Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Sailing Today

There were boisterous conditions as the Junior Offshore Group went ahead with its Great Escape Race and attracted one of the biggest fleets seen on the Solent this year. A revised course enabled competitors to even escape the Solent, routeing around the Needles Fairway buoy and back to the finish with a few marks in between. There were more than 80 entries for the race, which was adapted with Covid-19 precautions to limit crew numbers. All three class winners raced with no more than four crew, made up of family+1 groups. Class 1 winner was Bellino, with Rob Craigie and Deb Fish (pictured right bottom), who were also second in the Double-Handed Class. A JOG spokesman said: “Not many risked a kite from the fairway buoy to North Head but…

The biggest single-masted yacht to be built in wood in Britain since 1930 is being commissioned in Gosport. The new Spirit 111 is the biggest British build of its kind since the J-Class Shamrock V. The superyacht, which carries ground-breaking environmentally friendly technology, has been in Endeavour Quay for final commissioning before sea trials. By coincidence, Shamrock V was built and commissioned at the same boatyard in Gosport, then called Camper & Nicholson’s. The Spirit 111 is capable of cruising without professional crew, designed by to be handled by the owner and friends.…

Videos of Britannia sailing do not give an idea of her speed, writes Rob Peake, but even in the flesh, the team’s impressive stability on the foils means it’s hard to gauge that the boat is doing 40 knots or more. What brings it home for me is the fact that I’m in a RIB, with twin 315hp Yanmar diesels roaring, chasing Ben and his cohorts in vain at around 35 knots. We’re in lumpy water and gusty conditions off Selsey Bill. Britannia is flying rock solid above the waves, but I feel for those on the INEOS support RIBs, who are spending months on end trying to keep up, carrying replacement crew and supplies. They also have a direct line to the design team, who are analysing everything live…

National teams can compete in a new eSailing World Cup-style event. The competition has been launched by World Sailing and Virtual Regatta – a knockout challenge to crown ‘the best eSailing nation in the world’. It is open to nations who have registered for an eSailing National Championship and will see national teams of 10 participate in mass fleet races and then an initial knockout round, before advancing to quarter and semi-finals. The top two teams will meet in a live streamed final the week starting 2 October. Enter at esailing@sailing.org…

‘Trust me, you don’t want to be chasing your underwear across an anchorage by dinghy’ When we first set out from the UK a lot of the messages from friends back home would ask what boat life was like. I would reply: “Imagine your house and your car, rolled into one and put into an environment that’s constantly trying to attack it. That’s what keeping a boat is like! Things break, salt water corrodes, and time and use wear things out.” With our children I adopt a slightly softer approach and talk about living in our boat home as being a bit like how it would be if we lived inside a clock or a computer. All the parts have to be free to move, all the spaces need to…

The Channel Islands provide fantastic scenery with a challenging 8m tidal range and 6 knot tidal streams. Within easy reach of our home waters, they provide a wonderful addition to our cruising grounds. It’s also a really interesting area for passage planning. As with any passage plan, my first priority is to make copies of relevant hour-by-hour tidal stream chartlets, marked up for every hour of every day. I like to look at the start and the end of a trip first, then fill in the details in between. I’ll also always include alternatives - never stick to a plan that has become a bad idea! The earliest I can realistically leave is about midday on Monday 6 July, returning to Shamrock Quay Marina, Southampton by 1400 the following Sunday.…

If the First 53 was a cruising boat with racing potential, the Oceanis Yacht 54 is a fast cruiser pure and simple. Nothing wrong with that either. I guess the biggest and most important thing was that there was a clear demarcation between the 53 and the 54. This, to my mind, has definitely been achieved. This is a very refined yacht that is genuinely very easy to manage. It could demolish an ocean passage with ease but I still feel its natural home is the Med, where its mixture of style, speed and ease of handling make for a very pleasing mix.…

There have been moments this spring where the idea of a leisurely cruise around the Med seemed as likely as Richard Branson taking you on a trip to the moon. Nice idea, but unlikely. Yet things have changed rapidly and - as the magazine went to press - it is once again possible to travel across Europe all the way to Greece in order to go sailing. Shift in focus The Covid-19 pandemic has changed many things. The charter industry has responded with a subtle shift in operational focus. As an example, Sunsail, aware that many were less inclined to fly, redistributed resources to areas that could be more readily accessed by car, train or ferry. By the same token, Dream Yacht Charter’s announcement of a new base in La…

Over the past century the River Hamble has metamorphosed from a sleepy backwater into one of the biggest yachting hubs in the world. Blessed with excellent shelter, an all-tide entrance and decent depths in its lower reaches, this unassuming river was a perfect spot to supply river and marina berths for the burgeoning leisure market that was growing in the 1960s and commenced to boom big time in the 70s and 80s. Sailors desperate to get a yacht and enjoy the pleasures of the Solent and beyond noted that the River Hamble was ideally placed, and trots of moorings laid in the river were rapidly followed by marina developments which attempted to satiate the seemingly neverending desire for berths. In due course, a lively racing scene flourished and Hamble’s place…

Adding some mechanical assistance up at the bow is a very common upgrade on older boats. And even for a new boat, it’s good to understand the dynamics of a powered windlass to ensure it suits your intended ground tackle and cruising plans. The first and often most baffling question is whether to opt for a windlass that works on a horizontal or a vertical axis – or as some in the business term refer to it, ‘ferris wheel’ or ‘carousel’. Luckily this is mainly a question of the available space on and under the foredeck. With a standard vertical windlass, the motor and gearbox assembly is mounted out of sight and out of the way under the deck. The motor can usually be offset to one side or the…

Asaklitt 7×50 If ‘waterproof and buoyant’ are features on your binocular-buying wish list, these rubber-armoured and affordable bins from Asaklitt are worth considering. They are autofocus, weigh just 868g and come with a soft carry case. • £59.99 • clasohlson.com Steiner Navigator Pro 7×30 These snazzy-looking binos are also equipped with a built-in backlit compass to allow bearing to be taken at sea. They also feature the Steiner Sports-Auto-Focus System for a quick change between distant and close ranges. • £319 • steiner-optics.com Fujinon Mariner 7×50 WPC-XL Fujinon Mariner XL 7×50 binoculars and compass are waterproof and come with a floatation neck strap. The Suunto-compass and reticle display are visible through the left eyepiece, and an energy-saving LED nightlight is built in. • £290 • force4.co.uk Bynolyt Searanger II 7×50…

British sailor Sam Davies showed her experience as she gave the latest cutting-edge IMOCA 60s a run for their money in a 10-day warm-up for the Vendée Globe. An exhausted Davies admitted she felt like “toast” as she finished fourth in her 10-year-old IMOCA, Initiatives-Coeur, after 3,600 miles of intense racing from France to Iceland and back. She crossed the line less than two hours behind leader Jérémie Beyou on Charal, and she was beaten only by three of the latest generation of foiling IMOCAs, which boast a significant speed advantage. It bodes well for Davies in the coming Vendée Globe round the world race, which starts on 8 November off Les Sables d’Olonne, France. She has stated that her aim is to be the first of the older generation…

Fishing pots in Scottish waters must be clearly marked, following a successful campaign led by the Cruising Association. But the association warned of the risk of fatalities if similar legislation wasn’t passed in England. The association’s Ian Wilson said: “Progress towards a real solution is so slow in England, that someone is going to die. A family will watch a loved one drown, trying to free an entanglement, before anything is done. And even then, will legislators care that someone has been killed?” The association is pressing for the rest of the UK to follow Scotland’s example, which it applauds for its simplicity. “Scotland’s solution is staggeringly simple, and quite clever,” says Wilson. “It’s marking using a buoy made for that purpose.” The Scottish government ruled on 20 June that…

Sunsail auction An online auction organised by Sunsail to raise funds jointly for Turn to Starboard and the NHS had raised almost £20,000. The auction, run in June, featured a vast range of lots including sail branding and a day sailing with a series of top names including Dee Caffari, Shirley Robertson, Helena Lucas, Hannah Diamond, Conrad Humphries, Mike Golding and Henry Bomby. There were also hotel stays in Southampton, kit, charter trips, and a subscription to Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting. Burnham Week Burnham Week 2020 will not take place due to Covid-19 restrictions, but organisers have announced the 2021 dates will be 28 August to 4 September. Bigger marina for Stornoway Stornoway will soon have 75 new berths available. Designed and built by Inland and Coastal Marina…

The CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand has criticised “a highly orchestrated attack on our integrity”, amid allegations of leaks regarding the handling of public money and other issues. Grant Dalton spoke out after a series of allegations and rebuttals, which began on 29 June when Emirates Team New Zealand issued a statement on its website announcing that a number of its employees had been sacked. The statement read: “Six months ago Emirates Team New Zealand and ACE (America’s Cup Event Ltd) became suspicious that we had informants in the event organisation (ACE), and these suspicions were confirmed when we had confidential and sensitive information coming back to us from Europe.” Later in July, Dalton said: “We want to reassure all of our supporters, our sponsors, and partners that there…

UK charter holiday companies and watersports outlets were reporting a welcome increase in business after lockdown. British Marine launched a #SummerOnTheWater campaign to inspire people to try a holiday on the water. British Marine CEO Lesley Robinson said: “Summer on the Water shows British people the rich variety of experiences that can be enjoyed right here on our own doorstep with on-water experiences to suit everybody and all budgets. Being afloat or just near the water offers many physical and mental health benefits and could be the perfect tonic for many after weeks confined to their homes and gardens.” Simon Boulding, Sunsail Events director, says: “We have been eagerly awaiting the return of our sailors and we have made sure that we are able to adhere to all social distancing…

After a lifetime of owning traditional boats featuring what one previous owner, keen to make the sale, shrewdly described as ‘every comfort but no luxury’, I finally have a yacht with her own shower. Now, instead of clumping down the dock in the early morning rain with the rest of the faithful, I breeze into the heads wrapped in my James Bond dressing gown. I dance around for while under the tinkling stream, towel off like a proper yachtsman, then relax with shining morning face over my bowl of health-promoting porridge. While enjoying the obvious benefits of this, I do miss the unexpected encounters that come with the ablutions ashore. It always seemed to be winter when my wife and I lived aboard on the Hamble, and the loos in…

“One massive detail that many overlook is mutual respect between helm and crew” Hamish Willcox was my absolute hero when I first got into the sport in the early 1980s. Sailing with David Barnes, this dynamic duo won three 470 world championship titles in 1981, 1983 and 1984. In 1982 the young Kiwis finished third in a very windy Worlds in Cascais, Portugal, missing out on that occasion due to equipment failure. At the pre-Olympic regatta leading up to the Los Angeles Games in 1984, Barnes and Willcox were so much faster downwind on the big old triangle-sausage Olympic courses that they won some races by a whole leg, the best part of a nautical mile’s advantage. As a squad isolated from the rest of the world, the Kiwis were…

Make no mistake, Beneteau are no mugs. There is a reason that they have been the biggest manufacturer of yachts over the past three decades and more, and that’s because they are shrewd enough to look at the bottom line and understand exactly what is required to turn a profit in the notoriously choppy waters of the boatbuilding trade. This is perhaps why I raised an eyebrow when they launched the somewhat flamboyant Beneteau First 53 last year; a boat that was all style, flair and panache. In all honesty it was a boat that seemed designed more as a glorious ‘screw you’ to Solaris Yachts and other manufacturers in that niche than a serious money maker. Yet, I might have known that Beneteau had a further trick up its…

In the end it was a one-line email that changed everything. “It said something like: ‘We’re interested in sponsoring if there are still opportunities available’,” recalls Pip Hare. It came from Medallia, a Silicon Valley software giant headed by a down-to-earth Scotsman who loves sailing. For Poole-based sailor Hare, it was the biggest and most elusive part of the puzzle she had been piecing together for the past decade. A title sponsor meant the realisation of a long-held dream, to pit herself against the best offshore sailors in the toughest race on earth, the Vendée Globe. Specifically, it would give Hare the necessary funds to get to the start line off Les Sables d’Olonne on 8 November – and from there sail the small matter of 28,000 miles around the…

Sail Ionian, based in the Ionian, has worked hard to ensure that their yachts and base are as clean as possible - here is how they are doing it: “We are making the best of a bad situation,” explains staff member Izzy Drake. “Our base is equipped with hand santizers all over the place. Gates on every single boat mean that no-one can just walk straight on, they have to unclip the gate first. We have screens in the office between staff and clients, of which only one person is allowed in at a time. “The general consensus from the taverna/ bar/café owners is that they can’t wait for tourists to arrive – responsible tourists though… Those who will respect social distancing rules, and respect the rules put into place…

Lego ship This Ocean Exploration Ship is the latest in the Lego City series and includes 745 pieces, enough to keep anyone quiet for at least an afternoon. Lego says: “This super-long ship not only floats on water, it has everything kids need for endless ocean exploration. There’s a shark cage, working crane, research submarine, helicopter and even a pirate shipwreck with hidden treasure! And with eight explorer minifigures, including Lego City TV character Harl Hubbs, the scene is set for action-packed escapades.” ● £124.99 ● lego.com Hot power washer This ‘professional’ high-pressure hot washer is billed as being ‘perfect for really effective cleaning of boats’. Say no more. The Clarke KING 200 uses a hot jet of up to 90°C, powered by a diesel powered water heating system delivering…

Blue water liveaboards have been reporting back from all over the world as they are pushed from country to country amid Covid-19 restrictions. Australian Peter Lukursky and his Portuguese wife Margarida sailed from island to island in their cruising yacht as they searched for somewhere to sit out the pandemic among the Caribbean islands. Peter said: “We were exiled at sea for 70 days without a country to go to. We got kicked out of Cuba on 10 March without any warning or being allowed to provision.” In Haiti they were asked to leave within 30 minutes of arriving. They survived two weeks on the isolated Morant Cays, SSE of Jamaica, catching fish and conch as they were low on supplies. Peter said: “More and more fisherman were coming to…

INEOS TEAM UK have been putting in some long days on the water, including one day of more than 200 miles, as they get in their final testing on the Solent before packing up and heading to Auckland. The British America’s Cup team, led by Sir Ben Ainslie and four-times Cup winner Grant Simmer, plan to be sailing until early August from their Portsmouth base. Britannia, their first boat, will then be shipped to New Zealand, due for arrival mid-September. Meanwhile Britannia II, which they intend to race in the Prada and then America’s Cup next March, is close to being finished at Jason Carrington’s yard in Hythe, despite difficulties caused by lockdown. It will be flown to Auckland by a cargo plane. It should arrive around the same time…

‘Electricity, copper conductors and saltwater exist in a forced marriage’ Because I like the freedom that going to sea brings, I’m against banning things on boats. Sailing is about release, not restriction. Having said that, I did once ban someone who arrived for a sailing trip with a substantial hard suitcase, but he took it well and lived quite happily out of plastic bags for the entire trip. Oh, and wet bikes; I’d ban them but that’s another story. However, there is one item above all others which I fear must come under the most draconian of restrictions, and soon - insulating tape. Innocent enough, it comes in fancy colours these days to make it look toy-like and conceal its wicked ways. It’s quite sticky, admittedly, but that is all…

It seems like both of Britain’s Sams are doing a great job of flying the flag in France. Sam Davies executed a really solid Vendée-Arctique-Les Sables d’Olonne race. In what will now be the only real warm up for the imminent Vendée Globe, she drew on her substantial solo experience and good all-round speed to take fourth, the best placed of the older generation boats. Then a few days later, Sam Goodchild won the 428 nautical mile Drheam Cup in his first season back Figaro racing, laying down a marker for September’s La Solitaire du Figaro. Sam Davies was always in the match, poised to pounce if any of the top three new generation foilers made a mistake. In truth, the course northwards to a mark off the southwest of…

EUPHORIA 54 Turkish boatbuilder Sirena Marine’s venture into high end yachting commences with the Euphoria 54. Designed by German Frers, this lovely yacht is slightly more traditional in styling, with less extreme beam aft and no cockpit arch. euphoriayachts.com.tr X-YACHTS XC 50 A bit smaller than the 54 but certainly working on roughly the same concept albeit in a higher price bracket. The Xc 50 marries pleasing styling with high levels of comfort, ease of handling and belting performance. x-yachts.com GRAND SOLEIL 52 LC Here is a yacht that probably has the closest DNA to the Oceanis Yacht. In collaboration with Nauta Design and intended for bluewater cruising, the sporty 52 has been adapted into LC - or Long Cruise - format. It’s a slick Italian design with perhaps a…

Regular readers may recall from the April edition of Sailing Today that Captain Barry and I had spent a couple of weeks exploring Greece’s Ionian Islands on Bella Rose, our Oyster 545. After that we decided to challenge ourselves by sailing up the Adriatic to Albania before concluding our latest voyage in Montenegro. Albania conjured up thoughts of isolation and mystery and appeared a bold place to visit, let alone sail. We relished the challenge, and so one August dawn we found ourselves setting sail from Erikoussa Island, northwest of Corfu, to commence our adventure. Arrival in Albania A sloppy sea and erratic winds over 50 miles transported us to Vlorë Harbour, the only harbour in Albania that permits foreign boats to check-in. We arranged a clearing agent who assisted…

It’s well over a decade since new racing yacht designs moved away from the superficially neat systems of deck organisers and clutches for lines led aft that used to characterise both racers and cruisers alike. In part this change in thinking was possible thanks to developments in materials technology – particularly the use of carbon and other composites in blocks and the advent of low friction rings. As a result, many individual lines are now led on a direct route to exactly the position at which they need to be trimmed. Granted, some are still led aft in the same manner – this is invariably the best option for halyards, for example. Even then attention must be paid to minimising friction, along with the angle through which lines are deflected…

RUSTLER 36 | PRIVATEER The Holman & Pye designed Rustler 36 can rightly be considered a modern classic and with her sea-kindly lines and long keel, she’s a great bluewater cruiser. Privateer is a fine example; commissioned 2006, in very good order, with Oxford blue hull, teak decks; wheel steering, bow thruster, cabin heating and a comprehensive set of electronics. In addition she carries hydrovane steering, a cruising chute and a four-man life raft. She is proven as an ocean crossing yacht, and is kitted out for long distances, with solar panels, EPIRB and Iridium sat phone. ● Red-ensign.com Year Built: 2005 Designer: Holman & Pye LOA: 10.77m (35’4”) LWL: 8.08m (26’11”) Beam: 3.35m (11’) Displacement: 7500kgs Draft: 1.67m (5’6”) Engine/Fuel Type: Beta diesel 35hp Lying: Falmouth craftinsure…

The very nature of the sport of sailing means that crews have to place ultimate faith in their helm, and knowing they have a steady hand on the wheel at all times is not only reassuring but, generally, fast - always a bonus when racing. That this skipper has taken time out to practise his trampolining skills mid-race is therefore unlikely to sit well with his crew. Luckily for him they appear blithely unaware - for the moment... Perhaps had he popped the autohelm on and gone down below to make the team a nice hot cuppa and a bacon butty first, he’d stand a better chance of getting away with it. “Some helms just like to be everywhere but where they are meant to be” DIFFICULTY RATING: 3/5…