The Yachting Year - 2015 UK

THE
YACHTING
YEAR
4.99
2015
THE
S A I L O R S
ANNUAL
FEATURING
Ellen MacArthur
Jimmy Cornell l Grant Dalton
PLUS
Cruising in ice l GBs Americas Cup bid
l Sailing meets F1 l Boats of the year l
Reviving the houaris l Gear guide 2015
YOUR
yachting
calendar
2015
CHE
14
CHELSEA
ARINE
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MAGAZINES
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Published by The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd
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The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd 2014.

All Rights Reserved. ISSN 2052-5982
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Classic Boat
U E 0 4
THE WORLD S MOST
4 5
CHELSEA
ARINE
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MAGAZINES
O FU TH R I SA L ET ER I BE N P RED
E
E B R 2014
ii
4 20
Swedish style
Ultimate
Go l o t o c mf r on
H l e g Ra s s n w 55
Caribbean
1930 yawl
takes he
Transpac
o s i r a o r e a c o a es
FOLLOW
THE
VOLVO
FLYING
HIGH
Sec e s of he
sp ct cu ar
o l ng Mo hs
Run er and r de s
+ u l n de s ory
IR SH
TR UMPH
U LS YE
FO D UT U DE
Ram g e ma na
Commodo es Cup
w nne s e l a l
Dash o Sa k
G A T ST
Be ter ear ngs
PLUS
C ncor ia
The l im te
se boa ?
I N A E H O A ES
e we n r g t as
O K O A V E
e z dk e b l s
C mp ss r P o e?
Bl tz h ro
F re oat hat
sa ed St P ul s
Coo e s lub
Ea t Co st p ot
O T N Y O SE
Sam Fortescue
Editor
N W B AT
again
0 Y A
Y CH I G
$ 3 5
EAUT FUL BOATS
Winning
K e i g he g ts n
Take, for instance, Ben Ainslies bid to mount a

British Americas Cup challenge (pp38-42), on the
heels of a dream to become the first British winner of
the Auld Mug. Or marvel at the largest gathering of
Tall Ships on the Thames in a generation (pp44-50),
which drew over a million spectators to Greenwich.
For the armchair explorer, theres the Reverend Bob
Sheptons award-winning transit of the infamous
Northwest Passage in a little 33ft Westerly (pp52-58).
We also speak to Dame Ellen MacArthur, one of
Britains most successful singlehanded racers on sailing
her 20ft Corribee (pp60-61) and Grant Dalton, who
came so close to victory in
last years Americas Cup,
but was, ultimately, on the
wrong end of sportings
greatest comeback
(pp22-25). We see where
Formula One and sailing collide (pp68-70) and sail
aboard Alcyon, the restored and striking houari of
Marseille surely a more extraordinary bowsprit has
never been built?
And dont overlook our guides to the newest boats,
gear and events for 2015. I hope you agree this is the
very best of sailing. I think it captures the essence of
joy afloat and should keep any keen boatsman going
until the spring!
theres been no shortage

of action and intrigue
Greg Goulding +44 (0)20 7349 3746

greg.goulding@chelseamagazines.com
For the Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd

full set of terms and conditions please
go to chelseamagazines.com/termsand-conditions
AS EDITOR OF Sailing Today, I

see a fair bit of the sailing world
come across my desk through
pictures, event reports and
articles from contributors.
Better still, during the summer
months Im out sailing the boats
behind the stories and meeting their owners.
So its quite a challenge to simmer this down to a
handful of the most exciting stories of the past 12
months to go into The Yachting Year. With our brief to
inspire and inform adventurous sailors, theres heaps
of material to choose
from. I enjoy the
opportunity to sit down
and flick through the
years coverage.
A real joy, though, is
to pore through the pages of sister titles Classic Boat
and Yachts & Yachting. Each sees the boats and events
that I do through a different lens the exhilarating,
high-octane world of the racing sailor and the
aesthetic appeal of yesterdays boats, which CB readers
yearn to bring back to glorious life.
There were more than 3,600 pages of expertlywritten copy to comb though, but Ive pulled out the
ACHTS
features that I think define a fascinating year. Theres
HELSEA
been no shortage of action and intrigue,
notwithstanding the absence of high profile events
such as the Americas Cup and the Fastnet of 2013.
P GE OF HO OS
COWES WEEK
A R B EU!
t
i t
A E Y L S ONS
f
l
OB d l
S N LE
b tf
A DER
i
EW E ER T N
f l
t
t h l
FAM Y TR VEL S OW P CI L
www.chelseamagazines.com
RS A RO T ST
FEATURING
A L NG ES ONS
Ellen MacArthur
l Jimmy Cornell l Grant Dalton l Ben Ainslie l Denis Dowling l Annalise Murphy
THE YACHTING YEAR 2015 | 3
see better.
be better.
tycane pro hydrophobic
better repellency against dirt and water
Sam Goodchild (GBR) wearing tycane pro

with hydrophobic lenses
adidas.com/eyewear
2014 Silhouette International Schmied AG, adidas Global Licensee, adidas, the 3-Bars logo, and he 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.
2014 Silhouette International Schmied AG, adidas Global Licensee. Le nom adidas, le logo 3-Barres et la marque aux 3 Bandes sont des marques deposes par le Groupe adidas.
LIZ CLEERE
Grant Dalton
Mr Tough Guy on leading
an Americas Cup bid
14
Marvellous Maldives
Exploring the paradise islands
Jimmy Cornell
The cruising guru is off
for one last rally
Ellen MacArthur
Still sailing small boats
after quitting racing
PHOTOS DPPI IMAGES DE SPORT; PHIL STARLING; ELLEN MACARTHUR CANCER TRUST
34 60
22
CONTENTS
26
Reviving the
houaris
Alcyon harks back to an era
of extreme racers
38
Bring home the silver

Assessing Ben Ainslies Americas Cup bid
44
52
Tall Stories
First hand tales from those who
sailed on Tall Ships in 2014
Taming the ice flows

Bob Sheptons award-winning
Northwest
BOB SHEPTON
C/O BEN AINSLIE RACING
NIGEL PERT
64
Antigua to NYC
DENIS DOWLING
Two friends take a

traditional Carriacou
sloop further than
ever before
Amateur sailors go round the world
82
Waterborne Formula One
How F1 outfits are turning their skills to racing boats
Caribbean secrets
Eight famous sailors reveal
their top Caribbean anchorages
90
96
101
BEST NEW BOATS

2015s hottest new racing,
cruising and classic boats
TOP GEAR
The very latest gear, gadgets
and must-have sailing kit
OBJECTS OF DESIRE
Our picks of the most refined
and crave-worthy ephemera
6 | THE YACHTING YEAR 2015
WWW.LAURENCEJPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
68
Clipper Race
78
Annalise Murphy
Inside the head of Irelands
great Olympic sailing hope
104
EVENTS GUIDE 2015
Get to grips with the coming
year using our sailing calendar
C/O ROLEX, DANIEL FOSTER
PHOTO SAFFIER YACHTS
PHOTO MGI CONSULTANCY AND CATERHAM
72
C/O THE ORGANISERS
CONTENTS
Photo Beken of Cowes
Ratsey & Lapthorn supplier of sails

to Shenandoah for many years
01983 294051 | www.ratseysails.co.uk | ratseysails@ratsey.com
SAILMAKING SINCE 1790
Cocos Keeling Islands

This extraordinary gulls eye view of Prison Island was taken by a participant of the
Oyster World Rally using a GoPro camera mounted on a kite. If you look carefully, the
string is visible at centre-frame at the top. The island is part of the Cocos Keeling
Islands, a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean.
Photograph by Yves Ernst
Panerai Cowes,
British
Classic
Week
18th - 25th July 2015
ENTRIES OPEN APRIL 2015
ritish Class
iB
eek
ic W
Paner
a
Super Zero Class 75ft and over | IRC Classic yachts 25ft and over | Modern Classic Division
Full Social Programme | Solent racing and long inshore race | EFG Around the Island Race
Racing Sunday 19th July to Friday 24th July | Parade of Classics Saturday 25th July
Ca sc
h C b
C
Further information and entries, please contact, Mary Scott-Jackson, info@msjevents.co.uk,

Tel:+44 (0)1983 245100
www.britishclassicyachtclub.org/regatta
Summ er daze
The already light winds dropped as the JP
Morgan Round the Island Race fleet rounded the
Needles, creating a near mirror-smooth sea and
ending the race for many, who barely had
steerage in the zephyr. Great viewing, though!
Photograph by Joe McCarthy
Grou nded
Phantom ran aground while racing during the Panerai

British Classic Week. She grounded on Hamstead
Ledge a notorious shoal that has claimed several
boats over the years.
Photograph by Guido Cantini/Panerai
Lead balloon
Classic Kelpie is a 75ft two-masted schooner which emerged from restoration

in Falmouth in May to race in the Pendennis Cup. Here her bowman struggles to
control the ballooner, an assymmetric kite set on the foremast.
Photograph by Emily Harris
Sultan
of swing
On the tail of Hurricane Bertha, the MOD70
Oman-Musandam, smashed the record in the
Round Britain and Ireland Race in August 2014.
Here shes flying two hulls, riding on her foils
at more than 40 knots.
Photograph by Lloyd images/oman sail
Crosshaven
Unbeatable performance
comes as standard
With 40,000 miles of ocean-bashing experience built
in, its no wonder Crosshaven has become the
sailing boot by which all others are measured.
The best teams demand the best kit, and
this is why Team Brunel have chosen
Crosshaven for the 2014/15
Volvo Ocean Race.
Photo: Sander van der Borch
Flagship Stores
34 Duke of York Square, Kings Road,

Chelsea, London SW3 4LY
35 College Green, Dublin 2
Visit our website for retail partners
in your area or to buy online
Cardamom
CRUISE
When Liz Cleere and Jamie Furlong left India on

the spice route to Madagascar, they didnt
expect to see the Maldives
sToRY LIZ CLEERE
W
Above: Esper anchored between the
bommies in Naalaafushi
e had been told the best view of

the Maldives is from an
aeroplane. You can see its pearl
islands scattered across a
sapphire sea stretching for a
thousand miles. But I beg to
differ. After days of passage-making, that first view of
palm trees on the horizon and the unmistakable sweet,
tropical smell of land, arouses the kind of joy only a
sailor can experience. Furling away the sails, we
brought Esper closer to the shore and looked for a
suitable place to anchor. Jamie had marked an area on
the charts wide enough for us to have some
manoeuvrability. We felt confident making a slow
entrance between the reefs because on an previous
voyage from Egypt to Oman we had become old hands
at sailing through coral. So we stuck to our tried and
tested formula: me at the wheel and Jamie at the bow.
No charts or navigation aids can beat the human eye,
especially when you are wearing polarised sunglasses
which cut through the surface of the water to spot
those jagged shallow rocks. We found a hazard-free
area and swapped places. Jamie brought the boat into
the wind. I kept an eye on the bottom as he moved us
slowly forward. When we were above a white patch of
sand clear of any coral, Jamie selected reverse and I
released the windlass. In 8m of water, we let out 50m

of chain. We had arrived in Uligamu, the
northernmost port in the Maldives. It was 0800hrs and
we had just completed a 270nM sail from India.
Incredible India
Jamie and I had tied up at Cochin International

Marina, Kerala, in May 2010. Well keep the boat here
until the southwest monsoon breaks, then head out in
October, wed said.
But we grew roots and it wasnt until March 2013,
that we waved goodbye to incredible India. In the
build-up to our departure, we made preparations to
sail for the first time in three years. Life was intense
aboard Esper as we checked and double-checked every
piece of equipment. Hauling out our cutter-rigged
ketch was not possible in Cochin, so we would wait
until we reached the more yacht-friendly Maldives for
hull maintenance. But we needed to do something
about the growth which had built up during our three
years in Keralas brackish backwaters. Shortly before
departure, we employed a local company with two
divers, fierce brushes and industrial compressors. It
took them two hours to scrape the hull clean.
Indias cruising yacht repair facilities are less than
basic, but they have a recycle and mend culture, which
Uligamu
Eight Degree Channel
Dhonakulhi
Makunudhoo
Kulhudhuffushi
Dholhiyadhoo
Malosmadulu
Atoll
Fadiffalu Atoll
Kardiva Channel
MALE
Hulhumale
Ari Atoll
Dhigurah
Nilandu Atoll
Male Atoll
Mulaku Atoll
Kolumadulu Atoll
Vaimandu Channel
Haddummati Atoll
One and a Half Channel
Suvadiva Atoll
Equator
Equatorial Channel
A S I A
Addu Atoll
Mumbai
Cochin
Maldives
Hong Kong
Singapore
Indian
Ocean
Above: Island Hideaway, on the island

of Dhonakulhi
Left: headling east for over a
thousand miles
Left, below: A juvenile masked booby
bird takes a rest
makes them skilled general technicians. With the help

of a local engine expert, we had installed
a new
ilandu
At
non-marinised 100A alternator a year earlier and it was
producing a good charge. But now the engine wouldnt
start. While Jamie was away, our expert came back and
made some modifications. He was unable to explain
what he had done, but it worked, so we left it at that
Va
Our next setback came when the Sterling split battery
charger stopped working. We had returned it to the UK
with the promise that Jamies parents would bring the
replacement unit with them to the Maldives. Then, just
e
as we were ready to go, the starter switch stopped
working again. Time was running out, if we didnt leave
India now it would be too late in the season to catch
our passage west. We weighed up the problems and
decided that starting the engine using the screw-driveracross-solenoid trick would have to do. With no
charging unit in place save for the alternator, we would
rely on our generator if the charging system failed.
On a cloudless day in early March, Jamie put
the
Equa
engine in gear and we cast off our lines. The waving
arms of our friends gradually became specks. Dolphins
escorted us past Cochins famous Chinese fishing nets
as we left the harbour. In the distance a dazzling blue
sky met the sparkling sea and we felt the familiar prick
of anticipation and excitement.
NIGEL PERT
Mauritius bound
The plan was to spend two months in the Maldives,

putting Esper through her paces and giving her a
thorough shakedown. If we had any doubt about her
seaworthiness, we would return to India. But we
hoped we would be heading across the equator to
Chagos in May before the southwest monsoon gained
strength. From Chagos we would use the south
equatorial current and favourable winds to reach
Madagascar.
Pirate activity in the Arabian Sea had diminished in
the past months and along our route. But we were not
complacent about the potential danger and kept a
dialogue with the naval force about our plans,
promising to notify them of our position each day. If it
looked like the situation was hotting up, we would
change our route to South Africa via Mauritius,
outside the danger zone. This meant we monitored
pirate activity daily via the ICC piracy reporting centre
and MSCHOA websites.
Indian waters are thick with fishing vessels, from one
man paddling a dugout canoe to groups of ocean-going
trawlers. You have to pick your way across the 20m and
30m contour lines towards clear waters. In the daytime,
it is difficult enough to work out how the boats are
moving and what is trailing behind them, but at night,
the hazards take on a whole new dimension.

Like some kind of 70s disco, the sea sparkles with
coloured lights. Showing scant regard for the COLREGS
lighting configurations, red and yellow flashes compete
with green and blue flickers; white lights vary from
yellow flamed oil lamps in canoes, to blinding arc lights
from trawlers. We were well-lit with navigation and
steaming lights correctly displayed, but we also made
use of the boats bright signal torch on a couple of
occasions to let the more erratic trawlers know that we
were there.
By early morning, and with an hours sleep between
us, the sea was free of traffic. Any kind of wind
remained elusive throughout the trip, so we motorsailed. We saw turtles, sea snakes and swimming crabs.
Hundreds of flying fish hurled themselves across our
path, some landing on deck to provide an instant snack
for our cat, Millie. Dolphins danced round us most of
the way, and were particularly welcome during solitary
night watches, when their torpedo shapes shone with
phosphorescence. The moon reflected off a flat, silver
sea. We took four hour watches, leaving the steering up
to a combination of tiller pilot and auxiliary rudder,
part of the Windpilot windvane self-steering
mechanism attached to the yachts transom. Everything
was running pretty smoothly. Except it wasnt.
Top: dawn over the Bay of Bengal

Above left: strong cocktails taste even
better next to turquoise water...
Above right: coral is widespread in the
reefs around the Maldives
Top 5 pieces of
on board kit
Kyocera solar panels
Fixed to either side of guard
rail on the stern, flipped up like
'wings' when in use
Schenker Modular 30M
watermaker
Produces 35 litres of water
per hour, giving us freshwater
showers every day
CSB200 Class B AIS
transponder
Keeps track of 99 per cent
of commercial traffic in the
busiest shipping lanes
Windpilot Pacific Plus
Vital mechanical windvane
steering with an auxiliary
rudder
Rocna 33kg anchor
Heavy to pull out after the
windlass failed but it gave us
vital peace of mind
Above: the beautiful coral sand beach

at Uligamu
Far left: women relaxing in Mafushi
Left: Kulhudhuffushi at rush hour
the most populated island in the
northern Maldives
Jamie checked the ammeter and noticed the charge did

not correlate to what we should have expected from our
year-old alternator. The batteries were not charging
sufficiently. Then the engine blower stopped working.
Unaware of this, we carried on until the compartment
overheated and set off the fire-extinguisher, covering
everything in goo. From that moment we motored with
covers off the engine to keep it cool, making the
second-half of our journey louder and hotter than we
would have liked.
Dropping the hook

EspEr
Oyster 435 ketch
designed by Holman and Pye
LOA: 43ft 6in (13.2m)
Beam: 13ft 8in (4.2m)
Draught: 6ft 6in (2m)
Displacement: 30,000lb
(13,608kg)
Sail area: 850sqft (79.9m2)
Builder: Ego Dridge/ Oyster
Marine
We made it and anchored in one of the most beautiful

sailing destinations in the world. Boat maintenance
could wait for one day. Soon a group of the friendliest
officials we have met on our travels chugged out to us in
a small fishing boat. Representatives from Customs,
Immigration and the harbour master came aboard, all
mirror-shades, pressed white uniforms and polished
shoes. As bits of paper flapped across the table, they
jostled for position in our small cockpit. The check-in
process took 20 minutes.
We used to have yachts coming through all the
time, they said, But now the piracy situation has
killed off yachting tourism. Jamie told them pirate
attacks seemed to be on the wane and promised to
encourage other yachtsmen to come to Uligamu. With
this level of efficiency and stunning anchorages, who

wouldnt want to come here?
When sailing in the Maldives, yachts are required to
have an agent, and we were lucky with our choice.
Asad, a representative from Seline, was a friendly and
helpful chap. He left his Samsung Galaxy with us, so
that we had instant web access and invited us to his
wedding to be held later that week.
The next day, Jamie studied the two-page circuit
diagram. With Asads assistance, he found two local
electrical engineers. Over five hours, they
compartmentalised the circuit and tested each part in
turn, starting at the ignition switch. It was only after
dark that one of the guys realised something was
missing, something pretty important to the successful
operation of our charging system: the expert in Kerala
had removed the negative return. Jamie blamed
himself for not watching what had happened in India;
it was a simple lesson of learn to do it yourself .
With it fixed, we enjoyed a few days of island life.
Formed from white coral fragments, the sand was
littered with colourful shells and tiny hermit crabs.
Palm trees provided midday shade and an onshore
breeze made the heat bearable. On our last day, it was
a privilege to attend Asads wedding, along with the
rest of Uligamus population, all 490 of them.
About 250nM away, Mal was our new destination.
L I F T - O N
If you want to get

there fast...
L I F T - O F F
UR R
DISCOVER O
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Above: Uligamu, one of the inhabited

islands of Haa Alif Atoll
Above right: Yet another of many
perfect sunsets
Guides
Indian Ocean Cruising Guide
Rod Heikell, Imray
Atlas of the Maldives: a
Reference for Travellers,
Divers and Sailors Tim
Godfrey, Atoll Editions
World Cruising Routes Jimmy Cornell, Imray
Maldives Cruising Guide Max Molteni, Edizioni Il
Frangente (comes with useful
map)
Navigation
equipment
B&G ship's chartplotter
OpenCPN, a free chart
plotter for PC/Linux/iOS
Google Earth
Comar CSB200 Class B AIS
transponder
Deserted islands
Dhonakulhi, the resort paradise of Island Hideaway,

was our next port of call. The Maldives is dry, no
alcohol may be brought into the country, but its
expensive resort islands officially designated
deserted by the government are allowed to sell
alcohol to foreigners. As Jamies birthday was looming,
we thought a night in a swanky bar would make a
good present, so we called ahead to ask permission to
visit and were made welcome.
After clearing Uligamus reefs, we unfurled the
mizzen. The wind quickened, we cut the engine and let
out the yankee. At last we were sailing. A 30-knot
squall freshened things as we approached Dhonakulhi,
so we kept the wind at 30 and let it push us off course,
to avoid hitting the reef. In 10 minutes it had blown
through and we were back on track.
Island Hideaway is the most luxurious and yachtfriendly resort island we found in the Maldives. It
provides free mooring buoys in the deep channel
between the beach and reef, or $200 per night facilities
in its own marina. We chose a buoy. Phoning ahead
helps, but some of the resorts we visited were a little
snooty about yachts. One wanted $75 each to set foot on
the island, while others didnt welcome private yachts at
all. Our planned one night at Island Hideaway morphed
into three days. We were given access to all its facilities;
there is no charge, so we felt it only fair to eat on the
island now and again and make
use of the bar.
We took the opportunity to
visit all kinds of islands during
our trip south. At
Kulhudhuffushi, capital of Haa
Dhaalu Atoll, we tied up
alongside the new harbour wall
for $12 a night. Here we
discovered the coffee-shop culture of the Maldives and
delicious tuna-based pastries known as short eats.
by Abu Sy, the Maldivian project manager of a new

resort being built. In the evening he came aboard for
coffee, and learning that we were big fish-eaters,
phoned a friend on a deep-sea fishing boat, who made
a detour to come alongside in the darkness to drop off
a red snapper the size of a dog. Content to take photos
of Millie, who was swooning at the sight of such an
enormous dinner, the fisherman would not accept any
payment from us.
At Makunudhoo Island, a resort where we anchored
but were not allowed to land, we had the most
spectacular snorkelling of our trip: 20 minutes with a
giant Hawksbill turtle so close we could have touched it.
Leaving Makunudhoo provided a new challenge. With
the anchor clear of the bottom, I turned the wheel to
port, but it would not budge. We dropped the anchor
straight back, ending up swinging over a sharp bommie
of coral a foot below us. Jamie dived down and
discovered a community of large barnacles wedged
between the skeg and rudder. Thankfully chipping them
off was not too much work and it was not long until we
were on underway once more.
Outside the atolls the wind picked up and we had
great sailing. On our only overnighter during this
first part of our Maldives trip, we set off with clear
skies. As night fell and the horizon faded to black, the
stars began to disappear and storm clouds slowly
hemmed us in. In front, either side and behind us,
the Indian Ocean put on a
spectacular light show.
Thunderstorms are a regular
hazard at this time of year in
the tropics. Obeying Faradays
law, we crammed our handheld
GPS, satphone, mobile phones
and laptops in the oven. All
night we watched the storms,
but were lucky on this occasion that no lightning
came sufficiently close to be a concern.
Finally, three weeks after leaving India, we arrived in
Mal and dropped the hook in Hulhumal. It was time
to get down to some work. From here we would haul
out and have a good look at the hull before heading to
Africa and on to Madagascar.
Island Hideaway was

the most luxurious and
yacht-friendly resort
island we found
Fruits of the deep
At Dhigurah, one of three perfect desert islands

connected by a spit of sand, we watched white terns
skim the waves. At Dholhiyadhoo we were befriended
This is a Boat.
Oliver Berking
YA C H T S
They do still exist wooden jewels. We create traditional yachts using traditional craftsmanship methods and nothing but wood.
Replicas of classic yachts, restorations and individual new builds. The most famous projects from our shipyard are the 12-metre yachts
Sphinx and Johan Ankers final draft No. 434, which remains unnamed, various classic 6-metre craft, and the Robbe & Berking Commuter, a tribute to the legendary motor yachts from New York in the 1920s.
W W W. C L A S S I C S . R O B B E B E R K I N G . C O M
Grant Dalton
WINNER
of the Y&Y
2014 Lifetime
Achievement Award
Sponsored by
MR TOUGH GUY
The 2014 Yachts & Yachting Lifetime Achievement
Award honours his incredible career
STORY BOB FISHER
PHOTO: IAN ROMAN/VOLVO OCEAN RACE*
assion underpins the Kiwi attitude to sport. It captured the

John letter from his erstwhile girlfriend when the boats log recorded:
hearts of sailors and spectators around the world and earned
Dalts tried to hang himself last night but the Feltex rope broke.
Emirates Team New Zealand a huge groundswell of support
One moment in the race particularly stands out. As Lion was roaring
through the Southern Ocean, with the heavy chute on two halyards, one
during the 34th Americas Cup. The Cup may have slipped
jammed, and the guy and the sheet unclipped themselves. The huge red and
from their grasp, but the passion and determination of the
white kite streamed from the masthead like a flag. Ed Danby was sent aloft,
man who led the team, Grant Dalton, made a lasting
but halfway up he became unclipped and had to lower himself hand-overimpression. Daltons Kiwi-and-proud crew took on Goliath when they
hand by the halyards on the side of the mast. Someone still had to go aloft as
faced Oracle Team USAs global campaign, made up of sailors cherryDanby was shaken. Dalts didnt hesitate and went to the masthead to tie a
picked from around the world with a near unlimited budget, and gave
retrieval sheet to the head of the spinnaker before spiking the halyards.
them the toughest competition imaginable a true reflection of their team
After the race, Blake wrote of his watch leader: At times he over-drove
leader, one of toughest competitors in sailing.
the boat to advantage, at others he pushed Lion beyond the limits. But he
The managing director of Emirates Team New Zealand is a man of many
could not be faulted in his enthusiasm for the job he had to do, nor could
parts the 56-year old not only ran the $100-plus million campaign from
one question his courage. The time he went to the masthead in the middle
start to finish, but also sailed aboard the 72ft foiling cat as a grinder, the
of the night, spending some time up there in a full gale,
most physically demanding position on the boat. This was
with the boat jumping all over the place, was
typical of Dalton in 2007 he had been in the sewer,
Three decades at the top
something I wouldnt have liked to do. Yet Dalts took it
packing sails throughout the campaign in Valencia.
in his stride.
At that time, he explained his thinking: I am a sailor,
5
Whitbread Round the World Races
that is what I do, and being on the boat completely allows
Cup learning curve
me to run the place, to react, to have discussions about
1st
1993-94 Whitbread
As soon as he was ashore from the 1986 Whitbread,
why we didnt sail well on the last regatta and do
Dalton was invited to a trial for the New Zealand team
something about it, and hopefully I am pulling my weight.
2
Volvo Ocean Races
in Fremantle for the Americas Cup. He jumped at the
Dalton is a sailor of determination, a determination that
1st
opportunity to represent his country.
is infectious, as he demonstrates in every team with which
The Race, on Club Med (2001)
All appeared well two weeks before the team for KZ7
he is associated. It dates back to his first big chance. Dalts
was announced, when he was told he would be pitman.
was rejected by Peter Blake for a job in the 1977-78
2
TP52 Audi MedCups
Then, just before the final announcement, Michael Fay
Whitbread Round the World Race but was given a chance
called to tell him he was not on the boat. That didnt
by Cornelius van Reitschoten (after repeated application
2nd
AC 33 and AC 35
please Dalts who told Fay that he was leaving, to which
letters) aboard Flyer. He was as green as the sheep pastures
of his homeland when he arrived on board.
Fay replied: If you leave now Ill make sure you never
Writing of his first night years later, Dalts says on passage from
get a Whitbread boat...
Rotterdam to Southampton, Conny handed him the wheel. He realised:
He reconsidered, stayed and learned massively from the campaign, noting
If I had refused the wheel, I would have been sacked at the first stop. One
that KZ7 had not been optimised for the strong wind conditions and was
thought filled his mind: Youve been lucky, and this is your chance. If you
easily beaten by Conners Stars n Stripes. For me, he said, that Americas
Cup campaign proved invaluable experience.
dont do it right you wont get another one.
While in Fremantle, Daltons financial partner and Feltex boss John
For the next race, Dalton tried to raise the finance for a challenge of his
Mandeno, had begun researching ways of financing a Whitbread
own, but the responses he received from potential sponsors indicated he
campaign. It was here Dalts got his grounding in obtaining sponsorship. It
was too young and inexperienced to be given charge of a multi-million
also resulted in well-organised backing for the Farr Maxi ketch Fisher &
dollar project. But after his success aboard Flyer, which had had a close
Paykel. In the 1989-90 Whitbread Race, Daltons Fisher & Paykel staged a
race for three of the Whitbread legs with Blakes Ceramco New Zealand, he
head-to-head battle with Peter Blakes Steinlager 2.
was invited to be a watch leader on Blakes challenger for the 1985-86
Blakes red ketch had the upper hand, winning every leg, but Fisher &
Whitbread, Lion New Zealand.
Paykel spent longer than any boat at the front of the fleet, with most of the
In the interim, Dalton had worked as a salesman for Feltex ropes and
35 hour deficit lost in the first few days. It was a never-to-be-forgotten
suffered considerable ragging about this, notably after receiving a Dear
Performance to the core.

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English Braids Ltd., Spring Lane, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 1AL United Kingdom
photo: paul todd/dppI
pHoTo: pAul Todd/VolVo oCEAN RACE*
battle that put Dalton at the forefront of racing and drew the comment
from him: Watch me next time.
Dalts now knew the secret to tackling sponsors and next time spread his
network across seven groups, ranging from Toyota to ANZ Bank, the Apple
and Pear Marketing Board to BP, under the name New Zealand Endeavour.
That Dalton and his crew won the race, despite losing the mizzen mast
on the Southern Ocean leg into Fremantle, speaks volumes for their skill
and dedication. Dalts had achieved his ambition and won the Whitbread.
In the final Whitbread Race, in 1997-98, he sailed the Whitbread 60 Merit
Cup to second place behind Paul Cayards EF Language. Four years later, in
the first Volvo Ocean Race, Daltons Amer Sports One finished third.
Shake up at home
As the Volvo drew to a close, there was considerable upheaval in Auckland.

The successful Kiwi Americas Cup crew of 2000 had been plundered by
Ernesto Bertarelli and now formed the nucleus of the Swiss Alinghi team.
The Swiss went on to win the 2003 Cup easily and it was obvious that Team
New Zealand needed a leader.
Dalts had shown no interest in the previous Americas Cup and it was only
after a call from his friend and navigator Mike Quilter, that he decided to
become involved. He says: Mike phoned
to say that he would like to talk with the
directors of Team New Zealand on my
behalf because he felt, as I did, that it
cannot end this way.
A meeting was arranged, of which Dalts
recalls: We agreed that it was not going to
work because I felt that the first order of
business was that they [the directors] had
to go. They rang me a little while later and
said, No, thanks very much we dont agree
with you, and so that was the end of that. Then a Minister of the
Government rang me and I went back with him to the directors, and
subsequently they said yes and resigned.
The turnaround didnt happen because the NZ Government was set to
put money into the team that had already begun under the earlier
regime, but Dalts was sought because he had the experience of running
campaigns, knew about the management of a sailing team and had a
background in accountancy. Dalton agrees with this: The reason why the
original directors did not want me to do it was because they thought I would
come along and slash the place and destroy it. There was certainly a risk of
that, because the public were screaming, if you remember, they were ready
to burn the place down. And probably if they had not been screaming so
loudly I might have been less cautious as I came in.
I am not sure how much the background of the other campaigns really
translates, although it is still the same basic ingredients: money, people,
designers, boat, sailors. Blake really showed them that if you can master
one you can do the other. It is the same, basically.
The team was about to go into debt, which Dalton

only found out after he started the campaign. He knew
there were several team mates who had given money to
the cause and Grant gathered their names. I rang one of
them, Matteo di Nora, who I had never met, and I said,
Look mate, we dont know each other, but I need your
help and if you do, it will be fine. Di Nora put in half a
million dollars. It kept us going for a few months and
subsequently he is almost my best friend as he has
ploughed tens of millions of dollars into the team.
The 2007 Emirates Team New Zealand won the
Louis Vuitton Cup and chased defenders Alinghi hard, eventually losing
the Cup in the last race by one second. Dalton has kept ETNZs head above
the water and in the public eye through some tough times. Entering a team
for the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race was a double-edged sword
simultaneously managing Volvo, TP52 and Americas Cup campaigns.
Dalton knew, however, just what he was taking on and his ultimate aim
remained to win the Americas Cup. I only took the job on for that reason.
I did not take it on to have a lovely shot and fail. I look back now, it was not
long ago, how little I knew about the nuances of the game of the Cup. I
knew nothing. I still really didnt until
after 2007, at the end of the Cup it all
suddenly fell into place for me and I
started to understand, because as Kiwis
we see good in people, so it took a while
to work it all out.
In 2003 the boats broke, they werent
reliable. They werent particularly fast.
People had lost trust with the place, so it
was really important that we did not
break. So I look back now and the
mistakes of 2007 are obvious to me. I did not understand because normally
I just went to the Farr office and bought a boat. I did not know nearly
enough about the technology.
Those days are far behind him now. In San Francisco, they dismissed the
other challengers in the Louis Vuitton Cup with consummate ease and in the
Cup races were at match point with Oracle Team USA. It seemed impossible for
the Kiwis to lose from that point, and more so when the 13th race was run for
the first time, with ETNZ over a mile ahead until the time-limit expired.
Dalts admitted that the defenders were improving almost daily but there
was nothing left in the Kiwis tank. When his team lost, there were no
recriminations, only regrets. He is one who would like some degree of
nationalism to return to the teams, but admits that to change that would
mean having to win the Cup first.
Whatever happens next, theres no doubt this remarkable leader wants to
be the defender of the Cup. Hes said it before: Watch me next time.
Above left: as well
as team leader,
Dalton is always a
very hands-on
member of the
crew
Above right:
celebrating (left)
victory in the 2007
Louis Vuitton Cup
Youve been lucky, and

this is your chance. If you
dont do it right you wont
get another one
For more Y&Y awards 2015 nominations go to www.yachtsandyachting.co.uk
Alcyon
THE HOUARI OF
MARSEILLE
Her closest living relatives are the American
sandbaggers Bull and Bear, replicas of a type
of boat that used to sail the shoal waters of
New York Bay. But whats she doing
in France and why are French
maritime historians aboard?
STORY DAN HOUSTON
abates and we settle into the race heading west along

the coast from Monaco, where this boat was making
her debut on the scene of the classic Med regattas.
Cloud of canvas
NIGEL PERT
bout 10 minutes into a fairly promising

day of sailing, were limbering up in
light airs for the start of the Saturday
race at Monaco Classic Week, when a
RIB roars up with a corpulent fellow in
a linen blazer and boater, who steps
nimbly aboard and, kicking his sandals into the
cockpit, makes for the foredeck after the most cursory
of greetings.
The boarding creates a quiet fuss aboard. The
gentlemans authoritative demeanour puts me in a
quandary I wonder: Who is this guy? As he starts
giving orders and getting our foredeck man the
renowned rigger Patrick Moreau to do stuff. I conclude
that this must be the real owner of Alcyon.
Edith Frilet who until about two minutes ago I
thought had this wonderful extreme-rigged yacht built
in memory of her great grandfather is remonstrating
quietly with husband Marc, who is helming. She seems
as consternated as I am; he, however, is placatory.
Things soon settle down. Even on this little ship the
foredeck seems quite remote from the cockpit, but our
good angle for the start line gets compromised when we
are shoved up to windward of it by a vessel cutting up
onto us and we have to wear ship around to cross it a
few minutes late. The stream of orders from the foredeck
Previous page: hooray for the hourai

Alcyon recreates the 1870s
Above, main: like sailing on a soup
bowl, but she needs that width to
hold up that vast rig
Above, inset: the dead-eyes look
authentic and original but the lanyards
are made of Dyneema
To say Alcyon is extreme would be an understatement.

Shes like a soup bowl carrying a pillowcase of rig. With
her length overall of just 22ft 11in (7m) but boom and
bowsprit extending out to 68ft 11in (21m), the cloud of
canvas overhang is absolutely nuts she looks like a boat
that youd really expect to see in black and white, when
our yachting ancestors were zealously over-rigging yachts
to win silver on sunny summer regatta days.
But this is because she is based on the lines of the
famous New York sandbaggers the dishy racers so
admired by the racing crowd of New York Harbour in
the latter half of the 19th century. These boats had in
turn developed from the shoal draught oyster boats of
the area, a vernacular design of 20ft to 30ft (6.1m-9.1m)
length overall, which had evolved with the need for speed
in those waters. Getting home with the first catch got the
best price at the fish quay, so rigs grew and the dishy hulls
evolved to be stable enough to hold them upright. With
the catch aboard, the oyster boats would famously dash
back to harbour with their crews apparently moving the
sacks of oysters from one side of the boat to the other as
DAN HousToN
The crew of Alcyon during our sail aboard, left to right: Daniel Charles, photographer Nigel Pert, rigger Patrick Moreau, Edith Frilet, Mathieu Frilet,
Jean-Yves Bequignon, Patrick Girard and Marc Frilet. Note the wide cockpit and equally wide side decks afforded by the hull that is more than
half as wide as the boats length, which is needed to create enough stability to counter the force of the huge rig.
extra ballast when tacking. This practice, but using bags of

sand as a more efficient ballast, was taken up by
yachtsmen and sandbagger racing became established
as a sport along the east coast of the United States and
even on the west coast in San Francisco.
French captains sailing out of the busy and prosperous
port of Marseille in the 1860s, leaned on their bulwarks
and seeing these sandbaggers zipping up and down the
harbour, decided to recreate the type back home. They
took dimensions and began a small fleet, known as
houaris to be used solely for pleasure yachting, racing in
the azure waters outside the city and its environs like the
le de Porquerolles, and attended nearby regattas.
In old daguerrotypes of the craft one can see the famous
32ft (9 7m) booms and huge jibs, which gave the houari
its radical slanting look. Hollow bow sections show a very
sharp entry while wide counter sterns earned them the
somewhat derogatory nickname of a Marseille ass. One
can imagine the emerging sporting scene with the owners
and captains in their Olympic moustaches, linen suits and
boaters, their crew very likely five or so salt-infused Cape
Horners co-opted to handle the vagaries of the crazy rig
during the sudden and unpredictable winds of a mistral.
Theres no chance of such a wind today though,
with southern Europe enjoying high summer in mid
September, and at last Ive found out that our owner
is in fact a guest the French yachting historian Daniel

Charles, who turns out to be very charming, after that
brusque beginning. And this boat is amazing. I feel
quite privileged too because its only the eleventh time
Edith and Marc have sailed Alcyon, which came out of
Daniel Scottos yard in Marseille earlier in the summer.
Please dont judge our sailing, they had disarmingly
asked when they agreed to take CB aboard. We are still
very new to this boat and no-one has sailed with a rig
like this in France in 100 years!
Indeed, with the passing of the days of the
windjammer, the houari marseillais as a type gradually
lost its appeal and by the early years of the 20th century
was consigned to a few fading photographs. They were
forgotten and even when the replica 28ft (8.5m)
sandbaggers Bull and Bear were launched in 1995 and
1996 respectively by the Independence Seaport
Museums Workshop in Philadelphia, creating a stir in
the classic boat restoration movement, nothing
registered in Marseille about that link, which had created
the colourful but short-lived reign of the houaris.
NIGEL PERT
NIGEL PERT
A happy ship at the end of the race
Above: bronze fittings and

no-nonsense period blocks
Restoration story
Edith and Marc were sailors and cruisers of a variety of

different craft, usually based in Marseille, whod restored
an old fort on the island of Porquerolles, the place where
Main: The sail plan and her lines

showing the radical shape of her
hull and the extreme sail area.
Inset: the boat faithfully
recreates her original
namesake, seen here
both drawn and
photographed
ALCYON
LENGTH OVERALL
22ft 11in (7m)

LENGTH OVER SPARS
68ft 11in (21m)

BEAM
11ft 10in (3.6m)

DRAUGHT
6ft 1in (1.9m)

DISPLACEMENT
11,000lb
(5 tonnes)
SAIL AREA
1,614sqft
(150m)
PLANS: FRANOIS CHEVALIER
We wanted to recreate
this piece of yachting
history that had been
so forgotten
Edith Frilet
Above: Daniel Charles and Edith Frilet

reflected in a porthole
Edith learned to sail as a child. But it wasnt until relatively

recently that Edith by chance discovered, through her
sailing friend and maritime historian Nolle Duck, some
of her family history, and that her great grandfather,
Emilien Rocca, had owned a boat, Alcyon, built in 1871 as
a houari, to race out of the prosperous city port. Rocca
was a yachtsman who owned several boats, including
Zingara, which he sold to the famous French poet Guy de
Maupassant (1850-1893) who renamed her Bel Ami
after his successful second novel of 1885.
Emilien Rocca raced the original Alcyon through the
1870s with around 20 others of the type and in 1887
helped found the Socit Nautique de Marseille.
The class gained special recognition from the Yacht
Club de France. Papers existed and so with a bit of
digging, Edith was able to research the type and some
of Alcyons history. There were also photos in old
boxes at home that I hadnt really looked at and we
had aquarelles of the boat that we had kept but had no
idea what she was or that she belonged to anyone in
the family. My aunt was able to help with explaining
some of the family story, too.
Having the wherewithal to build a boat from scratch,
three years ago, Edith and Marc, an international
business lawyer, engaged the services of local naval

architect Gilles Vaton, who would be able to draw a
lines plan. We gave him our archives and we were able
to take lines from a model we discovered at the
Chamber of Commerce. We had photos of Alcyons
undersides and her dimensions so we were confident we
could do this accurately. But we also had a lot of advice
from various experts about what we should and should
not do and we got confused by some of the ideas in
the end we decided we just had to do it our way, Edith
says, relating the familiar headaches some owners have
to face when recreating such craft from the past.
The Frilets then engaged Daniel Scotto, of Chantier
Scotto, again in Marseille, who built the boat with the
strip plank (cedar) epoxy-saturation technique system.
I think we have to thank Daniel Scotto for getting the
boat to look right, Edith says. And that was the most
important thing for us because we were keen to do
this for Marseille. We wanted to recreate this piece of
yachting history that had been so forgotten, but which
is a part of the maritime story of the port.
Earlier photos show the houari as having quite a
radically raked rig, something Edith thinks may be
influenced by the local lateen-rigged working boats,
NIGEL PERT
called pointus, which were used up and down the south

French coast. But Alcyon isnt as raked as some
Nor is she so extremely rigged, Edith says. We reduced
the rig size by about 10 per cent because we wanted to be
able to handle her ourselves, or with our son Mathieu.
Its hard not to gulp when you consider this rig could
be some 10 per cent larger. In a blow I can imagine youd
have to bowse everything down and go under a trysail
and staysail; I am sure the hull form would be prone to
quite a lot of heave as well. But the boat is not really
meant to be judged in those terms shes a recreation
from a quite fabulous 30-year chapter in yachtings past
and her form and purpose reflect that elegantly.
On our day of racing we joined Edith and Marc and
their four crew, including son Mathieu. The rig is quite
intriguing, being gunter, with the gaff sliding up a track
screwed to the mast. Two massive metal turning blocks
are in place to take halyards and lines back to the cockpit,
which will make for safer sailing in winter conditions
the Frilets plan to sail over the winter in the traditions
of the original houaris where the regatta season began in
September and ran through to April or May.
Above: this looks like one of Nigel

Perts famous fisheye photos but its
not its just a really long bowsprit
NIGEL PERT
Game performer
Top: the substantial deck-mounted

turning block to bring halyards aft
Middle: blessd are the
cheesemakers
Bottom: consulting the chart is more
2013 than 1871
With the rig being so extreme its almost impossible to

judge the performance of the boat this early into her life,
though there were times in the light airs off Monaco when
she hinted at a promise of being quite gamey, accelerating
quickly on light puffs of wind and surging pleasantly on a
fine reach with a confidence-inducing sense of stability.
Unlike the American sandbaggers, the houaris did not
have centreboards, having instead a radically raked keel,
from aft of her mast with around 6ft (1.8m) draught,
which added to the already impressive stability.
They were also cabin boats, with small cuddies under
deck houses abaft the mast, whereas sandbaggers were
open boats in the tradition of the fisheries from which
they were derived. Alcyons own cabin has seat-bunks
either side with a chart table aft to starboard and lockers
for her gear. There is even a quarter berth to port and
some lounging space forward of the mast. The wide
beam creates more space than one might expect.
And this beam, at 11ft 10in (3.6m) is more than half
her overall length of 22ft 11in (7m), which is even more
extreme than the original American sandbagger Annie,

currently at Mystic Seaport. Dating from 1880 this
renowned racer has a beam of 12ft (3.7m) on a length
overall of 28ft (8.5m) and a draught of just 2ft (0.6m).
Her length over spars was 68ft (20.7m), although today
she sails with a cut-down rig, and with a crew of nine or
10. In her heyday she would have been raced by the
same number of crew, some of whose job it was to lug
her 50lb bags of sand from one side of her centreboard
case to the other to help keep her upright after each
tack. Annies sail area is quoted as being 1,300 sqft
(121m2) but thats likely to be her current cut-down rig.
So one can see that there are substantial differences
with the French Marseille houari, which, if anything
added a keel in order to create an even more extreme
sail-area-to-length-overall ratio, while preserving the
necessary stability. And these craft would need to be
stable, the winter conditions provide quite hairy sailing
in these southern waters where the mistral might barrel
out of the coastal valleys with speeds of 75 knots easily
enough to overwhelm a boat that is inherently unstable.
And it doesnt seem that the houaris were considered
unstable, by their owners or local sailors. Indeed, Edith
has her own theory as to why the type disappeared after
30 years of wowing the crowds along the Cote dAzur,
where the regattas extended from Marseille to Cannes
and San Remo. British yachtsmen were coming to the
south of France during the wintertime and they had
British rules for yacht racing. Gradually the British rules
and British styles of yacht overwhelmed older rules and
older classes, like the houaris, she says. Its interesting to
note that the heyday of the sandbaggers was also
curtailed in the late 1890s as American yacht clubs
developed measurement rules and handicapping systems.
The wind in our race has faltered. It is time to switch on
the 20hp diesel and turn the boat for port. Aboard the
mood is relaxed and convivial; plastic glasses are produced
as some cool Mot arrives on deck. We can toast the
wonderful, wacky Alcyon knowing that with a bit of
tweaking here and there she will be an impressive example
of a late-1800s racing yacht. With her oversized rig and
radical lines Alcyon is recreating the sight that turned
heads in the sandbaggers era, but once again, and
specially-so, from Marseille.
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pHoTo: pHIl sTARlING
Jimmy developed an
entrepreneurial instinct,
known as Mr Fix-it
Jimmy Cornell
OCEAN MINDED
Cruising guru and father of rallying, Jimmy Cornell is
embarking on one last epic circumnavigation
sToRY SaM ForTeScUe
or one of the big names of

Jimmys role in promoting the global
cruising sailing, Jimmy Cornell
growth of sailing rallies has not been
lives in a surprisingly
without its drawbacks. He has been
un-nautical flat overlooking the
blackballed from a well-known cruising
British Museum in London. The
sailing club because of it. In spite of all my
73-year-old lives on the top
cruising, he says ruefully. But why
floor, at the wrong end of a punishing 100
shouldnt people go if they want to?
steps. Like climbing a mast every day, but
He has also come in for criticism since his
without the harness, he jokes.
announcement in 2012 that he would take a
The Romanian-born sailor (he was
fleet of boats through the Northwest Passage
named Dragos by his parents), is best
as part of his Blue Planet Odyssey. Arctic
known for launching the Atlantic Rally for
explorer Bob Shepton, who this year became
Cruisers in 1986. Long before he escaped
the first to complete the Northwest Passage
Romania in 1969, Jimmy developed a
in both directions in a GRP cruiser (see
powerful entrepreneurial instinct, and was
p50), even wrote to Jimmy to urge him to
known as Mr Fix-it by the film production
keep caravans of boats out of the Arctic.
Above (left to right): Doina, Gwenda, Jimmy and Ivan in Fiji in 1978
company he worked for in Bucharest.
Im not taking a rally through the
But he feels that the ARC has lost its way,
Northwest Passage, Jimmy says quickly
with a stripped-down racing boat setting a
when I put these concerns to him. My aim
new course record last year. He also believes the rally is too expensive. Not
is to get through in one season, and you cant do that unless you are
that the cost is discouraging sailors. Demand for places has pushed the
absolutely disciplined. It would be impossible to arrange support, hence no
ARC to expand with a new format via the Cape Verdes this year. And its
rally as such.
not just the ARC, either, as other organisers have launched Atlantic rallies,
He will leave Nuuk in Greenland with just three or four other boats to
including Jimmy himself, with his Atlantic Odyssey.
transit in company. There is no organised element to it. This is an
How do you compete with the ARC? The only way is to give everything
undertaking by a number of like-minded people. Itll be like the Second
to the sailors. Everything I got from sponsors Ive passed on. The
World War convoys if you get left behind, you get left behind.
maximum cost is 500 (c415), with under-16s free and a free haul-out.
After the Northwest Passage, which hes sailing with his daughter Doina
The first Atlantic Odyssey left Lazarote in November and is feeding
aboard, Jimmy plans to strike off south to Hawaii, then on to Micronesia,
Jimmys three-year circumnavigation the Blue Planet Odyssey.
Guam and Japan if theres time. He says hed like to return via the northern
There are those who look askance at the explosion in ocean rallies, and
Indian Ocean. I raise an eyebrow northern Indian Ocean as in Horn of
particularly the ubiquity of things like the ARC. But Jimmy is adamant: I
Africa and Suez? Jimmy nods. This will be in 2016. A lot can change, but I
think its a very good thing Im very pleased it is happening. People like
dont know whether it will be safe. However, I wont take a risk on it. If the
to feel part of an organised event. There are other people nearby in case of
pirates are still active, he will take the Cape of Good Hope route.
trouble, satellite tracking for families at home. But the main attraction for
The main bulk of the rally will pass through the Panama Canal and take
people is the safety factor, even if they dont admit it.
the southern Pacific route, through the Torres Strait and up to rendezvous
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Above: sketch of
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Left: cruising in
Antarctica in 1999
Right: Jimmys first
boat, the GRP ketch
Aventura
We are making the point

that there are sailors who
are concerned by the
environment
with the northern fleet in Singapore. With

individual starts in Cape Town, Sydney, Rio,
New York, Vancouver and San Francisco, the
logistics are daunting.
Add to that the fact that the rally is
performing some useful scientific
experiments en route and you get a sense of
how busy Jimmy is at the moment. The first
leg, the Atlantic Odyssey, has already
reached the Caribbean, releasing drifter
buoys that will monitor atmospheric and oceanographic conditions and
relay it via satellite to UNESCO scientists.
In fact, Jimmy is very proud of the Odysseys focus on climate and the
environment. We are making the point that there are sailors who are
concerned by the environment. By sailing to low-lying atolls at risk from
rising sea levels, we can raise awareness about the central issues and threats
facing our oceans today.
The rally aims to minimise its own environmental impact, by cutting the
packaging that boats carry; which often finds its way as rubbish onto
beaches or landfills on remote islands.
Jimmy has had a boat specially designed for the trip by French
aluminium specialists Garcia Yachting in Cherbourg. He has poured a lot of
himself into the specification and the design of the Exploration 45, which
will then become a production yacht. Theyve sold four of them already,
Jimmy tells me.
Oddly for a world-girdler, the boat only has a centreboard all her
4.3-tonne ballast is in the bilges. Jimmy dismisses any stability concerns.
My last boat was a centreboarder, an Ovni, and I was knocked down near
Tower Bridge by a gust coming off one of the tall buildings. The spinnaker
was touching the water, but the boat came straight back upright.
Centreboard boats obviously can have stability.
So confident is he about the stability of the boat that he has even added a
low coachroof, extending aft from the companionway to protect the front
part of the cockpit. He is particularly

keen on this feature. She also has a
deck saloon design which means
there are 270 views from the raised
chart table.
Shes got electric winches, a chain
locker just forard of the mast to
concentrate weight in the centre of
the boat and two collision bulkheads.
All for less than 500,000.
Jimmy and Garcia believe this will be one of the most flexible and capable
production boats available at home in the high latitudes and in the Tropics.
In my view, the French build the best aluminium boats in the world, he says.
The day after we speak, hes jumping in the car to drive to Cherbourg
with a boot-full of kit for the yard to fit. Does he think theres too much
technology in sailing? I am not a purist, he says without hesitation.
Captain Cook would have been the first to install GPS if he could have
done, so you shouldnt knock people who install technology. He admits,
however, that it can breed a false sense of security.
This is to be his last big trip. Jimmy says that he doesnt have another
circumnavigation in him after this, and anyway, his wife Gwenda is firmly
against it. Shes quite annoyed with me, Jimmy admits. Im trying to
sweeten it by saying were going to some nice places. But when youve been
together for 50 years, I know I am being selfish.
His attitude is all or nothing. After this, hes planning to hang up his
seaboots for good. Ill never be interested in coastal cruising, and I would
never keep a boat in a marina just for drinking G&Ts. I love being at sea by
myself in the middle of the ocean, where I feel at ease and very satisfied.
Think of a night watch, where all youve got is the sound of the sails and
the wind and the water. Im always puzzled when people say thats the bit
they dont like.
For more cruising stories and Jimmy Cornells blog, go to www.sailingtoday.co.uk
photo: LLoyd Images*
Bring home
THE SILVER
Can a British team win the Americas Cup in
2017? Helen Fretter finds out more about the
challenge ahead and speaks to two of the
teams top designers
Main:The AC45
will be used as a
test platform for
foiling ideas
above right: The
Duchess of
Cambridge with
Sir Ben Ainslie
at Greenwich
pHoTo: GIllEs MARTIN-RAGET/ACEA*
ir Ben Ainslie launched his assault on the

Americas Cup in some style, with the
Duchess of Cambridge in attendance at
the National Maritime Museum,
Greenwich, adding lustre to the cluster of
British businessmen who will back his
campaign. The sum attached to the campaign (80
million) drew gasps from those present, but for
aficionados of the event there were raised eyebrows
querying the amount for its paucity.
The Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) challenge is nevertheless
not short of talent in two major areas design and sailors.
Ben has been able to attract the best in both thanks to his
reputation in the Americas Cup as number two in
Emirates Team New Zealand in 2007 and as tactician for
Oracle Team USA last time plus his Olympic haul of
medals. There are other teams that have a better success
rate in the Cup, but the key questions remain: are they
better sailors? And are they better organised?
The senior yacht club in the country, the Royal Yacht
Squadron, has faith in this challenge. The BAR attempt
comes under the auspices of Squadron Racing Limited,

a properly constituted (in AC terms) yacht club that is
an offshoot of the RYS.
The team that Ben has assembled is formidable, from
the board members, through the design team to the
crew. Sir Charles Dunstone, Sir Keith Mills, Chris Bake,
Lord Michael Grade and Lord Irvine Laidlaw are all
well known in yachting circles, and more importantly,
in the commercial world. They, along with others, will
be responsible for the fund gathering.
Perhaps even more important, is the design team that
Ben and his initial appointee, Andy Claughton, have
been able to recruit. There was un-muted surprise when
the names of Dirk Kramers and Clay Oliver were
announced both have been associated with the Cup for
years, while so too have many of those hired for their
expertise in design and computer modeling.
There is no hiding behind some appointed
management for Ben Ainslie. Not only is he the
helmsman, he is also the skipper, and makes that
firmly clear at the launch of the campaign.
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Ben now needs to

raise 48m to get
the team to the
start line of the
Americas Cup
Sports
sponsorship 80m Ben Ainslie Racing launch
in numbers At the BAR launch, Ben explained the team had an 80m budget. Around 40 per
PHOTO: GILLES MARTIN-RAGET/ACEA*
Since that time Ben has indicated he remains keen

to steer his team to Americas Cup victory, but could
relinquish this position should another member of his
team prove themselves more adept.
Whatever happens, those who will orchestrate the
team that Ben leads are key. No Americas Cup team
would be complete without a couple of Kiwis in this
instance Jono Macbeth as sailing team manager and
Andy McLean to lead the liaison between the sailing
and design teams. Andy Hindley, part of the race
management team with Oracle last time, becomes
chief operating and finance officer and James Stag will
be the shore manager. Theres a great deal of hands-on
experience among these names.
The following week another piece of the jigsaw
began to slot into place, with plans for an impressive
BAR HQ approved. A team statement said: Ben
Ainslie Racing was delighted to receive approval for
the teams new base on the Camber in Portsmouth. We
are particularly grateful for the support of the citys
residents. Although their base is not yet up and
running, the team have already been out training in
their foiling AC45 in the Solent.
cent of this has already met by private investors and now commercial partners
are required to raise the other 60 per cent. This means that BAR needs to drum up
at least 48m to be able to take part in the Americas Cup. Ben acknowledged that its
not a Larry Ellison budget (widely reported to be in the region of 100m for the 2013 Cup), but its no
small fry either compared with other sporting events, such as the following:
50m Test match cricket

In 2012, Investec paid a reputed 50m as title sponsor of Englands Test match cricket for 10 years.
120m Premier League

Barclays title deal with the Premier League cost 120m over three years.
44m 6 Nations Championship

The RBS title sponsorship of rugby unions 6 Nations Championship, is reportedly 44m for a
four-year deal.
200-250m Formula One

In Formula One the budgets for Red Bull and Ferrari are reported to have been 200m-250m for
2013, with McLarens around 160m and Williams 90m.
Bring home
THE SILVER
We caught up with BAR designers Dirk Kramers
and Jason Ker to get their reaction to the AC62
irk Kramers shift from part of Oracles

Cup-winning team to BAR was a
genuine surprise to many. A stalwart of
the AC since 1977, he has been a key
part of no fewer than six winning
designs, most recently Alinghi in 2003
and 2007, and as chief engineer to Oracle in 2013.
However, he says it was not a difficult decision to
move to a first-time entry. Its a new challenge, he says.
Usually when you are with a team for a long time, or
teams that have existed for a while, you tend to end up
in particular ways of doing things, and I like change.
Uncertainty is a big part of Kramers job right now, as
he explains: One of the problems is that the defender
still retains the right to change the class rule, in any
respect, right until [2015]. So the difficulty we have
now is trying to focus on a certain direction.
Same difference
Top: Dirk Kramers was a

surprise inclusion in the BAR
design team
Above: Jason Ker was less of a
surprise but brings huge talent
going to have their masts in the same place, the wings

will look identical in profile, but its going to be in all
the details that the differences will be.
Trial runs
Whilst the 72s achieved breath-taking speeds last time,

Kramers says that there could be major gains in
control this time around. Id say [the biggest potential
for improvement is] probably stability on the foils. We
were very much on the hairy edge last time, and its
really a miracle that we didnt see any major crashes or
breakdowns in the last Cup races. I think a lot of the
focus is going to be on control and safety and
broadening the wind range.
After the fatal Artemis crash, the rule now
incorporates new safety requirements, as Dirk
explains: Sailors now have to operate out of cockpits
instead of sitting on top, so falling off
the boat in a pitchpole or similar is
going to be less likely, and there will be
similar safety measures like breathing
apparatus, climbing harnesses, all these
kind of things. There are also
requirements for flotation bags in the
wing in case the boat capsizes. After the
tragedy last year, steps have been made
and those will continue.
Other changes include the reduction in crew
numbers to just eight. Kramers comments, Its a
significant drop in the amount of horsepower
provided. The fitness level of the grinders is going to
take a big jump. Having said that, where that will take
us is to improve the efficiency of the control systems.
To get around the single AC62 rule, we can expect
to see some of the potential ideas being trialled on
other boats. A lot of the development for this Cup is
going to have to happen in development boats. All the
teams, I think, are progressing on designing and
building those boats now. It could be either a boat
thats 10m or shorter, or it can be a modified
version of the AC45. It looks like the
majority will get AC45s on foils and test
them. This test-bed boat is BARs immediate
priority, as Kramers reveals: Its probably no
secret that were modifying a boat [that
started] sailing at the beginning of the fall,
so thats what were working on right now.
Foiling AC45s have since been confirmed
for the 2015 or 2016 Americas
Cup World Series for
which dates have yet to
be announced.
We were very
much on the
hairy edge
last time
Kramers and Ker both feel were

less likely to witness the same
kind of dramatic performance
improvements in the AC62 as
both ETNZ and Oracle achieved
during the Cup races with the
72s. Ker comments: Theres still
going to be a lot of learning to
do, but I just dont think its going to be as dramatic as
that cycle. The first cycle of any new rule is like that,
and although we are a different rule this time, its more
or less the same concept. So were definitely going to
see improvements, but I think it will be important to
get it right straight out of the box.
Kramers says: Whereas the last Cup was a complete
adventure as to where we might end up in design and
foil design, this one will be more of a refinement. But, its
difficult, as soon as you say that, you come up with a
different idea [and think] wait a minute, that might
work! So well continue to look under all the rocks we
can, and we might find something different.
Some elements of the AC62s will be identical:
The wing shape is actually one-design. So that
is fixed and there are strict controls about what
you can do with that. For the platform there is
a window in which you can locate your
cross-structure, your beams and
your end plates and so on.
So when you look at
the boats side-on
theyre all going to
look pretty similar,
because theyre all
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Tall
StorieS
The pride of sailing a Tall Ship brings
out the best in young people, as we
discovered in Greenwich when 40
ships converged on the Thames
Photo Emily harris
archIe
houston
age: 15
shIp
Lady of aveneL
type
BRIGANTINE
I usually sleep fine on a boat hearing the lapping of

the waves and the rocking back and forth. But the first
night on board Lady of AvenelI could hardly sleep.
There was barely a sound and the boat was so still on
the flat calm waters of Falmouth harbour. I was excited
and anxious to get going this was my first time on a
Tall Ship and what an experience.
The first day we all climbed up the rigging, to the
first yard-arm. There was lots of anxious pacing before
the race start, but first we had the parade of sail;
hundreds of vessels of all sizes, wee dinghies bobbing
around the Tall Ships and RIBs tearing by. There were
about 1,000 boats out in Falmouth harbour that day
and it certainly looked like there was that many.
First night watch
The watch system was four hours on and eight off. My

first watch was 8:00pm until midnight. We saw the sun
go down followed by the moon, as well as dolphins.
We felt relaxed.
I hit the sack tired and cold. From
then on the ne
days
Barquent
started to merge.
When the going was slow we fished and I managed
to catch mackerel. I quickly became adept at killing
and gutting them. We had them for lunch, cooked
brilliantly by Spike de facto mate and old sea dog
who was full of stories.
We settled into the rhythm of life on board with
briefings in the morning and learning the ropes.
The bosun did a great job with the food, but we could
have done with some biscuits and nibbles on our night
watch. On day two, with the wind veering to the
northeast and after a few confused tacks, it quickly
became apparent that we would not make the finish line
in time. This put everyone in a bit of a glum mood, but
it meant we were able to go up in the rigging to pack
away the three squares... every cloud has a silver lining.
Going with the tide and against the wind meant we
had good fun out on the bowsprit as she rose and fell
some 10ft. The graveyard shift was the one we were
dreading: midnight until 4:00am under power. Luckily
for us, we passed through the Solent and I was helming
as we passed one particular ship. We had to overtake
very close to her starboard side and having been
ordered to steer to the degree I could not even look up
from the compass binnacle as we passed it less than a
stones throw away. This soon made everyone feel much
more awake and alert!
As we entered the mouth of the Thames there was
plenty to do; cleaning and getting the flags set.
I was climbing up and down the mast so much that
Stefan began calling me monkey.
I was very proud of our harbour stow of the staysail
and squares. Then something fun. Having been told to
tidy the galley, I hoovered up a pancake and polished
off a crumble. London felt hectic after being at sea and
navigating the tube system home was very different to
being given a bearing to steer.
Jess Foulkes
Age: 19
ship
T.S. PeLicAn
Type
BARquENTINE
i sTArTed sAiling dinghies when I was 15 and have

always had a love of the water and sailing. I first sailed
on T.S Pelican in 2011 as voyage crew and I was then
recommended to return as a volunteer. I am currently
in my second year of studying medicine at university
and in my holidays I now sail regularly as a watch
leader, taking responsibility for a watch during our time
at sea, ensuring they understand the ships routine and
guiding them in all aspects of life on board, such as sail
handling, helming and so on.
Day 1
Emily harris
Today was the joining day for our new voyage crew. As
a watch leader it is part of my duty to assist the new
crew with their familiarisation of the ship, by helping
them settle in their cabins and introducing the basic
principles of seamanship and helming. For this regatta
from Falmouth to Greenwich we have 28 serving and
retired military personnel from the charity Turn to
Starboard sailing with us, which provides support
through sailing to those affected by military
operations. The opportunity to work with such a wide
variety of people from different backgrounds is one of
my favourite aspects of sail training.
Day 2
Emily harris
After breakfast we prepared the ship to depart

Falmouth. We broke the sails out and this was the new
crews first experience of working aloft on the yards. It
was a new experience for all of the trainees and one
which, certainly for a majority of them, pushed them

out of their comfort zone. I guided the voyage crew on
how to step on in a safe fashion for both the port and
starboard yards.
Winds were light leaving Falmouth so we set every
sail that we had available. Falmouth Bay was full of
spectators and it was one of the most fantastic
spectacles I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. It is
something that will stay with me for a very long time
to come.
Day 3
Today the voyage crew has to carry out their first night
watches. We work four hours on, eight off with three
watches.
The voyage crew has a steep learning curve as the day
before they were only just being introduced to helming
and today, they are actually doing it on a 148ft (45m)
racing Tall Ship, in the middle of the night across the
busiest shipping channel in the world. My responsibility
was to make sure that everybody on the team is
included and the watch duties are being fulfilled.
It was exciting as we worked as a team to try and gain
speed. With a bit of help from the tide we managed 8.1
knots, which, on Pelican is quite a feat.
Day 4
During the night, the racing took a downturn. The

wind had changed from a lovely southwesterly to a
northeasterly (the direction we needed to head in).
The biggest
event in London
since the 2012
Olympics
c/o royal borough of grEEnwich
Top: The crowsnest makes a comfy

perch on Lady of Avenel for Archie
Above: Lady Avenel at Falmouth
Top right: Jess Foulkes perched in the
netting at T.S. Pelicans bow
Right: 50 boats paraded up the
Thames past Greenwich
Join the tall ship Pelican

for Winter 2015!
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visit cornwall
Emily harris
Clockwise from right: Working aloft;

Pelican used to be a trawler, but was
modified in 1955 with square rig;
Crews parade through Falmouths
streets; Dutch-flagged brig Mercedes
Emily harris
Despite our best efforts, the tide and wind were against
us. Over the entire night we had only made one mile
in progress. It was at this point that the decision to
retire from the race was made, so that we could reach
Greenwich in time for the regatta. The crew was
ordered to stow sails and I positioned myself once
again in the middle of the yard and helped the voyage
crew stow them correctly.
It was great to see them encourage and help those
who were not as comfortable on the yards and it was
really rewarding to see a sense of community had
already manifested itself on the ship in such a short
amount of time.
That evening my watch was asked to stow the sails
on the bowsprit. I explained the principle and then let
them handle it themselves. It was wonderful to see
them using all the skills that they had learnt over the
past few days to carry out the task. Sitting on the
bowsprit watching the most beautiful sunset with a
group of people that I had already started to regard as
good friends was one of the best moments of the trip.
Day 5
Day 6
We found ourselves on the 12-4am watch as we passed

Calais. It was quite tense keeping a lookout for traffic.
The wind had picked up to 25 knots and combined
with the opposing tide it made the sea lumpy.
When I awoke we were already on the Thames and
the wind had shifted meaning we could sail up the river.
On arrival, we headed to the nearest pub in time to
see the spectacular fireworks display over the Thames
Looking back on the week, I can easily identify the
challenges that Ive had to face, such as leading a group
of people who all lead for a living and the challenge of
keeping them busy and engaged with the tasks at hand.
Tall ships
by class
Class A: All square-rigged
vessels and all other vessels
more than 40m LOA, regardless
of rig
Class B: Traditionally rigged
vessels (gaff-rigged sloops,
ketches, yawls and schooners)
with an LOA of less than 40m
and a waterline length of 9.14m
Class C Modern-rigged vessels
with an LOA of less than 40m
and with an LWL of at least
9.14m, not carrying spinnakerlike sails
Class D Modern-rigged vessels
with LOA less than 40m and an
LWL of at least 9.14m carrying
spinnaker-like sails
Today we taught the voyage crew how to splice rope.

All of the crew got incredibly into it. More and more
old rope had to be dug out of the bilge as the ship went
a little rope-work-crazy for a while. It was
embarrassing how long it took me to pick up splicing
compared to how quickly my watch picked it up.
npas
suzy cooper
Above: An estimated 100,000 people

joined the Tall ships on the water in
falmouth
Far left: suzy Cooper
Left: fireworks in falmouth provided a
good send-off for the Tall ships
Age: 15
visit cornwall
ship
dar mlodziezy
Type
full RIG THREE-mAsTER
i firsT sTArTed sailing when I was around five years

old and for the past 12 years I have grown up in, under
and around boats. The feeling of being afloat and
around water is both second nature and second to none
for me. However, as I have discovered this summer,
there is a huge difference between pootling up and
down a river for an hour or so in a dinghy and sailing a
100m Tall Ship in the ocean for a week at a time.
On board the Dar Mlodziezy, I was up on deck every
day in my work overalls at 8am sharp. This was for the
raising of the Polish flag and the greeting of the captain
with a hearty dzien dobry. After that, I was on watch.
This means doing all manner of jobs, from setting and
hoisting sails to shaving soap for cleaning the deck. The
best job, of course, is climbing the rigging because there
is no feeling quite like looking down at the ship from
80ft (25m) up in the air; absolutely terrifying.
After watch, it was lunchtime (finally) which was
always some interesting form of potatoes and meat.
Protein quickly became our main food group whilst on
board. We had the afternoons to nap and relax and
hang out with the rest of the crew before dinner and in
to the watch again at 8pm.
After setting off from Falmouth in a beautiful flotilla
of boats of all different shapes and sizes, the race began.
Over the next three days, the crew worked tirelessly day
and night, constantly trying to make the most of the very
light wind. To deal with this, we had to constantly pull
the ropes to set and reset the sails to catch each and
every gust. Our efforts were not in vain though we
finished first across the line at the Isle of Wight, winning
the Class A race. The cheers on board were quite
unmatchable. After this everyone relaxed and we sailed
to Greenwich with our spirits soaring.
Even if we had not had the added bonus of winning,
the experience was still so special and entirely
irreplaceable. Being with so many people in such a
small space can be both challenging and intense, but it
does ensure you make friends that youll have for the
rest of your life. Given the chance, I would grab the
opportunity to sail on a Tall Ship again with both
hands. I would recommend you do the same.
Get afloat
most Tall ships are used for
sail training but you dont have
to be under-18 to get afloat:
Jubilee Sailing Trust
www.jst.org.uk
Tall ships with disabled
access
Classic Sailing
www.classic-sailing.co.uk
Tall ships and trad boats
Tall Ships adventures
www.tallships.org
further afield in a range of
boats
Sailing dreams
www.sailingdreams.co.uk
Cutters to full-riggers
IN AMUNDSENS
FOOTSTEPS
YJA Yachtsman of the Year, Bob Shepton, may
be the first man to sail the Northwest Passage
in both directions in a GRP yacht
sToRY bOb ShEPTOn
Richard at Hudson
Bay hut in Fort Ross
e who said to me Oh, the Northwest

Passage, its easy nowadays should have
come this year. The Canadian Coastguard
estimated there was 30 to 40 per cent
more ice in the Arctic than in recent
years, and the winds were contrary.
This was the expedition that nearly never was. There
was no spring in Alaska, the ice staying later and the
rivers frozen longer than for the previous 96 years. Then
crewmember Richard had great trouble getting his US
visa. He eventually joined us in Nome, Alaska, late in
July. Richard rapidly became our Mr Fixit, probably
saving the engine and the expedition on several
occasions. Then there was Karen, an experienced RYA
instructor and Steph our busy bee, not averse to telling
the skipper off. David was on a steep learning curve,
having never sailed beyond the Norfolk Broads.
Setting sail from Nome early 30 July, we made our way
towards the Bering Strait. At one point the engine
stopped, but Rich immediately applied his technical
skills, cleaning the air filter. The RYA instructor was
heard to ask the skipper: You do clean your air filter
every time you winterise the engine, dont you? The
skipper remained silent, for obvious reasons.
Steph, who was on watch as we passed through the
Bering Strait, was enchanted to see America to starboard
and Russia to port. We made our way the 200nM up
towards Point Hope, sometimes motoring and
sometimes sailing, helped by a strong north-going
current. Then, with strong winds forecast, we tucked in
to the curve of the coastline by Point Hope for shelter.
Hunkering down
Calling at Ingia Fjord, Greenland
at the end of the transit
At first we anchored close in, but we had to abandon

this at 2am when a strong southeasterly threatened to
Top: ancient no.6 gold dredger at

Nome, Alaska
Above: Steph at work on a
freshly-caught salmon for another
delicious meal
Above right: a mixture of fresh snow
and frozen spray... and this was meant
to be summer
drive us ashore. We went out to sea and hove-to for the

rest of the night and into the next day before it
moderated somewhat and we could make our way
back. This time we went further east along the coast to
an area charted as 4m deep, where we could anchor
further from the shore.
We were forced to remain here for nine days by
continuous strong northerlies that whipped the shallow
Chukchi Sea into short, big seas. It was frustrating but
not dangerous; the ice had cleared from these parts some
time ago. When at last the wind relented, we put out
early in the morning for the long haul past Cape Lisburn
and up towards Point Barrow in the far north. We
enjoyed a days sailing with favourable winds and
towards Barrow we encountered fields of scattered ice
floes and growlers, which was a good introduction for
the crew. We used the radar but, really, eyeball
navigation was more effective.
Though we had tried to calibrate the autohelm at Point
Hope, we hadnt got it working properly. Point Barrow
was ice free and we put into the lagoon with 1m under
the keel to try and fix the problem. Last year, wed
entered through the gap in the chain of islands to the
southeast and we tried to exit this way. But when we
began to work northeast over the sand banks, making
for a point marked as 2.7m deep on the chartplotter, we
promptly ran aground. Frantic spinning of the wheel and

revving of the engine to get off; we turned round and
retraced our steps.
We now settled into a long haul, motoring against the
wind, but at least it was in open water, the ice having
receded northwards. We continued on past Prudoe Bay
and Cape Haklett until we received a strong wind
warning, still easterly, from the redoubtable Peter
Semiotuk, who does so much to help those passing
through these waters.
The problem with the north Alaskan coast is there are
few places to hide and all I could see was Barter Island to
the southeast. A barge skipper guided us to a very
shallow spot, quite far from the shelter of the shore, so I
decided to go five miles to the west side of the Island. It
was still shallow, but we rode out the gale for two nights
and a day here. To Stephs disappointment, I decided not
to visit Herschel Island when we turned east again, with
its park ranger, old whaling station and sauna. More
strong winds were forecast and I did not want to be in
the shallow approach to Tuktoyaktuk in a lively sea. We
stayed in deeper water until we came to the fairway buoy,
then followed the line of buoys in with some difficulty
in the dusky night (we were well into August by now).
In Canada now, Tuk was a friendly and interesting
place, but there were difficulties. Diesel was readily
THE Track of dodos dEligHT
R U S S I A
EUROPE
Bering
Strait
Nome
Pacific
Q u e e n
Arctic
E l i z a b e t h
I s l a n d s
G R E E N L A N D
GREENLAND
Aasiaat
Northwest Passage
Atlantic B e a u f o r t S e a
C A N A D A
Baffin Bay
Lancaster Sound
Tay Bay
Arctic
Bylot Inlet
Bay
Bellot Strait
Pond
Fort Ross
Inlet
Victoria Island
Tasmania Is.
F r a n k l i n
Amundsen Gulf
Barrow
Barter I.
Pt Hope
Tuktoyaktuk
Booth I.
D i s t r i c t
Clyde River
Cambridge Bay
Aasiaat
Baffin Island
N o r t h w e s t
A L A S K A
T e r r i t o r i e s
Nome
Y u k o n
Anchorage
Hudson Strait
T e r r i t o r y
K e e w a t i n
D i s t r i c t
DISTANCES* (nautical miles)
Aleutian
A
IslandsB
Nome
Barrow
602
Bay
Barrow
Cambridge 1535
Bay
t Inlet
Cambridge
Bay
Pond
649Inlet
Pond
Inlet
Aasiaat
754
d
P A C I F I C
O C E A N
First sight of ice
Motoring the 100nM east to Cape Bathurst, the next key

for getting through the Passage, we encountered a long
tongue of ice coming down from the north. We came up
to it at night and hove-to, drifting until daylight. The old
adage that you cannot tell what ice is really like till you
get up close still holds true, and we probably followed
its edge further south than we really needed to.
On the other hand, I saw a gap that seemed to lead
through a thin section and Karen took us through. It
lead to open water and saved us a long trek south,
allowing us to make for the shallow Snowgoose Passage.
Another big band of 2/10ths ice stretched south, but
2/10ths is not difficult to weave through in calm
conditions and we moved steadily towards Summer
Harbour on Booth Island.
Ships small and large anchor here and we spent the
night half-waiting for David Cowper in Polar Bound,
with whom wed been in contact, but he was delayed by
L a b r a d o r
1000
miles
Above: our route through the

famous Northwest Passage
Below: we could hardly believe
what the boat passed through
NIGEL PERT
available, but there was no engine oil or propane gas for

cooking. Locals apparently drove 80 miles down an ice
road for oil, but in the end, the Mayor found a 5-gallon
drum of synthetic oil for the princely sum of C$175. Just
as we left, Steph, who likes to talk to everyone, happened
to find a man who would sell us an old propane bottle.
Davis Strait
Hudson Bay
Dealing with
the ColD
Some form of heating below is a
great asset. Diesel stoves such as
Reflek or Dickensen seem popular.
Otherwise, the principle is layering
clothing. Pay special attention to
extremities: winter climbing mitts
proved popular. And for feet,
seaboots are useless; some form of
fur-lined or extra insulated boots are
important (mine were 26 from the
factory seconds shop fine).
Warm hats Steph added a caribou
fur to her hood in 2013; great idea
Outer clothing a good set of
Goretex climbing trousers and jacket
probably work better than the
heavier and more expensive
sailing-specific equivalents.
Sleeping bags a down sleeping bag
was a definate asset despite the
damp cold environment
Reading an
ice chart
Ice charts are available online
from Environment Canada
at ec.gc.ca with egg symbols
providing key detail about ice
characteristics.
The top figure shows the
concentration of ice in a
given area in tenths, 2/10ths
covered, 3/10ths and so forth.
The second figure refers to
the stage of ice development,
from ice rind (1) to thick firstyear ice (4). The last number
refers to the forms of ice, from
pancake ice (0) to vast floes
(6) or icebergs (9). Useful,
once youve learned how to
interpret it.
Four to 5/10ths would
be pushing it in a small boat,
especially a glassfibre boat
such as ours. It depends
on whether the ice is new
(comparatively thin) or old ice
(can be metres thick).
thicker ice. We had another long haul in Amundsen

Gulf, making good progress in calm conditions. We kept
well offshore round Lady Franklin Point (we had hit a
rock here last year) and so into Coronation Gulf. Then
we closed the shore to film the seabed as part of a project
for a marine biologist friend interested in Arctic flora.
Heading northeast, now, we got into the channel
system for Cambridge Bay (so many British names in the
Arctic). The leading marks are hard to pick up and there
are a lot of them for different local destinations. On the
final approach, we passed a smart little sailing boat and
at the jetty, there was also an ocean-going rowing boat
with an Irish crew. Both had been attempting the
Passage, but it was not the year for a novel transit and
they had sensibly both decided to give up.
Most things were available in Cambridge, including
propane and engine oil. Here we met up at last with
David and had a tour of his specially-designed Polar
Bound. We restocked retail therapy Karen and Steph
termed it. The settlement is about halfway,
psychologically if not in terms of distance. We had
already done almost 2,000 miles, but worse was to come.
Word reached me that Victoria Strait was open and I
hassled the crew to leave quickly. It would save us
Above: Dodos Delight approaches

an ice wall
Left: how the Inuit used to live
Far left: Inuit children await us
in Arctic Bay
many miles to cut through there and spare us

threading the shallow, tricky passages around Gjoa
Haven. We got away that evening, though some of the
crew were still catching their breath and made it
through the Strait by way of Icebreaker Channel,
which must be exceptional. We enjoyed pleasant
motoring in calm, sunny conditions, but that night
rather concentrated the mind, as the odd growler
began to appear in the dark water. We took the risk
and continued, under sail by now.
Locked in the ice
We spent a pleasant night anchored in a cove on the

western side of the Tasmania Islands, though we
struggled to disentangle our tripping line from a big floe
that kept going back and forth across our bows at one
stage Richard leapt on to the floe to disentangle it. Next
morning Karen dropped our tuk into the water trying to
push a floe away and had to take her gloves off to fish it
out. Her wet hands froze and took a long time to recover.
Passing the infamous Magpie Rock at the west end
of the Bellot Strait, a fair tide swept us through; the
previous year we were doing six knots and standing
still over the ground. Round the corner at Fort Ross,
High
latitudes
Preparing a GRP boat
Old Westerlys like mine were
strongly built and, in dealing
with some osmosis, two more
layers of epoxy resin were
added. My son had made me a
solid fibreglass cuddy instead
of a sprayhood (a real boon),
and an aft gantry carried a
solar panel, radar antenna, with
a wind generator alongside.
Other useful gear:
Plenty of anchors
A tuk (ice pole), ideally two
Lots of fuel filters
A laptop and satphone for
receiving ice reports
Above: in pack ice off Bylot Island,

Above right: anchored off Greenlands
awe-inspiring coast after our transit
DoDos Delight
Westerly Discus, 1980
LOA: 33ft 3in (10.1m)
LWL: 28ft 5in (8.7m)
Draught: 5ft 5in (1.7m)
Weight: 15,097lb (6,848kg)
Engine: Mercedes 42hp
we caught up with Polar Bound again and our Swedish

friends in Anna, at last.
Now things began to get critical. A friend at home was
compressing the Canadian ice charts and emailing them
via satphone. But these showed a lot of ice coming down
Prince Regent Inlet and we could not get out. We had to
wait but time and season were getting on.
There was a gale one night; the Swedes re-anchored
but we fled south to shelter in a cove and had a trying
time getting our anchor to hold kelp is a terrible thing.
This is Arctic sailing, David assured us later aboard the
lovely, warm Polar Bound our heating was inadequate
for the cold we were experiencing this year.
After eight days, the sun came out. The ice chart
showed a long dagger of ice stretching down Prince
Regent Inlet, but it might have been possible to reach
more open water through it at one point. We set sail
across along the 72nd parallel, weaving through 10 miles
of 2/10ths ice. Strong winds kept us penned in Fitzgerald
Bay for two nights and a day, but they cleared more ice
away, so we could make our way north in open water.
It was difficult to know what to do on these very dark
nights and I chose to heave-to and drift. Poor Steph on
her watch thought the white line ahead was sky; it turned
out to be an ice floe. Panic, a quick starting of the engine
and full throttle in reverse. The radar was not very
helpful, so we just turned round and motored for a while,
before settling down to drift again.
The next day Karen did a splendid job of negotiating
the huge field of brash and growlers in heavy swell, and
we continued up the Brodeur coast on the east side. The
next morning we were surprised to find ourselves
suddenly pushing through fields of pancake ice. This can
be the first sign of the sea freezing over, but I kept my
concerns to myself. With the forecasting turning bad
again, we motored 50nM south to Arctic Bay settlement
for the weekend. Whilst it raged in Lancaster Sound, we
had fine weather and calm conditions to refurbish the
boat and ourselves.
Gales were forecast again for Bylot Island and Baffin
Bay when we emerged. More decisions. We started
down Navy Board Inlet in a lively northerly and sought

shelter in Tay Bay, despite its sandbanks and shallows.
When we came out two days later, I had never seen
Navy Board Inlet looking so beautiful. Fresh snow
covered the hills almost down to sea level, with clear
skies and sunshine. We could have been in the Alps
except for the water. We goose-winged down the
channel, then broad-reached where it turns east.
Gradually the wind died away until the motor went on
all the way over to Pond Inlet.
I had not intended to stop here. It is an open roadstead
and all supplies must be carried out in the dinghy. But
we needed both water and fuel for a long motor down
the east coast of Baffin, passing shelves of ice, which had
calved off the huge Peterman glacier in the far north. We
called at Clyde River to refuel, then motored east to
Aasiaat in Greenland.
Sting in the tail
Coming into Aasiaat, the engine died, and as we

coasted in, a metal arm sticking out from a fishing
boat swept our wind generator into the sea. Once
again Richard showed his technical skills. He and Pele
from Anna, fished it from 6m down. He stripped it
down, the local boatyard straightened the pole, and it
is up and running again as before.
It is possible, looking back, to be left with a slight
sense of anti-climax: we never got into any significant
or pressing danger. But a pleasing aspect of this must
be that for once we obviously made the right calls. I
cannot claim that it has always been so, and in places,
as the Duke of Wellington said of Waterloo, it was a
damn close-run thing.
Prince Regent Inlet iced up soon after we were
through, as did Admiralty Inlet, and we managed to
duck the worst winds.
Only three yachts completed the west-to-east
crossing this year. Records? It is just possible Dodos
Delight is the only GRP boat to have passed both ways
through the Northwest Passage and in consecutive
years. Who knows, and come to that, who cares?
Arctic Adventure Tours
Join Arctic Flyer for bareboat and skippered charter to the beautiful
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archipelagos. And enjoy the spectacular wildernesses of Northern
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www.arcticadventuretours.no
As seen on Trip Advisor
pHoTo: EllEN mACARTHuR CANCER TRusT
Ellen MacArthur
CORRI Queen
Ellen MacArthur reached the lonely pinnacle of solo
racing, but her heart still lies in sailing little Corribees
sToRY saM fortescue
hen one of the biggest names in British sailing gives

up the sport just like that you have to take notice.
And all that on a point of principle? Even more
remarkable. And yet it is now almost five years since
Dame Ellen MacArthur bowed out of seriously
competitive round-the-world racing, right on the
cusp of reaching her greatest potential and Britains best chance of
finding a foil to the dominance of the French to focus on making the
world more sustainable.
I possibly got out before I peaked, she agrees slightly impatiently. I do
miss the big stuff Id never had enough of it. But I dont regret retiring.
The hardest thing was to not try the Vende Globe again [in 2008-2009].
We had the money and the boat and were ready to go.
Since then she has been busy building up her Cancer Trust charity, which
gets young cancer patients out sailing, and promoting a Foundation devoted to
changing the way the world does business. But fortunately, she hasnt given up
sailing altogether, as she told ST in an interview at Londons BT Tower, where
she does much of her fundraising.
I love cruising with others. There is something wonderful about sharing
special moments with others, be that seeing
a beautiful sunset or sunrise, or the
excitement at seeing what lies the far side of
a bend in the river. I always missed that
sailing solo.
From her childhood, it was cruising
sailing that first enthused Ellen. She
famously saved up her school lunch money
to buy her first boat in 1994 a 20ft 9in
(6.3m) Corribee Iduna, which she has
trailed up to Scotland in the past and still
sails today. Certainly, she has the cruising
sailors aversion to large crowds and busy
anchorages. Ellen describes her ideal cruising weekend as going anywhere
quiet and peaceful. In a sentiment that many readers will recognise, she
adds: That wonderful feeling of peace as the morning mist rises off the
water is very special.
Despite her record-breaking stint in the custom-built 75ft (22.9m)
trimaran B&Q/Castorama, she says shes a huge fan of small boats. Small
boats can take you to tiny anchorages and the top ends of creeks you can
escape. I regularly venture out in a tiny dinghy and I absolutely love it. Small
boats also cost less to buy and maintain.
She doesnt shy away from getting her hands dirty either, and does all the
maintenance work on Iduna herself everything from glassfibreing new
cockpit drains in, to grinding off the side-deck non-skid areas when it was
riddled with bubbles and epoxying it.
When Ellen says shes given up racing, its not entirely true. She tries to
do the Round the Island Race every year on one of her Ellen MacArthur
Cancer Trust boats. But its clear that the bigger joy is actually talking to
the young people on board, not getting her hands on the wheel. During
the Round the Island, Im in the galley always trying to get something
interesting into a sarnie.
With its two boats and four charter boats, the Trust is able to take around
350 children out each year equivalent to seven per cent of those diagnosed
with cancer in the UK. She wants to double that by 2016, taking on new
boats and chartering others. Ellen describes the Trusts effect as pressing
reset on the kids lives. The fact that everyone on board has had cancer takes
the stigma out of it, and removes barriers to much-needed normal
interaction between the kids. Then the teamwork element takes over. Its
much harder to create this environment off a boat.
Ellens other focus is on promoting the so-called circular economy
lowering the impact of the worlds appetite for new goods. The Ellen
MacArthur Foundation aims to promote a model where resources arent
consumed, but borrowed. The Foundation
is working with manufacturers to design
goods that can be mended, reused or in the
worst case, recycled. It now employs 35
people and is working with household
names such as Apple and Philips.
The Foundation has been a success
because Ive put my heart and soul into it,
Ellen says with real intensity. Eyes half
closed, she reels off an impressive list of
stats and figures relating to global trade,
taken from a report produced for her
Foundation by McKinsey. One trillion US
dollars of benefit are available right now.
Perhaps wary of being labelled an eco-militant, she quickly adds: Its not
about behavioural change at all.
As Ellen dashes off to get ready for the next round of fundraising
activity, Im left with a strange sense of her restlessness. It seems very much
as though the competitive instinct that drove her to succeed at solo racing
has now been wholeheartedly diverted into her two charitable concerns.
But her desire to experience the worlds quiet moments of tranquil majesty
remains undimmed. Trips in her Coribee, Iduna or her dinghy both allow
her to escape from the busyness (and business).
As she puts it repeatedly: I love it.
The Trust is able to

take around 350 children
out sailing each year.
Ellen wants to double
that by 2016
Antigua to
NEW YORK
Most people would run a mile from setting
sail on a 2,500-mile, non-stop, open-ocean
adventure in a classic wooden workboat.
But these two daredevil sailors are made of
sterner stuff. Heres their inspiring story
STORY BRITTANY MEYERS PHOTOGRAPHS DENIS DOWLING
enis Dowling and Dubi Klein battled 40

knot sustained winds, huge ocean swells
and torrential, blinding rain for hours
off the coast of North Carolina. They
were in an open wooden boat called
Summer Wind in conditions that would
test any vessel and crew to the limit yet they had
never felt more alive. The pair had sailed Summer
Wind further than any Carriacou Sloop had ever gone
before. I dont ever want to go to sea in a plastic boat
again, was all that Denis could think about, who was
now in love with the wooden boat.
He recalls: There was this distinct and very real
feeling that we were doing it together, that Summer
Wind would take care of us.
He and Dubi, expert sailors in their own rights with
well over 150,000 nautical miles accrued between
them, agreed that this was the first time they had ever
really been sailing. And by this we mean a 2,500nM
journey all the way from Antigua in to New York City.
Wood is good
In an age where plastic boats are the norm, to see a

classic wooden boat with a design dating back to the
late 1800s is truly something to behold. The Carriacou
Sloop has race-like lines, is low to the water with
extreme deadrise, flush decks and a squat, wide
transom. In many ways the Carriacou Sloops were
ahead of their time. With a solid timber for a spar
usually harvested from a forest in Grenada and an
oversized and powerful main, they are also fast and
efficient sailers. Historically they were used for interisland commerce carrying produce and livestock. As
many as 130 of these West Indian sloops were working
during their heyday in the early to mid-1900s. Sadly, only
17 are left in working order today, while the rest are
rotting away on beaches of the islands they once served.
I meet Denis at Nanny Cay Marina in Tortola on the
British Virgin Islands and it didnt take long to spot him.
He was, of course, working on the deck of Summer Wind,
readying her for their journey. Sporting a tattered straw
hat and sun-bleached dreadlocks, he greeted me with a
warm smile and an invitation aboard. It was immediately
apparent that Summer Wind was his passion: he had
New York
USA
Beaufort
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
FLORIDA
West Palm
Beach
Nassau
THE BAHAMAS
CUBA
St
Maarten
Tortola
Gustavia
completely rebuilt her from the keel up and she was

beautiful. Denis had island-hopped from Antigua to St
Maarten with no instruments or modern systems
(besides an engine), using only dead reckoning, the
Southern Cross and local knowledge.
While his seamanship and a welcome dose of
serendipity got him that far, he knew that Summer Wind
needed some basic systems for the offshore journey to
New York. The first job was to build a berth for sleeping
when off watch. Next was a refit: her propeller needed to
be re-pitched, her exhaust system rebuilt, hand pumps
installed, and dead-eyes and chainplates needed
replacing to make her seaworthy. Furthermore, while
Denis is a purist, a solar charger was added to run the
recently installed VHF, GPS, running lights and, of
course, stereo. Other than an
EPIRB and a tiller pilot, these
were the only items that would
modernise Summer Winds
century-old features. No heads,
no galley, no seats, no dodger,
no bimini and no freshwater system.
After a month of 12 to 18-hour days, Denis and his
first mate Dubi crossed the final items off the to-do
list. The original plan was to island-hop to Florida, but
with the threat of hurricane season and the other
hazards from staying close to shore, he and Dubi grew
sceptical. Aside from that, they were without a dinghy
and the added expenses of marinas, meals and
accommodation was becoming daunting. So, at the
very last minute they decided to head offshore and
make the journey in one fell swoop; a potentially
riskier endeavour, but one they were more comfortable
with. They would sail non-stop to West Palm Beach,
Florida, a trip they estimated would take 10 days.
Reality bites
On 23 June 2013, after the final frantic provisioning

and preparation, Summer Wind glided out of Nanny
Cay under full sail and headed out to sea. Denis and
Dubis spirits were high; it seemed an incredibly
auspicious start for an epic journey. As they got out of
the lee of the islands, however, conditions changed.
Night began to fall and the winds and seas picked up
considerably. It was like the ocean said, wake up
boys, Denis recalls. It became clear that we needed to
reef immediately.
Reefing a mainsail is pretty easy, if a little
cumbersome, but reefing the main of a Carriacou
Sloop, however, is an entirely different beast requiring
one crew member to man the tiller and massive
flogging sail, while the other
wrestles the sail and halyard
at the mast. There are no
halyard winches, no lazy
jacks and certainly no roller
furling aboard. Add bucking
seas, breaking waves and gusting winds to the mix and
you have a wrestling match.
With the main finally reefed and Summer Wind
more manageable, Dubi took the first watch while
Denis crawled below to get some rest. Almost
immediately she took a huge wave over the quarter,
pooping the entire cockpit and thoroughly drenching
Denis in his bunk. Soaking wet, uncomfortable and
apprehensive about what lay ahead, doubt crept into
his mind. Are we in over our heads? Should we be
doing this? he wondered to himself. But there was no
turning back.
The first few days were a huge learning curve and Id
be lying if I said it was easy. There was an overall feeling
Every piece of nautical

knowledge in my arsenal
was put to the test
Below, left: Dolphins were a welcome

sight along their route
Bottom left: Dubi showing off the
Carriacous decidedly cramped
below-decks accommodation
Below right: rough seas brought a
sharp sense of reality
Bottom right: Denis enjoys a quieter
time at the helm
of total exhaustion. We were really, really tired, but we

were committed, Denis says. The ocean was taking a
toll on them. Even going to the heads was an ordeal that
involved strapping oneself to the mast while hanging
overboard as the boat bucked and yawed with the
waves. Sleeping, even in the custom-made quarter
berth, was uncomfortable. Their ice block melted in
four days and their food started to spoil. It was relentless
and the boys were bruised and battered.
As sturdy as the Carriacou Sloop is, comfort is not
her forte; theyre exposed, rustic and lively in a blow,
and require a tremendous amount of energy and
stamina to sail, let alone live on. I have never been
challenged like that before., Denis says. Every piece
of nautical knowledge in my arsenal was put to the test
and used.
But something magical happens when you are faced
with a great challenge: you adapt. By day five, Denis
and Dubi not only found their groove, but a brotherhood.
The journey became more spiritual. Euphoria replaced
exhaustion and their bodies adjusted to the boat and the
ocean. It felt so natural, Denis reminisces, This boat
had been built by hand, on a beach with local materials.
She had a spirit. She was alive.
On day seven, the weather took an ominous turn.
The skies grew dark and the winds picked up
considerably. With no way to access weather reports,
Denis was concerned: I worried that perhaps
something was brewing. It was hurricane season and
we were out there, so I asked for a sign. Something,
anything, to tell me that we would be all right. They
were 200 miles east of the Bahamas and, as if

summoned into existence by his very thought, a bright
yellow butterfly one that, coincidently, matched the
yellow paint on Summer Wind suddenly appeared. It
was the sign he needed.
After passing north of Nassau in a building weather
system, they made landfall in West Palm Beach as
expected. After a couple weeks of respite and
re-provisioning in Florida, they continued their sail up
the east coast, almost exclusively under sail, stopping
only in Beaufort, North Carolina, for, ironically, a
weather forecast.
New York, New York
On 5 August 2013, 44 days after departing Tortola,

Summer Wind sailed triumphantly, into New York
Harbour. The moment would be captured by Alexis
Andrews for his upcoming project Vanishing Sail a
documentary about the history, near extinction and
modern resurgence of these incredible boats. Alexis
told Denis he wanted an iconic image for the film,
which is precisely what he got (below).
Docked and settled, Denis called the boatbuilder
Alwyn Enoe, to let him know theyd made it. Summer
Wind had become so more than just a boat on this
odyssey; shed become a living entity with a soul and a
spirit, such is the magic of a hand-crafted wooden
ship. Summer Wind is real strong, you know? Denis
told Alwyn over the phone. And with a wise and
knowing chuckle, Alwyn replied with a Caribbean flair
and said: I know.
Top: no wonder Denis has a beaming

smile when wahoo this size is on the
lunch menu
Middle: Denis captured this shot of a
truly wonderful sunset
Bottom: the iconic shot of Summer
Wind in New York harbour, taken by
Alexis Andrews for Vanishing Sail
Is Formula One technology set

to change the face of sailing?
STORY GEORGIE CORLETT
peculation was rife when Red Bull

Formula One teams legendary designer
Adrian Newey admitted, in the middle of
2014, that he found the Americas Cup a
tempting prospect. Meetings between
Ben Ainslie and Newey at the Abu Dhabi
Grand Prix did little to quieten the rumour mill.
But the parallels between high performance sailing
and ultra-tech motorsport already exist, and not just
in the multi-million dollar race-machines, huge
financial commitments and high-intensity race series
of the 34th Americas Cup.
Air and sea
From a developmental perspective, the two sports are

already closely aligned; composite materials such as
carbon fibre, Zylon and Kevlar have revolutionised
the creative scope available to both marine and
automotive designers. Computer modeling has long
replaced expensive and time-consuming tank and
wind tunnel testing, in turn opening up time and
budget for R&D.
The 3D virtual design methods used to model, test
and optimise components offer designers and engineers
the capacity to redevelop parts, even during a race series.
For example, Red Bulls RB9 car, made up of over 6,500
parts, can undergo some 1,000 design changes in a week
and up to 30,000 changes in a season. In sailing there are
few classes which would accommodate that level of
adaptation, but during the Americas Cup, Oracle Team
USA reportedly filed for a new certificate every race for
the first 15 races.
Technologically, the sports are also steering ever-closer
courses. One of the stand-out similarities is in the use of
foils. Formula Ones Drag Reduction System (DRS)
allows a driver to alter the angle of the rear aerofoil at
certain points on the track, specifically where the car is
traveling in a relatively straight line. By lessening the
angle of the foil, which otherwise forces the cars rear
tyres onto the track to promote grip, it reduces air
resistance and the car can accelerate more quickly for a
brief period.
On board the AC72s, the ability to alter foil angle is

not only fundamental to adjusting the angle of the sail
to the wind, but essential to making the boat fly on
its hydrofoils. This innovation is the culmination of
design developments that range from the canting keels
of the Volvo 70s and Open 60s to radical multi-hull
hydrofoilers such as Lhydroptere.
Methods of energy reclamation and storage also
feature as major innovations for both sports. For F1, the
Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) stores energy
otherwise lost through heat generated by the brakes
as electrical energy which is then returned to the drive
shaft via an electric motor at the press of a button.
On board the AC72s, stored energy also played a big
part although it wasnt so easily come by! Of the 11
sailors on board, 10 could be grinding, and of those
10, four were doing so in order to pressurise a number
of hydraulic cylinders that lifted the hydrofoils in and
out of the water. The hydrofoils enter and exit the water
at high speeds due to the sudden release of the energy
stored as pressure by the grinders, giving the helm three
seconds to set the foil using a button on the wheel.
Chris Draper, helm of Luna Rossa Challenge,
explains that the control systems for all the hydraulic
functions have taken technology directly from the
race track: F1 are light years ahead, he says.
Where next?
In engineering terms, the most valuable asset offered by

F1 is a huge increase in the reliability of component
manufacture and testing. Ever greater precision, thanks
to triple or quadruple testing to the point of breakage, or
by using ultrasound and X-ray technology to assess
potentially devastating fractures at a microsopic level, is
standard practice in Formula One. Laser-sensed
measurements are also a common tool, which means
that build quality can be assessed without the need for
human touch, with measurements taken in microns.
In a partnership between SAP Extreme Sailing Team
and the McLaren Technology Centre, the sailors were
given the opportunity to see how this technology is
employed. Extreme 40 and Americas Cup sailor Pete
PHOTOS MGI CONSULTANCY AND CATERHAM
F1
S
FACTOR
PHoTo ComPIlATIoN bY PETER smITH
The F1 philosophy
of questioning
everything can
be taken forward
into sailing
Left: Caterham
worked with Alex
Thomson Racing,
applying its
technology to his
Vendee Globe
campaign
Below: Hydraulic
control systems in
the foils of the
AC72s use
technology taken
directly from
Formula One
Data logging
Fresh thinking is central to another partnership, this

time using F1 knowledge to make an impact on the
offshore racing scene. Caterham Composites had
previously worked in partnership with Alex Thomson
Racing, transferring their experience and technology
onto a Vendee Globe campaign, and their ultimate goal
is to work with an Americas Cup team. Time will tell
how durable the partnership is, but Caterham
Composites CEO Mike Gascoyne has been
experimenting with data loggers on a custom-built RC3
Class 40, which will measure hull and keel loads and
intelligently filter the data. Inside the rig, cables draw
real time sailing load data from rigging and furling
forestays by Future Fibres.
Mike sees the capacity to forewarn skippers of
potential problems, before they cause catastrophic
failure, as the main advantage in developing this data
logging system. The hope is that future systems, used
in R&D to better identify tolerances for components,
will ultimately increase the reliability and therefore
reputation and appeal to sponsors of offshore sailing.
The use of sensors in sailing is not completely new
another company at the forefront of motorsport,
Cosworth, worked with the British Olympic sailing
team in the run up to the 2008 Games. The focus of this
was the Pi Garda data logger system, which records data
from sensors ranging from GPS and windspeed to
strain gauges. This can then be used for performance
comparison against theoretical targets, analysis of tacks
against wind shifts and many other features.
Similarly, back in the 2010 Americas Cup BMW
Oracle Racing had some 250 sensors across their
then-revolutionary wing sail, giving out 90 million bits
of data per hour of sailing. Competitors in the last
Volvo Ocean Race and Barcelona World Race have
used similar sensor systems.
Increasingly accurate data needs to be presented
differently and again sailing may learn from Formula
One. Instead of multi-function displays that both driver
The human element
With developments made possible

by technology from materials
reliability to media presentation, the gap between F1
and sailing looks set to narrow further. One man
hoping to help make this happen is Sir Keith Mills.
Having bought the IMOCA global commercialisation
rights earlier this year, he plans to follow in Bernie
Ecclestones footsteps and use the F1 model to increase
the profile of the Vende Globe and Barcelona World
Race. He hopes to bring the races to a larger audience,
and in doing so to attract more teams and further
investment. Central to this will be using modern
broadcast technology to capture and distribute footage
as it happens.
As Sir Keith has identified, sharing as much of the
sailors experiences with viewers is key to making
sailing appealing as a spectator sport. The
superhuman effort is a factor F1 audiences are
familiar with the average F1 race requires physical
exertion on a par with running a marathon. The AC34
brought it home to sailing fans, with live onboard
sound capturing the exhaustion of the grinders, whilst
teams also dealt with high G-forces from sailing at
high speed.
The next step may be in the use of simulators, which
have been used for many years to test and analyse
Formula One engineering. But the one thing all this
physical and mental training shows is that despite all
the technology, the human element is still key.
Gascogyne says: Just as in F1 there is no technology that
can tell a driver how late he can brake into a corner, or
how much speed he can carry through a corner, there
will never be any technology to replace the skippers feel
of the boat, sail choice or how to combat the physical
demands of offshore sailing.
PHOTO: SANdER VAN dER BORCH/LuNA ROSSA*
Cumming believes that its not only the tools and

expertise that might directly crossover, but also: The F1
philosophy of questioning everything can be taken
forward into sailing. The designers bring fresh thinking
and approaches combined with increased precision,
especially in one-design racing a team with this
benefit will make huge leaps forward.
and sailor can easily become too

preoccupied to scrutinise in any
detail, Caterham developed minimal
displays which rely on lights as well
as numbers or text as a more
efficient interface. This move
towards simplicity is a direct
cross-over from Caterhams Formula
One experience. Similar technology
was put to good use in AC34, when
members of Team Oracle USA wore
displays mounted on their wrists.
The race of
theirLives
Racing round the world isnt only for the professionals,

but would you spend a year of your life and your
lifes savings - doing just that? We discover the
appeal of the Clipper Round the World Race
sToRY HElEn FrETTEr
Above: the 12 Clipper 70s were new

for the 2013/14 race and are the
raciest boats to date
itching preconceptions is what the Clipper

Round the World Race is all about. For
non-sailors, its about proving that it is
possible for ordinary people to sail around
the world. But for those who are already
sailors, the challenge is to dismiss the idea
that paying to sail is somehow a soft option.
The ultimate paid berth is a round-the-world slot on
a Clipper Round the World Race (and it comes with a
hefty price of around 43,000). These days the Clipper
holds a unique position as being the only round the
world race open to amateur sailors (the Global
Challenge held its last event in 2005). Meanwhile the
Clipper has not only endured, but shares an increasing
amount in common with the pinnacle of professional
round-the-world yacht racing: the Volvo Ocean Race.
A year before the first ever one-design Volvo Ocean
Race set off, the Clipper fleet departed London in its
own brand new fleet of 12 one-design 70-footers. And
while the Clipper route includes the Cape of Good
Hope and the Southern Ocean, but omits Cape Horn
in favour of the Panama Canal, these days both races
have adopted a Pacific Ocean stage with Chinese
stopovers on what is rapidly becoming the accepted
early 21st century track.
Universal appeal
So who spends more than an average annual salary to go

sailing? Well, there are professionals looking for a break
from high-pressured careers, students seeking a unique
gap year, mums, retirees and a whole range of people
simply looking to have an adventure. There are also the
sailors whove always had a yearning to experience the
Southern Ocean as well as complete novices who have
never stepped on board a yacht. The 2014 race included
crew aged between 18 and 73.
Despite these straitened times, there is no shortage of
applicants. A grand total of 650 people will take part in
the 2013-14 race, including 120 people signed up for all
eight legs. Race director Justin Taylor says: The race is
going from strength to strength, its the ninth now and we
were sold out on this particular race and are now taking
bookings for the next, and the race beyond that.
We generally find the average age is mid-40s,
have been in their chosen field for 20 years and have
the means to pay for it. Others remortgage their house,

and weve seen a lot of people using redundancy
payments in the economic climate were now in. There
might be an average age, but is there an average
person? No, you just cant pigeonhole the crew that
way, they really are from all walks of life.
One of the key factors of the Clipper Races success is
that it attracts sailors with a hugely diverse range of
experience levels. But how do you race with people who
have never even sailed before?
Back to basics
The first stage in the application process is an interview.

Neil Bennett, just returned from racing the first four legs
on Great Britain, recalls: My interview was with David
Cusworth, the crew recruitment manager, and his first
line was that he was going to try and persuade us not to
do it. They only really want people who know what
theyre letting themselves in for and are prepared to put
everything into it. He went through the horror stories;
the heads, some of the seas youd be in. It didnt put me
off. As soon as I got on one of the yachts, I thought, Yes,
definitely!
Once signed up, the next part is a four-stage training
process. Its designed to cater for the very novice sailor,
but more experienced sailors must attend these
training weeks as well; there is a Clipper way of doing
things, which may not be how things are run on the
average racing yacht.
Graduates of the training say it is a great leveller and
gives novices confidence that they will be able to
contribute. It also ensures that everyone is
approaching every situation in the same way. Whereas
Volvo teams have playbooks to detail likely
manoeuvres, the Clipper handbook lists evolutions, or
sailhandling routines. Racing with inexperienced crew
in potentially severe conditions means every team
member has to know exactly what happens next when
it comes to putting in a reef or changing a headsail.
Delicate balance
There were 12 teams in 2014s Clipper Race, each

sailing at any one time with up to 23 crew, of mixed
experience and all ages. Every single person makes a
hefty financial commitment to be there, so getting the
balance of skills and personalities right on each boat is

crucial. The teams are initially allocated by gender, age,
fitness and general ability level, as Justin Taylor
explains: There are some crew who are Yachtmasters
with their own boat and then 40 per cent of our crew
have never been on a sailing boat before they start
training with us.
But we also look at more subjective factors: their
temperament, their competitive drive, their reasons for
doing it do they want to win at all costs, or are they
looking for something else? We try to sift through all
that and allocate crews based on all those principles.
We tend to find that we get it right most of the time,
and all the crews are very equally matched.
Neil Bennett agrees that most people on his boat
had the same goals. We were quite lucky in that the
vast majority of us wanted the same thing, which was a
good adventure, he says. If were in a position to do

well then well try really hard, but we didnt want to go
all-out and miss the experience by being too
competitive. And I think we did that actually; when we
had the chance to do well everyone put extra effort in.
At points there was friction. You had some of the
guys who were ultra-competitive and wanted to push
stuff, whereas other people were thinking we were a bit
overpowered, that we should maybe rein back a bit.
But it never really got to the point of having an
argument; the skipper would be the voice of reason.
When we werent doing well you could see how
annoyed people were. There wasnt anyone who didnt
want to do well.
Pete Stirling, skipper of Jamaica Get All Right adds:
Most crew respect the fact that in order to be
competitive the crew and the boat need to be pushed.
Above: the race offers people the

opportunity to experience ocean
racing from amateurs to racers
Far left: the 2013-14 race was held in
12 new 70ft one-designs
left: apart from the skipper, all crew
are amateur sailors, with around 40
per cent new to the sport before
signing up
Clipper race legs

The Clipper Round the World Race
is the worlds longest sailing race,
encompassing 40,000 miles over
eight legs and 15 races.
The 2013-14 edition started from
London before racing to Brest, then
across the Atlantic to Rio. Leg 2
took the classic route from Rio to
Cape Town, before the Southern
Ocean third leg from South Africa
to Albany, Australia.
Leg 4 comprised three races
from Albany to Sydney, the Rolex
Sydney-Hobart, and on to Brisbane.
The fifth leg skirts the Pacific, from
Brisbane to Singapore, then on to
Qingdao, in China.
Leg 6 is a monster 5,800-mile
stage across the Pacific from
Qingdao to San Francisco on the
USAs west coast. Leg 7 is the
American stage, racing south to
the Panama Canal, then up to
Jamaica, and then north past the
southeastern states to New York.
The final leg crosses the North
Atlantic from New York to Derry/
Londonderry in Ireland, the
Netherlands, and back to London.
Top and Above: a welcome return to

London passing under Tower Bridge
Bottom right: Great Britain
crewmember Neil Bennett had not
sailed for 10 years before the race but
recently completed four legs, including
some as watch leader
CLIPPER 70
LOA: 75ft 6in (23m)
Draught: 9ft 10in (3m)
Displacement: 69,887lb
(31,700kg)
Ballast: 26,445lb (12,000kg)
Mast height: 95ft (29m)
Mainsail: 1,326sqft (123.2m2)
Headsail: 1,813sqft(168.4m2)
Asymmetric: 3,555sqft
(330.3m2)
More often than not the crew will tell me Im not

pushing hard enough, rather than the other way round.
I believe most people dont realise how truly
competitive they actually are until they find
themselves in a competitive environment. As long as a
few of the crew and in particular the skipper are
competitive, the non-competitive crew will ultimately
step up their game as well.
Although the Clipper is a race situation, if
conditions are suitable then even newly joined leggers
will take their turn on the helm. We certainly dont
have a win at all costs attitude, Justin adds.
As such, theres a strict system of penalties for
damaging sails or the boats, designed to discourage
teams from pushing the limits.
All of the above puts a huge premium on the
skippers. Its not an ordinary skippers role: its
probably 10 per cent sailing the boat and 90 per cent
managing the whole thing and the crew, says Justin.
Pushing limits
The 2013-14 race proved as challenging as any,

including a sweltering Doldrums crossing and a
punishing Southern Ocean stage which saw 80-knot
gales and sizeable waves batter the fleet. So how do
inexperienced crew handle severe conditions?
The challenge of sailing across oceans such as the
Southern Ocean is a big task no matter how
experienced you are, replies Matt Mitchell, skipper of
Mission Performance. The conditions down there are
enough to test any sailor to their absolute limit, not

only because of their severity, but because of the sheer
relentlessness of them. When the conditions are really
bad, a sense of humour will go a long way.
Neil says he was able to face the severe conditions
because the crew environment was so mutually
supportive: As a team, we were pretty close knit so
people didnt get too nervous. If someone got a bit
worried theyd sit them down and talk them through it,
and we were a very huggy crew! Even when we got hit by
the wave and had injuries on board, one of the guys was a
bit frayed round the edges for a few days but he was soon
back up on the helm, back to his normal self. There were
points when wed have arguments, but when the shit hit
the fan the team would pull together every single time
and it was amazing to watch.
Is the Clippers biggest appeal because its a great
adventure, or because its a great race?
Its a race, absolutely, says Justin. You just have to
listen to the crews when theyre given a penalty that
changes their standings to see that.
But the race is also much more, as Neil affirms: I
ticked all my sailing boxes in the first couple of legs, so
my goal changed to just enjoy being there. The sailings
great, yes, but its the people and the friendships that
you make. Ive made friends that even if I wanted to
get rid of I dont think Id be able to!
It was worth every single penny. It was terrifying at
points, absolutely shattering the entire time, but one of
the best things Ive ever done.
Annalise Murphy
A neAr -miss
Irelands Laser Radial star tells how she
moved on from bitter disappointment at
the 2012 Olympics to European glory
sTORY GeorGie Corlett
remember thinking they were the four easiest races of my life; I

just went around the racecourse and never really saw anyone,
says Annalise Murphy. The Irish Laser Radial sailor captured
hearts and fired imaginations with her flawless start to the 2012
Olympic regatta: four straight wins placed her firmly in the
spotlight. Irelands first gold medal in Olympic sailing seemed to
be within reach. Then aged only 22, Annalise reflects: You go to your first
Olympics just hoping to have a solid performance and to be able to see
where you can improve for four years time. To go out and win all four
races, I really didnt expect to do that.
I was pretty relaxed because I felt I had done everything I could to
prepare and I didnt really have any pressure on me at that time; I just
wanted to enjoy the event. I was in my own little bubble; I didnt think
people would really notice other than perhaps to think theres an Irish girl
sailing at the Olympics.
A groundswell of support rose for the girl who appeared to be taking
everything in her stride. Even the notoriously tricky Nothe course seemed
unable to shake her, as she clocked another memorable victory in front of a
growing green army who flocked to Murphy Mount. Back in Ireland,
some 250,000 people tuned in to watch Annalises performance, and her
Facebook and Twitter accounts managed at the time by her brother
received countless messages of support.
olympic heritage
pHoTo: www.lAuRENCEjpHoToGRApHY.Com
pHoTo: Tom GRuITT*
Describing herself as sporty, talkative and determined, Annalise comes

across as energetic yet laid back. For as long as she can remember, Olympic
sailing has been a part of her life although it didnt become a personal
goal until quite late on.
Both Annalise and her older sister, Claudine, were encouraged and
inspired by their parents to sail from a young age; no surprise when you
consider mum Cathy (ne McAleavey) competed for Ireland in the 470
womens class at the 1988 Olympics, with dad Con as her coach. Annalise
says: It was a big part of my life growing up knowing my mum was an
Olympian, but she never pushed me into sailing; I just used to crew for her
in her Hurricane 5.9. I was completely fearless and did it purely because it
was fun! Both my mum and dad have been able to give me really good
advice about the Olympics, which was a huge help.
Following in her mums Olympic footsteps was, at first, the dream of her
older sister. Annalise, almost by default she says, would end up
competing at various championships in her wake, the initial incentive
being the sheer fun had by tagging along. But, by the age of 16, Annalise
began to step out of Claudines shadow and find her own competitive edge.
We got along really well when she was doing well and I was terrible, but
then as I started catching up to her, I was doing everything that she was
doing, but I was doing it three years before
she got to do it.
The outsider
She recalls one particularly fiery
But as the series wore on, her victory count began
moment: We were doing a British qualifier
to wane. She says: I was racing against so many
event, and we both went for the windward
good girls and they werent going to make it easy
mark at the same time and had this
for me. By the third day of competition, three
full-blown argument. We went from doing
of the most experienced sailors in the fleet
pretty well to being last and second-to-last;
began to make their intentions clear: Chinas
we were just trying to kill each other.
Xu Lijia, 2008 Olympic bronze medallist; the
Fortunately the sibling rivalry fizzled
Netherlands Marit Bouwmeester, 2011 world
out as the two sisters made a pact to put
champion; and Belgiums Evi van Acker,
their differences aside. For Annalise, a
another 2008 Olympic veteran. By the final
fourth in the Europeans and a fith in the
days medal race, any three of the four could
2008 World Laser Radial Youth
above: Annalise was in a medal position all week at the London
have walked away with the medals.
Championship marked another advance
2012 Olympics until the last downwind leg of the medal race
As she began the last days racing, Annalise
in her game. Seeing fellow Irish Radial
was lying third overall, with just one point
sailor Caira Peelo qualify for the 2008
separating her and joint leaders, Xu Lijia and Marit Bouwmeester. Despite
Olympics at the senior competition of those same worlds was the
her early confidence, the nerves kicked in as she slowly realised just what
catalyst Annalise needed: 2012 really could be her turn.
was at stake. At the time I thought, why does there have to be there four of
Upping her game
us, why cant there be three of us? I couldnt help but think, what happens if
A summer of highly structured training with her sister paid off and she
Im the person who finishes fourth... maybe it was a self-fulfilling
finished eighth the next year in the senior fleet, at the Laser Radial worlds
prophecy.
in Japan. I was hoping to finish in the top 40 so when I finished in the top
Rounding the windward mark in first, panic set in as she then suddenly
10 I didnt know what to do. That was pretty cool to see that really hard
found herself swallowed up by the middle of the fleet. A game of snakes
training and really focusing for a whole summer was able to get me such a
and ladders ensued. Annalise regained places before slipping agonisingly
good result.
from the front of the 10-boat fleet to cross the line in fith, without a medal.
Then, despite objections from her parents, the determined 19-year-old
I was heartbroken, she says. I had been in a medal position all week and
put her studies to one side to concentrate on full-time sailing. Sailing with
until the last downwind of the medal race, so to come away with a fourth
a squad of five girls under the guidance of coach Ian Clingham, the levels
place felt so unfair. I couldnt believe it. At the time I thought the world had
of professionalism required for an Olympic campaign began to sink in.
ended. I thought I had given up my one chance to win anything. I felt sorry
Among the specialists working with the squad was a sports psychologist.
for myself, as if I had been hard done by, as if nobody else finishes fourth in
At first, Annalise had reservations, but slowly began to see the dividends as
the Olympics.
she realised that a new approach could be needed now sailing was no
Fast-forward to 2014, and Annalises world is far from over. With two
longer just for fun. The psychologist posed a theory that Annalises trend of
years let until Rio her next major goal she now looks back at the 2012
getting a good result in the first race and a worse result in the second race
Games as a critical learning experience. The raw emotion that she felt in the
might be down to her getting distracted between races, chattering to
immediate atermath has given way to a self-awareness that has added
friends. For Annalise, that was a tough suggestion to swallow a big part
strength to her sailing. It took me a while to realise that that was just the
of the fun of sailing was gossiping with the girls. Just to prove her wrong I
start of things to come. Once I realised that, I didnt experience the same
decided I wont talk to anyone, but that wont be the reason (the results
kind of nerves. I learned not to get so upset when Id have a bad event. Im
change). The next day I went out and had two seconds and I thought,
now able to say, okay, these are the mistakes Ive made Ive done badly in
hmm... thats suspicious!
this race because of this or that.
In a way it was hard to accept because I felt like I was abandoning some of
Replacing negativity with logic has, she believes, turned her sailing
my friends. I realised then that I was a full-time sailor; I had to try and treat it
career around. The 2012 experience has also taught her to take one goal
at a time.
pHoTo: pAul Todd/VolVo oCEAN RACE*
Left: Annalise
applied all the
lessons of her
career including
those from the
heartbreaking final
day of the Olympics
to win the 2013
Laser Radial
European
Championships in
Ireland
professionally. It made a really big difference to how I sailed and the results
went from being between 20th and 10th to finishing in the top 10 consistently.
Annalise also stepped up her physical fitness training; from hating the
prospect of going running or cycling, she now regularly participates in half
marathons and triathlons. If youre really fit, you dont have to worry that
youre going to feel tired in the last few days (of a regatta) and not perform
well, she says.
Irish glory
In 2013, Annalise got the chance to put all these lessons into practice with
the Laser Radial European Championships. This time, not only was she
taking on the worlds best Radial sailors, she was doing so in front of a
home crowd. The venue was Dublin Bay, jointly hosted by Royal St George
YC and the National Yacht Club. These were waters that she knew well,
having sailed from Dun Laoghaire all her life, but as she recalls with a
laugh: Part of me felt that I had a home advantage here, but then people
dont even realise just how difficult it is to sail in Dublin Bay!
Whats more, her competition was going all-out to prove themselves in
the pecking order post-Olympics. With so many friends and family there,
the last thing Annalise wanted to do was
disappoint. Handling the pressure was
going to be crucial. I was terrified that
Id come last in every race, but I knew
that if I kept everything smart and didnt
do anything crazy Id be okay.
And thats exactly what she did. Despite
one close call in a dying breeze and
adverse tide just metres from the finish line, which saw her slip to midfleet, Annalise concluded the series with an otherwise unblemished
scoreline of first and second places. With Marit Bouwmeester, Britains
Alison Young (fifth at the 2012 Olympics) and Belgiums Evi Van Acker all
chasing hard for the top spots as they went into the final day, the onus was
on Annalise to keep a step ahead. With a markedly different attitude to the
Olympic medal race of two years ago, she set out with a resolutely calm
approach, deliberately avoiding any major changes to her routine or
strategy. I knew I could only sail my best and give it everything, she says.
I thought, if at the end of the day I dont win, it wont be down to the fact
that I held back. So I just went out on the last day and did everything I
normally would I didnt think about it too much.
Her tactics paid off and as she was jubilantly carried aloft in her Laser up
the slipway, the enormity of her achievement sunk in. It was surreal
winning the Europeans, especially as it was in my home club where I learnt
to sail. Its pretty rare that you get an opportunity to do that. I felt great
and slightly relieved too!
Round two
The win earned Annalise a nomination for the RT Sports Person of the Year
Award, and together with her dramatic Olympic debut, cemented Annalise as
a household name in Ireland. She has since appeared on a number of Irish
chat show programmes and characteristically takes it all in her stride, saying:
Its good that I got to raise the profile of sailing in Ireland.
The interest in Irish sailing at Olympic level has been given an additional
boost by recent sponsorship from Providence Resources PLC, which has
agreed a full support package for Annalise together with Ryan Seaton
and Matt McGovern (49er), and James Espey (Laser) in the run-up to Rio.
Annalise has also secured personal sponsorship from Gul.
Things look very different this time around. Not only has the Europeans
win boosted her confidence, but she will be aiming for the Olympics with
more experience and maturity. Midway between the two Games, the fleet
dynamics are undergoing a shake up, making her main adversaries difficult
to predict at this stage. But its still two years away from the Olympics so a
lot can happen, she explains. If I look back at the two years before London I
was still finishing in the teens and 20s. It all changes much closer to the
Olympics and itll be interesting to see who actually comes through.
Fellow Olympic veterans, Xu Lijia,
Marit Bouwmeester and Alison Young
have all set their sights on Rio too.
Annalise has already spent several
weeks in Brazil and is all too aware of
the challenges the Rio racecourse is
likely to bring. Its not like Weymouth
where its windy every day, but equally
its not a drift pond with no wind. They get systems coming through so
they might get a windy couple of days, then a few light days, but they also
get a lot of sea breeze days with medium winds. Its a pretty interesting
place to sail, with different conditions every day.
Hence Annalises training schedule currently places a big emphasis on
handling and speed across a range of conditions. Whenever possible, she
trains at home with the Irish boys Laser Radial squad, which she says is
refreshing because, they are just so much more angry than girls. Winter
training takes place in Cadiz, where Annalise sails against an international
group of girls. With the main event still some way off, theyre not afraid yet
to help each other along. Everyone is still pretty good friends at this stage
and we all get along really well so its quite fun to be a full-time sailor at the
moment. No doubt her legions of fans will be watching closely for clues as
to whether Annalise Murphy might well be the one to bring home Irelands
first sailing gold.
It was surreal winning as

it was at my home club
where I learnt to sail
To see Y&Y Awards 2015 nominations go to www.yachtsandyachting.co.uk
e e n
ad id ai
M pr rit
th t B
wi rea
G
in
JAMES LAWRENCE
SAILMAKERS LTD
BESPOKE SAILMAKERS
Kelpie of Falmouth
Photo : emilyharrisphotography.co.uk
22-28 Tower Street, Brightlingsea, Essex CO7 0AL

Tel: 01206 302863 Fax: 01206 305858 Email: mark@gaffguru.com or lawrencesails@btconnect.com
Top
Caribbean
anCHOraGeS
We asked eight famous sailors for
their favourite West Indian
anchorages. Heres what they said
sToRY SAM JEFFERSON
LAURA DEKKER
les des Saintes
GUADELOUPE
Laura Dekker still holds the record for being the
youngest sailor to ever circumnavigate the globe. Now
19, she still lives aboard her famous yacht, Guppy, in
New Zealand. Given that she started and finished this
trip in Sint Maarten in the Caribbean, what better
person to ask about suitable anchorages:
I found the main anchorage (Bourg) in the les des
Saintes very nice, as its sheltered, with no swell, good
holding and is beautiful. Its not an anchorage that you
would go to in order to be alone as it can get busy and
sometimes it can be hard to find a spot. However, the
water is clear and the village and local area is lovely to
walk through. Its a little piece of France in the Caribbean
Navigation and general information
Above: Sunset
behind let
Cabrit in the
leisurely
les des Saintes
Bourg de Saintes is the main anchorage of the les de

Saintes, a cluster of tiny islands just to the south of
Guadeloupe. Being an open roadstead, the approach is
very simple, but it can get busy and you are required to
take a mooring if one is available. If all the buoys are
taken you may anchor, but, if possible, try to tuck in
relatively close to shore, as there can be a mean swell
further out. Once ashore, you find yourself in a town
little changed since the French took charge and this is
a small and truly charming corner of France many
miles from the motherland.
HannaH Jenner
Admiralty Bay
BequiA
After becoming the first female skipper in the Clipper
Round the World Race, Hannah Jenner has gone on to
manage several successful racing campaigns on various
yachts and is currently working aboard Olin Stephens
legendary yacht Dorade. In addition to this, she has
enjoyed more than her fair share of Caribbean cruising
in her time.
My choice is Admiralty Bay, Bequia, because of the
surrounding scenery, its green hills, as well as the typical
gingerbread-style cottages on the seafront. The town is
also immediately accessible with gems such as The Bequia
Bookshop and the Frangipani Bar, not forgetting Doriss
delicatessen that keeps foodies well provisioned
in the Grenadines.

Lying in the heart of the Grenadines, Admiralty Bay is a
huge, well-protected bay. A strip of sand backs on to the
islands main town, Port Elizabeth. Shelter here is
excellent and the approach is straightforward. There is
plenty of room to drop the hook either side of the central
ferry channel. There are also mooring buoys, but swim
down to check them, as they are not reliable. Head
ashore for the laid-back bars, restaurants and shops.
rod Heikell
Portsmouth
DomiNicA
In between writing some of the
most highly respected and
informative cruising almanacs
around, writer and journalist Rod
Heikell also spends a fair amount
of time exploring various corners
of the world in his yacht, Skylax.
He is therefore in a good position
to make an informed choice.
Sitting snugly between
Guadeloupe and Martinique is
Dominica, all tropical rainforest
cascading down the slopes to
sandy beaches with the
weatherboard houses barely
visible through the thick jungle
cover. It is one of the least
developed of the Leeward Islands.
Portsmouth (Prince Rupert Bay)
is the best and arguably the only
decent anchorage on the leeward

side of Dominica. From the north
you come in around Prince Rupert
Bluff Point into a wide bay,
sheltered by the headland and
anchor on a gently shelving sandy
bottom.
The Indian River tour is one of
those things you should do once
even if it is a bit busy. We went
with Martin on Providence and his
knowledge and love of the place is
infectious. Before you get into the
river you have to skirt the
coasters that were washed up on
the shore by Hurricane George in
1998 and Lenny in 1999. There are
also a few coasters just under the
TRACY
EDWARDS
English Harbour
ANTIGUA
Admiralty Bay,
where tropical
rainforest
meets the sea
water off the town, though they

are south of where most yachts
anchor and close enough to the
shore not to trouble those
anchoring off.
Once into the river, outboards
are banned and Martin rowed his
heavy old boat slowly upstream.
Trees overhang the river and birds
flit around all over the place. We
were even lucky to see a big old
iguana dozing in the afternoon
sun halfway up a palm tree.
Navigation and general

information
Being a veteran of many pilot
guides, Rod has given you pretty
much all the info you require to get
there. The approach is simple
either from the north or south, but
things can get a bit roly-poly in
this charming anchorage if there is
a swell running as it is quite open
to the south and west.
Tracy Edwards may be best known for her exploits as the

first ever female skipper in the 1989-90 Whitbread
Round the World Race (now the Volvo Ocean Race), but
before she found fame, she spent many years working
aboard a whole range of luxury yachts plying the
Mediterranean and Caribbean, so she is in a good
position to give us a steer on her top spot.
English Harbour on Antigua is my choice.
It may seem like an obvious one, but it has a special place
in my heart. It is where we arrived after my first ever
Atlantic crossing at the age of 21 on a yacht called
Southern Star with a range of interesting characters oh,
and a parrot called Rocky! This was in 1984 and the
Copper and Lumber Store Hotel was a ruin and much of
the Dockyard had not yet been rebuilt to its former glory.
Mavis the laundry lady would sit next to the customs
office and collect our charter laundry and give out weather
reports. All of the crews used to go and pick up our mail
from there as soon as we got back from charter. Jol and
Judy and the Nicholson family always had a welcome
smile. We used to play cricket at Galleon Beach on
Sundays and then hitch rides up to Shirleys Heights with
our own rum punch as it was deserted up there then.
Roger the juggler would entertain us as we all strained to
see the green flash which we never did!

A lot has changed since Tracy was there in 1984, but the
essence remains. Nowadays, this well sheltered deepwater harbour can accommodate yachts, but still retains
much of the raffish, down-to-earth heartiness and a
frisson of the old romance. The narrow, winding entrance
is well marked and the channel is safe almost right up to
the shore. Plenty of anchoring room.
Bahamas
Staniel Cay, Exumas
British & US
Virgin Islands
Leeward Islands
English Harbour, Antigua
Iles de Saintes, Guadeloupe
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
Portsmouth, Dominica
Marigot Bay, St Lucia
Windward
Islands
Admiralty Bay, Bequia

Tobago Cays, Grenadines
THE SMALLEST THINGS LEAVE THE GREATEST IMPRESSION.
A superyacht marina is your driveway. A white sandy beach is your backyard.

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to separate club membership requirements, payment of fees, and/or other restrictions.
Staniel Cay has

a wonderfu
yacht club and
great swimming
PETER DE
SAVARY
Staniel Cay
BAHAMAS
Multi-millionaire Peter de Savary first came to
prominence as the backer of Britains 1983 Americas
Cup challenge, Victory 83 and his establishment of Port
Pendennis Shipyard in Falmouth has provided a
fantastic boost for the superyacht industry in the UK. He
has a long association with the Caribbean and has
competed in races throughout the islands, in addition to
sponsoring the Grenada Sailing Festival.
My choice is Staniel Cay. This anchorage is in beautiful,
pristine turquoise waters over white sand with excellent
swimming. It is one of my favourite places because it is an
authentic and attractive Caribbean island and the
anchorage is only a dinghy hop away from intriguing local
facilities. All in all, it provides a thoroughly enjoyable
few days at a safe and sheltered anchorage.

Lying 75 miles southeast of Nassau in the heart of the
Bahamas, the Exumas are a labyrinth of low-lying
islands featuring stunning white sands, turquoise waters
and incredible snorkelling. Staniel Cay is at the heart of
the Exumas and is generally viewed as a yachting hub,
with many yachtsmen gravitating to the cool verandahs
of Staniel Cay Yacht Club for a refreshing beverage or
two. The approach both from east or the west is relatively
straightforward, although a shallow draught is always a
plus in the Bahamas. As ever, eyeball navigation skills are
extremely useful here. Holding is good off the Staniel Cay
Yacht Club, but beware of a rock reef running off from the
yacht club pier. There can also be strong currents running
through the channel, so make sure you are confident with
your holding before going ashore.
MIKE PERHAM
Tobago Cays
GRENADINES
Mike briefly held the record for
being the youngest person to sail
around the world single-handed,
but at least he remains the
youngest ever sailor to cross the
Atlantic single-handed a feat he
achieved aged just 14. On arrival
across the pond, he was able to
extensively explore many of the
Caribbeans finest anchorages
and he has chosen a real beauty:
Tobago Cays, situated in the
Grenadines, has got to be my
favourite Caribbean
anchorage of all time. I
recall motoring up the
narrow channel a few
years ago with an
incredible feeling of awe.
To give some perspective to this,

when we were dropping the
anchor we had to be careful not to
hit any sea turtles while the hook
was on its way to the bottom. You
wouldnt want to give any turtle a
throbbing headache! The
anchorage is surrounded by five
small uninhabited islands, which
are a perfect setting to watch the
sun go down. Ill always remember
this anchorage for its unspoilt
beauty and the countless amount
of wildlife I saw swimming
underneath me.

information
Tobago Cays is an archipelago
comprising Petit Rameau, Petit
Bateau, Baradol, Petit Tobac and
Jamesby. The islands are well
protected from swell by
Horseshoe and Worlds End Reefs.
They are, however, very open to
the wind and this can get
boisterous at times. Tobago Cays
is part of the St Vincent
Grenadines, so if you are coming
up from Grenada you will have to
clear in to St Vincent at Union
Island. The best approach is
between Mayreau and Baleine
Rocks. When it comes to dropping
the hook, try to the north and
south of Baradel and in the narrow
cut between Petit Rameau and
Petit Bateau, although currents
can be strong in this area.
Common sense must prevail.
You cant land on

Petit Tabac but you
can anchor up and
swim in water like this
SIR CHAY BLYTH
Petit Tabac
GRENADINES
Marigot Bay
ST LUCIA
For many years, the sight of Don Street and his

yacht Iolaire was almost a fixture in the eastern
Caribbean. In his 50 years of exploring the islands,
he has contributed significantly to the accurate
charting of them. His Imray-Iolaire charts are
always a popular choice with yachtsmen cruising the
area. His choice reflects his many years of
experience:
Sir Chay Blyth may be best

known for his exploits in his yacht
British Steel, when he became the
first person to sail single-handed
westwards around the world
against the prevailing winds. He
then set up the Global Challenge,
a race for amateurs around the
world against prevailing winds in
one-design, steel-hulled yachts.
He has visited the Caribbean
many times, most notably
upon completion of the
Route du Rhum
transatlantic race.

As Don has very kindly supplied plenty of
navigational information, all that needs to be added is
that this very isolated reef forms the outermost
eastern edge of the St Vincent Grenadines and is a
beautiful, desolate reef swept by the trade winds, but
protected from swell. There is no island to land on,
but if you enjoy snorkelling, you can lose days on end
in this magical spot.
EG
IK
One of my favoured anchorages has to be Petit

Tabac, behind Worlds End Reef in the Tobago Cays.
This is an ideal anchorage for shoal-draft monohulls
and catamarans. If you have a good dinghy or RIB
you are within easy dinghy distance of the reef itself. If
your crew is really interested in snorkelling or diving,
Worlds End Reef will keep them occupied for days.
As it is approached, bear off, pass to leeward of Egg
Reef, and head for the west end of the reef of Petit
Tabac. Pass to leeward of the reef, then round up and
work your way east as far as your draught permits
into sheltered waters.
ALAMY
LADE /
ENS
RE
DON STREET
There are so many options out

there, but one of my favourites is
Marigot Bay, St Lucia. Its a
fabulous spot, well protected with
stunning scenery all around. I
believe that they filmed part of Dr
Dolittle there! Its approached via
a narrow entrance, but opens up
into a perfectly sheltered haven,
all swaying palms and lush
hillsides. Back in the day it was a
deserted spot, but I think it now
has a small marina and a
few hotels sprouting up.

information
Sir Chay has certainly picked well.
Situated on the NW coast of St
Lucia, this peach of a bay was
famously described by the
novelist James Mitchener as the
most beautiful bay in the entire
Caribbean. Certainly, this stunning
spot is the archetypical Caribbean
haven, providing excellent shelter
in all conditions and beautiful
scenery into the bargain. The
downside is that it can often get
very busy these days, particularly
in the outer bay.
The approach is narrow, but
very well marked. The best
guiding mark for the entrance by
day is a distinctive house with a
red roof on the cliff at the
southern side of the entrance.
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Dragonship 80
The next generation
This giant 80m trimaran was designed for
Pi Yachts as the flagship in a range of luxury
charter yachts. Folding amas reduce her beam
by a useful 10m in harbour. Accommodation is
for 12 guests in six cabins, plus a crew of 17
accommodated in the amas. The balanced rig
sports rotating masts and wingsails.
www.pisuperyachts.com
BEST
boats
Our pick of the years
most impressive new
boats from the editors
of Classic Boat,
Sailing Today and
Yachts & Yachting
Discovery 55 Mk II
Tweaking success
Rustler 37
Plushed up
The Rustler 36 was the final conclusion of a
train of thought stretching back to the 1960s
and Kim Holmans Twister and later Rustler 31.
Its in production to this day and still selling,
but the new 37 is sort of her replacement,
though Rustlers Adrian Jones has no plans to
cease production of the 36. Shes a foot
longer and a lot plusher below, with double
cabins fore and aft as well as the spacious
saloon from the 36. The long fin keel and
canoe body is still fairly traditional (think
1960s again) and formed for comfort rather
than speed. Above decks, the new boat has a
more modern rig, with all controls led to the
cockpit and single-line reefing.
www.rustleryachts.com
Rather than launch a whole new model,

Discovery has opted to tweak its successful
55 and call it a Mark II, as some of the quality
Scandinavian builders do. The new version
will look more like the flagship 67. Key
changes include bigger wrap-around
windows with slimmer mullions in the raised
saloon, flush deck hatches and the option of
a vertical portlight in the aft cabin. There is a
choice of hot tub or open helm positions and
the companionway is more watertight. The
interior cabinetry has all been redesigned as
well to save weight. Two of the new Mk IIs
are in build, one with high-tech PBO rigging.
www.discoveryyachts.com
Spirit 74
Sleek spirit of tradition
The latest Spirit yacht from the eponymous yard in
Suffolk is a departure from the usual Spirit look, with its
modern and innovative fan light set into the top of the
coachroof and the modern portholes let into the cabin
trunk. Its brave but wont suit everyone design
departures like this are, after all, highly subjective. The
rest of the yacht is a corker in anyones book,
particularly the huge, oval, American-style cockpit and
luxurious solid-wood interior. Being a Spirit, she ought
to be fast too... these boats have modern underbodies
and her builder reckons the Spirit 74 can exceed
20 knots in the right conditions.
www.spirityachts.com
Django 6.70
Pocket cruising rocket
With a hull shape derived from the renowned
mini-transat racer and a sail plan to suit, it is
obvious that priority has been given to the
performance element of this pocket racer/
cruiser. However, she does actually feature
quite a roomy interior, which, with a little TLC
would be eminently suitable for weekend
cruising. Available with a fixed or lifting keel,
she has twin rudders and a very beamy stern
giving her masses of form stability as well as
enough room below for two cosy double
quarter berths and a V- berth forward! A little
pricey for her size, but fun with a capital F.
www.marehaute.fr
SK2
Canting keel sportsboat
With a hull the size of a large dinghy, a large
rig and a narrow easily-driven shape, the
SK2 promises blisteringly fast performance.
Stability is considerably enhanced by the
80kg bulb on the keel that can be canted to
windward for maximum effect. And
because it weighs in at only 210kg (hull and
keel) it is towable and easy to launch.
www.sk2sailing.com
Kelpie
Restored and ready
This twin-mast schooner rigged beauty was
new in 1928, but she has only just been
relaunched after a meticulous restoration.
Designed by Francis Sweisguth and built at
Harvey Gamages shipyard in Maine, she saw
hard service as a submarine patrol boat
during the Second World War and suffered
at the hands of a hurricane. After an
8,500nM passage from San Francisco, she
arrived in Falmouth in late-2012, for
extensive work at Gweek Quay. The rig was
restepped at Port Pendennis just nine days
before she was due to compete in the
Pendennis Cup in late May.
www.gweekquay.co.uk
Euphoria 54
Mediterranean elegance
This German Frers-designed boat should hit the water in
February 2015. Built by the state-of-the-art Turkish Sirena
Marine yard, she promises to be a high spec, luxury performance
cruiser. Vinylester injection moulding keeps the hull light and
strong, while the carbon rig option offers power.
The mainsheet is attached ahead of the companionway and
control lines are led via halyard channels to the large cockpit.
www.euphoriayachts.com.tr
Garcia 45
Ready to go anywhere
Truly Classic 51
Launched in April 2014 for ARC

founder and renowned
circumnavigator Jimmy Cornell, the
new aluminium Garcia 45 is
designed to deal with the
Northwest Passage.
Strong, fast and easily handled, she is
suited to both high latitude and tropical
sailing. Features include a deck saloon with
270 views, an inside steering position,
lifting centreboard and ballast tanks.
Capacious classic
Alexa is the 35th yacht in the Truly Classic
range from designer Andre Hoek. She was
built by Metur Yacht in Turkey in coldmoulded wood and is the seventh 51-footer
(15.5m) in the range. She is a sturdy,
capacious yacht with a classic 1930s look
and a refreshing lack of complexity so
theres less to break down. Accommodation
comprises two aft guest cabins and a day
heads; an open-plan saloon and an en-suite
cabin. The rig is a bermudan cutter with
furling headsails sheeted to electric
winches on an aluminium mast. She has an
80hp engine and can be sailed by two.
www.hoekdesign.com
www.garcia-yachting.com
SpeedDream II
Fastest boat quest
This is the latest iteration of an ongoing
quest to build the worlds fastest sailing boat.
The 100ft (30.5m) SpeedDream II is on the
drawingboard, following the launch of a 27ft
(8.2m) test version last year. If built, it will
feature a light, easily driven hull with a wave
piercing bow and flying keel. Mike Golding
has been recruited as skipper, while Merfyn
Owen, co-founder of Owen Clarke Design
and David de Premorel from the Finot-Conq
Group, will bring their collective design
experience to the project. An extensive CFD
analysis has been completed and the design
team, led by Vlad Murnikov, is now working
to refine the hull and deck lines, rig
configuration and appendages.
www.speeddream.org
Saffier SE33
Luxury Dutch daysailer
While this might be a luxurious daysailor, that doesnt mean it lacks muscle. The SE33 has a powerful
rig, a fast underwater hull shape and a modern T-bulb keel. She measures 31ft 5in (9.6m), with a
cockpit said to fit 10 people comfortably and a drop transom to allow swimming. The companionway is
protected by an integrated windscreen-style sprayhood and there is room below to sleep four, with a
small cooker, running water and room for a heads.
www.saffieryachts.com
Solent Whisper
Fine point of sailing
Spirit yacht gaffer

Tradition meets today
The gaff-rigged Spirit of Callisto won a
Concours dlgance award in her first big
outing at the Antigua Classics last year.
Shes the 54th boat built by Spirit Yachts
(four more are currently in build) and shes
strip-planked in Douglas fir and epoxysheathed outside. The hull is, relatively
traditional but with an excellent power-toweight ratio resulting in sparkling
performance. Shes not just for regattas
though the 42-footer (12.8m) has six
berths in three cabins and an RCD A Ocean
rating. Maintenance should be light thanks
to modern coatings used throughout.
www.spirityachts.com
The search for practical, affordable and safe

foiling cat has come a step closer with the
unveiling of the 5.9m carbon-foam
sandwich multihull, Solent Whisper.
Born out of a research project by Ron
Price, a senior lecturer at Southampton
Solent University, the Solent Whisper has
eschewed the curved foils seen in the
Americas Cup, instead using all four
adjustable, retractable T-foils and two
dagger boards and two rudders. Ron hopes
to use smart design to shave off some more
weight, keep the construction time down
and the cost at around 15,000.
www.solent.ac.uk
Farr 280
Affordable grand prix
The latest one design from the Farr office is
a bang-up-to-date 28-footer aimed at
exactly the same market the Farr 30 was.
The aim is to provide grand prix features in
an affordable package focused on inshore
racing with a crew of five or six people. The
hull has a reverse stem, long chine and wide
beam carried right aft. The double-spreader
carbon rig has twin running backstays to
accommodate the square-head mainsail. A
large asymmetric spinnaker is flown from a
fixed carbon bowsprit. The Farr 280 will
have rigorous manufacturing controls and
measurements checked pre-delivery.
www.farrdesign.com
Excellence
in Design &
Development
Hardware for traditional ships

and classic yachts
Webshop: www.toplicht.de
Free catalogue: The little Brownie
toplicht
Hamburg Germany
Phone: +49 (0)40 88 90 100

Fax: +49 (0)40 88 90 1011
toplicht@toplicht.de
For technical
support,
instructional
videos and
products go to
bartonmarine.com
Top
GEAR
Items for you and
your boat
Aerial video
Give your boat the star treatment
We see a lot of images of yachts in this line of work and to this day the most
impressive are usually those that have been taken from the air. Perhaps this is
mostly down to the rarity of such images which is, in turn, down to the cost of
hiring a helicopter for the day. In recent years, however, radio-controlled,
camera-wielding drones have been developed and a day of filming or
photography from the air is now well within the individuals grasp. 900 buys you
a full day of drone flying, plus image or video editing (but does not include
expenses). Relatively speaking, thats a bargain.
www.aerial-photograph.co.uk 900 per day
Foldable fishing rod

For the catch of the day
Copper paraffin can

Avoid spillage
Heres a lovely traditional kerosene can made from copper sheet, welded and
soldered, polished and protectively lacquered. Not only is this ideal for its
original function of filling your paraffin lamps, but it can be used to store
edibles such as olive oil. Shown here is the smaller model (of two).
www.toplicht.de 102
Our tester went bass fishing with this rod in his pocket!
Folded down, it is only 1ft (30cm) long. Unfolded its a well
made, sturdy 5ft (1.55m) 1.1lb (500g) rod with a housed
reel that delivers a powerful straight line cast. The whole
thing can be folded up without breaking down the tackle.
Its not a professional rod, but its a world better than the
instant rods of the past and it suits us sailors particularly.
www.instantfishermanuk.com 45
Rollable sail batterns

Flattens
Those who attended the Southampton Boat Show might have seen these
new battens on display at a range of sail manufacturers stands. The batten
can roll up, but when unrolled it pops into a rigid shape thanks to its unique
design. This allows it to be inserted into a roller-furling mainsail horizontally,
controlling the leech shape more efficiently.
www.pf-technologies.com contact your sailmaker
Nikon AW1
Fame in the frame
This is something of a groundbreaker. Some
of the photos of the kit you see adorning
these very pages were taken with a borrowed
one. Its totally waterproof (up to 15m
submerged) even though it has
interchangeable lenses and hence the
usability of a proper SLR. You can shoot
movies, it has a superfast autofocus, 14.2
million pixels, CX-format CMOS sensor and
even a compass.
A stunningly good camera that you could take
anywhere, but especially at sea.
Gill marine tool

Every crew should have one
There are those who argue that a good knife
is a more important safety device for sailors
to have aboard than a lifejacket. Whether
this is the case or not, there is no getting
away from the fact that a decent knife is
essential. Gill knives are always solid. In
addition to the blade, this tool also features a
shackle key and a harness rescue tool.
www.nikon.co.uk for stockists 600
www.gillmarine.com 20
NavLink UK for MacBooks

Laptop navigation
NavLink is already available in the Apple Store for your
iPhone or iPad but its now been updated so it works
on a MacBook. We can think of many times that this
would have come in very handy for us in the past. It
means you can now take your MacBook on board and
turn it into a fully functioning chartplotter.
Apple Store 20
Quba iPad cases
Sail-Gen water generator
Perfect protection
Powerful power supply
Finally an iPad case that is neither brightly

coloured nor massive and rubberized. These
cases from Quba follow their tradition of making
things from old sail cloth and, although they do
offer a case for iPhones in their traditional
numbered Dacron sailcloth style, we really like
these more traditional looking ones.
The Sail-Gen water generator comprises a rigid-welded

aluminium frame with a carbon fibre drive shaft and a cast
alloy impeller. The makers claim at passage speeds of 5-6
knots the Sail-Gen is capable of matching typical electrical
power consumption, meaning much less running of the
engine. Available in either 12V or 24V models.
www.quba.com 29
www.duogen.co.uk 1,990
Overboard bag
Pro-Vis duffel
Its pretty easy to see why this is called
the Pro-Vis, being made almost entirely
of luminescent orange waterproof fabric
and lending it a distinctly safety-ish look.
Built to be completely waterproof, even if
fully submerged, this bag also has a vent
to allow air to escape once closed and so
reduce the space it takes up. 60lt.
www.over-board.co.uk 85
Oru folding kayak

Spacing saving from Nestaway
When folded flat, this kayak looks a lot like
an oversized envelope or post package,
just about carriable under the armpit of a
person of average height. The makers claim
that it takes about 15 minutes to change
the flatpack container into a working kayak
on most peoples first go, but the record
stands at under five minutes. In yachting
terms, it is perhaps a shame there is not
the space for more than one occupant, so
tender duties lie out of reach.
Action camera
VIRB Elite watersport bundle
The VIRB action camera proved itself extremely popular
with our testers when we put it through its paces. Now
you can buy a watersports-specific bundle consisting of
the camera and all the kit you need to record your
on-the-water action. Included are various stands, a
waterproof case and SD card.
www garmin.co.uk 380
www.nestawayboats.com 1,030
Outboard economy
Lean-burn outboard
Suzuki has introduced its lean-burn
technology in a wider range of
engines, including some smaller
outboards, including this 15hp model.
Lean-burn changes the air-to-fuel
mix according to conditions. This
allows the engine to run more
efficiently, boosting economy and
reducing fuel bills.
www.suzuki-marine.co.uk 2,800
Kids RNLI wellies

Keeping little feet dry
Last year, we were offered the opportunity to test out waterproof kit in the
RNLIs sea survival school. There, we fell in love with their bright yellow wellies
but alas no amount of hinting could land us a free pair. With this in mind, we
can think of nothing better than receiving a pair for Christmas. Sadly they are
only available in childrens sizes, so you will either have to have small feet or
just live vicariously through your children as they go puddle-stomping.
www.rnli.co.uk 13
Conker deck shoes

Smart style for the deck
Made by Conker Marine in Totnes, these must be the ultimate in bespoke, handmade deck
shoes. After youve decided what colours of high quality leather you want, black or white
stitching, type of sole and the exact size, theres the comfort of knowing that they are fully
repairable and should last for years.
www.conkershoes.com 165
Zhik hydrobase
High load eye

Control the power
Available in five sizes to suit line diameters of
3-16mm and up to 8,000kg break load. The
HV500 hard coat anodising finish offers virtual
resistance-free operation yet is much lighter
than standard pulleys. Suitable for backstays,
kicking straps, lazy jacks, barber haulers and
anywhere for deflecting high load lines.
www bartonmarine.com from 9.30
Winter warmer
Lets face it: not many of us carry on cruising in
the dark depths of winter. But for those who
do, layers are what you need to stay warm. This
super-snug, breathable Zhik base layer is just
the thing with the added bonus of working
well for skiing should you be off to the
mountains this winter.
www.zhik.com 89
Toplicht rigging bag

Keep it all together
Made from heavy sailcloth in the Toplicht rigging
workshop, this is a smart functional rigging bag
with a wooden floor to enable it to be stood up
on deck. Tools can be arranged in the pockets
sewn around the bag so that they are visible
and ready to hand while the rope handles can be
strung from a bosuns chair. Inside there is
plenty of room for yarn, lanyards, rigging
material and further tools.
www.toplicht.de 70
GoPro Hero
Fun Water proof camera
This is the first time we have seen an entry
level option from this most popular sports
video camera brand. Hitting shops just in time
for Christmas we think there will be plenty of
these wrapped up under trees in December.
The camera is waterproof but it cannot be
removed from its waterproof housing like its
pricier brothers and sisters. But if you want a
fairly cheap and reliable sports camera, you
would be hard pushed to find better than this.
www.gopro.com 99
Objects
OF DESIRE
Things to covet and cherish
Wind vane
Nicholas Brawer has something of a knack for
discovering sporting/industrial items that can be
brilliantly polished up to become just the thing for sailors
to display at home or on their, ahem, yacht. He now has a
cult following, and this anemometer and wind vane, of
Japanese origin, is just one of 10 new additions in his
sporting antiques category.
This wind vane appeals on three levels; its shininess, its
intricacy and, of course, its ability to tell you wind speed
and direction. Can you work out how it does it though?
www.nicholasbrawer.com
Mount Gay 1703 rum

Mount Gay rum has always been an old friend of the
sailor. If you are inspired to spend over 100 on a bottle
then you may want to turn your nose towards the Mount
Gay 1703 marking the year the distillery opened.
Master blender Allen Smith has created it from reserves
aged between 10 to 30 years. The taste is described as
oak-smokey honeyed nectar and it is already scoring
high in international competitions.
www.mountgayrum.com 100
Historic chart
Break out the sextant and ships log. This 18th century chart of Portland and Weymouth
from The British Coasting Pilot by Captain Greenville Collins; A Draught of Portland the
Shambles, and the Race of Portland features a decorative title cartouche and text panel
with a detailed description of the coastline and races and a compass rose.
www.antique-maps-online.co.uk 395
Rolex Yacht-Master II: Azure

Rolexs classic Yacht-Master II sailing watch has been customised by
Titan Black and released in an exclusive run of only 50 pieces. In place of
the originals steel, gold or platinum finish, the Azure has a diamond-like
carbon coating for a robust, moody, black finish that goes nicely with the
blue detailing. As with the original Yacht-Master II, this is waterproof to an
impressive 100m (330ft) with sapphire crystal glass and a movement
containing no fewer than 31 jewels.
www.titanblack.co.uk 18,500
Porthole
This superbly-built and finely finished gunmetal
porthole has been fitted with safety glass, a
backing plate and two lugs for a much tighter fit.
It has a 7in (18cm) opening (6in/15cm across
the glass), 1/4in (6mm) spigot depth and an
overall diameter of 10in (25cm).
www.tradboats.com
210
Traditional
fishermans jumper
These traditional fishermans jumpers
are hand-knitted from British wool in
Yorkshire and take their style cues from
British fishermans jumpers. We
particularly like this navy Gansey
Sweater, called the Bridlington, which is
possibly the most traditional of the
available styles.
In fine spirits
Mary Rose cufflinks
The Great American Flask holds 255ml of your

favourite drink and is handmade from copper and
covered with Horween Dublin leather. We
particularly like the cork stopper that is tethered
to the flask itself, so one can open it with a single
hand and their teeth.
These silver cufflinks are based on an

image created by maritime artist Geoff
Hunt. They come in a display box and
proceeds go to a good home: the Mary
Rose Museum.
www.waysideflower.co.uk 290
www.foxandhardy.com 175
www.maryroseshop.org 15
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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
15-21 APRIL
Antigua Classic
Yacht Regatta
STEFFAN MEYRIC-HUGHES
The main event in the Caribbean,

with a worldwide entry of 50 to
60 stunning yachts.
www.antiguaclassics.com
JANUARY
APRIL
6-16 JANUARY
Moth Worlds 2015
7 JANUARY
PANERAI TRANSAT
CLASSIQUE 2015
This years will be held out of the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club
in Victoria, Australia, not to be confused with Sorrento in Italy.
www.mothworlds.org
This will be a special transat race just for

classics. Its the third time that Panerai
has organised such an extravaganza, but
a fleet of willing yachts keen to take part
has been gathering for some time
already. This year they will race from
Lanzarote to Martinique.
www.paneraitransatclassique.com
13-18 APRIL
LES VOILES DE ST BARTH
Pre-Antigua race that attracts some big

name racers and includes a classic class.
Now in its sixth year.
www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com
20-26 APRIL
ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP

HYERES (FRA)
www.sailing.org
9-18 JANUARY
26 APRIL
Major indoor boat show held in Londons

ExCel Centre.
www.londonboatshow.com
A world of bits and bobs roused out from

the bottom of lockers - all for sale. Held
at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.
www.beaulieu.co.uk
10 JANUARY
WORLD ARC
Saint Lucia to Saint Lucia via Panama

Australia, South Africa and Brazil.
www.worldcruising.com/world_arc
17-25 JANUARY
DUSSELDORF BOAT SHOW
BEAULIEU BOAT JUMBLE
THIERRY MARTINEZ
LONDON BOAT SHOW
MAY
1-4 MAY
FEBRUARY
11 -14 MARCH
LORO PIANA
SUPERYACHT REGATTA
Europes premier boat show, located in a

series of vast halls miles from the sea.
www.boat-dusseldorf.com
12-15 FEBRUARY
18-23 JANUARY
YOUTH INTERNATIONAL
MATCH RACING
CHAMPIONSHIP
Superyachts, including classics; five days

of sailing with a change of venue to the
BVI this year.
www.loropianasuperyachtregatta.com
Waitemata Harbour, Auckland (NZL).

www.sailing.org
30 MARCH-5 APRIL
QUANTUM KEY WEST RACE

WEEK 2015 (USA)
www.premiereracing.com
28 FEBRUARY-3 MARCH
24-31 JANUARY
RYA SUZUKI DINGHY SHOW

LONDON (GBR)
www.sailing.org
Held at Alexandra Palace (N22 7AY).

www.rya.org.uk
ISAF WORLD CUP MIAMI
RACE OF THE CLASSICS
Teams from different universities and

colleges in the Netherlands race on
classics. The route is RotterdamOstend-Ipswich-Amsterdam.
www.rotc.nl
WORLD PILOT GIG

CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 26th outing of this spectacular

event will be held on the Isles of Scilly
and features 100-plus rowing gigs all
competing to become champion.
www.worldgigs.co.uk
8-10 MAY
THE WILSON TROPHY
One of the largest and most prestigious

events in the international dinghy team
racing calendar. Takes place at The
Marine Lake, West Kirby, the Wirrals
world-renowned sailing amphitheatre.
www.wilsontrophy.co.uk
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
5-7 JUNE
Beale Park Boat and

Outdoor Show
STEFFAN MEYRIC-HUGHES
Pangbourne, Berkshire
Featuring small traditional boats, this show
has all its activites centred around the
parks lake. You can camp for the weekend,
browse trade stands and search for
bargains in the boat jumble (RG8 9NW).
www.bealeparkboatandoutdoorshow.co.uk
22-24 MAY
BALTIMORE WOODEN BOAT

FESTIVAL (IRELAND)
9 MAY
ARC EUROPE
The festival has matured and

consolidated in the last couple of years.
The numbers are high with a very varied
fleet including Currachs from Irelands
west coast and other rowing boats such
as the Gandalows of the River Shannon.
www.baltimorewoodenboatfestival.com
USA (or BVI) to Portugal

This is a west-to-east Atlantic
rally, starting from either the
British Virgin Islands or
Portsmouth, Virginia. The two
fleets rendezvous in Bermuda
before crossing the Atlantic to
the Azores.
www.worldcruising.com
22 MAY
ROYAL ESCAPE RACE
This commemorates Charles IIs

17th-Century escape from Brighton to
France. Modern boats take part but it
now has a classic class.
www.royalescaperace.co.uk
24 MAY
VOGALONGA VENICE
A rowing extravaganza through the

Venice canals with 1,600+ boats. Its the
40th anniversary year of this
astonishing event.
www.vogalonga.it
30-31 MAY
THREE RIVERS RACE
Popular Broads day/night race, where

you can choose the order in which you
take the rivers Ant, Bure and Thurne.
www.horningsc.org.uk
JUNE
3-7 JUNE
IAN ROMAN
LES VOILES DANTIBES
Since 1996, Les Voiles dAntibes marks

the opening of the Mediterranean circuit
as well as the first stage of the Panerai
Classic Yachts Challenge. Expect a warm
welcome and plenty of social events.
www.voilesdantibes.com
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
ALL SUMMER
RYS Bicentenary
celebrations
C/O PANERAI
Cowes, Isle of Wight

The worlds smartest yacht club is 200 years old in
2015 and will be staging a number of events during
the summer to celebrate.
www.rys.org.uk
27 JUNE
Volvo Ocean
Race finale
C/O THE ORGANISERS
C/O VOLVO OCEAN RACE
In-port race at Gothenburg

Watch the final in-port race in
Gothenburg home of Volvo and
Swedish sailing heritage.
www.volvooceanrace.com
8-14 JUNE
ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP
www.sailing.org
12-14 JUNE
FALMOUTH CLASSICS
Originally part of Falmouth Week in

August, this event has stood on its own
two legs for two years.
www.falmouthclassics.org.uk
12-14 JUNE
FALMOUTH INTERNATIONAL
SEA SHANTY FESTIVAL
16 AUGUST
C/O ROLEX, DANIEL FOSTER
Fastnet 2015
Cowes-Fastnet RockIsles of Scilly-Plymouth

More than 250 boats will
be at the start line for this.
www.fastnet.rorc.org
One of the biggest maritime music events

in Europe. 2014 was the biggest year yet
with 48 shanty groups, 21 venues and 261
hours of shanty singing.
www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk
13 JUNE
EDDYSTONE PURSUIT
A charity pursuit from Plymouth around

the Eddystone Light and back. Prize
money of 16,000 is up for grabs.
www.eddystonepursuit.org
2-5 JULY
Belfast
Tall Ships Festival
A large muster of 40-plus Tall Ships

n and around Belfast Harbour and
the Titanic Quarter. Not to be missed!
www.sailtraininginternational.org
20 JUNE-28 JUNE
27 JUNE
6 JULY
11-18 JULY
Over 5,000 yachtsmen from around the

globe come to the city of Kiel in Germany
to compete in several different sailing
events. This year will be the 127th time
the event has been held.
www.kieler-woche.de
Race up the west coast of the UK in a

yacht and walk (or run) up Snowdon
(Wales), Scafell Pike (Lake District,
England) and Ben Nevis (Scotland).
www.threepeaksyachtrace.co.uk
From Kiel to Copenhagen, via the Baltic

states over six weeks and 1,800nM. This
is only the second year of this rally from
the ARC organisers and promises to be a
fun addition to the programme. Short
legs and plenty of exploring time.
www.worldcruising.com/arc_baltic
Bermudan yacht racing on the Orwell

and Stour; three classes, including
Stellas. The regatta is open to wooden
yachts built before 1970 and consistently
provides exciting racing.
www.syharbour.co.uk
8-12 JULY
18-25 JULY
The worlds top women descend on

Middelfart (DEN) for more racing.
www.sailing.org
Race series including a round-the-island

race, social programme, glamorous
yachts and 70+ boats.
www.britishclassicyachtclub.org
11-18 JULY
20-25 JULY
Metre boats, classic keelboats and

yachts at this event formerly known as
the Metre and Keelboat regatta. The
other big annual classic sailing event in
the Solent.
www.cowesclassicsweek.org
KIEL WEEK (GER)
THREE PEAKS YACHT RACE
JULY
JUNE (TBC)
SPETSES CLASSIC YACHT

RACE
Greeces only classic yacht regatta was

first established in 2012. Its now a
corker. Start and finish with cocktails at
the Poseidonion Grand Hotel before
racing on luscious blue-green seas.
www.classicyachtrace.com
3-5 JULY
SCOTTISH TRADITIONAL
BOAT FESTIVAL
With rowing, sailing, shoreside activities

and 100+ boats in Portsoy. Now under
Aberdeen Asset Management
sponsorship, just like Cowes Week.
www.stbfportsoy.com
ARC BALTIC
ISAF WOMENS MATCH

RACING WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP
JP MORGAN ROUND THE

ISLAND RACE
4-10 JULY
CLASSIC CHANNEL
REGATTA
The granddaddy of day races, regularly

attracting more than 1,500 cruisers and
racers to the Solent.
www.roundtheisland.org.uk
Swanky Solent sailing for the fleet of

elegant Finnish built Swan cruiserracers. Cowes, Isle of Wight
www.rys.org.uk
Racing and social events in the English

Channel from Dartmouth-Paimpol-St
Peter Port. Record attendance expected
this year some 100 yachts.
www.classic-channel-regatta.eu
27 JUNE
SWAN EUROPEAN REGATTA
SUFFOLK YACHT HARBOUR

CLASSIC REGATTA
PANERAI BRITISH
CLASSIC WEEK
COWES CLASSICS WEEK
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
20-25 JULY
Cowes
Classics Week
CB ARCHIVES
Metre boats, classic keelboats and yachts

at this event formerly known as the Metre
and Keelboat regatta.
www.cowesclassicsweek.org
20-22 JULY
JULY (TBC)
18-19 JULY
One of Britains biggest shoreside

festivals: historic boats, flyboarding,
music and more.
www.bristolharbourfestival.co.uk
Fifty boats were at the first revival in

2011, more last year and there will
probably be more this year.
www.classicboatrevival.co.uk
The 2014 event was cancelled due to

flooding so 2015 marks its rebirth.
www.tradboatrally.com
1 AUGUST
20-24 JULY
JULY (DATE TBC)
25 JULY-08 AUGUST
Quirky Maine-based classic regatta

celebrates 30 years since it began.
www.erregatta.com
BRISTOL HARBOUR
FESTIVAL
ISAF TEAM RACING WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP
High octane team racing on Rutland

Water, near Leicester.
www.sailing.org
BOSHAM CLASSIC
BOAT REVIVAL
PUIG VELA CLASSICA
Barcelona welcomes classic fleets to

compete in the waters of the Catalan
capital, with nautical events in the city.
www.puigvelaclassicabarcelona.com
THAMES TRADITIONAL
BOAT RALLY
AUGUST
EGGEMOGGIN REACH
BALTIC 4 NATIONS 2015
A two-week rally from Copenhagen,

taking in some stunning coastline
between Sweden, Poland and Germany.
Boat transport deals available.
www.sailingrallies.com
2 AUGUST
PEEL TRADITIONAL
BOAT WEEKEND
Friendly regatta with quick n dirty

boatbuilding contest held on the IoM.
www.peeltraditionalboat.org
24-26 JULY
TAITTINGER ROYAL
SOLENT YACHT CLUB
REGATTA
IRC, Swans, cruisers, gaffers, 6-Ms,

Dragons, FBs, XODs and YODs all come
together at Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.
www.royalsolent.org
24-27 JULY
SUTTON HARBOUR
PLYMOUTH CLASSIC
BOAT RALLY
6-8 AUGUST
SUMMER
RISR WOODEN BOAT

FESTIVAL
Americas
Cup series
The 51st iteration of one of the worlds

great classic boat festivals.
www.trebatfestivalen.no
Six teams will compete

n the Americas Cup
World Series in 2015.
www.americascup.com
7-16 AUGUST
FALMOUTH WEEK
See up to 150 classic boats.

www.falmouthweek.co.uk
Three days of racing ending with a

20-mile passage race to Fowey.
www.plymouthclassics.org.uk
8-15 AUGUST
ABERDEEN ASSET
MANAGEMENT
COWES WEEK
25 JULY
BLACKWATER SMACK AND

BARGE MATCH
C/O THE ORGANISERS
Racing dozens of iconic Thames Sailing

Barges and east coast Smacks around
the beautiful River Blackwater
www.colnesmack.co.uk
The event now runs up to 40 daily races

for around 1,000 boats. www.
aamcowesweek.co.uk
8-15 AUGUST
YORKSHIRE YC REGATTA
Includes all sizes of wooden boats.

www.ryyc.org.uk
Developed, licensed and Made in the UK
Charts for SeaClear 2014 will turn any Windows PC (or

Android tablet) into a complete planning and navigation
system, preloaded with all 800+ official, standard, UK/Irish
waters charts.
Price includes free 2015 update

Install charts on 2 PCs (& 2Android devices)
Tide Tables also built in, 400 locations
GPS and AIS compatible
Research / plan at home, navigate on board
Fantastic value for money... Recommended by Sailing Today

magazine. Awarded 4 out of 5 stars.
www.
visitMyHarbour.com
01983 293757
Callers welcome: VMH shop, 36 High Street, Cowes, PO31 7RS
Specialist Tools & Supplies

for Traditional Boats
Francis searchlights cover from 1953 to 1973.

Completely renovated with new reflectors upgraded to Halogen bulbs.
7 inch chrome deck mounted 850 plus vat & carr
7 inch cabin operated 950 plus vat & carr
9inch chrome 1275 plus delivery and VAT
11inch chrome 1350 plus delivery and VAT.
www.tradboats.com
Call for details 31 Ravensmere, Beccles, Suffolk NR34 9DX

Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 1502 712311 John@tradboats.com
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
8 NOVEMBER
ARC+
C/O WORLD CRUISING
Las Palmas to Saint Lucia

The ARC plus leaves Las
Palmas and goes via Mindelo in
the Cape Verdes to Saint Lucia.
Once in Saint Lucia you can
savour the blue skies (like the
ones here in this photo) safe in
the knowledge that everyone
back in the UK is looking up at
grey ones in December.
12 -22 AUGUST
AQUECE RIO INTL

SAILING REGATTA
The official pre-Olympic sailing regatta in

the 2016 Olympic sailing venue.
www.aquecerio.com
16 AUGUST
OPERA HOUSE CUP
27-29 AUGUST
1 SEPTEMBER
Incorporating a passage race and an

illuminated river procession, this event is
back after a health and safety hiatus.
www.dartmouthregatta.co.uk
MERSEA OYSTER
DREDGING MATCH
Unique event for smacks and bawleys.

He who dredges most, wins.
www.mersearegatta.org.uk
27-30 AUGUST
VANCOUVER WOODEN
BOAT FESTIVAL
The first all-wooden, single-hulled

classic boat regatta on the US east
coast. Nantucket, Massachusetts.
www.operahousecup.org
Being held for the 27th time.

www.vancouverwoodenboat.com
22 AUGUST
31 AUGUST
A classic east coast regatta that has

been running since 1838, and the very
birth of yachting!
www.mersearegatta.org.uk
Over 20,000+ visitors descend on

Newlyn, Cornwall for fish auctions and
tasting. Lugger and gig races take place.
www.newlynfishfestival.org.uk
MERSEA TOWN REGATTA
SEPTEMBER
DARTMOUTH
ROYAL REGATTA
11-13 SEPTEMBER
PORT TOWNSEND
WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL
300 wooden boats on land and water,

120 presentations, dozens of exhibitors
and live music all day, every day.
www.woodenboat.org
NEWLYN FISH FESTIVAL
SEPTEMBER (DATE TBC)
REGATES ROYALES
While the mother of all regattas might be

Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, many sailors
prefer this one.
www.regatesroyales.com
11-20 SEPTEMBER
SOUTHAMPTON BOAT
SHOW
The UKs biggest on-the-water show

held in Mayflower Park, SO15 1AG.
www.southamptonboatshow.com
12 SEPTEMBER
GARY BLAKE
GREAT RIVER RACE
20 SEPTEMBER
Barts Bash
Last year 30,717 people in more than 60 different countries took

part in this mass sailing event. Lets hope for even more in 2015.
www.bartsbash.co.uk
Huge, colourful, 300-boat rowing race

from the Docklands to Ham in Surrey.
www.greatriverrace.co.uk
OCTOBER
11 OCTOBER
BARCOLANA REGATTA
Some 2,000 boats (not all classics!) in

this huge annual event held in Trieste.
www.barcolana.it
NOVEMBER
8 NOVEMBER
ARC+
Like the ARC, but from Las Palmas via

Mindelo in the Cape Verdes to St Lucia.
22 NOVEMBER
ATLANTIC RALLY
FOR CRUISERS
The classic Atlantic rally, from Las

Palmas to Rodney Bay, St Lucia.
22 NOVEMBER
ATLANTIC ODYSSEY
Jimmy Cornells new rally, from

Lanzarote to Martinique.
www.cornellsailing.com
DECEMBER
6 -31 DECEMBER 2015
SAILING RALLIES
CHRISTMAS CARIBBEAN
RALLY
Alternate rally, crossing over Christmas

from Lanzarote to Jolly Harbour.
www.sailingrallies.com
27 DECEMBER-3 JANUARY
10-12 OCTOBER
ISAF YOUTH SAILING

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Stay near Kip Marina, Inverkip to see a

vast selection of new and used boats.
www.scotlandsboatshow.co.uk
The best youth sailors in the world

compete in multiple classes.
Langkawi (MAS)
www.sailing.org
SCOTLANDS BOAT SHOW
Images for illustrative purpose only.
THERE ARE
SMART PHONES
SMART CARS
AND
ITS ABOUT TIME WE GOT
SMART BOATS
GIVE YOUR BOAT A BOOST WITH THE ADDED INTELLIGENCE OF
LIGHTHOUSE II - NOW SMARTER THAN EVER WITH TURN-BY-TURN

NAVIONICS AUTOROUTING NAVIGATION. LIGHTHOUSE II ALLOWS YOU
TO SEE CLEARLY WITH MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAYS AND STEER EASILY
WITH EVOLUTION 9 AXIS AUTOPILOT SYSTEMS. SMART BOAT?
MORE LIKE GENIUS BOAT.

The Yachting Year - 2015 UK

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THE

The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd 2014.

THE WORLD S MOST

Be ter ear ngs

EAUT FUL BOATS

Take, for instance, Ben Ainslies bid to mount a

theres been no shortage

Greg Goulding +44 (0)20 7349 3746

For the Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd

AS EDITOR OF Sailing Today, I

tycane pro hydrophobic

better repellency against dirt and water

Sam Goodchild (GBR) wearing tycane pro

Bring home the silver

Taming the ice flows

C/O BEN AINSLIE RACING

THE YACHTING YEAR 2015 | 5

Two friends take a

Amateur sailors go round the world

BEST NEW BOATS

6 | THE YACHTING YEAR 2015

C/O ROLEX, DANIEL FOSTER

PHOTO SAFFIER YACHTS

PHOTO MGI CONSULTANCY AND CATERHAM

C/O THE ORGANISERS

Photo Beken of Cowes

Ratsey & Lapthorn supplier of sails

SAILMAKING SINCE 1790

Cocos Keeling Islands

Further information and entries, please contact, Mary Scott-Jackson, info@msjevents.co.uk,

Phantom ran aground while racing during the Panerai

Classic Kelpie is a 75ft two-masted schooner which emerged from restoration

34 Duke of York Square, Kings Road,

When Liz Cleere and Jamie Furlong left India on

e had been told the best view of

released the windlass. In 8m of water, we let out 50m

Jamie and I had tied up at Cochin International

Above: Island Hideaway, on the island

16 | THE YACHTING YEAR 2015

makes them skilled general technicians. With the help

The plan was to spend two months in the Maldives,

the hazards take on a whole new dimension.

Top: dawn over the Bay of Bengal

THE YACHTING YEAR 2015 | 17

Above: the beautiful coral sand beach

Jamie checked the ammeter and noticed the charge did

Dropping the hook

18 | THE YACHTING YEAR 2015

We made it and anchored in one of the most beautiful

this level of efficiency and stunning anchorages, who

If you want to get

Check our sailing schedule

Sevenstar Yacht Transport

Sevenstar Yacht Transport

Sevenstar Yacht Transport is

Phone +31 20 448 8590

Phone +44 2380821030

Above: Uligamu, one of the inhabited

20 | THE YACHTING YEAR 2015

Dhonakulhi, the resort paradise of Island Hideaway,

by Abu Sy, the Maldivian project manager of a new

Island Hideaway was

Fruits of the deep

At Dhigurah, one of three perfect desert islands