Innehållsförteckning för May 2021 från Sailing Today

The World Sailing Trust has launched a global Participation Study to assess the status of sailing in terms of equity, diversity and inclusion. Almost two years after the launch of the trust’s global survey on women in the sport, the Participation Study will serve as a “benchmarking survey to assess the sport of sailing in all its disciplines, on a global scale”, says the trust. The mission of the Participation Study is “to build a sport that is able to attract, retain and enable talent across in all its forms, and has a robust equity, diversity and inclusion policy...this will support greater participation and improved performance and will strengthen the future of sailing on a global basis”. The publication of the World Sailing Trust’s Strategic Review into Women in Sailing…

The America’s Cup versus the Vendée Globe. Which gives more value? It’s a moot point but as the Cup ramped up and the Vendée finished you’d hear this discussed around the race dock in Les Sables d’Olonne. But in terms of the overall sponsorship spend IMOCA’s president Antoine Mermod has been quoting some interesting figures whilst discussing the hugely buoyant ocean racing economy in south Brittany within the area which has been trademarked Bretagne Sailing Valley. ‘INCREASINGLY THERE ARE RICH BACKERS WHO WILL FUND AND OWN THE BOATS – AND THEY REMAIN A VERY GOOD INVESTMENT’ He says IMOCA estimate that the 120-130 million euros is what they consider to be the total investment of 120 key partners on the 33 Vendée Globe boats. And a lot of that money…

Since being beaten in the Prada Cup finals in Auckland, Sir Ben Ainslie has quietly stated that his long-term aim remains – to bring the Auld Mug ‘home’, to lead the first British team to win the America’s Cup since the famous race around the Isle of Wight in 1851. To take part, of course, requires money. So the next question on everyone’s lips is ‘will Sir Jim Ratcliffe invest again?’. Ratcliffe is the man behind INEOS, which took over sponsorship of the British campaign suddenly in 2018. INEOS’ entry meant the exit of Jaguar Land Rover, which had sponsored Ainslie’s BAR outfit at the last America’s Cup, in 2017 in Bermuda. That partnership looked set to continue until Ainslie and Ratcliffe began chatting over a beer in March 2018…

RM 1370 Designed by Marc Lombard, the RM 1370 is probably the closest rival to the 44. This epoxy/ply design is arguably more luxurious and less performance orientated. It features the option of a lift keel and similarly startling lines. rm-yachts.com DJANGO 12.7 Another French boatbuilder working on a not dissimilar concept of a lightweight sporty boat that is nevertheless comfortable to cruise. Displacement is up on the Pogo at 7,000kg and this Rolland Dellion design comes with the choice of swing or fixed keel. mareehaute.fr POGO 12.5 The same company obviously but the 12.5 is a sportier alternative essentially. It is a different boat altogether, despite coming from the same design board. It’s marginally lighter, marginally smaller and a bit more spartan down below. pogostructures.com…

Gill is a market leader in sailing gloves and offers a broad range for different types of sailing. From the short-finger Championship glove to the head-wearing Pro, they have had a redesign this year to improve fit and durability. “Analysis of wear patterns and breakage points allows us to reinforce key contact zones and engineer flex points to improve performance and comfort,” says Matt Clark, product development director at Gill. “For this latest collection… our most radical change has been the elimination of the extended cuff with a velcro closure, a feature that can be uncomfortable, restricts movement and gets in the way of your clothing. Our new adjustment across the back of the hand allows you to take gloves on and off with ease, even with cold and wet…

This was my second time in Gijon. As I arrived in the early hours of the morning, there was a welcome sense of familiarity emanating from this old working city located in the centre of the Biscay-toughened Northern coast of Spain. I had set off sailing single-handed in my Dufour 34 Performance from my home port in the SW of England five days earlier. I had appreciated a brief, unplanned diversion into Camaret after hitting stronger than expected headwinds off Ushant, and then a superb two-day crossing of the Bay of Biscay, enjoying a reach in 12-15 knots of wind for most of the way – although a sudden squall in the early hours of the second night discouraged complacency and encouraged a reef in the mainsail, shaken out a…

FARR 50PH | FARR HORIZON Farr Horizon is a fantastic full bluewater specification Farr 50 Pilot House built by BSI Marine in Sweden and has had just three owners since new. This is the three cabin, three heads layout with twin staterooms. Push button furling cutter rig with powered furling and electric winches. Conceived for fast and comfortable bluewater passages, Farr Horizon can be easily handled by a crew of two. Thanks to her pilothouse configuration, watches can also kept below decks at her raised helm complete with throttle and autopilot. With her light oak joinery the saloon is a lovely space while two large staterooms, both with centreline double berths, mean Farr Horizon is large enough for a couple to live on board in shoreside style and comfort, with…

“I can’t possibly get back on that boat!” I was sat on a beach that adjoins the small town of Komiza on the Island of Vis trying to comfort a sobbing charter guest who seemed to have muddled up having a severe hangover with seasickness. “In fact,” she added, “I’m never getting on a boat ever again, EVER.” I pointed out that Vis was an island without an airport but this had no effect. We had just passed a heavenly day sailing in perfect conditions on a beautiful Grand Soleil 43. I was working as a charter skipper out in Croatia and had got used to sailing dog slow boats with baggy sails in no wind. But this…. this was something different; nice sails, a clean hull and delightful on the…

The RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year was announced at the virtual RYA Dinghy Show in February, with the sought-after title this year going to Port Dinorwic Sailing Club/ Club Hwylio Y Felinheli. The competition, supported by Gallagher, recognises the outstanding achievements of clubs across the UK. The north Wales club was one of 10 regional finalists selected by the RYA awards panel and was crowned overall winner following a public vote. The win was announced by Dinghy Show host Hannah Diamond and RYA CEO Sarah Treseder, with an introduction by Rob Peake, group editor of Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting. Port Dinorwic SC was also recognised for being at the ‘heart of the community’ for ensuring club activities could continue to run safely post-lockdown. It…

Entry for the 90th anniversary Round the Island Race is open. The popular event, which often sees a fleet of more than 1,500 yachts, takes place on 3 July this year and race director David Atkinson said: “The focus for 2021 is on organising a great race on the water. While the UK Government’s roadmap out of lockdown suggests we will be able to run some of our usual social activities ashore, we are very mindful of the possible need to avoid large gatherings over the race weekend. “No decisions have been taken at this stage, and we will be updating our plans in line with the easing of restrictions over the coming weeks and months. “Naturally, we expect those taking part to follow all of the current guidelines in…

Vendée Globe sailor Pip Hare has spoken about the extraordinary reception she has received since finishing the round the world race. Hare, from Poole, sailed her boat Medallia to 19th place, finishing shortly after midnight on 12 February. The performance, on a 20-year-old yacht, was widely praised by fellow professional sailors. Meanwhile the videos and blogs that Hare sent back won her countless supporters around the world – something she only became aware of after the race. “It’s just taken me so much by surprise,” she says. “I never, I never expected that. I am only really just coming to terms with how many people have been following. “I think this was a a special year for the race, because there’s lockdown. Maybe because of that we managed to share…

Why is Gallagher supporting the RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year competition? As the RYA’s endorsed club and recognised training centre insurance broker for over 40 years, we are delighted to play a part in the competition and help support the recognition of the outstanding achievements of clubs across the UK. Does Gallagher support Club of the Year awards in other sports? Gallagher is involved in a number of different sports, both nationally and at community level. The most high profile partnership is our title sponsorship of the rugby premiership, which sees us support the national game and grassroots clubs up and down the UK. We are also involved in cricket, polo and motorsports in different guises, to name just a few. What have we missed over…

‘Those meetings marked a moment of triumph as a foreign cruise was completed’ I f there are any children reading this, you may not remember the days when ‘going foreign’ involved face to face time with a customs officer. You couldn’t do customs online back then because the only thing than ran on lines were trams; you had to ‘clear in’ and ‘clear out’, until we joined Europe and that smoothed things out. But now that we’ve left, the customs officer may once again become a major figure in our cruising lives. To be honest, I rather look forward to it for my memories of them are mostly fond ones. Those meetings marked a moment of triumph as a foreign cruise was completed. Time to take a deep breath and…

Twenty-one years after their first successful defence, Emirates Team New Zealand did it again to keep the America’s Cup in Auckland, with a 7-3 win against a strong challenge from Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. The result confirmed New Zealand as the dominant force in the modern America’s Cup, the country having won the event four times since it first entered in 1987. The 36th America’s Cup had everything – some of the most exciting and extraordinary races in Cup history, as well as some of the most nerve-jangling competition in light winds, as both teams desperately fought to keep their precarious AC75s on their foils. In stronger winds the boats exceeded 45 knots, giving closing speeds of almost 90 knots as they crossed tacks up the race course. Despite predictions…

Most of the ‘there I was…’ stories in sailing magazines tend to continue with, ‘and the waves were forty feet high,’ or some such eye-catching statement. This one doesn’t, but don’t despair. Read on and all will be revealed. Instead of a maritime call-to-arms, it starts simply with, ‘There I was, lying under my motorcycle.’ It was early spring. Bikes are a bit like boats, and along with many of us, I keep my machine in commission over the winter in what usually turns out to be the vain hope that I’ll get a few dry days to enjoy it. The cold’s a factor of course, but the time is long gone when I rode home in the small hours to my boat in Beaulieu from a lecture in Kent…

It was some years ago that yacht designers spotted that racing yachts of the IMOCA generation possessed hulls that could be easily adapted to cruising yachts. At the most basic level, you just need to take a look at Ellen Macarthur’s Kingfisher circa 2000 to see a racing yacht with a hull form resembling a cone. Combine that with a chined hull and you have a yacht that is not only optimised for a predominantly downwind racecourse but can also provide masses of internal volume. Thus designers such as Finot/Conq started producing rather wild looking cruising yachts with extraordinary amounts of beam aft. Unfortunately, although owners of these yachts benefit from increased internal volume, the yachts lack sufficient sail area and are generally too heavy to provide blistering performance. It’s…

Can a 24ft Cornish Crabber with a lifting keel circumnavigate the island that is the south of England? This rather fanciful idea came into my head and refused to go away. Like many owners of small boats I thought I might sail round Britain one day but in the end wondered about the possibility of a more manageable project of a 900 mile journey which would begin and end in St Just in Roseland, Cornwall. Given that I was well over retirement age I thought I had better get on with it. I began by looking at a road map of the south of England and then quickly moved onto charts, tidal streams and marinas. My next task was how to manage the vast Thames estuary, the Kennet and Avon…

When approaching from any direction, the first landmark you’ll pick up on the horizon will be Portland Bill Lighthouse. Opened in 1903, the red and white striped tower is distinctive in its design and marks out the southernmost point of the Isle of Portland. Off the bill lies the notorious Portland Race which, at certain states of tide and wind is extremely dangerous. The advice is to stay seven miles off in bad weather when the overfalls can be frightening. In fine weather, it’s still advised to keep five miles off. There is an inner passage around the bill which can be negotiated in fine weather but requires careful planning. Of course, if you’re approaching from the east, this is irrelevant but there is still a firing range off Lulworth…

Given that we’re spending a bit more time at home than is normal at the moment, we felt like this might be a time to look at some of the most popular You Tube channels out there for sailors. I’m going to front up here and say that, personally, I can’t stand the general set up of these videos in which a man - and, face it, it’s almost always a man - talks you through his bloody marvellous life aboard in the tropics while the camera lingers on his bikini clad girlfriend. CHANGE THE RECORD. In fairness, most of the high ranking channels are a bit more sophisticated than that so it’s probably worth focusing on the top five. 1: Sailing La Vagabonde This is by far the biggest…

‘There’s something hypnotic about watching lightning at night when out at sea’ We’re good at being well-prepared for storms. We watch the forecasts and stay out of cyclone belts and play the game of the cruising season properly. But a squall is a far more elusive creature than a storm. A squall can appear out of nowhere and alarm you with its intensity and force only to pass over and be gone before you can catch your breath. A squall is the one dramatically dark and ragged cloud, stacking higher and higher until it looms ominously above your boat, threatening a downpour. And, as they are relatively small in real weather terms, you never truly know when to expect them to pop up. A coastal passage forecast that speaks of…

Thousands of sailors from across the world tuned in for the 2021 virtual RYA Dinghy Show, presented by Suzuki, which was held over 27-28 February. More than 8,000 people registered and made more than 12,000 individual visits over the weekend. RYA Director of Sport Development Rob Clark said: “It was fantastic to see such great engagement with both the speakers and exhibitors and for the Dinghy Show content to be accessible to so many sailors all over the world. There is definitely a real buzz to get back on the water when we are able to!” Hannah Diamond hosted two virtual stages with visitors tuning in to watch expert speakers including cruising expert Roger Barnes, Team GB sailors, meteorologist Simon Rowell and Olympic coach Mark Rushall. Sailing Today with Y&Y…

Vendors of used boats could face additional costs of between £500 and £5,000, in order to comply with post-Brexit rules, British Marine and the RYA warn. The two organisations have been working to understand different aspects of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Their latest “unwelcome” revelation is that “any vessel being traded second-hand between the UK and EU” will need a UKCA mark, which means having a Post Construction Assessment and third-party verification. Estimated costs are between £500-£5,000, dependent on the vessel. The RYA and British Marine warn the responsibility will fall on brokerages, distributors, boat owners and buyers. They have raised the issue with the European Boating Industry association. Howard Pridding, RYA Director of External Affairs, said: “This is yet another unanticipated and unwelcome aspect of Brexit which…

Isn’t it strange how those life-changing moments occupy a disproportionate space in our memory. It could be just a few seconds, but it was a few seconds that changed your view of the world, or yourself, a widening of your eyes to take in new possibilities for the first time. Whereas those endless days, months, and years on, say, the same commuter train or in the same office at the same desk - they all merge into one memory which is miniscule by comparison with how much of our lives we have spent doing that single same thing time and time again. ‘THE TIRELESS PURSUIT OF MARGINAL GAINS AND THE GLOW OF SATISFACTION THAT IT BRINGS.’ I was reminded of these time distortions in our memory when chatting with Alan…

1995, San Diego After three unsuccessful entries in 1987, 1988 and 1992, Sir Peter Blake changed the team’s name to Team New Zealand and introduced the silver fern logo. The boats were black and Blake’s lucky socks were red. Skipper Russell Coutts, in Black Magic, led the crew to a 5–0 win over Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes. 2000, Auckland Blake got financial backing from the government and Auckland City Council to transform the run-down Viaduct Basin into a Cup village (which was used again in 2021). Skipper Coutts led a successful defence against challenger Luna Rossa 5-0. Famously Coutts handed the helm to a young Dean Barker in the final race. 2003, Auckland The nation went into shock as a new Swiss team, Alinghi, bought up many of Team…

My wife Susie and I had become Day Skippers with ‘Sail Ionian’ a family company based in Vlihko on the Island of Lefkada in Greece, then having completed my Coastal Skipper practical course with ‘First Sailing’ earlier this year we now felt confident enough to take family with us. We had enjoyed several holidays with Sail Ionian, exploring many of the places visited when training and we were now joined by our two eldest grandchildren, Sofia 12, and Zahra 9, with their parents Juliet, Susie’s eldest daughter and her husband Ouadah. Late September 2019, on a 38’ Bavaria, with the girls dressed as pirates, we mustered on deck for a crew briefing. They muttered at the need to wear life-jackets! and said “Yuk” on how to use the ‘heads’, followed…

This is a highly individual boat that is the preferred choice of a set of sailors who know exactly what they are after. Yet despite its reputation as a somewhat extreme brand, the 44 was mild mannered, voluminous and comfortable. In this respect it shares a lot with, for example, a Beneteau Oceanis. Where it differed was the THE SPEC LOA (inc sprit): 13.55m (44ft 9in) Beam: 4.5m (14ft 9in) Draught: 1.38m (4ft 6in) to 3.10m (10ft 1in) Displacement: 5,900kg (13,000lb) Sail area: 113sq m (1216sq m) Base price: €271,715 (ex. VAT) As tested: €339,183 (ex VAT) Contact: pogostructures.com performance which was life affirmingly superb. It is this factor that makes this boat unforgettably, epically, brilliant. PERFORMANCE: LOOKS: COMFORT:…

What with the Olympics and the America’s Cup, much of the recent development in sailing clothing has been focused on racing gear. While the Olympics have been postponed, and we probably don’t want to think too hard about the AC36 following Ben Ainslie’s elimination at the hands of the Italians, there is lots of new product coming through. From ocean racers like Alex Thompson and Thomas Coville to Olympic hopefuls, those at the highest levels of our sport are instrumental in trialling new gear and providing feedback through commercial partnerships. Here’s a round-up of the best gear, and the sailors helping to shape it. Cruising foulies Gill’s mid-range OS3 wet weather gear has had an overhaul this year. Designed for coastal sailing, the jacket looks substantially the same, but it…

As with all marinas on the south coast of England, there is a plethora of cruising opportunities. You could head for the buzzing east coast, with Lymington, Brighton and Cowes just some of the many options for daysails or longer trips away from your homeport. Closer to home, the Jurassic Coast serves up a plethora of delights. Poole Harbour is in itself a hugely varied and intersting cruising ground, particularly if you own a shallow draft yacht. Meanwhile, Studland Bay is famed as a great anchorage in S-SW winds and offers a stunning stretch of white sands plus a charming if slightly over developed village. Heading west from Portland Bill, you encounter the broad sweep of Lyme Bay, both of which need to be negotiated before reaching the enticing havens…

Just weeks after the end of the America’s Cup, many of the same skippers will be resuming their on-water rivalries as the SailGP series kicks off in Bermuda. Big names from the America’s Cup, who each played key roles on one the AC75s, are Jimmy Spithill, Pete Burling, Blair Tuke and Ben Ainslie on a boat sponsored by INEOS. Spithill is the latest high-profile signee for SailGP. He joins the US team with fellow Cup veteran Rome Kirby. Burling and Tuke will sail a New Zealand entry. They are far from the only big names. Olympic gold medallist and SailGP champion Tom Slingsby helms the Australian boat, while Nathan Outteridge skippers a Japanese entry. Outteridge, as well as his two Olympic medals, will be known to many as part of…

Watching the videos of AC75s hurtling toward the boundary zone, listening to the tactical conversations and weighing up the options has been fascinating for those of us dreaming about getting back onto our waters. Though the racing rules for the AC sailors are subtly different, the tactical options, and the strategies that drive them, are exactly the same as those we face on our race course at home, whether we are roll tacking up the creek against the tide, or in the middle of a posse of port tackers approaching a starboard tack boat at the windward mark. In this feature we’ll take a few classic racing scenarios involving obstructions, look at the strategic options, the tactics that might be useful, and the relevant racing rules, (rule 19 and 20:…