Innehållsförteckning för June 2022 från Yachting Monthly

White clouds are scudding across a bright blue sky outside my window as I write this. Seagulls wheel above the budding trees, animated by the blustery westerly breeze. The sense of excited restlessness this sparks makes it almost impossible to stay sitting at my desk, just as it did as a schoolboy looking out of the classroom window on windy days. Does anyone else recognise that feeling? When I walk down to the marina later, the wind will be whistling in the masts, sunlight bouncing off tumbling waves further out. On a day like today, I’m itching to get out on the water. This is the first spring in a while, however, that I’m not fretting about antifouling and lift-in dates, having sold our boat over the winter to make…

A voluntary no-anchor zone to protect new seagrass beds west of the Beaulieu River Estuary in the Solent is being considered. A total of 20,000 seed bags were planted over a hectare of the seabed in March. A further three hectares of seagrass will be planted in the future. The scheme is part of the four-year EU LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES project, which aims to create eight hectares of seagrass meadows in the Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation and in Plymouth Sound Marine Park by October 2023. A voluntary no-anchor zone is already in force at Jennycliff Bay in Plymouth Sound to protect the seagrass already planted there. A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: ‘Seagrass grows best when it is left undisturbed, so we…

Abhilash Tomy, who was left with a broken back after his yacht dismasted in the 2018 GGR, has confirmed he will be entering the 2022 event. The Indian Naval Commander will be sailing a Rustler 36, following sponsorship from the United Arab Emirates tech firm, Bayanat. The yacht was previously raced in 2018 by Philippe Péché. Tomy has just five months to complete a full refit and sail a 2,000-mile solo voyage to qualify for the race, which starts on 4 September 2022 from Les Sables d’Olonne. He sailed a replica of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s Suhaili in the 2018 race. Thuriya was repeatedly knocked down in 75-knot winds before dismasting on 21 September 2018 in the Southern Indian Ocean. Tomy had to have back surgery and learn to walk again…

Sitting in a London pub recently, I found myself talking to a fascinating Cambridge-educated ocean racing sailor whose day job, before he retired, involved investigating, on behalf of City underwriters, maritime losses. The chap’s bona fides are without question. As we yarned away, the tragic story of the loss of the late Sir Edward Heath’s third Morning Cloud cropped up. I was under the impression that the tight racing calendar and can-do attitude of her skipper had been major factors in the sinking of the cold-moulded timber-built 45ft Sparkman & Stephens hull. But as with many stories of the sea there was more to it. Certainly, she was being delivered after the week’s racing at Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, in time to be race ready in the Solent the following weekend. 1974…

Q I plan to cruise around the coast of Britain this season. I have an old EPIRB but it now needs servicing. Is it worth considering opting for a PLB instead? Or should I get the EPIRB serviced and buy a PLB to cover both the boat and myself? Christine Smith A Rachael Sprot responds: That depends on what kind of sailing you do and how old your EPIRB is. Most modern EPIRBs are GPS enabled, which makes it much faster for rescue authorities to pinpoint your location. Older EPIRBs without this function will take longer to locate you so it would be worth upgrading. Equally if you’re doing a lot of ocean sailing you may prefer to have an EPIRB which can be externally mounted in an automatic release housing,…

BOAT There is some equipment which you need for an offshore passage which might not already be on board. ■ A liferaft should be carried. They are expensive to buy but hiring one for a short period is a viable and much cheaper option. A fully inflated dinghy on deck and ready to launch is a poor substitute, and is not recommended. If that is your choice, don’t even think of towing it. Not only will it reduce your speed through the water (even ¼ knot over 60 miles will add more than 30 minutes to the passage time), the chances of it misbehaving or going AWOL are not worth contemplating.■ A grab bag should be prepared and stowed readily to hand. Contents should include: handheld VHF radio, EPIRB/PLB if…

Sitting onboard Gianti in the safety and comfort of Marina di Cala del Sole in Licata, Sicily, I pondered the last three years of sailing. There have been some memorable events, including the times I’ve flapped about in the cockpit, desperately trying to figure out what to do. Before leaving the UK, the prospect of contending with a big storm, catastrophic rigging or engine failure would have seemed far more anxiety-inducing than sitting comfortably and securely in a marina in the Mediterranean. However, in a strange twist, the latter scenario was the most stressful situation I’d faced during my three-year absence. We’d chosen Sicily as our 2019 winter base, with a plan to cruise the Greek Islands the following spring. After a few weeks we were nicely settled and cracking…

Grey and barren, Bear Island appeared on the horizon, jumping out of the Barents Sea. The almost heart-shaped rock, part of the Svalbard archipelago, lies at 74° north, and was discovered by the Dutch cartographer and polar explorer, Willem Barentsz. When he and Jacob van Heemskerck approached the little island on 10 June 1596, a polar bear swam past them. They were discoverers, seized the moment and named the jagged rock Bear Island, known as Bjørnøya in Norwegian. No polar bear swam past us as we sailed towards the island’s southern tip. The chance of seeing a polar bear in summertime is sadly very rare these days. Climate change has made sure of it. Nonetheless, all visitors must be armed with a gun, and know how to use it at…

The Fal estuary is a popular cruising destination and the majority of visiting yachts are likely to call at either Falmouth or St Mawes, where they can easily anchor or moor to obtain provisions, water and shoreside entertainment. Further inland, the waterway narrows and becomes the Truro River. It is possible to shelter in lovely rural surroundings but much of the shore is private land until the main navigable channel approaches Truro. This part of the estuary is administered by the Port of Truro, although the ancient docks in the middle of the city have been reduced, by infilling, to three narrow slots where the quayside berths dry to glutinous mud. A mile to the south there is a gate that can be closed but its role is to exclude…

Charter boats seized for maritime breaches Charter company The Moorings has stressed that its fleet and crew are held to the ‘highest safety standards’ after the firm was fined more than $300,000 and had 138 boats seized in the Caribbean for breaching maritime regulations. The Government of the Virgin Islands took the decision after The Moorings failed to comply with tighter commercial recreational licence regulations for charter boats in the British Virgin Islands, which were introduced in October 2021. Hundreds of customers of The Moorings were affected. Dream Yacht Charter also had 46 boats seized. Breaches included boats being offered for hire without essential safety equipment such as lifejackets, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, according to a statement from the Government of the Virgin Islands. Some vessels were also chartered…

A volunteer crew member at Calshot RNLI has been stood down ‘after an irrecoverable breakdown in the volunteering relationship’, and two others have been suspended, leaving the Solent station with only one operational lifeboat at any one time. The RNLI said an internal investigation was now underway, although it would not comment further on the specifics. It said it took ‘action of this nature to ensure the continuing successful operation of our lifeboat stations and safety of our volunteers, but is never a decision that we take lightly.’ The charity stressed that safety was not an issue as Calshot Lifeboat Station, which operates an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat and a D-class inshore lifeboat, remained on service. ‘The station will only declare one of its two lifeboats as an asset at…

Sailors hoping to navigate the Caledonian Canal’s sea-to-sea transit will now have to wait until May. Scottish Canals said the refurb of the lock gates at Cullochy was being delayed due to ‘technical challenges’ with the ‘structural installations and integrity of the downstream lock gate and historic structure interface’, and the restoration of the sea-to-sea navigation will be postponed. Contractors Mackenzie Construction started work on the project in December 2021. Scottish Canals apologised for the delay, acknowledging it would have ‘a significant impact on many of our boating customers, most significantly our commercial operators, our transit customers and those based on the canal or those wishing to head to the west coast at the start of the season.’ It said Mackenzie Construction was ‘doing everything within their power’ to fast-track…

GARCIA EXPLORATION 60 Nearing the end of a long build in Normandy, the flagship of Garcia’s Exploration range should be in the water late in the spring. Built in gleaming aluminium, this is a profoundly capable centreboard explorer, with a price tag to match. Jimmy Cornell provided input and profile for the first in this range, a 45-footer. A raised saloon with 270º views, well protected doghouse cockpit, aft gantry and cutter rig were integral features of this go-anywhere yacht. The Exploration 60 takes the concept to a more luxurious conclusion. Isabelle Racoupeau’s interior makes the most of the vast full-beam cabin aft, with elegant cabinetry and neutral upholstery. There’s also an option for a forward owner cabin with walk-in dressing room. Either way, there is room for a dedicated…

They say that salt water helps wounds to heal. I lost my mother to the Covid-19 pandemic in February 2021. The sudden absence of her warmth caused me to yearn for some time in wild places. It seemed that only the bleak beauty of the west coast of Ireland would serve to lay down some grief. I duly readied my tough old 36ft Westerly Solway ketch, Sera, for a few weeks away with my son, Seán, 11, and my father, Peter, 72. We all needed some time away. Accompanied by my boy, I sailed Sera out of our sheltered home port of Courtmacsherry westward last July. As you sail west along the Cork coast, the gentle, serene and lush coastline becomes rockier and more broken. After you pass the Fastnet,…

James Stevens, author of the Yachtmaster Handbook, spent 10 of his 23 years at the RYA as chief examiner Is the yacht astern catching up? Q Peter has recently purchased a new 48ft Hanse 460 and is on a transatlantic passage from Las Palmas in Gran Canaria to Antigua in the West Indies. On the way, Peter, although navigating by GPS, has been taking sun sights for his Yachtmaster Ocean exam which he intends to sit when he returns to the UK. While making the preparations in Las Palmas, Peter meets Pierre, the French owner of an identical boat, who by chance is also heading for Antigua. During a convivial evening in the cockpit, Pierre suggests that, as they are leaving at the same time, the first to arrive at…

Having drawn the track on the chart (paper and/or electronic) and measured the distance, you will need to decide the best time to leave before calculating the course to steer for the main part of the passage (as described above). The shortest distance from the Solent to Cherbourg is via the Needles Channel, so the previous night in Yarmouth or Lymington is a good option. If leaving from the east, you might consider anchoring for the night in Priory Bay off Bembridge which will save about 5 miles if you are based in Portsmouth or Gosport. Either way, it is a good idea to get an initial tidal lift for the first few miles. Leaving via the Needles, this is essential in order to get through the Hurst Narrows with…

www.yachtingmonthly.com/books Laura Dekker had faced hostility and official opposition when she announced her intention to sail solo round the world aged 14. She persevered and left Gibraltar single-handed in August 2010. By 2011 she was through the Torres Strait and heading for Darwin. 21 AUGUST It’s exactly a year ago that I started on my solo voyage from Gibraltar. That’s a weird thought. After a night’s rest, I still feel tired but a lot better. There’s a good bit of shipping traffic and I’ve already counted six cargo monsters passing me by. Guppy smells of delicious freshly baked bread at the moment, and I’ve made contact with Henk. He’s also managed to get Sogno d’Oro through the strait unscathed, and is sailing 85 miles behind me. The Arafura Sea where…

DUFOUR 34 For a more modern alternative, without having to spend half as much again as a good Maxi 1000, the Dufour 34 is similar in ethos to the Maxi 1000 and within roughly the same price bracket. The 34 model was launched after the Maxi in 2003, and developed into the 34 Performance. In 2010 it evolved to become the 34e; gone were the aft helm seat and step in the transom. Instead, she gained an open transom with raised aft deck, liferaft locker and fold-down bathing platform, while forward was a larger steering wheel. Like the Maxi, she’s a nippy 33ft coastal cruiser with the comfort of two separate cabins as standard and a large cockpit that enables her to be used for cruising or racing. Her hull…

North Sails’ Sam Richmond, has died in a sailing accident in Antigua. He was on the Farr-designed 31m/102ft Farfalla ahead of last month’s Superyacht Challenge Antigua when part of the yacht’s rigging failed, leaving Sam with head injuries. He was airlifted to a hospital in Florida but died, leaving behind his wife, Colette and two daughters. Sam worked for North Sails since 2011, becoming head of sales for Europe. He was previously a sailing instructor before going on to race larger yachts worldwide and manage racing campaigns. In a statement, North Sails said Sam’s legacy would ‘live on’. ‘You had an infectious smile, and those of us lucky enough to call you a friend will forever hold you in the highest regard. We’ll remember your unequivocal love for your family.…

Three men from the Isle of Wight have been jailed for their parts in smuggling people across the English Channel and into the UK. Jean Pierre Labelle, 45, of Ashey Road, Ryde; Stephen Redhead, 47, of Horsbridge Hill, Newport; and Christopher Barber, aged 55, of Landguard Road, Shanklin, were sentenced to eight years, five years and three years respectively at Isle of Wight Crown Court. Both Redhead and Barber were found guilty by unanimous jury of conspiring to commit an act to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non EU person, contrary to the Immigration Act, following a trial at Portsmouth Crown Court which concluded on 4 March. Labelle pleaded guilty to the same offence at a court hearing on 3 February. The court…

Oddity’s final departure from the boat shed had something of an agricultural hue. Spurning the usual embrace of hoist or crane, she chose to be dragged out by a Massey Ferguson tractor on a rolling bed of 5in fence posts. Posts that were collected from Mole Valley Farmers during the height of Storm Eunice. It made for an eclectic route as we dodged fallen trees, overturned trucks and at one point a lane that carried enough flood water to warrant our little rowing boat. It took two of us to force the yard gate open against Eunice’s roaring gusts as they barrelled down the valley looking to make mischief. Under the circumstances I couldn’t resist returning home via the cliffs. The sea, shredded by forces that seldom show their hand,…

As you enter French territorial waters – 12 miles offshore, but look at the chart to confirm – you should hoist the Tricolour at the starboard spreaders. If you are flying a burgee to starboard, shift it to the port spreader as a courtesy flag should not be flown with any other flag in the same hoist. You must also fly a Q flag until cleared by the French immigration authorities. Opinion is divided, but I suggest the Q flag is flown on the port spreader over the burgee. If for some reason you have lowered the ensign during the passage, remember that the law requires you to wear it when entering a foreign port. Cherbourg is an ideal place to enter on your first Channel crossing. The western entrance…

WORTH £35 ■ Totally wireless earphones built for sport■ Ergonomically crafted for comfort and stability■ 25 hours wireless play with charging case FROM SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS Save money on the shop price Delivery straight to your door You’re in control – manage your subscription online via our dedicated self-service site Never miss an issue CHOOSE YOUR PACKAGE PRINT ONLY £22.75 FOR 6 MONTHS SAVING 29% PRINT + DIGITAL £30.25 FOR 6 MONTHS SAVING 53% To order online visit www.magazinesdirect.com/ympods or call 0330 3331113 AND QUOTE CODE A35L TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Offer closes 23 June 2022. Offer open to new subscribers only. Advertised rates are payable by 6 monthly Direct Debit, and are available to UK subscribers only. Advertised savings based on the full UK annual subscription rate. Please allow up to six…

Send your sailing gossip, diary dates, cruising news and club or owners’ association updates to Katy Stickland katy.stickland@futurenet.com Hillyard classic to return to Littlehampton The only surviving Operation Dynamo sailing yacht built in the Littlehampton boatyard of David Hillyard is to return to its home port. Windsong, a 1931 Hillyard auxiliary ketch, will be used by the charitable foundation Wellness Over Waves to provide sail training for disadvantaged young people. Michael Duddridge has been the owner of the Dunkirk Little Ship for three decades, sailing her from his home in Cyprus. He has signed the boat over to Wellness Over Waves, but before she is sailed back to the UK, the yacht must undergo a costly refit. An appeal has been launched in Europe and the UK to raise the…