Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2023 i Yachting World

There’s no getting around the fact that one of the defining features of an ocean crossing is that you can’t get off half way. And that means some nerves before departure day are entirely understandable. You might worry how you’re going to handle your first ocean passage, or you might be concerned about how your crew or family will cope (see Nikki Henderson on why even the most experienced skippers should feel a few butterflies, on page 20) Either way, you’ll never know until you go. And there’s no shame in getting to the other side and deciding that actually, other, more coastal, sailing appeals more. While it’s easy to assume everyone falls in love with endless blue horizons and empty skies, others find the monotony, seasickness or discomfiting remoteness…

The next generation of IMOCAs will not carry T-foil rudders. Although recent analysis shows the incredible performance gains in 20 years since the introduction of foiling daggerboards in the class, at the Annual General Meeting the class voted against adopting T-foil rudders for full foiling flight… for now. “For sure, at one point the goal will be to go around the world by flying over the waves – which is fantastic – but to do it in the best conditions, is that now or a bit later?” said Antoine Mermod, president of the class. “If the Class is enjoying a successful period in its evolution, then sometimes it is good to make it stronger incrementally and to make changes at the right time, more than being led by technical innovation.”…

High performance sailing is rocket science – or so it would seem given the recent acquisition of SailGP’s manufacturing facility in Warkworth, New Zealand, by the American company Rocket Lab. Responsible for the wing-masted AC45s (when the company was known as Core Builders Composites), and going on to produce the F50 foiling one-design catamarans that emerged after the 2017 America’s Cup, SailGP Technologies has built an impressive fleet of the world’s most advanced foiling carbon cats. So now, with SailGP’s production moving to Southampton in the UK, the focus for the Kiwi company will be on supplying advanced composite components for Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket and working on the development of Neutron, Rocket Lab’s new 13,000kg payload class rocket – proper rocket science. ‘The level of competition has gone through…

Falmouth, Cornwall, 1955: a legend is born along Customs House Quay. A smartly dressed young man with wild, curly hair has launched a 23ft catamaran, built in just a few months for the modest sum of £200 (the equivalent of around £6,500 today). Rigged as a ketch with battened junk sails, the aptly named Tangaroa (meaning ‘God of the Sea’ in Polynesian) marked the beginning of the epic Wharram story. At the time, catamarans were considered dangerous and eccentric, while yachting was a pastime largely reserved for high society. But sailing already has other visionaries. On the deck of Tangaroa, beside James, are two young women: Jutta Schulze-Rhonhof and Ruth Merseburger. In puritanical post-war England, setting off to cross the Atlantic with two young women – and German ones at…

Arcona – a Swedish yard with a sound reputation for producing traditional style cruiser-racers, designed by a little known Swede who had a gift of ensuring slippery hulls. If that sounds familiar, then be prepared for a redefinition, as pretty much all of that has changed with the launch of this new flagship 50. Gone is the sweet, simple, stick-to-what-works idea. This is a big, contemporary new Arcona, one that sees the brand transition from its cruiser-racer heritage and classic interiors to a luxury performance sector. And it’s a stunner – inside and out, the 50 is a true showstopper. It’s a bold move, but an understandable one. Long term designer Stefan Qviberg passed away in 2018, the same year when Arcona was bought by Najad and Orust Quality Yachts.…

SWELLPRO SPRY+ DRONE We’ve always enjoyed photography and video-making as we’ve cruised Maunie of Ardwall, our Vancouver 38 Pilot. And ever since we first met some American sailors in Vanuatu who flew a drone above our anchorage for some amazing aerial shots, we’d hankered after one of these – admittedly rather expensive – toys to add a new dimension to our sailing photography. We were, though, initially put off the idea after hearing several first-hand horror stories of an accidental twitch of the controller joystick, or a sudden loss of battery power, resulting in drones taking an early bath. No matter how much you rinse them in fresh water and dry them out afterwards, a dip in salt water is definitely ‘game over’ for a normal drone. A bit of…

The 44th Rolex Middle Sea Race turned into a David and Goliath battle between one of the biggest and the smallest entrants in a typically mixed set of conditions for the classic Mediterranean 606-mile offshore. The 110 yachts starting on Saturday 21 October even saw widely variant breezes depending on their class start times, following a confused forecast and warm but overcast and humid conditions. As the multihulls began, the wind shifted from the south in the first part of the start area to the north by the time they were halfway down the harbour. Ten minutes later and two competing gradient winds left the start line virtually windless for the monohull fleets, though Racing the only MOD70 in the event, Alexia Barrier and Dee Caffari on The Famous Project’s…

Yachts planning to transit the Panama Canal are being warned to expect delays due to ongoing drought conditions. The Panama Canal Authority has been imposing water conservation measures for most of 2023, and those are likely to continue throughout the upcoming dry season. The Canal Authority is continuing to restrict the number of vessels that pass through the locks as water levels at Gatun Lake have dropped during a drought – millions of gallons of fresh water from the manmade lake are required to fill locks in Panama City and Colon. The ACP authority issued an advisory notice to shipping: “While these measures are in effect, yachts, and other small craft up to 38.10 m (125ft) LOA will likely experience extensive delays. Organised yacht rallies and local tourist vessels should…

The most extreme race ever? It’s the most audacious race ever attempted: five solo skippers are set to race around the world non-stop in 100ft giant foiling Ultimes. James Boyd finds out how they’ll be making the impossible possible in the Arkea Ultim Challenge Going solo Ever considered cruising alone? Whether you fancy the challenge of sailing single-handed or simply don’t want lack of crew to hold you back, James Frederick explains why solo cruising can be anything but lonely Atlantic jump-off point Las Palmas is always a hive of activity before the World Cruising Club’s ARC rally start. Helen Fretter meets skippers preparing for their great Atlantic adventure Transat Jacques Vabre A stellar fleet of 95 boats raced from Le Havre to Martinique, including 40 IMOCAs (and eight Brits!).…

November marks the start of the east to west tradewind transatlantic season. Some of you reading this may even be about to head out to sea. If you are, then you’ll be in good company: the Clipper Race fleet is also due to set off from Cape Town on their Southern Ocean leg bound for Western Australia. If I’m being honest, I always feel nervous before setting sail offshore. When I’m the skipper, this is especially intense. Pre-departure anxiety is something that affects almost all of us and isn’t talked about enough. We need to accept that – come to expect it – but also figure out how to cope with it: how do we turn trepidation into a positive? I vividly remember sitting on the bow of a Beneteau…

The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda is one of the most prestigious yacht clubs in the world, its marble atrium and exclusive pool deck usually welcoming owners and crews of superyachts, Swans, and iconic classes like the Star, J-Class and TP52. But this autumn the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, the club’s season finale, broke new ground with three catamarans given pride of place at the YCCS’s race dock. The three different, but equally exciting, powerful big cats went on the prowl in a newly introduced multihull division within the 45-strong entry at the showcase Maxi event. Lord Irvine Laidlaw’s brand new Gunboat 80 Highland Fling 18 lined up alongside Adrian Keller’s 84ft Irens-designed Allegra (launched 2014), and the new Gunboat 68 Convexity, campaigned by Don Wilson and Suna Said. For the…

We’re beating out of the approach channel to La Rochelle in 8-10 knots of true wind, with some tacks as short as 90 seconds. The yacht is tacking cleanly and accelerating willingly afterwards, underlining how manoeuvrable it can be in skilled hands. Yet this isn’t a lightweight monohull – it’s a 52ft semi flybridge multihull weighing more than 13 tonnes. The first generation of Neel trimarans, including the 51 launched in 2017, set a new standard in combining handling that echoes that of a monohull with accommodation of a scale that can only be found on a multihull. The concept of the 52 remains the same, using the hulls of a fast racing trimaran with narrow waterline beam, as a platform for expansive four-to six-cabin accommodation. On paper there’s no…

RORC Caribbean 600 On yachts ranging from Sunfast 3300 to First 47.7 individual charter via Global Yacht Racing, including 3 days of practice and race prep plus 4-5 days of racing, starts from £2,499 (including entry fees, marina fees, team kit, food and drink while racing). Whole boat charter via Global Yacht Racing, including regatta entry, owner’s representative, insurance and hull scrub pre-race: £23,499. Antigua Sailing Week Individual charter via Global Yacht Racing, including 2 days of practice, 5 days of racing: £2,475. Whole boat charter via Global Yacht Racing, including regatta entry, owners’ rep, insurance, race sails, hull scrub pre-race: £19,995. St Maarten Heineken Regatta Individual charter via Global Yacht Racing, including 2 days of practice and 4 days of racing, all regatta fees, marine berthing, race entry, lunch…

The first leg of the Ocean Globe Race, the Whitbread-revival round-the-world race, delivered a nail biting race to the finish in Cape Town, South Africa. After the fleet left Southampton on 10 September an early leading pack established itself of the Swan 65 Translated 9, the all-female entry Maiden, Marie Taberly’s Pen Duick VI, and Spirit of Helsinki, a Swan 651. First to cross the Equator on 28 September, the 73ft ketch Pen Duick pulled out a nearly 300-mile lead, and the French pre-race favourites looked set to take the opening leg. However, the South Atlantic had other plans, with a high pressure ridge slowing the leaders while the fleet behind faced 10 days of beating upwind into south-easterlies. Tabarly and crew on Pen Duick VI gybed east towards Cape…

The 2024 Vendée Globe, the 10th edition of the famed single-handed around the world non-stop race, has attracted a record fleet. Organisers confirmed that 44 solo skippers have applied for the event, which has a maximum qualification limit of 40. One entry is to be awarded as a ‘wild card’ by the organisers. Among the burgeoning fleet are 18 first-timers, while at the other end of the scale Jean Le Cam will be bidding for his sixth start in the race – this time on a newly built, straight daggerboard IMOCA. Sixteen skippers are non-French, with five British names throwing their hat into the ring: Sam Davies (based in France for many years) aiming for her fourth start; Sam Goodchild, who is entered for the first time with For the…

Safety culture I’ve read Nikki Henderson’s wonderful commentary ‘Does the Safety Culture in Sailing Need a Revamp?’ [July 23 issue]. I have strong interests in leadership and offshore safety, and offshore and high latitude sailing experience as well, having recently edited a high latitude cruising guide – The CCA Essential Guide to the Viking Route. Few sailors, however, can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Nikki Henderson, and her words spoke to me as Chair of the Safety and Seamanship Committee of the Cruising Club of America. The Safety and Seamanship Committee’s Mission and Vision statements read: “Make yachting safer by researching and promoting best safety practices and seamanship skills, capitalizing on the knowledge and blue water experience of CCA members to provide educational resources to the yachting community of racers and cruisers…

At some point, perhaps in an anchorage far from home, every bluewater voyager is faced with a choice – do you sail on, or turn back and recross your wake? And if neither option appeals or is practical, then is it time to consider selling up, getting a delivery crew to bring your boat home, or shipping back? Planned in advance, shipping your yacht can help maximise your adventure time and open up new cruising areas that wouldn’t otherwise be accessible in a restricted time scale. Meanwhile, for cruisers facing an unexpected change of circumstances or shift in plans, shipping can keep the dream alive by bringing your yacht back to its home port, or moving it on to somewhere you can pick up the adventure in future. We speak…

While for many of us October sees our thoughts turn to bringing boats ashore or preparing them to overwinter, in Saint-Tropez some 2,500 sailors are enjoying a 10-day international regatta in T-shirt weather. This year saw Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez celebrate its 25th anniversary, though its history stretches back further, stemming as it does from the Nioulargue, which began in 1983. Over 40 years the event has established a precedence as being the first and finest regatta of its kind in the Mediterranean, with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez (SNST), managing to create a world class sailing spectacle from its modest clubhouse in this former fishing port. The south of France town usually hosts a population of just 3,600, its numbers swelling to almost double that for 10 days during…

The popularity of brands such as Outremer, HH, Balance and Seawind has soared in recent years, with a strong demand for ocean-going performance cruising cats 50ft and over. And now we’re seeing a real injection of pace from some of the more specialist semi-custom yards. These ultra high performance multihulls combine luxury accommodation with exhilarating sailing and have spawned a growing number of cool designs. Some of these craft take the concept of performance cruising to the limit, have an easy transition to race mode and the potential to notch up 300-mile days on an ocean crossing. Equally, in this part of the market, all-carbon construction plus carbon spars and high-tech sails have become commonplace and these boats can weigh as little as two-thirds of the typical 18-20,000kg of a…

Caribbean regatta organisers are reporting a boom in charter entries, and, with more yachts available than ever before, the opportunities to pay and play for some racing in the sun have never been better. The main Caribbean race season runs from February through to the end of April each year. For some the season begins with the RORC Transatlantic race in January, or the ARC rally in November or January, delivering the boat from Europe to the Caribbean. The first big event is the RORC Caribbean 600 offshore, while the first major inshore event of the year is the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. The season progresses with a series of superyacht events, but also mixed fleets at St Thomas International Regatta, the BVI Spring Regatta, Les Voiles de St Barths,…

A tight windward mark rounding can challenge your boat handling. Multiple championship winner Charlie Cumbley shares top tips with Andy Rice. While there may be many factors that feed into a successful windward mark rounding, Charlie Cumbley boils it down to one overriding aim: “Ultimately you’re trying to get to the top mark, sailing the minimum distance at the best VMG.” Charlie’s five best tips explain how to achieve that goal, although there is an important caveat: you need to tailor your approach to your abilities and your current skill level. Living in a thin lane, tacking in late from port on to a congested starboard layline – these are where small margins can make the difference between succeeding or failing badly. Get it wrong and you might find yourself…

CAMERON APPLETON NOMINATES THE RC44 “For sure one of the coolest yachts is none other than the RC44 class created by Russell Coutts,” nominates Cameron Appleton. A strict one-design, the RC44 was co-designed by five-time America’s Cup winner Coutts with naval architect Andrej Justin and bears more than a passing resemblance to the IACC class of old. It’s a full carbon build with a square top main and trim tab, producing high performance and demanding a considerable level of skill from its owner-helmsmen. The RC44 fits into a 40ft container and boats compete on a multi-event tour. “Seventeen years in with Team Aqua and it still brings such tight racing across the widest of wind ranges,” says Appleton. “The boat tests the teams and challenges them to performance in a…