Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2019 i Yachting World

American sailors have cottoned on to the RORC Caribbean 600. Over 40% of the IRC entries in this year’s mini marathon were from the US. It was also the debut of the new Botin-designed Maxi 72 Bella Mente. Momentum is building around recycling and scrappage of end-of-life hulls. A European working group has been set up, a project named MarineShift360 is making a lifecycle assessment tool for industry, and one builder is experimenting with hulls made from flax and bio resins. Coming soon… a launch we cannot wait for this year is the Spirit 111, a fabulous looking collaboration between company founder Sean McMillan and interior designers Rhoades Young. Traditional elegance meets avant garde aesthetics and the latest ecofriendly tech. Become a Yachting World reader with benefits: visit yachtingworld.com/16S to…

A US charter skipper has been acquitted of manslaughter after a crewman jumped overboard to his death in 2015. Rick Smith, 66, had been charged with negligence contributing to the death of David Pontious, 54, who was sailing with Smith on board the 43ft yacht Cimarron in October 2015. Pontious was one of four crew delivering Cimarron from Maine to the US Virgin Islands. He was a last minute crew change, and he and Smith had never met before. Shortly after setting off, Pontious became seasick and disorientated. The other crew told US Coastguard investigators that he appeared to be experiencing hallucinations and hearing voices, and was making erratic calls on the VHF. Pontious allegedly punched and tried to choke Smith, attempting to take control of the helm when they…

Photo right The Coppercoat on the Clipper boat hulls revealed no loss of coating thickness after 2017-2018 Clipper Round The World Race. Photo below In a 5 year immersion test, completed by Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Coppercoat outperformed all other anti-fouls. Panels treated with Coppercoat (the five dark green panels) remained the cleanest and lost the least thickness. Coppercoat® is currently celebrating its own memorable result in the aftermath of the 2017-2018 Clipper Round The World Race. When the Clipper boats were finally lifted out after 40,000NM of racing and 16 months of continual immersion, the Coppercoat® on their hulls revealed no loss of coating thickness. Barring the faintest trace of slime at the waterline in some parts, the hulls were virtually spotless. So well did the Coppercoat®anti-foul perform that, for…

The film opens with a painfully young and nervous Edwards introducing herself as the skipper of Maiden, and traces the arc of how the Whitbread campaign came together through the race itself to their final triumphant return to Southampton. “[Before filming] the girls called me and said: ‘Is this truth time, or is this like the first documentary where we just go everything’s wonderful?’” recalls Edwards, “I went no, it’s the truth. So they were like well, you might not like some of the stuff we’re going to say. “Time does soften the memories and the documentary reminded me how awful I’d been, how angry I’d been a lot of the time and how difficult I was to deal with, and the girls were very upfront about that. That was…

Irens credits a childhood obsession with ‘slippery hulls’, notably the Salcombe motor launches, with everything that followed in adult life. His designs include a string of record-breaking multihulls which dominated the race circuit throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and some very slippery powerboats too. Along the way, Irens also found time to design a range of modern classics, including the 29ft carbon-sparred lugger Roxane and her little sister, Romilly. 5 FAMOUS IRENS DESIGNS 1985 – The 60ft trimaran Apricot wins the Round Britain Race, skippered by Tony Bullimore 1992 – ORMA 60 Fujicolor II wins the Single-handed Transatlantic, skippered by Loïck Peyron 1994 – Maxi-cat ENZA New Zealand sets a new round-the-world record of 75 days, skippered by Robin Knox-Johnston and Peter Blake 1998 – The Cable & Wireless trimaran…

MAIDEN is the Farr-designed 58-footer which Tracy Edwards and her all-female crew sailed to 2nd overall in the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race. The yacht recently had a full restoration before setting off on a round the world trip to raise funds and awareness for girls’ education under the banner of The Maiden Factor Few yachts, and fewer skippers, become truly famous – famous in the sense that the everyman on the street would recognise them by a single name. Maiden did though, as did Tracy. The controversial all-female team, led by a petite dynamo of a skipper, gained a celebrity status that went beyond the sports pages of the British press. From her christening by HRH The Duchess of York to the team’s final, triumphant return back to…

Before the start of this race, I had two questions: who could race round the world under those rules, and why was it starting from France, not the UK? Jean-Luc Van Den Heede’s victorious arrival home answered both of those. Although the 18 starters included adventurers and dreamers, Van Den Heede’s victory proved that what you really need to race a small boat round the world through severe weather, including nursing it home after rig damage, is not ambition or bravery, but pure skill and seamanship. He gained that over decades of racing at the highest level, and it is entirely fitting that he should take the crown. And even if the crowds didn’t turn out in the same numbers on a cold Tuesday in January as they had for…

The American Stars & Stripes Team USA has announced it is well into the build of its AC75 to challenge for the America’s Cup in New Zealand in 2021. The team, which CEO Justin Shaffer calls a ‘grassroots’ campaign, purchased a design package from Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) identical to ETNZ’s boat number 1. This has placed the team in a competitive position with respect to the build and design process for the next Cup The design package also allows the Stars & Stripes Team designers to learn from the ETNZ design team, in a similar set-up to Oracle Team USA’s stalking horse, Softbank Team Japan, in the last Cup. Stars & Stripes Team USA also has the option to purchase an additional, basic design package for their second…

During the current Golden Globe Race (GGR) alone, four yachts have been abandoned. Founder and chairman of the GGR, Don McIntyre comments: “The GGR has no policy [on scuttling] as it is not our responsibility.” “Each skipper is ultimately responsible for their yacht,” media co-ordinator Barry Pickthall explains. “GGR recommends that abandoned boats are scuttled but that is not always possible.” Solo skippers Gregor McGuckin and Abhilash Tomy were both picked up by a French fisheries patrol vessel charged with protecting an international area of conservation surrounding the remote southern Indian Ocean islands of Amsterdam and St Paul. “Gregor confirmed he was specifically instructed not to scuttle the boat by the master of the French fisheries patrol vessel because of the marine park, even though he wanted to and was…

Multihulls are growing rapidly in popularity for crossing oceans, and even sailing round the world, judging by entries in the World ARC circumnavigation. A third of those taking part in the 15-month rally are catamarans – and there is one trimaran as well. A near record entry of 26 yachts from 12 nations set off from St Lucia in January, and yachts joining the route further along will eventually boost numbers to 38 yachts and 250 crew. Among those will be 11 catamarans and a Neel 45 trimaran. Seven of the fleet of monos and multis are new yachts bought with the event in mind. This is the ninth round the world rally organised by Cowes-based World Cruising Club. It has become an annual event, allowing some of the crews…

There is no denying that many things Russian are not the flavour of the month, any month in the last few years. In spite of somewhat bad press all around, there is a good news Russian story that is noteworthy and hard to ignore, at least for those of us who float. On 5 December, Fedor Konyukhov, a 67-year-young adventurer started an epic row from Dunedin in New Zealand through the Southern Ocean intending to complete a circumnavigation in three summer stages through 2020. Stage 1 to Cape Horn is expected to take 120 days. This is the Holy Grail for rowers. Several people have tried in recent years but none has got very far. Attempts have been made from Tasmania, New Zealand and the Falklands. Some went round in…

In 2016 I signed up to race the Ngalawa Cup, recalls Dieter Rihs. But who would do this crazy thing with me? My son David and his childhood best friend Achim Scheck both agreed immediately. We called our team ‘The Old Man and his Fellas’. We started working out possible routes with the help of charts and Google Earth and tried to work out where would be the best places to land. For navigation we had a simple compass, handheld GPS and binoculars. Personal equipment was limited to sleeping mats, a light sleeping bag, one tarp to sleep on and some T-shirts and shorts. For provisions we decided on Chinese instant noodle soups, some crackers, energy bars and bottles of water. On the first day we had a try at…

INTRODUCED BY TOM CUNLIFFE Solitaire Spirit: Three times around the world single-handed, by Les Powles. Adlard Coles, £12.62 If he hadn’t chosen to write a book, Les Powles could well have remained one of the unsung heroes of the ocean, men and women who dare to do in secret what others make a loud noise over. Les is now 92. He still lives aboard Solitaire, the 34ft yacht he built himself for £7,000 and launched in 1975. After setting out with eight hours’ sailing experience to circumnavigate the world, he went and did it again successfully twice more. The second voyage was executed non-stop via the Great Capes of the Southern Ocean. Les was never one to save up enough money to do things according to the book, he just…

How many times last season did you sit around waiting for the breeze to fill in? Staying both chilled out and ready like a coiled spring if the wind should fill in is the challenge. If you have five knots of wind you can always do some light winds training. This is one little trick you can do to improve your starting while waiting for the AP flag to be lowered – and you can even do it under engine. You just need the help of a coach boat or a friend in a RIB. Nominate any buoy as your pin end and set up quite a long start line with the RIB/coach boat as your committee vessel. Get one of your crew to jump into the RIB to video…

Close 2nd for Mark Slats Dutch sailor Mark Slats finished the Golden Globe in 2nd place after 214 days, 12 hours and 18 minutes of sailing. Slats, who holds a solo Atlantic rowing record, was taking part in his first round the world race. He received a 36-hour penalty for communicating with his shore team by satellite phone in the final days, which will be added to his elapsed time. New models boost Nautor’s Swan Nautor’s Swan reports an increase in business following a big refresh of its range and major investment in new models. No less than six models are under construction: a Swan 48; Swan 65; Swan 98; Swan 120 and ClubSwans 36 and 125 (right), all to be built in a new high-tech building centre at its…

After announcing the biggest expansion in its 23-year history, when it opened a new Chinese-based division in November, Clipper Ventures has bought the reputable offshore sailing school Hamble School of Yachting. The organisers of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race say that its new division in China, set up to meet the country’s growing participation in offshore sailing, will benefit significantly from the school’s extensive training experience. Clipper Race chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston explains that the purchase of one of the RYA’s leading sailing schools is part of a wider strategy to develop Clipper Ventures’s offering within the offshore sailing industry. CEO William Ward told us: “Clipper Ventures has bought Hamble School of Yachting primarily as a standalone sailing school, but the team’s expertise will also be used to…

A blind sailor is teaming up with a novice sighted crew to cross the Pacific non-stop from the US west coast to Japan. Hiro Iwamoto will be sailing with, and aided by, Doug Smith to sail the Island Packet 41 Dream Weaver from San Diego to Fukushima in February. This will be Iwamoto’s second attempt. Sailing with another sighted sailor, Japanese TV journalist Jiro Shinbo, he attempted the voyage in 2013, but six days into the voyage he collided with a 50ft blue whale and the yacht started taking on water. The two had to abandon to a liferaft and were rescued by a Japanese Navy amphibious aircraft. Hiro Iwamoto was 13 when he first started going blind and lost his sight completely at the age of 16. He nevertheless…

On the face of it, the inaugural SailGP event in Sydney is simply the unveiling of a new professional foiling multihull circuit. Six teams will be racing around a course that looks very similar to the America’s Cup configuration, aboard boats that will be indistinguishable from those used in Bermuda in 2017. It’s hardly surprising. The boats, the course and many of the sailors – along with the brains and money behind this new global circuit – come straight from the last Cup. Yet there’s also good reason to believe this circuit will deliver far more than simply re-skinning an existing format. These new boats represent a big step forward for sailing and could mark a step change for the sport. Having decided not to challenge for the next America’s…

While many are thinking about improving sailing’s environmental sustainability, we’re too often reminded just how enduring composite yacht structures are, even when they’ve been abandoned in apparently catastrophic circumstances and presumed sunk. This was highlighted to me when, in 2016, the broken hull of Alex Thomson’s IMOCA 60 Hugo Boss, long thought lost during the 2006 Velux 5 Oceans solo round the world race, materialised once again on a beach in a beautiful National Park in Patagonia, Chile. It was ten years earlier that I’d plucked Alex from his liferaft around 1,000 miles south of Cape Town when he was forced to abandon after his keel failed and the boat started taking on water. Alex and I stood side by side on the deck of my Ecover 2 and solemnly…

Grand Soleil 48 Performance A cruiser-racer with a plethora of options. It suits short stays aboard, but in Race guise will predominantly be for racing. Price ex VAT: €415,000 X-Yachts X46 An ideal blend of comfort and performance, this X is a brilliant all-round performance cruiser design which offers exciting sailing in a manageable package. Price ex VAT: €399,000 Not only was this a very close category from which to decide a winner, but also one that shows just how diverse and exciting the modern range of performance cruiser designs is. The Grand Soleil, our cover model this month, is a powerful looking design from Marco Lostuzzi, offered in Performance or Race versions. We sailed the latter, which was fully tricked out with carbon extras, including rigging, sails and an…

Sportspeople–and sailors are no exception here–can be a little… one-dimensional. That single focus which makes competitive athletes so successful often comes with a very straightforward mentality. Tracy Edwards is the polar opposite. She is wholly, entertainingly (no doubt sometimes maddeningly) human, in all its contradictions. She has learned to be tough, yet cries ‘at the drop of a hat’, she can be warm and easy to talk to, but at times has closed ranks entirely. She’s no-nonsense, with a dramatic streak. She went from teen tearaway to national hero to near recluse before she was 30. She skippered a multi-million pound catamaran, and was spectacularly bankrupted. Edwards and her Maiden teams achieved incredible things in sailing, and paved the way for others to achieve more. She inspires unwavering loyalty among…

It has taken years of development and over $10m of funding, but renowned boat systems expert Nigel Calder has helped design an alternator so powerful that it eliminates the need for a generator on board. We featured it in full in the January issue after it won the prestigious DAME design award in November. Mounted on the engine, on the second alternator position, the Integrel can produce five to ten times more power. Sitting behind the system is at least 10kWh of lead acid batteries (lithium is also an option), and Victron chargers and inverters. “If you crank the engine it’ll charge the batteries; if you’re running with the engine in neutral, it’ll know it’s in standalone generator mode and switch to that algorithm,” explains Calder. “It will likely be…

The 2017 investigation into the grounding of a Clipper Round the World yacht in South Africa delivered some interesting lessons for us all. The most notable points were that: the skipper was the sole person in charge of navigation and became distracted by other tasks and lost situational awareness; the chart plotter was below decks and there was no route marked on it; the displays at the helm did not show depth, nor were there shallow water alarms set; and a course that started out clearing any dangers became unsafe through gradual changes to the wind direction. Although these are just the headline mistakes in a complex case, they’ll elicit an uncomfortable feeling of recognition among many sailors. When we don’t expect to encounter shallow water, either due to planning…