Oyster News 48 - Oyster Yachts

NO YESWT ESR®
NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF OYSTER - DOUBLE QUEEN'S AWARD YACHT BUILDERS

New Zealand Regatta ISSUE NO 48
SPRING 2003
ARC 2002

AMERICA'S CUP 2003

OYSTER - WORLD LEADERS IN DECK SALOON CRUISING YACHTS

CONTENTS 3 FROM THE CHAIRMAN

RICHARD MATTHEWS
LOOKS FORWARD TO THE YEAR AHEAD

4 NEWS ROUNDUP

6 OYSTER OWNERS DINNER

AN EVENING AT THE ROYAL THAMES
YACHT CLUB

8 AMERICA'S CUP 2003

A PERSONAL COMMENTARY
BY RICHARD MATTHEWS

NO YESWT ESR®
NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF OYSTER - DOUBLE QUEEN'S AWARD YACHT BUILDERS

12 UPDATE FROM HANNAL STODEL
NEWS FROM THE SONAR AND 29ER REGATTAS

14 OYSTER NEW ZEALAND REGATTA
EVENT NEWS, RESULTS AND GREAT PICTURES
New Zealand Regatta ROGER VAUGHAN

ARC 2002 ISSUE NO 48
AMERICA'S CUP 2003 SPRING 2003

OYSTER - WORLD LEADERS IN DECK SALOON CRUISING YACHTS

FROM THE EDITOR 26 ATLANTIC RALLY FOR CRUISERS
We publish Oyster News
four times a year and we NEWS FROM THE 2002 ARC
know from our readers
that the articles they most 28 MY ARC
enjoy reading about are
the contributions from TERRY KING-SMITH GIVES AN INSIGHT INTO HIS FIRST ARC
Oyster owners. If you
have a story to tell or 32 FIRST TIMERS ON THE HIGH SEAS
information about cruising 56 OWNER, MARK BLYTHE, SHARES HIS EXPERIENCE OF A
in your Oyster please let FIRST ATLANTIC CROSSING
me know. Photographs
EDITOR are always welcome with 36 SAIL SETTING
LIZ WHITMAN or without a story.
PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR TENSIONS –
Email: liz.whitman@ THE FIRST IN A NEW SERIES
oystermarine.com MATTHEW VINCENT

40 MISSIONS IMPOSSBLE

A PROFILE OF 62 OWNER MAURICE FRANKEFORT

ROGER VAUGHAN

46 THE BAY OF ISLANDS

A MUST FOR ANY YACHT
VISITING NEW ZEALAND
RICHARD MATTHEWS

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR 48 THE THORNY PATH
ROGER VAUGHAN THE FIORENTINO FAMILY EXPLORE
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
FRONT COVER PICTURE GABRIELE FIORENTINO
The crew of the Oyster 70, Thunder,
get into the racing spirit 54 LAGOS TO SEVILLE AND BACK
Photo: Richard Matthews A DELIGHTFUL 10 DAY CRUISE INTO
THE HEART OF ANDALUCIA
BACK COVER PICTURE BARRY SADLER
The New Zealand Regatta fleet prepares to
line up under Auckland's Harbour Bridge 58 JUST LAUNCHED
Photo: Richard Matthews A SELECTION OF NEWLY
LAUNCHED OYSTERS
Oyster News is published by Oyster Marine Ltd.

Oyster News is for promotional purposes only,
privately circulated, and cannot form part of any
contract or offer. Views, details and information herein
are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher who
will not be held responsible for the consequences of
any error or omission. Pictures and illustrations are
liable to show non standard equipment.

2 www.oystermarine.com

London Boat Show 2003

The end of an era?

The London show started on 2 January, meaning that our show
team had to arrive in the capital on New Years Day, still with a
sore head or two from the New Years celebrations!

Wouldn’t you rather be sailing! Almost unbelievably the early date was, we were told, due to a
clerical error when the British Marine Federation, who run the
Welcome to this 48th edition of Oyster News. event, booked the dates. Perhaps also due to the fact that any
help they might have expected from the venue operator may
As usual, thanks to owners who have so kindly made have been diminished by the fact this was to be the last
contributions, we have some interesting editorial. This edition London Show at Earl’s Court.
also features coverage of our first New Zealand Regatta which,
if I say so myself, was a huge success. The Federation have an eight-year contract to move the show
from 2004 to the new Excel Exhibition centre in London’s
The first race might have only been 25 miles but at least 10 of the Docklands. It was a little sad to be saying farewell to the old
14 Oysters taking part had sailed over 14,000 miles, half way Earl’s Court show after so many years. Very sobering when a
around the world, to get to the start line! Thanks to contributing number of our staff worked out they had spent the best part of
editor Roger Vaughan for his coverage of the event. a year of their life inside the halls! Earl’s Court, perhaps centred
on the Guinness bar, will have been the start of many a sailor's
With so much going on we are hoping to publish Oyster News nautical aspirations and no doubt a few ambitious voyages.
quarterly this year. This means we will be looking for more editorial
from Oyster owners – the call is out so if you have news of The Excel centre has a number of potential advantages
exploits afloat Liz Whitman would be delighted to hear from you. including its immediate proximity to London’s City Airport and
the promise of easy road access and abundant parking.

Perhaps surprisingly, for Oyster anyway, the final show at Earl’s
Court attracted a much higher rate of enquiries than in 2002.
We are grateful to the many owners who over the years have
lent us their yachts to show at Earl’s Court. As for next year –
see you at Excel.

With so many negative things going on in the world perhaps this
is a good time to go cruising. Every sunset is a thing of beauty;
every dawn afloat brings the promise of another adventure. I know
from experience that there is nothing like serious illness to
heighten the value of time. We all have only so many sailing
seasons left in us.

As usual fair winds and good sailing to all our readers.

Richard Matthews
Founder and Chairman
Oyster Marine

www.oystermarine.com 3

NEWS ROUNDUP ROYAL LANGKAWI REGATTA

Oyster Owners, Robert and Rosemary
Forrester, sent us this picture of their
435, DEUSA, sailing past the Eagle
landmark in Langkawi Island,
Malaysia. Having spent the last 3
years cruising Thailand, Malaysia and
the Andaman Islands, Robert was
asked to help organise the inaugural
Royal Langkawi International regatta,
held out of Langkawi in March. Some
70 yachts are expected to take part
including three Oysters. Further
details about the regatta from:
www.langkawiregatta.com

A FRIENDLY WAGER MIRROR WORLDS

Oyster 56 CHINOOK and Oyster 56 FOREVER YOUNG are sisterships with Assistant Rigging Manager at Fox's
identical rigs and shoal draft keels. It's therefore not difficult to understand Stainless, Craig Bond and his eight year
that a certain amount of rivalry exists whenever these two boats are racing or old son Mitchell, came a fantastic 8th
participating in Oyster rallies! overall out of a 96 boat fleet in the 2003
Mirror World Championships held in
At the Oyster Regatta in Palma, Mallorca the results had clearly gone in favour Tasmania in January. Mitchell, who has
of FOREVER YOUNG. After a not inconsiderable search in the village of been sailing with his Dad since the age
Andraitx the crew of CHINOOK secured the requisite bottle of Canadian Club of four, competed in his first World
Whisky and, keen to show their appreciation of their rivals, arranged a Championships in Ireland two years
refuelling at sea with FOREVER YOUNG. ago. They are current Eastern Area
Champions and ranked in the top three
in the UK. Their goal is to win the
Worlds in Sweden in 2005, by which
time Mitchell will be 10, and, as his dad
says, "Will be more interested in calling
the shots rather than getting out the
sweets down the run"!

DIARY DATES
2003

3 - 6 April Oyster Private View -
St Katharine's Yacht
Haven, London

12 - 19 April UBS Oyster Regatta -
Antigua

27 April - 3 May Antigua Sailing Week

30 April Oyster Party for owners
and crews - Antigua

21 June Round the Island Race -
Cowes, Isle of Wight

2 - 9 August Cowes Week

2 - 7 September Ijmuiden Boat Show

3 - 7 September UBS Oyster Regatta -
Palma

11 - 14 September Newport Boat Show

12 - 21 September Southampton Boat Show
and Oyster Brokerage
OYSTER 45 FOR CHARTER Event

The Oyster 45, OCEAN DRIVE, is available for skippered charter out of Gosport. Ideally 13 September Owners Dinner - Royal
Southern Yacht Club
suited for corporate or private weekend charter. Further details are available from
4 - 12 October Genoa Boat Show
www.oceandrivesailing.com
9 - 13 October Annapolis Boat Show

LITTLE BRITAIN GIVES LARGE 11 October Owners party - Annapolis

We were very pleased to welcome Olympic 25 October - Hamburg Boat Show
Gold medallist, Shirley Robertson to our 2 November
London boat show stand again this year.
Shirley was on hand to receive a cheque for 20 November Pre ARC Oyster Party for
£45,000 from Little Britain Challenge Cup owners and crews
Chairman, Chris Boyle, on behalf of the - Las Palmas
Cirdan Sailing Trust. The money was part of
the total raised of £110,000 from the annual 23 November ARC start - Las Palmas
Construction Industy's Little Britain
Challenge Cup, held out of Cowes in 2004 London Boat Show
September. The regatta, which is the largest NEW VENUE Excel
industry event in Europe, is held to support 8-18 January 2004 Exhibition Centre
both the Cirdan and Jubilee Sailing Trusts.
10 January 2004 London Owners Dinner
Richard Matthews' 50' prototype, FLIRT, 17 – 25
was IRC Class 1 winner in the regatta. January 2004 Düsseldorf Boat Show

A STRANGE COINCIDENCE?

Oyster News readers and Oyster fans,
Hannes and Steffi Eisele from Germany,
spotted this dockside mural while on a
recent trip to the Azores and were
amazed to find we already had Oyster
owners with their names. The mural
was in fact painted by Hannes and Steffi
Fehring, owners of the Oyster 61,
Rasmus when they visited the Azores in
1999. Just one difference – Hannes and
Steffi Eisele have yet to buy their Oyster!

www.oystermarine.com 5

Oyster

OWNERS LONDON DINNER

Janet Mundy and Richard Matthews who skippered an all girl crew in the last Wine for the evening had been shipped for
Volvo Around the World Ocean Race, was the occasion from the award winning Mud
Hosted by the Royal Thames the guest speaker. Lisa had taken part in House Vineyard on South Island, New
Yacht Club at their magnificent the UBS Oyster Regatta in Palma last Zealand. Mud House, owned by John and
clubhouse in Knightsbridge, October on board an Oyster 66, so was Jennifer Joslin, were one of the sponsors
and coinciding with the first well aware of the difference between of Oyster’s New Zealand Regatta. The
weekend of the London Boat sailing a Volvo 60 and the creature Joslins first sailed to New Zealand on their
Show, a hundred and thirty owners and comforts on board an Oyster. Oyster 435 so were very enthusiastic about
guests attended our annual London welcoming the Oyster fleet to Auckland.
owners dinner. The evening started with a Guests included a number of
champagne reception kindly sponsored by representatives from our family of Other owners included Stephen and
UBS Private Banking. Lisa MacDonald, sponsors who, in addition to UBS, help us Catherine Thomas, who are shortly to take
to run our regattas: Barrie Sullivan of delivery of a 66, and Stephen and Alison
Pantaenius, Robert Hill MD of Lewmar, Yeo who completed a circumnavigation a
John Boyce of Hood Yacht Spars, Declan year ago. The Thomas’ are one of two
O'Sullivan from Chartering International, owners who, having completed
James Douglas from Raymarine and our circumnavigations in their Oyster, have
latest supporter Sally Helme, the publisher returned to order another.
of Cruising World USA.
Traditionally, special plaques are
Oyster owners from overseas included presented to owners completing a
John and Susan Dietz and Erick and circumnavigation in an Oyster yacht.
Heather Reickert who had travelled Two such awards were presented; the first
especially from the United States. to John and Janet Mundy who completed
a circumnavigation in their Oyster 435
Ocean Jaywalker in October 2002. Their
route took them via Gibraltar – Canaries –
Antigua – Panama Canal – Ecuador –
Galapagos – Pacific Islands – Australia
and, returning to the UK via the New
Zealand Solomon Islands – Thailand – The
Red Sea – and the Mediterranean.

Lisa MacDonald with Erick and Heather Reickert Rob and Jo Humphreys, James Flynn OBE
6 www.oystermarine.com and Natasha, Robert Hill, MD of Lewmar

The second award went to Erick and Heather Reickert who, aboard OYSTER
their Oyster 55 Escapade, completed their circumnavigation in April
2002. Escapade left Turkey in October 97 and routed via the B RO K E R A G E
Caribbean – Panama Canal – Galapagos – Marquises Islands –
Society Islands – Cook Islands – Niue – Tonga – Fiji – New Zealand – International Specialists in Pre-owned Oyster Yachts
Australia – Indonesia – Red Sea – Suez Canal and Turkey. Escapade
logged 47,000 nautical miles, visited 48 countries, entered 547 ports 1B6-O1A8STPMSRIHNOG
and in all Erick and Heather lived aboard for 1,173 days. AY W

Bob Marston, Lars and Ann-Sofi Lindegren, Nigel
Leamon, Nick Creed and Barrie Sullivan, Pantaenius

DIARY DATES Oyster Brokerage's Annual Spring Boat Show
will be held at Fox's Marina, Ipswich,
The next Oyster Owners Dinner will be held to coincide with
the Southampton Boat Show at the Royal Southern Yacht Club, from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 May 2003.
Hamble, on Saturday 13th September.
The 2004 London Boat Show Owners dinner will be held on With a comprehensive selection of around 20 pre-owned Oyster
Saturday 10th January. Yachts, ranging from 40 to 60 feet on display, the event is a very good

Lisa MacDonald with John and Janet Mundy opportunity to see a range of Oysters in one convenient location.

Please contact us at our Ipswich office for more details and
directions or see www.oysterbrokerage.com

As Specialist International Brokers for all pre-owned Oyster Yachts,
Oyster Brokerage continues to be the definitive choice for both
existing and prospective Oyster owners.

Telephone our UK or USA offices or visit our constantly
updated website for information on the full range of yachts

available worldwide.
Make the World Your Oyster

OYSTER BROKERAGE
FOX’S MARINA, IPSWICH, SUFFOLK IP2 8SA ENGLAND

TEL: +44 (0)1473 602263 FAX: +44 (0)1473 603192
brokerage@oyster mar ine.com

OYSTER BROKERAGE USA
5 MARINA PLAZA, GOAT ISLAND, NEWPORT RI 02840 USA

TEL: +1 401 846 7400 FAX: +1 401 846 7483
[email protected]

America’s Cup 2003 First time out a landlocked nation, best
known for Toblerone, the cuckoo clock and
A personal commentary by Richard Matthews the numbered account, just won the holy
grail of yacht racing – the America’s Cup

T o all intents and in the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
purposes two Four of these with fat US$70-$100m budgets
teams, Kiwi A and were the B’s, an abbreviation for their
Kiwi B, raced each other billionaire owner/backers, Oracle, One World,
for the oldest trophy in Prada and the winning Alinghi. Mr America’s
sport. Both teams are Cup, Dennis Conner, sailing for the New York
world class, but the Yacht Club had a "modest" $40m budget,
problem for New Zealand while the other "lower budget" challengers
was that Kiwi A was included Team GBR, a popular addition to the
racing for Switzerland. cup scene after a 15-year absence.

The Kiwis showed big time support for their RACE 1
team and Loyal flags and Loyal Team NZ From Oystercatcher XXIV
black shirts were everywhere. The ‘Loyal’
word was a direct swipe at Russell Coutts Spectator fleet estimated at 3,000 including
and Brad Butterworth who, with several other "The World" and two other cruise ships. Brisk
key ex-NZ crewmen, sold their services to 20-22 knot wind and lumpy sea state- start
Ernesto Bertarelli's Swiss Alinghi Team. signal by Omega ambassador supermodel
Cindy Crawford, - start about even – TNZ to
Auckland calls itself the city of sails and, in windward and just ahead, looks very sharp
support of their team, the day before racing for first 6-7 minutes but all commentators
started Auckland City Council had a guy notice she is shipping a lot of water –
changing liquid soap in over 100 public WC’s crewman to leeward with bucket. Unusual
from pink to black. Hundreds of Royal New mainsail outhaul system – end of boom
Zealand Yacht Squadron boats were out for a breaks, main goes full. TNZ loses
huge sail-past to show support for Team NZ. weather gauge and has to tack off,
Vodaphone changed their signal message to Alinghi shows more speed to leeward
"Good Luck Team NZ". and is nothing like as pressed as
TNZ. Alinghi far enough ahead for
A guy calling a local radio station summed up port tack cross after 10
the mood of the nation when he said, "My kid minutes. TNZ still shipping
was told Russell Coutts was a national hero, water and falling back when
now he’s sailing for Switzerland he doesn’t tack of genoa breaks and
know who to cheer for anymore". sail comes unzipped
from foil. TNZ turns
Nine challengers had lined up at the start of downwind to
the Louis Vuitton Cup, the elimination series to recover headsail
decide who would have the chance to wrestle and eventually
the ‘auld mug’ from it’s pride of place pedestal sets another,
which rips

8 www.oystermarine.com The start of Race 1, as viewed from
the deck of Oystercatcher XXIV
Photo: Richard Matthews

out of headfoil during hoist. TNZ retires while TNZ only 3 minutes from downwind lay line the old Herreshoff boat works at Bristol,
Alinghi rounds first windward mark and, as if which would have given TNZ an easy finish. Rhode Island. Oyster owners may recall that
to make a point, smartly sets asymmetric The NZ crew look like rabbits caught in the Halsey presented the prizes at one of our
chute. Alinghi sails the course alone for a headlights, instead of some aggressive luffing Royal Thames London dinners.
walkover 1-0 to Alinghi. or gybing away they just sat there and
watched Alinghi roll over the top. For me this The Auckland induction took place in the
RACE 2 was the defining moment of the regatta. Maori Court and those honoured were noted
From Charlatan, a Holland Somehow Alinghi finds enough pace to pass marine photographer, the late Stanley
and manages to scrape home just 7 seconds Rosenfeld, and syndicate heads Malin
110 footer ahead of TNZ, one of the closest cup races Burnham and Sir Michael Fay. Malin
ever. Score 2-0 to Alinghi. Burnham from San Diego had sailed aboard
Late start but wind Enterprise and Freedom and was responsible
eventually fills in at 9 America’s Cup Hall of for much of the support behind Dennis
knots with further Fame Induction Conner and Stars and Stripes. It’s
delay to move part acknowledged that without the support of Sir
of the huge Captain Nat Herreshoff was among the Michael Fay New Zealand would never have
spectator fleet. most famous designer/builders of his day been able to mount a successful challenge.
Alinghi wins start, and designed several winning Cup
forcing TNZ to yachts including the 1903 defender For many the high spot of the evening
tack off but very Reliance, 250ft from keel to truck. was a moving speech by Olin Stephens,
close first beat The expression "Ship shape now 94 years old, who accepted the
with Alinghi and Bristol fashion" relates award for Stanley Rosenfeld. Olin
rounding 20 to the standard of Stephens is the acknowledged
seconds ahead. excellence achieved by grandfather of modern yacht design
TNZ finds the Herreshoff yard. and sailed aboard Ranger in the 1937
pressure on run, defence.
overtakes and Captain Nat’s grandson Olin, whose latest book has just
rounds 40 Halsey Herreshoff runs been published, has had a 75-year
seconds ahead, the America’s Cup love affair with the America’s Cup
a big gain for Hall of Fame, and is still as enthusiastic as ever.
one leg. TNZ based at the
then leads for Herreshoff RACE 3
next 4 legs and Nautical From the ESPN
Coutts initiates a Museum Studio at TVNZ
30-tack duel up on the
final beat but site of Top sailing commentator Gary
TNZ hangs in Jobson, who sailed with us to the
there. TNZ look Arctic on Oystercatcher XXIV, invited
set to make it us into the studio; a rare opportunity
1-all but Alinghi to be a ‘fly on the wall’ while the
finds some ESPN Sports team put together their
pressure from live broadcast to the USA.
astern and closes
Gary sailed with Ted Turner as tactician
aboard Courageous during the
successful 1974 defence. Having
covered several Cup series and sailing
Olympics since, Gary is acknowledged
as one of the elite in his field. For Race 3,
Gary shared the commentary with Paul
Page who, having covered no less than
24 Indianapolis 500’s, is similarly

www.oystermarine.com 9

Halsey Herreshoff acknowledged in motor sport. Coincidentally up a 15-degree shift. This was enough,
Paul lives close to, and is a friend of, Indy according to Virtual Spectator computer
"Auckland City Council 500 winner and Oyster owner Barry Green. track, to produce a 6-boat length lead after
had a guy changing ten minutes and from then on Alinghi was
liquid soap in over 100 The 20 strong ESPN team, led by Producer never headed. At times TNZ caught up, at
public WC’s from pink Steve Laurence, were every bit as practiced one point closing to within a boat length,
to black" at their individual disciplines as the crews but eventually Alinghi swept away for a 6-
racing on the Hauraki Gulf. ESPN take the boat length lead. Score 3-0 to Alinghi.
"A guy calling a local TVNZ feeds from cameras in various
radio station summed positions on both boats, on the water and in For the ESPN coverage team it was just
up the mood of the helicopters. Using a mix of pre-recorded another day at the office, but for us a
nation when he said - and live material, the Producer and his team fascinating insight into what TV coverage of
my kid was told sit in front of 45 monitor screens and literally live sports events involves. The final call
Russell Coutts was a cut and paste the programme together as it "OK to goodnight the bird?" was the signal
national hero, now he’s happens. The mixed programme is then to downlink the satellite connection with LA
sailing for Switzerland transmitted by satellite direct from - game over.
he doesn’t know who downtown Auckland to Los Angeles and
to cheer for anymore" from there, via another satellite link, to ESPN RACE 4
HQ in Bristol Connecticut. It’s then sent out TV in the bar of the Soc. &
10 www.oystermarine.com by yet another satellite to local operators Sail, West Mersea
and from there, mostly by fibre optic cable,
to millions of individual TV subscribers After a week of frustrating weather delays,
across the USA. There are also links to other due to either too much wind or too little,
arms of the ESPN global network, for Race 4 saw tough conditions with rain
example, coverage was being provided via squalls bringing strong gusts and sharp,
Singapore to the Pacific Rim. Incredibly the choppy seas to the Hauraki Gulf.
entire process only takes 0.5 of a second to
get from Auckland to 'Jo Publics' TV. Alinghi led for the entire race, after skipper
Russell Coutts executed a perfect time on
Race 3 was effectively over as the start gun distance start to hit the line just as the gun
fired. Russell Coutts and his afterguard fired. TNZ skipper, Dean Barker, started
wanted the right side of the course and with slightly behind and to weather, and at the
20 seconds to go they split tacks from TNZ first cross, five minutes up the beat, Alinghi
and took a quarter mile tack to port picking was able to tack ahead in a strong lee
bow position.

"As if to make a point, RACE 5 Gary Jobson
Coutts and crew, with Alinghi Wins the
four Olympic gold America's Cup Team New Zealand tried everything they
medals between them, could to break through, but the black boat
still popped a chute at Sweeping Team New Zealand 5-0 continued to be plagued by gear failure, this
the top mark" time breaking a spinnaker pole on the
Alinghi won Race 5 of the XXXIst America's second run. In the end, Alinghi was too
On the second beat, after a strong squall Cup Match in Auckland on Sunday and, for strong and proved to be well deserving of the
had passed over the two boats, TNZ the first time in it’s 152-year history, the most prestigious trophy in the sport.
appeared to pound through three America's Cup is going to Europe.
particularly big waves. As the bow came Commentary
down off the third wave, the mast snapped Ernesto Bertarelli's Swiss Alinghi Team
between the first and second spreader due swept away Team New Zealand in five The next America’s Cup is expected to be
to what was later diagnosed as a failed consecutive races, becoming the first held in 2007 and an announcement will be
spreader tip cup. Challenger to win the America's Cup on its made by December to confirm the venue.
initial attempt. Lisbon, Sete, Marseilles, Barcelona, Palma,
The Alinghi lead was never threatened and Malta and southern Italy have all been
when TNZ dismasted, Coutts and his team With his 14th America's Cup win, Alinghi mentioned as possibles. Wherever the Cup
sailed the rest of the course to grab a 4-0 skipper Russell Coutts broke Dennis is held it’s likely that there will be an Oyster
lead. Even with TNZ dismasted, needing Conner's record of 13 America's Cup race Regatta in the same venue just before the
nothing more than to complete the course victories, adding the five wins of 2003 to the Cup series.
and sailing in limit conditions, as if to make nine he earned with Team New Zealand in
a point, Coutts and crew, with four Olympic the 1995 and 2000 campaigns.
gold medals between them, still popped a
chute at the top mark. Coutts has also now equalled the legendary
Charlie Barr and Harold Vanderbilt by
winning three consecutive America's Cups.

As they have throughout the 2002/2003
America's Cup season, the Alinghi Team
turned in a dominant performance, winning
the start, and converting that early
advantage into a solid lead that they
protected ferociously.

www.oystermarine.com 11

Hannah Stodel, a YJA Young Sailor of the Year, The racing in the midwinter’s showed us that the Americans have
continues to be sponsored by Oyster in her quest for some of the strongest Sonar sailors in the world, and taught us a
selection to the UK's 2004 Paralympic Squad. Part of great deal about the one design that we sail. We finished a
that selection process included the recent Sonar creditable 11th overall, against some very tough able-bodied
2003 Midwinter’s and the NOOD Regatta in Florida. competition, and 4th disabled boat.

"This year is a particularly important one for me as selection for the The second regatta, the NOOD was very different to the first,
2004 Paralympics in Athens will be decided by our performance in because over 160 different one design classes showed up to
the IFDS Worlds in September, which are also in Athens. Along the compete against each other off St Petersburg. I found that the
way I will be having plenty of international competition competing in racing in the NOOD was far tougher than in the Midwinter’s, mainly
the 29er Worlds in Spain and campaigning the Sonar in Florida. due to the fact that the courses were longer. The race committees
were racing over seven different classes on each of the race areas,
In February I took part in the US Midwinter’s followed by the and the starts were staggered making for a lot of waiting around.
National Offshore One Design (NOOD) regatta in St Petersburg,
Florida, competing against the very best American Sonar sailors in I felt that I learnt a great deal from some of the American sailors.
a 3 sail open event. Overall in the NOOD we again finished 11th and 4th disabled boat.
Importantly we were only fractionally behind our main rival for
There were 19 Sonars racing in the regatta, and the competition was Athens, Andy Cassell, who finished 10th and 9th. In our next event,
strong, with many of the top racers including the current disabled the Disabled Midwinter’s, again in St Petersburg we will be trialling
world champion from Germany. The day's racing was tough, with the our new American North Sails supplied by Oyster.
wind shifting and then dying, but we slogged away and came
through to finish the day lying 4th disabled boat. I would like to thank
Oyster for their continuing
support in the run up to the
Paralympic trials in
September".

MARINA & BOATYARD

Fox’s specialise in Oyster Refits, Repairs & Rigging

FOX’S CONTACT DIRECT • Workshops All general repairs • New Decks • Refits • Engineering
• Rigging Masts and spar • All running & standing rigging • Rig surveys
Workshop Tel: 01473 689111 • Electronics Sales • Installations & Repairs • Communication & Computer Systems
email:[email protected]

Rigging Tel: 01473 691235
email:[email protected]

Electronics Tel: 01473 691412 • Stainless Fabrications • Custom Fittings • Repairs • Polishing
email:[email protected]

Engineering Tel: 01473 689111 • Sprayshop Heat & dust controlled environment to the highest standards
email:[email protected] • Osmosis
• Chandlery All the latest technoly and hull drying equipment
Stainless Steel Tel: 01473 689111
email:[email protected] The most comprehensively stocked chandlery on the East Coast
for Blue Water Cruising
Chandlery Tel: 01473 688431
email:[email protected]

Marina Tel: 01473 603585 Fox’s Marina Ipswich Ltd Ipswich Suffolk IP2 8SA
email:[email protected]
Tel +44 (0) 1473 689111 Fax +44 (0) 1473 601737 email [email protected]
Sprayshop Tel: 01473 689111
email:[email protected]

PUBLICIS

Sometimes you Some challenges are too big to go it alone, particularly if
can’t sail solo. there are choppy waters ahead. That’s when the advice and
investment understanding of a UBS Private Banking client
adviser can be invaluable. As a leading global manager of
private wealth, we believe in establishing the closest of
working relationships with our clients. Then, based on our
in-depth knowledge of each client’s requirements, we create
individual, personalised wealth management solutions. And
it’s never too soon to get us on board.

For more information please contact:
UBS AG
Private Banking
1 Curzon Street
London W1J 5UB
Sean Goodlet: +44 (0)20 7568 3758
Vincent Parkin: +44 (0)20 7568 6416

Where products or services are provided from outside the UK the regulatory protections applicable to Private Customers (including the Compensation Scheme) will not apply.
Photo: Thierry Martinez

SPONSORED BY

Raymarine
ON BOARD

Denette Wilkinson and Rob Humphreys
on board Oystercatcher XXIV

Oyster

NewNORTH AUCKLAND
ISLAND

Zealand

Regatta

2003SOUTH WELLINGTON

ISLAND

CHRISTCHURCH

Fourteen Oysters line up under Auckland's By Roger Vaughan
Harbour Bridge at the start of Oyster's New
Zealand Regatta. The flags flying atop the bridge

were courtesy of the British ambassador.

The new Kiwi Oyster 49, just
out of Oyster' s Auckland
yard, McDell Marine

Oyster New Zealand Regatta 2003 The surprising thing about the Oyster
Regatta in New Zealand was that so
‘We would like to offer our many boats showed up. What saves
congratulations and sincere beautiful New Zealand from being overrun
thanks to the team at Oyster for with tourists and resident foreigners is its
organising such a splendid remoteness. It’s a long way from anywhere
regatta. We were a bit except Australia, even by plane. By water,
apprehensive, being cruisers not the voyage to Auckland is a major
racers, but it far exceeded our undertaking for the largest yachts. So
expectations and we thoroughly when 14 owners of Oysters from 37 to 70
enjoyed ourselves’
feet accepted the regatta invitation with
PETER FITCH & MISTY MCINTOSH pleasure, it was a bit of a shock to
OYSTER 435 TAMOURE Oyster founder and Chairman, Richard
Matthews. Oyster regattas in the
Caribbean have attracted as many
as 34 boats, but that’s Cruising
Central for most sailors. As Richard
said, "There were eight boats in
the last Volvo, and just six in the
One Ton Cup, so having 14 boats
make it all the way to Auckland is
astounding." Ten of them sailed
15,000 miles or more to get
there. These are the current crop
of circumnavigators bent on
joining the growing body of
Oyster owners who have
completed the passage
round the world.

It helped that it was America’s
Cup season in Auckland. The
Regatta was scheduled during the
break between the Louis Vuitton
Cup final and the America’s Cup

Veteran sailor, Sir Ian
McFarlane, who was
sailing his third Oyster,
the 68, In the Mood,
took 3rd place overall
in Class 1 and won the
Concours d'Elegance

16 www.oystermarine.com Brian Stokes, Oyster 70, Thunder was a welcome addition to
the fleet, having taken part in Oyster's 2002 Antigua Regatta

‘One could tell by the excited
conversations and hand
gestures that racer’s hearts were
beating beneath the cruising
façades of these sailors’

match between Switzerland’s Alinghi and The Oyster 435 Tamoure was a worthy Concours d'Elegance winner
Team New Zealand. TNZ’s second defense
of the Cup is simmering with controversy
over the innovative hull "appendage"
(Hula) fitted under the New Zealand boats’
counters. And the fact that hometown
hero Russell Coutts, skipper of the last
two New Zealand wins, took the big bucks
to change hats and steer the Swiss boat
has been unsettling to the local
population. Coutts’ move also created an
all-New Zealand final, in terms of skippers.

The Regatta’s inaugural dinner on Friday
evening was held at the New Zealand
Yacht Squadron in a dining room where
the glittering "Hundred Guineas Cup" was
on display. The ornate, silver America’s
Cup has a strong presence. It was
attacked by a radical Mauri with a hammer
not long after New Zealand won it in 1995.
The fact that it is now encased in bullet-
proof plexi-glass, with a wooden enclosure
hovering above it ready to drop into
protective custody at the push of a button,
adds to the ornate old trophy’s aura.

Kawau Island party at Pink on the Rocks

The fleet powers away from the start of www.oystermarine.com 17
Race 1 against the Auckland city skyline

Oyster New Zealand Regatta 2003

Kay Miles' Oyster 70, Blackwater, crossing tacks with two 62's, Oystercatcher XXIV and Quest

It was a prime time to be in New a huge Oyster flag was spotted flying Earlier on Saturday the Oysters had
Zealand, and Richard Matthews made over the center span of the Auckland assembled stern-to for a group photo
the most of the opportunity to show the Harbour Bridge as the fleet of 14 yachts opportunity at a long floating dock just
Oyster colors, literally. New Zealand is paraded underneath, the sailors knew outside the Viaduct Basin, home of the
the only place other than the UK where Richard had been at work. Flying above America’s Cup syndicates. While Richard
Oyster yachts are being built. Kim the big, winged "O" was an equally large and noted marine camera man George
McDell’s yard outside Auckland has Union Jack, of course. An honor guard of Johns made multiple passes in a
recently launched two new Oysters. One a dozen stalwarts from the British helicopter to record the gathering, I was
is the second Oyster 49, the other is the Embassy was standing proud atop the happy to be among the sailors basking in
53, Southern Aurora. Both were part of bridge, braced against the strong the beauty of a cloudless, sunny Auckland
the 2003 Regatta. So on Saturday when northwesterly breeze. day. Traffic out of Viaduct included the two

18 www.oystermarine.com John Boyce, Hood Yacht Spars, with Kay Miles, owner of the Oyster 70 Blackwater

exotic black boats of Team New Zealand ‘There were eight boats in the
bound for a day of practice on the Hauraki
Gulf. Up close, they looked mean and last Volvo, and just six in the
lean, ultimate racing machines. Twenty
minutes later, the two red-trimmed black One Ton Cup, so having 14
Alinghi boats towed past, equally
impressive. The sightings had the sobering boats make it all the way to
effect of having watched two heavyweight
fighters jog past close enough to smell Auckland is astounding’
their sweat, one after the other, just days
before they would step into the ring. Race One to Kawau Island was a 26-mile
beat into a 15-20 knot northeasterly,
Another bunch of racing machines was something a bit different for long distance
encountered at the starting line across cruising sailors accustomed to tacking no
from North Head at the entrance to more than once or twice a week. The old
Auckland Harbor. An international skiff Heritage 37, Lady Gray, won the start at
regatta was using the same starting area. the committee boat end, but the new
Soon the 14 Oysters were jockeying for Oyster 49 sailed by a hot local crew
position with half a dozen antique, over- recruited by her builder Kim McDell,
canvassed Sydney 18-foot dinghies, showed the way. While the rest of the fleet
and a fleet of smaller wooden "M" skiffs went left along Auckland city’s North
from the 1920s. Shore, the 49 evaded the incoming tide by
going right and hugging the curve of
The delicate Sydney "eye-deens" can Rangitoto Island. The 70-foot Thunder was
measure over 45 feet from tip of bowsprit first in, followed closely by Oystercatcher
to end of boom, so it’s a toss-up which XXIV and In The Mood, but the 49 had no
can manoeuvre faster: an Oyster 70 or a trouble correcting to first. It was a treat to
Sydney 18. As luck would have it, we be racing in the notorious Hauraki Gulf,
didn’t have to find out. The Sydney crews where the America’s Cup courses are laid
cleared their paths with traditional volleys out. Off to the east in mid-Gulf, one could
of colourful language flung across the see the two Alinghi boats practicing, their
water, and the Oysters were happy to dark, carbon sails smudges
make way for the classic boats with their on the horizon.
gnarly crews.
Rugged Kawau Island is a magical place.
Bill Dodd owner of It’s eight miles across with a harbor cut
the Auckland based deeply out of its western side like a large
Oyster Heritage 37, pie wedge. There are approximately 75
Lady Grey
Movie cameraman, George Johns, used a Westcam
gyro stabilised camera to achieve incredible results -

just wait til you see the movie!

Oyster New Zealand Regatta 2003

The fleet stern-to, Viaduct Basin, Auckland

‘When a huge Oyster flag was Kim McDell and his wife Jan hosted the meters. Local fishermen kept a wary eye
spotted flying over the centre Oyster contingent at their bach located on the passing yachts. Once on the west
span of the Auckland Harbour on a hillside overlooking the mouth of the side, the breeze freshened again, providing
Bridge as the fleet harbor. By 8pm, the wind had dropped to a pleasant reach to the finish. This time it
of 14 yachts paraded a zephyr and the setting sun was bathing was Thunder chasing Oystercatcher
underneath, the sailors knew the island in a thin orange light reflecting across the line, with the Kiwi-built
Richard had been at work’ off the now placid waters. Trees lining the Southern Aurora close astern. Aurora won
ridges of adjacent hills stood in stark Class II (under 60 feet), with Nolea rallying
permanent residents on the island who rely silhouette. Before long the sky had turned to take second. Once again Kawau bach
on their boats or a daily ferry to nearby to black velvet dusted with stars. As we hospitality was extended to the fleet, with
Sand Spit for supplies. Cables from the walked the path back to the water’s edge, a barbecue spitting glowing embers into
mainland provide power and telephone the eerie hooting of Wekas came from the the balmy night. One could tell by the
service, water is drawn from dug wells or brush. excited conversations and hand gestures
springs, and that’s it for amenities. There that racer’s hearts were beating beneath
are two very short "roads" used by a few On Saturday the sun was hot enough to the cruising façades of these sailors. On
N.Z. Council vehicles. do damage by 9am. The wind filled in late, the box, Joe Cocker was singing that he’d
delaying the start of the race around get by with a little help from his friends.
Kawauans live in no-frills cottages called Kawau until noon. Nolea, an Oyster 43
"baches," short for bachelor pads. If one racer from 1982 that owner Greg Duffet The crew on the Oyster 55, Carelbi
really wants to get away into some converted to a cruising boat before sailing
serious peace and quiet, Kawau Island to New Zealand (54 days from the Panama
has to be on the short list. There are Canal to Auckland), found the ghosting
walking paths through the brush lined conditions to her liking. Flying a red
with big ferns, and a profusion of birds spinnaker so big it looked like a hand-me-
including Wood Pigeons, Herons, down from a Cup yacht, Nolea slipped into
Kingfishers, Wekas, Towhees, a handful the lead until a shift and the new breeze
of shy Kiwis, and some rare Kookaburras. brought the wind ahead. Nolea didn’t keep
No one claims to have seen the latter her chute up on purpose. The halyard had
two, but they are often heard. jammed in the sheave.

The larger yachts charged into another
promising northerly, leading the fleet out to
Flat Rock on Kawau’s north side. By then
the breeze fell out, making it tricky
rounding the Rock in a foul current. Many
was the depth gage that read under three

20 www.oystermarine.com

Oyster 62, Quest, in Bonaccord On Sunday, the race back to a finish off
Harbour, Kawua Island Gulf Harbor began with a drifting match.
As often happens in such conditions, the
fleet split, with those on the left betting
on the sea breeze. This time the breeze
filled suddenly, and with the typical
Hauraki Gulf mix of vengeance and
whimsy, from the south. Those on the
right - Oystercatcher, In The Mood,
Blackwater, Quest, Thunder, Southern
Aurora, Lady Grey - put at least a mile
under their keels before the left side
boats began to move. Soon it was big-
boat weather, with 23 knots on the nose.
The two 70s, the two 62s, and the 68
gleefully put their shoulders down and
logged 9 knots plus on the wind.

The special attraction of the trophy
presentation at the Yacht Squadron on
Sunday night was a 40-minute highlights
tape of the two days George Johns had
been shooting the fleet. When it comes to
shooting on the water, Johns is the guru.
He gave the Oysters his full America’s
Cup treatment.

Veteran sailor, Sir Ian McFarlane spoke
briefly after accepting his trophy for In The
Mood’s third place overall in Class 1.
When McFarlane, who admitted to not
having raced a boat since 1949, said he
would look forward to doing it again next
year, the sustained applause indicated he
wasn’t the only one.

Roger Vaughan

Eveline Frankefort
receives the 'Spirit of

the Regatta' award
from Jan McDell and

Rob Humphreys

www.oystermarine.com 21

SPONSORED BY

Raymarine
ON BOARD

The fleet pass North Head out of Rangitoto Channel on their way to Kawau Island

OWNER OYSTER

Bill Dodds Heritage 37
LADY GREY

Peter Fitch & Misty McIntosh 435
TAMOURE

Michael Heimann 45
ORPLID

Greg Duffet 46
NOLEA

Terry McDell 49
KIWI OYSTER 49

David Hulston 53
SOUTHERN AURORA

David & Valerie Dobson 55
KANALOA

Chris Smith & Fiona Campbell 55
CARELBI

David & Barbara Wardle 55
BAKER STREET

Richard Matthews & James Flynn OBE

OCXXIV 62

Maurice & Eveline Frankefort 62
QUEST

Sir Ian McFarlane 68
IN THE MOOD

Kay Miles 70
BLACKWATER

Brian & Oonagh Stokes 70
THUNDER

Photos: Richard Matthews Overall regatta winner, David Hulston's new Oyster 53, Southern Aurora

Crews relaxing at
Viaduct basin

Oyster New Zealand Regatta Results

RACING 1st Thunder - Oyster 70 - Brian Stokes
Class 1 2nd Oystercatcher XXIV - Oyster 62 - Richard Matthews
and James Flynn OBE
3rd In the Mood - Oyster 68 - Sir Ian McFarlane

Class 2 1st Southern Aurora - Oyster 53 - David Hulston
2nd Kiwi Oyster 49 - Oyster 49 - Terry McDell
3rd Kanaloa - Oyster 55 - David Dobson

Overall 1st Southern Aurora - Oyster 53 - David Hulston
2nd Oystercatcher XXIV - Oyster 62 - Richard Matthews
and James Flynn OBE
3rd Kiwi Oyster 49 - Oyster 49 - Terry McDell
4th In the Mood - Oyster 68 - Sir Ian McFarlane

CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE
Class 1 Thunder - Oyster 70 - Brian Stokes

Quest - Oyster 62 - Maurice Frankefort

Class 2 Tamoure - Oyster 435 - Peter Fitch
Baker Street - Oyster 55 - David Wardle

David Hulston,
overall regatta
winner, receives
the winners trophy
for Class 2 from
Denette Wilkinson

Michael Heimann
and Lisette Paradis,
owners of the Oyster
45 Orplid from France
flew into Auckland just
in time for the regatta

MasterCraftsman
NEWS FROM SOUTHAMPTON YACHT SERVICES

“at SYS we have a slogan,
‘where tradition and
craftsmanship meet
technology’, this applies to the
Oysters we build, as well as
our repair and refit operation”

Piers Wilson, Managing Director

Piers Wilson, right, is with Alan Johnson MP, The programme hinged on the SYS team large Saxon Wharf complex, work carries
Minister of State for Employment Relations, completing the task so the ‘Tender’ lying on with other interesting projects such as
Industry and the Regions, at SYS on a fact alongside, could be winched on deck and the Fife built classic ‘Belle Aventure’.
finding tour in 2002. the yacht depart. Needless to say the Piers adds, “We have an excellent mix
Piers often uses the phrase “serious process was completed on-schedule to the of current projects which suits the
about service”, this was illustrated delight of both the yacht’s representative wealth of experience found in our
recently when the superyacht ‘Le Grande and the owner. workforce, and would welcome the
Bleu’ (354’) called into Southampton UK for At the time of going to press, SYS has opportunity to update and refit the
just one day. The task was to mount a boat three Oyster 82’s and two Oyster 62’s in larger Oysters as part of our ongoing
cradle in solid teak to accommodate a new build. The large shed is in full swing working support for owners”.
68’ Sunseeker powerboat to be used as a on a restoration project. Elsewhere in the
tender.

SUNKEN TREASURE IN RESTOR

Her cargo included zinc and tungsten, but
more importantly for this story, teak logs
marked BBTC which identified it being from
the Bombay Burma Timber Company.

OYSTERS ON PARADE Pictured above is a small piece of the teak log surface,
complete with wormholes, seen against finished teak doors for
In conjunction with last year’s International the refitted interior. The fine grain teak perfectly matches the
Southampton Boat Show, probably the existing deckhouse in this new panel (right).
most successful show ever for Oyster,
seventeen Oysters formed an impressive The latest restoration project at
raft of brokerage opportunities next door Southampton Yacht Services is something
to the SYS facility. of a time warp. A classic 1907, 92’
Courtesy cars ferried interested parties gentleman’s motor yacht currently being
directly from the Show and illustrated the restored and refitted is benefiting from teak
space and benefits found at Saxon Wharf salvaged from a cargo vessel sunk in 1917.
and SYS. On the 8th July 1917, the 6348 gross ton,
330’ cargo vessel ‘PEGU’, on a voyage from
Rangoon to Liverpool was sunk by a mine
7 miles off Galley Head in Ireland.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

ATION PROJECT LOCATION OYSTERS IN BUILD OWEN
LOCATION
The vessels cargo was part salvaged several LOCATION The Oyster fleet at SYS, as outlined in the introduction, is in
times over the years and about 8 years ago many stages of completion. Just arrived is the latest 82’ hull,
Piers Wilson of Southampton Yacht That’ll be the other two 82’s are progressing well, a 62 is due for launch
Services bought a consignment of the Saxon Wharf during March and another in April. Then 66-11’s hull arrives
then. early March and a further 62 hull in April filling the last
timber for stock. position in our main build hall.
Managing Director Piers Wilson takes Located on the upper reaches of Even with the steady new-build Oyster programme, SYS has
up the story: the river Itchen in Southampton capacity for Oyster refits, other new-build projects and classic
“When I bought this UK, Saxon Wharf is the home to restorations.
consignment of teak, I was SYS. As you can see from this
interested in both the quality aerial picture, the 200 ton BMF Student of the Year
and the length of the timber, Travelhoist can bring yachts right Competition 2002
which I knew one day would to the SYS facility. Superyachts are
suit a restoration project that regular visitors and pictured here is Oceanco’s Craig Mitcham, pictured here with SYS retired co-founder Bob
required long timbers such as 182’ ‘Lady Christine’ looking surprisingly small Parsons, was awarded the runner-up accolade at the London
king-planks and matched alongside the large jetty in A Basin. Boat Show on 10th January accompanied by SYS work
timbers for deckhouses. Last With Southampton airport close-by and with manager Russ Young.
year the ideal project came ideal rail and road links, visiting Southampton The award is testimony to the on-going
along, a classic 92’ motor yacht. Yacht Services could not be easier. quest for quality and the support SYS
The logs were cut into 2” planks invests in student training.
and carefully stored to dry over On 30th December, Bob Parsons
the last eight years. When we celebrated his 80th birthday and was
planed the wood it was presented with a celebratory magnum of
apparent that the teak was of champagne by Piers Wilson at SYS prior
exceptionally fine grain to the Christmas break on December
indicating slow growth, a very 19th 2002.
rare commodity these days.”
YACHT BUILDERS
Southampton Yacht Services Ltd.

Saxon Wharf Lower York Street
Northam Southampton SO14 5QF England
Telephone +44 (0)23 8033 5266 Fax +44 (0)23 8063 4275
www.southamptonyachtservices.co.uk

2002 ARC THE ATLANTIC RALLY

Oyster 406 Muskrat Peter and Anne Thomson OYSTERS MAKE THE TOP 10 IN FIVE CLASSES
Oyster 41 Gallivanter II Edward Duckett
Oyster 435 Nosille Roger and Valerie Ellison Oysters have been the most prolific participants since the
Oyster 45 Crescendo Gerald Goetgeluck ARC started 17 years ago. This year, the 19 Oysters
Oyster 45 Iona Bess Michael and Jane Gerard-Pearse taking part in the 2002 ARC featured well in the Results
Oyster 485 Frequent Flyer Keith Mills with nine making the top 10 in their respective classes.
Oyster 53 Sea Life Michel Giroud
Oyster 53 Sandpiper of London Eugene Bannon Oyster 56, Forever Young was the fourth boat to finish in Class B
Oyster 53 Crackerjack John Podbury and 5th on corrected time. In Class C Oysters filled three of the top
Oyster 55 Kealoha VI Leslie Holliday five slots, with the Oyster 55, Snooty Fox, Oyster 55 Kealoha and
Oyster 55 Snooty Fox Rafael Bestard Oyster 53 Sandpiper taking 2nd, 3rd and 4th places respectively.
Oyster 56 Kuyenda Jonathan Mould
Oyster 56 Renee Two Michael Dickinson In Class F, the Oyster 41 Gallivanter II was 2nd and the Oyster 45
Oyster 56 Forever Young Brian Hall Iona Bess was 5th. Gallivanter II was overall winner of the Oyster
Oyster 61 Rasmus Hannes and Steffi Fehring trophy for the first Oyster on corrected time. The Oyster 62,
Oyster 62 Dorado Terry King-Smith Dorado took the prize for the first Oyster over the line, finishing in
Oyster 66 Sarita of Iken Robert Gillespie 14 days, 6 hours.
Oyster 53 Glass Slipper Tom and Gretchen Carbaugh (Antigua)
Oyster 53 Drangonfly of Upnor Roger and Jo Dawe (Antigua) 10th ATLANTIC CROSSING FOR OWNER OF SNOOTY FOX
We salute all those owners and crews who took part in the 2002
ARC, but none more so than Sinto Bestard, who completed his 10th
Atlantic crossing in his Oyster 55, Snooty Fox. Sinto, who is 71,
has been totally blind for the last 25 years, a fact that hasn't
stopped him from sailing around the world in Snooty Fox and being
recognised as one of Oyster's growing list of circumnavigators.
Sinto, who learnt to sail in his native Mallorca, claims that "my life is
sailing – I can feel the wind in my skin and I know where the ropes
are. It is only when I go ashore I get lost". We look forward to
meeting up with Sinto at the UBS Oyster Regatta in April.

NOT QUITE THE ARC ONE OWNER HAD IN MIND
For Peter and Anne Thomson, owners of the Oyster 406 Muskrat,
the 2002 ARC wasn't quite the uneventful crossing they had in
mind when they set out from Las Palmas.

The jubilant crew from Gallivanter II - winners of the Oyster Trophy Hannes Fehring's 61, Rasmus

"We want to record our appreciation for the support given to us in Las
Palmas by the Oyster team. One reason we did the ARC is because of
the Oyster backing but we had no idea of the extent of the support we
would receive. As the owners of the smallest Oyster in the fleet, and
one that was 16 years old, we expected, at best, a cursory quick visit
by one of your team the day before leaving. In fact a three-man team
descended on us and went right through the boat, including a
masthead rig inspection. We cannot speak more highly of the team's
professionalism and willingness to help – thank you so much."

Peter and Anne Thomson, Oyster 406 Muskrat.

26 www.oystermarine.com

FOR CRUISERS

Peter, a retired Lee-on-Solent Coastguard helicopter pilot, whose The 45, Iona Bess, makes a night-time arrival into St Lucia
eldest son, Alex Thomson, skippered the winning boat in the 98/99
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, caught the sailing bug when, Snooty Fox owner, Sinto Bestard, an Atlantic veteran
in 1991, he was involved in rescuing Anne after she was injured Michel Giroud's Oyster 53, Sea Life
whilst racing in the Solent. Anne needed over 20 stitches to a head Muskrat got a heroes welcome on arrival into St Lucia
injury but didn't let that put her off sailing and later went on to
marry her rescuer! Peter and Anne purchased Muskrat in 2000. Gallivanter II was
another nightime arrival
After an exhilarating three days sail, making around 170 miles a
day, the Thomsons expected to arrive in St Lucia within around 18
or 19 days of leaving Las Palmas, but became involved in the
rescue of the stricken Hunter 450, F2, which had lost her rudder.
Picking up the message on the Pan Pan, Peter and Anne turned
back to reach F2 and stood by whilst waiting for help from the
Jubilee Sailing Trust's, Tenacious. With Tenacious still some way
off, Muskrat tried to take F2 in tow but was unsuccessful.

While the crew of Tenacious tried to construct a new rudder, Peter
and Anne hove–to for three days before setting off in convoy with
F2. After three days all looked well and F2 encouraged Muskrat to
continue their crossing. Before departing, Peter set up F2 Net, a
safety net for F2's owners in which all the boats following would
keep a four-times daily check on their progress. Unfortunately just
hours later, F2' s jury rudder also failed and Peter and Anne had to
make a 59 mile passage into the wind to get back to them, along
with fellow ARC yachts Lorrigray II and Toutazimut.

With a large swell developing and the boat drifting in the direction
of Venezuela, the decision was made for F2s owners to abandon
their boat and Peter, who was equipped with the most rigid dinghy
of the three boats standing by, transferred the owners and their
belongings to the Dix 65, Lorrigray II, before F2 was scuttled.

Muskrat arrived in St Lucia to a heroes welcome, alongside
Lorrigray II with F2's rescued owners and dog on board. A fleet of
dinghies came out to welcome them in.

As Peter and Anne told us later, "we are delighted with the
performance of Muskrat and have no doubt that, without our
various excursions, we would have arrived in St Lucia in around
19 days".

ANYONE NEED A HAIRCUT?
One of the youngest crews taking part in the 2002 ARC was that
on board Gallivanter II, winner of the Oyster Trophy for the
fastest Oyster on ARC handicap. Ed Duckettt, aged 24,
skippered his father's Oyster 41, along with four student friends,
all recently graduated from university. Rumour has it that with
true student enterprise, to earn some extra beer money, they
were offering haircuts on the pontoon in Las Palmas at six Euros
a time. Whether anyone on board was qualified to cut hair
remains a mystery!

Photos: Tim Wright

MY ARC The start of a new day mid Atlantic
STORY
IN THE BEGINNING
By Terry King-Smith
Owner - Oyster 62 I wonder how many times, when one is
Dorado of Beaulieu sailing in the English Channel in mid-
summer, wrapped up in wet weather gear,
28 www.oystermarine.com one says, "Oh to be in a decent climate" You
can count on the fingers of one hand the
really nice days when you can wear just a T-
shirt and bare feet. With retirement looming
we decided to take the plunge, buy a bigger
boat and take it to the Caribbean.

Matters began to take shape at the 2000
Southampton Boat Show when we
were shown the new Oyster 62, later to be
displayed at London. We were hooked and
were lucky to step into a slot that meant I
could plan on taking part in the 2002 ARC.

I wanted to know more about our intended destination so we chartered the Oyster 66
AnnaCay for two weeks. We had to find out what it was really like in the Caribbean. This
charter gave me a great opportunity to visit various islands and learn first hand from the
skipper of AnnaCay. His knowledge and experience was a great help in selecting the many
extras that we needed, getting the layout right, davits for the heavy RIB we wanted, and
space to stow the water-skis etc.

Long before our new 62 was ready for handover, I sat in my study looking at the ARC 2002
application form. I knew I had to send it in but my previous 30 odd years of sailing
experience could never be described as "blue water sailing." Nothing ventured, nothing
gained, so off it went to the World Cruising Club.

Now the fun started – how to find out all the things I needed to know.
The ARC booklet provides much information and is a great help in "headlining" issues but
knowledge from others who had done it before filled in many of the details.

The last four weeks before our departure from the UK was very hectic. I had worked out a
programme to get to Las Palmas, including crew, but now had to start to get the many spares
and stores on board. My first visit to the supermarket, list in hand, was a sobering experience.
Right, I’ll have a dozen of those and a dozen of these, three of those, well no perhaps four, no
make it six and so it goes on. In no time at all, my trolley was full, so full I could hardly push it.
Three times I made such trips. Having been warned of the dangers of taking cardboard
boxes on board I decided to make some small suitable wooded-compartmented boxes to
place beneath the settee cushions where most of these dry stores would be stowed.

USEFUL TIP

Make a stowage plan before you start putting items away. This should include everything,
however small, including all spare parts etc. By the time you have finished you’ll be amazed
how much has been put away and listed. Now you know exactly where to find those Deck
Ring "O" rings when you suddenly need them and it is raining.

Finally, on August 16th, we bade farewell to Bucklers Hard at Beaulieu, our maritime home
for the last 22 years and set off for Bayonne. Our first night in the Channel was especially
calm and clear. Not so Ushant and it was a blessing when we moved off the Continental
Shelf into real deep water. Now we had the long swell of the Atlantic, but not sufficient wind
to keep up a satisfactory speed. Time was important because of the return requirements of
the crew so we motor-sailed. The highlight of our Biscay passage was sighting a small

school of whales, otherwise it was dodging big ships. At least six to ten were visible at all
times either by sight or by radar just over the horizon.

We completed the passage to Bayonne in three days. It is a safe harbour with an excellent
yacht club and facilities ashore. I recommend it; we stayed there two days before pushing
on to Cascais and Lagos. Between our departure UK and Las Palmas we visited marinas.
You must book in advance as there are many other yachts gathering for the ARC. One of
the best we came across was Puerto Calero in Lanzarote. It is very clean, well kept with
excellent restaurants and facilities. The supermarket is very limited but the main town
Aricife is not far away. The engineering and repair yard is excellent and a good place to be
lifted, antifouled and polished. My advice on mooring up in Las Palmas is don’t go on the
wall as it is both dirty and noisy. Pontoons 16 and 17 usually have other Oysters.

The atmosphere in the marina at Las Palmas is electric. Everyone was making final
preparations. The market in the centre of town is outstanding and very competitive. You
need a couple of visits to be aware of all the products that are available. Our fruit and
vegetables were delivered to the pontoon and we were very impressed with the quality.
Many items lasted the whole trip and well into our first two weeks in the Caribbean. Most
meats and other items were purchased from El Corte Ingles, which was of a very high
standard and most helpful. They will vacuum pack cuts of meat and sliced ham for
instance, to help stow and preserve it. Don’t forget to add it to your stowage plan.
In total some ten prepared meals (for seven) were tucked away in the freezer in addition to
legs of lamb, chicken pieces, sausages and more. Make a point of finding out exactly what
your crew’s likes and dislikes are. We had to hide the bacon from one watchkeeper who
delighted in making bacon buttes to see him through the early morning watch.

Richard King-Smith
www.oystermarine.com 29

THE START

Careful analysis of the weather faxes in the preceding days could not have foreseen the
contrasts of the start. Just off the marina area there was no wind. I think we were moving
at 1.5 knots when we crossed the start line. Several hours later when we rounded south
of Grande Canaria we were in a SW gale! Right on the nose. We headed south to get
away from it.

Life during the race quickly settled down to a routine. We kept the same watch patterns,
two on at a time, three hours on at night, five during the day. To help the 4am to 7am and
5pm to 10pm team enjoy more daylight we changed our clocks one hour back at midday
three times during the trip. The last change was after we crossed the finish.

We were a crew of seven and the younger ones provided the muscle to get the spinnaker
up every morning and down before sunset. It was the cry of, "All hands on deck to set the
spinnaker" at 1000 each morning. Particularly when we had the strong winds in the middle
of the trip, we hand steered during the day. There was never any shortage of volunteers
because it was so exhilarating; two are in the 16.5 - knot club, the remainder in the 15-knot!

After day two and three, our trade winds remained strong until we were three days away
from St Lucia when it became rainy, squally and cloudy. The swell from the north during the
middle of the trip was something to see, 200 metres between crests confused by a
secondary swell from the East and 25 - 35 knots of ENE wind.

Annie Whaley and Mollie King-Smith Nothing stayed put unless it was wedged in place. I recommend all galley lockers have front
ponder on where to put all the stores and cross fiddles and you should acquire a 6-place bottle carrier such as that used by the
milkman. When wedged in position in the galley it saved a lot of grief and spilt liquids.
30 www.oystermarine.com
We remained on a starboard tack for the first seven days, then gybed. In all we gybed four
times, always in the late afternoon after we had taken down the spinnaker. We used Iridium
Zap email for communication plus the SSB for overnight weather reports that worked very
well. (Those that chose Kiel Radio had a number of difficulties) We reviewed these every
morning, sent our local weather and position reports and decided on any minor changes in
course. In the evening we received the position reports of other boats by email. This
information is very helpful as it allows you the opportunity to track other similar yachts and
measure their performance. Our logged mileage was 2954, some hundred miles too many.
Perhaps we moved too far south before turning west. Paying more attention to other yachts
further north may have helped our course selection.

OYSTER PROJECT MANAGER TIES KNOT

Our main cooked meal was in the evening, thanks to Jonathan, Not content with spending his working day immersed in Oysters,
and preparations started around 5.30pm. We would have a drink, a Project Manager, Andrew Martin persuaded his fiancée, Sally, that
meal and watch a DVD every night. This would all be over by an ARC crossing would be the perfect prelude to a Caribbean
8.30 – 9.00pm to allow watch-keeper’s an early night! We soon wedding. Andrew and Sally joined Terry and Mollie King-Smith on
settled into the routine. board Dorado before tying the knot in St Lucia.
Did we have any problems? Yes. I was grateful to have a computer
expert on board when my laptop decided not to connect to its pre- A Caribbean Wedding
programmed comms port. For the remainder of the trip we "hard
wired" the Iridium (email) and the SSB weather, connecting as we By Andrew Martin, Oyster Project Manager
needed them. The masthead bolts holding the spinnaker block
gave way throwing the sail into the water. Inevitably when getting it At sometime during the build of
back on board a rope went round the prop requiring Richard to Dorado, Terry‘s second Oyster with
swim down to free it. Fortunately we had two-spinnaker halyards myself as Project Manager, the idea
so the sail was soon back in use. of "Doing the ARC" was proposed.
A major highlight, worthy of champagne all round (my crew had While I had always had an ambition
expensive tastes) was when our navigator declared that we were to cross the Atlantic the thought of
half way. Thereafter it was miles to go and every morning when you taking so much time away from work
came on watch you were 200 miles nearer. would, I thought, require a special
excuse. The idea lay dormant over
It was when we were doing our last gybe, this time with the the winter.
spinnaker, that I first sighted land – Martinique. I kept quiet about it
until the boys had finished their foredeck work and the sails were In Spring 2002 my girlfriend Sally and I Mr and Mrs Martin
set. It was a very exciting time. We had done the trip in 14 days and became engaged. We decided we
a few hours. We were the 24th boat to arrive and the first Oyster. We wanted a quiet wedding, somewhere
were tied up in the Rodney Bay Marina by 4.30pm local time ready warm, and in the back of my mind an
to enjoy our celebrations. My thanks go to my crew who all worked idea formed – I had found that special
well together, there were always plenty of volunteers for everything. excuse! "How about we sail to St
Crossing the Atlantic? - You have to do it at least once! Lucia and get married there?" The plan
Eleven Oysters have already entered the 2003 ARC. was hatched, we would sail on a
Owners are advised to enter early as the event is usually full luxurious Oyster 62 across the Atlantic
months before the start. Information on current and future and get Wed in St. Lucia. Terry was
events can be found on www.worldcruising.com or contact pleased to accept us on board so we
Jeremy Wyatt on Tel:+44 (0) 1983 296060 were on!

In the following weeks I chatted to those I knew who had done the
crossing and various colleagues – "A good ARC is if you are still all
speaking to each other at the end" and "What! - You hope to still
be getting married when you get there….Ho Ho" was the sort of
feedback I got! I thought nothing of it and jokingly said to Sally,
"Think of it as a PNT – a Pre Nuptial Test"

Sometime later…. we found ourselves flying into Las Palmas the
day before the ARC start having bailed out of work and wedding
preparations the day before. We arrived to meet our crewmates
looking tanned and in relaxed mood and having done all the hard
work of supplying and preparing the boat – good timing.

After a light wind start we found a nice spinnaker reaching wind
and had a Dolphin leaping around us – the perfect send off from
the Canaries.

Fourteen days later…. we found ourselves approaching St. Lucia, the
crew still speaking to each other and myself and wife-to-be having
passed not one cross word – what were they all talking about!

Back on shore, Sally and I had a perfect Wedding Day in Marigot
Bay with parents, old friends and the Dorado crew. It had been a
great experience having arrived somewhere so far away by sea and
not in an airplane. It made our arrival and marriage in St. Lucia all
the more special.

Thank you Terry and Mollie – when are we building the next one?

www.oystermarine.com 31

Peter and Matthew "It was exhilarating
trying to work out which yet boring, relaxing
hemisphere we are in yet tiring, seat-of-the-
from the stars - two pants yet predictable
minutes later they gave and a whole lot more"
up and looked at the
electronic chart! Oyster 56 owner, Mark Blythe,
on his first Atlantic crossing

'First timers on the high seas -

The check-in lady took one look Skipper Matthew Watters with owner Mark
at the box with corrosive
sticker stuck all over it and
our problems started. Just in case
you weren’t aware, and I certainly
was not, mercury eats aluminium
and, as the bulk of a Boeing 737
is aluminium, we had to leave our
calibrated thermometers behind
in Luton!

What, I hear you asking, has this got to do Blythe
with sailing? Peter Cockcroft, a weather

forecaster from the BBC, was one of the crew for

Luskentyre’s first Atlantic crossing. Peter had arranged with the Met Office

and Southampton University’s Department of Hydrography to carry out

observations and readings throughout our passage. This would, we hoped,

give us something to do as we cruised across the Atlantic. Fortunately our

loss of the thermometers did not put paid to the readings as were able to

use the instruments on board.

We were due to leave Las Palmas about a week before the ARC, because
Luskentyre, our new Oyster 56, was going to appear at the Nicholson Charter
Boat Show in Antigua at the beginning of December. Matthew, my skipper,
had had a cracking sail down from Gibraltar with guests and had spent a rather
bumpy week at anchor, waiting for us to arrive, just outside the marina in Las
Palmas. A point worth remembering, Las Palmas is not the world’s most
beautiful place at the best of times, and Las Palmas in November is like the
M25 in rush hour when it comes to boats. If you are not an ARC boat you can
forget coming alongside.

32 www.oystermarine.com

Peter and I finally arrived after a tortuous pulled up, Beach negotiated his way over But it worked – our regular log diary, which
journey via Madrid and, with our Capercaillie, cast off the bow line, was to appear on the BBC’s website –
departure the following evening, we set stepped aboard and we were on our way interestingly called Pete’s Passage,
about the final preparations for the – he had been on the ground in the needed email and it would get through
crossing. The local supermarket was Canaries for under an hour! after all!
superb (and considerably richer for it) in
delivering our copious stores on board. I had been desperately setting up our new As we slipped down the east coast of
Much to our amazement everything Zap email account on the computer and Gran Canaria we made our last GSM calls
disappeared out of sight with stacks more as we nudged out in the dark round the and began to prepare ourselves for what,
room. By early evening of the following break water you could feel the previous apart from Matthew, was to be our first
day we were alongside a Swan 78, days storm swell begin to churn the boat. transatlantic. Probably with the mixture of
Capercaillie, at the fuel dock. Refuelled Head bowed over the computer is not excitement, apprehension, fatigue and a
and ready we were waiting for our final the best place to be with little wind, bit of fear most of us soon found
crew member, Beach, to arrive. The taxi quartering sea and a long passage ahead. ourselves feeling far from 100% in the
uncomfortable motion of the windless
ocean swell.

Crossing the Atlantic' Having been used to navigating around
the Channel and the Mediterranean it was
a bizarre prospect looking at the chart and
realising that, provided we did not bump
into Tenerife, a sunken container, a whale
or boat, the only navigational hazard
ahead was, well, emptiness. Our Maxsea
software had downloaded the latest grib
weather file and told us to head a little
further west than the traditional trade wind
course. It predicted that the winds would
hold better the further west we got. We
were to be impressed by this bit of
software in getting us across quickly,
despite a first week of very fickle wind.

Daily sailing life soon got into its routine,
which can be summarised as follows:
fishing line out at first light, breakfast,
followed by scanning the horizon for boats
(none seen as usual), a weather
observation which was sent to the Met
Office by SatC twice a day, banter, sun
bathing, praying for more wind, tinkering
with the sails, trying to get comfortable,
lunch, catch a fish (they nearly always bite
at a meal time - and yes, we caught
sixteen Dorado in the crossing and ate like
kings), more sun bathing, read, tinker with
sales, watch The Godfather on DVD and
then begin the night watch.

I was trying to describe to my wife what
crossing the Atlantic is like. I first asked
her to imagine what it would be like to drive
a car across miles of moorland at 8 miles
an hour, with the occasional herd of giant
red deer charging at you in your headlights.

Oyster 56, Luskentyre Photo: Nico Martinez

www.oystermarine.com 33

"Luskentyre leant
comfortably into
the wind, her
transom bit into
the sea and she
accelerated towards
English Harbour"

34 www.oystermarine.com Photo: Nico Martinez

head sign and readings which we had Shirley Heights in the gloom about seven
uploaded via SatC just three hours earlier miles ahead. This was not the Caribbean
Watters (skipper), Len Delicaet were on the weather fax. This really we had been expecting.
showed the value of what we were doing
"Beach" Seakins, Matthew for other mariners in the same part of the Luskentyre leant comfortably with the
Atlantic as us. wind, her transom bit into the sea and
I never she accelerated towards English Harbour.
Indeed other than food, DVDs and the We had made it. As we hardened up and
was good crew’s general poor standard of humour, turned to starboard for the harbour
the weather, and in particular the wind, entrance, as if on cue, a dolphin jumped
Patrick at analogies – it became of almost obsessive importance clear from the water welcoming us to
to us. We became fixated, or was it just Antigua. Why do we sail – I cannot think?
Cockcroft, was exhilarating yet me, on getting to Antigua as quickly as
we could. Getting an extra half a knot Mark Blythe - OWNER OF OYSTER 56, LUSKENTYRE
Peter boring, relaxing yet tiring, here or the prospect of losing the wind in
a couple of days became the centre of FACT BOX
seat-of-the-pants yet predictable and our lives. But 400 miles out from Antigua
we had a pleasant surprise – Capercaillie Luskentyre is available for charter
a whole lot more. If you are wondering the huge Swan we had been alongside at in the Windward Islands, based
the fuel dock who left later that evening out of St Lucia. Typical charters
what the red deer analogy was – squalls. was in VHF range about ten miles away cover the stunning Grenadines
from us. Incredibly we had kept pace including Mustique, Bequia and
Tropical squalls are curious beasts, most with her the whole way over. More Tobago Cays. Matthew your
evidence of the relative speed of our British skipper and George your
evenings they were as regular as crossing was to follow that evening local cook are on hand to
when, after almost eleven days without make your holiday a dream.
clockwork. About an hour or so after seeing another boat we passed within Call +44 (0)1865 858383
200 yards of a Swan 57. She had left two or visit our website
dark you began to see their reflection on days before we had and yet we were to www.oysteradventure.com
arrive in English Harbour six hours
the radar repeater in the cockpit. The before her.

moon did not rise till much later so it was First light and a grey squall cloud,
probably the biggest yet, came thundering
incredibly dark. We wound the main in a from the East. We could just make out

little as a precaution and as the smudge Peter Cockcroft, our man from the BBC,
setting up the scientific instruments to
on the radar caught us up, the wind measure air and sea colour as part of our
weather research
would normally increase by up to 15

knots. Having got used to them we

enjoyed their arrival for the first week or

so, but when we were in the glorious

trades proper with winds rarely dropping

below 18 knots for about five days, these

same squalls became a pain. They

actually acted as a barrier to the normal

trade wind flow. As they approached,

the wind would drop and veer

significantly. As the squall passed

through you would have a

sleigh ride which could, in

some cases, last for as long

as forty minutes, only then

were you able to revert to

the original course.

As we made our steady
progress across the Atlantic
we soon found the best
weatherfax came from USCG
Boston. We were also impressed
to see that Luskentyre’s call

Crew Photos: Mark Blythe Beach gutting dinner, or was it lunch or breakfast? We www.oystermarine.com 35
caught and ate so many Dorado we soon lost count!

SAIL SETTING By Matthew Vincent of Dolphin Sails

Welcome to Part 1 of a PAY ATTENTION TO
series of articles designed
to help you get the best YOUR TENSIONS
from your sails.
The tensions applied to sails can be
Issue by issue we will be critical to your boat performance
giving you some handy and sail life. Correct tension on
hints and techniques to halyards, genoa car position,
assist you in making sheets, out-hauls, battens (fully-
your boat sail faster, battened sails), leach and foot lines
as well as extending and backstay can make a
the life of your sails. significant difference to both the
We will also be shape of your sails and the speed
advising you on of your boat through the water.
the best care
for your sails. In this article we will be looking at Photo 1 Example of slack main halyard
the tensions as they apply to your headsail. and very slack genoa halyard
Sheet angle aims
at approx. HALYARD TENSION
To produce a shape in the sail that permits the boat to be easier to steer and also reduces
40-45% up luff excessive heel, the halyard needs to be correctly tensioned. The correct tension positions
the draft forward of the centre of the sail (See Diagram 1 and Photo 1 and 2)

With an increase in the breeze the sail luff will appear slack. More halyard tension is
required to maintain the draft in the correct position. A good rule of thumb is to tension the
halyard until the horizontal creases just disappear. However, It is possible to over-tension
the halyard. If you see a hard vertical crease running up the luff of the sail, you have created
too much tension, and could potentially damage the sail.

Note that the draft in dacron sails tends to move aft more easily than in laminate sails
(which stretch less and are inherently more stable). Therefore dacron sails generally require
more halyard adjustment than laminate sails.

CAR POSITION
The next control to look at is the headsail car position fore and aft (See Diagram 2 and
Photos 2 and 3), often referred to as the sheeting angle. Most headsails come with three
vertical sets of tell-tales in the luff. To match the sail with the airflow as closely as possible,
each of the tell-tales needs to stream. A good starting point is to position the car so the
sheet angle aims about 40-45% up the luff, from the tack. Sail close-hauled and slowly luff
the boat. Watch how the tell-tales respond. If all tell-tales lift simultaneously then the car is

DIAGRAM 2 SHEETING ANGLE

DIAGRAM 1 DRAFT POSITION maximum draft position Luff insufficiently tensioned
luff Draft aft of centre point

leach

Tell tales

maximum draft position Luff correctly tensioned
Draft forward of centre point

luff leach

Photo 3 Good illustration of 2 boats on the wind with genoas sheeted in hard, www.oystermarine.com 37
compared to port boat, starboard boat has genoa car a little aft, opening the leach.

FACT BOX set correctly. If, however, the top tell-tale lifts first, the car needs adjusting forward.
Likewise, if the bottom telltale shows a tendency to lift before the top one, then the car
Top racing sailors adjust their sails needs to be adjusted aft.
with every change in condition, be
that a knot of windspeed or an If the boat becomes over-pressed (too much sail for the given wind conditions), before
altered sea state rolling some headsail away, a good way to maintain balance is to move the car aft a little.
This opens the leach and flattens the foot. (See Photos 2 and 3). If an amount of headsail
To lengthen the life of your roller needs to be furled, the car position should be moved forward to compensate. This will
headsail always ease halyard tension maintain a good sheeting angle.
after your passage
SHEET TENSION
When leaving the boat always ensure Sheet tension obviously has a major effect on windward ability and performance. Sailing to
your sail is tightly rolled and the clew is windward you are looking to achieve the best velocity made good (VMG). Attention to the
securely held so the sail can’t unravel leach position of the sail, relative to the spreaders via the sheet tension, will pay dividends.

Regular inspection of all your sails In flat water the best VMG is achieved by setting the leach within a few inches of the
may prevent ongoing damage spreaders. This gives high pointing ability. In rougher waters easing the sheet to allow the
leach to clear the spreader by 1-3 feet, whilst reducing pointing ability, will produce better
Annual washing of your sails to performance. Similarly, easing the mainsail traveller down a little in these conditions will
remove salt and dirt will increase the help your VMG.
life of them
LEACH AND FOOT LINES
Carrying a well chosen and fully The leach and foot lines in a sail are intended as anti-fluttering controls. If a sail has a
stocked repair kit onboard will flutter, then tension should be applied to either the leach line or the foot line, in order to
enable you to make necessary calm it. It is necessary to apply only enough tension to stop the movement, so a gentle
running repairs and could save hand will produce the best result.
you expense
A small amount of leach 'hook' could occur as a result of tensioning your leach line.
If in doubt about a repair consult the This is preferable to a constant fluttering sail. Applying tension to
nearest sailmaker. Repair kits are the leach and foot lines, as necessary, will prevent damage to the sail
available from Oyster After Sales or and prolong its life. Therefore, it is wise to loosen the leach and foot
direct from Dolphin line when the tension is not required.

RECOMMENDED READING BACKSTAY
Some boats have easily adjustable backstay tension. Increasing the
Easy Reading: Looking at Sails backstay tension straightens the forestay and enables the boat to
- Bruce Banks and Dick Kenny point higher. Some sag will always occur so don't expect to
Medium Reading: The Art achieve a straight forestay. Also take care not to over tension
and Science of Sailmaking backstay beyond mast manufacturer/riggers recommended limits.
- Tom Whidden
Reference Book Level: The IN THE NEXT OYSTER NEWS WE WILL LOOK AT
Aero/Hydrodynamics of Sailing MAINSAIL TENSIONS/ SETTINGS AND HOW THEY
- Tony Marchjai (pick and choose AFFECT BOATSPEED AND HANDLING.
sections from this book)
Photo 2 Both halyards nicely tensioned, also shows
38 www.oystermarine.com genoa car slightly back for the bumpy conditions,
opening up genoa leach and flattening the foot.

Leasing Chartering International Limited
Financing 2 Babmaes Street
London
Escrow SW1Y 6NT
Insurance Tel: +44 (0) 207 950 9800
VAT & Tax Services Fax: +44 (0) 207 494 0393
International Safety Management
Private and Commercial Yacht Registration Chartering International (I.O.M) Limited
Project Management Clinch’s House
Crew Recruitment and Employment Lord Street
Advice on Purchase and Sale of Yachts Douglas
Isle of Man
A Tailored Yacht Management Service IM99 1RZ
Tel: +44 (0) 1624 683293
Fax: +44 (0) 1624 678042
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site: www.ciluk.net
Contact: Declan O’Sullivan

MISSIONS IMPOSSIBLE

40 www.oystermarine.com

Maurice Frankefort Savours a Good Challenge

BY ROGER VAUGHAN

Something had to be amiss, or out of place. We were starting a boat race in "Maurice Frankefort
New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf , thirty seconds and counting down, 14 Oyster decided he wanted
yachts trimming for speed and heading for the line in a moderate breeze, and to sail across the
suddenly what sounded like a young child crying echoed throughout the fleet. Atlantic when he was
15, one of
In the cockpit of Oyster founder and Chairman Richard Matthews’ Oystercatcher those adolescent
XXIV, we looked at each other, puzzled. Was it a strange bird, a weird boat noise? dreams that refused
There it was again. "Waaaah." Unmistakable, and heartfelt. to go away"

If this had occurred during a Wednesday night race at a local yacht club, it wouldn’t www.oystermarine.com 41
have been worth more than a smile. Lots of couples take their kids racing. But this
was the New Zealand Oyster 2003 Regatta in New Zealand, and most of the boats
were on cruises round the world. That list includes Quest, the Oyster 62 from
whence the cries emanated.

The child in question is Alexis Frankefort, age 22 months, born just in time to join
his parents, Maurice and Eveline, and his older brother Oscar, age two and a half,
on a three-year odyssey under sail. For both children, life afloat is the only life they
have ever known.

Maurice Frankefort decided he wanted to sail across the Atlantic when he was 15,
one of those adolescent dreams that refused to go away. Maurice has sailed since
he was a boy growing up in Holland on his father’s cruising boats (one of which
was an Oyster). When he was eight, he got a Laser. At 75 pounds, he needed a
friend to help him sail it. In his mid-teens, keen enthusiasm for sailing turned to sea
fever. But it had to wait. His father, a success in the packaging industry and a
formidable parent, said first Maurice must finish high school. Maurice complied,
graduating from Blair Academy in the United States. Then he was ready to sail
across the Atlantic. His father urged him to wait, saying it would be a good idea to
get a degree. Again, Maurice complied. He was admitted to Northeastern
University, but finished his degree in business administration at Webster University
in Holland. With only his final semester ahead of him, his thoughts returned to an
Atlantic crossing.

Once again his father intervened, encouraging his son to work in the family
business. When that suggestion met with resistance, the father reasoned that many
people had degrees. To be thoroughly prepared for the working world, he argued
that his son should have a second degree. Maurice listened. He enjoyed university.
But this time his father presented a very serious challenge. He said he would
support the cost of law school for Maurice only if his son could pass the first and
most difficult semester at Holland’s Leiden University at the same time he was
finishing business school.

Today, when he recalls this mission impossible, Maurice Frankefort still looks
slightly stunned. He is a youthful 37, an alert man of medium build with dark eyes
that are at once friendly and immensely curious. His energy is such that even at
rest he seems in motion. "The Dutch government helps support students over the
six-year course of law study," he explains, "so they make the first year particularly
difficult in order to weed out those who aren’t really qualified." Maurice committed
himself to the task, somehow finishing his business degree and surviving the first
year of Leiden. That was in 1988. Then came the shocker: his father changed his
mind about underwriting the cost of law school. "In private life he was always

"A lot of people had changing his mind," Maurice says of his father. "I’m not really sure what he wanted
told me I must be most. I know he wanted me to work in the business. I tried that for two years while
I was at business school, and didn’t enjoy it. Mainly I think he wanted me
crazy, going off on a dependent on him."
world cruise I
The Atlantic crossing was quickly moved from the back burner to the sideboard.
wanted them to see That Frankefort would continue law school was a given. "I finish things that I start,"
that we weren’t he says. But that meant earning money to pay for it. He worked as a bar tender, he
delivered newspapers, he was a bank courier and a night watchman, and he
exactly going to be cleaned hotel rooms until a student friend passed on a job chauffeuring visiting
roughing it" lecturers brought in by the Global Panel, a speaker’s congress in Holland. "I
managed to set up a relationship with BMW," Maurice says. "I came in at just the
42 www.oystermarine.com right time. They’d been involved with Global, but they wanted to expand the
operation. They gave me 40 brand new BMWs because they knew the cars would
be photographed while carrying the likes of Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter, Helmut
Schmidt, and Robert Maxwell. I, and the students I hired to help me, would drive
right to their private jets and pick them up. I had to work closely with the police,
who sized me up – the idea of a student running the operation was a little strange
to them – but we had a good relationship. I did this for three years and made good
money, about $7,000 US per event. I remember sitting around a breakfast table one
morning with several international dignitaries. When food arrived, Henry Kissinger
passed me my breakfast. I got a kick out of that. I was 24 at the time."

From the outset of his education, Maurice had decided to swim against the tide
and avoid specialization. "Once you specialize," he says, "you’re trapped, you can
never get out of the box. But studying law is good, especially the comprehensive
way they teach it at Leiden. A professor told me law is like the study of Latin, it
forces you to think in a structured fashion. I wanted to avoid areas like criminal law.
But my CV had to appear to future employers as if I had made a reasonable plan,
so I thought okay, I have a business degree, I will study corporate law. That looks
like a pair, at least on paper."

Frankefort belonged to the rowing club at Leiden, where he took notice of an
attractive, serious young woman from Rotterdam named Eveline who came in
regularly to work out. He didn’t like his chances with her. He figured he was a bit
too outgoing for the quiet, self-possessed blond. Eveline also took notice of
Maurice, but thought she might be too reserved for such a gregarious fellow.
Eveline was also in the law school, although she would eventually transfer to the
French department. The breakthrough for them came at Senior Year Evening at
Leiden’s Minerva fraternity. "That’s the night the seniors take over the place, so we
were in a festive mood," Maurice says,”Eveline and I finally got talking during the
party, and later she came to my place. The next day I called her and we arranged to
have dinner. Over dinner it was very clear to both of us that this was it."

Maurice accepted a job with a company in the UK that developed wood products
technology. It wasn’t the business that appealed to him. He was inspired by the man
who hired him. He was also inspired by one of the first people he met at the company,
Alex Charles, a new employee like himself. Alex had studied forestry science in New
Zealand, specializing in wood technology, and had a business degree as well. The two
struck up an immediate friendship. "Maurice is very intelligent," Alex says, "a good
person to bounce ideas off. In general the Dutch are sensible about things. If a
Dutchman encounters a problem, he usually resolves it in an unemotional way." Alex
was also close to one of the company’s directors who had other projects in the fire.
Soon the three men were in collaboration. Within a few months of joining the UK
company, Maurice and Alex were traveling around Europe working on a variety of
projects. The director provided financing, and set up a performance system for them to
acquire equity. "We had moderate success," Alex says, "then the scene shifted to Asia."

Both Alex and Maurice have signed contracts that prohibit them disclosing in any “It’s funny, in the
detail what they were doing. They will say only that their project had to do with the course of buying my
manufacture of building products. But a picture emerges of the two of them working boat, I came to be
out of a shipping container "office," deep in the steamy jungles of Malaysia, keeping known as the Fairline
an eye out for snakes in search of shade, while they were simultaneously developing a guy at Oyster even
process, finding customers, designing manufacturing techniques, seeking other though I have been
financing and partnerships, and generally learning how business is done in Asia. sailing all my life. But
Maurice managed the legal side as well, boning up on intellectual property law in order guess who bought my
to protect the processes they were inventing. It also meant time away from their powerboat?
families. One siege in the jungle lasted almost 18 months. Richard Matthews"

"I saw Eveline several times during that period," Maurice says. "Because I worked www.oystermarine.com 43
outside, and Alex worked inside, which meant he spent his time in the factory with
equipment that generated intense heat while I got to sit around airports waiting for
flights. Those very intense years were an ordeal for both of us. The temperature
averaged 40-50 degrees centigrade. It was worse for Alex because he spent more
time on site, and the whole thing was a shot in the dark besides. So it was hard to
justify bringing our wives over. We were working in shorts and T-shirts, living in
bachelor conditions."

Alex, on the other hand, says it was tougher on Maurice. Alex’s father was a tea
planter. As a result, Alex grew up in India and Africa and was used to life in the
bush. The two of them worked six days a week, often until 11pm. On Sundays they
went exploring. The relationship of the two men is extraordinary. Each gives the
other the lion’s share of credit. Despite the complex nature of their business
together, there has never been a written contract or agreement between them.
Maurice says Alex is one of the most amazing people he has ever met.

"Maurice," Alex says, " is special. He’s very good at meeting people and
networking. He has an honest attention to detail. He wants everything to be perfect.
I learned the importance of this from him. He is a driven man who pushes hard.
And he takes responsibility for making it right."

Their wives finally did arrive, and took up residence in Penang, a 90-minute drive
from the factory. "We had zero social life until the women came," Maurice says.
"They opened it up, and persuaded us to knock off at 5pm on some Saturdays to
meet people they had encountered. There really was a very interesting side to
Penang that we had judiciously avoided looking into because we just wanted to
work. Both my wife and Alex’s joined the Alliance Françaises and had an enjoyable,
productive time. Life improved."

Business also improved. The process jelled, and customers began to appear. But
Maurice and Alex never gave up their office in the container. When their gamble began
to pay off, the inconvenience of the container turned romantic. And from a public
relations point of view, Maurice saw it as a telling and useful symbol of the company’s
hardscrabble beginnings, a threshold he wanted customers to experience. In 1997,
International Paper Company bought them out, container and all.

Maurice and Eveline built a home in the South of France. A bit later they acquired a
power boat, a 52-foot Fairline. "I had never even been on a power boat," Maurice
says. "My father is one of those people who hates powerboats unreasonably. He
used to embarrass me as a kid, ranting about powerboats moored near our sail
boat. I remember being up on the fly bridge with Eveline, crashing along on the
Med, the two of us laughing about what we had done. But it was great, there were
refrigerators everywhere, and we could phone from the boat and make dinner
reservations." One lovely evening on the Mediterranean they saw an Oyster sailing
past, and that was the end of the power boat. "It’s funny," Maurice says. "In the

"Planning the course of buying my boat, I came to be known as the Fairline guy at Oyster even
world cruise hit though I have been sailing all my life. But guess who bought my powerboat?
a temporary snag Richard Matthews. He had it for years."
when it came to
starting a family, After twenty years it was finally time for some ocean sailing. But like Alex Charles
something they both says, “Maurice Frankefort is a thorough man. When he bought the Fairline, the first
wanted. Compared to thing he did was take a course that covered the maintenance and handling of the
attending business boat. He never had a crew, and did most of the work on the boat himself”. The
school and law school Oyster he ordered would be ten feet longer, with a large, powerful rig and a dozen
at the same time, systems. While it was being built, he signed up for the six month yacht crew
having a family while course at the well-regarded United Kingdom Sailing Academy (UKSA) in Cowes,
on a world cruise England. Maurice used the opportunity to get qualified. He ended up acquiring his
Yacht Masters Ocean papers as well as radio and medical licences.
seemed easy"
For all the Frankefort’s organization, planning the world cruise hit a temporary snag
44 www.oystermarine.com when it came to starting a family, something they both wanted. There really wasn’t
time to do both, unless the two were done concurrently. Compared to attending
business school and law school at the same time, having a family while on a world
cruise seemed easy. With that issue resolved, Maurice and Eveline left for Cowes
where they rented an apartment. She took courses in navigation, emergency
medicine, and obtained her radio license, while he jumped into a tangle of diesel,
air conditioning, and water-making mechanics that culminated in a rigorous six-
week voyage on a steel 67-footer left over from the BT Challenge fleet. He says he
was trying to keep a low profile, pass as a guy preparing himself for a crew job on
a yacht. For a while it worked. Mike Dymond, skipper of the BT boat, had a couple
of guidance sessions with Maurice, asking him what sort of work he was looking
for. "Most of the students lived in the dorms," Maurice says. "I had the apartment,
and I had a Ducati motorcycle, so those things gave me away."

Mike Dymond says Maurice was popular with his class because as far as they knew
he was just a fellow crew aspirant. "He took in every piece of information that came
his way," Dymond says. "On the boat, he was the first to dive in if something
needed doing."

Frankefort thoroughly enjoyed himself at UKSA. "Sailing is such a big thing for me,"
he says, "that if the business hadn’t succeeded, and if we didn’t have kids, I would
have been glad to work on yachts. Eveline too. I’d want to work on as large and
prestigious a sailing yacht as possible."

They took delivery of the Oyster 62 in July, 2001. A little apprehensive about his
first command, Maurice asked Mike Dymond to sail the first voyage with him, 600
miles to Cowes via Rotterdam where Eveline’s family lives. Dymond was impressed
by the boat. "I can’t believe how much time they had spent researching and
organizing to make Quest exactly how they wanted her. Every detail had been
considered. I don’t know how they found time to take the courses and organize the
yacht. Either one is a full time job." On that trip Dymond says he ate the best food
he’s ever had on a yacht. In Rotterdam the Frankeforts christened Alexis, their
second child, and the boat on the same day with 150 friends and family looking on.
"A lot of people had told me I must be crazy, going off on a world cruise," Maurice
says. "I wanted them to see that we weren’t exactly going to be roughing it." Since
then, they have been cruising the world full time with the exception of December
and January, 2003, when they took a two month vacation in Europe.

That’s where both Alexis and Oscar got chicken pox and a few other illnesses. One
of the hazards of living aboard is the enjoyment of excellent health, and developing
an immune system unused to coping with the cornucopia of germs that circulate
among landlocked children. Both Maurice and Eveline wondered how the boys

would react to life on terra firma. Oscar had been complaining a bit about the boat POSTSCRIPT
before they left. But when he returned, Maurice says he was very glad to be back. Just 3 weeks after taking
"The first thing he wanted to know was what happened to the davits? `Where is part in Oyster's New
Oscar’s boat, the dinghy that will take Oscar to the beach with his pail so he can Zealand regatta, we were
get crabs?’" The davits had been taken off for reconditioning, but Maurice assured delighted to hear that
Oscar they would be back. Alexis doesn’t say much, but one could tell from his Eveline gave birth to
slightly furrowed brow and puzzled look that going ashore to pick up a case of another healthy baby boy,
chicken pox wasn’t such a good deal. who they have named
Victor. Both Mum and baby
Quest stood out at the Oyster 2003 Regatta in Auckland because of the scene on are doing well and are back
deck as races started. Having one man running around doing everything while two on board Quest. The family
small children frolicked in the cockpit and an extremely pregnant woman trimmed plan to continue their
the headsail was an unusual sight alongside boats with serious crews of six or eight circumnavigation at the
adult sailors. Frankefort’s 62, with its roller-furling main and headsails, is designed beginning of April.
to be handled easily by two people. But race mode would seem to require a bit Congratulations to Maurice
more attention. Not on Quest. The one race I sailed with him, Maurice spent forty and Eveline from us all
minutes of the first windward leg putting up the bimini with the help of the here at Oyster.
children’s nanny, a young woman named Ellie James from the famed Norland
College in London. Ellie is a recent addition to the boat. Maurice, Eveline and the
children sailed 16,000 miles before she joined them in Fiji, November 2002. They
admit she has made a positive difference to their life aboard, and certainly Maurice
would have never gotten the bimini up without her help.

Mike Dymond says when he first heard about Maurice and Eveline’s plan to sail to
New Zealand he thought they were off the wall. "It’s one hell of an undertaking," he
says, "and with the family, one hell of a responsibility. But I know Maurice needs a
challenge, and a challenge this voyage would be." After bouncing around Europe
for a few months, Quest’s route included the Canary Islands, St. Lucia, the
Caribbean to the British Virgin Islands, Grenada, the Dutch Antilles, Columbia, the
San Blas Islands, through the Panama Canal to the Galapagos, the Marquesas,
Tuamotu, French Polynesia, Tonga, and Fiji. Maurice says the longest they stayed
anywhere was three days. Now here they were in New Zealand, celebrating their
return from vacation by going racing, more or less. When it was time for lunch, the
table was set in the cockpit, wine was poured, and Chopin’s second piano concerto
floated out of the deck speakers. Maurice put the boat on auto pilot, and we all sat
down to eat. "This," Maurice said, "is the way we like to race."

Racing trophies aside, Maurice was proud that Quest was selected as the Concors
d’Elegance winner in her class. As skipper as well as owner, the polished
appearance of the boat from engine room to transom is the result of his dedication.
And at the Regatta dinner, Eveline beamed as she received flowers and champagne
as winner of the Oyster "Spirit of the Regatta" award.

The Frankeforts have 18-20 months left in their circumnavigation. When Oscar turns
five, their plan is to move ashore so he can begin his formal education. They are
considering a short list of places to live, topped at the moment by the Hamptons
on Long Island, New York. As for the rest, Maurice doesn’t have a specific plan. "I’ll
just go back to earning a living like I did before we set off on this voyage," he says.
"Even if I could afford not to work, or keep sailing indefinitely, I couldn’t do it. I
would get bored."

But when he contemplates sailing away from New Zealand, Maurice looks a bit
wistful. "We’re half way round the world," he says. "Every mile we sail brings us
closer to the end of this voyage."

Roger Vaughan

www.oystermarine.com 45

The

W hen he arrived on "HMS Discovery" in
1779, James Cook described the area as,
"More thickly populated than those parts
further south, the people more elaborately tattooed,
their canoes more elaborately carved, the bay itself
beautiful, with many good anchorages, the hills and
valleys round it, forests and cultivations beautiful
also". Cook named it The Bay of Islands and affirmed
"with certainty that the Bay affords good anchorage
and every kind of refreshment for shipping".

View from Moturua Island towards The Bay has another aspect inherently unique, for
Motukiekie and Waewaetorea islands here was the meeting place of two very different
cultures, Maori and European. In 1840 a
confederation of North Island Maori Chiefs signed a
Treaty with England. Under the Treaty of Waitangi
the Maori ceded Sovereignty to Queen Victoria but
retained ownership of the land.

Today, as beautiful as ever, The Bay of Islands is one of New Zealand’s signature cruising
areas and a must for visiting yachts.

Bay The Bay claims to have some forty islands of varying sizes across its twelve-mile span.
The reality is there are perhaps six or eight islands of interest to yachts, but still more than
enough to make this compact area a fascinating place to explore over a few days. Some
120 miles North of Auckland the trip to the Bay is a daylight passage at 8 knots or can be
broken by a night at half distant Whangarei.

of The islands are small but the principal ones offer a choice of safe, dramatically beautiful,
anchorages allowing shelter in all wind directions. The two we spent time on, Waewaetorea
and Motorua, both had bays with sandy beaches and well kept walking trails. Their summits

offered dramatic views across the Bay and other islands. We

Islands particularly enjoyed a two and half hour walk around
Motorua with paths covered overhead by rich semi -
tropical vegetation. In contrast with so many places
around the world these islands are clean and
unspoilt. We were told that visitors were welcome
but should leave nothing behind but their footprints
in the sand.

Leave Russell is the principal small town of the Bay area, easily
nothing accessible by anchoring off. It’s quiet, tranquil atmosphere, insulated from
behind the bustle of today’s world, still has memories of a colourful past as the old whaling port of
but your Kororeraka. In that day, when the whaling ships rode at anchor and the crews sampled the
footprints wares available in the grog-shops and brothels on the waterfront, it earned a reputation as
the "Hell-hole of the Pacific".

Russell has a small but interesting maritime museum whose principal exhibit is an
accurate, very detailed one-fifth scale model of the Discovery, a converted collier from
Whitby. Many of the charts made by Cook during his time in New Zealand were still in use
until relatively recently,

Down the Veronica Channel from Russell is Opua, which, with its customs station, is the
most popular clearance port for cruising yachts arriving from overseas.

Captain Cook was right; the Bay of Islands is a must for any yacht visiting New Zealand waters.

Cruising the Bay of Islands Photos: Richard Matthews www.oystermarine.com 47

MIAMI TO ST MAARTEN

We set off during the afternoon of 30th June 2001, a glorious day.

The plan was to sail from Miami to St. Maarten, where our son Julian (almost 15) had spent
three weeks in a wonderful sailing-cum-diving summer camp. We would take ten days to
get there, including a short stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to drop off friends who were to
sail with us. The rest of the crew consisted of Patrick, myself and Sophia, our daughter
who turned 12 on the trip, and Rob and Jane. Reality intervened: our friends had a death
in the family and cancelled; our boat was damaged by the heavens, and we got intimately
entangled in the thorns of this rose called the ocean.

Approaching the Great Isaacs in the dark of night and leaving it to starboard as we entered
New Providence Channel made it real, we were really off on our adventure. We had been in
the channel twice before, once to go to Freeport, once to visit Great Harbour Cay in the
Barriers. But this time, it felt different. More serious somehow, since we had more distant
destinations on our mind, and the channel was only a small passage along the way.

During the night, the water began to move our boat differently, and as we left the channel to
head southeast for San Salvador, our next waypoint, Talisman was now in the Atlantic
swells. That path felt quite different to the Gulf Stream we sailed in two summers ago.
The swells were made more interesting by the headwinds and the resulting short waves of
about 6-8 feet. Each alone would be just fine. Together, they made for a lot of thorns.
San Salvador loomed ahead, most of the day. "Are we there yet?" Still ahead!

Gabriele Fiorentino

THE THORNY
BY GABRIELE FIORENTINO, OYSTER 61 TALISMAN

Talisman chugged along at about 5 knots SOG, with heaves slowing her down to fewer than
2 knots. The main was out, but useless, the genoa was furled most of the time. The cutter
rig was out, waiting. As it turned out, that was a good thing. After we had finally passed
San Salvador, we set the course further eastward in order to stabilize the boat and to
hopefully make a little better headway, despite the additional miles. At night, frequent
squalls with high gusts got the better of the genoa, and it ripped. The winds increased
constantly but shifted equally constantly and we rolled and tossed.

During the night there was suddenly a loud noise, undecipherable. On a particularly bad
landing coming down from a high swell/wave combination, one of the dinghy's carrying
cables snapped loose; had it not been for the belly cord, it would have just hung there,
spilling its contents into the ocean.

On the fourth day, the routeing company emailed us to immediately head south and seek
shelter. Winds would increase to 30 plus winds with gusts of over 45 knots. While we have
the utmost confidence in the vessel, we were not so sure we wanted to spend our vacation
THAT way. In addition we had the worry of getting to St Maarten on time to meet our son.
The camp ended on 4th July, and this was already July 3rd.

48 www.oystermarine.com 405 pounds of Marlin, caught in the Turks & Caicos billfish tournament

"Nothing is perfect, nothing is We decided to pull into the harbor of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos. Getting in there
new, and everything is exactly required calm nerves. We asked the dockmaster to take us in, and off we went on a zigzag
how it should be, because none course that seemed at times to beach us. Just outside the entrance to the harbor, he hailed
of the new and perfect things us with "I'll be back in two hours" and left. The tide was too low. (Now we know why
are important in a place where people like catamarans!) It took a while to set the anchor; the boys lowered the dinghy and
the water and the sky are, and explored the rest of the passage. Good thing, too, because there were quite a few shoals
in the channel. The dockmaster came back to lead us in, we tied up at the fuel dock, and
the hills and the breeze go Sophia kissed the ground. Literally.
under your skin into your soul"
Because of the uncertainty of our passage, I arranged for Julian to fly into Provo. Just a
short trip from St. Martens to the Turks took him all day, via San Juan and Miami. A local
furniture maker repaired the genoa with a bit of garden furniture fabric, which actually held
until a proper repair. The dinghy was not in such a great shape, leaking during every use,
and by the end of the trip had become useless. The children were delighted to be together
again and had rousing arguments. Sophia celebrated her 12th birthday. Life was good.

Sophia celebrates her 12th birthday We had arrived just in time for the T&C billfish tournament, the Caicos Cup. We were
surrounded by high tech fishing machines, appointed with the most incredible equipment.
They were after the big ones, with big prize money waiting. Only the ocean had its own
agenda. We were there for four days and day after day they caught nothing, the fleet left in
the morning and returned late afternoon, empty handed. The weather was too rough. On
the last day, a 405-pound Marlin was brought in and hung up on the dock. What a
magnificent beast, even in its shackled state and with its bill cut off. One has to respect the

skill of the fisherman, despite all the modern tools; it comes down to the angler and
the boatman.

PATH We left Provo late in the afternoon. The weather had improved and the
wind was a little more in our favor. This was going to be wonderful - five
days to St. Maarten, and then on to Saba, the magical mountain in the
sea, which Julian really wanted to show us. At about 4am on the
second night, a fuse in the panel blew. Patrick reset it. I woke up
around 11am (after a nap following my watch) sweating profusely.
Well, the fuse had blown again. No generator, meaning no aircon,
no water maker.

Another change in plans. Saba was to remain a mystical
mountain, for we would not see it on that trip. After 30 hours in
100-degree cabins (we could not open any hatches because of
the seas) we turned into Club Nautico in San Juan. Entering the

port means passing the impressive, formidable El Morro. Just
for contrast, a few hundred feet further on we passed one of
the biggest metal junk piles any of us has probably seen.

First order of business was to establish the damage to the
panel. Rob and Patrick took things apart, then called in an
electrician before ordering the part from England, but Friday
being a holiday, and no deliveries on Saturdays the part
wouldn't be delivered until Monday. Ergo: we were

shipwrecked for six days. Not a bad place to be stuck in,
plus, and this fact makes a great conversation starter.
Patrick commented that the women were beautiful, and he
learned to order a "Pinch a la roca", so life was tolerable.

We spent a bit of time in Old San Juan, and learned early
on that the time to avoid was before noon, as once the
cruise shippers returned to their respective ships for lunch,
the old city was left to us other tourists. What we loved
most about the place was the unbelievably gorgeous

colors people painted their houses, fuchsia and tangerine
and emerald green all side by side. We found delicious

www.oystermarine.com 49

restaurants, some delightful little shops, some musty antique stores, but mostly tourist
trade. We explored the formidable El Morro on foot.

We rented a jeep and went exploring. Driving follows the principle of 'Honk and Go' a little
like Miami. First on the agenda was El Yunque, a rainforest of some 28,000 acres in the
southwest of the island. It is a federally maintained national park with innumerable hiking
trails, waterfalls and gorgeous flora and fauna. Getting there is a bit adventuresome
because of the small, circuitous streets cutting through clusters of very poor
neighborhoods, but once one gets off the major highway it is well worth it.

The scale is not to be compared to rainforests in the South Americas, but the colors and
textures are wonderful to behold. And it is really the small things that enchant you: the
intricate delicacy of a tiny red orchid bloom, the scramble up a path of
slippery rocks to a hidden waterfall, or the many sweet
flowering shrubs and trees, including an ubiquitous white
ginger. The waterfalls are often near the street; they
provide a gentle mist of cooling water on the hot
summer days. Its very simplicity is soothing, 'a walk
into the clouds'.

Another great coolant was the watering holes in
the stream, which runs through the forest. To get
to the very bottom, one walks an initially easy path
among picnic huts that becomes more demanding
as one descends. But that does not seem to
detract anyone; families with small children,
grandparents with dogs lug their coolers and food
down river to find a swimming hole. That is where
they spend entire summer days, submerged in cool
river water racing over round boulders. We did the
same, minus the coolers, dogs and grandparents.
Just splashing and climbing and having a great time.

On another day, we drove west to the city of Arecibo, then turned
south to visit the Arecibo Radio Observatory, site of many scenes from the
movie "Contact". The observatory is the largest of its kind in the world, and it
intrigued us how it came to be plopped in the middle of the only Karst region outside of
Yugoslavia. The Karst mountains, or really hillocks, were formed millions of years ago
when, during prolonged rains, the naturally porous grounds collapsed into sinkholes and left
standing only these hillocks. One after another after another, as though a child had taken
scoopfuls of sand and made an orderly pattern of hills on the beach. Only that the Karst is
profoundly green, almost like heavy velvet folds. The green reminded us of Ireland.

The observatory appears out of nowhere, three giant spiders legs in the hills. (Remember
old Japanese alien films?) It feels alien. Once there, one has to walk up a serious hill, no
one with limited mobility could negotiate it, into a museum of sorts, where one is treated to
a horrible film about a day at the observatory. You can take part in hands-on space science
learning and gasp at the scale of the main dish when standing on the balcony.
Unfortunately, that is all, but still worth it. Leaving, we stopped at the Observatory Café, a
little restaurant, which is lovingly run and serves simple, delicious local fare.

Refreshed, we wanted to drive home via a southern route, taking us through the Cordilleras,
the central mountains. To save time, I decided on a shortcut. Alas, the tiny roads on the
map really are tiny, virtually so non-existent that we got very lost and after an hour of car
size potholes, precipitous curves and steep declines we ended up in someone's backyard,
right next to a mare and her foal. It was too late by then to head for the mountains, so we
backtracked and took the expressway back into San Juan. No Cordilleras for us.

Our last adventure was due to the electrician, who divulged his partnership in a delivery
company running helicopters and jets in the island. We ended up with an hour and a half

50 www.oystermarine.com