The wind of change

The creation of sailing is prehistoric. Sport sailing – or yachting – is said to have originated in the 17th century, in the Netherlands, following which it was introduced in England by Charles II in around 1660, eventually to spread to the American colonies. Relatively a few years after 1800, when Malta became part of the British Empire, there are rumours of the existence of a yacht club on the island as far back as 1835. Wilfred Sultana has more...

Well, it is not my intention to go into a research or narration documentation of the history of sport sailing. In fact, it was at one of this year’s pre-Rolex Middle Sea Race parties, while enjoying a glass of wine in the company of John Ripard Sr., his son John and other keen local yachtsmen, that I got myself thinking – a lively club, a legendary race, enthusiastic sailors.

The era 1968-2010 saw 31 editions of the 606-nautical mile classic, acknowledged as a daring adventure and contested by some of the best sailors in the world.

Forty-two years of exhilarating racing – so much has changed along the years, not just in terms of size and speed of boats and technology, but in practically all related aspects.

Possibly only the course remained the same.

Curiosity got the best of me where in the presence of such erudite racers and in the delightful backdrop of the RMYC clubhouse an exciting discussion ensued.

John Ripard Sr. won two MSRs, in 1968 with Josian and in 1970 with Tikka II. What made these boats outstanding then and what makes them different from same class boats of today?

“The changes and improvements are radical, profound and complex. I will mention just a few – primarily hull design, sophisticated materials, weight savings, safety measures, navigation aids, weather forecasting...

“Above all else, the advent of “professionals” on board, a trend that goes entirely against the Corinthian spirit that prevailed almost 50 years ago.

“So, rather than attempting to evaluate each and every change or improvement, I will limit myself to just one but crucially important aspect that impacted on boat speed.

“Soon after its arrival in Malta this summer I went for a practice sail on my son-in-law’s Jaru. This J133 is a modern, fast cruising boat but with performance to match some out-and-out racers.

“With the upcoming RMSR in mind and with a fresh maestrale blowing, the crew proceeded to perform a series of gybes under spinnaker. In broad reaching, fresh conditions Jaru achieved speeds in the higher teens in complete control, tracking perfectly and with no signs of impending broaches.

“These speeds were unheard of in the days of Josian and Tikka II. Conditions were a handful in strong spinnaker runs, creating the many broaches those boats reveled in, pushing them hard they would readily reach hull speed but, except for occasional surfing on the face of a large wave, never exceeding the limitations imposed by the formula that establishes a boat’s hull speed, namely 1.34 times the square root of the waterline length.

“And here we have the single most effective change in boats’ performance when comparing modern ones with those of the 60s. Today’s fast cruiser/racers do not suffer from such a handicap and will readily start planning. They are exciting to sail, albeit wet given the speeds they achieve and, perhaps, less comfortable going to windward in a sea.

“But it is a small price to pay for the satisfaction that these boats give their proud owners.”

Christian Ripard was twice winner – in 1996 on Bigfoot and in 2001 on Strait Dealer. What can be said about preparing for the big day? Choosing the crew and training done, as a team and on individual level?

“Preparation is key to success. A well-prepared boat, which includes mast, running rigging, deck gear, bottom underwater appendages and hull, sails, safety gear and crew time on the water will maximise the boat’s performance on the race course.

“Choosing one’s crew is important. It requires a specific approach for offshore racing as the crew will be living together in a cramped uncomfortable space for long periods of time and clashes between the crew will ruin your chance of sailing the boat well.

“So, I look for sailors with good characters. I must also make sure they are fit physically as this has a direct effect on their performance during an offshore race.

“If these tasks are done properly, then the team can focus on tactics and strategy during the race and not waste time effecting repairs in bad weather.

“This approach has been adopted successfully by amateur and professional crew alike. In the past, most competitors were amateurs on their own yachts but over the last 20 years, and due to the work load involved, the professional teams usually finish up with better results as they pay the crew to do all the hard work thereby covering more ground in their training.

“That doesn’t mean that others don’t stand a chance as the MSR has been won by amateurs who were well prepared.”

John Ripard Jr won the 2002 MSR together with Andrew Calascione on Market Wizard. How much has technology related to racing yachts changed over the years?

“This is difficult to answer because the way yachts have changed over the years has made it partly easier but also harder.

“Why easier? Well, modern racing yachts are a lot faster which basically means that you get round the course and finish the race quicker. Generally, they are easier to handle, too, because the equipment is lighter and more efficient. Navigation is certainly a lot easier.

“In the early days it was a matter of trying to get a fix with a radio direction finder which was cumbersome and time consuming, and after all the effort all you got was a simple, inaccurate line of position – not even a fix.

“With modern navigational aids you can single-handedly establish all the parameters, speed, direction, drift, position, etc.

“Apart from navigation, the other difference in technology has been in clothing. Whereas in the past it was a matter of woolens and plastic non-breathable oilskins, today we have lightweight, quick drying material that keeps you warm and dry. Harder... because boats are less comfortable than they used to be.

“Also harder because of food preparation, as with modern, light, fast boats there is far less emphasis on “slow” food and far less possibility of carrying stuff owing to weight factor. Modern boats are much, much more sensitive to carrying extra weight... they don’t like it unless it is in one place and one place only – typically on the rail!”

Arthur Podesta is the only yachtsman who raced all 31 editions of the MSR. A lot is nowadays said about climate change. Does such changes in the weather affect racing?

“The weather in the past 10 years has gradually been showing a distinctive change in pattern as compared to the previous 30 years.

“Indeed. In the last four or five Rolex MSRs most yachts experienced various sudden wind squalls of short duration with gusts of up to 45 knots. Likewise, many boats have had the occasion to reduce sail down to storm jib and trysail.

“In the earlier races there were long periods of moderate winds, in which at times there was never a need to even reef the main sail.

“It might be a matter of timing circumstance due to the proximity of the introduction of winter and the early November calms (St Martin’s summer) but it is a fact that global warming impact has altered weather patterns impulsively.

“MSR competitors are affected by these new weather changes, since they have to be constantly prepared in order to avoid possible damage.”

Georges Bonello DuPuis, Commodore, Royal Malta Yacht Club. Sponsorship of events, boats and crew was practically unheard of before. What can be said of this phenomenon in relation to the race?

“When the race was first held in 1968, sports sponsorship across the board was in its infancy. Sailing proved to be one of the pioneering sports though, with races, first, and then yachts gradually being used as promotional billboards.

“During the first period of this race, Martini came on board. It was typical of the 70s for drinks and cigarette companies to use all and any sport to promote their brands. Legislation and market trends have changed that.

“Now watch brands and cars are more common sponsors. Individual yacht sponsorship started to take hold in the 1980s, during a period that this race was not held. The records show that in 1981 we had no boats named after a brand-name.

“Since the revival in 2000, every year we see a small, but significant, increase in the number of boats named after a company or product. It reflects the recognition of the value of publicity.”

The wind of change blows straight into the face of time... sang one of my favourite bands the Scorpions and so it is very true in all aspects of life... even in sailing.