The Future Sailing .

The mentality of the sailors evolves, as well cruising as racing.
Having taken pleasure in the ownership of a boat, now, the navigator takes rather pleasure in the use of the boat.
The society change, we were in a society of possession, we are going to a society of use.
The sailors are looking for a boat but also for services and for an environment which allows them to navigate freely.

The sailing environment is going to evolve :

• The service of the ports
• The weather report
• The follow-up of the boats in sea
• The maintenance and the after-sales services.

The cruising sailor navigates in various ways :

• In the day, on a comfortable boat, without problem, way caravan
• Way tourism, on a boat which allows to go far, quickly

Now, the evolution of the sailing services allows to satisfy better and better this demand which is more global.
The first easier way to navigate is to buy a motorboat for a new customer, but :

• The pleasure of the sea,
• The increase in the price for the fuel oil,
• The ecological pressure,
• The ease of use of the new sailboats,
• The great ease of maintenance of the sailboats by the navigator himself
• The increase in speed of the sailboats,
• The increase in security of the sailboats which are more stable, less breakable than the motorboats

All these factors drive the costumer to buy a sailboat.

Today, the increase in the mass tourism which saturates the places for holiday, particularly the coasts, encourages everybody to leave in the open sea, farther, more free …

This evolution will succeed if all the navigators learn to better know their boat, the weather report and especially the sea.

To follow this context, the sailboats are so going to evolve.

They are going to be much more simple to use and to maintain.

1) The rigging

For example the rigging CwingÓ allows to make masts very simple to adjust and maintain with only a forestay and two shrouds well adapted to the cruising boats from 7 to 15 m.

Giro 34

The evolution of the materials,

The cut of the sails make the sailor reduce them more easily. Furthermore they are more effective, more solid.

 

2) The hulls

The construction of the hulls evolves.

They become more solid, lighter, easier to maintain .

The techniques of construction of the hull will use either the infusion, or prepeg. These techniques make the builder works in better conditions, they give a more reliable boat with more effective materials.

The use of the carbon advisedly, in particular on the masts, make the boat more stable, safer, with center of gravity more low.

Water ballasts, more important drafts (if necessary with lifting keel) stratified ballasts make boats heeling less, more tolerant and faster.

Equally of equipment, these new techniques ensure that the speed increases from 20 to 30 % compared with the boats of current production.

This evolution will get the boats as well for long cruise or long routes, as for comfortable cruise less long, the example of first influencing second.

Water under pressure, warm water, water maker, refrigerators, air conditioning, are going to become widespread on comfortable cruising boats The protection against the sea, the sun (awning, bimini) increases the comfort of the crew.

In the future we shall sail with boats more simple, faster, for whom the main thing is to enjoy the wind and the sea while keeping the comfort for the essential functions :

• Well sleep
• well sit (outside and inside)
• Have a good position to handle, to steer
• Etc.

All the progress will come according to the demand of the market.

The sailors have to become aware of these possible progress, integrate it and choose the boat which corresponds to these new qualities, developing so the offer of the builders.

This awareness will go with a better knowledge of the sea, of the weather report and of own capacities of every navigator at the same time.

Jean Marie Finot