Tuesday, September 13, 2011
For 20 individuals, one Sunday back in August represented a truly unique opportunity - to sail on ICAP Leopard, one of the fastest yachts in the World. Sailing Logic have teamed up with ICAP Leopard to exclusively offer individuals the chance to sail on board for a day in the Solent - getting involved in everything - from trimming the sails on the enormous electric winches, to helping pull down the gigantic headsail once the spinnaker was launched - and even taking the helm!
Conditions were perfect and everyone was astounded how the 100ft ICAP Leopard comfortably cruised along at 15 knots boats speed with only 10 knots of breeze! The canting keel is equivalent to 200 people hiking hard - which meant that we were racing along with the yacht barely heeled over at all - an incredible sensation!
Before departure, the skipper took time to talk through the huge number of controls at his disposal, explaining how he can even tack the yacht from home via email! Pressure forces on everything are measurable, so he can keep a close eye on the balance of loads to avoid accidental damage whilst acheiving maximum boat speeds. The computer processor is the size of a small car, with no less than three waterproof covers!
On the water, she is a jaw-dropping sight, with many local boats in the Solent pausing to take photos as we screamed past. We ducked a small dinghy (port tack does give way after all!) whose two crew were so excited by that story to tell in the bar later, they promptly capsized!
ICAP Leopard is a true powerhouse, and sails like she is on rails. As you clasp the helm you can feel the potential. To race on her as a professional must be an incredible experience, and it comes as no surprise that she finished the Rolex Fastnet in under 2 days (it took our yachts more than 4!), to secure 2nd place overall.
The day proved so popular that Sailing Logic are already in discussion with ICAP Leopard to book in two days for next year, so if you'd like to have the once in a lifetime chance to sail on her, do let us know and we'll advise you as soon as the dates are fixed (probably one Saturday in June and one Sunday in August).
More photos on our facebook album
