Big, fast, ocean-capable cats are where it’s at right now and the ever-expanding Hudson Yacht Group range is right at the front of the action. And now there is another one...

Going fast while being safe and comfortable is what the luxury performance catamaran genre is all about. For almost a decade the Hudson Yacht Group with its brand HH Catamarans has been a proven innovator by providing this market with several offerings between 50 to 88 feet in length to satisfy this niche, and have developed numerous refinements to the essential elements of design, style and functionality to make them the recognised leader in this field.

Now HH Catamarans has an exciting new product that brings much of the technology and innovation developed for larger platforms to a size that is accessible to a much broader range of customers: the new HH44. ‘This boat is very exciting for us,’ explained Paul Hakes, chief of operations at the Hudson Yacht Group. ‘Its size at 44 feet makes it more affordable in cost and space than our larger boats, but still large enough to sail most anywhere in the world and still deliver the comfort, speed, safety and reliability of the larger yachts.’

Hakes also explained this is the first wholly in-house design for HH Catamarans, with his son James taking the lead as principal designer. His formal naval architect and engineering qualifications as well as many years working with some of the best yacht designers from around the world has given him valuable insight to both the design process and the practical elements of highquality production boatbuilding, not to mention many years of working weekends and summer holidays as a school kid in his father’s previous boatyard.

‘James knows our processes here, so this is a big advantage in developing practical designs around new concepts,’ says Hakes. ‘This has been especially important in the development of the 44, which has several new features not found in the other larger designs in our product line. We wanted to take some bold new steps forward with the 44, and James has been right there with new ideas that are still possible within the production and budget targets.’

Hakes explains first the boat needed to have a bold new look, not just a scaled-down retread of larger designs, and that it must make an immediate impression to have the look and feel of being new and exciting. To reduce the boxy look of high freeboards that many other 40ft catamarans suffer from, for example, the topside windows with integrated portlights are continuous along the hull and the dark colored moulded swoosh-shaped impression extends to the transom.

The low angles of the deckhouse sides not only reduce aerodynamic drag, but are designed to create a sleek, functional look to the structure, while also providing adequate cover from the elements, whether it’s spray or sun.

Efficient sailing systems
Performance has always been an important factor in the development of HH Catamaran designs and the HH44 is no exception. And it’s more than just having an appropriate power to weight ratio in the sailplan to make the boat come alive when sailing, but also having the efficiency and functionality in the sail control systems to make sailing easy and fun for a limited number of owner/crew that would typically be aboard a boat of this size.

First, the sailplan supported by the Marstrom-built carbon spar and rigging is generous: 125.3m² of upwind sail area with the main and solent jib, which expands to 223.1m² of downwind sail area with the addition of the 148.9m² gennaker or 109.7m² reacher. For a 13.4m length and only 12,500kg of full-load displacement this is an impressive power to weight ratio for any boat in this class.

‘Our hulls are always designed to handle their payload well,’ says designer James Hakes, ‘so you will see the speed does not dramatically reduce at full load.

Secondly, the main traveller location on the roof is out of the way but still accessible when needed, controlled via push buttons at each helm station.

Thirdly, the headsails and gennaker are on low-friction furler systems that are accessible and able to deploy and douse with a shorthanded crew, with all furling lines led back to the aft helm stations.

Fourth, all lines, sheets, halyards led from the mast underdeck with winch and clutch placement at the helm stations make for easy shorthanded sailing. The helm pedestal’s ability to pivot inboard or outboard is also a great feature to enhance visibility or duck out of the sun or weather.

Below: viewed from above, the HH44 has some key hallmark features of a fast and seaworthy design: witness the wide but relatively short platform and slender hulls with very fine entries. Note also the vast array of solar panels on the cabin top, which can produce almost as much power in some conditions as a diesel genset

Unlike their larger brethren, HH44s will not be built with full carbon hull skins as this does not offer a weight reduction at this size, but resin-infused E-glass and M Foam composite epoxy laminates with a carbon skeleton comprising of all bulkhead, stringers, beams and reinforcing for loaded areas – Hakes says there is little to gain to justify the material cost of using 100 per cent carbon in a boat this size. A mix of quality composite materials is most appropriate with this platform to keep the costs realistic. Nonetheless, carbon is used throughout the boat where its strength and light weight is ideally suited to the engineering integrity of the structures… such as the monocoque longeron, martingale and truss structures that tie together the loads from the hull bows to the spar through the headstay. This critical part also features an anchor and tackle deployment system in a clever design of combined functions into one integrated part.

There are numerous other clever design features on the HH44 that make for functional versatility without compromise on performance. Such as:

• Large, flat windows that open for flow-through ventilation under the canopy
• Standard fold-down steps and swim platform on the sterns for easy access when deployed and safe enclosure of the cockpit and saloon area while sailing
• An optional side boarding gate for direct side access from dock to aft deck
• Fold-down helm station seat, available if needed and out of the way when not
• Curved carbon daggerboards that increase upwind and reaching performance, retract for slippery downwind performance and are positioned to have minimal impact on interior hull volume

Eco-friendly parallel hybrid power
Another important innovation in the HH44 is that the entire cabin top is covered in solar panels. This is not an add-on afterthought, but designed and built to be integral to the concept of achieving environmental sustainability while retaining functionality of the boat’s propulsion and power management systems.

These solar panels are highly efficient, delivering 3.2kW of electrical energy with the option of adding more to provide another ½kW of energy. These power delivery figures are impressive and represent averages centered around midlatitude weather conditions and not just in the tropical sun. Considering luxury yachts of this size are typically equipped with diesel generators that produce 5kW of energy, the weight savings in not needing that engine, all its fuel supply and exhaust systems are considerable and contribute directly to performance – remember, in multihulls stability is achieved by hull and appendage geometries, not by keel weight, so every kilogram saved counts.

Below: large curved daggerboards are the key to good upwind VMG. The extended ‘longeron’ allows much larger headsails and code sails to be flown on permanently mounted furlers. Note the clever configuration of anchor and cable stowed neatly underneath the longeron

This solar power plant on the HH44 delivers as much power in a day as five to six hours of running a genset, and is thus integral to the design concept of being sustainably independent while cruising (or racing). It fits what Hakes calls a “parallel hybrid” solution to managing power on board for both propulsion and energy management.

‘It’s a clear trend that our customers are interested in having the independence that comes from sailing a catamaran to their destinations of choice,’ says Hakes, ‘and they want to do this in an efficient yet environmentally sustainable way. The development of new technologies to meet this demand has been outstanding in recent years, so we’re pleased to integrate the use of these systems into the HH44.’

The Parallel Hybrid can function in several different modes to service the needs of the modern sailor.

1. Electric propulsion – 10kW per shaft (20kW total) allowing silent fume free motoring at seven knots for two hours, powered from the batteries and the sun. This would be valuable in scenarios where the noise, exhaust and vibration of running the engines conventionally may not be ideal – like an early departure from a quiet anchorage where the neighbours should not be disturbed.
2. Hydrogeneration - Similarly, this system is a hydro genset so that when sailing the HH44 can generate electrical energy to replenish the batteries. This approach is impressive because it can deliver free power to operate the amenities on board (climate control system, galley appliances, lights, entertainment system, etc) while still at a low carbon footprint.
3. Generator mode – If you are at anchor and there is no wind to sail, nor sun for solar power. You can turn on the diesel engines and send 12kW of electrical power directly into the batteries, fully charging them from empty in three hours.
4. Engine mode – You still have two trusty 30hp diesel engines for when you need them, and while you are using them you are again sending upto 6kW per engine back into the batteries.

‘It turns out that parallel hybrid systems have been in use on canal boats in inland waterways for many years, where you have the known reliability and safety of a diesel engine turning the propeller, or the gearbox can switch to electric power’ says Hakes. ‘And we learned about them while building eleven hybrid CNG/electric-parallel hybrid powered boats for the Shanghai Disney Park a few years ago, and this opened our eyes to future applications.’

There is also a safety and security benefit to having redundant systems while long-distance cruising because the HH44 in effect has four power plants: two diesel and two electric. If one fails there are back-ups, which can be vitally important in some circumstances where reliable power or propulsion is needed immediately.

HH Catamarans offers an extensive list of options for the 44 letting owners appoint their yacht to suit their individual needs, including a huge sail wardrobe to choose from. As for all-out customisations, the HH44 has very few, unlike its larger cousins. This is not only because Hudson Yacht Group wishes to keep the production costs and timing as streamlined as possible to deliver this boat to market… it’s also because this design represents decades of accumulated boatbuilding expertise and 10 years of careful thought and evolution towards what should be the ideal performance luxury catamaran of this size.

As Hakes says, ‘this is the boat I have always wanted to build’.

Click here for more information on HH Catamarans »

Several ClubSwan regattas have already been run successfully in 2021 and these typically well-organised and great fun – and very competitive – events have also inspired many others elsewhere to get back on the water

One-design yacht racing has made a welcome return to the Mediterranean and the ClubSwan Nations League is back in full swing, with strong fleets at the first two events and two more still to come. The season kicked off with the Swan Tuscany Challenge on 25-29 May, organised by Yacht Club Isole di Toscana and hosted by Marina di Scarlino, where several next-generation Swan models also made their world début at Nautor’s own private boat show event, Swan Worldwide Previews, which featured the brand new Swan 58 blue water cruiser, the best-seller Swan 48 cruiser-racer, Nautor’s first ever powerboat the Swan Shadow and the MaxiSwan 115 Solleone.

The opening regatta at Scarlino also heralded the launch of ClubSwan Racing as a separate business in its own right, with a clear focus on taking the already successful ClubSwan concept of tightly managed, owner-driver one design racing and rating regattas to a new level. A major expansion of ClubSwan Racing events going forward includes the brand new Swan Asian Regatta held at Riviera Marina in Japan with three days of racing from 29-31 October this year. Regional regatta circuits in the US, the Baltic and the Mediterranean are also planned.

‘ClubSwan Racing is born, and it is big news,’ said Enrico Chieffi, Nautor's Swan senior advisor, former Olympic sailor and current Star class European champion, who helped in the foundation of the ClubSwan division. ‘Nautor’s Swan invests so much energy in the racing world that it made sense to set up a new division to handle and direct the effort. Racing is part of our DNA and we work very hard with great passion to create opportunities to enjoy the sport of sailing at its best with a very positive and energetic vibe. Owners will see the benefits immediately, with more stand-alone events for ClubSwan yachts this year, and seamless support offering every service an owner can dream of.’ The new branch is based in La Spezia and headed by Federico Michetti. ‘Our expert team puts good class rules at the heart of ClubSwan Racing to ensure great fun, full service and a great Corinthian spirit that we know our owners love,’ says Michetti, head of sports activities.

Tuscany Challenge
The two fleets of 13 ClubSwan 50s and 10 ClubSwan 36s enjoyed some closely matched and hotly contested racing. The action unfolded in the sheltered waters and steady sea breezes of the Gulf of Follonica, where 11 races on classic windwardleeward courses were staged over four days. The teams included some familiar faces alongside newcomers and represented many of the major yachting nations, with entries from Germany, Russia, Spain, Italy, Norway, the UK and more.

Some of the world’s top sailors joined the fray, including America’s Cup skipper Francesco Bruni as tactician on the ClubSwan 36 Fra Martina and his Luna Rossa teammate Vasco Vascotto on the ClubSwan 50 Bronenosec. Many of the boats had pro sailors on board including Iker Martinez, Jesper Radich, Bouwe Bekking and Markus Wieser. ‘It’s great to have a lot of boats with the best names of the sailing circuit,’ said Vascotto. ‘There are plenty of Olympic champions and world championship sailors here.'

Among the novelties of this oneof- a-kind circuit, the ClubSwan 36 fleet also has an all-female team aboard Skorpidi that included Olympic sailors Sofia Bekatorou and Natalia Via Dufresne. ‘It’s really important to have an all-female team,’ said Bekatorou. ‘Sailing is a very technical sport, so you can always find ways to work it out differently from the men. I believe in gender equality, and it’s still rare to have women on board because they are smaller and lighter. We feel very welcomed by the other teams here.’

Two general recalls were needed for the ClubSwan 50 class with many boats jumping the gun before the first day of racing got under way in a steady sea breeze. It became clear early on that the advantage was on the north side of the course but that didn’t stop boats from trying their luck to the south and positions were constantly changing. Fierce jousting at the windward mark led to a few altercations for the jury team to resolve on the water.

Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio’s CS36 G-Spot established an early lead in the ClubSwan 36 class, topping the results table. ‘There is no discard in this event so our first goal was consistency,’ said main trimmer Karlo Hmeljak. ‘We scored three seconds and we had to fight really hard to keep those.”

Leonardo Ferragamo’s Cuordileone surged ahead in the ClubSwan 50 fleet, with two wins and a second place. ‘It was very, very good wind and sea conditions,’ said Ferragamo. ‘The boats are very equal, with a great attitude in the crews. We’ve done a good job so far in training, with the same crew as for many years.’

The second day brought light winds to test the tacticians’ mettle and featured a well-fought duel at the head of the ClubSwan 50 class between Cuordileone and the defending champion, Marcus Brennecke’s Hatari, which had pulled ahead by just one point by the end of the day. ‘They are very fast – the fastest in the fleet in this light breeze,’ said Hatari tactician Markus Wieser of his Italian rivals. ‘It didn’t matter which side of the course you took, both came through. The most important thing was a clear lane and to minimise tacks.’

Consistency was once again the key to victory in the ClubSwan 36 class, with most teams still learning a lot about how to get the best out of the C-foiling boat and a growing consensus that best VMG is achieved at around 25° of heel. The previous day’s winner G-Spot lost out to Andrea Lacorte’s Vitamina, which scored a first, second and third. ‘The racing is getting tougher and more challenging, but the boat has a lot of potential,’ Lacorte said. ‘She’s damn fast. Today the trimmers were fantastic – they didn’t make any mistakes at all. The key is to understand the boat and remain consistent.’

Above: the ClubSwan 50 class had the largest fleet with 13 boats turning out for each of the two Challenge regattas.

Below: reusable water bottles and filling stations have replaced single-use plastic at all ClubSwan events to reduce the environmental footprint of the Nations League circuit. The ClubSwan 50 class has become one of the largest and most competitive one-design racing fleets on the water

The final day saw a close but convincing win for Ferragamo’s Cuordileone in the ClubSwan 50 class, with arch rival Hatari in second place. ‘They sailed better than we did and deserved to win,’ Brennecke said. ‘It was very tight racing and after lockdown it was just great to be out on the water again.’

There was a knife-edge finish in the ClubSwan 36s with Vitamina claiming victory on the last leg of the final race. ‘We were consistent, with only three wins in the 11 races and I have to commend my crew – I’m very happy with them,’ Lacorte said. ‘We were all very tense before the last race, but fully concentrated on keeping G-Spot close to us.’

Sardinia Challenge
The second ClubSwan one design regatta in this year’s Nations League series was hosted by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) at Porto Cervo, where strong and shifty Mistral winds provided exhilarating sailing and a challenge for the crews’ boathandling skills. The 34-boat fleet was split into four classes, with five Swan 45s and six ClubSwan 42s joining the 13 ClubSwan 50s and 10 ClubSwan 36s that competed in the Tuscany Challenge – plus on additional CS36, chartered for this event by YCCS commodore Michael Illbruck, taking the class total up to 11 boats.

Among the ClubSwan 50s, Marcus Brennecke’s Hatari fought hard with Dmitry Rybolovlev and Andrey Konogorov’s Sparti and Leonardo Ferragamo’s Cuordileone. After the seven races, just four points stood between the German and the Russian boats, with Hatari coming out on top, scoring three wins and two second places. Cuoridileone took third.

Once again, intense duelling in the ClubSwan 36 class between the two top Italian teams came right down to the final race when Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio’s G-Spot surged ahead to a convincing win while his rival for the title, Andrea Lacorte in Vitamina, trailed in fourth place, finishing the regatta just one point ahead of Lorenzo Mondo’s thirdplaced Farstar.

Pedro Vaquer Comas won the ClubSwan 42 class in Nadir after an impressive display of three firsts and three seconds. Second place overall was claimed by Luca Formentini in Koyré – Spirit of Nerina, while Natalia Brailoiu helmed her eponymous Natalia to third.

In the Swan 45 class, Stefano Masi in Ulika saw off a tough challenge from reigning world champion Lennard van Oeveren in Motions. The two traded podium places throughout the event and a wafer-thin two points separated them after the final race. Third place went to 2019 world champion Klaus Diederichs in Fever.

Halfway through the season, the Nations League rankings – which reflect the performance of the top two teams from each of the 13 countries represented in the series – put Italy on top, followed by Germany and Russia. And the season continued, with ClubSwan classes and Nations League points at the Copa Del Rey in Mallorca from 1-8 August and then the grand finale, the Swan One Design Worlds where the biennial Nations Trophy will be won, from 14-17 October in St Tropez.

Click here for more information on Nautor's Swan »

Every time Reckmann supplies a new superyacht sailing system they surprise us by going one step further. With the Judel/Vrolijk 146-footer Path and 196-foot Sarissa II from McKeon they are doing it again...

The demand for giant sloop rigs continues apace in the superyacht sector and the need for reliable, failsafe sail furling systems becomes ever more crucial. Reckmann remains the go-to supplier for headsail, code sail and mainsail reefing hardware, thanks to its rock-solid reputation and the steady stream of incremental refinements that stem from the Hamburg-based company’s long-term strategy of continuous R&D. Two of its latest projects – both high-performance superyachts, but with completely different design values and sailing programmes – demonstrate the versatility of the Reckmann product range.

Path is a remarkably spacious 146ft (44.5m) cutter-rigged sloop with a Panamax carbon rig and integrated sailing system from Rondal. Designed by Judel/Vrolijk specifically for fast-paced round-theworld voyaging and built in foam-cored carbon composites by Baltic Yachts, it’s the third-largest yacht by volume that Baltic has built to date. Delivered in July and due to be on display at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, Path puts a very strong (and sensible) emphasis on reliability, autonomy and fully proven technologies. Genuine all-weather sailing capability and the ability to go off grid in remote cruising grounds for long periods of time were key aspects of the design brief.

Even larger at 196ft (59.7m) overall and much less conservative in concept, Sarissa II is a sleek and striking Malcolm McKeon design due for delivery in 2022. Described as a no-compromise performance sloop with exceptional sail power, it’s intended to be one of the most iconic superyachts afloat. Currently in build at Royal Huisman under a strict veil of secrecy and codenamed Project 404, it’s constructed in Alustar 5059 aluminium with a low-profile carbon fibre deckhouse, hi-tech operating systems and a towering Southern Spars rig with some new innovations in integrated rig control. Unusually for a sailing yacht, its key features include a large, wide-opening beach club astern and fold-down boarding platforms amidships on both sides. While primarily a cruiser, racing is definitely on the agenda.

One thing that these two very different yachts have in common is a full set of Reckmann headsail, staysail and code sail furlers, with lightweight carbon headfoils. Path’s Rondal Performance Furling Boom – one of the stand-out innovations in the highly regarded Rondal Integrated Sailing System – is also fitted with a Reckmann in-boom mainsail reefing gear.

For Path, durability, reliability and a minimal maintenance schedule were key selection criteria, so Reckmann was the obvious choice. ‘The most important maintenance is to keep the gears as clean as possible and to wash the salt water off,’ says Reckmann managing director Marcus Schuldt. ‘A standard maintenance procedure usually happens after around five years when the rig gets pulled for inspection. In most cases, the opportunity is taken to send the furler back to us for a proper factory service. During this type of service, the furler will be taken apart and checked. Bearings and seals will be replaced and we do a performance test on our testing rig before we send the furler back to the boat.’

The brief from Path’s owner called for relatively simple sailing systems but the rig design team still managed to achieve a notably smooth sequence of sail reductions. The sailplan follows Judel/Vrolijk’s well-proven ocean cruising configuration of blade jib and staysail on the bow, quite closely spaced but carefully optimised to ensure a smooth laminar flow when the outer sail is furled, and a permanently rigged inner working jib. All of these are carried on hydraulicpowered Reckmann under-deck furlers with maximum torque of 1628Nm at 175bar, 1160Nm at 140bar, and 800Nm at 150bar respectively. The two big headsails can each be unfurled in about 60 seconds and completely furled in 80 to 120 seconds. On both of these furlers, a huge 6,500Nm of braking moment ensures smooth operation and precise control even when fully loaded in heavy weather.

Forward of the headsails and permanently mounted on the stemhead, the powerful code zero is Path’s primary driver on most points of sail from a fetch to a broad reach. A removable bowsprit is bolted on and a big A3 is deployed occasionally for regattas, but on passage and in delivery mode the bowsprit is stowed and the code sail serves that purpose more than adequately instead. Reckmann’s CZ-32 has the power – 1080Nm of torque at 180bar and 1,200Nm of braking moment – to unfurl this beast of a sail in just 40 seconds and furl it away again in 60 to 80 seconds.

For an all-weather ocean cruising yacht, the ability to achieve a tight furl on all sails and hold it reliably in any conditions is of paramount importance. ‘A tight furl needs proper headstay tension and a sufficient torque performance of the gear, which we have, and to hold the sheet a little tighter while furling the sail,’ Schuldt says. ‘We achieve a static self braking mechanism by either a special worm gear design on the headsail units or a brake which is part of the hydraulic motor assembly.’ Another key feature of Reckmann furlers is their ability to avoid the dreaded stick-slip effect that can send violent shudders through the rig when less well-engineered furling gear operates under high loads. ‘ We use a special material which is used for propeller shafts and other marine applications as well where parts must rotate under all circumstances,’ Schuldt explains. ‘This expensive material avoids the slip stick effect perfectly.’ The design of Reckmann’s halyard swivel also helps: ‘We produce our own special bearings for our halyard swivels to achieve a compact, high load swivel with a reduced friction under load.’

The carbon headfoils supplied by Reckmann deliver significant performance benefits. ‘The weight advantage of the carbon S8 foil on the headstay compared to a comparable aluminium foil is 3kg per metre, which means 180kg on the entire forestay,’ Schuldt explains. ‘The difference of the S7 carbon foil on the inner forestay to an aluminium foil is 100kg in total on the stay. These much lighter carbon foils also allow a much better sail shape and performance. There is less tension needed to get the entire stay straight and tight.’

Sarissa II’s sailplan details and sailing programme are strictly confidential, like most other aspects of that project, but the equipment supplied by Reckmann suggests a versatile setup that is equally suited to fully crewed racing in superyacht regattas and long-range ocean passages with a shorthanded crew.

The dimensions and loads of Sarissa II’s huge headsail required a new, more powerful product with two hydraulic drives to be added to Reckmann’s UD series of under-deck headstay furlers. ‘The UD-7.5scRT is a new design and it will go on another, even bigger superyacht as well,’ Schuldt says. ‘On this yacht it will be equipped with the light and strong S9.5 carbon foils which we have supplied to some other wellknown superyachts. These foils allow you to reef the headsail and to sail partially reefed.’

Below: the genoa furler for the new 196ft Malcolm McKeon designed mega sloop Sarissa II, currently in build at Royal Huisman, is a new design by Reckmann powered by twin hydraulic drives. Itʼs pictured here on the testing rig where all Reckmann furlers face a uniquely thorough series of tests before theyʼre shipped to the customer

Three Reckmann SF-series staysail furlers have also been supplied: an SF-65s for the working jib, an SF-45s storm jib furler and an SF-30s for the code sail. All of these have been customised with a special bead-blast finish and the code sail furler’s hydraulic stay adjuster has a custom stroke length.

‘We have a more or less standard design and do custom modifications if needed to match the client’s expectations and wishes,’ Schuldt says. ‘The SF is a combination of a turning padeye and a hydraulic stay tensioner. The self-aligning deck suspension allows a flush deck installation and avoids bending loads on the extended piston. The furler is equipped with a strong hydraulic brake and a removable stay connector with a quick release pin for fast sail changes.’

Reckmann furlers are already equipped with accurate and reliable built-in load sensors, and Schuldt expects them to interface with increasingly sophisticated and advanced load-sensing systems on next-generation superyachts like Sarissa II. ‘There are very few boats that already have a very good load measuring system installed,’ he says. ‘But nowadays it is even more important to know the loads in the mast and rig while sailing, if you don’t want to oversize the equipment. Such a control system should allow you to adjust the sailing gear as soon as the load limits are reached.’

Click here for more information on Reckmann »

Of all the regattas lost in the last 18 months the cancellation of a full Caribbean season was perhaps the most dispiriting to sailors around the world. Now this fabulous marker of sailing life ‘as normal’ is back in action

Like the sun coming out after a storm, competitive sailing has resumed in the Caribbean. It might not be readily apparent, especially for those not in the region, because for two seasons now most major Caribbean regattas have been cancelled or postponed due to precautions and protective protocols against the pandemic. However, in a region that boasts more sea than land, year-round warm temperatures and steady trade winds, local club racing, junior regattas, and learn-tosail programmes have proved the perfectly socially distanced activity post quarantine. Combine this with increasing vaccination rates, island governments’ progressive pandemic management and race organisers focused on world-class sailing competition and the 2022 Caribbean regatta season is a bright spot on the horizon.

‘We are incredibly lucky in the Caribbean that over the last year although island to island travel has been challenging and international regattas in the main did not take place, most islands were able to sail locally,’ says Alison Sly Adams, president of the Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA) and president and commercial director of Antigua Sailing Week (ASW).

‘It’s resulted in an increased interest from new people entering the sport and many people getting back onto the water more regularly over the last year. We’ve seen a massive increase in women entering the sport through initiatives like Steering the Course, innovative new events like the Windward 500 which created an ability to race with absolutely no contact with other boats and crews, and governments being able to work through the kinks to simplify immigration procedures.

‘What this means for the next year’s international regattas is that the local sailors are ready to throw down the gauntlet and promise the most competitive racing in years.’

2021 Recap – a year focused on local racing
Only two of the nearly 20 major international regattas on the CSA Calendar for 2021 took place. First, the Caribbean Multihull Challenge (CMC), sailed with eight catamarans and trimarans in February, when the St Maarten team of Bernard “Appie” Stoutenbeek and Arthur Banting drove their Dick Newick-designed 36-foot trimaran, Tryst, to first in the CSA Multihull Racing Class. A new feature for the 2022 CMC is the Caribbean Multihull Challenge 60-Mile Sprint, a one-day “drag” race on the windiest day of the three-day regatta, where any participating multihull that can complete a 60 nautical-mile course — St Maarten up to St Barths and then around Tintamarre and then down the Anguilla Channel rounding the western end of St Maarten and back up to Simpson Bay — in under six hours will win.

Above: initiatives like Steering The Course have encouraged many women to try racing in the Caribbean
Below: Victor Wild’s new Botín 50 Fox won the spinnaker class at this year’s St Thomas International Regatta. The team plans to return next year and defend their title

Second, the St Thomas International Regatta (STIR) set sail March 26-28 with 33 boats with crews representing the USVI, Puerto Rico, USA and Australia competing in six races. USVI sailors won three of the four classes, while the USA’s Victor Wild and team aboard Wild’s new Botin 52, FOX, won the CSA Spinnaker Racing Class. STIR marked Fox’s first-ever Caribbean regatta.

‘The attraction of racing in the Caribbean for Fox is the great weather, beautiful scenery, and sense of adventure. Who wouldn’t want to race around tropical islands with friendly people? It's just a few hours travel from America,’ says Wild. ‘We are in the initial stages of our 2022 planning. We would love to visit STIR, the BVI Spring Regatta, Les Voiles de St Barth Richard Mille, and ASW. These events offer the best competition and reasonable logistics. We can ship our boats directly to Antigua or St Thomas from the USA.’

STIR 2022 will offer its signature mix of round-the-buoys and roundthe- rocks courses for racing, cruising and one-design classes. Key among the latter are IC24s, modified J/24s which the St Thomas Sailing Center offers for race charter.

Fox wasn’t the only international team to sail in the Caribbean in 2021. Several teams that that came to compete, only to find regattas cancelled, continued to sail, enjoying destination cruising and a chance to enhance their local knowledge to be even more competitive in 2022. There was a Polish team that flew to St Maarten to race in the Heineken Regatta and still chartered their Volvo 70 for the week. The crew aboard the Spirit 111 Geist were already in St Barths when the St Barths Bucket Regatta was cancelled, so they too sailed on their own and look forward to their first Bucket in 2022. The Cookson 50 Lee Overlay Partners, a frequent ASW competitor owned by the UK’s Adrian Lee, participated in several local races run out of the Antigua Yacht Club (AYC) in June. The race committee and 12 -20 regular island racers obliged the larger vessel by setting up and joining in longer courses set specifically to accommodate the Cookson. A few local captains used these races to enlist youth crew from the AYC and the National Sailing Academy sailing programmes thus enhancing the depth of local talent for international competition in 2022.

Below: the iconic St Barths Bucket superyacht regatta was last held in 2019, but is due to return in 2022 with many of the worldʼs largest and most spectacular yachts expected to attend. The 90ft class is a new addition to next yearʼs Bucket

Also in June, St Barths welcomed the 15th edition of the biennial Transat en Double, a transatlantic race from Concarneau, France, to St Barths, that saw 18 double-handed teams participate aboard the Figaro Beneteau 3, a foiling one-design monohull. Much like Les Voiles de St Barth Richard Mille which plans to return in 2022, the Transat en Double’s arrival celebration included a festive race village and concerts along the docks in Gustavia. This is a sign of the times to come as Caribbean organisers, while focused first on maximising racing and challenging courses, are exploring ways to offer a safe combination of sailing and onshore fun.

Looking ahead to the 2022 season
The season kicks off with the 8th Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) Transatlantic Race, leaving Lanzarote in the Canary Islands on 8 January en route to the Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada, the same venue where Grenada Sailing Week (GSW) takes place later in the month. The transatlantic brings several hot racing and race charter vessels to the region for the season. New is a collaboration between the RORC and Yacht Club de France, and between the latter and the International Maxi Association (IMA), to promote this well-established event to its members and affiliated clubs. Official entries include Jason Carroll’s MOD70, Argo; Stefan Jentzsch's IRC56 Black Pearl; new owner Andrew Hall’s Lombard 46, Pata Negra; and Richard Palmer’s JPK 10.10, Jangada.

‘Our campaign starts with the Rolex Middle Sea Race (in October), followed by the RORC Transatlantic in January and the RORC Caribbean 600 in February,’ says Palmer. This will be our third time in the RORC Caribbean 600. We love both the race itself and all the shoreside activities in Antigua. Racing around the Caribbean islands has many tactical challenges, with warm seas and plenty of sunshine and that’s what keeps us coming back.’ The St Maarten Heineken Regatta will be the first Caribbean event to welcome the IMA for their Caribbean Circuit. IMA yachts will continue to Les Voiles de St Barth Richard Mille and Antigua Sailing Week (ASW).

The St Maarten Heineken and ASW will also give new trophies for women in sailing. This follows the islands of Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, St Maarten, and St Vincent & the Grenadines hosting events as part of World Sailing’s Steering the Course global women’s sailing festival in May. Plus, as part of the Antigua and Barbuda Women in Sailing Mentorship Program launched this year.

New too for 2022, the St Barths Bucket will also offer a 90-foot class in addition to its Corinthian Spirit class, which provides yacht owners with the option of racing with their permanent crew without committing resources to race optimisation. The BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival (BVISR) is preparing to include more classes and opportunities to race for sailors from across the Caribbean and the globe and will host its 50th anniversary event in 2023. The sport boat class developed for the 2020 ASW will finally launch into fruition in 2022. This class is for lightweight race boats under 30 feet with lots of sail area such as Melges 24s, J/70s, Mini 650s, and other small planing boats. These pocket rockets will get their own start, custom courses and multiple races.

Both the BVISR and ASW were recognised this year by the Newport, RI-headquartered non-profit, Sailors for the Sea, as Clean Regattas for 10 and 9 years, respectively.

A new Caribbean regatta, the Caribbean Ocean Racing Club’s (CORC) Windward 500, which enjoyed a successful proof of concept this year with a handful of boats, has ‘green’ and COVID-19 protocol-friendly innovation as part of its theme. On the green side, the event lends visibility to renewable energy, sustainability, and resilience projects throughout the region. On the innovative side is its flexibility and a strong virtual element.

‘You pick your start/finish island, so if you performed well at ASW and are headed south to enjoy the Tobago Keys in the Grenadines you can start the race at Bequia. If you pulled into Martinique to enjoy the fine French wine and cheese offerings, you can start at Diamond Rock. If you cruised down to Grenada to secure your haul-out space in one of the many yards, you can start and finish there,’ says Steven Kern, race organiser. ‘You will get to use World Sailing’s Appendix WP for racing around waypoints, and Experimental Appendix RV, which simplifies the rules for racing in reduced visibility, between sunset and sunrise. You will also enjoy the virtual skippers’ briefing and prizegiving. You will report to the RC by WhatsApp by sending them photos of your chartplotter as you pass through each gate.’

Click here for more information on the 2022 Caribbean regatta »