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NEWSO YSTER®NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF OYSTER - DOUBLE QUEEN'S AWARD YACHT BUILDERSNew Zealand RegattaARC 2002AMERICA'S CUP 2003ISSUE NO 48SPRING 2003OYSTER - WORLD LEADERS IN DECK SALOON CRUISING YACHTS

OYSTER - WORLD LEADERS IN DECK SALOON CRUISING YACHTSISSUE NO 48SPRING 2003NEWSO YSTER ®NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF OYSTER - DOUBLE QUEEN'S AWARD YACHT BUILDERSNew Zealand RegattaARC 2002AMERICA'S CUP 2003EDITORLIZ WHITMANCONTENTSFROM THE EDITORWe publish Oyster Newsfour times a year and weknow from our readersthat the articles they mostenjoy reading about arethe contributions fromOyster owners. If youhave a story to tell orinformation about cruisingin your Oyster please letme know. Photographsare always welcome withor without a story.Email: liz.whitman@oystermarine.com3 FROM THE CHAIRMANRICHARD MATTHEWSLOOKS FORWARD TO THE YEAR AHEAD4 NEWS ROUNDUP6 OYSTER OWNERS DINNERAN EVENING AT THE ROYAL THAMESYACHT CLUB8 AMERICA'S CUP 2003A PERSONAL COMMENTARYBY RICHARD MATTHEWS12 UPDATE FROM HANNAL STODELNEWS FROM THE SONAR AND 29ER REGATTAS14 OYSTER NEW ZEALAND REGATTAEVENT NEWS, RESULTS AND GREAT PICTURESROGER VAUGHAN26 ATLANTIC RALLY FOR CRUISERSNEWS FROM THE 2002 ARC28 MY ARCTERRY KING-SMITH GIVES AN INSIGHT INTO HIS FIRST ARC32 FIRST TIMERS ON THE HIGH SEAS56 OWNER, MARK BLYTHE, SHARES HIS EXPERIENCE OF AFIRST ATLANTIC CROSSING36 SAIL SETTINGPAY ATTENTION TO YOUR TENSIONS –THE FIRST IN A NEW SERIESMATTHEW VINCENT40 MISSIONS IMPOSSBLEA PROFILE OF 62 OWNER MAURICE FRANKEFORTROGER VAUGHANCONTRIBUTING EDITORROGER VAUGHANFRONT COVER PICTUREThe crew of the Oyster 70, Thunder,get into the racing spiritPhoto: Richard MatthewsBACK COVER PICTUREThe New Zealand Regatta fleet prepares toline up under Auckland's Harbour BridgePhoto: Richard MatthewsOyster News is published by Oyster Marine Ltd.46 THE BAY OF ISLANDSA MUST FOR ANY YACHTVISITING NEW ZEALANDRICHARD MATTHEWS48 THE THORNY PATHTHE FIORENTINO FAMILY EXPLORETHE VIRGIN ISLANDSGABRIELE FIORENTINO54 LAGOS TO SEVILLE AND BACKA DELIGHTFUL 10 DAY CRUISE INTOTHE HEART OF ANDALUCIABARRY SADLER58 JUST LAUNCHEDA SELECTION OF NEWLYLAUNCHED OYSTERSOyster News is for promotional purposes only,privately circulated, and cannot form part of anycontract or offer. Views, details and information hereinare not necessarily endorsed by the publisher whowill not be held responsible for the consequences ofany error or omission. Pictures and illustrations areliable to show non standard equipment.2 www.oystermarine.com

London Boat Show 2003The end of an era?The London show started on 2 January, meaning that our showteam had to arrive in the capital on New Years Day, still with asore head or two from the New Years celebrations!Wouldn’t you rather be sailing!Welcome to this 48th edition of Oyster News.As usual, thanks to owners who have so kindly madecontributions, we have some interesting editorial. This editionalso features coverage of our first New Zealand Regatta which,if I say so myself, was a huge success.The first race might have only been 25 miles but at least 10 of the14 Oysters taking part had sailed over 14,000 miles, half wayaround the world, to get to the start line! Thanks to contributingeditor Roger Vaughan for his coverage of the event.With so much going on we are hoping to publish Oyster Newsquarterly this year. This means we will be looking for more editorialfrom Oyster owners – the call is out so if you have news ofexploits afloat Liz Whitman would be delighted to hear from you.Almost unbelievably the early date was, we were told, due to aclerical error when the British Marine Federation, who run theevent, booked the dates. Perhaps also due to the fact that anyhelp they might have expected from the venue operator mayhave been diminished by the fact this was to be the lastLondon Show at Earl’s Court.The Federation have an eight-year contract to move the showfrom 2004 to the new Excel Exhibition centre in London’sDocklands. It was a little sad to be saying farewell to the oldEarl’s Court show after so many years. Very sobering when anumber of our staff worked out they had spent the best part ofa year of their life inside the halls! Earl’s Court, perhaps centredon the Guinness bar, will have been the start of many a sailor'snautical aspirations and no doubt a few ambitious voyages.The Excel centre has a number of potential advantagesincluding its immediate proximity to London’s City Airport andthe promise of easy road access and abundant parking.Perhaps surprisingly, for Oyster anyway, the final show at Earl’sCourt attracted a much higher rate of enquiries than in 2002.We are grateful to the many owners who over the years havelent 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 thisis a good time to go cruising. Every sunset is a thing of beauty;every dawn afloat brings the promise of another adventure. I knowfrom experience that there is nothing like serious illness toheighten the value of time. We all have only so many sailingseasons left in us.As usual fair winds and good sailing to all our readers.Richard MatthewsFounder and ChairmanOyster Marinewww.oystermarine.com 3

NEWS ROUNDUPA FRIENDLY WAGEROyster 56 CHINOOK and Oyster 56 FOREVER YOUNG are sisterships withidentical rigs and shoal draft keels. It's therefore not difficult to understandthat a certain amount of rivalry exists whenever these two boats are racing orparticipating in Oyster rallies!At the Oyster Regatta in Palma, Mallorca the results had clearly gone in favourof FOREVER YOUNG. After a not inconsiderable search in the village ofAndraitx the crew of CHINOOK secured the requisite bottle of Canadian ClubWhisky and, keen to show their appreciation of their rivals, arranged arefuelling at sea with FOREVER YOUNG.ROYAL LANGKAWI REGATTAOyster Owners, Robert and RosemaryForrester, sent us this picture of their435, DEUSA, sailing past the Eaglelandmark in Langkawi Island,Malaysia. Having spent the last 3years cruising Thailand, Malaysia andthe Andaman Islands, Robert wasasked to help organise the inauguralRoyal Langkawi International regatta,held out of Langkawi in March. Some70 yachts are expected to take partincluding three Oysters. Furtherdetails about the regatta from:www.langkawiregatta.comMIRROR WORLDSAssistant Rigging Manager at Fox'sStainless, Craig Bond and his eight yearold son Mitchell, came a fantastic 8thoverall out of a 96 boat fleet in the 2003Mirror World Championships held inTasmania in January. Mitchell, who hasbeen sailing with his Dad since the ageof four, competed in his first WorldChampionships in Ireland two yearsago. They are current Eastern AreaChampions and ranked in the top threein the UK. Their goal is to win theWorlds in Sweden in 2005, by whichtime Mitchell will be 10, and, as his dadsays, "Will be more interested in callingthe shots rather than getting out thesweets down the run"!

OYSTER 45 FOR CHARTERThe Oyster 45, OCEAN DRIVE, is available for skippered charter out of Gosport. Ideallysuited for corporate or private weekend charter. Further details are available fromwww.oceandrivesailing.comA STRANGE COINCIDENCE?Oyster News readers and Oyster fans,Hannes and Steffi Eisele from Germany,spotted this dockside mural while on arecent trip to the Azores and wereamazed to find we already had Oysterowners with their names. The muralwas in fact painted by Hannes and SteffiFehring, owners of the Oyster 61,Rasmus when they visited the Azores in1999. Just one difference – Hannes andSteffi Eisele have yet to buy their Oyster!LITTLE BRITAIN GIVES LARGEWe were very pleased to welcome OlympicGold medallist, Shirley Robertson to ourLondon boat show stand again this year.Shirley was on hand to receive a cheque for£45,000 from Little Britain Challenge CupChairman, Chris Boyle, on behalf of theCirdan Sailing Trust. The money was part ofthe total raised of £110,000 from the annualConstruction Industy's Little BritainChallenge Cup, held out of Cowes inSeptember. The regatta, which is the largestindustry event in Europe, is held to supportboth the Cirdan and Jubilee Sailing Trusts.Richard Matthews' 50' prototype, FLIRT,was IRC Class 1 winner in the regatta.DIARY DATES20033 - 6 April Oyster Private View -St Katharine's YachtHaven, London12 - 19 April UBS Oyster Regatta -Antigua27 April - 3 May Antigua Sailing Week30 April Oyster Party for ownersand crews - Antigua21 June Round the Island Race -Cowes, Isle of Wight2 - 9 August Cowes Week2 - 7 September Ijmuiden Boat Show3 - 7 September UBS Oyster Regatta -Palma11 - 14 September Newport Boat Show12 - 21 September Southampton Boat Showand Oyster BrokerageEvent13 September Owners Dinner - RoyalSouthern Yacht Club4 - 12 October Genoa Boat Show9 - 13 October Annapolis Boat Show11 October Owners party - Annapolis25 October - Hamburg Boat Show2 November20 November Pre ARC Oyster Party forowners and crews- Las Palmas23 November ARC start - Las Palmas20048-18 January 2004 London Boat ShowNEW VENUE ExcelExhibition Centre10 January 2004 London Owners Dinner17 – 25 Düsseldorf Boat ShowJanuary 2004www.oystermarine.com5

OysterOWNERS LONDON DINNERJanet Mundy and Richard MatthewsHosted by the Royal ThamesYacht Club at their magnificentclubhouse in Knightsbridge,and coinciding with the firstweekend of the London BoatShow, a hundred and thirty owners andguests attended our annual Londonowners dinner. The evening started with achampagne reception kindly sponsored byUBS Private Banking. Lisa MacDonald,who skippered an all girl crew in the lastVolvo Around the World Ocean Race, wasthe guest speaker. Lisa had taken part inthe UBS Oyster Regatta in Palma lastOctober on board an Oyster 66, so waswell aware of the difference betweensailing a Volvo 60 and the creaturecomforts on board an Oyster.Guests included a number ofrepresentatives from our family ofsponsors who, in addition to UBS, help usto run our regattas: Barrie Sullivan ofPantaenius, Robert Hill MD of Lewmar,John Boyce of Hood Yacht Spars, DeclanO'Sullivan from Chartering International,James Douglas from Raymarine and ourlatest supporter Sally Helme, the publisherof Cruising World USA.Oyster owners from overseas includedJohn and Susan Dietz and Erick andHeather Reickert who had travelledespecially from the United States.Wine for the evening had been shipped forthe occasion from the award winning MudHouse Vineyard on South Island, NewZealand. Mud House, owned by John andJennifer Joslin, were one of the sponsorsof Oyster’s New Zealand Regatta. TheJoslins first sailed to New Zealand on theirOyster 435 so were very enthusiastic aboutwelcoming the Oyster fleet to Auckland.Other owners included Stephen andCatherine Thomas, who are shortly to takedelivery of a 66, and Stephen and AlisonYeo who completed a circumnavigation ayear ago. The Thomas’ are one of twoowners who, having completedcircumnavigations in their Oyster, havereturned to order another.Traditionally, special plaques arepresented to owners completing acircumnavigation in an Oyster yacht.Two such awards were presented; the firstto John and Janet Mundy who completeda circumnavigation in their Oyster 435Ocean Jaywalker in October 2002. Theirroute took them via Gibraltar – Canaries –Antigua – Panama Canal – Ecuador –Galapagos – Pacific Islands – Australiaand, returning to the UK via the NewZealand Solomon Islands – Thailand – TheRed Sea – and the Mediterranean.Lisa MacDonald with Erick and Heather Reickert6 www.oystermarine.comRob and Jo Humphreys, James Flynn OBEand Natasha, Robert Hill, MD of Lewmar

The second award went to Erick and Heather Reickert who, aboardtheir Oyster 55 Escapade, completed their circumnavigation in April2002. Escapade left Turkey in October 97 and routed via theCaribbean – Panama Canal – Galapagos – Marquises Islands –Society Islands – Cook Islands – Niue – Tonga – Fiji – New Zealand –Australia – Indonesia – Red Sea – Suez Canal and Turkey. Escapadelogged 47,000 nautical miles, visited 48 countries, entered 547 portsand in all Erick and Heather lived aboard for 1,173 days.O YSTERBROKERAGEInternational Specialists in Pre-owned Oyster YachtsSPRINGBOAT SHOW16-18 MAYBob Marston, Lars and Ann-Sofi Lindegren, NigelLeamon, Nick Creed and Barrie Sullivan, PantaeniusDIARY DATESThe next Oyster Owners Dinner will be held to coincide withthe Southampton Boat Show at the Royal Southern Yacht Club,Hamble, on Saturday 13th September.The 2004 London Boat Show Owners dinner will be held onSaturday 10th January.Oyster Brokerage's Annual Spring Boat Showwill be held at Fox's Marina, Ipswich,from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 May 2003.With a comprehensive selection of around 20 pre-owned OysterYachts, ranging from 40 to 60 feet on display, the event is a very goodopportunity to see a range of Oysters in one convenient location.Please contact us at our Ipswich office for more details anddirections or see www.oysterbrokerage.comAs Specialist International Brokers for all pre-owned Oyster Yachts,Oyster Brokerage continues to be the definitive choice for bothexisting and prospective Oyster owners.Telephone our UK or USA offices or visit our constantlyupdated website for information on the full range of yachtsavailable worldwide.Make the World Your OysterLisa MacDonald with John and Janet MundyOYSTER BROKERAGEFOX’S MARINA, IPSWICH, SUFFOLK IP2 8SA ENGLANDTEL: +44 (0)1473 602263 FAX: +44 (0)1473 603192brokerage@oystermarine.comOYSTER BROKERAGE USA5 MARINA PLAZA, GOAT ISLAND, NEWPORT RI 02840 USATEL: +1 401 846 7400 FAX: +1 401 846 7483Info@oysteryachts.com

America’s Cup 2003A personal commentary by Richard MatthewsFirst time out a landlocked nation, bestknown for Toblerone, the cuckoo clock andthe numbered account, just won the holygrail of yacht racing – the America’s CupTo all intents andpurposes twoteams, Kiwi A andKiwi B, raced each otherfor the oldest trophy insport. Both teams areworld class, but theproblem for New Zealandwas that Kiwi A wasracing for Switzerland.The Kiwis showed big time support for theirteam and Loyal flags and Loyal Team NZblack shirts were everywhere. The ‘Loyal’word was a direct swipe at Russell Couttsand Brad Butterworth who, with several otherkey ex-NZ crewmen, sold their services toErnesto Bertarelli's Swiss Alinghi Team.Auckland calls itself the city of sails and, insupport of their team, the day before racingstarted Auckland City Council had a guychanging liquid soap in over 100 public WC’sfrom pink to black. Hundreds of Royal NewZealand Yacht Squadron boats were out for ahuge sail-past to show support for Team NZ.Vodaphone changed their signal message to"Good Luck Team NZ".A guy calling a local radio station summed upthe mood of the nation when he said, "My kidwas told Russell Coutts was a national hero,now he’s sailing for Switzerland he doesn’tknow who to cheer for anymore".Nine challengers had lined up at the start ofthe Louis Vuitton Cup, the elimination series todecide who would have the chance to wrestlethe ‘auld mug’ from it’s pride of place pedestalin the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.Four of these with fat US$70-$100m budgetswere the B’s, an abbreviation for theirbillionaire owner/backers, Oracle, One World,Prada and the winning Alinghi. Mr America’sCup, Dennis Conner, sailing for the New YorkYacht Club had a "modest" $40m budget,while the other "lower budget" challengersincluded Team GBR, a popular addition to thecup scene after a 15-year absence.RACE 1From Oystercatcher XXIVSpectator fleet estimated at 3,000 including"The World" and two other cruise ships. Brisk20-22 knot wind and lumpy sea state- startsignal by Omega ambassador supermodelCindy Crawford, - start about even – TNZ towindward and just ahead, looks very sharpfor first 6-7 minutes but all commentatorsnotice she is shipping a lot of water –crewman to leeward with bucket. Unusualmainsail outhaul system – end of boombreaks, main goes full. TNZ losesweather gauge and has to tack off,Alinghi shows more speed to leewardand is nothing like as pressed asTNZ. Alinghi far enough ahead forport tack cross after 10minutes. TNZ still shippingwater and falling back whentack of genoa breaks andsail comes unzippedfrom foil. TNZ turnsdownwind torecover headsailand eventuallysets another,which rips8 www.oystermarine.comThe start of Race 1, as viewed fromthe deck of Oystercatcher XXIVPhoto: Richard Matthews

out of headfoil during hoist. TNZ retires whileAlinghi rounds first windward mark and, as ifto make a point, smartly sets asymmetricchute. Alinghi sails the course alone for awalkover 1-0 to Alinghi.RACE 2From Charlatan, a Holland110 footerLate start but windeventually fills in at 9knots with furtherdelay to move partof the hugespectator fleet.Alinghi wins start,forcing TNZ totack off but veryclose first beatwith Alinghirounding 20seconds ahead.TNZ findspressure on run,overtakes androunds 40seconds ahead,a big gain forone leg. TNZthen leads fornext 4 legs andCoutts initiates a30-tack duel upfinal beat butTNZ hangs inthere. TNZ lookset to make it1-all but Alinghifinds somepressure fromastern and closesTNZ only 3 minutes from downwind lay linewhich would have given TNZ an easy finish.The NZ crew look like rabbits caught in theheadlights, instead of some aggressive luffingor gybing away they just sat there andwatched Alinghi roll over the top. For me thiswas the defining moment of the regatta.Somehow Alinghi finds enough pace to passand manages to scrape home just 7 secondsahead of TNZ, one of the closest cup racesever. Score 2-0 to Alinghi.America’s Cup Hall ofFame InductionCaptain Nat Herreshoff was among themost famous designer/builders of his dayand designed several winning Cupyachts including the 1903 defenderReliance, 250ft from keel to truck.The expression "Ship shapeand Bristol fashion" relatesto the standard ofexcellence achieved bythe Herreshoff yard.Captain Nat’s grandsonHalsey Herreshoff runsthe America’s CupHall of Fame,based at theHerreshoffNauticalMuseumon thesite ofthe old Herreshoff boat works at Bristol,Rhode Island. Oyster owners may recall thatHalsey presented the prizes at one of ourRoyal Thames London dinners.The Auckland induction took place in theMaori Court and those honoured were notedmarine photographer, the late StanleyRosenfeld, and syndicate heads MalinBurnham and Sir Michael Fay. MalinBurnham from San Diego had sailed aboardEnterprise and Freedom and was responsiblefor much of the support behind DennisConner and Stars and Stripes. It’sacknowledged that without the support of SirMichael Fay New Zealand would never havebeen able to mount a successful challenge.For many the high spot of the eveningwas a moving speech by Olin Stephens,now 94 years old, who accepted theaward for Stanley Rosenfeld. OlinStephens is the acknowledgedgrandfather of modern yacht designand sailed aboard Ranger in the 1937defence.Olin, whose latest book has justbeen published, has had a 75-yearlove affair with the America’s Cupand is still as enthusiastic as ever.RACE 3From the ESPNStudio at TVNZTop sailing commentator GaryJobson, who sailed with us to theArctic on Oystercatcher XXIV, invitedus into the studio; a rare opportunityto be a ‘fly on the wall’ while theESPN Sports team put together theirlive broadcast to the USA.Gary sailed with Ted Turner as tacticianaboard Courageous during thesuccessful 1974 defence. Havingcovered several Cup series and sailingOlympics since, Gary is acknowledgedas one of the elite in his field. For Race 3,Gary shared the commentary with PaulPage who, having covered no less than24 Indianapolis 500’s, is similarlywww.oystermarine.com 9

Halsey Herreshoff"Auckland City Councilhad a guy changingliquid soap in over 100public WC’s from pinkto black""A guy calling a localradio station summedup the mood of thenation when he said -my kid was toldRussell Coutts was anational hero, now he’ssailing for Switzerlandhe doesn’t know whoto cheer for anymore"acknowledged in motor sport. CoincidentallyPaul lives close to, and is a friend of, Indy500 winner and Oyster owner Barry Green.The 20 strong ESPN team, led by ProducerSteve Laurence, were every bit as practicedat their individual disciplines as the crewsracing on the Hauraki Gulf. ESPN take theTVNZ feeds from cameras in variouspositions on both boats, on the water and inhelicopters. Using a mix of pre-recordedand live material, the Producer and his teamsit in front of 45 monitor screens and literallycut and paste the programme together as ithappens. The mixed programme is thentransmitted by satellite direct fromdowntown Auckland to Los Angeles andfrom there, via another satellite link, to ESPNHQ in Bristol Connecticut. It’s then sent outby yet another satellite to local operatorsand from there, mostly by fibre optic cable,to millions of individual TV subscribersacross the USA. There are also links to otherarms of the ESPN global network, forexample, coverage was being provided viaSingapore to the Pacific Rim. Incredibly theentire process only takes 0.5 of a second toget from Auckland to 'Jo Publics' TV.Race 3 was effectively over as the start gunfired. Russell Coutts and his afterguardwanted the right side of the course and with20 seconds to go they split tacks from TNZand took a quarter mile tack to port pickingup a 15-degree shift. This was enough,according to Virtual Spectator computertrack, to produce a 6-boat length lead afterten minutes and from then on Alinghi wasnever headed. At times TNZ caught up, atone point closing to within a boat length,but eventually Alinghi swept away for a 6-boat length lead. Score 3-0 to Alinghi.For the ESPN coverage team it was justanother day at the office, but for us afascinating insight into what TV coverage oflive sports events involves. The final call"OK to goodnight the bird?" was the signalto downlink the satellite connection with LA- game over.RACE 4TV in the bar of the Soc. &Sail, West MerseaAfter a week of frustrating weather delays,due to either too much wind or too little,Race 4 saw tough conditions with rainsqualls bringing strong gusts and sharp,choppy seas to the Hauraki Gulf.Alinghi led for the entire race, after skipperRussell Coutts executed a perfect time ondistance start to hit the line just as the gunfired. TNZ skipper, Dean Barker, startedslightly behind and to weather, and at thefirst cross, five minutes up the beat, Alinghiwas able to tack ahead in a strong leebow position.10 www.oystermarine.com

"As if to make a point,Coutts and crew, withfour Olympic goldmedals between them,still popped a chute atthe top mark"On the second beat, after a strong squallhad passed over the two boats, TNZappeared to pound through threeparticularly big waves. As the bow camedown off the third wave, the mast snappedbetween the first and second spreader dueto what was later diagnosed as a failedspreader tip cup.The Alinghi lead was never threatened andwhen TNZ dismasted, Coutts and his teamsailed the rest of the course to grab a 4-0lead. Even with TNZ dismasted, needingnothing more than to complete the courseand sailing in limit conditions, as if to makea point, Coutts and crew, with four Olympicgold medals between them, still popped achute at the top mark.RACE 5Alinghi Wins theAmerica's CupSweeping Team New Zealand 5-0Alinghi won Race 5 of the XXXIst America'sCup Match in Auckland on Sunday and, forthe first time in it’s 152-year history, theAmerica's Cup is going to Europe.Ernesto Bertarelli's Swiss Alinghi Teamswept away Team New Zealand in fiveconsecutive races, becoming the firstChallenger to win the America's Cup on itsinitial attempt.With his 14th America's Cup win, Alinghiskipper Russell Coutts broke DennisConner's record of 13 America's Cup racevictories, adding the five wins of 2003 to thenine he earned with Team New Zealand inthe 1995 and 2000 campaigns.Coutts has also now equalled the legendaryCharlie Barr and Harold Vanderbilt bywinning three consecutive America's Cups.As they have throughout the 2002/2003America's Cup season, the Alinghi Teamturned in a dominant performance, winningthe start, and converting that earlyadvantage into a solid lead that theyprotected ferociously.Gary JobsonTeam New Zealand tried everything theycould to break through, but the black boatcontinued to be plagued by gear failure, thistime breaking a spinnaker pole on thesecond run. In the end, Alinghi was toostrong and proved to be well deserving of themost prestigious trophy in the sport.CommentaryThe next America’s Cup is expected to beheld in 2007 and an announcement will bemade by December to confirm the venue.Lisbon, Sete, Marseilles, Barcelona, Palma,Malta and southern Italy have all beenmentioned as possibles. Wherever the Cupis held it’s likely that there will be an OysterRegatta in the same venue just before theCup series.www.oystermarine.com11

Hannah Stodel, a YJA Young Sailor of the Year,continues to be sponsored by Oyster in her quest forselection to the UK's 2004 Paralympic Squad. Part ofthat selection process included the recent Sonar2003 Midwinter’s and the NOOD Regatta in Florida."This year is a particularly important one for me as selection for the2004 Paralympics in Athens will be decided by our performance inthe IFDS Worlds in September, which are also in Athens. Along theway I will be having plenty of international competition competing inthe 29er Worlds in Spain and campaigning the Sonar in Florida.In February I took part in the US Midwinter’s followed by theNational Offshore One Design (NOOD) regatta in St Petersburg,Florida, competing against the very best American Sonar sailors ina 3 sail open event.There were 19 Sonars racing in the regatta, and the competition wasstrong, with many of the top racers including the current disabledworld champion from Germany. The day's racing was tough, with thewind shifting and then dying, but we slogged away and camethrough to finish the day lying 4th disabled boat.The racing in the midwinter’s showed us that the Americans havesome of the strongest Sonar sailors in the world, and taught us agreat deal about the one design that we sail. We finished acreditable 11th overall, against some very tough able-bodiedcompetition, and 4th disabled boat.The second regatta, the NOOD was very different to the first,because over 160 different one design classes showed up tocompete against each other off St Petersburg. I found that theracing in the NOOD was far tougher than in the Midwinter’s, mainlydue to the fact that the courses were longer. The race committeeswere racing over seven different classes on each of the race areas,and the starts were staggered making for a lot of waiting around.I felt that I learnt a great deal from some of the American sailors.Overall in the NOOD we again finished 11th and 4th disabled boat.Importantly we were only fractionally behind our main rival forAthens, Andy Cassell, who finished 10th and 9th. In our next event,the Disabled Midwinter’s, again in St Petersburg we will be triallingour new American North Sails supplied by Oyster.I would like to thankOyster for their continuingsupport in the run up to theParalympic trials inSeptember".MARINA & BOATYARDFox’s specialise in Oyster Refits, Repairs & RiggingFOX’S CONTACT DIRECTWorkshop Tel: 01473 689111email:ralph.catchpole@oystermarine.comRigging Tel: 01473 691235email:steve.palmer@oystermarine.comElectronics Tel: 01473 691412email:john.hatfield@oystermarine.comEngineering Tel: 01473 689111email:billy.harvey@oystermarine.comStainless Steel Tel: 01473 689111email:robin.moss@oystermarine.comChandlery Tel: 01473 688431email:cherril.westmoreland@oystermarine.com• Workshops• Rigging• Electronics• Stainless• Sprayshop• Osmosis• ChandleryAll general repairs • New Decks • Refits • EngineeringMasts and spar • All running & standing rigging • Rig surveysSales • Installations & Repairs • Communication & Computer SystemsFabrications • Custom Fittings • Repairs • PolishingHeat & dust controlled environment to the highest standardsAll the latest technoly and hull drying equipmentThe most comprehensively stocked chandlery on the East Coastfor Blue Water CruisingMarina Tel: 01473 603585email:john.jonas@oystermarine.comSprayshop Tel: 01473 689111email:ralph.catchpole@oystermarine.comFox’s Marina Ipswich Ltd Ipswich Suffolk IP2 8SATel +44 (0) 1473 689111 Fax +44 (0) 1473 601737 email foxs@oystermarine.com

PUBLICISSometimes youcan’t sail solo.Some challenges are too big to go it alone, particularly ifthere are choppy waters ahead. That’s when the advice andinvestment understanding of a UBS Private Banking clientadviser can be invaluable. As a leading global manager ofprivate wealth, we believe in establishing the closest ofworking relationships with our clients. Then, based on ourin-depth knowledge of each client’s requirements, we createindividual, personalised wealth management solutions. Andit’s never too soon to get us on board.For more information please contact:UBS AGPrivate Banking1 Curzon StreetLondon W1J 5UBSean Goodlet: +44 (0)20 7568 3758Vincent Parkin: +44 (0)20 7568 6416Where 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 BYRaymarineON BOARDDenette Wilkinson and Rob Humphreyson board Oystercatcher XXIV

OysterNewAUCKLANDNORTHISLANDZealandRegatta2003WELLINGTONSOUTHISLANDCHRISTCHURCHFourteen Oysters line up under Auckland'sHarbour Bridge at the start of Oyster's NewZealand Regatta. The flags flying atop the bridgewere courtesy of the British ambassador.By Roger VaughanThe new Kiwi Oyster 49, justout of Oyster' s Aucklandyard, McDell Marine

Oyster New Zealand Regatta 2003‘We would like to offer ourcongratulations and sincerethanks to the team at Oyster fororganising such a splendidregatta. We were a bitapprehensive, being cruisers notracers, but it far exceeded ourexpectations and we thoroughlyenjoyed ourselves’PETER FITCH & MISTY MCINTOSHOYSTER 435 TAMOUREThe surprising thing about the OysterRegatta in New Zealand was that somany boats showed up. What savesbeautiful New Zealand from being overrunwith tourists and resident foreigners is itsremoteness. It’s a long way from anywhereexcept Australia, even by plane. By water,the voyage to Auckland is a majorundertaking for the largest yachts. Sowhen 14 owners of Oysters from 37 to 70feet accepted the regatta invitation withpleasure, it was a bit of a shock toOyster founder and Chairman, RichardMatthews. Oyster regattas in theCaribbean have attracted as manyas 34 boats, but that’s CruisingCentral for most sailors. As Richardsaid, "There were eight boats inthe last Volvo, and just six in theOne Ton Cup, so having 14 boatsmake it all the way to Auckland isastounding." Ten of them sailed15,000 miles or more to getthere. These are the current cropof circumnavigators bent onjoining the growing body ofOyster owners who havecompleted the passageround the world.It helped that it was America’sCup season in Auckland. TheRegatta was scheduled during thebreak between the Louis VuittonCup final and the America’s CupVeteran sailor, Sir IanMcFarlane, who wassailing his third Oyster,the 68, In the Mood,took 3rd place overallin Class 1 and won theConcours d'Elegance16 www.oystermarine.com Brian Stokes, Oyster 70, Thunder was a welcome addition tothe fleet, having taken part in Oyster's 2002 Antigua Regatta

‘One could tell by the excitedconversations and handgestures that racer’s hearts werebeating beneath the cruisingfaçades of these sailors’match between Switzerland’s Alinghi andTeam New Zealand. TNZ’s second defenseof the Cup is simmering with controversyover the innovative hull "appendage"(Hula) fitted under the New Zealand boats’counters. And the fact that hometownhero Russell Coutts, skipper of the lasttwo New Zealand wins, took the big bucksto change hats and steer the Swiss boathas been unsettling to the localpopulation. Coutts’ move also created anall-New Zealand final, in terms of skippers.The Regatta’s inaugural dinner on Fridayevening was held at the New ZealandYacht Squadron in a dining room wherethe glittering "Hundred Guineas Cup" wason display. The ornate, silver America’sCup has a strong presence. It wasattacked by a radical Mauri with a hammernot long after New Zealand won it in 1995.The fact that it is now encased in bulletproofplexi-glass, with a wooden enclosurehovering above it ready to drop intoprotective custody at the push of a button,adds to the ornate old trophy’s aura.The Oyster 435 Tamoure was a worthy Concours d'Elegance winnerKawau Island party at Pink on the RocksThe fleet powers away from the start ofRace 1 against the Auckland city skylinewww.oystermarine.com17

Oyster New Zealand Regatta 2003Kay Miles' Oyster 70, Blackwater, crossing tacks with two 62's, Oystercatcher XXIV and QuestIt was a prime time to be in NewZealand, and Richard Matthews madethe most of the opportunity to show theOyster colors, literally. New Zealand isthe only place other than the UK whereOyster yachts are being built. KimMcDell’s yard outside Auckland hasrecently launched two new Oysters. Oneis the second Oyster 49, the other is the53, Southern Aurora. Both were part ofthe 2003 Regatta. So on Saturday whena huge Oyster flag was spotted flyingover the center span of the AucklandHarbour Bridge as the fleet of 14 yachtsparaded underneath, the sailors knewRichard had been at work. Flying abovethe big, winged "O" was an equally largeUnion Jack, of course. An honor guard ofa dozen stalwarts from the BritishEmbassy was standing proud atop thebridge, braced against the strongnorthwesterly breeze.Earlier on Saturday the Oysters hadassembled stern-to for a group photoopportunity at a long floating dock justoutside the Viaduct Basin, home of theAmerica’s Cup syndicates. While Richardand noted marine camera man GeorgeJohns made multiple passes in ahelicopter to record the gathering, I washappy to be among the sailors basking inthe beauty of a cloudless, sunny Aucklandday. Traffic out of Viaduct included the two18 www.oystermarine.comJohn Boyce, Hood Yacht Spars, with Kay Miles, owner of the Oyster 70 Blackwater

exotic black boats of Team New Zealandbound for a day of practice on the HaurakiGulf. Up close, they looked mean andlean, ultimate racing machines. Twentyminutes later, the two red-trimmed blackAlinghi boats towed past, equallyimpressive. The sightings had the soberingeffect of having watched two heavyweightfighters jog past close enough to smelltheir sweat, one after the other, just daysbefore they would step into the ring.‘There were eight boats in thelast Volvo, and just six in theOne Ton Cup, so having 14boats make it all the way toAuckland is astounding’Another bunch of racing machines wasencountered at the starting line acrossfrom North Head at the entrance toAuckland Harbor. An international skiffregatta was using the same starting area.Soon the 14 Oysters were jockeying forposition with half a dozen antique, overcanvassedSydney 18-foot dinghies,and a fleet of smaller wooden "M" skiffsfrom the 1920s.The delicate Sydney "eye-deens" canmeasure over 45 feet from tip of bowspritto end of boom, so it’s a toss-up whichcan manoeuvre faster: an Oyster 70 or aSydney 18. As luck would have it, wedidn’t have to find out. The Sydney crewscleared their paths with traditional volleysof colourful language flung across thewater, and the Oysters were happy tomake way for the classic boats with theirgnarly crews.Race One to Kawau Island was a 26-milebeat into a 15-20 knot northeasterly,something a bit different for long distancecruising sailors accustomed to tacking nomore than once or twice a week. The oldHeritage 37, Lady Gray, won the start atthe committee boat end, but the newOyster 49 sailed by a hot local crewrecruited by her builder Kim McDell,showed the way. While the rest of the fleetwent left along Auckland city’s NorthShore, the 49 evaded the incoming tide bygoing right and hugging the curve ofRangitoto Island. The 70-foot Thunder wasfirst in, followed closely by OystercatcherXXIV and In The Mood, but the 49 had notrouble correcting to first. It was a treat tobe racing in the notorious Hauraki Gulf,where the America’s Cup courses are laidout. Off to the east in mid-Gulf, one couldsee the two Alinghi boats practicing, theirdark, carbon sails smudgeson the horizon.Rugged Kawau Island is a magical place.It’s eight miles across with a harbor cutdeeply out of its western side like a largepie wedge. There are approximately 75Bill Dodd owner ofthe Auckland basedOyster Heritage 37,Lady GreyMovie cameraman, George Johns, used a Westcamgyro stabilised camera to achieve incredible results -just wait til you see the movie!

Oyster New Zealand Regatta 2003The fleet stern-to, Viaduct Basin, Auckland‘When a huge Oyster flag wasspotted flying over the centrespan of the Auckland HarbourBridge as the fleetof 14 yachts paradedunderneath, the sailors knewRichard had been at work’permanent residents on the island who relyon their boats or a daily ferry to nearbySand Spit for supplies. Cables from themainland provide power and telephoneservice, water is drawn from dug wells orsprings, and that’s it for amenities. Thereare two very short "roads" used by a fewN.Z. Council vehicles.Kawauans live in no-frills cottages called"baches," short for bachelor pads. If onereally wants to get away into someserious peace and quiet, Kawau Islandhas to be on the short list. There arewalking paths through the brush linedwith big ferns, and a profusion of birdsincluding Wood Pigeons, Herons,Kingfishers, Wekas, Towhees, a handfulof shy Kiwis, and some rare Kookaburras.No one claims to have seen the lattertwo, but they are often heard.Kim McDell and his wife Jan hosted theOyster contingent at their bach locatedon a hillside overlooking the mouth of theharbor. By 8pm, the wind had dropped toa zephyr and the setting sun was bathingthe island in a thin orange light reflectingoff the now placid waters. Trees lining theridges of adjacent hills stood in starksilhouette. Before long the sky had turnedto black velvet dusted with stars. As wewalked the path back to the water’s edge,the eerie hooting of Wekas came from thebrush.On Saturday the sun was hot enough todo damage by 9am. The wind filled in late,delaying the start of the race aroundKawau until noon. Nolea, an Oyster 43racer from 1982 that owner Greg Duffetconverted to a cruising boat before sailingto New Zealand (54 days from the PanamaCanal to Auckland), found the ghostingconditions to her liking. Flying a redspinnaker so big it looked like a hand-medownfrom a Cup yacht, Nolea slipped intothe lead until a shift and the new breezebrought the wind ahead. Nolea didn’t keepher chute up on purpose. The halyard hadjammed in the sheave.The larger yachts charged into anotherpromising northerly, leading the fleet out toFlat Rock on Kawau’s north side. By thenthe breeze fell out, making it trickyrounding the Rock in a foul current. Manywas the depth gage that read under threemeters. Local fishermen kept a wary eyeon the passing yachts. Once on the westside, the breeze freshened again, providinga pleasant reach to the finish. This time itwas Thunder chasing Oystercatcheracross the line, with the Kiwi-builtSouthern Aurora close astern. Aurora wonClass II (under 60 feet), with Nolea rallyingto take second. Once again Kawau bachhospitality was extended to the fleet, witha barbecue spitting glowing embers intothe balmy night. One could tell by theexcited conversations and hand gesturesthat racer’s hearts were beating beneaththe cruising façades of these sailors. Onthe box, Joe Cocker was singing that he’dget by with a little help from his friends.The crew on the Oyster 55, Carelbi20 www.oystermarine.com

Oyster 62, Quest, in BonaccordHarbour, Kawua IslandOn Sunday, the race back to a finish offGulf Harbor began with a drifting match.As often happens in such conditions, thefleet split, with those on the left bettingon the sea breeze. This time the breezefilled suddenly, and with the typicalHauraki Gulf mix of vengeance andwhimsy, from the south. Those on theright - Oystercatcher, In The Mood,Blackwater, Quest, Thunder, SouthernAurora, Lady Grey - put at least a mileunder their keels before the left sideboats began to move. Soon it was bigboatweather, with 23 knots on the nose.The two 70s, the two 62s, and the 68gleefully put their shoulders down andlogged 9 knots plus on the wind.The special attraction of the trophypresentation at the Yacht Squadron onSunday night was a 40-minute highlightstape of the two days George Johns hadbeen shooting the fleet. When it comes toshooting on the water, Johns is the guru.He gave the Oysters his full America’sCup treatment.Veteran sailor, Sir Ian McFarlane spokebriefly after accepting his trophy for In TheMood’s third place overall in Class 1.When McFarlane, who admitted to nothaving raced a boat since 1949, said hewould look forward to doing it again nextyear, the sustained applause indicated hewasn’t the only one.Roger VaughanEveline Frankefortreceives the 'Spirit ofthe Regatta' awardfrom Jan McDell andRob Humphreyswww.oystermarine.com21

SPONSORED BYRaymarineON BOARDThe fleet pass North Head out of Rangitoto Channel on their way to Kawau IslandOWNEROYSTERBill DoddsLADY GREY Heritage 37Peter Fitch & Misty McIntoshTAMOURE 435Michael HeimannORPLID 45Greg DuffetNOLEA 46Terry McDellKIWI OYSTER 49 49David HulstonSOUTHERN AURORA 53David & Valerie DobsonKANALOA 55Chris Smith & Fiona CampbellCARELBI 55David & Barbara WardleBAKER STREET 55Richard Matthews & James Flynn OBEOCXXIV 62Maurice & Eveline FrankefortQUEST 62Sir Ian McFarlaneIN THE MOOD 68Kay MilesBLACKWATER 70Brian & Oonagh StokesTHUNDER 70Photos: Richard MatthewsOverall regatta winner, David Hulston's new Oyster 53, Southern AuroraCrews relaxing atViaduct basin

Oyster New Zealand Regatta ResultsRACINGClass 1Class 2Overall1st Thunder - Oyster 70 - Brian Stokes2nd Oystercatcher XXIV - Oyster 62 - Richard Matthewsand James Flynn OBE3rd In the Mood - Oyster 68 - Sir Ian McFarlane1st Southern Aurora - Oyster 53 - David Hulston2nd Kiwi Oyster 49 - Oyster 49 - Terry McDell3rd Kanaloa - Oyster 55 - David Dobson1st Southern Aurora - Oyster 53 - David Hulston2nd Oystercatcher XXIV - Oyster 62 - Richard Matthewsand James Flynn OBE3rd Kiwi Oyster 49 - Oyster 49 - Terry McDell4th In the Mood - Oyster 68 - Sir Ian McFarlaneCONCOURS D'ELEGANCEClass 1 Thunder - Oyster 70 - Brian StokesQuest - Oyster 62 - Maurice FrankefortClass 2Tamoure - Oyster 435 - Peter FitchBaker Street - Oyster 55 - David WardleDavid Hulston,overall regattawinner, receivesthe winners trophyfor Class 2 fromDenette WilkinsonMichael Heimannand Lisette Paradis,owners of the Oyster45 Orplid from Franceflew into Auckland justin time for the regatta

MasterCraftsmanN EWS FROM S OUTHAMPTON Y ACHT S ERVICESPiers Wilson, right, is with Alan Johnson MP,Minister of State for Employment Relations,Industry and the Regions, at SYS on a factfinding tour in 2002.Piers often uses the phrase “seriousabout service”, this was illustratedrecently when the superyacht ‘Le GrandeBleu’ (354’) called into Southampton UK forjust one day. The task was to mount a boatcradle in solid teak to accommodate a new68’ Sunseeker powerboat to be used as atender.“at SYS we have a slogan,‘where tradition andcraftsmanship meettechnology’, this applies to theOysters we build, as well asour repair and refit operation”The programme hinged on the SYS teamcompleting the task so the ‘Tender’ lyingalongside, could be winched on deck andthe yacht depart. Needless to say theprocess was completed on-schedule to thedelight of both the yacht’s representativeand the owner.At the time of going to press, SYS hasthree Oyster 82’s and two Oyster 62’s inbuild. The large shed is in full swing workingon a restoration project. Elsewhere in thePiers Wilson, Managing Directorlarge Saxon Wharf complex, work carrieson with other interesting projects such asthe Fife built classic ‘Belle Aventure’.Piers adds, “We have an excellent mixof current projects which suits thewealth of experience found in ourworkforce, and would welcome theopportunity to update and refit thelarger Oysters as part of our ongoingsupport for owners”.SUNKEN TREASURE IN RESTORHer cargo included zinc and tungsten, butmore importantly for this story, teak logsmarked BBTC which identified it being fromthe Bombay Burma Timber Company.OYSTERS ON PARADEIn conjunction with last year’s InternationalSouthampton Boat Show, probably themost successful show ever for Oyster,seventeen Oysters formed an impressiveraft of brokerage opportunities next doorto the SYS facility.Courtesy cars ferried interested partiesdirectly from the Show and illustrated thespace and benefits found at Saxon Wharfand SYS.Pictured above is a small piece of the teak log surface,complete with wormholes, seen against finished teak doors forthe refitted interior. The fine grain teak perfectly matches theexisting deckhouse in this new panel (right).The latest restoration project atSouthampton Yacht Services is somethingof a time warp. A classic 1907, 92’gentleman’s motor yacht currently beingrestored and refitted is benefiting from teaksalvaged from a cargo vessel sunk in 1917.On the 8th July 1917, the 6348 gross ton,330’ cargo vessel ‘PEGU’, on a voyage fromRangoon to Liverpool was sunk by a mine7 miles off Galley Head in Ireland.

ADVERTISING FEATUREATION PROJECTThe vessels cargo was part salvaged severaltimes over the years and about 8 years agoPiers Wilson of Southampton YachtServices bought a consignment of thetimber for stock.Managing Director Piers Wilson takesup the story:“When I bought thisconsignment of teak, I wasinterested in both the qualityand the length of the timber,which I knew one day wouldsuit a restoration project thatrequired long timbers such asking-planks and matchedtimbers for deckhouses. Lastyear the ideal project camealong, a classic 92’ motor yacht.The logs were cut into 2” planksand carefully stored to dry overthe last eight years. When weplaned the wood it wasapparent that the teak was ofexceptionally fine grainindicating slow growth, a veryrare commodity these days.”LOCATIONLOCATIONLOCATIONThat’ll beSaxon Wharfthen.Located on the upper reaches ofthe river Itchen in SouthamptonUK, Saxon Wharf is the home toSYS. As you can see from thisaerial picture, the 200 tonTravelhoist can bring yachts rightto the SYS facility. Superyachts areregular visitors and pictured here is Oceanco’s182’ ‘Lady Christine’ looking surprisingly smallalongside the large jetty in A Basin.With Southampton airport close-by and withideal rail and road links, visiting SouthamptonYacht Services could not be easier.OYSTERS IN BUILDThe Oyster fleet at SYS, as outlined in the introduction, is inmany stages of completion. Just arrived is the latest 82’ hull,the other two 82’s are progressing well, a 62 is due for launchduring March and another in April. Then 66-11’s hull arrivesearly March and a further 62 hull in April filling the lastposition in our main build hall.Even with the steady new-build Oyster programme, SYS hascapacity for Oyster refits, other new-build projects and classicrestorations.BMF Student of the YearCompetition 2002Craig Mitcham, pictured here with SYS retired co-founder BobParsons, was awarded the runner-up accolade at the LondonBoat Show on 10th January accompanied by SYS workmanager Russ Young.The award is testimony to the on-goingquest for quality and the support SYSinvests in student training.On 30th December, Bob Parsonscelebrated his 80th birthday and waspresented with a celebratory magnum ofchampagne by Piers Wilson at SYS priorto the Christmas break on December19th 2002.YACHT BUILDERSSouthampton Yacht Services Ltd.Saxon Wharf Lower York StreetNortham Southampton SO14 5QF EnglandTelephone +44 (0)23 8033 5266 Fax +44 (0)23 8063 4275www.southamptonyachtservices.co.ukOWEN

2002 ARCTHE ATLANTIC RALLYOyster 406 Muskrat Peter and Anne ThomsonOyster 41 Gallivanter II Edward DuckettOyster 435 Nosille Roger and Valerie EllisonOyster 45 Crescendo Gerald GoetgeluckOyster 45 Iona Bess Michael and Jane Gerard-PearseOyster 485 Frequent Flyer Keith MillsOyster 53 Sea Life Michel GiroudOyster 53 Sandpiper of London Eugene BannonOyster 53 Crackerjack John PodburyOyster 55 Kealoha VI Leslie HollidayOyster 55 Snooty Fox Rafael BestardOyster 56 Kuyenda Jonathan MouldOyster 56 Renee Two Michael DickinsonOyster 56 Forever Young Brian HallOyster 61 Rasmus Hannes and Steffi FehringOyster 62 Dorado Terry King-SmithOyster 66 Sarita of Iken Robert GillespieOyster 53 Glass Slipper Tom and Gretchen Carbaugh (Antigua)Oyster 53 Drangonfly of Upnor Roger and Jo Dawe (Antigua)OYSTERS MAKE THE TOP 10 IN FIVE CLASSESOysters have been the most prolific participants since theARC started 17 years ago. This year, the 19 Oysterstaking part in the 2002 ARC featured well in the Resultswith nine making the top 10 in their respective classes.Oyster 56, Forever Young was the fourth boat to finish in Class Band 5th on corrected time. In Class C Oysters filled three of the topfive slots, with the Oyster 55, Snooty Fox, Oyster 55 Kealoha andOyster 53 Sandpiper taking 2nd, 3rd and 4th places respectively.In Class F, the Oyster 41 Gallivanter II was 2nd and the Oyster 45Iona Bess was 5th. Gallivanter II was overall winner of the Oystertrophy for the first Oyster on corrected time. The Oyster 62,Dorado took the prize for the first Oyster over the line, finishing in14 days, 6 hours.10th ATLANTIC CROSSING FOR OWNER OF SNOOTY FOXWe salute all those owners and crews who took part in the 2002ARC, but none more so than Sinto Bestard, who completed his 10thAtlantic crossing in his Oyster 55, Snooty Fox. Sinto, who is 71,has been totally blind for the last 25 years, a fact that hasn'tstopped him from sailing around the world in Snooty Fox and beingrecognised as one of Oyster's growing list of circumnavigators.Sinto, who learnt to sail in his native Mallorca, claims that "my life issailing – I can feel the wind in my skin and I know where the ropesare. It is only when I go ashore I get lost". We look forward tomeeting up with Sinto at the UBS Oyster Regatta in April.NOT QUITE THE ARC ONE OWNER HAD IN MINDFor Peter and Anne Thomson, owners of the Oyster 406 Muskrat,the 2002 ARC wasn't quite the uneventful crossing they had inmind when they set out from Las Palmas.The jubilant crew from Gallivanter II - winners of the Oyster Trophy"We want to record our appreciation for the support given to us in LasPalmas by the Oyster team. One reason we did the ARC is because ofthe Oyster backing but we had no idea of the extent of the support wewould receive. As the owners of the smallest Oyster in the fleet, andone that was 16 years old, we expected, at best, a cursory quick visitby one of your team the day before leaving. In fact a three-man teamdescended on us and went right through the boat, including amasthead rig inspection. We cannot speak more highly of the team'sprofessionalism and willingness to help – thank you so much."Peter and Anne Thomson, Oyster 406 Muskrat.Hannes Fehring's 61, Rasmus26www.oystermarine.com

FOR CRUISERSPeter, a retired Lee-on-Solent Coastguard helicopter pilot, whoseeldest son, Alex Thomson, skippered the winning boat in the 98/99Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, caught the sailing bug when,in 1991, he was involved in rescuing Anne after she was injuredwhilst racing in the Solent. Anne needed over 20 stitches to a headinjury but didn't let that put her off sailing and later went on tomarry her rescuer! Peter and Anne purchased Muskrat in 2000.The 45, Iona Bess, makes a night-time arrival into St LuciaAfter an exhilarating three days sail, making around 170 miles aday, the Thomsons expected to arrive in St Lucia within around 18or 19 days of leaving Las Palmas, but became involved in therescue of the stricken Hunter 450, F2, which had lost her rudder.Picking up the message on the Pan Pan, Peter and Anne turnedback to reach F2 and stood by whilst waiting for help from theJubilee Sailing Trust's, Tenacious. With Tenacious still some wayoff, Muskrat tried to take F2 in tow but was unsuccessful.While the crew of Tenacious tried to construct a new rudder, Peterand Anne hove–to for three days before setting off in convoy withF2. After three days all looked well and F2 encouraged Muskrat tocontinue their crossing. Before departing, Peter set up F2 Net, asafety net for F2's owners in which all the boats following wouldkeep a four-times daily check on their progress. Unfortunately justhours later, F2' s jury rudder also failed and Peter and Anne had tomake a 59 mile passage into the wind to get back to them, alongwith fellow ARC yachts Lorrigray II and Toutazimut.Snooty Fox owner, Sinto Bestard, an Atlantic veteranWith a large swell developing and the boat drifting in the directionof Venezuela, the decision was made for F2s owners to abandontheir boat and Peter, who was equipped with the most rigid dinghyof the three boats standing by, transferred the owners and theirbelongings to the Dix 65, Lorrigray II, before F2 was scuttled.Michel Giroud's Oyster 53, Sea LifeMuskrat arrived in St Lucia to a heroes welcome, alongsideLorrigray II with F2's rescued owners and dog on board. A fleet ofdinghies came out to welcome them in.As Peter and Anne told us later, "we are delighted with theperformance of Muskrat and have no doubt that, without ourvarious excursions, we would have arrived in St Lucia in around19 days".Muskrat got a heroes welcome on arrival into St LuciaANYONE NEED A HAIRCUT?One of the youngest crews taking part in the 2002 ARC was thaton board Gallivanter II, winner of the Oyster Trophy for thefastest 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 withtrue student enterprise, to earn some extra beer money, theywere offering haircuts on the pontoon in Las Palmas at six Eurosa time. Whether anyone on board was qualified to cut hairremains a mystery!Photos: Tim WrightGallivanter II wasanother nightime arrival

The start of a new day mid AtlanticMY ARCSTORYBy Terry King-SmithOwner - Oyster 62Dorado of BeaulieuIN THE BEGINNINGI wonder how many times, when one issailing in the English Channel in midsummer,wrapped up in wet weather gear,one says, "Oh to be in a decent climate" Youcan count on the fingers of one hand thereally nice days when you can wear just a T-shirt and bare feet. With retirement loomingwe decided to take the plunge, buy a biggerboat and take it to the Caribbean.Matters began to take shape at the 2000Southampton Boat Show when wewere shown the new Oyster 62, later to bedisplayed at London. We were hooked andwere lucky to step into a slot that meant Icould plan on taking part in the 2002 ARC.I wanted to know more about our intended destination so we chartered the Oyster 66AnnaCay for two weeks. We had to find out what it was really like in the Caribbean. Thischarter gave me a great opportunity to visit various islands and learn first hand from theskipper of AnnaCay. His knowledge and experience was a great help in selecting the manyextras that we needed, getting the layout right, davits for the heavy RIB we wanted, andspace to stow the water-skis etc.Long before our new 62 was ready for handover, I sat in my study looking at the ARC 2002application form. I knew I had to send it in but my previous 30 odd years of sailingexperience could never be described as "blue water sailing." Nothing ventured, nothinggained, 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 butknowledge 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 aprogramme to get to Las Palmas, including crew, but now had to start to get the many sparesand 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, nomake 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 cardboardboxes on board I decided to make some small suitable wooded-compartmented boxes toplace beneath the settee cushions where most of these dry stores would be stowed.28 www.oystermarine.com

USEFUL TIPMake 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 amazedhow much has been put away and listed. Now you know exactly where to find those DeckRing "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 homefor the last 22 years and set off for Bayonne. Our first night in the Channel was especiallycalm and clear. Not so Ushant and it was a blessing when we moved off the ContinentalShelf into real deep water. Now we had the long swell of the Atlantic, but not sufficient windto keep up a satisfactory speed. Time was important because of the return requirements ofthe crew so we motor-sailed. The highlight of our Biscay passage was sighting a smallschool of whales, otherwise it was dodging big ships. At least six to ten were visible at alltimes 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 excellentyacht club and facilities ashore. I recommend it; we stayed there two days before pushingon 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 ofthe best we came across was Puerto Calero in Lanzarote. It is very clean, well kept withexcellent restaurants and facilities. The supermarket is very limited but the main townAricife is not far away. The engineering and repair yard is excellent and a good place to belifted, antifouled and polished. My advice on mooring up in Las Palmas is don’t go on thewall 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 finalpreparations. The market in the centre of town is outstanding and very competitive. Youneed a couple of visits to be aware of all the products that are available. Our fruit andvegetables 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. Mostmeats and other items were purchased from El Corte Ingles, which was of a very highstandard and most helpful. They will vacuum pack cuts of meat and sliced ham forinstance, 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 tolegs of lamb, chicken pieces, sausages and more. Make a point of finding out exactly whatyour crew’s likes and dislikes are. We had to hide the bacon from one watchkeeper whodelighted in making bacon buttes to see him through the early morning watch.Richard King-Smithwww.oystermarine.com 29

THE STARTCareful analysis of the weather faxes in the preceding days could not have foreseen thecontrasts of the start. Just off the marina area there was no wind. I think we were movingat 1.5 knots when we crossed the start line. Several hours later when we rounded southof Grande Canaria we were in a SW gale! Right on the nose. We headed south to getaway 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 and5pm to 10pm team enjoy more daylight we changed our clocks one hour back at middaythree 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 spinnakerup every morning and down before sunset. It was the cry of, "All hands on deck to set thespinnaker" at 1000 each morning. Particularly when we had the strong winds in the middleof the trip, we hand steered during the day. There was never any shortage of volunteersbecause 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 awayfrom St Lucia when it became rainy, squally and cloudy. The swell from the north during themiddle of the trip was something to see, 200 metres between crests confused by asecondary swell from the East and 25 - 35 knots of ENE wind.Annie Whaley and Mollie King-Smithponder on where to put all the storesNothing stayed put unless it was wedged in place. I recommend all galley lockers have frontand cross fiddles and you should acquire a 6-place bottle carrier such as that used by themilkman. When wedged in position in the galley it saved a lot of grief and spilt liquids.We remained on a starboard tack for the first seven days, then gybed. In all we gybed fourtimes, always in the late afternoon after we had taken down the spinnaker. We used IridiumZap email for communication plus the SSB for overnight weather reports that worked verywell. (Those that chose Kiel Radio had a number of difficulties) We reviewed these everymorning, sent our local weather and position reports and decided on any minor changes incourse. In the evening we received the position reports of other boats by email. Thisinformation is very helpful as it allows you the opportunity to track other similar yachts andmeasure 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 yachtsfurther north may have helped our course selection.30 www.oystermarine.com

OYSTER PROJECT MANAGER TIES KNOTOur main cooked meal was in the evening, thanks to Jonathan,and preparations started around 5.30pm. We would have a drink, ameal and watch a DVD every night. This would all be over by8.30 – 9.00pm to allow watch-keeper’s an early night! We soonsettled into the routine.Did we have any problems? Yes. I was grateful to have a computerexpert on board when my laptop decided not to connect to its preprogrammedcomms port. For the remainder of the trip we "hardwired" the Iridium (email) and the SSB weather, connecting as weneeded them. The masthead bolts holding the spinnaker blockgave way throwing the sail into the water. Inevitably when getting itback on board a rope went round the prop requiring Richard toswim down to free it. Fortunately we had two-spinnaker halyardsso the sail was soon back in use.A major highlight, worthy of champagne all round (my crew hadexpensive tastes) was when our navigator declared that we werehalf way. Thereafter it was miles to go and every morning when youcame on watch you were 200 miles nearer.Not content with spending his working day immersed in Oysters,Project Manager, Andrew Martin persuaded his fiancée, Sally, thatan ARC crossing would be the perfect prelude to a Caribbeanwedding. Andrew and Sally joined Terry and Mollie King-Smith onboard Dorado before tying the knot in St Lucia.A Caribbean WeddingBy Andrew Martin, Oyster Project ManagerAt sometime during the build ofDorado, Terry‘s second Oyster withmyself as Project Manager, the ideaof "Doing the ARC" was proposed.While I had always had an ambitionto cross the Atlantic the thought oftaking so much time away from workwould, I thought, require a specialexcuse. The idea lay dormant overthe winter.In Spring 2002 my girlfriend Sally and Ibecame engaged. We decided wewanted a quiet wedding, somewherewarm, and in the back of my mind anidea formed – I had found that specialexcuse! "How about we sail to StLucia and get married there?" The planwas hatched, we would sail on aluxurious Oyster 62 across the Atlanticand get Wed in St. Lucia. Terry waspleased to accept us on board so wewere on!Mr and Mrs MartinIn the following weeks I chatted to those I knew who had done thecrossing and various colleagues – "A good ARC is if you are still allspeaking to each other at the end" and "What! - You hope to stillbe getting married when you get there….Ho Ho" was the sort offeedback 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 theday before the ARC start having bailed out of work and weddingpreparations the day before. We arrived to meet our crewmateslooking tanned and in relaxed mood and having done all the hardwork of supplying and preparing the boat – good timing.It was when we were doing our last gybe, this time with thespinnaker, that I first sighted land – Martinique. I kept quiet about ituntil the boys had finished their foredeck work and the sails wereset. It was a very exciting time. We had done the trip in 14 days anda few hours. We were the 24th boat to arrive and the first Oyster. Wewere tied up in the Rodney Bay Marina by 4.30pm local time readyto enjoy our celebrations. My thanks go to my crew who all workedwell together, there were always plenty of volunteers for everything.Crossing the Atlantic? - You have to do it at least once!Eleven Oysters have already entered the 2003 ARC.Owners are advised to enter early as the event is usually fullmonths before the start. Information on current and futureevents can be found on www.worldcruising.com or contactJeremy Wyatt on Tel:+44 (0) 1983 296060After a light wind start we found a nice spinnaker reaching windand had a Dolphin leaping around us – the perfect send off fromthe Canaries.Fourteen days later…. we found ourselves approaching St. Lucia, thecrew still speaking to each other and myself and wife-to-be havingpassed not one cross word – what were they all talking about!Back on shore, Sally and I had a perfect Wedding Day in MarigotBay with parents, old friends and the Dorado crew. It had been agreat experience having arrived somewhere so far away by sea andnot in an airplane. It made our arrival and marriage in St. Lucia allthe more special.Thank you Terry and Mollie – when are we building the next one?www.oystermarine.com31

Peter and Matthewtrying to work out whichhemisphere we are infrom the stars - twominutes later they gaveup and looked at theelectronic chart!"It was exhilaratingyet boring, relaxingyet tiring, seat-of-thepantsyet predictableand a whole lot more"Oyster 56 owner, Mark Blythe,on his first Atlantic crossing'First timers on the high seas -The check-in lady took one lookat the box with corrosivesticker stuck all over it andour problems started. Just in caseyou weren’t aware, and I certainlywas not, mercury eats aluminiumand, as the bulk of a Boeing 737is aluminium, we had to leave ourcalibrated thermometers behindin Luton!Skipper Matthew Watters withowner Mark BlytheWhat, I hear you asking, has this got to dowith sailing? Peter Cockcroft, a weatherforecaster from the BBC, was one of the crew forLuskentyre’s first Atlantic crossing. Peter had arranged with the Met Officeand Southampton University’s Department of Hydrography to carry outobservations and readings throughout our passage. This would, we hoped,give us something to do as we cruised across the Atlantic. Fortunately ourloss of the thermometers did not put paid to the readings as were able touse the instruments on board.We were due to leave Las Palmas about a week before the ARC, becauseLuskentyre, our new Oyster 56, was going to appear at the Nicholson CharterBoat 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 ratherbumpy week at anchor, waiting for us to arrive, just outside the marina in LasPalmas. A point worth remembering, Las Palmas is not the world’s mostbeautiful place at the best of times, and Las Palmas in November is like theM25 in rush hour when it comes to boats. If you are not an ARC boat you canforget coming alongside.32 www.oystermarine.com

Peter and I finally arrived after a tortuousjourney via Madrid and, with ourdeparture the following evening, we setabout the final preparations for thecrossing. The local supermarket wassuperb (and considerably richer for it) indelivering our copious stores on board.Much to our amazement everythingdisappeared out of sight with stacks moreroom. By early evening of the followingday we were alongside a Swan 78,Capercaillie, at the fuel dock. Refuelledand ready we were waiting for our finalcrew member, Beach, to arrive. The taxipulled up, Beach negotiated his way overCapercaillie, cast off the bow line,stepped aboard and we were on our way– he had been on the ground in theCanaries for under an hour!I had been desperately setting up our newZap email account on the computer andas we nudged out in the dark round thebreak water you could feel the previousdays storm swell begin to churn the boat.Head bowed over the computer is notthe best place to be with little wind,quartering sea and a long passage ahead.But it worked – our regular log diary, whichwas to appear on the BBC’s website –interestingly called Pete’s Passage,needed email and it would get throughafter all!As we slipped down the east coast ofGran Canaria we made our last GSM callsand began to prepare ourselves for what,apart from Matthew, was to be our firsttransatlantic. Probably with the mixture ofexcitement, apprehension, fatigue and abit of fear most of us soon foundourselves feeling far from 100% in theuncomfortable motion of the windlessocean swell.Crossing the Atlantic'Having been used to navigating aroundthe Channel and the Mediterranean it wasa bizarre prospect looking at the chart andrealising that, provided we did not bumpinto Tenerife, a sunken container, a whaleor boat, the only navigational hazardahead was, well, emptiness. Our Maxseasoftware had downloaded the latest gribweather file and told us to head a littlefurther west than the traditional trade windcourse. It predicted that the winds wouldhold better the further west we got. Wewere to be impressed by this bit ofsoftware 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 weatherobservation which was sent to the MetOffice by SatC twice a day, banter, sunbathing, praying for more wind, tinkeringwith the sails, trying to get comfortable,lunch, catch a fish (they nearly always biteat a meal time - and yes, we caughtsixteen Dorado in the crossing and ate likekings), more sun bathing, read, tinker withsales, watch The Godfather on DVD andthen begin the night watch.Oyster 56, Luskentyre Photo: Nico MartinezI was trying to describe to my wife whatcrossing the Atlantic is like. I first askedher to imagine what it would be like to drivea car across miles of moorland at 8 milesan hour, with the occasional herd of giantred deer charging at you in your headlights.www.oystermarine.com33

"Luskentyre leantcomfortably intothe wind, hertransom bit intothe sea and sheaccelerated towardsEnglish Harbour"34 www.oystermarine.comPhoto: Nico Martinez

headI neverwas goodat analogies – itwas exhilarating yetboring, relaxing yet tiring,Peter Cockcroft, Patrick "Beach" Seakins,MatthewWatters(skipper),LenDelicaetseat-of-the-pants yet predictable anda whole lot more. If you are wonderingwhat the red deer analogy was – squalls.Tropical squalls are curious beasts, mostevenings they were as regular asclockwork. About an hour or so afterdark you began to see their reflection onthe radar repeater in the cockpit. Themoon did not rise till much later so it wasincredibly dark. We wound the main in alittle as a precaution and as the smudgeon the radar caught us up, the windwould normally increase by up to 15knots. Having got used to them weenjoyed their arrival for the first week orso, but when we were in the glorioustrades proper with winds rarely droppingbelow 18 knots for about five days, thesesame squalls became a pain. Theyactually acted as a barrier to the normaltrade wind flow. As they approached,the wind would drop and veersignificantly. As the squall passedthrough you would have asleigh ride which could, insome cases, last for as longas forty minutes, only thenwere you able to revert tothe original course.sign and readings which we haduploaded via SatC just three hours earlierwere on the weather fax. This reallyshowed the value of what we were doingfor other mariners in the same part of theAtlantic as us.Indeed other than food, DVDs and thecrew’s general poor standard of humour,the weather, and in particular the wind,became of almost obsessive importanceto us. We became fixated, or was it justme, on getting to Antigua as quickly aswe could. Getting an extra half a knothere or the prospect of losing the wind ina couple of days became the centre ofour lives. But 400 miles out from Antiguawe had a pleasant surprise – Capercailliethe huge Swan we had been alongside atthe fuel dock who left later that eveningwas in VHF range about ten miles awayfrom us. Incredibly we had kept pacewith her the whole way over. Moreevidence of the relative speed of ourcrossing was to follow that eveningwhen, after almost eleven days withoutseeing another boat we passed within200 yards of a Swan 57. She had left twodays before we had and yet we were toarrive in English Harbour six hoursbefore her.First light and a grey squall cloud,probably the biggest yet, came thunderingfrom the East. We could just make outPeter Cockcroft, our man from the BBC,setting up the scientific instruments tomeasure air and sea colour as part of ourweather researchShirley Heights in the gloom about sevenmiles ahead. This was not the Caribbeanwe had been expecting.Luskentyre leant comfortably with thewind, her transom bit into the sea andshe accelerated towards English Harbour.We had made it. As we hardened up andturned to starboard for the harbourentrance, as if on cue, a dolphin jumpedclear from the water welcoming us toAntigua. Why do we sail – I cannot think?Mark Blythe - OWNER OF OYSTER 56, LUSKENTYREFACT BOXLuskentyre is available for charterin the Windward Islands, basedout of St Lucia. Typical charterscover the stunning Grenadinesincluding Mustique, Bequia andTobago Cays. Matthew yourBritish skipper and George yourlocal cook are on hand tomake your holiday a dream.Call +44 (0)1865 858383or visit our websitewww.oysteradventure.comAs we made our steadyprogress across the Atlanticwe soon found the bestweatherfax came from USCGBoston. We were also impressedto see that Luskentyre’s callCrew Photos: Mark BlytheBeach gutting dinner, or was it lunch or breakfast? Wecaught and ate so many Dorado we soon lost count!www.oystermarine.com35

SAIL SETTINGBy Matthew Vincent of Dolphin SailsWelcome to Part 1 of aseries of articles designedto help you get the bestfrom your sails.Issue by issue we will begiving you some handyhints and techniques toassist you in makingyour boat sail faster,as well as extendingthe life of your sails.We will also beadvising you onthe best carefor your sails.PAY ATTENTION TOYOUR TENSIONSThe tensions applied to sails can becritical to your boat performanceand sail life. Correct tension onhalyards, genoa car position,sheets, out-hauls, battens (fullybattenedsails), leach and foot linesand backstay can make asignificant difference to both theshape of your sails and the speedof your boat through the water.In this article we will be looking atthe tensions as they apply to your headsail.Photo 1 Example of slack main halyardand very slack genoa halyardHALYARD TENSIONTo produce a shape in the sail that permits the boat to be easier to steer and also reducesexcessive heel, the halyard needs to be correctly tensioned. The correct tension positionsthe 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 isrequired to maintain the draft in the correct position. A good rule of thumb is to tension thehalyard until the horizontal creases just disappear. However, It is possible to over-tensionthe halyard. If you see a hard vertical crease running up the luff of the sail, you have createdtoo 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 requiremore halyard adjustment than laminate sails.CAR POSITIONThe next control to look at is the headsail car position fore and aft (See Diagram 2 andPhotos 2 and 3), often referred to as the sheeting angle. Most headsails come with threevertical 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 thesheet angle aims about 40-45% up the luff, from the tack. Sail close-hauled and slowly luffthe boat. Watch how the tell-tales respond. If all tell-tales lift simultaneously then the car isSheet angle aimsat approx.40-45% up luffDIAGRAM 2 SHEETING ANGLEDIAGRAM 1 DRAFT POSITIONmaximum draft positionLuff insufficiently tensionedDraft aft of centre pointluffleachTell talesmaximum draft positionLuff correctly tensionedDraft forward of centre pointluffleach

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

FACT BOXTop racing sailors adjust their sailswith every change in condition, bethat a knot of windspeed or analtered sea stateTo lengthen the life of your rollerheadsail always ease halyard tensionafter your passageWhen leaving the boat always ensureyour sail is tightly rolled and the clew issecurely held so the sail can’t unravelRegular inspection of all your sailsmay prevent ongoing damageAnnual washing of your sails toremove salt and dirt will increase thelife of themCarrying a well chosen and fullystocked repair kit onboard willenable you to make necessaryrunning repairs and could saveyou expenseIf in doubt about a repair consult thenearest sailmaker. Repair kits areavailable from Oyster After Sales ordirect from Dolphinset 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 carneeds to be adjusted aft.If the boat becomes over-pressed (too much sail for the given wind conditions), beforerolling 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 headsailneeds to be furled, the car position should be moved forward to compensate. This willmaintain a good sheeting angle.SHEET TENSIONSheet tension obviously has a major effect on windward ability and performance. Sailing towindward you are looking to achieve the best velocity made good (VMG). Attention to theleach position of the sail, relative to the spreaders via the sheet tension, will pay dividends.In flat water the best VMG is achieved by setting the leach within a few inches of thespreaders. This gives high pointing ability. In rougher waters easing the sheet to allow theleach to clear the spreader by 1-3 feet, whilst reducing pointing ability, will produce betterperformance. Similarly, easing the mainsail traveller down a little in these conditions willhelp your VMG.LEACH AND FOOT LINESThe leach and foot lines in a sail are intended as anti-fluttering controls. If a sail has aflutter, then tension should be applied to either the leach line or the foot line, in order tocalm it. It is necessary to apply only enough tension to stop the movement, so a gentlehand will produce the best result.A small amount of leach 'hook' could occur as a result of tensioning your leach line.This is preferable to a constant fluttering sail. Applying tension tothe leach and foot lines, as necessary, will prevent damage to the sailand prolong its life. Therefore, it is wise to loosen the leach and footline when the tension is not required.BACKSTAYSome boats have easily adjustable backstay tension. Increasing thebackstay tension straightens the forestay and enables the boat topoint higher. Some sag will always occur so don't expect toachieve a straight forestay. Also take care not to over tensionbackstay beyond mast manufacturer/riggers recommended limits.IN THE NEXT OYSTER NEWS WE WILL LOOK ATMAINSAIL TENSIONS/ SETTINGS AND HOW THEYAFFECT BOATSPEED AND HANDLING.RECOMMENDED READINGPhoto 2 Both halyards nicely tensioned, also showsgenoa car slightly back for the bumpy conditions,opening up genoa leach and flattening the foot.Easy Reading: Looking at Sails- Bruce Banks and Dick KennyMedium Reading: The Artand Science of Sailmaking- Tom WhiddenReference Book Level: TheAero/Hydrodynamics of Sailing- Tony Marchjai (pick and choosesections from this book)38 www.oystermarine.com

Chartering International Limited2 Babmaes StreetLondonSW1Y 6NTTel: +44 (0) 207 950 9800Fax: +44 (0) 207 494 0393LeasingFinancingEscrowInsuranceVAT & Tax ServicesChartering International (I.O.M) LimitedClinch’s HouseLord StreetDouglasIsle of ManIM99 1RZTel: +44 (0) 1624 683293Fax: +44 (0) 1624 678042E-mail: dos@ciluk.netWeb Site: www.ciluk.netContact: Declan O’SullivanInternational Safety ManagementPrivate and Commercial Yacht RegistrationProject ManagementCrew Recruitment and EmploymentAdvice on Purchase and Sale of YachtsA Tailored Yacht Management Service

MISSIONS IMPOSSIBLE40 www.oystermarine.com

Maurice Frankefort Savours a Good ChallengeB Y R O G E R V A U G H A NSomething had to be amiss, or out of place. We were starting a boat race inNew Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf , thirty seconds and counting down, 14 Oysteryachts trimming for speed and heading for the line in a moderate breeze, andsuddenly what sounded like a young child crying echoed throughout the fleet.In the cockpit of Oyster founder and Chairman Richard Matthews’ OystercatcherXXIV, we looked at each other, puzzled. Was it a strange bird, a weird boat noise?There it was again. "Waaaah." Unmistakable, and heartfelt.If this had occurred during a Wednesday night race at a local yacht club, it wouldn’thave been worth more than a smile. Lots of couples take their kids racing. But thiswas the New Zealand Oyster 2003 Regatta in New Zealand, and most of the boatswere on cruises round the world. That list includes Quest, the Oyster 62 fromwhence the cries emanated.The child in question is Alexis Frankefort, age 22 months, born just in time to joinhis 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 theyhave 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 sincehe was a boy growing up in Holland on his father’s cruising boats (one of whichwas an Oyster). When he was eight, he got a Laser. At 75 pounds, he needed afriend to help him sail it. In his mid-teens, keen enthusiasm for sailing turned to seafever. But it had to wait. His father, a success in the packaging industry and aformidable parent, said first Maurice must finish high school. Maurice complied,graduating from Blair Academy in the United States. Then he was ready to sailacross the Atlantic. His father urged him to wait, saying it would be a good idea toget a degree. Again, Maurice complied. He was admitted to NortheasternUniversity, but finished his degree in business administration at Webster Universityin Holland. With only his final semester ahead of him, his thoughts returned to anAtlantic crossing.Once again his father intervened, encouraging his son to work in the familybusiness. When that suggestion met with resistance, the father reasoned that manypeople had degrees. To be thoroughly prepared for the working world, he arguedthat 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 wouldsupport the cost of law school for Maurice only if his son could pass the first andmost difficult semester at Holland’s Leiden University at the same time he wasfinishing business school."Maurice Frankefortdecided he wantedto sail across theAtlantic when he was15, one ofthose adolescentdreams that refusedto go away"Today, when he recalls this mission impossible, Maurice Frankefort still looksslightly stunned. He is a youthful 37, an alert man of medium build with dark eyesthat are at once friendly and immensely curious. His energy is such that even atrest he seems in motion. "The Dutch government helps support students over thesix-year course of law study," he explains, "so they make the first year particularlydifficult in order to weed out those who aren’t really qualified." Maurice committedhimself to the task, somehow finishing his business degree and surviving the firstyear of Leiden. That was in 1988. Then came the shocker: his father changed hismind about underwriting the cost of law school. "In private life he was alwayswww.oystermarine.com 41

changing his mind," Maurice says of his father. "I’m not really sure what he wantedmost. I know he wanted me to work in the business. I tried that for two years whileI was at business school, and didn’t enjoy it. Mainly I think he wanted medependent on him.""A lot of people hadtold me I must becrazy, going off on aworld cruise Iwanted them to seethat we weren’texactly going to beroughing it"The Atlantic crossing was quickly moved from the back burner to the sideboard.That Frankefort would continue law school was a given. "I finish things that I start,"he says. But that meant earning money to pay for it. He worked as a bar tender, hedelivered newspapers, he was a bank courier and a night watchman, and hecleaned hotel rooms until a student friend passed on a job chauffeuring visitinglecturers brought in by the Global Panel, a speaker’s congress in Holland. "Imanaged to set up a relationship with BMW," Maurice says. "I came in at just theright time. They’d been involved with Global, but they wanted to expand theoperation. They gave me 40 brand new BMWs because they knew the cars wouldbe photographed while carrying the likes of Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter, HelmutSchmidt, and Robert Maxwell. I, and the students I hired to help me, would driveright 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 strangeto them – but we had a good relationship. I did this for three years and made goodmoney, about $7,000 US per event. I remember sitting around a breakfast table onemorning with several international dignitaries. When food arrived, Henry Kissingerpassed 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 tideand avoid specialization. "Once you specialize," he says, "you’re trapped, you cannever get out of the box. But studying law is good, especially the comprehensiveway they teach it at Leiden. A professor told me law is like the study of Latin, itforces 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 lookslike a pair, at least on paper."Frankefort belonged to the rowing club at Leiden, where he took notice of anattractive, serious young woman from Rotterdam named Eveline who came inregularly to work out. He didn’t like his chances with her. He figured he was a bittoo outgoing for the quiet, self-possessed blond. Eveline also took notice ofMaurice, 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 theFrench department. The breakthrough for them came at Senior Year Evening atLeiden’s Minerva fraternity. "That’s the night the seniors take over the place, so wewere in a festive mood," Maurice says,”Eveline and I finally got talking during theparty, and later she came to my place. The next day I called her and we arranged tohave 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 productstechnology. It wasn’t the business that appealed to him. He was inspired by the manwho 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 NewZealand, specializing in wood technology, and had a business degree as well. The twostruck up an immediate friendship. "Maurice is very intelligent," Alex says, "a goodperson to bounce ideas off. In general the Dutch are sensible about things. If aDutchman encounters a problem, he usually resolves it in an unemotional way." Alexwas 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 UKcompany, Maurice and Alex were traveling around Europe working on a variety ofprojects. The director provided financing, and set up a performance system for them toacquire equity. "We had moderate success," Alex says, "then the scene shifted to Asia."42 www.oystermarine.com

Both Alex and Maurice have signed contracts that prohibit them disclosing in anydetail what they were doing. They will say only that their project had to do with themanufacture of building products. But a picture emerges of the two of them workingout of a shipping container "office," deep in the steamy jungles of Malaysia, keepingan eye out for snakes in search of shade, while they were simultaneously developing aprocess, finding customers, designing manufacturing techniques, seeking otherfinancing and partnerships, and generally learning how business is done in Asia.Maurice managed the legal side as well, boning up on intellectual property law in orderto protect the processes they were inventing. It also meant time away from theirfamilies. One siege in the jungle lasted almost 18 months."I saw Eveline several times during that period," Maurice says. "Because I workedoutside, and Alex worked inside, which meant he spent his time in the factory withequipment that generated intense heat while I got to sit around airports waiting forflights. Those very intense years were an ordeal for both of us. The temperatureaveraged 40-50 degrees centigrade. It was worse for Alex because he spent moretime on site, and the whole thing was a shot in the dark besides. So it was hard tojustify bringing our wives over. We were working in shorts and T-shirts, living inbachelor conditions."Alex, on the other hand, says it was tougher on Maurice. Alex’s father was a teaplanter. As a result, Alex grew up in India and Africa and was used to life in thebush. The two of them worked six days a week, often until 11pm. On Sundays theywent exploring. The relationship of the two men is extraordinary. Each gives theother the lion’s share of credit. Despite the complex nature of their businesstogether, 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 andnetworking. 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 drivefrom 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 tomeet people they had encountered. There really was a very interesting side toPenang that we had judiciously avoided looking into because we just wanted towork. 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. ButMaurice and Alex never gave up their office in the container. When their gamble beganto pay off, the inconvenience of the container turned romantic. And from a publicrelations point of view, Maurice saw it as a telling and useful symbol of the company’shardscrabble beginnings, a threshold he wanted customers to experience. In 1997,International Paper Company bought them out, container and all.“It’s funny, in thecourse of buying myboat, I came to beknown as the Fairlineguy at Oyster eventhough I have beensailing all my life. Butguess who bought mypowerboat?Richard Matthews"Maurice and Eveline built a home in the South of France. A bit later they acquired apower boat, a 52-foot Fairline. "I had never even been on a power boat," Mauricesays. "My father is one of those people who hates powerboats unreasonably. Heused to embarrass me as a kid, ranting about powerboats moored near our sailboat. I remember being up on the fly bridge with Eveline, crashing along on theMed, the two of us laughing about what we had done. But it was great, there wererefrigerators everywhere, and we could phone from the boat and make dinnerreservations." One lovely evening on the Mediterranean they saw an Oyster sailingpast, and that was the end of the power boat. "It’s funny," Maurice says. "In thewww.oystermarine.com 43

course of buying my boat, I came to be known as the Fairline guy at Oyster eventhough I have been sailing all my life. But guess who bought my powerboat?Richard Matthews. He had it for years."After twenty years it was finally time for some ocean sailing. But like Alex Charlessays, “Maurice Frankefort is a thorough man. When he bought the Fairline, the firstthing he did was take a course that covered the maintenance and handling of theboat. He never had a crew, and did most of the work on the boat himself”. TheOyster he ordered would be ten feet longer, with a large, powerful rig and a dozensystems. While it was being built, he signed up for the six month yacht crewcourse at the well-regarded United Kingdom Sailing Academy (UKSA) in Cowes,England. Maurice used the opportunity to get qualified. He ended up acquiring hisYacht Masters Ocean papers as well as radio and medical licences."Planning theworld cruise hita temporary snagwhen it came tostarting a family,something they bothwanted. Compared toattending businessschool and law schoolat the same time,having a family whileon a world cruiseseemed easy"For all the Frankefort’s organization, planning the world cruise hit a temporary snagwhen it came to starting a family, something they both wanted. There really wasn’ttime to do both, unless the two were done concurrently. Compared to attendingbusiness school and law school at the same time, having a family while on a worldcruise seemed easy. With that issue resolved, Maurice and Eveline left for Coweswhere they rented an apartment. She took courses in navigation, emergencymedicine, and obtained her radio license, while he jumped into a tangle of diesel,air conditioning, and water-making mechanics that culminated in a rigorous sixweekvoyage on a steel 67-footer left over from the BT Challenge fleet. He says hewas trying to keep a low profile, pass as a guy preparing himself for a crew job ona yacht. For a while it worked. Mike Dymond, skipper of the BT boat, had a coupleof guidance sessions with Maurice, asking him what sort of work he was lookingfor. "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 knewhe was just a fellow crew aspirant. "He took in every piece of information that camehis way," Dymond says. "On the boat, he was the first to dive in if somethingneeded 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 wouldhave been glad to work on yachts. Eveline too. I’d want to work on as large andprestigious a sailing yacht as possible."They took delivery of the Oyster 62 in July, 2001. A little apprehensive about hisfirst command, Maurice asked Mike Dymond to sail the first voyage with him, 600miles to Cowes via Rotterdam where Eveline’s family lives. Dymond was impressedby the boat. "I can’t believe how much time they had spent researching andorganizing to make Quest exactly how they wanted her. Every detail had beenconsidered. I don’t know how they found time to take the courses and organize theyacht. Either one is a full time job." On that trip Dymond says he ate the best foodhe’s ever had on a yacht. In Rotterdam the Frankeforts christened Alexis, theirsecond 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," Mauricesays. "I wanted them to see that we weren’t exactly going to be roughing it." Sincethen, they have been cruising the world full time with the exception of Decemberand 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. Oneof the hazards of living aboard is the enjoyment of excellent health, and developingan immune system unused to coping with the cornucopia of germs that circulateamong landlocked children. Both Maurice and Eveline wondered how the boys44 www.oystermarine.com

would react to life on terra firma. Oscar had been complaining a bit about the boatbefore they left. But when he returned, Maurice says he was very glad to be back."The first thing he wanted to know was what happened to the davits? `Where isOscar’s boat, the dinghy that will take Oscar to the beach with his pail so he canget crabs?’" The davits had been taken off for reconditioning, but Maurice assuredOscar they would be back. Alexis doesn’t say much, but one could tell from hisslightly furrowed brow and puzzled look that going ashore to pick up a case ofchicken pox wasn’t such a good deal.Quest stood out at the Oyster 2003 Regatta in Auckland because of the scene ondeck as races started. Having one man running around doing everything while twosmall children frolicked in the cockpit and an extremely pregnant woman trimmedthe headsail was an unusual sight alongside boats with serious crews of six or eightadult sailors. Frankefort’s 62, with its roller-furling main and headsails, is designedto be handled easily by two people. But race mode would seem to require a bitmore attention. Not on Quest. The one race I sailed with him, Maurice spent fortyminutes of the first windward leg putting up the bimini with the help of thechildren’s nanny, a young woman named Ellie James from the famed NorlandCollege in London. Ellie is a recent addition to the boat. Maurice, Eveline and thechildren sailed 16,000 miles before she joined them in Fiji, November 2002. Theyadmit she has made a positive difference to their life aboard, and certainly Mauricewould have never gotten the bimini up without her help.Mike Dymond says when he first heard about Maurice and Eveline’s plan to sail toNew Zealand he thought they were off the wall. "It’s one hell of an undertaking," hesays, "and with the family, one hell of a responsibility. But I know Maurice needs achallenge, and a challenge this voyage would be." After bouncing around Europefor a few months, Quest’s route included the Canary Islands, St. Lucia, theCaribbean to the British Virgin Islands, Grenada, the Dutch Antilles, Columbia, theSan Blas Islands, through the Panama Canal to the Galapagos, the Marquesas,Tuamotu, French Polynesia, Tonga, and Fiji. Maurice says the longest they stayedanywhere was three days. Now here they were in New Zealand, celebrating theirreturn from vacation by going racing, more or less. When it was time for lunch, thetable was set in the cockpit, wine was poured, and Chopin’s second piano concertofloated out of the deck speakers. Maurice put the boat on auto pilot, and we all satdown to eat. "This," Maurice said, "is the way we like to race."Racing trophies aside, Maurice was proud that Quest was selected as the Concorsd’Elegance winner in her class. As skipper as well as owner, the polishedappearance 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 champagneas winner of the Oyster "Spirit of the Regatta" award.POSTSCRIPTJust 3 weeks after takingpart in Oyster's NewZealand regatta, we weredelighted to hear thatEveline gave birth toanother healthy baby boy,who they have namedVictor. Both Mum and babyare doing well and are backon board Quest. The familyplan to continue theircircumnavigation at thebeginning of April.Congratulations to Mauriceand Eveline from us allhere at Oyster.The Frankeforts have 18-20 months left in their circumnavigation. When Oscar turnsfive, their plan is to move ashore so he can begin his formal education. They areconsidering a short list of places to live, topped at the moment by the Hamptonson Long Island, New York. As for the rest, Maurice doesn’t have a specific plan. "I’lljust 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. Iwould get bored."But when he contemplates sailing away from New Zealand, Maurice looks a bitwistful. "We’re half way round the world," he says. "Every mile we sail brings uscloser to the end of this voyage."Roger Vaughanwww.oystermarine.com 45

The

When he arrived on "HMS Discovery" in1779, James Cook described the area as,"More thickly populated than those partsfurther south, the people more elaborately tattooed,their canoes more elaborately carved, the bay itselfbeautiful, with many good anchorages, the hills andvalleys round it, forests and cultivations beautifulalso". Cook named it The Bay of Islands and affirmed"with certainty that the Bay affords good anchorageand every kind of refreshment for shipping".View from Moturua Island towardsMotukiekie and Waewaetorea islandsThe Bay has another aspect inherently unique, forhere was the meeting place of two very differentcultures, Maori and European. In 1840 aconfederation of North Island Maori Chiefs signed aTreaty with England. Under the Treaty of Waitangithe Maori ceded Sovereignty to Queen Victoria butretained ownership of the land.Today, as beautiful as ever, The Bay of Islands is one of New Zealand’s signature cruisingareas and a must for visiting yachts.BayThe 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 thanenough to make this compact area a fascinating place to explore over a few days. Some120 miles North of Auckland the trip to the Bay is a daylight passage at 8 knots or can bebroken by a night at half distant Whangarei.ofThe 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, Waewaetoreaand Motorua, both had bays with sandy beaches and well kept walking trails. Their summitsoffered dramatic views across the Bay and other islands. WeIslandsparticularly enjoyed a two and half hour walk aroundMotorua with paths covered overhead by rich semi -tropical vegetation. In contrast with so many placesaround the world these islands are clean andunspoilt. We were told that visitors were welcomebut should leave nothing behind but their footprintsin the sand.Leavenothingbehindbut yourfootprintsRussell is the principal small town of the Bay area, easilyaccessible by anchoring off. It’s quiet, tranquil atmosphere, insulated fromthe bustle of today’s world, still has memories of a colourful past as the old whaling port ofKororeraka. In that day, when the whaling ships rode at anchor and the crews sampled thewares available in the grog-shops and brothels on the waterfront, it earned a reputation asthe "Hell-hole of the Pacific".Russell has a small but interesting maritime museum whose principal exhibit is anaccurate, very detailed one-fifth scale model of the Discovery, a converted collier fromWhitby. Many of the charts made by Cook during his time in New Zealand were still in useuntil relatively recently,Down the Veronica Channel from Russell is Opua, which, with its customs station, is themost 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 Matthewswww.oystermarine.com47

MIAMI TO STMAARTENWe 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 spentthree weeks in a wonderful sailing-cum-diving summer camp. We would take ten days toget there, including a short stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to drop off friends who were tosail with us. The rest of the crew consisted of Patrick, myself and Sophia, our daughterwho turned 12 on the trip, and Rob and Jane. Reality intervened: our friends had a deathin the family and cancelled; our boat was damaged by the heavens, and we got intimatelyentangled 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 enteredNew Providence Channel made it real, we were really off on our adventure. We had been inthe channel twice before, once to go to Freeport, once to visit Great Harbour Cay in theBarriers. But this time, it felt different. More serious somehow, since we had more distantdestinations 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 tohead southeast for San Salvador, our next waypoint, Talisman was now in the Atlanticswells. 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 ofabout 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 FiorentinoTHE THORNYBY GABRIELE FIORENTINO, OYSTER 61 TALISMANTalisman chugged along at about 5 knots SOG, with heaves slowing her down to fewer than2 knots. The main was out, but useless, the genoa was furled most of the time. The cutterrig was out, waiting. As it turned out, that was a good thing. After we had finally passedSan Salvador, we set the course further eastward in order to stabilize the boat and tohopefully make a little better headway, despite the additional miles. At night, frequentsqualls with high gusts got the better of the genoa, and it ripped. The winds increasedconstantly but shifted equally constantly and we rolled and tossed.During the night there was suddenly a loud noise, undecipherable. On a particularly badlanding coming down from a high swell/wave combination, one of the dinghy's carryingcables 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 seekshelter. Winds would increase to 30 plus winds with gusts of over 45 knots. While we havethe utmost confidence in the vessel, we were not so sure we wanted to spend our vacationTHAT 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.com405 pounds of Marlin, caught in the Turks & Caicos billfish tournament

"Nothing is perfect, nothing isnew, and everything is exactlyhow it should be, because noneof the new and perfect thingsare important in a place wherethe water and the sky are, andthe hills and the breeze gounder your skin into your soul"We decided to pull into the harbor of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos. Getting in thererequired calm nerves. We asked the dockmaster to take us in, and off we went on a zigzagcourse that seemed at times to beach us. Just outside the entrance to the harbor, he hailedus with "I'll be back in two hours" and left. The tide was too low. (Now we know whypeople like catamarans!) It took a while to set the anchor; the boys lowered the dinghy andexplored the rest of the passage. Good thing, too, because there were quite a few shoalsin the channel. The dockmaster came back to lead us in, we tied up at the fuel dock, andSophia kissed the ground. Literally.Because of the uncertainty of our passage, I arranged for Julian to fly into Provo. Just ashort trip from St. Martens to the Turks took him all day, via San Juan and Miami. A localfurniture maker repaired the genoa with a bit of garden furniture fabric, which actually helduntil 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 togetheragain and had rousing arguments. Sophia celebrated her 12th birthday. Life was good.Sophia celebrates her 12th birthdayWe had arrived just in time for the T&C billfish tournament, the Caicos Cup. We weresurrounded 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 ownagenda. We were there for four days and day after day they caught nothing, the fleet left inthe morning and returned late afternoon, empty handed. The weather was too rough. Onthe last day, a 405-pound Marlin was brought in and hung up on the dock. What amagnificent beast, even in its shackled state and with its bill cut off. One has to respect theskill of the fisherman, despite all the modern tools; it comes down to the angler andthe boatman.PATHWe left Provo late in the afternoon. The weather had improved and thewind was a little more in our favor. This was going to be wonderful - fivedays to St. Maarten, and then on to Saba, the magical mountain in thesea, which Julian really wanted to show us. At about 4am on thesecond night, a fuse in the panel blew. Patrick reset it. I woke uparound 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 mysticalmountain, for we would not see it on that trip. After 30 hours in100-degree cabins (we could not open any hatches because ofthe seas) we turned into Club Nautico in San Juan. Entering theport means passing the impressive, formidable El Morro. Justfor contrast, a few hundred feet further on we passed one ofthe biggest metal junk piles any of us has probably seen.First order of business was to establish the damage to thepanel. Rob and Patrick took things apart, then called in anelectrician before ordering the part from England, but Fridaybeing a holiday, and no deliveries on Saturdays the partwouldn't be delivered until Monday. Ergo: we wereshipwrecked 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 helearned to order a "Pinch a la roca", so life was tolerable.We spent a bit of time in Old San Juan, and learned earlyon that the time to avoid was before noon, as once thecruise shippers returned to their respective ships for lunch,the old city was left to us other tourists. What we lovedmost about the place was the unbelievably gorgeouscolors people painted their houses, fuchsia and tangerineand emerald green all side by side. We found deliciouswww.oystermarine.com 49

estaurants, some delightful little shops, some musty antique stores, but mostly touristtrade. We explored the formidable El Morro on foot.We rented a jeep and went exploring. Driving follows the principle of 'Honk and Go' a littlelike Miami. First on the agenda was El Yunque, a rainforest of some 28,000 acres in thesouthwest of the island. It is a federally maintained national park with innumerable hikingtrails, waterfalls and gorgeous flora and fauna. Getting there is a bit adventuresomebecause of the small, circuitous streets cutting through clusters of very poorneighborhoods, 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 andtextures are wonderful to behold. And it is really the small things that enchant you: theintricate delicacy of a tiny red orchid bloom, the scramble up a path ofslippery rocks to a hidden waterfall, or the many sweetflowering shrubs and trees, including an ubiquitous whiteginger. The waterfalls are often near the street; theyprovide a gentle mist of cooling water on the hotsummer days. Its very simplicity is soothing, 'a walkinto the clouds'.Another great coolant was the watering holes inthe stream, which runs through the forest. To getto the very bottom, one walks an initially easy pathamong picnic huts that becomes more demandingas one descends. But that does not seem todetract anyone; families with small children,grandparents with dogs lug their coolers and fooddown river to find a swimming hole. That is wherethey spend entire summer days, submerged in coolriver water racing over round boulders. We did thesame, 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 turnedsouth to visit the Arecibo Radio Observatory, site of many scenes from themovie "Contact". The observatory is the largest of its kind in the world, and itintrigued us how it came to be plopped in the middle of the only Karst region outside ofYugoslavia. The Karst mountains, or really hillocks, were formed millions of years agowhen, during prolonged rains, the naturally porous grounds collapsed into sinkholes and leftstanding only these hillocks. One after another after another, as though a child had takenscoopfuls of sand and made an orderly pattern of hills on the beach. Only that the Karst isprofoundly 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. (Rememberold Japanese alien films?) It feels alien. Once there, one has to walk up a serious hill, noone with limited mobility could negotiate it, into a museum of sorts, where one is treated toa horrible film about a day at the observatory. You can take part in hands-on space sciencelearning 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, alittle 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 themap really are tiny, virtually so non-existent that we got very lost and after an hour of carsize 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 webacktracked 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 deliverycompany running helicopters and jets in the island. We ended up with an hour and a half50 www.oystermarine.com

long helicopter tour over the entire island (yes, including the Cordilleras) showing the naturalbeauty of the place, but also the foolish mistakes people make when insensitive buildingand disdain for the locale is allowed. According to the pilot, matters have been improvingduring the last 10 years, in that there has been more public scrutiny, and better regulations.We decided to leave at dusk, in order to be in St Thomas early the next morning. El Morrowatched us head out the harbor, the brilliant colors of Old San Juan accompanied us untilthe sun melted into the horizon. After dark, San Juan continued to guard our passage withmillions of faintly twinkling lights hovering high over the coastline of the island, the lights inall the houses and huts crawling up and peaking on the mountains in the island's interior.Magen’s Cove"It is really the small thingsthat enchant you: the intricatedelicacy of a tiny red orchidbloom, the scramble up apath of slippery rocks to ahidden waterfall, or the manysweet flowering shrubs andtrees, including theubiquitous white ginger. Itsvery simplicity is soothing - awalk into the clouds"Way before the next sunrise, just as the first veils of grey shimmered on the water, chunksof rock appeared: Dry Rocka, Saba Island, Porpoise Rock, all guarding the West GregeriChannel into the port. Talisman glided by them, past further and bigger mounts and turnedinto Port Charlotte-Amalie. We dropped anchor to wait for everyone to get up and havebreakfast before heading into the "real islands". Looming next to our sleek boat was thisbig black high structure with Mickey Mouse ears. Disney the omnipresent, here in the guiseof a cruise ship!First stop, Christmas Cove, where we found a total of only five sailboats, gently swinging ontheir anchors in the blue water that can only be found in these islands. A crescent of whitesand, the turquoise hull of a beached boat reminding us of our fragility, and peace. Wetook down the dinghy and puttered around, then settled for a nice dinner on deck, and wentto sleep under a moonless sky.Our next destination was all but two hours away, Magen's Cove. Hills, symmetrical on bothsides, guided us into a deep, wide, perfect cove. Ahead of us lay a beautiful beach, a fewdozen people, some kayaks and sailboats. Talisman loomed huge, as close in as possiblein cerulean water. We swam to shore, just for the fun of it. Rob and Julian rented a boatand proceeded to terrorize the waters. It was Julian's first time in such a small sailboat,but definitely not Rob's. When the lads returned, it was with a huge grin covering everycell on their bodies. Sophia showed off her summer-camp acquired prowess in kayaking.Back on board, we 'rope swung' into the water, including a Patrick/Julian tandem stylejump, which attracted a couple on their kayak. It turned out to be the editor of the localnewspaper, in need of something to liven up the summer hiatus of news. He engaged usin conversation, then double-stroked to land to fetch his camera. The picture of father/sonmade it into the local paper.We spent the night in Great Harbor on Jost Van Dyke, another very short trip away, inanother country, British Virgins. We realized by now that sailing in the Virgins means 1-2hour excursions, often across the expanse of water called the Francis Drake Channel. It ishumbling to reflect on that name, giant among explorers, on the fact that we are followinghis wake, in a manner of speaking. Except that there is only pleasure involved in the kind ofisland hopping we were doing. Because of the depth, anchorages mostly had buoys,costing usually $20 per night, collected by a local in a little boat. The breezes are constantand, depending on the location, strong but not challenging. There is an endless choice ofcays and spots to spend the night. An even more limitless buffet of dive spots, beaches,bars, hills to climb, villages to visit. And because we were there in off-season, endlessspace and peace. It seemed that we had the islands to ourselves.Back to Jost Van Dyke. After paying our $20, we went ashore to have dinner at the worldfamous(so they claim) "beach and beer joint", Foxy's. A smart local musician-cumrestaurateurcreated this beach empire, which one has to check off one's list of must do's.A couple of thatch-covered, open buildings with the sand floor level or the wood floor level,brassieres of every size and kind as well as a few jockstraps hanging off the ceiling,hammocks strung up between palm trees (a sought after spot), live music, great waiters,surprisingly good food, and that dog... a yap-less little Chihuahua, proudly surveying hisrealm, and when fancy strikes him, he just hops up on your lap and partakes of dinner. Heseems to be an institution within an institution. Also on the agenda was the visit to the giftshop, where we all bought our obligatory souvenir.www.oystermarine.com 51

One hour to Sandy Spit, a little speck of an island atop a reef. We got there early, loweredthe dinghy, and snorkelled, scuba-dived, swam, and watched as more and more boatsputtered in. By 3.30 pm, the time when most lifted their anchors again, the fleet must havegrown to more than 15 boats, all on the inside of the Spit. When you look to the windwardside of the island, or to its right, you realize just how precariously the spit of sand isstraddling the rocks keeping out the seas. On the ocean side, you become philosophical.You begin to realize that in the really old days, people may not have had the knowledge wehave now, the explanations for natural phenomena, but that they understood the big picture.Next stop, Cane Gardens on Tortola. We pulled into yet another perfect embrace of land,found our mooring, and took the dinghy to the dock just to see up close the handful ofCaribbean colonial buildings sitting right there on the beach, next to the dive shacks andthe rustic barbecue hut and some great beach bars. Jane's dinner beckoned however; westrung up the hammock on the bow, sipped a glass of wine and watched the skies performtheir nightly dance of colors.Heading south-westerly, via Thatch Cut around the West End tip of Tortola to the oppositepart of the island, into Harbor Town. This is a harbor within a harbor, the inner marina beingvery protected. We stayed overnight in Harbor Town, to do some laundry and somemaintenance. Great little book exchange in the marina office, and some nice little shops allof which were closed. The large grocery store and the drugstore-cum-everything-else-storenext door presented a veritable anthropological study of how people really live. Nothingtouristy, all real life. In all fairness, we "explored" little, as we did not want to be in towns oron land. We wanted the ease and stillness and excitement of reclusion from real life."We strung upthe hammock onthe bow, sippeda glass of wineand watched theskies performtheir nightlydance of colors"Julian and Patrick preparefor a dive on the RhoneExcitement: Salt Island, across Sir Francis Drake Channel beckoned, with is first-rate wreck,the Rhone. The island got its name from the salt ponds, which are still operational. We tiedup to a mooring right on top of the stern section of the ship, an ocean steamer of about300 feet in length, which sank during a hurricane in 1867. Its hull is in 20-80 feet of water.We could see parts of it when we put on our masks and looked down. The lads suited upfor a nice dive.We swam above them, watching their descent, their air bubbles tickling our skin. Thesnorkelling team made it to the little beach. The landing procedure was not graceful due toa long, shallow portion leading up to land, studded with a tumble of flat, slippery rocks.Each wave would push us ahead a bit over the rocks and simultaneously pull us back, ourflippers useless. We made it back before the "real" divers, who came up with wonderfulphotos. Swimming through the interior of the hull, below the ribs of the boat, into a schoolof bright fish. Turning a corner and coming face to face with a big turtle.The next day saw us at Norman Island with its Caves. Rob had told us about the wonderfulsnorkelling, and that is what we did right after tying up to a mooring a few feet away fromthe first cave. Its entrance a black hole, a little scary to venture in. The beauty of this placeis in the intimate close-ups - the perfect chrysanthemum yellow of the feathery coral, thepurple algae coating the rocks just above the low water level, the millions of tiny herringswimming as one, right at the line of light in the entrance of the cave.We spent more time exploring the underwater world outside the caves; it did not look veryhealthy, I would guess because too many boats come to that spot. At night we putteredaround the corner into the Bight, another incredibly beautiful anchorage, with its famousWet Willies local drinking barge. It is said that in the advanced hours, revellers take offtheir clothes and jump into the water. Julian was very interested to hear about this, butalas, the active daylight activities influence even a teenager's sleeping pattern. Late nightswere definitely out.After breakfast, we "sailed" to The Indians, a formation of four large rocks that rise from theocean floor to about 90 feet. It is located off Pelican Island between Peter and NormanIsland. The three comrades went for another dive around the entire base of the rocks, aswell as into some deep crevices, and mother/daughter went a very long, wonderfulsnorkelling trip, right through a school of mini herrings, and a ballet of pink jelly fish.52 www.oystermarine.comSnorkelling through a school of herring

Later we sailed for a couple of hours, to Virgin Gorda in order to partake in the Baths. Wefound an anchorage right at the Baths, so that the next morning after breakfast the childrentook off, parents in tow. One cannot appreciate or even fathom the size of the rocks unlessone is standing amongst them. They remind you of elephants, in size as well as in colorand texture. You almost expect to hear the gentle blowing elephants make with their trunkswhen they investigate something.Millions of years ago when the Caribbean and the Atlantic plates ground against oneanother they birthed these mammoth granite boulders. Amazingly, despitetheir size and jumbled-ness, one feels no fear climbing between them,even though they still do move, a few centimeters each year. Atthe other end of the trail is a completely enclosed beachwith waist deep water, where everyone justcongregates to float.The end of another perfect dayLunch was served picnic-style, swum ashoreby wily Rob and Jane in trash bags inflatedvia the Scuba tanks. Jane even includeddesert! Later that day we sailed to thenorthern end of Virgin Gorda, intothe yacht club The Bitter End. Avery appropriate name, becausewe would not have mindedstaying there until the bitterend. We had a very authenticCaribbean dinner served by agreat waiter who really coulddeal with our motley crew andsense of humor, and awonderful time the next daywith Julian and Rob onceagain breaking imaginaryrecords in speed sailing andSophia taking a Hoby Cat lesson,also flying across the water.Patrick FlorentinoWe left the Virgin behind, roundingMountain Point, back into DrakeChannel to Peter Island. I cannotremember the name of the bay; it mighthave been Deadman Bay. Talisman was oneof four boats spending the night. By that time,the dinghy had become useless, so one of us wouldswim ashore to rent a kayak as transportation. Ashore wefound the kind of place which makes us never want to leave:chairs missing some parts but still serviceable, hammocks strungamong trees, a little shack with diving stuff, a wooden terrace hanging overthe rocks, covered by blue and white canvas, an open air kitchen where the utensils anddishes are kept in open cupboards. The chef and the waitresses together with the foodare brought in everyday by boat. The local caretaker lives in a shack behind thehammocks. Nothing is perfect, nothing is new, and everything is exactly how it should be,because none of the new and perfect things are important in a place where the water andthe sky are and the hills and the breeze go under your skin into your soul.This was our bitter end. We had to leave to go back to our civilization, only to take with usthe images and sounds of the time spent on Talisman. On the way to St. Thomas, wherewe would leave the boat in Rob and Jane's hands to bring her home, we passed a sign onSt. James Island, at the south-eastern tip of St. Thomas: "Island for Sale". Maybe?Gabriele Fiorentino, Oyster 61 TalismanPhotos: The Fiorentino familywww.oystermarine.com 53

LAGOS TOBy Barry SadlerOyster Heritage 37Lady ClarinhaHaving lived in theAlgarve since 1969, Ihave met many‘yachties’ and sadly most seemto use Lagos as a refuelling stationbefore heading for Gibraltar and beyond.This in itself is a pity as Lagos, the onetime capital of the Algarve, has a lot tooffer. Transport to and from Lisbon-Farois easy with excellent supermarkets, banksand other facilities making this an idealbase as many have discovered. I wouldrecommend you to take the time toexplore the delights of Southern Portugaland the Bay of Cadiz.the night, with the odd transport aeroplaneflying from the USA into Rota – a largeUSA base, just south of Chipiona.As you approach the tall Chipionalighthouse, you eventually pick up theouter boy and, as the channel is for largeocean-going liners and cargo boats goingto Seville, there is no problem with depthin the channel.However, for the purpose of this article,I will try to give an insight into thedelightful cruise from Lagos to Seville andback, all of which canbe accomplished in 10days with ease.Lagos to Chipiona in astraight line is about120nm and departing midmorning from Lagos youwill see the loom of Huelva,Seville and Cadiz duringPassing towards the well-bouyed channelwith the returning fishing boats going toBonanza, at buoy No1 El Perro 36.45.8 N6.26.9 W, you can turn to SE to starboardand enter the small and very efficientmarina of Chipiona. If approaching fromHuelva, pick up buoy No 2 Picacho 37.8 2N 6.49.5 W and then No 1 and intoChipiona. If approaching from the south,beware of Bajo Salmedina 36.44 4N 6.28.6 W and leave well to starboard.This is one of many efficient andinexpensive Government run marinas,

A 10 DAY CRUISESEVILLE AND BACKclean and tidy with water and electricityto all pontoons, and excellent security.There is a large chandlery, mainly formotorboats, plus a haul-out facility and anexcellent restaurant. The delightful town ofChipiona is within walking distance withbanks, supermarkets, wine shops etc anda very convenient bus service (less than aEuro) to San Lucar de Barrameda. It is thehome of the Manzanilla Sherry, with a dryand salty tang, due to the proximity of thevines being grown close to the sea.Apart from several small and well-stockedchandlers just outside the marina, mailorder items can be arranged within 48hours from Barcelona and there is anexcellent Volvo engine mechanic withinwalking distance.One of the delights of San Lucar is tomoor off and dine ashore at one of themany small restaurants along the riverside,enjoy several half bottles of Manzanillaand a plate of prawns before dinner!However, it can be bumpy in a strongblow, so we caught the bus.The passage to Seville up river (workingchannel 12) is no problem with no lengthrestriction, so even the longest Oyster cansail into Seville! Maximum beam is 24.60metres and height 43 metres with LW 6metre depth. If you follow the pilot’sadvice and leave two hours before lowwater at Bonanza, you could take the tideall the way to Seville. Sailing into the locksystem at Club Nautica and arriving beforehigh water, the chances are that the locksmight also be open.After leaving Bonanza, to the port side isthe National Park of Donana, tours can bearranged from San Lucar at the old icefactory on the seafront. The length of theriver is some 55 miles and if you keep inthe well-marked channel, the depth is noproblem, and large ocean-going ships usethe river. As you progress further up theriver, the buoys are few and far betweenand are replaced by markers on the banksof the river. These are designed for largeocean-going vessels, so trees from thedeck of a small yacht obscure some. Onthe way up, you may pass a hundred ormore prawn fishing boats moored fore andaft, with large nets on the bow and stern.The nets are lowered into the water as thetides go in and out – no going to sea forthese guys!There is an excellent local coffee tablepilot book for sale at the Chipiona Marina,"La Navegacion de Recreo Por El Rio DeSevilla". The book is written in Spanishand English and, apart from a very detaileddescription of tides etc, also containsmany illustrations and charts for eachsection of the river, plus a detailed chart ofthe bridges into the Club Nautica, Seville.At 40 Euro, the book is well worth theinvestment.The smart Club Nautica Yacht Club inSeville is well worth a visit, althoughwww.oystermarine.com 55

A 10 DAY CRUISEFACT BOXWhen to go - Seville can becomevery hot in high season summermonths, so July and August shouldbe avoided if possible.booking is essential. The other option,without lock, although you can also anchorin the river, is the Marina Puerto Gelves.There is a very convenient bus service intoSeville from Puerto Gelves. We choose tostay on the pontoon outside the marinaand, although there are not many berths, itis cooler than inside the marina. It is a 15-minute bus ride into the very heart ofSeville with its many attractions.Leaving Seville, we once again made thejourney on one tide but you have to buckthe tide for three hours when leaving themarina, and we used our Genoa bothways whenever we could, to get that extraknot or two.delightful anchorage once inside.Continuing further east, go to Huelva andbook into Marina Magazon at the mouth ofthe river to Huelva. Although not a lot torecommend it, you may recall "The ManWho Never Was”, a wartime persondressed up as a navel officer with abriefcase locked to his wrist containingfalse details of the allied invasion ofEurope. His body was put ashore bysubmarine off Heulva and the Germans,not knowing whether to believe the ploy ornot, sent troops to the new false locationof the invasion. His grave, apparently awar grave commission responsibility, is inHuelva’s cemetery.Club Nautica Yacht ClubTel: +956 360 144Marina Puerto GelvesTel: +955 760 728Recommend Pilot Book - RoyalCruising Club’s Atlantic Spainand Portugal.Sistership to the OysterHeritage 37, Lady ClarinhaApart from the Seville trip, take time offand sail up the Guadiana [the borderbetween Portugal and Spain] where timehas virtually stood still, but choose yourarrival time off the entrance to the riverwith care and make sure you can go underthe new bridge. For shallow draft boatsonly, cruise into Isleta Marina a few mileseast, which is a major fishing port withexcellent fish restaurants or a few milesfurther east towards Huelva, enter ElRompido. Although not an easy entranceand only possible on a rising tide it is aFurther down the coast from Chipiona,spend time in Puerto de Santa Marina’ssuperb shellfish restaurants. This was alsothe main port for sherry shipments andworthy of visits to Bodegas of Osborne(Fino Quinta and Veterano Brandy) andother big names. Don’t miss El FaroRestaurant in Puerto – no-one does itbetter, although jackets are required! Formore simple seafood, mainly shellfish, tryRomerijo’s in the main square.Leave your yacht at the El Puerto de SantaMarina Yacht Club and take a ten-minutewalk into town to catch the ferry to Cadizfor the day, which is well worth the trip.Try to arrive on a Saturday evening andleave on Sunday, as the fishing boatsdon’t run on Saturday and there is lessriver movement. You can catch the ferryto Cadiz, opposite Romerijo’s, althoughyou may have to walk into Cadiz as taxisare few and far between. The Marina atPuerto Sherry is again up and running butrequires a taxi into town, unless you havelong legs!I hope you enjoy the delightsof Andalucia.By Barry Sadler, Owner ofOyster Heritage 37, Lady Clarinha56 www.oystermarine.com

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JUST LAUNCHEDA SELECTION OFRECENT OYSTERLAUNCHINGSOYSTER 56 - TEARAWAYAfter handover in Ipswich, TEARAWAYwas delivered to the Costa del Sol readyfor owners Graeme and Raquel Peterson,who have five young children, to sail her toPalma, Mallorca. The Petersons are notnew to sailing, having done lots of racingin the past, mostly in the Clyde, butTEARAWAY is their first serious cruisingboat and long-term plans include acircumnavigation. We hope to seeTEARAWAY at the 2003 UBS Oysterregatta in Palma later this year.David HulstonGraeme and Raquel PetersonOYSTER 53 - SOUTHERN AURORAOwner David Hulston decided that takingdelivery of his first Oyster in Auckland wasa great opportunity to join in Oyster's NewZealand Regatta, watch the America’s Cupand enjoy some New Zealand cruising.With handover just days before the start ofthe Regatta, SOUTHERN AURORA wenton to finish second in her class and overallwinner of the event! David, an Australianbased in the UK, had originally intended toship her back to Europe but, having hadsuch a great time in New Zealand, the ideaof sailing in a cold climate and the closeproximity of home was too much.SOUTHERN AURORA was shown at therecent Auckland boat show and will nowbe heading for the Gold Coast and otherantipodean anchorages.OYSTER 53 - SAMPHIREJointly owned by brothers-in-law JohnBebbington and Jeremy Bow, SAMPHIREis another 53 built at Oyster's McDellMarine yard in New Zealand and wasshipped to Ipswich for commissioning andhandover. Currently lying in Gosport,SAMPHIRE has already explored theChannel Islands and various French ports,with John and Jeremy planning to cruiseIreland later this season.OYSTER 53 - GLASS SLIPPERHaving chartered for many seasons, Tomand Gretchen Carbaugh's first choice fortheir own yacht was the Oyster 53.GLASS SLIPPER was handed over lastOctober, just in time to take part in the ARCAntigua, and sailed from Lanzarote toAntigua, alongside her sistership, anothernewly launched Oyster 53, Roger and JoDawes Dragonfly of Upnor. GLASSSLIPPER is currently cruising the Caribbean.58 www.oystermarine.com

Roy WilliamsOYSTER 53 - FRANCES FLUTEFRANCIS FLUTE is Roy and DeborahWilliams' second Oyster, having previouslyowned an Oyster Lightwave 48. FRANCESFLUTE was shipped from New Zealand toSavannah, Georgia in the USA where shewas handed over by Oyster's experiencedcommissioning team from the UK and USAoffices. Their first season afloat was spentexploring the beautiful Chesapeake areaon the east coast of America beforeheading south to the Caribbean for thewinter and spring season.OYSTER 56 - ROULETTEOwned by Trevor and Ann Silver,ROULETTE is their first Oyster. WithTrevor’s civil engineering background,Oyster's Project Manager, Jean–PierreCardin says that project meetings werenever boring and that Trevor has madesure there is plenty of equipment onboard to make his guest's visits morethan enjoyable. ROULETTE comes withfull air-conditioning, heating, watermakerand an audio and visual system that willensure you never want to leave the boat!Anne’s interior design influence hasresulted in a beautiful boat with manydesign details to really make it theirs.ROULETTE is currently based in Antibesand will be cruising the Mediterranean,before joining the 2003 ARC.Oyster 53 Southern Aurora, overall winnerof the Oyster New Zealand RegattaTom and Gretchen CarbaughOyster 56, Roulette has a stunning maple interiorwww.oystermarine.com59

The World's Your Oyster45/47 Deck Saloon53 Deck Saloon 62 Deck Saloon49 Deck Saloon 56 Deck Saloon66 High LevelDeck SaloonNew69 Fast Track 82 High LevelNew72 Deck SaloonNewDeck SaloonNew100 High LevelDeck SaloonO YSTERDouble Queen’s Award Yacht BuildersOYSTER MARINE LTD FOX’S MARINAIPSWICH SUFFOLK IP2 8SA ENGLANDTEL: +44 (0) 1473 688888 FAX: +44 (0) 1473 686861EMAIL: yachts@oystermarine.comOYSTER MARINE USA 5 MARINA PLAZAGOAT ISLAND NEWPORT RI 02840TEL: +401 846 7400 FAX: +401 846 7483EMAIL: info@oysteryachts.comwww.oystermarine.com