Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i Yachting World

This year’s Round the Island Race was a true Solent classic. A solid south-westerly powered 1,000-plus yachts around the Isle of Wight, kicking up a lumpy swell that turned many on the rail a fetching shade of green, for a few hours at least. But the motivating thing about a circumnavigation course, even a 50-mile race around a rock, is that there’s no turning back. Keep going until you’ve completed the circle. Australian sailor Mark Sinclair took this principle to extreme lengths when he completed his around the world solo circumnavigation – three years after he set off (see page 13). Sinclair became the last finisher of the Golden Globe Race when he sailed back into Les Sables d’Olonne 1,426 days after the race started, having paused in Adelaide to…

A brisk and blustery south-westerly saw Ian Atkins’ GP42 Dark‘N’Stormy take a rare double victory in the UK's annual Round the Island Race on 25 June. Dark‘N’Stormy claimed both monohull line honours, and the overall IRC win for the coveted Gold Roman Bowl in the annual race around the Isle of Wight. They also took the class win in IRC 0. The last time the same boat won all three trophies was Simon Le Bon's Drum in 1988. Dark‘N’Stormy’s owner Ian Atkins was unable to take part in the race, but his boat was crewed by an all-star cast including Volvo Ocean Race winner Ian Walker, who was calling tactics, Cup veteran Nick Bonner, Abby Childerley and Mark Chisnell. The 91st running of the famous race saw a later than…

Cat cruise countdown Everything you need to know (but were too scared to ask!) about bluewater multihull cruising. Nikki Henderson has met hundreds of new cruising cat owners; she shares the key questions she’s most often asked, and advice you need before casting off on the adventure of a lifetime. Jimmy Cornell on voyage planning The world’s weather is changing – cruising guru Jimmy Cornell has been tracking how climate change has affected world sailing routes, and has expert tips on how to future proof your voyage planning. Best of the boat show launches We pick out some of the most exciting new designs that will be making their debut at this autumn’s shows in Southampton and Cannes. On test: Oyster 495 The British brand’s smallest entirely new model in…

For the coastal sailor, upwind sailing skills are critical: there’s nothing like a lee shore to focus the mind on tacking angles and leeway. For the ocean sailor the challenges are VMG, handling swell and avoiding a crash gybe, but ongoing developments in hull, rig, sail and hardware design have generated huge variations in how we do this. There’s a confusing array of kit and tactics to choose from, so it’s important to spend time on research before spending money on equipment. The first rule of any big decision is to know yourself, your boat and your crew. Neil Mackley, of North Sails, explains: “The thing I most enjoy is sitting down with people and finding out about them. Are they comfortable handling a pole? Are they happy working on…

Pride of ownership is a tricky quality to quantify. To many yacht owners looks will play second fiddle to pragmatics – practicality, space and affordability all rank higher (hence the success of serial production yachts). But surely you have considered which yacht might theoretically make you the most proud to own? Here the monohull will likely always reign, with classic yachts in particular having that evergreen appeal, their owners willing to offset that need for constant maintenance with the visual pleasure their yacht brings. I’m often asked which yacht I would choose, and that depends on circumstance – including when, where, for how long and for what imaginary budget. But for those lucky enough to afford a treasured possession to keep in a warm location, something they can take continued…

LOA 12.47m 40ft 10in Draught 1.10-2.60m 3ft 7in-8ft 6in Displacement 12,000kg 26,500lb Sail area 84.7m2 910ft2 Price POA arsouinmarine.com This lifting keel monohull is the first in a range of yachts that has also been conceived from the outset for electric propulsion. A steerable 20kW Fischer Panda pod drive eliminates the need for a bow thruster and, as the unit is slung below the hull, there’s no need for the motor to have a water cooling system. It also saves a considerable amount of space inside the boat. The motor also has a hydrogenerating function, producing 500W of charge when sailing at six knots. A generous 75kW battery capacity gives a 36 mile range at six knots, while the standard range-extender diesel generator matches the power of the pod drive,…

X-Yachts has launched its first yacht with electric propulsion, a 49-footer for long distance cruising. The Danish yard worked closely with the owner, who wants to use his yacht for bluewater sailing. Twin 10kW Oceanvolt ServoProp electric pods are mounted below the aft cabin bunks each side. They run off a 28.8kW lithium battery bank to give around 23 miles range at 5 knots and can regenerate up to 3.5kW when sailing at 8 knots. A 11kW diesel generator provides range extension. X-yachts.com…

PRB is the latest IMOCA to launch. Originally designed for The Ocean Race, it will be Kevin Escoffier's boat for the next Vendée Globe As if the new PRB IMOCA 60 were not eye-catching enough, the story behind it is truly remarkable. The reason Kevin Escoffier needed a new IMOCA in a hurry is well documented: in early December 2020 Escoffier was racing in the Vendée Globe around the world race, 800 miles south of Cape Town, when his previous PRB suddenly and catastrophically broke up (see page 48 for Escoffier's recovery). The previous PRB, a 2009 Verdier-VPLP design that had been retrofitted with foils, sank without trace, leaving Escoffier not only without a boat, but also without answers as to why his yacht had broken up. One thing not…

The second running of the Vendée Arctique Race, the newest event on the IMOCA calendar, had to be shortened and then abandoned after a 50-knot storm and cross seas swept the fleet in the North Atlantic. Twenty-five solo skippers began the 3,500-mile race which started on 12 June from Les Sables d’Olonne, and is the first of five qualifying races for the 2024 Vendée Globe. Unusually the Vendée Arctique course sends the fleet northwards towards the Arctic Circle. Twenty-four hours in the leaders had slowed to a crawl, as a high pressure ridge brought just 2-5 knots. However, two days later organisers had made the decision to shorten course, removing the planned passage around the north of Iceland, thanks to a forecast deep low pressure system set to bring 40-knot…

If you’re the navigator there’s only one answer that should come more quickly than your own name and that’s the time of high tide. Knowing whether it’s springs or neaps should roll off the tongue next. And yet I’m frequently surprised at how the immediate response from some racing navigators when asked the time of high water is to look down at their tablet. It doesn’t stop there: in the closing stages of a pre-start it seems common for the helmsman to be asking for the time to burn to the line, often when it’s no more than 100m in front of them. Given the modest numbers of competitors in the kind of handicap fleets that run such advanced race nav systems, it’s rare there’d be a wall of sails…

I didn’t expect to see it. I was on watch, on my 23rd day at sea, when the island of Mangareva appeared in the distance in front of my bow. I looked up, white sea birds were whistling as they swirled around my mast. They were singing the end of my first solo crossing. It had begun with a promise I’d made to myself: to reach French Polynesia on my own yacht. I discovered much more than the end of a challenge when I arrived in Gambier after 23 days of solo sailing. The archipelago cultivates the black pearl, the jewel of its lagoon, but it’s far from being the only treasure as these generous islands and their inhabitants charm and bewitch their visitors. The Gambier Islands are a hidden…

LOA 16.5m 54ft 1in Beam 5.12m 16ft 9in Draught 1.55-3.20m 5ft 1in-10ft 6in Displacement 17,200kg 37,900lb Sail area 195m2 2,100ft2 Base price from €1,550,000 ex VAT viatormarine.com Electric propulsion makes a great deal of sense for explorer yachts that have to be self-sufficient for long periods. Energy reserves can be replenished through regeneration when there’s enough wind to sail at a decent speed, along with a large area of solar panels. At the same time electric cookers and tenders with electric motors eliminate the need to source petrol and gas in remote areas. An additional small ‘range extender’ diesel generator will keep the boat moving in prolonged calms. German company Viator Marine is a new name in the boatbuilding world, but one that’s backed by substantial private equity investment. The…

LOA 20m 65ft 7in Beam 11.0m 36ft 1in Price POA searide.international In some ways this boat takes the ideas embodied in the Zen50 (above right) a stage further. In addition to charging battery banks, excess power from regeneration, solar and wind power can be used to produce and store green hydrogen. A fuel cell can then be used to convert this back to electricity to power the twin 400kW electric motors, without the environmental and humanitarian concerns currently associated with the production of many lithium batteries.…

If you’re buying a second-hand racing yacht, how do you ensure you’ll be competitive? Rupert Holmes analyses what to look for when buying a used yacht for serious IRC racing fun A big factor in the success of classes as diverse as the former Fast 40 fleet and Quarter Tonners is that IRC is proven to be an extremely equitable rating system when used for boats of a similar style. There are also plenty of examples of older designs – such as J/105s – notching up significant successes offshore, particularly in double-handed classes, while in last year’s Rolex Fastnet Race, an X-332 (designed in 1994) won Division 4. Equally, Ross Appleby’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster has an enviable long-term record and was 3rd overall in last year’s RORC Season’s Points.…

£275,000 ex VAT Khumbu (ex 42 South) A very well prepared Reichel/Pugh 42 from 2007 in a similar mould to Jean Genie/Dark N Stormy and just completing a major refit. sea-ventures.co.uk £60,000 Corby 40 (ex Cracklin’ Rosie) This custom 40-footer was built of strip cedar and benefits from a new suit of North sails and full hull respray in 2020. berthoninternational.com £66,000 Farr 280 A 2015 example already optimised for IRC racing, with the inboard engine removed, and won the 2019 Silver Rudder race. hp30class.com/brokerage…

Australian solo skipper Mark Sinclair, an entrant in the 2018 Golden Globe Race, has completed his solo circumnavigation 1,426 days since starting. Sinclair, who is widely known by the name ‘Captain Coconut’, started the 2018 Golden Globe Race on 1 July but, running short on water and plagued by a barnacle infestation which was severely reducing his boat speed, decided to stop in his home port of Adelaide, South Australia in December. The Golden Globe Race has no finish time, and though the main competition is non-stop, skippers who make a single stop may continue in ‘Chichester’ class (ie completing a circumnavigation in the style of Sir Francis Chichester). Having entered the 2022 Golden Globe, former Australian Navy Captain Sinclair then resumed his 2018 race three years later, setting off…

A new double-handed around the world race, the Globe40, has started from the Moroccan city of Tangier. Seven double-handed Class40 teams set off on a 30,000-mile multi-stage around the world race on Sunday, 26 June, on the first round the world race to depart from Africa. Created especially for the Class40, the Globe40 entry list features more highly experienced amateurs than heavily sponsored professional teams. It is run over eight legs with the option for the two-man teams to switch out crew at several points in the race, making it easier for competitors to manage home life without the commitment of being offshore for nine months. All the crews include at least one amateur and most are only crewed by non-professionals, albeit non-professionals with impressive amounts of bluewater and offshore…

Magnus Rassy has announced that his Swedish yard is to build ‘the greatest Hallberg-Rassy ever’ in its largest flagship to date, the Hallberg--Rassy 69. The Frers design is very much an evolution of the brand’s recent launches, such as the HR50 and HR57 – including the modern hull shape, twin rudders and fixed bowsprit, although with a completely flush foredeck forward of the mast. Once again it is set up for pushbutton sailing which, Rassy says, should ensure it can be handled by a family crew. A dedicated crew cabin is not in the accommodation plan, but there are Pullmans and plenty of space within the main living area, which is also all on one level. The owner’s cabin is aft, with split or double berth versions available. Launch is…

Given the current conflict in the Ukraine it seems an appropriate time to retell a few anecdotes of my experience skippering Fazisi in the 1989/90 Whitbread Race. When people bring up the story in conversation they more often than not will ask something like, ‘How was it with the Russians…?’ Lest we forget, the project started out pre-Perestroika and was truly a Soviet affair both in organisation and in the composition of the crew. In the team we had Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians, a Moldavian and a Latvian. The chairman of the project was Georgian, the designer was Russian, the skipper elect was Ukrainian. When I joined the team in Poti in Georgia where the hull was built, the mood was collegiate and Soviet. The Soviet Union was at that point…

‘Box office stuff’ is how Ben Ainslie described the opening day of the latest Sail GP event, in Chicago, USA. And truly, it was: the sun shone, the wind blew, the crowds waved their Stars’n’ Stripes flags as the foiling F50s whizzed around in front of an iconic city skyline. Sailing, Hollywood-style. This is a new vernacular for sailing. Ainslie and his peers may be the biggest names in the sport, but they are not showmen. Sailors are not athletes used to hyping the crowd or capturing a stadium with tension – they’ve spent most of their careers competing on the horizon. SailGP set out to change all that. When it was launched in 2018 it proclaimed its modest ambition of redefining the entire sport. The event would pit the…

LOA 14.02m 46ft 0in Beam 7.50m 25ft 7in Draught 1.20-2.50m 4ft 0in-8ft 3in Displacement 8,200kg 18,100lb Sail area 131.6m2 1,416ft2 Base price US$675,000 ex VAT, ex works Dubai seaquestcatamarans.com Light displacement greatly reduces the amount of power needed to drive a vessel – an important factor in an electric yacht. This is one of the reasons Mike Eaton, who has a decades-long background in building performance yachts, turned to renowned raceboat designer Shaun Carkeek to create his ultimate long term cruising yacht. The result is this lightweight 46ft cruising catamaran with slender hulls, especially in the forward sections, while curved daggerboards help lift the bows at speed. This produces a boat that’s fast across a broad spectrum of wind speeds and angles. The less time spent motoring, whether in light…

LOA 15.70m 51ft 6in Beam 8.40m 27ft 7in Draught 1.30m 4ft 4in Displacement 16,000kg 35,280lb Price from approx US$2,000,000 zenyachts.com How far is it possible to push the concept of this kind of yacht? Maltese firm Zero Emission Nautic has gone further than most with its Zen50, thanks to the desire to maximise the surface area for solar panels, plus an innovative wingsail rig that has its origins in America’s Cup technology. It might be easy to dismiss this design as one that’s not a ‘proper’ yacht thanks to its styling, but the history of yacht design tells us shapes that were once considered unacceptable are often eventually adopted into the mainstream. This boat may yet be more representative of the future of cruising yachts than many of us are…

When my family and I set off on what we thought would be a two-year sailing sabbatical in 2018, we didn’t have any plans of working along the way. We were not the exception; almost all our fellow cruisers seemed to be on a work hiatus. We spent time blissfully unaware of what day of the week it was and rarely looked at emails. However, after 12 months of Caribbean cruising our funds had I decided to use my newfound freedom to design a career that would allow my family and I to travel. I always thought I'd make a good entrepreneur; I just never had the time or courage to make it happen. Now I had endless time and nothing to lose. Friends and family encouraged me to try…

How to stay out of trouble on the racecourse, and how to handle a protest if you find yourself in one: rules advisor and umpire Bill O’Hara talks to Andy Rice When working as a rules adviser, Bill O’Hara’s job with his sailors is to make sure they understand the rules well enough to stay out of the protest room. But if they do find themselves heading for the room, to understand how best to present their case. O’Hara comments: “Mostly on the water it’s a live-and-let-live culture. You tend to see very few protests most of the time, until you reach the day when it’s trying to make it into a gold fleet, or at the Olympic Games where there’s so much on the line. Then everything changes dramatically…

‘She had a crew of 64 to handle the gigantic sailplan’ ANDRE HOEK NOMINATES RELIANCE My choice would be the yacht Reliance of 1903 designed by the famous Nat Herreshoff. I read the book Temple to the Wind a long time ago and could not put it down. That yacht was, for its day, such an extreme design and engineering feat, without computers and all designed and built in a short time. Herreshoff was the master in those days. The yacht measured over 200ft overall with just 90ft of waterline [the huge overhangs were to take advantage of the rating rule when heeled], it displaced 189 tons and had a sail area of 1,500m2 (16,000ft2)! It was massive and with wooden masts that tipped 200ft above the water, an 84ft…