Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting December 2021 by The Chelsea Magazine Company

with DECEMBER 2021 £4.95

OFF-SEASON SAILING How to cruise and race through a winter afloat

BOAT TEST

OVNI 370 Offshore peace of mind BOAT BATTERIES Get the best out of the latest technology WINTER BERTH PRICES

We find the best

NICHOLSON 32 AROUND THE WORLD Incredible full story CARIBBEAN RACING

What's on + how to do it

GORGEOUS DAY-SAILER

Saffier 27 boat test

REGULARS

10 News 16 Paul Heiney 18 Andy Rice 20 Andi Robertson 28 Tom Cunliffe What you should do when you get that sinking feeling

98 Jess Lloyd-Mostyn

UNDER SAIL

22 Winter weekend sails

Where to go and how to stay warm how to make the most of winter sailing

32 Caribbean racing preview 38 Around the world trip

A voyage of discovery for two young sailors in a 32’ boat

60 Gulls Eye Discovering Carentan in Normandy

66 Winter berthing Hot new berthing offers for the cold winter months ahead

70 Fishing under sail Tips and techniques

72 Winter Series We head to the Hamble to check out the 40th anniversary series

80 Cape Horn the hard way Bob Shepton reminisces on past adventures

84 Endeavour Trophy 92 Black Sea adventure Rod Heikell recalls a trip in an 18’ yacht

BOATS

14 New boat news The latest launches

46 Ovni 370 First test of a bluewater specialist

76 Saffier SE 27

A fresh take on the daysailer

90 Three of the Best Three of the finest brokerage boats

GEAR

54 Buyer’s Guide Choosing the right 12v batteries

74 Launched Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting NOVEMBER 2020

EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE I QUALITY I VALUE

SEE THE TEST REPORT IN NEXT MON TH’S ISSUE OF SAILIN G TODAY

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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 TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF WINTER SAILING ARE CELEBRATED IN THIS ISSUE

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. All Rights Reserved. ISSN 1367-5869 (print) ISSN 2059-9285 (digital)

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WINTER CAN SEEM LIKE a sort of extended lockdown some years but, given what we have endured recently, it's perhaps worthwhile breaking out of that mentality and grabbing whatever opportunity that comes to get out on the water over the winter months - even if your fingers are a bit numb. To this end we provide a rough guide to going cruising over the winter on p22 and a look forward to some winter racing on p86. It must be said that there are moments when you have to question your sanity when venturing out in sub zero conditions, but the rewards are also great. It's a subject close to my heart because, what seems many centuries ago now, I signed up to do a number of yacht deliveries across the North Sea in the winter months. The following year I topped this act of masochism by doing an extended Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Prep trip in the Solent in the depths of winter. One of my overriding memories of this period is how obsessed I became with buying a pair of Dubarry boots which were, alas, beyond my budget at that time. I also recall stepping off the boat having completed my Yachtmaster and promising to go and get a job in Greece or the Caribbean. Yet, for all the suffering, there was also real joy and beauty of a different type to that enjoyed if you sail only in the summer. Everything feels very pure and clean and exhilarating. You really earn your pleasure while a hot shower at the end of a day out on the water feels like a benediction. The other great benefit was the peace. I sailed a lot in the Solent and came to take it for granted that places like Newtown Creek were always empty. Returning a few years later and this time in summer, I was appalled at how busy everywhere was and came to miss that winter peace. I have to say that much of my chilly experiences from this period would have been ameliorated considerably if I had been sailing on the Ovni 370 I test on p46. Here is a boat that could definitely take the edge off a winter sail in the manner that the selection of leaky Sigma 36s I sailed in didn't. Just to round things off, I did indeed flee to the Caribbean, which is somewhere else we visit this issue on p32 with a look at the racing scene. Mighty tempting it looks too.

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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

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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 DECEMBER 2021

Fal - tastic Few cruising grounds offer so much variation as the Cornish coast. From the rugged surf strewn shores of the north coast to secluded estuaries such as the absolute gem that is the River Fal. This shot captures the last days of summer and is taken from Malpas, where the Tresilian and Truro rivers meet. Gareth Lloyd Jones

News

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

RYA Dinghy Show includes watersports for 2022 The RYA Dinghy Show is expanding to feature paddleboards, kayaks and other watersports at its 2022 event, on top of the vast range of dinghies and dinghy kit already on show. The show will now be known as the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show presented by Suzuki, for its first edition at Farnborough International conference centre, Hampshire, over the weekend of 26-27 February. The move is in-line with sailing clubs often now having a fleet of SUPs and other watersports kit, to attract new members from the wider community and to keep existing members active on non-sailing days. The trend has proved popular and successful for many clubs. RYA Director of Sport Development Rob Clark said: “For many of us, our time afloat has been extra valuable over the past two years so we’re really excited to be able to once again dedicate a live show to having a good time on the water whether dinghy cruising, racing, windsurfing, paddleboarding or any of the other ways you can get afloat. “The new venue and growth in participation of all watersports has presented us with an opportunity to bring the industry together to offer a bigger show, with even more adventures and activities for the cost of a ticket. We also want to reflect the fantastic multisport activities offered by our affiliated clubs, centres and organisations.” The Dinghy Show is a cornerstone of the sailing calendar and one of the most popular and well-attended boat shows in Europe. Along with dinghy manufacturers and outlets, it features hands-on dinghy displays and demos, all the latest kit and gear, plus interactive workshops and

coaching sessions. World-class speakers will provide expert advice across three stages. The event will be hosted by Hannah Diamond with instructor and presenter Lee Timothy. Rob Clark added: “The Dinghy and Watersports Show is organised by the RYA to benefit the sport and industry by bringing together the community and inspiring people to get afloat. We’d like to thank our exhibitors and sponsor for supporting us to create a Covid safe show and look forward to sharing some exciting new features soon.” Tickets for the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show will go on sale at the end of October. Visit dinghyshow.org.uk

BoatLife Live sponsors British Yachting Awards We are delighted to announce BoatLife Live as a sponsor of our British Yachting Awards. BoatLife Live is the new pre-season boat show launching at Birmingham NEC in February 2022. The event will take place 17-20 February, occupying three halls and over 20,000sqm, with sailboats up to 45ft ranging from wooden craft, to dinghies and yachts, as well as RIBS, inland craft and watersports, plus equipment and holiday companies. There will be live talks, demonstrations, bars and restaurants. BoatLife Live sponsors our Young Sailor of the Year category. BoatLife Director Richard Dove said: “We are grateful for the opportunity to sponsor The Young Sailor of the Year award. Supporting the boating community is important to the BoatLife team and seeing the talent of the future generations is inspiring.” The category features round Britian sailors Timothy Long and Katie McCabe, as well as 420 pair Jamie Cook and Will Martin. boatlifeevents.com and britishyachtingawards.com

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

News

Pip launches her next Vendée boat Just eight months after completing her first Vendée Globe, Pip Hare was in central London with the boat she aims to sail in the race’s next edition, in 2024, naming it Medallia. The technology company has backed Hare since coming in as her partner in May 2020. And Medallia’s CEO Leslie Stretch was in London, having flown from his home in San Francisco to help Hare sail the boat up the Thames and to pour the champagne over the bow in front of a phallanx of photographers, a far cry from just a year previously when Hare’s name was unknown to the national press and little known in ocean racing. Hare’s new boat was built as Banque Populaire VIII for Armel Le Cléac’h, who won the 2016-17 Vendée Globe in it. The Verdier-VPLP design was then bought by Frenchman Louis Burton and became Bureau Vallée 2, finishing third in the most recent race, held earlier this year. After the boat’s naming ceremony, Hare said: “It’s got one hell of a pedigree and you can’t hide from that. That are no excuses! “Interestingly, when we went round the pontoons looking at the other boats in Les Sables d’Olonne, before the last race, the 2020 IMOCAs almost seemed too far removed from the kind of sailing that I know. The 2016 boats it seemed were things I could recognise and understand. Also it’s that interaction with the outdoors. I don’t want to be indoors [in an enclosed cockpit, like some of the modern boats]. “Sailing it for the first time, I was full of doubt about whether I could step up to it, but actually it’s very much the same. There are lots of things that are going to be different and things I really need to learn about, but the basics are the same. “Fairly quickly we’ve gone through the phases of sailing with four people, going down to double-handed. I haven’t done unsupported solo sailing yet because we didn’t have a RIB and you can’t get out of the harbour without people on board. But I’ve been out with a training partner and sailed the boat solo without their intervention. It took me about a month to get to that stage, so it’s reassuringly familiar. “Physically it’s a lot easier [than her previous boat, which is more than 20 years old]. The fact that I’ve got four driven winches and ergonomically it’s been thought about, so all the ropes are in the right places and I’m not compromising on anything. Having a keel where you push a button and it moves, that’s a revelation! “The sails are still pretty heavy. Lugging them around is the most physical thing I’ll do on the boat. This is still one of the lightest boats in the fleet, so moving weight around is still important. There are these transom slides, so you can slide them across rather than dragging them round the bow. Banque Populaire put so much into making it easier for Armel to sail, so the attention to detail is great. “We’ve had it since July and we haven’t been out in more than 20 knots and so far my experience of foiling is that it feels completely natural, but I haven’t been out in a sea state where deceleration

becomes an issue. I spoke to Sam [Davies] about her injuries and what happened to her. She knows she could have been more badly hurt than she was. It’s a no-brainer – I’m going to take body armour and a crash helmet and if I feel I need it I’ll put them on. The alternative is ridiculous. “The best thing about today is meeting Leslie. He changed my life. I was really nervous before meeting him, but he is great. The whole thing has moved so fast. It can feel like we hijacked someone else’s life!” Medallia’s Leslie Stretch said: “I was completely determined that we put a real competitor on a competitive boat. In the last race, it was an asynchronous campaign. We had an fabulous offshore sailor and pilot, just a phenomenal person, an athlete, but we had an old boat. We needed to fix that, so I was very determined to get her a competitive foiling IMOCA for this campaign. And it’s going to be even better by the time we get to the Vendée Globe because we’re going to make sure we do the right research on safety, on foiling technology and make sure we’ve got the best possible opportunity for her. Back in 2020, the reason we were putting in our money was that a lot of our customers are involved in this sailing network. We thought this is a fantastic thing to do and it’s gender neutral too, which is an important thing for my company and its value system. We found Pip was a fantastic ambassador. But the other reason we put the money in was that we wanted her to get round safely. That was all we cared about. Now I think that’s changed, because to my mind she’s the best sailor out there, she’s the best offshore professional and she’s now got a competitive boat. She was competitive on a 20 year old boat, she now has a modern foiling IMOCA.”

“Chalk and cheese” Joff Brown, of Lighthouse Yacht Services, is the campaign’s technical director, having worked on previous IMOCA and Vendée Globe campaigns with Dee Caffari and others. Comparing this new boat and the previous guise of Medallia, he said: “We’re definitely in chalk and cheese territory. The last boat was launched in 1999. Top end speed [on this new one] will be quicker and then it’s just consistency, so you get consistent highs, 20s that you can maintain for a long time. You just couldn’t do that on the old boat. The old boat you could get a wave but then you’d fall off it. This one will just keep going in steady 20 knots foililng. “The foils are retractable, which is probably one of the reasons why this boat did well in the last race. If the conditions don’t suit it, you can retract them. We’ve got in our strategy to change foils but we have to know that we have the right package to move forwards. You can make a very bad mistake that will cost a lot of money and you won’t get the performance or reliability.”

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

News

Female sailors actually race in SailGP SailGP made good on its promise to introduce female athletes into the series, as double Olympic champion Hannah Mills joined Ben Ainslie and the Great Britain SailGP Team onboard the British F50, at the Cadiz event in early October. And it was an action-packed first event for Mills, who arrived fresh from her historic win at Tokyo 2020. Great Britain were doing well until a dramatic, high speed capsize on the final day put paid to their chances of an event win. Mills’ arrival meant the Great Britain team now boasts the most successful ever male and female Olympic sailors on board. She said: “I’ve been incredibly excited to be racing this weekend, it’s a really great step forward for the female athletes to be in the

thick of it, witnessing it all, getting stuck in and helping wherever we can – tactics, strategy, and communications. The adrenaline rush is massive on the race course.” SailGP introduced the Women’s Pathway Program at the start of Season 2 as part of a strategy to promote inclusion and more opportunities across the sport. About her role on board, Mills said: “I am in the loop with the communications, the tactics and strategy, but it has just been for two days so it is only going to improve as we understand the language and what’s useful. It is a big learning curve but I am loving it. My role stayed similar throughout, apart from when I had to do the odd bit of grinding when there was just four of us on the boat! I’m mostly focussed on the

tactics and strategy. It’s a role I love and a role that I believe I’ll get better at the more I do. This type of racing is different to what I’m used to, so I am learning so much every single race.” Of the pitchpole, Mill said: “We were blasting along that first reach and unfortunately things got a bit out of whack and in those conditions there’s not much room for error. We will be coming back to Sydney looking to win.” Ainslie said: “Having Hannah onboard this weekend was brilliant, she’s such a star. She’s an amazing sailor and a great team player. She fitted in naturally, was helping with the boat handling in the lighter airs and across all the conditions she was playing a big role tactically in helping me make some of the key decisions. It felt like a natural combination.”

Cross-Channel event for elderly cruisers A one-off rally regatta for elderly yachts will run next July from Dartmouth to La Rochelle and back. The Classic Channel Regatta is banding together with the Yacht Club Classique in France to run the once-only, two-week event. ‘Yachts designed before the end of 1968’ are eligible, as well as ‘approved production yachts designed up to the end of 1974 and more recent yachts built in classic and traditional style’. The Classic Channel Regatta is billed rightly as ‘a unique and truly international gathering with its own Westcountry and Breton ambiance’. The fleet often includes crews from Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Ireland and further afield. “Racing is the backbone of the regatta, but the conviviality and parties are its beating heart,” say the organisers. Racing will be under the increasingly widely used JCH Classic Handicap which is free to entrants and is easy to obtain online. The programme is: Dartmouth to Paimpol, July 10–16;

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Paimpol to Camaret, July 17–19; Camaret to La Rochelle, July 20–24. The Classic Channel Regatta will again follow its successful formula, starting with two days of racing at Dartmouth before the Classic Channel Race, which will sail direct to Paimpol, arriving in time for a rest day in port on 14 July, when the regatta will be at the heart of Paimpol’s Bastille Day celebrations. Full details of eligibility and more on the regatta website. classic-channel-regatta.eu

VOTE FOR YOUR CLUB OF THE YEAR 2022 THE 2022 FINALISTS

n Aberdeen & Stonehaven Yacht Club (region: Scotland) n Arnside Sailing Club (region: North West) n Ballyholme Yacht Club (region: Wales) n Brading Haven Yacht Club (region: South) n Budworth Sailing Club (region: North West) n Chelmarsh Sailing Club (region: Midlands) n Exe Sailing Club (region: South West) n Flushing Sailing Club (region: South West) n Lymington Town Sailing Club (region: South) n Teesdale Sailing & Watersports Club (region: North East)

Four of the finalists were also recognised for their particular achievements in the following areas: n Arnside Sailing Club - ‘Heart of the Community’ n Brading Haven Yacht Club - ‘Sustainability’ n Chelmarsh Sailing Club - ‘Inclusive and Open to All’ n Lymington Town Sailing Club - ‘Modern and Innovative’

oting is open in the RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year Award, supported by Gallagher. Voting closes on Monday 24 January 2022. The annual award recognises the achievements of sailing clubs across the UK, promoting the hard work and dedication that goes into running a successful club. The RYA Awards Panel has selected the finalists, representing the RYA Regions. You now have the chance to vote for the sailing club you think deserves to be RYA Club of the Year 2022.

The overall winner will be announced at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, presented by Suzuki, 26-27 February 2022 Find out more information and cast your vote at awards.yachtsandyachting.co.uk/rya

The 2022 Club of the Year will be announced at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show 2022. Rob Clark, RYA Director of Sport Development, said: “We’ve learnt over the years that each club is different, and all have their strengths. It’s great to hear the stories of these clubs and congratulations to each of them for making our final 10. Now it’s up to you to vote for the winner.” Rob Peake, group editor of Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting, said: “The winning club gets some great benefits, so make sure you cast your vote on our dedicated competition website.”

“To win this competition is outstanding and shows what even a small club like ours can achieve” - Noel Bristow, President of Port Dinorwic Sailing Club, 2021 winners

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

News

Charity seeks £1.5m to buy boat The UK’s largest youth development sail training charity has launched an appeal to raise £1.5m to buy a yacht to take young people to sea. Tall Ships Youth Trust has a fleet of four 72ft Challenger yachts and a 55ft ketch, which enables the charity to take 1,000 young people to sea every year. Its new LifeChanger Appeal, launched in October, aims to raise the money to buy and refit an additional 70-80ft yacht with 10-12 berths, increasing its sea-going capacity by around 250 young people a year. Funds would also cover three-years of running costs and bursaries for 750 young people to go on a voyage. The trust, which works with young people aged 12-25, has a focus on supporting those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Some of the youngsters deal with physical, mental or learning disabilities. Some are young carers, while some have been excluded from mainstream education and have been involved in crime. Others have been physically or mentally abused. The charity says the pandemic has only increased the need to support vulnerable young people. Appeal committee chair Vivienne Cox says: “We know that a weeklong voyage on one of our iconic vessels, with support from our experienced youth development sailing team, gives these young people the opportunity to change their lives. “However, with limited capacity, we’re currently unable to meet the demand, meaning hundreds of young people are going unsupported. This is why we’re launching this appeal and why we have to act urgently to commission this additional vessel as quickly as possible.” Tall Ships Youth Trust youth ambassador Katie Craven, aged 18, had

been sleeping rough and had been involved in crime when she went on her first Trust voyage. She said: “It opened my eyes and showed me I can do better. It completely changed my life. Every day onboard is different and you’re always learning something new. You’re with different people from different backgrounds, but no-one judges you. “You have to work together, regardless. It’s really helped me to manage my emotions and get on better with people.” She now has a modelling contract with a major brand. Interested parties should contact James Hudson, Director of Fundraising and Marketing: james.hudson@tallships.org

Obituary - Timothy Colman 1929 – 2021 Sir Timothy Colman, publisher, farmer, environmentalist, life-long sailor and lover of the Norfolk Broads, who died in September, must be one of the few Peers of the Realm to have claimed a series of world speed records, writes Barry Pickthall. Born and bred in Norfolk, Tim Colman, a member of the Colman’s mustard dynasty and former Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, learned to sail on the Broads at a very young age and never lost a love for his county nor zest for speed on the water, dominating the world sailing speed record charts for more than a decade. When the Royal Yachting Association first floated the idea of an organised speed week held over a 500m course in the sheltered waters of Portland Harbour back in 1971, Colman commissioned Tornado catamaran designer Rod MacalpineDownie to produce a special 56ft (17.1m) proa named Crossbow. Since the records were measured in one direction only across the harbour, he did away with the idea of tacking, and with a rudder little bigger than a copy of Reader’s Digest to minimise drag, the pencil-thin hull was balanced by a 31ft 6in (9.6m) outrigger supporting a small pod to windward in which the crew sat. On 6 October, 1972, Crossbow set the benchmark world sailing speed record of 26.3 knots (48.7kmh) in just 19 knots of wind.

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

The team returned in 1973 and raised the bar to 29.3 knots before finally breaking through the 30-knot barrier with a speed of 31.1 knots in 1975. Two years later, Colman commissioned Macalpine-Downie to design a larger catamaran with identical una rigs in each hull, and Crossbow II set a marginally better record of 31.8 knots. In 1977 she raised the bar to 33.8 knots, then 34.4 knots. In 1978 Colman announced his retirement from record breaking, but in 1980 the crew reunited for one more attempt, and in a Force 8 gale, Crossbow II reached 36 knots (41mph or 66.7kmh) – a record they retained for six years until beaten by Frenchman Pascal Maka on a sailboard. Sir Timothy, who was knighted in 1996, said of his record breaking: “You could call Crossbow a wonderful mid-life diversion: extremely exhilarating. When the notion of establishing a sailing speed record was announced, we said we’d do it for two years. If we happened to win, we’d have a go the second year to prove it wasn’t a fluke. We ended up doing it for 12 years and enjoyed every single minute of it! It probably looked dangerous. But I don’t remember being aware of it at the time. We used to keep a rope handy so we could climb down in an emergency. We also carried a razor-sharp knife to cut the sheets in a crisis.” The current record stands at 65.45 knots (123.1kmh), set by Paul Larsen in the proa Vestas Sailrocket 2 in Walvis Bay, Namibia, in 2012.

Maxis go all out at Saint-Tropez The spectacular end to the Med racing season, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, turned into one of the biggest ever and most exciting gatherings of Maxi yachts, with fresh conditions giving the big guns a chance to let rip on the glorious waters of the French village’s famous bay. A fleet of 45 Maxis competed in the regatta, with Comanche, pictured here, taking IRC1 and the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez Trophy. Wallys, J-Class and classic yachts made up the extraordinary Saint-Tropez fleet.

Position: The Captain

As sailing becomes ever more like flying, skippers need to adjust their patter...

FELIX DIEMER FOR SAILGP

adies and gentlemen, this is your captain Nathan Outteridge speaking. We’ve got a bumpy ride ahead of us across the bay of Cadiz this afternoon, so buckle up tight and our grinders Tim and Yuki will be bringing round snacks later. We’ve just taken our position on the runway and we’re currently waiting for the Danish ahead of us to get airborne. I’ve heard nothing of concern from my flight controllers Francesco and Leo, so once the Danes are clear, we’ll be increasing our speed to around 51 knots and taking off, with the help of our wing trimmer Chris. Sit back and relax. You may have heard about Great Britain pitchpoling. Nothing to worry about. They have two of the world’s most successful Olympic sailors on board, yes, but we’ve got a clear run ahead and hopefully before long we’ll all get our hands on that $1 million. Cabin crew, ready for take-off.”

Our grinders Tim and Yuki will be bringing round snacks

DIFFICULTY RATING: 2/5

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

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

New boats DESIGNS | LAUNCHES | PROJECTS Oyster 595

In a world where yachts just keep getting bigger it’s always nice when a manufacturer goes back to its roots and that’s exactly what Dufour is doing with its new 32. This is a pocket-sized cruiser from the pen of their preferred designer, Umberto Felci. It’s definitely the starter boat in their range but features plenty of beam aft (3.31m to be precise) meaning that there is generous volume. The boat has a well-dimensioned rig and bulb keel which, combined with a modest displacement of 4,900kg, suggests this is a yacht that will be a polished performer.

Readers of Sailing Today with very long memories may recall that Oyster Yachts announced the launch of the Rob Humphreys designed Oyster 595 back in 2017. Well, there has been a lot of water under the bridge since then but the boat is finally here and looks every inch as stylish as promised. As you’d expect, this is a blue water cruiser designed to be sailed by a couple. Ease of handling is therefore a priority as is the importance of fast ocean passage making. The boat features a centre cockpit with twin helms. Down below, the standard layout has a large stateroom aft with two double berths forward, plus a bunk room.

l dufour-yachts.com

l oysteryachts.com

Dufour 32

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380 Jeanneau’s Sun Odyssey 380 is the second smallest yacht in their Sun Odyssey range of cruising yachts behind the 349. As such, she is seen as something of a gateway into the range. Despite this, the 380 is a roomy yacht with distinctive lines; to this end she boasts the immersed forefoot and forward chines seen on the Sun Odyssey 410. As an added bonus, there is the option of a swing keel which boosts the versatility of the boat. Standard interior layout will feature two large doubles forward and aft, but there is the choice of a third aft cabin. l jeanneau.com

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Swan 58 The Swan 58 has been designed by German Frers to complement the smaller 48, launched last year, both in terms of concept and overall style. The concept is, of course, fast bluewater cruising in style and Frers has penned a boat with both less beam after than some contemporaries and also a low freeboard and coachroof. Surprisingly, the 58 boasts twin rudders. The boat has a big rig and promises to be a strong performer. The interior has been designed by Italian Misa Poggi and looks to blend the usual Swan levels of luxury with practicality. The result is a fine looking boat that will doubtless perform strongly. l nautorswan.com

KC54 The KC54 is produced by South African manufacturer Kinetic Catamarans and is designed by the respected South African/Dutch design team of Simonis Voogd Design BV. The aim of the company is to produce fast, comfortable catamarans that gain a performance edge by

using high volumes of carbon in the hull construction. The 54 certainly looks the part; blending strong performance with a beautifully appointed interior boasting masses of light, space and an innovative forward cockpit. l kineticcatamarans.com

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Paul Heiney The fine art of navigating by sight of the sun with a sextant may have become somewhat redundant aboard, but the joy and satisfaction it brings remains a thing of wonder

hall I sell my old sextant, or not? It has hardly had a busy life since I brought it back from the Atlantic. It’s now a relic of a great adventure so time for someone else to love and cherish it, swing its mirrors to the sun and squint in frustration at the tiny degree markings engraved in brass. I was thinking of ebay but I find their website infuriating. Everything is predictive and demands you enter something in the box marked ‘size’ with options from S to XL. What do they think it is? A t-shirt? Also, when selling a sextant do not to pause after entering the first three letters - the predictions are not for those of a nervous disposition. Ebay asks for a full description, naturally, but there is no option to describe the salty scent which emerges when you open its mahogany box, which is part of its appeal to me. And how do I value a faded piece of paper which carries an oath sworn by its German maker who writes in a reassuringly precise copperplate hand and testifies, ‘I promise you herewith, that this precision instrument has been assembled by me according to all the rules of sextant construction... and is free from errors.’ No get-out clauses in there; how one craves such a wide-ranging promise on those electronic marvels we stuff our boats with these days. But is a sextant of any use, other than as an ornament, or possibly scrap value given the weight of brass in it? I had an old friend who had been a master navigator in the 1960s and was responsible for many ocean racing victories. On one of his own voyages across the Atlantic, the first in which he had taken a newly-invented GPS, he wrote, ‘...out of habit I took out the GPS at noon and took a fix and marked it on the chart. Then I looked across to the sextant and realised it was now no more than a piece of antique furniture. Perhaps the ebay ‘Household Fixtures’ page is where I should be heading’. He was right, up to a point, about sextants being yesterday’s news. There is no longer any excuse for getting lost and having to resort to one. I once counted up how many GPS devices I have on board and it came

to around 10 - each crew has one on their phone, the plotter has one, the EPRIB, the spare in the grab bag, and on it goes. There’s more data swilling around a boat these days than water in the bilge. But to consider a sextant as merely a navigation device is to miss the point. On a long trip with lengthy periods alone, I found it therapeutic to the point where it became somewhat addictive. I wonder if ebay would let me list it as medicine? Taking a sight grew into a daily routine, which is vital to preserve the sanity when ocean sailing becomes tedious at times. I’d take a noon sight for latitude, and greatly look forward to it, then compare it with the GPS, and if they were within hair’s breadth the mood lifted. If, as more often happened, sextant and GPS were half a continent apart, gloom descended. But that’s the reason sextant navigation is so captivating - it’s so damned hard to get it right. Like doing a tricky crossword, or Sudoku, one slip and you’re wasting your time. Looking at the plotter, on the other hand, is so undemanding that it’s almost achievable in your sleep, and where’s the fun in that? And just for the record, I didn’t use a calculator or a sight reduction app. I had a proper almanac and tables, and a watch as chronometer, and flicked the pages of densely printed numbers, figures dancing before my eyes as the boat rocked. Apart from a pencil, the next most useful item was the rubber eraser with which I endlessly scraped away when the numbers didn’t add up and the resulting position lines put me somewhere off Casablanca when I was north of the Falkland Islands. But that’s part of the fun. Time can hang heavy on long voyages and sextant navigation can consume huge tracts of it, far better than Netflix when it comes to getting through a long and lonely evening. I started to remember all this as I struggled away with the ebay website. I could describe the sextant in all its glory but nowhere does ebay allow you to describe the companionship, or the satisfaction it is capable of bringing. Monetary value is the only thing ebay is interested in. So I don’ t think I’ ll sell it, not yet. In part because that damned website is simply too difficult to navigate.

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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Andy Rice There’s something about the spirit of dinghy sailors that never fails to inspire, whether it’s Olympians clashing at Corinthian events or being thrown to the lions at the ‘Concrete Colosseum’

don’t know about you, but I think learning the Racing Rules of Sailing is quite boring. Despite the best (and mostly very good efforts) to simplify the rule book over the past couple of decades, for entertainment it’s just not quite up there with Netflix. However, I wish I’d been up on my rules a bit more for the Oxford and Cambridge Generation Game at Farmoor Reservoir near Oxford, a trip back in time to team race in Fireflies. There’s nothing quite like team or match racing to make you actually want to swot up on the Racing Rules. I have scarcely done any team racing since the mid to late Eighties when I went to Cambridge University to read Classics. Truth be told I studied about as much Greek and Latin as Ian Walker who was there a couple of years later to read Geography. That said, I think Ian’s multiple circumnavigations in the Volvo Ocean Race have since improved his knowledge of the planet! Any enhancement to my knowledge of Ancient Rome, on the other hand, has been limited to viewings of Ridley Scott’s sword and sandals big-screen epic, Gladiator. One of my favourite Russell Crowe quotes is from when his character, Maximus Decimus Meridius, is dropped into the Colosseum along with a bunch of fellow slaves to be put up against the might of some well-armed gladiators in chariots. “Whatever comes out of these gates, we’ve got a better chance of survival if we work together. Do you understand? If we stay together, we survive.” That’s what it felt like being thrown to the young lions at university who eat, drink and sleep team racing in the way that I did more than 30 years ago. So it was in a spirit of trepidation but with a sense of ‘we’re in this together’ that me and my fellow ageing team mates entered the concrete arena at Oxford Sailing Club. Nick Rees, Amanda Hampson, Helena Ellis, Pete Allsop, Claire Gribben and myself - in at the deep end. We knew what we had to do - some of it. The rest we would have to make up. Helena had our T-shirts printed up with: “We were faster in the 80s...”, and so it proved. We did our best to stay together, but somehow the spirit of Maximus didn’t quite see us through. This, even with a handicap leg-up of a point per decade since leaving university. Here’s an example: if we were up against the current Oxford or Cambridge team, they would be on scratch points while we would get a 4-point advantage. We could finish across the line in what would normally be a losing combination

but still beat them provided we stayed within our 4-point age advantage. Strangely this was the only one of our five matches that we won, a straight 1-2-3 victory against the Oxford incumbents. Then two draws which we lost on tiebreak, and two losses. We thought we’d actually sailed quite well, but it certainly didn’t show in the results. Age proved not to be an excuse either, as the slightly-older-than-us team, Cambridge Early Eighties, won outright, winning on the water without needing to bring their handicap advantage into play. Considering one helm, Rob Plummer, had scarcely stepped into a sailing boat for 30 years, it was an impressive achievement. Truly they were masters of the Concrete Colosseum. It’s the Concrete Colosseum that will see the final event of this year’s Selden Sailjuice Winter Series play out, with the Oxford Blue on 19 February. The Series kicks off with the Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash, 20-21 November, and there’s a total of nine events, the most we’ve run since starting up the Series in 2009. With only the Datchet Flyer running last winter due to Covid restrictions, we’ve brought in more events to hedge our bets. As I write, it seems we are emerging out of the woods, and there are many reasons to be optimistic about getting in a full series. If not, hopefully there will still be enough events to make a decent series. I’m hoping we’ll see a few of our Olympians make an appearance. It’s great to see the likes of Luke Patience showing up for the Endeavour Trophy, even if the margin of victory along with super-crew Mary Henderson was a little bit rude. Three boats were OCS in race one, two of them being Luke along with his former silver medallist 470 team mate Stu Bithell crewed by Jessica Hammett. However, the difference opened up between the Olympians after that with Luke and Mary winning four of the five next races while Stu and Jessica added more letters to their score with a BFD and some results outside the top 10. I love Luke and Stu’s infectious enthusiasm to come back from the stresses of the Games and hurl themselves straight back into grassroots sailing again. As Stu jested with me when I saw him at the Southampton Boat Show, winning the Olympic gold medal with Dylan Fletcher in the 49er was merely the warm-up for the Merlin Rocket Nationals. Less than two weeks after flying back in BA First Class from Tokyo, Stu was at East Lothian Yacht Club, lifting the trophy with crew Tom Pygall. What a legend.

PHOTO SUE PELLING

‘I LOVE LUKE AND STU’S ENTHUSIASM TO COME BACK FROM THE OLYMPICS AND HURL THEMSELVES INTO GRASSROOTS SAILING’

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Stu Bithell and Jessica Hammett take a break between races at the Endeavour Trophy

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 A new 30ft one design is on the cards that could bring unity to the offshore scene, with backing from both sides of the Channel

t is encouraging to hear plans for the new Class 30, an entry level, fast, fun and simple offshore one design which is quickly gaining traction. It’s thanks to a certain synchronicity between RORC and its French counterpart UNCL, both realising they needed an accessible, equally matched one design that would take the next generation of sailors offshore. My minor concern initially is that there will be a ‘not invented here’ mentality emanating from the production builders who have, they will contend, similar better boats and from nations where the boat is not going to be built. But I am sure that as soon as an international competition circuit can be drawn up, the blue touchpaper will be lit. More and more young sailors want to be representing their country or their club. The international design competition for a new 30fter was won by the French partnership of VPLP Design and Multiplast, led by RORC, UNCL, and the Storm Trysail Club. Yves Ginoux, UNCL’s vice-president explains: “When (organisers) ASO announced that there would be no Tour Voile in 2021 we contacted them to offer them a different solution closer to the original spirit. In the end they chose to work with Normandie Evénement (as the new organisers of Tour Voile), but we continued to think about the ideal boat for getting into offshore racing. Talking with our friends from RORC, we realised that at the very same time they were thinking about exactly the same subject, so we worked together to launch a call for projects in April.” The specifications for the Class 30 One Design are simple: a 30ft one design monohull to be actively sailed by up to 5 to 6 crew members. It is to be affordable at less than €100,000, with a regatta version also available with a carbon mast, a galley and a chart table, as well as ballast. Explaining what appealed most about the VPLP offering Ginoux reveals: “First of all there is was a real basic architectural strength. But there is a level of detail in that, for example, VPLP were the only one to take into account post-Covid elements, in particular by incorporating a moulding in the cockpit

for six water bottles of the crew, so as not to mix them up. Secondly there was very clearly a real reflection on the industrial production dimension with Multiplast.” My understanding from colleagues in France is that after a pre-production run of three to five boats, which should be launched at the beginning of 2023, the objective is to be able to produce one boat per week. UNCL’s Ginoux is looking to generate “hundreds of boats around the world, but there is interest also from sailors who are going to do the Mini Transat and believe that the Class 30 One Design can be a very good intermediate step before moving on to the Figaro or the Class 40. It is a target that I had not identified given the dynamism of the Mini class but it is very interesting.” The objective is to have attractive financing solutions and I understand there are already “advanced discussions” with potential partners to finance the class and/or a racing circuit to be set up. Multiplast will manage the build and by that I understand some of the work will be sub-contracted out. “It’s something different from what we usually do, we are generally more developing and building prototypes,” explains Yann Penfornis, Multiplast’s managing director. “But we still have experience in series production - we have manufactured 95 pairs of Figaro Beneteau 3 foils - and we know how to manage ambitious projects. All this in addition to the mutual respect which we share with our friends and neighbours at VPLP who encouraged us to embark on this adventure together. We still have to move forward in defining and specification of the boat with VPLP, then we will have to select the yards with which we will work with because though the construction will be supervised by Multiplast, the Class 30 One Design will not be manufactured only by us; we will outsource to meet the requirements for mass production and the economies of scale,” he concludes. It would be great to consider some aspect of the build might come to this side of the Channel, but in any case, I hope that this could be the catalyst to unify the offshore aspirations and objectives towards some common goals.

IMAGE GIORGIO VECCHIO/VPLP DESIGN

‘BOTH NEEDED A DESIGN THAT WOULD TAKE THE NEXT GENERATION OFFSHORE’

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Early visuals of the Class 30, an affordable one design racer for 5 or 6 crew

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 ~ Winter sailing

A Winter's Sail Clive Loughlin highlights the many reasons for wrapping up warm and heading out in the winter months

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

o sailing in winter? You must be joking! If this is your first reaction then perhaps you should think again. In this article I will highlight some of the many reasons why sailing in the colder months is a good idea, with specific examples based in the Solent and adjacent waters.

Won’t it be cold?

For sure it is most likely to be colder than in July, but an extra layer or two, a warm hat and good gloves should fix that inconvenience. While most would probably not be too enthusiastic about venturing out into a F7 in the pouring rain, a cold dry day with bright blue skies is hard to beat. Cold air is dry air, and this means

that everything will have a clarity and sparkle that can lift the spirits above the humid mists of summer, but don’t forget the sunscreen and lip salve.

Empty marinas?

With less adventurous souls choosing to haul out over winter, there are bound to be fewer boats on the water, so the marinas and anchorages are more likely to have space available. Be prepared however for the late season rush. Yarmouth Harbour report having had their busiest day of the year in early October, as cracking weather encouraged many to wrap up warm and venture out.

Wildlife spotting

The end of September sees most of our summer birds heading south, but these are

soon replaced by new arrivals of winter wildfowl and waders that are escaping the arctic conditions further north. If twitching is your thing, or even if it is not, a visit to Newtown River, Chichester Harbour or the River Beaulieu, with binoculars in hand, will be certain to delight and you can feast your eyes on Brent Geese, Wigeon, Mallard and Teal to say nothing of more exotic species like the easily spotted Red Shank with their vivid orange-red legs and bills, or the nautically themed and very cute Knot.

Getting qualified

There are many benefits of going on practical sailing courses in the cooler months. Even in pre-Covid times you were likely to have fewer crew taking part, which

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Cruising ~ Winter sailing

means that everyone gets a bigger slice of personal tuition. With fewer people taking turns to do MOB or ferry-gliding practice, everyone will always be kept busy with little or no time spent ‘waiting for their turn’. It’s also great for clocking up night hours!

The dark side

I love night sailing and find that most crew cite it as one of the highlights of the course. One of my favourite exercises in the Solent is to venture out from Cowes as soon as it is dark, to first find (without using Sat Nav) the unlit Bramble Post and then continue to the River Beaulieu and the sparsely lit passage upstream to Buckler’s Hard. This is a very challenging exercise and I would not recommend it unless you have a very experienced instructor on board, together with some powerful torches and crew with younger eyes than mine. Tick these boxes, proceed with caution, and you will have an unforgettable experience. The trouble with clocking up night hours in summer is that it doesn’t get dark until about 10pm and so, for example, the above exercise is not likely to finish before midnight or more likely 1am. Tiredness is not normally a problem as adrenaline levels are running high, but it does extend the day beyond normal hours and of course totally excludes any alcohol from the evening meal. By contrast in winter the same exercise can start about 4pm and finish in time for a

relaxed and celebratory evening on board or in a pub ashore.

Strong wind sailing

In winter the wind speed is Force 5 or greater for more than half the time. This is about double that of summer. This in itself makes the sailing more exciting and reduces the times when light winds make ‘getting the engine on’ an unwelcome good idea. As an instructor I always like it when strong winds (F7-8) are on offer and will often venture out, even with a novice crew, for a short passage so that the crew can see what happens and how to sail safely. However I would not encourage recreational sailors to do the same, as a scared crew doesn’t tend to come back for more. I then duck into sheltered water so that we can continue refining techniques under less arduous conditions.

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE LEFT Portsmouth is a safe haven in wild weather and also offers a spectacular sight if you're night sailing BELOW Snowy pontoons should be approached with extreme care

Solent safe havens

Quite often in winter the crew are not so much looking for a marathon passage, as a bit of a blast to blow away the cobwebs. A lot of fun can be had going nowhere in particular. Here are a few of my favourite options... If the wind is from the prevailing southwest Southampton Water provides 8nm of beam reach with very straightforward navigation, and the added interest of a major container port and cruise liner terminal to the north. The shelter (and facilities) of the River Itchen are further south with the perfect sanctuary of the Hythe Marina Village just across the water. I often anchor off Netley Dome for a brief respite, but the wash from passing ships prevents it being a good choice for an extended stay. Further south still the muchrounded South Cardinal off Hamble Spit leads to an extensive collection

as the very welcoming Yarmouth Harbour and the recently expanded Town Quay in Lymington. A winter visit and overnight stay in Newtown River offers a cozy seclusion from the world outside. Pick up a mooring buoy (that is likely to be free at this time of year), hunker down in your cockpit and listen to the wading birds on the surrounding mud flats. If a log fire and ales-on-tap appeal, The Master Builder’s Pub at Buckler’s Hard on the River Beaulieu will give complete satisfaction, but phone to check first. of marinas, as well as mid-stream visitor pontoons opposite Warsash that can usually be used; call to check via Hamble Harbour Radio (Ch 68). On the Isle of Wight, Cowes provides good shelter but getting there can be interesting in strong wind and tides. Avoid strong windagainst-tide situations and give the Bramble Bank due respect. The tide across the entrance to the Medina can easily reach 4 knots, especially on the ebb, so be sure to aim well uptide of the entrance. Once past the breakwater, calm serenity takes over. Portsmouth Harbour provides excellent shelter from all directions but the confused tidal streams in the narrow entrance can make the brief passage entertaining. I often come here for ‘mooring buoy pickup under sail’ practice, using the buoys that are just further north of Princess Royal Jetty, where you may also see the HMS Queen Elizabeth or HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carriers.

Langstone Harbour and Chichester Harbour provide safe shelter and wildlife friendly channels, that can be explored with a keen eye on the charts and depth sounder. They also have many pleasant anchorages for a lunchtime stop or for overnight. East Head in Chichester Harbour makes a great anchorage in mild conditions. The entrances to both of these harbours need to be treated with respect, especially on a spring ebb if a strong onshore wind is blowing. Read ‘The Rough Guide’ (Sailing Today, Oct 2021) and then go somewhere else if these conditions apply – otherwise head in and enjoy natural havens of supreme beauty.

Tacking practice

The western Solent is tailor-made for tacking practice and if winds are light a journey with the tide under your keel can easily take in the natural delights of the River Beaulieu and Newtown River, as well

ABOVE Chichester Harbour is a lovely spot for a winter sail with the church spire at Bosham an iconic sight BELOW Poole Harbour offers a lot of scope for exploring and plentiful shelter if the weather takes a turn for the worse

Further afield

If you fancy venturing a bit further away from the Solent then Poole Harbour is just 17nm to the west and is the second largest natural harbour in the world. Sydney Harbour gets top slot, but is a bit further to go. Poole Harbour has a bit of everything and is a Marine Conservation area as well as a wetland of international importance. Brownsea Island has featured frequently on the BBC’s ‘Spring Watch’, and is famous for boy scouts and red squirrels. Tidal range is low, but strong tides flow in the 300m wide entrance where a chain ferry plies its trade between South Haven Point and the uber expensive real estate of Sandbanks. Most of the harbour is very shallow, so watch your depth and tidal curves, or stick to the dredged channels and avoid the cross channel ferries that come and go.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Cruising ~ Winter sailing

Cold truth

Sadly there are some disadvantages to sailing in cold weather and it is only fair to give consideration to these as well...

Ice

Seawater freezes at about -2°C, however the typical sea temperature in the Solent stays much higher and varies from 17°C in September to an annual minimum of 9°C in March. This compares favourably with air temperatures that can routinely fall to -3°C. The most significant problem I have experienced with winter sailing is that the fresh water supplies in marinas can freeze up – so best take along a gallon or two from home as you will be needing a warming brew.

It’s a gas

Propane (red cylinder) has a boiling point of -42°C, and is a better choice for sailing in cold weather than Butane (blue cylinder, -1°C). The regulators are not interchangeable, but converting from one to the other is quite straightforward - but best done by someone qualified. If you are using Butane and find your gas hob to be less than enthusiastic, one trick I have used when desperate measures are called for, is to put the cylinder in a bucket of seawater. A good shake often helps as well – but don’t ask me why.

Hypothermia

If you fall into seawater at 9°C you will loose the ability to swim within about 5 minutes, will be totally

exhausted and/or unconscious in about 30 minutes and likely to die after 2 hours. This tells us two things – wearing a lifejacket with a crotch strap that keeps your head above water is vital, and also that recovery of the MOB is certainly very urgent, but not an immediate panic. If the worst happens, first prioritise staying close to the MOB and calling a Mayday over attempting recovery. The Solent is blessed with well-sited lifeboats and Coastguard helicopters that will lend rapid assistance. Get a line to the MOB and then try to recover them yourself, and the sooner the better while they still have some ability to help themselves. In calm weather a stern platform can be useful, or drop the main and try winching them up using the main halyard

ABOVE AND BELOW

There are times when it's worth accepting it's too cold to go sailing

Confession

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Clive Loughlin is an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and regular Sailing Today contributor. Clive teaches for First Class Sailing in the Solent area.

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

extended with a few safety lines. Even after a successful and rapid recovery the casualty should be protected from further heat loss and warmed up gently from the inside with warm drinks and sugary treats – never ever put them under a hot shower, and always get them to a hospital for observation even if they say they are fine. I have only ever had a single genuine MOB situation. It was in winter, in the dark, and the person concerned was not wearing a lifejacket. This sounds like a damning indictment of my suitability as a Yachtmaster Instructor, however there were mitigating circumstances. We were on a finger pontoon in a Hamble marina at the time and were just heading off to the pub, when the crew member stepped off the boat, onto the pontoon and then for no explicable reason, took an extra step back and into the water. Fortunately other crew were on hand and were able to grab the MOB and get him back onto the pontoon so quickly that his underwear stayed dry. Thankfully the only damage was to his pride, but it could easily have been very different. There was a strong tide running and our boat was tied up and in no position to render assistance had the unfortunate MOB drifted off. I mention this incident simply to underline that you are often at most danger when you think you are safe.

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Tom Cunliffe

ave you ever had ‘that sinking feeling’? Barring one or two lamentable incidents involving small craft I’ve never followed it to its awful conclusion and, God willing, I never shall, but I’ve had some near misses. One of the more spectacular events was many years ago when I was a gash hand on a 90-ton trading ketch. The vessel was far from new

and my shipmates and I had recently ballasted her with iron pigs set under a skim of concrete on the ceiling - or floor - of the hold. The surprisingly shallow bilge ran beneath this ceiling. It was mid-winter and we were slugging down the Bay of Biscay in storm-force conditions. The running lamps had blown out and my watchmate and I had just avoided a freighter by far too close a margin. We were thanking the stars for our deliverance when the skipper

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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came on deck selling more one-way tickets to Davey Jones’ Locker by courtesy of water rising in the hold. We hove the ship to and tumbled down the ladder. The mean water level was unsure because she was rolling her rails under while trying to stand on her bow and her transom, but many tons of the saltiest were slopping around with force enough to knock you off your feet. The scene was illuminated by two crazily swinging hurricane lamps and, as

ILLUSTRATION: CLAIRE WOOD, PHOTOS TOM CUNLIFFE

The sight of the floorboards of your yacht floating merrily around the saloon is a sure sign that all is not well, as Tom can confirm

“I clung to the ladder, the ship’s dog came swimming by, its eyes glowing miserably in the lamplight. The hold was filling steadily with bilge water”

I clung to the ladder, the ship’s dog came swimming by, its eyes glowing miserably in the lamplight. The hold was filling steadily with bilge water sloshing between planking and ceiling, hitting the deckhead hard then squirting through a wide gap where the top ceiling board would have been if we hadn’t removed it to help the ship breathe. This was now proving a bad idea. Our second mistake had been not to provide some sort of drain-hole in the ballast, because the water that was sinking us was being kept from the bilge and its powerful pumps by the cement. The mate came wading out of the gloom with pickaxe and sledge hammer. “We’ll have to smash through the cement to let the water get to the pumps,” he shouted above the roar of the storm. “What if the pick pierces the bottom planking?” I asked innocently. “We’ll sink,” he pointed out

reasonably. “But if we get smashing, at least we’ve got two chances small chance and no chance.” There was no arguing with this, so I grabbed the pick and laid into the job, grateful that somebody had specified more sand than usual in the concrete mix. The surging, oily water kept rising, but we bashed on with a will. The trick was to swing the wrecking tools as the water surged away, then take a breath when it came rushing back again, because trying to drive down through three or four feet was nonproductive. We didn’t know how we were doing because the lamps weren’t much good and in any case we couldn’t see for the water, but just when all seemed lost, we broke through. The outer planking wasn’t breached, the big pumps on the main engine slowly sucked us dry and we lived to pump another day. The next close call came about after a smaller wooden boat in my

ABOVE It turned out that concreting over the bilge of this classic trading ketch wasn’t the best plan

care spent the summer presenting her port side to the North American sunshine. One thing you can say about the United States is that the winters might be freezing cold, but the summers make up for it - more extremely than most folks would want. The 50ft boat was black and she soaked up those rays like a lizard on a rock. The seams between the topside planks opened up as the boards dried out and shrank, leaving me with a problem. Either I must face the major task of re-caulking, or I could hope for the best and go to sea, leaving the water to soak back into the structure of the timber and plim her up again. True to form, I went for the cheap option. It didn’t work. As I sat at the helm cruising down Long Island Sound, the call came from the galley that there was a lot of water sloshing around. I’d heard that before and I was enjoying the sail, so I assumed it was the ‘boy crying wolf ’ again and took no action. This boat had a huge bilge and when the cook announced that she was having to stand on the floorboards to keep them from floating away I had to concede that perhaps we had a problem. Leaving the boat to steer herself, I clattered below to confront a very Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Tom Cunliffe

bad scene indeed. Water was pouring in through the topsides and the electric pumps were not coping. As it happened, we were sailing on the starboard tack so the port topsides were immersed. Action number one was immediately to heave to on the other tack and raise the offending seams out of the water. The starboard side had been north-facing on the berth, so it was relatively tight. We started the engine which featured a serious belt-driven pump, waded in with the hand pump too and after what felt like an age we had her more or less dry. With all sails down we motored gingerly into a safe haven on the Connecticut shore and roused out the caulking irons. There’s no doubt that those of us, including me these days, who sail modern yachts with seamless hulls have it easy in this respect. When a traditionally built wooden yacht starts to make large quantities of water, the possibilities for its source are many and varied. Springing a plank or spewing your caulking are a thing of the past for the majority of sailors, thank God, yet yachts can always find a way of catching us unprepared. A couple of summers back, my wife Roz and I were blamelessly beating out to sea in a wind that chose to rise a lot too rapidly for comfort. Roz was in the galley knocking up some lunch when her priorities changed. As so often in the old days of wooden hulls, she appeared at the companionway to announce that water in the bilge was rising rapidly. My initial reaction was the same as it always had been.

ABOVE A quick swig of the bilge can determine whether your leak is fresh water from a split tank or something altogether more worrying BELOW The definition of a bodge job

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

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

I suggested she was exaggerating, but time should have taught me to know better. When she held her ground I hit the autopilot button and scrambled below to take a look. Lifting a bilge board was almost a nostalgic event. It was all our yesterdays revisited. My boat, a Mason 44, has a long keel, encapsulated ballast and a bilge so deep that, lying prone on the cabin sole, you can’t stretch your hand to within a metre of the bottom. The water was already above the lastditch pump. This had float-switched itself on and was performing manfully, but where was the leak? I sampled the water. Salt, so it wasn’t a ruptured tank, but the stern gland was good. It had to be plumbing or a blown skin fitting. Diligent research revealed water pouring out from behind a half-bulkhead where the pipe from one of the lower pumps passes through. I grabbed the pipe and heaved it towards me. The piping now revealed was chafed well through. Some human mistake had clearly ‘repaired’ it in the past by taping over the damage then shoving it out of sight. Inevitably, the tape had finally given up. The pump was now filling the bilge instead of clearing it, while more water from outside gushed in through the hole. Once again we followed our old

tradition of heaving to on the other tack to get the waterline outlet clear of the briny. We shut down the pump and got to work with the other three. The offending pipe was fothered with fresh duct tape and we set course for the nearest chandlery. It took a day to install the new piping. We replaced the syphon breaker for good measure before running an eye over the rest of the plumbing to make sure no further nonsense was lurking. Then, with many a dark thought for the wretch who almost sank us, we poured the drinks and called it a day. There’s no particular moral to this column except to put the leak on the high side, check the piping even when it’s out of sight, and to ship plenty of pumps. At sea, you never know what tomorrow may bring.

ALL PHOTOS TOM CUNLIFFE

“Some human mistake had clearly ‘repaired’ it in the past by taping over the damage then shoving it out of sight. Inevitably, the tape had finally given up”

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Caribbean racing

Caribbean regattas With events across the region back on track, it’s time to stop dreaming and start planning, as Georgie Corlett-Pitt previews the 2022 Caribbean race season

unshine, trade winds and top class racing set against a tropical backdrop - it’s the stuff of any racing sailor’s dreams. After Covid caused a hiatus to all but one major regatta last year, news that the Caribbean season is going ahead is being widely welcomed, both by those keen to return to a favourite event and those keen to explore what the sun-kissed circuit has to offer. Across the region, organisers have been working hard in tandem with

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

local authorities to plan covid-secure regattas and embrace the sense of normality that is now returning. The focus across the board will be on delivering excellent on the water competition, to create truly memorable racing for all. The Caribbean Sailing Association's Alison Sly-Adams says: "We know the interest is there from the sailors with key events already seeing entries and expressions of interest coming in.” Despite the challenges of covid, the region did see the trial of a new event last season - the Caribbean Ocean Racing Club's Windward 500 - which is set to return again in May 2022.

Barbados Sailing Week

Flung out to the east of the region, Barbados is known for its party vibe. Barbados Sailing Week is one of the big

PHOTOS LAURENS MOREL; PAUL WYETH/ASW

Virtual race management means yachts can start and finish at their home island, without travel, making for a unique socially distanced and environmentally focussed race. Competitors can choose one of three distance courses around the stunning Windward Islands, including a sprint, a 500-miler, and a rally popular with charterers, with prizegivings online. Meanwhile, in a move that's new for 2022, the International Maxi Association is due to debut a Caribbean circuit, taking in St Maarten Heineken Regatta, Les Voiles de St Barths and Antigua Sailing Week. This is set to attract some serious stars of the big boat world, bringing an extra wow factor. Tempted to explore what else the Caribbean has to offer? Here's more of a taste...

Event calendar 8 January

RORC Transatlantic Race

16 January Barbados Sailing Week 30 January Grenada Sailing Week 21 February RORC Caribbean 600

MAIN PIC St Maarten Heineken Regatta

3 March

St Maarten Heineken Regatta

9 March

Superyacht Challenge Antigua

INSET Antigua Sailing Week

17 March

St Barths Bucket

25 March

St Thomas Regatta

28 March

BVI Spring Regatta

17 April

Les Voiles de St Barth

30 April

Antigua Sailing Week

16 May

Windward 500

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Caribbean racing

Race to the sun What better way to reach the Caribbean for a winter of racing than by, well, racing there? Entries are still open for RORC’s Transatlantic Race, set to depart 9 January 2022 from Puerto Calero, Lanzarote. Run in association with the International Maxi Association and the Yacht Club de France, over 20 teams are expected to race the 3,000m course to Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada. Those looking to steal the limelight in the hunt for the race record (set in 2015 by Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD70 Phaedo 3, of 5 days 22 hrs 46 mins 03 secs) include three 70ft trimarans, with the strong possibility of Antoine Rabaste’s 80ft Ultim’Emotion 2 also in action. The smallest yacht entered to date is the 2019 overall winner, Richard Palmer’s JPK 1010 Jangada, which will be racing double-handed again with Jeremy Waitt. Among others racing under IRC, they take on two Volvo 70s and the IRC56 Black Pearl, with classic yacht entries also set to impress, among them the 118ft Fife Sumurun.

Argo and Powerplay, to the 100fters Comanche and Leopard, to Ross Appleby’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster and Tom Kneen’s JPK 1180 Sunrise. Setting off from Antigua Yacht Club in the picturesque English Harbour, the tour takes in St Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla and Guadeloupe, making for an exciting and challenging race.

St Maarten Heineken Regatta

season openers, and includes the 60nm Round Barbados Race, an event with historic origins. For potential record breakers, there’s the incentive of winning the skipper’s weight in Mount Gay rum, which always attracts fierce competition. A string of coastal races completes the series.

Entries have recently opened for the St Maarten Heineken Regatta, a stalwart event that prides itself on its green credentials. Organised by the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, racing takes place in the sweeping Simpson Bay

ABOVE Arriving in Grenada at the end of the 2019 RORC Transat BELOW IC24 charter fleet racing in St Thomas Regatta

off the southwest corner of the island. New for 2022 is a special trophy to recognise female competitors, with various programmes focused on increasing female participation. The return of a doublehanded class is expected to prove popular. Racing will take place under the guidance of Mark Townsend, who steps up to race director’s position following positive competitor feedback.

St Thomas International Regatta

The idyllic island of St Thomas is known as the gateway to the Caribbean, and it was here that just about the only major Caribbean

Grenada, the ‘isle of spice’, provides a colourful backdrop to Grenada Sailing Week, an event that has gathered momentum in recent years. The regatta benefits from two host venues; Camper & Nicholson Port Louis Marina, and Secret Harbour Marina, with racing off the western and southern coasts, with a distance race scheduled on transition day. There are plentiful charter options available.

RORC Caribbean 600

RORC’s Caribbean 600, now onto its 13th edition, has well and truly established itself. Early entries for this year’s 600 mile chase around 11 of the Leeward Islands include a diverse and highly competitive fleet, ranging from the MOD70s

PHOTOS ARTHUR DANIEL/RORC;DEAN BARNES/STIR

Grenada Sailing Week

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Covid safe regattas All regattas will be enforcing local covid protocols, ensuring competitors are able to relax and safely enjoy the event, with sanitising stations, temperature checks, contact tracing and increased use of online and digital tech for comms and race management. Check local and foreign office advice before travel.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

regatta went ahead in 2021; a feat attributed to the USVI’s visitor screening programme and stringent protocols throughout the territory. Crew bubbles and staggered happy hours were just some of the protocols put in place by organisers at St Thomas YC. Sailors reported an excellent regatta experience with no covid cases recorded. As such, the club is well placed to deliver another successful edition in 2022, promising ‘the quintessential beachfront vibe’. Famed for being a chance to trade tacks and tactics with America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean and Olympic crews, the regatta includes Round the Rocks Race, which navigates by the neighbouring island of St. John. There’s a whole host of charter options for this event, including the club’s fleet of IC24s (J/24s) through cruiser-racers to grand prix boats. For crews registering before 31 January 2022, there’s a 50 per cent discount on entry fee.

PHOTOS PAUL WYETH/ASW; ARTHUR DANIEL/RORC

Caribbean racing

Race charter tips

When it comes to race charter for the Caribbean season there are a plethora of options to suit every budget and level of experience. For many it’s a no-brainer, and the simplest way of rocking up to this beautiful part of the world and getting stuck into some top class racing. And what’s not to love? You can fly in and find your boat fully race-ready, with entry, berthing and logistics all taken care of. Often, you can charter with a skipper or owner’s representative on board, which gives you a huge head-start in terms of knowledge, both of the yacht and the local race area. Many companies offer individual charter places, which is ideal for solo travellers wishing to tick off bucket list events or gain a new experience. It’s a great way to make new connections and learn new skills. If you’re fairly fresh to racing, there are often training days scheduled in the

Antigua Sailing Week

Antigua Sailing Week has been a firm favourite with returning crews, both professional and amateur alike, for over 50 years. Entries are already open and on track against previous years, with some 20 per cent of early sign ups being from British crews, and plenty more expected to follow. Organisers are promising an exciting and responsible regatta, with a strong focus on competitive and enjoyable racing. Some course updates are being made in response to competitor feedback from previous years. Schedule highlights include an exciting one-day round Antigua Race, plenty of close racing off English and Falmouth Harbours

and daily prizegivings at Antigua YC. Spectators can enjoy views of the starts from the Shirley Heights Lookout, and there are many white sand beaches to enjoy – one for every day of the year, or so the locals say! Plenty of bareboat and race charter options are available.

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

run up to the start of the regatta, to ensure you feel fully integrated into the crew. If a getting a team together for a bareboat charter is more your thing, the charter company will expect at least two experienced sailors on board, and ask for evidence of your past racing experience. For confident crews, this can be a fantastic way to swap your usual UK race course for sunnier climes with the added bonus of taking part in a world-class event. Your charter company should be able to offer guidance to ensure you are matched with the right sort of yacht to suit your skills and experience, and therefore get the most from your trip. When choosing a charter company, ask for recommendations and check for feedback before booking. Have a check list in mind and ask about exactly what’s included in the cost of the charter so you are clear beforehand, from flights and fees to provisioning.

ABOVE Chasing the win in Antigua Sailing Week LEFT The MOD70 Argo cuts across the beautiful backdrop in the RORC 600

BVI Spring Regatta

The BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Week, hosted by Nanny Cay, has a packed schedule in store, promising something for everyone, racers and cruisers alike, with two days of warm up racing offering the chance to explore the beauty of the BVIs, before three days of more intense racing gets underway. It’s a winning combination for many, that has been honed over nearly 50 editions of the event. There are 18 classes, with courses navigating rocks and islands promising a hugely varied and challenging programme of racing. The regatta prides itself on green initiatives such as eliminating single use plastic; in 2019 it introduced winners' awards made from hurricane damage materials, and skippers' bags made from recycled sailcloth.

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

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Around the World

Around the world in 32 feet Sailing around the world is often done in 50' plus yachts these days. Tom Dymond bucked the trend and headed off in a Nicholson 32

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Around the World

n the final days of our circumnavigation on Blue Eye, fate offered up a curious meeting. My school friend James and I had opted to complete our journey around the world through the French canals – we assumed they would offer an ease and serenity that beating up the Portuguese coastline was unlikely to provide. Serene the canals might have been, easy they were not. After three years of travelling by boat, we should have known better. Regardless, Blue Eye rumbled into a marina in Rouen in northern France, the Yamaha engine of our Nicholson 32 wheezing away after a solid month of use in the waterways. It was there in Rouen that we met Matt and Tim, two English sailors younger even than our 27 year old selves. Rouen – where river becomes sea, where one journey was coming to an end, and where another was just beginning. Our journey began in Portland, England in August 2016. James and I left with 32 feet of boat beneath us and 24 years of life behind us. If either of those numbers seemed too low to our family or friends, they kept any concern well hidden. They cheerily waved us off the dock on a hot summer’s morning, perhaps inwardly reassuring themselves that the numbers which really mattered were the amount of miles that we had sailed in preparation, and the

volume of hours that had gone into readying ourselves for the trip. Both of these numbers were indeed very high, but I remain unconvinced that one can ever really be ready to leave. There remained so many gaps in our experience (which remains true even now), and it had recently come to light that there was also a gap in between the propeller shaft and the hull. We knew by that point, at least, that a boat is never without problems, and we also knew that sooner or later we had to jump. It was only a small gap, we told each other, so we jumped.

One day at a time

Arriving in Camaret, France the following day a realisation washed over us. Our bid to sail around the

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Blue Eye reaching across the Caribbean Sea towards Bonaire of the ABC Islands BELOW LEFT Blue Eye sailing out into the Pacific Ocean at dusk, leaving New Caledonia behind BELOW RIGHT James at the bow as the San Blas islands of Panama loom closer PREVIOUS PAGE Overlooking the stunning Anambas Islands of Indonesia

world was not the overwhelming project that it seemed when stated like that, but rather an accumulation of smaller (though rarely ever small) passages, that one day might be aggregated into one satisfying line: “We sailed around the world.” The reality of it, however, was that we sailed from England to France, and then we rested and indulged. Then we sailed from France to Spain, and did the same. And then from Spain to Portugal, where again we could re-stock, take stock, and sort out that gap between the propeller shaft and the hull. Once Morocco, the Canary Islands and the Cape Verdes lay in our wake, we had very much settled into our vagabond lives. Nothing like a gale force wind to shake things up a little. Out in

the Atlantic, on Blue Eye’s first ocean crossing, a storm engulfed our little home. There had been some tough moments in getting that far, but Force 10 winds were new to James and me. Fortunately James had bought Blue Eye with such conditions in mind. She was a sturdy Nicholson from the 1970s era of how-about-another-inch-of fibreglass-on-that-hull? Blue Eye, therefore, was just the vessel to withstand the house-sized waves that the Atlantic was throwing up. “Thirty-two feet?” exclaimed the Antiguan when we safely reached the Caribbean on the other side. “I got shoes bigger than that!” he declared, and the delightful man held his belly as he chuckled at the apparent ludicrousness of our

journey. We laughed with him. Out in English Harbour Blue Eye was tucked in amongst not only the significantly larger sailboats, but also the superyachts of the billionaires. It baffled us that anyone would want a boat that big. Did they not realise they could see the same places – perhaps even more places – on a boat ostensibly smaller than a pair of Antiguan shoes?

Living on the kedge

James and I had committed to a frugal lifestyle for our journey. We avoided marinas unless absolutely necessary, far preferring to anchor out in the bay where we could swim around the boat and dinghy ashore when we needed. Out at sea we stubbornly sailed through

ABOVE The azure blue waters of a Caribbean anchorage BELOW LEFT James displaying what’s on the lunch menu, a mahimahi fresh from the Pacific Ocean BELOW RIGHT The Panama Canal

the lightest conditions, resorting to the diesel engine only when we had all but come to a standstill. And in day to day life we indulged in hiking, snorkelling and reading books on the deck of Blue Eye. The best things in life are free. It would be remiss of me to suggest the trip was not expensive in some ways, however. The Panama Canal, for instance, is wildly damaging to one’s bank balance. And in some cases also one’s pulpit – ours was ripped from the deck in an unfortunate episode in the first lock. That, in turn, damaged the bank account further. We lived our frugal lives so that the emergency funds never ran out – one never knows what might break next on a boat. Having made it into the Pacific Ocean, life became as cheap and wonderful as it would be for the three years that we spent away. There are some 8,000 nautical miles of sailing between Panama and New Zealand – where we were to seek shelter from the cyclones at the end of the season – and those miles are interspersed with paradisiacal islands and incredible people. For every new island that we rolled into, after a week (or weeks) on the ocean, we were shocked anew at how welcoming the locals were to their gorgeous bit of land jutting out of the seemingly infinite blue sea we sailed across. In French Polynesia, waterfalls cascaded down through the forest-cloaked mountains. In the

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Caribbean Around theracing World

Cook Islands, turquoise lagoons lapped at golden beaches, as the spray of humpback whales glistened in the air beyond the reef. And in Fiji, we picked mangoes from the trees and coconuts from the ground, as we endeavoured to cram in as much of the sweettasting Pacific as we possibly could.

Pit stop for repairs

Half a world of sailing, however, takes its toll, and Blue Eye was in desperate need of some repair work. Having slipped between the forever alternating high- and low-pressure systems that define the fearsome passage to New Zealand, James and I could spend six months readying our home for the second half of the world. The list was not-insignificant: osmosis of the hull, a wobbly rudder, a broken gooseneck, a worn cutlass bearing, seizing seacocks, faulty solar panels, a faulty VHF, a faulty tiller pilot, a faulty automatic bilge pump, and

an engine with its own extensive list of troubles. It was a miracle we got to New Zealand at all, come to think of it. It was time once again to delve into the funds tin. Gloria Steinem once said of writing that it was the only thing she could do without feeling like she should be doing something else. In taking back to the ocean in mid2018, sailing north now for Papua New Guinea, James and I observed the same thing in ourselves about being on the ocean. The suffocating trivialities of daily life fell behind as we watched New Zealand dip below the horizon once more, and the liberty of a life on the wind came rushing back into our sails. Living in the confines of a small boat, James and I had – quite naturally – not always seen eye to eye, but at this stage of our journey and our friendship we were steady and poised like a pair of perfectly trimmed sails. If our course fell off the wind then one of us would steer us back up, and if they overcompensated

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE LEFT Eating from the mango trees on a stroll through one of Fiji’s arid western islands ABOVE RIGHT Blue Eye getting a fresh lick of paint as the yard season in Whangarei, New Zealand comes to an end BELOW LEFT McKenzie, of Papua New Guinea, and his son, visit Blue Eye to trade fruit and shells for medicine and fishing gear BELOW RIGHT Tom on watch as Blue Eye’s Aries windvane steers them downwind in the Indian Ocean

and brought us too much into the wind, then the other one would take control and bear us away again. It was in this manner that we reached The Louisiades, an archipelago on the edge of Papua New Guinea, and on the edge of the world. The inhabitants of The Louisiades travel between the scattering of palm-packed islands in their dugout canoes. They spend their days fishing, either from those canoes or with nets cast between them along the shoreline. On the off chance a foreign sailboat has arrived (Blue Eye was only the fourth that year), they will go and say hello, offering to trade their shells and fruits for medicine and fishing hooks. They eat the coconuts from the trees, and grow what vegetables they can in the unforgiving earth. In the evenings they start a fire – often with sticks and their bare hands – and sit around it long into the evening, sharing their food and retelling their stories. It was by far the most humbling destination we went to in the whole world.

A change of pace

Navigating westward through the Torres Strait, between Australia and Papua New Guinea, we eased under spinnaker towards Indonesia. Life was good until we stepped onto Indonesian soil, and were promptly bribed out of several hundred dollars on account of tedious visa complications. Time to dip into that emergency tin again. The hustle and bustle of Southeast Asia was a drastic change from the peacefulness of the Pacific, but not necessarily an unwelcome one: we partied in Bali, got chased off the beach by Komodo dragons, and settled into

the chaos of Malaysian cities. We came to know the true meaning of chaos on the morning that a floating fish farm crashed into us as we slept peacefully at anchor in a Malaysian river. The floating wooden structure had been ripped free of its anchors upstream – no doubt on account of the vicious spring tide – and it was just our luck that it careered into the 2.6 metre width of Blue Eye, anchored innocently to the side of the 100 metre wide river. James and I rushed up onto the deck, yanked from our sleep like fish from the sea, and stared in

ABOVE LEFT Blue Eye beneath a rainbow in Lamen Bay of Epi Island, Vanuatu ABOVE RIGHT James’s drone captured the aftermath of the events in the River Santubong, Malaysia BELOW LEFT Anchored in the muddy waters of the River Rajang of Malaysia BELOW RIGHT A Komodo dragon defends its territory on Rinca island, Indonesia

confused horror as the structure bent in two around the bow, like a stick being snapped across a leg. One half of the fish farm continued its quest downriver for the open sea, whilst the other remained stubbornly attached to Blue Eye, pinned by the tide against our hull that it set about scratching mercilessly. The emergency funds ran a little lower that day. We broke free of the grip of the floating fish farm, and that of Southeast Asia. Blue Eye pointed west once more as we set off across the Indian Ocean – our third and last. And then, to the surprise of

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Around the World

many, we took up the Red Sea. The presence of international navies has made that stretch of water far safer than the prevailing memories of piracy incidents suggest. Blue Eye and her crew arrived to Eritrea safely, albeit rather weary, 28 days after having left Sri Lanka.

PHOTOS TOM DYMOND/ISTOCK

Red Sea struggles

The hard work was still to come, however, as we beat up through the northerly winds of the upper Red Sea, weaving between fleets of container ships and fields of oil rigs. The problem of the Red Sea is also one of red tape, as anyone who has ever sailed to Egypt will surely attest to. Finally, we squeezed through the Suez Canal and found ourselves in the Mediterranean Sea, only a stone’s throw from home. Traversing the Mediterranean, so often idolised in the minds of the armchair sailors, proved far tougher than crossing any ocean. The wind

can come from any direction, but generally it is the case that it blows from the direction that one wishes to travel. If planned properly then a voyage around the world can largely avoid sailing into the wind but, knowing this, the Mediterranean decides to make life a little harder and no passage has ever been made in that sea that wasn’t into the wind.

Home stretch reflections

Tired, Blue Eye reached the south of France, and began her meandering last stretch through the rivers and canals, through the countryside and through Paris, homeward bound. It was, as I said at the top, not as easy as we had hoped. We were thwarted by a procession of heatwaves, our overheating engine, and the under-dredged canal system. At times when we were – quite literally – stuck in the mud, it was not always certain that we would make it to Rouen. Alas, we did. And as we did a boat called Smiler arrived from

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE LEFT Blue Eye at sunset in front of Suakin, Sudan ABOVE RIGHT The Suez Canal BELOW LEFT Tom in Paris on the last lap of the journey BELOW RIGHT James (left) and Tom (right) celebrating their completed circumnavigation

Tom has written a full account of his adventures entitled Hooked on the Horizon, available for £9.99 in paperback. To order a copy, go to tsdymond.com

the opposite direction, crewed by two young and enthusiastic Brits, Matt and Tim. In looking at them it were as if we were looking at our very own selves three years prior: younger, more energetic, a little more naïve dare I say. Three years is a relatively short amount of time to cruise around the world in, but it was the right amount of time for James and I, and we were looking forward to the routines and normalities of living at home. For Matt and Tim, the journey was only just beginning, and we gave them all we could in material things and general advice to try and help them. We were jealous that they had it all ahead of them, but no less grateful that we had it all behind us. When Blue Eye reached Portland Harbour a few days later, and our friends and family stood on the dock to wave us in, we could finally aggregate all those mini adventures into the hallowed words. We sailed around the world.

Boat Test ~ Ovni 370

All’s weld that ends weld Ovni was one of the original pioneers of the all-aluminium ‘go anywhere’ yacht. The new 370 goes right back to those roots, being a 37’ pocket blue water cruiser. Sam Jefferson takes her for a spin In association with

46 46

DECEMBER NOVEMBER 2021 2021 Sailing SailingToday Todaywith withYachts Yachts&&Yachting Yachting

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

h, remember the days when a 40’ yacht was considered large? If you’re under 30 years old, probably not. The economies of scale have essentially ensured that the sub 40’ cruising yacht has become something of an endangered species in recent years. One large manufacturer I interrogated about this admitted that it simply wasn’t economical to make a boat under 35’. Yet lately it seems that manufacturers have also come to see that if they don’t make boats that are at least vaguely affordable, then they sever the supply line of younger sailors buying yachts and falling in love with sailing. It’s the boatbuilding equivalent of sitting on a branch and sawing it off near the tree trunk I suppose. It is therefore heartening that this year has seen the launch of a number of smaller production yachts. Yet the serious blue water cruiser market remained a bit of a desert for those after a smaller boat – until the Ovni 370 came along. It makes sense for Ovni to want to go back to small boats – it’s in their DNA after all. Parent company Alubat was one of the originators of the concept of the small, virtually indestructible all-aluminium boats that have become ubiquitous in any blue water cruising port the world over. The key features in addition to the use of aluminium were a swing keel, shallow draft and the ability to dry out if needs be. It was a winning and innovative formula that won both admirers and imitators

and made it all the more bizarre that the company ended up in financial strife between 2008 and 2012. Since then the company has bounced back and is very much a going concern, with a state of the art factory in Les Sables d’Olonne and a bulging order book. Notwithstanding this success, there is still the question of how to make building a sub 40 footer pay and Ovni has given a lot of thought to this. The basic problem is that you need much the same time and effort to produce a 40’ yacht as you do a 60’ one. Ok, slightly less materials but not enough to offset the price differential. Ovni’s design team of Mortain/Mavrikios and CBA design offices has put a great deal of thought into this and came up with a solution that works for aluminium boats. Generally yachts built in aluminium need longitudinal stringers in addition to latitudinal ribs and bulkheads

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The 370 features relatively fine waterlines with lots of flare above, which boosts internal volume while helping provide surprisingly good light air performance BELOW The boat has a very defined chine that runs the length of the hull. The 370 is designed to heel early and then sit comfortably in this chine

to create rigidity, but slightly precurving the aluminium hull plates both longitudinally and latitudinally massively increases their rigidity. Marry this to thicker hull plates (10mm below the waterline and 8mm above) and it all means that in a 37’ boat there is no longer any need for longitudinal stringers. This saves both cost and labour time. It’s not the only radical thing about the boat; one glance at the 370 and you have to admit she looks pretty radical. The design follows the recent trend for ‘champagne glass’ hull sections forward with narrow waterlines flaring out sharply above the waterline. This both increases volume forward and reduces pitching while also making the boat easily driven in light airs. There is a dreadnought bow which is well rounded to the point of being blunt and a solid aluminium sprit. Step back a couple of centuries and one particular talented journalist described the celebrated record breaking clipper ship Marco Polo as being ‘built like brick fore and aft with a bow like a savage bulldog’. There are certain parallels with the 370 relating to the bow which definitely has an aggressive look. The 370 is relatively broad aft with a very hard chine running all the way from stem to stern. This noticeable feature further increases the strength of the boat as the hard angle makes for a very strong weld. There is a solid arch aft which supports the bimini and provides both davits for the dinghy and marry that to a striking coachroof

which, although not sleek, provides masses of light and a wraparound windscreen and you have a boat that certainly dares to be different. Aside from that, this is a relatively heavy boat at 9,400 kg. The design team spent a lot of time trying to ensure that the boat achieved a Category A rating which makes her an ocean-going vessel. This is relatively hard to achieve on a 37’ swing keel yacht but it has been done. The boat has 3,000kg of ballast but the alloy keel has been kept light and given a semi NACA profile which makes it easy to raise and lower (it is achieved with a pair of ropes that run to one of the cockpit windlasses) and also much more efficient than a simple flat sheet of metal. The boat features twin rudders which are shallow and splayed well outboard to facilitate drying out. The propeller shaft is protected by a short skeg set into the heavily rockered hull. A cutter rig is the standard setup and the mast on the test boat was the optional carbon one. In addition, the boat featured the optional fat headed fully battened mainsail which further boosted sail area.

On deck

Climbing aboard you immediately grab hold of solid guardrails which set the tone for a very substantial, rugged boat. Ovni has decades of experience building blue water cruisers of this type and they definitely know what they are about. The side decks are wide and there is an ample sprinkling of grab rails as you move forward. Lower shrouds set inboard mean there is a clear walkway forward and there is storage for fenders in the forward anchor locker. At the bow is a fixed aluminium sprit for reaching sails and also a twin anchor roller set-up. The cockpit features twin helms and comfortable seating for six. The cockpit coamings are thoughtfully curved for perching outboard and pleasingly festooned with non-skid – not always the case. The stern is fairly open, although seats behind the twin helms, bridged by a flipup bench in between, provide an element of security and also extra storage space. There is a small locker for the liferaft just where it should be at the transom and a modest bathing platform. As mentioned, the solid

ABOVE A modest bathing platform with additional storage in the helmsman's seats and the liferaft locker tucked in between BELOW The chart table is raised up and provides excellent all round views if you're sat plotting your position

aluminium arch also provides twin davits for a tender and also a bit of a platform for solar panels plus the frame for a roll-away bimini. The sprayhood is in canvas and at present there is no option for a solid aluminium doghouse as seen on larger models due to weight concerns relating to the boat achieving the boat’s Category A rating. The cockpit set up features four winches with two sets on the coachroof and two more within reach of the helmsman. The two closest to the helm are for the Code 0 or gennaker. The aim is that you can control everything from the shelter of the sprayhood if the going gets heavy. Meanwhile in more favourable conditions, the helmsman can play with the bigger headsails while steering. The only real peculiarity in all this was that you had to start the engine from the saloon which struck me as slightly odd. Otherwise the set-up was extremely well thought out and comfortable.

Down below

The companionway was broad and heavily angled making for a very easy entrance into a space that was bathed in light thanks to the massive wraparound window, which features five opening portholes allowing for excellent ventilation. The early

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Boat Test ~ Ovni 370

Ovni’s were famed for their rather stark and functional styling and while this remains to an extent, it has been softened to provide a space that is modern but also homely. The headlining is an interesting feature as it is a layer of painted cork which is both practical, sustainable and light. The light pine finish is also very pleasant and the ambience is relaxing. Ovni is providing two distinct options; one is more of a standard layout while the second is raised up in the classic ‘deck saloon’ manner. So far this layout has proven to be the winner, with all orders placed being for this option which certainly provides excellent levels of light and a good feeling of space. The saloon layout features a very comfortable seating area to starboard which affords excellent views. Tucked beneath this seating area is an awful lot of storage space plus an inspection hatch for the lifting keel. There is the option to fit a second fridge in this area if required while behind this seating area is a capacious wet locker and warm air can be funnelled in here if you’ve fitted heating. The linear galley is to port and is well laid out with everything to hand. Aft of the galley is a very pleasing forward facing chart table where it is possible to pretty much sail the ship if you feel so inclined. The electronics on the test boat were all run from an iPad which allows you to run everything on the ship remotely should you so desire. There is a double cabin in the aft port quarter which offers a good amount of space, while the starboard quarter is designated as a workshop. On this particular version, two bunks had also been installed which were reasonably comfortable. This area also provided excellent access to the

rudder quadrants and mechanism – a very important feature in a blue water yacht. There was also access to the engine both from the rear and via the companionway steps. There is space here for a watermaker and generator if needs be. Just forward of this workshop is a very roomy heads area. The shower is separate and forward of the main saloon. This shower room is bafflingly large but I was informed that, because this was hull number one, this would actually be tweaked slightly with the shower room made slightly smaller in order to allow for a larger berth in the bows. Despite this, the shower room will remain very large which is a real boon on a 37’ boat and there is actually space for a small washing machine in here should you wish to fit one. The forward double berth is roomy with a good deal of light and space. As mentioned, hull number two will have a slightly longer berth.

Under sail

The day of the test was heralded by very light winds which were to slowly fill in and peak at 12kn. There was a long, lazy rolling swell. Given this is a heavy boat that is designed to deal with whatever the weather gods throw at it, this was probably the most challenging of all conditions. It did make manoeuvring a piece of cake though. One thing about a twin rudder swing keel boat is that it can handle a bit like a shopping trolley if the breeze pipes up. The bow thruster has been a game changer in this respect, however and has taken the spice out of close quarters manoeuvring. Once out at sea we put up the main and the large gennaker and poked the bow

DECMBER 2021 DECEMBER 2021Sailing Sailing Today Today with with Yachts Yachts && Yachting Yachting

ABOVE LEFT

A generously dimensioned seating area with the hanging locker just aft followed by the entrance to the heads

ABOVE RIGHT

The linear galley with chart table aft

OPPOSITE PAGE

Modest conditions off Les Sables d'Olonne provided a different sort of challenge for the Ovni which is built to handle heavy weather

BELOW

The fixed bow roller and sprit are in aluminium

into 6kn of true wind on a close reach. The boat sailed bolt upright in these conditions meaning that wetted surface area was kept low and we trickled along at a respectable 4-4.5kn. As the breeze grudgingly filled in, we heeled reasonably sharply and sat in that heavily defined chine as we continued to make impressive progress. I had eyed the rather stubby rudders doubtfully but they seemed well balanced and the helm was light and responsive for a heavy boat in light conditions. In fact, the boat was rather fun and, as we continued to accelerate across the rolling swell with the breeze gradually building, it was hard not to smile and eye that horizon wistfully. Eventually though we turned tail, rolled away the big gennaker and set the jib. Hard on the wind we made good progress. The boat was happiest and in the groove at 040 degrees off the wind but could be nudged up to 035 degrees if required. All in all, it was a brisk and satisfactory sail in conditions the boat is not necessarily optimised for yet in which it behaved impeccably. I was impressed.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Boat Test ~ Ovni 370

ALTERNATIVE BOATS

ALLURES 40.9

SAM’S VERDICT Alubat knows its game very well. Their boats have a very loyal following and stick to a tried and tested formula. Although the 370 is radical and clever in its design it also ticks all the boxes that the traditional Ovni buyer demands and the result is that they have turned out a really polished blue water cruising yacht. It’s great that the boat is on the smaller side and the amount of volume provided was

Larger and therefore more expensive but, as mentioned, there aren’t many yachts available of this type in the sub 40’ bracket. The 40.9 also features an all-aluminium hull and swing keel. allures.com

impressive. I walked away wondering why a cruising couple require a bigger boat than this. The looks are striking and may divide opinion but the result is a powerful, rugged, versatile performer that inspires confidence.

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

DJANGO 12.7

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THE SPEC LOA: 11.95m (39ft 2in)

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RUSTLER 37

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An different beast but still the sort of boat that sailors with a desire to go blue water adventuring will consider. Renowned build and seamanlike fit-out.

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DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting N° : G00-A2013A

Amenagement OV370 : carré surélevé avec A3 douche séparée Indice : A

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Buyer’s Guide - Batteries

Take charge of your battery bank

How hard could it be to replace a 12V boat battery? Well, as Sam Fortescue discovers, there’s a world of choice to navigate

t will probably sneak up on you, the realisation that you need to replace your boat batteries. Perhaps you’ve had a few narrow squeaks cranking the engine, or noticed how the lights on board dim whenever the water pump kicks in. Like most components on a boat, batteries have a natural life. They may eventually fail spectacularly, but until that happens, their performance will increasingly suffer. If you were happy with your previous lead-acid batteries, and they

lasted five or more years, then the easiest thing is simply to replace like for like. One of the trickiest elements of installing new batteries can be ensuring they fit into a tight space, and that the existing cables will fit the terminal layout. By using identical batteries, you can be sure of this (just check that the design hasn’t changed). Frustratingly, there are no standards when it comes to battery dimensions or terminal positioning. It is critical to replace all the batteries in the same bank at once.

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

System performance is limited by the weakest battery in the bank, so the older ones will quickly wreck the new.

Time for change?

It is a big expense to replace good marine batteries – prices start around £100 for a 100aH wet-cell and range up to three times that for a top-quality gel or AGM. And bigger boats will have bigger battery banks, multiplying the cost further. So you want to be sure you’re buying exactly what your boat needs.

If you have added extra electronics to the boat or want to run longer on batteries between charges, it would be worth looking for batteries with more capacity or better performance that still fit the space available. Chemistry is constantly improving to produce more robust batteries, so a new unit might be better at low rates of charge or resist the sulphation that begins to occur when a battery is allowed to run flat. It might allow faster recharging and resist the self-discharge from which all lead-acid batteries will suffer to some degree.

Types of battery

Most boats still use lead-acid batteries – where sulphuric acid reacts with plates of lead to release electrons. You will typically have a dedicated starter battery for the engine, and a bank of one or more ‘house’ batteries to run everything from the navigation systems to the fridge. They both do different jobs, and will often be different types of battery. The engine cranker needs to be able to supply huge amounts of amps for the few seconds before the engine fires. With a Cold Cranking Amperage (CCA) rating of hundreds and sometimes more than 1,000A, these batteries will have thin plates for minimal internal resistance. They should never discharge more than a few percentage points, and will be badly damaged by regular deep discharge. House batteries are normally deep-cycle batteries, meaning they're designed to be discharged by 40-70 per cent between charges. They have thicker plates for greater robustness and the ability to keep supplying moderate current at a steady rate to all the on-board consumers.

The battery for a windlass, winch or a bow-thruster will normally be somewhere between the two: suitable for more prolonged use, reeling in anchor chain or manoeuvring out of a tight berth, but able to provide high spikes of current. Across these basic applications, there are three basic flavours, each with their advantages and drawbacks. The cheapest and simplest is the wet-cell battery, whose acid sloshes around inside. It vents hydrogen and oxygen when charging and needs to be kept topped up with distilled water. It must also be installed upright and can release corrosive sulphuric acid mist. Germany’s Sonnenschein developed a superior maintenancefree type of lead-acid battery in the 1950s which is still with us today. Gel batteries contain the acid electrolyte in a gel form, combined with silica, and are sealed, so no topping up is required. However, they are more sensitive to fluctuations in charging current, and are best used with a specific gel charger. Though they usually absorb less power than AGM batteries, they retain that charge well and discharge themselves much more slowly. More recently, absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries have emerged, where the acid is held between glass fibres by osmosis. They can be installed on their sides and need no topping up. They are the most

ABOVE L-R Sonnenschein and Odyssey batteries BELOW L-R The Victron and Ritar Expedition Plus range

resistant to temperature fluctuations and vibration and are said to be safer, because they recombine the oxygen and hydrogen produced during charging more quickly back into water. They also have lower internal resistance, which means higher currents and greater efficiency. Further refinements of the AGM type have emerged in the last few years. America’s Odyssey brand uses ‘thin plate pure lead’ technology to build more efficient batteries that last longer and resist temperature extremes better. Other manufacturers from Victron to Ritar put carbon or graphene into the lead to prolong the life of the plates at deep discharge. Gel batteries are among the most expensive, typically costing 2.5 to 3.5 times the cost of a basic wet-cell – that is, up to about £350 for a 100aH capacity. AGMs cost £200-£300 for a 100aH unit.

Looking after your batteries

It doesn’t take long to wreck a new battery. But with a little bit of maintenance and careful use, they should last five or more summers. First and foremost, ensure that you have a good quality battery charger on board to keep the batteries topped up. It should have a mode designed for your battery type – wet-cell, AGM or gel – and a 3-step charging regime to suit. Make sure it is using the voltage specified by the battery manufacturer. It should also have a temperature sensor to adjust charging regimes accordingly. This is one reason that all batteries in a bank should be located in the same area. If you can’t simply plug in to the mains in a marina, you’ll need to think about alternatives. Some

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Buyer’s Buyer’sGuide: GuideSafety - Batteries Gear

BATTERY COMPARISON TABLE Brand

Model

Type

Lifeline Odyssey PowerMax PowerMax Rolls Rolls Varta Varta Trojan Trojan Optima Numax Leoch Sonnenschein Exide Victron Ritar

GPL-31T AGM31A 100 Sealed 110 Leisure S12 R12 Pro LFS105 LA105 31-GEL 31-AGM BlueTop D31M CXV30HMF Powabloc GTP12-110 GF12094Y ES1350 Lead Carbon Expedition Plus

AGM AGM Flooded Flooded AGM AGM Flooded AGM Gel AGM AGM Flooded Gel Gel Gel AGM AGM

people take their batteries home with them for charging, but this only really works on small boats. You can use renewables to charge the battery, but these are obviously not always reliable. Some powerful wind turbines can’t tail off output to suit the battery’s state of charge – they are either off or on. Solar panels provide a more stable output, but usually at much lower rates of charge. You also need to make sure that you’re not overusing your batteries. Even top-of-the-line deep cycle batteries do not like to have more than about 60 per cent of their power regularly drained. Otherwise, life expectancy (number of cycles) drops away quickly. US battery maker Concorde, whose brands include Lifeline, says that its units should manage around 1000 cycles to 50 per cent discharge.

Ah (20hr) EN (0 deg) 105 100 95 110 105 100 105 105 102 100 75 105 95 110 120 106 110

Raise the depth of discharge to 60 percent, and cycles fall to 800. Cut it to 40 per cent and you get 1,500 cycles before you have to replace the batteries. Cranking batteries are even more sensitive. Lifeline Built entirely by hand, Lifeline AGM batteries meet military specifications. Manufacturer Concorde says that this superior construction gives them lower internal resistance than others and means 20 per cent faster charging. Varta Pitched more at the motorboat market, Varta manufactures marine AGM and wet-cell batteries in plants in Europe and America. It produces a ‘dual purpose’ line designed to crank the engine and provide power for on board systems.

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Cranking current

Lifecycle (50%)

Price 2021

750A 1150A 700A 630A 820A 900A 800A 950A 620A 600A 900A 940A 800A 760A 760A 500A 1000A

1050 900 n/a n/a 1200 800 200 400 1000 1000 n/a 500 2000+ 800 800 1500 1375

£410.00 £298.47 £104.00 £97.38 £239.03 £207.37 £138.00 £190.00 £360.00 £265.00 £224.00 £89.00 £200.00 £292.50 £240.00 £306.60 £160.00

BELOW L-R The Lifeline, Varta, Optima and Rolls batteries

Optima Also built by the company which owns Varta, Optima batteries have a distinctive rounded shape to each cell. They are all AGM varieties and have a reputation for durability, especially the Bluetop model, recommended for marine use. Best suited to smaller boats because of a 75Ah maximum size, they are relatively pricey. Rolls Rolls’s distinctive, red-cased batteries include the new FS series, which is a high-capacity conventional wet-cell particularly designed for marine use. Thick plates and a high-density active paste make the battery more efficient and reduce the discharge rate. The batteries have a double exterior skin and carry up to 10 years’ warranty. They are made in Canada.

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Batteries and beyond. Experts in batteries, solar panels, chargers, inverters and accessories. VISIT US AT ECOBAT.COM We stock leading brands, including: SunPower, Ecobat Battery, 5 Little Park Farm Road, Segensworth Rolls, Varta, Victron Energy, Solara, Solbian, West, Fareham, Hampshire, PO15 5SJ, UK Blue Sea Systems and CTEK. T. +44 (0)1489 570770 | E. info@barden-uk.com www.barden-uk.com +44 (0)1489 570770 || is.info@ecobat.com 5 Little Park Farm Road, Segensworth West, Fareham, Hampshire, PO15 5SJ, UK

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Buyer’s Guide - Batteries

thicker, metallic paste between plates, a stronger grid, and Maxguard separators between anode and cathode to extend battery life.

LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES Lithium-ion technology overturned a century where lead-acid batteries were the only option. There are several chemistries available, but lithium-iron phosphate (LiFePO4) has emerged as the best compromise between performance and safety. The advantages are clear: fast charging, very deep cycling across the full power range, long service life and as little as 30 per cent the weight and bulk of a lead-acid system. Weighed against that is mainly the cost, although there can be safety issues if the lithium cells are breached or incorrectly charged. Lithium batteries require a specific charging regime and battery management system to monitor them. Charging voltages are more precise than with lead-acid batteries, and the current much higher because lithium absorbs charge faster. Brands such as Mastervolt and Victron offer plenty of off-theshelf combinations. Victron’s SuperPack is a battery that contains all the components required – just plug it into a suitable charger. Costs are around £1,000 for a 100aH, 12V equivalent battery. A cheaper Chinese lithium battery like the 100aH unit from TN Power costs £700 to £800 depending on whether you want Bluetooth connectivity. Both weigh around 14kg.

Victron Energy Victron’s AGM and gel batteries use clever electrochemistry to provide a series of benefits for sailors. Lead calcium grid material means that the batteries are very slow to discharge when left or stored. They lose just 2 per cent per month at 20 degrees C compared to an industry standard of 5-10 per cent. The gel batteries in particular are very resistant to abuse. They can manage 2,500 cycles at up to 50 percent discharge, or 1,500 at 80 percent discharge. The SuperCycle AGMs can be fully discharged more than 300 times without dying, and offer 1000 cycles at a more usual 40 per cent discharge Trojan Another well-known US brand of batteries, Trojan now has a gel series to go alongside its existing AGM and wet-cell lines. Its basic wet-cell batteries can be connected up to a network of pipes which allow you to rewater them all at the same time, without spills. Trojan has a unique sealed variant of its wet-cell battery, containing a proprietary carbon additive to speed up charging times and improve charge retention. So-called ‘smart carbon’ is particularly useful where recharging cycles are incomplete because of reliance on renewables. It has pulled the features of its AGM line together under the C-Max umbrella. This boils down to a

ABOVE L-R The Trojan and Numax batteries BELOW L-R The Powermax and Leoch batteries

Numax Introduced in 2002 by the British battery supplier ManBat, the own-brand Numax line covers AGM, gel and classic wet-cell batteries. Sonnenschein Known as the German brand which first developed gel batteries, Sonnenschein is now a subsidiary of Indian-owned Exide. PowerMax The Leisure range includes calcium to reduce self-discharging when the battery is not in use, and is available in a ‘maintenance-free’ sealed version, despite being wet-cell. They have thicker plates for deep cycling a magic eye hydrometer, and dual terminals for easier fixing. This is Barden’s ‘own label’ battery. Odyssey This brand belonging to US manufacturer EnerSys has now started producing the thin-plate pure-lead batteries previously supplied by NorthStar. Their AGM batteries are billed as all-rounders that are capable of very deep discharge and high cranking power. Leoch This Chinese battery maker with factories across Asia produces a line of gel tubular plate AGM batteries with an impressive lifespan of 1200 cycles to 80 per cent discharge. It also does value lithium products.

WHERE TO BUY BATTERIES Barden-uk.com Tayna.co.uk Alpha-batteries.co.uk Battery2u.co.uk Allbatteries.co.uk

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

GULL’S EYE

CARENTAN 49.3057° N, 1.2428° W

Tucked in at the easterly side of the Cherbourg peninsula the sleepy Normandy port of Carentan is a real delight

TOILETS AND SHOWERS

TO TOWN CENTRE

HARD STANDING

The lock operates 24/7 from two hours before HW until three hours after

THE MARINA Carentan offers 310 berths including 50 visitor’s. Depth is a minimum of 3m

FUEL PONTOON

BOAT HOIST

THE LOCK

Carentan

ith its charming port and well priced moorings, Carentan is a bit of a secret spot for those in the know. That doesn’t just apply to visiting Brits, for this is a marina oft overlooked by French sailors too who are drawn to the more obvious honeypots such as Cherbourg, Carteret or St Vaast. Yet there is much to recommend this locked marina which, despite being an hour up the river Douve, is worth the trip. Once locked into the marina, you find yourself at the heart of a charming Norman town with all facilities close to hand. All that remains is to go and find the nearest creperie and sit back with a stiff Calvados.

ABOVE The lock gates were destroyed during WWII but and finally replaced in the 1980s

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

49.3057° N, 1.2428° W

The port has a long history dating back to Roman times but it wasn’t until 1805, under the leadership of Napoleon, that canals were dug, locks were installed, and a new harbour was developed. The town found international fame during WWII and the D Day landings, when the eyes of the world were focused for a few frenetic days on the beaches of Normandy. The allies quickly identified Carentan

as an important strategic target that would provide a bridgehead to take the coveted prize of the port of Cherbourg while also consolidating the beaches of Utah and Omaha. The Battle of Carentan took place between the 10th and the 14th of June 1944 with the US troops ultimately prevailing despite being hobbled by the fact that the Germans had flooded the land around the floodplain of the Duver River. There are reminders of this dreadful chapter in the history of the world everywhere and nearly proved the undoing of the port, with the double lock gates destroyed. It wasn’t until 1981 that the locks were replaced and the channel dredged. The port remains a quiet but beautiful backwater and an interesting alternative to the bigger marinas on the Cherbourg peninsula.

Xxxx

MARINA GUIDE Carentan lies on the east side of the Cherbourg peninsula, about 20 miles south of St Vaast la Hougue. The 100ft wide canal leads into it from a lock at the junction of the rivers Douve and Taute. Visiting sailors who stroll into the market town are in for a treat. Over the last 10 years, Carentan’s old buildings and 14th century arcades have undergone much restoration. This - combined with ever increasing interest in D-Day anniversaries - attracts visitors and boosts the town’s economy. Carentan is within easy reach of many local attractions. You can take a cab or bus or hire a car from the Super U supermarket. The

ABOVE The marina has a tranquil, old world feel BELOW Looking from the head of the marina down towards the sea

Utah Beach landing museum and US Airborne museum at St MèreEglise are about 15 minutes away. Trains from Cherbourg to Paris stop at Carentan; a boon for visitors coming from the UK as ferry foot passengers: two stops on the train and you’re there. Or if bad weather keeps you in harbour, a day trip to Paris might keep the crew happy. The town offers several good bars and restaurants. Among the best is

the Contoir des Marais (beside the marina and next to the Capitainerie). An excellent three-course lunch cost me just 46.60 euros for two, including wine and coffee. Across the boatyard, the intriguingly named Gang of Pizza offers freshly made pizzas and salads. The marina is well served by Top Nautique’s chandlery and extensive outside and undercover storage facilities. The former offers great deals for a winter lay-up.

FACTFILE

CARENTAN MARINA Address Rue des Remblais 50500 St Hilaire-Petitville. Capitainerie (0033)233422444 port-carentan@wanadoo.fr Web: ccbdc.ft Facilities Toilets and showers on site Wifi on the pontoons Fuel berth Chandlery and boat storage Top Nautique 2 rue des Remblais, 50500 St Hilaire-Petitville Chandlery and 10,000 sq metres of boat storage. Telephone (0033)233422387 (0033)781952316 topnautique50@orange.fr top-nautique.fr

Berthing Charges Calculated by the square metre. Prices quoted are for a 40m2 boat: Overnight: Summer: €28 Off season: €18,74 Monthly: Summer: €246,04 ßßWinter: €160,42 Annual berthing charge: €1,609 Above charges are for individual pontoon berth with free electricity Lift out Boat hoist for a 13m boat: €455,07 This includes lift out, seven days on the hard standing then being put back in the water Winter storage Storage on secure hard standing outdoors or undercover can be negotiated with Top Nautique

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Carentan

PASSAGE PLANNING The approach to Carentan from the Baie de Vey is neither difficult nor complicated. First time visitors are wise to avoid entry in bad weather or on a falling tide; and certainly not in darkness. The approach from the fairway buoy (200 degrees T) is well marked with seven pairs of port and starboard buoys. Two tall perches mark the entry to the river - one on each end of the training walls. The channel is deep but narrow, with tall perches clearly marking the river passage up to the lock gates. These give entry to the marina. The lock operates 24/7 from two hours before HW until three

hours after. During the season the lock is constantly manned, so the lock operator may have seen your approach and already opened the gates. At night and off-season, there’s a waiting pontoon and a telephone to the lock keeper on the control tower wall. Ideally, aim to leave the fairway buoy at around lock opening time in order to arrive at high water. Rocks off the entrance to Grandcamp are the only hazards; but if you follow the above instructions they’ll be left well to port. The pilot books mention the ‘Mascaret’ tidal bore in the river; but this only occurs under certain

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Gatteville lighthouse at Pointe de Barfleur BELOW A clear view down the river to the sea

spring tide conditions, producing a ‘bore’ of only 30 to 40cm. It’s like a wave from a following sea if you are going up the river and only occurs at or near the start of the flood.

CRUISING GROUNDS A host of Normandy delights lie in wait, while the Channel Islands also beckon hours before to three hours after HW. Les Isles St Marcouf are to the northwest of the Baie de Vay. These two islands (the Isle du Large has a

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The nearest port - Grandcamp - is 13nM from Carentan. This pleasant fishing port has a 234-berth marina and its entrance is open from two

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fine Napoleonic fort) are five miles NE of Utah beach. In good weather there are lovely anchorages to the SE of each of the islands, so you can launch your tender and explore the fortifications. Head on around the peninsula and you reach the port of St Vaast la Hougue. This is a decent sized locked marina which has all facilities; with access limited to two hrs before until three hrs after HW. St Vaast is worth a stop just to experience Magasin Gosselin; the biggest and best stocked épicerie in the Manche. After that, there is the charming but drying port of Barfleur and then you’re around the tip of the Cherbourg Peninsula and into Cherbourg itself. Further afield lie the Channel Islands while Poole, Chichester and the Solent are all a 12 hour or so sail away.

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Winter berthing

Winterlude Winter is upon us but are you getting the best deal on your winter berthing? Sam Jefferson ponders the options Winter afloat?

Elsewhere in this issue we discuss the possibilities of winter sailing in the UK. The conclusions are that it’s eminently possible with care, albeit a bit chilly at times. If you are serious about a spot of winter sailing then the only option is to keep your boat afloat. This has a couple of other clear advantages: it’s generally quite cheap and your boat is also well protected from frost damage as it is somewhat insulated against it.

Marina berth or swinging mooring?

The next question is whether you are tough enough for a swinging mooring. These can be obtained for bargain rates in winter but there is definitely something intimidating about rowing out to your boat on even the most beautiful crisp winter day. It is therefore for the toughest of sailors and you really do want heating on board if possible; be it an Eberspacher diesel

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

heater or even a woodburner. The slightly less hardy may be more tempted by a berth afloat and these are also available at heavily discounted rates in most marinas. As an example, Mylor Yacht Harbour in Cornwall offers a mooring buoy for £135 per metre. As an added sweetener you are also offered use of the water taxi, discounted fuel services, car parking space and discounted stays in Mylor’s harbourside holiday cottages. A

Winter berth check list

Insurance

winter berth in the marina is £229 per metre. More information is available by going to: mylor.com. Another excellent option for south coast sailors looking to keep a boat on a swinging mooring is in Poole Harbour, which provides excellent all round shelter in certain parts of the harbour even in severe weather conditions. As an example, Poole Quay Boat Haven has a selection of swinging moorings available; as a swinging mooring customer not only do you have full use of the shower and toilet facilities, but you are welcome to bring your vessel in to pump out and top up with drinking water when required. For more information and prices go to: poolequayboathaven. co.uk/swinging-moorings

Insurers say that many policyholders could keep their boats afloat without seeing a rise in their premium. Craftinsure, for instance, says that customers in England and Wales face no winter restrictions even on a swinging mooring, while those in Scotland and Northern Ireland can keep their boats in a marina berth during the winter for no extra charge. Craftinsure does advise boatowners to take a few extra precautions during the winter. For instance, tie up furling headsails to stop them shaking loose in a gale and remove dodgers, biminis or anything else which could increase windage. With the boat likely to get more rain aboard, it’s also important to keep scuppers and drains clear, and try to check the boat after very heavy rain to ensure the bilges are dry.

Marina offers

Premier Marinas Premier offer a seasonal boatyard discount – a saving of 15 per cent on services booked for October and November, with a relaunch completed by 23 December. Premier is also offering monthly winter berthing for boats up to 18m from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2022. premiermarinas.com

If you do go back in for the cold months, Yacht Havens have some useful advice about keeping the boat securely moored through the winter storms... l Avoid the 'running W' mooring line, which makes it very difficult to adjust lines in a gale. Use separate lines for bow and stern, two long spring lines and double-up where necessary. l If you’ve got fenders, use them! Don’t leave them in baskets or lockers because you think they’re the wrong size. l Avoid using metal shackles straight on to the pontoon cleats. l Avoid short, tight lines from midships to the centre finger cleat. The rope will exert big snatch loads. l Before you leave your boat for the winter, check the quality of your mooring lines.

MDL Marinas MDL has poured a lot of energy into developing a new loyalty card scheme called Otium. As you pay for goods and services in MDL marinas, you earn points which can be put towards further purchases. Between 1 October and 31 December 2021, MDL is offering double Otium points on boatyard Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Winter berthing

services, including lifting and scrubs. This means that for every £100 spent on boatyard services, berth holders get back £44 in points and visitors £28 in points to spend on services. In addition for every monthly berth purchased between 1 October and 31 December customers get one month free (maximum three months). mdlmarinas.co.uk Yacht Havens With nine UK marinas, Yacht Havens is offering a number of special winter offers, but each one is tailored to the location. One example is six months winter berthing afloat at Troon Yacht Haven, £110 per metre (based on a 10m boat), or £143 per metre (based on 10m boat) for lift out, pressure wash, storage and launch off, from 1 October to 31 March 2022. yachthavens.com

Winter refit?

Of course the other end of the spectrum is hauling your boat out and going for a full refit - or at least a refresh. It's something you can do at most marinas but there are certain operators that specialise in this and many have special packages for winter refits. Fox’s Marina Located in Ipswich on England’s east coast, Fox’s is a busy independent marina, with a booming chandlery. It is offering 10 per cent off its usual haul-out and storage rates this winter. Early birds get a further 10 per cent off plus a free underwater

Boatfolk Boatfolk runs to 11 locations across all four home countries. They are offering 30 per cent off this Autumn Valid 1 October to 30 November then 30 per cent off their lift, storage and launch package. This offer is limited to a maximum of eight weeks storage ashore. They are also offering 20 per cent off which is valid from 1 November to 31 January; terms may vary slightly from marina to marina. boatfolk.co.uk

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

condition report. Refit-wise they don’t offer any package as such but do offer free consultation for refit and repair projects, as well as general winter maintenance. foxsmarina.com Berthon Berthon offer full lay-up and decommissioning services. Boatyard services cover every aspect of yacht maintenance from engine and generator servicing, to GRP repairs and rigging services. Berthon can also project manage large repair jobs. Email Kim.ScottRobinson@ berthon.co.uk for a quote. berthon.co.uk

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Fishing under sail

Fishing under sail Nothing beats freshly caught fish cooked afloat – but how to catch it? Dick Beaumont provides tips and techniques for fishing from a sailing yacht

ur crew of three left New Zealand on a three month, 13,000nm mile journey to Hong Kong, with a

complement of six frozen chickens, 5kg of steaks, three legs of lamb and 24 pork chops in our freezer and the expectation of needing more provisions while on the passage. We arrived in Hong Kong with

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The author and his daughter plus dinner freshly caught

four chickens and nearly all the other frozen meat still in the freezer and without further provisioning, such was the success of our fishing exploits on this passage. The primary method I use when

ish nder sail ail Fishing UnderFishing Under Fishing sail Under sail How fish How toHow to to How to sea fish fish atfish underunder under sail sail sail

ows two rods out, but if you’re nded, just beginning, or sailing an on a run or broad reach, you'll r to use one rod only.

e lure is paid out to the required e behind the yacht set the ratchet eel to on and the clutch to stiff, so line will pull off but not too easily. fish hits the lure the first action to slow the yacht down quickly. If nder sail, ease the sheets and turn the sails to luff. If you’re under go hard astern and turn the yacht the fish on the beam, then grab and bring the fish in. If you have s out try to keep the fish away e other line.

are two or more crew, reel in the ne, fishing furl thespeed sails and start the eal is 5-7kts, if you are The helmsman nowthan needs to try or motoring faster that you're noeuvre yacht the fish o rip thethe hook out to of keep the fish's eam on the side the crew member e rod is standing. The objective o keep and line away from find thethe bestfish success fishing the lure psecond and keel, which otherwise will wave following the yacht, ine. er in long ocean swells this can be

2nd Following Wave 2nd Following Wave

Lures

Wind

Fig 11 Fig

Fig 3 Fig 2

WWinindd

Wind

1st Following Wave FollowingWave Wave 1st Foll 1st1stFollowing

Wind

The ideal fishing speed is 5-7kts; if you are sailing or Lures motoring faster than that hows two rods out, but if you’re you’re likely to rip the hook anded, just beginning, or sailing han on a run or broad reach, you'll out of the fish’s mouth. er to use one rod only. You’ll find the best success fishing the lure in he lure is paid out to the required the second wave following ce behind the yacht set the ratchet eel to on and the clutch to stiff, so the yacht, however in e line will pull off but not too easily. long ocean swells this a fish hits the lure the first action can be quite a distance e to slow the yacht down quickly. If under sail, ease the sheets and turn so make sure you have w the sails to luff. If you’re under plenty of line on the reel. go hard astern The and ideal turn the yacht fishing speed is 5-7kts, if you are Fig 1 shows two rods out, g the fish on thesailing beam,or then grab motoring faster than that you're and bring the fish in.to Ifrip youthe have if you’re shorthanded, is 5-7kts, The if you ideal are fishing speed is 5-7kts, if you are likely hook out ofThe theideal fish'sfishing speedbut ds out try to keep the fish away sailing or motoring faster that sailing you're or justthan beginning, ormotoring sailing faster than that you're mouth. he other line. likely to rip the hook out of the fish's likely rip the other than onto a run or hook out of the fish's mouth. You’ll find the best successmouth. fishing the lure be better Winbroad e are two or more reel inwave the following the yacht, d reach, you’ll in crew, the second Winthe d best success fishing the lure ine, furl the sails and start to use one rodfind only. You’ll find fishing You’ll the lure however in the long ocean swells this canthe bebest success . The helmsmanquite now aneeds to try in the the inyacht, the second wave distance so make sure yousecond have wave following Once the lure is paid outfollowing the yacht, Wind anoeuvre the yacht to keep the however can be in long ocean swells this can be plenty of line onfish the reel. however in long ocean swells this to the required distance Wind beam on the side the crew member quite a distance so make sure you quite have a distance so make sure you have he rod is standing. objective behind the yacht, setonthe plenty of line on the reel. plenty of line the reel. FigThe 1 shows two rods out, but if you’re to keep the fishshorthanded, and line awayjust from beginning, or sailing ratchet of the reel to 'on' and p and keel, which otherwise Figreach, 1 shows two rods out, but if you’re Fig 1 shows two rods out, but if you’re other than onwill a run or broad you'll the clutch to 'stiff', so that line. shorthanded, just beginning, or shorthanded, sailing just beginning, or sailing be better to use one rod only. the line will pull offon but notor broad reach, you'll other than on a run or broad reach, other you'll than a run better to use one rod only. beWhen better to too easily. a fiuse shone hitsrod only. Once the lure is paid out tobe the required distance behind the yacht set the ratchet the lure the first action must Onceto the lureso is paid out to the required Once the lure is paid out to the required of the reel to on and the clutch stiff, be to slow the yacht down distance distance ratchetbehind the yacht set the ratchet that the line will pull off but not toobehind easily. the yacht set the quickly. Ifofyou’re sail,the clutch to stiff, so of the to on and the clutch to stiff, the reel sounder to on and When a fish hits the lure the firstreel action that the line will butthe notthat too easily. the line pull off but not too easily. must be to slow the yacht down quickly. If pull off ease sheets andwill turn fishturn hits the lure the first When action a fish hits the lure the first action you’re under sail, ease the When sheetsaand to allow the sails to luff. If beunder to slow the yacht down must quickly. be If to slow the yacht down quickly. If to allow the sails to luff. Ifmust you’re under go hard under sail, easeyou’re the sheets you’re and power, turn under sail, ease the sheets and turn power, go hard astern andyou’re turn the yacht to allow sails to luff. If you’re tounder allow to luff. astern and turn the thesails yacht to If you’re under to bring the fish on the beam, thenthe grab power, gohave hard astern bring and turn power, yacht gothe hardbeam, astern and turn the yacht the rod and bring the fish in. If you thethe fish on tofish bring the fish on the beam, then to bring grab the fish on the beam, then grab two rods out try to keep the away then the bring sailing is trolling with lures the rod and bring the fish in.grab If you the have rodrod andand bring the fish in. If you have from the other line. the fi sh If you have two rods out try to keep the fishin. two away rods out trytwo to keep the fish away while under sail or motor. fromreel thein other other Winthe If there are two or more crew, the line. rods outfrom try tothekeep dline.fish Although useand powerful other line, furl the Isails start the away from the other line. Wtheind If needs there are two or more crew, reel If there in theare two or more crew, reel in engine. The helmsman towith try carbon fibre rodsnow twinned If there are line, two furl or the sails and start the other line, start other the and manoeuvre the yacht to keep thefurl fishthe sails and heavy-duty game multipliers engine. The helmsmanmore now needs engine. to tryThe helmsman now needs to try crew, reel in the on the beam on the side the crew member and manoeuvre the yacht to keep and the manoeuvre fish it the is quite effectiveThe to objective clamp with rod is standing. other line, furl the sailsthe yacht to keep the fish on theaway beam on the side the crew onmember the beam on the side the crew member here to keep the fish and line a isheft y multiplier directly onfrom and startwith thethe engine. with the rod rod is standing. The objective the prop and keel, which otherwise willis standing. The objective pushpit rail andhere simply The helmsman nowthe fish and line away from is to keep the fish and line away here is from to keep cut the the line. the fi prop and keel, which otherwise will keel, which otherwise will needs tothe tryprop andand manoeuvre crank in the fish. Big sh may cut the line. cut the line. the yacht to keep the fish shake free or break the line, on the beam on the side but if all you want to do is the crew member with supplement the provisions, the rod is standing. The you’ll still be very likely to objective here is to keep have a good success rate. the fish and line away from The modus operandi is the prop and keel, which shown in figs 1-3 to the right. otherwise will cut the line.

distance so make sure you have of line on the reel.

Fig 1

1st Following Wave Lures 2nd Following WaveLures Lures

FollowingWave Wave 2nd Follo 22ndndFollowing

2nd Following Wave Fig 2

Fig 2

Fig 2 Fig 3

W1instdFollowing Wave 1st Following Wave 1st Foll 1st Following Wave

2nd Following Wave 2nd Following Wave 2nd Follo 2nd Following Wave 16

Fig 3 Fig 3

Wind

16 16 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Fishing under sail

Line Rods A good strong game fishing rod is essential; 6ft length, 50-80lb class. Something like the Shimano Tiagra TI-80ST or Ultra A is fine. For bigger fish, it’s better to have a rod with roller rod rings and a tip ring.

Line

EQUIPMENT

50-80lb Monofilament will be better than braided lines which have no stretch and tend to pull out if the yacht is going over 6kts. It’s essential to load the reel with at least 200m of line as when a fish takes it, it will take you several minutes to slow the yacht down and grab the rod. A big fish can easily run 50m or more too.

50-80lb monofilament will be better than braided lines as they have no stretch and tend to pull out if the yacht is going over 6kts. It’s essential to load the reel with at least 200m of line, as when a fish takes it, it will take you several minutes to slow the yacht down and grab the rod. A big fish can easily run 50m or more.

Reels

You need a good strong multiplier 50-80lb class. Shimano Tiagra or the Shimano Tynos for bigger fish. I suggest opting for the two-speed version. Penn Squall is another good choice.

Reverse sheer transom A reverse sheer transom will enable you to ‘land’ (or ‘boat’ in our case) more and bigger fish as it will be a lot easier to gaff fish from the transom than over the rail.

Reels You need a good strong multiplier 50-80lb class. Shimano Tiagra or the Shimano Tynos for bigger fish. I suggest opting for the two-speed version. Penn Squall is another good choice.

Gaff Unless you’re only going to use small muppets for small tuna you will need a good strong gaff.

Rods 72

A good strong game fishing rod is essential. 6ft length. 50-80lb class. Something like the Shimano Tiagra TI-80ST or Ultra A is DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting fine. For bigger fish, it’s better to have a rod

Extra long nose pliers

Reverse sheer transom

For unhooking big fish without getting too close to the teeth, which can be extremely sharp.

A reverse sheer transom will enable you to ‘land’ (or ‘boat’ in our case) more and bigger fish as it will be a lot easier to gaff fish from the transom than over the rail.

TypesofofLures Lures Types There are tens of thousands of lures you can use for trolling but the There are tens of thousands of lures you can use for trolling but the types that areofofthousands use for our purposes here be divided intotypes 3 main groups. There are tens of lures you can usecan for trolling but the

Types of lures

that are of use for our purposes here can be divided into 3 main groups.

types used for our purposes can be divided into three main groups...

Hard lures

Subsurface 2-6m Spanish Mackerel, King Fish, Barracuda, Wahoo and Shark!

Hard HardLures Lures

Generally, you want to use a lure that Depth: Subsurface 2-6m doesn’t spin ifSpanish the yacht speeds so To Catch: Mackerel, Kingup, Fish, Depth: Subsurface 2-6m Barracuda, Wahoo and Shark! a smallTo billed straight bodied lure will Catch: Spanish Mackerel, King Fish, work best over varying conditions. Barracuda, Wahoo and Shark! Generally, you want to use a lure that

spin if thelure yacht speeds has up, so a Thedoesn't red and white shown always Generally, you want tolure usewill a lure that small billed straight bodied work been the most successful for me by far. doesn't spin if the yacht speeds up, so a

Muppets

Poppers

Surface action Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo and Marlin

Poppers Poppers

Surface action Bonito Tuna, Skipjack Tuna, Mackerel

Muppets Muppets

I use small 3”-5” muppets, two or three on I use these lures a lot because it doesn’t a string when we are sailing fast, as they matter how fast the yacht is moving. Depth: Surface Action Depth: Surface Action attract the smaller tuna which won’t be Use relatively small poppers (6”8”) as To Catch: Tuna, To Catch: BonitoDepth: Dorado, Wahoo Tuna, Skipjack Tuna, Depth: Surface Action Surface Action too challenging to reel in. Smaller fish can bigger ones be taken by Marlin, and Marlinmay Mackerel Toand Catch: To Catch: Bonito Tuna, Skipjack Tuna, Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo be landed without stopping the boat. although Marlin are a lot of sport, it’s unlikely and Marlin Mackerel you’ll land one and even then they are I use these lures a lot because it doesn't I use small 3”-5” muppets, two or three on lures will to the be far too big for your freezer.a string when These matter likely how fast yacht is moving. we are sailing fast,require as they making up. I suggest you I usesmall thesepoppers lures a(6”lot because I usea small 3”-5” muppets, or three Use relatively 8”) as it doesn'tattract the smaller tuna which won’t bestrong too two use single oversize hook, sizeon 4/0-6/0.

matter how fastbythe yachtand is moving. challenging toareel string when we fast, as they bigger ones may be taken Marlin, in. Smaller fishare cansailing be small billed straight bodied lure will work althoughUse relatively poppers (6”- 8”) aslanded withoutattract Marlin are a lotsmall of sport, it’s the smaller stopping the boat. tuna which won’t be too You can buytoluminous muppets The red and white lure shown in fig 5 has take offunlikely you’ll land one andbe even thenby they I use quite big lures, 6”-9”, and I always best over varying conditions. bigger ones may taken Marlin, and challenging reel in. Smaller fishthat can be been the most successful metail by treble are likelyalthough to be far too big for your freezer. require making up.the I night. do work well into Marlin are a lot of sport, it’s These lures will landed without stopping the boat. thealways mid-body hook and replacefor the far. The red and white lure shown in fig 5 has unlikely you’ll land one and even then suggest they you use a single oversize strong hook with a much bigger, stronger single hook; hook, size 4/0-6/0. always been the most successful for me by are likely to be far too big for your freezer. These lures will require making up. I use quite big lures 6”-9” and to I always takeof the sizeI 8/0 or bigger according the size far. suggest you use a single oversize strong hook replace the tail You can buy luminous muppets that do lure.offItthe willmid-body hold a big fishand much better and, if size 4/0-6/0. treble hook with a much bigger, stronger work well into hook, the night. thesingle fish breaks off , itlures can shed the andtake I use quite big 6”-9” andhook I always hook. Size 8/0 or bigger according offsize the mid-body hook You can buy luminous muppets that do the of the lure. Itthan will hold areplace big hook. fishthe tail luretomuch more easily aand treble treble hook much bigger, stronger work well into the night. much better and,with if theafish breaks off, it cansingle shed the hookSize and 8/0 lureor much more hook. bigger according Gold colour lures work well, especially easily a treble hook. to than the size of the lure. It will hold a big fish in the early and evening. muchmorning better and, if the fish breaks off, it Gold colour lures well, especially inmore Many of the weird shapes, and can shed thework hook andcolours lure much the early morning and evening. easily than a treble hook. designs are much more successful in best over varying conditions.

Many of the weird shapes, colours and

catching than they are fish! designsanglers are much more successful in

Gold anglers colour lures workare well, catching than they fish!especially in the early morning and evening. Many of the weird shapes, colours and designs are much more successful in catching anglers than they are fish!

Ciguatera (Ci·gua·tera)

Ciguatera poisoning can cause very serious illness in people that have consumed fish that are carrying the toxin. The symptoms of Ciguatera poisoning are vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, sweating, dizziness, loss of consciousness and even death. It is caused by Gamabierdiscus Toxicus, a microscopic marine organism that inhabits some coral reefs at certain times of the year. It can occur on, or around coral reefs, between the latitudes 35° north and 35° south. Reef fish ingest this dinoflagellate and larger fish that feed on the reef fish will take on the toxin. It is retained in the body of the fish or mammal permanently and never passes through. For some mysterious reason, it only affects some reefs in a given area and then

Barracuda are particularly susceptible to ciguatera toxins so unless its a small one I normally put them back.

again only at some non-forecastable times. The best source of information will be gained by asking local fishermen who will certainly know which reefs/areas may be affected.

Fortunately, open ocean pelagic fish are not affected but pelagic fish that have lived and fed on reef fish will sometimes be affected. It's something to keep an eye on essentially. Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

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Aquarama model “The plaything of the very rich back in the 1950s,” says manufacturer Ionian Interiors. “The Côte d’Azur, Cannes, Monaco, Lago di Como… A beautiful model to remind you of that elusive dream.” Perfect for the middle of the dining table. £545 ionianinteriors.com

B&G Nemesis An ususual and generous present and one that will get you kudos with any sailor who knows their stuff. You can even kickstart a fireside conversation about the fact that B&G has been on every Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Race winner since the round the world event started in 1973. The next edition of The Ocean Race starts in October 2022 in Alicante, finishing in Genoa in June 2023. B&G’s Nemesis screen range, as shown here in a photo by Amory Ross on 11th Hour Racing, is a “new generation of intelligent sailing displays offering unparalleled visibility, with complete customisation or easy to use multi-function templates and automatic dashboards based on your angle of sail”.

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

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bandg.com

Enjoy our selection of the must-have festive gifts for sailors

Robbe & Berking champagne flute

You can get your hands on one of these elegant silverplated flutes by winning the Centenarian of the Year prize in our sister title’s Classic Boat Awards, or if your yacht is a tiny bit newer than 100 years, then go straight to the Robbe & Berking website, where you’ll find this in the fine German silversmiths’ Belvedere Bar Collection. “The Belvedere drinking vessels resemble the cannelures of antique columns,” says Robbe & Berking. Supping champagne cocktails from one of these on 25 December is the kind of Christmas Day we could put up with. From €284 shop.robbeberking.com

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Rooster Aquafleece Hoodie This delightful hoodie from Rooster could come in super-handy if your Christmas includes a Boxing Day Freezer, or some such madness. We applaud anything that encourages the next generation to get afloat and the new Aquafleece Hoodie will keep them comfortably warm in the dinghy park pre and postsailing. Oversized, warm, slip on, water resistant, stretchy and soft inside, with large kangaroo pockets and a drawstring hood. Available for adults too. £79 roostersailing.com

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Sailing t-shirt In this personalised t-shirt, the British Isles are rendered in sailing tools and equipment. Your home port can be marked with a colour ‘pin’. Made from ‘super quality, 100% cotton’ and printed with solvent-free ink.

SOS Siren How does an MOB attract help when they don’t have the breath to blow a whistle? The SOS Siren is a wearable, water-resistant, shrill and loud alarm that can be used, reset and reused, so that it can be tested in training to gain familiarity. A simple idea that could save a life.

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 £25  sight-hound.co.uk

Own brand deckies

 Introductory offer for readers £29.95  optimumtime.co.uk

Steiner binocs Spinnaker watch

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A sailing-themed watch is a winner on Christmas Day and the admirably nautical range from Spinnaker will surely do the job.  Spinnaker-watches.co.uk

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Hard to say why a pair of binoculars is so desirable a gift, but maybe these new Steiners give some hint. Every bit as rugged and scientific as we’ve come to expect from the German manufacturer, the new Navigator range boasts a greater field of view, a rubber grip with particular water-repellence and the product is said to be waterproof to 5 metres. You can choose to have an integrated analogue compass.

Our UK-based readers are being offered free personalisation on Wuzzos premium boat shoes with free shipping (worth £20). To receive this, go to Wuzzos’ home page, scroll down to the “Club Wuzzos” banner and join. Once logged in, select your personalisation on Branklet or Whitaker shoes and discounts will be applied at checkout. Offer ends 31 December 2021. wuzzos.com

 From £399  steiner-optics.com

REVIEW Musto Flexlite Vapour range We’ve been using this kit all summer and can say it is possibly the most comfortable wetuit material we’ve ever tried. So comfortable, in fact, that word has spread and several of the editorial team have tried it (after sanitising, of course, at least once). My colleague Mark, who sails an RS200, tells me: “It has been perfect for me over various conditions. Coming in two parts, the wetsuit is snug, yet easy to put on. It is made from recycled materials and has a high-quality feel to it.” He then passed it onto his daughter’s boyfriend (like I said, it’s done the rounds), who says: “Used for a weekend of team racing at West Kirby in October the wetsuit was warm enough, whilst still being thin enough to providing the flexibility needed to throw a boat around during a team race. Furthermore, when taken windsurfing several more features became apparent: the neck seal does a good job avoiding any water coming down through the top, whilst avoiding being uncomfortable or leaving any marks on the neck; the drainage holes at the bottom of the wetsuit allow any water ingress to easily pass through; and the Kevlar reinforced knee pads offered plenty of knee protection.” We all agree that Musto have done a great job with their new Flexlite

Vapour range, and after all, it was good enough for the British Sailing Team. There are long-johns, a top and shorts - Rob Peake musto.com

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Boat Test ~Saffier SE27 Leisure

The new Saffier Se 27 Leisure offers a welcome change to the trend of ever-bigger daysailers. Smaller perhaps, but no less fun, as Riemer Witteveen finds out

Hitting the sweet spot?

PHOTOS KLAAS WIERSMA

W 76

hen Dutch boat building brothers Dennis and Dean Hennevanger asked me to test sail the Saffier Se 33 a couple of years ago, I obviously could not refuse. The boat was rather big for a daysailer, but also surprisingly simple to handle. Above all it was a fast machine. Not having sailed that kind of boat before, I was amazed by this take on sailing: no fuss with getting your boat prepped for a weekend away, just untie your lines and take

it for a spin. Like you would with a motorbike on a sunny day instead of loading up your caravan for hours. Shortly after testing that boat, the Hennevangers announced the even bigger Se 37 Lounge. I caught myself wondering what was next? Can they go even bigger? Isn’t 37 foot already too big for a boat you can’t even spend a two week holiday in? Then, by the end of 2019, the Hennevanger brothers announced the latest Saffier was in the pipeline and I was not disappointed. Instead of going bigger, they actually went smaller. The Se 27 Leisure is unmistakably a boat that fits within the more

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE

Effortless fast sailing in style is the name of the game

modern Elegance range of the yard, with sleeker lines and faster hulls than the more traditional looking Classic range. Dennis Hennevanger has always compared Saffiers with luxurious cars: “The Saffiers in the Elegance range are like supercars: good looking, fast and exciting to drive. Whereas the boats in the Classic range are more like the Jaguars and Bentleys.” As we walk down to the boat I look at my colleague Anke and I cannot help but state the obvious: “We have chosen a perfect day for this test!” Before casting off, Dennis shouts to me from the docks: “You

should take your shoes off!” I look down at my sneakers and think, okay, why not? There are no sharp edges anywhere and the cockpit seats, as well as the large aft deck, are covered with comfy cushions. Saffier’s Kay Heemskerk is also on board and takes his shoes off with a grin from ear to ear. “Ready for a spin?” he asks us. “Let’s go!”

Push-button sailing

We untie the lines and the standard electric Torqeedo engine helps us out of the berth, without making any noticeable sound. The cockpit of the Se 27 feels unconventional, but very much Saffier-like. There are two Harken winches on either side of the helm and a fair amount of lines running through clutches right in beside it. Kay quickly explains which line is the halyard and which are the sheets and trimming lines: “The nice thing about these electric winches is that they work both ways and you can control both of them from either side.” Soon the Elvstrom mainsail is up without any physical effort and shortly after we unfurl the big orange Code Zero. This push-button sailing is new to me. There are no winch handles in the cockpit and easing and pulling in the sheets is done with one finger on a button. The winches respond with a slight delay and that feels unnatural to me, sailing with a big kite like this Code Zero. It takes me close to 20 minutes to get the hang of it. The boat feels very light on its feet. With light winds up to 10 knots, we can still feel the boat heeling and

accelerating with every little puff of air. There is hardly any pressure on the rudder, but she responds quickly. “You should sail her like a dinghy,” says Kay. And I’m confused because I don’t know how I would sail a dinghy with electric winches without a sheet in my hand. I decide to push a bit harder and as I change position to the lee side of the boat, I lose control of the rudder as I feel the boat swiftly pointing towards the wind. I unwrap the mainsheet from the winch to release it a bit faster. When the boat is back under our control Kay is still laughing hard. “I told you, you should sail her like dinghy. Every bit of weight counts!” With his words ringing in my ears, we take off again hitting 7 knots of boat speed in the more vigorous puffs of breeze. All the helm needs is one finger to make little corrections. The boat feels completely in the groove and very assured.

ABOVE

Testing the aft lounging area

BELOW

(left) The hull is narrow and easily driven; (right) A self tacking jib makes life simple, while the fixed screen is a distinctive feature

Down below

As we throw out our anchor for a quick lunch, I go below decks to have a quick look around. Being 6’6” it’s not very spacious, but I can easily imagine falling asleep on one of the bunks after a long day of sailing. Of course, being a daysailer it’s designed for some hours of good fun before going back home to sleep in your own bed. This particular boat is equipped with a nice little (optional) fridge so you can enjoy some cold ones and keep your lunch fresh. It’s nice to have a bit of shelter from the rain, but don’t expect to comfortably play a game of Monopoly with the kids. Life is meant to be enjoyed outside on this little Saffier, but it’s nice to have the option to go away for a few days without having to set up a tent onshore anyway. With a bit of reluctance, I hand the wheel over. I wasn’t done playing yet, but I do have to admit

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Boat Test ~Saffier Se 27 Leisure

that the aft deck looks rather cozy in the sun. Even though the boat really does sail like an oversized dinghy, there’s no dinghy I know of that allows you for a quick snooze on deck while under sail. My colleague needs about the same amount of time to get used to this type of electric dinghy sailing, but soon we are flying again. We’ve flown downwind for the first half and we are eager to find out how she performs upwind. Close to the shore as we are now, the wind is

very shifty, so we have to be aware of every little gust. Our eyes track down little patches of wind on the water. The swift response on the rudder is very welcome in these conditions and the large main sail helps us forward. Suddenly a windshift comes in unannounced. The wind changes about 90 degrees to the lee side of the boat and without touching any button, the boat simply tacks itself and sails on within a matter of seconds. Try that with an ocean going boat!

THE VERDICT Dean and Dennis Hennevanger have the experience to successfully work out a new concept, no one thought they wanted. This daysailer is no exception and a very welcome addition to both their classic and more modern daysailers. This little brother of the Saffier 33 UD and 37 Lounge has a few feet less, but is

THE SPEC Length: 8.2m (26’9”) Beam: 2.6m (8’5”) Draft: 1.65m (5’4”) (standard) 1.05m (3’4”) (shallow version) Displacement: 1.900 kg Main: 24m2 (258sq/ft)

in no way a lesser boat. It’s got all the qualities and fun packed into 27 feet and it seems that Saffier has hit a sweet spot. Winning the European Yacht of the Year award makes perfect sense. PERFORMANCE: ★★★ ★★ LOOKS : ★★★ ★★ PRACTICALITY: ★★★ ★★

Self tacking jib: 15m2 (161sq/ft) Genoa (108%): 18m2 (193sq/ft) Contact: saffieryachts.com Price: €90.000 (base price includes motor but not sails (as tested) €160.000 excluding VAT (includes carbon rig and electric winches)

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE LEFT

The 27 displays many characteristics of a big dinghy

ABOVE RIGHT

The distinctive windscreen is a feature of all Saffier yachts

BELOW

Under sail in prime conditions; sunshine and a decent breeze

Feisty, and comfortable

Sailing back to the piers in front of IJmuiden is different. Surfing behind the Code Zero was exciting, but tacking to windward is far from boring. The wind has died a little. Still the speed gauge shows a pleasant 4.5 to 5 knots of boat speed, which is very rewarding. I’m amazed by how powerful this boat actually feels sailing close to the wind. Some tacks later, our time is up. As we roll up the sails in front of the harbour, I can’t help but to compare this feisty little daysailer with my own 48 year old Contessa 32. The boats are incomparable, but the simplicity of this concept is very addictive. The electric motor buzzes us into the berth and the sunburn and smile on my face says it all.

Go on, you know you Go on, you know you really want one…………… really Go on,want youone…………… know you Imperial International Yacht Brokers really want one…………… For more details of any of the Saﬃer Daysailer range contact For more details of any of the Saﬃer Daysailer range contact

Imperial International Yacht Brokers

on 01202 826800 or us atus sales@saﬃeryachts.co.uk on 01202 826800 oremail email at sales@saﬃeryachts.co.uk

For more details of any of the Saﬃer Daysailer range contact

Imperial International Yacht Brokers on 01202 826800 or email us at sales@saﬃeryachts.co.uk

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Cruising - Cape Horn

Cape Horn the hard way Veteran adventurer Bob Shepton recounts how he shepherded a group of school leavers around Cape Horn in a small cruising boat

his is me being awkward, and particular. It may seem I am splitting hairs, but I feel that in this case the terms we use are quite important. What am I on about? To quote from my own Addicted to More Adventure, hopefully soon to be published: ‘It always amuses me, or perhaps annoys me a little to be honest, when people sail out of Puerto Williams or Ushuaia, sail round Cape Horn island, go back again and say they have rounded the Horn. They have not, not in the

true sense of the word’. Rounding the Horn involves sailing from 50°S on one side of South America to 50°S the other side, which is a very different ball game. They may have sailed around Cape Horn island, which is an achievement because it can be stormy, but they have not 'rounded the Horn'.

A purists route

But why is it important? Well, for a start it does denigrate the achievement of those who have rounded the Horn properly, which requires a great deal more effort.

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Rough times off the Horn

But more than that, to my mind it is disrespectful to those sailors of yesteryear who rounded the Horn fully, 50°S to 50°S, in square rigged ships, in huge raging seas, in mighty winds, some against the prevailing wind east to west. To go to windward in those ships was an undertaking in itself, and for people to pop out from the Beagle Channel, sail around the island, go back and say they have rounded the Horn could be seen as an insult really. Our ‘ship’, some years ago now, may have been a good deal smaller, a Westerly 33 foot sloop, but at least we

'rounding the Horn' as we went, because we had passed through 50°S on the east side previously. It was hard work, long tacks back and forth according to the wind direction, against strong wind and gales. But we had been given some sage advice and encouragement. After our debacle with the mast on the first visit to Antarctica, we had met Jerome Poncet in his famous Damien Deux, the Antarctic guru of those times, and asked him about returning to Antarctica

ABOVE Dodo's Delight anchored in Stella Creef by Farady Base BELOW Jerome Poncet's famous yacht Damian Deux (left); we turn our backs on Antartica (right)

and continuing on round Cape Horn. ‘Cape Horn? Avril? Oui. More gales, less severe’, he said. He was proved completely correct; it was not the severity of the gales so much as their frequency that sticks in the mind. A night and day of gale or strong wind, a night of lesser wind, a day and night of gale, intermission, gale… continuously, though the 50s, 40s even into the 30s of latitude. We tried using the trysail as a storm mainsail, but it did not work

PHOTOS LAURENS MOREL; PAUL WYETH/ASW

did have fore and aft sails, and could make some progress to windward. In fact in those strong winds we could even make progress on a close reach to windward with just a number 3 jib, or even a storm sail – just. But even our rounding of the Horn was not without fault to the purist, because we went down to Antarctica on the way round. Twice in fact, because the mast fell down the first time – but that’s another story. But from there we continued on to Easter Island,

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

PHOTOS BOB SHEPTON

Cruising - Cape Horn

very well. I was taking the clew right back to an aft cleat as was the approved method in those days. I have since found attaching it to the end of the boom works better as it allows more tuning of the sail, though it is more elaborate to set up. We passed Cape Horn and 50°S on 13 April at 1800hrs and had rounded the Horn, having previously sailed through 50°S on the other side of South America on our way south. We struggled on, and gradually we made progress northwards, and then gradually again we began to slant westwards more towards Easter Island.

Schoolboy adventure

When I look back on it those lads did very well; they had until recently been school boys at the school where I was Chaplain – this was part of the first school group to sail round the world. People would probably hold them in high regard today, but at the time we just considered it the obvious next thing to do in the adventures we had been undertaking. Indeed Henchy – they all had nicknames by then – proved practically indispensable. He had been briefly in the Royal Engineers on leaving school (he was the only one being paid on the trip, for

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE L-R The original chart of the start of the trip; celebrating rounding the Horn BELOW L-R Cold, hard work in the Southern Ocean; the lads trying to get coconuts, Anakena Bay, Easter Island

adventurous activities!) and was able to fix the engine when we needed it later on in the calmer latitudes. Somehow, somewhere it was sucking air into the fuel pipe, and the engine kept cutting out. Dude was always highly competent and is now skipper of a vast charter yacht somewhere in the world. Pebs, though more laid back, was more skilled and savvier than he wanted you to know! We enjoyed the contrast, between the ice and cold of Antarctica and the heat and calm waters of the tropics, all on the same passage. In fact, Henchy went so far as to fix the solar shower we had on board

in the rigging, and to take a shower as we sailed gently along in balmy breezes. There were entries in the log like ‘I could eat a horse’, a play on the fact we were in the Horse Latitudes where mariners of old sometimes ate their horses if becalmed. Somewhere there we entered the Summer Zone, ‘we are now in the Summer Zone, you may take your thermals off ’. They must also have jumped into the sea for a swim as well, as there were dire threats against using the engine and spoiling their fun. It was a long passage, 3788nm taking 34 days. Eventually, we were approaching Isla de Pascua, Easter Island. But we were still not home yet,

even after coming all that way. It was a stormy night and the lights of Hangaroa obscured the anchorage. We had to heave-to for the night, and next day could still only make it round to the south side of the island to get shelter from the wind and to put our anchor down for a rest in Vanapu Bay. We checked in later. So, we had rounded the Horn. And, it had not been an easy thing to do. No quick fix! All this, by the way, is recounted in much fuller detail in my book, Addicted to More Adventure, with many other tales too. Sorry, I hate marketing, but I had to slip that in!

ABOVE L-R Crewmember Henchy enjoys a shower; first sighting of Easter Island BELOW L-R The iconic Moai on Easter Island

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bob Shepton is a semi retired adventurous sailor and climber. He has been a Royal Marines officer, a Reverend in London's East End, a school chaplain, and is an ordained minister in the Church of England. He has made 15 Atlantic crossings and carried out some 30 first ascents of mountains in Greenland and Arctic Canada. Bob may be embarrassed but nevertheless, Addicted to Adventure is published by Adlard Coles and can be purchased for the reasonable price of £9.99

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Endeavour Trophy

Diamond champions of champions Tough conditions made the battle to become the ultimate dinghy champion as challenging as it’s ever been, as the Endeavour Trophy celebrated its 60th edition. Sue Pelling reports

ight winds and extremely strong spring tides threatened to disrupt the opening day of the 60th anniversary Endeavour Trophy. Instead, four races took place in difficult, shifty conditions, with 31 top teams racing RS200s over windward-leeward courses. This unique event, hosted by Royal Corinthian YC, is strictly invitation only, with entries being offered to hand-picked national champions of a select number of dinghy classes. Its reputation has stood through six decades as the ultimate ‘champion of champions’ event. So it was little surprise when day one brought a different podium ranking in every race. Thames A Rater national champions – Ben Palmer and Amy Seabright – just emerged as overnight leaders

thanks to a consistent set of results, including three seconds, sitting just one point ahead of five-times Endeavour champ Nick Craig crewed by Katie Burridge (RS400). A string of top tens put Arran Holman crewed by eight-times past winner Toby Lewis (RS200) in third. After a tense day on the water, competitors and guests enjoyed the grand 60th anniversary Endeavour dinner with special guest speaker Keith Musto Olympic silver medallist at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and winner of the first ever Endeavour Trophy in 1961 - joining forces on stage with Stuart Bithell, gold medallist from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Day two dawned, and after a three-hour postponement waiting for the breeze to fill in, the fleet enjoyed the two final races of the Investec-sponsored Endeavour

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Champions from 31 classes made the lineup for this year's event RIGHT Aaran Holman and past-winner Toby Lewis (RS200) finished fourth overall

Trophy. An 8-9kt northerly breeze was just enough to allow for a decent windward-leeward course but the strong spring tide was, once again, the dominating factor. Winning the start was top priority.

Taking the lead in demonstrating this was Luke Patience and Mary Henderson (470), who were firmly back on track after an OCS the day before saw them black flagged from the opening race. It was imperative to take an immediate hitch over to the righthand side of the course out of the tide. For Patience/Henderson, once they were in control after a couple of perfect tacks, they were able to take advantage of the clear air and score their third win of the series, with Tom Morris and Guy Fillmore (RS800) second, and rivals Ben Palmer and Amy Seabright (Thames A Rater) a close third. With three points between the top two boats (Patience/Henderson and Palmer/Seabright) going into the second and final race of the day, the pressure was on. A battle took place off the start line but once again Patience/ Henderson were able to repeat their performance and secure another first, claiming the trophy and title. Palmer/Seabright were always in contention but they had to settle for a close second, giving them a solid

Junior talent This year it was impressive to note a number of junior teams in the running. Among them were Patrick Bromilow and Tabitha Davies (Optimist) who weigh just 90kg. This lightweight team made some first class starts and opened the first day’s racing with two third places. The highest placed juniors overall were Millie Irish and Joe Warwicker (RS

second place overall, ahead of Craig/Burridge in third overall. For Patience and Henderson, winning the 2021 Endeavour Trophy was a case of completing some unfinished business from the last Endeavour held in 2019. Patience recalls it well: “It almost feels like a bit of redemption from when we almost won two years ago but mucked up on a gybe on the last run. In a way it makes it even more special to have finally won the Endeavour. It was really great racing.” A delighted Henderson added: “Winning the Endeavour is a real life achievement and to become the champion of champions, helm or crew, is very special. Also, my dad [Will Henderson] will be delighted because this is his 21-year-old boat!” Back on shore, competitors and guests attended the 60th Endeavour prizegiving where the winners were presented with the spectacular solid silver model, and the half model of the America’s Cup J-Class yacht Endeavour.

ABOVE LEFT Luke Patience and Mary Henderson on their way to an overall win ABOVE Receiving the solid silver Endeavour Trophy from race director Edwin Buckley BELOW Patience/Henderson in control (blue hull) after a couple of perfect tacks

Winning ways Q&A with Luke Patience What was your secret to success in the tricky, light conditions? “In conditions like we had (on day one) the key is to first get a good start and not be over the line! The aim then was to try to make a clear path strategically not necessarily tactically. For us, it was a case of just trying to make sure we were in the right part of the ‘ocean’ all the time, while keeping in clear air.” What was the plan for day two? “In both races we managed to get free of the fray early and that was very important. We spent a lot of time before the racing chatting about our options and did a ton of transits on the line before the start so we could be accurate enough to get on port early.”

Feva). In the final race of day one, they stormed off the startline, made the most of the strong ebbing tide, sailed their own race and won by one minute 15 seconds. A solid performance on day two saw them place a very respectable seventh place overall. Irish commented: “We have learned so much this weekend. The biggest lesson was realising just how much even the tiniest mistake can cost you because everyone is so good!”

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Winter series

Winter warmers The temperatures may be dropping, but for many that means competitive sailing is hotting up. We turn the spotlight on winter racing

hether you’re supporting your own club series, travelling to a local open, or aiming for one of the high profile events this winter, the universal hope is that crisp blue skies and blustery winter winds prevail. After the trials of last winter’s lockdowns, sailors and organisers alike have their fingers crossed that covid remains at bay and the elements

conspire favourably in order for full race series to be completed. Let’s face it, nothing quite beats knowing you have given it your all in a solid couple of races before heading ashore to warm up and tuck into a Sunday roast. At the very least, winter series racing makes your senses tingle, and at most, lets you hone race skills, teamwork and resilience in a unique way that can really pay dividends for your performance when more clement weather returns.

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE J/70s embracing a breezy opener to this year's HYS Hamble Winter Series

Hamble's 40th winter

For many keelboat sailors, the pinnacle of cold weather racing is the HYS Hamble Winter Series. This year, the series celebrates its 40th anniversary. As well as a core of Corinthian sailors, the series also attracts many professional sailors and the latest classes. Event director, Trevor Pountain has been a member of host Hamble River SC since 1979, and is widely credited with introducing the concept of a winter series to the club shortly

PHOTO PAUL WYETH/HRSC

after joining. In its first year, run as a close of season club event, the event attracted over 60 boats - not bad for a newcomer series that was competing with established events elsewhere in the Solent, notably at Lymington. Over time, the Hamble Winter Series became the series to race in, with entries rocketing into the hundreds, as it gained a reputation as the proving ground for top sailors and up-and-coming fleets. Trevor believes the key to sustaining success over four decades

has been a flexible and friendly approach. He says: “Whenever a new class launches, we try to stay ahead; Sigma 33s, J/24s, 707s, J/109s and more recently the Fast 40s and now the Cape 31. Fleets come and go, but if a new class asks to join in racing we always try to accommodate them. “At the moment we also have a core group of around 40 boats that compete every year, which is also crucial to the series' success – boats such as Tokoloshe (Cape 31), With Alacrity (Sigma 38), Protis

(Quarter Tonner), Jago (J/109), Banter (Mustang 30) and Jiraffe (Cape 31). “We’re also encouraging the revival of the Hamble Nordic Folkboat class, which is enjoying a resurgence. “The other secret is good race management. If the racing is good, people will keep coming back. Our race management has been solid over the years, with some excellent people involved – Jamie Wilkinson, Stuart Childerley, Kathy Smalley, Peter Bateson and Ian Bullock. Even when the forecast isn’t favourable, Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Winter series

TOP TIPS: Get the most from winter racing 1. Windier weather is more likely, so adapt your set-up and boat handling accordingly 2. Adopt a positive mindset - embrace the cold rather than be put off by it 3. Keep training sessions short and focus on a pre-agreed list of priorities PHOTOS PAUL WYETH/HRSC; TIM OLIN/ SAILJUICE WINTER SERIES

4. Physically warm up before each race begins by practising key manoeuvres 5. Fuel your body correctly by eating well before, during and after racing

which is always a risk with winter racing, they will do their absolute best to complete the schedule. For example, in the opening weekend of this year’s series, the race team managed to complete five of the six races scheduled, despite strong winds at times on both days. “We also have over 50 volunteers

who work hard to make the series possible; testament to a great club – even if we don’t have a royal title like many of our Solent neighbours!”

What's in store?

The 2021 series continues with a total of eight race weekends scheduled, running now until the end of

ABOVE Quokka 9, Peter Rutter and James Crew's Half Tonner, clocked up some top results on HWS' opening weekend BELOW Breeze on: Nick Phillips and crew on J/70 Chaotic get ready to send it

November. As well as the main series, there is racing for the Hamble IRC Autumn Championship, the Hamble One Design Championship and the Hamble Big Boat Championship. After the disruption of 2020, which saw only the first half of the series completed before lockdown stopped play, organisers and sailors are looking forward to as much racing as possible. Certainly the opening weekend saw plenty of close competition, with 18-25 knots testing those in the J/70, Impala and IRC classes in terms of boat handling and nerves! An exciting start to the series. HRSC is delighted to have support from a number of series sponsors, including title sponsor, Hamble Yacht Services, and also to be supporting

TOP TIP: Dress for the weather Investing in the right kit can really make all the difference, allowing you to get better enjoyment from your winter sailing and ultimately improve your results. Many pro sailors Y&Y speak to list this as their top priority!

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Dinghy racing local disability charity, Wetwheels Hamble. Competitors will get an up-close view of the Wetwheels vessel, in use as one of the committee boats.

ABOVE The Selden SailJuice Winter Series attracts hundreds of entrants with its innovative handicap format

TOP TIP: Make use of time on shore

BELOW The HWS has a core of regular competitors, such as Mike and Susie Yates' J/109 Jago - key to its 40 year success

While it may not always be possible to race or train over winter, don’t forget there are plenty of other useful ways to spend your time this winter. Why not take an online course, keep your strategy skills sharp with some virtual racing, brush up on your knowledge with a good book, or invest time in that all important boat maintenance? When you do next get on the start line you will be one step ahead.

For dinghy sailors looking for some serious winter racing, Seldén SailJuice Winter Series has become the go-to. For 2021-22, the 13th edition of the series comprises nine events which will bring hundreds of dinghy racers from around the country together. Running between November and February, the series typically attracts up to 100 different types of boat. The innovative Great Lakes Handicap system continues to be refined to ensure highly competitive racing. With some fleets also choosing events to double as their winter championship, some bumper turn outs could be in store. New for this year, a North & South Day is set for 27 December when the Yorkshire Dales Brass Monkey and the Burghfield Breezer events will take place simultaneously. This winter, competitors will count their four best scores from the nine events. With the uncertainties around covid still around, and only one event completed last winter, organisers are erring on the side of caution with the aim to have sufficient events to constitute a viable series even if some are unable to go ahead.

Competitors can expect more YouTube briefings and virtual prizegivings - just two initiatives of recent years, which have helped make events not only covid safe but also more efficient to deliver. Organiser Andy Rice is cautiously optimistic. He says: “The mood now is very different after the vaccination programme and the sense that we’re getting back to some kind of normality. I think it’s well proven that sailing is one of the safest things you can do in relation to covid risk. And as we saw last winter, if the 'Great British Dinghy Sailing Public' have to use the cars and vans as changing rooms, it won’t deter them from going sailing! “Our title sponsor Selden Mast, along with many British boatbuilders, are run off their feet with busy order books, so we anticipate many of the events selling out in advance, just as they have done in recent years." Andy believes the competition this year will be particularly open. “After three years of domination in their 2000, Simon Horsfield and Katie Burridge have switched to the RS500. The 2000 handicap has tightened up under the Great Lakes numbers, so now we’ll see if Simon and Katie can make a similar dent on the RS500 handicap!”

Forthcoming events 20-21 November

Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash

11-12 December

Datchet Flyer

27 December

Yorkshire Dales Brass Monkey Burghfield Breezer

2 January

Grafham Grand Prix

8 January

Bloody Mary at Queen Mary SC

22 January

King George Gallop

5-6 February

John Merricks Tiger Trophy at Rutland SC

19 February

Oxford Blue Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Three of the best

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X-442 | XII BAR BLUES The X-442 was conceived as a cruising yacht to be equipped for comfortable long-distance sailing while providing the outstanding sailing performance for which X-Yachts are justifiably famous. The X range is also notable for the quality of construction and the 442 is no exception. All scantlings, right from the laminate of the hull and decks to the dimensions and choice of materials for the rudder stock, keel bolts and chainplates are controlled and approved by the American Bureau of Shipping XII Bar Blues has cruised successfully in the English Channel, The Iberian Peninsula & Algarve, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. She has a 14-day transatlantic crossing to her credit and is quite capable of 200 miles a day in the right conditions. Apart from the ARC crossing she has never been raced. Since 2006 she has been kept ashore apart from the two or three months of the year when she cruises the western Mediterranean. In 2010-12 she was the subject of a substantial refit which included renewal of the solid rod standing rigging, a new 5Kva generator, the addition of a retractable bow thruster and the replacement of the underwater epoxy protection.

FOUNTAINE PAJOT LUCIA 40 | ESCAPE The Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40 won the coveted European Yacht of the Year award in 2017 a year after launch thanks to its blend of sprightly performance with masses of internal volume and good levels of comfort. Escape is as close to like new as possible, cared for by very meticulous owners and very lightly used (only approx 200 hours). If you are looking for a nearly new 40ft Catamaran - this is it. The boat was fully serviced in spring 2021 and is now ready to go sailing. Just select your destination. Year: 2019

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OYSTER 575 | SOPHISTIKATE Bluewater cruising at its finest from Rob Humphreys and Oyster in 2011, Sophistikate is hull number eight of the sisterhood. Specified for a world cruise, she has sailed to New Zealand with these owners without fuss as part of the Oyster World Rally, before shipping to the Mediterranean. She features an automated Formula rig with Reckmann forward. The lovely oak interior has room enough for eight. She has just completed a pitstop including a review of her rig and has now just been reduced in price to £795,000 + VAT. Features include a large well protected cockpit, twin wheels, watermaker, air conditioning, Raymarine electronics and Apple entertainment. She also comes with many custom updates and enhancements ordered and executed at build. She can be seen via Berthon Spain in Palma de Mallorca. Year: 2011 Accommodation: 8 berths in 4 cabins Length: 17.89m (58’8”) Beam: 5m (16’4”) Max Draft: 2.7m (8’10”) Displacement: 27,250kg (60,076lb) Engine: VW Marine TDI 150 Lying: Palma de Mallorca Contact: berthoninternational.com craftinsure quote: £POA Insure your yacht with Craftinsure - boat insurance at the touch of a button. Get a quote online or call today: craftinsure.com; 0345 2607 888 DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Cruising - Black Sea to Bosphorous

Before the curtain fell: Black Sea 1987 Rod Heikell recalls an adventurous trip across the Black Sea in an era when the USSR still existed, Margaret Thatcher was our leader and the Pet Shop Boys were number one

PHOTOS ROD HEIKELL/ISTOCK

ur voyage in 1987 was in Rozinante, a Mirror Offshore 18 that is not the most agile sailing boat Van de Stadt designed. The voyage down the Danube started in Regensburg in Germany and continued on downstream through the eastern bloc to Constanta on the Black Sea. Being unable to get fuel in Romania the 200 mile passage to Istanbul took four days under sail. After a breather in Istanbul we sailed Rozinante on through the Marmara Sea to the Aegean and down to Bodrum on the Turkish coast. This voyage was made before the

Iron Curtain tore and the former satellites of the USSR broke free from their communist masters. 24th August: We departed after the Romanian officials arrived at midday - they had said they would be there by eight in the morning. We left with the warning that we must proceed straight out to sea until we were 10 miles off the coast before changing course for Bulgaria. We had a fair wind in the afternoon and through the night although the tubby little Rozinante was only making 3-4 knots under sail. She didn’t come equipped with a big genoa, just the main and the working jib in bright red plastic of some sort, but still we

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Rozinante, Rod's trusty Mirror 18 Offshore

were happy to be under way and things were going smoothly enough. We took three hour watches so that the person off-watch had just three hours to get some sleep. This system had worked well enough before and both of us were soon into the rhythm of a longer passage that should take around 2½ days at this speed. I was back to dead reckoning to get us down to the Bosphorus and Istanbul with just a chart, our estimation of speed and the compass bearing. That night we had a celebration dinner of fried rice with the few vegetables we had been able to find in Romania and some leftover tins from the saloon locker. The

fire up the outboard and make at least a couple of knots in the right direction instead of wallowing in the swell left over from the breeze. As we sat in the cockpit after dinner I heard the low thrum of big diesels. In the hazy twilight it was difficult to make out the exact direction the noise was coming from. And then I spotted the grey outline of a large patrol boat idling along around half a mile off our port side. We sat there mesmerised while it passed and thanked our lucky stars that the patrol boat, likely Bulgarian, had not seen us. Then I heard the diesels approaching again and spotted the patrol boat coming back on a reciprocal course, but a bit closer to us. We watched it pass and then tried to catch the little wind that there was to get

ABOVE LEFT The Romanian city of Constanta, Rozinante's departure point ABOVE RIGHT Rozinante under full sail - such as it was BELOW Moored up on the Danube

us on our way. Fat chance. I’m pretty sure they must have located us somehow, but perhaps because we were so small and the mast so short, they couldn’t get a good radar echo off us. For another two hours the diesels growled around us in the dark before the patrol boat finally pottered off elsewhere. 26th August: We wallowed on towards the Bosphorous in a patchy breeze doing just a couple of knots when we were lucky. Still the dead reckoning plots were slowly dawdling towards the northern entrance to the Bosphorus. In the afternoon we had a plague of flies that was like something out of the plagues in the Bible. Hundreds of little flies arrived on board, buzzing around everywhere. Fortunately, they were not ‘bitey’ flies, but they were annoying, settling all over the boat and down below as well. And then like some Biblical deliverance two visitors arrived on board. Two diminutive fly-catchers landed in the cockpit. They seemed to have come from Turkey and be headed towards the Danube delta. In no time at all they were snapping up the plague of flies with good appetite. I caught a couple of flies and held them between my

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

PHOTOS LAURENS MOREL; PAUL WYETH/ASW

water tank was full and I produced a bottle of Bulgarian red that had been stowed for the occasion. In a light-hearted moment after the wine was finished, I wrote a note saying who we were, where we were, and added my address in England for good measure before corking the bottle up and casting it over the side. Over a year later a letter arrived in the post with a Bulgarian stamp on it. A couple walking on the beach had found the bottle with a message in it, but then had to find someone to translate the note inside. ‘We are thinking of you in your little boat. If you come to Bulgaria please come to see us - you will be welcome’. It was a warming coda to the trip from Bulgaria. 25th August: Rozinante bounded on through the night and we had high hopes for a swift passage - well, as swift as you can be in a Mirror Offshore 18 which is really not that swift at all. By the afternoon of our second day at sea we were off Burgas, but as the wind was fair for Turkey, I decided not to enter Bulgaria and to continue on towards the Bosphorous. By the evening the wind had dropped and I was beginning to regret my rash decision. In Burgas I’m sure we could have found fuel and then we could

Cruising - Black Sea to Bosphorous

fingers for the flycatchers to take. There was just an imperceptible ‘pick’ as the birds plucked the flies from my fingers and then nimbly flew off to catch their own. In the late afternoon one of the flycatchers departed, but the other seemed to have made himself at home. He sat on our hands, on my head, flew below and checked out the accommodation. By dusk the flies had gone, but our flycatcher was not done yet. He or she spied some giant moths migrating across the sea, moths that were almost as big as he/she is. Up the flycatcher went and then there was the most amazing dogfight as the moth jinked and dived to avoid the bird. For at least 10 minutes the dogfight went on like something out of World War II. Eventually the flycatcher wrestled the huge moth back to the boat and sat for a while getting its breath back while the moth flopped about in the cockpit. And then this diminutive bird started to eat this huge meal. And somehow finished it. How would it take off again? But an hour

later it heaved itself off the deck and set off towards the Danube delta. The whole show cheered us up no end and our slow progress under sail was all but forgotten. We were still headed in the right direction and we still had food and water. 27th August: My birthday. For my 38th year I decided we could postpone celebrations until we got to Istanbul since we had no alcohol left on board and we were down to eating tinned and dry goods. Not that I was complaining. Romania was hardly a place to buy the makings of a birthday feast. I knew we were getting closer to the Bosphorous as the amount of shipping coming and going had increased and we needed to keep a good lookout by day and night. There were fishing boats around as well, mostly the big Black Sea trawlers with top-heavy superstructures that often changed course to take a look at us. I was tempted to ask one of them for some fuel but having come this far with just a dribble left in the tank I figured we could make it OK.

DECEMBER 2021 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Two views of the entrance to the Bosphorous BELOW The waterfront at Istanbul was a most welcome sight OPPOSITE Istanbul in all its glory

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rod Heikell is a noted sailor and author of innumerable pilot guides covering the Seven Seas. By the Edge of the Sea is a collection of writings about the Mediterranean. Go to taniwhapress. com to order a copy

28th August: Around midday I was confident that we were near the entrance to the Bosphorous. I’d been pretty blasé on the surface about my dead reckoning for the trip from Constanta, but for the last night and all of today I’d had niggling doubts about it after four days at sea. I did use the trick of old and made my dead reckoning course slightly west of the entrance so that when I sight land, I'd know I need to turn left a bit to find the entrance to the Bosphorous. There were tons, literally thousands of tons, of shipping around and a lot of local traffic as well. Once into the entrance I had just enough fuel left to crank the diesel up and get us into the Bosphorous against a rising head-wind. Something over halfway down the Boshorus is Bebek, a bight in the coast full of local yachts that wouldn’t normally have a place for an average sized yacht. In Rozinante I squeezed into a gap and moored up. The local ‘fixer’ came down to protest, but when I told him we had just come from Romania he took a long look at me, at Rozinante, at the sky, and then shook his head telling me it is ‘no problem’. Thank you, God, whoever you are, because I didn’t have any diesel left. After Romania, Istanbul seemed like paradise, a land of plenty where you could buy food in the shops and dine on dishes in the restaurants that were unimaginable in Romania. On the day after we arrived I found my partner Bridget had bought four loaves of bread during the day, a reflex action after Romania she said, in case it wasn’t available tomorrow. We luxuriated in the comfort of this old city and both of us had a certain glow of pride at getting there in one piece.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

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MIRACLE DINGHY, NO 741, READY TO SAIL. Boat Built by Bell Woodworking completed 22/9/76. Complete Wooden Hull - Fully restored by Ian Kelly - Original Sails, has 2 spinnakers - one GP14 cutdown. Replaced Mast in 2000 for racing rigged. Various Covers plus Combi Trailer. £1500 Tel 07739 755470 / (LICHFIELD)

MIRROR 14 (MARAUDER). 14 foot racing dinghy with spinnaker & trapeze. With launching trolley and boom-up cover. £150 Tel 07913 604 574 / (STAINES) MIRROR DINGHY. Mirror dinghy No.64859 for sail. Never sailed. Stored in garage since built. All parts still in original package, Stainless Steel rigging. £700.00. £700 Tel 07798 828733 / (DARLINGTON)

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting DECEMBER 2021

Jess Lloyd-Mostyn Part of the magic of long term blue water cruising is that it affords sailors the privilege of seeing all sorts of exotic birds and beasts in their natural habitat

he highlights of good day-sailing are all about efficient trim and nifty manoeuvres; passage-making is focussed on covering mileage and reaching a new destination. Sailing long-term and globally has many highpoints but by far the most wonderous for us is the opportunity to come up close with animals that you normally only see on an Attenborough programme on the BBC. From orangutans to whale sharks, lemurs to elephants, birds of paradise and Komodo dragons, there are a lot of us sailors who go out of our way for the chance to catch a glimpse of a creature naturally, in it’s own habitat, without any fees, fences or formalities involved. As such there are particular places on a circumnavigation route that we’re willing to detour from in order to enjoy one of these rare and magical encounters. But of course, the tricky thing with any animal in the wild is that there is never any guarantee that you will see them. Humpback whale breeding season in the South Pacific happily overlaps with when cruisers are heading westwards across the same ocean so it’s understandable that many choose to dawdle in the waters around Tonga in order to dive or snorkel near these gigantic beasts. However, it was our unintentional meeting with a humpback en route to Tahiti that struck me far more as the random surprise of it knocked the breath out of me. A huge dark shape was moving towards our yacht at a pace and, upon realising it was a whale, James and I both had fleeting worries of being rammed. We were under full sail but the winds were light and soon the grey mass slipped alongside us, stretching the full 12 metres of our length. As luck would have it the whale was just as curious about us as we were about it and it kept level for some while, giving us all time to check each other out. At one point it rolled over and showed off it’s vast white belly before slowly turning back over and blowing us a kiss of briny air from it’s blowhole in salute. In Costa Rica we had barely risen for breakfast and were sipping coffee in the cockpit when a large saltwater crocodile started circling the boat. He was so big and

looked very much like a modernday dinosaur, all leathery scales and reptilian eyes, ancient, wise and powerful. We decided that was not the place to clean the hull. On a mooring in Singapore our trips ashore were often punctuated by watching the large sea-otters scramble up the beach and take leisurely family sand baths, mere metres away from our feet. They seemed so relaxed and at ease, while still keeping an eye on the nearby human interlopers, and they had pups with them. They’d frolic for five minutes or so and then slowly slip back into the water to fish. In New Zealand a stand-up paddleboard session could quickly turn into getting right next to bottlenosed dolphins. I remember my husband taking turns with the children, them balancing on the board as he deftly steered it along the shoreline at the anchorage where the dolphins were obligingly playing. They often accompany our boat underway too, dancing at the bow while we gaze down at them, the little ones giggling with delight. It’s amazing how these moments become part of your sailing journey, almost to the point where you forget how bizarre and extraordinary each tale would be when told to your friends back in the UK. The noise of the cockatoos or hornbills flying overhead in the morning; the chirp of the geckos and cicadas; the monkeys climbing the masts in the Malaysian marina again, or the fruit bats stealing your provisions. Our kids’ first experiences of snorkelling were with giant manta rays gliding around them and turtles darting about in the water ahead. When they go ashore to a playground it’s likely to have the odd visiting yelping peacock or they spot a troop of monkeys running up the slide or trying to snatch their flipflops. And as the boat is our home it makes it even more miraculous. Imagine lifting your living room curtains and glancing out at racoons or orcas, camels or giant monitor lizards, scarlet macaws or wild boar on any given day. Yes, it’s incredible and we are aware of the all-too-painful truth that our lives won’t always be this way. So it’s important to recognise and relish this rare fairy-tale ocean view, and share the story with as many as we can of the wild creatures we meet along the way.

DECEMBER 2021 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

‘As luck would have it the whale was just as curious about us as we were about it’

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