Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2021 i Yachting World

The Rolex Fastnet Race looks set to consolidate its position as the biggest offshore yacht race in the world this August, with over 450 yachts entered for this year’s 49th edition. The 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race starts from Cowes on 8 August, returning to its usual dates of the Sunday following Cowes Week, but with a new finish port for 2021 of Cherbourg instead of Plymouth. The course change increases the length of the race from 608 to 695 miles, and will create some additional tactical and navigational challenges for crews, including the final hurdle of tackling the rapid tidal currents of the Alderney Race before the finish (see our expert advice on how to navigate this on page 86). The change of finish port has been controversial, but was…

Proposals to have a double-handed mixed offshore racing event at the 2024 Paris Olympics have been rejected by the International Olympic Committee. Instead there will now be separate men’s and women’s kiteboarding events at the 2024 Games (instead of a mixed relay format). Opposition to the offshore racing class centred on affordability, ability to secure the ‘Field of Play’, the complexity of broadcasting the event, and the lack of a previous Offshore World Championship. Supporters believed many of those concerns could have been ameliorated. Shirley Robertson, a double Olympic gold medallist and a highly experienced sailing broadcaster, believes that modern technology would allow engaging 24/7 coverage. Before the announcement she told Yachting World: “The multi-day offshore event should be a mouthwatering prospect for the broadcast offering from the Games, a…

The Olympic Regatta will be a high-level experiment in who has spent the past 18 months of pandemic time the most effectively, writes Andy Rice. How much will lack of regatta time have affected the ‘pecking order’ in the 10 sailing events? Here’s our take on who we think is going to be vying for the medals in a venue that could bring a huge variety of conditions, from light and shifty offshore, to huge rolling surf and big breeze. 49er Men America’s Cup winners earlier this year, Pete Burling and Blair Tuke go to Tokyo as defending Olympic Champions and remain the favourites to win 49er skiff gold for New Zealand in this high performance class. Their toughest competition is likely to come from Bronze medallists from Rio 2016,…

Set against the modern IMOCA 60 trend for wide flat sterns, bulbous scow bows, sunken foredecks, fully enclosed cockpits and, of course, moustache foils, it’s easy to think of the VO65s as being outdated, outclassed and surplus to requirements. As I write this I’m working as a TV news producer for the Ocean Race Europe, a three-leg offshore race around Europe from Lorient to Genoa, via Cascais and Alicante. The event is a preamble to next year’s Ocean Race proper (formerly known as the Volvo Ocean Race), where the existing fleet of VO65s will be doing their third lap of the planet. For the first time in a while there’ll be two classes as the contemporary foiling IMOCA 60 speed machines join the action to blast their way around the…

We glide down the eastern side of El Hierro and leap into the vastness of the Atlantic. The island shrinks behind us as the sun melts into the horizon, bathing the waning land in soft orange light. It’s early January and I’m joined by Harry Scott and Lily Journeaux, two friends from Falmouth, who shouldered their fair share of toil and graft during Elixir’s (our classic S&S Swan 37) year-long restoration. It’s their first ocean crossing, and as El Hierro disappears into the pink haze, I ask Lily how she’s feeling. “I’m not nervous, but I feel something,” she muses, “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s big – kind of like Christmas, but bigger.” On the first morning, we pole out two big genoas, one on…

Mark 2 versions of a good yacht are often a lot better than the original, with many small changes that improve ergonomics and collectively make life on board easier and more comfortable. X-Yachts’ replacement for the X43 in its Pure X range goes a stage further, with new hull and deck shapes and therefore promises to be an outstanding yacht. Along with the X60, this was the first model launched in the line back in 2016 and has proved extremely successful, with more than 100 boats sold. The new design incorporates many of the detailed improvements that have gradually been introduced on other models in the range. It also has more space in the aft cabins, better ventilation throughout and will sail faster, especially in light airs. The new hull…

MOD70 record smashing continues The ongoing battle for record honours between the MOD70s continues, with Jason Carroll’s Argo demolishing the Bermuda-Plymouth transatlantic record in June. Argo took over 16 hours off the previous record for the 2,870-mile eastbound course across the North Atlantic, crossing in 4d 19h 30m. The crew sailed a total of 3,347 miles at an average speed just under 29 knots. Les Voiles turns 40 Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez celebrates 40 years of the annual French classic this year. The event will run this year with a new two-week format, as adopted in 2020, with the classic and modern yachts racing from Saturday 25 September and the Maxi yachts competing the following week from Tuesday 5 October. Teens set first IRC record The first recipients of a…

A Southern Ocean passage has long been revered as the zenith of bluewater ocean voyages, but there has been little agreement on what, actually, constitutes the Southern Ocean boundaries. On 8 June 2021, World Oceans Day, the National Geographic Society formally recognised the Southern Ocean as the world’s fifth ocean, joining the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans. Most of the waters that surround Antarctica out to 60°S, excluding the Drake Passage and Scotia Sea, constitute the newly acknowledged Southern Ocean, which are characterised by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, rather than defined by a degree of latitude. By drawing attention to the Southern Ocean, the National Geographic Society hopes to promote its conservation and define areas for its preservation.…

Whoa! This futuristic 63m superyacht looks like something Marvel has conceived for its latest superhero movie. This formidable flybridge sloop, dubbed ‘Project Fury’, is the collaborative vision of Rob Doyle and Van Geest Design, who say its genesis is ‘high performance, fanatical weight reduction and going full beam on the main deck to maximise interior volume’. The pods on either side of the flybridge – sorry, ‘Space Deck’ – are to house the helm stations and guest seating, while the deck itself is twice as big as a similar-sized sailing or motoryacht, says the design team.…

Pelagic Australis is sold. You read that right. On 17 May Pelagic Australis was handed over to Greenpeace International in Cape Town and is currently on her way to the Netherlands with skipper Chris, mate Sophie and a Greenpeace crew of three. The send-off was a carnival affair for the seller (second happiest day of a boat owner’s life…) and the buyer (the first…) complete with Zulu dancers cavorting on the foredeck thanks to Greenpeace South Africa. This was a one-on-one transaction with no brokers involved. DIY, just the way I like things. Greenpeace seldom divulges specific campaign plans going forward but we can say she will be undergoing a refit in the Netherlands, making ‘green-tech’ modifications and running a competition for a new name. Then she goes into campaign…

PERFORMANCE AND EXPLORATION YACHTS PIQUE RUPERT HOLMES’ INTEREST This gorgeous Italian design blends excellent performance that’s optimised for Mediterranean sailing with a very spacious and comfortable interior. The sleek lines and low-profile coachroof have a timeless elegance, yet the hull shape embodies the latest design knowledge, without unnecessary nods to temporary fashion. “The target was to take advantage of as many aspects of today’s hull shapes as possible to improve performance and also to create a yacht with lots of volume for very comfortable accommodation,” designer Matteo Polli tells us. “The hull shape is different to what we’ve seen in the past,” he adds. “It’s very wide, which gives enough volume for the interior of this boat to be a key feature, but the waterline beam is narrow.” In conjunction…

The third generation of the flagship of this French bluewater range retains the brand’s core concepts of a rugged aluminium hull combined with a composite deck that reduces weight and improves insulation, plus shoal draught and twin rudders. However, it’s effectively a much larger boat than the previous Allures 51 and 52 models, with a longer waterline and more powerful broad stern sections, even though maximum beam is only 12cm greater. An important part of the concept of this boat is also to raise the interior fit out to a higher level. Larger windows and overhead panels create even more natural light and there’s a 270° view from the generous navigation station at the forward end of the saloon. Beyond this, the most obvious difference compared to the previous models…

Over the past 32 years Banque Populaire has sponsored boats that have broken 17 world records The Ultime class currently includes Banque Populaire XI, Actual-Leader (the former Macif), Sodebo and François Gabart’s new M101, now sponsored by Kresk. Gitana is out of the Ultime class rules, but will be attempting many of the same records, including a Jules Verne, later this year. Banque Populaire Xl exceeded 40 knots on every day of its sea trials Banque Populaire Xl is the latest 32m Ultime trimaran for Vendée Globe winning skipper Armel Le Cléac’h Banque Populaire is one of the world’s most experienced and successful sailing teams, and was the force behind Armel Le Cléac’h’s 2016 record-breaking Vendée Globe victory. Yet a year after her launch, the previous giant trimaran Banque Populaire…

‘The 49er is the best base you can have to jump to any other boat’ IKER MARTINEZ NOMINATES THE 49ER “I’ve spent more time in a 49er than any other boat. It’s my preferred one because it is probably the most difficult class right now. “You really need to sail very well as a tactician – you need to be very good on the starts. And then you really need to have some balls when it’s windy! To try not to capsize, you have to be fast and smooth. To be good you really need a lot of skills. “I think the 49er is the best base you can have to jump to any other boat. If you chose the Laser or the Star class, for instance, you’re going to…

The first event run by the new organisers of the former Volvo Ocean Race, the Ocean Race Europe, finished in Genova this June. The Ocean Race Europe started on 29 May in Lorient, France, with stopovers in Cascais, Portugal, and Alicante, Spain before finishing in Italy. Yoann Richomme skippered the Mirpuri Foundation VO65 to win from Chris Nicholson’s AkzoNobel Ocean Racing, while the IMOCA 60 fleet was won by Robert Stanjek’s Offshore Team Germany ahead of Charlie Enright’s 11th Hour Racing Team. The race attracted some big names from the offshore racing world; Nicholson was joined by fellow Volvo veterans Bouwe Bekking and Simeon Tienpont in the VO65s. Meanwhile the IMOCA fleet included Louis Burton on Bureau Vallée, racing with Pip Hare for some legs of the race, Sébastien Josse…

The future of the 37th America’s Cup has been thrown wide open after a $99million funding offer from the New Zealand government was turned down by Emirates Team New Zealand. The New Zealand Government and Auckland City Council had a three-month exclusivity period to agree terms to host the 37th America’s Cup with the Cup holders. However, the two parties failed to strike a deal, leaving the options wide open for where and how the 37th running of the America’s Cup might take place. A statement from Emirates Team New Zealand read: “During the three-month exclusive negotiating period between New Zealand agencies and ETNZ, they have not been able to reach a conclusion that works for all parties. All three parties have worked through these discussions with the best of…

After a year-long hiatus for most racing fleets, the Swan Tuscany Challenge was among the first events to see international one-design competition in the ClubSwan fleets. Held in the sheltered Gulf of Follonica, the event hosted 23 owners and crews for four days of racing based out of the Marina di Scarlino. Covid testing, social distancing and a curtailed social programme all made for a different event than in previous years, but the competition level remained high, with big name sailors such as Francesco Bruni, Iker Martinez, Ross Halcrow and Sofia Bekatorou joining the crews. “This is what you need to do after the AC when you’re coming from a certain world back to a normal displacement world,” says Vasco Vascotto, tactician on Luna Rossa for the last America’s Cup,…

Best bluewater multihulls The multihull sector has exploded in popularity over recent years, but with so much choice now on the market, how do you choose the right cat for you? Toby Hodges anaylses the best mutihull options for family cruising, high performance sailing, adventurous exploring and more – both new and pre-loved designs Cape of Good Hope to Horta Returning home after an eight-year circumnavigation, Janneke Kuysters and Wietze van der Laan sailed 6,000 miles from South Africa to the Azores. They share their learnings from this epic Atlantic passage Boat Show preview It’s been a while… but boat show season is back. We take a close look at what’s changed and the most interesting new launches to look out for at the shows that’ll be happening this autumn…

If ever the stars aligned to see a sport’s popularity grow exponentially, they did so for the recent story of double-handed offshore racing. Societal changes, a brief hint of a future Olympic Games role, and even social distancing all conspired to make double-handed big boat racing a phenomenon. Add in a high level of competition, plus the increasing availability of purpose-designed yachts, and the growth in the double-handed scene has been explosive. One of the most surprising developments of the last decade is just how competitive double-handed offshore racers have become against fully crewed boats. Nowhere was this better demonstrated than in the 2013 Rolex Fastnet Race when Cherbourg surgeon Pascal Loison and his pro-sailor Figarist son Alexis, sailing their JPK 10.10 Night And Day, won not only the race’s…

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Baltic Yachts has been responsible for some of the world’s most iconic yachts of the past five years, including the 142ft Canova, which is fitted with DSS foils, the 175ft Pink Gin and the 130ft My Song. The Finnish yard’s latest creation, a 68ft daysailer, is no less spectacular as it’s a cutting edge design that looks to the future by using environmentally friendly solutions throughout. The concept for the boat is based on a very clear vision: the name stems from the pared down motorbikes of 1960s London that were optimised for a single task: conveying their riders impressively quickly from one venue to the next. The result is a design that excels in many respects and stands out in an increasingly crowded market place. Baltic engaged Mallorca-based Javier…

Ovni is another French yard that builds rugged shoal draught aluminium boats. It has recently focussed on larger models, but this 370 brings much of the thinking behind the 400, launched three years ago, to a smaller size bracket. A key feature of the boat lies in the distinctive coachroof styling. It’s not as sleek as that of most more performance oriented designs, but allows for generously sized forward-facing windows that provide the best possible view out. The optional deck saloon layout enables watchkeeping to be carried out from the shelter of the cabin. Forward hull sections are very rounded, which increases forecabin volume and form stability, while helping to reduce pitching. An optional square top mainsail increases upwind sail area by almost 10% without the need for a taller…