Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2025 i Yachting World

Is there anybody in the world you’d rather go to sea with than Pip Hare? I can’t think of a soul. Not only would you be in the safest of hands, you’d probably see your boat going faster than ever before, and learn more than you thought possible. All with a cracking cup of tea in hand and some great tunes playing in the cockpit. Pip has been a big part of the Yachting World family for years now, generously sharing her knowledge and experience over the years through dozens of articles and video tutorials on all manner of subjects (check out the Yachting World YouTube channel for her recent video series on short-handed sailing). It’s been an absolute joy to witness her dream of racing in the Vendée become…

Forty years since he founded the original ARC rally, Jimmy Cornell is launching a new cruise-in-company event for adventurous sailors, the High Latitude Challenge, which features the ‘bucket list’ expedition sailing destinations of both Antarctica and the Northwest Passage. “This is not planned as an organised rally, but as a rolling event with interested participants joining anywhere along the route, and finishing wherever they prefer,” Cornell explained. The clockwise route will start from Cherbourg, France in September 2026. It will then head south, to Rio, Brazil, then from Ushuaia the intention is to cross to the Antarctic Peninsula. There is a 8,600-mile passage northbound in the Pacific, from Chile to Alaska via Easter Island and Honolulu. Then from Alaska there will be an attempt to transit the Northwest Passage and…

The latest ocean racing concept from Don McIntyre, creator of the revival Golden Globe Race and Ocean Globe Races, sets off on 23 February. Fifteen home-built 19ft yachts are set to race solo around the world in the first running of the Mini Globe Race. The one-design Mini 5.80 boats are designed so they can be home built, from either kits or plans, or professionally constructed (see page 100 for a closer look at this extraordinary class). The fleet includes adventurers such as British ocean rower and swimmer Jasmine Harrison, New Zealander and endurance runner Daniel Turner, and US mountain climber Joshua Kali. There are sailors with a variety of experience, including popular former Golden Globe Race entrant Ertan Beskardes, retired British naval captain and offshore racer Keri Harris, and…

Ahoy there, from halfway to the Caribbean! This is my third attempt at writing this column. The first go was interrupted by a squall. We underestimated its strength, surfed down a wave at 19 knots and then spent the rest of the watch slightly overly vigilant, as if that would make up for our previous 35-knot misjudgement. Attempt No2 was on my 0300-0600 watch. After a coffee, several snacks, meandering down the B&G settings menu with no purpose, and two log entries made exactly to the minute on the hour, I conceded that writing was not a sufficiently ‘staying-awake’ activity – and stepped outside to stargaze. With Starlink I quickly realised I could log in every day – and yes, write an article about sailing, for sailors, while sailing –…

There’s a saying among sailors that plans are only ever made in the sand at low tide. Sailing the world requires meticulous planning and preparation – but also the ability to go with the flow. In 2024 this was brought into sharp relief when events in the Middle East forced many world cruisers, myself and my husband Ross included, to evaluate our plans for the year ahead. We ended our 2023 cruising year in the yacht haven of Phuket, Thailand – the premier boat parts and service centre of Asia – with our eyes set on transiting the Suez Canal and entering the Mediterranean. But with the growing conflict in Yemen choking off access to the Red Sea, we made the difficult decision to instead point Acushnet’s bow south, towards…

Yacht design continues to advance quickly, as evidenced by the leap in performance made by the current generation of IMOCA 60s compared to just four years previously. The same is true among cruising designs and the Nautitech 48 Open also represents a big step forward, with hull shapes refined compared to those of the Nautitech 44 that was launched only three years ago. This simultaneously boosts performance while also improving handling and safety. One of the key design aims was to improve performance at typical moderate sailing speeds of around 8 knots, which was achieved by modifying the rocker profile of the bottom of the hull, especially towards the transom. At the same time the bows are 10cm above the static loaded waterline, which helps the boat to turn more…

This South African yard’s first model, the Vision 444, is a fast and lightweight catamaran set up for long-distance sailing that has won wide acclaim over the past five years. A new 48-footer is also in development for launch in 2026. Avoiding complexity whenever possible is a big part of the overall concept. Mainsail trim, for example, is controlled by a bridle with purchase system each side that’s mounted on the hard top. This enables the sail to be trimmed as accurately as with a traveller system, but the arrangement is lighter, quicker to install and a lot easier to maintain, especially in far-flung parts of the globe. Systems are also chosen from suppliers with global distribution and complex options are avoided where possible. The 40hp Nanni diesel engines, for…

This is a new(ish) fast cruising catamaran design we’re particularly excited about and a project we’ve followed with interest. When Martin and Amanda Wadhams sold their Pogo 12.50 Rush, they were looking for a fast cruising cat (readers may know Martin as the co-founder of RS Sailing). After much research, they settled on this Schionning design and found the right skilled and experienced yard, Current Marine in Knysna, to build it. Interest grew, moulds were taken off it and the CM46 became a line of boats – the Wadhams actually ending up with hull No4. We’ll keep this short here as we want to return to this boat in more detail soon. But key elements include long, slim bows, high bridgedeck clearance, high aspect daggerboards, centralised weight and strict adherence…

Comfort and space continue to convince many new to sailing to choose catamarans, while monohull owners are increasingly making the switch. But there are some downsides to weigh up, as Elaine Bunting reports “Would you like a drink?” asks Fiona, one of the crew of Outremer 52 Inez V. Even if you’ve only just stepped aboard, as I have, you know you could probably ask for a cappuccino or a mojito jangling with ice, and it would be no problem. The enormous freezer and shiny coffee machine are right there in the saloon. The galley opens to the cockpit, there are seating areas inside and outside, a cooling breeze comes through the forward saloon windows. Inez V is as spacious and comfortable as a small apartment, but one with a…

‘The yacht was ahead of its time with a masthead rig’ DEB FISH NOMINATES THE MYTH OF MALHAM “Nothing beats the elegance of a classic yacht with a distinguished past. RORC commodore John Illingworth’s Myth of Malham won the Fastnet Yacht Race in 1947 and 1949, and made history as captain of the British team that won the first Admiral’s Cup in 1957,” says Fish. The Laurent Giles design was radical for its time. The owner’s brief, according to Giles, was to “go ‘flat-out’ for the Fastnet; minimum size, rather light displacement, no sheer or doghouse and very short overhangs”. The design also capitalised on the RORC rating of the time to maximise ‘free’ headsail area. “Illingworth and the Myth were ahead of their time – the yacht featured a…

British skipper Pip Hare’s second Vendée Globe ended on 15 December when Medallia’s mast broke and tumbled onto the deck in the South Indian Ocean. Hare’s rig came down approximately 800 miles south of Australia, while she was racing in 15th position in the solo around the world race. Hare who was uninjured, set a jury rig and, at the time of going to press, was heading for land at around 4 knots of boat speed. At the time of going to press she was heading to Melbourne. She explained the foiling IMOCA Medallia took off on a wave, and when the boat landed the mast broke in two pieces. Hare managed to secure the damaged sections and build a jury rig in around three hours. “I am so devastated,”…

A crew member taking part in this year’s ARC rally was tragically lost overboard mid-Atlantic. On Monday 2 December, the Volvo 70 Ocean Breeze reported that a crew member had gone overboard at approximately 0230 while around 1,000 miles north-west of the Cape Verdes, sailing in west-north-west winds of 20-25 knots with gusts up to 30 knots. A search was begun, coordinated by MRCC Norfolk, USA, and involved Ocean Breeze, another ARC entrant, the Vismara 62 Leaps & Bounds 2, and the motor yacht Project X, an 88m superyacht. Air cover was not possible due to the distance of the search area from land. However, with daylight fading and worsening seas, MRCC Norfolk ended the active search at 2045 (UTC) on Monday 2 December. After around 19 hours of searching,…

Best Yachts of the Year The European Yacht of the Year awards are the most comprehensive independent awards in the yacht building industry. Yachting World’s Toby Hodges is one of the 12 international judges and sailed 12 of the best boats of the year to help pick the winning designs. We have a full report on the stand-out designs. Cruising Japan An island country rich in culture and stunning coastline, Japan is little known among bluewater cruisers. Cameron Dueck explores the land of the rising sun by yacht. How to find a bargain boat The brokerage market has been in a state of flux for some years, but there are signs things are settling down. So is now the time to grab a bargain? Will Bruton finds out. The Atlantic,…

If a fearsome 50-knot storm was rolling towards you, what would you do? Most sailors’ response would involve getting outta Dodge. Not so the Vendée Globe skippers. Because in this year’s edition of the solo around the world race, speed is king, and seeking conditions which can pelt the foiling IMOCAs across the ocean at breakneck pace has become the goal. Like astronauts launching themselves into orbit, competitors in this edition of the race have braced themselves into cockpit seats, donning helmets, and hanging on as their boats relentlessly vibrate and shudder around them. But while leaving Earth’s atmosphere only takes 10 minutes before space pioneers experience calm weightlessness, those at the frontier of ocean racing must survive the howling and hurtling for at least 10 long weeks. Any brief…

Why charter? To have a deserved break afloat; to sail somewhere different; to try before you buy, especially if deciding between monohull and multihull; to see if it’s something your crew enjoys before embarking on longerterm cruising. Or all of the above. For us, the plan seemed clear. After a decade of UK summers (an oxymoron!), where our family of four enjoys sailing dinghies and weekending our vintage micro-cruiser, it was time for some more reliable, sunny cruising. And the chance to try a modern production monohull presented an ideal opportunity for our daughters (9 and 13) to progress into yacht sailing. Dubrovnik has become a Mediterranean cruising mecca. Not only is the ‘pearl of the Adriatic’ a UNESCO world heritage site to set sail from, with an old town…

Finding the right mix of geographical influences can sometimes create formidable results. I’ve sailed most new Ice yachts over the last few years and all have been Italian-designed-and-built lookers. But for the Milanbased yard’s latest RS model, CEO Marco Malgara wanted to shake things up a little, “to bring the shipyard’s ‘Made in Italy’ to an international level.” So what happens when you mix flamboyant Italian style with a thoroughbred American powerhouse – when you inject that Maserati with a dose of American muscle? In this case, you create a stunner in the shape of a potent fast cruiser for the Med. The Ice 66RS looks in vogue, whether from the dock, sailing or in her spacious and light interior. The indemand Lucio Micheletti waved his wand over all these…

LOA 10m 32ft 9in Beam 3.5m-8m 11ft 6in-26ft 3in Draught 0.4-1.8m 1ft 4in-5ft 11in Displacement (light) 2,100kg Sail area (100% foretriangle) 182.3m 2 1,962ft 2 Expected price €425,000 whitetipyachts.com Yes! Here’s one that gets the pulse going and really makes you want to jump aboard and take it for a white-knuckle ride – up to 30 knots should be possible! The Cape-WT10 is a 33ft foldable and trailable performance trimaran which can be cruised or raced offshore both short-handed or fully crewed and looks light, fast and thrilling. When professional offshore sailor and experienced racer Thomas Wilson and his wife, Sigrid, were looking for a trimaran between 30-40ft they couldn’t find one that ticked enough modern appeal for them – they wanted a design that benefits from the latest thinking…

This latest Leopard is an important new model after the 400-strong success of its 45. The Robertson and Caine yard is celebrating its 33rd year of production and this is the first yacht it has built with electric drives. As well as these drives the optional hybrid package includes 1,600W of solar panels. See it at the International Multihull Show in the spring, when it will also go into charter with Sunsail and The Moorings. Price €699,000 ex VAT. leopardcatamarans.com…

The fabled Admiral’s Cup, one of the most missed events in yachting, looks set for a strong revival event this summer in the UK. The international team event, which ran from 1957-1999, fizzled out with a final running in 2003, and was the subject of multiple previous revival attempts which all failed. However, the 2025 running, which coincides with the centenary celebrations for host club RORC (Royal Ocean Racing Club), has 20 boats already entered from eight international two-boat teams. They include a competitive entry from New Zealand, featuring the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race winner Max Klink’s Botin 52 Caro teaming up with the GP42 Callisto (ex-Dark ‘N’ Stormy). James Murray, skipper of Callisto, reported that the yacht is scheduled to arrive in the UK in April 2025 and will…

Just three days after two Ultims set off on a head-to-head bid to each set a new around the world non-stop record for the Jules Verne Trophy, both were forced to return to France after suffering foil damage on the same day. François Gabart‘s SVR-Lazartigue was first to end its record bid. At 0110 (UTC) on 3 December the crew reported they felt an impact while sailing in 25-30 knots of wind, around 500 miles from the Azores. The impact was described as a shock from an ‘OANI’, or an unidentified animal or object – the marine equivalent of a UFO. The crew discovered that the trimaran’s starboard foil was damaged and made the decision to turn around. After three days of racing, the SVR-Lazartigue crew were 145 minutes behind…

That tens of thousands were prepared to get up in the early hours of the morning and camp out on a sea wall in the middle of winter to see a group of boats pass by is truly remarkable. I can’t think of another event in sailing that has this kind of pulling power on this scale. There is no doubt the Vendée Globe is an extraordinary phenomenon. Forty years old, now in its 10th edition and with a record entry of 40 boats there’s nothing else like it in sport. The fact 39 boats made it down to the South Atlantic having crossed the Bay of Biscay was also a record. But the success of this event has been no accident. Neither has the fact that the class is…

For a month, the boys had been hidden in the mountains with their uncles. They had their noses pierced with bamboo and stayed in the ceremonial hut for three nights, while their mothers and aunties conducted a singing vigil. They started the process as boys, but now it was time for them to be released and presented as men. Their fathers took great care to dress their sons in their most treasured family possessions. They were adorned with huge, century-old hornbill beaks. Priceless pearl shell necklaces, collected from the coastal tribes over centuries, were wrapped around their necks. Necklaces made of parrot feathers completed the look, together with head dresses from possum fur topped with the incredibly rare feathers of the Bird of Paradise. Finally it was time. The young…

From childhood, Graham Cox had dreamed of the ocean. Growing up in Durban, he’d spent his time hanging out near what was then called the International Jetty, where far-ranging yachts of all nations berthed to break their epic passages. Sometimes he’d pluck up courage and ‘make his number’, to be well received by the generous tribes of the sea. His two volumes, Last Days of the Slocum Era, describe this dreaming time. The heroes he met come rollicking off the pages as though we were all in the pub together. About halfway through Volume 1, Graham leaves home with his kitbag and emigrates to Australia. It isn’t long before he has acquired a small yacht to live on. Poeme is a 24ft, engineless double-ended ketch built in the old-fashioned way…

LOA 18.27m 60ft 0in • LWL 18.27m 60ft 0in Beam 9.02m 29ft 7in Draught 0.63-3.28m 2ft-10ft 8in evolutionmarine.co.za This eye-opening, performance-focused luxury cruising catamaran is a full South African project. Drawn by top multihull designer Anton Du Toit (Balance Yachts’ designer), who grew up on a cruising yacht and is self-taught, the first Evo 60 is already in construction at Evolution Marine in Cape Town. This is a young company with plenty of experience behind it. Led by veteran boatbuilder Oliver Dawson, the yard specialises in advanced composite work, with recent projects varying from a Class 40 to high-speed ferries, accommodation pods and even a replica of a GT40 sports car. The powerful, modern-looking cat is being promoted as capable of both regatta sailing and bluewater cruising. A fully infused…

A cold front offshore can see race-ending conditions, Hugh Brayshaw shares advice on how to prepare and sail through it with Andy Rice Hugh Brayshaw wasn’t long into his offshore career before he encountered the importance of negotiating a cold front in the right way. “It was the first leg of the 2017 Solitaire du Figaro, and we were in the middle of the Bay of Biscay with the prospect of a double cold front coming through,” he recalls. “We knew before setting off this front was going to hit us on the second night of the race. The forecast was predicting these huge wave heights and the highest wind reading was 54 knots – which is still the most amount of breeze I’ve been in. “Fortunately I’d put in…

The Mini Globe Race is a single-handed around the world race in home-built plywood yachts, for a new class designed specifically for the race: the Globe 5.80 “Go small, go cheap, go now,” famously said Lin and Larry Pardy, who sailed for decades aboard small engineless yachts they built themselves. For Don McIntyre, the restless mind behind the Globe 5.80, his newest race is an idea with simplicity and accessibility at its core. And while his previous events – the Golden Globe Race and Ocean Globe Race – were ‘revival’ events that specified vintage designs to race in modern recreations of races from the 1960s and 1970s, the Mini Globe Race is an allnew concept that called for an all-new design. “I just love little boats and big adventures,” he…