Stuck for Christmas gift ideas for the sailor who has it all? Yachting World is here to help with 40 great ideas

Are you wondering what to get the sailor in your life for Christmas. Here is our pick of 40 top products that are perfect Christmas gift ideas for sailors:

1. Garmin inReach

Christmas gift ideas: Garmin inReach

This is a clever portable device that provides an affordable way to keep friends and family in touch with your whereabouts when offshore. It allows you to send and receive SMS text messages to any mobile phone, email address or other inReach device, anywhere in the world, via the Iridium satellite constellation.

In Reach works like a Sat phone and provides live online tracking and email and can also be sinked with your phone and operated through an app.

inReach SE+ £399.99. explore.garmin.com

2. Henri Lloyd neoprene gloves 

Christmas gift ideas: Henri Lloyd Cobra Winter Glove

Sailing with cold hands sucks. We tested a selection of winter gloves and these came out top. The full-fingered gloves have neoprene thermal insulation, which means that even when they (inevitably) get wet, they keep your hands warm.

The grippy surface on the palms proved particularly good when handling intricate jobs and overall we were really impressed with this glove. Tough, flexible and easy to get on and off even when wet.

£30-35. henrilloyd.com

3. Yachting World Subscription

Christmas gift ideas: A Yachting World subscription

A hardcopy of the world’s favourite sailing magazine every month from £19.49 a year – or an ipad/iphone digital issues for £16.49…

Now THAT’S Christmas!

Yachting-world-subscriptions

4. Waterproof iPhone housing

Christmas gift ideas:Proshotcase waterproof phone housing

GoPros and similar action cameras are great devices, but they are both expensive (some more than £500) and need charging. Recent smartphones have a camera that is just as good as a high-end action camera. This neat case turns an iPhone into a fully waterproof action camera.

It’s waterproof to 50ft or 130ft, depending on model, and is compatible with all GoPro mounting accessories. Full control of the phone’s camera is achieved via the volume buttons.From US$99. proshotcase.com

5. Red Limited Edition SUP Paddleboard

Christmas gift ideas: Red inflatable paddleboard

Red’s 10ft 6in Ride model is the most popular and arguably most versatile all round inflatable stand-up paddleboard. Having used one on our boat this summer, I can vouch for it being a fantastic edition to the sail locker. It’s ideal for getting to or from the beach, exercising/paddling or surfing when at anchor and it provides a dive platform and extra floating space for the kids.

It comes with cargo tie-downs and three fins attached – and the pumps and backpacks supplied are also superb. 2018 marks Red’s 10th anniversary, hence this limited edition 10’6” Ride in a new colour scheme.

£849 redpaddleco.com

6. Spinlock Lume-On

Christmas gift ideas: 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

7. Karun recycled Sunglasses

Christmas gift ideas: Karun VOR Sunglasses

This small company in Patagonia makes unbreakable sunglasses from recycled fishing nets collected from the coast of Chile. It worked with professional sailors to design sunglasses with technical [Zeiss polyamide] lenses designed to meet the demands of the Volvo Ocean Race.

The sailing edition glasses were developed with and are being worn and tested by the Vestas – 11^th Hour Racing crew. The frames have stainless steel hinges and rubber temple tips.

€245 for the VOR Sailing Edition. www.eu.karunworld.com

8. Olaf Scooter

Christmas gift ideas: Olaf scooter

Here is an ingenious compact solution to getting around in foreign marinas and towns. The Olaf Urban combines four products in one: a kick-scooter, a trolley, a backpack and a skateboard. The Urban backpack is designed to carry the folded scooter. The combined backpack and trolley weigh just 3.5kg and the trolley can take a 120kg payload.

Price €195 for Urban (trolley and backpack). olaf-scooter.com

9. Astra esa smartwatch

Christmas gift ideas: Esa sailing 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

10. Solar powered waterproof speaker

Christmas gift ideas: Lemon solar powered speaker

For those who don’t fancy drilling holes in their cockpit lockers, a waterproof Bluetooth speaker is the answer. The California Roll will play for up to 15 hours on a single charge of the battery and is fully waterproof, even when submerged. Integrated solar panels further extend the operation time and the 5000mAh battery can be used as a USB power bank to recharge other devices.

Price: US$249 lemon-california.com

11. Free Wheeling

Christmas gift ideas: Free Wheeling manual prop

This Australian innovation blends rowing with outboard motors to produce a clever lightweight solution for your tender. It uses a 3:1 gear ratio contained in the collar by the handle, driving a high-pitch propeller to provide a smooth, silent and fuel-less means of manual propulsion in either direction. Time to ditch the outboard, oars or both?

Price £125. thewetworks.co.uk

12. Snowlizard SLXtreme Navigator

Christmas gift ideas: Snow Lizard

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 or phone cases from $49.99 snowlizard.com

13. Lifedge Ultimate Cable

Christmas gift ideas: Lifeedge 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

14. Raymarine Ocean Scout TK

Christmas gift ideas: Raymarine thermal camera

Raymarine’s most affordable thermal camera to date, the Ocean Scout TK can extend vision afloat, day or night, by creating images from heat. It can spot objects up to 119m away, including boats, buoys, landmarks or wildlife. But its ability to potentially thermally identify a MOB could quickly make it high on sailors’ wishlists. Price £412.50. raymarine.com

15. Sealskinz waterproof hat

Keeping your head warm and dry is vital to enjoying winter sailing. This waterproof hi-vis Sealskinz Bobble hat looks like the ideal way of achieving that, while making sure you can be spotted easily. It is water and stain repellent, with a Teflon coated acrylic outer fabric and micro fleece inner lining. £20. sealskinz.com

16. Ocean Signal rescueMe MOB1

Christmas gift ideas: 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

17. SOG Multitool with proper blade

Christmas gift ideas: multitool with proper blade

Most multitools are at best a compromise, which means that while they’re useful for quick jobs that would be a faff if you had dig around in a tool box, they are not good for serious work.

On any yacht the most challenging task you might be engaged in without warning is to cut a line. SOG’s Reactor RC1001-CP has a proper blade, which maximises the chances of cutting a problematic loaded line before a tense situation spins out of control.

Price £65. sogknives.com

18. Exposure XS-WR Torch

Christmas gift ideas: 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

19. Touchscreen gloves

Christmas gift ideas: Touchscreen gloves

Those who need to swipe screens in colder climes can now keep their digits warm too with Mujjo’s latest fleece-lined touchscreen gloves. These have black leather cuffs and anti-slip palms with silicon grip dots. Price from €29.95. mujjo.com

20. Splash Drone

Christmas gift ideas: 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

21. TackingMaster

Christmas gift ideas: Tacking Master

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

22. Restube

Christmas gift ideas: Restube safety device

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. £38.99 sontecmarketing.com

23. 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. drsails.com

24. Thuraya Satsleeve+

Christmas gift ideas: Satsleeve+ for smartphones

A Satsleeve turns your mobile phone into a satphone. It wraps around the phone, utilising the mobile’s internal electronics and encodes and boosts the signal for connection to the Thuraya satellite network. The SatSleeve+ has a universal adapter, so the user can switch between most smartphone models from 58 to 85mm in width. £370 ex VAT or £5 per day to rent from www.globaltelesat.co.uk

25. Fizzics portable beer tap

Christmas gift ideas: Fizzics 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

 26. GoCycle portable E-bike

Christmas gift ideas: Go-Cycle portable E-bike

We did a test of folding bikes and portable transport in 2017. If you can afford it, this GoCycle is a clear winner. This beautifully engineered electric-assist bicycle has 20in wheels, balloon tyres, and a well-cushioned saddle, which gives a smooth fast and comfortable ride. It is proper, enjoyable bike to cycle manually and the rider can select from zero to 100 per cent motor assistance on demand.

The GoCycle is a premium product that needs space to store and time to assemble. But, it is a game-changer, giving real freedom to enjoy time away from the boat. £3,500 gocycle.com

27. TaskOne G3 case

Christmas gift ideas: TaskOne phone 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

28. Garmin Virb X and XE 

Christmas gift ideas: Garmin Virb X

If your choice of action camera is more defined by durability, audio and picture quality, consider Garmin’s Virb cameras. Garmin continues to upgrade its excellent rugged and waterproof (to 50m) Virb cams.

The main improvements are with picture resolution and an increased variety of mounting options. 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

 29. Leatherman Tread

Christmas gift ideas: Leatherman wearable multitool

This very cool wearable multitool completely reinvents the concept – it’s worn on the wrist like a watch. As standard 29 tools are provided, including flat, Phillips and Pozi-Driv screwdrivers, hex drives, box wrenches and Torx drives. There’s also a cutting hook, sim card pick, carbide glass breaker and bottle opener. As there is no conventional knife you can fly without putting it in hold luggage.

£199.95  leatherman.com

30. Flexsafe – Keep your valuables safe

Christmas gift ideas: FlexSafe

Keeping keys, passports, wallets and electronic gadgets safe when travelling can all too often be a challenge. The Flexsafe is a lockable bag made of slash-proof materials that cannot be cut open with a knife that incorporates a piercing 110db motion sensing alarm. When on shore simply attach the bag to a convenient tree, your folding bike, the dinghy or any other suitable structure.

Price US$59.95. www.theaquavault.com

 31. Digital Yacht Aquawear

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

 32. Spinlock Essentials chest pack

Christmas gift ideas: Spinlock 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

 33. Personalised champagne

Christmas gift ideas:Champagne by you

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

34. Vaavud Wind Meter

Christmas gift ideas: Vavuud windmeter

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

35. Sugru

Christmas gift ideas: 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

36. Yacht Cufflinks

Christmas gift ideas: cufflinks

For that time when you need to collect the silverware in your blazer at the yacht club, you need to look the part…

These silver cufflinks come in a velvet lined gift box.

£49 (£39.20 special offer) josephturner.co.uk

37. Wichard knives

Christmas gift ideas: Wichard Knife

Wichard has produced knives in Thiers, the French home of knife making, since 1919. Its latest range includes Offshore and more economic Aquaterra models.

The Offshore knife has a serrated blade that can cut through Dyneema, and is available with a combined shackle key/marlinspike. The Aquaterra uses a conventional or serrated blade and has the accessory all sailors really need: a corkscrew.
Price from €17. wichard.com

38. Tiwal 3.2 inflatable dinghy

Christmas gift ideas: TIWAL 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. It uses the same high-strength PVC material as stand-up paddleboards, 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   

The 2018 models have been updated. They are now more streamlined, practical and comfortable. Hiking rack pads have been added to the accessories.

€5,490. tiwal.co.uk

39. Ino-Block Light

Christmas gift ideas: INO Block light

Three years ago Ino-Rope brought out its revolutionary lightweight textile IB blocks with working loads from 800kg to 6T. It has now launched a Light range that uses a soft connector as both axle and connector, resulting in a sturdy and affordable block for smaller applications, boats or dinghies.
From €16.50 for the IB 0.6 for rope up to 8mm. inorope.com

40. Rick Tomlinson 2018 Portfolio Calendar

Christmas gift ideas: Rick Tomlinson calendar

As well as the usual great mix of pictures – which this year includes action from the Volvo Ocean Race, Cowes Week, Quarter Tonners as well as cruising the Swedish archipelago – this special 30^th edition includes is a 30-year celebration spread featuring Rick’s choice of one image from each of his past calendars.

£19.95 www.rick-tomlinson.com

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

The post 40 great Christmas gift ideas for sailors – our pick of the very best kit appeared first on Yachting World.

If you want to know which are the best new production yachts on the market at the moment, the European Yacht of the Year is the best place to start. Toby Hodges sailed the 15 nominees and gives his verdict on the five winners

What is the yacht of the year, or the best yachts to look out for in 2018? Which are the most interesting, entertaining, innovative, well built and best value for money yachts on the market?

The reason we can answer such questions with confidence is that, as well as conducting our own independent tests, Yachting World also sits on the panel of judges for the European Yacht of the Year awards. This involves shortlisting the best annual prospects into five categories before testing them all to elect the winners.

Take a look at last year’s winners here and the European Yacht of the Year 2016 here

Now in its 15th year, the European Yacht of the Year is the most thorough and unbiased awards programme for new production yachts. All 12 judges, comprising the boat testers and editors from sailing magazines across Europe, tested all the nominated yachts in La Rochelle and Barcelona last autumn.

The five 2018 European Yacht of the Year winners were announced on the first evening of the Dusseldorf Boatshow, on 20 January. Look out for our March 2018 issue, which has a feature combining our reviews on all the winners in more detail.

FAMILY CRUISER

Nominees: Beneteau Oceanis 51, Hanse 548, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440

Winner: Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440 European Yacht of the Year 2018

Credit to the large-scale production yards for the innovation going into their latest models. Nevertheless, the new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey range is hands-down the most impressive for its forward thinking in terms of hull shape, cockpit design and interior layout.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440 European Yacht of the Year 2018

The realisation of the volume gained from a full bow is shrewd, while the sloping side decks that make for a walkaround cockpit is one of those game-changing ideas that you can expect to see copied by others in the future.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440 European Yacht of the Year 2018

Price ex VAT: €184,400

See our full test of the very similar larger sister, the SO490 in the October 2017 issue.

LUXURY CRUISER

Nominees: Amel 50, Hallberg-Rassy 44, Ice 60

Winner: Amel 50

Amel 50 European Yacht of the Year 2018

That this is such a popular new model is unsurprising. It is both a manageable size of yacht for a couple to handle and a lot of exceedingly comfortable and quality built boat for the price. It is a modern-looking design that sails surprisingly well from a yard with decades of experience with building bluewater cruisers

Amel 50 European Yacht of the Year 2018

This is a yacht that could appeal to those seeking luxury weekend cruising as well as those wanting to live aboard and sail long-distance. It’s a yacht to dream about sailing away on and one that may well hasten your sabbatical or retirement from work.

Look out for our full test on the Amel 50, following a two day seatrial, in our April 2018 issue.

Price ex VAT: €750,000

PERFORMANCE CRUISER

 Nominees: ClubSwan 50, Grand Soleil Performance 34, JPK 45

 Winner: ClubSwan 50

European Yacht of the Year 2018 Seatrials in Port Ginesta Castellfels

The ClubSwan 50 is the most extreme-looking production yacht to date and one with versatile appeal as its design strikes that balance between performance cruiser and grand-prix racing yacht.

See our full test report here

Its race yacht side is paired with an international circuit for owners to enjoy strictly controlled one-design competition. It’s a deliciously appealing plaything for short cruises and day sailing as well. Above all, it is outrageously, award-winningly cool.

ClubSwan 50 European Yacht of the Year 2018

This is perhaps just the start… with news that two new Juan K-designed 100ft+ ClubSwan models are on the drawing board, Nautor’s Swan is entering a new era of luxurious race craft.

Price ex VAT: €1.1m

SPECIAL YACHT

Nominees: Beneteau Figaro 3, Flaar M37, TF10 Trimaran

Winner: Beneteau Figaro 3

Beneteau Figaro 3 European Yacht of the Year 20182017/2018

This startling VPLP design looks half modern offshore race boat, half crazed contraption from a Star Wars film. Learn more about the design here – plus expert sailors’ reactions to it

Beneteau Figaro 3 European Yacht of the Year 20182017/2018

 Reliability will be key to the Figaro 3’s success – Beneteau’s first two Figaro models have proved almost invincible and have done more miles than any Vendée Globe yachts.

But all credit to Beneteau for not playing too safe this time. The modern hull shape, stiff build technique, deck layout and, of course, eye-catching foils are the result of contemporary thinking.

Beneteau Figaro 3 European Yacht of the Year 2018

This is an offshore one-design sportsboat with global appeal. Time will tell whether the foils are more gimmick than game-changer, but I was impressed with how well the boat is set-up for solo and short-handed racing.

Price ex VAT: €149,404

MULTIHULLS

Nominees: Fountaine Pajot Saona 47, Leopard 45, Neel 51

Winner: Neel 51

Neel 51 European Yacht of the Year 2018

First reactions to the Neel 51 are fairly consistent: your jaw drops at the sheer size of the boat (in terms of height, beam and particularly volume) – then you sail it and are even more surprised at how slippery it is.

Here is a yacht that genuinely has the potential to shock. The Neel 51 offers the space of a cruising cat of similar length (and for the same price), yet will easily outperform it under sail and, crucially, provide a rewarding helming experience.

The vast cockpit and adjoining saloon on the Neel 51, European Yacht of the Year 2018

With this model Neel may well show that trimarans are not only for tearing up ocean speed records but could be the way to go for multihull cruisers too.

Price ex VAT: €669,800

The post The best yachts of 2018? These are the 5 European Yacht of the Year 2018 winners appeared first on Yachting World.

A glorious start for the 26 superyachts competing at the St Barths Bucket 2018

St Barth did what it does best and turned on the perfect conditions for Bucket racing around the outlying rocks and islands surrounding this idyllic island. And in return for the welcoming hospitality and weather, 26 superyacht owners and their armies of crews helped bring some much-needed glitz and tourism back to an island still finding its feet after the devastation of two hurricanes last November.

A Force 4–5 (15 knot average) trade breeze, cloudless skies and sparkling seas gave the competitors the ideal conditions to open the three-day regatta with a counter-clockwise race around the island. It was pursuit racing at its best, with the yachts in multiple classes split by seconds on the finish line after 20-25 miles of racing – bravo to the ORC Superyacht Committee.

The SW102 Farfalla slices to weather off St Barth – by Michael Kurtz

I sailed with Farfalla for that first race, a Southern Wind 102 that is being increasingly campaigned, including at the recent RORC Caribbean 600. With a competent owner-driver and a highly experienced afterguard, she sailed a very clean and very enjoyable race.

Onboard Farfalla, chasing down Danneskjold at the St Barths Bucket

Ian Budgen’s tactics and Nacho Postigo’s wily navigation (taking the shortest route where possible and making use of our slightly lower draught) combined to help us sail through three of the five in our class.

And the final beat, trading tacks with the slightly larger 112ft Frers Spiip (the former Unfurled and current holder of the bucket), provided the exciting finale. Just two boat-lengths separated us on the line.

These performance 32-35m yachts, which includes Nilaya, Farfalla, Danneskjold, Sojana, and Spiip at the Bucket, show how well these designs can adapt to superyacht racing and why its an increasingly popular size for new builds. They are manouvrable enough for a tight-nit racing and fun for the crews to hoist code sails and A-sails, keep a sweat on between marks and earn their keep.

The latest J Class Svea is turning heads at St Barth and is leading the Js – by Claire Matches

It is a rousing sight to see the incomparable 78m sloop M5 (ex Mirabella) racing for the first time at a Bucket. And the Js, always a magnet for the spectating boats and the crews on the rails, are enjoying some close racing.

There are only three Js this year, the two newest in Svea and Topaz, and the 1934-built original Velsheda. Again, just seconds separated the boats in the first three races.

A success story of this edition is the six strong corinthian class, a white sails only fleet that is also enjoying some close racing despite a variety in ages and sizes of yachts. The top three boats, Koo, Q and Missy, were separated by just 30 seconds in the opening race.
I joined Missy for the second race and enjoyed the triumphant feeling of starting last and finishing first as we managed pick off the larger competitors on the final beat. The new Malcolm McKeon designed 33m fast cruiser was designed for family world sailing but is competing in her first regatta.

Congestion at the bottom mark/rock, from onboard Missy

She certainly has a turn of speed to match her sleek looks. A first victory in that race will doubtless encourage her owner to enter her in more friendly racing events.

The traditional ‘Yacht Hop’ after the first day’s racing cemented the friendly nature of this event and reinforced how the assembled owners are here to support an island in need.
It’s an event unlike any other – all crews and guests of the bucket are invited to join drinks parties aboard those yachts docked stern-to in Gustavia. I cannot even imagine such an event taking place anywhere else – only in St Barth!

The post The perfect lift for St Barth as Bucket begins with a bang appeared first on Yachting World.

The organisers of the International Multihull Boat Show in La Grande Motte, estimate that somewhere between 900 and 1,100 catamarans were built last year.
Demand is raging, leaving manufacturers scrambling to increase capacity to meet it.

The benefits of catamarans are obvious: more living space, faster performance off the wind (and sometimes on it) and a stable platform for a more family-friendly experience.
Sailors the world over were also thrilled by the performance of the boats in the last two America’s Cups, while the circumnavigation endeavours of Thomas Coville, François Gabart et al have shown that multihulls are up to the rigours of the oceans.

Charter has been one of the catalysts for demand: the facility to pick a new or favourite cruising ground from Tahiti to the Med and try out a catamaran there.

“In our time we have seen the standard go from pretty basic 27ft monohulls to an expectation of 40ft+ monos and cats, with air-con and many more comforts,” says Julian Adams, yacht sales consultant for Sunsail and The Moorings.
“Today’s charterer can now enjoy the thrills of a performance sailing boat without having to compromise on comfort. The added stability of achieving great performance while remaining upright also opens a door to bringing non-sailing friends on trips, without the anxiety of a white knuckle ride.
“Our fleet has approximately 40 per cent catamarans currently, and the demand for catamaran purchase is now equal or greater than for that of monohulls,” he adds.

Charter ownership is attractive because you’re not responsible for the boat’s upkeep, and you can typically spread the costs of ownership more widely than you can with an outright purchase.
As first-time charter boat owner Julie Boyd explains below, you can swap weeks on your own boat for weeks anywhere the company has a charter base: “We can now sail in places that we would never have taken our previous boat.”

Location, location, location

Pick a location where you are interested in sailing, not one that you think will charter well. And don’t be put off by that old story about the Med being unsuitable for catamarans because of tight berths. Adams says: “Those smaller spots where space is at a premium are often as easily accessed by berthing your cat on a buoy or anchor and using your larger RIB to access the dock. With berthing fees as they are today, this has more advantages than one.”
The best advice is to charter with the company before you join their ownership programme – you’ll quickly see how well they take care of the boats and of their customers.

“Looking around their fleet of boats will tell a story about the level of damage they suffer and the standards of day-to-day maintenance,” says Neil Bingham of Sail Grenadines. “I would strongly recommend viewing a five-year-old boat as well as the new ones.”
Maintenance is the crucial factor here. Of course, accidents happen sometimes, but a company with a good feel for its customers and a decent repair programme should be able to keep its boats in tip-top condition. Also, check who bears the upfront cost of maintenance – usually it’s the charter firm.

What programme?

Most charter companies offer different ways of paying for your boat. At one end of the spectrum you buy the boat outright and take an annual income (often guaranteed at between 7–9 per cent). You must have the capital available and commit to a four- to five-year contract. On the other hand, you can opt to pay a smaller proportion of the boat’s cost – typically 30-45 per cent – upfront, receive no income, then buy out the remaining value of the boat when the contract reaches term. This works out more costly in the end, but it is less capital intensive.
Sunsail and The Moorings even offer their owners a buyback option at the end of the contract, where the company pays you 20 per cent of the value to surrender the boat. “It’s popular because it avoids the final cash outlay, uncertainty of costs until sale and, in the EU, hefty VAT payment,” said Adams.

Dream Yacht Charter is another big operator with bases across the globe, including some less common destinations such as Baja California, Fort Lauderdale and Mauritius. As well as the more standard contracts, it offers a Performance programme, which gives boat owners exposure to two-thirds of charter income and access to tax benefits.
The downside is that you have to pay maintenance expenses. Dream also has a Crewed Yacht programme, suitable for boats over 45ft, where it will source the crew for you.

Does it pay?

Don’t expect ‘free’ sailing, but if you have the time to make full use of your 8-12 weeks of sailing each year, it should be much cheaper than chartering. And as you can see from the figures above, the cost of ownership is substantially lower than the upfront price of the boat.
Comparing the figures is useful – up to a point, but charter ownership is no commodity, and perhaps the best advice comes from Neil Bingham at Sail Grenadines: “It is important to choose a yacht or catamaran that suits you. This is an investment in leisure; the financial return is often not the most important thing you will get from a yacht partnership arrangement.”

Ocean Cat Sailors

Lucy Van Hove, La Cigale, Nautitech Open 40Sailors

Cruising round the world as a family has been a dream of Xavier and mine for decades – even before the kids came along! When we first started going out, we enjoyed sailing holidays in Europe on monohulls, but it was on honeymoon in the Grenadines that we fell in love with catamarans, chartering a Leopard, aptly named Two Purrfect.

When the opportunity came along to take a two-year sabbatical and follow this dream, the space that a catamaran afforded a family of five made it a logical choice. We wanted each child to have their own cabin, and there were also the other advantages, like the view from the galley when cooking, no roll and not having a keel trying to sink you in the case of a hull breach.
We also knew that we wanted a boat that paired aesthetics with performance rather than a floating caravan, which quickly narrowed the field for our selection. The Nautitech Open 40, with its sleek lines and good sailing record, was our preferred option. We had lusted after the Outremer, when looking round La Grande-Motte in 2016, but the maths of the Nautitech (80 per cent of the performance, 50 per cent of the price) made the choice a no-brainer.

We bought La Cigale in La Rochelle in September 2017, and set sail for the Canaries in October, negotiating fishing nets and tankers hugging the Iberian Peninsula.
In Las Palmas we joined the ARC Atlantic Rally. The seminars, support and tracking devices set us up for the ocean crossing, while the open cockpit of the Nautitech came into its own as a social hub, hosting impromptu parties that sometimes numbered more than 30 adults and children.

Since then we have taken on board that sailing around the world often just means fixing our boat in exotic locations. Some of this may be due to wear and tear, but in a new boat like ours it tends to be due to manufacturing faults. The scariest moment came on a night sail past St Vincent, when, in 30 knots of wind, we turned to take in another reef only to discover the wheel had totally stopped responding – the steering cable had snapped. We couldn’t open the engine compartment for repairs for fear of flooding from waves over the stern, and our Garmin autopilot was finding it impossible to cope on just one rudder.
On top of this we discovered that the handle of our emergency rudder was too long and was blocked by the helm seat.
Luckily, our secondary Raymarine autopilot managed to cope on a single rudder, and we were able to steer safely into Rodney Bay, St Lucia, eight hours later, using our port and starboard engines.
We have had a couple more dramatic lessons along the way, such as don’t try to get wind by edging a gale; cats really don’t like it! Otherwise, it has been pretty much a case of plain, downwind sailing.
In March we headed to Panama, crossing the Canal and the Equator in April – both epic maritime milestones, which we celebrated accordingly!
We are still pinching ourselves now to be in the Galápagos, preparing for our hop across the Pacific with a couple of other ARC families. Ultimately, we are heading to the Antipodes, where we plan to sell our boat before our sabbatical is over and we return to the UK. But the wind may change. Who knows?

Charter owner

Julie Boyd, Ciceron, Lagoon 39, Dream Yacht Charter

We have been catamaran owners for the past 25 years.
We kept an Edel 35 in Neyland, west Wales, sailing her to the Med after we retired, before we bought Ciceron, a Lagoon 39, last July.
The Edel was fun to sail, but we decided to upgrade to a more comfortable boat with extra room for family and friends.
We were looking to buy a used Lagoon 380. We also decided that we were going to cut down on our time away from months to weeks. This would mean that the boat would sit unused in a marina for most of the year.
While we were discussing all this, we were offered London Boat Show tickets by Dream Yacht Charter, who kept in touch with us after we’d made inquiries some years before. Looking more closely at the owner-charter option, we decided that this would be an ideal way for us to fulfil our sailing desires.

We opted to buy Ciceron, based in Calanova, Mallorca, via the Dream Easy programme over five years. We paid 35 per cent of the cost of the yacht at the start and will pay another 25 per cent at the end. At that point we will either keep the boat, sell it, or put it into a charter programme and receive an income.
It is worth mentioning that the boat is of much higher specification than standard, including Yanmar 45hp diesels, 2,000W inverter, B&G touchscreen electronics, gel batteries and additional storage in the galley.
We don’t receive an income with this programme, but nor do we pay any fees for berthing or management. We just pay a small turnaround fee when we use a boat.
During the five years, we get to sail our own yacht for 8–10 weeks per year in any of Dream’s bases across the world, such as Sardinia, Stockholm and the Seychelles. Being able to walk on board with a small bag to start our holiday, then walk away at the end without any maintenance or cleaning makes a pleasant change. We are very happy with our choice.

Report by Sam Fortescue

The post Buy to let guide: owning and chartering a catamaran – everything you need to know about how to make it work appeared first on Yachting World.

While many prefer the looks and potential speed of some of the faster cats, in reality the majority of sailors do not actually want to cruise particularly fast. This is the wind-down time they’ve looked forward to – why rush it? Space is king. These production cats rely on a formula of maximum deck and accommodation space for the length and money, and, in terms of a holiday platform or for all-round family cruising contentment, are seriously hard to beat.

The market is dominated by Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot and Leopard, who have order books that read like cricket scores. But companies like Bali and Bavaria/Nautitech are also becoming increasingly popular as they bring a more open and exterior focused layout. If you are still on the fence.

Just launched: Leopard 50

In its guise as the ‘own brand’ catamaran of Sunsail and the Moorings, Leopard has been extraordinarily successful. The Cape Town yard of Robertson and Caine has turned out over 1,500 catamarans 
and almost all of them have been sailed to their new homes around the globe – a phenomenal calling card, when you think about all those South Atlantic miles.
The new 50 replaces the popular 48, updating it with a host of features that have proved popular in the smaller models. From the outside, the boat has been restyled rather than redesigned. The topsides have been jazzed up with a stripe of smoked glass that conceals bigger portlights. The coachroof 
is more angular and square. This has the advantage of increasing the window area in the saloon, including 
a full-length skylight.
Leopard makes a point of putting the table and seating at the back of the saloon and the galley at the front. The logic is to connect indoor and outdoor social spaces – something that is enhanced by the sliding door and windows at the aft end. This leaves enough space for another unique feature among its series catamarans: a weathertight door out of the front of the saloon into the forward cockpit.

But the real ace in the Leopard 50’s feature list is the option of having a true flybridge on the hardtop over the cockpit. This comes complete with a lounge area, table and sunbed plus further choices for speakers and a shade awning. This adds weight high up and raises the boom, so for those in search of better sailing performance, there is also a classic hardtop version, the 50P. The ‘lounge’ version can still manage 40° off the true wind, and the polars predict a top speed of just over 12 knots. The key difference for the market over the 48 is its ability to offer five cabins with crew quarters, allowing four cabins to be sold.
The other key changes have taken place “under the bonnet”, as naval architect Alexander Simonis of Simonis Voogd puts it. Carbon-infused ring frames have been used to make the boat stiffer in key areas, making the more open-plan layout possible without adding too much weight. It is a technique that was successfully pioneered on larger racing cats.

First impressions

The European press launch for the Leopard 50 hinted at the phenomenal space this new model offers. At one time I counted 31 people on the aft deck, most sitting comfortably!
And it was the space that continued to amaze me as I walked through the boat. Not so much the colossal volume in the hulls – that’s almost expected in today’s family/charter cats – but more the amount of social space there is on deck and the separation between these areas. There is room enough for one family to chill in the forward cockpit, for example, another on the flybridge, one in the saloon and a fourth in the aft cockpit!
At the same time, I appreciate how Simonis Voogd has retained the stepped hulls to keep a narrow entry but beam above the waterline. Launched into the unforgiving waters off Cape Town, these cats are still expected to sail to weather. Visibility from the single helm station will be an issue – indeed forward-and aft-facing cameras are fitted to aid berthing manoeuvres.
The standard level of fit-out and finish also looked good. Some 17 boats were sold in first three days of the Miami Boat Show, half of which are destined for The Moorings charter fleets.

At a glance…

LOA: 50ft 6in (15.39m)
Beam: 26ft 5in (8.05m)
Draught: 5ft 3in (1.60m)
Displacement: 20.6 tonnes
Price: €539,000
Contact: Leopard Catamarans

Just launched: Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42

Born of racing stock in 1975, Fountaine Pajot has since evolved into building seaworthy cruising catamarans.
It has just launched the Astréa 42, a replacement for the Lipari 41 and one that completes its line-up from 40ft to 67ft. She shares the design DNA of her sisters, namely a trademark positive sheer, slightly inverted bow, bulkhead helm station and ease of handling.
The Astréa is all about comfort. She features a good-sized cockpit, with armchair-style seating along the aft crossbeam. Between the skirts at deck level, there’s an optional ‘beach club’ – a teak slatted platform, to you and me. This can be lowered 25cm below the water or raised with the dinghy on it. There’s another social area in front of the coachroof by the trampoline.
Although she measures just 42ft overall, FP and designer Berret Racoupeau have put much thought into the area around the helm. To keep the boom lower, they’ve stuck with their favoured bulkhead helming position, with all control lines running back to a double seat there. On the hard-top to port there is a sunpad and aft of the mainsheet track, optional solar panels.
The interior has also been designed for optimum communication: sliding doors connect the saloon and the cockpit into one big space. Configuration is highly modular, but there are plenty of options, including 12 shower/heads layouts and either three or four cabins. The show boat had a clever central shower area that is accessible from either forward or aft.

First impressions

This is the little sister to the Saona 47 that launched last year, and shares much of the styling.
FP sold 120 Saonas in a year. Now consider that it had already sold 130 of this new 42 before the first boat was launched. Such sales figures are driven by a market demanding as much space and comfort as possible 
in a smartly designed and 
easy-to-manage package.
The volume of the cabins is almost on a par with the Helia 44. It even boasts an island berth in the owner’s cabin. My chief concern is how such volume in the hulls and the low bridgedeck might affect her performance, particularly in waves. If you do opt for one, be wise that the 40- 50ft family cruiser cat market is truly booming, so you’d better be patient if you want a new boat.

At a glance…

LOA: 41ft 4in (12.58m)
Beam: 23ft 8in (7.20m)
Draught: 4ft 1in (1.25m)
Displacement: 11.5 tonnes
Price: from €345,000
Contact: Fountaine Pajot 

Coming up: Neel 47

One of the few cruising trimaran builders out there, Neel is really making its mark at the moment. The company is doubling in size this year, thanks to the success of the 51 last year. It has just re-skinned its popular 45 into the faster 45 Evolution and the La Rochelle-based yard has now announced a new 47, fitting snugly between the 45 and 51. Unlike its sisters, this is designed by French veteran Marc Lombard, best known 
for his Figaro II designs and work 
with Jeanneau.

The 47 borrows from the larger 51 with the strangely copyrighted ‘Cockloon’ concept, marrying cockpit and saloon living spaces through fully opening rear doors. The master cabin is carved out of the starboard corner 
of the saloon, to offer the benefit of views from the main deck. Up to four further doubles are available in the outrigger hulls.
Where the three-hull design really comes into its own is in performance terms. You get more righting moment from the broader beam, a much stiffer rig because the mast and stays are all fixed to the same monolithic centre hull, and consequently sharper performance to windward. Comfortable, fast and with styling that is guaranteed to turn heads when she hits the water in early 2019.

Price: from €398,000
Contact: Neel Trimarans

Best of the rest

Privilege Serie 5

Craftsmanship and semi-custom build are the calling cards of French brand Privilege Marine. The yard may have increased its efficiency under the ownership of the Hanse Group, but don’t expect anonymous production line boats. The team will incorporate whatever finish and features you desire.
First out of the shed under Hanse’s watch is the Serie 5 – the brand’s entry-level cat. She offers a big hull with plenty of volume, but with lines by racing veteran Marc Lombard she won’t be slow. The accent is on stability for a rounded bluewater performance.
The bulkhead helm station helps keep the weight lower and is well-connected to the social space of the cockpit. The distinguishing feature is the ‘nacelle’ structure between the bows, which creates a huge volume entirely devoted to the master cabin.

Price: from €995,000
Contact: Privilege Marine

Bali 4.1

The latest in Bali’s range picks up on many of the attributes that made a success of the smaller Bali 4.0. Cruising comfort remains the key characteristic of this catamaran, with lots of social space and comfortable cabins.
Bali, owned by the Catana Group, is unique in the cat market for connecting its two hulls fore and aft with a rigid deck, rather than dropping a deck on top of deck beams. The skirts of the two transoms are bridged by a solid piece of GRP, and the area where the trampoline would usually be is half turned over to a foredeck lounging and eating area.
There are no centreboards to worry about – the boat relies on stub keels to keep her sliding forwards rather than sideways. This means less performance to windward, but easier handling. A forgiving package, offered with either three or four en-suite cabins.

Price: from €294,800
Contact: Bali Catamarans

Lagoon 50

Unveiled in 2017, the Lagoon 50 plugs the gap between the 52 and the 450. It has been given a new look on deck, with a slight bevel to the top of each hull, huge portlights and even more glass around the saloon. There’s an easier-to-handle rig with shorter boom, high-aspect main, self-tacking jib, and all lines lead back to the flybridge helm station. Designer VPLP has also moved the mast a little aft to reduce pitching.
As with all Lagoons, comfort, simplicity and ease are the keywords. The flybridge features comprehensive lounging space, and there’s a large cockpit with modular dining options. Another seating area exists between the saloon windows and the foredeck trampoline.
The saloon is on two levels, with a retractable windscreen, and the hulls can be configured with anything from three to six double cabins.

Price: from €550,800
Contact: Lagoon 

Is it a catamaran or a monohull? Meet Futura 49

Buy a catamaran, but pay the berthing costs of a monohull. This is the idea behind the variable width Futura 49, launched a few months ago at La Grande Motte. But between the theory and the practice is a huge gulf, and it has taken designers Uli Bullmer and Gerhard Euchenhofer more than four years to bridge that.
The result of their labours with naval architects at Judel Vrolijk is a craft with a beam of 7.98m in sailing mode, shrinking to 4.93m in ‘parking’ mode. The key to the system is the twin carbon cross beams that provide the stability for the electric motors to pull the two hulls together.

It has something of the true catamaran to it: the two hulls serve solely as floats, with no accommodation inside, while all the living is done on the platform that connects them. The Polynesians would have approved. Removing the living space from the hulls has allowed them to be more hydrodynamic.
Futura has created a large superstructure that runs much further forward than it does on fixed cats. The dark wraparound windows contain a space that is divided up to form cabins at the forward end, with a galley and dining space at the stern opening onto the aft deck. The helm station is set into the coachroof, to starboard, with the winches mounted between seats, plus a big sunpad.

Anything from one to four cabins are optional. Note that the chart table is just a fold-down surface in the saloon, with no forward view and very limited side visibility. If the 49 proves successful – there is already a charter unit available in Croatia with Pitter Yachting – Futura plans to expand the range.

Price: from €629,000
Contact: Futura Yacht Systems

The post Family Cruisers: the best multihulls for space and comfort at sea 2018 appeared first on Yachting World.

Many monohull sailors who are thinking of converting to mulithulls for distance cruising seek a combination of the speed and feel of performance cruisers together with the space multihulls provide. To offer proper bluewater cruising ability yet not be too sluggish, a fast cruising cat or tri needs to be smartly designed with payload in mind and built relatively light. Here’s where the fast distance cruisers like Outremer, Catana, Swisscat, Seawind, Balance, Atlantic, Neel and Ocean Explorer help offer that potential sabbatical or retirement dream.

Just launched: Outremer 51

The original Outremer 51 launched in 2014 and proved popular, selling more than 50 models. It also garnered a number of European and US yacht of the year titles. But things can always improve, so the French catamaran builder has updated the design with the help of feedback from hundreds of owners.
The improvements are superficial and substantial: the interior and exterior styling has been changed, but the boat’s performance has also been tweaked. Not only does this make the boat more fun, it is also “an important safety attribute”, says Outremer. With speeds in excess of 20 knots perfectly achievable, you could certainly outrun bad weather and potentially clock up 400 miles over 24 hours.
This sleek-looking boat has on-trend reverse bows, curved coachroof and low-profile steering positions. The helms are slightly raised above the cockpit with a clear 360° view out over the coachroof. It may lack the real estate of a flybridge helm station, but it saves weight and allows the boom to be lower on the mast, all of which helps stability and performance.
Control lines all lead back across the coachroof to winches within easy reach of the helmsman, except for the mainsheet, which runs along a track on the aft crossbeam behind the cockpit.

The fine entry and reverse of the bows should allow her to cut efficiently through the waves for a ride with less pitch to it. Outremer says it has raised the clearance between the waterline and the bridgedeck to prevent uncomfortable slamming.
For all their speed, these are still solid bluewater boats. Yes, you can choose a whole range of carbon upgrades, from masts and booms to tillers, but everything below the waterline is in solid glassfibre, laid up by hand. Outremer uses carbon fibre reinforcing and foam sandwich elsewhere, for rigidity and lightness, but the hull is designed to survive a heavy grounding or a mid-sea impact. Outremer claims that its boats are designed to last more than 50 years, and cover ‘millions’ of miles.
The interior offers everything that you would expect from a modern family-oriented boat.

The saloon has comfortable seating and a table for six to eight, with a forward-looking navstation that is a good size. Accommodation is three or four cabins, depending on whether you opt for an owner’s-only hull. If you do, there’s a separate heads and shower, desk, seating and storage. Outremer makes much of the boat’s quietness, free from the grinding and cracking noises you hear as some cats flex. For liveaboards this could be a welcome feature.

First impressions

Outremer has done an impressive job of updating its most popular model, outside and in. I like the modern, muscular look of the sculpted-out topsides and dreadnought bows. Improved build techniques – partly acquired since its takeover of Gunboat – have also allowed the yard to save 600kg over the original model.
The 51 has enough of a go-faster appeal for those converting from performance monohulls – the majority of Outremer’s clients, says sales manager Matthieu Rougevin-Baville – while at the same time retaining the seaworthy build and features for which the brand is known.
It’s about keeping things simple, good-looking yet durable. For those with the budget, this is the ideal size of boat, in terms of speed bought by long waterline length, volume for accommodation and payload capacity (3 tonnes), for long-term, fast bluewater sailing.

At a glance…

LOA: 51ft 3in (15.65m)
Beam: 24ft 4in (7.42m)
Draught: 3ft 1in-7ft 7in (0.94m-2.31m)
Displacement: 13.7 tonnes
Price: from €735,000
Contact: Catamaran Outremer

Just launched: Ocean Explorer 60

Rubbing shoulders with Nautor’s Swan in Jakobstad, Finland, the new team behind this boat have a long track record in building low-impact yachts with high performance. And it’s not just a postcode they share with Swan – German Frers is also the designer of this yacht.
The OE60 is the first in a range running to 78ft. There is carbon 
load-point reinforcing and an 
all-carbon rig for performance, with the further option of a carbon hull as well. Cutter rigged with a self-tacking jib and staysail, it has a long, sculpted bowsprit for launching downwind sails. Dual helm stations on each hull have long clear views ahead.

Clearly built with Nordic winters in mind, she has an exceedingly cosy navstation in the saloon, with access to all key controls via push buttons. The saloon doesn’t encroach on the two hulls, and is relatively low-profile with sweeping 360° views, as well as access to the foredeck and halyard winches through a watertight door.
You can devote an entire hull to the owner’s suite, or go for up to five double cabins. There’s also the option of putting the galley in the hull to free up the saloon. And with solar panels, regenerating prop, electric propulsion and black water treatment systems as options, the OE60 is designed to minimise its environmental impact.

First impressions

I wrote about this catamaran during its conception five years ago, but La Grande Motte was the first time I had seen one. Wow, talk about worth the wait… this is quite simply one of the most impressive luxury multihulls I have been aboard.
Four main subcontractors to Nautor’s Swan and Baltic Yachts formed the company and the quality of their craftsmanship is, as you would expect, world class. It is the first production cat for Frers, yet the Argentinian designer has managed to maintain his reputation for alluring lines – this is a long, low and particularly elegant design.
I like the helms right in the quarters, a more familiar position for monohull sailors, while the glass-based coachroof allows the helmsman a reasonable sight to the opposite bow. Step inside and it is the true panoramic view these vertical windows all combine to give that really appeals.
The forward cockpit is a practical area for manning halyards or standing watch. I also like the clean, spreader-less rig and massive yet practical stowage areas.
The skipper told me he had sailed a Gunboat 60 across the Pacific and that this OE60 matches its performance. A key is the C-foils, the most reliable appendage system he has used.
This was the second OE60 to be built (the first has done four Atlantic and one Pacific crossing in four years) and is being used for charter. What I’d give for a week aboard this…

At a glance…

LOA: 60ft 7in (18.50m)
Beam: 29ft 8in (9.07m)
Draught: 2ft 6in-6ft 6in (0.85m-2.00m)
Displacement: 18 tonnes
Price: from €3.6m
Contact: Frers

Just launched: Seawind 1600

The new flagship performance cruiser from the Australian brand made a welcome world debut at La Grande Motte in April. The Reichel Pugh design sits in a similar market to the Outremer 51 – a fast composite cruiser, aimed at couples going long-distance cruising.
The first six 1600s sold off plans and Seawind, which owns Corsair, now builds in Vietnam. All boats are built using vinylester and Diam foam.
The 1600 is Reichel Pugh’s first production multihull and has a practical air about it that sailors will appreciate. “It has been properly designed to sail fast when loaded,” says Seawind sales manager Jay Nolan.
The helmsman can steer from under the solid bimini or can stand outboard, with a good view over the low coachroof. Retractable, captive daggerboards, along with foam-cored lifting rudders in cassettes, allow true shoal draught capability. The daggerboards are housed underdeck and controlled from the cockpit.
The running rigging is, unusually, led under the coachroof and bridgedeck aft to a single central winch on the aft crossbeam. Reefing lines and the self-tacking jib sheet also lead to this protected, vertically mounted winch. The cockpit is smallish, linked to the interior via a huge sliding window.

The interior, also designed by Reichel Pugh, has a pleasingly yacht-like feel to it and good natural ventilation. Both the navstation and galley are well proportioned, though the dining space is less generous. The cabins don’t feel quite as light and airy, largely because the portholes are small. Seawind says these are already being enlarged for the third boat.
Three or four cabins are offered and an optional performance pack includes carbon spars and synthetic rigging.

First impressions

I quickly took to this boat. The choice of performance monohull specialists to design a cruising cat is unusual, yet here the combination of Reichel Pugh’s reputation for winning lines and Seawind’s three decades of catamaran building experience has worked admirably.
Sailors will appreciate the practical elements incorporated throughout. The design itself has particularly narrow hulls at waterline level, a low freeboard and coachroof, and the incorporation of a proper payload capacity into the light displacement. The use of captive boards and rudder cassettes allow for both sailing to windward and shoal cruising. The cassettes also create the option to replace 
or repair a blade easily and the low coachroof allows proper forward visibility 
from either helm.
With the addition of larger portholes in the cabins, the 1600 gives an interesting fast cruising option for couples.

At a glance…

LOA: 51ft 8in (15.74m)
Beam: 25ft 10in (7.90m)
Draught: 8ft 6in-2ft 1in (2.6m-0.54m)
Displacement: 13 tonnes
Price: from €740,000
Contact: Seawind 

The post Fast Bluewater Cruisers: the best new performance bluewater catamarans on the market 2018 appeared first on Yachting World.

This is where the worlds of racing and cruising multis meet, where we see high-tech lightweight craft that use exotic materials and daggerboards to help produce electrifying sailing. Gunboat was arguably the first to identify this market on a luxury level, and has since been joined by HH, McConaghy, Ice Cat, and ITA.

And then there are the performance multis that are more minimalist and lean more towards the offshore racer than cruiser – like Marsaudon, Dragonfly, Banuls, Dazcat, and Rapido… fun factor guaranteed!

Just launched: McConaghy MC50

Fresh from the Australian composite wizards McConaghy, the MC50 is the smallest series catamaran in a new range that runs up to 90ft. Drawn by Jason Ker, renowned for his IRC winners, the MC50 has performance in her DNA, designed as a fast cruising cat, capable of crossing oceans.
The MC line has incorporated input of experienced owners and sailors, and includes some impressive features. For example, the doors between the saloon and the cockpit concertina, while the saloon windows slide open electrically for al-fresco living. A skylight down the middle of the coachroof lets light flood in, and can be specced as a large ‘solar glass’ generator to keep batteries topped up.
Then there is the standard cross brace between the bows, which has been eliminated by using a carbon fibre longeron down the boat’s centreline, tensioned with Nitronic rod stays.
The first hull launched in time for La Grande Motte boatshow in April and the performance predictions are bold. Polars from McConaghy suggest speeds of over 10 knots in a stiff Force 6, at 30° off the true wind. Bear away onto a broad reach and she is expected to manage 21 knots-plus.
Upwind performance is boosted by 3.5m-deep hydraulic daggerboards in each hull, which include a fail-safe in the event of underwater collision. 
“We expect her to track upwind extremely well,” says James Kinloch 
of McConaghy.
And yet this is no pared-down raceboat. The saloon has deep seating to starboard and an extending table gives dining space for at least eight, and can convert into lounging room if you drop the table and install the fill-in cushion. The galley and island unit to port are more penthouse than deckhouse, with induction hob and moulded-in sinks. Sensibly, there is a navigation station at the forward end of the saloon, with good visibility ahead and access to all the systems.
The styling was undertaken by Design Unlimited.
“The concept was to create a penthouse apartment on the living deck,” says Ole John, director of McConaghy Multihulls Europe. 
“The 35-40m2 of space must be the biggest for a 50ft yacht.”

There’s a true flybridge at the aft tip of the sloping coachroof, with twin helm stations that give excellent visibility. The key control lines come back to winches here for easy single-handing. This is also a social space with seating for seven people.
“No other manufacturer to date has built a catamaran that gives effortless pace and upwind capability combined with an ultra high quality, stylish and spacious interior. This is primarily because the latter two are not comfortable bedfellows,” says Kinloch.
The flybridge means a compromise of having the boom higher up the mast, raising the centre of gravity and centre of effort on the boat – both enemies of stability. McConaghy has tried to mitigate this by slanting the boom slightly up from the gooseneck.
The MC50 has a square-top 104m2 mainsail and a 50m2 self-tacking jib, broadly similar to a Lagoon 50. But the key to her performance lies in Ker’s optimised hull shape, and the 40 per cent of her lay-up that is in carbon fibre (she is six tonnes lighter than the Lagoon 50), meaning greater stiffness.
The MC50 is available in a three- and four-cabin layout, each with dedicated heads and shower.

First impressions

The MC50 is a clever boat. A Ker/McConaghy project, it might be expected to be all about the performance. That has yet to be proved, but the first MC50 to launch stole the show at its La Grande Motte debut in April thanks to the sheer amount of open-plan living space it offers.
The natural light and ventilation offered by using sliding doors and windows needs to be seen to be believed, and the general feeling is that of a condo/apartment on the main deck.
The view from the helms on the aft flybridge is excellent, but I wonder how these relatively high positions will feel in a rolling sea. The most impressive aspect for me, however, is the engineering detail, something Ker is known for. It can be seen in the length to which he and the yard has gone with the mast base and bowsprit longeron supports, and the hydraulic centreboards that swing into the hulls.
The latter offer a clever solution to the problem of providing the performance benefits of 3.5m-deep boards without swallowing excessive accommodation space. The boards have fail-safe pins that break in a collision without 
risk of leaking hydraulic fluid; and they take just 12 seconds to raise.
This is a boat that we are itching to sail.

At a glance…

LOA: 49ft 10in (15.20m)
Beam: 26ft 3in (8.00m)
Draught: 3ft 3in – 8ft 10in (1.00m – 2.70m)
Displacement: 14.5 tonnes
Price: from €1.33m
Contact: McConaghy 

Just launched: ICE Cat 61

Italy’s ICE Yachts has been on the scene since the turn of the millennium, but it is only now making a foray into multihulls. And it is starting big, with a 61, and a 67 further down the line. Its calling card has always been style at the service of performance, and the cats will be no different. Enrico Contreas has designed a dashing hull with just a hint of reverse bow and a long, curved quarter. It’s stylish, but also practical. “Avoiding highly reversed bows allows for easy recovery of the mooring lines,” says Marco Malgara, ICE Yachts’ CEO.
Likewise, the shallow curve of the coachroof is more than just a flick of the designer’s pen: it is intended to reduce windage and help the catamaran go to windward. This is one reason that she can reportedly manage near 30° true wind angles. Another is the manually-operated carbon foils that reduce her displacement by about 15 per cent, and the way the rig is designed.
“The angle going to windward is almost like a monohull,” Malgara says.

The yachts are built using ultra-modern techniques. On the standard version, the hull and superstructure employ a mix of glass and carbon fibre vacuum-infused with epoxy to ensure that just 35-40 per cent of the final weight is resin. Everything on the boat is foam-cored. Customers have so far unanimously opted for the RS version of the 61, which uses all carbon fibre.
ICE has tried to mitigate the handling of a large, technical boat with electric winches and a self-tacking jib. The sheets of both sails are on travellers, giving maximum sail trimming options and a tighter sheeting angle for better windward performance. The helms are towards the aft end of the cockpit, behind a pod-like console, giving the skipper more the sense of a monohull. Dispensing with a raised helm station keeps the boom and the centre of gravity low, making for a more comfortable ride and better performance, predicted at 25 knots.
The interior is more architectural than your average luxury yacht. Expect more of a kitchen than a galley in the large open space of the saloon. The configuration allows for three, four or five cabins, including a compact crew berth in the starboard bow.

At a  glance…

LOA: 61ft (18.60m)
Beam: 28ft 3in (8.60m)
Draught: 3ft 3in (1.00m)
Displacement: 15 tonnes
Price: From €1.35m
Contact: Ice Yachts

Coming up: HH50

HH Catamarans has been turning heads since 2012 with a line of sporty, high-tech boats that feature a luxury fit-out. What started off on the drawing board as a fast 48ft cruising cat has grown to 50ft in the building.
“One of the biggest reasons was 
the addition of a second helm station aft,” explained marketing manager 
Will Hobbs.
“That and, during the design review, we found we were able to increase sail efficiency by 6 per cent if we lengthened the hull.”
The lay-up is all carbon, with twin bulkhead helm stations and long-skirted hulls. With a self-tacking jib and push-button controls at the helm station, she should be a breeze to sail short-handed.
Her accommodation all looks very elegant – dark teak contrasting with lighter fabrics. The saloon windows are huge, letting light gush in, with a semi-horseshoe galley to starboard, a navstation forward and dining table to port. There are configurations allowing for three or four cabins.
Morelli & Melvin’s design generally looks modern and aggressive (even if we question the aesthetics of the hard biminis above the helms).

At a  glance…

LOA: 49ft 10in (15.20m)
Beam: 24ft 4in (7.44m)
Draught: 4ft 11in-10ft 6in (1.50m-3.20m)
Displacement: 15 tonnes
Price: Tbc
Contact: HH Catamarans

Just launched: Marsaudon TS5

Even if you haven’t heard of Marsaudon, you’re likely to be familiar with its work. The Brittany-based boatbuilder is responsible for some of the world’s biggest and fastest multihulls, including the trimaran IDEC 2, in which Francis Joyon demolished the round-the-world record in 2008.
Operating out of an old U-boat pen in Lorient, France, this composite expert has only been crafting its own brand of cruising catamarans for a few years, but it has already become its mainstay. It began with the TS42, which has reached 10 units, then the well-regarded TS50. The new TS5 is a remodelled version of this, with all-new tooling and a length overall of 55ft. Even before the first one hit the water, half a dozen boats had been pre-sold, such is the reputation of this builder.

In line with its racing heritage, Marsaudon is building the boat to be as fast as possible, with plenty of features stemming directly from its experience with the world’s best racing skippers. There are lots of carbon-fibre options, including a rotating mast with Spectra standing rigging, daggerboards, forward crossbeam and even a carbon main bulkhead. The hull and deck are in high-quality vinylester with foam sandwich core. Designer Christophe Barreau says that she will sail 
5 knots faster than the old TS50, which was already a strong performer. The TS5 has already recorded 23 knots in 18 knots of wind while reaching.
The cockpit is relatively compact, offering a fixed table and seating for up to six. The mainsheet runs along the back of the cockpit, which is good for performance, but encroaches a little on social space. The hulls are fine, meaning that cabins are simple and berths fill all the available space – 160cm at the stern and 140cm in the bow. But don’t expect the fineries of modern catamarans.
Marsaudon doesn’t build cheap boats, but will accommodate design requests. The TS5 shares the pared-back, short-handed philosophy of the smaller TS42, but the extra length allows more concessions to comfort. The second boat, already launched, is for Gerald Bibot, founder of Squid weather routeing software.

At a glance…

LOA: 49ft 10in (15.20m)
Beam: 28ft 3in (8.60m)
Draught: 3ft 11in-9ft 10in (1.20m-3.00m)
Displacement: 8.6 tonnes
Price: from €620,000
Contact: Marsdon Composites

Coming up: ITA 14.99

ITA Catamarans is a new brand, but the team behind this 14.99 are no strangers to the trade and have experience from many of the major Italian shipyards. The naval architecture is by Francois Perus, whose Yacht Design Collective has worked with brands such as Catana and North Wind on their multihulls.
The result is a sleek-looking craft with stylish dreadnought bows and refreshingly low-profile coachroof. This sets the tone for the boat, due to launch this summer, which is all about stellar performance within the envelope of a fast cruiser.
Take the twin helm stations, for instance – they are perched on the aft coaming. This frees up the cockpit for socialising, without compromising the boat’s stability by putting the weight 
of the helm on the coachroof. The result looks as if it could feel exposed in bad weather, although there is a wraparound seat, and the Jefa pedestal can swing inboard if necessary. The outer position gives you optimal views ahead and to windward.
The dreadnought bows are designed to give extra waterline length for speed, while the long, fine underwater profile of the hulls is optimised for comfort through the waves. The flatter sections aft mean that she should plane at speed, and the winch-trimmed daggerboards improve performance to windward. High-tech foam sandwich lay-up and the use of carbon fibre in key areas keeps the hulls light and stiff.

There should be plenty of power from her fathead main and self-tacking jib. “Since most cruisers consists of one couple for sailing, the deck and running rigging had to be of a design so that one person can easily manage all sailing manoeuvres from the safety of the cockpit,” says Sonia Segato, head of marketing at ITA Catamarans.
The mainsheet runs back to blocks on the aft crossbeam, where Harken 50 winches are within easy reach of the helm. It is a set-up that has worked well for monohull sailors, and this boat’s low profile coachroof makes it possible here too.
The designer’s ambition is clearly bluewater, because the boat’s equipment and latest technology includes a Schenker watermaker and Oceanvolt electric propulsion, backed up with twin regenerating props that allow you to recharge the lithium-ion batteries as you sail.
There’s scope for owners to choose their own interior design. “Nothing is set in stone”, says ITA. The heart of the boat is its comfy saloon, which has wraparound toughened glass windows, and the starboard hull is turned over to the owner’s suite. There are several configurations to choose from, including one with an office and another with bunks.
Weight management is taken very seriously. The complete hulls weigh 2,250kg, and the whole boat is infused in one shot to come in under five tonnes. The first 14.99 will be shown 
at Cannes, before the owner takes it 
on a circumnavigation.

At a glance…

LOA: 49ft 2in (14.99m)
Beam: 25ft 7in (7.80m)
Draught: 1ft 10in-7ft 8in (0.57m-2.35m)
Displacement: 14.5 tonnes
Price: €890,000
Contact: Itacatamarans

Coming up: Gunboat 68

Gunboat is back to what it does best with a show-stopping design for a 68ft oceanic catamaran. An all-carbon build again, the new 68 has heavily reversed wave-piercing bows and super low-profile coachroof, giving it an elegant but muscular look. There’s something of Gotham City about this yacht.
Gunboat, which is now under French ownership, has brought in VPLP design for the naval architecture. They are veterans of some of the world’s biggest, fastest racing multihulls. The design team has broadened the beam of the boat and moved the mast further aft to make her more stable and easier to handle. That said, she’ll be no slouch, particularly if you select some of the turbo options, including longer rig for bigger sails, lighter weight and longer daggerboards. Speeds in excess of 25 knots in a blow, and up to 16 knots in a Force 4 are predicted. Benoit Lebizay, Gunboat’s managing partner, says: “500 miles per day is an achievable target”.

At 68ft, there is plenty of real estate to toy with here. We like the interior helm station with its sunroof – handy for keeping an eye on the sails as well as ventilation. There’s also easy access to the forward cockpit and the foredeck through two watertight glass doors in the front of the saloon. This will also bathe the interior with light.
The galley to port is big enough to sport an island unit, and the rear windows open to connect the inside and outside seating/dining areas. At this size, the two hulls offer lots of room for four, five, or six full-sized double beds with panoramic views.

At a glance…

LOA: 68ft (20.75m)
Beam: 29ft 11in (9.1m)
Draught: 3ft 11in-13ft 6in (1.20m-4.10m)
Displacement: 23.8 tonnes
Price: from €4.75m
Contact: Gunboat

Best of the rest:

Unlimited Yacht C53

Vittorio Malingri, Italy’s first Vendée Globe sailor, is the nautical brain behind a new fast cruising catamaran, christened the Unlimited C53. With no website, his is a stealthy operation, but the first hull is sold and already in-build on the Adriatic coast between Ancona and San Marino.
The boat has been designed with an experienced navigator’s eye, so the beams connecting the two hulls are an unprecedented 1.3m above the waterline, to minimise slamming in heavy seas. Tankage and heavy equipment are all positioned low and in the centre of the hulls for balance. And there is a heavy longeron, which makes for a stiffer forestay and therefore better windward performance.
The twin helms are on swinging pedestals, and the boat uses foils and T-shaped rudders to provide lift to windward. There are three broad specification levels, depending on budget, with the top spec including full carbon lay-up.

Dazcat D1295

Launched at the end of last season, the D1295 is a potent new addition to the cruiser-racer cat market. It is the smaller sister to the very impressive D1495 we tested two years ago and 
leans on more than three decades of successful 
offshore racing builds from this Cornish yard. These cats can outrun weather or look after 
crew if caught out.
Weight is kept low and central, including the engines, to create a fast smooth ride. It is also minimised wherever possible, with carbon used for the rudders, spinnaker pole V-striker, davits and bimini sections.
“She points really high and is the fastest tacking Dazcat so far,” says Dazcat designer Darren Newton. “We did a two-second tack where she lost no momentum at all, which for a cruising cat is phenomenal!”

The post Performance cruisers: the best new catamarans for racing and fast cruising 2018 appeared first on Yachting World.

How do you select the right catamaran to best suit your cruising? Learning from other owners is a good place to start

They have two different boats, different sailing plans and two very different sets of experience. But what these cruisers have in common is a desire to explore in two hulls rather than one.
Hal Haltom explains how he drew on decades of monohull sailing to choose a relatively light displacement Outremer 51 for the World ARC, while David Weible and Kellie Peterson tell of their snap decision to sell up and set sail in a Lagoon 42. They share hard won tips about setting up the boat for ambitious cruising and give an insight into life at sea.

Hal Haltom – Outremer 51

Hal Haltom, 59, from Texas, bought an Outremer 51 in 2016 and set off on the World ARC that winter. With his wife Marsha and daughter Haley, he has sailed more than 27,000 miles across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans to reach South Africa and believes that it makes sense to buy a lighter boat that performs better in light winds.

We did two trips through the eastern and western Caribbean with our kids about 10 years ago on a Tayana 52 monohull. This time we switched to a catamaran because it had features that we thought were better: living above the waterline, level (and not rolly) and easier sail handling.
Once we decided to switch, we started looking at the available boats in our price range. My wife Marsha and I have raced sailboats for many years and we wanted a better sailing cat, which ruled out the heavier ones. At the Miami Boat Show in early 2015 we looked at a Catana and St Francis but it was an Outremer 51 that interested us . Afterwards, we flew to the company’s factory in La Grande- Motte in southern France and were impressed. We thought the Outremer 51 was a boat that a couple in their 50s could handle and we ordered one and took delivery in May 2016.

Fit for bluewater

Ours is the base boat with only a few options added because Outremer builds a boat that is ready to go bluewater cruising. We have an aluminium mast, Mastervolt lithium battery system (360Ah at 24V), Dessalator watermaker, 560W of solar panels, and a Watt & Sea hydrogenerator. All this equipment worked well. As did the B&G instruments, Lecomble & Schmitt autopilot, Volvo D2-40 engines, and Incidence and Delta Voile sails. We don’t have a diesel generator.
Sailing on a sunny day, we can run the watermaker using only the batteries and on a cloudy day, I may need to turn on an engine for an hour or so. Each engine has a 110A alternator running through a Sterling booster. At anchor, we rely on the solar panels, which is all that is needed in the Tropics.

My advice would be to buy a boat that sails well and handles easily. Also, I would keep the equipment as simple as possible while maintaining the comfort level you need. Passagemaking is hard on boats. A light boat requires less effort to sail and a simpler boat requires less maintenance and repair. Even though our boat is a light cat, we have found it to be well-built and comfortable. Outremer has also been very responsive in dealing with any issues during the two-year warranty period and beyond.
After spending the summer cruising the Mediterranean, it was time to head off on our big adventure. We left La Grande-Motte in October 2017. We sailed to Spain and Gibraltar and crossed the Atlantic to St Lucia in November 2017 with the ARC+ rally. We joined the World ARC rally in St Lucia and sailed to Panama, through the canal, across the Pacific to Australia, and then across the Indian Ocean to Richards Bay, South Africa, where we are now.

Light airs

The three of us have sailed more than 27,000 miles and are pleased with our choice of boat. Fast cruising is enjoyable and it is always good to get into port sooner.
We typically sail in tradewind conditions at boat speeds of 8 to 10 knots. We had six 200-plus mile days in a row during our crossing of the Pacific from the Galapagos to the Marquesas.
During our Indian Ocean crossing we had 30-plus knots of wind for several days and 4m seas. The boat also performed well in those conditions.
When cruising, you see more light air than heavy air and it is very nice to have a boat that will sail fast in light air. An additional benefit of a fast cat that is often not mentioned is the ability to sail with a reduced sail area and still go fast. We often sail with two or three reefs in the main and just our working jib in 15 knots of wind, which makes the boat very easy to handle, while still going fast. Another advantage is with narrow hulls and a smaller saloon the side decks are wider, which make moving around much safer. Our huge foredeck also makes sail handling much safer and easier, with less stress all round as we move through the water.

David Weible and Kellie Peterson – Lagoon 42

David Weible had a liveaboard adventure on a leaky monohull many years ago but he and his partner Kellie still managed to surprise themselves when they decided to sell their Florida home and go cruising. They chose a Lagoon 42 and, with few regrets, have just crossed the Atlantic to Saint Lucia after a summer in the Med.

A little more than a year ago, we were riding our bikes across the playa at the Burning Man festival in Nevada when a dust storm rolled in. We took refuge in a lighthouse art installation, talked about our dreams and hatched a plan: sell everything, buy a sailboat, sail the globe — and share our story on YouTube.
Four months later, we made an offer on a Tartan 44 monohull in St Petersburg, Florida. A sea trial and inspection revealed major issues, so we kept looking for another bluewater cruising boat. In February, we flew to San Diego to see a Tayana – another disappointment. But the effort wasn’t a total loss: we discovered catamarans. We looked at Leopard, Fountaine-Pajot and Lagoon. When we boarded the Lagoon 42, a comfortable catamaran that could really take us places, we were sold.

The delights

Hull #300 was delivered in August. We moved aboard on a Saturday and set sail across the Bay of Biscay the following Wednesday. Sitting at anchor in Spain, navigating narrow rivers in Portugal, picking our way through the Atlantic fog, surfing big swells on the way to Madeira, lounging with the wildlife in the Selvagens and currently sailing across the Atlantic Ocean have all added up nicely and validated our decision to buy the catamaran.

Starship Friendship handles a lot better than we expected. These heavier cruising catamarans sail really well with the right sail plan, but they do come with a relatively conservative set-up. The square-top main, Code 0 and ACH cruising chute options are a must. On a dead run, speed over ground exceeds half of the true wind speed; up to 45° into the wind, with 15 knots or more, she does even better. On a beam reach, she nearly matches true wind speed; fly the chute in as little as 8 knots and she’ll keep a comfortable walking pace downwind. In a solid swell, she’s balanced and comfortable. Crew members suffer little or no seasickness and are not worn out after longer passages.

Wishlist

We still have a wishlist of improvements including a dual battery charger for 110V and 220V, painted bow compartments to avoid fibreglass itchiness, an accessible place for wet gear and fishing tools, and a bit more solar and battery capacity (oh, and a Parasailor too). The broker recommended two rigid LG300 solar panels, which put out roughly 270W each at max output. This is not enough to run all systems on the boat, so when we go offshore, the generator becomes a necessity – we run it for roughly four hours per day. If money were no object we would have loved to put a custom stainless attachment above the dingy davit with three or four panels, which would be the correct amount of power necessary for our boat.
Otherwise, we have not done much to her. The lighting indoor and outdoor is bright and does not have dim or colour option. We put red spinnaker tape over our lights when offshore to create a more friendly night environment and intend to have red lighting in the Caribbean. We also installed an electric toilet in the owner’s cabin, which has been really nice.
The helm station is a hot topic among Lagoon 42 owners. It’s a love-hate relationship. A lot of owners find the seat uncomfortable and too short. We have seen many modifications. In bad weather we are cautious and always use safety tethers while at the helm. We run a piece of webbing on occasion from the arm rail on the seat to the grab rail on the helm for additional safety in heavy conditions.

Hindsight

Our only real regret is that we were rushed to meet our Atlantic crossing deadline. Buyers benefit from more time and support during the handover. Details like setting up the boat, walking through the installed gear, testing the systems and reviewing best practices make the experience less stressful and more satisfying for those with resources on hand.
If we ever pick up a new boat again, it would make sense to deal directly with a local representative — having boots on the ground seems to improve the experience for those we’ve talked to. Our friends in the Lagoon community rave about the assistance they received with warranties, training, and delivery services from local agents. That said, would we buy again? Yes. The stability, easy sailing rig, forgiving design and comfortable floor plan deliver one hell of a good lifestyle.

The Starship makes cruising easy and handles a variety of conditions comfortably. Her reliable performance under sail has made our passages pretty awesome. From France to Gibraltar, Tangier to Madeira, Salvagen to Cape Verde and across the ocean — the voyages of Starship Friendship have been stellar. She’s even a bit famous. The YouTube channel ‘Sailing Starship Friendship’ chronicles all the good and the bad. Luckily, the stability of a catamaran makes editing at sea easy and new episodes are published every Sunday – even in big seas and strong winds!

Multihulls: new yacht reviews

Yes, the racing world is stretching the boundaries, with 100ft foiling maxi trimarans tearing around the globe and F50s, the…

Review: Silent 55, the extraordinary solar powered yacht

There is a slow, silent revolution under way in the yachting world. It is a revolution that is introducing tonnes…

The post Multihulls: owners’ experiences and reviews appeared first on Yachting World.

This looks set to be another thrilling year for multihulls with new models from Dragonfly, Lagoon, Fountaine-Pajot and Dufour and more

Yes, the racing world is stretching the boundaries, with 100ft foiling maxi trimarans tearing around the globe and F50s, the ex-American’s Cup catamarans, now turned-up to sail at 50+ knots for gladiatorial-style stadium racing. But it’s the production monohulls, growing ever more popular among cruising sailors, that are pushing this industry forwards.

The sector is a constantly bubbling melting pot of new ideas and models – some of which we explore in this Multihull Guide. In fact, the multihull market has grown so much that the world’s largest boatbuilder is launching its second catamaran range to appeal to younger, sportier sailors.

Dragonfly 40

A new 40-foot flagship has been unveiled by Denmark’s folding trimaran specialist Dragonfly. The boat won’t reach the public eye until the Dusseldorf Boat Show in 2020, but we already have a good idea of how she will look and perform.

“The project has been influenced by past owners who moved up to larger multihulls for greater space, but reported missing the fun factor of their previous Dragonfly,” explains UK dealer Al Wood of Multihull Solutions. “Our owners and potential clients report that they don’t require more cabins when away cruising, but would welcome more living space below plus greater cockpit space for day-sailing with friends.”

The cockpit has been the focus of much of Dragonfly’s design work, with twin wheels and an optional bathing platform transom. It is also wider than on previous models, allowing sail controls to move aft for easier short-handing, and giving easy access to the stern for Med-style mooring.

The mast is in lightweight carbon – 18.5m tall for the Ultimate version of the boat or 16.5m for the Touring edition. Displacing just 4.9 tonnes in her ready-to-sail state, the boat is forecast to be capable of speeds up to 24 knots.
Other details are scant at the moment, except that Dragonfly is putting the emphasis on easy handling. The trademark folding crossbeams give her a beam of just 4m, down from her full span of 8.5m. The folding process slightly increases her length – from 12.1m to 13.5m. At this size, the boat is clearly not trailerable, unlike her little sisters, but with the Quorning yard’s high reputation, expect scintillating performance.

Price: From €425,000
Contact: Dragonfly

Dragonfly 32 Evolution

Dragonfly has given the performance variant of its popular 32-footer a makeover. The old Supreme will be replaced with the Evolution, which sports a new wave-piercing float design and 20 per cent more buoyancy to make the boat more comfortable in strong winds and tougher conditions.

Interestingly, the mainsail has been trimmed by around 2.5 square metres, making the rig less powerful, but Al Wood of Multihull Solutions says that this was in response to the greater hull buoyancy. “The mainsail has a slightly reduced roach compared to earlier boats to alter the balance of the boat, which changed as these new wave-piercing floats generate significantly more righting moment with less immersion than the original design.”

The rudder section is slightly improved, to resist stalling in extreme conditions, and the new boat will premier at Dusseldorf this year. Pictured is the first 32 Evolution sailing and with the first of Dragonfly’s contemporary new Elm interiors.
Price: from €276,800
Contact: Dragonfly

Lagoon 46

Lagoon says greater comfort is a key goal of its new model, the 46.
The French yard has charged former Renault designer Patrick le Quément with the task of meeting owners’ expectations about comfort in a market where the ‘cruising experience is becoming a lifestyle’.
The design team at VPLP has made fundamental changes to the successful formula of the old 450. Chief amongst these is moving the mast of the 46 further aft on the coachroof. As a result the jib becomes a self-tacker, and the larger forward triangle offers a greater choice of downwind sails. The boom has been shortened and the main has a higher aspect, reducing pitching.

The flybridge helm has been centred and sits directly behind the mast, which means that the footwell protrudes slightly into the cockpit below – something that has been disguised by turning it into a deep frame for the sliding aft windows of the saloon. There’s a sliding stool in the cockpit, and a hydraulic bathing platform.

Italian designer Nauta has made efficient use of the available space with queen-sized beds in all three (or four) cabins, plus a stylish-looking saloon. At 16.6 tonnes displacement, this is no lightweight racer, but it will get you to your destination in comfort.

Price: from €433,000
Contact: Lagoon Catamarans

Sneak peak: XCS by Beneteau

In the hotly-contested 40-something foot category, the Groupe Beneteau team behind Lagoon and CNB luxury monohulls is carving out a new cat brand called XCS. It is pitched at younger, sportier sailors with the tagline ‘be immoderate’. That translates in part to a bigger sailplan than ‘standard’ cruising cats, and with a higher aspect ratio – that is, tall and thin. This positions the mast further aft and allows a self-tacking jib.

The boats will also feature twin aft helm stations, in contrast to many production cats. “It is the ideal position to keep an eye on the sea and sails, whether windward or leeward, and above all, it provides the most sensations at the helm,” explains project director Bruno Belmont. He also says that having a low boom close to the bimini will increase the mainsail’s performance. There will be plexiglass in the hardtop for a better view of the sails, or the option of a fully retractable bimini.
Snippets of video posted online hint at a longeron between the bows offering a tack point for reaching and downwind sails. And the hull has heavily bevelled topsides with a striking chine just above the waterline, as well as generous curved hull lights.
Three interior layouts will be available, with pared down furniture to save about a tonne of weight. It all adds up to a boat that should be faster than the standard cruising cat, though short of the “super fast” technical offerings from the likes of HH and Gunboat.
“We want to be on the sporty side of the main cruising cat brands,” adds Belmont. “It won’t be an elitist range, but a brand where you get more sailing pleasure.”
There will be five sizes from around 36ft to 50ft, and the first two models will be launched at Cannes Boat Show in September.

Prices: close to similarly sized Lagoons.
Contact: Excess Catamarans

Fountaine-Pajot 45

The French bluewater cruising cat specialist has continued its range refresh with a replacement for the hugely successful Helia 44, which has sold 260 hulls since 2012.
The new 45 was drawn by Berret Racoupeau, and is slightly bigger in all dimensions. In line with current trends, it offers more creature comforts but at the cost of nearly 1.5 tonnes additional weight than the Helia. That is partly offset by a larger 74m2 main and by a lower wetted surface.
“It means a higher top speed and more comfortable under engines,” says marketing manager Helene de Fontainieu.

What you get for the extra weight is compelling.
The bulkhead helmstation has been remodelled to improve line handling. Inside there is a bigger saloon with a huge galley down the port side and a dedicated navstation aft. There’s the new 8.5m2 forward lounging space, a barbecue in the transom seat and the option of a hydraulically lowering ‘beach club’ (swim platform and tender lift).
There are still sunbeds on the coachroof, and a seating area on the flybridge. The designers have introduced more light, with extra glazing in the saloon and  the cabins.
The 45 hits the water in the summer.

Price: €419,000
Contact: Fountaine-Pajot

Update: Gunboat 68

After years of development and design work and over a year in build, the first Gunboat 68 has emerged from the yard at La Grande Motte, southern France, and will be launched in late January. Hulls two and three are also in build.
Fresh details have emerged about the design itself. The hull is finished with paint rather than gelcoat in order to save weight, and to allow customisation to continue long after the boat emerges from the mould. Hull one is painted in dark silver Awlcraft, containing real flakes of metal. Meanwhile, the interior finish is super-light fabric panels that can easily be removed and offer a degree of insulation as well. “The bulkheads are, in effect, triple glazed,” says Gunboat COO William Jelbert.

The high-aspect, heavily raked rig comes in performance cruising and regatta versions. In the first, the boat will only fly a hull in more than 20 knots of true wind, whereas the racing rig achieves this at 16 knots with a rotating mast that is 4m higher. Velocity predictions suggest the regatta rig will perform 12 per cent better upwind and 20 per cent better downwind.

Gunboat also went back to basics with Jefa to design the steering system with the help of Michel Desjoyeaux. The 25kg carbon blades are fully retractable, sacrificial in the event of a collision and the whole system is designed to support T-foil rudders in the future.
Look out for hull number one at the BVI Spring Regatta.

Sailaway price: €5.5m
Contact: Gunboat

First look: ITA 14.99

A combination of sharp design, punchy performance potential, comfort and build quality brings plenty of appeal to this sporty new Italian-built cat. Its light displacement of 10.5 tonnes (fully loaded 13.5 tonnes) is impressive thanks to an E-glass epoxy-infused build with carbon strengthening.
“She’s reactive and stiff,” said designer Francois Perus during its debut at Cannes Boat Show, adding: “as soon as there’s a bit of wind she just wants to go.”
The layout will suit those wanting to actively helm. I like the position of the helmstations, with optional swing-out wheels, which give good forward views over the low coachroof. A central aft winch is employed for halyards and reefing lines, which helps keep the cockpit clear of lines.
Despite the lightweight composite build, weight is permitted where it will aid comfort, such as with the use of proper glass windows surrounding the coachroof and resin worktops in the galley. Elsewhere furniture is built in sandwich balsa with a teak veneer finish.

Price: €890,000 ex VAT.
Contact: Ita Catamarans

Dufour 48 Cat

Designed and built in Italy, the first Dufour catamaran was hastily finished in time for the Cannes Boat Show last September.
“This is the only cat of this size with a proper flybridge” said Umberto Felci on showing me his new design, “which is divided into three areas of driving [single helm], seating and sunbathing”. The flat coachroof top is huge, which, together with the flybridge seating is designed to act as a second cockpit. The aft position of the mast meanwhile creates a sizeable area for a self-tacking, non-overlapping jib.
There are nicely proportioned amounts of space inside for the cockpit, main deck and galley. I like the island worktop around the mast base to extend the galley. Guest cabins each have their own companionway entrance.

Price: TBC
Contact: Dufour Catamarans

Sunreef 60/80 


Sunreef is a ‘small family business’ that has grown to its current €50m turnover, said CEO Francis Lapp. He was addressing at least 30 journalists on the aft deck of the first Sunreef 80.
The boat is the queen of a new range that sees the Polish firm targeting the large charter market of 50ft–80ft crewed cats (around 80% of Sunreefs go to charter).
Business is booming, according to Sunreef, which says it has sold eight of the new 80s, eight 60s and ten 50s off the plans. Sunreef already has 500 employees and is looking for more to help meet this incredible demand.

The amount of space on offer on the new 60 and 80 has to be seen to be believed. The designs feature enormous open-plan saloons and adjoining cockpits, which are designed with very little fixed furniture – allowing them to be customised or to double as party lounges. And the flybridges, mostly with Jacuzzis, offer alfresco dining areas and yet more sun lounging space (oh, and the helmstations).
The first 60 to launch is a charter version with five guest cabins, while the privately owned 80 has the largest owner’s cabin I’ve ever seen on any size sailing yacht.

Price: Approximate pricing is €2.2m for the 60 and €5m for the 80.
Contact: Sunreef Yachts

McConaghy MC60

The MC50 stole the show when it launched at La Grande Motte in April last year. Just four months later, McConaghy was back with its second Jason Ker design, the MC60, at Cannes Boat Show. It’s very much the larger sister and similar design to the MC50, sharing many of its standout features, including the aft flybridge helmstations, hydraulic centreboards and the sumptuous open-plan saloon and galley.
Its main benefits come down to volume and length. “You get more waterline length for not much more weight,” says Ker of the MC60. There’s more empty bow space and a lot more volume. The British designer also thinks it’s a size that can still be owner-operated – indeed there’s not even a dedicated crew cabin option.
McConaghy says the helm set-up, with its full views over the bows, suits those who want to sail the boat by themselves without a crew. The question remains how comfortable this position may prove in a seaway.
The Design Unlimited interior is styled to suit each owner. The first boat has a very pale finish with light oak veneer masking the foam sandwich build. Again it’s the huge electric opening side windows and three longitudinal skylights in the saloon that help provide the overall wow factor.

Price: €2.15m ex VAT.
Contact: McConaghy Boats

Bali 5.4

Never has a catamaran of this size offered so much living space. Bali takes its outdoor/indoor concept to a whole new level with its new flagship 55-footer.
Similar to its previous designs, Bali uses an open one-level saloon, galley and aft cockpit area, with a garage-style glass door that swings down to close off the aft when required. The flybridge is also enormous, with the majority of space given to leisure area, however the boom is pushed up high and there’s only one helmstation.
Accommodation space is also vast, stretched to both ends of the hulls. A solid deck is preferred to a trampoline to help increase foredeck cockpit space and forepeak cabins.
Two aft compact cabins meanwhile, accessed from the aft deck, also help maximise the number of cabins available. These use clever doors that hinge up like car bonnets, which will likely only suit fair weather sailing.
The four main transverse double guest cabins in the central hulls, meanwhile, are simply enormous.

Price: €755,400 ex VAT.
Contact: Bali Catamarans

Aventura 34

I often think it a shame that they aren’t more new mid-size (10m/35ft) coastal cruising cats developed these days. The family cruisers of yesteryear at this size (for example Prout and Gemini) are typically now 10ft longer, much more voluminous and consequently expensive.
So I was keen to see this new offering from Aventura, a French brand which builds its more modest-sized cats in Tunisia.
I like the overall design, the fine entry of the bows and the comparatively low freeboard (by today’s standards), which makes boarding much easier.
Unfortunately there is no helm feedback while sailing in light breeze and swell, the single winch set-up is clumsy when tacking, and there is a lot of noise and vibration from the engines located under the aft berths.
But this design still offers plentiful accommodation space. The Aventura has a modern-style single-level main living deck with connecting galley/cockpit. It boasts plenty of natural light, generous-sized berths with large hull windows and reasonable stowage in the cabins and galley. And the price is another pleasant surprise.

Price: €159,000 ex VAT.
Contact: Aventura Catamarans

François Perus: multihull designer profile

With dreadnought bows and low-slung coachroof, the ITA 14.99 captured attention from all quarters when she made her debut at…

Multihulls: owners’ experiences and reviews

They have two different boats, different sailing plans and two very different sets of experience. But what these cruisers have…

The post Multihulls: new yacht reviews appeared first on Yachting World.

Beneteau’s new stepped hull design works so well this Oceanis 46.1 could become its most popular model ever

After upgrading the status of the ominous black clouds ahead from threatening-looking to really quite alarming, we turned to head back downwind… and hoisted even more sail. Boom! As gusts in the high 20s started barrelling through, this yacht really put on a show. Reaching and surfing, we were all whooping with delight, like kids with a powerful toy, especially when we clocked over 14 knots’ boat speed. Now this was what you’d call a test sail!

We were on board Beneteau’s brand new Oceanis 46.1, a design tasked with updating the company’s most popular model, sailing off Port Ginesta, Barcelona, under full main and Code 0. The designer, Pascal Conq, was with us and we had all now become intent on seeing just what this ‘fat-nosed’ new shape was capable of.

It was one of those days when it could have all gone wrong. The fact that it didn’t and that we were actually treated to an exhilarating, unforgettable sail – the type where you step ashore and can’t wipe the grin off your face – simply confirmed that the 46.1 is a quite brilliant new model from the world’s largest boatbuilder. That it looks set to become the biggest-selling cruising monohull is perhaps due to other factors, however.

Replacing a bestseller

To backtrack, the Oceanis 45 I tested in 2011, which went on to win a European Yacht of the Year award, is Beneteau’s most popular model to date. With more than 800 sold, it is arguably the most successful production cruiser of modern times. It’s no surprise then that Beneteau wanted to keep the key strengths and selling points of the 45, nor that it chose to repeat the winning design combination of Finot Conq for hull lines and Nauta Yachts for the styling and interior.

Conq explained that the design team wanted to retain the primary features of sailing performance, spacious cockpit and interior volume. This, he said, has all been placed within a new and more powerful hull shape, with a stepped or full-chined hull, with greater righting moment and the addition of twin rudders for added control.

The new 46.1 also has plenty of options, including a ‘First Line’ upgrade, which further increases performance by adding a taller mast and deeper keel.

A win-win shape

In 2017 Beneteau launched the Berret Racoupeau-designed 51.1, the first of its new seventh-generation Oceanis range to use this stepped hull, together with a much fuller bow shape. The resultant forward internal volume and particularly sharp Nauta styling helped it sell like hot cakes (more than 200 we are told).

The Oceanis 46.1 shares a similar look and the only main difference with its layout is that there is no option for a crew cabin in the forepeak. However, the chine on the 46.1 runs all the way along the hull above the boot top, unlike the forward chine on the 51.1, which tapers out below the central hull portlight.

“We go in the fat nose direction,” Conq explains. “We found an area where there are no losses, just better performance and space. Take out the volume from under the waterline and put it at the sides – that’s the key!”

Conq found there was no need to widen the waterline like the Oceanis 51.1, which seems to make for a telling difference on the water. The 46.1’s hull is less dumpy, with less wetted surface area, reveals Conq. This was very evident when I did my first sail trial of the 46.1 in Newport, Rhode Island, when the two boats squared up to each other. The 46.1 simply sailed through the 51.1 and is clearly a more slippery design.

We had glorious conditions, in early September, sailing on the sunny, historic racing waters, in a building thermal breeze of 6-12 knots. That particular 46.1 had a typical US spec, including a shallow 1.75m keel, the standard in-mast furling main, plus an optional large genoa instead of the self-tacking jib. Close-hauled, we clocked 6-6.3 knots in 7.8-8.3 knots true wind. The new bowsprit is a useful addition over the old Oceanis 45, as it encourages the easy deployment of a flying sail. Our speed rose to 8.5 knots with the Code 0 unfurled.

The only minor negative of our Newport trial was a rudder alignment issue, which made that boat want to turn to port. However, as I was to find out during my next outing, there is power in reserve on this new hull shape and no shortage of enjoyment on the helm.

Sailing the GTI model

The Oceanis 46.1 we tested from Port Ginesta in October was a performance ‘First Line’ version, with a deeper, lead bulb keel, a taller mast and a genoa, which provides 28% more sail area. Beneteau says this is an option many clients coming from its First range choose. It was during this test for the European Yacht of the Year competition that we were able to see how the 46.1 handles in wind and waves.

Punching out into a 2m swell and 15 knots true wind, both of which increased with the threatening approach of the dark clouds, the 46.1 showed a comfortable and consistent turn of speed, heading upwind at 7.5 plus knots. Perched to windward, we enjoyed a relatively comfortable motion.

“The camber allows for a less full bow than the Jeanneau,” Pascal Conq remarked, referring to Jeanneau’s latest SO440 and SO490, which have very full forward ends and full chines. He added that this helps to keep the 46.1 from slamming upwind.

We were heeling a fair bit yet there remained a very light, but guiding amount of weather helm. A bar joining the twin rudders and textile linkage to the wheels helps provide direct helm feedback.

After a good spell sailing to weather, we then experienced the exhilarating downwind ride I described earlier. In 20 knots true with Force 6-7 gusts, we were soon easily maintaining double figures. The wake separates at around 11 knots, which happened regularly with a bit of encouragement from the short wave pattern.

These waves were coming across us slightly rather than directly following, but as the apparent wind moved forward with our speed we were able to soak down enough to enjoy some memorable short surfs, clocking between 12-14.5 knots. We weren’t actively trimming either – the main was pinned against the spreaders and the Code 0 sheet was left in the self-tailer jaws – but, boy, was it a fun ride.

Although it was an impressive display of power and speed, what really struck me was how comfortable the Oceanis 46.1 felt. The twin rudders never even hinted that they might lose grip and hand us a scary, expensive or potentially embarrassing broach. This is a reassuring asset on a family cruiser.

Warm weather deck

The Oceanis 46.1 has a modern, Med-style, extra spacious cockpit set-up, extended at each end by a full-beam bathing platform and sunbeds on the flat coachroof. The helm area is similar to that of the 51.1, designed for one person to be able to sail the boat and control the winches from aft. “Clients really like winches aft and out of the cockpit,” Beneteau product manger Clément Bercault explained, reasoning that it leaves a huge cockpit area clear for the family.

The layout allows you to sail the 46.1 short-handed, but only if you are tidy and organised with running rigging. Thankfully, there is a useful locker for rope tails, with a mesh material base to allow draining. There is only just enough room to fit a winch handle between the primary and main winch each side, which may encourage people to opt for the powered winch upgrade.

The helmsman can share the raised panel on which the winches are mounted to keep a dry seat. However, it is too wide in the aft quarters to be able to wedge in there comfortably and still be able to reach the wheel.

I like the large cockpit table, which provides a sturdy foot brace when heeled and sitting on the cockpit bench. It has an integral fridge and, best of all, room enough to house an easily-accessible liferaft beneath.

There are no bench lockers, the space instead used for headroom below. So deck stowage is all in the ends, in a deep sail locker and quarter lockers. The latter will not suit larger items as they contain unprotected steering gear and electronics. The finish in these aft lockers looks poor, featuring bare plywood and liberal amounts of glue.

Where centimetres count

The layout below decks is understandably similar to the successful Oceanis 45. “We looked at where we could gain space everywhere with the new hull shape,” said Bercault as we descended the 45º companionway to escape the torrential rain.

So although the 46.1 is only 10cm longer than the 45 and has the same beam, its maximum beam is carried further forward and higher up, to increase the internal volume.

The chine gives us 0.5m more beam,” Bercault explained. That beam gained above the waterline allows for the saloon berths to be pushed out 15cm each side compared with its predecessor, which buys valuable room. However, it’s up forward where you really notice the difference. The full bow sections allowed Beneteau to take the forward cabin of the Oceanis 48 and drop it into this 46.1, which tells you something about the volume.

This owner’s cabin is astonishing for the yacht’s length, including an island double berth on which you can comfortably sleep with your head forward. The use of separate shower and heads compartments works very well, further emphasising the sense of space in the cabin. It also makes for a straightforward conversion into two ensuite cabins for the charter version.

The extra space is also felt in the saloon and galley. I like the addition of an inboard worktop section in the galley, for example, which gives more serving space and a bracing position for when working at heel.

Within the multiple layout options, including three to five cabins with two to four heads, there is also the choice of a longitudinal galley with navstation to starboard.

I like the light Nauta styling, which brings smart elements learned from the Oceanis Yachts 62, such as the bookcases built into the central bulkhead, the fabric linings and the indirect lighting. The brushed light oak veneer means no shortage of beige, but, together, with the huge hull portlights, this works well to keep the interior light and bright.

Quite why Beneteau goes to these styling lengths but won’t stretch to fitting rubber gaskets on the sole boards I fail to comprehend, however. Can you imagine walking around a prospective new house with each footstep being announced by a loud creaking? It feels like some sort of pantomime horror scene.

Stowage and tankage is moderate and in keeping with a yacht designed for coastal sailing and family holidays. By this I mean that the Oceanis 46.1 is an ideal yacht for cruising or chartering in the Med for a couple of weeks, rather than a design to suit long distance sailing or lengthy spells aboard.

Conclusion

It’s rare to have the opportunity to sail a new production yacht in a variety of conditions and with different options, and to be able to really push the boat. It is perhaps just as uncommon to see it perform so consistently in all conditions. While its builders will be acutely aware how important the design, styling and accommodation space is to maintain a healthy order book, the designer of the 46.1 clearly knows that the fundamental aspect of success is sound sailing qualities.

With their latest full bow designs, both Beneteau and Jeanneau have added a new dimension in volume for cruising yachts, particularly with their enormous forward cabins. The Oceanis 46.1 takes all the best bits of the excellent 45 and makes them slightly better. The overall impression is of just how much deck space and internal volume you get inside 45 (and a bit) feet.

If the finish quality matched the design this would be a very difficult boat to beat. Even so, the Oceanis 46.1 has raised the bar significantly in the highly competitive melting pot of midsize family cruisers, in terms of both looks and performance. And I wager that it will go on to be as successful, if not more so, than the 45.

Specifications

LOA: 14.60m (47ft 11in)

LWL: 13.24m (43ft 5in)

Beam (Max): 4.50m (14ft 9in)

Draught: 2.35m (7ft 9in)

Displacement (lightship): 10,597kg (23,362lb)

Ballast: 2,735kg (6,030lb)

Sail Area (100% foretriangle): 106.5m2 (1,146ft2)

Berths: 6-10

Engine: 57hp

Water: 70lt (81gal)

Fuel: 200lt (44gal)

Sail Area/displacement ratio: 22.4

Displacement/LWL ratio: 127

Price from: €225,300 (ex. VAT)

Test boat price: €344,000

Design: Finot Conq and Nauta Design

The post Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 boat test – the next big thing for the world’s biggest builder? appeared first on Yachting World.

When a renowned superyacht yard builds a 67-footer for short-handed cruising you can be sure the result will be something special

Were money no object and you wanted the ultimate yacht for long-term cruising, what would you choose? How large could you go without needing a paid crew? What do you really need length and space for and how important is displacement and potential speed to you?

These were the sort of questions crowding into my head on first viewing the sensational new Baltic 67 at the Cannes Yachting Festival. It is truly striking. The quality of the yacht is undeniably world class, but it’s the precision of design and engineering that soon absorbs you.

The owner of this first boat is a highly experienced cruising sailor, boat owner and navigator, so joining him for a 24-hour trial from Mallorca proved the ideal way to get under the gleaming composite skin of this athletic new model.

The concept is about combining the pleasure of pure sailing with ease of handling for long-distance cruising at high average speeds. It is the alternative to a full custom yacht – all the engineering is already calculated – but a great deal of flexibility has been worked into the design, with options including single or twin rudders, a fixed or telescopic keel, multiple cabin layouts, and a carbon or epoxy sandwich hull.

Wanting to return to its mid-size fast cruiser roots, Baltic Yachts teamed up with designers and fellow in-demand superyacht specialists Judel Vrolijk and Design Unlimited. The result is this exceedingly attractive, modern-looking sloop, with a powerful hull shape, a flush foredeck and a low-profile coachroof.

Powered sail handling systems means Manyeleti can be sailed by just two

The Baltic 67 is very much at the luxury and custom end of the production yacht scale, so our light wind trial of the boat focused more on the various choices and details aboard and how they might be relevant to sailors in general. Hull number one in particular had a lot of owner input.

Manyeleti, the first 67, belongs to Erik Lindgren. It is his fifth yacht from Baltic after a string of upgrades that started with a used 39 in 1989. “It’s very different to design and build your own boat – in my case using nearly 30 years of offshore sailing experience,” Lindgren explains.

Swede Lindgren travelled to the yard once a month and was in daily contact with the project manager, Kjell Vesto.

The Lindgrens’ plan is to head off on another world cruise in a couple of years time, when Erik’s teenage children have finished school. His shakedown sail involved a 5,000-mile trip from Finland to and around the Mediterranean.

“Not a single thing broke,” he reports, saluting Baltic’s build quality. “I could literally go to El Corte Inglés, stock up, fuel up and sail across the Atlantic.”

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The Baltic 67 is as big as you can go without needing a pro crew, argues Erik Lindgren. “I’ve spent a lot of time on World ARC boats… it’s the details that make living on board easier. This is a technical boat, but is less dependent on systems than our old Baltic 56. On the other hand it’s great to have aircon and a lifting keel.

“Half the time spent aboard will be for long distance stuff and holidays for the two of us, but a lot of the time will be spent with friends and family too.”

Privacy at this size is a big benefit. “I have no need to have a big boat for show,” says Lindgren, “but I wanted to have the things I need.”

The retractable arm for the anchor roller is an engineering masterpiece. It rises from the anchor locker at the touch of a button

The most important features he wanted, which help explain the jump in size from his previous 56, were a furling boom, a large, practical galley, four cabins and a tender garage large enough to house a forward-facing dinghy. While his yachts have grown and become more complex, Lindgren maintains that the methodical way Baltic builds boats results in a lot fewer problems.

A carbon furling boom is an eye-watering investment, but it does make the hoisting, reefing and lowering of sails a quick and largely hassle-free procedure. It can make the difference to whether you go sailing or not. Within minutes of leaving Palma’s breakwaters, we had main and jib unfurled and were matching the 8 knot wind speeds.

Manyeleti is hull number one in the Baltic 67 series

Easy performance

The Hall carbon boom uses an electric mandrel motor that is synchronised with the halyard to avoid too much sail spilling out during a hoist. The traveller is also electric, while the sheet car pullers, backstay, vang and furlers are hydraulically-operated. The result is the ease of push-button sailing typically used on modern performance superyachts.

We spent the first few hours reaching across Palma Bay. Despite having 24 hours aboard, the most breeze we found was 11 knots, which translated to 9.5 knots boatspeed – very respectable under white sails only (fully battened main and non-overlapping jib). The majority of the time was spent close-hauled, matching the single-figure wind, even exceeding it when it dropped below 6 knots.

Neat details: the forward end of the jib car puller, which is hydraulically powered

I found myself gravitating to the side deck to sit and steer, instinctively wanting to sail the Baltic 67 like a cruiser-racer. There are good views over the low coachroof and flush foredeck, but nothing except freeboard height to prevent a wet backside if the decks ship green water.

The helmsman can also sit forward of the wheel and reach the two winches. I like the way the primary is mounted inboard, though the positioning of the turning block for the jib sheet creates an obstacle on the side deck. Baltic reasons that it helps provide the option to use either winch for the sheet.

Speed for oceans

A flying sail would have helped to get the most out of the conditions, but Lindgren was still awaiting delivery of a Code 0 and A3, both on top-down furlers. However, even when the evening breeze died to around 4-5 knots, the Baltic 67 still provided an enjoyable experience on the helm. It’s rare that you can say such a thing while only using main and jib.

The 67 is designed for potent offwind performance, to limit engine use on transocean voyages. The aggressive sail area to displacement ratio of 30.9 is possibly taking things too far: the boat has so much power to weight that it will need to be treated as a real performance cruiser and tamed accordingly (i.e. reefed early). But what our trial sail did show was how well the Baltic 67 fulfils its brief of being able to offer enjoyable sailing in light wind.

“Bluewater boats don’t usually sail in 10-15 knots downwind – and we had a lot of that,” Lindgren points out, with reference to their previous Pacific crossing. “At 150º true, this boat is sailing at 8-9 knots, which is a big difference. As long as you are over 8 knots you are properly moving through the water,” he reasons. “Below that you’re in the swell and not in control.”

The twin pedestals are well designed to site plotter screens and remote controls for powered deck functions and sail handling

With the relatively low coachroof and cockpit backrests and aft positioning of the helms, protection from the elements may be a concern. When you look at Baltic’s large new designs in build, the 142 and 146, both have lengthy deckhouses that provide plenty of protection. But it chose the more in-vogue deck design for this semi-custom size, so its solutions for cockpit protection depend largely on a retractable sprayhood and bimini. These can remain in place while sailing and have already been tested in up to 40 knots.

The cockpit area on this first Baltic 67 has been adapted according to the owners’ wishes, including a narrower space between benches and no fixed table. The Lindgrens like to be able to brace feet between benches and to be able to sleep on the sole between them when offshore. The table and carbon legs stow beneath the central saloon soleboards.

We anchored at dusk at Es Trenc beach, 25 miles to the south-east of Palma, in water so clear we could pick the spot to drop the hook between weed patches. The ability to anchor in less than 4m amply demonstrated the appeal of a lifting keel. The keel system, from the highly reputable Italian brand APM, raises the T-keel hydraulically up to 2.5m.

The anchor arrangement is another fine piece of engineering: the arm is concealed in a shallow locker and rotates over and into place at the push of a button. The roller then extends out to keep it clear of the stem. The second Baltic 67 will have a fixed roller incorporated into the bowsprit.

The furling jib and powered padeye are recessed neatly

Open transom choice

The garage houses a 3.2m dinghy stowed longitudinally, with the engine mounted, between the dual rudders. Lindgren chose an AB tender with aluminium hull (53kg). It has a 20hp outboard so can plane with four adults yet is light enough to be dragged up the beach. He also opted for an open transom that, although an unconventional choice for ocean cruising, gives easy access to the swim platform and dinghy.

There is copious stowage space throughout the Baltic 67. In addition to the tall sail locker in the forepeak, the aft quarter lockers easily swallow electric bikes, inflatable paddleboards, snorkel gear, waterskis, spare fuel and a liferaft valise. Here there’s also access to the steering gear with independent autopilots used on both quadrants.

I particularly like the way multiple Antal T-lock fittings are flush-mounted along the toerail and in the cockpit. These enable quick and easy swivelling toggles to be inserted for loops and blocks, or for harness attachments.

Weight versus noise

The following morning was windless, leaving us with a three-hour motor back to Palma. The 150hp six-cylinder Steyr was specified for its low noise and emissions, and drives a four-blade Bruntons prop via a standard shaft.

E-glass was chosen over the standard carbon hull. Lindgren’s previous Baltic 56 was carbon and he wanted the better noise insulation over the weight difference (up to one tonne). The 67 is a very quiet, relaxing boat under motor, with no need to raise voices under power.

The spacious saloon has enough room for both dining and coffee tables

Down below the Baltic is an aircon-cooled haven of charm and exquisite quality. The more time I spent aboard and the more I learned of the systems and engineering, the more I began to appreciate what sets this boat apart.

The Design Unlimited styling is elegant and tasteful, with a mahogany finish on this first boat. With four different layout configurations plenty of scope is allowed for owner customisation. But behind the scenes is what you really pay for with the Baltic. It’s the telling result of what happens when a yard goes down in model size – this 67 is built like a superyacht.

For example, the engine room, used for hot items like engine, genset and water-heater, links through to a proper mechanical/utility room abaft the galley, where equipment is mounted on three walls for easy access (including chargers, inverters, pumps, watermaker and compressors).

“The thinking is that everything should be in reach and that you should be able to maintain it easily,” says Lindgren, pointing to the Spectra watermaker (his fourth) mounted on one bulkhead.

The boat’s systems are beautifully laid out for ease of inspection and maintenance

Stowage throughout has been brilliantly conceived. The 2,000lt of water and diesel tanks, plus the batteries, are all mounted centrally, under the saloon, leaving cavernous practical stowage under the berths. Custom-made fabric bags are used under the saloon seats to maximise useable volume.

Lifting the carbon sandwich soleboards at the base of the companionway reveals the sea chests and main manifolds for fuel and water, a prime example of the meticulous and practical systems layout. The 1,440Ah of lithium gel batteries further forward have a reservoir surrounding them, which can cool the cells if necessary without flooding them. And there are custom-made drip trays below any filters to prevent mess or corrosion.

The keel uses a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to activate the hydraulics, the cylinders for which can be replaced from within the boat. All other electrics are on manual relays. The fuse locker is a work of art and opens out for full access to the wiring, with every wire and fuse numbered and labelled.

Smart cabin choice

Manyeleti’s owner’s cabin, with adjoining heads and shower in the forwardmost section, has an offset double berth positioned aft by the main bulkhead, a relatively central area of the boat to sleep. However, on passage, Lindgren says he sleeps on deck, or in the single cabin amidships. There are also leecloths on the saloon berths, a comfortable option if guests don’t want to share the twins.

The owner’s cabin is (purposefully) the only one aboard Manyeleti to feature a double bed

There is a good reason why there is only one double bed. Lindgren often sails with male friends, hence twin and single berths are a pragmatic choice. The use of a split heads and shower shared between the twin and single cabins is also sensible.

The central section of the interior is superb, with a traditional lower saloon, a navstation beside the companionway and a formidable U-shaped galley. It was important to the Lindgrens that the galley was large enough for two to work in yet still be seamanlike. The result is a very practical area with superb chilled, dried goods and crockery stowage. Ventilation ducts keep it nice and cool, though personally I’d want to have a hatch through to the cockpit.

Lindgren swears by the dishwasher, reasoning that it uses less water than washing up and helps keep the galley tidy. This and an induction cooker would be sensible options if you had sufficient power, and would avoid the need for gas.

The exemplary finish and smaller details help furnish the boat with a top quality feel. From the hinges, light switches and showerheads to the gas sprung hatches and overall joiner work, the Baltic 67 oozes quality.

The Baltic 67 has been designed with short-handed sailing in mind

Baltic 67: the verdict

Baltic has spent the last decade building some of the finest performance superyachts. You don’t receive commissions for yachts such as Hetairos, Pink Gin VI, or My Song without a top reputation, and to get that sort of quality on a 67-footer is truly special. Attention to detail and class of engineering and finish are hallmarks of this new model.

The Baltic 67 has the performance in light airs to match her on-trend looks and is a joy to helm. The choice of a comparatively unprotected cockpit and an open transom may not sit well with conventional bluewater sailors, but times are changing and this design is aimed as much at port-hopping from Portofino as at Pacific passagemaking. It is the solutions, stowage and systems employed throughout that help make it a valid option for distance cruising.

The Baltic 67 has the legs to outrun virtually any other cruising monohull and to keep sailing fast in light apparent winds. To know you’re buying the best in terms of design and composite build – and created by the same team involved in a yacht that costs tens of millions – must help compensate for the significant initial outlay. For the rest of us, we can but dream.

Specification

LOA: 20.52m (67ft 4in)

LWL: 19.20m (62ft 12in)

Beam (max): 5.45m (17ft 11in)

Draught (max): 3.90m (12ft 10in)

Draught (telescopic): 2.50m (8ft 2in)

Displacement (lightship): 24,400kg (53,792lb)

Ballast: 9,000kg (19,841lb)

Sail Area: 255.6m2 (2,751ft2)

Berths: 7-8

Engine: 150hp

Water: 1,000lt (220gal)

Fuel: 900lt (198gal)

Sail Area/disp ratio: 30.9

Disp/LWL ratio: 96

Price: €3.95 million (ex. VAT)

Design: Judel/Vrolijk & Co and Design Unlimited

The post Baltic 67 review: Finnish superyacht yard goes back to its roots with no-compromise cruiser appeared first on Yachting World.

We quizzed 254 skippers who took part in the 2017 ARC rally about the spares they shipped and the repairs they made en route. The lessons gleaned from their Transatlantic sailing problems can benefit us all

You’ve got the plan, you’ve got the ideal offshore cruising yacht, you’ve got the time window – you’re set to hit the ocean. Almost. How much thought have you put into your spares and tools inventory? And have you considered how you might maintain and repair all the key equipment? Shipping the right spares and considering how you’d affect makeshift repairs at sea before they happen can make the difference between a trouble-free crossing and being forced to seek assistance or make unplanned diversions.

Thankfully we can learn from the experience of skippers who have already completed ocean passages. During the 2016 ARC crossing, 60 per cent of the 290-strong fleet reported a breakage of some sort. So, after last year’s ARC, we quizzed the 254 skippers specifically about which spares they carried and what repairs they made at sea. The tips and feedback for what they’d do differently, make invaluable reading

In the six months leading up to the 2017 ARC last November, an average of nearly €12,000 per boat was spent on spares – a significant investment that represents the value skippers place on carrying back-up solutions. We asked skippers on the 2017 ARC and ARC+ what spares they carried, in particular for steering/autopilots, power generation, engines, sails, cooking, plumbing, refrigeration and navigation.

ARC entrant Erol Toprak’s X-Yachts X46 Jarramas

Of immediate note from their replies and comprehensive lists of spares is just how well-prepared most yachts and skippers are these days. The World Cruising Club (WCC) is partly to thank for this with its thorough guidelines and minimum gear requirements.

But, however prepared you think you are, there will always be niggles or problems that can expose gaps in your spares inventory and call upon resourceful measures for repairs. Ripped sails and damage caused by chafe are the most common casualties on a tradewinds crossing, but the variety of problems the last ARC fleet encountered were widespread.

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Steering/autopilots

The high number of yachts carrying a second autopilot shows how much skippers value having an electronic helmsman. Over 20 skippers noted that they had at least one back-up autopilot, with many shipping comprehensive spares and service kits, from rams to hydraulic fluid.

The Jeanneau SO49 KALU’ III had two steering systems and two autopilot systems, for instance, and the Berckemeyer 48 GreyHound carried a windvane and autopilot, plus spare autopilot drive and computer.

Windpilot self steering gear coped with almost all steering demands aboard Barracuda of Islay

At least ten yachts carried windvanes that they could use as back-ups to autopilot failure. The Shannon Pilothouse 38, North Star, found their Windpilot indispensable when their house batteries failed to hold enough charge to run the autopilot.

Barracuda of Islay, a particularly well-prepared Ovni 395 (they didn’t have to make any repairs and did not lack any tools required), had a Pacific Windpilot as the primary means of steering control, with a hydraulic autopilot as back-up.

“The Windpilot can cope with nearly all steering conditions that we have with the exception of coloured sails in gusting winds (ParaSailor or asymmetric),” skipper Graham Walker explained.

Our 2016 ARC gear survey on breakages showed how skippers who reported steering linkage problems favoured replacing steering lines with Dyneema – and recommended carrying suitable lengths of line as back-ups. It is sensible to go through your steering system and evaluate how you would replace each part if it failed. Have you tried using the emergency tiller? What would you use for an emergency rudder? Do you carry a drogue?

“In the event of rudder failure we have a Seabrake drogue system that we can use for emergency steering,” Barracuda’s Walker continued. “We carry a spare blade, spare bolts and a tool kit for the Windpilot, and a maintenance kit and fluid for the autopilot.”

Power generation

What happens when the lights go out, when you lose power? How do skippers best prepare for that?

Catamaran sailors will know the benefit of having two engines of course, but a variety of alternative means to generate power is prudent. Whether diesel power (engine or generator), wind, hydro, solar, or fuel cells, many skippers had a choice of at least three means of electrical power generation.

The Allures 40 Passepartout and the Hallberg-Rassy 46 Shepherd Moon took no chances and used a mix of power. The Watt&Sea hydrogenerator continues to increase in popularity, with 17 listed as a spare means of power generation in the ARC fleets.

Back-up navigation systems and a reserve means to power them are key considerations

As we saw from the 2016 survey, generator problems are largely caused by a lack of routine maintenance and cooling issues (typically impeller or water pump failure).

And there was overriding advice from the 2017 skippers to make sure you have enough spares to maintain and service diesel engines and generators adequately: reserve oil, filters, impellers, belts, fuses, coolant, etc. Some ARC skippers also advocate carrying a spare water pump, diesel pump and alternator.

The ultimate back-up to engine failure is, of course, your sails. The feedback shows it is wise to take spare sails and plenty of rope and also to learn how to repair sails.

A comprehensive set of spare sheets, halyards, blocks, Dyneema strops and soft shackles are also recommended. A thorough sail repair kit as well as the time and patience required to fix sails can also negate the need to carry too many spare sails on an ocean crossing.

Skipper Rik Farrer said they were lacking in downwind sails on their Lagoon 620 Moose of Poole, so “created running backstays to allow for more downwind sail area to be flown”

Navigation/instruments

The majority of ARC yachts were extremely well-equipped with electronic navigation and back-up systems. Most had at least a couple of alternative means for electronic chartplotting, as well as handheld GPSs and VHFs. Sextants were also carried by at least 24 skippers.

Steve Jobs probably had no idea his Apple products would one day be considered a viable means for sailors to navigate across oceans, but some skippers simply listed an iPad and iPhone as their spares for navigation.

Others were more comprehensive in their alternatives, such as the Beneteau Oceanis 55 Julia which recorded: “Sextant, supporting books, iPad with iSailor and separate batteries, handheld GPS, two handheld VHFs and a spare satphone.” And the Bowman 48 Tairua carried “SSB, Satphone, two VHFs, two iPads, charts, sextant and tables”.

Many skippers carried spare water pumps or repair kits for each of the heads aboard. A solar shower is also a useful back-up.

An electric hob or microwave is a good alternative to gas – if you have sufficient principal and back-up electric power sources. Most yachts carried between three and six spare bottles of gas.

A cockpit barbecue is a good alternative for cooking in the open and acts as a back-up solution if there is a problem with the galley hob.

Carrying out repairs while sailing the Atlantic

Breakages can still happen even aboard the best-prepared yachts, so how do you deal with them when they do occur? The answer is to carry the right tools and spares, and be creative and resourceful.

Measures to combat chafing

Chafing issues and anti-chafe measures were once again the most common repairs made during the 2017 crossing. Using Dyneema sleeves on sheets and baggywrinkles on the rigging is advised to combat chafe on long downwind passages.

A galley chopping board was used creatively aboard the Beneteau Oceanis 55 Julia to help reduce chafe. “The spare halyard was moused and replaced as it was worn at the top of the mast,” skipper Louie Neocleous explained.

A plastic chopping board was called upon for a makeshift repair aboard the Beneteau Oceanis 55 Julia

“The spare halyard then also wore, so a plastic bush made from a sawn chopping board was fitted to stop wearing at the top of the mast.”

A chopping board also came in handy on Indian Summer, a Hallberg-Rassy 42, when the crew had to fashion a boom vang repair.

“The pop-rivets collapsed on the port side where the boom vang is fastened onto the mast,” Cecilia Hellner told us. “It probably happened when we accidently dipped the boom into the sea during a night watch in strong winds when sailing goosewinged.

“We took three straps and tightened the boom vang fastening onto the mast as much as we could. The red plastic you can see on the photo (above) is a soft plastic cutting board from IKEA that we had in the galley, cut into pieces to avoid chafing on the straps.

“To release the forces on the boom vang further we connected a spare mainsheet from the boom to the very bottom of the mast.”

Innovative rigging repairs

The crew of the Rival 38 Haji had a busy crossing. They replaced three different sheets, repaired a hole in the mainsail, recut the thread in a heavy shackle, and adjusted the rig set-up to fly twin headsails.

Meanwhile, aboard the Sweden 45 Wild Iris, the snap shackles on three 10mm rope blocks broke under load. Mark Pollington reported that they replaced the shackles with Spectra.

When the D1 shrouds snapped aboard the 72ft Challenger 2, both sides of the rig were stabilised using lines taken to winches. Aboard the Bordeaux 60 Tommy, a spare Dyneema strop was used to repair the genoa’s electric furling system. The Wauquiez 43 Khaleesi had to cut their spinnaker pole down, drilling and bolting the top to create a shorter but usable pole. And the Seawind 1160 Victory Cat “used aluminium bars to build a temporary rudder guide after track/car bearing failure.”

Most useful tools for Atlantic sailing repairs

A comprehensive tool set is key to being able to fashion repairs at sea. Standard domestic DIY tools rated consistently highly in the survey – screwdrivers, a power drill, spanners, wrenches, pliers, Allen keys, a socket set, vice grips, wire cutters, a hacksaw, duct/rescue tape, a soldering iron, a multimeter, etc.

As for less common tools, a rivet gun and a large selection of rivet sizes are consistently singled out as useful to carry – as were ratchets and webbing straps for gooseneck repairs.

A rivet gun is one of the most useful tools for affecting mid-Atlantic repairs

Among the bosun’s gear rated most handy were a good torch/headtorch with long battery life, a trusty multitool, a cutting knife and snorkelling gear.

A hot knife is “great for rope alteration,” said Richard Savage, who had to re-run the spinnaker halyard three times aboard his HR46 Shepherd Moon.

Equally, a good sail repair kit from sewing kit/needles and palm to a sewing machine was recommended.

Shipping a thorough selection of glues and lubricants makes sense. The skipper of Nikita, a Beneteau Oceanis 60, advocated taking a glass fibre repair kit and long bolts in case of broken portholes.

As the crew of Mood Magic, a Moody Carbineer 44, wisely commented, a ‘creative ability to fix things’ is key.

The spinnaker pole was drafted in as a jury mast to support a light and VHF aerial after Lykke dismasted

Continuing after a dismasting

Perhaps the most significant recommendation for tools, though, came from Stephan Mühlhause, after he had to cut away the rigging when his Hallberg-Rassy 46, Lykke, was dismasted 250 miles east of Barbados. “It was a normal night with 16 knots of wind and about 2m waves when we lost the mast. We are so glad that our emergency management worked. We acted like machines and we were lucky to have a battery flex [grinder] on board with stainless steel cutting discs. We could free the rig from the deck within 15 minutes without scratching the hull. The falling mast cut everything on its way down and the hydraulic oil splashed all over the deck.

“We waited until the morning came to make sure that nothing overlapped in the water. After that we started the engine. We were lucky that the wind calmed down and we had enough diesel to motor the final 300 miles to Saint Lucia.

“One of our crew built an emergency rig with the second spinnaker boom and could fix an emergency VHF antenna. A second crewmember informed MRCC Martinique which called other ships nearby.” A French ship sailed close by in company and they motored safely to Saint Lucia.

“Why did the mast break? We only had 16 knots of wind and in spring we renewed the shrouds, stays and spreaders. In Las Palmas, Jerry the Rigger said we have the safest rig and he wanted to give us a prize! We carried out a rig check every day and made the check before the night it happened. We could not see anything strange. The mast came down 1m above the deck. It broke to the port side slowly, without a broken shroud or stay.”

ARC yachts were, largely, very well-equipped with electronic navigation and back-up systems

Lessons learned from Atlantic sailing problems

An overriding message of advice from the skippers’ feedback was to bring ‘more’ – more fuel, more sail repair kit, more medical supplies, more adhesive, means, more generator parts, more hoses, more filters, more duct tape – and more patience.

Some skippers had issues with their alternators and advised taking spare alternators and parts. A functioning alternator is essential for maintaining comfort, especially if you don’t have reliable sources of alternative power. And, whatever your means of charging the batteries, they are still the life source of power aboard. During the 2016 ARC, 15 yachts had issues with charging old batteries, and on the last crossing two yachts had to make a pitstop in Cape Verde to replace theirs.

A few skippers assumed their batteries were OK but found they would not hold charge. So double-check your batteries and measure their state of charge well in advance of heading offshore.

We asked skippers what modifications they plan to make to their yachts or systems as a result of their ARC crossing. The answers largely came down to more electrical power and better offwind sail power – and the necessary attachments/deck gear (stabilising spinnaker poles, whisker poles, extra spinnaker halyards, blocks and preventers). The crew of Tintomara summarised it nicely: “more solar power, an extra wind/water generator, and more downwind sails”, while La Cigale wanted “one more cheap secondhand downwind sail for at night”.

Many skippers intended to fit an alternative means of power generation following their crossing – hydro or wind – to improve their alternators, or to increase their number of solar panels.

Personally, I like the sound of sailing on Mood Magic as they only planned “small changes: more cupholders, a cockpit fridge and outriggers!”

The lessons learned with regards to spares and repairs were the most telling and useful section of the survey. As Brian Steven on the Island Packet 420 Brag declared: “Assume that things will break – they do!”

Jeremy Wyatt, director of World Cruising Club, provides crucial support for our survey data

Expert’s advice

Jeremy Wyatt, director of the World Cruising Club, has attended all 20 ARCs since 1998. “The ARC survey has shown how seriously many ARC skippers think about overcoming potential problems at sea,” he told Yachting World. “Their spares kits reflect this.

“One area of concern to anyone planning an ocean crossing should always be how to cope with a steering failure. Often boats are heavily loaded at the start of a passage, and then encounter large tradewind waves, which puts a strain on boat and gear. Clearly, thorough inspection and maintenance is important before setting sail.

“However, plenty of ARC skippers are also planning for steering failure with a range of solutions. Perhaps the easiest is packing suitable lengths of Dyneema lines or spare cables. For hydraulic steering systems, spare hydraulic oil is essential.

“Windvanes, especially Hydrovanes, with their auxiliary rudders, were popular, with 19 boats using them. Perhaps most surprising was the number of boats (30) with either dual autopilots fitted giving 100 per cent redundancy, or carrying a full spare pilot. More still had spare linear drive arms, and/or pilot computers providing a back-up. Spare fuses can also help fix an unhappy pilot – eight pilot failures were recorded in 2017.

“While fully crewed boats can hand-steer if needed, having functioning self-steering is essential for short-handed crews. For them the cost of a spare autopilot, or a windvane, is outweighed by the mitigation it brings to what would be a serious problem.

“This is the best way to view your spares locker on a system-by-system basis and consider the knock-on effect of any item malfunctioning.”

The post Atlantic sailing spares and repairs: Experienced skippers explain what you’ll need appeared first on Yachting World.

Foil-assisted cruising is the latest innovation to emerge from Baltic Yachts. We talk to the team behind the Baltic 142 to find out how it works

The Baltic 142 may not be using the hydrofoils popularised by the America’s Cup, but her 29ft 6in long (9m) horizontal sliding foil employs the same principle of lift to reduce heel and boost speed.

The designers of the Dynamic Stability System (DSS) say it could improve the performance of this super-cruiser by 20 per cent, delivering a sustained 25 knots – not bad for a superyacht with a predicted lightship displacement of 140 tonnes.

This is the first time the DSS has been used in superyachting, but its benefits will be used for comfortable, fast long-distance cruising rather than gaining an edge on the racecourse. All eyes will be on the Baltic 142 when she launches later this year and sets off on her first ocean passage. If the DSS does what is predicted, it could become commonplace.

The Baltic 142 is due to launch before the end of the year. Photo: facebook.com/balticyachts

Proven technology

The idea, developed by British naval architect Hugh Welbourn and Gordon Kay of Infiniti Yachts, has certainly proved itself on a smaller scale, reducing heel, increasing speed, damping pitching and adding an unexpected degree of steering control in lively conditions.

Gordon Kay, who was at the helm of the Infiniti 46 with its DSS deployed in almost 40 knots of breeze in the 2017 Rolex Middle Sea Race, said: “The boat sat at 28 knots, arrow straight, to the point when I wondered if there was any need for me to drive.”

But can these advantages transfer to a 140-tonner for which speeds in the mid-teens, let alone the 20s, would be considered exceptional? The brains trust behind the project believes they can. These include Baltic Yachts’ head of research and development Roland Kasslin, Farr Yacht Design president Patrick Shaughnessy, BAR Technologies chief technology officer Simon Schofield, Gurit engineering’s Simon Everest, plus Welbourn and Kay. Baltic Yachts’ ability to take on complex engineering challenges and meet them with the latest in lightweight advanced composite building techniques, is well documented.

1-tonne foil

As can be seen in the diagram above, the carbon foil, weighing 1 tonne, will sit in a casing built into the bilge of the Baltic 142 just below the waterline and slightly aft of amidships. As it happens it runs directly beneath the owner’s double berth.

When not deployed the tips of the foil will be just visible, but when in use it will protrude a massive 22ft (6.5m) to leeward. It is designed to be deployed at speed at which point some 40 tonnes of lift can be generated pushing the Baltic 142 upright with a corresponding increase in speed.

Speeds of 25 knots

Gordon Kay says that a conventionally designed yacht beam reaching in 25 knots of wind would heel to just over 20 degrees, but with the foil working heel would be restricted to just 9 degrees and there’s a consequential increase in boat speed. In 25 knots of wind the Baltic 142 could reach sustained speeds of 25 knots depending on sea conditions.

In addition, any pitching motion can be reduced. So apart from speed, the increase in comfort levels is equally appealing. Because the foil is able to generate a large proportion of the Baltic 142’s righting moment, displacement and hull volume can be reduced, although this has presented it own problems.

Article continues below…

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It limits the amount of space in the bilge to install the foil and provide enough separation between the upper and lower bearings, which enable it to ‘slide’ under load when the Baltic 142 is at speed.

Simon Everest from Gurit said: “We collaborated with Baltic Yachts to make small adjustments to the accommodation and with Farr Yacht Design to alter the hull shape creating a subtle blister around the foil exit.” The blisters provided the width or beam they were looking for.

The foil is controlled using a system of pulleys the lines for which run to a powerful electric captive winch positioned at deck level. To prevent water ingress from the casing, which is permanently flooded, the control lines are led through composite pipes to a point above the waterline.

The actuator or control lines travel to the outer extremities of the foil to a turning block so another challenge was to design a protective channel or groove on the underside of the foil to carry the line. A self-activating lock to prevent the board sliding straight through the casing in the event of the actuator line failing also had to be developed.

America’s Cup research

There are four sets of bearing cassettes, the outboard, upper pair taking the upward loads when the board is deployed and the inner, lower pair dealing with the downward load at the inner end of the board.

A lot of the bearing technology has been provided by the team at Ben Ainslie’s BAR Technologies whose research into friction is literally microscopic in its methodology and benefits from more than two-and-a-half years’ work on America’s Cup boats. What BAR found during that research was that reducing friction to an absolute minimum was paramount.

That might sound obvious, but when the microscopic behaviour of materials such as carbon fibre was studied it was found wanting in certain parts of the design. For instance, the trailing edge of the foil becomes so heavily loaded against the casing aperture when the yacht is sailing at speed, the surface of the carbon fibre foil distorts.

“It’s as if it’s pushing against a little hill of material created temporarily by the loading – in other words it’s constantly ‘going up hill’,” explained Simon Schofield at BAR Technologies. So to reduce the size of ‘the little hill’ and in turn reduce friction, the trailing edge is finished with a much harder material, in this case titanium.

Each case of bearings contains four cassettes made up of 25 Torlon rollers. They are contained in titanium housings that can be adjusted (with the yacht at a standstill) to alter the angle they meet the foil surface. We got some idea of their size when we were told each bearing set on the Baltic 142 weighs 30kg.

The foil itself is being built by French specialist fabricators ISOTOP and comprises a number of carbon fibre spars running the length of the foil that are wrapped and held together with carbon cloth. The foil is designed to deflect through 800mm at each tip and the leading edge is finished with a foam ‘nose’ designed to crush in a collision.

Technoculture

The all-carbon composite Baltic 142 is intended for fast, comfortable global cruising, but her owner hasn’t stopped at foil technology in his quest for innovation. This yacht will be fitted with diesel-electric propulsion and generating system, which burns less fossil fuel, is less space hungry and quieter than a conventional drive train.

Weight is being saved by specifying a 700-volt electrical system that uses lighter cabling and allows equipment normally run on heavy and space hungry hydraulics to be powered by the main battery bank.

The machinery room, housing the remarkably compact 400kW propulsion motor, two 210 kW generators, four banks of Alkasol lithium-ion batteries, watermakers and other ancillary equipment, has been assembled outside the yacht in Baltic Yachts’ Jakobstad facility and was craned into position as a complete module.

There has also been a major effort to improve serviceability so that long periods of independent cruising can be undertaken and maintenance carried out without having to seek out a specialist yachting facility.

With styling and interior design by Lucio Micheletti as well as the in-house team, the Baltic 142 sports a sleek, low deck saloon with a hard, fixed bimini extending over the forward cockpit area. Below, her vast deck saloon, providing panoramic views, forms the focal point of her luxury accommodation.

Unusually, the owner’s suite is located almost amidships, where motion is at its least, with further accommodation for six guests in three cabins. Other features include a Rondal rig with electric in-boom furling, a lifting keel and a propeller leg rotating through 180 degrees.

The post Baltic 142: The superyacht bringing foiling technology into cruising appeared first on Yachting World.

One of the 12-strong jury panel for the European Yacht of the Year 2019, Toby Hodges runs the rule over the best family cruisers on the market

It was really positive to see a mix of mid-sized entries shortlisted for the family cruiser category, from the innovative new 25ft Swallow from Wales to the Beneteau Oceanis 46.1, a design tasked with replacing Beneteau’s most popular model to date.

Finalist: Hallberg-Rassy 340

The Hallberg-Rassy 340 is a very special small yacht, which brings a real air of luxury. It shows how a relatively small cruising yacht can still take you places in true comfort, offer a rich sailing experience and provide the longevity and resale value of premium build quality. We found the helm area a bit too compact, a compromise of squeezing in twin wheels, but it is otherwise a very well designed and finished cruising yacht.

The enticing new, modern shape of Hallberg-Rassy: beam carried aft, twin rudders and a straight stem with integrated bowsprit. Photo: Rick Tomlinson. Price ex VAT: €202,800

Finalist: Dufour 390

The Dufour 390 combines modern styling with tried and tested design. In contrast to most of its competitors, which now shoehorn the winches in by the helms to maximise cockpit space, the Dufour cockpit is easy to work in and the aft quarter seats are particularly comfortable to helm from.

The interior is annoyingly noisy at sea, though, with some poor finish quality evident, but is well laid out and comes with an impressive digital or analogue switch panel as standard.

The Dufour offers an attractive package with a good layout, particularly in the cockpit. Photo: Bertel Kolthof. Price ex VAT: €137,000

Finalist: Swallow Coast 250

And then there is the very different Coast 250 from Swallow Yachts, which combines so many well thought out concepts into one compact design. It is demonstrably trailable – all the way from Wales to Barcelona – rigged easily, and can plane out to sailing areas under motor at 15 knots with the larger outboard option fitted (centrally in the cockpit).

Plus there’s room to cook a meal and sleep the family below. All this makes for quite a squat shape, yet this didn’t seem to have an overly large impact on Swallow’s renowned performance.

A yacht a young family or an elderly couple can enjoy that can also be trailed and motored out to your preferred sailing area quickly. Photo: Bertel Kolthof. Price ex VAT: £43,333

Winner: Beneteau Oceanis 46.1

But the Oceanis 46.1 has raised the bar significantly in the highly competitive melting pot of midsize family cruisers, in terms of both looks and performance. If this is not the best Oceanis ever, I’m quite sure it will still become the most popular to date.

Beneteau, Finot Conq and Nauta took all the best bits of the 45 and the new Berret Racoupeau-designed 51.1 and somehow made them better.

The Oceanis 46.1 offers commanding performance when heeled onto the full chine. Photo: Bertel Kolthof

The key to the design is in the full-length chine, which creates a narrow wetted surface area, yet at the same time increases the amount of internal volume for the beam, particularly in the sumptuous forward cabin.

Keeping the beam narrow below the waterline means the boat is much more slippery than the large volume would suggest. I sailed two different versions in both light to medium airs and in very strong winds and the 46.1 proved really engaging to helm in all conditions.

The interior is highly voluminous, especially forward. Photo: Bertel Kolthof

Verdict: This is one intelligent, voluminous modern family cruiser that sails as well as its bang-on-trend design suggests it will.

Specification

LOA: 14.60m (47ft 11in)
LWL: 13.24m (43ft 5in)
Beam (max): 4.50m (14ft 9in)
Draught: 2.35m (7ft 9in)
Displacement (lightship): 10,597kg (23,362lb)
Price: €225,300 (ex. VAT)
Design: Finot Conq and Nauta Design

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It was a close-run fight between three finalists in the performance cruisers category of the European Yacht of the Year 2019

Not only was performance cruisers a very close category from which to decide a winner, but also one that shows just how diverse and exciting the modern range of performance cruiser designs is.

Finalist: Grand Soleil 48 Performance

The Grand Soleil 48 is a powerful looking design from Marco Lostuzzi, offered in Performance or Race versions. We sailed the latter, which was fully tricked out with carbon extras, including rigging, sails and an extended bowsprit, plus twin backstays, eight winches, transverse jib tracks and a hydraulic ram on the forestay.

A cruiser-racer with a plethora of options. It suits short stays aboard, but in Race guise will predominantly be for racing. Price ex VAT: €415,000. Photo: Bertel Kolthof

Although all the extras nearly double the standard price of the boat, they certainly helped produce a fun sail, allowing us to maximise the 10 knot breeze and clock up to 7, 9 and 11 knots under jib, Code 0 and gennaker respectively. Helming is engaging rather than thrilling, with good feedback and plenty of control from the single rudder.

The cockpit is well thought out for manoeuvres. The Nauta interior is light, open, and minimalist, if noisy, yet feels compact for the size and beam of the hull.

Finalist: X-Yachts X4⁶

The X4⁶ has the modern design touches and styling that will win over buyers at a boat show – from fixtures, fittings and hull lines to its inviting Nordic oak interior.

An ideal blend of comfort and performance, this X is a brilliant all-round performance cruiser design which offers exciting sailing in a manageable package. Price ex VAT: €399,000. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

With its contemporary looks, it’s no surprise this X line is now the biggest seller for the Danish yard. I sailed the X4⁶ with new CEO Kræn Brinck Nielsen, who considers himself a typical example of the modern X-Yachts client: someone who has raced for years but now finds work and family demands mean a performance cruiser is more suited to his needs.

A furler boom option and self-tacking jib on the X4⁶, for instance, makes sail handling a doddle. Performance figures were very similar to the Arcona, meaning it slipped along very easily and is simple to sail quickly – we clocked up to 9 knots under cruising chute in 12 knots.

Winner: Arcona 435

At first glance the Arcona might seem a more conservative version of the X4⁶, but its low freeboard, elegant lines and addictive feel on the helm are timeless qualities.

This was Stefan Qviberg’s final design before he passed away in November, and it shows he still had ‘a sharp pen’, as Arcona’s founder Torgny Jansson put it.

Long, low lines, a tall rig, a well thought out cockpit and a traditional interior are hallmarks of Arcona. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

“Very few designers can do a genuine family boat that can win regattas,” Jansson explained, yet Qviberg managed it again and again for Arcona over four decades.

The 435 just keeps moving, slipping along even when there’s seemingly no breeze. It is also wonderfully balanced and a joy to helm.

There is an ideal slot in front of the wheel to sit to windward, helm and trim the sheet or traveller (a consistent feature of Arcona designs).

We tested the Arcona 435 in Orust, Sweden. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

The layout below demonstrates an optimum use of space in a traditional style, with proper joiner work and fiddles (note: the owner of the test boat ordered conservative dark blue upholstery).

Proof that the joy of sailing is hard to beat when it comes to performance cruisers, the Arcona 435 is an elegant package with nothing fancy – but it really delivers on easy, fast sailing.

Specification

LOA: 13.80m (45ft 3in)
LWL: 13.20m (43ft 5in)
Beam (max): 3.98m (13ft 1in)
Draught: 2.30m (7ft 7in)
Disp (lightship): 8,900kg (19,621lb)
Price (ex VAT): €360,000
Design: Stefan Qviberg

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A thriving new marketplace for instant pay-to-play boating will shake-up how we go afloat. Toby Hodges explains the four different types of yachting renting platforms

Picture this: you’re on holiday and find yourself in a new area where, like most sailors, you are drawn to the water. Wouldn’t it be nice to get afloat for a few hours or a day or two, you ask your partner or family?

You click on an app on your phone, search for a yacht to sail, a RIB to play on or a motorboat to stay on overnight, and you’re handed the keys that same day. You may not yet know it, but these kind of instant, accessible yacht renting experiences are already available.

People increasingly seek easily accessible, hassle-free, pay-to-play experiences or memberships rather than own products. To an increasing number of younger sailors, the traditional route into ownership, running costs and marina fees seems archaic and completely nonsensical.

You can stay aboard Este, a 30ft Jeanneau in Portland Marina from £75 a night

A host of new companies has recently exploded onto the marine scene to help address this growing desire to rent, borrow, or share boats. These also appeal to those who own boats yet still seek something or somewhere different to try, or alternatively want to make some money back in rent while their yacht sits idle.

The more I looked into the yacht renting options available, the more I realised just how much I had already been missing over the last couple of years.

How it works

The plethora of start-ups in this sector are founded on the same notion: that boating is too expensive and has a reputation of serving only the wealthy. These accommodation/rental/sharing schemes are devised to help open up the availability and attractiveness of boating and offer potential income to existing boat owners.

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The marine industry in general is increasingly under threat from a declining number of boat buyers. It is well documented that, while the baby boomer generation may still be buying, and buying increasingly larger yachts, such owners are not being replaced.

When it comes to boats, cars, houses or phones, the millennial generation (those born between 1981 and 2000) is less likely to buy anything. Instead they seek instant services, quick thrills and the ability to share their experiences easily – an economy that has exploded thanks to services such as Airbnb and Uber.

“There is a whole new generation who wouldn’t think of buying a boat, but they are using the sharing economy all the time and are hungry for new experiences,” explains Matt Ovenden, founder of Borrow a Boat, one of the rapidly growing peer-to-peer (P2P) yacht renting rental platforms. Experiences, he says, are the new ownership.

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These new marine-based rental sites use similar marketplace platforms to Airbnb, in that they list boats available in a variety of locations together with prices and filters to narrow your search.

The renter then contacts the boat owner through the site to arrange the terms and details and can soon be staying aboard or sailing a different boat in different waters every trip or holiday. They use booking processes that are quick, interactive and familiar to the digital generation.

It’s the boat owner’s responsibility to insure the craft for this purpose and to code it according to their country’s regulations. As with Airbnb, a contract is agreed directly between the boat owner and the renter, using the platform as the medium.

The warming interior of Onderneming, pictured above

And in a similar way to the search engines and websites we have become accustomed to relying on, such as Amazon, Tripadvisor and booking.com, ratings and reviews are also a key criterion to these yacht renting marketplaces.

Alex Katsomitros, from Click&Boat, one of the largest new P2P boating platforms, estimates this form of rental is up to 35% cheaper than traditional yacht charter. “P2P boating turns what used to be a mainstream, run-of-the-mill tourism service into a personalised experience with a whiff of adventure and originality,” he maintains.

Boataffair’s founder, Adrian Walker, describes the trend as an ‘experience economy’. “That’s what millennials are looking for. They are not necessarily even renting, but they want to share their experiences, to have a fantastic time with friends or family.” Their companies offer tangible appeal to the masses who consider boating to be too expensive, elitist or too difficult.

Click & Boat aims to bring boating to the masses

“The new generation of owners is very different,” Beneteau’s general manager Gianguido Girotti agrees. “They are used to buying everything online. So boat clubs, charter and fractional ownership are very important.” Groupe Beneteau, often seen as leading the way in the production yacht sector, recently purchased Band of Boats, a charter and community platform offering boats to suit all levels of budgets.

So what’s on offer? We’ve broken down this plethora of new marine marketplace companies into four sectors.

Accommodation only

Those who travel for work will likely seek reliable hotel chains where they know they’ll have a comfortable bed, a quiet room and a good night’s sleep. Come holiday time, however, they may instead yearn for escapism, something totally different from the reliable/monotonous norm – the ice hotel, the lighthouse keeper’s cottage, the gypsy caravan.

Yachts present another imaginative form of accommodation and, as the vast majority sit empty, the potential to sell dockside cabin space has appeal. Many of the new boat rental businesses also offer accommodation only, but there is only one dedicated marine site in the UK.

Beds on Board is the brainchild of brothers Jason and Tim Ludlow. The idea came to Jason while he was working at a sailing events management company and crewing on Sir Peter Ogden’s mini maxi Jethou in 2015. Following a race at Palma Vela, Ogden asked Jason what could be done with all the empty boats sitting in the marinas. ‘Beds’ was the obvious answer.

Boutique accommodation on a narrow boat in London

The Ludlows quickly saw the demand, especially with ‘non boaty people’. “There are no new customers without new experiences,” says Tim. It soon became obvious they needed to work closely with marina companies such as MDL in the UK, which Tim believes benefits the industry. “Who doesn’t want new customers and who doesn’t want a more vibrant marina? We’re helping boat owners to stay boat owners.”

Beds on Board now has 1,700-2,000 boats listed, of which around half are yachts, with around 80% in the UK. As well as a trend for ‘boat savvy clients’ the company typically sees families looking for celebratory occasions or mini breaks and couples looking for ‘affordable, unique experiences’.

“We pour people into the marine funnel,” says Tim Ludlow. “The question is what the industry can do to convert them.”

P2P rental

This recent sector of peer-to-peer rental – as opposed to the traditional types of bareboat charter – is already booming, so much so, it’s tricky to know which site to choose to start searching for your ideal rental break.

Each platform tends to allow renters to customise their sailing holiday/trip to their liking. “Peer-to-peer ultimately has the power to bring choice and availability to the market,” says Borrow a Boat’s founder Matt Ovenden.

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Ovenden has four young children and was looking for a boat he could afford a couple of years ago, but could not justify the expense of buying one. He recognised the problem of boats being under-utilised assets.

A serial entrepreneur, he was looking for a new innovation at the time. “The sharing economy is one of the biggest areas of growth but no one in the UK had brought it to the marine business,” he explains.

So instead of buying a boat he set up Borrow a Boat, as a direct marketplace for yacht renting. “We now have 17,000 boats [in over 60 countries] from RIBs to yachts and superyachts… and have also launched a section for dinghies and paddleboards.”

Two types of listings are now offered: instant booking or request to book. “You can wake up in the morning and find the nearest boat to you,” he continues. “The owner sets the rules and price [including being able to choose the minimum sailing qualifications needed]. They’re the seller and we’re the marketplace.”

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Click&Boat, Europe’s largest peer-to-peer yacht renting site, was set-up five years ago by Paris-based entrepreneurs and has already managed over 60,000 rentals and €40m in earnings by boat owners. It says 40% of its global users are millennials.

“Among the million boats in France, very few are used for more than ten days a year… with the annual expenses representing, on average, 10% of the price of the boat every year,” says François Gabart, who invested in the company in January and has listed his own RM yacht on the site.

Competitor brand Getmyboat in the US describes itself as the‘ world’s largest rental and water experience marketplace.’ It lists 130,000 boats in 184 countries and caters for all craft and boating ventures. Established in San Francisco in 2013, it has already seen 100,000 downloads of its messaging app.

Borrow a Boat’s Matt Ovenden says typical clients are experienced charterers, millennial groups in their twenties (short notice, with skipper), families wanting to do something adventurous, and groups of people coming back to boating.

Boat swapping

A house exchange scheme often sounds tempting. A couple of months in a wood cabin in the South Island of New Zealand would be pretty appealing at any time. But it can be argued that houses tend to be very personal, get used a lot more than boats and come with more attachments and clutter – so a boat swap sounds ideal.

Visiting places you can only get to by boat, like this spot off Cotia, Brazil, is a key draw

Adrian and Natalya Walker founded Boataffair two years ago in Switzerland as a boutique platform for yacht renting experiences. While it started as a website for owners to list or rent boats, much like the platforms already mentioned it has grown to include boat swapping.

“Our boat swapping is really getting traction from across the globe because it gets boat owners afloat easily and helps them get more value out of their boats,” Walker tells me. He explains that coding and insuring a boat for charter can be a costly process, so the process of a straight swap of private boats via his company’s site is comparatively simple.

Boataffair also has appealing VIP experiences, which ranges from a one-hour trip to a two-week bespoke cruise. Walker says boat owners appreciate the chance to be able to show what they’re able to offer, from weddings aboard, to cave diving and exploring deserted beaches.

Fractional ownership

This is a more established avenue for boat owners looking for some financial returns, or for those looking to rent more consistently. Fractional ownership or membership schemes, which provide a certain amount of guaranteed sailing (and potential income), have existed for years now.

The largest is SailTime, a US-based fractional boat membership franchise founded in 2001. The model offers both membership and a taste of ownership ‘without the constraints’. So those looking to buy a boat can hand over the management to SailTime to help offset purchase and maintenance worries and costs.

You could own a yacht share, with a guaranteed income

Yachts are professionally managed at local bases and used by only six to eight competent members. Typically, an owner’s annual net income ranges from 4% to 6% of the boat’s base price. It’s a similar model used by most large bareboat charter companies, which manage boats to rent through buy to let programmes.

One of the largest charter companies, Dream Yacht Charter, recently launched Dream Fractional Ownership, calling it the world’s first five-year fractional sailing programme. The scheme enables four joint owners of a 45ft catamaran to enjoy five weeks of sailing time each on that boat, or the option to sail on a variety of yachts within the group’s worldwide fleet.

The owners each receive a guaranteed income of 5% of the selling price paid annually for five years, giving back the original buy-in share of 25%. At the end of the five-year programme, the owners can sell the yacht and split the profits.

Both Dream Yacht and Sunsail, meanwhile, have ‘sail by the cabin’ offers as a way to enjoy a sailing adventure without needing any experience or having to book the entire yacht.

Groupe Beneteau has partnered with SailTime in the US and also launched its own Boat Club in Les Sables d’Olonne, which focuses on boats under 30ft and involves a monthly membership fee to access a range of craft – both investments aimed “to show that boat sharing is part of our strategy,” says Beneteau’s general manager Gianguido Girotti. “We are undergoing a cultural change from a provider of products to a provider of services. It’s the biggest shift since leasing, which has already completely opened up the market.”

Other yacht renting sites

P2P Rental

• Band of Boats
• Boatsetter
• Click & Boat

Membership schemes

• Flexisail – Solent and East Coast UK-based, founded in 2004, offering ‘ownership without buying’.
• Pure Latitude – Annual membership with flexible bookings available in the Solent, Plymouth and Sardinia.
• Fairview Sailing Boat Club – Solent-based partners with Dream Yacht Charter to give access to 1,000+ charter boats for a £495 monthly fee.

The post Borrow any boat: The yacht renting platforms shaking up the way we sail appeared first on Yachting World.

The luxury cruisers category threw up a surprise in the 2019 European Yacht of the Year, explains Toby Hodges

Before the sea trials began, I would have put money on a Hallberg-Rassy or the Wauquiez winning an award.

The fact that neither did is no criticism of those models, but merely gives a clue to the depth of quality in this category and the class of the Sunbeam. All three are winners in my book.

Finalist: Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 42

The Wauquiez is the definition of a modern pilot saloon cruiser that packs in so much for its size, while maintaining a high-quality finish throughout.

Perhaps the only slight negative mark is that the cockpit is a little exposed and the helm area compressed. In our full test of the Wauquiez PS42, we could find very little else to fault. The interior in particular is incredible.

A practical cruiser with volume for tanks and stowage yet still sails well. From the vacuum-infused lay-up to the fittings and gadgets, the 42PS oozes quality. Price ex VAT: €380,000

Finalist: Hallberg-Rassy 57

The 57 is arguably the best-looking Hallberg-Rassy to date. Seen afloat, its long Frers lines are bewitching. Look closer and you’ll notice how the Rassy hallmarks, such as fixed windscreen and blue stripes, meld with a modern, powerful hull shape that features a wide transom, straight stem and twin rudders. The resultant sailing qualities are superb, particularly for a centre cockpit design.

It’s the type of boat that you just want to keep sailing offshore. Having cleared the rocky islets off Orust and made it into open water, sailing at 8-8.5 knots upwind in a Force 4, I just wanted to carry on heading to Denmark (despite knowing a front was approaching).

Twin wheels help provide better views forward as well as access through the deep, long, protected cockpit. Down below is a spacious oak (or mahogany) interior on one level, with plenty of natural light – which is appreciated particularly in the saloon and sumptuous aft cabin.

The HR57 is all about easy, elegant push-button sailing at high average speeds – it’s proper luxury, both in the cockpit and down below. Price ex VAT: €1.45m (sail away)

Winner: Sunbeam 46.1

The Sunbeam is a promising if a little conservative-looking offshore cruiser with elegant lines and comparatively low freeboard. It’s the first time the Austrian company has used an arch and the result works both aesthetically and practically, keeping the mainsheet clear of the cockpit and helping to integrate a functional sprayhood. It leaves a well-protected cockpit below with deep benches and a generous fixed table.

The Sunbeam has a solid, stiff build, which results in a comfortable motion sailing upwind through short waves and proved lovely and quiet below decks. We only had a gentle breeze but, like all Sunbeams I’ve sailed, it doesn’t take much to get the 46 moving.

The excellent, protected cockpit sits forward of a generous aft deck

The interior arguably lacks some contemporary styling, but is superbly finished in a tidy layout and I like the optional oak finish with dark smoked oak soles. Perhaps the only compromise for those spending long periods aboard is a relatively compact galley. But the saloon is large and in general it’s hard fault the execution of anything Sunbeam has done.

The best Sunbeam I have seen to date and a brilliant all-round cruising yacht., the 46.1 sails well, offers its crew proper protection and has a top quality build and finish.

Specification

LOA: 14.75m (48ft 5in)
LWL: 13.26m (43ft 6in)
Beam (max): 4.45m (14ft 7in)
Draught: 2.2m (7ft 3in)
Displacement (lightship): 13,500kg (29,76lb)
Price (ex. VAT): €389,000
Design: J&J Design

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If you want to take unique aerial stills or video footage of your boat or cruising grounds you no longer need a helicopter – a drone is now the smart, affordable choice. We teamed up with TrustedReviews.com to test the latest models in detail

Drones have really advanced over the past few years, with anyone now able to try their hand at piloting a device. Mini-drones are a great first dip in the water, with plenty of fun to be had piloting. Larger quadcopters practically fly themselves now, with a raft of automated flight modes featuring on models.

Not only are drones fun to fly, many are equipped with fantastic cameras to capture stunning aerial views that would be impossible to achieve via any other device – just look at Volvo Ocean Race footage for proof of that.

However, you need to fly sensibly, so be sure to read the Drone Code, which provides all the information you need to fly safely – being courteous to those around you at anchorages is key!

DJI Mavic Pro

Price: £799
Key features:

• Compact, foldable design
• 4K video/12MP images
• 40mph top speed
• Front collision detection
• 27-minute flight time

The DJI Mavic Pro is currently one of the best drones on the market. It is incredibly convenient to carry around thanks to a flexible design. Its arms and propellers fold down, making it barely the size of a water bottle.

That is all topped off with some advanced automated flight modes that let you capture some seriously stunning cinematic shots, plus fantastic quality 4K-video and 12-megapixel still images. Battery life of around 27 minutes is also very respectable.

If you want a combination of nimble flight and fantastic image quality then the DJI Mavic Pro is the best drone out there right now – although a more compact Mavic Air is now available too.

Rating: 5/5

Parrot Bebop 2 Power FPV

Price: £479
Key features:

• Includes Remote Control and FPV Cockpit glasses
• 30-minute battery life with two batteries included
• GPS & GLONASS
• 1080P video/14MP images

The Parrot Bebop 2 Power FPV is more of an update to the original Bebop 2 than a direct follow-up. The ‘Power’ in its name is demonstrative of the fact that its battery performance has improved, with an excellent 30 minutes of flight per battery.

Two batteries are included, giving an hour of flight in total. Parrot has been generous with other accessories for the price, too, with a remote control and FPV (first person view) Cockpit glasses, which really make for an immersive experience, giving you a view from above.

There are also automated shot modes, including ‘Follow’ object tracking, which provides a more hands-off experience when you want it.

Unfortunately, image quality isn’t as good as other drones – but the Bebop 2 Power is still a great value package overall.

Rating: 4/5

DJI Spark

Price: £349
Key features:

• Palm take-off
• Gesture controls and quick shots
• GPS & GLONASS
• 1080P video
• 13-minute flight time

DJI is adept at making diminutive drones, as the DJI Mavic Pro can attest. The DJI Spark is technically the company’s smallest drone – but only when compared to the unfolded Mavic Pro.

Its small size and light weight means it can take flight from the palm of your hand, so there’s no need to find a suitable take-off point. It also has return-to-home functions that will bring it back at the end of a session.

To make controlling the device even easier, you can use gesture controls to trigger actions such as ‘dronies’ for taking a photo and there are plenty of other automated shots for capturing great footage with minimal effort.

The standard DJI Spark package doesn’t come with a remote control, so you’ll need to use your phone for piloting. There’s a ‘Fly More’ combo pack that includes a controller and other accessories, which is worth stretching to for the best experience.

Rating: 4/5

Parrot Mambo

Price: £250
Key features:

• Mini-drone
• Grabber and launcher accessories
• Bluetooth control from a smartphone
• Nine-minute flight time

While there are plenty of cheap mini-drones on the market from no-name brands, you know you are getting a quality device from Parrot.

The Mambo is tiny and lightweight, making it great for indoor fun – but it will happily fly outdoors as long as it isn’t too windy. There are two accessories included: a grabber claw and a pellet firing cannon.

Flight is controlled via your smartphone, with the remote controller being an optional accessory.

Battery life of around nine minutes is reasonably short, but it takes only 30 minutes for a full charge of the device. There’s a 0.3 megapixel camera that points downwards – so this isn’t really a drone for great photography.

Rating: 4/5

GoPro Karma

Price: £499
Key features:

• Includes Karma drone, GoPro camera and Karma Grip gimbal
• 4K video/12MP still images
• 20-minute flight time
• 35mph top speed

GoPro’s first foray into drones wasn’t without its hiccups, but fortunately the company has ironed out the kinks. A number of updates have also improved the flight, including the addition of a greater number of automated flight modes.

The GoPro Karma is also now available with the newest GoPro Hero 6 Black action camera. The Hero 6 Black is the best action camera going, so this device is capable of capturing some fantastic video and still images.

There’s also the detachable Karma Grip gimbal for rock-steady footage that you can use separate from the drone. It’s taken a while, but GoPro has finally caught up to offer features seen on other similarly priced drones.

Rating: 3.5/5

Expert advice

We asked renowned marine photographer Richard Langdon for his top five drone-flying tips:

• Practise, practise, practise until all the controls are second nature.
• Never fly close to people.
• Taking off from a moving boat, however slow, presents surprises. In GPS mode the drone will instantly want to hold position and could fly directly into someone’s head, a backstay or a VHF aerial.
• Keep a good eye on battery level.
• When returning your drone, especially if you don’t have visual contact with it, fly it forwards so that you can see what’s coming up through the camera.

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The resurgent market for sailing multihulls makes this an increasingly important category in the European Yacht of the Year

A real mix of multihulls made this a diverse, tricky category to judge. It can often be the case that we are drawn to the one that gives the optimum sailing experience, but here the consensus was to reward the best multihull design offering the best response to market demand.

Finalist: Astus 20.5

When Astus asked VPLP to redesign their 16.5 and 20.5, it immediately achieved better results in speed and stability. The renowned French design firm almost doubled the volume in the floats of the 20.5 and added wave-piercing bows – something I was grateful for given the spicy conditions when I tested it!

A minimalist, trailable centreboard trimaran – the modern design of the floats help the sporty Astus handle speed and waves with control. Price ex VAT: €21,583

With gusts in the mid 20s and a short, sharp swell running, the leeward float cut through the water and remained buoyant, without the tendency smaller tris have to bury the leeward bow. There is a sporty feel on the helm, communicating the abundance of power and acceleration but with good control.

It’s not a comfortable ride, but it’s certainly a fun one – and there’s space for a narrow twin berth with a chemical heads below.

Finalist: Aventura 34

With a dearth of entry-sized (and priced) cruising catamarans below 38ft these days, the Aventura 34 is a promising offering from a French brand that builds its modest-sized cruising cats in Tunisia. The overall design, the fine entry of the bows and the comparatively low freeboard is appealing, the latter certainly practical for boarding.

A promising, modest-sized cat, which is respectably finished for its price, with generous cockpit space and two or three cabins. Price ex VAT: €159,000

Unfortunately there is zero helm communication in light breeze, and a second winch in the helm area would aid tacking. But the design and modern style appeals and the quality is a step-up from the previous 33.

I like the single-level main living deck with connecting galley/cockpit and the hulls have generous-sized berths with large hull windows. The price is another pleasant surprise.

Winner: Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42

The Astréa responds to a market demanding as much volume and comfort as possible in a smartly designed and easy-to-manage package. The space is felt particularly in the cabins and aft cockpit area.

Sliding doors join the saloon and vast cockpit into one big living and entertaining area. Natural light pours in and the galley design is smart. However, the squared edges of the furniture and worktops is an example of style over practicality, and the navstation is tiny. The focus is arguably on visual quality over build quality.

The impressive interior could do with curved edges to aid practicality at sea

The performance upgrade on the boat we trialled includes a fully battened square-top main and a Spectra genoa which, together with prime sailing conditions, ensured an enjoyable sail. Upwind in 10-15 knots, there was little feeling on the helm, but the fun factor increased with the gennaker hoisted, making respectable speeds up to 9.5 knots with the waves.

I like the helm layout in particular: it allows space for two or three people behind the wheel and provides a very comfortable watch position, with the sailing systems all methodically laid out a metre or so further forward.

The Astréa offers plenty of layout options in three or four cabins, including a clever central shower solution shared between the two cabins in one hull. The amount of volume in the forward sections will ensure guests/charterers won’t feel cheated on space in any cabin.

An appealing design with modern styling, the Astréa has an inviting, open layout and serious volume in the accommodation

A yacht that’s all about the volume and comfort, the Astréa is a decidedly modern, good-looking cat that achieves the delicate balance of appealing to both private and charter owners.

Specification

LOA: 12.58m (41ft 4in)
Beam: 7.20m (23ft 8in)
Draught: 1.25m (4ft 1in)
Displacement: 11.5 tonnes
Price: 351,210 (ex VAT)
Design: Berret Racoupeau

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The most competitive and varied category of the 2019 European Yacht of the Year, special yachts focuses on daysailers, from the compact to the luxurious

This category assembles a varying mix of interesting craft, many of which we might otherwise not have had the chance to sail, and this year’s nominees shared a collective ability to delight the helmsman.

Finalist: Aira 22

The Aira 22 is an unassuming looking dayboat, designed to replace the popular Polyvalk school/club boat in the Netherlands. I had so much fun sailing this Martin Voogd design in wind and waves off Port Ginesta, both surfing and punching upwind, I refused to head in until our raw hands could take heaving sheets no longer.

It’s a bit uncomfortable, particularly perched up on the weather rail, but the Aira’s rudder never lost grip, its central mainsheet is easy to play and it has a cockpit that can host an army of friends.

An affordable, fun, light boat (750kg) with a simple retractable keel, available in three versions including with an optional economic electric pod drive. Price ex VAT: €11,900. Photo: Bertel Kolthof

Finalist: RS21

The RS21 is another blast to sail. Designed to race with two to four crew (inboard – no hiking) and for everyone to have a role aboard. I had a memorable sail, two-up in Sweden, in the last of the evening breeze. With the gennaker hoisted we could still power it up in the single-figure ‘gusts’ and bear off onto the plane.

The control lines are well laid out to allow all crewmembers to be active and enjoy the experience. The optional, retractable central Torqeedo pod is a smart solution, part of a focus on sustainability that I applaud – RS use bio resin and the core foam is made from recycled plastic bottles.

An attractive, new, all-round performance offering to the club racing keelboat market from dinghy leaders RS, this is a blast for all to sail. Price ex VAT: €22,500. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Finalist: Saffier SE37 Lounge

I salute the Saffier for its looks, build quality and performance. Its innovative cockpit layout, with wheels and winches forward of the huge lounging area, really works well and makes it a doddle to sail solo.

A luxury sports car of the sea, with top-end looks and quality and an intelligent cockpit design, the Saffier promotes pure sailing pleasure in stylish comfort. Price ex VAT: €209,500. Photo: Bertel Kolthof

Finalist: Domani S30

Where the Domani lacks some of the performance and stiffness of the Saffier, it’s an attractive looking package with a neat Torqeedo electric engine installation and a smart interior.

This is a relatively light, good-sized sporty dayboat that seems well built and finished for the price.

A trailable sportsboat with a slick roadster look, the Domani is well finished, comfortable, fun to sail and has a neat interior. Price ex VAT: €86,900. Photo: Bertel Kolthof

Winner: Lite XP

The concept of the (180kg) Lite XP is the brainchild of Liteboat’s Mathieu Bonnier, who used it to compete in the Race to Alaska – a 750-mile non-motorised event from Washington to Victoria to Kethikan.

The result is this super lightweight 20ft centreboard sailing and rowing craft, which comes with optional sliding rowing seat, carbon oars, a cuddy with two berths and a cockpit tent, all extras that encourage proper adventure.

Exploration is back! The Lite XP: the most enjoyable (and quietest) adventure you can have in
under 20ft? Photo: Rick Tomlinson

The boom-less, short carbon rig with low centre of effort makes sailing simple – yet the Lite XP packs a punch, planes in zephyrs and was unanimously voted the most fun boat to sail in the trials. A fellow judge clocked 13 knots in 15-18 knots of breeze in the flat Swedish waters.

The performance is perhaps unsurprising, given its designer – Sam Manuard is responsible for some of the fastest Class 40s, the Seascape range and a foiling IMOCA 60 currently in build.

To convert the Lite XP to rowing takes less than a minute, as the sliding seat simply fits into grooves moulded into the central thwart. Being able to row the boat efficiently avoids the need for an engine.

Photo: Rick Tomlinson

I would argue that there is no more appropriate recreational boat to use around picturesque waters like Sweden’s west coast archipelago. To row out leaving no sound and have a boat efficient enough to harness every knot of breeze is a pure form of sailing.

A celebration of simple sailing pleasure, the Lite XP is a blast to sail, will keep you fit and avoid the need for an outboard. It’s a niche boat, but a commendable execution of a brilliant design.

Specification

LOA: 5.99m (19ft 8in)
Beam (max): 1.78m (5ft 10in)
Draught: 0.14m-1.07m (6in – 3ft 6in)
Displacement (lightship): 145kg (320lb)
Price (ex. VAT): €21,000
Design: Sam Manuard

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