Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 + SuperSail World i Yachting World

What do America’s Cup sailors do after a brutal two years of training and racing foiling catamarans in Bermuda? They go foiling – in this case racing the most popular flying class, the singlehanded International Moth. The 2017 McConaghy Moth World Championships attracted many of the world’s best sailors to Lake Garda including America’s Cup Emirates Team New Zealand winning skipper Peter Burling. A quick tally of the Olympic medals in the fleet suggests that no class has more metal-ware among its skippers apart from the Games themselves. Others who arrived in Italy having trained on the Moth during brief moments of downtime in Bermuda included Artemis’s Nathan Outteridge (AUS) and Oracle Team USA’s Tom Slingsby (AUS). But it was Briton Paul Goodison who took the title, becoming the first…

Australian sailor Lisa Blair, 32, has become the first woman ever to circumnavigate Antarctica single-handed below 45°S. Blair, 32, a former Clipper Round the World Race watch leader, sailing instructor and adventure sailing skipper, set out from Albany in Western Australia in January 2017. Her goal was to break Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov’s 2008 record for the fastest solo, unassisted and non-stop circumnavigation of Antarctica. However, she was dismasted nearly 900 miles south of South Africa on 4 April in 40+ knot winds and 7-9m seas. Blair garnered a strong following by recounting her adventures from on board the Open 50 Climate Action Now in extensive blogs. After her dismasting she described being faced with a Hobson’s choice of having to go onto the bowsprit to clear the rigging. ‘I…

The tide had turned off Portland Bill, the sea state was smoothing out and we were beating into a fresh southwesterly breeze aboard Phorty. We’d climbed through the pack and were now close to the top five. Then there was a loud bang as a fitting at the base of the forestay gave way. The mast floated down, landing to leeward behind the boat. It was a second before our brains could process what had happened. The windward shroud bent a stanchion double as it came down and squashed two crew hiking out, who quickly extricated themselves. Because Class 40 masts are deck-stepped and our mast fell backwards, the heel had simply kicked up above the foredeck. The rest of the rig was trailing behind the boat and we decided…

Last spring my partner, Magnus, and I delivered Pelagic, one of two yachts owned and run as a high-latitudes adventure charter boat by former Whitbread Round the World Race skipper and Yachting World columnist Skip Novak, from Puerto Williams in Chile to the Falkland Islands. Having sailed to Antarctica, Cape Horn, and the Chilean channels during the southern summer, Pelagic was due to overwinter in the port of Stanley. This delivery was also a farewell for Magnus. After many years skippering Pelagic and her big sister Pelagic Australis, this was his final season in southern waters before embarking on new projects. The Falkland Islands lie in the South Atlantic, at 52°S and some 300 miles northeast from Cape Horn. During our three-day delivery, a lively downwind ride, Magnus told me…

Although the annual Superyacht Cup attracts a wide range of yachts, the ten-strong 2017 entry list was particularly varied It may have been a smaller than usual fleet this year in Palma, but the dock at the Superyacht Cup in June was alive with contrasting images. Classic-style yachts with gleaming brightwork and deckhouses lay among carbon-built competitors with clean decks and high-tech features. For some entrants, such as the traditional-style Windrose of Amsterdam and the newly launched 32m/105ft Malcolm McKeon design Ribelle, a carbon composite build with an aggressive reverse bow, it seemed the only thing they shared in common was this regatta. Although the annual Superyacht Cup attracts a wide range of yachts, the ten-strong 2017 entry list was particularly varied. Event director Kate Branagh says: “The competition this…

We are in our third year voyaging in the Pacific and the Far East with Athos and our time in West Papua, Indonesia has been some of the most interesting so far. Our five-week cruise took us round the little known, and even less travelled, Bird’s Head Seascape peninsula. Overlooked by many sailors due to light and fluky equatorial winds, these waters are home to more than 1,600 fish species and three-quarters of the world’s known corals. Bird’s Head Seascape is considered an epicentre of marine biodiversity and, were it not for its remoteness, it would undoubtedly be one of the world’s premier dive destinations. A yacht is the perfect vehicle to access the myriad islands, reefs and bays, allowing unique opportunities to explore the shallow waters all around the…

Late in September, the Monaco Yacht Show is the place to gather to see superyachts and meet people in the business. For the four days of the show, the harbour and anchorage beyond are packed with vessels burnished to high perfection and at the very peak of desirability, while along the docks among the exhibitors, the owner or captain can escape the heat, retreat into the air conditioned marquees and consider new designs, services and equipment. Motor yachts continue to dominate over sail, playing in the much bigger part of the superyacht market. Nevertheless, there are some very interesting new yachts on show at Monaco, and this is the place to talk about the latest designs and technology and to see some new launches from some of the key yards,…

Mine’s bigger You can bet the skipper of this small fishing boat couldn’t believe his eyes when the Baltic 115 Nikata stole up from astern during the Rolex Fastnet Race in August. The superyacht, replete with a rockstar crew including America’s Cup winning skipper Peter Burling, was working its way upwind close to the coast of Cornwall when it overhauled the little fishing boat out of Penzance. The meeting was all the more bizarre when you consider that photographer, Carlo Borlenghi, was at that moment right overhead in a lowflying helicopter.…

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, the winning skipper and ‘flight controller’ of the Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) America’s Cup team, have both signed up with Volvo Ocean Race teams for the 2017-18 edition which starts this October. Burling has signed as part of Team Brunel while Tuke will sail the full race with MAPFRE. If either are part of the winning team the duo, who are also 2016 Olympic 49er Gold medallists, will have scored a rare hat-trick of taking Olympic, America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race titles in consecutive years. Burling, who admitted he hadn’t done much offshore racing in the past, joined the 115ft Nikata, the largest yacht in this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race for his first experience in the classic 600-mile offshore before announcing his Volvo…

Every so often a retail space opens that allows you to immerse yourself in the brand as well as its products. Musto’s Lighthouse Store, located in the Gunwharf Quays, is one of these. Visit the store today to step into revolutionary ocean smocks worn by Volvo Ocean Race sailors. Experience technical sportswear worn by record breakers. And discover premium designs endorsed by royalty. There’s no better place to experience Musto’s cutting-edge vision and exacting standards. This retail concept store showcases official merchandise for events such as the Volvo Ocean Race and Musto’s latest designs – all while highlighting its intrepid spirit of innovation. History meets future-proof designs, as The Lighthouse also allows you to pick up pieces from its newly updated, revolutionary HPX ocean sailing, MPX offshore and race and…

Choosing a boat for offshore cruising is not a decision to be taken lightly. I have researched this topic on dozens of rallies, speaking to hundred of skippers. Everyone you speak to will have a different point of view about which boat is best and why, but few question the importance of getting it right. No matter what your budget, there is a bewildering array of choice and a number of important decisions to make, any one of which could severely impact the enjoyment and eventual success of your voyage. What follows may serve as a checklist for first-timers as well as seasoned ocean sailors in helping to decide the essential elements concerning safety, comfort, performance and functionality, looking at the hull, deck, rig and interior. HULL, KEEL AND RUDDER…

GEAR TESTED WITH RACHAEL SPROT OF RUBICON 3 Man overboard!” – it’s the call that every sailor dreads. As the cry goes up we fumble into a lifejacket and scramble on deck in a mixture of blind panic and gut wrenching adrenaline. Most of us can barely imagine how it must feel to arrive disoriented in the cockpit with only a few precious minutes to save someone’s life. But amid the chaos there are two things that will dramatically improve your chances of safely retrieving a MOB: knowing where they are; and having the right equipment to bring them back on board. How we tested the devices We tested a variety of alert and location devices in locations as diverse as the English Channel, the Faroes and the coast of…

SW96 SORCERESS This stunning shot is of Sorceress, the first of a new mini-series of 96ft fast cruisers from Southern Wind. Designed by Farr and Nauta, she is a modern, versatile yacht that should suit both coastal and ocean racing and cruising. Indeed her delivery time from Cape Town to the Med is the fastest yet of any Southern Wind (32 days). Sorceress is due to compete in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup before being shown at the Monaco Yacht Show. See our Monaco preview on page 72 for more on Southern Winds’ latest models, as well as pictures and details of the Swan 95, Lot 99 and the Wallcento Tango. There are also full details of Pink Gin VI on page 32.…

In its 44-year history Baltic Yachts has built almost 600 yachts, arguably none more significant than its latest launching, the 175ft/53.34m carbon composite sloop Pink Gin VI. Although the headline writers have gravitated towards her billing as the world’s biggest carbon fibre sloop, her remote electronic steering and two large topsides balconies are among her more technically interesting features and demonstrate Baltic’s intention to intensify its quest for new ideas. Production yachts formed the core of the company’s output in the early years, but since the turn of the century the multi-role, custom supersailing yacht has become Baltic Yachts’s forte, offering clients not only the advantages of lightweight, stiff, carbon composite construction, but also a standard of engineering and finish second to none. The roll call of top yachts to…

Seeing big yachts race off the town of Newport, Rhode Island just seems right. This is where the Vanderbilts and Astors sailed; the Kennedys, too. The America’s Cup was raced here in J Class and in 12 metres and, fittingly, the first J Class Worlds was recently held in these waters. For three days in July, some of the biggest yachts in the world also came to Newport for a festival of racing and shoreside parties and, at only two years of age, the Candy Store Cup superyacht regatta is already building up its own tradition. Anyone writing about it will inevitably describe it as ‘sweet’, and it is true that victory often is: one of the prizes is a glass vase filled with penny candy. Started in 2016 by…

Lendy Cowes Week 2017, the first for the new loan services title sponsor, was a varied bag even by Cowes Week standards. The creation of a new Sevenstar Triple Crown trophy series for maxi yachts and large ocean racers gave the week a big-boat focus, and drew out many of the largest Rolex Fastnet Race entrants such as the radically modified CQS. A full fleet of Volvo 65s also competed in a mid-week race around the Isle of Wight in full-on conditions with gusts topping 40 knots and wind against tide creating a substantial sea state on the south side of the island. MAPFRE was first home, completing the 50-mile course in 3h 13m 11s, and setting a new outright monohull course record, beating the time held by the 100ft…

Before first light, the big blue trimaran Concise 10 glided into Plymouth Sound and across the finish line of the Rolex Fastnet Race. A cold hour before dawn, they were taking line honours even as the first monohull, Rambler 88, was still bashing upwind to the Fastnet Rock. With different conditions, Tony Lawson’s MOD70 might well have snatched a record for the course. But in early August, persistent westerlies and north-westerlies turned the Fastnet Race into offshore racing’s longest windwardleeward course – well over 700 miles and two-thirds of it a long, tactical slog upwind Dreamed up back in 1925 as an endurance challenge lasting the best part of a week, progress and technology has shrunk the average duration of the Fastnet Race. At the extreme of the course record,…

‘EVEN THE MOST EXPERIENCED SKIPPER OR CREW CAN GET CAUGHT OUT’ Every year, RNLI volunteer crews rescue hundreds of people on yachts and motorboats. Rescue crews will always be there to answer the call, assisting you without judgement and no matter the cause. But today we look at how the RNLI can help you before you get into difficulty. “As anyone who enjoys our coastal waters knows, things can change quickly at sea,” says Jon Oxenham, RNLI community safety manager. “Even the most experienced skipper or crew can get caught out, and there’s no shame in that. All it takes is a broken down engine plus strengthening winds, or a fall from your tender without a lifejacket, and suddenly a minor issue becomes very dangerous. We’d much rather people call…

The battle flags flutter from the forestays of the angular, squat, powerful-looking offshore thoroughbreds dotted around the harbour at Les Sables d’Olonnes, western France. Sitting among this gathering of offshore greatness, in the home of the Vendée Globe race, is the first of the eighth generation Sun Odyssey range, the SO490, and on first impressions there is little doubt that these racing hull shapes have influenced this latest 49-footer (43ft LWL) from French yard Jeanneau. The new Sun Odyssey range, which also includes the similar shaped 41ft SO440, does not embrace change in a half-hearted way. Philippe Briand, Jeanneau’s long favoured designer, has taken a bold new approach, creating a boat that demands to be noticed. Viewed bow on, full-length chines are visible, hard and angular, some 40cm above the…

How safe is it to sail around the world and what precautions do you need to take? We asked bluewater sailors who have cruised areas including the Caribbean, Pacific and Indian Ocean how safe they felt living aboard. Reassuringly, none reported what they considered to be any serious incidents. They also shared tips on how they had improved security afloat. The most fundamental decision every sailor said they made to reduce risk was in their choice of route. Besides keeping abreast of the political climate and other risks in the local press and on Foreign Office websites, Noonsite (noonsite.com) publishes reports of issues affecting cruising sailors by region, with a page dedicated to piracy and security incidents. The Caribbean Safety and Security Net (CSSN – safetyandsecuritynet.org) also publishes reports made…

Keeping the in-laws happy This year’s Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2017 kicked off in idyllic conditions with a 25-30 knot south-easterly and strong tide on day one making for a whiteknuckle downwind run through Dent Passage at the Whitsundays venue. The Melges 32 Panther was one of several boats to broach in the gusts. Panther’s owner Steve O’Rourke fell overboard, so his son-in-law Burke Weila gallantly dived in to keep him company in the warm water. “We had a standard broach and I got flicked out … Burke saw me go and dived in first,” said O’Rourke. “We’d been through a man overboard practice together and the boys did a great job handling the boat. They came back and picked us up on the second pass.” yachtingworldmagazine #ywbackfire…

You could be forgiven for thinking the heyday of sailing superyachts is past. but you would be wrong. in some senses it is more exciting than ever, especially for anyone interested in performance yachts. the new yachts on these pages embody some significant developments. Swan has just announced that it is to build what will potentially be the fastest monohull ever. Newly launched this season is the largest (carbon) sloop ever, Pink Gin VI, and we also have renderings of the largest composite yacht, a 30-knot plus beast of a ketch that is the carkeek c300. Then there is the largest sailing yacht in the world, the 106m Black Pearl, sailing under dynarig. recent photos showing her sailing for the first time have been released and she is already looking…

The superyacht experience isn’t defined by the size of the yacht, it’s about the comfort, seclusion and service on board Passions are intrinsically personal. What intoxicates one person can leave the next coldly unmoved, so enticing someone to join you in your own infatuation needs no small degree of luck, or failing that good fortune, copious planning behind the scenes. There are few obsessions this applies to more sharply than sailing. Many a non-sailor has remained resolutely so thanks to an ill-timed trip on a grey and lumpy sea or with an ill-tempered skipper. Equally many yachtsmen have booked bareboats and boarded planes with partners, families and friends in the hope that warm turquoise waters will entice them to enjoy life on board – maybe for a week or two,…