Stuck for Christmas gift ideas for the sailor who has it all? Yachting World are here to help with 25 items of new gear ideas and interesting bits of kit to choose from for most budgets and tastes, sourced from a selection of our favourite new products

25 top new products: Christmas gift ideas for sailors from Yachting World

Christmas gift ideas: Lume-On

1. Spinlock Lume-On
   

The simple ideas are the best. These compact LEDs stick to the underbelly of each bladder, which uses the large fluorescent surface like a diffuser to maximise the visibility of the flashing light.  Once activated, the Lume-On provides up to two hours of intense flashing light. It adds very little extra weight, has a smooth profile so will not chafe the bladder, and is very simple to retrofit to most lifejackets. £15 per pair. spinlock.co.uk

Christmas gift ideas: Astra esa smartwatch

2. Astra esa smartwatch

The esa is the first smartwatch designed for sailing, fusing the sailor’s thirst for gadgetry with high-street technology. The esa watch uses wifi to display information from onboard instruments on your wrist. As well as the ability to show performance sailing data including speed and polar target data, the watch is still essentially a smartphone, offering full Android capabilities.

Video here   €399 from www.astrayacht.com

Christmas gift ideas: Snow Lizard

3. Snowlizard SLXtreme Navigator

We conducted a waterproofing test on mobile phones, looking at nanotechnology sprays in particular, but concluded that a waterproof case remains the most secure way of protecting a mobile device. With more people using tablets for navigation, a case with a built-in GPS, like this SLXtreme Navigator could be the ideal solution.

The SnowLizard range include a built-in solar panel and back-up battery.  US $349.99 www.snowlizard.com

Christmas gift ideas: Lifeedge Ultimate cable

4. Lifedge Ultimate Cable

If you’re going to get a waterproof case for your mobile device, you may want one of these charging cables too. The extra long (2m/6.5ft) and durable Ultimate cable is corrosion and tangle proof, and allows for waterproof phone charging when used with a compatible case.

£29.99. lifedge.co.uk

Christmas gift ideas: Ocean Signal rescueMe MOB1

5. Ocean Signal rescueMe MOB1

The more portable personal rescue devices are, the more likely they will be worn or carried. Ocean Signal’s new MOB1 is 30% smaller than competitor AIS MOB devices.

It can alert any AIS-equipped vessels in the vicinity to the precise location of a casualty in the water, and it will fit on any inflatable lifejacket’s oral tube. It also includes DSC alerting so can both pinpoint a MOB location via AIS, plus trigger the yacht’s own VHF alarm.

£250. oceansignal.com

Christmas gift ideas: The Nub

6. The Nub

The Nub puts a new, circular looking twist on the age-old rope pulley. It’s a simple, lightweight and economic plastic design that can take great loads with minimal friction. A 16g Nub for example can hold over four tonnes of static weight, and it can be fixed to a preloaded rope.

The Nub’s design is also inherently secure ­– if the polyplastic body does fail, the moving sheet will be held by the static sheet. €39.90 for two units from nub-connectics.com

Also check out another smart French block – the Iso block here

Christmas gift ideas: Exposure XS-WR torch

7. Exposure XS-WR Torch

This compact, lightweight double-ended torch shines a powerful white beam from one end and a red light from the other. Both can be operated simultaneously for a variety of uses from onboard, to the tender ride or cycle home.

Accessories include a headband that allows either colour to shine forwards, a reflective neck lanyard, plus stanchion, helmet and magnetic mounts. £99.95. exposuremarine.com

Christmas gift ideas: Splash Drone

8. Splash Drone

This is the first fully waterproof quad copter – and it floats. The drone is not only designed to carry a GoPro, but has a payload release feature for carrying and releasing other items, including safety gear.

The Splash Drone has autonomous features, including a ‘follow me’ mode, and can return to base at the flick of a switch. Use it to capture some unique footage of your yacht, take a beer to a friend, or even drop a life-ring to a casualty in the water.

Price US$1,299. urbandrones.com

Christmas gift ideas: Tacking Master

9. TackingMaster

Race tactics involve decisions based on the wind direction and trends, gleaned from the yacht’s compass. This Danish TackingMaster helps make wind shifts quick and easy to gauge using a watch-style wrist mount.

Once the wind direction and course to the mark have been set, you can track any shifts by using its inner course dial. So you can easily see how a shift may affect the next tack or leg and keep track of the average wind trend. Price €79. tackingmaster.com

Christmas gift ideas: Restube safety device

10. Restube

Anyone who partakes in extreme watersports will know there are times when wearing a lifejacket is simply not practical afloat. And others may simply want the comfort of a personal flotation device without the bulk, perhaps when taking a swim away from an anchored yacht.

The Restube is a personal lifebuoy developed by a kitesurfer that stows into a small bum-bag like pouch. It uses a vertical or horizontal belt attachment, and a sports model is available with a harness mount.

video here. From £58.99 sontecmarketing.com

11. Dr Sails

If I were to recommend one piece of repair kit to carry aboard it would probably be this new emergency epoxy adhesive. The fast curing epoxy can be used on sails plus most materials in virtually all conditions – including underwater – so it can even help patch a hole below the waterline.  Watch the video here   

From €22.50 for 10ml. sailingtechnologies.com

Christmas gift ideas: Fizzics beer tap

12. Fizzics portable beer tap

Sailors are discerning types with quality tastes. So why not ship a portable beer tap for draught-tasting beer with the perfect head? The founders of Fizzics have really delved into the science (or ‘fizzics’) of beer drinking, and created a device that they say will deliver the perfect pour, creating an ‘ultra dense, long-lasting foam head’ from any standard size beer can or bottle – and all beer types from lager and ale to stout.

It’s strictly for those who take their drinking seriously – I’ve asked Santa for one.

Price $169 from upgradeyourbeer.com

Christmas gift ideas: JIVE bike

13. JIVE Bike

The JIVE is the first folding, electric, chainless bicycle – and it weighs just 15kg. It can be cycled manually, electrically, or a combination of both, which provides a 20 mile range on one two hour charge.

JIVE uses a chainless drive train and has a dashboard to mount smartphones to use a bike computer app. £1,499. jivebike.com

Christmas gift ideas: TaskOne phone case

14. TaskOne G3 case

For those who don’t already rely on their mobile phones enough, the TaskOne G3 case turns a smartphone into a Leatherman. It includes 22 tools and a mount for attaching saw blades. So you can now use your phone to cut, saw, grip, and screw things – then open a beer after your hard work. £79.99. thetasklab.com

Christmas gift ideas: Garmin Virb X

15. Garmin Virb X and XE

If your choice of action camera is more defined by durability, audio and picture quality, consider Garmin’s Virb cameras. Garmin has updated its excellent rugged and waterproof (to 50m) Virb cams, with new X and XE models which differ in HD levels.

The main improvements are with picture resolution, an increased variety of mounting options, and a new user experience programme called G-Metrix that uses sensors to capture everything from speed to g-force. The dedicated photo button to take stills at any time, even while the camera is recording, is also a neat addition. From £239.99 at  garmin.com

Christmas gift ideas: HandiMoova trolley

16. HandiMoova trolley

This is the world’s first all-terrain, off-road trolley. It can transport loads of up to 60kg over rough terrain, sand and steps smoothly and easily. The secret lies with the wheels, shaped like a half orange and mounted on floating axles that allow it to walk over obstacles.

The lightweight (5kg), compact, folding trolley has a telescopic handle and rubber tyres, so is ideal for yachts. Video here   £99.99. handiworld.com

Digital Yacht Aquawear

17. Digital Yacht Aquawear

This blackbox server will wirelessly stream information from onboard instruments to mobiles, tablets and laptops. The splash-proof wrist case included helps promote wearable navigation – the viewing of instrument, charting and AIS data on deck via apps on your smartphone. Aquawear aslo creates a wifi hotspot for the whole crew. £264. digitalyacht.co.uk

Christmas gift ideas: Spinlock Chest Pack

18. Spinlock Essentials chest pack
Spinlock’s Essential Packs are snug fitting solutions for keeping accessories like mobile phone, VHF, personal EPIRB to hand on the water.
They are available as belt, side or chest packs that attach with Velcro tie-downs, and neatly compliment Spinlock’s  Deckvest 5D lifejacket.  £14.95. spinlock.co.uk

Christmas gift ideas:Champagne by you

 19. Personalised champagne

Here’s your chance to create your own bespoke bubbles. Buying a case of Champagne By You involves a tasting session to decide on the exact champagne style, all imported from family growers in the champagne region. Clients then get to design a unique handmade aluminium label using anything from a corporate logo to a photograph.

Sampling, design and delivery of a case of 24 bottles costs from £2,257. champagnebyyou.com

Christmas gift ideas: Pontos-Trimmer

20. Pontos 4-speed winch

These new winches use a clutch to provide two extra gears as well as the standard two-speeds most sailors are used to. These extra gears can either provide more speed or power. So with two faster gears, the Grinder winch offers up to six times the line-speed of conventional two-speed winches. And with two higher gears the Trimmer model offers twice the power, reducing the force needed to winch a line. It’s the biggest step-change in manual winches in a generation.

Video here   €1,320 for size 40. pontos.fr

Christmas gift ideas: NAUTIX NIGHT LIGHT

21. Nautix Night Light

This spray varnish contains a photoluminscent pigment that charges in sunlight – so it’s transparent by day, yet glows at night. Applications on deck could include steps, safety lines, and emergency equipment, perhaps even the base of the boom or parts of a sail.

€45. nautix.com

Christmas gift ideas: X-hose Pro

22. X-Hose Pro

Perhaps I am getting a little old and boring, but the piece of kit I tend to get most animated by is the X-hose. This compact hose that expands to three times its length and never kinks makes a pleasure out of a chore, whether washing the boat, car or garden.

This Pro version is stronger, larger, more robust and more powerful than the original with a more durable outer skin webbing and brass fittings. It’s so good I got one for my father for Christmas, honest. (Sorry to spoil the surprise Dad).  From £32.99. officialxhose.co.uk

Christmas gift ideas: Vavuud windmeter

23. Vaavud Wind Meter

Vaavud is essentially a set of whirling cups that turn your smartphone into an anemometer. Live wind data through crowd sourcing – clever and particularly useful for those of us that dither on the shoreline wondering which sail/boat/kite/board to take, or whether to mow the lawn. A new compact Sleipnir model is now available that uses an electronic sensor and can read wind direction too. Video here   From £37. vaavud.com

Christmas gift ideas: Sugru

24. Sugru

Sugru is a new material that feels like play dough but acts like superglue and sticks to most objects and surfaces. It’s very user-friendly, highly malleable and waterproof and comes in 10 bright colours. It’s ideal for both fixing things and giving items a new lease of life as it sets like silicone rubber (flexible and insulated) – it’s also surprisingly fun to apply.

Bring out your inner kid… Must watch WTF is Sugru video here  From £6.99. sugru.com

Christmas gift ideas: TIWAL inflatable dinghy

25. Tiwal 3.2 inflatable dinghy

This French inflatable sailing dinghy stows into two compact bags and can be launched, assembled and sailed anywhere in 20 minutes. It looks like safe, enjoyable and family friendly fun, ideal for getting kids into dinghy sailing.

The Tiwal is inspired by inflatable stand-up paddleboards, and uses the same high-strength PVC material, inflated via a high-pressure pump. An alloy structure gives it a backbone and allows the helm or crew to sit out, and a freestanding carbon mast splits into four.

Keep in the locker or trailer sail – without the need for a trailer. Video here   €5,490. tiwal.co.uk

We can’t promise any of these products will be delivered in time – but wish a merry Christmas to all!

The post Left your Christmas shopping to the last minute? Our 25 top Christmas gift ideas for sailors appeared first on Yachting World.

For those after something a bit different from the norm, this sporty 35ft plywood family cruiser has plenty of colour and personality. Toby Hodges reports

Everyone stops to look when an RM sails by. I like to put it down to their individuality and character – traits not easily achieved on a typical volume production yacht.

RMs are built from the proper, honest stuff: wood. A subsidiary benefit of this, and the fact that they are not all finished in white gelcoat, is that a range of eye-catching colours is offered as standard – our test boat just happened to be off white!

But it’s not just colourful topsides that give an RM character – just because you wear red-framed spectacles or drive a turquoise Citroen it doesn’t make you intriguing. It’s personality and, as I was to find out, this new RM1070 has it in spades.

RM has built plywood epoxy yachts for over 25 years, using Marc Lombard designs for the last 20 of them. The 1070 is an evolution of RM’s most successful model, the 1050 from 1999, replaced by the 1060 five years ago. And now 26 of this new 1070 have already been sold since her launch a year ago. Not bad for a company used to producing 30-40 yachts a year.

Since our visit to the yard in autumn 2012, the brand has continued to grow in popularity by ensuring its models remain contemporary. The bold topsides are a well-recognised signature now, but for me it’s the muscular design that marks out the 1070, particularly her box fresh shape, reverse sheer and dreadnought bow.

And although RM has provided the option of twin keels for sailors wanting to take to the ground before, the 1070 has a versatile third option too: a swing keel that reduces draught from 2.92m to 1.15m.

Balanced blend

There is a selection of beamy, chined, sporty yachts around today, particularly from France. The majority tend to be lightweight, minimalist skimming dishes, such as the Pogos and Djangos, which are derived from Mini Transat racing yachts. I think of RM as more of a balanced blend between that more radical sporty end and conventional family production cruisers.

I had a swift, entertaining sail on the 1070 from her home port of La Rochelle during our trials to choose the European Yacht of the Year in September. It was an appetiser which, like all good hors d’oeuvres, left me wanting more.

My first impressions of the 1070 were that she feels like a larger boat for her length. She has a generous sailplan – indeed her ratios are more comparable to a performance boat such as the J/111 or a Pogo 1050 – a sign that RM is pushing more towards the sporty end of the cruising spectrum. This helps to explain why she heels relatively quickly and easily.

There she remains happily on a chine, an angle that presents reduced wetted resistance, yet provides those aboard with a fun sense of speed.

Playful, enjoyable boat

The 1070 is a playful, enjoyable boat to helm. You can feel the stiffness of her build, the combination of plywood epoxy and a metal structural grid. She has a neutral helm, typical for a twin rudder set-up, but with deep blades providing direct steerage.

Upwind we made 7-7.5 knots in 11-12 knots of true breeze, reasonable figures that come with a pointing penalty though. In comparison with the Hanse 315 nearby, for example, we were pointing 10° lower, despite having a 3m deep lift keel. The test boat had a slightly overlapping genoa however; standard RMs are cutter-rigged with the option of a staysail/trinquette.

Her behaviour is typical of a modern, boxy, ultra-beamy cruiser. The triangular shape produces drag in light airs – if you look at the 1070 from behind you’ll notice her considerable wetted surface – and hampers the ability to point high. But in many cases, including aboard the 1070, this is more than made up for by a spirited performance offwind.

This was particularly noticeable when we hoisted a shiny red asymmetric spinnaker. The log quickly rose to average 8.5-9 knots in 12-14 knots of true wind. Point her up to a beam reach and she heels a little more and, with a little help from a slight wave, eases onto the plane. She even hit double figures briefly too.

Considering that RMs are not typical lightweight planing yachts – the 1070 is 1.3 tonnes heavier than a similar-sized Pogo 1050 – those are respectable figures. It will also help her win back some of that ground lost sailing upwind!

When I tested the larger RM 1260, I remember being a little disappointed that she didn’t plane, even when reaching in 25 knots of wind. The 1070 is that bit lighter, with a little more sail which, combined with a more modern shape and a longer waterline, means you get a bit more pace.

A cockpit to work in

Another real plus of an RM is the cockpit and sail control set-up. I like the way the mainsheet traveller utilises the extensive beam aft, which allows proper trim of mainsail shape. A German mainsheet system carries this sheet forward to the boom and back to winches within reach of each wheel.

Primary winches are fitted inboard, beside the companionway – something I am astonished more yards don’t do today. It avoids the need to try to grind while dangerously poised on the leeward rail and it allows a crewmember to stand upright to trim, let off a sheet with one hand and pull in the new working sheet with the other – all under the protection of the sprayhood. The 1070 also has a large bin to store the tails of running rigging at the companionway.

The open transom is still a feature that will take some getting used to on a cruising yacht, however. Triple guardwires and a crash bar across the transom might help prevent a crewmember disappearing overboard, but cockpit items could still get washed away, including sheet tails (check before engaging engine!).

Also, it adds to a feeling of exposure in addition to the wide aft beam.

Light and space below

Going below on an RM is like taking a revitalising tonic. It make you wonder why so many conventional monohulls feel enclosed, away from the very elements you have gone afloat to appreciate.

The 1070 incorporates an astonishing amount of natural light. The high coachroof allows the saloon (soles and furniture) to be raised, so it hardly feels as though you are descending into the interior. This also creates good bilge stowage beneath the saloon and galley.

RM’s formula is refreshingly different, with interiors that are basic, but comfortable. The 1070 is very much a no-frills, French-style boat. Once again, the use of bold colours plays a part; a choice of 12 different colours is offered for the upholstery, which helps give each RM its own style.

The interior is not only bright, but feels enormous – 13ft of beam obviously buys a lot of space in a 35-footer, but the fact that the painted ply finish has natural insulation, also avoids the need for liners. Although the cabins are rather Spartan, there is abundant practical stowage throughout.

The layout will suit cruising sailors. The galley is large, the saloon berths long (2.05m) and there is a proper navigation station. The saloon feels comparatively large, perhaps because the forward cabin is little more than a vee berth. The two-cabin format leaves the port aft area open for lazarette/workroom space, accessible through the heads.

It’s an excellent layout, one that is far more practical than trying to shoehorn in a third cabin, in my opinion.

A word about wood

Remarkably RM remains the only production yacht builder that builds hulls using plywood on frame. It is a skilled, technical and labour-intensive method, but one that is easy to understand and has several advantages.

Ply is lighter and more rigid than glassfibre, it provides thermal and sound insulation, and weight for weight it is stronger than steel. When bonded with epoxy resin it helps to create a durable, rot- and osmosis-resistant finish that is easy to repair.

But it is not a pliable product and it is a relatively expensive raw material. The sourcing of good-quality marine ply is essential for boatbuilding to protect against water ingress and delamination – but it is three times the price of standard ply.

Specifications

LOA 11.44m/37ft 6in

LWL 10.50m/34ft 5in

Beam (max) 4.00m/13ft 1in

Draught 1.68m/5ft 6in

Disp (lightship) 4,900kg/10,803lb

Ballast 1,600kg/3,527lb

Sail area (100% foretriangle) 70.2m²/756ft²

Berths 4-6

Engine Volvo Penta 30hp saildrive

Water 90lt/42gal

Fuel 80lt/18gal

Sail area:disp 24.7

Disp:LWL 118

Price ex VAT €155,000 (£109,432)

Price as tested €218,329 (£154,142)

Design Marc Lombard

www.rm-yachts.com/en

Conclusion

You can tell I am a fan of RM yachts. Building in plywood epoxy is a smart, time-tested method, but it is a labour-intensive form of volume boatbuilding and so it does not come cheap. However, the 1070 does provide plenty of boat, with individuality, for her €155,000 base price.

The RM1070 is a fun boat to sail, with just the right balance of sportiness and cruising safety for an active sailing couple or family. And I am quite sure a family would be happier in that bright interior, with a basic, but tidy finish, than many other compact monohulls. The keel options also open up another world of shoal draught cruising.

It takes more than a lick of bright paint to give a yacht character. From her build material, to her contemporary shape, to her naturally floodlit interior, the RM 1070 is a boat for today.

She has oodles of character. She’s a yacht that proudly says: different is good.

Different coloured hulls are available

The post RM1070 on test: the plywood family cruiser that dares to be different appeared first on Yachting World.

The ‘Raymarine Quantum Wireless Chirp’ was launched at the London Boatshow on 8 January – a radome claimed to be the lightest and most efficient radar in its class. Multiple benefits are claimed, but the weight-saving potential alone makes this an impressive advancement for sailors.

Chirp technology is used increasingly by marine manufacturers in echosounders to increase target resolution when fishfinding. The same benefits are applied to marine radar with the launch of the Raymarine Quantum, the industry’s first compact recreational radome with Chirp pulse compression technology.

What does that mean?

The Raymarine Quantum uses pulse compression to produce sharper, more defined images by sending out variable frequencies simultaneously.

Yes but why is this radar particularly interesting to sailors?

Aside from optimum target resolution, the potential weight-saving benefits aloft are appealing. The 18in Quantum weighs around 50 per cent less than traditional magnetron radars.

The reduction in size of the innards – the new solid-state circuit board (top right) compared to the old metallic part

At its world launch of Quantum, Raymarine showed the new solid-state circuit board and compared it to the metallic innards of a magnetron radar (pictured above). This comparison helps bypass the marketing hype to make the reduction in size and weight tangible. The Quantum radome weighs just 5.6kg – around 2kg lighter than the competition – practical weight-saving when mast-mounted.

In essence, although there is still a spinning part inside the radome (the circuit board), it is the information produced to send out the radar pulse that has changed. The promised range is another benefit of this technology – up to 24nm, but also down to just 18ft away. “It has much better close range resolution but without the worry of big bang echoes,” Raymarine’s Head of Corporate Marketing Fiona Pankhurst told me.

Integrated wifi allows Raymarine’s Quantum to network directly to multifunction displays, and simplifies installation by eliminating the need for additional radar cabling. It also benefits from safe emissions and minimal warm-up time as per Broadband types. Pankhurst says the benefit over these radars is that their Chirp model won’t suffer any interference from magnetron radar echoes.

The physical size of the radome is still very similar to past models, hence its installation footprint remains the same. And at £1,495 inc VAT, there is no cost increase over past models.

The post Raymarine Quantum unveiled – a lightweight solid-state radar with class-leading range and efficiency appeared first on Yachting World.

Hanse Yachts may have found a healthy formula for success with its larger yachts, but its entry-level Hanse 315 proves that size bears no relation to enjoyment afloat.

The Hanse 315 is an example of a large firm concentrating the best of its products into a more compact, feature-rich yet user-friendly version. We found in our test – see the full report in Yachting World February 2016 issue – that she is perhaps the best compact production yacht launched in recent years.

The benefits of the Hanse 315 all start from a modern, powerful Judel Vrolijk-designed hull shape. This has a long waterline with broad aft beam creating the option of twin wheels – the smallest production yacht to offer this – and a generous aft cabin.

The only downside is that her price tag isn’t quite entry-level. The attractive-looking base price of £54k ex VAT, rose to £99k inc VAT for the test boat.

That aside, this is a highly impressive new launch – the Hanse 315 has the space and pace of a 35-footer with the price and practicality of a 30-footer.

The Hanse 315 = manageable, easy and really enjoyable.

See the full report in our February 2016 issue

The post Video: Hanse 315 – we test Hanse’s new baby and find it packs serious punch appeared first on Yachting World.

Want to know which are the best new production yachts on the market at the moment? The European Yacht of the Year, the world’s most thorough competition for production yachts, is the best place to start.

Now in its 12^th year, the European Yacht of the Year is judged by journalists from 11 different magazines from 11 different European nations. Each jury member tested every yacht from the five different categories, over two separate weeks in two different locations – from La Rochelle in September and from Santa Margherita following the Genoa Boatshow in October.

The standard of nominees that made the shortlist for the European Yacht of the Year 2015/2016 awards was particularly high – see my full breakdown of nominees here

The voting in the multihull, family cruiser and special yacht categories was especially tight. After the decisions were finalised, the five category winners were announced this evening (January 23) at an Oscars-style prizegiving held during the opening night of the Dusseldorf Boatshow.

The nominees and winners of each category for the European Yacht of the Year awards 2015/2016 are:

Category 1: Family Cruiser

Nominees: Dufour 460, Hanse 315, Jeanneau 54, Maxus 26, RM 1070

WINNER: Hanse 315

Hanse 315 – European Yacht of the Year 2015/16 winner

Just as we were starting to focus on the large end of Hanse’s range, with its flagship 675 launching this year – out slides this slick, family-friendly pocket cruiser. The 315 has a seductive hull shape – quite like a Dehler in fact – one that proves a delight to sail and has the beam for cockpit and aft cabin space.

She may not quite hit that ‘entry-level’ price point, but the 315 stimulates the small end of the new yacht market admirably. Space is apportioned wisely, with standing headroom and a great aft cabin.

This is a highly versatile and impressive new compact cruiser.

Standard pricing starts at: €59,900 ex VAT

See our full report in the February issue of Yachting World out now

Category 2: Luxury Cruiser

Nominees: Adventure 55, Grand Soleil 46 LC, Maxi 1200, Oyster 475, Sunbeam 40.1

WINNER: Grand Soleil 46 LC

Grand Soleil 46LC – European Yacht of the Year 2015/16 winner

The first real cruiser from Cantiere del Pardo in over 40 years is one that addresses a clever gap between the mass production cruisers of France and Germany and the high-end and typically more traditional style cruisers from northern Europe.

The 46LC is for those after something a bit sexier, a little more luxurious, a bit classier, and a bit quicker than the norm. This thoroughly Italian product has bold, angular if somewhat stark styling that combines with a very light, spacious, inviting interior. She particularly suits warm weather cruising. The deck design offers both plentiful comfort at anchor and practicality at sea – she is easy to handle and nimble enough to enjoy light-wind sailing.

Standard pricing starts at: €369,000 ex VAT

CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL TEST REPORT

Category 3: Performance Cruiser

Nominees: Django 9.80, Ice 52, Italia Yachts 9.98, J/112e, Solaris 50

WINNER: Solaris 50

Solaris 50 – European Yacht of the Year 2015/16 winner

This is the most current, desirable new production yacht design, a bonafide trendsetter, with engineering quality to match her looks. She represents the melodious meeting of South American design flare with Italian styling. The result is luxurious performance.

The Solaris 50 is sexy, elegant and sophisticated, a positive delight to sail, and, to my mind, the most contemporary Mediterranean production yacht to date.

Standard pricing starts at: €480,000 ex VAT

CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL TEST REPORT

Category 4: Multihulls

Nominees: CometCat 37, Dazcat 1495, Dragonfly 25

WINNER: Dragonfly 25

Dragonfly 25 – European Yacht of the Year 2015/16 winner

Jens Quorning does it again! The founder and designer of Dragonfly has that uncanny knack of keeping a family look, yet one that is updated to look contemporary – in the 25’s case, particularly with the reverse stem floats.

As well as being genuinely towable, this new baby of the range is perhaps the most sporty, fun Dragonfly yet. Innovative outrigger designs and the ability to helm from either float ensures an exhilarating ride.

I just wish it was more affordable – a Dragonfly does hold its value remarkably well however. Standard pricing starts at: €69,900 ex VAT

Check out how easily she flies a hull, plus designer Jens Quorning’s original test sail comments here:

Category: Special Yacht

Nominees: Bente 24, Corsair Pulse 600, Fareast 28R, Farr 280, Quant 23

WINNER: Quant 23

Quant 23 – European Yacht of the Year 2015/16 winner

I can’t remember ever seeing our jury so excited about sailing a boat before! Here is a design that promises much but somehow delivers even more. Even if you didn’t even fit the foils you’d still have a blast on this super-fresh sportsboat – a lake sailer that ensures scows continue to have cult status.

Add Hugh Welbourne’s Dyamic Stability System and you have a sportsboat on steroids, a craft that puts serious fun back into sailing, and makes foiling approachable.

The Quant shows exactly why we created the ‘Special Yacht’ category.

Standard pricing starts at: €60–65,000 ex VAT

Click HERE for our full report on the Quant

or HERE to learn why I think this is such a standout boat

The post Best 5 new yachts named winners of the European Yacht of the Year 2015/2016 appeared first on Yachting World.

Solleone is a new German Frers designed Swan 115. She is the first of Nautor’s new flagship yachts, and one that belongs to its chairman, Leonardo Ferragamo.

The Swan 115 is very much a Swan of today, a prepreg carbon fibre performance machine that offers supreme comfort and quality, built by the most famous production yard in the world. Solleone is the cruising ‘S’ model of the Swan 115, with a semi-raised saloon as opposed to the sportier flush deck model also offered. She made her debut at Monaco Yacht Show last September.

Toby Hodges had the rare opportunity to sail her – power reaching for a few hours at 13–15 knots off Italy’s Tuscan coast. His full report is in the February 2016 issue of Yachting World, but in addition, here’s a taste of the action from onboard…

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The J Class Endeavour, Britain’s worthiest America’s Cup challenger to date and often described as the most beautiful J Class ever, is still on the market. A prime time to buy before what could be the biggest J Class event ever in 2017...

Arguably there couldn’t be at a better time to buy one of the most prestigious yachts ever. In recent years the J Class has enjoyed a complete resurgence (see our J Class guide here). The result makes for mesmerising viewing, as these most elegant, timeless classics are raced by the world’s best and regularly finish within seconds of each other. It’s like one-design racing for museum pieces.

The recent announcement that Svea is sold and under construction takes the tally of J Class up to nine now. And it is expected that all nine will travel to Bermuda in 2017 for the showcase regatta that will form part of the 35th America’s Cup.

As the rest of fleet tunes up for what could be its most exciting event ever, Endeavour now represents the last chance for a new owner to get in on what will be a historic act.

The J-Class Endeavour powers to windward at the 2012 St Barths Bucket

We have only seen Endeavour race competitively once in the last decade. It was fresh after her 18-month refit at Yachting Developments in New Zealand, when she stole the show at the St Barths Bucket in 2012. This showed the potential of the yacht with famous sail number JK4 in the modern fleet of carbon-rigged Js. Since then however, little has been seen of Endeavour as her owner favoured private cruising.

The J Class wave shows no sign of slowing however. There are more Js competing now than ever before. The Hoek-reconfigured J Class Topaz (J8) launched from Holland Jachtbouw last spring, Svea should be finished by early 2017, and Rainbow recently found a new owner.

The J Class yacht Endeavour arguably remains the jewel of the fleet.  She is the yacht that has come closest to winning the America’s Cup for Britain. Her story reflects the history of the J Class and has helped shape the modern fleet we know today.

Endeavour was designed by C.E. Nicholson and built by Camper & Nicholsons in steel in 1934 for aircraft manufacturer Sir T.O.M Sopwith. She was the only J to beat the original Rainbow and considered the most dangerous British challenger to the cup ever. On launching, Endeavour was declared ‘the perfect boat’ by someone that really knew his shapes, Nat Herreshoff.

The J-Class Endeavour in 1934, racing King George V’s Brittania

Sopwith took a scientific approach using his aeronautical experience, and the innovations lavished on Endeavour included the likes of four-speed winches, the first windvane linked to a dial by the helm, and a four sided jib with two clews and sheets, dubbed a ‘quad’.

Following a crew strike over pay, Sopwith replaced the 13 pro sailors with amateurs shortly before leaving for the America’s Cup in the states. This, together with taking off more and more ballast during the series, was largely seen as his undoing.

The J-Class Endeavour after decades in a mudberth

Endeavour sat in her Solent mudberth for three decades following the war, in the hands of a variety of owners. She was once saved from scrap and even sank in the Medina River in the seventies.

Beken’s picture shows the state she reached, a wreck with no rig, keel or interior. But it was when Elizabeth Meyer bought her in 1984, that her resurgence, and in time, that of the J Class, really began. Meyer had Endeavour re-configured by Dykstra Naval Architects, shipped to Royal Huisman and fully restored, before cruising and racing her all around the world.

J-Class Endeavour’s interior today, styled by John Munford

Endeavour underwent an extensive refit again in 2010/11 at Yachting Developments in New Zealand.  Dykstra Naval Architects was responsible for the construction, sail plan and deck layout, and Jon Barret, who oversaw the yacht’s first refit as captain at Royal Huisman in 1989, project managed the refit.

The work involved the removal of 40T of material, including 14 deck winches. The remaining winches, hydraulics, electrics, engine and generators were all replaced over 100,000 man-hours. Endeavour left New Zealand with a new deck structure, new rig and sails, a new deck layout, an engine room upgrade and a new crew interior.

Her €20m asking price today is perhaps typical for a J Class. But to become a custodian of a cruise and race ready Endeavour, and at such an exciting time, would be priceless.

The transom of J-Class Endeavour following her Yachting Developments refit

There are more details and plenty of pictures on Edmiston’s site here

And more info on J Class here

The post The J Class yacht Endeavour is for sale – a rare chance to buy one of the most iconic yachts ever built appeared first on Yachting World.

As other builders go up in size, Hanse looks to the smaller end of its fleet to bring in the customers. And the Hanse 315 packs a lot in a small space, says Toby Hodges

Winner of the Family Cruiser category of the European Yacht of the Year Awards 2015. Read more here

What do Tesco Metro, iPad Mini and a Hanse 315 all have in common? They are the result of big firms concentrating the best of their products into a more compact, feature-rich, yet user-friendly version.

Take Tesco, UK’s biggest superstore chain. Its success, from the 1980s to today, is linked with its ability to adapt quickly to consumer trends using the size, range and variety of its stores. Its smaller, compact Metro branches, which first appeared in 1994, are a clever example of the company’s versatility.

Hanse Yachts was founded at around the same time (early 1990s) and soon developed a wide range of modern production cruising yachts with broad appeal. But recently you could be forgiven for thinking that its success with large yachts would tempt the Greifswald yard to focus on the top end of the scale. Hanse has sold over 175 of the 575 in three years, and has taken six orders for the yet-to-launch 675.

However, Hanse’s 315 shows that keeping equal focus on the smaller sizes is smart. It attracts people into a brand where, as with supermarkets, retaining loyalty becomes key.

The same applies to other large yacht builders, so why should you be interested in this particular 30-footer? In my opinion, the Hanse 315 is the best recent example of a compact big yacht. It takes many intelligent ideas seen on larger modern designs and includes them in a size that is both practical and fun to sail.

The 315 has more volume than the 325 it is replacing, a larger sailplan and deeper L-keel (providing CE category A). As Tesco’s Metro branches have done to larger stores, Hanse’s 315 could render many larger yachts obsolete.

The shape of things to come

Many of the best features of the 315 stem directly from her hull shape. Judel Vrolijk has given her a modern performance profile that closely resembles that of her sister brand Dehler. Benefits from this shape are felt in the cockpit space and generous volume aft. Broad aft beam creates the option of twin wheels – she’s the smallest production yacht to have this.

But the prime advantage of her hull design, the calling card of the 315, is her superb sailing ability. It is the reason why I wanted a second sail after a brief autumn outing during the European Yacht of the Year trials.

Her flared quarters look aggressive and, together with a near plumb stem and stern, help maximise waterline length when heeled. The result is that she is simply a delight to sail, aided by steering that is superlight and responsive.

The 315 is a surprisingly addictive boat to helm. Most yachts take some getting used to, as you try to get the balance right, tweaking the control lines. The Hanse is instantly playful, encouraging you to throw her through tacks and maximise your time on the water.

UK agent Phil Dollin thought a reef or two might be prudent with the wind gusting over 20-25 knots as we left the Hamble River. But with flat water and an interest in seeing how she responds when pushed, he agreed to keep full sail. It helped to demonstrate how manageable this 30-footer is.

Advantages of a self-tacking jib

The 315 brings sailing back to basics, thanks in part to her single-point mainsheet and a self-tacking jib. Admittedly, there were times when Dollin needed to play the main as we headed into chop and Force 6 gusts around Calshot, or when I would feather the main if I were sailing her solo. But she only rounded up once, ever so politely, when over-pressed.

The vang and backstay are sufficiently adjustable to flatten the large main to keep it driving rather than overpowering the boat.

The self-tacking jib helps make sailing smooth and easy. It also aids confidence, especially with the breeze up. Instead of gybing, for example, you can just throw in a handbrake turn – a 270° tack – which only requires the helmsman to spin the wheel.

One problem we found when doing this with the single-point mainsheet was that it can get caught on the (optional) primary winches when it goes slack.

I was surprised to hear that few Hanse owners in the UK opt for a downwind sail. A furling asymmetric at least would top my extras list to help compensate for the small headsail area and its poor sheeting angle when sailing deep – the narrow width of the track is dictated by the coachroof to which it is mounted.

I would also welcome the ability to trim the jib from the wheel, by creating a lead from the coachroof to a primary. For couples, or those intending to sail solo, the standard tiller steering might be a more practical option for adjusting main and jib trim.

The Hanse 315 is sprightly and spirited to sail, particularly upwind and close reaching. We averaged around 7 knots close-hauled, where 32° to the apparent wind (45° true) was the sweet spot. Pinch more and the mainsail loses power and speed drops off quickly.

Reaching speeds touched 8 knots, well heeled – nothing to get worried about, just enough to give a safe thrill. The twin wheels help maintain the sporty feel with direct feedback via Jefa linkage.

The down sides of entry-level

Building a compact cruising yacht with a wealth of positive features for an entry-level price invariably involves drawbacks.

The pushpit is the first downside I took issue with. Hanse offers a beamy swim platform, above which is just a single guardwire to protect the cockpit. We were quick to point out this safety deficiency during our trials of an early 315 model in La Rochelle.

During those same trials, the fitting supporting the optional genoa sheet arrangement became detached – it turns out there was no backing plate below the deck. Hanse has since addressed both problems on later models.

The starboard steering column on the Hanse test boat in the Hamble also had play in it and it felt as if the mounting needed better reinforcement. Hanse commendably builds ten prototypes at this size, but these are issues that should be seen and resolved before production begins in earnest.

The test boat had a lot of optional extras, including an upgraded engine, twin wheels, laminate sails, sprayhood, heating, etc. It served as a good example of how the finish price of a production yacht bears little resemblance to its base price. With everything included, the test boat cost double the £50,000 standard price.

Looking through the spec sheet, I’d still want an offwind sail as well – and, having seen one hull in metallic blue, perhaps even a vinyl wrap.

Standing room

Pause at the foot of the companionway and you’ll notice something rather unusual for a yacht of this size – you can stand. By lowering the sole to the minimum height above the bilge, Hanse has created 6ft 3in headroom here.

This has a greater impact than you might imagine; it really gives the impression of a much larger yacht below. You can stand to work at the galley or chart table. The only problem is that you soon forget you are on a 31ft yacht, and promptly bump your head when going forward.

The layout is beautifully in proportion. The design team has been particularly clever with the cabins. Rather than just have a vee berth and open bulkhead forward, they have created an option for a cabin with a door. To achieve this, the length of the berth is reduced and insert boards used each side aft. This creates three different options: a child’s berth, a single berth with changing seat, or a full double vee berth.

However, it is the aft cabin that will be used by owners – if they can get into it. The entrance is short and narrow, but once there, you are rewarded with a giant athwartships double berth that extends under the cockpit.

It is wide enough, in fact, to be used as a longitudinal single berth should you want to. An angled backrest against the hull encourages you to recline comfortably in the area with most seated headroom.

The port saloon sofa is long enough to sleep on and the saloon is generous in size. Although the heads is also large, it feels rather bleak. It’s simply a wet room, a glassfibre pod that brings home the mass-production nature of the build. But there is plenty of light and 6ft headroom and it puts practicality first, including space to hang wet weather gear over the shower tray.

Hanse owners can escape the ‘cloned’ feel to some extent thanks to the numerous options on offer. There is a multitude of colour options inside and out, including gelcoat tints or vinyl wraps, upholstery and veneer finish. I was impressed to see big boat features as standard too, such as LED lights that can be dimmed or controlled from a smart touch panel.

As Tesco’s slogan says: ‘Every little helps.’

Specifications

LOA 9.62m/31ft 7in

LWL 8.70m/28ft 7in

Beam (max) 3.35m/10ft 11in

Draught 1.85m/6ft 1in

Disp (lightship) 4,700kg/10,362lb

Ballast 1,500kg/3,307lb

Sail area (100% foretriangle) 49.8m²/563ft²

Berths 4-5

Engine 11.8hp Volvo Penta saildrive

Water 230lt/51gal

Fuel 160lt/35gal

Sail area:disp 19.0

Disp:LWL 199

Price ex VAT: £54,092

Price as tested: £99,195 inc VAT

Design: Judel/Vrolijk & Co

www.hanseyachts.com

Conclusion

Be realistic, how many large cruising yachts would you really want to take out for a quick spin, two-up? I don’t know of many that I could or would want to do what we did during our test sail: hop aboard for a photoshoot, throw her around and sail her solo at times while over-canvassed. Yet the Hanse 315 was a joy, despite the dull winter conditions.

The price might not be quite as attractive as it might seem at first glance – not exactly ‘entry level’ by the time you’ve ticked enough boxes to make the boat comfortable – but the 315 still represents good value.

There were a few concerns with build quality on deck, signs that Hanse is perhaps cutting corners to keep cost down, but this is related to the larger issue of trying to create a truly affordable new yacht.

That aside, if you want a small family cruiser or a sporty, compact yacht, look no further. The Hanse 315 has the space and pace of a 35-footer with the price and practicality of a 30-footer. She puts the basics back into enjoyable sailing. Light and manageable, easy and fun, she has a shape that ensures an entertaining ride.

When done well, it is the convenience of a compact model, whether that be electronics, supermarkets or cruising yachts, that attracts the customers to come back.

The post Hanse 315 boat test – packing a lot into a small space appeared first on Yachting World.

Cruising guru Jimmy Cornell had the Garcia Exploration 45 built especially for his transit of the North West Passage. This 52ft version is now available

Jimmy Cornell is a prolific cruising author, who founded multiple cruising rallies, including the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). He has sailed over 200,000nm on his three previous bluewater yachts. When looking for a new yacht to take him through the North-West Passage, he helped develop his definitive go-anywhere yacht – see his story of the transit here.

“My requirements were very clear: a strong, fast, comfortable, functional and easily handled boat perfectly suited for both high latitudes and tropical sailing,” he said.

Together with Garcia Yachting and designer Olivier Racoupeau, he created the Exploration 45. “When you need to batten down the hatches, this is a tank of a boat,” read Matthew Sheahan’s test report of this yacht in 2014.

Garcia Yachting unveiled the Garcia Exploration 52, the first of the 45’s follow-up models, at the Düsseldorf boat show in January. Again from the board of Berret-Racoupeau, this yacht looks rugged and muscular. She retains that heavy-duty coachroof that looks as if borrowed from the bridge of a warship, which is key to providing good visibility at the internal steering position.

The hard roof that worked so well at providing shelter on the 45 has increased in size and height for the 52. Her 7ft extra LOA gives her an extra 600lt tank capacity. She is, however, nearly five tonnes heavier and €250,000 more expensive than the 45.

A yacht designed for high latitudes should feel secure and comfortable inside or out. The Exploration 52 has double-glazed forward-facing windows in the decksaloon, providing 270° visibility. Her build spec reads more like that of a rescue vessel than a cruiser, including a watertight companionway door, watertight forward and aft bulkheads and watertight hatches to the stern compartments.

The tanks are mounted centrally and the chain locker is located at the foot of the mast for optimal weight distribution. Other key features are the integral aluminium centreboard and twin rudders with protective skegs for cruising in shoal waters. My favourite, however, is a “forefoot chainplate for towing and ice-breaking”.

Owners can choose options of two, three or four cabins, sleeping from four to eight crew. If chosen the fourth cabin would be in place of a practical workshop below the decksaloon.

Garcia Yachting is part of Grand Large Yachting, which includes Allures Yachting (see page 72) and Outremer catamarans.

Price ex VAT €699,000 (£504,280).

www.garcia-yachting.com

Dimensions

LOA 16.65m/54ft 8in

LWL 14.59m/47ft 10in

Beam  4.80m/15ft 9in

Displacement 18,880kg/41,623lb

The post Garcia Exploration 52 – a larger version of Jimmy Cornell’s latest yacht appeared first on Yachting World.

The latest from Discovery Yachts, this is a bluewater cruiser for those seeking a high-quality, luxurious yacht, but want something more manageable for the UK or Med waters. Toby Hodges reports

It was the Discovery 55 that launched Discovery Yachts 15 years ago. The Marchwood-based yard specialises in bluewater cruisers for couples and, although this 55 was considered a large yacht at the time, subsequent Discovery models have all been larger. Only now has it unveiled plans for its first smaller version, the 48.

But with average yacht sizes continuing to increase, why create the smallest Discovery now? I spoke to Discovery’s new managing director, Andrew Burrows, who explained that the decision was taken for two reasons: firstly because of feedback from previous owners who have returned to the UK after bluewater cruising – “seeking a high-quality, luxurious yacht, but something more manageable for the UK or Med waters,” he says. “And secondly for the purpose of attracting people into the Discovery brand at a lower size and price range.”

The 48 has all the Discovery hallmarks such as a centre cockpit and a large raised saloon and navstation, yet unusually it is available in two variants. The Ocean version has single wheel steering and two luxury en-suite cabins.

The Riviera has twin wheels and a more open cockpit, with a rollbar to keep the mainsheet out of the way. Down below are three double cabins, including the owner’s cabin forward.

Designers Ron Holland and Bill Dixon are responsible for Discovery’s previous designs, but the 48 is drawn by a new name, Oscar Mayr Design. Mayr is a young and promising naval architect, a recent top graduate from Solent University who worked at Discovery for a year supporting its in-house design team.

“We believe it is good to have a young designer with fresh ideas and styling approach,” Burrows says.

The 48 has a positive sheerline rising to a high stem. The yacht is specifically designed for safe and easy short-handed sailing so comes with Discovery’s tried-and-tested twin headsails (genoa and self-tacking jib) and in-mast furling main as standard.

In fact, the standard price incorporates a full spec including generator, reverse-cycle aircon/heating, bow thruster, electric winches and navigation instruments.

Price ex VAT from £645,000 for the Ocean model. www.discoveryyachts.com

Dimensions

LOA 14.80m/48ft 0in

Beam 4.83m/15ft 8in

Displacement (half load) 17,500kg/38,500lb

Draught (Std) 2.23m/7ft 3in

The post Discovery 48 – a smaller version of the impressive bluewater Discovery 55 appeared first on Yachting World.

Yachting World is the first to be given this time-lapse footage of the build of the first new Spirit Yachts 47CR. The fascinating insight shows the construction to date, including the hull being rolled over.

[Above: The masterpiece of workmanship within Spirit Yacht’s 100ft superyacht Gaia – pic by Anthony Morris]

The CR stands for ‘Cruising Range’ – a new line that takes Spirit Yachts’ renowned modern classic theme and adds increased volume for long term cruising. The British yard has also started work on a three-cabin 55CR, which together with the 47CR will make up the first two models in this range.

“Increasingly we are seeing prospective owners looking to experience extended holidays in the Mediterranean or do an Atlantic crossing over to the Caribbean,” said Spirit Yachts CEO Sean McMillan – “the 47CR and 55CR are the ideal yachts for this type of lifestyle.”

Spirit Yachts new 47CR – note the fuller lines for increased internal volume

Build technique

Spirit Yachts are one of the world’s most experienced volume wooden boatbuilders. A large printer is used to produce McMillan’s design patterns straight onto the lofting table, so the ring frames can be built precisely around the drawings.

The build process you can see for the 47CR is a time tried-and-tested method for Spirit Yachts, one that combines both strip planking and cold moulding techniques.

The technique can clearly be seen in the video and involves:

–  Laminating the sapele ring frames on full size patterns.

– Setting up the strong back.

– Standing up the ring frames and bulkheads.

– Laminating the Douglas fir longitudinals, backbone and beamshelf.

– Fitting the first fore and aft layer of Douglas fir strip planking.

– Spiling the first layer of diagonal khaya veneer before vacuum bagging it onto the fore and aft Douglas fir.

­– Laying the second layer of khaya veneer at 90 degrees to the first.

– Vacuum bagging the final layer of E-glass epoxy.

– Painting the hull with epoxy primer.

Accommodation in the 47CR comprises a forward owner’s cabin with king-size berth and ensuite heads, plus a double aft guest cabin. One can presume that the handcrafted joinery and panelling throughout the interior will be formidable.

As per all Spirit models to date, the 8.2 tonne 47CR will feature modern appendages, including a carbon rig and rod rigging. Spirit Yachts plans to launch the first 47CR at the 2016 Southampton Boatshow with a starting price of £594,000 ex VAT.

The post Video of how a wooden Spirit Yachts is built – the new 47CR cruiser in construction appeared first on Yachting World.

Who said the one true cruiser-racers are monohulls? A suprising product from a sleepy Cornish yard, this dazzling, cutting-edge catamaran will turn heads whether cruising or racing, says Toby Hodges

Is this the catamaran equivalent of a monohull cruiser-racer like those from J-Boats or X-Yachts? The Dazcat 1495 differs from other modern fast cats in that, as well as being a comfortable platform for cruising, she offers genuine offshore racing potential. She was a runner-up in the multihull catedgory of European Yacht of the Year.

The second Dazcat 1495, Apollo, is in build for seasoned IRC racer Nigel Passmore, a past J-Boat and TP52 owner, a telling indication of the current interest in offshore sailing in greater comfort. And just as with cruiser-racer monohulls, Dazcat owners choose how Spartan or comfortable to make their cats, depending on which end of the cruising or racing spectrum they prefer.

The Dazcat 1495 has a uniquely identifiable profile. Her reverse sheerline is mirrored by a curved coachroof and her hulls have pronounced tumblehome that reduces to slim waterline beams ending in reverse stems. This produces a muscular effect like a big cat.

Wild cats need pace to overhaul prey. The Dazcat weighs a nimble 6.7 tonnes which, for a 48ft catamaran, is rather light. Combine that with substantial sail area, set from an aerodynamic carbon rig, and her speed potential starts to look rather exhilarating.

Yet one of the most surprising things about her is that she has emerged from a sleepy creek’s end yard belonging to designer Darren Newton – the ‘Daz’ in Dazcat – in Millbrook, Cornwall.

Stiff, light and direct

As we surged out of the mouth of the Tamar river, we were hit by 25-knot gusts. I was struck by how stiff and light the Dazcat is. Her cable steering is linked to carbon rudders, joined by a tie-bar. This helps to make her feel direct and light, like a performance monohull.

Another factor that quickly becomes apparent is that the combination of boat speed, wind speed and helm height, makes for a breezy position from which to steer. It’s like sticking your head out of a sportscar’s sunroof.

As the Dazcat strode into a 9.5-11 knot upwind pace, the Plymouth Sound where I’d spent so long sailing dinghies as a child now seemed more like a pond.

Once we hit 17.5 knots reaching on our first wave in towards Cawsand Bay, my craving for more was like being a child all over again.

No tantrums needed

Hissy Fit is the first 1495, a demo boat built for Dazcat director Simon Baker. Our test conditions were typical for the West Country, with a big swell (3m+) rolling in around Rame Head. We gybed back and forth across the waves, in and out of Cawsand, to allow the photographer’s RIB some protection. Speeds remained modest, but with a kindly motion as the keels and boards provided enough grip on the wave face to maintain stable traction.

“The dart-shaped keels move the lateral resistance further aft when you hoist the boards,” explains designer and builder Newton. “This knocks out a lot of yaw and makes it easier to steer. Daggerboards can be tricky to handle in waves, which is also why we put big rudders on – it’s got to be able to take the rough stuff.”

When given the chance to surf then, the 1495 won’t jump onto waves as shorter, lighter designs might – no bad thing for offshore cruising – rather she rides waves in a stable and reassuring manner.

The adrenalin ride of the day came when the asymmetric was hoisted in flatter water. Our run parallel to the breakwater to leeward ensured we kept a hot angle. Hissy Fit took off and felt alive, intoxicating even as we reached at 15-19 knots, occasionally nudging 20 knots.

It was the ease with which these speeds are reached that most impressed me. When sailing large multihulls at such speeds in the past, I have found that vigilant hands and eyes are needed on the sheets and traveller.

Yet aboard Hissy Fit, speed was echoed by stability, something you can feel through the direct helms. Should you need to depower quickly, the sheet winches are located close beside both helms and the traveller winches just behind. The Dazcat 1495 is designed to be easy to manage short-handed.

I drew out the high-octane stuff for as long as possible as we gybed back inside the Sound, unaware that the Dazcat had another surprise in store: her rewarding ability to sail and tack well upwind. Hissy Fit proved easy to keep in a groove sailing upwind in a swell, but it was when short-tacking her into the confines of the Tamar’s mouth that this facet shone.

It is the first time I’ve enjoyed tacking a catamaran. With the aid of a self-tacking jib, the 48-footer has the agility to avoid ferries and small craft nimbly. Her steering is direct enough to be playful and her stiff, lightweight construction makes sailing fun at most angles.

Exposed helm

The exposed helmsman’s position may be the one thing that will make you reluctantly pass on the helm. It is also quite a high position, which helps little with the awkward movements monohull sailors tend to associate with cats.

Photo: Bertel Kolthof

Scrupulous attention is paid to weight during the build of a Dazcat. Lombardini engines were installed on Hissy Fit, as they are the lightest models (by 15kg). It is particularly loud down below under engine, however, even if motoring time may be limited thanks to her sailing performance. The lack of sound insulation makes it more comparable to a raceboat, particularly when winches are used.

“It’s a cruising boat built like a raceboat, so the downside is acoustics,” admits Newton. The hulls are built using infused vinylester with the wet deck laminated into both. The deck is hand-laid and includes lots of unidirectional carbon fibre.

Well-considered layout

You might think the Dazcat is a little Spartan below. But stick with the comparison to monohull cruiser-racers and you will realise that comfort is offered only where required.

For a small yard that produces just two or three yachts a year, costs were capped for the demo boat. The resin is merely painted down below, for example, rather than faired smooth, and no linings are used. But future interiors can include gelcoat, timber and lined surfaces.

The second 1495 for Nigel Passmore looks stunning in white and black and has a plethora of optional extras. She has a two-cabin, two heads layout, but Hissy Fit has a long, thin third cabin forward, with a second heads shoehorned in. Owners can add all the creature comforts they desire (within reason), but at the obvious detriment to weight and performance.

The centralisation of weight is also critical to the layout, which is designed to reduce pitching motion. The soles are raised at the centre of each hull to create room for the engines, tanks and systems amidships. “The effect of lowering the centre of gravity of the boat is analogous to the ride you would experience in a low down mid-engine sports car compared with a 4×4,” explains Newton.

Unusual layout

The accommodation layout is unusual. The saloon is particularly large, because the galley is in the starboard hull. The domed shape to the coachroof restricts vision through the windows so views of the horizon are reserved for when seated in the saloon – or standing at the galley.

The siting of the galley down a level in the starboard hull is a practical design seen on Dazcats for many years. This has benefits for the cook, who experiences less pitching at sea and benefits from good horizon-level views, is at the same eye-height as those seated in the saloon and has substantial worksurface space inboard and stowage space outboard. It also helps keep the coachroof height low.

The practicality of this layout and convivial interaction between galley and saloon is one I can vouch for after a storm-bound evening spent aboard in La Rochelle.

Systems have been kept simple aboard Hissy Fit – a single 100ah lithium-ion battery, topped up by solar panels, provides enough domestic power for family cruising. Optional extras range from generators and air conditioning to mast and sail configurations.

At first glance, Dazcats seem expensive. But the hand-built quality and super-strong, stiff construction is highly reassuring, so rather say that the Dazcat hits a reliable combination of performance and value for money. “We want a boat that does the job it’s intended to do,” says Darren Newton. “If you have to beat to windward in 40 knots it can do it; if there’s a Force 10 offshore the boat will look after you.”

Conclusion

Dazcats are connoisseur’s yachts. They are for experienced sailors, whether in multihulls or monohulls, who still seek the thrill of sailing fast, but in spacious twin-hulled comfort.

The prospects of combining ocean cruising and racing become distinctly more appealing with this new model. Think ARC and Caribbean 600-type events, followed by Caribbean cruising. And with the imminent launch of the second 1495, Apollo, Hissy Fit will have the perfect sparring partner too. I wonder if they need crew?

The Dazcat 1495 is large enough to appeal to those who sail anywhere, whether fast cruising or offshore racing. Finally here is a series-produced cat that is sure to challenge the conventional philosophy that the only true cruiser-racers are monohulls.

Specifications

LOA 14.75m/48ft 5in

LWL 14.60m/47ft 11in

Beam (max) 7.55m/24ft 9in

Draught 2.20m-0.80m/6ft 3in/2ft 7in

Disp (lightship) 6,500kg/14,330lb

Sail area (100% foretriangle) 106.4m²/1,145ft²

Berths 4-9

Engine Yanmar 3YM 30hp

Water 700lt/154gal

Fuel 166lt/37gal

Sail area:disp 31.1

Disp:LWL 58

Price ex VAT £696,850

Design Darren Newton

www.dazcat.com

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A devastating Cowes fire that broke out in Medina Village on Monday 25 January destroyed over 30 boats, including a number of irreplaceable classic yachts. Below are the details of the Cowes fire and those boats lost.

The Medina Village site where the Cowes fire occurred comprises several industrial units off Bridge Road. The main unit affected, originally a machine shop, was used for boat storage by David Heritage Yacht Racing.

The fire, which the fire service confirmed was accidental, is believed to have broken out in a car workshop attached to the end of this building and spread rapidly through the large open building where the majority of boats lost were stored, before engulfing Moreton Marine and the two classic yacht restorations in that area.

Thick black smoke engulfs much of Cowes as firefighters try to stem the blaze at Moreton Marine and David Heritage Racing Yachts. Picture by Rick Tomlinson

“Our shed is totally gone,” Patrick Moreton of Moreton Marine confirmed. The loss of his seven-year restoration project that was nearing completion, the 58ft Mylne ketch Fedoa of Bute, is gut wrenching (seen ablaze in the opening picture). Six boatbuilders had been working on her full time. Also in his yard was the 1902 built 36ft cutter Witch, which was undergoing a longterm restoration by Martin Nott. A Dunkirk Little Ship was also destroyed in the fire.

“We lost 32 boats under our umbrella,” said Sarah Ross from David Heritage Racing Yachts. These include 17 Etchells (over half of the Cowes fleet), five Dragons, five X One-Designs, a Quarter Tonner and a vintage steam launch. “I think it is the worst single disaster to affect so many classic boats in one event,” said XOD class captain Mike Till.

“Everything in the storage unit was a total loss,” Ross confirmed. There was enough space between the storage unit and David Heritage’s workshop to create a firebreak, but the buildings affected by the Cowes fire are now a “demolition site”.

“It was a very sad day for Cowes and for yacht racing,” said Ross, “but it could have been worse – everyone got out safely.”

CONFIRMED LOSSES

Fedoa of Bute

One of the last pictures of Fedoa of Bute, showing her immaculate restoration before she was destroyed by the Cowes fire

A 58ft 6in Alfred Mylne ketch, built in 1927 by Bute Slip Co in Port Bannatyne. Heartbreakingly, she was in the final stages of a seven-year complete restoration by Patrick Moreton at his yard, Moreton Marine.

The extent of Fedoa’s restoration was incredible and nearing completion

“I bought the boat in 2009 and sold it as an ongoing project in 2013,” Moreton said. Full details of her rebuild can be found at fedoa blogspot

Witch
The 1902 Charles Sibbick 36ft cutter Witch was undergoing an extensive restoration by Martin Nott at Moreton Marine. Nott owned her for nine years. “I became a boatbuilder when I didn’t know how to fix her,” Nott said.

Witch pictured the day before the Cowes fire – “I had just been splining the topsides,” said Martin Nott

The restoration began in Emsworth before he moved her to Cowes in 2012 – and to within 100m of where she was built in 1902. Nott found scant documentation on her designer and builder Charles Sibbick, so compiled a list of designs on his website.

“We were probably six months away from having the deck and last few planks done. All it needed was spars, sails and an engine. That was the disappointing thing – we were so close. As I keep saying, I feel sorry for the boat, after 114 years.”

The extensive documentation of her rebuild is HERE

Kariat

Kariat pictured off Cowes by Beken in 2011

A 34.98ft (10.67m) compound steam engine launch built in 1897 by Liquid Fuel Engineering Company in Cowes. Kariat was brought back to Cowes in 2003 by current owner John Power and selected for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3 June 2012.

Vere

Vere was built in 1905 as an admiral’s steam pinnace. The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships reports that in May 1940 Vere made several trips to Dunkirk and is ‘credited with the rescue of 346 British and Allied troops.’ Her present owner Ian Campbell ‘had spent £80,000 trying to bring the boat back to its former glory,’ the BBC reported.

She was one of the historic vessels featured in the ‘WW1: Britain’s Surviving Vessels’ ­– managed by National Historic Ships UK. More details HERE

Rapier K2389

The classic Pedersen & Thuesen Dragon Rapier in her final resting place before the Cowes fire

This 1956 Pedersen & Thuesen Dragon launched as Scimitar. Her current owner, seasoned Dragon sailor Martin Payne, told me how he had spent £40,000 on Rapier’s two year long refit so far.

“Every single deck beam had been removed, cleaned, re-glued and epoxied before replacing. She would have been worth £100,000.” The keel was re-done, the floors all taken out, bulkheads replaced and all deck beams removed. She was fully sheathed and just needed the deck replacing and fitting out.

“They’re unique,” said Payne. “Rapier won Cowes in 1957 the year after she was built. I was just looking forward to racing her on the circuit.”

X One-Designs

X52 Anitra, one of five classic XODs lost in the Cowes fire, in a classic Cowes Week scene – by Hamo Thornycroft

X52 Anitra

Built in 1935 by Woodnutts Boatyard on the Isle of Wight – the original MD of which was the XOD designer Alfred Westmacott. Twice winner of Cowes Week Captain’s Cup, Anitra was latterly owned by Paul Kelsey, vice captain of the Cowes fleet.

“The feeling of the owners is that we are mere custodians of these beautiful old boats, in order to pass them on to future owners,” said Kelsey. “To lose so many is tragic.”

X75 Delight

Build in 1938 by Woodnutts and regarded as an example of this yard’s work at its best. “She was a beautiful boat, completely restored and immaculate,” said owner and XOD class captain Mike Tell. “It’s a terrible loss for me and the fleet.”

X81 Sapphire

Built in 1946 by Woodnuts and owned by ex Yachting Monthly member Jeremy Field.

X99 Xin Bai

Built in the early 1950s at Hamper, she belonged to Andrew Cooper since 2009, who’s mother Mary had also previously owned her. Xin Bai means China White – the name of Cooper’s Etchells also lost in the fire.

X108 Leading Wind

Built in 1955, she had an excellent racing record, including back-to-back Cowes Week victories in 1959 and 1960. Last owned by Hamble fleet member Hamish Calder.

Also lost in the Cowes fire 2016

Quarter-Tonner Espada

This iconic Quarter-Tonner, designed by Bruce Farr and built by Geoff Hunt in 1980, may be considered a classic. Class founder Peter ‘Morty’ Morton bought her in 2005, and under he and his wife Louise, Espada had many victories including three Quarter Ton Cups. The class association reports that she was sold to Julian Metherall in February 2015.

17 Etchells

The Cowes Week Etchells fleet led by Exabyte V – by Rick Tomlinson

Seventeen boats were lost, three of which were inactive (Fetching, Wild Thing and Pale Tide). Four boats were less than two years old (Time&Tide, Swedish Blue, Exabyte, and Betsy). The remaining 10 were Escape, China White, Elvis, Matatu Dubh, Ray of Light, Esprit, Efreya, Tango, Matatu and High Tide.

“All the active boat owners have replaced their boats,” said Cowes Etchells Fleet Captain David Franks. “The insurance companies have been paying promptly on a total loss basis.”

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Alex Thomson has unveiled his latest stunt 'The Skywalk'- kitesurfing more than 280ft in the air over the top of his IMOCA 60 race boat

Scroll down for video

First came the keel walk in 2012, then came the mast walk in 2014, and now, after much preview hype, Alex Thomson’s Skywalk video was released on 15 March. And it was definitely worth the wait. These action packed videos have the aura, excitement of a new Bond film release.

Solo round the world sailor Thomson, 41, has once again combined his daredevil reputation with the marketing leverage of the Hugo Boss brand. And he’s done so with the meeting of his two loves, sailing and kiteboarding.

The SkyWalk video shows Thomson arriving by convertible Mercedes to Alvor, southern Portugal, a kite surfing mecca. He kitesurfs offshore in pursuit of his IMOCA 60 HUGO BOSS. Once he is able to grab the 120m floating towline and attach it to the back of his harness, the boat powers upwind at 12 knots, as he pulls the line tight to start the jump.

Thomson ascends and keeps climbing until he reaches the max height and length of the towline. He releases the line to start a parachute-style 40-second descent to water, controlling the kite despite the bad wind influences of helicopter and yacht.
And he does it all while sporting a slim line stretch-wool Hugo Boss suit, shades and a watch. It really is absurdly cool.

35 people were involved in the planning, co-ordination and execution of the stunt. The Hugo Boss team reports that Thomson had 13 attempts at the stunt over a period of four weeks and landed successfully three times. They say he reached a height of 280ft – whatever it is it is certainly higher than the 95ft mast of the IMOCA 60 and looks jaw-droppingly impressive from the shore and equally frightening from Thomson’s aerial view.
“The idea of combining two of my favourite sports and executing something which, to our knowledge, had never been done before was really exciting,” said Thomson.
If only the Vendee Globe could be won on style, Thomson would have it in the bag already. At least he’s conquered his fear of heights – in the most public way possible.

All photos Mark Lloyd/ Alex Thomson Racing

The SkyWalk in 2016

This behind the scenes footage of how they made SkyWalk is equally gripping:

Previous stunts:

The Mast Walk in 2014

The Keel Walk in 2012

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Millbrook is a small village at the end of a creek with yards that produce quirky designs, from traditional craft to composite multis. Toby Hodges was intrigued to find it was here where the cutting edge Dazcat 1495 was built

The estuaries and rivers that probe into the green hills of Devon and Cornwall’s south coast feature anchorages with a natural charm that is hard to match. Most of these inlets have a strong maritime history and once had active boatyards. Over time many of these yards have had to close as demand waned and skills ceased to be passed down through the generations. Not so at Millbrook.

Millbrook Lake is the first inlet on the Cornish side of the Tamar, a drying creek, and you may even fail to notice its mouth from Plymouth’s bustling waterfront opposite.

Nowadays Millbrook is home to many fascinating boatbuilding projects, which range from the purest form of traditional wooden boat craftsmanship to high-tech multihulls. Since Pat Patterson sailed to Millbrook in 1968 and started designing and building cats here, it is also home to the UK’s largest multihull boatyard and is the birthplace of a multitude of British cruising cat designs from Patterson, Richard Woods and Darren Newton.

I visited the creek to test the latest and largest model yet to launch from the Dazcat brand, the Dazcat 1495 which we tested in the March issue, and was amazed by the thriving projects underway on this short stretch of foreshore.

Builder of Impossible Dream

Darren Newton – the ‘Daz’ behind Dazcat – has been building catamarans at Millbrook’s Foss Quay for over 20 years. Notable examples are Mike Browne’s Impossible Dream, aboard which disabled sailor Geoff Holt famously crossed the Atlantic unassisted, and the radical joystick-operated Rapier 550, launched in 2014.

Over the last decade, Newton’s Multimarine company has gradually acquired much of the hard standing and foreshore area of Foss Quay. This now includes the Multihull Centre – the brokerage and storage site created by Pat Patterson and the only UK yard completely dedicated to multihulls – plus the 16th Century tidal mill at the head of the creek.

Multimarine itself is a real, honest, rather unkempt yard. Numerous 40ft containers form the workshops and even bases of the sheds, their stark corrugated sides hiding a composite craftsmanship within that is first class.

If you want to learn about multihulls, Millbrook is the place to go. In wintertime, it is like a catamaran museum, with up to 80 cats on the hard standing. Newton pointed out, it seemed, virtually every British catamaran design I had heard of, from local models like Patterson’s Heavenly and Summer Twins, Ocean Winds and Twins, and Woods designs, to Prouts and James Wharram cats, plus some ‘foreigners’ such as Catanas and Fontaine Pajots.

Putting the dazzle into cats

On the wall of Darren Newton’s neat Portakabin office is a picture that contrasts with the series of bright modern designs Dazcat now produces. It is a fading photograph of a Formula 28, the first boat Newton designed. He rented a pig shed near Totnes “for £5 a week” and built his first boat over two years. ‘Daz’s cat’ got abbreviated, and the first Dazcat launched in 1989.

The boat was seriously damaged by storms while in Millbay marina that winter, so Newton shortened it to a 26-footer and added transom-hung rudders. Success immediately followed in the Mocra multihull racing class.

Newton competed in the Round the Island Race in 1991 and won it in a time of 3h 55m. “I said that we would win it or lose the boat,” Newton recalls. “It was blowing a Force 7 and we carried full main and kite to average 24 knots between the Needles and St Cats.”

Newton set up a polytunnel in his parent’s back garden in Modbury, Devon to build another Formula 26. Meanwhile, the landlord of the Ellis Boatyard in Millbrook offered to rent out his yard. Although carrying a large overdraft at the time, Newton jumped at the chance, inviting friends to come and work at Millbrook. When he returned from racing the newly launched Dazcat 26 Clarks Active Air in the 1994 Transatlantic Race (winning their class), Newton was surprised to find he had six employees.

The second Dazcat 1495 Apollo in build

The one-off Dazcats built in the mid to late 1990s earned a good reputation in offshore races, particularly the Round Britain Race. Multimarine was established in 1999 to build other designers’ boats.

Over the past five years, together with his business partner, Simon Baker, Newton has gradually scaled up the production side of the yard. This, together with other one-off projects, has ensured continued vitality in Millbrook.

Millbrook showpieces

Multihull enthusiasts will know Millbrook for the bulk of British cats from Patterson and Woods that have launched from its shores. More recently there have been some other notable one-off projects. Talented local shipwright Chris Rees built the lugger Spirit of Mystery for Pete Goss, plus the 65ft replica of the 1776 lugger Grayhound – both from locally felled trees.

The 60ft Impossible Dream, designed by Nic Bailey and launched by Multimarine in 2002, was the catamaran aboard which Geoff Holt OBE set a record for the first quadriplegic unassisted transatlantic crossing.

Darren Newton has long recognised the benefits of multihulls for wheelchair users. In the mid-1990s he built the trimaran Paradox for Alan Grace, a paraplegic sailor. And Newton’s latest commission is for another wheelchair user, for whom he has adapted the Dazcat 1195 design. The mast is positioned right aft to fly furling foresails only, promising ultra-simple sail-handling and a 1,000nm motoring range.

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Beneteau goes to a powerboat designer to find a new look for the first of its new range of luxury cruisers. Toby Hodges reports

Note the title ‘Oceanis Yachts’ 62. I missed it at first, assuming this was a new flagship for Beneteau’s traditional Oceanis range. But no, this 62-footer represents the first of a new luxury range of Beneteaus from 53-73ft, which employs an industrial approach to provide an unbeatable end price for a large yacht.

You’ll notice the 62 has a certain Italian flair to it for a French yacht. This is perhaps because Oceanis Yachts’ co-designer and Beneteau’s new sailing director are both Italian. The design and styling was a collaborative approach between Berret Racoupeau and the Italian designer Pierangelo Andreani.

Andreani has been working with Beneteau’s Montecarlo powerboat range for years.

“In order to explore something beyond what we are currently doing, we went to a powerboat designer to find something new,” says Beneteau’s sailing yachts director, Gianguido Girotti (ex Grand Soleil and Dufour).

The bold, dark stripes across the topsides, for instance, are used as both a signature look for the new range and a means to camouflage the many large hull portlights. Together with the wraparound coachroof portlights then, they should provide an astonishing amount of light below decks.

Motor boat influences

It is not only the styling, including the hull stripes and the interior, that borrows ideas from the power side. Note the design of the stern sections. The minimalist three or four-cabin layout leaves room for a vast tender garage, plus a proper practical aft bathing platform that will really extend space on deck.

With the bathing platform lowered, stairwells incorporated into each quarter are exposed. These have an elegant 45° incline similar to those on motor boats, providing easy access to the platform.

The aft section of the platform submerges hydraulically to facilitate the launch and recovery of the tender and the garage can house a 2.85m Williams jet RIB.

The deck design is created for warm weather comfort. There are six sunbathing beds, including two on the flat coachroof, the cockpit is enormous for alfresco living, plus there is a novel rigid bimini option.

Intelligent cost capping

Beneteau’s goal is to keep the price of the Oceanis Yachts 62 under €600,000. It has created a production run in the big boat facility where the Montecarlo motor boats are produced, says Girotti.

This is an industrialised technique aimed at reducing construction time, so that finish quality can be improved for the price.

“We are the biggest experts in the world at doing this with 40-50ft boats,” Girotti explains. “But there was never really an approach for Groupe Beneteau brands to do this with larger yachts before.”

He sees this as the latest evolution of Groupe Beneteau’s large yachts. “We further stretched the good concept of the Bordeaux 60, and squeezed the price down even lower than the Jeanneau 64.”

The Bordeaux 60 was a €1m yacht when it launched in 2008, but has 30 per cent less volume than the Oceanis Yachts 62. The Jeanneau 64 brought the price down by €150,000. “Now, three years later we came up with the third step, one that is another €200,000 cheaper.”

Semi-custom approach

The marketing slogan of Oceanis Yachts is to ‘make the inaccessible accessible’. Girotti explains this as “creating high-end quality with better service”. While Beneteau isn’t about to encourage owners to visit its yard and make custom adjustments to their builds, it will be introducing an element of personal choice to this new range – a touch of luxury.

This means a more serviced-based approach for Oceanis Yachts owners, including direct sea trials. “It’s not just a product, but a service. For the first time for a production yard, we will be putting the yard in front of the customer, not the dealer. We build 850 yachts a year, but will be treating the customer [as if this were] a yard that builds 40-50 boats a year.”

Beneteau will have one location in the Med and one in northern Europe to conduct these handovers, before establishing a ‘flying doctor approach’ for the US and further afield.

The first Oceanis Yachts 62 will launch this spring and undergo two months of extensive sea trials. Her official premiere will be at the Cannes and Annapolis boat shows in the autumn.

Price ex VAT €600,000 (£462,750). www.beneteau.com

Dimensions

LOA 19.07m/64ft 9in

Beam 5.33m/17ft 6in

Draught 2.3-2.9m/7ft 7in-9ft 6in

Disp 24,170kg/53,271lb

Sail area 182m²/1,959ft²

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Sarah Young, a 40-year old company owner from London, died after falling overboard in the Pacific Ocean, while competing in the Clipper Round the World Yacht race

A crewmember racing in the Clipper Round the World Race has died after being swept overboard in the Pacific. Sarah Young, 40, was one of the crew of the yacht IchorCoal. She was swept overboard from the cockpit while not clipped on.

A statement by race organisers Clipper Ventures says that Young was wearing an AIS man overboard device but it took nearly 45 minutes to recover her, by which time she was unconscious. Attempts to resuscitate her failed.

Sarah Young was one of the crew aboard the IchorCoal boat. She was competing in the current Clipper leg that takes crew across the Pacific Ocean from Qingdao, China, to Seattle, USA and has over 3,242 miles left to its destination.

The incident in gale force conditions midway through the leg of the race from Qingdao in China to Seattle, a leg that in previous races has seen very tough and windy conditions. During the last Clipper Race in 2014 a crewmember from the yacht Derry-Londonderry-Doire was swept overboard during a sail change on the same leg of the race. Andrew Taylor was recovered using positions from an AIS man overboard device after more than an hour of searching.

The race organisers report that next of kin have been informed and say that all thoughts are now with Young’s family, teammates, and loved ones on and off the race.

This second Clipper fatality occured just six months after Andrew Ashman, 49, from Kent, was killed aboard the same vessel after being knocked unconscious off the Portuguese coast.

Official report of the Clipper fatality

Skipper Darren Ladd reports that Young was tidying the cockpit after reefing the mainsail in 35–40 knots of wind, when she was knocked from her position by a wave. She fell back toward the guard wire and was swept under it by another wave at 2227 local time. She was not tethered onto the yacht at this time and was swept away in strong winds.

The boat immediately applied its man overboard drill but was hampered by the conditions and lack of direct visual. Her body was recovered on board using her AIS signal at 2344 local time, and although resuscitation was attempted and telephone assistance provided by the Praxes Medical Group Doctors, the Clipper Race’s remote telemedicine support service, she never regained consciousness.

The cause of death is yet to be confirmed but is suspected as drowning or exposure. All other crew are reported safe and well and the team are working with Race Officials to evaluate the options on diversion or continuing to Seattle.

The incident happened on day 12 of the ninth race in the 14-stage Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, at 39 North, 160 East, approaching the International Date Line.

Sarah Young was the owner of a personal lifestyle company providing services for private high net worth individuals. A keen adventurer, the Clipper Race had been an ambition of hers for some years, and she said celebrating her 40th birthday just before setting sail from London was the perfect way to start her adventure.

Prior to the Clipper Race she had done other expeditions including spending a year in Sabah, northern Borneo, working for Raleigh Malaysia. Sarah had also led teams in Zambia, Botswana and Namibia, had been mountaineering in Nepal and did a world-first 18 day trek down the Skeleton Coast unsupported. Young had also run a marathon and was a Divemaster. She leaves a partner but no children.

Young was one of the round the world crew and aside from missing a couple of races in Australia due to the passing of her mother, she had sailed more than half the way round the world, with over 20,000 nautical miles of racing under her belt between London and China, where the yacht had departed on March 21.

A full investigation will now be carried out, as is standard practice, into the full details of the incident in cooperation with the appropriate authorities. Race Officials are now supporting the skipper and the crew through this tragic ordeal.

Clipper Race Founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston stated: “On behalf of everyone at Clipper Ventures, I am deeply saddened by the loss of Sarah. She was a very popular and integral member of the Clipper Race family and knew our boats well, having sailed with us since London last summer. The safety of our crew has always been and continues to be our main priority and we shall investigate the incident immediately in full cooperation with the authorities.”

This is the second fatality on board the yacht IchorCoal during this race. In September 2015 on the first leg from the UK to Brazil, crewmember Andrew Ashman, 49, was knocked unconscious by the mainsheet and failed to regain consciousness despite immediate medical assistance.

The Clipper Race was established almost 20 years ago and this is its tenth edition. Over 4,000 amateur crew have been trained and participated in previous races. 709 crew are participating in the 2015-16 edition which left London at the end of August, and will return there on 30 July 2016.

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Who’s it for? Those venturing longer distances who want a back-up power supply. Contact: www.solartechnology.co.uk

In the face of it this is a great back-up system – a 10ah lithium battery pack/connection hub with ‘intelligent charge electronics’, plus a 20W solar panel and two bright LED lanterns.

The hub has outputs for the two lights, a pair of high-power 2amp USB sockets and a 3amp 12V cigar-type power outlet. As such it has the potential to be an extremely useful back-up power supply for yachts undertaking long passages.

Although there’s no chance of it powering the fridge, watermaker or TV screens, it has sufficient capacity to charge essential equipment, including a handheld satellite phone, VHF and GPS, along with a tablet with a chart plotter app and LED navigation lights.

The unit has sufficient power to charge your tablet and phone, but not the fridge or watermaker

Granted, there may not be sufficient power to keep each of these, other than the communication devices, running 24/7 but that’s not really necessary until the final approach to land – and provided the devices are charged in advance that should not prove to be a problem.

On the downside, the hardware is clearly designed primarily for spending time off grid while on land. It’s therefore disappointingly heavy and bulky, especially in the supplied packaging, and is not waterproof. It would have scored an extra point had the design been more compatible with stowage and use on board a yacht.

It’s only designed to deliver a total current of 3.5 amps and will shut down if this is exceeded and is not intended to be capable of powering an inverter, even for a very short period. If necessary, a number of HUBi units can be connected together to create a more powerful emergency power source. www.solartechnology.co.uk

Tested by Rupert Holmes

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Following on from the X6, the Danish builder introduces a smaller X4. The range will sit between the company’s cruiser (c) and performance (p) ranges, says Toby Hodges

Two years ago X-Yachts announced a new flagship, the appealing X6. Although later than anticipated, the first of these 63-footers is due to launch this April and three have now sold. News that a smaller X4 model will also launch this summer confirms a whole new ‘X’ branded range for the Danish builder and will hopefully re-energise interest in the X6.

With cruising (Xc), performance (Xp), and racing (Xr) ranges already in X-Yachts’ portfolio however, is there really room for another line, and how will it differ? I spoke to X-Yachts co-founder and designer Niels Jeppesen, who explains how this new X line should sit nicely between the Xc and Xp ranges. See our test of the Xc45 here.

X-Yachts’ background is in cruiser-racers. It launched a cruising range to cater for its more mature customers in 2008, before refocusing on its modern cruiser-racers. The vacuum-infused epoxy Xp range, the first with composite hull liners, was IRC-oriented so was kept as light as possible, with weight reserved for the keel bulb.

“Many clients felt that the Xps are too race-oriented and the Xcs too heavy and classic-looking,” says Jeppesen. “So we went back to X-Yachts’ roots to design a very good, fast cruising yacht.”

“Sexy, modern-looking boat”

This has similar modern lines to an Xp, but with slightly higher freeboard, two inches more beam and slightly fuller hull lines. “The X range is for those who want a sexy, modern-looking boat, but whose priority is cruising.”

The X range is a more luxurious and cruising-oriented version of the Xp then. In comparison, an X is only around eight per cent heavier, but has slightly greater interior volume, plus increased payload capacity. The X4 and X6 use the same vacuum-infused epoxy hulls as the Xp, but include X-Yachts’ renowned steel grid for absorbing keel loads.

Recent keel loss cases involving production yachts reinforced in Jeppesen’s mind the notion that safety must come first. “The safest thing you can do is to have a steel frame [to which the keel is attached].”

Will it be competitive with an Xp? “We’ll see,” says Jeppesen coyly. “An X client may never race, but we have built it in a way that he can race if he wants to and won’t be laughed at.”

The X4 will launch soon after the X6, in early summer this year.

Price ex VAT €279,000 (£215,210). www.x-yachts.com

Dimensions

LOA 12.50m/41ft 0in

LWL 11.31m/37ft 2in

Beam 3.95m/13ft 0in

Draught 2.20m/7ft 3in

Disp 8,850kg/19,511lb

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Australian Olympic champion and multihull expert Mitch Booth has founded a new brand of luxury cruising superyacht catamarans called BlackCat. The first model is a 50m/165ft long and designed by Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design. If built, it will be the largest single structure carbon fibre yacht ever.

Every now and again you see a radical new concept that makes you grin in the knowledge that yacht design has just taken one brave step forward. This new BlackCat does just that – a design that is simply awesome.

“This ‘supercat’ concept is really exciting because there is nothing else available that combines the practicality of an enormous, stable, platform, with exhilarating performance,” said Booth.

And the BlackCat’s top speeds should be fiendish – estimated at between 25 to 30 knots for this first 50m showcase concept – setting a whole new benchmark for superyacht performance.

She remains very much a luxury cruiser however Booth insists. “By no stretch of the imagination is it to be like a semi-racer – there’ll be no pushing a bow under or flying a hull.”

The BlackCat is designed to be simple to manage and sail at speed, and palatial to liveaboard. Booth told us that he has been talking to McKeon about this concept for a couple of years, and that the Lymington based designer started to work on this concept last November.

What makes the BlackCat so refreshingly different is how sleek her lines have been kept. Supersize cats tend to grow vertically too, with high topsides to house accommodation and awkward flybridges.

Not so with the BlackCat. It’s almost as if she’s been created as an adrenaline-injecting poster for teenagers, one to hang next to Ferraris and fighter planes.

McKeon has even given her concave scoops in the topsides – like a classic Corvette  – which he says is an aesthetic tool to break up the topsides. As BlackCat’s founder Mitch Booth has spent most of his life racing extreme multihulls, the BlackCat’s fuel-injected look should not surprise.

Booth says their target for the BlackCat range is between 100ft to 200ft long, where the latter represents the upper end of engineering capabilities today. “Width is a big factor – it adds stability and righting moment but also increases loads dramatically,” said Booth.

With all that beam, load, and speed potential, safety will be a primary concern. Booth insists that her performance will be perfectly manageable and that “no superyacht multihull should ever go close to flying a hull.”

As a floating platform this phenomenally beamy design presents serious dance floor potential. While the freeboard of McKeon’s sexy hull shape has been kept low and lean, accommodation space is still a phenomenal 340m2. The 20m beam of the 50m BlackCat for example helps create a surface area equivalent to half a football pitch.

“It’s a logical progression for superyacht designs to move towards catamarans,” said Booth. “There are so many advantages to large multihull cruising compared to our monohull cousins, such as speed, space, low heel, comfort, the list goes on and on.”

The hand of McKeon can be seen both in the lines and the extensive amount of glass used in the superstructure. There are also some ingenious solutions around the sunken bridgedeck, and the fold down aft quarters that reveal a tender garage and gym.

“There’s been a space in the market for some time for a large catamaran design that can offer the luxury and quality of a superyacht this size,” said McKeon, “and also provide this level of stability and high performance.”

Whilst the BlackCat might be able to get into shallower anchorages than most monohull superyachts, her swinging circle will be somewhat antisocial. And a BlackCat owner would need to get used to anchoring as stern-to marina docks might be limited.

Just the thought of owning a small island capable of shifting at 30 knots – is enough to make you giggle childishly.

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