LOTT LANDS A CHALLENGE

NEW ZEALAND’S JIM LOTT HAS BEEN AWARDED THE ROYAL CRUISING CLUB’S PRESTIGIOUS CHALLENGE CUP – BECOMING THIS COUNTRY’S FIRST RECIPIENT OF A TROPHY THAT’S USUALLY GIVEN TO A BRITON.

The Cup is presented annually for the most outstanding cruise of any duration.

Jim and his wife Karin were deemed worthy winners after their voyage to Auckland from the Mediterranean on their yacht Victoria. They left New Zealand (initially for Chile) in 2011.

They built Victoria in Auckland and launched her in 1988. They’ve since sold her – in total she carried them some 150,000 miles.

The Royal Cruising Club (RCC) was established in 1880 and is similar to the Cruising Club of America. RCC is best known for its extensive library of cruising information. It publishes (through Imray Publications) a wide range of cruising guides written or edited by club members. About 50 guides cover much of the world.

Each year the club makes a number of awards at London’s Royal Thames Yacht Club. The Challenge Cup – its most prestigious award – was established in 1896 and is given to recipients based on logs and written reports. Past winners include Eric Hiscock, David Lewis and Robin Knox-Johnston.

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The following is an extract from the Lott’s logbook:

“The Strait of Gibraltar is a huge natural wind-funnel and after a few miles, wind gusts of 45 knots at odds with the 4-knot current made it very bumpy. We could see other yachts leaping about in the overfalls and we felt for one yacht which had lost her rudder and was being towed through the tumbling waves at ten knots by the Tarifa lifeboat. We headed across the separation zone at 90° through the endless convoy of ships, even though other yachts just sailed the course they wanted. With many yachts now transmitting on AIS, knowing other vessels’ intentions makes life at sea much easier.

“It had been six years since we sailed from Auckland, years that added to our age. When we set out for Chile in 2011 we always intended to call a halt to ocean wandering when we reached our 70s, before we became a menace to both ourselves and others on the water. After selecting the easiest route home we turned our bow westward towards New Zealand, half a world away.”