Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2022 i Yachting World

One thing we are never short of when putting together each issue is a wishlist of interesting new yachts to get on board. Pandemic be damned, because the full flowing stream of ground-breaking, or pure dream-inducing designs coming onto the market each year shows no sign of drying up. This month we’ve tested the latest yacht from one of sailing’s most iconic brands, an all-new French yard’s innovative catamaran, and take a look at forthcoming production boats by the most popular builders in the world. And we could have filled those pages twice over. But how to view new designs – for both us, and prospective buyers – is becoming increasingly complicated. As we go to press, comes news that UK visitors won’t be able to travel to the world’s…

The three-year time limit for ‘Returned Goods Relief’ (RGR), which saw UK yacht owners potentially facing large VAT bills when they brought their yachts back to the UK after cruising in Europe post-Brexit, has been dropped. Following the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020, HMRC had previously announced that UK-owned yachts would lose their VAT-paid status once they have been out of the UK for three years. This would make owners liable for a second VAT payment when they return, based on the boat’s current value. HMRC later granted an extension to this RGR exemption, if the vessel returned to the UK before 30 June 2022 (or within the three year period if that runs later). Effectively, that gave many UK owners who’d taken their yachts…

The giant 100ft trimaran Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has smashed the 50-knot barrier, according to the Gitana team. The speed can’t be officially ratified, but skipper Charles Caudrelier hit the new top speed of 50.7 knots during an astonishing 24-hour run on his return delivery from the Transat Jacques Vabre in Martinque back across the Atlantic. The Ultime covered an incredible 880 miles in 24 hours at an average speed of 36.6 knots. The official record for a 24-hour run is 850 miles, set by Caudrelier’s usual co-skipper Franck Cammas in 2017.…

In the last column I wrote about ‘manual’ skills training for aspirant sailors, the practical, hands-on knowledge you need. Lately I’ve been reviewing another manual – the one for the boat. My experience with boat manuals written by the manufacturers of production boats is that they’re wholly inadequate. They’re more of an operator’s manual, the sort you get with your car and full of advice that tells you if such and such fails, contact your dealer. Even custom-build manuals – by nature much more elaborate – make the assumption that everything will function as designed simply by pressing the right button. But if you are at sea and things fail, you need all the ‘what if’ scenarios imagined and elaborated on. On my boats we have filed away the shipyard…

‘LinkedOut’s success came as a surprise to some’ Two boats achieved stunning victories in the latest edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre, establishing leads before the halfway mark that they extended to the finish: the 30-metre Ultim trimaran Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and the IMOCA 60 LinkedOut. LinkedOut eventually finished a full 20 hours ahead of their nearest rivals (by comparison, in the Vendée Globe, the leaders finished within a single evening). Both were remarkable wins in the famous doublehanded transatlantic race, in which many of the biggest stars of offshore racing were competing, including Charles Caudrelier, Amel le Cleac’h, Yannick Bestaven, Thomas Colville, Kevin Escoffier and Brian Thompson. LinkedOut’s success, and that of co-skippers Thomas Ruyant and Morgan Lagravière, came as a surprise to some, as the 2019 foiling…

We found our time on board two Seawind 1260 charter cats invaluable to prepare for the transition from our previous 38ft monohull to our new 45ft catamaran, which is currently in build. Key elements we were keen to try in ‘real life’ included the twin helm arrangement on the 1260. This was a critical test, as the 1370 will be replicating this exact design so Nick and I would perch on one helm seat each, testing out the helm position. Luckily we both felt very confident with the set-up. We were also able to make some decisions about the specifications on our new boat that we may not have understood the importance of otherwise. For example, we’d never fully appreciated just how sensitive catamarans are to weight. One charter yacht…

LOA 11.00m 36ft 1in Beam 3.80m 12ft 6in Draught 2.25m 7ft 5in Displacement 4,800kg 10,580lb Ballast 1,550kg 3,420lb Upwind sail area 80m2 860ft2 Downwind sail area 180m2 1,930ft2 Price ex VAT €198,000 beneteau.com The First range used to dominate the performance cruiser/racer market so Beneteau’s return to the 30-40ft sector with its first new First model in this size range for almost a decade and a half has been welcomed by many. This new 36 is designed by the Class 40 and IMOCA’s man of the moment, Sam Manuard, and was already being developed by Seascape when the Slovenian company partnered with Beneteau in 2018. Manuard tells us that the design specification hasn’t changed in that time, “so there’s no advantage in changing the hull shape. The boat already has…

LOA 14.60m 47ft 11in LWL 13.05m 42ft 10in Beam 4.79m 15ft 9in Draught (std) 2.25m 7ft 5in Displacement 12,600kg 27,778lb Price ex VAT €270,900 hanseyachtsag.com Following a generation of Judel/Vrolijk designs, Hanse’s new 460 is the first from Berret Racoupeau, which will surprise many as it forces closer comparison with French production yachts such as the Oceanis range. The French design studio won the pitch for the 460 by drawing a clever hull shape that combines all round performance with a versatile interior and cockpit. The inclusion of fore and aft chines helps the transition from a narrow waterline to a highly voluminous hull for the accommodation. The 460 features a single rudder, a tall rig and keel options, while Hanse’s renowned easy handling has been retained. It’s a yacht…

Pilot books used to be how we explored new destinations. Cruisers and charter sailors alike will have spent many hours poring over sketch maps and grainy photos in a hardback book that may not have been updated for many moons to identify where might offer good holding, a mini-mart, or a worthy snorkelling spot. Nowadays we're all used to having information at our fingertips, literally, through a smartphone. Naturally, a crop of apps and websites have developed to service the appetite for good quality information about sailing locations. Cruising social media groups are bursting with personal recommendations or impressions, but this information is often uncategorised or hard to verify. Now, a number of more ‘official’ online sites and apps have been launched that combine user-generated up to date information with…

‘Camper brought out the best in us’ CHRIS NICHOLSON NOMINATES CAMPER “I first raced in the Volvo Ocean Race at the end of the Volvo 60 era, and then it was a quantum leap to the new Volvo Open 70. It started out with all the issues – with boats breaking and sinking – to where we ended up with Camper/VO70s, a boat where everybody on board needed to be at the top of their game to sail them safely around the world. “They were a real handful and we had some huge moments, but they just demanded the best people you can find on the planet, and that was such a cool, cool group of people to be part of. “VO70s were an influential design in terms of creating…

One crew member died, two yachts were abandoned, and two made successful mid-Atlantic rescues during this year’s ARC and ARC+ transatlantic rallies. The first incident occurred six days into the ARC crossing, when a sailor aboard the X-Yachts X43 Agecanonix was fatally injured on the night of 26/27 November. French sailor Max Delannoy, 73, is understood to have been struck by the boom. On a Facebook page set up for those following Agecanonix’s crossing, family member Stéphanie Barrière reported: “Our dear Max was a victim of an accident last night, when he was just taking the helm for his night shift, the boom violently hit him in the head. Philippe, who was in the cockpit, was able to hold him back from falling into the water, but he died suddenly.” The…

Yachts of the Year What are the most exciting new launches for 2022? Toby Hodges reveals the winners of the European Yacht of the Year award and shares his favourites from the many contenders Hobart for two The legendary Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race just got even tougher, with a new double-handed division. Crosbie Lorimer reports from the Australian classic An unusual ARC This year’s ARC rally saw unusual conditions and a memorable crossing for many; Rachael Sprot met the crews into St Lucia Starting young Real-life advice from families who live aboard and cruise with pre-school aged children on keeping it safe, fun and stress-free for all Big breeze skills How to sail in heavy weather: Andy Schell has essential skipper’s tips on preparing, sail handling, helming, and more…

There has been a huge surge in the sales of performance multihulls. The market for these boats is broadening; multihull cruisers are upgrading, monohull sailors are upsizing, and even virgin boat owners are tempted. Over the last 12 months, while coaching for Outremer, I’ve met hundreds of these owners, everyone from young families to retired couples moving aboard a new catamaran and setting sail on a circumnavigation. Handling a performance catamaran is achievable even for a novice multihull sailor. But there is a big difference between just ‘getting by’ on such a boat versus sailing efficiently, safely and in style. The transition for even experienced sailors can be quite a step up. For a seasoned monohull sailor, the differences are obvious: increased volume and speed, and a lack of heel.…

It was around the moment that we both huddled over the vent of our diesel air heater for warmth, droplets of condensation forming on the hatches overhead, the smell of mildew filling cabinets and closets, that we started to ask ourselves: why? Why did we, two American sailors, leave the balmy Caribbean to sail some 4,000 miles across the North Atlantic, only to spend the winter stuck in a marina on the south coast of England during a long lockdown? It was really only by chance that myself and Roxy, my wife and Sonder’s co-skipper, ended up staying in England after travel restrictions delayed our planned sail south to the Mediterranean. But what started as a disruption turned to serendipity in early May, when restrictions lifted and we departed our…

This French start-up venture might just have paved a new way forward in production yacht building. Windelo is the brainchild of the Kauffmanns, a father and son team who wanted to create something altogether different from the norm and to build boats that have half the environmental impact of standard glassfibre yachts. The result is an intriguing package – from the clean styling, modular interior and novel layout to the electric propulsion – the Windelo 50 is completely fresh. Having followed this project for the last three years, I was aware of the R&D the new yard had put into materials and its strive for a greener product. What I wasn’t quite expecting is the sailing rewards. The forward cockpit design combined with the yacht’s performance could surprise many… BUILD…

LOA 13.30m 43ft 8in Beam 7.36m 23ft 0in Draught 1.45m 4ft 9in Displacement 10,700kg 22,046lb Price ex VAT €543,600 nautitechcatamarans.com It’s been many years since we’ve seen an all new Nautitech model, but it may have been worth the wait. A really good looking blend of volume and performance for a family cruising production cat has ensured this new 44 Open has risen to the top of our wishlist of new multihulls to see and sail in the new year. It took 12 months in development after Nautitech used a panel of existing owners to try to create the ideal owner boat, one which sits between its 40 and 46 Open. While it’s a bold decision to abandon 50% of the (charter) market and only focus on private boats, this…

LOA 10.31m 33ft 10in Beam 3.31m 10ft 8in Draught 1.90m 6ft 3in Displacement 4,900kg 10,800lb Price ex VAT €119,520 dufour-yachts.com The Dufour 32 is a compact new launch with particularly impressive deck and cockpit space thanks to its combination of modern wide aft beam hull shape and clever solutions. An inflatable platform acts as a lightweight transom enclosure, for example, which can easily be removed and deflated or can serve as a sizable swim platform-cum-floating sunbathing space. The tiller hinges up to free-up cockpit space, while the table can adjoin the two benches for full lounging space. The result is a cockpit that can transform into a much larger, and more comfortable area than most other 32ft yachts can accommodate. The wide beam gives the interior a spacious feel as…

Most modern electronic charts now offer the possibility of creating bespoke charts using your own depth soundings. With latest multifunction displays, C-Map, Navionics and BlueChart all allow you to display depths in 1ft contours. They also give you access to the detailed sonar logs of other users. C-Map calls its data Genesis Social, Navionics is SonarChart and BlueChart is Quickdraw Contours. This user generated data is key to the future, according to the cartography brands. “At the moment we’re all competing with more or less the same content,” says Jakob Svensson, product manager of C-Map. “We want to crowdsource data and enrich the charts with unique content not available anywhere else. Seeing the seabed reproduced in startling detail gives you a new understanding of the way rivers and creeks run…

A good yacht that’s ready to sail away can be hard to find in the current market. Thinking outside the box about where to look can help you get on the water faster. We take a look at options to find a boat in turnkey condition It’s no secret that if you want a new yacht the wait is now likely to be two years or more. But what if you don’t want to take on a refit and want to get on the water quickly? There is no simple answer, but casting the net wider, and working closely with brokers that know what you are looking for, are both crucial. Like most brokerage businesses, Ancasta had an unusual 2021. Roger Bailey heads up their Sotogrande office. “We sold boats…

Since entries for the 37th America’s Cup opened on 1 December 2021, two teams have confirmed they will be challenging. In what must be a huge boost to the beleaguered Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand, both are seriously bighitting teams. Both have also signed significant partnerships with Formula 1 teams. First to confirm was Alinghi. Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, whose team was the first ever to win on its Cup debut in 2003, makes a return as Alinghi Red Bull Racing. “Eleven years after winning the America’s Cup, we’re back. We never quite left,” Bertarelli said. “When we stopped racing in the Cup we didn’t stop competing. We always had in mind that we would come back.” Alinghi will be racing under the burgee of the Société Nautique de Genève.…

There’s one big giveaway as to whether someone started their sailing with small boats and that’s how they brush their teeth. Anyone who leaves the tap running while polishing their pegs clearly hasn’t had to live aboard a small cruiser with limited fresh water. Offshore with no watermaker ensures you preserve what resources you have and that includes being sparing with the wet stuff on the brush. But as systems and specifications aboard some of the world’s plushest cruisers resemble hotel suites with hot and cold running everything, power sockets aplenty and individual air conditioning controllers in each cabin, life afloat has changed to mimic the way we live ashore. Aside from water usage, our dependency on electrical power is another clear example of just how much has changed. For…

• Add one more wrap on the winch than you think you need, until you know the boat really well. • Hold the rope with your hands the safest way around – in fists with pinkies closest to the winch (imagine boxing). • Never wrap the rope around your fist. Use hand position (right) to create sharp 90° turning points on the rope for heightened control. • Adopt a powerful body stance – wide legged with chest and shoulders above the winch – so that you can move away from it easily and have better control.…

If it could float, it was out on the water in Sydney Harbour that day. Ferries, dinghies, powerboats, catamarans, superyachts, naval ships, and everything in between streamed across the famous inlet. My partner, Nick, and I had collected our charter catamaran from its base, tucked into Rozelle Bay in Sydney Harbour, and now had to navigate this bustling city’s water traffic in an unfamiliar catamaran. We were both feeling a little nervous. However, the moment that Harbour Bridge came into view, followed moments later by the Opera House looming in the background, our fears were overcome by the sheer thrill. There is nothing quite like sailing past an iconic landmark, and they don’t come more iconic than Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and Opera House. As an Australian I’d dreamed of this…

LOA 15.30m 50ft 2in Hull length 14.10m 46ft 3in LWL 13.68m 44ft 11in Beam 4.49m 14ft 9in Draught 2.80m 9ft 2in Displacement 11,250kg 24,802lb Price ex VAT €379,900 elan-yachts.com This E6 looks like a real weapon. Elan has collaborated with three key firms to try to ensure the new flagship of its performance line has the edge, as it is intended to be the fastest, lightest and stiffest production performance cruiser of its size (47ft) on the market. To help achieve this ambitious target, the Slovenian yard’s go-to designer Humphreys Yacht Design used CFD to analyse various forms, which led to a lightweight, chined hull with minimal wetted surface when heeled, together with a tall rig and deep T-keel. Rob Humphreys calculates that the E6 should power up early and…

LOA 20.70m 65ft 6in LWL 18.00m 59ft 0in Beam 5.90m 17ft 8in Displacement 31,000kg 63,343lb Price TBA jeanneau.com The Jeanneau 64, which we fondly remember sailing in a Mistral off Marseille eight years ago, proved the demand for production yachts of this supersize. It also showed that Jeanneau could build a yacht to new levels of length and quality while keeping the price below seven figures. But with today’s changes in hull shapes it was time for an update. This new flagship is again the combined design work of superyacht supremos Philippe Briand and Andrew Winch and their collaboration and experience shows. It features a vast guest cockpit, a proper tender garage and a large swim platform with integrated steps. And in many ways it looks like a larger version…

Clarionet is one of the original Sparkman & Stephens ‘terrible twins’ which set the trend for performance fin keel yachts At just 36ft 9in, the Sparkman & Stephens sloop Clarionet is an unassuming yacht, often dwarfed by larger competitors on the UK classic racing circuit. Yet Clarionet helped change the course of yacht design and influenced the shape of most boats since the 1960s. No wonder, then, that her current owner has taken the trouble (and expense) to return her to original configuration – even though the work has almost certainly ‘de-optimised’ her for racing. Her race winning days may well be over, but something more important has been achieved in the process. Clarionet was built during a major turning point for yacht design. Designers had been experimenting with fin…

Chris Nicholson is one of the most experienced ocean racing skippers in the world. He shares advice on night helming with Andy Rice Chris Nicholson’s prowess in 18ft Skiffs and three World Championship titles in the early days of the 49er Olympic dinghy drew the attention of Grant Dalton when he recruited the Australian to join his crew for the 2001/02 Volvo Ocean Race on board the Volvo 60, Amer Sports One. Nicholson had been somewhat economical with the facts at the job interview with his new boss, as back then ‘Nico’ had next to no experience of sailing out of sight of land. But Dalton recognised the potential of this new breed of skiff sailor for understanding the demands of helming twitchy, highspeed race yachts like the VO60. Nicholson…

Joroen Slot purchased a Forgus 52 pilothouse in Sweden while still living in Hong Kong. Formerly a pilot for Dragonair, he decided to sell up and sail away with his young family when he was made redundant as the pandemic took hold. “We had lived on our Lagoon 450 in Hong Kong for over a year at one point, but that boat was on finance while I was working. “To cruise long term, we were looking for something strong and safe that was also good value. I was heavily influenced in my criteria by reading John Kretschmer. The Lagoon was £400,000, this was £150,000, the difference is that we are now sailing full time and I feel very safe in the Forgus offshore. The Lagoon we only used when we…