Dear readers,
The German long-distance sailing club Trans Ocean recently announced a whopping five per cent increase in membership compared to the previous year. And this at a time when sailing clubs elsewhere are struggling with a decline in membership. Trans Ocean, on the other hand, now has over 5,000 club members. Chapeau!
At the Atlantic Rallyes for Cruisers, over 200 yachts are currently on their way to the Caribbean or have just arrived there. Among them are once again numerous German crews. Some of them will continue on to the South Seas and around the world. Next year, the ARC will take place for the 40th time. Congratulations already now!
Jimmy Cornell, the father of all long-distance regattas, wants to organise a new rally for adventurous sailors the year after next. It will take the participating yachts to both the Arctic and the Antarctic. I'm sure the response will be enormous.
The urge to seek sailing happiness in faraway places seems to be stronger than ever among quite a few people in this country. The reasons for this are manifold, as many conversations and reports have shown.
Some people simply want to break out of the same old routine. Others have had enough of all the economic problems, wars and natural disasters that are hitting us in ever faster succession. Let's get away!
And still others may have been working towards their blue water dream for many years and can now fulfil it. Keyword boomer generation. They are just reaching the age when you can think about leaving your job early; money is often not a problem.
The shipyards specialising in long-distance yachts are delighted. Their order books are full.
Of course, you have to leave the church in the village. All in all, there are comparatively few people who are really active long-distance travellers. But the trend clearly points in one direction: more and more people are giving in to their wanderlust.
This has consequences. There has long been trouble in paradise in some places. When entire long-distance flotillas invade small South Sea atolls or dozens of blue water crews populate the most beautiful bays for weeks on end, putting additional strain on the often simple infrastructure on land, the locals cannot stand idly by in the long term. Anchoring bans, limited residence permits and more are already the result here and there. Luxury problems, certainly.
And yet: resist the beginnings! There is still time to take countermeasures. Which doesn't necessarily mean giving up on your long-distance dream. But perhaps it should be approached a little more thoughtfully. Keyword sustainability. Keyword self-sufficiency. Keyword: aid projects.
As sailors, we are not alone in the world. Not even when we are cruising on distant oceans. We leave our mark. These should be minimised as much as possible. Anyone casting off should ask themselves nowadays how they dispose of waste and faeces on the way. The sea is neither a rubbish tip nor a sewage treatment plant.
We should also endeavour to meet our electricity needs from renewable energy sources alone. Installing the shore power cable somewhere in a country that is, in case of doubt, rather poor must remain the exception.
But above all, in many areas favoured by sailors, the locals live in the most humble of conditions. Or they are even destitute. Of course, yachts cannot transport resources on a large scale. But change starts on a small scale. Whether pencils and writing pads for the children on a remote atoll or tools and sometimes building materials for the adults: There are definitely ways to combine the good (sailing) with meaningful help for others.
We have often reported in YACHT about aid projects initiated by sailors that are worthy of support. Christmas is coming soon - a good opportunity to think of others. And when you set off on your own blue water voyage, please don't forget the worries, hardships and problems of the people you meet far away. That is my wish.
With this in mind, we wish you all a happy Advent season!
Pascal Schürmann
YACHT copywriter
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The week in pictures
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