Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting May 2022

NEW SAILING SKILLS SECTION

with MULTIHULL S P EC I A L LATEST CATS AND TR I S

MAY 2022 £4.95

YOUR SUMMER OF SAILING

TOM CUNLIFFE Channel crossing: best lesson I learned

47 regattas

and events Plot your season here!

One foot under the keel

CLUB OF THE YEAR Who got your votes

CHICHESTER MARINA What visitors need to know

9 771367 586148

SHOAL WATER DRIFTERS

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TIME FOR CHANGE Hannah Mills on creating pathways for female sailors

HI-TECH FOULIES New sailing kit for 2022 SOLENT SPRING TIDE Perfect weekend guide

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REGULARS

8 News 36 Paul Heiney 38 Andy Rice 44 Tom Cunliffe 98 Jess Lloyd-Mostyn

UNDER SAIL

20 Society Islands Jenevora Swann takes us on a voyage through a Pacific paradise

48 A weekend in the Solent Clive Loughlin sets out from Southampton to eplore the Solent and its environs

52 RORC Caribbean 600

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56

Highlights from this closely-fought event

56 Round the Island Counting down to the iconic race for all

70 Interview Hannah Mills on equality and sustainability

74 Gulls Eye Chichester Marina in West Sussex

78 Regatta guide Our comprehensive guide to the UK’s best multi-class races and regattas

92 Dinghy Show We look back at a super successful event

BOATS

16 New boat news

66

A special preview of world premieres at the upcoming Multihull Show

40 On test: Libertist 853

60

Rupert Holmes tests a high speed trimaran

66 On test: Lagoon 65 We take a spin in a luxurious catamaran

90 Three of the Best Three of the finest brokerage boats

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EXPERT’S FORUM

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27 NEW! Expert’s Forum

Advice covering everything from racing techniques to cruising conundrums

GEAR

60 Buyer’s Guide New waterproofs and clothing for the spring season

88 Launched Our picks and reviews

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting NOVEMBER 2020

3

M ADE FO R ROUGH SE AS. The new OS2 Offshore system and Offshore Boot offer complete top to toe protection for offshore sailors.

Available now at gillmarine.com

Welcome

EDITORIAL EDITOR

Sam Jefferson 020 3943 9261 sam.jefferson@chelseamagazines.com Georgie Corlett-Pitt georgie.corlett-pitt@chelseamagazines.com GROUP EDITOR Rob Peake

Skipper’s View BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO TWO MAGAZINES WE KNOW AND LOVE

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)

Subscriptions and back issues Tel: +44 (0) 1858 438769 Annual subscription rates: UK £69 ROW £81 Email: sailingtoday@subscription.co.uk Online: Did you know you can manage your subscription online? Oversee your print and digital subscriptions online today simply by signing up at https://www. subscription.co.uk/chelsea/Solo/. Stay up to date with the latest issues, update your personal details, and even renew your subscription with just a click of a button.

Post: Sailing Today, Subscriptions Department, Chelsea Magazines, Tower House, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street Market Harborough LE16 9EF

WELCOME to the May issue in which I can announce the exciting news that Sailing Today and Yachts & Yachting will continue as one magazine from now on. Thank you for all your positive feedback – sailing is a broad church and there are many good things that come from looking at the sport as a whole as opposed to remaining in the straitjacket of 'cruising' or 'racing'. Our all-encompassing, amalgamated magazine will continue to bring you the very best from across the full gamut of sailing. This issue we also kick off a new monthly section, Experts' Forum, where experienced sailors share advice and knowledge to help your own cruising and racing.

We hope you find it useful - and please don't hesitate to let us know topics you'd like to hear about. And, to make this issue even bigger, we also go big on multihulls. This is an ideal starting point, because until recently, nothing demonstrated the gap between cruising and racing more starkly than the multihull. I recall that at the tender age of 10 or so, I decided that I was going to be a yacht designer. In these early days I experimented with wooden models of varied hull forms and sailed them on a nearby pond - slowly. That was until I stumbled on some balsa and a book all about Tony Bullimore's trimaran Apricot. Suddenly model boat sailing was transformed by boats that made me sprint around the pond to intercept. Later the neighbour's dog ate my two balsa trimarans and clearly, psychologically, i haven't quite recovered. Later still I became a sailing instructor and was able to give clients a choice between Hobie Cats or Lasers for their lessons. Every time I would pray for the Hobie as it was joyous and exhilarating. By this time it was thoroughly lodged in my head that multihulls were essentially all about the fun. It was only when I test sailed my first cruising multihull for this magazine that I realised that there was something else to multihulls. Because, of course multihulls can supply accommodation more roomy than many London apartments. Unfortunate;ly, some of these early boats handled with all the poise of said apartment. Yet things are definitely changing and, these days, cruising multihulls can deliver rides almost as fun as the Hobies I used to teach on. In this respect the gap between cruising and racing is bridged, with manufacturers taking the best of both worlds to provide a great product. We plan to do the same with the new magazine. facebook.com/ SailingToday

editor@ sailingtoday.co.uk

twitter.com/ SailingTodayMag

CONTRIBUTORS

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission in writing. Every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information in Sailing Today, but no responsibility can be accepted for the consequences of actions based on the advice portrayed herein.

The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd makes every effort to ensure that the advertising contained in this magazine is delivered from responsible sources.

We cannot, however, accept any responsibility for transactions between readers and advertisers. For the Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd full set of terms and conditions please go to chelseamagazines.com/terms-and-conditions

Also part of the Chelsea Marine Magazines family:

chelseamagazines.com

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 MAY 2022

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Fifty shades of blue After the long winter months we are probably all ready for a spot of colour therapy. What better treat for the eyes than this magnificent shot of yachts anchored off Manta Point on the island of Motu Pitiahe part of the Society Islands. Turn to p20 for a full story on cruising this paradise.

Photo: Jenevora Swann

News

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

Budworth Sailing Club has been named as winner of the 2022 RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year Award, supported

by Gallagher.

The Cheshire club was one of 10 finalists selected by the RYA awards panel and ultimately crowned by a public vote. The coveted trophy was presented by the British Sailing Team’s Sam Whaley on 26 February at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show, after the finalists were introduced by the RYA’s CEO Sara Sutliffe.

Budworth SC was recognised for implementing changes which have attracted more members of all ages and backgrounds into the sport, including volunteer run open days

Photo: Paul Wyeth/RYA

Budworth wins Club of the Year award

and dedicated sessions for newcomers. Having been recently recognised as an RYA training centre, the club is also now able to offer a range of RYA courses.

About Budworth Sailing Club “The club is based in breathtakingly beautiful countryside between Warrington and Northwich where its 450 members are enjoying the club’s 75th year. Club members have worked incredibly hard to make it an oasis for people to enjoy during the pandemic, even managing an open day in late summer last year where more than 200 people enjoyed a taster sail.

The club is thriving with its membership and participation levels soaring.

“Last year Budworth became an RYAregistered training centre enabling us to offer training to take people from absolute beginners to competent sailors, and then through our ‘better sailor’ coaching to become dinghy and board racers. Training is for both adults and for kids, with the club running a fantastic junior training program on Sunday mornings. The club runs more than 1000 races per year. We are famous for fleet racing where sailors compete in equal boats.

“We are so proud of our juniors in 2021: the Budworth team, in an exciting last few laps, managed to just win the National 12hour Junior Race and two club members also going ahead to win the coveted GP14 National Youth Championships.

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

“To go with the activity of sailing is that social aspect, with club members enjoying picnics and barbeques on the shore, our juniors enjoying the fun of outdoors, friends and the freedom of being on and in the water. The club’s galley is the place to enjoy a snack between sailing and that all important drink is available at the club bar, the perfect way to share the experiences of the day.

Add to that myriad social events throughout the year and you can see that sailing is not the only attraction of the club. The club offers training, boats, and every support for people to start to sail. It is a club run by its members for its members, open to all.”

Applications for RYA Club of the Year 2023 will open in August. For information about how to get involved visit rya.org.uk/cluboftheyear

Commodore Bill Kenyon said: “It feels amazing.

The award is for the sailing club, all the people that make the place what it is. It’s an amazing achievement.”

Rob Clark, RYA Director of Sport Development, said: “A huge congratulations to Budworth SC. It’s been great to have the opportunity to recognise the amazing efforts of clubs and the volunteers who are central to success, especially at a time when we we’re seeing an unprecedented amount of people wanting to spent time on the water. Every club recognised are worthy finalists and it’s been wonderful to be able to celebrate their success.”

Find Budworth Sailing Club at budworthsc.org.uk

RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year finalists for 2022 RYA Scotland: Aberdeen & Stonehaven Yacht Club RYA North West: Arnside Sailing Club (Heart of the Community) RYA Northern Ireland: Ballyholme Yacht Club RYA South: Brading Haven Yacht Club (Sustainability) RYA Midlands: Chelmarsh Sailing Club (Inclusive and Open to All) RYA South West: Exe Sailing Club RYA South West: Flushing Sailing Club RYA South: Lymington Town Sailing Club (Modern and Innovative) RYA North East: Teesdale Sailing & Watersports Club Bartley Sailing Club, Filey Sailing Club and Warsash Sailing Club were awarded Certificates of Commendation for their work over the last year.

Prizes were provided by: Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting; RS Sailing; Gallagher; Spinlock; Datatag; Icom; Overboard; Sacqua; The Green Blue.

News

NEWS BRIEFS Fastest on land Emirates Team New Zealand, holders of the America’s Cup, will attempt to break the Land Speed Record in a vehicle being co-designed and built by its existing team.

Pilot Glenn Ashby, part of the America’s Cup core crew, is looking for suitable places to make the attempt in August this year.

Sailing and Ukraine Regattas and classes across the world suspended the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes, race officials and boats, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

World Sailing said Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials would not be allowed to take part “in World Sailing-owned and sanctioned competitions and events until further notice”.

World Sailing said: “We are now strongly urging our Member National Authorities [countries that are World Sailing members], Class Associations, affiliated bodies, and all event organizers to implement the measure to suspend the participation of Russian or Belarusian athletes and officials in their respective events and competitions. Where this is not possible, due to short time frames, for organizational, or legal reasons, World Sailing, in line with the IOC Executive Board recommendation, is advising event organizers do everything in their power to ensure that Russian or Belarusian athletes (be it as individuals or teams), and officials participate neutrally, without national symbols, colours, flags, or anthems.”

The RYA issued a supporting statement, as did various Olympic classes, including the Formula Kite, iQFoil, and 470 organisations.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and the TP52 Class were among those who followed suit, the decision impacting Vladimir Liubomirov’s Bronenosec Gazprom team, which finished sixth in the 2021 World Championship and the 52 SUPER SERIES. Sail Training International also issued a statement, with chairman Jonathan Cheshire saying: “The four host ports of this summer’s Tall Ships Races Esbjerg, Harlingen, Antwerp and Aalborg - informed us that their governments in Denmark, The Netherlands and Belgium have forbidden access to Russian-flagged vessels to any of their ports.

“Under these circumstances, Sail Training International is not in a position to supersede the directives from sovereign countries.”

The decision affects a handful of Russian-flagged ships in the fleet, including the Shtandart, which is a replica of a Russian warship built by Peter the Great in 1703 to defend the newly founded Saint Petersburg.

The ship’s captain Vladimir Martus, pictured left, who is half Russian and half Ukrainian, said the decision threatened the financial future of the ship.

He wrote a letter to the “ports of Europe”, saying: “Shtandart has left Russia 10 years ago, because I did not agree with Mr Putin’s policy and corruption. And for 10 years myself and the ship are sailing as a homeless child without a chance to return home. Now the Tall Ships Races office intent to punish me, the trainees, the ship and kill her survivability.”

Captain Martus wrote: “In 1992 I took part in Brest Festival. I remember how happy people from all nations were to meet, to talk, to communicate freely – Russians, French, Dutch, Belgium, all nations.

“That finally happened, after so many years behind the Iron Curtain and Berlin Wall. And now ‘the political situation’ tells you to stop all that and reverse…to build the Wall again?”

Stu back in SailGP Stuart Bithell, Tokyo gold medallist with Dylan Fletcher in the 49er, is the new wing trimmer for the Switzerland SailGP team, joining forces with his former 49er adversary Sébastien Schneiter, who helms the boat. Bithell was part of the Great Britain SailGP team for season one.

Musto to provide elite kit Musto and the British Sailling Team renewed their partnership, with Musto providing kit for the 60 elite sailors supported by the BST over the next four years. Musto first partnered with the British Sailing Team in 2009.

MDL take online bookings Those booking visitor berths at MDL Marinas can do so online from April. mdlmarinas.co.uk Uffa celebration A series of shoreside events and a regatta will take place from 18-21 August in Cowes to celebrate the life and career of Uffa Fox, who died 50 years ago in 1972. The focal point will be Cowes Parade where there will be a display of around 50 dinghies designed

by Uffa Fox, a number of which go back to the 1920s. More than 100 boat owners are taking part in the event including Fireflys, National 12s, International 14s, Redwings, Albacores, National 18s, Jollyboats, Flying Fifteens, Fox 18s and 24s and Atalanta. uf50.org

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

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News

Q&A IAN MCMANUS MD, NOBLE INSURANCE GROUP

Promoting female sailing After a successful launch last year, the “global women’s sailing festival” called Steering the Course will be held again

by World Sailing this summer.

There will be events staged in 27 countries, aiming to create opportunities for women and girls to “get into sailing and encourage pathways into coaching and race management”.

Catherine Duncan, Training & Development Executive at World Sailing, said: “Last year we saw regattas, windsurfing, kitesurfing and e-sailing events, as well as virtual forums with female Olympians and sailing industry role models – and we saw many ‘try sailing’ days, which have now transformed into regular sailing classes.”

All sailing organisations around the world are being invited to sign up to Steering the Course 2022, in the Northern Hemisphere from 20-29 May, and in the Southern Hemisphere from 30 September-9 October.

Visit sailing.org

The UK has been battered by storms.

What does that mean for boat insurers? There’s no question that weather patterns are changing and storms are becoming both more frequent and more severe. Over time this will affect both insurers and customers as premiums will inevitably have to increase to cover storm losses.

Have you seen new boat owners coming in over the pandemic?

Yes, we have seen this across most craft types and it’s great to see.

Most have purchased sensibly, lots of paddle boards, dinghies etc, but we have also seen people without experience buying boats that are not suitable. It’s not our role to police who uses the water but our existing customers don’t want premiums going up as a result of us taking on poor risks either. We try and offer guidance and point these people in the direction of training and professional advice.

Does Noble offer insurance for paddleboarders, kayakers etc?

Definitely, we cover most boat types from canoes and paddleboards to yachts. Our policy also allows for customers to insure all their boats under a single policy making life a bit easier, and cheaper too.

200 years of saving lives HM Coastguard marks 200 years of lifesaving in 2022.

The anniversary of the founding of the Coastguard, in January, was celebrated by members of teams in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland casting throwlines into the seas, as a symbol of the service’s work.

Throwlines still form part of the lifesaving kit used by the Coastguard.

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

There’s a perception among some sailors that boat insurance has risen over the past two years. Is this the case?

We have seen rates rise over the last couple of years although not every insurance provider has done so far. Noble has not increased rates in recent years but we are seeing pressure on claims costs which will result in some rate increase.

Noble Marine is known for small boat insurance – are you as experienced in yacht insurance?

Noble started as a dinghy insurer

but we have been insuring yachts for almost 30 years. When it comes to yachts we cover everything from trailer sailors to racing yachts.

What kind of sailing experience do your employees have? Are we talking to sailors if we call up?

We like to recruit people who know about boats but we also need people with insurance expertise so we have a mix. Our staff’s boat experience is broad.

It includes everything from canoes to yachts and even some boat surveying.

Does your 2019 acquisition of Yachtline Ltd mean you need to transfer additional overheads onto policy holders?

No, acquiring Yachtline has not resulted in any additional costs to policyholders at Noble or Yachtline.

Yachtline’s facilities focus on European based boats and charter, enabling us to help more customers.

Can you give a rough idea of how many policy holders you look after?

Noble Marine and Yachtline look after over 20,000 marine customers with premiums from £30 to over £10,000 a year.

What proportion of policy holder claims do you honour?

We pay all valid, genuine claims which fortunately is almost all of them. Most customers are genuine and we don’t like to disappoint people but no policy covers everything, so things like normal wear and tear are generally excluded.

Can you predict how boat insurance might change in the next 10/20 years?

Technology is playing a big role in many other insurance classes and it seem likely that it will come to marine too. Technology could help reduce claims and also supply insurance providers with robust data on which to base their models which could help keep premiums reasonable. noblemarine.co.uk

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News

Boatlife Live goes down a storm BoatLife Live, the new boat show at the Birmingham NEC, is already taking bookings for next year after a successful opening event in February. 140 companies exhibited over four days, with 120 boats ranging from RIBS to paddleboards and clinker yachts. Director Richard Dove said: “The hard work has paid off, and it’s the start of something very special.

Next year we hope to have more yachts, equipment and watersports.”

Position: The nosedive

Photo: James Tomlinson

A brave manoeuvre that wins you kudos at the yacht club bar We’ve featured a shot from 2021 Vice-Admiral’s Cup in our monthly Position slot before. The RORC regatta was a busy day on the water for all. What’s admirable about this shot is that no hint of doubt is evident on the faces of the crew, as they boldly go where few racing yachtsmen dare to. The nosedive, if attempted, must be done with conviction, as demonstrated ably here. Done well, it garners praise from competitors. Few yacht club bars are long enough to accommodate the congratulatory drinks following a good one. For the crew, it’s a moment in their sailing careers never to be forgotten, forging an eternal bond between those on board. Some of the greatest nosedives have been immortalised by Beken and other photographers, but whether captured on film or not, the correctly performed nosedive is an indelible medal of honour, earned only by those who really, truly send it.

“No hint of doubt is evident on the faces of the crew, as they boldly go..”

DIFFICULTY RATING: 5/5

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

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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Viewpoint

A new era ‘Sailing’ means far more today than it did even 10 years ago - and not everybody likes it

W

andering around your average boat show these days, you can’t help noticing something different – something with a lurid colour scheme, a mildy anarchic logo, something that carries words and stickers unintelligible to the average Hallberg-Rassy owner. This, plainly, is a foiling kiteboard. But what’s it doing in a boat show?

Our late and greatly esteemed columnist Bob Fisher spent some time in the years following the Rio Olympics giving World Sailing a magnificently hard time. It was Bob at his best, firmly on the side of the ordinary sailor, armed as he always was with fact and history as much as emotion.

Bob’s bugbear, or one of them (he really did give World Sailing a rough ride), was the change in Olympic classes. The demise of the Finn as the men’s heavyweight dinghy was bemoaned by him and by many others, including us, at the time. Who couldn’t be sad about the loss of such a classic class, one that had competed at every Games for the past 70 years? Still in modern times it was producing edge-of-your-seat racing between the biggest names on the water. It was no coincidence that a glut of America’s Cup sailors, fresh from Auckland, finished in the top 10 of the Finn class at Tokyo. Tokyo was the Finn’s Olympic swansong (but crikey what a swansong) and Giles Scott, interviewed waterside at Enoshima by Shirley Robertson, could not contain his emotion when asked about being Finn Olympic champion “forever”.

Why the change? The International Olympic Committee (IOC) now rightly stipulates that sailing and all Olympic sports must be gender equal (ie, the same number of male and female competitors). At the same time, there is ever-increasing pressure for Olympic sports to be accessible (ie, cheap) and media-friendly (ie, not four-knot boats racing around far flung courses over five days).

The heart-attack-inducing finale of the Finn competition, ironically, showed how exciting a race at four knots could be, but by that time, the deal was done and sailing was entering a new era. The Finn would make way for – you guessed it – the foiling kiteboard.

At this, the sailing establishment choked again. Not only were the technical and physical demands of the Finn gone, but a skateboard on water was to be the replacement – kids in board shorts on an Olympic podium! And the IOC wants this as part of our ‘sailing’ events?!

We live in fast-moving times. It wasn’t even 10 years ago that we saw foiling for the first time in the America’s Cup. Foiling is

now all the Cup boats aim to do, but things have developed at such a pace that the rest of sailing hasn’t been able to keep up.

It’s not only the Cup that has developed. The market has. For a few hundred pounds, your average high street consumer can now get afloat on a blow-up paddleboard, gaining all the benefits and joys of sailing without the complications.

Sailing clubs have understood this and have stocked up on paddleboards – and are attracting new members in the process.

Boat shows perhaps more naturally followed the market, expanding their exhibitor list with brands that cater for kayakers, paddleboarders, kite-surfers and more. Last month the RYA broadened its successful Dinghy Show to become the Dinghy & Watersports Show, holding a mirror up to a scene where, like it or not, most kids want to foil, not sail a Finn.

Olympic Finn gold medallist Russell Coutts, interviewed on Shirley Robertson’s podcast back when SailGP visited Cowes in 2019, talked about the way sailing is evolving, saying: “It’s a change to what I was doing, racing a Finn years ago, but this has the potential to draw a whole lot more kids into the sport and really engage with it. Of course, there are still kids into the Laser or the 29er. But they now have these other exciting choices. I say let’s give them the choices, rather than: ‘We’ve done this for 50 years and we don’t want to change’.

“When you look at the numbers of kite-boarders or wing-foilers now, it is creating interest and it’s a relatively cheap way to get into the sport. Do I love the Finn? Of course I love the Finn, but it’s not the only solution out there, let’s be honest.”

It’s a world where America’s Cup and Vendée Globe sailors race Moths or kite-surf in their free time, where Jimmy Spithill spends his off days surf-foiling, where YouTube videos about how to wing-foil gain tens of thousands of views within months.

So in little over two years’ time, at the Olympic regatta at Marseille, alongside the ‘traditional’ boats that sail on their bottoms, we’ll be watching 30-knot racing in the iQFoil windsurfer and in Formula Kite, the foiling kite-board, as well as the Nacra 17, which for two Olympics has been the only foiler.

The IOC and World Sailing, with the change in classes, have belied a reputation for loftiness and being out of touch. The change shows, in fact, that both organisations are far more in touch with what’s going on than many sailors have been.

And the Finn? Great Olympic classes come and go. The Flying Dutchman, the Star, the 6-Metre. Post-Olympics, without doubt, the Finn Gold Cup will remain a pinnacle regatta, as prestigious a win as the Star Sailors League is. And sure enough at some point, someone’ll stick a foil on one.

‘Of course I love the Finn, but it’s not the only solution out there, let’s be honest’

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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New boats at the multihull show A look at the European and world premieres at this year’s show Balance 482

The C-Cat 48 is a lightweight and fast Italian cruising catamaran from the Comar Yachts yard and their latest launch is definitely designed for high speed cruising.

The boat is designed by French naval architect Francois Perus and the new yacht features C-Foil daggerboards to reduce displacement at speed and increase clearance of the nacelle. Comfort wise, the key concept has been to create a single large outdoor living space. The cockpit is protected by a large bimini, which is fully closable for pleasant outdoor living, and the cockpit and dinette are both on the same level, divided by a large sliding door.

Balance Catamrans is one of a clutch of multihull builders based in South Africa and is co-designed by world champion catamaran racer Phillip Berman and awardwinning yacht designer, Anton du Toit. The boat is designed to be both fast, tough and comfortable She has a powerful 1,432 square foot sail-plan that means she can sail easily even in light airs, while other catamarans are motoring.

She is designed to be sailed easily single or doublehanded. Down below there is a good level of comfort making for a performance orientated cruiser.

l c-catamarans.com

l balancecatamarans.com

C Cat 48

Lagoon 51 Lagoon’s relatively new 50 (launched 2017) has been obliged to take a bow in order to accommodate its replacement, the 51. The new boat is not a radical departure from her predecessor but features longer sugar scoops aft and a more defined flying bridge area The mast also appears to be stepped further forward than on the old boat and the interior has been updated. This remains a cruising and charter catamaran par excellence. l cata-lagoon.com

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Windelo 54 Elder sister of the Windelo 50, the Windelo 54 is an Ocean-cruising catamaran designed by architect duo Christophe Barreau and Fréderic Neuman. The floats are nearly 120 cm larger. 60 cm of this extra space is around the nacelle, making life on board even more comfortable.

One of the key features of the Windelo range is environmentally friendly cruising and the boat boasts sustainable and recycled plastic bottles as insulation among other green touches. already seen on the Windelo 50. The lengthened hulls of the 54 offer greater performance and speed under sail, while improving cruising comfort, particularly in rough seas. This is a long legged cruising catamaran with superb environmentally friendly credentials. l Windelo-catamaran.com

Catana Ocean Class French brand Catana has gained an admirable reputation for high quality fast cruising cats that will look after you on a blue water and their new Ocean class picks up where they’ve left off in the past. This all new 50 footer has been carefully thought out and features

a unique saloon-cockpit concept which offers increased volume and comfort. The construction is carbon infusion which provides stiffness and a very light displacement. Marry that with daggerboards, a decent sail area plus a well appointed interior space and you have a very desirable boat. l catana.com Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

17

New multihulls

Nautitech 44 Open Nautitech is extending its range with the 44 Open, an evolution of their line of cruising catamarans. Go to designer Marc Lombard has been tasked with developing the range with this new model that sits between the 40 and the 46. She comes with a new interior layout plus a refined rig. Nautitech is aiming to position itself as the best performing yacht in the pure cruising category occupied by rivals such as Lagoon and this boat looks like a fine rival for Lagoon’s Excess range. For those looking to max out on performance there is the option of a genoa to replace the standard self-tacking jib, plus options for a carbon mast and bowsprit for your kite.  Nautitechcatamarans.com

Bali 4.4 Not afraid of the odd bold stat, French manufacturer Bali claims that its range offers 10 per cent more useable space than its direct competitors. Doubtless they have something to say about that but it’s an eyecatching stat. The 4.4 was conceived by founder Olivier Poncin and features the brand’s distinctive features including the lift-and-tilt aft saloon door, sliding side windows, solid foredeck and flybridge, all of which provide masses of space.  Bali-catamarans.com

Libertist 853 Libertist is a French manufacturer which is the brain child of noted racer Eric Lerouge. The veteran campaigner has distilled decades of experience into developing a new range of fast, fun, lightweight trimarans that are ideal for fast weekending or longer cruises for those who don’t mind a vaguely spartan existence. The 703 was unveiled last year (see test on p66) and the 853 is an expansion along the same lines. The boat is is 25’ long and weighs in at just 1,400kg. Couple that with a big sail area at 59 sq/m on a rotating carbon mast plus minifoils on the sponsons and you have a recipe for a very fast little boat. As a bonus, the sponsons fold in, making the boat fully trailerable. Accomodation is basic but features a reasonable double berth forward plus bench seats and a small galley plus heads.  Libertist.eu

18

MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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Cruising - The Society Islands

High Society With striking mountain peaks, lush landscapes, whitesand beaches and sheltered blue lagoons the Society Islands in French Polynesia conjure up dreams of a paradise found as Jenevora Swann discovered

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

A

fter a month at sea, sailing our Lagoon 440 catamaran from Panama across the Pacific Ocean, we were eager to explore this tropical destination. However, when we arrived in Tahiti, the heart of the Society Islands, our experience was a little out of the ordinary.

Due to the onset of coronavirus, French Polynesia had closed its borders and our first month was spent in mandatory lockdown at the airport anchorage off Tahiti’s capital of Pape’ete. The vistas were stunning, but sitting still after so long at sea was very frustrating. So, when restrictions eventually eased and inter-island travel was granted, we wasted no time in setting sail.

Many boats planned to backtrack to the Tuamotus – a beat against the trade winds – to see one of the archipelagos missed on the way due to the pandemic constraints.

Our decision, was to take the western route and visit the rest of the Societies before French Polynesia opened to tourists.

Our exploration was blissfully devoid of people and boats. We had the rare opportunity to step back in time and see well-known islands like Mo’orea and Bora Bora in their raw tropical beauty; untainted by visitors or cruise ship passengers, authentic in every way and just being enjoyed by their residents.

While each of the islands has a distinctive character and appeal, we found nature and culture in abundance, as well as walks, hiking trails and visits to vanilla plantations and pearl farms. Underwater, the immense marine life was teaming with an assortment of whales, rays, sharks, healthy coral and a bounty of colourful fish.

Miles of fringing coral reefs surround the islands, creating an inner lagoon with a protected

swimming pool of water that comes in a pantone palette of blues. Lagoon sailing made for very easy transits between the anchorages on each island.

It didn’t take long to see why the Society Islands are such a haven for multihulls and shallow draft boats. Drawing 1.3 metres, we found we could sneak our boat, Two Drifters, onto the sandbanks – sometimes with less than a foot under our keel – but it was always to secure the best anchoring spots in the clearest of water.

Where & when to visit

The Society Islands span some 450 miles and are split into two clusters comprising the Îles du Vent (Windward Islands), which includes Tahiti and Mo’orea, and the Îles Sous le Vent (Leeward Islands), with Bora Bora as the most notable.

They enjoy a year-round tropical climate, with temperatures a comfortable 24 - 30°C. The best weather is found during the dry season from May to October, although July and August are fairly windy and may be chilly when the mara’amu winds blow.

With 14 islands in the archipelago, here are our tips and suggestions for the must-see islands that are within an easy day sail of each other.

Tahiti Tahiti’s capital, Pape’ete, is full of character and colour with creative street art, countless pearl shops and a huge covered market selling hand crafts, sarongs, flowers, fruit and vegetables.

For the ultimate Tahitian experience, time a visit in with The Heiva, a festival of music, dance, cultural and sporting contests, normally held throughout July.

From a sailors’ perspective, Tahiti is a great place to provision, get essential boat parts and do Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

21

Cruising - The Society Islands

Two Drifters Lagoon 440 Catamaran Owners Version 2008 LOA: 13.61m (44.65ft) Beam: 7.70m (25.26ft)

crew and guest changeovers as it has an international airport.

It’s worth noting, if sailing from Panama, do come well-stocked as supermarkets in French Polynesia are extremely expensive, especially if buying alcohol.

Sadly, for many years, Tahiti has endured endless controversy when it comes to anchoring in its waters and there has been a constant threat of banning anchoring in favour of paid-for mooring buoy fields, which is now becoming reality. There are two good marinas, where berths are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Mo’orea It’s just a 15-nautical mile downwind sail from Tahiti to Mo’orea. In addition to a relaxed pace, Mo’orea offers great hiking opportunities across pineapple plantations and up mountain peaks, as well as surfing, kite-surfing and kayaking.

Hiring a scooter, we headed into the mountains to a lookout point to see the staggering views across to Opunohu Bay, Cook’s Bay and to the 899-metre-high Mt Rotui, which lies between the two bays.

Draught: 1.30m (4.27ft)

The striking, craggy mountains in the centre of this lush green island, once formed the southern rim of an ancient volcanic crater.

There are many anchorages around the island, but on the north side we recommend Cook’s Bay - named after Captain James Cook, who first visited the island in 1769. At the entrance, just inside the barrier reef, there’s a protected lagoon with two to five-metre depths, with good swimming, snorkelling and access to shops and restaurants at Maharepa.

There’s deeper water inside Cook’s Bay for boats with more draft, or if the reef anchorage is full.

Haapiti, on the south west coast, offers a mile-long anchorage with depths of between two to 10 metres and extremely good holding. In our catamaran, while keeping an eye on the coral heads in the water (known locally as ‘bommies’), we always found a shallow spot with plenty of space around us.

Compared to the hustle

PREVIOUS PAGE

Two Drifters anchored at the entrance of Cook's Bay, Mo'orea

ABOVE LEFT

Paradise found in Tahiti

ABOVE RIGHT

Two Drifters on a mooring buoy at Hana Iti beach, Huahine

BELOW LEFT

The twin towered catholic church at Haapiti, Mo'orea

BELOW RIGHT

One of the rewards of a whale watching trip

and bustle of Cook’s Bay and Opunohu Bay, Haapiti is quieter.

On shore, there is a surprisingly well-stocked mini-market within a short walk of the public dock.

From our bridge, across the barrier reef, we saw occasional sightings of humpback whales; but it wasn’t until we went on a whale-watching tour and got into the sea to swim with them that we got to appreciate how large and magnificent these mammals really are.

Swimming with whales

Every year from July to October, humpback whales migrate to French Polynesia, travelling 3,800 miles from the Antarctic to the warmer waters of the South Pacific Ocean. They come to mate, rest, fast and to give birth to their calves, as the Antarctic is too cold for their new-borns.

We chose to do a guided whalewatching boat tour in Mo’orea

Fact Box Our whale watching tour was with dolphinsandwhalesspiritadventure. com. It cost US$100 per person, for a half-day boat tour, but was worth every penny.

The ‘French Poly Cruisers Facebook Group’ is a helpful resource for the latest updates on the islands.

with ‘Dolphins And Whales Spirit Adventure’, as they ensure the marine wildlife are treated with respect in their natural environment, which was especially important to us. This excursion turned out to be one of the most incredible experiences of our lives.

Spying two adult humpback whales surfacing, our guide instructed us to don masks and fins as he planned to take us swimming with them. He talked us through the essential whale etiquette, which included staying together in the water close to him, no diving down and we were not to make any loud noises or splashing as it could frighten the whales.

Once we were in the water, the tour boat quietly backed away as the whales swam over. They checked us out curiously, before putting on a 30-minute show with the male flirting

with the slightly larger female, as they surfaced, twisting, tail slapping and cavorting, before diving down only to return to do it again and again. They were so close, we could have reached out and touched them.

Being in the water with these gentle giants was not only euphoric, but humbling, as their eyes seemed to stare right into our souls. Of all the wonderful underwater encounters we have had, this has gone straight to the top.

Huahine It’s an 89-mile sail, north west from Mo’orea to Huahine. Some opt to do it as an overnight passage, but with lit passes at Cook’s Bay and Fare and with a good easterly trade wind blowing, we found it was an easy day-trip in our catamaran, leaving at first light and dropping anchor in Fare just before dusk.

Huahine is a lush, serene and exceptionally pretty island with many beautiful anchorages. The main town of Fare, is relaxed and chilled, with a holiday-like atmosphere. There are plenty of places to anchor close to town or further down the west coast; as well as several moorings laid, but most are without pennants.

Further south, on one of the three free government mooring buoys

ABOVE LEFT

Snorkelling in the coral gardens of Motu Tau Tau

ABOVE RIGHT

Jenevora and Fergus at the viewpoint above Taputapuatea Ra'iatea

BELOW

Two Drifters anchored off Motu Nao Nao, Ra'iatea

off Hana Iti beach, we discovered the most fabulous underwater life, rich with eagle rays and beautiful coral pinnacles. The pretty little beach is backed by coconut palm trees and never gets too crowded as its main access is via boat. Behind the beach, there’s a 20-minute enjoyable hike through the forest to a road which eventually leads to the village of Haapu, a mile away.

Hiring a scooter is a great way to see the island and visit the many archaeological and cultural sites, pottery and pearl farm and the notorious sacred blue-eyed eels.

On the south west coast, at Avea Bay, there’s a large anchorage with varying depths of water and good holding. Each time we visited, we edged our catamaran onto the expansive sand shelf, putting the anchor down in the shallow, azure-blue water.

From Avea Bay there are some wonderful walks across to the village of Parea as well as into the hills where the community have created a secret garden. Complete with a shaded pergola, it’s a lovely place to sit and enjoy the jawdropping panoramic sea views.

Ra’iatea Although separate islands, Ra’iatea and Taha’a are encircled by one fringing reef, making sailing around them extremely pleasant.

At 22 miles, it’s just a few hours’ sail from Huahine to the pass between the two islands, giving the chance to catch some fish while heading west on a deep reach.

Ra’iatea is the charter capital, playing host to Sunsail, Moorings and Dream Yacht Charter. It’s also extremely good for provisioning, with three supermarkets and a large covered fruit and vegetable market found at the main town of Uturoa.

In addition to hiking, the island offers many activities.

Our favourites included taking a Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

23

Cruising - The Society Islands

dinghy ride up Faaroa River - the only navigable river in French Polynesia - to visit the botanical gardens; and a trip to Marae Taputapuatea, a very impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates back to the 14th century.

Taha’a Taha’a was blissfully quiet.

Sometimes we were the only boat in an anchorage, with just the sound of the surf pounding against the reef, the fragrant scent of flowers and aromatic vanilla in the air and the occasional turtle, sting ray and black tip reef shark for company.

Anchoring off Motu Tau Tau on the west coast; we again edged onto the white sand for the best spot. This motu is famous for its shallow coral garden with a myriad of friendly fish and vibrant healthy coral.

On Taha’a we found plenty to explore with vanilla plantations, pearl farms and rum distilleries, all just a short dinghy ride from the various anchorages.

We also discovered a slice of South Seas tropical paradise at La Pirogue Api. This boutique hotel, set on Motu Moute - its own private island - is surrounded by coral reef.

There’s plenty of anchoring space and a couple of mooring buoys, and sailors are given a very warm welcome. Their restaurant was also one of the finest in Polynesia.

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Bora Bora I was very excited to visit Bora Bora, which regularly wins awards for being a romantic haven and it’s easy to see why when you take in the striking mountainous backdrop, coupled with a mesmerising lagoon that reflects the blue sky and shimmers in the sunlight.

An easy downwind sail from Taha’a, we made the 21-mile journey in a little over three hours. Anchoring is now almost entirely forbidden in Bora Bora, but it does have 100 buoys in place, spread out across seven designated mooring areas which, at US$30 a night is expensive, but worth it.

When we visited, we were one of the first tourists to arrive after lockdown, so were very lucky to see Bora Bora stripped right back; chilled-out, relaxed and at its best.

The locals were out in force enjoying paddling around their island in pirogues (outrigger canoes).

We sailed north around the island to Bora Bora’s famed blue lagoon at Taurere Bay. Here, the water is gin clear and the sea colours are pinch-me-beautiful, ranging from the hint of blue diamond to stunning Bombay Sapphire.

Maupiti Saving the best till last, just 27-miles west is Maupiti. This charming island is often referred to as Bora Bora’s

ABOVE LEFT

Maupiti viewed from above

ABOVE RIGHT

Maupiti - Catamarans anchored at Manta Point, Motu Pitiahe Maupiti

BELOW LEFT

Paddleboarding across the lagoon at Bora Bora

BELOW RIGHT

Chill out time at Bora Bora

Jenevora Swann and her husband Fergus Dunipace have been liveaboards on their catamaran Two Drifters since 2014. They sailed around Europe before crossing the Atlantic to explore the Caribbean, USA, South and Central America.

They are now sailing in the South Pacific. www.Facebook.com/ TwoDriftersTravel / www. twodrifterstravel.com

discreet little sister, and it has a well-earned reputation among sailors for being difficult to navigate in through the pass, but the rewards are magnificent once inside the lagoon.

Timing arrival here is essential as the narrow pass is exposed to the wind and swell at a slight angle.

With any more than two metres of swell running, the waves can break clean across the entrance making it untenable. Slack water is normally around midday, but arriving with enough time to return to Bora Bora if you can’t get in is important.

Also, coming well-provisioned is a good idea as supplies are limited on the island and the weather may not allow you to leave when planned – as we found out!

With just 1,200 residents, the people of Maupiti were some of the friendliest we have ever met on our travels.

There are two great anchorages, one by the town and the other at Motu Pitihahei. Each morning, like clockwork, the huge manta rays congregate at the same coral head in the lagoon, known as a cleaning station. As the manta rays serenely float around without a care in the world, their bodies, that can span eight feet, are cleaned and groomed by fish that feed on parasites, algae and debris.

It was on Maupiti that we enjoyed our first real taste of Polynesian lifestyle; at a beach party, which was full of fun, local colour and customs.

While a live band sung their hearts out, we enjoyed a lunch of local delicacies, followed by Polynesian dancing, basket-weaving, weightlifting and coconut opening.

It was all very ‘South Pacific’ and we simply loved it - and the amazing island of Maupiti.

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EXPERTS' FORUM This month

Advice this month includes...

- Cruising Clinic with Clive Loughlin - Q&A on sailing solo round Britain - Med moorings made simple - Keelboat handling with Academy coach

“Make your weakness your strength” – that was my takeaway tip from the recent RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, where top dinghy sailor Toby Lewis was chatting with Ian Walker about how to improve your skills on the race course.

The show is one of my favourite events for its infectious buzz that I think really encapsulates our sport.

There was plenty of knowledge being shared and advice being swapped, both through the programme of talks delivered by top sailors and through the countless casual conversations had up and down the aisles throughout the weekend.

Whether you sail dinghies or big boats, race or cruise, one of the joys of sailing is our willingness to share knowledge – and that’s exactly why we have brought together this new and exciting regular section of the mag, with experts from across the sport giving their advice to help you get the most from your sailing.

And let’s face it, with sailing there’s always something to learn.

Let us know what your goal for this season is, or send us the questions you want answered by experts to us via email: Georgie.CorlettPitt@chelseamagazines.com Georgie Corlett-Pitt

Briefing notes

Windward mark roundings It's a crucial part of any race. Here are five easy ways you can get ahead, from top coach and Moth European Champion Dave Hivey

1. Laylines – As a rule, try not to hit the lay early.

The earlier you get to a layline, the higher your risk and the lower the reward. Your option to tack is now limited to a huge shift, where you are likely to lose out, and it is very likely that others will tack on top of you. Think ahead early on if it looks likely you'll end up here, and look for shifts to take you back to the middle of the course.

2. The starboard drag in – This is when boats pile past the starboard layline in the final part of the beat looking for clear air. The risks of being stuck in here are huge; when mid-fleet, there is often a big gain to be made by coming into that starboard layline just outside the zone.

3. Tide – Think how tide will change your angles

in to the mark, and your speed, particularly if you are beating against the tide. Never tack into a tight gap or a close layline call; you are likely to not make the mark at all and will have to tack back which can be disastrous.

4. Next leg set-up - Having a routine to set-up for the next leg gives you a speed advantage after rounding the mark and/or the ability to gybe immediately. Having the option to break free of the boat behind and take the tactical option that you want straight away means that you are far less likely to be trapped, as happens to so many people after a rounding.

5. Boat handling – The windward mark is one of the pinch points around the race track where boats come together. Near perfect boat handling and communication in boats with more than one sailor is so important to get you out of tricky situations and pull off risky manoeuvres where the gains are so big that the risk is worth it. Can you tack better than your competition? If not, practise until you can.

Inspiration

PHOTO SPORTOGRAPHY.TV

T

he key to minimising mistakes and maximising gains at the windward mark is thinking ahead and knowing the likely outcomes in different conditions so that you are able to make a quick yet informed decision based on risk vs reward.

Community spirit...

This month we are loving this comment from cruiser-turnedracer, Timothy Long, who said: “The amazing thing about the sailing community is literally everyone wants to help, that’s the nature of our sport. I was contacting other sailors who helped me find a boat or who knew the training coach and so on, and I’m turning all that into reality.”

Read more from Tim on page 32.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

27

EXPERTS' FORUM

HOW TO WIN

Coach boat view

Avoiding contact A couple of incidents seen from the coach boat recently suggest that it is worth a look at racing rule 14 in a little more detail, says our resident racing expert Mark Rushall

PHOTOS TIM WRIGHT/RORC; SPORTOGRAPHY.TV

Where did they come from?

28

The first (fig 1) involved a classic coming together in a multi-class club race. The Skiff (Yellow) rounds the windward mark, takes a quick glance downwind to see there is a clear lane, and hoists the kite.

As all asymmetric sailors know, once it is up, there is a huge blind spot to leeward.

It’s a shifty day, and the Topper (Blue) is fully focussed on compass and tell-tales. Blue takes a final hitch out to the port layline, oblivious to the inconvenience this may cause the skiff later. Blue feels no need to glance MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

over their shoulder: any boats converging from that direction will be keep clear boats.

By the time the boats see each other, at position 5, it is too late for either to avoid a collision. The Skiff capsizes onto the Topper, there is damage, and each boats’ race is ruined.

The rules The Topper became right of way boat when it reached close-hauled after tacking onto starboard tack, just before position 4. The boats were then on the

ABOVE

Always be ready to act if the other boat has not seen you, especially in very close fleets, such as here in the recent RORC Caribbean 600

same tack and overlapped: “a windward boat shall keep clear of a leeward boat” (Rule 11). When the Topper acquired right of way, it had to initially give the Skiff room to keep clear (rule 15). At position 4, the Skiff clearly has plenty of options to do this so the Topper has complied with rule 15.

The Skiff clearly broke rule 11, and as keep clear boat not avoiding contact, also broke rule 14. A part of avoiding contact is an ongoing obligation to keep a look out, and the Skiff did not do that.

Did the Topper break rule 14? Yes: at

‘Be aware, damage is not a defined term and could be as minor as a scratch’

some point between position 4 and position 5, it was clear that the Skiff was not keeping clear. The Topper was not aware of the Skiff at this point and therefore did not act to avoid contact. To fully comply with rule 14, the Topper should have kept a proper look out. They could then have acted to avoid contact by hailing, and if still necessary, by changing course, much earlier than they did.

If there had been no damage or injury, the Topper, as right of way boat, would be exonerated for its breach of rule 14. (Rule 43.1(c)). The Skiff, as keep clear boat, would not.

If the damage was not serious, each boat could have taken a Two Turns Penalty (or another penalty stated in the Sailing Instructions.)

If there was serious damage, or injury, the penalty for each boat is retirement.

Fig 1

Have they seen us?

The second concerns two keelboats, again on different legs of the course.

Green sees Red in plenty of time (fig 2) and has no reason to believe that Red has not seen Green. At position 2, Green hails Red: there is still plenty of time for Red to keep clear. Somewhere between position 3 and 4, it becomes clear that Red is not keeping clear. Green luffs at this time but is not able to avoid contact that causes damage.

ABOVE

Be aware of boats on different legs of the course - rule 14 requires a you keep a proper look out

The rules Red is on port tack, Green on starboard: Red is keep clear boat at all times. Red has not kept clear so has

broken Rule 10. It was clearly possible for Red to avoid contact: as a keep clear boat that has not avoided contact, Red has also broken rule 14.

Did Green break rule 14? No: even though the collision resulted in damage.

Green acted to avoid contact as soon as it was clear that Red was not keeping clear. (Rule 14 1(a)). At this point, luffing was the best option. Hailing to make sure that Red was aware of the situation can only strengthen Green’s case. Changing course earlier could have made the situation worse if Red had changed course at the same time.

What is damage?

Fig 2

From the above we can see that even if the right of way boat breaks rule 14, it is exonerated if there is no damage or injury, while the keep clear boat is not.

But be aware, damage is not a defined term and could be as minor as a scratch (see World Sailing case 19).

Keep a good look out, make sure any other boats have seen you, and always act as soon as it is clear the other boat is not.

14. AVOIDING CONTACT A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible.

However, a right-of-way boat or one entitled to room or mark-room (a) need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark-room, and (b) shall be exonerated if she breaks this rule and the contact does not cause damage or injury.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

29

EXPERTS' FORUM Cruising clinic

Go with the flow Our resident cruising expert Clive Loughlin considers the importance of planning ahead

30

MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

and friends for a weekend’s sailing.

Once on the boat everyone will be keen to get going straight away, and so a few hours passage planning in advance of a trip can easily make the difference between a horrendous endurance test, with everyone tired and grumpy and never wanting to go sailing with their skipper ever again; and a super chilled and relaxed weekend with everyone chatting enthusiastically about where to go next time.

This issue includes a plan for a weekend’s sailing in the Solent, and my starting point for this was making multiple copies of the Almanac’s tidal stream chartlets for the area, and then marking them up with relevant times, so that I know what is flowing where for every hour of the trip.

Once this is done it is then a relatively simple matter to see whether or not a passage from A to B makes sense at a particular time.

With good planning we can make the very most of our time on the water and achieve far more, and have a much happier crew. It is also an enjoyable exercise in itself.

INEOS coach talks sailing fitness Ben Williams is Head of Human Performance for INEOS Team Britannia. Here’s his advice on getting the right building blocks in place to ensure you are sailing fit and ready for the season…

When it comes to putting a programme for sailing fitness into action, there are a huge number of variables, so although it is hard to generalise, the most important thing is to be smart with what you are trying to achieve.

First, think about your on the water performance; ask for input from your coach or training partner. Consider where there are gaps from a physical point of view and rather than jumping into a generic programme, target these areas. That way you will get the most direct benefit to your sailing results. For example, if you struggle with hiking, you would look at working on quad and trunk strength; to improve mainsheet pumping would require upper body strength work; or if you get tired after an hour or two, try some endurance training.

Once you have an idea of the gaps in performance, then create a plan. Think about when you are going sailing, how much recovery time you need from that sailing, and then what opportunities you have around that to do some fitness training.

Don’t do hard sessions then go straight into sailing next day. If you are not sailing as much for whatever reason, try some aerobic base work so you have a really good foundation for aerobic capacity; that could be running, cycling or rowing. Avoid going too hard; concentrate on building up that aerobic volume over a period of time. When your sailing does pick up again, back off your fitness training so you don’t overload yourself; as you start to increase one thing then back off on the other.

Any fitness programme will vary depending on your role on the boat – hiker, non-hiker, grinder… All require different capacities and unique programmes to get specific outcomes.

Depending on what role you are typically doing, seek advice from a qualified strength and conditioning coach and look to get a solid foundation programme in place.

This programme - along with correct nutritional intake and good overall health - should support all of the work you are doing. Make sure it is effective on two levels: improving your structural integrity, i.e. preventing injury; and improving capacity, i.e. helping you operate as efficiently as possible during racing.

And remember, it’s such a broad sport - no one size fits all!

Follow the team at ineosbritannia.com

PHOTOS JOSH PITT; INEOS BRITANNIA/HARRY KH

When teaching Day Skippers I will often set them a first-night pub quiz: If A and B are 10 miles apart and we have a boat speed through the water of 5 knots – how long will it take us to go from A to B if we have a 2 knot tidal stream with us, and how long if we have 2 knots against?

With zero tidal stream the journey would obviously take 2 hours, but going with the tide our speed over the ground is 7 knots so the 10nm would take a bit less than 1hr 30 mins; and with the tide against and an SOG of just 3 knots the same journey would take over 3 hours – more than twice as long.

Of course everyone gets the correct answer, but this often triggers the recollection of nightmare passages that they have done as crew, when the skipper had them slogging into a foul tide for hours on end with the result that they finally arrived at their destination, tired, wet, demoralised, and too late for the restaurant they had booked.

Time is precious, and everyone will have juggled all sorts of commitments to be able to get together with family

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EXPERTS' FORUM Q&A

Med mooring made simple

TIMOTHY LONG CRUISING SOLO

Sam Jefferson explains how to moor stern-to...

At the age of 15, Timothy Long sailed singlehanded around the UK. Now he’s using the knowledge that’s given him to launch an offshore solo career.

Here he shares his experiences and lessons learned along the way...

PHOTOSMARC TURNER/ELLEN MACARTHUR TRUST; ISTOCK/ALIKA OBRAZOVSKAYA

What were the biggest challenges in sailing solo around Britain?

Before I set off, I knew the tides and wind would be difficult. On top of that, coastal sailing puts constant pressure on your boat handling - looking out for fishing pots, knowing the state of the tide - and looking after for the boat and yourself. It turned out that managing the latter two things were really quite challenging, especially as I was doing short legs (less than 24 hours) so I didn’t have time to settle into a routine. It was easy to forget to eat and sleep; really simple things become difficult because you prioritise a sail change or checking the chart plotter over having a drink of water. You then realise how much of an effect that has on you when you start making bad decisions. So you have to be really pro-active in your thinking to make sure that the boat is going in the right direction, and that you are too.

32

It was a hugely ambitious sail. What would your advice be to others?

Be organised. Before you set off, make sure your boat is not a mess and you know where everything is; if you’re looking for your Leatherman in the middle of the night and find you’ve left it in some locker way down the back of the boat, not only does it take time but it causes un-needed stress and energy loss. This builds up and consequently impacts your decision making for the big decisions. Write things down; even simple reminders can help – something I have learnt recently from training with the Figaro 3 short-handed sailing class in France.

Sounds like a fantastic opportunity! How did that come about?

After sailing around Britain in 2020, I started talking to some key people in the racing scene. One thing led to another and thanks to the help of some incredible people I have been able to get involved MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

l Firstly, scope out your spot and consider the likely effect of any crosswinds. Make sure to brief the crew on your plan in advance. l Ensure the boat is prepared. Move the dinghy to alongside the bow. Have fenders in place, including off each stern quarter and hung horizontally along the transom waterline. Set two lines up on the stern cleats; designate a crewmember to deal with them. Have another person on the bow, ready to drop the anchor on your say-so.

Check that the anchor is free to run.

with the short-handed racing scene in France.

Last week was my first training block with the Figaro 3 and I was blown away by the sheer level of sailing in the fleet. I’ve always dreamt of doing the Vendée Globe ever since I read my idol Ellen MacArthur’s books, and the Figaro class is my first step in that direction… as well completing my final years in school and A-Level exams! It’s incredibly exciting because I feel as if it marks a new chapter in my career. I love the self-reliance and independent decision making that I am learning through sailing solo.

Your Round Britain trip must have stood you in good stead for that?

Yes. Sailing around Britain taught me to be comfortable with being alone, with controlling the boat and with complex navigation. It's definitely given me a good basis, and now I can start to bring in the performance aspect.

Have you found much crossover between cruising and racing solo?

Racing is a whole new world and you have to run the boat quite differently, but there are some similarities. Obviously, you still have to prioritise safety, even when there is pressure to do things quickly to win, but you can make things easier by thinking ahead and planning manoeuvres so they are as seamless as possible. That’s really important; not only do you lose less speed but everything just becomes safer.

Follow Tim via timothylongsailing.co.uk

l Dropping the anchor is critical; you do not want to cross another boat’s chain. Start backing in and dropping the chain around three or four boat lengths out. Maintain enough speed to hold your course while going slowly enough to drop sufficient chain for the boat. l If you find things aren’t going to plan at any point, bail out and try again. l Stop lowering the anchor as you reach the quay. With stern lines secured, motor the boat gently ahead; ‘steer’ it using the stern lines. Now you are off the quay, you can tighten your anchor chain at leisure. Reverse hard and tighten the stern lines. Once satisfied, head for a taverna and enjoy a cool beer.

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EXPERTS' FORUM Keelboat masterclass

How to use the tiller as a tell-tale

the tiller away to keep the boat pointing in a straight line. At this moment you are sailing at a big upwind loss - the jib is pulling the bow away from the wind; with the tiller pushed down, the stern is trying to swing away from the wind too. You may think you are winning because the boat stays pointing straight, but in truth it’s slipping sideways, pulled down by the jib and the rudder fighting for control. On a windy start line if you find yourself losing your lane quickly compared to the competition, this is often the reason.

The solution? Keep a little power in the main. To achieve this without the boat being blown over you may need to ease a little jib, but that’s better than slipping sideways. After all, we know we need to keep the sails working as one, balancing together. So if we are using 80 per cent of the main, we should think about using 80 per cent of the jib.

Remember, the main trimmer needs to spot the warning sign by keeping an eye out to see when the tiller is being pushed down.

'Sifi' Fisher shares five top tips for Sail fast at night Simon racing once the sun goes down...

1. Be properly prepared - Have good gear to ensure you are warm enough and comfortable when the sun goes down, especially if you have to sit on the rail all night. It is always a lot more fun when you’re not wet and miserable.

Make sure you always have a trim torch close to your hand and a good head torch as well.

2. Be organised - Have your sheets well-marked so you have a good reference on the trim before it gets dark and you can always get back to your good settings. Know where your halyards and sheets are and what needs to happen for the next sail change so you are not trying to figure it out in a rush in the dark.

3. Get used to driving with the instruments - Have a good reference on your performance relative to the other boats using data averages and things like AIS and race tracking.

4. Try to manage your time - It is easy to stay awake all day and then be tired when you get to a key point in the race overnight. Rest up when things are easy so you can be sharp when the action starts and you need to be on top of your game.

5. Be safe - Always wear a life jacket and don’t forget to clip on!

SiFi is navigator and co-skipper for 11th Hour Racing: 11thhourracingteam.org

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

PHOTOS RYA/SPORTOGRAPHY.TV; 11TH HOUR RACING/AMORY ROSS

M

ain and jib trimmers both need to be good at what they do, but they also need to be working together, explains Niall Myant, British Keelboat Academy Head Coach... The wind from the jib feeds the main, and the power from the sails must balance the boat so that it wants to go upwind. When this co-ordination breaks down, there is an easy way to spot the warning signs - but it's to the tiller, not the sails, that we should look. Why? Well, it's all a question of balance...

The wind in the jib affects the boat in front of the keel; if you only have your jib filling, the boat would always want to bear away. We pull in the main to counter this effect, and we will know we’ve balanced the jib with the main when the tiller angle starts to become straight.

For the main trimmer this is a vital visual check that you are achieving a good sail set-up and that both jib and main are working as one.

If you spot that the tiller is being pulled to windward (weather helm) this is ok; if you find the tiller is straight that's also ok, but if the helm is having to push the tiller down to leeward to make the boat stay on an upwind course, something is terribly wrong.

As someone who spends a lot of time following from behind in a coach boat, I probably watch the tiller angle more than anyone on board, and most of the time it’s a useful clue to the performance of the boat. In windy weather it can be a particularly critical warning sign, telling the trimmers than they need to act before the boat loses ground.

Let me outline the sequence... It’s a typical windy day and going upwind, the gusts are over-powering the boat. The main trimmer needs to stop the boat from heeling too far so he eases the main to the point where it flogs.

The rest of the crew, including the jib trimmer, are busy hiking hard. While the main is flogging, the jib is still pulling and for that moment it means the boat is desperately trying to bear away. To counter this, the helm will push

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Paul Heiney The magic of the wind vane goes beyond just holding a steady course; it becomes a companion and therapist on a long passage. It is something that no electric autopilot can ever rival

H

ands up everyone in the room who has an electric autopilot. A sea of waving palms appears before me. Autopilots are as common on boats these days as baked beans used to be. They are, without doubt, useful little critters, and so common that there are some amongst us who wouldn’t even consider a trip from Hamble to Poole if the little buzzing box wasn’t in working order. The cruising population now divides into two camps; those with electric self steering, and those who are about to get it - with apologies to that couple at the back of the room who have turned up in sou’westers and tarred canvas smocks and have never heard of them.

The trouble is, they go wrong.

And quite often. It’s not that they’re badly designed or built, but that we ask too much of them. If you are finding it hard work to hang on to the wheel or tiller as the rolling sea attacks you from bow or stern, what makes you think your autopilot is going to find it any easier? Too much responsibility and poor thing has a nervous breakdown, which is when we curse, put on our grumpy face, and lash ourselves merrily to the wheel for the last fifteen hours before home. I competed in the solo transatlantic race some years back; forty five of us crossed the start line, and only fifteen of us made it to the finish. Of those who dropped out, more than half were because of autopilot failure, some with high-spec devices too. Make of that what you will.

But mine didn’t fail because I never used it. I might press its big red button for a minute or two while I reefed, but I never asked more of it than that. And if that sounds smug, that was exactly how I felt every time I glanced at my wind-driven, mechanical self steering, hanging off the back of the boat, never complaining, always keeping me on the straight and narrow. You can be best friends with a wind vane and like the ‘four-legged - friend’ in that old song - it will never let you down.

I don’t know why there aren’t more of them. They’re not cheap, but neither is a decent electric gizmo these days. On the plus side they require no battery, have no USB sockets,

and they love it to bits if they are constantly sprayed with salt water, and love life even more the windier it is. Perhaps it’s down to aesthetics.

I knew a chap who wouldn’t have one for all the tea in China; he said he ‘wasn’t going to have scaffolding hanging of the back of my boat!’

The way the world is going, he may have to change his mind. If politics doesn’t seriously disrupt the precious metal trade, it’s quite likely that nature will. Have you heard of lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, samarium, europium? No, neither have I but everything from mobile phones to satellites is stuffed with them All these unheard-of precious metals that make modern life tick are in ever shorter supply, and the world hunger for ever more fiendish electronic systems will surely trump any requests for a bag or two of neodymium from the autopilot makers.

Practical matters apart, there’s pleasure in a wind vane that feels lacking in other systems, and it’s no coincidence that most owners give them a nickname, as if they were friends, although I never have. My favourite pastime, on a fine day, is to grab a mug of tea, settle myself down on the stern, and simply watch it doing it’s magic. I’ve owned pretty much all the major models over the years, and all are fascinating. On some you can watch the strings swinging to and for in time with the passing waves; others have a mechanical linkage which is beyond my understanding, but nevertheless riveting. I could no more go the sea without one hanging around behind me, than I could without....and here I am struggling to think of something more important and I can’t.

Windvanes are not just for ocean work. I wouldn’t use one in the Solent on a Sunday afternoon, but just the job for a quick dash to Cherbourg or across Lyme Bay. Once you’re the master of it, it’s just a quick to set it as pressing that big red button. On my return from the south Atlantic, I was asked how long I had spent behind the steering wheel. I think the chap asking the question imagined that I grimly clung to it beneath the baking heat of the sun for days on end like the Ancient Mariner. I answered, ‘About twenty minutes. Ten leaving harbour and ten arriving.’ He didn’t believe me.

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

HAVE YOUR SAY When it comes to the environment, where is the balance to be found? facebook.com/ sailingtoday @sailingtodaymag sailingtoday.co.uk

ILLUSTRATION CLAIRE WOOD

‘Practical matters apart, there’s pleasure in a wind vane that feels lacking in other systems’

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Andy Rice The new Cape 31 has taken the Solent race scene by storm and is underpinned by a super friendly ethos. Has the perfect formula for performance racing finally been found?

T

he great thing about one-design racing is you know exactly where you stand.

The bad thing about one-design racing is you know exactly where you stand. Unlike the vagaries of handicap racing where there is always somewhere to hide, if you fare badly in a onedesign race there is nowhere for the ego to seek refuge. It’s on you.

Of course, if you were fortunate enough to find a boat that has a strong one-design fleet but also performs very well on handicap, that would be a wonderful but very rare combination. Well, one boat that seems to be having its cake and eating it is the Cape 31.

Originally conceived by keen Maxi yacht racer Sir Irvine Laidlaw as a no-hold-barred highperformance 31-footer, Irish naval architect Mark Mills drew the racy lines of the Cape 31 back in 2017. It was an immediate hit in South Africa, and in the past 18 months the Cape 31 has taken the Solent by storm. Expertly marketed by South African Dave Bartholomew and New Zealander Dave Swete out of Port Hamble, sales in England and Ireland have reached 25 boats in not much more than a year.

Owner of a Corby-designed cruiser-racer, Lance Adams was so intrigued by the idea of the Cape 31 he bought one without ever having gone for a trial sail. “I had always wanted to give one-design racing a go, but I didn’t want to race dinghies and wanted something a bit more exciting than a J/70. Dave Swete told me about the Cape 31 and it sounded like the boat that the Solent has been needing for a while now. I wanted a boat that would get up on the plane and go hell for leather. Sort of like a one-design version of what they were doing with the Fast40s but without the ludicrous sort of budget that you need to do well in that fleet.”

The cut and thrust of one-design competition has been everything Adams hoped it would be. “Last year we experienced some incredibly close races. It was just nonstop on the racetrack, which makes it far more exciting. It gives you the opportunity to use some tactics and use some ideas to change the position. For the first five or six days of Cowes Week I think we had different winners every day.”

Adam’s boat, Katabatic, was second boat to arrive in the UK. “I’m not normally a risk taker but as soon as Dave told me what the boat and class was all about, I could see immediately how it would appeal to other people, and it has done.”

I suggested to Adams that launching an exciting new class is

perhaps easier than sustaining that enthusiasm a few years down the line. Back to the nowhere-to-hide bruising of the ego when you find yourself struggling at the back of the fleet. For Adams, the appeal of one-design is being able to measure your progress, not necessarily the result itself.

“I like taking younger people out on the boat, building the team, developing people’s opportunity to go sailing on boats like this. That’s what appeals to me really. It’s not about winning. It’s about doing the best you can with people you’ve got and then working on how you improve the performance of the team.”

With upwind speed of around 7.5 knots, the Cape 31 holds its own with a lot of 40-footers, and downwind it hits speeds over 20 knots in the right conditions. Adams says you can really feel the boat through your body. “When you get the boat going well and you get it in that sweet spot, the whole crew can feel it. It’s just completely different from other boats, there is a kind of connectedness that you feel with the boat that I haven’t really experienced before.”

Aside from the fact that the Cape 31 is a really nice boat to sail, perhaps the class ethos is even more important. The two Daves, Bartholomew and Swete, have been careful to listen to what their owners want, and also to protect the boat from customisation and bending of the rules. Swete has recognised the fact that the front of the fleet will always look after itself, it’s the back of the fleet that needs the lion’s share of the care and attention.

It’s a strict owner-driver class and while it’s possible to race with three pro sailors on board, Swete tries to discourage teams from racing with more than one paid professional. Adams agrees.

“I don’t really want to see America’s Cup and Olympic sailors showing up and taking it all too seriously,” he says. “Right now there’s a good camaraderie in the fleet, and it’s not like anyone’s playing their cards close to their chest. There’s a sense of sharing knowledge, and Dave Bart and Dave Swete are very committed to helping everyone in the fleet do as well as they can.”

Another feather in the cap of the Cape 31 is that, even though Mills didn’t design it for handicap racing, the boat turns out to be a great performer under IRC. But the real key to whether or not the class will survive in the longer term is how well it looks after the back of the fleet. If you can find a way of making sure your owners are still grinning even when they’re not winning, you’ve cracked the code of class longevity.

PHOTO RICK TOMLINSON/CAPE 31 CLASS

“The front of the fleet will always look after itself, it’s the back of the fleet that needs the lion’s share of the care and attention”

38

MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE The Cape 31 offers exciting one-design racing under an owner-driver rule

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

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Boat Test - Libertist 853

Tri a little harder Rupert Holmes tests a 28ft trimaran that makes intelligent use of mini foils to create a blisteringly fast, yet safe, design

T

here’s nothing new about trimarans with foils. Eric Tabarly’s 16.5m Paul Ricard in the 1970s, for example, was by no means the first. However, the implementation of the mini foils on the Libertist 853 make this one of the stand out boats of its generation.

The foils are positioned well forward, so also counter the tendency for the bows to dig in.

They also offer potential to eliminate leeway. It’s therefore not intended as a boat that will fly clear of the water.

Instead, the small foils beneath each ama contribute significantly to stability and also lift the bows, thus markedly reducing the potential for capsize when pushed very hard in strong winds. The amas have a substantial amount of buoyancy, but

40

MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

the big benefit is that the faster you go the more the foils contribute to lift. As well as boosting speed, this also has an obvious safety advantage.

The designers and builders have tried hard to keep the concept simple and to minimise weight wherever possible, but without sacrificing the ability to handle the boat efficiently, or result in a stratospherically high price tag. The mini foils are just 45 cm deep, matching the depth of the canoe body of the central hull and allow the boat to dry out on a beach. Crossbeams, daggerboard and foils are all carbon, while epoxy is recommended for the main structure, although the base price assumes polyester.

Development started back in 2015, when Libertist founder Adam Waligorski met legendary French multihull designer Erik

ABOVE In action on slightly windier conditions than test day

Lerouge. Our test boat was the prototype, which differs from production versions in having fixed amas and in interior details.

Production boats will also have carbon hinges for the folding amas.

The geometry of these means that when they move inwards the amas also move downwards.

Therefore when folded both sit in the water, which greatly adds to stability and reduces motion when moored or anchored.

On deck

The key focus for the deck layout is one of simple efficiency, even though the rotating carbon wing mast might initially suggest otherwise.

There are only two winches on the boat, but the layout means they are sufficient for every operation. The sheet for the self tacking jib is led

to a clutch on the starboard side just ahead of the winch, halyards all have clutches on the mast, and the mainsheet also has a clutch, while a long curved traveller at the back of the cockpit is the primary control for the mainsail. Spinnaker sheets can also be led to the coachroof winches.

It’s a perfect set up for a boat of this style: weight is minimised, there’s not an excess of string and manoeuvres are easy even single-handed. Yet there’s still potential for careful tweaking of sail shape. The selftacking jib traveller, for instance, has a purchase system each side, enabling the sheeting angle to be adjusted.

Foils are fixed, which massively reduces the complexity of tacks and gybes, making this an ideal set up for easy but fast sailing for those who are not professional sailors.

Our test boat was set up with a mainsail with three very deep reefs, a self-tacking hank-on headsail with one slab reef, plus a Code 0.

The cockpit is reasonably spacious, deep and secure, with long benches each side. Initially it seems strange not to have any storage where you’d normally expect to find a lazarette or conventional cockpit lockers, but of course there is plenty of space for storage in the amas.

One of the aspects that I like most about sailing a trimaran is the big stable platform that makes popping forward to do deck work an easy matter. It’s even better on this boat thanks to the completely flat decks – there’s just a small step up from the cockpit onto the flat coachroof and no need to step over beams.

Under sail

Our test took place in light to moderate offshore winds off La Rochelle on a glorious early October afternoon. As there are rudders on each ama, rather than on the central hull, the boat can be steered from the windward ama using a conventional tiller. This gives a brilliant view and puts your weight in the right place. Alternatively you can steer from the central cockpit. either holding the carbon tie bars that connect the two rudders, for using a Spinlock tiller extension.

Unfortunately there was some fouling on the hull – the owner is

a chemical engineer and has been testing different potential antifouling formulae, so our speeds would have been even higher with a clean hull. In the strongest breezes we encountered – 12-14 knots true – we nevertheless hit maximum speeds of around 14 knots on a beam reach with the Code 0 set. There’s not a great sensation of speed – this is not unusual for a trimaran, though the leeward foil lifting the bows of the ama out of the water doubtless contributed to this effect. However zipping past all the other boats on the water gave a good impression of just how fast this boat is.

Sailing upwind produced a pleasant surprise, especially when the true wind topped around 13-14 knots, when boat speed would hover in the 10-12 knot range, at a true wind angle of around 50 degrees. In lighter airs performance to windward suffers, but even in the holes, with only 8 knots of breeze, we still made 6 to 7 knots closehauled.

Tacking is beautifully simple, even when helming from the windward ama. Let go of the tiller, walk across the boat, straighten up on the new course as the boat pays off on the new tack, then haul the traveller up to windward.

Short tacking back up the channel

ABOVE A simple, easy to handle running rigging set-up BELOW Tillers on each ama mean that you can steer from well outboard

towards the marina we reverted to steering from the cockpit, making it easier to pick away between the fleets of Optimists and Lasers that were also returning to base, along with other yachts, motor boats and the occasional rowing skiff.

Of course, it’s important not to be lulled into a false sense of security when sailing a powerful multihull in such a confined space. It’s particularly important to remember just how quickly such a boat will accelerate when bearing away onto a reach.

Fortunately it’s easy to apply the brakes. On dumping the mainsheet and luffing up the boat rapidly slows, then fore-reaches at only one or two knots, allowing the sails to be dropped in a leisurely manner. If you need to bear away in a confined space the solution is to drop the mainsail first, then turn downwind using only the jib.

We’re not able to test the boat in a big sea, however despite the speeds at which we were sailing for much of the test, the decks remained impressively dry throughout.

A couple of days before my sail they reported boat speeds of 20 knots, in 16 knots of true wind.

This is therefore the type of boat that shrinks bodies of water like the English Channel, the southern North Sea and the Irish Sea. Providing your destination does not lie directly upwind or downwind, a 90 mile jaunt, such as from the Solent or Dartmouth to Guernsey, can be a fast and fun day sail.

Some of the photos make this look like an extreme machine – but that’s not the experience you feel when sailing it. Granted it’s fast, powerful and needs to be handled by knowledgable hands, but it’s also very easily tamed and does not feel as though you’re sailing on the edge. The additional lift to the bows of the leeward ama at speed is hugely reassuring in this respect.

Inside

Below decks there’s basic but civilised accommodation with a surprising amount of space for an ultra-fast boat of this length. Headroom at the foot of the companionway is almost 6 feet, and since no attempt has been Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

41

Boat Test - Libertist 853

made to limit the beam when folded in order to make it transportable on a road trailer (towing width when folded is 2.55m), the saloon is noticeably wider than that of other trimarans of a similar length.

The saloon has a long settee each side, while the galley is forward against the main bulkhead, on the port side of the daggerboard case. The central folding table also houses a cool box or fridge, waste bin and further storage.

Most surfaces are in a high gloss finish that looks good, is easy to clean, and won’t absorb moisture.

The the fabric headlining on the prototype boat will be replaced with a moulded finish on subsequent builds. Exposed carbon elements help give the interior a sporty feel and look, without making it too dark.

Our prototype test boat has a narrowish low-slung berth in the forepeak, which would make either a very generous single, or extremely cozy double. However there’s enough overhead clearance to lift this to the level of the knuckle that widens the hull above the waterline, which will create an excellent large double berth, almost 6 feet wide at its head, in future boats. There’s a further double berth under the cockpit, although this has restricted headroom. The heads compartment is forward of the main bulkhead the boats currently in build will also have a shower here.

For many, the biggest downside is a lack of interior stowage space, but there’s easily sufficient for anyone who is well organised and it’s important to remember that excess weight on a boat of this type will quickly sap performance.

RUPERT’S VERDICT

ABOVE Flying a hull in a fresh breeze BELOW A decent amount of interior space with sporty, practical styling

This boat fills a void in the market in which there’s a lack of lightweight multihulls that take advantage of foiling technology, yet don’t require sailing permanently on the edge of control. Between them Libertist and Lerouge have done a very good job in keeping the general concept simple, without sacrificing speed or efficiency of handling.

Despite the aim to keep weight to a minimum, the decision not to opt for a narrow central hull to enable the boat to be towed behind a car means there is space for

reasonable interior accommodation.

Granted it’s smaller than other boats you can buy for the same money, but everything essential is provided in a neat package.

The next two examples are currently in production and Libertist unveiled a 7m (22ft) model that can be legally towed at last year’s La Rochelle boat show. Lerouge has also completed designs for 10 and 12 metre versions.

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

THE SPEC

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

LOA: 8.53m (27'9")

Wing mast area: 4m² (43ft²)

LWL: 5.3m (17'3")

Mainsail: 40 m² (430 ft²)

Beam: 7.1m (23'3")

Jib: 19 m² (204 ft²)

Draught 0.45 to 1.95m (1'5"-6'4")

Spinnaker: 78 m² (839ft²

Light displacement: 1,400kg (3,086lb)

Contact: libertist.eu Price: From €145,000 ex VAT

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

43

Tom Cunliffe

Tom Cunliffe

B

y the time this edition of Sailing Today lands on the doormat, Easter will be upon us. Brexit may have affected the hassle-free option of an early trip to France for South-Coast boats, but sending in customs forms isn’t the end of the world. It’s true that in recent years we’ve enjoyed a period of seamless travel, but the good old days of bottles of rum tucked away in pillow cases and

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

packets of fags stashed in the anchor locker are still within living memory.

In a way, the formalities that are back with us add to the sense of occasion.

We’ve really ‘been foreign’ now, rather than just nipping over to a nearby ‘member state’.

Easter has always been busy for the cruising sailor. Boat hoist slots must be booked in good time. A lightning fit-out follows the launch, invariably rushed, then bank holiday weekend arrives with car-loads of charts,

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

victuals, lifejackets, excited sailors and, once again now, customs forms.

When I’m in home waters, my initial target is often a trip across the 60 miles of open sea to Cherbourg from the Solent. It’s a suitable challenge with a tangible reward. These days I’m sailing a 44-foot cutter with a useful engine, a decent suit of sails and a large GPS-driven chart plotter. Time blurs the memory and it’s hard to equate this ideal arrangement with

ILLUSTRATION: CLAIRE WOOD, PHOTOS TOM CUNLIFFE

Spring is in the air and cross channel trips are back on the agenda. Tom recalls an early misadventure and an important lesson learnt

“So long as we kept on pumping, it was unlikely to sink us, but it was nonetheless disconcerting” my first crossing in 1971. My boat then was a bermudan sloop built in 1930 exactly half the length of the current floating wonder. With her centreboard up she drew three feet and her auxiliary motor was a one-lunged, hand-cranked creation of Lucifer that only propelled the yacht on the rare occasions when it condescended to fire. Apart from the complete lack of headroom in the tiny cabin, the other feature of note was the centreboard case which divided the saloon in two. This was open at the top like a dinghy’s. Since water always finds its own level, in calm conditions the arrangement afforded the casual observer a useful view of the sea slopping around down the crack. Beating in offshore waves changed this comfortable setup. Every time the upper level

of the casing fell below the top of the seas outside, water would spurt into the saloon. We knew why it did this and that, so long as we kept on pumping, it was unlikely to sink us, but it was nonetheless disconcerting.

My wife Roz, who at this stage of our careers had as much sea experience as a Manchester bus conductor, took a particular dislike to it.

Setting out before dawn from Yarmouth with a fair ebb to the departure point off the Needles, we made the trip across in 18 hours. Navigation was by dead reckoning. I made little allowance for the tide and learned a sharp lesson when the last five miles took three hours with a fair wind.

There was no tidy Cherbourg marina at Chantereyne in 1971.

Instead, visiting yachts bundled their

ABOVE The Needles is an iconic departure point for many cross channel trips

way up the long, narrow Avant Port to take pot luck on a berth. When we trickled in at bedtime, the party was in full swing. A haphazard fleet of rafted Brits were piled up against a high, weedy wall. Tending lines was going to be a major issue as the tide rose and fell, but we were small enough to draw no attention so we hung off the outside yacht and kept our heads down until morning.

When I peered over the hatch at 0800 the whole enormous raft was heaving as folks stepped across boat after boat to get ashore to the boulangerie. The early birds were already returning, loaded up with their morning croissants and baguettes.The scene would have seemed exotic had it not been for the smell. Something bad had gone amiss with the plumbing in the yacht club outside which, it now became clear, we were all secured. The flooding tide was preventing any exit to the wide waters outside and we were lying in a pool of sewage.

For a few moments this put me off my breakfast, but the general Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

45

Tom Cunliffe

“For a few moments this put me off my breakfast, but the general bonhomie and banter among the yachts dispelled any negative thoughts ”

bonhomie and banter among the yachts dispelled any negative thoughts. Soon, I felt quietly proud to be a fully paid-up member of a community to which, until that day, I had only aspired.

So far so good. Our successful outbound leg was followed by a couple of convivial days in the town among our new chums. The first ebb carried away the floating horrors from the dock and things looked up until it was time to go.

Then reality hit. It was raining at 0400 when we scrambled out of our bunks. We had no proper foul weather gear and a steady breeze was blowing down the dock from the north. We turned in again to wait for daylight, but when it arrived it was a poor sort of thing and brought no comfort. Work called and the baker was open, so I loaded up on baguettes while Roz brewed the tea.

Then I clambered back across the boats, swallowed a rapid breakfast and hoisted the main at 0700.

Nightfall saw us no further on than mid-Channel. Because we were closehauled and Roz was on her first trip I stayed at the tiller, growing steadily colder and more tired. At midnight we still couldn’t see the Needles or St Catherine’s Point lights, I was nodding at the

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ABOVE Tom’s pint sized command for his 1971 trip

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

helm and the centreboard case was up to its tricks once more. Roz, who went to a good school and knew how to behave, decided her best plan was to keep me alive so, in between sessions at the bilge pump, she began sending up hot water bottles to stuff up my soaking sweater.

By 0300 I was past caring about the cold and was steering in my sleep. Any idea of deciding which tack to lay the boat on to win a few miles from the lee bow effect would have been a joke. It was bit late to start teaching Roz the nuances of working a small yacht to windward in a seaway and, because I had sunk far beyond thinking straight, I didn’t consider any alternatives. I just clung to the tiller as exhaustion took over.

More asleep than awake, I kept the boat on the wind. At some stage before dawn I must have made a tack more on instinct than information, because first light saw us sailing on a young flood tide towards the Needles Channel. I’ve since found that after a long night watch, my metabolism seems to discover new life as the light grows. This time, the opposite happened. Still west of the lighthouse, we fell in with a yacht on a collision course. It was a bermudan sloop, black with black sails and a white light at the masthead that

seemed to be flashing. I was on the starboard tack, so I stood on. At the last minute, I ducked under the yacht’s stern and it was only then that I came to my senses. In those days starboard-hand buoys were black, not green, and there were no cardinals.

The yacht was the Bridge buoy and its bow wave was the tide washing past it. I can see the hallucination now.

The lesson here is almost too obvious to spell out. I had ignored the signs of exhaustion and had pushed myself past the bounds of rational behaviour. In mid-Channel I still had two options for getting my head down for a couple of hours, which would have made all the difference. We could easily have hove the boat to. Alternatively, if Roz had struggled to steer to windward in the dark, I could have given her a compass course that wasn’t far off close-hauled. She was young, bright, she wasn’t seasick and she’d done her bit by keeping the hot water bottles coming and the pump gushing.

As for me, I’d made a bad mistake but, as so often happens, I’d been allowed to get away with it. I’ve been deeply tired many times since, but that passage taught me that I must be ready to delegate, if not the whole job, enough of it to get some rest when it’s most needed.

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

47

Cruising - The Solent

Spring time in the Solent Clive Loughlin plans a spring tide weekend in the Solent

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

H

aving previously planned a weekend in the Solent based around neaps (ST October 2021), my thoughts now go towards the extra possibilities that await those that venture out into spring tides.

The idea is that someone with a berth up the River Hamble arrives at their home berth late afternoon on a Friday, and needs to be back there by Sunday afternoon. With relatively minor variations it should also work for those with berths anywhere within the Solent area.

What’s the difference?

Spring tides are like neap tides on steroids. Both the range of tide between high and low water and the rate of the tidal streams are about double that at neaps.

The higher high water means we can gain access to places that would otherwise be too shallow for our keel, while the depth at low

water could easily see us touching bottom in places where we would stay happily afloat at neaps.

The higher rate of the tidal streams also means that if you go with the flow you can reach more distant locations if you get your timing right, but get punished big-time with tediously long journeys if you dally too long in the pub.

The timings of high and low water at springs are always the same within about an hour – so what follows should work for any springs, or a few days either side.

I leave it to you to do the necessary passage planning, pilotage and secondary port tidal height calculations for your specific adventure.

Planning

As always my starting point for passage planning is to make multiple copies of the Solent Tidal Stream pages from the almanac and then fill in the times (I prefer to use BST) so I have an hour-by-hour snapshot of what is flowing where for the whole of the weekend.

This particular passage plan starts on Friday 29th April 2022 and with the spring occurring on the Sunday, but should work for any weekend that includes springs.

Friday evening - Portsmouth The tidal stream in the Solent starts flowing east from about 1600 and for the first evening our aim is a modest 13nm hop to Portsmouth.

With the tidal stream flowing east this plan would also work reasonably well for boats berthed in Lymington,

Yarmouth or the River Beaulieu.

Coming from the Hamble take the North Channel to the east of the Bramble Bank and then head on past Gillkicker Point to the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour.

At this state of tide, close to low water, I would definitely avoid trying to cut the corner in the inner swashway and instead opt for the well trod route keeping the War Memorial on a bearing of 49° T. Be sure to swot up on pilotage for getting in to Portsmouth and listen in to the Queen’s Harbour Master (QHM) on Ch11. Partly because it is interesting, but mainly for the ferry and naval traffic announcements.

If you fancy a night on the town, head over to tie up at Gunwharf Quays, directly under Spinnaker Tower; but not before seeking approval from QHM to make the crossing. Hover around the Ballast Buoy while waiting for permission, and be prepared to make the crossing the moment you are instructed to do so.

If Gunwharf Quays is full, or if you fancy something quieter, then Haslar (look for the green Lightship) and Gosport Marinas are close at hand on the Gosport side. You can always take the ferry across to Gunwharf Quays if you fancy a stroll around the bright lights, authentically seedy backstreets, or historic vessels such as ‘Warrior’, ‘Victory’ and ‘Mary Rose’, and their modern equivalents in the form of HMS Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales aircraft carriers.

Wherever you choose to spend the night, a visit to Portsmouth by boat is an unforgettable experience.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

49

Cruising - The Solent

Saturday - Back to nature After the hustle and bustle of Portsmouth the aim for Saturday is to escape to the serene natural beauty of Chichester Harbour.

The jewel in the crown of which, in my view, is Bosham.

For this plan to hang together it is important to leave Portsmouth early near low water, both to catch the east-going tidal stream and also to be sure to cover the 12nm to Bosham in time to arrive at least two hours before high water.

Head out from Portsmouth, staying in the small boat channel until Spitbank Fort is abeam to starboard and then, when safe to do so, cross the main channel and head east aiming for the middle of the 60m wide gap in the submarine barrier that runs from the mainland to Horse Sand Fort.

Bosham has no marinas, no boat lifts and access to the village quay is restricted by the tide, but what it lacks in facilities it more than makes up for with ‘Foyle’s War’ charm and drop dead gorgeous surroundings.

On one particularly notable visit I managed to run aground on my final approach and had to dry out at a jaunty angle on the mud bank.

The whole incident was extensively recorded by the Chichester Camera Club, whose members had gathered in considerable numbers to photograph the particularly spectacular sunset. The best excuse I can come up with was that the west cardinal had been temporarily removed for maintenance.

The correct way to approach is to stay in the main channel heading north until the black boathouse

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

on the end of the quay is just about due east and then head in keeping the south cardinal to port.

Cut the corner too soon and you too could suffer my ignominy.

Bosham calculations

There are two very useful online weather/tidal stations for this area. chimet.co.uk is sited on the ‘West Pole’ Beacon and gives weather and tidal height in the approaches to Chichester harbour, and cambermet.co.uk which is within the harbour area, and located on the ‘Camber’ south cardinal at the confluence of the Thorney and Chichester channels.

The tides for Chichester Harbour in the Almanac are based on the area just inside the harbour near the Hayling Island Sailing club.

For ‘live’ tidal data for Bosham I would refer to CamberMet. High Water at springs is usually in excess of 4.3m. The depth alongside Bosham quay is 1.52.0m above chart datum.

Using tidal curves from the Almanac and data for 30th April 2022 and assuming a draft of 1.7m, I estimate that an adventurous mariner would have access to the quay for about 4 hours. I would be more cautious and plan to arrive as early as depth and keel allow, and leave just before high water.

Time and tide wait for no man, and this was famously demonstrated

by King Canute, who allegedly ordered the tide to retreat here in 1030. Similarly we cannot delay its departure, but there should be enough time for a walk ashore to explore the village, find a teashop

PREVIOUS PAGE

Dries out alongside Bosham Quay (p52) and Portsmouth Harbour (p53)

ABOVE LEFT

Murmurations in Chichester Harbour - a haven of wildlife

ABOVE RIGHT

Bosham's iconic church and muddy delights

or two and visit the Saxon church.

For those with a stout heart and appropriate insurance, it is possible to dry out against the harbour wall (ST April 2015). Do this if you fancy an unforgettable night ashore at the ‘Anchor Bleu’, or the hugely active Bosham Sailing Club which welcomes visitors to their bar and showers.

Be sure to let the Quay Master know your plans in advance for advice and to pay dues for Bosham Quay and also to Chichester Harbour Control (VHF Ch14).

As this is a holiday and not a mile-building exercise, for the rest of Saturday I recommend heading back down Bosham Channel for a general exploration of the harbour, before anchoring off East Head for the night. As long as weather conditions are mild and the wind is from south or south west, then East Head makes a lovely destination to either stay on the boat as it swings at anchor, or to get the dinghy out and head ashore for a stroll along the sand dunes and perhaps a beach barbeque.

Sunday – Beach huts and ice creams The tidal stream into the Solent starts heading west from about 1030. Those that need to get back to Yarmouth or Lymington had better head straight for home, possibly dropping the hook in Osborne Bay for lunch and a swim.

However those heading for the Hamble or Beaulieu can take the opportunity to visit Bembridge.

I always enjoy a visit to Bembridge, and this is what I recommend for Sunday morning.

Say goodbye to Chichester Harbour and head out until past the West Pole port hand mark and then head SW for St Helen’s Fort and the winding entrance to Bembridge Harbour.

This is a very busy area for shipping of all descriptions, including large cross channel ferries, container ships heading for Southampton docks, and LNG tankers heading for Fawley, as well as naval vessels of all sizes from frigates to aircraft carriers. The main shipping channel is just 0.5nm wide, so take a good look around and then cut straight across at best speed.

Bembridge approaches I often ask my crew to take me to Bembridge – partly because the winding approach channel is quite challenging and also because I love a trip ashore and a stroll along the front past multi-coloured beach huts for ice creams at the ‘Baywatch on the Beach’ cafe.

As with Bosham, access to Bembridge is limited by the tide.

The least charted depth on the

approach is about 0.5m above chart datum and from a navigation point of view there is a very reassuring ‘height over the bar’ tidal gauge that is physically located to the north of St Helen’s Fort (bembridgeharbour.co.uk).

Chart limitations

Do not be led astray by the charts!

A casual inspection of charts – digital and otherwise, would suggest that the best approach is leaving St Helens’ Fort to the north. The official (and best) approach leaves the fort to port, I start the approach near the tide gauge that is due north of the fort and then find the first pair of red and green laterals and follow the buoys in, being very careful not to cut any corners.

The navigation buoys marking the approach are regularly re-laid to mark the shifting channel – so go by what you see on the day.

After initially winding around, the channel runs parallel to the beach, before taking a sharp turn

ABOVE RIGHT

East Head in Chichester features a superb anchorage and sandy beach

BELOW LEFT

The tide guage at Bembridge

BELOW RIGHT

Bembridge Harbour

to starboard between narrow shingle banks. Stay mid-channel between the lateral markers. Look out for the large workshops and slipway that used to house the ‘Cushioncraft’ hovercraft facility, and make your way to your pre-booked berth.

High water at springs is just after midday, and how long you can stay will depend on your draft.

The tidal stream in the Solent and eastern approaches flows west until two hours after high water and I would plan to depart Bembridge by about 1400 so that most of the voyage back to the Hamble can be with a fair tide.

Fact Box Clive Loughlin teaches for First Class Sailing in the Solent area and is a regular Sailing Today contributor

Chichester Harbour Control VHF Ch 14, Tel: 01243 512301 Bosham Quay Master Tel: 01243 573336 Email: Rowena.Judd@conservancy. co.uk Bembridge Harbour VHF Ch 80, Tel: 01983 872828

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

51

RORC Caribbean 600

This year's RORC Caribbean 600 was characterised by photo finishes.

Here's our pick of the highlights...

PHOTOS ARTHUR DANIEL/TIM WRIGHT/RORC

F

52

irst to grab the headlines was a battle of the giants that went down to the wire in this year’s hotly contested RORC Caribbean 600. A trio of 70ft tris chased each other in a record-breaking dash from Antigua and around the beautiful Leeward Islands, the winner sailing into the history books with a new multihull race record of just 29 hours, 38 minutes and 44 seconds. Incredibly, at the end of this super-charged battle just two minutes, 13 seconds MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Close quarters separated first and second, with the winner decided in the final few miles of the 600nm race.

Scooping that top prize was Jason Carroll’s Argo - third time lucky for the boat, which had been runner up in this now-iconic race twice before.

They overhauled Giovanni Soldini’s Multi70 Maserati in a fierce tacking duel in the closing stages of the race, while Peter Cunningham’s Powerplay – the early race leader – settled for third.

Jason Carroll described the race as “an emotional rollercoaster” and the finish as “awesome”, adding, it was “so exciting for the whole crew, this was an opportunity not just to sail fast but to flex your sailing skills.” He also acknowledged the strength of competitor Maserati, saying “they sailed a great race.”

ABOVE

IRC1 and 2 after the start: Peter Lewis' J/121 Whistler chases Christopher Daniel's J/122 Juno

RIGHT, TOP

Jason Carroll's MOD70 Argo flies past rival Maserati on the way to multihull line honours

RIGHT, INSET

Jason Carroll (left) lifts the trophy together with Brian Thompson

Team triumph

In the early hours of the following morning, the ClubSwan 125 Skorpios, skippered by Fernando Echavarri, crossed the finish line in Antigua to take monohull line honours with an elapsed time of 1 day, 16 hours, 39 minutes and 51 seconds.

Less than an hour later, the 100ft super maxi Comanche followed under skipper Mitch Booth. The two boats had raced within sight of one another for the entirety of the race. There was a possibility that Comanche had done enough for the overall win; however, a storming performance by Christopher Sheehan’s Pac52 Warrior Won saw the USA flagged boat seal the overall win on corrected time.

For Sheehan and his crew, it was

Multihull battle Winning always makes a race memorable – and setting a new race record has got to help too! But for pro offshore sailor Brian Thompson, who already has many records to his name, super close racing, ideal conditions and being part of a slick well-prepared team were the added ingredients that made this a perfect race...

“It was a fantastic race with the lead changing hands almost at every island,” says Brian. “The most spectacular part was the first evening when we were going up behind Nevis and into to lee of St Kitts heading for Saba, and all three MOD70s were doing 35+ knots in flat water; we were perhaps 30 metres away from Maserati at times, doing that sort of speed - that was an amazing sight, one that really burns in the memory.”

14-18 knots winds throughout meant that Argo carried full sail and was pushing for max speed without any real worry of capsizing.

But with their competitors pushing just as hard, there wasn’t a second the eight-person crew could take their foot off the gas.

“We had to keep the boat going 100 per cent the whole time, and also pick the best route through the through the islands, and that takes real concentration, especially from the drivers. There was very little rest for anyone,” says Brian.

He credits much of the team’s performance to their hard work in maximising training time pre-race; talking around the course and practising specific boat handling manoeuvres they knew were likely to come into play.

It paid off. The three giant tris traded places throughout the early stages of the race, but the key gains came in knowing where they could take risks on the course, and in having the confidence to pull off super-slick manoeuvres, even at 30 knots, that gained them valuable seconds.

Dodging the rocks “The trickiest part of the race was probably going round St Barths and St Martin because

Argo navigator Brian Thompson tells Georgie Corlett-Pitt about why this was his most thrilling edition of the race to date... there are a lot of rocks to avoid and a lot of manoeuvring in a short space of time, says Brian. “We overtook Maserati there as we were quicker to set the gennaker, having talked it through beforehand and having everyone ready to deploy it.

“Guadeloupe was really critical because of the light airs in the lee. The race really is a sprint, that leg from St Barths to Guadeloupe is really the only time anyone can get some sleep. We got everyone up early and made sure we were ready for the light airs. You could be doing wonderfully until this point then just park and the fleet catches you up;

equally you could come from way behind and catch up. It’s almost like two races, one to get to the lee of Guadeloupe, and then the second one starts as you exit; because everyone is sailing the boat so well and there aren’t that many passing lanes, if you have a lead coming out from Guadeloupe, there is a very good chance you will hold it to the end.”

At this point, Maserati was in the lead. The Argo crew needed to play it clever if they had any chance of turning things around.

As they rounded Redonda Rock for the final dash back to Antigua, the wind was shifting east, meaning more wind inshore than usual. With Maserati steering wide, they cut in as close as they dared to Redonda’s rocky shore - so close in fact, that, Brian

recalls, “a downdraft caused the hull to fly higher than it had all race, we headed up to depower and nearly hit the island itself”.

But it was just the boost they needed and together with the tight rounding they'd gained close to a mile on Maserati.

“We knew after that the wind was always going to go light in the lee of the convergence zone off Antigua, and then go right for the last bit, and so that’s where we planned to try to engage in a tacking deal with Maserati.”

“At the point when they got into the light air under Antigua we tacked away; we were still in stronger wind wrapping around the western end of Antigua.”

Tacking duel With just a few miles to the finish, Maserati tacked to cover Argo, and the two engaged in a mind-blowingly close tacking duel.

Argo began to gain. Brian explains: “Argo is a little bit easier to tack because our foils are easier to manoeuvre, and also we were in slightly stronger wind all the time, so we slowly got closer with every tack, and put them under pressure.

“With the MOD70 you have to cant the rig to leeward before you tack; there’s a lot of drag too from the foils as the boat slows through the turn, so it’s very easy to get caught (in irons). Maserati had a slower tack and we managed to just get through their lee okay whilst they were mid-tack. Very slowly, we worked out in front of them, and then they were left in our bad air. At that point we only had three or four miles to run so then it was a matter just covering them to the finish and executing some good tacks.”

With victory and the race record sealed, Brian says there was a feeling of sheer elation among the team; only much later did exhaustion set in. A warm reception awaited them on their return: “All the superyachts were blaring their horns and we realised how closely everyone was following it all on the race tracker and AIS. It was incredible.”

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

53

RORC Caribbean 600

the culmination of many months of hard work, and the delight was clear, as Sheehan spoke afterwards of the “positive energy on board, hard work and collaboration” adding that, “Every member of the Warrior Won team has put in an outstanding performance”.

Warrior Won’s tactician, Canadian Richard Clarke, a four-time Olympian and past Volvo Ocean Race winner, explained more about their success, saying: “A race like the Caribbean 600 is short but complicated. It’s short enough that you can push really, really hard, but you have to manage fatigue. On Warrior Won with a fixed keel you have to keep as many bodies on the rail as you can. The basic aspects are keeping the boat at maximum speed with the right combination

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

of sails up. As a tactical race the 600 rates as one the hardest in the world because there are so many islands to round and the tactics vary according to the time of day. Add fickle trade winds and squally clouds into the mix too!”

Hot competition

Elsewhere, another particularly close finish unfolded between two British JPK1180s who were vying for the win in IRC One. The two are familiar combatants, having last faced off in 2021’s Rolex Fastnet Race, where a broken mast for Ed Bell's Dawn Treader had left the door open for Tom Kneen's Sunrise.

This time, the battle played out in full going all the way to the finish. Sunrise took the spoils - but only just, beating Dawn Treader

ABOVE, LEFT

A great vantage point for the start of IRC Super Zero

ABOVE, RIGHT

Super tight racing from the off, here between VO65 Ambersail II and VO70 Hypr

BELOW

Groovederci Racing Sailing Poland powers past Redonda

RIGHT

The overall win on corrected time went to Pac52 Warrior Won after a great team performance

into second place by less than 12 minutes after IRC time correction.

Sunrise’s Tom Kneen described the duel saying: “They gave us a hell of a race, including rolling us downwind, which was terrifying from my perspective.

“We knew pretty early that we had a lot on, and on top of that we broke our jib halyard lock. We had a crew up the rig repairing it for the first reach, so we were on the back foot right from the beginning. We made up some ground on the long reach (to Guadeloupe) and then it got really tricky with the wind fading, as it did for the rest of our race. This was not a blast round the Caribbean in 20 knots, but a complex, highly technical race with a well-sailed boat chasing us!”

Meanwhile, in IRC2, Brit Ross Applebey’s victory was his eighth class win in the RORC Caribbean 600 and the seventh for his Oyster 48, Scarlet Oyster, after fending off stiff competition. He remarked: “IRC Two is far from a soft class, it is tough, close competition.”

Yet another closely fought battle took place in the Volvo fleet, where Groovederci Racing - Sailing Poland, skippered by Deneen Demourkas, crossed the finish just 20 minutes ahead of rival I Love Poland. It was a particularly commendable win considering the team had only come together at the last minute.

With 738 sailors from 32 nations and so many close battles, there's no doubt the 13th edition of the RORC600 has gone down as a classic.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

55

Round the Island Race

Keep turning left!

The Island Sailing Club’s Round the Island Race takes place on 25 June. We ask three sailors their advice and overleaf race director Dave Atkinson reveals what’s involved in making it all happen

"Don’t overcook the start" Hamble man Chris Warwick has done the race “er…14, maybe 15 times?”. He’s done it as a family, with wife Mel and their two children on a Dufour cruising yacht, and he’s done it with two elite racers, Olympian Mark Covell and Olympic coach Mark Rushall, on the 30ft one-off design, Collective Spirit. Chris has even enjoyed the taste of victory – in 2009 he was the recipient of the Crankshaw Bowl in 2009, when the yacht he was sailing, Osprey

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

of Hamble, was first in its division and group.

Chris’ advice to first-timers is clear: “Don’t overcook the start! It’s a race but it’s not a race. It’s a long – keep it fun. Give yourself clear air. Try to stay in the tide, but in reality you’re better off not getting involved in tackling other boats – a clear path is better.”

Chris, whose company Universal Yachting is the UK south coast agent for Dufour Yachts, based at Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble, says:

“One year we took the Dufour 412 round – our youngest was nine at the time. It was a beautiful day and you had all these race boats with crews leaning over the side, while we were sitting back having lunch and going just as fast! For a lot of people it is just a nice day out but it is the longest sail they’ll do all year and it is a challenge. It’s a spectacle, whether you’re a hardened sailor or a first-timer. To see 1,400 yachts setting off is a fantastic sight and being part of it is great."

"Sail to your crew’s ability" Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust yachts are a familiar sight in the race and this year again the Trust is the Round the Island Race’s official charity.

Two boats will be taking part, crewed by young people who have recently finished cancer treatment.

Trust volunteer skipper Becky Ellis says: “Doing the race gives the young people such a sense of achievement. It’s something they can always look back on, a big visual in their minds – that start line is something you never forget.

“It gets them involved as a team with other young people who have had similar expeirences to them. They bond so quickly on the boat and they always make frends. It is really special watching them develop.

“Doing the race and being out at sea gives them a mental break. They can take part as much as they want, or they can be on the rail, sitting and chatting together, and some of the best conversations happen like that.

The journey round the island will do different things for each of them.”

Becky’s advice for the day? “Stay safe, give yourself space and sail

to the ability of your crew. Have fun with it and make sure it’s a nice day out. Take some music and lots of food! Be willing to turn around, if you know you’re not going to make the tide, or if the crew may be seasick. Ask what you’re hoping to achieve. Getting round is one aim, but not the only aim.”

If fact, Becky counts the one time she didn’t finish as one of her favourites. “It was just a magical day,” she recalls of the windless 2019 edition, frustrating for the keen racers but a wonderful day under blue skies for those happy to savour the experience. ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org

"Some of us are taking it seriously!"

While many people will be savouring the Round the Island Race as a spectacular day on the water, Simon Perry and crew will be leaning out to weather and most definitely racing.

Simon and family are veterans of the J/109 class, where they were trophy winners and a competitive Corinthian crew.

Simon bought a Cape 31, Jiraffe, a year ago and will be doing the race on the boat with son Tom, aged 23, and five others.

“Take lots of food and keep everyone happy,” he said. “It’s not like racing round the cans, they can be long legs and there’s not always alot to do.”

He offered the perspective of the racing crew: “For a lot of people it’s their one race of the year. You don’t need to know all the niceties of racing, but it’s worth understanding what’s going on and remembering that some people are taking it seriously. I would say ‘be courteous and try not to get in their way’!”

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

57

Round the Island Race

Your questions answered We chat to Round the Island Race director Dave Atkinson Why start so early?

“It’s a 50-mile course, so it can be a very long day on the water. We try to give everyone the best possible chance of finishing, even in very light winds.

The whole race is based on tides – we try to get people out through the Western Solent and Hurst Narrows with maximum tide behind them. In a year with a good breeze most boats will get round fairly quickly, but on a very light wind day boats can struggle to make the tidal gate at the Needles and many others won’t be in until late evening.

There are so many boats it’s not safe to start them all at the same time. That's why the start sequence lasts for two hours.”

Why is there a cut off time?

“Way, way back there wasn’t a time limit and we might still have boats finishing on Sunday morning. When entry numbers grew we had to put the time limit in to get people back safely in reasonable light and while we still have reasonable resources on the water to assist them if necessary – these are usually small boats.

“We have people on the water until after the cut-off time to make sure everyone is ok, but unfortunately we can’t have volunteers out there too long into the night.

This year we’re starting at 0530 and the time limit is 2230. That’s a long time.”

Is the race safe?

“We have well-proven format that’s been honed over many years. There’s a media spotlight on the Solent during the race, which means any incidents get highlighted – but there are problems every weekend in summer.

“We have to pre-empt all eventualities and our risk assessment is three-quarters of an inch thick. One difficulty is lots of other people sail around the island on the race day, including sport catamarans and dinghies like Lasers, who are not part of the race.

“Of course, if there’s a problem with one of these boats we do what we can to help, but we

How do you choose the date?

“It’s determined by several criteria. The last two weeks of June works well – it maximises daylight and we can choose a weekend with the best tides, but then things started getting mucked about by the Festival and other things. Sometimes also the best day for tides might be mid-week, which is no good.

“This year we had to go back to the end of May. There’s still lots of daylight, but it’s not ideal if it’s a wet spring and people can’t get boats ready. We always do our best to choose a date that will allow as many as possible to take part.”

don’t know how many people are on board, don’t know their shore contacts and so on.

“We have a great cooperation with a multitude of agencies – we’re grateful for that and have had good relationships with them for ages. At race control we have a coastguard officer in attendance for the whole day. These’s an ambulance co-ordinator there too – we work with them in advance to establish the best emergency points around the island for a casualty to be taken. We also have a close relationship with the police.

“That was the biggest reason

Why do the big boats go first?

“It’s the only safe option – we have to have them in front because they are so much quicker and the closing speeds can be phenomenal.

We have thought about different ways of rejigging the schedule, but wherever you put them, the modelling shows you end up with a risk of the fleet concentrated in the Needles Channel, in big tides.

Sadly that means most competitors don’t see the Grand Prix boats, but it’s the only way to get everyone around safely.”

How limited is the tidal window?

“This is a difficult one – there’s a maximum of six hours westgoing tide and of course we want the boats that start last to have the best possible chance of making the Needles tidal gate.

We’re constrained by having to start the bigger boats first and we can’t send those off against a strong east-going stream in case there’s next to no wind on the start morning.

In the past we have postponed the start, but it caused too many problems – not everyone checks whether starts are delayed, so they set off at the scheduled time which spoils their day.”

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

we had to change the date a couple of years ago when the Isle of Wight Festival made a late decision to take place on the weekend of the race. The emergency services on the island don’t really have enough capacity to cover two major events at the same time.

“Touch wood, we’ve never had to enact all of our emergency plan, but its written in such a way that it’s understandable, with no confusion. It’s detailed and very clear on what needs to be done do under different circumstances.”

How big is your team?

“About 130 people on the day. A core of six of us with ultimate control in the race box, plus the bunker downstairs with all the technology, results service, press office and so on. The big committee boat responsible for running the two finish lines has 40 people, plus more in smaller boats at the other end of the lines.

“There are also spotters on shore around the island, mobile VHF relay stations on Afton Down and Culver Down, so we can talk to competitors around the course, plus more RIBs and motorboats round the course.”

“Throughout the year, there’s a race management group of about 10 people doing the donkey work for the club.

Sponsors and partners also need to be looked after – and we’re always looking for more partners.”

What’s the ISC rating system?

“Our system makes it easy to get a rating certificate to compete in the race. It’s pretty accurate and we don’t charge for it, we only need minimal details about the boat. It’s really taken off and there are now a number of cruising boats in this category."

The Round the Island Race is run by the Island Sailing Club, on 25 June. Enter at roundtheisland.org.uk

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59

Buyer's Guide - Waterproofs

Suits you, sir There are some exciting updates in the world of sailing kit. Sam Fortescue turns his gimlet eye to the latest updates in sailing waterproofs

A

fter a bumper year of regattainspired sailing clothing in 2021, the pendulum has swung back towards bluewater cruising again. While there is still plenty of new gear for dinghy and keelboat racers, the bulk of the launches ahead of this summer focus on full-fat foulies.

Musto, Henri-Lloyd and Gill have all tweaked their headline ranges, and it is encouraging to see that sustainability is taking root in this most synthetic of sectors. Many of the novelties for 2022 relate to recycled fibres and

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

non-harmful fabric treatments.

It’s been a busy 12 months for Musto, with new products aimed at pretty much every category of sailing, from dinghy racing to offshore racing and cruising. On the cruising side, Musto’s mid-range BR2 foul-weather clothing line has also been given a performance boost for the coming season. “Using innovations from our MPX and HPX offshore gear, the new BR2 products are packed with new technologies that will protect against any adverse weather conditions,” says head of marketing Nick Houchin.

The fabric is still polyamide, but it has been given a new two-part membrane to boost waterproofing

and breathability. The result is a fabric with twice the performance of the previous BR2 line. And as ever, it is topped off with a Durable Water Repellent treatment to prevent the fabric from wetting out. In the new line, this DWR has a longer life thanks to much better wet abrasion resistance.

BR2 Offshore jacket: £300 BR2 Offshore trousers: £250 Meanwhile, Aussie brand Zhik has come over all military with the launch of its new pinnacle OFS800 line of ocean wet weather gear. It’s not so much the look of the gear, which features jazzy acid lime

“It is encouraging to see that sustainability is taking root in this most synthetic of sectors” and flame red colourways, but the technology inside it. That’s because the waterproof and breathable heart of the new line is a membrane called eVent, which has found favour with the world’s armed forces.

Zhik is the first manufacturer to adapt the technology for sailing clothing, and believes it is a gamechanger. The company uses a different measure of breathability to other sailing brands, making comparison difficult. However, its rating of 5m2 Pa/W is considered excellent, and akin to clothing that can transfer 15,000-20,000 grams of water vapour per square metre per day. That puts it on a par with Musto HPX, for instance.

It is the durability of these garments which really make headlines, though. Resisting oils and harsh chemicals, they were developed over three years of testing in the lab and on the water, thanks to the participation of sailors on AkzoNobel and Dong Feng in the last Volvo Ocean Race.

OFS800 jacket: £579.95 OFS800 smock: £579.95 OFS800 salopettes: £449.95 Occupying a similar market segment is Mustang Survival’s EP wet weather gear, bridging offshore racing and bluewater sailing. The design has been honed with input from Team Comanche and 2017 Volvo Ocean Race sailor Emily Nagel. Available only in no-nonsense black, the EP 6.5 Ocean Racing Jacket uses militaryspecification GoreTex to keep the water out. It has a high fleece-lined collar and high visibility hood, plus Exoskin wrist cuffs. Pair it with the identically-specced salopettes for

a high-performance suit with a streamlined, ergonomic fit.

For a lightweight option that’s also lighter on the bank balance, the Callan is Mustang’s awardwinning inshore jacket. With a stretchy, three-layer construction it has an athletic fit with decent waterproofing. There’s an adjustable hood, cuff and waist for getting the fit just right, and a loop specially designed for attaching the engine kill-cord.

EP 6.5 racing jacket: £850 EP 6.5 racing salopettes: £750 Callan jacket: £260

ABOVE

Zhik's OS800 jacket

LEFT

Henri-Lloyd's M-Pro top

Henri-Lloyd has relaunched its core wet weather gear lines this year with recycled Gore-Tex Pro face fabric. Like its M-Pro Jacket Blu 2.0, which has had some styling tweaks and been shifted to a recycled polyester fabric. It still uses Gore-Tex Pro for excellent

waterproofing and breathability.

Though the photography is all about a rugged-looking Nordic model ashore, this is a very capable sailing jacket. It packs articulated arms and a detachable hood, fleecelined neck, storm clip and low seat for waterproofing. There are even laser-cut perforations in the chin guard at the top of the zip so you can breathe easily when fully zipped up.

On the race variant, there are additional features such as a fastdraining EPIRB/knife pocket on the left sleeve, HL’s Optivision hood, a towering protective collar, a double storm flap and quickdrain handwarmer pockets.

For layering, Henri-Lloyd offers its Mav short- and long-sleeved

Musto and 11th Hour Racing After inking a deal with Musto, US outfit 11th Hour Racing set designers a challenge to produce a line of clothing that used one single material (OSM). The idea was that it could then be effectively recycled at the end of its useful life.

The material in question is polyester, and a whole Evolution OSM line has been produced from it, including the Evolution Newport jacket (£250). The shell, lining and the PrimaLoft insulation are all made from recycled polyester, and the fabric is dyed using a solution that requires 85 per cent less water and 90 per cent less harmful chemicals than is standard.

Other products in the link include a parka, hoodie (£80), sweatshirt and long-sleeved tee.

“The Evolution OSM Collection is the first step towards supporting a circular economy, and this project has made our design process become more considered and holistic in our approach to garment development,” said Houchin.

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

61

Buyer's Guide - Waterproofs

t-shirts, which are now made from recycled polyester. Quick drying and impregnated with Polygiene antimicrobial treatment, they also meet sun protection factor 50.

M-Pro Blu 2.0 jacket: €525 O-RACE 3l GTX Blu jacket: €565 M-Pro Blu 2.0 trousers: €420 Mav Tech tee: €35 Gill is deepening its racing credentials this year, through a tie-up with the US Sailing team that will see it provide clothing for five foiling classes and two skiffs. The move is calculated to drive technical innovation, but the big leap for Gill this year has come on the cruising side, with its OS1 and OS2 gear.

Louis Burton put the OS1 ocean jacket and trousers through their paces in his Vendée Globe campaign last year. It already featured Gill’s new XPLORE+ three-layer waterproof fabric – now Gill’s new plant-based water repellent coating has been added. Called XPEL, it is free from the toxic fluorocarbons that have traditionally been used, and which ironically damage the very environment sailors are trying to enjoy. It is based on plants instead, and in fact offers four times better durability, as well as repelling saltwater, oils and other stains. “Each fibre of the outer fabric is coated with XPEL during the manufacturing process, resulting in a durable and long-lasting finish,” explains a Gill spokesperson. “We guarantee consistent levels of performance for up to 30 washes, with the treatment continuing to be effective for up to 50 washes.”

Otherwise, the redesign runs to practical details, such as a two-way zipper with a storm guard, hi-vis polyurethane inner cuffs, a PLB attachment point and shackle tool. And the styling has been rethought, with a new orange and graphite design.

The OS2 gear features Gill’s slightly lighter two-layer EXPLORE membrane and the same XPEL treatment for water repellence.

But an impressive 98 per cent of the jacket is made from recycled fibres – chiefly polyester and nylon.

The equivalent of 14 plastic bottles goes into each one, and even

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

the polyurethane membrane is recycled from camera lenses. Two tonnes of plastic packaging will be eliminated for OS2 each year.

Of course, the gear needs to perform too, and Gill says it packs waterproofing equivalent to more than 20,000mm HH, and medium breathability. It has many of the same features as the OS1, including the super-high fleecelined collar, hand-warmer cargo pockets and reflective patches.

There’s a men’s and women’s variant, with colours including sulphur, eggshell, graphite and red.

OS1 jacket: £520 OS1 ocean trousers: £415 OS2 offshore jacket: £300 OS2 offshore trousers: £235 Helly Hansen has also been busy on the sustainability side, relaunching several of its key performance jackets without chemical DWR treatment of any sort. Normally DWR is necessary to repel water and stop the top layer of fabric from wetting out and allowing down moisture transfer from within. But its Lifa Infinity Pro membrane system achieves the same thing by heating and stretching the fabric. The Aegir jacket is the first to benefit on the sailing side.

Helly has also launched a new jacket called the Skagen, which includes many of the features of the Aegir. It uses Helly Tech membrane for waterproofing and breathability, and the synthetic yarn used in making the fabric

ABOVE

Gill's OS1 and OS2 jackets

BELOW

The Atacama drysuit from Crewsaver

is 50 per cent sourced from waste plastic recovered from the sea.

HH Aegir jacket: £550 HH Skagen jacket: £325 Serious high-latitude adventurers should take a look at the Atacama Sport+ drysuit from Crewsaver.

Key kit for the rescue services, it is built of a three-layer, waterproof and breathable fabric with a soft Glideskin neoprene neck and cuff seals to keep the water out. Drysuits aren’t hugely comfortable or warm by themselves, so there are fabric socks sewn in to the feet and Crewsaver is throwing in a Stratum fleece onesie with every purchase. At £475, this is serious kit at a serious price.

And Helly’s new Salt coastal boat shoe could also be worth a look. It balances technical performance with dock walker looks. It has a quickdry construction and high breathability, with a toeand heelcap for protection and Helly’s proprietary Storm Grip outsole.

Salt Cruiser: £110 Making a foray into coastal sailing is Rooster – perhaps better known for their dinghy clothing expertise. However, their Passage 3 layer range offers an interesting alternative, offering Constructed from 3-layer material with durable fully taped seaes for maximum water and spray protection. The Hi-fit trousers are tailored to include durable reinforcement at seat and knee panels, cleverly positioned pockets,

The multi-season anti-foul COPPERCOAT® is the most long lasting anti-foul coating available, with a treatment commonly remaining effective for a decade or more.

COPPERCOAT® is again selected as Official Antifoul Supplier for the next two editions of the Clipper Race.

“Our confidence in COPPERCOAT® has been rewarded. Across the fleet of Clipper 70s, the coating withstood the rigorous conditions of a 40,000NM circumnavigation, and following the Clipper 2017-18 Race remains in near-perfect condition. As we prepare for the next race there was absolutely no question that we’d extend our association with COPPERCOAT®. Due to the durability of the coating, the need for removal and replacement every year has been removed. Over the span of the partnership this will dispense with entire layers of inconvenience and expenditure.”

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Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

63

Buyer's Guide - Waterproofs

fleece lined hand warmer pockets, and adjustment at the shoulders, waist and ankle. The unisex jacket features cleverly positioned pockets, reflective stow away hood, fleece lined hand warmer pockets, reflective prints and adjustable cuffs/hem.

Passage trousers: £199 Passage Jacket: £235

Around the cans

Occupying the pinnacle of Musto’s product development out on the performance side, LPX Foiling has been refined with input from the France SailGP team. The jacket uses Gore’s latest Infinium and Stretch fabrics, which offer extreme breathability, total windproofing and lightweight insulation for athletes.

They are only water resistant, but if you’re doing 50 knots with your heart rate topping 120, that’s not so much of an issue. The longjohns really look like the business, with built-in G-Form smart Flex pads at the knee, shin and hip, to protect the wearer from impact.

There’s a figure-hugging top and pant layer in the LPX range, too.

Dubbed Thermocool for warm climates and Thermohot for cool weather, they are both made from four-way stretch Cordura with reinforcing and articulation darts at key points. The warmer of the two garments has a three-layer waterproof construction with fleece for added warmth. Its breathability has a middling rating of 10,000, as does its waterproofing. Available in white or black, both work well as part of a layered system. There’s also a softshell hoodie, a sunblock polo shirt and aero shorts.

LPX Foiling jacket

Dubarry Boots The old favourite that never goes out of fashion and the ultimate companion for most sailors. Most people when thinking of Dubarry think of the classic brown Ultima boot (£299) but in addition there is the lightweight Fastnet boot (£199), the half leather, half Gore Tex Shamrock boot (£249) plus the top of the range Crosshaven boot which comes in at £379. dubarry.com

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

LPX Foiling long-johns: £140 LPX Foiling Thermohot top: £70 LPX Foiling Thermohot pant: £110 For the small boat racers, Musto has launched a new Flexlite Alumin wetsuit line with input from the British sailing team. Neoprene thickness has been beefed up to 3mm, and it is combined into a fourlayer construction with a thermal fleece layer, a metallic thermal reflector and a durable nylon outer.

Available as hikers, long johns, a bottom and a long-sleeved top.

Flexlite Alumin 3.0 hikers: £250 Flexlite Alumin 3.0 long john: £240 Flexlite Alumin 3.0 longsleeved top: £160

On the beach

Back on the beach, Gill has been busy with some handy gear for surfers, paddleboarders and kitesurfers – anyone, in fact, who wants to change into something warm without doing the dance of a thousand elbows under a towel.

The Aqua Parka has a windproof, waterproof and breathable exterior shell, with high-loft thermal fleece lining for warmth. There are handwarmer pockets, adjustable cuffs and a two-way zipper, plus generous dimensions to make changing out of a wetsuit easy. There’s also a super-absorbent polyester changing robe as a less technical option.

Aqua parka: £140 Changing robe: £42

ABOVE LEFT

Musto's Thermohot foiling top

ABOVE RIGHT

Gill's Aquaparka

BELOW

Lifejacket's innovative long sleeved T-Shirt

In a similar vein, the men’s skin protection brand Lifejacket has launched a new long-sleeved tee that combines the function of a rash vest and a ultraviolet barrier in one.

The tee shirt is designed to be worn on long days in and on the water, and offers protection of SPF 50+, thereby keeping your skin well protected from the sun even on long days. The garment is made of a mixture of polyester, Tencel and spandex to make it lightweight, breathable and quick-drying. This makes it comfortable to wear in hot conditions while the long-sleeves and zip-up collar provide full upper body skin protection against UVA and UVB rays. There are also cycle-jersey style pockets on the back for stashing bits and bobs.

Lifejacket Skin Protection: £40

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Boat Test - Lagoon 65

WIDER WAKE

Sam Jefferson steps aboard the Lagoon 65 and wonders precisely how much space cruising sailors require

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couple of months ago a vaguely disgruntled reader wrote a moderately miffed epistle in which he described me as ‘big boat’ Sam. I found this ironic, given that I endured the first Covid lockdown living aboard a Morecambe Bay Prawner 28 with headroom of 5’3”. However, as I sat down to write up this test, I began to see his point of view. The fact is that new boats are getting bigger and monsieur ‘big boat’ is obliged to test them. I recall some years ago testing the Jeanneau 64, a monohull aimed at cruising couples who happened to need masses of space.

I thinking to myself; ‘well, this will never take off ’. How wrong I was. I guess the Lagoon 65 is the multihull equivalent; a production multihull of prodigious dimensions. Does

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this too spell out what is to come in the multihull market? Well, I’m no Nostradamus – see above quote re Jeanneau 64 but the difference with multihulls is that even a 50’ catamaran provides acres of space so, by the time you get to 65’, my god, you’ve got a mini cruise liner.

In fact, Lagoon perhaps is not pitching to the same sector of the market as, for example the Jeanneau 64. The boat is the smallest in a line of high end multihulls initiated with the Seventy 7. These boats are pitched at a somewhat more luxurious market. In monohull terms think CNB 66 as opposed to Jeanneau 64. It’s a subtle difference but there is a hidden implication that you will probably want a crew for this yacht. Perhaps it’s therefore out of the orbit of most Sailing Today readers but, still, it’s worth a look around and a quick spin.

ABOVE The 65 has a prodigious 32' beam and acres of space as a consequence

So what have we got here? A massive multihull, that’s for sure.

The hull is designed by Marc Van Peteghem of multihull experts VPLP with Patrick Le Quement doing the styling. The boat is not bad looking either given that a lot of 65’ multihulls look like a floating wedding cake. There is a certain sporty aggression to the lines that pleases the eye. The mast is set well back and twin headsails make for a versatile rig. Sail area is a substantial 268m2 but then again it is going to need all that to push its 48,000kg displacement through the water at speed. Make no mistake, this is a pure cruiser.

On deck

You step aboard via low sugar scoops with steps moulded in which makes for a very easy and stress free method of boarding even compared to some

this has a sunroof cut into it so that the helmsman can see the mainsail as it is going up. All the running rigging is led to an area between the two helms and everything is push button as you would expect.

Aft of this is a large lounging area with excellent views and a second galley area with fridge and sink to prepare those evening sundowners.

On top of this is a forward cockpit with yet more lounging space. much smaller but still high sided multihull sisters. There are also a boarding ladders integrated into the guard rail on both hulls which provide excellent access where stern to is not possible. Once aboard, you are immediately aware of a great feeling of space. There is huge aft cockpit liberally furnished with teak which gives the whole area a feeling of class. There is a huge table to starboard and to port is a food prep unit with a fridge, sink and worksurface – ideal for canapes.

To port there are steps which take you up to the flybridge area which is similarly huge. Lounging areas abound; too many to go through one by one. Let’s just say that you could host a party for 20 people on a sunny evening and people would not feel at all crowded. The tender is on a hydraulic platform which drops down to become a huge bathing deck. Up on the flybridge there are twin helms with binnacles laden with B&G screens and kit. There is a solid bimini to provide protection but

Down below

Lagoon state that the 65 has 90m² indoors and 87m² outdoors – a staggering amount of volume. Yet the 65 concept is not just about volume, it’s also about a feeling of luxury and the classy feel of the exterior

ABOVE Performance was impressive given a displacement of over 40,000kg BELOW The saloon oozes quality

continues as you step inside. Nauta Design studio, which has extensive knowledge of the superyacht market, has used all its talent to create a soft and convivial atmosphere. The saloon is huge, light and beautifully fitted out with a huge dining table to starboard and lounging area to port.

On the test boat, the galley was in the aft section of the port hull with its own small dining table and also an exit leading straight back out on deck to the cockpit: this points to the fact that Lagoon expect that the boat will be crewed – it also means the crew can prepare and serve food without heading through the main saloon. To underline this crewed aspect, at the centre of the port hull was an entirely separate crew suite

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

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Boat Test - Lagoon 65

with bunk beds and independent bathroom. Forward of this on the port hull was another double cabin with ensuite. To starboard are two more double suites with ensuite bathrooms, the aft berth being the owners saloon which is a huge space at 21m². All berths have masses of natural light and an extraordinary level of comfort - although in a rough sea the fact that all the doubles are laid athwartships might be trying.

Under sail

We sailed from Port Minimes in La Rochelle on a fairly calm morning which looked certain to test this heavyweight’s capabilities in light airs. Manoeuvring a boat of this breadth is no joke but bow thrusters certainly minimise the trauma while the upgraded 175hp Volvo D2’s (150hp is standard) certainly provided plenty of power.

Indeed, out of the marina we were soon cruising effortlessly at 10kn at 2,000rpm. Getting that huge main up is sometimes the most tricky part of sailing a big multihull but power winches certainly helped and we soon had full main and the big genoa unfurled. The steering had a pretty decent feel for such a huge yacht and, although we initially struggled in negligible wind, this slowly filled in and we began to move with a sort of stately confidence. With the big gennaker unfurled, we began to make real progress and you could see that this would be an effective mile muncher. The following day, I was out testing another boat in 20kn of winds and again encountered the 65 which was moving at an impressive clip - certainly well over 10kn which was pretty good going.

ABOVE Genoa, staysail and gennaker makes for a verstile rig BELOW The stateroom boasts over 20m² of space

SAM’S VERDICT Many moons back I briefly worked for The Yacht Week and used to laugh as guests took Instagram selfies of their luxury life while crammed two dozen deep in squalor on, say, a Delphia 37 monohull. This was the boat they actually needed; it oozes luxury and even a touch of bling.

I would say that this boat sits rather separate from the Lagoons I have tested in the past. It’s clearly aimed at a different cadre of client who is looking for crewed sailing – even though the boat

is reasonably easy to handle short handed. Yet, for one thing, the sheer volume of this boat means cleaning it would be a mammoth task. Anyway, I think Lagoon has achieved its aim in producing a high quality semi-custom yacht and – relatively speaking – it’s good value at €1.825m. Still, for now I will stick with my 28-footer that cost £4,500.

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

THE SPEC

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Length: 20.55m (67 ft 5 in)

Water: 2 x 500 l

Beam: 10,07m (32’)

Engine: 2 x 150hp Volvo D3

Draft: 1,55 m (5’)

Sail area: 268 m² (2,884 sq.ft)

Displacement: 48,8 T

Price: from €1.825m (exc taxes)

Fuel: 2 x 650 l

Contact: ancasta.com

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Interview - Hannah Mills

Leading legend HANNAH MILLS chats to Georgie Corlett-Pitt about teaming up with annah Mills needs little introduction.

Gold at the Olympic Games in Tokyo added to gold from Rio 2016, and silver from London 2012, to cement her position as a household legend. It is the greatest-ever achievement by a female sailor, and adds to a long list of impressive titles, including numerous world championship wins. Most recently, Hannah was voted World Sailor of the Year (alongside her Tokyo 470 crew Eilidh McIntyre) and received an OBE in the New Years Honours.

Now she is about to give everything to her next chapter.

Working closely with Sir Ben Ainslie on a number of programmes, she

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has a jam-packed year ahead.

Top of the list is sailing on board with Ben as part of the Great Britain SailGP crew. The move isn’t exactly new - Hannah began sailing with the team in April 2021 during Season 2 of SailGP. She was one of the very first sailors involved with the innovative Women’s Perfromance Pathway, which SailGP introduced to ‘accelerate inclusion within the sport and inspire change’.

The initiative enables elite female sailors to gain experience in sailing the cutting edge F50 – one-design catamarans which are easily capable of 50+ knots thanks to their foils, wingsails and other tech developed for the 35th America’s Cup. But what was a trial to involve female sailors last year has been

ABOVE

Hannah says it's an exciting time for women in sailing, both at pro and amateur level

BELOW

SailGP returns to Plymouth in July the event will be a highlight for Hannah

stepped up for this year, and Hannah is delighted that she will be a key part of the British team going into Season 3.

New rules mean that each crew must include at least one female athlete, with the possibility that number will increase as the season progresses - the ultimate aim being a dedicated all-female competition dovetailing into the main league. It would be a huge milestone, but SailGP is founded on innovation, and inclusivity is at the core of its operations, so the ambition comes as little surprise.

Having been training with the British team as part of a squad of female sailors to date, Hannah is brimming with enthusiasm as she says: “This is the first full season

PHOTOS BOB MARTIN/JONATHON NACKSTRAND/SAILGP

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Sir Ben Ainslie ahead of SailGP's third season

where there will be women on board in each event. It’s a great progression forward from last season when the focus was on figuring out how it was all going to work. Now there is a much clearer plan as to how the programme is going to move forward and that’s really exciting.”

Season 3 starts in Bermuda on 14-15 May, the first of 10 events worldwide, including a UK leg in Plymouth over 30-31 July.

Before then, Season 2 is still to wrap up with the Grand Final in San Francisco, USA, on 26-27 March.

The final weekend is expected to be exceptionally close, with Team Australia (Tom Slingsby) looking to defend their Season 1 title from Team USA (Jimmy Spithill) and Team Japan (Nathan Outteridge) both super close behind on points and with everything to play for.

Although a number of unfortunate incidents earlier in the season have put the Great Britain SailGP Team out of contention for the overall trophy and $1 million prize money, Hannah says she can’t wait to get back out on the water and race.

“I’m really looking forward to

sailing again as part of the team – it’s a really cool team to be a part of. I’m also excited about being a part of that team and trying to get the consistency that’s really hard to find in SailGP; because of the way the racing is designed and everything that’s going on, it’s pretty challenging to achieve that. There is very limited practice time, the events are always busy with lots of different things going on, and of course the nature of the racing. There will be two extra boats competing next season (10 teams in total), so that makes it tricky to be consistent. So that’s a really exciting goal for this season, to figure out how we can achieve this as a team.”

Unique opportunity

Up until now, Hannah has been sailing in the sixth sailor spot, sat behind the helm giving input on strategy/tactics and communications – as have all the female sailors.

Hannah says there’s no doubt that this is a key role, and a great opportunity to learn how the boat handles, but says the ambition is to get females into other roles

ABOVE

New rules mean every team will have a female on board Hannah will head the programme to recruit and upskill new sailors

such as wing trim, flight control and helm. “That would be a really cool step forward,” she says with a look of determination.

For Season 3, Hannah has been tasked with helping to make this happen, managing the Women’s Performance Pathway with support from newly appointed SailGP Women’s Coordinator, Lindsay Molyneux.

“The aim is to bring more athletes on board, identify which of the roles on the boat individuals might be best for and then build the right programme to allow them to upskill in those roles. Each role is quite specific and I think there’s quite a specific training pathway to upskill in each of the different areas, helm, flight control or wing trim, so it’s an exciting opportunity.”

Hannah will be taking on a unique responsibility for shaping not just individual athlete’s futures but the success and impact of the Pathway overall. But her experience and knowledge mean she is perfectly placed, and what’s more, she is determined to do everything she can to progress gender equality, Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

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Interview - Hannah Mills

not just at elite level but beyond; the SailGP programme is a great platform to inspire others by showing what can be achieved.

She has been fully backed in this venture by Ben Ainslie and says it’s great to have his involvement.

“He is really supportive of it all, in thinking about the development pathway and what that looks like for women and girls coming through.

He understands the opportunity that the SailGP programme has to really change the view of gender – not just in sailing, but beyond.

If you see women and men racing on these high performance boats together, that says an awful lot more I think than having separate teams.”

While Hannah acknowledges that a significant cultural shift is needed to achieve widespread gender equality in the sport, she strongly believes that is within reach. She cites the acceptance of the mixed Nacra 17 fleet into the Olympics as an inspiring precedent. Broadening opportunities at every level is key, as she says: “Yes in some boats and fleets there are experience gaps with women, and that is because we haven’t had the opportunities that a lot of the guys have had for various reasons, but with the right opportunities those gaps will be bridged pretty quickly. Women are good and we can learn. It’s not an insurmountable challenge at all.”

Platform for change

As a pinnacle sporting event, SailGP is a prime platform for change; it’s well funded and has a huge media outreach. But can events operating at grassroots level also effectively promote change?

“I think that every event should be looking to replicate the sort of examples set by SailGP,” says Hannah. “Gender equality is obviously huge, a global issue.

Sailing as a sport is so perfectly placed to tackle it - not just on the water but off the water as well, in different roles. And beyond that you can’t imagine the reach that could possibly have.

“Events need to be more focussed on inclusivity and mixed teams.

Some clubs have started running family events where youngsters

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hide her excitement at the possibility but while the details are still being firmed up, there’s little to be drawn on. With a raft of announcements due any day from Emirates Team New Zealand, there shouldn’t be long to wait, and with the new AC40 class due to splash later this summer, things could soon get very real.

Project launch

have an on-the-water activity day while mum and dad are out racing – it’s things like that I think will make a big difference to involving women in sport.

“We’re at a really exciting time for women in sailing. If I was a young sailor now, looking at what’s going on with SailGP and the Women’s America’s Cup and all the different initiatives that are starting to really come about, I would be so excited. I do think we are at a point of shift, real shift, and I think also whether as an athlete sailing or in the wider sailing industry I think there will be more and more opportunities for women to be involved in our sports.”

For Hannah herself, the introduction of the Women’s America’s Cup is a thrilling prospect, and the experience she is now clocking up with Ainslie’s team, coupled with her tremendous natural talent, make her an obvious candidate for heading up a British boat. You can see she is fighting to

ABOVE

Sir Ben Ainslie is backing Hannah's involvement on and off the water

BELOW

Hannah has her sights firmly set on the Women's America's Cup

In the meantime, another launch will be keeping Hannah busy. Not on the water this time, but very close to it.

Sustainability is a topic that has been close to Hannah’s heart, ever since she experienced outrage at the state of the Olympic waters off Rio in the build-up to the 2016 Games.

That spurred her to launch the Big Plastic Pledge, a global campaign backed by the International Olympic Committee uniting athletes in a bid to inspire and educate on the elimination of single use plastic.

Now she is doubling her efforts by becoming an ambassador for The 1851 Trust’s Protect our Future programme, launching this month.

This new online digital programme seeks to enable young people to tackle climate change with the support of industry partnerships; the goal is to help 1 million school children take action to protect the planet by 2025, with the aid of tailored support, educational content and scientific access programmes.

Hannah is passionate about the subject. Despite the complexities of sustainability challenges facing the sailing industry – which range from air travel to life cycle of boats - she says change absolutely needs to take place. “We all have a responsibility, regardless of our position, to be doing everything we possibly can to make a difference; whether that’s just looking at an event and asking how it can be run as sustainably as possible, or whether it’s looking at the reach of that event and how it can have influence, it’s all really important.

“We’re pretty connected to the ocean as a sport and what we do, and so the impact we can have in our voice, in our conservation, is pretty huge – the more we can be advocates for that the more impact we can have.”

As Hannah is busy proving, we can and should - all do our bit for change.

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GULL’S EYE

CHICHESTER MARINA 50’80”44° N, 0’82”27° W

Sam Jefferson heads to West Sussex to enjoy the tranquility of Chichester Harbour

LIFT OUT

HARD STANDING

PARKING

INNER WAITING PONTOON

APPROACH The Marina approach channel is dredged to approx. 0.5m below CD – Vessels entering the marina should keep to the starboard side of the channel. Call up the lock on VHF ch 80

CHICHESTER CANAL

PARKING

LIFT OUT

HARD STANDING FUEL BERTH

HARBOUR OFFICE

CHICHESTER YACHT CLUB

OUTER WAITING PONTOON

Gull’s Eye - Portland Marina

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hichester Marina offers a sheltered haven just a stone’s throw from the Solent and in the heart of a stunning natural harbour, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Chichester’s massive natural safehaven has been providing shelter since the time of King Canute who mythically tried to turn back the tide here to little avail. Later William the Conqueror spotted what a good place it was to land and promptly invaded England from this start point. In these less violent times, Chichester’s magnificent harbour continues to flourish and Chichester Marina was one of the first to be constructed in the UK, having been built in the mid-1960s. Safe and secure, this locked marina is home to 1100 berths, a modern boatyard with two boat hoists, a slipway and plentiful hard standing. The marina sits at the head of Chichester Harbour giving easy access to the pretty villages and hamlets that dot the shoreline; by water East Head, with its sandy beaches, is close by and just a short trip up the harbour is rewarded

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ABOVE Excellent shelter and a tranquil backdrop BELOW A panoramic view of Chichester Harbour with the village of Bosham to the left

50’80”44° N, 0’82”27° W

with all the delights of the Solent.

Family friendly and ideal for boaters of all abilities, the marina combines state-of-the-art facilities with serene surroundings, making it a worthy recipient of the Yacht Harbour Association’s Five Gold Anchors Award. Chichester is actually the UK’s second largest marina, but its peaceful backdrop of stunning countryside and low key architecture gives it a marked air of tranquillity. Despite a laid back feel, there is plenty to do, with a thriving yacht club that opens its doors to visiting yachtsmen and berth holders alike. Plus, The Boat House Cafe offers an excellent bistro menu served with amazing views out across the harbour.

Berths and lifting facilities

Chichester Marina offers in-water berthing for 1100 boats up to 22m (max beam 7m, 2.3 draft) and also Versadock and trailer sailer options for smaller craft including RIBs, small power boats and motor boats up to 8m. With the flexibility to pay monthly or

annually – Premier’s annual berth holders enjoy an unrivalled package of benefits and cost savings with Premier Advantage including: 42 visitor nights at any of Premier’s ten South Coast marina’s, fuel at cost, complimentary storage ashore, free Wi-Fi, and Loyalty Reward credit.

Chichester’s experienced boatyard team provide year-round lift, highpressure wash and block-off and re-launch services that includes the use of two hoists - a 65 tonne hoist located on the south side of the marina, next to the boatyard complex, and a 35 tonne hoist on the north side - a short distance from the marina’s slipway.

Services and facilities for visiting yachts

The marina has two on-site restaurants. The Boat House Café, open seven days a week, offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and a range of live music evenings.

Chichester Yacht Club offers membership to Premier berth holders and welcomes visiting yachtsmen: providing excellent

bar and restaurant dining and an extensive cruising programme and plenty of year-round social events.

Passage planning

Approach by sea via west pole beacon – cross Chichester Bar located at the entrance to the harbour. Once inside the harbour you need to head northeast past East Head and towards Itchenor to arrive at the marina. The marina approach channel is dredged to approx. 0.5m below CD – Vessels entering the marina should keep to the starboard side of the channel.

Local hazards or navigational issues

Chichester Bar is located at the entrance to the harbour and is dredged to approximately 1.5m below chart datum giving a depth of 2m at Mean Low Water Springs; however, the bottom can vary up to 0.75m. With an ebb tide and strong southerly winds, it is advisable to exercise caution and cross the Bar between three hours before and one hour after high water springs.

As you approach Longmore Point ensure that your VHF is

ABOVE LEFT Looking into the marina from the lock ABOVE RIGHT Looking into Chichester Harbour from just west of the entrance with Hayling Island Sailing Club in the foreground

on Ch80; on passing Birdham Spit pile call the marina using your boat’s call sign, advise your position and request lock entry.

The Lock Keeper will acknowledge your call and either instruct you to “proceed to the lock on a green light” or in busy times “join the back of the queue for the lock and enter in turn upon a green signal light”.

Cruising grounds

The Solent is just on your doorstep offering easy access east or west to some of the UK’s best cruising grounds. Within a day’s sail of Chichester Marina visit the Isle of Wight for the day, take a long more leisurely cruise to Premier’s other Solent marinas or discover the calm waters of Beaulieu River

and tranquillity of Lymington.

Chichester is an excellent start point for cross-Channel cruises and trips to Premier’s Gosport, Port Solent, Swanwick, Brighton, Southsea and Eastbourne marinas - where berth holders can take advantage of their 42 free visitor night credits.

A little further afield the Channel Islands, Cherbourg and the Brittany coastline can all be easily explored, or for those who want to stay close to UK shores, a couple of days can be spent discovering the islands around Poole Harbour.

A south-westerly wind can cause disruptions on the return from Brighton and Eastbourne Marina.

FACTFILE

CHICHESTER HARBOUR Open: 24/7 Tel: 01243 512731 VHF: Ch.80 Email: chichester@ premiermarinas.com Website: premiermarinas.com Full address: Chichester Marina, Birdham, Chichester, West Sussex PO20 7EJ Facilities: Pontoon berths Water/electricity Free wifi 24-hour security Berthing assistance Boat and trailer storage Pump-out station Diesel/petrol Recycling

Showers and toilets (accessible 24/24 hours) Laundry 65t hoist On site café and restaurant Lodges and apartments available to rent Berthing fees: Based on a 10m (32’) yacht: Daily: £3.50/m Weekly: £22.50/m Annual: £4,900 Benefits include: 42 free visitor nights at any Premier marina Loyalty reward credit for use against boatyard or future renewals Sea start benefits Fuel at cost

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

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Regatta Guide

Photos: Peter Mackin, Sue Giles, Holly Hancock, Simon Marsden, EAORA; Text: Paula Irish

SUMMER REGATTA GUIDE 2022

We’re celebrating the return of all our multi-class regattas this summer! Following two years of Covid pandemic restrictions - with 2020 events cancelled and many favourites either still unable to go ahead or postponed in 2021 - we’re looking forward to a bumper season of regattas in 2022. With events for all kinds of boats and budgets at stunning locations across the UK and Ireland, our guide is the place to start planning your summer

BASS WEEK

won more than any other class!

SPONSORS: The Lakes Distillery and Craftinsure.com WEBSITE: bassweek.org.uk

OVERVIEW: Nine days of racing and partying in the beautiful Lake District, at the foot of Skiddaw and close to the town of Keswick. Camping available on site. Social programme for all the family.

A mix of fleet and handicap racing suits all abilities. Some races are run as a series whilst other races are one-offs.

The best value summer race week!

INSIDER TIP: Tactically make friends with a GP14 sailor, with a plan to borrow their boat for one of the two highlycontested pursuit races. GP14s have

FILEY REGATTA 21-22 May, Filey SC, Arndale Country Carpark, Filey, North Yorkshire OVERVIEW: Filey SC is celebrating over 70 years of sailing in beautiful Filey Bay this year. Racing for PY1250 and below with P and W/L courses. Clubhouse bar and catering across the weekend, including a Saturday evening hog roast and pudding. Camping available.

INSIDER TIP: If your club has the most entries it could win the Filey Town Council Tide Clock Trophy WEBSITE: fileysc.org.uk

NORTH 30 July-7 August, Bassenthwaite SC, Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria

Bass Week

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ROYAL YORKSHIRE YACHT CLUB ANNUAL REGATTA 6-12 August, Royal Yorkshire YC, Bridlington, East Yorkshire OVERVIEW: Racing in and around Bridlington Bay with classes for IRC cruisers, local handicap cruisers, dayboats/sportsboats, Co26s and Yorkshire One Designs, supported by a varied social programme including some extra special events to celebrate the club’s 175th anniversary.

INSIDER TIP: Enter early, limited number of free visitors’ marina berths available.

SPONSORS: East Riding of Yorkshire Council and others.

WEBSITE: ryyc.org.uk

Ullswater YC Holiday Week

ULLSWATER YACHT CLUB HOLIDAY WEEK 8-12 August, Ullswater YC, Pooley Bridge, Cumbria

OVERVIEW: A combination of racing, children’s activities, tuition, leisure sailing and family fun on and off the water, as well as daytime and evening entertainment and catering. A packed five-day programme includes a kids’ club and sailing lessons on a morning and racing on an afternoon with a prizegiving every day. Also on offer are opportunities to explore the lake with the leisure sailing group and fun water activities for everyone. Tents and campervans (sorry no caravans) are welcome on the club’s ‘Birkett field’ with its stunning lake views.

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EAORA Week INSIDER TIP: Make the most of what beautiful Ullswater has to offer – take to the hills, go for a ride on an iconic Ullswater Steamer or simply relax and enjoy the scenery.

WEBSITE: ullswateryachtclub.org or ullswatersailingschool.com

EAST 61st THREE RIVERS RACE 28-29 May, Horning SC, Norfolk Broads

OVERVIEW: A true spectacle, the Three Rivers Race sees upwards of 100 boats leave Horning SC to participate in the tough 50-mile endurance race, which will see competitors sail through the night, across the Broads and lowering their masts under three bridges.

INSIDER TIP: Great spectator points include the Medieval Potter Heigham Bridge and Acle Bridge, where exciting mast lowering/raising can be seen.

SPONSOR: Yachtmaster Insurance WEBSITE: 3rr.uk and horning-sailing. club

Cruising - Cote d’Azur

ALDEBURGH YC SUMMER REGATTAS

6-11 August, Junior & Youth Regatta; 21-26 August, Aldeburgh Regatta, Aldeburgh YC, Suffolk

OVERVIEW: In its 125th year Aldeburgh YC’s regattas offer two weeks of racing on Suffolk’s beautiful rivers Alde and Ore, including the classic Round Havergate Island Race past the stunning RSPB reserve and Orford castle. Junior and Youth week sees more than 140 entries in Optimists, RS Teras and Fevas, ILCAs and a Handicap fleet, with racing for all levels of under 24-year-olds from beginners to national championship contenders. The main Aldeburgh Regatta focuses on more adult classes with the ever-popular Loch Long one design class alongside ILCA,

Flying Fifteen, Dragon, K6 and Wayfarer fleets. Afternoon starts are run for Cruisers, Shrimpers and the local Lapwing class.

INSIDER TIP: Both weeks are packed full of social events with something for everybody from class dinners and junior discos to BBQs and the final night annual ball.

WEBSITE: aldeburghyc.org.uk BRANCASTER STAITHE SAILING WEEK

15-19 August, Brancaster Staithe SC, Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk

OVERVIEW: A multi class open regatta with daily races at sea for senior fleets and in the harbour for junior fleets.

Briefing is on Sunday 14 August and there are social events during the week.

Registration is online via the website.

INSIDER TIP: Competitive and friendly racing for all the family.

WEBSITE: bssc.net BURNHAM WEEK

27 August-3 September, Burnham on Crouch, Essex

OVERVIEW: A friendly competitive regatta with a colourful mix of cruisers, day boats and dinghies. There is a class for everyone whether IRC, local handicap, new to racing or experienced.

One design classes are a welcoming and friendly group. A variety of courses keeps interest piqued and the race committee listens to competitors ensuring that needs are met throughout. Family friendly with a full social calendar. A great way to round off your summer.

INSIDER TIP: Book your mooring early and ensure you enter when the discount is valid!

WEBSITE: burnhamweek.com EAORA WEEK

9-15 July, Burnham to Zeeland Delta, Holland and back to Burnham, Essex

Horning Regatta OVERVIEW: The legend that is EAORA Week is back by popular demand. Lots of prizes, lots of fun on and off the water. Do just the inshore series, if you want, with full-on racing or a gentlemen’s no-spinnaker class, with relaxed entry conditions. Saturday 9 July: Race from Burnham to Ostend (RORC East Coast Race) or Harwich to Ostend (Haven Combined Clubs Stroombank Race); 10 July: Race from Ostend to Breskens; 11-15 July: Five race series on the inland waters of the Zeeland Delta, visiting a different town each night, with welcoming yacht clubs, delightful bars and wide choice of restaurants; 16 July: Head home or start a cruising holiday in Holland.

INSIDER TIP: The inshore series counts as one race for EAORA Season’s points, so EAORA competitors have the opportunity to score three races, plus overall prizes for the whole week (long series) and inshore races (short series).

Whatever your racing style, this is too good to miss!

SPONSOR: DXP Pump & Power Ltd WEBSITE: eaora.org.uk HORNING OPEN REGATTA WEEK 1-5 August, Horning SC, Norfolk Broads

OVERVIEW: The annual Open Regatta at Horning SC sees the River Bure at

Horning become a hive of activity with racing from 9am-6pm every day outside the clubhouse. Races for dinghies, keelboats and river cruisers and great for spectators too!

INSIDER TIP: There are great socials taking place every night, get involved…

WEBSITE: horning-sailing.club MERSEA WEEK

15-20 August, Mersea Island, Essex

OVERVIEW: Mersea Island is a very beautiful part of East Anglia, and Mersea Week attracts entrants from all over the UK and a variety of boats, ranging from dinghies and ancient fishing smacks to classic historic sailing craft. In addition, you will be provided with a free mooring and shoreside entertainment, concluding the week with fireworks - what is there not to like? With an organising committee that has many years of experience and expertise in race management, it is little wonder that Mersea Week continues to increase in popularity.

SPONSORS: Weekly sponsors Adnams Southwold, Marinestore Chandlery Mersea Island & West Mersea Marine. Daily sponsors - West Property Management, Fenn Wright, Catering Elite, Mersea Homes & Mersea Island Watersports.

WEBSITE: merseaweek.com

BLACKWATER SAILING CLUB REGATTA & RACE WEEK

13 August, Regatta; 14-19 August, Race Week; Blackwater SC, Heybridge, Essex

OVERVIEW: Regatta day for all the family with racing on the river, inshore fun and games, including the Greasy Pole, Crabbing Competition and excellent teas. Followed by Blackwater SC Club Race Week, with racing on the river for dinghies and cruisers, social events in the evenings, food available from the galley and drinks from the bar.

INSIDER TIP: A fun week of sailing and socialising.

WEBSITE: blackwatersailingclub.org.uk

Three Rivers Race

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Regatta Guide

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Pyefleet Week

NORTH WEST NORFOLK WEEK 24-30 July, various locations along the north and west coast of Norfolk OVERVIEW: Competitive but fun family regatta week with close racing at a different venue every day. Organised by the North West Norfolk Sailing Association, visiting the sailing clubs of Snettisham Beach, Brancaster Staithe, Wells, Ouse Amateur, Blakeney, Overy Staithe and then back to Snettisham Beach. Nine races in total, with six to count, providing a good balance between sailing and holiday, with short tidal windows meaning there are no long postponements, so plenty of time for the family to spend on the beaches.

Daily trophies, weekly trophies, lady and junior helm prizes - something for all sailors.

INSIDER TIP: Be warned - it is extremely addictive! Most people having been once will return year after year.

WEBSITE: norfolkweek.co.uk OULTON WEEK

Photos: Fiona Brown, Champion Marine Photography; Tony Ketley

21-26 August, Waveney & Oulton Broad YC, Oulton Broad, Suffolk

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OVERVIEW: Six days of racing for dinghies, keelboats and river cruisers.

The dinghies are in fast and slow handicap fleets although ILCAs and Optimists will also have some class races. Squibs and local one designs (Waveneys, Broads and Yare & Bures) have class races, plus there are mixed keelboat races. There’s a busy social programme and some racing in the evenings.

INSIDER TIP: Find accommodation afloat if possible, such as on board hire cruisers - and bring your children they’ll love it.

WEBSITE: wobyc.com OVERY STAITHE REGATTA

28-30 August, Overy Staithe, North Norfolk Coast

OVERVIEW: A series of races for Toppers, Mirrors, twelve square metre Sharpies, OK dinghies, ILCAs, handicap boats.

INSIDER TIP: Make sure you have a lifting rudder.

WEBSITE: overystaithesc.org.uk PYEFLEET WEEK

4-19 August,Brightlingsea SC, Brightlingsea, Essex

OVERVIEW: One of the East Coast’s premier dinghy racing weeks, Pyefleet Week offers great racing for a wide MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

range of classes, including special cadet races, plus a full social programme for all ages. With fantastic local shops, a historic lido, its own beach, a campsite on the doorstep and the beautiful Brightlingsea Harbour and River Colne as a backdrop, it’s a great place to holiday for all the family.

INSIDER TIP: Book accommodation early, pack your dancing shoes and come prepared for a good old fashioned dinghy week.

WEBSITE: pyefleetweek.com RAMSGATE WEEK

17-22 July, Royal Temple YC, Ramsgate, Kent

OVERVIEW: Euromarine Insurance Ramsgate Week is widely recognised as the ‘friendly regatta’ and the alternative to Cowes. The 2022 IRC East Coast Championships runs 20-22 July as a separate series within the Ramsgate Week series. After a challenging day’s sailing between the North and South Forelands you’re a five minute walk from berth to the Royal Temple Yacht Club where you can relax whilst enjoying the renowned hospitality.

INSIDER TIP: Pay particular attention to your depth gage as the shifting sands of the Goodwins can make racing challenging.

Ramsgate Week

SPONSORS: Euromarine Insurance headline sponsor; also Ramsgate Town Council, Miles & Barr, Shepherds Neame, Page & Sons Ltd, Icom Radios, Kent Decking Supplies, North Sails.

WEBSITE: ramsgate week.com WHITSTABLE WEEK

25- 29 July, Whitstable YC, Sea Wall, Whitstable, Kent

OVERVIEW: Competitive 10-race week for dinghies and catamarans on the sea off Whitstable. Great racing for ILCAs, Solos, Tasars, Merlin Rockets, B14s, Wanderers, Toppers, Dart 18s, F18s, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, and other dinghies. Live music and entertainment all week, and sample the local delights of the award winning shops, pubs and restaurants on the club’s doorstep.

INSIDER TIP: Less than 90 minutes from central London, or an hour from the M25. Lots of accommodation available in the town but best to book early.

WEBSITE: wyc.org.uk WROXHAM WEEK

24-31 July, Norfolk Broads YC, The Avenue, Wroxham, Norfolk

OVERVIEW: Fabulous week full of competitive racing and lively socials.

Suitable for all ages and abilities, there’s something for everyone during this exciting week. There is a full racing

programme throughout to enjoy, as well as social events ranging from fun quizzes, children’s entertainment, rowing races and duck races, to the End of Regatta Party. Members and visitors welcome.

INSIDER TIP: Pre-book your races and social events online before the week begins. Call the office on 01603 782808 for more information or help with booking.

WEBSITE: nbyc.co.uk

SOUTH BOURNE END WEEK

2-5 June, Upper Thames SC, Bourne End, Bucks

OVERVIEW: River racing at its best, on the widest stretch of the non-tidal Thames. Featuring the Thames A Rater National Championships, Merlin Rocket River Championships, International OK River Championships, class racing for Wayfarers, plus Fast Handicap.

Camping is just behind the clubhouse, quality catering every evening, and the Thursday supper is included in the sailing entry.

INSIDER TIP: Don’t miss the famous sunset cocktail party; this year it will be held on Saturday followed by a buffet dinner and live music.

WEBSITE: utsc.org.uk Bourne End Week

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SWINGING MOORINGS Relax with a glass of wine, on a sunny afternoon, on your own swinging mooring in Poole Harbour overlooking Brownsea Island. Away from the madding crowd, these offer you ultimate privacy, peace & tranquillity.

Poole Town Quay, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HJ t: 01202 649488 | poolequayboathaven.co.uk

VISITOR MARINA 125 visitor berths all year for vessels up to 75m in length and up to 4.8m draft On the Port estate we can accommodate vessels up to 210m in length with a maximum draft of 9m.

VHF Channel 80 call sign “Poole Quay Boat Haven”

Regatta Guide MUDEFORD WEEK 10-14 August, Mudeford SC, Christchurch, Dorset OVERVIEW: A week of family racing and fun sailing at a sheltered safe location. The harbour is rarely more than chest-deep for adults and the sailing club is right on the edge of the race area, giving close-up views of the action. The event is not suitable for high-performance craft because of the depth limitations. Two fleets will be run with separate starts. A junior fleet will be raced.

INSIDER TIP: Have a sail around before racing starts to find out where the shallows are.

WEBSITE: mudefordsc.org British Classic Week

BRITISH CLASSIC WEEK

16-23 July,Dinghy Royal Regatta Yacht Squadron/ Plymouth Cowes Yacht Haven, Isle of Wight

Photos: Paul Wyeth, Chris Brown Photography

OVERVIEW: Organised by the British Classic Yacht Club and celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2022. British Classic Week has been held every year since the America’s Cup Jubilee in 2001 and not only attracts entries from the UK but also regularly from across Europe, and in 2016 and 2017 from Australia and New Zealand. A wide entry of yachts from home and abroad is again expected, with a six-race series in the iconic waters of the Solent.

INSIDER TIP: The perfect regatta for enthusiasts seeking good racing and to spend time with fellow sailors who share the same appreciation of classic yachts.

SPONSORS: Spirit Yachts, Brig, OneSails, Classic Marine, Suffolk Yacht Harbour; supporting sponsors Classic Boat, Adnams Southwold, The Dartmouth Distillery Co, Hattiers Rum; official charity partner Tall Ships Youth Trust.

WEBSITE: britishclassicweek.co.uk CHICHESTER HARBOUR RACE WEEK

15-19 August, organised by Chichester Harbour Federation from Hayling Island SC, Hampshire

OVERVIEW: One of the biggest dinghy sailing events in the country with a bumper turnout of 400 boats in 2021 and with entries limited to 425 boats.

Class racing for Fireballs, Flying Fifteens, D-Zeros, RS Aeros, Finns, RS200s, Solos, ILCAs, RS Fevas, RS Teras and RS

COWES WEEK 30 July-5 August, Cowes, Isle of Wight OVERVIEW: Cowes Week stages up to 40 daily races for around 600 boats and is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world. Thousands of competitors race during the week, ranging from Olympic and world class professionals to weekend sailors, and in excess of 100,000 spectators come to watch, enjoy the parties and live entertainment, and experience the unique atmosphere. Having run a successful regatta last year, despite Covid restrictions, the Cowes Week team are excited about plans for this year.

The racing will follow a similar format with more starts off the Royal Yacht Squadron line and a roving committee vessel able to make best use of the conditions on the day. On shore, the event will continue its legendary and wide-ranging social programme, kicking off with the Cowes Week Opening Party on Saturday 30 July.

INSIDER TIP: Everything you need to know is on the website, including a First Timer’s guide with helpful hints and tips.

SPONSORS: Chatham, Musto, aql, Isle of Wight Council, Cowes Harbour Commission; travel partner Red Funnel; media partners Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting and Seahorse Magazine; official charities Scaramouche Sailing Trust and Jubilee Sailing Trust.

WEBSITE: cowesweek.co.uk

Elites as well as fast, medium and asymmetric handicap fleets. Plus racing in Hayling Bay for cruiser racers (not open day boats), under NHS. Vibrant socials include: steel band and beach barbecue, pub style quiz at Mengeham Rythe SC and the perennial Hayling Island SC disco.

INSIDER TIP: Early bird discount up to 30 June. Ten or more boats entered in a handicap class by 31 July will be eligible for class prizes.

WEBSITE: chichesterharbourraceweek. sailevent.net COWES SPRING CLASSICS

20-22 May, Cowes Corinthian YC/Shepards Marina, Cowes, Isle of Wight

OVERVIEW: Cowes Spring Classics is a regatta for classic wooden yachts designed before 1970, including: Cruisers & Cruiser Racers, Affordable Classic Cruisers around 25ft, Gaff Rigged Yachts & Pilot Cutters, Day Boats & Raters, Classic Metre Yachts plus Modern Spirit of Tradition Yachts.

Racing organised by Cowes Corinthian YC. Berthed at Shepards Marina with the Sugar Store as the focus for the shoreside activities. Non-racing yachts and motorboats also welcome.

SPONSORS: Ratsey & Lapthorn, Classic Marine, Solent Wealth Management, West System, British Classic Yacht Club, Medina Yard, Crew Kit; race clothing partner Henri-Lloyd; official supplier Mermaid Gin; media partner Classic Boat; supporting sponsors Shoreside Lettings, Cowes Harbour Shepards Marina, Cowes Harbour Commission.

WEBSITE: cowesspringclassics.com

POOLE REGATTA 30 April-2 May, organised by the Combined Yacht Clubs of Poole, Dorset OVERVIEW: A broad fan base as one of the most accessible and welcoming UK regattas. Incorporating the RORC IRC Southern Area Championship, VPRS National Championship, 2.4mR National Tidal Championship and Race 2 of the J70 Grand Slam Series. Altogether over 18 classes competing over three days - including Performance 40, Cape 31, HP30, the Quarter Ton Class, plus Sonata, J80, J24, XOD, Flying 15, Shrimper, Redwing and R19.

Competitors will again be racing for one of the oldest trophies in yacht racing, the coveted Canford Cup dating from 1849, which pre-dates the America’s Cup ‘Auld Mug’ by two years.

INSIDER TIP: This year the regatta will have a special focus on ‘youth’ with trophies introduced to encourage entries that include a youth element in the crew.

SPONSORS: International Paint; silver sponsors Haven Knox Johnston and phc; bronze sponsors Savills and Coleman Marine Insurance.

WEBSITE: pooleregatta.co.uk

SOUTHWEST BABBACOMBE REGATTA

18-19 June, Babbacombe Corinthian SC, St Marychurch, Torquay, Devon

OVERVIEW: The 195th edition of this regatta will see racing in beautiful Babbacombe Bay. Steeped in history, the earliest recorded regatta was in 1820. Today the regatta offers a warm welcome for visitors and aims to deliver a great weekend of sailing and socialising. The Commodore invites all regatta sailors and members to his

Cowes Spring Classics

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

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Summer Series 2022 Great racing on the Solent for IRC classes, Performance 40s, J/111s, HP30s, Cape 31s, J/70s, and SB20s.

Further One Design classes welcome by invitation.

After racing entertainment, sponsored drinks bar, and crew dining.

For more information, and to enter, visit: royal-southern.co.uk/summer-series

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NORTH SAILS MAY REGATTA

7-8 May 2022 CHAMPAGNE CHARLIE PLATINUM JUBILEE REGATTA

4-5 June 2022 SALCOMBE GIN JULY REGATTA

9-10 July 2022 LAND UNION SEPTEMBER REGATTA 24-25 September 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

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Regatta Guide

evening reception at Top Clubhouse, St Marychurch, on the Saturday night.

INSIDER TIP: Arrive in good time. The Oddicombe Beach clubhouse and boat compound are accessed via the steep Oddicombe Beach Hill Road.

SPONSOR: Moatt Sails WEBSITE: babbacombe-sc.com/wp/ events/babbacombe-regatta-2/ DARTMOUTH ROYAL REGATTA SAILING WEEK 20-28 August, Royal Dart YC, Kingswear, Dartmouth, Devon OVERVIEW: Dartmouth Royal Regatta is a family orientated regatta that offers competitive racing in Start Bay and the River Dart, with a wide range of activities for all the family, including a funfair and firework display on the Saturday evening. The Junior Dinghy Regatta starts the week’s racing from 20-23 August and the yacht regatta follows with the Passage race from Brixham to Dartmouth on Wednesday 24 August, and racing in Start Bay 2528 August. There will be classes for IRC and SWYTCF rated yachts, one design fleets, classics, dayboats and gaffers depending on the number of entries.

INSIDER TIP: Dartmouth Royal Regatta is very popular with visiting yachts so make sure you book your accommodation early; details available on the website.

SPONSORS: Salcombe Gin, Pilot Financial, Paradigm Norton, Chatham Marine, Savills, Dream Charter Holidays Key Yachting, Rockfish.

WEBSITE: dartmouthsailingweek.com

Photos: Bex Chamberlain Photography

FALMOUTH CLASSICS 17-19 June, vessels arrive on Thursday 16 June, Falmouth, Cornwall OVERVIEW: One of the largest classic events in the UK, which welcomes classic and heritage sailing and power vessels. Racing and a spectacular parade take place in the beautiful environment provided by the River Fal and Falmouth Bay. Taking place at the same time will be the Falmouth International Shanty Festival with 70 groups performing around the town.

SPONSORS: Headline sponsor - Atkins Ferry Wealth Management. Partner sponsors - Falmouth Harbour Commissioners, Royal Cornwall YC, Teamac, Vino Direct, Classic Boat, West Briton.

WEBSITE: falmouthclassics.org.uk

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FALMOUTH SAILING WEEK 6-13 August, Falmouth, Cornwall OVERVIEW: Seven days of varied racing for over 20 classes ranging from IRC yachts to dinghies. Beginning with a skippers’ briefing and reception at the Royal Cornwall YC on Saturday evening with the regatta then visiting Helford River SC (7th), Mylor YC (8th), Restronguet SC (9th), Royal Cornwall YC (11th), St Mawes SC (12th) and Flushing SC (13th) for the final day along with the overall prizegiving. This historic open sailing regatta offers multi class options for entry including five classes introduced for dinghies. Racing in two fleets: in the harbour, Carrick Roads or in Falmouth Bay. Daily entries, a three-day series as well as sevenday entry all possible. Wednesday sees MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

J/24 National Championships, IRC SW Championship and mixed cruiser, singlehanded and white sail racing, as well as a predicted log event for boats under motor. Free storage, race village and social included at Plymouth Yacht Haven, with bands and entertainment throughout the weekend.

INSIDER TIP: Take part in the regatta, and then come back a few weeks later to Britain’s Ocean City for the SailGP. SPONSORS: Ancasta Yacht Sales, Hemisphere Rigging, Mount Batten Boathouse, Plymouth Yacht Haven, Dart Sails and Covers, Spinlock, Rooster Sailing, Cattewater Harbour Commissioners.

WEBSITE: yacht-regatta.ppsa.org.uk Falmouth Sailing Week

the standalone long-distance Ancasta Champagne Race for the Bay Fleet with the Mainbrace Rum Race for the Carrick Fleet.

INSIDER TIP: Register early for the best entry fees from 1 April. There is a fantastic social scene shoreside with music events in Falmouth throughout the regatta week.

SPONSORS: Mylor Yacht Harbour, Hine Downing Solicitors, Mainbrace Rum, Ancasta International Boat Sales and The Flip Flop Shop.

WEBSITE: falmouthweek.co.uk/ sailing-week FOWEY ROYAL REGATTA SAILING WEEK 14-20 August, Royal Fowey YC & Fowey Gallants SC, Fowey, Cornwall OVERVIEW: A family friendly event with racing for cruisers, Troys, Fowey River Dinghies, Falmouth Working Boats and dinghy handicap fleets and entertainment ashore. One of the UK’s best known sailing events with a long history. Traditional town events include fireworks, crab-catching, a harbour swim and live music.

INSIDER TIP: After racing each day sailors gather at either Royal Fowey YC or Fowey Gallants SC for great food and drink and a good chat about the day’s events before prize-giving.

WEBSITE: pofroc.org.uk/page/regatta and foweyregatta.co.uk

NORTH DEVON YACHT CLUB OPEN WEEK 6- 14 August, North Devon YC, Instow, Bideford, Devon OVERVIEW: Open Week at NDYC in Instow on the North Devon Coast is a highlight of the club’s summer season, offering sailing and racing for all with a varied programme of events and a social programme. Racing comprises 14 races over five days and includes cup events plus a five-day regatta with three races per day for cats, monohulls and gaffers.

INSIDER TIP: Local accommodation in Instow and limited space for camping and camper vans at the club; see website for details.

WEBSITE: ndyc.org/open-week-2022 PASAB (Penzance Around Scilly And Back) 29 July-1 August, Penzance SC, Albert Pier, Penzance, Cornwall OVERVIEW: PASAB is the club’s annual race that has been running since 1978.

It is made up of three legs: Leg 1 on Friday night is the race to Scilly from Penzance; Leg 2 on Sunday is a race around the Islands (various courses dependent on conditions) and Leg 3 on Monday is the race back to Penzance.

INSIDER TIP: PASAB is a great way to see the delights of the Isles of Scilly.

WEBSITE: pzsc.org.uk/pasab/ 200th PLYMOUTH JUBILEE DINGHY REGATTA 3-5 June, Port of Plymouth Sailing Association, Mount Batten Centre, Plymouth OVERVIEW: Celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee and the 200th Plymouth Regatta, with mixed handicap racing and classes offered for more than six boats. Free storage, facilities and social included.

INSIDER TIP: Sail during the day and party during the night with the 1 Big Summer weekend on Plymouth Hoe. SPONSORS: Rooster Sailing, Kingfisher Ropes, Cattewater Harbour Commissioners, Highwater Sails.

WEBSITE: dinghy-regatta.ppsa.org.uk 200th PLYMOUTH YACHT REGATTA 8-10 July, Port of Plymouth Sailing Association, Plymouth Yacht Haven OVERVIEW: Celebrate the 200th Plymouth Regatta with the Impala and

SALCOMBE REGATTA 7-12 August, Salcombe YC, South Devon OVERVIEW: A very special regatta for members and visitors with a stunning sailing area, fantastic racing and SYC friendly welcome. Golden beaches and quiet creeks to explore, the superbly located yacht club terrace high above the racecourse has exceptional viewing of the racing, and there is a fun ‘après sail’ social life. It’s a sailing celebration!

INSIDER TIP: Book early to enter.

Accommodation ranges from camping to great holiday lets. Dinghy berthing on Mill Bay and help with trolley transfer either end of week.

SPONSOR: Headline sponsor Salcombe Gin. WEBSITE: salcombeyc.org.uk TORBAY DINGHY REGATTA 8-9 October, Royal Torbay YC, Torquay, Devon OVERVIEW: The Dinghy Regatta for Asymmetric, Non-Asymmetric and Junior Classes is a new and exciting opportunity to race in Torbay: up to six races over two days; quick and easy access to the racing areas from the sheltered harbour; the club, town, hotels and car park are all within easy walking distance; free dinghy and trailer parking. Over many years, the Royal Torbay YC has established a welldeserved reputation for hosting dinghy regattas and championships. Enquiries welcome from classes interested in staging their regional or national championships as part of this regatta.

INSIDER TIP: Car parking is just above the harbour and opposite the clubhouse; both are close to Torquay town centre. Wide choice of accommodation within walking distance. The club will be pulling out all the stops to make this another great Torbay event!

WEBSITE: rtyc.org/event/torbaydinghy-regatta TORBAY ROYAL REGATTA 19-22 August, Royal Torbay YC, Torquay, Devon OVERVIEW: One of the premier sailing regattas in the southwest, this year will see three days of racing for IRC Yachts, Cruisers and Sportsboats. There will be a prizegiving on the Sunday after two days of racing; followed by a gala prize giving on the Monday evening, reflecting the overall results and featuring the presentation of the

Regatta Guide

prestigious Addison Gold Cup to the overall IRC winner. Prizes will be awarded to encourage diversity and participation. A real family occasion with racing for all ages, free berthing and boat parking, and easy access to some of the world’s finest sailing waters. It is a great value regatta.

INSIDER TIP: The social programme kicks off on Friday evening with the Commodore’s Welcome Party, and Saturday night in the club is not to be missed: enjoy the renowned regatta hospitality, there is sure to be a great party atmosphere with music, entertainment and good company.

WEBSITE: rtyc.org/event/torbayroyal-regatta-yachts-and-sportsboats

WALES 50th ABERSOCH DINGHY WEEK 23-29 July, South Caernarvonshire YC, Abersoch, North Wales OVERVIEW: Celebrating its 50th year with a new race format, committee boat starts, two shorter races b2b per day for each fleet. Racing for all classes of asymmetric, doublehanded and singlehanded dinghies in Cardigan Bay’s fabulous waters. Coached regatta fleet returns for the novice sailor/new racer.

Full social programme with celebratory dinner and anniversary T-shirt for all competitors INSIDER TIP: Abersoch’s golden sandy beaches and the spectacular waters of Cardigan Bay allow SCYC to offer a fabulous week of competitive dinghy racing.

SPONSORS: Abersoch Boatyard, Orca Bay, Pelle P, Gill.

WEBSITE: scyc.co.uk/event/dinghyweek ABERSOCH KEELBOAT WEEK

22-26 August, South Caernarvonshire YC, Abersoch, North Wales

Photo:s: Adam Collinson, Bill Harris

OVERVIEW: SCYC is delighted to be organising and hosting AKW as an open event again, renowned for over 40 years as a fun regatta with a serious edge. Fleets: Small Keelboats; IRC1, IRC2; and White Sails (Non-Spinnaker).

IRC classes: ‘Offshore’ with committee boat starts. Others: Inshore with club or committee boat starts, using SCYC Club marks.

INSIDER TIP: A relaxed atmosphere off the water complements the competition on it. Practice race on Sunday 21 August.

WEBSITE: scyc.co.uk/event/keelboatweek MENAI STRAIT REGATTAS 1-13 August, Royal Anglesey YC, Beaumaris, Anglesey, North Wales OVERVIEW: The Menai Strait Regattas is one of the oldest classic boat regattas in Wales if not in the UK. The majority of the boats racing are classic boats such as the Fife OD, the Mersey Mylne OD and the Conway OD. There are also cruisers and dinghies in handicap fleets. The Menai Strait Regattas have used the same venues since the 1800s, welcoming clubs from the local area and many from the Merseyside area.

INSIDER TIP: There is no charge to watch the racing at any of the clubs

Abersoch Dinghy Week

along the Menai Strait.

WEBSITE: menaistraitregattas.org.uk

SCOTLAND FINDHORN REGATTA & FINDHORN WEEK 11-12 June, Findhorn Regatta; 11-15 July, Findhorn Week; Royal Findhorn YC, Findhorn, Moray OVERVIEW: On the coast of the Moray Firth in Scotland, overlooking the sheltered inshore waters of Findhorn Bay. Seven days of dinghy racing with parties making for an excellent start to the holiday season. Findhorn Regatta Weekend welcomes sailors of all ages and abilities with a range of boats from Optimists to Musto Skiffs and 49ers and everything in between. Findhorn Week then offers a mix of competitive and relaxed sailing, a child friendly atmosphere and great socials.

WEBSITE: rfyc.co.uk MUDHOOK YACHT CLUB REGATTA 18-19 June, East Patch area of Firth of Clyde, Helensburgh & Rhu OVERVIEW: This is a two day event of competitive racing for One Designs such as Etchells, Hunter 707, Sigma 33 and Garelochs as well as yachts rated under IRC and others with CYCA handicaps.

INSIDER TIP: More information on the club website.

SPONSOR: Saturn Sails Ltd WEBSITE: mudhookyc.co.uk

Jersey Regatta

SCOTTISH SERIES 3-6 June, organised by Clyde Cruising Club, racing at Tarbert, Loch Fyne OVERVIEW: The Scottish Series has a long history of inclusive participation and is looking forward to returning to Tarbert in 2022. Involving multi classes, international yachts, community engagement, short course and passage racing. All this centred in some of the most stunning waters in Scotland.

Following the cancellation of the 2020 event and a temporary move to three bases on the Clyde in 2021 due to covid restrictions, the regatta is delighted to return to its home on Loch Fyne.

WEBSITE: scottishseries.info WEST HIGHLAND YACHTING WEEK 30 June-5 July, Craobh, Oban and Tobermory OVERVIEW: An event set in stunning surroundings, with a winning combination of round the buoys and passage racing, and an excellent social programme. In addition to spinnaker classes, restricted sail classes are offered for skippers with limited experience, equipment or crew, which are also ideal for young families.

INSIDER TIP: Competitors can enter the whole week or individual races and some choose to do only the passages races, or just one race or a feeder race, before going off on a cruise.

SPONSORS: Tunnocks, Tobermory Harbour Association, Islay Gin. WEBSITE: whyw.co.uk

IRELAND CORK WEEK 11-15 July, Royal Cork YC, Crosshaven, Co. Cork OVERVIEW: The 22nd edition of Cork Week will mark an elongated celebration of the club’s tricentenary.

It is a great opportunity for visiting boats to join the oldest yacht club in the world for its special anniversary.

With around 300 boats hoped for in 2022, the secret of Cork Week’s success is found in its eclectic mix of classes, competitors, courses and good company, supported by a team of dedicated volunteers and the good humour of the thousands of visitors who take part in this iconic biennial regatta.

INSIDER TIP: Want to take part? On the Cork Week website there is a Crew Available and Crew Wanted section.

SPONSOR:Title sponsor Volvo Cars Ireland; in partnership with Johnson & Perrott.

WEBSITE: corkweek.ie

CHANNEL ISLANDS JERSEY REGATTA 2-4 September, Royal Channel Islands YC, St Helier YC and St Catherine’s SC, Jersey OVERVIEW: Three days of fun and competitive racing with a lively social programme. Now in its 24th consecutive year and incorporating the 9th GBR IRC Channel Islands Championship, the regatta is the largest multi-class event in the Channel Islands area with a warm welcome for visiting and local boats alike. Eligible classes include IRC, cruiser/racer, Quarter Ton, sportsboat, dayboat, dinghy, sport catamaran and windsurfer.

INSIDER TIP: Book early for ferries and accommodation (jersey.com) as the island really buzzes in September.

Ship chandlers and refuelling stations are located at St Helier Harbour and St Aubin’s Harbour. Early bird discounts for entries received no later than 12 August.

SPONSORS: Offshore law firm Carey Olsen; co-sponsor Ports of Jersey Jersey Marinas - complementary berthing.

WEBSITE: jerseyregatta.com Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

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Sebago Manitou loafers Sebago probably didn’t name these handsome deck loafers after the S&S once owned by JFK, but the association does them no harm. Made of a “soft, yet thicker, resistant suede”, they feature a “leather sock lining” as well as “a fashionable vulcanized rubber outsole inspired by the historical ergonomic American high foxing boat shoe”, quite befitting a president, really. They’re part of a new summer range from Sebago. £100 sebago.co.uk

LAUNCHED New kit for you and your boat

Double lilo Cast off from your anchored yacht in some gorgeous Mediterannean cove and float lazily, with your beloved by your side. This new double lilo is made by Oliver James, “creator of the world’s finest luxury upholstered pool floats”, who has been inspired by “iconic destinations such as the Hamptons and Los Angeles”. Clearly Oliver has yet to go sailing but surely even he would see the advantages of having one of these on board. £1,360, with ‘free express shipping worldwide, as well as duties and taxes included’ oliverjameslilos.com

Whale art Followers of the Rolex Fastnet Race will be familiar with the stunning photographs of Kurt Arrigo, who has now released a series of whale portraits after he went free-diving with a pod off Tonga. Kurt says: “The mother whale swam protectively alongside her curious calf and it was with her permission that I gently slid into the water, feeling vulnerable and exposed. On a single breath I approached the playful calf who seemed keen to interact as the mother watched closely. For thirty minutes I swam up to the surface for air, diving back down urgently, not wanting to waste a minute of this precious invitation, both myself and the whales curious to download all that we could about each other. Once the mother decided that playtime was over I watched them descend into the deep blue.” Each shot is available as a fine art print in various formats. €158.00 – €495.00 shop.kurtarrigo.com

Boat tent For owners of yachts, who like to spend the less inclement months of the year under a tarpaulin attempting DIY, this could be just the answer. One of a new range of mobile ‘workshop units’ from Machine Mart, waterproof and easily assembled with push-fit connecting rods. The biggest measures 40ft (12.20) LOA, 16ft (4.87m) beam and 14.5ft (4.39m) height. There is even a round roof to ensure rain runs off, something even the best attached tarpaulins never manage. £3,597 for the 40ft model machinemart.co.uk

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Considering an Electric Outboard?

“Using a well-engineered electric outboard has been a revelation.’’

TOM CUNLIFFE Classic Boat

Quiet, Convenient, Reliable and Easy-to-Use In the popular 2-4hp category, the latest electric outboards – with their integral and rechargeable lithium batteries – have transformed the market, rendering petrol motors all-but obsolete. Advantages include: From £1650 Epropulsion Spirit PLUS 1276Wh battery Faster to charge Battery floats if dropped Foldable tiller means only one cable to connect › Three shaft length options › Direct drive (no gearbox) › › › ›

› Ease of Use Switch on, twist the tiller handles, go. Almost anybody can do it; no experience, strength or mechanical knowledge is needed. › Ease of Handling The batteries are removable, and the “pass up and down” weight (the shaft/motor assembly) is then 10kg or less. › Ease of Storage These electric motors divide into components, don’t leak oil or petrol, and don’t mind which way up they’re stored. › Quietness & Smoothness Electric motors are a delight to use.

From £1750 Torqeedo 1103 › 916Wh battery › GPS data on tiller gives speed & range indication › Removable tiller (more compact for storage) › Near‐silent direct drive › Much more robust than the previous model (Torqeedo 1003)

› Power Forget slow speed “trolling motors”, these 1kW electrics have huge torque (more like a 3hp petrol). › Range There are many variables, but most users achieve at least 9 to 10 nautical miles per charge, at 4 to 5 knots (2.5m inflatable dinghy).

Much more if you slow down a little. › Reliability Many outboard motors don’t get used very often, and small petrol motors hate this. Electric outboards have fewer parts in general, and in particular there’s no carburettor to “gum up”.

Of course, it’s not all perfect. The range may still not be enough for some users.

And they’re undeniably More Expensive than petrol outboards, mostly because lithium batteries are expensive. But that extra upfront cost is largely offset by their Lower Lifetime Running Costs, including (almost) No Servicing.

NESTAWAY BOATS is the UK’s number one retailer for both Torqeedo AND Epropulsion. You can find out more on our website, and we are always happy to discuss further – and offer advice – by email or phone. If you’d like to see them before making a purchase, we are based in Christchurch, Dorset (UK).

www.nestawayboats.com mail@nestawayboats.com Tel 0800 999 2535

Three of the best

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HANSE 575 | LUNA The Hanse 575 first hit the market in 2013 and impressed with a blend of very high volume combined with sprightly performance and easy handling. The huge amount of space inside was achieved by gving the boat generous freeboard but a relatively sleek look was maintained by keeping the coachroof low and sleek. Meanwhile, the self tacking jib and powered winches made the boat a dream for short handed sailing and the boat has become a proven performer onm the transatlantic circuit, with numerous boats completing the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. This Hanse 575 has to be the very highest specification example on the market. Commissioned and delivered by UK Hanse agents Inspiration Marine Group in 2016, there has been no expense spared either before or after purchase.

Absolutely immaculate Felci-designed Ice Yachts 52, perfectly fitted out and upgraded for high-performance cruising and now offered as a 100% ready-to-go option. Phelia was launched in the summer 2017 as hull number six of the successful semi-custom series of the Ice Yachts 52. Her experienced owner commissioned the boat for performance cruising adventure with his family and wanted a boat fitted at the best end of her class. Lightly used since new, Phelia has been carefully maintained by her owner and the family throughout her short life. Phelia was tested by Sailing Today in 2018 and our reviewer wrote the following: ‘The ICE is stylish, she’s fast for a cruising yacht and she looks the part. She’s also comfortable, practical and well behaved. All this comes at a price – particularly compared to a standard production yacht – yet the reward is very simple: unfurl the gennaker and you might just end up flying.’

LOA: 52’ (15.57m)

LOA: 56’3” (17.15m)

Beam: 15’ 1” (4.63m)

Beam: 17’ (5.2m)

Draft: 9’2” (2.8m)

Draft: 9’3” (2.85m)

Engine: Volvo 75HP

Engine: Volvo 110HP

Designer: Umberto Felci

Designer: Judel/Vrolijk

Accommodation: 8 berths in 3 cabins

Cabins: 4

Year: 2017

Year: 2016

Location: Tuscany, Italy

Location: Vigo, Pontevedra, ES

Contact: grabauinternational.com

Contact: michaelschmidt.co.uk craftinsure quote: £POA

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

craftinsure quote: £POA

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HALLBERG-RASSY 40 | ENIGMA Still with her first owners who collected her from the shipyard in 2009. She has cruised the UK, Caribbean and most recently Spain and the Balearics. She is therefore totally kitted out for blue water cruising with watermaker and a 2019 generator (only 10 hours on the clock). The HR 40 is a popular model with 2 double cabins and 1 central heads. The galley on the 40 also delivers a huge amount of work space which is rare on this size of yacht. With all the HR trademarks, her light mahogany joinery is in lovely condition. She sails fantastically with a great downwind set up and a brand new Elvstrom vertically battened in mast furling main from 2020.

LOA: 40’8” (12.4m) Beam: 12’6” (3.82m) Draft: 6’7” (1.99m) Displacement: 10,000kg (22,000lb) Engine:Volvo Penta D2-55 Designer: German Frers Accommodation: 7 berths in 2 cabins Year: 2009 Location: Denia, Spain Contact: berthoninternational.com craftinsure quote: £732

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91

Dinghy Show

Watersports-mad!

More than 7,000 dinghy sailors and watersports fanatics from across the UK flocked to Farnborough International in February for the new-look RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, presented by Suzuki. Featuring its traditional core of dinghy sailing, the event this year also had stands for windsurfers, wingsurfers and foilers plus paddleboarders. Olympic gold medallists Dylan Fletcher and Eilidh McInytre cut the ribbon and the crowds packed into a back-to-back schedule of talks by them and other famous names, including our writer Mark Rushall, the British Sailing Team strategist.

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

ALL PHOTOS: PAUL WYETH/RYA EXCEPT WHERE MARKED

Above: the show was opened by Olympic gold medallists Dylan Fletcher (centre) and Eilidh McIntyre (to his left). Fellow members of the British Sailing Team and Olympians were to be spotted around the show chatting to visitors and giving talks

Above: Model yacht racing in the foreground, with the popular try-trapezing rig to the left and scores of dinghies and watersports kit beyond!

Below left: Our regular writer Mark Rushall, the British Sailing Team's strategist and a leading coach, gives one of his popular talks on racing tactics at one of the show's stages

Above: 470 sailor Martin Wrigley (right) of the British Sailing Team gets some advice from two cool young sailors demonstrating the dinghy simulator

Below, left to right: Top sailor Hannah Diamond did a great job in presenting and hosting the show across two days; INEOS Britannia grinder and SailGP crew member Matt Gotrel (below right) chats to two young fans; Matt was also one the many who signed the "Back the Pledge" campaign to get sailing reinstated into the Paralympics for the Games in Los Angeles, 2028

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

93

THIS PHOTO: ROB PEAKE

Dinghy Show

The daily treasure hunt is a big feature of the show, with young treasure hunters collecting stamps at particular stands around the hall. The winners are announced by the pirate captain at the end of each day

The SailGP VR headset experience was a popular choice for all ages with visitors competing against eSailing Champion Mike O'Donovan on Virtual Regatta

THIS PHOTO: ROB PEAKE

Three keen sailors take a good look at the RS Toura, which was unveiled at the show. Offered at the event for £7,995.

Thanks to all of you who stopped by our stand for a chat and to those who subscribed to the magazine!

Our Charity of the Year, the Disabled Sailors Association, was busy at the show, promoting its wheelchair-accessible catamaran Spirit of Scott Bader, based at Port Solent, Portsmouth

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Windsurfing legend Peter Hart (left) spoke to a packed house on the Watersports Stage. The event broadened its horizons this year to include windsurfing, wingsurfing & foiling and paddleboarding

Drascombe Lugger Sailing in the Greek Ionian Sail one of these iconic Luggers in the sun, based from our superb water's edge apartments. Pure relaxation.

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

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Classified

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www.sailingtoday.co.uk | www.yachtsandyachting.co.uk 96

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

Classified

To advertise call +44 (0)207 349 3787 or email mark.harrington@chelseamagazines.com

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SOLAR PANEL PUSHPIT MOUNT. An unused adjustable Plastimo solar panel mounting kit for a boats pushpit.

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Solar panel not included. Straight out of the box. Marine Stainless. Postage would be about £6 to £9 depending on carrier. £75 Tel 07801 697613 / (LYMINGTON)

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WESTERLY PENTLAND KETCH 1976 reliable Ford 1.6 diesel, new Heat exchanger, alternator, batteries. Radar Large screen with chart, fish-finder, AIS, VHF & other instruments. 7 berths three cabins, centre cockpit, SS fresh water and fuel tanks, new fresh water pump, easy single handed, auto steering.

Dinghy, stern ladder. £13800 Tel 07711 924472 / 01424 892381 (EASTBOURNE)

BOAT LIFTER FOR DRY BERTHING. Boat lifter for dry berthing suitable for RIB/ Boston/J24 or Keelboat. Fully adjustable up to 1500Kg. Approx 25 feet length. £3950 Tel 07795 966305 / (WIMBORNE)

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J24 - GBR4254Y - HULL 5072 J BOATS ITALY 1994 Juju 4254 White hull J 24 Boats Italy 12/1/1994. Minimum weight measured for 2018 10 Worlds/WC Atrophies 20/21 Proven winning photo below North Sails cushions etc Double axle braked trailer with storage. Near Irish ferry. Photos to be sent on contact / offers considered.

Send text or phone. £9000 Tel 07917 832254 / 015394 33156 (WINDERMERE)

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T: (01929) 554308 The Sail Loft, 16 Sandford Lane Ind Est, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 4DY

SCORPION DINGHY, WHOLE OR FOR PARTS, INCLUDES LAUNCHING TROLLEY. Everything for sale. Glass fibre hull has small hole that could be repaired - 2 suits of sails, canvas cover only 3 years old, would wash well. Launching trolley with removable jockey wheel. Would prefer to sell the whole as a lot. Everything in fair condition. £100 Tel 01969 368371 / 07815 643408 (LEYBURN)

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J24 (J4013). A clean and tidy boat ready to go racing. Includes a selection of sails, outboard and general mandatory equipment. Refurbished trailer, new tyres, wheels, brakes and suspension. New towing assembly. Stored on trailer under cover. £3500 Tel 07745 317459 / (MILFORD ON SEA)

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Ready for an adventure?

Other facilities in the harbour include free parking, toilets and showers, a crew room, fueling facilities, on site laundry facilities and boat builders’ yard.

The town of Arbroath also offers a variety of social and sporting amenities to visiting crews and a number of quality pubs, restaurants, the famous Arbroath Harbour twelfth century Abbey and Signal “Arbroath Office Harbour has 59 floating pontoon berths with security entrance Harbour • Arbroath • DD11 1PD Tower Museum are located close to the which are serviced with electricity and fresh water to accommodate all types harbour. The railway and bus stations Harbour Master: Bruce Fleming of leisure craft. Half height dock gates with a walkway are located between are only 1km from the harbour with Tel: 01241 872166 the inner and outer harbours, which open and close at half tide, maintaining direct north and south connections.”

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Other facilities in the harbour include free parking, toilets and showers, a crew room, fueling facilities, on site laundry facilities and boat builders’ yard.

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The town of Arbroath also offers a variety of social and sporting amenities to visiting crews and a number of quality pubs, restaurants, the famous twelfth century Abbey and Signal Tower Museum are located close to the harbour.

The railway and bus stations are only 1km from the harbour with direct north and south connections.”

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l

Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting MAY 2022

97

Jess Lloyd-Mostyn Climbing up the mast can offer a unique new perspective for the sailor yet it is not without its trials and tribulations

A

ll of us love a good view. A sunset at anchor, a white sand beach with ubiquitous palm trees or a full moon reflected in the water; the sea makes an outstanding backdrop.

However, things get a little different once you’re 17 metres up.

Climbing the mast is never just to take in the view. It’s always a practical task needing to be tackled. Measuring a fitting or checking an electrical connection. It could be repairing or replacing something. And, like much of the cruising life, any trip up needs to be balanced with what the weather and the sea-state have in store for you.

On one of our early forays up the mast we switched out our old incandescent navigation lights for LEDs prior to crossing the Atlantic. There was no great drama as we picked a flat calm anchorage in the Canary Islands with ideal conditions so we made swift work of it. However, it was only once we had our first night out on the ocean that I recalled looking up and then mentioned to James, “You did remember to put the tricolour lens back on the right way round, didn’t you?”

Mid-ocean, large rollers, with sustained winds of 25-30 knots we saw a green light merrily shining on the port side of our mast and realised what needed to be done. I’ll glaze over the rest of this anecdote by simply saying that these were less than ideal conditions for scaling the mast again.

We are fortunate enough to have mast steps, although we were unaware of their true value when we first bought our boat. This makes every trip aloft far easier. We have a good harness too and have only recently purchased a bosun’s chair, after more than 10 and a half years of living afloat. It’s always James going up and me at the mast controlling the halyard he’s attached to. There’s a nifty little dance we do as, once he’s up, I duck out of the “drop zone” but stay within earshot. I nip back and forth as inevitably he’ll have forgotten a tool or need an additional one or something else which I send up to him on another line, often our courtesy flag halyard.

Communication can be slightly tricky though, and we’ve had to master our clear but calm shouted requests

between us to be heard over the wind. Because of course, the wind will start to pick up, or a large black cloud will rumble towards us just as I’ve hoisted him up there.

Try getting exact measurements for a new stay or sail when the tape measure is flapping in the wind!

We’ve even had lightning storms getting closer and halting our work. Yet, the reverse of this, the sunny skies, also hinder progress.

Life in the tropics offers only a slim window in the early morning or late afternoon when it’s possible to work on the mast without the sun’s glaring blaze interfering.

Sometimes going up is a simple affair; just nipping up to put on the new spreader boots.

Occasionally it’s underway, to aid navigation, climbing up to the first spreaders to see the reef or a sandy spot to anchor in more clearly. On rarer instances still it can afford a better glimpse at wildlife as I’ll never forget the loud excited shout of “dugongs ahoy!” when we were approaching an anchorage in Vanuatu, blissfully unaware of how close we were to these gentle creatures.

More often than not though the trips up the mast involve a series of unexpected challenges to overcome: the nut on the tang bolt has seized and won’t budge; it turns out the sheave has degraded in the sun and that’s why the halyard is jamming; the shackle on the genoa has bent, etc etc. A barrage of swear words drifting down while I shrug apologetically at passers by on the dock.

And of course, there is the dreaded scenario of the all-important part or fitting being dropped.

Trust me, a South African boat with as many miles under her keel as ours, we have fittings from all over the world, metric and imperial. Anything dropped from aloft would not be a simple thing to replace.

Especially not when dawdling at anchor in the outer atolls of Papua New Guinea. So lanyards are tied onto everything up there just to make sure.

Luckily the only thing the skipper has dropped from above was a tiny bottle of Loctite, easily found on deck and sent back up on a halyard moments later. Just as well really as I often have to bat all the tiny crew away from the mast base, proudly looking up at their dad perched at the top.

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MAY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting

JESS LLOYDMOSTYN Jess and James left the UK in 2011 in their Crossbow 42 and have sailed halfway round the world, growing their crew en route.

Follow their journey at water-log.com

ILLUSTRATION MICHAEL PARKIN

‘I’ll never forget the excited shout of “dugongs ahoy!” approaching an anchorage in Vanuatu’

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