boats

Suhaili

Built of teak. Designed by William Atkins as “Eric” in 1923, her design is based on the Norwegian sailing lifeboat designs of Colin Archer. Thames Tonnage 14. Net Tonnage 6.29. Official Number 306242 of London. Signal Letters MHYU. Began as a concept whilst serving as 2nd Officer on a deck passenger ship trading between Bombay and Basra with two 3rd Officers Peter Jordan and Mike Ledingham. Building started on a slipway in Bombay Docks in 1963 using teak throughout. The keelson is 1’ 2” x 10" and  22 feet long, planking 1 ¼ “ teak. She is the first boat to ever sail non-stop around the world.

No one would call Suhaili a greyhound, but she is solid, strong and a very good seaboat.

In 1997 Suhaili went to the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich as an exhibit, but the controlled atmosphere began to shrink her planking, and, unwilling to see her die this way, RKJ removed her in 2002 and re-fitted her again. She still belongs to RKJ and is currently being slowly re-fastened by RKJ at the Elephant Boatyard at Burseldon, Near Southampton, UK with the objective of getting her back into commission.

Click here to learn more about the Golden Globe Race.

Grey power

In May 2006, RKJ bought the Open 60 "Fila" winner of the 1998 Around Alone Race. After qualifying for the Velux5Oceans race by sailing to Halifax Nova Scotia and back, the boat was given a thorough re-fit, including a new engine, electronics, sails, rigging, etc and completed the race in May 2007 in 4th position.
RKJ entered the boat in the Rhum Class in the 2014 Route de Rhum Race from St Malo to Guadaloupe and came third.

ENZA NEW ZEALAND

Originally the Nigel Irens designed catamaran “Tag” built in Canada in 1984. Bought late 1992 and re-modelled she became Enza. Skipperd by RKJ and Peter Blake, she attempted to beat 80 days around the world in 1993 but struck an object in the Southern Ocean and withdrew. In 1994 with the same skippers she got around the world in 74 days 22 hours 18 minutes, thus setting a new world record and gaining the Jules Verne Trophy. Sold on to Tracy Edwards and re-named Maiden, with an all girl crew she was dismasted in the Southern pacific when trying to better this time. She was subsequently sold to Tony Bullimore.