Garcia Yachts Exploration 45 - Jimmy Cornell's newest adventure

by nk on 12 Aug 2014 When most cruising sailors reach their seventies they wonder how long they will keep cruising. They don't start designing their 'perfect' cruising boat with a plan to sail it through the Northwest Passage. That's because they are not Jimmy Cornell.

Specialist international and national press were invited to the Garcia Yachting shipyard in Cherbourg, Normandya few weeks ag when the official launch of his new Garcia Exploration 45, Aventura IV, took place. Jimmy Cornell himself, long time cruising sailor, rally organiser and author of 13 books on sailing, was also present to see her go into the water.

The best-selling nautical author, founder of the ARC and organiser of several round the world rallies, is preparing for a voyage that promises to be the culmination of his sailing life.

During this coming summer 2014, Jimmy Cornell will sail his new yacht in his latest project, the Blue Planet Odyssey, a global event aiming to raise awareness of the effects of climate change. A transit of the Northwest Passage in the company of other like-minded sailors will highlight the direct consequences of those changes.

To accomplish that voyage, Jimmy conceived the ideal boat, perfectly suited for both high latitude and tropical sailing. In recognition of their skills and expertise, the team at Garcia Yachting consider it an honour and privilege to have been asked to build this exceptional yacht for an exceptional sailor.

'My requirements were very clear: a strong, fast, comfortable, functional and easily handled boat perfectly suited for both high latitude and tropical sailing,' explains Jimmy Cornell. 'What was new, however, was my insistence on a deck saloon that would ensure almost all-round visibility. This, and an inside steering position, was something that had never been tried before on a centreboard yacht. The designer has produced what I believe to be the perfect solution: a comfortable and spacious deck saloon with 270° vision, also ideal for watchkeeping and navigation.'

The Garcia Exploration 45 has the benefit of a font of unmatched experience in the field of long distance cruising. While Jimmy Cornell will realise with this boat a masterpiece based on a life dedicated to offshore navigation, Garcia Yachting's team of designers and builders contribute more than four decades of expertise in producing high quality yachts for long distance navigators.

Garcia Yachting was an ideal choice. They have been specialists in custom-built aluminium boats from 45 to 115 feet since 1974. Their 'handmade' boats embody the high end range of French production. There are more than 300 Garcia yachts cruising the world.

At the launch Jimmy Cornell introduced his new boat and talked about Blue Planet Odyssey, a round-the-world rally aiming to raise awareness of climate change. Jimmy’s attempted transit of the Northwest Passage on board Aventura IV this coming summer will be undertaken as part of the Blue Planet Odyssey and under the auspices of UNESCO and the IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission).

About Aventura IV:

The idea for Jimmy Cornell was to bring his experience to bear to conceive the ideal boat, perfectly suited for both high latitude and tropical sailing. The 14.72 m long and 4.43 m wide Garcia Exploration 45 from France, a deck saloon sailing yacht with a 270° panorama view from the interior helm station in the saloon, has been developed for ocean sailing trips. Jimmy has injected his experience into the aluminium construction with a retractable keel and is taking ownership of the first in the series in spring 2014.

Its features include specially sealed-off areas in the bow and stern so that, in the event of collisions with flotsam, the remainder of the hull remains watertight. All of the seawater cocks discharge above the waterline and the saloon windows are double-glazed. 'My requirements were very clear: a strong, fast, comfortable, functional and easily handled boat perfectly suited for both high latitude and tropical sailing,' explains Jimmy Cornell.

'What was new, however, was my insistence on a deck saloon that would ensure almost all-round visibility. This, and an inside steering position, was something that had never been tried before on a centreboard yacht. The designer has produced what I believe to be the perfect solution: a comfortable and spacious deck saloon with 270° vision, also ideal for watchkeeping and navigation.

'For much of my sailing life I have been trying to find out if there was such a thing as an ideal cruising boat.'
Only time will tell whether he has found it this time...

Technical Specifications

Length: 13.98 m
Lwl : 12.34 m
Bmax: 4.43 m
Draft: 1.05/2.8 m
Displacement: 14.1 t
Water capacity: 500 l
Offshore category: 6/8 persons
Onshore category: 6/8 persons
Architect: Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design

For more information about the Blue Planet Odyssey go to www.blueplanetodyssey.com/