Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2025 i Sailing Today

I don’t know about you, but when the chart tells me I ought to consider rigging a tripping line to protect my anchor I always think at least twice. Unless the evidence for taking this step is overwhelming, with direct promises from the cartographer of ‘foul ground’ or some such horror, the line-up of downsides can be hard to ignore. Even as I rootle around in the rope locker in search of a suitable length of the right stuff to attach to my old fender, I’m already finding excuses not to bother. Some of these are straightforward, others are downright unlikely, and a few have been consigned to the gloomy darkness of oblivion. One of the liveliest examples of these dates from the sunny morning I watched a yacht dragging…

Occasionally, as I’m drifting along some coast in a leisurely manner aboard my yacht, thoughts turn to just what an esoteric pursuit yacht cruising is; sailing for the sake of sailing. Think about it long enough and you start to realise what a leap of imagination it took for the first pioneers to take the step from sailing for commercial gain to simply going sailing. So I decided to look a little closer at the pioneers of yacht cruising and see what drove these early trailblazers. Delving back through the archives, I settled on three Victorian men who were pivotal in creating the pursuit we know today: John ‘Rob Roy’ MacGregor, Richard McMullen and Empson Middleton were central to its development. Naturally, they all shared a love of the sea…

Corsica is known for its dramatic mountainous terrain and rugged coastline, offering a blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage. Its proximity to Sardinia (just 9nm apart) makes it an ideal starting point for a cruising adventure in the western Mediterranean. Corsica is a blend of French and Italian influences, with charming coastal villages, crystal-clear waters, and stunning beaches. The island’s interior is a haven for hikers and nature lovers, with deep gorges, lush forests, and towering peaks like Monte Cinto. Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, is famous for its beautiful beaches, ancient ruins, and wild, rugged landscapes. The island has a rich history dating back to the Phoenicians, Romans, and even earlier, with numerous archaeological sites scattered throughout. Sardinia is also renowned for its excellent sailing conditions,…

“It suddenly strikes me that, thanks to cruising, I too am able to be unhurried now” Ever since I was small and scrambling about the beaches of Cornwall, I’ve loved rock pools. Those micro worlds would keep me endlessly fascinated and, to my great delight, my three sailing kids have continued this interest. The wind is not playing ball, changing our plans and forcing us to stay put at anchor for a while longer. No one is complaining and we potter ashore to investigate the beach where the kids have spotted rockpools. So today is about the little adventure, the miniature journey, and looking ever closer into the tiny realm of these intertidal homes. Why? Because the small hand of my six year old has pulled me over to explore…

Ainslie out as Big Sir Jim Rings changes at INEOS Britannia The longest losing streak in sporting history may well remain intact for many years to come after INEOS Britannia’s challenge for the 38th America’s Cup was rocked by the news that Ben Ainslie will not be part of their campaign going forward. INEOS Britannia seemed to be on something of a roll following the 37th edition of the America’s Cup which took place in October 2024. The team having made history by becoming the first British team to challenge for the Cup since the 1960s. Ultimately, the team fell to the defenders, Emirates Team New Zealand, at the final hurdle. Despite this, things looked promising as the team announced a fresh challenge. That promise seems to have faded somewhat…

Shut up and do the runners!” Back when the Admiral’s Cup was a regular thing, owners of race yachts were lucky if they were given an important job like controlling the running backstays. Even though they were paying the bills, it was rare for them to be allowed anywhere near their own wheel. And who ever gets praised for executing a race-winning move by doing such a great job on the runners? The only time anyone notices what you’re doing is if you mess up and the rig ends up tumbling down. No wonder the Farr 40 made such a splash when it first arrived on the keelboat racing scene. An owner-driver rule meant that owners would get to do the most fun job on the boat, and swept-back spreaders…

The 2024 Vendée Globe proved to be a record breaking edition that defied expectations and dramatically shifted the boundaries of what we know to be possible in offshore sailing. Even before the starting gun, the race made history through being oversubscribed for the first time, including an unprecedented 11 new boats. It also delivered incredible stories of endurance, innovation and tenacity. Charlie Dalin’s winning time on MACIF Santé Prévoyance shattered the previous record by almost 10 days, maintaining the race’s astonishing track record of reducing the race time by approximately 10 days every eight years. If this trend continues unabated, the winners of the 2040 edition will be home in time for Christmas! Second placed Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa), a Vendée Globe rookie, followed 23 hours behind Dalin, with both…

ON TEST Lasdrop Elite Shaft Seal, more than one seal solution Shaft Seals are a bit like Donald Trump; nobody really wants to think about them, they operate in a murky netherworld full of slime but they are capable of causing absolute havoc if they start behaving erratically. They therefore need to be taken very seriously and the Lasdrop Elite is a high-quality lip seal designed for quick and easy installation and minimal ongoing maintenance. Anyone who has spent any time greasing their stern shaft will know that this is not a terribly elegant way of stopping water getting up the propeller shaft. Lasdrop instead uses a Nitrile lip seal that is in constant low friction contact with the propeller shaft, preventing water from entering your vessel. It’s a simple,…

MORRIS M36 | CHAMELEON The Morris 36 is a stunning example of craftsmanship and performance, featuring a composite hull with a professionally painted Awlgrip finish (2024), full teak decking, and a spacious cockpit designed for comfort and functionality. Powered by a reliable Yanmar engine with a Flex-O-Fold propeller, Chameleon boasts cutting-edge rigging, Norlam sails (2020), and advanced Raymarine navigation systems (2023). With luxurious teak accents, ample storage, and safety features meeting CE Category B standards, this yacht is the perfect blend of elegance and practicality. Sold new in 2005 into the EU and has been in UK waters since 2015 – this yacht is UK VAT paid. Year: 2002 LOA: 11m (36') Beam: 3.07m (10') Draft: 1.6m (5'3") Displacement: 4,037kg Hull Construction: Glassfibre composite Keel: Fin Engine: Yanmar 21hp –…

In northern Scoresbysund, behind a mountain barrier, lies the imposing and mesmerizing Mirror Wall. To date it was unclimbed and our expedition intended to change that. After an unsuccessful attempt the previous year, we returned with a team of elite climbers ready for the tough journey ahead and set out to conquer the 1,300m face. Sea ice, icebergs, and harsh conditions lay in wait. Not to mention the first major hurdle: rebuilding my boat Cornelia, and her engine, which had packed up after last year’s expedition. When I returned to Husavik, I found Cornelia in worse shape than I had left her. The company that was hauling her had left her in the water through the first winter storm. She was in terrible condition, and it was a surprise to…

There are two islands named Rona; one is in the Inner Hebrides near Skye; the other I first stumbled upon when blown off course on the way back to Scotland from the Faroe Islands. It exists in a world of its own, being nowhere near anywhere. It’s as if the god of small islands had a spare piece of granite and awarded it to a handful of birds, who have now multiplied extensively and made the island their own. When I got back to dry land I looked up Rona and this was when I found out about its sister, South Rona, and conceived the idea of sailing nonstop between these two Ronas, circumnavigating both. So far as I know, such a voyage has never been attempted, perhaps because North…

Life is all about change and relentless churn. Sometimes it can seem a bit exhausting but, as Mikhael Gorbachev once noted, if you’re not moving forwards, you’re going backwards. And lord knows Mikhael drew from a rich well of personal experience. This has almost nothing to do with the new Beneteau Oceanis 37.1 save for the fact that boatbuilders are constantly revamping their ranges of yachts to ensure they don’t get left behind. The revamp of the Oceanis range started back in 2017 with the launch of the somewhat revolutionary Oceanis 51.1 which blazed the trail most manufacturers follow today. The company introduced fuller sections forward above the waterline in order to give a boat more power and buoyancy forward on the wind in heavy airs while also maximising internal…

As the cold slowly recedes and the evenings start to get lighter, my thoughts turn to the start of the 2025 summer sailing season. I am excited to start my 15th summer here at Sail Ionian, and while I may feel like a musty old piece of office furniture, the spring is always a breath of fresh air. Once we get into March, our new team starts to come together, with skippers arriving to help with fit out: getting the yachts ready after their winter in the boat yard. It’s a busy time at a charter company with everyone working long hours. Polishing The first major task for our greenhorn skippers is usually polishing. It’s a huge job, with around 40 charter yachts all needing their decks and top sides…

With all the chatter around toughening laws on biocides, the marine paint industry is grinding towards less toxic alternatives. Less toxic to humans and the environment, but also to the fouling that we want to keep off our boats in the first place. It is widely expected that biocides will end up so watered down that the only real solution is to turn to other techniques for keeping hulls clean. And the so-called fouling release coating is emerging here as the most popular candidate. It doesn’t erode in the same way as traditional ‘blue’ antifouling and doesn’t need to be reapplied so often either. What’s more, it can sometimes be applied in paint form, which feels familiar enough to most boat owners. Fouling release coatings work by making the hull…