Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2016 i Yachting World

Has the balance of sport versus spectacle swung too far away from fair competition in the America’s Cup? That question was raised by British team skipper Sir Ben Ainslie following the Louis Vuitton World Series in New York last month, which saw a planned six-race weekend series reduced to a single day’s racing in extremely fluky conditions. With a schedule that allowed for maximum television coverage across the prime territories of the eastern USA and western Europe, the second World Series of the year had the makings of being a superb showcase for sailing. New York’s public turned out in their thousands – estimates put crowd numbers at 175,000 over the two days – to watch the world’s best sailors performing in the shadow of Manhattan’s glittering towers as the…

When the 100ft trimaran MACIF winged its way into New York the skipper, François Gabart, was jubilant – and shattered. “My first solo race,” he said, grinning. “I didn’t know if I was able to do it, so I am really proud. The boat is in good shape. Me? Maybe not.” Gabart’s race from Plymouth in 8d 8h was just 25 minutes shy of The Transat record, but that wasn’t important to him. He had proved he could sail a complex solo race in the boat designed to circumnavigate the world. This, he kept saying, is “just the start”. The Transat bakerly from Plymouth to New York (the sponsor is a French producer of baked goods) is the professional end of what the OSTAR single-handed transatlantic race once was, begun…

Few could honestly claim they are not reliant on the internet today. The advent of stronger and faster 3G and 4G networks and wi-fi boosters have allowed us to maintain our screen-dependent worlds when coastal sailing. But for that trip further offshore, communication via satphone or single-sideband (SSB) radio is required. In our ARC Gear Survey two years ago, data communications came out as the second highest recommended equipment carried by all the skippers (behind AIS). Surprisingly, despite the eye-watering cost of the hardware and airtime, it was the smaller yachts in the fleet that rated the various satcom devices particularly highly. A reliable means of contacting those ashore should never be underrated. In fact, it is a safety requirement of the World Cruising Club (WCC) that all participants in…

Ticonderoga by Jack A. Somer was published by Mystic Seaport in 1997. Available from online shops The 72ft ketch Ticonderoga, designed by L. Francis Herreshoff and launched in 1936, is described by Jack A. Somer in his book of the same name, splendidly published by Mystic Seaport Museum as follows: ‘Possibly the most important, probably the most handsome and surely the most inspiring sailing yacht ever to leave her wake across a stormy ocean or windswept sea.’ Somer is not wrong. I first saw Ti in 1976 and it was love at first sight. She swept past me at eight knots in a West Indian anchorage and I swear that 10ft astern of her the water was undisturbed, she was so slippery. Her glorious transom board with its huge American…

FLOATING HEALTH CARE CLINICS HAVE TREATED MORE THAN 11,500 PEOPLE IN OVER 150 ISLANDS Gusting up to 190mph, Cyclone Winston was the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded reaching land in Fiji and the South Pacific Basin. On 20 February 2016 the Category 5 Severe Tropical Cyclone hit Vanua Balavu, the Northern Lau Group of islands in Fiji, killing 44 people, damaging or destroying over 30,000 homes across the region, and devastating crops and fishing fleets. Among the first non governmental organisations (NGOs) to reach the remote island communities were volunteers from a small charity called Sea Mercy, arriving by yacht. Seeking out remote and idyllic spots is obviously a goal for many bluewater cruisers, but that very remoteness can sometimes take sailors into areas susceptible to natural disasters, or with…

Foam up Armel le Cleac’h’s IMOCA 60 Banque Populaire VIII goes full throttle across the Atlantic in The Transat bakerly single-handed race from Plymouth to New York (see page 24 for full report). Banque Populaire is a VPLP/Verdier latest-generation IMOCA 60 designed to give 39-year-old le Cleac’h the best possible chance of winning the Vendée Globe. Her ‘Dali’ moustache-like V-shaped foils help increase reaching speeds, and her cockpit is protected by a sliding cabin top. The Vendée Globe sets off from Les Sables d’Olonne in November; Le Cleac’h has twice finished runner-up in the solo round the world epic and is among the favourites for this year’s race. He won the IMOCA 60 class in The Transat bakerly, completing the 3,050-mile course in just over 12 days. First beat Wet…

An eastward crossing of the Atlantic in June or July should be easy for a well-found gaff cutter like Iron Bark. Wind and current are generally fair, gales few and the chances of a hurricane low. Early in July 2014, we (Iron Bark and I) were on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, provisioned and ready to sail for Scotland, when Hurricane Arthur’s imminent arrival was forecast. This was disconcerting as I was not expecting a hurricane so far north this early in the season. I moved to the Washabuck River to wait Arthur out. This is a superb hurricane hole and the wind, which caused mayhem elsewhere in Nova Scotia, hardly disturbed the mosquitoes. Hurricane Arthur departed and I hauled the anchor to leave. The windlass gave a terminal-sounding clunk…

FACTS Where we tested: Cannes, South of France. Wind: average of 25-35 knots over short sharp seas. Model: hull number 7, the first example with an aft galley Powerful gusts dispersed plumes of spray from the bow, making the whitewater explosions appear even more dramatic as the Jeanneau 54 positively ripped through the seas off Cannes in March. As we dialled downwind into the comparatively flatter water of the bay, as if on a wild fairground ride slowing to a halt, I gradually came to my senses, arms aching from gripping the wheel, ears ringing, rinsed out by the wind. The teak on the side decks glistened after its intense saltwater dousing, and calm was temporarily restored. The large motorboat chasing us finally caught up. Photographer Paul Wyeth was on…

“A HUGE FRONT WITH WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55-60 KNOTS ARRIVED AS BOATS APPROACHED MALTA” TP52 Balearia approaches Malta towards the finish of the 2014 Rolex Middle Sea Race, making progress under trysail and headsail in rough seas and very windy conditions. This was taken by photographer Kurt Arrigo from a helicopter on Day 5 of the race. It had begun in light winds and there had been a spell when the fleet was almost completely becalmed. But as the main part of the fleet arrived at the westernmost point of the course, Favignana, the winds increased. A forecast strong north-westerly arrived and the effect was to catapult previously slower yachts towards the finish and compress the fleet. By the time the yachts reached their last landmark at Lampedusa the…

The superlative J Class Shamrock V has found a new owner. The sale fuels yet more interest in the growing fleet of magnificent J Class yachts. Some 20 Js were designed between 1929 and 1937, ten of which went on to be built. Only three original yachts survive, Shamrock V, Endeavour and Velsheda, yet interest in the class has never been as strong as it is today. Eight are now sailing and the newest, Svea, is due for launch early next year. Svea is based on an original 1937 Tore Holm design that was never built. Her 143ft aluminium hull, currently being fitted out by Vitters Shipyard, will be the longest of the current fleet. All nine Js are expected to be in Bermuda for the showcase 2017 America’s Cup…

Cowes Week, which faced running without a headline sponsor this year, has had a reprieve from outgoing sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management. The investment management group’s support came to an end after 2015, but with just three months to go until this year’s regatta on 6 August, it was announced that it was stepping back in as title sponsor. The Isle of Wight event is currently on the hunt for a new backer for 2017 onwards. Regatta director Phil Hagen said that, although they had “had some positive conversations” in their search for a sponsor from 2016, organisers had not found a backer that gave them the longevity and brand fit they were hoping for. “We decided that it was important to focus on some of the prospects that we’ve got…

Beating into warm tradewinds, the sun on your face, surfing down big Atlantic waves to the finish, then back ashore for a celebratory rum punch – there can’t be many better ways to spend the last days of April than Antigua Sailing Week. With more than 100 boats from 20 countries competing in 2016, the Caribbean’s most famous regatta has been going strong for 49 years. Hundreds of the 1,000-plus crew at this year’s event had been here before, some even 20 times. First-timers may experience sensory overload: the heat, the deep blue of the sea, boats in bright livery with crew shirts to match, the intoxicating sounds of reggae and steel drums, the taste of street food – grilled chicken, ribs and lobster – and the feeling of relaxed…

Safety is as much a state of mind as it is the equipment we have on board; it does not take us long to identify which is a safelyrun yacht and which is seemingly chaotic. We are familiar with the slogan ‘useless unless worn’ with regard to lifejackets, but a lifejacket does not make you inherently safe. It does, however, help should you fall over the side, after something else has gone wrong. Modern lifejackets and harnesses are so comfortable it is hard to argue against wearing them, but we should remember that they are a tool of last resort and it is much better not to go over the side in the first place. It is good seamanship that makes you safe. Look at it a different way –…

Dimensions LOA 21.07m/69ft 2in LWL 19.53m/64ft 1in Beam 5.81m/19ft 1in Draught 3.80m/12ft 6in Disp 30,000kg/66,138lb Euphoria 68 A surefire way to bring our attention to a sizzling new launch is to send us some enticing pictures. This first sailing image of Sirena Marine’s flagship Euphoria 68 reveals a long-distance modern cruiser with elegant lines similar to those of the original Euphoria 54, which launched two years ago. Once again the design team of Frers and Design Unlimited has assured a certain quality. The powerful hull shape of the 68 features a long waterline with plumb stem and generous beam carried aft. The deck, coachroof and cockpit have a clean, low-profile line, with little to interrupt the helmsman’s view from the aft quarters. Twin rudders and a carbon rig indicate a…