Sailing Today May 2013

Bahamian Rhapsody

may 2013 sailingtoday.co.uk £4.20

clothing guide Our picks of the top gear for this season

downwind tricks How to get the best from your spinnaker

rod & lu heikell The cruising legends on ‘real’ adventure at sea

cruise to the isles From Wales to Skye on the whisky trail

exciting new look!

now

BiggeRBRighteR

BetteR

Southerly’s new 47 can cross oceans and dry out

Bluewater, lifting keel

turkish sailing holiday for four

exclusive test

YACHTSYACHTING

CHELSEAMAR INE M A G A Z I N E S


YACHTSYACHTING



We reveal the best kept secret in the Caribbean

Your handy guide to the gateway to the West Country

Delightful Dartgull’s eye RetuRns

win!

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ST193 CoverV9 .indd 1 18/03/2013 10:01Untitled-1 1 19/03/2013 15:56

Address Email Web TelephoneHamble Point Marina [email protected] www.arconayachts.com +44 (0)2380 457770SO31 4NB

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may 2013 sailingtoday.co.uk 3

Welcome

Welcome to the neW look Sailing Today. Or perhaps ‘old look’ would be a better way of describing it? You see, we’ve leafed through back issues and pored over the pages of your beloved ST, and got a sense of what you’ve liked best down the years.

So this relaunch is more like a ‘back to the future’. We’ve resuscitated Gull’s Eye, with its breathtaking aerial shot of Britain’s best harbours – see Toby’s take on stunning Dartmouth on pp28-32.

We’ve beefed up our cruising coverage to give you a choice of home and overseas stories – hot or cold (or perhaps cold or very cold!) Hopefully, you’ll feel a shiver of warmth as you gaze at the pictures of turquoise seas that I encountered in the little-known Bahamas on pp18-27. Or enjoy a warming dram with one intrepid

sailor, who sailed from Wales to Uig for a tour of the distilleries of Skye on pp40-46.We also know how much you rate Sailing Today’s independent tests. In this issue, you’ll find the stalwart

and suavely-bearded Duncan Kent at the wheel of Southerly’s latest 47-footer. He timed the test perfectly for the only sunny day we’ve seen in months, as you can see from pp34-39, and you won’t read this anywhere else – it’s an ST exclusive! That’s not all, though. The testing continues across our usual new gear pages and into the ether, with a thorough investigation of the merits of using your tablet as a primary chart plotter (pp76-80).

But, I hope you will notice some differences between the old ST and the new. Chelsea Magazines has worked hard for months to produce a fresh, no-nonsense look for your favourite sailing magazine. There’s a brand new seamanship feature to help you get the most out of your boat – this month it’s spinnaker tips (pp72-75). Plus, an exciting mix of your letters and photos, news, book reviews and a clothing guide with our picks of the latest casual and technical sailing garb.

We’ve taken you, our readers, as the inspiration for the new look ST, so please get in touch to let us know what you think. We still aim to give you the best monthly sailing read that money can buy, in the same independent spirit as always.

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DAVE holbourn has sailed for 15 years and lives

in Worcester. He sailed from Barmouth to Skye

DuncAn kEnt is our stalwart boat and gear

tester. He lives in Somerset and sails a nicholson 32

jAmEs knight works for north Sails in Gosport

and is a keen racer. He advises on spinnakers

contributors

Skipper’s Viewlong-term readers of st will recognise some of their

old favourites returning to the magazine in a new guise

ST193 Ed's LetterV2.indd 3 18/03/2013 10:50

www.hanseyachts.com

FAST CRUISING

LIGHT AND AIRY Hull windows in all cabins as well as elegant opening fl ush deck hatches and windows

SAIL SINGLE-HANDEDAll halyards and sheets lead aft to helm

ERGONOMIC COCKPIT DESIGNTwin-wheel steering with access to bathing platform, solid teak cockpit table, wide bench seats, high coaming

EASY TO STEER, SAFE AND FASTLong water line, T-Speed keel. Designed by judel / vrolijk & co

TACKING WITHOUT TOUCHING THE SHEETIntegrated self-tacking jib

325 new345 385 415 445 495 new575 630e

Video

HANSE

385

SEE US AT OUR UK ROADSHOWS IN APRILCALL FOR DETAILS OF THE SHOW NEAREST YOU

Inspiration Marine Group Ltd. | [email protected] | P 02380 457008 || Windermere | P 01539 447700Scotland & Ireland | P 01475 522515

ST_193_004.indd 1 18/03/2013 10:17

Strap book


Regulars8 newS Bounty inquiry; Clipper complications; sailing scientists sought

12 new boatSHallbery-Rassy 412, Rustler 37, Hanse 575 Swedestar 415, Moody 54DS, Dufour 410

14 ReaDeRS’ letteRSRefuge in Viveiro, boat storage and more

15 win a SunSail HoliDay17 wHat’S on70 bookS98 RiDing ligHtbarry wilmshurst, sailing South africa

Cruising18 baHaMian RHapSoDy Sam and alex Fortescue are thrilled by an unplanned cruise in the exumas

28 gull’S eye the gull returns, over the River Dart

40 Malt MiSSionDave Holbourn discovers the appeal of Scottish cruising

48 inteRViewRod and lu Heikell on a lifetime in the Med

50 SeCRet plaCeSDiscovering Chapman’s pool in Dorset

Boats34 SoutHeRly 47 testing northshore’s 47ft lift-keeler

52 liVing legenDRevisiting the legendary Contessa 32

Gear56 ClotHing guiDethis year’s ‘must have’ sailing clobber

64 new geaRFresh from the chandlery

68 geaR teSteDb&g Zeus plotter; barton traveller

Practical72 SpinnakeR HanDling top tips for taming the spinnaker and making the most of the gennaker

76 plotteRS VS paDSwould you put to sea with just a tablet pC for navigation?

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sailingtoday.co.uk may 2013 12

Rustler 37 £306,000

Sistership to the well-respected Rustler 42, the new Rustler 37 off ers double cabins fore and aft and a big saloon. There is plenty of storage for extended cruising and large navigation and galley areas.

Her trademark fi n keel and deep canoe underwater body is in contrast to many modern production yachts and helps reduce slamming through waves. It also allows more sail to be carried further into higher wind strengths. On deck, everything is led back to the cockpit, for easy and safe sailing. She also benefi ts from single line reefi ng. The fi rst yacht will be launched late summer 2013.

Builder/sales: Rustler Yachts Tel: +44 (0)1326 310 120, www.rustleryachts.com

Hanse 575 £384,000

Designed by Judel/Vrolijk, Hanse’s new fl agship 575 has all the components for stress-free passage-making: an elegant hull with a long waterline, a performance orientated sail plan and a comfortable, safe cockpit area.

Her fractional rig includes a self-tacking jib as standard and the sail controls lead to within reach of the twin helms. The cockpit’s two tables fold down to provide sunbeds at anchor and she has a dinghy garage under her stern, but the open transom is an invitation to lose gear overboard.

Below, she is spacious, with a variety of layout options.

Builder: Hanse Yachts, www.hanseyachts.com UK agents: Inspiration Marine Tel: +44 (0)23 8045 7008, www.hanseyachts.co.uk

DESIGNS / LAUNCHES / PROJECTS

HALLBERG-RASSY 412 FROM £405,000

� e largest of its a� -cockpit yachts, the 412 has the option of twin or single a� cabins, with one or two heads – all roomy and bright. � ere are also comfort options such as a generator, washing machine, bow and stern thrusters.

Halyards are hidden under the coachroof. Her lines are clean, thanks to the � ush-mounted hatches and the genoa furler drum and electric windlass mounted below deck.

She has a roomy 3.1m cockpit, with a single wheel and large binnacle. � e modern sail plan is designed for easy handling, with a large main but only slightly overlapping headsail. � ere is also a self-tacking jib option.

Builder: Hallberg-Rassy, www.hallberg-rassy.com UK agents: Transworld Yachts Tel: +44 (0)23 8045 4000, www.transworldyachts.co.uk

New boats

Rustler 37 £306,000

Sistership to the well-respected Rustler 42, the new

HALLBERG-RASSY 412 FROM £405,000

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Dufour 410 £151,000

As with the other new boats in its latest series, Dufour’s 410 has twin wheels, drop-down transom platform with dedicated liferaft and inflatable dinghy stowage, extra beam for a wider cockpit and larger, more comfortable cabins aft. Hatches are now flush, and there is an option for cockpit seats to convert into sunbeds.

Her interior isn’t quite as stark as on some of the latest production launches and looks to be slightly better finished with a wide choice of materials. She’s light below, thanks to large portlights and hatches, but not so airy: only one small port opens in each side of the coachroof.

Builder: Dufour Yachts www.dufour-yachts.com UK agents: Marco Marine Tel: +44 (0)23 8045 3245, www.marcomarine.co.uk

Moody 54DS from £549,000

After the success of the Dixon-designed, Hanse-built Moody 45DS, it was obvious that cruisers liked the ‘deck-level’ living experience. In the past, this had been restricted to catamarans, but Moody took a chance with the 45DS, raising the saloon sole so that the galley and living areas were at deck level. This gives it a really open and airy feel.

Testing the smaller 45, we were amazed at how well she handled and, with Dixon drawing the lines of the new 54DS, she is bound to impress. And that extra 10ft means a decent VIP guest cabin can be provided in addition to the sumptuous owner’s suite.

Builder: Moody Yachts, www.moodyboats.com UK agents: Boat Sales International Tel: +44 (0)23 8045 7966, www.boatsales.co.uk

SwedeStar 415 from £350,000

SwedeStar yachts are solidly built bluewater cruisers that are typical of the finest Swedish craftsmanship. Although they have been available in the UK for several years now, they have yet to become particularly well known here.

They are classically designed and steadfastly constructed. On deck the new 415 has a deep, safe cockpit and a large wheel. Sail controls, including the mainsheet, are by the wheel and her classic hull form should slice through the water effortlessly.

Below, she has a traditional, but by no means dated, layout. There is less space than in today’s beamy twin-wheeled production cruisers, but then that’s not always what long-distance cruisers want. Sea-kindliness and vice-free performance is more important to many, plus the delights of relaxing at anchor in a beautifully crafted boat.

The 415 can be laid out with two or three cabins, with one or two heads and a large L-shaped galley. Sensible stowage abounds, as do well-placed handrails and fiddles.

Builder: SwedeStar, www.swedestar.se UK agent: SD Marine Tel: +44 (0)23 8045 7278, www.sdmarine.co.uk

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18

Cruising

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19

The Bahamas prove to be an unexpected highlight of Sam and Alex Fortescue’s Atlantic circuit

SHOAL WATERWORLD



‘The Bahamas, you say? Isn’t that full of American powerboats and cruise liners? No, better stick to the

quieter waters of the Caribbean islands.’ If that was your � rst thought when you read the headline, you’re not alone. Very few sailors passing through the Caribbean make it as far west as the Bahamas, whose 3,077 islands and rocks are scattered across 90,000sqm between 73°W and 79°W.

And in truth, our visit to the Bahamas, as part of a year-long Atlantic circuit, was hardly planned. We’d got as far as Cuba in our Sadler 34, Summer Song, a� er a sublime 9-day downwind passage from the British Virgin Islands. Next stop,

from Cuban waters to coincide with a broad window of settled weather, which brought us the � rst surprise of many on our Bahamian adventure. A� er 36 hours under way, and broadly on the same latitude as Miami, Florida, we edged into waters just 4m deep and dropped the hook for a good night’s rest on a mirror calm sea. We had crossed the Gulf Stream and entered the shallow waters of the Great Bahamas Bank, where � sh and turtles teem, and the bottom is never more than a few metres from your keel.

Big blueBut we hadn’t ‘arrived’ anywhere. � ere were another 85 miles to Nassau and the only break in a watery horizon was a small clump of

a� er a certain amount of daiquiri-sipping and Hemingway impersonation, was to be the great, green expanse of the Chesapeake Bay on America’s east coast.

But for a niggling bureaucratic issue related to entry visas (or the lack thereof), we would have steered into the deep blue river of the Gulf Stream, travelling north at up to 4 knots, and there would be no story to tell here. As it was, we were obliged to lay a course for Nassau, from which the Bahamas’ island chains straggle in all directions, and where there is a US embassy.

In late May, before the hurricane season begins in earnest, sailors in these waters can expect the odd tropical storm and plenty of squally weather. So we timed our departure

Top: Anchored o� Norman’s Cay, with a dune of old conch shells in the foreground

Clockwise from above left: Friendly parakeets at the “world famous” Nassau Zoo; Queen Victoria in front of the Parliament building in Nassau; Goldie’s speciality is cracked conch

‘� e Bahamas Bank curves protectively round these islands like a hand’


Bahamas


innocuous rocks about half a mile to the west. Otherwise, the sea stretched o in every direction. Riding at anchor as the sun set over the � at, empty sea, we felt distinctly vulnerable, but captivated by the strangeness of it all.

� e Great Bahamas Bank curves protectively around these islands like a hand and is visible from space as a vast splash of turquoise. Built up from layer upon layer of coral sand, it is largely unexplored and uncharted, in places shi� ing regularly. Over the years, however, careful sailors have navigated between a number of waypoints and beacons, establishing ‘safe’ corridors. If you stick rigidly to the waypoints, you know the water will be deep enough. � e bigger danger, in fact, is being run down by

another boat using exactly the same waypoints and not looking out.

In any kind of choppy conditions, or with the prevailing easterly wind, this might have been an uncomfortable leg, but in an oily calm, it was sublime, and with the Volvo taking the strain, we daysailed to Nassau, and arrived well rested.

A busy portNassau is the administrative and logistical hub of the Bahamas. Tourists arrive here from every point of the globe by plane and cruise liner, and mailboats jostle in and out of the harbour, distributing goods and passengers to all the major island centres. Before we could motor in

past the slab sided cruise ships – the tallest things here on land or sea – we had to seek permission to proceed from the harbourmaster. � en it was past the breakwater, into the sheltered waters between the mainland and the o -lying casino resort of Paradise Island.

A strong westgoing current can make shooting the high bridge a tricky business, but there is plenty of air draught under the tallest arch. � e US pilot guide advises you to pop into one of the marinas, because the holding in the harbour is bad. In truth, though, we had no problems with the hook. � e guide’s advice probably comes down to promoting local services, rather than any safety concerns. We certainly rode at anchor here for 10 days without dragging an inch.

We spent a pleasant week in Nassau, eating conch fritters and battling with bureaucracy at the US embassy. � en, with my American visa application approved and my passport awaiting attention, there was no reason to hang about, and we decided to push o and explore. Hurricane season was fast approaching, so we chose the nearest

‘� ese tropical waters are so clear you can spot the coral from 100 yards’

Above: Paradise Island hosts the vast Atlantis casino complex

Right: Sandbank revealed at low water o� Little Norman’s Cay

Nassau, New ProvidenceThe seat of government when the Bahamas was a British colony, Nassau has remained so since independence in 1973. The town has a Jekyll and Hyde personality, split between the sleepy historic quarter with its numerous conch eateries, and the brazen monument to consumerism, which is the cruise terminal and the casino complex on Paradise Island, reached by a tall toll bridge.

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Gull’s EyE Dartmouth

sailingtoday.co.uk May 2013 28

Gateway to the West Country and peaceful river anchorage

DaRtMOUtH DeliGHt

guLL’s EYE

Dart marina yacht harbourThis is the only marina on the Dartmouth side of the river. Smaller than Darthaven across the fairway, and with fewer visitor berths, it is nevertheless newer. The complex also contains a hotel and spa.

Darthaven marinaBigger than Dart Marina Yacht Harbour and a little noisier. There are more yachting amenities and easy access to Dartmouth via the ferry.

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Gull’s EyE Dartmouth

May 2013 sailingtoday.co.uk 29

As a lifelong sailor, I fi nd few areas in Britain as pretty as the Devon and Cornwall coastlines. Rugged cliff s give way to

pretty rivers and stunning vistas over waters that oft en seem clearer and bluer than elsewhere.

My memories of previous visits to Dartmouth are of sunny weather and spectacular scenery. It is fair to say only one of these traits was experienced when we went for a poke around on a cold February day. But, in spite of the breeze swirling light snow into our faces, the views out over the River Dart itself were as fi ne as I had remembered.

Dartmouth and the nearby towns of Torquay and Salcombe have a long and illustrious maritime history. Naval and general heritage abounds as you make your way around the little streets and shops, all seemingly with some connection to the water.

Although there are a signifi cant number of spots to moor or pick up a buoy on the River Dart, we have focused on the recently refurbished Dart Marina Yacht Harbour, located on the Dartmouth side of the river, and the larger Darthaven Marina on the Kingswear side.

factfileDArt mAriNA yACht hArBOur

Contact: +44 (0)1803 837 161, dartmarinayachtharbour.co.uk

Berths: 105

Facilities: Wi-Fi, electricity, showers, spa, hotel

tides: Dover -0510

vhF: Channel 11

maximum size: 65ft

Price: £4.20 per metre per day

Age of steama 6.7-mile heritage railway on the former Great Western Railway branch line links Paignton and Kingswear. The train runs along the bank of the River Dart.

Eating outDartmouth is home to many restaurants, but the Mitch Tonks-owned fi sh and chip shop, Rockfi sh, and his fi ne dining restaurant, Seahorse are recommended.

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On test

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Bluewater lifting keel

The new Southerly 47 could be this renowned British marque’s finest bluewater cruiser yet. Duncan Kent has the exclusive report.

Southerly’s new 47ft aft-cockpit, swing keel cruiser is designed and built to an extremely high specification, but with easy handling

uppermost on the priority list. Designer, Stephen Jones’ main ask was to ensure that not only is she capable of being sailed on long ocean passages by just two people, but also that she should have enough space and facilities for another couple to stay on board without compromising the owner’s own accommodation.

Although not defined specifically as a raised saloon model like some of the yard’s other yachts, the S47 still boasts magnificent panoramic views from its raised seating area – one of the most called-for features of bluewater cruisers these days.

Her interior has been designed for ultimate comfort, but not at the expense of practicality. So, she has all the mod cons expected of a world cruiser, such as high-capacity fuel and water tanks, easy access skin fittings and plumbing connections, space for a generator, watermaker and dive tank compressor, vibration-

Broad sternA wide stern means more room below and more lounging space in the cockpit. However, good handholds, high coamings and deep seating ensure the cockpit is both practical and secure under way.

proof padded and insulated sole boards, and much more.

Interior styling is contemporary to the point where the latest materials and systems are always offered to the prospective owner, but Southerly hasn’t let the style merchants get too carried away. Utilising the skills of renowned superyacht stylist, Rhoades Young, it has created an opulent, yet tasteful interior that undoubtedly bestows an up-market feel to the accommodation. Southerly is also happy to customise the

interior for each owner – in many cases, where it’s just an alternative to the standard, at no cost.

Solid constructionAs with all Southerly yachts, the 47 is built using the latest techniques and materials, with each hull guaranteed against osmosis for five years from the date of manufacture.

The moulds are laminated by hand, using Northshore’s Nordseal system, which incorporates multi-axial and unidirectional fibre reinforcement

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COMPACT DIMENSIONS • BIG SPECIFICATIONS

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Sailing Today May 2013

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