You don’t have to be big and fast to win the Round the Island Race, just sail well and be tactically aware. Matthew Sheahan analyses the routes taken by key performers in the 2012 race, which offered classic conditions
ICAP Leopard broke the monohull course record in 2013. We analyse her route during the 2012 Round the Island Race. Photo: Ian Roman
One of the most appealing features of the country’s fourth biggest participation event is that you don’t have to be the biggest or fastest to win. Indeed, despite the repeated efforts of some of the top boats, which have been known to finish while breakfast is still being served in Cowes, the Round the Island Race is almost invariably won on handicap by a small boat.
The 2012 race was a perfect example. The record holder for the fastest lap in a monohull, Mike Slade’s ICAP Leopard, was just six minutes short of her record time and yet she was beaten on handicap by 52 other boats in IRC.
The Round the Island Race is huge, but it is also a great leveller, which is what brings many thousands of crew to the event year after year. No doubt the classic conditions, with a moderate south-westerly, helped IRC Class 3 dominate the 2012 race – there were seven boats under 30ft in the top ten places in IRC overall. But among the 1,200 boats that completed the course there were many other impressive performances.
What comes across clearly is how the best crews identified the key areas that could give them a helping hand even if the tide was against them. And it was interesting to see how they prepared to arrive at these areas at the right time. Hitching a ride on a back eddy is a great way of slipping through.
When Major Cyril Windeler suggested to the Island Sailing Club that it should run a race round the Isle of…
Here we look at six very different boats that did well to find out where they went and when – click on the charts to view them more closely.
Our study used the tracking system run by Next Generation Results for the race.
J-Dream GBR7111L
J-Dream. Photo: P Eden
Type J/111
Owners David and Kirsty Apthorp
Built 2011
Class IRC 1A
IRC 1.094
1st Class 1 and 1A
23rd Overall IRC
Elapsed time 6:21
Finish time 1351
David and Kirsty Apthorp’s J/111 set a cracking pace, providing a good illustration of how working the shifts and the tidal nuances of the course can help to lever you through the fleet. While asymmetric kites can be simpler to handle in many ways, they provide different tactical issues, especially when you’re trying to sneak along a shoreline to make best use of the tide.
J-Dream’s track
Bugler GBR8874
Bugler. Photo: D Harding
Type Contessa 32
Owner Darren Ballard
Built 1971
Class Contessa 32
1st in class
Elapsed time 8:04
Finish time 1614
In a textbook track round the Island, Darren Ballard and his crew sought out the faster-running tide and kept close to rhumb lines. Another Contessa, Catherine, finished 2nd just under four minutes behind Bugler and both tracks show how closely the pair matched each other round the Island, taking the shortest distance and staying in the best tide wherever possible. An eight-hour match-race.
Bugler’s track
Maya GBR1223
Maya. Photo: CK Wordk/Pixtel
Type Contessa 26
Owners Kevin Collins and Simon Rogers
Built 1973
Class IRC Div 3D
IRC 0.768
6th in Class, 7th Overall IRC
Elapsed time 8:45
Finish time 1645
If there’s one type of boat that seems to keep making it into the top slots in this race it’s the Contessa 26. Then when you look at the names of owners, the famous Rogers family pops up frequently. In 2012 there were four Contessa 26s in the top 14 places in IRC overall. The first two were rather coy about their tracks and didn’t log on, but co-skippers Kevin Collins and Simon Rogers did. Maya was the third Contessa 26 to finish.
Maya’s track
ICAP Leopard GBR1R
ICAP Leopard. Photo: P Wyeth
Type 100ft super maxi
Owner Mike Slade
Built 2007
Class IRC Zero
IRC 1.776
Monohull line honours
6th in Class, 53rd Overall IRC
Elapsed time 3:59
Finish time 1059
The fastest monohull round the Island isn’t always the winner as Mike Slade’s Leopard demonstrated. Although starting early gives the big boats clear air and an open view of the Western Solent, draught issues often limit their manoeuvrability. Leopard’s track shows longer tacks, fewer manoeuvres and long straight lines at speed.
ICAP Leopard’s track
Humdinger GBR137
Humdinger. Photo: CK Wordk/Pixtel
Type Dragonfly 920 Extreme
Owner John Beech
Built 2006
MOCRA 1.247
Class MOCRA
1st MOCRA multihull
Elapsed time 5:20
Finish time 1230
Fast off the breeze, but more of a struggle upwind might have been the case with traditional cruising cats, but John White’s Dragonfly 920 trimaran Humdinger demonstrates that a long beat west is no major handicap for boats of this type in a south-westerly.
Humdinger’s track
Ariel GBR8645R
Ariel. Photo: P Mumford/Beken of Cowes
Type Grand Soleil 45
Owners Noel, Catherine, Richard Dobbs
Built 2003
Class ISCRS Div 4B
ISCRS 1.029
1st ISCRS Div B
Elapsed time 7:05
Finish time 1433
Ariel sails a conservative route to a class win. Noel Dobbs (75) is at the helm of his son’s Grand Soleil 45. Together they demonstrate the advantage of maintaining a steady route and minimising manoeuvres and tactical risk-taking. While Ariel’s crew don’t make use of the subtle tidal slingshots available, their route is a good datum for a simple, effective track in a south-westerly wind.
A sea of spinnakers, maxis crossing tacks with Folkboats - the Round the Island Race is a grand day out for all. Bob Fisher captures a snapshot of British yachting since 1931
The fleet rounds The Needles during the 2018 Round the Island Race. Photo: Paul Wyeth
When Major Cyril Windeler suggested to the Island Sailing Club that it should run a race round the Isle of Wight, it was to him an obvious opportunity for the owners of smaller yachts to enjoy a bigger than usual competition.
Major Cyril Windeler, founder of the RTI
This was the age of Big Boat racing and the beginning of the J Class, but the new race was restricted to vessels of between 5 and 25 tons. The course was challenging, but not too challenging and could be successfully completed in a day from the centre of British yachting – Cowes.
What began as a race for 25 starters in 1931 has grown and grown to a peak of over 1,800 competitors. For many sailors, the Round the Island Race is a once-a year, not-to-be-missed jolly on a summer’s day. For others it is a battle of wits over a complex course, involving changing currents, unpredictable breezes and idiosyncratic tides.
There have been many changes over the years. It is taken for granted now that the race is sailed in a westabout direction, but the second race, in 1932, had the fleet of 32 starting to the east.
Threading the Needles
Until 1955, Bridge buoy had to be left to port and then there were years in which it was possible to ‘thread The Needles’, passing between two of the chalk pillars. Jack Knights did so with great success in a Yachting World Diamond to win the race in 1961, but the practice was frowned upon and from 1963 until 1980 Palm buoy was dropped offshore of the infamous hazards, Goose Rock and the wreck of the Varvassi.
When the entry was extended to boats of more than 25 tons in 1948, the bigger boats raced for the Crankshaw Bowl and had to round the Nab Tower. That practice was dropped after one year. The start line was also the finish line until 1980 when a separate finish was set between Prince Consort buoy and a committee boat to the north – three years later the double finishing line, as used today, was established.
Round the Island facts
First raced 1931
Biggest fleet 1,875 in 2008
Distance 50 nautical miles
Startline Royal Yacht Squadron line, Cowes
Finish Off Prince Consort, Cowes
Last winner of Gold Roman Bowl Contessa 26 High Potential, Ross Applebey
Course record 2h 22m 23s MOD70 Concise 10 Ned Collier-Wakefield (2017)
Fastest monohull 3h 43m 50s Mike Slade, 2013, ICAP Leopard
Most wins Sir Edward Heath, 4, in a succession of Morning Clouds
Yachts are in view the whole way round from vantage points on the Isle of Wight and from Hurst Point and Gilkicker on the mainland
For many years there was no time limit for the race – that changed in 1975 – and nowadays there is no shortened course facility. The reasoning behind this is that there is such a wide range in the boats’ speeds that a call for a shortened course would have to be made within three hours of the start, by which time some of the slower boats might still be in the west Solent and the fastest in the east Solent.
Ghosting along to windward in 1932. The 8-metre Felise leads from Guenora, Cutty Sark and Farewell
And it is at the eastern entrance to the Solent that there have been recent changes. The clearance of the obstruction between No Man’s Land Fort and the Island shore allowed boats inside the Fort, which was, until 2005, a mark of the course, but the practice was actively discouraged.
For many years No Man’s Land Fort was a mark of the course
The critics complain that it gives an added advantage to the smaller boats, but ever since the first race when Peter Brett’s 22ft Cornish fishing boat won on handicap, half the races have been won by boats of less than 30ft LOA.
The pattern changed in the Sixties after a couple of victories by modified folkboats, with the introduction of one-tonners. There were two wins in succession for Sir Max Aitken’s Roundabout and then in the Seventies came the Admiral’s Cuppers, led for three years in a row by Sir Edward Heath’s Morning Clouds – in 1971 and 72 the 40ft Lallow-built S&S version and in 1973 the 45ft Morning Cloud III.
Former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath sailing Morning Cloud IV to victory in 1980. Photo: Beken
The former Prime Minister claimed a fourth win – a record no one has bettered – in 1980 with the Ron Holland-designed 44ft Morning Cloud IV.
Dominating folkboats
However, folkboats do appear to have claimed the limelight, even if some are lightly disguised as Contessa 26s. Builder Jeremy Rogers and his family have scored three victories (only the second skipper to do so) with Rosina of Beaulieu, but it must be recorded that since Edward Donald’s win with Celia Mary in 1999, there have been seven victories for folkboats or their derivatives, making a total of 11, the earliest being H.B. Shaw’s Katrina in 1948.
One of the most appealing features of the country’s fourth biggest participation event is that you don’t have to be…
Which does tend to point a finger towards the handicap systems used. When the race began, and until 1971, the RORC Rating and time scales, in seconds per mile, were used to determine the winner of the Gold Roman Bowl, the overall handicap prize.
Sir Max Aitkin’s S&S-designed Roundabout in 1971. She won the Gold Roman Bowl twice in the Sixties. Photo: Beken
After that it was the International Offshore Rule (IOR). An unrated class was introduced in 1977 and this quickly became popular, accounting for 761 of the then record entry of 1,813.
In 1984 the Channel Handicap System (CHS) was introduced and in 1999 the IRC which continues to be used to this day.
Notorious hazards
There are a number of notorious hazards to the race that have a nasty habit of fighting back. The list of those who have hit one or other of the obstructions off The Needles is almost endless, but happily there have been no life-threatening accidents. The ‘hairpin’ bend at this stage is tempting in the extreme, and there are Goose Rock and the wreck of SS Varvassi to avoid.
A press of spinnakers as the fleet rounds The Needles in 2006. Photo: Thierry Martinez
In 1990, Bruno Troublé hit the Varvassi wreck in the French Admiral’s Cupper Xeryus and so damaged the boat that it had to be abandoned and sank. Part of the stern was recovered and can still be seen in the Haven Bar in Lymington.
Three years later my Barracuda of Tarrant, with the current editor of this magazine in her crew, was forced too far west at this point and the starboard rudder hit the Varvassi’s boiler, bent the stock and forced the aft edge to pierce the hull. Donning lifejackets, the crew abandoned the boat as it was taken in tow.
Goose Rock has trapped a few too. In 1995, Mike Slade’s Longobarda hit the western end of it and came to a grinding halt. Chris Law, who was steering, went through the port steering wheel. Having warned the crew: “Brace yourselves,” I joined him and the owner through the starboard one.
Surprisingly, Spirit of the North, with vastly experienced Owen Parker in charge, must have seen our dilemma yet still piled onto the eastern end of the rock. Doubtless others will hit these hazards in the future.
Spirit of the North receiving assistance after hitting Goose Rock off The Needles in 1995. Photo: Jamie Lawson-Johnston/PPL
For the majority, the passage will be safe, and for some fast. In 1933, two boats took more than 24 hours to complete the course (there was no time limit until 1976), but when multihulls were allowed to enter in 1961, a new world opened. The race record had stood to the 12-metre Little Astra at 7h 45m since 1948, but Don Robertson’s 36ft catamaran Snow Goose reduced it to 6h 34m. Tony Bullimore in Apricot and Mike Whipp with Rodney Pattisson in Paragon reduced the time further and, in 2001, Francis Joyon, sailing with Pattisson in the 60ft trimaran Dexia Eure et Loire cut it to 3h 08m.
The monohulls got quicker too. In 2001 Mike Slade in Skandia Life Leopard claimed his third monohull record only to shatter it again in 2008 and 2013. Records come only when conditions are ideal – when the wind is due north, for example, and the tide turns in favour at The Needles and the flood is not too strong after Bembridge Ledge buoy.
Any boat entering the Round the Island Race follows in the footsteps of many famous boats. Chris Ratsey’s Evenlode, a Fife-designed 34-footer was twice best on corrected time. Franklin Woodroofe’s 36ft Nicholson design Lothian was a double winner, as was Sir Max Aitken’s S&S one-tonner Roundabout.
Photo: Thierry Martinez / Sea&Co
There have been many other level-raters at the front, including Robin Aisher, with his Yeoman XXV. And in 1988, Harold Cudmore steered the Whitbread maxi Drum for Arnold Clark to win the Gold Roman Bowl. There have been J Class yachts such as Velsheda and hordes of dayboats, Dragons, Etchells, Ultra 30s and South Coast One-Designs such as Marbella, which won the Silver-Gilt bowl in 2007. And there will be many more.
The mystery of the Gold Roman bowls
When Cyril Windeler’s idea for a race was still gestating within the Island Sailing Club, he set about finding a trophy. He spotted a recently recovered Roman drinking vessel in a London goldsmith’s window. This Thames-dredged cup suited Windeler’s style and he commissioned a copy to be made by Mappin & Webb.
The replica, as was the custom of the day, was fashioned in silver and gilded. It wasn’t quite what Windeler had wanted, but it was sufficient for the first race in 1931.
But a second Roman Bowl was commissioned (and hallmarked) in 1937 from S. Blanckensee & Son of Birmingham to be fashioned in gold. It is 112mm in diameter with a single handle of 46mm and stands 72mm above the wooden plinth (fashioned of oak from HMS Victory). It weighs 244g. Windeler also ordered three silver replicas, which bear the hallmark of Blanckensee, but in Chester.
A sporting gesture by Chris Ratsey, who had been declared the winner in 1938 with the Fife-designed Evenlode, but suggested that he might have fouled another competitor and withdrew, led to Windeler presenting him with a silver bowl he had commissioned.
That cup, which is now presented to the boat finishing 2nd on overall handicap, was presented on Ratsey’s death to the ISC and is joined today by another silver-gilt trophy, which goes to the overall winner on ISC handicap rating.
The mystery as to which trophy is which comes from 1984 when what is thought to be the original silver-gilt trophy, bearing a 1931/2 hallmark, was presented to the Royal Lymington YC by the estate of Lionel St Clair Byrne. Byrne had won this bowl in 1953 when Windeler decided it should be awarded as a keepsake to the winner in Coronation year.
Local folklore records that Byrne used the two bowls for cocktail snacks, but decided that the gold one was too valuable to sit on his mantelpiece and took it for safe deposit to the bank. When the time came to return it to the ISC, he discovered he had deposited the silver-gilt one and inadvertently kept the gold one on show in his home.
The silver-gilt one is now the Lionel Byrne Cup and is presented each year to the Royal Lymington YC member with the best performance.
But where is the original Roman bowl dredged from the Thames? Could it be in the Mansion House (the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London) or at the Goldsmiths’ Guild or in some dusty cabinet?
Don't miss any of the action from the Round the Island Race 2019 with this spectator's guide. We outline the various ways you can keep up to date with the race from shoreside or from home
The Needles is just one of the great vantage points from which to watch the Round the Island Race. Photo: Paul Wyeth
Race start time: 0730 (UTC)
On the Isle of Wight? Watch from ashore…
As the excitement builds you will want a fantastic vantage point to watch the action. The table below outlines the best viewing points at each stage of the race along with directions of how to get to them. Prepare yourself to race around the island yourself by road or find a spot and stick to it, it’s up to you!
Cowes (Start)
0730 – 0910
Via Ward Avenue, Baring Road & Castle Hill to the Parade and the Green either side of the Royal Yacht Squadron.
Sconce Point
0900 – 1130
From Yarmouth, drive towards Freshwater. Turn right after 1/2 mile and follow signs to Fort Victoria.
The Needles
0930 – 1200
From Freshwater or Totland follow signs to the Needles Car Park. Park and walk up West High Down to Needles Battery. Best view to south of Coast Guard Station.
Chilton Chine
1015 – 1330
Situated on the cliffs near Brighstone is Chilton Chine (accessible from the Military Road). It has a terrific view of the boats as they sail by.
St Catherine’s Point
1100 – 1500
From Freshwater, Rookley or Ventnor go to Niton. Take loop road to Buddle Inn. Park and walk down cliffs by lighthouse.
Ventnor
1115 – 1530
Park on Cliff at West End of Esplanade.
Bonchurch
1130 – 1600
Take lane down to sea opposite Bonchurch pond. Take left turn and park in car park at bottom, which is best view.
Culver Down
1200 – 1730
From Brading, take Bembridge road. After 1 mile, turn right and follow sign for Culver (on a bend, and lane hairpins up!)
Ryde Pier
1300 – 1900
From Ryde Esplanade, drive up pier and park at end. Parking for 1 hour.
Cowes (Finish)
1030 – 2200
Via Ward Ave., Baring Road & Castle Hill to the Parade and the Green either side of the Royal Yacht Squadron.
Alternatively you can stay in the Race Village, located on the Parade in Cowes, where there will be live entertainment, food and drink, and the chance to chat with race sponsors Helly Hansen, Raymarine and the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.
One of the most appealing features of the country’s fourth biggest participation event is that you don’t have to be…
But if you’re not lucky enough to be there in person when the starting cannon fires, don’t worry – there are plenty of ways to follow the race, no matter where you are.
Is sailing around the world with your partner the ultimate bluewater dream? Helen Fretter meets World ARC couples who’ve done just that
Who would you pick as your round-the-world cruising companion? Photo: Tor Johnson
If you could choose anyone to go on a grand adventure with, would it be your life partner? For many couples that’s the ideal.
But what if you don’t have the same level of experience, or one of you isn’t confident to co-skipper? Perhaps you plan to take friends and family with you. But what happens if those plans change halfway round? I talked to World ARC crews near the finish of their circumnavigation to find out how different couples had answered those unknowns over their round the world voyage.
Over the 2017, 2018 and 2019 World ARC rallies (the round-the-world rally organised by World Cruising Club) around 20-30% of yachts set off double-handed. But by the time the fleet reached Tonga or Fiji that proportion had risen to about 50%.
Ruud and Laurie Bosman recruited crew from within the ARC rally after deciding to complete their world voyage
Grenada was a homecoming celebration for the World ARC fleet. While St Lucia marked the end of the 2018-19 rally, Grenada signalled the fleet’s return to the Caribbean. A full circumnavigation for most, 438 days sailing for those who’d completed it in a single World ARC loop.
Some 38 yachts started in St Lucia in January 2018, 16 were gathered in Grenada this March. Some had started in 2017 – or even earlier – but peeled off to linger in the Pacific or return to normal life for a while, then hooked into the 2018 rally on its way past. Others had diverted to explore New Zealand, Ascension Island, or another outpost, before rejoining their fleet.
No matter how they’d done it, all had sailed some 30,000 miles, crossed the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and lived at anchor for months on end.
With very few exceptions, most of the boats belonged to couples taking on their first trip sailing around the world. Some had sailed the entire voyage jointly, on others one partner had flown home for a stage or two. Some had taken crew from day one, others had switched between double-handing and sailing with more aboard. Several started with one plan, and finished with a very different set up indeed.
Cruising sailors who also call their boat their home usually give plenty of consideration to making life on board as…
Personal space
One such couple was David and Wendy Tipton. A former farmer from Staffordshire, UK, David had built up a recycling business that he sold, enabling them to buy Mischief, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 479, and sail around the world. There was only one problem: Wendy hated the water and considered herself an inexperienced sailor.
Before they set off on the 2017 ARC transatlantic, Wendy had to learn to swim before she could even do a sea survival course. “It was never my dream to circumnavigate, it was David’s. So I went along with it, but it was totally out of my comfort zone,” she recalls.
Wendy’s initial condition of agreeing to do the World ARC was that they would take a crew to sail Mischief with them. They sent a round robin email to friends and sailing contacts to see who wanted to join them, and garnered an enthusiastic response, with many signing up for different legs. One was a very experienced sailor who sailed with the Tiptons for the first six months, which Wendy says gave her a lot of confidence.
David and Wendy Tipton began their World ARC with crew, but later switched to sailing two-up. Photo: James Mitchell
But 15 months is a long time to share your home, with up to six aboard at times, and Wendy admits having no personal space nearly drove her to breaking point. “I did have my bags packed to go home at one point. I was so fed up. It was nothing to do with the sailing, I was just sick of people.
“We were at the stage of needing down time on our own. It’s very intense – I didn’t appreciate how intense the whole trip would be. You wouldn’t have people living with you for six or seven months, and things that wouldn’t normally irritate you become irritating. For my own sanity I needed some time on our own.”
They decided instead to sail on double-handed from South Africa, and arrived in St Helena bowled over by how smoothly it had gone. “It was an absolute revelation,” David recalls. “The watches worked well, the boat worked well, and we were just asking ourselves why have we not done that before?”
The World ARC can include stop-offs for shoreside adventures including a South African safari. Photo: Haley Haltom
Before switching to sailing double-handed Wendy had sought advice from other crews on the ARC, many of whom had become close friends. She particularly asked the women for honest opinions, and says that they were overwhelmingly positive – with the obvious caveat that it could be more tiring sharing the sailing between just two.
They began their first double-handed passage with David sleeping in the cockpit during his off watches, “just in case she needed me quickly,” he recalls. “But after a few days of that regime she said, ‘You might as well go down below, I’m fine.’”
But things didn’t go so well on one of the next stages, from Cabedelo, Brazil, to Devil’s Island, French Guiana. “It was a bit of a catalogue of events,” he explains. “Our radar stopped working, so we were not able to monitor squalls.
“We had another boat who was monitoring them for us, but one came through that went from 7 to 35 knots and we had a spinnaker up in the dark. It broke the spinnaker halyard, the spinnaker went round the keel, the helm wouldn’t come off autopilot so we broached, an outhaul and a batten in the main broke.”
The Bay of Islands in Fiji’s Lau Group. Photo: Haley Haltom
Dealing with such a litany of problems between just the two of them was unknown territory, but Wendy says that while the situation did scare her, they were able to calmly work through and solve each issue.
“What the World ARC has given us – not just from the easy passages, but from the difficult passages – is the confidence that you could throw most stuff at us and we’d be OK,” David added. When they received the Division A 1st prize for the leg to Grenada, sailors across the fleet voiced their pride in Wendy for the progress she’d made.
Another couple that decided they were better off completing the rally two-up were Dan and Agnes Long from Florida on Smoke & Roses. Dan, a former firefighter, and Agnes, a former florist – hence the boat name – ran their Leopard 47 as a charter boat before the World ARC and were experienced sailing in home waters, both holding US Captain’s licences.
Setting off on the Lagoon 47 Smoke & Roses
Like many, they began their World ARC with trusted friends, and were also joined by their adult daughter for stages. But they later took on an unknown crewmember who had been recommended to them.
“She way overstated her sailing experience,” Dan recalls. “She could not trim sails, and she’d argue with you about it.” The final straw for Dan was waking up to find them sailing 90° off course. When he challenged the crew on deck she replied: “Because it’s faster.”
Fearful that they would run aground or make some other catastrophic error, Dan found himself supervising every watch – defeating the point of having a third person aboard. “So instead of being up for my shift, I’m up for my shift and her shift. But with Agnes [on watch] I’ll sleep through the night because I trust her.”
Having sailed two-up for some of the shorter legs around the Society Islands, the Longs also decided to go double-handed from Cape Town and found themselves easily handling the longer distances, setting a spinnaker for three days straight and covering 200-plus miles a day.
Bringing in reserves
For other couples taking on crew turned out to be a positive switch. Peter and Anissa Pappas, from Wyoming, USA, had never sailed any overnight passages with just themselves aboard their Amel Super Maramu 2000 Callisto before signing up to the rally. Anissa describes herself as a very inexperienced sailor, but they sailed from Grenada to Cape Town double-handed.
Their Amel is set up for single-handed sailing, with push button controls from a protected centre cockpit. The duo sailed conservatively, never over-canvassed. “And we set radar guard zones and cross-track error in case our autopilot started wandering around,” explains Peter. But Anissa still found night watches hard.
Night watches can be a long and lonely experience
“I was always worried if we were going to hit somebody. I never felt totally comfortable with that. I always felt that if something is going to happen, it’s going to happen on my watch.” She says she would frequently wake her husband for a second opinion.
But when one crewmember who had been sailing on another boat found himself without a berth for the leg from Cape Town, the Pappas’s made a snap decision to invite him to join them.
“We’d said no on countless occasions to taking other crew,” recalls Anissa. “It’s been hard [going two-up], especially hard on my husband because everything falls to him. But for us transitioning to crew has been easy, and our new crew has been the easiest person.”
With an extra hand they were soon able to carry more sail area, enjoying having the 52ft ketch flying along under four or five sails, including two spinnakers and a staysail.
The start of the 2018 World ARC Leg 16 heading out of St Helena
“With hindsight, I think we should have started out with crew,” admits Anissa. “Peter and I had not really been on the boat together for enough time to really get all the sails up and learn what we needed to learn. And later maybe – or even maybe not – we would have downsized.
“Two was tough, but we did it. But for couples I would say keep an extremely open mind about bringing crew aboard.”
Roving crew
While the Pappas’s made a sudden decision to take a third hand along, the 2018-19 World ARC was characterised by an unusually high number of crew who joined to sail one boat, and ended up becoming such a fixture of the rally community that they extended their trip by joining others.
Several of the roving crew had sailed on three or four different yachts by the time they reached Grenada. Karen Slater, a former fire service worker from the UK, was a very popular member of the ARC family and was about to join her sixth boat for the final cruise to St Lucia.
Freediving with whale sharks in Namibia. Photo Haley Haltom
Having a floating pool of experienced crew became an invaluable resource for some boats. American retirees Ruud and Laurie Bosman on the Hylas 54 Blue Pearl had originally only planned to sail the first half of the rally.
“But by the time we were in Australia Ruud felt very strongly that he wanted to complete the circumnavigation and do it all at once, and I felt very strongly that I did not want to cross the Indian Ocean,” recalls Laurie.
Both aged 71, the pair never wanted to sail double-handed and had organised crew for the Pacific legs, but no further. “Because we had never planned to do the whole circumnavigation we had made no plans beyond French Polynesia,” Ruud explains.
The unspoilt beauty of the Marquesas. Photo: Haley Haltom
When Laurie returned home to spend a few weeks with family, they invited other ARC crew aboard, some staying for the entire second half of the circumnavigation.
“It’s been quite easy, you are relatively familiar with the people because they have been in the fleet. They have a bit of a reputation, and importantly you know why they’re leaving boats,” he adds.
There are still no guarantees that an experienced ARC crewmember will be a good fit. Flashpoints were usually over domestic niggles like food preferences (several couples commented on how provisioning was much simpler with just two aboard, reducing one area of work).
Another issue for the boat-hopping crews was where their ‘home’ base was during stopovers. Peter Pappas commented: “It’s great having crew when you’re underway, but really when you get to your destination you assume they will get off the boat after a couple of days, so you and your wife can have some privacy, and have your home back.”
Many of the World ARC crew strategically took themselves away during long stopovers: diving in Australia, going on land tours, or even climbing Kilimanjaro during the fleet’s visit to South Africa.
Sharing the load
For those who did sail as a couple, how they divided the roles often reflected home life. Peter and Wendy on Mischief, and Dan and Agnes on Smoke & Roses, had both worked together so were used to spending extended periods of time with each other. Other couples, where one had spent much of the marriage putting in long hours at the office, had a bigger adjustment to make.
Mark and Helen Chatfield sailed Mad Monkey with their son Josh. Photo: James Mitchell
Some had chosen to time their world tour with natural breaks in their children’s education. Mark Chatfield on the Grand Soleil 56 Mad Monkey sailed with his wife Helen as well as his adult son Josh, timing it between Josh finishing school and starting university: “I worked as a sales director, with constant travel. So during the week, his schooling and upbringing, I didn’t see a lot of him – for me this trip was predominantly to get to know him better.”
The majority of boats divided roles along fairly traditional ‘pink and blue’ job lines when in port, with the women in charge of provisioning and domestics, the men in charge of repairs and systems. There were exceptions: on Misto British ex-pat Rosalind Cheetham skippered their Nautitech 443 and was hands-on with maintenance.
At sea the roles tended to shift slightly. Domestic jobs were more frequently shared underway, although the majority of ‘skippers in charge’ were the male partners.
Most couples ate an evening meal together before settling into some kind of night watch system, the most popular being a three or four hours on/off pattern, before reconvening for the 10am radio-net. Many adopted a much more fluid watch pattern during the day, each taking naps whenever needed. Several skippers took longer night watches than their partners, but would set alarms to allow 15-20 minute naps on open ocean legs.
Photo: YachtEmily Morgan.com
On Smoke & Roses Dan and Agnes changed their running rigging so reefs could be taken in and out from the cockpit. “It’s made life a lot easier for me because I was getting up for sail changes no matter who was on watch, every single time. Even with three people on the boat I was getting tired,” explains Dan.
They also modified their safety rules. “We did have a rule about not going out of the cockpit at night, but I was in the Pacific just to move the barber-hauler on the genoa,” recalls Agnes.
Several boats started out with conventional spinnakers and ordered furling Code Zero or asymmetric kites to replace them en route as they became more confident in sailing double-handed.
Suwarrow in the Cook Islands is one of the more remote destinations that the World ARC visited
A positive for many crews of joining a rally – and particularly reassuring for double-handed boats – was the option to ‘buddy boat’ for passages, particularly in areas of high traffic, where there were any concerns about piracy, or when one yacht had a technical issue. Even on the final ‘free cruising’ leg to St Lucia several yachts chose to sail in a loose flotilla to enjoy their friendships.
Experience of a lifetime
Every couple I spoke to emphasised that while the World ARC schedule was intense, and some stages had been very challenging, the rewards were hugely worth it.
“It’s been pretty incredible,” recalls Laurie Bosman from Blue Pearl. “Things like going through the Panama Canal, in your own boat – I get teary when I think about it. Those early mornings where you’ve got the sun rising and the moon setting, and nothing but you, water, sun and moon. You think you’ve died and gone to heaven.”
Swimming with manta rays at Suwarrow in the Cook Islands. Photo: Haley Haltom
“It changes you as a person,” said Wendy Tipton. “You have to improvise, shop for what you can get. We went home for Christmas and I was looking at all my bits and pieces and realised you don’t need it. I’ve been quite humbled by how people actually do live and how happy they are with so little.”
Her husband David added: “If you have the opportunity to do it, you’d be mad not to.”
Getting ready: Things to take or prep before you go
Downwind sails
Many boats ordered new sails in Darwin, Australia, or South Africa – several of which did not clear customs in time to reach the yachts before they set off on the stage they were ordered for. The most popular were furling downwind sails.
Instruments and electrical systems
Multiple boats had issues with faults on one system triggering an issue on the other – an update to the MFD, for example, causing a fault on the SSB radio.
Bones Black, who runs the Bowman 57 charter yacht Emily Morgan with his wife, Anna, was widely praised across the fleet for helping troubleshoot and fix problems on almost every yacht. He suggests splitting systems to avoid interference.
“On Emily Morgan, all the comms runs down one side of the boat and all the power supplies run down the other side of the boat,” explains Black.
Likewise he advises against installing AIS and VHF using splitter boxes to share the same antenna: “I would always advise separate antenna, then if you have a problem you can always transfer over.”
Google Maps and Open CPN
Many boats used Open CPN to overlay chart data with satellite images from Google Maps, particularly in areas where charts alone were not reliably accurate, such as Fiji and the San Blas Islands.
Experienced bluewater cruisers Bones and Anna Black run charter yacht Emily Morgan and were a source of expertise for many rally participants
Anna Black, who skippers Emily Morgan, spent a lot of time preparing by looking at cruising blogs and other free resources, such as the Fiji Atlas for Mariners website and Noonsite. She also recommends Fastseas.com for affordable weather routeing.
Manuals
Bones suggests taking digital and hard copies of the owner’s manual – and, if possible, an installation manual – for every system and piece of hardware on board.
Seagull water filter
Emily Morgan is set up with a double filter (coarse and carbon) of water going into the tanks, then drinking water is filtered a second time through the Seagull unit, so they can refill reusable drinking bottles from the taps.
Finding a quiet spot on Emily Morgan
Dinghy
Several boats had to replace dinghies or outboards in far-flung locations such as Fiji, due to being lost or simply coming apart after weeks of extreme heat and UV. The cost could easily be five times the equivalent price at home.
Washing machine
This was the most recommended ‘luxury’ item, mainly because it avoided wasting precious time in stopovers finding a laundry and dealing with missing items. If you can’t fit a machine, it seems prudent to make friends with a yacht that has one…
Cash savings
Some crews felt the costs had been surprising. Marina fees were higher than many had anticipated, and the social aspect of the rally made a few feel under pressure to eat out more.
David Tipton commented: “You need to know what this is going to cost you. We have a repairs budget of £5,000 every three months, but you only have to start doing a few jobs and that gets eaten up.
“We had a boat that was pretty much under warranty for the whole trip, but a lot aren’t. If you suddenly have a big ticket item, like putting a new engine or gearbox in, you’ve got to have £20-30,000 that you can put your hand on.”
Chafe
Halyard breakages were commonplace. Bones found undiscovered sharp edges in the rigging had contributed to some halyard failures: “We also have independent blocks for our spinnakers, so as the boat and spinnaker moves the block moves.”
Adding Kevlar reinforced outer covers to halyards and sheets worked well on some yachts, others added padded protection to stop the main chafing on spreaders.
Can a yacht be all things to all sailors? Give it the illustrious Swan 65 badge and maybe it can
We tested the Swan 65 in 11-18 knots off Barcelona. Photo: Klaus Andrews
If it hadn’t been for the original Swan 65, Nautor’s Swan might never have become the famous name it is today. Sayula II’s victory in the first ever Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973/1974 cemented the Finnish boatbuilder’s exalted reputation.
There is, therefore, some historical weight in giving a new model the Swan 65 badge. While Nautor’s latest launch is not about to win a global race, it is designed in the spirit of that original S&S-designed 65, as a cruiser that can win races.
When Sayula II was built in 1972 it was easily the largest glassfibre yacht on the market – this despite Swan having produced its first yacht, a 36-footer, only a few years earlier. With 4m more waterline length, extra beam carried right aft and substantially greater freeboard, today’s Swan 65 has substantially greater volume than its predecessor. Yet, in a sign of the times, it is only a modest-sized model in Nautor’s current range, which now extends to twice its length.
A shallow but wide toerail, combined with generous freeboard, helps keep the decks relatively dry. Photo: Nico Martinez
This gulf in volume, hull and deck design reflects a change in demand from sailors, who were originally looking for seaworthy ocean racing yachts that could be cruised but now seek comfortable and spacious cruising yachts that can occasionally race.
The Swan 65 is designed by Frers to meet broad appeal and joins a growing list of new 60ft+ models aimed at being the largest size that can still be sailed by an owner. However, it offers greater versatility than most in that it should be equally suited to Mediterranean or ocean cruising, yet be capable of regatta racing, and has the option of a proper crew cabin in the accommodation.
Take the Dutch owners of this first boat, for example: experienced sailors who have owned a ClubSwan 45 and a Swan 601. Although they will compete in the Middle Sea Race, they primarily wanted a larger yacht for short-handed distance cruising and will use a part-time skipper to maintain the boat.
In some respects, Dufour yachts used to be a bit like the early Citroën cars: different, slightly quirky and created…
Comparisons in shape, style and appeal can be drawn with the new Baltic 67. The owners of this first Swan 65 opted for the same APM telescopic keel and Hall carbon rig with in-boom furling mainsail. But whereas the Baltic is largely built in carbon and has a price tag that reflects its semi-custom build, Nautor prefers a glassfibre hull for a cruising yacht of this size for better noise insulation.
The contemporary hull and deck design also shares similarities with the Baltic. Their sheer size – notably in beam and freeboard – is striking. The Swan 65’s sheerline rises distinctly forward to a bowsprit, which protrudes a lofty 2m above the waterline. The freeboard height allows for a low-profile coachroof above the semi-raised saloon, but it does present a boarding challenge.
Seven Swan 65s were sold off the plans alone, an indication of the Finnish/Italian company’s popularity since it made the crucial decision to separate its models into bluewater cruisers, 80ft+ maxis and ClubSwan racing yachts. Astonishingly, it has another five new designs in construction from 36-125ft.
Two powered winches for running rigging with compact tail stowage below. Photo: Nico Martinez
Sailing a Swan is always a privilege, but I felt especially lucky to have ideal testing conditions – it was a beautiful spring day, with a fresh Force 5 blowing, as we departed EMV Badolona, Swan’s new service and refit centre near Barcelona.
It was only the second time the sails had been hoisted and we had the opportunity to trial Cuordisole before it was handed over to its owners the following week. So the first hour or so was spent gingerly reaching off the breeze under full sail, not wishing to push anything too quickly.
11 knots of comfort
The hull shape is designed for low heel angles. Photo: Klaus Andrews
In 15-18 knots true wind we were swiftly and consistently averaging 10.5-11.5 knots at 100-110° true, with a comfortable 15° of heel. These figures are in line with what Frers and Swan predict: that this high, beamy hull shape should be stable and produce low heeling angles typically around 20°. The theory is this makes for a comfortable ship aboard which to spend long periods sailing at heel.
I was keen to put the theory into more dynamic practice, and once I knew the skipper was happy, I asked if we could heat things up a bit and spend some time close-hauled.
Wow! Despite the stability designed into the hull shape, when the Swan 65 does power-up and heel, you know about it! With the full sails pinned in and nearly 30 knots of apparent wind across the deck, we pushed it until we heeled to 30°. From high up on the windward helm, you become very aware of the cockpit beam, and much reliance is placed on the large foot braces.
The power in the mainsail is impressive. The test boat had a small square-top to its main – a full square-top option is offered for racing. Despite pressing the boat, there was no hint of it losing grip, however you soon learn to respect and trim the heel angle. Heel too much and you pay a price in both comfort and speed.
Depowering the main levelled the boat out and we watched the speed rise to over 9 knots at around 40° true. The owner’s choice of a captive mainsheet, controlled via joystick on each pedestal, made it quick and effortless to dial down the power.
The hull is beamier than usual with a higher freeboard, for stability and headroom. “When I started [designing] headroom needed to be 1.85m – now it’s up to 2.15m inside,” designer Germán Frers explained, while describing the Swan 65’s form stability.
“When it heels the centre of buoyancy moves higher and further outboard than deeper, narrower designs and this increases the righting arm. As you load the boat the stability increases with beam. The wider arm increases the GZ, which is why we don’t load the boat with ballast.”
The coachroof is low enough to allow unhindered forward visibility from both helms. Photo: Nico Martinez
Smooth speed
Frers was rationalising the particularly low ballast ratio of 24.1 on the Swan 65 and explaining how the stability of modern hull shapes can increase with load where the ballast ratio diminishes.
“Ballast ratio was used a lot with old shapes, where everything saved on the interior went into lead. Now they [the hulls] are very stable up to 120°. We didn’t want to increase the ballast because it becomes more jerky and is hard work.”
The motion certainly felt smooth through the waves, but keep it sailing at a civilised heel angle and it was the consistency of speed that proved telling. We had some long spells of two-sail reaching where the regularity of sitting at double-figure speeds impressed me.
When the breeze picked up to 18-22 knots true, average speed increased to 11.5 knots. If we could bear away and hold the apparent breeze enough to hop onto a cross wave, the log would surge up to over 13 knots.
Flush fitting deck hatches give clean lines and allow plenty of light below decks. Photo: Klaus Andrews
This is when the magic happened – not in an instant lightning bolt sort of way, but in a growing familiarity sense. The more time you spend on the wheel the more you enjoy it and the more you discover how this Swan likes to be sailed. It’s both a forgiving yacht and one that responds to and rewards trim.
The mast has been brought aft and pierces the coachroof, to allow for larger non-overlapping foresails and for powerful reaching sails to be set off the bowsprit. It’s a sail plan that looks and feels balanced.
Equally, twin rudders result in a light feel on the helm, but the blades are large and deep enough to communicate pressure increases and provide manoeuvrability in harbour. The result of the Frers team’s analysis concluded that a single rudder on this hull shape would need to be too deep. “Twin rudders are more efficient with less angle and diminished drag,” Germán Frers explained.
A dry, clean deck
Large foot braces even things up for Toby when the yacht is heeled
The high bow helps keep the decks dry, while the extension of the coachroof into long coamings aft gives the helmsman and trimmers a nice dry perch.
The standard cockpit layout has a central mainsheet plinth, between the two wheels; however, the Harken captive winch system this owner had opted for works effectively.
The electric winch is installed under the galley sole, with the sheet running up the mast, along the boom and down to a single point in the cockpit.
This helps keep a clear cockpit and works well for short-handed sailing as it provides joystick control of the system from each pedestal. The helmsman can also sit forward of the pedestal and steer and trim both sails if desired.
Two powered winches are neatly set into the coamings on each side for foresail trim and running rigging. Lines are all led aft, including the tack line, which has a side-mounted jammer that punctuates an otherwise clean side deck.
A compact locker below the side deck has the tough task of stowing all the tail ends, and there’s a dedicated liferaft locker below the forward part of the cockpit sole.
Cockpit benches are long and wide, but not especially deep. The owner of the test boat opted for a removable table to keep cockpit access clear, whereas a fixed table and/or the bridgedeck option might perhaps better suit family cruising.
An open transom combined with a beamy aft cockpit design is the current trend but one that prioritises coastal/Med sailing over ocean cruising. The Swan 65 has triple-height aft guardrails, but my concern is that, with no fixed mouldings across this aft section of cockpit, these rails would do little to stop rope tails or unsecured items being washed over the transom.
The side deck guardrails conform to requirements at 61cm, however higher rails here would give a greater sense of security for crew using the side decks at sea.
The transom garage holds a 2.8m inflated tender. Photo: Nico Martinez
The garage is accessed from the transom door, with a large deck hatch above, and is wide enough to stow a 2.8m inflated dinghy. The sail locker is even more cavernous, with standing headroom and a watertight bulkhead aft. It creates superb stowage for offwind sails and fenders, or provides the option of a crew cabin.
The slight problem we experienced with hoisting the main and an issue of air in the fuel – both understandable considering this was only the yacht’s second outing – merely demonstrated the occasional need for extra hands on a yacht this size.
Quality of finish
The design and engineering needed to create the multiple below decks options Nautor’s Swan offers is of the highest degree, matched only by the superb quality of finish. A focus with the Swan 65 was on designing this range of options to achieve one deck, one coachroof and one central section of boat. “If every boat is a new boat, you never get the quality,” reasoned Vanni Galgani, product line leader for Swan Yachts.
The semi-raised saloon allows for genset and large tanks to be installed below the sole
Galgani explained that Nautor’s Swan now tries to avoid any customisation on yachts less than 80ft, as it is time-consuming, costly, and bad for resale value. It prefers to provide pre-engineered solutions, which help centralise weight and optimise the systems layout. This also allows for a variety of accommodation solutions, which notably includes a forward or aft owner’s cabin.
The semi-raised saloon and transverse galley work particularly well. Their combined length of over 5m creates a great impression of space. I was below decks as we punched out through a sharp swell at the marina entrance, and appreciated the solid handholds on the roof and fiddles around the furniture and worktops. For a voluminous interior it still felt practical at heel.
The galley is a sociable, airy place to prepare, cook and serve food. It has long, fiddled worksurfaces with space for a variety of appliances. The dinette area to starboard can instead be used for more refrigeration space and a proper navstation.
As it is it works well as a multi-use seating area for eating, passage planning, relaxing or even sleeping. The table drops to fill the space in between the berths and has lee cloth fittings, so could make a useful snug for kids.
Large hull portlights and hatches provide ample natural light to a light, modern interior
The L-shaped sofa on the starboard side of the saloon is also long enough to be used as a pilot berth. The downside of the test boat layout was the lack of a proper navstation – the owners had instead opted for a compact chart table to starboard with a fold-out stool.
Practical features
The volume continues in the forward owner’s cabin where it is beamy enough to sleep head forward on an island berth, away from the noise of the engine, cockpit or dock when berthed stern-to. And there is still 6ft 3in headroom around the berth. The test boat had a walk-in wardrobe by the cabin entrance, which takes care of most stowage requirements.
All three cabins have smart en suites with good-sized separate showers and practical stowage. Headroom in the identical aft twin cabins is maintained aft to the berths, while outboard alcoves allow extra height, light and room by the hull portlights.
The port cabin has a door into the after part of the engine room, providing access to the watermaker and filters – which is handy, as only the lower half of the companionway steps lift, and the engine is mounted low down.
General stowage is mostly above sole height rather than in the bilges. The soleboards are all insulated with foam surrounds, have spacers, and lift with the aid of a sucker. Peek below and you’ll not only notice the meticulous layout of the wiring, plumbing and generous tanks, but find standard practical Swan features, like a foot pump to purge water from the fridge/freezers and wooden cones attached to each through-hull fitting.
Below the galley sole is a 0.5m long section of the APM keel – the only part of this telescopic stainless steel work of art that is visible. It’s an engineering feat, which costs big bucks but is increasingly offered by the big yards.
The difference 45 years makes in hull shapes. The 1973 Swan 65 Venator (left) berthed alongside the 2019 version
Our verdict
Will people talk about this model in 50 years time? It’s not about to win a round the world race and create a global phenomenon. But they might well talk about this era of Nautor’s Swan and how this Frers design sits at the heart of Nautor’s renaissance.
The Swan 65 grows on you – the longer you sail it the more you enjoy it. Cruising sailors don’t seek an adrenaline rush, they want an enduring relationship built on easy rewards and dependability. This is a powerful boat, which is easy to sail fast but will be most gratifying when trimmed to keep it on its preferred low heel angle. Take the wheel and it’s hard not to daydream about how pleasant those consistent speeds and heeling angles would feel on a tradewind ocean crossing.
It’s a versatile design that offers much potential: it has a deck suited to short-handed Mediterranean-style sailing; stowage, systems and tankage to promote ocean cruising (with or without crew); and optional keel and sailplans to configure it for racing.
The original Swan 65 might still be the choice for seaworthy ocean racing, but for cruising in sublime space and comfort its new counterpart wins every time.
A new MAIB report into the death of Simon Speirs has revealed frequency of ‘tethered MOB’ incidents
Simon Speirs was a crewmember on board Great Britain CV30
The family of Simon Speirs, a sailor in the 2017-08 Clipper Round the World Race who died after being swept overboard in November 2017, has urged race organisers to urgently implement the recommendations of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report, which was published today.
Simon Speirs, 60, a retired solicitor from Bristol, died from drowning in heavy seas 1,500 miles west of Fremantle in Australia on 18 November 2017 when he went overboard from the Great Britain yacht (known as CV30) in Leg 3.
Mr Speirs’s family says the race organisers, Clipper Ventures, have ignored previous MAIB recommendations that might have saved his life. They are urging the company to make urgent safety improvements for the 2019-20 edition, which sets out from London on 1 September.
Simon Speirs was swept overboard despite wearing a tether. Photo: OnEdition
Simon’s widow, Margaret told Yachting World: “I want to highlight to those going on the race this time, that the race isn’t run in a way that’s as safe as it can be, so they have the conversations with their families that we didn’t have when Simon left.
“And to make sure that Clipper Ventures take on board the recommendations in this report, because I do think there has been a history of Clipper Ventures not implementing the recommendations that the MAIB has made in the past.”
In a statement released today she said: “The reason that Simon died was not just because a wave swept the deck and took him overboard. If the crew had more paid professional support, if there been more safe clipping on points, if equipment not failed, if drysuits been compulsory equipment, Simon’s life would probably have been saved.”
A crewmember racing in the Clipper Round the World Race has died after being swept overboard in the Pacific. Sarah…
Simon’s son Mike added in the statement: “Dad was the third British sailor to die in this race in three years, [Ed note: Andrew Ashman suffered fatal injuries when hit by the mainsheet during crash gybes, and Sarah Young was lost overboard, both in the 2015-16 race] and many more have had near misses when they have fallen overboard.
“We are not satisfied with Clipper’s attitude to safety, and they need to do a lot more to ensure future participants are not unnecessarily risking their lives. We also want future race sponsors, crews and their families to understand the risks they take by putting their safety in the hands of a company with such an immature safety culture.
“We urge Clipper Ventures to fully implement the safety recommendations in the MAIB report. If they had implemented recommendations of two previous MAIB reports, my dad might still be with us today.”
A previous MAIB report showed how tether hooks can become distorted under a lateral load
Simon Speirs fell overboard from the foredeck whilst tethered, but his tether hook became caught on a bow cleat and opened. He was recovered after 32 minutes but never regained consciousness.
In the weeks following Speirs’ death the MAIB released an Urgent Safety Advisory Notice highlighting the potential for tethers to open when under lateral load, particularly when twisted or snagged. While the tethers can withstand a load of over 1 tonne longitudinally, it was found that they would deform under significantly less if loaded laterally. The notice emphasised the importance of ensuring tether hooks are free to rotate.
However, the detailed MAIB investigation, which took over 18 months to complete, reveals the full circumstances that led up to Speirs’ death. They include the fact that the forward starboard stanchion bases on Speirs’ yacht had suffered damage two weeks previously. A repair was made using high modulus line.
Speirs, together with four other crew, was on the foredeck attempting to drop the No 3 Yankee. In rough seas no fewer than three members of crew went over the lifelines during the headsail drop and subsequent manoeuvres.
When the yankee was approximately three-quarters of the way down, a large wave on the port quarter caused CV30 to slew first to startboard, then port, and accidentally gybe.
The bowman fell overboard but was held by his short tether, which he had clipped to the pulpit, and able to haul himself back on board. Shortly afterwards, Simon Speirs fell overboard from the starboard side in between the forestays.
A third crew member later fell over the port guardrail while attempting to control the yankee during the MOB recovery manoeuvre, but was also held by his short tether and helped back on board by the crew on the foredeck.
The MAIB report highlighted that there had been at least 15 incidences of ‘tethered MOBs’ between 2013, when the Clipper 70 was introduced, and July 2018. Nine occurred on the 2017-18 race, and all bar one involved a crew on the foredeck.
While both the other CV30 crew members who slipped overboard were held by their short tethers, Simon Speirs was held by his long tether, and the bowman was unable to reach him. A halyard with open shackle was passed to Speirs, but he was unable to attach it to his lifejacket whilst dragging in the water before the tether hook distorted and released.
The MOB recovery manoeuvres were further hampered by multiple deck gear problems. Although the two preventers, which had been rigged as per usual practice, held during the initial accidental gybe, a block attaching a kicker to the boom parted (the vang had been damaged earlier in the leg).
The mainsheet winch developed a riding turn, and during tacks and gybes approaching Speirs in the water the mainsheet became caught around the mainsheet winch and ripped off the self-tailer, while a block for the main traveller also broke – all of which made controlling the mainsail more difficult.
The 2017-18 Clipper Race fleet Photo: OnEdition
Margaret Speirs explains that several factors contributed to her husband’s death.
“In the past the MAIB had recommended that measures be put in place to make the boats more controllable in rough weather, when they’re bringing down sails, and that recommendation was not acted on in the case of the CV21 accident [the deaths of Andrew Ashman and Sarah Young on IchorCoal, CV21, during the 2015-16 race].
“They had made no changes to their procedures to bringing down sails more quickly, which meant that there were five people on a very narrow bow in really rough weather trying to do a sail evolution. They subsequently put a downhaul on one of those sails, but they hadn’t done anything in the light of the previous recommendations.
“The other one that’s very crucial is the lack of clipping on points, so Simon was on the foredeck clipped on with his long tether sail… because there was nowhere on the foredeck where he could be clipped on with his short tether in order to do that task.”
The Speirs family believes that fatigue and illness among the 16 amateur crew were additional factors in Simon’s accident, which is also highlighted in the MAIB report.
Margaret Speirs added: “On top of the challenges of sailing in hugely testing conditions, the crew had to do repair and maintenance work including pumping water out of a perpetually leaking boat. In Simon’s case, he was not only watch leader and coxswain but designated sail repairer, in one instance spending 20 hours out of 24 in cramped cabin conditions repairing ripped sails.
“As a result, the crew were immensely tired, more tired than they had ever been, putting not only themselves in danger but all the people around them as they are so dependent on each other. The way the race is run imposes on participants a reckless disregard for health and safety legislation that requires rest periods.”
The Clipper Race can face extreme conditions: the event has suffered three fatalities in its past two editions
The Speirs family say they have also been hugely affected by the fact that Simon was buried at sea, a decision presented to them as the only option when in fact a ship was nearby which could have taken Simon’s body to shore for repatriation.
“We now understand this was unlawful as they didn’t have permission from the statutory agency. Burial at sea meant we were not entitled to have an inquest into dad’s death, denying us a public forum for evidence to be heard, to ask questions and challenge unsafe practices,” said Mike Speirs.
Clipper Ventures issued the following statement in response to the MAIB report and the Speirs family comments:
We were and continue to be very saddened at the death of Simon Speirs and our thoughts are with his family. The safety of our crew is our highest priority and has been since the race was established in 1996.
Every crew member undergoes four weeks of intensive, rigorous training, specifically designed for ocean racing, of which safety is at the core. This includes sea survival training which is carried out to industry (RYA) standards. All safety equipment on board is industry leading with every crew member equipped with a personal AIS beacon in lifejackets.
Each yacht is fully crewed and crew members are ‘off watch’ for between ten to fourteen hours in each 24 hour period. The watch system is designed to ensure each crew member has enough rest during the race.
We have followed previous safety recommendations from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), and not “ignored” them as previously stated in the MAIB report. We have had our safety system independently reviewed, as the MCA has not been able to allocate the resources to do so.
During eleven editions, 5,000 people have taken part in the Clipper Race, organised by parent company Clipper Ventures. Every measure possible is taken to ensure the safety of our crew.
Factual inaccuracies within both the MAIB report and associated statements:
It is factually incorrect to state that Clipper Ventures has ignored previous MAIB recommendations. Specifically, Clipper Ventures:
Is installing navigation plotters on deck at the helming position
Implemented new passage planning procedures
Introduced a paid, professionally qualified ‘Additional Qualified Person’ (AQP) to aid each of the Clipper Race Skippers
Simon Speirs did have a dry suit, he chose not to wear it on 18th November 2017.
The reference to a nearby vessel, that could have taken Simon’s body, is factually incorrect. This was a mistake made by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which it subsequently admitted. The MCA confirmed to Clipper Ventures that they had informed the Speirs family of this mistake. The nearest suitable vessel to the Clipper Race yacht was a minimum of six days away. The MCA was notified four hours before the burial at sea.
Pro short-handed sailor Pip Hare tests Spinlock’s latest addition to its Deckvest range during a race across the Atlantic
‘Without a doubt the most comfortable lifejacket I have ever worn over a long period’
What is it? Leisure version of the lifejacket worn by pro racers
Who is it for? Sailors who need to wear a lifejacket for long periods at a time
For those of us who wear lifejackets for days on end, the Spinlock Deckvest VITO will come as a welcome revelation. This is without a doubt the most comfortable lifejacket I have ever worn over a long period of time and addresses many of the niggling issues that may disincline us from wearing our lifejackets.
The jacket is a leisure version of those worn by the Volvo Ocean Race teams and I tested it during last year’s RORC Transatlantic race.
The most notable design development is the relocation of the sprayhood from a collar at the neck into a back pouch. I have always found that extended use of other lifejacket designs, especially when combined with multiple layers and large offshore collars, has given me both neck and shoulder ache, combined with the feeling my head is being pushed forward.
The back pouch eliminates this problem, allowing full movement of the neck and also changing where the weight of the jacket rests on the body. The back pouch sits between the shoulder blades, and when tradewind sailing I did notice this part of my back felt noticeably hotter than the rest of me – but overall that seemed a very small price to pay.
Another great and sensible feature on the Deckvest VITO is a dedicated stowage pouch on the back of the jacket where the crotch strap can be stored when not in use. Although we know lifejackets are more effective with a crotch strap, sometimes, in the real world, we prefer not to wear them.
Providing a place to tuck the strap means it will always be with the jacket and I was able to easily reach behind me, grab the strap and do it up one-handed, even when I was wearing the jacket.
The Deckvest VITO can also incorporate a quick release system to allow the wearer to release a safety tether. Although this may not appeal to sailors of more traditional vessels, for anyone who regularly sails aboard fast yachts this is a practical and welcome addition to the design.
This 170N lifejacket retails at £250 with the option for an AIS device and the harness quick release feature. A Hammar inflation system, both Lume-On bladder lights and a Pylon lifejacket light, a sprayhood and crotch strap are fitted as standard.
Verdict
This is one well-equipped high-end jacket for the serious sailor.
The Round the Island Race is not just a compelling spectacle, but is a racetrack with wind shadows, tidal eddies, rocks, wrecks and sandbanks to contend with, writes Peter Bruce
Careful passage planning can pay dividends during the Round the Island Race. Photo: Paul Wyeth
The actual Round the Island Race course is quite straight forward, but negotiate it well and there are gains to be made at around 20 different hurdles all the way round. Strategically the trick is to break down the track into four parts and focus on the major tactical issues on each leg.
Initial strategy
Plan to aim for Sconce buoy where you can make the most of the ‘tidal slingshot’ just to the west of Yarmouth. Then continue in the fast moving current towards Hurst Castle. If you are beating into southwesterly winds, work the area of best current close to the Shingles, prior to peeling off and aiming for the Needles.
A bit of geometry
The actual start line is 1.2nm long (from the to West Bramble to the Royal Yacht Squadron). In simple geometry terms, the shortest distance to Sconce is the perpendicular (rhumb line) to the buoy and is not in the middle of the line, but just a quarter of the distance up the line from the RYS.
Starting close to West Bramble is a whole 200m further than at the perpendicular point. There are often good reasons to start else where, depending on the wind, tide and the main body of the fleet, but always remember that extra 200m if you are aiming for Sconce and starting near West Bramble buoy. If the wind direction is to right of the axis of the Western Solent, then the north shore is often a winning place to be.
Osborne Court top window
The RYS start line transits and high intensity lights are never more difficult to see than on the Round the Island Race in the final 25 seconds to the start gun, as they invariably get obscured by other boats. Brief your bowman to also be aware of the transit of the RYS Flag Staff, in line with the top window in the tower of Osbourne Court apartments.
When Major Cyril Windeler suggested to the Island Sailing Club that it should run a race round the Isle of…
This transit is usually visible above the height of other boat masts. With a simple GPS, consider making each end of the line a way point/route and you can read off your distance to the line (when it is difficult to gauge due to the sheer number of boats) prior to the start, as cross track error.
The best tidal stream
Look for ‘Micky’s Tidal River’. On the ebb, this is a local ‘river of water’ that looks brown and flows between 0.8 and 1.4 knots faster than the rest of the ebb. It is actually a layer of ‘fresh water’ that is usually only 400m across and sits on top of the more dense salt water.
Cowes Race Village is the heart of the action before the Round the Island Race. Photo: Paul Wyeth
It runs west, just north of Gurnard buoy, prior to swinging over towards West Lepe buoy and then swinging back towards Yarmouth and merging with the strong tide off Sconce. Note the local mini tidal race just inside Black Rock buoy, as the tide sluices round a mound on the seabed (don’t hit Black Rock itself, 200m south of the buoy).
Clear wind versus dirt
Never is it so critical, than on the Round the Island Race with so many other boats around. Pick your lanes carefully and avoid having to tack too often and getting ‘buried’ in a pack of boats. Beating into a southwesterly along the Cowes Green, works well for the leading boats, but in such a large fleet, those a little further back, end up ‘eating dirt’ for along time.
If necessary, forego a little of the tidal advantage if it means sailing for longer in clear air. Generally the further north along the starting line you start, the more time you will have in clear air.
Beware the escape route
Beating against a southwesterly along the Green with a close fleet can easily end in tears! You may be in great shape, as you race in on starboard tack, in clear air, with the fleet lined up on your starboard hip, but you have to be able to plan your escape.
Photo: George Mills
If you have larger faster boats inside you, it can be very tricky and if you have a poor tack, you could well end up dipping a lot of sterns as you exit on port tack. If the fleet is close up to you and you approach the shore and have to call for water, start the dialogue early. The boats close by inside may also be trapped on starboard by other boats on their hip.
It was here that one Fastnet Race favourite ended their race damaged after only 200m, whilst another boat sailed the whole course, thought they had won, and later got disqualified for an infringement after only 55 seconds of racing.
Winds bends and shadows
The river valleys in the western part of the Isle of Wight have a marked effect on the wind in the western Solent. With a wind left of 250 degrees, the valleys such as the Newton River create relatively large lefthanders over a local area, as the wind funnels out of the estuary and then fans out, creating significant gains on port tack.
Totland Bay is best admired from afar
In east/west winds, there is a wind bend around Egypt Point as well as an area of lighter winds close into Gurnard Bay. In an easterly wind, this is created by the hill directly inland, whilst in westerly winds, is created by the wind detaching from the surface to get over that same hill.
Avoid Alum and Totland Bays
View the great scenery from afar! There is less tide to help you here and most significantly a lot less wind caused by the high cliffs and hills (140m high) close on the shoreline, that create huge wind shadows.
Online crewing websites bridge the gap between yacht owners and crew, opening up opportunities for both, from Sunday club racing to circumnavigations. Will Bruton takes a look at the pros and cons of using crew finder services
Purpose-built and commercially coded vessels like Challenger 2 offer ocean passages with professional instructor skippers every year. Photo: World Cruising Club
Every November, hopeful crew gather in Las Palmas in the lead up to the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). In the search for a berth sailing across the Atlantic, some will pay in excess of £4,000 well in advance, others pay their share of the running costs, while some hang around the marina until they find a boat willing to take them for free.
Emerging from the ARC skipper’s briefing a couple of years ago, participants came face to face with a man holding a cardboard sign begging them for a ride. Some averted their eyes, others smiled politely; he had met almost everyone over the course of the previous week on the dock. At this late stage, his chances weren’t looking great and he looked pretty upset about it.
Whether he would make a good crewmember had been the topic of discussion over drinks between several skippers (without a berth to offer) the previous evening. Talking to him face to face, he was a very likeable character. His lack of sailing experience was contrasted by an irrepressible enthusiasm for the idea of sailing across an ocean that everyone could identify with. Above all, it was obvious he was genuine.
The start of the Arc in las Palmas attracts boat hitchers from all over Europe
The conclusion unanimously drawn was that he seemed to carry the perfect character traits of an apprentice crewmember. What he lacked in knowledge, he could be taught on the way. Much to my surprise, I next saw him in St Lucia; the last skipper to leave the ARC briefing had given him a place aboard. Less surprising was the glowing sailing reference he had earned on the way. So what’s the best way to find compatible crew, or a boat to sail on?
Online crew service
Today the World Cruising Club has its own online crewing service. Ocean Crew Link has been operating since 2015, in which time it has grown to a user network of almost 10,000 sailors spread all around the world. Since its inception, Ocean Crew Link has grown to cover any ocean sailing, anywhere in the world. It is unique in focusing just on ocean sailing for cruising boats.
Holgar Bordasch, a retired airline pilot, used the site to find a berth for the ARC on a shared cost basis. He also wanted to try sailing different yachts, before buying his own Hallberg-Rassy 40. Bordasch now plans to use the service occasionally to find crew “The crew finder sites are a great mechanism, but they are just that, you have to make your own decisions about what is safe and if you trust those that you are sailing with.
These days many high-achievers push themselves just as hard in their leisure time as they do in business – from…
“My first experience as crew was on a short trip. The skipper had very little technical knowledge, was lax when it came to safety issues, whilst the other crew weren’t brilliant either. However, my second experience, on the ARC, was much better and showed just how good it could be.
“We had a long discussion over Skype [beforehand] about our sailing experiences, what we wanted from the passage, and the owner talked about his plans, how he wanted to run the yacht on passage and more. It was a much better prospect. We had a great crossing and I’m still in touch with crew from that trip.”
Crew match by algorithm
While Ocean Crew Link caters specifically for ocean crossing opportunities, other sites are broader in their approach, covering almost every type of sailing. By far the biggest is Find a Crew. Set up in 2004, its business model is quite different. The site is free to join and use, though a premium subscription is also available.
The matching algorithm puts the emphasis on members keeping their own profile up to date to get the best search results, rather than spending hours doing manual searches and having to read hundreds of profiles. Every profile a member views shows a match percentage to their own profile.
The traditional noticeboard remains a source of crew at many sailors’ bars and events worldwide
For some yacht owners, crew found online form an integral part of their cruising plans. Steve Roose, in French Polynesia when I spoke to him, has had a series of passage crew for long stretches of his circumnavigation.
“I used Ocean Crew Link; as a yacht owner you get a big response, I’d say we had around 40 replies to our first ad, which was really helpful. You do need to watch out for people exaggerating their experience, but it quickly becomes clear once they’re on board if they don’t know what they’re doing!”
Aimée LeCouteur joined Steve’s Beneteau Oceanis 523 for a passage from Cascais to Las Palmas and is now planning on joining him in Tonga to sail to New Zealand. “Despite sailing my whole life, sailing to the Canary Islands was my first true offshore trip, so it’s fair to say I was a little apprehensive,” she recalls.
Be mindful of personal safety when advertising, or replying to a crew available notice
“When I arrived in Cascais, the weather was bad, so we all had a good chance to get to know each other in port; this really put me at ease. Financially, we shared costs such as food, but not marina fees. I think Steve’s priority was a harmonious crew over saving money, which worked very well.
“Due to work commitments, I was quite specific about what I could and couldn’t do, but there’s lots on there and it was possible within my annual leave allowance.”
Being wary
Despite the opportunities presented by crew finder sites, I spoke to more than one crewmember that had negative experiences – some even before climbing aboard. Individual responsibility remains paramount. One, who wanted to remain anonymous, explained: “There are, as you might expect I suppose, quite a lot of lonely sailors out there looking for rather too specific requests for a crewing site, i.e. ‘Female, aged under 40, likes to cook!’
“Some owners are fairer than others with the expenses, so you should clearly agree terms before booking your flights and heading out to the boat. If it’s a commercial experience, the boat and skipper should be up to commercial standards. The positive experiences I have had, though, more than outweigh these negatives – it’s just something people should be aware of.”
The possibility of sailing opportunities in all four corners of the world has given birth to a new breed of crew who jump from boat to boat with no interest in buying one of their own. Virgilio Ferreira, 60, from Portugal spoke to me from Amsterdam; he was sailing a 36ft yacht to Sweden, while looking online for his next ride.
“I work on a freelance basis so this works very well for me and it’s great socially as well.”
Want to work your way across the Atlantic? Here’s how to make sure you’re on the right boat to the Caribbean
Suzanne van der Veeken used ‘boat hitching’ as a mechanism for exciting and sustainable long-term travel
Suzanne Van Der Veeken is the author of Ocean Nomad: The Complete Atlantic Sailing Crew Guide, which she launched at the start of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers in 2017.
Having boat-hitched extensively herself, including three Atlantic crossings, Suzanne found that many were interested in boat hitching but weren’t sure of how to go about it. Here are her top tips on hitching a ride:
1. Be clear on ‘Why?’
Do you want to gain sailing experience, go from A to B, or simply relax at anchor in pretty bays? Search accordingly.
2. Be confident or start small
Be confident you’re ready for an ocean passage. If you’re not sure, start with a trip near shore or a short voyage to figure out if a longer ocean passage is for you.
3. Get your bearings
Learn about the passage, seasons, distance, destinations, weather, costs, and tasks involved. This will help you find a ride at the right time and place.
4. Be flexible in terms of time, place and money
Boats deal with seasons, routes, weather, breakages, and all sorts of variables. By thinking about scenarios in advance makes it easy to change course without disruption.
5. Get to know the crew (and trust your instincts)
Research the boat, skipper, and crew carefully. The people you share the adventure with either make or break the experience. Realise that anyone can buy a boat without experience or license.
Exchange loads of messages, ask questions, and talk to each other on the phone, preferably with video. Meet up, fix things together and go for a test sail. Don’t let your eagerness override your instinct and judgment. Be 100% sure.
On a cloudy midsummer afternoon, my best friend, Harry Scott, and I waved goodbye to our worried mothers and sailed…
6. Always talk to the skipper
When assessing the options and trying to figure out if a boat is a good match, talk to the skipper – not just the owner, another crewmember, relative, manager or passenger. The skipper is the onboard decision-maker.
7. Be clear on intentions, expectations, agreements
Know what the skipper is expecting from you. What are you expecting from the skipper and the trip? It makes it easier for you to prepare, anticipate, and avoid misunderstandings. Talk about budget and agree in advance about which costs are shared.
8. Pack light
You don’t need much at sea, and stowage space is generally going to be quite limited. As a general rule, if you can live without it, leave it at home. If you have committed to a boat, ask what’s already on board, so you don’t have to bring it. Less is more!
9. Provision carefully
Skippers usually have their hands full preparing the boat, so it’s likely that, as crew, you’ll need to be part of the team provisioning for an Atlantic crossing. A well-fed crew is a happy crew, so properly organise, plan and execute provisions for the boat. Your health and happiness for the next few weeks depend on it.
10. Don’t book a return ticket
Chances are you’ll be hooked and will want to keep going. And trips like this hardly ever go as planned. Avoid stressing the skipper because you have a plane to catch.
How does the bold cockpit layout of this dazzling new ‘lounge’ daysailer design work? Toby Hodges sails the Saffier SE37
We sailed the Saffier SE37 Lounge in 6-18 knots offshore breeze off IJmuiden. All photos: Bertel Kolthof
Looking for a pair of trainers for fashion, road and cross-country running? They don’t exist. Or a bilge keeler that will take to the ground, sleep eight and go to windward like a witch? No chance. We have to make compromises when buying new products. If we expect them to do all things we end up with something only partially fit for our needs.
Fully appreciating how you spend your time afloat is crucial in determining the type of boat that will best suit your needs. Saffier has cornered the daysailing market with its attractive, easy-to-handle and well-built small yachts, perfectly fit for their purpose.
This new SE37 Lounge, a veritable supercar of the sea, is an uncompromising luxury daysailer. By that I mean it is not pretending to do all things for all sailors. There are no cabins and there is no accommodation abaft the companionway. It is purely and simply a daysailer, and it offers space, comfort and performance in an innovative design that remains easy for one person to sail fast.
The powder-coated black stainless steel stanchions and Dyneema lifelines combine form and function
When the Hennevanger brothers began to branch out their father’s IJmuiden-based boatbuilding business to include pretty little dayboats in the 1990s, little could they have imagined that, by 2018, they would be the world’s biggest daysailer brand and that they’d be launching a 37ft luxury model.
Despite its rise in popularity, Saffier still only expected to sell a couple of SE37s a year – yet six have already been sold since its January show debut.
For a real appreciation of the SE37 you need to see how it is built, the processes, investment and fresh mentality the yard has put in place to ensure quality control. More on that later – first, I was itching to find out if the performance matched the flashy, novel design.
What’s a Lounge?
Have you spotted the design irregularity? The central position of the twin wheels is a first at this size and suggests this is a boat that is all about the enjoyment on the helm. To my eye, using a combination of a fixed windscreen with the wheels just behind it also gives the Saffier an exciting, sporty roadster look.
The SE37 has much more of a performance shape than past Saffier models, with a particularly flat run to its aft sections. The beam is carried all the way aft to help generate enormous cockpit space. It’s called a ‘Lounge’ because a ‘cockpit’ is not the right word for an area this large and free of lines, says Dennis Hennevanger.
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Hennevanger’s confidence in his boats is infectious. He is always ready and willing to go sailing and will take his boats out in anything, especially in the high winds and waves typically found around the entrance to IJmuiden.
In 2014, during European Yacht of the Year trials in Italy, the SE33 was the only boat to leave the harbour in big breeze and swell, despite being among a fleet of much larger cruising yachts. The gennaker still went up and although we had a lively time trying to clock top speeds, it was yet another demonstration of the robust build quality and ease of sailing a Saffier.
The SE37 sails beautifully and is very well balanced
A quick blast
Hennevanger is an action man, Mr Energetic. He had cast off and started hoisting the main in the marina before I’d had a chance to finish stowing my bag below. It was the start of a commanding demonstration of how quick and easy it is to take these boats out for a short spin.
Our haste to get into open water was rewarded with ideal sailing conditions to suit this type of boat, with flat water and 8-16 knots of offshore breeze for our morning sail. And there was even some swell around the harbour entrance, enough to feel the boat’s motion going into the waves, and to help us surf into double figures. Saffiers have always been easy to sail solo, but would that still be the case at this size, I wondered?
Four discreet buttons on the coamings control the two reversible Harken winches. Together with a bank of six clutches each side, this makes it simple to control the boat single-handedly from the helm – once you have figured out which button does what and which winch best suits the main and jib sheets. It takes a bit of getting used to, but would soon become second nature.
Sailing from amidships on this size of boat is unusual. The only other boats steered from this far forward are keelboats with tiller extensions, centre-cockpit cruisers and multihulls. Yet this wheel-driven performance yacht cannot be compared to any of those.
Despite the length of steering connection needed, it still provides fingertip response. The sensation on the helm is more akin to sailing a compact sports yacht, with only 20ft or so of boat in view ahead. I was quickly hooked.
During our first fetch towards the long stretch of beach south of IJmuiden, we clocked 8.5-9 knots in 10 knots true using the Code 0 furling gennaker. When the breeze picked up another few knots, this increased to a very respectable 9.5 knots.
Under-deck sheets exit directly in front of clutches and winch
The ease with which sails can be changed encourages you to do so. As we sailed up and down past the lines of sand dunes, we frequently swapped gennaker for jib and vice versa. In just 30 seconds, Hennevanger had doused the jib and launched the kite solo. I soon understood how he had already beaten a fully crewed First 40 team during Wednesday evening racing while sailing the SE37 solo (which must feel pretty cool)!
Manoeuvres rarely called for anything other than a line to be clutched-off and another to be set around a winch. One downside of the helm position is that you can’t see the main properly when sitting to leeward. I also think the tail locker openings should be larger, or a second locker be made each side so the tail ends can be divided neatly. On a boat of this aesthetic calibre, there is no place for an untidy mess.
The SE37 was designed by Dean Hennevanger and Satellite Yacht Design
Addictive helming
The Saffier SE37 really is a fun boat to sail in both directions. We averaged 7 knots upwind at around 35°, half a knot more when freed off a little in the puffs. The self-tacking jib made short-tacking back into harbour a delight.
Sailing against the tide, we ‘slam dunked’ it through the tacks to ensure the mainsail’s roach crossed the backstay. The wind switched to a sea breeze in the afternoon, which allowed for some memorable gennaker rides going with a slight swell.
It was notable how much difference the movement of our weight made. We had been sitting at 9.5 knots, but when the 6ft 2in Hennevanger moved from the aft sunbed to the rail, speed rose regularly over 10 knots, with surfs up to 10.9 knots in around 12 knots true.
Throughout all the manoeuvres the Saffier SE37 felt sporty and stiff. Following early sea trials, Hennevanger modified the keel, reducing the ballast and rudder profile because he felt the boat was too stiff. It can still carry a serious amount of canvas however, including a gennaker up to 115m2 (our Code 0 was 90m2).
I gybed the boat single-handed using only the reversible winches – taking it slowly through the gybe, while unwinding one and pulling in on the new working sheet. Together with one hand on the wheel and some close monitoring it really is a simple two-fingered operation – and it’s a technique Hennevanger swears is just as easy to carry out in 20+ knots.
The Saffier SE37 is a boat that makes you reluctant to stop sailing. I happily hogged the helm, sailing right into the tight marina, before dropping the main and reversing 150m into the finger berth. My first day aboard and I’d gained absolute confidence in the boat and its handling.
The clean, uncluttered twin helm positions
Lounge design
The space and comfort of the cockpit cannot be overstated – there is room enough for ten people at a time. The aft deck is a proper relaxation zone, a cushioned terrace on the water, completely clear of sailing systems. It’s a real selling point for those looking to take family or friends out to enjoy the simple pleasure of being afloat.
The forward helm position means there is little need for walkthrough cockpit access while under sail; hence a fixed table is a sensible solution that provides a central brace for those seated on the benches. There are also relatively deep cockpit bench lockers, plus an optional fridge drawer and grill below the benches. The side decks have hidden magnetic strips incorporated, which allow backrests to stay in place and be slid forward or aft to suit seated guests.
Light oak finishes and indirect lighting create an airy feel
The shallow aft lockers give access to the steering gear, a Jefa system that uses a mix of rod, chain and wire. My worry was that the length of gear needed might lead to the type of disconnection in sensation typical of centre-cockpit boats. Thankfully, this was not the case with the SE37.
A ten-year old Saffier 26 in the berth next to us was a testament to why all Saffier owners, or over 300 in the last decade, choose the optional Esthec composite decking – it still looked immaculate. A €25,000 upgrade on the SE37 it does, however, get a little hot under bare feet.
There were around €100,000 of extras in total fitted on the test boat, including electric winches, carbon mast and laminate sails, which pushed the price up to a hefty €330,000. That said, pricing is still 20-30% less than Tofinou – for the same quality declares Hennevanger. “I’m not saying we’re cheap, but I do think it’s fair pricing for what we give.”
It may be ‘just’ a daysailer, but SE 37 includes a galley, plenty of storage space and a separate heads
Business class lounge
The extra-wide companionway helps connect inside and out, with little height difference between the two. The use of carbon reinforcement in the deck also allows Saffier to do away with a central bulkhead, resulting in one long open cabin space, or yet more ‘lounge’, forward of the companionway.
The tidy ‘galley’ is in keeping with the luxury daysailer approach, particularly the coffee area complete with slide-out espresso machine and individual pod holders. A double electric hob, drawer-fridge and shallow composite sink complete an area suitable for rustling up light lunches at anchor.
A small switchboard is mounted further outboard and I like the way you can perch on the top companionway step to access this or use the tap. The companionway steps can be removed for access to a compact engine space and there is washboard stowage to one side.
A proper heads is a critical feature for a daysailer of this type to allow all aboard to enjoy full days afloat in comfort. The Saffier SE37 has that, albeit without standing headroom, and also includes practical stowage and a wet hanging area aft.
The rest of the interior is largely given over to yet more lounge space. The leather-style stitching to the upholstery – the same waterproof material as in the cockpit – is an example of the detailing. The indirect lighting running behind the seating accentuates the length of the boat, while the light oak veneer complements the walnut soles and table.
It is seated headroom only in the saloon, but again this area is designed in a way that is bang-on trend for the purpose of the boat. This means that you could certainly spend a night or two aboard in pleasant weather. And an owner might just do that if they wanted to avoid heading back to their berth for the night. But the main purpose is much more likely to be a chill-out area, with a big vee-berth sofa area and TV on the forward bulkhead, for some downtime or a siesta while at anchor.
An adjustable helm foot brace hinges up from the cockpit sole
Roots of quality
Saffier is owned and run by brothers Dennis and Dean Hennevanger. Their father Richard, who previously owned a yard in Australia in the 1960s, started the firm in IJmuiden to build fishing boats. The Saffier name was adopted in the mid-1990s after the launch of its first 6.5m daysailer.
With its projections of building 58 yachts this year, Saffier can now justly claim to be the world’s largest daysailer brand. A hull delivery once a week calls for an efficient build process and Saffier’s is one of the very best I have seen.
It stems from the Hennevangers’ unwavering desire to do things properly. When he wanted to learn how to do quality vacuum infusion builds in 2011, Dennis Hennevanger built his own 36ft IRC race boat, Nitro. He employed a Kiwi expert to teach his key builders.
Hennevanger, a former Commodores’ Cup skipper, has regularly and successfully competed in Nitro at IRC events and the vacuum infusion knowledge gained is employed on the larger Saffier models (SE33 and SE37).
Since then the yard has trebled in size and become an impressively systematic set-up. It is a particularly clean, tidy and efficient workspace. A proper assembly line has been introduced, which also makes it intelligible for any potential owner who wants to see the processes involved in putting the boat together.
All lamination is now done at another site an hour inland. “We try to pre-fab as much as possible so there are not boats sitting around,” Hennevanger explains. Preparing all the electrics/interiors before the hull arrives at the IJmuiden fit- out yard saves money and the quality is better and more consistent, he maintains.
The pre-fab hall contains rows and rows of shelving with everything ready to go for each boat, down to all metal and woodwork and even wiring looms pre-measured and cut. The result is, logically, a much more consistent quality. One person is used as a runner to fetch everything that is not to hand and any parts can be ordered from the pre-fab hall using a tablet on the wall.
Even the psychology of the workers is considered, with staff cleaning their areas first thing in the morning rather than last thing in the afternoon. “It’s a different mentality, aimed at starting the day fresh,” Hennevanger explains.
Our verdict
The Saffier SE37 is a real sports car of the sea, with the top-end looks and quality, and the luxury detailing you’d expect to find on a Bugatti or an Aston Martin. It’s a properly modern daysailer that will offer a similar reward to the driver.
Feel on the helm is akin to that of a compact sports yacht despite forward position
More than that, it’s a yacht that is ideal for its purpose. Don’t expect to go cruising for a week or eat meals with your family around the saloon table.
But for time-poor folk seeking a short blast of premium-quality sailing, or for couples or larger parties looking to maximise pure sailing pleasure in stylish comfort, this design is hard to beat. It’s a reassuringly expensive toy that celebrates easy, delightful daysailing.
A playful, responsive yacht, the Saffier SE37 quickly fills you with confidence. The more you sail it, the more you get it and the more you love it.
Specification
LOA: 11.00m (36ft 1in) LWL: 10.00m (32ft 10in) Beam (max): 3.45m (11ft 4in) Draught: 2.10m (6ft 11in) Displacement (lightship): 4,800kg (10,582lb) Ballast: 2,050kg (4,519lb) Engine: 21hp Yanmar saildrive Fuel capacity: 80lt (18gal) Water capacity: 120lt (26gal) Sail area (100% foretriangle): 67.6m2 (728ft2) Sail Area to displacement ratio: 24.2 Displacement to LWL ratio: 134 Price ex VAT: €209,500 Designer: Dean Heenevanger / Satellite Yacht Design
The G4 is a 40ft foiling catamaran, the latest version of which features a fully automated foil control system designed to make foiling accessible to crews with all levels of experience
Automated systems keep the G4 foiling safely – perfect for the less inexperienced sailor looking for some foiling fun. All photos: Jasper van Staveren / DNA
The G4 has had an interesting start in life. The first G4 was sold by Gunboat, and the bright orange Timbalero III made a very public debut at Les Voiles de St Barth in 2015, when she spectacularly capsized.
But Timbalero III also caught plenty of people’s eyes for her radically different sailing experience. One of them was Larry Page, CEO and founder of Google, and a fully paid-up member of the San Francisco Bay foiling kitesurfing community, which sees some of Silicon Valley’s biggest tech billionaires take to the waters around Alcatraz every Thursday night to go kite foiling. Page placed an order for the second foiling G4.
Then Gunboat went bankrupt. Dutch company DNA, the performance sailing arm of Holland Composites, which had initially been involved in the development and build of the G4, bought the rights to sell the catamarans. The rebrand meant that the pause button was pushed briefly, but when work resumed there was the opportunity to not only incorporate some of the lessons learned from St Barth, but also to do something even more radical.
The G4 is capable of speeds of up to 40 knots
A boat that drives itself
The new brief, according to Thijs van Riemsdijk of DNA, was to make the G4 like the latest Tesla, the self-driving car. At the time, the DNA team in Lelystad, a small industrial city in the Netherlands, had not even seen the latest Tesla, but since then they have worked to develop a near self-foiling yacht.
The latest generation G4 has kept the same hull, mast and J-shaped daggerboard foils as the first boat, but the control systems are wholly different.
A specially developed onboard operating system is controlled by a touchscreen. Before sailing, the helmsman chooses from one of four modes: ‘low riding’ or non-foiling; ‘foiling cruise’; ‘foiling sport’; or ‘race’ mode. Each of the four modes is pre-calibrated to that owner’s preferences and abilities.
As the mist rose off the water’s surface in the picturesque harbour of Morges on the north bank of Lake…
A gyro installed under the rotating mast monitors pitch, heel angle and velocity, and each mode has pre-set optimum speeds, rates of acceleration, and heel angles. There are hydraulic rams controlling the daggerboard height, mainsheet and traveller position. Electric actuators on the daggerboards and T-foil rudders allow them to be finely trimmed at the touch of a button. Positioning and rake settings are displayed on 10 inch Sailmon screens in the cockpit.
Or for a more hands-off approach, in ‘auto-trim’ mode the G4 operating system automatically trims both mainsail and foil height and rake to maintain a smooth, even flight. It is truly futuristic stuff. If the boat’s gyro senses that it is heeling too far or too rapidly, the ‘auto-dump’ function kicks in, easing mainsheet and traveller and retracting the daggerboards.
There are also large red safety buttons in the cockpit and saloon, which can be used to manually activate the ‘dump’ function. However, Mischa Heemskerk, the professional sailor and foiling expert who works with DNA to test their fleet of foiling boats, says the system response speed is much faster than a person in most situations – he described it as putting an ABS braking system into a Ferrari.
The G4 features a rotating mast with a square top mainsail
Testing the limits
Over months of development and testing the team has thoroughly explored the limits of the ‘auto dump’ system, from conservative modes to sailing the boat much more aggressively than any private owner would – Heemskerk is an A Class world champion and Olympic coach.
Before going out for the day, a simple ‘double click’ set-up adjusts the pre-programmed settings for the day’s conditions, including wind strength and all-up weight, depending how many crew and guests are aboard (the G4 weighs just 4.3 tonnes).
The G4 will foil once wind speeds get up to around 17-18 knots (DNA suggest a maximum wind strength of 30 knots). In ‘foiling cruise’ mode she’ll get up to 30 knots of boatspeed, but in ‘sport’ or ‘race’ mode has the potential to hit 39-40 knots.
The daggerboards are lowered and lifted hydraulically
Once underway the G4’s real party trick is not only maintaining stable flight in a straight line, but also controlling the foils into and out of a tack or gybe. Hit the ‘Tack’ button, slow down, then push the tiller away and the G4 automated system will lift and lower the boards through the tack. This was, unsurprising, one of the hardest bits of the software development to get right. It can also be stopped mid-way through the manoeuvre.
The power demands of the controls mean that the new G4 has a bank of lithium batteries, as well as a generator. It should be able to sail for one or two days without needing the generator. The systems have increased the overall weight of the G4, but van Riemsdijk says that in real terms it means the G4 needs just 1 more knot of wind to foil.
The team has worked hard to strike a balance between automation, and maintaining the fun sensation of sailing a foiling cat. Heemskerk says they focussed on making it feel intuitive. There is also a jib and either fractional or masthead Code 0 on manual winches, giving the crew something to do other than enjoy the ride. If the owner’s demands change, the pre-programmed settings can be modified remotely.
Manual controls for the rudders and daggerboards are next to each helm position, along with the ‘auto tack’ button
Remotely optimised foiling
Automated foiling systems that can be remotely optimised sound like the preserve of the America’s Cup. The DNA team did call in some expertise from programmers who had worked with Groupama Team France, and discovered they had arrived at quite similar solutions on the G4, albeit for very different functions.
The G4 could theoretically raise its performance yet further, with the potential to set up the angles of attack on each rudder independently, giving a differential variable. That, Heemskerk explains, may be possible in future, but would require additional load cells to manage the associated rig loads.
The G4 is primarily a cruising boat with performance that exceeds 99% of racers. You can either have a lot of fun going nowhere in particular, or use the G4’s mile-eating abilities to cover a lot of water in a short time.
The interior is not luxurious, with the focus on outdoor living. The cockpit is vast, with easily enough room to have more than a dozen friends or family out for a day sail. There is also an outdoor galley area with fridge, two burner hob and sink.
The pilothouse has full height headroom in the centre, with a large saloon table and seating. Either side of the central seating are queen-sized double beds, with fabric partitions for privacy, although they are more akin to camping than separate cabins. There is also a single berth abaft in each hull, again with canvas enclosures.
The newest G4 can sit in a custom crane on a superyacht helipad
In one hull is a carbon heads, “The world’s first fully foiling toilet,” Heemskeerk jokes. For bathing, it’s a solar shower over the trampoline.
The owner of the second G4 is unlikely to care about the creature comforts, however. When I visited DNA they were in the midst of building a gigantic carbon cradle for the G4 to be placed onto her new owner’s superyacht helipad. There the G4 can sit, rig up, ready to be craned into the water like a giant dinghy for an afternoon of foiling fun.
Helmsmen and tacticians at the Superyacht Cup in Palma talk frankly about the thrills and skills needed to throw gleaming multimillion dollar yachts around the race course
From the towering masts of the 52m schooner Meteor to the carbon bladed racing Baltic 108 WinWin to the fabulous J Class, the13 yachts taking part this week in the Superyacht Cup in Palma illustrate the extraordinary diversity of superyacht racing.
Big boat racing has become more serious and polished as crews push some of the world’s purest pleasure machines to their maximum. It is not only a fantastic spectacle in Palma Bay, it is also a demonstration of some finely honed skills, no less than one would see in the most elite areas of the sport.
Watch the video edit here >
The fleet is studded with talent from former Volvo sailor to ex America’s Cup crews. This is a realm in which wide experience, especially on maxis and big boats, really counts. Many of these race crews have been together for decades.
Dutch sailor BouweBekking, who has raced in no less than eight Volvo Ocean Races, is helmsman on the 34m Baltic 112 Nilaya. He and a regular race crew are intent on sailing the boat to her optimum, and he is adamant that the skills are little different to any other top race
“The only thing different is that these boats are heavier, you sail with way more crew and of course some things don’t go so fast. Otherwise you race as hard as any other boat. And I think that’s the attitude you have to have,” he says.
“They say you earn your trophies during the training and in the racing you pick them up. In big boats you have to train a lot and go for the manoeuvres and do them a lot of times. That’s where you make gains.
“A Volvo Ocean Race boat is maybe more agile because it’s lighter but the racing is the same. It’s still people management and communications that are important.
“On the big boats, I have a comms system, the bowman had a comms system and two people in the pit. I have to be sure when I ask for something that the message is getting back to everyone.”
Nilaya has two big rivals in her class: the always well sailed Baltic 105 WinWin, and Wally 107 Open Season. WinWin won today and looks set to triumph in her class for the third year running.
On board is British navigator Mike Broughton. Ask him what the differences are between superyacht racing and any other kind and you get a similar answer to Bekking’s.
“Absolutely nothing,” he says.
“I am spared a bit more time to concentrate on the refinements of data. If you’re on the rail of a Fast 40, you’ve got a lot of things going on.
“You’re thinking: are we losing guage? Does the bearing and the course over the ground match? Is the wind shifting in a tack? I’ve got a little bit more capacity to work on things.
“But the real answer is nothing – in a dinghy or a superyacht. Just on a superyacht you have a few more toys.”
Working as a team
But there are some key differences, ones that might actually make this style of racing more challenging, in a few different ways. For one thing, race crews are joining the permanent crew, and owners’ friends and family. To race well, they all have to gel, and work effectively as a team.
“We have six permanent crew, and the owner has seven or eight friends,” says Bekking.
“I have been sailing with [the owner] since his Swan 56, 18 years ago. One of his friends is helping with the spinnaker, another helping upwind, one is number three on the foredeck, so they all have jobs, and they enjoy themselves; they are all good sailors. And it’s their holiday.
“That’s the really important thing you have to find the balance of. It’s always nice to integrate people who are maybe not professional sailors into the crew. For myself as well as the owner: make it a good team.”
The sheer numbers of people on board these large yachts make communication important, and equipment, protocols and practice are vital.
Nowhere is this more so than on the J Class yachts. These empresses of the race course are superb sights, elegant and refined, but beneath the picture perfect image are yachts that top helmsman Peter Holmberg describes as “beasts”.
Holmberg is steering Topaz, the new J Class built to a 1935 Frank Paine design and launched in 2015. She is one of two in this year’s Superyacht Cup, the other being the superbly raced Velsheda, considered by aficionados to be a benchmark in the class.
“There’s 30 crew so you have to orchestrate carefully to do every manoeuvre,” explains Holmberg.
“The boat is a traditional, full keeled, hung rudder boat that has very limited feel to it so just getting all the bits right – the timing, the orchestration, the decision – and then sail the boat to its peak potential is one of the hardest possible boats to do that.”
The mighty J Class
When Holmberg got the call to steer Topaz, he thought about the experience he could bring to bear in this most famous but idiosyncratic class.
“The foremost thing is how difficult it is, and that’s what we enjoy about it. It is such a difficult machine to sail safely, and then to reach its full potential. We love that challenge of how to figure out how to make it go fast,” he says.
“Figuring out how to manoeuvre this thing properly, accurately, is the ultimate challenge.
“They act so slowly. The response time of a turn on the wheel, you’ve just got to guess where the boat’s going to turn. You have a sense of what you can do, so when I try to miss them or round a mark I’m really guessing and trying to accurately predict how this beast is going to behave. It’s like dogfighting in 747s.
“But we put it right in there, we’re metres apart in these big things.”
He also emphasises the importance of communication – radio loops are a must on yachts of this size.
“In the big boat world communication is so important, and on this boat it is twice as important. I have a speed loop and a manoeuvre loop that I switch between and so the speed guys are always talking to themselves and I’m 99% there, but on any manoeuvre I switch over with the bow team and mast team. I tell them what I’m doing so they know what’s coming next,” he explains.
But the beauty of superyacht racing is, as any bystander can see, the impressive scale, polish and elegance of so many of these yachts. The J Class are perhaps the epitome, turning heads wherever they go.
“There’s the racing, and then there’s the nostalgia,” says Holmberg.
“Today’s world is moving too fast. So every chance I have to sail and do something that has true sailing skills, and the history of our sport, it’s incredible.
“Interestingly,” he adds, “all my mates…. You know all these high performance boats we race? This is still our top boat. It’s the joy of racing this beautiful machine of the past and doing it right.
Sailing around the world doesn’t have to be a Spartan existence – Terysa Vanderloo explains her top onboard creature comforts
Photo: Jason Pickering
Cruising sailors who also call their boat their home usually give plenty of consideration to making life on board as comfortable as possible. The level of comfort cruisers and liveaboards choose is, of course, entirely personal and subjective. Some consider a watermaker to be a luxury item; others regard it to be utterly essential. Some may draw the line at a washing machine, but can’t contemplate life without their icemaker.
On larger boats with a high specification, the limitations of space and power generation may not be so restrictive. But for those who own smaller boats, perhaps contending with a more modest budget, some luxuries may have to be sacrificed or compromised.
Of course, living a simple and minimalist lifestyle is part of the fun (and, for many, the entire point) of cruising. That said, turning your yacht from a series of minor discomforts into a home with a few onboard creature comforts will make cruising far more enjoyable.
Terysa Vanderloo and her partner, Nick, are in their third year of sailing around the world on their Southerly 38
My partner Nick and I have been cruising Europe and the Caribbean for the past three years. We own a Southerly 38, the interior of which is given over mainly to living space rather than storage room: as such, we don’t have a generator or particularly large water and fuel tanks.
The knock-on effect is that we can’t have power-intensive items such as washing machines or separate freezers on board because we can’t power them, plus we don’t have anywhere to actually put them. Despite these limitations, we have a boat that is comfortable, homely and full of items that we love and wouldn’t want to be without.
Personally, neither of us could function without coffee in the morning and we love our espresso machine. Another item we bought just before we made our Atlantic crossing was a breadmaker. The power draw was less than we’d originally assumed, and we kept the batteries topped up by running the engine while the bread was in the baking stage.
Fresh-baked aroma
Kim and Simon Brown from Britican are also firm breadmaker fans. In fact, Kim says: “This is mandatory if you’re sailing around the world. Nothing is more spirit-lifting and comforting than the smell and taste of fresh bread.”
I couldn’t agree more. Of course, it’s entirely possible to make bread by hand, and many sailors do. However, we try to avoid having the oven on for too long as it not only uses up propane but also heats the boat up, so a bread machine makes sense.
Imagine escaping the daily routine of work, the long commute, the corporate life, the grey skies… What if you were…
Continuing on the premise that if we’re well-fed and caffeinated, we’d probably be quite content, we decided to buy a pressure-cooker. We didn’t purchase this until we’d been cruising for almost a year, but it was a game-changer.
It lowered our propane usage by reducing cooking time and also prevented the boat from getting too hot. Another benefit was that it cooked the frozen, often quite tough, meat we usually found on the Caribbean islands in a way that actually made it tender and delicious.
However, a pressure cooker isn’t the only option. Behan and Jamie Gifford from Totem use a far more self-sufficient alternative: a solar oven. Behan says: “Point it into the sun and during peak hours the oven heats up to 200-250°F (93-121°C). That’s kind of like having a crockpot on deck which slowly turns out a delicious meal over the course of the afternoon.”
It makes everything from slow-cooked meats, to cake, to sun-dried tomatoes. The only downside is its size. Behan says: “It’s a big box, it doesn’t collapse and it does take up a chunk of space. It’s got a special corner on deck where it lives, and we’d rather minimise what’s on deck, but there’s not another option.” However, they reckon it’s a reasonable compromise for a cooking method that not only makes delicious meals, but also uses no gas.
Clockwise from top-left: Sodastream, solar lantern, solar oven, Bluetooth speakers and a Nespresso machine
Behan has another trick up her sleeve for provisioning when in remote areas. She cans her own chicken, meat and pasta sauces, among other things, and maintains that homemade canned meat tastes far better than store-bought. “I’m a former vegetarian, but everyone else onboard Totem are die-hard carnivores. Heaven forbid we have too many meatless meals!” she says.
They also have what she calls a ‘ridiculous little luxury’ on board: a hand-cranked pasta machine. “We use it three or four times a year, usually for birthdays. It’s like a part of our family culture, so it justifies the space it takes up.”
Elena Manighetti and Ryan Osborn are currently sailing the Mediterranean on their catamaran Kittiwake and have a number of onboard creature comforts. In the galley their luxury is a set of ceramic knives.
“Ceramic knives are super sharp and simply cannot rust. All you need to do is handle them with care and keep them in a sheath so they’re always safe in their drawer on passage. Make sure the whole blade is 100 per cent ceramic and there is no iron. And don’t forget a sharpening stone,” Elena adds.
Pete and Tracey Goss live and work from the comfortable set-up of their Garcia Exploration 45 Pearl. Photo: Jason Pickering
Another much loved item is Elena’s portable speakers. “We bought speakers that we charge via USB cable and connect to our phones via bluetooth or cable. Having portable speakers means we can listen to music or podcasts anywhere, even in our berth or on the beach.”
Matt and Jessica Johnson are cruising on a budget on their Trisalu 37 Elements of Life, but are still able to have a few onboard creature comforts. Jessica says, “We’ve learned to be pretty minimal and go without a lot of things due to space and cost.”
Enjoying some fizz
But sometimes it’s the small things that matter: “I just picked up a Sodastream,” Jessica says. “I really like carbonated beverages. I make a litre of sparkling water per day, and I love it!” Jessica also listed her Sport-A-Seat (an adjustable and portable cushioned chair) as a necessary luxury: “We use them as cockpit seats, but can also move them around the boat and even take them to the beach.”
For Mark and Jennifer Prince on Luna Sea (a Beneteau 393) good bedding is a top priority. They have a gel-infused memory foam mattresses in both their cabins, and say, “It’s like sleeping on a cloud. We bought a queen-sized mattress then modified it slightly to fit the berth. They’re not too expensive, easily cut and modified, and usually come with a cover. Sleep is crucial!”
The gel component is designed to disperse body heat, which makes it cooler than sleeping on traditional memory foam. It’s also possible to get pillows and mattress toppers made with this technology. Another option is a latex mattress, which is also very comfortable and cool. We have this type of mattress in our main cabin, and it gives us a very restful sleep even in the tropics.
Nick Vanderloo plays guitar every day aboard his Southerly 38
Another key part of an enjoyable onboard lifestyle is keeping up with favourite hobbies. For us music is an important part of our cruising life. Nick plays the guitar daily, although he will bring out the banjo or harmonica when he’s feeling particularly jaunty. Some evenings have been quite memorable with people congregating in the cockpit with their instruments and impromptu concerts breaking out.
Staying healthy
Yoga has been particularly popular amongst the sailing communities we’ve stayed in: you don’t need any equipment, anyone can do it no matter their level of experience, and it not only provides a physical workout, but is a chance to meditate or have some peaceful time alone. Many cruisers are early risers and practice yoga on deck as they watch dawn break. It’s hard to think of a better start to the day.
For more modern entertainment, internet connection is vital for many cruisers. Some feel that a lengthy break from technology and social media allows them to better enjoy all that the cruising lifestyle has to offer. On the other hand, cruising can be a lonely existence even in more popular grounds such as the Caribbean. Social media greatly helps to foster connections with other cruisers, which can ultimately result in close friendships on the water as you meet up with people you originally knew online.
Providing entertainment for liveaboard children is a must. Photo: Netflix
Besides the practical requirements of keeping abreast of the latest weather forecasts, boating forums are also an excellent way of getting advice or information on all sorts of matters. For us, internet access is essential. We always buy a local SIM card with data, which we keep topped up until we leave the country.
To watch films or television; most cruisers have either a TV or laptop, along with a high-capacity hard-drive to store the movie files – which can be topped up whenever there’s free or fast wifi connection.
For many cruisers, part of the delight of living on board is to enjoy a minimalist lifestyle. Nick and I get a huge amount of satisfaction from living self-sufficiently and sustainably. So for us, living without some onboard creature comforts is actually part of the fun. That being said, a bit of luxury goes a long way to making life on board more enjoyable.
Don't miss any of the action from the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race with our essential spectator guide, plus follow progress from the race and all the news from the finishers in Plymouth with Yachting World's exclusive coverage
Photo: Kurt Arrigo / Rolex
The 608-mile Rolex Fastnet Race is a true blue riband event and offshore classic, attracting a capacity fleet which sells out within minutes, as well as a superstar line up of some of the sport’s biggest names and leading edge race designs.
Here’s how to follow the 2019 Fastnet and keep up-to-date with all the action…
Watch the start
The race starts from one of world’s most famous yachting locations: the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. This year the start has been moved forward, ahead of Cowes Week, to Saturday, 3 August 2019.
Fastnet TV will cover the entire start sequence live. It will be streamed online from the official Fastnet Race website, via Fastnet Radio and on RORC Facebook live with expert commentary of the build up and for the entire start sequence, right through to the fleet leaving the Solent.
Spectators watch the fleet set out from Cowes. Kurt Arrigo/Rolex
Fastnet Radio will be broadcasting on the Cowes Radio frequency 87.7FM on start day, Saturday 3 August, and simulcast with Fastnet Radio in Plymouth on 87.9FM.
There will also be a podcast from the skippers’ briefing, held on Thursday 1 August. This will include a Q&A session with guest skippers from across the fleet.
The start sequence begins at 1300 (BST) for the 48th edition. The multihulls go off first, with an entry list that currently includes three impressive Ultimes: Sodebo, Groupe Edmond de Rothschild and Macif.
They will be followed by an enormous fleet of IMOCA 60s and Class 40s – 27 of each at last count – including some seriously big names, including the radical foil-assisted Charal of Jérémie Beyou, other foiling designs including PRB, BanquePopulaire, and Sam Davies on InitiativesCoeur. Yachting World’s very own Pip Hare will also be lining up in her IMOCA Superbigou.
The IRC fleets will be a spectacle in themselves, with 60-80 boats in each division, before the big boats are the last to cross the line at 1400hrs. Among the SuperZero fleet expect the super maxis of Rambler 88 and Scallywag 100 to dominate, along with a big turnout of former Volvo Ocean Race yachts.
Time
Class
1230
Multihull
1245
Imoca 60 and Class 40
1300
IRC 4
1315
IRC 3
1330
IRC 2
1345
IRC 1
1400
IRC Z and VO65
Hurst Castle on the mainland can offer a great vantage point of the race start and boats leaving the Solent. Photo: Kurt Arrigo/Rolex Fastnet Race
From the shore
The best vantage points of the start will be along Cowes Green and Egypt Esplanade on the Isle of Wight.
The live Fastnet Radio commentary will also be broadcast from speakers along Cowes Parade and The Green.
As the fleet funnels out of the Solent there will also be a good chance to see the yachts from Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight, and Hurst Castle on the mainland is another traditional spectator point to see the fleet as it heads into open water.
Further along the coast Anvil Point, St Alban’s Head, and Portland Bill should each give a good view of the race on its outbound leg – follow the tracker (below) to know when the race fleet is approaching.
With at least two Ultimes set to take on the Fastnet course this year, Loick Peyron’s 2011 course record could…
Follow online
Yachting World will be covering the race from Cowes to Plymouth, with rolling news, insight from the skippers, and video updates on our dedicated Rolex Fastnet Race page.
Event organisers RORC have a dedicated Rolex Fastnet Race website where you can find the latest images and positions of the fleet, blogs from the boats, web updates and daily updates.
Race tracker
You can follow the Rolex Fastnet Race online with the fleet tracker. Yellowbrick trackers are fitted to every yacht so you can see each boat’s position along the course.
View by class or select your favourites to follow friends and family, check out their boat speed and weather conditions in real time.
Social media
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates, and to share your onboard photos and videos from the race.
Virtual race
Armchair sailors will be able to test their skills on the same course as competitors in the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race by playing the Virtual Fastnet Race.
At the finish
The first yachts are expected into Plymouth on Monday, 5th August. The Rolex Fastnet Race Village will be next to the Plymouth Yacht Haven marina, and open daily from 1000hrs onwards. There’s live music on Tuesday 6th, Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th, and family activities from 1100-1700 with everything from circus workshops and face painting to paddleboarding sessions. There will also be guided ‘dock walks’ to see the competing yachts.
Shearwater is a unique custom Frers cruiser-racer with twin rudders, lifting keel and hybrid power. Crosbie Lorimer takes a closer look
Shearwater always turns heads when sailing on Sydney Harbour. Photo: Andrea Francolini
Wheeling effortlessly from crest to trough, wingtips kissing the wavetops, the shearwater is Australia’s most prolific seabird and a constant companion of offshore sailors on the country’s eastern and southern coastlines. Its mesmerising flight is a model of elegant efficiency.
Having set out to achieve similar characteristics for his next yacht it was apt that Guido Belgiorno-Nettis – businessman, engineer, arts patron and yachtsman – chose the name Shearwater for his latest creation.
Belgiorno-Nettis, whose sailing accomplishments includes six Farr 40 Australian National Championship wins and a World Champion title in 2011, commissioned Mani Frers, of the famed Frers yacht design dynasty, to create his yacht. “We liked each other immediately,” said Frers, adding: “I already had been thinking about designing this sort of boat.”
Photo: Andrea Francolini
“We both had a ball,” Belgiorno-Nettis says on their creative meeting of minds. “We spent three hours every week for three months on Skype. Mani also came and sailed on my old boat Satori to get a feel for how we use it.”
The brief was to create a fast and comfortable yacht that Belgiorno-Nettis and his wife, Michelle, could readily cruise together, while also being suitable for local twilight racing at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and Middle Harbour Yacht Club.
The term cruiser-racer does little justice to the result, a remarkable twin rudder, 57ft lifting-keel hybrid design. Being principally for Guido’s and Michelle’s use the design could be tailored very much to their own needs; and as neither of the couple is tall, some typical design parameters could be freed up to meet performance criteria.
Shearwater does not have a bimini but a large shade cloth can be fixed across the full width of the cockpit using carbon struts. Photo: Crosbie Lorimer
“I wanted to have a self-tacking jib track that went from sheer to sheer,” explained Belgiorno-Nettis, “but I also wanted the cabin top to stop at the mast to keep the foredeck clean and uncluttered. I asked Mani how long the boat needed to be to do that and in reply he asked me how tall I was. So we ended up with a cabin height of 1.68cm on a 57ft yacht, with a pleasingly low sheerline.”
McConaghy’s Central Coast yard was chosen as the builder, thanks to their reputation for combining high-tech composite construction with fine craftsmanship. Belgiorno-Nettis has a long-standing relationship with the company, which also built his previous boats, and with the site just a one-hour drive from his home in Sydney, it gave the owner opportunity to be actively involved in the new build on a week-by-week basis.
Turning out a 57ft yacht packed with creature comforts at a displacement of only 13 tonnes required an almost obsessive focus on weight. Building a pre-preg carbon hull (with Nomex core in key areas) was just the start. “The quest for weight started with the owner as chief weight reduction policeman with one or two McConaghy leading hands acting under instructions as weight reduction Lieutenants!” said Belgiorno-Nettis.
Wally has started to build its third largest yacht yet, a Wally 145 / 44m carbon fibre fast cruiser that…
Fuel and water tanks were fabricated in plastic, the joinery is made from carbon/foam panels covered with sliver-thin veneers or paint, there is honeycomb foam in the furniture cushions, the Corian worktops in the galley are thinned down to 3mm, ceiling panels are made of carbon covered with light weight fabric. The weight loss checklist was endless and so effective that at launch the yacht initially had a half-degree list to port because the galley had ended up lighter than anticipated!
With Italian heritage in his family it is no surprise that Belgiorno-Nettis favours the elegant Med-style simplicity of cockpit and deck layout. To achieve that simple appearance, however, requires some extraordinary behind-the-scenes complexity.
Real ingenuity of engineering allows Shearwater to transition in minutes from party to business mode without losing one iota of class. Nowhere is that better manifested than in the cockpit where, like a Transformers toy, tables and bench seats materialise from the cockpit sole and coaming at the push of a button.
Power and sail
Energy efficiency and self-sufficiency were central drivers in all aspects of Shearwater’s design, with permanent solar power panels inset into the coachroof, an onboard watermaker and a high output, low consumption alternator attached to the 55hp Volvo Penta engine.
The rapidly evolving marine application of electric propulsion (more frequently applied to yachts up to 50ft in length) also appealed to the owner and designer, with the yacht being driven by two Oceanvolt SD 15 fixed sail drives with variable pitch propellers.
Generating and maintaining sufficient onboard power to sustain electric propulsion, hydraulic deck and rig systems, instrumentation and all the house needs (including fridge/freezers, dishwasher, washing machine, hot water, watermaker and air conditioning) in a boat of only 13 tonnes required some complex design integration. “We spent a lot of time talking about redundancy,” said Belgiorno-Nettis, pointing out the numerous back-up systems also incorporated into the boat.
The helm position includes a slide-out step, linked throttles for the two electric sail drives and an angled seat forward of the wheel for comfort when heeled. Photo: Crosbie Lorimer
Under sail, Shearwater is a real performer and quite a head turner, as was evident when we sailed on a busy Sydney Harbour. Everyone from Laser sailors to supermaxi crews waved, smiled or raised thumbs as we powered effortlessly down the harbour at 12 knots under our large, black Code Zero in 17 knots of breeze.
“Michelle is a sailor, but technically I can pretty much sail the boat on my own,” said Belgiorno-Nettis as he furled the Code Zero and deployed the headsail from the helm, turning the boat upwind again.
Adaptable space
Below decks the layout is anything but conventional. All accommodation lies forward of the companionway to create room for voluminous cockpit lockers and all the systems, hydraulics and batteries, as well as a small garage for the tender in the transom.
The main saloon is light, open and airy, with natural teak flooring, walnut veneer joinery and matte-finished carbon features. But one of the most ingenious features on the yacht is Shearwater’s elegant guest cabin module, which can be fixed and dismantled in the saloon in as little as ten minutes, with all of the ultra-lightweight parts neatly and compactly stowed under a cabin settee.
The guest cabin ‘pod’ can be installed in minutes thanks to removable bulkhead panels. The aft end of the keel box forms the door jamb for the cabin door. Photo: Crosbie Lormier
There’s room to accommodate the owner’s other favoured pastimes too. “I’m a road cyclist and a classical guitarist,” adds Belgiorno-Nettis, “So I had a special locker made for my guitar in the main cabin and I can easily stow a couple of my bikes in the deep cockpit lockers.”
“I’m only going to do this once,” says Belgiorno-Nettis of Shearwater’s marathon design and build, “So this boat is for at least the next 15 years.” If this remarkable yacht lives up to the ocean-spanning endurance of the bird after which it is named, that timeline seems safe enough.
Any one of these cutting-edge foiling trimarans is capable of a record-breaking run given favourable weather conditions. Gabart revealed that he is targeting an average speed of 40 knots, more than double the 18.53 knots Peyron averaged at the helm of Banque Populaire V before finishing the famous 608-mile course in 32 hours and 48 minutes.
Today, Banque Populaire V is old technology. Modern Ultime trimarans may be shorter, at around 100ft, but are substantially faster thanks to new foiling technology.
“With the speeds we can now reach and if conditions are good for flying, then we can break the record for sure, but it fully depends on the weather,” admits Gabart.
MACIF, all 30 x 21m of her, can fly in around 13 knots of wind but the optimum conditions are 15-18 knots – more than this and the sea state becomes too lumpy. In her sweet spot MACIF has already touched 49.4 knots (in the Route du Rhum, singlehanded under autopilot).
“Our target is to average more than 40 knots,” adds Gabart. A 40-knot Rolex Fastnet Race would take just over 15 hours!
Francois Gabart will compete for the second time in the Rolex Fastnet Race. Photo: Vincent Curutchet / DPPI
Francois Gabart is one of contemporary sailing’s most remarkable competitors. Pleasantly unassuming and relatively small framed, the blonde haired French 36-year-old moved up through the usual French classes culminating in his getting backing from his insurance company sponsor MACIF for a Vendée Globe campaign.
In 2012-13 he won the Vendée Globe on his first attempt, and subsequently the IMOCA class in the Rolex Fastnet Race sailing doublehanded with Michel Desjoyeaux. “I have just done the race once, so I have a 100% success rate!” he quips.
Since then Gabart has graduated up to the Ultime trimaran class and has since set a 24-hour solo speed record of 851 miles, and in 2017 set a new time for the singlehanded round the world record of just 42 days 16 hours and 40 minutes – just under two days slower than the record for the fully crewed lap.
During this Gabart averaged 27.2 knots, so it’s a fair assumption that MACIF, being sailed fully crewed and having since been modified and improved, should be able to destroy the present record. MACIF would ‘only’ have to average upwards of 25.3 knots to complete the Rolex Fastnet Race in under a day.
Photo: Jean Marie Liot/DPPI
However, Gabart will face stiff competition from the latest arrival on the Ultime scene. Coville’s Sodebo Ultim 3 was launched in March this year, so the 2019 Fastnet Race will be its first competitive outing.
“We have been discovering the boat technically – furling and unfurling, tacking and gybing and using the boards, up and down and the daggerboard and playing with the rake of the rudders. It is working pretty well,” Coville told the Royal Ocean Racing Club.
“We’ve just had two offshore sessions for two or three days each in 30 knots and the boat seems very safe and quite fast. But it is a long way from being stable and achieving really big speeds.”
At 32m LOA, Sodebo is the largest vessel in this year’s Fastnet fleet and has an estimated top speed of 50 knots, meaning it is more than capable of giving MACIF a run for its money.
“Before on the old Ultimes, the target was 30 knots,” Coville explained. “Now our targets are 35+ knot average speeds. It is a huge step up, but you need to stabilise the flight or to be skimming to raise the average speed and that is sea state dependent. It is amazing how easy it is to go fast in a good sea state.”
Sodebo is the latest Ultime on the circuit and Thomas Coville is looking forward to the race and the competition. Photo: Fred Morin / Sobedo
Coville is remarkable for having competing in almost every major sailing event from the America’s Cup and Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Race (winning with Groupama 4) to the Mini, IMOCA 60, ORMA 60 and for more than a decade in giant multihulls. In 2016 he set a new solo round the world record (which was later broken by Gabart).
Coville also competed in the Fastnet with the French Corum team that won the 1991 Admiral’s Cup. He has fond memories of the race.
“The Rolex Fastnet Race will be our first race to test our new boat,” says Coville. “It is a great opportunity for us to compete against the other Ultimes and to be part of a big race in England.
“The Fastnet is very prestigious and usually has a lot of different conditions, so it is a perfect test. It is a mix of different ways of sailing and different levels, but it is all still the same passion for offshore sailing. I really like this way of thinking and the atmosphere.”
The 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race will begin in Cowes on Saturday 3 August, with the multihulls first off at 1230 in what promises to be an unmissable sailing spectacle.
Is the CNB 66 the largest Sailing yacht that can be handled by a family crew? Toby Hodges reports
All photos: Nicholas Claris
Congratulations. You’ve finally received that hefty bonus. Or perhaps you cashed in your pension, married wisely, or are a successful gambler or racketeer. However you came across the funds, you have decided now is the time to spend them and live the dream.
You want a modish monohull, a yacht that is both spirited to sail and sexy to look at – something out of the ordinary. You crave a yacht that is as at home crossing an ocean with friends as it is providing premium class coastal holidays with the family. And you want something that you can contemplate with pride.
At first glance, the CNB 66 could be the ideal choice. But is this just another pretty face or will she perform? And will she, as CNB suggests, be manageable by owners and their families without needing paid crew? We sailed her off the south of France to find out.
Backstay rams run vertically under the aft deck. Runners are used only to stop the mast pumping when sailing under staysail in a swell.
Punchy design
An increasing number of production yacht builders have moved up to this mid-60ft mark, but the key difference with CNB is that it has come down in size from superyachts. It uses the Beneteau Group’s buying power and industrial experience to help keep price tags modest, combined with its own R&D, engineering and big boat know-how to produce elegant craft that are a cut above the mainstream in style and substance. Think superyacht looks and feel but without the cost of a similar-sized semi-custom yacht.
The base price of a CNB 66 is around 40 per cent less than that of an Oyster or Contest, though if all the optional extras are chosen, as was the case with the test boat, that margin reduces considerably.
The 66 marks CNB’s 30th anniversary and is a model that plays on the success of the Bordeaux 60 (46 sold in nine years) and the CNB 76 (21 in four years). She shares a similar Philippe Briand-designed sporty hull and coachroof shape to the 76, but the bowsprit option is new.
If it hadn’t been for the original Swan 65, Nautor’s Swan might never have become the famous name it is…
Upwind control
Docking out of the bustling marina at Port Cogolin, we were met by ideal sunny sailing conditions. It was the day after the closing regatta of the Mediterranean season, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. A Force 4 easterly was blowing and we had the Golfe de Saint-Tropez to ourselves.
Beating upwind under full main and genoa, we could pinch up to 22° to the apparent wind, making 7.5 knots. This rose up to 8.5 knots at 25° apparent as the breeze picked up into the mid-teens. My three crewmates demonstrated how easy it is to reef the CNB 66, an important consideration in taming this powerful cruiser.
The test boat has a carbon mast and hydraulic roller-furling carbon vee boom, developed with Hall Spars. Although this is an option over the standard aluminium rig, it is a significant feature for CNB in its efforts to convince couples that this is a manageable yacht.
Once the main is hoisted, the mandrel is hydraulically engaged. To furl, a remote switch powers the mandrel while the halyard is eased from the mast base winch. The system can also be controlled manually using an emergency line.
Without changing our heading, the main was sheeted out, a reef was wound in and we sailed on – at the same speed and with a bit less heel and pointing. Point nicely proven.
The boom and reefing mechanism is a seriously expensive option though. I would expect that, for €140,000, it might hoist or lower sails automatically and make drinks at the same time. Yet this system still requires a crewmember at the mast base to work the halyard winch and the control switch for the mandrel.
With full sail quickly and easily restored, we were soon out of the bay and into a steady sea breeze – and the 66 was in her element. Once she has that extra couple of knots of wind and degrees of heel, the CNB 66 accelerates another half-knot.
The masculine styling, including the low, wraparound design of the coachroof, is signature Briand
The sweet spot
It was a noticeable and delightful difference – she is a boat that sails best powered up. Indeed, it is once we cracked off a little onto a fetch that I found her sweet spot. This is the way to cover the sea miles, I thought – 15 knots wind at 50° apparent, clocking a steady 10 knots boat speed. We spent an intoxicating hour like that, close reaching back and forth across the mouth of the bay, savouring the experience.
The test boat had twin headsails – 90 per cent of CNB owners take this staysail option
In general, the feel on the helm is fun and authoritative. When the boat is less pressed, it can feel a little neutral and she can wander. The large twin rudders suit her design though.
Despite a noticeable amount of drag off the leeward blade, the direct grip they provide make easy work for the autopilot.
We hoisted a bright pink asymmetric sail for the return leg into the bay. This felt wonderful for the short spell when I could heat her up a little, making up to 10.5 knots.
But depth restrictions soon forced us to bear away to a more sedate angle, heel and speed. If we tried to sail much lower than 120° apparent, the asymmetric would lose too much apparent wind and start to flog.
As we slid past the old harbour at Saint-Tropez under port gybe, I couldn’t help thinking how at home the CNB 66 looked. This is one chic and stylish mini superyacht that will stand out for the right reasons wherever she sails.
Modern deck design
The twin helm stations are well designed. The outboard helm seats enable you to sit out in comfort, both to windward and leeward, with full vision along the side decks. Foot chocks will help when standing at the helm, and these are installed at handover stage according to each owner’s specification.
Directly in front of the helmsman’s seats are consoles for plotters, instruments, engine throttles and thruster controls. However, I found the motorboat-style joystick thruster controls were positioned too close to the wheel and could easily get knocked. Bow and stern thrusters help alleviate concerns about handling a yacht of this size with twin rudders in port – but I’d ask for conventional switches.
The main cockpit is set up for relaxing. The table lowers to form a sunbed but the coamings are a little low.
To get to the winches the helmsman has to walk outboard around the large consoles or inboard around the pedestals. It is then possible to keep a hand on the wheel and let off a lazy sheet. In reality, however, either one crewmember (or the autopilot) would helm while one or two others trim main and foresails.
The benefit of keeping the sailing systems aft is that, like most big yachts today, it leaves the main cockpit free of sailing systems. The seating area is larger to port and the companionway is offset a little. This slightly unsymmetrical design continues below through to the forward accommodation to provide privacy to the offset berth in the owner’s cabin.
The cockpit coamings are low, maintaining the sleek aesthetics of the superstructure, but offer little comfort or protection. This makes the optional padded backrest cushions a wise choice. Playtime at anchor and a smart means of getting ashore are important considerations for a yacht of this type.
Leisure time at anchor is well considered. The bathing platform is large and the RIB can be launched within a minute
A large, hydraulic-powered bathing platform lowers to reveal a tender garage roomy enough to house a 3.25m Williams jet RIB. Runner boards can mount onto the platform to help deploy the dinghy and an electric belt winch aids retrieval.
The forepeak sail locker is large enough to be used as an optional crew cabin, it has 7ft headroom, a proper fixed ladder and a useful watertight door into the interior. I liked the workbench with sockets for charging power tools and the tower of bosun’s boxes for spare parts.
Deck saloon appeal
Jean-Marc Piaton has designed another elegant, modern and light interior, which, as with the CNB 76, produces an air of quality and distinction throughout. The beamy deck saloon, with its ample natural light and views, creates a superb first impression.
Feedback from owners about its previous models led CNB to maximise interior space in the saloon and adjoining galley. It uses the full beam in the saloon, with the sofas taken right out to the hull sides. Elsewhere the 66 shares a similar layout to the 76, except the aft galley adjoins the saloon and the aft double cabin is suitable for either guests or crew.
The airy galley connects nicely with the deck saloon via an open bulkhead and navstation desk
Open spaces have their downsides at sea, however. Going below when the yacht is heeled quickly establishes that the CNB 66 badly needs a handrail on the deckhead in the saloon. It is a good distance between the saloon table and the sofa. And the carpet had yet to be secured down, which merely compounded my precarious efforts to walk forward. I also found the 90° companionway steps too angular for use at heel – curved sides would help.
An open bulkhead separates saloon and galley but allows interaction between both. These areas are divided by an aft-facing navstation, which is well placed to communicate with those on deck.
The danger is that this could become the ‘hall table’, however, a dumping ground between galley and saloon. The option of a dedicated navstation to starboard therefore, rather than the huge daybed cum sofa, will appeal to more traditional sailors.
The cabins have an attractive décor. They feature lit and ventilated wardrobes, bookshelves, leecloths and fittings, fabric on the hull liners and full-length mirrors on the doors. It’s a harmonious mix of designer and practical details.
The word ‘smart’ littered my notes. Even the heads and shower compartments, which have heated towel rails and electric flush as standard, are very, um, smart. The effect is of a modern, chic apartment. The cabins are all rather compact though. A combination including both a sail locker and a tender garage squeezes the rest of the accommodation space slightly.
For a new boat, she also felt very complete. Yacht Solutions, an independent company based near CNB in Bordeaux, supplies equipment for most new CNB clients, ranging from safety and technical gear to crockery and bed linen.
Below the saloon
Another reason a deck saloon is popular on medium-to-large sized yachts is that it allows the builders to install tanks and mechanics beneath it, keeping the weight central and freeing up accommodation and stowage space elsewhere.
CNB uses a modular build system where the interior is fully constructed before being lowered into receivers in the hull. This ensures consistent quality and reduces build times.
The engine room, all contained in one metal box, is one of these five modules on the CNB 66. Two quick access points in the saloon sole allow for regular maintenance checks, otherwise, the carpets and chairs need to be removed to lift the soleboards. The benefit of doing so, however, is that access to machinery is then excellent.
It needs to be. With tanks, plumbing, and optional watermaker all contained in here, it is a crowded machinery space. Indeed, the hot water tank has been moved aft on future models to free up room around the genset.
A generous fuel tank capacity (1,300lt) helps provide a motoring range of over 1,000 miles, including three hours’ genset use per day. I like the way the filters, separators and coolant refill are neatly mounted and easy to access. CNB has certainly made sure the parts that require regular servicing are as user-friendly as possible.
Galley
The galley is a spacious area to work in, a practical U-shape, with plenty of light and headroom. There is ample cold stowage space, including a 157lt domestic-style fridge. If all the extras are chosen, as aboard the test boat with its extra fridge-freezer, washer-dryer, dishwasher and wine climatiser, dry goods stowage space is compromised.
CNB uses electric cooking appliances as standard to avoid the need to carry gas. These are powered off the batteries and inverter for quick cooking, or the genset for Sunday roasts.
Aft cabin
The aft cabin is versatile because it will suit either guests or a paid crew, and the separation in space to the forward cabins ensures a good degree of privacy from and for the owner. However, the cabin is on different sole levels and does feel slightly cramped, particularly in the compact ensuite heads where a larger-framed crewmember would struggle to get through the doorway. To provide space for a separate shower cubicle, the heads is crammed in behind the door.
The elegant owner’s cabin has a large ensuite forward with access to the sail locker
Forward cabins
The owner’s cabin décor is clever because it feels calming and luxurious despite this not being a particularly large area. It lacks stowage space for couples staying aboard for long periods, but there is an option to choose a dressing room over the fourth heads (currently accessed via the bunk cabin).
The ensuite heads forward has a generous sized separate shower. A door through the forward bulkhead provides useful internal access into the sail locker. The other two guest cabins are a double and a functional family bunk cabin, both with ensuite heads.
Our verdict
The CNB 66 is pitched at the point where two markets meet: where semi-custom luxury rubs up against the economic practicality of serial production. You are led to feel you are aboard a superyacht, but the focus is still on ease of handling for a crew of family and friends at a price that is (just about) still within production yacht territory.
The test boat had twin headsails – 90 per cent of CNB owners take this staysail option
It’s a contemporary design that ticks many boxes that potential owners looking at this size level desire: enjoyable sailing, plentiful deck space, a garage for a jet RIB, a proper deck saloon and a luxury feel to the interior.
CNB says this is the largest yacht that can be handled by its owners. That may be the case, but only provided the owner/skipper has some experience in handling big yachts and their associated loads.
You would need to have a few reliable sailing friends if not using a paid crew. The test boat has a clever in-boom furling system, but still requires at least a couple of able sailors to work it.
This is a dream boat for doing an ocean crossing at pace and in real comfort. It’s sporty enough for the odd social regatta and offers a luxurious platform for holidaying with family. But once you moor up and leave a boat of this size, cost and quality, it would still be prudent even for an owner-operator to have someone to help with maintenance. Volunteers will surely not be hard to find.
Specification
LOA: 20.61m (67ft 7in) LWL: 18.45m (60ft 6in) Beam (max): 5.51m (18ft 1in) Draught: 2.95m (9ft 8in) Displacement (lightship): 31,000kg (68,563lb) Ballast: 9,350kg (20,613lb) Sail area (100% foretriangle): 208.8m2 (2,248ft2) Berths: 8 Engine: 180hp Volvo D4 Water capacity: 1,000lt (220gal) Fuel capacity: 1,300lt (286gal) Price from: €1,390,000 (ex VAT) Price as tested: €2.1m Design: Philippe Briand & Jean Marc Piaton
The Fastnet Rock and its eponymous race is the stuff of legend: we've dug out some fascinating facts about the classic offshore challenge. How many did you know?
The Rolex Fastnet Race is the world's largest offshore yacht race. Photo: Rolex
The 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race starts on 3 August, 2019, we take a look at the biggest, the smallest, the fastest and the first yacht to take part.
1. Only 7 boats raced in the first edition of the Fastnet Race in 1925. The winner was a gaff-rigged pilot cutter named Jolie Brise.
The Jolie Brise rounding the Fastnet Rock as part of the Glandore Classic Regatta in Ireland in 2013. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
2. The Fastnet Rock is also known as the ‘teardrop of Ireland’
3. In 1925, the winner completed the course in 147 hours. Today, yachts are competing to beat the monohull record of 42 hours 39 minutes, set by the Volvo 70 yacht Abu Dhabi in 2011.
The current monohull race record of 1 day, 18 hours, 39 minutes is the time set by Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in 2011. Photo: Rolex/Kurt Arrigo
4. This year’s entry list of 340 IRC yachts was filled in just 4 minutes 37 seconds! In total 478 boats will compete, including entries in the Class 40, IMOCA 60, Volvo Ocean 65 and Multihull grand prix classes.
5. The main trophy for overall winner of the Rolex Fastnet is called the Fastnet Challenge Cup. There are however, an additional 30 trophies presented at prizegiving.
The Fastnet Challenger Cup alongside Rolex Chronometer watches. One watch is awarded to the Cup winner and the other to the line honours monohull winner.
6. Crews pass eight famous landmarks along the route: the Needles, Portland Bill, Start Point, the Lizard, Land’s End, the Fastnet Rock, Bishop’s Rock off the Scillies and Plymouth breakwater.
Passing Hurst Castle with the Needles in the distance. Photo: Kurt Arrigo/Rolex
7. The first race after the Second World War was held in 1947, and the prize went to the first yacht ever custom built for offshore racing, John Illingworth’s Myth of Malham.
8. The 1979 edition of the race goes down in history for its tragic outcome. Eighteen people lost their lives following a ferocious storm. Less than a third of the 303-strong fleet finished the race. After the event, numerous changes were brought in, including mandatory storm sails and VHF radios.
9. In 2007, the race start had to be delayed by 24 hours due to a severe weather warning. It was the first time in the event’s 82-year history that they had suffered a delay to the start.
10. At least 26 countries are represented. Great Britain makes up 39% of the fleet in 2019, but 61%, or a whopping 287 boats, will have come from overseas, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
The Fastnet Rock lighthouse is as famous in its way as Cape Horn, and just as notorious. Its history shows why
Photo: Carlo Borlenghi
/ Rolex
It is so notorious among sailors that you could say the Fastnet Rock is the northern hemisphere’s Cape Horn. Legends have formed around this famous landmark: of storms, and shipwrecks and the terrible events of the RORC Fastnet Race in 1979.
So you may find it surprising if you’ve never sailed there yourself, or if you’ve raced there only to turn round and sail 250 miles back to Plymouth, to discover that the Fastnet Rock is just six miles from the Irish mainland and four miles from the closest island. With a fair wind you can be grasping your first pint of Murphy’s within the hour at Ciarán Danny Mike’s on Cape Clear or O’Sullivan’s in Crookhaven.
It is geography that has made it so feared by mariners over the centuries. The Fastnet lighthouse stands on small outcrop of rock, off the first land that would have been seen for weeks for those sailing across the Atlantic in years gone by. If their navigation was even slightly out…
Often shrouded in low cloud and beset by strong winds and seas from a succession of Atlantic lows, it was a place where ships could – and did – come to grief.
Even today, with metres-accurate GPS positioning and radar to ascertain its position, crews are wary of ‘the Rock’. The weather is still as unpredictable as it ever was.
As recently as 2011, the iconic lighthouse silhouette was the backdrop the dramatic rescue of Rambler 100’s crew after the maxi yacht lost its keel and suddenly capsized shortly after rounding the lighthouse.
A reassuring light
The Fastnet Rock lighthouse was built to supercede an earlier light built on a clifftop on Cape Clear Island in the early 1800s. It could, in certain conditions, be obscured by a stratum of fog. An inquiry found this to a factor in the loss of an American packet on nearby West Calf Island in 1847, in which 92 of the 110 passengers and crew were drowned. After that, plans for a lighthouse on the Fastnet rock were drawn up.
The lighthouse on Cape Clear island that preceded the Fastnet Rock light
The tower you see today was started in 1897. There’s a bit of a myth that the rock for it was quarried locally at Crookhaven – not so. Most of the south-west coast is formed of old red sandstone (which actually ranges in colour here from dark grey to green). This is sedimentary rock prone to marine erosion, hence the characteristic striated appearance of the headlands of West Cork.
The elegant and beautifully waisted tower structure was designed by William Douglass, an engineer with Irish Lights, and built from coarse-grained Cornish granite that I believe came from the Cheeseswring quarry in Bodmin Moor.
Over 2,000 blocks were cut and shaped to interlock one into another. Each course is said to have been assembled in Cornwall before the granite blocks were shipped to Crookhaven and Cape Clear Islands, from which two teams of builders worked over five years.
Today, the only visitors to the lighthouse are maintenance teams and inspection tours. Once every two years, the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Fastnet Race rounds the rock, but no longer does it send a delegation to keep watch in the lighthouse. Today, it stands empty, but its light is still a reassuring beacon.
A sporting gesture by Chris Ratsey, who had been declared the winner in 1938 with the Fife-designed Evenlode, but suggested that he might have fouled another competitor and withdrew, led to Windeler presenting him with a silver bowl he had commissioned.
Cash savings
Verdict
Hennevanger, a former Commodores’ Cup skipper, has regularly and successfully competed in Nitro at IRC events and the vacuum infusion knowledge gained is employed on the larger Saffier models (SE33 and SE37).
The danger is that this could become the ‘hall table’, however, a dumping ground between galley and saloon. The option of a dedicated navstation to starboard therefore, rather than the huge daybed cum sofa, will appeal to more traditional sailors.
