Ocean Navigator - March/April 2025

New Life Jacket Floats Wearer Higher

British life jacket manufacturer Team O has introduced a new personal flotation device that should draw interest from offshore sailors and cruisers. The 150N Hi-Lift life jacket floats the wearer higher in the water, reducing the possibility of him/her swallowing salt water when thrown overboard. The jacket was designed by company founder Oscar Meade who started the business with his sister Lauren before the pandemic. They introduced the 150N Hi-Lift at the METSTRADE show in Amsterdam last November, where it won the safety category and was the overall winner in the DAME Design Awards. “Oscar tore up the rulebook and…

Triumph and Tragedy in Sydney Hobart Race

The 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race began on Dec. 26 with 108 yachts departing at 1 p.m. local time. From the start, the 100-foot yachts, LawConnect and Master Lock Comanche captivated the spectator fleet. The provisional overall winner of the 628-nautical-mile race was the Volvo 70, Celestial, owned and skippered by Sam Haynes, commodore of the event host Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. The yacht finished in 1 day, 16 hours, 10 minutes, 20 seconds. It’s the second time that Haynes has led a boat to the Tattersalls Cup, claiming the trophy in 2022. Crossing the line first was…

Sailors Embark on Solo Circumnavigation in Small Boats

Sixteen men and two women from 12 countries have set out on a 400-day solo circumnavigation in 19-foot sailboats in the McIntyre Mini Globe Race. Class Globe 580 one-design plywood boats — many of them home built — started the first race around the world for mini sailboats in February. According to event producer, McIntyre Adventures, there are more 80 more of these boats actively in construction and 160 more in the planning stage in more than 28 countries. They are following in the footsteps of John Guzzwell’s 1955 world first solo voyage in his 20-foot home-built Trekka. “In an…

Raymarine Collaborates with Watchit

Marine-electronics supplier Raymarine has collaborated with WATCHIT, a company that specializes in collision prevention. WATCHIT technology will be combined with Raymarine’s chartplotters to give users advanced warning of potential collisions. In a separate agreement, Raymarine LightHouse charts have been designated as the official map supplier for WATCHIT. This collaboration ensures that WATCHIT users have access to up-to-date nautical charts. WATCHIT’s Smart Collision Prevention System uses algorithms and sensor fusion inspired by automotive technology. It analyzes a boat’s existing data to provide warnings before a collision. The WATCHIT system offers collision avoidance and grounding prevention. “At Raymarine, we’re committed to making…

US Sailing Announces New Tiered Teams Program

US Sailing has announced a tiering structure for athletes. Three directors collaborated on the new pathway to integrate all levels of high-performance sailing from youth participants through the Olympic Development Program (ODP) on up to the US Sailing Team. For the first time in US Sailing’s history, the three programs are formally connected through seven tiers. The new pathway is intended to place a commitment on putting athletes first by providing them with a clear understanding of selection procedures and entry opportunities. High Performance Director Marcus Lynch, Olympic Development Director Rosie Chapman and Youth Racing Director John Pearce joined in…

PredictWind Announces Real-Time Lightning Tracking

The popular weather app PredictWind has introduced a new lightning-tracking feature. It will provide real-time lightning data with forecasts so a captain and crew can make better decisions when dealing with weather during a passage. In an announcement, the creator of the app said it is now providing satellite imagery combined with rain radar and GMDSS weather warnings. These three sources can be cross-referenced so a user can locate and track extreme weather events like cyclones, thunderstorms, fronts and more. PredictWind’s forecast tables and daily briefing pages have built-in extreme weather alerts to warn of the following conditions: • Lightning…

Silent Yachts Partners with Nuvolari Lenard to design Solar Boats

Catamaran manufacturer Silent Yachts has partnered with the Nuvolari Lenard studio for the design of a new generation of solar boats. “The collaboration is a blend of Nuvolari Lenard’s sophistication and innovative approach to yacht design with Silent Yachts’ philosophy of sustainability and advanced technology,” said Silent Yachts CEO Fabrizio Iarrera. “The design studio’s architectural sensitivity will bring a refined elegance to Silent Yachts, bridging form and function in harmony. The goal is to enhance not just the aesthetics, but also the overall on-board experience.” The first model from the collaboration, with a Nuvolari Lenard interior and exterior, will be…

Notable New Titles: Sailing to the Heart of Japan

Sailing to the Heart of Japan by Nicholas Coghlan Seaworthy Publications 2024 For the ocean voyager, Japan remains something of an undiscovered country. Annie Brassey’s 1887 Japan by Yacht is an extraordinary tale told by an extraordinary woman, but her Sunbeam was 159 feet long overall with a professional crew and the book is of a different era. Hal Roth touches on Japan in his 1971 Two on a Big Ocean, an account of his and Margaret’s cruise in their 35-foot sloop, Whisper. Bob and Nancy Griffith’s Awahnee visited Japan, as told in his wonderful Blue Water (1979). There are…

Making Waves

In 2008, Darren Rowlands was in Greece and met a fellow sailor who had a boat in Dubai. He was tired of hauling it to clean growth off the bottom and he was searching for an alternative to copper-based, environmentally unfriendly bottom paint. Rowlands and the yachtsman came up with a plan to use ultrasound waves to kill algae. “We knew it worked really well when the marina and mooring power was shut off during the heat of the summer and within four days, his boat had a meter’s worth of beard growing,” said Rowlands, who is the chief executive…

Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 60

No matter the type of boat, designers and owners are always looking for ways to keep a vessel at a “manageable” size without compromising passenger space and comfort. When Beneteau introduced its sailing flagship, the Oceanis Yacht 60, to replace the Yacht 62, the newer model was shorter and sleeker with lower freeboard. The boat displaced five tons less than its predecessor, but offered the same interior volume. The target audience for the Oceanis Yacht 60 is a sailing couple moving up from a smaller boat who want more comfort and sophistication, Valentin Moreau, sailboat marketing product manager for Beneteau,…