with
SUMMER SAILING
"I
WAS
MORE AFRAID OF LOSING THAN DYING"
Ted Turner's Fastnet '79 victory remembered
Regattas, races and dream destinations
Previous winner reveals secrets of his success
ROUND BRITAIN & IRELAND
COWES WEEK
200th anniversary promises fireworks
CREAM OF THE WEST COUNTRY
Cruising Devon and Cornwall
CRUISING PIONEERS
The Riddle of Erskine Childers
New boats
Sam Jefferson looks at the latest designs and launches
French manufacturer JPK yachts has established an extremely strong reputation for building racing yachts with boats such as the JPK 1050 picking up many prizes. Yet the boatbuilder does also dabble in the world of fast cruising, and the JPK 48FC is its latest launch aimed at those who like to go cruising at high speed. This is the successor to the 45FC and the boat has been tweaked somewhat, incorporating much of what it had learnt from the JPK 1050 in order to create a boat that will plane earlier with increased stability downwind, and reduced pitching. Down below, the layout has been revised to improve ergonomics, while on deck, the running rigging set-up has been adjusted to ensure the boat is easily handled even if short handed. jpk.fr
Dufour 39
Dufour Yachts is one of the big three mass producers of monohulls in France and it has been in the process of revamping its range over the last few years. Using its go-to designer Umberto Felci, the company has significantly upped the internal volume of its yachts by introducing fuller forward sections above the waterline. This gives a yacht plenty of power in heavy winds but ensures wetted surface area remains low in light winds so performance isn’t compromised. The 39 is the latest addition to the fleet and is the second smallest yacht in the range. As with all the fleet, she combines high volume, striking styling and ease of handling. dufour-yachts.com
Swan 73
One for the dreamers here perhaps but the Nautor Swan 73 is quite attainable by the recent standards of the shipyard, being towards the smaller end of its range –classed as just below a Maxi. Swan has pitched this yacht as a cruiser/racer that can deliver the best of both worlds but it’s certainly quite some distance away from its very radical ClubSwan designs. As usual with this company in recent years, the hull is designed by German Frers with hull styling by Luca Ardizio, and interior design by Blend Studio. The results are pleasing to the eye and her hull lines are finer than many rivals, suggesting an easily-driven hull that should behave well on long ocean passages. Ease of handling is flagged up as a feature of the yacht but it is definitely a boat set up with having a full time crew in mind. nautorswan.com
JPK 48 FC
Palanad 4
Followers of the RORC Transatlantic Race over the winter months may have had their eye drawn to this rather wild looking Sam Manuard design. Palanad 4 was launched last autumn and raised a few eyebrows with her extreme scow bow and radical hull lines. Any cynicism around the design dissipated when she swept the board during the RORC Transatlantic Race, averaging 17.68kts for the duration of the 3,500nm crossing. Palanad 4 is designed to compete in IRC and, according to her designer, essentially a scaled up Mini Transat. The design features a canting keel, twin rudders and twin daggerboards. The result is a boat the is a tremendous performer off the wind, so she revelled in the predominantly downwind conditions enjoyed on the transatlantic race. The next test will be how she performs during the European season where conditions will be more varied. jps-production.com
Pogo 50 (2)
Speaking of fast cruisers, French manufacturer Pogo is the past and present master of the exceedingly quick planing cruiser. This company’s boats have always been quite extreme while still catering for the cruising market. The 50 is at the top end of its current size bracket and replaces its current flagship – also confusingly named the Pogo 50. This Finot/Conq design clearly draws on the latest IMOCA designs to produce a hull with plenty of volume forward combined with broad aft sections and twin rudders for pace and control when planing off the wind. The 50 is designed as a liveaboard and, despite its clear performance credentials, it has plenty of internal volume and a lifting keel which allows easy access to out-of-the-way anchorages. Pogostructures.com
CREAM OF THE WEST COUNTRY
The west country has always been a sailor’s paradise. Barry Pickthall rediscovered its beauty on a trip from the Scilly Isles to Dartmouth –and picked out some highlights for you
THE LIGHT FANTASTIC
The Beneteau First 36 is a yacht that took Beneteau back to its roots of fast, uncomplicated sailing. Sam Jefferson takes it for a spin with co-designer Lorenzo Argento
SPICE OF LIFE
From the vibrant reefs of the Indo-Pacific to the aromatic shores of East Africa, now is the time to consider your next high-seas charter adventure writes Sue Pelling
Don’t let the arrival of the UK summer distract you from the inevitable winter chill. Planning your tropical getaway now, will offer you a guaranteed antidote to the forthcoming winter doom and gloom.
Thankfully, as global demand for remote travel surges, more and more companies have expanded operations with places like Thailand and Australia, and spice-scented shores of Zanzibar and Madagascar, now even more accessible.
Few places however, capture the ‘desert island’ dream like French Polynesia. Whether you’re drifting through Bora Bora’s famous lagoons or navigating the dramatic cliffs of the Marquesas, this is South Pacific yachting at its finest.
The Indian Ocean with places like the Seychelles, the Maldives, Madagascar, Mauritius and Zanzibar with their coconut palm tree-lined castaway islands and white powder sand beaches are also what charter holiday dreams are made of.
These favourite tropical sailing holiday destinations are well covered by a huge range of companies such as Seafarer Sailing Holidays, Viravira, Sunscape Yachting, Sunsail, The Moorings, and Hinde & Kitch. Hinde & Kitsch, which specialises in bespoke sailing experiences offering detail-driven charter holiday planning, from yacht selection to route design and experience-led advice, is seeing a marked interest in these areas.
Archie Hinde, Co-Founder Hinde & Kitch says these sorts of escapes are on the increase: “Bookings for exotic destinations are significantly up this year. More and more clients are seeking unusual, off-the-beaten-track experiences and Norway, Zanzibar and French Polynesia have all seen notable increases in interest.”
Viravira – one of Europe’s largest yacht charter agencies – also reported a rise in demand in these tropical areas, with travellers open to discovering new regions and alternative experiences. Serkan Erdogmus, CMO &
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A catamaran is a good choice for an exotic charter with Viravira PHOTO:
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The Maldives offers everything you’d expect from an exotic charter holiday
THE CRAFT BEHIND THE VOYAGE
There are plenty of reasons to visit Southampton International Boat Show: the latest boats to step aboard, gear to compare, talks to get inspired by and, inevitably, all those bits of chandlery you didn’t know you needed until you saw them.
But this year, sailors would do well to add the Wooden
Why the Wooden Boat Stage at the forthcoming Southampton International Boat Show belongs on every sailor’s hit list ABOVE
Boat Stage to their show plan. e Wooden Boat Stage returns to the show from 18–27 September 2026 with an expanded presence, following a strong debut year in 2025.
Created by the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis, the Wooden Boatbuilders’ Trade Association, and Women in Boat Building, the stage has been designed to celebrate the
Everyone is welcome to make the most of all the activities planned for the Wooden Boat Stage
skills, stories and people keeping wooden boatbuilding very much alive. New for 2026, the Wooden Boat Stage A oat will also bring a number of standout wooden boats onto the water, giving visitors the chance to see the cra smanship up close. For Sailing Today readers, however, the appeal is not simply nostalgia. Wooden boats have a way of getting to the heart