Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting, February 2022

AMERICA'S CUP LATEST – ALINGHI'S SHOCK RETURN

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WINCHES AND ROPES What’s best for your boat?

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ATLANTIC RACING How to get involved

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LIVING ABOARD Life on a 26-footer

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REGULARS

8 News 30 Paul Heiney 32 Andy Rice 34 Andi Robertson 46 Tom Cunliffe Downwind reefing techniques in 25kn of breeze

98 Jess Lloyd-Mostyn

AWARDS

16 British Yachting Awards

60

All the winners announced and a look back on the ceremony

UNDER SAIL

40

36 Living aboard

The trials and tribulations of a summer living aboard a 26’ yacht

40 America’s Cup What’s next for this venerable competition?

50 Pilgrim’s path Sailing the sainted path to Santiago de Compostela in the Galician Spanish Rias

56 RORC Transatlantic A preview of the upcoming race

68 Gull’s Eye St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly

74 How to Win Mark Rushall provides tide-line tips

78 Travel: Winter sun

56

Escape the winter blues

84 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers Sam Jefferson heads to the startline

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88

BOATS

14 New boat news The latest launches

60 On test: Shogun 50 An all carbon rocket ship that doubles as a comfortable cruiser

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94 Three of the Best Three of the finest brokerage boats

GEAR

82 Rope selection 88 Launched The latest gear

90 Buyer’s Guide Which winch?

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting NOVEMBER 2020

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Welcome

EDITORIAL EDITOR

Sam Jefferson 020 3943 9261 sam.jefferson@chelseamagazines.com

YACHTS & YACHTING EDITOR

Georgie Corlett-Pitt georgie.corlett-pitt@chelseamagazines.com GROUP EDITOR Rob Peake

Skipper’s View THE BRITISH YACHTING AWARDS PRESENTED A TRULY IMPRESSIVE ARRAY OF TALENT AND REAL CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION

ART & PRODUCTION EDITOR Gareth Lloyd Jones PUBLISHING CONSULTANT Martin Nott PUBLISHER Simon Temlett simon.temlett@chelseamagazines.com ADVERTISING ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER Mark Harrington 020 7349 3734 mark.harrington@chelseamagazines.com SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE Charlene Homewood 020 7349 3779 charlene.homewood@chelseamagazines.com GROUP SALES DIRECTOR Catherine Chapman HEAD OF SALES OPERATIONS Jodie Green ADVERTISEMENT PRODUCTION Allpoints Media Ltd allpointsmedia.co.uk CHAIRMAN Paul Dobson CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Vicki Gavin MANAGING DIRECTOR James Dobson Published by: The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ Tel: 020 7349 3700 © The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd 2020.

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WHAT A WELCOME RELIEF it was that British Yachting Awards ceremony was able to go ahead at the Royal Thames Yacht Club this year.

Virtual gatherings are all very well but nothing beats seeing people face to face again. The joy of that is hard to equal. I was also struck by how privileged we sailors are to have such an array of talent on show. Not only talent but also amazing events that we can enjoy at our leisure throughout the sailing season. We are indeed blessed and I feel very fortunate that I am part of a magazine that can provide recognition for achievements when they are deserved.

Speaking of good fortune, I was in Las Palmas in late November to watch the latest iteration of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers set off bound for St Lucia and a winter of fun in the Carribbean. I felt more than a twinge of envy for those bold adventurers. Demand is higher than ever for the event in these pandemic ravaged times and understandably so, as people search escape and a new lease of life after a tough time.

Speaking of escape and on an altogether less positive note, I have watched in horror at the steady increase of people attempting to cross the Channel in small dinghies. It doesn't matter where you sit on this from a political standpoint, as a sailor you just have to cringe at the sheer awfulness of trying to cross the Channel in a rubber dinghy. I have crossed the English Channel more times than I can remember and, there is always a moment when you are crossing that you feel a twinge of fear, a surge of adrenaline as you plunge across the shipping lanes or the weather turns ugly. In summer the Channel can be a playground, but it's also a really nasty stretch of water to the uninitiated and, for all that it is a relatively short crossing, it's uniquely challenging. For that, I feel eternally grateful that, for me, the English Channel is somewhere I have enjoyed myself and embarked on voyages in safety as opposed to battles between life and death. We are by and large blessed here in the UK and nobody should feel bad or guilty about that. Yet, as a sailor who knows the English Channel, my heart goes out to anyone daring to cross so woefully ill equipped.

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CONTRIBUTORS

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

Also part of the Chelsea Marine Magazines family:

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JESS LLOYD MOSTYN is a writer and blue water 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 FEBRUARY 2022

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It feels snow good Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and is also one of the highest, its north end being hemmed in by the mountains of the Italian Alps. These mighty peaks can funnel in ferocious winds, making for a paradise for sailors who enjoy a bit of an adrenaline rush. The mountains dish up a further treat over the winter months by providing a spectacular snowy backdrop.

Photo: iStock

News

Ebb and flow EVENTS | NEWS | TALES FROM THE

Alinghi back in America’s Cup The Swiss team Alinghi is back in the America’s Cup, confirming one of the biggest rumours doing the rounds in Cup circles. Alinghi will partner with Red Bull – they are “friendly rivals” on the GC32 racing catamaran circuit – to form Alinghi Red Bull Racing, backed by the Société Nautique de Genève.

The new team will be led by Alinghi’s GC32 co-skipper Arnaud Psarofaghis and mainsail trimmer Bryan Mettraux, who will begin training for the next America’s Cup over the winter with what is being labelled a “100% Swiss-made crew”.

The Alinghi brand first became known to the wider sailing world when owner Ernesto Bertarelli challenged for and won the 2003 America’s Cup in Auckland, beating the Kiwis on their home waters with a crew made up largely of hired New Zealand sailors. The win sparked outrage in New Zealand but was within the crew nationality rule that NZ itself had instigated. Alinghi went onto defend the Cup in 2007 in Valencia (right and above), before losing it to BMW Oracle Racing in a Deed of Gift match (featuring only two boats) in Valencia in 2010.

Grant Dalton, of America’s Cup defenders Emirates Team New Zealand, said: “Welcoming back a team with the heritage and success of Alinghi to the America’s Cup is fantastic for the 37th America’s Cup event, which combines history with technology and pushing the boundaries of innovation. However, now with the best of Swiss sailing, partnered with one of the most recognisable brands in the world of extreme sport and the power of Red Bull Advanced technologies, this well and truly highlights the significance of Alinghi Red Bull Racing as a Challenger. I think I can speak on behalf of all AC37 teams both existing and new in saying, we very much welcome the competition.”

The news was announced by Ernesto Bertarelli and two-time Tornado Olympic champion Hans Peter Steinacher on 14 December.

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

“While keeping the winning spirit that has always animated Alinghi, we want for this challenge to do something totally different, totally new, totally fresh,” said Bertarelli. “When we imagined with Dietrich Mateschitz the involvement of Red Bull in the America’s Cup, he said: ‘Our way is not to get into the sport as sponsors, but to blend into the team, to form a true partnership, to nurture young athletes and turn them into the best in their field’. He also proposed that we should make contributions to give the America’s Cup itself a new dimension.”

Bertarelli continued: “With Red Bull we are equal partners in this venture. They will bring their competence, energy and strength in creating performing teams, and we bring our experience in sailing and winning the America’s Cup. Alinghi Red Bull Racing will shine a new light on the event.”

Red Bull Racing principal Christian Horner said: “We welcome Alinghi Red Bull Racing to the world of Red Bull, and our F1 team is looking forward to helping this new member of our family to succeed.

Red Bull Advanced Technologies is a hightechnology centre that offers services to a variety of sports and other entities, but particularly to Red Bull Racing. We will share our experiences, engineering and so on, and Alinghi Red Bull Racing will contribute to us as well, helping us to understand new worlds in the application of technology.”

Brad Butterworth, four-time winner of the America’s Cup, said: “I have been with Alinghi for 20 years now, and getting into this new challenge with Red Bull is very exciting. The America’s Cup is a technology race which is won on the water with race strategy and tactics. Red Bull has demonstrated that time and again in F1 and in many of the other sports it competes in.”

Alinghi Red Bull Racing will also field teams in the Women’s and Youth America’s Cup events.

See our full America’s Cup feature on page 40.

News

NEWS BRIEFS

SailGP returns to Plymouth Sound Plymouth, Devon, will host a second successive SailGP event, it has been confirmed, as the global racing series announces its season three venues.

Plymouth was a hugely successful venue for SailGP in July 2021, the city council getting behind the event and thousands of people watching ashore on the Hoe and afloat on their own boats or official spectator boats. The natural amphitheatre of Plymouth Sound made for a spectacular venue, with the race course easily viewable.

Meanwhile SailGP’s wider initiatives benefited the local community including a donation of £20k for local youth sailors.

SailGP Plymouth 2021 was voted runner-up in our British Yachting Awards in November, in the Event of the Year category (see page 19).

SailGP announced its season three venues on 7 December, with season two meanwhile still to conclude. Season two of SailGP continued with the Australia Sail Grand Prix presented by KPMG in Sydney on December 17 and 18. The season will conclude March 26 and 27 with the SailGP Grand Final in San Francisco.

Two new teams will be in for the third season – Canada and Switzerland. They join teams from Australia, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the United States.

SailGP season three has been expanded to include 10 events, with seven regattas taking place in 2022 and the remainder in the first quarter of 2023, with the season expected to finish in April 2023.

The championship kicks-off for the second year in Bermuda with the Bermuda Sail Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess. From there, the ten-nation fleet will head to a new SailGP destination in North America and include a home race for Jimmy Spithill’s US team at Chicago’s Navy Pier on Lake Michigan in June. Both Bermuda and Chicago are two year deals that will see the league return in season four.

The Plymouth event takes place in late July, before heading to SaintTropez in September and then later the same month Cádiz.

Female athletes will continue to race on board the F50s over the season, SailGP says.

SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said: “When Larry Ellison and I came up with the concept for SailGP, we envisaged a league with the best athletes in the world, racing in equal high-tech boats that are extremely fast, creating exciting, close to shore action, and with a regular season for our fans to truly engage with the sport globally.

“We set ourselves a five year goal, but to sit here in season three with 10 teams on the start line – including two new franchised teams – an expanded season calendar, an impressive collection of commercial and broadcast partners, purpose and impact at our heart with a positive impact on the environment and an immersive fan experience through our broadcast and gaming offer – I simply couldn’t be happier with what has already been achieved.”

Honours as Olympians bow out British Olympic 470 gold medalists Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre were voted Rolex World Sailors of the Year in a virtual ceremony broadcast on 2 December.

Australia’s Tom Slingsby won the male 2021 Rolex World Sailor of the Year in celebration of his achievements in three competitive classes over the past two years (Moth, SailGP and offshore in the Rolex Middle Sea Race). The World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award went to the Sail Africa Youth Development Foundation for increasing the participation of ethnically diverse and female sailors in Durban, South Africa.

Shortly afterwards, Mills announced her retirement from Olympic sailing, along with other members of the Tokyo squad. She said: “I’ll be working on my sustainability campaign which I’m really passionate about while exploring some exciting opportunities in women’s sailing. It was a difficult decision and yet also an easy one.”

Also retiring from Olympic sailing is Finn gold medalist Giles Scott, who said: “The main focus now is the America’s Cup. I’ve signed back up with INEOS and over the next year things will really start to ramp up. In the meantime I’m learning to sail again, this time in a Moth which is good fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve sailed in Weymouth harbour in November with a big grin on my face!”

Fellow Olympians Stuart Bithell, Luke Patience, Ali Young, Charlotte Dobson and Chris Grube have made the same decision.

Mark Robinson, RYA Olympic Performance Manager, said: “These individuals have made such a huge impact on our sport. Their achievements speak for themselves and they’ve inspired countless youngsters to follow in their footsteps. With Paris 2024 less than three years away the British Sailing Team is full-steam ahead, with the goal of defending our title as the most successful Olympic sailing team.”

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

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News

Q&A EDOUARD FIESS, NAVILY

Buy a working Cornish boatyard Boatbuilder Ashley Butler is selling Penpol Boatyard in Cornwall with an asking price of at least £2 million.

The working yard, being sold through Savills, comes with a recently renovated four bedroom house and wooden boat workshop overlooking the Fal Estuary.

The yard can accommodate 60 vessels with an additional six deep water moorings.

Ashley, who has been on the site for six years, said: “There are not many freehold boatyards that are privately owned. It’s a very strong opportunity and we’re doing all we can to keep it an owner-operated boatyard. However, people don’t have to know boatyards – there’s enough expertise here to run that side of it – but you need the business sense to handle the finances.

So it doesn’t have to be someone like myself who gets their hands dirty, but more someone who can run the business. I’m thinking simply someone who is a keen sailor and likes being on the water.”

Included in the sale is a Kato 22-tonne crane, Dory workboat with 75hp Tahatsu outboard, a slipway winch and an assortment of cradles. There is also a fully fitted wood working machine shop.

Chris Sweeney, Director in the Leisure and Trade team at Savills Exeter, says: “This is a fabulous opportunity to acquire a boatyard with owner’s accommodation, situated on the banks of Penpol Creek on the Fal Estuary. We expect significant demand from the lifestyle buyer market for this well established and profitable business located in Cornwall.”

Ashley added: “The yard has been very good for us and there’s no reason for us to move other than for family purposes. The business is stronger than it’s ever been before. We’ve just had our best year ever, financially, and we’ve built ourselves a house on the site from one of old buildings.

“People would not be buying Butler & Co – I’m carrying that on in a new location – but they would be getting a going concern, because there is a strong core of routine, local work, which consists of laying up boats in the winter and putting them back on their moorings in the summer. There is a steady stream of refit work and a large proportion of the 60 are maintained by the yard.

“Whoever buys the yard will get a very healthy lifestyle business and a four bedroom house on the water.”

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

What is Navily?

Navily was born in 2014 out of a bad experience my co-founder Benjamin and I had: three nights in a row in different anchorages that seemed good but ended up costing us a good amount of sleep. We woke up and decided to create an app where people could share their experiences and warn others. Today, the core of Navily is a Tripadvisor-like experience. Every day, community members share information on anchorages and marinas: phone numbers, photos, amenities, fuel prices, comments on the attractiveness or the cleanliness of the spot, good restaurants nearby... Navily is also developing a network of marinas in which you can easily book a berth.

With over 700 partner marinas in 10 countries, Navily is the leader in Europe.

Can you guarantee the information you display is reliable and up to date?

All comments and photos added by the community are moderated by our team internally. Second, community members themselves are constantly reviewing and reporting on things to improve or check in the app. This feedback loop means we always have thousands of people checking the info.

How can sailors be sure Navily’s user reviews are safe to use?

Safety comes from the numbers. With one review on a spot, you should be cautious. With dozens of recent reviews converging, there’s hardly any doubt.

To date, Navily has close to 80,000 comments, 40% of which have been added in the past 12 months. Often we have users cruising in Greece telling us how, wherever they go, there’s always a review from a few days ago.

How many users do you have?

We are a few hundred users away from the big 500,000 user mark! Very proud of this achievement. Navily is available in five languages and used by sailors

from over 20 countries. All the info is translated into the end user’s language.

How does Navily make money?

Navily Premium allows users to unlock additional functionalities in the app: an offline mode, 72hr weather forecast and scoring on anchorages, an itinerary/ distance calculation feature, advanced map filters and getting rid of ads. We also charge marinas to use our booking service. This way, booking through Navily costs the same for the end-user. Finally, we do a bit of advertising.

Have printed Cruising Guides and the Almanac become outdated?

I think that the idea of relying solely on a paper almanac is indeed outdated. The costs associated with printing and distributing, and the inability to update the information once it’s printed, make it less appealing to users, especially the newer generation of sailors. Every day, this new generation uses websites and apps to navigate the world. Opening a 300 page book is not their idea of ‘having a good time’. But above all, we have to keep in mind that, just like in Navily, the content in cruising guides is written by humans. Even if those contributors are trained sailors and reviewers, they have a finite amount of time and they have their human biases. For example, there are exactly 369 spots in Corsica on Navily, which means a Cruising Guide contributor would need to visit two a day, every day for six months. This is where the power of the community shines. With 500,000 users, you end up with multiple people reviewing the same anchorages with different experiences: different boat sizes, different weather conditions, summer/ spring/autumn... Would you trust one single person who came eight months ago in the dead of winter and who spent two hours in the anchorage, or the reviews of 15 people who spent days and nights at the anchorage in different weather conditions? navily.com

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News

Jon Emmett is Masters World Champ Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting writer Jon Emmett has won his class at the ILCA Masters World Championships in Barcelona.

Jon, who has multiple national titles to his name in the class, previously known as the Laser Radial, won the Worlds with a day to spare, having won every race bar two. He narrowly missed out on winning the final two races, which were photo finishes. After 12 races his score was an impressive 14 points.

He said: “I had a good week and was really pleased to win it. I have to thank James Gray and all the girls in Weymouth for letting me join in their training, that really helped. I feel really happy and pretty tired. I don’t know what’s next but very much looking to getting back on the Olympic circuit as a coach.”

Jon was racing in the ILCA 6 category for Apprentice Masters, between 35 and 45 years of age.

Position: Toddler foiler Get them young and you’ve got them for life

W

orld Sailing has complied admirably with the stipulations of the International Olympic Committee, which requires modern Olympic sports to be youth-friendly. Full marks, then, to the new Olympic windfoiling discipline known as the iQFOiL, which has taken the idea to its logical conclusion and now has a class for toddlers. The sailors in the class, as the photo demonstrates, are barely out of the cradle, so tiny that they are dwarfed by the bay of Marseille’s lapping wavelets. It must be terrifying for these young competitors to be out there, on vast seas. Whether or not World Sailing anticipated that the class would be so attractive to little’uns remains unclear, but we’re sure the IOC is pleased. It’s bound to boost sailing’s standing and will no doubt do well on social media. Gotta start ‘em young after all!

It is bound to boost sailing’s standing and will no doubt do well on social media

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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New boats DESIGNS | LAUNCHES | PROJECTS

De Cesari 475 De Cesari Yachts seem to be a bit of a pet project for the Italian Ceccarelli design house and feature classic lines above the water coupled with modern design and hull appendages below the waterline, with the net result being a fast, beautiful looking yacht. The recently launched De Cesari 33 demonstrated exactly what an alluring concept that was; now the new 475 promises to do all that but on a bigger scale altogether. The boat is constructed from laminated mahogany with a teak deck and features relatively narrow beam with deep T shaped lead bulbed keel and a single deep rudder. The lines are simple, clean and effortlessly stylish.

Inside there are two cabins and a good deal more space than on the 33.  ceccarelliyachtdesign.com

Arcona 415 The Arcona 415 is the latest launch from the Swedish boatbuilders who specialise in fast performance cruisers. The yacht is actually a refined and tweaked version of the existing Arcona 410, which has been updated, principally to allow more light into the saloon via a reconfigured coachroof and bigger portlights in the hull.

Fortunately the boat retains the effortless style of her predecessor. Perhaps the most exciting development in this 40 footer is that this will be the first Arcona that comes with electric power as standard. Power is provided by a 15kw Oceanvolt unit with a servoprop that boosts power through hydroregeneration.

Arcona has yet to release the figures for range under power but it will be interesting to see what the projections are.  arcona.se

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Spirit 30 Ipswich based Spirit Yachts has carved out a pleasing niche for itself by producing sleek wooden yachts with classic lines above the waterline married to a modern hull shape below. It’s an elegant solution that guarantees to turn heads wherever you go. The new Spirit 30 has been conceived as a weekender that can also be raced. As such, the boat is light, with a displacement of just 1,700kg, and a generous sail area.

The company has also gone out of the way to make the boat as environmentally friendly as possible.

As such, the boat’s sapele frames and Douglas Fir hull planking are sustainably sourced and flax and bio resin are used in non structural areas of the hull. The engine is a Torqeedo Cruise 4.0FP electric pod drive. This offers a 16-mile range at five knots and a maximum speed under power of 6.5 knots.  spirityachts.com

JPK 39 FC Breton boatbuilder JPK has carved out a fearsome reputation for producing innovative offshore racers, but it has always had a complementary selection of fast cruisers and their new 39 definitely sits in that category, replacing the existing 38. The new model features striking styling with an unusual but not unattractive coachroof which slopes a long way aft, plus a very hard chine aft and full forward sections. There is the option of a ballasted swing keel or twin fixed keels. The boat weighs in at 5,500kg which is still modest although 500kg heavier than the JPK 38 and the signs are that this will be a slightly stronger performer off the wind but will lose a bit of edge upwind compared to her predecessor. The interior is comfortable and well appointed and there is the choice of two or three cabin layouts. l jpk.fr

Hanse 460 Hanse is one of the German giants of the boatbuilding scene but, for all that, they’ve been pretty quiet in recent years. Now the company is back with an all new 460 which will replace the existing 458 and the big news is that the Germans have broken with their go-to designer Judel/Vrolijk and instead have gone with the French design house of Berret/Racoupeau who

are best known in the cruising world for their work with Jeaneau and Beneteau. The result is a boat that is much beamier - 4.79m compared to 4.38m for the 458, heavier - 12,560kg compared to 11.700kg, and incorporating the recent trend towards fuller forward sections. The result is a boat that boasts even more interior volume and should be more powerful off the wind. l inspirationmarine.co.uk

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

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John Douglas, Zoe Coltart and Mike Wood of the Disabled Sailors Association

SAILING’S BEST

THE BRITISH

YACHTING AWARDS 2021

You voted in your thousands for the best boats, sailors and kit of the past year.

Here are the winners Presented by

The British Yachting Awards took place at the Royal Thames Yacht Club, Knightsbridge, on 30 November, with the winners announced in 13 categories, the results of six weeks of voting – and almost 20,000 votes cast – by the readers of Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting. Thankyou to everybody who voted.

The shortlists for each category were published in our November 2021 issue and nominations included some of the biggest names in sailing, alongside

with

amateur yachtsmen and youth sailors. A roomful of sailing VIPs gathered at the Royal Thames YC for the ceremony – an audience ranging from Olympians and solo circumnavigators, to naval architects and boat builders, to weekend sailors and some of our subscribers who took advantage of the opportunity to pay for a ticket.

Presenter was the magazine’s group editor Rob Peake, who said: “The British Yachting Awards celebrates the best of the cruising and racing worlds over the last 12

SPONSORED BY

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

months. For sailors and for the marine industry, it turned out to be a spectacular year.”

Rob introduced the evening’s guest speaker, Ian Walker, the RYA’s Director of Racing.

He thanked the event’s sponsors – BoatLife Live, GAC Pindar, Pantaenius and Davey & Co, which made the trophies (see opposite).

The ceremony was live streamed and remains available to watch on on Yachts & Yachting Facebook and via our dedicated website britishyachtingawards.com

The trophies Winning circumnavigators: Murdoch McGregor, Katie McCabe and Sir Chay Blyth

Guest speaker Ian Walker Guest speaker at the British Yachting Awards was the RYA’s Director of Racing Ian Walker, who gave a personal insight into his role leading the sailing team in Tokyo. He quipped: “I’d love to be able to take all the credit for what happened in Tokyo, but unfortunately I can’t do that – my main role out there was driving the athletes to the venue and back each day in a RIB.” He praised the whole team, saying: “Normally in at any Olympics there is at least one major drama, but the amazing thing about Tokyo was that everything went to plan. Just getting there was a massive achievement. We did over 1,700 Covid tests, between the sailors and support staff, in the three weeks before we left and while we there. Just one positive test would have derailed the whole team, so the responsibility involved for everybody in ensuring we got there was immense.”

Ian spoke about the development of grassroots sailing, saying: “When you look at our gold medallists, there is little similarity in

their backgrounds, except that all of them were strong at youth level. So we’re desperately looking now at how we can keep attracting strong sailors with different experiences. I’m a big believer in sailing different boats, doing club races, sailing double-handed, getting all sorts of experiences that build you as a sailor. That’s getting harder to do because club racing is declining. While club membership is strong, the actual core of racing is struggling – not everywhere, but in general, it’s harder to get people to turn out for the weekly races. That’s the other half of my job – not the Olympics, but about the health of our sport, about clubs, volunteers, about how can I leave my role knowing that other people will get the same that I had or better.

I know many of you in this room face those same challenges.”

Visit rya.org.uk/club-centre-support to find out how the RYA can support your sailing club.

Davey & Co is one of the oldest marine businesses in the world, having been started in 1885 and still operating today with more than a few items for sale that originated in its Victorian catalogues. The chandler is under new ownership and Managing Director Jeff Webber and his team pulled out all the stops to create a series of unique trophies for the British Yachting Awards. Jeff said: “They were all handmade, 100% British materials and the bases were done using traditional handtools and hand-varnished by Harbour Marine Services apprentices in Southwold. The crossed shackle and marlinspike [used on some of the trophies] is from the Royal Navy badge for Seamanhship. It has that heritage and to our knowledge it’s never been done before as a trophy like this. We wanted something that was different and which represented a significant achievement.”

Jeff added: “Davey & Co is known for the heritage products, but we also supply lots of things into mainstream chandlers for modern yachtsmen. It’s about us showing the versatility of what we can do, whether it’s products for sail repairs or rigging kits, to gifts and nautical items for the home.” davey.co.uk

Tribute to John Goode There was a tribute paid during the ceremony to John Goode, the former editor of Sailing Today who died in 2021 at the age of 71. John (pictured left, top) was editor for much of Sailing Today’s first decade, from 2001 to 2007, and in those years put the magazine on the map with his series of straight-talking practical articles that became unmissable monthly reading for thousands of sailors. His death after a short illness in May prompted tributes from Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Dame Ellen MacArthur, Tom Cunliffe and many other leading figures in sailing.

Yacht surveyor Ben Sutcliffe, who knew John for 40 years and was one of Sailing Today’s first advertisers when it was founded,

spoke at the ceremony (left, below) about John’s great seamanship, garnered through a life afloat, having gone to sea aged 14. With John’s widow Rosie and family watching via the live stream, Ben drew laughs from the audience as he recalled John’s nautical humour and language, which famously he never dampened no matter how regal the company. Ben said: “He poured an awful lot of his time and energy into passing on his knowledge to others. We all learned so much from John about make-do and mend, and how to get out of a pickle. You can spot a John Goode sailor a mile off. They’re the ones who have that proper bit of seamanship. He’s left a legacy with so many people.”

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THE BRITISH

YACHTING AWARDS 2021

THE WINNERS

CRUISING YACHT OF THE YEAR WINNERS: DUFOUR 470 AND JEANNEAU 60 RUNNER UP: SOLARIS 40 The cruising yacht of the 2020s is a thing far removed from its 1970s and 1980s ancestors. Each of the yachts on our shortlist of five is a mini apartment – most of them are significantly more spacious than the average apartment, notably the Bavaria 38, which boasts three supersized double berths. The Solaris 40, another contender, may be the company’s entry level model, but it too is a sleek and roomy yacht. The Salona 46, also nominated, is that company’s flagship and visitors at the Southampton Boat Show will have seen her first-rate, seamanlike fitout. These boats are not just designed for comfort – they may be beamy and high-sided compared to the yachts of yesteryear, but the best ones have the power to handle well in a marina, while out at sea they are almost always set up for simple double or short-handed cruising.

So which boat won? For the first time in the British Yaching Awards, we had a tie. And interestingly, you voted for two boats that both offer great comfort and seakindliness, but which are also quite different: the Dufour 470 and the Jeanneau 60.

The Dufour is the company’s first injection moulded hull and comes with much ‘pre-design’ work, which benefits the whole boat but particularly down below. The looks come from its chines, which the designer has pushed very far forward, creating greater stiffness, as well as a huge cabin for the owner. It’s a great boat that is easily sailable and moorable, but equally well-suited to long-term living aboard and bluewater cruising.

The Jeanneau 60, meanwhile, is mini-superyacht, coming with a plethora of smart gadgets including an outdoor galley that raises at the push of a button. She is the result of a powerhouse design collaboration between Phillippe Briand and Andrew Winch, who have stopped at nothing to create a very special boat, yet one that is still simple and pleasurable to sail.

The Dufour 470, with (inset above) Chris Warwick of Universal Yachting

TheJeanneau 60, with (inset) Antoine Chancelier, Jeanneau area sales manager

BLUEWATER CRUISER OF THE YEAR WINNER: DISCOVERY 48S RUNNER UP: HALLBERG-RASSY 400 It was noteworthy, given that it’s an offshore category, that two boats on our shortlist were around the 40ft mark, the Germán Frers-designed Hallberg-Rassy 400, an extension of the company’s modern twinwheel set-up, and the Ovni 370, an aluminium hull boasting clever cost-cutting measures in the build that negate the need for longitudinal stringers.

Up against them was the Contest 59CS, the latest stunning model from the Dutch family firm that started building the Flying Dutchman 60 years ago and now produces the only leisure yachts that are Lloyds-certified.

The winner came from British shores, although anyone owning one is unlikely to remain in British waters for long.

It’s a proven design, befitting this category, that is tailormade for cruising over the horizon. Perhaps your choice of the Discovery 48S recognised its heritage, perhaps you admired the custom nature of this model, specifiable with any number of configurations and luxury personalisations.

Perhaps you liked its ability to cruise in comfort – and with performance – to far distance shores, while offering shoal draft sailing as well, with lifting keel option.

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The Discovery 48S, with (inset) build manager Andy Standing and designer Ian Fraser of Discovery Shipyard

yachtsandyachting.co.uk

THE BRITISH

YACHTING AWARDS 2021

THE WINNERS

PERFORMANCE YACHT OF THE YEAR WINNER: POGO 44 RUNNER UP: BENETEAU FIRST 27SE On the racing side of things, we found no new dinghies to shortlist this year, but we had no shortage of great performance yachts, some of which are designed for out-and-out competition, most of which are meant for pacy cruising too.

The shortlist included the Beneteau First 27 SE, a wellreceived, nimble and uncomplicated weekend racer.

We also nominated the Infiniti 52, which with its transverse DSS foil offers greater performance.

The Shogun 50 was on the list – she’s our cover boat this month and you’ll enjoy editor Sam Jefferson’s report. “Delicously bonkers,” he says.

Finally, we nominated the Italia 14.98, built on the shores of the Venice lagoon, for its pure Italian flair above and below.

The speed machine that won your votes, however, comes from the heart of the French offshore racing scene in southern Brittany. Sam’s report says it is “life affirmingly superb….unforgettably, epically, brilliant”.

Pogo Structures CEO Christian Bouroullec, sent a video message from the factory: “All my colleagues and I are very proud of this award because it comes from a community of sailors. It comes after 30 years of development in the Pogo brand. A big thanks to you and your readers.”

The Pogo 40, with (inset above) Pogo CEO Christian Bouroullec, who sent a video message from the factory in France

MULTIHULL OF THE YEAR WINNER: LAGOON 55 RUNNER UP: OUTREMER 4 ZERO Once a multihuller, always a multihuller. For those who like their sailing flat and extremely comodious, the boats on our shortlist will have made for a mouthwatering dream shopping list. There was the Neel 43, a bluewater trimaran, boasting the marque’s innovative ‘Cockloon’ whereby the cockpit and saloon are merged to create a vast living space. There was the Outremer 4 Zero, the eco pioneer from Montpellier, designed with Jimmy Cornell. There was the Windelo 50 Adventure, boasting a first for sustainable boat building – a hull made using volcanic basalt. Your votes, however, went to a boat that was designed by the man who famously drew the Ford Sierra. Some might say he’s achieved the impossible here, by making a high volume multihull look good. It’s a sumptuous boat that is manageable by a couple, with a self-tacking jib and a focus on easy sailing. With up to six double cabins and that huge flybridge, the Lagoon 55 is also good for charter, and the manufacturers had sold 60 by the end of Cannes Boat Show.

The Lagoon 55, with (inset) Graham Laver, Lagoon Sales Manager for Ancasta

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YACHTING AWARDS 2021

THE WINNERS

EVENT OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY

WINNER: VENDÉE GLOBE RUNNER UP: SAILGP PLYMOUTH Andrew Pindar from category sponsor GAC Pindar revealed the winner in this category, which despite the pandemic’s restrictions, included events from a spectacular year for competitors and observers. Among the nominations were the America’s Cup, SailGP Plymouth, the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Round the Island Race and Cowes Week. The Vendée Globe, however, was the one that drew your votes, after it gave us all some muchneeded entertainment over the winter lockdown a year ago. And high quality entertainment it was, with drama from the first days to the very final moments. After the favourites were knocked out of the running – both Jérémie Beyou and Alex Thomson suffering damage to their boats in the Atlantic – it became the most open race for years, as the fleet entered the south. The world waited as Kevin Escoffier’s fellow skippers searched for his liferaft overnight, after his boat PRB broke up suddenly. Then, after sustained Southern Ocean match-racing, the race effectively restarted as the leading group bunched off Brazil. The extraordinary nighttime finale was as gripping as sport could be. Vendée Globe director The Vendée Globe finish, with winner Yannick Bestaven on board Maître Coq IV. (Inset) Sabina Mollart Rogerson, representing the Vendée Globe, general Laura Le Goff sent a video receives the trophy from category sponsor Andrew Pindar of GAC Pindar message, thanking all who voted and saying: “The pandemic added complexity, but we managed to adapt the organisation to ensure the safety of the skippers and the popularity of the event. More than ever, this edition of the race gave a feeling of freedom and made people dream, while we were all locked down. Over one million fans followed the race and more than 42 channels broadcast the start live.

It generated an amazing buzz.”

MARINA OF THE YEAR

GAC Pindar is trusted by the world’s biggest sailing events to deliver complex logistics services across the globe. Headquartered in the UK sailing hub of Southampton, it is a strategic partnership combining the global service expertise of the GAC Group with the Pindar brand’s knowledge and understanding of the yachting community.

Making history in 2020, GAC Pindar has been appointed as Official Logistics Provider for The Ocean Race for a third consecutive time, providing a complete suite of event logistics services including; feasibility planning, sustainable transportation solutions, customs clearances, site management, storage and relocation services for urgent spares.

Luke Machin, marina manager at Berthon’s Lymington Marina, receives the award from Jeff Webber of Davey & Co, which made the trophies

WINNER: BERTHON LYMINGTON RUNNER UP: OCEAN VILLAGE Our shortlist included some magnificent places to keep your yacht – Chichester Marina, Conwy Marina, Largs Yacht Haven, Mylor Yacht Harbour and Ocean Village.

Your votes went to a marina with heritage stretching back to the 1800s, and one that won the hearts of its berth-holders with a series of measures over 2021 that included waterside gigs.

Berthon’s Lymington Marina Manager Luke Machin said: “We would like to thank everyone who took the time to vote for us, our brilliant berth holders and marina visitors and of course the fantastic team who make it all possible. Looking back on 2021, it’s safe to say it has been an eventful year.

“I feel we extended the ‘Berthon family and community’ where everyone is able to unwind and enjoy their leisure time knowing that their pride and joy is in the very best marina with the very best staff.

This award is not just for the marina, but also for the Berthon family, who all play a key part in offering the unique ‘Berthon one-stop-shop experience’.”

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yachtsandyachting.co.uk

THE BRITISH

YACHTING AWARDS 2021

THE WINNERS

Musto’s Flexlite Vapour range in action and (inset) the brand’s Shaun French receives the trophy

CLOTHING INNOVATION OF THE YEAR WINNER: MUSTO FLEXLITE VAPOUR RANGE RUNNER UP: BALTIC ATHENA LIFEJACKET More than one manufacturer of sailing clothing that we spoke to at the recent METS trade show in Amsterdam reported having had their best ever year for trading in 2021.

Boat sales boomed, producing a vast number of first-time owners who needed the right sailing attire. Whether you’re a first-time boat owner, or on your 12th, you’ll have had no shortage of great clothing to choose from this past year.

Our shortlist included the new brand Wuzzos, for its personalisation service. Also there was the Baltic Athena lifejacket, still one of few designed specifically for female sailors. Dubarry’s Aquatech shoes were popular with our panel, as were Gill’s OS3 Coastal foulies, aimed at cruisers who don’t need full offshore protection. The Rooster Aquafleece Hoodie also made the shortlist, making the dinghy park experience significantly more comfortable for kids and adults.

The winner proved to be kit we’d tested ourselves this summer and rated highly. More significantly, it’s a technical innovation – a breathable neoprene – that benefitted the British Sailing Team in Tokyo.

EQUIPMENT INNOVATION OF THE YEAR WINNER: EPROPULSION SPIRIT 1.0 EVO RUNNER UP: B&G HALO20+ The sailing kit market is always a fast-developing one and today more so than ever, focussed on sustainability and ‘green’ sailing. A new electric outboard for small race yachts from Torqeedo, Fisher Panda UK’s Parker Hannifin H20 Eco watermaker (aimed at smaller bluewater yachts that don’t have a generator), and Marlow’s Blue Ocean Doublebraid made of plastic bottles were all shortlisted. Also on the list was B&G’s Halo20+ radar (which gives an almost real-time view at close range, suitable for smaller sailboats), the eWincher2 (suitable for any winch on a boat up to 60ft, instantly giving you oodles more power), the Lewmar Epsilon anchor (a successful attempt to make the Delta even better), the Optimum Time SOS Siren (designed for a man overboard who finds they don’t have the breath to blow a whistle) and finally Zhik’s Carbon Powerpads (which mould with you as you move around the dinghy). The winner is a standout performer, with a direct drive, extensive range and the first ever electric outboard with hydrogeneration.

The ePropulsion Spirit Evo, good for a small yacht or tender, also offers a floating battery and a remote control, so you can switch the engine off if you happen to go overboard.

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Steve Bruce of ePropulsion UK receives the trophy for the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo

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THE BRITISH

YACHTING AWARDS 2021

THE WINNERS

SAILOR OF THE YEAR WINNER: MURDOCH MCGREGOR RUNNER UP: PIP HARE The nominations here included some of the biggest names in the sport – Vendée Globe stars Alex Thomson and Pip Hare, two-times Moth world champion Tom Slingsby, the British Sailing Team, INEOS Team UK and Emirates Team New Zealand. Among the amateur nominations was Rolex Fastnet winner Tom Kneen with his Sunrise crew and the crew of the Daring, Dauntless, who have now won Cowes Week a record four times.

The biggest cheer of the British Yachting Awards ceremony, however, was reserved for 82-yearold Murdoch McGregor, who beat the lot of them, winning your votes for his solo round Britain sail. The Scotsman, who only started sailing in his seventies, suffered a back injury 50 miles short of Cape Wrath, which forced him to change his plans to go round Shetland, but he and his Hunter Horizon completed the circle, arriving back in home port of Alloa having raised more than £10,000 for Mental Health UK. He was presented the award by Fiona McCracken of category sponsor Pantaenius, who said: “It was lovely meeting Murdoch and Janice at the ceremony and chatting with them both. He was overwhelmed by the nomination and said he had already won the gold medal by just being nominated. It was such a pleasure to present him with his well-deserved trophy.”

Murdoch said: “To say I was astounded to hear my name called as ‘Sailor of the Year’ was an understatement! I had been shortlisted with some of the best sailors and just to see my name on that list was my gold medal. It was great to be there with Katie McCabe [winner of Youth Sailor of the Year] and also to meet my favourite sailor of all time, the legendary Sir Chay Blyth. Honoured to be there with the great man. My finest moment in sailing.”

Fiona McCracken of Pantaenius (left) presents the trophy to Murdoch McGregor, with wife Janice

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SPONSORED BY

Pantaenius is one of the leading boat insurance specialists and has been providing tailored insurance solutions to boat owners for over 50 years. Our market leading cover offers reliable all-round protection for maximum peace of mind at competitive premiums. With our new cover levels Yacht Cover Plus and Boat Cover, you can be sure that Pantaenius has the right cover for every boat. Pantaenius also offers insurance solutions for private and professional skippers who sail on borrowed or chartered boats. Over 100,000 customers enjoy the Pantaenius renowned personal service and reliable claims handling.

To obtain a quotation or discuss your individual insurance requirements please call 01752 223656 or visit pantaenius.co.uk

THE BRITISH

YACHTING AWARDS 2021

THE WINNERS

Richard Dove, of category sponsor BoatLife Live, presents the trophy to Katie McCabe

YOUTH SAILOR OF THE YEAR WINNER: KATIE MCCABE RUNNER UP: TIMOTHY LONG Our three nominees were superlative candidates, names that we very much expect to be featuring in future ceremonies. First on the list was Timothy Long, who we heard about just too late for our last British Yachting Awards in 2020, when he completed his solo round-Britain sail, at the time the youngest to have done it. That successful voyage, however, proved to be just the warm-up. Over the last year Timothy raced in the Double-Handed Offshore series, did bow on the J112 Jooped, coming second in the J/Cup, winning the Tattinger and third at Cowes Week, and he has become the first Youth Ambassador for the Andrew Simpson Foundation. He is now aiming for the Mini Transat 2023.

We also shortlisted Jamie Cook and Will Martin, who were Optimist rivals in the Welsh youth squad until they teamed up in the 420 and proved to be a winning formula. They have been the top-ranked boys crew for the last two years, winning the Youth Nationals by 20 points in 2021 and were selected to represent Great Britain at the Youth Worlds in December.

Your votes, however, went to another remarkable young sailor, aged just 14. Katie McCabe has spent her entire life living afloat with her parents. As a family, they’ve sailed an Atlantic circuit, and many thousand miles in between, on an elderly wooden gaffer. Having picked up traditional shipwrighting skills from mum and dad, Katie did up a 1950 Morgan Giles design, Falanda, in her free time. Then with father David following a few miles behind on his own boat (strictly for insurance reasons, as Katie made clear), she set off around Britain solo. She was the youngest person to have ever attempted the feat and had no paper qualifications to her name, but she completed the trip in time for the start of term in September, demonstrating a level of seamanship vastly beyond her years.

Katie is speaking at BoatLife Live, the boat show taking place at the NEC in Birmingham, from 17-20 February. Her yacht, Falanda, will be there too.

Runner-up Timothy Long is now aiming for the Mini Transat

SPONSORED BY

BoatLife Live will be held 17-20 February 2022 at Birmingham NEC. The inaugural show is the place to kick off the season and get ready to get back on the water. With a replica traditional riverside pub and Mediterranean bar, there will be plenty of places to meet old friends and make new ones while listening to live music and enjoying the energetic atmosphere.

The show’s main attraction is the boats, with over 100 on display from Brig, Cranchi, Cornish Crabbers, Viko Yachts, Zodiac Ribs, Fairline, Grand Ribs, Parker Boats, Supra Boats and Bayliner.

It does not stop with the boats; you will also find holiday and equipment companies, including Suzuki, Freedom Boat Club, Pro Marine Finance Barrus and SBS Trailers on the show floor.

Head to the Live Stage to hear talks from boating faces you know and love and visit the Inland Zone and Virtual Reality feature to get your thrill of the day – the show has been curated to give the whole family a day out and celebrate the boating lifestyle. boatlifeevents.com

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

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THE BRITISH

YACHTING AWARDS 2021

THE WINNERS

The Disabled Sailors Association welcomes people with any disability on its specially designed catamaran. Pictured at the British Yaching Awards (inset, from left) are skipper John Douglas, marketing manager Zoe Coltart and founder and chairman Mike Wood

CHARITY OF THE YEAR DISABLED SAILORS ASSOCIATION We are delighted to announce the Disabled Sailors Association (DSA) as our Charity of the Year for 2022. We were privileged to do the Round the Island Race last July with the DSA, when we saw a tiny bit of the excellent work it does. The Disabled Sailors Association owns the specially designed, fully accessible catamaran Spirit of Scott Bader and it welcomes people with any disability.

Sailors on Spirit of Scott Bader, going out from Port Solent with skipper John Douglas almost daily, often include injured exservicemen, people with Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy and any physical, hidden, mental health or learning disability.

Spirit of Scott Bader was designed for wheelchair users, with wide sidedecks, and helm and winches easily accessible from sitting height. It was a ground-breaking project 20 years ago but since then improved technology and social integration has enabled more disabled people to try new activities and further their ambitions. This technology has increased the size, weight and

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complexity of the wheelchairs used by many of the people who sail with the DSA. Improvements in manual handling techniques to support care staff have seen developments in hoists and other equipment that enable people with complex disabilities to take a fully active and independent part in activities. A bigger, better boat has been designed, but the money needs to be found.

Disabled Sailors Association founder and chairman Mike Wood was at the British Yachting Awards, with skipper John Douglas and marketing manager Zoe Coltart, to receive the award and say: “Back in the very early days of Sailing Today they did an article on me and my dreams of providing proper sailing for disabled people. We went on to build Scott Bader which provides up to 1,000 sailing places a year to people who are quite often unable to sail with other organisations because their facilities aren’t suitable. Now we have plans to expand our facilities even more with a new boat.” disabledsailing.org

THE BRITISH

YACHTING AWARDS 2021

THE WINNERS

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR WINNER: PIP HARE RUNNER UP: HANNAH MILLS What a line-up. There was Damien Seguin, the Paralympic star who turned to offshore racing and finished the Vendée Globe within the leading group, despite his boat being 2008era. He was born without his left hand and his achievement was also a remarkable first for disability sailing.

Also in our shortlist was Giles Scott, the Finn sailor whose startline antics in Tokyo gave us all a heart attack, before he went on to win a second consecutive Olympic gold.

Giles was also nominated for his role as tactician on INEOS Team UK, a cool-headed presence by Sir Ben Ainslie’s side in Auckland, just five months before the Olympics.

The shortlist included his TeamGB colleague Hannah Mills, whose silver and two golds have made her the most successful ever female Olympic sailor. Her wider status in sport was recognised as she was chosen to carry the TeamGB flag at the Tokyo opening ceremony.

Hannah is also an environmental campaigner and she joined SailGP this summer.

We nominated Howard Pridding, the former head of British Marine who spent the last three years at the RYA, during which he negotiated Brexit wranglings for sailors and helped lobby the Government to ensure sailors were first out of lockdown. After a career serving the marine industry, Howard retired this year.

Of the thousands of votes in this category, however, most went to the fifth candidate on our shortlist – Vendée Globe sensation Pip Hare, whose story has captivated so many people. She and sponsor Medallia became the runaway media stars of the event, and meanwhile she sailed one of the race’s oldest boats to 19th place, a performance that earned her the admiration of the entire IMOCA fleet. Now the story continues, as Medallia continues to back her for the 2024 race in a boat that has made the Vendée Globe podium twice before.

Pip (right) attended the ceremony with members of her shore team, Isla Reynolds and Lou Adams, and said: “I’m honoured to receive this award especially as it’s voted for by the public. Thank you so much.”

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YACHTING AWARDS 2021

THE WINNERS

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD SIR CHAY BLYTH

In 2021, the sailing world marked the 50th anniversary of one of the great, pioneering offshore voyages – the 292-day circumnavigation achieved by Sir Chay Blyth in 1970 and 1971, solo around the world, against the winds and currents.

The ‘impossible voyage’ was rightly celebrated worldwide and became the defining achievement of Sir Chay’s life, but his career has been marked by significant other firsts and his positive impact on the wider world of sailing is incalculable. We were delighted to be able to present him with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Yachting Awards ceremony on 30 November.

At the ceremony, group editor Rob Peake said: “Few believed that a ‘wrongway’ solo circumnavigation could be done. It was 50 years ago last summer that thousands came to greet Sir Chay at the finish in the Hamble River, including the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prime Minister Edward Heath.

What those onlookers didn’t realise was that over the next half century only five more sailors would manage to complete the same ‘wrong way’ voyage, compared to the 140 who have sailed solo with the prevailing winds.”

Mike Golding, who was the first to break Sir Chay’s record with his own wrong-way voyage, 28 years later, said: “The success achieved by Team GB sailors at the Tokyo Olympics may not have been nearly so good had the pioneers like Sir Chay and Sir Robin not inspired so many people to buy boats and get afloat, for it is their children or grandchildren that are now leading the charge in international sailing. We have a great deal to thank them for.”

After the circumnavigation, Sir Chay made headlines again when he trained up from scratch and skippered a crew of Paratroopers in the first Whitbread Round the World Race, in 1973-4, winning line honours on elapsed time.

Over the next two decades, in a high-profile racing career, he won the 2-Man Round Britain Race, he won the Double-Handed Transatlantic Race, he completed anther Whitbread, he survived 19 hours in the water off Cape Horn after his trimaran capsized and he was Richard Branson’s co-skipper on Virgin Atlantic Challenger, to name just a few of his achievements.

In the late 1980s he formed the Challenge Business, driven by his lifelong Top left and top centre: Sir Chay arrives belief that sailing should be accessible on British Steel in Hamble, welcomed to anyone. Long before the first Clipper by thousands of people and members of the Royal Family.

Race, the venture would see paying, Above left: Navigation by chart and amateur crews race around the world. They sextant.

Left: British Steel; she is currently being would follow in his footsteps, ‘the wrong refitted in Devon by her private owner. way’. As with several steps in his career,

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

it provoked a sniffy reaction from the sailing establishment and at least one leading newspaper decried the idea as positively dangerous.

Yet the Challenge races – first the British Steel Challenge, then the BT Global Challenges – introduced countless people to the sport, they showed that sailing did not have to be elitist, they helped raise £4.5 million for Save the Children, and their legacy continues in many ways. The boats are still being used, many of them owned by charities and serving as the platforms for excellent work.

Many of the skippers from the races went on to still greater things, notably Mike Golding and Dee Cafarri, Conrad Humphries and Will Oxley, to mention just a few.

Reflecting on his pioneering ‘wrong-way’ voyage, Sir Chay said: “There was a weekly radio call and if you missed it you had to wait until the next week, so it could be a fortnight and often was. Now they call back four or five times a day.

“For me, looking back, the big thing about the British Steel trip was that we lost the self-steering after Cape Horn [with 20,000 miles to go].

You had to balance the sails, which you could do well enough because it was a ketch, but the minute you changed a sail you unbalanced the boat. It would go round in circles and end up in irons.”

Of the re-enactment of his Hamble arrival last summer, Sir Chay said: “Walking up the pontoons brought back memories for me. When we arrived at the club [in 1971], we were met by all this royalty, so walking up there again, over the same bridge, was a real reminiscence.”

One of those who welcomed him at Hamble was Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, with whom Sir Chay enjoyed a long-standing rivalry. He recalled: “We were very much competitors. Before the Transatlantic Race [1981, double-handed with Rob James] we went round the pontoons to see all the various boats, and Robin was on Sea Falcon. He proposed that we should have a wager on who would finish first, just between us. A small keg of beer. Of course we won and Robin was fourth. I always remind him – to this day I’ve never got my keg of beer!

He’s had an incredible career. He’s been Yachtsman of the Year three times.”

Sir Chay, who is a CBE and BEM, has had a career defined by firsts and he reflected: “My father was an ordinary guy, he’d been a First World War solider, wounded twice, but my mother had a bit more glow in her. She had seven children for starters. She used to have three jobs, cleaning and washing and anything to make money. She was a very determined lady.”

He revealed he had been writing a book about his life, but added: “The problem is I should have written it 15 years Top right: With Sir Robin ago because everyone who was around back Knox-Johnston at last summer’s then has died. I’ll send it to the publishers and recreation of Sir Chay’s 1971 arrival in Hamble. they’ll say: ‘Who the hell is Chay Blyth?’”

Right centre: Sir Chay speaks at For a longer interview with Sir Chay, see the British Yachting Awards.

Right: With Lady Felicity Blyth. our website yachtsandyachting.co.uk

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

29

Paul Heiney A night at the British Yachting Awards placed me next to two sailors separated by decades in age but sharing a spirit of adventure and bravery that richly merited recognition

O

ne night in December I wrapped myself in a newly pressed suit and headed off to a glittering ceremony - the British Yachting Awards, organised by this magazine. Like a newcomer at an Oscar ceremony, I spotted some well-known faces. It was a bit of a shock to see Pip Hare with her hair combed, having only ever seen her damp and bedraggled on her Youtube channel. And there was Sir Chay Blyth, getting a lifetime achievement award, reminding us in his speech that when he set off on his first circumnavigation he had little idea about navigation.

But the boy done good and well deserved his award.

But these celebrities were far less intriguing than the people sitting either side of me. On my left was an elderly couple, “My husband’s 82, you know, and we’ve come all the way from Fife.” Then, on my other side was a girl, a teenager. Why wasn’t she wasn’t at school? I was soon to find out. I said hello to her mum who seemed so full of pride she looked as if she was going to boil over. Then came the awards. And blow me down if the girl didn’t turn out to be Katie McCabe, the fourteen year old who had won ‘Youth Sailor of the Year’ for a single-handed voyage round Britain, 1,600 miles via the Caledonian Canal in a wooden folkboat. And the bloke on my left was no less than 82 year old Murdoch McGregor who was declared ‘Sailor of the Year’ for a 1,900 mile voyage around Britain in a 23 footer. There was nearly 70 years between them.

There are some lessons to be learnt from this. The most obvious is that those who are drawn to the rewards of cruising can come from all age groups; experience is handy but as Katie proves determination might be as useful a driving force. In the case of Murdoch, the motto has to be ‘it’s never too late’ - he didn’t start sailing till he was 71! He’s made up for it now, of course- not all seadogs need to be pups, it seems. Nor do you need a big boat to set a record - both were in boats under 26ft.

Anyone who thinks that, for an adventure, your boat needs to be at least a brand new 40fter, should take note.

Both Katie and Murdoch are, without doubt, heroic in their approach to sailing, but there is one more thing they share: they chose to test themselves not by crossing oceans but by sailing round Britain. Last year, with so much covid uncertainty, when you asked someone ‘where are you off to this year?’ they replied, ‘Oh, nowhere special. Just staying in home waters, you know...’ said in an apologetic voice. But the truth is that our own coastline can lead to the most challenging of voyages, yet one which doesn’t require months of flogging across oceans. The skills of planning, navigation and seamanship are put to the test hour by hour as the ever fickle UK weather blows you this way and that. The tides sluice, the sandbanks wait to grab you, the swell can pick you up and give you closer to the shoreline than you might wish. On the plus side, if the sun shines, the wind falls light and the thermometer rises, you have all the satisfaction of those who have flogged all the way to the Mediterranean to get themselves a guaranteed tan. Within a few hours sail out of Falmouth, I have found the sandy beaches of Scilly to be as good as anything the Caribbean has to offer, the lochs of Scotland as grand and austere as Norway’s. The Orkney Isles are not a million miles both in terrain and atmosphere from the Falklands, and the outer reaches of the Thames as interesting to navigate as any of the world’s great deltas. Our coastline has as much potential for adventure as anywhere in the world.

So why don’t more people sail round Britain?

Probably because it is a tough call. We have some seriously nasty little spots, and wise sailors know it.

I am often asked what it was like sailing past Cape Horn? I always reply that I’ve been in bigger seas off the Lizard, wind over spring tide in a strong breeze on top of a steep Atlantic swell, and white water heaping up all around. I’ve also sailed round Britain; we did it over 30 years ago with two small children and I know how demanding it can be. That was why, at the end of the awards, along with the rest of the room, I got to my feet and gave Katie and Murdoch the applause they richly deserved. Real home grown heroes.

30

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Andy Rice With kitefoiling in for the 2024 Olympics, it’s time to set differences aside and embrace what this thrilling discipline has to offer

K

itefoiling is one of the most breathtaking forms of sailing I’ve seen. If you can call it sailing, that is. The definition of sailing has been a contentious subject in recent years, with traditionalists lobbying against replacing the likes of the Finn dinghy with another ‘beach sport’.

The Finn sailors were one of the friendliest, most affable groups of competitors in the Olympic boat park. One of their strongest arguments for being retained as an Olympic event was the question: ‘Where will athletes over 85kg go?’ It’s fair to say the other dinghy classes are for small to medium sized people.

Now that I’ve seen kitefoiling up close, I see that there is room for anyone from 75kg to 115kg to be competitive. Having been invited to do live commentary on a sport I knew nothing about, I flew to the Canary Islands for two Kitefoiling World Series events in Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria. I had to learn quickly what makes these kitefoilers tick.

Watching British rider (they call themselves riders, not sailors) Connor Bainbridge launch his 21 metre kite into the air on a light-wind day on the beach in Fuerteventura was a thrilling moment. Just to see that much power in the air. Then to witness these agile athletes of many shapes and sizes powering upwind at 23 to 25 knots and downwind hitting speeds close to 40 knots in flat conditions.

It is thrilling to watch, partly because jeopardy is never further away than the next wave. Even the best can be caught out by a rogue wave or a piece of debris on the water. When they happen, the crashes can be brutal on the body. Tangle-ups between two or more kites do occur occasionally but there is no redress for anybody in such a situation. Even if a subsequent protest finds you to be the innocent party, you don’t get any consolation points in recompense. The reason being that this discourages anyone from pushing a marginal situation. The harshness of the rule is designed to keep riders apart and tangle-free.

Injuries do happen, and reigning World Champion Theo de Ramecourt had recently damaged an ankle ligament in a face plant during training at the upcoming 2024 Olympic Regatta venue in Marseille. Theo’s loss was my gain as the smiling 24-year-old Frenchman joined me as resident expert in the commentary booth. Theo is able to operate at world class at a weight of just under 80kg, whereas his team mate

Benoit Gomez has been finishing top three this season at major events at 115kg. A gentle giant, Benoit is known as ‘The Teddybear’ to some, but he’s also remarkably light on his feet for such a big-framed rider.

So how is it that competitive weights can vary so much? Perhaps it’s because it’s still a new sport which only really came into existence around 2014, not long after the kiteboarders of San Francisco had become inspired by the 2013 America’s Cup with the foiling AC72 catamarans. Now that it’s got Olympic status, perhaps the riders will become more typeformed.

And it looks likely that the riders will be getting heavier, not lighter.

As the Moth sailors have long since discovered, once you pop up on to the hydrofoils the levels of apparent wind are so high that you can’t ever really be heavy enough.

Newly crowned Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Tom Slingsby dominated the Moth Worlds at Lake Garda last summer weighing in at around 90kg. One of the Rolex nominees, Kiran Badloe, has added 15kg to his previously skinny frame as he trains on the IQ-Foil windsurfer that has replaced the RS:X board for the next Games.

So does that mean that Finn-sized sailors have a place to go? Yes, definitely. Does that mean current Finn sailors will be competitive? Well, that depends. Now in his early 30s, Olympic Champion Giles Scott would be unlikely to be able to develop the muscle motor skills to be world class, never mind the fact that he’s got another America’s Cup to keep him occupied. On the other hand Joan Cardona, the 23-year-old Spaniard who won Finn bronze in Tokyo, might be able to adapt. Might. Class manager of the International Kiteboarding Association Markus Schwendtner, a professional windsurfer back in the Robbie Naish days, believes the fasttwitch motor skills start to deteriorate by our mid-twenties.

Could it be that the best kiteboarders will be teenagers?

The average age of the skateboarding podium at Tokyo 2020 was something like 14 years. Against all the men, 15-yearold Max Maeder from Singapore won the Kitefoiling Open European Championships in the summer and he won the event that I was commentating in Fuerteventura. Max just managed to beat the highly experienced multiple World Cup winner from France, the 24-year-old Axel Mazella.

A 16-year-old Italian, Riccardo Pianosi, was third in the World Championships. Perhaps, then, the limiting factor on performance in the Olympic kitefoiling will not be size but age. And physical courage. In kitefoiling, there is no

PHOTO SAILING ENERGY/WORLD SAILING

‘DOES THAT MEAN FINN-SIZED SAILORS HAVE A PLACE TO GO TO? YES. WILL THEY BE COMPETITIVE? THAT DEPENDS’

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Kitefoilers competing at the recent World Series; could age rather than weight be what matters in this new Olympic class?

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

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Andi Robertson With not one but two major round Britain and Ireland races set for 2022, there will be plenty to challenge both Corinthian and pro sailors alike this season

F

rom what I understand to have been a club which was not exactly prospering three or four years ago it is great to see the historic Royal Western YC in Plymouth bouncing back with a strong programme of offshore and oceanic events. That is where the club really made its name: from the 1960s onwards with the OSTAR and the TwoHanded Round Britain & Ireland race, which was first started in 1966, followed by the TWOSTAR – the two-handed Transatlantic Race – which was first raced in 1981.

Considerable thought and proper market research have gone before the decision to change the course for this year’s two-handed Round Britain & Ireland Race.

Bisecting Britain with Plymouth at the start and finish kind of fixes a halfway stop in Lerwick which stays from the historic course, but the other two stopovers are now Galway in Ireland and Blyth in Northumberland.

Adrian Gray is Rear Commodore Oceanic at the RWYC of England - a new post set up last spring to develop the ocean and offshore programme. He explains there was some resistance from traditionalists to moving the stopovers from the likes of Barra where the facilities were limited. Some would argue that seamanship skills, strength of character and embracing the hardships of mooring up in these remote places are part of the DNA of the race, but the reality now is that they are a barrier to maximising the entry and therefore depth and level of competition. To arrive at a decent marina with hot showers, shops, hotels and decent transport links is what more people want.

They now also have the incumbent clubs fully engaged as well, and the whole event really has grown a real groundswell of interest.

As a reminder, there is a mandatory 48 hour timed stop in each stop. Now there can be one crew change made at one stop; previously a crew change could only be for medical reasons. This will also make the race more inclusive as not everyone can take three straight weeks away to do the full race.

Starting 29 May, there are already over 20 entries. The

size limit is 60 feet and it is very much a Corinthian race in spirit. However, the club has been liaising closely with IMOCA to publicise their four ocean races, which will surely appeal to the older generation of boats (pre-2008) which are no longer allowed into IMOCA Globe series races.

And so the club now has four oceanic races: the Round Britain and Ireland, the OSTAR, and they are developing a Round Iceland Race and a Bermuda race.

Make no mistake the Round Britain and Ireland course is tough. One way or another it is relentless, there is always something going on in terms of weather transitions, tidal currents, and navigation. It is much harder than any transatlantic.

So too the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland - the RORC offshore held every four years - which is already gathering a big entry. It will be the highlight for many two-handed teams this season. While the RWYC race in May is stopping, by contrast the RORC race is 1805 miles non-stop. Boats will set off on 7 August.

It will be the pinnacle event of the season for Shirley Robertson and Dee Caffari who will be campaigning a new SunFast 3300 together, the boat supplied by SeaVentures. SeaVentures owner Nigel Colley will himself do the race on his new 3300 and expects between five and seven 3300s. He has sold 22 SunFast 3300s into England now and notes that all but one of them are actively racing two-handed.

Colley is a vastly experienced racer who has done the RWYC race before and is a big fan of it. He reflects: “The Sevenstar RORC race is probably more for the hard core as it is non-stop and so there is much more preparation involved, more self-preservation and personal management, because of the level of competition and intensity of the course you will have to be fast all the time. But the RWYC race you stop and so you can repair and recover properly on shore and you can have a few beers with your rivals at each stop, you see them and enjoy their company. Whereas the RORC race, I suppose, is like all the others - you leave home, sail a big circle, and don’t really see your competitors!”

In either case, both will be fascinating to follow.

IMAGE PAUL WYETH/RORC

‘ IT WILL BE THE PINNACLE EVENT FOR SHIRLEY ROBERTSON AND DEE CAFFARI WHO WILL BE CAMPAIGNING A NEW SUNFAST 3300 TOGETHER’

34

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The start of the last Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, four years ago

ANDI ROBERTSON An offshore sailing expert, few people can match Andi’s insight into the big boat world, both in the UK and globally

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Cruising - Living aboard on a budget

Vagabond afloat Sam Taylor joined that hardy bunch of sailors willing to forgo the comforts of life ashore in order to enjoy the sometimes dubious pleasures of living afloat

I

think I’m going to buy a boat!”

My parents faces dropped, in the way that only parents whose now-adult offspring has just announced that they intend to do something stupid and dangerous can. The year was 2020, the coronavirus was raging, and I had just returned to the UK after several years of absence, fleeing back across the Irish Sea with my tail between my legs as the relationship to which I had dedicated the last three years of my life collapsed around me.

Watching the sun sink into the sea behind me, a long side-lined dream began to resurface.

I had learned to sail at a young age, mostly in Toppers, Wanderers, and other small dinghies, with the

36

occasional memorable foray aboard larger craft. It was around this time that this idea had begun to take shape in my naïve, youthful, brain. I wanted to sail, not just across the placid waters of the lakes of my native Devon, but for far greater distances, and for far longer. I wanted to live on the water full-time, to cross oceans, to see far-off lands. A romantic notion to be sure, but as I mooched around old haunts, having ignominiously been obliged to move back in with my long-suffering family, this old dream begun to take shape, to solidify into a plan.

As the Wexford coast dropped astern of the Stena Europe, I took stock. I had a car, along with a small amount of savings salvaged from the

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Sam selected a venerable Eventide 26 to live aboard. The mix of modest price, decent headroom and shoal draft all helped

wreckage of my time in Ireland. A brief peruse of the websites of certain well-known yacht brokerages, sorted by least expensive, gave cause for hope. There were boats out there; granted many were in various states of decay and would require a substantial investment of time and resources to be returned to a seaworthy state, but they were out there.

A suitable craft

I could afford them, just, but as I continued my procrastinationinspired internet searches, it became apparent that, while many people were doing what I wanted to do, those people were in a very different position to me. Many appeared to be

retired, others were couples, and a surprising number of the latter group had children. Many wrote of heading to Southampton Boat Show, brochures in hand, to peruse the latest offerings by the likes of Dufour and Beneteau. One memorable article described their pick as “modest…the cost of a second home”. Not one of them lived on a boat of less than 30 feet. Clearly, a very different experience awaited me.

It’s very hard to find concrete statistics for cruising liveaboards, especially those living on sailing boats. The inherently transient nature of the lifestyle, coupled with a desire to avoid census counts (and the spectre of the taxman that follows them) make this shadowy community hard to measure. Far easier to count are those who live on barges or houseboats on the UK’s canals and rivers; according to Stephen Hardy of the Canal and River Trust, which manages the use of inland waterways, about 27% of the 34,450 boaters in 2019/2020 were liveaboards, of which about 5,500 cruise the system continuously. It’s therefore not unreasonable to assume that the numbers living on sailing yachts are fairly similar – after all, the up-front cost of boats is roughly the same, and while dealing with the challenges of sailing on open water might put off a few, the number is still likely to number in the thousands.

Statistics set aside, I continued my search, and eventually alighted on a venerable Eventide 26 by the name of Morag Morgan. Designed by the

legendary Morris Griffiths, these excellent little boats have a reputation for being seaworthy while still able to take the ground; the previous owner (who had had her for over 40 years) told tall tales of an acquaintance who had supposedly crossed the Indian Ocean in one.

Equipped with a large galley, a forward cabin, and a working head, she had the bare minimum of space for a single person to live fairly comfortably aboard. I had paid a little over £4,000 for her.

First things first: my new purchase was on dry land in a boatyard on the outskirts of Fareham, on the River Wallington. While the fees were relatively reasonable by the standards of the average yachtsman, it wasn’t possible to live on board full time while the boat was on the hard, and hotels were hard to come by.

However, I received a stroke of good luck, in the form of the snaggle-

toothed proprietor of the yard, who informed me that I was still paid up until the end of the month, and yes, he could certainly lift her in, but it would have to be tomorrow. Once I was on the water, I would be able to stay there without any difficulties until I was ready to sail. So, with brush, roller, and tin of antifouling in hand, I set to work. One alarming crane lift later, on what must have been one of the windiest days in the last month, and Morag was in the water. I quickly moved aboard and, armed with paint-scraper and epoxy resin, began my long battle with the leaking roof, which would continue for many months to come.

ABOVE Marinas are a tempting but costly option for the liveaboard with a tight budget BELOW Morag was fairly basically equipped but most things continued to function

Living afloat

One of the things that had most attracted me to Morag was the equipment that came with her.

Granted, most of it hadn’t been replaced in 20 years, but it was functional, and that was all I needed.

This greatly reduced the amount I had to shell out over the first few weeks and months of living and sailing aboard. Other boats I had viewed, while they may have been cheaper upfront, would have cost me far more in the long run, since they had lacked such basic necessities as a radio or batteries, to say nothing of modern niceties such as a GPS or depth sounder. Morag was equipped with all of these, and despite their various stages of decay, I was convinced I could wring another year or so of life out of them yet.

A piece of sensible advice that is often shared when boat purchases are

Cruising - Living aboard on a budget

discussed is the need for a surveyor.

While these knowledgeable individuals are undoubtedly experts in their field, I had forgone their services in favour of my own, highly untrained eye. Accepting the risk that I may have missed some vital, and as yet undiscovered defect, here I must mention another aspect of Morag that set her apart: she had been looked after. Quite simply, the previous owner had spent the last 40-odd years constantly tinkering with her, and it was only a failure of the weight of old age that had resulted in the sale. Many other boats in the price bracket that fitted my constrained financial circumstances had languished in yards for years, sometimes decades. Consigned to barns and the back of cowsheds, they had been all but forgotten, until some reshuffle had forced their sale. Left like this, the possibility for deterioration had skyrocketed, leaving many with serious structural problems that would have been time-consuming to fix at best, and downright dangerous at worst.

Now in possession of my new floating home, low ceilings, leaky roof and all, it became obvious that a proper budget was called for. Again, the modern miracle that is the internet would be no help; budgets found online were often very far removed from the reality ahead of me. So, repairing to an excellent local watering hole, the Castle in the Air, I began to draw up a monthly budget, covering food, fuel, and maintenance, amongst the other vital elements that would keep me afloat.

A modest budget

I set aside £20 per week for food, with lentils, rice, and things-in-tins high on the menu; in a month this would be close to £80. For berthing, I set the arbitrary monthly figure of £150, on the assumption that I might be forced to pick up a mooring buoy from time to time. I was already paying £20 a month for my phone, the data from which would double as my internet access. Assuming that I would need to refill the tanks about once a month, I set aside for diesel

38

£55, and a further £10 per month for butane gas for the cooker. During the winter, I would need to light the small paraffin heater – I estimated about £15 per month extra should be enough. Furthermore, one of the constants of boating life is that things break. With this in the forefront of my mind, I planned to set down £125 monthly to cover emergency expenses. I had already paid for a year’s insurance that covered cruising in the UK and Ireland; it had cost me £72. With the addition of a small amount of personal spending, this came to just £681.

My next consideration was berthing. This was easy; I would be on board the vast majority of the time, so anchoring was the obvious choice. At this, however, I hit a snag: many (although by no means all) ports that I would otherwise have stopped at charged harbour dues, prohibiting long stays, and those that didn’t often had anchorages far away from any of the shore facilities that I would no doubt need. Then, it struck me. Many of the larger harbours, especially those which took the form of estuaries, had large areas of creeks

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE A tranquil, well protected anchorage is a liveaboard's idea of heaven BELOW The benefits of a bilge keel fully demonstrated

and drying mudflats that, while they gave no indication of suitability for anchoring, didn’t exactly prohibit it either. I was sure that no one would object to my presence, as long as I didn’t obstruct anything and was careful not to make a mess.

In this way, I often found myself but a short row (no outboards here) from exactly the sort of bustling seaside town that I might otherwise have been forced to leave behind.

Tucked amongst flotillas of moored yachts, and using two anchors to limit my swing, I was quite able to blend in without any trouble, despite being far away from the lights of other yachts at anchor, and as of yet, I have seen no sign of the dreaded harbourmaster’s launch appearing to move me on.

Morag’s ability to take the ground was another aspect that had caught my attention. I had suspected that I would be obliged to take berths that were less than ideal and being able to dry out expanded my options no end. Aside from my creative choice of anchoring spots, the ability to head upriver on a tide before drying out has saved me from many an uncomfortable night.

At first, power was drawn from the engine, where its miraculously long-lasting batteries allowing me to use lights and charge phones while being only occasionally obliged to run the engine. The addition of a solar panel, charge controller and inverter allowed me to forgo the engine altogether for my electrical needs as well as the need for frequent trips ashore simply to charge a laptop.

The spectacular incompetence of my autohelm, which, like everything else on board, had rather seen better days quickly become a major source of bewilderment. This cantankerous piece of electronics, aside from drawing unholy amounts of power from my battery, acquired the nasty habit of gybing unexpectedly away from the compass course that the battered instruction manual assured me it would faithfully follow at all costs. Having baulked at the cost of a replacement and fired with a determination to use what I had, a Heath Robinson collection of poles joined the solar panel, bathing ladder, and horseshoe buoys on the rear railing. To this, I affixed the long-disused wind vane attachment, while shunting the GPS aerial to a wooden stick crudely lashed to the railing. This partially rectified the problem and finally allowed me to leave the helm for a few minutes, a great relief on long passages.

conversation with the jovial harbourmaster of the bustling fishing port of Unionhall informed me that to lay a mooring in the nearby Castlehaven would be completely free. So long as the many other boats already there were not fouled, and I was content with a long cycle to the nearest town, he would have no objection.

Upon first hearing this, I could hardly believe my ears. Mooring fees in England, where, up until now, my cruising had been limited are often astronomical in comparison, a fact which many boat owners will, no doubt, be keenly aware. As an example, a comparable swing mooring in Dartmouth Harbour, on the south coast of Devon, would have set me back over £800 per year, including those ever-present harbour dues. Being able to lay a mooring and overwinter without stretching my budget further would allow me to tackle the many and varied jobs that

ABOVE Bidding farewell to the English coastline BELOW Sam discovered that moorings in Ireland were a fraction of the price in the UK

had built up over the last, incredible few months.

Living aboard full-time has certainly been a challenge. Adapting to a space that lacked even standing headroom has undoubtedly been a test of fortitude, as has the difficulty of keeping within budget, but the rewards have been fantastic. There’s nothing quite like watching a flight of swans pass overhead in the early morning mists, being lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of a boat at anchor, or the satisfaction brought by the realisation that, despite outdated charts and dubious equipment, yes that light ahead is where you’re going.

However, the greatest joy has been the freedom, the knowledge that, wind and weather permitting, at any time I can coax then engine into life, haul up the anchor, and head off to somewhere new. In fact, being forced to adapt to life on the sea, without the benefits of a large fund to fall back on, is something I wouldn’t swap for a moment. I have become not only a passable navigator, but also a competent carpenter, electrician, and mechanic, with the knowledge that if something breaks, as it inevitably will, I’ll be the one to fix it.

So what would I say to anyone else considering living onboard? While it is, at this point, beyond cliched, I cannot but give the age-old advice of “just got for it”. It’s not often that these opportunities come along.

Don’t let one slip by. I promise you won’t regret it.

Return to the Emerald Isle

With winter closing in fast and crossing the Bay of Biscay, as I had originally planned to do, appearing foolhardier by the day, I decided to return to Ireland, where, I was reliably informed, mooring fees were cheap. Very cheap, as it turns out. For Morag, at 7.9 meters in length, to moor in the Port of Cork, Ireland’s second city and a busy waterway, would cost me a mere €179, or approximately £153 per year, not including the cost of acquiring my own ground tackle. A brief Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

39

37th America’s Cup

Shaping the future With the release of the Protocol, Georgie Corlett-Pitt examines what the next America’s Cup will look like and the reactions so far

40

INEOS Britannia’s CEO Sir Ben Ainslie said it was “bold”, and said the creative thinking it entailed was “what was required to take the sport forward for the future”. Certainly, the launch of the Protocol - held jointly by video from the UK and New Zealand - set the tone for a forwardthinking event. Words like ‘collaborate’ and 'collective' are not often associated with Cup announcements, yet were in plentiful supply, as too were ‘ambitious’ and ‘inclusive’. There was lots to be excited about, and, far from the usual Cup wrangling that typically divides the Defender and Challenger of Record, both sides say their collaborative approach has strengthened their relationship – certainly a refreshing start to a Cup cycle.

So, what do we now know about the next America’s Cup?

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The AC75 will be retained for this and the next Cup, enabling continuity and sustainability

AC75s centre stage

Once again, 75ft foiling monohulls will take centre stage, as the Protocol confirms that the AC75 class will be retained from the last Cup. Teams have the option of either modifying a first generation AC75 (which opens up the option of new teams buying second-hand), or building a new boat - but can only sail one AC75.

Any new hull needs to be built in the country of the Challenger.

In a forward-facing Cup first, any team entering AC37 has to agree to retain the AC75 for the following cycle. While traditionalists say this move defies the ethos of the Cup as determined by the Deed of Gift - whereby the winner is free to make the rules as they wish - the new Protocol clearly states that the underlying intention of attracting more teams and promoting sustainability.

PHOTOS CARLO BORLENGHI; GRAPHICS C/O EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND

T

he 37th America’s Cup came a step closer recently as the Protocol was released, eight months to the day since Emirates Team New Zealand won the 36th America’s Cup on their home waters off Auckland.

Setting out the foundations and rules of participation for the next challenge for sport’s oldest trophy, the 80 page document has been drawn up following close negotiations between the Defender - the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Emirates Team New Zealand, and the Challenger of Record - Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd and their representative team INEOS Britannia.

Emirates Team New Zealand’s CEO Grant Dalton described the Protocol as “progressive”, while

The new generation AC75s will bring notable differences. Overall, we are promised a more exciting boat, capable of higher top speeds and with improved light airs performance thanks to larger foils enabling take off at lower boat speeds and a significant reduction in all-up weight.

“These boats have a lot more to give” – that’s according to ETNZ technical director, Dan Bernasconi, a statement made as he revealed a weight saving of around 1 ton compared to the earlier AC75s. The code zero has been dispensed with as “unnecessary”, while there’s a big drop in crew from 11 to 8. To compensate for the reduced ability of smaller crews to produce hydraulic power, teams have the option of grinders or AC35-style cyclors – the latter a particularly likely option for the Brits, considering links to INEOS Grenadiers cycling team, also owned by team backer Jim Ratcliffe.

The class rule has been refined in conjunction with INEOS Britannia to restrict operating costs, with tight limits on the number of foils, components build quotas, and increased one-design elements.

While Dalton says teams will always spend what they want to and there is no cap to that, the aim is to bring the minimum costs as low as possible and so entice new teams.

There remains plenty of scope to develop the detail, but as ever with the Cup it’s a race against time: the clock is already ticking to the stated AC75 launch date of 17 September 2022. As a concession to new Challengers sailing a pre-owned AC75, an extra 20 days sailing time is permitted in the three months ahead of that. It’s a bonus, but is it enough

to get on a level with established teams? Almost certainly not, but with the continuity of retaining the AC75 for the next cycle, it’s nice to think there’s now a pathway for prospective teams with longer term ambitions. It will be exciting to see.

40fters key to impact

The Protocol tentatively suggests June 2024 as a date for the America’s Cup Match, but this is by no means finalised – watch this space.

Before then, the intention is for a series of three Preliminary Regattas, which will no doubt be welcomed by fans after covid restrictions prevented any sort of warm-up series for AC36 going ahead.

While the third event will be raced at the Match Venue in AC75s, the first two will be sailed elsewhere in a new multi-purpose 40ft foiling one-design to be known as the AC40.

Each Challenger must purchase at least one. Raced with a crew of four and expected to top speeds of 45 knots, Grant Dalton has drawn comparisons with Te Kāhu, the test boat designed by Emirates Team New Zealand as part of their

ABOVE INEOS Britannia is the Challenger of Record for AC37, with Emirates Team New Zealand the Defender BELOW RIGHT The new AC40 arguably this Cup's biggest opportunity to build a legacy for the future

successful AC36 campaign. The new AC40 will have an automated pilot system to help ease the boat handling learning curve.

Outside of the official regattas, the boats should also prove fascinating testbeds for component development – a further way to control costs – as well as for crew training.

The AC40 is also significant as perhaps the biggest opportunity for this Cup to leave a long term mark on the future. That’s because this new 40ft foiling one-design will used for an all-new Women’s America’s Cup, as well as the re-instated Youth America’s Cup (pulled from AC36 due to covid). Challengers are required by the Protocol to field teams for the finals, and the qualifying rounds of these events will also be open to non-Cup teams. It’s a big step forward in opening up the experience pathway for female and young sailors, and sets a new standard of expectation for the future, and across the sport in general. Although questions have been raised as to why having, say, one or two female sailors as part of the all-up crew quota hasn't been

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

41

37th America’s Cup

stipulated instead, the vision actually stretches further forward than this when you consider that having the opportunity to race separately now will create a larger talent pool for the future by giving a greater number of women experience and exposure at this level. A clever long-term move.

Tooling for the AC40 is already underway at McConaghy Boats’ build facility in China, with the first two boats shipping in summer 2022 to the Defender and the Challenger, and a predicted build time of three weeks for subsequent boats, allocated to Challengers in order of entry.

Bringing it to the fans

Yet another ground-breaking element of this Cup is the concept of shared reconnaissance, which is set to open up the Cup in an unprecedented way – shared not only between teams but also with the sailing public. How will this work?

42

Every time a team goes sailing they will be shadowed by a recon unit, with data, photos, video and audio all fed into a central pool and disseminated internally to teams, as well publicly via social media.

Competitors are otherwise banned from tracking or filming each other, so this represents another huge step in reducing cost with the added bonus that fans will have absolute insight every step of the way.

The Kiwis already have a proven track record of delivering for fans.

With combined TV and free live streaming coverage, AC36 easily took the accolade of the most watched Cup, boasting a whopping 941 million views, reaching an audience more than three times greater than AC35 - something they will only want to build on for AC37. To further boost media interest, Challengers will be the subject of an ‘access all areas’ documentary in the

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE LEFT Shared recon and media will deliver the greatest Cup insight yet ABOVE RIGHT Luna Rossa lost 7-3 to ETNZ in AC36, but looks set to go again

vein of F1’s Drive To Survive. A move to over-dramatise and cheapen sailing’s most elite competition, or a fascinating exposé on the top end of our sport that will draw new fans?

If F1's example is anything to go by - where the series is credited with doubling F1 viewing figures - the naysayers look likely to be far outnumbered when the viewing stats start to roll in.

Challenger line-up

Who could we see on the start line?

Emirates Team New Zealand confirmed that several Challengers were received as entries officially opened on the 1 December. Kevin Shoebridge, COO of Emirates Team New Zealand described initial interest as “very positive”, adding that, “feedback and interest from prospective teams, both existing and new has been very encouraging”.

However, the team would not officially confirm the identities of the Challengers, leaving it up to teams to make their announcements. Alinghi, the double Cup winning team of Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli was the first to step-up, confirming rumours of a return to the Cup under a new partnership with Red Bull's F1 and sailing teams - see News for more.

Despite no further formal confirmations as we went to press, the line-up looks likely to include a number of established Cup teams, with AC36 campaigners Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, owned by Italian Patrizio Bertelli, potentially partnering with Ferrari - and American Magic, headed by Hap

Fauth and Doug DeVos, also talking of going again. A second American team Stars and Stripes could well be in the mix, while rumours of a Dutch entry under Simeon Tienpont seem unlikely but can’t be ruled out.

As Challenger of Record, INEOS Britannia is already leading the charge, with Ainslie and his team hoping they will be third time lucky in bringing the Cup home following two consecutive cycles of lessons learned the hard way. Ainslie says his team is “ready to take on the challenge” and has promised a “rigorous approach”, building on continuity in their bid to be the first British team to win in the 170 year history of the event.

He will be bolstered in no small way by the recent tie-up with Formula 1 champion team, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1. With the sailing team now based at Mercedes F1 HQ at Brackley, the two will collaborate on design, with their shared ethos underlined by Mercedes’ proven record of success. INEOS Chairman

and founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe believes that “assembling this unique collection of elite sports teams will give us a stronger chance of achieving what has never been done before”.

For the Challengers, the Protocol makes early entry incentives clear – determining your place in the AC40 order queue and allocation of team bases at the match venue. But entry involves a hefty financial input with a basic cost just to put your name down of around $4m USD plus additional ‘shared costs’ to be determined; any new teams need to secure a multimillion budget even before campaign costs. Entries will be open until 31 July 2022 so there is time for more teams yet to materialise.

In the meantime, having several established Challengers already flagging their interest reflects well on what this progressive Protocol has to offer. If the incentives work as hoped to draw even one or two additional teams, this Cup could prove to be a very positive milestone in the event’s

ABOVE The new generation AC75 will have fewer crew and bigger foils than its predecessor

history. With the Protocol out and parameters in place, an interesting few months lie ahead to see if any more Challengers can be tempted forwards.

BELOW LEFT Auckland could be the next Match Venue... or not

Venue remains TBC

BELOW RIGHT Grant Dalton, CEO of ETNZ is at the centre of a storm

That said, there is still one rather large and pretty significant question still outstanding: where will the next Cup be held? The Kiwis had intended to reveal that earlier in the autumn, but Grant Dalton has since described the original September deadline as “too ambitious” and has now re-set the deadline to 31 March.

Dalton says he and his team are working around the clock to resolve the conundrum. Although their home waters would be a very normal assumption, ETNZ insists a shortfall of $50m NZD needed to host the event on home waters would inevitably result in them losing the Cup and the demise of the team.

Although the New Zealand government offered to part-fund the endeavour, it was not sufficient to

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

43

37th America’s Cup

boost what the team themselves was likely to be able to raise, and so they walked away.

Dalton’s solution is to host the Cup overseas. While not without precedent in Cup history, this move has been met with bitter objection by a group led by Kiwi businessman Mark Dunphy who maintain that sufficient funds can be found.

Allegations of mis-information have created a maelstrom that Dalton could certainly do without. While Dalton maintains that a successful defence is central to his – and his nation’s – interests, questions have naturally been raised as to his decision to look for a venue overseas.

So if not Auckland, then where could the Cup be held? Several venues have put themselves forward. Dalton insists it’s not simply a case of selecting the highest bidder, but if money is indeed the deciding factor, the Red Sea port of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia seems a tantalising – though perhaps controversial - prospect, while the Irish government has been enthusiastic in its proposal to bring the pinnacle event to its second largest city, Cork. Meanwhile, a multi-city bid could see racing go to Spain with support from the government there.

44

Until that final piece of the puzzle fits, it makes it difficult for any team – existing or new – to progress in earnest as the likely conditions of the Match Venue go a long way towards determining boat design.

Team recruits

In between developing the Protocol and juggling the venue debacle, ETNZ has also endeavoured to progress its team. The legendary double act of Pete Burling and Blair Tuke have played to their rock-star status, holding back on re-signing while they awaited clarity on the fundamentals of the event. In the meantime, the team have snatched up ex-Artemis Racing Cup helm, Nathan Outteridge who was, bizarrely, left on the bench for AC36; the Australian swerves the new 100 per cent crew nationality rule for this Cup, not under the emerging nations provision, but as he is married to a New Zealander. He joins ETNZ’s returning core of Glenn Ashby, Andy Maloney, Josh Junior, and Ray Davies.

The Kiwi's revived rival Alinghi unites their team principal Ernesto Bertarelli with Red Bull's principal Hans-Peter Steinacher and F1 team chief Christian Horner. On the water,

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE LEFT Pete Burling lifts sport's oldest trophy for a jubilant ETNZ after winning the 36th America's Cup ABOVE RIGHT Ainslie will once again lead the British team on and off the water BELOW Hydrogen powered chase boats; it is hoped tech developments will benefit the wider industry

a new generation of young sailors will be led by Arnaud Psarofaghis of Extreme 40 and GC32 fame, directed by Cup legend Brad Butterworth signing as skipper.

For the Brits, Ainslie is set to once again take charge on and off the water, also re-signing right hand man, tactician Giles Scott.

The team are yet to reveal more, the focus meanwhile being on their tech team links with Mercedes, led

by F1 design guru, James Allison as chief technical officer. Allison has described the challenge ahead as a “mouth watering prospect” and of the Protocol he said, “it’s a big fat old book full of opportunity”.

Clean tech

Green credentials are being put to the fore for AC37. Most notably in aiming to advance technologies for the wider marine industry, each team is required to operate two 10m hydrogen powered foiling chase boats capable of a cruising speed of 25 knots and a top speed of 50 knots. Teams can develop their own, or purchase them (at a cost of $2m NZD each) from the Defender, who says a prototype is already in build, due for trials in early 2022.

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Tom Cunliffe

Tom Cunliffe

T

ime was when ocean sailors cast off the shorelines knowing there would be no communication with the outside world until they fetched up on another continent and toddled off to the poste restante.

With luck, news from home would be waiting and letters written on passage could be mailed which might, or might not, arrive before they returned.

46

That’s all history now, life has have changed and I have to chuckle when I read of ocean warriors south of Cape Horn calling their local chandler for advice on a leaking valve or asking the weatherman when they should tack. It’s even started to happen to me. One of the fun things about running my internet club (www.tomcunliffe. com) is the emails from members in unexpected circumstances. I had a note yesterday from Jon who I had

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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

last heard from discussing return routes from an ARC voyage. That was pretty routine stuff, but this latest communiqué really had me thinking.

The issue was a technique discussed in one of our online forums. What made the exchange different from the mainstream was that he was now in mid-Atlantic, careering along in the trades. I have to admit that I’m still in awe when my screen dishes up a live message from far out at sea. From the perspective

ILLUSTRATION: CLAIRE WOOD, PHOTOS TOM CUNLIFFE

The magic of the internet presented Tom with a downwind dilemma unfolding many miles from the comfort of his home

“Nobody in possession of the sense they were born with wants to round up to shorten sail, especially in a ten-foot sea with the preventer on”

of my early ocean walloping in the 1970s, it might as well come from the dark side of the moon.

The question was about reefing a bermudan mainsail when running.

The first requirement for this is that the yacht doesn’t suffer from those severely aft-swept spreaders that become the bane of your life off the wind. With that proviso, shortening down on the run may be possible with some forms of in-mast furling, but old-fashioned slab reefing still offers the best option. I’ve never tried this on a boat over 45 feet and it can’t work with single-line reefing, but on smaller yachts rigged conventionally I have achieved it many times with complete happiness.

After all, nobody in possession of the sense they were born with wants to round up to shorten sail, especially in a ten-foot sea with the boom preventer on, the headsail poled out to windward and the true wind at 25 knots. The trick is to ease the halyard with the vang still on to keep the boom from kicking up; one crew heaves down the luff while a second winches in slack on the clew pennant to keep the sail from snagging the spreaders and standing rigging. With sound teamwork this works a treat and Jon and his mates had snugged right down using their permanently

rove tack reefing lines led aft to the cockpit. This saves having to scramble up to the mast to rip your fingernails at the luff. So far so good.

It was when the boys tried to re-hoist the sail that the trouble started.

They’d tackled the job in reverse order and it had gone like a breeze until the main was nearly up. Then, with the head a foot or so short of what was needed, the halyard winch started groaning, the sail stopped short and damage seemed imminent. It looked horrible, Jon said. Had I experienced anything similar, and what could possibly have gone wrong?

Not being on board, of course, I could only speculate. I made a few random suggestions including liberal applications of MacLube, that wonderful oil-free lubricant designed for sails that all yachts should carry.

I clicked my mouse and the message whizzed off through the mysteries of cyberspace to land on his chart table.

It can’t have helped much because the mail box went quiet for an hour or two before, ‘ping’. In came an answer. They’d found the problem.

In a sense, I’d been right. It was all about friction, but it had nothing to do with the luff. One of the cockpit crew had decided to snap the brake shut on the jammer controlling the

ABOVE All very well, but do you really want to round up and reef?

tack line in a moment of misguided diligence. The sail was then halfway back to full hoist and the halyard never stood a chance. The miscreant was immediately awarded ‘heads duty’ for two days with his rum ration halved. Rough justice, you may feel, but he won’t make that mistake again. The final missive announced obscurely that the fellow was locked in the focsle with a 3ft wahoo. Whether the fish was dead or alive was not specified.

I first discovered the technique for downwind reefing many years ago on a delivery from the south coast to Gibraltar. The lady owner had decided to make the trip and had brought her own crew. She was a woman who’d seen more than her share of action and was up for anything. Her shipmates were a long way from the usual scratch delivery crowd. One was a North Sea oil-rig roustabout and the other was a tugboat skipper from the Port of London. Together, these three made up the sort of team you’d want beside you if ever you ended up in a fox-hole in No Man’s Land under heavy fire.

The boat was around forty feet long and, despite the fanciful title on the manufacturer’s propaganda sheet, nothing about Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

47

Tom Cunliffe

“As we swept round Finisterre 50 hours later we were running in a full gale under a scrap of genoa”

the accommodation was any good at all once the waves got to work.

There was absolutely zero to hang onto and nowhere to sleep. The aft cabin had one of those lovely double beds you see at boat shows which are great in harbour because, no matter which side you are tucked in, you can always slip out to attend to nature’s call without having to clamber over your luckless partner.

The boss opted to kip back there behind doors closed for privacy. It all looked fine in Poole, but by the time we were rounding Ushant she’d given up on the bed, dumped her duvet on the cabin sole and was crashed out between the bunk and the bulkhead.

This combined the advantages of not rolling around all over the place with the security of being unable to fall any further. The hands had unwisely decided to sleep in the vee berths forward where the motion must have been near intolerable. They erected a plywood sheet between them to maintain modesty which struck me as quaint, but when I inspected the ship in search of a berth for myself and found there wasn’t one, I started to realise that these two professional seamen weren’t just dug up. The saloon boasted two lovely armchairs on one side - totally useless at sea and a small, curved dinette on the other, so I dumped a spinnaker bag on the floor under the table, installed

48

ABOVE We nipped inside Ushant (pictured here on an altogether more tranquil day) and roared on before the building gale BELOW Dead downwind and blowing hard

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

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

my ‘scratcher’, and called it home.

We nipped inside Ushant under full sail in a rising northeasterly breeze with the main vanged down and a preventer on, the pole properly rigged with fore guy, after guy and topping lift, and the sheet running freely through the bayonet fitting at the end. The shipping forecast wasn’t encouraging. A lot more blow was promised, but it was a fair wind. With such a crew I wasn’t tempted to hide in Camaret and await an improvement, so on we went into the wilds of Biscay.

As the wind rose, we started by rolling away the genoa, bit by bit.

When the time came to shorten down the mainsail I was about to ditch the pole and round up, but the tug skipper, who had never before served under sail, showed that he was a prime seaman by suggesting we try the method used just now by Jon in another world. We did, and it worked.

As we swept round Finisterre fifty hours later we were running in a full gale under a scrap of genoa.

With the main all the way down we’d slacked the preventer and sheeted the boom in, but the pole guys remained untouched and the little boat had done an honest job despite her silly sleeping arrangements.

It was still blowing hard when we ripped into Gibraltar. The wind was

blasting at right-angles across the stern-to marina berth and we had no bow thruster. You’ll know the feeling. It looked downright ugly, so I handed the wheel to the tugboat skipper. He slotted her sweetly into a finger without turning a hair.

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

49

Cruising - Camino de Santiago

A sainted path Following the Camino de Santiago pilgrims trail along the Galician coast is generally a blister inducing exercise. Steve Pickard discovered it was less taxing by boat

M

ost of us have been there, the sky is grey, waves are creaming over the boat and we are huddled in the cockpit praying for a let up in the weather. Yes praying, whether religious or not we are closer to the elemental forces when afloat than we ever are ashore.

You will therefore be glad to know

50

that it is now possible to combine the spiritual with sailing in a more tangible way. The Camino de Santiago, the long and wearisome trail, so long the reserve of the pedestrian and more recently the cyclist, has recently become available to the cruising pilgrim. And I don’t mean in a figurative sense, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela now recognises the Credencial del Peregrino, issued by certain yacht

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The iconic view of the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela. Journey's end for a pilgrim

clubs, as equal to the same Credencial issued to the pedestrian pilgrim.

A voyage of 90 miles, a small collection of stamps obtained from yacht clubs along the way plus a short 10km hike to Santiago from Bertamirans are regarded as sufficiently meritorious to warrant the issue of the sought after Compostela!

How do I know all this? The Covid

'four day maritime pilgrimage'. This I took to be a run round the member clubs much as I had done several years ago, this time at least partially by boat. I began to salivate, memories of those yacht club tables groaning with food and drink, the sun dappled waters and distant mountains seen through the wall to wall plate glass windows, the bonhomie...

Return to normality

crisis has had its ups and downs and in many ways early May this year seemed to be the nadir of despondency. Imagine my delight when into my mail box dropped an invitation from ANAUSGA, the association of Galician yacht clubs, to come on what was described as a

It got better. In June Spain required no PCR tests and the flight to Vigo, so redolent of former times had me weeping in my seat. I nearly broke down again when, after settling in my hotel, I sat in a waterfront bar and consumed several beers: how could they taste so good?

Next morning I met my fellow invitees, Oscar from Marina World, two German Bloggers who had taken six years to travel from Berlin to the

PRACTICALITIES For those tempted by this challenge there are are two possibilities. The first makes the last 90 miles a breeze as to arrive from the UK under your own steam you have to cross Biscay, a distance of 439 nautical miles from Falmouth. This is if you wish to start in Galicia. Another nautical Camino is possible on the north coast starting as far east as Hondarribea on the French/Spanish border. Other start points are Santander and Gijon.

The second is to charter locally, ideally between Bayona and Vigo as this gives the required 90 miles to Portosin. The northern route from Ribadeo is vastly longer and more exposed to bad weather..

The pilgrim passport, or Credential should be ordered in advance from the start marina; only sail boats qualify.

ABOVE Approach to the Cies Islands BELOW A definite nautical theme to the deisgn of the Real Club Nautico at Vigo

Marshall Islands and Manuel from Navily.com, a marina berth finding app.

No boating seemed in the offing as we boarded a people carrier to visit the yacht club at Canido. This is a small club mainly for dinghies and has only mooring buoys seemingly not for visitors. There is however a very nice quay it may be possible to lie behind. After this, once more bus bound we repaired to the Real Club Nautico de Vigo for lunch. The building is an Art Deco representation of the original QE2 from the promenade deck up and replaced the three masted ship that was the original Club HQ. Built in 1948 it just manages to stay ahead of the ravages of time. Berthing rates in their marina are low, 22 euros for a 12m boat and the president said they had never turned a boat away. The superb facilities, including swimming pool are included in berthing fees.

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Cruising - Camino de Santiago

The dining room with its spectacular views is open to the public and with a three course menu including wine for 14 euros we were all shaking our heads in disbelief.

After lunch, and worse for wear, we headed for the boat, a 45’ Elan Impression with nice teak decks.

The skipper, Albino Vazquez and his charming wife were aboard with Laura from Sailaway.es whose boat had been chartered.

Slowly I began to understand that this was to be a fully fledged pilgrimage as we were handed our Credencial and after a short, warm and sleepy cruise we got our first stamp at the very private Monte Real Club de Yates, Bayona. We were told that to book a berth you had to book in advance - a year in advance! And that once tied up, the spacious and beautiful terraces were fully out of bounds.

Suitably chastened we retraced our steps to Vigo where we visited the

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Liceo Maritimo de Bouzas. Set amongst shipyards it was occasionally necessary to remove the pontoons! Just to the right lay the legendary yard of the great Alfredo Lagos, a true friend to the British yachtsman. In a 1960’s building reminiscent of Soviet socialism we were fed course after course until as midnight approached we were poured back into our hotel.

Breakfast next day was on the boat and while we nibbled in a listless way on a poor croissant the boat next door, also on the pilgrimage, filled up with a cheerful crowd of mostly girls, one of whom was an ex Olympic long jumper who had had the misfortune to loose a leg above the knee. Both ships headed for Cangas across the bay where the press had a free for all photographing us, the press, and the Olympian. This was the pattern from then on, our pilgrimage became a story for the local news papers!

In Cangas the Lady Mayor

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE LEFT A good use of time enroute to Bayona ABOVE RIGHT Our sister ship leaving Vigo BELOW LEFT The rarefied atmosphere of Baiona YC BELOW RIGHT Lunch at last!

explained the importance of her town in relation to one of the many land routes that lead to Santiago. In this case because, for pilgrims too ill to continue their journey, the hospital in Cangas effectively became an outpost of the cathedral. For cruising yachts, this is a great spot to overwinter.

We then leapt on board to sail to the offshore archipelago of Cies where mooring or anchoring requires a permit in advance. We took a look between the north and south islands and realised to what extent these island groups protect three of the great rias. Our sister ship had skipped the mayoral meeting preferring beer and coffee.

By now starving to death we had another two hours of sailing before anchoring off a beach on the south side of the ria of Pontevedra.

Everyone was quite replete and merry before it was found that the empanada had failed to reach the

GLOSSARY OF TERMS oven. This was often the case with boat lunches, food designed to be warmed was not but who cared anyway?

Albino, the skipper, preferred gin and tonic to coffee so we all fell in line. The sun being very hot and encouraged by a very thin girl called Maria who did not seem to freeze to death after being in the water for 20 minutes, we took the plunge. The water temperature was allegedly 14 degrees but the sun was so strong it pierced the sea and warmed the body. Our sister ship, as always, arrived later In the Club Nautic de Portonovo we were entertained by Javea, chief of ASNAUGA as well as the club where we dined. A 'terrace' had been contrived as to be both outside and inside at the same time and thus to allow gatherings of 20 or so. We were regaled with a non-stop procession of delicacies, most of which had been living happy lives until that morning.

Unexpected inquisition

I was astonished to find myself quite peckish on awakening which was just as well as the hotel where we stayed served a hot breakfast. The only difference to pre-Covid times was that it was served by waiter from the old, but now screened, buffet.

Sanxenso was next on the list but before that we had to face the Spanish Inquisition, or a PCR test as it is locally known. With a thoroughness that would have brought promotion to a 16th century inquisitor she proceeded to tickle my eyeballs via the nasal cavity.

The Real Club Nautico de Sanxenso is a stunning edifice built in 2005 and yet has almost no moorings. With five floors of pools, gyms and restaurants it serves more as a country club to the well off southerners and Madridians who come north to escape the fierce summer heat.

With one more stamp in our

ABOVE LEFT The pilgrim chapel at Cangas ABOVE RIGHT Discussing the theory of life, the universe and everything over a glass of wine BELOW LEFT The end of a watery road in Portosin BELOW RIGHT The Ribeiria club president explains all

Camino – Pilgrims trail Compostela – Certificate of a successful pilgrimage Credencial del Peregrino - Pilgrims passport Empanada – Flat pie containing a variety of ingredients Xacobea – Jacobean, St James

Credencial we steamed off to the Puerto Deportivo Vilanova de Arousa. There was nothing here except a large yard with a 35 ton travelift and all the signs of being inexpensive – old neglected English boats, and a café. Here self interest conflicted with duty. A beautiful array of tapas and wines beckoned but it was already 1800 hours and dinner, probably extensive, lay in wait at Ribeira. The Mayor addressed a crowd of about 25 and then practised his English on me. Duly stamped we sailed for the Club Nautico Deportivo Ribeira, also known as Porto Xacobeo de Riberia

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Cruising - Camino de Santiago

HISTORY OF THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO The remains of St James the Greater are said to have been transported from the Holy Land to Galicia in a stone carrying boat in 44AD and entombed in Santiago.

The tomb was discovered in the 9th century and Santiago went on to became the third most peopled pilgrimage after Jerusalem and Rome.

These trails start almost everywhere from Galway to Trondheim in the north and Hamburg to Naples in the east. The most

because of the connection with St James and his last journey. Once again the club showed what it could produce, this time really indoors on tables of six with more of the haute cuisine in its offerings. Not for the first time did we pass a large aquarium where anxious eyes looked out.

In the hotel just after midnight, we left at seven the next morning for our last and eventful day. Breakfast was supposed to be on board but Albino was pacing up and down and anxious to be away. Not that he mentioned it, Albino was the master of good humour, competence and very easy going. He hardly ever stopped laughing, or talking, or singing. And if he did, his wife or one of his friends would pick up the baton. The problem was that fresh north winds and poor visibility were forecast from 11 and there was a tricky passage between the Illas Sagres and the mainland to navigate, estimated time of arrival eleven.

We got away with minimal delay, the sister ship tarried and much was the shaking of heads as to the trouble

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ancient are from Vezelay, Tours and Arles in France and converge on the Pyrenees at the Spanish border and take the mountain route to Santiago.

The first nautical Camino was in 2018 and on the north coast. New routes might be approved by the Cathedral.

A belief in God is not mandatory.

A journey made with an open mind and a spirit of enquiry is all that is required by way of motive.

And how could these things be absent on such a voyage?

they were storing up. There were some big seas and heavy thumps mixed with pitiful visibility but the rocks slipped by and we had turned the corner before the wind piped up.

Downhill to the Real Club Nautico Portosin where yet another inspection of facilities, including the restaurant, where delicious fragrances filled the air was followed by another stamp in our Credential and much photography. The sister ship arrived and could not function till all aboard had showered off the salt.

To my surprise there was no lunch! This we had in the town and forsaking the delicious looking empanada in fond expectation of greater things to come, I was astonished when people started getting to their feet!

The last lap

Our next stop was a shop on the pilgrim trail where we were given sticks, a stamp on the passport and a shot of something restorative to aid us on our way. This liqueur was made from a pungent smelling herb

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE End of all Caminos at Santiago BELOW CENTRE The spectacular sight of the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela BELOW RIGHT A ceremony new to all

which we stuffed in our buttonholes.

More significant was the next stop at Bertamirans where the zero kilometre road sign marked the beginning of the mandatory 10km hike to the cathedral where our nautical Camino would end.

We eventually arrived at the Cabildo de la Catedral, the place where all pilgrims' Credentials were examined, validated and if found satisfactory, the Compostela signed and sealed. The atmosphere had changed amongst us sailors: gone was the banter and small talk, we were all quite serious and moved.

Along with us from the boat were tired looking cyclists, trekkers of every age and nationality and others not fitting any classification at all.

Clasping our certificates we made our way, as all do, to the shell in the Praza do Obradoiro that marks the end of all Caminos and after that to the Cathedral where the bones of St James lie in a tomb beneath the altar.

Our journey was over.

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RORC Transatlantic Race

Ocean showdown With a bumper entry and race records up for grabs, competition in the RORC Transatlantic Race is expected to be fierce. As preparations got underway Georgie Corlett-Pitt talked to the biggest and the smallest yachts in the fleet

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Puerto Calero, Lanzarote on 8 January. 3000nm of Atlantic Ocean lies ahead, with the finish line lying off Grenada where a warm welcome awaits at Camper & Nicholson’s Port Louis Marina.

Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, in association with the International Maxi Association and, for the first time, the Yacht Club de France, the entry list includes high performance monohulls, giant multihulls, classic yachts, performance cruisers and double-handed teams.

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The 100ft Maxi Comanche is the largest monohull and will be leading the charge for line honours

Record chasing giant

By far the largest monohull in the fleet is Comanche, the well-known 100ft canting keel Maxi currently skippered by Australian legend Mitch Booth. It’s no surprise that Comanche’s aim for the race is to break the record – set back in 2018

by Pier Luigi Loro Piana’s Supermaxi My Song – of 10 days 5 hours 47 minutes.

Launched in 2014, the VPLPVerdier designed Comanche was solely built to chase records; the boat is current holder of the Monohull

PHOTO EMMA LOUISE WYN JONES/ROLEX

N

ow in its eighth edition, the RORC Transatlantic Race has evolved from what was originally intended as a feeder race to the Caribbean season (in particular for the RORC Caribbean 600) into a high calibre showdown between some of the world’s most notable race yachts. Competing alongside them will be a number of Corinthian teams keen to test their ocean racing skills. With a record entry for 2022's event, the fleet will set off from

PHOTOS ARTHUR DANIEL/RORC; CARLO BORLENGHI/ROLEX

West-East Transatlantic sailing record, and with an impressive list of previous line honour wins to her name, including the Rolex Fastnet Race, the RORC Caribbean 600, the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the Transpac and the Rolex Middle Sea Race, there’s no doubting her pedigree.

Comanche’s super beamy transom – that led to the nickname ‘the aircraft carrier’ when first launched – lends itself perfectly to the largely offwind course of this race, and skipper Mitch Booth fully expects her to be in her element. “The RORC Transatlantic Race is one of the iconic offshore events and well suited for Comanche. The trade winds this time of year are the perfect recipe for some great sailing,” he says.

Asked what the boat is like to sail in these conditions, he describes: “Comanche is really just a big skiff and as soon we can crack sheets, she starts planing. The faster you go, the more sensitive the helm becomes.”

Having set a Transatlantic record once before (on the 110ft Maxicatamaran ClubMed) Mitch is relishing the prospect of entering this particular race. He acknowledges the challenge they’ve set themselves when he says: “Setting a race record doesn’t allow you to choose the right weather window and the current race record is fast – but it’s beatable. We have a couple of the My Song crew in our team and we are looking forward to having a crack at it.”

Comanche's crew will be handpicked from a tight knit bunch that has spent the 2021 season together - the likes of Justin Slattery, Shannon Falcone, Will Oxley and Pete Cumming. The all-star team are looking forward to arriving in Lanzarote and making their final preparations for this, the longest offshore in the RORC calendar.

“We have focused on reliability of the equipment and on the other hand reducing weight,” Mitch explains. “We will race with a few less crew than inshore events; we would normally race with between 22-27 inshore, and 19-22 offshore.

People equate to weight, and for longer offshores it adds up, including food, clothing, etc. Equipment is also weight, but for sure it is well worth taking spares. Sails are another area

of balancing weight and so we are giving careful considerations as to what sails to carry on board.”

With such a pinnacle race record up for grabs, it’s sure that Mitch and his crew will do everything it takes to push Comanche towards their goal, and it’s sure to be an intense ride for those making the cut.

ABOVE Richard Palmer on Jangada, arriving at the end of the 2019 race as overall winner on corrected time

70FT MULTIS GO HEAD TO HEAD For the giant multihulls, a transatlantic challenge such as this is hard to resist. Three MOD70 trimarans will set off from Lanzarote, hoping to beat the race record of 5 days 22 hours 46 minutes, set in 2015 by Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD70 Phaedo 3, then skippered by Britain’s Brian Thompson.

Brian is once again racing, this time on board Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA). He goes up against 2018 race winner Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70 (ITA) and the boat that tailed her second over the line after a gripping trans-ocean match race, Peter Cunningham’s PowerPlay (ex Concise-10).

With three boats, all capable of foiling about 40 knots, Brian predicts an enthralling race. “The boat that is behind will always be trying to break away from the leaders and the front boat will have to decide who to cover. The race tracker will also come into play, ABOVE with teams choosing to make a move just afterLEFT an update. If the data is only updated everyxxx four hours, there could be 240 miles of separation between the ABOVE RIGHT xxxx boats, and that move would be very hard to cover.”

Also in action and gunning for line honours will be Antoine Rabaste’s 80ft Ultim’Emotion 2 (FRA).

Smallest for the win?

Also arriving early in Lanzarote will be Richard Palmer’s JPK 1010 Jangada, overall winner under IRC of the 2019 RORC Transatlantic Race.

Jangada is once again the smallest yacht entered, both in terms of size and crew – with co-skipper Jeremy Waitt bringing the team to a grand total of two. Fresh from a win in the IRC Two-Handed class at the recent Rolex Middle Sea Race, Jangada is aiming to be the first double-handed boat to win the 2022 RORC Season’s Points Championship overall - of which this race is the second of 16 events. Having come close to doing so in 2019-20 only to have his efforts thwarted by the pandemic, Richard believes that consistency throughout the coming season will be key to achieving his goal.

As for this particular race, it’s the third time Jangada has entered. Used to being at the smallest end of the scale, Richard says this doesn’t necessarily entail a disadvantage, providing you are prepared to manage risk carefully. This typically means adopting a conservative strategy. “We will be ensuring we do not go out on a limb and risk a very poor result. As the lowest rated boat we have the benefit of tracking the fleet ahead of us,” he explains.

With Jangada favouring 15-20kts, the prospect of some solid surf conditions is an appealing one, but with a hull length less than one-third of Comanche’s Richard naturally has to adopt a different set of priorities; in particular sea state is a far bigger determining factor and so as waves build, Richard and Jeremy will need to be ready to respond much earlier than their larger rivals. Richard cites Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

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their fractional A5 spinnaker as a go-to in these circumstances, which he describes as “very forgiving, even in a broach”.

As with Comanche, Jangada’s sails and equipment have been carefully selected, and importantly, already tried and tested on the race-track.

Richard says: “We double up on many systems, such as autopilot and charging batteries. All of that starts before we even leave the dock in Cowes. We also try to avoid last minute changes.”

Overall says Richard, “The biggest challenge will be managing the balance between pushing hard for that extra fraction of a knot versus conserving both the boat and our ourselves. Particularly sailing short-handed, it’s essential that we both stay alert and able to perform to our best ability. So that means as much sleep as possible, and staying hydrated especially in the fierce heat of the tropical sun.

“We will also be on the look out for Sargasso seaweed, which with twin rudders can be a problem!”

Could history repeat and we see the overall win go to the smallest boat in the fleet for a second time?

Richard is certainly keen to beat his previous race time of 17 days 10 hours 11 minutes and modestly admits he hopes for another chance of lifting the trophy. But he says, “Not only do we have a larger fleet this time but the level of competition is very high, so a win will be tough. We

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

will be dependant upon the weather systems and the extent to which they may favour the smaller boats. For sure we will race to win, so anything is possible!”

Stiff competition

Topped by a powerful 100ft record chaser and tailed by a small but mighty and well-proven offshore duo, what can we expect from the other monohulls making up the rest of the fleet? Looking to lead will be two highly competitive Volvo 70s; Lance Shepherd’s Telefonica Black and HYPR, skippered by Jens Lindner, as well as Richard Tolkien’s Open 60 Rosalba (GBR). Competition is expected to be just as hot among those under 60ft, and includes David Collins’ Botin IRC 52 Tala (GBR),

ABOVE Five-times ARC winner Ross Appleby's Scarlet Oyster enters this race for the first time BELOW Christopher Daniel's J/122E also debuts, with a Corinthian crew of family and friends

winner of IRC Zero in the Rolex Fastnet Race, plus several newbies: Maximilian Klink’s new Botin 52 Caro (GER) and Arto Linnervuo’s new Infiniti 52 Tulikettu (FIN).

At sub 50ft the action is no less intense, with entries including second overall in the 2019 race, Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR) under new ownership of Andrew Hall, and ARC winner (see page 84) Ross Appleby’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster (GBR) making a RORC Transatlantic debut.

Another first timer is Christopher Daniel’s J/122E Juno, sailing with a fully Corinthian crew of friends and family, including children, Jack and Poppy. A regular inshore winner on the Solent, this is a pinnacle event for Juno in 2021-22 having already ticked off the Fastnet and Middle Sea Races, and - still to come - the Caribbean 600.

Christopher speaks highly of his crew when he says: “They all have been totally committed to the programme and taking responsibility for their respective areas and roles in the preparation for each race.”

And of the race ahead he says: “The key challenge for us will be analysing the trade-off between sailing the rumbline and heating up and reaching, but sailing longer distances. A J/122 isn’t a planing boat so the solution to max VMG is always much more nuanced, despite the temptation to always sail higher and faster!”

Follow the race via the online tracker and enter the virtual edition at: rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

PHOTOS PAUL WYETH/RORC; RORC/JAMES TOMLINSON

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

59

Boat Test ~ Shogun 50

Weekend warrior?

Is it a cruiser? Is it a racer? Sam Jefferson tests the new all carbon Shogun 50 to find out In association with

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

H

aving been obsessed with yachts from an early age, many early notebooks of mine are filled with sketches of dream boats. Being a child and unfettered by the constraints of practicality and common sense, these drawings were often pretty alarming to look at; towering masts raked at wild angles and supporting clouds of sail. Hulls that looked like they were designed for re-entry from outer space. Observing them with the wisdom of age, they look kind of fun but also are quite clearly impractical. Imagine therefore my surprise to be confronted with one of my boyhood sketches sitting at the end of a pontoon in the Stockholm archipelago. I blinked, rubbed my eyes yet there it was, the Shogun 50; a boat every bit as wild as any childhood daydreams and looking as at home amidst a sea of staid Swedish cruising yachts as a visitor from Tralfamadore would at a parish council meeting. The boat looks alien and otherworldly and, from the sharply raked dreadnought bow with dramatic wave deflectors, through to the massive rig placed a long, long way aft. The lines are so aggressive that this isn’t so much a yacht as a sabre designed to slash through the water.

This is the Shogun 50; a boat so un-Swedish I was left gasping for air at first viewing and opening and closing my mouth like a landed fish. The boat is the brain child of Mats Bergryd, a racing sailor and businessman who previously owned

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

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Boat Test ~ Shogun 50

a ClubSwan 50. He was dissatisfied with certain elements of that boat and therefore decided to create his own vision of the ideal racer-cruiser.

He therefore teamed up with Linjett Yachts, the oldest and arguably most respected and conservative yacht manufacturer in Sweden, to produce an all-carbon speed monster that you could also take cruising – just as long as you don’t mind sailing fast.

The boat is designed by the hugely experienced team of Oscar and Håkan Södergren and actually first hit the water in 2019 but covid has rather limited the opportunities to test it. Before kicking off in earnest, it’s important to note that this isn’t simply a clone of a ClubSwan 50.

Granted it’s the same length, they are both full carbon and they both share a certain wildness in their looks. Yet, after that, the two boats start to diverge. But lets start with the similarities; both have a truly dramatic dreadnought bow. In the Shogun this is raked even more than the Swan and follows the angle of the forestay. There are two spray deflectors at the bow which also work as steps for the bowman, a short fixed bowsprit for the Code 0 and a retractable pole for the gennaker. The bow sections are reasonably broad at deck level but fine at the waterline. By modern standards the Shogun is actually surprisingly narrow aft – 3.8m compared to 4.2m for the Swan.

Displacement is also lower than the Swan, with the boat weighing in at 7,900kg against 8,500kg. This is an impressive achievement given the additional weight of a lift keel mechanism. Maximum beam is achieved about ¾ down the length of the hull and is carried all the way aft with no taper. By modern standards she is slender and that adds to the knife-like appearance of the boat.

The bilges are slack and there is no chine. The sheerline is inverted and freeboard has been kept low.

The other really notable thing is that the keel stepped rig is placed a long way aft – abaft the keel in fact a la Comanche, allowing for a huge fore triangle. The full carbon rig supports a fat headed mainsail requiring running backstays. There is a retractable pole for the gennaker

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and a massive hydraulic system for tensioning the rig via the running backstays. There is the option of using a 100% self tacking jib or going for a 110% overlapping headsail.

Beneath the water the boat has deep-ish twin rudders with carbon foils and a deep T shaped carbon keel with a lead bulb that actually accounts for 45% of the boat’s overall weight. The keel can be partially lifted on a hydraulic ram to make the boat more practical for navigating in tight waters, with the draft going from 3.3m to 2m.

The ultimate upshot is a very light, stiff boat with a low wetted surface area. To what end I hear you ask?

Well, you have a yacht optimised for sailing the Stockholm archipelago for one. That narrow hull is going to be very easily driven and will accelerate harder than the ClubSwan 50 even if it lacks top end power. Light air

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The distinctive wave deflerctors also act as steps for the bowman BELOW The knife-like bow with integrated bowsprit

performance will also be better and the lift keel adds valuable versatility.

I suppose the big question is, do we have a practical cruiser-racer?

What, in fact, do we have here? Well, first off, a boat so Un-Swedish in its ostentatiousness that it both confuses and delights. This is the bright yellow Ferrari that roars past you on a B road making you tut angrily yet enviously. This is the V sign being flicked at Sven Goran Ericsson not to mention centuries of Swedish sanity. The fact it is produced by the hugely respected Linjett yard makes the whole project even more deliciously bonkers. This is a mid life crisis expressed in the most glorious and exuberant manner.

The aim though seems to be to provide a very fast yacht that can be raced but can also be handled easily short handed for those who enjoy a bit of fast cruising. It’s a fair concept; Baltic’s 68’ all carbon café racer would perhaps be the ultimate expression of that form of this concept but Saffier Yachts has also done a fine job with its selection of smaller daysailers. Yet the Shogun is more than that in a way; it wants it all – it wants to be taken seriously as a racer and its extreme lightness makes that a possibility. At the same time, electric winches and developments in sail controls mean that handling a high powered boat like this two-up is just about a possibility. So why not go cruising for a week or two? It’s more than weekender. Yet it’s all wildly ambitious – as the boat itself is.

and also offers a comfortable perch for crew sitting out on the rail – conversely its curvature makes stepping aboard a bit trickier. Up forward is a simply huge locker for all your sails and any other paraphernalia. It’s a very practical space that would be invaluable to any racer – or cruiser come to think of it.

Down below

On deck

So the first question is how manageable is the boat? I was approaching the test as a cruising sailor who enjoys sailing fast so I was probably in a good position to assess things. Having also come from spending a summer singlehanding a heavy, gaff rigged boat that pointed very poorly, I was ready for a change. First signs were good. This is evidently a sophisticated racing machine but the deck layout was relatively simple, with the mass of ropes that can intimidate a cruising sailor not on show. The set-up comprises of eight winches in total; a pair of Harkens on the coachroof which handle the running rigging via two banks of jammers, then three pairs of Antal winches to handle the mainsheet and headsails with the pair furthest aft for tensioning the running backstays; each has its own load meter so you can constantly monitor things. There are a couple of padeyes forward for the headsails which can also be hydraulically tensioned. The mainsheet traveller is set aft of the twin helms and can be adjusted electrically which makes tweaking the mainsail absolutely effortless.

The cockpit is extremely open and spacious despite the relative slenderness of the lines. The helmsman can steer from in front of the wheel where he has good access to the winches and a nice foot bar to brace against – or behind where he has foot chocks. The binnacle is a sea

of buttons to control everything from the forestay tension to the traveller and everything in between. There is no bow thruster and the throttle lever is tucked behind underneath the helmsman’s seat. Aft of this are a selection of relatively shallow but large lockers where you can stow a good deal – even a deflated dinghy should you wish. Forward of the helm is a nice spacious area for lounging. Out on the side decks the first big surprise is that they are teak – and beautifully laid teak at that. The craftsmen at Linjett are noted for their superlative skill and it is very much to the fore here. The teak turns out to be the finest of veneers to keep weight to a minimum. It’s a nice touch. The carbon rod rigging is set outboard and the decks are uncluttered while the well rounded toe rail is stylish

ABOVE In the groove and flying one rudder while showing off those narrow aft sections to good advantage BELOW The 'back to front' interior, with the galley and saloon set forward

I’m loath to call interiors ‘masculine’ or manly but, by god, it’s tricky with this boat. I’m sure there are women who like spartan spaces with a lot of hard contrasts but, well, it felt a bit blokey. By contrast I quite like things to be more homely. I mean I’ve had a flick through of the Danish Book of Hygge and it made me want to vomit but, even so, I just like things to be kept a bit soft so I suppose I don’t have very manly tastes.

Anyway, this is all black carbon fibre contrasting hard with the light oak finish. The saloon feels strangely back to front and that’s because it is; the galley area is right forward with the seating area curved around following roughly the contour of the bow. The galley is a linear affair that runs to starboard and, although very butch, it does allow for a cooker with an oven. The fridge/freezer and a small worktop area is to port aft of the dining/seating area which may sound peculiar but it sort of works.

All the worktops are, of course in carbon though, disappointingly, the cooker is, well, just a cooker and the only thing about it that could be potentially carbon is what comes out of it. The basic reasoning behind this back to front arrangement is to create a comfortable living space forward and more of a ‘working’ space amidships. This means that nothing gets damp forward and there is a lot of space aft for sail handling etc.

Further aft things are dominated by the case for the lifting keel which is actually set forward of the keel stepped mast. There is a truly generous heads/shower booth to port which is sort of right at the heart of the boat. Aft of this is the chart table which has a pleasing feeling of being the nerve centre of the yacht.

To starboard is a long bench seat with comfortable cushions. Titanium – yes titanium - grab rails abound.

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Boat Test ~ Shogun 50

The point is that this central section of the boat is left open so you can shove a lot of sails down here in a hurry if needs be. Aft are twin double berths that are identical and are arguably a touch on the dark side as there is no portlight facing out – but perhaps that is missing the essential point of this boat – or perhaps not.

Everything is carbon by the way – down to the toilet seat. Everything you lift up is feather light and you discover that it’s cored with carbon – cupboard doors, sinks, you name it. The quality of the finish is also excellent. I wasn’t sure about the layout though, as the U-shaped settee forward felt a bit penned in and the split galley with worktop to port and cooker to starboard wasn’t ideal for cooking at sea. I’m looking at this as a cruising sailor.

That said, the company stress that this is very much a custom boat.

There is already the option of a more standard layout available and the boatbuilders will work with owners to ensure that an interior is tailored to individual tastes.

and accelerated with such force.

I am used to sailing boats where everything happens quite slowly – a shoreline takes hours to sail to – the Shogun gave us no time at all in the confined waters. The boat had masses of grip – seemingly limitless – and inspired confidence.

My instinct was therefore to sail high and overpress but the vicious acceleration meant that every time I did this, the shore was upon us before we could take off. It was joyous but also wildly frustrating.

The boat quite simply needed a whole lot more space but with

Under sail

Everyone was itching to go sailing and, with a 12-15kn breeze ruffling the flat waters around the Linjett boatyard, it was time to get going.

The boat does not have a bow thruster but is handy enough with its big rudders and relatively narrow beam. The relatively small 40hp Volvo saves a bit of weight and also had ample power to push such a light boat along. We headed off downwind with full main and the Code 0. As soon as the main was up you could feel the boat champing at the bit, tugging at the reins. Code 0 unfurled and we were immediately flying and I was struggling to get to grips with the concept of a monohull that generated so much apparent wind

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quotes@pantaenius.co.uk 01752 223656

DECMBER 2021 FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing SailingToday Todaywith withYachts Yachts&&Yachting Yachting

ABOVE LEFT

Twin aft cabins offer a decent level of comfort

ABOVE RIGHT

Carbon abounds even the toilet and sink unit

BELOW

The mast is stepped well aft, allowing for a huge fore triangle

evening already creeping in, we didn’t have enough time to get right out to sea so the boat continued to career around like a racehorse in an undersized paddock. The boat heels easily being so narrow and in the gusts she was sailing under only one rudder with the windward foil flying.

Despite this, you felt completely in control and you didn’t feel there was much of a limit on how hard you could press the boat. In race mode you’d sail this 10-12 up. I sailed the boat with three excellent sailors who spent all their time tweaking the rig – an anathema to a cruiser like me – they evidently enjoyed the adjustable backstays but for someone like me, they were just a pain. In actual fact the rig doesn’t really need them up to 12kn or so of wind but I still think that in pure cruising mode, an option of a single backstay with a standard cut main might be needed.

By contrast the Code 0 was no hassle at all and, although we didn’t opt for the self tacker, this would have still been enough to get us going and further eased handling. The electrically adjustable traveller also simplified things hugely. Dropping the Code 0 and beating back toward home we continued to fly upwind and the boat demonstrated how incredibly sensitive she was to every gust and minor switch of the breeze which, by the way, was shifty and unpredictable in these sheltered waters lined with trees. The boat was essentially a joy and in no way intimidating or demanding. In fact, it was more forgiving than many more staid yachts while also rewarding you with bursts of wild acceleration. My only regret – and it was a deep one – was that we did not have the space to unleash this beast with perhaps 20kn of breeze. Nevertheless, the boat gave you no choice but to smile.

Boat Test ~ Salona 46

ALTERNATIVE BOATS

SAM’S VERDICT This is an extraordinary boat.

To produce a 50’ yacht with a displacement of under 8,000kg is incredible and has to be viewed as the boat's greatest asset. As an example, the all carbon ICE 52 RS weights 3,000kg more. That weight saved translates to raw speed and fun. The lift keel also provides versatility. Although the ORC handicap is not great, this could be worked on for the serious racer and you could certainly cut a dash in an offshore race such as the Fastnet. My gut feeling is that the boat is better set up for long offshore races than a ClubSwan 50. The interior wasn’t to my taste, too butch and not as classy as, say, a Solaris but this can be heavily customised to suit the

individual requirements of the client so I’d overlook this. The key thing for me as a cruiser was that the rig needs to be simplified and de-tuned for more relaxed high speed weekending; the running backstays are a hassle above all. Otherwise, it’s true that you could cruise across the channel or to the Med in eyewateringly quick times.

And you will arrive at your destination with a smile on your face and will be the centre of attention wherever you go. Sailing yacht design often ends up in a sort of design straitjacket and boats that break free so spectacularly as the Shogun deserve praise.

PERFORMANCE: HHH HH BLUE WATER ABILITY: HHHHH LOOKS: HHH HH

CLUBSWAN 50 The ClubSwan is wider, heavier and more powerful but also tailored for its one design circuit so less versatile – and deeper of course.

It’s also a Swan and oozes class. nautorswan.com

ICE 52 RS

Like the Shogun the ICE is carbon but it’s significantly heavier at 10,900kg so will never hit the heights of acceleration of its Swedish rival.

On the other hand, the interior is very comfortable. iceyachts.it

THE SPEC LOA: 15.24m (50’ 6”) LWL: 14.20m (46’ 7”) Beam: 3.88m (12’ 9”) Draught: 2.00-3.30m (6’ 7”-11’ 6”) Displacement: 7,900kg (17,400lb) Base price: SEK15.4 million (approx £1,230,000) Contact: shogunyachts.com

SOLARIS 50 If the Shogun is a racing beast that can be cruised, this is more of a cruiser at heart that can be raced. This is a heavier boat but one that has a lot of Italian style married to good as opposed to spectacular performance. solarisyachts.com

CONTACT THE TEAM TODAY

01752 223656 quotes@pantaenius.co.uk

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Club of the Year

Star club

“It has not been easy,” Cathy admits, “but the committee have done a great job in maximising the activities within the restrictions and this has paid off with our membership numbers now being the highest that they have ever been.”

When asked what other clubs could take from PDSC’s success, Cathy says: “It’s very important for clubs to listen to their members to identify their needs and put a development plan in place that is achievable.

“Actively question what you are doing and don’t be afraid to try things out. We have had to change the way we do things over the pandemic – some have worked really well and may be adopted for the long term, others have not been so successful – but the committee meets every month and so everything we do is under constant review.”

She also cites attendance at events such as the RYA’s Club Affiliates

Pro-active approach

The win was testament to a proactive club that is founded on an ethos of participation and enjoyment and which, on top of that, had really come together to overcome the challenges of covid, achieving an impressive 58 per cent rise in participation despite the pandemic.

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE LEFT The purpose-built clubhouse, slipway and boat parking for 100 dinghies ABOVE RIGHT New Years Day racing on the Menai Straits actually held on 1 May due to covid BELOW PDSC sailors at the RS Tera Nationals, where Jac Bailey took the title

Conference, National Training Conference and Race Management Conference, as important opportunities to exchange ideas with other clubs and the RYA. Volunteers make much of the club’s activities possible, including one member Ken Newing, who has served on the committee for 40 years; while Ian Whitehouse together with the Bailey/Powell family were recently honoured with RYA volunteer awards.

As a dinghy-focussed club, PDSC offers both racing and cruising, as well as being an RYA Recognised Training Centre. It is also a focal point within the community, being closely involved with local festivals and the annual Menai Straits Regatta.

But with such events on hold in 2020, the club had to think of other ways to maintain a community presence. Making their clubhouse windows available to display a local art exhibition – alongside the Club of the Year Trophy - was just one solution. Meanwhile, for members, e-sailing, online training and model building helped maintain momentum during lockdowns.

As restrictions then eased, the club worked hard within national and RYA guidance to re-start on the water activities as soon as possible; appointing a Covid safety officer,

PHOTOS IWAN REES-JONES; C/O PDSC

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itting on the shore of the Menai Straits in north Wales, Port Dinorwic Sailing Club/ Clwb Hwylio Y Felinheli draws its 300-strong membership largely from within its small village surrounds. So when the Club was not only recognised for its role at the ‘Heart of the Community’ but also voted as the overall winner of the 2021 RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year Award, both the club and the community were ecstatic.

The Award recognises the outstanding achievement of clubs across the UK and PDSC saw off stiff competition, ultimately being selected by the Award Panel as one of 10 national finalists, then emerging top in the public vote.

Current commodore Cathy Goodwin says: “We were delighted!

We were really surprised that such a small club could win.”

What makes a sailing club award-winning? To find out, we turn the spotlight on Port Dinorwic Sailing Club, current RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year

installing a winch to facilitate socially distanced launching; setting up online booking systems to monitor numbers; and delivering specific training and equipment for safety boat crews. Throughout, communication with members and the local community was key, particularly via social media.

Future-proofing

Covid aside, there have been many challenges for PDSC to overcome in getting to where it is today and in planning for the future.

“We are only a small, volunteer run club with a small population catchment area with income two-thirds of the national average, leaving low disposable income,” Cathy explains.

“Prior to 2013, training was separate to club activities. New sailors were not integrated into the club as club activities (mainly racing) were unsuitable for new sailors, and youth sailors were encouraged to join the squad pathway following the beginner courses, giving them no time to integrate with the club activities and form an identity within the club.

“This resulted in a drain from the club of sailing youth members, and those that did remain had only a small peer group. Combined with the fact that a large number of existing members were having new families, this presented both a threat and an opportunity to the sustainability of the club. We had to make the club a place to provide those sailors of the future with quality training and racing within the club, as well as a social network and activities to suit their needs, whilst also providing the parents with a support network to continue their own sailing.”

In response, the club implemented regular sessions to encourage members to sail in a sociable, non-competitive environment, with coach and safety boats on hand and club boats available to hire.

Meanwhile, PD Pirates was launched as a just-for-fun family programme to help those of all ages and abilities to get afloat, as well as involving non-sailing parents and siblings. Next, race training was introduced, with Paralympic coach Brett Cochrane leading some sessions, and later Assistant Instructor training, providing a pool of keen youngsters to help the next generation of newcomers.

This strategic approach has laid foundations for a strong future.

Currently, around one third of PDSC’s regular racers are youth sailors, a clear sign that the time investment has paid off.

PDSC youngsters are now also making waves further afield, including a number of RS Tera sailors who represented PDSC at the National Championships in Filey this summer, won by the club's own Jac Bailey. Cathy is incredibly proud of their achievements, but says that she is most proud of the support the young sailors show for each other.

“We have one youth sailor who joined in 2020 and has never had any official beginner training as we were

ABOVE LEFT The club has a friendly and inclusive ethos ABOVE RIGHT Under 18 racing; note the community art display in the clubhouse windows BELOW A presentation with RYA Cymru Wales celebrating PDSC's 'Heart of the Community' recognition

not able to run courses, but he has learnt to sail solely through help by his peers. He came 27th out of 31 in his fleet at the Nationals, but I am as proud of this achievement as I am of Jac’s!” she says.

“It has also been great over the last few years to see some of our older youths, who have gone through our training scheme, ploughing their expertise back into the club by doing safety and coaching duties.”

The camaraderie shown by the juniors radiates through all aspects of the club. Cathy sums up the club as being “open, friendly, welcoming and inclusive”, adding that, “It is a family club in every sense of the word -we have a lot of family memberships but many of our members genuinely consider it to be an extension to their own families.”

Looking ahead, 2022 will see the club celebrate its 75th anniversary.

Clubhouse renovations are already underway to improve disabled access and upgrade the disabled changing facilities to improve inclusivity.

Expect to see more from the junior racers, who are training for the RS Games as well as RS Tera and Feva national circuit events. As Cathy sums up: “We are very proud to have been recognised as the Club of the Year and feel that it is a recognition of our passion for sailing that has been the cornerstone of the club for 75 years, and I hope will continue for another 75 years and more.”

CAST YOUR VOTE Who should be the next Club of the Year? Find out more and vote at: awards.yachtsandyachting.co.uk/ rya - voting closes 24 January 2022.

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GULL’S EYE

ST MARY’S, SCILLY

Cornwall’s answer to the Caribbean, Scilly is a playground for sailors and St Mary’s its only port.

Sam Fortescue pays a visit

49’55”04N 006’18”48W

APPROACH You can reach the harbour by going south about or north about the island. The southerly route is strongly recommended for first time visitors as it is less complicated

NEWFORD ISLAND

ST MARY’S POOL THE QUAY

RAT ISLAND

SMALL CRAFT MOORINGS

HARBOURMASTERS OFFICE AND FUEL

TOWN CENTRE

N W

E

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Gull’s eye - Scilly Isles

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ust the name Scilly conjures a magic all of its own. It is a places of crystal clear waters where palms droop and the sun gleams off white sands.

And in the sailor’s mind, it is also a treacherous reef that has claimed more ships than any other point around the British coast.

Most notoriously, four ships and 1,450 souls of the returning Gibraltar fleet under Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, were lost on the Western Rocks in 1707. “As you fly in here it looks stunning from the air – deserted white sandy beaches and piercingly clear seas,” says harbourmaster Dale Clark. “But of course it’s not always like that – something we like to mention to people.”

The Isles of Scilly are a collection of five main inhabited islands and some 140 offlying islets scattered in an archipelago 35 nautical miles west of Penzance. Lying on the same ancient granite outcrop which gives Cornwall its mineral wealth, the islands contrast rocky moorland with pristine sandy beaches and rich farmland.

There is some thought that it formed a single large island as recently as the Roman period, but these days, St Mary’s is the biggest with three-quarters of the 2,153 population of Scilly, plus the airport and ferry terminal.

Each island has its own character.

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ABOVE Looking down on the harbour - an excellent haven in most weather

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

49’55”04N 006’18”48W

Tresco is the second in size, privately owned and run as a tourism business with holiday lets and cafés. “It is very much a holiday destination for many people,” says Clark. “It’s got a completely different feel from St Agnes, which is very much more remote - great for storm watching and can be very rocky.”

St Martin to the north is covered with moorland between rocky granite headlands, “and stretch upon stretch of white sandy beaches”. Then there’s St Agnes, the southernmost island, with its wealth of rare plant life and SSSI protection. Bryer sits across a narrow channel from Tresco, with its rocky spine towards the weather.

There is a regular boat service between all the inhabited islands, and the Scillonian III ferry takes 2h45 to make the passage from Penzance. It operates from March to November.

HARBOUR GUIDE While there are no marina berths among the islands, there is an excellent natural harbour on the north side of St Mary’s, the main island. Protected from the southwest round to the northeast, it was further enclosed to the west by the building of a quay out to Rat Island in the 19th Century.

Berthing is entirely on moorings laid by the harbourmaster – some 200 in total. Of these, 38 are earmarked for visiting yachts according to a colour scheme where four rows of yellow balls are suitable for yachts up to 40ft and a further 10 green balls for boats from 40-60ft. There’s even a red mooring for up to 80-footers.

Visitor moorings are found in St Mary’s Pool, in depths of 0.5-2.0m above chart datum – north of the RNLI station on Carn Thomas.

It isn’t possible to reserve buoys, even in high season, but harbourmaster Dale Clark advises skippers to ring ahead and check the situation. In high season, expect to raft up alongside another boat – “the visitor’s moorings within the harbour are suitable for rafting and this is a well recognised procedure, particularly in fine weather,” says Clark. “In the summer its hustle and bustle and a hive of activity.

All the moorings are filled up.

Passenger ferry runs 7 days a week.”

The main building on the quay houses four showers, including one that is fully equipped for disabled access. Access to the showers and loos is possible 24 hours a day, but you’ll need to feed the shower meter with £1 coins or tokens purchased from the harbourmaster.

Fuel is available – either in cans or direct to the boat – from Sibley’s in the middle berth along the quay.

Depth alongside is 0.5m above chart datum, so take note of the tides as well as opening times: 8-11.30am and then 1-5pm. Water and electricity are also available from the quay – the only place in the islands.

The entire harbour is covered by free wifi – search for the MyWyFy network and follow instructions to log in. Further facilities include general refuse bins, recycling and waste oil disposal.

The pubs, cafés, restaurants and shops of Hugh Town are on the doorstep, including a wellreviewed fish restaurant called On the Quay, which could hardly be nearer to the dinghy pontoon.

The nearby Mermaid Inn is “a rite of passage,” and there are supermarkets, bank machine and many other facilities in the town.

Note, there are no lift-out facilities suitable for cruising yachts in the Scilly Isles.

ABOVE LEFT Looking towards the quay and the harbourmaster’s office ABOVE RIGHT A mix of fishing boats and leisure craft shelter behind the quay

FACTFILE

ST MARY’S, SCILLY Open: 08.00-17.00 weekdays 08.00-12.00 weekends (Apr-Oct) Tel: +44 1720 422 768, +44 7789 273 626 VHF: Ch.14 Email: hm@stmarys-harbour. co.uk Website: stmarys-harbour.co.uk Facilities: Swinging moorings up to 80ft LOA Alongside berths up to 60ft LOA Mooring assistance Free wifi Boat and trailer storage Diesel/petrol from fuel berth on quay Cooking gas – Calor/Campingaz Recycling facilities Pump-out Showers and toilets (accessible 24/24 hours) Laundry service from Sibley’s Berthing fees: Daily mooring: <40ft (12.19m) £20.50 <60ft (18.30m) £25.50 Daily quayside: <40ft (12.19m) £25.50 <60ft (18.30m) £30.60 >60ft £41.00

Short-stay (half day): 50 per cent of overnight charge Summer season: (Apr-Oct): <30ft (9.10m) £481 >30ft £65/m Services: Technical services on the island are limited and there’s no boat lift suitable for yachts, so underwater repairs tend to be carried out against the drying wall between tides.

“I’m not sure we’ve ever had a yacht arrive where we haven’t been able to help at all,” says harbourmaster Clark. “People are a pretty dab hand around the islands at getting boats up and running and back home where mainland services can take over.”

The chandlery in St Mary’s closed some time ago, but some useful supplies are held by local shipwrights and the Harbour Master is happy for people to order parts in for delivery to the harbour office.

Sailmaker: Keith Buchanan at Ratbags +44 1720 422 037 Nike engineering: +44 1720 422 991 Southard Engineering: +44 1720 422 539 Joinery: Peter Martin +44 1720 422972 GRP work: Martin Bond +44 7767 803 908 Electrical: T A Hicks +44 7887 687936

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Gull’s Eye - Scilly Isles

Scilly rightly has a fearsome reputation for navigation. There are rocks and shoals aplenty, so bad weather makes closing the islands or even moving between them a ticklish job. Fortunately, the worst of the hazards lie to the southwest of the islands, from where few cruisers approach.

“There’s a fear factor,” says Clark.

“You have to leave Land’s End behind before you pick up Scilly. It’s a bit of a jump for cautious sailors.” That said, the islands have been surveyed again in detail since 2012, and are well lit and marked, so access is possible day and night. And in the settled weather that most visiting yachts will choose for the passage from the mainland, getting in is very straightforward.

St Mary’s will often be the first port of call, and you can reach the harbour by going south about or north about the island. The southerly route is strongly recommended, as it is deeper and clearer of hazards. “Though fairly narrow, it’s well-marked and it’s deep,” says local sailor Jeremy Phillips.

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Beware of the drying Gilstone a few cables east of the Peninnis Head light – coming from the mainland keep the light on a clearing bearing of at least 275 degrees. Pick up the easterly cardinal marking the Spanish Ledge and turn onto 307 degrees to slide up St Mary’s Sound between the Woolpack southerly cardinal and the Bartholemew Ledges, marked with a Q.R. 12m buoy. As the N Bartholemew red mark (Fl.R.5s) comes abeam, swing to the northeast onto no more than 27 degrees to run close inshore along Garrison Hill. Leading lights will take you in to The Pool on 97 degrees.

Northabout St Mary’s is a tricky route best done with some local knowledge. You must stick to a series of good transits to avoid offlying rocks and the Crow Bar off the top of the island, whose southernmost tip is awash at chart datum. You’ll have to cross sand with a least depth of 1m of water at lowest astronomical tide. “You need to pay attention to the tidal heights,” confirms Clark.

Tidal ranges are moderate – 0.8-5.6m

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE LEFT AND BELOW The coast of the Scillies is rugged and rock strewn and should be treated with respect ABOVE RIGHT A fine view of the harbour illustrating the narrow isthmus

at springs and 2.0-4.4m at neaps.

Steer close in by Hats, then shape for Green Island until you identify the deeper water close to the bar.

Turn onto 260 degrees and leave the isolated danger mark of Crow Rock to port. By now you’re back in deeper water and can shape a course just west of south to reach St Mary’s.

Not one for the hours of darkness.

Approach from the north of Scilly is straightforward. You’ll need to leave Steeple Rock westerly cardinal then Spencer’s Ledge southerly to port and then steer in to St Marys Roads on 077 degrees.

Whichever way you approach the harbour, note that two dangers lie between St Mary’s Roads and The Pool. The Cow to the north is unlit and dries to 0.6m, while Bacon Ledge is just 0.3m below chart datum, and carries a red light in summer months.

Tides around Scilly are always heading somewhere – there is precious little stand so you need to be alert. The flood is oriented northeast, turning southwest for most of the ebb.

PHOTOS ISTOCK/ALAMY

PASSAGE PLANNING

CRUISING GROUNDS Beautiful destinations lie just a short sail away once you’ve made it to the Isles of Scilly It has been said that the Isles of Scilly would make a magnificent base for the whole summer, particularly with a boat that can take the bottom. But whether you have a long weekend or a whole month, there is a wealth of exploring to be done in the archipelago.

Around St Mary’s itself, there are several alternative anchorages which can provide better shelter when N or W winds are forecast, or for settled weather lunch stops or overnighters. The principal alternative is lovely Porth Cressa, immediately south of Hugh Town, which offers good holding in sand despite the terrifying plait of cables that are laid in through its mouth. Other possibilities include Porth Loggos, Porth Hellick and Watermill Cove.

Another good bet in northerly weather is The Cove between St Agnes and Gugh, although it is open to the wind with just a very low sand causeway connecting the two islands. Ashore, there are cottages and a patchwork of flower fields in the season. There’s a boulder maze that some say hails from Viking times, and beautiful heathland at Wingletang Down. Sample the

locally-distilled gin at the island pub - the renowned Turk’s Head.

Three miles north lies Tresco, which is separated from Bryher by the Tresco Flats and New Grimsby Sound. This is a fascinating place – a shifting landscape of rocky islets which becomes one entity connected by glistening sand at low water springs. There are several anchorages, a raft of visitor’s moorings and a renovated quay for those who can dry out. “New Grimsby and Old Grimsby are often better protected from the swell than St Mary’s,” says Jeremy Phillips, who sails a lift-keel Southerly 105.

On Tresco, the New Inn is known for its live music, and there is the famous sub-tropical Abbey Garden.

Bryher has the Fraggle Rock pub and takeaway seafood at Island Fish.

“Crab and lobster are specialities in all the islands,” says Clark. “There’s no mucking about with the crab shack on Bryher: here’s your bib, here’s your hammer.” Its coast is wild and varied and includes the aptly named Hangman’s Island.

St Martin’s is two miles to the northeast and visitors can snorkel with seals and sip wine from the

ABOVE LEFT The neighbouring island of St Agnes is a fine destination for a day sail ABOVE RIGHT The limpid waters of Tresco are like something from the Mediterranean BELOW Mousehole in Cornwall, not far from Penzance

island’s vineyard. Plus, gig racing on Wednesday and Friday nights.

Deserted St Helen’s nearby also offers an very well-sheltered anchorage in good depths.

Naturally, there are a wealth of other anchorages around the uninhabited islets, but you’ll need some tips to find them. “There are always places you can go to escape the summer crowds,” says Phillips.

“But it very much depends on the depth of the boat. The electronic charts aren’t really detailed enough for poking in and out of the reefs without local knowledge.

To an extent, you can eyeball.”

It is just 28 miles to Land’s End, around 35 to Penzance and perhaps 45 to St Ives. Cork is 110 miles to the northwest.

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How to Win - Tidelines

Tide lines

f you watched the live coverage of the Finn Olympic medal race in Japan this summer, you may have heard Giles Scott vocally encouraging the wind to shift left as he progressed up the first beat.

“Tidal shift, lifting lefties, come on!”

This was not a surprise: after returning to re-start when the X flag was displayed, Giles took an uncharacteristically large split to the left of the fleet. And it appeared to pay off: the leader came from the left, and Giles rounded the mark having put himself back in the race.

The snap (below) from the harbour wall of the race area before the start gives a clue as to why the tuned-in sailors might have been able to predict a left shift. There is a distinct

difference in colour between the water at the top of the beat, compared to that in the vicinity of the jury boats.

Is it a tide line?

What is a tide line?

A tide line often forms at the interface of two bodies of water that are (or have been) moving in different directions or at significantly different speeds. Some of the most dramatic examples I’ve experienced are at the confluence of the Rio Negro (the clue is in the name) and the Amazon, near Manaus, Brazil where the line between the fast and slow streams are marked by completely different temperatures, and shades of brown and black. And at Rio de Janeiro, venue of the 2016 Olympics, where

ABOVE The start of the 2020 Olympic Finn medal race, where GBR's Giles Scott went on to seal gold with his tidal tactics BELOW View from the harbour wall over Enoshima Bay; note the change in water colour

the cold, salty flood tide ducks under - rather than mixing with - the warm, brackish ebb. In Rio, with these two streams moving at up to a knot in opposite directions, the line in the water looks like the drain cycle of a city’s worth of washing machines, with plenty of organic and inorganic flotsam mixed in.

More often though, the difference is more subtle: a slightly different colour shade, a line of bubbles and weed, or a slight difference in wave pattern each side of the line.

Why is it important?

If there is a tide line on the course, it is highly probable that the flow is non-uniform. That means, other variables being equal, there is a racing gain to be made. To work out where that might be, it may be helpful to think of the tidal effects in terms of three questions: Where is the tide taking me, or 'set'?

On an upwind leg, unless the tide or current is at right angles to the wind I’m sailing in, there will either be a component of flow helping me towards (favourable), or pushing me away from (adverse), the upwind direction. If the flow is not uniform

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

PHOTO SAILING ENERGY/WORLD SAILING; MARK RUSHALL

I

Mark Rushall explains how to read tidelines and use them to advantage

across the race-course, it generally makes sense to choose a route that gives me the maximum time in favourable tide.

How does that affect my sailing wind?

If the tidal flow is different either side of a tide line, it follows that the sailing wind (see box, right) must be different, in speed, direction, or both.

That gives us an opportunity to make a choice that gives a faster or shorter route, just as we would with wind shifts, wind bends, or areas of increased wind speed in a non-tidal venue. If I’m expecting a gain due to more wind against tide, I do need to know that this won’t be offset by my boat’s characteristics in the rougher water that may result.

How are the laylines affected?

I need to answer both questions above to make sure I don’t waste time sailing extra distance by overstanding the mark, both upwind and downwind.

How can I tell what is happening on each side of the tide line?

ABOVE RIGHT Coach boat view from Rio 2016 - wind against tide shows to the right of the tide line, wind with tide to the left INSET Subtle differences on the water's surface can help you determine the tide

COACH SAYS: UNDERSTAND ‘SAILING WIND’ Coaches often measure tide flow very simply by dropping a tide stick, which sits vertically in the water with just enough exposed above the water to be able to locate it. We drop the tide stick next to a fixed point (or a GPS waypoint) and measure how fast and in what direction the stick travels.

Try a thought experiment. Imagine that there is a burgee fixed to the top of a floating tide stick, with 2 knots of uniform north-bound tidal flow, in a complete flat calm, in the middle of the Atlantic. The burgee will display wind in the opposite direction to the flow (from the north), and flap just as it would in 2 knots of ‘real’ wind. We could happily sail around perfectly normally in this two knots of ‘tidal wind’, and with no land, fixed marks, or GPS to tell us otherwise, so long as we didn’t have somewhere we needed to get to, we’d be completely oblivious of the tide. An anchored committee boat would continue to measure no wind (the ground wind), while we would feel and measure the tidal wind.

Next, imagine that the tide stays the same, but the ‘real’ (ground) wind fills in at 2 knots from the west. The wind we feel and sail in will now be the combined effect of the ground wind, and the tidal wind.

The wind the burgee on the tide stick now measures is the vector sum of the tidal wind and the ground wind: the sailing wind. In this case the sailing wind will be just under 3 knots from the north-west.

Tide 2k

Tidal wind 2k

Sailing wind 2.8k

Ground wind 2k

The only way to be sure is to physically measure the tide in each location. A coach would do that with a tide stick. For most of us that’s not Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

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How to Win - Tidelines

an option, but there are some possibilities…

Inside knowledge Tidal flow charts are available for many sailing venues, and a tide line may simply be a confirmation of an effect we are already expecting. In that case, it is great to have the line drawn for us on the water.

Repeating themes Around high or low tide we often expect the flow to reverse close to the shore first. The tide line gives a good indication of this effect, and just where the discontinuity is.

Wave patterns Flatter water one side of a tide line suggests that the tide may be flowing with the wind in that location, rougher water the other side suggests wind against tide.

How does it feel?

If you sail through a tide line and feel a change in pressure or a shift, repeat to test whether it is a tidal effect.

(Don’t forget to check your foils for weed afterwards, though!)

Transits It may be possible to measure a tidal change across a tide line by checking against a transit before and after crossing the line. Or noting other boats’ changing movements against the land behind, either side of the line.

How about downwind?

Though the principles are the same downwind, there is another consideration. On a beat, more favourable tide also means a

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corresponding increase in sailing wind speed. That’s a win-win situation. But on the run, an increase in favourable tide means a decrease in sailing wind speed. The gain is therefore not so big as it was upwind.

An extreme apparent wind craft may benefit more from a 2 knot increase in sailing wind speed than they lose from the 2 knot adverse tidal set that causes it. We saw that in the San Francisco America’s Cup, where the strategists were seeking out the strongest adverse tide on the run.

What if there is no tide line?

No tide line does not necessarily mean that the tide is uniform: there could be a tidal gradient where the speed and/or direction progressively change with position, rather than a line marking the discontinuity.

The same principles as discussed here apply to a race course with a tidal gradient.

If the flow direction is uniform across the racecourse, being clear how the laylines are affected will minimise overstands and keep strategic options open. If there is a cross tide element, you can predict the shift in the sailing wind that a decrease or increase in the wind

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The tide is flooding in the background, ebbing in the foreground - you can just see the tide line between BELOW Giles Scott headed left to take advantage of a tide line further up the course BELOW RIGHT Surveying the water before the start gave Giles the ultimate medal race advantage

speed will cause. Remember, if the tidal flow increases, or the wind drops, the sailing wind will shift further away from the ground wind.

What about the leebow effect?

‘Leebow’ means different things to different sailors: as a coach I find the term unhelpful. There is no magical step change in performance caused by the adverse tide being a few degrees either side of the optimum close-hauled angle. What is important is the tidal flow relative to the wind direction, and the subsequent effect on your sailing wind and your course.

Back to the medal race...

The change in colour was indeed a visual cue for a split in the tide. There was a negligible tidal flow in the starting area, but around 1 knot from right to left looking upwind in the darker water further up the course.

In 8 knots of wind, that gives a 7 degree left shift in the sailing wind.

Even allowing for the usual wind shifts and pressure patches over the course, that knowledge makes the left split a pretty good bet. The rest is now history!

THE BRITISH

YACHTING AWARDS 2021

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Charter - Winter sun

Atlantic escapes Beat the winter blues with a sailing holiday just a few hours south of the UK. Sue Pelling reviews what’s on offer among the north Atlantic group of islands off the coasts of Africa and Portugal

W

ith spring just around the corner now is the time to plan that much needed escape from the long, cold northern hemisphere winter with a sailing holiday in the sun just a relatively short hop away from the UK. The North Atlantic groups of islands off the coast of Africa and Portugal including the Azores, the Canary Islands and the Cape Verde offer good, year round sailing conditions in some of the world’s most unspoilt and interesting cruising grounds.

Holidaying in this part of the world just four hours or so from the UK also makes sense for those who can’t face being cramped up on a

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plane for hours on end to places like the Caribbean, particularly in these uncertain times with covid 19 restrictions in place. Another plus point for those who suffer the effects of long-haul flights, is the fact that these islands are on the same time zone as the UK. By the very nature of their location in the Atlantic, the Azores, Canary Islands and Cape Verdes are often referred to as the gateway for transatlantic crossings. They are therefore, generally considered challenging in terms of charter holiday destinations, but for those perhaps looking for an introduction to trade wind sailing, or who want to learn to sail while holidaying, this is a perfect option.

Given its location and climate, it’s not particularly surprising these

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Mount Pico in the Azores , as seen from Horta

Atlantic islands have become a popular choice among charter companies such as Sailogy and Sailica, and sailing schools, with the Canary Islands in particular, the chosen base for companies such as Endeavour Sailing (Lanzarote), Canary Sail (La Gomera) and Sail the Canaries (Fuerteventura). There is no shortage of choice when it comes to chartering a yacht either, with most offering skippered charter, which is the ideal option for those with little or no experience.

Cape Verde

The furthest group of islands from UK, are the Portuguese Cape Verde Islands, which lie 400+ miles off the western coast of the African continent from Senegal and Gambia.

The group consists of 10 volcanic

islands known locally as Cabo Verde, (the Green Cape). They are divided into two groups – Northern (windward islands) and Southern (leeward islands) and offer ideal sailing conditions for experienced and adventurous crews keen to get off the beaten track from areas more populated by tourists.

The easternmost point of the Cape Verde islands is Boa Vista [good view], which boasts over 50 miles of beaches and plenty of anchorages including those in the protected bays of Sal Rei on the north-west coast.

Cape Verde offers a good selection of charter companies/agents such as Yachtico, and Sailogy, for those happy to go it alone, but for packagestyle charter holidays, the options are limited. Most bareboat yacht charter companies including The Globe Sailor and Sailing Europe do, however, offer a skipper/crew package service to suit customers’ needs.

For a full charter holiday CV Sailing (Cape Verde Sailing) is a good option. This company says it normally focuses on the islands of Sal, Boa Vista, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vincent and Sao Antao, because those are the most accessible, and the content of both the islands and the surrounding ocean makes great sense for a yacht adventure. “We focus on these islands, because we have great experience in putting trips together.” According to CV Sailing, these islands include a combination of the best of Cape Verde with beautiful beaches, raw, volcanic mountains, friendly people, interesting wildlife, historic Portuguese cities, and the city of Monte Trigo, which is the furthest city west on the African continent and the closest man will ever be to the edge of the world!

Although the cost of many charter holidays in this part of the world don’t include flights, CV Sailing is known for its exceptional customer service. Lucas from CV Sailing said: “We try to be as helpful as possible with advice on flights. We help customers find tickets, dates and give advice on the best island to fly to and from.”

For something totally different, for the ultimate adventure holiday

aboard a classic ship check out Classic Sailing. This Cornish-based company offers sailing holidays aboard tall ships and classic wooden boats. The company’s ‘Island Hopping in Cape Verde – Trade Winds, tropical sun and island exploration’ aboard Oosterschelde (164ft three-masted schooner) is one of its most popular trips.

Canary Islands

The Canaries, as they are often referred to, still remain the most popular start/finish points for transatlantic crossings and, given its year round mild climate (average of 19ºC in winter and 23ºC in summer) and easy access from the UK, it has also become a hotspot for cruising sailors opting to leave their boats moored there for the winter.

The seven main islands of the rugged, volcanic Spanish Canary Islands including Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma, offer fantastic cruising particularly given the fact that the distance between islands is generally just a day’s sail away.

ABOVE Puerto Magan in Gran Canaria BELOW The Cape Verde Islands offer beautiful uncrowded beaches on the edge of the world

Lying approximately 70 miles off the West African coast, the location of the Canaries in the Atlantic, like the Cape Verdes, mean the islands are particularly popular for those with more sailing experience.

The Wind Acceleration Zones (WAZ) are something to be aware of.

This is a phenomenon where the wind funnels between the mountainous islands sometimes increasing from 12-30kts, within minutes. For anyone wishing to gain experience for future blue water sailing, therefore, a charter in the Canary Islands is a good introduction to trade wind sailing.

For bareboat charter take a look at Dream Yacht Charter, The Globe Sailor, Endeavour Sailing, Windward Islands Cruising Company, and Nautilus Yachting. Like the Cape Verdes, you’ll also find charter companies such as Dream Yacht Charter (based in Tenerife) are happy to tailor-make a charter to include a skipper/crew. Nautilus is another company that has a great range of yachts for both bareboat and skippered charter from its bases in Tenerife, and Lanzarote (the most easterly located island). Direct flights from the UK, and Saturday to Saturday charter make this a popular choice.

Canary Sail is a good option particularly if the idea of the holiday is to learn to sail or brush up on sailing skills. With 18 years experience in the Canaries, Canary Sail says as well as skippered charter cruises, it can offer an unrivalled range of RYA tidal practical and theory sailing courses in the exquisite waters of the western Canary Islands.

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Charter - Winter sun

The company also has a selection of yachts ranging from 36ft to 52ft available for bareboat charter, in Tenerife and Lanzarote.

Canary Sail appears to be well organised with transfers from the UK designed for convenience. The Tenerife base is at San Miguel Marina near Tenerife South airport (airport code TFS), and La Gomera, which is just a short ferry transfer from Tenerife South. The company’s third RYA training location – Gran Canaria – is planned for 2022.

Lazarote-based Endeavour Sailing is also predominately an RYA Training School, but like Canary Sail it has a charter holiday option.

Endeavor Sailing has ample choice, and availability, and the website is easy to navigate with plenty of information to digest before booking.

Another consideration for tuition is Sail the Canaries – the well established sailing school based in the marina of Corralejo on the north of Fuerteventura. From its base it offers idyllic cruising grounds with plenty of ports, anchorages and stunning beaches to sail to around Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. A favourite stop off is the anchorage on the little island just off Lobos, which is apparently the perfect place for lunch and a spot of snorkeling.

Should you want to go it alone but need a bit of support and guidance, proprietors Clive and Alex Moreham and team are happy to tailor make a charter holiday package or a milebuilding cruise. The six-day holiday with Sail the Canaries includes tuition if required, all on-board food and drink, marina fees/ diesel, and wet weather gear. Flights and transfers are not included.

For something different, why not

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sign up with YachtForce the UKbased company that offers a oneweek mini sailing flotilla, tuition style skippered charter holiday around Lanzarote. As well as being a fantastic idea for groups, it’s also the ideal option for those travelling alone who can join a group with the ‘buy a berth’ scheme.

One of the most interesting ways to see the Canary Islands is aboard a tall ship. Venture Sail Holidays has a huge range of ships to choose from and, like YachtForce, the buy a berth scheme is a great idea particularly for solo travellers who want to holiday in like-minded company.

The Azores

Given its remote and off the beaten track location approximately 800 miles off the coast of Portugal, the Azores volcanic archipelago is, in general, more suited to experienced sailors because it gives plenty of option for long distance sailing in more challenging conditions.

This archipelago stretches approximately 370 miles from Santa Maria to Corvo and is made up of three geographical groups. The Eastern Group (or Oriental) is Santa Maria and São Miguel, the Central Group is Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial, while Corvo and Flores are known as the Western Group (or Occidental).

The weather in the Azores is largely dictated by the position of the Azores High with the Azores anticyclone positioned further south in winter. This means it can be wet and stormy in the winter months so, ideally the best time to cruise the Azores is between April and October when the weather starts to settle down. While it is possible to charter

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE LEFT La Gomera in the Canary Islands, looking towards Tenerife ABOVE RIGHT Victoria Beach, Terceira, Azores

a yacht off-season, the Azores are mainly open for charter holidays in the summer.

There are plenty of yacht charter agents to choose from including Nautilus Yachting, Click&Boat, Yachtico, The Globe Sailor, and Boatbookings offering a good range of charter, including crewed, skippered or bareboat.

Companies that specialise in Azores sailing adventures trips and yacht charter holidays include Azores Onboard, and Sail Zen. Azores Onboard, based at Praia da Vitória on the island of Terceira, has a choice of private tailored cruises on a ‘by the day’ basis, or a week long cabin cruise, which is ideal for solo travellers or couples. Sail Zen, based on São Miguel Island, has been operating since 2018 and offers a choice of by the berth or cabin charter, and private trips that cover all three groups of islands.

CONTACTS yachtico.com dreamyachtcharter.co.uk sailogy.com sailingeurope.com theglobesailor.com classic-sailing.co.uk yachtforce.co.uk windward-islands.net/ clickandboat.com boatbookings.com sailzen.net azoresonboard.com salica.com endeavour-sailing.co.uk canarysail.com sailthecanaries.com cvsailing.com nautilusyachting.com venturesailholidays.com sunsail.co.uk

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Buyer’s Guide - Rope

Money for new rope Ropes need renewing from time to time. But which rope for which job?

Sam Jefferson untangles this conundrum

R

igging has come a long way since the days of the clipper ship when a vessel like the Cutty Sark carried about eight miles worth of standing and running rigging on her three masts. These days, thank the lord, things are significantly less complicated even on the largest of vessels yet windage and weight aloft can still make a significant difference to performance. Meanwhile, selecting the wrong rope for a task may significantly compromise performance. At the most basic level, sheets and halyards need to have minmal stretch. The last thing you want is your sails losing shape in a

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sharp puff of wind. By contrast, dock lines most definitely should have a bit of give in them to prevent excessive snatching.

If that’s a very simple rule of thumb, things have got considerably more complicated in recent years.

The introduction of Dyneema, for example has been a game changer, a lightweight rope fifteen times stronger than steel at the same weight. So which rope for you?

Choosing the right product

There’s a potentially bewildering array of choices when it comes to picking a rope for each task, so how do you choose? In many spheres

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

BELOW Polypropylene rope has a lot of stretch making it unsuitable standing or running rigging

simply choosing the most expensive product often results in a quality item that will do the job well.

However, that’s frequently not the case with rope.

Many cruiser racers will be fine with standard Dyneema halyards and sheets that have polyester covers.

Material Polypropylene

Stretch medium to high

Price low

Nylon Polyester Pre-stretched polyester

very high fairly high moderate

Dyneema, other aramids

very low

moderate low low/ medium higher

PBO

extremely low

higher still

There’s therefore no point in paying for a higher priced product.

However, on a larger or more grand-prix style raceboat the covers of halyards, runners, spinnaker sheets and other lines that are either continuously adjusted, or carry very high loads, can be subjected to very high temperatures as a result of friction. This means a cover that incorporates Technora is often required, as it has a melting point of 400˚C, compared to 230˚C for polyester and only 150˚C for Dyneema.

The increasing variety of rope materials, including the ways in which different ones can be combined to make optimal use of their properties, makes it difficult for all but the biggest retail chandleries to stock a comprehensive range.

Riggers, on the other hand, are normally able keep a much wider stock and are more likely to be able to advise on the pros and cons of different options and whether sections of Technora or Dyneema jacket may be advantageous for each application on your boat.

Riggers also have access to semicustom rope for grand-prix racers or large long-distance cruisers, and can buy core and covers separately to create a line that exactly suits your needs. Marlow’s Grand-Prix range, for instance, allows custom ropes to be produced with chafe and Technora elements in the correct

Typical use lightweight floating line used for man overboard recovery and occasionally as core for lightweight sheets on small boats.

Poor UV resistance. anchor rode docklines cruising halyards and sheets, low load control lines halyards, sheets and control lines for dinghies and larger raceboats standing rigging

positions. They can can even incorporate trimming marks.

Nylon and polyester are now rarely used in the running rigging of performance oriented boats, other than polyester covers of lines that aren’t subject to high loads and temperatures. However, these materials still have uses on board, particularly for cruising yachts.

Nylon remains the first choice for a kedge line as it has excellent stretch, which avoids snatch loads on the anchor. For this reason it’s also used for snubbers where the main anchor rode is chain. Increasing costs of nylon mean that today polyester is more likely to be used mooring lines.

These are produced to have inherently more stretch than pre-stretched polyester rope intended for budget cruising yacht sheets and halyards.

Recent developments

English Braid’s Elite cover range is intended for Dyneema ropes to address problems such as excessive heat build up, lack of friction on winch drums, UV degradation and resistance to abrasion. The range has six standard products that blend polyester with aramid, Dyneema, Vectran, Technora or Zylon, plus a Dyneema/Technora mix, to create the best solution for different purposes.

Rope manufacturers are also increasingly taking the issue of

BELOW L-R Dyneema line with no cover; Kingfisher's Enviro-Line Dockline, produced from 100% rPET (recycled Polyester); prestretched polyester rope is fine for budget cruising yacht sheets and halyards-

sustainability seriously. Marlow Ropes was among the first with its Blue Ocean polyester docklines, which are made from recycled plastic bottles, yet retain the same physical properties as yarn derived from fossil fuel sources. Marlow has since extended the use of this recycled polyester into more of its product range. Marlow, Kingfisher and Gottifredi Maffioli are among those who use the recentlydeveloped Bio-based Dyneema. This has identical technical characteristics and performance as conventional Dyneema but the ethylene used is derived from waste produced by the pulp and timber industry, instead of conventional petrochemical sources.

An additional benefit is that the manufacture of each tonne of Bio-based Dyneema is said to reduce carbon emissions by five tonnes compared with the same quantity of conventional Dyneema and by a whopping 29 tonnes relative to generic UHMWPE.

USEFUL CONTACTS marlowropes.com englishbraids.com yachtropes.co.uk jimmygreen.com

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

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ARC

A race for all

Every year the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers ushers cruising sailors across the Atlantic to a Caribbean playground. Yet there are a hardy few who race across.

Sam Jefferson looks at the whys and wherefores

T

ruly the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) is an event for our times: a phenomena. For the very few who are uninitiated, it’s essentially a mass migration of yachts that leaves Las Palmas every November in order to escape a life of routine and to go in search of a life less ordinary. These are the refugees of Generation X; the flotsam of a generation who have earned a retirement gift of more time and money than they know what to do with. The result of this charming dilemma is a giant cruise in company across the Atlantic. Rookie skippers are ushered to the start line with the aid of the World Cruising Club, which provides patient support, safety guidance and checks plus a berth and a liberal smattering of drinks receptions. It’s utterly fascinating as a snapshot of humanity

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in the 2020s. On one side of the Canary Islands large groups of people arrive in small boats having made a perilous ocean voyage in search of a better life. On the other side of the island another group departs in small boats to make an ocean voyage in search of a better life. It’s all very strange.

Covid has, if anything, given fresh impetus to an already growing movement. There is a definite backlog from last year when Covid

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Crossing the start line at Las Palmas enroute to the Caribbean BELOW The fleet preparing for departure in Las Palmas

uncertainty curtailed numbers. This year, people genuinely feel it’s a case of ‘now or never’ to go and live their dream. Numbers have surged and the World Cruising Club has taken the unprecedented step of running a third crossing in January (in previous years there has always been two waves of departures – ARC + which heads to the Caribbean via the Cape Verdes and then the standard ARC which leaves mid November). The third wave – pardon the Covid

ARC 2021 FACT FILE

related reference – will head off in early January and can expect fresher, more established and reliable trade winds than those leaving in November.

Anyway, most years I spend a good deal of time chatting to skippers trying to work out what they hope to find on the other side; what form of escape and so on. This year though, I thought it best to change tack and look instead at the people who opt to race across. There is a racing division – 17 boats were entered into it this year – but it’s not generally a serious racing event. So I wanted to look at what the experience was like for those who opted to race across.

Corinthian spirit

Perhaps the real beauty of the ARC as a racing event is that it is something of a free for all. With a huge mix of boats and a healthy Corinthian spirit to the fore, relative unknowns can cut a real dash. This was clearly demonstrated in 2014 when Ross Appleby’s Scarlet Island Girl, a Dufour 45e, managed to win on corrected time. It’s a fun race, free

from the snobbery sometimes present at elite level. In this respect it harks back to the early Whitbread Round the World Races, where the racing was hard but there was a strong spirit of fun and adventure.

The race really is a strange mix of yachts. The current record is held by George David’s monster Maxi Rambler 88 which broke the record in 2016 with a time of 8d 6h 29mins.

This was the third time the record was broken in three years, with the Volvo 65 Team Brunel breaking it in 2015 and Mike Slade’s ICAP Leopard 3 breaking it in 2014. Since then, none of the monster Maxis has made an attempt on the ARC record.

Routeing for these records is interesting and Rambler was certainly not favoured by the winds, which were persistently light. The Maxi took advantage of a small depression which formed midAtlantic soon after the start, enabling the boat to sail a very northerly route and then have a fast reach down to Saint Lucia. Overall, they sailed approximately 270nm less than Team Brunel on their record breaking run

ABOVE A resplendent fleet in Las Palmas ready to depart BELOW LEFT The racing fleet makes its departure BELOW RIGHT Max Fercondini takes a farewell selfie

Smallest Boats The smallest boat was the Finnish flagged Maestro 35 Annina at 10.75m. She was one of 15 boats less than 40’ sailing the ARC direct route. 8% of the boats in the ARC fleet were less than 12.2m (40’) and 42% are 12.2m (40’) to 15.3m (50’).

Largest Boats The largest ARC 2021 boat was Helena, a fully crewed 38m (125’) schooner run by Sail Training Association Finland.

23% of the fleet were 15.3m (50’) to 18.3m (60’) and 20% were larger than 18.3m (60’).

Average ARC 2021 Boat The ‘average’ ARC 2021 boat was built in 2012 (9 years old), was 15.90m long (52'), and was sailing with five crew.

Boat Types 58 different boat brands/builders were represented in the fleet this year. A testament of their enduring cruising pedigree, the oldest boats in the fleet were a Swan 48 Montana and Swan 65 Vahine, built in 1972 & 1973 respectively.

There were 20 new-builds in the fleet produced in 2020 and 2021.

Top 5 Boat Brands Oyster: 12 boats Beneteau: 12 boats Swan: 11 boats Jeanneau: 10 boats Hallberg-Rassy: 7 boats Boat Flag Nationalities United Kingdom 22.5% of the entries France 11% Sweden 9%

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

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ARC

PREVIOUS WINNERS 2020: Winner IRC: The Kid, JPK 54 Fastest time: Banzai, Marsaudon TS42 10d 21h 3m 2019: Winner IRC:The Kid, JPK 54 Fastest time: Hallucine, Marsaudon TS5 catamaran 11 days 16h 2018: Winner IRC: The Kid, JPK 54 Fastest time: The Kid, JPK 54 11d 4h 7m 2017: Winner IRC: Scarlet Island Girl Dufour 45e Fastest time: Nautor 78 Southern Star 2016: Winner IRC: Rambler 88 canting keel Maxi Fastest time: Rambler88 8d 6h 29mins 2015: Fastest time: Team Brunel 8d, 7h, 39m 2014: Fastest time: ICAP Leopard 8d 14h 39m 51s

of the previous year. On that occasion, the Volvo 65 zigzagged considerably across the rhumb line in search of squalls and actually ran the longest course distance of any boat in the race. This difference in distance between Rambler and Team Brunel was to prove crucial for a lighter wind crossing.

Rambler’s owner George David said after the race: "Once we set off, we were confident we could make the crossing in eight days, but the record

CHARTERING A number of companies charter out places on both cruising and racing yachts taking part. Kraken Travel is one such company and provide a decent benchmark of costs: Beneteau First 40.7: £3550 per person Volvo 70 Telefonica Black: £4250 per person

was less certain, right up until we crossed the finish line really. Two squalls came across us in the morning bringing torrential downpours but no wind so that slowed us down even more. Given the challenges this year, we are thrilled to have broken the record."

JP takes charge

With Rambler having smashed the record and the RORC Transatlantic Race (see p56 for a preview) siphoning off the more extreme yachts, the ARC racing division has been dominated by Pierre ‘JP’ Dick.

Dick, who is actually a trained veterinary surgeon, is a veteran of four Vendee Globe races and has also won the Transat Jacques Vabre four times. His yacht, The Kid is a JP 54 designed by its skipper who distilled all he knew from decades of racing in IMOCA 60s into a smaller boat that could be converted into a cruiser

Included in price: Professional Skipper plus professional crew Branded team kits Food, fuel, race entry and mooring fees Not included: Accommodation when in port Travel to or from the boats Sea boots

Kraken state that some sailing experience is required plus a good level of fitness. Contact kraken.travel for more information

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE George David's Rambler 88 still holds the course record, set in 2016

easily. He first took line honours in the 2018 race and reported top speeds of 25kn on the downhill race course. Reflecting post race, It was clear that he was not entirely au courant with the transatlantic racing scene: “At some stage later, I learned there was the RORC Transatlantic Race,” he confessed, “and a rally was not my intention as I am more race-minded, but it is very well managed with a global ambience and I was amazed at the number of boats and the commitment.”

The fact he returned for victories in 2019 and 2020 backs up the fact that he was hooked. Since that helter skelter win in 2018 there has been another new development, with souped up cruising multihulls challenging the established order of things. 2019 saw Hallucine, a Marsaudon TS5 catamaran take line honours. If you’re wondering what the tactics were, check this from

skipper Marc Guillemot: “Our tactic was to head very far south, passing the Cape Verde islands close enough to see the crabs on shore, and once we found the trades we really took off and these winds carried us all the way to the finish line.”

2020 saw an epic battle between The Kid and Banzai, a Marsaudon TS42 catamaran go right to the line.

Dick had given himself the added challenge of going double handed

and he sprinted out into the lead early on. Close in their wake, almost matching them gybe-for-gybe, Banzaï skippered by Vincent Willemart, chased them down.

However, it was only in the last 24 hours, that the Banzai pulled ahead.

This year’s race

This year the big question ended up being whether to go north or south and it was the boats that plunged

ABOVE LEFT JP Dick's The Kid Ville de Nice missed out on line honours this year but has enjoyed a phenomenal run of wins ABOVE RIGHT Nacira 12 69 enjoyed line honours, (inset) the crew celebrate BELOW Sara (centre in the blue trousers) and fellow crew aboard Telefonica Black

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: SARA, TELEFONICA BLACK

“I am Sara, 34 years old and an electrical engineer working in Berlin. I started sailing around six years ago, mostly recreational sailing in the Mediterranean or the Baltic Sea. When I heard about the ARC in 2017, I immediately knew I wanted to participate someday. 2021 was the year and a more experienced friend of mine told me, that if I wanted to join the ARC I should do it in a racing yacht since I would learn so much in these more complex yachts in two weeks time. Volvo 70 Telefonica Black was the ideal option, when I found them via Kraken Travel I booked immediately and it was the best decision. From the very start, the professional crew started training us. We were supposed to do all the manoeuvres and helming by ourselves, with our watch lead instructing and assisting us. Verity, our watch lead, did an amazing job teaching us how to sail a racing yacht. We grew every day more confident and it was an incredible experience to reach 20 knots helming the Telefonica Black. The rest of the professional crew did an amazing job planning the route. Claire would crunch all day numbers based on the forecasts so that we would reach the finish line in the shortest amount of time. We made third in the racing division, a big accomplishment since most of the crew were amateurs as myself. I am so happy that my first race was in the Telefonica Black and I am looking forward to the next one!”

down towards the Cape Verdes that ended up gaining an advantage in the latter stages of the race. As has been the theme in recent years , the race for line honours saw big monohulls duelling with multihulls. The smart new 69ft 12 Nacira 69 showcased what a superb fast cruiser she was by stealing a march on her rivals and arriving just over an hour ahead of Guyader Saveol, a Marsaudon 54 catamaran. It was only on the morning of the start the crew on 12 Narcia 69 predicted the northern route to be too unstable and decided to choose the southern path taking them near to Cape Verde.

Spokesperson for the crew, Matteo Grassi, said: “Most of the crew have experienced the crossing before but we didn’t expect to get so much wind in the last few days and we did almost 400 NM in one day, the boat is just a missile.”

Jean Paul Dick’s splendid run in the ARC came to an end after he plumped for the northern route along with The Kid’s old sparring partner Banzai arriving hot on his heels after a 13 day crossing.

USEFUL CONTACTS worldcruising.com grancanaria.com

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

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Beanie “A cosy hat that is 100% waterproof,” say Sealskinz of their new winter beanie, aimed at sailors. It’s a hat, indeed, that is said to “take away any worries of a cold and wet head which can lead to all sorts of not-so-good things outdoors”.

Garmin boat stereo The Fusion RA60 is a compact, marine stereo featuring “modern aesthetics” and an antifogging display and protection against salt, UV, dust and more. The Fusion MS-RA60 features wireless control via Bluetooth and ANT technology (Garmin watches, ARX remote) – including control via Fusion-Link.  £219  garmin.com

 £30  sealskinz.com

LAUNCHED New kit for you and your boat

Crewsaver drysuit Boat cleaning products CleanToGleam’s range encompasses the full boat cleaning and polishing process, including their Hull Cleaner, their Stainless Steel Cleaner and Rust Remover, and a Stainless Steel Brightener. No scrubbing or rubbing is needed for any of these concentrated products.

The stainless steel cleaners are “developed for guard rails and wires, stanchions, davits, cleats and other stainless steel fixtures and fittings” without damage to other surfaces and furniture. “Used by professionals!” says the company.  Stainless Steel Cleaner and Rust Remover £24 (1 litre)  Stainless Steel Brightener £20 (1 litre)  Hull Cleaner £24 (1 litre)  cleantogleam.com

Crewsaver has introduced the Atacama Sport+ drysuit, named after the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth, incorporating a number of features including Glideskin neoprene wrist and neck seals. Crewsaver’s Design Manager Zach Williams says: “We have also designed the drysuit from a three-layer, waterproof, breathable fabric which incorporates Cordura reinforcement in high wear areas such as the knees and seat for extra protection and improved durability.

The Atacama Sport+ has been engineered to keep you dry in all weather conditions which means you can get back out on (or in!) the water way ahead of the warmer months.”

The suit is designed with fabric socks and includes a free Stratum fleece for warmth. The articulated arm and leg design coupled with the elasticated waist and adjustable stretchy braces, ensures unrestricted movement.  £475  crewsaver.com

TESTED Georgie Corlett-Pitt put Gill’s Pursuit Trainers through their paces at the recent TP52 Worlds in Palma Often when sailing in the ‘guest’ spot, you are never quite where you are meant to be, and so it’s important to be able to hop nimbly about the boat when needed. In this case, I was also jumping between the sleek decks of the race boat and the slippery wet sponson of the chase boat in a fairly significant swell. These trainers did not let me down. The non-slip grip did its job in both wet and dry conditions, while the air-cell insole brilliantly absorbed impact and the moulded toe protection gave me confidence that the front of my foot was well-protected and supported. A drainage system ensures any water is quickly expelled. Perhaps what impressed me most was the fit; the quick-lace adjustment meant they could be tailored perfectly even to my wide feet. Coupled with a breathable, quick dry upper, these lightweight trainers felt comfortable to wear throughout, even after a long day afloat in the Med’s warm autumn sunshine.  £100  gillmarine.com

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FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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elitesailing.co.uk Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

89

Buyer’s Guide - Winches

She’s electric Sam Fortescue tries to get a handle on upgrading from manual to electric winches

G

one are the days when sheeting in meant half a dozen burly men rushing to the quarter and heaving on a rope.

Handybillies and deadeyes equally belong to the pages of history, or at least the rigging of historical craft. Now all you really need is a few decent winches on the coachroof and the coaming. And although this is quite mature technology these days, there have been a welter of small improvements over the years which make the job

90

easier or safer or better connected.

If you never quite got far enough down your list of spring fettling jobs to reach winch maintenance, or you fancy a bit of electrical assistance, then you might be eyeing the new winch market with a degree of trepidation. As with all bits of large boat hardware, the simplest course of action is simply to buy a new version of whatever you had before. That way you can be sure that sheeting angles will match and the all-important holes for fixing the winch to the boat should line up perfectly.

But buying a new winch is also an opportunity to upgrade, upsize or switch to electric. Perhaps something with a bit more grunt would be welcome, or you want an electric back-up for getting halyards taught or recovering MOBs using the mainsheet or topping lift.

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Going Electric

It requires a little thought and planning to switch from a manual to an electric system. Main brands Lewmar, Harken and Andersen offer a handy conversion kit which can be bolted on to an existing winch – a cheaper and easier approach than outright replacement. But first, you have to make sure there’s enough room under the winch to accommodate the gearbox and motor housing. Andersen and Selden offer space-saving alternatives if not.

Then you should consider whether you have enough battery power on board to run a winch. Harken estimates that a 12V winch could get through as much as 50 amp-hours a day and Andersen recommends having more than 100Ah of spare battery capacity for its size 40 winch.

You’ll need cables from the battery

you want to control the winches.

Brands like Harken, Antal and Lewmar offer a limited range of switches – basically dual function finger and foot toggles. Lewmar electric winches are single speed below a mammoth size 65, which is bigger than most cruisers will need to go. Harken does a two-speed digital switch. If you’re looking for sleeker controls, fit for mounting on the pedestal, Andersen and particularly Selden are streets ahead.

that can deal with current spikes of 100A or more. And though some units have built in protection from overheating or excess current, you should always install a circuit breaker.

Consider also how and from where

Lewmar Still probably the world’s most popular brand of winch, Lewmar supplies lots of production yards with its sturdy Ocean winch, and its newer Evo alternative. The Ocean is pretty much bombproof, with two speeds (from size 30) and a selftailer. Another plus is that it requires no tools to service, although beware of pawls and springs leaping clear as you lift the drum. The Ocean is available in two finishes – aluminium or chrome.

The Evo is said by Lewmar to include all the feedback obtained from years of selling the Ocean winch, and it looks a bit sharper too.

Neat features include the aluminium feeder/stripper arm that serves the self-tailing device – it can be adjusted to any angle to deliver rope smoothly into the cockpit. You can also spec a carbon fibre inlay on the top for racier looks. It has an eye-watering seven-year warranty and is available in chrome, black or grey alloy. A manual Evo 40ST costs £1,398.66, while an Ocean 40ST is £1,478.50 All Lewmar winches of size 40 and above can be bought as part of an electric kit and existing winches can be electrified with the conversion kit, which works out cheaper than buying a whole new winch. By way of example, the upgrade kit costs some £2,141 while a fully electric Evo 40ST would set you back £3,120.

There’s also a choice between a simple thermal trip, which switches the winch off when the motor overheats, and a more complex load sensing controller, which caps the power available to protect the motor. lewmar.com

ABOVE Harken's Performa winch BELOW LEFT Lewmar's award winning One Touch winch handle allows you to lock in and remove the winch handle with one hand BELOW RIGHT Lewmar's EVO 40 ST winch

Harken Instantly recognisable for its black anodised finish and red stripe around the base, Harken’s winches with their aluminium drum are the lightest on the market. It offers both a chrome and bronze finish which are heavier.

The basic choice is between the cruiser’s Radial winch, or the Performa, which comes in lighter race variants, including plain top (no self-tailing) and quattro (with a broader drum base for faster line handling). Particular features of the Radial include slanting ribs along the drum for gripping the line under load and driving it down the drum when easing the lines. The bearings are composite, which Harken says makes for lower friction under load.

Dual speed units start from size 35.

That’s also the cut-in for electric units, and Harken winches post1999 can all be converted to electric drives. You still need to drill a hole in your deck to pass the drive shaft through – an 80mm hole in this case. But Harken makes much of the fact its motors connect directly to the central drive shaft. It says this is

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

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Buyer’s Guide - Winches

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much more efficient than competitors who have to offset the motors. You’ll need to put a control box somewhere below deck as part of the Harken system, but at least it includes a built-in load controller to keep the motor from overheating.

Unlike Lewmar winches, you’ll need a screwdriver to get the winch open for servicing. A Radial 40 costs from £894 with the cheaper aluminium finish. The electric version is £2,721. harken.co.uk

120mm.

Besides a control box housing the solenoids activated by the low-power switches, you’ll want to consider an additional load control box, called the WBC. This starts the winch in its fast gear, then steps down to the more powerful slower speed when the winch reaches its maximum safe working current. It cuts out altogether when it hits this limit in slow gear.

Brand: antal.it Distributor: marineware.com

Antal Italy’s Antal produces a wide range of one- and two-speed winches for cruising and racing, as part of its self-tailing XT line. Cruisers can choose between a black anodised or a chromed finish, while racers get the black finish, plus lighter roller bearings and a drum and gears engineered for lightness.

Grip comes from vertical knurls cut into the drum, which is said to favour vertical movement for the turns of rope. On the aluminium finish, these knurls are differentiated – deeper at the top where the tension is lower and shallower under load at the bottom.

On the electric side, most of the winches are two-speed with the choice between a vertically or horizontally aligned motor, according to the space you have available.

Antal estimates that its winches deliver 490W or 700W at the winch drum, compared to a human arm at about 400W. Note that the deck cut-out required to accommodate the drive up to the winch is a rather scary

Andersen Known for its elegant stainless-steel winches with their mirror finish, Andersen winches use aluminium bronze components on the inside.

This is said to combine longevity with light weight, such that the unit is the same weight as Lewmar’s full aluminium drum winch.

Build quality is high. From size 28 upwards, winches are geared to have two speeds. There are large-diameter roller bearings to absorb drum loads and stainless-steel bearings on the bigger winches from size 52 upwards.

FEBRUARY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE L-R AND BELOW Andersen's unmistakeable stainless steel winches are an elegant option

The drum features Andersen’s so-called Power Ribs, which don’t abrade lines like a rough surface, but are very effective at gripping and allowing the turns to move up and down the drum as required.

Andersen supplies conversion kits for existing winches and a neat Compact Motor product which tries to address the challenge of finding space for the gearbox assembly that bolts on under the winch. This comes in two formats – one with a small 195mm-diameter motor, gearbox and controller bolted on below the deck. There’s also an above-deck version, where the power unit sits beneath a pedestal under the winch skirt. It’s a bit clunky, but it could make the difference between being able to convert to electric and not.

Otherwise, it’s the E1 single-speed electric winch that runs from size 28 up to a huge 72 (if you want a two- or even three-speed Andersen, you’ll need to go large – very large).

Andersen says the E1 works at single speed, because the gearbox permits very fast line recovery at low load, and high power when the load comes on. The controller, with its five fail-safe parameters, is built into the motor/gearbox housing. In the case of the E1, you get two-speed operation back under manual operation.

The motor directly drives the drum, according to Andersen’s Thomas Galster. “Effectively this allows the winch to operate electrically with a winch handle inserted – the inserted handle will not move/spin when the winch is operated electrically,” he says. “It also means you can put a handle in while the winch is powered with no issues.”

Other finishes are possible – a matt

Buyer’s Guide - Winches

stainless ZT finish and a coloured Physical Vapour Deposition coating, usually bronze or black. An Andersen 40ST costs £1,246, while the same size E1 costs some £3,110.

Brand: andersenwinches.com Distributor: improducts.co.uk Karver The innovative French deck gear manufacturer took a punt some years ago in buying the Pontos winch company – a Breton start-up.

The idea behind Pontos was simple: to ease line handling for cruisers and racers by introducing extra gears even on a range of small-boat winches. Clever engineering meant that you shifted up a gear every time you changed the direction of turn of the winch handle.

Karver promised to keep the smarts while redesigning the profile of the winch to make it lighter and easier on the eye – something it has broadly achieved with

its typical black-and-yellow styling.

The winches break down into three types – a compact two-speed roughly equivalent to a size 45, a range geared for speed (KSW) and another one geared for power (KPW).

The KSW and KPW winches come in three sizes roughly fitting into the footprint of a size 40, 46 or 52 winch, but packing four speeds. The first two mirror those of a normal winch – then the magic happens. Flicking on up through the gears gives you either three times the normal speed or three times the power. It is the latter that will interest cruising sailors the most.

“It is so powerful, it becomes a real alternative to an electric winch,” according to Karver.

In the case of the size 40, it packs the power of a superyacht size 110.

Pricing is reasonable for the winch’s capabilities, at €2,388 (c£2,010) for the size 40 equivalent (KPW110). karver-systems.com Selden Well-known for its masts and booms, Selden

ABOVE LEFT Push button winching from the binnacle has become commonplace in modern yachts ABOVE RIGHT Selden's E40i houses the electric motor inside the winch drum itself BELOW Karver offer a good selection of electric winches

is a newcomer to the winch market.

And it has made quite a debut with its electric E40i, whose particular technical feat is to house the motor and gears inside the drum of the winch itself. It is a three-speed winch, operated using two finger buttons – one for making the winch turn, the other for changing the speed. It is best suited to sailing boats from 35ft to 45ft LOA, where it can make singlehanding a comfortable possibility.

The winch is designed to work as part of a network of Selden electrical gear including mast and headsail furlers. Each part of the network has its own control unit (included in the package) and is connected to every other part of the network using a CAN bus system which resembles the NMEA protocol. A single power supply unit transforms the voltage up to 42V, which is the secret behind creating a motor small enough to fit inside the winch. It also keeps cable sizes down.

The winch is available in black anodised aluminium priced at £2,848, or in tougher but more costly stainless steel. seldenmast.com

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Three of the best

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WAUQUIEZ PILOT 48 | ANGEL OF ALBA NICHOLSON 35 | COWRIE The Nicholson 35 is a very solid, fast and seaworthy cruiser. About 230 were built in total, with minor alterations over the years resulting in Mk I to Mk VI versions. In their early years, these boats were capable and competitive ocean racers, though nowadays they are more often thought of as serious but fairly fast cruisers.

Cowrie is a very fine example of a Mk VI edition and is lovingly maintained by her fastidious owner. Ideal for offshore and coastal cruising alike, the Nicholson 35 will keep you safe and sound. The cockpit is deep and secure with high seat backs and shielded well by the sprayhood. The deck is secured with stainless steel pulpit, solid wrap round pushpit and stanchion posts with double guard wires.

Down below, high quality teak cabinetry, beautifully varnished, gives the interior a quality feel with traditional Holly and Teak striped floor. A great boat for anyone planning a new adventure.

Year: 1984 Length: 10.74m (35’2”) Beam: 3.18m (10’4”) Max Draft: 1.68m (5’5”) Engine: Hawker Sidley Pirahna | 43hp Location: Rhu, Argyll and Bute, GB Contact: michaelschmidt .co.uk

A perfect blue water cruiser, the Pilot Saloon 48 is the quintessence of Wauquiez’ expertise in terms of conception and high-end yacht building. The Pilot Saloon concept, launched

by Henri Wauquiez 20 years ago, continues to attract many sailors looking for a versatile sailing yacht, matching every sailing program and offering comfort, brightness and high performance.

Angel of Alba is a Fantastically well-equipped, UK/EU VAT paid example of this modern cutter rigged raised-saloon bluewater cruiser. With over 50 years of boat building experience Wauquiez is a well established French builder with a reputation for producing high quality yachts with attractive modern styling.

The Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 48 was launched in 2016 and proved to be an instant hit with those looking for a capable pilot saloon blue water cruiser.

Angel of Alba was acquired by her second and current owner in 2020 and imported to the UK; making her one of the few Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 48’s to be deemed as a UK VAT paid vessel.

Year: 2016 Length: 14.77m (48’5”) Beam: 4.61m (15’1”) Max depth: 2.35m (7’7”) Engine: Yanmar 4JH 4HTE 110hp Berths: 8 in 3 cabins Location: Poole Contact: grabauinternational.com

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HANSE 371 | SEA SPIRIT The Hanse 371 was unveiled by the German mass production boatbuilder back in 2003 and designed by the renowned duo of Judel/Vroljik. The boat was quite radical at the time, with its near flat sheer and plumb bow, she signposted the path down which the manufacturer was heading with its next generation of yachts. With a beautifully crafted, traditionally finished interior combined with a modern interior layout and hull design she is swift yet easily handled. ‘Sea Spirit’ is superbly specified and has been lovingly maintained by her current owners. Beautifully finished throughout in high gloss mahogany her comfortable interior combines a traditional warm feel with a modern layout. Sleeping four across two double cabins she has a very practical galley and a large shower and heads compartment.

Year: 2004 Length:11.25m (36’9”) Beam: 3.59m (11’8”) Max Draft: 1.98m (6’5”) Cabins: 2 Engine: Yanmar 30HP Location: Kip Marina Contact: michaelschmidt .co.uk

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting FEBRUARY 2022

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KEELBOATS FLYING 15 WANTED. Ovington Flying 15 wanted - can travel UK. Mk10 onwards preferred. Budget flexible. £8000 Tel 07738 984826 / (UK - ANYWHERE )

31 FOOT CRUISING YACHT. 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. £14000 Tel 07971 010186 / (NEWRY) SOLING DEEP KEEL. Soling Deep Keel sailing boat on road trailer for sale, with mast, sails etc sailed down from Scotland, it has been in storage for at least a decade. £200 for a quick sale. £200 Tel 07809 134852 / 02077307537 (HARTLEPOOL) DEHLER 41DS RIGID WINDSCREEN - NEW. Brand new acrylic windscreen for Dehler 41DS. £950 Tel 07714 259616 / (OBAN)

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WESTERLY PENTLAND KETCH. 1976 reliable Ford 1.6 diesel, new Heat exchanger, alternator, batteries. Radar Large screen with chart, fish-finder, AIS, VHF & other instruments. 7 berths three cabins, centre cockpit, SS fresh water and fuel tanks, new fresh water pump, easy single handed, auto steering.

Dinghy, stern ladder. £14200 Tel 07711 924472 / 01424 892381 (EASTBOURNE) ENDURANCE 38 DECKSALOON. Beautifully light maple interior by Blondicell Southampton. Safe comfortable Grp criusing yacht with raised saloon for all the family and friends, 6 berths. Only lightly used. Fin and skeg hung rudder. Autohelm, GPS, Heater, 240v Battery charger. £74950 Tel 07770 860730 / (PLYMOUTH)

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MULTIHULLS HYDROFOIL TWIN RIGGED CATAMARAN Speedwing is a hydrofoil catamaran built for speedsailing in 1990. It has twin sails one on each hull. All fits onto a dinghy size trailer that can be sold too.

The hulls and wing were professionally built. There is a good description and photos in: https://www.ayrs.org/ repository/AYRS112.all_A5.pdf. £200 Tel 00479 1101654 / 01784 482656 (STAINES) F18 AHPC CAPRICORN MK 1. Boat has been converted for a deck sweeper main.

New sails in 2019 including deck sweeper mainsail. Additional sails of unknown age: 2x mainsails, 3x jibs, 3x spinnakers.

2 mainsheets. Carbon tiller extension. Big wheel cat trailer and stern cups. Road trailer. Over boom cover. £4000 Tel 07717 211791 / (PLYMOUTH)

OTHER EQUIPMENT VERL900 SAILS WANTED. Looking for a sprayhood for my 30 foot Verl900. Willing to travel to collect. £1234 Tel 00353 877777671 / (IRELAND)

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97

Jess Lloyd-Mostyn The shipping lanes and commercial ports of this world are not generally the most desirable destination for cruising sailors but they do hold a certain fascination

A

s a sailing yacht you are very and acutely aware of just how small and flimsy a vessel you are compared to the big guys. The tankers and container ships dwarf us, making our well-found ocean-going boat suddenly seem as insubstantial as a bath toy by comparison. And yet there is something rather fun and wonderful about sharing waters with these massive boats, trying to dodge around them, predict their routes and interpret their loud foghorn signals.

From the waters of the Solent to other important shipping pinch points such as the straits of Gibraltar, the Panama Canal and the Port of Singapore, our sailing journey has had a few moments where we interact with these much larger boats, and each place has brought about new challenges.

The English Channel is busy and, as a new crew setting out for the big blue, it is an inevitable step towards mainland Europe and beyond that you must first traverse this waterway. The tidal stream is pulling you this way or that and you are also trying to navigate your way around considerably faster traffic than before as well as getting to grips with proper protocol for crossing shipping lanes. Throw into that mix a hefty and not uncommon bout of British fog and this short passage can be a nervy one for a inexperienced crew. However, its relatively short distance comes in handy as there is no need to stay on high alert for too long. I remember flicking my eyes between the AIS display, the radar, the charts and straining to make out the lights in the fog ahead. What at one moment appeared to be a far-off cliff turned out to be a wall of steel, a large container ship passing to one side of us, only to be followed by a huge ghostly trawler to the other side. Needless to say we took it slowly and cautiously amid these invisible giants.

In Gibraltar we arrived at night, testing our COLREGs and light knowledge to their limits as what was first a huge, glittering Christmas tree display of a city slowly separated into shoreline and moving shapes within the port waters. Goliaths of 50 metres or more were headed the same way as us, ploughing the waters far faster than we ever could. Massive tankers and even minesweepers

all criss-crossed the entry to the harbour and it made for quite an impressive arrival. Each ship pinged up its information on our screens. “Look this one’s come from China! That one is headed to Argentina!” we would marvel as we made our slow, steady headway towards the yacht marinas.

But both these encounters were at a relative safe distance.

In Panama we had to deal with getting up close and personal with these monsters. This time there was no escape. We were tied together, rafted up with two other sailboats, with one towering giant chugging along ahead of us and a second growling behind.

They were simply huge. The canal locks seemed to mirror their size, everything big and powerful, massive cleats to tie impossibly large coils of rope onto, enormous tyres instead of fenders, the thunderous clanks and grinding sounds of machinery. Our boat has never felt quite so fragile.

And in Singapore it seemed as though we were witness to a never-ending parade of gigantic ships. There were tankers and container ships but also strange research vessels with cranes and submersibles mounted on their decks, giant drilling boats, ships with helipads, colossal barges working on land reclamation, pleasure cruise ships as big as floating cities and all around them an array of different tugs and pilot boats pushing and pulling and guiding these leviathans into position. We had to not only cross the shipping lanes amidst these beasts but also get used to sailing past them or weaving within their stationary hulks at anchor. Each one created a massive wind shadow to be avoided, and we’d keep our eyes peeled for the initial puffs of smoke or deluge of water washing down the oversize anchor and chain as a signal that they would start moving and begin the mass of swirling currents and eddies if they turned.

In the grand scheme of our decade at sea so far we’ve had very few of these moments where our paths cross with these giant boats and we try to steer clear of them as best we can. But, when we get the chance, it can be truly rather fascinating getting that little bit nearer and learning a bit more about these other sea monsters we share the water with.

98

FEBRUARY 2022 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: MICHAEL PARKIN

‘What at one moment appeared to be a far-off cliff turned out to be a wall of steel, a container ship’

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