FEATURES
Low and fast
NICOLAS PEHE
Every cloud
Blame the Billionaire Club. Plus when a decent trophy would get you arrested. ROB WEILAND
Evolutions and revolutions
With only weeks to go before the start of this edition of the Vendée Globe FRANÇOIS CHEVALIER takes us in typically fine detail through the design progression of the most exciting monohull class in the world today
And now?
With the Mini Maxi class at a crossroads TOBIAS KOHL of Judel Vrolijk proposes a workable-looking solution to the seemingly impossible challenge of trying to satisfy everybody
Fractious
Is a rather charitable description of a damaging row that exploded between RORC founder GEORGE MARTIN and Wind in the Willows creator ARTHUR RANSOME. Historian CLARE MCCOMB unravels a sad story
Setting the record – Part IV
By the end of the 1980s the Sydney Harbour skiffs were in trouble. However, a bold and to begin with contentious move towards a one-design solution would save the day. FRANK QUEALEY, BRETT VAN MUNSTER and MICHAEL COXON
Big daddy
Even in today’s turbulent times we have no doubt that the 2021 Fastnet Race with its new finish in Cherbourg will not be cancelled. A tough race, more complex than the other 600nm classics, that will entertain you and educate you (and leave you longing for a warm shower – ed) JAMES BOYD
TECH STREET
REGULARS
Commodore’s letter
STEVEN ANDERSON
Editorial
ANDREW HURST
Update
The fascinations of sin, getting (fully) focused on the Hauraki Gulf, ‘she is a scow’ and she goes like hell, getting out of your comfort zone. Plus how to handle Covid – not your typical Kiel Week. JON EMMET, TERRY HUTCHINSON, PATRICE CARPENTIER, JACK GRIFFIN, SIMON FRY
World news
The 2020 Vendée Globe… with five times the last Volvo Ocean Race entry – go figure, mes amis. Extraordinary design refinement, but pas de elevators. Liquidity – healthy market for used Ultims, flying Minis fly, why New Zealanders are buying in bulk, the tenacious but grounded DIDAC COAST, inside the Team NZ met ‘corporation’. Plus US west coast boat building history. ALAN ANDREWS, CHARLIE DALIN, CARLOS PICH, THOMAS RUYANT, IVOR WILKINS, PATRICE CARPENTIER, DOBBS DAVIS, ROGER BADHAM, BLUE ROBINSON
Paul Cayard – Working through it
Flying level with Imoca (ideally), a tough time to be running a large yacht club. Plus go the Patriot!
IRC – Are you looking in the right place?
French IRC designs win (a lot), French IRC sailors win (a lot). So there must be a magic bullet, right? Wrong, says JASON SMITHWICK
RORC news – You don’t control the weather
EDDIE WARDEN-OWEN
Seahorse build table – Tempted?
Fancy impressing your friends? JUAN CONTE
Seahorse regatta calendar
Sailor of the Month
Anything we say will get us into serious trouble