Yachting_Monthly_2016-01

HOME WATERS

48 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com JANUARY 2016

part-owners of the boat. Unlike most other boat timeshare schemes, which allow fixed periods of use for an annual
fee, Brighton Belle SC gives members the freedom to sail whenever they wish. If they don’t actually sail, it won’t cost
them any more than the initial £4,000 share price. The cost of maintenance is covered by a day sailing fee and additional
expenses such as food, fuel and marina costs are split between the crew on that trip.‘Six years ago, my friend
Nigel, who was involved in a similar project once before asked if I would like to get involved,’ Stewart explained.
‘Without hesitation I said yes. There were about eight or nine of us originally but it grew so we agreed to create a boat share with 64 shares.’
possible to enjoy all the delights of an Oyster 55 for the cost of very small cruiser,’ he added said as we sailed out. ‘Our ownership scheme makes it
‘The extra manpower of club members means we have an instant crew available, and we have the option to sail more ambitious cruises than most home waters
sailors would attempt. We welcome
The club appeals to sailors who no longer want the responsibility of sole ownership of a yacht or the hassle of finding crew to help to sail it. It is also popular with
first-time owners who want to share the fun of owning a high-quality yacht and the adventures it brings, while learning from the experience of others.
my passion for sailing so it’s impractical to own my own boat,’ says flag officer Liz Ingram. ‘This way I can mess around with ‘My husband and daughter don’t share
boats in the winter and have fun cruising to new coasts and harbours whenever I choose, with a community of like-minded and experienced sailing friends.’
German couple I sailed with, found out about the scheme on a social media site Dr Andrea and Werner Junker, the

The appeal of joint ownership

and joined as guests to see how it worked. Andrea, a private occupational physician, works in the UK while her husband commutes to and from Germany at weekends. ‘The

concept of because it offers fantastic sailing and great value for money,’ she told me. ‘Our nomadic lifestyle is not ideal for sole boat ownership, Brighton Belle really appealed

so this is potentially a good option for us.’The yachtBrighton Belle is a 55ft Kim Holman-

designed, cutter-rigged ketch built by Oyster Yachts in 1986. She is a superb sea boat

and performs well in big winds, when the flexible ketch rig offers a choice of canvas to suit the conditions. She’s easily capable of over 6 knots close-hauled. Downwind, it

is not unusual to clock 10 or 11 knots.with a traditional feel, copious amounts of headroom thanks to the raised deck She has a huge, bright, teak-lined saloon

saloon and eye-level windows all the way round. There is certainly no hot-bunking on eight people to sleep comfortably in four Brighton Belle. There’s ample room for

It's nice to have the personal space of separate cabins. Sue shared hers with Liz separate cabins and an extra bunk in the saloon, making a total of nine berths.

Brighton Bellehome berth on her

members of all abilities, including total beginners, but we are not a sailing school. We provide that all-important platform to

allow those with little or no experience the opportunity to learn from the experience of others, which, in my opinion, is the best way to learn.’

our concentration turned to the weather because the forecast for the first stretch of the voyage to Falmouth, where I was Back at the helm of Brighton Belle,

due to depart from the cruise, was less

than favourable. A ridge of high pressure was centered over the country with big lows on either side extending

out into the Atlantic. The first band of low pressure was due to arrive later that evening. Stewart estimated

that if we ploughed on, on a southerly route out into the Channel and remained in the normal ebb and flow of the

tide away from the tidal gates, we could take advantage of a backing windshift due in mid-afternoon and tack onto port,

heading west.perfect day for sailing with sun, blue sky and south-Meanwhile it was an almost

busy stream of ships as we headed south from Brighton was our other concern, but with careful planning and the assistance westerly wind. The constant,

of AIS and radar, we kept out of danger.averaging 8 to 10 knots but the sea state built and, as we sailed into constant We continued to make good speed,

headwinds, the boat’s motion became increasingly uncomfortable. South of the Isle of Wight, the visibility dropped and dark clouds began building, threatening

that a big wind was imminent. Photo: Julio Graham

Andrea helms to windward as Brighton Belle leaves the Sussex coast astern