Jeff, a member of our crew, gained much of his experience on yacht deliveries UK and beyond with the highly regarded Halcyon Yachts.
Jeff - "Deliveries with Halcyon taught me the nitty-gritty realities necessary to transform my skills from booky tactics to sailory intuition. I have a repertoire of delivery experiences I recall and use today. I remember on passing my Yachtmasters exam, the old boy said to me ‘now you’re going to start learning how to sail’ - I got it with Halcyon skippers who’d been around the block. I sailed with a variety of skippers, picking up tricks, traits and standards from all. My first delivery from Preveza, Greece, to Southampton included two qualifying ocean passages. My confidence grew until I was skippering myself - Pete assigned me first as skipper on a wooden 40ft Chinese Junk (Boleh) built in Singapore in 1949. I was also launched into adventure, and came home every time with stories. Many of these adventures occurred ashore in one of the far flung places you end up at sailing to. Halcyon was my entry to the real world of sailing both inshore and offshore."
Halcyon Yachts have been delivering yachts internationally for over 12 years. The Managing Director is Pete Green, a professional sailor and Yachtmaster Instructor. We have invited Pete to talk about the opportunities they have provided to up-and-coming sailors over the years.
Pete says, "At Halcyon Yachts, we have the best yacht delivery skippers. Our standards are such that our skippers are qualified to Yachtmaster Ocean as a minimum. Many also have RYA instructor qualifications. Because of this, the delivery crew that sail with us are able to develop and learn along the way. We do insist that our crew come with at least the Day Skipper ticket with enough experience and competency to stand a solo watch. One of the things that fills me with the most joy is hearing back from the crew at the end of the trip, listening to their sea stories and hearing their enthusiasm."
When asked about the longest and most memorable trips Halcyon have done Pete said "We have delivered more yachts than I can remember across the Atlantic and we have a 60fter about to set off from Panama on route to Australia right now. Specific yacht deliveries that stand out though include a Hallberg Rassy 56 from Gosport to Texas, a Spirit 111 from Ipswich to Gosport and a Baltic Trader 85 from Falmouth to the Canaries".
Hallberg Rassy 53 - Gosport (UK) to Texas (USA) - trans Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico!
A really great trip on a wonderful yacht. We deliver lots of Hallberg Rassy's. For comfort and safety, the HR53 is just the perfect boat for a Trans Atlantic yacht delivery. The owners were with us and everyone had a fantastic time. The trip of a lifetime for everyone on board.
Spirit 111 - Ipswich to Gosport.
The Spirit 111 is a work of art. She was crowned "Sailing Yacht of the Year" during the World Superyacht Awards. She is the largest wooden sloop built in the UK since the J-Class yacht Shamrock V. We were no wonder delighted to be asked to help with her delivery from the Spirit yard to Gosport.
Baltic Trader 85 - Falmouth (UK) to Las Palmas (Spain)
We love delivering classic yachts though this yacht delivery certainly had its challenges. Several days were needed to get her ready for the passage across Biscay. Lots of TLC and running maintenance is often a big part of the job on an older boat. For the delivery crew, it was a great opportunity to learn more about the day-to-day management and sailing of a classic yacht.
Jeff Leigh-Jones & Pete Green
Halcyon Yachts will be part of our team going forward as we launch Vanguard and engage in the initial shakedown and delivery cruises up through NW Europe. This takes pressure off the owners whilst giving them time to learn unfamiliar systems and absorb the knowledge of others experienced with yachts of her size and performance.
To find out more about Halcyon Yachts and to register with them as crew, visit their website:
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