Innehållsförteckning för April 2022 från Sailing Today

The latest attempt to break the westabout, non-stop, round the world sailing record came to grief when the trimaran Use It Again! ran aground in a remote area of southern Chile. Frenchman Romain Pilliard and his Spanish co-skipper Alex Pella were sailing the boat in which Ellen MacArthur broke the solo round the world record in 2005. Pilliard refitted the boat over two years according to the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ principles of the circular economy, using second-hand kit and materials where possible. Use It Again! was well ahead of the outright record (crewed or solo) of 122 days, set by Jean-Luc Van Den Heede in 2004 on a monohull. Romain and Alex passed Cape Horn in early February and had sought shelter in Cook Bay, Chile, while a big depression…

MDL Marinas’ South Coast Boat Show, sponsored by Raymarine, will take place at Ocean Village Marina from 6-8 May. The show offers more than 70 new yachts, catamarans, RIBs and more on display, with many of the leading brokers present. “We’re thrilled with how the South Coast Boat Show has grown over the last three years,” said Tim Mayer, sales and marketing director at MDL Marinas. “The increasing success of the show is demonstrated by so many global boating brands returning to showcase their ranges, and Raymarine returning as title sponsor, having recognised the quality of the visitors being attracted to the show, and how this translates to genuine leads and direct boat sales. This year we’re creating the most engaging atmosphere possible, introducing music and entertainment, to offer people…

The Island Sailing Club has announced that entries are open for the 2022 edition of the Round the Island Race, which is being held on Saturday 25 June. Race Director, David Atkinson commented: “In 2021, the 90th year of the race, our expectations were exceeded when we welcomed over 1,200 boats and 8,000 competitors, who enjoyed an absolutely magical extravaganza on the waters around the Isle of Wight. We hope to build on this success and attract a wide range of boats from the UK and abroad to experience the race and hopefully onshore hospitality in Cowes this year.” Marathon Watch and B&G come in as new race partners, alongside long-standing partners Helly Hansen and Chelsea Magazines. The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust continues to be the official charity for the…

‘I am suddenly a stranger in my own boat; it was once as much a part of me as a limb, but now I’m adrift’ The routine for opening up the boat after the winter has been the same for years now. I keep her afloat, so it can be a heart-in-the-mouth moment. Did the lines hold, the fenders float away, was the cover ripped off the mainsail by that storm strong enough to blow the froth off a cappuccino? As it happens, I’ve always found her to be fine, if grubby, and a bit hairy around the waterline, as if she’d grown one of those whispy little beards so loved by young men these days. I clamber aboard, rummage through my pockets for the key, which turns the lock…

The RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, presented by Suzuki, takes place at its new venue of Farnborough International Exhibition Centre over the weekend of 26-27 February. With room to expand and include new exhibitors, the 2022 show promises to be better than ever and this year will widen the scope of the event to feature paddleboarding, kayaking and other board sports, in addition to its dinghy core. RYA Shows and Promotions Manager Celia Edgington said: “For 70 years the show has proudly hosted some of the greatest names in the industry and for 2022 we have a full range of expert speakers across three stages. We’re welcoming back some much-loved dinghy sailing favourites alongside watersports coaches, medallists and more.” Over the next few pages we preview the show, with a…

Demonstrating pathways is a key element of sustaining participation in any sport and ‘This Girl Can Race’, a Q&A session at the Dinghy & Watersports Show on both Saturday and Sunday, will give top female racers the chance to relate their routes through the sailing ranks. Hosted by Hannah Diamond, 'This Girl Can Race' will feature Laser Radial sailor Hannah Snellgrove (Saturday only), 49erFX sailor Steph Orton (Sunday only), of the British Sailing Team, and 29er sailor Hattie Rogers. Also on the panel will be Susie Moore, RYA Regional Development Officer for the south region and a keen competitive sailor herself as skipper of a Solent-based J/111. Susie said: “It’s about showing pathways that are not so obvious, such as race coaching, lifelong friendships and even travelling the world, because…

The University Sailing Sustainability Challenge is one of the most impactful initiatives connected with the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, although perhaps one that is at times overlooked. Launched in 2015 and run by the RYA and British Marine’s environmental arm The Green Blue, it requires university sailing clubs across the UK to undertake a series of environmental challenges over the academic year, meeting green criteria in aspects of their sailing lives ranging from kit, to waste, to travel, to seabed protection and more. Backing comes from the British Universities Sailing Association (BUSA) and sponsorship from OceanR, who provide prizes to those who achieve an award. Around 25 university sailing clubs enter each year. Kate Fortnam, Campaign Manager at The Green Blue, said: “It’s a great experience and opportunity for…

Sailing out of Port Stanley I was excited but also more than a little nervous. Setting out into unknown waters is one thing, but in an unfamiliar boat with a man I’d only met a few weeks earlier was taking it way beyond my comfort zone. Not to mention that we had no dinghy, only paddleboards, and Aleko and I do have communication problems - English being his fourth language. I had arrived on another boat. It had been a wonderful six weeks sailing south through Patagonia with my friends Colin and Ana on their Ovni Ithaka and I had thoroughly enjoyed the three day passage from Isla de los Estados (Staten Island). We had been cruising in company with Aleko and his Nicholson 32 Beduin since the Magellan Strait…

One of the fascinating things about boat tests is that every boat designed and built then proudly presented to you is the culmination of many thousands of man hours, often many years of development. You step aboard, take a look around, go for a sail and then say ‘well, yes it’s ok’ – or whatever. In the very worst case the boat is so forgettable you struggle to think of anything to say at all. This is not a concern I had after quitting the Pegasus 50; a reviewer’s dream in that it is wilfully different. Concept number one was a fast, lightweight blue water cruiser made out of carbon. Fair enough; concept number two seems to have been to ditch the aft cabin. This seems odd but in fairness,…

Getting the boat painted for the spring is just one of those jobs you have to get on with. Whether it’s you or the local boatyard ducking into overalls, gloves, masks and goggles, it is often tempting to simply use the same stuff as last year. After all, if the hull came out clean in the autumn, why change? Well, legislation doesn’t stand still, and neither do the R&D departments of the world’s paint manufacturers, which means products are always evolving. Here we highlight some of the latest hull and topside treatments, as well as offering a quick guide to the other coatings are available. As with everything in boating, you can pay bottom dollar for a simple rosin-based paint which quickly rubs off and provides less protection. The next…

Croatia with its 1,200+ islands and islets to discover off the Dalmation coast is the perfect charter holiday playground. With uncrowded anchorages, a reliable climate for all levels of sailing ability, plus fascinating history and culture to discover, Croatia is now considered one of the top charter holiday destinations. Its location in the Adriatic Sea opposite the eastern coastline of Italy and its border countries of the Balkan Peninsula (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania), also means it’s convenient in terms of travel from the UK. This short haul flight of approximately two and a half hours from Gatwick to Split makes it an ideal choice particularly for those travelling with young children and/or older family members. Roger Garnett from Tenrag Yacht Charter says his company understands the…

Leading sailors called for more action to protect the world’s oceans at the One Ocean Summit in Brest, with Vendée Globe racer Pip Hare addressing the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian. Hare joined 73 other seafarers at the summit, hosted in February by French President Emmanuel Macron and the United Nations to agree initiatives to protect marine ecosystems, fight pollution and promote better governance of the oceans. Vendée Globe winner François Gabart, Yves Parlier, Alan Roura and Charlie Dalin were some of the other leading sailors who signed a Seafarer’s Appeal for the Ocean, calling on governments around the world to act now. 11th Hour Racing Team co-skipper Charlie Enright (pictured) also addressed the summit, saying: “Across the marine industry, we have to reduce our…

If you fancy racing as crew in the Royal Lymington Yacht Club’s Spring Series this April, the club has a crew match and open day, taking place at the club on Saturday 26 March from 10am to 12pm. It says: “Crew Match is a relaxed and informal event enabling people to match their sailing experience, level of knowledge and racing ambition with club members looking for crew. Being part of a crew requires no financial outlay apart from some waterproof kit.” The club announced that Gallagher Insurance has renewed its sponsorship of the popular Spring Series, this year taking place in the club’s centenary year, running on four Sunday mornings in April and May, starting on Sunday 3 April. Find out more at rlymyc.org.uk/CrewMatch2022…

‘AI makes pilot systems more efficient than the human helm in many conditions... the performance gap between solo and crewed must be converging’ It still seems hard to visualise what The Ocean Race is going to look like and how it will finally unfold. One esteemed commentator recently described it as in its death throes - I sincerely hope it’s not. But clearly it is not getting the traction within the IMOCA fleet that they hoped for. Yes, there may be a couple of boats and teams still to appear last minute, but I don’t see more than four or five IMOCAs on the start line. It now seems that, rather than complement the Vendée Globe, the massive success of that solo non-stop race round the world actually leaves a…

Barton The UK company has a vast range of dinghy kit from class-specific replacement packs to individual blocks, vangs, strops and more. Their dinghy boom strut and Laser kits have proved innovative and popular. bartonmarine.com Stand F64 Bainbridge The world’s oldest sailcloth and hardware manufacturer and distributor will be selling a range of sailcloth bags, sailing gloves, foul weather clothing, and buoyancy aids as well as displaying a wider range, relevant to the dinghy world. They will also be offering sailcloth advice. bainbridgeint.com Stand C24 Devoti/D-zero The company is a regular show exhibitor and will have an ILCA and D-zero at the show as well as information about its many other boats and projects it has ongoing with top sailors. devotisailing.com Stand E20 Gill The British brand will be for…

These two dinghies will be centre stage at the Dinghy Cruising Association's stand A20, at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show. Mary Dooley’s Mirror dinghy has been seen at the show before and will make a welcome return, no doubt causing as much astonishment as ever that a humble Mirror can be home for a blissful few days of camping cruising. Mary will be there in person again to show how she does it. Also on the stand will be Alastair Law’s self-built Paradox, Little Jim, not quite 14ft long and 2ft wide. She’s flat bottomed with no centreboard. Alastair will also be on hand to explain Microcruising as a concept. Exploring by Dinghy, a talk by the Dinghy Cruising Association’s Roger Barnes, followed by Steve White from Cody Sailing…

A Crewing Masterclass with the current Rolex Sailor of the Year is not something any aspiring sail racer wants to miss. Olympic gold medallist Eilidh McIntyre will be on stage, at 12.45 in the Knowledge Zone, on Saturday. Hosted by Ian Walker and featuring other top sailors sharing insight and advice, it promises to be one of the highlights of the show. We caught up with Eilidh to find out how an Olympic gold medallist approaches the sometimes underrated role of dinghy crew. “I have had an interesting background in crewing – although I’ve done it for a long time I wasn’t always a crew. Coupled with that, I really didn’t have an awful lot of respect for my own crews when I was younger! “Now – I mean, I…

As Director of Racing for the Royal Ocean Racing Club, Chris Stone is a busy man. He’s responsible for the hefty schedule of offshore and inshore events around the world that make up the club’s racing programme. A native Aussie with a longstanding background in sailing event management, he has been in this particular role for five years, and his knowledge and passion for sailing is obvious from the off. We chat as he’s preparing to leave for Helsinki, Finland where he will discuss plans for the club’s newest event – the RORC Baltic Sea Race. Organised in conjunction with the Ocean Racing Alliance, this new 630nm race will set off on 21 July, with IRC, MOCRA and Class 40s among the fleets racing a loop around the Swedish island…

Generally with a boat test you think things like ‘this boat is a bit like the (insert competitor brand)’. Yet this really was tough with the Pegasus – a fast blue water cruiser made out of carbon with a tandem keel? It’s pretty unique – yet the whole package worked. It won’t be for everyone as anyone after an aft cabin is immediately excluded but by refusing to compromise on this, the Pegasus 50 has opened itself up to being a really clever and original boat. Performance was impressive in really horrible conditions and the boat was comfortable and crammed with clever and thoughtful touches that certainly set it apart from the crowd. The tandem keel seemed to work well and keeps depth respectable while the striking looks will also…

2020 Olympic gold medallists Hannah Mills, Giles Scott and Stuart Bithell are among those calling time on their Olympic careers. A successful defence of Olympic 470 gold at Tokyo saw Hannah Mills become the most successful female Olympic sailor of all time, adding to a silver from 2012. Since then, Hannah has been awarded an OBE (her crew Eilidh McIntyre an MBE) and been voted World Sailor of the Year, accolades she describes as “surreal but amazing”. But as the 470 goes mixed for Paris 2024, she feels “it’s the perfect time to step away and explore other options”. Instead, Hannah will continuing with the GBR team in SailGP and is looking towards the new Women’s America’s Cup: “There’s so much going on in the world of professional sailing, it’s…

Out on a limb at the end of the restless miles of Chesil Beach lies the Isle of Portland, jutting into the tidal streams of the English Channel. It’s not a real island, of course, being tied to the Dorset coast, but it is a dramatic windswept place of tremendous beauty. The marina lies in the lee of Chesil Beach, on the northeast side of Portland, where it is protected from the prevailing southwesterlies, and from unseasonal easterly weather by the mighty stone breakwater of Portland Harbour. The world’s largest manmade harbour on its completion in 1872, it had been an important naval station since the days of Henry VIII, and grew as a counterweight to Cherbourg across the Channel. Portland played a key role launching troops and Mulberry harbours…

Club sailing is the grass roots of our sport and the key to our future success. It provides sociable, fun, safe racing and is the introduction to racing for many, long before open meetings or class training. Even if you are not an overly competitive person, racing is a great way to see how much your sailing has improved. Don’t be daunted by the rules; they are there to avoid boat-on-boat contact, so that everyone ends up with the same amount of gel coat on their boat as they started with – which is particularly relevant on busy start lines and mark roundings. Learning from the top In handicap races it is great if there are several boats out in your class to benchmark your sailing. Enthusiasm is infectious and…

I purchased Freya in 2018 and had the hull polished using the usual cutting paste, but it deteriorated over the year with white oxidised areas reappearing. Over the next two years I repeated the process prior to launching for the season, but the interval before the white patches reappeared decreased each year. Last winter we concluded there was no point in spending more money having the hull cut each year with cutting polish, and therefore examined our options, which were: Do nothing - Given the value of our boat and indeed our pride in her, we felt this was not an option with which we were comfortable. Dry sand - There is a boat maintainer who I met who carefully dry-sands coloured hulls, cutting back into the original coloured gel…

Emsworth Sailing Club in Hampshire has become the first club to be awarded a new Bronze Certification that rewards “responsible and innovative practices” over single-use plastics. The new standard was launched at last year’s Southampton Boat Show by The Green Blue and Final Straw Foundation. Emsworth SC commodore Jane Mellor said: “We are extremely proud to be the first club to be awarded the Bronze Certificate following on from some of the early work we have done guided by the teams at The Green Blue and The Final Straw Foundation. “As the sea is our playground, we have embedded the control of our environmental impacts into the work of all our committees, but there is always more to do so continuous improvement is constantly on our minds. We are now…

The RYA has launched a LGBTQIA+ network, aiming to “make equality and inclusion for those that identify as LGBTQIA+ a reality in the sport”. The network is open to the wider boating community and will welcome “anyone who is an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community” as well as those who identify as part of LGBTQIA+. The announcement follows the RYA’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity Strategy, launched last year, the RYA’s plan to develop a sailing culture that is free from discrimination and prejudice. Mel Hide of the RYA said: “Inclusivity and equality should be at the heart of boating.” Email equality@rya.org.uk for more.…

Jeanneau 65 French boatbuilder Jeanneau broke the mould back in 2014 when it announced its all new ’mini superyacht’ the Jeanneau 64. Many argued that the demand for such a mammoth yacht would be limited. Well, they were wrong. The boat has been one of the biggest success stories of recent years and has been imitated by all of Jeanneau’s rivals. Anyway, skip forward some years and the company have finally put the 64 to pasture but are back with an all new 65 footer from the same design team of Andrew Winch and Philippe Briand. In fairness, this looks very much a Mk2 version of the 64 that has been enlarged and refined. Nothing wrong with that of course. Anyway, the boat features top end luxury and plenty of…

“I don’t know why it’s always gybe at the church, but there were plenty of spectators there to watch the action this time” Gilbert & McGrane, one of the best known partnerships on the GBR dinghy scene, have been sailing together for almost 15 years. That’s longer than Burling and Tuke! Roger Gilbert and Ben McGrane were originally rivals on the 49er circuit, Roger as a high-achieving weekend warrior on the Olympic scene while Ben was part of the British squad. Although Ben didn’t make it to the Games, there’s no doubt he’s one of Britain’s best small-boat sailors. Not only that, Ben clearly loves the sport with a passion. It was great to see Ben joining Hyde Sails last year. A sign perhaps that Hyde Sails is returning to…

The RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show has a series of excellent talks throughout each day, across three stages. These feature some of the sport’s biggest names and a wealth of experts passing on invaluable advice for racing and cruising in small boats, as well as on maintenance and other general tips on boat ownership. The Club of the Year competition, supported by Gallagher, is one of the big highlights, run by the RYA with Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting. The RYA’s new chief executive Sarah Sutcliffe will announce the winning club, as voted for by the public, on the Suzuki Main Stage at 4pm. The atmosphere is always tense for this one! The Suzuki Main stage also hosts some of the British Sailing Team, giving insights on their careers…

Before my defection to the Baltic Sea, my home mooring for 30 years was up the Beaulieu River on the West Solent. There’s a useful waterside pub a couple of miles in, handy both for the marina and the scramble-ashore dinghy pontoon favoured by those unwilling to empty their wallets for a South-coast walk-ashore berth. Back then, I could often be found at the bar taking a breather after a tough beat from Dover, or just enjoying a warm-up by the fire. One time, I was halfway down a pint with an old pal who’d been on the river since before I was born, when a young man in a smart Musto jacket offered to buy us both a drink. Neither of us was ever known to refuse refreshment, so…

Sometime has elapsed now for me to write about my good friend Clive Anderson’s last fight with life. It has been a bit raw to write before. He bought his secondhand 43-foot yacht from another Scotsman at Moody’s at the top of the Hamble then asked me if I would help to sail her back to Scotland, starting at the beginning of March from the Hamble. At the time he was already fighting for his life, having been diagnosed with cancer but he opted to seize the day and carry on cruising. Our early legs were great, making many quick miles, due to a named storm blowing through just before we left. Heading east from the Solent, we were lucky to have on board Lisa: she is a very fine…

AMEL 50 The Amel is similar in the fact it wants to be different. It’s also a blue water cruiser with lots of clever touches and a cockpit and living area that segue seamlessly together. Displacement is alarmingly different though. amel.fr CONTEST 50CS Contest Yachts are all about performance in a blue water sailing package but they come at the matter from a very different angle, going for a fibreglass build, centre cockpit and lines penned by Judel/Vrolijk. contestyachts.com KRAKEN 50 Another yacht where the manufacturer has gone for painstaking attention to detail in order to produce their vision of the ultimate blue water cruiser. The key for Kraken is to produce a yacht with a skeg hung rudder but there are many, many other thoughtful touches beyond this. Krakenyachts.com…

Mike Wood’s house is easy to spot. Several boat hulls rear up over the garden walls. Through a side gate and it’s a short walk, past multiple wheelchairs and more boats, to the back garden workshop. The noise of drilling masks my entrance. Mike is sitting at the bench, tools and bits of model aircraaft laid out before him – his other hobby, or one of them. Competitive sailing was his big thing for years but the drive has eased somewhat. “I’ve mellowed,” he says with a smile, as we chat over a coffee in the home he shares with wife Irina. Mike was 33, a professional motorcyclist who raced for Honda, when a lorry hit his bike while he was riding to work. “I lost everything,” he says gently.…

GIBSEA 33 HARLEQUIN The GibSea 33 is a good looking J&J design which offers excellent accommodation with six berths, a large double berth forward and another aft along with two saloon berths. The sailing performance and easy handling under engine makes the Gibsea 33 an excellent family cruiser. Incomparable living space for a yacht of this size thanks to the Naval Architects who have maximised room in the cabins and bring an elegance to the saloon. Light but warm pale woodwork gives comfort and elegance. A very clever, well designed, easy maintenance, easy sailing yacht. Year: 2001 Length: 9.92m (32’5”) Beam: 3.45m (11’3”) Max Draft: 1.5m (4’9”) Engine: Volvo 19HP Cabins:2 Lying: Hamble, Hampshire Contact: michaelschmidt.co.uk craftinsure quote: £177 GRAND SOLEIL 50 BELLA OF LONDON Fantastically well-equipped and upgraded example…