Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2019 i Yachting World

Sunrise over the Irish coast as French sailor Catherine Pourre rounds the Fastnet lighthouse and heads back to the finish of the Rolex Fastnet Race in Plymouth. Pourre was racing her Class 40 Eärendil. She is one of the class’s most experienced skippers and this was her fourth Fastnet. She has also twice competed in the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre, and several times in the RORC’s Caribbean 600. There were 13 Class 40s in the race this year. Franco-British sailor Luke Berry was 1st in class in Lamotte-Module Création, while Eärendil finished 3rd. See our feature on page 32.…

Traditionally, France closes up and goes on holiday in August. But for some of the top solo sailors and their teams, les grandes vacances were all but eliminated this year. With November’s Transat Jacques Vabre race – a vital test run in race mode descending the first 4,350 nautical miles of the Vendée Globe track – they need to get up to speed, writes Andi Robertson. Three new boats rolled out of the sheds in succession, each from different design teams. One of the most exciting aspects of the 2020 Vendée Globe non-stop solo race around the world is that the five-year monopoly of the VPLPVerdier collaboration has ended; four different design stables will have new build contenders. Three of this summer’s seven launches had appeared by late July and…

Round the world race organiser Clipper Ventures is to flag its race fleet in Malta. Meanwhile, a row continues with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA). Clipper Ventures has accused the safety bodies of a “failure of professionalism, impartiality and honesty” in an statement put out in response to an MAIB report into the death of Clipper Round the World Race paying crewmember, Simon Speirs. Clipper Ventures has called for an independent inquiry. The decision to flag the yachts in Malta before the start of the next race ensures that the company can benefit from EU compliant legislation before Brexit. Vessels flagged in Malta have to comply with Maltese training and safety requirements, so the Clipper fleet would no longer be bound by MCA rules.…

There’s no shortage of stunning boats moored at Port Pendennis in Falmouth when I visit the marina in June, not least a couple of enormous, shiny superyachts being polished to death by their crews. But I haven’t come to see them. The boat I’ve come to see is tucked away at the far end of the outer jetty. With her glowing varnish, immaculately scrubbed decks and period fittings, Amokura looks every bit the timeless classic she is: a precious piece of maritime heritage to be nurtured and preserved and treated with the utmost respect and reverence. ‘SHE’S A BOAT TO BE NURTURED AND TREATED WITH REVERENCE’ She’s a concours d’elegance winner; the lead boat in any parade of sail. Yet, as she motored out of the marina towards the open…

Air is chopped in the distance. Our ears swell as an ill-defined dot appears, growing larger in diameter. The helicopter flies hastily in our direction as if ready to fire. The pilot comes to a hover just overhead, unnervingly close to our mast. The pressure differential around the main rotor blades is deafening, the soft sea around us now turbulent. Our precisely trimmed sails slam from side to side. I am stone scared. My breath is held, as I raise my hands to protect my eyes from the sand dislodged from Desirée’s creases. What do they want? What did we do wrong? Ten miles off the coast of northern Morocco, the helicopter tilts to circumnavigate Desirée. The men aboard hang out of the open fuselage, and cheerfully wave and smile.…

When the wind is light and the current is strong, the two components can be equally important as each other. But for those not used to racing in tidal conditions – or even those who are – it can be easy to fall the wrong side of the tide. Paul Campbell-James has won his division at Cowes Week a few times in his career, notably on the youth campaign of old aboard the Farr 52 Bear of Britain. Having also been caught out by the current on a number of occasions, Paul applies a few useful rules of thumb. The thing to ask yourself at all times is if the tidal conveyor belt is working for you or against you. While the usual winning factors like good boatspeed and boat…

‘WHEN YOU START OUT YOU DON’T HAVE A RANGE OF CLIENTS TO FALL BACK ON, SO YOU HAVE TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX’GERARD DYKSTRA For those fortunate to commission a yacht build from scratch, the possibility of a clean sheet design is something that can overwhelm as easily as it can excite. For the uncompromising who look to turn vision into reality, an unflinching and honest expert is essential to bring the dream to fruition. Design and engineering are of course important, but it is the human understanding between owner and designer that has fuelled yachting’s most outstanding designs. Dykstra, now celebrating 50 years in business, has a portfolio defined by two key characteristics: the sheer diversity of yachts it has worked on; and an unrivalled capacity to build cleverly…

The original Candy Store Cup dates back to 1977, when it was held in IOR boats on the first lay day of the America’s Cup. This July saw the third edition of the modern superyacht incarnation of the event, which brought 12 yachts, from 20m/66ft to 50m/165ft, to Newport, Rhode Island, for two days of fleet racing. “Our superyacht edition of the Candy Store Cup is the only event in the US that brings yachts of this size together to race, which makes it very special and fun for all of us involved,” says David Ray, owner of Bannister’s Wharf, which co-owns the regatta with Newport Shipyard. The sailing took place under sunny skies and light winds. Principal Race Officer Peter Craig, who set 15-20 mile courses finishing off Castle…

A different perspective of the spread of canvas set on the 140ft Herreshoff schooner Mariette of 1915 while racing at the Loro Piana Regatta. Racing a big schooner is an athletic game, requiring young and nimble crew who can work aloft. For example, someone needs to be right at the top of the foremast to hoist or put away the main topmast staysail. Mariette generally flies eight sails upwind, and it takes experience to avoid bad sheet leads to get all these sails trimmed in harmony. Racing is often carried out with a crew of as many as 30 people, so clear communication is essential.…

A new round the world rally with a VIP service level is being launched by four former team members of the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR). The first event will run in November 2020 and the second a year later, starting from Alicante, crossing to Lanzarote, then Guadeloupe before going through the Panama Canal, across the Pacific to Australia, then Singapore, South Africa, Brazil, St Lucia and Cuba before returning to Spain via the Azores. The entire event will run over two-and-a-half years to allow crews plenty of cruising time. The World Yacht Rally is being set up by Stef van’t Zand, who was head of host port operations for the VOR and shore manager for Brunel Sunergy from 1996-1999. He is being joined by New Zealander Jack Lloyd, former race…

Since its glitzy launch last autumn, SailGP has burst onto the scene at an adrenalin-rushing pace. In August, the SailGP circuit came to Cowes, writes Andy Rice. The Cowes edition of SailGP saw a number of the crews top 50 knots boatspeed for the first time. Fittingly, it was Dylan Fletcher and the Great Britain crew that was first to break the magic number while training, although it was only another day before Australia and Japan were able to match the feat. Not only are the crews becoming more confident in handling these monstrously powerful F50s, but they were able to apply downforce to the windward rudder for the first time. Russell Coutts has come at the challenge of building up SailGP with great sense and forethought to the potential…

SOUTHAMPTON BOAT SHOW 13 - 22 SEPT 2019 YACHTING FESTIVAL CANNES 10 - 15 SEPT 2019 NEW SOLARIS 64' THE REASONS WHY SOLARIS YACHTS MAINTAIN SUCH A HIGH SECOND-HAND MARKET VALUE 100% of Solaris yachts built over the past 40 years are still sailing all over the world, loved and cherished by their proud owners. Solaris uses exclusively the best materials, components and accessories. The yachts are designed and built to maintain over time, the original efficiency. They are designed and built to sail for many years. Even after five years, they are as good as new. Quality is never compromised. The high build quality and the exclusive Solaris construction method make Solaris yachts immune to problems such as creaking, doors that do not close while underway and stress cracks…

Back in 1979, Ted Turner’s Tenacious took line honours in the Fastnet Race, finishing in 3 days 8 hours. Over the last 30 years the average speed across the 605-mile Fastnet course has increased phenomenally: at the elite end, the fastest Ultime trimarans complete the course in just a third of Tenacious’s time. Yet for the smallest yachts in the race, the race can still take five full days. Yacht design has changed enormously in 30 years, but even more so communications, navigation and access to weather information. So it begs the question of whether a tragedy on such a wide scale could ever happen again? Navigating in 1979 was a world away from today. The article on page 46, a contemporaneous account written by the late Sir Peter Johnson…

1939 Designed by Fred Shepherd and built by AH Moody & Son, Swanwick, on the Hamble for Major (later Sir) Ernest Harston. She was named after the Maori word for the red-tailed tropicbird, a seabird native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Her original sail plans show a small staysail set on inner forestay, and later photos by Beken of Cowes show her setting a large yankee on the outer, fractionally rigged forestay. The hull was painted black. 1946 Described as a “most marvellous ocean racer” by Uffa Fox, in a private letter to Fred Shepherd 1953 Bought by Manchester builder EA Crosby 1954 Bought by George Millar, who was awarded a DSO and a Légion d’Honneur for his wartime exploits. Millar sailed widely on Amokura, including trips to the…

Smart bilge pump controller Nautic Alert’s Nevata HD machine learning controller for electric bilge pump systems sends data to the company for analysis of both long- and short-term trends. Nautic says this is helping create next generation artificial intelligence for pre-failure detection. The premise is a simple one, but is often overlooked by those who want the apparent sense of security that automatically triggered electric bilge pumps offer. It’s all very well to have the bilge automatically emptied every time the level rises a little, but this can mask a developing problem that may not come to light until the pump is unable to cope, or battery capacity is depleted. The company highlights three events on new yachts still under warranty in which the system detected problems. The first was…

THIS MONTH OPEN 60 AAL • INSIDE THE AMERICA’S CUP • MID-OCEAN REPAIRS • MOB RESPONSE • LIGHT WINDS AND TIDES SPECIAL REPORT For many skippers wishing to sail between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, it’s necessary to go via the Strait of Gibraltar. However, for shallow draught yachts, an attractive alternative awaits: a cruise through the French canals. This isn’t necessarily a quicker option; while there are fewer miles to travel, the canals are a slower affair due to the 8km/h speed limit, numerous locks and time spent at either end unstepping and stepping the mast. However, it’s a rewarding and enriching journey, unlike any other type of boating. My partner Nick and I recently took our Southerly 38 through the Canal de Deux Mers and found it to…

A mesmerising bird’s-eye view of myriad shapes and shades thrown over Sardinian waters as 42m/138ft of Herreshoff schooner approaches in full flight. The shot also celebrates the skills of the bowman – in this case balanced on the extreme end of Mariette of 1915 during the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta in June Another of Borlenghi’s masterful aerial shots from the Loro Piana SY regatta, this depicts the 30m/100ft German Frers-designed Wally Y3K fully powered up and in her element. Although ten years old, this seasoned campaigner is every inch the modern performance yacht and always well sailed…

SKI NAUTIQUE GS22 Create your own wave with this specialist wakeboarding sports tender. Where normal boats rely on towing you along behind them, the Super Air series from Ski Nautique goes a step further by concentrating the boat’s natural wake into a much larger wave. So large, in fact, that you can surf along behind it without using a towrope. High freeboard makes for a drier ride for those on board, while the deep-V hull grips the water. But the heart of this bit of kit is the Nautique Surf System – a hydraulically actuated blade that can concentrate and direct the wave at surfing speeds. It only extends a few centimetres, but that is enough to change the wave’s shape. Another nice touch is the way the boat’s exhaust…

Repeatable designs are where the safe money is being spent in sailing superyachts today. While some custom yards are still attracting one-off orders, in recent years it has been designs such as the Swan 115 and the Hoek Truly Classic 128s that have secured multiple orders. And in the 80-110ft sector, Southern Wind has long dominated this market. We were given the chance to trial a prime example of its latest design in ideal conditions off Palma, Mallorca. Kiboko Tres is the third Southern Wind for this particular owner and shows the benefits of consistency and reliability that using a tried and tested recipe brings. But what about the pizzazz, the magic? Some might wonder if, on a yacht this size, the helmsman can still feel that connection to sailing…

One of the most anticipated and closely guarded new boats to launch this year, Alex Thomson’s new Hugo Boss, made its first appearance in August. The aim with his new IMOCA 60 is to try to win the 2020 Vendée Globe. Thomson and his team are renowned for producing boats with radical ideas and aggressive styling. The latest design, a collaboration between VPLP and Thomson’s in-house team, is no exception. He promised his seventh boat will be “a head-turner” – and, with her modern black and magenta branding, sculptural curved lines and radical new layout, she is just that. Thomson is keeping the details very close to his chest until the boat’s official launch in mid-September, but the first photos reveal that the bow sections are fuller and more bulbous…

Cowes Week got off to a late start in August when unseasonal 40-50 knot winds swept the Solent on the opening day. So strong were the forecast winds that regatta organisers cancelled racing for all classes two days in advance, while the dayboats in White Group and some of the smaller cruiser classes were also cancelled for day two. The Kings’s Cup, the celebrity charity race day headed up by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, was brought forward a day. while the first day of racing for the SailGP fleet (see page 18) was cancelled. The remainder of the week featured a series of demanding strong wind races, with heavy rain dousing competitors almost every day. Yachts dismasted on multiple days and reefing became part of the pre-race routine…

They say you should never meet your heroes, lest they be found to be merely mortal. Yet one of sailing’s rarest qualities is that there are a handful of events where the ordinary weekend racer can line up against their yachting idols, even if they don’t expect to meet them after. For few events is this truer than the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race. The time frames may vary hugely – this year the fastest boat completed the course in just 28 hours, the slowest took over six days – and so the weather experienced by the line honours yachts and small boats may be wildly different, but the course – 605 miles from Cowes to Plymouth around the Fastnet Rock – is identical. First timers and school crews set off…

FACTS Tested by DAVID HARDING Where we tested: Punta Ala, Italy Wind: 21-26 knots, flat water Model: Contest 85CS, heavily customised including carbon rig and modified deck layout Cruising the world in a large, fast, comfortable yacht is everyone’s dream. Even if your finances allow the dream to become a reality, however, you’re still faced with the practicalities of running the boat; of undertaking or organising maintenance and repairs in parts of the world where you won’t find lift-out facilities and a well-stocked chandlery in every port. You might have a permanent crew, but a modern yacht and its systems are complex. The greater the size, the greater the complexity and the more crew you will need, so how do you make sure you can enjoy your sailing with minimal…

“JOLIE BRISE IS THE ONLY YACHT TO HAVE WON THE FASTNET RACE THREE TIMES (1ST IN 1925, 1929 AND 1930)” RICK TOMLINSON NOMINATES JOLIE BRISE “This choice is made out respect for the boat (and crew),” says Rick Tomlinson. “There is nothing new in sailing, it’s all been done before by someone. Jolie Brise is over 100 years old but has much in common with the latest trends in yacht design – a long bowsprit, loose-luffed furling headsails and a fathead mainsail (that’s supported by a gaff rather than carbon battens). “I have photographed Jolie Brise many times but when skipper Toby Marris asked me if I could get a shot of her rounding the Rock in the 2013 Fastnet Race I voiced my concern that they were likely to…

FONTAINE 41M KETCH Ted Fontaine has a long track record of producing visionary yachts with novel solutions to common problems. His latest 41m/135ft concept is for an experienced client wanting “a seaworthy, fully outfitted world cruising ketch” that can also be used for Bucket type racing. The design embodies more innovative thinking than the classic lines and styling might at first suggest. The brief requires that the design should stand the test of time and be appealing after 20 years. Styling therefore blends elements of both classic and contemporary, including a plumb bow, extended transom and what Fontaine describes as “a progressive interpretation of a traditional-styled superstructure.” Fontaine told us the external styling is also informed by the client’s appreciation of the hull lines of the 43m/141ft Frers ketch Rebecca,…

PHOTOS: SAILING ENERGY / SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA From the towering masts and spreading canvas of the 50m/165ft schooner Meteor to the carbonbladed racing sails of Baltic WinWin, this is a race fleet that stands apart. The Superyacht Cup in Palma had a small field of 13 yachts this year, but the numbers belied the spectacle. Few racing fleets anywhere embody such diverse ideas of function and beauty under sail. Big boat racing has become more serious and polished as crews push some of the world’s purest pleasure machines to their maximum. Not only is it a fantastic spectacle in Palma Bay, but also a demonstration of finely honed skills. These are on a par with what one would find in the most elite areas of the sport. This fleet is…

Monaco is gearing up to host the world’s biggest and best superyachts for sale from 25-28 September, with 125 boats to be jockeyed into the Principality’s Port Hercule. The average size is nearly 50m/165ft, with the largest boat, Amadea, stretching to 107m/350ft LOA. At the time of writing, eight sailing superyachts were due to figure in the show, and others anchored nearby. They are naturally smaller than their motor yacht relatives; the average sailing yacht LOA is around 40m/130ft, and the longest is Seahawk, the 2013 Perini Navi, at 60m/197ft. Last year’s policy of much higher ticket prices only lowered footfall marginally, but has been judged a success, so organisers are repeating the tactic this year. The opening hours have slipped forward, too, with an 1100 start for the show…