How to navigate with google earth

S

ailing dinghies is fun, but also

wet. Sailing big yachts can be a bit

dull sometimes, but it’s (mostly)

dry; making it great for drinking

tea – something it’s hard to do in a

dinghy. The Winner 8 has that fun feeling

of a sailing dinghy while retaining the best

bits of big-boat sailing – and it’s a great

combination. She follows the Winner 9

with the same successful formula: starts

off cheap and basic, but can be customised

where the owners want to spend their

money. Want to cruise in comfort? Choose

cabin doors, sprayhood, an oven in the

galley and smart lockers and storage

bags. Want speed? Pick the Performance

version with its taller rig and deeper keel.

Want speed and comfort? Tick away on

the option list. If you’re unsure what you

want, get the basic boat and a few years

later return her to Winner and they can

install more items. But it’s no good trying

86 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com MARCH 2016

NEW BOAT TEST The UK’s most comprehensive yacht tests

Small is beautiful and in the right weather

small is also fun as Graham Snook discovers

when he tests the Winner 8 in The Netherlands

At the helm

She has a single tiller and twin rudders

connected via Jefa linkages; the helm

is light, precise and responsive. The

cockpit seats feel low, at just 31cm (1ft)

in height and the foot braces on the edge

are uncomfortable on the back of legs, but

sitting on the coaming and sidedeck, with

tiller extension in hand, I found it comfy

and she obeys every movement instantly.

The Performance version sports a lower

boom that increases sail area at the expense

of cockpit clearance. It also reduces the

height available for a sprayhood – I

mention this because there is little shelter,

so if you’d like some, you may be better off

going for the Cruising version

Design & construction

Like all Winners up until 2015, she was

designed by Cees van Tongeren of Van

de Stadt Design and her looks are fun

to improve a poor boat, so it’s just as well

that the Winner 8 is a corker!

Performance

It was blowing Force 5 when we left

Winner’s former home of Enkhuizen and

set off south into the Markermeer, the

shelter of the Houtribdijk dam keeping the

water fl at. Clear of the harbour we hoisted

the asymmetric and shot off southeast

achieving 7.5 knots effortlessly – on the

photoshoot the next day Winner’s owner,

Remco Sol, achieved 9 knots single-

handed. So she was clearly slippy and

under her racing laminate ‘white’ sails she

kept above 6 knots most of the time.

Under engine, the 9hp Yanmar takes a

bit of time to achieve the desired rpm (a

15hp engine is an option), and having little

wash over the rudders means you have to

rely on the boat moving through the water

for tight turning circles.

Winner 8