with THE BRITISH
YACHTING AWARDS 2025
JANUARY 2026 £5.75
ALL THE WINNERS REVEALED
SWAN OF A KIND
CURRENT AFFAIRS Is it time to upgrade to an electric motor?
GREEN MACHINE Leopard's eco friendly catamaran on test
YOUTH REVOLUTION The young guns chasing racing glory
SCILLY TO SKYE A solo voyage with a difference
The new Swan 51 put through her paces
Basalt water tale The Rolex Middle Sea Race is the final conclusion to the Mediterranean racing season and one of the visual highlights is rounding the volcanic island of Stromboli, off Sicily. Here, eventual winner Black Jack cuts a dramatic silhouette as she races home Photo: Rolex/Kurt Arrigo
Project Manaia
GREEN DAYS Noted high latitude explorer Bob Shepton dabbles his toes in the mediterranean and sails from Greece to Malta via Sicily as part of an environmental initiative 36
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Boat test – Swan 51
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JANUARY 2026 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting
SWAN AND ONLY Nautor Swan is not just a boatbuilder, it’s an institution that speaks of quality and luxury. Its new 51 therefore has a lot to live up to. Sam Jefferson takes it for a spin
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Charter –what’s new for 2026
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DREAM ON
PHOTO: NAUTILUS
A host of interesting packages for 2026 with new destinations, and a fresh look at itineraries, means now is the time to consider a dream sailing holiday in the sun writes Sue Pelling
lthough the dreary northern hemisphere winter weather is well and truly upon us, it’s not all doom and gloom because this is the time of year for dreaming about the great escape and signing up for the ultimate sun-drenched, summer sailing holiday. According to the holiday companies we spoke to, the booking process for the 2026 season is well underway with many not only reporting higher than usual bookings, but also noticing a trend that clients are becoming more adventurous, which is opening the doors to new cruising options. Adi Tognarelli – co-founder, Plain Sailing – said there are new cruising grounds opening up in Albania for example: “Hopefully it won’t be too long before you can sail all the way from Italy to Greece, via Croatia and Montenegro. We’re also taking our first bookings for French Polynesia and the Maldives, as people look for new areas to explore. Another interesting trend which is expanding further afield is the charter catamaran craze that hit Croatia and Greece in recent years. Tognarelli added: “This also seems to be happening in Turkey, with our charter partners adding more catamarans than monohulls this year, perhaps showing a sign that people prefer the comfort and space they offer over the clean lines and sail performance of a monohull.” Greece, Croatia, and the Caribbean are popular destinations for the UK market because as well as the glorious sailing weather at the height of the season virtually guaranteed, these locations 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 more chance of picking up a fresher breeze in the more open waters, which makes it ideal for those with more experience. Sunsail says it is preparing for an exciting 2026 with several new and returning sailing experiences. Caroline Barbour – Sunsail, marketing manager UK/ZA/AU – highlighted its new Lefkas Hidden Harbours flotilla which offers a fresh perspective on Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting JANUARY 2026
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Jess Lloyd-Mostyn Jess says that returning to the UK on holidays highlights the contrasting ways in which her children have been raised compared with their land-dwelling counterparts ignored. But saying “selamat pagi” in Malaysia or “Buenas noches” on the streets of Mexico is an everyday routine courtesy, especially from young children. It’s perhaps expected that they consider the general public in the UK to be somewhat aloof given the parallels they have felt. I’m often on the alert for how streetwise they can be. When crossing the street, which way to look? I always encourage them to look both ways on both sides as they’ve lived in so many different driving systems, although donkeys and monkeys are both less likely on the roads here. They know that in Bali there are taxis and fake taxis, which are almost identical in their signage and graphics; in Thailand we all pile into ‘tuktuks’, but in eastern Indonesia we ride in crowded “bemo’ buses with music blaring, whilst in central America we travel on old US school buses, covered in graffiti murals, and repurposed as “collectivos”. They also have a wider variety of milestone reference points that punctuate their year. Our family always observe Christmas and birthdays but the only tradition we hold to is to embrace it being different each time, in each part of the world. They know of mothers’ day being celebrated across a whole host of different months and in different ways. Other celebrations that we’ve incorporated into our calendar are things like Chinese New Year, Día de Muertos, and Independence days or National days depending on where we are. I suppose it’s important to acknowledge that they are what is known as “third culture kids”. The three of them are British, with British parents, born on three different continents. And part of our sailing journey has been their education in many varied and rich, contrasting cultures, observing a number of different ways of living and values. Add to that the rules, beliefs and principles of living on the ocean, of being part of a team, and it’s really no surprise that they’re kind of unique. Yes, it’s a childhood where they’ve had the importance of flexibility, empathy and autonomy demonstrated to them and highlighted as much as possible. So the use of a toaster or the questioning of the price at a supermarket doesn’t matter to me nearly so much as them having a sense of who they are both as individuals and as a crew. And some of it rubs off the other way too, as I smile and say “hello” in the street all the time now – raised eyebrows be damned. ILLUSTRATION HOLLY ASTLE
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y kids are confused. Whenever we have a holiday away from the boat, visiting friends and family in the UK, it becomes very apparent to us that they have been raised quite differently from their landdwelling counterparts. They simply have a singular frame of reference for things, a more diverse spectrum of experiences and what they consider to be ‘normal’ can definitely result in a raised eyebrow or two. Toasters, for example, flummox them. Sounds odd I know. They love toast and have a thing for sourdough bread. However, making toast onboard our sailboat involves using the grill of our oven, something that they know how to operate. So, when confronted with a shiny silver device atop a kitchen counter with unfamiliar buttons, dials and a lever, they turn to us in utter confusion as to how it works. And any nearby adults snigger or mutter comments under their breath about ‘common sense’. Likewise, when it comes to other eating habits, our children understandably have been subjected to a multitude of practices. So, whereas at my parents’ house the norm might be tablecloths and napkins, side plates, dinner plates and an assortment of knives and forks for them to decipher, they are also very comfortable to dive into eating with their hands and roti breads, using a banana leaf plate when we share a meal with friends in Kuala Lumpur. Similarly, their food preferences often tend toward the exotic. If one of our well-meaning aunts asks if they’d like a little snack they will most likely request some rambutan or pomelo, chicken satay or dumplings, tostadas or ceviche as opposed to a more predictable order for a cheese and ham sandwich. They are comfortable haggling for fresh produce in markets, something that is very ordinary in most of Sout East Asia. Understandably, they are surprised that the price of millionaire shortbread in our local branch of the Co-op is a fixed thing, non-negotiable. And then, when we’re walking down the street, there is a whole other world of what is considered ‘normal’ to navigate. Saying “good morning” and “hi” on the streets of London is, sadly, very rarely done these days, and their overtures of polite friendship mostly go
“They consider the general public in the UK to be somewhat aloof ”
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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.