Cheeki Rafiki tragedy, sail art, cruising rallies—World Cruising news

by David Schmidt, Sail-World Cruising Editor on 15 May 2015 Given the critical nature of any single point of absolute failure in any system, it’s not surprising that serious bluewater sailors sit up and take serious notice when a keel falls off of a production-built yacht. Last week we looked at the case of “Cheeki Rafiki”, a Beneteau First 40.7 that was found capsized some 720 nautical miles off the coast of Nova Scotia, sans her keel, as well as the 76-page incident report that was prepared by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch. Tragically, her entire crew of four sailors was lost. Now, a UK-based production boat builder speaks up.

“No crew sailing across the Atlantic in a modern Cat 1 yacht should expect the keel to break off even if it hits or had hit something previously,” writes George Stead, the former longtime operator of the Southern Ocean Shipyard in Poole, England. “The modern method of only bolting the keel through the hull and not through the keel floors is where the problems start. Transferring the load from the hull to the keel floors or the interior structure which is usually only bogged is difficult to monitor.”

In a classic case of “things aren’t built like they used to be”, Stead explains what he sees to be the problem with modern construction methods. “The hull to keel joint now seems to have become a flexible joint with silicon type sealants having to be used which only adds to the problem,” writes Stead. “Fitting a keel should be like fitting a cylinder head on an engine, a completely solid joint that cannot move.”

Inside this issue, be sure to check out Stead's complete report, and be sure to regularly inspect your keel bolts and bilges for any signs of trouble. As tragic loss of “Cheeki Rafiki” demonstrates, the ocean does not grant second chances.

On a less somber note, the Doyle Sails Auckland Stratis loft has announced Stratis Sail Art, a breakthrough process that allows them to apply photo-quality printing onto sailcloth. Rather than taking a more traditional approach to applying imagery or graphics to sails, namely applying layers of paint by hand, Doyle’s new process directly prints the sailcloth, creating a precise image. Better yet, Doyle purports that the new process can save a significant amount of paint weight.

'Stratis Sail Art is the next generation in sail art,' said Chris McMaster, the managing director of Doyle Sails New Zealand. 'It adds negligible weight to the end product, while maintaining the integrity of the sail and performance Stratis is known for.' Learn more, inside.

Meanwhile, word has arrived from Europe that the World Cruising Club (WCC) has taken over this summer’s Baltic 4 Nations Rally, as well as all the events and activities that were being planned and organized by Sailing Rallies Ltd. The World Cruising Club is well known for running the annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) and other well-respected international cruising rallies, while Sailing Rallies Ltd has been running both transatlantic and Baltic rallies for the past several years.

“Although I will not be joining WCC, I am pleased that the other Sailing Rallies staff and projects have a new home under the World Cruising Club banner' said John Simpson, Sailing Rallies Ltd’s founder. 'WCC have confirmed that the Baltic 4 Nations Rally will go ahead on schedule in July this year, and I know from experience that the WCC team will do an excellent job delivering the rally. World Cruising Club's reputation for providing sailors with safe and fun cruising rallies is well earned and participants will be in very capable hands.'

For their part, the WCC is pleased to increase the breadth of their rally portfolio to include the Baltic cruise. 'I am delighted that we have been given the opportunity by Sailing Rallies to take on their events, and deliver the Baltic 4 Nations Rally this summer,” said Andrew Bishop, World Cruising Club's Managing Director. “There is certainly synergy to be gained from this merger which will benefit cruising yachtsmen, with the possibility of further new rallies in the future.”

Get the full report about this rally merger, inside this issue.

Also inside, get the updates from the disastrous Dauphin Island Race, which took place in the U.S. state of Alabama on April 25, 2015; check in with the 15th annual Summer Sailstice (June 20 and 21), and find out more about the extreme weather systems that have been hammering the coast of Australia’s New South Wales.

May the four winds blow you safely home,