Yachting Monthly

Space on board comes at a premium and deciding what to take is a quandary. Sadly, packing light is not an art my family or I have mastered. No matter how hard we try, it always takes multiple trips from car to boat, lugging armfuls of bags, bedding, children, toys and food. The ensuing puzzle of where to stow it all is harder to solve than a Rubik’s cube. The problem is that what you take really matters. On last year’s Atlantic Rally for Cruisers when one family was dismasted, they discovered their cable croppers were useless on rod rigging, as was the angle grinder. Luckily, their old-fashioned hacksaw was much more effective for cutting the rig away (p54). When it comes to holding tanks, sacrificing good locker space in order to…

If you have a news story to share, contact News Editor Heather Prentice Email Heather.Prentice@futurenet.com Tel: 07751 746468 The tragic death of a Dutch sailor on New Year’s Day after setting off a flare has reignited criticism about the use of pyrotechnic flares on yachts. The RYA is urging authorities to adopt more modern technology for safety at sea. The Dutch Safety Board investigated the fatal accident in the Pacific Ocean and issued an alert against the use of the batch of parachute flares. ‘The flare was fired according to instructions, but exploded immediately with fatal consequences,’ the Dutch Safety Board said. ‘It’s unclear why the flare exploded immediately. There is a risk that it is not a one-off incident.’ Manufacturer LECEA issued a recall for the batch: Red Rocket Parachute Flare L-35 / L-35A…

After five months at sea and 20,000 miles sailed, Kirsten Neuschäfer (ZAF) is leading the Golden Globe Race as the fleet heads for Cape Horn. But a storm the size of Brazil, some 1,500 miles across, is causing gusts of 60 knots and turbulent seas as the leaders Neuschäfer and Abhilash Tomy (IND) race the last 1,100 miles towards the Horn. Abhilash has been knocked down twice, but Bayanat suffered no severe damage, and Neuschäfer has altered course to north avoid the worst of the weather. Simon Curwen (GBR), who had led the fleet since leaving Biscay, has been forced to declare he is moving into the Chichester Class for entrants who make one stop, after a knockdown broke his Hydrovane windvane steering system. Curwen was 1,200 miles from Cape Horn, sailing in…

283 Revenues from marina berthing income grew 13% to £283m in 2021/22 as the sector recovered post pandemic 0% No lakes, rivers or seas in England meet chemical standards and only 16% are ecologically healthy: The Wildlife Trusts £500,000 Tim Jones aims to raise £500,000 for the RNLI by walking Britain’s 6,000-mile coastline with his dog 4.5kg Gas company Calor has discontinued its 4.5kg butane bottle following supply issues Octogenarian honoured Japan’s Kenichi Horie, 83, was awarded the 2022 Blue Water Medal by the Cruising Club of America for a lifetime of sailing…

A new law cracking down on the dangerous misuse of watercraft such as jet skis will come into force on March 31 when the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is granted more power to prosecute the perpetrators of accidents. The new Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order will apply existing ship operator rules to personal watercraft and will enable watercraft users to be prosecuted for dangerous and negligent use. The order also means that jet skis will now have to abide by the International Rules for Preventing Collisions at Sea (the COLREGs). They were previously not compelled to abide by these rules, which include maintaining a lookout and navigating at safe speeds. The government says the move will help ensure the UK continues to have some of the safest waters in the world. It…

World Sailing and the RYA have voiced their extreme disappointment in response to the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) recent decision not to reinstate sailing to the LA28 Paralympic Games. Some 33 sports were seeking to be included in the LA28 games plan, with just two places available. The LA28 plan currently considers 22 Paralympic sports, the same number as Rio, Tokyo and Paris. There are 41 nations on five continents active in Para Sailing, and over 630 active Para Sailors registered with World Sailing.…