Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2022 i Sailing Today

easyBoat.com The founder of easyJet has launched easyBoat.com, a new price comparison website for yacht charter. Sir Stelios Hatjiioannou said: “As a keen yachtsman and fair-weather sailor myself I have no hesitation in recommending a holiday at sea with the privacy and independence of your very own yacht for the week!” Round the Island Race entry Entries are flooding in for the Round the Island Race on Saturday 25 June. The Island Sailing Club reports a high level of interest for the annual circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight, which thousands of sailors enjoy each year. roundtheisland.org.uk Helly supports RNLI Helly Hansen announced the continuation of its support of the RNLI’s Mayday campaign by donating 50% of all UK online sales during May to the charity, as it has done…

Pointer 30 Pointer Yachts is a Dutch company that has a range of compact weekenders that look stylish and have a pleasing turn of speed. The new 30 is the largest in the range. The hull is relatively slender by modern standards and features a generous sail area. Down below there is a double berth forward and two singles aft. The brochure loses something in translation as it states: ‘With the design of the Pointer 30, a comfortable workplace and a nice coffee bar were paramount. An innovative bar with adjustable and rotating armchairs for optimal comfort.’ Anyway, it looks like a fun yacht and if it has a bar too, so much the better. Pointeryachts.com Grand Soleil 40 Performance Grand Soleil is hoping to build on it’s success garnered…

‘Stand by to broach, lads!’ So said Ed, the best helmsman on board, as we raced across the Channel en route for Deauville. A spring ebb was ripping west and the strong northwest wind was doing its best to make the big seas even more difficult. The boat was a state-of-the-art, fractionally rigged 3/4 tonner. For the uninitiated, back in 1982 this made her 36 feet on deck with a tall, slender mast supported from aft by a highly adjustable standing backstay, a pair of main runners, one of which took most of the strain at any time, and a set of checkstays. It was not the most secure of rigs and more than once I heard its type described as ‘a fly-rod supported by cobwebs’. Spot-on. The crew were…

The decision as to where two of the three Preliminary Regattas will be held remains wide open. We do know that two of those events will be sailed in the new AC40 class - the first of which should be shipped to ETNZ in mid-July, and a second just five weeks later to INEOS Britannia. The third event will be sailed in the AC75, an exciting warm-up for spectators and sailors alike, that will happen in Barcelona. Also still to be revealed are details of the Youth and Women’s America’s Cup events, and how they will fit alongside the main event - a decision to be made in consultation with the Challenger of Record before June 2023. Could we see another Challenger? A French syndicate looks likely, after K-Challenge CEO…

There is a time and place for being showy; and designing a 30 foot or so cruising boat probably isn’t the right time. Life itself can be much the same; Kim Kardashian is an example of a showy person and, while this serves her very well on Instagram, it probably does her little favours when she pops out to Tesco Express to buy a pint of milk. Another example, Boris Johnson, a natural showman, great at entertaining but perhaps someone you wouldn’t want to being doing a job any too serious. Ok, never mind. Boat design is much the same. We boat testers all love a bit of showiness but there’s a time and a place. I vividly recall a contemporary of mine waxing lyrical about a chopping board that…

In September 1977, at the age of 79, the famous explorer and mountaineer, Bill Tilman set sail from Southampton on the boat of his young protégée, Simon Richardson, to sail to Smith Island in the South Shetland Islands, some 65NM off the coast of Antarctica. Their plan was to sail to Rio de Janeiro, and then to the Falklands where they would collect their New Zealand climbers for the ascent of Mount Foster, a hitherto unclimbed peak on Smith Island. Their trip across the Atlantic to Rio was uneventful. Simon wrote to his friend, Christopher Lloyd from Rio: ‘The day we arrived here was perhaps the greatest day of my life…if everything ended now, life would have been worth that day’. They set sail from Rio and were never heard…

Cowes Week is famous the world over. Seven days of round the cans competition on the prime sailing spot that is the Solent attracts everyone from the grand prix racers of IRC0 and IRC1 to the diminutive yet ever-popular XOD. There’s hot competition to be found in every one of the 35+ classes – but there’s also plenty of opportunity for family fun. For Adam Ridett, co-owner (with Phil Moore) and skipper of Beneteau First 40.7 Challenger, this is as much a part of the attraction as anything. But last year’s regatta gave him all that and more, as he and his mixed crew of family and friends took victory in the Performance Cruiser B class and were awarded the prestigious Sailing Today Trophy. Many of the team have sailed…

Sailing is a gadget-heavy sport these days, with marine electronics opening up all sorts of exciting and useful possibilities aboard. Data is the name of the game – and how you can use it. Modern instruments from Garmin, Raymarine, B&G and others can handle 50 times faster data rates than in the past, and share it around the network. So upgrading one or more of your instruments is about the most common refit for onboard electronics. We look at the options for that below – it doesn’t have to be ruinously expensive, and much of the work can be done yourself. The other two common upgrade scenarios are adding an internet connection to the boat and retrofitting a remote monitoring system. Read on for a run-down of the available products…

When it comes to writing boat reviews, there are times when it is hard not to repeat yourself. When you are testing a 70’ Italian fast cruiser/ racer it’s nearly impossible. So, hell, lets go for it; because, gosh, boats just keep getting bigger don’t they? I remember in my day that a 40 footer was considered…. etc etc. On top of that though, this is an effortlessly stylish Italian design – penned by Unberto Felci so yes, bring out the cliché book once more, style, soul, passion etc. The problem is, it’s all true. This is a very elegant and frankly massive yacht that can comfortably be cruised by a couple. Of course, not every couple has a couple of million pounds to spare, but that’s another story. ICE…

Situated on a bend of the River Orwell, Suffolk Yacht Harbour enjoys almost total protection at the spiritual heart of east coast sailing. This is Arthur Ransome country, just a mile downstream of the famous Pin Mill which features in Secret Water and We Didn’t Mean to go to Sea. There is a lively classic boating scene here, with several Thames barges moored at Pin Mill and many more wooden yachts around the Orwell and the intersecting River Stour. Suffolk Yacht Harbour is a major centre for traditional boatbuilding and shipwrighting skills, with around 40 classic boats calling the marina home. The oldest is currently Mermaid from 1860, a gaff cutter designed by Alfred Payne. The Orwell is navigable at all states of tide as far as the city of…

A fleet of 25 yachts, all from the same manufacturer makes quite a sight, and it’s also one of the few opportunities to see the full range of Oysters together, from the smallest and one of the oldest in the fleet, 2002 Oyster 56 Liberty, through to some of the newest and largest models including Oyster 725 Intrepid, and examples of all the company’s newest models including the 565, 595 and 675. Entries come from all over the world, with crews from Canada, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, South Africa, UK and USA. Several of the yachts taking part are now on their third world rally, including Shanties, built in 2009, and Irene IV, built in 2007, both of which will have accumulated over 100,000 sea miles to date.…

An enthusiastic owner new to racing under sail and a crew of experienced sailors at their first J-Class regatta together proved a winning combination as Ranger clinched the Saint Barth’s Bucket J-Class title in March. Under America’s Cup-winning skipper Ed Baird, Ranger finished one point clear of Hanuman and Velsheda after four races at the French Caribbean island’s annual superyacht regatta. Ranger was built of steel in Denmark from 2002-3 as the first of the ‘replica’ Js, constructed to the original Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens lines of Harold Vanderbilt’s ‘Super J’ which won the 1937 America’s Cup 4-0 against Endeavour 2.…

Avid readers of the magazine may recall that in a Previous article published in November 2020 I singlehanded my boat, Shadowfax, to Madeira as part of a trip back to the UK. My partner Emmie and I had decided, that due to Covid, Brexit and trying to start a family, we’d be better off enjoying ‘local adventures’ for a few years. The original plan was to go to Svalbard and with much of the preparation work done by Christmas, we discovered Emmie was pregnant on New Years day 2021! A thousand things ran through my mind and I’m ashamed to admit, for a split second, I knew the trip to Svarlbard was off and was disappointed! A split second later we were obviously both ecstatic. But what now? The boat…

The announcement that the 37th America’s Cup is to be held in Barcelona, Spain in 2024, was met with mixed reaction by the global sailing community, as the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand dramatically declared the choice of venue a day ahead of schedule. It’s news that’s been eagerly awaited since the Kiwis successfully retained the Auld Mug on home waters in March 2021; within minutes of their victory the debate around the next venue had begun raging. But posturing aside, in accordance with the Deed of Gift, the final decision was always in the hands of the team and their club, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Amidst huge controversy (see p31) team CEO Grant Dalton has insisted that his overseas search for financial security is to ensure they…

‘Imagine a sail from Cowes to Lymington requiring the official stamp of no less that six government officers?’ It’s time to get the summer sorted. Now, where shall we go? France is always a favourite, isn’t it? A quick dash across the Channel, for a mouth full of crusty baguette that leaves your mouth feeling sandpapered. Then ashore for an evening’s indulgence of steak and frites swilled down with a pichet or two of rough red wine. That’s the life. There was a time, now seemingly long, long ago, when all we had to do when we tied up in France, was go ashore and hit the bars and cafes. The capitainerie might want a few details, but no more than that. Hardly an inconvenience. But times have changed, and…

The Beneteau Oceanis 34.1 is a likeable and clever little yacht. It’s not spectacular or showy but it is well thought out, was easy to handle and sailed impressively in what were extremely trying conditions. The interior was comfortable and there were decent amounts of storage down below. All in all, there isn’t a lot more you could ask from a boat of this size designed with cruising as its primary purpose. I wish Marc Lombard or whoever is asked to improve on this little boat, the best of luck when the time comes. I suppose a chopping board integrated into the galley worksurface might be the only hope.…

• Do not be overoptimistic about your average speed. We had to tack the whole way down the East coast of South America with the Humbolt current pushing against us at 1.5 knots. With a boat that tacked through 110 degrees this made nonsense of my forecast 5 knot average. • Make sure you know your crew well and that they like and respect you. I suggest you do not take an untested crew out for long trips on the ocean. It is not for everyone although many people have a romantic view of the sea. It is not romantic, it is brutal and unforgiving and if it can find a weakness in the boat and the crew it will. • Ensure that your practical skills are up to speed…

Although it is early days, entries for Cowes Week are running 30 per cent ahead of any year in the last decade, which bodes well for one of the world’s most celebrated sailing regattas. The Ball is back Competitors of a certain age will remember the days when there was a Cowes Week Competitors Ball, and the organisers have announced that in 2022 the Competitors Ball will be coming back. Being run in conjunction with the Royal Ocean Racing Club at their clubhouse on the Parade, the event will be a Black Tie and Platinum Jubilee Best of British theme which gives plenty of latitude on the dress code! From the old to the new On the water the event will be celebrating 100 years of highly competitive XOD racing…

Sometimes there’s no need to upgrade the instruments you have on board because there are tools that allow you to use the existing information more effectively. Honed and widely used on the racing circuit, Adrena software also exists in a cruising version for your laptop - called Octopus. It combines a core weather routeing capability with various handy tools, including mooring assistance, graphically displaying the conditions to be expected in a given anchorage, plus the rise and fall of the tide. Weather forecasting is available to download as a GRIB file up to 16 days ahead and there are a host of useful safety tools, such as AIS, MOB alarm and anchor drag alarm. Octopus will also help you develop accurate polars for the boat using real navigational data and…

SailGP finale is a thriller Tom Slingsby’s Australia SailGP Team won the $1m prize in the season’s grand final amid great drama on San Francisco Bay. It was the second overall victory for Slingsby and his team, who were the innaugural SailGP winners in the series’ first season. The Great Britain SailGP team, led by Sir Ben Ainslie, were second at the action-packed San Francisco event and finished the season fourth overall, after a high-speed collision at an earlier event put them down the rankings. Sir Ben’s team won $35,000 for coming second in the SailGP Impact League, which “rewards positive actions” in sustainable travel, tech, single-use plastic and communications. But it was the Australians’ day, Slingsby’s team prevailing over rivals Nathan Outteridge’s Japan and Jimmy Spithill’s United States. In…

“F1 cars have a ‘halo’ around the cockpit to protect the driver in an impact” SailGP commentator Freddie Carr voiced the thoughts of millions of viewers during the San Francisco grand prix in March when the Spanish boat appeared to ride up onto the side of the USA boat, with helm Jimmy Spithill and crew just inches from the Spanish hull. “Hopefully everyone’s okay,” said Carr. Phew! It turned out they were. Sailboats coming together is never pretty, whatever the circumstances. A cross at six knots in a club regatta can be a heart-in-mouth moment. On SailGP’s supercharged foilers, pressing hard at up to 50 knots, the consequences of a serious collision don’t have to be explained. SailGP, let’s be clear, is a great thing. In terms of exposure and…

“Half of the 10 events are now flying above the surface. The 49er - so radical when it launched 25 years ago - is now looking quite conventional” Although it’s already eight months since the Tokyo 2020 Games, the start of the new Olympic cycle really only got going in early April at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca. The Bay of Palma hosted all 10 event Olympic events, four of which are brand new. The Men’s and Women’s divisions in the iQFOiL windsurfers and the Formula Kite foiling kiteboards were flying across the Bay of Palma at speeds of 30 knots and beyond - speeds never seen before in Olympic competition. The debate among traditionalists will continue to rage as to whether these foilers constitute ‘proper sailing’. For pretty much…

HANSE 348 The 348 has been around for a few years now but this Judel/Vrolijk design was a trend setter in terms of providing easy handling and high volume at a very competitive price. hanseyachts.co.uk JEANNEAU SUN ODYSSEY 349 Launched in 2020 by Beneteau’s sister company the Jeanneau is also designed by Marc Lombard and is also available with the option of a swing keel. jeanneau.com BAVARIA CRUISER 34 New for the 2020 season, the Bavaria Cruiser 34 is also big on volume and the interior feels absolutely palatial. bavariayachts.com…

each clubs are among the most popular choice for families, couples and solo travellers looking for the ultimate land-based sailing holiday in the sun. Beach clubs offer the ideal option for sailing junkies who enjoy being out on the water in idyllic conditions all day, every day. For mixed ability groups, or total beginners who want to learn to sail in relative warm-water comfort, beach clubs are also an ideal choice. It is also good to note that some companies have recognised the need to cater for the growing sector of solo travellers. A beach club holiday for those travelling alone is, after all, not only great way to learn a new sport or improve sailing skills, but also a fantastic way to meet and enjoy the company of like-minded…

With the spread of Covid-19 creating a worldwide pandemic, countries closing their borders, international flights grounded and travel guidelines changing on a near-daily basis, who would have imagined that Oyster World Rally 2022-23 would not only secure a full complement of entries but would also be able to set off as planned? So when the starting cannon was fired from Charlotte’s Point in Antigua at 1300hrs on 9 January 2022, the excitement, relief and trepidation from those onshore and on the 25 luxury British built yachts taking part, was momentous. Against all the odds, the Oyster World Rally 2022-23, a 16-month, 27,000 nautical mile circumnavigation of the world with 25 meeting points en route was underway. Pandemic challenges “Organising a fully-supported world rally with numerous stopovers, managing everything from the…

BALTIC YACHTS 43 | POLAR BEAR III This Judel/Vrolijk designed Baltic 43 has enjoyed just two owners from new and is well equipped with many updates over the years and ready to go. An iconic design and capable of everything from crossing oceans to sailing around the cans. Under her first ownership, she had the benefit of the short Scandinavian sailing seasons with winters spent ashore in a heated boat shed. Her current UK-based owners purchased her in 2004 and have enjoyed local cruising around the UK’s South Coast, English Channel and down to Northern Spain and Portugal. Although mainly used for cruising Polar Bear III has competed in the occasional Round the Island Race where she has demonstrated her competitiveness with a class win.Polar Bear III has…

‘The folks we’ve met along the way are simply high on the joy of salt water’ In land life, when you meet someone new, it’s normal to ask “what do you do for a living?”. It’s the go-to, standard intro question and a way of sizing up a stranger. In the cruising life there are equivalent questions but what you do, or perhaps did, for a living comes way further down the list than with our dirt-dwelling counterparts. “How long have you lived aboard?”, “What’s been your route?”, or simply “How did you end up here?” are far more common. Our sizing up consists more of assessing others’ journeys and experience as opposed to a job title or company name. From this you quickly get a sense of whether someone…