Masthead The magazine of the Royal Dart Yacht Club - Classic Channel Regatta Antartic Convergence Student Podium Places
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Masthead
Summer 201
9
The magazine of the Royal Dart Yacht Club
Classic Channel Regatta
Antartic Convergence
Student Podium Places
An archive image of a visiting barge passing the club in 2005
USEFUL EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR THE RDYC
Commodore:
commodore@royaldart.co.uk
Rear Commodore, Sailing:
rearcommodoresailing@royaldart.co.uk
Racing Secretary:
racingsecretary@royaldart.co.uk
Cruising:
cruising@royaldart.co.uk
Moorings:
Front cover:
moorings@royaldart.co.uk
Parade of sail Dartmouth
Ladies Afloat section leader: Stéphanie Claeyssens
ladiesafloat@royaldart.co.uk
Hospitality Manager:
hospitality@royaldart.co.uk
Contents
The Classic Channel Regatta 7
Crossing the Antarctic Convergence 12
RDYC Junior Sailing Alumni 18
Americas Cup Update 20
Noss Marina Spring Regatta 2019 22
Racing Reports 24
The Classic Boat Awards 2019 26
Clubhouse improvements 28
Junior Sailing 31
Ladies Afloat 32
Boys in Boats 34
Cruising 36
MASTHEAD
Club Personnel 37
Editor: Neil Millward
Design: Jonathan Gale at www.epic-design.co.uk
Printing: AC Print Ltd., Paignton
Navigating by gannet 38
Advertising Manager: Angus McNicol
Pictures: Unless otherwise specified, kindly supplied by
RDYC members. Special thanks to Mike Green,
Harry Bowerman, Harry KH/INEOS TEAM UK and
Paul Gibbins Photography, https://pgc.pixieset.com
Media pack available on request from office@royaldart.co.uk
Please note: the views expressed in this publication are
those of the individual authors – not the RDYC.
©Royal Dart Yacht Club 2019
The magazine of the
ROYAL DART YACHT CLUB
Established 1866
Editor’s
ADMIRAL
His Royal Highness The Prince Philip note…
Duke of Edinburgh KG KT GBE
I blame the sixties. Not in the way that the Pope has done recently, citing the loosening
PRESIDENT
of cultural taboos and the more liberal moral climate of that period as an explanation
Mike Moody (excuse) for the widespread sexual abuse of his clerics. No, I blame this same freeing-
FLAG OFFICERS up of the cultural climate of post-war Britain for a decision by the University of
Southampton to buy a very early Dragon (sail number K1) for some static sail tests on a
Commodore: Richard Haycock
large pond that the Yacht Research Group wanted to carry out. The experiments having
Vice Commodore: Peter Boote been completed, what should happen to the yacht? Well, my enterprising late brother
Rear Commodore Sailing: Mark Simpson (doing a PhD on hydrodynamics at the time) offered to maintain the Dragon in exchange
Rear Commodore House: Peter Forey for having the use of it. So one Easter in the early sixties we antifouled her in a yard on
the Hamble and set off with a borrowed pram dinghy for a cruise around the Solent.
CLUB OFFICERS Our creature comforts were catered for by a bucket, a Primus stove, a couple of pans and
Hon. Secretary: Chris Meehan two sleeping bags. We overnighted in Bembridge, the upper Medina, Newtown Creek and
Hon. Treasurer: TBC the Beaulieu River. Five days of adventure on a modest scale – nothing compared to sailing
a 16-foot Wayfarer dinghy from Scotland to Iceland, as Frank Dyer had done a few years
GENERAL COMMITTEE before – but still something out of the normal run of things, and remembered fondly.
Membership Secretary: Liz Canham
Well, it’s never too late to plan another small adventure, so this summer Pam and I are
Moorings: Mike Brown taking our Tofinou 7 down to the Fal to explore again those charmed, sheltered waters
where I sailed our home-built Enterprise dinghy as a teenager. The Tofinou is a day-
CONTACT DETAILS
sailer, but more versatile than a Dragon (lifting keel and small inboard engine) and so
Royal Dart Yacht Club, Priory Street, ideal for exploring the creeks of Falmouth Harbour and the Helford River. Sleeping
Kingswear, Devon TQ6 OAB ashore is more suited to our aged bodies than a sleeping bag on the cockpit floor, but
the feeling of adventure is still there. But that feeling will surely blossom if I and a friend
Email: office @ royaldart.co.uk cruise the boat back to Dartmouth, stopping wherever we fancy – up the Fowey River,
Website: www.royaldart.co.uk Mevagissey, Dandy Hole, Bantham, who knows? We might even sleep on board if
conditions are benign. Watch this space.
Members-only website page:
So what’s all this to do with RDYC, you ask? Simply that, although our splendid club
The members-only section can be reached
provides a wonderful base for local sailing and social activities, it can also be the
via the link at the bottom of each page
departure and arrival point for sailing adventures further afield. Cruise to somewhere
http://members.royaldart.co.uk This will take you haven’t tried before? Do a longer race than normal? Challenge your fellow Squib
you to the RDYC Groupspaces site, where you owners to a race to Brixham? Revive that 1960s classic dinghy race from Totnes to
will need to sign in using your email address Brixham? The possibilities are endless. Comfort zones are a trap – step outside! And
when you do so, let us know, write an article for the next Masthead and inspire your
and Groupspaces password.
fellow members.
USEFUL OFFICE NUMBERS Happy sailing!
Melinda Smallwood/
Suzanne Huddart 01803 752496
Sailing Office: 01803 752704
Bar/Restaurant: 01803 752272 Neil Millward
Commodore’s message I write this note overlooking the Fal having just visited our new baby grandson and I was struck by the thought of how lucky we are – not just as individuals living in the beautiful South West but, also by the fact that we are well fed and watered and enjoy a quality of life that would be envied by many. With that in mind the Club may be a little damp at the moment, from all sides Brexit is a shambles, the markets are down, violent crime is up but, in the words of a well-known Python “always look on the bright side” and thankfully we are able to get out on the water, put the sails up and leave all that behind! This is a good opportunity to offer my thanks to all the hard-working staff in the club and the General Committee who have pulled together in the face of challenging conditions. We have some way to go, but I know the whole team is focused on restoring and improving our club to make it a place of which we can all be proud. By the time you read this our new website, member’s administration and events management system will be live. Hopefully it will all have gone smoothly (legs and fingers crossed!!) and you will all have logged in, updated your own data and entered your preferences. Hopefully, also, you will have booked your first event on-line. I think it’s worth reviewing the reasons for this work. As a club we do depend on the goodwill of our members and of course we also rely on maintaining levels of membership and engagement. Therefore, the public face of the club needs to both welcoming and functional, we should not be shy about singing the benefits of being a club member and at the same time we need to make all processes as simple and as efficient as possible whilst being compliant with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The system will enable us to collect membership subscriptions for 2020 by direct debit and subject to agreement we will be offering alternative payment plans, something we were not able to do with the old systems. I do hope you will all agree that the club has made great strides towards one of our key objectives – to offer a warm and welcoming environment, to build a reputation for quality locally sourced food – my particular thanks to Hayden and Adey on this mission, their professional guidance has been invaluable to our bar and catering committee. My thanks also to all members who have stepped forward to volunteer their services helping out behind the bar, in the kitchen and front of house. I think all would agree that seeing things from the other side can be useful and we have certainly learned a lot! We have also made great strides in attracting outside events to the club, X-Yachts Association, Sigma Championships, Hallberg Rassy Association, Kingswear Golf Society and NCI to name just a few – all contributing revenue to the club in a way that doesn’t impact the enjoyment of the club by members. With regard to our core reason for existing I think we should be proud of all the different elements of the club that make it fun to be a member, our racing tradition goes from strength to strength, very well done to the J’Ouvert and Bandit crews for cracking results in the IRC Southern Championships. Our special interest groups continue to flourish with a very fine example set by Ladies Afloat who are celebrating their 20th anniversary with their customary style! Last but not least our junior sailing programme continues to flourish with a lot of hard work from all their volunteers. The refurbishment of the cottage is nearly complete and will be available for short term holiday rental soon. Please spread the word as much as you can and send people to the website for details. I think whilst we can be proud of progress in all these areas there is still much to do, exploring new revenue streams, expanding our training offer, adding to the list of member benefits, playing a more outgoing role in the community and working on our environmental footprint, to name just a few! We have the summer ahead of us, a regatta to look forward to and I hope to see you at the Club soon! Richard
The Classic 6 Masthead
The eighth edition of the Regatta starts in Dartmouth on 29 June and it promises
to be a cracker! With over 100 pre-registered entries, at least nine from RDYC, and
a probable turnout of at least 80 boats, a wide range of classic racing yachts will be
here for all to see. But what is it about classic yachts that makes them such a feast for
the eyes and the envy of many an onlooker?
Channel Regatta
L et’s start with some comparisons. Are classic yachts like old
master paintings or more like classic cars? Well, old master
paintings frequently increase greatly in value and so are often bought
Puffin II has different claims to fame. Built in 1886 she is the
oldest vessel in the regatta by a fair margin. She was designed and built
in Bideford by the Westacott brothers, a shipyard famed for its high-
as investments by private individuals and rarely shown to the public. quality workmanship in the 19th century. Her 33 foot pitch-pine-on-oak
Others, of course, are owned by the great public galleries and available hull was mounted on a three-ton iron keel.
for all to see. By contrast, it would be very rare for a classic yacht to In 1901 she was bought by Maurice Griffiths, a well-known writer
increase in value faster than the cost of ongoing maintenance. Ask and editor of Yachting Monthly. Puffin II is featured extensively in his
any of the owners in this year’s Regatta! So perhaps the comparison classic volumes, Ten Small Yachts and The Magic of the Swatchways.
with classic cars is more valid? Some do increase in value beyond the Griffiths wrote, "I was attracted by her old- fashioned clipper stem
costs of restoration and maintenance, but regular maintenance must with figurehead and scroll work and a most shapely hull with a nicely
surely be less than that for a yacht of comparable value? But there rounded counter stern. I like to think of her on the day of her launch
must be more to it. Some might ask how a classic Bugatti can sell for in Bideford, riding primly to her mooring, fresh and unscratched in her
£20 million, whereas a comparable classic yacht might fetch a tenth pristine paint, with builder's shavings still in her bilge, while England
or less of that price. Surely, part of the answer is that almost anyone went crazy over the Queen's Jubilee and a handful of Boers in South
can drive a Bugatti, after a fashion, whereas it takes a skilled sailor to Africa were becoming restless."
sail a classic yacht. Based at that time on the East Coast, she sailed the North Sea for
Classic yachts, then, have some special appeal that seduces their many years before ending up a wreck lying on her side in the mud of
successive owners into lavishing large amounts of time and money into the Blackwater in Essex. But in 1928 she was saved, restored and sailed
restoring, maintaining and sailing them. For many it is the appeal of by Sir Herbert Paul Latham until 1930, when she was sold and moved to
having a boat by one of the great designers of the past: Fife, Nicholson,
Laurent Giles, Sparkman and Stephens, Van de Stat – the appeal of
the pedigree. For others, it is their sheer beauty or their sea-kindliness
compared to modern racing yachts. For yet others, especially those who
own wooden boats, it is the craftsmanship of their original construction
that tops the list. Many owners would subscribe to all these reasons
and add some of their own. But you can ask them! Here in Dartmouth
much of the fleet is accessible in the main marinas, while in Paimpol
the whole fleet is berthed in the inner harbour, sometimes four or five
abreast, and you can visit any of them on the evenings of 4 and 6 July.
Some notable participants
Pen Duick is a maritime icon for the French nation and this is the
first Regatta that both the original Pen Duick and Pen Duick II will be
attending. The original Pen Duick, a gaff cutter designed by Wm Fife
III and launched in 1898, is the Taberly family boat that Eric Tabarly
learnt to sail in, and from which he fell overboard and drowned in the
Irish Sea en route to the Fife regatta in Scotland in 1998. It is a great
privilege to have her join the Regatta in Paimpol for the Tour de Île de
Bréhat race. She has just undergone an extensive refit and the Classic
Channel Regatta is one of the very first events she will be sailing in
since it was completed.
Masthead 7
Newtown on the Isle of Wight. Further changes of ownership, followed quite bumpy. Just as the Royal Air Force in World War II used to describe
by periods of neglect followed during the 1930s and in 1936 she was the Shackleton bomber as “10,000 rivets flying in formation”, so Bruce
sold for just £9 10s. In the 1960s she was laid up for 30 years after a felt Mabel was 10,000 rivets being shaken to bits as she trundled along
disastrous fire and not relaunched, after a complete restoration, until the highway. Anyway she made it and now almost certainly holds the
2001. Since then Puffin II has been a familiar sight along the Dorset USA coast-to-coast land speed record for a Kim Holman design. As an
coast and Channel Islands and two years ago registered for her first import back into Europe Bruce had to pay VAT on her because she was
Classic Channel Regatta. Sadly, she didn’t make it, but we hope she will outside the EU in 1976 when VAT was introduced. However, he was able
this time. to pay the much-reduced rate of 5% as she was classified as “a ship of
Mabel has a more colourful history. A sister ship to Firedancer historic interest”.
and Whirlaway, Kim Holman’s design number 75, she was built by The comprehensive restoration was carried out at Baltic Wharf
Moody and Sons in Swanwick in 1966. Her hull is 25mm teak planking boatyard by the highly experienced boatbuilder, Pete Nash, with Bruce
up to the waterline with Honduras mahogany topside planking, bronze acting as his apprentice, painter and helper.
fastened on to Canadian rock elm frames. She has a long lead ballast Mabel now makes no water at all (unless beating hard to
keel with the rudder hung on the aft end of the keel. windward), has no electric bilge pump and could stay on her mooring
Under her original owner she took part in the Round Britain Race all summer with no need to pump the bilge even once. How many
in 1967, coming last – perhaps her owner’s insistence on dressing for wooden boats can you say that of?
dinner each evening suggests a less than ideal competitive spirit! Her All the major work was completed by the spring of 2008 and
next owners cruised her extensively in Europe before selling her in 1974 since then Bruce has sailed her to South West Ireland and she has taken
to an American, Bud Payne, who sailed her to the East Coast of America part in many classic regattas including every Classic Channel Regatta
and based her in Manchester, Mass. Her next owner sailed her through since 2009, the Fowey - La Rochelle Race in 2010 and the Plymouth -
the Panama Canal to keep her in California. He gave her a major refit but La Rochelle Revival Race biennially from the first one in 2012 to 2018.
then fell ill and did not use her for nine years. In 1989 she was bought A fuller account of Mabel’s history is available from Bruce
by Kathryn and Jeffrey Barnard who changed her name to Kathryn Thorogood and it is hoped to put it, and those of other yachts, on the
Anne and set off on a circumnavigation. Unfortunately, they fell out by Regatta website in due course.
the time they got to Fiji, so turned round and sailed back to California,
where they walked off the boat in opposite directions to find their A brief history of the Regatta
respective divorce lawyers. Katherine got the boat in the settlement Evidently the owners of a wide range of classic yachts are
and sold her to an ex-pat Brit, David Parrot, who didn’t sail her much. attracted to come to the Classic Channel Regatta, but how did this
Bruce Thorogood, the originator and lead organiser of the Regatta, event come to be established and grow to the major classic regatta that
bought her in 2005, in no fit state to be sailed back to England without it now is? The story starts with Bruce Thorogood who in 2003 took his
a major refit first and so she was trucked across the States to Galveston, previous Kim Holman designed yacht, Caricou, to the Perros Classics at
Texas and shipped back to Southampton. The most worrying part was Perros Guirec in North Brittany. She was the only British boat there and
the 2000-mile overland trucking in the States as their highways are the organisers asked Bruce if he could encourage more Brits to come
8 Masthead
Crowds greet the fleet at Paimpol
next time in 2005. He thought a good way to achieve this would be took off in a huff. He soon contacted Bruce to say, not to worry, he had
to organise a feeder race to Perros from a West Country port. So when made good contact with the yacht club in St Malo (the SNBSM) and
he got home he spoke to a couple of friends in Dartmouth, one a past they would welcome the regatta in 2007. Plans were going well for a
Commodore and race officer of RDYC and the other a club member while, but it wasn’t long before he crossed swords with the President
(Peter Lucas) with an ex-RNLI lifeboat. They were both keen to help, of the club over what he saw as yet another matter of principle. It was
so a race officer and an excellent committee boat were available for the clear that if there was any chance of continuing with the SNBSM it
race. The Commodore of the RDYC was keen for the club to host the would have to be without the passionate French S&S owner. The 2007
start, so the idea was a goer. regatta did indeed go to St Malo where it was hosted by the SNBSM and
The small team then decided that if they were going to get a was another great success. But the relationship with the club had been
gathering of boats to Dartmouth they might as well put on a prelude soured and dealing with them became difficult.
race at Dartmouth – or why not two races and make a weekend of it? In late 2008 SNBSM said they couldn’t host the regatta as it was too
So the plan was cast: a weekend in Dartmouth and a feeder race to link close to the Cowes-Dinard Race the week before. It was only nine months
into Perros Classics. And so the Classic Channel Regatta was born. before the 2009 regatta – and the organisers had no Brittany port to go to!
That first regatta in 2005 was a great success, despite having What could be done? Bruce Thorogood tells it in his own words.
some inevitable teething troubles, the worst being a big cock-up with “My wife and I took the ferry to Roscoff and drove to every
the handicapping in Dartmouth. The team had decided to use the potential port in North Brittany seeing where we could possibly
Portsmouth Yardstick system, but the person who said he knew how take the Regatta, a trip that confirmed what I already thought –
to rate the boats didn’t know, so the handicaps were all over the place. there are precious few with enough space. The only port where
When the boats arrived in Perros the organisers had to very quickly we had a pre-arranged meeting was Paimpol, so we left going
re-handicap them all using the French HN system. But despite this, there to last. Having found no other suitable port, we went into
everyone had a great time. There were 57 boats in that first Channel the meeting thinking we would have to pull out all the stops to
Race to Perros and the yacht club and town pulled out all the stops to persuade them the accept the Regatta. As it turned out, the mayor
provide excellent facilities and hospitality. Everyone looked forward to and harbourmaster were both at the meeting and straightaway,
repeating the event there in 2007. without any persuasion from us, said they would be delighted to
However, the driving force behind the Perros Classics was a host the Regatta and that they would make the harbour and Salle
delightful fellow who owned a Sparkman and Stephens sloop which des Fêtes available free of charge and give us all the support we
had once belonged to the mayor of Marseilles. He was truly passionate wanted. Oh, so there is a God after all, I thought! And so the 2009
about classics, the only trouble being he was too passionate to be able Regatta went to Paimpol, which proved to be the ideal port, and it
to make the compromises necessary to work with the others running has returned there ever since.”
the Perros Classics. Consequently there was a bust up in Perros and he By 2009 the Regatta had become sufficiently well established to merit
10 Mastheada more permanent and formalised structure than Bruce Thorogood
and his band of enthusiasts on both sides of the Channel. So a mass
meeting of owners was organised in Paimpol, leading to the formation
of the Classic Regattas Anglo-Breton Association (CRAB) with a formal
constitution and officers elected every two years. The association
delegates the running of the Regatta to a company limited by guarantee,
Classic Channel Regatta Ltd, so that owners and crew are not exposed
to financial liability.
Since the beginning of the series Dartmouth has remained
the starting point of the event with RDYC being the host club, with
the Old Market Square the venue for Saturday evening dinner and
entertainment. St Peter Port in Guernsey has been a port of call for
several past regattas, where the Guernsey Yacht Club have been hosts.
The Regatta used to finish in Guernsey, but in 2017 the fleet sailed to
Guernsey en route to Paimpol, a change that was well received. For a
Mabel
further change, the 2019 regatta is going to St Helier in Jersey en route
to Paimpol.
The programme for 2019
Friday, June
Registration, Briefing and Welcome drinks
28
Saturday, Parade of Sail, Racing Pantaenius Races in Start Bay, Supper
June 29 Party in Old Market Square
Sunday, Salcombe Gin Start Bay Race, Prize giving and Barbeque at
June 30 RDYC
Monday,
Lewmar Classic Channel Race to St Helier
July 1
Tuesday,
Free day Boats arrive in Jersey
July 2
Wednesday, Classic St Helier to Paimpol Race, Welcome drinks on quay-
July 3 side
in it. Well done and thank you to the whole organising team - this year's
Thursday,
July 4
Rest and Activities day in Paimpol; Boats “At Home” programme was particularly enjoyable.
• A huge thank you to you and your indefatigable team for what has been,
Friday, La Tour de Île de Bréhat Race, Danse des Classiques, Parade
July 5
without question, one of the best sailing experiences of my life… Best 10
of Sail
days sailing I’ve had.
Saturday, ‘Sports’ day in Paimpol. Prize giving on quayside, Supper and • Absolutely worth sailing 700 miles against the wind [from Holland] to
July6 Party in Salles des Fêtes get to.
With such glowing testimonies – and there are many more
Testimonies on the Classic Channel Regatta website – it is no wonder that Bruce
Some unedited (but signed) testimony from participants in the 2017 Regatta: Thorogood’s central role in organising it from the very beginning has
• The crew of Charm of Rhu rated this year’s Classic Channel Regatta as been recognised and honoured by one of the leading French yachting
the best week’s sailing they have ever enjoyed. You did a fantastic job. Not organisations, the Comité des Organisateurs de Régates Classiques.
only the sailing but the whole atmosphere was sublime. The evening in Bruce was awarded one of the three Neptune Classic Yacht Owner of
the Salle de Fetes in Paimpol is the high spot and you must reserve the the Year Awards in 2018, the first foreigner ever to do so, for “his efforts
services of the accordionist and his singer, they were even more terrific for the repeated success of the Classic Channel Regatta, an emblematic
than last time. As General MacArthur said, “We will return”. event of the Channel.”
• What a triumph the regatta turned out to be! You must have been very Finally, I ask myself, how does the Classic Channel Regatta
pleased that the conditions were excellent and so many people were compare with other events that cater for the racing fraternity within
enjoying themselves so fully. I take my hat off to you for creating such the classic boat fleet? Well, here are my comparators: Cowes Classics,
a vibrant event out of thin air. Having organised a couple of smaller Antigua Classics Week, Falmouth Classics, the classic section of the
regattas myself, I know just how much work goes into them and this International Festival of the Sea, Portsmouth, and the Cannes and St
one was a massive success. Thank you for giving your time and spirit so Tropez weeks of the Mediterranean Classic circuit. For sheer enjoyment,
generously for all our benefit. both on and off the water, the Channel Classic Regatta is definitely tops.
• Again, thank you so much for another fantastic Classic Channel Whether participant, volunteer or spectator – enjoy!
Regatta. As always, it's an immense pleasure and honour to take part Neil Millward
Masthead 11Crossing the Antarctic Convergence
Mark Yallop explains why this most inhospitable region of the earth is
such a magnet for adventurous sailors
T he commonest response among friends who learnt of our plan
to visit Antarctica in February 2019 was: “why would you want
to go there?”. It is true that the region has a forbidding reputation: a
earliest recorded sighting of the Falklands from his ship, Desire, in
1595 and marked them for the first time on a nautical chart. But it
was exciting to think that we were sailing the same waters as the
featureless wilderness, guarded by the most hostile ocean on the planet. Sandridge born explorer.
Antarctica is the coldest (record: minus 89.2O C), windiest (record: West Point, one of the more than 750 smaller islands that make
202mph) and driest (average: less than 2 inches of rain pa) continent on an archipelago around the main two islands, provided us with the
the planet, a lump of rock twice the size of Australia covered in ice to an chance to go ashore, visit a breeding colony of black-browed Albatross
average depth of 1.5 miles. who co-habit there with a large number of Magellanic penguins. It
But Antarctica has also seen extraordinary feats of human being the southern summer, there were plenty of chicks of both species
endeavour over hundreds of years; its oceans are home to huge
numbers of species which are vital for the global ecosystem; and its
ice pack is both a record of climatic conditions stretching back over
800,000 years and a massive real-time climate change laboratory.
Greek philosophers first postulated the existence of Antarctica in
the 5th century BC, and many attempts to find and map it were made
from AD 1500 onwards by explorers, before the first landings on the
continent in the early 19th century. Those raised on a diet of Scott,
Shackleton and Ross (the latter recently made famous in Michael Palin’s
book Erebus) are sometimes surprised to discover the international
nature of these efforts and that the map of Antarctica is littered with
the names of those who pushed the boundaries of knowledge in
their day: Magellan, Gerlache, Lemaire, Anvers, Neumeyer, Bransfield,
Bellingshausen, Filchner, Nordensjköld, Charcot, and many more.
So there are multiple reasons to travel to this remarkable region,
notwithstanding the lack of sandy beaches or culture that might be
attractions elsewhere. We went partly out of curiosity about the stories
of exploration and the role that Antarctica plays in global ecological Magellanic penguins
and climate affairs but also, more selfishly, to see more of the close in evidence and the noise and smell were overwhelming. We also had
connections between the southern ocean regions and south Devon, the opportunity to meet and have tea with Roddy Napier, whose family
of which more in due course; and we were lucky to travel in great have owned and farmed the island since 1879. Roddy was sent to school
comfort to the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula on the in Tiverton as a teenager but returned to the Falklands subsequently
refurbished and Category 1 ice-strengthened Canadian expedition ship to run the family sheep farm. Appropriately, he owns a house in Davis
RCGS Resolute. Street in Port Stanley and was very amused to be able to host visitors
We approached the Falkland Islands from the south west and, from Davis’s home (Sandridge).
apart from a pod of orca whales playing on the port side, a series of In Port Stanley we found several more reminders of home. The
low cliffs with higher land rising behind were strongly reminiscent Islands’ motto is “Desire the Right” and all government vehicles and
of the south Devon coast line with Dartmoor in the distance. History buildings carry this on an image of the Island shield (which includes
doesn’t relate what course John Davis was on when he made the a representation of Davis’s ship) set out in such a way that the whole
Masthead 13commemorated not only on the Islands in several places but also in
Kingswear, on the plaque by the lower ferry slipway, next to the Club.
An impressive war memorial in Stanley, located by Thatcher Drive
and a statue of the former Prime Minister, commemorates the 255
UK service personnel killed and we were able to make a photographic
record of our visit with a RDYC burgee by the memorial. It is notable
that Argentine commemoration of their losses (633 dead), in Ushuaia
and in Buenos Aires, is much more extensive than that in Britain; and
that Argentine emotion over the Islands still runs very deep, with
slogans denouncing the “continuing illegal occupation” of the islands
covering many buildings and vehicles in Ushuaia.
The as-yet uncleared minefields laid by Argentine forces, which
limit the rambling opportunities even on beaches close to the capital,
are a further reminder of this time. More optimistic, but also very
controversial, for the Islands is the evidence of preparation for oil
exploration in the surrounding waters; at present oil prices are too low
to make this economic.
South Georgia, 800 miles south east of the Falklands, played a
small role in the conflict, being the first island invaded by the Argentines
and the first to be liberated by the UK taskforce. But it has a much more
(in)famous past as a sealing and then whaling station from the 19th
century through to 1960, and as a base for polar explorers.
The voyage from Port Stanley to South Georgia takes us across
the Antarctic Convergence, which is the ecological boundary of the
Antarctic itself. Its latitude varies, but the Convergence is the point at
Falklands War Memorial, Port Stanley which the cold waters of the Southern ocean meet and flow beneath the
reads “Falkland Islands Desire the Right Government”; this can be no warmer waters of the South Atlantic. In the space of a few miles the air
accident, given the events of 1981. In the fabulous Island Museum we temperature drops 5-6 degrees and the sea temperature falls 4-5 degrees.
were able to inspect their display on John Davis and a scale model of his The island is about 107 miles long and up to 20 miles wide. A
ship. The charming curator, when informed that we lived on the estate mountain range which rises to 9,500ft runs most of the length of the
where John Davis was born, immediately asked “You mean you live in island and provides a spectacular backdrop to the many glaciers which
Stoke Gabriel?” descend dramatically to the sea. Formerly inhabited in the summer
Elsewhere there are many souvenirs of more difficult times. months by thousands of sailors and those engaged in the processing
In 1914, the Royal Navy eliminated the only overseas German naval of whale and seal carcasses, today South Georgia has about 20 summer
forces in the Battle of the Falkland Islands. In 1981, Argentine forces inhabitants – mainly British Antarctic Survey staff and a few military.
invaded and briefly occupied South Georgia and the Falklands. The Unsurprisingly, they welcome the few passing visitors they receive.
story of this conflict is well known, and the pivotal role played by Lt The industrial ruins of two whaling stations at Stromness and
Colonel H Jones who led 2 Para during the battle for Goose Green is Leith can be viewed from the sea, but those entering the principal
Stromness Whaling Station, South Georgia
14 Mastheadharbour on the north side of the island, Cumberland Bay, can sail beach for a mile or more. The penguins collect together to breed
past Dartmouth Point (named in 1920 after a RN cruiser) to arrive at (we witness some of this going on!) and to raise their young. Many
Grytviken, where the remains of the old whaling station there have chicks, a bedraggled sight in their matted brown fur before they
been preserved alongside the island’s church and graveyard. This moult to reveal the more recognisable black and white plumage,
station processed the lion’s share of the 175,000 whales that were are in evidence, as are adults still incubating eggs which rest on
brought to the island during the 60 years that whaling was practised their feet, covered by furry bellies. We are asked to keep at least five
there. The church was built in 1913 by the Norwegian owner of the metres from the penguins but they are utterly fearless, and curious,
whaling station and is a beautiful, tranquil contrast to the adjacent and they approach us to within inches, by the dozen, if we stand still.
industrial slaughterhouse. It contains a small polyglot library which For a couple of hours we are entranced by their comic staggering gait,
was apparently of much greater interest to the whalers than were their ceaseless squawking chatter and social squabbles: in the early
the Sunday services! morning light it is a photographer’s dream. One of our fellow guests on
At the burial ground we locate the grave of Ernest Shackleton the ship has landed with a concealed black tie under his sailing gear
and next to it that of Frank Wild, his right hand man on their polar and strips off, 007-style, to much amusement; the penguins however
expeditions, lying among the resting places of sixty or so whalers don’t take much notice. The advice to keep clear of the fur seals seems
and Felix Artuso, the only Argentine casualty of the retaking of the redundant as they are quite aggressive, can move at a terrifying speed
island. On the reverse of Shackleton’s headstone are the words of on land and have very sharp teeth: we are issued with walking poles
Robert Browning, his favourite poet: “I hold … that a man should to keep them at bay in case they show too much interest.
strive to the uttermost for his life’s set prize”. It seems the most A day later we are at Cooper Bay, where there are about 100,000
appropriate memorial for this extraordinary man, and as is the Macaroni penguins. We land in dense fog to find the colony, and more
custom for visitors, we toast the Shackleton’s memory with a glass fur seals, but as the sun burns off the mist a spectacular, giant hanging
of whisky and the words “The Boss”. glacier is revealed above us. Today it discharges waterfalls to the beach
Shackleton was the first person, with two of his companions, and sea, but only 25 years ago, in colder times, the glacier stretched
to cross the interior of South Georgia. It is possible to hike the down the cliff and into the sea.
latter part of their journey but we were frustrated in this by high On Prion Island we are able to visit a Wandering Albatross
winds which made landing at the start of the trail, near the Fortuna breeding colony and witness adult birds incubating eggs and indulging
glacier, impossible. in mating rituals. These extraordinary birds, of which we see a large
number in our travels, have a wingspan of some 10-12 feet and have
been recorded travelling more than 6,000 miles between resting places.
At sea, great excitement is elicited by our first large-scale iceberg,
perhaps 100 metres square, and carved by wind and sea to resemble
a floating brilliant cerulean magical castle. We pass it again in the
afternoon to find that walls and towers have collapsed, an early lesson
in the dangers of getting too close to the ice.
For four days we are blessed with fine weather, calm seas and
astounding vistas of a stunning landscape; while the Falklands lie
low and gently rolling, an island version of Dartmoor, South Georgia
rises sharp and uncompromising, forbidding but very beautiful, more
reminiscent of the South Island of New Zealand. It becomes clear
that we could happily stay in South Georgia much longer than our
allotted time, but the South is calling. Leaving the island we pass Cape
Disappointment, the point where James Cook (who first discovered
and claimed the island for Britain in 1775) realised that what he had
discovered was an island with a southern shore, rather than the
northern tip of the great Antarctic continent that he was seeking.
The next two days take us south west, following roughly the
reverse of the course that Shackleton and his crew sailed on the James
Caird from Elephant Island to seek help for his stranded crew. The
story of that remarkable voyage, and the incredible feat of navigation
by skipper Frank Worsley, has been told many times; but even on a
120m modern vessel with good visibility and only 4-5 metre waves to
contend with, we gain a new appreciation of the extraordinary bravery
and determination of those men.
With great good luck the weather when we arrive, after 800
Shakleton’s grave, South Georgia miles, at Elephant Island is good and we are able to see the first
We were able, however, to go ashore in several places to see landfall of Shackleton’s crew and the beach at Point Wild to which they
amazing wildlife. At Salisbury Plain we land early at a stony beach subsequently moved for greater shelter. It is a lonely and atmospheric
that is home to hundreds of fur seals and the world’s largest colony place – the only somewhat sheltered stretch of beach on a 29-mile long
– about 250,000 – of King penguins, which rises up away from the island, 150 miles north of the Antarctic peninsula, that otherwise falls
Masthead 15directly to the sea in huge cliffs. We are able to approach the beach in always narrow; so perhaps there is a more balanced appreciation of
Zodiacs RIBs but it is too rough to land: somehow it seems appropriate Shackleton’s story to be told.
not to be able to set foot there. On the miniscule low beach we note We were escorted from Elephant Island by about 50 Humpback
the statue to the Captain of the vessel that rescued Shackleton’s men, whales, a portent of things to come further south. Next stop is at Half
erected by the Chilean government, and ponder the four months that Moon Island, an old whaler base. The only inhabitants today are a
23 men spent camped there, eating 1400 penguins and some seals, colony of 2,000 Chinstrap penguins and the decaying hull of an old
completely unaware of whether their leader had survived or perished, “water boat” used by the whalers. Nearby is the Argentine, summer-
or whether rescue would ever arrive. only Cámara research base. Taking advantage of their absence, I
One of these men was Lionel Greenstreet, First Officer of the capture a cheeky photo of Rosemary in front of the base holding the
Endurance, who in later life retired to live in Holwell Road, Brixham. He RDYC ensign.
died in 1979, the last survivor of the expedition, and is commemorated Ice conditions allow us to enter the northern part of the Weddell
with a blue plaque on the wall of his house there. It is common to see Sea. We visit Paulet Island on a crisp, windless morning under a
Shackleton as a model for heroic leadership in the face of seemingly deep blue sky and see the ruins of the hut built by the members of
impossible odds. Sir Raymond Priestly, who travelled with both Scott Nordensjköld’s 1903 expedition when their ship was crushed by ice
and Shackleton in the Antarctic, once said, “For scientific discovery give nearby. Today, all seems astonishingly placid and we enjoy the company
me Scott; for speed and efficiency of travel give me Amundsen; but of 100,000 Adelie penguins and thousands of nesting shags – and, on
when disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and the bergs floating past, of Leopard and Weddell seals basking in the sun.
pray for Shackleton.” While Shackleton’s personal courage and ability En route to the eastern flank of the Antarctic peninsula we visit
to inspire his men cannot be in doubt, our trip did cause us to question Deception Island, a 7.5 mile wide caldera, half covered in glaciers. The
his strategic judgement: it is clear that on many occasions on the 1914- flooded crater is entered via a 200m wide passage called Neptune’s
16 Endurance expedition at least, he over-ruled or ignored prudent Bellows which, to add to the excitement, has a submerged rock only 2.5m
advice from others who were better informed than he was about below the surface in the centre of the channel. In 1820, British sealers
the risks ahead and in so doing placed his men in grave danger and were active here; from 1904 whalers used the island as a base and by
precipitated the near-catastrophe that the sinking of their ship caused. 1914 there was a radio station, small railway and sizeable settlement
Many times he was cautioned by experienced whaling skippers not to with a cemetery which today contains the graves of 35 men; and in 1928
try to penetrate the Weddell Sea, owing to the poor ice conditions in an enterprising expedition even built a runway and flew light planes
1914/15; many times he over-rode his own skipper’s advice when in from here to map the Antarctic peninsula – the first successful flights
the Weddell Sea before Endurance was trapped in the ice; and many in the Antarctic region. Today, the ruins of the British research base on
times he ignored Worsley’s advice on their journey north out of the ice, Deception, destroyed in the 1969 eruption, are a bleak reminder of this
on foot and rowing the lifeboats, after Endurance had sunk. In extreme earlier era, but we are able to cruise past two new bases, one Spanish and
conditions the margin between inspiring courage and reckless folly is one Argentine, which continue summertime research on the island.
King penguins, South GeorgiaPort Lochroy, Antarctica
From Deception and the South Shetlands we turn south again sea levels by some 190 ft. Satellite surveys have shown that as many
and arrive the following morning at Wilhemina Bay. About 15 miles as 212 of the 244 glaciers on the Peninsula are retreating at rates of
across and surrounded by snowy peaks this is a major gathering and up to 80 ft per year. Where we land, it is generally possible to see the
feeding point for Humpback whales. We spend the morning in Zodiacs underlying rock base at the edge of the ice; but for much of the ice
drifting across the bay watching them and are rewarded after a couple cap in West Antarctica, the base of the ice lies up to 8,000 ft below sea
of hours when a pod of five adult whales – 55 feet long and weighing level. This is the central threat: ice below sea level is directly exposed
up to 30 tonnes – approach our craft. For 15 minutes they play around to warming oceans – and it is estimated that up to 80 square miles of
us, repeatedly diving, exhaling to create “bubble nets” that trap krill ice lifts off the sea floor each year. While glacier retreat where we sail
and small fish, and then surfacing to expel surplus water through their is a real and rapidly developing issue, fortunately the (much larger)
baleen plates. The sight of their barnacle-encrusted heads rising 10 feet ice cap in East Antarctica is higher, above sea level, colder and (in the
out of the water pumping out gallons of seawater, and their fins and main) more stable. But it is clear that major developments, with global
tails breaking the surface only a stone’s throw from us, is literally jaw- consequences, are underway here.
dropping. One of their number decides to conclude their display by Our final stop is at the most southerly occupied British Antarctic
surfacing directly alongside our Zodiac and gliding silently along our Survey base at Port Lockroy on Goudier Island. We are now at 640 49’ 31”
port sponson, its blow holes within touching distance. Everyone holds South and 600 miles south of Cape Horn. The base has been occupied
their breath in wonder at the intimacy of the moment before our new intermittently since it was established in 1944 in a secret military
friend returns to the deep and our Zodiac explodes with excited chatter. exercise, codenamed Operation Tabarin, to strengthen British territorial
As we progress further south along the Graham Land coast a claims in the area during WW2. Today it is occupied during the summer
“polar plunge” is proposed for the hardiest guests on board. At this months only and we find five British Antarctic Survey staff in residence
point we are at Cuverville Island, home to the largest colony of Gentoo when we arrive, as well as a visiting yacht anchored off the island. The
penguins, some 13,000 strong, and a party of swimmers disembarks for staff live in newly built quarters but suffer from having no running
shore to take their dip. (Un)fortunately as they land the wind rises to water; so every visiting vessel is a welcome chance for a hot shower,
40 knots, the maximum safe level for Zodiac operations, and so after and we host them for this purpose. While they wash on board, we go
the briefest of plunges in a temperature of about four degrees, they ashore to see some of the 800 Gentoo penguins, visit the museum and
are hauled out and returned to the Resolute – very cold and wet, but send a card from the most southerly Royal Mail post office in the world
apparently content with their ordeal. (it takes five weeks to arrive!). The island is tiny, appearing not much
From Cuverville we make course for two occupied research bases. larger than a football pitch and the isolation endured by the resident
First, the Argentine Amirante Brown base in Paradise Harbour where team, even for just five months at a time, is something to contemplate.
we are warmly welcomed by the base doctor, a very attractive female By now we have been away for nearly three weeks and it is time
member of the Argentine military who causes a bit of a stir with some to turn for home. Our Captain knows there is a storm in the Drake
of our fellow guests. Most of the station’s staff are away on expedition Passage between us and Cape Horn, and is eager to leave as well. And
but she explains some of their work, shows us their small museum of indeed the return trip shows a different side to Antarctic sailing than the
mementos from previous visitors and gives us Maté to drink. What she favourable seas we have enjoyed so far. For the two days of the Drake
doesn’t mention is that one of her predecessors burned the base to the Passage crossing we are in the eye of a 72 knot, Force 10 gale and 12
ground in 1984 when he was told that there would be no autumn pick- metre waves. Some guests don’t make an appearance for 48 hours and
up to return to Argentina and he would instead have to remain there some furniture is thrown around, but we emerge from the experience
for the winter; the US Navy rescued him and his colleagues. We spend in surprisingly good shape to see Cape Horn in the early evening sun as
an energetic morning scaling a nearby peak for a view across Paradise we run for the Beagle Channel and back overnight to Ushuaia.
Harbour and Resolute at anchor, and cruising in the Zodiacs to witness The Antarctic is indeed a place of extremes. As one of our hosts
penguins, shags and glaciers. puts it, everything in the region is huge: the landscapes, the seas, the
Everyone is curious about the state of the glaciers that we pass; wildlife, the ice, the low temperatures; all are inspiring. But it is also a
and many of the crew comment on how rapidly they are diminishing region of captivating splendour and it is easy to see how generations
each year. Antarctica contains 7 million cubic miles of ice, about 90% of explorers have been bewitched by its challenges, just as we were
of the fresh water on the planet, and enough if it all melted to raise completely won over by its history, wildlife and land and seascapes.
Masthead 17RDYC Junior Sailing Alumni score
successes on the national scene
With Nick Hutton’s activities with the British America’s Cup challenge
covered elsewhere in the issue, we follow the sailing careers of two other
Junior Sailing graduates: Miles Jones and Sophie Caseldine.
Miles’s story
Miles describes his involvement with the Royal London Etchells Youth
Academy:
A fter a great summer competing on the European 2K Team Racing
Tour (see Masthead, Winter 2018), and coaching on the east coast
of the US, I was quickly brought back to the cold, wet reality of sailing on
the South Coast England in the depths of winter.
With the 2K team racing tour finishing in September, we were
lucky enough to be invited to take part in the Royal London Yacht
Club Etchells Youth Academy programme. The programme, supported
heavily by David Franks and the Royal London, endeavours to help
youth sailors take the step up into keelboat sailing. So far over 600
sailors have taken part in the programme. Four training weekends are
run over the winter, with the chance of winning a fully-funded Etchells
for the summer season. The training weekends are coached by some
of the most experienced keelboat sailors in the country. Amongst them
are David Bedford, a three-time Etchells European Champion and the
lynchpin of the programme; Mark Lees, the current match race and J70
national champion; and Duncan Truswell, the strategic lead for Sport
England. The training weekends cover everything from berthing the
boats under sail in the tiny Cowes Yacht Haven to the delicate tuning
of the Etchells’ rig. At the end of every Saturday’s sailing session we
were treated to dinner at the Royal London and presentations from
experienced sailors such as Graham Sunderland, the author of Winning what we learned sailing Etchells we managed to lead for the first three
Tides, and Lawrence Mead, the Cowes Weeks’ event director. The days very comfortably – only finishing outside the top three in one of
evenings also included video de-briefs and sailor forums. the eight races, but sadly we couldn’t hold on to the win on the last
The final training weekend consisted of trials to select the teams day’s medal race format and finished second to Exeter. Nonetheless, it
that are lucky enough to win a boat for the season. Run at the end of showed how valuable the Etchells youth academy has been and it was
March, it was attended by nine teams from clubs and organisations from great to be helming against fellow ex-Junior Sailor Sophie Caseldine,
across the country including the Royal Thames, The Royal Lymington, who was sailing for Bristol. The keelboat lessons learnt from the likes of
Oxford University and ourselves, representing the Royal Dart. We David Bedford have also undoubtedly played a large role in wins at the
finished the trials as the third Youth Academy boat and were, therefore, Scottish Match Racing National Championships and more recently as
fortunate to be one of four teams to win a boat for the season. part of the Dutch team at the second 2K team racing event of the year
Having won a boat, we have already competed in our first Etchells in Holland.
event, the International Etchells Red Funnel Regatta, where we finished I would highly recommend the Academy to any of our youth
third overall and the first youth team. We look forward to the events sailors who are looking to make the often tricky transition into keelboat
ahead, specifically the European and National Championships held this sailing. The coaching has been invaluable, the weekends are great fun,
year in Cowes. and the support of the Royal London and other individuals makes the
The training, while Etchells specific, has no doubt been key in our Academy an incredibly affordable way to get big boat sailing. It would be
recent yachting success. This was particularly noticeable following the great to see the Royal Dart continuing to compete and benefit from the
BUCS Yachting Championships in April – in which I and some of the great opportunity the Youth Academy offers.
Royal Dart’s Etchells team competed. The four-day event was sailed Interested sailors should contact David Bedford on either
in Sunsail’s fleet of First 40s with 22 Universities taking part. Using Bedfordd@hotmail.co.uk or 0780 8400008.
18 MastheadSophie’s story
S ophie started sailing in Stoke Gabriel where she learned to helm
an Optimist at the age of four. Always happiest on the water,
she joined in the junior sailing weeks there and sailed Oppies and
Toppers whenever she could. At ten she joined the RDYC Junior Sailing
programmes each summer and at age 12 won the local grand slam -- the
DRYSA River Race, the RDYC Points Series and the Dartmouth Junior
Regatta. She continued doing Junior Sailing, qualifying as an Assistant
Instructor and then a Dinghy and Race Instructor.
At 14 years, Kit Noble introduced her to the newly arrived James
Crockett and Mark Ashton who were keen and experienced in training
the next generation of yacht sailors. Alongside this Sophie joined the
Royal Torbay Feva programme and she and her sister came second
in the Silver Fleet in the Feva Worlds in Holland – despite not actually
being in the national squad. They moved on to 29ers until she left
school. Sophie passed her Yachtmaster Theory and her yachting career organisation to get a team there from Bristol, but this year the team
was wonderfully augmented by sailing Pazienza with Richard Haycock, entered the Nationals with Sophie at the helm. They wanted to bring
including the Classic Channel Regatta race to Paimpol in 2017. a coach for the training weekends, and Sophie had kept in touch with
Sophie moved to the University of Bristol where she is now in her James Crockatt and he kindly agreed to join the team on the boat this
final year studying French, German and Spanish. In her first year she year. Of the 10 boats training, Bristol started off mainly in the top three
joined the team racing and in her second year she became the sailing but with James’s guidance soon became the leading boat. However, for
club’s Social Secretary. With other committee members she set up a the actual competition there were 22 teams; some of them have their
fully rigged Firefly with its bright blue sail at the Freshers Fair on the own boats and are able to train weekly, a much stronger situation than
Downs. The pub sponsoring them had offered free pizza that evening Bristol’s. The Nationals in May brought all weathers. On one day the
and so, not wanting to miss free food, they took the boat to the pub and winds were so strong that, flying spinnakers, Bristol was one of only
parked it outside. The manager was delighted to see it and impressed by two boats not to broach. Another day they were all becalmed in thick
their commitment! Sophie volunteered weekly to teach novice sailors mist for five hours. Missing out on a place in the Championship Fleet
in Bristol Harbour. As a committee member she learned the rigours of by one point, Bristol won the Trophy Fleet on the final day, with Sophie
funding and raising the profile of sailing in the University. winning the prize for the top female helm.
That winter Sophie joined fellow students sailing SunSail’s Fast The final event of the year is the Summer Sailing week in the
40s from Portsmouth for training weekends, coaching others from her Mediterranean, which has risen from three to 12 Bristol boats joining.
experience and competing in the team at the University Nationals. She Sophie will miss University sailing tremendously, but leaves she the club
has funded herself from teaching water sports in Cornwall as a student there in a strong state and has opportunities to return for alumni events.
summer job. It was expensive and has demanded commitment and Helen Caseldine
Photos: Harry Bowerman
Masthead 19America’s
Cup
Update
Training boat T5 at speed
Club member Nick Hutton, one of 17 select athletes representing
the UK in the next edition of the Cup, gives us a glimpse of progress
I t’s a little over a year since the team relaunched as INEOS TEAM UK
and it’s a little over 20 months until the America’s Cup Qualifiers begin
in Auckland, New Zealand. There are four official Challengers confirmed:
Key America’s Cup dates:
Summer 2019 Teams due to launch their first race boat
the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand; the Challenger of Record, Feb 1, 2020 Teams can launch race boat 2
Luna Rossa; American Magic and us, the British.
It’s a critical time in the campaign for the team as we are gearing During 2020 Three America’s Cup World Series Preliminary Events
up to launch our first AC75 race boat this summer. Teams could officially
Dec 10-20, 2020 America’s Cup Christmas Race
launch their race boats from 31st March. However, there has been an
important piece of the race boat missing, the foil arms. There are a Jan and Feb 2021 The PRADA Cup Challenger Selection Series
number of one-design parts for the 36th edition of the Cup and the foil
system is on the list. Identical parts are being supplied by the Defender Mar-21 The America’s Cup Match
and Challenger of Record to all the teams.
However, we recently had some positive news about these crucial
components; the second round of structural testing of the foil arms was The AC75 boats
successful. Comprehensive tests were undertaken over three days, with The America’s Cup is a 50% design, 50% sporting challenge. INEOS
more than 100 different load cycles applied to the foil arm – these tests TEAM UK will launch two AC75s, but the team will only launch one here
constitued the final step in the foil arm design and construction process. in the Solent. We will train on this boat, then it will go on to compete
During the testing, the arms were subjected to loads well in excess of in the America’s Cup World Series in 2020. The first event of the Series
twice those that are anticipated to be reached during the intense has been confirmed for Sardinia in the April – the following two venues
AC75 racing. The production can now be completed and they will be and dates are still to be confirmed. We will constantly be developing our
distributed to the teams in preparation for the launch of the race boats first AC75 whilst on the road and will launch our second race boat out
this summer. in Auckland.
20 MastheadYou can also read
