Bluewater Open Boat Weekend – Choosing for offshore cruising
by World Cruising Club on 8 Apr 2015
Typical ARC Boat - Bluewater Open Boat Weekend Jeremy Wyatt
Bluewater Open Boat Weekend – More than just a boat show, more than a seminar, and more than simply a cruiser rendezvous; this event is a truly unique combination of all three and more still. Designed to make visitors think about all aspects of living the bluewater dream, the Bluewater Open Boat Weekend is a chance to view a wide range of offshore cruising boats to suit all budgets, and meet experts in refits, sails, rigging and boat equipment, all whilst mixing and chatting with experienced offshore cruisers in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
Rally organisers World Cruising Club, best known for the annual ARC - Atlantic Rally for Cruisers have joined together with leading offshore yacht broker Berthon International, to host a weekend of conversation about bluewater cruising at Berthon's Lymington UK base in May 2015. The two-day event is free to attend, but prospective bluewater sailors will need to pre-register. During the weekend, a selection of fine examples of bluewater boats will be open for viewing, hosted by experienced offshore sailors, all of whom have sailed transatlantic or around the world. Mix, mingle and chat about Bluewater sailing, that is the aim of the weekend.
Balancing out the dockside chat will be a series of seminar presentations and discussions about how to embark on the bluewater dream. Cruising skippers who have been there and done it, will be on hand to share their personal experience with the visitors in one-to-one chats and in group discussions. So if you have pondered about boat size versus wallet size; centre cockpit or aft cockpit; mono or multi, then these are the questions the Bluewater Open Boat will discuss.
Whilst there may no easy answer to many of these questions, as any yacht club bar conversation will prove, by holding the discussion alongside a portfolio of varying sizes, types and styles of cruising boats, visitors can look, view and think about what might be right for launching their own bluewater dream.
The second annual Bluewater Open Boat is hosted at the Berthon Marina, Lymington over the weekend of 16 and 17 May. Visitors can attend for either or both days and admittance is free. For those wanting to make the most of a delightful weekend in Lymington, there is an optional social event on Saturday evening.
Seminar presentations will include tips on planning a refit; how to check your rigging; sail choice for offshore cruisers; and two discussion panels - what to look for in an offshore cruising boat, and 'Living the Dream', with former ocean cruisers answering questions on aspects of the Bluewater life, including live-aboard sailing as a couple.
Information and registration at http://tinyurl.com/wcc-openboat-2015
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