If last year was the year that the virus hit me back, this would be the year that things started for good.
First, I was back on the water! Two genuinely nice weeks, one in Brittany, one in Corsica.
Brittany is where my passion grew as a young man and where I spent countless summers in the past. It has not changed much, or only for the good. The sea is still as salvage as always, the changing lights keep giving new shades of blue and pancakes are a constant tribute to my inner Proust. Oh, and Lorient is such a vibrant place: rarely, in any discipline, can one feel to be at the heart of the “place to be.”
Corsica was a big discovery. It is so easy to fall in love with it: the landscape is astonishing, the conditions are great (bathing closer to winter solstice than to autumn equinox, anyone?), and anchoring is so charmful.
After some 20 years, sailing has changed a lot, and for the (very) good too. The most striking part is comfort on board: hot water is commonplace, lights everywhere and fridges are a game changer when passage planning. Twin rudders are nice, steering from the wheel feels more realistic, GPS are everywhere. Oh, and weather forecasts are so much better: we, for example, surgically stopped for lunch during a wind shift that implied a calm zone of a few hours, something too unpredictable in the past. And social network apps that inform about the details of a stopover: a complete blast!
There is truly little that I missed: front sail hoisting or cleaning dishes in a bucket come to mind but this is nostalgia speaking 😊 Oh, and motor manoeuvring is a completely new skill set that I still need to master.
I managed to visit two boatyards: Outremer/Gunboat and Allure/Garcia, both worth the trip. They give a true sense of the work that goes into producing boats. The welcome in both places was very warm and attentive despite me saying upfront that my projects were not imminent and their order books being very full. As I mentioned a year ago, my heart is shifting towards catamarans and the visits confirmed that. BUT it is not that simple. First, I remain a major fan of Aluminium. Then, draught, a major plus of catamarans, is not such a big problem with a swing keel (e.g., Allures 45.9). An Outremer 45 is beautiful, of course, but the compromise towards speed implies some missing equipment and narrow hulls which goes against the implied benefits of catamarans. So, the new Outremer 52 is what makes my heart (and reason) melt but then, do I seriously have what it takes to do passages at 12-15kn? Oh, yes, and then the price 😊 😊 😊
I managed to attend the Paris boat show, the Nautic. It was a pleasant experience altogether, but it is fair to say that it is not what it used to be, nor something I will return to every year. It was though good to understand from leasers what it implies to own/lease a boat, to understand alternatives to owning and renting a boat (spoiler: the options are disappointing). Boat-wise, the choice was limited but I left with no regrets since I visited them all. Aside from the amazing Allures 45.9, I was conquered by the RM 1380 (for holiday rentals) and saw plenty of smart ideas from other models on display. I look forward to attending Dusseldorf in a couple of weeks.
Which brings me to the plans for 2023. A nice rental is planned for Easter, a regatta in the Channel, may be a separate more sportive rental, a training specialized on motor manoeuvring (boring but necessary), further boat shows, etc. Oh, and more exercise (2022 was not that bad) and be mindful of the weight scale.
A final word on this blog. It is fair to say that I did more sailing than blogging this year (as it should be!). I removed most of the social engagement aspects and brought the (limited) posts upfront. I am more active on twitter, but I rather follow things that deal with the (amazing) offshore racing scene and I do not find the niche community that suits me. YouTube is still a prime source of information where I keep enjoying boat tours and (professional) construction builds.
Sail on,
Joe