Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2017 i Yachting World

Olympic champions Santiago Lange of Argentina and Britain’s Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark have been crowned 2016 Rolex World Sailors of the Year. Lange’s victory at Rio in the Nacra 17 class was one of the most remarkable of the entire Olympics. Having competed at five previous Games, the 54-year-old, at first only stepped back into the Olympic arena to coach his sons, Yago and Klaus, in a 49er. But after sailing the new mixed Nacra 17 multihull class with Cecilia Carranza Saroli, he was drawn back into campaigning for a third medal, to follow his two Bronzes in the Tornado class. The pair’s late-formed campaign was put under more pressure when Lange was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, eventually having half his left lung removed. Not one to dwell…

A German sailor who was held hostage by Somali pirates nine years ago is reported to have been murdered in a separate incident by Islamic militants in the Philippines. A body, believed to that of Sabine Merz, was found on board the abandoned yacht Rockall in the Sulu archipelago on 7 November. Jurgen Kantner, 70, and Sabine Merz were first captured in the Gulf of Aden in 2009, and held in Somalia for 52 days. After an ordeal that included being subjected to mock executions, the couple were released. A substantial ransom payment is believed to have been made to their Somali captors. Against the German government’s strongly worded advice, Kantner later returned to the Somali port of Berbera to recover his 53ft steel-hulled design, on which he had lived…

Two round the world rallies begin this January, illustrating a growing appetite for organised long-distance cruising. The annual World ARC starts from Saint Lucia with a fleet of 30 yachts, and four more joining in Panama, while the Oyster World Rally leaves from Antigua a week later and progresses at a slower pace to take a fleet of 31 yachts from 45-88ft round the world in 27 months. The Oyster rally has become a major goal for owners and prospective owners and a valuable focus for the company. Some 18 brokerage yachts and nine new yachts have been sold on the basis of the event, according to Oyster Yachts.…

We sailed nearly 10,000 miles in six months in 2014 to get our varnished S&S 40, Sunstone, to her winter home near Victoria, British Columbia (BC). As we flew home for the southern summer, we decided that having made this trip now three times over, such antics were not to be repeated. Our decline into aged decrepitude deserves more gentle treatment, so from April through July 2015 that’s what we got, cruising gently around Vancouver Island, before crossing the Pacific one last time to head home to New Zealand. In April we found Sunstone still floating happily, although somewhat damp and green, at Robin and Jill Spear’s dock in Thetis Cove, Esquimalt Harbour. Some furious cleaning, saw us ready to go – at least as far as Friday Harbour in…

There is only one adjective that adequately describes our transatlantic crossing with the ARC last year and the season of Caribbean cruising that followed it: fantastic! The rally was my 26th crossing. I’ve raced across, cruised and done commercial deliveries before, but this was the first I had ever done aboard my own boat. I sailed with Helen, my wife (it was her fourth crossing) and two friends who, although very experienced sailors, were doing this for the first time. In December last year I wrote about our preparations in Yachting World. Now, a year later, it feels time to share our experiences and explain what went well and what didn’t. On a cruising-to-racing scale of one to ten, I would put our efforts on the ARC at about four…

Baltic 67 Baltic Yachts has been responsible for producing the most contemporary performance superyachts on the planet in the past few years. The Finnish company is the reigning king of large custom carbon fibre sailing boats. Yet it has now announced plans to series build a 67ft cruising yacht, with lines by Judel/Vrolijk and styling and interior by Design Unlimited – two firms with which Baltic has worked very closely over recent years on some of its superyacht projects. However, the new 67 should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Baltic’s heritage. The 40-year-old company’s roots lie with its mid-size cruiser-racers from 40ft to 56ft. But at a time when it has been rolling out a string of 98ft to 115ft yachts, and has larger models in build,…

Winter clothing round-up Finisterre True North Finisterre is a Cornish-based sea-focused clothing company committed to a more responsible way of manufacturing, having replaced synthetic fabrics in many of its products with Merino wool sourced from a specialist British sheep farmer. Its Merino wool Bowmont jumper is part of a new a premium fabric range called True North, a range that also includes two new long jackets. The Commodus Parka, which uses wool for warmth and insulation, is waterproof and breathable and is made from recycled polyester and organic cotton. For those after a more technical jacket, the Solatium XGS is the first jacket to use seam-free technology outside of the military, according to Finisterre. It blends the technical world of wetsuits and waterproof jackets by using threedimensional body mapping to…

A rare moment of serenity in the high-speed world of ice yachting. This photo was taken on a windless morning on Lake Glan, Sweden and it shows Roman Rocek (CZ 100) from the Neratovice area of the Czech Republic pulling his boat out to the start area. The International DN is the class of ice boat raced in Europe and North America. DN stands for Detroit News, after the backer for the first boat in the 1930s. The boats are 12ft (3.7m) long and have a 60ft2 (5.6m2) sail. They move on three steel blades in a tricycle formation and can easily reach speeds of 55-65 miles per hour. Ice yacht race starts can happen a long way from the shoreline. On this day fog had been lying across the…

PICTURE THIS Powered up Jean-Pierre Dick sets off on his fourth Vendée Globe on the foil-enabled St Michel-Virbac. One of the most experienced skippers in the fleet, he has twice completed the race. St Michel-Virbac is a new VPLP-Verdier design. As we went to press Dick was lying in 8th position. For the full story on the opening act of this year’s race, see page 24. PICTURE THIS Weighing in Libera class yachts are highly optimised designs created specifically for Europe’s major lake racing contests, such as the Centomiglia and Bol d’Or. Lisa, here racing on Hungary’s Lake Balaton, was designed in the 1990s by Italian builders Patucelli to compete against the Liberas with an extreme design that has no keel, only a centreboard and crew weight to counter a…

Bad news for anyone wanting to charter a yacht to sail around Cape Horn and explore the Beagle Channel: the Chilean government has announced by decree that, as of this southern summer season, effective immediately, foreign flagged yachts will no longer be allowed to make these voyages, reports Skip Novak. For us and our colleagues from Australia, Germany, and France to name a few, this signals the end of over 25 years of offering spectacular adventure cruises to sailors, hikers, mountaineers and anyone wanting to experience what is truly a unique wilderness destination. The reason for the ban is a protectionist measure for Chileans operating sailing or motor vessels that do not yet exist. Nor are there any locals with the expertise to conduct these specialist adventures in a safe…

Some 100 yachts are entered for this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The 72nd edition of the 628-mile classic, which starts on Boxing Day, is one of the most important races on the calendar and in recent years has become inextricably linked with the Oatley family and their trusty record slayer Wild Oats XI, which has taken line honours eight times. This continually adapted 30m (100ft) supermaxi will be on the start line again this year – she has yet to miss a race since launching in 2005. Last year’s overall winner Paul Clitheroe returns with his TP52 Balance, and the field includes three Volvo 70s and the 80ft Beau Geste. The favourites for line honours will be one of the four supermaxis: Wild Oats, Scallywag from Hong Kong,…

The electric propulsion pioneer Torqeedo won the largest marine equipment prize of the year in mid-November – for the second time in four years. The DAME (Design Awards METS) award 2016 was presented to the German manufacturer for its Cruise FP range of integrated electric drives. It is a well-deserved award for a company that has developed a series of new and innovative electric propulsion systems over the last decade, from electric outboards to high voltage motors. The Cruise FP is an electric saildrive leg that can directly replace a diesel-powered saildrive, and offers comparative performance and pricing. The DAME award comes a month after Hanse’s E-Motion Rudder Drive was launched in conjunction with Torqeedo and Jefa. This system integrates a Torqeedo Pod within a rudder blade to provide an…

Nature lays on the symbolism thick at the Rolex Middle Sea. Where else do you race past fire and brimstone, the bubbling uncertainty of a live volcano? Stromboli is just one memorable mark of what is widely regarded to be the most spectacular of all offshore race courses – starting among the towering ramparts of Valetta, to the tactically tricky Straits of Messina, past smoking Mount Etna, the beautiful Sicilian coast, before heading back out to open water and Lampedusa. The Mediterranean is at its most deceptive at this time of year – fleets often set out in balmy conditions, only to face pulverising winds and seas later in the 608-mile circular course. The 2016 race saw a genteel start forecast to make way for Sirocco headwinds for many on…

Torqeedo Cruise FP electric saildrive Hybrid and electric drive systems have been talked about and trialled for years in the marine world. Finally here is a market-ready system that makes the adoption of ecological auxiliary power solutions a practical, tangible proposition. Torqeedo’s Cruise FP (Fixed Pod) is an integrated electric drive that directly replaces the traditional diesel-powered saildrive. It is a practical alternative in both performance and pricing and is currently available in models equivalent to 5hp up to 20hp. The lightweight and efficient Torqeedo motor – the same well-proven unit that powers the company’s range of outboard engines – is contained within the pod under water. This design not only cools the motor, but also makes retrofitting a Cruise FP particularly straightforward. The pods are designed to be part…

PRACTICAL THIS MONTH arc transatlantic rally • perfect short-handed set-ups • mark roundings• restoring suhaili Where else could you see the likes of the maxi Rambler 88, stocked with some of the world’s best racers, blast off from the same start line as a home built wooden ketch or a couple on a 32-footer? This year’s ARC transatlantic rally was one of the most diverse collections of yachts you will ever see, all setting out with a common destination in mind. Yet each one of the 1,307 crew has come with their own particular ambition. As seasonal as the tradewinds, and seemingly as impervious to the paroxysms of world politics and economies, the ARC rally filled this year, yet again, to maximum capacity. This is how it goes now: a…

By late December or early January the new America’s Cup class AC50s will be launched in Bermuda and the road to the Cup in June will begin in earnest. These new catamarans, although more than 20ft shorter than the boats used in the 2013 America’s Cup, are around twice as powerful and significantly more sophisticated. The technology and sailing techniques will be a real step up. The new boats have cockpits in which crew can crouch down, reducing windage, and skippers will have controls around the wheels with which they can alter the angle of attack of the foils. There is limited freedom in the design of the boards, so teams have gone through considerable development to try to ensure the right selection for different wind conditions. A new area…

The first fabulous shots of sailing trials by the new superyacht Missy were released in late October. The 33m performance cruising yacht was designed by Lymington-based Malcolm McKeon and launched from Green Marine/Vitters in August. The carbon built sloop is designed as a world cruiser that will be fast and fun to sail while keeping the owner’s young family safe in a sheltered, protected environment. “Missy is a delight to sail,” McKeon reported after the sail trials off Palma. “She is perfectly balanced with plenty of stability to carry her generous sail plan. Visibility from the helm stations is uninterrupted over her sleek, low profile and yet the raised saloon offers all-round visibility whilst seated below.” McKeon’s signature styling is evident in Missy’s elegant lines, particularly the long, low, flowing…

A search was called off for Chinese sailor Guo Chuan in October after the trimaran he was attempting to sail alone across the Pacific was found empty and drifting under sail, with no sign of the skipper on board. Chuan, 51, had set off from San Francisco on 18 October in his 100ft trimaran Qingdao China, formerly Francis Joyon’s round the world record breaker IDEC. A week later he was west of Hawaii when he missed a scheduled call. The shore team noted that his speed had slowed but when they were unable to raise him by satphone or email, they raised the alarm with the US Coast Guard. A two-day search involving a Hercules aircraft and a helicopter from the USS Makin Island covered an area of 12,000km2 before…

Eric de Turckheim’s A13 Teasing Machine has been named RORC Yacht of the Year. The yacht’s incredible year began with a class victory in the Rolex Sydney-Hobart, before being shipped and sailed to Antigua to win its class in the RORC Caribbean 600. The 43-footer returned to Europe for the Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race finishing 2nd overall behind Rambler 88. The crew helped secure the French Brewin Dolphin Commodores’ Cup title in the Solent, before another class win in the Rolex Middle Sea Race.…

Before dawn, people started to gather along the channel that leads to the inner harbour at Les Sables d’Olonne. Heedless of the hour and the piercing November northerly, thousands came early to stake a vantage point. It is a pilgrimage repeated once every four years to witness the solo sailors of the Vendée Globe committing themselves to race round the world. These are among some of the most poignant moments seen in any sport. Sailors unabashedly shed tears as they say goodbye. Alex Thomson, setting off for the fourth time, knew what to expect. “For me it is the hardest day of the race. It’s massively emotional. “And it’s emotional because people have a sense that you are leaving and perhaps you maybe won’t come back.” Yet as soon as…

So, does the future of the MOD70s lie on foils? Charismatic Italian skipper Giovanni Soldini has made it his ambition to create a stable offshore foiling system, designed by the innovative Guillaume Verdier and backed by the might of the Maserati/Fiat fortune. “The ideal would be to develop the system to be efficient and reliable,” Soldini explained back in Italy after the Middle Sea Race. “We are in the beginning, but it’s a big revolution. We are the first trimaran in the world that will cross the ocean with a flying daggerboard, flying rudder, and flying foil.” Taking on an ocean in a foiling trimaran has been tried before, with l’Hydroptère’s Pacific record attempts. Soldini explains: “I think the big difference is l’Hydroptère was [designed] before the 2013 America’s Cup,…

FACTS Tested by PIP Hare area tested – Solent Wind range 6-14 knots, flat water Model number 1 fitted with teak decks and trim, carbon rig and uprated engine Performance cruisers are designed and sold to chew up the miles on longer journeys without sacrificing too much comfort. Yet many new owners find that their boat that sailed so well in ‘show room trim’ becomes quite a different beast once all of the cruising necessities – fridges, freezers, tenders, water makers, two sets of ground tackle and the myriad of other essentials for comfortable cruising – are loaded on board. Swedish yard Arcona, together with designer Stefan Qviberg, is offering a way out of the inevitable compromise between equipment and speed by building the new 465 with a carbon hull…