Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2015 i SAIL

The sixth running of the Les Voiles de St. Barth regatta in April saw hard-charging action across all classes, but in the Maxi 1 class, with the biggest and fastest boats, it was George David’s Rambler 88, seen here pounding through the waves, that won the four-race series with three first-place finishes on corrected time, squeezing out a victory over the 100ft Comanche. “I’m very happy,” said David. “I think we sailed very well to rating, and we are just a click off [his main rival] Comanche. Of course, they have the big-boat edge and get in front, and that tends to help a little bit, but I am impressed by how fast we are. In fact, I’m very impressed. This boat is wicked quick, and I think we’ll do…

As with many older boats, our project Norlin 34 has no cleats amidships for spring lines. I’ve often felt the lack of them when coming alongside a dock or leaving the boat in a slip—making spring lines fast to winches or genoa sheet cars isn’t ideal, and securing them to stanchion posts is a huge no-no. One day I was dreaming up applications for a Dyneema soft shackle I had lying around when inspiration struck. As you can see from the photos, the soft shackle makes an ideal soft cleat. I loop it through a slot in the toerail just aft of amidships, secure my spring lines to it with bowlines, then adjust them at the dock cleats. Dyneema is extremely strong and highly chafe resistant, so I’ve never been…

The Outremer 51 illustrates perfectly the “light is fast, fast is fun” philosophy endemic to performance-cat builders. A development of the popular Outremer 49 designed by Christophe Barreau back in 2009, the 51 springs from the same basic molds, but benefits from some attractive styling tweaks and a functional second-generation interior by Franck Darnet. Built a stone’s throw from the waterfront in the small south-of-France town of La Grand Motte, Outremer cats combine performance with cost-effective but sophisticated construction, more Porsche than Ferrari. Hull and deck moldings are a PVC foam/E-glass/resin sandwich, with solid laminate below the waterline and under deck fittings. Exotic materials are restricted to the rig; the boat we sailed had the standard aluminum spar, but a sporty carbonfiber rotating wing-mast is a popular option. Similarly, a…

Got your own tips? Send them to us at sailmail@sailmagazine.com When the boat’s cabin gets uncomfortably warm beneath the tropical sun, rigging a large deck awning is like parking in the shade all day—the temperature belowdecks can drop 10 degrees or more. Add a little breeze through the hatches or a couple of 12 volt fans, and it gets downright comfortable, even in mid-summer near the equator. Discuss awning designs with your canvas shop to determine which makes sense for your boat. Typically, a full deck awning will set a foot or two above the main boom, stretching aft from the mast and overlapping the spray dodger or bimini top. Be sure the fabric, grommets and fittings are sturdy enough to withstand gale-force wind gusts that occasionally arrive suddenly with…

NEW JIB TRA CKS Q: I have been rehabbing a Pearson 35 for the past eight years. I am just about done and plan on sailing it in southwest Florida. The rig has a normal mainsail and a 145 percent genoa. The boat now has a new toerail, which came out great. However, originally the T-track for the genoa and jib cars was mounted on the toerail, and I’d like to put it elsewhere. On a number of newer sailboats the track is inboard close to the cabintrunk, and it would be easier for me and more desirable to install it inboard on my boat as well. There is plenty of room on deck. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each location? Also, the original tracks were 72in in…

SAIL Spotlight Loved your story “Rally Time,” about the ICW Snowbird Rally, in the March issue. We had our own private version of such a trip back in 2011 when my husband and I headed out from Greenport, New York, on our 36ft Hans Christian, Gypsy Rose, on Halloween morning. We acquired the boat in 2004 and were headed down the ICW for the first time, having sold our previous vessel, a Herreshoff NY 40. Her 9ft draft had made that sort of trip impossible. Having just retired from work less than two weeks prior to our departure, we were still getting acquainted with the whole process, despite having taken two years to prepare for the trip. Although we had the time of our lives at 73 and 72 years…

If you think sailing rallies are for people of a certain “type,” think again. After mingling with a dozen of this year’s World ARC participants, I found that sailing around the world in 15 months takes all kinds—and that’s a good thing. While one posh new catamaran may carry a young family with a huge crew, the traditional monohull next door may have a low-key retired admiral sailing with his daughter. But it’s their similarities more than their differences that brought everyone to the start, and it will be their determination, focus, cooperation and— mostly—their sense of humor, that will make circumnavigators of them all. Andrew Bishop is the managing director of the World Cruising Club (WCC), which organizes the World ARC as well as 10 other events that include…

Seismic changes have been afoot at US Sailing since the conclusion of the 2012 London Olympics, where the American team suffered its first medal-ceremony shutout since Berlin in 1936. The team has made significant changes, including hiring 53-year-old Charlie McKee, a double Bronze medalist, as its High Performance Director. Recently, the team also announced receipt of a new $5 million donation (over 10 years) from the AmericaOne foundation. US Sailing is using this to fund its new Olympic Development Program (ODP) with four major elements that work collectively with other successful youth-development programs to create a powerful new talent pipeline. The first is an outreach initiative that will see Olympic-level coaches attending junior-level regattas as talent scouts and Olympic envoys. This, in turn, will send a stream of invited youths…

When Hanse Yachts founder Michael Schmidt sold his company a few years ago, it seemed the European boatbuilding community had lost one of its canniest operators. Not only did Schmidt build the company from a startup in a disused East German furniture factory to a multi-brand powerhouse at a time when many other builders were struggling, he is a true character and an innovator; witness how widely copied the trademark Hanse big mainsail/self-tacking jib combo has become. With a boatbuilding background going back to the 1970s it was unlikely that Schmidt would stay away from the scene for too long, and sure enough, he is back with something completely different—a new line of sleek carbon-fiber bluewater cruisers designed by Italians, styled by a Brit and built in Germany. In typical…

SPEAK CLEARLY Raymarine’s new Ray 70 is a powerful 25W multifunction VHF radio that packs a lot into a relatively small package. In addition to its detachable noise-cancelling mic with premium audio, hi/lo power selection, NOAA weather alerts and channel-scanning features, the Ray 70 also supports Class D Digital Selective Calling and incorporates an internal AIS receiver that sends and receives critical vessel traffic information. The unit comes with a mounting bracket and can also be flush-mounted using the included front-mount attachment points. The Ray 70 comes standard with a gunmetal silver bezel; a black bezel kit is optional. $649.99. Raymarine, raymarine.com SEE IN THE DARK FLIR’s Ocean Scout is the latest addition to the company’s line of handheld thermal-imaging cameras. Available with either a 320- or 240-high resolution LCD…

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Great Lakes is that they are “protected” waters and can be simply treated as big ponds. They are, in fact, small oceans. Just like coastal cruising in most areas, weather is a concern. But on the Great Lakes weather planning takes on a special importance. Systems move with great speed over the lakes and can bring vicious changes in a matter of minutes. Many a big ship has foundered here—not to mention many a small boat. Weather on the lakes comes up hard, fast and mean, and seas can build to steep waves with short intervals. Most of the Great Lakes coastline has harbors of refuge every 30 or so miles. Some are a bit rough with few facilities, but all offer a…

For all the supposed terrors of sailing off soundings, any veteran sailor will tell you it’s just as easy to get in big trouble close to shore. The simple fact of being afloat puts you and your crew in a potentially lethal situation, whether you’re in 10ft of water or above the Puerto Rico Trench. And never forget that while outside help may be closer at hand inshore, there’s also a lot more stuff to run into than when land is below the horizon. Here are some tips, techniques and equipment all coastal sailors should keep in mind. STAYING ON BOARD Is the forecast calling for high winds and rough seas? Are you contemplating any overnight passages or sailing shorthanded? Then harnesses, tethers and jacklines—or at least a number of…

Foiling is now such a part of the sailing culture it’s hard to believe it has been less than three years since Team New Zealand coaxed its mighty AC72 catamaran into the air. It was only a matter of time before foiling technology was adapted to cruising multihull design, and sure enough the first cruising catamaran to lift off the water on foils was launched in late March. The bright orange Gunboat G4 hit 30-plus knots early in its sea trials off St. Maarten, and then capsized during the Les Voiles de St. Barths while its crew were looking for its limits. The undamaged 40ft, 6,000lb carbon-fiber weapon was quickly righted and readied for its next outing at Antigua Sailing Week. That’s dedication!…

Ideclared my love for the Torqeedo 1003 electric outboard in 2011, and the feeling has only deepened after two seasons of extensive testing. Despite a glitch or two, the motor has run like a top. Recently, the system also gained a very cool new accessory that has only made it all the better. The TorqTrac Bluetooth module and apps were announced some time ago, but apparently the $149 kit is only becoming available now. The version 1.0 app does not look like what was originally announced, or even what’s shown at Torqeedo USA’s website right now (torqeedo.com). But my first underway tests suggest that TorqTrac is going to add some nice spice and utility to my Torqeedo 1003 relationship. First, I did a dry run in Gizmo’s saloon. It’s always…

Some scoff at the idea of a racer-cruiser or a performance-cruiser, saying the term is hopelessly nebulous. However, when you get on a boat like the Dehler 46, which points well, sails fast and also has plenty of well-apportioned accommodation space, well, what else can you call it? DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION Dehler is part of the Hanse Group and shares Hanse’s design firm of Judel/Vrolijk, which is known for drawing slippery hulls. Immediately noticeable is the absence of any hard chine. Instead, the Dehler 46 has flare aft, but lacks the angular and boxy look of many of today’s production boats. Below the waterline, the Dehler 46 offers four keel configurations, including shoal (6ft 1in), moderate (7ft 4in) and deep (8ft 2in)— the latter two being T-shaped. For the West…

Few things strike an uneasy feeling into a sailor’s heart like the sight of darkening storm clouds looming on the horizon, the rumble of thunder and the flash of lightning. Whether you’re watching a storm roll in from the cockpit, revving the engine to head for cover or waiting for the inevitable on the open ocean, the danger of your vessel being struck by lightning is real, and every sailor should take steps to protect their boat against serious damage should a strike take place. The rarity of lightning strikes seems to make the idea of “it’s not going to happen to me” fairly pervasive in certain parts of the boating world. When I asked Ewen Thompson, president of Marine Lightning Protection Inc., a company at the forefront of developing…

It’s one of the most important features on a sailboat, but many owners put standing rigging at the back of their minds when it comes time to do their pre-season safety checks. A prudent sailor should inspect his or her standing rig at least once each season and should know when the time comes to replace most or all of it. I don’t want be a scaremonger, but standing rigging has so many possible failure points that regular inspections should really be part of every pre-cruise integrity check. Yes, it’s unlikely you’ll suffer a massive failure during normal coastal cruising, but it is good practice to spend a little time looking carefully at each element of your rig at least once a month, or before a cruise lasting more than…

I make no excuses for continually stressing the importance of having reliable seacocks, hoses and underwater fittings on your boat. The hose in this photo is badly cracked, and any surveyor worth his salt should spot this and urgently recommend it be changed. Almost every time I point something like this out to an owner, he is not even aware there is a problem. I always take pictures of such hoses and connections and include them in my report to the insurance company. Hose failures account for many sinkings, which is why insurance companies are very hot on damaged hoses and will almost always insist they be replaced. What is less obvious here is that the rusty hose clamps are made of cheap metal and should also replaced—you can spot…

Belhaven is a sleepy little river town in North Carolina, first settled in the mid-1800s, and is situated where Pantego Creek empties into the Pungo River. Anchoring off the Belhaven waterfront on Pantego Creek when the conditions are right is unforgettable. Sunrises and sunsets define the town’s name, which means “beautiful harbor.” But when the conditions aren’t right, anchoring can be downright uncomfortable. While anchored on Pantego Creek last June, after two nights of bridlebucking sleeplessness and with more bad weather coming in, my wife, Marlene, and I decided to find smoother waters. We were preparing to raise anchor on our Prout 39 catamaran, Different Drummer, and leave, when I found the critters. Uninvited, unwelcome critters. We were anchored about a hundred yards from shore and had just returned from…