Moana M35’ WRC
by Rubicon 3’s Bruce Jacobs
LOA 10.66m 35ft 0in LWL 10.01m 32ft 10in Beam 4.00m 13ft 1in Draught 2.70m 8ft 10in Displacement 3,000kg 6,600lb
This water-ballasted design with a rotating bowsprit is available in several different formats, each of which can be further customised to meet owner’s requirements. It can also be optimised to suit the requirements of IRC, ORC and Open rating systems.
A very powerful hull shape is allied to a deep 2.7m draught keel, giving enormous stability. Alternatively, a canting keel is offered as an option, as are foils.
The Extreme Base specification offers a very stripped-out solo or double-handed raceboat with a minimal Figaro 3-style interior at the base of the companionway. The Race Base version is still race oriented, but uses more of the hull’s length for accommodation. This has space for a full crew and enough comfort for occasional cruising use. There’s also a Comfort option with a fully-fitted lightweight interior for fast cruising.
Everything about the boat is configured for serious offshore use. For instance, there’s a crash box forward and a fully watertight bulkhead ahead of the rudders. Equally, the large coachroof provides buoyancy when inverted, which increases the angle of vanishing stability. Rudders are transom mounted and designed to be easily replaced at sea.
Although not shown on the drawings, the cockpit is designed to be fitted with a fabric sprayhood, or an Imoca-style hard cover to give the crew additional protection.
“We believe a standard M35’ WRC with Extreme interior, a skilled and trained crew on board, racing in an OSTAR, TWOSTAR, ARC, Middle Sea Race, or your area championship… can win its class and leave behind a lot of bigger boats,” says the vastly experienced Vittorio Malingri, a previous Vendée Globe skipper and the general manager of the Italian yard.
Malingri and Moana Bluewater Yachts have built over 130 yachts since 1982 and its Carbon Line team in Fano is a key lamination supplier for many big brands of motoryachts.
Extreme Base from €220,000 ex VAT. moanashipyard.com
Very rarely do new brands of wet weather gear come along, so when North Sails decided to enter the foray it had to be pretty confident that it had something new and enticing to offer. The world’s leading sailmaker headhunted an industry leader to give it the jump.
Nigel Musto, previously the long-standing designer and consultant for the eponymous former family firm, was effectively given a blank sheet of paper to design the best wet weather gear in the world.
The new range of high performance gear comprises four new lines to suit sailors from the highest end of Grand Prix and inshore racing, to offshore and full ocean foulies. Manufacturing is done in one of the very few Chinese factories licensed to use the Gore-tex Pro membrane.
“In our market there are only two companies with the license for Goretex kit – Musto and North Sails,” says Nigel Musto.
Speaking from the North Sails
Gosport loft with the first garments ready to go in store, he explained that he had been trying to solve a number of key problems for years when the sailmaking firm approached him in January
2019. The first centred on water repellent coatings: “Over the last 25 years various EU directives have meant durable water repellents (DWR) have been gradually watered down.” This is to reduce the environmental impact of the fluorocarbons they typically use. The downside is that they became less effective. “Where water used to bead off for weeks, now a good DWR will wet-out after a few days offshore and the garment becomes colder and heavier.”
He found that water gets trapped
between the nylon yarns, which quickly adds weight. “We worked with Gore-tex on some new fabrics and developed a Tightweave, which comprises incredibly thin tightly woven yarns. This prevents the moisture getting trapped.”
This, he says, has prevented the majority of moisture absorption, so the Performance garments are lighter and more comfortable.
“Yachtsmen had been telling me for 30 years that they were getting damp bums,” Musto continues. “Even though we would pressure test them and prove fabrics were not leaking we still couldn’t figure out why it would happen.”
They traced the problem to the patches used on the knees and seat of trousers. “Cordura holds a lot of water so gains weight when it wets-out. When you sew a patch on, it creates a pocket that can never dry out. Body heat warms the water up in this pocket and the breathability process reverses and moisture goes inwards.”
North Sails happens to be a world leader in lamination technology, says Musto, “so we found a way of laminating on top of Gore-tex.” Called 4DL, which means 4-layer durable laminate, the fourth layer is a non-absorbent material on top of the 3-layer Goretex. Laminating the patches stopped water getting through and prevented pockets forming.
“We found we had fixed all of the issues suddenly and the bonus of the combination of Tightweave fabric and 4DL patches is a garment which weighs 30% less than others when dry and with 70-80% less absorption of traditional gear when wetted out.”
“From a sailor’s perspective this is so much more comfortable – not holding water so you’re not getting cold.”
The fabric could revolutionise performance sailing kit, says Musto: “4DL patches are as big an advance in technology as Gore-tex was in the 1990s – the pros are saying it’s that comfortable.” IMOCA skipper Kevin Escoffier has sailed 30,000 miles in his kit.
North’s new Performance range also introduces other new tech such as a permeable nanofibre to help ensure its GP line is ultra lightweight, and a neoprene-based Duraseal for waterproof neck and wrist seals, which won’t perish under UV like latex seals. The range is currently available in unisex sizes S-3XL, with women’s-cut items due 2022. northsails.com/performance
Musto’s new generation LPX range is aimed at top-level dinghy and inshore racers. Among others, they will be used by the France Sailgp team. The LPX Gore-tex Infinium Aero jacket is one third lighter than the original LPX Gore-tex jacket, while the LPX Primaloft Stretch Midlayer Jacket is designed to be worn underneath the Aero jacket to provide extra insulation on cold days. Shoulder stretch panels allow freedom of movement, and the Primaloft Silver insulation continues to work even when wet. LPX Infinium Aero jacket £250. musto.com
Gill, well as adopting a more sustainable plant-based finish on its OS3 foul weather gear (pictured), has also revamped its range of gloves for 2021. The comprehensive line up covers everything from dinghy sailing through keelboats to offshore yachts. The latter includes the gauntlet-style insulated and waterproof Helmsman Glove, which recognises that long periods spent on the helm, particularly overnight, can require a warmer solution than typical sailing gloves. OS3 range: jacket £185, coastal pant £120; Helmsman Glove £55. gb.gillmarine.com
Zhik’s latest offshore jacket for women is tailored to allow layering underneath. The OFS700 has a high-cut ocean collar with a foldaway full-face shield for severe conditions, while the sleeves have a double seal to keep arms dry. Large utility pockets are included, as well as separate hand warmers. There are also unisex salopettes in the range.
The INS100 jacket (pictured) is intended as a lightweight technical cross-over garment, is fully breathable, and available in both men’s and women’s cuts. OFS700 women’s jacket £330, INS100 jacket £130. zhik.com
Who is it for? Sailors wanting a robust knife on hand for emergencies
So many things can go wrong so quickly on a boat that most professional sailors always keep a knife close to hand. Which knife is a highly personal a choice, but the Wichard Rescue blade is a real winner for me.
The 72mm round tipped N680 stainless blade is highly corrosion resistant which is key in a salty environment, even if tougher (and more expensive) metals would keep an edge better. We’re not expecting to use this knife often, so staying sharp is not an issue. For me, a rescue knife should never be a folding one, as trying to unfold it in a crisis can cause serious delays, so I like the rigid blade on the Wichard. It has a hard plastic sheath that can be attached to the boat or crew, and the knife locks into the sheath with a lever the length of the handle that is easy to release even with a gloved, frozen hand. The serrated blade chops through rope and tethers in seconds. The 12mm shackle key is a useful addition. My only slight issue is that the handle was maybe an inch too short for my hand.
You’re paying for the robust design and quality of stainless steel, but that’ll seem cheap if you ever need to use it in an emergency. RRP: £74.95. marine.wichard.com