What betterway to open an issue focusing on the environment than with this stunning image of the Great Blue Hole o the coast of Belize. This vast undewater cave, fringed with coral reef, is 124m deep and was formed during the Ice Age when sea levels were much lower.
Photo: iStock
Winners in the British Yachting Awards will go home with a unique trophy made by historic chandler Davey & Co, as well as a bottle of awardwinning Dartmouth Gin.
The British Yachting Awards take place every year as a celebration of the sailing world. The winners are decided by public vote. Voting has now closed and the winners will be revealed in our next issue, after being announced at a ceremony held at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in London on 28 November.
Davey, one of the UK’s oldest marine companies, will make personalised trophies for each of the 13 winners in the awards, which includes categories for the best boats, kit, clothing, sailors and more.
John Buckley of Davey & Co said: “We were delighted to be asked to be involved in this project. We considered it a wonderful opportunity to give something back to an industry that has supported us for the last 136 years. We are proud to be a part of these awards. Looking at the scope of the awards, from young sailors, through cruising and racing awards, we would like to wish both the winners, runners up and all involved fair winds and smooth passage in their future voyages.”
Davey & Co started in 1885, based in Leadenhall Street in London, before moving to its famous address at 88 West India Dock Road, London E14, where it successfully traded for over 100 years. Today it is based in Colchester, under the ownership of the experienced boatyard Harbour Marine Services.
Davey & Co still specialises in traditional boat repair materials, tools and classic boat fittings. Most fittings are produced in the UK in bronze/gunmetal or brass. The philosophy of quality handmade fittings hasn’t changed over the years and is underpinned by the company’s
position as an MOD supplier since its inception. The Davey product range famously includes items that have been in production throughout most of the last century, and are still produced in the same way, from the same patterns, today. Davey has embraced the future with a range of newly designed products hand made in Britain with the same traditional flare and quality the company has become known for.
Winners and those who are Highly Commended in each category, also receive a bottle of Dartmouth Gin, created by lifelong sailor Lance Whitehead, whose family has historical links to Dartmouth going back centuries. The multiple-award-winning gin is made with the finest botanicals including herbs, flowers and fruit from the Calancombe Estate in Devon. Fresh spring water, also sourced at Calancombe, is an essential element of the gin, which is described as “smooth, full bodied and refreshing” and “a truly special contemporary classic gin” by gin connoisseurs.
Entries for Cowes Week 2023 are open from December, with boats entering now able to claim the ‘Super Early Bird discount’. The regatta runs from Saturday 29 July with the final prize giving on Friday 4 August 2023. Cowes Week 2022 was a huge success and continues to evolve as it approaches its 200th year in 2026. The Cowes Week App, available to spectators and competitors, delivers all racing information necessary as well as details of onshore activities. The competitor wallet gives exclusive discounts to the event’s sponsors’ products, and the team is working on the full roll-out of the 5G on board camera footage. This will be delivered through the app and on the internet. It was delayed last year due to covid issues. If you are entering one of the handicap classes then you will need to obtain an up-to-date rating (IRC for larger monohulls or ISCRS for cruising boats). With 40 di erent classes racing every day there is a fleet to welcome almost any boat but if your class would like to attend, contact Regatta Director Laurence Mead – Laurence.mead@cowesweek.co.uk
Tickets are now on sale for the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show, presented by Suzuki.
RYA members can take advantage of a complimentary ticket worth £21 for one or both days of the event.
Taking place on 25-26 February at Farnborough International, the popular show is home to dinghy sailing, windsurfing, winging and foiling and paddleboarding and offers everything you need to kick start your season on the water.
“We’re delighted to be bringing the watersports community together and dedicating a show to having a great time afloat. Join us for a weekend of interactive family fun, live coaching, displays and demos, hundreds of boats plus the biggest names in retail all under one roof,” said Rob Clark, RYA Director of Sport Development.
Alongside hundreds of exhibitors, the sport’s biggest personalities will be giving talks and demos throughout the weekend. rya.org.uk/events/dinghy-show/tickets
Tickets are on sale for the SBS BoatLife boat show at the NEC in Birmingham, running from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 February 2023.
The show launched in 2022 and was deemed a great success. Tickets are £15 and those under 16 get in for free. Parking at the NEC is free and the exhibition hall is a short walk from the car park.
Last year’s show featured talks from leading sailors including Pip Hare and Katie McCabe, while exhibitors spanned the breadth of the marine industry.
The 2023 event will have a live stage, as well as a new angling village, plus hundreds of exhibitors, feature boats, an activity pool, kids’ activities, and an inland boating area.
Find out more and book tickets at boatlifeevents.com
The days of hulls that touch the water are so passé. Wetted surface was always an issue for designers, but now in modern times, it’s really not the done thing to be in any contact with the sticky substance beneath you. In the mind of the cutting edge sailor, water = slow, while air = speed. As this new approach has grown, sailing classes have expanded to encompass new devices like the foiling kiteboard, shown here, and also the foiling windsurfer. e term ‘sailing’ means so much more in the modern age than it did back in dad’s day. e America’s Cup and SailGP led the way, showing how ‘air-time’ is the key to victory. Inspired by the children’s game ‘the oor is lava’, the aim at the last two America’s Cups was to get round the course without letting the hull touch the water at all. One touch could be game over. As shown in this photo, now kiteboarders are taking things further – by not even having the foil in the water. e foil, in fact, can be used for added windage when airborne. ese ‘sailors’ y around the cans and, if they’re really hot, they y right back to the beach without getting a drop of H2O on board or foil at all. at’s sailing in 2023.
The foil, in fact, can be used for added
The Cruising Association has put a free webinar online advising on Channel-crossing paperwork, following the UK Government’s new rules on this. Hosted by Bob Garrett, joint Channel Section Secretary for the CA, the webinar addresses the changes to paperwork and processes for arriving to and departing from France since the UK left the EU, as well as practical experiences reported by members and varying implementation of the rules. Sailors must comply with the new European EES (Entry/Exit System for non-EU citizens) and ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System – visa waiver scheme for eligible third country nationals), which will come into e ect in 2023.
“The CA represents yacht and motor cruisers around the world,” said Garrett, “and through our Regulations and Technical Services (RATS) team and other groups we take on the role of engaging with the relevant national and international government and legislative bodies to address matters of concern to cruisers.” Find the webinar in the News section of sailingtoday.
Are insurance premiums higher or lower compared to pre-pandemic? Industry-wide there have been marked increases over the last 12-24 months. Yes, rates have risen across the board, but equally we strive to remain competitive. Our approach has always been to be as consistent as possible and we strive to avoid the volatility that has been seen elsewhere in the market. Our entire focus is based around good customer outcomes and the ability for our clients to be able to budget year on year is important.
Can you guarantee one-to-one customer service in such a big organisation as Pantaenius? 100% – we pride ourselves on one-toone customer service. Our Plymouth based ‘Client Hub’ oversee new quotes and admin, while our in-house claims department ensure that claims are dealt with promptly and fairly. To make certain the customer experience is as good as it can possibly be, we don’t operate an automated phone system, use call centres, or out source administration. We also operate an online website chat facility, manned by our UK sta , not a chatbot.
How often does the typical yacht owner change insurers?
I recently sent a bottle of something nice to a couple who have insured with us since almost day one, which is over 30 years. Our advice to clients is to shop around, but make sure you know exactly what you are getting for your money.
Are we talking to sailors if we call up Pantaenius?
The majority of our sta are sailors or boaters in one form or another. Some have done transatlantics, others are sailing instructors, and many cruise and race when time allows. I’ve personally been sailing for over 40 years, and we know that this experience is vital to understand the needs and concerns of our clients.
Pantaenius UK sta go beyond insurance – for example I often speak to a client and we end up discussing favourite marinas, or recommending a post-sailing watering hole!
What proportion of policyholder claims do you honour?
We genuinely honour all legitimate claims and always aim to do this in a reasonable manner to the policyholder’s satisfaction. Around 95% of claim forms received result in a valid claim, when considering the policy coverage and clauses. As with every insurance policy, there will be situations where loss, damage or liability is not viable to cover without charging a much higher premium. We like to think that we give the widest possible cover with clearly stated exclusions whilst keeping the premiums as low as possible.
What is your best insurance anecdote?
I did hear from our claims department about one of our more resourceful policyholders plugging a hole in their damaged hull with a leg of ham! We apparently not only repaired the boat, but presented the client with a replacement ham!
Pantaenius is one of the biggest supporters of the marine industry, with many partnerships including the British Yachting Awards. What do you gain from such widespread support?
Our aim is to be visibly part of the boating community, whether this be to the boat owner or the various marine trades. While this helps attract new clients, we also want to support an industry that is important to us both personally and as a business. Our key message is that we are approachable, human, and there when you need us. We try to choose partnerships that promote good practice and safety as well as inclusivity. One example is the amazing Wetwheels Foundation that provide unique opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged people of all ages to access the water.
ABOVE Jeremy doing what he loved best – being on a boat
LEFT: Jeremy and Kit discuss Calypso in build
RIGHT: Jeremy at the helm of Gigi
Celebrated boatbuilder and noted racing sailor Jeremy Rogers has died at the age of 85. His Lymington based boatyard has produced some of the most celebrated yachts of the modern era, with the Contessa 26 and 32 gaining almost legendary status. Meantime, Rogers won the Admiral’s Cup in 1977, skippering a Contessa 43, and came second in the notorious 1979 Fastnet in a Contessa 38.
Rogers was born in Thaxted, Essex on September 16 1937. The son of an RAF officer who was also a keen sailor. During the Second World War, Rogers was evacuated to Ottowa in Canada where he spent a lot of his time building model boats. Back in England post war, he built his first dinghy at the age of 10. He was apprenticed as a boatbuilder and, aged just 23, he set up his own yard in Lymington in 1961. Initially he built cold moulded Finns and OK dinghies. Throughout his early life he was a keen racer and was keen to push the boundaries of yacht construction. This drew him to glassfibre construction and he was soon building dinghies out of GRP, with his first big GRP launch being a Folkboat. This was soon followed up with his first Contessa 26, Contessa of Wight, which immediately announced herself on the scene by picking up second in the 1969 Round the Island Race. Over the years the 26 has gained a reputation for being one of the finest pocket cruisers out there, blending speed with seaworthiness.
Shortly after this, he teamed up with David Sadler to design the Contessa 32 with hull number one being launched in 1971. The boat cemented his burgeoning reputation and, the boat’s reputation as one of the finest cruising yachts of all time is rarely questioned. Perhaps the boat that perfectly encapsulates the versatility of the 32 is Assent which, for many years, was owned by sailor and adventurer Willy Ker. Under his command, Assent was the only finisher in her class in the storm ravaged 1979 Fastnet race, while Ker also sailed the boat to all corners of the globe, particularly the high latitudes, in his endless quest for adventure.
Meanwhile, Rogers was cementing his reputation as a first class racing skipper, winning the 1974 One Ton Cup in his Doug Petersondesigned Contessa 35 Gumboots. In 1977 he won the Admiral’s Cup at the helm of a Contessa 43, and rounded things o with an impressive second in the aforementioned 1979 Fastnet.
While his business boomed in the late 1970s and early 80s, he was hit hard by the tough economic climate – particularly for exports –throughout the mid 80s, and the business went into receivership with the moulds sold o . Rogers then set about rebuilding the business from scratch and bought back the moulds for the 32 in 1996 and restarting production. The company was handed over to his son, Kit, in 2012 but Rogers remained heavily involved.
He leaves behind his wife, Fiona and his three sons, Simon, Kit and David.
THE 2023 FINALISTS
Blackwater Yacht Club (region: East)
King George Sailing Club (region: London & South East)
London Corinthian Sailing Club (region: London & South East)
Rudyard Lake Sailing Club (region: Midlands)
Otley Sailing Club (region: North East)
Bassenthwaite Sailing Club (region: North West)
County Antrim Yacht Club (region: Northern Ireland)
Ballyholme Sailing Club (region: Northern Ireland)
JOG Yacht Racing (region: South)
Lymington Town Sailing Club (region: South)
Whitefriars Sailing Club (region: South West)
Gresford Sailing Club (region: Wales)
CERTIFICATES OF COMMENDATION:
Pennine Sailing Club
Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club
Voting is open in the RYA and Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year Award, supported by Gallagher. Voting closes on Monday 23 January 2023. The annual award recognises the achievements of clubs across the UK, paying tribute to the hard work and dedication that goes into running a successful club. The RYA Awards Panel has selected the finalists, representing the RYA Regions.
You now have the chance to vote for the sailing or yacht club you think deserves to be RYA Club of the Year 2023.
e 2023 Club of the Year will be announced at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show 2023.
Rob Clark, RYA Director of Sport Development, said: “We’ve learnt over the years that each club is di erent, and all have their strengths. It’s great to hear the stories of these clubs and congratulations to each of them for making our nal 12. Now it’s up to you to vote for the winner.”
Rob Peake, group editor of Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting, said: “ e winning club gets some great bene ts, so make sure you cast your vote on our dedicated competition website.”
“It feels amazing to win. e award is for the sailing club, all the people that make the place what it is.”
It’s time to find the perfect spot for your pride and joy. With 18 stunning locations, MDL has the best cruising grounds and expert teams to take care of your boat. Plus, with inclusive storage ashore and unlimited WiFi, you’ll find the right berth for you.
