The latest cruising news from the Northern Hemisphere and the world.
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11 May 2017 |
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  Is this what is really needed?
 | | The 50m version of the BlackCat supermaxi BlackCat Superyachts |
Cats have literally smashed the cruising scene. It is basically a decade a go when charter fleets were full of monohulls and cats were those weird, ungainly, and certainly heavy set ‘other things' in the anchorage. Things move on, and even cruising cats without daggerboards can point, and they can run with the breeze pretty well too. Some well and truly no longer need 15+ knots from 60 degrees or more to get going, either.
Lighter construction, stepped hulls, adequate sail plans, and items like Screechers have made it all the more fashionable, and then a flat deck, voluminous interior spaces and the best ever al fresco arrangements, just sealed the deal. Today, the modern apartment on water is a very commendable thing, has a fit out anyone would be happy with, sails well, does an awesome job as a motorsailer too, and when the pick's down, it is utterly unparalleled.
Back in http://www.sail-worldcruising.com/newsletter/newsletter/When-a-cruise-is-a-race,-and-a-rally-has-timed-stages.../465375!When a cruise is a race, and a rally has timed stages...!new, we looked at the issues surrounding the use of the smelly when on long passages, as part of a ‘rally'. Don't get me wrong, I am a self-confessed technology nerd, with propeller hat and pocket protector included! I am amazed how quickly giant 30m maxi-trimarans are getting around the globe, whether with just the one sailor on board, or several. I mean, we're now at 40 days, which is half the time of the original notion!!!
 | | All very lovely with this BlackCat. BlackCat Superyachts |
So inside all of that are some key points. One, the tri is the preferred speed vehicle, so how long will it be before the cruising tri appears? Secondly, the tri is also the one they all now turn to as the best foil delivery system (not withstanding a very old and even more convoluted ‘event' that is shortly about to take place). So I paused and asked myself why some on this planet are after 35-50m ‘cruising' cats, capable of a sustained 25knots and a 600+nm 24-hour run? Firstly, it will be wet! Anything over 15 knots is, and whilst a salty spray may go smashingly well with a margarita, it is not so much the case with a glass of the bubbles.
Also, you have to buck and kick a bit at that speed, even on a maxi, which means you could have people losing said cocktails over the side, along with their lunch, and worst of all, have them get a face full of it all back at them in the vortex! The great Miles Seddon told us a little about all of that in So what's it really like?!new.
 | | The 35m version of the BlackCat supermaxi BlackCat Superyachts |
True. Mitch Booth is a Tornado legend, and Malcolm McKeon is a renowned superyacht designer, but just how many souls are going to want to open up the ‘throttles' on a supermaxi BlackCat catamaran and cross the Atlantic in four and a half to five days? The Blue Ribband does not mean that much to anyone anymore, and the great liners are now either museums or razor blades. However, based on the ARC scenarios of the last 12 months, you would not be the only one thinking it could be more than a few.
So accordingly, just like a lot of things in this life, even cruising could be a changing, and that will be really awesome to watch. Now a vessel that large may not be for many, and I can't imagine she'll go stern to at many places either. Also, 14 and 18m beams, for the 35 and 50m versions respectively, will sheer around on an anchor with a decent old arc, so the challenges are there from the outset.
In the end, good luck to all, and may we see one on the water soon. The need to be fuel-efficient is omnipresent, even at this level, so a return to wind power could be the answer. Also, given that the brand new 110m Jubilee has only just finished her sea trials and is already for sale, are we seeing concern for how much it costs to run 9,600hp, even for those that occupy this space?
 | | Solar, Diesel and Wind - Race For Water Race for Water / Peter Charaf |
OK. In this newsletter you will find that we have tales for you about the ARC, Race for Water, health in foreign lands, Dutch Canals, LED underwater lighting, naff bits of kit that really work (yes, we should have another ‘quippy' piece soon), weather, piracy, Jon Sanders in Panama, training and courses, rescues, as well as much more.
So you see, there are tales, lessons, inspirations and history to regale yourself with. Please do enjoy... We're really enjoying bringing you the best stories from all over the globe. Remember too, if you want to see what is happening in the other Hemisphere, go to the top and the drag down menu, select the other half of the globe and, voila, it's all there for you.
Now then, are you out there plying the seas and got something to say? We'd love to hear from you via editor@sail-world.com – In the meantime, do you love being on the ocean? Well remember to love them back too. They need our help. Now more than ever! Until next time...
John Curnow
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