TOFINOU 8
class. “Her glassfibre hull precludes her from Panerai
British Classic Week, which is for wooden boats only,”
says Julian, “but we campaigned her in Charles Stanley
Cowes Classics Week last year.”
The couple sailed up from Torquay in two days,
stopping overnight in Weymouth and sleeping aboard –
scooping the Traveller’s Trophy in the process before
picking up a first and second in two races and a fourth
overall. Closer to home they bagged a first in the
Unrated Cruisers class during the Torbay Royal Regatta
and a second in the Dartmouth Regatta Keelboat Class.
Not too shabby for a first season.
A chilly but bright late-October day in Torquay was
the setting for my own introduction to Tofinou sailing.
Designed by Joubert-Nivelt Design, the vertical stem and
sweeping sheerline give a racy-yet-classy profile, while
the 8mm thick teak decks and highly polished varnished
capping rail and low coamings do much to turn heads as
we glide seawards (cunningly, those varnished coaming
panels unbolt – you can take them home and varnish
them on your kitchen table in winter).
The emphasis is clearly on dayboating, with the
cockpit taking up a goodly proportion of the overall
length, but there’s enough room inside the compact cabin
for two settee/berths and the essential loo, with just
enough headroom to sit up. Back aft of the cockpit, a flat
aft deck hides a capacious lazarette (and doubles as an
excellent sunlounger according to Caroline).
With the 10hp Nanni saildrive diesel chugging quietly
beneath the cockpit sole, just how easily the yacht’s slim
hull form slips through the water is evident in the wake
at five knots – or rather the lack of – and it’s that easily
driven form that sets the tone under sail, out at sea.
A light and fluky wind (at one point I watch the
Windex perform a complete three-sixty) isn’t the ideal
conditions for a test sail, but eventually we find an area
where it makes its mind up and even increases a few
increments. The effect is immediate, the plucky yacht
immediately accelerating.
Sitting out over the coaming with the optional tiller
extension, the helm is light and highly responsive.
The 8 is a joy to sail.tofinou.comAbove left: The
Tofinou 8 is easily
handled by one
or two.
Above right:
Julian and
Caroline are
experienced
racersover 30 applicants. Split across five keelboats, it is a
chance for women to take to the water in the sort of
calm and supportive environment that male skippers
don’t always achieve.
“We’re taking people sailing rather than actively
teaching them to sail,” says Caroline. “They can learn by
osmosis and experience or simply come along and enjoy
the ride. The Tofinou is perfect, as there’s plenty of space
for six of us and people can get as involved as they want- oh, and there’s a toilet!”
Of course, this pottering about and taking it easy is all
very well, but whilst you can take the racer out of the
raceboat, you can’t take the racing out of the racer, and
the Tofinou 8 qualifies for the Spirit of Tradition regatta
LOA
26ft 3in (8m)
BEAM
8ft 4in (2.53m)
DRAUGHT
5ft 7in (1.7m)
SAIL AREA
376sq ft (35m^2 )
DISPLACEMENT
1,850kg
BUILT
Latitude 46,
La Rochelle, FranceTOFINOU 8