Yachting Monthly – September 2019

The dangers of sailing and drinking

excessive alcohol are to be

highlighted in a new campaign by the

Department for Transport. The

Alcohol Awareness Steering Group,

involving both the Government and

the maritime sector has instigated the

campaign aimed at recreational sailors.

The Marine Accident Investigation

Branch (MAIB) revealed that between

2006-20012, 45 people died in

accidents involving recreational boats

in the UK where alcohol was a factor.

The British Ports Authority, a member

of the group, has previously called for

new laws imposing alcohol limits for

non-professional sailors. Under the

Merchant Shipping Act 1995, sailors

can be prosecuted if they are under

the influence of alcohol and endanger

other vessels, structures or people.

Most harbour authorities also have

local by-laws, which allow boaters to

be prosecuted if they are under the

influence of alcohol while in charge of

a vessel.

He said his 10th solo circumnavigation

around the world would be his

last, but now Jon Sanders, 80, has

announced he will sail around the

globe again.

The legendary Australian skipper

is preparing his Sparkman & Stephens

39, Perie Banou II, to leave from

Freemantle on 13 October 2019.

Unlike his previous voyages, Sanders

will be helping to research ocean

microplastics by collecting daily water

samples. These will be dropped off

at pre-arranged ports for dispatch to

marine institutions for analysis. It is

hoped this will provide reliable data

on the amount of plastic pollution

in Southern Hemisphere oceans.

His 12-month voyage will take him

from Western Australia to the Cape

of Good Hope and then northwest to

St Helena, before crossing the Atlantic

to the Caribbean. He will then transit

the Panama Canal into the Pacific to

the Galápagos Island and then on to

Tahiti, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga and

back to Australia. Follow his voyage

at: http://www.noplasticoceans.org.

Meanwhile fellow circumnavigator,

Japanese skipper Minoru Saitō, 85,

who at 71 claimed the record for the

oldest person to sail around the world

non-stop and unassisted, has been

forced to put his plans for another

solo and non-stop circumnavigation

on hold after he was rescued from his

56ft 1989 steel-hulled cutter-rigged

sloop, Shuten Dojhi II. Saitō was

sailing the yacht back to Japan

following a refit in the Philippines, but

was forced to abandon it on 1 July

after it developed steering problems.

Work will begin this winter on installing

66 new berths at Buckler’s Hard Yacht

Harbour on the Beaulieu River.

The £2m redevelopment aims

to cater for sailors wanting bigger

berths and walk-ashore pontoons.

To minimise disruption to marina

customers, the work will be carried

out over the winters of 2019-

and 2020-2021.

Beaulieu Enterprises’ managing

director, Russell Bowman said: ‘The

reconfiguration will offer the best

possible service for our customers,

while keeping a similar look and feel

to the existing yacht harbour.’

£2 million extension to Buckler’s Hard

Sanders set for 11th solo circumnavigation

283

In this year’s Round the Island

Race, 1,210 boats entered, 283

finished, 851 retired due to light

winds, 2 were disqualified, and

74 failed to declare.

Top claims

Insurers N&G revealed the top

five common claims between

2008-2018 – 31% were collisions

with another boat, 21% storm

damage, 20% grounding or

collision with an underwater

obstacle, 15% ingress of water

and equipment theft at 13%.

11

The UK’s

Casualty

Review Panel,

made up of

organisations

like the RNLI,

has stated that

11 people who

drowned in

2018, could

have survived if

they had worn

a lifejacket.

25

The World

Cruising Club’s

ARC Portugal

celebrated its

25th edition

at the final

destination

port, Marina de

Lagos. 18 crews

sailed from

Plymouth to

Portugal

via Bayona.

NEWS IN NUMBERS

CHARTER SKIPPER COURSES

Holiday firm Ocean Elements has

launched a one-week charter

skipper course at its Vassiliki base

CHEERS FOR LEWIS

Lewis Haig, 19, has been named the

RYA Yachtmaster of the Year 2018

for his exceptional sailing skills

BRITISH CLASSIC WEEK WIN

Giovanni Belgrano’s Whooper, a

1939, 39ft Laurent Giles, won overall

in the Panerai British Classic Week

Drink-aware campaign for sailors

There is currently no national alcohol limit for recreational skippers

Jon Sanders

completed his first

circumnavigation

around the world in

1970 and has gone

on to make both

double and triple

non-stop solo

circumnavigations

Buckler’s Hard marina

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NEWS