SAIL的November 2017目录

It was like some cruel jest of nature: two killer hurricanes sweeping over the eastern Caribbean within two weeks of each other, the second battering the islands the first one missed. Hurricanes Irma and Maria made September 2017 a month that will live long in the collective memories of the Leeward Islands, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands and Florida. The Caribbean has experienced scores of hurricanes, but no one could remember any as destructive as Irma. Gaining strength from warmer-than-usual Atlantic waters, Irma skirted Antigua but rolled over Barbuda, St. Martin, St. Barths, Anguilla and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands as a Category 5 hurricane packing winds of up to 185mph. It made the Category 1 to 3 hurricanes that track through parts of the…

It seems nothing can be simple when it comes to the America’s Cup, not even the way you announce the kind of boats you’re going to use. This is especially the case if you happen to have the almost obsessively secretive Kiwis once again in charge of game. Ever since Emirates Team New Zealand ran away with the 35th America’s Cup this past June, crushing the Defender, Oracle Team USA, 7–1 on Bermuda’s Great Sound, there has been speculation as to whether the series might return to monohulls for the next round in Auckland. However, it was up to the current challengerof- record, Italy’s Luna Rossa, representing the Circolo della Vela Sicilia, to spill the beans when its leader Patrizio Bertelli did so in early September to the Italian newspaper…

If ever there was a Swiss army knife of a boat, it’s the Xcat, winner of a SAIL 2017 Best Boats award in the daysailer category. Not only is this a sailboat that doubles as a twin-hulled rowing shell, it also breaks down easily for car-topping or storage, and is available with a variety of add-ons—ranging from hiking seats and a nift y little dry bag with dedicated attachments for keeping valuables safe to a small four-stroke or Torqeedo electric outboard. Extra-long paddles are even available that allow you to use the boat as a kind of two-person SUP. How cool is that? Best of all, every inch of this fun little boat is carefully engineered, so that for all its seeming complexity it is dead simple to assemble, disassemble,…

In the summer of 2016, I decided to head for the high latitudes on my Bristol 56, Resolution. Anticipating this might be my last northern cruise, I had a number of conversations with the crew about our goals. Most of us had done one or more cruises together, and we came up with several destinations we thought we’d like to visit. One of the most intriguing, not least for its symbolism, was Resolution Island in Hudson Strait. Another popular choice was the Torngat Mountains of northern Labrador. As our early July departure neared, we began to favor a loosely defined goal of going as far north as we comfortably could in the six weeks or so that fit our various schedules, expecting this would get us into the best part…

Wind generators have a natural appeal to sailors in need of extra power. They harness the same element that we rely on to get from A to B, and the technology behind them is well proven and reliable. Despite the growing popularity of hydrogenerators and ever more efficient solar panels, wind generators are still a common sight on bluewater cruising routes. At the outset, it’s important to note the advantages and limitations of wind power for keeping the batteries charged. On the plus side, the generator will keep pumping out power at anchor or in port, as well as on cloudy days. It is also largely maintenance-free and requires no launch or recovery. These can be powerful units, churning out 400 watts of power or more—enough to charge 800 amp…

Perhaps the most “cutting-edge” sailboat I ever met was in a marina in southern Spain in the early 1990s, not long after the Soviet Union fell apart. It was a Russian boat, a quintamaran, a fivehulled monster with a central main hull and four amas that looked something like a massive missile-bearing spider. The recently de-Sovietized crew, just arrived from a Russian naval base on the Black Sea, was very proud of her and whispered behind their hands that she had lots of secret Soviet military technology aboard. Their brash confidence was based on a conceit that more hulls must always make for a better sailboat. As in: if catamarans and trimarans are faster than monohulls, then a quintamaran must be faster still. Those of us who gathered on the…

SV Delos’s videos (svdelos.com) have become an internet sensation. Since 2009, Brian Trautman, who later met Karin Syrén in New Zealand, and his brother, Brady Trautman, have been sailing the world on Brian’s 53ft Amel Super Maramu, Delos, filming their adventures along the way. Developing somewhat of a cult following, they found a way to make a living doing what they love and inspiring others to do the same. What got you into sailing? Brian: I was working for a phone company in Seattle, Washington. I was the guy that climbs the telephone poles. During a break I went to the library and found this book called Three Years in a Twelve-Foot Boat. A number of years went by. I had the house in the suburbs, the business—all those things.…

Back in the 1970s Ted Turner famously retracted his description of Lake Michigan as a “mill pond” aft er finding himself caught up in one of the roughest Chicago-Mackinac races in decades— and in many ways solo distance racing on the lakes is tougher still. Granted, the rhumb line distances from Chicago to Mackinac Island (334 miles) or from Port Huron, Michigan, to the same place (230 miles) are substantially less than, say, the Bermuda One-Two or the Singlehanded TransPac. Nonetheless, the tactical challenges posed by the solo races run along these routes by the Great Lakes Singlehanded Society can make them just as tough as any solo event out there. “I find ocean winds to be more predictable and reliable than inland waters… Some of the best sailors in…

I had no trouble finding the new HH55 catamaran: she stands out in a marina of white plastic yachts like Hulk Hogan at a garden party. She is purposeful. No, purposeful is too wussy a word: she exudes menace. This is a cruising yacht, aft er all, that can knock off 250-mile days without even breathing hard. DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION From the design duo of Morelli & Melvin, who have created the cream of cats from America’s Cup winners to ocean-crossing record setters like Steve Fossett’s PlayStation, this is a yacht designed to get you somewhere, anywhere, fast and comfortably. Whether you call them axe bows, reverse bows or wave-piercers, they give the HH55 a look of speed even at rest. This cat is far closer on the evolutionary chain…

TIME MACHINE Some sailors want a watch that just tells the time. Others want something like Garmin’s Quatix 5, which is much more than a mere timepiece. If your boat is kitted out with Garmin gear, you can access information like depth speed, wind direction and a bunch of other info from the Quatix 5; you can even use it to control your autopilot, not to mention your sound system. Its integral barometer, compass and GPS make it even more versatile. It also tells the time. $599. Garmin, garmin.com A DRY AFTERGUARD West Marine’s new lightweight Afterguard foulweather gear looks like just the thing for the kind of sailing most of us do; an affordable, breathable jacket and bib-style pants that pack down compactly and slip easily over clothing. WM…

It’s been said golf is a good walk spoiled—and if ever the same could be said for a sailboat race’s effect on an otherwise enjoyable off shore passage, it would have been aboard the J/130 Saga at the end of the 2017 Marblehead to Halifax Race. The eight of us comprising the crew, including our intrepid skipper, Marblehead sailor Kris Kristiansen, gave it our best, the boat was well prepared, we’d shown good boatspeed early on and had been happy with our plan of attack. But when it came time for the fleet to converge again off Nova Scotia’s southern shore, what should we see but our closest competition in PHR-2 a mile or so ahead of us in the haze—close enough that we might still hope, but in vain.…

A Droplets of condensation form when water vapor condenses on colder surfaces. Warm, wet areas like galleys and showers need opening ports, hatches or big ventilators to let the moist air out. An often overlooked source of moisture is the burning of hydrocarbon fuels. The old saying that “burning a gallon of gas produces a gallon of water” still holds true. B Our bodies also produce a lot of hot, wet air. This condenses on cold window panes or frames, and then drips down on to bunks, etc... It can even pass through open-cell foam mattresses to meet the air underneath C that’s cooled by the sea or, in certain cases, water tanks. D These wet, dark areas are ideal places for mold to form. E Leaving wet gear in…

Sailors struggle to keep their vessels afloat as they compete in the Jamestown Yacht Club’s Fools’ Rules Regatta in Jamestown, Rhode Island, this past August. Each sail-powered “vessel” must be built on the beach in two hours with non-marine items (no boat parts or sails) and crews must keep them from sinking or disintegrating over the 500-yard course. Awards include “Best Theme or Costume,” “Most Ingenious Design” and the most coveted of all— “Worst Example of Naval Architecture.”…

Eighty years aft er Ranger cleaned up 4-0 in the 1937 America’s Cup off Newport, Rhode Island, the last time ever that the mighty J Class raced for the “Auld Mug,” the Dutch-flagged Lionheart, which is based on lines similar to those of Ranger, made some history of its own by winning the class’s first-ever world championship. The boat and crew did so by displaying solid consistency across all seven races it sailed against the five other J’s taking part in the regatta, ultimately defeating runner-up, Hanuman, by just three points. Although Lionheart only took first one time, it also never once finished lower than third, which in the end proved sufficient to clinch the overall victory. “It is a special title, [both] for the owner who gives us so…

Kraken Yachts is not well known in the United States—yet. The British-based company has three yachts in its portfolio, the latest of which, the Kraken 50, is a center-cockpit bluewater cruiser aimed squarely at the niche dominated by the likes of Hallberg-Rassy. Built in China and designed by New Zealander Kevin Dibley, who has drawn a host of successful racers and cruising boats, the Kraken 50 is a purposeful-looking boat whose form follows its intended function— to carry a cruising crew and a sizeable payload across oceans in all weathers. There are no concessions to fashion here, just well-proven design features and construction, all packaged in a good-looking hull. A shorthanded crew can handle the double headsails and in-boom reefing without the need to leave the security of the deep…

Cruisers who spend prolonged periods away from the dock, either under sail and at anchor, will appreciate the practical as well as the aesthetic changes that have been made to the newly revamped Beneteau Sense 57. The original Sense line was introduced in 2010 to great acclaim. Thanks to a number of upgrades, it looks to have an equally strong future. DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION Berret-Racoupeau’s original design is still very much in evidence with respect to the Sense 57’s exterior. In fact, the hull, underbody and rig remain mostly the same. The wide cockpit, which launched the term “monomaran” seven years ago, due to its width and resemblance to the cockpit on a catamaran, is also similar, although some updates make it more usable. The old helm seats that lift…

So you’re looking for adventure. Not of the bareboat party barge variety, but the kind where the weather is sketchy, the wildlife plentiful, the sailing serious and the boats rugged with serious looking reels of anchor rode and line on deck. Whether you’re seeking to cross oceans, sail high latitudes or learn the ropes from experts in anticipation of commanding your own ship someday, there are lots of opportunities to see a bolder side of life on the water via expedition chartering. Some expedition operators combine sailing with skiing, mountaineering and diving in their passagemaking itineraries, so your wilder side can be appeased and your muscles stretched in new ways. Other opportunities are run on a shared-expenses basis while still others may set you back a fair bit. However, all…

It’s zero-dark-thirty in Simpson Bay, St. Martin, and my wife, Debbie, and I are trying hard not to run into our friends on Why Knot IV as we fight to get our anchor up in 40-knots of wind. We finally get away, raise the double-reefed main, turn downwind and head for the British Virgin Islands, 90 miles west. The wind is right on our tail, and the autopilot struggles to keep Indigo, our 46ft Leopard cat, under control. Of course all our cruising friends, hunkered down in the bay as the wind continues to howl, tell us we are nuts to head out when there is nothing but more wind and bigger waves in the forecast. But embarking on “ill-advised” passages is what we always seem to do. Aft er…

Irma and Maria wreaked havoc in much of the Caribbean leaving us with heartbreaking images of devastated homes, displaced citizens and destroyed bareboat fleets. Photos of dismasted monohulls and flipped cats have flooded the Internet, with the fleets looking more like piles of fiberglass, bent aluminum and stainless than actual pleasure boats. The charter industry has taken a serious blow, and perhaps your own plans to warm up this winter have been impacted. We will have a full examination of the damage and the plans for recovery in a subsequent issue, so stay tuned. But in the meantime, if you had a charter booked in St. Martin or the British or U.S. Virgin Islands, act now to shift to another base or look elsewhere for your annual winter sailing fix.…