Issuu

WIN AN E-PROPULSION ELECTRIC OUTBOARD WORTH OVER £1,800

with JANUARY 2024 £4.95

INTO THE WILD

BOAT TEST

ITALIA 11.98

Lightning fast, razor sharp, silky smooth

Icebound in Scoresby Sound

● The future of electric motors ● Investigating green boatbuilding ● Windelo’s basalt catamaran on test

The path from amateur to pro racer

9 771367 586148

BLUE WATER CRUISING GOES GREEN

IN SEARCH OF GLORY

JERVIS INLET The world’s most beautiful dead end

SEE THE WORLD,

DIFFERENTLY Get ready to elevate your sailing experience with Sunsail in 2024. Sail the beautiful waters of Greece and the British Virgin Islands with our new, unique 50th anniversary flotillas. Carefully curated to highlight the best of each location, these flotillas offer an exciting journey through crystal-clear waters and stunning landscapes. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a novice, our flotillas cater to all levels of expertise, ensuring a perfect blend of discovery, adventure, and the freedom to sail at your own pace. Explore hidden gems and craft timeless memories in these breathtaking destinations like never before.

Bareboat | Flotilla | Skippered | Schools sunsail.co.uk | 0330 332 1187

Book with SEE THE WORLD, DIFFERENTLY.

“Well organised, fantastic lead crew and good quality boat.” “Brilliant from start to finish. Incredible boat, super helpful people and an amazing trip all round”

10 News 18 Paul Heiney 20 Andy Rice 30 Tom Cunliffe 98 Jess Lloyd-Mostyn

UNDER SAIL

22 West Country

What to expect when plnning a cruise from the south coast to the Isles of Scilly

34 Figaro

COVER IMAGE: BEN DITTO

REGULARS

Up and coming racer Tim Long talks through his Figaro campaign

38 Greenland Bob Shepton takes a high latitude cruise

44 Sustainable boatbuilding Can boatbuilding become greener?

60 Princess Charlotte Sound The world’s most beautiful dead end?

64 Cape 31 Class Racing round-up of this competitive class

70 Gull’s Eye Marina guide to Royal Quays Marina, Newcastle

86 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers

Taking the ARC+ route via Cape Verde

90 Charter What’s new in 2024

BOATS

16 New boats 48 Tested: Windelo 50 Mk2 Bluewater cruising goes green

74 Tested: Italia 11.98 A stunning racer/cruiser

94 Three of the Best Three of the finest brokerage boats

GEAR

56 Buyer’s Guide: Electric Propulsion What’s new in the world of electric motors

80 Buyer’s Guide: Decking A deep dive into the world of fake teak

86 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

PHOTO 410 FILM

Seek sensations! All the pleasures of sailing! Live your adventures at sea to the fullest.

EXCESS 14: a fun and playful cruising sailboat with sleek lines.

SCAN ME TO DISCOVER OUR RANGE

| 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | EXCESS-CATAMARANS.COM

Welcome

EDITORIAL EDITOR

Sam Jefferson 020 3943 9261 sam.jefferson@chelseamagazines.com ART & PRODUCTION EDITOR Gareth Lloyd Jones WRITER AND SUB EDITOR Sue Pelling PUBLISHING CONSULTANT Martin Nott PUBLISHER Simon Temlett simon.temlett@chelseamagazines.com ADVERTISING ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER Mark Harrington 020 7349 3734 mark.harrington@chelseamagazines.com GROUP SALES DIRECTOR Catherine Chapman HEAD OF SALES OPERATIONS Jodie Green ADVERTISEMENT PRODUCTION Allpoints Media Ltd allpointsmedia.co.uk CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Vicki Gavin MANAGING DIRECTOR James Dobson Published by: The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd CMC, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0SR © The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd 2020, part of the Telegraph Media Group. All Rights Reserved. ISSN 1367-5869 (print) ISSN 2059-9285 (digital) No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission in writing. Every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information in Sailing Today, but no responsibility can be accepted for the consequences of actions based on the advice portrayed herein. The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd makes every effort to ensure that the advertising contained in this magazine is delivered from responsible sources. We cannot, however, accept any responsibility for transactions between readers and advertisers. For the Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd full set of terms and conditions please go to chelseamagazines.com/terms-and-conditions

Skipper’s View SAILING PUTS YOU IN TOUCH WITH NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND THAT ENSURES YOU WANT TO PROTECT IT WELCOME TO THE first issue of 2024 - even though the vagaries of magazine publishing mean that you'll likely be leafing through it in 2023. This is our annual green issue and, as such, we are looking at the various ways in which we can make our sport more environmentally friendly. You could say we are off to a flier given that the principal means of propelling a sailing yacht is via the sails. Yet after that things get very murky what with glass fibre, carbon fibre, diesel engines, boats without holding tanks – you name it. It's very easy to simply hold up your hands in despair. it's also easy to get cynical and say that it's a lost cause and we should just give up. Throw in a few companies that seem to engage in greenwashing and gesture politics and, frankly the whole thing gets very jumbled. I have also come to realise in recent months that there is a sizeable constituency in this country who still believe the climate change is a hoax or, failing that, it is the consequence of a natural planetary cycle. I was quite taken aback to encounter this view - often forcefully expressed - and it really gave me pause for thought. Perhaps that is because we sailors are much more in touch with the elements than many landlubbers so we are able to see with greater clarity that climate change is something that is happening. As an example, it is now much easier to traverse the North West passage in a yacht than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Also, we see first hand that weather patterns are changing - the rise of Medicanes in recent years and the fact hurricanes are regenerating and tracking much further north are both clear pointers. We also see the damage humans do with great clarity. Sailing in Greece this summer I was enchanted by the azure waters but appalled at how much plastic waste floated by. As to those who say that climate change is merely a natural cycle, I struggle to see why that matters. To use a sailing analogy; If you are on watch and you see storm clouds approaching, you don't argue about what caused those storm clouds, you reef down and do everything possible to prepare yourself for the storm. We need to do the same with climate change and those who choose to politicise the issue should be ashamed of themselves.

Subscriptions and back issues Tel: +44 (0) 1858 438769 Annual subscription rates: UK £70 ROW £90 Email: sailingtoday@subscription.co.uk Online: Did you know you can manage your subscription online? Oversee your print and digital subscriptions online today simply by signing up at https://www. subscription.co.uk/chelsea/Solo/. Stay up to date with the latest issues, update your personal details, and even renew your subscription with just a click of a button. Post: Sailing Today, Subscriptions Department, Chelsea Magazines, Tower House, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street Market Harborough LE16 9EF

facebook.com/ SailingToday

editor@ sailingtoday.co.uk

twitter.com/ SailingTodayMag

CONTRIBUTORS

Also part of the Chelsea Marine Magazines family:

chelseamagazines.com

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

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

ANDY RICE is a journalist and veteran dinghy racer who has won championships at both ends of a skiff

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Spot on The 100ft Leopard 3 powers away from the island of Stromboli on her way to line honours in October’s Rolex Middle Sea Race. The event was packed with drama. Overall winner the 93ft Bullitt, and second placed 33ft Red Ruby, were separated by only 24 seconds on corrected time Photo: Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Rough and Ready This dramatic shot of the Ocean 50 trimaran Realites taken just after the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre off Le Havre sums up the tempestuous start to this transatlantic race. Battered by multiple storms, most of the fleet was obliged to stop in Lorient and await a suitable weather window before racing resumed. Photo: Jean Marie-Liot/Alea

News

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

Brits shine in storn tossed TJV race Storms Ciaran and Domingos lashed the Atlantic coast in late October and wrought havoc on the carefully laid plans of the race organisers responsible for ensuring a clean start for the biannual Transat Jacques Vabre. These two brutal storms delayed the start with only the giant Ultim class got away cleanly and blazed a trail south away from the weather systems down to Cape Verde, across to the Brazilian coast and then northwards to Martinique. In the end it was the hugely experienced team of Armel le Cleac’h and Sebastien Josse who prevailed in the Ultim class with their Banque Populaire XI taking line honours. UK interest was most prominent in the IMOCA class where the

British/French team of Sam Goodchild and Antoine Koch guided For the Planet to third place with Sam Davies and Jack Bouttell taking fifth in Initiatives Coeur. Neither could catch defending IMOCA champions Thomas Ruyant and Morgan Lagraviere who scooped first on For People. Meanwhile Pip Hare and Nick Bubb’s Medallia were obliged to gamble by going further north after a penalty on the start line. The gamble did not fully pay off, with those who gambled getting battered by headwinds, but Medallia picked up a respectable 12th place. Veteran racer Mike Golding, who was mentoring Jingkun Xu was well down the fleet.

PHOTO: BIRDIEGAL/SHUTTERSTOCK

Orcas claim another victim off Tangiers

Concerns grow after a third yacht was sunk in an Orca attack after it was repeatedly rammed by a pod of killer whales off the port of Tangiers in the Gibraltar Strait. Grazie Mamma, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 449, was attacked just off the Moroccan coast, having left Ceuta enroute westward through the Strait of Gibraltar. Crew reported that three Orcas spent 45 minutes attacking the boat by smashing into the rudder. During this time the boat sustained serious damage and began to take on water through the rudder post. Attempts to contain the leak failed and the crew was rescued by the coastguard. The attack is part of a worrying new trend which seems to relate to a JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

specific pod of orcas which occupy a territory running from Galicia on the Costa Verde down to the Strait of Gibraltar. Prior to 2019, Orca attacks on yachts were extremely rare but since then, this particular pod seems to have decided to target sailing yachts, favouring those under 60ft in general. The Cruising Association has been documenting the Orca attacks since June 2022 and has so far recorded 155 orca ‘interactions’. Of those polled, 98 per cent of yachts attacked were sailing yachts and 38.7 per cent of yachts were between 10 and 12.5m in length. For a full range of statistics and advice on what to do in the event of an orca attack, go to theca.org.uk.

British team win J/70 Worlds Charlie Thompson and his team on Brutus III have been crowned J/70 World Champions, at an event hosted by St Petersburg YC in Florida, USA from 27 October to 5 November. A total of 83 teams representing 15 nations were treated to Champagne conditions of 10-20kts on Tampa Bay, albeit with shifty winds testing competitors throughout. The British team (Charlie Thompson, owner/bowman, Tom Mallindine, helmsman together with pro sailors Ben Saxton, main/tactician; Chris Grube, jib/spinnaker; and Elisabeth Whitener (USA), pit) won the 10-race series with a 25-point lead over Bruce Golison’s Midlife Crisis (USA). Having teamed-up at the start of 2023 for a two-year campaign, the Brutus crew were hopeful of a top result, after wins at J/70 UK Grand Slam events, including the J/Cup, and a third place finish at the Bacardi Midwinter Championship. But, with the USA fleet in particular posing strong competition, they anticipated a tough task. Tom Mallindine recounts: “A 53rd in the opening race was a disappointing start but it highlighted the importance of boat-on-boat positioning, as well as boat speed. The fleet was so close that it was easy to fall down the rankings with even a small mistake. We quickly realised we needed to make best use of our individual skillsets; in particular, Ben is hugely knowledgeable on sail set with his North Sails background, Chris is familiar with the nuances of jib settings and spinnaker trim through his Olympic campaign, and Charlie and Beth are able to work well together under pressure, which enabled me to focus on steering the boat through the waves.

“Tampa Bay is an estuary, quite shallow with a short chop that’s not dissimilar to the Solent, so we soon felt quite at home and realised we had plenty of boat speed compared to our rivals. After that, it was about putting the boat in the right place. “The three of us at the back also share a lot of 470 experience, which feeds in really well to the J/70.” With only one discard, they took a conservative approach to starts to avoid any black flags; relying on boat speed to gain clear air positions, while coach Elliot Willis offered support on managing risks around the race course. A string of top 10 results followed, with a solid 2,1 on the third day a particular stand-out moment, according to Tom, alongside the deluge of Champagne and congratulations from other boats as they cemented their win on the final day. Stepping ashore, a jubilant Charlie Thompson spoke of his pride when he said: “I feel incredibly privileged to be able to race in a fleet against the very best sailors in the world. We managed to get up to the top and stay there mostly due to the team I’ve built around me - without them it really doesn’t work.” The team now plans to defend their title in September 2024 at the Worlds in Palma, Majorca, and will race at the Europeans, plus events in Italy and Monaco. The 2023 Corinthian World title went to Lee Sackett and Dave Kerr’s 1516 (USA) who were 21st overall.

Sailjuice series off to a flier The Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash got this season’s eight-event Selden SailJuice Winter Series off to a rip-roaring start, with a bumper entry of 109 boats representing 44 different dinghy, catamaran and keelboat classes. Ages of the competitors ranged from 11 to 76 years old. The 109 boat fleet was the third highest entry for the Dash and not far off the record. After last winter’s low entries amidst a cost-of-living crisis, the organisers see this as a sign of confidence returning. The following are the events in the Selden SailJuice Winter Series 2023/24:

Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash, Draycote Water Sailing Club - 18 & 19 November 2023 Datchet Flyer, Datchet Water Sailing Club - 9 & 10 December 2023 Yorkshire Dales Brass Monkey, Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club - 27 December 2023 Gill Grafham Grand Prix, Grafham Water Sailing Club - 30 December 2023 GJW Direct Bloody Mary, Queen Mary Sailing Club - 6 January 2024 King George Gallop, King George Sailing Club - 20 January 2024 John Merricks Tiger Trophy, Rutland Sailing Club - 3 & 4 February 2024

Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club - 17 February 2024 Prizegiving at RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show, Farnborough - 24 February 2024 sailjuiceseries.com Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Next month in Sailing Today The February issue will carry you into the new year with a selection of delights ● We reveal the winners of the British Yachting Awards ● Singlehanded from the Aegean to the Ionian ● We chat with Louise Morton on the thrills and spills of elite racing in the RC44s ● The next challenge for the mighty Ultim Class ● Dufour 370 on test ● Handy pointers on winter maintenance

Position: Just hanging out How to cheer yourself up mid ocean

PHOTO: RICARDO PINTO/SAILGP

Remember when Alex Thomson stood on the keel of his IMOCA Hugo Boss dressed as James Bond? Great publicity, yes, but not a patch on this beauty for bringing joy and happiness into your life. These are the crazy guys on Team New Europe having a wild time during the Transat Jacques Vabre. It’s not clear whether Szabolcs Weores is repairing something or just hanging out to bring a bit of levity during a lull in proceedings. Whatever it is, he certainly doesn’t need Prozac. Extra points for the silly headband.

Not a patch on this beauty for bringing joy and happiness into your life

DIFFICULTY RATING: 1/5

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

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

WIN! An ePropulsion electric outboard worth over £1,875 We’ve teamed up with ePropulsion to offer one lucky reader the chance to win an electric outboard worth over £1,800. The Spirit 1.0 Plus is a versatile 1kW motor, designed for a variety of boats including dinghies, small yachts and tenders. This portable powerhouse boasts a large, integrated 1,276 Wh lithium battery for extended travel distance. Offering agility, lightweight construction, and eco-friendly energy, it stands out as a top-notch marine choice. Find out more here: eprop.uk/styyspirit

Enter at sailingtoday.co.uk/epropulsion Full T&Cs online. There’s no cash alternative and the prize must be redeemed in one transaction.

Comment - News Analysis Competition

An electrifying issue

A new report in to cutting the carbon footprint throughout the marine industry makes the fatal error of lumping powerboats and sailing boats together

new industry wide report on de carbonising the marine industry has delivered an intriguing verdict. But behind all the Jargon, what does it

actually mean? In November International Commission of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) released a report entitled Pathways to Carbon Emissions Reduction in In Recreational Boating. ICOMIA is an international trade association responsible which works with national associations such as our own British Marine to provided a more powerful lobbying voice on the world stage. So far, so dull. What they do have is access to a greater amount of data on the industry than anyone else. So when they release a report into how we can de carbonise the industry, then it’s worth looking beneath the jargon and finding out exactly what they are saying. The wider context of the report is that at present the marine industry contributes 0.1% of global greenhouse gases and the aim of the report is to find a way to further reduce this carbon footprint. As such, the analysis looked across the nine common types of recreational craft (sailing yachts, powerboats, inflatables, inland waterways vessels, personal watercraft, fishing boats, high performance motoryachts and displacement motoryachts and looked at the most suitable and sustainable source of power. The results are distinctly mixed and at times frustratingly vague. The most obvious conclusion that has been reached is that there is no one size fits all solution throughout the industry – which is far from surprising given the huge variation in the types of boat analysed. Perhaps the most jaw dropping finding was that the average amount of hours a leisure boat is used annually is 35. In the case of sailing yachts, this drops to 24 hours per year. The other conclusion was that in many cases the most effective way of reducing the carbon footprint in craft that rarely leave the marina was retaining internal combustion engines and seeking more sustainably sourced fuel supplies. To quote the report: The analysis undertaken concluded that internal combustion engines (ICEs) powered by renewable liquid fuels are suitable candidates to decarbonise privately owned marine leisure craft. These power systems can provide significant global warming potential savings, especially for craft with low utilisation and long lifetimes, as they are highly susceptible to manufacturing and maintenance impacts. What they are basically saying is that electric boats are nothing like electric cars. Because many boats are used so infrequently, it takes many more years to offset the initial carbon footprint of making the battery. In an electric car, the usage is quite intense, so

‘The energy requirements of a cruising yacht are fundamentally different from a powerboat’

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

you can offset the battery production in a relatively short time – boats are different. Given the fact that batteries degrade over time and have to be replaced regardless of whether they are used intensively or not, then low use boats have a serious problem with sustainability. To quote the report again: Watercraft with lower utilisation are unlikely to find battery electric systems result in a reduction in carbon emissions compared to the baseline internal combustion engine. This study considered both battery lifetime in years and recharging cycles, as battery performance is expected to degrade over time regardless of utilisation. This factor could result in several battery replacements, even in watercraft that are less

frequently utilised. Beyond that, the effort it takes to push a boat through the water is far greater than that required for a vehicle on land. This means that boats are more power hungry and their range is reduced compared to a car. This is particularly true in planing craft where the case for electric motors becomes very difficult. This all sounds quite gloomy, particularly as the fall back conclusion seems to be that if you don’t use your boat and if you do, hope you can get hold of some biofuel in order to create the smallest carbon footprint. Fortunately it’s not all doom and gloom and the other really key finding of the report is as follows: Due to the diversity of the types of boats in use and the varied experiences sought by boating consumers from fishing to watersports to cruising, the research shows there is no universal, ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to decarbonise recreational boats. And they are not wrong on that score. Perhaps one of the greatest errors of this report is to lump sailing yachts in with powerboats – particularly planing and semi displacement boats. The energy requirements of a blue water cruising yacht are fundamentally different from a powerboat in that the motor should be the secondary source of power. Sails also give the possibility of hydrogeneration when the motor is not in use and yachts on the blue water circuit are used intensively. This makes the report less than helpful in some ways. Although powerboats and yachts share the same marinas and stretches of water, comparing a 50’ semi displacement powerboat with a sailing yacht is like comparing a normal car with a Formula One racing car in terms of power demand. The fact that powerboats are fundamentally different from sailing yachts is blurred by the broad brush analysis and steers you towards a much more discouraging conclusion than is necessary if you own a sailing boat – particularly if you’re planning a blue water adventure. You can read the full report by going to icomia.org

Photos Nicolas Claris

N4 O O LAG

SAIL | 40 | 42 | 46 | 51 | 55 | NEW 60 | SIXTY 5 | SEVENTY 7 • MOTOR | SIXTY 7 | SEVENTY 8 | COME AND VISIT OUR CATAMARANS AT THE NEXT EVENT

CATAMARANS-LAGOON.COM

New boats A look at the latest launches from around the globe CNB 78

Neel 52 French manufacturer Neel is the only mass producer of big, bluewater trimarans and the launch of the new 52 further bolsters that range. This is a big boat that offers the possibility of six double cabins if you so wish plus a huge cockpit/saloon area. The boat has a powerful rig and this can be further augmented by a carbon fibre mast and increased sail area should you so wish. l neel-trimarans.com

CNB Yachts used to be the flagship luxury range of the Beneteau Group until the company sold them to rival Italian boatbuilders Solaris. This is the company’s first boat since the sale and the new owners opted to stick with the tried and tested team of Philippe Briand and Jean Marc Piaton. This gives the styling and design continuity but under the skin, things have changed somewhat. With the boat now being built in Solaris’ yard in Trieste, Italy, new construction techniques have been adopted and the new owners state that this makes for a stiffer, lighter hull. l cnbyachts.com

More 50 More Yachts is a rather mysterious Croatian boatbuilder that originally came into being to provide yachts for its own charter fleet. Its designs are often sporty and reasonably innovative but also affordable. The new 50 is the latest addition to the range and has been drawn up by Cossutti Yacht Design. The new 50 features a very long fixed bowsprit and the option of a carbon fibre rig. The boat is available with two deck layouts, the first, with four winches and all lines led aft, is aimed at fast cruisers, the other has six winches and is more race oriented.

l more-yachts.hr

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Spirit Yachts 72DH Spirit Yachts’ beautiful 72DH drew many admiring glances when it made its debut at the Southampton Boat Show in September lasts year. This stylish modern classic is definitely fitted out for comfort but performance has not been neglected and a displacement of 28,000kg married to a decent sail area means that, despite sumptuous interior furnishings, this yacht is no slouch. Much of the weight saved is thanks to the composite hull construction which uses yellow cedar strip planking, epoxy lamination and carbon fibre reinforcement. l spirityachts.com

Kaori 550 The sight of the bathtub shaped scow bowed mini transat yachts has become quite common these days and the concept of fuller lines forward has been utilised by many designers of cruising yachts to boost internal volume. French boatbuilder Kaori, however, has stuck with the pure scow concept to produce a small strip planked day sailer which blends sprightly performance with decent internal volume. At 380kg, the boat is absurdly light and comes with a lifting keel for added practicality. l kaori-concept.com Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Paul Heiney Paul's tool order! Lack of a simple flat head screwdriver raised thoughts about the importance of contents in a boat's tool box

o there I was, sitting in the cockpit, nose in a cup of coffee and this miserable bloke shuffles along the pontoon. I know this sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but wait – it gets serious. “Sorry to bother you, mate,” he says, “but can you lend me a screwdriver?” Which sort? Would I have what he wanted? I quickly flicked through my stock starting with the smallest – one of those fiddly ones for putting screws back into a broken pair of glasses. Then I remembered a complete set of jeweller’s screwdriver for no reason that I can remember, followed by Phillips, Pozidriv, Torx (whatever that is – never used one) until I finally arrived at a screwdriver so substantial that it is only ever used for getting the lids off varnish tins. “Oh”, said the chap. “Just an ordinary one will do. One of those, you know, straight ones, for putting screws in.” I guessed he needed a flat head. As he wandered off, my mind set to wondering what kind of person owns a boat which doesn’t have something as basic as an ordinary screwdriver on board? Now, I am no saint in this matter. I have quite a substantial box of tools on board but I am more than ready to admit they are poorly looked after, some never used, none of them sharp, and some I don’t even recognise, which I guess is the state of pretty much every sailor’s tool kit; except most of mine have the added honour of a fine coating of rust. You can tell what a real craftsmen I am. But I’ll never part with them, or with anything for that matter. Am I the only person with spares that belonged two boats ago? Which makes no sense at all because we all know that whatever breaks down and requires a spare, you will almost certainly not have on board. Some years ago I did the Singlehanded Transatlantic Race and found myself in light weather, shrouded in thick fog, about 300nm south of Nova Scotia. Three o’clock in the morning I was tacking in very light airs, put the wheel over, cast off the jib sheet and started to haul in as she came onto the new tack. Something snagged. Curses. I went forward, expecting to find it had caught round the bottom of a bottle screw, but soon realised that it seemed to be wrapped

around a U bolt holding one of the lower shrouds. Very odd. I was tired, I had been at sea alone for over a month and the brain goes foggy, a bit like the north Atlantic weather. I looked, and looked again, and saw that the jib sheet was now threaded through the U bolt. Not possible. Yes it was! The U bolt had cracked open a good couple of inches, and what was once a perfect alphabetical ‘U’ was now approaching something more like a ‘C’. The prospect of dismasting loomed. Did I have a spare? Of course not. I slunk back to the cockpit in despair, head in hands. And in that moment, my eye fell to just below the helmsman’s seat where, the saints be praised, was a shiny U bolt which served as an anchor point for a safety line. Long story short – I grabbed the spanners, screwdrivers, the full works. Had it free in minutes, found it was slightly larger than the broken one so dragged out the cordless drill to make new holes through the deck. Job done, and before the wind was forecast to freshen. At this point, may I accept your admiration for the fact that this frenzied engineering was taking place in the drinks locker and I never touched a drop! Every since then I have become a fully signed up member of the ‘never chuck anything away’ gang. That’s why, when the cabin clock died a death earlier this year and couldn’t be revived with a new battery, I remembered that in a drawer I had a complete quartz movement – ten quid on ebay, bought years ago. And what about the spring balance I’d bought to check the weight of my baggage before flying? That was in the bottom of the same drawer, never used, until I was desperate for gas in a remote part of Iceland and was persuaded to try the dubious practice of re-filling it myself, when knowledge of the weight of the receiving cylinder can be crucial. It was because of all these memories, and more, of having something unlikely to hand which ended up saving the day, that I never asked that bloke for the screwdriver back thinking it might save his life one day. I wonder if he’s fathomed how to work it?

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

HAVE YOUR SAY What blessings can you count these days? facebook.com/ sailingtoday @sailingtodaymag sailingtoday.co.uk

ILLUSTRATION CLAIRE WOOD

‘I’ll never part with them, or with anything for that matter. Am I the only person with spares that belonged two boats ago?’

JOIN TODAY AND TURN YOUR VISITS INTO REWARDS

UP TO 20% BACK ON VISITOR BERTHING*

• Earn points on every visit • Redeem points to save on future stays • Book visitor berths and make payments securely online

Join for free and book your next stay at

MDLMARINAS.CO.UK *In Otium Reward points. T&Cs apply.

BUY | EARN | SAVE EXCLUSIVE TO MDL CUSTOMERS

Andy Rice The benefits pro sailors gain from mixing kiteboarding and dinghy foiling with full-on SailGP and America’s Cup campaigns

wo more diverse winners of the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards it would be hard to imagine. Tom Slingsby won the men’s category after guiding his Australia SailGP to a third consecutive title, ensuring he is still the only skipper to have won the SailGP trophy. He is also skipper of American Magic, who put in a good showing at the first warmup event in September in the AC40s before the main show in AC75s at next autumn’s America’s Cup in Barcelona. Much less well known is the female winner, South African Kirsten Neuschäfer who became the first woman to participate – and finish first – in the solo Golden Globe Race, a journey around the world that forbids the use of any technology that post-dates 1968 (the year that Robin Knox-Johnston sailed the 32ft ketch Suhaili to victory in the first non-stop solo circumnavigation in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race). Neuschäfer’s award was all the more deserved for the fact that the 42-year-old also came to the rescue of a fellow sailor during the course of the event. It’s great to see the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards acknowledging achievements from outside of the Olympic bubble. Much as I would have loved to see Max Maeder’s nomination boosted to the overall win ahead of Slingsby, next year is Olympic year and an opportunity for the teenager from Singapore and the other Olympians to earn nominations for next year’s Awards. Maeder was nominated partly because he’s from Asia, which is under-represented in sailing, and because he was only 16 when he won the Formula Kite World Championship last summer. This makes Maeder the youngest ever winner of an Olympic class world championship. A few years ago it would have been quite controversial for kiteboarding to have even earned a nomination for World Sailor of the Year, let alone two, because the Women’s Formula Kite World Champion, French rider Lauriane Nolot, also made it on to the short list. For some sailors, considering kiteboarding as a form of sailing is probably still controversial and somewhat unpalatable. But as I write, heading up the field of 40 IMOCAs in the Transat Jaques Vabre are the duo of Thomas Ruyant and Morgan Lagravière. What Lagravière earns from his life as an offshore professional he spends on his kiteing addiction and the 36-year-old is a regular participant on the kitefoiling circuit alongside the teenagers like Maeder and the 20-somethings like Nolot. I interviewed Lagravière earlier this year and asked him what relevance kitefoiling had to his IMOCA sailing. He

said his main reason for kiteing was that it’s plain good fun going that fast on equipment that is so simple and affordable, certainly compared with the impossibly complex and eye-wateringly expensive modern IMOCA. But it’s also about understanding the behaviour of hydrofoils at their most basic level. The kitefoiling experience all feeds back into Lagravière’s understanding of the huge carbon fibre foils that propel the IMOCA along at such high speeds. Just as former International Moth World Champions Pete Burling, Nathan Outteridge, Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison all believe that their success on the 11ft foiling dinghy helps them be the finely tuned America’s Cup helmsmen that they are today. The ongoing popularity of the International Moth continues to amaze me. While it has been a vital stepping stone for aspiring America’s Cup sailors to make their name and potentially to make their leap into the big league – the go-kart that propels young drivers into Formula One if you like – the price of a modern Moth is far beyond the reach of the average young sailor. To put together a boat capable of winning the world championship you’re not likely to get much change out of £60,000. Sixty grand for about 30kg of carbon fibre. Yet this year’s worlds in Weymouth was sold out to its maximum 150boat capacity in little more time than a Rolling Stones gig. So there’s no doubting the continued appeal of the Moth, but at those prices it’s not exactly the people’s foiler. A few years ago one of the older designs, an Exocet, was fetching up to £40,000 on the second-hand market when it was the fastest design in the boat park, but now a friend of mine is struggling to get much interest from potential buyers of her second-hand Exocet even at £10,000. Such is the rollercoaster ride of owning a boat in a development class where prices are about as stable as Bitcoin. I’m not having a pop at anyone here. I believe in market forces and I also think that all of us sailors owe a huge debt of gratitude to those magnificent men and women in their flying machines. The sport has, and continues to come on leaps and bounds because of the pioneers, the innovators and early adopters. However, we do also see a huge number of boats gathering moss in boat parks around the country and we need to do better in creating a second life for these unloved but still serviceable craft. Of which more about this another time, because it’s an issue we’re trying to address in the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series. Increasing participation is, and always has been, the aim for me and my co-organiser Simon Lovesey, and I really think that with a bit of lateral thinking the sport can do better than merely managing the decline.

“There’s no doubting the continued appeal of the Moth, but at those prices it’s not exactly the people’s foiler”

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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

THINK SUSTAINABLE SAILING CHOOSE MARLOW ROPES PROUDLY MANUFACTURING PREMIUM SAILING LINES USING rPET & BIO-BASED DYNEEMA® FIBRES SINCE 2018. learn more at boot, dusseldorf stand E25, HALL 10

search for stockists at marlowropes.com/where-to-buy

#rigresponsibly

Over Over15 15000 000boats boats worldwide worldwide

SAILING SAILING HOLIDAYS HOLIDAYS

Choose your playground Get Getyour yourspecial specialSailing Sailing Today Todayreaders readersdiscount discount for foryour yournext nextcharter. charter.

11000 000professional professional renters rentersrated rated by byour ourclients clients

AApersonal personaladvisor advisorfor for your yoursailing sailingholiday holiday

Onboard OnboardConcierge Concierge Service Service

Make Makean anenquiry enquiryby byvisiting visiting www.theglobesailor.com/ST www.theglobesailor.com/ST or orcall callus usatat++44 44(0)203 (0)203695 6956438 6438 and andask askfor forNelson! Nelson!

GS_Sailing_Today_Half_H_202x129_2021.indd GS_Sailing_Today_Half_H_202x129_2021.indd 1 1

+44 +44(0)203 (0)203695 6956438 6438 www.theglobesailor.com/ST www.theglobesailor.com/ST

07/02/2021 29/09/2022 07/02/2021 29/09/2022 22:50 22:50

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Boat test – Jeanneau 55

Kevin Cullimore recounts a delightful cruise along the Devon and Cornwall coast, concluding in the Isles of Scilly

West country wonderland

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

e always plan our summer cruise for the month of June, the main reason being the marinas and anchorages heading west tend to be less busy, making for a more relaxed cruise rather than the scramble for berths in July/August. The middle of May saw a constant northeasterly air flow which was unusual. We were hearing of boats stuck in the West Country waiting to head east. Indeed, some friends from our club had been in Falmouth for a week or so. Our summer cruise is always flexible and although our main aim was to get to The Isles of Scilly, which is at the top of our favourite destinations, it is not set in stone. Our original plan was to visit Cherbourg in early June and do the tour of the D-Day beaches on the 6 June 2023, something we’ve done before and is a most humbling experience. Then onto The Channel Islands and west ultimately to the Isles of Scilly.

Wind from the east

However, the weather conditions just didn’t work out, the strong northeasterly winds continued and were even stronger on the French coast. Experience is a great thing and to make sure my wife would enjoy the cruise, we aborted France and instead headed off from our marina berth at Parkstone Yacht Club on Monday 5 June 2023. The weather was very settled and we had a lovely sail to Weymouth, tide times were a bonus and we left as the ebb began and motor-sailed to the inner passage at St Aldhelms ledge, 100m off the rocks and it was flat. It’s the only tidal gate on passage to Weymouth but should be treated with respect. In a wind against tide situation, it can be very rough. You have two options, the outer or inner passage. Today the wind was light and northeasterly so we chose the inner passage, and when I say inner, it is very close to the cliff. Being mid-week, The Firing Range was open, so we called up the Range Boat on Channel 8. They instructed us to stay south of 50 degrees 35, which was fine and we set course for Weymouth. With a nice 14kt northeasterly breeze we sailed along with full main and Code 0, 5.5kts, flat seas and sunshine, what a start to our cruise and a very pleasant sail. On arrival at Weymouth we contacted the Harbourmaster and got a berth alongside a Dutch yacht. The skipper was singlehanded and on his first trip along the south coast. He was very experienced, however, in more northerly cold water sailing and we had a good chat. He had an interesting voyage ahead, singlehanded to Penzance, to meet his wife who was flying over from Amsterdam to join him, then sailing to the Isles of Scilly. It is always good to meet fellow sailors and we were very pleased to help him plan his westward passage, suggesting he called into beautiful Dartmouth on his way down, and The Yealm. Tuesday we left Weymouth about 1100 along with our new Dutch friend, weather was beautiful and the inner passage around the infamous Portland Bill was very benign. Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Cruising – South Coast

As we exited the Bill at a nice 9kts, SOG, we were in Lyme Bay motorsailing in a light breeze for a couple of hours, as predicted, the wind picked up to 15kts northeasterly and we had a fantastic sail towards Dartmouth. I had rigged up a remote control camera on a 3m pole to get pictures of dolphins swimming the bow wave. I had never tried the device before and was hoping to see some dolphins as we got near to Dartmouth, as we usually do. Sure enough they appeared 10nm away from Dartmouth and I got some very nice pictures. We were having a great trip and so far had only been away three days. We got to Dartmouth in the evening and it was very busy due to many yachts not being able to sail east due to the prevailing easterly winds. Some friends from our club were in Dart Haven Marina, so we managed to get a berth in there for two days. Care needs to be taken in there, as the tide can whip through quite fast. The marina office will always advise you when it is safe to enter or suggest you go up the river for a couple of hours if

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

not. Dartmouth has been well written about over the years, so I won’t go into too much detail but suffice to say it is a delightful harbour (best approached by sea in our opinion), full of charm, good restaurants, good walks, boat trips up the river, the steam engine to Paignton and generally a great place to relax and soak up the holiday atmosphere.

PREVIOUS PAGE Looking down onto the bustle of Fowey harbour

I think therefore I Yealm

BELOW CENTRE The interesting lower ferry in Dartmouth – if staying a few days it’s cheaper to buy a block of tickets

We were weather watching all the time, as you do, and we stayed five nights in all, a couple in the marina and the rest on the DC pontoon further up the river (no water or electricity there). The time had come to head onwards and we slipped lines at 0600 and set off for the River Yealm. The weather was forecast fair but the wind was almost west, so we had to motor-sail into a 10kt breeze. Sometimes you have no choice and I have no problem using the engine if needed. The Yealm is a small river harbour nestled in a valley of trees. We have been there many times, so unlike the first time we visited

ABOVE Dolphins at play BELOW LEFT Dartmouth is a great stopover when heading west – lots of nice walks around the harbour

BELOW RIGHT Freya approaching the lock at Sutton Harbour, our favourite marina in Plymouth

when we didn’t know where we were going, we got in and were tied up on the first pontoon by 1100. The Yealm is quite a place, where it is possible to completely switch off, moored up in a steep wooded valley. Yealm Yacht Club is very welcoming and, although not open every day, when they are, the food is very good. The village, although small, is either a reasonable walk on the shore, or tide permitting take your tender down, it has everything that you need for a few days, a nice coffee shop/cum post office, good butchers and a Co-op at the top of the high street. As far as eating out goes, The Ship at Noss Mayo is very good and, if the tide is right, you can tie the tender up alongside their garden. The shower facilities are right by the harbour office, located in the Yealm Pool and you do need your pound coins to operate the meters for water in the showers and a code from the harbour master. (Maggie suggests that if you have long hair take £3.00 in order to wash the soap out). Water is also available there at all stages of the tide.

There is no electricity in The Yealm so you do have to be self-sufficient, that’s where solar power comes into its own. Also because it is so heavily wooded, there are very poor mobile phone signals, you have to go up the river near the yacht club before you can obtain a signal. So receiving and making calls and surfing the net can be a problem down on the river.

Yo ho Hoe

Our next port of call was Sutton Harbour in Plymouth, by far the best marina in Plymouth (in our opinion). It is right in the heart of the Barbican with lots of nice restaurants and plenty of shopping for the crew. Sutton is accessed via a lock but don’t be put off by this as it is very easy to navigate and, at certain times, it is in free flow, which means you can go straight to your booked berth. Once inside, a staff member is usually on hand to take your lines. It has everything you need, great showers and very good laundry facilities (pay by card). We spent a great couple of days in Plymouth and the numerous

restaurants are too many to mention but there is every type of cuisine available within walking distance. It is also an excellent place to drop off and pick up crew because you are not too far from the station. By now it was mid June and I was checking the weather every day, as you do, and it was looking incredibly settled on the long range forecast. We were indeed, hopeful, that we would reach the glorious Isles of Scilly. When the weather opportunity presents itself, it is important not to linger too long and so it was that reason we only stayed in Plymouth for two nights and sailed over to Fowey, or should I say, motored over a glassy tranquil sea to arrive at 1700 to a very busy Fowey. Berthing options are Blue Visitors’ Buoys on the Polruan side and several visitors’ pontoons further up the river. It was the busiest we’d ever seen it at this time of year and we, along with several others, had to moor up on a buoy alongside other boats. Fowey is another pretty harbour with lots going on in the river and the local yacht club were busy racing, so

ABOVE LEFT The entrance to the River Yealm. It looks small as you enter but as you turn past Misery Point it opens up into a beautiful stretch of water ABOVE RIGHT Light wind as we motor sail to Falmouth on a glassy sea BELOW LEFT The entrance to the working harbour of Fowey BELOW RIGHT Evening Troy racing in Fowey

we settled down for dinner on board. Next morning a large cruise ship had arrived and it was really amazing to see such a large ship sitting a couple of hundred metres away. We decided not to bother going ashore because it was going to be very busy with the cruise ship landing passengers. So quickly checked the weather again and we decided after breakfast that we would head off to Falmouth. The breeze arrived at lunch time and we had a lovely gentle sail down. The Falmouth Classic Boat Regatta was due at the weekend and also the annual Sea Shanty festival. So, anticipating that Falmouth Marina was going to be very busy, we had booked a berth in Mylor Yacht Haven, a bit further up The Fal river. Mylor is a lovely marina, with good facilities and The Castaway Pub and Café Mylor served up some lovely food. We took the tender down to the town to sit and listen to some of the wonderful singers that they had down there with various stages set up all the way along the harbour on Falmouth Quay.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Cruising – South Coast

The weather holds

The weather was looking great for at least a week, so it was all systems go for the passage to the Isles of Scilly. The tides were looking very favourable for a sensible departure time, it’s about 58nm from Falmouth, so for us a 10-12 hour trip. The passage to the Isles of Scilly is straightforward, the only tidal gate to concern yourself with is The Lizard. So you need to leave about three hours after HW Falmouth, which meant we left Mylor at 0800, after a good hearty breakfast. We were not alone as we approached The Manacles, several other yachts had also made the voyage too. We were very excited to be heading back to one of our favourite places. When making this passage, it is very important to have a good weather forecast for at least three days, as all the Almanacs say the Isles of Scilly is no place to be in bad weather. However, for us, this year, we had the best passage we’d ever had and with the main up and the Code 0 working overtime, we were easily doing 6kts and sailing, so it’s easy when the weather is with you. The miles ticked by smoothly as we headed further west.

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Past the fangs of Wolf Rock There is really a sense of leaving the safety of the mainland as you pass by Wolf Rock, the name says it all, really! It had claimed many ships in its life time before it eventually got a stone beacon in 1840, the lighthouse being completed in 1870. Wolf Rock marks the half way point of passage and is an impressive structure to sail by. The afternoon was uneventful except for a few dolphins that came to play. Unfortunately, this time, they didn’t stay around for too long. We sighted Isles of Scilly at 1500 laying low on the horizon, the last 15nm always seems to drag on, the tide was good for our planned anchorage in Green Bay, between Bryher and Tresco, a delightful sheltered anchorage, provided you can take the ground, as it dries out completely. Our boat, Freya, is a bilge keeler and it’s a big advantage to be able to dry out on these islands. Crossing Tresco Flats, we had 2m below the keels, and the anchorage was to our port, it was busy with at least a dozen, French, Dutch and Belgian flagged boats. We dropped the anchor in 2.4m and it’s so nice to watch it settle on the sand in crystal clear water. The anchor soon dug in and we celebrated our return with a nice

ABOVE An amazing view from The Ruin cafe in Tresco. The food and service is excellent BELOW LEFT Blue water and stunning scenery in the Isles of Scilly BELOW RIGHT Green Bay, Bryher is a popular anchorage for yachts that can dry out

cold Aperol Spritizer, it was great to be back! Watching the sunset over Bryher was very satisfying. Last year we hadn’t made it, due to the weather and so we were looking forward to the coming few days. From Green Bay, both Bryher and Tresco are easily accessible, if the tides are right, you don’t need the tender for Bryher, which means you can walk ashore to the local post office/ shop, or Fraggle Rock or Olivia’s Café. Shower facilities for visiting yachties are in The Boat Yard, which is open all hours and asks that you make a donation for a hot shower. There’s a water tap before you get to the Boat Yard, so you will need to use your tender on high water and fill up your containers. We took our tender over to Tresco and the gardens are a must to visit (if you like that sort of thing) and it is still worth the visit to have lunch in the Café. Because the weather was incredibly settled, we moved over to The Eastern Isles, dropping the anchor into 5m of incredibly crystal clear waters. It is a cliché but the sea was glass like and we shared this beautiful anchorage with a few other lucky sailors for three calm, balmy, sun kissed days. Swimming

THE BRITISH

YACHTING AWARDS 2023 NOMINATED

NEW WINDELO 50 YACHTING DESIGN BY Barreau / Neuman

Zero Emission Cruising Enabled by electric propulsion and renewable energies.

ECOLOGY

20knts

PERFORMANCE

www.windelo-catamaran.com - contact@windelo-catamaran.com -

COMFORT

+33 4 11 30 01 43

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

ORDER YOUR COPY NOW JUST £9.99 + FREE POSTAGE

Classic

SPECIAL SOUVENIR EDITION £9.99 US$20.75 AU$19.99

YACHTS ACHTS 132

17 most beautiful

PAGES

boats aﬂoat

40 KNOTS IN A 1960’s

BOND BOAT

FOR SALE: GORGEOUS CLASSICS NAUTICAL GIFTS: FOR YOU AND YOUR BOAT PERFECT 8-METRE: TIMBER MEETS TECHNOLOGY

Historic Fastnet winner goes again

CY Cover 2022 FINAL.indd 1

NEW 18/08/2022 19:19

Classic Yachts is the must-read publication for admirers of the most stunning boats afloat. Detailing some of the most sumptuous restorations of recent years, this lavish luxury magazine is a visual feast. We reveal the incredible stories behind the finest yachts on the water – stories of abandonment and rediscovery, stories of passion and ancient skills kept alive. We delve deep into the history and we share the secrets of traditional shipwrights today as they recreate the magic of yesteryear.

Order your copy today. This fabulous 132-page special edition will be delivered direct to your door* Order online www.chelseamagazines.com/classicyachts *Overseas shipping £3

Cruising – South Coast

ABOVE xxxx BELOW xxx

with the seals and generally having the most relaxing time. We were getting low on supplies and reluctantly left the idyllic Eastern Isles and moved to Old Grimbsy (on Tresco). We anchored just north of Green Porth, unfortunately you are not allowed to dry out on any beaches in Tresco, although several boats did, but we were politely asked to move by the harbour master when we had sufficient water to do so. The Ruin Café on the beach just off Old Grimsby is a favourite, great views and great food, always recommend their specials, the fish is always superb. Tresco has a very well stocked supermarket, everything you need is available at a price, so it can be a shock when you get to the checkout. The Isles of Scilly have so much to offer a cruising yacht and are a really unique part of Britain. They have an air of mystery about them, the almanacs can make them sound quite dangerous, however, for the competent sailor, who errs on the side of caution, they present no major problems.

The one and only thing to get right is a good weather window. Navigation with our modern technology is not such a worry now, but that’s not to say navigation here is easy, just easier than it used to be. I had a snorkel trip booked with Blue Sharks in Penzance for Sunday 25 June, so we sailed back to Newlyn on Saturday 24 June. The tides don’t matter if sailing from Old Grimsby to Newlyn so we left at 08.00 and enjoyed an amazing broad reach the whole way in bright sunshine, 18kts of breeze and a few dolphins as well. Sailing really doesn’t get much better than that. Having never been to Newlyn before, we didn’t know what to expect. However, despite the stories you hear, it was absolutely brilliant. A call to the harbour master once outside and we were given directions to the visitors’ finger pontoons to the west as you enter the harbour. Newlyn is a busy fishing port but they always find you a berth, as the harbour master said, they will never turn you away. The shower facilities are in the RNLI building and were very good. Unfortunately, my Blue

ABOVE LEFT Freya anchored in Old Grimsby with the Ruin Cafe behind ABOVE RIGHT Aquatic life of the seal variety BELOW LEFT The bustling port of Newlyn, Cornwall BELOW RIGHT We took the bus to St Ives from Newlyn

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: We have been sailing in Poole since 1998 and became members of Parkstone Yacht Club in 2012, and we are so pleased that we did. It’s a great club and we have made many wonderful friends. Our current boat is Freya, a blue hulled British Hunter Channel 31, bilge keel and we have owned her for 10 years and are very pleased with her. She is a comfortable, solid cruiser.

Shark trip got cancelled on the Sunday due to strong winds, so we decided to stay longer than planned. This was our first visit to Newlyn, so we were quite please to stay a few days. There are a few pubs and a supermarket there and a really good fish and chip shop, probably the freshest fish and chips in the UK. A short 20 minute walk away is Penzance, a busy seaside town with every type of shop you might need. The Jubilee Pool is on the seafront near the harbour and is very popular. The harbour does allow visiting yachts, but be aware it is accessed by a gate, which is open two hours before high tide and one hour after. We also did a bus trip to Land’s End and St Ives which just cost us £5.00! After all the excitement it was time to head back east and so it was that we left Newlyn at 0500 the next day and had a good passage back to our home port of Poole via Falmouth, then Dartmouth, three days of very good sailing. All in all it was a great summer cruise, one of our best and how fortunate we were because July and August were very disappointing.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Tom Cunliffe

ast summer I was in Denmark when a forecast for a heavy westerly gale came through on the internet. Over there, it’s generally safe to rely on five days warning for this type of event. People start talking about it in good time. “Going to blow like hell at the weekend,” they say as you yarn on the dock, and they’re generally right. As it happened, I was cruising the Little Belt at the time. This is one

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

of the three passages into the Baltic through the many islands that form the State of Denmark. The western boundary of the Belt is the land mass of Jutland, so I had plenty of lee available. Inspection of the chart revealed the town of Haderslev on the Jutland shore. It lies at the top of a narrow eight-mile fjord open to the east at its seaward end, so you couldn’t ask for better shelter. The knee-jerk picture generally formed of a fjord is a magnificent

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

mountain-bordered chasm on the west coast of Norway. It’s not like that in Denmark. Haderslev Fjord is a river of more or less navigable depth meandering through woods and farmland up to a fine old town. We sailed up as far as we could, then motored the rest of the way to the town marina which, it must be said, proved a bit of a disappointment. Instead of a cosy group of pontoons in an area of slack water, a series of box berths were lined up off the

ILLUSTRATION: CLAIRE WOOD PHOTOS: TOM CUNLIFFE

Tidal predictions are all well and good but as Tom knows only too well, weather and technology can have detrimental effects on well laid plans

south bank at right-angles to the stream. The river had narrowed considerably by now and the current was running merrily across the all-too-narrow berths, most which were occupied. A proper skipper’s nightmare. It was one of these situations where the only order to give the crew is: “Fenders out, warps ready, and stand by for a cock-up.” I wasn’t wrong. The favoured hole lay between a nondescript motor cruiser upstream and a smart blue X-Yacht about the same length as us at 44ft flying the blue and gold of Sweden. The tide being behind us, I went past the berth, rounded up in the river, then approached up-stream aiming for the up-tide post. So long as my wife could get a loop around this, she could hand it to me for a stern line, then nip up forward to pass a bow line to the usual Scandinavian dockside loafer who always seems to pitch up to take a head rope. In we went, I misjudged the current, ran out of space, had to turn too soon and failed to get that vital stern-line on. The predicted longshoreman was there for the head rope and he grabbed it, which was better than nothing, but the stern was on its way to the X-yacht in short order. We ended up in a messy down-tide raft-up with the Swede, but he didn’t mind a bit because, as it happened, he’d had exactly the same experience two hours earlier. Also,

“Unpredicted tidal excesses are a fact of life that can make a mockery of all our efforts at working with official predictions” he wasn’t really a Swede, he was a Finn with a Swedish wife, so he had a relaxed attitude to close contact. Once we were safely secured, I had time to take a look at the echo sounder and was gratified to note 2.7m for our 2.15m draught. The Finn had the same. By now it was blowing like the clappers, so after a lively evening on his boat discussing plans for the next few days while draining his rum bottle, we all turned in. In the morning I lay in my bunk listening as the wind howled from the west, straight across the land, and felt smug that we had found such a safe berth, but when I roused myself out to make tea, the boat didn’t seem right. She had that solid feel a boat gets when she’s hard aground. I peeped out of the saloon scuttle. The previous afternoon I’d looked at the top of the mooring piles. Now I was seeing a whole lot of weedy post that clearly spent most of its life submerged. Up on deck the Finn was peering over the side of his yacht in disbelief. “The water’s gone down a metre and a quarter.” He announced.

ABOVE Box berths. Always challenging in a cross wind, especially with a strong current

“At least it’s a soft bottom.” As a sometime mud-berth dweller I’m used to grounding upright at low water, so I was able to reassure him that we’d come to no harm. We tossed our plans through the proverbial porthole, broke out another rum bottle and settled down to wait. Three days later the water came back. This being Denmark there were no tide tables. The whole thing was wind-driven and only marginally predictable. As to what happened to the water, it all went across to the other side of the Baltic Sea. The guys over there had a metre over the docks. Unpredicted tidal excesses are a fact of life that can make a mockery of all our efforts at working with official predictions. Only last week, when Storm Ciaran blasted his way up the Channel on the heels of a big spring tide, my chum Ian who lives on the River Itchen in Southampton reported a metre and a quarter above prediction. Atmospheric pressure had hit the buffers with an improbable 950 millibars, so that gave us an extra 67cm of tide at 1cm per millibar Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Tom Cunliffe

starting at standard pressure of 1017. The rest was literally shoved up from the Western Approaches by one gale after another. Having lived on the Hamble River as a young man, I can usually predict what a storm is going to do to the tide in that vicinity. I’d reckoned it could easily run to 60cm on the day, so if I added that to the atmospheric pressure prediction, my guess was about bang on. The ultimate unexpected tidal phenomena hit me in the Rance above St Malo a few years back when I was researching the Shell Channel Pilot. Technically, what goes on inside the barrage at the Rance isn’t tide, but to all intents and purposes it is. Unlike the Brits, the French have sensibly decided to make electricity out of the tide. I’ll bet you wonder why we don’t do that every time you have to dodge a wind farm don’t you? Well, the French have built a huge dam across the Rance estuary, creating a fine stretch of navigable water. A charging station sits on the dam and controls depths inside relative to the 40ft tides outside to allow the turbines to operate efficiently. As you’d expect, the times of high and low water in the ‘lagoon’ vary from day to day, as do the heights, but these are promulgated a week or more in advance via printouts available on the internet or from the local marinas. Nothing is therefore in doubt. That’s the theory. On the day in question, I planned to sail six miles up the estuary to the tidal port of Plouër. Depths inside

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The water gurgling out the plughole in the Rance BELOW RIGHT St Suliac on the way in with plenty of water up, but dropping fast

TOM CUNLIFFE Tom has been mate on a merchant ship, run yachts for gentlemen, operated charter boats, delivered, raced and taught. He writes the pilot for the English Channel, a complete set of cruising text books and runs his own internet club for sailors worldwide at tomcunliffe.com

the port are controlled by a sill. Once you’re in, you’ve no worries about drying out, but you do need a rise of tide to get over the entry stonework. My old shipmate Philippe lives locally. We’d agreed to get together and make a night of it. I duly consulted the tidal predictions, passed through the lock and set course up the Rance with time to spare. We should have had a gentle flood behind us, but halfway up it was clear that we had no such thing. The stream was ripping out, but we pressed on anyway, anxious not to miss the night ahead. When we arrived off Plouër, the sill was already dry. It was a bust, so I called Philippe. He telephoned

the lock man for an explanation. “Ah,” he was told. “Malheureusement, we ’ave ’ad a fire in the generating room and ’ave been obliged to let all the water out of La Rance.” “So what is my friend supposed to do?” asked Philippe. “It is, as you English say, every man for ’imself. Tell him to find the deepest water he can, and anchor.” We did, off St Suliac. It was literally touch and go, and we missed our night on the tiles. In a world where technology boasts universal knowledge, the sea can still teach us one thing. Always expect the unexpected.

Bareboat Charter Quality Yacht Charter in the Ionian

Skippered Charter Informal Flotilla Training book t us to ! Contac hristmas gift ct C e f r e p the

Private & Joint Courses

sailionian.com info@sailionian.com 0800 321 3800

Specialist boat insurance, skilfully crafted Finding the right yacht insurance is not always plain sailing, but we can help. For over 20 years, we have been arranging insurance for a wide variety of yachts and clients with an equally wide range of ambitions.

Discuss your individual insurance needs

Call 01202 725 165 Email Hello@HavenKJSpecialist.com Web HavenKJSpecialist.com

Haven Knox-Johnston Specialist is a trading name of A-Plan Holdings which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority No. 310164. Registered in England and Wales under company registration number 750484. Registered Office: 2 Des Roches Square, Witney, OX28 4LE. Calls may be monitored and recorded for quality assurance purposes.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

The Race to the Top Tim Long talks about the highs and lows as he makes his way through the ranks to become a professional sailor

T 34

Now that I’ve started to build a career in offshore racing myself, I’ve begun to appreciate what these careers look like, and the highs and lows involved in competing internationally at the highest level.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY LONG SAILING

his year is promising to be a big year in sailing, with three headline events in our sport taking place: The Olympics, swiftly followed by the 37th America’s Cup and then the start of the Vendée Globe in November. Throughout the year, we will once again see the top British sailors taking on these massive feats, inspiring others, and (hopefully) achieving glory! Yet how did the likes of Ben Ainslie, Ellen MacArthur and Alex Thomson actually reach these dizzying heights? It’s a question that many people have asked, particularly relating to the world of offshore racing, where there are few structured pathways.

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Round Britain 2020 BELOW Tim and his Optimist, aged nine

My story

I began sailing aged nine in an Optimist on a small reservoir near Swindon. I distinctly remember my first session; being bundled out of the car into a sailing centre full of children the same age as me. Then, the horror of putting on a wetsuit, still wet and slimy from the day before, and heading out into the rain, wind and cold of a glorious British summer’s day. It all paled into insignificance though when I felt the speed and force of the wind acting on the boat, and then the sheer freedom and excitement of being alone on the water. I had discovered a sport that offered no limits.

PHOTO: MARC TURNER

Tim Long

Choosing the right path

After sailing around Britain, I was plunged into the world of exams, and the bleak reality of A-Levels tampered with my sailing plans. However, I wanted to carry on progressing, and the idea of setting up my own offshore racing project after school was fuelling me. To progress, it quickly became clear that sailing in France was the way to go. There are two key common characteristics of almost every successful singlehanded sailor’s career: they have trained in France, and they have competed in the elite French Figaro fleet. 2022 brought a chance for me to take the next step: taking part in the winter training of the La Rochelle offshore training group. We would be sailing in the Figaro 3s, designed for singlehanded offshore racing. The one-design aspect of the Figaro 3 creates a racing

ABOVE LEFT Sailing with coach Kenny Rumball ABOVE RIGHT Flying along BELOW On my way to France

couldn’t believe what I was seeing! For a week, we were isolated on the island (ironically, it used to be a prison island!), and all we would do is eat, sleep and sail. I was totally blown away by the whole experience. My first day of training threw me in at the deep end, starting with speed runs to test our skills in sail trim, and then an ‘orienteering’ course around a series of marks. By the final beat up to the finish, I was finished! I had never sailed so hard, but I had loved every minute of it. Kenny, my coach, nicknamed me Bambi, and over the next few days I slowly learnt to ‘walk’! I continued to be involved in the fleet throughout the year, and I quickly learnt about the commitment you need to pursue a career in this sport. My workload immediately doubled – I was juggling both school and sailing, as well as the stress of organising travel, applying for a French FFVoile licence (required for racing in France) and recounting the story online.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY LONG SAILING

fleet where the results are solely determined by the skippers – this is why it is one of the most competitive classes in offshore racing. At the start of my February halfterm, I took a morning flight to France and by midday I found myself on a RIB powering off to Ile de Yeu, an island 15nm off the French coast where we would be training. Standing next to Etienne, the training group coach, and spluttering up my limited French, I felt totally out of my depth. At the top of every wave, the Figaros began to come into sight they were approaching the final mark of the course, Etienne explained. Singlehanded, metres together in 25kts of breeze and sporting their big spinnakers – my jaw dropped, I

The hardest part

PHOTO: TIMOTHY LONG SAILING

PHOTO: COURSE ACADEMIE 2022

Over the next few years, sailing slowly became a bigger and bigger part of my life. I would read, watch, and search up anything and everything I could about the sport. The Vendée Globe drew me in more than anything; something about the idea of outright adventure and competition combined into a race, lit a spark in me and, since reading Ellen MacArthur’s books at the age of 12, I have had my eyes set on building a career in offshore racing. In 2020, I set off on the adventure of a lifetime – sailing singlehanded around Britain. At 15, I had to push myself harder than ever before, finding new limits and gaining experience that would prove vital in the years to come.

Towards the end of June, I walked out of my final A-Level exam, and (after a few days of partying) I was able to give my full attention to sailing. Soon, I was back on a ferry to France, where I was hoping to start working towards my new major project – competing professionally full time in the Figaro fleet the following year and participating in the Solitaire du Figaro 2024. Over the summer I was planning to complete my first ever professional solo Figaro Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

race and then bring the boat to the Southampton Boat Show in September 2023. Both the race and the show were a fantastic opportunity for me to showcase my project and take some big steps forward. However, that all depended on whether I could make it happen, of course. Pete Goss, Ellen MacArthur and Pip Hare have all famously explained that getting to the start line is the hardest part of any ocean racing campaign, and by mid-July I was in the thick of it myself. With two weeks until my first event, the pressure was on to organise and prepare. As a oneman band, I knew I would have to do everything myself. Unlike other teams, I had no technician who was going to prepare the boat, or content manager to run my media. So, what are all the aspects of preparation for each race?

Boat preparation

For every race, a huge amount of preparation must go into the boat to improve performance and conform to the strict safety and one-design rules. Every boat must declare the registration of each sail and undergo a safety check with a race official. During the safety check, they will check the workings of every radio, ensure all the correct charts/ equipment is on board and make sure that the numerous drugs in the first aid kit are in date. Added to this, you need to organise all your food, do a full check of the boat, set rig tensions, and worst of all – dive the boat! Given how competitive the fleet is, cleaning the hull is of fundamental importance. So, there I was on the

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

eve of the race, donning my very optimistic summer wetsuit that I had packed for this exact job. I immersed myself in the freezing water of Concarneau harbour, took hold of my sponge, and got to work – cursing my wetsuit decision for the whole 45 minutes that I was in the water.

Personal preparation

Your own personal preparation is always the most important aspect, but in many cases it can often be side-lined. When you are solo, you can only rely on yourself and your own decisions – meaning that mental and physical preparation is key. At the end of the day, the sailor is the most vital piece of equipment on the boat. Before every offshore race we have two briefings from the race officials, alongside at least two briefings in our training groups. It is then critical that you construct a thorough roadbook and understand what is going to happen throughout the race. You should have a plan mapped out before the start, and ensure you have studied all the resources you need to aid your decisions during the race. Once we are on the

ABOVE LFT Speaking is one of the skills you need ABOVE RIGHT Finishing my first solo race BELOW Telling the story through images and video

water, no additional weather updates or external support is allowed. This was a new experience to me, and the level of preparation required took me aback. On reflection, it cost me during the race. I had not understood and planned thoroughly enough for the last 16 hours, and that cost me two places just before the finish.

General management

From race entry fees and invoices, to press releases and social media, there is a lot to manage in a project. I found that managing everything I was trying to achieve was a challenge – you must wear several ‘hats’, and the range of tasks are so diverse. The biggest challenge of all though, was trying to recount the story clearly and effectively through social media. Nowadays, visibility is one of the most important areas in sport,

PHOTOS: TIMOTHY LONG SAILING/ GILLES DEDEURWAERDER – SOLO GUY COTTEN

Tim Long

as ultimately it helps to attract sponsors – which are a must, Figaro sailing is a six-figure game. This is particularly important for solo offshore racing, which by nature only becomes visible when we sailors tell the story through our own videos/ images taken during each race. Yet often, especially with no team, content creation is totally side-lined. This can stop future opportunities from developing… which defeats the point of running a project like this in the first place. The preparation for both my solo race, and then subsequently the Southampton Boat Show tested me. Yet the more that I’ve become involved with this world, the more I’ve realised that all the countless hours of preparation on land also play a huge role in forming the correct attributes we need to survive and perform on the water.

Does it pay off? Yes it does. I finished my solo race and put in a pretty good performance given that I was the youngest, with the least experience and definitely the smallest budget. The moments I have experienced this summer, I will cherish for the rest of my life. I will never forget the raw fear I felt before I left the pontoon. The moment I had my SIM card taped and sealed to the back of my phone before the start – the realisation that I was going to be isolated from the world for the next three days. Followed by the absolute feeling of achievement when I went round the third mark of the course off Ushant at 1am and unfurled the code-zero in 30kts, alone. Then, the sheer stress when I was battling against Figaro sailor Laurent Givry, neck and neck for the final 12 hours of the race. The reward isn’t all on the water; you are in an environment where everyone is trying to compete at the highest level, and so the camaraderie

ABOVE Tim and Laurent just after the finish BELOW LEFT Working hard BELOW RIGHT Sunrise under spinnaker

and support within the community is incredible. This is because everyone can appreciate what it takes to compete in the Figaro class. For me, one of the absolute highlights is being able to give younger people an insight into this world. At the Southampton Boat Show, we had so many young people step on board and discover offshore racing, and hopefully it might light a spark in them to give it a shot too. In 2019, I stepped on a Figaro 3 at the Southampton Boat Show for the first time myself.

Lessons learnt

I am right at the start of my career, and last year alone was a totally vertical learning curve. I suppose one of the most important things I have learnt is that you really need to nurture your passion for sailing. Take it step by step and set manageable goals… You have to work hard, and if you don’t enjoy it, then you’ll simply give up. Similarly, build your selfconfidence. You must believe in yourself because it is more important than anything. Learning to prioritise things was a skill that I had to learn very quickly, ultimately, we only ever have a limited bandwidth and often the list is much greater than our capabilities. I experienced so some real highs and lows along the way last year. Next year, promises new experiences, and I hope to be more prepared – I will definitely have my winter wetsuit when I dive the boat! Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Into the wild

Boat test – Jeanneau 55

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Bob Shepton relates an epic cruise to eastern Greenland – part of a Tilman style sailing and climbing expedition with the legendary Wild Bunch expedition climbers

t was a simple plan. To sail from Scotland to Greenland via Iceland, and possibly the Faroes, so that the Wild Bunch, my climbers from previous expeditions to west Greenland, could climb a new route in east Greenland. It was not so simple in execution. After a delay waiting for barrels from Amazon for stowing the immense amount of gear climbers need these days, we departed Oban at 0830 on 27 June. A reasonable wind took us up the Sound of Mull and onwards to the north. There were some strange tidal anomalies around the northwest headlands of Skye, but we passed the Shiants and Stornoway the next day and cleared the Butt of Lewis. As soon as we did things got a lot more frisky though the wind was still favourable on the quarter or beam. The boat was a Bruce Roberts 48. The skipper had done a great job over a two-year period rebuilding the boat, cutting out and welding on new steel plates, both above and below the waterline to make the boat seaworthy, first in Trinidad, where he had picked up the boat, and then in Panama. This was proven by a solo Atlantic crossing and enduring a storm northwest of the Azores, before sailing to Kinsale in Ireland to continue the work. But this did mean that though the boat was strong and seaworthy and sailed well, he had run out of time for completing some of the finer points for safety and comfort down below. I was reminded of one of Tilman’s classic remarks. “Since the days of Noah’s ark, no boat has ever been ready on time.” The G-forces could be quite considerable down below and it was easy to be thrown across the wide saloon. There was no galley strap on a straight fore and aft galley though this was corrected later. There was no water maker – fine – but no saltwater taps either so washing up had to be done in water scooped from the sea in a bucket – not an easy thing to do when sailing. I had not done this since my first Atlantic crossing in 1986; SeanB (we had two Seans aboard) became an expert at this, so I gratefully left the collecting to him. Being an oldie, I was thrown by the lack of instrumentation. We had an echosounder, and a control unit for the autohelm and a small radar. We also had a very useful Hydro-vane self-steering system. But there was no chart plotter and no wind instruments or wind indicator of any kind. I was introduced to a new concept: it is all done on your

PHOTO: BEN DITTO

A strong boat

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Cruising – Scotland to Greenland

phone nowadays – navigation, weather forecasts, tidal information, the lot. Apparently you don’t need these instruments these days (to my chagrin!). Nevertheless, I have to say the steering system was a pain. It was hydraulic so there was no feed-back, and also you had to turn the wheel at least seven clicks or right round several times before it made any difference to the direction travelled. So, it was a hard boat to live and work on, but the important thing was the skipper had agreed to take an old salt, and his team of professional climbers from previous expeditions, to east Greenland to climb a new route. And for me personally, I had never been to east Greenland.

PHOTO: NICOLAS FAVRESSE

Fun in the Faroes

We arrived in Tvoroyri on Suderoy in the Faroes midday on 29 June – the decision had been made to stop at the Faroes after all. The harbour had been rebuilt and had changed since I was last there. We met up with another British boat, Grace and Hope. We also enjoyed a welcome from the Commodore of the boat

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

club there, who showed us around the old timber club house with a pavement alongside of flat rocks for drying fish in the old days, and an old Faroese fishing boat out the back. He also drove us around to show us the neighbourhood, though at some stage I managed to surprise the climbing team by arriving where they intended to do some bouldering before them. I had hitched a lift! On the Saturday night there was a huge local party. Some of the crew drank to excess, but Nico and Franco were invited onto a Polish boat. The two fairly ancient gentlemen there told them: “We are 80 you know.” To which they replied, “Ah, we have a member of 88!” I confess I rather enjoyed that…. We made our way to Torshavn and met up with Grace and Hope again; they were kind enough to be interested in my books. I enjoyed the picturesque frontage adjoining the inner marina, and walked round to view the intriguing Scottish Beam Trawlers which were used locally in the past for the fishing. But on 5 July we left Torshavn, took on

PREVIOUS PAGE Negotiating pack ice, Scoresby Sound; The yacht moored alongside in Oban ready for departure ABOVE LEFT Approaching Tvoroyri in the Faroes ABOVE RIGHT Last sight of the Faroes – next stop Iceland BELOW LEFT The crew prior to departure in Scotland. One final member, Ben, joined in Iceland BELOW RIGHT The fish drying stone platform by the boat club at Tvoroyri

diesel on the way out and motorsailed up the northwest coast of the Faroe Isles, noting the tremendous climbing potential of these cliffs. We had intended to anchor for the night at the northern end, but the strong tides and prevailing wind had other ideas, so we set sail for Iceland. We adopted the Swedish watch system so called, which meant there were no set watches by day, and anybody could go up on watch when they wanted. It worked fairly well, though sometimes there were lots of people in the cockpit and sometimes only SeanV who stayed there for long periods because it was better for his seasickness. At night there were designated watches and the skipper had kindly given me the first watch of 9-11pm so I could have an uninterrupted sleep, at least from watches.

Simple sailing

Rather surprisingly, the skipper and his sailing mate SeanB did all the sailing themselves, raising, reefing, and setting the sails, though Franco did get in there to do some winching.

PHOTOS: BOB SHEPTON/THE WILD BUNCH

We could adjust the hydrovane and maybe the sails slightly if that was then required. Watchkeeping was only really to see that nothing radical occurred by way of wind strength or direction. I suppose this was simpler. It seemed a long way up the east coast of Iceland – Iceland is bigger than it looks (a circumnavigation comprises 3,000 miles I am told). Occasionally we could see our position on the tablet used for navigation and it didn’t look far, but it took a long time even in a fair breeze. Eventually we ran out of wind, so instead of rounding the far northeastern headland of Iceland and so on down to Husavik, we put into Raufarhöfn on the east side of this headland and moored up against a large French Garcia boat already at the jetty. Raufarhöfn turned out to be a pleasant, picturesque, sunny, quiet place; we went for walks up to the lighthouse, the lads tried to go bouldering rather unsuccessfully, and we generally ‘chilled out’. We met up again with a small trimaran with three French lads who were sailing

around to find places for challenging paragliding. It takes all sorts! Customs drove over from Husavik to check us in to Iceland for some reason, though two days later we had wind and made it over the top and round to Husavik on another long day which seemed to go on for ever. Husavik, a main town had been our intended destination in Iceland all along. It was here that the fourth member of the Wild Bunch, Ben, joined us having made his way from America and across Iceland. In contrast to the norm, Husavik was a hive of activity, mainly because it is the whale watching centre of Iceland, and boats full of people were driving in and out all the time. It was also the centre for boats running commercial operations to Scoresby Sound in Greenland where we were headed. We found it had the best swimming pool of anywhere; these were a feature of Iceland offering swimming, hot tubs, showers, wi-fi at a reasonable cost especially if you bought a group ticket. There was also free coffee. Entertaining two girls who had some connection with the skipper through

ABOVE moored alongside a French yacht in Raufarhöfn BELOW LEFT A sample of the immense amount of gear needed for climbing BELOW CENTRE Moored at Nordurfjördur for the climbing competition BELOW RIGHT The training must go on at Olafsfjördur

the Antarctic sailing he was about to undertake in the coming winter drained our reserves of wine for the trip considerably: we were partly repaid with a dinner at the research centre the night before we left!

Waiting for the ice

All along we were waiting for the ice to clear in Scoresby Sound, which seemed to be happening later in the year. In spite of this we left Husavik on 16 July, so that we could attend a climbing competition on the west side of Iceland. This was a mistake. We endured a brutal day’s tacking back and forth making slow progress with long tacks against a strong, west wind. The skipper stated later that he had warned us. But if he did I certainly hadn’t heard him. Eventually that evening we put into Olafsfjördur for a rest. Olafsfjördur was another pleasant, very quiet place – nothing seemed to stir or be happening, a feature of these smaller places – with not quite such a good a swimming pool, but it gave us a break for three days with quite stormy seas outside the well protected

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Cruising – Scotland to Greenland

harbour. The lads even managed to hitch a ride with a French couple to some climbing cliffs near Akureyri which was a great success. But on 20 July we put out to sea for a good sail with a following wind, which finally died and left us motoring to reach Nordurfjördur in the evening. This was the venue for the climbing competition. Suffice it to say this was a happy interlude. Of course, the Wild Bunch won the competition, though it was not too serious, and friendly and fun. I had an amazing interlude too. I was walking to the main centre when two people tumbled out of their camper van shouting “Bob, Bob.” It was Ian who as a lad at Kingham Hill School where I had been Chaplain had sailed with me to Iceland, south Greenland, Newfoundland and back across the Atlantic on the Viking trail, and here he was with his wife touring Iceland. A fantastic meeting!

Into the ice

At last, there were signs that the ice was clearing from Scoresby Sound, and we heard that a boat had already made it into

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

the Sound. So, on 25 July we left Nordurfjördur for Greenland, in fairly benign conditions initially which became steadily more difficult the closer we got to the ice pouring out of Scoresby Sound. When we got up to the ice we had to tack out east hard on the wind to get round this great bulge of ice and the further out we got, the rougher the seas became. We then turned north again to come up to the ice. We had to do this three times before we were on a level, about the same latitude, as Ittoqqortoomiit, the only permanent settlement in Scoresby Sound. When we entered the ice it was a different ball game altogether. The pack ice calmed the seas and we enjoyed weaving through the 2/10ths cover of ice for some 15nm, in sunshine, finally to anchor off the settlement. The romance was slightly spoilt by a cruise ship arriving at the same time, and four other yachts were already at anchor there. We checked into Greenland, stocked up with water, diesel and some food, and two days later were ready to go. Ben, a professional photographer, was anxious to get some underwater shots while we

ABOVE LEFT Negotiating the ices in Scoresby Sound. Which way through? ABOVE RIGHT A 'new' anchorage in Jyttes Havn, Bjorne Øer (Bear Islands) BELOW LEFT SeanV with local visitors BELOW RIGHT Approaching Renland in sugar ice

were still at anchor but after pressure from the skipper and myself he kindly curtailed the operation after taking a few pictures and we were able to leave. There was still a lot of pack ice in the Sound, and we did not know whether we would get through. But it was still 2-3/10ths ice with leads through for some way until we came to a section of 6-7/10ths. This required some unconventional work, with SeanV jumping onto ice floes and pulling the boat round corners too tight for its length and the crew pushing ice floes away with tuks (ice poles) from the boat; gradually we made progress in very restricted water to get through. It was a steel boat of course – we could never have done it in my old glass fibre Dodo’s Delight. Suddenly we were through and there were leads again. In the evening it became magical. We were completely out of the pack ice by then. Instead, there were these majestic icebergs standing sentinel on their own in dead calm water, so calm that they were reflected as in a mirror in the evening light. Later, as we continued through the dusky night we came across sugar ice – or so we called it – melted patches of old pack ice still just afloat on the surface. Further

into the night these became frozen together and we were stopped in our own surrounded pool. No problem, we waited till they were unfrozen next morning and then made out way through the Bjorne Oer (Bear Islands) to take the Skillelbugt fjord cutting into Renland, to land the climbers. This was a sad and difficult place. Sad, because of the clear evidence of recent global warming, with miserable rock and dirt covered receding glaciers and large terminal and lateral moraines left as they receded. Difficult, because the silt brought down from these glaciers reached a long way out into the fjord – we had gone from 15m to bump in a second. This silt bank made it difficult to find depth to row the climbers and all their gear to the shore. The climbers had a hard time. It was a walk in of Himalayan proportions with a Base Camp, Advanced Base Camp and Final Camp, over very difficult terrain. At one stage Nico fell into an ice hole and cut his leg; he came back to the boat for a while to recuperate before going back just in time to join the climb. When he left, the three of us started on a circumnavigation of Milne Land

to the south. This was a difficult time for me: the skipper and SeanB continued to do all the sailing, and even motoring, and I was at a loose end. At one stage I was told I was eating more than my fair share and was given a hamper with my ration. I think it was well meant to save any further misunderstanding and indeed it worked well – there were things in the hamper that I did not know were on the boat or where they were. But …it was a difficult time. However, we completed the circumnavigation of Milne Land, which is not always possible because of the ice, plotting and even charting anchorages as we went, some of which were not in the Pilot books. There was a lot of weaving through ice debouching from the glaciers and an intriguing geological anomaly of red sandstone at the western end. Were we in Greenland or Utah?

Homeward bound

About halfway round we got a message that the team were aborting the climb. The 1,200m sheer wall was also devoid of holds. At 700m they were stopped by 30m of completely blank wall. SeanV particularly had

ABOVE LEFT Weaving through the ice, Milne Land ABOVE RIGHT Anchored in Danmark Island, Milne Land BELOW LEFT The 'cathedral'; a future Wild Bunch climbing objective? BELOW RIGHT Prehistoric musk oxen on the Bear Islands

taken numerous falls and they had done well to get that far. We met up with them back at Skillebugt after their trek back, and they kindly gave me a full debrief before we set sail back. There was little ice left in Scoresby Sound except a few bergs and we motor-sailed straight out. Rough seas met us in Denmark Strait – a wave burst over the side right over me and into the cockpit – and it was very cold. We had left the Greenland High. Then calm weather and a sting in the tail; the engine would not start. We raised Iceland in calm conditions and under sail and into Husavik harbour on the foresail alone with the dinghy and outboard tied alongside to help with the final turn. Most of us then left to cross Iceland by bus and fly home, leaving the skipper and SeanB to strip the engine right down to find the fault. The parts never arrived, and they too finally had to leave the boat in Iceland for the winter. So, we were not entirely successful, but there was much of interest, especially with the ice, and much exploration and chart plotting, and I had got to east Greenland, at last!

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Green construction

Another Green World Boatbuilding is by definition not very sustainable and making a boat that can be recycled is still rare. The good news is that advances are being made. Sam Jefferson takes a look at how things are progressing

out of sustainable glass – originally made from sand – but because they are bonded together in epoxy which is totally non biodegradable and means a glass fibre boat will endure many decades. This is, of course, both a strength and a weakness.

Epoxy

The most obvious answer therefore seems to develop epoxies that are biodegradable and the good news is that this has indeed been developed. Chemical manufacturer Arkema has made big advances in recent years in this field and is PHOTOS: GREEN BOATS/BENETEAU GILLES MARTIN-RAGET/LLOYD IMAGES

he adoption by the UK Government of the premise of reaching Net Zero by 2050 has raised some eyebrows among sceptics. This is an ambitious policy whereby the amount of human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases are balanced by their removal out of the atmosphere. It sounds ambitious and has been seized on by some more cynical politicians as a ‘wedge issue’ that can be used to divide people into virtue, signalling environment lovers and cruel coal guzzling realists who think the plan is absolutely for the birds. This is, of course, risible and unpleasant and seems a long way from the world of sailing; yet it touches us too as the effects of Net Zero are far reaching and the ability of the sailing industry to adopt sustainable methods of construction is vital. Unfortunately boatbuilding in glass fibre is fundamentally unsustainable. All the materials used from the woven rovings to the epoxy are chemically synthesised and when you are finished with a glass fibre boat, the only way you can dispose of it effectively is to cut it up into small pieces and put it in landfill – or sink it. It is not biodegradable. This is not the fault of the actual glass fibre woven rovings, which are made

OPPOSITE Green Boats' Flax 27 showed the potential there is to move away from traditional fibreglass laminates ABOVE RIGHT Beneteau off a version of their First 44 constructed using Elium epoxy which ensures the hull can be recycled BELOW Arkema, an Ocean 50 has been a test bed for Arkema's Elium epoxy

now commercially producing Elium, a thermoset resin which is biodegradable. There are two methods whereby this can be done but both essentially involve grinding down the hull and deck of an Elium constructed yacht, turning the raw material into pellets which can then be reheated and used once again. Elium can be used on glass fibre and carbon fibre laminates so offers a versatile and simple method of achieving greater sustainability. The method has also been extensively trialled in the marine environment thanks to eight years of collaboration with Team Lalou which saw Arkema, (an Ocean 50 trimaran launched in 2020 and using Elium in many elements of the hull construction) prove itself on the world stage.

Mass production Beneteau Team Arkema was able to demonstrate the viability of Elium on the world stage but the biggest signpost to whether Elium was commercially viable is whether big manufacturers are willing to adopt it. The signs are good here, with Groupe Beneteau, the largest boatbuilder in this sector, announcing that hull number two of its Beneteau First 44 line Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Green construction

would be built using Elium. This was launched last year and the manufacturer states that the hull and deck are 100 per cent recyclable while the boat was identical in terms of weight to hull number one which was built using traditional epoxy. Erwan Faoucher, Research & Innovation Director at Group Beneteau, explains how the transition to Elium worked: “Infusing Elium resin is different from infusing polyester, so we must adapt our production lines and train our workers to make it happen. The process is a bit trickier. You cannot convert a production line in one day; training is required. “It was also very interesting to see that customers were happy and positive about this move. Internally, we did not know if we were too early, but the market is probably more ready than we thought. That is why we are working hard now, to make those solutions available as soon as possible.”

Other methods of construction Basalt One of the more eye-opening innovations has been from French manufacturer Windelo, which has pioneered the use of Basalt (as in volcanic rock) laminates in place of traditional glass matting. Basalt is a natural volcanic fibre which offers vibration resistance and durability while still maintaining a high strength to weight ratio. The other great asset it possesses is that it is naturally produced and has no toxic 46

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

additives. These Basalt laminates are used to construct a stiff, light and much more sustainable hull compared to traditional glass fibre construction. Combine that with a sandwich construction technique that uses PET [Polyethylene Terephthalate – or in layman’s terms, foam that is made using crushed up plastic bottles] and sustainably produced wood, and you have a boat with a smaller environmental impact.

Flax Another approach has been to use flax fibres instead of glass fibre matting. This can also be sustainably sourced. One of the big proponents of this method in recent years has been Green Boats, whose Flax27 daysailer has been in production since 2019.

ABOVE LEFT Spirit Yachts has long been a proponent of cold-moulding ABOVE RIGHT Constructing with flax laminates BELOW Windelo catamarans use basalt laminates instead of glass fibre or carbon fibre in the hull construction

Jan Paul Schirmer, Co Managing Director explained: “With the Flax27 we have a great benchmark for new developments (we call it our ‘business card’: No product can better show what is possible in terms of performance, sustainability, and aesthetics using Natural Fibre Composites. As such we also use it as a benchmark for new developments). Using our own fabrics we can build faster (fewer layers) and manage to save another 70-80kg net weight. In Sum, we now build the Flax27 at below 1200kg. Which is 150kg below the weight calculated in glass fibre during the design process (1,350kg). The company received a boost in 2023 with the news that Europe’s top private flax producer, Groupe Depestele had invested in Greenboats, a partnership that strengthens their position and gives them better access to the supply chain.

Wood One method that shouldn’t be overlooked is wooden boatbuilding. This uses a far higher percentage of biodegradable materiels and, if the wood is sustainably sourced, you are on your way to a carbon neutral boat. The biggest proponent of mass production is Spirit Yachts. Its plank-on-frame and coldmoulded construction techniques negate the need for a hull or deck mould, eliminating waste and carbon emissions. In addition, Spirit Yachts sources its timber from responsibly managed forests and can verify exactly where the timber originates.

Case study: Ecoracer 30

PHOTOS: GREEN BOATS/SPIRIT YACHTS/NORTHERN LIGHTS COMPOSITES

The Ecoracer 30 has been developed by Italian startup company Northern Lights composites (nl composites for short). The boat is designed by noted naval architect Matteo Polli who has scored big wins in IRC with the Italia 9.98 and 11.98. The Ecoracer 30 was launched in September 2023 at Genoa Boat Show and is a one design class optimised for IRC but also 95 per cent recyclable. The concept: The Ecoracer 30 is the evolution of the prototype Ecoracer 25, which was launched in 2022 and won plaudits for its innovative design and excellent performance, winning the Italian Sportboat Championship in 2022. The next move was to develop a production boat and the 30ft sportsboat market was identified as having the best potential. The team wanted a boat that was primarily a one design racer but one that would perform well in both IRC and ORC. Matteo Polli explains the design brief and challenges: “From an engineering perspective, the Ecoracer30 posed a fascinating challenge. The project had two primary requirements: firstly, to repurpose existing moulds and minimise environmental impact, and secondly, to

design a versatile boat capable of delivering excellent performance in various wind and sea conditions. “Moreover,these objectives had to be achieved using sustainable materials. The mechanical properties, including weight, density, and structural rigidity, were taken into consideration from the early stages of the design process.” Construction The boat utilises rComposite, a patented sustainable composite developed by Northern Lights Composites. The rComposite uses Elium epoxy (see p45) plus a blend of hemp and carbon fibre laminates. Fabio Bignolini, CEO of nlcomp, highlighted the company’s perspective, stating: “To test and validate rComposite,

Ecoracer30 specifications LOA : 9.15m Beam : 3.03m Draft: 2.30m Displacement: 1,850kg Design: Matteo Polli YD Price: €130,000 exc VAT Website: ecoracersailing.

we initially built our own boats, which not only achieved success in regattas but also earned numerous awards. “Now, we are thrilled to extend the accessibility of rComposite and share our expertise with all participants in the market. We are offering licensing opportunities to shipyards interested in utilising our innovative materials and techniques.” To achieve this, nlcomp worked with a number of experts in the field of sustainable materials. Perhaps the biggest is with Arkema, who provide the Elium epoxy. Aside from this, the company has sourced eco-friendly Amplitex flax fibres, which have a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to traditional glass fibre. Meanwhile, the recyclable core of the rComposite, the Atlas HPE Core, was supplied by NMG Europe. In addition even the moulds themselves have been 3D printed from recyclable materials Design features The Ecoracer 30, like many of Polli’s designs, is optimised for light weather performance and this is demonstrated in her relatively narrow beam with plenty of taper aft and elegant flare to the aft sections above the waterlines. Polli has bucked modern trends, and the boat features a dreadnought bow with notably fine forward sections. This reduces weight, minimises the use of materials and also keeps costs down. Aside from that, the boat features a lifting keel, single spade rudder and long, detachable bowsprit. The sails are filmless 4T Forte from One Sails, currently the only recyclable sails on the market. They can be easily recycled and re-purposed for the production of accessories, such as sail headboards, markers, or sunglasses.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Boat test – Windelo 50

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Vive la Green Revolution! The Windelo 50 was a game changer when it was launched in 2020. Now it’s back with a fully revamped Mk2 version as Sam Jefferson discovers

n 2021 I was invited to test an all-new bluewater catamaran, the Windelo 50. There is nothing unusual about this; there are an awful lot of catamarans launched these days. Some go on to great things while others wither on the vine. Given that Windelo was a relatively unknown company back in 2020 and, what’s more the hull of the new boat was built out of basalt – yes that’s right, basalt – laminates, I was inclined to wonder whether the latter fate might await the Windelo 50. I couldn’t have been more wrong. From the moment I stepped aboard the boat you could tell that this was a company that meant business and the 50 had the air of a yacht that was going places – in every sense of the word. This was a big, bluewater catamaran with genuinely good performance but also impeccable green credentials. Not only was the hull made out of more sustainable basalt laminates but the hull is cored with PET [Polyethylene Terephthalate], which is an elaborate way of saying that the foam core is made using plastic sourced from old plastic bottles. Throw into that the fact that the Windelo 50 was powered by twin 20kw electric motors and you have a boat that is a cut above in terms of sustainability. So was it a flash in the pan? The answer is a resounding ‘no’ and perhaps the most powerful rebuttal of all is the fact that here I am, two years later, once more standing on the quayside looking at the Windelo 50 Mk2. Revamped and ready to go. Now, Mk2 yachts can be a tricky subject matter to test sometimes because the level of overhaul can vary from something as specious as sticking a sprit on the bow and thereby re-sizing the boat, right through to a root and branch overhaul. In the case of the Windelo, it’s erring towards the latter, as the yard has constructed an entirely new deck mould to go on the existing hulls. In case you’re wondering, this is a big deal as it costs a pretty penny to construct an entirely new deck moulding. If you’re pondering what

was wrong with the old one, the answer would be nothing, because it doesn’t exist; the MK1 Windelo had a deck constructed using several different moulds which were put together like a jigsaw puzzle. This gave the boat a certain distinctive look but it’s also understandable that the manufacturer has chosen to refine the design by going for a single deck moulding.

Concept

The basic concept remains the same, however. The boat was designed by Christophe Barreau and Frédéric Neuman as a fast bluewater cruiser. To this end, the boat marries a good level of internal volume with a relatively light (11,200kg) displacement, generous sail (135sqm) area plus daggerboards. An aluminium rig is standard but there is the option to upgrade to carbon fibre. Unlike some rivals, Windelo wanted to ensure that the 50 performed well when fully loaded with kit, so went with slightly fuller waterlines which ensure that there is not a marked drop off in performance when the yacht is not in lightship mode. It is notable that the daggerboards are positioned at the centre point of the hull as opposed to being offset as is so often the case. This impacts on the interior layout but is the most efficient set up when sailing upwind. Bluewater cruising is all about safety and to this end, the Windelo features a nacelle with a generous 90cm of clearance from the water, plus twin crash bulkheads in the bows. The green credentials remain impressive and it’s well worth taking a look at those. The simple statement that the boat is ‘made out of basalt’ is, quite frankly, a bit confusing. The boat is constructed using woven rovings that are much the same as those used in glass fibre or carbon fibre. The difference is that these fibres are made out of, yes, volcanic rock. Many shook their heads a couple of years ago when Windelo adopted this construction method but the results have been rock solid – if you’ll Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Boat test – Windelo 50

pardon the pun. As previously mentioned, PET coring was then used instead of traditional foam and the plywood for interior fittings was selected from ethically sourced wood. None of these principles have changed from the original model, nor has the use of twin shaft-driven 20KW electric motors backed up by MaxProp hydroregenerating propellers, solar panels and, as a last resort, a diesel generator. With a number of Windelos having now completed round the world trips, any doubts about the efficacity of electric propulsion on bluewater catamarans have been put to bed. As an example, Hakuna Matata, the original Windelo 50 I tested in 2021, has now sailed two Atlantic crossings and in eight months across 20,000nm, Hakuna Matata only used just 800 litres of diesel, including that used for heating in the colder sailing areas. The boatbuilder has also stuck with three distinct models: Adventure – for pure bluewater cruisers, Sport, and Yachting, which features higher levels of luxury.

What’s new

So if the basic concept remains the same, what’s new? Well, quite a lot. An entirely new deck mould is quite a big deal and can be transformative. To give you an idea of the scale of change, this has reduced the number of separate component parts of the deck structure from 21 to 3. As you can imagine, that ups efficiency significantly when it comes to actually producing the yachts. But from a consumer point of view it has given Windelo the chance to go for a considerable restyle. The original Windelo had a very distinctive look, in part down to its deck structure. I always felt it erred towards the

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

‘expedition’ style of yacht. I certainly don’t mean this in a negative way but it was notable. This new generation is different; slicker, more purposeful and more aggressive. To achieve this new look, Windelo enlisted the expertise of designer Charlotte Schiffer who worked alongside Barreau and Neuman to create a deck form that had more flow than previously and also presented a better silhouette of the boat. Looking at the boat from the dockside, the new design seemed to be champing at the bit to leave. This is down to tweaks in the styling as much as anything else. The deckhouse windows are now subtly angled in a way that makes the boat look more dynamic even when at rest, while many of the hard edges have been smoothed out, making for a more curvaceous shape. The angled ‘wave’ which was originally only a design feature of the hull has now been adopted and continued on deck with both the coachroof and cockpit coaming repeating this motif. Another big visual impact is created by the fact that the coachroof extends an extra metre aft. This makes a big impact on the styling of the boat but also has the practical benefits of providing more shade in the aft

ABOVE LEFT An extended coachroof affords more space for solar panels and means you can walk round the back of the boom ABOVE RIGHT The new deck moulding gives the Windelo 50 a more sporty, purposeful look BELOW Looking aft from the bow

seating area, more space for solar panels plus allowing crewmembers tasked with stowing the mainsail to be able to walk around the back of the boom – a very useful feature for those who have wrestled with these big multihull mains.

On deck

If the visual change to the boat from the shoreside are already evident, those changes are rapidly amplified once you step onboard. The boat just feels a tad slicker and more developed. When I first stepped aboard the original Windelo 50 I was amazed that what was essentially a start up company had succeeded in creating a product that was so slickly put together. Yet there’s little doubt that the new deck mould has moved the overall feel of the boat up a notch. It’s more the small details such as the fact that the non skid is now integrated into the mould that make the difference here. Equally, solar panels are now shaped to fit into recesses in the deck which is a stylish touch. There are also two extra hatches forward. Another important detail is that the daggerboard housing is now recessed into the deck meaning that when the boards are fully lowered, they sit flush with the deck. One of the most distinctive features of the Windelo has always been its forward cockpit. Multihull manufacturers have always wrestled somewhat with where to place the

helm without compromising visibility. The obvious point is on the bridge deck but this means you have to raise the boom and the whole centre of gravity of the boat. Others go for aft helms set well outboard but these can tend to feel a bit vulnerable. Windelo went for a totally different approach and put twin helms just abaft the mast in an enclosed cockpit. This has worked well for them; striking a balance of good visibility, decent feel, a good view of the sails plus excellent access to the running rigging. This is also an area that has been significantly refined by the new deck moulding. First up, the angled mullions of the cockpit windows allow for better all round visibility than previously and also give the whole area a greater feeling of space. Equally, the skylights in the coachroof that allow you to check the trim of the mainsail have been enlarged, letting in more light

and giving you a better view of the sails. Meanwhile the cockpit seats have been reworked so that they feel deeper and hold you in better in a seaway. The position of the helm has also been tweaked slightly to make sure it’s in the absolutely optimal spot. The deck organisers have also been, um, reorganised to make them even easier to use but the set-up remains the same, with all running rigging leading almost directly to the hand of the helmsman. Meanwhile, a self-tacking jib ensures that handling the boat is a breeze. The aim is that a couple can sail the boat across oceans with ease. Both daggerboards can also be raised and lowered from here. In addition to this, the anchor winch is also right there within the cockpit, giving you a much more immediate view of what’s going on as you lower and raise the anchor. The set-up has proven a big hit for Windelo in part because it means that there is no huge barrier between the ‘sailing’ area of the boat up forward and the saloon, which can be reached via wide sliding ‘patio’ doors. It’s a blending of sailing and relaxing areas that works better than most, while the forward cockpit also feels secure in a blow. As if to underline this, there are well positioned handholds running fore and aft, while the huge cockpit drain would deal with any stray waves that snuck in.

ABOVE The forward cockpit is a very distinctive feature of the 50 ABOVE RIGHT There is a small office space just off the master cabin – ideal for working from home BELOW LEFT The aft deck showing the clever flip down davit arrangement. At sea this is raised to enclose the whole aft deck space BELOW RIGHT A huge interior space

Back aft, there is more shade – and equally protection from rain – than before thanks to that elongated coachroof but beyond that the whole aft section has been significantly remodelled. The clever set-up for raising and lowering the tender has been retained but remodelled. This essentially involved the aft section of the deck pivoting as part of a davit for the dinghy. This means that when you are sailing, the back deck is raised, thereby enclosing the cockpit, while at anchor, the dinghy is lowered and the aft deck almost doubles in size. The remodelled version of this clever set-up has been rounded off at the corners and feels of a piece with the rest of the boat’s styling. The aft steps have also been reshaped with more curve – both as a point of style but also to make it easier to get on and off the boat. It’s also worth noting that the upgraded deck design has paid special attention to the run off of water, with improved guttering ensuring the boat is drier in a seaway.

Down below

Down below is a total misnomer with this boat because the forward and aft cockpits blend seamlessly with the saloon. With the sliding patio doors forward open to the forward cockpit and the aft tilt/ slide ‘garage door’ open, you have a simply huge living space.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Boat test – Windelo 50

In terms of the interior fit out, there has been less of a radical revamp with the interior and the aim here has been to simply provide better continuity with styling, less customised work and a greater range of fabrics and finish. The test boat featured an L-Shaped galley to starboard with a dining table for up to 10 people aft of this. There is also an optional U-shaped galley with a main seating area to port. Either arrangement features a huge double pilot berth above this where you could happily lounge while on watch and keep an eye on things with the autopilot doing the hard work for you. Forward of this berth is a modestly dimensioned chart table with a clever flip around seat and a big flat screen TV mounted to the forward bulkhead. This also doubles as an instrument readout while you are underway, making navigation and watch keeping – particularly at night – very practical with all the information at your fingertips. The finish was excellent and the notable upgrade was the styling which was just that little bit more slick, with the wave motif seen in the hull and deck design cleverly incorporated into the interior design too. The port hull is devoted to the owner’s suite and, in standard form, runs the full length of the hull. The double berth is set in the aft section of the hull and runs athwartships. The huge curved portlights provide masses of lights and also excellent views. Storage is also good and access to the bed is also excellent. How comfortable an athwartships berth would be on a catamaran in a big swell fell beyond the parameters of this test unfortunately. Forward of this was a small office space with a desk which was a nice touch and shows just how practical

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

these boats are for those who are looking at a ‘work from boat’ lifestyle. Almost the entire bow of the forward hull is devoted to the ensuite heads and shower which is simply huge. The shower cubicle is substantially larger than in many homes and is set right in the bow with the heads set aft. The starboard hull features twin double cabins, both well dimensioned with separate heads and shower cubicles in the corridor running between the two. This set-up is undoubtedly the one that most owners will go for but there are variations on the theme available. It’s also worth noting that the amount of storage available was impressive.

Under Sail

We sailed out of Canet en Roussillon on a varied day with the wind

ABOVE LEFT The aft deck looking into the saloon ABOVE RIGHT A comfortable guest berth in the starboard hull BELOW Performance was impressive

peaking at about 15kts. This was good news as I had tested the original Windelo 50 in very modest breezes so it was good to get a feel for the boat in a bit more of a blow. It’s worth noting that in light winds, the boat can pretty much match the windspeed – although obviously I wasn’t expecting that in heavier conditions. First though I should mention that getting out of the marina under electric motors was a pleasure; no noise, no fuss. The helm position also works well for manoeuvring in tight spaces with the central positioning and big windows all round ensuring that there were no glaring blind spots when manoeuvring. Having the helm in the middle of the boat also helps make the boat feel smaller when you are in a tight space which is psychologically quite useful. Sails up, and the boat leant into its task. Upwind we were hitting 7kts and sailing about 40-45 degrees off the wind. The helm on these Windelos is a pleasure compared to many rival big cats. The combination of rod and Dyneema line works very well and there is a nice feeling of connection with the elements. It’s worth noting that, although the cockpit is enclosed, you can slide open enough windows to ensure that you feel well connected with the elements which is, of course, one of the most important aspects of going sailing. The light, responsive feel to the wheel also enhanced the enjoyment and at times I felt like I was at the helm of as much smaller sporty cat. Of the wind we put the gennaker up and were soon hitting 10kn in 15kn of true wind. Sail handling was very simple and It all made for a thoroughly enjoyable sail.

Boat test – Windelo 50 catamaran

ALTERNATIVE BOATS

OUTREMER 52 Outremer has found itself at the head of a vanguard of fast bluewater catamarans. Its 52 is the latest addition to the range and is a stylish and capable cruiser. A tad heavier than the Windelo, she also has more sail area. catamaran-outremer.com

SAM’S VERDICT The Windelo 50 was a mightily impressive boat for a first launch from a new company. The new deck moulding and other refinements have merely embellished an already excellent product. The styling both on deck and below is impressive and the more aggressive look is perhaps in keeping with the boat’s high performance and the overall feel

THE SPEC Length: 15.24m (50ft) Beam: 7.92m (26ft) Draft (Boards Up): 1.2m (3ft9in) Draft (Boards Down): 2.32m (7ft6in)

is slicker, more purposeful and more stylish. Ultimately though, what truly sets this boat apart is what has always set it apart; it’s green credentials – and they remain as impressive as ever. PERFORMANCE HHHHH PRACTICALITY:: HHHHH LOOKS: HHHHH

CATANA OCEAN CLASS Catana are the old masters of the fast bluewater cruisers and have re entered the fray with fresh impetus following the launch of the Ocean Class. Launched in 2021, the boat features a raised helm position that seeks to strike a balance between bridge deck and cockpit. catana.com

Fuel: 550l Water: 400l Price: (base) €995,000 for a Windelo 50 Adventure Contact: windelo-catamaran.com

Displ (Light): 11,200 Kg (24,692 lbs) Mainsail: 92sqm (990sq ft) Solent: 43sqm (463sq ft) Gennaker: 161sqm (1733sq ft) Power: Hybrid 2 x 20kW

BALANCE 482 Balance Catamarans is an interesting US/ South African collaboration producing sporty bluewater cruisers. The 482 is one of its latest models and features a very clever helm that can be locked into two different positions depending on what sort of sailing you are doing. balancecatamarans.com

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

a FREE OverBoard waterproof phone case worth £19.99

FRE E H O M ERY E V I L DE Order online at www.chelseamagazines.com/CSTXM23

WIN YA

MAHA IN

FLATABL

SEPTEMB ER 2023 £4.95

NEW BOATS

Your ultim what’s ne ate guide to w for 202 4

E TENDE

R WITH 4

HP OUTB

OARD W O

RTH OVE R

w i th

BUMPER Dufour 4 BOAT TESTS 1 and Arc put throu ona 345 gh paces

OCEAN R ACE FINA LE Tears , triumph twist in th and a e tale

BABY ON Family c BOARD

ember.ind

d 1

LITERAR Y IONIAN Sail in the wake

86148

ver Sept

of Homer

9 7713 67 5

STYY Co

sage plan ning advic e

ru the Isles oising to f Scilly

HEIKELL’ S Expert pa AEGEAN s

£1.5K

or phone 01858 438 769 and quote code CSTXM23 18/07/20

23 14:5 3

Buyers Guide – Electric motors

She’s Electric?

Is it time to make the switch to an electric motor? Sam Fortescue looks at the positives and negatives

hen the world’s biggest boat builder begins turning to electric powered boats, you know that change is afoot. Earlier this year, Groupe Beneteau pledged to offer ‘alternative propulsion’ on its entire product range by 2030, ranging from hybrid to pure electric. And it started by launching the First 44e, equipped with twin 12kW Torqeedo pod drives and 20kWh of lithium batteries. Beneteau’s head of boats, Gianguido Girotti declared: “The transition is under way. The entire industry will have to transform itself. We can’t force customers, but we can convince them.” Just a few stands away at Boot Düsseldorf, another boatbuilder was doing the same thing. At the semi-custom end of the market, Contest Yachts was launching its new 49CS and 50CS bluewater cruisers with a Torqeedo option.

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

“Going all-electric is clearly a good thing to do but it cannot be done lightly if it is to be done well,” said CEO Arjen Conijn. “This system we have arrived at is truly first class. Our ‘all-electric’ is genuinely allelectric bluewater sailing made real.” Next up was the world’s second largest production boatbuilder, with the Hanse 410 launched at the Cannes boat show. This fast family cruiser can be delivered with an electric motor capable of up to 55nm of range – enough to get you most of the way across the Channel if the wind dies. The system is produced by EPT with batteries up to 36.8kWh, but has yet to find an owner willing to take it on. It’s not just new yachts that are making the switch, however. There’s a growing business in refitting older yachts with simple electric propulsion. It is often the

BELOW Torqeedo's Deep Blue saildrive unit

main UK dealers for the motors who undertake the refit work as well – that’s Sail Electric for Oceanvolt, MIT for Bell, and Golden Arrow for Torqeedo. But there’s also a host of smaller specialist marine engineers who have the skills. Torqeedo One of the best-known names in electric propulsion, Torqeedo is the brand behind the Beneteau and Contest systems. They both feature its Deep Blue motor, which is available in a 25kW sail drive variant and for 25-100kW shaft drive applications. Torqeedo’s key strength is the integration of its systems: charging, battery management, regeneration and renewables are all combined seamlessly. It has worked with Whisper Power to manufacture a 25kW variable-speed generator which can act as a range extender. And BMW supplies its 40kWh and 80kWh batteries.

For smaller or faster boats, Torqeedo also produces the bolton Cruise pod drive, available as a 3kW, 6kW or 12kW unit. The brand likens these to the propulsive power of a 6hp, 10hp or 25hp internal combustion engine. Pricing for the pods runs from £3,219 to £8,359. The outboard range runs from the 3hp Ultralight (£2,309) up to the 25hp Cruise 12.0R (£9,249). Deep Blue outboards are also available in 25kW and 50kW variants. Oceanvolt Finland’s Oceanvolt is perhaps the most focused on the sailing market with its range of shaft and sail drive motors. They are the choice of serious sailing brands such as X-Yachts, Arcona, Elan, RM and ITA catamarans. And unlike Torqeedo’s high power 360V systems, Oceanvolt runs below the 50V cut-off that is considered potentially hazardous. For refits of shaft systems, there is the choice between a 5kW air-cooled AX system or a modular 12kW motor that can be stacked up to give a 24kW and 36kW option too. This is said by Oceanvolt to equate to a 120hp diesel engine in performance terms. The AXC motors are water cooled and recently got a 20 per cent performance boost

Saildrives are available with power ratings of 6-30kW, which could cover yachts up to 80ft loa according to Oceanvolt. Here, the Finnish company is streets ahead, with a hyper-efficient variable pitch propeller that turns the saildrive into a turbo-charged generator under sail. With the standard propellor, you can expect to generate 70W at 5.2kts, 190W at 6.5kts and 450W at 8kts. The Servoprop roughly triples output at the same speeds to 260W, 600W and 1250W respectively. So, if you have a fastsailing hull, you could conceivably keep the whole boat well juiced for electric cooking, aircon and navigation – as well as propulsion. oceanvolt.com Bell Marine Backed by the engineering might of Transfluid, Bell Marine has supplied more than 4,000 electric motors to the marine sector. Working through Marine & Industrial Transmissions (MIT) in the UK, it offers a range of outboard, shaft and sail drive options, plus the display and power management systems to connect it all together. Bell’s Shaftmaster line come in formats from 25-130kW and all have an integrated thrust bearing and water cooling. Its Sailmaster sail drives use a Yanmar leg and run

ABOVE LEFT Finnish manufacturer Oceanvolt is heavily committed to the marine market. This is an example of a one off 13m yacht Yamila, which has been fitted with one of their units ABOVE RIGHT A Bell Marine shaft driven electric motor installed

from 2-20kW. Prices for a complete system featuring a 20kW motor with 10kWh of LFP lithium batteries start at £22,000, according to MIT. mitgroup.co.uk Lynch Motors Devon-based Lynch has been building electric motors for more than 30 years, and has a growing marine division. Its motors have appeared in craft as varied as the Queen’s Jubilee barge Gloriana and the Imoca 60 Acciona, for both propulsion and to regenerate power for onboard systems. The manufacturer will also install the motor for you. Its Sailfish sail drive comes in a 2.5kW direct drive (1:1 gear ratio) version or an 8kW drive with 2:1 reduction. Lynch says this can be suitable for applications that would have required an engine rated up to 50hp. For shaft use, the Marlin motor offers 5-13kW of grunt, operating at either 48V or 72V. Priced from £5,435, it includes a thrust bearing, throttle, display and controller and can be programmed for regeneration. Batteries and a charging system are charged separately. For more power, there’s also the Swordfish twin drive which harnesses two 8kW or 13kW motors. lynchmarine.co.uk

Why switch to electric? l Operate in near silence – the sound of the water on the hull is often louder than the drive train l Zero emissions on board (bear in mind that the electricity for recharging the batteries must come from somewhere – ask your marina) l Instant torque improves manoeuvrability l Technology is being refined all the time so that small DC motors and lithium batteries can be built more cheaply and efficiently, so the price of going electric has fallen dramatically l Whether shaft or sail drive, the motor takes up far less space than an engine l Batteries can be sited anywhere on board, and can even act as useful ballast l When combined with renewables, range increases dramatically

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Buyers Guide – Electric Motors

The importance of hydroregeneration One of the key factors in making sure that a sailing boat powered by an electric motor is self sufficient is that it can top up its batteries when the motor is not in use. What sets the sailing boat apart from motor boats is that hydrogeneration can be used to efficiently achieve this. We are all used to putting the engine into reverse when we are sailing to stop the prop shaft spinning but with hydrogeneration, you don't do that. Instead, you press a button to switch the prop into hydrogeneration mode and then start generating power. A key part of this is to have a folding prop that deploys when required and can also be folded when the batteries are full. A number of manufacturers are now producing propellers specifically fabricated for this purpose. Case study: Jack Patton's Passport 42 One of the facts about hydrogeneration, however, is that it's ability to generate power increases exponentially with the speed a yacht is travelling through the water. In the past it has therefore been efficient on fast multihulls and cruiser/ racers but less so on heavier, slower yachts. Yet things are moving on. Jack Patton, an experienced sailor, opted to make the switch to electric on a heavy displacement yacht: "We converted our '86 Passport 42 which weighs 30,000lbs fully loaded for full time cruising to electric propulsion. It was a challenging system to design as not many vessels of our size have done this conversion. " " When trading our diesel for electric, the main concerns were: will a boat this size be able to move under fully electric propulsion, how much will we have to change our sailing style and will you regen enough power to make it worth it? After making the swap and cruising for the past 6 months throughout the Sea of Cortez, we can confidently say Yes it is absolutely worth it! "The efficiency of the Bruntons Autoprop Eco Star , D22 electric motor from Powerflow Marine and a solar array from Sun Powered Yachts has given us the freedom of a fully electric ocean cruising vessel. After extensive research and calculations for our vessel size and cruising goals we installed a 600Ah 48V battery bank with 1880W

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

solar array to give us increased range and plenty of power for longer passages. "With the Powerflow Marine motor specs and a picture of our current prop layout, Bruntons was able to overlay their Eco Star to maximize the prop size while keeping the standard clearance from the hull. We landed on the 485mm prop which was substantially larger than the 17" Maxprop. The key feature of this new prop was the maximum pitch efficiency for the RPM. This meant even when motoring at a slower pace to reduce our amperage draw we pushed the boat as efficiently as possible. This is evident when throttling up as well, with max boat speed exceeding our hull speed. "Beyond working at maximum efficiency when in gear, the regen capabilities of the Eco Star have been impressive. The Powerflow Marine custom motor display provides 11 resistance settings for regen, which means while sailing slow you can allow the prop to spin faster with less drag. Once you're cooking along the settings can be increased to crank in as many amps as possible. While sailing at 5 knots we see consistent 350W of power generation from the 485mm Eco Star. An overnight sail across the Sea of Cortez with an average speed of 5 knots allowed us to arrive at our anchorage with more power than when we left. This is possible due to the auto-pitch efficiency in combination with the adjustable regen settings. The feathering feature of the prop still functions once regen mode is turned off at the display, allowing the prop the go into 'sailing mode' which surprisingly, the speed change wasn't anything to be concerned about. This meant while making power we only sacrificed under a half knot of boat speed. "In full sun we can break even motoring at 3 knots and regen provides that extra boost of power especially when sailing through the night. We have not felt the need to compromise or adjust our cruising plans to fit our electric system and we couldn't be happier with the clean, quiet and low maintenance electric propulsion!" bruntonspropellers.com oceanvolt.com gori-propeller.com

ABOVE Propel is a newcomer into the marine market and its units were originally developed for electric scooters in India

Epropulsion These well-engineered motors developed out of a project to build an electric outboard in Hong Kong. Carefully designed and built in neighbouring Guangdong province, they now run to a series of inboard shaft drives from 1040kW. For bigger boats, there’s also the H-Series of standalone, highvoltage motors from 60-250kW. All are water cooled and capable of regeneration. In fact, the I-20 generated 700W at just 5kts of boat speed. Epropulsion has put time and effort into designing a slick display interface, ergonomic throttles and an app that monitors and analyses the whole system. It also sells its own branded lithium batteries and does a pod drive range from 1-6kW for smaller boats. epropulsion.uk Lightning Craft This is a newcomer to the scene, run by a team of engineers on the east coast. The team has a background in sailing, and build a series of direct drive motors rated 5kW-20kW, which are suitable for small and mid-sized yachts. Being direct drive, these liquid-cooled motors are highly efficient – 92 per cent, in fact. Lightning Craft will spec chargers, batteries and other paraphernalia from third party manufacturers, but do not build its own. There’s also a 5kW and 10kW belt drive motor, the latter of which was used to convert a Carter 30 yacht from diesel to electric propulsion. The motor was fitted to the existing leg, and cools simply from the air circulating in the bilge. Interestingly, Lightning opted for four 200Ah AGM batteries giving a 10nm range. More intriguing still, the boat lives

batteries and other kit to build the whole system. elcomotors.com

on a swinging mooring and so uses solar power to recharge the batteries. Four 120W panels are enough to do the job in a couple of sunny days. lightningcraft.co.uk Propel This is an exciting new entrant to the market, looking to disrupt by producing a new range of inboard and outboard systems that use an ultraefficient ‘pancake’ motor. Originally developed for running electric scooters in India, the technology is being developed for marine in the form of the 10kW S1 outboard and D1 inboard. Performance is phenomenal, as my trial of a prototype on the outer IJ in Amsterdam demonstrated: high top speeds, instant response and impressive efficiency make this one to watch. propel.me

Sea Drive Norway has embraced electric propulsion faster than most. Sea Drive doesn’t yet have a UK dealer, which complicates matters, but it produces pod drives from 7.5kW to 30kW. Add-ons run to regeneration capacity, lifting ability and even a rotatable azimuth version. The engineering looks sound, and the pods themselves are attractively built in bronze. seadrive.no

ABOVE LEFT A Propel throttle unit ABOVE Sea Drive is a Norwegian company which produces attractive pod drives such as the one above

Elco Well established American outfit supplying AC motors for inboard and outboard propulsion – mainly to US customers. Its drop-in replacement for diesel engines run from 3kW up to 42kW, which it likes to 6-200hp. Elco will also supply throttles, controllers,

Aquawatt Founder Dieter Seebacher set up his company to find electric solutions for boating on Austria’s green lakes. But after 30 years, he sees a broader demand and has expanded his range to include a line of 4-40kW inboard engines, complete with controllers and lithium or AGM batteries. The 30kW option costs €14,640. aquawatt.at Fitters Sail Electric (Oceanvolt), Hamble/Devon sailelectric.com Golden Arrow (Torqeedo), Portsmouth/Southampton/Poole goldenarrow.co.uk MIT (Bell), Kent mitgroup.co.uk RK Marine (Oceanvolt), Hamble rkmarine.co.uk J.R. Marine Systems (Combi), Poole jrmarinesystems.co.uk

Battery technology AGM Fit and forget is the key to absorbed glass mat batteries. Unlike wet cell batteries, they don’t vent unless they are massively overcharged and therefore don’t require periodic topping up. Because they are sealed, you can even fit them on their sides, which can be handy. They are also said to resist sulphation better than wet-cell batteries, and thus have a longer service life. They also tolerate deeper discharge, meaning that you can use more of their power than in a standard lead-acid battery. ecobatbattery.com ecopowershop.com

Silicon batteries Austrian motor manufacturer Aquamot recommends proprietary AGM batteries containing silicon, which reduces internal resistance. It claims you can have up to nine times more deep discharges (750 cycles to 75 per cent) than with standard battery chemistry. It permits up to 80 per cent discharge without damage, instead of the standard 50 per cent. aquamot.at Lithium Prices for efficient lithium batteries fall every year as manufacturing gets cheaper, although they remain expensive compared to lead-acid

batteries. The advantages are all too clear: they weigh 50-70 per cent less per Ah, can be fully discharged, rapidly recharged and barely self-discharge. Most brands use lithium-iron chemistry (also known by its chemical components as LiFePO4). It has relatively low power but is very stable and, therefore, safe. More powerful nickelmanganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries require better battery management and are currently favoured by Torqeedo. super-b.com valence.com promarinestore.co.uk

Carbon batteries Based on sealed AGM technology, these batteries have carbon or graphene blended in with the lead on the plates. Manufacturers such as Victron and Ritar say that this allows deeper discharge and gives a longer lifespan. victronenergy.com Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Cruising – British Columbia Boat test – Jeanneau 55

THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL DEAD-END Nick and Jenny Coghlan follow the road less travelled by – right up to the head of Princess Louisa Inlet, British Columbia

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ifty miles up the coast from Vancouver, just off a marine highway that in summer is busy with cruisers heading to and from popular Desolation Sound, is a maze of islands and channels that caught the attention of Captain George Vancouver in 1792. He was searching for the Northwest Passage. The channels converge and become a deep, steepsided fjord that zigzags in a northerly direction, cutting deep into the snow-capped Coastal Range of British Columbia. Vancouver named the fjord (well after the fact) Jervis Inlet for his patron, Rear Admiral Sir John Jervis. It doesn’t reach as far as the North Atlantic, alas. But this is one of the most spectacular cruising destinations you’ll find anywhere and is a favourite of ours. A good starting point for a venture up-inlet is the tiny village of Egmont, which has a small marina. Not many people live here, but those who do are of the independent kind. A sign at the head of the jetty reassuringly proclaims Egmont to be a Nuclear Free Zone; an evening at the Backeddy Pub is likely to prove entertaining. From Egmont, if you want to give yourself a scare, you can walk to an overlook and contemplate Skookumchuck Narrows where, at maximum ebb or flood, the tidal current flows in and out of another inlet – Sechelt – at speeds of up to 18kts. The eddies and whirlpools can throw 15m logs into the air. We once watched a tug and his tow waiting quietly in a patch of still water on the downstream side. Once the tide slowed to 3 or 4kts on his nose, he edged carefully into the white-water stream with his 500m-long log boom trailing astern. He strained to hold steady for 10 minutes and then began almost imperceptibly to inch forward. When the current finally calmed – for no more than an instant – and reversed, the tug and tow were on their way again at a rapidly increasing speed. This is no place to make a mistake in reading your current tables. Meanwhile, if you’re heading up Jervis, you’ll need an early start: it’s over 50 miles to the nearest safe anchorage. In summer and in settled weather, the wind blows strongly up-inlet during the day then goes calm or blows very lightly down-inlet at night. In winter the reverse applies: Arctic outflows commonly reach 50kts. Even though the inlet makes several 90-degree turns, the wind finds its way around those bends with no lee or respite at the turning points.

ALL PHOTOS: NICK AND JENNY COGLAN

Sailing into the continent

Racing wing-on-wing into the heart of the continent along a mile-wide channel, with a rendezvous to keep, we usually bypass wide Vancouver Bay where the Discovery’s yawls overnighted on 17 June, 1792. Muriel Wylie Blanchet, an intrepid widow who sailed these waters in the 1920s with her five young children aboard a small motor cruiser, had a disturbing adventure here, recounted in her book The Curve of Time. Having left the children to play on the beach, she found a good trout stream to fish. But she was suddenly seized by unaccountable panic, a sense of Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Cruising – British Columbia

foreboding. When she rushed back, her eldest son reassured her. But, he said, there was a man, “all dressed in black”, who had been observing them from the other end of the beach. Blanchet goes on: Peculiar place for a clergyman to be, I thought inanely. After a few moments, the ‘clergyman’ begins bounding towards the family…on all fours. It’s a large and aggressive black bear, with cubs in tow. The family flees back to the Caprice, chastened. After Vancouver Bay comes Deserted Bay. This was named by Europeans in the 19th century. Approaching a native village, they saw canoes drawn up, but no smoke. Ashore, they found the houses full of dead bodies, the victims of smallpox. Only a tiny child was still alive; she was adopted and recovered. There is nothing left of the village today. Neither Deserted nor Vancouver are anything but marginal, fine-weather anchorages; both suffer from very sharp drop-offs at their head.

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Tricky tidal gate

When you make the turn into the last leg of the Inlet – steep-walled Queen’s Reach – the following wind often dies. If so, it’s just as well, for here you may need to hang around in deep water for some time. A narrow gap in the north shore leads into a well-concealed haven known as Princess Louisa Inlet. The reversing tidal flow here – Malibu Rapids – is a ‘mere’ 9kts. This is half the speed of Skookumchuck but the passage is intricate and shallow and, once again, should only be negotiated at slack water. Vancouver noticed the entrance but took it for a creek. It is marked now by the prominent timber buildings of a summer camp dating back to the 1930s. Princess Louisa is sublime. Four miles in length, it is hemmed in by massive grey granite walls that rise to 1,500m. The waters are emerald green and usually still. The only sound is the rush of Chatterbox Falls at the head. As you’d expect from the sheerness of the cliffs, there’s almost nowhere to anchor. But the BC Parks department

PREVIOUS PAGE Waiting for slack at Malibu Rapids ABOVE LEFT Sailing up Jervis Inlet at daybreak ABOVE RIGHT Chatterbox Falls, Princess Louisa Inlet BELOW LEFT Skookumchuk Rapids at maximum ebb (18ks) BELOW RIGHT A ‘clergyman’ (Black Bear) on the shore of Jervis Inlet

maintains (in summer only) a precariously attached float at the head where you can tie up, and a set of three mooring buoys anchored in over 100m of water. There are a couple more buoys in an indentation halfway along the inlet, at MacDonald Bay. If you don’t mind living in a curtain of fine spray, a final option is to edge your boat right up to Chatterbox Falls and drop the anchor; the current will keep you offshore even if a rare up-inlet wind finds its way in. The last time we were at Princess Louisa, it was the last year of Covid. American vessels were still banned from Canadian waters, so we had the place to ourselves. We repeated the steep walk through the forest that we had first made half a lifetime before, from the falls up to an old trapper’s cabin. All that had changed in 35 years was that there was now a stern notice warning that the walk is dangerous and exhausting. We were pleased to find we could still complete it within the estimated time on the notice.

Up beyond the cabin, if you are prepared to bushwhack, you can climb past more waterfalls that rush through the forest over smooth rock. Here Wylie Blanchet and her children would slide “from pool to pool, like so many otters” – stark naked, because “we found it too hard on the seats of our bathing suits.” Finally, you reach the treeline and dazzling snowfields. Sit down here with a pair of binoculars, scan the pinnacles that emerge from the snow, and you have a good chance of spotting a few mountain goats, white pixels on black granite. If you’re able to leave Princess Louisa at sunrise, you might get a down-inlet wind for an hour or two, but chances are that the time of slack at Malibu will mean you have to face the same stiff breeze that blew you in. If it’s any consolation, Vancouver and his men complained about the row down-inlet: it took them 17 hours, into what he described as the teeth of a full gale. And he was bitterly disappointed with yet

another failure to find the elusive Passage, another week wasted. But the Discovery’s botanist, Archibald Menzies, was more positive about the dead-end, writing in his diary of: “Immense cascades dashing down chasms against projecting rocks and cliffs with a furious wildness that beggars all description.”

The end of the road

A leaky exhaust meant that, so as to spare our engine, we had to shorttack almost all of the way out of Jervis Inlet. Tired and in dire need of a welder, we headed another 25 miles up the coast to Lund. Like Egmont, Lund has more than the usual share of free spirits. You can go south from here by road as far as Chilean Patagonia but you can’t go any further north. On account of its perceived remoteness, the village – today’s population is 280 – was a hippie mecca in the 1960s and 70s. Jaded academics, draft dodgers from the USA and disciples of nudity, LSD and free love all

ABOVE LEFT Above the tree line at the head of Princess Louisa ABOVE RIGHT Princess Louisa Inlet, from the trapper's cabin BELOW LEFT Lund BC - the End of the Road BELOW RIGHT Exiting Princess Louisa through Malibu Rapids

converged here. Most soon found the practicalities of life at The End of The Road – handling a chainsaw, catching or growing your own food then canning it – too daunting. They eventually drifted back south and doubtless became accountants or realtors. But a few stayed on. We met an old acquaintance watering his dog at the head of the red-painted government dock. We’ve never learned his name. Deeply tanned and of an age difficult to guess, he reflected on his own story as he rolled a cigarette: “Yeah man, Lund’s moved on, like everywhere. Gentrified. Know what I do now? I rent out E-bikes.” He snorted in self-mockery: “I do OK. The tourists, you know. Course, I used to be The Man round town. The dealer? But that’s all legal now, no money to be made…” And he gave us the contact of a friend up in the woods who’d be able to re-weld our stainless-steel manifold for us. Another hippie who’d reinvented himself, we guessed.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Cape 31 Europeans

Cape Crusader

osted by the Royal Yacht Squadron, the inaugural Cape 31 Europeans were won by Russell Peters and his team on board Fanatic. It was an impressive win in an event that attracted 22 entries – including from Ireland and the Netherlands. That this was the only Cape 31 event that Russell

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

entered this season makes his win even more notable given it is currently the Solent’s hottest fleet. Sizzling in fact, when you consider the UK race circuit was only established in 2021 and regular racers already number 20+. A mixture of pro and amateur sailors, the class holds equal allure to those from both small boat and big boat backgrounds.

ABOVE Fanatic (bow #7) jostles for position on the startline

As a strong supporter of the class since it was first introduced to the UK, Russell is no stranger to Cape 31 success, with overall season wins in both 2021 and 2022 (then sailing Squirt). And when it comes to high performance one-designs in general, Russell certainly has excellent form. He’s current RS Elite National Champion, has raced at the top of the J/70 class,

ALL PHOTOS: JAMES TOMLINSON

It’s not often a sailor takes a season off then steps straight back in to win – especially not when it’s a European Championship. But that’s just what Cape 31 legend Russell Peters did, as Georgie Corlett-Pitt finds out…

not to mention numerous dinghy classes, and previously excelled on the Ultra 30 circuit for many years, twice winning the circuit overall. There’s no doubt precision sailing is his forte; with extensive top level team racing experience, Russell is renowned as a highly tactical sailor. It’s no surprise then that he sums up the Cape 31 as a class that “perfectly suits my style of sailing”. He also describes the Mark Millsdesigned high performance onedesign as “not dissimilar to an Ultra 30, with lots of boats converging at marks at high speed, although with only seven crew, not nine”. But after sitting out most of the season, he also acknowledges that it’s a class that’s hard to do well in, and admits that doing so takes a significant commitment of both time and money, particularly considering the influx of pro sailors to the fleet.

It was with that in mind that Russell had initially only intended to run a two-year campaign with a crew of friends and family, and therefore – in theory at least – had stepped away from the class for 2023; he’d even sold both of his Cape 31s at the end of 2022. In practice, however, FOMO got the better of him and by mid-season he’d invested in another boat (the 2022 national championship-winning Fanatic), although with his core crew committed elsewhere it wasn’t until the Euros and a chance conversation with longstanding friend and top dinghy sailor Christian Birrell that he decided to enter. Asked what his expectations were of returning for a one-off appearance, Russell says with careful reflection: “I guess we hoped we would finish in the top five.” If he felt any pressure going into the event, he hides it

ABOVE (TOP): Sandy Askew's Flying Jenny rounded off a strong season with a third at the Euros ABOVE (BELOW) Slick sail handling has been a notable feature of the campaign

well, nonetheless admitting that the competition had stepped up a notch in the time he’d been away in – this in a fleet that was already renowned for its high speed, close quarters racing. And, given the inaugural European crown was at stake, along with the UK season title (the event doubled as round six of the class’s UK circuit), the fleet had all to play for. Despite Friday 13th making something of an inauspicious start, with racing cancelled due to high winds, the 22 teams embraced the challenge of a condensed schedule, with eight races packed into the remaining two days. By Sunday afternoon, Fanatic had finished just one point ahead of Sandy Askew’s Flying Jenny – winner of two of the six 2023 UK circuit events – and three points ahead of Michael Wilson’s ShotGunn, who also took the overall season title. Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

sails

covers

servicing & repairs

tensile awning

sails| | covers covers || servicing awnings sails servicing &&repairs repairs | |tensile tensile awnings sails

covers

servicing & repairs

tensile awnings

01255 243366 01255 243366 Harwich Harwich

West 243366 Mersea 01255 West Mersea

www.dolphinsails.com

Harwich West Mersea www.dolphinsails.com

sails@dolphin-sails.com

www.dolphinsails.com sails@dolphin-sails.com Photogprph by permission of Oyster Yachts 495 - European Yacht of the Year 2023

Photogprph by permission of Oyster Yachts 495 - European Yacht of the Year 2023

quality

sails@dolphin-sails.com | heritage | technology

service

quality quality | heritage | technology |service service || heritage | technology Photogprph by permission of Oyster Yachts 495 - European Yacht of the Year 2023

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

quality

service

heritage

technolog

ALL PHOTOS: JAMES TOMLINSON

Cape 31 Europeans

It’s with a sizeable smile that Russell says he was “delighted, if a little surprised” at the win. Acknowledging the calibre of the competition, Russell says: “We always knew that Flying Jenny were going to be very good because they have done a lot of sailing this year; I suspect they’ve put more time in than anybody else. ShotGunn has also put in a lot of effort this year, they have some very good sailors, and it was great to see them win the overall season.” With the results appearing exceptionally close on paper, Russell points out that that was skewed somewhat by their actions in the final race. Aware that only one boat – ShotGunn – could beat them (if they managed a top three and Fanatic finished outside the top five) Russell wasn’t leaving anything to chance in such a closely packed fleet. He calculated that he could sail ShotGunn down the fleet to such a point where they would guarantee themselves the overall win, although ShotGunn would still win the overall UK Series title. Employing some classic team racing tactics, Russell engaged their rival boat early in the prestart and deliberately forced them away from the startline. It didn’t quite go to plan, however, and ShotGunn escaped their control. Fanatic had, at least, forced them to cross at the unfavoured end of

the line, and critically, had managed to be ahead. They then covered Shotgunn up the windward leg, tacking on them to force them to the least favoured side of the beat. It was extreme, but it worked. The pair rounded the first mark outside the top 10. Although ShotGunn did later overhaul Fanatic, they were both far enough down the fleet to ensure Fanatic took the overall win. Without the need for such tactics in the final race, Russell says the points margin may well have been wider – despite mere seconds separating rivals on the water; true throughout most of the fleet. So what was it that gave the team on Fanatic the overall edge?

ABOVE With his dinghy background, Russell's knowledge of boat on boat tactics paid off BELOW Michael Wilson's ShotGunn finished second in the Euros, and won the UK Series

With shifty, northerly winds creating what Russell describes as “snakes and ladders style racing”, the team opened with a cautious seventh place in the first race, but made steady improvements as the racing unfolded. “We actually sailed better and better as a team as we understood what we had to do to work together and ensure our manoeuvres were slick as possible,” explains Russell. “It was very pleasing to feel we were getting better, and in turn that enabled us to feel more confident about what we needed to do. “Our communication in particular was very good, not just during the races but also in the debriefs after each race and in the evening when we discussed what we thought we might need to do better. We certainly got the graph going in the right direction, which was good.” With Birrell stepping on as tactician (and getting his first taste of Cape 31 racing having previously sailed J/70s), Russell re-assembled his core crew from his previous Cape 31 campaign. Among them is his daughter Suzy Peters (who raced several legs of The Ocean Race as navigator on VO65 Mirpuri/Trifork earlier this year) – and her boyfriend Pete Redmond (North Sails Cape 31 Class Expert), plus British Sailing Squad 49er sailor, Billy Venniz-Ozanne. While the latter three have ‘pro’ status, only Pete is paid; Russell makes light as he says: “I’m not paying my daughter to come sailing with me!

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

ALL PHOTOS: JAMES TOMLINSON

Cape 31 Europeans

“Christian did a great job in putting us in the right place. Billy and Pete kept us on the pace with their excellent trimming skills and kept me on the numbers, and Suzy always ensured we knew where we were on race track to assist Christian with decisions.” Overall he describes his crew – which also included Andy Tunnicliffe and Will Wilkinson – as “amazing”. But after the best part of a season away, the team was also grappling with a discernible step-up in the level of racing. “There are a lot more boats, a lot closer together and you have to think – and sail – a lot faster to win. There were more race winners across the two days, and you could certainly get pushed further down the fleet if you made any mistakes. “Getting away quickly off the line made things marginally easier, but if you were in fifth you could easily drop to 15th very quickly with a small mistake. Similarly, getting in and out of the first mark was incredibly important and that was in shifty weather; had there been no shifts at all I think those windward marks and the bottom marks would have been incredibly hectic. “Ultimately, it comes down to teamwork, communication, knowing what you’re going to be able to do and most of all having the ability to be flexible about it.” Russell believes that having a background in one-design racing, as well extensive dinghy and team racing experience, has given him just such skills – in particular, the capability to make quick judgements – something that enabled Christian to focus more widely on tactics JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

rather than having to constantly hone in on the plethora of boat-onboat situations. With the Cape 31’s owner-driver ethos, any helm with a similar depth of experience stands to do well, according to Russell: “In straight lines the helms are all just as quick, but I think that boat on boat, on the start line and windward marks and leeward marks, for example, if you do a lot of dinghy sailing then you instantly have an advantage.” The big question then: has his return to the class sparked a commitment to race again next season? “The jury is still out,” says Russell. On the one hand, Fanatic is up for sale, but you can see he’s fighting temptation when he describes the Cape 31 as: “The best class around, with great fun racing and a brilliant social side.” Any hesitancy comes from a wariness of the effect increasing numbers of pro sailors may have on the class. Pros are capped at three per team, and while there is also a ‘Corinthian’ division now

ABOVE Much like an Ultra 30 – but with fewer crew BELOW Russell, third from left, with his winning crew

set up, Russell’s concern is around the changing dynamic for hobby sailors like himself, who primarily enjoy sailing the class with friends and family. Despite a number of second-hand boats now becoming available in the UK, he’s concerned this ‘pro-ification’ might in fact deter newcomers when campaign costs and logistics also need to be factored in for a boat of this size. At the same time, it’s hard to walk away from such a raceboat that he describes as “highly rewarding”, and which is well-suited to sailing with mixed crew; Russell’s other daughter has also raced with him in the past, and he praises the class association’s efforts to encourage female and youth sailors. He’d like to see more ‘family’ crews racing and believes the class is especially well-suited to those teams. With the class association also working hard to implement class rules fairly and with excellent race management in place, overall he says there’s a lot to recommend the class. He also predicts strong international growth which could add appeal; the class already has circuits in the US, Med, Hong Kong, and South Africa where the boats are built. A second European Championship has now been scheduled for November 2024 in San Remo, Italy; 2024’s UK circuit includes Cowes Week and the Vice Admiral’s Cup. So, could we see Russell at one or two of these events in future? We’d be surprised if the reigning European Champion can stay away entirely…

MYERCHIN KNIVES

FLOTILLA SAILING WITH SEAFARER

MYERCHIN Everyone MYERCHIN can have Craftsmanship EveryoneMYERCHIN can have The Right Tool Everyone can have Quality

Sail with others & enjoy the s up port of a lead crew with flotillas in Greece, Croatia, Thailand & Tu rkey

Enter coupon ‘ST2023’ on checkout for a free Myerchin Light Pen

01305 302304 sales@myerchin.co.uk facebook.com /Myerchinuk

twitter.com /MyerchinUK

instagram.com /myerchinuk

Push button furling Retrofit to your existing Furlex

WATCH

IN MOTION

www.seldenmast.com

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

ROYAL QUAYS MARINA

GULL’S EYE

With the vibrant city of Newcastle on the ‘doorstep’, 24-hour access, and some of the best marina facilities on the northeast coast, boatfolk’s Royal Quays Marina is 29’.56 N, 02° 45’.41 W well worth a054° visit, or long-term stay says Sue Pelling

BOAT YARD TRAVEL HOIST HARD STANDING

MARINA OFFICE

THE LOCK CAFE/BISTRO

BERTHING FOR 350 VESSELS with easy 24/7 lock system and just two miles up river from the River Tyne entrance

WASHROOMS

NORTH SEA

FUEL

LOCK GATES

BOATPOINT BROKERAGE OFFICE

E MAIN MARINA CAR PARK LAUNDRY

RE-CYCLING

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The vibrant city of Newcastle showing the Tyne bridge that links Newcastle to Gateshead BELOW Newcastle City Marina pontoons offer a place to moor up for the day while exploring the city BELOW RIGHT Royal Quays Marina showing the main pontoons and walkways

054° 29’.56 N, 02° 45’.41 W

Annual berth holders also have a selection of privileges that makes berthing at a boatfolk Marina even more desirable including a National Cruising Pass, which means you get 300 free nights of berthing at any of its 10 sister marinas. Plus, because Royal Quays is part of Trans Europe Marinas half price visitor berthing scheme, berth holders can benefit from that too. They also get two free tickets to the Southampton Boatshow per year (with boatfolk boatshow hospitality), 10 per cent discount on boatyard lifting and washing, and fuel at preferential rates available through the dedicated boatfolk App. Visitors’ benefits include a seventh night of free berthing with boatfolk’s full ‘Stamp Album’ system available through the dedicated boatfolk App. The marina, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, is open 24/7 including the fuel station (unleaded petrol and diesel) and access is at all states of the tide. This means that when you sail into River Tyne after a tough day on the North Sea you can be sure of a warm welcome any time of the day by its friendly and knowledgeable team headed by Matthew Simms, the Marina Manager. Located two nautical miles up

river from the River Tyne entrance and snuggled away in a sheltered location on the north bank, Royal Quays Marina is built around the historic Albert Edward Dock with many of its original 19th century features still in place. Although the big ship building industry on the River Tyne ceases to flourish, the River remains important commercially with the Port of Tyne handling 100s of ships a week, including a huge contingent of cruise ships using the cruise terminal’s four cruise berths adjacent to Royal Quays Marina. Its convenient location – with excellent transport services including nearby Newcastle International Airport just 15 miles away, and the DFDS Ferry Terminal nearby – has turned Royal Quays Marina into an international gateway for those preparing for or arriving from a North Sea passage. With The Netherlands and its beautiful cruising ground of the Ijsselmeer 36-hour sail away, or a bit further to southern Norway, Royal Quays Marina is fast becoming the preferred stop-off option for serious cruising sailors. Even though the marina is ‘selfsufficient’ with plenty of places to eat, drink and provision nearby, it’s worth

PHOTO: ROYAL QUAYS MARINA

ince boatfolk marina group took over the reins from Quay Marinas in 2019, the already highly popular 350-berth Royal Quays Marina facility continues to make its mark and is now considered one of the east coast’s most highly desirable locations for visitors and berth holders alike. With its enviable status as Yacht Harbour Association ‘Marina of the Year’ in 2019, 2020 2022 and 2023 plus The Yacht Harbour Association ‘TYHA 5 Gold Anchor Marina’ standard, it’s not surprising why there’s not only a constant flow of visitors, but also a vibrant community of permanent berth holders. There are exciting plans afoot too with an additional 50 berths in the pipeline for 2024. As well as its sparkling facilities and renowned customer service, Royal Quays is well-known for its busy programme of events including an annual summer party, band concerts, Easter and Christmas socials, and charity events. The Marina team work hard to encourage customers to get the best use out of their boats, and Royal Quays is particularly popular for newcomers to sailing.

PHOTO: ROYAL QUAYS MARINA

PHOTO: DUNCAN ANDISON/ISTOCK

PHOTO: GORDON BELL PHOTOGRAPHY/ISTOCK

Gull’s Eye – Royal Quays Marina

PHOTO: ISTOCK

Passage planning

The approach to the marina is straightforward and well-marked but remember that large commercial vessels in the channel are limited in their ability to manoeuvre. Once through the Tyne entrance piers it’s just a case of following the marked channel (keeping to the right-hand side) through the outer harbour and on past North Shields Fish Quay. Continue upstream until you are abeam of the Mill Dam Buoy (red port hand buoy Fl.R.5s) but do keep an eye open for the cross Tyne Ferry which runs between North and South Shields. The marina entrance is to starboard. Entry to the marina is via lock gates so you’ll need to call up ‘Royal Quays Marina’ on VHF Ch 80 before you arrive to arrange access. Also, don’t forget that vessels entering the Tyne/departing the marina are requested to report to Tyne VTS on VHF Ch 12 (compulsory for vessels over 20m).

ABOVE LEFT The peaceful setting at Royal Quays Marina ABOVE The entrance to Berwick upon Tweed BELOW The pretty harbour of Whitby on a fine and peaceful day

Cruising ground

Discover the beauty of the Northumberland Heritage Coast, which stretches from just north of the River Tyne to the Scottish border. This section of the east coast is full of places of interest and pretty ports and anchorages to visit such as Blyth, Amble, Berwick upon Tweed to the north of the River Tyne, or Hartlepool, Scarborough and Whitby to the south. Plus, no trip to this area would be complete without a passage to Northumberland’s beauty spots such Seahouses, and the off-lying Farne Islands, and Holy Island approximately 42nm from the Tyne. For a longer passage, sail further up Scotland’s East coast to Eyemouth and as far as north as Peterhead and the Moray Coast. To maximise a short/ transit stay at the marina, a quick day trip eight miles upriver to the city is well worth considering. Here you can moor up for the day at Newcastle City Marina (located on the Quayside between the iconic Tyne and Millennium Bridges) take in all the sites, enjoy a spot of fine dining then, at the end of the day, gently make your way back to the comfortable and secure Royal Quays Marina.

PHOTO: PHILIP SILVERMAN/ISTOCK

venturing further afield with a walk to North Shields Fish Quay. Or head to Tynemouth, Whitley Bay or take a trip on the Metro into the historic city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. From the marina it is a short walk to the local Metro station, then just 20 minutes by Metro to Newcastle city centre.

FACTFILE ROYAL QUAYS MARINA Postcode: NE29 6DU VHF: Ch 80 Call sign: Royal Quays Marina Website: boatfolk.co.uk/royal-quays-marina Email: royalquays@boatfolk.co.uk Tel: +44(0)191 2728282 Prices (at December 2023): Annual berth Small Boat (below 6m loa): from £1,663.00 fixed Standard (above 6m loa): from £364/m Summer flexible berthing Over 6m: £55 per metre/month Winter flexible berthing All boats £39 per metre/month Visitor rates (all year) Weekly rate: £21.30/m Daily rate: £3.55/m Short stays up to 4 hours: £15 fixed rate Electricity: Pre-pay card Water: free of charge Wifi: free of charge Fuel: Riverside fuelling station Local services: Boatyard services: On site with 40T travel hoist Chandlery: Storrar Marine: Tel +44(0)191 2661037 Places to eat and drink The Lock café-bistro (on site): Tel +44(0)191 257 5753 Further afield 31 The Quay: Tel +44(0)191 257 5310 Dodgin’s Yard: Tel: +44(0)191 259 1992 The Low Lights Tavern: Tel +44(0)191 257 6038 Waterfront Fish & Chips: Tel +44(0)191 296 1721 Riley’s Fish Shack: Tel +44(0)191 257 1371 Longsands Fish Kitchen: Tel +44(0)191 272 8552 Provisioning: Local stores and major supermarkets within easy reach

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Boat test – Italia 11.98

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Poetry in motion Racer/Cruiser or Cruiser/Racer? Sam Jefferson steps aboard the Italia 11.98 and discovers a potent argument for the former

n my formative years I was taken to the cinema to watch the Dead Poets Society featuring the late Robin Williams. The film had a profound effect on me not least because I was told it was a comedy and emerged from the cinema in tears. In addition to the film leaving me with a lingering desire to smoke a pipe, read more Byron and stand on my desk at school, I was struck by one line from the film in which Williams asks his pupils why we write poetry. ‘To communicate’ one pupil chirps up. ‘No!’ Williams replies “It’s to woo women.” Now that is a line that perhaps hasn’t aged so well but it occurred to me as I was out sailing the Italia 11.98. No, I wasn’t wooing anyone but I imagine if you posed the question of why naval architects design yachts, the answer would be similarly straightforward. It’s not because they want to design high volume, comfortable cruising yachts. No, they would say they want to design beautiful, fast yachts. Which brings me to the Italia 11.98. If you were an aspiring naval architect, this is the sort of yacht you’d dream of designing when you grew up. The naval architect in question is Matteo Polli who has worked extensively with Italia Yachts and fellow Italian manufacturer Grand Soleil. Polli hit the headlines when he penned the lines for the Italia 9.98 back in 2017. This racer/ cruiser was optimised for light airs and proceeded to clean up on the Mediterranean racing circuit. Perhaps the secret to Polli and Italia’s success was that they had a clear focus and they did not let themselves get distracted. For all that the boat had an interior space that was pleasant enough, the main aim was going quick. This theme has been carried over to the 11.98, which first hit the waters in 2020. The boat is unafraid to plough its own furrow in order to achieve its aim of scoring big on the racecourse. The design itself is unusual, with Polli going for moderate (3.98m) beam and plenty of taper aft. You could call that conservative, but in these days of IMOCA style wedge shaped hulls, it’s pretty radical. There is a clear desire to attain excellent light weather performance and, to achieve this, Polli gave the boat a relatively full rounded midship section and sharp ends. The bow has an emmersed forefoot to further reduce wetted surface area and the stern sections feature big outward flare above the waterline. The transom is unusual in that is raked forward to form an old school sugar scoop when looked at from astern. The mast is very centrally placed meaning to can set a big fore triangle with minimal

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Boat test – Italia 11.98

overlap, while below the waterline there is a single spade rudder also set much further forward than on many contemporary boats and combined with a deep (2.1m) keel. The boat comes with tiller steering as standard but twin wheels are available. The rig is big and is available in carbon fibre as an optional extra. Displacement has been kept down to a modest 6,200kg. Italia has come up with its own way of straddling the cruiser/racer divide. Ultimately this is a racer/ cruiser and the primary purpose is sailing fast. Yet, with an overall length of 11.98m this is a boat that has sufficient internal volume to accommodate a family. Thus the boat comes in either Fueoroserie (racing) format or Bellissima (cruising). In racing format the boat is stripped back and you get a much more spartan interior but, with the Bellissima set up, you get a really rather stunning interior, synthetic teak decking in the saloon, a slightly shorter sprit and a gain in weight of 400kg.

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

The result is a boat that is extremely pleasing on the eye. Freeboard is low and the coachroof is sleek while the graceful sweep of her run as it swells out above the waterline is seductive. It all whispers of a boat that is going to be a treat to sail. Before we continue, a word on Italia Yachts which was set up in Chioggia, the other side of the lagoon from Venice, by a chap called Franco Corazza in 2011. The company always had performance at the heart of its DNA and, rather like Arcona Yachts in Sweden, the boatbuilder has always been unwilling to follow passing design trends in its pursuit of performance. The company has also always had a somewhat laissez faire approach to publicity with limited dealerships and what sometimes seems like disinterest in promoting its rather lovely products. Perhaps it is for this reason that, despite impeccable racing credentials (the Italia 9.98 has won two ORC World Championships and the 11.98 won the ORC European Championships), the boatbuilder is not well known in

ABOVE LEFT The 11.98 has relatively slender lines with plenty of taper aft ABOVE RIGHT The deck layout has been well thought out BELOW (left and centre) A sensible set up for the running rigging; (right) The engine controls are nicely to hand from the helm

the UK. This is a shame as it seems likely an Italia could make waves on the UK racing scene. The company is serious about optimising its boats for racing in local conditions and to local class rules. As such, Italia has in house team which works with designer Matteo Polli who can tweak the boat to optimise the boat for individual events plus conditions.

On deck

I test sailed the stripped out Fuoroserie version so this was amped up to the max with full carbon fibre rig and virtually nothing below. This was good news for the sailing but it would have been nice to cast an eye over the Bellissima too. Anyway, you step on board via side decks which are clad with some of the most aggressive non skid I’ve ever experienced. No slipping here but it might be a bit brutal on bare feet. The beam may not be excessive but there is still a broad, long open cockpit which is V-shaped and narrows towards the

companionway which is flanked by two bench seats with no storage beneath them. There is no bathing platform or cockpit table as this is the Fuoroserie version. The transom is open and there is little besides the twin wheels aft and twin lazarettes. These provide a decent amount of storage, being broad albeit shallow. The traveller is right in front of the helm and there are twin Harken winches for the mainsheet in front and in reach of the helm. There is a storage space for a liferaft under the cockpit sole. The twin multifunction device (MFD) readouts are set into the back end of the coachroof which is nicely angled and offer a good line of sight for the helm. I tested a version of the boat with twin wheels. Up onto the side decks there is good width and a good walkway with all the chainplates for the discontinuous rod rigging (wire is standard) set well outboard. In terms of the rig, this is keel stepped and 9/10ths fractional with twin aft swept spreaders and no running backstays.

There is a transverse traveller for the jib car to adjust the sheeting angle. All the jammers are on the coachroof in the centre and there are nine in total. There are twin hatches forward for dropping sails into but I have to say they looked a touch on the tight side. There is a small anchor locker while at the bow there is an optional carbon fibre sprit. .

Down below

As mentioned, I tested the sportier version of the 11.98 which had been pretty thoroughly stripped out. Nevertheless, stepping down below was a revelation because, despite the 11.98’s relative narrowness, this remains a really decent space and I was also struck by the feeling of light. In Fuoroserie form the manufacturer has gone for a very simple no nonsense white interior with grey furnishings and it worked a treat even on a rather gloomy day. True it is very stark and manly with carbon fibre cupboards behind the settee berths in the saloon but I

ABOVE A sleek, easily driven hull is a key attribute of the 11.98 BELOW The interior on the slightly more cruising oriented Belissima model is simple but warm and stylish

liked it. Headroom was also good, with about 6ft 5in (1.96m) in the galley area, sloping down to 6ft (1.82m) in the forward cabin. The layout is fairly standard with the galley to port. This is L-shaped and has a small fridge and twin burner. There is a chart table to starboard which faces forward. There is an option to not bother with chart table and instead have more storage cupboards to starboard. The aft cabins are large and the double Berths are positively palatial with good standing headroom in the entrance. The heads is to starboard while the shower is completely separate in a corresponding cubicle to port. This to me is the most satisfactory set up for a yacht. Aside from that, there is a fixed saloon table and light wood floorboards. The forward cabin is a decent size with good headroom and twin doors for privacy which are also wide enough to provide a walkway for dragging sails in and out when required. The forward

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Boat test – Italia 11.98

berth is quite narrow towards the bow but not too bad. There was also decent storage underneath and hanging lockers to port and starboard. One thing I did note was that almost all the cupboard hatches seemed too flimsy and often flopped back open of their own accord. As someone who has spent a lifetime owning Italian cars, I can attest to the fact that this is far from unusual. In terms of the Bellissima model, the interior is kept simple, and minimal but a slight softening of the interior makes for a truly beautiful space that is stylish but also warm and welcoming and extremely practical for cruising at speed.

Under sail

We set out in very modest conditions with the breeze blowing between 8 and 12kts. The water was flat. You would think that this doesn’t sound very inspiring but I was still thoroughly looking forward to the sail as I knew this boat was going to perform. With the main and headsail up we ghosted along in 6-8kts of breeze, easily hitting 5kts. The helm was a dream: wonderfully sensitive and silky smooth. The handling was razor sharp and the boat just wanted to go. We were soon to provide it with the opportunity; bearing away a little, we unfurled the massive gennaker and the boat took off. The sail seemed huge and, although the boat was completely poised with masses of grip, I was quite grateful there was no more wind. Although this was of course partly because I was able to point much higher due to the modest conditions – plus with the boat now zipping along at 7-7.5kts we were starting to build up a decent amount of apparent wind. If the helm was easy, so were the sail controls, with the German mainsheet and traveller well places and the general set up of running rigging excellent. The boat was stiff and frankly I feel it an injustice to write an assessment of the performance based solely on this light air sail. If it is anything to go by though, I suspect that this boat is magnificent.

SAM’S VERDICT This is a boat that is a joy to sail and is a proven performer on the racing circuit. In Bellissima configuration it is also very stylish and comfortable down below. In a crowded market of cruiser/racers I think the Italia 11.98 trumps almost all by sticking to a very pure design brief. The

THE SPEC Starting price : €220,000 (ex. VAT) LOA: 11.98m (39ft 4in) LWL: 10.40m (34ft 1in) Beam: 3.98m (13ft 1in) Draught: 2.10m (6ft 11in) Displacement (light): 6,200kg (13,669lb) Ballast: 2,000kg (4,409lb) Sail area (100% foretriangle): 83.6sqm(900sqft) Engine: 30hp Water capacity: 200lt (44gal) Fuel capacity: 110lt (24gal) Sail area / displacement ratio: 25.2

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

brief is to flourish on the racecourse. Fortunately, this means that the interior still has adequate space for fast cruising. For me it makes for a beguiling mix. PERFORMANCE HHHHH PRACTICALITY:: HHHHH LOOKS: HHHHH

Is this the most realistic synthetic teak yet?

The EVO Decking mission was to create the most authentic looking decking solution available and indistinguishable from teak. EVO Decking have chosen the best pvc formula that provides longevity year after year. We boast the most comprehensive and realistic colour range on the market. EVO Decking is one of the world’s market leaders in the synthetic decking industry having many unique features which position it ahead of the competition. Our product is low maintenance and high quality. As you would expect it has excellent non-slip qualities, even when wet, and is UV stabilised. EVO Decking is an obvious choice for those seeking a high quality synthetic teak decking product. You can be condent that EVO Decking is the right choice for you.

02381 811 118

evodecking.co.uk

Buyers Guide – Decking

Faking it Fake decking has come a long way in a short time as Sam Fortescue discovers

ild teak is now so hard to get hold of that even some hardened fitters are moving away from the wood. And the quality of farmed teak is distinctly suspect, according to Chris Groves of Eco Marine Deck in Plymouth. “It is grown faster than wild teak,” he says. “It splits and moves and costs more to machine out the problems. That means the longest planking you can get is around 6ft because the grain isn’t straight.” This in turn pushes up the costs, because so much wood has to be rejected, and there can be remedial works required after fitting. Luckily, there is a whole clutch of alternative options available. The most common is PVC decking, like Permateek and Flexiteek, shaped and coloured to resemble teak. Groves himself swears by sustainable cork decking, which is also seeing a surge of interest. And then there are composite ‘woods’ and EVA foams as well.

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Each have different properties – soundproofing, heat insulation and ease of installation. But whatever material you choose, you’ll need to have the deck templated first. This is something you can do yourself with a kit costing less than £50, or you can pay a pro to do it – around £400-500 for a 40ft boat. After that, you can elect to fit the new deck yourself, or again shell out for a fitter. All the brands below say that DIY installation is possible, although in some cases, this will restrict you to a simpler design that lacks, for example, margins and kingplanks. Whether the deck is wood, glass fibre or metal, some simple preparation is required to level and key the surface. Then, with the PVC and EVA products, it is simply a question of peeling off the adhesive backing paper and sticking it down. With cork and composite, you will need to comb out adhesive.

Cork

Cork feels wonderful underfoot (see case study, below) and seals the deck very effectively. It is flexible and much easier to work with than hardwood, weighing barely half

ABOVE Flexiteek

that of teak planking of the same thickness. It also does a much better job of insulating against sound and heat, is naturally anti-slip and watertight. The final feather in its cap is that it is considered entirely sustainable, because stripping cork doesn’t kill the tree. Some even say that it should be considered a natural carbon sink. Cork requires no more maintenance than a wash with detergent, and will weather gently. It is available either as pure compressed cork, or cork-rubber composite.

Marine Deck 2000

The owner of Eco Marine in Plymouth, Chris Groves, was so impressed with the cork decking coming out of Portugal that in 2022, he became the sole UK and Ireland importer. Called Marine Deck 2000, the material is a composite of cork pellets and adhesive filler which has been in successful use for decades. It is claimed to have a very long life of 30 years or more, and can be easily repaired.

Planking costs £420/sqm including the primers, adhesive and caulking. Prefabricated from supplied templates, it costs £660/ sqm. For a 40ft boat, that equates to roughly £6,300 and £9,900 respectively, inclusive of VAT. “Any shipwright can lay the panels,” says Groves. “It’s easy to work with.” ecomarinedeck.co.uk

Oceancork

Produced in Germany from Portuguese cork, Oceancork comes in two variants: pure compressed cork and a rubber-cork mix. While the pure version is delivered in panels up to 200 x 90cm, the rubber cork comes in more flexible rolls up to 13m long. Oceancork is usually professionally laid in strips much like teak itself, albeit rather easier to handle. But DIY owners can also buy semi-finished bars, strips and jointed boards to

build up a better-looking deck. Supplier Multicork Solutions can also prefabricate the deck for you. multicork-solutions.com

ABOVE LEFT Marine Deck 2000 ABOVE RIGHT Ocean Cork

Elite Teak Cork

Elite Teak also manufactures and fits its own cork decking, which it has been supplying for 30 years. Costs here are around £500/sqm fitted. eliteteak.co.uk

PVC

The same material with which we make dinghy tubes, piping and even plastic bottles can also be extruded into ‘planks’ to make boat decks. Low maintenance, hard-wearing and non-slip, it is in many ways easier than real wood. It is lighter than teak, but has been developed to mimic it in colour and grain. The material has been in use for boat decking since the 1960s, when Dunlop launched Trakmark. There have

been some tweaks since then, with Tek-Dek now on its fifth generation. Flexiteek describes its products as “2G” and, along with Permateek, mixes in microbead fillers which reduce the weight, cost and heat absorption (which can be a problem when PVC decking is used in hot climates). The material can be applied to almost any deck substrate, and it is very easy to clean using just detergent and warm water. Stubborn stains and grease can be scoured off in line with the grain, and pressure washing once a year is also a good option. To remove small burns or scuffs, or to return some grain to the deck, you can even sand with a coarse 40-80 grit paper. Always do it by hand in short strokes running with the grain

Permateek

Comes in 14 different colours, including platinum, sandstone and walnut – with the typical choice

Replacing teak with cork When Peter (surname withheld) bought a 1976 vintage Vanderstadt Legend some 20 years ago, it had its original teak decking in very poor repair. “I couldn’t afford to have it replaced at the time,” he says, “so I had it all stripped off. It was laid in strips and glued, screwed every fourth plank, which had to be filled. But then cracks would form, plugs would pop out - it was a continuous repair job.” He weighed up the cost of having the deck re-gelcoated, then heard about cork decking from Chris Groves at Eco Marine Deck in Plymouth. “We liked the fact it would cover all the holes and cracks on the deck – it would seal it.” Eco Marine measured, templated and

installed the new deck, removing all the deck fittings first. “They removed the toe-rail, stanchions and shrouds, then put in Delron inserts where the shrouds come down, because you can’t screw hardware directly to the cork. If you want to make any other modifications on deck, get it done at the same time.” Peter took advantage to rerun the main halyard back to the cockpit. Now he says you can’t tell it isn’t teak until you’re up close. “It’s nice to look at and from a distance, you can’t tell the difference. It’s non-slip in deck shoes, but it’s so lovely to walk on barefoot, plus it’s easy to clean and quite robust. With the boat being quite a traditional shape, we anchor a lot

and did worry that the chain and anchor would damage it, but it doesn’t at all.” The cork has weathered lightly, so it doesn’t look brand new anymore. Costs were about half that of teak for the materials, and the same to fit. “It wasn’t cheap, but a lot less than teak.”

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Buyers Guide – Decking

of three caulks. The manufacturer offers three different service levels, ranging from full professional templating and fitting to selfcutting and fitting. In the latter case, which is the cheapest, the finish is necessarily less complex and lacks margin boards and any custom design. You simply buy in the requisite number of premade PVC sheets, which makes it difficult to get a good finish for long side decks. The best balance between finish and price is to do the templating and design work yourself, but get the decking segments made up for you. A simple polymer adhesive makes fitting straightforward. permateek.com

Flexiteek

Producing its first extruded PVC planks in 2000, Flexiteek is now on its second-generation product, which contains microbead fillers. This has the effect of cutting the weight of the decking, and reducing the amount of heat it transmits. It also reflects more heat than previously. Appearing as an option on new Grand Soleil, Hanse, Dehler and Moody yachts, Flexiteek is also commonly retrofitted. It is available in 11 colours; together with three caulking options, that gives a choice of over 30 deck styles. Flexiteek can be recycled (although most countries lack the public facilities for this) and the company donates £5 to the World Land Trust for every 10 sqms of decking it sells, seeing over 33,000 trees planted. Prices are £330-462/sqm for panels, depending on the detail. flexiteek.co.uk

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Tek-Dek

Made in the UK from pure virgin PVC, Tek-Dek describes itself as the ‘original’ synthetic teak manufacturer. Unlike other brands, Tek-Dek adds no fillers to the mix, arguing that this makes it more robust and even less susceptible to staining or fouling. Be that as it may, solid PVC is around one third heavier than the 2G product at 6kg/ sqm, and it also absorbs 30 per cent more heat, which might become noticeable in a hot climate. Tek-Dek is supplied in panels made to a presupplied template. The company’s website has a useful guide to drawing your own templates, or for around £400 you can get them to do it for you. There’s a choice of five colours, from orangey marabou teak to London blue, and you can opt for black, cream or grey caulking. A ballpark figure for decking a 40ft yacht amounts to some £9,180 including VAT for materials, and a further £1,200 for installation. tek-dek.com

Isoteak

This recently-launched Slovenian brand produces a 5mm-thick PVC decking product for DIY installation. You can either buy the

ABOVE LEFT Flexiteek ABOVE Tek-Dek BELOW Flexiteek

product in long strips that come rolled up and 150mm wide – the equivalent of three planks. Or buy it as large sheets costing from €204 per sqm. The company will also make up sections for you, based on a template. This costs from €264 per sqm, or from €324/ sqm if you want the classic margin planking around the outside. isoteak.com

Esthec

Containing neither wood nor harmful PVC, Dutch-made Esthec is different to anything else out there. It is largely a mixture of natural fibre in a thermoset resin, containing 85 per cent natural materials and 25 per cent recycled content. This makes it very strong, but also relatively heavy: Esthec weighs 7.8kg per sqm – nearly 75 per cent more than Flexiteek decking, for instance. But being supplied in sheets, with the caulk lines routed in and filled with a two-pack liquid, Esthec offers much more creative potential. Geometric shapes, writing, logos, texture and different colours are all possible, as are built in luminescence or lighting via optical fibre. The exclusive UK distributor is Moody Decking & Services, based in Fareham, Hants, and there are 12 standard colour options. It comes in slightly more expensive than teak planking. moodydecking.co.uk

Eco Teak

Another take on composite decking is Euro Design’s blend of teak dust from the furniture industry and HDPE from recycled drinks bottles. Available in three natural

Yachts & Yachting May 14.pdf

Sillette

24/03/2014

12:55

Traction Made Beautiful... The high performance non-skid deck coating.

THE BEST YOUR BOAT CAN GET

Made In New Zealand

Sillette.co.uk +44(0)1202 621631

Unit E4 Fort Wallington, Fareham, PO16 8TT. Tel 01329 232360 sales@vitessemarine.co.uk www.vitessemarine.co.uk/kiwigrip

RYA Sail and Motor Cruising Training Centre

Chatham Marina on River Medway 45 mins from London RYA Sailing & Motor Cruising Courses

Competent Crew • Day Skipper Coastal Skipper • Yachtmaster • Helmsman

Shorebased Courses

Day Skipper • Yachtmaster • On-line courses with on-line video classes

Plus

Around Britain Adventure Sailing Milebuilders • Fast-track Yachtmaster Own Boat Tuition • ICC

Call us: 01634 890512

Join the Elite Sailing Club Follow-on sailing, discounts & events

elitesailing.co.uk Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

tints – yellow, brown and grey – the resulting ‘planks’ contain additives to ensure the mixture remains UV stable and colourfast. And Euro Design should know what it’s talking about, because it is also a major supplier of real teak decking. The faux teak comes in 4mm planks that can be sized to a customer’s wishes. An installer would then cut, stick and caulk the planks just as they would for real wood. The company’s Peter Jonsson says that the composite absorbs a little more heat than traditional teak, but it costs around 30 per cent less to buy. It weighs in at 7kg per sqm once caulked. “It is the only luxurious alternative to real teak but also the only sustainable alternative product on the market,” says Jonsson. “We currently sell the material to the Nimbus boat group and Chris Craft, plus many non specified. However, we could make decking for sailboats.” genuineteakcomposite.com

EVA

EVA foam is lightweight, waterproof and hard wearing, and it has found a place as a deck covering material, particularly in sporty applications from skiffs to wakeboats. It is also popular on sailing boats where the comfortable, spongy texture makes it ideal for covering cockpit seats and coamings where you might want to perch. The material is certainly up to the demands of footfall, and can be produced in an endless array of colours and patterns, as well as in custom shapes and forms. Or, you can spec it to resemble the classic templated planking of a teak deck.

Seadek

Manufactured under licence in the UK, Seadek offers a palette which is unmatched. Choose from grained wood effect and dimpled textures, teak colours, primary colours and a range of camouflage designs. And then you can either lay it as a smooth sheet, resembling 2in or 4in planking, diamonds fractals or hexagons. It is also available in a new, even harder-wearing format called SeadekHD, designed for commercial or even military use, which has just been installed on the TP52 Gladiator. It has a durable outer shell which can be applied in single ply 5mm sheets, or laminated with any classic Seadek finish underneath. Either way, Seadek will make up panels to your measurements with a 3M peel-and-stick adhesive backing for simple installation. Standard Seadek costs from £182/sqm and can be fitted in a day for a fraction over £1,000. Seadekpro.uk

Wässerdek

Don’t be fooled by the name – this is also a British-made product. A handy ‘design your deck’ function on the website allows you to visualise the different

ABOVE RIGHT Seadek ABOVE LEFT Wässerdek BELOW Euro Deisgn

colours, textures and finishes before finalising your order. Options are a little more restrained, with seven colours, seven caulks and the choice of a planking, honeycomb or simple bordered pattern. Wässerdek will send you a templating kit to measure out the different panels you need, then make them up to fit yourself. Again, stick and peel adhesive makes it is easy to install. wasserdek.co.uk

GripTec

This is the brand name for the EVA foam distributed by Moody Decking in Fareham. moodydecking.co.uk

Accoya

Specially treated softwood can also make an excellent decking material. When British manufacturer Lignia went under, its assets were bought by Accoya, which also makes resinimpregnated, pressure treated planks. Its products come in either a rich teak look or a new, weathered grey – both with a lifespan of 2550 years and exceptional stability. Accoya doesn’t absorb a lot of heat and also bends well without losing dimensional stability. Under the Lignia brand, the wood won a DAME award in 2019 and has appeared on some very highend yachts, including the Spirit Yachts 44E. At around 7kg per sqm, its weight is similar to that of real teak, but costs are at least 20 per cent lower. Being produced in wooden planks, installation costs are identical to teak. The challenge may be finding a shipwright with the experience to fit it. accoya.com Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Atlantic Rally for Cruisers

Pause for thought

he Atlantic Rally for Cruisers truly is a phenomena. Every year it seems to get bigger as more and more sailors dreaming of escape finally grasp the nettle and head out into the big blue, following in the path of Christopher Columbus in search of adventure and the thrill of the unknown. As the event has expanded year on year, the organisers – World Cruising Club (WCC) – have been obliged to become increasingly innovative in their manner of handling the simply vast number of entrants. It’s tricky because if you send yachts out into the Atlantic too early, you are still in the tail end of the hurricane season and the weather can be, well, volatile. One solution that the WCC has hit

upon is to send a first wave of boats out which plunge further south than normal and stop in the Cape Verdes. This keeps yachts further away from the wild weather in early November and also provides a charming stopover. This has been christened ARC+ and headed out into the wild blue yonder on 5 November last year. An astonishing 96 yachts took part PHOTO: IGOR TICHONOW/ISTOCK

PHOTO: FRANKIX/ISTOCK

Every November the annual pilgrimage that is the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers sets off from Las Palmas. But does it pay to stop in the Cape Verde Islands? Sam Jefferson reports

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Sao Vicente in the Cape Verdes BELOW Marina Mindelo is the first stopover for ARC+ entrants

in the ARC+ with a further 159 yachts following in their wake as part of the ARC on 16 November.

The Cape Verde route

Taking the Cape Verde route is perhaps the ultimate expression of the cruising adage for crossing the Atlantic of ‘head south until the butter melts, then turn left’. The big headache for the WCC was always that the lack of infrastructure in the Cape Verdes meant the arrival of a huge fleet of boats put a big strain on the resources of the place. However, as you can imagine, the Cape Verdes authorities have been eager to address this problem in order to attract more sailors and there has been significant investment in Mindelo Marina which can now accommodate 310 yachts.

Paul Tetlow, World Cruising Club Managing Director, explained: “Every year we are seeing an improvement in the quality of facilities at Mindelo and they are now more than capable of accommodating the ARC fleet.” Benefits: There are many merits to taking the Cape Verde route. Indeed, after going boldly into the unknown in 1492, Christopher Columbus opted to take the Cape Verde route for his third voyage to the new world in 1498. This was wise but it’s worth remembering that he was still under the impression that the Caribbean was Asia, so not all good. Anyway, many transatlantic veterans argue for this slightly longer route for a range of very valid reasons. Jimmy Cornell, who founded the

WCC back in the 1990s and who set this cavalcade in motion, has studied the merits of the two routes in depth and come to this conclusion: “One important matter to stress is that whereas the prevailing winds between the Canary and Cape Verde Islands are northeast winds, these are not the regular trade winds, which only occur in lower latitudes.” He explains: “As a result, the first part of a transatlantic passage rarely benefits from consistent winds, which normally are only found in the latitude of the Cape Verde Islands. This is the reason why sailing a course on leaving the Canary Islands that passes close to the Cape Verde Islands is a strategy worth considering.” He also noted that from analysing average passage times collated up

ABOVE The ARC+ fleet takes its departure from Las Palmas bound for the Cape Verdes

Entries: 95 boats – 69 monohulls and 26 multihulls Crews: 456 people aged from 8 months to 88 years Children: 44 children aged 16 and under on board 20 boats Nationalities: 24 countries represented in the fleet, with roughly 30 per cent from the UK Smallest boat: Beneteau First 31.7 Freebooter at 9.85m(31.7’) and for multis, Moon Bird a Fountaine Pajot Mahe 36 at 11.03m. Approximately 10 per cent of the fleet is under 12m Largest boat: The Amel 60 MRS G is 20.05m (60’) and is sailed by a husbandand-wife team. The largest multi is Nuvem Magica (FRA) a 17.98m Outremer 51 Repeat performers: Just over 15 per cent of the fleet have sailed with World Cruising Club in previous rallies. Four yachts will continue cruising with World ARC, starting in January 2024 from Saint Lucia. Go to worldcruisingclub.com for more information Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

PHOTO: JAMES MITCHELL PHOTOGRAPHY

The ARC+ in numbers

Atlantic Rally for Cruisers

1 Santiago, landfall at Tarafall on the northwest corner of Santiago. You will think you have arrived in the Caribbean as you will be greeted by a beautiful white sand beach backed by palm trees. 2 Cuidad Vela, the original capital of the Cape Verdes, with its huge fort overlooking the anchorage and town is worth a visit. Then on to Paria, which is much better for stocking than Mindelo, then on to Brava and depart as above. 3 Mindelo Marina where you will find all the services you would expect at a marina. Or you can anchor out and leave your dinghy at the marina for a minimal charge. The city of Mindelo is most interesting as they are restoring a large number of the old magnificent Portuguese colonial buildings dating from the time when Mindelo was a rich major coaling port. 4 Then on to Praia. Do not anchor out, go to fishing harbour and arrange to lie alongside the pier or a fishing boat. Then to town to stock for Transatlantic. The open market is excellent for fresh produce, the supermarket good almost up to European standards. 5 The final stop to do last minute preparations for crossing the pond, Porto dos Ferrerios on the southwest corner of Brava. It is an excellent anchorage, fisherman’s sheds on the shore, a steep path leads up the hillside to a friendly bar and spectacular view of the anchorage.

PHOTO: JOESBOY/ISTOCK

Street’s guide to the Cape Verdes is available by going to seaworthy.com

to 2016 that the 1,177nm trip from Tenerife to Mindelo took an average of seven days and from there to Barbados in the Caribbean took 16 days, while a trip straight across took 22 days. Thus, even if you stopped off for a few days to relax, you didn’t lose much time. Don Street, another veteran of the Atlantic circuit is similarly enthusiastic about heading south and then taking some time out in the Cape Verdes. He explains: “I recommend not doing a Transatlantic crossing from the Canaries and here’s why; you’re much better off to head south 760 miles to the Cape Verdes booted along by the ever present African trades. I’ve done this making 170 miles per day and taking three and a half days. “From here you can go from Cape Verde to the Caribbean, again booted along by the ever present strong trades, 12 and a half days which is much nicer than leaving from the Canaries with erratic trades probably averaging 150mpd 17 days or more using the middle route.”

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Praia de Santiago with Santiago lighthouse in the foreground BELOW Freighters anchored off Mindelo

Drawbacks The northern great circle route is shorter and this is the route taken by most boats that win the ARC. However, these are often light weather fliers with big crews for sail changes. At present, the route takes you into the track of many migrants heading up to Senegal to the Canaries in Pirogues – large open fishing boats. Many of the people aboard are fishermen who are being pushed into destitution by over fishing in their local waters by Chinese, Russian and European factory fishing boats, many working without a licence. So far this year, some 30,000 people have made the hazardous trip across 1,000 miles of ocean and the Cape Verdes route is where this unsettling dichotomy of two very different forms of migration may meet. The advice from the WCC in the event that you encounter such a vessel is to notify the Spanish coastguard and then standby at a sensible distance as opposed to taking people aboard.

PHOTO: WIRESTOCK/ISTOCK

Street’s Whistlestop tour of the Cape Verdes

Jimmy Cornell has just finished revising the third edition of Cornell’s Ocean Atlas and he has focused on changes in the global weather conditions in recent years. He explains: "As the main safety threat in any of the world’s oceans are tropical storms, the latest edition of the atlas contains detailed information on tropical storms for the last 10 years."

PHOTO: JAMES MITCHELL PHOTOGRAPHY

Jimmy Cornell on climate change and the trade winds

Q: Are trade winds weakening? One of the most noticeable phenomena is the decrease in the regularity and reliability of trade winds, as witnessed by sailors on some of the frequently travelled ocean routes. Which routes have you seen the greatest change or most affect, and should cruisers be reconsidering any of the traditional cruising routes? The most travelled ocean route in the world is the transatlantic passage from the Canary Islands to the Eastern Caribbean, which is sailed every year by well over one thousand boats. Once regarded as one of the most reliable trade wind routes in the world, as the winds on the direct transatlantic route have become increasingly unreliable, the majority of sailors now prefer to sail a more roundabout route by attempting to reach as soon as possible the lower latitudes where there is a better chance of finding favourable winds before setting course for their destination.

Similar tactics also apply to one of the longest transocean routes from the Galapagos Islands to the Marquesas. As steady southeast winds can only be counted on well to the south of the Galapagos Islands, the accepted tactic is to sail an initial southwest or westsou'west course until the area of prevailing southeast trade winds is reached. Q: How do the Atlas and paper charts fit in with today’s available GRIB files and offshore weather forecasts? GRIB files are only of limited use as they only cover the initial stages of a long passage. The entire purpose of the atlas and its pilot charts is to assist in planning a voyage or a passage in any of the world’s oceans. Q: Did you find any positive changes, from prior editions of the Atlas? There is no doubt that global weather conditions are changing, slower in some parts of the world, faster than expected in others. All I can say that with careful planning it is still possible to set off on a long voyage even in these changing times but I must advise anyone planning to leave on such a voyage, the sooner you do it, the better. Cornell’s Ocean Atlas is available by going to cornellsailing.com

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Charter

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Holiday highlights 2024

PHOTO: CD WHEATLEY/ISTOCK

With the countdown to the sailing holiday season underway, now’s a good time to check out some of the new packages on offer for 2024 writes Sue Pelling

hose cold, blustery, damp days that are upon us as we reach the midway point of winter in the northern hemisphere act as a perfect reminder to check out what’s on offer for that dream sailing holiday for the forthcoming season. With new destinations, a fresh look at itineraries, and a host of interesting packages to choose from among the huge array of sailing holiday companies, there’s something for everyone. Picture the crystal clear, turquoise waters, steady warm breezes, and far-flung white beach-lined islands and you’ll get an idea of what to expect when you sign up for a charter or beach-based sailing holiday. As far as destinations go, Greece and Croatia, and the Caribbean continue to be firm favourites not least because of the almost guaranteed glorious sailing weather and the fact they suit a wide range of sailing abilities from entry level to more experienced sailors. In Greece for example, the further west you go such as the Ionian, the lighter the winds, which is ideal for those with no/ less experience. Further to the east there is a better chance of picking up a fresher breeze in the more open waters, which makes it ideal for those with more experience. For those looking at a shore-based beach holiday, check out Minorca Sailing, or Wildwind Sailing which not only operates from its flagship base in Vassiliki on the Greek Ionian Island of Lefkas, but which also runs Wildwind Mauritius, a smaller operation that’s open all year in the Indian Ocean. Simon Morgan – Wildwind CEO – says the company has something special planned in 2024 to celebrate 10 years at its Mauritius base: “We have a special party week in the first week of February, so keep an eye on our website for more details.” Wildwind Greece, which is proud to have won the British Travel Awards for the last three years, opens on 28 April and guests can look forward to its fresh look. Morgan continued: “After having upgraded our multihull fleet substantially in 2023 we are now putting an emphasis on the dinghies, refurbishing or replacing the bulk of our fleet. “We will be running our ILCA/Laser intensive weeks with our resident pro Aaron Smith. This is suitable for club racers or anyone wishing to get a good head start to their sailing season. We carry all rig sizes. And you’ll even have a chance to try out our foiling kit on one of our 14 ILCA/Lasers.” Another company to celebrate a milestone in 2024 is Sunsail at 50. To mark the occasion, the company is launching two brand-new, Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

one-off flotillas in Lefkas and The British Virgin Islands. The Lefkas flotilla departs on 19 May and the British Virgin Islands flotilla departs August. Sunsail is also launching a brand-new one-week flotilla route in Dubrovnik, Croatia, known as the Elafiti Flotilla, for the 2024 Mediterranean season. Jack Loomie from Sunsail/The Moorings marketing said it will be an exciting adventure: “With departures available from 26 May, the flotilla promises an exceptional blend of exploration, relaxation, and camaraderie for sailing enthusiasts.” Sunsail and The Moorings have also unveiled a new partnership with French sailing yacht manufacturer Dufour Yachts, and Loomie says the company is eagerly anticipating the arrival of its first batch of 25 Dufour Yachts in the Spring of 2024 for its

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Mediterranean destinations. “This will include four models between 37ft and 53ft, including the recently launched Dufour 37 and the very first batch of the brand-new Dufour 41s. The second and larger order will be manufactured in the Autumn 2024 for the Caribbean winter season 2024/2025, and for the Mediterranean 2025 season for both The Moorings and Sunsail. With Sunsail’s impressive 50-year legacy and Dufour Yachts celebrating 60 years in 2024, this partnership marks a new era of adventure on the high seas.” Elsewhere in the Charter and flotilla holiday sector, Charlie Allport from Sailing Holidays reports that this hugely popular charter company that specialises in Greece, Croatia and other Mediterranean hotspots has responded to demand and launched a three-week Corinth Cruise. “We

PREVIOUS PAGE Sandy Spit in the British Virgin Islands ABOVE LEFT Sail Ionian 'secret' hideout ABOVE RIGHT Sailing Holidays offers a host of stopoff ideas including Lakka Quay, at Nisos Paxos in the Ionian BELOW LEFT Nisos Paxos offers plenty of quiet anchorages too, particularly in the low season BELOW RIGHT A luxury Sunsail charter yacht is ideal for the whole family

are thrilled to announce an exciting one-off Corinth Cruise, starting on 2 June in Astrous on the Peloponnese coastline and finishing in Nidri, Lefkada. The flotilla will spend the first week or so exploring the beautiful Argolic gulf and Saronic Island chain, before navigating the Corinth Canal and spending the next week exploring the region. The final week will see the flotilla exiting the Gulf of Patras and sailing west into the Ionian. Here guests can relax into a slower pace with some shorter hops around our favourites in the South Ionian: Kioni, Frikes and Fiskardo to name a few!” For most charter companies sustainability is a priority which is why companies like Dream Yacht Worldwide continues its efforts on its mission to achieve sustainable sea-based vacations, and reports on nearly 22 electric yachts having

PHOTO: SUNSAIL

PHOTO: SAILING HOLIDAYS

PHOTO: SAIL IONIAN

Charter

ABOVE RIGHT Under full sail with Sail Ionian BELOW Taking it easy with Sunsail

itineraries on its comprehensive website. The 10-day interactive course across the West Indies and its iconic islands from Pointe à Pitre in Guadeloupe to Saint-Martin on a Challenge 67 yacht is a great way to combine a sailing holiday with tuition. Consider also a fullboard six-day catamaran cabin cruise in Madagascar on a Lagoon 380, which could be the ultimate way to relax while taking in the sights. Marin Susac, The Globe Sailor's UK/US market director says his company caters for all requirements: “For something different, look at the Montenegro private cruise on a 32m Gulet or the eight-day luxury cruise from Panama to Costa Rica on a 54m three-masted motor yacht. Whatever wishes you have, we can help tailor-make your dream holiday.”

PHOTO: SAIL IONIAN

In a summary of what guests can expect to see at Sail Ionian in 2024, Fletcher said: “In addition to the fleet of seven brand-new Bavaria yachts in 2023, the 2024 season will see at least another four joining the fleet – a Cruiser 37, C38, Open 40 catamaran and another C50. “New product launches for 2024 include Private Flotillas, plus we have early season offers on bareboat, flotilla or crewed charters and RYA Sea School courses in April and May. You can also secure your 2024 booking with just a £200 deposit until the end of the year.” The Globe Sailor – a leading European yacht charter agency that offers one of the largest selections of charter yachts worldwide – has plenty of new products for the 2024 season including a huge list of new sailing routes with clear, detailed

Useful contacts dreamyachtcharter.com sunsail.co.uk moorings.co.uk sailingholidays.com seafarersailing.co.uk wildwind.co.uk dragondrascombe.com sailionian.com samboat.co.uk theglobesailor.com click&boat.com lvyachting.com helm.yt

PHOTO: SUNSAIL

PHOTO: SAILING HOLIDAYS

joined the fleet within a year. It also has up to 90 new yachts arriving for its winter 2023/24 season based in the Caribbean, Bahamas, Australia, Mexico, Tahiti, and Sweden. Also, new for 2024 Dream announces its Cabin Charter in Croatia in its Sail Share programme where you can book a private cabin on a half board basis. Sail Ionian, based on the island of Lefkada, is also proud to endorse sustainable vacations and is passionate about driving green energy solutions forward. Among its many sustainable attributes, the company says it introduced lithium batteries to 35 per cent of its charter fleet in 2023 in addition to solar panels and electric outboards. Tom Fletcher added: “We are also currently working on installing air conditioning running from solar panels and lithium batteries on our small yachts.”

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Three of the best

aid p ax T 90 9 , 9 25

BROKERAGE | BOATS FOR SALE

£2 50 ,00 0T ax pa id

BAVARIA VISION 42 | HALCYON SWEDEN YACHTS 50

PAPER MOON

Timeless good looks by Peter Norlin and Jens Ostman grace the Sweden Yachts 50, Paper Moon, exuding 90’s glamour. She has recently undergone a nautical makeover, with almost every aspect receiving an update, yet she retains her classic charm. Major upgrades include a new Yanmar 110hp engine, a new Flexiteek deck, replacement of the standing rigging, and, of course, sublime sailing aided by her new 2022 North Sails. Paper Moon is exceptionally well-prepared and turnkey ready for new owners.

The sought-after Bavaria Vision Line of yachts offers a notably higher level of trim and finish than the standard Bavaria models. The Farr-designed shallow draft keel version is a versatile option for extensive cruising allowing greater access to tidal rivers and marinas. Halcyon is in tip top condition having only clocked up 244nm since new (at time of listing) and she has a high level specification including Bavaria’s ‘Advanced’ Navigation Package comprising a full suite of B&G equipment, both bow and stern thruster, heating system and, importantly, the light oak interior upgraded joinery.

Year: 1990

Year: 2020

LOA: 15.25m (50’)

LOA: 12.80m (41’.9”)

Beam: 4.35m (14’3”)

Beam: 4.05m (13’3”)

Draft: 1.98m (6’6”)

Draft: 1.72m (5’6”)

Displacement: 14,500kg

Displacement: 10,228kg

Keel type: Wing

Hull Construction: Glass fibre

Keel: Shallow draft

Engine: 1 x Yanmar 4GM, 110hp

Engine: Volvo D2-50

Designer: Peter Norlin/Jens Östman

Designer: Farr Yacht Design

Accommodation: 9 berths in 3 cabins

Accommodation: 4 berths in 2 cabins & saloon berths

Location: Ipswich, Suffolk

Location: Southampton, Hampshire

Contact: bertoninternational.com

Contact: michaelschmidt.co.uk

craftinsure quote: £POA

craftinsure quote: from £645.54/pa

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

£2 Tax9,95 pa 0 id

HUNTER CHANNEL 27 | MOONDANCE The Hunter Channel 27 is the final evolution of the hugely successful Hunter range at this size, designed by David Thomas and combining many years of refinements into an excellent all-round twin keel cruising yacht with a self-tacking jib for easy shorthanded sailing and a modern and comfortable interior. Offered with fin and twin keel configurations they were very well received. However, initial feedback suggested that they were possibly a little under powered both under sail and engine. Hunter took this on board fitting a larger MKII rig to later boats, and some of the last made also had a twin cylinder engine instead of the slightly overworked Yanmar 1GM10 which was fitted as standard. Moondance is a highly desirable late twin keel version fitted with the MKII rig, built to an upgraded spec from new, and her current engineer-owner has installed a very good low-hours Yanmar 2GM20 engine to help when punching the tide or on longer motoring passages. She is very well presented and has a great inventory including upgraded nav gear, diesel heating, and even a fridge, so early viewings are highly recommended.

Year: 2003 LOA: 8.3m (27’) Beam: 2.8m (9’2”’) Draft: 1.097m (3’6”) Displacement: 2,590 kg Keel type: Twin Hull Construction: Glass fibre Engine: Yanmar 2GM20 18hp diesel inboard Designer: David Thomas Accommodation: 6 berths in 2 cabins Location: Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex Contact: clarkeandcarter.co.uk craftinsure quote :: from £200.78/pa Insure your yacht with Craftinsure - boat insurance at the touch of a button. Get a quote online or call today: craftinsure.com; 0345 2607 888 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Classified

To advertise call +44 (0) 7715 631379 or email mark.harrington@chelseamagazines.com

DINGHY COVERS

BOATS FOR SALE

www.rainandsun.co.uk Dinghy covers

rain .co.uandsun k

Tel:

023

803

4 88

Call Philip Bull on 023 8034 8854 INSURANCE

From dinghies to yachts, we’ve got you covered.

31 FOOT CRUISING YACHT BY SHE. A Sparkman and Stephens designed sailing sloop, with a black GRP hull, teak deck, beautiful lines and shape. Fully equipped for sailing, roller reefing and GRP/Radar installed 2011. New Nanni 21 hp engine and seacocks. Down below: 4 berths, leather upholstery, cooking galley,separate toilet and washing area. £9000 Tel 07971 010186 / (NEWRY)

01636 707606 www.noblemarine.co.uk

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Calls maybe recorded. Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

BOATS FOR SALE

LAURENT GILES ‘JOLLY BOAT’. Excellent condition, gaff rig + topsail, 15ft, a great day-sailer. Price is ONO. £5450 Tel 07879 434065 / (EXETER)

Boat Insurance made easy Get a quote in 20 seconds On cover in 2 minutes Low on-line premiums Get the App - craftinsure.com/app

craftinsure.com 03452 607888 Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

24 FT CRUISER QUARTER TONNER. Now fully antifouled for season. Fully Restored (thousands spent) and going fast. 4 berth, fin-keel, open-plan cruiser. Good family boat, self draining cockpit. Re-masted, rerigged, re-keeled, new rudder. Laminate sails little used. 3.5hp outboard. Full recent survey yard trolley available. Must be seen. £4950 Tel 07765 900259 / (CARDIFF) LASER 218276. An Ice Blue Laser with full HD rig, carbon top mast, new combi trailer, full covers, sailed twice as my knees reminded me how old I was ! In essence a new boat at a reduced price. In New condition. £4750 Tel 01952 850330 / 07813 206667 (TELFORD ) MARAUDER (MIRROR 14). 14 foot racing dinghy with spinnaker & trapeze. With launching trolley and boom-up cover. £200 Tel 07913 604 574 / (STAINES)

www.sailingtoday.co.uk | www.yachtsandyachting.co.uk 96

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

COLVIC WATSON 29 MOTOR YACHT. Recently reconditioned. 5 berths. BMC 48 hp Marine Diesel Engine.New carpets, cushions, headlinings. New comms radio/GPS. New Genoa. Constructed 1979 with only 2 owners from new. Twin keels. £21750 Tel 01494 673802 / 07925 287279 (POOLE) 49ER FX 1215. Fixed wing boat, in good condition with aluminium launch trolley, top and bottom covers. Ideal starter boat in the class. May be able to help with delivery. £3500 Tel 07738 984826 / (TYNEMOUTH)

Classified

To advertise call +44 (0) 7715 631379 or email mark.harrington@chelseamagazines.com

BOATS FOR SALE BARBARY KETCH OCEAN RATED SINGLE HANDED. Captain Nancy is a ketch motor sailor 9.91 m length. Accom 6 in 3 cabins. 1973. Eberspacher heating. Electric windlass. Recon Merc 42hp. Long encapsulated keel. View web on Suffolk Boatshed. Scotland Bute Rothesay Marina plus mooring site near marina and Kyles of Bute/survey and photos Offers? £18000 Tel 07917 832254 / 01539 433156 (ROTHESAY ) POOLE AB 36. Varnished mahogany finish, good condition. Dry stored 20 years. Reluctant sale, lady owner ageing. Fast boat with many club wins. Elvstrom self-bailer, oars, 2 suits sails. Original Measurement Cert signed By Harry Poole. Launching trolley. Inspection welcome. Price reduced because end of season. £100 Tel 07752 623550 / 01292 610919 (AYR) LASER 2000. In good condition complete with top cover, launch trolley & combi road trailer. £2950 Tel 07738 984826 / (TYNEMOUTH)

FITTING OUT

SALCOMBE YAWL Y111. Beautiful wooden Salcombe Yawl, approx 10’. Approx 1977, Stored under cover. Life jackets, outboard motor, compass. Offers accepted. £3000 Tel 07775 077070 / (GAINSBOROUGH) RIGID BOAT WINDSCREEN - NEW. Brand new acrylic windscreen. £590 Tel 07714 259616 / (OBAN) 2014 FOUNTAINE PAJOT MAHÉ 36 EVOLUTION CATAMARAN With Volvo Penta engine. £80000 Tel 07448 321901 / (DOVER)

CLOTHING MUSTO LARGE HPX OCEAN GORETEX JACKET. Large size Ocean Jacket colour Bright Yellow. As New (Worn Twice) Unmarked. massive saving on new price. £375 Tel 07754 337398 / (CHICHESTER) TRAPEZE OR SKIFF BOOTS. Gill Boots size 51/2 [TRADE]. £10 Tel 0161 793 1787 / 07975 901478 (MANCHESTER)

To advertise please call Mark on +44 (0) 7715 631379

OTHER EQUIPMENT

CATALOGUE ISSUE 16

Rubber seals and trims for the marine industry

FREE, fully illustrated catalogue Please visit our website or call SOLVE YOUR SEALING PROBLEMS MARINEINDUSTRIALCARAVANAUTOMOTIVE

01425 617722

Seals+Direct Ltd, Unit 6, Milton Business Centre, Wick Drive, New Milton, Hampshire BH25 6RH Email: sales@sealsplusdirect.co.uk

MARINEINDUSTRIALCARAVANAUTOMOTIVE MARINEINDUSTRIAL

www.sealsdirect.co.uk

www.yachtsandyachting.co.uk

T: (01929) 554308 The Sail Loft, 16 Sandford Lane Ind Est, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 4DY

www.kempsails.com

LEATHER STEERING WHEELS

YACHT DELIVERIES

LEATHER WHEEL COVERING KITS • For all wheel sizes and sprayhood grab rails • Leather Spinnaker pole covers • Handy Pull Tags to open Shackles • Suppliers of Marine Leathers to Sailmakers & Riggers

Clyde Marine Leather www.clydemarineleather.com T. 0141 881 4981

SAILING SCHOOL Clyde_RYA_Win_16.indd 1

LASER PICO PLUS. Laser Pico Plus (13379) Combi trailer/ launch trolley Mylar main& jib also standard blue & white main / jib Foil bag & carbon tiller - very clean boat. £1100 Tel 07879 481467 / (NORWICH)

KAD43-P STERNDRIVE MARINE ENGINE. Up for grab is my KAD43-P Sterndrive marine engine. Ready to bolt up to your DP-E Sterndrive. This unit came out of a low hour (1000hrs). £12000 Tel 20836 64108 / (BOISE, USA)

COMET DINGHY C416. Lake sailed comet peacock blue hull with sail centreboard rudder mast, boom halyards wind indicator and launching trolley kept under cover, log book included. £500 Tel 01726 832525 / (ST AUSTELL )

VOLVO PENTA D6-370I-B BT MARINE ENGINE. Approximately 1000 hours engine and aftercooler serviced and painted, heat exchanger was also reconditioned. Everything works perfectly. £16000 Tel 20836 64108 / (BOISE, USA)

Don’t miss our sister title

NEW

SAILS

01/11/2016 09:55

NAVIGATING SUCCESS

Combine your academic studies with our leading sailing programme

Scholarships and Bursaries available ROYALHOSPITALSCHOOL.ORG Independent

Co-educational

Boarding & Day

Ages 11-18

STORAGE 34395

WORKSHOPS/STORAGE UP TO 24' (7.3M) LONG

Great for use as a garage/workshop or storage area for boats, projects, etc

“Great product and would

highly recommend it, great Tough, triple-layer, waterproof value. Installed on my cover Fully UV treated for driveway to house my old car and does the job brilliantly.” long-term protection Heavy-duty, See www.machinemart.co.uk powder-coated steel tubing Ratchet tightening to ensure drum-tight cover Includes ground anchoring system

MODEL SHOWN CIG81220

FROM ONLY

.00 279EXC.VAT LENGTH UP £ .80 TO 24' 334INC.VAT

chelseamagazines.com

ZIP CLOSE DOOR

Model size (LxWxH) CIG81015 4.5 x 3 x 2.4m CIG81020 6.1 x 3 x 2.4m CIG81216 4.9 x 3.7 x 2.5m CIG81220 6.1 x 3.7 x 2.5m CIG81224 7.3 x 3.7 x 2.5m

exc.VAT £279.00 £349.00 £329.00 £399.00 £499.00

inc.VAT £334.80 £418.80 £394.80 £478.80 £598.80

5 EASY WAYS TO BUY...

CALL & COLLECT AT STORES TODAY

CLICK & COLLECT OVER 10,500 LOCATIONS

IN-STORE 65 SUPERSTORES NATIONWIDE

TELESALES 0115 956 5555

ONLINE machinemart.co.uk

www.sailingtoday.co.uk | www.yachtsandyachting.co.uk Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2024

Jess Lloyd-Mostyn The nightmare threat of a lightning strike on a yacht should be kept in perspsective... monitored but not feared says Jess

remember lightning storms on summer holidays in the Mediterranean when I was a child. The sky was alive with bright, crackling white fire, and the soundtrack of thunderclaps gave me goosebumps. It seemed so foreign and strange to me, so wild and menacing. Our first real lightning storms at sea were when we sailed across the Atlantic. The forks and flashes were far off, and I learned that you can see lightning up to 100 miles away. This made it less intimidating; I relaxed and began seeing it as rather beautiful, something that punctuated the hours of nightwatch mid-ocean. At anchor, lightning is just one note of the deluge of rain and low bass rumble of a thunderstorm that gets shut outside of the safe and cosy liveaboard life. We monitor it but don’t fear it. Underway, being in the midst of a lightning storm is an altogether different prospect. Various passages we sailed in South East Asia took us through intense lightning zones. Approaching Belitung, Indonesia, the regularity of the flashes, sheets and cracks of the lightning were almost like a firework show; the sky was ablaze with so much blinding light and the constant fast tempo of it made us marvel how we didn’t get struck. Yet lightning is a fickle and erratic thing. It can strike the boat next to you but spare yours. One hit to your mast can instantly take out all electronics and electrics on board. That makes you think of chartplotters, GPS and VHF but it can spread to things like electric windlasses, winches, bilge pumps, generators, house and starter batteries, alternators and even the engine itself. All gone, poof, kaput, utterly wrecked in an instant finger-click of bad luck. It is the background threat of this type of damage that makes most sailors check their insurance contract fine print for lightning clauses and make sure they stump up for the annual premiums. Sometimes it will leave your electrics untouched but blow a hole clean through the hull instead. The dread of this terrifying possibility made me think more about why this happens and how to avoid it. A mast is, unfortunately, a giant lightning rod, making it the most likely thing to get hit. The taller the mast the more the odds stack against you. Lightning seeks the fastest, easiest way to get to the ground and is attracted

to conductive materials; the closer these are to the source, the greater the risk. The electrical current of the lightning wants to travel down an aluminium mast into the heart of a boat, jumping from wire to wire wherever it finds them, rather than down through the stainless-steel standing rigging because steel is less conductive than aluminium. Since there is nothing we can do to stop the lightning strike, at best we can try to channel it, diverting the electrical charge out into the sea. Home-remedies of wrapping chain round the mast and over the sides are impractical. Whereas a systematic bonding of all the metal components using heavy conductors, creating an exit path to the water, through the keel or prop shaft, is likely to give you a fighting chance. Steel or aluminium-hulled boats have a significant head start as the entire hull has the ability to act like a Faraday cage, allowing the current to pass through and discharge the electrical energy into the surrounding water. We have friends with a steel boat who recorded video of a storm they went through at anchor in Queensland, Australia. They have footage of a direct lightning bolt hit to their mast and yet, amazingly, their sailboat suffered no damage whatsoever. Yachts made of glass fibre or wood make it much harder for the lightning to escape. The power of a single bolt of lightning can be around 300,000 million volts. Our 12 and 24 volt systems cannot cope with that kind of power ricocheting around which is why the damage can be so dramatic and extensive. Our friend’s trimaran in Singapore had three holes blown through the hull as the lightning tried frantically to reach the water. He didn’t find them straight away but went on board and noticed water coming in. It was oddly coloured white as the lightning had also punched a hole through a carton of milk he had out in the galley. Fortunately, he could beach the boat at high tide to avoid her sinking altogether. Lightning combines extraordinary unpredictability, incomparable power and destructive potential. Added to a world dominated by wind and sea it might seem even more daunting. But sailors have vulnerability and courage in equal measure. We cross our fingers, pay our insurance, and try to relax.

JANUARY 2024 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

JESS LLOYDMOSTYN Jess and James left the UK in 2011 in their Crossbow 42 and have sailed halfway round the world, growing their crew en route. Follow their journey at water-log.com

ILLUSTRATION HOLLY ASTLE

‘It can strike the boat next to you but spare yours’

Iconic

Design and Sparkling Sailing Performance.

Visit us at Boot Düsseldorf 2024 20. - 28. Januar 2024

VIP registration:

Elan E6

https://share.hsforms.com/ 1SPxtzumIQGCs9Tcsz6IKHA3jg27

Elan I43

BoatPoint

GREAT HARBOUR YACHTS

Deacons Marina, Bridge Rd, Bursledon, Southampton SO31 8AZ, UK

James Watt Dock Marina East Hamilton Street Greenock, PA15 2UT, UK

www.boatpoint.co.uk +44(0)2382 120 000

sales@greatharbouryachts.co.uk www.greatharbouryachts.co.uk T +44(0)3303321120 | M +44(0)7805828418

WHY CHOOSE US?

• Sails designed using the latest software. • Manufactured to the highest standard of excellence in ﬁnishing and durability. • Competitive pricing and short lead times.

Visit us at: The Slipway, Hamble Point Marina. SO31 4JD sales@hydesails.co.uk | +44 (0)2380 457 779