Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2020 i Sailing Today

How’s your knowledge of the Colregs this winter? Up to speed? Or perhaps some surface rust is creeping in after a few months with the yacht laid up? If that sounds like you, invest in a copy of A Seaman’s Guide to the Rule of the Road (£12.50 from all good marine bookshops). Install it in the small room and systematically read it on your daily visit. By Easter you’ll be a master of the subject. It’s many years since I first put out to sea and I’ve noticed big changes in ships’ lights. Time was when a merchantman popping up over the horizon showed first her white fore and aft steaming lights. These gave a fair indication of what her aspect might be. Then a red or green side…

Wales is the Narnia of nations. Outwardly tiny but, viewed from within, suddenly an expansive dramatic wilderness where you could lose yourself for years. Its coastline reflects this land of myth and magic, the last stronghold of the Druids. It is rugged, wild and beautiful, but once you sail north from Fishguard in Pembrokeshire, you will find little reliable shelter for a 43ft (13.1m) yacht like N’Tiana until you reach Anglesey. Even there, the principal marina in Holyhead had been all but destroyed by Storm Emma a few months before our arrival, leaving few options for those seeking safe haven. Sailing north across Cardigan Bay towards the Llyn Peninsula, you cross an invisible dividing line. North Wales is where Britain gives up on being the green and pleasant land of…

Make no mistake, this is a cruising boat with some racing potential and added bling for good measure. It’s reasonably fast, and a pleasingly poised performer, but stripped-out ocean racer she ain’t. If that’s what you’re after, you’ll be disappointed. In fact, Beneteau has pinpointed the market it is going for with this boat with laser accuracy. If I was Solaris, I would be absolutely livid. Beneteau don’t do bad boats and they can’t afford to screw up the development of a new line – and that’s certainly the case with the First 53. This is a fun boat that has good performance while still being comfortable. Most important, this boat is a head turner – important for all the flash bastards (and repressed ones) out there.…

Scooping the top prize at the Design Awards METS this year was an intriguing new product called the U-Safe. Built in Portugal, it looks like a cross between a Triton personal sub and a traditional horseshoe buoy, and it includes a bit of the functionality of both. This MOB retrieval system is motorised and remote controlled, making it the first float that can be launched by a crew member and piloted directly to a casualty in the water. Its twin water jets can propel it at 10mph with a range of three miles and about 30 minutes, courtesy of the sophisticated lithium ion batteries concealed in its extended arms. Weighing just 13kg, it can carry a payload of 200kg and will function either way up, making it easy to launch.…

HAYLING ISLAND, WEST SUSSEX 50° 47.4’ N, 000° 57.6’ W We all know the saying, “Owning a boat is like standing in a cold shower, ripping up money.” While many Sailing Today readers will be in the fortunate position of having pockets deep enough to keep their yacht afloat year-round in a prime location marina, this is not an option available to everyone. There are ways of basing your boat in a sheltered prime south coast spot without having to wince every time the invoice for berthing fees comes in or wait for a lifetime moorings holder to pass away, or track down an amenable boatowner looking to earn a few pennies by sub-letting a berth. Wilson’s Boatyard – in Hayling Island, Chichester Harbour, an Area of Outstanding National Beauty…

DEHLER 36 SQ | ALARIS The SQ suffix on this Judel/Vrolijkdesigned Dehler 36 stands for speed and quality. You’ll certainly get speed in this stiff, lightweight performance cruiser – you can sail her in pretty much all airs, as she comes with a lot of sails, some Kevlar and others Dacron, including a 2019-bought furling One Sails genoa, three spinnakers (and two poles), a Code 1, 2, and 3, and storm sails. All lines lead back to the cockpit. Quality is evident in the hull build – with deck and hull being bonded while still in the mould and the lead-shoed keel being bolted on through in-floor beams – and also in upgrades, such as the Harken winches and mainsheet traveller system. Accommodation is for six in three…

After welcoming finishers from the Fastnet Race for 125 years, the city of Plymouth is reeling from news that its ties to the historic race are being severed. The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) event’s organisers have announced that the city of Cherbourg will host the Fastnet finish in 2021 and 2023. RORC says the move “encourages and secures the future development of the race and will open it to more competitors”. In 2019, the race had a waiting list of 150 boats, and it is claimed the enhanced facilities offered by Cherbourg will give the opportunity for more boats and sailors to take part in future years. Speaking about the benefits of Cherbourg as the finish venue, RORC commodore Steven Anderson said: “Cherbourg offers significant additional berthing and improved…

Record-breaking yachtswoman Dee Caffari led the tributes to nominees and finalists at the British Yachting Awards presentation night at London’s Royal Thames Yacht Club in December. Dee was joined by many other luminaries of the sailing world who gathered to congratulate the 2019 BYA Winners. The awards are unique in being decided on public votes alone – cast be readers of Sailing Today and Yachts & Yachting magazines – and you can find out who won on page 17. Dee’s introduction covered two of her primary areas of interest: plastic waste in the oceans, and equality of opportunity in the sailing world. This second theme was also picked up by Andrew Pindar, one of the BYA category sponsors, who spoke about research he has funded focusing on women in sailing…

RORC CARIBBEAN 600 ENGLISH HARBOUR, ANTIGUA The RORC Caribbean 600 is an exciting 600-mile offshore race around some of the most beautiful islands of the Caribbean Caribbean600.rorc.org MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW 13-17 FEBRUARY, MIAMI, USA One of the world’s best attended and influential boat shows, boasting over 1,400 yachts and attracting 100,000 people Miamiboatshow.com OPEN ART FAIR 18-24 MARCH, CHELSEA Look out for lots of maritime-inspired pictures among the works on display at this new London event for collectors and art lovers Openartfair.com THAMES ROCKETS/AXETRAVAGANZA MULTIPLE DATES, LONDON EYE Described as London’s edgiest combo – take a high-powered sightseeing trip on the Thames followed by a bout of competitive axe throwing Thamesrockets.com HURLING THE SILVER BALL 10 FEBRUARY, ST IVES, CORNWALL Witness an ancient form of Rugby that takes place…

Eleva 50 R The Eleva 50 R is the latest launch from an Italian boatbuilder that sort of picks up where Solaris Yachts left off – then goes a little bit further. To this end, the 50R features the gloriously daft Dreadnought bow, a slightly unusual truncated sheerline and super-stylish interior. The aim of this boat is to be flash and sail moderately fast. It ticks both those boxes with aplomb. elevayachts.com ICE 70 ICE Yachts is an Italian manufacturer that has made its name by producing fast, lightweight, all-carbon super-stylish cruiser/racers. The 68 is an addition to the fleet and sits comfortably within that template. The big difference is really her humongous size. At 68ft (20.7m) she has moved out of the luxury cruiser/racer that can be owner-sailed and…

I have been lucky enough, since I took my first steps into the sailing world, to be asked or paid to sail to, what I would consider bucket list locations. The first of which, and as the cruising bug first bit, was Thailand, when my brother and I chartered a yacht to do some island hopping around Phuket. When I wasn’t on the water, I watched sailing channels like SV Delos and dreamt of a Polynesian island hoving into view. One day, I found myself walking along a sparse superyacht dock in Hong Kong. I stopped next to the transom of a very stylish, very large yacht and shouted up: “Got any jobs?” A South African first mate introduced himself and asked about my experience, to which I was forced…

A few years back, in a rather different life, I worked for a multimillionaire who, having sold his company, had little else to do than travel the globe buying up property, renovating it then, dissatisfied with the results, renovate it again. Being inordinately wealthy, he also wisely opted to buy a yacht as a means of dispersing that wealth. So far, so good. Yet what happened next baffled me – he bought a Bavaria 36. Nothing wrong with that boat by the way – it’s just that if I was a multimillionaire, I wouldn’t buy that boat. You see, on some level I must be vain and narcissistic. When I arrive in an anchorage, I want people to say: “What a beautiful yacht,” or words to that effect. So there…

Test and hone your MOB reactions in the off-season without getting cold and wet by using the latest add-on for the eSail sailing simulator. The software runs on Mac or PC, and offers a realistic simulator to support learning, from the basics of tacking and gybing, to more technical elements of sail trim. The new MOB feature includes tutorials and challenges, and will randomly trigger drills which cover heaving-to, deploying equipment and MOB recovery. esailyachtsimulator.com The simulator costs £19.99, with an extra £6.99 for the MOB add-on…

Sailing up the coast of Central America and discovering the Bay Islands of Honduras (Islas de la Bahia) was a complete joy. The main islands of Guanaja, Roatán and Utila promise white-sand beaches, lush greenery, spectacular marine life and safe anchorages; however, they each differ in personality, which is immensely refreshing. This group of eight islands and 53 cays spreads across 70 nautical miles and lies between 10nm and 30nm off the northern coast of Honduras. While sailing close to the mainland is best avoided due to security issues, the Bay Islands remain perfectly safe to travel around. We visited as part of an Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) rally, and were meant to stay just a couple of weeks. But we were enjoying it too much, so slowed the pace…

Renowned sailor Margaret Dye, who together with late-husband Frank sailed their dinghy Wanderer thousands of miles and into the imaginations of sailors everywhere via their books, recently enjoyed a virtual reunion with her beloved boat. Margaret, now 89, lives in Heathcote Care Home and has limited mobility. She told staff that she dreamed of seeing the boat “one more time”, but they didn’t think she could manage the 13-hour train journey to the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth. So instead, Black Swan Care Group staff organised a surprise – arranging a video call with NMM collection officer Andy, who toured Margaret around the exhibits, especially Wanderer. “It’s made my day, my week, my month,” said Margaret. “It’s just the best feeling to see her again, she’s such a special precious…

‘Sailing as a couple transforms you into a tight-knit double-act. You fall into well-rehearsed roles, playing on each others’ strengths’ There is nothing quite so daunting as suddenly being at the helm of your own boat for the first time. When it came to the 44 footers that I had first sailed on, I was comfortable that my steering was effective; that my understanding of wind direction, the state of tide and my innate ‘feel’ of the yacht’s size and volume was such that I could allow enough space for her turning circle and gently guide her into or out of any berth, dock or anchorage position needed. Doing the same thing when you are acutely aware of now owning a boat, being fully responsible for every inch of her…

The joy of chartering is that you’re by and large free to plan out your own itinerary. Having said that, it helps to have a little bit of guidance, so here are some insiders tips on where you might want to think about going on a week long trip from two of the main chartering hubs; Gouvia on Corfu and Nidri on Lefkas. Obviously, they are just rough itineraries but hopefully they help you build a framework for your trip. ITINERARY 1: Lefkas Day 1: Nidri to Little Vathi The first day needs to be reasonably chilled. You generally arrive, have a safety briefing, get all the food loaded up and then you’re ready to go. The fact is, though, you’re generally pretty knackered after all that travelling, so you…

SOLARIS 55 Surely the yacht that Beneteau has its sights most firmly set upon, the Solaris 55 is a little bit bigger and a bit heavier than the First 53, while boasting similar levels of style and a similar blend of looks, luxury and pleasing performance. solaris.com X-YACHTS XP 55 Again, a bit bigger and a bit heavier than the 53. You know what you are going to get with an X Yacht – really good performance married to style and lovely interior fit-out, which is, somehow, inimitably Danish. x-yachts.com ICE YACHTS 52 Another slick Italian design with perhaps a slightly stronger focus on performance. For one thing, the hull is carbon which is a significant performance gain. Despite this, there is a high level of comfort and luxury –…

Winter is a great time to examine your boat’s safety kit and make sure everything is shipshape for the season ahead. With that in mind, Sailing Today visited the awesome METS trade show in Amsterdam to track down the very latest in safety gear. Whether it’s upgrading existing equipment or splashing out on something new, there was something new for everyone. Lifejackets These key pieces of safety kit are getting more comfortable and efficient all the time, thanks to clever ergonomic design and a range of technical features. The basic concept remains unchanged, however, with a choice between something around 150 Newtons of buoyancy or a heftier 275N. There is conflicting advice on how to choose between them, but the RYA is clear: 150N is more than enough to turn…

The term ‘on the beach’ used to be common parlance among sailors and essentially meant you were out of work and looking for a new ship. Major ports such as Singapore, Sydney and Rio would all have big communities of itinerant sailors who had washed up on their shores looking a berth. Those days have passed and perhaps the term is now better known because it is a Chris Rea song, although memory of that might also be – thankfully – dying now. Anyway, the nearest modern equivalent can now probably be found in Las Palmas prior to the start of the ARC, where a diverse selection of dreamers, sailors and desperadoes gather each year to secure a passage on a yacht headed to the Caribbean. Many camp on the…

The attrition rate in last year’s Golden Globe Race around the world has led to some lively debate about the safety of these old designs compared with modern ocean racers. Those decrying the use of traditional long-keel yachts point out two differences compared with modern high-performance yachts. Firstly, they are much slower, so they have very limited opportunity to get out of the way of approaching storms. This seems irrefutable to me. The second point they make is not nearly so clear cut – they claim that the greater directional stability of a long keel means that if the yacht is surfing on the back of a wave, it will go out of control once it stops surfing. This comment made me recall a piece of work I did many…

Sleek cleaning products Sleek is a relative newcomer in the cut-throat world of boat cleaners. The big sell is that they are good for the environment and they are certainly making the right noises. As an example, their bottles are made from recycled bottles (if that makes sense). They also have refill pouches for their products to cut down on waste, while the chemical makeup of the cleaning fluids is less harmful. I’d list all the ingredients but, frankly, I don’t think it’ll help unless you’re a chemical engineer. Anyway, I was actually given a sample pack of four products but the one I had a pressing need to use was the upholstery cleaner. This did an excellent job on a rather grubby cabin cushion and was also extremely fragrant.…