Different degrees of rebalancing are taking place at each level of ocean racing as tastes change, boats get faster and sailing itself moves further into a new era. As we saw at the end of 2011 with the launch of the lightweight WallyOtto one design 80-footer, Wally Yachts work hard to stay at the front of the curve in close consultation with their loyal and enthusiastic customers. With the launch of the WallyCento Maxi rule, Wally founder Luca Bassani is now doing his part to refocus modern Maxi racing into closer, more serious competition while at the same time protecting owner interests in a traditionally volatile sector of the market

During the past five years we have seen the strong growth in heavy-displacement megayachts, along with an increasing demand to race these large machines – most of which were conceived as cruising yachts with no expectation of ever being raced seriously.

At the opposite end of the spectrum there has been a steadily emerging fleet of large, very serious racing yachts such as Wild Oats, Speedboat and Esimit Europe 2. This category has shown fantastic performance capabilities but at the same time a relatively high retirement rate in demanding conditions – especially offshore. Not to mention the extreme cost of campaigning these high-performance machines properly, plus the sharp fall in residual value within a couple of years of launch.

In between these two categories there is now a void – the heavy mega-cruisers are becoming more and more comfortable and less and less sailing machines, while the high-performance supermaxis are becoming ‘monsters’ that are frequently operating on the edge of control. Wally, since their inception, have attempted to offer yachts with a wider than usual range of capability, and among the maxi fleets the situation today presents opportunities similar to those that pushed me to invent the first Wally yacht 20 years ago. The big ­difference now is that today’s technology and knowledge allow us to create a boat that would have been impossible even 15 years ago. Discussions over the past two years with some of our most enthusiastic clients have convinced me of the need for a new generation of boat – but still matching the Wally credo of ‘Fast and Easy’...

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FEATURES

Right place right time
Sixty years young the RYA Dinghy Show still stands unique in the world of small boat racing

My time
BEN AINSLIE and BLUE ROBINSON discuss keeping non-participants off the field of play...

Design for manufacture – Part II
SP-High Modulus chief engineer ROD FOGG responds to some of the points raised in last month’s opening feature

Oak trees
We knew that we should soon expect to see more offshore scows, but not that the next one would be a Maxi. JIM PUGH and MICHAEL ROBERTS

No rest for the wicked
DELAYNE SALTHOUSE will in future think twice before answering his phone after midnight

Strategic review
WOUTER VERBRAAK looks at the lessons to be taken from racing between Monsoon seasons

The top of the jigsaw
A new breed of Maxi looks set to tip the balance in the class back to boats that go... fast. LUCA BASSANI, ROLF VROLIJK, JAMES AUSTIN, JIM PUGH, SIR LINDSAY OWEN-JONES

REGULARS

Commodore’s letter
MIKE GREVILLE

Editorial
ANDREW HURST

Update
ANDY RICE looks at the Olympic state of play, IAIN MURRAY updates us on the good and the bad in Cup World and at Key West TERRY HUTCHINSON is awarded some time out for good behaviour onboard a good ’ol one-huller

World news
The relentless professionalism (and charm) of LOICK PEYRON, the tenacity of ROSS (and CAMPBELL) FIELD, STAN HONEY adds a quick Hobart success to an already mighty resumé and the local USA talent gets a welcome boost. PATRICE CARPENTIER, CARLOS PICH, IVOR WILKINS, BLUE ROBINSON, DOBBS DAVIS

Paul Cayard – The game starts here
Why 2012 is going to be the make-or -break year for America’s Cup teams

IRC – Weighty matters
Why did we ever think that theory would ever beat a set of ‘weighing scales’? JAMES DADD

Design – Changing the game(sa) – Part III
MERFYN OWEN and PHIL ANNIS wrap up with the rig options for an Imoca 60 in 2012

RORC news
EDDIE WARDEN OWEN

Seahorse build table – Something groovy from the East
A new entrant to the folding trimaran market

Seahorse regatta calendar

Sailor of the Month
And a rather magnificent contest... (we think)