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The performance sailing magazine 70 TH ANNIVERSARY 1947-2017 T STAR G SAISLAIILNORS TOP LL YOU TE W HO w £4.50 Issue #1710 June 2017 yachtsandyachting.couk PLUS BIG FLEET TACTICS WITH BEN SAXTON ULTIMATE GUIDE CHELSEA ARINE M MAGAZINES KEELBOAT COACH MATCH RACING BUOYANCY AIDS HAYLING ISLAND What the top crews are focusing on this season Try your hand at one-onone with our how-to guide New generation safety inspired by the Cup Winning strategies for this championship venue CHELSEA ARINE M MAGAZINES ENGINEERED TO WIN P R O U D T O PA R T N E R L A N D R OV E R B A R T H E B R I T I S H C H A L L E N G E R F O R T H E 3 5 T H A M E R I C A’ S C U P Images Harry KH/Land Rover BAR is a registered trademark of Henri Lloyd Ltd HENRILLOYD.COM THIS MONTH 18 JUNE 2017 Analysis & advice America’s Cup preview 18 COVER STORY: Everything you need to know about the boats, the sailors, the technology and how to watch the racing Keelboat coaching 28 COVER

STORY: James Boyd discovers how top teams benefit from coaching at the RORC Easter Challenge 68 day gifts 73 Father’s The pick of treats guaranteed to make Dad’s day, from action cameras to ‘black’ rum Offshore races 42 We look at the inexorable rise of the offshore race from the Fastnet to the Sydney-Hobart Start sailing 46 COVER STORY: Top sailors 76 COVER STORY: Rupert Holmes takes a thorough look at the latest generation of dinghy and big boat flotation, inspired by the America’s Cup designed sail-trainer, the Fusion, out for a test News 84 Boat The Australian SuperFoiler, a new Azuree 41, Squib building takeover and the newly announced RM1370 Match racing starts 58 COVER STORY: Mark Rushall Sparky 64 Goodbye Stephen ‘Sparky’ Park talks about years of leading British Sailing and his move to cycling AUSTIN WONG/ACEA Equipment & travel it yourself 52 Repair How to get your boat back racing after damage 28 Test: Fusion 80 Boat We take the Dan Holman

tell us how and where to get into the sport explains the ins and outs of one-on-one racing and offers a match racing playbook 46 Buyer’s Guide: PFDs Big fleet victory 36 COVER STORY: 2016 Olympian, Ben Saxton, provides his guide to winning in big regattas Venue Guide: HISC COVER STORY: Everything you need to know about Hayling Island, from where to eat to winning on the water REGULARS 6 36 News 10 News Spotlight 13 Bob Fisher 14 Andi Robertson 17 Andy Rice 87 Gold Star Awards 88 Clubs & Classes 98 Position June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 3 EDITORIAL Editor Georgie Corlett-Pitt georgie.corlett-pitt@chelseamagazinescom Deputy Editor Toby Heppell Art Editor Claire Wood Senior Sub Editor Henry Giles Clubs & Classes Editor Paula Irish club@yachtsandyachting.couk HARRY K-H/LAND ROVER BAR Contributors: James Boyd, Bob Fisher, Rupert Holmes, David Palmer, Andy Rice, Andi Robertson, Mark Rushall, Ben Saxton Cover images: Eloi Stichelbaut; Austin Wong; Harry K-H

ADVERTISING Jodie Green +44 (0)207 349 3722 jodie.green@chelseamagazinescom Fired up for the future A fter taking time out recently to become a mum, it’s good to be back at the helm. And it’s hard to imagine a more exciting time. As I write, there’s exactly one month until the first match of the America’s Cup. Hearing from Ben Ainslie as he spoke from Bermuda this month, it’s clear all the teams are pushing harder than ever. But there was also a sense of anticipation. It’s not just because they simply can’t wait to go racing – though I’m sure that’s a big part of it – but because AC35 represents the culmination of a huge team effort by Land Rover BAR and a vision not only of bringing the Cup home, but of boosting British sailing far into the future. I’m sure we all share their eagerness, and wish them the very best of luck. Find out how to follow the racing and plenty more in our bumper America’s Cup guide (p18). There are five weeks of racing scheduled and

we look forward to bringing you full coverage, both in the magazine and via yachtsandyachting.couk One risk of getting too glued to the Cup, however, is not making time to tear yourself away and get your own summer campaign underway. The pinnacle events of Round the Island Race and Cowes Week, not to mention a See us on Facebook.com/sailingmagazine whole host of championships, will soon be here. Time to start training in earnest! Make sure you check out our advice on tackling big fleets from Rio Olympian and multiple Endeavour Trophy champion, Ben Saxton (p36). Spring of course sees many people trying their hand at sailing for the first time. I feel it’s down to every one of us to help and inspire people to take up our wonderful sport. Hearing about how Giles Scott got started at a young age in an Optimist tied to a length of rope (p46) makes me look forward to the day I get to help my daughter try sailing on her own. Ok, it’s a few years off still, but I can’t wait! There’s

something about sailing and all its challenges that is infectious. Let’s hope the action beamed from Bermuda equally captures imaginations and fires interest this summer. 4 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 PUBLISHING Managing Director Paul Dobson Deputy Managing Director Steve Ross Finance Director Vicki Gavin Publisher Simon Temlett Publishing Consultant Martin Nott Brand Manager Ginny MacLean ginny.maclean@chelseamagazinescom WEBSITE yachtsandyachting.couk Yachts & Yachting is published by The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ Tel: +44 (0)20 7349 3700 SMALL PRINT The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd 2015. All rights reserved. ISSN 0044-000 Printed in England by William Gibbons. Ad Production: All Points Media www.allpointsmediacoukDistribution: News Trade (UK and Rest of World), Seymour International Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT. Tel: 020 7429 4000 Fax: 020 7429 4001 Email: info@seymour.couk No part of this magazine may

be reproduced without permission in writing. Every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of information in Yachts & Yachting, but no responsibility can be accepted for the consequences of actions based on the advice portrayed herein. The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd makes every effort to ensure that the advertising contained in this magazine is derived from responsible sources. We cannot, however, accept responsibility for transactions between readers and advertisers. Yachts & Yachting welcomes letters SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BACK ISSUE ENQUIRIES Tel: +44 (0)1795 419 843 Georgie Corlett-Pitt, Editor Email: yachts@servicehelpline.couk Online: yachts.subscribeonlinecouk Post: Yachts & Yachting, Subscriptions Department, 800 Guillat Avenue, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8GU Back Issues: www.chelseamagazinescom/shop Follow us on Twitter: @YandYMagazine WRITERS THIS MONTH INCLUDE Mark Rushall coaches at the highest levels of the sport, covering all types of racing from dinghies to

round the world events and more Hannah Stanton-Warren +44 (0)207 349 3734 hannah.stanton@chelseamagazinescom Bob Fisher is one of the biggest names in yachting journalism. He has a passion and depth of knowledge that’s second to none Also part of the Chelsea Marine Magazines family: Ben Saxton represented GBR at the Rio Olympics in the Nacra 17, and has twice won the Endeavour Trophy for the RS200 and Merlin fleets For more information or to subscribe go to chelseamagazines.com THE CHELSEA MAGAZINE COMPANY LTD yachtsandyachting.couk CHOSEN BY LAND ROVER BAR Marlow Ropes Chosen by the Greats #ASPIRETO NEWS It was a story that captured the hearts and minds of the nation and now finally, after 27 years, Maiden is set to sail again to inspire a whole new generation under the auspices of Tracy Edwards. In 1990 Edwards and her all-female crew sailed into the record books, winning a number of legs in the Whitbread Round the World Race and achieving second place overall

– an achievement that has not been matched by a British boat and team since. The project to return the boat to the UK has been a long time in the making after she was discovered fallen into disrepair in a marina in the Seychelles. Since that time, Edwards has worked tirelessly to bring Maiden back to the UK. Her restoration in Southampton will take a year, after which she will sail again, spreading her message via a huge global campaign, called The Maiden Factor, that every girl has potential and the right to an education. VOR ponders 2019 boat While teams are gearing up for the start of the Volvo Ocean Race, due to leave Alicante in the autumn, thoughts of the management are on the future with an announcement due on 18 May on the boats to be used from 2019 onwards. The race’s management has engaged the services of world-renowned designer, Guillaume Verdier to produce the next one-design. Verdier is an experienced multihull designer but has also penned IMOCA 60s and other

monohulls. The announcement will reveal whether the next boats will be monohulls – as they have been for the entire history of the VOR/Whitbread – or whether a new path is being taken with a switch to multihulls. Read next month’s Y&Y for all the details or go to yachtsandyachting.couk 6 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 Artemis crash There were worrying scenes in Bermuda at the start of April as the Swedish challenger for this year’s America’s Cup, Artemis Racing, suffered a significant structural failure in its training boat. The team reported that, during a training session in Bermuda its development boat suffered beam damage but that there were no injuries. The incident cannot help but stir up tragic memories from the 34th America’s Cup build-up when Artemis suffered a similar incident, which lead to the tragic death of Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson. Had the incident taken place on the team’s ACC there would be a great deal more concern – as the beams are one of

the parts of the boat that are one-design. Quite how similar the team’s test boat beams were to the one-design beams is, as yet, undisclosed. SANDER VAN DER BORCH/CHRISTOPHER ISON Maiden sails again Beach cat crosses Atlantic to set new record time A father and son team from Italy have set a new record for crossing the Atlantic in an open boat. 56-year-old Vittorio Malingri and his 24-year-old son, Nico set off from Dakar, Senegal on 9 April and crossed their finish line in Point-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe 11 days, 1 hour and 9 minutes later, shaving a little over ten days off the previous record. The pair completed the trip in a 20ft catamaran (F20) and took on the challenge as a part of their title sponsor, Citroen’s ‘unconventional team challenges of 2017’ initiative. Although they started well, the pair did struggle with conditions in the latter stages of the attempt, capsizing on more than one occasion. “It went well even if we had a bit of bad luck the last days,”

explained Nico. “Luckily we had gained a bit of margin at the beginning. It burns a bit as we could have done better but we made it. In sailing terms, it has been an extremely special experience. The boat is great to sail, we prepared ourselves well and in comfort, which is very important.” 1,000 IN NUMBERS Total spectator boats expected for the America’s Cup in Bermuda. 84 Per cent record of wins for Artemis in AC practice sessions. 27 32 Countries entered by the close of early entries to the Para World Sailing Worlds. RED SAIL/ANDREA FRANCOLINI/CLIPPER VENTURES Triple Crown building Entries are growing for the inaugural edition of sailing’s own Triple Crown regatta, which is due to run this summer alongside Cowes Week. The regatta was first announced in January this year and is designed to attract some of the world’s most impressive raceboats. Three classes will compete, a cruiser-racer class, a maxi-racer class and an ocean-racer class, all three of which have a

minimum handicap number to keep racing close. Already, it seems the event is attracting plenty of interest with a lead sponsor announced, Sevenstar Yacht Transport (for whom the event is now named the Sevenstar Triple Crown at Cowes Week). It has also seen a number of impressive entries, including the entire Volvo Ocean Race fleet and, from Australia, Ludde Ingvall’s revamped super-maxi, CQS (formerly Nicorette). The target number of nations to be involved in order to fulfil Paralympic inclusion criteria. 700 Total sailors set to contest the next Clipper Round the World Race. 50 Number of knots likely to be seen at the AC, according to Russell Coutts. THEY SAID “With more data [from the PY online system] we have the potential to look at different areas, such as seeing who is the most competitive Solo or Merlin Rocket sailor in the country.” The RYA’s technical director, TOM WALKER, on using regularly returned information to make the PY system broader and probably even more

controversial! “The report acknowledges that we have been proactive to mitigate the risks concerned even further. Safety has been our highest priority since the Clipper Race was established in 1996, amassing huge experience through ten biennial editions [and] 84 yacht circumnavigations.” SIR ROBIN KNOX-JOHNSTON responds to the report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), which broadly concludes that deaths in the last edition of the event came about from the crew members not following their training. “The grinders – or cyclors as they like to call themselves – are absolutely exhausted. We rotated through a couple of sets of them today. This boat is very physical to sail, but you do get rewarded the harder you work. The more energy you put into the boat, the more energy you get out of it.” RAY DAVIES talking after Emirates Team New Zealand’s first day out on the water on their America’s Cup Class catamaran in Bermuda. “This week, we had a good sail on

the first day with breeze, but the truth is, our boat is quite slow in light air, and yesterday we were the slowest boat in our class for sure, but out of desperation, we tried something different and took a big chance on the last leg. It was better to be lucky than good on this occasion.” SIR RICHARD MATTHEWS sounding relieved to have won CSA 2 on his Humphries 42, Oystercatcher XXVI at Les Voiles de St Barth. June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 7 Ô IN BRIEF Partner Musto has been announced as the official clothing partner to the British Sailing Team. Sponsored Allen Brothers has added 420 sailor, Jamie Harris, to its team of more than 20 dinghy sailors. Cloudy Bay on board Provider The official Safety Provider to the America’s Cup has been confirmed as Crewsaver. Magenta mentoring Videos MaxComm and Mirabaud have launched a new award for the very best yacht racing videos. This is designed to complement the already popular Photo of the Year award. The Magenta Project is

collaborating with Rachel Spearing, a keen Etchells racer and practising barrister to create a unique opportunity for women to benefit through this sailing and work-related skills initiative. Magenta Etchells Mentoring and Management Programme (MMMP) is an opportunity for women to share their skills, knowledge and experiences in professional sailing and business. Through the programme, young aspiring sailors will work with sailing professionals to help develop sailing skills and with business professionals to mentor them in life and work skills. 2017 will be a pilot year for the programme, with targeted events utilising Rachel Spearing’s Etchells as a platform to train, learn and race from. Nearly It was a case of nearly, but not quite for GBR at the World Cup in Hyères. Going into the final race six teams were in medal contention, four of which ended up in fourth overall. Free kit Sailors taking part in the Rolex Fastnet Race can earn up to £300 of Henri Lloyd vouchers if they

fundraise for the charity Sail 4 Cancer. Oops In May’s Gold Star feature, we listed the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation grants as totalling ‘£736,00’ instead of £736,000. 8 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 MARK LLOYD/HUGO BOSS/PAUL WYETH/MIKE JONES Result Land Rover BAR Academy took their best ever finish, second, at the Extreme Sailing Series, Qingdao, despite a crash with the Kiwis. Bay is delighted to be partnering with the Round the Island Race, not just for the excitement and adventure that the race is known for, but also for all the natural connections that happen around it.” In addition to taking a key role in this year’s Round the Island Race, Cloudy Bay has also recently announced plans to sponsor the increasingly popular Fast 40+ class for the entirety of their season. London On-Water Now into its third year, prospects are looking good for the London On-Water Boat Show. Specially upgraded pontoons are going into London’s St Katherine Docks in

preparation for the show – timed to coincide with the America’s Cup, which will be shown live during the four-day event. Much of the show is free for visitors, though access to the marina pontoons is £5 for all four days. The show features a number of superyachts and supercars but there will also be more familiar brands for the sailor with a number of cruiser-racer builders exhibiting – and several chandlers. GREAT READING This month our sister magazines offer incisive additional reading for sailors. Classic Boat features a Round the Island Race guide for classic sailors, Maine’s great schooner race, and a traditional working boat blend. Meanwhile, Sailing Today welcomes Tom Cunliffe to the family. Rupert Holmes gets behind the wheel of the J/112E and Jon Sanders prepares for his tenth circumnavigation. MYLOR, CORNWALL YOUR DETAILED GUIDE 20 YEARS 1 9 9 7 - 2 0 17 GO FURTHER I SAIL BETTER I BE INSPIRED June 2017 | sailingtoday.couk | £450 EXCLUSIVE Tom Cunliffe PROUD

MEDIA PARTN ER Read his new skills column here RACE TIME MED Round the Island Rod Heikell Lessons learned by a race newbie Avoid the crowds in holiday season Race machine NEW BOAT TEST How your plotter can help you win! Classy J J/112E racer gets a cruising finish SKILLS Sail trim Cruisers tricks for more speed SMALLER SHOW The London Boat Show gets a major facelift TEN TIMES Why Jon Sanders keeps cruising round the world ST242 001 COVER v4.indd 1 INFLATABLES Sailing dinghies, kayaks and SUPs for the hols WIFI RADAR Its easy to add Raymarine Quantum to your boat 18/04/2017 17:02 Classic Boat JUNE 2017 T H E W O R L D’ S M O S T B E A U T I F U L B O A T S Working boat cocktail PROUD MEDIA PARTNER OF THE Tradition with a twist 1914 HERRESHOFF RESTORED WITH ALL HER FAULTS! ‘Round the Island in our Harrison Butler’ MAINE’S BIG GUNS AT PLAY WE VISIT WOODSTOCK PLUS Carlo Riva 1922-2017 Wreck: restore or burn? Old-fashioned sails: still in demand Great

Schooner Race Antiguan artisans LAURENT GILES KETCH Better than a Vertue? www.classicboatcouk £4.95 Wine manufacturer, Cloudy Bay has been announced as the new presenting sponsor for the Round the Island Race 2017. Brand ambassador for the wine company, Ben Fogle will be competing on board the Far 52 Cloudy Bay (ex Bear of Britain), which has been chartered for the event. Julie Nollet, marketing director of parent company, Möet Hennessy UK commented: “Cloudy i Awarded Alex Thomson Racing won gold for the Skywalk campaign (below) in the sport category of the London Brand Film Festival awards. yachtsandyachting.couk Spanish Impulse crew training in Brittany - February 2017 OFFICIAL SPONSORS OF THE ‘SPANISH IMPULSE’ YOUTH AMERICA’S CUP TEAM THE ULTIMATE WATERSHADE www.lip-sunglassescom OPTIMAL EYE PROTECTION, ENHANCED VISION ON THE WATER & ‘FAILSAFE’ LEASH SYSTEM YOUTH SAILING NEWS SPOTLIGHT YOUTHS EXCEL As performances at the recent RYA Youth

Nationals proved, British youth sailing is going from strength to strength 10 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 Event director, Mark Nicholls, described the standard of sailing as the highest he felt he had ever seen. “A number of things stood out, from the standard and depth at the front of the fleet, to the quiet determination to learn and progress demonstrated across all areas but most noticeably at the back of all the fleets,” he commented. “HISC is a really challenging place to race with the tidal conditions adding an extra dimension to a lot of the fleets, but the way the majority adapted to this challenge was impressive. The fact that we got in very nearly a full series across all the classes is testament to both the skills and experience of the race teams, but also to the competitors’ ability to deliver when it mattered.” Also notable this year was the wide range of experience, with sailors as young as 13, some getting their first taste of youth classes, through to a

Above The 29er fleet saw a particularly close contest, amongst boys and girls number of Under 21 British Sailing Team Podium Potential Pathway sailors who had recently returned from the Princess Sophia regatta in Palma. CLOSE BATTLES Racing was tight across all fleets. There was a three-way tussle in the Laser class between Daniel Whiteley, Jack Cookson and Sam Whaley; Whiteley ultimately overcame his rivals to finish three points ahead of Cookson with Whaley third. “It’s been a really closely fought battle all week, to come away with a win is a dream come true,” said Whiteley. In the Radials, Chloe Barr took gold while Daisy Collingridge, in second overall, won the under-19 title, with Clementine Thompson third. In the boy’s Radial, Ben Whaley opened his week with a black flag but came back fighting to claim an emphatic victory ahead of Arthur Brown and Jordan Giles. yachtsandyachting.couk WORDS: PAULA IRISH/GEORGIECORLETT-PITT W ith 379 sailors competing across 12

classes, the RYA Youth National Championships at Hayling Island SC saw a variety of conditions test the young hopefuls. The annual event is unquestionably the proving ground for up and coming talent, and this year was no exception, with outstanding performances in every fleet. With team selection for the Youth Sailing World Championships on hold until later in the season (the 2017 event is not until December, in China), nonetheless there were a number of squad places and international grants up for grabs. The event also grabbed royal attention, with a visit from HRH The Princess Royal, who watched events on the water and later went ashore to talk to competitors. IMAGES: PAUL WYETH/RYA Event director, Mark Nicholls, described the standard of sailing as the highest he felt he had ever seen Alex Smallwood-Ross Thompson dominated the 420 fleet to win gold with a day to spare; for Smallwood, it is his second Youth Nationals title. Rhys Lewis-Drew Wright finished second boys and third

overall, ahead of Tom Collyer-Aaron Chadwick. Isabel DaviesGemma Keers retained their girls’ 420 title and were second overall, with Katie Davies-Midge Watkins second girls ahead of Hatty Morsley-Pippa Cropley. In the Catamaran William SmithAbigail Clarke took gold ahead of Caleb Cooper-Tristan Payne, with Theo Williams and 2016 medallist Will Heritage having to settle for bronze. The 29er fleet saw an intense battle all week but in the end the win went to James Eales-James Hammett. Following a U-flag starting penalty in the final race, Nick Robins-Billy Vennis-Ozanne finished second, with Irish duo Harry Durcan-Harry Whitaker third and Ellie Walton-Dan Budden fourth and third British boat. Bella Fellows-Anna Sturrock took the girls’ title ahead of Freya BlackOrla Mitchell and Courtney Bilbrough- Hanna Brand. RS:X windsurfer Andy Brown counted 12 bullets to claim his second Youth Nationals title, while Erin Watson took the girls’ title. At the first Youth Nationals for the

Techno fleet, Finn Hawkins won with the podium and Izzy Adcock dominating the girls. HIGH STANDARDS Overall, Nicholls felt that the event was a strong reflection of the shape of British youth sailing overall, which he commented, is in good shape. “Numbers of sailors are increasing across nearly every class and the standard is rising, especially amongst the female sailors. This is the first year we have been able to select almost equal numbers of both genders based purely on sailors meeting the required standard, which is hugely exciting. Whilst we have seen a number of our medal-winning sailors move in to the British Sailing Team, there is some serious competition from sailors looking to replicate, and further, their success.” Undoubtedly trend towards foiling and catamarans, driven by the America’s Above top Laser winner Daniel Whiteley Above Isabel Davies and Gemma Keers were 420 girls champions and second overall Cup, is being felt keenly amongst the younger generation, but

Nicholls was keen to point out that “the overriding passion and love of racing sailboats and boards is as strong as ever.” He says: “Whilst there is huge interest in the move to foiling and the potential in the new Nacra 15, we also had the biggest turn out in the 420 for a number of years and also a great number of windsurfers, which is encouraging.” June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 11 Saturday 1 July 2017 it’s fun to try something new Britains favourite yacht race one of the great sailing experiences organised by the Island Sailing Club Presenting Sponsor enter online now @ www.roundtheislandorguk Official Media Partner Race Technical Partner Official Clothing Supplier Marine Insurance Partner MS Official Race Charity Bob Fisher OPINION TLC, and then some, will once again be required to bring Tracy Edwards’ celebrated former Whitbread yacht, Maiden, back to life ROGER LEAN-VERCOE/PPL A t the end of last month there was an awakening of a sailing

legend. The yacht Maiden was rescued from nearobscurity in the Seychelles and began her journey to restoration in the UK on the deck of a freighter. Tracy Edwards, of course, was the force behind the move, as she has been with Maiden from the very beginning. This time to fund the purchase and move of this historic vessel Tracy has been forced to re-mortgage her house, but this does not seem to phase her in the slightest. For anyone whose memory needs a nudge: Maiden was the yacht in which Tracy and her crew made history by becoming, in 1989/90, the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Race. The ‘Girls’, as the crew became known, proved their critics wrong by doing what no one had thought possible. I had named the ensemble “a tinful of tarts”, but progressively changed this until it became: “a tinful of fast, smart tarts”, in which they delighted. They not only finished the race but won two of the legs to finish second in Division D. Tracy had originally

found the yacht, previously Disque D’or III, seemingly abandoned in a Cape Town marina. This boat needed an enormous amount of rather more than simple TLC to make her suitable for the forthcoming Whitbread race, but Tracy had recruited a large crew to assist the experts in the preparation of her entry – and considerable sponsorship from the King of Jordan. She will need similar help, and has secured the promise of sponsorship from the Crown Princess of Jordan, when she returns the 58ft (17.6m) Bruce Farr design to the UK this summer. It is, nevertheless, an indication of her respect for the boat that lifted her profile from deckhand to successful skipper. So, it is back to Hamble Yacht Services, the yard where the 1989 transformation took place, for this latest re-fit, which Tracy suggests will take a similarly long time. Meanwhile, AC35, the upcoming America’s Cup, is fast approaching. Tracy had originally found the yacht seemingly abandoned in a Cape Town marina Racing in the

full-on 50ft catamarans (the ones that will be used in ‘the match’) begins on Bermuda’s Great Sound in the last week of May and this will be the final time that the defender, Oracle Team USA, will meet any of the five challengers before the cup match towards the end of June. The break from former tradition, where the defender stayed away from the challengers, is viewed biliously in some areas, but applauded in a few where this ‘equalization’ is comprehended as a healthy exchange of knowledge. Whatever one’s views, the early racing in Bermuda will provide disappointment to almost all across the board eventually. This is where the fleet racing stops and the match racing begins. First up will be Oracle versus Groupama Team France, followed by Artemis versus SoftBank Team Japan. There are eight Above Maiden – a legendary boat which once again is set to benefit from royal backing One of the biggest names in yachting journalism, Bob Fisher has a passion and depth of knowledge

that’s second to none days for the double round robin in the qualifiers, followed by four days of the semi-finals and three days for the challenger final before the team to meet Oracle in ‘the match’ is revealed. Meanwhile, the defender, Oracle is able to tune against the second boat that only she has been able to build. Currently, the unknown quantity is with Emirates Team New Zealand. The kiwis have spent their time in Auckland developing their entry – spied on heavily, they report, by Oracle and SoftBank, who have admitted an ‘association’ – one that would have been unheard of in previous America’s Cups. ETNZ sprang one surprise when it revealed that the hydraulic power developed by the crew would come from pedal power and not the usual pedestal grinders. It’s not new – Pelle Petterson used it for the 12-Metre Sverige in the Seventies. Reports from the team are that it works well (the power is greater) and that the windage of the crew is much reduced. For the

rest, we wait. As I write, ETNZ’s boat and its rig are being prepared to be flown to Bermuda aboard one or more of the team’s sponsors Emirates Airlines’ planes from Auckland. One wonders whether this airline has been able to do as much on the technical design as Airbus has for Oracle. That has been a fundamentally good association for the defender. One cannot but wish the Kiwis well (except against Land Rover BAR). They have struggled when finances were low. When there was not a World Series regatta held in Auckland, ETNZ lost the NZ Government funding it would have attracted had the AC world spent time in the City of Sails. Rumour has it that a large quantity of money (in the double digits of millions of dollars) is promised by America’s Cup Events Authority for withdrawing the event from the circuit. But that’s all in the past and one or two personal sponsors have rallied to the cause. Note: During the second weekend of April, the Oracle raceboat capsized. June 2017

Yachts & Yachting 13 Andi Robertson YACHTS Is enough young blood coming through the offshore racing scene? It’s tough at the top, but the pathway is emerging, as Jack Bouttell finally gets his Volvo Ocean Race spot W 14 June 2017 Yachts & Yachting Now he comes on as boat captain with in-depth, all-round knowledge of every aspect of the boat in-depth, all-round knowledge of every aspect of the boat and how to fix it, a considerable responsibility at 26. “It definitely helps having been shore crew last time. Then getting a leg on board was a good step forwards, but I was always keeping on at Charles whenever there was a chance. Eventually he asked me out for a day when there was a photoshoot. There was 20-25kts and I just tried to do what I knew as well as I could. At the end I got to help with a delivery to Alicante.” Of the key strengths that have cemented his place Bouttell says: “I am pretty easy-going and get on with everyone and I am a good all-rounder,

able to do a bit of everything well. On the last race I was on Leg 3 as a trimmerhelm, but this time I can fix just about everything on the boat so I am boat captain, and am officially bowman.” Prior to his Figaro years many will remember Bouttell sailing as a young bowman, notably on Piet Vroon’s Tonnerre, he sailed on the IMOCAs Pindar and Hugo Boss at different times, and on different Farr 45s on the Solent - all good foundation experience. “The Volvo is something I have wanted to do for a long, long time and I worked hard to make sure I put myself in the best position to get here. Now I think we are in a good position to do Above Dongfeng will be skippered by Charles Caudrelier once again for the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race Few people can match Andi Robertson’s insight into the big boat world, both in the UK and globally well in the race. We are the first team on the water but we have not let that influence us; we work very hard and Charles drives us hard because he wants

to win so much. Because he wants it so much it makes me want it even more.” Bouttell spoke to me at the end of a week off, ready to go back to testing and training. One focus at the moment is learning the optimal crossover and deployment of the one new sail for this race, the J0, a masthead nonoverlapping code zero sail which sheets to the jib lead. As he explains, in 14-25kts of wind with TWA between 100 and 130 there are four different sail combinations that can be used. I agree that in this instance the Volvo is a good intermediate step towards the 2020 Vendée Globe, and beyond to 2024. That is Bouttell’s ultimate personal goal and he remains proactive in the search for backing. “At the moment you have to get a balance between looking hard (for a sponsor) and doing the best, highest level sailing you can to prove you have what it takes and to improve yourself. And that is a difficult balance.” In an ideal world he would seek to transition from the Volvo to the 2018 Route du

Rhum and into the 2020 Vendée Globe on a 2016-17 generation boat. After that, perhaps a win in 2024 yachtsandyachting.couk YVAN ZEDDA ith the Volvo Ocean Race rules placing a premium on the inclusion of sailors under the age of 30 I would have hoped to see more young British sailors taken as crew for the next race. Of course, there are just four teams announced so far and there is hope that more will be selected to other teams, but nonetheless it is especially pleasing to see Jack Bouttell being given a place on Dongfeng. When I look back at the Artemis Offshore Academy Figaro programme and look forwards to which young sailors might actually make the jump to the 2020 Vendée Globe, then I think Bouttell is one of the best hopes. He is a good communicator with a likeable personality, drives himself and his boat hard, and has come through the school of hard knocks to earn his place on Dongfeng. Having worked as shore crew on the 2015-16 race, Bouttell, now 26, admits he has pretty

much pressed skipper Charles Caudrelier at every polite and reasonable opportunity to grant him a place as a full race crew this time. To say he is delighted to have made the cut is an understatement. The reality is that he has sailed the hard miles, proving his potential over three La Solitaire du Figaro participations (top rookie in 2013 and finishing tenth in 2015), as well as during the successive trials he has been given with the Dongfeng team. Bouttell told me: “The most impressive and challenging thing right now is just how full-on it is, how much sheer hard work it is and how much sailing we are doing. We go out and it is long, full days at a time. Once you are out there is so much to do and to learn and test, it is always a case of making the most of being out there.” Being involved as shore crew last time definitely was an ideal pathway on to the team. Not only does it allow him to showcase his strengths, but now he comes on as boat captain with a great Photo Credits:

RICHARD LANGDON & RACHEL FALLON - LANGDON 100%FOCUS TEAM PHAEDO3 Worn by some of the world’s best sailors, Bollé Marine lenses feature an embedded polarizing filter to take the glare off the water’s surface to give your eyes all-day comfort with enhanced colour and depth perception. Bollé is the Official Supplier to: KING 12119 Polarized Offshore Blue Lens Hydrophobic / Oleophobic treatment B-20.3 Polycarbonate lenses Anti-reflective treatment Polarized lenses Complete with a floating retainer AVAILABLE IN PRESCRIPTION Stockists include: Force 4 Chandlery force4.couk Ocean Leisure London WC2 Optix at Broadgate London EC2 Eyesite Opticians eyesite.couk Bisham Abbey Sailing School Optique 2000 Wimborne Haine & Smith Opticians haineandsmith.couk Baines & Band Optometrists St Brelade, Jersey Howards Opticians St Helier, Jersey Larbalestier Opticians St Peter Port, Guernsey TECHNOLOGY Andy Rice DINGHIES Standing thigh-deep in freezing water gave time to

ponder the nature of sailing friendships and how one class has ended up ahead of the rest EMER BERRY J ust because you can, doesn’t mean you should. That was Kim Couranz’s message in an article I picked up recently from SpinSheet magazine in the USA. “Tacking on a random competitor halfway up the first beat, just because they’re there?” asks Kim. “Nope, not okay.” As she also points out, there are times when you really can’t help but tack on somebody else’s face, but if you make a habit of it, chances are you’re going to run out of drinking buddies at the bar after sailing. Of course in match racing, anything goes – it’s the nature of the beast. But the level of aggression still takes some getting used to when you’ve come from fleet racing. It took Robert Scheidt about three years to bring himself to talk to Ben Ainslie after our man tacked all over the Brazilian to grab that controversial Laser gold medal at Sydney 2000. Since then, in Olympic circles

anyway, that kind of win-at-all-costs level of aggression is considered just about OK. But I remember writing in this column a few years ago about the outcome of the Merlin National Championship when match racing tactics determined the overall result, when opinions among the British dinghy scene were very divided. Coming back to Kim’s point about not tacking on fellow competitors unless you absolutely have to, the other side of the same coin is that most of us probably don’t protest as often as we should. We don’t want to be seen to be the bad egg who’s always dragging people to the room, especially if they’re friends and/or fellow club sailors. The less confrontational ‘arbitration’ process has been around for more than 20 years, and I don’t know why it hasn’t caught on more widely. If the losing party in the protest room or arbitration process only copped a 10 or 20 per cent penalty rather than a full-blown DSQ, we might all be tempted to resort to protesting more

often, at least in the short term. In the longer term, it could mean that respect of the rules improves at least a little. If you make a habit of it, chances are you’re going to run out of drinking buddies at the bar I can think of one friend who left the RS200 fleet in favour of the RS400 because he could no longer tolerate the shrug-shouldered insouciance of some of his fellow 200 sailors who were content to sharp-elbow their way through busy traffic, never mind a few bumps and scrapes along the way. He discovered a much friendlier and more rule-abiding bunch in the 400 fleet, so that’s where he’s stayed ever since. I believe the concept of fair play should apply equally on shore as well, and I’m reminded of this frequently at my home club of Stokes Bay. While the council bulldozer does clear the stones off the concrete slipway from time to time, it sometimes only takes a day or two of strong south-westerlies to put the stones right back where they were again. This makes

pulling your boat up over the shingle a right pig of a job, and nigh on impossible by yourself. So let me pose you a bit of mental arithmetic. If you can’t pull your own boat up the beach by yourself, but if you can just about manage with yourself and another person, and if it’s relatively straightforward to pull the boat up with a total of three people, how many boats should you pull up the beach? Is it OK, for example, to get help with your boat and then carry on towards the hosepipe and the boat park? Or do you feel obliged to go back and help pull up at least one more boat, maybe two or three more? I’ll let you be the judge, because from my Above The Finn class is famed for its cameraderie. Could it be a product of the boat’s weight? Musto Skiff sailor Andy Rice has unparalleled knowledge of the dinghy sailing scene, from grassroots to Olympic level observation people seem to adopt many different positions on this conundrum. Racing in a borrowed RS Aero at the Oxford

Blue earlier this season, as we came ashore at the end of racing, I offered to hold another Aero in the water while the owner went off to fetch his trolley. When he came back, he put his boat on his trolley and happily wheeled his boat up the slipway and out of view, leaving me standing in the water for a couple of minutes until one of the Farmoor volunteers waded into hold my boat while I went to seek out my own trolley. As my 14-year-old son would say in text speak, WTF! This, he tell me, is short for: “Where’s The Friendship?” That’s what I was wondering as I stood thigh-deep in the February-cold waters of Farmoor. So here’s my theory, which is that the heavier the dinghy, the friendlier the fleet. Take the Finn The class is famed for its camaraderie and the lifelong friendships that are forged from competing in this demanding Olympic singlehander. Just look at the 300-plus turnouts they get for the Masters Worlds. And why is the Finn such a friendly fleet? Because the

boat is so darn heavy, without friends, you’d simply never get it back up the slipway by yourself. And if that sounds like a backhanded compliment, I suppose it is. But I also think we could learn something from the way Finn sailors help each other out. Here endeth the sermon June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 17 AMERICA’S CUP PREVIEW XXXX 35TH AMERICA’S 18 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 yachtsandyachting.couk F or five weeks in May and June, all eyes will be on the natural sailing ampitheatre of Bermuda. There, six teams will do battle for the coveted prize, sporting’s oldest trophy, the America’s Cup, and the right to become the next defender. Four years ago, AC34 brought the wow factor, with the phenomenal AC72s, Oracle Team USA’s astonishing come-back, and the classic backdrop of San Francisco. Now things are due to notch up a gear. XXXX CUP With between 10 and 15 knot winds expected daily, we’re likely to see the new America’s Cup Class boats

foiling consistently around the course. Where the previous Cup saw a battle for control, this will be a question of finesse. The design race has narrowed with the introduction of one-design elements, and the defender Oracle Team USA has thrown itself into the open by participating in the prelim rounds. Whoever takes the ultimate glory in the final match showdown, it’s certain to be an epic event. From team line-ups to TV schedules, the Y&Y team brings you all you need to know ahead of this summer’s ultimate sailing spectacle in Bermuda June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 19 AMERICA’S CUP PREVIEW TEAM PROSPECTS BOB FISHER has had a close eye on the early practice rounds. How have the T here have been several practice races among four of the challengers and the defender over the likely courses in Bermuda’s Great Sound; only Emirates Team New Zealand was missing. In the early rounds, Artemis made a clean sweep of her nine races, and Oracle won five of her nine to be the

top two performers, but can anything of importance be gleaned from that? Or that SoftBank Team Japan won two of seven, Land Rover BAR only one of five and Groupama none of her four races? Only that determination ran high in the Swedish and American camps and both were prepared to show their hands – and equipment – at this stage, the first time out in the boats they will use in the Cup. Undoubtedly the Artemis team, led by Iain Percy and steered by Nathan 20 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 Outteridge, was up to speed and has mastered the delicate balance necessary on the foils. Technical director Adam May, who was once with Airbus, said that it was very similar to flying. “It’s all about the lift generated by the foils. If they are in the right area going the correct speed, they will generate enough lift to get the boat up in the air,” he said, “And that will cause much reduced drag.” One feels he over-simplified the designers’ problems. Commitment to the foil shape

had to be made at least three months ago; that is the lead time needed for manufacture of the two sets of foils allowed to each boat (including the defender). Damage to foils could be terminal for that team, as repairs take a similarly long time. Of the Artemis success so far, helmsman Nathan Outteridge said: “We’ve had a really good race period here in Bermuda, Above Land Rover BAR’s manoeuvres are strongest so far, says Coutts all five teams on the island have been racing hard. We’ve had some really close battles, really close starting, with tacking duels around the course forcing umpires to make decisions, it’s everything we expect it’s going to be come May and June.” He was silent on the subject of the failure of the main beam on one of the Artemis test boats. Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ), absent from the early racing, because of a determination to complete its preparations on its home waters, has created an interest of a different kind – all are keen to know

what they have to expect from the Kiwis, who made some flashy showings earlier in the AC World Series. When asked how the team found itself soon after its arrival in Bermuda, CEO Grant Dalton declared: “It always gives the team a huge boost to arrive in the actual race venue of the Cup. The yachtsandyachting.couk PREVIOUS PAGE: ACEA/AUSTIN WONG teams in Bermuda been shaping up as the final Cup countdown commences? It gives the team a huge boost. The intensity has changed up another gear intensity has certainly changed up yet another gear, which is amazing when thinking of how hard the entire team has been pushing the past few months since launching our race boat way down in New Zealand.” On the subject of pedal power, Dalton was forthright: “It is not a new or revolutionary concept, but it was one we approached with a very open mind and gave it due diligence and put it through considerable design, testing and development before deciding to push the ‘go’ button with

it. It won’t be the ‘silver bullet’ that will be the difference between winning the America’s Cup or not, but it will hopefully be one of many innovations the team has developed.” ETNZ did not however consult Pelle Petterson who used the pedal system on the 12-Metre Sverige in 1977 and 1980. “The boat was very manageable in Auckland. We put it through the full range of conditions and although it is not Bermuda we feel we have had adequate testing across the range to get out sailing here on the Great Sound to keep developing a lot from where we left off in Auckland. “We were spied on by Oracle and SoftBank, who shared a boat to follow us every single day we were sailing. Likewise we have had good reconnaissance based in Bermuda for quite some time now, so have been keeping a particularly close eye on things, so we think we have a pretty good idea of where the other teams are at, but what we don’t know is where we slot into that mix.” Unsurprisingly, thanks to its close

cooperation with the defender, SoftBank Team Japan – led by former Kiwi skipper Dean Barker, with the design assistance of Nick Holroyd, the first to fit the necessary foils to an AC72 and produce foiling in the last America’s Cup – has been second highest scoring of the challengers. It will never be revealed exactly how much data information on HOW DOES THE RACE FORMAT WORK? LOUIS VUITTON AMERICA’S CUP WORLD SERIES AC45F LOUIS VUITTON AMERICA’S CUP QUALIFIERS America’s Cup class ACEA/AUSTIN WONG/OTUSA/SAM GREENFIELD LOUIS VUITTON AMERICA’S CUP CHALLENGER PLAYOFFS America’s Cup class 35TH AMERICA’S CUP MATCH PRESENTED BY LOUIS VUITTON America’s Cup class Above Two boat testing on board Oracle Team USA the foils has been supplied but the Japanese team has displayed a very similar ability to ‘fly’ early and remain stable, including through tacks and gybes, to Oracle. In the early official practice races, SoftBank lost five races (three to Oracle and two

to Artemis) but beat Land Rover BAR and Groupama Team France. COUTTS WEIGHS IN Russell Coutts, the CEO of the America’s Cup, has offered his thoughts on what has happened in the practice racing: “Artemis Racing is head and shoulders ahead in terms of consistency of manoeuvres and how it manages its racing tactically. It has made a massive jump in the last two or three weeks. Nathan Outteridge has improved his positioning in the starts to the point that he won two of three starts against Oracle. Artemis also looked strong in defending its leads and managed to stay tack for tack with Oracle, extending a two-boat length lead at the bottom gate to a seven-boat length advantage by the top gate. “Land Rover BAR’s manoeuvres were looking amongst the strongest of all teams on the water. It was a great June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 21 FEATURE Oracle didn’t have a great series. Spithill will be looking to improve consistency improvement for Ben Ainslie, who has already halved

the deficit with respect to the top performing teams. If it can further improve its straight-line speed it will be a real force to be reckoned with. Groupama Team France has a lot of work to develop its control systems and manoeuvres. However, its straight-line speed looks competitive. “SoftBank Team Japan needs to address its reliability issues, but with Dean Barker and Chris Draper in charge – I’d fully expect it to. As expected it had some good starts and should have won a race against the in-form Artemis. Oracle didn’t have a great series. Jimmy Spithill LAND ROVER BAR Nationality: British Helm: Sir Ben Ainslie Team includes: Giles Scott (tactics); Paul Campbell-James (wing trim); David Carr (grinder/bow) 22 ORACLE TEAM USA and Tom Slingsby will be looking to improve their consistency in manoeuvres and figure out better strategies to keep themselves in the race when they get behind.” Coutts still holds respect for Land Rover BAR despite its lack of wins in the series

of practice races and all those with hopes pinned that Sir Ben can bring the Cup home trust that he is correct to do so. And why not? Throughout the AC World Series, the British team displayed an ability to come back. No doubt the experimentation with the ride height currently being carried out will result in one that produces the optimum speed Nationality: USA Helm: Jimmy Spithill Team includes: Matt Cassidy (grinder/bow); Tom Slingsby (tactics); Ky Hurst (grinder) Yachts & Yachting June 2017 EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND Nationality: New Zealand Helm: Peter Burling Team includes: Ray Davies (tactics); Blair Tuke (grinder); Glenn Ashby (skipper) Above Artemis has proved the out and out leader so far ARTEMIS RACING Nationality: Swedish Helm: Nathan Outteridge Team includes: Iain Percy (tactics); Frederick Loof (tactics); Chris Brittle (grinder) and this will be linked to the manner in which the foils (both the main ones and the rudders) are employed. Sitting behind a desk, this

sounds simple, but there will be hours of mental anguish and physical experimentation before the British team is satisfied that all is well. AC World Series results Team Points 1. Land Rover BAR 512 2. Oracle Team USA 493 3. Emirates Team New Zealand 485 4. Artemis Racing 466 5. SoftBank Team Japan 460 6. Groupama Team France 419 SOFTBANK TEAM JAPAN Nationality: Japan Helm: Dean Barker Team includes: Chris Draper (tactics); Jeremy Lomas (bow); Kazhiko ‘Fuku’ Sofuku (grinder) GROUPAMA TEAM FRANCE Nationality: France Helm: Franck Cammas Team includes: Thomas Le Breton (tactics); Matthieu Vandame (grinder); Adam Minoprio (trim) yachtsandyachting.couk ACEA/AUSTIN WONG AMERICA’S CUP PROWIP SAILING HELMET The first real sailing helmet, light and stylish! WIP IMPACT VEST 50N BUYOANCY The World’s top sailing teams preferred choice of Impact protection and buoyancy. High Visibility Shoulder Knife Pocket Spare Air tank Neoprene Sleeve Safety Knife fit

in pocket Back cushioning AMERICA’S CUP PREVIEW ON BOARD THE ACC DAVID PALMER examines the technical aspects that make these incredible boats fly shape you want it to be under load.” Every one of the six competing teams has pushed its foils to breaking point at some point. It takes three months to build a pair of foils at a cost of up to €400,000 a pair – a broken foil would seriously damage a team’s race prospects. So, expect a certain conservatism to have entered the final design equations. Complicating things further is a tendency for foils to ‘cavitate’ when water boils on the upper side of the tip and is transformed into vapour. The result is reduced vertical lift and much increased drag; the boat starts to slow down. Or worse still, they can ventilate – sucking air onto the surface of the foil, and losing all lift, causing the boat to crash into the water within as little as half a second. In both cases, there’s a maximum speed beyond which the foils

cease to operate. However, “If you set the cavitation speed limit very high,” explains Martin Fischer, head of design for Groupama Team France, “that does not come for free. The drag at lower speeds goes up. So that is a very important decision during the design process.” The cross beams are one-design but the aerodynamic elements are open to development 24 Length 15m Beam 8.47m Maximum draught 2.4m Wing height 23.6m Surface area of wing 100sq m Weight - wing 445kg Weight - platform min 1,887kg – max 1,987kg Yachts & Yachting June 2017 The hulls are one-design structures Hydrofoils are a key area of development; four vertical shafts and eight horizontal tips permitted per team The front section of the wingsail - along with the jib and code zero - are one-design The aft section of the wing mast is onedesign in shape but structure is open to development; there are three adjustable flaps with separate control arms to create twist Hidden from sight are

the control systems - controlled by the electronics and driven by the hydraulics and the mechanical systems With a surface area nearly twice that of the daggerboards, the two rudders are also open to development XXXX The spotlight will, for this Cup, once again be on the hydrofoils. ACC foils come in two parts; the vertical shaft and horizontal tip. The lighter the wind, the longer the tip needed to lift the hulls out of the water. Long tips with bigger surface area also make the boats easier to handle. But as the wind and speed increases, a longer tip will increase drag, and therefore reduce potential straightline speed. The difference between the length of a light-weather and a heavy-weather tip could be up to 50 per cent. So every day, the teams are going to have to make a call as to which foils to use. A team that gets it wrong will be left standing. Now consider what these foils are being asked to do. “A piece of carbon fibre somewhat smaller than an office desk is supporting

a load of about three tons,” says Peter Bentley of the Artemis design team. “The surface of that foil bends and distorts very significantly under load, so the shape that is actually going through the water is very different to the shape you photograph when the boat is hanging off a crane. “The real nub of the problem is designing a daggerboard which is the yachtsandyachting.couk LAND ROVER BAR/HARRY K-H/ETNZ/HAMISH HOOPER RUDDERS With the working surface of the two rudders roughly the same as one foil, the ACCs are trimmed forwards, mostly in order to lift the rudders and reduce drag. “There is massive interaction between the rudders and the daggerboards,” explains Peter Bentley. “You cannot design one without understanding the other. The rudder is operating behind the daggerboard, so not operating in clean water. When tacking or gybing, both rudders have to cross the wake of the daggerboards in front of them.” POWER AND CONTROL Every adjustment on an ACC has to be

subject to a manual command. Computers on board can tell the six-man crew what the optimum twist settings should be for a given wind strength, but the computers are not allowed to make the changes. All six teams have spent the last two years trialling their test boats. Several hundred data points have been feeding back information, and optimum settings for every wind and wave condition have been subject to minute analysis. But on the ACC, one of the crew has to send electronic signals to the hydraulic systems that control these boats and tell those systems what to do. Hydraulic The designers have had to balance hydraulic power with what the grinders can produce controls govern the angle of the main section of the wing mast; the amount of twist generated by the flaps; the cant (vertical angle) of the daggerboard; the rake (horizontal angle) of the foil tip; the angle of attack of the rudders; even, on some boats, main and jib sheet adjustments. Think of yourself last weekend adjusting

to changes in wind strength in your own racing boat, and then transfer all that to a series of command buttons on a boat that is flying at between 20 and 45 knots, where each leg of the course lasts just a few minutes! Above The six-man crews must produce all the power, as well as sail the boat Below It’s heads down on ETNZ, as the Kiwis employ pedal power balloon, and you only need a fraction of the pressure to perform a task, you still have a pretty full balloon.” The designers have had to balance maximum available hydraulic power with what the grinders can produce, and what is needed to sail the ACC. At one extreme, “you can have big rams, that can do a ton of work, but they use a lot of that ‘balloon’ in one push, so there’s nothing left for the next manoeuvre.” At the opposite, you can have rams that need much less hydraulic power, but are too small to keep the boat at optimum speed. THE HYDRAULICS Up to four of the six-man crew spend most of the race as grinders,

creating hydraulic power. Five of the six boats will do this through handles, but ETNZ will be using bicycle-style machines to build the hydraulic power with their legs. The maximum hydraulic pressure allowed on the boats is 350 Bar. To create that pressure, the ACC has three ‘accumulators,’ acting as energy storage balloons. As Oracle tactitian Andrew Campbell explains: “If you fill up the June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 25 AMERICA’S CUP PREVIEW EYES OUT ON THE SOUND GEORGIE CORLETT-PITT looks at the racecourse. What can we expect? 26 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 sea state is expected to be largely flat – part of the appeal of the venue. So what will all this mean for team performance? As we go to press, teams have thus far been keeping their lighter wind set-ups under wraps. However, one thing is for sure and that’s that those with the best foil control systems will fare better in the shifty, gusty easterlies – simply put, they will be better able to make

the fine adjustments necessary to maintain height as well as speed. Those with less sophisticated ride height control are likely to be forced to sail to the foils, and will struggle to maintain height as a result. Ultimately, we’ll see that the controls – not to mention the sailors’ ability to master those controls – will be of as much consequence as the foils themselves. For those lucky enough to be watching from Bermuda, the Royal Naval Dockyard will be the place to be, with the finish line positioned just offshore. This is also where the team bases will be, along with a ‘pit lane’ and a ticketed race village complete with big screens, grandstands and hospitality areas. On race days, the action is scheduled from 2pm (6pm UK time) with the exception of 26 May, when the racing is three hours later. Each race will last around 20 minutes. BT Sport will be showing all races live, whilst the BBC will screen highlights. There is also an official America’s Cup app with

additional graphic-based coverage; however UK users are not able to watch live footage through the app. FINISH WIND DIRECTION SOUTH WEST START FOLLOW THE RACING No access to BT Sport? Fear not! Yachts & Yachting’s live race blog will be bringing you blow by blow coverage of the racing direct from Bermuda for all the crucial races. We also have exclusive daily updates throughout from Bob Fisher and a special America’s Cup weekly round up newsletter. Sign up now and find more online at yachtsandyachting.couk, or follow Facebookcom/ sailingmagazine or Twitter @YandYmagazine. yachtsandyachting.couk AUSTIN WONG/ACEA When Oracle Team USA and Groupama Team France go head to head on 26 May, it will be the first match in a five week long schedule that could see as many as 70 races completed in the bid to become the next defender of the America’s Cup. The racecourse – a windward-leeward with reaching start and finish legs – will be positioned in Bermuda’s Great Sound.

Whilst practice races to date have seen a solid 12-15 knot wind range, met predictions for the Cup dates point to a potentially lighter range than that. Historical data suggests a 90 per cent certainty of the breeze being within the 6-25 knot window needed for racing. A lack of thermal effects from the tiny (21sq m) mid-Atlantic island mean the wind is governed by topography, meaning plenty of snakes and ladders. The Great Sound is NNE orientated, so winds coming from the east will pose the trickiest, as the wind gusts out from Hamilton Harbour and around the top of the island, making it possible to be lifted into the windward mark on either tack. No matter what the wind direction, the tight confines of the racecourse will most likely see boats tacking from boundary to boundary as they head upwind. Picking the right side coming out from the leeward gate will therefore become crucial, as there’s little scope to correct mistakes if you get out of phase with the shifts. Anything from

the NNE will bring the strongest, most consistent winds – and also add chop to the equation. In general, however, the MATCH RACING MULTIHULLS Tactics have evolved with the move to multihulls. MARK RUSHALL breaks down some of the fundamental moves teams are likely to employ during racing America’s Cup style match racing utilises a different course and changes to the rules of Part 2. Not all of the classic match racing moves will be seen, and the course configuration and rules changes encourage a more strategic, and less combative approach to the race. It is still a match race though! Penalties, signalled by the umpire, are stop/go penalties: slow down until two hull lengths behind the other boat. Pre-start moves are simplified by the reaching start and separated entry gates (and a 10 second bonus for the port entry boat in the Cup): processes designed to avoid a dangerous dial up when the boats meet. 1 Approaching the startline The real action begins once both boats are on

starboard tack, approaching the line. Often they will slow on a closehauled course Here the leeward boat has control as she can choose when to put the bow down and accelerate for the line. Her opponent can attempt to prevent this by avoiding the windward overlap, making to bear off and ‘hook’ the other boat to leeward and reverse the positions, as in figure 1. Orange defends by bearing off in front of Purple to prevent the overlap: Purple continues to attack from behind to force Orange over the line early, or below the layline to the mark. Once Orange is close to the layline, her acceleration options are limited: Purple works to create space to windward to roll over the top of orange and break the overlap before the port hand bear away mark. Purple is attempting to get Orange overlapped to windward. As soon as she is, Purple luffs to the controlling position. 2 Around the racecourse Once the race has started, the most likely moves are the luff (there’s no proper course

limitation in match racing), the dial down, and the dial up, all used in exactly the same way as in a classic match race. In America’s Cup match racing, the starboard tack boat on the upwind leg can only dial down to a beam reach to impede the port tack boat, and on the run can dial up to 110 degrees from the wind. With windward and leeward gates, and tight boundaries each side, planning each leg to minimise manoeuvres and choose the best mark for the next leg tend to dominate. The rules at the boundary are simplified and give most of the cards to the boat closest to it: the outside boat must give the inside boat room to sail her proper course (including a tack or gybe), as long as one of them is within four hull lengths of the boundary. The rules at the windward gate are more like fleet racing rules at the leeward gate: rule 18 applies between boats on opposite tacks, and includes room to tack. That leads to some surprising situations: In figure 2, Yellow is overlapped inside Blue

when the first reaches the (three boat length for Cup) zone for the left hand gate mark. Blue has to give Yellow room to round the mark In figure 3, Red is clear ahead of Green when the first of them reaches the zone: Green has to give Red room to round the right hand gate mark. In this case, Green will have to stop, or miss the mark! For more match racing moves, see page 58. 3 June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 27 P FEATURE erhaps our materialistic society is to blame, but for some reason if we have to shell out money it is always more appealing if it is for something physical rather than something touchy feely, like a service. Maybe because of this, or other reasons such as time constraints, keen amateur crews will often spend thousands on new sails or equipment in a heartbeat but will have to have the thumbscrews applied before they will pay for any coaching, despite the well-proven benefits elite sailors heading for the Olympic Games or America’s Cup gain from the critique

of third parties. As a disgruntled coach once said, “If they [boat owners] just spent a bit, the cost of one jib, say, on some coaching they would be miles up the fleet.” It is to address this, as well as the noble aim of attempting to raise the standard of sailing in the UK, that the Royal Ocean Racing Club always begins its domestic season with the Easter Challenge. Taking place from Good Friday until Easter Sunday, there is of course chocolate to be won – and lots of it – but the event doubles as the club’s annual ‘training regatta’ with free coaching laid on for all entries. As RORC racing manager Nick Elliott explains: “In our sport, apart from when you first learn to sail, you often don’t get any further coaching. You wouldn’t dream of trying to get to the top of any other sport without joining a club that JAMES BOYD spends the day with top keelboat crews and pro coaches at the recent RORC Easter Challenge 28 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 RAISING XXXX

KEELBOAT COACHING yachtsandyachting.couk XXXX THE STANDARD June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 29 provided coaching and support for its athletes. It is bizarre that sailing hasn’t embraced coaching in the same way.” Some boats will have competed in the Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series or Crewsaver Spring Championship, but for others the RORC Easter Challenge represents their first competitive outing of the year. The coaching laid on by the RORC helps bludgeon away any winter cobwebs, accelerating the process of getting teams back up to speed ready for the forthcoming season. Coaching at the RORC Easter Challenge is run by ‘the legend’ of this profession, Jim Saltonstall, supplemented by professional coach Mason King and CEO of RORC, Eddie Warden Owen, who, aside from being an accomplished Olympic and big boat sailor was also an America’s Cup coach for the likes of Team New Zealand and Desafio Espanol. They are supported by a sizeable team of 30 Yachts &

Yachting June 2017 talent brought in from North Sails UK, including several prominent sailmakers such as Dave Lenz, Dave Swete, Sam Richmond and Frank Gerber. A key aspect of the coaching is that it is not just a race with a bunch of experts in RIBs yelling at the sailors through megaphones. The coaching is serious enough that for the event the RORC relaxes RRS rule 41 prohibiting outside help. In practice this means that during a race, a crew can invite a coach on board if a more hands-on approach is required or, equally uniquely, a trimmer can hop on to one of the coach RIBs, again during a race, to examine the trim from off their boat – all carried out without fear of disqualification. TIME TO EXPERIMENT UK National Match Racing champion turned Figaro sailor, Nick Cherry, was sailing at this year’s RORC Easter Above Legendary coach Jim Saltonstall was on hand to impart advice Facing page A key lesson was to plan your hoist well in advance Challenge once again with Ed

Fishwick, this time on Fishwick’s Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600, Redshift Reloaded. She would end up eventual winner in the IRC2 class in what was her first competitive outing. With their boat being brand new – acquired hopefully to make a dent in France’s recent domination of the Rolex Fastnet Race – the coaching provided a welcome opportunity to develop their set-up. “I hopped on to the North RIB with Frank [Gerber] to have a look, which was quite exciting as we were coming up to the layline,” Cherry recounted. “Then Eddie [Warden Owen] came along and gave us some feedback on our jib trim.” After racing is done for the day, crews descend on the RORC Cowes clubhouse to participate in Saltonstall and the coaches’ debrief, where they usually discuss some aspect of the racing – such as starting. This was the main topic on yachtsandyachting.couk FEATURE KEELBOAT COACHING Even if you are in different boats, a lot of the techniques are the same mechanics and how for

example a kite hoist can require the concerted effort of several people, timed to perfection, if it is to be pulled off successfully. “People need to think about the process and how to approach that, not just during the manoeuvre but 30-40 seconds before,” says Gerber. “And the tactician – if he changes his mind, how does that affect the crew?” Fortunately North Sails tacticians helped provide one of the day’s dramatic highlights, during a particularly lively top mark rounding between two of the five FAST40+ yachts, Mike Bartholomew’s Tokoloshe and Tony Dickin’s Jubilee (both former GP42s). In this contretemps Tokoloshe, a nose ahead, attempted to gybe set but was slow to turn, during which time Jubilee took the opportunity to attempt to sneak through on the inside. The resulting horror show, complete with penalties, was captured in glorious technicolor by the drone and shown at the subsequent debrief. Gerber continues: “Even if you are in different boats a lot of the

techniques are the same. The drone perspective offers an entirely different viewpoint. We are trying to get people to look at what they are doing and understand what they can improve on and how, by looking at good examples and not so good examples.” Competitors, of whom there were 50 at the RORC Easter Challenge this year, are able to request coaching from the club prior to the start of the regatta and this year – as is fairly standard – around 50 per cent of the fleet asked for this. Aside from help on the water, crews can go and accost the coaches about their individual issues at the end of the daily debriefs. On Roger Bowden’s King 40 Nifty for example, Sam Cox said they had requested that Jim Saltonstall and his team scrutinise their upwind trim and rig settings: “They gave us some good attention on that, especially on the upwind side. Our jib trimmer jumped off into the RIB to have a look at things and that was a fantastic opportunity you don’t ever get when racing.

It was good to look at it from a different perspective.” DEBUT BOATS And then of course there was the racing at the RORC Easter Challenge – which although it is a training regatta, is no less competitive because of it. In IRC One, Nifty enjoyed near level rating competition with her sistership Cobra, the Cowes Race School’s Mills 39 Zero II and Mike Greville’s Ker 39 Erivale II, PAUL WYETH/RORC Good Friday and the coaches were proud to see teams putting what they had learned into practice the following day with, for example, more crews taking transits off the line in the build-up to the start. “When they start doing that it means something has clicked and they understand why that is important,” observed North Sails’ Frank Gerber. “The technique of getting to the start line is one of the fundamentals of racing and the next day we saw more boats doing timed runs into the start.” And, okay, perhaps there were a few more OCSs, but there’s nothing like learning the

hard way. FRESH PERSPECTIVES A significant attraction of the standingroom-only post-race debriefs was the drone footage of the racing provided by North Sails UK. During the debrief on Saturday they were examining manoeuvres and crew June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 31 KEELBOAT COACHING FEATURE boat-racing all the way around the course. It was fantastic” Being an early season regatta, there is often much new hardware out on the racecourse and this year, in addition to Redshift Reloaded, there was also the brand new Mark Mills-designed MAT 1180 Gallivanter, belonging to former J/109 owner Tor McLaren. For those with new boats, the RORC Easter Challenge provides the opportunity to fast-track their familiarisation with their respective new weapons. McLaren and the Gallivanter crew had a particularly enjoyable weekend as they were able to race against their lower-rated sistership Tschuss, belonging to German Christian Zugel. The event was Gallivanter’s second outing having only

arrived from her builders in Turkey a fortnight previously. Above If you want to get ahead in sailing, take advantage of free coaching days Below Kite hoists need to be slick and perfectly timed Upwind we have a very narrow groove so main, helm and runners need to be in sync PAUL WYETH/RORC looking very smart with her new navy paint job. The wily Greville was leading going into the final day, but Nifty nosed ahead in the results after the first race on the last day and the ultimate outcome was only determined in the final race’s last head-down, sprint for the line, which Zero II won, enabling Nifty to take overall victory in IRC One by two slender points. As Cox put it: “Zero pipped us in the last race when we had Erivale and Cobra stacked up right behind us. All weekend the four of us had really good boat-on 32 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 “We were quick downwind and we got ourselves into a groove upwind better than we had before,” summarised McLaren of what they

learned over the three days. “Upwind we have a very narrow groove to sail in so main, helm and runner men have to be in absolute sync. We need to work the runners quite a lot more than we thought we did.” Compared to the J/109, the MAT 1180 has a significant chine in her hull and this has taken some getting used to. According to McLaren, typically this starts coming into its own in around 15-16 knots of breeze when the boat starts planing and when it is time to start stacking crew outboard at the back of the boat. Of the coaching laid on by the RORC, McLaren said: “They were really good at looking at how the boat’s trim was, which you can’t see when you’re on the boat. Eddie Warden Owen was particularly useful helping us compare mainsail trim yachtsandyachting.couk YACHTS 1 week from £1436 YACHT CHARTER & BEACH CLUBS Lefkas Marina | Vassiliki | Horto, Pelion | Porto Heli | Greece BEACH CLUBS 7nts from £534 w/flights & activities ABTA No.Y3374 For a

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trademark and a trading name of JRW Group Services Ltd which is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority No. 313411 *See website for details of Lowest Price Guarantee. Available to UK residents only 11147 Get an instant quote today KEELBOAT COACHING FEATURE with Tschuss. We have learned that we have to sail high – if you have massive twist in the main and you have the boom higher than centre line, it may look ugly but it goes fast.” circuit winner Russell). Their training continues on board Gallivanter where McLaren and his boat captain Andy Horrocks are continually trying to improve, with debriefs after racing each day and following every event. “I use quite a lot of what I take out of work,” says McLaren, who is chairman of Nash Private Capital. “We have a strict no blame and no shouting culture. It is Above Upwind trim and rig settings are constantly under review Below Improvements across the fleet resulted in tighter races If you have the

boom higher than the centre line, it may look ugly but it goes fast PAUL WYETH/RORC FUTURE LESSONS Aside from being a former RORC committee member, McLaren is also active with the Royal Yacht Squadron and especially its youth training scheme. Every year around 50-60 sailors aged 16-23 are sponsored by RYS members to go through this scheme, which involves training on J/109s. The most promising of these get to graduate on to other big boats, such as Gallivanter. As McLaren says: “Bringing people on that way is part of what it is all about. It is an incredibly rewarding process.” During the RORC Easter Challenge the RYS youth training scheme members aboard Gallivanter included Sophie Foden-Pattinson and Suzy Peters (daughter of former Ultra 30 34 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 only wind and background noise we shout over. I hate it when something goes wrong and there’s that ripple of depression that passes over the boat. If it goes wrong we laugh and talk about it later. You

have got to encourage and empower people and make sure there is a line of questioning where no one feels there’s blame associated with it. There is no such thing as a stupid question. It’s about just getting in there and learning as much as possible.” This season Gallivanter has a programme of inshore and offshore racing that includes the Rolex Fastnet Race and possibly the Middle Sea Race. If you want to get ahead in sailing then free coaching days are not to be missed. The RORC Easter Challenge is one of the more high-profile training regattas, but other clubs around the country lay on coaching events and we thoroughly recommend making the most of them. yachtsandyachting.couk XXXX We have a strict no blame and no shouting culture. It is only wind we shout over June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 35 CHAMPIONSHIP TACTICS FEATURE RISK VS REWARD XXXX As the championship season approaches, BEN SAXTON breaks down the principles of strategy and tactics to put you a step

ahead 36 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 yachtsandyachting.couk T XXXX his is an exciting time of year, as lighter nights mean weekday evening series start and the summer championship season draws closer. Whether it is your first nationals, or you are moving into the top 10 for the first time, or even if you are the reigning champion, it’s time to sharpen up on strategy and tactics. The first, and arguably most important rule, is the need to keep it simple. It is easy to get overwhelmed, especially if you are new to racing. Experienced racers become champions once they have learned not to get distracted, and focus on the important pinch points of the regatta or race. Sailing is a decision-making sport. What makes sailing exciting and difficult is that every time you go on the water you experience different conditions, and therefore we need to consider what we can do to manage uncertainty. June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 37 FEATURE BALANCING OPTIONS Good racers analyse

the risk of a decision and compare it to the reward to judge whether or not it is worthwhile – the ‘risk and reward’ game. This theory can be applied to a decision about boat-on-boat positioning, approaching a mark, tactics across a leg, a race, or a whole championship. There are a few basic principles to help with decision-making around a course. Bear these in mind and you will not go too far wrong: 1) Fleet positioning – The safest position is generally in towards the middle of the course, and close to other boats. The greater the distance from you to another boat (referred to as ‘leverage’) the higher the risk or reward stake. As a rule it is high risk to be completely towards the edges of the course, and lower risk to be in the middle half. The second aspect of fleet positioning is knowing how to defend. A simple rule of ‘put yourself between them and the 38 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 2) Long tack – This describes the tack or gybe that you have a higher

percentage of the leg left to do on. Often consistency is found by doing the long tack first. Percentage-wise, it gives you more time to wait for the opportune moment (shift or pressure) to take a gain across the fleet. In big fleets this is a particularly important rule as staying on the long tack helps you keep space up the beat. That opens up your options so if, say, you need to tack to clear your air, you can. Trust me, this one is key! is square to the wind – of telling if you are on the correct tack for the wind shift or long tack. In big fleets I find this trick really useful. Focusing on the fleet positioning and long tack principles is particularly important on stable wind days, where racing is close; for example, sea breeze days, or days with an onshore wind. Also it is surprising how hard it is to look for the leeward marks while you’re three-quarters of the way up the beat, but you must make time to do this. In a big fleet you must have a plan for the next leg before

you get to it. In smaller fleets this plan is a small tactical gain of a few seconds, but in larger fleets it is often harder to swap sides of the course while keeping clear air, so planning becomes more important. 3) Where is the next mark? - In order to know if you are on the long tack you need to know where the next mark is. Looking at the mark you’re sailing to now is also a simple way – on a leg that 4) Bank your gains - Another way of making tactical decisions is by crossing boats when you can. Banking your gains is a no-brainer, as long as it is not a tidal or geographical advantage that has led mark’ makes it very hard for boats to pass you upwind. In a large fleet, positioning is more important than in a smaller club race or handicap race, as you’re no longer racing the clock, only boats, and the stakes are higher. Above Balance decisions based on an awareness of boats around you yachtsandyachting.couk PREVIOUS PAGE: TOM GRUITT CHAMPIONSHIP TACTICS Focus

points There are a few other little tricks that can help you perform well in a big fleet: Think ahead on the windward mark approach Predict where it is going to busy; if you’re not in the front five and it looks like the starboard layline will be busy, then avoid it and get out of the corner early by coming back 100m below the starboard layline. When you’re approaching on port at the top make sure you are at least three boat-lengths away from the mark so that you are not tacking inside the zone, risking breaking rule 18. If in doubt straight-set on the run. You have a decision to bear away or gybe at the top of a run. Often, especially on the first lap, there is less wind if you gybe because you are covered by the other beating/reaching boats. Stay in space Groups of boats go at the speed of the slowest one. So if you can find yourself 30 metres of space on the racecourse then there has to be a good tactical reason not to do it. This can be very important when choosing which

leeward gate mark to take. Focusing on fleet positioning is important on stable wind days where racing is close to your gain. In a big fleet it is especially important to cross boats when you can and get back to the middle of the course ahead of boats when you can. This is most useful on days with unstable breeze where shifts and pressure are foremost. 5) Facts vs feeling - Risk is reduced when you are making decisions based upon facts, and increased when making decisions based upon feelings: RICHARD LANGDON/BRITISH SAILING TEAM Facts Compass numbers, or which tack is pointing closest to the mark Fleet positioning Long tack Feelings Looks like more pressure left or right Looks like a shift What worked last beat Having said this, you must use both types of decision. All good racers are attempting to predict shifts and pressure gains. So when should you trust your feelings? If you can see indicators that turn feelings closer to facts (other fleets, cruisers, downwind boats, smoke,

flags, wind turbines, tide lines). It comes down to the confidence you have in your feelings. If you’re logically confident in it (note, logically) then go for it, especially if your stakes are decreased; for example, if it takes you on to the long tack, or it helps your fleet positioning too. If you’re low in confidence and at a point of the regatta or race where you want to defend rather than attack, then don’t risk it. Another way to ensure you make good logical decisions is to have a strong relationship with your teammate. Personally, I value this highly. Break down the beat Think of it in different stages. As a basic rule, in the bottom third you have more freedom to attack, in the middle third it’s time to start crossing boats, and in the top third, plan your windward mark approach, and bank your gains. Keep to your plan It is not a good enough reason that a boat was there so it stopped you from doing what you thought was right. Because there are so many things to

consider, and so many ways of justifying a decision, it is key to work out which ones you want to prioritise on the day. Before the start, work out what sort of day it is and this will tell you what weight to put on shifts, versus fleet positioning or a tidal gain. I could talk about this much more, but for now, just remember to identify the type of day. What can you do between now and the championship to practise when in a smaller fleet? It is key to reinforce good habits. Therefore, practise thinking about fleet positioning, long tack, and crossing boats. Also practise looking for the mark you’re sailing towards and the one after June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 39 FEATURE it. Practise planning the next leg and looking for indicators to reinforce your feelings, such as angles of other boats, how spinnakers are setting on the run, etc. Starting is also important in big fleets, so practise using transits so that you have the confidence to be in the front row. When it comes to a

big fleet start, you have to be in contention by 30 seconds into the race. BOXES TO TICK BEFOREHAND Preparation is key. Championships are often held at sea. Look online or in the books to find out the local tide times. Look at a tidal flow model for the area, or print off a google maps picture of the race area, find a tidal diamond on a nautical chart near you and draw simple arrows on it for each flow direction. If you can’t do this, just remember to have a look at the marks when you are sailing around them. A top tip is to keep an eye on the committee boat too. They often Don’t take any risks with your boat preparation. Above we’ve talked about gaining the greatest reward for minimum risk. This is a simple way to reduce risk! If you think something might break, then replace it. It is best to do it a few sails before you race, just to check your repair is good enough. Make sure your boat and foils are clean of dirt. You can polish your boat if you want, but make sure your hulls

and foils are clean. Carry some spares on your boat to make some running repairs. It is amazing how many things you can repair with a length of rope, a spare block, and a shackle. Above Keep your eyes out for tidal indicators to reinforce your strategy BIG PICTURE APPROACH What’s the best way to approach day one? You cannot win the regatta on the first day, but you can lose it. Rule one is avoid letters, and big scores. Save your discards for later. The basic rules are: if in doubt do your turns to avoid a protest – not If your risk and reward game stays good over the entire regatta, you will move up stay anchored for the whole race and the angle they’re lying will give you a live reading of what the tide is doing. You must do this even if you have done detailed tidal preparation. Have a look at the forecast every morning so that you know what to expect. See if you can find any factors out on the course that will help you predict a upcoming shift; for example, cloud cover and

its direction. 40 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 that I recommend pushing it normally, because that’s certainly not the sailor I want to be, or the legacy I want to have. Also, be low risk tactically, and if it’s windy prioritise not capsizing. However, as with the tactical risk and reward game, there is a balance. There is simply no point in being too safe (for example, on the startline) and scoring too many points. I try to attack the first day of a regatta, while also being low risk. For example, each of the three times I have won the Endeavour Trophy I have been leading after the first day. Remember, it is never over. If you are doing well at the midpoint of a race or regatta, keep going and stay logical. How best to finish a regatta? If you’re doing well, it is for a reason. My top strategic advice is not to change too much. If your risk and reward game stays good over the entire regatta this is where you will move up the results. Your rivals will be wishing there were

one or two more discards available. If you’re down on pace, make sure you race even smarter. This is a really hard thing to do, and trust me, hardly anyone in the world can do this. In the clubhouse you will hear fellow competitors saying “I just wasn’t fast enough” and so on, hence they had a bad race, but they will forget to mention that they went the wrong way because they were not thinking smart. BEN’S TOP 10 TO TAKE AWAY 1. Keep it simple 2. The ‘fleet positioning’ principle 3. The ‘long tack’ principle 4. The ‘finding marks’ principle 5. The ‘crossing boats’ principle 6. Facts vs feelings 7. Evaluate your confidence in your plan versus the risk 8. Prioritise the day ‘type’ in order to decide how to make decisions 9. Reinforce good habits now 10. Consistency is key yachtsandyachting.couk TOM GRUITT CHAMPIONSHIP TACTICS Ne 20 for w 17 Introducing the Little Hawk – Podium Edition Get yourself on the podium quicker this year by using the

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The 2017 edition of the race saw places sell out in record time – it took just four minutes 24 seconds from entries opening to all 340 entries being filled. That is a truly impressive feat, though perhaps not all that surprising for what is, officially, the world’s biggest offshore race. The biennial event attracted a record-sized fleet last time too and in addition to making records again, 2017 has seen the RORC – organisers of the race – relax the traditional 100ft limit to allow some superyachts to compete – though these entries are assessed on a case by case basis rather than sticking to any hard and fast rule. “We think we this new decision will bring in a new breed of fast and agile cruiser/racer designs such as Peter Harrison’s [Farr designed] ketch Sojana, the new Swan 115’s and Baltic 115’s, are all likely be eligible to race,” commented Nick Elliot RORC’s Racing Manager. “The idea was to not dramatically reduce the time the leaders took to complete

the race in increasing size, so we don’t necessarily want to open up to the biggest and fastest boats in the world. But we have seen many more designs in the cruiser/racer bracket which are much slower than, say, a Volvo 70 but which are over the old limit of 100ft.” In the last Rolex Fastnet Race there were two monohulls at that upper limit: Mike Slade’s British Farr 100, Leopard (pictured left) – Slade’s fifth consecutive race – and from the United States be George David’s Rambler 88 fresh from a successful Caribbean season this winter. The boat was conceived as a super quick not-quite-Maxi and is really starting to show her potential. The Volvo 70, which holds the current Fastnet Race record, Monster Project, will return too. Even a little over a decade since the 70 was dreamed up they are still impressive machines with an admirable turn of pace. But another Volvo fleet is also set There are big names aplenty and many will be seeking to break records Jim and Kristy

Hinze Clark’s Maxi, Comanche. The 100ft Comanche was the fastest monohull finisher in 2015, but narrowly missed the chance to break Ian Walker’s VO70’s 2011 monohull race record of 42 hours 39 minutes. Unfortunately, as we go to press neither of these 100 footers are officially returning – though Leopard is certainly on the cards – but there are big names aplenty and many of them will be seeking to break records. At the forefront of the record-breaking list will to pick up significant interest this year as the Fastnet has been announced as a mandatory warm-up for the Volvo Ocean Race. For some in the Volvo this will still be fairly early in their campaign and it could well offer some insight into who has the early jump on the rest of the one-design Volvo Ocean 65 fleet. Of the decision to make all teams compete, France’s Charles Caudrelier, who skippered Dongfeng Race Team in 2014-15 (and will skipper Dongfeng again this year), commented: “You June 2017 Yachts &

Yachting 43 train for months, alone, and so it’s good to be able to do more racing as a team before the start. It’s very different, racing under pressure, than training, and good for boat testing. “I’ve done a few Fastnet Races, some were windy and some were light. It’s a nice course, very fun and interesting to sail around the coast, with the effect of the currents. It’s a good test and a very dynamic race, with interesting weather. “In two or three days, you have a lot of decision-making to do, so it’s good to test not just everyone’s speed but also making decisions quickly under pressure.” If the Volvo 70’s huge sailplan and canting keel mark what was at the very forefront of technology a decade ago, then one 46ft entry, Maverick, an Infiniti 46R represents more modern thinking. She was designed to take full advantage of the horizontal righting moment/lift generating foil, DSS. Maverick has been turning heads and is doing an impressive job of making the

DSS concept respected by some who were previously sceptical. ON THE RISE As ever with the Fastnet the eyes of the media will be on the very front of the fleet. Often though the true glory of the race is in the vast number of mere mortals sailing largely production racercruisers who take part. But with a great deal of preparation required to take part and various qualification races and passages, why is the race so successful? “It is within easy access Above The Rolex Sydney to Hobart is an offshore classic Below Light winds at the start of the 2015 Rolex Fastnet for the largest fleets of offshorecapable yachts anywhere in the world,” succinctly explains Nick Elliott. “It has that ‘challenge appeal’ which people are looking for more and more at the moment. It’s something people can tick off their ‘list’. Also, there are lots and lots of boats available for charter and spaces available for individuals who want to do it. Generally instead of people going racing every

weekend, these days they’ll cherry pick, they’ll choose to only do bigger, more special events.” This sentiment is echoed by Tony Harwood who is set to return for his sixth race and his fifth on board Volante, a 1961 Camper & Nicholson About half of the times I’ve seen the Rock in daylight - in 1999 there was a solar eclipse 38 footer, in her day a Morgan Cup winner. In 2009 Volante claimed the Iolaire Block for being the ‘oldest yacht to complete the course’, while last time around she was the lowest rated boat in the race (IRC TCC of 0.855) “It’s like ‘why climb Everest?’ Because it’s there, I suppose,” he explains. “We are heavy old crew in a heavy old boat, but we do about 5,000 Channel miles a year. I like competitive sailing, even though the starts frighten the life out of me.” It is also a ‘father and son’ affair, although son Simon races their Prima 38 Talisman. “It’s never the same,” says the younger Harwood. “It is different every

44 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 yachtsandyachting.couk FEATURE CHRISTOPHER ISON/TIM WIRGHT/STEFFANO GATTINI time and you always try to do better than last time. About half of the times I’ve seen the Fastnet Rock in daylight - in 1999 there was even the solar eclipse. Also it is a talking point. ‘Did you do the Fastnet?’ ‘How was it?’ That all brings me back every couple of years.” With the Fastnet’s history and its place in the hearts and minds of sailors around the world it is always going to be a big race. The fact that it has consistently broken records in recent years can, perhaps, be seen as something of a given. However, in a market where some competitions are struggling for entries, the Fastnet’s success despite the considerable preparation and race time belies a trend in the racing world. BEYOND THE ROCK The 600-mile offshore race is increasingly popular globally. Often seen as the Southern hemisphere twin of the Fastnet is the Rolex Sydney to Hobart

Race. This similar length race matches the Fastnet in terms of its popularity and international standing – and of course both have had significant weather disasters in 1979 for the Fastnet and 1998 for the Sydney-Hobart. Though the Aussie offshore classic does draw fewer entries, where the Fastnet is biennial, the Sydney-Hobart takes place each and every year, leaving Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day and achieves a pretty consistent entry of roughly 100 boats. The youngest of what are generally considered the ‘big three’ races is the Caribbean 600, which is, as is the Above The Caribbean 600 is growing in popularity case with the Fastnet, run under the auspices of the RORC. This relatively new addition to the achievable offshore bracket started in 2009 but already by the 2017 race they are attracting close to 100 entries – though it’s position in the calendar in February can make it logistically challenging to do both this event and the Sydney to Hobart. This is particularly

the case should you want to compete in another of the growing offshore races, the Transatlantic Race – another run by the RORC – which departs the Yacht Club Smeralda in Port Cervo in late November. However, this newest race differs from the three previously FASTNET RACE mentioned in that the course is significantly longer, some 2700 nautical miles longer. As an ocean crossing race it also stretches the ‘accessible offshore’ idea to its absolute limit. In truth the Transatlantic is probably as much as response to demand to those wanting to get across the Atlantic in order to take part in the Caribean season as it reflective of any particularly fervent desire to run the race. But, the rise in this sort of racing seems to indicate a real appetite for sailing beyond the round the cans racing that has been so dominant over the last couple of decades. The Rolex Fastnet Race starts from the Royal Yacht Squadron on 6 August. OFFSHORE TIPS FROM THE PROFESSIONALS As a company which

offers offshore race charters of boats and/or places on boats, Sailing Logic has more than a fair share of Fastnet experience and has built up a plethora of information on how to win offshore: Eat well Most people feel less seasick if you don’t allow yourself to become hungry or thirsty. It’s when gastric juices start gurgling on an empty stomach that you start to feel ill. So do your team a favour and eat a proper well-balanced hot meal early in the race. Travel light Excessive weight is a real drag, and will slow the boat down. In light airs this will be even more noticeable and may even cause the boat to come to a complete stop. Hike Hiking properly can increase your boat speed by around 0.1 knot per person. This might not sound like much, but if there are four of you hiking properly that is an extra 0.4 knot boat speed. In 12 knots of breeze that could mean, say an average upwind speed of 6.8 knots rather than 64 Over a 24 hour period this would gain you 9.6 miles or

nearly 1.5hrs over your competition Eyes out You can help the skipper and the rest of your team a huge amount simply by keeping an eye on what is happening around you; this helps keep the whole boat focussed, alert and in ‘race mode’. June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 45 START SAILING FEATURE READY, SET SPLASH! Here’s our advice and inspiration for those looking to take their first steps in sailing this summer 46 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 The idea is to offer sailing and windsurfing taster sessions at little or no cost – an ideal way for people to take their first steps in sailing. And, once hooked, the connection is already made, meaning it’s then an easy move for participants to join their local club or take a course, and begin taking part on a regular basis. Saskia Clark, 2016 Olympic gold medallist, says: “I got into sailing Above Sailing is a great way to get active with your kids Facing page Variety is the spice of life, and sailing has plenty of it!

through my local sailing club so it’s fantastic to see so many people given the opportunity to discover what the sport’s all about right on their doorstep. If you want to inspire your non-sailing friends and family to give sailing and windsurfing a go, make sure you put Push the Boat Out in the diary.” You can find all events, venues and dates, plus more information, at rya.orguk/go/PTBO FINDING THE RIGHT PATH INTO THE SPORT Ask many sailors about how they got into sailing and there’s often a family connection. It’s the sort of sport that runs through generations – thanks to the sheer variety of boats, venues and events you can do, it holds appeal for all ages. But if you’re just discovering sailing later in life, what are the best routes into the sport? Take a course – Around 220,000 people per year complete training courses run by the Royal Yachting Association. They include all sorts, from taster courses to professional qualifications, from dinghies to keelboats,

and for children and adults alike. Find your nearest training centre via rya.orguk Learn on holiday – Enjoy some sunshine while you gain new skills. A number of UK-based holiday companies offer RYA qualifications overseas. Join a club – A great way to meet other sailors and clock up experience by offering to crew. As well as formal racing, there are training days and social events to get involved with. yachtsandyachting.couk RYA/BARTSBASH/SPORTOGRAPHY.TV W hether you’re a newbie sailor or a volunteer helping out, this year’s RYA Push the Boat Out event offers a great kick-start to the season. Now into its seventh year, the nationwide initiative has become an annual fixture for many clubs and centres. It’s an opportunity to throw open the doors and tempt friends, family and the general public onto the water for a taste of what the sport has to offer. This year’s event (13-21 May) promises to be the biggest yet, with hundreds of clubs and centres up and down the country

getting ready to take part. Alistair Dickson, RYA director of sport development explains: “Sailing is such an accessible sport and many people aren’t aware of the opportunities available close to them or how affordable the sport can be, even for the whole family. Push the Boat Out is all about making that connection and we’re delighted to have so many venues taking part this year.” June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 47 START SAILING FEATURE DON’T HOLD BACK It can be daunting for anyone taking up a new sport, but everyone has to start somewhere! From the America’s Cup to the Olympics to ocean racing, we asked top sailors to think back on their early days. GILES SCOTT Land Rover BAR tactician How did you get into sailing? My parents. They threw me out on the water in an Optimist on Grafham Water at age 6, tied to a long line! What do you love about sailing? That every day on the water is different. No matter how good you are, every day you sail you can teach

yourself something new. What do you know now that you wish you’d known then? I’m just glad I enjoyed sailing for what it was – and didn’t get too wound up on it. What were you sailing 10 years ago? Above left Getting into racing can help push your skills further Above right Giles Scott takes a swim - even the pros get it wrong sometimes! BEN SAXTON Nacra 17 sailor, Rio 2016 Olympian What do you love about sailing? It’s a good balance of being exciting, spending time outdoors and it’s different every time you do it – you’ll never have the same conditions twice. What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you started? That having fun is the most important thing. Actually, when I first started sailing that was all that mattered. When I started trying to race I was always thinking that I needed to be better. Now I’ve realised that you need to have fun to get better. What’s your top tip for someone else who is starting out in racing? Enjoy it! But also

remember that it’s never going to be easy for anyone. Even those of us in the team and at the Olympics have had and still have hard times. Don’t always worry about winning and it’ll be awesome. BARTS BASH/SPORTOGRAPHY.TV/LAND ROVER BAR/RYA No matter how good you are, every day you sail you can teach yourself something new Part of the RYA Youth programme, racing in events such as the Youth Laser World Championships and the Finn Junior World and European Championships. What do you think you will be sailing in 10 years’ time? Hopefully still involved in the America’s Cup – having already won it! What were you sailing 10 years ago? I was in my second year of 420 sailing having transitioned from the Optimist. Since then I’ve sailed 29ers briefly, 470s and now the Nacra 17, so things change. What do you think you will be sailing in 10 years’ time? I have no idea; it’s an ever-changing sport with new boats appearing all the time. I know I’ll be sailing something

though, and probably trying different boats. MATT CORNWELL Land Rover BAR bowman How did you get into sailing? My granddad was a keen sailor and took me out on his boat when I was about 6. What do you love about sailing? I’m as happy as the next person pottering around in a boat, there’s a wonderful sense of freedom to it, but it’s the winning of races that I love most of all. There’s no feeling quite like it. It can be pretty addictive What’s your top tip for someone else who is starting out in racing? Racing is all about dedication. You have to live it. That often means hard work and making sacrifices, but you’ll be rewarded for that. Also, always be ready to learn more. That’s as true for me today as it was on my first day of racing. What were you sailing 10 years ago? The International America’s Cup Class yachts, competing for the 33rd America’s Cup in Valencia with Areva Challenge. That was a great regatta What do you think you will be sailing in 10 years’

time? I like to think I will still be racing on the international circuit, TP52s, Mini Maxis, the World Match Racing Tour, or whatever has replaced those. I’ll always be passionate about the America’s Cup June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 49 FEATURE but it is all about younger and bigger guys who can smash out sustained power on the handles (or pedals!) now, so it won’t be long until I have to hang up those boots. I’m hoping to help manage programmes going forwards, so we’ll see how that progresses. JEN BURGIS Clipper Round the World Race crew How did you get into sailing? I only started sailing when I joined the Clipper 2015-16 Race. I wanted to learn something new and challenge myself. The race ticked both these boxes and originally I had only signed up for two of the eight legs but the more training I did the more I fell in love with sailing. By the time it came to me starting the race I was doing four legs across seven months. What do you love about sailing? And

about racing? I love the simplicity. Once you are out on the water, all those everyday distractions we have like mobile phones, email and work stress just disappear. In a way life becomes easier – it’s just you, the team, the boat and the water. It’s constant learning and understanding which is great, as it gives you a different outlook. What do you know now that you wish you’d known then? Times will get tougher than you can ever imagine and the desire just to give up will be overwhelming. However you do get through it; and Above left Foiling boats are becoming ever more accessible this could be you! Above right Sailing provides kids with a unique sense of freedom when you do it’s like a lightbulb moment and from then on, sailing/ racing just becomes pure joy. What’s your top tip for someone else who is starting out in racing? Try all positions on the boat; that way you understand how it all threads together and what each team member is doing. It definitely makes you

appreciate everyone working together, towards the same goal and that makes for a happy crew. What were you sailing 10 years ago? I wasn’t sailing at all 10 years ago! What do you think you will be sailing in 10 years’ time? I would love to take part in the ARC and the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race. NEIL HUNTER Land Rover BAR Academy skipper How did you get into sailing? My parents are both sailors and my mum was part of the crew on Maiden, which competed in the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World race, so I think they really inspired me to start sailing. What do you love about sailing? The thing I love most about sailing is winning and working as part of a team. The physicality of modern America’s Cup sailing is something that I really enjoy. What do you know now that you wish you’d known then? A big thing that I’ve learned is that there is more than one route into professional Try all the positions on the boat, that way you understand what each team member is doing 50 Yachts

& Yachting June 2017 sailing and also, if you work hard, it gets noticed and you’ll be rewarded. What’s your top tip for someone else who is starting out in racing? Enjoy what you’re doing and who knows where it could lead! What were you sailing 10 years ago? I was sailing around in various boats back home in Lamlash, from Optimists to RS Fevas and my parents’ yacht. What do you think you will be sailing in 10 years’ time? I hope to carry on in the America’s Cup world; it is the pinnacle of sailing and what I’ve dreamed of doing for a long time! PATRICK BRAY British Keelboat Academy sailor How did you get into sailing? My dad took me on the water at our local club when I was about eight. I moved on to sail RS200s, an Archabolt 26 and J/80s. What do you love about sailing? It’s very rewarding and it’s always exciting as conditions change and there are new challenges to solve. What’s your top tip for someone else who is starting out in sailing? That sailing

takes patience sometimes so don’t rush into everything. What’s your top tip for someone else who is starting out in racing? Go out to enjoy your racing, then build on the skills with that good mindset. What were you sailing 10 years ago? I was in an Optimist 10 years ago. What do you think you will be sailing in 10 years’ time? Hopefully something that foils! yachtsandyachting.couk BARTS BASH/SPORTOGRAPHY.TV/CLIPPER RACE/LAND ROVER BAR/RYA START SAILING Y&Y Ad quarter 210915.qxp Layout 1 25/11/2015 17:19 Page 1 Putting you at the helm Since 1973 East Anglian Sea School has set the standard for training excellence on the East Coast for over 40 years we are entering a Beneteau First 40 Carbon Edition into Fastnet Race 2017 • ARC 2017 • Caribbean 600 2018 Antigua Sailing Week 2018 • Sydney Hobart Race 2018 Award Winning Dinghies and Catamarans If you like to be part of a winning team and have the drive to achieve personal goals, these races are a challenge you

cannot miss. Visit our webiste for more information on how to enter and the packages that are available. East Anglian Sea School cover all aspects of RYA training, Yachting Courses, Motorboating Courses, Charter and Own boat Tuition any where in the world. For further information, visit our web site or call us today! East Anglian Sea School Ltd, Suffolk Yacht Harbour, Levington, Suffolk IP10 0LN Tel: 01473 659992 Email: sales@eastanglianseaschool.com www.eastanglianseaschoolcom www.toppersailboatscom Telephone: 01233 629186 email info@toppersailboats.com Full Range Of RYA Courses • Inshore & Offshore Racing For Individuals • Powerboat Courses • Yacht Charter Official Helly Hansen stockists. Great special offers. Call today! Yacht Racing with Sailing Logic Join Sailing Logic for a single race event or pick-and-mix your favourites for a fabulous year of racing, there is no long term commitment required. You will join a crew of between 8-10 individuals, along with a

professional qualified racing skipper and first mate. For Cowes Week 2017, we are offering our clients an exclusive VIP area as well as fantastic offers on many sailing and racing packages. Call for more details Learn & Race With The Best www.sailinglogiccouk • info@sailinglogiccouk • +44 (0) 23 8045 6360 DIY REPAIRS DESIGN QUICK FIX XXXX A swift turnaround following a breakage means you won’t miss out on racing. TOBY HEPPELL finds out from Simon Hiscocks about how best to work with modern materials 52 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 yachtsandyachting.couk exotic materials – be it glass, carbon or other substances – can a regular sailor reasonably expect to get themselves back on the water without a visit to an expert? Overall, much can be avoided by being in a state of ‘constant awareness’ about potential problems. Identifying a developing problem enables you to sail the boat in a way that reduces stress on a damaged item – and also gives time to

plan how to fix it. The time to make a proper permanent repair is immediately after sailing – when you leave a job until the next day or even later, there’s too much of a risk it will be forgotten. Not to mention, if the job turns out to be bigger than expected, or you need spares that aren’t in stock locally, you’ll lose another day’s racing. Always, always, take XXXX ESS/MARK LLOYD M ost gear failure is avoidable through good preparation, although there will always be occasions on which the unexpected happens. A single windy race can put huge amounts of strain on boats and kit. Equally, a week’s dinghy regatta with long days afloat and, often, multiple races will put demands on gear that aren’t experienced during club racing. And no matter how carefully we go about sailing there is always the chance some circumstances beyond our control result in damage. For those, increasingly few of us, who sail wooden boats, the tools, equipment and materials needed to effect a

repair are well known and understood, but with boats increasingly made from June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 53 Always ensure you pack sufficient tools and materials to keep you on the water during a championship WELL TOOLED A well-organised kit of spares and tools is essential to enable you to get back to full speed with minimal delay. For a kit that can fix anything reasonably fixable include: Lighter Gloves Electrical and duck tape Rasp Multi-tool Chisel Knife Filler knife (hotel key cards and old credit Needle, splicing tool, cards work well for this) whipping twine Blocks and cleats Glass or carbon (this can be layed up onto Pins and shackles tape before travelling to Screws/nuts/bolts make an easy patch) Rope/spare sheets and control lines Sandpaper (p60 p80 standard paper Elastic and then wet and dry Acetone in p400, p600, p1200 Clean rag will cover everything Battery drill and drill bits you might need) (you can also get a grinder that will fit in these to cut Mixing pot

for resin out damaged material) (the bottom of mineral water bottles work Brushes well for this!) Face mask 54 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 your spares and tools to the sailing club and ensure that you pack sufficient tools and materials to keep you on the water during a championship in all but the most serious of circumstances. When things break, action will often be in two phases – initially a temporary fix that will enable you to continue sailing with no greater loss of speed than is essential. This fix may last until the end of the race, or just until something more permanent can be rigged. As well as thinking about what might go wrong, and having a plan to deal with it, thinking laterally can help to create a neat solution. Then, you may want to make a longer term repair, depending on the extent of the damage and the time available to repair it. “Although you should always get a repair checked out by a professional, it is also true that anything that is repairable in

the dinghy park, if done correctly and with care, will usually be good enough to last indefinitely,” explains Simon Hiscocks, bosun for Team GB in 2012 and head of Shock Sailing. “You may want to make something neater later or finish it better but there is no reason why you should not be able to make a robust, long-lasting repair at an event.” SHOULD YOU RETIRE TO FIX? If you have further races to sail, and gear failure is causing a significant loss of speed, consider whether it’s better to retire from the race you’re in (if you can discard the result), to give you time yachtsandyachting.couk DESIGN Left The foiling Moth is fast, light and unstable. Below .Meaning that major repairs are needed often DIY REPAIRS Hiscocks says that there are very few occasions that you might cause any serious problems by giving a repair a try but some circumstances should probably be avoided to ensure you don’t cause a chain reaction of problems. “If there is very light cracking on

a spar some people might wrap it in carbon and be able to continue sailing. But for most, serious damage to a mast probably needs to be repaired by a professional and is likely to take longer than overnight. I would say for most this would be the end of a regatta.” THIERRY MARTINEZ /TOM GRUITT BELOW THE WATERLINE “Hull damage is different in that most of the time a suitable repair can be made to get you back on the water. In terms of your average sailor, I would say anything above the waterline can just be taped until the end of the regatta and then sorted out when you get home. So, taking spars out of the equation, the sort of repair you are most likely to make is a significant hole or crack that extends below the waterline. The one caveat I would make to that if the damage is around the shroud area or other high-load area such as the rudder fittings, a poorly effected repair may not be strong enough for the job, so if you have a collision at the to fix the problem so that you

can sail subsequent ones without a speed penalty. If you will need help to get the boat fixed, return to shore as quickly as possible so the repair can be started immediately. It helps to have a good list of contacts pre-entered into your phone to cover all eventualities, whether it’s to borrow a carbon spinnaker pole for a day, or to get someone to make a much more serious repair such as glassing a temporary patch over a hole in the hull. This is especially true on a windy day, when if you can get your call in before the rush of people as they come in at the end of the day, you’ll be at the front of the queue. “In most boat parks at events and at home clubs there is usually a wealth of knowledge available and people are normally willing to help out,” says Hiscocks. “It’s surprising what you can get done with a group of people putting their heads together. It is also surprising how much you can get done with materials from B&Q or Halfords. For example, if you are just

looking to repair a crack from a collision that has not penetrated all the way through the inside of the hull then you can pick up a variety of car body fillers on offer, most of which have glassfibre strands in and so will be strong and flexible enough for a small job, especially if you are repairing a monocoque boat – something that is not some sort of foam sandwich.” It is important to be realistic about what can be achieved, however. June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 55 DIY REPAIRS DESIGN discovering damage (or a collision) it is almost never as bad as you may fear. Boats, be they yachts or dinghies, are far more robust than most of us think. “It often seems to be the way that there are two types of sailor out there. Those who have a decent amount of knowledge and will always give something a try and those who would not even think to try something,” Hiscocks says. “For me, the important thing is you are not going to make anything worse than it already is. If you

make a bad repair, cutting it out and starting again leaves you at square one, but if there is a chance to get back out on the water the next day, you might as well take it.” BE DETERMINED However slim the odds appear, don’t give up – there are numerous stories of crews who have made extraordinary recoveries from dire situations. Equally there are also examples in which even yachts abandoned mid-way through an Atlantic crossing have made landfall in the Caribbean a couple of months later, having drifted the remaining distance unaided. After the initial shock of 56 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 Above Rarely is damage unfixable, usually it’s not as bad as it seems Below Collisions are part and parcel of racing Bottom Mid-regatta repairs can be remarkably good TYPICAL REPAIR: A CASE STUDY A typical fix – Simon Hiscocks walks us through a standard dinghy repair of the hull with no real preparation Most of us in the dinghy world sail of the bonding surfaces. You can one of

two different types of boat: a then thread some whipping twine monocoque – the structure is created through this, roll it up and post it from a single layer of material – or onto the hull. Use the twine to pull foam sandwich where a layer of the fibre up against the inside of glass or carbon sits either side of the hull and hold until it bonds. a foam core. There are different Once this has dried a decent styles of each of these but the repair amount – and Plexus will go off really process is largely the same for both. quickly in warm weather – if you are First you need to identify the dealing with a monocoque it is just a extent of the damage and where question of filling the remaining gap it is. If it is below the waterline, with filler and then possibly putting tape is unlikely to be enough to some more fibre on the outside, let keep you sailing for a week. that cure and then sand smooth. Next determine whether you For a foam sandwich you will want are dealing with a crack

or a hole. some foam filling between the inner Typically I would say if you can get and outer layer. This can be done with your finger into the damaged area a resin flooded sponge placed snugly and into the inside of the boat, into the gap. To make cutting the that should be treated as a hole. sponge easier, you may want to cut Anything less than that is a crack. out more material before you start to To repair a crack, you can use make it an easier shape to deal with. any of a number of types of filler. Once you have stuffed the hole with Car filler works really well, as does the sponge, then all that remains is plastic padding. You want to make to let the epoxy in the sponge go off sure the crack is clean and dry and and then glass or carbon over the top. then, using a spatula, force as much filler into the crack as you can with a spreader, smooth it flat and then sand it back to get a smooth finish. Repairing a hole is a bit more involved. First of all you want to get some material

inside the hull and pulled up against it, to give you something to repair onto. For this you can make some pre-preg fibre yourself by cutting strips of either carbon or glass and attaching it to releasing tape. If you use a product called Plexus on the fibre, then this will bond the fibres to the inside yachtsandyachting.couk FRANCOIS VAN MALLEGHEM/JAMES TOMLINSON/INGRID ABERY/SIMON HISCOCKS shrouds, think very carefully before repairing and sailing the next day.” T: 01752 600454 E: sales@technicalmarinesupplies.couk W: www.technicalmarinesuppliescouk The Ezi launcher twin spinnaker pole system for dinghies makes hoists & gybes simple, launch and return the pole with ease using a single line, reducing the capsizing risk and making smaller lighter crews more competitive. STAND No: PG148 TWIN SPINNAKER POLE SYSTEM .couk FREE UK DELIVERY ON ORDERS OVER £10 £225 £119 £139 BR2 Offshore Jacket 2017 Sardinia BR1 Jacket 2017 Corsica BR1 Jacket 2017 Gill Race Bags

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NATIONWIDE; FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO FIND YOUR LOCAL STOCKIST PLEASE CONTACT US. was £65 Ladies Firewire £94.95 £94.95 FREE UK DELIVERY ON ORDERS OVER £10 UNIT 14, WEYCROFT AVENUE, AXMINSTER EX13 5HU. 01297 533633 HOW TO WIN XXXX MATCH RACING 58 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 yachtsandyachting.couk MATCH RACING SKILLS With the America’s Cup about to begin, MARK RUSHALL imparts winning advice for those trying a spot of match racing themselves F RICARDO PINTO/ACEA/IAN ROMAN/WMRT or dedicated fleet racers, an occasional informal match race is a great way to brush up on boat handling, rules, boat on boat tactics, and starboard hand mark roundings. Though the match racing rules of sailing have differences from the standard fleet racing rules, plenty of championships have had their results overturned in the final races through a few well-chosen match racing moves. In this feature we’ll take a look at some of the ‘classic’ moves involved in traditional

match racing starts. Trying to replicate some of these moves yourself will really hone your boat handling skills. The match racing rules of part 2 (when boats meet) have changed significantly for 2017: check out appendix C of the RRS on the World Sailing website for the details. UNDERSTANDING PENALTIES In umpired match racing, a Y flag is an indication that a boat thinks her opponent has broken a rule of Part 2. The umpires will flag the colour of the boat that has infringed, or green flag if there is no rule broken. The penalty is to gybe and turn to close-hauled on an upwind leg, or tack and return to a downwind course on a downwind leg. Alternatively a penalty is unloaded if the other boat is given a penalty. There is no requirement to take a first penalty immediately: it can be taken at any time after the boat has started, unless she receives a second penalty. So a boat that has been given a first penalty will continue racing and attempt to get far enough ahead to take the penalty

without losing the lead, or engage with her opponent in an attempt to return the favour. A second penalty has to be taken as soon as possible (after the boat has started). The last resort is to attempt to sail an opponent into a position on the racecourse that allows the tack or gybe while maintaining position. The dial up A match race classically begins with the boats crossing the startline in a downwind direction, from assigned sides. It is easier to gain control if you are the boat on the right (looking upwind), so Red’s perfect tactic is to hit the line at maximum speed on the preparatory signal, and reach across Green’s bow to the right. Fig 1 - Green matches Red’s speed, (position 2) bearing off early to prevent the cross. If Red gybes, Green is in a great position to take control (see next page: The dial down). For this reason, as soon as it’s clear she can’t cross (position 3), Red luffs. Green shadows Red’s luff and forces her into a tack. Whenever 1 June 2017

Yachts & Yachting 59 W W .U W UML M L. C O .U K Life Jackets, and in particular WKHLQñDWLRQ PHFKDQLVPVKRXOG be checked at least annually 12R £89.95 Rechargeable 14R 14R £99.95 Rechargeable 3 £65.95 Check the expiry date on your cartridge and replace with a new cartridge from your local chandler or service agent. AVAILABLE FROM ALL GOOD CHANDLERIES allspars Specialist Riggers and Spar Manufacturers Dinghy - Keelboat - Yacht • Masts, booms & spinnaker poles • Standing & running rigging • Stoc sts of Selden d n spars and fitt n s • Genoa & spinnaker furling systems • Deck gear upgrades • Servicing hydraulics • Experience and advice second to o none allspars Head Office: Plymouth +44 (0)1752 266766 allspars Solent: Swanwick +44 (0)1489 876876 www.allsparscouk Y&Y Horizontal Half page Allspars Advert.indd 1 sales@allspars.couk 20/02/2016 11:31:29 HOW TO WIN Below Decide if you want to start to the left of right of your

opponent boat, lead or push into the line MATCH RACING further forward, of Red tacking with the jib backed hard on the port side and clearing Green’s transom to the right hand side (Fig 3). In any case, the likely outcome of Red’s escape is that Green will follow to the right, and the classic pre-start circling will ensue. The dial down Fig 4 - Red sails deep and attempts to cross ahead of Green. Green sails deep too, aiming to force Red to gybe. Once Red is on starboard tack, Green is in a great position (6) to control Red to the left hand side of the course. 2 The control It’s too soon for Red to head to the line. She luffs to kill time, (7) Green luffs across her transom to prevent Red tacking. Red bears off to try to gybe around Green: Green ducks her transom (8) and prevents this, re-establishing the status quo. If the situation continues, Green will be able to pin Red to the left of the layline to the pin end and choose her time to bail out and start. Controlling

from the right is always more powerful than from the left, because Red is attempting to gybe or tack onto port tack with Green on starboard. With the situation mirrored, she’s gybing or tacking onto starboard. 3 NIGEL VICK/RYA 4 Green alters course, as right of way boat, she must give Red room to keep clear, but the margins are always tighter in match racing than in fleet racing. Red’s defence - Red remains keep clear boat until she gets down to her close hauled course on starboard tack at which point Green becomes windward boat: Red will usually dip to close hauled (7) then immediately luff back up rather than giving Green the chance to chase her away from the line. If both manage their boat handling equally well, Green will probably tack off before the boats get too close rather than risking infringing, followed by Red (9). Fig 2 - Green’s perfect controlling position (6) is slightly aft and to windward of Red: that way she can cover any attempt by Red to bear off and gybe

across her transom to the right hand side. If Red sees Green slip too far back (7) she may be able to accelerate and tack across in front. Alternatively there is the high tariff but crowd pleasing move, if the boats are more separated and Green is June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 61 MATCH RACING HOW TO WIN Leading to the line Fig 7 - Red wants to control the left of the course: there is more wind there, the line is pin end biased, or she’s expecting a left shift. She breaks from the circling and leads toward the line. If there is still time to kill, she weaves to ensure that Green cannot gain an overlap to leeward and hook her. If Green becomes overlapped to windward, Red luffs and slows to hold her there, controlling until Red is certain she can accelerate to full speed without crossing early. Pushing to the line 5 Fig 8 - Green wants the right so is happy to push at this stage. If she thinks Red has broken too soon, she’ll keep aiming below Green’s transom, (4)

threatening to hook her, so Red is forced to bear off to defend. Green’s objective is to continue to do this enough to push Red over the startline early, or below the layline to the pin. If Green’s strategy is to sail the right hand side of the course, she may tack onto port before the start. That way she will have done one less tack when the boats first cross (10). 6 Red’s defence (Fig 5) - As with the dial up, the defence is to slow down enough as she luffs in position 7 to get Green fully overlapped to leeward so that she can safely tack out to the right. The most risky place to be, as defending boat, is outside the layline to the pin end. From here the only way back to the start is on port tack. So the defending boat is always trying to push toward the right, keeping the options open, giving more time to wriggle free. Circling A successful escape from any of these moves will usually end up with the boats circling clockwise, each trying to get into a controlling position on

the tail of the other. The sailors are continually assessing time to the line, and whether the ‘big picture’ strategy suggests starting to the left or right of the other boat, and therefore whether they want to ‘lead’ the charge to the line, or ‘push’. 7 The Hook Fig 6 - The hook is the simplest offensive move. Yellow accelerates to get a leeward overlap on Blue, then luffs into a controlling position to leeward. If there is no time for Blue to tack or reverse out, Yellow has won the start. 62 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 8 yachtsandyachting.couk Am in k Mar Boo ury Lux at Gre ts Yach ts uran ta Res oats &B & oats erb Pow bs & Pu RIBs ure Feat w case e N how S r rca Supe ats aybo D ies & gh Din ure Feat w rld e N t Wo a o al B Can FREE SHOW ENTRY For YACHTS & YACHTING Readers! R Register Online at: londononwater.com/sgi & enter SGI Code: YANDY 2017 Central London’s No.1 Summer Yachting & Boating Festival

Thursday 8th June - Sunday 11th June 2017 11am - 8pm (6pm Sunday) St Katharine Docks, London E1W 1LA www.londononwatercom XXXX 64 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 yachtsandyachting.couk INTERVIEW SPARKY SPARKYS INSPIRATION As the RYA’s Olympic manager gets on his bike to take up a new role at British Cycling, ANDI ROBERTSON asks Stephen ‘Sparky’ Park about the past and future of sailing C/O BRITISH SAILING TEAM S ixteen years as the RYA’s Olympic manager has seen Stephen ‘Sparky’ Park leading British sailing to an unprecedented level of success. He describes his management philosophy which has contributed to 23 Olympic and Paralympic medals as needing to be “like a good helmsman, little movements on the helm, and often”. The Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma was the last regatta for Park in charge before moving to a very hot seat at British Cycling as performance director. Park’s pathway to his RYA role began as a former RYA Scotland squaddie, before

becoming an Olympic campaigner in the 470 and Tornado classes, then moving on to a coaching and development role with RYA Wales. He took up the role of RYA Olympic manager in 2001 after successfully coaching Ian Barker and Simon Hiscocks to 49er silver at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, and has been the hand on the tiller in Athens, Beijing, London and Rio plus dozens of world championships and more than 100 Olympic class regattas all over the world. He spoke to me in Palma, on the eve of his departure to cycling. It’s a sport which he has developed an equal passion for, both on a personal and a professional level. After the 2008 Olympics in China, the combination of a desire to increase his personal fitness, and a diversification of the British Sailing team’s fitness programme to include cycling, sparked an initial interest. From there, Sparky developed his personal involvement – training and competing in events – alongside his professional work, drawing lessons from the British

cycling programme to strengthen sailing. Now, he says, “I have the chance to do something a bit different, to test myself and to see if some of these skills are transferable. And, logically, it is good for the sailing programme to have some new input.” The draw for him of another performance based role – rather than made for TV finales. Does he think this can be good for the sport? “I think that as time goes on I find it harder to be definitive about where Olympic sailing is and where it needs to go as I might have been able to in my younger days. The thing is that sailing is about delivering a performance over a period of time. If you put all the emphasis on to that final race I can see that becomes a challenge for sustainability. You have to recognise there is such a high degree of uncontrollable factors in our sport and there is still a degree of luck, although we believe the more you practice the luckier you get. I have the chance to do something a bit different – to

test myself and see if these skills are transferable managerial – is the enjoyment of a job that “keeps performance first and foremost”. He adds: “Of course, big world class programmes have lots of different aspects; there is how you operate, how you deliver performance and how people operate in your programme; how you learn to be better tomorrow, coordinating 150 people in your programme.” OLYMPIC FUTURE Post Rio, World Sailing is trialling a number of different regatta formats, with a drive towards shorter, heavily weighted “Will people want to commit 12 or 18, or 20 years of their lives to go Olympic sailing on the chance they might have one good race? People will then tell you it is like the 100 metres sprint, that is the way it should be. My view is it is not. There are many, many more variables in our sport. I think that is the challenge. I, and most sailors, say that it is about a performance over a number of races. Without a doubt that is the prevailing view among

my peers, but the up and coming sailors maybe see the opportunity to have 10 minutes of fame. June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 65 SPARKY INTERVIEW not watch F1 and see Lewis Hamilton has not turned out in Shanghai because he didn’t fancy it because it’s a night race. Personally I think there is an opportunity to make much more of a show through the World Cup and tie in with it. But I think they need to show some commitment to that step change. Otherwise the process goes back and forwards and nothing is ever really tried.” HIGHS AND LOWS Looking back, Park says the highlight of his time in sailing was the outstanding medal haul of six medals, including four gold, at the Beijing Olympics. “It exceeded my expectations. Over the years I have learned to take the view There are very few sports that have the same number of nations competing regularly They can see the X-Factor approach. But my concern is that for that to work, you have to generate such a good commercial product

that you can really attract commercial partners, because otherwise you are asking for a lot of investment. “One of the things we do well, is there are very few sports which have the same number of nations competing regularly around the world. You have to question whether and how people would fund that, particularly given that the majority of Olympic sailing programmes have their underpinning funding coming from their federations, which in turn comes from their governments, based on results at world championships, Olympic Games and continental championships. “I think if you go to the X Games, there are the top ten in the world and each might win one event, or in our case regatta, then in the next one land flat on their face. The problem then is what regatta do you measure yourself on? And which regatta do your funding partners measure you on and measure their investment? I think that represents a significant challenge. But, that is about the way the sport is run now; maybe the

reality is there is a different way for it to operate and run.” And the World Cup, where is that and where does it need to go? “The other side is the World Cup. They need to make some ongoing commitment to it. They need to have a situation where you are in for a year or you are not. If you are, you attend all 10 events like in any other sport. You would not go to Wimbledon and find Federer is not there. You would 66 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 Above Sparky helming in a 470 in Scotland in the 1990s Below Overseeing marginal gains on and off the water has been crucial that you probably deliver a medal in 50 per cent of your realistic possibilities. You have to determine what a ‘realistic possibility’ is. At a couple of Olympics we hit quite a bit above our target. Three was our medal target with UK Sport, four was we hoped for and if it went really, really well then five. To get six was great” He puts much of this success at the 2008 Games down to a commitment from the

team to understand and be comfortable in a venue that was known for its tricky conditions and well outside their comfort zone as a western nation. Following that, the London Olympics brought particular tests, and much more pressure of expectation as the team went into that Games as a top performing nation. Some outcomes went Britain’s way – the team won five medals in total– but some did not. He points to Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson losing gold in the Star medal race as being a tough moment to deal with. But he also focuses on the positive. “Equally being part of that team, and the team in Rio, in Team GB successively being Britain’s most successful Olympic sport on the medal table, was great to be part of.” STRUCTURE AND CLARITY Park was of course undeniably instrumental in ensuring that success. For sure, he has brought a number of key skills and attributes to the Olympic programmes; leadership, structure and clarity he feels are his strengths, along with having had

the vision to implement an objective selection process and opening up corporate sponsorship opportunities. But how many are innate and how many did he learn and grow over the years? “You learn all the skills as you go,” he says. “As one of my best friends and coaches is always reminding me, better to be lucky than good. I think I have been lucky with my timing. Looking back now if I was applying for my job again I don’t think I would get the job because the size and scale of the operation is so much bigger, the experience and skills expected are different.” From being one of just a handful of full time coaches that were on the RYA pay roll (Bill Edgerton, Jim Saltonstall, Barrie Edgington, Mark Barron amongst them) back then in 2000, Park has developed this much bigger infrastructure. “We try to encourage people to challenge each other and to sail within the British programme, to develop the coaches and to support coaching.” MARGINAL GAINS His association with cycling,

another successful medal sport that has become known as a hotbed for the school of marginal gains promoted by Sir Dave Brailsford, has brought significant learning over the years, but marginal gains have always been a fundamental part of Park’s philosophy of winning. “I used to refer them as ‘the wee things’ until someone came up with a better phrase – ‘small marginal gains," he says. “It was something I recognised yachtsandyachting.couk early on, and it is the same in every aspect of life. Each day you have to be asking ‘what can I do today better than I did yesterday? Whether that is how you are going to clean the bottom of your boat, or how regularly you check your equipment before and after every race, whether it is thinking about nutrition and hydration strategy afloat, or how you sleep – all of these ‘wee things’, those bits and pieces, they add up. "Particularly in our sport where there are so many uncontrollables, the more Above Hannah

Mills and Saskia Clark show the system works with a gold in Rio Right Sparky felt proud of the medal haul at London 2012 “There is no doubt that the funding that allowed sailors to sail full time has been the biggest single factor in the turnaround of British sailors. But it is not how much money you have but what you do with it.” A NEW GENERATION And on to the final all-important question: is the success of Park’s ‘golden generation’ repeatable? “We have so many sailors coming through. We have Nick Thompson and Ali Young SAILING ENERGY/WORLD SAILING/RYA/HARRY TURNER The more controllables you can take, the more confidence it gives you to perform controllables you can take, the more confidence it gives you to perform. After that it is down to talent and flair of the sailors to execute their best game.” Although he acknowledges some sailors would still achieve success in any situation, he feels the British Sailing programme provides the structure for them to fully

realise their potential. And with so many other nations now having replicated similar frameworks, the importance of continuing that is greater than ever. “One of the things I am proudest of is that to this day most other team managers measure their programme against the British,” he says. “Imitation is the best form of flattery! as world champions in the Laser in 2016, and there are great sailors coming through with potential coming up, Ben Saxton in the Nacra has won many competitions in many different boats. "Was there a golden generation? Yes. Is there still enough talent coming through to recreate that? Yes! Hannah Mills has two Olympic medals and if she goes to the next Games could become the most successful female ever. Nick Dempsey is the most successful Olympic windsurfer.” With the clock ticking towards Tokyo 2020, Park’s replacement has just been annouced as Australian Sailings Mark Robinson. One thing is for sure, he certainly has very big boots to fill.

SPARKYS SUCCESS From Scottish Schools Champion in Mirror dinghies, through the UK Youth Squad in 420s and then Olympic campaigns in the 470 (1992) and Tornado (1996), Sparky has seen much success of his own on the water, but his biggest wins certainly came as the Performance Director of British Sailing. Olympic medals won by the British team under Parks reign: Gold 9 Silver 7 Bronze 3 June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 67 HAYLING BAY TRAVEL XXXX HAYLING BAY 68 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 yachtsandyachting.couk With all sorts of championships run annually from this major south coast hub, MARK RUSHALL looks at how to formulate your race-winning strategy H PAUL WYETH/RYA XXXX ayling Island Sailing Club, situated at the mouth of Chichester Harbour, is one of those venues which sailors seem to love or hate. There is sand everywhere, an expansive clubhouse with paid staff and commercial prices, a long sail to and from the bay, including the excitement of the long surf

home over the Hayling bar when strong wind is against tide, and the alternative of sailing in the busy and tidal harbour when conditions are too extreme for the bay. However, one thing is certain, a champion at Hayling is usually a worthy one. As a training venue it is almost unique in the variety of conditions you can find on a single day. Visitors are welcome to train from HISC and find a hot shower afterwards for a daily fee all year. ASHORE Driving to Hayling is straightforward, but remember that there is only one bridge, and one main road up the middle of the island. On a sunny weekend day these can be very slow moving. As the sailing club car park is often reserved for members, an early start will give the best opportunity to nab a parking spot at the club end of the causeway. The club has good quality bunk room and chalet style accommodation available on a first come first served basis, so book early. Otherwise there is plenty of bed and breakfast, camping, and caravan

accommodation within cycling distance. The restaurant food upstairs and canteen food downstairs at the club are excellent, and locals are hopeful for a new tenant for the vacant restaurant and bar building at nearby Sparkes Marina. The Galleon Bistro at Fishery Creek campsite comes highly recommended. But, with an on site chandlery, a well-stocked bar, and fine harbour views some competitors will find they don’t actually need to move their car for a week! For post-racing, you will find some of the best changing rooms and showers in the business. Hayling also boasts the best sunshine ratings in June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 69 the UK. Get rid of the sand, put on the shorts, and enjoy the bar on the balcony with its breathtaking views. PREPARATION Both cambermet.couk and chimet co.uk give historical and up to date data on wind strength, direction, and seas state, inside and outside the harbour. There are tactical tips on racing inside and outside the harbour to be found on

conservancy.couk, and there is some useful tidal guidance on 505worlds2006.com Admiralty chart 3418 covers most of Hayling bay and all of Chichester harbour. There is plenty of beach for everyone, but make sure your trolley tyres are pumped up for the sand. The strong tide around the point and along the east beach can complicate launching. Check tide strength and 70 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 Above Make a low tide recce to identify banks and spits Below HISC boasts a picturesque location and great facilities direction before launching, and have a quick last look around for cruisers, especially power boaters - most of them still haven’t found the brakes! The banks and spits move around from year to year: whether racing in the harbour or sailing out to the bay its worth having a good look from the clubhouse balcony at dead low tide: this will give a good indication of the go and no go areas. It is always recommended to sail down the main channel and around the Chi beacon on

the way out to Hayling bay. Although there is an alternative passage inshore at high tide in light winds don’t try this without walking down the beach at low tide first. If the tide is flooding, it can take a very long time to get to the race area. Leave plenty of time and keep out of the main channel. FEATURES AFFECTING STRATEGY One of the most interesting (and potentially frustrating) aspects of sailing in Hayling bay is that any of the major natural features that determine strategy could be present: Oscillating shifts Tide varying in strength and direction Wind direction persistently trending one way Skewed courses Wind bends Wind strength varying over the course Of course these frequently seem to contradict each other: “there is more wind on the left but less tide inshore.” Winning at Hayling involves identifying the one or two most significant factors and building your race plan around these. For example, in light winds, slow boats, near high tide, the tide is flowing

strongly to the west. If the wind is easterly or westerly, the tide will be the dominant factor. In a developed sea breeze, keeping in phase with the oscillating shifts will be the top priority, but watch out for the cross tide skewing the beat or the run. Wind strategy will vary depending on strength, direction, and position of the course: use the table as a guide to help determine the likely priorities of the day. Around two hours before high tide, the flow is westerly beyond the line between the tip of East Winner and Hayling Bar. Inshore, the stream curves into the bay, but around high tide there is sufficient water over these obstructions for the stream to be generally west. Around two hours after high water, the stream in the bay tracks clockwise, through south to south east. Around low water, it is flowing easterly offshore, and north easterly inshore. It continues to turn clockwise, eventually returning to a generally eastward flow. Near the Chichester and Langstone entrances

the direction is also influenced by the yachtsandyachting.couk TRAVEL HAYLING BAY In a sea breeze, keeping in phase with the oscillating shifts is top priority, but cross tide may skew the run current flowing in and out of the two harbours. However the actual direction at a given time depends on the precise course location, whether it is springs or neaps, and recent wind direction, so there is no substitute for sailing up the course and checking strength and direction over the beat. There are five laid racing marks, and plenty of lobster pots in the bay, to help this observation. Northerly Wind strength Oscillations Especially important in sub-powered conditions. Look for patches of pressure Become more important in powered up conditions Likely if course is offshore and windward mark nearer Bar beacon North Easterly TOM GRUITT/PAUL WYETH/RYA CLASSIC HAYLING BEATS Light northerly, course mid bayAs the land heats, expect the lull to gust range to increase, and sail for the

pressure. The gusts often seem to come down one or the other side of the course: look for the dark patches of pressure appearing by the beach and plan to sail toward the side with the next patch. If you find a nice shift to that side, even better. Easterly May be more wind inshore through convergence: more important in light winds South Easterly Steady pressure Trending shift Below Use the table to determine expectations and priorities for any given wind direction Tide May skew course: avoid ‘short’ layline and check reach angles Likely if course inshore and further west: protect left hand side May skew course: avoid ‘short’ layline and check reach angles Especially influential in light winds and easterly stream Regular pattern Southerly Sea breeze direction: steady once fully formed Regular pattern South Westerly Late sea breeze direction Regular pattern: often bigger shifts Westerly May be more wind offshore but shifts and tide are more likely influences

Regular pattern North Westerly Wind bend Above Champagne conditions are typical in the bay Less regular shifts May skew course Likely to trend right but probably too slowly to override oscillations. Watch for course skew as race progresses Especially in light winds. May be tidal relief inshore Light northerly, course east side of the bay - Use the pre-start to check for more wind funnelling out of the harbour. If that seems to be a repeating pattern, use the shifts to protect the right hand side of the course. Sea breeze - Once the sea breeze is established, the priority in Hayling Bay is a clear start, and taking advantage of any left hand shifts to work toward the right hand side of the course. A true sea breeze trends slowly to the right so take care not to overstand, especially in an easterly tide flow. Before the sea breeze establishes You might experience long shifts of up to 20 degrees, accompanied by bands of pressure. Aim to link the patches of pressure with the shifts

rather than waiting for the persistent right shift. RACING IN THE HARBOUR Though we have concentrated in this article on racing out in Hayling Bay, there is room for a full sized course inside the harbour, at the top of the tide. In light and medium winds, the tide usually dictates the strategy here: I’d recommend reading the guides written by the locals found on the Chichester harbour conservancy website. The biggest tip I can give is to study the banks and channels at low tide, and remember where the flat banks, the deep water channels, and the steep edges are. Championship races are usually only held inside in extreme conditions, when priorities are quite simple: keep the boat upright, and avoid hitting the edges. June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 71 BUILT TO GO THE DISTANCE THIS IS WHERE WE WORK. AND PLAY 5RFNV ZDYHV PXG VXQ VDOW ZLQG &KDOOHQJH DQG DGYHQWXUH (YHU (OOLRW %URZQ ZDWFK LV EXLOW IRU LW 7KDW V ZK 0RXQWDLQ 5HVFXH (QJODQG :DOHV WKH %ULWLVK 0LOLWDU DQG

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many summers to come. £195 henrilloyd.com GOSLING’S RUM For the dad who enjoys a tipple, Gosling’s Black Seal is a very good option indeed. He can savour a taste of Bermuda (whilst watching the America’s Cup racing, of course). Its deep spicing elevates the drink from lighter gold rums and lends itself perfectly to a Dark ‘n’ Stormy - it was Gosling in fact which created and trademarked this sailor’s favourite. £20 goslingsrum.com HARKEN SILVER CUFFLINKS Cufflinks are something of a go-to option for men’s presents. You would do well to pick up a set of these Harken pulley cufflinks - so he can be reminded of the joys of sailing while sat in the office counting down to the weekend. £120 cestlaviejewellery.com June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 73 THE ONE STOP RY DLE SAILING SHOP CHAN We stock the latest in CLOT H ING FLOTILLA SAILING BEACH CLUB HOLIDAYS LEARN TO SAIL SAIL S VERS &CO MYA hardware innovations from manufacturers such as Harken, Allen, RWO,

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has long been manufacturing popular sunglasses in a range of styles (pictured are the Hydra Seafarer X). Many of its sunglasses are now able to float and all ‘floatable shades’ come with hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings. £120 dragonalliance.com SAVING OVER 20% OFF THE SHOP PRICE The performance sailing magazine The performance sailing magazine The performance sailing magazine 70 70 INS W T, TRIP TH TH ANNIVERSARY ANNIVERSARY 1947-2017 1947-2017 KI ORE AND MRTH WO £10K 2017 ARDS Y&Y AW ERS WINN CED UN ANNO £4.30 44 Issue #1708 April 2017 yachtsandyachting.couk AINSLIE’S CUP DESIGN BOATIN DETAIL ORTS £4.30 S SP Issue #1706 February ASSE 2017 yachtsandyachting.couk CL ED REVIEW 70 EVERY RACING KEELBOAT CLASS REVIEWED EXCLUSIVE Triple Crown Cowes Week reveals spectacular 2017 addition MARK TURNER WINS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMEN Sailing Ainslie on ice wins! th TECHNIQUE Ti ch What can ice yachting teach us? Ol Britain’s best sailor talks America’s

Cup success BOAT TEST Bente 24 C TECHNIQUE Offseason training We look at the innovative new German racer o B Hannah Diamond’s sailing fitness tips GILL CHAMPIONSHIP GLOVES Ru Co ANNIVERSARY SOUVENIR SPECIAL Gill’s new Championship Gloves offer a lot in the way of thorough design and detailed thinking, which all adds up to a glove that, without being wholly revolutionary, delivers performance. The back of the hand is made of stretchy material which also features UV50+ protection. The grip on the palm is strong and hardwearing and the Velcro wrist closure sits round the back of the glove so as not to interfere with a watch strap. £32 gillmarine.com FAMILIES -2017 1947 Get involved British Academy Charles Darbyshire on a new generation of offshore sailors How to give your child the best start in racing CHELSEA ARINE M MAGAZINES 04 INSHORE KIT What’s new this year for round-the-cans racers YY1706 001 COVERACTUALV2.indd 1 TECHNICAL TIPS 9 770044 000205 All you

need to know about the 2017 racing rules We sailing’s about h YACHTS YACHTING CHELSEA ARINE M MAGAZINES YACHTS YACHTING CHELSEA ARINE M MAGAZINES 02 CHELSEA ARINE M MAGAZINES 9 770044 000205 THAILAND We go bareboat chartering WORLD CUPAUTOPILOTS All the action fromOur thecomplete final guide CHELSEA to in the Far East round in Australiathe vital kit for solo sailors FOILING SAFETY DINGHY DESIGNS X4 ON TEST Everything you need to know to get flying ARINE M MAGAZINES Which classes from 1947 are still going strong today? YACHTS YACHTING CHELSEA ARINE M MAGAZINES VENDÉE GLOBE LONDON SHOW Our Boat Show preview All the latest action from epic offshore race the FUTURE FOCUS plus save £15 on tickets Behind the wheel of the 20/12/2016 10:17 1 YY1705 001 COVER TH new versatile EDIT.indd Danish racer How we will inspire the next generation of sailors TRAVEL IN 2 What’s new for h in the coming yea YACHTS YACHTING CHELSEA ARINE M MAGAZINES CHELSEA ARINE M MAGAZINES

EVENTS TEMPUS PRO WEATHER STATION A real one for the techy dads, this outdoor sensor has super-low battery usage meaning it can be left for years before needing a new battery. The weather station information can then be monitored from phones or tablets. You can track home weather events, trends and patterns using the built-in data logger from the past seven days, with a database covering up to one year. Using Bluetooth to connect, however, means a max range of 150m, so this is very much a home weather station. £116 nevadaradio.couk Expert coverage of all aspects of racing, from club regattas and class championships to the heights of the Olympic Games, America’s Cup, and Volvo Ocean Race TECHNIQUE Tips to improve your own sailing skills with practical advice from top sailors and coaches in the sport EQUIPMENT Keep up to date with all the latest products, technical developments and new boats MUSTO BOBBY CABLE CREW NECK KNIT You just can’t beat a good cable knit sweater. This

one from Musto is smart enough to be worn out for dinner but would look equally at home in the dinghy park. An ideal ‘go-to’ jumper. £90 musto.com Chelseamagazines.com/ yachts-SS57 +44(0) 1795 419 843 quoting CYAYSS57 BUYER’S BUYER’SGUIDE GUIDE INSHORE PERSONAL KITFLOTATION SKIPPERS’ MATE Development leaps in personal flotation have resulted in a new generation of products. RUPERT HOLMES reports xxxxx FLOTATION FUNDAMENTALS N ot so long ago the subject of personal buoyancy had something of a pariah status – PFDs were items that you were forced to spend money on, but in the big boat world at least, often seen being part of the emergency equipment, kept safely stowed below decks, rather than as an item for regular use. Yet wearing a properly fitting lifejacket equipped with crotch straps can increase potential survival times from as little as a few minutes to several hours. Following decades that saw very little development, a number of companies have focussed

effort in this sector and there have been significant improvements over the past few years. “A large percentage of the boating world still does not wear any kind of personal flotation device,” confirms Crewsaver’s Hannah Burywood. “As a manufacturer the challenge for us has been to reduce 76 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 this number through the design of safe, comfortable and stylish personal flotation equipment.” At the same time as design is improving, the materials used – particularly for higher-end products – are becoming more comfortable and harder-wearing. For instance, Crewsaver’s new buoyancy aid range, launched for the 2017 season, has an internal breathable mesh lining along with a shaped-to-fit design, both of which help to improve comfort. TOP-DOWN TECH In some respects dinghy sailing, where wearing a PFD is a race requirement, led the way in improving the wearability factor. This process was given an enormous boost with the America’s Cup adopting

foiling multihulls, and teams have been working with manufacturers of safety equipment to produce what they see as an ultimate product. Above The America’s Cup has pushed manufacturers to reconsider design 09 NEXT MONTH Chartplotters On sale 9 June Spinlock was one of the first companies to shake up lifejacket design, with the original Deckvest, for which it has just won a Queen’s award for innovation. Working with Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR America’s Cup team then led to Spinlock’s BAR T2 Jacket. This is a 50N buoyancy aid made of an ultra soft compliant foam that also provides impact protection. Its aerodynamic fit is carefully sculpted and tailored as a result of wind tunnel testing, an important consideration for a boat where the apparent wind is always well forward of the beam. Additional crew accessories include a knife and a small air bottle so that anyone trapped under the trampoline after a capsize can continue to breathe until help arrives. The BAR T2 Jacket

has been made into a retail version, the Aero Pro, which was launched at this year’s RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show. “Our development of the flotation vest for Sir Ben Ainslie and his yachtsandyachting.couk There is a need for more impact protection than is offered in a standard bouyancy aid LAND ROVER BAR/LLOYD IMAGES ESSENTIAL EXTRAS In the past, few lifejackets were fitted as standard with lights and sprayhoods and crotch or thigh straps. While most now include these features it’s still important to check they are supplied with your chosen model. There are also lifejackets available with pouches to take a personal AIS transmitter, PLB and/or handheld VHF. Other important accessories to consider include Spinlock’s LumeOn, which makes the whole lifejacket bladder glow in the dark. It’s not a replacement for a conventional lifejacket light, which can be seen at a greater range. However, it’s all but impossible to judge the distance to a pin-point light at night, a problem

the LumeOn solves, making the final approach to a casualty in the water easier. The MOB Lifesaver, developed by Duncan West, attaches to a lifejacket’s lifting loop or becket. When the jacket inflates, the Lifesaver floats out onto the water and is easy for the rescuer to grab with the boathook. They can then secure the MOB to the boat while they set up their retrieval rig, which takes the risk out of reaching overboard to grab the casualty. team led us to the conclusion that there was a gap in the market for sailors who require a streamlined buoyancy aid integrated into a vest,” says Spinlock deckware designer Bernard Hartigan. “The Aero Pro offers the highest levels of protection in the event of an accident, but is uniquely designed to give the minimum impact on crew and boat performance.” The product incorporates lot of the T2’s design features, including the close fitting neck collar, sleeves and over length waist gaiter that help to reduce wind and water resistance.

There’s also a back protector or hydration pouch, although the air bottle and knife of the T2 have been removed. Similarly, Crewsaver has been working with Artemis Racing to perfect the PFDs team members will wear for the Cup. Their work here quickly highlighted a need for a buoyancy material that provided more impact protection than is offered in a standard buoyancy aid. This then led to the development of new laminate style foam using the properties of different materials to achieve the right performance and protection. The resulting sculpted and contoured foam construction enabled the buoyancy aid to wrap around and mould to the user’s body. This led to increased comfort, reduced weight and offered a slimmer profile without compromising on the buoyancy rating. These features originally incorporated into the Artemis Racing PFDs now influence the entire Crewsaver buoyancy aid range, with the 3D contoured foam solution used in all the new products. The new ErgoFit 50N buoyancy aid

is the retail model that incorporates the bulk of the technology designed hand in hand Artemis Racing for use during the America’s Cup World Series. At the same time Musto has been working in a similar way with another America’s Cup team, Groupama Team France, to produce a new range of dinghy sailing kit. This includes two nnSpinlock’s award-winning Deckvest lifejacket forged the way nnSpinlock’s low profile WIng is an example of new generation PFDs nnMusto’s Buoyancy Aid, one of two new PFD products nnCrewsaver’s ErgoFit 50N incorporates Cup technology June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 77 BUYER’S GUIDE PERSONAL FLOTATION TeamO, that seeks to address this problem. After a competitor died after falling overboard while harnessed to his Reflex 38 in an offshore race in 2011, TeamO founder Oscar Mead investigated the possibilities of engineering a product in which the wearer could be turned onto their back after falling overboard. His BackTow system has the features

of a conventional high-end lifejacket, with one crucial difference: if you fall in while harnessed to the boat you can transfer the harness attachment point to the back of the jacket. Then, instead of being dragged through the water face-first, which makes it all but impossible to breathe, you are pulled along on your back, which tends to lift the head and neck higher above the waves. LIFEJACKETS Unlike buoyancy aids, which generally have a 50N rating, a lifejacket with a 150N or higher rating is designed to turn the wearer face upwards in the water within five seconds and hold them in that position even if unconscious. This is distinctly different to a buoyancy aid, which is essentially an aid to swimming. In the past lifejackets with 150N and 275N ratings were clumsy, bulky and uncomfortable to wear for long periods. As a result they were often not worn on a regular basis and were therefore carried on board effectively as part of the emergency equipment. However, that situation has

changed dramatically and today’s best products are comfortable to wear for days at a time thanks to makers’ efforts in improving design and the availability of better materials. Nevertheless, one aspect that has remained the same for many years is the three types of activation system for inflating lifejackets. The simplest is manual activation in which the casualty simply pulls a toggle to discharge the CO2 cylinder that inflates the bladder. Manual systems don’t have a risk of the lifejacket accidentally inflating in really heavy weather, but they also have drawbacks. In particular, the casualty needs to be conscious when s/he hits the water and must be able to find the toggle. Given that cold-water shock can cause hyperventilation and puts great strain on the heart there’s no guarantee that you would be able to do so. Most automatic systems have a cartridge between the gas cylinder and inflation chamber that swells when wet 78 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 Above New

generation lifejackets offer comfort over long periods of time puncturing the CO2 cylinder, inflating the jacket. Recent systems are reliable in most really wet conditions on deck, providing the activator is replaced before the expiry date and the lifejacket dried thoroughly after every outing. The exception is if you encounter waves washing down the deck, or breaking over the boat in extreme conditions, when Hydrostatic inflation systems may be preferred. These are triggered by water pressure and will blow the jacket up after being immersed by more than 10cm for more than two or three seconds.Downsides are greater costs and slightly more complex servicing requirements. BREATHING EASY Never assume that someone who falls overboard will be immediately spotted, even if they are clipped on; history tells us that’s not the case. The problem then is that a regular harness will tow the casualty face first through the water, making it impossible to breathe if the boat at anything over a

couple of knots. One of the latest products to hit the market comes from a new company, HOW MUCH FLOTATION? There are three common European standards for the amount of flotation PFDs must provide. Products rated at 50N include the typical buoyancy aid used in dinghy sailing and other watersports. However, they are not lifejackets in the traditional sense in that they will not hold the face of an unconscious LOOKING AHEAD Further development work is under way in the lifejacket field, particularly for offshore products. The Ocean Signal RescueMe MOB1 AIS beacon, for instance, was launched a couple of years ago. This fits next to the oral inflation tube of a lifejacket and can be automatically activated when it’s inflated. Ocean Safety has supplied the Clipper Round the World Race with its Kru lifejackets fitted with this device for the next race. Spinlock is looking to take a similar concept a stage further and is currently working on a research project with the European Space Agency

in which PLBs – peronsal locator beacons – are embedded into sailing clothing. As part of this the company has developed a prototype lifejacket with an integral PLB and embedded antenna. This solves a problem in that PLBs have a spring-mounted ‘monopole’ antenna that resembles a tape measure and must be held at the correct angle to optimise signal strength – a tough thing to do if you’re floating around in cold water and big waves. person clear of the water. 150N is the minimum level that will turn unconscious wearers face up in the water and covers most lifejackets used for leisure purposes, although some manufacturers offer slightly higher values in the 165-190N range. 275N products are for offshore use in extreme conditions when heavy protective clothing is worn or when extra loads are carried. Turns unconscious wearers face up in water under almost all circumstances. There’s also a less commonly seen 100N standard, for a foam only product that’s intended for use

by good swimmers in relatively sheltered waters. yachtsandyachting.couk C/O SPINLOCK new PFDs, the Protection Vest and the Championship Buoyancy Aid. Mattresses & Bed Linen Luxury Mattress Toppers How safe are you on your tether? INTRODUCING BACKTOW LIFEJACKETS BACKTOW TECHNOLOGY Replacement mattresses ALL CONVENTIONAL HARNESSES Sumptuous bedding Complete re-upholstery service Our products are custom made to fit any shape and size TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT: Call us on 01524 844106 or visit our website www.jonic-ukcouk • info@jonic-ukcouk www.TeamOmarinecom 15-17 September 2017 Supported by Get on board, sail Jersey! This September join us for three exhilarating days of high speed racing on the beautiful Jersey coast. Share the excitement on the water with sports-boats, cruisers, dinghies and catamaran classes. Step ashore and sample delicious delicacies by the beach as you unwind in Jersey’s welcoming and relaxing atmosphere. Experience the best of the

island’s attractions as you explore rugged cliffs, sweeping bays and secret coves. This 2017, soak up the sun, sea and sand at Jersey’s flagship sailing event. Call: 00 44 (0) 1534 732229 Email: info @jerseyregatta.com Register at: www.jerseyregattacom FUSION BOAT TEST FUSION POWER TOBY HEPPELL gets out on the water in the all-new multirigged Fusion and finds a versatile dinghy benefitting from years of design experience It quickly becomes clear the target is a slightly bigger, modern Pico 80 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 yachtsandyachting.couk A t the Southampton Boat Show towards the tail end of 2016 a new training dinghy was unveiled under the name Fusion. The boat was designed by Dan Holman under the watchful eye of Glen Truswell – Holman was, of course designer of the D-Zero and a number of other boats besides. It is manufactured by Mark Knight of A.C Canoe Products – which rotomoulds the entire Laser Performance range. DAVID HARDING/SAILING SCENES

CONCEPT 8/10 The Fusion is aimed squarely at the training market, whether that be beach clubs, sailing schools and activity centres – Rockely Activity Centre in Poole who lent us use of their facilities for the day has ordered several – or clubs looking for a robust club boat or fleet. Having said that, the Fusion team has also sold a number into private ownership and it seems to be more popular than expected with clubs, so this looks unlikely to be the sort of boat we see at launch and then never again until on holiday abroad. As with most modern boats aimed at the learner market, the Fusion is a rotomoulded hull with a clear emphasis on durability and simplicity. The Fusion can be supplied with a range of rig options; the most basic model has an unbattened Dacron mainsail, while the slightly racier version has a Mylar mainsail, with a bigger roach and larger sail area generally – though vertical battens still allow the sail to wrap around the mast when ashore. Both can be

sailed with the same jib to turn it into a doublehander or just boost sail area and all sails fit on the same spars. The foredeck has elastic webbing, which can hold the jib, so should things get too hairy for the sailors it can be dropped and stowed fairly easily on the water. Simplicity is the name of the game here, whether it be pricing – the cost for the sails remains the same as they would be at boat purchase price so outlay for the sails is clear and consistent – or equipment, the majority of which has been made to be interchangeable with other designs that will be in a sailing schools range – the top-mast, foils, sails, and boom will fit a Laser Pico. Other aspects are interchangeable with other classes too, but it quickly becomes clear the target of this boat is as a slightly bigger, modern Pico. So it should be an attractive option for those who already have a Pico, or similar. June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 81 FUSION BOAT TEST Left Even in the light and

relatively flat conditions on our test, she was fun to sail downwind Below left Adding an additional wedge to the jib cleats would make it easier to cleat the jib while hiking Below A clever seat and foot dimples allow transition into a rowing boat You can really work the boat downwind sailing by the lee DECK LAYOUT 9/10 On the water there is little to say about the deck layout other than it works very well. In the lighter part of my day sailing the boat, it was slightly awkward to get far enough forward to prevent the transom dragging, but this is clearly because the boat has been designed to allow space for two adults in a relatively short hull. And it is worth adding that the boat didn’t perform poorly sat further aft, it was just a touch slower – anyway, perhaps that is just a racer’s instinct applied to a training hull! Behind the mainsheet block is a medium sized hole for water to escape 82 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 which can be plugged with a bung, a self

bailing setup that will be familiar to anyone who has sailed many of Laser’s products. I was concerned to note this bung was not in my boat but the buoyancy in the hull is such that even stationary or sailing backwards I could not make the water fill beyond the ‘cup’ moulding in which the hole sits. Truswell says if there is more than 175kg aboard then the bung will need fitting but anything below that and it will be fine. If the idea of a small through-hole in the boat is enough to put you on edge then the mast system also takes a little getting used to as this also goes straight through the boat, sitting flush with the SPECIFICATIONS LOA: 3.65m LWL: 3.5m Beam: 1.45m Displacement: 62kg Sail areas: Jib: 1.45sq m Main: 5.25sq m Pro Main: 6.45sq m Prices: Fusion: £2,495 Fusion Plus: £2,640 Fusion Pro: £2,735 bottom of the hull. The mast sits in a locking collar and sleeve arrangement at deck level to hold everything in, should you capsize, and the through-hole allows sand and

grit to wash away – an area of annoying wear and tear on some classes. For the boat’s intended use there is no doubt it is a good idea, but as with the bung, it took a little getting used to. Something I didn’t notice until ashore (which in this case is a positive) the boat has a moulded seat and footrests, which, along with built in rowlocks on the side decks, can turn her into a nice little row-boat – a bonus that does not affect her sailing, as evidenced by my total lack of observation on the matter. Finally, the deck moulding has been created to allow the hulls to stack together, which allows for a huge cockpit – I’m told it is the biggest in class. However, the jib cleats were not angled enough to make cleating the jib as easy as I would like. Truswell says this is to avoid accidental cleating resulting in a capsize. Were I to buy a Fusion myself, though, I’d be inclined to fit another wedge under the cleats and it would be problem solved. UNDER SAIL 8/10 I sailed

both the Dacron single-sailed version of the Fusion and the Mylar mainsail version with the jib with breeze around 5-12 knots. I started in the latter of the two options and in hindsight that may have been a mistake. By the time I jumped into the Dacron single sailed option it was always going to feel a touch less responsive. But it is important to remember who this boat is aimed at and, where the smaller single sail felt underpowered to me, for the novice market it probably strikes exactly the right balance of safety and power. The boat has enough yachtsandyachting.couk buoyancy in the side decks to allow you to sit relatively statically on the windward side and concentrate merely on tiller and sheet, which is, after all, what a beginner will be doing. Were I a sailing school looking for a robust bit of kit for starting out, I am confident you could send anyone of almost any level of experience out on the water with this sail and know they would be okay. Perhaps the biggest

disappointment stemming from the order in which I tried the sail options is that I suspect stepping into the boat with the larger Mylar main and jib would have been a revelation. This mainsail feels like the ‘right’ sail for the boat, the jib adds a small amount of sail area and, of course, telltails upwind but the feeling is that the majority of the additional drive comes from this main. Upwind this rig had my 70kg hiking at a little over 10 knots and responded well to kinetic input, in a way I would not have expected given the stability I experienced later with the single Dacron sail. Reaching with the jib up was probably the boat’s biggest weakness. The unstayed rig struggled to keep luff tension, which resultantly could flop around. But the Mylar main by itself would be lively enough and the boat showed enough pace to indicate it would be planing in the mid teens. Running was really fun and provided probably the most enjoyment of the day. Drop the daggerboard and she is

really stable, but should you raise it a long way you can really work the boat downwind sailing by the lee with the boat cranked over to windward and flicking weight into the centre to roll it back. The water was fairly flat for our test but I could easily imagine a COMPARISONS Above left An inglefield clip allows the mainsheet to be quickly detached when ashore great deal of fun to be had in wavier conditions and a touch more wind. I think it is perhaps here that Holman’s expertise stands out the most. Above A handy, watertight sotrage bin is located forward of the mast, while webbing allows stowage of the optional jib VERDICT 8/10 It’s important to judge a boat by its intended purpose. Here, that’s to offer a modern, updated Pico-like boat. There is no doubt in my mind that is does just that. But I would also be minded to go further and say that the Mylar sailed version would make a satisfying, low maintenance race boat. Of course, it is never going to compete with an

out-and-out racer such as the D-Zero in terms of racing thrills, but the evidence of her heritage is there enough to provide plenty of fun. As a relatively cheap, zero maintenance singlehander it’s a viable option. Keen racers may not be all that interested in the clever stacking, the rowing seat, the interchangeable parts, or many of the other small additions, but it belies an attention to detail that is certainly reassuring. ANSWER BACK Glenn Truswell of Fusion Sailboats says: Topper Topaz The Topaz comes with a choice of rig options so the boat can be set up in a number of ways. The hull holds two adults so can be sailed singlehanded or as a two person dinghy. The singlehanded Topaz Uno is the most popular seller. LOA: 3.86m Beam: 1.45m Sail Area: 5.64sq m Weight: 60kg Laser Pico Designed by Jo Richards in the mid1990s and used primarily for training and day sailing. It can be crewed by one or two children or an adult. Current models come equipped with both a mainsail and a

small jib. The Fusion’s clear predecessor. LOA: 3.5m Beam: 1.43m Sail Area: 5.1sq m Weight: 60kg Dwindling sailing participation figures have unquestionably raised pressure to design, develop and build the perfect, ‘all-round’ boat to captivate and nurture the skills of tomorrow’s sailor. In this respect, I am particularly proud of the contribution we have made with Fusion as according to both our retail and commercial client base, it certainly appears to answer many of the questions associated with its predecessors and more! For me personally, beyond the modern aesthetic, the comfort and convenience, it’s the sheer uncompromised ‘reach and range’ this product exhibits that continues to astonish and impress. Clearly to me therefore, as an industry we are genuinely moving forwards and getting much closer. June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 83 RONDAR PICKS UP SQUIB Following something of a hiatus for the Squib class, which saw their single licensed builder go out of

business and a temporary disappearance of the National Squib Owners Association’s moulds, wellrespected manufacturer, Rondar Raceboats has been announced as the new builder for the class going forwards. As with many classes, changes to design and construction are rigidly controlled, so it is not expected that the new Squibs will change. But the reassurance of a builder of such repute and size behind the class will be something of a relief not only to the Owners Association but also the RYA, who had to step in during the problems with the previous builder. rondarboats.com BOAT NEWS RM1370 NEW Fresh from winning the prestigious title of European Family Yacht of the Year with the RM970, the French manufacturer has further boosted its profile by announcing this new yacht to bolster its range. The RM1370 is another epoxy/ply special and she sticks to RM’s increasingly familiar theme of being a fast, fun cruising yacht. Predictably, she measures in at 137m (44’9”), so she’s a

decent size, yet weight remains a very modest 9,400lb. A carbon mast and decent sail area point to a strong performer, yet she’s versatile too, featuring the option of twin, swing or torpedo keels. The fact she is aimed at fast cruising is underlined by her huge tankage (600l of water and 300l of fuel) which suggests a yacht that is tailored for skimming before the trade winds at high speed. Price: c.£250,000 rm-yachts.com 84 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 yachtsandyachting.couk SUBSCRIBE TODAY Azuree 41 NEW As with the recently launched Azuree 46, the new 41 footer from the brand comes from the pen of Rob Humphreys, and he has brought his vast experience of ocean racing yachts to the table. The pronounced single chine should aid performance when heeled and the (increasingly fashionable) twin rudders should optimise efficiency of sailing at an angle. The chinned hull combined with a T-shape bulb allow the new Azuree 41 to offer a large sail area compared with other similar

boats of a similar size in the cruiser/racer bracket. She also features a 160sq m asymmetric downwind, flown from an integrated bowsprit. azureeyachts.com Price: c.€220,000 WIN VIP tickets to La Grande Motte multihull show OFFER Claim BOAT SHOW your London unt ticket disco NEW BOAT S Launched 20 20 1 9 9 7 - 2 0 17 RS YEA 9 7 - 2 0 17 YEA RS 19 GO FURTHER I SAIL BETTER I BE INSPIRED GO FUR TH May 2017 | sailingtoday.couk | £450 BETTER ER I SAIL GO FURTH today.couk | £430 April 2017 INSPIRED I BEHOME WATERS North ds Faroe islanWales February 2017 ERS HOME WAT ITUDE boom brakes your tested for d peace of min 7 IP SEAMANSH ilor r Ice sa prepare you How to latitudes boat for high famo Scion of the family boatbuilding ER RP.indd ST238 001 COV SUPERFOILER LAUNCH AMBITIOUS TV PLAN With the development of the Waszp in Australia, the UFO foiler in the US and the Whisper cat in the UK, many manufacturers are designing foilers for everyone. But where these boats

have a focus on ease of use and sailability, others continue to push the boundaries. Enter the Morelli and Melvin designed SuperFoiler, the latest development from Australia. The first boat has now hit the water and it is a pretty ambitious concept – a 26ft foiling trimaran, with solid deck, to be sailed by three trapezing sailors. It feels very much ‘18ft Skiff of the future’ terriroty here! The people behind the boat are father and son, Bill and Jack Macartney. Bill was one of the major forces behind the televising of the 18ft Skiffs in the 1980s and ‘90s and the ambitious aim is to create a televised series once more. To date $AUS 3m has been raised and broadcast rights have been sold to Australia’s Channel 7. Under the agreement eight teams will race across eight venues. Points will accumulate from each qualifying event, culminating in a grand final. Competition is scheduled to kick off in November. MAR LANZARINA OTE T NEW BOA SKILLS 2 hulls or 3 NEW 5 wing 46To

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north is clo nk than you thi at the Düsse 20 YEARS NGAM DRE DLI TRIP SAIL HAN 31 boats set to make Four ways r sail on the Oysteasie er Worl er and d Rally furling quick INSIDE IMRAY Meet the family behind the world-famous charts 12/12/2016 OVER final.indd 1 APRIL C 16:12 SHORTLIST The best new technical deck shoes for 2017 SPIRIT YAC HTS Wooden hulls vogue for cruisare back in ing boats SNA TCH 9 reasons to BLOCKS carry this NEW ELECTRICScrucial bit of kit Esper gets new wiring and nav gear in Thailand 1 ST241 001 COVER v5.indd 1 15/03/2017 14:24 Sailing Today is the magazine for hands-on cruising sailors whose love of sailing takes them around the British Isles, across the Channel and further, to the blue waters of the wider world. Subscribe today for practical advice and a dynamic mix of in-depth boat, gear and equipment news. chelseamagazines.com/ sailingtoday-S057 +44 (0) 1795 419 842 and quote S057 DAVITS How to retro fi handling to t you Yachts &

Yachting May 14.pdf 1 24/03/2014 12:55 MARINE BREAKDOWN ASSISTANCE Traction Made Beautiful. The high performance non-skid deck coating. Made In New Zealand Unit E4 Fort Wallington, Fareham, PO16 8TT. Tel 01329 232360 sales@vitessemarine.couk wwwvitessemarinecouk/kiwigrip TOP CLASS PERFORMANCE WORLD WIDE, WITH GREAT CLUB RACING photo: Rick Tomlinson INTERNATIONAL FLYING FIFTEEN For a test sail in a Flying fifteen go to: http://tiny.cc/TrialaFlying15 S & YACH HT L D S TA RD GO S NG TI YAC A R AW SUPPORTED BY Y&Y GOLD STAR AWARDS noblemarine.couk | 01636 707606 GOLD STAR AWARDS Club launches charity to fundraise for Sailability A newly formed charity launched by Staunton Harold SC has won over hearts and minds in a fundraising drive to help more disabled children discover their independence on the water. Staunton Harold Sailability Trust has not only secured its first major sponsor, Ward Recycling, but raised enough money to buy its first

doublehanded Hansa Access dinghy, thanks to a donation of £6,000 from the proceeds of the club’s Charity Ball. The club has been supporting sailing for children and young adults with varying types of disabilities for the last 15 years; working closely with RYA Sailability and families supported by the Derby-based charity Umbrella, the club has run an annual day and half-a-dozen sessions a year offering activities ranging from accompanied sailing in training dinghies and powerboats to fun onshore. Staunton Harold Sailability Trust now aims to raise in excess of £20,000 towards specialist equipment, including hoists and three Hansa dinghies with adapted seats and controls, so that more children and young adults can get on the water and ultimately experience the joy of sailing on their own, helping them to develop their confidence and self-worth while giving families a chance to spend quality time together at the club. “This fantastic local charity really struck a chord with our

company,” says Donald Ward, commercial manager at Ward Recycling. “The drive and commitment of the team at Staunton Harold is to be commended as they look to extend their programme to more people in the Derbyshire area.” Ward has initially donated £2,000 towards safety equipment, which includes life jackets, spray tops and bibs for volunteers. Colleagues at the company have also been devoting time to raise further funds for the Trust. Staunton Harold SC commodore Elaine Penhaul says: “The £6,000 Health; Physio Needs; Purely Sailing; Fine and Country (Loughborough); Green and Co; Smith Cooper (Derby); Lemon and Lime Interiors; Fab Clinic; Paterson Guest House; Trent Sea Training; David Granger Design; Melbourne Deli; Amalfi White and Hartley Boats; and East Midlands Community Fund which has given £1,000. Elaine – whose 17-year-old daughter Poppy Smith has Cystic Fibrosis and has sailed all her life, now helping with training at the club as an RYA instructor and race coach

– says the aim is to ensure Sailability is fully integrated member or friend in a boat and teach them how to do it.” Mark Harden, secretary of the Trust, and Kev Needham, chair, wanted to set up the charity to support Sailability at the club. The trustees are drawn from the club, outside professionals and independent supporters. Mark says: “Sailability can work with kids or adults of any age, however we do need particular resources to take adults and more severely disabled children out on the reservoir, or to allow for solo sailing. We have a member whose family is part of Staunton Harold Sailing Club, who suffers from I know, as the mother of a child who is technically disabled, the difference it makes for them raised by club members and a raft of local businesses, together with Ward Recycling’s £2,000 donation, has really set the Trust off to an excellent start. I would like to say a very big thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly to raise such a large sum. “We get

lots of grants at the club and we’re extremely lucky but I also think as a club we have a responsibility to say ‘this is where we’re pulling together and raising our own money because this is important to us’. I’m delighted it has captured people’s imagination.” Other sponsors and supporters so far have included Andra with the club’s activities: “I know as the mother of a child who is technically disabled the difference it makes for them to be able to get out and do perfectly normal things in a perfectly normal world, and once they’re in a boat they don’t feel like somebody who’s disabled, they just feel like somebody who’s going sailing. How fantastic to be able to offer that? “And for the child for whom everything revolves around their disability, actually when they’re on the water, they’re the best at something, they’re the best sailor in the family. They can take an able-bodied family brittle bones. It is heartbreaking as he watches on longingly

and cannot sail with his family. “It is our firm ambition to get him on the water this year to join them.” To find out more visit shsc.orguk or email sailability@shsc.orguk NOMINATE If you know of an inspirational sailor, team, club, association or event, visit yachtsandyachting.couk/ gold-star-award to make your nomination. June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 87 CLUBS & CLASSES Submit your event reports to club@YachtsandYachting.couk CLUBS & CLASSES Big boat and dinghy classes are fully back in action on the UK circuits, as sprint racing and coaching formats warm up the season ahead. PAULA IRISH reports Trophies, chocolate and wisdom Sailors at the RORC Easter Challenge – the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s three-day domestic season opener and coaching regatta – left Cowes sunburned, full of chocolate and brimming with freshly acquired wisdom about the sport. Across the 50-boat fleet it was close for most classes, but none more so than for IRC One, where the victor

was decided on the final charge for the finish line. Ultimately Roger Bowden’s King 40, Nifty (ex-Tokoloshe I), skippered by Sam Cox, claimed first overall, two points ahead of Mike Greville’s Ker 39, Erivale III, with another King 40, Cobra, another point behind. Within IRC One, there was a match race between the two MAT 1180s. Tor McLaren’s new Gallivanter got its first taste of glory with a race win, but sistership, Christian Zugel’s Tschuss, finished seven points ahead overall. The regatta included coaching laid on by the RORC, was spearheaded by Jim Saltonstall and Eddie Warden Owen and supplemented by North Sails UK staff. Star performer throughout the regatta was Sir Keith Mills’ Invictus in the FAST 40+ class, racing within IRC One, winning the regatta by 11 points, but all five of the FAST 40+ had their moments. In IRC Two, a late charge from RORC Admiral Andrew McIrvine on La Réponse was enough to get his First 40 onto the podium but not enough to make an

impression on the race for the lead between David Franks’ JPK 10.10 Strait Dealer, second overall, and Redshift Reloaded, the Sun Fast 3600 belonging to Ed Fishwick, which took overall honours. Aside from Invictus, the most consistent performance was from Sam Laidlaw’s Quarter Tonner, Aguila. MIKE SAMUELSON Downer claims breezy Illusion Nationals 88 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 Mark Downer retained the Illusion National Championship title after a breezy weekend at Bembridge. Twenty-four Illusionists took to the water and with a Force 5 WSW coming in, racing was in the harbour, where Graham Bailey claimed a hat-trick of bullets to lead overnight. Day two, and a westerly Force 6-7 with an incoming tide pushed the fleet to less choppy conditions off the St Helens Old Church shore. Mark Downer and Bruce Huber pulled out a substantial lead but a number of boats had gear failure and headed back into the harbour – including overnight leader Bailey who suffered bow damage after

a realatively minor incident. Race five saw another win for Downer, and in the final race, Downer pulled through to second – enough to secure the championship for another year, just a single point ahead of Huber in second overall with visitor Jack Grogan third. TOM HICKS, SOLENTACTION.COM Merlins at Chichester Chichester YC Merlin Rocket open was blessed with spring sunshine and Force 3-4 winds, with a 27-boat fleet coming to the line for a three-race series. Starboard end line bias encouraged lively pre-start manoeuvres and close racing resulted in a three-way countback, with Sam and Megan Pascoe taking overall honours ahead of Christian Birrell-Sam Brearey and Tim Fells-Dave Bosnia, all on four points. GP14 Midlands Championship The second event of the Craftinsure Super 8 series took place over a balmy weekend at Staunton Harold SC, with a quality field including current world and UK national champion Shane McCarthy from Ireland. Over three races on day one, variable and shifty

winds seemed to favour the Midlands pond sailors and those with lighter crews, but nobody in the 17-boat fleet had a consistently good set of results to sleep on. Day two had slightly more wind and local boys Pete Gray and Rich Pepperdine didn’t put a foot wrong, taking three bullets to convincingly win the event counting nine points, followed by Fergus Barnham-Andy Hunter (Northampton/Nantwich) and Richard Instone-Steve Parker (Blithfield). yachtsandyachting.couk CLUBS & CLASSES British 49er talents James Peters and Fynn Sterritt secured their first senior international regatta victory at the Princess Sofia Trophy in Palma. Dylan Fletcher-Stuart Bithell, also in the 49er, secured bronze; Nacra 17 duo John Gimson-Anna Burnett claimed silver; and there was a silver and bronze in the Laser class for Elliot Hanson and Nick Thompson respectively, making it a five-medal haul for the British Sailing Team at the six-day event. Peters said: “We’ve been putting in some good

results for a while but we hadn’t got ourselves into the top three at a major regatta before, so to win this week is awesome.” With Fletcher-Bithell also on the podium, Peters added: “The strength of Dylan and Stu as well as the younger guys in the team gives us a massive opportunity to use each other and push each other. It’s a real strength for us as a team” Hanson narrowly missed out his on first senior international championship gold in the tough double-points medal race for the Laser class, with Italian Francesco Marrai taking the gold by just one point. Thompson had to settle for bronze DAVE WHITTLE Palma 49er gold for GBR’s Peters-Sterritt Hat-trick for Bolland at RS300 Winters The RS300 Magic Marine Winter Championship at South Cerney SC in the Cotswolds produced 8-10 knots on day one. Alistair ‘Storky’ McLaughlin, from Prestwick; after a 400-mile drive, was OCS in the first race. This was won by Steve Bolland (Bristol Corinthian) followed by Steve Sallis

(Hykeham) and Alastair Wood (Bough Beech). Emily Watson (Bowmoor), in a RS300, beat hubby Paul. Race two saw Storky’s attitude kick in with a coming together with Watson (Paul) at a windward mark – he fought back to third behind Bolland and Sallis. The final race saw Bolland complete a hat-trick of wins for the title. The 505 Burton Sprints on Foremark Reservoir in Derbyshire was the first racing event of the year for the class and introduced a new format for an old event, with lots of short races. Six races on day one were followed up with four more the next day, with very much a repeat of sunshine and light winds and prompt starts, and more success for Nathan Batchelor and Norman Bird, who finished the 10-race series counting eight race wins. The Dorset Triangle The first of a trio of events held between three Dorset clubs took place at Sutton Bingham SC with Lyme Regis and Castle Cove sailors visiting. A light and shifty first race was dominated by the home club, the wind

then increased during the day to allow the faster boats to get going by the third race. Local man Andrew Frost in an Aero 7 did enough with two bullets in the first two races to take the overall win with the Merlin of Castle Cove’s Sam and Megan Pascoe in second and the Albacore of Lyme Regis team Jerry Rook-Fraser Earle in third. Sutton Bingham took the team prize. Dalgety Brass Monkey Dalgety Bay SC held its annual Brass Monkey, with 25 boats including a high number of younger competitors; the three-race closely fought event saw club veteran Ian Baillie sail his Laser to victory just ahead of the RS400s of Keith Bedborough-Kirsty Higgins and John McKenzie-Andy Box. 90th Bacardi Cup USA’s Mark Mendelblatt, competing in his home town Miami, and Magnus Liljedahl, won the 90th Bacardi Cup Regatta for the Star class ahead of Xavier Rohart-Pierre Alexis Ponsot (FRA) and George SzaboEduardo (USA)-Edoardo Natucci (ITA). Mendelblatt is a two-time previous winner and Liljedahl has won

it six times as crew. OK Sprint Cup Jim Hunt won the HD Sails OK Inland Series Sprint Cup at Burghfield SC, after a hard-fought battle over eight races in 18-25 knots of breeze with Nick Craig. Richard Burton was third. 15-20 knot southwesterly; too much wind on day two saw further racing canned. In the 43-strong Laser Standard fleet Elliot Hanson was the winner counting just two points, with Nick Thompson second and Michael Beckett third. Sam Whaley was the first U21 sailor, in sixth. In the 79-boat Laser Radial fleet, Ali Young’s perfect scoreline handed her victory. JAMES TOMLINSON Inaugural 505 Burton Sprints The second Noble Marine Laser World and European Qualifier at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy saw 38 Lasers having one race in 6-9 knots before the fog descended, followed by three more races in light winds on day two. Elliot Hanson counted a 1,2,1 and took another Qualifier win, with Alex Mills Barton second and Lorenzo Chiavarini third. The 86-strong

Radial fleet did not sail on day one as the visibility deteriorated, then competed in three races on day two; Georgina Povall took first overall on countback, tied on three points with Ali Young in second, with Jon Emmett third. After the first two qualifiers got the season off to a light-wind start, the final Noble Marine Laser Spring Qualifier at Stokes Bay SC had three good races in a Quiz time at RS800 Spring Championship For the RS800 Spring Championship at Rutland, there were a few key questions to answer. How would Andy and Allyson Jeffries go in their brand new boat? Had Luke and Emma McEwen been practising? How many would turn up with twin tillers and crew sheeting? And would they be faster than the rest? The answers were: eventually very well; yes; one; and the jury is still out. In a brisk northeasterly, the McEwens from Royal Lymington won every race and the rest fought it out for second, while the Jeffries realised their new boat needed boat-bimbling. Sunday had perhaps

5 knots less and bigger shifts; HISC’s Chris FeibuschNicke Jerkins stayed consistent to claim second overall with Datchet’s Dan Goodman-Debbie Robertshaw third. TIM OLIN SAILING ENERGY/SOFIA Breezy finale for Laser & Radial Quals June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 89 CLUBS & CLASSES Hand shakes Musto Skiff opener in second on 10 points, and Trotter on 13 points. Day two dawned a little lighter and shiftier and Hand cruised away to a large lead in races four and five. Then in race six, in a bit more breeze, Hand proved it wasn’t just luck, steadily pulling through the fleet for another bullet and the overall win counting eight points. Second overall was Trotter with Poston third. GERARD VAN DEN HOEK Two days of sun, wind and close racing kicked off the season for 24 Musto Skiffs at Rutland. The key to success was to sail the shifts and stay in pressure – a tricky combination. Much place-changing saw wins go to Dan Kilsby, Dan Trotter and Dave Poston, the latter

holding the overnight lead counting 8 points, with Kilsby and George Hand tied TIM OLIN Tipsy Icicle finale at Leigh and Lowton Grafham’s big day The final weekend of the Tipsy Icicle series at Leigh and Lowton SC saw 48 boats take to the water for two races in a southwesterly 13 knot breeze with the occasional 22 knot gust; a total of 17 races were completed for the series. The Laser fleet had 28 entries and the overall series winner, Jack Hopkins (Delph), was already decided. But Gary Knott (Ogston), Patrick Hamilton (Burwain) and local Paul Heath battled for second place. Knott won through to secure second overall in the series. Hamilton took two seconds to claim third overall ahead of Heath. Going into the final weekend, the top two boats in the 29-strong handicap RS Aero Sustainability Grafham Water SC hosted the inaugural Zhik Noble Marine 29er Sprint Championships, with light winds curtailing the event but a buzz from the one day of completed racing. Sailors earned their

place at the Sprint Finals from racing local club events and on the basis of their national rankings, with a few places also available on general release. Racing on an amended inner loop, there were starts every 10 minutes for three flights of 11-12 boats, with a full team of umpires to ensure fair racing; in 5-10 knots there was some tight pressure racing to secure places in the Gold fleet. Unfortunately the wind gods wouldn’t play on the Sunday, so the joint champions were the three group winners: Nick Robins and Billy Vennis-Ozanne; Dan and Fin Armstrong; and Bella Fellows-Anna Sturrock. The inaugural RS Aero Sustainability Challenge at Burghfield SC was won in the 9 rig by Peter Barton with local father and son Nigel and Ben Rolfe in second and third; Chris Jones took the 7 title and Roshan Verghese the 5. The Green Blue provided the prizes and helped to educate the fleet on how to mitigate its environmental footprint. VR SPORT TV Contender Round 1 90 Yachts & Yachting

June 2017 The first round of the Contender travellers’ season at Burton SC had three tight races in conditions ranging from sitting-in to flat-wiring while swinging around 30 degrees in some gusts; a breezy day two saw the fleet calling it a day at four races, with local Tom Hooton first overall ahead of Tim Holden (Halifax) and Ed Prestey (Cotswold). Enterprise Area Championship The Enterprise National Circuit series kicked off at Middle Nene SC with a shifty southwesterly wind, followed up with a slightly stronger breeze on day two. After five races only one point separated first and second, John and Chris Blundell (Staunton Harold) emerging as area champions, with Jon Woodward-Steve Graham (South Staffs/ Northampton) in second and Rory MacKenzie-Millie Pryke (Ogston/Ripon) third. Osprey Welsh and Midlands The Osprey Welsh and Midlands Championship at Blithfield SC had an 18-boat entry, including three new Hartley Mark Vs. In a westerly Force 2-3, Gareth Caldwell and Jon Gibbons

at their home club in their Mark IV stood out from the fleet were separated by one point but Martin Knott (Ribble, Phantom) did not put in an appearance so all that leaders Sam and Mark Platt (Bolton, GP14) had to do was finish at least one race, which they duly did. And so the Platts won the series with Knott second. In the asymmetrics the top three places in the 27-boat fleet went to local RS400 sailors, with Dave Exley-Nigel Hall taking the series counting 13 points from Richard Catchpole-Gary Coop, just three points further back, with Paul and Jude Allen third. The 19-strong Solo fleet saw local Brian Sprague take the first race win of the day to secure the series. crowd with three bullets. They were pushed hard by various teams including Terry Curtis-Peter Greig (Castle Cove SC), and father and son team George and Harry Odling (Plymouth Uni), both sailing wooden Mark IIIs, showing the longevity of the Osprey fleet. A light Force 2 from the north on day two saw Curtis-Greig

taking the first race win, while a second for Caldwell-Gibbons was enough to seal the victory. As the wind reduced in strength, Simon and Ben Hawkes took the final bullet for fourth overall, with Curtis-Greig second overall ahead of Team Odling. followed by Cole Briscoe and Richard Charles. Top lady helm was Ann Biglin (Solo) in fifth. In the Sunday Winter Series the last race was pivotal in deciding the eventual winner. Richard Charles was leading having already achieved six wins. In second were Stuart Hydon and Jane Scott-Davies in the Lark with five wins – and needing a bullet in the final race to win the title on count back. Hydon took the final race win and the overall series, leaving Charles in second place, followed by Solo sailor Cole Briscoe in third. Shustoke Winter Series Miracles in the Midlands The top 10 positions in the Saturday Winter Series at Shustoke SC were dominated by singlehanded boats and Solos took the top three spots, with Stuart Hydon the overall winner

Sunshine and light winds for the Miracle Midlands Area Championship at Staunton Harold were followed with a building wind for the next day, first overall going to Tracy yachtsandyachting.couk RS400 Winter Championship A high pressure system put paid to any hope of racing on the first day of the Magic Marine RS400 Winter Championships at Leigh and Lowton SC. Race officer Gareth Williams then stated his intention to run all six races in a sprint-style format in just the one day; the fleet launched into a building Force 2-3 easterly, with a windward-leeward course. Hamish Gledhill and Simon Dowse (West Riding) counted a 1,2,1,3 to be crowned winter champions with Chris Pickles-Matt Sharman (Delph) second overall counting 10 points. Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller Opener Twenty-two Merlin Rockets contested the first round of the Craftinsure Silver Tiller series at Midland SC, where the wind filled in with a northerly for some snakes and ladders racing. The first race win went to

Richard Adams-Andrew Prosser while in race two, defending champions Mike and Jane Calvert from Axe YC took the bullet after a tight battle, and went on to also win the final race and the meeting. Second was decided on the penultimate tack for the line, with Chris Martin-Oliver Maclean taking second in the race and overall on a good day for local boats. Optimist Spring Championship The Optimist Spring Championship in Torbay saw 119 sailors competing over two days of tough conditions, with gusts of over 25 knots and waves of up to two metres. The fleet was hosted by the Royal Torbay YC and included 24 sailors from Ireland. The overall winner was Jamie Cook of Cardiff Bay YC, followed by Finley Dickinson in second and William Pank in third. Top girl was India Page-Wood in fifth and first junior was Luke Turvey. INGRID ABERY Amos-Gemma Gibson (Redoubt) ahead of locals Graham Watts-Helen Jacks, with Dave and Zara Turtle (Shotwick/Shustoke) coming in third. CLUBS & CLASSES Squib

Broadland Regatta Close finishes at BVI Ten visitors from the Isle of Wight, Haven Ports, Waldringfield and Burnham travelled to Oulton Broad to give the local Lowestoft fleet an exciting end to its winter season. The 22 Squibs were divided into four groups and sailed three races in flights, with short beats, some starboard-hand marks and a strong, gusty breeze; the unusual format worked well on the restricted waters. All the scores counted, giving each boat a half-way position overall. Day two was different story - light and fluky to start with but then with a sea breeze filling in around midday. Gold fleet victory went to Nigel and Jack Grogan ahead of Bryan and Jenny Riley and Jimmy Tubby-David Gale, with the silver fleet won by Emma Baker-Sam Prime. For the 86-strong fleet at the BVI Spring Regatta, final results in several classes came down to the wire in the last race. In CSA Racing 2, Chris Haycraft (BVI) racing on Pipedream took first in class by just half a point, beating

Tony Mack (GBR) on Team McFly, who has won the division for the past four years. In the IC24 class, Frits Bus and Chuck Pessler racing on Island Water World Racing prevailed in a tie breaker with Aeropost.com skippered by Colin Rathbun In CSA Racing 1 six bullets and a second in the last race rewarded Peter Corr’s team on King 40 Blitz (USA) with the overall win. The relatively new and exciting C&C 30 class saw first place go to Don’t Panic, owned and skippered by Julian Mann. Avanti, the Hanse 43 skippered by Jeremi Jablonksi (USA) took first in Jib and Main; in Bareboat 1, Subversive-JogFund, skippered by Warwick Dunnett (USA) took first; Bob Beltrano won CSA Bareboat 2 on the Sunsail 44i Pinel; and in CSA Bareboat 3 the win went to Team Horizon on Jitterbug, a Bavaria 37 skippered by Frank Rowsell from Devon. In the Offshore Multihull Division, the Gunboat 62 owned by Jason Carroll (USA) took first. The final event in the South West challenge series was the Wimbleball

Beastie, which lived up to its name with a brisk westerly sending vicious gusts spiralling across the reservoir and funnelling along the valley. Thirtyseven entrants were rewarded with a stern three-hour test of stamina and skill which left only 23 finishers. First off were the Laser 4.7s, followed by the Challenger trimaran sailed by Rutland’s Val Millward, which quickly moved into the lead, never to be challenged. Further back everybody struggled, with experts such as Supernova national champion Iain Horlock being blown in, and Peter Barton in his Aero suffering three capsizes within 100 yards. It was clear nobody was going to catch the Challenger, but there was a close battle for the next place with local Phantom sailor Simon Hawkes, Barton and Horlock all very close. Ultimately Hawkes finished a good second, while Lymington’s Barton was overtaken by the Osprey of Terry CurtisPeter Greig from Castle Cove in the final moments; Horlock, from Exe SC, was fifth. In eighth was the

Fireball of Derek and Colin Jarvis from Portishead - which combined with results of 13th and second place in the Starcross Steamer and Roadford Rocket won the South West Challenge Series, two points ahead of Hawkes with Horlock third overall. This year all three events were blessed with plenty of wind, some finding the conditions very difficult. Sutton Bingham’s Andrew Frost in his RS Aero 5 won the Junior Challenge trophy; the Senior Challenge was won by team Jarvis in their Fireball. DERRICK PAGE Beastie concludes South West Challenge Series Supernova Spring Championships The postponed Supernova winter championship was held at Bowmoor SC and renamed the Spring Championship for the 41-boat entry. The event was sponsored by long-term class supporter Oxford Carriers and new sponsor Force 4 Chandlery; it was also part of the Noble Marine Supernova Travellers circuit. In a gentle breeze, the fleet had a great day in some testing but very warm and sunny conditions, with Cliff Milliner

(Cotswold) taking first overall counting two bullets from the three-race series. Two seconds for Alex Collins (Bolton) saw him claiming second overall ahead of Mike Gibson (Bartley) in third. June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 91 CLUBS & CLASSES Barton Marine Warm Up Series at Largs CLAUDETTE POVEY Largs SC Barton Marine Warm Up Series comprised 10 races over six Sundays, with 30 boats including visitors from Clyde Cruising Club, Prestwick SC and Ullswater YC. Racing took place in winds from 28 knots, for only the brave, down to an ultra-light 2 knots, with local D Zero sailor Jon Basset winning the Fast Handicap fleet and Stuart Gibson in a Solo (CCC) the Slow Handicap. The last two races were sailed in sunshine, steep waves and a good southwesterly and the fast handicap overall result was close, Basset winning with 16.8 points and Andrew Corlett’s RS200 in second (17.5 pts), while John Connelly in his A Class took third from Martin Latimer’s D Zero on countback, both on

18.2 pts In the slow handicap the visiting Solos dominated but Gibson ruled with seven race wins out of 10. Hoad’s Korker at Bewl At Bewl Water in Kent the Flying Fifteen fleet is back up to strength with 25 boats sailing under the banner of the Bewl Sailing Association on Sundays throughout the year. Firmly re-establishing BSA back on the circuit, the Fifteens held their second open meeting, with prizes sponsored by Hoad’s Korkers. Mostly light winds produced challenging but exciting racing. The newest boat won the day with Ian Cadwallader and Dave Sweet from Chew Valley taking the winner’s trophy home. Andrew Farmer and Beccah Odgan from Notts County were second with Brett Dingwall and Ian Scarisbrook from Aldenham third. Robert Hogben and Glyn Morgan from the home fleet finished fourth overall, winning the Best Bewl Boat trophy. Girls dominate 420 Spring Championship Izzy Davies and Gemma Keers stamped their authority on the 420 Spring Championship at Hayling Island SC to

count six race wins for the overall victory. Hattie Mosely and Pippa Cropley were second, followed by Vita Heathcote and Milly Boyle in third to give the girls a full podium. Bright sunshine and a breeze saw four races out in the bay on day one, and Sunday saw three further races. With six girl boats, one mixed and three boy boats in the top 10, the 420 demonstrated its predigree as a great gender equaliser. FORTHCOMING EVENTS Scorpion opener at Staunton An 18-strong fleet of Scorpions took to the water for their first open event of the season, at sunny Staunton Harold SC, with 11 windward/leeward sprint-style races and only two discards, ensuring the fleet had to be in top form all weekend. With tight competition, one mistake could be costly, and overnight after seven races only two points separated the top three. Another perfect day then dawned for the next four races. The final race saw locals Peter Gray-Rich Pepperdine steal the win off Alan Krailing-Simon Forbes on the run, with

Tom Jeffcote-Tim Hartley just pipping on the finish to get third. This kept the results very close with just one point separating the top three. Gray-Pepperdine took the overall win over Jeffcote-Hartley on countback with 18 points each, with new pairing Krailing-Forbes third on 19 points. 92 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 WILL WILLETT MARTIN LATIMER 3-4 June nn Solo, Pusinelli Trophy, nn 136 Toppers at Carsington The Topper National Series event at Carsington SC saw 136 sailors racing across variable conditions as the wind came and went with numerous rain squalls, with challenging shifts to match; day two saw the wind build fast and with 39mph gusts racing was abandoned. The 115-strong 5.3 fleet had many different race winners, with Brandon Banner, Rachael McCluskey, Ben Willett, Lorcan Knowles, Scott Wilkinson, Harriet Lee and Isabel Wallwork all taking line honours at least once. Brandon Banner took overall victory; runner up and first girl was Rachael McCluskey; and

completing the podium was Ben Willett, with the next three boats all tied on points. Leigh and Lowton had three boats in the top four – clearly a centre of excellence for Topper racing! In the 21-boat 4.2 fleet, after a double capsize in race one, Sean Woodard won the next five on the trot to secure his first National Series victory. Ceri Roberts and Ben Purrier completed the podium, with Daisy Robinson first girl. Hayling Island SC 9-11 June nn IRC, Irish Cruiser Racing nn National Championships, Crosshaven, Co Cork, Ireland 10-11 June nn Squib, Scottish nn championship, Royal Tay YC RS Tera, northern nn championship, Bassenthwaite SC Topper, NW Area nn Championship, Bassenthwaite SC Babbacombe Regatta, nn Babbacombe Corinthian SC Solo northern nn championship, Burwain Plymouth Dinghy nn Regatta, Royal Western YC 16-18 June nn Wayfarer Nationals – nn Arun YC 17 June nn Monohull dinghies/ nn multihulls, regatta, Mumbles YC 17-18 June nn Multihulls, Solent Forts nn Race, Hayling

Ferry SC RS Southern nn championship, Hayling Island SC Mudhook Regatta, Firth nn of Clyde-East Patch/ Helensburgh SC 17-23 June nn Squib, National champs, nn Holyhead SC 21-24 June nn Sovereign’s Cup, Kinsale nn Yacht 24 June nn Solo Eastern Area nn Champs, Leigh-on-Sea SC 24-25 June nn Bala Long Distance nn Weekend, Bala SC Flying Fifteen, Northern nn Championship, Ullswater YC 24-26 June nn Guernsey Regatta, nn Guernsey YC 25 June nn Dinghy Regatta Open nn Meeting, Chichester YC 30 June-2 July nn Laser, Masters, Hayling nn Island SC yachtsandyachting.couk TECHNICAL DIRECTORY Technical Directory To book in the Technical Directory call Hannah Stanton on +44 (0) 20 7349 3734 or email hannah.stanton@chelseamagazinescom, COPY DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE IS 25/05/2017 DRY SUITS NAVAL ARCHITECTS 449 Thames St – Suite 308 Newport, Rhode Island 02840 USA Tel: +1 401 256 1906 harry@dunningassoc.com www.dunningassoccom 2 MADE TO MEASURE BESPOKE DRYSUITS DRYSUIT REPAIRS

www.hammond-drysuitscouk 01474 704123 / 708123 ENGINEERING RIGGING Technical directory Y&Y 2017.indd 1 allspars 16/03/2017 14:33 Specialist Riggers & Spar Manufacturers Dinghy - Keelboat - Yacht allspars Head Office: Plymouth +44 (0)1752 266766 allspars Solent: Swanwick +44 (0)1489 876876 www.allsparscouk EQUIPMENT sales@allspars.couk ROPES Y&Y Rigging Section Sml Ad APR 2016 35x99mm P424 CMYK retailer.indd 1 IMPROVE YOUR PERFORMANCE Update your boat with go-fast gear and optimised system configurations that will make your sailing safer. For the faster, easier, more enjoyable and safer latest Ronstan products and personalised service to improve your boats performance contact Jason:: 22/02/2016 09:34:16     

















      


 

  
 
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sailtek@btinternet.com MATERIALS SAFETY MOULDINGS SAILS www.compositemouldingscom Composite Mouldings is a GRP & FRP Fibreglass builder running under Lloyds Register/ISO/SOLAS/MED standards. Specialising in the manufacture and design of plugs, moulds (tooling) and mouldings in epoxy, polyester, vinylester (CSM/Wovens/Carbon Fibre/Aramid). CML also carry out Repair contracts, they provide Training courses, Project Management and Design services. T: 02380 660770 E: info@compositemouldings.com Hanger 1, Universal Marina, Crableck Lane, Sarisbury Green, SO31 7ZN June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 93 DIRECTORY DIRECTORY Covers To book in the Directory call Hannah Stanton on +44 (0) 20 7349 3734 or email hannah.stanton@chelseamagazinescom, COPY DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE IS 25/05/2017 COVERS DINGHIES & SKIFFS Banks Dinghy Covers CLEATS High Quality & British Made Overboom, Flat top, Trailing and Undercovers More than 200 classes Range of high quality materials

WANDERER 1267 - ONE OWNER FROM NEW Regrettably retirement forces sale. Furling jib. Launching trolley and road trailer. Honda 23 4-stroke engine Kept at Chichester Yacht Club. £2500 Tel 01403 260539 (CHICHESTER) Banks Sails 01489 582444 www.bankscouk enquiries@banks.couk The Directory is the place to advertise call +44 (0)207 349 3700 INSURANCE LASER 166220 WITH STANDARD, RADIAL AND 4.7 RIGS Dove Grey, XD fittings, Cover, combi trolley and trailer. Ideal for young person moving up from Oppies or Toppers. £1600 Tel 07775 524421 / 0208 2445562 (BLACKHEATH ) Other equipment SAILING BOOKS Day skipper Pat Ourry/Navigation Manual RYA david & charles/Yachtmaster guide mick bowyes/Small boat sailing percy blandford/ Allso Assortment of books & items to do with navigation rules symbolols used at sea.Buy all at price stated or offers by eny item ring me for prices & info . £25 Tel 0151 284 8329 / (LIVERPOOL) New Aero Cleats 3 sizes available No tools Instant on line quotes

and cover I Tel: 02392 754000 needed Quality Policies for all kinds of Dinghy, Yacht and Multihull, from Sailors to Sailors. NEW INFLATABLE RACE BUOYS (IN PACKAGING) 3 Brand new Lazilas inflatable yellow race marks 900x1500mm. STILL IN PACKAGING Can ship to anywhere in the UK at cost. £220 Tel +4477 45781047 / (SOUTHAMPTON) www.clamcleatcom dinghyinsurance.com is a trading style of WH Insurance Consultants which is authorised RS800 2ND HAND MAST 2nd hand RS800 Seldon and regulated by the Financial Authority Mast,Conduct repaired by Ashdown Marine. partially rigged (all KITE BUGGY Peter Lynn Folding XR Kite Buggy. £489 new. Fantastic condition, hardly used Flexifoil kites for sale also. Rage 47 - (new £296) £200 ono Rage 25 (new £230) £140 ono condition - like new £320 Tel 01491 613873 / (WATLINGTON) N N T O ISO wire rigging, but no Trapeze wires). Ashdown Varnished in 2007 and stored in Mast bag since 2008. £650 Tel 07790 495372 / (SOUTHAMPTON) Yacht & Dinghy

insurance & overseas holidays at theUK touch of a button R TWIN GALVANISED YACHT TRAILER Keep down NO PAAXLE M those CO marina storage fees and buy this trailer. Hayling Trailers fully braked, twin axle, galvanised yacht trailer with gross weight of 3,500kg (unladen wt 500kg). Trailer in excellent condition and not been in the water. Built for Laser 28 but supports fully adjustable. £2250 Tel 07958 482435 / 0117 9806271 (TAUNTON) HARKEN LASER KICKER Complete kicker. Used Twice £120 Tel 07967 480590 / (NOTTINGHAM) Includes New for Old cover CATAMARAN ROAD TRAILER Fully Galvanised Road Trailer, with adjustable outriggers, mast rest and light 24 hour claims help line and simple online claims tracking board. Large galvanised box Would suit a variety of Multi-boat insurance discount - insure two or more boats for less Catamarans as fully adjustable. £500 Tel 07584 321 348 Underwritten by Navigators & General / (KENT) A trading name of Zurich Insurance plc

www.craftinsurecom or call: 03452 607888 RAPIDE DOUBLE ROAD TRAILER (DINGHY) Very good condition. Good solid, stable trailer Light use, spare wheel, we have used it for Mirrors, Lasers, GP14. £450 Tel 07830 073917 / 01539 445082 (WINDERMERE) 94 RS VISION WITH XL PACK Sailed approx 10 times. Like new, sails all A1, launch trolley and road base included. Outboard bracket Light blue kite Dry stored until this spring. Lack of use and need for storage space forces sale. £2950 Tel 07500 778796 (NORWICH) Authorised and regulated by* the LASER RADIAL SAILS Barely used racing sail - £200 * 2 Good racing sails - £150 Each 2 Training sails £80 Each Beginner Sail - £50 (Plus postage) . £50 Tel 07872 128353 / 02891 888679 (BANGOR, NORTHERN IRELAND) Yachts & Yachting June 2017 ROOSTER 8.1 RIG Includes sail and mast extension Rig Financial Conduct Authority LASER XD 181343 FULL KIT Race ready, two good full sails. Serviced trailer and Trolley Lt Board Cover No soft spots or

damage. Never had water ingress Foil case spar rack, sail tubes. Title Docs from new - handbook. Exceptional Cond Buyer collects £2250 Tel 01590 672496 (LYMINGTON) B14 OVINGTON HULL #755 Carbon mast. 2 spinnaker poles. North suit sails LG08 main, jib & kite. 2 membrane mainsails, SuffolkSails ODL jib kite 2 daggerboards. Cassette rudder and stock, 2015 mint condition. Under and over cover, mast cover, board bags. New strings, Ronstan and Harken fittings throughout. Trolley, trailer in good condition £5500 Tel 07986 510020 (FELIXSTOWE) STREAKER 754 Wooden boat built by Joseph Hall in 1977, renovated more recently, including epoxy sealing and painted dark blue. 2 Speed OLD SAILING BOOKS X3 Old but intresti sails, one g.c, mast, foils, rudder with up and racingcontrol by Peter 1981/ Sailing Yachets downhaul, lines toCopley side decks, 2 self-bailers. Coles 1959/ The Boom Spurup book chart & comp Measurement Certificate coverof & combi Hunter.For £13 OR All £600 in good

conditi trolley/trailer sale dueOFFERS to my arthritis. Tel other ads(SOUTHPORT) for saling books open to offers co 07941 653172 cost . £13 Tel 0151 284 8329 / (LIVERPOOL) 2004 RS VISION Complete with combi trailer and cover 3 sails, kite, main, jib all in good usable condition. Trapeze lines (not fitted) outboard bracket. Poss delivery £1 mile one way £1750 Tel 07840 293615 (NORTHAMPTON) LASER 155887 XD Standard rig laser 1 full XD ,combi bag,carbon tiller,3 sails one recent 2 original, Comes complete with 2015 cover and trolley. Dry boat in good condition last sailed May 2016. £1250 Tel 07840 293615 (NORTHAMPTON) SCORPION 1978 This boat has Spinnaker Bags. It was built in Jan 2000 by Duffin.Its in good condition and has a Blue Paintcraft hull. Included are 2 Mainsails, 2 Jibs, 3 Spinnakers. Also Combi trailer Boat cover. Milanes centreboard Cover for rudder Wooden deck and hull. £2800 Tel 07979 949718 / 01143 274430atersports (OGSTON MATLOCK) Rockley centres are based in

some the most beauti ul locations in urope giving you the choice o a rela ing amily holiday or learning new skills on an inspiring, challenging course yachtsandyachting.couk RYA dinghy sailing, windsurfing and powerboat courses or children and adults and or beginne DIRECTORY INSURANCE Want more from your boat insurance? • 24/7 emergency claims helpline provided in-house • No credit card charges • No compulsory winter lay-up period • A liability policy which extends to cover you when skippering a borrowed or chartered boat For more reasons why you should choose Pantaenius visit www.pantaeniuscouk/checklist ou Get y te to o u q r pantaenius.couk day 223 2 5 7 01 656 Pantaenius UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Authorised No.308688) ELECTRONICS/NAVIGATION KEELBOATS NEW BOXED WEATHERDOCK AIS BUNDLE Still boxed and unused Weatherdock Easy AIS 2 channel receiver for a chartplotter together with an Easy Split Active VHF splitter

for 1 transponder (such as radio) and 2 VHF receivers, allowing all to utilise one standard VHF antenna. Free postage Photos available. £204 Tel 01324 628206 / 07946 302262 (FALKIRK) SAILS T: (01929) 554308 The Sail Loft, 16 Sandford Lane Ind Est, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 4DY www.kempsailscom KEELBOATS ANDERSON 22 22ft lifting keel with 4 berths, red hull. Includes 5hp Yamaha outboard fits inboard well. Good sails inc. spinnaker GPS, VHF radio and usual instruments. Simple cooker Complete with tender, 2.5hp outboard and launching trolley Laying up cradle. Boat at Marchwood YC £3500 Tel 01794 515045 / 07759 916385 (SOUTHAMPTON ) JOECULL - IMMACULATE SB3 Racing sails 2 spins, outboard motor (5hrs), road trailer, fenders all the gear. £9000 Tel 00353 18392864 / 00353 863731738 (DUBLIN) BENETEAU FIRST 29 (1985) 9X3 METRES Yanmar engine, sails, marina-maintained, Garmin chartplotter, Scotland W. Coast charts, tender new 2016, recent Honda outboard. Now ashore near Broadford [Price is

o.no] £13000 Tel 01368 863257 (ISLE OF SKYE) J24 GER 5386 “TINTO” Build 2005, Ready for Racing, yearly maintenance by boat yard. Twoaxle tilt trailer Full set of Clown Sails (2015) 25 PS Yamaha outboard (service 2017). New running rigging & forestay 2016. New shrouds 2015 Carbon spinnaker pole. Covers for deck & keel 5th at Worlds 2015, 6th at Europeans 2016. £13500 Tel 0049 163 19 62 221 (HAMBURG, GERMANY) DUFOUR 30 CLASSIC We have owned this boat from new and she has only been sailed in fresh water. She was commissioned in 2002 She is in “as new condition”. e-mail or phone for full spec/ photo’s. All offers considered £32000 Tel 07973 271492 / 01200 424011 (WINDERMERE) DUFOUR 1800 4-BERTH SLOOP Made by Dufour Yachts, France, these craft have become very popular both from the owner who wishes to enjoy ‘high speed’ sailing as well as the family who look for safety and space. MOONDANCER is ready to go! don’t leave it too late for the season! £4950 Tel 01273

512619 (NEWHAVEN) HUNTER SONATA 22FT YACHT & TRAILER Built 1978, Sail No 8342. Hull Deck GRP road trailer Fin Keel Mercury 5hp outboard engine. Anchor warps fenders. One set of good sails & spinnaker Mast and rigging. Radio and charger Tender Currently Ashore. Delivery at cost £2995 Tel 07710 528035 / 07710 528035 (TRURO ) SALCOMBE YAWL 164 Morrison 3 built by Mike Atfield in 2000. Stored under cover Includes sails and road trailer. £7000 Tel 01548 531703 (KINGSBRIDGE) ‘MISTY’ FINESSE 21 Built by AF Platt 1986 N0 75 Clinker Iroko construction Aluminium spars. Yanmar 10 inboard diesel Bermudian sloop rig roller reefing jib and mainsail VHF aerial and electrics, navigation lights, internal switch panel, two batteries 4wheel road trailer. £5500 Tel 01768 779602 / 07828 520700 (KESWICK) BRENTA24 SPORTSBOAT (EVENT BOAT) Beautiful wee boat by Luca Brenta (grand soleil and Wally fame). She’s a flyer. Converted to asymmetric deck mounted seldon carbon bow sprit. 2 season

old kite by ultimate, carbon main and jibs, 2x delivery mainsails lots of other bits & pieces. Stripped for racing £13500 Tel 07974 694001 (OXFORD) VX ONE GBR 173 Lightly used VX One in great condition with good set of North sails. Complete and ready to race again - perfect for Gold cup regatta Lake Garda 2017. Includes: North Sails, Combi trailer, Top/Under Cover, Lifting strop, Fender, Jib sock, Foil bag. [TRADE] £18750 Tel 01912 576011 (EDINBURGH) J24 JIVE ROGERS 4261 Excellent condition with interesting history, 2014 Survey. IRC 0887 Very fast and successful, well set up with well maintained trailer. Set of North regatta sails in excellent condition and set of Hyde sails in good condition,carbon pole, tacktick and rig tensioner. £8350 Tel 07734 757595 / 01208 873654 (FOWEY) K2 DROP KEEL DINGHY - GBR8 (LIGHTLY USED) Built 2015; standard boat package with extras included. Lifting epoxy/lead bulb keel; epoxy rudder; North mylar mainsail; North dacron jib; assymetric spinnaker;

carbon mast; alloy boom; breathable top cover; galvanised trailer and launch trolley; lighting board; trailer spare wheel. Delivery available UK mainland stc £7200 Tel 07867 932517 / 01595 809789 (SHETLAND) OYSTER SJ35 (AKA HUSTLER 35) 1984 -white with red strake LOA 35ft (10.54m) LWL 27’3” Beam 11’5” draft 6’7” fractional sloop rigged - GRP-Fin Keel, single diesel, aft cockpit, berths 8. Last survey December 2015 recommendations completed, tiller steering, preventative epoxy treated after sand blasting Jan 2015. Last raced 2015 - tip top condition. £22500 Tel 01323 479799 / 07702 844843 (EASTBOURNE) ELAN 333 CRUISER RACER, EXCLUSIVE VERSION 2004 Fast Rob Humphries design. Exclusive version with superior interior. Just sailed from Greece by professionals who were extremely impressed with her sailing performance (ask for details). Lovely boat ideal for racing and family cruising in comfort. Slab reefing, all lines to cockpit. Low engine hours Rutland wind gen; solar

panel. £49950 Tel 02089 950873 / 07720 295554 (POOLE) GIB-SEA 39 10 Berth Fast Cruiser-Racer, refurbished interior, central heating, new engine and gearbox. Huge sail wardrobe of 20 sails. Huge range of extras including B&G Instruments, Chart Plotter, GPS, BSC Radio, 2 x Echo Sounders, Avon Dinghy, Cradle and more. £25000 Tel 01698 813 486 (CLYDE) June 2017 Yachts & Yachting 95 DIRECTORY Yachts & Yachting QP 99 x 129mm.pdf INSURANCE 1 21/11/2016 11:14 INSURANCE Sail away with the lowest price* Yacht Insurance C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Lowest Price Guarantee Flexible cover options Up to 25% no claims discount Friendly, expert customer service team ‘EXCELLENT’ Get an instant quote today 0800 668 1661 (Quote YYQ57) www.insure4boatscouk/YYQ57 MARINE TAPES Insure4Boats® is a registered trademark and a trading name of JRW Group Services Ltd which is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority No. 313411 *See website for details of

Lowest Price Guarantee. Available to UK residents only TROPHIES r i c h a r d v a s e y . c o . u k Astins Sailing Sculptures +44 (0)1503 240863 www.astinscouk a s t i n s . c o . u k PROPELLERS OTHER EQUIPMENT OVER 2000 PROPELLERS CK IN STO • 2 & 3 Blade • Alloy & Bronze • Fixed & Folding • Shafts & Seals • Prop Protector Rope Cutter SILLETTE MARINE PROPULSION sales@sillette.couk wwwsillettecouk 020 8337 7543 yachtsandyachting.couk TRAILERS FREE MAINLAND DELIVERY OF LAUNCH TROLLEYS IN KIT FORM • Combination Trailers • • Double and Triple Stackers • • Yacht trailers to 3.5 tonnes • • Power boat trailers to 3.5 tonnes • 0870 909 9887 or 01206 255276 Tel: sales@merseatrailers.com www.merseatrailerscom Bosco House, Harwich Road, Great Bromley, Essex, CO7 7UL 96 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 11147 YACHT CRADLE - PORTABLE Portable Yacht Cradle (professional) for craft to 36 feet in length. Used once for month. Fully

Galvanised As new, directions and video for assembly. Also Braked Road Trailer to suite available. £900 Tel 01590 672496 (LYMINGTON) TOES STRAPS AND BUCKLES FOR SAILING DINGHY Four lengths of toe strap webbing and two buckles. Two RWO buckles are fixed adjustable and two webbing fixing plates. Also tiller universal joint £5 plus £2.50 postage I can e mail some images Pay by donation to East Africa Appeal. £5 Tel 07891 301749 (CHORLEY) BERTRAM 46,6 FLYBRIDGE Vessel in extremely good (excellent) condition. Lots of extras Bertram hull warranty for life. Total interior-exterior rebuilt duration 2 years, 2004-2006!! Engines: 530 hours Extensive service 2013,hull completely striped, then reinforced with additional fiberglass layer and 10mm thickness epoxy resin of excellent quality. Thus fully protected-free of osmoses New, double, fire extinguishing system. Price negotiable £110000 Tel +3069 44563444 / +3069 46242026 (THESSALONIKI, GREECE) 2012 MERRY FISHER 10 FLYBRIDGE Merry Fisher

10(2012), bow and stern thrusters, flybridge version. 2 Tvs.Honwave and outbound included £95000 Tel 07901 331693 (NEATH ) MULTIHULLS A-CLASS CLASSIC 2004 AUSSIE FLYER 2013 DNA Carbon Mast, rudders and daggerboards. Carbon boom, cover, hull covers, big wheels, 3 sails, full refurb 2015, hull supports, 2 tillers. Original foils included, great starter boat! Faster than foilers when light! £6000 Tel 07375 109914 (EASTBOURNE) yachtsandyachting.couk yachtsandyachting.couk Specialists in the supply of ‘Mooring Equipment’ and associated products. PRO 800 & 900 Horizontal Windlass VS1000 Stainless Steel Windlass PRO 800F £399.00 (8mm S/S Gypsy) For Vessels Up To 30ft c/w Solenoid, Circuit Breaker, Switch, Fixing Bolts, & Template. PRO 900E www.boatgeardirectcouk For Vessels up to 35ft Delta Type PRO 900M VS PRO SERIES Vertical Windlass £495.00 (8mm S/S Gypsy) For Vessels Up To 45ft Pro 710 Series Suitable for vessels up to 20ft (Horizontal) VS1500 S/S

Suitable for vessels up to 60ft (10mm) VS1500C Vertical c/w Capstan Suitable for vessels up to 60ft (10mm) £899.00 710F £199.00 (6mm Nylon Gypsy) 710FS £249.00 (6mm S/S Gypsy) EC1000S Foot Switch Stainless 12v £99.00 £169.00 £249.00 £399.00 2.5kg 4.5kg 7kg 10kg 14kg 20kg £9.75 £16.90 £24.50 £33.75 £44.95 £54.75 EC1000J £395.00 Hand Remote Mounting Bracket Aluminium casing for bulkhead or surface installation. Delta Type Galv Anchor £39.95 £399.00 £29.95 11kg 22kg 33kg 45kg £35.00 £59.00 £75.00 £99.00 Admiralty Pattern Mooring Anchors 6kg 10kg 16kg £24.95 £39.75 £54.95 Flexible Corner These are offered c/w 1mtr of 38mm tail chain welded through the centre. 30m x 12mm Nylon Multiplait Spliced to 30m x 7x22 DIN766 Chain £169.50 30m x 12mm Nylon Multiplait Spliced to 30m x 8x24 DIN766 Chain £199.00 30m x 14mm Nylon Multiplait Spliced to 30m x 8x24 DIN766 Chain £229.00 30m x 14mm Nylon Multiplait Spliced to 30m x 10x28 DIN766 Chain

£299.00 30m x 16mm Nylon Multiplait Spliced to 30m x 10x30 EN813 Chain £329.00 Grade 30 Galvanised Chain Calibrated & Tested (Ideal for Anchoring) 8 x 24 x 26 10 x 28 x 34 10 x 30 x 35 12 x 36 x 40 DIN766 DIN766 EN818-3 EN818-3 £3.75 mtr £4.95 mtr £4.95 mtr £6.95 mtr Test Certificates provided on request 2 x 110cm Bumpers 1 x Flexible Corner TITAN G40 Galvanised Chain 8x24 Calibrated £4.30 per mtr 10x30 Calibrated £7.75 per mtr Suitable for use on Windlasses Grade 40 Galvanised Chain Calibrated & Tested (Recommended for Windlasses) 6 x 18.5 x 20 DIN766 £295 mtr 7 x 22 x 23 DIN766 £3.75 mtr 8 x 24 x 26 DIN766 £5.25 mtr 10 x 28 x 34 DIN766 £8.95 mtr 10 x 30 x 35 EN818-3 £8.75 mtr 12 x 36 x 40 EN818-3 £11.95 mtr Test Certificates provided on request Mail Order Tel: 01473 655541 Email: sales@boatgeardirect.couk Zinc Hull & Skeg Anodes 4kg Lozenge ZN78 £29.95 2.1kg Pear ZN77 £1495 1kg 4” Skeg/Disc ZN56 £12.95 2.1kg 6” Disc/Skeg ZN58 £1995 Boat

Stands Small 600-900 mm Medium 900-1400 mm Maggi Grade 40 Calibrated Chain (Aqua 4 / Italian Origin) High Quality Multiplait Nylon from Baltic Ropes Set Offer £99.95 £54.95 £89.00 Railway Wheel Sinkers £29.50 Offer Price £69.00 each from Dock Bumpers £39.95 PVC Boarding Step 30kg to 250kg Rope & Chain Sets (Suitable for Windlass) Fender 2 Step Mushroom £17.50 S/S Capstan (Rope Only) 2kg £16.50 5kg £24.50 7.5kg £3295 10kg £39.75 15kg £57.50 20kg £84.75 30kg £119.00 £39.95 (Mooring Anchor) CAPSTAN (For Rope Only) £99.95 £149.00 £199.98 £249.00 £399.00 Trefoil Anchor (Bruce Pattern) Cruising Anchor (Danforth Type) £799.00 Available in White, Navy & Blue Special Offer Price! (Bruce Pattern) 5kg 7.5kg 10kg 15kg 20kg 5kg 10kg 16kg 20kg Fender Step 316 Stainless Trefoil Anchor 316 Stainless £449.00 (8mm S/S Gypsy) To order on-line, please visit our website for full range of mooring products. Check out our NEW WEBSITE at:

Suitable for vessels up to 42ft 8mm Gypsy £549.00 “Moor for less” 250kg to 500kg £99.00 each Large 1200-1900 mm £129.00 each Please call for details Mooring assemblies can be made to your specification. Please call for details and advice on bespoke mooring assemblies. 316 Stainless Chain 6x18.5mm £795 mtr 8x24mm £12.50 mtr 10x28mm £18.95 mtr All prices include vat Carriage = £9.95 up to 10kg & £1250 up to 30kg at 20% and correct Carriage charge is to most UK mainland destinations only. Please email or call for at time of print. Scottish Highlands & Isles, English Islands, N Ireland & Eire, Plus European destinations. POSITION DIFFICULTY RATING: 5/5 No. 72 The extreme hike N ot everyone can achieve this impressive hiking position – and not everyone would want to, given the inevitable damage to your knees! But in the Olympic classes there is much more of a ‘win at all costs’ mentality, which perhaps explains this Finn sailor’s hiking

stance. You do have to question whether the drag of hitting each and every wave that comes past might go some way to countering any speed advantage from the aggressive hiking – not to mention their body trailing in the water, should the boat sit upright in a lull. In fact, it is hard to see quite how one might manage to get back into the boat at all should you wish to tack! This is either the most driven hiking sailor on earth, or something has gone deeply wrong with his toestraps. 98 Yachts & Yachting June 2017 PEDRO MARTINEZ/SAILING ENERGY/WORLD SAILING If you value speed over your knees then this is for you When you need that final 0.1 knot of boat speed, grit your teeth, ignore the pain and fling yourself over the side yachtsandyachting.couk Survival Solutions Compact Affordable EPIRB1/E100G Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon PLB1 Personal Locator Beacon Superb Battery Life MOB1 Man Over Board [Personal Locator inc. AIS & DSC] EDF1

Electronic Distress Flare AIS Alarm Box The audible alerting system for AIS MOB and SART info@oceansignal.com www.oceansignalcom BAREBOAT CHARTERS • CREWED LUXURY CHARTERS • BY THE CABIN CRUISES • YACHT SALES & MANAGEMENT Dream without limits 47+ 850+ DESTINATIONS YACHTS DREAMING OF A YACHT CHARTER HOLIDAY? 850+ Yachts and 47 Destinations With the largest fleet of yachts in the most locations, explore your Dream destinations from the widest selection of world leading manufacturers. Your Dream, just keeps getting better. Proud sponsor of London On Water Come and join us at the Dream Yacht Charter pontoon bar. Call 02380 455527 or E-mail sales@dreamyachtcharter.couk www.DreamYachtChartercouk THE AMERICAS • BAHAMAS • CARIBBEAN • UK • EUROPE • ASIA • INDIAN OCEAN • PACIFIC OCEAN