstyle issue 20

ASIA’S AWARD WINNING BOATING LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

issue

20

ADASTRA ARRIVES

Hong Kong: HK$80 Singapore: S$12 Malaysia: M$32 Thailand: B328 Rest of the World: US$12

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ROLE X ROLEX AND THE MAXI YACHT ROLEX CUP. UNITED BY AN UNMISTAKABLE ELEGANCE.

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Far from the everyday, you have just one objective: enjoy sailing.

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Sharing Your Passion for Yachting

YACHTING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL

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EMAIL

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026 NEWS ROUND UP Tales of ‘Fabulous 40s’ and the launch of a Gulf Craft Majesty 121

034 REGATTAS America’s Cup World Series and Top of the Gulf keep sailors happy

040 BOAT SHOWS Singapore Yacht Show and Gold Coast display yachts from big to small

046 PARTIES Feadship, Hugo Boss and the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous are fun for all 056 PEOPLE Knut Frostad, Dick van Lent, Emil Klingelfuss, and Alex Thomson love sailing

FEATURES 070 M/Y ADASTRA Asia’s newest and most exciting superyacht launched in Hong Kong

078 CLASSIC REGATTA The 50th Anniversary of the Rolex China Sea Race makes history

086 SHOW FLEET Ten superyachts showcased in the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous

092 NEPTUNE’S RACE The fleet of yachts once again heading for some adventure at the equator 100 CHINA BOATS Six shipyards are visited to find out what type of yachts are being built in China

GUY NOWELL

ONTENT

LOGBOOK

YACHTSTYLE ISSUE TWENTY SUMMER

ONTENT

ON BOARD 110 SILVERLINING This superyacht is being sailed around the world by the owner and family

118 KER 40 Sea Trial on the Ker 40 in Victoria Harbour shows it is ready for action

YACHTSTYLE ISSUE TWENTY SUMMER

124 NEW BOATS Sunseeker Predator 74, Fairline Squadron 58, and Leopard 44 Catamaran

STYLE 134 DESTINATION The icy waters of the Northwest passage are the new cruising grounds

142 CONNOISSEUR Single malt whisky is the right tipple for the discerning palete

148 ON WATCH Timepieces that take you out to sea and on a voyage of discovery

156 LAST WORD Rule Britannia and some historical musing on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

GUY NOWELL

158 LAST SHOT The Thames Diamond Jubilee a Pageant saw over 1000 boats on the water

MANAGING EDITOR SUZY RAYMENT CONTRIBUTING EDITORS GUY NOWELL, MICHAEL WESTLAKE, ROBBY NIMMO, LIZ HAMERTON BOB FISHER, CAMERON DUECK, AND LINDA DAVY PHOTOGRAPHERS GUY NOWELL, GILLES MARTIN-RAGET, KURT ARRIGO, AND DANIEL FORSTER

ART DIRECTOR JIVA PRODUCTION AND PRINTING GEAR PRINTING LTD SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR ANGEL WONG ADVERTISING MANAGER MELISSA TSUI CIRCULATION MANAGER LO WAI GAI SALES TRAFFIC COORDINATOR TWINKY LAM SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER LIZ HAMERTON INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES INTERNATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR MARK JOHNSON EMAIL: ENQUIRIES@YACHTSTYLE.COM.HK CHINA MARIA LAM EMAIL: CHINA.SALES@YACHTSTYLE.COM.HK SINGAPORE AND INDONESIA JO BARTON EMAIL: SINGAPORE.SALES@YACHTSTYLE.COM.HK THAILAND AND MALAYSIA POON KOSOLKARN E-MAIL: THAI.SALES@YACHTSTYLE.COM.HK CANADA AND USA MANXMAN PUBLISHING INC EMAIL: NAMERICA@YACHTSTYLE.COM.HK AUSTRALIA : ONE WORLD PUBLICATIONS EMAIL: AUSTRALIA@YACHTSTYLE.COM.HK MANAGING DIRECTOR - HONG KONG GUY NOWELL CREATIVE DIRECTOR DAVIDE BUTSON-FIORI CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER NIC BOYDE YACHTSTYLE ASIA DIRECTORS NIC BOYDE, GUY NOWELL, SUZY RAYMENT COVER PHOTOGRAPH SUPERYACHT ADASTRA PHOTOGRAPH GUY NOWELL POST PRODUCTION GUY GOWAN

PUBLISHED BY YACHTSTYLE ASIA LTD 17 Tsam Chuk Wan, Sai Kung, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2792 6234 Email: enquiries@yachtstyle.com.hk www.yachtstyleasia.com ADVERTISIING ENQUIRIES Tel: (852) 9680 3511 or (852) 9680 7063 E-mail: enquiries@yachtstyle.com.hk

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AZIMUT GRANDE: YOUR CREATION.

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Wrth its 40 year history of strength and financial independence, this is a further guarantee recognized worldwide. www.azimutgrande.com

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14 EDITOR'S LETTER SUMMER ISSUE

SUZY RAYMENT Sailing on Silandra V in the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A tropical sailing adventure to Neptune Island; sailing across the China Sea in Skysong and the navigator’s log for the 1990 race; full circle of fun at the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous

T

his 20th edition of Yachtstyle marks the beginning of a new era for us.

The old editorial team are now the new owners and managers.

With the same leadership, style and authoritative content as before, we will continue to work hard to keep Yachtstyle as the Best Boating Magazine in Asia.

To quote our own publicity material: “Yachtstyle is the most authoritative and influential yachting magazine in Asia. Our readers find the pages full of useful and interesting material that keeps them informed about people, places, events, regattas and parties.

As befits a yachting magazine, our photographers travel the world to bring our readers spectacular images. Our experts personally test-drive the multi-million dollar yachts they review, and give our readers the low-down on the latest releases.

Our stories cover travel, food, exotic destinations, sailing, regattas, motor-yacht voyages, entertainment, fashion, high-end must-have goods and gadgets, and the style of true yachting life.

Yachtstyle has a hard-earned reputation for credibility amongst its most discerning readership, and produces articles that allow the confirmed sailor and the dedicated motor-yachtsman alike to appreciate the attractions of the whole of the yachting world.”

What you read in Yachtstyle is not just PR fluff. In any market there is a very real danger of people being fed misleading information because they don’t have the knowledge or experience to understand what is real and what is not. Our writers really do go to the events, and really do interview the boating personalities.

If we are not “just like the brochure”, that’s because our content is genuine unlike glossy sales literature designed to entice the novice boater to buy something that may not live up to the hype.

Yachtstyle’s mission is to give readers the information they need in order to make informed boating decisions. For this reason we may not always buy into the boating awards circus or the commendations hoop-la. At least, not unless they have proved their credibility.

So what is covered in this issue of Yachtstyle?

On the superyacht front we have the most breathtaking superyacht of the year – Adastra, built in China and launched in Hong Kong (P.70), as well as a boat report on Silverlining, built in Thailand by Hong Kong entrepreneur Chris Lenz (P.110).

Yachtstyle was also on board for the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous in Phuket, which featured ten fantastic superyachts (P.86).

For the sailors, Yachtstyle looks at why the Rolex China Sea Race is such a classic (P.78). Having participated in the race a number of times, I was inspired to dig out the logbook and photo of the 1990 race I did on Skysong (we came 3rd in our division!), and we also bring you the latest instalment of the Mount Gay Rum Neptune Regatta, an event that takes adventure sailing to a new level (P.92).

Of course, there is our regular coverage of regattas, parties, people, boat shows and news in the Logbook section, and some entertaining reading in the style section.

The new management are afire with great ideas for future editions. More boats, more yachting lifestyle, more great stories and photographs. Look forward to the 21st issue, Autumn 2012, due to be published in September.

Enjoy the best that Asian boating has to offer, and see you out on the water.

PERSONAL SERVICE

WORLDWIDE COVERAGE

At Aon, we provide first class personal services. whether you are owners of small sailing boats or super yachts. We take time to explain all aspects of the covers we are offering from the various insurers and find the best insurance programme which suits your needs.

We are able to provide worldwide coverage including China waters for any aspect of your yacht's insurance requirements . Please contact our yacht insurance specialists Tommy Ho of Aon Hong Kong or Steve Huang of Aon Cofco (China) to develop an insurance programme that su its your needs.

With our substantial experience in the yachting and insurance industries we are able to advise on all aspects of the risk management of your yacht, whether you are cruising in local waters with your family, racing across oceans or embarking on a circumnavigation.

Tommy Ho Tel: +852 2862 4241 Fax: +852 2243 8861 tommy.ho@aon.com www.aon.com

With more than 62,000 professionals in 600 offices across 120 countries, Aon is one of the world's leading providers of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing. We have yacht specialists in Hong Kong, London, Rotterdam , New York and Fort Lauderdale, providing global access with local services to you.

Steve Huang Tel: +86 20 3816 5928 Mob: +86 133 0228 8251 steve_huang@aon-cofco.com.cn www.aon-cofco.co.cn

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16 GALLERY THE SOLENT, UK ALEX THOMSON RACING

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE For this trick you need an IMOCA Open 60, 17 kts of breeze, and the willingness to fall into some very cold water over and over again before you get it right. Alex Thomson is an expert at garnering good publicity for his sponsors, Hugo Boss. “With you, Alex, there is always a drama,” says the Boss. Do not try this at home.

PHOTO: LLOYD IMAGES

Ys | AUTUMN 2009 | 17

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18 GALLERY TEAM SANYA VOLVO OCEAN RACE 2011-12

WET EXPRESS It’s leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race, Cape Town to Abu Dhabi, and for a moment Team Sanya looks as if someone yelled ‘dive, dive, dive!’ Volvo 70s are meant to go over the water rather than through it, which makes them exceptionally wet boats when there are any waves about. Which is pretty much always. Maybe that’s why the winch handles are often called ‘the pumps.’

Ys | AUTUMN 2009 | 19

PHOTO: ANDRES SORIANO/TEAM SANYA/VOLVO OCEAN RACE

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20 GALLERY ST TROPEZ, FRANCE GIRAGLIA ROLEX CUP

LITTLE BLACK NUMBER Perhaps ‘little’ is an understatement for Sir Peter Ogden’s beautiful black 62ft Judel Vrolijk mini-maxi, Jethou, but it certainly has the right feeling of style. The Giraglia Rolex Cup combines inshore racing in St Tropez with a 242nm offshore race to San Remo, Italy, via the Giraglia rock off the northern end of Corsica.

PHOTO: ROLEX / KURT ARRIGO

Ys | AUTUMN 2009 | 21

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22 GALLERY NEWPORT, USA AMERICA’S CUP WORLD SERIES

HANG LOOSE Team Artemis take ‘drop hiking’ to a whole new level as they tear around the racetrack off Newport, Rhode Island. Life on the edge, indeed – it looks like a cross between Cirque de Soleil and motorcycle sidecar racing. This was the first America’s Cup event to be held at Newport since 1983, and the boats looked rather different from their 12m Class predecessors… and quicker, too!

PHOTO: © ACEA /GILLES MARTIN-RAGET

Ys | AUTUMN 2009 | 23

I Yacht CN 2012 Nansha 路 Guangzhou 路China

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If you have a Passion for Boating, Yacht CN is the Place to be..... .

LOG BOOK America's Cup World Series is a VENETIAN VENTURE P.044 and Alex Thomson is heading out to conquer the oceans of the world in BLACK AND WHITE P.066.

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26 LOGBOOK NEWS

l’Hydroptère DCNS

A

lain Thébault’s French ‘flying trimaran’ has just completed her final trials off the La Ciotat (France)coast before being shipped to Los Angeles where she will attempt her first offshore record. The five crew members of l’Hydroptère, Alain Thébault, Jean Le Cam, Yves Parlier, Jacques Vincent and Luc Alphand took l’Hydroptère out for seatrials and said that the results were promising.

According to the skipper, “l’Hydroptère is a nervous machine, taking off with prodigious acceleration, but she is also a relatively small boat compared to others, and is able to fly over the Pacific swell at 35 knots, which is not bad for a 60ft boat weighing seven tons.” To meet the challenge that the team has set themselves, the profiles of the foils were rebuilt this winter at the B&B shipyard at La Trinité Sur Mer in the configuration they had before the speed records. The angle of attack has been changed on the submerged wings, so that there will be no loss of stability when the boat sails up or down a wave. “Between 2006 and 2009, at the time of the absolute speed records, we designed profiles to limit the effects of cavitation on the behaviour and performance of the boat beyond 50 knots, but they are less tolerant to variations in the angle of attack because these records take place on relatively calm water. This year, it’s a little bit to the contrary, the profiles are designed to operate in a ‘bumpy field’ but with a maximum speed reduced to 50 knots,” said Philippe Perrier, one of

the ‘papés’ of the team.

Improvements to the sails now allow l’Hydroptère to sail at 140° to the wind with a speed of about 30 knots in 20 knots of wind. “We are excited, there is still some work to be done to strengthen the support of the flying jib boom and optimize the curvature of the headsails, but the key elements are there and the boat will be able to sail downwind efficiently,” said Jacques Vincent, co-skipper of the boat.

Another key issue: the control of the rear foil. So far, the adjustment of the rear foil has been done manually and was used simply to optimise the boat’s average behaviour according to the sea conditions. The hundreds of hours of sailing recorded, analysed and compared to modelling by the technical team have identified a method for controlling the rear foil to significantly absorb the rolling and pitching of the boat and thus improve her behaviour and her performance offshore.

“These are problems that occur on the SSBN (submarine ballistic missiles) or other ships that we built,” says Damien Laval, an engineer at DCNS. It remains the most delicate stage of the operation: putting everything in harmony.

“The task is not simple, and on topics that are so complex it is better to remain humble. The optimization phases can take a long time and we are facing the unknown. But Alain Thébault, designer and skipper of l’Hydroptère, jokes “I am a high-tech peasant and I love it when it’s tough!”

DID YOU KNOW? CAMPER/Team New Zealand established a new IWC Schaffhausen Speed Record with a 24-hour run of 564.922 nm during the penultimate leg of the Volvo Ocean Race

Island Recreation

B

MT Nigel Gee, a subsidiary of the BMT Group, is pleased to announce its collaboration with Henry Ward Design in the development of the highly innovative ‘Recreational Island’. Measuring some 10m x 8m when deployed, the design concept is a folding, floating platform, which in its folded position can be stored in the tender bay of a large yacht. Deployed using standard overhead tender cranes, it can be towed by tender in its folded position to a preferred location – either into a shallow bay that the yacht cannot access, or simply to act as a stern extension to the yacht’s existing transom platform, thereby offering a large and flexible space for recreation, dining and relaxing.

An option to configure the island for use as a portable helicopter landing platform is also being investigated, with such a feature allowing existing yachts with no landing facilities, or new designs, to have a flexible facility on board, without the need to sacrifice valuable deck space.

Henry Ward is a recent graduate of Transport Design and the concept was initiated as part of a final year project. Recognising the creativity of HW Design, BMT has invested in the undertaking of technical studies to assess technical feasibility and engineer the design further. “This project is a perfect match for BMT Nigel Gee”, comments Yacht Design Director James Roy. “We recognise that creativity drives innovation and it is encouraging to see young designers such as Henry initiating ideas like the Recreational Island. We are strong believers in recognising that the creation and development of new ideas is best accomplished in a collaborative manner - bringing together unique capabilities to achieve the optimum result.” www.bmtyachts.com

Ferrari Red

A short while ago the hundredth 686 LIDO left the Frauscher shipyard. It was a special event for both the shipyard and the new owner, and in keeping with the dynamics of the motor yacht and the festive occasion, the 686 LIDO was produced in the original red Ferrari colour. Since its introduction the 686 LIDO has had a highly polarising effect among motor boat enthusiasts, who are either madly in love with it - or not!

But nobody was left cold by the

recent launch. A little bit more than six years on, the 686 LIDO is the most successful model sold from the Frauscher range. It’s hard to say exactly why, but it is probably because no other model of boat better combines its special individual features into a unique whole: fast gliding, agile response, high turning speed and impassioned design merge into a pure bred high-end tender which is simply captivating. www.frauscherboats.com

There’s something wonderful on the horizon

Model featured is the remarkable Squadron 42. The compact Squadron that doesn’t fall short in the luxury department

系列中的非凡之選Squadron 42，小巧中凸顯矜貴。 Fairline China: 16/F, East Ocean Centre, 618 Yan An Road East, Shanghai 200001

菲爾蘭中國: 中國上海延安東路618號東海商業中心16樓 郵編: 200001 Tel 電話: +86 21 2306 4846 E-mail 電郵: china@fairline.com Fairline Hong Kong: Unit 5, G/F, Aberdeen Marina Tower, 8 Shum Wan Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

菲爾蘭香港: 香港香港仔深灣道8號深灣遊艇俱樂部地下5室 Tel 電話: +852 3180 3189 E-mail 電郵: hongkong@fairline.com Appointed Dealers in 特約代理: China中國 Hong Kong香港 India印度 Indonesia印尼 Japan日本 Korea韓國 Malaysia馬來西亞 New Zealand新西蘭 Philippines菲律賓 Queensland昆士蘭 Singapore新加坡 Thailand泰國 Victoria維多利亞州 Vietnam越南 Western Australia澳洲西部

Our time is your time

fairline.com

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28 LOGBOOK NEWS

The Fabulous 40s

Vector Offshore Racing

V A

collector’s book covering the first 15 years of the Farr 40 International One-Design Class has been compiled by Bob Fisher.

The Farr 40 One-design Class is unique within the world of offshore yacht racing, having been a pathfinder during a period of great change within the sport. While major events around the world like the Admiral’s Cup in the UK and Kenwood Cup in Hawaii were in terminal decline, this 40ft Bruce Farr® designed yacht has shone like a beacon on a distant shore. The lavish, limited edition book, produced with the support of long-time Farr 40 Class sponsor Rolex, tells the story behind this remarkable Class. 152 of these boats are now spread across 19 countries, making it the most successful internationally recognised offshore racing class in the world. Key to this success lies only partially with the enduring beauty and sleek lines of its design.

What really made this Class so successful is the fact that the yachts are owner-driven, quite literally. It was the idea, unique at the time, that owners - all amateur helmsmen - should be alone in having their hands on the helm during Class racing. Previously, owners had, by and large, become hostage to their crews, forced to hire the best ‘guns’ in the sport to gain any success, while they rode the stern as passengers, their only active role being to write the cheques.

Innovations: the Farr 40 Class was the first to introduce the concept of an offset windward mark to lessen the chance of collision between yachts closing on the windward mark with those running back under spinnaker, the first to include a leeward gate, and first to instigate an ‘open-mic’ policy, giving competitors the opportunity to listen in on all committee boat transmissions.

The boat’s international appeal was immediate. The first 10 went to owners in five different countries. The design also won the ‘Boat of the Year’ award in 1998. Judge Betsy Alison noted at the time, “All who have sailed in this class agree that the boat takes the sea in its stride. It is fast, very fast, with marvellous responsiveness and manoeuverability and high structural integrity.”

The Fabulous 40s traces the rise of this unique Class which has attracted just about every big name within the sport including: Matt Allen, George Andreadis, Guido Belgiornio-Nettis, Ernesto Bertarelli, Riccardo Bonadeo, John Calvert-Jones, John Coumantaros, Dario Ferrari, Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark, Helmut Jahn, Philippe Kahn, John Kilroy, Irvine Laidlaw, Massimo Mezzaroma, Antonio Sodo Migliori, Vincenzo Onorato, Richard Perini, Hasso Plattner, Eduardo Ramos, Jim Richardson, Peter de Ridder, John Thompson, Philip Tolhurst, Graham Walker and Lang Walker.

Lavishly illustrated with more than 350 pictures, many of them double page spreads taken by some of the best photographers in the world including Carlo Borlenghi, Daniel Forster and Kurt Arrigo, this 240 page book captures the close racing and comradeship between crews competing in many of the best locations in the world. This is a book for all yacht race enthusiasts and lists the results of all the Rolex world championships from 1998 to 2011, as well as owners and their yachts.

www.southatlanticpublishing.com

ector International has announced the launch of British powerboat team Vector Offshore Racing.

The team, whose crew is comprised of three experienced English powerboat specialists, will compete in a series of challenging endurance racing and world record attempts over the course of the next two years, including the highly coveted Cowes to Monte Carlo Venture Cup race and a much anticipated London to St. Petersburg speed record attempt.

Vector Offshore Racing’s crew will be led by multiple World Record holder Peter Dredge. Veteran racer Peter is the current holder of 15 World Endurance Records and has two World and three European Championships to his name.

Team co-Founder Mal Crease joins Peter as the second member of the crew. Mal has long held a passion for the sport, and worked closely with the Sunseeker XS Racing Team before founding XSMG

and Offshore Quest. Tom MontgomerySwan makes up the permanent threeman crew. Tom was the youngest person to circumnavigate the British Isles in a powerboat, and since then has gone on to take 29 podiums in professional racing, both in circuit and offshore competition.

London-based Vector International has also revealed its plans to become a leading vendor of powerboats, with the V40GT currently in build and set to berth on British shores in June alongside the V40R. The new model, which retails for £750,000, is positioned as a ‘must have’ lifestyle accessory for the booming luxury sector in overseas and emerging markets. Vector International is currently developing a highly exclusive dealer network to support global sales of the Vector V40GT when it is launched later this year in territories including the Middle East, China, India and Brazil.

Simpson in Sanya

S

impson Marine continues to strengthen its presence in southern China. The opening of a flagship office at the Serenity Coast Marina in Sanya (Hainan) will complement Simpson’s offices in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Mike Simpson commented, “We are the only dealer with a coherent approach to the luxury yacht market in China - and the wider region - to cater to the growing number of high net worth individuals. Simpson Marine is ready to serve the fast expanding Chinese market, and specifically its southern part,

which is transforming itself into the yachting hub of China. Azimut, Beneteau and Lagoon are regarded as leaders in their field and we want our yacht owners to get the best service and support. This is our strong commitment to China’s vibrant yachting scene.”

On top of the existing eight marinas in operation, over a dozen new marina projects have been identified on the southern coast of China and Hainan. The idea of a Chinese Riviera stretching from Xiamen to Sanya has never been so relevant. www.simpsonmarine.com

® }EBSEN MARINE

Units, G/F, Aberdeen Marina T - . 8 Shum Wan Road,Aberdem, Hor~~Kafll •H*ifUm~••ilf'FSi[ Tal .lA: (852) ll80 ll89 Fa ilK: (852) 2805 6867 &nail U: lnfo@Jebsenmerlne.cam Webalta Ilia:: -.Jebsenmarfna.mm I6/F. Eut Ocean Cencre, 618Yin An Road East. Shanghai 200001, PR.ChlnalfliiiJ:Hi:~I~JtlflQI6(1 Tel •r&: (86) 21 ll0&-47_.. Ft.x ifJt: (86) 21 2306 4995 Ema!l dllnalnfoOJebtenmarlne.com

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30 LOGBOOK NEWS

O

Arrival and Departure

M

/Y Nymphaea (108ft), a successful charter yacht based in Singapore and a repeat client for Yacht Solutions, arrived back in Phuket in March for work including antifouling, engineering, hull re-paint and interior/ exterior beautification. After a fantastic season cruising with her owner, she then returned to Singapore for the Singapore Yacht Show. As M/Y Nymphaea departed, another 30m Broward arrived in Phuket to undertake a six month complete interior re-design and fit-out.

Once the refit is completed she will be ready to cruise over the next season.

Yacht Solutions is the only Thailandbased superyacht refit facility.

Majesty 121

Ferrari Boat

G

ulf Craft Inc. recently delivered another Majesty 121 hull, one of its most popular superyacht models, from its yacht manufacturing facility in the United Arab Emirates. Over its two decks, the Majesty 121 offers a spacious bespoke interior and superior facilities and fittings, including a fully integrated centralised audio visual system, a fly-bridge with wide, upholstered sofa seating and a sun bed on the forward deck. The yacht features a saloon, dining area, pantry, lobby and luxurious VIP cabin on the main deck, in addition to the owner’s room, two twin guest rooms, a double guest room and spacious crew accommodation on the lower deck. In total the Majesty 121 can accommodate 10 guests and 6 crew, and offers ample space for entertainment and relaxation.

The interiors are richly decorated in solid white oak, American cherry and bamboo veneers, with Azul Bahia granite and Botticcino Royale marble countertops and interior wall cladding. The soft furnishings feature a generous amount of leather finishings, maximising the comfort and elegance of the interiors.

“Our superyacht division continues to receive healthy buyer interest and we expect this end of the market to remain buoyant, with interest mainly coming from the Gulf and Europe at present,” says Erwin Bamps, COO for Gulf Craft.

“We are witnessing a greater level of buyer attention to finishings, quality of workmanship and well laid-out interior space usage, all strong selling points for our Majesty Yachts product portfolio. Moreover, our ability to provide a semi-custom layout and interior finishing selection allows us to satisfy a client’s particular preferences.”

The new Majesty 121 was handed over to its owner and will be moored in the Emirates Palace Hotel Marina in Abu Dhabi, joining Majesty 88 and 77 models already berthed at the marina. Able to handle yachts up to 140m in overall length, with its pristine beach, spa facilities, exclusive restaurants and catering offering, the marina has been promoting an enhanced marine lifestyle to yacht owners in the region.

www.gulfcraftinc.com

The Timossi-Ferrari speed boat ARNO XI was the brainchild of Achille Castoldi, who wanted to establish a world water speed record, and set about developing the ultimate powerboat. During 1952 and 1953, Castoldi, a friend of the famous Ferrari Grand Prix drivers Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi, succeeded in persuading Enzo Ferrari to provide knowledge and technical assistance to develop the boat. The result was horsepower provided by a 12-cylinder, 4,500 cc V12 Ferrari engine, the same as that installed in the Type 375 Grand Prix car that gave Ferrari and José Froilán González their first ever World Championship Grand Prix victory at Silverstone in 1951, with the only addition being twin superchargers that developed in excess of 502bhp at 6,000rpm. On October 15, 1953, ARNO XI reached 241.70 km/h (150.19 mph) on Lake Iseo in northern Italy, establishing a world speed record for an 800kg boat. Incredibly, the record still stands today.

The boat went through various aerodynamic improvements during its time, including a modified nose and the addition of a fin, finishing its competitive racing career in 1960 with a European championship victory and numerous fastest laps, many of which still exist. The boat was recently sold at auction in Monaco for a cool $1.1million and, hopefully, it will soon be seen and heard back in action.

McConaghy’s Submarine

F

ollowing explorer-filmmaker James Cameron’s recent successful record-breaking descent to the deepest part of the world’s oceans, McConaghy Boats in Sydney is able to confirm its significant involvement in this remarkable project.

For more than 45 years, McConaghy Boats in Sydney has been solving complex composite engineering problems in the marine, aviation, military and industrial markets. Internationally recognised for building high-performance, record-breaking racing yachts, McConaghy was approached in 2011 to assist Cameron and his engineering partner, Ron Allum, with the complex construction of the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible, a submarine capable of diving to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Western Pacific, 11 kms down at the deepest part of the world’s oceans - with Cameron himself onboard as sole pilot. The challenges involved in this project were immense. The pressure found at these extreme depths meant any faults or voids in the materials or construction process could prove catastrophic. During a three-month period, McConaghy developed a solution for bonding more

than 250 sections of the submersible’s core buoyancy material - an extremely hard and high-strength composite foam structure innovated by Cameron’s team called ISOFLOAT® and forming the 5.8m main structure of the submersible. This beam was constructed to withstand 16,500 psi (114MPa) of sea pressure - allowing the main beam to become massively compressed at its record-breaking depth at the base of the Mariana Trench, resulting in the submersible becoming 60mm shorter than it is at sea-level. Having overcome the problem of bonding the core buoyancy materials, McConaghy continued to work closely with the Acheron Project, Cameron’s and Allum’s Sydney-based team, fabricating 95% of all composites in the project, including the main beam, thruster units, doors, access panels and battery housings. Cameron and Allum spoke with McConaghy General Manager Richard Stanning just days before the submersible left Sydney for sea-trials. They were delighted with both McConaghy’s commitment to the project and its engineering capabilities. “It’s safe to say we couldn’t have done this without the McConaghy team,” said Cameron.

Inimitable class in every aspect

Excellence through Dutch passion, the Wajer Osprey 37 Never before, matters of personal style and exclusivity have been addressed with such precision. The Wajer Osprey 37 is a yacht that’s unique in every way. Exclusively built for every new owner. She is built with the perfect blend of excitement, luxury and space. Furthermore, one of the main design characteristics is her truly timeless appearance.

Both Vripack International Naval Architects and Volvo Penta Sweden cooperated to create the perfect balance between the Osprey’s deep V-hull and its Volvo IPS propulsion. This collaboration led to a perfect and exceptional comfortable sailing experience, and her unanimously voted title ‘’motorboat of the year’’. Pure perfection is visible in every single detail, which makes the Wajer Osprey 37 inimitable in every aspect.

Representing Wajer & Wajer Yachts in Asia:

Asia Yacht Services Ltd Gold Coast Yacht and Country Club, 1 Castle Peak Road, Castle Peak Bay, Hong Kong, T (852) 2815 0404, info@asiayachtservices.com, www.wajer.nl

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32 LOGBOOK NEWS

Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge 2012

Dixon Design

T

here’s a whole world of stories in every classic yacht. The stories of the masters who designed and built them, the stories of their owners, their skippers, their often famous guests who sailed or were taken by these boats through the world’s most spectacular seas, be it for adventure, challenge, or pure pleasure. Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta opened the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge season for 2012 and over 50 classic yachts were to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this not-to-be-missed regatta in the world of classic yacht racing. A host of titled names were there including the yawl Dorade (1930) one of the masterpieces by Olin Stephens, Mariella (1938) designed and built in the Fife shipyards, the one-hundredyear-old auric cutter Moya (1910) and – in the same class – Tuiga (1909), the famous Fife that flies the flag of the Monaco Yacht Club around the world, the super-fast Bermudan ketch Stormvogel (1961), winner of the PCYC 2008 circuit and set of the film “Dead Calm” starring Nicole Kidman and the impressive auric schooner Zaca a te Moana, a spirit of tradition from 1992 reaching 43 metres in length.

However the star of the show this year was Eilean, the Bermudan ketch built in 1936 in the Fife shipyards. Just back on the island where she spent the final decades of her long and fascinating existence, before the lengthy restoration work sponsored by Officine Panerai. Eilean, is well known and loved by the community of Antigua, and was at the centre of a series of celebrations and events, that included a multimedia exhibition dedicated to the story of her rebirth, staged inside the historical sites of Nelson’s Dockyard, the old port and Georgian shipyard that stands today as the island’s principal natural park.

Duran Duran, who shot the video for Rio, exactly 30 years ago for the song from their eponymous 1982 hit album, were onboard Eilean to celebrate her return Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. Eilean’s return to Antigua was also marked by the launch of a new website where readers can find out all the historical and technical details of the yacht, track its movements on a map in real time and read the adventures of skipper Andrew Cully on his personal blog. www.eilean.it

Antares III, designed by Dixon Yacht Design, won the coveted title of ‘Best Sailing Yacht’ in the 30 to 40 metre size range at the World Superyacht Awards 2012. She was deemed a ‘clear winner’ by the judges offering ‘everything that made cruising a pleasure for her owner’, a real commendation for the skill of all those involved. The yacht, whose naval architecture and exterior styling were the work of the Dixon team, was built in New Zealand by Yachting Developments with interior styling by Rhodes Young.

Bill Dixon was particularly pleased

with this award, saying, “The experienced and qualified judges have seen beyond what some might consider a relatively conservative profile and focused on the many factors that define a well-executed vessel. The yacht’s owner was looking for a modern classic and a vessel which would be capable of extended offshore ‘exploration’ cruising and making fast passage times in considerable comfort.”

The designers have translated these requirements into a yacht which has a beautifully balanced hull form and a long waterline length. To satisfy the fast cruising demand, Antares III was built from composite, which provided not just a considerable weight saving compared to aluminium, but had the additional benefit of allowing the design team to fully exploit the interior volume of the boat in the absence of structural frames which would otherwise have been required.

First and foremost Antares III is a sailing yacht, of course, and with her powerful carbon rig and rigging package, coupled with her long waterline and moderate displacement, she is certainly no slouch.

Responsive and stiff, she is a sailors-yacht... with more than a touch of luxury!

Asian Connection

Seakeepers: Douglas Houghton, Julian Chang and Michael Blake

T

he International SeaKeepers was founded in 1998 by a small group of yacht owners who were horrified by the deteriorating conditions of the seas. Their initial mission was to develop a compact, automated and cost-effective ocean and atmospheric monitoring system to install aboard their yachts, providing data to scientists on the health of the world’s oceans. The innovative SeaKeeper 1000™ is now deployed in more than 45 locations around the world, including yachts, cruise ships, ferry boats, buoys and piers. Endorsed by the United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization, U.S. National Weather Service continue to purchase the

SeaKeeper 1000 for NOAA vessels, and are adding SeaKeeper’s oceanographic monitoring to many of the government weather buoys moored at sea.

Members of the SeaKeepers Society recognize the ocean’s critical importance to the life of the planet and are deeply committed to finding real-world solutions to the problems now plaguing the seas.

The small, but very influential membership of entrepreneurs, yachtsmen, corporations, divers, scientists and concerned citizens now has an Asian voice with Julian Chang starting the Asian chapter of this global organisation to help protect, preserve and restore our world’s oceans.

www.seakeepers.com

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34 LOGBOOK NEWS AMERICA'S CUP WORLD SERIES

VENETIAN VENTURE

TEXT BY BOB FISHER PHOTOS COURTESY GILLES MARTIN-RAGET

V

enice is rather more than a seaside resort – its historical beginnings as a port go back to Roman times, and it continues to attract tourists like bees to a nectar-laden flower. Out beyond Lido Island, the Adriatic provides a perfect race course, but denies the spectators the best vista. That is reserved when racing is moved inside, to the Basin off St. Marco and the canal leading to it.

The organisers of the ACWS needed to make a big display, and racing out beyond the Lido was restricted to a single day, but even then the spectator fleet was huge. First up however was some practice racing which culminated in a ‘dash for cash’ – a short race that finished off St. Marco for a €50,000 prize. In front of a crowd estimated at 100,000, it was won by Terry Hutchinson with Artemis Racing, but the big cheers were reserved for the next two finishers, the two Luna Rossa boats – Swordfish and Piranha.

The real deal was reserved for four days at the end of a festival week, when the match and fleet racing resumed, and there was plenty of it on every one of the days. The centre of attention was, somewhat naturally, on the local teams – there was a massive hoarding that virtually covered a four-storey building, which showed the Luna Rossa team, and the crowd cheered the two boats vociferously.

On opening day, on a course outside the Lido in an 8-10 knot southerly, the first race went to Nathan Outteridge with Team Korea from Terry Hutchinson’s Artemis Racing. The second was won by Loïck Peyron with Energy Team from Luna Rossa Swordfish steered by Paul CampbellJames. Energy was top team on points.

On the second day, when the racing was moved to the lagoon and into the Grand Canal, the support of the locals was rewarded when each of the Luna Rossa boats won a race (they also won the third – a spare race that would only count if the final day’s racing were called off), but the star of the day was Peyron with the Energy Team, scoring another third and a second to continue to lead on points.

The following day, Russell Coutts announced the Red Bull sponsorship of the AC Youth event – a six-race series in San Francisco next year – saying that Red Bull would help develop the brand. The Oracle teams were wearing logoed helmets. He also said: “Getting Ben Ainslie is a good move – I can’t wait to see him and Jimmy (Spithill) go head-to-head.”

The third day saw Artemis and Luna Rossa Piranha (Chris Draper) qualify for the final of the Match Racing Championship and two more fleet races. In the first, Swordfish beat Spithill to the line by 53 seconds and in the second, strangely, the first two to finish were Artemis and Luna Rossa Piranha, the match race finalists. Energy had a bad day with an eighth and a fifth, but still led overall.

The final day dawned light and the speed trials were anything but quick – top speed was 13.39 knots by Luna Rossa Piranha; Artemis beat Piranha in the single match race.

The final fleet race saw Peyron sail away from his rivals to a one-time 500m lead, but towards the finish, at St. Marco, the Energy boat was “parked” and Spithill closed for the kill. The strategy of Peyron shut his opponent out on the last gybe to the finish to win by nine seconds and secure the Venice Championship.

DID YOU KNOW? Energy Team with Lo誰ck Peyron at the helm took Venice by storm, but it is still Jamie Spithill and the Oracle Racing team who are at the top of the leader board.

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36 LOGBOOK CALENDAR ASIAN REGATTAS

King’s Cup 2012

by Guy Nowell

GUY NOWELL

DID YOU KNOW? The Phuket King's Cup 2011 anticipated the 2016 Olympics by introducing a kite surfing division. A repeat performance this year is under consideration

July

asian racing/sailing calendar

12

T

here are plenty of good regattas to choose from in Asia right now, but the Phuket King’s Cup remains the biggest, the best, and the one you have to win to really make a mark on the Asian circuit. 2011 marked the 25th anniversary of the event and, far from showing signs of age, it is going from strength to strength.

With 92 boats on the start line, the regatta caters for everyone from flatout racers to gentleman cruisers and bareboat charters of the more relaxed kind. The 2011 King’s Cup started as it meant to continue, with the nowtraditional Sail Past to mark His Majesty the King’s birthday conducted under

perfect conditions, and going straight onto the racecourse in 10kts of breeze under blue skies and sunshine - and that’s the way it stayed for the five days of racing.

Hannes Waimer’s TP52 Team Premier collected the honours for the IRC 0 division, but most eyes were on the 13 40-footers in IRC. Yasuo Nanamori’s Summit 40, Karasu, became the first allJapanese boat to win at the King’s Cup, fresh from their win at Japan’s premier inshore regatta, the Riviera Japan Cup. The 12 entries in Premier Cruising division were probably the classiest collection of luxury under sail ever seen in this part of the world, with Richard

and competitors enjoy five nights of parties at the regatta headquarters. www.phuketraceweek.com

Dobbs’ beautiful Titania of Cowes claiming the title.

The social programme at the King’s Cup is almost as important as the sailing, with six lavish parties during the week making it just that little bit harder for some crews to be ready in the morning! It’s just part of the game, and part of the appeal of the event. At the end of the regatta more than one old salt was heard to opine that 2011 was "the best King’s Cup ever” – music to the ears of a hard-working Organising Committee, to be sure, but a gauntlet for them to pick up for the 2012 event.

If you want to see how an Asia regatta is run, start here.

prizegiving will be held on August 25, 2012. www.hkyc.org.hk BORNEO INTERNATIONAL

JULY

CAPE PANWA HOTEL PHUKET RACEWEEK THAILAND

Thailand’s only “Green Season” regatta will be

held from July 18-22 with race headquarters now in a different location, the Cape Panwa Hotel. The racing takes place over four consecutive days,

NAUTICA TYPHOON

YACHTING CHALLENGE

SERIES: HHYC

BORNEO

HONG KONG

The Borneo International Yacht Challenge is a joint effort by three Malaysian Borneo states, and consists of the Miri Bay Regatta, a Miri-Kota Kinabalu passage race, and the Kota Kinabalu Bay Regatta. The series is a Cat 3 event and is timed to coincide with the Sail Malaysia Passage to the

The Nautica Typhoon Series, run by the Hebe Haven Yacht Club, started in June and finishes in August.

Held every second Sunday throughout the summer, the 10 race series consists of island and windward/ leeward courses and includes a race to Mirs Bay. The series

East Rally. The event runs July 21-27, 2012 in what the locals call "the Land below the Wind." No entry fee, but entrants recieve a small stipend for turning up. www.borneorace.com

Royal Langkawi International Regatta 2012

GUY NOWELL

by Guy Nowell

Thirty-six boats in seven classes may have been spreading the butter a little thin, but you can never please everyone when it comes to the division splits. PRO Simon James ran two days of racing inside Bass Harbour, two days ‘outside’, and used the last day for the signature Around the Island Race. All conducted in good-to-reasonable wind and with no fuss. Very good.

With Ray Roberts and the Evolution Racing crew absent for the first time since 2006, Neil Pryde may have thought it was his turn to claim practically the only trophy in Asia that doesn’t have his name on it, but he hadn’t reckoned with Marcus Blackmore and a band of Hooligans sailing

The 2012 edition is a collaborative effort to promote the navigational route from Darwin, Australia, through the Indonesian Archipelago and ending in Singapore. The rally leaves Darwin on July 28 and over 120 yachts are joining this voyage through the original 'Spice Islands'. www.sailindonesia.net SAIL INDONESIA DARWIN TO SINGAPORE

AUGUST

This event is progressively turning Southeast Asian waters into a world-class cruising destination.

WESTERN CIRCUIT SAILING REGATTA SINGAPORE

One of Singapore’s premier keelboat regattas, this event

Team Premier – the same boat that beat Hi Fi in the Phuket King’s Cup. Blackmore rolled out six firsts and three second places, and Pryde filled in the blanks to be bridesmaid once again.

Blackmore was generous with his comments on the Asian regatta scene, saying that it looked “better than Australia, bigger and better fleets,” and promising to be back, with friends, as soon as possible.

Langkawi is a delightful place to sail and race, and the RLYC turns on a welcome that is absolutely second to none. The regatta could do with – and deserves – a bigger fleet, but that will come if the 2012 standard is maintained.

is organised by Raffles Marina, and takes place over the weekends of August 4, 5 and 11 and is a mix of windward/leeward courses and passage races. www.westerncircuit.com OLYMPIC GAMES WEYMOUTH, UK

The racing starts on the 28 July and there are ten Olympic sailing medals up for grabs. Will Ben Anislie take home amother gold medal for the Finn Class? www.london2012.com

ASIAN MATCH RACING CHAMPIONSHIP (AMRC) MALAYSIA

The Asian Match Racing Championship (AMRC) allows sailors under the age

of 25 from outside of Asia a chance to qualify for the Alpari World Match Racing Tour, and the season ends with the Monsoon Cup. www.monsooncup.com.my

DID YOU KNOW? The Royal Langkawi Yacht Club is the only yacht club in Asia to have real Royal Flag Officers

asian racing/sailing calendar

L

angkawi calls itself the Jewel of Kedah, 99 islands (depending on the state of the tide) sprinkled carelessly across the waters of the Malacca Strait. And on the northeastern shore of Bass Harbour is the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club. With a first class marina in front, the spectacular beauty of the archipelago all around, and immediate proximity to good sailing water – well, it doesn’t get much better.

Flagship event for the RLYC is the Royal Langkawi International Regatta.

Now ten years old, this event enjoyed a meteoric start in 2003, but has had mixed fortunes since. However, the 2012 edition proved that the RLIR is now a fully paid-up member of the Asian Regatta Circuit.

12 August

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38 L OGBOOK CALENDAR ASIAN REGATTAS

Top of the Gulf Regatta 2012

GUY NOWELL

by Guy Nowell

DID YOU KNOW? The Top of the Gulf Regatta also incorporated the first round of the NeilPryde RS:X Racing Series

September - November

asian racing/sailing calendar

12

I

f this was England, the word would be ‘gracious.’ The Regatta Lawn running down from the Ocean Marina Yacht Club towards the sea, competitors relaxing on the greensward after a hard day’s racing… But it’s Thailand, it’s damn hot, it’s beer not champagne, and there are lots of Australians. Somehow, though, it still manages to be gracious. Welcome to the 8th Top of the Gulf Regatta at Jomtien Beach, Pattaya.

Seven classes, 52 entries, and the biggest divisions were the horde of 40-footers in IRC 1 (12) and the 14 Platus battling it out for the Coronation Cup. A ‘good blow’ started the regatta and gave competitors plenty of action on the water,

SEPTEMBER ABC OPENING REGATTA HONG KONG

This event marks the beginning of the Aberdeen Boat Club sailing season.

and an opportunity to swap war stories afterwards. Neil Pryde proved that a 51-footer can hold her time against her 40-foot cousins, and went on to win the regatta by a whisker from Karasu (Yasuo Nanamori). Racing a 51’ boat amongst a flock of 40’ competitors may look easy enough – get out in front and stay there – but in reality the enemy is the clock, not the other boats. The longer the course, the better the big boat likes it.

A nimble little Platu is a handful at the best of times, and in 20kts of breeze they are positively feisty. It was ‘game on’ for the Coronation Cup between local hero Rolf Heemskerk and Chris Way’s Team Easy Tiger from Australia. After three days of racing the

To be held on September 1 and 2 , the regatta is open to boats of all types and sizes, from dinghy to the largest racers. www.abclubhk.com

two boats were tied on 17 points and with the same number of first, second, third and fifth places apiece. No wind on the last day of racing resulted on Team Easy Tiger winning the Coronation Cup on count back.

The Top of the Gulf is not just about the big boats, but also the Laser and 420 dinghies, the beach catamarans and especially the Optimists that sail on alternate race courses during the same regatta.

This year’s Thailand National Optimist Championships attracted 108 entries and produced a new National Champion, Sarawut Phetsiri. Add together the Optimists, the dinghies, the cats and the big boats, and you have the ‘biggest regatta in Asia’, by one definition at least.

ROYAL HONG KONG

NOVEMBER

YACHT CLUB AUTUMN

RAJA MUDA SELANGOR

REGATTA HONG KONG

INTERNATIONAL REGATTA,

The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s 'Opening Regatta' marks the start of the new sailing season for the biggest sailing club in Hong Kong.

The racing will be held over the weekend of September 8 and 9, and attracts around 80 keelboats in 10 classes. There is one race on the Saturday afternoon, two races on the Sunday, and the regatta prizegiving is held at Kellett Island after the last race. www.rhkyc.org

MALAYSIA

One of the Asian evergreens, and 2012 will be the 23rd running of an event that provides three coastal passage races (total 240nm), two days of in-port racing, rickshaw racing and a whole slew of socials all packed into a week. It's difficult and it's exhausting - a marathon, not a sprint. Start in Port Klang, stop over in Pangkor and Penang, and end up at Langkawi where the Sultan

himself will present the Raja Muda Trophy and the Jugra Cup. You're not an Asian sailor until you have done the Raja Muda. www.rmsir.com

RHKYC Spring Regatta

LINDSAY LYONS

by Guy Nowell

of course the ‘big’ boats. Courses are laid around Victoria Harbour, participants from other Clubs are welcome, and altogether it’s a spree.

No less than 94 boats went out to mark the end of the 2011-12 season, and racing started right in front of the RHKYC’s Kellett Island Clubhouse in 10-12 kts of breeze from the east and a strongly ebbing tide. By the end of the afternoon the tide had turned, and the wind increased a knot or two before falling away, making it impossible for a few of the smaller boats to finish.

Race Officer Simon Boyde was out on the water early on Sunday morning, looking for breeze. In the event, starting

year the series comprises the China Coast Regatta and the Offshore Category 1 race, which goes to Hainan, China.

The China Coast Regatta starts on October 12, and is Hong Kong’s premier "big boat" regatta. The event consists of three consecutive days racing in Hong Kong, followed by an offshore race to Hainan,China. www.rhkyc.org.hk ROYAL HONG KONG YACHT CLUB

HONG KONG TO

CHINA COAST RACE WEEK

HAINAN RACE

HONG KONG

HONG KONG – HAINAN

Organised by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, this

This Category 1 offshore race starts on October 17,

conditions on Sunday were described as ‘decent’, and then improved. The RHKYC reported that “the breeze picked up beyond initial expectations, building to 13kts in bright sunshine to show off harbour sailing at its best.” There can be few places in the world in which to sail that provide as impressive a backdrop as Victoria Harbour.

Proceedings wound up in the traditional manner, with a prizegiving party on The Lawn, assisted by refreshments courtesy of Laurent Perrier and Carlsberg.

RHKYC Vice Commodore Joachim Isler (Ambush) won the IRC 0 Racing division, and Anthony Root (Red Kite II) was the winner of IRC 1 Racing.

2012. The record for the race is currently held by Sam Chan's FfreeFire in a time of 29:35:08 in 2005. www.rhkyc.org.hk CHINA CUP INTERNATIONAL REGATTA SHENZHEN, CHINA

The regatta starts on October 29 with a passage race from Hong Kong to Shenzhen.

This is followed by three days of inshore racing in Daya Bay, Shenshen. The 30-strong fleet of one-design Beneteau 40.7s is the big attraction. www.chncup.com

ROYAL HONG KONG YACHT CLUB AROUND THE ISLAND RACE, HONG KONG

This classic race starts on November 11, 2012.. Open

to all Hong Kong sailors and all classes of boat, the race includes keelboats, catamarans and dinghies, outrigger canoes and coastal rowing boats. www.rhkyc.org.hk

DID YOU KNOW Sailing doesn't actually 'stop' for the summer in Hong Kong. The RHKYC, HHYC and ABC all run summer series, and everyone is welcome to join in at all venues

asian racing/sailing calendar

A

s the saying goes, all good things come to an end. And that includes the sailing ‘season.’ Summer in Hong Kong is gaspingly hot and frequently wind-less (unless there’s a typhoon about) so the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club curtails its racing programme May through to September. The Autumn Regatta marks the beginning of the new season, and the Spring Regatta takes place at the end.

Both events take place over a weekend, and both are an occasion for all the Club’s racing classes to get out and race together – the Dragons and Etchells, Flying 15s, Ruffians, Pandoras, Sonatas and J/80s, and

12 November

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40 LOGBOOK BOATSHOW REPORT ONE015 MARINA, SINGAPORE

27 - 29. 4. 2012 Singapore Yacht Show

DID YOU KNOW? Singapore Yacht Show is an invitation-only superyacht and lifestyle event.

T

he Singapore Yacht Show 2012 at the ONE°15 Marina Club in Sentosa Cove ended on a high note having lived up to all expectations, with many more exhibitors, visitors and stunning yachts on show than the ‘preview’ show last year. At the same time, the 4th Asia Pacific Superyacht Conference, which ran two days before the yacht show, also saw a significant increase in delegate numbers.

“The feedback from exhibitors is very encouraging,” said Andy Treadwell, Managing Director of the show. “Singapore is now becoming known as the Switzerland of the East, as well as the Monaco of the East, and this is for a very good reason!

Private banking, casinos, night life and sport - that’s why we are getting such a great response when we and our partners extend a personal invitation to a very select audience to attend the Singapore Yacht Show!”

The many leading international industry players attending were in agreement: "The Singapore Yacht Show grew in maturity this year and it was superb to see some of the world’s leading brands bringing their yachts to the region. This was matched in the sophistication of the visitors and we had a better educated and higher quality of visitor aboard our five yachts in the show than at any show we have participated at in the Asia-Pacific region”, commented Simon Turner, Director, Northrop and Johnson Asia.

Reporting a highly positive participation was Paul Whelan, General Manager, Simpson Marine (SEA): “The Singapore Yacht Show was a resounding success for us. We sold two stunning Azimut yachts at the show and two sailing yachts within two

days of the show. There were many serious buyers and we have gathered over 100 qualified leads. The show definitely exceeded our expectations and surpassed its 2011 success.”

Organisers of the Singapore Yacht Show were delighted that international superyacht brands such as Palmer Johnson, Feadship, Westport and San Lorenzo were all at the show with superyachts on display. World-renowned yacht brokers and charter brokers including Burgess, Ocean Independence, Simpson Marine and Northrop & Johnson were on hand to support the local industry in this new and exciting phase of its development.

Palmer Johnson, the world famous builder of ultra-sleek luxury high performance powerboats, were participating in the Singapore Yacht Show for the second time, and confirmed their commitment to growing their business in the region. Russell Morris, Palmer Johnson’s Sales Director, explains, “We see it as a long-term strategy to participate in what we believe will become the key industry event in the natural hub for the whole region. We regard our role here partly as ‘educational’, in the sense that we are introducing the Palmer Johnson brand into a new market, but also introducing the many wealthy people in the region who are not familiar with yachting to a lifestyle that is perfectly suited to private entertaining for family and business associates.”

The Singapore Yacht Show has already laid claim to a reputation of providing the best platform in the natural hub of the Asian yachting industry, and the most appreciative regional audience with a real interest in yachting and an enormous propensity to consume.

OPPOSITE PAGE: The opening ceremony ABOVE, CLOCKWISE: Superyachts on display; J-Craft take visitors for a spin; the Gulf Craft team; Superyachts on show; Westport team

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42 LOGBOOK BOATSHOW REPORT GOLD COAST MARINA, HONG KONG

11 -13.05.2012 Gold Coast International Boat Show

DID YOU KNOW? Hong Kong has two boats show each year. One is held in May at the Cold Coast Marina and the other is held in December at Marina Cove, in Sai Kung

T

he Hong Kong Gold Coast Boat Show showcased a stunning array of power and sailing yachts, at the Gold Coast Yacht and Country Club marina. The show, which was celebrating its fifteenth anniversary, had 60 exhibitors displaying over 80 yachts with the value of the yachts ranging from HK$200,000 to HK$76 million apiece, and a total value in the region of HK$700 million.

Guests of Honour at the opening ceremony included Sir David Akers Jones, Mr. Ivan Tung, Deputy Director of Marine, along with Mr. Eric Fok, Vice President of Fok Ying Tung Group, and Mr. Albert Wu, General Manager of Gold Coast Yacht and Country Club. The show organisers invited a number of respected marine industry players to share their views of Hong Kong and Mainland China market trends and these included Gordon Hui (Sunseeker Asia Ltd) Roger Samuelsson (CEO & Founder of Navinode), and Jerry Clark, (Managing Director of IAG).

Under the spotlight this year was the world’s first carbon fibre yacht Delta 54 Carbon Cruiser. This Swedish built yacht model makes full use of carbon fibre, similar to that used in the fastest racing cars, and is about 30% lighter than comparable models. The technological advancement reduces fuel consumption and is more environmentally friendly.

Superyacht were represented by the China built three-deck Electra 100. Presented by IAG Yachts Ltd, a premier Chinese yacht manufacturer, the yacht is built for discerning yacht owners who appreciate quality and the best things in life. All machinery and equipment is procured from respected European and American manufacturers to ensure quality and safety. With the relaxing yet modern styled sun-deck, the outdoor design provides the perfect environment for leisure and recreation.

The British luxury yacht brand Sunseeker, was also a big hit among the affluent attending the show, the Predator 74 was a must see and the yacht provides total flexibility to meet the requirements of either owner-driver or crewed operation. With a choice of either standard hardtop or optional sports flybridge, and of layout configurations, this versatile model is another step in the evolution of the Predator range. Another eye catching yacht on display was the Hugo Boss sailing yacht.

Mr Albert Wu, General Manager of Gold Coast Yacht and Country Club, commented that, “With its maturity in the industry, Hong Kong is a leader in Asia. With its well-established leisure marine infrastructure with international standard marinas and experienced service providers, Hong Kong will continue to see steady growth within the industry as a whole. Mainland China’s yacht builders aim to achieve a bigger share of the global luxury yacht market in recent years by continuously honing their yacht-building expertise and technology. On the other hand, with Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre in Asia and with the rapid economic growth of China, new European dealers are proactively exploring business opportunities in China through the connection with Hong Kong."

In addition to the exciting marine leisure and water sports displays, the organiser arranged a fabulous catwalk show with top models showcasing the latest Vivienne Tam Spring/Summer collection. To add further fun to the show, a brand new Aston Martin One-77 was placed in the middle of the centre stage.

Additionally, Mr. Michael Wong with his 10-piece Big Band & Friends delivered and entertaining performance.

OPPOSITE PAGE: In-water display

C."' HORIZON HORIZON

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The opening ceremony; Sealine team; Delta Yachts from Sweden; Vivienne Tam Spring/ Summer Collection; Taiwanese boatbuilder Horizon Yachts; XO Marine offers a traditional approach; Micheal Wong and friends

Ys | SUMMER 2012 | 43

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44 L OGBOOK BOATSHOW REVIEW BOAT ASIA/PIMEX

12-15.04.12

Boat Asia

B

oat Asia 2012 returned to Marina @ Keppel Bay and this year celebrated its 20th anniversary in style. Supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, Boat Asia in conjunction with strategic partner Marina @ Keppel Bay Boat Asia showcased luxury yachts up to 50 metres.

The show has grown and played a central role in developing the boating industry in Singapore and the region, with a firm commitment to promoting the business of yacht dealers and their brands as well as marinas. Visitors numbered over 15,000 and with over 100 exhibits from the Asia-Pacific, Europe, US, Middle East, and China, the show can be said to have a very international outlook.

“Amidst a highly volatile economic outlook, particularly in Europe, luxury yacht brands recognise that the serious growth prospects lie in still-booming Asia, where much of the real purchasing power lies,” said Herman Ho, Managing Director of TMX Show Productions. Boat Asia has provided these brands and their dealers and distributors with the

opportunity to make quality sales contacts amongst high net worth Asian clients from India, China, Singapore and South East Asia.

In 2012, Boat Asia once again featured a stunning line up from leading yacht brands such as Azimut, Beneteau, Chaparal, Cranchi, Fairline, Ferretti, Gulf Craft, Horizon, Leopard, Meridian, Monte Carlo, Nautor Swan, Pershing, Riva, Riviera, Robalo, Sunseeker and many others.

On the waterfront, Boat Asia 2012 introduces its highly popular Lifestyle concept, featuring prestigious brands such as Gaggenau, Audi and Mumm Champagne in addition to a wide range of on-land exhibitors from resort operators, charter companies, clothing and fashion brands, swimwear and sports and nautical watches. Off-the-water activities this year included car displays and test-drives, a nautical fashion and swimwear show at the waterfront promenade, jazz performances, wine and whisky tasting and an exclusive timepiece showcase. The event also partnered with some of the leading private

members' clubs in Singapore.

“Boat Asia 2012 provided a special focus for luxury charters from corporations and private banks and this year featured an exclusive luxury private yacht charter segment,” said Herman Ho of TMX Show productions, himself an avid boater. The event also showcased the increasing use of ‘green’ technologies in boat building and design.

29.03-01.04.12

PIMEX

T

he ninth edition of the Phuket International Boat Show (PIMEX) reported successful sales and hot leads for exhibitors. The four-day show – the largest consumer Boat Show in Thailand – has become known for its quality – quality products, quality exhibitors and quality visitors.

Thailand’s premier boating haven the Royal Phuket Marina (RPM) where the show was held was operating at full capacity with state-ofthe-art moorings for 120 vessels and 50 ‘dry’ berths. The ‘full house’ “underlines Phuket’s fastgrowing popularity with the international boating

community”, said Royal Phuket Marina developer Gulu Lalvani. Attracting an international exhibitor mix from throughout the Austral-Asia region, as well as from Italy, The Netherlands and the USA, the show also reported that visitor demographic is equally international.

According to exhibitors, the quality of visitors to PIMEX this year has resulted in sales, good contacts and many hot leads, which brokers expect to convert postShow. Alberto Perrone Da Zara, Direttore Commerciale, Ferretti Group, commented: “From shows like this, we tend to bring away very good leads,” adding, “this is a show that has a very high incident of success.” Lee Marine made several sales at the show including a Jenneau 53, and generated many qualified leads on other boats and brands they represent.

Craig Murphy, Managing Director of Sunseeker Thailand, said “We had a very impressive line-up of Sunseekers on display, which generated a lot of interest and some high quality leads this year.”

Said Tony Nixey, Managing Director of Go Boating Thailand and the agent for Majesty Yachts, “The leads we develop from the show may turn into sales later. For us it’s about developing relationships

through the show, and gaining, who will hopefully become partners with us later.”

In response to exhibitor feedback, PIMEX organisers moved the dates from January to late March for 2012, with the aim of encouraging a higher quality display of boats. This decision has been vindicated: 2012 saw more boats displayed than last year. “The display of boats in the marina is exceptional. The boat line-up, both power and sail, is of the highest quality and the average boat sizes has increased also,” commented Andy Dowden, PIMEX Show Director.

In 2011, PIMEX welcomed an in-flux of Russian visitors and this year the trend has continued with exhibitors reporting qualified Russians interested in boats and marine lifestyle products. A growing market also this year has been the local Thai market, with more interested Thai buyers visiting the show and researching boat buying opportunities. This is becoming a market more and more exhibitors are turning their attention too. Said Mario Zanasi, Country Manager – Thailand, Simpson Marine, “We are looking more at the Thai market. For this reason, we have a new Thai, broker, and we are really confident in the future of the Thai market.”

The Monaco Yacht Show is being held from September 19-22, 2012. The most prestigious superyacht show on-the-planet, the event is held every year in Port Hercules, Monaco. The event hosts the most exclusive super and megayachts that have recently been launched, and has a series of splendid cocktail parties, awards dinners and conferences that are organised by the exhibitors, in the show venue, on board the yachts and in Monte Carlo's fabulous luxury hotels. www.monacoyachtshow.com

12-15.05.11 China (Shanghai) International Boat Show

T

he 17th edition of the China International Boat Show (CIBS) proved this show has now come of age. The show benefited from moving to the former World Expo 2010, as the larger premises enabled the show to establish new character, and give visitors a whole new boating experience.

Housed largely under one roof, which no other show in China has so far come close to replicating, the show venue was closer to the in-water

exhibits which were again expanded this year.

Figures released by the show organisers showed a turnover up by a remarkable 120% to RMB 2.2 billion. That final sales figure was helped along quite nicely by Sunseeker who sold one 40m yacht for RMB 140M. Overseas visitors were up by 50 percent, although they were responsible for a small fraction of the boat sales and the final number of visitor numbers totalled 31,835, which was up

40% on 2011. Every visitor pass was bar coded and electronically scanned to allow for accurate reporting of attendance.

Besides the boating exhibitors there was a luxury lifestyle pavilion where top end cars and luxury goods were on show.

Additional elements of the show included industry forums, the Charity Regatta and the Asian Marine & Boating Awards, all of which were well attended.

Boat Show Calendar 2012 Aug. 02 - 06

Sept. 12-17

Sept. 14-23

Sept. 19-22

Sydney International Boat Show

Cannes International Yacht & Boat Show

PSP Southampton Boat Show

Monaco Yacht Show VENUE: Port Hercules, Monaco www.monacoyachtshow.com

VENUE: Darling Harbour, Sydney www.sydneyboatshow.com.au

VENUE: Cannes, France www.salonnautiquecannes.com

VENUE: Southampton, UK www.southamptonboatshow.com

Oct. 06-14

Oct.12- 14

Oct. 18-22

Oct. 25-28

Genoa International Boat Show

Yacht CN 2012

VENUE: Shenzhen, China www.sibex.net.cn

VENUE: F isherman's Wharf, Macau www.macau-yachtshow-nk.com.mo

VENUE: G enoa, Italy www.genoaboatshow.com

VENUE: Nansha, China www.yachtcn.net

Macau International SIBEX China (Shenzhen) Yacht Import International Boat Show and Export Fair

Oct. 25-29

Nov. 02-05

Nov. 13-15

Nov 30 - 01Dec

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

China (Xiamen) International Boat Show

METS

Hong Kong International Boat Show

VENUE: Ft Lauderdale, USA www.showmanagement.com

VENUE: Xiamen, China www.xmboatshow.com

VENUE: Amsterdam, Netherlands www.metstrade.com

VENUE: Sai Kung, Hong Kong www.clubmarinacove.com

Ys | SUMMER 2012 | 45

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46 LOGBOOK PARTIES FEADSHIP M/Y HELIX

Feadship Fun A select gathering of Yachtstyle readers along with clients from Northrop and Johnston, a leading superyacht broker, enjoyed the very best that luxury boating has to offer on board Feadship’s newly launched 45m Helix. Personal tours allowed guests to see for themselves why Feadships are seen as the ‘Rolls Royces’ of the superyacht world. The Dom Perignon flowed, accompanied by sumptuous nibbles created by Helix’s wonderful onboard chef.

PHOTOS: GUY NOWELL

Clockwise from above: M/Y Helix; Bart Kimman, and Mr and Mrs Peter Lau; Gaston Chan and Cowen Chui; Stephane and Isabelle Kiefer, and Maria Boyde

Clockwise from top left: Harald Dudok van Heel, Bart Kimman and Lucas Wurfbain; Joachim Isler and Lucy Fennell; Capt Phil Burgess, Manuela Mueller and Lynn Grebstad; Liz Hamerton and Karen Ball; Vicky and Gaston Chan, Lucy Chen and friend

Ys | SUMMER 2012 | 47

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48 LOGBOOK PARTIES ASIA SUPERYACHT RENDEZVOUS

Heaven Afloat Superyachts and Phuket are like a match made in heaven, and for over a decade now superyachts have streamed into Phuket to enjoy the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous. An elite gathering of superyacht owners, captains and crew along with invited VIP guests celebrates with two sailing events and three delightful evenings filled with delicious food, entertainment and famed Thai hospitality. The event is sponsored by Feadship and hosted by The Surin Hotel in Pansea Bay. PHOTOS BY GUY NOWELL

Clockwise from above: The Surin Resort Poolside; boat owners and VIP guests have a chance to renew friendships; Brigit Nederpelt releases a lantern and makes a wish

Clockwise from top left: Thai dancers greet the guests; Michele Hossack, David Yourieff, Rob Hossack, Timana Hossack; Muzza Nordstrand and Chantal Fernandez; Axel Douque and friend ; dancing the night away; superyacht owners and VIP guests mix and mingle

Ys | SUMMER 2012 | 49

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50 LOGBOOK PARTIES HUGO BOSS

Black and White Alex Thomson is the sailing face of Hugo Boss. The yacht and the sailor have recently been in Asia on a promotional tour, and entertaining guests ‘on board’ to give them a taste of what it takes to sail around the world singlehanded. His famous black and white IMOCA Open 60 sailing yacht provided the perfect backdrop to an exciting evening for sailors from all over Hong Kong who came to hear Alex’s war stories - starting with when the boat capsized in the Southern Ocean. This experience has not dissuaded him from making another attempt on the toughest single handed ocean race in the world, and Alex will be on the start line in November for the Vendee Globe Race in his yacht Hugo Boss, looking as smart as ever!

PHOTOS BY GUY NOWELL

Clockwise from above: Hugo Boss, the star of the show; Hebe Haven Yacht Club members meet Alex Thomson; James and Susan Oliver: Benson Wong, Pat Pender, and Steward Hosford; the Hugo Boss cheer team

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This sleek lined 68 Evolution is aflybridge yadlt offering all the elegance, comfort and space that owner and guests could want. She has been well looked after and presents beautifully.

This is awell maintained sports fishing boat that is sleek and loaded with all the features that anglers seek.lt completed a refit in 2006 and engines overhauled in 2007.

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52 logbook PARTIES Rolex China Sea Race

50 Year Bash Clockwise from above: Race Chairman Rick Strompf; the Main Lawn at the RHKYC; Geoff Hill and Syd Fisher, Andrew Herne, Matthias Wacker, Jenny Cooper and Wolfgang Weilbach; the Darling crew; one bottle of Mount Gay please; Kevin Costin, Neil Pryde, Majbritt Lang and Matt Humphries

The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club welcomed sailors from around the world for the 50th anniversary Rolex China Sea Race. With Mount Gay on the menu there was no shortage of sailors at the ‘Welcome Drinks’, and the assembled competitors enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with old friends in town for the race, as well as meet with new crews who were joining the race for the first time. Syd Fischer was there, looking forward to his first RCSR, on Genuine Risk. A veteran of more than 40 Sydney-Hobart Races, he has now crossed this blue water classic off his ‘must do’ list.

Photos by Guy Nowell

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54 LOGBOOK PARTIES THE MACALLAN MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY III: ANNIE LEIBOVITZ

The Spirit of Art The Macallan, the luxury single malt whisky, commissioned one of the world’s most famous photographers, Annie Leibovitz, for the third edition of its magnificent Masters of Photography series. Leibovitz has brought to life the essence of the brand through her unique photographer’s eye, with renowned Scottish actor Kevin McKidd cast in the role of leading man. Both were at the launch of the ‘The Macallan Masters of Photography III: Annie Leibovitz Edition’, which was held at the Island Shangri-La. Guests enjoyed both the photographic exhibition and the uniquely complex The Macallan.

PHOTOS: JASON TO

Clockwise from above: Launch of The Macallan Masters of Photography III: Annie Leibovitz Edition; David Koo, Seth Chin, Annalise Blackshaw, Emma Levy and Eliette Rosich; Ryan Hill and William Chan; Candy Wong, Peter Woo, Colin and Adrienne Mak; Kevin McKidd, Annie Leibovitz and Ken Grier

The Hong Kong Shipyard Limited, a subsidiary of Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) Co Ltd (a member of Henderson Group) is conveniently located at North Tsing Yi with a total site area of about 20,000 square meters. Our service has been awarded an ISO 9001 Certificate of Approval since 2007 which proves that the quality of service meets with the international standard.

With over 60 years experience in marine engineering, our shipyard is specialized in engineering and maintenance for various types of vessels including pleasure crafts and superyachts, ranging from 40 feet to 200 feet. Supported by experienced and qualified engineering staff, highly skilled workforce and fully equipped workshops with the latest technology, we are able to provide services from carpentry, to air-conditioning, painting, engineering, electrical and mechanical services.

Equipped with the largest and most technologically-advanced Syncrolift facility (90M x 20M) in Hong Kong, our Syncrolift has a lifting capacity up to 3,400 tonnes. The Syncrolift provides a safe system of vertical lifting of a yacht from the sea without damage to its hull. In 2011, approximately 25 pleasure crafts (including 190 feet mega yachts) and 110 other vessels utilized our service for their annual maintenance and emergency repair.

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56 L OGBOOK PEOPLE KNUT FROSTAD

PAUL TODD / VOLVO OCEAN RACE

IAN ROMAN / VOLVO OCEAN RACE

ACROSS OCEANS

Knut Frostad talks about sponsorship, economics, China, and the Volvo Ocean Race

B

WORDS BY GUY NOWELL, SAIL-WORLD ASIA

ABOVE LEFT: Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 ABOVE RIGHT: The CEO is also a sailor OPPOSITE: Team Sanya, representing China in the current edition of the Volvo Ocean Race

efore the VOR fleet started bashing their way towards the Luzon Strait, we were happy to have had a trip around the bay in somewhat lighter conditions, on board Camper during the Volvo stopover in Sanya. It was an interesting experience, getting up close and personal with not only the sailors but also the movers and shakers behind the scenes.

Especially with Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, who had some very pithy observations on offer. Frostad draws a clear line between the VOR as an adrenalin-fuelled race for super-tough sailors driving even tougher boats, and the VOR as a successful vehicle for corporate sponsors to promote their brands and their image to the consumer economies of the world.

“The VOR is presently very much driven out of Europe.

That’s where the visibility and understanding of sailing as a competitive sport lies. The economies have been very bad in Europe lately, so we have sponsors who are running marketing programmes who want exposure in emerging markets – and right now that especially means China.”

It’s not a cheap exercise to fund an entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, and VOR have been at pains of late to try to cap the costs in order to attract more sponsors. Frostad says, “Ideally, we’d like 8 or 10 boats in the race. If the numbers get bigger than that then it would start to become unmanageable.

The truth is that there are a limited number of sailors who are qualified to do this race, and we also have to make room for newcomers. Yes, we’d like to see more countries, and more

teams entered, and we have looked at lots of different ways to keep the entry cost down – from one-design boats to re-using second hand boats”.

Frostad explains that in the recent past there has been a huge difference between the ‘cost of participating’ and the ‘cost of winning’. “The last VOR, the cost of winning was very, very high. Eventually that kills the fleet – so we re-wrote the rules to stop two-boat campaigns, we limited the number of training days permitted on the water, and we capped the number of sails a team can build at 15. Last time, the winning team built more than 100 sails. Five out of the six teams started this edition with the reasonable expectation of being in with a chance of winning” (ie. all those with a new boat – Team Sanya has suffered having a second-hand boat).”

Stopovers are expensive, but they assist in generating the return that justifies the corporate expenditure in the first place.

They are where the sponsors get to display their products and services. Once upon a time there were just four stops – start/ finish in the UK, then Cape Town, Australia or New Zealand, Brazil, and then back to England. This edition of the race involves no less than 10 ports – the start in Alicante, then Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, Itajai, Miami (USA), Lisbon, Lorient and the finish in Galway.

“Different sponsors have different markets, but Sanya is the one place where every single sponsor is bringing in corporate guests, more than 10,000 of them in total. China seems to tick all the boxes.” Remarkably, fully half of the sponsors had no more than a token presence in Auckland when the race fleet went on to New Zealand.

Ys | SUMMER 2012 | 57

PAUL TODD / VOLVO OCEAN RACE

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58 LOGBOOK PEOPLE KNUT FROSTAD

TEAM SANYA

ABOVE: Lansi Jiang (VP, Volvo Group China) and Jiang Sixian (Vice Governor of Hainan Province), Mike Sanderson (Skipper, Team Sanya), Tong Zhiyuan (CEO Volvo Cars China) and Knut Frostad (CEO Volvo Ocean Race 201112) announce the Team Sanya entry

Camper, name sponsors of the Emirates Team New Zealand entry, brought over 2,000 visitors, staff and clients to Sanya, and ran a corporate conference on the back of their presence in China. While Volvo’s Heavy Equipment Division, (not cars (and certainly not boats!)) made their presence felt with something like 6,500 visitors. The Pro/Am and Inport Racing weekend in Sanya was attended by double the numbers of visitors at any other stopover to date on the circuit, and double the number in Alicante before the start of the race.

The last VOR was the first race to move away from the ‘traditional’ Great Capes to port format, and move up.

Literally, into new sailing (and marketing) territory. “India, Singapore and Qingdao were all completely new stops for a global sailing event,” explains Frostad. But it’s not only about chasing the marketing opportunities, it’s also about growing the global sailing audience.

Some places are just ready for take-off – maybe not India quite yet, but certainly China. It is very noticeable that the media in Sanya were much more knowledgeable than they were in Qingdao just a couple of years ago.

174 ports have filed ‘Expression of Interest’ for the next Volvo Ocean Race. “Realistically, that will come down to about 80 locations by May next year.” But deciding where to send the race is not just a matter of calling for bids and then handing the stopover to the place with the biggest wallet. “There are plenty of places we’d like to go to, but they have to tick all the boxes – marinas capable of handling 70’ deep-keel race boats, with good hard-standing facilities, space for a race village, and don’t forget geography – it was a fairly negative experience getting the fleet up north to Qingdao during the last race; it’s more than just a bumpy ride to get through the Luzon Strait at the beginning of the Sanya-Auckland leg”.

So who wants to go even further north to Shanghai, Korea, or Japan – which has to happen in the winter if boats are going to do the Southern Ocean and Cape Horn leg in the southern hemisphere summer? If the fleet went to Shanghai (“We’d love to take the race to Shanghai”) where would they moor and where would they conduct their in-port racing? In front of The Bund? Probably not.

“So all in all we are very happy to be in Sanya! When

we looked at the location originally, there was nothing here, which was a bit alarming. But the Serenity Marina has turned out well – it was all built in less than 24 months. We had some input with the designers, Camper & Nicholson, and the result is first class. It’s not right in the middle of town, so we were concerned that attendance at the race village would be reduced, but there have been an average of 10,000+ people here on a weekday and a max of 26,000 one day last weekend.”

Frostad reminds us, “people in China actually like coming to Sanya in the middle of the winter – it’s cold in Beijing, and tropical here right now!”

Frostad would very much like to take the VOR to Hong Kong. “As a location, it has everything going for it. It is in China, and it has a mature sailing population.” VOR has already had preliminary discussions with Hong Kong, and one suggestion was to place the event on one of the outlying islands. “That wouldn’t work – it has to happen in Victoria Harbour, out of Central or Tsim Sha Tsui. We’d need the backdrop of Hong Kong.” And what is needed first of all is a champion for the cause. “We need someone new and fresh, to wear the hat and drive the programme” as Frostad puts it.

“Hong Kong is attractive to foreign companies, and it is an international city. It has an established image as one of the homes of luxury brands.”

Frostad concedes that sailing is a “very narrow niche sport,” but goes on to point out that the VOR has consciously cultivated a “high end visual impact image. The best photography, the best tv presentation – we now have tv channels running our programmes just because they think the material looks good. We work hard on our identity, and require the competitors and teams to do so as well.”

As for the competitors themselves, probably not one of the racing sailors is thinking too much about anything except how to make the boat go faster, and when the next freezedried curry is due. Or maybe how not to be seasick. But for every one of those members of what is undoubtedly the most exclusive offshore sailing club in the world, the decisions about where they race their spectacularly fast boats, and when, is driven as much by the swirling breeze of commerce as it is by the vagaries of meteorology.

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60 L OGBOOK PEOPLE EMIL KLINGELFUSS

AHEAD OF TIME

Swiss national Emil Klingelfuss has combined his love of watches and sailing for the benefit of both.

I

TEXT BY ROBBY NIMMO PORTRAIT BY GUY NOWELL

ABOVE: Marina berthing for the catamaran yacht OPPOSITE: Emil Klingelfuss

follow the Steve Jobs adage: ‘I am most proud of what I didn’t do,” says Swiss Prestige Executive Chairman, Emil Klingelfuss. Relaxing in the cabin of his spacious 45ft Lagoon catamaran, the affable businessman seems as though he doesn’t have a care in the world. “Hong Kong has been good to me. I’ve lived here more than half of my life, over 35 years.”

Klingelfuss made his fortune representing Swiss watch manufacturers in Asia. “We started the business in 1988. From the very beginning we started in mechanical timepieces. We don’t touch anything else.

There are plenty of brands that we haven’t had a feel for, and so we haven’t taken them on. You’ve got to keep to your core business. Brands are like children. You have to be passionate about them and you have to grow them.”

Some of the brands the company has represented include Corum, Eberhard & Co., Greubel Forsey, and Hublot. Blancpain and Oris were among the first brands Swiss Prestige helped build up in the region, as were Gerald Genta and Ulysse Nardin. Today, the company has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei, with subsidiaries in Thailand, the Philippines and Australia. Says Klingelfuss, “I started the company in 1988 with Jean-Claude Biver. It’s been an enduring business relationship and friendship, and we complement each other. I learnt a long time ago that you’ve got to pick the right friends and the right partners.”

Klingelfuss started work in Hong Kong as a 20-year-old, with a small Swiss trading company selling watches, ladies’ underwear and shower curtains to hotels. No points for guessing which one he was passionate about. “They sacked me in the end, it took them 12 years to realise I wasn’t any good,” he says, tongue in cheek. From there, the sky was the limit. Although Klingelfuss does not have an MBA in luxury marketing (like one of his progeny does) he soon realised that watches made sense… and money. One of his brands, Greubel Forsey, make only 100 watches per year, 20 of which are sold in Hong Kong for around US$350,000 each.

One of the main roles he undertook was to identify sponsorship opportunities for the brands he represented. “You must become engaged with events that your customers like.

Rich people - what do they have? Cars, boats and sometimes planes. Boats made sense for watches – sailors and boaters are often very down-to-earth - so Jean-Claude and I exchanged ideas and decided to pursue yachting sponsorship. One of the first events we sponsored, with Corum, was the Admiral’s Cup. It was a prestigious event, and offered us a fantastic return on our investment. It was not too expensive, it was glamorous, and best of all many people confused it with the America’s Cup. So it gave our brand prestige, in a time when the America’s Cup was considered elegant.”

Closer to home in the early 1990s, the brand sponsored what is now known as the China Coast Cup out of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. “Yes, those Corum Cup days summon up

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62 LOGBOOK PEOPLE EMIL KLINGELFUSS

ABOVE LEFT AND RIGHT: Emil Klingelfuss and his business partner Jean-Claude Biver at the opening of the Hublot shop in Central; Corum II racing in Hong Kong

memories of great regattas and great races. All over the world, people still associate that Corum face, and the primary colours of the nautical flags, with yachting events. Today the flags are still there on the Corum watches, but no colours.”

Corum is the sponsor of the French Energy Team currently racing in the America’s Cup World Series, and is also the Official Timekeeper of the Jules Verne Trophy. Corum was on board Maxi Banque Populaire with legendary skipper Loïck Peyron when he and his crew set a new record for this event in January this year – circling the globe in 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds.

Hublot flew the Swiss colours around the world with Alinghi in the immensely popular Extreme 40 Series in Oman in January this year, then in April in Qingdao, China. In May, the brand sponsored the Decision 35 Alinghi, with a new watch created in tribute to this partnership.

Watches are integral to the Swiss DNA, says Klingelfuss. He is not quite sure how many watches he owns himself, “around 100 I guess”, but admits he can grow bored with a watch in a few weeks, while others stand the test of… well, time! He tends to go for the classics, and is very clear about the features in a watch that he is most passionate about. “I like chronographs because I like the look of them. For me with watches, the simpler, the better.”

Although he is only in his house in the Swiss mountains for part of the year, and he’s lived in Hong Kong a long time, it is clear that Swiss precision still excites Klingelfuss. “The feature I admire in a watch above all else is the perpetual calendar. It amazes me that the small components on a mechanical watch know things like leap years, and will adapt accordingly. One tiny wheel has to go round only once every four years to make that happen. I studied physics, so this appeals to me. I think that it’s simply magic.”

When he’s not working, Klingelfuss is often found on his boat in Sai Kung. “I don’t feel as though I am in Hong Kong when I drive down to the boat. I feel like I am in the Mediterranean here.

You can go boating in Hong Kong 12 months of the year. You

can’t do that in Switzerland. Sure, you can’t ski here, but boating is Hong Kong’s best kept secret. Swimming off the back of the boat at midnight when the sea is really flat and calm… there’s nothing else quite like it.”

Although Klingelfuss has fond memories of his Beneteau 41.7, as a sociable animal it is clear that the catamaran suits.

“I chose a catamaran for the space. I bought it four years ago from Robin Wyatt at Simpson Marine. It was at a time when catamarans first started becoming popular in Hong Kong. There’s plenty of privacy on board a catamaran, and then there’s the huge socialising area and a galley that we use when we stay overnight on board. The fridge is fully stocked at all times with Champagne.”

The boat is decorated in a minimalist décor, which suits Klingelfuss’s ’no fuss’ persona. “I also like the fly-bridge. You get a great view steering up there. It usually doesn’t take guests long to realise that that’s a good spot to be on the boat.”

When he’s not sailing or working, Klingelfuss is enjoying his collection of classic cars; he has his own fleet of Ferraris and Porsches. In recent times, he has completed the Strade del Vino Classic Car Rally from Piedmont, Italy and the Switzerland to Paris RAID rally.

However, his mind is never too far from work. Even though he is no longer at the coalface of day-to-day operations, he has his finger on the pulse. “These days, there are so many events competing for sponsorship dollars. In Europe we are seeing private Lear jets turn up at soccer games. It’s no longer simply the blue-collar game everyone thought it once was. You have to go where your customer goes. Customers here buy brands, not products, and we have to be mindful of that. To protect the brand, you have to understand the brand.”

It seems that we’ll see the names of the watches that Klingelfuss and Biver represent around the waterfront for some time yet. “It’s impossible to be successful in life if you don’t believe in something and are not passionate about it,” says the man who clearly loves sailing and watches in the same measure.

Prima Custom Line

Designed by Jack Sarin

PRIMA YACHTS SINCE 1986

Shipyard: 1 Difu Bay, Dapeng, Shenzhen 518120, China Tel: + 86 755 8430-3818 www.prima-yachts.com

Fax: + 86 755 8430-3235 info@prima-yachts.com

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64 LOGBOOK PEOPLE DICK VAN LENT

FAMILY VALUES

Dick van Lent, the Director of Feadship, explains his family connections in the world of superyachting.

TEXT BY SUZY RAYMENT PORTRAIT BY GUY NOWELL

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eadship has long been considered the ‘ne plus ultra’ of the superyacht world. Dick van Lent is at the helm of the worldrenowned yard, and recently attended the Feadship-sponsored Asia Superyacht Rendezvous in Phuket.

Boat building is very much in Van Lent’s DNA – he is a direct descendent of Cees Van Lent, the founder of Feadship, who started work for his girlfriend’s father, Jan Akerboom, on Kaag Island in Holland. In 1920 the company became Akerboom & Van Lent, builders of a number of notable yachts, including a steel-hulled cruiser for the Shah of Persia in 1935.

In the aftermath of World War II the leisure boating industry in Europe was in ruins. Encouraged by the Dutch government’s export incentives, Royal Van Lent and De Vries Shipyards joined forces and set their sights on the American market. They formed Feadship - the ‘First Export Association of Dutch Shipbuilders’ - and in 1951 shipped several boats to the New York Boat Show. It was an inspired move into a booming American economy.

“Grandfather Cees had a great eye for detail, and always

demanded top quality. My father was brought up in the same tradition, and that has been my inheritance. I was exposed to the shipbuilding business from a very early age - the family home was next door to the shipyard,” says Van Lent. “My father and uncle ran the next generation of the business, and I continued after them - I have been a Director of Royal Van Lent for close on 30 years.”

“As a child I was either out sailing in a dinghy or helping my father around the shipyard. As I got to know some of the owners, they would ask me to help out on their boats as crew.

It was a great opportunity to learn practical skills on the bigger yachts when we went cruising. It taught me a lot of managerial skills from a very early age.”

Van Lent is often asked by prospective buyers why Feadships cost so much more… “When people ask me this, I usually ask them what car they drive. Most often people who can afford a superyacht are driving expensive cars, so then I ask them why they chose that car instead of a less expensive model that can do the same speed. Their answer is usually the same - they chose that model, or brand, because of the design, quality and reliability. So I explain to them that all these things are even more important when you are buying a boat - when you are out in out middle of an ocean, you cannot get off the boat if it breaks down. It is our reputation for quality, design

and reliability that make our yachts more expensive, and we do not apologise for that.”

Van Lent goes on to say that quality is not only about workmanship. “Many superyachts have beautiful woodwork or glossy finishes when they are launched, but the demands of the sea are heavy, and that is where design, engineering and attention to detail come into their own. Look behind the panels, and not just at the glossy finish. Six or twelve months after launching, that is when the problems show up. Making a boat seaworthy is a very specialist skill that only comes from long experience at sea. Here at Feadship we do not comprise on quality.”

And another thing. “People tend to forget that you need time to build a good boat. If you build too quickly then you will never get the quality. If you don’t let the filler cure properly, eventually there will be cracks. At the start of any project I always say to customers, ‘Give us the money and the time, and only then will we be able to build the boat you want.’ One that will last, and has good resale value.”

Some Feadships designs are complex, some are simpler, in accordance with owners’ wishes, “But our yachts are always beautiful, otherwise they would not be Feadships. If a client wants a yacht ‘just like the last one, but bigger’, we will work to find a way to incorporate the latest engineering and

technological developments into the project. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be looking after the best interests of our clients.”

“I believe the future to be especially bright in Asia. Yachting and boating are very much ‘emerging markets.’ My advice to anyone buying a boat is: don’t be attracted by a cheap deal.

Instead, look for the good deal. And a ‘Good Deal’ is a boat that functions well and can be looked after by a shipyard that continues to exist.”

“Asia is a new market for us, even though we have been here for over 20 years. It has taken time for people to reach a wealth level such that they can afford our product, but that is changing quickly now. We - as an industry - should be promoting the potential of Asia as a yachting venue, and helping new boat owners to understand the boating lifestyle and what it entails. After all, there is something more to life than just working hard!” There are definitely Asian buyers who agree with Van Lent – Feadship recently announced the first-ever sale of a 45m new build to a mainland China client.

Feadship was recently acquired by LVMH. Says Van Lent, “I am delighted that Royal van Lent has become part of the LVMH family, and I am sure that the further development of our 160-years old company will benefit from the support and strategic leadership of the world’s leading luxury goods company.”

OPPOSITE PAGE: Images of M/Y Helix the 45m ‘baby’ of the Feadship fleet ABOVE: Dick van Lent admires one of his Feadship creations

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66 LOGBOOK PEOPLE ALEX THOMSON

THE BOSS

Racing the world solo, but not alone.

“Great teams working together can achieve amazing things.”

TEXT BY GUY NOWELL PHOTOGRAPHS BY GUY NOWELL AND ALEX THOMSON RACING

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he last time Alex Thomson passed through Hong Kong was in 1998. He was in command of the Clipper Ariel, participating in the 1998-99 edition of the Clipper Round the World Race, and went on to win the event and become the youngest-ever skipper to win a circumnavigation race at the tender age of just 25. It was an adventure that opened the doors to the rarefied world of professional sailing.

In 2004 he was forced to retire from the Vendee Globe Challenge after sustaining structural failure to his boat, but not before he had set a single-handed distance record by sailing 468nm in 24hrs. In the 2006 Velux 5 Oceans Race he was rescued by fellow British competitor Mike Golding after his keel fell off, and in 2008 he and Andrew Cape finished 2nd in the double-handed Barcelona World Race (and set another distance record of 501nm in 24hrs). His assault on the 2008 Vendee Globe finished prematurely after his boat was irreparably damaged in a collision with a fishing boat before the race had even started. In November 2011 he finished 2nd in the Transat Jaques Vabre (with Guillermo Altadill) and just a month later scored a 4th place finish in the single-handed Transat B to B. It’s been an eventful few years since he last tied up to the dock in Hong Kong.

And now, June 2012, Alex Thomson is preparing for another assault on what many consider the toughest challenge in the competitive sailing world: the Vendee Globe Challenge. It is an 80+ day marathon that tests man and machine to the very limit, in which no ‘outside assistance’ of any sort is permitted, and the competitor may not set

foot on land – even for repairs – from the start to the finish of the race. The race runs every four years, and since its inception in 1969 it has always been won by a Frenchman. “And my job, as I see it, is to wrestle the title away from the French,” Thomson grins – a mischievous grin that any of his Ariel crew would recognise.

The boat for this race is Hugo Boss, an International Measurement Open Class Association (‘IMOCA’ for short) 60foot mean machine of almost unbelievable power that can reach speeds of up to 35kts. “An IMOCA 60 has the same righting moment as a Volvo Ocean Race 70-footer, and slightly more sail area. It is just 10ft shorter, and designed to be sailed by just one solo sailor instead of a crew of 10.” It’s easy enough to see why Thomson is inclined to make light of the Volvo Ocean Race’s tag-lines, ‘Life at the Extreme’ and ‘The World’s Toughest Yacht Race’. “2,700 people have successfully climbed Mt Everest, and 518 astronauts have orbited the earth. But only 82 sailors have successfully circumnavigated the globe non-stop and singlehanded, and only 49 of them were racing.” It’s an exclusive club to belong to, and – obviously – very hard to join.

Thomson smiles a little ruefully as he remembers his first assault on a Vendee Globe. “It’s easy to put your hand in the air and say ‘I’m going to do the race.’ Then you manage to sign

up a sponsor and get the money together – and then you really do have to do it. The first time, I thought I was going to win the race – obviously – but as it came time to leave the dock at Les Sables d’Olonnes, everyone was saying goodbyes, and there were hugs and good wishes, inside I was yelling ‘Don’t leave me!’ My electrician even promised to send me an email to tell me how to fit the rest of the electronics (there’s never enough time before the start of a race), and a little while later, after the start, I found myself curled up in the cockpit in a foetal position, terrified at the thought of 90-days-odd all alone and trying to sail around the globe.”

Things have changed a little since then; it’s no surprise that even single-handed sailing is sometimes more akin to a team sport - built into Alex Thomson Racing are another 14 individuals. “We are all stupidly busy. We answer emails and do the shopping, we go to the office and we always have to be somewhere else… now. And it is all so that when I start the next Vendee Globe in November this year, I’ll have only one thing to think about – racing my boat around the world. It’s refreshing.”

The sailor ‘out there on his own’ has to be an expert on everything from meteorology to diesel engines, and from rigging to weather routing. He has to be highly disciplined and possess doggedness in spades.

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Hugo Boss in Hong Kong harbour; Alex looks forward to some more gourmet freeze-dried; solo sailing is a team sport ABOVE: On deck, on the Boss

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VIRTESS 420

THE FIRST FLYBRIDGE FROM BAVARIA NEW. LUXURIOUS. UNIQUE.

See Virtual Tour at: www.bavaria-yachtbau.com/en/motor-boats/zircon-42/images/video.html Vic Locke Jade Marine (HK) Ltd Tel: (852) 9333 8084 jademarine@biznetvigator.com Website: jade-marine.bavaria-yachtbau.com

FEATURES A newly launched superyacht called ADASTRA P.070. A classic offshore race celebrates its GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY P.078, and China boat-building is reviewed in BOAT BUZZ P.100.

THE MOST EXCITING LAUNCH OF 2012 IS IN HER ELEMENT AT LAST TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY GUY NOWELL

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This is ‘Wow! Factor’ personified. It doesn’t matter what sort of boating or sailing enthusiast you may be, Adastra turns heads.

Queen Amidala’s royal star cruiser has come to life, and is in Hong Kong right now. 140ft of pure form, with the lines of a pedigree racer and the appetite of a supermodel on a diet. Breathtaking.

Unique. Beautiful.

Adastra (“To the stars”) comes from the drawing board of the legendary John Shuttleworth, and he is well pleased with the product. “I first drew the concept of this boat about 20 years ago,” he told us, “and I’ve been trying to get her built ever since.”

Owners Antony and Elaine Marden shared the vision, and with a little help from renowned builders McConaghy International (in Zhuhai, China) and Jepsen Design (Hong Kong) a two-decade dream has become reality. She’s a cruising boat – not any sort of a racer – but that doesn’t mean she is slow. On the contrary, Adastra is specifically designed to be a fast cruising boat, and one that slips along with maximum efficiency and economy. Shuttleworth says that although almost everyone says she looks like a spaceship, “the irony is that spaceships don’t – and never will – look like that because there is no air in space and hence no air resistance.

Adastra has an extremely small wetted surface area, and the absolutely top design priority was to minimize air drag.”

Keep him talking, and he’ll tell you about the challenge of balancing the design demands of the wave piercing hulls that give Adastra her efficiency with providing the luxurious interior accommodation expected on a world-class superyacht. “We had to substantially re-think the parameters of stability and sea-kindliness, and initial designs underwent extensive tank testing. Eventually we arrived at a formula with which we can specify almost everything from the optimum (ie safest and most comfortable) angle for driving the boat into heavy weather, to maximum efficient fuel loading for specified distances, and more.” Adastra is believed to be the biggest motor trimaran ever built, and her sheer size generated many new challenges for the designers. Finite Element Analysis was used extensively to assess the effects of side slamming loads, wave impact and twisting effects on the structure supporting the outrigger floats.

McConaghy International were chosen as builders for a number of reasons – proximity to Hong Kong, where Adastra’s owners live, and of course the yard’s unrivalled experience with

PREVIOUS PAGE: Waiting for the off: Adastra is a leashed animal at the dock OPPOSITE: Stairway to heaven ABOVE: Double-decker. The helm station is in the pod above the saloon

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and reputation for advanced composite construction. The superstructure of this minimum weight/maximum strength vessel is fabricated from carbon fibre on Nomex honeycomb core, and the hull is a glass/Kevlar sandwich encasing Corecell foam. The miserly weight allowance programme continues with the interior trim of oak veneer on honeycomb panels, and custom-built fittings ranging from lightweight hatches and portholes to carbon fibre ladders and toilets.

Managing Director Mark Evans acknowledges that “Adastra has been an awesome undertaking in both complexity and scale. There are many more electrical and mechanical systems in this boat than in the hi-tech racing yachts that McConaghys are famous for, and – quite literally – it’s the biggest boat we have ever built!” Especially challenging were the design-and-build programmes for a number of systems components such as the 700mm diameter carbon fibre drum for the bow anchor, which was built in situ, and the automatic feed flaking system that keeps the line tidy on the windlass (think of the back-and-forth mechanism on a fishing reel). The main anchor deploys from underneath the starboard wing, and necessitated the creation of a system in which a hatch opens to reveal an extendible roller over which the anchor can run – keeping the chain away from the paintwork. The front window-door is also a good deal more complicated than it looks. The window ‘pops’ out on a pantograph arrangement before it slides sideways, and closes with a pneumatic seal when shut. Down in the starboard float is one of the most ingenious systems of all – the auxiliary engine is connected to a split gear box, turning two belt drives through a magnetic clutch to a lay shaft, allowing power to go to either the prop shaft, or the generator… or both. All designed, engineered and built by McConaghy’s.

Naturally, the super-slim wave-piercing hulls potentially make for super-slim interiors. But Adastra’s hull flares sharply out from the waterline, allowing for substantial additional space in the suites and guest rooms. The main deck level has a beam of fully 30ft, plenty of space for a gloriously light, airy and expansive saloon with spectacular wrap-around panoramic windows, separate lounge and dining areas, and a navigation station.

A door through the front window opens onto a generously proportioned sunbed on the foredeck, and sliding doors leading to the open aft deck give access to a sofa and bar area, and another dining space. That’s not all: there’s still room for a 16ft tender on the aft deck - and Adastra also carries another, 10ft, dinghy in the garage which opens out to a swim platform.

When Yachtstyle last visited Adastra during construction at McConaghy’s in Zhuhai, in 2011, the interiors were all ‘structural black.’ Now, the lights have been switched on, and all the interiors have come to life in shades of beige, cream and a whole palette of blues.

Noted Danish marine interior designer Inge Strompf-Jepsen and Peggy Fung, have created the most elegant accommodation for the owners and a maximum of seven guests. The full beam master suite is aft and accessed from the main deck saloon, with the guest suites and cabins forward of the engine compartment.

CLOCKWISE, FROM OPPOSITE TOP: A saloon just flooded with light; organic shapes, and not a straight line to be seen; indoor dining area continues with the flowing curves; main guest cabin; entrance to the saloon and bridge (up the steps) from the aft deck

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THE DESIGNERS and many have broken and still hold some of the toughest long distance ocean records. Now he is convinced that efficient, environmentally friendly boats such as Adastra are the future of power multihulls.

INGE STROMPF-JEPSEN AND JOHN SHUTTLEWORTH

THE NAVAL ARCHITECT John Shuttleworth built his first boat when he was twelve, and since then has gained a reputation for designing fast and strong boats. He has a particular interest in aerodynamic efficiency, his successful racing multihulls are beautifully styled and streamlined,

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THE INTERIOR DESIGNER Inge Strompf-Jepsen boasts a portfolio that includes offices, residences, boats, and private clubs. She brings to all her projects a Danish sense of minimalism that shows a taste for simplicity rather than austerity. No doubt being a blue water sailor herself helps with an innate understanding of ‘what works’ afloat. Practicality above all - “we incorporated the saloon lighting into the headliner, the edge of which doubles as a grab rail.”

Looks and comfort follow on easily after that.

Blond wood and neutral tones are perfectly accented by darker coloured soft furnishings. “It’s classic east-meets-west: clean Danish minimalism with antique Asian fabrics.” The lines of the cabinet installations in the main saloon are standing waves, and tables and couches flow in delightful organic lines that reflect the egg-like shape of the interior. There’s not a straight line in the place, and it feels marvellous. “We allowed the wonderful outside shape of Adastra to come inside… this was never going to be the standard 140ft box,” says Strompf-Jepsen, whose versatility has been proven over and again in projects both ashore and afloat. “I think of this boat as the ultimate exercise in space planning,” she adds, “for example, the sweeping cabinet units on each side of the saloon not only provide storage and conceal the longitudinal structural beams of the boat, but – by virtue of their position they also prevent anyone from bumping their head on the ceiling where it begins to swoop downwards.”

Before Adastra was even launched, she was hailed as “the future of efficient long-range cruising,” so how do the numbers stack up? The single 1,150hp Caterpillar C18 engine consumes a very frugal 31.7 gallons per hour when cruising at 17kts. With a fuel capacity of 8,435 gallons in double-bottom tanks, that gives the boat a range in excess of 4,000nm. (If you are concerned about being late at the next deserted anchorage, warp speed of

TECH SPECS

LOA BEAM DRAFT (RUDDER/HULL) DISPLACEMENT (MAX/LIGHT) ENGINE (MAIN) ENGINES (OUTRIGGERS) SPEED (MAX/CRUISE) NAVAL ARCHITECT INTERIOR DESIGN LIGHTING CONSULTANT TECHNOLOGY DESIGNER

22.5kts is always available). Compare this with a 45m superyacht that visited Hong Kong recently – packing twin 1,055hp MTU engines and with 10,566 gallons in the tank, and the answer is that Adastra goes ‘a long way, and fast.’

Up above the saloon is the bridge, or flight deck if you prefer, accessed by stairs from the aft deck. This is a unit in its own right, a pod elevated above the great arching sweep that connects the two sponsons, accessed by steps up from the aft deck. From up here the view and visibility are magnificent, with Captain and First Officer comfortably accommodated in Recaro seats and with a miniature version of the famous McConaghy’s ‘Y’ spoke carbon wheel to point you where you want to go. Alternatively, the whole vessel can be controlled from an iPad through the Palladium ‘iiCaptain’ system. Direction, throttles and anchoring operations can all be accessed via a touch screen.

Taking this Royal Space Cruiser to the stars and beyond requires an integrated complex set of technologies. Four years ago, Mark Evans of McConaghy approached Mike Blake, President of Palladium Technologies, at a trade event in Amsterdam to assist with designing and providing the latest technology that would be the operational heart and nervous system of John’s designs. “I thought he was kidding,” said Mike, until he kept calling.

Mike and his engineering team took a step back, and

139’ 5” (42.5M) 52’ 6” (16M) 5’ 3”/3’ 7” (1.6M/1.1M) 84.9 TONS/54 TONS 1 X 1,150 CATERPILLER C18 2 X 110HP YANMAR 22.5/17 KTS JOHN SHUTTLEWORTH JEPSEN DESIGNS MICHAEL HUGGINS PALLADIUM TECHNOLOGIES

designed a system that is complementary to the hull design and electrical power generation and management, bridge navigation electronics, security, propulsion, AV entertainment, full automated controls throughout the yacht, including iiCaptain. iiCaptain, a custom Apple iPad application for Adastra, allows the owner to have a single wireless control for all three engines, anchor control (three very custom hidden systems), and more for his iPad. The real-time graphics actually depict waves of energy coming from each of the hulls, which is proportional to how fast the engines are turning. Not unlike the plasma drives on a Star Cruiser...

Says John Shuttleworth, “This boat takes the power trimaran concept further than has ever been attempted before. The challenge of turning the concept into a luxury yacht (forerunners in the large and long-range motor trimaran ‘class’ such as Earthrace and Cable and Wireless, were emphatically strippedout race machines) was huge: it caused us to research and develop entirely new thinking on matters such as stability and comfort at sea for this kind of craft. What we have created is something entirely new, and I do believe that, yes, this could be an indication of the future of long-distance, fast, fuel efficient cruising.” Captain, lay a course for the Riau Archipelago – the one in the Andromeda Galaxy.

OPPOSITE TOP: The long-distance cruiser is also a party boat

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GOLDEN AN THIS YEAR, ASIA’S BLUE WATER CLASSIC CELEBRATED ITS 50th ANNIVERSARY AND SUZY RAYMENT LOOKS AT WHAT HAS MADE THIS REGATTA A ‘MUST DO’ ON THE INTERNATIONAL RACING CIRCUIT. TEXT SUZY RAYMENT PHOTOGRAPHY GUY NOWELL, ROLEX/DANIEL FORSTER, RHKYC ARCHIVE

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AMC2007/CARLO BORLENGHI

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AMC2007/VICENT BOSCH

The Rolex China Sea Race is one of those races that should be on every sailor’s ‘must-do’ list. Organised by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC), in cooperation with the Manila Bay Yacht Club and Subic Bay Yacht Club, the 565nm offshore race, run under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), is considered to be Asia’s ‘blue-water’ classic.

From the very start, the race has attracted top-notch sailors from around the world, and this year was no exception. Syd Fischer, one of Australia’s most famous offshore sailors and a veteran of no less than 43 Sydney-Hobart Races, was on board Genuine Risk. He said, “This is a classic on the international sailing circuit, and it just has to be done.”

Other sailing notables who have competed in previous editions of the race includ Sir Robin Knox Johnston on Ffree Fire (2010), and Gavin Brady who sailed with Karl Kwok on Beau Geste in 2000 and set the race record of 47hrs, 43min and 07sec.

Then there’s New Zealander Neil Pryde, one of Asia’s most successful racers, and who has competed in more China Sea Races than he cares to remember. He believes that there is a lot to attract sailors to this offshore classic. “One of the magical things about this

race is that you leave Hong Kong (a big metropolis) at Easter when it is cold and grey, and arrive in a tropical paradise in less than 72 hours, whilst having some fun along the way.” Pryde believes that it is the tactical element of the race which keeps skippers coming back for more. “There are numerous weather conditions which the crew need to contend with and this race is a real test for navigators, and their weather routing skills.”

En route from Hong Kong to the Philippines, the race takes sailors further offshore than either the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race or the Rolex Fastnet Race. The first 24 hours of the race often sees strong winds and extreme sea states, but these moderate as the yachts head further south. By the time the boats are near the Philippine coastline the crews are facing the exact opposite, with wind conditions being light and flukey. In the years when there’s a big blow – of course, that’s when records can be broken.

Held every second year, the race is open to both monohulls and multihulls over 10m in length, and starts in Victoria Harbour directly outside the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and right in front of Hong Kong’s dramatic cityscape backdrop.

The origins of the race lie back in the early 60s and an eight-

PREVIOUS PAGE: Genuine Risk powers across the start on her way to Line Honours in Subic Bay OPPOSITE: EFG Bank Mandrake ABOVE: The start of the 2012 Rolex China Sea Race in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

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The mid-90s also saw a change in the finish line from Manilia to Subic Bay, and in 2000 Karl Kwokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beau Geste set a race record of 47hrs, 34min 07sec which still stands today

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day cruising holiday undertaken by one of the RHKYC’s greatest luminaries, Sim Baldwin. On returning from the adventure aboard Morasum, a Sparkman and Stephens 40 ft yawl, it was suggested that the passage would make an excellent ‘offshore’ race – and the China Sea Race was born.

The first race, in 1962, had just five entries: three from Hong Kong, one from Japan and another from the Philippines. With only one radio between them, the fleet was escorted the first 100nm by the Hong Kong Royal Naval Reserve. It took the small fleet six days to arrive in Manila, and it was Chris von Sydow (Reverie) whose name was engraved on both the Sunday Telegraph Trophy (for Line Honours) and the China Sea Race Trophy (for Winner on Corrected Time). Pryde, who sailed his first China Sea Race in 1966, reflects that sailing in ‘those days’ was rather more of a ‘gentlemanly’ pursuit.

“I recall that during the race the bar opened each evening for predinner cocktails, and then we would sit down for a nice dinner. It’s a little different now.”

Over the years, racing has become more formalised and more professional, and the first step on this path was the recognition of the event by the RORC in 1972. At the same time the IOR rating system was introduced, and the programme was expanded to include two 20nm races, one in Hong Kong and another in Manila, thereby making it into a race series, which was the case for several years, but not these days.

Highlights from those early days of racing include a winning performance from the famous ketch Stormvogel (who sailed around the world collecting ocean race wins the way most boats collect visitors’ burgees), and an entry from the biggest boat ever to participate - the Outward Bound School’s training ship, the Ji Fung, in 1982. Another record breaker was Mamamouchi, who took line honours for three races in a row (1972, 1974 and 1976) - the only boat to have done so in the 50-year history of the race. The 1984 race produced the biggest-ever fleet – 64 boats on the start line – and also the race’s first (and, so far, last) all-ladies crew on Lady Fling in 1983.

It all became a bit more serious in the 90s, with professional crews appearing and Corum II won both Line and Handicap Honours on IOR in 1990. The mid-90s also saw a change in the finish line from Manila to Subic Bay. Two race records have been set by Karl Kwok’s Beau Geste, the first being in 1996 and the second in 2000, a record that still stands.

Other Hong Kong sailing heroes have been closely associated with the race over the years. Frank Pong was one of the first Chinese sailors to win the event, clean-sweeping the series with his Maiden Hong Kong. Pong also chalked up a Line Honours win on Millennium in 1994, and again on Jelik in 2004. Sam Chan on FfreeFire is another serial winner, with Line Honours in both 1998 and 2004. The Philippines, too, has enjoyed a measure of success, and Subic Centennial, owned and skippered by Judes Echauz has won on corrected time both in 1998 and 2006.

Neil Pryde first etched his name on the China Sea Race Trophy with his yacht Sunstreaker in the 1988 race, but had to wait 20 years to claim Line Honours in 2008. In 2010 he

CLOCKWISE, FROM OPPOSITE TOP LEFT: Jelik 5; Xena and Orient Express; Neil and Nina Pryde celebrate (1988); Zanzibar leaving Hong Kong; Karl Kwok with silverware (2000); Australian Maid; Reverie (1962)

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OYSTER PERPETUAL YACHT-MASTER ROLEX 0YSTER PERPETUAL THE ESSENTIAL SAILING WATCH, THE OYSTER PERPETUAL YACHT-MASTER YACHT-MASTER IN ROLESIUM PRESENTED AT BASELWORLD 2012 BENEFITS FROM THE LATEST ROLEX INNOVATIONS IN TERMS OF THE ERGONOMICS, COMFORT AND RELIABILITY OF THE BRACELET, CLASP AND BEZEL. THIS EXTENSIVE UPDATE ENRICHES THE WELL-ESTABLISHED PERSONALITY OF THIS SLEEK, SPORTY AND DISTINGUISHED MODEL BORN IN 1992. THE YACHT-MASTER IS A SYMBOL OF THE PRIV- ILEGED LINKS ROLEX ENJOYS WITH THE WORLD OF SAILING.

NEW ROTATABLE BEZEL The bidirectional rotation system on the bezel of this new YACHTMASTER has been entirely rethought. It is based on a 120-position notched ring and a trigonal spring providing a constant torque in both directions, ensuring minimal wear and highly precise manipulation.

The bezel with raised graduations contributes greatly to the unique identity of the model and its functions. Made entirely of 950 platinum, with polished graduations standing out against a sand-blasted finish, it can be easily set to time a period of up to 60 minutes – for example the sailing time between two buoys – or to provide a reminder of elapsed time. The dial harbours large CHROMALIGHT hour markers and hands filled with luminescent material that emits a long-lasting blue glow, offering exceptional legibility in the dark.

THE OYSTER CASE, SYMBOL OF WATERPROOFNESS The YACHT-MASTER’s 40 mm OYSTER case, guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 metres (330 feet), is a paragon of robustness. The characteristically shaped middle case is crafted from a solid block of particularly corrosion-resistant 904L steel. The fluted case back is hermetically screwed down with a special tool exclusive to Rolex watchmakers. The winding crown, fitted with the patented TRIPLOCK triple waterproofness system, screws down securely against the case.

It is protected by a crown guard that is an integral part of the middle case. The crystal, with a CYCLOPS lens at 3 o’clock for easy reading of the date, is made of virtually scratchproof synthetic sapphire. The waterproof OYSTER case ensures optimal protection for the YACHTMASTER’s high-precision movement.

CALIBRE 3135, A SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER The YACHT-MASTER is equipped with calibre 3135, a self-winding mechanical movement entirely designed and manufactured by Rolex. Like all PERPETUAL movements, the 3135 is a certified Swiss chronom- eter, a designation reserved for high-precision watches that have successfully passed the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) tests. Its architecture, like that of all OYSTER watch movements, makes it singularly precise and reliable. The oscillator, the true heart of the watch, has a blue PARACHROM hairspring patented and manufactured by Rolex in an exclusive alloy. Insensitive to magnetic fields, the PARACHROM hairspring offers great stability when exposed to temperature variations and remains up to 10 times more precise than a traditional hairspring in case of shocks.

SOLID-LINK BRACELET AND SAFETY CLASP The new YACHT-MASTER is fitted with a solid-link OYSTER bracelet in 904L steel with a new-generation OYSTERLOCK safety clasp, both simple to manipulate and including a security system to prevent accidental opening. developed and patented by Rolex, this elegant solid-link bracelet offers remarkable comfort and ease of use. It also features the ingenious EASYLINK rapid extension system that allows the wearer to easily increase the bracelet length by approximately 5 mm, for additional comfort in any circumstance.

captured both trophies and titles.

This year’s very special 50th Anniversary race saw an ultracompetitive fleet heading for the Phillippines, with 26 boats on the start line. First to finish was the biggest boat in the fleet, Geoff Hill’s 90ft Dubois maxi, Genuine Risk. First on handicap was the rather smaller (42ft) Singapore entry, Zanzibar. Jonathan Mahoney, owner and skipper, was delighted with the win, and was quite sure that it was “a good plan that paid off. We saw all the bigger boats going to the right of the rhumb line and thought ‘they must know something we don’t’, but we stuck to the plan and stayed where we were, and caught a beautiful front running down the coastline. We had decent breeze all the way, until the last evening. There are always a few holes in this race, which is a tactical nightmare, but we were lucky and missed them. It was a great race for us.”

Mahoney’s reasons for entering the race were simple. “The boat is not configured for around-the-cans racing, and I love offshore sailing, so the Rolex China Sea Race was a natural choice. Many Hong Kong

boats compete in regattas around the region, and I thought it was high time that someone returned the compliment. I am glad we did, and we very much hope to be back to defend our title in 2014.”

Both Geoff Hill and Jonathan Mahoney were presented with their Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht Master timepieces at the official prize-giving ceremony held in the Compass Room at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.

Other Divisional winners for this year’s race were: IRC Racing Division 1, EFG Bank Mandrake (F Kinmonth/N Burns); IRC Racing Division 2, Red Kite II (Anthony Root); IRC Premier Cruising, Clove Hitch (Alex Yu) IRC Cruising, Vega (Thomas Wiesinger); and HKPN, Diamond Queen (Charles Lam).

Race Chairman Rick Strompf said, “A Golden Anniversary is a significant milestone for any sailing event, and the Club is very proud that this race has become Asia’s premier offshore race. Rolex has sponsored the race since 2008, and we are pleased to be to be part of the worldwide sailing circuit sponsored by Rolex.”

CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE TOP LEFT: Clove Hitch; (left) Jonathan Mahoney, Zanzibar, with the China Sea Race Trophy and (right) Geoff Hill, Genuine Risk, and the Sunday Telegraph Trophy; Zanzibar crew; Genuine Risk, first on the dock in Subic; Neil Pryde’s Hi Fi; Ambush

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UPER FLEE

DECEMBER IN PHUKET, AND THE FLEET GATHERS FOR SOME SEASONAL FUN AT THE ASIA SUPERYACHT RENDEZVOUS

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TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY GUY NOWELL

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The weekend before Christmas, the weather is glorious, the crew have buffed the caprail to perfection and the galley and cellar are fully stocked. So, time to embark the guests, slip the lines and head round to The Surin for the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous, sponsored by Feadship. Ten years down the track, and the biggest gathering of superyachts in Asia continues to be a draw. This time it was 10 yachts – motor and sail – that turned out for three days of camaraderie, parties, sailing, cruising and dining, all based at the recently-renovated The Surin.

Opening Night featured a skippers’ briefing from Race Officers Andy Dowden and Simon James, who explained the intricacies of the infinitely flexible racecourse to the Captains of the two sailing vessels participating. A few words from organisers Gordon Fernandes and Capt Charlie Dwyer, and then it was time for cocktails on board M/Y Celebrity, with side trips to visit M/Y Andara and M/Y Onyx. It was a hugely convivial evening as guests, crew and members of the media soaked up the on-board atmosphere. There’s no doubt that the top deck of a 30m motor yacht is a great place to be on a balmy tropical night in December.

Another glass of white wine? Thank you.

It was all action on Saturday morning as the effortlessly elegant Swan 76, Silandra V, took on the 92’ cat, Ciliam, on a course of continuously variable geometry designed to ‘give both boats a chance.’ Anyone who thought 76’ vs 92’ was a mismatch was correct - but it was the smaller Silandra V that romped away to an easy win in a fresh breeze that had the experienced sailors on board delighted as boat speed topped 11kts and the lee rail went under. Sterling stuff. On board the biggest Committee Boat in Asia (Maverick II’s stately 42m) Race Officers Dowden and James reported themselves ‘very comfortable.’

The evening’s entertainment at The Surin (dressed in her best party frock and looking absolutely the picture) was a perennial favourite, the Feadship Challenge. Each superyacht crew was provided with a ‘bag of bits’ – balsa wood, pins, card, sellotape etc – with which to build a boat inside the allotted hour. An hour later, and the results of a good deal of head-scratching were varied, to say the least. Now the boat builders had to race their vessels down two troughs, one-on-one, in a knockout competition to determine the ‘best design’ which of course had nothing to do with who could blow the hardest! But it did have a good deal to

PREVIOUS PAGE: Onyx captures the fleet’s reflections when ‘On Parade’ OPPOSITE: Serious racing moves THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Fleet review; Onyx on station; booty hunters; Silandra V

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ROLL CALL S/Y SILANDRA V Swan 76 Custom S/Y CILIAM Lago 92 catamaran M/Y ANDARA Baglietto 28m M/Y CELEBRITY Ses Yachts 30m M/Y ONYX Sanlorenzo 40 M/Y MAVERICK Stirling 42m M/Y AVELINE Maiora 32m M/Y CAVALLINO Pershing 80 (24m) M/Y HYE SEAS 2 Azimut 35m M/Y SAMAX Feadship 55m

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do with which boats stayed upright, which fell over, and which ones could be persuaded to move in a straight line. There were even some floating creations which Feadship might have preferred not to have their name on! Anyway, after a great deal of huffing and puffing, it was the captain of M/Y Andara who blew home a winner in grand style. Just watching was hard work.

Sunday morning provided bright sunshine and fresh breeze for another day out on the water. In another face-off between Silandra V and Ciliam it was the Swan that came home the winner again, by a handsome margin and two 360° turns. Spectators on board M/Y Onyx enjoyed a grandstand view (and the very best strudel ever).

And then it was the turn of the motor yachts to show off a little, as the whole fleet – all 337m of polished teak, varnished caprails and metallic paintwork – paraded in echelon formation for the benefit of the cameras. It really did look fabulous. Arthur Tay, owner of Hye Seas II as well as One° 15 Marina in Singapore, said, “This collection of beautiful boats is just a sign of things to come in Asia.’ Capt Ed Shields of M/Y Aveline added, ‘It’s a real pleasure to be here. Asians are developing a liking for boating and yachting, and I am sure that the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous is going to grow into something bigger. The number of superyachts heading east has been steadily growing in recent years, and it’s only going to get bigger…”

After the review of the fleet, it was ‘all ashore’ for more fun and games, the search for the Rendezvous Booty. It was a treasure hunt – for grown-ups and kids alike, and it involved clues underwater, messages in bottles, charts inside coconuts, exotic beverages, navigational skills, and a great deal of enthusiasm. Nobody is quite sure when so many pirates were last seen on Pansea Beach, ‘loitering with intent to have fun.’ And is a RIB equipped with a cannon automatically a Bombardier? After a great deal of rushing about, digging holes in the sand and translating ‘Phi Phi (island)’ into ‘toilet’ and then into ‘hong nam’ (which is Thai for toilet) it was the crew and juniors of M/Y Samax who won the race to the treasure.

We‘re guessing that it was the juniors who ate the chocolate, and the crew who stashed away the spa coupons!

Closing Night at the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous was the Gala Dinner at The Surin hosted by Boat International Media.

‘Fabulous’ is an understatement, and ‘glittering’, ‘sumptuous’ and ‘magnificent’ have to be in there somewhere. Under a marquee beside the beach, and to the accompaniment of traditional Thai dancing and live music, guests enjoyed a truly sparkling evening. There were a few words from Dick van Lent, Director of Feadship, and a few more from Victoria Lister, Commercial Director for BI Media. Then as the evening wound down it was time to light the Chiang Mai lanterns on the beach, make a wish and watch them float away into the starry night. (We heard one Captain wish ‘that they don’t come down on my boat.’) And another Asia Superyacht Rendezvous was over.

Bas Nederpelt, Marketing & Sales Director, Feadship, said “we came on board this event when it started 11 years ago… instead of opening offices here we decided it would be more fun to be involved in an event. We certainly intend to continue supporting the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous in the future.” Now that’s a real vote of confidence: roll on, ASR 2012.

CLOCKWISE, FROM OPPOSITE TOP LEFT: Pansea Bay, from The Surin; M/Y Onyx crew become boatbuilders; The Surin, all ready to party; “blow, blow, blow your boat...”; M/Y Andara, Feadship Challenge winners; S/Y Silandra, ‘Spirit of the Rendezvous’

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NEPTUNE’S

REALM 0˚ IS HOT, AND THE MOUNT GAY RUM NEPTUNE REGATTA IS THE COOLEST RACE ON THE PLANET TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUY NOWELL

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Passing jewel-like tropical islands, and trying to find the ‘best’ way through the patch of swirling currents, whirlpools and tidal overfalls that last year’s competitors quickly dubbed The Cauldron.

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F

F

First, select your finish line. That’s an unusual way to start planning a regatta, but it’s pretty much how it was when Tudor John, Alex Voss and the rest of the Neptune Regatta organisers started to put together the event that prides itself as being the only one in the world to have the equator for a finish line. That’s why it’s called ‘The Race to Zero’. “We felt that there were a lot of regattas very much the same,” says John, “and we deliberately set out to create something thoroughly different, something with a bit of adventure in it, something that provided more than just the staple diet of around-the-buoys racing.”

The answer was – and now has been for two years – the Neptune Regatta. An event that combines sail and power, racing and adventure, some of the archipelago scenery in the region, and a trip to the equator to ‘cross the line’, meet King Neptune, and be admitted to his court. The starting point is Nongsa Point Marina, Batam, Indonesia - which is not so very far away from anywhere when you remember that it’s slightly less than 10nm from Singapore as the crow flies. Then the fleet sails south through the beautiful Riau Archipelago to the equator, and camps for a couple of days on ‘Neptune Island’ (actually Pulau Sikeling, just 8nm north of the equator), before racing back to Nongsa Point.

After the Ying Yang Bar opening party at which title sponsor Mount Gay Rum introduced their product (and which of course needed no introduction at all!) the fleet headed across the Singapore Straits to Nongsa. There followed a skippers’ briefing at which Safety Officer Alex Voss made the startling announcement that “the Riau Islands have moved” – meaning that the WGS84 chart datum offset hads been amended by about 120m, but it certainly got everyone’s attention!

Day 1, and the IRC Racing and Multihulls divisions raced from Nongsa straight to a finish line at Pulau Sikeling. It’s a twisty route down through the Riau and Pengelap Straits, passing jewel-like tropical islands on either hand, and trying to find the ‘best’ way through the patch of swirling currents, whirlpools and tidal overfalls that last year’s competitors quickly dubbed ‘the Cauldron.’ Barge Island to starboard, Neptune’s Knuckles to port, then round Neptune Island to finish off the end of the jetty, with the light thoughtfully positioned so that PRO Jerry Rollin could call the line without having to move from his tree stump at Harry’s@The Equator. It’s 78nm, and off the breeze almost all the way. First home was David Ross’s beautiful KukuKERchu, hungry to make up for a second place in last year’s event, slipping across

PREVIOUS PAGE: It must be time for a sundowner on Neptune Island CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: An entire village for the racing crews; a sprinking of tropical jewels enroute to Neptune Island; the Mount Gay Rum hut; catering corps; racing down the Riau Straits

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The sun was well over the yardarm, and the only thing to do was lie around the shallows drinking restorative draughts from Harryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s@The Equator. It is a tough business, this yacht racing!

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the line in the twilight.

As the rest of the fleet came in one by one, the level of conviviality at Harry’s Bar just got better and better. Nautical types know how to unwind after a long day on the water, and there’s something magical about sitting around a rough-plank table, illuminated by beer-can lanterns, talking sailor-talk on a balmy tropical night. Of course, some of the talking may have been due to the Mount Gay Rum, but that’s fine. Next day the sun put his hat on, accompanied by the breeze, and the temporary residents of Neptune Island enjoyed 5-star windward/leeward racing that started just yards off the beach and finished at the Mount Gay beach hut and Harry’s Bar just as the Cruising division started arriving, having made the trip south in two stages, with an overnight stop at Pulau Karas Besar – Big Stiffy Island.

And now on to the equator. The Line is just 8nm south of Neptune Island, and the Equator Sprint is the signature moment of the Neptune Regatta. Race down to a gate at 0˚00’ 000”, stop the clock, and take time out for the Trusty Shellbacks to bring the Slimy Pollywogs before King Neptune to answer for their seafaring sins - sleeping on watch, backsliding, failing to steer a proper course, that sort of thing. The punishments meted out for such ‘lubberly’ behaviour mostly seem to be a requirement to imbibe a foul brew made from bilge water, last night’s dinner and inevitably something alcoholic, and almost always involve getting wet. Some of the pollywogs even tried to evade justice by swimming across the equator, but King Neptune was unimpressed and said that it ‘didn’t count’.

Keen observers on the Equator Committee Boat noted that some of the sailors re-started the race back to Neptune Island having turned into improbably-endowed pirates, and the lady members of one crew appeared to have lost their swim suits, but what happens below the equator stays below the equator and we are unable to comment further on the goings-on at the court of King Neptune. By the time everyone was back at Pulau Sikeling, the sun was well over the yardarm and the only thing to do was lie around in the shallows drinking restorative draughts from the Mount Gay beach hut and Harry’s@The Equator. It’s a tough business, this yacht-racing thing.

Just adjacent to Pulau Sikeling is Pulau Blanding, and a fishing village of some 1,400 people. When the Neptune organisers started scouting the area way back in 2010, the villagers of P Blanding were enlisted as the labour force to turn Neptune Island into a place that could support a racing fleet for four days – that meant constructing palm-frond shelters (otherwise known as the kitchen and the bar) digging latrines, cutting grass and pitching the tent encampment accommodation. Even building the jetty from scratch with materials to hand. “It was always our intention to put back as much as we could into the local community,” says Regatta Chairman Tudor John. “After all, we are on their patch, so to speak, and we certainly couldn’t have done it all without the substantial labour force that came from Blanding.” Two years ago all the fresh water in the village came from nearby Pulau Buaya – laboriously shipped across in huge barrels and then decanted into smaller jerricans. The Neptune Regatta funded the construction of a piped water supply from Buaya to Blanding, and now there are standpipes and taps

CLOCKWISE, FROM ABOVE: The Dash flying along; Rikki Tikki Tavi under Kite; the Neptune Flag; a fleet start; King Neptune enjoys the sponsors rum; hangin’ out on the Ker 40; Breakfast with a view; Youngest Shellback of them all

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WATER AT PULAU BLANDING

When the first Neptune Regatta was still in the planning stage, the organisers discovered that the fishing village on Pulau Blanding was dependent on water shipped across from nearby Pulau Buaya.

Every day ‘water boats’ chugged across the 1.25nm gap to return with with barrels of water which were then redistributed by buckets to the 1,400-strong population.

Part of the Neptune ethos is to be able to assist local communities in which we are invited to sail past and through. It is not the policy to give financial assistance, but over the last two years some ‘bonus employment’ for the villagers – providing labour on Neptune Island, building the pier and so on – as well as a contribution towards a local government project, has meant that water is now piped from Buaya to Blanding, and delivered to the villagers by standpipes in the streets.

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in the small streets of the village. “Every Neptune participant who sails south has contributed to the well-being of our local hosts. It’s something I am very proud of,” adds John.

So the Neptune fleet went a-visiting: to meet some of the people who – very much behind the scenes – make the whole event possible. What we found was a neat, clean and tidy village, light years away from the urban slums that many of us have seen in the big cities of Asia. And we also found an entire population that was ready to welcome us with a smile and a wave, eager to talk, and full of curiosity about their visitors. We also found the local boat building sheds, and some 5-star des. res. property built on stilts out into the glass-clear shallows, just like the rather more expensive ‘water bungalows’ found in resorts in the Maldives, or Tahiti, or Bali (but without the air conditioning!). Unfortunately a planned football match, Sailors vs Villagers, had to be postponed due to the demise of a village elder, but there is always next year…

One more night camping on the island, one more occasion to linger on the sugar sand beach as the sun went down, one more oh-so-more-ish rum punch. One more thick, sizzling burger served up by the Royal Marines (every regatta should have RMs doing the catering), and one more occasion to fall off a palm stump at Harry’s Bar. Next morning it was up sticks and strike camp, carefully leaving no trace of anyone having been there at all except for the footprints in the sand, and then it was back on the boats for the long beat north to Nongsa. Once again the Cruiser

and Classic department stopped over at P Karas Besar, while the Racing and Multihull divisions went straight to Nongsa and then completed another day of inshore racing off Turi Beach.

Every good event wraps up with a good party, and the Mount Gay Rum Neptune Regatta 2012 was no exception. Collecting trophies made from driftwood retrieved from Neptune Island, David Ross’s KukuKERchu swept the board in IRC Racing with five ‘bullets’ from seven races, Alice Lim’s The Dash came good on the last day with two definitive race wins to take the Multihull title, O’BluEyes (Glen O’Grady) cleaned up in the PY Class, and Barry Wickett’s RYA Yachtmasters-in-training crew on Kay Sira won the Classics division.

This is not an event for the faint-hearted – it is better than that! First and foremost it is an adventure. A trip to the equator and back with some spectacular scenery and sailing thrown in, a chance to get out and away from the usual race-and-go-back-tothe-marina scenario, and an opportunity to join in with a great crowd of sailors who aren’t going to mind if things don’t always go quite to plan – the effort required to make it happen at all is herculean, and glitches are all part of the ad hoc enjoyment. The long downwind race going south means there is a long upwind race on the return, so be prepared. If you’ve got a boat, or a friend with a boat – sail or motor – and are up for something enthusiastically different, you should be on the start line of the Mount Gay Rum Neptune Regatta on 10 February 2013.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Island Paradise ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: IRC Racing winners KukuKERchu; O’BluEyes won PY; Multihulls winner was The Dash; Kay Sira took home the Classics trophy

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BOAT 100 |

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CHINA IS SEEN BY MANY AS A NEW MARKET FOR YACHTS, YET THE COUNTRY IS NOT NEW TO BOATING, AS FOR MANY YEARS IT HAS BEEN PRODUCING AND EXPORTING YACHTS AROUND THE WORLD. SUZY RAYMENT VISITS THE SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE OF ZHUHAI, WHERE SHE VISITS SIX SHIPYARDS THAT PRODUCE EVERYTHING FROM TOP-RATING CARBON-FIBRE SAILING YACHTS TO ELEGANT, LUXURIOUS SUPERYACHTS. 'MADE IN CHINA' NOW HAS NEW CONNOTATIONS FOR THE BOATING WORLD. TEXT BY SUZY RAYMENT PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUY NOWELL

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ABOVE CLOCKWISE: M/Y Mazu; the popular Serenity range of motoryachts; hull moulds; yacht interiors being constructed

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CHEOY LEE This is a shipyard with more than 130 years of experience. Cheoy Lee was born in Shanghai in 1870 and moved to Hong Kong’s Lantau Island in 1936. Having sold its land to the government for the development of Hong Kong’s Disneyland resort, the familyowned business moved to large and modern facilities in Doumen in 1998. The 30-acre facility – which includes a 1,000-ton railway lift and a 150-ton travel lift, dedicated welding and painting sheds and on-site dormitories – keeps a work force of over 1,000 skilled employees busy. “Over 50% of our work is of a commercial nature,” explains general manager Jonathan Cannon, “and we can handle any requests as we can work with any building materials – steel, aluminium, FRP, and GRP. In fact we have been at the leading edge of fibreglass construction techniques for many years.”

Besides its commercial shipping production, Cheoy Lee has

a long history in the pleasure-boat market. “In the early days we produced sailing yachts, but these days we have focus on midrange motoryachts and custom-built superyachts.” The yard built the Frank Mulder-designed 172ft SeaShaw launched in 2004, and more recently it produced two superyachts designed

by Ron Holland: the 45m Marco Polo launched in 2007 and the 48m Mazu launched last year. The ISO 9001:2000-certified shipyard has worked with most classification societies over the years, including Lloyds, ABS, Bureau Veritas, DNV and the Hong Kong Marine Department. The United States has been its biggest market for pleasure boats, and the company maintains its own sales and marketing department in Ft Lauderdale, staffed by a team of yachting industry professionals. The company has just started producing a 76ft luxury sportsboat, the Cheoy Lee Alpha, which was on display at October’s Ft Lauderdale Boat Show.

IAG The IAG shipyard was set up in 2008 by The International Audio Group Ltd, a major international electronics manufacturer.

This state-of-the art-shipyard is able to build, in fibreglass or metal, yachts ranging in size from 100-200ft. The company’s first superyacht, launched in 2010, was aptly named the PrimaDonna.

The 127ft fibreglass composite three-deck superyacht was built to RINA and MCA standards for full commercial registry. At 180 tons, the semi-displacement hull form offers a remarkable 20kt top speed as well as transoceanic range for cruising. This, combined with zero-speed stabilisation, ensures that guests on board are comfortable both while cruising and at anchor. The yacht went straight from the yard to the Ft Lauderdale Boat Show, where it was sold, and since then the PrimaDonna series has been promoted both at home in China and abroad. The naval architect

and engineer for the first project was Andrea Nicolai, who headed up a team of Italian professionals, including Olga Giannaccini who was the commercial director for the shipyard.

The yard continues to produce a line of high-quality and cost-efficient luxury yachts under the direction of Dave Adams, formerly of Tricon Marine. It is currently building an Electra 100, another series that is now on offer – this yacht has been presold to a Chinese customer. IAG CEO Michael Chang says: “We are both proud and excited to have David aboard IAG Yachts, as he is helping us to turn our vision into reality.” Andrew Chang, head of marketing, says, “We always felt that shipping PrimaDonna to the US was the right decision, and to debut her to the world at the Ft Lauderdale show has definitely made an impact. It is said that China’s yachting culture is maturing, and recent success at yacht shows in Hong Kong and China demonstrates this.”

ABOVE CLOCKWISE: IAG sheds; the superyacht PrimaDonna; the main saloon of PrimaDonna; construction of interior fittings; superyachts under construction

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ABOVE CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: Superstructure of a Selene yacht; commercial hull moulds; Artemis 48 under sea trial; interior of the Artemis

JET TERN MARINE Jet Tern has established itself as China’s biggest yacht exporter and is one of the success stories among Taiwan manufacturers investing in the mainland. Howard Chen, the founder of Jet Tern Marine, is a 1983 graduate of the Taiwan National Cheng Kung University with a bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. After serving in Taiwan’s army he designed a patrol vessel for the Defence Ministry in Taiwan. In 1998, Howard established Jet Tern Marine and the company’s first shipyard was set up in Dongguan. In 2002, the company added another manufacturing facility in Zhuhai, where its operations were expanded to include computer-controlled machines, wood drying, cabin painting, vacuum bagging and resin infusion, along with overseas quality management. The first Selene Trawler arrived in the United States in 1999, and the company has continued to

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expand its market worldwide. High quality but reasonably priced, Selene yachts are sold mainly in the US, with models ranging in size from 36ft to 75ft.

Apart from the Selene series Jet Tern Marine also produces the Artemis series, which ranges from 43ft to 70ft. Jet Turn also produces OEM luxury power catamarans for a French company.

But it is the production of commercial vessels for use within China that is the mainstay of this company and keeps the 1,000-plus employees busy.

In recent years the company has collaborated with Guido De Groot, and together they have unveiled a new long-range superyacht design that includes the Selene 128, a true tri-deck displacement motor yacht with a sun deck acting as a luxurious fourth deck. Built in high-quality GRP, the new Selene 128 will be the longest yacht in the range of new Selene yachts.

MCCONAGHY SHIPYARD John McConaghy started by building dinghies for himself. They won races and other people asked him to build boats for them.

The garage business in Australia grew to become a real business with a reputation for craftsmanship and innovation. In 2000, Jonno Morris and Mark Evans (who had been project foreman on every boat built since 1995) acquired the company through a management buyout, and John McConaghy retired after 33 years of boat building. Five years later, the company was looking to expand into a second facility and the opportunity came to set up a shipyard in China. The first boat out of the new Dongguan shed was Yendys, and this was quickly followed by the International America’s Cup Class Longtze, built for the China Team. Just a year later McConaghy’s became a wholly foreign-owned company and shifted to its present location in Pingsha. McConaghy’s has

three yards in the area, and has built six racing yachts totalling 342ft in length, including a Volvo 70 for the Irish/Chinese Team, Green Dragon, and the 72ft Alfa Romeo 2, involving some of the quirkiest design features ever seen on a racing yacht. Recently launched from the yard have been a couple of Ker 40s, as well as their own one-design, the McConaghy 38, and a whole raft of Bladerider foil Moths. But the real showstopper has to be the 140ft trimaran, which is designed by John Shuttleworth and has interiors by Inge Strompf-Jepsen. Adastra is an entirely new sort of project for the company, and this luxury superyacht was launched in 2012. The next project on the drawing board is a 72ft carbon-fibre catamaran for China’s America’s Cup campaign. A memorandum of understanding has been signed to produce the yacht, and Evans says this will be another huge milestone in the company’s development.

ABOVE CLOCKWISE : Adastra, the 140ft trimaran superyacht; preparing the interiors of Adastra; deck work on the racing yacht; a Bladerider foil Moth

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ABOVE CLOCKWISE: The factory line; supersize Sunbirds; extensive facilities at Sunbird shipyard; Sunbird 68 on sea trial

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SUNBIRD Founded in 1993, Sunbird is one of the largest Chinese-owned boatyards. Its main focus is the production of commercial vessels for local governments, including police boats, general transport vessels, passenger ferries and entertainment yachts. The company opened a second shipyard in Zhuhai in 2005, and the focus of this yard has been on developing pleasure yachts for international markets. The group employs more than 900 workers at the two yards, including more than 100 R&D technicians and designers.

The shipyard in Zhuhai covers an area of 60,000sq. m; this is where the company has developed several series of yachts, of which the Phoenix is probably the best known. The Phoenix range starts at 43ft and goes up to 98ft, while the St Paul series starts at 98ft and continues up to 138ft. Yacht design has been under the guidance of Brian Holland from the US, while High

Modulus from New Zealand has been providing technical support and training in resin infusion and vacuum bagging technology.

In 2011, the company became listed in Shenzhen, and this has led to Sunbird developing its superyachts range. The company has won a multimillion-dollar contract to build a 60m superyacht for a Chinese client, as well as a 30m sailing yacht that will be the biggest catamaran to be built in China. Sunbird’s CEO Li Yue Xian says: “This is our biggest project so far and we intend to work with industry leaders worldwide to provide the best solutions for the client’s boating requirements. Such areas will include structural design, acoustic controls, interior and exterior styling.” Given that the Chinese government requires that all imported boats pay a 43% luxury tax and restricts their navigation areas, it would seem that Sunbird has a competitive advantage over foreign builders.

TRICON MARINE Tricon Marine claims to be China’s first North Americanowned and managed shipyard. Opened in 2007, Tricon moved to its current facilities in 2009. The shipyard has the capacity to construct six vessels of up to 45m in length, but has limited build slots to a maximum of three so it can pay special attention to each project. The facility also has in-water capabilities and can accommodate two additional yachts at the piers, (which can handle yachts from 35-55m in length).

Established to meet the founders’ need for open ocean adventure, Tricon Marine is an innovative yacht builder. Facilities include use of state-of-the-art technologies in hull design and engine construction that are both powerful and efficient. The 55,000sq.m facility operates to the highest Western standards of craftsmanship, cleanliness and security. The company currently

has 110 employees and is growing its skilled labour pool with each project. Tricon Marine’s entire office staff, senior managers, and foremen use English to communicate, and all specifications, contracts, change orders and other documents are in English to eliminate misunderstandings. Chairman of NISI Yachts Christos Livadas believes the company’s work represents a new era of quality craftsmanship and superior investment value in the luxury yacht industry. “We’ve learned one thing: we don’t compromise on quality,” says Livadas. “The Tricon advantage is threefold: our unique business model, our state-of-the-art shipyard, and the skilled workers who build our yachts.” NISI is the first yacht in the world of less than 100 feet long available to RINA Charter Class + MCA (MGN280) commercial standards. Owners will value NISI’s fuel and energy efficiencies as well as the ability to operate without a crew should they so choose.

ABOVE CLOCKWISE: Superyacht construction at the Tricon shipyard; vacuum bagging the hull; the award winning NISI superyacht; state-of the-art Interior

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YACHTS

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ON BOARD An owner-built superyacht with a SILVERLINING P.110. The Peninsula Hotel is linked to sailing by the Ker 40, which has a GENETIC ADVANTAGE P.118 and see NEW BOATS IN ASIA P.124.

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110 ON BOARD YACHT REPORT SILVERLINING

SILVERLINING

In 2011 Chris Lenz set out to build a superyacht. It turned out to be an amazing adventure through China, Malaysia and Thailand, and proves that building a world-quality boat can be done absolutely anywhere.

TEXT BY GUY NOWELL PHOTOS BY GUY NOWELL AND CHRIS LENZ

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112 ON BOARD YACHT REPORT SILVERLINING

“Why did I want to build a boat? I guess it was a combination of ambition and naivety. I wanted to prove to myself that it could be done, properly,in Asia”

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nthusiastic partygoers will remember Chris Lenz, the man who created the Igor’s Group - starting with the original Igor’s itself, where ‘performance art’ met casual dining, and where the portions never allowed anyone to go home hungry. And then opened the Wildfire chain, Stormy Weather, the Pickled Pelican pubs, La Bodega, The Cavern, The Keg and more. All in all, there were 37 outlets (add in The Boathouse, Café de Paris, Tonic, Peel), a central food factory and a food import business.

In 2008 Lenz sold up the enormously successful group, and pretty soon started looking for something else on which to focus his substantial energy. No newcomer to boats, he had already spent several years afloat, both living on board and cruising. The catalogue includes a 45’ trawler, a Tayana 46, and a 70’ sailing catamaran. “Why did I want to build a boat? I guess it was a combination of ambition and naivety. I didn’t want a boat that people would point at and say – ‘there’s that Thai home-build.’ I wanted to prove to myself that it could be done, properly, in Asia.”

So this is the story of a man who built a superyacht. If that sounds unremarkable, consider that it wasn’t just a case of visiting a few well-known yards, appointing a naval architect and a designer, and placing an order for a boat. No, no. This owner actually built a

104’ boat, more or less from scratch, on the back lot of a riverside shipyard in Thailand.

“In Yantai, China, I found an S&S aluminium hull laid up end 2001, so I went to have a look at it.” At Yantian Raffles Shipyard (pop. 14,000 workers and a great many semi-submersible oil rigs) Lenz learned that the boat had been designed in 1998, and was planned for a limited production run, but in 2001 the yard decided to discontinue the programme half way through the build, with the hull and superstructure mostly complete.

He then chartered a 150 TEU ship, and transported the hull to Lumut in Malaysia where it was lifted off the ship before being towed 250nm to the Phithak Shipyard at Satun, Thailand.

So far so good, but the adventure was only just beginning. Lenz was determined that his boat was going to be built to ABS Class; the first necessity was to re-weld all the hull joins, just as soon as a building shed had been constructed over the boat. Two enormous ring frames were constructed around the hull, on bearings, in order to allow the boat to be turned or rolled to any angle along its axis. “It was the original ‘sketch-on-a-napkin’ design”, smiles Lenz, “and removed the need for any overhead welding. I guess we built Thailand’s largest rotisserie!”

“Welding in a tropical climate is more than difficult, it’s a night-

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP OF OPPOSITE PAGE: Thailand’s largest rotisserie; getting ready for the launch; offloading the bare hull at Lumut; “look, we built a superyacht!”; rebuilding the cockpit seating; signature decking

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114 ON BOARD YACHT REPORT SILVERLINING

“I started, knowing nothing. The learning curve over 2 1/2 years was practically vertical.”

mare. With ambient humidity in excess of 90%, it was necessary to build a cocoon around the entire boat, and air-condition the interior of the tent down to less than 50% humidity in order to reduce the porosity of the welds. And because the boat was still being ‘turned’ on a frequent basis, everything – including the aircon units – had to be gimballed. We made 326 weld x-rays during the course of construction, and every single one of them was passed by the ABS Piraeus inspectors.” As the hull joints were all re-welded, QC assistance in the form of students from Thailand’s Songkla University were drafted in to conduct stress and weld tests – putting theoretical engineering into practice.

“At the height of activity we had 110 workers on site – almost the entire population of nearby Chebilang village – and a secondary ‘cottage’ industry of four restaurants had set itself up to cater for them.”

After six months of welding work, four tons of insulation went into the hull, and then the piping and the cabling. Eventually the woodwork and interiors started to be installed. “Everything was constructed in marine-grade plywood, and then laminated in situ.”

This occupied another 34 workers for over 11 months, and meanwhile the hull was being painted – and then painted again (but that’s another story…).

For the duration of the build, Lenz became a full-time project manager. “Fools often rush in where angels fear to tread. I started, knowing almost nothing. The learning curve over 2 ½ years was

practically vertical. I was talking to the USA (rigging and deck hardware systems) in the mornings; to the UK (for the electrical boxes), Denmark (rod rigging) and Italy (main winches) in the evenings; and to Australia (steering system and windlasses) and New Zealand (captive winches) whenever I got the chance. I was frequently terrified that we would never finish the project, and would be left with nothing but a half-finished boat abandoned in a shed in Thailand. I consciously cultivated a culture of ‘head down, and no looking in the rear view mirror’. I had to be Chief Cheerleader, the emotional supporter of a substantial workforce – and myself.”

Somehow, it all came together, and unbelievably it was time to launch Silverlining. “A bottle of champagne was broken on her bows in a rather hurried ceremony, and then this beautiful boat slipped the last few inches off her cradle into the water. The moment that Silverlining floated free was almost cathartic, and certainly the biggest relief of my life.”

After that it was plain sailing, as the saying goes. A trip down the river in a dinghy the next morning served to buoy the river channel with plastic water bottles, and then Silverlining motored to Langkawi, Malaysia, to have her mast stepped. Final fitout was completed at Yacht Haven Marina, Phuket.

If this story sounds as if Chris Lenz built a boat single-handed, he would be the first to correct the impression. “I am deeply indebted to Des Kearns, my Project Manager, and equally to Joe

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Expansive views from the upper saloon; custom bathtub, just add water; guest suite; crew mess doubles as a schoolroom; master suite; lower saloon

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116 ON BOARD YACHT REPORT SILVERLINING

Serapion, my Captain, who has been with me on all my boats since 1992 – longer than I have been married, in fact! Although not formally trained as an engineer, designer or shipwright, he has the uncanny ability to look at something, say ‘that won’t work’, and then take the idea away and come back with an answer. ‘Uncle Joe’ is the unsung hero of this adventure.”

So what did Lenz get for 30 months of angst and unremitting hard work?

Silverlining is undoubtedly a boat with a pedigree. That starts with the appropriately classic lines of the S&S hull, but continues through a deckhouse and deck layout that gives the helmsman unobstructed visibility forward along broad side decks from usefully elevated steering positions. When the boat arrived in Satun, “the first thing that came off was the superstructure,” admits Lenz.

The indoor-outdoor layout gives on to a generous stern deck, with (indoors) an upper level saloon dining area and navigation station. The cockpit features a fixed overhead canopy relieved by a four-pane skylight, and side ‘windows’ that allow a view out, but let the breeze come in – essential in a boat intended for cruising in the tropics.

The upper saloon and dining area then drops down to the lower saloon which constitutes an entertainment area, and then further

access below to the accommodation. Look closely at the detailing of the navigation station, and the nav seat bears an uncanny resemblance to the driving seat of a Datsun 350Z (it is!) and the air conditioning vents came from an Audi TT – attractive personal touches from an owner who is a self-professed car enthusiast.

There’s absolutely no space wasted – the immaculate trim curves in and under the side decks instead of dropping straight down, and on the starboard side there’s even room for a sea berth behind the sofa. “Looking at many boats, both in the Mediterranean and in Asia, I noticed time and time again that even 100’ yachts translated below decks into a multitude of small spaces. Small saloons and tropical climates do not work well together – there’s no need to get cozy in 35˚C! – so at all times in the design development process ‘open’ and ‘airy’ were key words.”

The owners’ and guest accommodation feature with plenty of headroom thanks to the raised saloon above, and the full-beam Owners’ Suite boasts what may just be the most beautiful bathtub ever installed afloat. “My wife wanted a bathtub, so we built a bathtub! Shoe-horning it into the relevant space was almost as remarkable as the build process,” remembers Lenz. “It was beautifully hand-crafted from layer upon layer of wood, with the inside and the outside simultaneously shaped to fit the curve of the hull. It

TECH SPECS

is probably the most unique item in the entire boat.”

A double guest cabin with en-suite, and the double and twin cabins have full a/v facilities, and if the curved headlining that reaches out under the side decks looks somehow familiar, that’s because the space-expanding shape is exactly the same as found in the saloon.

Forward of the lower saloon are the galley, crew quarters and crew mess where, once again, Lenz took inspiration for “what not to do” from the numerous boats that he inspected. The result is a spacious, airy, well-lit galley with expansive work surfaces and all the major hardware fitted flush. A thoughtful touch is a movement sensor which turns on the light for anyone making a midnight visit to the fridge!

In the immaculately laid-out and ‘access all areas’ engine room, there is nothing that cannot be reached easily and conveniently. Lenz’s particular pride and joy is the polished 316 stainless sea chest. “I saw a 67’ yacht in the Med which had no less than 31 through-hull fittings, and figured that there had to be a better way.” The result is a water management system involving only two through-hull inlets to serve all intake needs. “Why drill more holes in your hull than necessary?”

The quality of all fittings and finishes throughout the boat are

LOA

31.7m (104’)

LWL

26m (85.6’)

BEAM

7.2m

DRAFT

3.4m

DISPLACEMENT

120t

GROSS TONNAGE

125t

NET TONNAGE

38t

MAIN ENGINE

Caterpillar C12 480bhp

MAX SPEED

12.5kts

CRUISING SPEED

10kts (1600rpm)

STEERING SYSTEM

Hydraulic, Hydrive

GENERATORS

2 x Caterpillar 404, 38Kw

INVERTER CHARGERS

4 x 3Kw

FUEL CAPACITY

10,000 litres

AIR CONDITIONING

240,000 btu, Siam Cooling

WATERMAKER

2 x 1600 gal/day HRO

WATER CAPACITY

1,450 gal in 4 tanks

GREY WATER

400 gal in 2 tanks

BLACK WATER

400 gal in 2 tanks

OWNER AND GUESTS

8

CREW

6

TENDERS

1 x 5m Castoldi Jet, 1 x 3.2m RIB

INTERIOR DESIGN

Chris Lenz, from original proposals by Stephen O’Dell

YEAR OF COMPLETION

2011, January

seagoing perfection. Metalwork, wood, leather, fabrics… everything. “We built to Class so that this would not be just a ‘no-name’ boat produced in Asia. We went through 46 ABS inspections during the build. Of course, that increases costs way above what could be achieved on a tight budget in Asia, but the peace of mind – knowing that everything from the drawings to the finished boat has been checked, assessed and passed – is more than worth it.”

Lenz’s arrangement with the PPS Shipyard was to leave behind Silverlining’s building shed, and sell on the rest of the fabrication facilities. Starting everything from scratch, these included a paint shop, a carpentry shop, an upholstery shop and numerous storage sheds. Not to mention enough tools and tooling to build a superyacht - literally. “It’s all there still, but I am very sad that PPS have not picked up the ball. They’ve done it once, and with the right project manager they could do it again – build a world-class superyacht in Thailand.”

“When I started this project, I looked at many boats for inspiration – both aesthetic and technical – but in most cases didn’t know what I was looking at. I have continued looking since the launch and commissioning of Silverlining, and now realize that there is absolutely no reason that an Asian project needs to feel that it is playing second fiddle to a European build.”

CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE, TOP: Silverlining family and crew; heading for a new horizon; Chris, Kanan and Kiera Lenz; beach stroll in the Butang Islands

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N BOARD SEA TRIAL KER 40 118 O

GENETIC ADVANTAGE If there’s such a thing as yachting DNA, Hong Kong sailor Jamie McWilliam, his boat partners and the Ker 40 Peninsula Signal 8 they sail have it in spades.

TEXT BY MICHAEL WESTLAKE PHOTOGRAPHS BY GUY NOWELL

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40 46 120 ON ON BOARD SEA TRIAL KER OYSTER

40 feet is a size that can be made to work well in IRC and ORCi whilst also being light and fast and relatively practical and affordable to run compared to the larger sizes

T

he brief trip was originally supposed to be a sailing review of a Ker 40, which for a mostly cruising sailor such as me was both an interesting and an alarming prospect.

In the event, it turned out to be a repeated photo shoot in Hong Kong’s harbour, with me appropriately being relegated to the role of moveable ballast – i.e., rail fodder – as well as occasionally releasing the downwind running backstay.

But to use a description often heard from tactician and boat partner Jamie McWilliam, it was awesome. Peninsula Signal 8 is a true Formula 1 machine, and if it was a car instead of a strippedout but still 4.85 tonne yacht, it would leave skid marks and smoke when it accelerates.

It’s not just the amount of yachting DNA in crew and machine; there’s a solid commitment to quality that is evident in the people, the boat, designer Jason Ker, builder McConaghy Boats, sailmaker UK Sails and the sponsor, The Peninsula Hotels (see side bar story).

There’s also a wealth of competitive experience among the five owners: Jamie McWilliam, helmsman Pat Pender and running backstay maestro Keith Jacobs are all well-known international and local sailing competitors and multiple trophy winners and are aboard for the photo shoot; Matt Hanning on the mainsheet and trimmer Sam Kendall are newer to sailing and are absent today.

Jamie is also part of the famous McWilliam Sailmakers family from Ireland’s Crosshaven, near Cork, and his Uncle Des is now

President of the giant UK Sails – guess whose sails power this boat – and the power boat being used for the photo work is driven by UK Sails’ man in Hong Kong, Barry Hayes, who has been spending a lot of time getting the sails right. Barry’s wife Claire and Chris Slaughter are aboard as regular crew, leaving Paul Bayfield and myself as guest-ballast trying to lend a hand without getting in the way.

That’s more difficult than it sounds. Like well-oiled silk, the team lead by Jamie and Pat pick a path through tugs towing big barges, ferries, ships and a bunch of yachts doing windward-leeward races in mid-harbour, with multiple tacks flawlessly performed and frequent calls of “Awesome!” from Jamie. But the boat’s beam is about 13.6ft and the open stern area, while not quite so wide, when the boat is heeling over is a mountain to climb after releasing the leeward backstay, and there are few handholds except the shirts and shoulders of people busy on the large coffee-grinder winch setup in mid-cockpit.

The speed is impressive, but exactly how fast we’re going we can’t tell because the instruments are not turned on; the boat has been stripped out to be packed for shipping in a few days to Ireland for Cork Week and later to Britain’s Cowes for the Commodore’s Cup, both events in July, and then Cowes Week in August.

Peninsula Signal 8 is the eighth Ker 40 built, and was produced in 2011 in Zhuhai, southern China, at Australian builder McConaghy Boats’ yard, where 350 staff are turning out top-level yachts under strict quality-control supervision.

PENINSULA TAKES TO THE WATER The Peninsula Hotel is a world-famous Hong Kong icon, and the chain of luxury Peninsula hotels is famous for its adherence to top-class standards. Indeed, the group’s leader, Sir Michael Kadoorie (known as SMK within his huge armada of companies) is widely known for his insistence on excellence and quality.

Other than hotels, SMK’s business interests span a wide range of activities from aviation to power generation, but Peninsula Signal 8 is the first venture into sports sponsorship. The commitment to excellence fits on both sides of the equation.

Says The Peninsula group: “When not racing, Peninsula Signal 8 will be available for company-hosted sailings, including hotel guests, staff, Peninsula hotel partners and Peninsula Academy programmes, together with local charities and NGOs. VIP guests will have the chance to join the crew on board for races in Hong Kong or overseas, or else follow the action from the accompanying support boat.“ There can’t be many – if any – hotels in the world that can make such an offer.

And that’s awesome too.

So why this boat? Says Jamie: “We wanted a 40-footer because it can be sailed by anywhere from 7-12 people, which is the size of crew we wanted, plus the fact it’s a lot cheaper to run than a 50-footer. We decided to go with a boat with a high power-toweight ratio so that we could have thrills not just from great racing, but from simply going seriously fast. Obviously this comes with the penalty of a high rating, but we think that IRC is doing a good job of providing fair ratings across different types of boats. The choice of the Ker 40 was because (a) it fitted the above two requirements, (b) Jason has an outstanding track record in IRC, (c) the boat was being built just up the road in Zhuhai.“ Designer Jason Ker is well known for having turned out a series of fast boats of various sizes, but what was the particular attraction of 40ft? He told Yachtstyle: “Forty feet is a size that can be made to work well in IRC and ORCi while also being light and fast and relatively practical and affordable to run compared to the larger sizes.

“Much less than 40ft, a fast light boat would have problems with ‘traffic’, arriving at the top mark in the middle of the most populous part of a typical fleet and needing to pass most of the boats in front in order to make up for its rating, which for practical reasons is not easy to do even if you’re faster, like driving a Ferrari in the rush hour traffic.”

His approach to technology is to use every bit he can, while watching costs carefully. “Like most designers we generally try to combine low weight with high stability, to give the boats the poten-

tial for high performance, but we are continually developing the shapes from generation to generation with increasingly advanced technology capable of accurately predicting the drag and behaviour of different shapes,” he says. “Additionally we pay careful attention to the engineering, using FEA [Finite Element Analysis] and other optimisation throughout the process. Last but not least we produce a very complete set of detailed drawings and specify tight construction weight tolerances, which together ensures we do not get nasty surprises when the boat goes on the scales.”

This philosophy relates to the choice of builder, too. Says Jason: “We had a lot of interest from individual potential owners for a boat like the Ker 40, but each time we’d got it priced as a one-off the client would invariably re-prioritise and buy something else, so our idea was to find a builder capable of series-building to a high standard and a reasonable price and also handing the distribution and after sales. The search led us to McConaghy which filled all those requirements in full as well as being a very respected brand in the market.”

During the photo shoot, after each manoeuvre the acceleration is, to coin a phrase, awesome – the boat seems very sensitive to small changes in sail trim. Does this make the handling difficult?

Jason responds: “It is certainly true that any high performance boat is more difficult to extract the full performance from than a heavier, slower boat. The latter type sails up to its hull speed and stays there pushed up against a steep gradient in the drag curve,

OPPOSITE PAGE: Characteristic flared transom of a Ker 40

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122 ON BOARD SEA TRIAL KER 40

We’ve put in a lot of time, but are still finding significant ups and downs in our performance. We’re not close to full potential yet

TECH SPECS

OVERALL LENGTH 12.20m BEAM 4.15m DRAUGHT 2.60m DISPLACEMENT 4,850Kg FRESH WATER CAPACITY

70.00 Ltr

FUEL CAPACITY

40.00 Ltr

ENGINE POWER 30.00Hp ISO STRUCTURAL

Cat A

ISO OSR

Cat.1

while a light boat does not have such a steep speed-drag gradient obstructing her progress and she must push further up the curve in order to sail to her potential.”

Jamie says: “[It’s] easy to sail, difficult to sail well. From a ‘winning races’ perspective, we’ve struggled to beat the absolute top boats in the light/medium windward-leewards that are the ever more boring staple of modern day racing. Boats are rated on their performance potential, and the more ‘racey’ a boat is, the more time you have to invest to achieve that potential. We’ve put in a lot of time, but are still finding significant ups and downs in our performance. We’re not close to full potential yet. A few reaches would be a different story though…”

So what is planned for the boat after the summer?

“Back to Hong Kong for our big Hong Kong regattas and some other events in Asia. But we’re a Hong Kong boat with a Hong Kong crew, and we want to do the bulk of our racing here,”

says Jamie. And what about the Rolex China Sea Race, and the San Fernando, and the Rolex Sydney-Hobart? “Yes, no question it’s tough enough.”

Jason Ker says: “We have already had quite a lot of success offshore with the Ker 40, winning her class in the Fastnet Race, winning class in the offshore points score series out of Sydney, and recently two Ker 40s came 1st and 2nd overall in the RORC Morgan Cup race in the English Channel. You mention the Sydney-Hobart Race: one of the boats competed last year, coming very close to winning her class but becoming unfortunately becalmed for nearly 12 hours near the finish. They will have another crack at it this year.”

The cost of the boat? As much as you like, depending on your choice of sails, but you won’t get much change – if any – out of US$500,000. But for that money you get a lot of boat. As Jason says, “The design goal was to combine fast and fun, but also competitive.” Seems he’s achieved that; now that’s awesome.

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Peninsula Signal 8 in her home port; deluxe accommodation for a racing boat; Irish bottle holders; chart table and navigation station; way in, way out; all mod cons ABOVE: On the beat; crew concentration

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N BOARD NEW BOATS IN ASIA SUNSEEKER PREDATOR 74 / BENTEAU FLYER GT 49 124 O

Ideal for al fresco entertaining, the aft deck is spacious with sofa seating, dining table, wet bar, griddle, icemaker and Ice chest

SUNSEEKER PREDATOR 74 Evolution of a Winner T he Sunseeker Predator 74 is a further evolution of the Predator range offering a choice of either standard hardtop or sports flybridge, and optional interior and accommodation layouts. The sports flybridge is streamlined with all round visibility from the central helm station which features a bench seat and a curved instrument panel. Sunpads are located on either side of the helm station and on the foredeck.

Ideal for al fresco entertaining, the aft deck is spacious with sofa seating, dining table, wet bar, griddle, icemaker and ice chest.

A large sun lounger aft of the cockpit sits on top of the tender garage and extends over the hydraulic bathing platform. Sliding glass doors lead into the main lounge area where deep, upholstered seating curves around a coffee table for relaxed socialising. Additional seating and storage cabinets face the coffee table.

Forward is the main helm station which features two adjustable chairs and a three-tier instrument console. The interior areas are air-conditioned throughout.

Adjacent to the helm, the companionway gives access to the lower deck where the galley, breakfast bar and dinette are situated. Galley equipment includes a ceramic hob, microwave/griddle, dishwasher and fridge/freezer. Accommodation comprises an aft master stateroom, forward VIP stateroom and starboard guest

cabin, all with ensuite shower rooms. All cabins have hanging wardrobes and under-berth storage, a flat-screen television and DVD system. In addition the master stateroom has a settee and a vanity unit with chair. Optional extras are a twin berth crew cabin aft and a Pullman cabin to replace the breakfast saloon.

The Predator 74 is powered by twin shaft drive engines with twin fixed-pitch propellers giving a cruising speed of 25 kts, a maximum speed of 40 kts and a range of up to 350 nautical miles. www.sunseekerasia.com.hk

BENETEAU FLYER GT 49 New Standard of Luxury W ith the Flyer GT 49, Beneteau has established a new luxury standard in its motorboat range. The low exterior profile has wide walkways on both sides with high rails for additional safety.

The cockpit is adequately sized, leaving plenty of room to move around the table and transom seating. An outdoor grill is an option for this entertainment area. Under the cockpit is the garage housing the 11-foot tender which is easily launched from the hydraulic swimming platform.

Light and spacious comfort is the focus for the interior layout.

The 6 feet 6 inches of headroom in the salon enhances the sensation of space while the large arched side windows give the lounge area a feeling of luminosity. Two unfolding leaves extend the dining table to seat six on a C-shaped sofa. Storage cabinets and a TV occupy the opposite side of the salon abaft the main helm.

On the lower deck, light from the windshield and a view of the sky give the galley and dinette the feel of an atrium. The Flyer GT 49 is available in both 2 and 3 cabin versions. The master stateroom, under the salon, and the forward VIP cabin both have kingsized beds and ensuite bathrooms with separate shower cubicles.

Depending on requirements, a third cabin can replace the dinette.

The flying bridge is roomy and has superior views. As with the

Light and spacious comfort is the focus for the interior layout with good headroom and large side windows

main helm, the helm station has a double helm seat and all instrumentation is easy to reach. All-round sofa seating makes this an ideal area to relax and socialise in during the day. Fitted with 2 Volvo IPS 600 engines, the Flyer GT 49 can cruise at between 18.3 and 27.7 kts. Full navigational electronics, vacuflush toilet, and latest generation HiFi equipment guarantee luxury on board. www.simpsonmarine.com

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N BOARD NEW BOATS IN ASIA SESSA FLY 45 / LEOPARD 44 CATAMARAN 126 O

Intelligent space management optimises every centimetre of the interior to provide a spacious area for entertaining and dining

SESSA FLY 45 Sporty and Spacious S essa Marine has reinvented the concept of ‘dolce vita’ with the Fly 45, combining design, comfort, sporting spirit and functionality.

On the extensive fly-deck there is a large table and corner sofa which can accommodate up to 10 guests. A kitchen cabinet with bar and sink provide the amenities for daytime dining and entertainment. Bench seating beside the helm station can be extended into a flat sundeck by removing the backrests.

Intelligent space management optimises every centimetre of the interior to provide a spacious area for entertaining and dining.

The lounge is flooded with light from the large windows sweeping the length of the cabin, and the sliding glass doors through from the cockpit. The dining table comfortably seats six around a deep C-shaped sofa.

In the 3 cabin version the kitchen is installed opposite the dining area, aesthetically blending into the décor. The main helm is well laid out with a double seat and all the instruments are within easy reach.

At the back a ‘window over the sea’ with an openwork shade provides shelter from the sun and privacy when dining in the cockpit. The large hydraulic platform gives ease of access to the water for swimming and snorkelling, and is the perfect place from

which to launch the tender.

On the lower deck the master cabin contains a large double bed and plenty of wardrobe space with integrated drawers, and has an ensuite bathroom with box shower. The 3 cabin version has 2 guest cabins with twin beds and a shared bathroom and shower.

Alternatively the kitchen is installed on the lower deck and the guest cabin has an ensuite bathroom and twin beds that can be converted into a double bed. www.promaxmarine.com

LEOPARD 44 CATAMARAN Special Space Vehicle T he Leopard 44 is the latest addition to the Leopard catamaran fleet and, like the Leopard 46, it features a raised helm station with a hardtop bimini. The central location of the helm offers excellent all round visibility for sail and yacht control.

The most noticeable change on the Leopard 44 is the addition of a forward cockpit which has additional seating, storage and a stowable table. Access is through a water-tight door from the saloon.

The cockpit aft features an open swim platform, seating with storage underneath and a large table. Protection from the elements for both cockpits is provided by the continuous hardtop which also can be fitted with optional solar panels Large side windows and the forward windscreen give panoramic views and allow natural light and plenty of ventilation into the saloon. Settee seating in the dining area accommodates up to eight guests and the dining table can be converted to a coffee table or an optional double berth. An L-shaped galley to port has direct serving access to the aft cockpit and is fitted with a large fridge/ freezer system, 3 burner stove with oven, a double basin sink, large worktop areas and easy-reach storage space.

The Leopard 44 is available in 3 or 4 cabin layouts. In the 3 cabin version the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suite with spacious master cabin, lounge/

A new forward cockpit adds seating, storage and a stowable table - access is via a watertight door in the saloon

study area and private head with large shower cubicle takes up the whole of the starboard hull.

Two guest cabins with ensuite head and shower cubicle share the port hull. The option for a child berth in the forward hull is available. In the 4 cabin version both hulls feature 2 guest cabins and optional child berths. www.leopardcatamarans.com

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N BOARD NEW BOATS IN ASIA TARTAN 4000 / J CRAFT TORPEDO 128 O

Wide side decks and moulded bulwarks capped with a solid teak rail ensure safety of movement

TARTAN 4000 Comfort with Performance T he Tartan 4000’s design offers the latest in performance cruising, embodying the latest technology and advanced cruising convenience: a cruise control rig, carbon fibre mast, boom and rudder, infused composite hull and deck, and a low centre-of-gravity lead bulb keel.

The Tartan 4000 is known for its superb standard of joinery, featuring the finest cherry wood handcrafted cabinet work. The forward cabin has been designed as the owner’s stateroom with an island berth, ensuite head and a shower stall, while the main saloon is fitted with two long sofas, a drop-leaf table and furniture-quality cabinets. The sofas can serve as sleeping berths, and there is plenty of storage space behind the sofa back. The aft cabin has a large double berth.

The galley area has extensive counter space, carefully thought-out storage, and excellent appliances including a gimballed three-burner LPG stove.

On deck, wide side decks and moulded bulwarks capped with a solid teak rail ensure safety of movement about the yacht.

Stainless steel is used for side portlights, cockpit portlights, hatches, dorade ventilators and cabin-top handrails.

Twin wheels allow easy centreline access to the aft hinged boarding and swim platform, while comfortable seats flank a

stowable teak cockpit table. The boat is a worthy addition to the Tartan range of American-built yachts.

With an overall length of 40.7ft and a beam of 13ft, the Tartan 4000 offers comfort and ease of handling under sail or when motoring. Displacement is a fraction under nine tons; fuel capacity is 50 gallons for the 55hp diesel saildrive unit. Options include various forms of keel that affect the weight of the boat and the keel depth: fin keel (8.89 tons, draft 7.5ft), beaver tail (9.12 tons, 5.92ft) and centerboard (9.57 tons, 4.75ft). www.tartanyachts.com

J CRAFT TORPEDO Classic Looks with Modern Speed J Craft boats are produced at the Baltic Sea’s Gotland Island in Sweden, and Sweden’s harsh climate and rough seas have for centuries demanded tough boats and great sea-keeping qualities. Both attributes found in 21st century J Craft boats.

These may look like throwbacks to a more graceful age on the French Riviera, or to the water taxis commonly seen in the canals of Venice, and that’s no coincidence. J Craft have a deliberately retro look, with for instance the Torpedo’s steering wheel copied from a 1960s sports car, a searchlight copied from one on a luxury car in the 1930s, toggle switches for the electrics... the list goes on.

These days, the retro look is carefully allied to an unobtrusively-mounted docking joystick. Every J Craft is hand built, each taking over 4,000 man-hours of highly skilled and intricate work.

Today J Craft partners with Rolls-Royce motor cars – two brands with a shared vision of luxury and craftsmanship. Work is currently under way to produce a unique pairing – a highly bespoke, matching J Craft Torpedo and Rolls-Royce Phantom drophead coupé.

J Craft has also created the Torpedo Dragon Boat (a limited edition of five boats) to celebrate the increasing global influence of Chinese culture, not forgetting that this year is the Year of the

This is no simple speedboat it is a luxury tender that can sleep five and has a long range at good speed

Dragon in the Chinese zodiac.

J Craft Torpedo boats are increasingly seen in use from the Mediterranean to Hainan as luxury tenders to mega yachts, but they are extremely comfortable and can be used as high-speed and high-performance day boats in their own right.

This is no simple speedboat: it can sleep five, including the skipper, and it can carry up to 265 gallons of diesel. Length overall of the Torpedo is 41.43ft and beam is 11.91ft, with a cruising speed of 35kts and a top speed (lightly loaded) of 50kts. Range at 30kts is given as 350nm at 30kts. Price is from US$1.06 million. www.j-craftboats.com

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N BOARD NEW BOATS IN ASIA AZIMUT MAGELLANO 50 / FAIRLINE SQUADRON 58 130 O

A spacious seating area with facing sofas is located in the bow, offering a comfortable area to relax and entertain while cruising

AZIMUT MAGELLANO 50 Sophistication and Sustainability T he Magellano 50 is the world’s first yacht of its length to utilise the Easy Hybrid Plus propulsion system designed exclusively by Azimut-Bennetti and illustrates the company’s commitment to the environment. The electric engines reduce energy use and emissions for sailing up to 7 kts in total silence. This innovative design has achieved the prestigious certification of RINA Green Plus.

The futuristic lines of the deckhouse are eye-catching and the reflective glass with its special Anti-UV film reduces heat gain and the amount of energy required for cooling. The saloon area is accessed through a completely retractable, folding door. The galley on the port side is equipped with an oven, four rings, washing machine, worktop and storage space, an openable window and exhaust vent. Forward of the galley, the dinette accommodates 6 guests on sofa seating around a table that can convert into a coffee table. Adjacent to the dinette is the lower helm station.

A spacious seating area with facing sofas is located in the bow, offering a comfortable area to relax and entertain while cruising and ensuring privacy when in port. High bulwarks and grab-rails surround the rear cockpit where a C shaped sofa, six chairs and table can accommodate family and friends for al fresco dining.

Up on the flybridge is further seating and a table adjacent to

the helm station. A barbecue, minibar and sink provide everything necessary for informal daytime entertaining. Ample space on the aft of the flybridge for a chaise longue or sunpad makes it an ideal spot for sunbathing.

Four options for lower deck accommodation offer combinations of 2 cabins, a studio and either a dinette or service area; or 3 cabins and a dinette or studio. The spacious owner’s cabin amidships has full length wardrobes, a vanity area and an ensuite bathroom with separate shower cubicle. www.simpsonmarine.com

FAIRLINE SQUADRON 58 Classic Looks with Modern Speed T he Fairline Squadron 58 offers a large flybridge, spacious living area on the main deck and luxurious cabins below which all combine to give the feeling of a comfortable apartment.

A dining/seating area is located on the flybridge aft of the second helm position and includes a bar area, refrigerator, sink and electric griddle. Ideal for entertaining guests while cruising. In front of the helm station is a large padded area from which to enjoy the sun and panoramic views. There are two seats at the helm station which has full instrumentation and a wrap-around screen to deflect the wind.

The cockpit is fitted with sofa seating and has plenty of storage space for liferaft and mooring warps. Hatches give access to the engine room and lazarette and optional fourth/crew cabin. At the back the bathing platform enables easy launching of the tender and has a concealed overhead shower and a swim ladder.

Panoramic windows allow natural light into the spacious saloon which is well equipped for entertaining and relaxing. The lounge area is fitted with sofa seating and coffee table, a drinks cabinet, TV and an audio system. Two steps lead up from the lounge to the galley and dinette. Equipment in the galley includes an electric induction hob with oven/microwave/grill, a refrigera-

tor and a double sink with worktops and storage.

Accommodation comprises a master stateroom, forward stateroom and starboard guest cabin with the option of a fourth/crew cabin aft. The master stateroom has an ensuite bathroom with shower cubicle, a large wardrobe, bedside tables and vanity unit.

Both staterooms feature a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;floating bedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which enhances the feeling of space and has drawers underneath. The guest cabin has twin berths and shares a bathroom and shower cubicle with the forward stateroom. The optional cabin is below the cockpit and has a single berth, stowage lockers and an ensuite head and washbasin. www.jebsenmarine.com

A large flybridge, spacious living area on the main deck and luxurious cabins below all combine to give the feeling of a comfortable apartment

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STYLE Cameron Dueck takes his yacht ACROSS THE TOP P.134. Indulge the senses with single malt whisky in A SINGULAR DRAM P.160.

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134 STYLE DESTINATION NORTHWEST PASSAGE

Across the Top

Cameron Dueck on his yacht Silent Sound sailed the infamous Northwest passage, and he gives us an insight into this fascinating journey.

TEXT BY CAMERON DUECK PHOTOGRAPHY BY DREW FELLMAN, TOBIAS NEUBERGER AND CAMERON DUECK

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136 STYLE DESTINATION NORTHWEST PASSAGE

This voyage has been made much easier by climate change, which is melting the sea ice that traditionally blocks the passage.

Fewer people have sailed a yacht through these waters than have climbed Mt Everest

W

e were stuck between a rock and a hard piece of ice. The rock was Victoria Island, the giant landmass in the middle of Canada’s archipelago. The ice was plentiful; many square kilometres of it, spreading across Dolphin and Union Strait as far as the eye could see.

Making things worse was that the bay we were being pushed into was littered with shoals. I flipped through the pilot guide, looking for some wisdom, only to feel my heartbeat rise a little more. The pilot guide warned of “a number of large shoal patches (position approximate or existence doubtful)” within Simpson Bay. That didn’t help very much.

But I’d sailed here knowing full well that this wouldn’t be the average Sunday afternoon bimble out for seafood and back. We were some 4,000 nautical miles and two months into an epic voyage through the Northwest Passage. I’d come looking for adventure, a challenge, and some insights into how climate change was playing out in this frozen corner of my native land. I’d found it all.

In the summer of 2009 I set off on my 40-foot sloop to sail 8,000 nautical miles through the Northwest Passage. It took Europeans 450 years to find the infamous route, which was fancied to be a shortcut from Europe to Asia but instead has a reputation for eating boats and killing men. We set off aboard Silent Sound, a heavy, fibreglass boat built in Canada more than 30 years earlier.

I pulled her from the sea and added a layer of Kevlar to her bow before setting sail, hoping that would be enough to keep the ice at bay. This voyage has been made much easier by climate change, which is melting the sea ice that normally blocks the passage. Fewer people have sailed a yacht through these waters than have climbed

Mt Everest. We left Victoria, British Columbia with four people on board. One person dropped out after the first month, so I continued on with two crew. Two weeks later we crossed the Arctic Circle and encountered our first ice. First a small piece bobbed by, and then a second, and then we were in the thick of it. We had to drop our sails and start the engine to allow us to stop on a dime, reverse and carefully inch our way around the ice floes. I sent Tobias, the crewman, up the mast to look for clear lanes of water through the ice floes. If we were careless or luck turned against us, the ice could easily crush our fibreglass hull and sink us, leaving us precious little time to move from the frigid water into our life raft.

But soon it was not only ice on the horizon. As we drew closer we could see hundreds of walruses sunning their flabby bulk on the ice pack, bellowing and belching. We sailed so close we could smell their stench and admire their yellowed tusks. For hours we wound our way between the floes as the walruses lazily watched our progress. One bull charged the boat, snorting as he halted his one tonne of quivering bulk only a mater short of our hull.

Although there was enough ice to give me sweaty palms at the helm, there was far less ice than there should be. Higher temperatures have meant that for the past three years Arctic sea ice has virtually disappeared from the Northwest Passage.

The warmer temperatures were good for more than just melting ice. With towns few and far between and docks with full services even scarcer, we were forced to take deck showers with sea water instead of wasting our precious fresh water supplies. Often the water temperature dipped to 0ºC, staying in liquid form only due to its salt content. Once the stench of our bodies became too much to

TOP: Silent Sound passes icebergs in Davis Strait BOTTOM: The yacht at anchor in Fort Ross, an abandoned fur trading post at the very northern tip of the continent THIS PAGE: Tobias guides the yacht through the ice in the Chukchi Sea

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138 STYLE DESTINATION NORTHWEST PASSAGE

bear, we’d strip off and stand, shivering and naked, on the rolling foredeck. One bucket of seawater to get wet, a yelp, a lather and quick rinse, and our weekly bath was done.

Our next surprise came in the form of a bump, a lurch and then a dead standstill. The morning sun was beating down on our heads as we motored the last few miles into Cambridge Bay. This was one of the biggest towns on our route, and I was eager to get ashore.

I had charted a course into the bay using our GPS chart plotter, but I had been too hasty and had made a mistake. Tobias was at the helm and I was below decks when we hit the first rock. I ran up on deck and looked around, horrified to see we were outside the marked channel. He had been following my preset course and wasn’t watching the buoys. Soon after the first bump came a second, and then we were aground.

I checked the tide -- it was falling and Simpson Rock was slowly getting drier by the minute. We dropped the dinghy in the water and Hanns rowed out a kedge anchor to give us another point of leverage. We hauled on the chain with the windlass. No luck. We swung out the boom for leverage and Tobias and I climbed on to it to rock the boat, trying to get her off the rock while Hanns, the first mate, took the helm and tried to drive Silent Sound to safety.

Reverse, forward, we tried to spin her, no luck.

We sat on the reef, Silent Sound settling down on her port side as the tide fell. It was a beautiful summer day in the Arctic, and here we were, stuck just five miles away from port where cold drinks, phone calls home and mail from loved ones awaited us. The next tide came, as it always does, and we got the boat afloat and back underway, chastened by our delay.

We had come north for more than just sailing, and in Gjoa Haven we finally got a taste, literally, of the local Inuit culture. Three generations of the Atkichok family offered to lead us on a caribou hunt, with a wizened and powerfully built Jacob in the lead, both in age and in action. “This is our grocery store,” his son Silas said, sweeping his arm across the barren landscape.

After a long boat ride to their favourite hunting grounds they spotted some caribou and crept up to them for a shot. Moments later, after a barrage of gunfire, two caribou lay dead on the ground and the hunters celebrated.

“Two tuktu!” Jacob crowed, pointing to two fingers to the sky.

They skinned and cut up the animals right there on the tundra, eating the kidney, liver and stomach lining raw. They enjoyed the delicacies with relish and offered us a taste, if we could stomach it.

OPPOSITE: Silent Sound becalmed in the Arctic ABOVE, CLOCKWISE: A bowhead whale; hundreds of walruses greeted the crew on their first day in the ice; a chained sled dog in Nain, Labrador; Two of the thousands of caribou that roam the Article tundra; Inuit children clowning on the beach in Uluhoktuk

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140 STYLE DESTINATION NORTHWEST PASSAGE

Hunters told me of shifting animal migrations and encroaching species that threatened the delicate balance of the Arctic ecosystem.

THE BOOK In the summer of 2009 Cameron Dueck and the rest of the crew of the Silent Sound completed a journey sailng through the infamous Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic. These waters are normally locked in ice, but due to climate change it is now possible to sail here for a few short weeks each summer.

Each person they met along the way added their story to this colourful tale of life in the Arctic; a unique place where the climate change experience is affected by the critical and ongoing debates over sovereignty, resources and cultural assimilation.

“We always do this after we get a caribou, it’s a special treat,” Silas said. Back at the Atkichok home they put chunks of caribou into a steel pot of boiling water. A steady stream of neighbours and relatives had come to join the feast, and we ate the fresh meat with our hands, grease running down our chins. After the meal the traditional Inuit games began. Tests of strength, agility and memory gave us a small glimpse of the culture they were fighting to protect.

This lifestyle, which put opportunistic hunting over regular paid jobs and the loyalty of family ties over self, is quickly disappearing, and climate change is playing its part. Hunters told me of shifting animal migrations and encroaching species that threatened the delicate balance of the Arctic ecosystem. Melting sea ice also made it harder for them to travel on the sea during winter, with hunters drowning or going adrift with increasing regularity. At the same time, the retreating ice was allowing greater access to the Arctic’s oil, gas and minerals. While the natural resources industries brought jobs – although not that many for the locals – it also brought pollution, disruption for wildlife and a flood of booze and drugs and “white man’s” influence, all too much for the Inuit’s easy going culture to survive.

Our next challenge would be to take Silent Sound through a nar-

row sliver of water notorious for its vicious currents and crushing ice floes. Bellot Strait was first crossed in 1937, and we would be the tenth yacht through since then. The Canadian Coast Guard had advised us that as tricky as the strait might be, it would allow us to bypass an area that was still choked with ice. It was rainy and foggy as we entered Bellot Strait. The tide added five knots to our speed as we swept past the few ice floes that remained. To our relief and a small dose of disappointment, Bellot Strait was in a gentle mood.

Our biggest thrill of the day was sailing past Zenith Point, the most northerly point of the North American continent.

By early September the crew was tired and Silent Sound needed time in port for a litany of small repairs and maintenance. But the mood on board had changed. We had reached our furthest north at 73º 55’N and we were ready to turn for home.

But we were still above the Arctic Circle with 2,500 nautical miles left to sail. Winter was coming, and storms would soon be raking their way across the Labrador Sea and North Atlantic. We had to make it to Halifax while we still could.

Our voyage was still far from over, and the coming weeks would bring storms and some of our most difficult miles, but we had done what many sailors could only dream of. We had sailed the Northwest Passage.

OPPOSITE PAGE CLOCKWISE: Silent Sound sails through the bright night of the Arctic summer; a moment of quiet domesticity aboard Silent Sound; (l to r) Tobias, Cameron and Hanns celebrate their arrival in Halifax four months and four days after setting sail from the opposite side of Canada; the crew takes advantage of the long daylight and hikes up Mt Pelly, near Cambridge Bay

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142 STYLE TASTE

›› SINGLE MALT WHISKY

Whisky: A Glorious Dram “Malt Whisky. A spirituous liquor distilled originally in Ireland and Scotland from malted barley,” says the dictionary, rather baldly. It’s a drink that has been around for a long time, but increased hugely in popularity in the last couple of decades.

Thirty years ago, malt whisky was something that was blended into grain whisky to give the world’s most popular spirit more flavour, and malt whisky as a standalone drink was almost unknown outside Scotland. Today, Jim Murray’s ‘Whisky Bible’ lists an amazing 2,225 Scottish single malt whiskies. In Asia, malt whisky is heading for something like ‘hip’ status. So what happened?

TEXT BY GUY NOWELL

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STYLE TASTE

PREVIOUS PAGE: Just a few of The Macallan’s 193,000 barrels of whisky (INSET): The whisky maker keeping track of his charges

ABOVE: With over 120 distilleries in Scotland, there’s a single malt to suit every palate OPPOSITE: Water, terroir, climate.

No wonder a beautiful place produces a beautiful spirit

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D

istilling gets a mention in official records in 1494. Bowmore Distillery on Islay is recorded as operational in 1779. What we do know is that a Gaelic word – uisgebeatha, or maybe usquebaugh, but both pronounced oos-kay-va and meaning ‘water of life’ – became contracted and corrupted into the English ‘whisky’ in the early 1700s. So someone has been distilling something to ‘keep out the damp’ for a very long time indeed.

Whisky comes in two varieties – malt, and grain. Malt whisky is made from malted barley and distilled in individual ‘pot stills’.

These two factors give the finished product huge character and particular individuality, and the whiskies vary enormously from distillery to distillery, very much like wines from different vineyards or grape varietiex. The signature notes of the spirit come from both its terroir and the manner in which it is made. Strangely enough, attempts to quantify the specific contributions of water, malting,

and the shape of each distillery’s pot stills (they are all different, and all distinctive) on the flavours of the finished product have all been inconclusive. The barrels in which the spirit is matured have a part to play too. Really, nobody can tell you definitively why the Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig distilleries, which all lie within 3.5km of each other along the same small road on the south coast of Islay, produce such substantially different whiskies. But they do, and that’s the point exactly: they are all different.

Grain whisky can be made from almost any grain - wheat, barley, rye, for example – and is bulk-distilled in ‘continuous column stills’. This process produces whisky much more efficiently and cheaply than the traditional pot stills, but the result has markedly less character. For many years the principal use of malt whisky has been to add flavouring and character to bulk-produced grain whiskys to create blends like Johnny Walker. With the assistance of a skilled taster and blender, the big whisky companies are able to

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146 STYLE TASTE SINGLE MALT WHISKY

Drinking fine whisky is like drinking fine wine - not something to be hurried. It’s like listening to a musical chord, in which the notes blend and harmonise to produce a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts

recreate their own signature taste consistently.

Let’s take a look at what goes into creating a malt whisky. First there is the barley, which is steeped in water and allowed to germinate. Germination releases enzymes that convert the starch in the barley to sugars. The germinating grain is then dried (sometimes over a smoky peat fire) and ground up. The grist goes into a mash tun where hot water is added, making a sort of thin soup called wort. The wort goes into a washback, yeast is added, and fermentation starts to turn the sugars in the wort into alcohol. Now it’s called wash...

After fermentation, the wash is distilled in a wash still to produce ‘low wines’, and the low wines are then distilled a second time in spirit stills to become the ‘new make spirit’ that goes into oak barrels and is tucked away into cool, dark and damp dunnage warehouses to mature for years and years. The Macallan has 193,000 casks in dunnage, and some of them will still be there 50 years hence. Making the best whiskies in the world requires patience, not quarterly returns.

Legally, the new make spirit must mature for three years before its allowed to be called Scotch Whisky. In practice, there is no distillery that releases its whisky so young. The youngest single malt you are likely to find on the shelf is eight years old. The Macallany

begins to be bottled at ten years, and so does the equally famous Glenmorangie. The Glenlivet starts bottling at 12 years. After that, the sky is truly the limit. Most distilleries keep back more or less of their output precisely in order to have a stock of different flavours that they can marry together – this is called ‘vatting.’ A single malt whisky may have come from several different barrels, but as long as all the barrels come from the same distillery it’s still ‘single malt.’

Dedicated whisky drinkers will tell you that it’s all about ‘balance’ and ‘complexity’. Drinking fine whisky is like drinking fine wine – not something to be hurried. It’s like listening to a musical chord, in which the notes blend and harmonise to produce a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. Of course there is no single perfect chord, because chords come in different keys and are played on different instruments, and so there is no single perfect whisky, even if some of them come very close! Malt whiskies reflect their place of origin – the robust flavours from the Highlands, more gentle notes from the Lowlands, and the strident maritime flavours from the Islands on the west coast of Scotland. To know where a whisky comes from is to have a very good idea of its likely character. And then - age confers scarcity, and scarcity confers price. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that older always means better. Some whiskies reach their own version of perfection at a relatively young age.

CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE, TOP LEFT: The shape of the spirit stills are subtly different at each distillery; firing the barrels in which the whisky will mature; Kevin McKidd, The Macallan’s posterboy, enjoys a drop of malt with friends; a Thinking Man’s drink, evidently

Of course, the most wonderful thing about malt whisky is that nobody knows – that is, nobody really knows - what it is that makes one whisky so very different from another. Makers of The Macallan will assert, in perfectly good faith, that their ‘curiously small stills’ account for the unique perfection of their product. At the Glenmorangie distillery they’ll confidently tell you that the exquisite flavours of their whisky are derived from having the tallest stills in Scotland. The truth is, there are so many things that influence the end product, and the balance between each one is almost impossible to quantify. One estimate says that ‘80% of the flavour of the whisky comes from the barrel in which it matures.’ Whisky has always been matured in barrels that have previously held a different liquor – very often sherry – but the biggest change the distilling business has seen in recent years is the practice of ‘finishing’ whisky maturation in a huge variety of barrels – vessels that have previously held port, or bourbon, Sauternes or even red wine.

Today, more and more of that carefully-nurtured spirit is ending up in Asia, where malt whisky is rapidly becoming the stylish drink of choice, making substantial inroads into the market previously cornered by cognac. Whisky’s image has undergone a sea change, maybe the same sort of change that a barrel of Talisker goes through as it lies quietly by the sea on the Isle of Skye,

breathing the salty Atlantic air during its long slumber towards perfection. The ‘fine wines’ of the whisky world are the single malts, and Asian consumers are ready to step up to something that today projects an intensely classy style that derives from the ‘boutique’ nature of its components. It’s something that starts with great simplicity – after all, whisky is made of malted barley, water and yeast, and nothing else, but which along the way accumulates a depth of sophistication that defies description. Each distillery manages to interpret the stunningly simple recipe in a different way, and every expression of whisky is also an expression of individualism. The result is pure magic.

We have come a long way from the time when malt whisky was the best-kept secret in Scotland. When scotch-on-the-rocks, scotch-and-soda or scotch-and-coke were what kept the whisky industry moving along. Now we are in the domain of ‘ranges’ and ‘expressions’ (different bottlings from the same distillery) and the talk is of nosings, tastings and even masterclasses. For a lad who lost his heart to a bottle of 12-year old Cardhu on his 17th birthday and never looked back, it’s been a long journey. Malt whisky provides an exquisite and a poignant pleasure – in order to enjoy it, you must destroy it. As the poet said, “May ye ne’er want a frien’, or a dram to gi’e him!” Slainte!

Ys | SUMMER 2012 | 147

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148 STYLE WATCHES MARINE TIMEPIECES

A Watch at the Helm Whether you are timing a tack in an important race or waiting to hit the top of the tide across a harbour bar, being able to see the time, accurately, instantly and clearly, is always important.

TEXT BY NIC BOYDE

1 ROLEX

3 AUDEMARS PIGUET

OYSTER PERPETUAL YACHT-MASTER Rolex have been building watches for the discerning and demanding user for over 100 years. Rolex were the first to sell a wristwatch chronometer; the first to sell a truly waterproof watch; the first to sell a self-winding rotor movement and from the very early days (when they were still a UK-based company). They have sponsored sports and sportsmen to demonstrate the design excellence and integrity of the watches.

The most-copied watches in the world, Rolex watches for yachtsmen are the ones to beat for looks and performance.

GSTAAD CLASSIC 2011 No story about yachting watches and watches with style could be complete without Audemars Piguet’s timeless classic: the Royal Oak collection.

Launched 40 years ago, the line became an instant design classic: an ultra-thin steel-cased mechanical movement watch, with a case design inspired by the octagonal gun ports of HMS Royal Oak. There are 31 models in the current range, in steel, gold and platinum with a variety of movements: quartz, self-winding and fullyautomatic. And they all look as good in the boardroom as they do on board.

2 BREITLING

4 PIAGET

SUPEROCEAN CHRONOGRAPH M2000 Breitling produce quartz movements as well as their trademark fully-automatic chronographs.

Their Superocean Chronometers will withstand very deep waters indeed (and anything the sea can throw at you at deck level). Their high-visibility design is also the last word in sporting style and at a surprisingly affordable price. Great crew watches. Are you reading this, Skipper?

POLO FORTYFIVE The Piaget Polo 45 line of watches all have a fully-integrated case, bezel and strap and not only look good, but are exceptionally comfortable to wear as well. The sporting end of the range is extra thin, self-winding and made principally of lightweight titanium and steel. Water resistant to 100m, they are tough enough for any boating use, yet have an understated elegance that quite belies their strength.

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2 3 Ys | SUMMER 2012 | 149

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150 STYLE WATCHES MARINE TIMEPIECES

Watches designed for yachting all have this in common: accuracy, hardiness in difficult conditions, excellent visibility, and the ability to work 2,000 miles away from those little shops that sell watch batteries. These design imperatives have resulted in a distinctive style that sets the wearer apart as someone for whom time matters when it matters, and in between such times just looks good!

5 CORUM

8 PANERAI

ADMIRAL’S CUP FIANCEE Corum, almost from their inception, have featured a series of Admiral’s Cup models, and in 1991 their own boat won this classic sailing title. While the style has changed over the years, the range of features has broadened from the simple yet hardy, to the complex and stylish. Ladies’ styles are not forgotten, and the recent release of their Fiancée range is a feminine incarnation of the legend.

RADIOMIR BLACK SEAL Panerai began by importing Swiss watches for sale under their own label in Italy. Contractors to the Italian Navy, they developed the first watches that were truly submersible for use by navy divers and mini-submarine crews, with a distinctive style all their own. Eminently suitable for above-surface use as well, these make an elegant and distinguished addition to any yachtsman’s wrist, while being resolutely functional as well.

6 PARMIGIANI PERSHING CHRONOGRAPH Relative newcomers to the luxury watch market, Parmigiani have an impressive set of ranges of watches. Their heavy-duty Pershing range includes over 25 models in steel, gold and palladium. All are robust with one-way movable bezels and some with high-contrast dials to improve visibility in difficult conditions.

Complementary ladies’ models look well on the most fashionable of wrists with no compromise in either performance or style.

7 HUBLOT YACHT CLUB DE MONACO Hublot watches have a distinctively rugged style that is maintained across a wide range of models. They use a variety of durable materials including gold, stainless steel and titanium. All their Oceanographic models have automatic movements. Resolutely sporty, their watches remain classically elegant.

9 ULYSSE NARDIN BLACK SEA Before technology permitted chronometers to be made small enough to wear on the wrist, Ulysse Nardin was among a small band of Swiss clockmakers who built marine chronometers - instruments essential for accurate navigation by establishing longitude.

The company’s logo to this day is a marine anchor. Ulysse Nardin still make marine chronometers, but they are now wristwatchsized and fit within the Marine Collection which includes both men’s and ladies’ models in steel and titanium with tough go-anywhere straps. Resolutely stylish, they owe inspiration to no-one and stand out from the crowd.

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6 7 9 Ys | SUMMER 2012 | 151

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152 STYLE ACCESSORIES ULTIMATE GRATIFICATION

CLINIQUE Lash power lengthening mascara, designed exclusively for Asian lashes

HYATT REGENCY MELO SPA A new non-invasive facial, using the latest radio-frequency technology for quick skin-tightening and face lifting, is a summer treat

Summer Sizzle

Sun and sea are a glorious part of the boating lifestyle, but delicate skin needs all the pampering it can get. Luxury products make all the difference to looking your best when you go aboard...

EMMALINA A natural sun protection that soothes and balances sensitive skin from harmful UVA + UVB rays. The healing properties of German Chamomile essential oil calm inflammation, irritation and rashes.

CLÉ DE PEAU UV Protection Cream SPF50 PA+++: is an advanced performance sunscreen that helps prevent signs of photoaging, while the Brightening Serum Supreme penetrates into the skin to repair signs of ageing and sun damage.

Homeward Bound

You may have to go ashore occasionally, even if you’d rather stay on your yacht, so make sure that you go home to the best that style and design have to offer. An ultra-chic apartment, the last word in bedtime comfort, avant-garde artworks and the very classiest dining setting.

THE OPUS HONG KONG Swire Properties has unveiled the show apartment for the OPUS HONG KONG, a residential project designed by the legendary architect Frank Gehry. The breathtaking design in an exceptional location is a milestone in bespoke residential living for the 21st century.

DIAMOND JUBILEE MATTRESS VI-SPRING Luxury British bed maker, Vi-Spring, is proud to announce the release of the HRH Diamond Jubilee mattress, winner of a prestigious Queen’s Award for Excellence.

KUMARI NAHAPPAN ‘Tango’ sculpture in Patina Bronze, created by Singaporebased conceptual artist Kumari Nahappan.

SIMPLY CASA Renowned Italian designer Giancarlo Vegni has created a noble and exclusive line of furniture using Kemistone, and this bookshelf and dining table are stunning examples.

Ys | SUMMER 2012 | 153

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154 STYLE ACCESSORIES ULTIMATE GRATIFICATION

MCM The Kitty drawstring large bag is the perfect holdall for an island resort escape.

LORO PIANA The Loro Piana Regatta collection beach towel is the softest and plushest on the planet.

Cruise Culture

Heading off to the Mediterranean for the summer? Make sure that your bag is packed with luxury goods that show off your sense of style both on and off the yacht.

OMEGA The Omega Ladymatic wristwatch recalls feminine grace and elegance from another era.

LEONARD A Mariiana Delirium printed jumpsuit from Leonard will help you breeze into any resort with style and elegance.

IWC Special edition Pilot’s Watches for father and son form the perfect family unit.

Travelling Man

The modern gent know that he needs to be on time, smartly dressed, and ready to go aboard at a moment’s notice. And the very best in single malt is the perfect way to toast an ocean-going departure.

LORO PIANA The Loro Piana Regatta jacket is made from Loro Piana’s signature Storm System-treated microfiber and cashmere.

RIMOWA MW Michael Wong by RIMOWA, consisting of the Cabin Trolley, Trolley 70 and Wine Case, draws its inspiration from the RIMOWA Classic Flight cases.

THE MACALLAN Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 25 years old.

The best from the best - The Macallan’s signature style, matured to perfection in sherry casks over a quarter of a century.

Ys | SUMMER 2012 | 155

156 THE LAST WORD

THE PEOPLE’S PAGEANT

O

BY ROBBY NIMMO

Award-winning Hong Kong based writer Robby Nimmo was a reluctant royalist until she met several members of the royal family and visited Trinity House, which was granted a Royal Charter in 1514 under Henry VIII and is the General Lighthouse Authority for Wales, England, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar.

n July 1, 1997, I watched from the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club as the Royal Yacht Britannia departed.

The magnificent vessel plied the waters of Victoria Harbour with the sombre sense that goodbyes muster. The curtain had not only fallen on the colony of Hong Kong, but on Britannia too. This was her last foreign mission.

The Queen referred to 1992 as her “Annus Horribilis.” It involved the marital separation of two of her children, and the Windsor Castle blaze. One wonders if this applied also to 1997 - the year of Princess Diana’s death, the Handover, and the year in which her beloved Britannia was decommissioned.

It was on board Britannia that the Queen looked most at ease. She seems to understand the power of the sea as an antidote to the rigours of work demands. The images of her on Britannia show her relaxed with family, away from the glare of the paparazzi. Her cabin on board is a testament to the 1950s and the Coronation era: practical, comfortable, and with no fuss or frills. Rather like the Queen herself.

(In fact, the only home in which she has ever had the choice in decoration.)

The Royal Jubilee Pageant on June 3rd to celebrate 60 years of the Queen’s reign began with the Queen aboard the launch that belonged to Britannia. Her Majesty and Prince Philip looked radiant. The familiarity must have been bittersweet.

The pageant of 1,000 boats was a reminder that from the grandest of vessels to the smallest skiff, the view on the water is the same, and that boats are a great leveller and unifier. They merge nations and class, as well as preferences to power, sail or rowing.

There were 45 Dunkirk ‘Little Ships’, 265 rowed vessels, 15 specially decorated dragon boats and 20 barges as well as tugs, pleasure cruisers, kayaks and a Chinese junk from Hong Kong.

These jostled with 43 narrow boats, a reminder of Britain’s extensive canal system. The fleet with the smallest boats was among the most colourful displays - each one bearing a flag of the 54 Commonwealth nations, realms, territories and dependencies.

Co-ordinating the pageant and raising the £10.5 million via charity and private benefactors was tasked to Lord Salisbury. Although

inspired by Canaletto’s 1746 painting “London: the Thames on Lord Mayor’s Day”, the last time London saw a flotilla of this scope was in 1662 when Charles II introduced his Queen.

Rain didn’t dampen spirits as it lowered the balmy summer temperatures to 11˚C. However, the closing of the Thames Barrier changed the tide from its usual average of 4 kts (4.6 mph) to less than 1 kt (1 mph). The Thames rises and falls 20ft twice a day. It is half the width it was hundreds of years ago, and rises twice as high with a stronger current. In the 18th Century, there were two bridges to navigate on this stretch of the Thames, now there are over a dozen.

One of the biggest challenges came in slowing down the vessels to a mere 4 kts. Despite mustering between Hammersmith and Battersea Bridges some four hours before the event, and being afloat for a total of seven hours, the contingent were fuelled by adrenalin and the thrill of being one of the 20,000 people on the water.

Said Roger Blackburn, 70, “It was a remarkable experience rowing on the Royal Thames in a replica shallop. With our conspicuous light blue awning and oars we were one of three immediately behind Gloriana. Behind us the river was full of flashing oars as familiar landmarks slid past, the edge of the river and every building and boat crammed with spectators. The boats heeled towards us under their weight, and it seemed surprising that the buildings didn’t lean a bit, too. We had rowed two miles plus the Boat Race course (over four miles) before the pageant course. We were lucky that the heavy rain and wind waited until after we rowed, otherwise there would have been many suffering from hypothermia.”

The 94ft, £1m royal barge Gloriana led the flotilla. It was originally intended that the Queen or the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would be on board, with Olympic Gold Medallists Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent and other rowers, including servicemen who lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gloriana is a labour of love, and the first boat of its type to be built in over 100 years. Instead, the Queen and Prince Philip were aboard the 120 ft Spirit of Chartwell, The Princess Royal was aboard Trinity House No. 1, and many of the family were aboard Havengore.

The spectacle was the biggest event on the Thames for over 350 years. When a flotilla followed King Charles 1 and his Queen on their journey from Hampton Court to Whitehall, it was heralded as “the most magnificent triumph to ever be floated on the Thames.” The million and more people who turned out to watch the recent pageant may think there’s a new benchmark on London’s great artery.

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158 THE LAST SHOT THAMES DIAMOND JUBILEE PAGEANT

ROYAL SALUTE A WATER-BORNE PAGEANT TO CELEBRATE THE DIAMOND JUBILEE OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II. MORE THAN 1,000 BOATS - POWER AND SAIL, AND A HUGE NUMBER HUMAN-POWERED - PROCESSED FROM BATTERSEA TO TOWER BRIDGE. ABSOLUTELY NOBODY DOES POMP AND CEREMONY AS WELL AS THE BRITISH. LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!

PHOTO © Lindsay Seager

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The photographs, images, drawings or sketches shown in this advertisement/promotional material represent the artist's imaginative impression of the development concerned only. They are not drawn to scale and/or may have been edited and processed with computerized imaging techniques. Prospective purchasers should make reference to the sales brochure for details of the development. The developer also advises purchasers to conduct on-site visit for a better understanding of the development site, its surrounding environment and the public facilities nearby. .

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