Yachts & Yachting magazine October 2021

IN 2019 I RECALL CHATTING TO a slightly jaded colleague about the upcoming Southampton Boat Show. It would be his 20th show and he mused on the slightly weird time warp sensation that the boat show engendered; years blurred and melded into one as you entered the show in a manner that he both found comforting and also disconcerting as the years zoomed by. 'When will it all end?' he concluded. Well, who would have thought that one year on, the show would end in the most dramatic style with a Health Secretary taking a break from some illegal kissing to issue a panicked memorandum on the eve of the show in order to shut it down, locking the gates even as the first eager visitors arrived. Not much in…

British J/109, Trojan, to leeward, and French Figaro 2, Tuf...Tuf...Tuf, making their way through heavy Solent wind-over-tide conditions at the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race on 8 August. After the opening morning’s pasting and continued punishing conditions overnight, almost 50 boats had retired by day two. Some of those that carried on were greeted by almost windless, flat seas at the Rock. It was a two-day affair for the fastest, but for most of the fleet,this 49th edition of the offshore classic turned out to be as tough as ever. Our full report, looking at the many fascinating races within the race, starts on page 74.…

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Dragon, Bluebottle, was the toast of Cowes Week as the newly restored boat won her class with a day to spare. Restored to immaculate condition by David Heritage Racing Yachts in Cowes, she finished the regatta on seven points, after three wins, two second places and a fourth – her first time racing in decades. The boat was acquired several years ago by the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, in Edinburgh, which was behind the restoration. She will now become part of the Trust’s fleet of royal boats, comprising the last royal yacht Britannia, as well as Prince Philip’s former yacht, Bloodhound, and his Flying Fifteen, Coweslip. Built in 1947, Bluebottle was a wedding present from the Island Sailing Club. The Trust sought the Duke’s consent for the 18-month restoration…

The British Sailing Team hopes its performance in Tokyo will inspire younger sailors, says RYA Performance Manager Mark Robinson. Robinson spoke as the sailors and shore team packed up and prepared to fly home from one of the most successful Olympics ever for British sailing. The team won five medals, including three gold, and was one of only a handful of nations to compete in the 10 Olympic classes at Tokyo. Robinson said: “Being top nation is pretty important for the British sailors. That means more gold than anyone else. “The biggest thing for the sailors is can we inspire more kids to pick up the baton for 2028, 2032 or even 2024. Probably most of the 2024 cohort are already in the British Sailing Team at this point but you never know…

Helm take crypto UK yacht charter broker HELM has started taking crypto currencies as payment for yacht charters, becoming the first yachting holidays business globally to do so. Lonely Rock Entry opens on 15 August for the Original Lonely Rock’ race from Ryde on the Isle of Wight, around the Fastnet Rock and back to Plymouth, which will run on Sunday 17 July next year. rwyc/lrr Berthon is first for latest wifi Berthon Lymington Marina in Hampshire now boasts the latest generation of wifi connectivity, known as Wi-Fi 6, thanks to a partnership with wifi company Shared Access, giving 19 access points supplied by a 1000Mbps broadband connection. 11th Hour’s new IMOCA The racing team has unveiled its new IMOCA 60 which will be raced in the forthcoming edition of The Ocean Race. Orkney tidal power What is being…

Teenager Katie McCabe is sailing around Britain solo in a 26ft Morgan Giles sloop, Falanda. The 14-year-old, from Topsham, Devon, set off on 30 June and aims to be back in time to start the school term on 6 September. The feat would make her the youngest person to complete the trip, after Timothy Long did it last year aged 15. Katie’s father David is following a few miles behind in his own 33ft 1937 wooden yawl. Katie spent evenings after school and weekends over the winter of 2019/20 restoring the 1950 West Channel One Design, which cost £800, with her father. David, 53, is a self-taught boatbuilder who has several serious restorations to his name, including a Herreshoff, a Riva and a Chris-Craft. The family have lived afloat since before Katie was born,…