Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 i Yachting Monthly

Plans for another Golden Globe round-the-world yacht race have been announced for 2022, four years after the first event in 2018, which starts from Plymouth on 30 June 2018. The second edition of the race will vary from the first in having two separate classes. As in the 2018 edition, the boats will be sailed without the use of modern navigation equipment and the Suhaili class will be open to yachts of 19 different designs between 32 and 36ft, with conservative sail area-to-displacement ratios, and long keels with keel-hung rudders. For the 2022 race, however, a new one design Joshua class will be created along the lines of Bernard Moitessier’s Joshua, which raced in the original 1968 race. Anyone wishing to join the 2022 Golden Globe Race can buy the…

Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/yachtingmonthly Like us on Facebook facebook.com/yachtingmonthlymag A crew of schoolboys from London has made yachting history as the first state school to compete in the Fastnet Race. Eight pupils from Greig City Academy raced a restored 45ft Admiral’s Cup yacht around the 603-mile course from Cowes to Plymouth via the Fastnet Rock off the southwest tip of Ireland, finishing in a time of four days, 13 hours and 59 minutes, 36th in the IRC 3 fleet and 142nd out of 368 competing yachts. The schoolboys from Greig City Academy in Hornsey, north-east London, were racing Scaramouche, built by Palmer Johnson in 1981 for Chuck Kirsch to race for the USA in the Admiral’s Cup. The school renovated the racing yacht with sponsorship funds raised by the…

EMAIL yachtingmonthly@timeinc.com POST The Editor, Yachting Monthly, Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF Please send us your letters in less than 200 words WIN A BOTTLE OF RUM The letter of the month wins a bottle of Pusser’s Rum, produced to Admiralty specification and served daily to every sailor in the Royal Navy for more than 300 years (UK residents only) www.pussers.com Fitting a splitter Your answer on this subject was timely (Summer issue, '17). I had been struggling to achieve AIS transmission from my new MA500TR. I had used a Banten Active Splitter, and there is a similar piece of kit sold under the Glomex brand. After discussion with the chandlers it transpires that these appear not to be active…

‘I still feel like a lusty sailor but I have to accept that I look like a crusty old salt’ Time was when I could not wait for the gaskets to be put on the neatly flaked sails, the bilge to be pumped out and the riding light set up, before getting the dinghy alongside for the long pull to the welcoming glow of the distant pub. But now the lure of going ashore is starting to wear off. Although I still feel like a lusty sailor, I have to accept that I look like a crusty old salt and mine host is no longer interested whether I’ve come by tide or two-lane blacktop, and what am I doing out of the care home anyway? Not all, but many of…

Sam Savage, Engineering Technician ‘This is my first time on a yacht, though I have sailed a Fireball with my dad at Langstone before. I saw the notice calling for crew for this event and thought I’d give it a go. It has been great so far, and I definitely want to do it again. It will depend a bit on where I get drafted though. I’m hoping to get a Type 45 destroyer and finally get out and see the world. I’ve only been in the Navy for six months, but it’s been the best choice I’ve made.’ Alex Rigg, Royal Marines Reserve ‘I work in web analystics, so joining the RM reserve is something completely different that’s a bit exciting, and is also serving the country. The training…

Wherever the yachtsman sets sail in UK waters he’s never far from the twirling blades of some distant windfarm because while Britannia no longer rules the waves, the Queen does, and as the landlady of the sea-bed she charges rent for power created there. Her business, the Crown Estate brings in cash, 75 per cent for the Treasury and the rest for the Buckingham Palace coffers, from wind, wave and tidal power generation. The biggest of these is offshore wind power, which brings in £28 million anually from wind farm leases alone. From the London Array to Linconshire, Barrow to Blyth and Thanet to Teesside, there are now 29 fully operational offshore wind farms with a capacity of 5,355 megawatts (5.3 gigawatts) of power, which produced 5.4 per cent of…

Julian, 55, grew up on the Isle of Wight and has been ‘playing’ on boats from an early age. He cruised the English Channel throughout his teens, aboard his father’s Trapper 500. He describes his sailing as ‘singlehanded with company’, when his wife Mandy joins him aboard, although he occasionally races with friends from the Royal Southampton Yacht Club. His main cruising grounds are The Solent, Channel Islands, North and West Brittany. His three children are grown up but occasionally join him for a daysail. Julian owns a wind industry consulting business and is also chairman of the trade association, Renewable UK.…

If you have a news story to share, contact News Editor Theo Stocker EMAIL theo.stocker@timeinc.com TEL 01252 555164 Ten brand new cruising yachts will be launched at Southampton Boat Show while others will make their UK debut. Visitors will be able to step aboard the latest designs from Hallberg-Rassy and Hanse, as well as well as Saffier, Jeanneau and others. Among the brand new boats will be the Hallberg Rassy 340, which has a modern plumb bow with an integrated bowsprit and options for tiller or twin-wheel steering, as well as the usual deep, secure cockpit and sea-kindly hullshape. Hanse will be showing three of the four new boats it has launched this year; the 388, 418 and 548 – only the 348 won’t be on show. The 388 and 418…

New VHF channels The UK Coastguard started using new VHF channel numbers in September. Where VHF channels 23, 84 and 86 were used for maritime safety information, sailors now have to use channels 62, 63 and 64. Carbon Monoxide The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) published its report on the fatal accident in which a man died of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning on board the motor cruiser Vasquez in November 2016. It reminded sailors to fit a CO alarm and, if it sounds, to get out into fresh air immediately. ARC Channel Islands The ARC Channel Islands 2017 Rally, organised by World Cruising Club, set sail on 12 August from Gosport for Cherbourg. The rally, along with the RYA Active Marina programme, aims to encourage cruisers to to sail…

Greek authorities have intensified their campaign against illegal charter operators over the peak sailing season. New guidelines have been issued by the Greek Ministry of Shipping, stating that commercial vessels carrying undeclared guests could face fines of €5,000 to €25,000 and criminal prosecution, while owners of private yachts with paying guests could be fined up to €60,000 and face criminal charges. Any boat caught will be impounded until fines are paid. The Greek Yachting Association warns that skippers will be liable for additional fines, the boat’s papers seized and guests put ashore. More than 500 yachts are thought to be operating illegally in Greece, so all charterers should check that their yacht is registered.…

The UK government intends to ban plastic microbeads in cosmetic products in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the marine environment. Around eight million tonnes of plastic enters the world’s oceans each year, polluting water and beaches, threatening wildlife and potentially entering the human food chain. Environment Secretary Michael Gove outlined plans for the UK to be a world leader in environmental protection, after figures showed nine billion fewer plastic bags were used since the UK introduced a 5p charge for the carrier bags, an 83 per cent drop. Kate Fortnam, campaign manager of The Green Blue, said: ‘As boaters we all have a vested interest in protecting the environment where we spend our leisure time. Grey water discharge from sinks and showers can be damaging…

RYA Yachtmaster Chris Beeson has raced and cruised over 40,000 ocean miles in his 37 years as a sailor ‘You can learn a lot by seeing how the locals do it’ If you’ve never sailed in the Swedish or Finnish archipelagoes, start making plans for next summer. These unique cruising grounds must be on every sailor’s bucket list. Each has thousands of islands, some forested and populated with summer houses, roads, bridges and ferries buzzing in and out, some with nothing more than flat granite, a sauna, a bin and a loo. The islands to weather cut down the fetch so there’s hardly ever any sea running and, regardless of the conditions, you will always be able to find a sheltered spot to stop for lunch or overnight. The strangest…

Now it’s over to the crew. There’s no escaping the fact that, with a closed pulpit, this requires a certain level of agility and sure-footedness or, ideally, a rock with a ledge at exactly pulpit height. I tried crouching on the pulpit and springing down, sitting on the pulpit and launching down, Kieran tried stepping on the toerail outside the pulpit and stepping down. All worked but none was exactly risk-free. Even with an open pulpit it’s not without issues. I once jumped ashore and, unseen by the crew in the gloaming, slid spreadeagled down the greasy granite and into the water, like Wile E Coyote in oilies. Often, your best bet is to throw the line ashore then jump so that you have both hands to steady yourself on…

They'd have a cracking sail across, a broad reach in sunshine, in a Force 4-5 – fast, and easy to ensure a legal and simple transit of the shipping lanes. However, the passage home is very different. Although the visibility is good, a strong headwind means a long and tiring beat home. Crossing the shipping lane is legal under sail but better at right angles under power – uncomfortable and difficult against a head sea. With only two on board, fatigue is going to take its toll even with the autopilot. There is clearly pressure to leave on such a fine day and for the social activities in Ostend, but there is a heavy price to pay on the way back. Better to stay on the English side and go on…

EMAIL yachtingmonthly@timeinc.com POST Yachting Monthly, Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF Please send us your questions in less than 200 words WIN CHILGROVE GIN The question of the month wins a bottle of Chilgrove Gin (UK residents only). This super-premium gin, handcrafted by keen sailors in the Sussex Downs, blends the finest botanicals with a neutral grape spirit. www.chilgrovespirits.com Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/yachtingmonthly Like us on Facebook facebook.com/yachtingmonthlymag QUESTION OF THE MONTH Why are some anchors better than others? QKen Endean's anchor tests in Practical Seamanship (Understanding anchors and their bad habits, YM, Aug 2017) is a good example of YM's commitment to readers’ needs for information. I have a query, though. I had three identical CQR anchors, which I…

‘Things can change quickly at sea,’ says Jon Oxenham, RNLI Community Safety Manager. ‘Even the most experienced skipper or crew can get caught out, and there’s no shame in that. A broken-down engine plus strengthening winds, or a fall from your tender without a lifejacket, and suddenly a minor issue becomes very dangerous. We’d much rather people call us before situations become serious, but it’s even better to keep yourself safe and know what to do in the first place. ‘Thanks to almost 200 years of search and rescue experience, we’ve seen most of the things that can catch you out,’ Jon continues. ‘To help you avoid them the RNLI offers a range of free services.’ Advice Onboard Are you a newcomer who wants more confidence in your safety knowledge,…

High latitude sailing By Jon Amtrup and Bob Shepton, published by Saltwater at £7.12 In terms of credibility, Jon is Norwegian and has sailed round Svalbard and Greenland for years, and Bob has sailed his 33ft Westerly Discus through the North West Passage in both directions. The book opens with a rallying cry to find real freedom, away from everything. Thereafter the advice, delivered with relentless practicality, is gold. It addresses how to prepare yourself, what sort of boat you need and how to fit it out, tips on food and drink, how to sail in ice, anchoring and mooring techniques and kit – everything, in short, you need to know to sail in high latitudes. Review by Chris Beeson A History of Whisstock’s Boatyard By Sue Whisstock, published by Leiston…

The cutter rig offers more sail options to suit conditions and a conning ladder on the starboard lowers helps crew spot coral heads. Note the preventer lines rigged (red and blue), the bimini, stowed here, and sprayhood solar panels The substantial twin bow roller allows the bower anchor to stay rigged while picking up a mooring, and the large stainless steel plate protects the deck from damage. She has four bow cleats, and big teak toerails add security This is the pipe cot in the guest cabin but all berths have lee cloths. You can see the cabin’s fan in the mirror, she has LED lighting throughout to cut power consumption, and fly screens on all dorade vents and deck hatches She has longer-lasting bronze seacocks throughout, to reduce the…

What’s she like to sail? She was surprisingly quick through the water. The helm was light and smooth, easy and responsive – she's more fun to steer than many other cruisers I've tested, which feel stiff and lacklustre compared to this one. The cockpit seats are comfortable and the low coachroof gives a great view forward, as well as reducing windage. Using the windward genoa winch for the mainsheet works well for short-handed cruising, with the helmsman tending the mainsheet. I did feel a bit penned in between the backstay and the whirling winch handle when someone else was doing it. A few times during our sail she was overpressed, but she didn’t gripe and the wheel lacked the usual loading. She kept tracking straight and just heeled a bit…

Win The confession of the month wins a floating Standard Horizon handheld VHF radio worth £140 PlUs an original Bill Caldwell cartoon POST Confessions, Yachting Monthly, Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF EMAIL yachtingmonthly@timeinc.com Please send us your confessions in less than 200 words The dangers of multi-tasking Confession of the Month By Willie Banks Rupert and I decided that early February would be an ideal time for a few days’ sailing to test ourselves and Vega Nova, my Oyster 45. We sailed out of Brixham in 30 knots of wind but only got as far as Dartmouth before Storm Doris hit. Our fenders were flattened against the pontoon overnight, but in the next two days we went on to Plymouth and…

Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/yachtingmonthly Like us on Facebook facebook.com/yachtingmonthlymag A new wind farm to be built in the North Sea has been approved by the government. The East Anglia Three project, developed by ScottishPower Renewables, was given consent by the Business Secretary, Greg Clark. The 117 square mile (305km2) scheme may include up to 172 new turbines, producing 1,200 megawatts, enough to power 890,000 homes. The wind farm will be 46 miles off the Suffolk coast and is one of four being developed in the East Anglia Zone, which is controlled by the Crown Estate. While the new wind farm will be in the same zone as the East Anglia One wind farm already under construction, it is a totally separate project. In addition to the wind turbines, the…

Marine antiquities Over 100 marine achaeological finds have been recorded since the Marine Antiquities Scheme was launched last year, including Neolithic flints, Roman crockery and medieval candlesticks. New finds can be reported at www.marinefinds.org.uk. Science voyage An all-female crew sailed around Britain in August to raise awareness of plastic pollution. The eXXpedition crew sailed a 72ft challenge yacht, using her as a base to conduct continuous sampling of plastic in the sea. Wildlife watching The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has issued a reminder to sailors about how to watch marine wildlife responsibly. Species such as basking sharks, dolphins and seals, as well as seabirds, can all be disturbed by noise and sudden movement. Boats should also ensure that animals have a clear escape route. Crowd-funded flares disposal Explosives disposal company…

One of the UK's most distinguished solo sailors, Sir Henry Pigott (1925-2017), died in August after a short illness. His notable passages include a crossing of the North Sea from Sweden to England in 1948 aboard Glory, a 22 square metre boat that he called ‘the world's first sailing submarine’; a voyage to Brazil and back via New York in 1973 aboard Simba II, an 18ft Mirror Offshore; and more than 20 years on the oceans aboard the 19ft 6in, junk-rigged Glory II, in which he briefly held the world record for the smallest yacht to circumnavigate. He sailed to the Shetland Islands in his daughter's yacht two weeks before he died.…

Edward Allcard, the first person to sail solo across the Atlantic in both directions, has died at the age of 102. The yachtsman and adventurer published his last book, Solo around Cape Horn and beyond, in 2016. He wrote numerous books about his adventures, including Single-Handed Passage and Temptess Returns. He was part of a group of sailors who helped inspire small boat owners to journey the world. Nicholas Gray, who met Allcard as part of his research for his book, Last Voyages, said: ‘Edward was a true gentleman, unfailingly helpful and friendly to everyone he met. He made some amazing voyages, wrote some of the best ocean voyaging books and was an inspiration to us all. He will be sorely missed by all his many friends.’ Born in Walton-on-Thames,…

‘We love the sea because it is an entirely different world’ As skippers and crews look back on the season, fondly or ruefully, there will be the usual memories for the journal. About wild seas and flat ones, coastlines, harbour walls, mooring embarrassments, jokes, singalongs, breakages, meals to remember or to forget, bitter lessons learned about the new spinnaker, and all that. But alongside the actual cruising there may be memories of crewchanges. Of frustrations, chaotic moments, desperate Googling and unwelcome costs. Any skipper lucky (or old, or rich) enough to cruise a long season will already be groaning in sympathy with that sentiment. We love the sea because it is an entirely different world to the land, and runs by its own rules without a road or railway line…

Kedge anchor You need the right kedge to throw off the stern and grip in what may be weed over rock or weed over mud, but almost certainly weed over something. There were a couple of fishing boats using grapnels but the vast majority of local boats in the Gothenburg and Stockholm archipelagoes use a stern-mounted Bruce. Follow their lead. Flat anchor line This is a white webbing tape, 35-70m long, wound on a reel mounted on the pushpit. Shackle your kedge to the loop at the end. Once you’ve got the right amount of cable out, just cleat or tie it off. Its colour means it’s visible under water so there’s less chance of someone dropping their line over yours. Bow ladder Everyone moors bow-to, whether it’s rocks, a…

Professional skipper Simon Phillips has cruised and raced over 325,000 miles, including 34 Atlantic crossings AVOID FLOGGING The best way to maintain the strength and shape of your sails is to minimise the amount of time they are left flapping. Flogging rapidly degrades the cloth, therefore every effort should be made to avoid it PREVENT CHAFE Chafe wears through sails. Check the ends and aft edges of spreaders and stanchion tops. Tape up split pins, sharp halyard exits and protruding screw heads. Check the front of the mast as tacking drags the foresail across it PROTECT FROM UV Direct sunlight is a sail’s worst enemy as it eventually breaks down the cloth. For furling headsails, ensure the UV strip is on the outside when it's furled. Keep a cover over…

Tacking in five…’ Tom called. Jamie jumped to the mast to help the large overlapping genoa round the shrouds. Alex and Vince made up the winches ready to sheet in on the new tack, I tailed while Vince got ready to grind in whatever I hadn’t pulled in by hand, and Tom steered a smooth curve through the wind, from the middle of the crowded cockpit. I was sailing with the Royal Navy, and doing my best to keep up. On a sunny Saturday morning in early summer, I had found myself hurrying through Gosport. Civilian ‘on time’ is five minutes late in the Navy and I didn’t want to get off to a bad start. I made it to the gate of Hornet Services Sailing Club at 0800 sharp.…

Many organisations have sailing associations that offer members generous benefits and ways to help get people afloat. They are usually open to those who have been part of the organisation and family members, and are often keen to welcome new members. Here are just a few: ■ RNSA: www.rnsa.org.uk ■ Army Sailing: www.sailarmy.co.uk ■ RAF Sailing Association: www.raf.mod.uk/rafsailing ■ Civil Service Sailing Association: www.cs-sailing.org.uk ■ Independent schools alumni: www.arrowtrophy.org.uk ■ John Lewis Partnership Sailing Club: sailing_secretary@johnlewis.co.uk Of course, if you aren’t eligible to join one of these, your own work place may have a sailing association. Alternatively, sailing clubs around the country are looking for new members. You don’t need a boat to join; just get in touch and most clubs will be happy to match you up with a…

Tom, 25, is currently sailing around the globe with his friend James Haggett on a Nicholson 32. James bought Blue Eye in Falmouth in 2014. At the time Tom was working as a deckhand in the yachting industry, but left to join James on a three-year circumnavigation. Tom’s experience with boats extended little beyond a Day Skipper certificate, polishing a large motor yacht, and catching ferries across the English Channel, but alongside James he found his sea legs off the coast of the South West.…

There’s always a good read hidden on a sailor’s shelves. Tell us your favourite. EMAIL theo.stocker@timeinc.com ‘Having something to do, a task with an aim, lifted my spirits’ I decided to scrap all thoughts of looking for my medication – there was no point at all. The Tupperware box in which they were sealed was long gone from its safe haven near my flooded bunk. 24 hours must have passed since my last 30mg tablet; normally I'd have taken it twice daily. This was the first time I'd ever missed taking it since the diagnosis of my epilepsy. I knew that fitting or convulsing down here could lead to serious injury, to drowning, but talking myself down from a state of near panic, I reminded myself that so did every…

Re ade r s’ Cruising Stories Yachting Monthly’s founder Herbert Reiach wrote in the first issue in 1906: ‘We shall be glad to receive the best logs and cruising stories offered to us from all parts of the world’ 111 years later, nothing’s changed! We’re still publishing your cruising stories PLEASE SEND YOUR STORIES TO yachtingmonthly@timeinc.com Planning a cruise around wildlife provides sailing pleasure for Dan Renton. For me, sailing is not so much about speed and perfectly trimmed sails, but the chance to cruise gently and appreciate wildlife. I like a good sea-safari and our log books sailing around the west coast of Scotland are peppered with observations and exclamation marks – ‘Bottle-nosed dolphins off the port bow!’ – ‘Killer whale breaching!’ –‘A sunfish!’ – and nowadays we will…

What’s she like to sail? The word is ‘reassuring’. She’s got an easily-driven hull and enough sail power to push her through the water but let’s look at the figures. Her sail area/displacement number, 19.3, suggests she’s a medium displacement cruiser, not a heavy ocean boat or an inshore cruiser, but in cruising trim with full tanks she displaces nearly 21,000kg, which drops her number to 14.4, that of heavy displacement cruisers. In that trim, she will comfortably cope with heavy weather. With electric furling for genoa and main, she is easily handled solo, which is essential on ocean passages. The elevated helm position feels secure rather than exposed, although low freeboard means the odd dusting of spray makes it to the cockpit. On passage, I could happily tuck myself…

Whenever there’s another boat nearby, it’s a race; a competitive devil, sits on my shoulder giving me encouragement. No matter what boat either party is sailing, their underwater profile, condition of sails or the cleanliness of our respective hulls, it’s a fair race in my devil’s eyes. So it was with great delight we found ourselves squared up against a sporty 40ft yacht. Although named the 382 GL, the Dufour’s hull length is an inch less than 36ft. The other yacht should have left us far behind, but surprisingly our speeds were matched. Sadly it was the end of a glorious day on the water, but it was nice to see the performance figures bear out the fact that although the Dufour might look like a cruiser she has a…

The sextant is a wondrous device. it’s a power-free way to find your rough position on this planet. The only other things you’ll need are a chart, a watch and a book of tables. I learnt astronavigation en route from the UK to Tahiti in 1977, using an Ebbco plastic sextant, whilst the skipper used a Zeiss drum sextant. We navigated independently and usually found our noon fixes to be within 4 miles of one another. You may be thinking of crossing oceans where an incident of one sort or another could rob you of electronics, or you could just be interested in astronavigation. Whatever your reason for wanting one, you need the right one for you. Which one is for me? The majority of purchases you make for your…