Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2025 i Sailing Today

On the morning of the winter solstice I drove down to the river shortly before sunrise to move a launch from the marina to a berth upstream. The break of day was crackly and frosty so I minced along the wooden dock, taking care not to go for the big swim. Climbing gingerly into the launch, I raised a bottom board. The bilge water was frozen but it wasn’t deep enough to excite interest, so I moved on to the ancient single-cylinder Coventry Victor diesel. Inviting a simple, low-revving diesel to hand-start in well-below zero temperature might seem a long shot, but not this one. It featured a serious flywheel and as soon as this was spinning merrily, you had only to wait until the cranking handle was on the…

I have talked a lot about routine in these How to Win articles. That means on race days from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed and everyone (fellow crew, coaches, indeed anyone it affects) must buy into this. Interestingly now there is a lot of research on sleep and the effect it can have on sports performance, and nearly everyone feels much more comfortable with a routine. Think about a journey. A trip you have made to work 1,000 times before is on average a lot less stressful than navigating yourself around an unfamiliar city, perhaps in a foreign country for the first time! This idea of routine is clearly demonstrated when deciding on boat balance: you need to race how you train. So,…

The timing couldn’t have been better. Just as I was having a last-minute wobble about our first flotilla week as a couple, literally out of the blue, a large pod of dolphins magically appeared. Suddenly my fears were allayed as the exhilaration and sheer joy of witnessing the carefree, gleeful antics of these sociable creatures suppressed my novice sailor concerns. In a previous issue of Sailing Today, I revealed how my experienced sailor husband, Phil, and I (an absolute beginner), embarked on our first ever flotilla holiday, accompanied by our grown-up children. That family break was a complete success and (rather unexpectedly for me), one of the most memorable weeks of my life – for all the right reasons. As both young adults were busy with various commitments, last summer,…

RUSTLER 42 | SOPHIE This Rustler 37 is a little bit special because she is equally capable as a coastal hopper or long distance blue water cruiser. She was also a feature at the 2018 Southampton Boat Show as a top spec example of a Rustler 37. Sophie has been maintained impeccably by Rustler Yachts with no expense spared, so she presents as new. She has been upgraded by Rustler Yachts with a unique rig with in-mast furling (powered) and electric furling and self-tacking headsail all new 2022 – including new sails. The original conventional mast, rigging and sails are also available with slab reefed mainsail and genoa. The broker says she has a fantastic set up for short-handed sailing with the powered furler and winch doing all the hard…

Victorious Dalin refuses to move over as Vendée Globe Race record tumbles Sailing solo non stop around the world is a serious challenge in itself but when the final few thousand miles of this challenge degenerates into a match race, that’s when sailors truly show their steel. This was how the denouement of the 2024-25 Vendée Globe Race unfolded, with Frenchman Charlie Dalin aboard Macif Sante Prevoyance never able to shake off the dogged pursuit of his compatriot Yoann Richomme after the pair rounded Cape Horn within touching distance of each other. Ultimately it was Dalin who prevailed, putting some distance between himself and Richomme in the final stages and keeping his place at the head of the fleet for the final 16 days of the race. Ultimately he arrived…

“What about Charlie Dalin’s Vendée Globe victory!” After so much high-profile competition in 2024, this was meant to be the ‘quiet’ year. Yet already 2025 has started with a bang. What about Charlie Dalin’s Vendée Globe victory! Non-stop around the world on a semi-foiling IMOCA and setting a new time of 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 49 seconds, smashing the previous Vendée record - set in 2017 by Armel le Cléac’h - by nine days and eight hours. There’s been a lot of dinghy World Championships going on down under, with the 505s in Adelaide and the Musto Skiff Worlds on Sydney Harbour, won by South African (but British resident) Andy Tarboton. Meanwhile across the Tasman Sea in Auckland the International Moth World Championship took place. The event…

Greig City Academy’s sailing programme is well known on the Solent and around the country for inspiring young sailors and providing dedicated support for future success on and off the water. It has proved that sailing can and does change lives and that the sailing community is ready to embrace that change. We take a look back at ‘Project Scaramouche’ and bring you up to date with the school's leading role in encouraging inclusivity in sailing and the opportunities that Scaramouche Sailing Trust continues to create. In 2017, a team of state school children and their teachers from one of the most deprived boroughs in London sparked the media and sailing world’s attention – on board Scaramouche they had completed the prestigious Fastnet Race, coming an impressive 144th out of…

It was a mad rush getting the boat ready for the Sydney-Hobart race. The days leading up to the start were filled with an endless list of tasks – from checking rigging and sails to ensuring safety gear was in order. Sleep was scarce, but our determination pushed us through. Finally, after what felt like an impossible sprint, we made it to the start line. The excitement and anticipation coursing through me made all the effort worth it. However, a week before the race, I was hit with glandular fever. The timing couldn’t have been worse, but I was determined to give it a go anyway. This was my dream, and I wasn’t ready to let it slip away. A picture-perfect start The morning of the race was picture-perfect. The…

Foretelling the future in Greece used to involve an arduous journey to Delphi, the purchase of an over-priced goat from the farm outside the temple, some elementary butchery, and plenty of wailing. The best you could hope for was a cryptic prophecy. Then, like Odysseus, you would probably be swept away by a storm and take 10 years to get back to the charter company’s base. Presumably incurring some pretty considerable late return charges too. As time progressed the priests perfected the art of shouting over long distances, and the VHF became the preferred forecasting method. Listening to the distorted crackly voice saying “This is radio Olympia” instantly transports me back to my first week of sailing in the Ionian. The strong Greek accent combined with poor reception was sometimes…

‘...I’ve worried about shipping lanes; about the relative smallness and vulnerability of our boat ’ I was slightly taken aback when asked this question, simply because it was perceptive in its openness and lack of assumptions. I’ve lost count of the number of times people have enquired about pirates, or asked us whether or not we’ve encountered storms. Equally, I noted that ‘worry’ is not the same as ‘fear’, as we can be worried about doing a tax return or catching a bus on time but not fearful of either. But, phrased this way, it caused me to reflect on what moments of worry we have experienced and what the causes were. I’ve worried about shipping lanes; about the relative smallness and vulnerability of our boat when compared to huge…

CLUBSWAN 43 Back in the day, one-design racing was a serious deal but recent years has seen a drop off in fleets as customers are perhaps overwhelmed by the sheer range of yachts out there. Nautor Swan has been one of the few boatbuilders able to successfully retain a healthy one-design racing fleet, with large numbers of ClubSwan 50s and 36s pitting their wits against each other on a level playing field. Now the ClubSwan 43 promises to fill the size gap between these two. The new boat is designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian who also worked on the 36 and the 50. The new boat is seen as more of a crossover yacht than the foiling ClubSwan 36 and the amped up ClubSwan 50. The boat leans slightly more towards…

They say that familiarity breeds contempt, and it was for that reason that I didn’t originally want to revisit the Saronic Gulf in Greece. I had grown up on boats in that area in the 1970s and had worked as a journeyman shipwright there in the 1980s. I figured it was time to move on, and was excited to visit the neighbouring Cyclades instead. But when the weather apps showed a strong Meltemi (the local northerly wind) blasting through the Aegean for the middle week of our holiday, I realised the Saronic Gulf would be a much more family-friendly option. It turned out that, while much had changed since I had last cruised here 35 years ago, the intrinsic beauty of the landscape and the natural friendliness of the people…

Get ready to immerse yourself in a world of possibilities at the 2025 RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show, taking place on 22-23 February 2025 at Farnborough International. You can check out new boats, cutting-edge tech and the latest in clothing and accessories, all presented by leading marine brands and industry pros. From new product launches and expert advice, to tales of exhilaration and adventure afloat, there’s something for everyone to discover. Visitors can explore hands-on displays, VR experiences, simulators and demos as well as a raft of activities for kids, including the ever-popular Treasure Hunt. The annual event is a much-loved fixture in the small boat sailing and watersports calendar, bringing together enthusiasts and experts from across the UK community and well beyond for an unmissable showcase that will set…

Back in 2015 I went for a sail on the Bodensee in Germany aboard an exciting new yacht, the Bente 24. There was a lot to like about this sporty weekender whose designers seemed to be making a conscious effort to be a bit different from your run of the mill boat manufacturer. I was also charmed by the then proprietor of Bente Yachts, Alex Vrolijk, who was out on the trip. Vrolijk is the son of Rolf Vrolijk, one half of the hugely successful Judel/Vrolijk design house. As such, you could say he was well connected. He also had extremely strong opinions on the boatbuilding industry, its inherent conservatism and how he was going to shake it up. He did indeed make a bit of a stir with an…

Generally speaking, the wind in Greece gets stronger as you head eastwards, which means in places like the Saronic Gulf, and Cyclades you are likely to enjoy more consistent fresh winds making it an ideal location for intermediate level sailors and above who want to enjoy the thrill of fast passage-making in spectacular conditions. If you, or members of your holiday group, have less sailing experience, or are totally new to sailing, the Ionian further west is the best option. With so many reputable sailing holiday companies operating in these desirable areas of the Mediterranean, the choice is vast, so you first need to determine the type of holiday you are looking for. Most charter companies offer a range of flotilla, bareboat, skippered, crewed or by the cabin charter. Some,…