The majestic 43m sloop Guillemot arrived in Auckland late last year to spend the summer chartering in our waters. We chatted to skipper Mark Welch to gain an insight into the planning and logistics required to operate a vessel of her size. Story by Lawrence Schäffler. Photography by Nicolas Claris. Video by Romain Claris and Roger Mills.
If the accompanying images reflect a vessel which looks familiar, yes, you’re correct. Guillemot has visited our waters previously – albeit under a different name. After the global easing of Covid restrictions, she’s back here for a spell of charter work – and also because New Zealand is a convenient maintenance stopover halfway through her (fourth) circumnavigation.
Born on the drawing board of Dubois Naval Architects, she was built by the renowned Dutch shipyard Vitters and launched in 2004. Nearly 20 years later this sleek beauty is as impressive and eye-catching as ever, and even more sumptuous internally following a recent refit (2021).
The new owner named her after his favourite seabird (a guillemot is a member of the auk family), a rechristening echoing a pattern of ownership exchanges. She was launched as Gimla but was renamed with each ownership swap – Nelson, Drumbeg, Bella Regazza – and now Guillemot.
New Zealand, says skipper Mark Welch, is a logical stopover halfway through the three-year circumnavigation which began in northern France in November 2021.
“As any superyacht skipper will tell you, New Zealand has excellent facilities and is a wonderful stopover for maintenance and replenishing supplies. It’s a good spot for avoiding the tropical cyclone season and a fun place for a bit of crew downtime.” But their respite will be brief: various charter parties will join the boat here before she departs at the end of April, heading up to Vanuatu, the Solomons, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Itinerary
While Guillemot’s cruising destinations on her voyage around the planet are understandably shaped by whims of her well-heeled guests, other factors are considered in determining her route.
“The basic plan,” says Welch, “is mapped out about four years ahead – with sufficient, built-in flexibility for it to be modified as things evolve. A major part of the process is identifying suitable maintenance stopovers – places like Auckland’s Orams Marine – with facilities that can accommodate our size.
“On a more fundamental level though, the route’s also impacted by weather patterns. For example, we don’t want to be in the tropics during the hurricane or cyclone season. Apart from the risk and discomfort that comes with any severe storm, there are also insurance parameters. Insurance companies will say, yes, of course you can go wherever you like, but if you’re caught in a ‘named’ hurricane or cyclone, your insurance cover is compromised. So we tend to avoid the tricky areas.
“But the real pre-planning begins once the destinations are established. It means thinking four of five steps ahead – contacting Marina Agents months beforehand to secure berths (where berths are, in fact, available for a 43m vessel). We can’t just arrive and call the marina operator over the VHF to ask for a prime spot. We’re significantly restricted by our length and draft (4.3m) – and our 50m air draft. Bridges and powerlines across waterways tend to eliminate potential destinations.
“In many cases we’re restricted to anchoring. But unlike smaller yachts which can nip into cosy, protected bays, we’re usually forced to anchor further out, and that might mean a rolly anchorage. We try to select calmer anchorages to keep guests comfortable, and if a place doesn’t have a calm anchorage, it might mean dropping it from the itinerary.”
Do charter guests get involved with sailing the vessel?
“It’s very varied,” says Welch. “I offer everyone a chance to helm the vessel. Some are happy to give it a go – others not so much. Some just want to relax and enjoy drinks and dining in the cockpit. Others are more adventurous and will use our extensive complement of water toys – paddleboards, kayaks, jet-skis – and many are keen divers. Some enjoy hiking ashore.” The boat carries 10 sets of scuba gear.
There isn’t really a ‘typical day’ for the crew when a charter party is on board, says Welch, but depending on the guests’ preferences it often starts at 5.00am and ends at 11.00pm.
“Generally, if they’re keen on sailing (not all are) they tend to adapt their plans around the possibility of sailing. We try to have breakfast at a nice anchorage, look at the weather forecast to check wind strength and direction, and then plan accordingly. We have to be flexible. We have a broad itinerary we present to the guests – this is what we would like to do, but ultimately, each day might be shaped by the weather.”
While Guillemot sleeps 10 in five cabins, charter party sizes vary considerably – from families to a single couple. The vessel is equipped with V-Sat, giving guests full internet access irrespective of where in the world she happens to be.
Sailing Guillemot
As readers will appreciate, Guillemot’s 3DI sails are massive and hydraulically controlled – both for hoisting/furling and trimming. The wardrobe includes a mainsail (700kg, 414m2), a yankee (480m2) and a staysail – and two multi-purpose spinnakers. “We don’t tend to fly the latter very often. Even though most guests like to do some sailing, they don’t appreciate excessive heeling.”
The fully-battened mainsail is boom-furled and hoisting/furling it is a carefully coordinated exercise, with each of the seven crew at his/her station. “You need plenty of manoeuvring space and time to plan the operation and get the angles correct. With hydraulic power you need to be aware that there are extraordinary loads on the sail – and unlike with manual cranking, you can’t feel the load or any glitches. Many things can go wrong. You have to stay vigilant and calm.”
You might think that for trans-oceanic crossings the vessel would use sail power exclusively – but that’s not always the case. “It depends on the schedule at the destination,” says Welch. “Heading across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, for example, we only used the headsails and the engine. And that’s because we were collecting a charter party immediately on arrival in Antigua. Given the tight schedule, we didn’t want to risk any damage to the boat – fixing it might require time – we couldn’t take that chance.”
This ‘damage-limitation’ strategy, he points out, is common on large charter vessels – it’s a sensible precaution when a tight schedule on arrival leaves little room for manoeuvring.
But the crew certainly sails Guillemot when there aren’t any pressing charter obligations, and Welch says she sails beautifully. “We sailed from Panama to the Marquesas (nearly 4,000 miles) – and again from Nuku Hiva to Tahiti. Our weather routers suggested the best course for the prevailing wind. She cruises comfortably at 9–10 knots. Her single 818hp MTU engine powers the vessel to 8–9 knots, and she carries nearly 20,000 litres of diesel.
Inspections
As one of the world’s largest sailing yachts involved in regular charter work, scheduled inspections are another component of Guillemot’s operational life.
These inspections fall under the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) framework – a maritime organisation involved in the development and verification of standards for designing, constructing and maintaining marine assets.
As such, she needs regular inspections (at 5, 10, 15 and 20 years) to check that the vessel’s structural and stability characteristics conform with her original design parameters. Things change frequently and easily, says Welch.
“Putting a jacuzzi on board, for example, will affect the vessel’s stability. And sometimes a new owner will ask for changes to the boat’s interior without realising that structural integrity could be seriously affected.”
At 43m Guillemot ranks among the world’s largest sailing yachts (she’s 1,717th). As a superyacht skipper with decades of experience, Welch has operated scores of vessels of similar size, all offering similar features. What’s different about this vessel?
“She’s a modern classic – one of the earlier Dubois designs that’s stood the test of time. Despite being nearly 20 years old she’s in excellent condition – she’s been very well maintained – and the recent refit has given her a bright, modern interior. With five cabins she’s very versatile and flexible, allowing us to cater for charter parties of various sizes. And her exterior dining areas are wonderful – always a favourite feature for guests.
“She’s very special – big, bold and beautiful.”
Smuggler aboard
For many guests one of Guillemot’s prime attractions is her diving facility – 10 sets of scuba gear and a compressor.
While she’s equipped with a dedicated diving platform, her size precludes her from anchoring too close to coral reefs. Instead, divers are ferried to sites in a New Zealand-built tender – a Smuggler Strata 650 – fitted with a large canopy, freshwater shower, ski pole and Bluetooth stereo.
Guests have been known to arrive at the dive site snapping their fingers and disappearing over the side singing into their regulators…
Specifications
Length overall 43m
Beam 9m
Draft 4.3m
Displacement 235 GT
Builder Vitters Netherlands (2004)
Construction Aluminium
Engine 1 x MTU 818hp
Fuel 19,500 litres
Cabins 5
Guests 10
Crew 7
Class ABS +A1 Yachting service; LY1 Code compliant
Exterior Dubois Naval Architects
Interior Rhoades Young Design
