Hoist the sails

From daysailing to blue water cruising, there is a yacht that is perfect for you, by Phil Ross.

Recently, the definition of sailing has been hotly debated: if the hull of an America’s Cup yacht is designed to be aerodynamic, as opposed to hydrodynamic, is it still a yacht? If I stand on a surfboard, foiling a metre above the water and holding onto a kite, am I sailing? All big questions, but do they relate to the common sailor? Not really and, for those thinking of purchasing a yacht and fulfilling that dream of lazy weekends or long summers on the water, the visuals of foiling monohulls and faster than wind multihulls can make sailing seem a bit daunting. Do not fear, for the average person, thankfully, when looking at entering the sailing life the options are a lot easier to determine and decide. Initially, when it comes to finding a yacht to suit your sailing intentions, the options may look endless, but let us see if we can start you off on your adventure by narrowing that list down to just four different types of sailing.

VICSAIL MCCONAGHY 75

The first obvious question to ask yourself is: what type of sailing do I want to do? This immediately sharpens your focus on what type of yacht to buy and, therefore, cuts down that daunting list of yachts available. For recreational sailing, yachts fall into four types:

• Daysailer/weekender.
• Coastal short haul.
• Coastal long haul.
• Blue water crossing.

An explanation of each of these categories should help you decide which yacht suits you and your sailing dreams.

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Look cool for the day

Daysailer/weekenders are probably showing the biggest growth in our local market at present. They have long been popular in European markets where sailing on inland lakes is an easily attained recreation. Daysailers are usually long, open-decked yachts under the 10 metre (30 foot) mark. As the name suggests they are not suited to multi-day trips but designed to suit those who just want to go out for the day for a leisurely sail and picnic on the water.

They consist of large cockpits and flat decks for lounging in the sun. The design brief for down below deck is for minimal time spent there so little headroom and just one or two bunks. There will, however, be a cooking galley and lots of refrigeration lockers. These are predominantly social boats.

If you live in Melbourne, what a fantastic way to take the yacht out and sail into Corio Bay for an overnighter at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, or just a day cruise into the city precinct for a picnic in the cockpit or a lunch onshore. For Sydneysiders the options are awesome: sail over and anchor in front of Taronga Zoo to watch the sunset over the city skyline; long-haul down harbour to Manly and go for a swim.

Daysailers usually have a delicious European styling that make them look cool wherever you turn up. If you are looking to be a bit more adventurous in your sailing adventures then a trailer sailer is an option providing an expansive list of options. A good car will tow these little 20 footers to wherever you wish to go, offering access to all the lake systems in Australia.

Trailer sailers are usually better set up than daysailers as they can provide plenty of bunk space, pop-up cabin tops for better headroom, forward hatches for good airflow at anchor and, being smaller, are easier to sail when shorthanded. Maybe most importantly, they can be relatively inexpensive, making them affordable for many families. So, instead of hitting the road with a caravan, you could take a trailer sailer and explore both land and water!

But what if your ambition is to sail further? If you are wishing to stay on board for longer cruises, or even wish to take you and your yacht on trips up and down the coast, then maybe you should look more at the yachts set up for coastal short haul.

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Take the next step up

Most yachts sold in Australia and New Zealand (and even globally) fall into this next category of coastal short haul. Typically, a coastal short-haul yacht will get you outside into deeper waters, the area where true sailing with nature is coupled with the added safety of keeping the coast close by. You can go sailing for days on end or plan your trip up and down our coastline stopping in ports and harbours where you desire.

The size of the yacht is not important here, it is more to do with the type of sailing you wish to do coupled with confidence in your abilities. But the coastal short haul usually starts in the 35 feet to 45 feet length. Going short coastal sailing is the best way to extend your sailing experience and therefore capabilities. Luckily, Australia is blessed with an awesome array of stopover points up and down the east and west coastlines, especially when you get into North Queensland. Once you have done a good range of coastal short-haul sailing on those coastlines, it is then tempting to extend your range and make plans for an adventure across the bottom or the top of the mainland, or around the rugged coast of Tasmania.

Whatever, this type of yacht will get you there. Gone are the days of the old classic style of
cruising yacht. No more long keels and skinnyhulls with bulging hulls, called appropriately ‘tumblehome’. The modern yacht of today owes more to the racing pedigree of yachts you see leading the fleet out of Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day. How can that be, you may ask? The confluence of racing hull design and cruising hull design has revolutionised cruising yachts.

In the good old days, the cruising hull was a deep, heavy design cultivated from years of experience of being able to withstand heavy winds and large seas. The old designs were slow, wet, dark down below and heavy to control; but they got you from Point A to Point B relatively safely.

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Today’s hull shapes benefit from better building practices, the move to plastic fantastic made the hulls stronger, lighter and able to be formed into previously unattainable shapes. Racing yachts could now skim over the surface of the waves rather than plow their bulky weight through it.

With the growth in ever faster and lighter hull design, the sail area could be reduced; the working of the rig became a lot easier. By adapting these racing designs into cruising yachts, the builders realised another advantage: these new designs were beamier and less restricted down below by large ring frames necessary on wooden planked yachts. Now you had a cruising yacht with phenomenal space down below and the ability to be sailed easily by at least two crew. Go visit any boat show and you will see a plethora of gorgeous yachts arrayed for your pleasure. It is no problem to find 40 footers that house three cabins with double berths and even two toilet heads for the ultimate in cruising. Take one of these yachts sailing and you will experience a further joy of being able to speed over the water with the minimum of ease.

An advantage yachts have over motorboats is that you can reel in the miles with easy fast sailing without using expensive petrol. Once you arrive at your destination and are at anchor, the ride of a deep-keeled yacht is, in my opinion, much nicer than that of a shallow draft motor yacht.

Now you can also add on electric winches to remove the grunt work, electric anchor windlass controlled from back at the cockpit, roller furling mainsails and headsails. All configured to make it delightful for you and your crew to go sailing. So why would you not push your boundaries and explore our coast further than you thought capable.

A coastal long-haul trip can still easily be done by short-haul sized yachts. But many new owners make the decision to upgrade to a more apartment size. Fifty to 55 footers make fantastic vessels when deciding to spend more time on board exploring the coast. Want to go over the top of Australia or even dip your toe into the myriad islands of Indonesia? Or spend a summer circumnavigating Tasmania or exploring the amazing islands of the Great Barrier Reef? Then it is nicer to do it on a yacht that can resemble a decent-sized apartment. These larger yachts still seem daunting to the newbie but, again, production yacht builders of today have you covered. It is easy to manoeuvre these long hulls with the optional inclusions of bow and stern thrusters.

JEANNEAU SUN ODYSSEY 350

JEANNEAU SUN ODYSSEY 350

Into the deep end

The final category of yacht now moves into the more specialised. Ostensibly, it is still the same yacht as the coastal long/short haul, but to do some ocean crossings you need to look a little more carefully at what you might require.

Blue water sailing is the last great adventure. Just think, there are no barbed wire fences out there; there are no set walking tracks or signposts. For many cruising sailors there are even no destinations, just the urge to go sailing for the sake of sailing itself. Again, modern design makes it easier.

BAVARIA C46

Most of the yachts that take part in the Trans-Atlantic rally from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean are nothing more than stock standard off-the-shelf production yachts. But, if you have the budget, there are quite a few options you may want to consider if you want to go blue water cruising. Think of the trip: long times at sea means a need to have more water storage or include a desalination unit. Food storage is also important, many production yachts do not consider storage as a vital necessity as it detracts from space inside.

You will want good power sources and maybe the ability to rejuvenate your batteries with solar or windmills. You will need that extra power for all the navigation, communication and safety equipment you need to ensure the safety of you and crew. The best part of all this added expense is that you can do it over time to ease the financials and it is also a fantastic way to involve potential crew in the planning and research for your extended cruising journey.

Sailing experienced a huge resurgence during the COVID pandemic as it was a fantastic way to get away from crowds but still have an adventure. All you need to do is figure out your budget and choose which type of sailing you wish to do. See you out there!

6 of the best

Back in the cockpit there is a cockpit locker lid into the large storage area on the port side of the standard two-cabin layout, so it is now possible to put bulky items such as cockpit cushions directly into that space. When the breeze dies the SO350 has a larger 29HP engine ensuring all the power that you could want in any sea or wind state. Down below is the familiar layout, but with the option of doing without the chart table. Headroom throughout is 1.95m.

An optional water tank down aft allows a significant increase in water capacity, bound to be a popular option as it allows the bow tank to remain empty unless required for extended stays onboard keeping weight out of the bow for improved performance and handling. New options for this model include a larger battery capacity, cabin fans, Corian counter tops, solar and an electric halyard winch.

Visit jeanneauaustralia.com and performanceboating.com.au

Step aboard and immerse yourself in luxury. The meticulously designed layoutfeatures exquisite craftsmanship, with solid teak timbers, innerspring mattresses, Corian countertops, and plush fabrics for the settee and salon seating. The rich, warm ambiance is enhanced by the high-gloss varnish on abundant real timber and teak and holly flooring. What sets Catalina Yachts apart is their dedication to customer satisfaction, with the brand boasting a high percentage of repeat customers.

Visit performancecruising.com.au

The Easy version adapts to owners looking for simplicity. She has a roof clear of any obstructions with manoeuvres fitted to the coamings. The Ocean version is dedicated to owners with a traditional handling style, with halyard manoeuvres and mainsail traveller on the roof and sheets manoeuvres on the coamings.

The Performance version will seduce regatta sailors. She is equipped with a mainsheet point in the bottom of the cockpit, six winches and hydraulic power station for backstays and boom vang. She features an upgraded mast and boom for an increased sail area of 20m2. The 2.80-metre keel is completed with a lead bulb. Finally, the equipment provides a pure racing look.

Visit yachtsalesco.com

The Seawind 1170 is the perfect size for cruising as a couple with occasional guests. Which is how most boats are used. On a smaller cat, maintenance is easier and much less expensive. Docking is much simpler and the mooring lines less heavy. A smaller boat can get into smaller bays or places a bigger boat cannot.

It has forward cabins featuring two queen beds, with the port forward cabin offering a very generous island queen bed with side tables similar to the 1370 and with much more headroom and volume throughout than models. There is also a forward hanging locker, storage midships and generous aft bathroom as standard.

Visit multihullcentral.com

The features of the hull design with the typical Bavaria V-bow and chines give the C46 impressive sailing characteristics, while also creating more light, space and comfort below deck in the salon, as well as the cabins.

Visit ensignyachts.com.au

The McConaghy catamaran range covers vessels from 55 feet through to 125 feet. One of the most recent launches is the McConaghy 75. McConaghy recently built a MC75 for a very experienced monohull racing boat owner, who was looking for a vessel for world cruising. Wherever she goes the MC75 draws admiration and awe. The MC75 offers something unique in the market. She is capable of sailing in light airs and boasts a luxury fit out. McConaghy currently
has several boats under build including another MC75. They are also preparing for the launch of a beautiful 68-ft performance sailing catamaran, destined for Australia.

Visit mcconaghyboats.com and vicsail.com

About Nautilus Marine Insurance

Nautilus Marine Insurance is a leading provider of insurance solutions for recreational vessels and marine business assets across Australia and New Zealand, protecting over 45,000 vessel owners and marine industry members. For over 19 years, Nautilus Marine Insurance has been a specialist supplier of insurance for pleasure craft and marine business assets and liability insurance. Nautilus Marine Insurance provide coverage for pleasure craft of all sizes, ranging from sailing dinghies and personal watercraft (PWCs) through to yachts, runabouts, and luxury motor yachts as well as commercially operated boats and marine businesses. Through its Industry Lines division, Nautilus Marine Insurance also specialises in providing tailored business insurance for clients servicing the recreational boating market including marina operators and owners, yacht clubs and boat clubs, boat dealerships and most marine trades including boat repairers and boat service providers. Thousands of professional insurance advisers and brokers choose to work with Nautilus Marine Insurance. These insurance experts trust the breadth of Nautilus Marine’s products and claims support to recommend our products and services to their clients. Nautilus Marine Insurance has a passionate team of over 90 staff and offices across Australia and New Zealand. Nautilus Marine Insurance is a business name of NM Insurance Pty Ltd, ABN 34 100 633 038, AFSL 227186. It has binding authority from Zurich Australian Insurance Limited (ZAIL) which allows it to enter into and arrange policies of insurance and handle and settle claims made under them. Visit nautilusinsurance.com.au to find out more.