Practical Boat Owner February 2021

To receive the editor’s monthly email newsletter, go to our website: www.pbo.co.uk Balancing luck and skill A I read a post on a forum recently in which an ocean racing enthusiast was complaining that with foiling hulls sailing at over 20 knots through the Southern Ocean over Christmas, this edition of the Vendée Globe solo round the world race is more likely to be decided by luck than by skill or effort. And it occurred to me that those who believe they make their own luck through skill and preparation are optimists above all. Take Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, or Bernard Moitessier, for example: the first two to sail non-stop solo around the world (more on page 44). Luck or skill? Their preparations convinced them their luck would hold… So off they went. I envy…

French solo skipper Kevin Escoffier has said he had no doubt that he’d be rescued after his IMOCA 60 PRB broke in two during the Vendée Globe. The 40-year-old, who’d been in third place in the round the world yacht race, had just minutes to put on his survival suit and abandon ship before PRB sank around 840 miles south-west of Cape Town. “It’s surreal what happened. The boat pulled back on itself in a wave at 27 knots. I heard a crack… I looked at the bow, it was at 90°. “Within seconds, there was water everywhere. The stern of the boat was underwater and the bow pointed skyward. The boat broke in two forward of the mast bulkhead… I’m not exaggerating… there was a 90° angle between the stern and the…

The sailing world is adapting to the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and many events for 2021 are expected to go ahead. The 76th Sydney Hobart Yacht Race fleet will cross the start line on Boxing Day, although there will only be one international crew taking part. A record 100 boats will be racing the 628-mile race. Teams will be briefed online and the race village will be closed to the public; fans are being encouraged to watch the race online. Organisers of the 36th America’s Cup are making final preparations ahead of the start of the Prada Cup on 15 January, which will determine which team will compete against the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand in March’s America’s Cup final. International fans will have to watch online, as COVID-19 travel restrictions…

The founder of the Scaramouche Sailing Trust, Jon Holt, has been named the YJA MS Amlin International Sailor of the Decade. The head of outdoor education at the Greig City Academy in Hornsey, London, Holt started a sailing programme at the school in 2014. His aim was to break down barriers and provide opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to sail and race successfully. In 2017, Greig City became the first state school to compete in a Fastnet Race on their own boat, the German Frers 45, Scaramouche, coming 144th out of 362 starters. Money to renovate the yacht was raised by the students. Following their Fastnet success, Scaramouche sailor, Montel Fagan-Jordan, won the YJA Young Sailor of the Year Award in 2017. Since then, the Scaramouche Sailing Trust has bought more…

From 1 January second-hand boat buyers, surveyors and brokers will be able to search online, free of charge, for the Manufacturers Identity Code (MIC) of a vessel to confirm its provenance. A requirement of the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD), an MIC forms part of a unique serial number that every CE-marked boat must have and enables manufacturers and regulators to identify each particular vessel. After 1 January 2021 all global boatbuilders, including EU-based manufacturers, will have to register their MIC on the UK register to place a vessel on the British market. Previous MIC data will also be transferred to the database, which is run by British Marine. The CEO of the Yacht Brokers, Designers and Surveyors’ Association, Bas Edmonds, said the new database would ‘greatly benefit’ surveyors and brokers in being…

Grants of up to £10,000 are being given out to RYA Sailability and OnBoard centres throughout England towards projects that tackle inequality in sport and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The £150,000 of National Lottery Funding was awarded to the RYA from the Sport England Tackling Inequalities Fund. Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre in Liverpool will be using funding to offer highly subsidised windsurfing and Sailability sessions to a wider audience. Young adults will also be offered the chance to train as instructors in exchange for voluntary work once qualified. Croydon SC is working with Croydon Youth and Schools Sailing Association to provide sailing opportunities through Scout groups for local youngsters living in deprived areas. Other centres to receive grants are: Hengistbury Head Outdoor Education Centre, Lincoln & District Sailing Association, Salford Watersports…