A CBS broadcast of this race, the Range Rover France Sail Grand Prix, was the most watched sailing event on US broadcast television in 30 years, averaging 1.609 million viewers. It’s new territory for sailing as SailGP breaks into mainstream sports coverage around the world. What sports fan wouldn’t enjoy seeing the world’s top sailors – here Sir Ben Ainslie on the Great Britain boat and Nathan Outteridge on the Switzerland boat –battling for water as they fly past a buoy at more than 50 knots o Saint-Tropez? Meanwhile SailGP’s wider initiatives are bold, with sustainability and gender equity top of the agenda and also a laudable programme to encourage young sailors. For monthly reportage from the front line of the sail-racing universe, read Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting, or visit yachtsandyachting.co.uk
Photo: Jon Buckle for SailGP
After the excitement of the Olympics, Vendée Globe and America’s Cup in 2021, it turned out 2022 had a few surprises in store and we enjoyed another vintage year afloat
A jubilant 180 crew arrived back in London at the end of the Clipper Race, for a parade of sail along the River Thames and a welcome ceremony at Royal Docks, with a huge crowd of family, friends, partners and spectators creating a memorable atmosphere. This edition of the race started in 2019 and was suspended in March 2020 as the pandemic struck, with crews flying home from Subic Bay in the Philippines. It restarted, after a week of crew re-training, in February 2022, with the remaining legs from the Philippines across the north Pacific to Seattle, then down the west US coast to Panama, before transitting the Panama Canal and racing on to Bermuda, New York, Derry-Londonderry and the final sprint back to London.
The race overall was won by Qingdao, skippered by Chris Brooks and representing the Chinese city of the same name. Crew member Jody, from Michigan, USA, who completed the circumnavigation on board Qingdao said: “It’s been an incredible lifetime achievement. An amazing thing to experience”.
Visit clipperroundtheworld.com to sign up for the next race, dates TBA.
The season of 2022 has in many ways been a glorious one for cruising sailors; an a rmation that islands over the horizon and the freedom all sailors crave is once more attainable. As such it has seen a frenzy of activity, as pipe dreams cooked up during lockdown become bluewater reality. So what does all this frenzied activity tell us about 2023?
If there is one thing we have learnt from the last few years it is that life is unpredictable and that nothing should be taken for granted. Perhaps accordingly, the scramble to buy a boat shows no signs of easing in the coming year. Despite the dark economic clouds, boat manufacturers across Europe are reporting record waiting lists as they simply cannot build enough boats to satisfy demand. I’m not just talking about some of the smaller bespoke manufacturers here; even the big mass producing manufacturers such as Beneteau and Jeanneau who turn out boats with regularity simply cannot build enough boats and report waiting lists into 2026 for some of their models. Meanwhile, manufacturers have widely reported new models being ordered without even being seen, let alone test-sailed.
Yes, the world is an increasingly crazy place but the desire of sailors to get out onto the water is entirely understandable and this has been re ected in another bumper year for rallies. e Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) has been fully subscribed on three crossings: the standard ARC in November; the ARC+ which heads to the Caribbean via the Cape Verdes; and also ARC January. is extra trip was introduced in 2021 to accommodate the vast number of boats making the crossing. ARC spoklesperson Sarah Collins explains: “ARC January follows the classic trade wind route from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Rodney Bay Marina, Saint Lucia. ARC January sets o early in the New Year, to bring you to the Caribbean within the month of January.
RIGHT: Sailboats in a beautiful bay of Paxos island, Greece
BELOW: Yachts anchoring in the Bay of virgins on Fatu Hiva Island, Marquesas Archipelago
Built using volcanic basalt fibres, the Windelo 54 has eco-credentials and is a stunning cruising platform, as Sam Je erson finds out
trying to enjoy. It is based on plants instead, and in fact o ers four times better durability, as well as repelling saltwater, oils and other stains. “Each bre of the outer fabric is coated with XPEL during the manufacturing process, resulting in a durable and long-lasting nish,” explains a Gill spokesperson. “We guarantee consistent levels of performance for up to 30 washes, with the treatment continuing to be e ective 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 cu s, a PLB attachment point and shackle tool. And the styling has been rethought, with a new orange and graphite design.
e 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 bres – chie y polyester and nylon. e equivalent of 14 recycled plastic bottles goes into each one, and even the polyurethane membrane is recycled from camera lenses. It’s claimed that 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 waterproo ng equivalent to more than 20,000mm HH, and medium breathability. It has many of the same features as the OS1, including the super-high eece-lined collar, hand-warmer cargo pockets and re ective patches. ere’s a men’s and women’s variant, with colours including sulphur, eggshell, graphite and red.
OS1 jacket: £520
OS1 ocean trousers: £415
OS2 o shore jacket: £300
OS2 o shore 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 In nity Pro membrane system achieves the same thing by heating and stretching the fabric. e Aegir jacket is the rst to bene t on the sailing side.
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 e ectively 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,” say Musto.
ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: Zhik’s Salopettes; the Atacama drysuit from Crewsaver; Gill’s Aquaparka
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 waterproo ng and breathability, and the synthetic yarn used in making the fabric 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 so Glideskin neoprene neck and cu 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 eece 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 quick-dry construction and high breathability, with a toe- and heelcap for protection and Helly’s proprietary Storm Grip outsole.
Salt Cruiser: £110
Making a foray into coastal sailing is Rooster, better known for their dinghy clothing expertise and close connection with that world. However, their Passage 3 layer range o ers an interesting alternative, o ering Constructed from 3-layer material with durable fully taped seaes for maximum water and spray protection. e Hi- t trousers are tailored to include durable reinforcement at seat and knee panels, cleverly positioned pockets, eece lined hand warmer pockets, and adjustment at the shoulders, waist and ankle. Meanwhile the unisex jacket features cleverly positioned pockets, re ective stow away hood, eece lined hand warmer pockets, re ective prints and adjustable cu s/hem.
Passage trousers: £199
Passage Jacket: £235