Services


Above: when the code sail goes up, the real fun starts. Left: the participants get to live well, sail and learn from the best


table. Which is the background for the Beneteau First Academy. On the Adriatic Sea outside of


Split we are considering a reef in the mainsail. However, we seem to get away with more backstay tension, a flatter jib and some active work on the mainsheet. When we get back to base, the


and the accommodation and food are first class. Participants get to live well and sail and learn from the best. Reports already show that they return home more confident and able to unfold the full potential of their planing cruisers. The term planing cruiser might


be unfamiliar but it is exactly what it sounds like: A sailing boat designed for cruising, but still able to plane. Not just twice a year during an uncontrolled surf down a wave. We are talking about planing frequently with no stress, requiring no special knowledge. More precisely, on an open angle in anything above 15kts of wind. Even on flat water. A true planing cruiser is very hard


to find on the market. Back in the nineties they were quite popular but they mostly attracted racing-minded,


70 SEAHORSE


experienced high-performance sailors. And the boats back then did require you to have a certain level of competence. This has now changed. A fundamental part of the philosophy driving the new generation First line is making the boats so light, stable and balanced that you don’t have to drive them on the edge to make them break out of displacement mode. It’s simply built into the construction. This has not been easy. It has not been cheap. But it actually works. If you want to bring out the full


potential of these boats, you can obviously still benefit from training and learning from the best and interacting with other owners. Sharing tips and finding new ways of playing with this fine-tuned instrument will bring more to the


chefs will have a nice dinner ready and the evening will be a mix of informal socialising, debriefing, individual feedback and preparation for the next day. In the past couple of days, keynotes from the team leaders and invited VIPs have explained the design process that led to the boat we are sailing. We are starting to understand this machine on a whole different level. But right now we’re going well


over 7kts upwind and it’smy turn to take the wheel. I sink into the kind of present, relaxed concentration that only can take place on a boat that’s really tuned in with the wind and the waves. Soon we will bear off and put a flying sail up. We should be able to plane easily


in this wind. The code zero ismade ready, we have gone through the sequence on shore and know what to do with the sheets, the tack and the halyard. The sail is furled and can come up even before we have opened up for the downwind leg. Everyone is ready as we bear off. I feel my pulse rise. This is where


the fun really starts. www.beneteau.com


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