Will Bruton goes in search of small yachts embarking
on big adventures to fi nd out what it actually takes
What you
really need to
sail off shore
O
ffshore sailing does not
have to mean crossing
the Atlantic. Whether it is
heading across Biscay,
voyaging south to the
Azores, or heading north to Norway and
Iceland, leaving the coast behind can be
the adventure of a lifetime for most
coastal cruising sailors.
So what size yacht can you safely take
offshore, or even across an ocean in?
Yachts are getting bigger, both in waterline
length and beam, but has something beenlost on the never-ending search for more
internal volume? And, fundamentally, what
is possible in the boat you already own?
Yachting Monthly went in search of
answers; talking to owners, boatbuilders,
professional delivery skippers, rally
organisers and a competitor in the 2018
Golden Globe Race. Rest assured, we
found a Corinthian spirit alive and well in
small-boat ocean sailing and, despite
many sailors believing they need a larger
boat, a big yacht is most certainly not a
prerequisite for a big adventure...EXPERT
ON BOARD
A professionally
qualified skipper with
50,000 miles under his
belt, Will Bruton is now
YM’s sailing editorLESTER MCCARTHY