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ALL AT SEA APRIL 2017
NEWS SNAPS FERRY FOR SALE
VISION FOR THE VENDÉE GLOBE
Cross-Solent ferry operator Red Funnel, which employs 450 people, has been put up for sale. The price for the company, which has invested heavily in its two routes over the last few years, is £250 million. Red Funnel chief executive Kevin George said: ““We remain totally committed to offering safe and reliable services, value for money and great customer service now and into the future.” Britain’s Alex Thomson finishing second in the 2016-2017 Vendée Globe, but he was the sole UK entrant. Image: Cleo Barnham
TAGGED PEBBLES
Electronically-tagged pebbles have been mixed with shingle on Hayling Island. The work is being carried out so that researchers can track movement of the beach with the information to be used in future coastal schemes.
RR28 YACHT
The RR28 is an 8.6m trailerable sailing yacht offering four beds and diesel inboard engine. rossoragno.com
WIGHT TUNNEL?
A company, Able Connections Ltd, has been set up by a campaign group to speed up the bid to create a tunnel between the Isle of Wight and Gosport or Fareham. Carl Feeney, chairman of campaign group ProLink, said the company would help open doors for the campaigners to aid with a feasibility study into the £1.2bn tunnel. Residents are asked to give their thoughts on the plans at surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ FLFeasibilitystudy.
THE 2016-2017 Vendée Globe was a hugely successful event with Britain’s Alex Thomson finishing second. The final competitor, Sébastien Destremau, crossed the finish line on 11 March in eighteenth place after 124 days, 12 hours, 38 minutes and 18 seconds of racing. Sébastien finished 50 days after the winner, Armel Le Cléac’h. Of the 29 skippers who lined up at the start of the race in November, 18 were ranked. This is a record number in the history of the Vendée Globe. Of the 11 boats to retire, four were dismasted and five had collisions leading to the loss of one (Kito de Pavant’s in the middle of the Indian Ocean) and a further two retired with other damage.
In terms of the technology, the new foiling monohulls confirmed their efficiency with four out of seven making it home and three taking the podium places. Records were smashed along the way too with winner Armel Le Cléac’h and runnerup Alex Thomson claiming seven records between them including the fastest Vendée Globe ever in 74 days, 3 hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds. However, although the Vendée Globe has only just finished, in Southampton work continues to train up British sailing talent to give them the best chance of competing in the next Vendée Globe in four year’s time. This comes at a vital time. In the 2008-9 Vendée Globe there were seven British entries, while for 2016-17 there
was just one, Alex Thomson. In its first year, Vendée2020Vision helped with the coaching and development of a 10-strong squad of Britain’s top aspirant solo skippers. For 2017, this field has been narrowed to six and will be pared down further towards the end of this season when the intention is for the two top contenders to take part in November’s Transat Jacques Vabre doublehanded transatlantic race. Whitecap, the Southampton-based company which runs Vendée2020Vision, has now confirmed the 2017 squad: Sam Matson, Will Harris, Sam Goodchild, Andrew Baker, Henry Bomby and All at Sea contributor Lizzy Foreman. While the sailors are experienced in smaller boats, such as the 32ft
GOSPORT MARINE FESTIVAL 2017
Figaro Beneteau II and 21ft Mini, with Vendée2020Vision they are provided with the opportunity to train on board a substantially larger IMOCA 60, of the type raced in the Vendée Globe. On board the Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA 60 the sailors are shown the ropes by Vendée2020Vision’s head coach, former Vendée Globe competitor and recordbreaking round the world yachtswoman, Dee Caffari. You may be the best sailor in the world, but that means nothing unless you can get to the start line. Therefore it is vital for Vendée Globe competitors to have the skills needed to raise sponsorship and funding not just to purchase a boat but to run a campaign too. A team expecting to have race winning potential will require a budget of several million pounds. To help them secure these funds, Vendée2020Vision sailors are provided with commercial support covering networking and pitch development together with other boardroom and business tuition. Good fitness is also essential for singlehanded offshore racing, so the six Vendée2020Vision sailors will undergo physical assessments with the aim of reaching defined fitness targets. To improve their prospects out on the water, leading international navigator Wouter Verbraak will be running a course for the Vendée2020Vision sailors on meteorology and strategy. A sought-after navigator, Verbraak has previously trained the all-women’s crew on Team SCA in the last Volvo Ocean Race and worked on prerace navigation for Alex Thomson’s recent Vendée Globe campaign. Turn to page 21 to read this month’s interview with Alex Thomson and readLizzy Foreman’s latest column on page 34.
Image: CCA
NEW PONTOON
MDL Marinas, the official marina partner to Land Rover BAR, is helping the team gear up for the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda. The marina operator has worked closely with Land Rover BAR to help set up their team base in Bermuda and has created customised pontoons, designed to give swift access for the team and accommodate the crucial support boats. The pontoon has the ability to rotate 90 degrees, which will allow the team to berth the boat in all wind directions and stay attached to the shore. The pontoon was constructed in Southampton and has travelled 3,400 miles to reach Bermuda, where it is now undergoing trials as part of the team’s intensive training programme.
SAFETY CODE
Emily’s Code, which honours the memory of teenager Emily Gardner, launched at the RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show. Emily Gardner was 14 when she drowned in a boating accident due to an ill-fitting buoyancy aid which snagged on a cleat when the boat capsized. Emily’s Code highlights a number of factors that are essential for safe boating and which could have prevented Emily’s accident. www.emilyscode.org
AIMING to connect the people of Gosport with the sea, Gosport Marine Festival 2017 will take place on 27 May. The free community event will showcase boating of every kind from sailing dinghies and big yachts to paddleboarding and kayaking. There will be something for the
whole family with the chance to get on the water as well as plenty of onshore activities. There will be more than 800 places available for those who want to get afloat. Further details and booking for all the activities can be found at www.gosportmarinefestival.org.uk
WELL DONE GAVIN
FOLLOWING his JYA Yachtsman of the Year Award and Henri Lloyd Seamanship awards, Gavin Reid has won the Cruising Club of America’s 2016 Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship. The award is in recognition of his
selfless action in swimming over to a vessel in distress during the Clipper 2015-16 Round the World Race and single-handedly rescuing one of its crewmembers trapped at the top of the mast.