Radio Rogers

My father-in-law is a bit of legend in the sailing world. Not only is he an amazing craftsman and innovative boat builder (he bought the technology from Lotus to start vacuum moulding boats in the 70's), he is also an awesome helmsman. Back then, as well as building two Contessa 32s a week, he'd also build a racing boat every year for the prestigious Admiral's Cup Series and go off with his brother Jonathan and mates as crew, and invariably win! He was awarded Yachtsman of the Year in 1974 for diverting from a race in the One Ton Cup to respond to a flare - and rescuing a family whose boat had caught fire and sank. In more recent years, despite not racing regularly, and being in his 70s Jeremy doesn't seem to have lost his edge at all. In 2002, 2003 and 2006 he won the Round-The-Island Race in his Contessa 26, Rosina (an incredible achievement as anyone who knows about the race will understand), and most recently the Contessa 32 National Championships have been his two years running in Gigi. Jeremy is one of those people who doesn't say much, but when he does - people listen and yet he is genuinely the most modest person you could hope to meet and definitely media shy. So, it was with some surprise to learn that Jeremy had agreed to go with Kit to be interviewed live on BBC Radio Solent about Calypso last Sunday (scroll through 27 minutes to reach the interview). Believe me, this is newsworthy, kind of like the sailing equivalent of Kate Moss giving a live interview.... or something like that!

Teak Performance?

I've been kicking around the Rogers' boat yard for over 10 years, so I'm not completely new to what it takes to build a boat, but I guess watching your own boat being built is a bit like having your own baby, suddenly the subject becomes a whole lot more interesting - that's probably where the comparison ends! Jeremy is now experimenting with a new type of teak replacement called Kebony. There is no doubt that teak is an amazing wood, but as demand outstrips sustainable supply it's important that a really good alternative is found. There are plenty of examples of resin filled softwoods on the market, but these proved problematic when the toxic resin started leaching out. Kebony, a Norwegian-based company, claims to have found a solution to this; waste Kebony can be disposed of as untreated wood. It comes ready planked which makes it more appealing than a tree trunk from the builders' point of view, but it will be interesting to see what Jeremy thinks of it as a craftsman.

In the beginning there was a deck

When recently we were pondering how to get our family of four boys and a mildly neurotic collie dog out on the water for some sailing adventures my father-in-law, boat builder Jeremy Rogers announced he had a spare Contessa 32 deck "in the yard which needs using up". So, after a collective emptying of piggy banks, the work of building our very own sailing boat has begun. My husband Kit is a teacher and will work alongside his father in the school holidays and on weekends, so that hopefully by late summer "Calypso" will be ready. The plan is to make her as green as we possibly can. Although there's not a lot going for fibreglass in the green department, Contessa 32s are at least built to last. The first 32s were rolled out of the factory in Lymington 40 years ago and there's every reason to believe they will last another 40 and 40 after that, which is more than can be said of their cheaper counterparts. Fibreglass hull aside, we'll be looking at other ways we can reduce the environmental impact of the boat, not only during the build, but also so that when sailing it is easier to make the right environmental choices.