International support for Tracy Edwards’ Whitbread yacht renovation02 Oct 2017Tracy Edwards’ Maiden is being restored with a little help from InternationalThe 58ft yacht skippered by Tracy Edwards MBE and her all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World race 27 years ago is being restored to its former glory.The renovation will be completed with the support of AkzoNobel’s yacht paint brand, International, which will supply a number of products the project.“Maiden is in very poor condition, she looks a bit sad, but with the expertise and hard work of our team we will breathe new life into her,” said Tracy Edwards MBE, founder of The Maiden Factor campaign.International will supply Interprime 820 and Interprotect fillers – Interfill 830 and Interfill 833, as well as Trilux 33 for antifouling. It will also provide its high-performance topcoat, Perfection Pro, which has been colour matched by Andrew Ward and the Awlmix team.Maiden’s refit is expected to complete in June 2018 after which the yacht will be used to fundraise for better access to education for girls during a three-year global tour.The vessel’s win in 1989 earned Tracy an MBE, as well as the prestigious ‘Yachtsman of the Year’ trophy, the first woman in its history to be awarded this coveted title.

via Boating Business | International support for Tracy Edwards’ Whitbread yacht renovation.

Volvo Ocean Race holds landmark sustainability workshop

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Jen Edney/Volvo Ocean Race

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Over 100 Volvo Ocean Race sailors, shore crew, stakeholders and industry leaders came together at the Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard in Lisbon to learn more about ocean health and share ideas on how to tackle plastic pollution in 2017-18 (full story below)

The Volvo Ocean Race’s renewed commitment to ocean health for the 2017-18 edition was underlined with a landmark sustainability workshop on Saturday.

The event, held in the Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard facility in Lisbon, saw over 100 sailors, shore crew, stakeholders and industry leaders come together to learn more about plastic pollution, hear more about the Volvo Ocean Race’s sustainability plans for the next edition, and share ideas on how to optimise collective efforts during the race, which begins on 22 October 2017.

Led by 11th Hour Racing, the session featured keynote speakers from around the globe to give the Volvo Ocean Race sailors a new perspective on ocean health ahead of their gruelling race around the planet.

“The Volvo Ocean Race has put sustainability at the heart of everything – and I’m here to demonstrate and support the Race’s commitment to this conversation,” said 11th Hour Racing President, Jeremy Pochman.

“I think that this is the first time an entire sports event organisation has committed to sustainability in this way, and we’re really excited to help facilitate this training.”

He added: “Our commitment is to make all of the Volvo Ocean Race sailors into spokespersons, so to see all the sailors and the shore crews here, talking about how we make this programme come to life is really exciting.”

11th Hour Racing aims create and inspire systemic change amongst the sailing and maritime communities by promoting behaviour and action through strategic partnerships focused around ocean health.

“It’s really nice to bring all the teams together for a subject that we’re all committed to,” said Turn the Tide on Plastic skipper Dee Caffari. “We’re all very passionate about the Race’s sustainability focus and ultimately we have to deliver that message as ocean ambassadors.

“As sailors we get to play in this unique playground and we see the impact that plastic pollution is having on ocean health. For that reason, we’re the best people to pass the message on, and regardless of which team we’re racing with, collaboratively, we can all make a very big impact.”

Ocean health campaigner Emily Penn also spoke about the dangers of micro plastic and gave the sailors tips on how to communicate the message, as well as reduce personal plastic consumption.

Other speakers included 11th Hour Racing’s Jill Savery; Volvo Ocean Race’s Anne-Cécile Turner and Meegan Jones; Dr Toste Tanhua, Senior Scientist in Chemical Oceanography at GEOMAR, and Dr Stefan Raimund, Scientific Consultant at SubCTech.

“We go to some very remote places, and as we race around the world we’re hoping to collect some ground-breaking scientific data for the first time. We’ll be sampling water and collating those results with GPS tracking – and we’ll keep the filters, so we can identify the volume of micro plastics in each section of the ocean,” continued Caffari, whose campaign is backed by the Mirpuri Foundation and Ocean Family Foundation, and will amplify the United Nations ‘Clean Seas’ campaign around the world.

“By the time we finish the race, we should have lots of real data that we can use to push our message further, and take to governments and decision makers globally.”

After the session, the teams took part in a clean up around the Volvo Ocean Race village, organised by Vestas 11th Hour Racing sailor Damian Foxall.

“We want to create a positive plastic footprint,” he said. “We can cut consumption, but also recycle, refuse, educate and pick up. It’s all very well sitting down and learning about sustainability – but it’s not until you get hands on that you actually make the connection.”

The Volvo Ocean Race’s sustainability focus in 2017-18 consists of three key pillars: to maximise impact, minimise footprint, and leave a positive legacy.

“We’re delighted that all seven of our teams and our wider stakeholder network came along to support our renewed sustainability focus in 2017-18,” explained Anne-Cécile Turner, Sustainability Programme Leader at Volvo Ocean Race.

“This session is the first of a series of exciting activations we’ll be holding throughout the race – including education and science programmes, and Ocean Summits in seven Host Cities around the planet in order to continue driving conversation around sustainability, and to influence decision makers and business leaders in local markets.”

via Volvo Ocean Race holds landmark sustainability workshop| Volvo Ocean Race.

Cowes serves up a month of classic races

BY ADMIN • AUGUST 25, 2017 • OLDER, REGATTAS • COMMENTS OFF • 110

The 52ft Bojar ghosts past the entrance to Cowes Harbour. Credit: Rick Tomlinson

July was a month of almost back to back classic yacht regattas in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, a few miles off the UK’s south coast. The 2017 season kicked off in the second week of the month with the Panerai British Classic Week, organised by the British Classic Yacht Club. Consecutive days of glorious sun and solid breezes showed that Cowes can serve up superlative weather, top notch racing and a social scene to match regattas held anywhere else in the world.

This regatta for 50 stunning yachts, saw a wide mix of designs ranging from a 1904 Fife design, through both Six and Eight Metre classes, to modern Spirit of Tradition yachts. The most eye catching of the latter was undoubtedly Irvine Laidlaw’s new Spirit 52 Oui Fling, a pure racing yacht with no interior. One of Laidlaw’s other yachts, the 68-metre superyacht Lady Christine, was also at Cowes for the duration.

Classic yacht racing can be just as cut throat as with state of the art designs. Here the 1964 Sparkman and Stephens 43ft Firebrand chases the 80 year old 52ft 10-Metre Class Bojar. Credit: Rick Tomlinson

The opening day was an absolute scorcher, with barely a cloud in the sky and glorious sunshine for the parade of yachts past the Royal Yacht Squadron. Racing included round the cans courses in the Solent, which is famed for its unique combination of winds and complex strong tidal streams, as well as a 50-mile circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight on the second day.

The following week saw around 170 boats competing in the Charles Stanley Direct Cowes Classics Week. The dozen and a half classes included a range of Metre Classes including 8mR, 6mR, 5.5mR and Daring (glassfibre 5.5s), along with classic day boats including Dragons, XOD and Flying 15s, plus larger classic yachts and Spirit of Tradition yachts. This year’s event saw a bigger mix of conditions than the previous week, with a number of light airs days, but also racing lost to winds that were too strong for safe competition in the classic day boats.

8-Metres crossing tacks on the first day of Charles Stanley Cowes Classics Week. Credit: Rick Tomlinson

The event is lucky to be able to present a large collection of historic silverware to the many class winners. Murdoch McKillop’s Saskia took first place among the majestic 8-Metre fleet, while John Corby took first place in the Daring Class, also claiming the Metre Regatta Trophy. The mixed fleets of Classic Cruisers saw class wins for the 1964 Sparkman and Stephens 43 Firebrand, and Lawrence Wride’s 1967-built Sunmaid V.

The racing from Cowes continued on July 29, with Lendy Cowes Week, the world’s oldest and largest regatta that sees some 800 boats from modest 19ft day boats to some of the latest 115ft superyachts racing in almost 40 classes. This is immediately followed by the 605 mile Rolex Fastnet Race, in which many of the larger classic yachts will also compete.

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Gallic rivals battle for records

BY ADMIN • AUGUST 25, 2017 • OLDER, RACING • COMMENTS OFF • 123

The friendly rivalry between French sailing legends Francis Joyon and Thomas Colville is set to continue after almost a decade of exchanging records. In the latest 2017 clash Colville once again snatched the record for the solo Atlantic crossing from Jolyn, smashing the five- day barrier and coming home in 4 days 11 hours and 10 minutes, an incredible fifteen hours ahead of the previous record.

This would have been a bitter pill to swallow for Jolyn who had improved his own 2013 record crossing record by 49 minutes in a new time of 5 days, 2 hours and 7 minutes, just three days earlier.

Francis Joyon had followed up winning the Jules Verne trophy for the fastest non-stop circumnavigation in 40 days 23 hours earlier this year with the new record for the quickest single-hander to cross the Atlantic Ocean from west to east. What’s more Joyon wasn’t even aiming to set a new record on this occasion – In his monohull IDEC he merely wanted to beat the time of the Queen Mary 2 cruise liner, so his departure from New York was timed to synchronise with the ship’s schedule, not for an optimal weather window for breaking records.

But it is Thomas Colville who has come out as the winner on this latest clash of the titans when just seven months after setting a new solo record around the world in a record time of 49 days, three hours, and seven minutes, 48-year-old Coville is now the owner of the Solo North Atlantic Record: crossing the Atlantic in less than five days in monohull Sodebo. But be sure his 61-year-old rival will not be retiring from this clash anytime soon.

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Elegant and high performing Hanse 548

BY ADMIN • AUGUST 25, 2017 • OLDER, YACHTS • COMMENTS OFF • 289

This 52 footer is one of four new models this German builder has announced for the 2018 season. The Judel Vrolijk design is optimised for the light airs sailing that’s typically found during the main season in the Mediterranean, northern Europe and Baltic seas. An optional furling-reaching sail on a second forestay improves upwind and reaching performance in light airs, while a gennaker maximizes downwind speed. Three keel options give a draught of 2.2, 2.55 or 2.8m.

The deck layout is designed to make the boat as easy to sail as possible, with all key sail handling operations possible from the two winches at the helm stations and a self-tacking jib. Optional electric furling systems further simplify manoeuvres. The hydraulically operated bathing platform is accessed by easy stairs, while an innovative “swimming stair” and optional hydraulic gangway are designed to facilitate easy access for swimming and when moored stern to a quay in harbour.

An optional solid hardtop provides protection from sun and spray, and incorporates a carbon fibre arch to take a conventional mainsheet traveller. This can be combined with a either a canvas spray hood and retracing side panels or a solid glass windshield.

Below deck accommodation is based around a three-cabin layout, with each fully soundproofed. The owner’s suite is forward, while a second VIP suite aft on the port side offers significantly more space than is usually found in quarter cabins. Even the third cabin has a king size 200x160cm bed.

The company’s other new boats are the Hanse 348, 388 and 418. All are expected to be on show at the Dusseldorf boat show in Germany in late January 2018.

– LOA 16.22m

– Hull length 15.75m

– LWL 14.90m

– Beam 5.05m

– Draught:

Shallow keel 2.20m

L-keel, medium 2.55m

T-keel, deep 2.80m

– Displacement:

Shallow keel 19,800kg

L-keel 19,600kg

T-keel 19,000kg

– Engine 110hp diesel

– Fuel tank 520 litres

– Fresh water 770 litres

– Air draught 24.70m

– Mainsail (slab reefing) 80.50sq m

– Mainsail (in mast furling) 71.00sq m

– Self-tacking jib 57.50sq m

– Reacher 100.00sq m

– Gennaker 210.00sq m

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Fast and comfortable Beneteau cruiser unveiled

BY ADMIN • SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 • BREAKING NEWS, HOMEMOSAIC, YACHTS • COMMENTS (0) • 167

This is intended as the first of a new generation of Oceanis cruising yacht that’s more comfortable, yet also faster than its forebears. The flared and stepped hull is particularly noticeable in the forward sections, where a chine extends the width of the upper part of the hull. The idea behind this is to create additional interior space without unduly changing the boat’s sailing characteristics. A key benefit is that it allows for new layouts on a boat this size, including an unusually large owners cabin forward.

Four different interior layouts are offered, varying from three cabins/ two heads through four cabins/four heads to five cabins/ three heads. Interior woodwork is in a choice of brushed oak or mahogany.

On deck there’s a choice of areas for relaxation when in port, including plenty of sun-loungers. There’s a large modular cockpit table, plus a barbeque grill built-in to the aft bench, and a spacious open swim platform.

As standard the boat is equipped with an in-mast furling mainsail and self-tacking jib, with all controls brought back to a single winch at each of the helm stations, making for very simple and easy sailing. A Dock & Go system with a joystick control simplifies close-quarters manoeuvring.

Five optional rigging plans, plus three different keel types are offered, giving owners the flexibility to customise their boat for exactly the type of sailing they want to undertake, and for the crews with which they intend to sail. At the opposite end of the spectrum to the all-furling standard boat is the Oceanis 51.1 First Line. This has an extra-long carbon or aluminium mast, with up to 35 per cent additional sail area in high-tech materials, allied to a deep 2.8m keel with a lead bulb. This version also has a composite steering wheel, higher specification deck fittings and an extended bowsprit to cater for larger spinnakers.

The Oceanis 51.1 will be unveiled at the 2017 autumn boats shows in Cannes, France, Southampton, UK and Annapolis, USA.

Length overall 15.94m

Hull length 14.98m

Waterline length 14.52m

Beam 4.80m

Draught 1.86 or 2.3 or 2.8m

Ballast 3,396kg; 3,604kg; or 3,198kg

Displacement 13,930kg

Fuel tankage 200 litres

Water tankage 440 litres

Furling mainsail 45.80sq m

Self tacking jib 48.1sq m

Slab reefing mainsail 55.9sq m

Jib (105%) 61sq m

Asymmetric spinnaker 180sq m

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via Fast and comfortable Beneteau cruiser unveiled | Yachting News Update | The Business of Boat Ownership and Marina Berths.

Race story: 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race

BY ADMIN • SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 • BREAKING NEWS, HOMEMOSAIC, RACING • COMMENTS (0) • 102

Rob Craigie and Deb Fish on the Sun Fast 3600 Bellino finished third overall in IRC Three and won the new trophy for a mixed two handed entry as well as best yacht with a female skipper ©Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

A record breaking fleet of almost 400 yachts, and 2,700 sailors, competed in this year’s 605 mile Rolex Fastnet Race. Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club this has long been the world’s most popular long-distance offshore race by a very large margin.

Competitors ranged from top professionals on superyachts of up to 115ft and the entire fleet in the 2017/8 Volvo Ocean Race, to more modest charter boats, sea school yachts and adventure sailing operations providing an opportunity for their clients to tick an item off their ‘bucket lists’. In the main IRC fleets, 56 of the entries were sailing double handed.

The Fastnet Rock as captured by the legendary photographer Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex

The first boat home was Tony Lawson’s MOD 70 trimaran Concise 10, which completed the course in 1 day, 18 hours and 55 minutes. George David’s Rambler 88 took monohull line honours after two days nine hours, ahead of two larger boats, Ludde Ingvall’s 100ft supermaxi CQS and Tom Brewer’s 115ft Judel/Vrolijk designed Nikata.

This race was also one of the first tests of the entire fleet for the 2017/8 Volvo Ocean Race, which saw the closest of racing throughout the event. Charles Caudrelier’s Dongfeng Race Team won the class, just 56 seconds ahead of Xabi Fernández’s Mapfre. After 63 hours of racing the entire seven strong fleet crossed the finish within 39 minutes.

On corrected time, Didier Gaudoux’s JAN39 Lann Ael 2 took first place overall, 45 minutes clear of Ron O’Hanley’s Cookson 50 Privateer. Pascal Loison’s 33ft Night and Day, the overall winner in 2013, again won the hotly contested, 56-strong double-handed division, ahead of Robin Verhoef and John Van Der Starre’s J112E Ajeto! Sailing the Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, Rob Craigie and Deb Fish took third place in this hotly contested division, breaking the French stranglehold on the top places, and also winning the prize for the first mixed double-handed crew.

Overall winner under the IRC rating system, Didier Gaudoux’s JND 39 Lann Ael 2 © Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

For many competitors it proved to be a very close race – for instance only three per cent on corrected time separated the boats between places 100 and 160 overall and everyone was sailing around other boats right through the race, even those who took five days to complete the course. Other highlights included multiple dolphin sightings, including boats surfing downwind in the dark at speeds of 15-20 knots at night, with the mammals jumping in the moonbeam ahead of the boat.

The next Rolex Fastnet Race is provisionally scheduled to start on Sunday August 18, 2019.

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via Race story: 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race | Yachting News Update | The Business of Boat Ownership and Marina Berths.

Finns start construction on audacious Supermaxi

BY ADMIN • SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 • BREAKING NEWS, HOMEMOSAIC, YACHTS • COMMENTS (0) • 230

The new boat will be at the very cutting edge of yacht design and of the burgeoning superyacht racing scene.

The appetite for superyacht racing is such that Nautor, the name behind the famed Swan series of yachts, has announced the largest ever model in its ClubSwan series of semi-production built racing yachts. The move comes after the outstanding success of the one-design ClubSwan 50, which was launched in 2015 to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary. That model achieved phenomenal sales success, with an order book of 17 boats before the prototype had left the factory.

Nevertheless, the ClubSwan 125 is an audacious step that has never been attempted by any boat builder, although Nautor’s long-term relationships with its clients mean we can be sure that they are confident of having sufficient demand. Designed by Juan Kouyoumidjian, this yacht is intended to appeal to knowledgeable, experienced and skilled racing owners looking to take on a new challenge on the racecourse.

The ClubSwan models are built using weight saving carbon construction.

“Each Supermaxi is unique, but few will go as far as the new ClubSwan 125 to merge style and performance,” says Kouyoumidjian. “While below deck you will marvel at the attention to the detail and the space, both of which exemplify the experience of being afloat at its best, at the helm you will be immersed in the sensation of sailing the fastest monohull ever conceived.”

“The heritage of Nautor’s Swan has always been to use its know-how to create something unique and special that seeks to incorporate the future,” says Enrico Chieffi, Nautor’s Swan Vice-President and Director of ClubSwan Yachts. “The ClubSwan 125 is evidence that the yard continues to invest in extending its range – both the established Swan Yachts and the new ClubSwan models.”

The first ClubSwan 125 is scheduled to launch in 2019. It will join a growing number of high-tech racing superyachts that offer superlative accommodation below decks. The latest boats can also be easily converted from a cruising/delivery rig set up to a full Grand-Prix set up, including square top mainsails, giant spinnakers and carbon sails. When racing the top professional crews from the America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, Vendee Globe and Olympic Games are shipped on board.

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via Finns start construction on audacious Supermaxi | Yachting News Update | The Business of Boat Ownership and Marina Berths.

Volvo Ocean Race teams up with Virtual Regatta for 2017-18 race game

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Volvo Ocean Race

The Volvo Ocean Race game is back, better than ever, offering up the ultimate virtual sailing challenge.

The new edition of the game, to be launched to coincide with the Prologue leg of the race on October 8, now features offshore and inshore racing, just like the real thing.

The Volvo Ocean Race is sailing’s toughest challenge – a 45,000 nautical mile test of skill and character as crews race around the world on 65-foot race yachts, designed to go up to 500 nautical miles per day, with top speeds of over 30-knots.

At 11 of the stopover ports, the crews switch gears for the in-port races, short sprints around coastal race courses. And for the first time, players of the official game have the opportunity to test their skill with an inshore version of the game as well.

The last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race Game, for 2014-15 saw over 200,000 skippers test their skills, charting a virtual course against the real-world fleet as it raced around the world.

Now, Volvo Ocean Race is again teaming up with Virtual Regatta, a world leader with over 1 million players annually, to deliver the most realistic way of challenging the best in the world.

As a player, your boat sails 24 hours a day / seven days a week for each leg, just like in the Volvo Ocean Race. It is up to you to choose the best sail configuration and course to get to the finish line first, taking into account the real-life weather conditions.

The game will available on all online platforms, including iOS and android apps.

The first test leg for the teams and for virtual racers is the Prologue from Lisbon to the home port of the Volvo Ocean Race in Alicante, Spain. Starting at 1350 local time (UTC+1), on Sunday, 8 October, the leg is expected to take up to four days – a short, sharp, taster, ahead of Leg One on October 22.

Volvo Ocean Race and Virtual Regatta have agreed all revenues generated from the prologue leg will be donated to the Clean Seas campaign, a part of the United Nations Environment Programme.

Key facts:

• Volvo Ocean Race and Virtual Regatta team up on a new Volvo Ocean Race game

• Two games in one – inshore and offshore versions

• Compete against the real Volvo Ocean Race sailors while they’re at sea

• Available on web and iOS and android platforms

• Prologue test racing starting on October 8

• Leg one racing starting on October 22

via Volvo Ocean Race teams up with Virtual Regatta for 2017-18 race game| Volvo Ocean Race.