Innehållsförteckning för April 2017 från Sailing Today

‘WE DECIDED TO TAKE OUR GAP YEAR BEFORE OUR CHILDREN’ This modern day adventure set off from Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour in Antigua, following months and years of training, planning and boat prep. The day was filled with much excitement, anticipation and fanfare, as the 31-strong fleet readied itself for departure. Final boat checks were made, inventories taken and then taken again, final goodbyes said, and the all-important adventure-day-one photos taken. The historic harbour, which takes its name from its most famous resident, Admiral Horatio Nelson, was the perfect backdrop for this classic feat of maritime endurance. As the sun rose on another stunning Antiguan morning, the excitement was tangible from organisers and participants alike. Britons Tianelle, Robert and Jeannette Parkinson said enthusiastically: “After nearly two years of planning and…

DEHLER 42 PRICE: £165,348 Dehler is another company with a rich pedigree in cruiser-racers and its latest line up is rightly lauded as a return to form. The 42 features somewhat more radical interior styling and similarly impressive performance. craftinsure quote: from £889.41 inspirationmarine.co.uk ELAN E4 PRICE: £103,000 Elan’s E4 is a somewhat more radical design, featuring big aft sections, a chined hull and twin rudders. She’s a joy to sail, particularly off the wind, and features surprisingly well-appointed accommodation. craftinsure quote: from £430.45 elan-yachts.com MAXI 1200 PRICE: £199,000 Pelle Petterson’s latest design is another polished performer and also fits neatly into the Venn diagram shaped space between cruiser-racer that the X4 sits in. Beamy aft, with a generous sail area and quality interior, the Swede is a tempting alternative.…

Whitehaven Marina is the largest marina on the Cumbrian coast, offering 400 berths up to a maximum length of 40m with a maximum draught of 5m. The marina itself came into its own in 1998 when a sea lock was built to protect the town from flooding. A bonus was that it also created an extremely tranquil space within Whitehaven’s inner dock, providing an excellent environment for the marina, which has flourished ever since. The marina offers an excellent range of facilities, including fuel on site, electricity on the pontoons, wifi, storage ashore and also an impressive 7,000sqft boatshed with storage for vessels up to 21m LOA. The shed is heated, making it an ideal facility if you’re planning a long winter refit. The harbour always was at the heart…

Whitehaven offers access to some of the finest cruising grounds that Britain and Ireland have to offer, with the west coast of Scotland, the east coast of Ireland and north Wales all being well within reach. Ideally you’d want at least two weeks to do justice to the west coast of Scotland and this is a cruising area that needs little introduction. If time is of the essence, then a trip to Bangor, Northern Ireland and then along the east coast of Ireland is a perfectly achievable round trip to take in a week, provided the weather is favourable. Such a trip is greatly aided by the presence of the Isle of Man, which lies some 30 miles west of Whitehaven and is actually visible on clear days. The Isle…

It doesn’t happen often but one day you may well come across a stricken vessel, which is perhaps suffering some form of mechanical failure, so knowing how to tow safely and effectively is essential seamanship. For this article we used a RIB from Sea Start Marine Assistance and a Beneteau 37, Splash, loaned by Universal Yachting RYA yachting school. LONG TOW – WITH A FUNCTIONING RUDDER How to tow will depend on where you are and why you are having to do so. For instance, in open water a long tow will generally be the best option. The length of tow should be roughly three boat lengths. So, for 35ft (10.5m) boats this will be about 30 metres. The idea is to have the tug and the tow on the…

SET MARINE 435 | ORANGE Orange is a fast performance-cruising catamaran, with less than two years on the clock. She was built by semi-custom outfit Set Marine in Augusta, Italy and she definitely has bags of Italian style and flair – this is one of a kind. She boasts an ultra-modern design, inside and out. Her composite hulls and Maxspar carbon mast all help keep weight down to less than 8t, and she can comfortably reach 17kt-plus in the right conditions. Instrumentation is all Raymarine Orange offers its owners and visitors sophisticated, clean white furnishings, solid teak floors and large hull lights to enjoy the ocean views. The six berths are generously accommodated in three, en-suite cabins and the saloon is divided into a lounge area, galley, dining…

Well known on the Caribbean race circuit, and to ARC rally boats crossing the finishing line in St Lucia, Tim Wright specialises in yacht photography. Here he has captured a dozen of the 31 Oysters who left Antigua together on 15 January, bound on a 27-month circumnavigation that takes them first to Panama, then island-hopping across the Pacific. The Oyster World Rally will cover 30,000 miles, but the deep, cerulean blue of the sea where the Atlantic rolls between the Caribbean islands will be hard to beat.…

The Ionian Sea on Greece’s west coast is blessed with long summers, azure anchorages, safe harbours and an abundance of tavernas. Little wonder thousands of sailors visit each year. Just 90 minutes after arriving in this idyll we had been introduced to our yacht, had received our evening briefing and were enjoying a beer before dinner. That was how to start a sailing holiday. Our charge for the week was a Jeanneau 33i, Esta Bien. Her saloon was light and airy, her deck and cockpit uncluttered. The furling genoa and a two single-line reefing mainsail were uncomplicated. Although capable of sleeping four, she did feel small. A 36-footer would provide much more space. However, she was easy to sail, and with the exception of the toilet seacock, ridiculously located under…

‘YOUR MOVEMENTS IN RELATION TO THE OTHER PEOPLE ON BOARD ARE LIKE A WELL-CHOREOGRAPHED DANCE’ One of the things it’s hard to get your head around if you don’t live on a boat is how a couple or even a family could be comfortable in so little space. The living area equates to far less than a tiny studio flat, yet we all seem to still have enough room. In fact, as we’ve added twice to our crew list, making room for babies on board, we actually have less space than when we started. But, to be honest, in the five-and-a-half years that we’ve been sailing full-time, I’ve never felt cramped. Having your boat on the dock at a marina is a form of floating home that landlubbers can understand.…

The late July weather at Troon was good. Richard and Alison, our crewmates on Mollie for the first week, had arrived on time. I had planned to stow their bikes on Mollie’s deck, but two full-size and expensive road bikes would have rendered any decent sailing impossible! We tried them in the aft cabin first, but while the bikes went in, there was no room for the passengers. The only other option was the aft pilot berth, an often unused asset of the Moody 37. In desperation I removed the central locker cover, put in some padding, and – success – both machines sat comfortably half in and half out (and, more importantly, out of the way). With that, we cast off for Tarbert only an hour behind schedule. The…

LAKE DISTRICT Whitehaven is backed by the peaks and fells of the western Lake District OLD MARKET TOWN Whitehaven town provides plenty for visitors to see and do, from taking in a play at the Rosehill Theatre to discovering the Rum Story museum VIBRANT MARINA Offers 400 berths up to a maximum length of 40m, with a maximum draught of 5m IDENTIFICATION The entrance to Whitehaven is unmistakeably set out by two lengthy breakwaters SEA MARKS West Pier (above) and North Pier (left) lighthouses are clearly visible on the approach Tucked away in a quiet, western corner of Cumbria, Whitehaven Marina offers excellent shelter and good access to a hugely rewarding cruising ground as Sam Jefferson discovers Whitehaven nestles in the lee of the fells and peaks of the western…

‘LOOK FOR RUBBERISED BLOCKS, OR WITH A COVER, OR GELCOAT DECKS COULD SUFFER’ Have you ever been desperate to put a temporary turning block in a line? Making a quick barber haul, say, or lashing up an instant MOB tackle? Situations like this call for a snatch block, a few of which should be in every bosun’s store. The beauty of the snatch block is that it can be put on to a line without the need to reeve the line through the block from the bitter end. The blocks are designed with one cheek that either hinges open or swivels to allow the line to be placed on the sheave, before closing the cheek again and securing the block. Many snatch blocks come with a snap shackle fitted, so…

TALL SHIPS FESTIVAL GREENWICH, 13-16 APRIL Dozens of Tall Ships from across the world will be back on the Thames for the Rendez-Vous 2017 over Easter this year. Following the successful 2014 event, 40 ships will moor in the Thames, with opportunities to visit the boats and book cruises. Two festival villages with free, family-friendly attractions will be set up at Woolwich and Greenwich waterfronts. Then the boats depart on the first leg of a transatlantic race to Quebec, Canada. royalgreenwich.gov.uk/tallships BEAULIEU BOAT JUMBLE 23 APRIL Everyone likes truffling through a boat jumble for useful bits and bobs. Beaulieu is the biggest of them all and ideally timed at the start of the season for last minute jobs and improvements. £8.70 entry, or set up your own stall from £39.…

SUPERYACHT LAUNCHED One of the world’s largest superyachts, Sailing Yacht A, designed by Philippe Starck and built by German boatbuilder, Nobiskrug, left the yard on 5 February. The 468ft, sail-assisted motor yacht has a gross tonnage of about 12,600 and its mainmast rises 100m above the waterline. Commissioned by Russian industrialist, Andrey Melnichenko, it is described by its builders as “undoubtedly one of the most visionary projects” they’ve been involved in. There’s no doubt its striking appearance will divide opinion among sailors, but it is certainly a spectacle to behold. ARC Channel Islands rally returns Entries are now open for the second ARC Channel Islands rally, after the inaugural 2016 event proved a great success. The eight-day cruise begins in Haslar Marina in Gosport on 12 August this year and…

Up front it must be said, that you are unlikely to make a profit out of charter ownership. But there are plenty of benefits, financial and otherwise, which are making this a more popular way of buying a boat and getting afloat. In its most basic form it involves buying a boat – or a share of a boat – and then sub-letting it back to a charter operator over a fixed period. During this time the charter company usually covers maintenance and berthing of the yacht and charters it out to guests. In exchange, you get a certain number of weeks’ sailing per year and you may even receive some income. Christian Brewer of Dream Yacht Charter explains: “We have a range of different purchasing options available offering different…

• CARBON SPRIT An invaluable extra is the carbon sprit that bolts on at the bow and carries an anchor roller. Other modular options include a bare anchor roller, a sprit with no anchor fitting or nothing at all! • DI SAILS North’s high-end sails are not standard, but help the boat point better and sail faster • RACE COCKPIT The mainsheet runs on a track in front of the pedestal and the backstay tension • FOOT REST Popular on cruiser-racers, the fold-down foot rest makes a real difference to helming comfort on the heel • TRANSOM Choose between an open racing transom or a more enclosed bathing platform Seven years ago, when X-Yachts first launched the pioneering Xc range of performance cruisers, owner Niels Jeppesen must have thought he…

The Irish Sea can be an unforgiving place at times, but Whitehaven itself is a forgiving port to enter thanks to its two lengthy and distinctive breakwaters. The first signpost on approach is St Bees lighthouse (F(2) 102m 18M) and there are a number of chimneys at the southern side of the harbour that are also conspicuous as you approach. The long breakwaters are topped off by a pair of distinctive white beacons that mark out North Quay (2F.R(vert) and West Quay Fl.G.5s) respectively. It is best to aim for the North Quay, as there is an outlying cluster of rocks off West Quay that must be avoided. The approach is safe in almost any conditions, but this is a tidal harbour, with the approach channel dredged to 1.4m above…

Antal Dynablock A lightweight block with a swivelling cheek plate for easy line reeving. It comes with a Dyneema snap loop for quick deployment and soft cheek covers to protect the decks. The resin sheave is on a composite fibre bushing with two side ball bearing races for reduced friction. Antal also makes a dedicated barber hauler and 2:1 mainsheet headboard block. • antal.it • from £51.90 Harken Harken push-button snatch blocks are widely used on both the racing and cruising yachts as they’re so easy to use – even with just one hand free. Their integral, swivelling snap shackle allows them to be fastened quickly and ULC bearing technology ensures their sheaves turn smoothly and maintain efficiency, even when heavily loaded. • harken.com • from £468 Holt/Allen…

‘CUSTOM-MADE CARBON-FIBRE DAVITS COST A FORTUNE, BUT SAVE A LOT OF WEIGHT AND LOOK GREAT’ From modest coast hopping to offshore passage making, we all need to get ashore when anchored in that secluded bay, hidden estuary, or busy harbour, so having a suitable tender is essential to most cruising sailors. However, the bigger the tender, the bigger the problem of stowing it while under way. Towing is an option, but this presents its own problems, including wear and tear on the tender, additional drag and in extreme cases, damage to the vessel due to the tender crashing in to the stern in a following sea. Packing the tender away each time you use it is inconvenient and requires somewhere suitable to stow it, either on deck, in a locker,…