Cruising World – May 2018

HANDS-ON SAILOR

58

may 2018

cruisingworld.com

years, some designers have

aimed to separate those spaces

according to their function.

Three catamarans in this

year’s fl eet employ inside work

stations, which gather the

helm and most sailhandling

functions in pods behind glass

inside the cabin. These are the

Maine Cat 38, the HH55 and

the HH66.

The cockpit of the Oyster

745 places all sheets, winches

and electronic navigation aft

of the cockpit settees and di-

vided by a coaming. The social

gathering place is still near the

action, but no one reading a

book on deck should have to

worry about becoming tangled

in the sheets.

Likewise, the Beneteau

Oceanis 51.5 achieves a

clear division between the

sailing cockpit and the

lounging cockpit, and it

does so with an easy traffi c

path down the cockpit

centerline from the opening

transom right through to the

companionway.

Finally, the Fountaine Pajot

Saona 47 provides the most

complete separation between

those functions with the work-

ing cockpit raised one level

up on the fl ybridge. The out-

side space under the cockpit’s

hardtop is defi ned by its

barbecue grill, spacious fridge

and dinette seating.

In later issues, we’ll take a

look at how this year’s yacht

designers arrange interior

space: galleys, nav stations and

heads. Stay tuned.

Tim Murphy, a CW editor-

at-large and a longtime Boat of

the Year judge, is fi tting out a

1988 Passport 40, Billy Pilgrim,

for long-distance cruising.

The car track for the self-tending jib on the Discovery 58

has adjustable stops at each end that can be moved to bring

the sail closer to the centerline (top). The Dufour 520’s

chainplates are located on the side of the hull, clearing the

side decks and removing the possibility of water leaking

through a hole in the deck (above left). The adjustable fair-

lead on the Gunfl eet 43 can be set using a line that leads

back to the cockpit, eliminating the need for a crewmember

to go on deck to unset a locking pin.

While twin helms are all the rage for cockpit layouts, the

Maine Cat 38 takes another tack, with the wheel and

winches located inside on the bridgedeck (above). The cock-

pit on the Southerly 540 keeps the work of sailing aft of the

wheels, while the crew lounges forward of them.

JIB TRIM STEERING

TIM MURPHY; JON WHITTLE (BOTTOM LEFT)